You can start a small business

Overcoming obstacles as a start up business

2011-05-06T11:00:00.000+01:00

Overcoming obstacles as an Internet Start Up

WikiJob.co.uk was started in 2007 by two young entrepreneurs, Chris Muktar and Ed Mellett. They began the business in reaction to what they perceived as a lack of reliable information about graduate schemes in the corporate world.

At the time, both Chris and Ed were stuck in unfulfilling graduate jobs which they felt did not suit them personally or professionally. They wanted to know more about the possibilities that were open to graduates but found that the information out there was mainly employer driven and did not offer a graduate perspective.

Ed and Chris saw a gap in the market that they felt they could fill. WikiJob was thus created to offer both a reliable source of careers information and a forum in which graduates could discuss their personal trials and tribulations in their hunt for a job. The Wiki concept, in which content is user generated, was perfect for a website purposefully designed for graduates, and run by graduates. They started with no capital and very little business knowledge; yet now sit at the helm of a thriving online business which serves 500,000 visitors a month. These are some of the lessons they learnt along the way.

1. Persistence: Starting a business from scratch requires a puritanical belief in your product and a steadfast dedication to both promoting and improving it. When WikiJob began both Chris and Ed had little in the way of business contacts or acumen. They used their own initiative to build up contacts and attract clients, initiating hundreds of phone calls and meetings to eventually win their first client.

2. Find a niche and ruthlessly exploit it: Having experienced difficulties in finding a suitable graduate career themselves, Ed and Chris knew that there was a market for their product. They tapped into it by figuring out the ways in which they themselves needed help; by solving their own problem they were able to help the graduates in a similar position. They also offered a platform through which graduates could voice their own concern thus encouraging the creation of an online community.

3. Wherever possible get things for cheap: WikiJob’s early success was based on maintaining a lean and efficient business model and finding innovative ways to get things for free. They managed to get free hosting, free promotion in newspapers and magazines and free access to events. This was due to not only their eye for a bargain but also their commitment to networking and self-promotion.

4. Market yourself relentlessly: WikiJob generate their own marketing through a mixture of online, social media and face to face promotion. Generating an audience of young people online through social media was combined with a commitment to generating a network of professional contacts through face to face meetings and telephone conversations. They decided to conduct their marketing themselves both because of the cost of PR companies and because they felt that they would like to liaise directly with journalists and media professionals and thus control their message. They have so far been very successful and WikiJob has been asked to comment on news stories on a variety of BBC programs and in many of the national newspapers.

5. Develop your skills: When WikiJob was first started Chris and Ed were forced by circumstances to become masters of various trades which they had no previous experience of. They slowly became self taught experts in web design and web marketing whilst simultaneously learning the ins and outs of the graduate labour market. This expertise allowed them to offer a highly personalised service which they could tailor to meet their clients demands. They have allowed themselves space to innovate by not expanding too quickly and maintaining their control over the company.

The future for WikiJob is currently very bright; having expanded incrementally to become one of the largest graduate careers website in the UK they are now taking the next step and expanding overseas with a US website currently in the works. They credit their success to a obdurate commitment to their product and a self belief which allowed them to overcome the numerous difficulties they encountered along the way.

So far in 2011, WikiJob has received two awards acknowledging their achievements in the graduate recruitment industry. In March, WikiJob were announced winners of the Management Today Business Heroes award for ‘New Kid on the Block’. The award praised WikiJob as a ‘career site with a difference’, commending its innovative hybrid style of job board/social network, where users ‘are encouraged to contribute, collaborate and share their experiences with their peers (albeit on a website instead of a student pub)’. WikiJob were also awarded the ‘Niche Job Board’ award at the onrec Industry Awards in March.

Starting up your own small enterprise can thus be a highly rewarding experience both personally and professionally. It demands that business owners develop their skills in a wide variety of different industry areas; it also allows them to develop their own business and marketing strategy, innovate and incorporate their own beliefs into the company ethos. Ultimately, as with WikiJob, hard work will be rewarded and recognized.

To find out more about WikiJob please call co-founders Chris Muktar or Ed Mellett on 0845 625 9454 or visit www .wikijob .co .uk

Business start ups: have you had enough advice yet?

2011-05-03T10:27:00.000+01:00

Hi budding entrepreneur. How is the business planning going?

I thought I'd review the blog at this point. Are you enjoying the blog? is it useful to you?

I am thinking of starting off in the month of may now with a step by step guide to putting together all the parts that you need to make a successful business and by the end of it you'll have a business plan. What you do think? Would this help?

I am also going to pop in some great write ups from guest posts from time to time which will hopefully give you a complete package for starting your business.

What do you think? Comment away!

Keeping your business out of the red

2011-05-02T10:59:00.000+01:00

Top Tips for setting up your own business and more importantly keeping your finances out of the red

Jane Scott Paul, Chief Executive of AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) provides her overarching thoughts on best ways to prepare your finances when setting up your own business.

1) Be realistic – times are still tough, consumer spending is still slow. Many businesses that succeed don’t make a profit for the first couple of years; if you are hoping to get “rich” quick then you may need to think again.

2) Keep a business head on. Think strategically about your product, your market, your cash flow and put a business plan together to ensure business stability, growth and profit. A business can not survive on creative flair alone.

3) Understand the tax implications on setting up on your own. Tax legislation changes at a never-ending pace and it’s important for new businesses to keep up. Why? Because it can affect your bottom line and you might be missing important tax breaks.

4) Keep on top of your finances right from the start. Implement a system and make sure it works. The law requires all businesses to have proper accounting records. By doing this you’ll manage your business better and help stimulate business growth. Start-ups that don’t do this, put themselves at a serious disadvantage.

5) Don’t bury your head in the sand - ask for help, speak to an expert or a tax advisor or better still train yourself up. There are many courses out there which can give you basic finance training, book keeping and business management skills. These skills and invaluable and you’ll use them from day one.

Want to see more clearly?

2011-05-01T10:58:00.001+01:00

Clear launches Cloud-based invoicing network to simplify invoicing and payment for small firms.

Free invoicing and time-tracking network manages entire payment process

CLEAR, a new, free to use, cloud-based invoicing and time tracking network, that eases the administrative challenges that UK small businesses and sole traders face, has been launched today.

The CLEAR network will enable small firms to focus more strongly on customer service and growth by more efficiently managing the entire money collection process, from raising invoices, to sending, tracking and receiving payment. The new platform will enable SMEs to secure their cash flow as well as streamline their operations and reduce costs.¹

Firms, sole traders and freelancers register for the CLEAR service in seconds and can send their first invoice in less than five minutes. Creating and sending a simple invoice can take less than ten seconds. The network’s easy-to-use set up wizard guides users through registration which also covers VAT and non-VAT registered businesses. The system is ideal for entrepreneurs and freelancers including photographers, developers and graphic designers who essentially don’t have an office.

The CLEAR network will cut red tape and the time businesses spend on administrative tasks such as invoicing, so they can focus on what they are best at – running and growing their businesses. CLEAR also believes it will help its customer to get paid up to 14 days faster. And because the CLEAR invoicing network is cloud-based, companies don’t have to run any software on their own computers.

Peter Whent, CEO and founder of CLEAR, said: “Having been a small business owner myself several times, I understand at first hand the value of business tools or innovations to help small companies work smarter and spend more time on their business. Technology solutions such as the CLEAR invoicing network will help small organisations become more agile by streamlining the time they spend on managing a crucial but very time consuming administrative process”.

CLEAR plans to extend the reach of the CLEAR invoicing network beyond a simple web interface. “Many businesses use a business system of some sort to run other parts of their business,” Whent explains. “Rather than provide another interface we are working on integrating CLEAR into some of the popular small business software offerings as well as mobile devices such as iPhone or Blackberry so invoices can be raised and submitted while on a customer’s premises or between appointments. Ultimately we want people to be able to send or receive an invoice via the CLEAR network from anywhere using their system or device of choice.”

“Beyond that we plan to build a complete ecosystem that delivers a range of innovative business tools to small firms accessible from virtually anywhere.”

Peter Whent continues: “Small businesses know better than others the saying that time is money. We are making invoicing and getting paid as simple as sending an email for small firms. But this is just the first step on a journey.”

Visit Clear at: http://www.clearinvoices.com

Snow patrol chased cars, we chase debts

2011-04-30T10:56:00.000+01:00

Chasing your debts

John Davies, head of business law, ACCA

Cash flow has traditionally been an issue for many businesses and the recession has only intensified the problem. The Federation of Small Businesses recently surveyed its members (January 2010) and found that 41 per cent of them dipped into personal savings, 43 per cent used overdrafts and 21 per cent their credit card to stave off the recession.

Although there are definite signs of recovery, access to finance remains a challenge for business. So if external finance is to remain in such short and expensive supply, businesses will need to be extra careful in their management of working capital and all reasonable care needs to be taken in the management of trade credit.

Minimising the risk

The overall purpose of sound credit management practice is to minimise the risk of a business being landed with bad debts. Businesses must ensure that, wherever credit is extended to customers, the amount of the credit offered, and the terms on which it is given, are appropriate given what is known about the customer’s ability to pay.

At the outset, any business, regardless of size, should consider taking these elementary steps to protect itself against the risk of bad or late debts (bearing in mind that it invariably costs less to pre-empt them than to try to recover them by legal means):

- Consider what methods of payment you are happy to accept from customers. Retail businesses, more than other types of business, need to be flexible on this point but credit and debit card systems offer protection to the seller which is not affected by subsequent changes in the customer’s circumstances.

- For non-retail transactions, consider whether you should identify a monetary threshold beyond which you will make the extension of credit conditional on a new contact passing a credit reference check.

- Decide in advance what your firm’s policy is to be with regard to late payment of amounts owed to you. Many firms incorporate interest clauses in their payment terms which provide for interest to be charged on debts paid late. Regardless of whether you do this, any business that is paid ‘late’ (which means beyond the contractual payment period) is entitled to charge statutory interest (8% above the prevailing base rate) on top of the amount owed.

- Ensure that you send out any invoices promptly, with the name and address of your business clearly and accurately stated along with your payment terms. If you intend to take advantage of your statutory entitlement to charge interest on late debts, you do not need to formally announce this, although doing so may act as an additional incentive to the customer to pay promptly.

- Keep an eye on your outstanding invoices and chase debtors up if your payment fails to turn up when it should. Resources permitting, it makes sense for a business to liaise with its debtors prior to the payment date and not just after.

Collecting your debts

If despite your efforts you still have not been paid, what are your options?

- You could ask your solicitor to send a letter to the debtor, stating or implying the consequences of a continuing failure to pay. A well worded letter will often produce the intended outcome.

- You could sell your invoices to a factoring company or approach a debt recovery firm to chase the debt for you. This will relieve you of the debt and save the embarrassment of direct confrontation, but you will have to pay a fee for the privilege. A list of recovery agencies can be found on the web site of the Credit Services Association, at www.csa-uk.com

- You can take action to recover your debt through the courts. For debts of value up to £15,000, you will go through the county court. The court will allocate your claim to one of three streams, according to the value of the debt – claims of up to £5,000 will go through the small claims process, popularly known as the ‘small claims court’. Should you win your case in the small claims court, you may be allowed to claim costs, including legal costs, against the other side. Claims can be filed in person at your local county court or alternatively can be made out on-line via www.moneyclaim.gov.uk.

- If all else fails, then, depending on the size of the debt owed, an unsatisfied creditor can initiate action to make the debtor insolvent. Where the outstanding amount is at least £750, an unpaid creditor can serve on the debtor a statutory demand for payment – if the demand is not paid within three weeks, you are entitled to present a petition for the debtor to be made bankrupt (in the case of an individual) or to be wound up (in the case of a company). This route is not dependent on the exhaustion of other recovery options and very often, the presentation of a statutory demand concentrates minds and causes the debtor company to pay up.

Stuck in the middle?

Managing cash flow will always involve juggling receipts and payments, and businesses will very often be debtor and creditor at the same time. Firms can find themselves in a difficult situation like this through no fault of their own – very often, smaller firms in particular are kept waiting for payment by a major debtor and as a direct consequence of that can struggle to pay their own creditors.

Where you are debtor and creditor to the same party at the same time, then you can negotiate the set-off of one the outstanding amounts against the other. Otherwise, the fact that you are awaiting payment yourself does not affect your liability to your own creditors and they will be entitled to exert pressure on you to pay up and if necessary resort to recovery procedures. This situation requires careful management, especially if the creditor is a person or business whose custom you value and with whom you wish to continue doing business.

Cash-flow problems are an on-going challenge for businesses. As with anything it is easier to prevent problems than resolve them, so I would advise any firm to discuss the adequacy of their credit and debt management practices with their accountants.

John Davies

ACCA Head of Business Law

Making your business green

2011-04-29T10:55:00.000+01:00

Building the case for a green work place

John Davies, head of business law, ACCA.

An environmentally friendly business is not hard to achieve. ACCA (the Association for Chartered Certified Accountants) believes now more than ever as politicians struggle to come to an agreement on climate change, businesses large and small could contribute greatly to efforts of becoming more sustainable.

The following ten points are practical solutions that we should be doing already, but sometimes we all need a gentle reminder. Getting the business to be that bit greener is all about changing people’s habits, so staff buy-in and involvement is the first step – and then the challenge is to keep the momentum going.

1. Involve staff -– It’s no good a business having an environmental policy if staff don’t know what it is. Recycling efforts are often undermined by staff not knowing what goes in which bin, while attempts to cut paper usage may be scuppered by staff not using smaller fonts or not printing double-sided. Communicating with your staff about what is going on is a priority.

2. Get the business’s carbon footprint measured - www.carbonneutral.co.uk can help carry out an environmental audit to identify carbon hotspots in a business. They can work with you to reduce the carbon footprint, and can recommend ways to offset carbon emissions.

3. Trim paper usage – Cutting paper waste is vital. Each year, the amount of paper buried in the UK could fill more than 100,000 double decker buses. Always think twice before printing. And make sure the paper you do use is from a sustainable source.

4. Label your recycling bins – Recycling bins need to be labelled clearly so cross contamination doesn’t happen, with paper, metal, plastic getting mixed up. This defeats the recycling objective.

5. A collective waste bin? – A single waste bin for the whole office floor is an option, but make sure everyone knows why this is being done. It’s almost office culture to have your own waste bin, but there’s no point in surprising staff with a change of direction without explaining it first.

6. Control the air conditioning – Reducing the heating thermostat by one or two degrees can make a massive difference to the office environment and the bills; legally, temperatures in the workplace are covered by the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, which place a legal obligation on employers to provide a “reasonable” temperature in the workplace. The Approved Code of Practice suggests a minimum temperature in workrooms should normally be at least 16 degrees Celsius, but some offices have the heating in the low 20s.

7. Switch off Computers – One single computer left on all day will produce 1,500 pounds of CO2 in a year. Staff must down computers every night so it becomes the company’s culture to do so.

8. Turn off the lights – Switching off unnecessary lights could reduce the average bill by up to 19%. And switching to energy efficient light bulbs will make a difference. The last one out of the building should turn out the lights. Movement sensitive lights that turn off automatically are a worthwhile consideration.

9. Consider staff transport needs – For car users, you could introduce a car-sharing scheme, do a deal for supplying electric cars or provide shuttle buses to local transport links. Companies can promote cycling to their staff as an alternative as tax free bike loans are available through www.cyclescheme.co.uk

10. Reappraise your business travel – A report by the World Wildlife Fund www.wwf.org.uk in 2008 revealed that 85% of FTSE350 companies believe video conferencing and other technologies could reduce dependence in business travel. You can also look at carbon offsetting travel, and making sure this is company policy.

How to talk to your bank manager...if you know who they are!

2011-04-28T10:54:00.000+01:00

Talking to your bank manager – Accountants’ top tips

Emmanouil Schizas, SME policy adviser, ACCA

Accountants are the financial advisers of choice for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), so who better to ask for advice on how to get the bank manager to say yes? In this quick guide, ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) has combined research findings and the experience of their members into a few valuable tips for owners and managers of small businesses.

1. Learn the bank’s language

Unless you’re lucky enough to have a long-standing relationship with an experienced bank manager, getting a loan for your small business can be a fairly formulaic exercise. There’s no point telling your bank how profitable you are, how you’ve never missed a payment or how good your product is etc. if that’s not how they measure their risk.

Banks care about specific types of information, and their priorities have changed somewhat since before the financial crisis of 2008-9.

Table 1: What matters to SME lenders (top 5 types of information)
What mattered in 2007-8		What will matter in 2010-11
Item	Importance (1-5)	Item	Importance (1-5)
Cash flow information	4.4	Cash flow information	4.7
Transaction history/account behaviour	4.2	Transaction history/account behaviour	4.5
Key risk indicators	4.0	Collateral	4.4
Collateral	4.0	Key risk indicators	4.3
Financial statements	4.0	Industry trends	4.3
Source: The Banker / IFAC SME Lender Survey, September 2009

As you can see on Table 1, lenders now make more extensive use of information in order to decide on a loan application. Traditional financial statements and key risk indicators are less important than they used to be pre-crisis, whereas collateral and information on industry trends have become more important. Consistently at the top of the agenda, however, are cashflow and transaction histories.

It is important to prepare realistic cashflow projections on a regular basis and to make sure the business can be cash positive in the long run. As for your transaction history, your bank manager will presumably have access to this and will be scrutinising it for signs of trouble as we speak. Make sure you can account for all transactions, especially abnormally large ones. The objective is to reassure your bank that your cashflow is steady and reasonably predictable, that you can pay on time when you need to and that you are not relying on windfalls to keep you afloat.

Most of all, remember that for your bank manager even bad news is better than no information. Be honest and forthcoming or you will risk damaging your banking relationships for ever.

2. Show them you are in control

Our more experienced members are always reminding us that more businesses go under during a recovery than during a recession. This is because businesses tend to over-trade as orders pick up again, committing to more work than they can safely deliver based on their working capital. Banks know this too, so your aim should be to show your bank how sustainably (not how fast) you can grow your business, and that means demonstrating you are in control.

This is one of the reasons why bank managers will want to see your cashflow projections alongside your business plan. The figures will almost certainly never turn out to be spot on, but if you can demonstrate that you understand how your business generates and uses cash, it really doesn’t matter – you’re automatically a slightly safer pair of hands.

Remember – this is not Dragons’ Den. Your bank manager is trying to figure out the downside, not the upside to their investment. There’s no point telling them how much money you are planning to make if there’s a good chance they will see none of it.

3. Think like a bank

Banks generally understand and accept that they must take some risk if they want to do business. But some types of risk they are happier with than others. The kind of risk banks really don’t want to take on is your trade credit risk – the chance that you will get into trouble because your customers can’t pay you in time – or at all.

If you’re extending credit to your customers, you are a bank. You may not think so but your bank manager does. And like a bank, in order to get anyone to lend you money, you have to convince them that you don’t need bailing out. Table 2 shows you how you, too, can think like a bank – without the jargon.

Table 2: A simple translation of bank-speak
Bank-speak	Small business English
Do we have robust and integrated risk management systems in place?	· How much exposure do we have to key customers/clients? How much of our turnover and cashflow depends on them? Are they financially healthy? · How tight are our credit policies and how strictly do we adhere to them? · How good are we at chasing up invoices and other customer debt? · Have we made provision for bad debts? Do we know what shape we will be in if key customers start paying late or fail to pay at all?
Do we have enough capital to ensure solvency even under stress?	· Do we have / will we have enough working capital to meet incoming orders? · Does our business have assets it could sell or borrow against? What are their values in today’s market? · Am I able to inject more of my own money into the business at short notice? Do I have personal property I could sell or borrow against?

4. Get a sounding board

According to research, small businesses find business plans and other forward-looking statements more useful in their efforts to raise finance if they have been prepared by a third party. It is possible for owner-managers to get too attached to their businesses and to their own plans, convinced that they can meet their objectives even against the odds. This can-do attitude often serves entrepreneurs well, but it’s not popular with their banks.

A recent survey by The Banker magazine and the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) revealed that 59% of small business lenders were more likely to consider would-be borrowers if they had used a professional accountant, external to the business, to give them advice and support.

Alternatively, try to build a relationship with your bank manager and use them as a sounding board. An ongoing relationship provides banks with an abundance of information and can help build trust and empathy. The Government’s latest statistics suggest that, even in the good days of mid-2007, only 15% of all the SMEs seeking external finance relied primarily on their banks for financial advice. This is good news for ACCA members (28% relied primarily on accountants), but with trust in banks falling across the SME sector, businesses could be missing out on an important source of advice.

5. Think outside the box

Don’t assume that traditional term loans and overdrafts are the only things you can get from a bank. In addition to their own capital, banks can tap into government guarantees (the Enterprise Finance Guarantee) or funds from the European Investment Bank (EIB) when lending to small businesses. It is possible that if you’re not a major risk your bank could still lend you the money you need in either of these ways, because either the cost of these funds is lower or somebody else is sharing the risk with them. Bear in mind that some bank managers either don’t know about these products or will not go out of their way to inform you. Ask them about these and insist that they come back to you with alternatives to the loan you’re thinking of applying for.

This may seem like a lot of work and –at least the first time around- it will be. However, the effect on your business’ access to finance can be substantial. More importantly, the process can pay for itself by getting you to take control of your business and make it more rational and efficient. In fact, you may find you don’t need a loan at all, or perhaps that you need to think even further outside the box, from invoice finance to equity investment. Learning to talk to the bank manager is just the beginning.

It's all about the money money money!

2011-04-27T10:53:00.000+01:00

Ten top tips for choosing an accountant

Emmanouil Schizas, SME policy adviser, ACCA

Selecting an accountant can seem a daunting task, but if you choose correctly, your accountant will be an extremely valuable asset to your business. A good accountant will not only handle your financial and operational data but will offer professional business advice on a number of other topics too, leaving you free to focus on maintaining and expanding your business.

You will need to give your accountant detailed access to your business information, so it is crucial that you choose correctly first time. The ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) offers the following ten tips to business owners to help ensure you find the accountant that’s perfectly suited for you r needs.

1) Identify the areas where you need support and what you will need your accountant to do

Consider the complexity of your accounting needs. Evaluate whether it is just end-of-year financial statements and tax returns that you will need guidance on, or if you will require support throughout the year. Also try to foresee any future requirements you might have and consider whether your accountant is equipped to deal with these.

2) Look for a firm comparable in size to your company – larger companies are not always better

Smaller accountancy firms are often better suited to smaller businesses. This also comes down to personal preference. Would you prefer to work with one person on a day-to-day basis (typical of smaller firms) or would you feel more comfortable knowing there is a larger team dedicated to your account?

3) Make sure that the accountant has previous experience working in your sector

This is not essential, but experience working in your sector or a similar one will be a good indicator of the accountant’s suitability and suggest they have some good business insight into your area of speciality, which may prove invaluable.

4) Arrange to meet with a few different accountants so you can compare services and fees

As with any business or financial decision, value for money should be a key consideration when deciding between accountants. Make sure you understand how much your potential accountant will be charging you and how and when you will be charged.

5) Consider how they can add value besides book-keeping

Your primary consideration when choosing an accountant should be the value he or she can bring to the business. Whilst their primary task is ensuring all your accounts are in order, a proactive approach to your finances and the ability to bring their specialised expertise to your situation will guarantee a successful business relationship.

6) Ensure that the accountant you choose has a professional qualification and belongs to a professional organisation

Although relatively rare, you may come across people offering “accounting services” who are not qualified. Unqualified accountants are unlikely to carry liability insurance and any apparent fee savings may turn out to be costly in the long run. This information should be displayed on their website or other promotional material. If not, it is essential to ask. Look for a qualification from a professional body such as ACCA, ICAEW or CIMA.

7) Ask to speak with some of their other clients for recommendations and a first-hand account of working with the firm

Don’t underestimate the value of speaking to other businesses or acquaintances about their experiences working with an accountant. It may also prove valuable to talk to non-clients to find out their perception of the organisation.

8) Ensure the accountant is somebody you can work with – they will be a key business adviser, so a good working relationship is key

It is of utmost importance that you trust the person who will be handling your finances and feel comfortable to ask them any questions you may have. Most accountants will offer a free initial consultation, allowing you to assess how successful your working relationship might be. A breakdown in communications between you and your accountant may lead to financial confusion, hassle, and ultimately expense, to you and your business.

9) Agree fees and charges upfront, along with how and when you will pay

You should not overlook the necessity of comparing the fees of several accountants before you make your decision. It is vital that you understand how and when you will be charged and what this fee includes. For example, is advice included or will you be charged at an hourly rate for any one-off questions you may have?

10) Don’t rush the decision!

An accountant is an essential advisor for any business, so investing time in choosing the right person for you is imperative in order to gain maximum value. Up-to-date payments and ordered accounts will allow you to concentrate on building your business and planning for the future.

Don't ignore the tax man!

2011-04-26T10:49:00.000+01:00

Tax legislation, are you up to date?

Don’t shy away - SMEs that don’t keep up with tax legislation will be at a disadvantage and more importantly losing valuable tax breaks

Invest time to keep up to speed - read up, attend seminars and listen to podcasts. There are a lot of resources out there. Tax Legislation will always be advancing and changing and it’s easy for SMEs to get left behind

Understand the big changes - -New personal tax and NIC bands from April 2011 are significantly different to those in the previous tax year. Many more people will be paying 40% and even 50% tax, so knowing how to structure remuneration in an SME could be vital

Think about the way in which you do business. SMEs that structure their businesses in the traditional sole trader or partnership will be paying more tax than those who run their businesses through limited companies. (This is down to an anomaly in the law, and those wishing to change will need to properly understand the implications this will have on their business moving forward)

Ask an expert or seek advice, it’s really worth it! A tax expert can tell you everything you need to know relating to employee tax, corporation tax, capital gains tax etc. This can save you a lot of time and effort especially when first starting out

The Ultimate Design Agency in a Box: Can it be done?

2011-04-25T10:46:00.000+01:00

Serif Launches PagePlus X5 – the Ultimate Design Agency in a Box

Small businesses looking for easy ways to market themselves can now benefit from the new PagePlus X5. The powerful desktop publisher from Serif, the award-winning design, publishing and creative software developer, helps business professionals easily create high quality marketing materials, compelling advertising, stationery and other printed documents, plus eye-catching e-brochures.

Despite being easy to use, PagePlus X5 is a serious desktop publisher with emphasis on quality of output as well as the quality of the user experience, giving ordinary PC users a low-cost, high-end publishing and graphics package. PagePlus X5 offers powerful yet user-friendly creative design with professional-looking results at an affordable price – making in-house desktop publishing more attainable for start ups and small businesses.

“Marketing a business isn’t easy and many need a helping hand to create compelling marketing materials and other professional publications,” says Gary Bates, Managing Director at Serif. “PagePlus X5 really is the ultimate design agency in a box, creating a range of press-ready and electronic documents that cater for all kinds of professional requirements.

“It’s easier and faster than ever and yet offers higher quality end results and more powerful features. It is also one of the best packages for opening, editing, and exporting designs using the industry standard PDF format, so business users can be more productive and share attractive designs with confidence, whether destined for customers, colleagues, or professional print shops.”

New and improved features include advanced OpenType font support for even more professional typography, an interactive Print Preview for more control and flexibility at print time, many efficiency and usability enhancements, and better professional PDF output with improved colour-management. In addition, PagePlus X5 will offer more agency-quality design templates and style-matched packs of designs to quickly produce the best looking documents, with even more industry-specific designs available to download at the new Template Store on Serif.com.

“Desktop publishing has become much more than simply laying out pages. PagePlus X5 is so versatile that you can use it to design just about anything from scratch or from templates – whether it’s for the office or a major advertising campaign. People new to desktop publishing will appreciate the intuitive help on offer, while everyone including experienced designers can benefit from PagePlus X5’s higher quality output, more advanced desktop publishing features, and increased ease of use and efficiency.”

PagePlus X5 is compatible with Windows 7/Vista/XP and retails at £79.99. It is available directly from Serif at www.serif.com and from major retailers including Amazon and PC World. Existing Serif Software users should contact 0800 376 7070 for further information on upgrade pricing.

Land lines on your mobile phone

2011-04-23T10:44:00.002+01:00

New service from Anvil Mobile provides multiple local numbers direct to a single mobile phone

For businesses that rely on mobile communications, a new service offered by Anvil Mobile makes it possible to have one or more geographical numbers on a single mobile phone. Having multiple landline numbers covering different areas all going directly to the same mobile, greatly improves customer perception and image; while local numbers can be promoted on business cards, websites, advertisements and directories as well as displayed on vehicles or premises.

Having local or non-geographic numbers such as 0844 direct to a mobile also saves money as there is no need to divert calls; and incoming callers are only charged at the standard rate for land line numbers rather than for calling a mobile. Calls to other employees’ mobile phones are also charged at landline rates, providing further cost savings.

Anvil Mobile simply provides a new generation SIM card that will work with any 3G compatible unlocked mobile phone. “We recognised that many small businesses and self-employed people rely on mobile communications but want to present a more local image in the areas they do business,” said Ian Philip, founder and CEO at Anvil Mobile.

Anvil is an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) working in conjunction with the network operator 3, that offers the widest coverage in the UK, reaching 98.5% of the population. For high-quality and reliable carrier-grade fixed network support, Anvil has partnered with aql that has built a robust, broadband network providing nationwide coverage and access to some 40 million UK landline numbers.

Anvil also takes an innovative approach to billing through its 'unbundled' services. Customers simply choose the features they want and only pay for the calls and texts they actually use.

Multiple device ringing means that users can answer a desk phone or mobile whenever the number is called, whichever is the most convenient. Other features include the ability to send voicemail messages or recorded conversations – complete calls or selected passages - to a designated email address.

“Through our collaboration with 3 and aql, we are now able to deliver a range of flexible services that meet the communications requirements of small businesses, and also provide substantial cost savings,” said Anvil’s Ian Philip.

To sign up with Anvil, simply visit the www.anvilmobile.com.uk web site.

Want to network, but don't know how?

2011-04-21T17:00:00.002+01:00

Networking 101

By Simon Goble

There are plenty of ways to network with the internet quickly becoming the easiest, fastest and most cost effective way.
Hundreds of social and business networks have sprung up over the last few years. Some have stronger penetration in different industry sectors, in different geographic locations and different demographics, but each of them can do something for you and your business.

Making connections

Getting yourself connected online can help find new business opportunities, employees, or serve as an excellent resource for advice. We've included some of the different networks below and a brief snapshot of what each can provide you and your business.

LinkedIn (with a reported 65 million users) is possibly the biggest business network in the world. Allowing you to create your digital CV for others to find, LinkedIn is a great place to find new business contacts and build new business relationships.

Viadeo (which recently hit 30 million members) is similar to LinkedIn, allowing you to develop your profile online for other businesses and individuals to find and connect with you digitally worldwide.

Whilst Facebook is predominately seen as the home of university students with time to spare between lectures, the network has become a great way for companies to expand their reach in to new markets on a 'social' level - helping you to connect with a new audience.

Meetup.com lives somewhere between the online world and the "real world". Providing a space to organise networking events for like-minded individuals, Meetup allows you to easily connect with local businesses to share ideas.
Some of the bigger players such as LinkedIn even provide iPhone applications allowing you to network through their site on the move, but in our opinion this will never replace the need to meet new and existing business contacts face to face and swap your Business Cards.
Another place for building your network and making connections is SlideShare, as suggested by Peter Hoffer. Peter has "published reports and presentations on topics that people will have an interest in - ranging from wine to sport... Online users can read something fun but see the skills that go behind making those reports." For Peter this has been another great way of reaching out to new clients.

In the "real world"...

Networking "offline" at industry conferences and exhibitions is a great way to meet new people in your sector, share ideas (and a cup of coffee) and learn more about each others businesses and find new ways of working together. Unsurprisingly, making sure you have (and hand out) Business Cards at an event is one of

MOO's top tips for networking success!
"Find out what interests people have other than their jobs..." says Heather Taylor. Ask the people you meet about their "hobbies, loves, favorite music, etc..." she continues, "then if you see something that would be of interest in that area, you can come forward with them that information. Not only will they love it but they will be touched that you a) listened to them, b) are interested in them as a person, c) aren't just spamming them with queries about working with them." Great advice Heather!

Couple Heather's advice with this nugget of common sense from Chrystal Rae and you're bound for success - always remember what your mama said, - be nice to others and they will be nice to you!" Similarly, Amanda smartly notes that "if someone pays you a compliment, make sure you honour it by thanking them. If you don't do this you have created a dead end for that part of your networking process." Yet another great tip for making (and keeping) contacts!

And finally, we'd have to agree with Vikki Yates' advice - "don't spill food on your clothing - tomato on your top is never attractive or appealing!"

Trade shows and events: what's stopping you?

2011-04-20T17:00:00.000+01:00

Making events & trade shows work for you

By Pete Danks

One marketing channel that has given us lots to talk about over the last year is events and trade-shows. MOO has visited Austin, Boston, Las Vegas, London, New York, Providence, San Diego, and Washington DC. In total we have spoken to tens of thousands of photographers, graphic designers, artists, fashion designers, students and more. We've met hundreds of businesses along the way, and while it's been tiring, it's also been educational and lots of fun.
Trade-shows can be very expensive, time consuming and demanding, so it's really important to get as much from them as possible.
We thought we'd share five things that worked for us - hopefully some of this will be useful for those of you considering trade-shows as part of your 'marketing mix' next year.

Customisation

Where possible, MOO builds its own booth. That means no cookie-cutter plinths and stands, no shiny black velvet drapes, no bar stools and definitely no £100 waste-paper baskets.
A good company has a brand worth protecting, and its visual identity is a huge part of that. This remains the case at a live event - any old furniture and fuscia coloured carpet shouldn't suddenly become acceptable. As an on online business, an event may be one of the few times a year you have a physical presence in the real world. So we invest in design and customisation.
Our current booths are created by our marketing and design teams from scratch. They begin with a brief and a blank piece of paper, and then we work out what we want to achieve - but more importantly what will customers and visitors want to experience at a MOO booth.

Relevancy

We often talk about short print runs helping relevancy. Making Postcards specifically for a job interview, or tailoring your Business Cards to the trade show you are about to attend helps you to stand out and get noticed.
The same should go for when you are exhibiting - marketing materials shouldn't be left over from a different exhibition - the money you save handing out the leftovers may well be negated by the customers who take their business to someone with a more relevant offering. MOO tries to make sure everything we hand out is fresh, current and targeted to its recipient. At the HOW Design Conference we talked about vector art, graphics and illustration. At PhotoPlus, we talked jpegs and megapixels.

Creativity

If you are speaking to creative people, it helps to speak their language, and prove you understand their values. Make the effort to be creative. Some booths pop out from a mile away, even if they are tiny - because they look vibrant, or clinical or crazy or fun - what matters is that they support the company brand, and appeal to the type of customers you want to engage with.

Generosity

People walk up to a booth and ask 'what kind of show specials do you have?' - you need to decide if discounts and specials are part of your events plan, but you can be generous in other ways.
Give people some time, listen, ask them some questions and find out a little about them. If I know a bit about the person in-front of me, it's much easier explaining how they could use MOO, and how a creative print project would benefit their business or project. Leaving a booth with a firm idea in mind that might benefit your business is far more powerful than a discount flyer or a mouse-mat.
At PhotoPlus in New York, we designed and printed Blurb books full of ideas and inspiration on how to use MOO products, and the response was far more positive than any promotional material.

Going for a walk

This one is simple - the best way to learn what works well at any specific show is see for yourself. Look at every booth (both the busy ones and the quiet ones), and speak to the teams working there. Carry lots of Business cards - and make some connections.

Designing a logo? where to begin

2011-04-19T17:00:00.002+01:00

You can prepare for the logo design process in three stages:

1. Think about your business. Ask yourself:
- What are you trying to accomplish?
- What message do you want to communicate with your customers?
- What stories will your customers tell about you?
- Are there any images that come to mind when you think about this?
- What are some logos that appeal to you?
- What kinds of images will appeal to your customers (they may not be the same as images that appeal to you)?

2. Think about your competition. Ask yourself:
- What are the messages they use?
- How is your message different?
- What colors do they use?
- What can you do or say to stand out from them?

3. Think about where you'll use your logo. Ask yourself:
- Does your business use uniforms, business cards, or have retail outlets?
- Will you be doing business online?

Once you have some answers, you're ready to start the logo design process.

Are there any bad ideas when it comes to logos or can you work with anything?
There are definitely bad ideas when it comes to logo, but it all depends on the situation. You probably wouldn't want to use risqué or suggestive icons for a day care center or nursery school, but that same image may be entirely appropriate for a gentlemen's club or a men's magazine. Conversely, you wouldn't want to use a crayon or children's script font for a stockbroker, but these images would be entirely appropriate for an after-school program. The important thing is to think about what's appropriate for your customers and how they would respond to the images you use in your logo.

Are you interested in designing a logo with Logoworks? Have a look at their range of design packages – there's something to suit every budget.

Making your logo great

2011-04-18T17:00:00.001+01:00

Having a strong brand identity is crucial to any business – and an eye-catching and unforgettable logo is an integral part of the brand.

We asked Rob from Logoworks to explain the power of a really effective logo.

Hi Rob. Welcome to MOO! Why do you think every business needs a logo?
It's critical for a new venture to quickly establish a memorable identity for itself—with good service and a good product. A new business needs to stand out from all of its competitors and anyone else that does something similar. But once you do that, you need to help your customers remember you.
A good logo acts as a visual reminder for your customer about the experience they had buying from you in the past. A unique icon or type treatment can help a customer easily identify your business as the one they had a good experience with.

What value does a logo add to a business?
That's a tough question to answer, at least quantitatively. What value do you place on a customer's ability to remember you and to come back for more? What is it worth to a business to appear professional? What's the value of an identity that employees, customers, and other stakeholders easily recognise and like (or even love)?
These things can be worth millions to a business owner. So it's no wonder that big businesses often spend enormous budgets on their logo identities. And just about every big business started as a small business, so it makes sense to pay attention to your logo early on—even if you don't have a big budget to spend.

Can business owners see an immediate difference in how others view their brand with a logo?
The short answer is yes.
A logo makes a business appear more professional, and sometimes bigger than they may actually be. So a business that uses its logo effectively may do business with larger partners or more customers than a business with a poor logo or no logo at all.
There are a lot of elements that go into developing a great brand, and the logo is only one of them, but it certainly helps to have a strong, recognisable mark for your business.

What are some of the most successful logos in the world—and why are they so memorable?
Three key factors: simplicity, consistency, and the use of only two colours.
Think of a few large companies that you are familiar with and they generally have a good logo. You don't even have to like the company or its products, so much as just recognise what they are doing – people like Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Virgin, BP, Nike, or Nestle.
They use no more than two colors (and still look good in black and white only). And they are used consistently the same way everywhere you see them. Some of these logos haven't changed in decades.
You'll never see the Coke logo in blue. You'll never see the Nike logo on an advertisement that promotes laziness. You'll never see the McDonald's logo on a high-end eatery. Why? Because by using their marks consistently over time, these companies have made their logos easy to recognise and associate the logo with the products they represent.

What makes a great logo?
- Have a design that looks good in black and white and use no more than two colours (there are exceptions, but they're few and far between).
- Keep it simple – the more complex the design, the longer it takes to recognise and remember.
- Be consistent on all forms of marketing and advertising – it should always look exactly the same.

What makes a bad, unsuccessful logo?
Simply do the reverse of the three things that make a great logo and you'll get a lousy one. Logos that try to do too much, or are cluttered with complex icons, too many colors, even a long business name and legal terms, usually don't turn out too well. The same can be said for a logo that is used inconsistently—blue and green on your delivery vans, red and black on your website, and purple and yellow on your Business Cards. It just ends up confusing your customers.

Tommorrow you'll get some tips on where to start when creating a logo.

Moo are moving in for the week

2011-04-17T17:00:00.001+01:00

Hey budding business start ups. I have had some great help and support from the team at Moo when it comes to business start up help, so I thought I'd share it with you. They will be here every day this week to share some valuable tips for starting your own business.

Tommorrow we start with logo design

Paypod; a new concept!

2011-04-12T17:00:00.000+01:00

As I'm sure you are aware, within a few months cheques will no longer be guaranteed by cards. This means that many small businesses, sole traders and mobile traders are in a more vulnerable financial position either accepting non guaranteed cheques or having to surrendor to the huge bank costs of accepting card payments. In light of the current climate this is going to be an issue for businesses moving forward.

Paypod has been created and set up by a team of mobile payment experts led by Andrew Campbell - ex vice-president of Mastercard Mobile Payments Inc. The product is a mobile card payment device - small enough to fit into a pocket and safe enough for businesses, sole traders etc to take secure card payments. The key here is that it bypasses the huge contract driven payment devices offered by banks. PayPod users operate on a Pay&Go system. This offers businesses a more affordable and secure way of taking payment. It also allows the end user more convenience.

I'm looking for one or two readers to trial the product. Interested? then get in touch!

For more information you can visit the following links

http://www.thepaypod.com/
http://www.thepaypod.com/about/the-team/

PR and your business...the don'ts

2011-04-10T17:00:00.001+01:00

Five Things You Should Not Do

Don’t pitch a non story. An easy trap to fall into. If you have a story that you find very interesting it is easy to convince yourself that others – editors, customers, and distributors will be equally enthralled. Take a walk in their shoes for a while, look at your story from their perspective. This may bring new insights so that you can rewrite and make the content more appealing to you editor and audience.
Don’t pitch the wrong story. Another deadly sin is to fail to customise the message to the audience. It happens in pitching stories to editors and it happens in more personalised micro PR. Unless the recipient has a direct and relevant interest in the story, then do not put it forward. Better to do this than cause offence or become identified as someone who sends irrelevant information.
Don’t forget the pictures. A picture is worth how many words? Everyone knows the answer, but ask any picture editor how often they get poor, bland, clichéd images and it is clear that not many people really take the message on board. Send in a really good picture, not just a happy snap. If you need more help with this the following checklist may help: Digital Photography for PR.
Don’t forget to say thank you. It’s back to micro PR again. If an editor accepts you piece, sends a reporter round to take details and a picture, then gives you a good write-up, it is only polite and professional to say thank you. Small tokens of appreciation can build strong relationships over time.
Don’t spin. When you are really, really enthusiastic about something – like your new venture – the enthusiasm spills out. That’s fine, that’s human. However there is always a temptation to go into overdrive and then it becomes spin. So stick to the facts, don’t exaggerate, stay credible and you will win more respect for your message and your business.

PR and your business... the do's!

2011-04-09T17:00:00.006+01:00

PR for Business Start-ups

If you are a business start-up or a potential start-up and you think PR is just for the big boys, then think again. If you are in business you have a public – in fact you have several – and you also have relationships with these publics – so, like it or not, you have public relations. It makes sense to have a plan to nurture these important relationships and create a positive story about who you are, what you do and how this benefits the people who interact with you. Do this right and they will value the relationship and they will spread the word for you – there is no better business than by recommendation.

Ten Things You Should Do

The right image. Image isn’t everything, but it is often the first thing that people see. Whether it is your stationery, brochure, web site, blog, social network profiles, premises, vehicles or even yourself, presentation often influences the way people first evaluate your business. Good presentation is an investment. Done right it can open doors. If you need more hints and tips on this, have a look at the PR checklists on this site for ‘Corporate Identity and Branding’ for a few thought starters.
Identify your publics and your gatekeepers. In every business the primary public that you have to please and delight are your customers. Other publics are your business colleagues and collaborators, your suppliers, business community, your business support network, your employees and, if you are big enough, your investors. Maintaining the trust, support, goodwill and enthusiasm of these groups is essential to your business success. When you have identified these primary groups, ask yourself, “Who are the gatekeepers to these groups?” In the past this would be public media such as trade magazines, consumer publications, newspapers and broadcasters, but today there are other channels that are just as important like the e-magazines, the internet, mobile web and social networks.
Micro PR. This is so often neglected and so important – especially for a small business. Micro PR activity is the daily, one-to-one, contact that your business has with its publics. The aim must be to make every one of these interactions positive. Consider, for example, the use of the telephone. Are inbound calls answered promptly, with a bright voice, a greeting and friendly, positive tone? Seth Godin, a marketing guru, once commented on the way big organisations alienate their customers with automated menu driven telephone call handling systems. As he said, “the only reason to take an in-bound sales call is to make a customer happy”. This is one area where because of personal involvement and commitment, small businesses can run rings round the big boys.
What’s your story? Everyone has a story to tell. Whenever you meet a stranger, before long the question is asked “so what do you do?” If you are in business this is your opportunity (in the right context) to launch your elevator pitch – a 10 to 30 second summary of what you do. That’s micro PR in action. But wait a minute; you have more than one audience, more than one story and more than one way of telling it. Congratulations – you are starting to understand PR.
Make your story simple and relevant to the audience. Now we have all experienced the other side of dumb-company corporate communication – the scripted sales call. They find a bunch of kids, pay them minimum wage, give them minimal training, give them a script and send them off with a directory to make annoying and intrusive telephone calls. There is a lesson here and that is that whenever you tell your story it shouldn’t sound like a monologue, it should be natural, lively and delivered with a style and language that is relevant and respects the other person.
MacroPR – public media. OK, so now you have a business, you have a story – a portfolio of stories in fact – and you have the experience of telling them one-to-one to the people that matter to your business. Now you need to reach more people like that. You need the media. Identify the outlets you need. As a start-up, you may need no more than local media – the local paper and radio station. Decide on your story, think about the kind of news values that media like, write down the key points and prepare your pitch. Here is a tip: local media want to know three things: what’s the local angle? what’s the local angle? and… Now pick up the phone and ask for the news desk, business desk or whatever news category seems most appropriate. If the media you need are more diverse, then you are best sending in a press release, but the same principles apply – have a good story, with strong and relevant news values and tell the story succinctly with the key points first. If you need help with the basics of writing for the press than there is another useful checklist on this site: Writing Good Copy.
MacroPR – private media. For many businesses private media – the ones that they own or have some control over content – are just as relevant as public media. The range is expanding all the time, but web sites, blogs, newsletter (both traditional print and e-newsletters) e-mails and social and business networks (from Twitter on the one hand to professional networks like LinkedIn on the other) are all part of the private media universe. The same principles apply. You need stories that are lively, relevant to the audience and that make a positive contribution – whether this is to make a customer happy, or convey useful information.
Keep it going. Once you have started it is important to keep up the momentum. Ask your staff, ask your customers and ask your suppliers for material that will make interesting and useful stories.
Keep it fresh. There is nothing worse than repeating an old story. In the old days, journalists used to talk about angles – looking at a story from a different perspective. Keeping it fresh, topical and relevant will endear you to editors and readers alike.
When words fail you. If you have a really good story to tell but don’t have the time or confidence to put it into writing then call in a professional PR person. Big agencies may be beyond your budget, but we have a web based service to research, write and distribute your material that is very cost effective. Have a look at www.clickintopr.com Call back to the blog tommorrow for what you shouldn't do

Z is for ..... Zeal

2011-04-07T14:22:00.000+01:00

Now there's an old fashioned word!

We are coming to the end of our first set of A to Z business start up tips, so the next few posts will be a round up of everything we've talked about and I'm going to set you some challenges for the next few weeks.

I am going to set up another set of A to Z business start up tips starting in a few weeks time.

So, Zeal! Keep your entusiasm for your ideas. Don't let people talk you out of starting to earn a little money from your idea. Right down a list of the reasons for starting a business and the reasons why your idea is a great one.

So our next phase will be more about taking proactive steps to getting your business off the ground.

Y is for....You really should read the small detailed print.

2011-04-06T18:00:00.001+01:00

I am fairly new to the world of buying confectionery wholesale. I have been for a long time buying cheap deals through the local cash and carry or outlet stores. Since moving to my new premises and thus increasing my storage space, I decided to start using online confectionery wholesalers.

With regards my Easter stock, I have known what I wanted to order since January but decided to wait until three weeks before Easter to place my order. So jump straight forward to yesterday, I place my order only to find that all the stock that I wanted was already sold out, because seasoned wholesale buyers had placed their order at the end of January!!!! According to the lovely customer service representative; who was neither lovely nor a representative of good customer service, "it's a well known fact that the cut off date for Easter is Jan 31st" :0p (I later found this info in the small print of the seasonal section)

And so the panic begins.... How the heck do I now find stock for Easter without taking on the role of the headless chicken??????????????? After 24 hours of chaotic searching online for suitable products, the wholesaler contacts me to say that they do indeed have some stock and so if "I would like to take a look at the list of remaining stock, I can order for that."

So the lesson for today is check the small print and find out all the things you need to know when thinking of running your business. Ask questions about EVERYTHING!!

Words are few on wednesdays

2011-04-06T17:37:00.000+01:00

X is for.....

2011-04-04T12:23:00.000+01:00

X ray vision

If there is only one bit of advice you remember out of this whole a to z business start up guide, it should be this..... Make sure you see through everything!

Honestly it is so important to assess every offer, every piece of work that comes your way with clarity. In the last few months of having this business, I have had some amazing offers. Take for example the local newspaper charity events. I had been given the opportunity to make favours for two events they were holding with a potential audience of 800. Yes, that's right 800 people would have my little business thrust under their noses in the form of chocolate. Sounds too good to be true huh? It was! Yes there would be 800 people attend the two events, but I would not get paid for the beautiful little creations I made. I would have to take the payment for the favours in the form of advertising. Now do you know any small business that spends over £1,000 in advertising over two months? Heck, scrap that.... Do you know any small business that has £1,000 advertising budget for a year? Nope, I didn't think so!

You see, just because you are new and you need business, you only need business that is profitable to you. If it doesn't add up them delve a little further into the offer and find out all the minor details. This way you'll save yourself costly mistakes. I spent about 6 hours sourcing products for their events which could have been better spent working on advertising the business myself.

So check and double check exactly what it is you customers or clients want from you before you agree to do anything, otherwise the cost may be greater to your business that the order is worth.

Would you make a great business owner?

2011-04-02T10:47:00.000+01:00

What makes a great business owner?

an article from Julia Payne and David Bowler, founders and directors of business consultancy, Incisive Edge (www.incisive-edge.com)

We meet and work with many businesses, helping them and their business to achieve success, so we are in a fairly good position to address this age-old question, but is there really just one answer?

For many, a good business owner is someone who leads from the front, someone who puts in as much effort as the rest of the team, who’s not scared to roll up his or her sleeves and get their hands dirty. This definition is of course complete and utter nonsense.

Then there are others who believe that a good business owner is someone who resides in an ivory tower of their own making away from the melee of less important staff whose banter and day-to-day tasks might cloud their judgement. The idea being that this peaceful, separatist, zen-like existence would give them the purity and clarity of thought to consider the bigger picture, to view the true nature of the business and see its path to greatness. This is a view usually endorsed by business owners who don’t want to get their hands dirty or actually work.

A good business owner is created as much by the people they surround themselves with as the people they are. There’s a real skill involved in viewing the past, present and future of a business and determining how to steer your little fishing boat of a company to more profitable fishing grounds. A good business owner has to be the master of numerous talents – a people person, a visionary, an inspired leader, an innovator, and so many more things besides.

Is there an answer to the question of what makes a good business owner? We believe there is and what’s more, we create them.

W is for wonderful technology

2011-04-01T11:51:00.000+01:00

As a busy working mum with a craft based business, I find that every time the phone rings I tend to have my hands full. Usually my hands are busy making something or cooking for the family; although I have to say I have missed some calls due to having my mouth full as well! What??? I love my food lol!

I test quite a lot of products and although most are great products, very few are "life changing" but this post is certainly about just that; a life changing product.

I had been approached at the beginning of the year to test out this little product:

Here's what Jabra told me about their product "As a busy mum, talking on the phone is part of everyday life but looking after the kids is also pretty important!! Enjoy the best of both worlds by making a hands-free call using a Jabra Bluetooth headset or speakerphone. Keep your hands free for entertaining, wiping, soothing and cradling a new born or taking the toddlers to playschool. With a Bluetooth headset or speakerphone you can chat away too! With Jabra’s large range of high quality headsets, there’s something to suit everyone’s style from titanium plated for the yummy mummy to noise cancelling for the busy household. Mum can connect the device to any Bluetooth enabled mobile phone and chat wirelessly up to 10 metres away. They can easily make and take calls without having to touch the mobile phone, so their hands remain free to do other things.We’d love to get women excited about Bluetooth technology. It would be great if we could get some of Jabra’s products reviewed on your blog and help target women with technology that can change their lives J You can check out Jabra’s range of products here: www.jabra.com "

My life has completely changed as a result of this little product. When I am driving it sits beautifully on my visor thanks to the secure clip at the back and when I am in the kitchen it sits quite happily on the work top. This product really comes into its own in my office. Where I work, there is for some reason no mobile phone single other than by the window. This wonderful little device allows me to connect via bluetooth to it. I leave my phone by the window so I can get a signal and then Jabra sits on my desk. Amazing amazing product! I love my little Jabra and it goes everywhere with me. I can charge it in my car or on my laptop via USB. I really have a new little friend for life. Jabra I simply love you!