SelfMade

SelfMade

The essential guide for the Northern business owner

Festival Ready: SelfMade Travels with Dare U Foods

February’s Retailer of the Month: Action Records How To:

Social Media for those who need to know

Take our quiz to find out what your business says about you

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Launch Edition Issue: 01

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Contents

News

Features

Red Rose Awards 2017 Winners Set To Be Announced page 4 Business Firms Encouraged to Enter Awards page 4 Twitter to Cut Sponsored Posts

page 5 Twitter ‘Dashboard’ Business App Closes page 5 Road Closures Cause Chaos page 6 Liverpool App Team Launch New Web Design Project page 6 Voice Recognition Update for Santnder Bank page 6

Accounting Solutions Review page 7 How To: Social Media pages 9-10

Opinion

Quiz

Find out what your business says about you on page 32

New Business Corner In this issue’s New Business Corner, Chef Eddie Rimmer reveals his plans for his new venture.

Read it now on pages 13-14

How Self-Employment Changed my Priorities page 11 Bricks and Mortar: What Works Best For Your Comany? page 15 Working Life: Business Dream or Hectic Nigthmare? page 19 Women in Business Talk All page 20 SelfMade Hit the Road pages 22-24 The Perfect Business Plan page 26 Post Brexit Effects on UK Food Industry pages 27-28 How To: Network page 29-30

Problem Page Got some burning questions that you need answered ? Well turn to our problem page and find out what advice our Business Bain has to offer.

See page 34

SelfMade Retailer of the Month: Find out who managed to bag themselves the very first Retailer of the Month title, and how it can be you next time on pages 17-18.

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SelfMade 2

SelfMade The essential guide for the Nothern business owner

Festival Ready: SelfMade Travels with Dare U Foods

February’s Retailer of the Month: Action Records

Editor’s Letter

How To:

Social Media for those who need to know

Take our quiz to find out what your business says about you

Launch Edition

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Issue: 01

Cover: Annie Rees Editor: Bethany Sherry Deputy Editor: Tom Welsh Sub Editor: Daphine Bikaba Digital Editor: Kirsty Moody Design Editor: Annie Rees Writers: Hayleigh Chamberlain Jelisa Hanley George Pickering Michael Robinson

SelfMade founded in 2017 Website: selfmadeonlineblog.wordpress.com

Email:

selfmadeonline@outlook.com

Facebook: SelfMade Twitter: @selfmade_online LinkedIn: Self Made YouTube: SelfMade

W

e all know how hard it can be to find the right work-life balance. There may be times where work life is prosperous but you cannot find the time to spend with your family, or a thriving family life is taking your mind away from work. As a child, I watched my parents struggle to run a hotel and raise two young children at the same time, so I understand the hardships of trying to make your business work for you.

Small businesses are the heart of our communities; they provide people with the best products and services available with an added personal touch. Here at SelfMade we know how hard it is to own your own business and we appreciate the commitment it takes to maintain a successful and happy lifestyle - p.

19 explores the different ways to balance your career and family life. We want to provide you with the best pieces of advice and information to help your independent business be the best it can be. Social media is quickly becoming one of the most utilised marketing tools used today, we demonstrate the easiest ways to utilise it for your business (p.9-10).

Our magazine offers real-life stories of the people behind a business, who can share their story and provide insight into what makes a successful life in business - see our retailer of the month: Gordon Gibson (p.17-18). Our magazine offers the chance for you to get involved and connect with like-minded people see on p.29-30 how you can network with other independent business owners.

Let us know what you think of our first issue, email us, or visit one of our social media accounts.

We’d love to hear from you,

Bethany Sherry, Editor 3

SelfMade

News

Red Rose Awards 2017 Winners Set To Be Announced The chosen winners of this year’s Red Rose Awards will be announced in an illustrious ceremony taking place on March 9th at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.

One of numerous businessorientated awards based in the county of Lancashire, the institution bestows upon Lancashire-based companies of all shapes and sizes a symbol of recognition for their efforts in developing both their own industries and the general prosperity of the county.

The Red Rose Awards institution was founded and is organised by the publication Lancashire Business View. In a 2015 press release, organiser Richard Slater spoke of the awards’ purpose: “We are giving business the chance to shout about what they do and why they are the best at it – and we hope they’ll grasp that opportunity with both hands by entering.”

In each of the 25 different awards on offer, six businesses compete to win the prize. As with other awarding bodies, such as the Be Inspired Business Awards, a set panel of judges assess each business nominated and provide an external perspective on the operations in the business which helps ‘tune up’ the business even if it ends without any progression to the finalist stage.

Tickets are available now to attend the ceremony event in Blackpool, where there will be dinner served and an after-party held at the venue. For more information on the event, visit the Red Rose Awards website at http:// redroseawards.co.uk.

By George Pickering

Red Rose 20116 Winners Image by: Lancashire Business View

Business Firms Encouraged to Enter Awards

The Be Inspired Business Awards (BIBA), a leading awarding body in Lancashire, sent out a press release on Monday afternoon challenging businesses to “put their firms through an MOT” and enter its 2017 contest for the chance to win one of its prestigious awards.

The previous contest in 2016 saw many companies of all shapes and sizes battle it out in the finals, many of which were sole traders competing against larger and more established organisations.

Finalists and entrants alike of past BIBA awards have spoken positively of the effects felt in their business following entry into the competition.

Winner of the Creative Business of the Year award in 2016, Leon Caverley, said his victory “generated more publicity and boosted new business enquiries.”

Mark Oulson-Jenkins, another past entrant, was also quoted as saying “I would urge anyone out there to apply for the BIBAs. The application

process alone will allow you to review your business and, if you are successful enough to make it further, these benefits will increase.”

The judging process itself has been particularly lauded, as the judges each year originate from a variety of industries and backgrounds and are notable in their thorough and balanced process when evaluating the practices and effectiveness of a business.

In a press article for the Blackpool Gazette, judge Babs Murphy was quoted as saying “the BIBAs provides a spotlight for every one of the individuals and firms which not only picked up trophies but also made it to the finals.”

The judging process is open to all businesses of any size, with 18 awards on offer for this year’s contest.

The closing date for applications is Friday, March 31st and the shortlist of accepted businesses will be released on Tuesday, May 2nd.

By George Pickering

A performer at Red Rose Awards 2016 Image by: Lancashire Business View

SelfMade 4

News

Twitter to Cut Sponsored Posts The social media platform plans to cut back sponsored posts from February.

Businesses can gain promotion from Twitter when they pay to be featured on users’ Twitter feeds, without the request from the Twitter user. However, more businesses are choosing to opt out of these promotions due to the loss of popularity the ads have amongst consumers and Twitter is subsequently losing money.

Antony Noto, Twitter’s COO said; “We are taking a step back and looking to simplify our product and putting our resources behind those products that we think have the greatest probability of success, that can deliver the best long-term growth potential, and that frankly leverage our competitive advantages in a unique way.” (via TechCrunch)

Twitter’s growth has decreased in recent months, according to TechCrunch, due to the ad products falling flat. Twitter’s promoted tweets aren’t what they used to be in 2008, when the platform was founded. With other social platforms competing for promotion ad products, such as LinkedIn and Facebook, Twitter is falling short of making profits like they have done in the past.

Its main competitors Facebook and Instagram have left Twitter with no option to tone down their ad products due to these platforms using ad products to fit a niche audience.

Unlike Twitter, these platforms will only allow this ad product to be placed on your timeline/feed if you have shown an interest in the product/ brand/service.

Even with Twitter’s constant significant amount of promotion

surrounding this service to their platform, it has caused them more damage than before.

Paid investments on social media can be risky on platforms like Twitter, due to the niche or certain businesses not being well received to Twitter users who discover these ads.

By Hayleigh Chamberlain

Twitter ‘Dashboard’ Business App Closes

Twitter is continuing their cutbacks and changes to the brand with the demolishing of their Dashboard business app.

The app was a tool that let businesses track analytics for their tweets, manage scheduled posts and let users see statistics and how to improve figures.

The shutdown of the app comes from recent talks of stripping back promotional services from the plat-

form due to tweeters and businesses not fully taking advantage of the ways to promote tweets on the site.

Some users took to their Twitter accounts to let their followers know how they felt about the shutdown. One user @Bireken459 said: “The shutdown of Twitter Dashboard for Businesses has not been shocking. Saw it coming a long time ago.”

Another user tweeted: “Just read that Twitter’s Dashboard app has gone.

I didn’t even realise they had one to begin with…”

With more businesses going elsewhere to manage statistics and analytics, Twitter is having a hard

time trying to take back their title as the business promotion platform that it once was.

The shutdown of the app was formalised earlier this month on February 6 and there are no current plans for Twitter to create something new for businesses.

However, the platform wants to bring the tools that were available on Dashboard to the generic Twitter timeline, and hope that the increase in celebrity influence on the platform will help towards business promotion.

Benefits to this moving to regular Twitter feeds will mean that businesses can still manage their analytics and stats whilst still keeping a close eye on promotion.

By Hayleigh Chamberlain

For Advertising Queries Please Contact SelfMade@outlook.com

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SelfMade

Road Closure Causes Chaos

Liverpool App Team Launch New Web Design Project

Liverpool-based app development company Citrus Suite have created a sister website development Cannon Street Image by: Daphine Bikaba service for clients and local independents of Liverpool and The Local shop owners are put out North West. of business for ten weeks as The launch comes after demand for pavement refurbishment gets their style of website development, underway. which promises full brand control.

Cannon Street in Preston, The company – based in the Baltic Lancashire is currently closed and Creative complex in Liverpool - has will see its pavements completely already started making websites for removed and replaced with one well-paying clients such as London’s single surface after the makeover IJAD Dance Company.

Their website started on February 16. is due to be launched during a dance The road works, which are costing presentation this year at Liverpool’s thousands of pounds aim to create Foundation for Art and Creative more space for pedestrians and Technology (FACT). encourage motorists to slow down CEO of Citrus Suite, Chris Morland and give way along the road. said: “We are known for our app Owner of European Fine Arts & development in the Baltic Triangle Antiques shop, Brian Beck said: of Liverpool city centre. We have “It’s Chaos. I’ve had customers and, occasionally dabbled here and there while I’ve been able to make some making websites for clients who need sales, the roadworks are off-putting. one to go alongside their app, but Unfortunately, we’ve had to suffer never properly have we considered and we’ve not been compensated for it.”

The scheme, which is partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, as part of the Townscape Initiative comes after Winckley Square was given a revamp.

Santander becomes the first bank Grants Officer at the Heritage to allow people to move money by Lottery Fund North West, Ana using their voice.

Osborne said: “The project aims to UK customers with a Santander improve the historical features of online banking account will now soon Preston City Centre.” be able to check their bank balance, Following the successful new look and make payments directly from the of Fishergate road, Cannon Street iPhone SmartBank app. hopes to follow in the same steps in The new technology development, attracting new businesses and more which is currently still being tested, shoppers for its local traders. comes after the bank launched a Waitress at the Thai Orchid voice assistant banking feature last restaurant, Nisaria said: “Since the year which allowed customers to give work has started business has been simple commands such as showing quite quiet, but it’s fine because transaction history.

I don’t think the ten weeks road Santander customer, Libania Silva closure will affect us too much.’ said: “It’ll make accessing my account Cannon Street is currently a one a lot easier than it is now but would way road from Cross Street to it be safe?

What if someone with a Fishergate shopping centre and similar voice as me can get into my access-only for cars. account?”

by Daphine Bikaba

News

Citrus Suite, Liverpool Pic: Steve Donovan

it. It’s the right time now. There are so many new businesses and independents in need of websites being made and we want to be a service people will come to, to help these businesses thrive and promote themselves in the right way possible.”

Citrus have won them many awards in the past for design and development, such as the App of The Year Award 2012 and Future Leaders Award. Their website development service is up and running at citrussuite.com.

by Hayleigh Chamberlain

Voice Recognition Update for Santander Bank

The new app will not only be able to analyse customer’s voices but it’ll also be able to match the typical background noise expected from the customer and allow them to report stolen cards. It will also help people who find typing difficult due to disability or other reasons.

The company’s head of technology innovation, Ed Metzger, said that the new feature will redefine how customers choose to manage their money and will give them choice in how they wish to bank.

The voice app feature comes after HBSC bank launched a voice-enabled log in tool for their customers, enabling them to identify themselves to the bank but not to make transactions.

by Daphine Bikaba

SelfMade 6

Feature

Accounting Solutions Review Tom Welsh looks at the options for taking your accounts online

Gone are the days when accountants would expect to be greeted with a year’s worth of invoices, receipts and scribbles from small business owners.

Thankfully, technological advances now allow you to take a more handson approach to your financial dealings, with simplified online accounting packages and mobile apps making it easier to keep control of your accounts.

This approach is being championed

by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), who are looking to ‘make tax digital’ in the coming years, proposing that all business should submit quarterly tax figures direct from their accounting software for a more transparent and regular tax system.

With this in mind, we have suggested five online accounting solutions that you can look at getting to grips with to keep ahead of the game.

With each system offering a variety of overlapping features and functions, differentiating between the available options is more about what you want out of your accounting package.

It is also worth liaising with your accountant to see which integrates best with their own systems, as making it easier for them will make it cheaper for you!

Andriod phone Image by: Mohi Syed via Pexels

Business Hound Claiming to do ‘all of the hard work for you’, Business Hound breaks the figures down to what you need to know.

It promises to shield the user from the complexities of accounting and focuses more on user-friendly features such as receipt scanning, drag-and-drop filing systems and daily task reminders.

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It promotes regular interaction with an external accountant, and makes this easy with data sharing and in-app commenting to avoid the confusion of sifting through months of accounts to find that one rogue figure!

Price: £12 per month (inc. VAT) Best if you: Just want to record mileage, raise invoices and check expenses, and leave the rest to someone else Drawbacks: No alterative advanced package for if you want to increase

Best if you: Are already used to basic bookkeeping and wish to have more control over the intricacies of accounting.

Drawbacks: Some processes could

Kashflow app

Clearbooks app

your involvement in your finances App: iOS & Android; FREE Clear Books Along with the standard invoicing, banking and VAT tracking, Clear Books offers the option of turning additional features on or off, so you can get as involved or otherwise as you would like. These additions include advanced reporting, pension figures and even Statutory Maternity Pay calculations.

It also integrates with systems such as PayPal, online banking sites and HMRC, which saves a lot of time that would otherwise be spent navigating the notoriously difficult government site.

Clear Books also offers multi-currency accounting and the option of a payroll feature, and it can even compare your current VAT rate with the flat-rate scheme, so it may save you money too!

Price: £7.40 - £16.50 per month (+VAT)

be made simpler with more userfriendly navigation App: iOS & Android; FREE KashFlow Billed as being ‘created by small business owners for small business owners’, KashFlow aims to save as much time as possible through automating features such as repeat billing, online selling and supplier chasing, as well as one-click integration with over 85 other systems.

This means that you can also have your bank transactions automatically imported into KashFlow and your VAT return filed to HMRC without even logging in – perfect for a busy business owner.

Although access to the sales and purchase ledger is limited to an external accountant, KashFlow offers all you need to keep on top of invoicing, outgoings and payroll as well as at-a-glance insight into real-time finances without having to spend too much time in the actual software.

Price: £7 - £18 per month (+VAT) Best if you: Don’t mind spending a little more time setting the software up to save you heaps of time in the long run Drawbacks: Navigation could be simpler and some users have suggested improvements to customer

SelfMade

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Social Media Timeline 2000

2001

2002

How To:

Social Media Written by Bethany Sherry

2004 2004 2005

“Social Media is integral to marketing today - if your brand does not exist online, it may as well not exist.” Rebecca Sharples, founder of PINK MILK Consultancy (beccajayesharples.wixsite.com/pinkmilk), a company specialising in branding, marketing and social media.

Social media marketing refers to the process of gaining traffic (web traffic is the amount of data sent and received by visitors to a web site) or attention through social media sites. A digital platform allows you to connect with your customers from anywhere and at any time.

2006

2007 2008

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2010 2010

2011

ocial media was once just used to connect with friends online, but now provides businesses with the ability to reach consumers at any time of the day on their own personal device.

“Social media marketing can increase sales, increase awareness and create a multi-platform business to consumer communication base”, said Sharples.

“Successful platform usage is based on understanding the audience you currently have, and the audience you would like to build.”

Participation on social media can help establish who people are talking about and who will be interested in your business, allowing you to focus your efforts on the most relevant markets.

Rebecca Sharples: “Social media is instant, and often has a tone of voice. Direct messaging, responding in comments, and posting out public notices are all ways that social media has changed the interaction between businesses and consumers. [It’s] instant, personal, and public.”

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SelfMade

Here’s our essential guide to promoting your brand online: Twitter

Twitter can be a great platform for businesses as it allows you to interact with directly with customers and share links and photos of your products or services.

Timing your tweets well can boost views and increase clicks on the links you include. However, not every tweet should include a link - limit them to add value to the ones you do include.

Hashtags are also a big part of Twitter – these allow people that do not follow you to see your tweets and add context to your tweets.

Also, tweets that include photos or videos are more likely to gain engagement than those without as they are more eye-catching, but be sure to mix up your content and not be too predictable.

Composing your tweet in the correct order is essential: 1.

Write your text 2.

Add any links 3.

Mention people @twitteraccount 4.

Add hashtags 5.

Insert any images Do not start a tweet with a mention (@twitteraccount) - doing this means that only the person you have mentioned will see the tweet.

Facebook

Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world with more than 1.23 billion active users. It is important to understand how it works and how you can use it to market your business. Facebook has three account options: people profiles; pages; and groups that can be used by anyone. Facebook pages are similar to people profiles, but are better suited for public figures, businesses or organizations. Facebook users can “Like” a page, and will then receive updates from this page in their own news feed. Facebook groups have a profile page, just like profiles and pages do, but they are similar to discussion forums. Creating groups relevant to your product area is a great way to reach out to potential new customers.

Instagram

Instagram is great for visualising a brand, as the app depends solely on photographs and videos with captions. High quality photographs are the key to a successful Instagram account for your business, so only consider it if you feel like you could creatively show what your business can offer. A website link is available to set up on your Instagram profile to send customers straight to your business. When considering Instagram, it is highly recommended that your business has an online site that customers can navigate to.

LinkedIn

Millions of professionals use LinkedIn to expand their own careers, personal networks and to grow their business. The site offers the opportunity to share contact details and content with other industry professionals, and places your brand amongst consumers.

YouTube

The second largest search engine in the world, YouTube generates a lot of online traffic and it is worthwhile understanding how you can use this to benefit your own business. However, just because YouTube is popular does not mean it is suitable for you. Only upload videos that you think clearly represent your brand/ business and include relevant things you know your audience would be interest in.

SelfMade

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Opinion

How Self-Employment Changed my Priorities

Sarah Stockdale: “Setting up my own business was the best career decision that I’ve made.”

Interview by Daphine Bikaba

F

ollowing the result of the referendum vote, the uncertainty surrounding the job market continues to grow. With the National Employer Survey indicating that British employers are less optimistic about creating jobs, many employees are most likely holding on to their current positions. For that reason, starting a business is probably the last thing on anyone’s mind.

However, being an employee doesn’t always live up to what it seems, because at times I found myself feeling unfulfilled and detached from my work.

Today I run my own business, Glass Jackal, selling contemporary and handcrafted glass art, which I set up over a year ago. I consider myself an artist first and foremost before I consider myself a business owner.

I have learned more than I could have anticipated about all aspects of running a small creative business since I became self-employed. My business relies solely on me, and the decisions I make directly impact on it.

I feel a strong connection to everything

Hand craftsman Sarah Stockdale 11

I do where my work is concerned, which gives me a huge sense of satisfaction and achievement.

The job I really wanted to do didn’t exist within a company; instead I had to create it. I worked in a salaried position as a university administrator for several years. Whilst my job was what most people would regard as a good solid role as it came with job security, progression and opportunities I didn’t feel satisfied, or

Decorative wall hangings that my work was meaningful in the way that I do now.

Working for a large organisation meant that sometimes I felt insignificant, and getting things done would take a long time due to the decision-making processes and hierarchies. My pay was better then, and I had paid holidays, but these things are less important to me now that I’m self-employed. I would still much rather work for myself.

Although money is important to pay the bills as it is a necessity, I have realised that I actually get my happiness from other things. For instance, being able to spend my time creating is my true passion, and I now have greater responsibility over my working life. I used to value different things in a job, such as a salary and company benefits, but none of these factors ever led me to feeling as happy or as satisfied as I do now.

Although I have faced financially difficult times running my own

Animal Inspired Design business, which led me to question the viability of what I was doing, I have been able to make decisions to overcome those problems. However, I still feel that a large proportion of my job security depends on the world around me, and how well my work is received. Ultimately, if I can’t sell my work, then I’m out of a job.

Overall, running a business is hard work, stressful and can feel risky at times, with only four in ten small businesses expected to still be trading after five years, I am however prepared to make sacrifices in order to continue working for myself. I’ve had to get to grips with the fact that I no longer have a guaranteed income every month as each month is unknown, I now see my finances differently. However, I think the obstacles I face as a business owner are much easier to accept because I think I have the autonomy to do what it takes to succeed.

SelfMade

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Profile

NEW BUSINESS CORNER: ED’S KITCHEN Tom Welsh talks to chef Eddie Rimmer about taking his first Image by Tome Welsh steps in business

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SelfMade

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“I’ve always had my eye out for what works in restaurants and pubs”

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“The Rose always had a really good reputation for food, so I want to get that back and use this opportunity to really make a name for myself as well,”

fter just two years as a chef, 29-year-old Eddie Rimmer has already taken his firsts step towards his dream of owning his own restaurant.

Ed’s Kitchen will open in March at The Rose of Farington, serving a steakhouse-style menu in the historical Leyland pub, which was fully refurbished in 2014.

“The Rose always had a really good reputation for food, so I want to get that back and use this opportunity to really make a name for myself as well,” said Eddie.

“I’ve always had my eye out for what works in restaurants and pubs, even before I started working in the industry, so this is my chance to try to build something with what I’ve learnt.” espite a relatively short time in the profession, Eddie already has experience of working as a head chef and feels that the opportunity to start his own business has come at the right time and place.

“I always have new ideas and want to do things my own way, and I think that running my first venture out of The Rose is a good way to test the water,” said Eddie.

He is also already working on a sideline as Ed’s Sweets, which will offer homemade treats including fudge and cakes which will also be available at The Rose, keeping him occupied beyond the usual busy meal times and offering a potential growth market outside of the kitchen.

then start pushing that a bit more and look at other ways to get my products out there.” he kitchen menu has been carefully prepared to suit its environment, but the locally-sourced hearty grill dishes also reflect Eddie’s future plans.

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Image by Tom Welsh

“The thought of there being an Ed’s Bar and Grill some time down the line really excites me,” he said. “It’ll be great to have a place fully kitted out like an American Diner meat off the smokers, proper American breakfasts - but with a modern culinary twist using the best local stuff, and make it somewhere that people will travel here for.

“I really want to make a stamp around here, and hopefully this is the start of it.”

Want to see more of chef Edidie Rimmer https://www.facebook.com/ EdsKitchenAtTheRose

Eds’ sweets

To feature in the new business corner, get in touch with us on our website, Twitter or Facebook.

Image by Tom Welsh

E

ddie said: “It’ll all be bagged and branded with my logo to help get the name known, so hopefully it will get people talking and coming back.

“Then if that side of the business goes well, maybe I could

“I really want to make a stamp around here, and hopefully this is the start of it.”

SelfMade

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Feature

Brick and Mortar: What Works Best for Your Company?

Kirsty Moody investigates into the pros and cons for both brick and mortar.

The most difficult decision when creating your business is deciding whether to open online or as an actual store. This can be down to personal preference, but also what is better for the business.

Obviously with stores such as cafes and bars, they need to be in a physical store, but what if you’re just selling little bits like necklaces, products that

are dedicated to a certain film or even just branded merchandise?

What works for one company, doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for another. Many people choose to open a store online to see how well their business goes before taking the plunge to open a store, whereas some people work the other way around and would rather open a physical store,

and then when business has worked out well for them, they will go online.

With going online, there is always going to be difficulties but that’s the same as opening a store. To help you out a little bit, we have put together a small pros and cons guide to what we and store owners (online and a physical store) think of which works best.

Pros to online: You can place stock online as and when it sells, meaning you don’t have to create things until it has been purchased You can pick and choose when stock goes online You can choose your work hours You can make use of all the social media available, and link straight to your online website You choose where stock can be sent to, whether UK, Europe or Worldwide You won’t be spending money on rent of a store

Pros to instore: You can interact and engage more with customers You can create a brand loyalty with the regular customers who come in The store can be as creative and exciting as you want You can choose your own work hours and who works for you You will quickly realise what stock sells better You can create buzz around a store opening but also about new stock coming in

Cons to online: People can place orders at any time and can be demanding on delivery times Some people may not want to order from a smaller store as it may not be a trusted site There can be costs for a website if you are investing in a company to do this for you Advertising costs may also bulk up the costs if you are wanting to target certain people Security and fraud has attracted criminal elements, making your site susceptible to hacking The postal cost may not be taken into consideration for returns

Cons to instore: Cost – with rent and furniture, the cost can quickly stack up You may find you are left with unwanted stock Customers may not always be loyal If there is a similar shop close by, price wars can be created If you are hiring employees to help, this will be an added cost There could be a lot of competition in the same area

Tom Davies own Harlequins Store, which specialises in cards and games. They have stores in Preston and Blackpool and also operate event nights.

Tom said: “I chose to open a store because I like to talk to people and help them to find the games that suit them, I’m not very good at online stuff, so a shop made sense.” For Harlequins store, opening a physical store made it easier to see what the customers want to buy and what is the best for them. The great thing for Harlequins store is the interaction between the owners and the customers, creating company loyalty as they will know 15

that they will try to get stock in if the customers are wanting certain items.

Even though they are a physical store, they have dabbled in the online world.

With Tom saying “we are having a website built to sell online” meaning that even though they have a physical store, having products online must be at a demand for them. Even though they have a Facebook page, it’s not used all that much apart from occasionally sharing a few events and products they have in stock, however Tom said “We run a lot of events and use word of mouth to spread just how good we are at what we do.” Clearly, with what Tom is already doing for his

business, it works out better for him and his business plan.

Toms quick tip about starting your own business would be “if you are starting your own business do as much research as you can it isn’t as easy as it seems.” The pros that Tom has found from his business are “meeting new people, playing new games, you learn a lot very quickly” whilst his cons are “tidying up after people who don’t know how to use bins, lots of hidden things you don’t realise when you start, pre-ordering the right games in the right amount etc.”

SelfMade

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Interview

Gordon Gibson: Action Records, Preston SelfMade Retailer of the Month

Gordon Gibson (image by George Pickering

George Pickering spoke to Gordon Gibson, owner of Action Records Preston, about how he built the business from scratch

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n the corner of a side street just outside of the town centre, there is Preston’s largest independent record shop. The subject of a short documentary, ‘The Action Records Story: Chased by Nuns’, the store has a lot of history and interest for vinyl fans.

Last year, the UK’s trade association for recorded music, BPI (British Phonographic Industry) reported that vinyl record sales were at a “25 year high”, with a total of 3.2 million LPs sold. This proclamation signals a great future ahead for sales of music outside of Internet downloads, which the music industry has always kept an extra eye on.

Action Records itself was once a record label, putting out albums from bands such as The Fall and The Boo Radleys. Though this part of its identity has since been retired, the location still attracts many

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regular and new customers which ensure it is a thriving business.

Beginnings of Action Records GG: It was an exciting time when I first began selling. I started out with a stall in Blackpool before coming here [to Preston]. When I opened the shop up in the early 1980s, I filled it out with my own record collection and the people just kept coming in!

We attract all sorts of customers, young and old. The records on our shelves range across all genres… except for classical. We’re not that type of business!

The label GG: The label itself came around the same time, since some bands wanted to put their music out but had no way of doing it in the old days. The Fall was our biggest success story, and I’m proud to have given them the opportunity back when they were smaller to share their music. Nowadays, though, it is quite difficult to manage a record

label, with the internet and all that – so we shut it down a few years ago, and concentrated on the shop.

Vinyl resurgence GG: The major record companies have only just started making vinyl records again – for years, there were hardly any records available.

The record companies were not making any of this, simply because CDs were already popular and so much cheaper to make.

Over the past two to three years, vinyl records have been heavily redistributed – until then, they were very hard to get. Even the new releases are being produced on vinyl as well, simply to provide an alternative to music downloads. It is the same story with jazz –at one time, nobody ever asked us for jazz, and now it has become popular again with all ages. Young people don’t buy CDs anymore, it’s either vinyl or online for them.

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The battle against digital music GG: We’ve never done downloads or anything digital ourselves. It’s far more hassle than it’s worth. A vinyl record is far easier to sell than a downloadable track over the internet, since records carry that extra amount of quality. There are loads of vinyl records nowadays, and we are doing quite well to bring them in for the younger generation as well as for the oldies.

There has been a big change in the past few years throughout the music business. Downloads and the internet are killing a load of the music industry - all the music is for free now, which is very popular. But the record companies still want to make money, and they’ve found that vinyl has become very popular, so they have capitalised on this and have made a real effort to distribute

to play it on has become massively popular again. It has all come back into fashion, which is fantastic for the music industry and fantastic for the independent record store.

Action Records Image by George Pickering

their music via vinyl. For years, there was a time when new vinyl records were very hard to get. We have seen it all and experienced it all - when the shop first opened, CDs did not exist!

There were only vinyl and cassette.

All the other music shops are getting record decks and other equipment.

It is not just the record – everything

“The major record companies have only just started making vinyl records again.”

“A vinyl record is far easier to sell than a downloadable track over the internet.”

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event, taking place on one Saturday every April across the world, which celebrates the “culture of the independently owned record store”.

GG: The biggest queues we get are on Record Store Day, which is always a blessing. We ourselves start the day before, from Friday afternoon!

There are loads of limited-edition vinyl records on sale.

The Action Records Story: Chased by Nuns is available to watch online at https://vimeo.com/125335358.

“The biggest queues we get are on Record Store Day, which is always a blessing.”

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Feature

Working Life: Business Dream or Hectic Nigthmare

Daphine Bikaba investigates Ibrahim Sanibal’s struggle to ease the work-life imbalance.

It’s easy to manage your work and personal life when you have a steady nine to five job. You clock out, go for evening drinks at the local pub, catch up with friends or watch the latest football match. But when you’re working for yourself it’s often a different story, as you may find yourself dealing with the everyday needs of your business and sometimes there’s no off button. One person this all sounds familiar to is 42 year old fish and chips restaurant owner, landlord and dad, Ibrahim Sanibal.

“I’ve always wanted to work for myself so the inspiration behind the fish and chip restaurant came about when I saw an old abandoned pub on Moor Lane road, Preston.

I saw the opportunity to turn it into a fast food place because it was in a perfect location near student accommodation, therefore I thought it would bring in a lot of customers.”

After buying the pub space, Ibrahim went into a partnership with his friend and together they worked towards renovating it into a restaurant. In the months leading up to the opening of the restaurant, however, Ibrahim soon saw the business taking over every aspect of his life. He was working around the clock, often starting from 9am and working late until 11pm every day.

“I’m a bit of a handyman so I pretty much rebuilt the space into a restaurant myself because I needed to make sure I was in control and everything was exactly as I envisioned it. I was absolutely exhausted in the first few months as I would work 14-16 hours each day and was only able to get a few hours’ sleep when I got home.”

Ibrahim’s commitment to his new business meant that he was taking on more roles than he ever imagined. He was not only responsible for the demands of the restaurant but he was also now a landlord, having expanded the upstairs of the restaurant into a flat.

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Fish and Chips (image Benjamine Chong)

“It was (and sometimes still is) a nightmare. Every single minute of the day I was busy attending to the needs of the business, from people applying for job vacancies to students wanting a viewing of the flat upstairs.

I barely had a minute to myself and didn’t see my family that much - work was essentially my life at one point.”

Being overworked can have a knock on effect for anyone that runs their own business. Therapist Anne Millne-Riley identifies stress, exhaustion and depression as the main consequences of a continued work-life imbalance. “The long term impact on the body can also result in

serious medical conditions such as coronary damage,” she explained.

Anne, who is also a confidence coach, identifies that such effects are also likely to go further than physical illness. She said: “The impact on family life can be catastrophic, as spouses and children can begin to live their lives without you as you are rarely home”.

Ibrahim is an example of an increasing number of small business owners whose work-life balance can be out of sync. According to a study by insurance provider Simply Business, almost half of the 2,000 individuals surveyed cancel social plans at least once a week and 25 per cent have fallen ill due to stress and overwork.

Anne, however, encourages small business owners to protect their family and leisure pursuits by scheduling them in. She said: “They can begin by just planning short breaks like a coffee with a friend, initially to ensure they are not too far away from their businesses and are able to tackle any issues when they return”.

Today, Ibrahim now also owns the space next to The Queen Vic Fish and Chips, which he extended to include a pizza and burger restaurant. He has as well not only managed to employ a small team of 15 employees across both business, but he’s also expanded to an online delivery service on Just Eat to help ease the lunch rush as well as his work-life balance.

With a bit more time on his hands than before, Ibrahim’s also been able to successfully develop The Queen Vic by opening a new branch in the neighbouring town of Chorley and has future plans of a branch in London as his work-life balance continues to improve.

Queen Vic (image by Daphine Bikaba

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Feature

Women in Business Talk All Written by Michael Robinson

Women have never been on an equal footing when it comes to the world of work, for decades the gender stereotypes have never been more prevalent – men going out to work and women staying at home keeping the house in order. However, in the last 30 years more and more women have started to emerge and become success stories, the gender gap is slowly but surely closing in but is there still a long way to go?

The 21st century has seen a sudden shift in the ‘traditional’ family setup with greater recognition of gender in UK legislation has assisted to change the gender-role divisions. In response women are more economically and socially independent, representing 42% of the UK workforce and 55% of university graduates. Yet women are still less likely than men to be associated with top positions in the UK. The inequality is reflected in the pay gap between men and women, despite the introduction of the Equal Pay Act in 1975. Over their working lives analysts estimate women are likely to earn £300,000 less than men which has called for the government to do more to close the gender pay gap.

Its not only large businesses and corporations who are finding it difficult, smaller businesses and establishments owned by women and employ women also find it tough.

Jacqueline Murphy, owns a hair shop in Preston has spoken out on the challenges she faced asking for a loan from the bank to start up her business. “It was hard starting up my hair shop, banks do not want to lend to women in my experience. They have this certain snobbery about women who want to be business

owners”.

These sentiments are echoed around the Lancashire area; many women feel it’s harder to secure backing for their business just because they’re a woman. The covert discrimination against women puts UK PLC back to the 1950’s and reinforces the role of stereotypes, social and cultural norms, which underline expectations about gender and the gender role.

Decades of research has shown stereotypes about men and women do have huge impacts on the wider beliefs of many about they should and should not behave.

“Being a woman of colour it slightly aggravated the situation as many perceive black people as being thugs, criminals and no good. But in reality only a small minority of black people are like that” Ms Murphy added.

And she makes a good point, there aren’t many people of colour in the public domain who have set up their own business being a role model for others. The Black British community are one of the smallest minorities represented in the business world.

The lack of black entrepreneurial role models for the next generation is woefully underrepresented - coupled with the fact women are also, makes for grim reading.

However, there is a silver lining in Lancashire and the UK there has been a steady growth of businesses set up by women. In 2013 there were almost 1.5 million women registered as self-employed, an increase of approximately 300,000 since before the economic downturn in 2008.

Even though women are getting back into work, the appeal of selfemployment for women is seen as the most flexible for them later in life.

In the long term female employees will want to start a family and settle down however the fear of losing their jobs or not being able to get back into the same position they were in before starting a family is a real worry.

A report by the women and equalities select committee chaired

by Conservative MP Maria Miller identified a lack of flexible working opportunities for people with families – including variable start and finish times, working from home or working fewer days as an option. The report concluded this is the main driving force between the differences in pay between men and women.

Hermione Way, a mother of one and Head of communications at the dating app Tinder has said flexible working hours has allowed to do her job more effectively and maintain a work-life balance. “Since having my daughter its always been my priority to put her needs first over work. Finding the right balance and the right job that would allow me to spend more time with my daughter has been a must. Tinder as a company are very understanding and give me that flexibility to work from home or in the office as and when I need to”.

For mothers returning to work from maternity leave it makes sense to have flexibility in the work place, the few hours’ leeway can be make or break between career confidence or career abandonment. If multinationals, employees and employers learn to welcome to changes in working hours it could be the answer in the long term for a more productive and economically viable UK PLC. Flexible working hours could be the difference needed for the economy to bridge the gender pay gap if we let it.

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Travel Andrew Donnan and Charlotte Downs Outside their Stall (image: James Harrington)

SelfMade Hits the Road Tom Welsh looks at what it takes to find success on the road with Lancashire’s Dare U Foods

In a world where online stores offer seemingly endless choices for consumers, the difficulty for small businesses is often standing out in a flooded marketplace.

Taking your business on the road can be a great way to gain new customers, meet your target market and add some personality to your brand.

This approach has worked wonders for the family-run Dare U Foods, which has steadily been making a name for itself through word of mouth and some canny marketing ideas.

“You can’t just look at the obvious routes,” said Charlotte Downs, 21, who has been selling the company’s unique chilli products around the North of England for the last few years.

“You always have to have a different approach - something that makes you stand out against the competition.”

Ring Stinger chilli sauce (Image by James Harrington

STARTING OUT Dare U Foods had humble beginnings, with Charlotte’s father Ian taking an interest in growing tomato and chilli plants in the family greenhouse as a hobby.

“We just ended up getting a bit overwhelmed with all the chilli plants, so my Dad came up with a

few sauce recipes, which we gave to friends and family,” recalled Charlotte.

“Then we started taking them to a few farmers’ markets at weekends, started coming up with more recipes, and it’s just gone on from there really.”

Selling homemade sauces and relishes may not sound like anything new, but with an operation now consisting of several greenhouses and allotments to keep up with growing demand, as well as an expanding and varied product list, the business has become a thriving entity which the family are now looking grow even further.

“We’ve been looking at premises for production and selling,” said Charlotte, “and we’re talking with local restaurants and butchers to get the products in those sorts of places too.”

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Travel

Having a great product is obviously the best starting point, but engaging your market often presents the biggest challenge for a new company.

STANDING OUT “You’ve got to break the boundaries with people,” said Andrew Donnan, 34, Charlotte’s partner and a larger-than-life character who has helped the business grow over the last few years.

“You need to sell the brand so that people remember it – whether that’s because of how the product tastes, what the packaging’s like, or even that they like the people selling it.”

It was Andrew who first suggested moving on from the usual food shows into an untapped market for their product, which helped kick-start a new phase for the business.

Andrew said: “I’m passionate about motorbikes and cars, so I thought we could test the water at those type of shows.

“We didn’t know if we’d sell much but it was worth it straight away.

It’s something a bit different – you wouldn’t expect a chilli stall to be

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at a motorbike open day.”

In combining business strategy with outside passions, an instant rapport with the crowd had already been established, with the couple’s personable nature being complemented by Andrew’s affinity with potential customers at the motor shows.

Andrew said: “You’ve got families there, and while I can be having a bit of banter with the bloke, Charlotte can speak with the family about what we’re offering.

If they like the product, he’ll buy it to keep his wife happy so he can go off and look at the cars and bikes – it’s win-win for everyone really!”

BRANCHING OUT The most successful pop-up stalls are usually the ones that offer more than just the product, be it simply through hosts that know the value of striking up conversation, or through more carefully-planned ventures to attract potential customers.

“We’ve done quite a few chilli eating competitions at events, which always go down well,” said Charlotte.

“It attracts a lot of footfall – it’s fun to watch and it really gets your name out there. We plan to do a lot more this year” Another advantage of exhibitions like these is that people often film them and share them through social media, allowing a wider audience to become aware of the business through the strong branding they use across all their products, as well as on their stalls.

Well aware of the importance and power of social media, Charlotte said that Facebook in particular has been an

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invaluable tool for Dare U Foods.

Charlotte: “Other than the stall, we mainly sell through Facebook – usually repeat sales from people who have bought at events.

“We also sometimes put competitions on Facebook – we ask people to like and share our posts for the chance to win things like Christmas hampers, for example.”

This approach also helps them to showcase the homemade nature of their products, offering fresh seasonal products such as chilli cranberry sauce at Christmas and lemon drop salsa in summer to pique interest at key times, as well as advertising their growing product line.

They have recently been working on more recipes, including for their range of chilli chocolates, which is proving to be an increasingly welcome addition to the product range.

Andrew said: “We make boxes of with a variety of hotness, so it’s a game of chance really. And we have to eat a load of them to see what tastes right – a lot of trial and error but someone has to do it!”

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Businesses naturally want to expand as they become more successful, but one problem facing companies such as Dare U Foods lies in the danger of losing what made them stand out in the first place – something that Charlotte is keen to avoid happening.

“We’d like to keep it homemade, and keep that homemade feel too – otherwise it just becomes another sauce that you can get in a supermarket,” says Charlotte.

“We’d like a balance where we can have products in smaller shops like butchers and garden centres, as well as our own, so we can keep that personal touch.”

Despite looking at their own premises and finding new ways to distribute, they believe that taking the business on the road will always be important to the

success of the brand.

Andrew said: “This year we want to focus on getting more of a steady income for the business instead of just relying on the shows, but we know we need to keep going out there because it’s served us well so far and we know that it’s worth it.”

This sentiment is shared by Charlotte, who uses these quiet early months of the year to plan their event schedule for the rest of 2017.

“Hopefully they’ll become more of a promotional thing for us now we have other plans in place,” said Charlotte, “but they’ll always be a big part of what we do because it’s what set us apart in the first place. You can’t underestimate the importance of getting out there and meeting people face-toface – it’s got us to where we are now.”

Charlotte and Andrew image by: James Harrington

https://www.facebook.com/dareufoods/ https://twitter.com/DareUFoods

It’s not just new startups that can benefit from taking their brand out on the road; it can also boost an existing business, as Jelisa Hanley writes Jerk Junction in Manchester deliver home-cooked Caribbean meals through Just Eat and Hungry House, but have expanded their vision to incorporate outside catering for weddings and outdoor carnival events.

Owner Paul Levy originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and he has helped his authentic Caribbean cuisine gain a great reputation in Manchester by bringing pop-up stalls directly to the city.

“Manchester carnival was an obvious route in expanding my business,” he said. “It is a celebration of Caribbean culture which directly correlates with my takeaway.”

Since opening in 2012, Jerk Junction has catered for Manchester Carnival four times, increasing takings year after year. Last year they decided to expand to the Leeds and London carnivals, selling out on both occasions.

Their self-taught cooks use family recipes that have been handed down through generations, which Paul believes helps the business stand out.

He said: “They live and breathe Caribbean food, and that is what we owe our success to. Our food reflects an authentic taste of the Caribbean, which is what people most enjoy about it.”

On their future plans, he said: “We have been interested in catering for the Parklife Event, as well as Glastonbury, for a very long time. It would be a great way to introduce our business to a new audience.”

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Feature

The Perfect Business Plan Annie Rees opens up the vault to one of the most successful fashion business plans around in the North West.

What is the secret for having a successful business? Meeting a consumer need, having an air tight business plan and sticking to your Unique Selling Point (USP) are just some of the components that will help make any business a success.

Successful businesswomen Janine is the owner of fashion boutique brand Victoria’s Vault, which is situated right in the heart of Preston. Janine, a former University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) student, has owned her business for two years, and it continues to grow. “We’re a family business who sell high profile products with small price tags, suitable for all budgets.”

Selling ‘high street brands at back street prices’ has led to the business’s success, but the five star service customers receive has also encouraged consumer loyalty towards the brand. Warm, chatty and helpful staff allows the shop to feel relaxed, and creates an enjoyable experience for all their customers.

So, for a successful business, is it just a brilliant business plan you need, or do you need some inspiration to motivate to make it a success? Janine had a clear idea in mind when she launched Victoria’s Vault. “I started my own business because I saw a gap in the market for affordable high

fashion items. Everyone wants the high budget, high fashion wardrobe, but very few can actually afford it.”

The business plan consists of buying boxes of fashion pieces every Friday, without knowing the contents until they open them at the store. “It’s like Christmas seeing what we get,” said Janine.

“Some items can be very high ticket, but we like being able to sell the items at an affordable price.”

Another business strategy that

“Outstanding customer service the staff couldn’t of helped more, so friendly and attentive. I will definitely be visiting more often for some fab bargains.

Thanks.”

the shop floor was five pound or less - safe to say they had a full shop that day!

Victoria’s Vault use social media to advertise these promotional events, as well as to connect with their customers and advertise new items. This allows their loyal customer base to keep up-todate with the brand – particularly important for a shop with everchanging stock.

The success of Victoria’s Vault is down to a business plan that works, a strong USP and the motivation to succeed in a competitive market. However, the key aspect that owner Janine has done is identified a problem that many people have and offered a solution - high fashion at affordable prices Janine said: “We’re happy that the business has proved to be a success, and that we have built up a good brand that customers are loyal to. I hope to keep progressing the business like we have for the past two years.” https://www.instagram.com/ victorias_vault_ltd/?hl=en h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / VictoriasVaultLtd/

Victoria’s Vault use to good effect is promotional events. One of their recent events was the five pound sale, when everything on

“important to understand what your main motivation is so that you can focus your efforts on reaching those goals.”

Kissmetrics’ blog post

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Feature

Post Brexit Effects on UK Food Industry

Jelisa Hanley analyses the potential effect of post brexit trading deals on the UK food industry

With an urgency to secure international trading deals with countries outside of the EU, the future of a post-Brexit Britain as a trading nation is now under the magnifying glass of the media. Much debate was sparked after Brexit’s impact on trade deals prompted an early call to action from Prime Minister Theresa May, despite EU leaders’ demands that Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty must be triggered before negotiations even start.

The announcement of the new US president Donald Trump sparked recent interest in the media about how the UK would now work with the US as an independent nation. One huge benefit of the UK’s exit from EU membership is the chance to negotiate its own bi-lateral trade deal with the US. Their American meat and dairy market is the largest in the world, and by giving them access to the UK’s advanced grocery market, this could be a beneficial start in negotiations for both countries.

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The changes after the vote to leave came almost immediately, with a decline of the pound in June 2016.

In response, Britain saw a major decrease in international imports, as expenses on imports increased.

The food supply chains in Europe have been hit with an 18 per cent devaluation following the fall of the sterling, leading manufacturers to spend more on ingredients and leaving independent businesses at the mercy of their supermarket buyers.

Don Trevor, owner of the Village Bakery, Chorlton said, “I’ve seen a major increase in costs in ingredients.

We used to bake homemade bread, and my wife Pat would bake cupcakes, but with all the rest of our ingredients we had to buy, we had to temporarily remove these options from our menu. We had to also raise our prices, because we had to start buying poultry from the supermarket.”

Don used to buy his meat from

the butchers, before he found out the poultry wasn’t from the UK. He believes that these meats should be labelled to keep consumers in the know. The Guardian reported in 2015 that, even though the UK has ‘high standards in animal welfare’, there are not yet any restrictions on importing meat from countries who do not uphold the same standards.

TRADING VALUES Tim Farron, leader of the Liberal Democrats, warned UK farmers in January that they could face losing tariff-free access to the EU market whilst also being undercut by cheap US imports, if Theresa May’s favoured ‘hard Brexit’ and free-trade deal with Donald Trump gets the go-ahead. The National Farmers’ Union’s (NFU) director of EU exit Nick van Westenholz also suggested to the Financial Times that the increased costs UK farmers face due to the ‘ruthless pursuit of trade liberalisation

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put the much-valued high standards of UK produce ‘at peril’. In the past the Agricultural Protection Act has stalled big EU and US trading deals but, through Brexit, the British farmers become vulnerable to losing out in what seems to be very long road ahead.

The Guardian reported in 2015, the National Farmers Union said that some overseas farmers have been required by UK retailers to meet higher standards than their national minimum. With more than half of UK retailers now sourcing their food from abroad, scientists believe the increasing reliance on foreign food may have an impact on the UK becoming more self-sufficient.

Despite this, pubs, canteens bars and restaurants, which now account for half of the money spent in the UK, don’t always seem to be particularly concerned about the quality of imported foods used in their establishments.

Roy Nipsum, Manager of the Lloyds Pub, Manchester, said: “We source our meat from local UK farms. It is an extra expense we feel is worth it for quality purposes. However, I know many of my friends who own pubs who have their meat imported from overseas because it is cheaper, but you can taste and see the difference in the quality.”

A NEW START However, there is an upside to the trade deficit, as UK food and drink exports grew by nearly ten percent in 2016, with sales to the US going up 12 percent. For the first time in history, UK food and goods hit the £20bn mark, according to government figures.

China is also becoming one of the US fastest growing markets, with an export value of pork up £43m which is a 70 percent jump from 2015. Exports in food and drink grew 11.5 percent in 2016, according to the Food and Drink Federation

(FDF), and they are showing no signs of slowing down.

When government Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom addressed the National Farmers’ Union’s annual conference on February 21, she said: “As we prepare to leave the EU, there has never been a better time to become more outward looking - developing new trading relationships and establishing our place as a truly Global Britain.”

The figures show that the key to a healthy UK economy lies within exports, and with only one in five UK companies exporting, the government has turned its attention to educating companies on how to tap into these international markets.

This is no doubt a good time to export, as the weakening of the sterling has helped boost UK trade competitiveness. This is why we are seeing such a major rise in exports at the start of 2017, but it is now up to companies to negotiate new sales agreements with overseas buyers which could give the UK the upper hand after Brexit.

FUTURE Britain has always wanted the free movement of partnering with faster growing and emerging nations. China and India for example are a huge subject in trade at the moment. These emerging nations, however, want free movement of people as a condition for trade deals, as well as wanting a more liberal approach to Britain’s visa policy, which will involve a changed attitude to allow foreign workers into the UK. These agreements may take years to secure and finalise. Britain’s firms have helped India’s economy by outsourcing call centres , services and IT hubs. However, opening their country to free trade may have more to do with people than with manufacturing.

Britain has shied away from this form of free trade before and, in leaving the EU, they have proven that they are confident on their own.

Whether it is the food industry or the free trade of people, Britain is at

one of its most vulnerable stages.

They need the help of international free trade without the risk of negotiating away their own freedom.

It now goes without saying that this two year exit will be a very long process.

17%

of Irish goods and services gets exported to the UK.

30% of all

employment is in sectors which are heavily related to UK exports.

Indigenous manufacturing firms sell approx. 43% of their exports to the UK

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Feature

How To: Network 1

Here is our very easy and simple guide on how to network:

Written by Kirsty Moody

N

etworking is something smaller businesses should definitely make the most of. Some networking events cost money and this can sometimes be off-putting, however networking can be used without the added costs. Networking is a way of connecting with other individuals or companies who have similar interests to you. It is a great way of speaking about your business and learning about others.

Networking: “interact with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts.”

Anyone can do the simplest networking without even realising.

From speaking to people in the local area or online, networking is not only a way to expand your business, but allows you to meet people who can give you new ideas, but also build friendships and loyalties.

Networking is recommended to all business, it helps establish a reputation with new customers who are unaware of your business. From social media posts, to going to the networking events, these are just a few ways to get you started on networking.

Interact with other business owners around you. Showing an interest in their business will expand your knowledge on the area. Providing the opportunity for you to promote your business within events that are held in other stores.

2

Build relationships and promote other businesses and in return they will promote you. Whether that’s telling a customer about another local business or having business cards or posters. It’s a quick way of promoting someone else as well as yourself. Create flyers or posters that you can put up around your local area.

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Don’t just focus on social media.

Speaking to people about your business helps promote yourself to people who don’t use online platforms. Use other people to promote your business by telling their friends and family as well. More people speaking about your business will promote it. Social media is a great tool but it depends on who you’re targeting, some people may not realise you use social media so keep doing word of mouth, handing out business cards, using posters.

4

Keep in contact with the people you’ve already made connections with. Don’t forget about the people who helped you get to where you are, whether that was from them pushing your business to customers, keep talking to them about how your business is going.

Don’t be afraid to ask for their help or offer yours.

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Hand out business cards to a variety of different people. As well as having your business cards in your own shop and maybe a few others, try handing them out on the street or even on social media, get people talking about what your shop has to offer.

Speak to professionals in similar work fields. Is there anyone near you doing the same thing as you? Speak to them, ask them how they managed it, ask them to share their experiences, what have they done in their business which would work well in yours.

Target the right people. Always have in mind your typical customer and target those people. If you don’t know who your target customer is, think about who you want to buy your stuff and create the ideal customer in your head.

Use social media to interact with potential clients. A lot of your customers are using social media so use it to target them.

Create a Facebook page or an Instagram account to showcase what your business has to offer. Social media is good for creating engagement with your audience

We found a few events which you could attend to network:

The Busin ess Netwo rking Show (http://the 2 business networkin 017 Unique Lad fo) gshow.in ies Network ing TBNS is c (h ttps://www lassed as .facebook.c the bigges networkin etwork/) om/unique t g event of ladiesn the year, fr own webs A g re a o t event for m their ite they giv the lovely la e three rea to why you so hard is th dies who w sons as should att e unique la ork end "#TBN 1) Expand dies netwo meets in Bo S 2017” your netw rk w lt o h n ic o a h n rk products a d Manchest 2)discove second and nd service r er on the th ir s d 3)see key Fridays. and works events are note hop even held in Some of these visit their w s. For more informa s Preston an amazing re ti ebsite to s d with views from ee if this w on work for y other busin ould women, we ou. ess recommen d you chec Facebook a Chorley T k out their nd see if its weetup Ne ri ght for you tw orking (https://tw . itter.c

om/Chorle If you are yTweetup based in o ) r around C Chorley T horley, the weetup is a great wa other loca y to meet l business men to se are doing e what the and how y y ou can im business, prove you they are a r lso great a your twee t retweetin ts that you g have tagg to improve ed them in your follow ing and to more well become known. Ch eck out th and book eir twitter on.

Don’t forget the smallest of events could mean the most for your company.

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Quiz

What does your business say about you?

1. How developed is your business branding?

A) Well developed - business has a clear theme and the audience is well understood B) I know my business audience - I just need to understand how I can brand it to suit them C) I know what to do to brand my business but I haven’t done it yet D) What does branding mean?

A) B) C) D)

5.

A) B) C) D)

3. Your business goals include: I want to grow my business as much as possible and possibly expand it I would like to maintain a steady growth of my business over the next few years I would like to increase my profits I am not sure what my business goals are at the moment

Why did you choose to start/ go into owning, or being part, of an independent business?

I am passionate about what I do and have always wanted to do it I like the lifestyle involved with having an independent business I wanted to change my career path and it appealed to me I can’t remember exactly what made

me interested in owning/ working for an independent business

Mostly A’s You have confidence in your business, but remember there can always be ways to improve. Maintaining a successful business is not easy so ensure you continue to do what you are doing. Do not think there is room to relax your approach.

Mostly B’s

2. What social media accounts does your business use?

A) My business has multiple social media accounts B) My business has one social media account that is used fairly often C) I have a website, but do not use social media for my business D) My business isn’t even online

4.

How do you feel about your business competition?

I believe my business rivals the

competition and I think that competitors

look to my business for inspiration My competition allows me to work

on areas in my business where I do not

succeed I am unhappy about my competition

doing better than me, but I sort of

understand why they are better I am not aware of my competition

A) B) C) D) 6.

A) B) C) D)

How would you describe your business profits?

My profits are great My profits are okay, but they have been better in the past My profits are neither good nor bad at this time I’m not really sure how my profits are at this moment

Mostly C’s

You should establish Your business is some social media successful but you accounts for your are aware of places business. It is important to improve. Try to to start branding your establish what is most business, to maintain important and focus a good reputation. on your goals. Try to Also, by understanding branch out across to how your competitors other social-media gain success, this platforms that would could provide potential be suitable for your improvements for you to business. consider.

Mostly D’s You need to seriously reconsider your business strategy and the branding of it. (Refer to page 9) Establishing an online presence is vital in the 21st century and can really improve your business. It is also essential that you keep on top of your profit margins and always know how your business is doing financially.

SelfMade

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Problems Page

The Business Brain The Business Brain is here to answer your burning questions or worries. Write to The Business Brain at selfmadeblog.wordpress.com

Q A Q A 33

“I’m struggling to balance my work life with my home life. Trying to establish a new start-up company is effecting my family, I don’t get to see the kids anymore, and when I get in from work they’re going to bed. How can I manage my time better?” -@WonderWoman Creating a new business can be a challenge, especially with a young family.

A daily/ weekly planner works great for balancing both work and family life. Start each week by writing in all the activities that happen every week, like school, meetings etc. After that, you will have a better understanding of your week.

Having a couple of days where you can work from home will help too. Even though you are still working, being at home allows you to interact with the family. The startup of the company is always the hardest and longest part of the process so long hours will be required, but when you have an established business, you’ll be happy with the results.

“I want to start my own business, but I’m finding it hard maintaining a USP and branding my company.” @ IdentityCrisis

Start by thinking about what is the main product or service you want to sell or promote. For example, if you wanted to open a bakery and your speciality was cupcakes, then cupcakes would be the main product you would promote. Once you have the USP, branding will be easier as you have the main product or service you want to promote. Branding is one of the most important parts of the company, you have to reflect yourself and the company through your promotion.

Q A

Q A

“I have a seasonal business; I worry about reaching a profit through the quieter times. Have you got any tips on how I can advance my business?”

-@MrMoneyBags Having a seasonal business can be difficult during quieter times of the year. However, seasonal companies can be some of the most successful businesses at busy times. Use the quiet times to think of how you can adapt your business to suit the season. Little adaptations to your company can really take your money troubles away. For example an independent lodge could do a couples retreat, or no kids allowed. This would drum up business and get people interested into the establishment and encourage customers to come back.

“I spend all day working on my business, and when I get home I’m either working on my website or accounts. I find it hard to turn off from my company, have you got any advice?”

-@UnfortunateSocialButterfly A business you have started yourself can be very personal. It is important to get time away from your business. Going to the gym or joining in sporting activities is a good way to relax. Interacting with people who are not part of your work life is also a good way to distract yourself, as you will be talking about other interests.

SelfMade

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