MIND YOUR OWN
BUSINESS! the newsletter of Business Insight part of Business & Learning, Central Library
www.businesssupporter.co.uk
Issue No4
Welcome to Issue No4! This time we get stuck straight in to the meaty stuff. Enjoy!
The Feature Bit PUROHAIR
Birmingham’s new ORGANIC hair salon
Over the years BI has helped many enterprising individuals take their first steps on the road to running their own business. In what we hope will be a regular feature of our newsletter we spoke to one former BI client, Sarah Simpson-Davies, at her fantastic new hair salon PURO HAIR now open for business right in the city centre.
This is Sarah’s first foray into business and she wanted to make sure that she did it right. It was important for her that the business have a proper structure from the start and she was able to take advantage of a referral chain that included Business Link, Business Insight and our numerous online resources. From these resources we were able to provide a template for Sarah's business plan, a marketing template, crucial business start-up information through the 'Cobra' database and 'Mintel' market research reports, access to a patent attorney to discuss Trade Mark protection and ongoing support through 1-on-1business advice sessions. Sarah Simpson-Davies, founder of PUROHAIR
Using these tools Sarah successfully applied for a 'Retail Development Grant' obtaining the maximum £10,000 award on the strength of her business plan! The know-how she acquired even encouraged her to file her own, successful, application for Trade Mark protection for the business. Even better, the Trade Mark grant also extends to branded products. The business has been running now for 5 weeks and Sarah is experiencing the typical rollercoaster of busy and quieter days. 'Live' experience is enabling her to work on refinements to her on-going marketing plan and to tweak other aspects of the business. Some aspects of the start-up, like the shop-fitting, were more stressful than anticipated, while others, including the actual day-to-day running of the business are proving to be easier than expected. Looking back on the whole process Sarah is convinced that proper preparation made all the difference. As she herself told us, she chose to ignore advice to 'just get on with it' in favour of doing extensive planning and research. Her advice to anyone else thinking about setting-up for themselves is to do likewise! I’m sure you’ll join us in wishing her and her business the very best of luck!
The Service Bit Legal Clarity Company Formation Don’t forget if you want to form a company that is Limited by Shares (the classic ‘Ltd’ company) you can do it on our website www.businesssupporter.co.uk. Just follow the link ‘Starting a Business’ on the Categories menu, click on ‘Company Formation Service’ then fill in the online form following the simple instructions. Once it’s done you can pay online by credit/debit card. It’s £79.00 inclusive and for this you get your company formed within 24 hours* and all of the relevant documents sent directly to an address provided by you. It’s as simple as that! *Very occassionally, volume of business or technical issues may result in slight delay.
‘Assistive Technology’ in BI The term ‘assistive technology’ can be defined as ‘any device or system that allows an individual to perform a task that they would otherwise be unable to do, or increases the ease and safety with which the task can be performed’. (Royal Commission on Long Term Care 1999) And we have got ourselves some smart new assistive kit for adult users with learning disabilities. It has touchscreen functionallity, large keyboard and for those of you in the know ‘Out and About 1-4’ which helps with general life skills. We’ve recently had an advocacy group in from Kidderminster to use the equipment and they gave it a big thumbs-up. So why not come along and try it out for yourself?
The Calendar Bit Workshops GBBO GBBO (Getting British Business Online) workshops will be taking place in the Central Library in September. As the title suggets, they will explore some of the means and methods available to you to get your business online, and to exploit that online presence to the fullest possible advantage. And they’re free! Venue::
ICT Suite, Learning Centre, First Floor, Central Library
Dates:
Monday 6th & Monday 13th September
Time::
09.00 - 13.00
For further information get in touch and ask for Anthony Blagg or Debbie Assinder.
HMRC Workshops 27th September 2010
Newly Self-Employed
10 - 12.30
21st October 2010
Newly Self-Employed
10 - 12.30
30th November 2010
Newly Self-Employed
10 - 12.30
Social Enterprise Advice Sessions 8th September 15th September 22nd September
1 - to - 1 sessions with specialist advisers in social and community enterprises. Contact us to book your place.
Global Entrepreneurship Week Here’s a second shot across the bows for Global Entrepreneurship Week As usual BI will be hosting a week of FREE events, talks and workshops addressing the issues of all things entrepreneurial. Every year this event has got better and better and through it we have developed a network of inspirational contributors from the World of Business. They are just gagging to impart their knowledge and expertise to all the budding Alan Sugars and Deborah Meaden’s out there! So if you’re thinking about striking out on the path of self-employment make sure you mark the week 15th - 20th November in your diary, and look out for further information nearer the date. Of course you could always contact us and we’d be happy to keep you up-dated on the event, as well as on all of our regular services.
The Staff Bit Haere Mai Birmingham! Geo Kemp here, all the way from New Zealand, now residing in the West Midlands and working for Business Insight in the Central Library. I have been with BI for nearly 7 years now and am one of the in-house Business Advisers. I come from a background in banking and telecommunications; I did a long stint with New Zealand Telecom where I led the Video Conferencing team for several years before moving to the UK. My role in Business Insight is varied Duties range from overseeing our business periodicals, through timetabling the customer-facing staff rota (including myself) and providing administrative support for a number of partnerships to giving business advise to potential small start-up enterprises. And, depending on whether it’s a well staffed day or not, making my colleagues life a misery! I’m currently studying for a BA with the Open University to keep the old grey matter active and to keep my research skills honed. Do I make a difference to the people who use our services? We’ll I suppose you’d have to ask them, but I certainly hope so. After all, they are our lifeblood; if our customers weren’t getting what they came for they’d stop coming and that would be the end of libraries.
BUSINESS INSIGHT CONTACTS Phone: 0121 303 4531 Fax: 0121 303 4532 business.library@birmingham.gov.uk www.businesssupporter.co.uk www.facebook.com/BusinessandLearning www.Twitter.com/BhamBusiness www.YouTube.com/businessandlearning1 Central Library, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3HQ Now check out the Learning Centre, our partner in Business & Learning. Don’t let a gap in your knowledge spoil your dream of being your own boss. In the Learning Centre you will find all the advice, resources and support you need for brushing up your existing skills and learning new ones, whether for business or leisure.
LEARNING CENTRE CONTACTS 0121 303 4306 learning.centre@birmingham.gov.uk www.birmingham.gov.uk/learningcentre Central Library, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3HQ