Tuning in to starting out

Reviewing business and industry in British history, Leicester’s own PPL PRS, which is responsible for TheMusicLicence, discusses how start-up businesses can discover their mojo One of the main challenges facing start-up businesses is ensuring that they stand out from their competitors

Tuning in tostarting outFrom Steel City to the Old Smoke, the UK has long been known for its entrepreneurial and startup success. At its peak, there were around 178 independent lace traders recorded in Nottingham alone, with a further 2,741 boot and shoemakers recorded in Leicester and surrounding areas. Unsurprisingly, the UK and indeed the Midlands itself, is still at the forefront of start-up business movement with some of the largest global names including Unidays and Gymshark launching here in recent years. According to Startups, an independent, online resource for anyone starting and growing a business, the trend of new businesses in the UK has risen year on year with an overall increase of 69% between 2000 to 2019, and 2021 is expected to be no exception. Despite numerous lockdowns and uncertainty for many, start-up businesses have continued to grow more than ever, to the extent where 800,000 new UK businesses were created in 2020; Elite Business

magazine reported this was a rise of 40% in just one year. For some, these new business opportunities may have emerged as a result of having more time at home to develop their ideas and start-up journeys. Others may have tapped into the unique climate that the pandemic has created and found scope to offer their products or services in the world of the ‘new normal’ that we now live in. Regardless of their beginnings, current new businesses have the opportunity to provide a solution for their customers and discover a market that matches the current climate, just as start-ups and entrepreneurial business owners did for decades and even centuries before. Luckily, in today’s world, technology has played a crucial role in the success of many start-ups – particularly during the pandemic – whether it has been facilitating online orders, managing client bookings or providing contactless payment opportunities. But, as with businesses of old, sometimes personability can be just as important to the success of a business than the modern methods or innovative technology. According to research by The Contact Company, 84% of consumers said that customer service was one of the key factors people considered when deciding whether to buy from a company or not, while 75% of consumers said that they preferred human interaction and a genuine feel over an automated, technological approach.

Creating a positive impression for your customers and

building loyalty across your brand is as much about the experience as it is about the products or services you offer.

With this in mind, 88% of companies that use music within their business said that it is enjoyable to staff and customers, according to research by PPL PRS.

Music can help to set the tone, create an engaging environment, and help to enhance the experience overall. It can provide a sense of familiarity, create a positive atmosphere, and help to give businesses an inviting and upbeat feel.

One of the main challenges facing start-up businesses is ensuring that they stand out from their competitors. By using music, businesses could enhance their identity and increase recognition – and could help to make the customer experience memorable and unique.

In the same way that music often helps us to feel good and unwind, playing it for customers could help to set the right mood and create an experience that is both relatable and engaging – from creating that upbeat ‘Friday feeling’ for customers looking to unwind after a long week at work to creating a calming atmosphere for those midweek visitors who may wish to enjoy the experience at a more relaxed pace.

Whatever the situation, the right music can help to create a distinctive and appealing space – both in person and, equally as importantly, over the phone. Even if, as a start-up business, your operations are not face-to-face just yet, it is still as important to provide your customers with the same positive and enjoyable experience as you would wish to provide in-person.

Playing music through on-hold phone systems can help to give a business a more professional feel and improve customer interaction. A phone call may be the first contact a new customer has with your business, so it is important to make the right first impression. When it comes to your staff, listening to music at work could help create a happy environment and relieve stress, something that has been incorporated into up-andcoming businesses for generations. Going back to the height of the UK’s independent, industrial success, the BBC introduced ‘Music While you Work’ radio programmes specifically designed for boosting productivity and team morale amongst factory workers. Listening to music at work could provide an added burst of energy for employees throughout the day and could be particularly beneficial at improving concentration and focus, especially during long hours and repetitive tasks. Since employees have probably spent most of lockdown at home, listening to music could help to ease the transition back into work and create a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. So, as your business starts up… turn it up! Release the rhythm, discover your mojo and get your business off to the best start. For more information call 0808 134 8364 or go to pplprs.co.uk/release-the-rhythm.

Finalist

The right music can help to create a distinctive and appealing space