The UK’s leading innovation magazine for start-ups, innovators and small businesses Issue 2 February 2014
Leading Change and Growth at Wazoku
The Business of Writing Persuasively
Pinhole Innovation Art in a Butcher’s Shop
#Learn #Connect #Grow with other #Dreamers #Thinkers #Doers 1
‘What an excellent innovation magazine!’ (@marketest). ‘Will be using your mag in my business lessons out here in Oman.’ (@ lotsofTs). ‘It’s a fantastic and inspiring read.’ (@MollyCoddleChil). ‘Just discovered The Crowd ’Zine, it’s pretty cool!’ (@ EduLighthouse). ‘Read The Crowd ’Zine. The U.K.’s only Innovation Magazine for Dreamers, Thinkers and Doers.’ (@brightonhovebiz). ‘Love flipping and reading The Crowd ’Zine.’ (@Jurisu). ‘Just had a look through the online version, you have done such a great job! :)’ (@maria_allen). ‘It’s a fantastic read, full of great facts!’ (@Gradvert). ‘Great magazine! Inspiring stories and pleased to be a part of this new venture. Well done.’ (@JollyScrummy).
THANKS TO just want to be more innovative entrepreneurs.’ (@ali_golds). ‘Congratulations on a great 1 edition. A lot of interesting stories!’ ALL OUR READERS! (Ian G.). ‘Congratulations on the magazine. It looks really great!’ ‘Fabulous new magazine for students, businesses and those who st
(Rebecca K.). ‘Captivating and thought provoking. An essential read for entrepreneurs, researchers and investors. Strongly recommend.’ (David P.). ‘A great little magazine packed with good relevant content - I look forward to the next issue.’ (Lorraine N.). ‘Love this.’ (Will C.). ‘Thank you for sending this through. It looks great!’ (Louise M.). ‘I really appreciated your magazine because it exactly goes in the right direction: to different targets but with a thing in common that is entrepreneurship mentality.’ (Debora F.). ‘Love the new ’zine!’ (Erika W.). ‘Congratulations on a great launch. Hope it goes from strength to strength’ (Chris L.). ‘Absolutely fantastic!!! Congratulations! The layout, the diverse content, everything. Very impressed’. (Jessica H.) ...
WHAT’S INSIDE? People
6 Art in a butcher’s shop 8 Leading change and growth at Wazoku 10 Diary of a rather different placement (Part 2) 12 What’s it like to be an inventor?
Innovation 16 18 22 24
Demystifying innovation with blue plates Pinhole innovation I spy... Do you want your own piece of the pie?
Learning
26 The business of writing persuasively 28 Developing your skill at generating ideas for business 30 Nine key questions to ask yourself about your business idea 34 A closer look at... The lotus blossom technique 36 What the ...? Your body can heal your mind!
Digital
38 Time for you to join the Twitter conversation? 40 Are you making the most of marketing? 42 Five online resources to inspire you and help you ideate
Gallery
46 The Hatch
Play
44 All work and no play? 45 Take a break...
Resources
52 No problem! 53 Useful links
With thanks to our contributors: Simon Hill, The Greedy Gull Studios team, Stephen Britt, Kelly Angood, Sam Zubaidi, Lola Bailey, Chris Loughlan, Brad Crescenzo, Ghjuanna Di Vezzi, Mark Shaw, Laura Evans, Wayne Thomas, Jessica Hylands and The Crowd ’Zine team.
A special thanks to Pam Murphy for her proofreading, valuable support and advice. We have learnt a lot! Front cover photo: Plane Tree Roof © Laurence Moracchini 2014.
- Whilst the greatest care is taken to ensure that the information in the magazine is correct, neither the publisher nor its editorial contributors can accept liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors, inaccuracies or omissions. - The opinions expressed in The Crowd ’Zine and affiliated domains are not necessarily the views of The Crowd ’Zine, but those of individual contributors. - No part for this magazine, including the advertisements within it, may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the express permission of the Editor. - Unless otherwise stated, all content (not including adverts and advertorials) is copyright of The Ideas People 2014. 3
HELLO READERS! Back in Autumn 2013, we created Issue One of The Crowd ’Zine, and since then, respecting the lean start-up philosophy, we have tested the market, listened to your feedback, and made some changes. For our second issue, we have built on our strengths of bringing you inspirational and informative stories about people and their ideas, and have crowdsourced articles written by start-ups, innovation specialists and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), to give you the best tips and tools on how to innovate and improve the way you do business. In this issue, you will learn from Simon Hill, CEO and Co-Founder of Wazoku, to find out how he is successfully leading his team through business growth, as well as gain inspiration from pop-up art gallery curator, Sophie Giblin, and pinhole camera extraordinaire, Kelly Angood. Continuing from Issue One, we have included the second diary entry from the Greedy Gull Studios’ team, to find out about their start-up journey into the world of games development, and have also introduced you to some more practical tools and exercises to get you thinking creatively. Issue Two is also bursting with practical advice on how to communicate and market your offer more effectively. Whilst professional copywriter Lola Bailey suggests how you can write more persuasively, Mark Shaw encourages you to tweet your business, and Marketing Manager, Laura Evans, draws on her experience at Create.net, to give you insight into what makes an effective online marketing campaign. Whatever your interest in innovation – whether you are a start-up, a more established SME, an innovative employee, or an enterprise educator, we hope you find The Crowd ’Zine to be as inspirational and informative, as we intend it to be. Enjoy your read! Clare Griffiths Editor of The Crowd ’Zine Director of The Ideas People Like us on facebook.com/TheCrowdZine Follow us twitter.com/TheCrowdZine Do you want to be a guest contributor? Email: editor@thecrowdzine.co.uk Published by: The Ideas People, theideaspeople.co.uk Editor: Clare Griffiths Creative Director: Laurence Moracchini Ad sales: editor@thecrowdzine.co.uk and 07952 914937 Office: The Ideas People, 179 Seaside, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 7NP, UK. 4
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ART IN A BUTCHER’S SHOP By Clare Griffiths
Our study is looking remarkably better ever since I purchased some colourful, eye-catching prints at Kollektiv Gallery’s first pop-up space. Secretly, I am actually feeling quite smug that I am now in possession of some beautiful pieces of art from a local group of
emerging artists! Ha! Anyway, enough of my smugness. For four weeks only, Brighton was witness to what was soon to become an award-winning pop-up art gallery, curated by recent arts graduate Sophie Giblin. Within three months of finishing her degree, frustrated that her fellow arts graduates believed they could not make any money from their art, Sophie set out to prove them wrong. And she did just that! Collaborating with 20 other artists, Sophie and team developed a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for their popup gallery (seeking funding for rent, printing costs and workshop materials), 6
and within 24 hours of releasing their video pitch they had raised over half of their funding target. With incentives priced from £2 to £400, the team not only succeeded in raising the required funds in one month but also managed to exceed their target. It is clear that Sophie’s infectious energy and willingness to learn spurred the team on, ‘Once we all got together, I said “OK. Let’s do a Kickstarter! I’ve never done this before. I’m not exactly sure what it’s going to take to do one, but we will work it out as we go.” And that is exactly what we did. We made a film, and we got £3500 in less than one month’. Based on St. James Street in Kemp Town, Brighton, over the course of one month, Sophie’s team
transformed a former butcher’s shop into an inviting gallery space, with a stimulating exhibition of prints from
20 participating artists, illustrators and designers. The group of emerging artists not only benefited from exhibiting their work to new audiences – there were over 3000 visitors in four weeks – but also gained valuable experience delivering free arts-based workshops to the public.
featuring the work of ten University of Brighton students and graduates. For this exhibition, we can expect to see playful yet dark responses to the question, ‘What does it take to stay creative in the arts today?’ in the media of illustration, photography, ceramics, printmaking and collage.
Whilst Sophie’s first pop-up space has now closed, there is more to come from Kollektiv Gallery. Sophie is keen to continue her mission to use vacant high street shops as temporary exhibiting spaces for emerging artists, and in May 2014, Brighton can expect ‘Death by Gallery’ – a popup arts gallery
If you are interested in energising your home with the artwork of emerging artists (and to feel as smug as` me), then check out Kollektiv Gallery’s online shop at kollektivgallery.com You can also keep upto-date with Sophie’s progress by following kollektiv_ 7
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LEADING CHANGE AND GROWTH AT WAZOKU With Simon Hill
1. Describe Wazoku in one sentence.
of budding entrepreneurs; we were four people and a couple of contractors. We are now approximately 20 people and are currently growing the team further.
Wazoku is Swahili for ‘Great idea’; we are a software company that inspires creativity and powers innovation for businesses.
5. Who are the most recent additions to your team? Why did you decide to create these posts? We are now at a size where we are forming more mature team structures, and recruiting across most of these teams. We recently hired a Chief Operating Officer (COO), Jon Landau, who has a wealth of experience, having previously been the first employee with the highly successful UK start-up, Huddle. The first roles we hired for were the key roles of product development, and a very capable marketing and operational person. In the early days, you need people who are prepared to muck in and get their hands dirty in all areas of the business. It is amazing when you get to a size that affords you more time to focus people’s attention on specialist roles!
2. How and when did you come up with the idea for Wazoku? I am passionate about innovation, the power of ideas, and a belief in more open and collaborative modes of working. We came up with the idea about three years ago, when we had a need from another venture we are involved with. That is when we started to explore the market. 3. How different is your product now, compared to when you first started? The overarching concept is pretty similar, but the product has gone through a number of iterations. We are still very focused on building networks and communities to facilitate more collaborative innovation. However, if you look at what we had three years ago to now, it is incomparable. We have iterated, but also, about 18 months ago, we pivoted our business focus from the small business market to medium and large enterprises globally.
6. How far in advance do you tend to plan? We look 36 months in advance at a big picture level, 12 months at a strategic level, and quarterly on an operational and tactical level. This means we know, with fairly strong conviction, what we are working on in any given quarter. This can tie us to an overarching strategy, but we are nimble enough to flex and moderate, as we move forward.
4. How big was your original team? How 7. What are the biggest challenges you large is your team now? face as a Chief Executive Officer (CEO)? The original team was a hard core team 8
Running your own business is an amazing
8. What piece of advice would you give to CEOs of other SMEs who are experiencing similar rates of business growth? The growth phase is the most exciting time in the life cycle of a business. It is also a hugely complex time when there are many moving parts. As the captain of the ship, you have to be aware of every aspect. It is imperative, going into this phase of the business, that you find the time to be the CEO. It is very likely that up until this stage, you are still actively involved at a very operational level in the business. Being able to move to a more strategic role, and to allow the business to flourish under your watch, and be driven by your strategy, is essential. This will enable you to manage better and empower the great people around you, watch your company culture form and flourish, and keep your eyes on the all-important key performance indicators (KPI) and metrics. All this will help ensure things are moving in the right direction.
9. Do you practise what you preach?! If so, how do you encourage and facilitate your team to innovate within Wazoku? We practise what we preach – absolutely. For starters, we use our own product and ensure that everything we do from product development ideas, through to marketing strategies and sales, are all shared openly as ideas and evaluated by the whole team. Or, at least, team members have a chance to voice an opinion should they wish to! We have published company values, and creativity and innovation are at the heart of what we do. We encourage people to bring creative solutions to improve our product, customer experience, marketing, and brand. I think it is essential that in a small team everyone feels that they are an important part of the business, and are able to contribute to the discussions beyond their direct role. 10. What is the biggest lesson you have learnt so far on your Wazoku journey? Building a business takes time, effort, a huge slice of luck, a willingness to admit you get things wrong, amazing customers who are prepared to buy in to your dream, and an awesome team who come and work hard for you every day to help turn the little idea you once had into an amazing business, that is now able to help drive innovation at the BBC, for the NHS, and many, many more businesses. Website: wazoku.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/Wazoku Twitter: @WazokuHq
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and exciting challenge. There is no handbook and it can be a very stressful, and sometimes lonely, role. You need to learn to find time for yourself, as the business can become all consuming. Having that desirable work-life balance can sometimes seem impossible. However, as a founder, you love your business, you learn every single day, and let’s face it, you are your own boss! It really is worth every second of hard work. As the business grows, the challenges change. Having teams form, and building company culture and structures, are a completely different challenge. No one day is ever the same. Personally, I wouldn’t swap it for anything.
DIARY OF A RATHER DIFFERENT PLACEMENT (Part2) By The Greedy Gull Studios team
Greedy Gull Studios is an independent development studio created as a thirdyear university industrial placement. Joseph Loe gives an update on their progress. So our first chapter in establishing Greedy Gull Studios comes to a close with the successful release of our debut title. This brought a range of challenges and quite a learning curve but after three months, I think we are all proud of what we have achieved as our first game is now available for free on Android Play Store and iOS Appstore. The Super Awesome Line Game is a simple yet addictive reaction-based game, with colourful visuals and a high energy soundtrack produced by Chika-Pro. It has been described as a cross between Snake and Tron, retaining much of the addictive nature while keeping the concept simple.
We intentionally wanted to start with something simple that could be enjoyed by users of all ages and skill levels; it would be the first showcase of our own published products and our promotion as a studio, whilst also giving us our first experience of all aspects of releasing a title from design and programming to publishing and marketing. The level of work that was needed, as well as the variety of details which we initially underestimated, is something that we will take account of in future titles.
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Now that we have a published title, we have the opportunity to monitor the analytics gathered, which provides many useful statistics such as downloads, session times and crash reports. It allows us to understand how a user interacts with our title and where any
In terms of music, we look forward to working once again with Chika-Pro, following the successful collaboration on The Super Awesome Line Game.
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alterations are required. We like to have an honest approach when gathering feedback to continue to build upon every title and support it after launch. The analytics are especially helpful in terms of marketing, as they give us a very good indication of how successful any given form of promotion is, through showing the number of new users and, in particular, user retention.Currently, as well as supporting The Super Awesome Line Game post-launch, we are also beginning work on our second self-published title, using a number of prototypes that we have created. It will hopefully be a more ambitious title and we would like to collaborate with local talent – especially for the artwork.
The Super Awesome Line Game is available to download for free on Android Play Store and Apple App Store. All upcoming news and information can be found on our website, as well as various social networking outlets, and we always love to hear your thoughts! Website: greedygull.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/greedygullstudios Twitter: @greedygull
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WHAT’S IT LIKE TO BE AN INVENTOR? With Stephen Britt
What is the product you are currently working on? How did you come up with the idea? I have invented electrical assistance pedals for cycling. I wanted to be able to cycle to work but it was a 50-mile roundtrip. I looked at electric bikes but these were heavy and expensive. I considered buying a retrofit kit for my bike but these were difficult to specify and fit, even for an engineer like me. So I decided to see if I could come up with a better solution. A couple of weeks later, I was playing with a set of Pedalites, pedals that flashed LEDs when the axle is turned. The eureka moment was when I realised that if you could use pedal torque to produce electrical energy, the process must be able to be reversed; i.e. a battery could be used to turn a motor to drive the pedal axle and help drive the bike forwards. What stage are you at in taking your product to market?
I have a powerful working set of prototypes. These have been independently tested and produce good power and reduce the stresses on the cyclist. The next step is to gain further funding and produce a manufacturable product. There is possibly an interim step that produces a better-looking product that can be used to test the market. What have been the main challenges you have faced so far? Everything comes down to time and money. I have been exceptionally fortunate to win many prestigious competitions. But I have had a real lack of funds and would not have been able to pay the charges I was quoted by development companies. This has meant rolling my sleeves up and doing all the development work myself; mechanical engineering, electronic engineering and learning to write a firmware in ‘C’ code, as well as learning all the other aspects of running a business and trying to license the product. What have been your greatest
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achievements to date?
weeks, but if you are tenacious and keep an open mind, you will find a way through I have won several awards for the product or around your problem. Nothing is idea. In 2009 I won the CommercialiSE insurmountable. I have heard it said that Award and two Research and Innovation if you are going to fail then do it quickly Awards from the University of Brighton. and move on – learn from your mistakes. In 2010, I won the Barclays Take One But if I had quit early on then many of Small Step Award. This was £50,000 and the technologies that my device relies enabled me to set up Britt Technologies on would not have been available. If Ltd. you keep a very tight control of finances, time need not be the enemy. If you are Commercialising an invention is short of funds then consider other ways of notoriously challenging! How do you getting help. Many people will chip in and keep yourself motivated? do some amazing things for free. A thank you and a bottle of wine go a long way. It That is a very good question. I really wish really is this help that keeps you going, I knew. I can only say that every time I as you do not want to let your supporters think I should give up and get an easy job down. All the good will and energy that – with pay – I cannot do it! I have to keep others have put in will help you. going. If I ever felt that the product did not work or could not be commercialised, Is there any way in which our readers then I would stop. I am aware that there can support you? may be some showstoppers, but I have not run into any yet. My driving force is that I will soon have a website up and running. I want to see the product in shops, in use, If anyone is interested in my product, and with sales climbing. then please complete the Register Interest form. That would be cool! What have been the main lessons you have learnt so far? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ukengland-10858682 In the words of Peter Gabriel, ‘Don’t Give Up’! You will have bad days, or even bad stephen.e.britt@gmail.com 13
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START-UP LOAN IS MUSIC TO GRAEME’S EARS By the Let’s Do Business Group team
With hard-hit employers still nursing their wounds from the ongoing travails of the UK economy, full-time positions in the job market are few and far between. So what are the alternatives? Well, Graeme Waters turned to self-employment, and he is now one of the latest business owners to benefit from the government-run Start-Up Loans scheme, after he received £5,000 to help him set up a music studio in Brighton. The 26-year-old spotted a gap in the market for a high-quality commercial music studio that would be affordable to emerging bands, and decided to apply to the StartUp Loans scheme. Graeme was granted a loan and Evolution Studios opened its doors in August 2013, offering three music rehearsal rooms and a recording studio. The Start-Up Loans scheme gives budding entrepreneurs with a viable business proposition access to low cost funding. It also provides support from experienced business mentors and is now open to anyone over the age of 18 who has the ambition and enthusiasm to launch their own business. Offering flexible payback terms on loans that average £6,500, mentoring support and a host of other discounted benefits, all designed to give a helping hand to startup businesses, Start-Up Loans is run across advertorial
Sussex, Surrey, Kent and throughout South East England by The Let’s Do Business Group. In the last year the number of applications has rocketed, with 350 loans agreed in the past 11 months alone. Graeme said: ‘The Start-Up Loans initiative is a brilliant scheme and one that I would thoroughly recommend for people who want to run their own business. My mentor was a terrific support and he really believed in my business idea, which also helped build my confidence.’ Graeme is now planning to expand the events and promotions side of the business. He is also launching a record label and hopes to have someone signed by the summer. For more information on the Start-Up Loans Scheme visit: www.letsdobusinessgroup.co.uk/startup call the Start-Up Loans team on 0844 943 2988 or email loans@ldbgroup.co.uk for an information pack. To find out more about Evolution Studios please search ‘Evolution Studios Brighton’ on Facebook or visit: www.evolution-studios.org.uk.
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DEMYSTIFYING INNOVATION WITH BLUE PLATES By Clare Griffiths
What is it? In The Little Black Book of Innovation, Scott Anthony (2012) defines innovation in five words, ‘Something different that has impact’ (p. 15). To make things even simpler, I propose going one step further, defining it in four words as: ideas + action + impact = innovation. Whilst I am not keen on engaging in lengthy academic debates to define individual words, I think it is important to define this particular one, as I believe ‘innovation’ has to be one of the most overused – and misunderstood – buzzwords bandied around the business world. Innovation is a process; a process which involves having an idea, and then implementing that idea. It is not about inventing something completely new, as many people mistakenly believe; it is about introducing something different (to what is already being done), in order to bring about positive change – either in business, work or in everyday life. Why bother? In Anthony’s words, ‘Innovation is the imperative of today’s times... We all have to be innovators’ (p. 30) if we are to excel in this ever-changing world. Innovation is valuable to all of us – and in all parts of our lives. Innovation can help us build better businesses, and improve the world in which we live. It has economic, strategic, social, environmental and personal value. One of the biggest myths about innovation is that it is something
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only technology-rich start-ups or high-growth companies do. Whilst innovation is undoubtedly important to these businesses, innovation is just as relevant to other types of organisation – whatever the size, sector, or age. If you seek to develop your company’s competitive edge, improve its performance, or enhance its profitability, then innovation is essential for achieving such strategic aims. Where can I innovate? Innovation is often associated with new product development. Whilst this is indeed one area where a business can innovate, it is not the only one. I would argue that there are six areas where a business can innovate, those being: 1. Products, services and user experiences i.e. the business offer. 2. Business models i.e. the ways in which the business generates an income. 3. Processes i.e. how the business does things. 4. People i.e. the stakeholders who have an impact on the business (e.g. the team, customers, suppliers, partners, distributors etc.). 5. Communication i.e. the ways in which the business communicates with its stakeholders. 6. Technology i.e. the technology the business uses to do its job. Whilst companies can innovate in one particular area, it is worth noting that this may have an impact on other
User experiences: In order to encourage more patients to eat their hospital meals (and in turn recover more quickly), one NHS hospital has stopped using white plates for serving food, replacing them with blue ones instead, as it is believed that food served on blue plates appears more attractive than on white ones. The recent blue plate trial was deemed a success, as a significantly higher number of patients ate their meals, and the NHS is now expected to roll out this practice more widely.
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areas within the business, as each area is connected to one another. How can I innovate? Innovation is not something which happens by mistake. It is a process which needs to be planned and managed carefully if you are to succeed in innovating effectively. The process itself is made up of five stages: 1. Ideate: This stage involves generating ideas and identifying possible solutions to a perceived problem.
Business models: Sticking with the food theme, many restaurants around the world now invite customers to pay what they want or volunteer in the restaurant, rather than charging customers for individual items consumed. By doing so, they make the restaurant experience more accessible to the community. At ‘Pay As You Please’ in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, guests can do as the name suggests, after they have tucked into a range of pizzas, soups and salads. And across the Atlantic at JBJ Soul Foundation’s community restaurant in New Jersey, in return for a three-course meal, customers can pay a minimum of $10 or volunteer to help out in the restaurant.
2. Explore: This stage involves analysing your initial ideas and adding detail to those which seem most viable. During these first two stages, you should be asking the question, ‘What could we do?’ 3. Commit: At this stage you should identify which of your initial ideas you want to take forward and test. You should be asking, ‘What should we do?’ 4. Test: At the testing stage of the process, you are purely action-focussed, as this is your chance to turn your ideas into reality. 5. Measure: You should not innovate for the sake of innovating. Therefore, this final stage is for evaluating whether your innovation was worthwhile. Ideally, you need to measure the tangible impact your innovation has created, and identify what else could be done differently to make your innovation even better.
Innovation does not need to involve food though! Innovation affects and benefits us all. So whatever the size, sector or age of your company, make innovation your business.
What are others innovating? If you want to find out how other companies are innovating, or you are in need of some inspiration before you embark on your own innovation journey, then look no further... 17
PINHOLE INNOVATION With Kelly Angood
What is Videre? The Videre is a medium-format pinhole camera that comes as a kit, so you can make it from scratch. It is made from recycled cardboard and screen-printed in the UK. What was the inspiration behind your idea? How did you come up with the idea for Videre? I was inspired by a history of vintage cameras and analogue photography, as well as by an interest in craft. It was a combination of these things alongside a short history of designing pinhole cameras that led me to design the Videre. How did you find out that there was interest for your product? When I was at the University of Brighton I made my first pinhole camera – a replica of a classic Hasselblad. That was a few years ago now, but I put it online and it gained lots of traction so I thought there must be a market for it. After I made that, I also made a 35mm version that people could download from my website. It was popular 18
How did you raise funding to produce your first batch of Videre cameras? How much did you raise?
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and had over 30,000 downloads. It was really the popularity of this, and the fact that I could see a community building around the idea, that gave me the confidence that there was a market for the Videre.
When I designed the Videre I was still working full-time at The Corner, an advertising agency in central London, as a junior strategist. I didn’t have any money beyond what I needed to live on, so needed a different way to fund the Videre. So, I used Kickstarter – a crowdfunding site. Not only did this help me raise just over £30,000 to put the Videre into production, but it also opened up my market to over 30 countries worldwide and made my product more visible to the Press, which I believe contributed to the success of the project. What advice would you give to our readers who are developing a crowdsource funding campaign? There are lots of people out there giving advice on crowdfunding, but I think the most essential thing is to have belief in your idea. It’s got to be a passion that you want to share, and not just a way of making a quick buck – the projects that are like that are very transparent and it doesn’t give anyone a reason to believe. I would also recommend investing time, effort and a little money into your video and pictures.
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These are your key methods of communication so it is important you get them right! Also, under-promise and over-deliver. What have been the greatest challenges you have encountered so far whilst developing Videre into a commercial product? How have you overcome those challenges? I was very much thrown into the deep end. I had a pot of money to spend and a big promise to deliver. There were lots of things that I didn’t have a clue about, as well as lots of things that I had to wing, and pretend I knew about, to get stuff done. Everything was a challenge really, but now I have been through that experience I have realised that anyone can do anything. But I must say I work with some fantastic suppliers who have been really supportive of both the project and my lack of knowledge! What are your goals for the next 12-24 months? To continue to sell a new batch of the Videre, and also to develop a more childfriendly version – almost like the little sister of the Videre. There is a lot of educational value in the Videre and in pinhole photography, and I really want to make the most of it. I am starting to think about developing a workshop series for schools to work alongside the new models. I would like to make a positive contribution to people’s education, rather than just become a manufacture and distribution business. Where can we buy one? I retail through my own website and through Not On The High Street. We sold out just before Christmas and are now in production, and the Videre will be on sale again in mid-March. Website: thepopuppinholecompany.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ThePopUpPinholeProject Twitter: @kellyangood
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Calling all illustrators and photographers! If you fancy seeing your work online, get in touch! editor@thecrowdzine.co.uk
Edwin Broni-Mensah
I SPY...
Spotted by The Crowd ’Zine team In our regular feature ‘I Spy’, we celebrate examples of innovative products, services and social enterprises which are being launched abroad and which we would like to see here in the UK.
Founded by Edwin Broni-Mensah, GiveMeTap have developed a range of BPA-free water bottles which allow you to get free tap water from a network of participating cafés and restaurants across the UK (searchable via their iPhone app) whilst helping another person – in For this issue we have cheated slightly, as Africa – get access to potable water. the social enterprise GiveMeTap is based Quite simply, for every two GiveMeTap here. However, as its work stretches bottles purchased, one person in Africa beyond our borders and across continents, gains access to clean water, as a large we thought we would share with you portion of the profits helps fund the their exciting work, with the hope that development of water boreholes in you too will be inspired to develop new African communities. approaches and social purposes to your work… GiveMeTap partners with local NGOs who understand the local cultural and political In their words, GiveMeTap is ‘on a mission environments and together they identify to make clean, safe drinking water communities in need – typically those accessible to people here and abroad’. with either no source of clean water or 22
the water table, the community gains an almost unlimited supply of water all year round.
innovation
a source that is very far away (more than ten miles, for example). Before GiveMeTap begins a water project, each community agrees to fulfil certain equality and accessibility requirements (such as electing a water committee which includes female members). GiveMeTap always aims to make their beneficiaries as independent and selfsustaining as possible, and the water committees are ultimately responsible for finances and maintenance of the pump. After choosing a community and checking that all requirements are fulfilled, GiveMeTap then works with their local partners to install hand-pump boreholes which provide water suitable for human consumption. By digging right down to
According to the World Health Organisation, 3.4 million people die each year from waterrelated diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis. The water crisis claims more lives through these diseases than any war has with guns. Undoubtedly, there is a phenomenal amount of work to do before drinking water is accessible to everyone in the world. However, to support them on their way to achieving their mission, why not buy a water bottle, or join their scheme as a retailer? For more information, please visit: givemetap.co.uk
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innovation
DO YOU WANT YOUR OWN PIECE OF THE PIE? With Sam Zubaidi
What Is PricePie? PricePie helps people make informed shopping decisions, by showing them where their money goes when they buy something from a company.
Why? Because I personally hate the thought of buying something that has been made by a child in Bangladesh, who works 14 hours per day in terrible conditions, and receives about £30 per month, for example. I want to feel like I’m positively contributing to someone’s life when I make a purchase, and there are millions of people around the world who want the same. Just look at the Cooperative’s Ethical Consumerism Report of 2012 – in the UK alone, ethical consumerism is worth £47.2 billion. One way of being able to purchase more ethically is by seeing where our money goes when we shop. How does it work? We take a company’s annual accounts, simplify them, make them look pretty,
and voilà! What you get is a simple visual representation which shows you what a company did with all of the money which it received last year. You see the value of each section as a proportion, so you can see how much a company spends on its staff salaries in comparison to its net profit, for example. This graphic is displayed on the company’s website and/ or in their shop window. The company pays PricePie a one-off project fee. How does PricePie add value? As PricePie is an independent social enterprise, we can be relied upon to provide the shopper with unbiased information which enables them to make informed buying decisions. The company using PricePie’s service also benefits, as it is viewed as transparent and trustworthy, increasing loyalty amongst current shoppers and winning new ones. How did you come up with the idea of PricePie? From 2006–2009, I worked at the UK’s biggest gap year company, and I loved it. Well, the majority of it. It all went sour, from my perspective, when we were taken over by a large multinational. 24
give very limited time to PricePie. I now want an additional member of the team who can commit time and energy to PricePie.
What is your ultimate aim?
At the moment, I can’t financially compensate them. However, I’m more than happy to discuss a share in equity, and further down the line, when the business is in a sound financial position, I’ll be happy to offer a salary, which makes them feel sufficiently rewarded. They’ll enjoy the great satisfaction of helping to grow a promising, yet fledgling, enterprise.
innovation
Our suppliers were squeezed and asked to lower their costs (note – some of our suppliers were NGOs and charities in the developing world), yet at the same time, the sale prices of our trips went up. Increasingly, customers and potential customers would call up and ask ‘Where is my money going?’. It was like this invisible threshold of value had been breached. At the same time, staff motivation and satisfaction went down. It was all too much for me, so I resigned.
What do you want in a partner?
In order for us to enjoy a harmonious and productive working relationship, we need someone who is socially-minded, enthusiastic, reliable, honest, driven and has good communication skills. Ideally, they’ll have experience of running their A year later, when living in the tranquillity own business, and time to invest in this of the Canadian Rockies, I had a ‘Eureka’ project – at least a few hours per day moment when I suddenly thought, ‘People (Monday to Friday). They’ll live in or near are increasingly curious about where their East Sussex, so that they can meet me regularly. money goes when they shop these days, so let’s show them.’. And so, in January What will the new partner get out of it? 2010, PricePie was born.
I want PricePie to be as ubiquitous as Fairtrade. I want the symbol to be in every major retailer. I want as many UK consumers as possible to know about PricePie, so when they’re shopping, they stop and think, ‘Where is my money going?’. I want to help bring an end to child labour, and for everybody around the world to receive a fair living wage and Does this interest you? If so, I would love to work in fair conditions. to hear from you! My email address is: What have you learnt so far? Where do sam@pricepie.co.uk you need help? I am passionate about PricePie, and would love to work with the right person to help I would say our biggest mistake has me grow it. been to put all our proverbial eggs in one proverbial basket. We focussed all our efforts on one deal, which, when it eventually didn’t come off, meant we were left in a vulnerable position. But the important thing is to learn from mistakes, which is what I do well. Currently, we are a team of three but we all work remotely. My two partners have full-time jobs too which means they can 25
learning
THE BUSINESS OF WRITING PERSUASIVELY By Lola Bailey
The ability to persuade effectively can help transform a struggling business into a thriving one. When you send a direct mailshot to every household in your target market, it’s clear to the reader that there is a bias behind your laudable claims. But when your message comes through a respected broadcaster or journalist who has been persuaded enough to publish your piece, the implied third-party endorsement can be just the tonic you need to revitalise your business. The following tips will help you create persuasive communications – they can be applied to any business writing situation too. Capture attention If your target customers are quite happy not buying from you, you’ll need to find a way to capture their attention. And you’ll only have a few seconds to capture that attention – assuming they haven’t picked up the magazine/ newspaper to read your adverts. The answer is to tap into the hearts and minds of your target audience which requires a lot of headwork (or a good copywriter). Focus on the need to make your introduction or headline punchy, relevant, exciting and able to communicate the nub of your message in a split second. 26
Get personal Most of us don’t have the time or the inclination for cheesy mailshots that seem to know your name, address and/ or other factoid about you. But make no mistake – these letters are often written by clever copywriters who know that using personal details will get at least some of your attention. Marketing guru Drayton Bird’s ‘three graces’ of direct marketing define the advantages that writing a good letter can bring: Personal – You are isolating someone as an individual and demonstrating your knowledge of what makes them or their situation unique. Proof – You are showing that you want to build a continuing relationship with someone, respond to their feedback and meet their needs. Profit – You are giving them good reason to read and perhaps respond. By seeking their feedback you are engaging them in a two-way relationship. By helping them you are helping yourself. The more succinctly your writing can deliver these ‘three graces’ the more effective your writing will be. Maintain interest Most of us have a pretty short attention span and get distracted easily. So your writing has to hold the interest of your reader and build their expectations. This is best done by writing about the most important benefits of your product
result. People will do what you expect them to do. But be realistic and make sure you can measure the response. Many businesses will offer some form of incentive to encourage a positive response – people love to get a deal.
Overcome objections
Now you have a structure for your writing, it’s over to you. Let us know how you get on!
So far, you’ll have captured the attention of your target audience, personalised your message and brought in some great benefits. But you’re not done yet. Your sceptical reader will be hunting for the catch, so this is your chance to pre-empt any objections by providing the answers up-front. Here’s an example of this from Apple:
learning
or service, for example: ‘We stay open until 10p.m. so there’s no need to take time off work’. Smoothie maker Innocent uses an interesting format to write about their products: a simple headline, an engaging story, and bulleted benefits.
Lola Bailey is an experienced copywriter based in London - her website is at www.write-upcommunications.co.uk She has over 20 years’ blue-chip sales and market development experience which has served her well in her writing. She is also a published author: her book, ‘A Small Business Guide to Online Marketing’ can be bought from the Enterprise Nation shop: www.enterprisenation.com
…iPad features a 3.1-miillion-pixel Retina display and an advanced A6X chip. How much of an effect does that have on battery life? Almost none. You still get up to 10 hours of power to read, watch, play, write, and create whatever you want, all you want. Be credible Credibility is king, on and offline. Many businesses get away with saying whatever they like in a way that seems credible – but readers are becoming savvier and more sceptical. Your writing has to be underpinned by well-presented substantive information: facts, figures and testimonials all help. So ensure your claims are honest and can be supported, or your copy will find you out. Read this paragraph The call to action is arguably the most vital part of your business writing because it’s the part that delivers the
© Lola Bailey 2014 27
learning
DEVELOPING YOUR SKILL AT GENERATING IDEAS FOR BUSINESS By Christopher Loughlan
You might be forgiven for having pricked up your ears at a recent radio clip presenting a new ‘sport’ of chess boxing that has taken off in the City of London. This is at first an odd combination of two seemingly disjoint worlds: the sublimely cerebral and the brutally physical. Yet the world is full of these unusual ideas and it is entrepreneurs who come up with them.
regularly put into action. One way to start the brain working in this area is to take the Idea Generation Grid challenge. The grid is basically made up of four sectors). Most of us will be quite comfortable in the first sector, namely being faced with a problem and wanting to find either an easier way to do it or a complete solution. We all know how long we have had to stay on a telephone line pressing option 5 + option 2 + … and then finally being directed to an option that takes you back to the beginning! Well, a smart entrepreneur has come up with an app that ‘short-circuits’ all these clicks for the major utilities’ telephone support lines.
Entrepreneurial thinking is a skill and as such needs to be nurtured, practised in a relatively safe environment, and then
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The Dyson company works very well in the second sector. This involves taking things apart and wondering ‘is there a more efficient way of doing this’, ‘do we need this’, or ‘this is something we won’t do’ or ‘let’s try this idea’. How many times have you taken something apart and put it back together, then realised that it works perfectly well without a ‘bit’ you forgot to put in! In literature, Frankenstein was a classic tale of dismantled bits (in this case, body parts) being put back together and jolted into life – thanks to some dodgy science of the day. The third sector involves a different approach to problems and solutions. You may have heard the saying, ‘that’s a great solution – we just need a thorny problem’. One of the most exciting areas of new thinking and application is big data. Big data represents a new era of computing: ‘an inflection point of opportunity where data in any format may be explored and utilised for breakthrough insights – whether that data is in-place, in-motion, or atrest’ (IMB, 2014). I recently heard of researchers who wanted to study the contra-indication of a certain group of drugs being used by diabetic patients. They were trawling Google databases of all patients who had recorded online problems with using a combination of these drugs. There are research design issues around methodology here, but it still demonstrates a good starting point in thinking differently about information.
sector of the grid is bisociation or ‘oddcoupling’. This is where you take a characteristic of one resource and recombine it with another (seemingly ‘odd’) characteristic of another resource. A very good example of this is from Apopo – a social enterprise based in Belgium that undertakes mine-clearing in Africa and South-East Asia. Apopo worked out how to utilise the phenomenal sense of smell of rats by training them to detect mines and so clear a plot of land; these rats and handlers are accredited for the job! We have developed a unique educational resource in bisociation and it is free to use. Have a go: practice builds confidence and skill. You can access it by registering at: odd-coupling.co.uk Email: Christopher@cirem.co.uk
The last and equally stimulating 29
© Christopher Loughlan 2014
learning
NINE KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS IDEA By Brad Crescenzo
It sometimes feels that the easy part of starting up a business is having the initial idea, whilst the most challenging part is working out whether that idea is actually commercially viable. In response to this, we have devised nine key questions and an accompanying visual planning grid for aspiring entrepreneurs to use, so that they can work out whether they should invest further time and resources to turn their ideas into reality. Although these questions have been written with start-ups in mind, they are equally relevant to entrepreneurs who want to innovate within their established ventures, in order to develop and grow their businesses.
your initial idea, and identify what you need to do to realise that vision. 2. What exactly do you intend to develop?
1. What’s your vision for your business? The first step at the beginning of any entrepreneurial journey is to imagine what the future looks like. What is your vision of your future business? What does it look like? By asking yourself these questions, you can start to add detail to
Whether it is intentional or not, it is very likely that your initial ideas will change over time. However, at this early stage, it is worth thinking about the specific details of your new products, services and innovations. What is your business 30
the relevant stakeholders. If you are making changes to an existing business, make sure you can measure the impact of those changes. Only then will you be able to work out whether they were worthwhile.
3. What are the benefits and impact of your innovation?
4. Who is your innovation aimed at and who is already doing that?
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offering? If you are already trading, what do you intend to innovate (for example, new products/services/user experiences, business models, processes, stakeholder engagement and communication strategies, or your use of technology)?
It is vital you know your market niche and understand not only who your customer groups are, but also your competitors. The more you know about your customers and competitors the better, as this will ensure you are developing something which is markedly different to what is currently on the market. 5. How are you going to tell people about your innovation?
Š 2012 My Start-Up Plan.
Make sure you consider how your innovation will benefit your target audience (such as your customers/ end-users/employees). Once you understand the benefits and impact of your innovations, you will be better able to communicate those benefits to
Which marketing activities are you planning to carry out to inform people about your new business? For those innovating within an established venture, how do you intend to inform and engage relevant stakeholders? It is likely that you will have to use a mixture of marketing tools and techniques to communicate with and educate your audience.
6. What’s happening in the world that could affect your business? Whatever the size of your business, you will be affected by the world around you (politically and economically, as well 31
learning
as via changes in social demographics, technology, legislation and the physical environment). By keeping an eye on these factors, your company will be better prepared to respond to potential opportunities and threats as they occur. 7. Where and how do you plan to operate, and what could go wrong? These questions should prompt you to think about the logistical side of your business. Where will you work from, and what do you need to do in order to get your products and services to your customers? What do you need in order to get your intended innovation to its end-users? It is important that you also consider the risks associated with your new business or innovation. No business is risk-free. Therefore, what measures can you put in place to mitigate those risks?
your set-up costs and your running costs? How much income can you expect to make? Will that be enough to cover your running costs and in turn generate a profit? If you are innovating within a company, what are the financial implications of your innovation? Will you need to raise capital, and if so, how much will you need? Where will you source this funding from? Whilst each of these questions has its own set of prompting questions, if you work your way through the nine above, you will be a significant step closer to developing your ideas and working out whether your start-up idea or innovation is commercially viable. For more information about our planning toolkit, please visit: mystartupplan.wordpress.com My StartUp Plan can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk
8. Who is going to help you develop your business? Whatever the size of your team (it may be just you!), there will be people in your professional and social networks who will be able to support you turn your ideas into reality. Think about who those people are, the particular resources they have, and how they could potentially help you. 9. What are the costs involved, and what income can you expect to make? When you are planning your start-up, don’t forget to make the necessary financial calculations. How much are 32
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learning
A CLOSER LOOK AT... THE LOTUS BLOSSOM TECHNIQUE By The Crowd ’Zine team
The Lotus Blossom Technique is a handy tool you can use at the beginning of the innovation process, when you are at the ideation stage. You can use this technique to come up with lots of ideas all in one go: to find new products, new services, or different ways to carry out your work. First, write down the problem you are trying to solve. For example, what customer ‘pain’ is your business trying to soothe? Then, using the problem as a stimulus, write down eight solutions to that problem, each on a separate piece of paper. Place these eight solutions around the piece of paper with the original problem. Take a moment to read through everything. Next, take the eight solutions, and spread them round your work surface. Now, write eight alternative solutions for each of those original solutions. Each time you write down an alternative solution, place that piece of paper next to the original solution. You will need to do this until there are eight alternative solutions around each original solution. Repeat this process eight times, so that by the end of the session, you have eight alternative solutions for each of the eight original solutions. Before you know it, you will have 72 new solutions to the initial problem you started off with! In a sense, you have ‘unfolded’ each original solution, and extended that idea in some way. 34
with our practical training courses, you can...
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make your staff and customers even happier...
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for every course purchased, we deliver an innovation workshop for free at a local school, college or university
www.theideaspeople.co.uk
@ideaspeopleUK
learning
WHAT THE ....? YOUR BODY CAN HEAL YOUR MIND! By Ghjuanna Di Vezzi
Where have your New Year resolutions gone? Did you decide (maybe as you do every year!) to quit smoking for good, to drink less, to do more exercise, to use your smartphone reasonably or to become a better person? Great! I had my resolutions too, until I read somewhere that one should focus on getting good habits instead of getting rid of the bad ones. I really liked the idea so I decided to give my body a treat. In a nutshell, I wanted to ‘resynchronise’ my body and mind. In my case, I decided to go for brisk walks and practice mindfulness meditation.
to walk. (For example, don’t use your car for short journeys, use the stairs, walk part of your journey to work, walk the dogs and take the kids to school on foot). Mindfulness meditation is not a question of being more conscious of ourselves, but of paying attention differently – more wisely – with our whole mind and heart, using all the resources of our body and our senses. In general, each session of mindfulness meditation begins with you paying attention to your breathing and body, sounds, gestures, thoughts and feelings. It’s a question of facing the physical and psychological reality of the moment. With a little practice, you can do it at any time and anywhere – at home, at work, on the bus, on the train...
After a few days, I realised that ‘movement’ was the key to well-being, and moving was helping me to recover a good balance between body and mind. Whether you choose walking, running, dancing, yoga, tai chi, martial arts, Pilates or meditation... keep moving! When you become conscious of your movements, you’ll feel deeply alive and become more able to manage stress, self-esteem, anxiety, and depression, for example.
Our body is the reflection of our inner state and movement strengthens our mind. Listen to your body to get a healthier mind! Here are a few useful links: Brisk walking benefits and activities: nhs.uk/change4life/Pages/walk-for-life. aspx Mindfulness explained and exercises: http://bemindful.co.uk http://franticworld.com/free-meditations-from-mindfulness http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22
Walking stimulates the blood flow, provides oxygen to the brain and allows us to be more in contact with our emotions. If you go to the gym, make brisk walking a priority and if you don’t, try to make every moment in your life an opportunity 36
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digital
TIME FOR YOU TO JOIN THE TWITTER CONVERSATION? By Mark Shaw
Twitter is neither a broadcasting station, nor a direct selling platform, but a communication channel which in its simplest form allows you to post status updates on what you are doing and receive updates from others. Its real value is in its ability to search for real people talking about real stuff right now and in real time. Currently Twitter has approximately 500 million worldwide accounts with approximately one million new accounts being opened daily. You have B2B and B2C… Twitter is P2P… Person to Person… Twitter was developed eight years ago as a social networking tool simply to update friends and family on activities. It has since morphed into an excellent business and marketing tool. The rapid growth of Twitter means there is now a strong likelihood that anyone can find clients, customers, strategic partners and suppliers, and even new business market sectors. By becoming visible in the Twitter community, you can create advocates 38
for your business by offering excellent customer care, which in time can generate referral business. Twitter not only allows you to demonstrate an expertise, it affords a vehicle to gain recognition of that expertise that traditionally and without expensive PR would have been difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. Twitter allows you to humanise your brand… Twitter is an excellent signpost to other things. It is an excellent tool to drive people to read your blog posts, articles on your website, videos on YouTube, and so on. It is a great way to gain extra publicity for your content. But remember, to have the best chances of success on Twitter you have to be social. That is the key. Being interesting and interested in others, sharing knowledge and other resources to help others is vital. Twitter is a bolt-on to other marketing activities and will take time, effort and an understanding of how to use the platform. One of the most important things to learn is to have a committed and consistent approach. Twitter allows you to search for real people talking about real things and in real time...
before and enables them to be more influential with their opinions. So, with all the opportunities Twitter can offer a business, isn’t it time you joined in?
Twitter has developed into a real-time search engine and platform which allows businesses to ‘eavesdrop’ on conversations, and which helps a brand to be, or be perceived as, more accessible to the consumer. This in turn can create advocates for the brand. It also allows consumers to have a voice like never
© Mark Shaw 2014
Advertise with us!
thecrowdzine.co.uk 39
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The ‘goldmine’ of Twitter is its search engine, which is similar in many respects to Google but with one major difference: while search engines are traditionally used to find suppliers, Twitter’s search engine can be utilised by a supplier to find individuals who are in need of their service. Furthermore, it allows the individual looking for a supplier to find conversations relating to their search and then engage immediately.
digital
ARE YOU MAKING THE MOST OF MARKETING? By Laura Evans
Ever wondered what goes into a marketing campaign? Marketing Manager of Create.net, Laura Evans, tells us about their ‘12 Days of Christmas’ campaign. For some the run-up to Christmas is a period of winding down in the workplace. Minds slowly wander towards presents and parties from midNovember, preparing for full shutdown over the Christmas break. But for others, especially retailers, it is the busiest time of the year. According to the British Retail Consortium, December 2013 broke the records for online shopping; seeing a 19.2% increase in online purchases year on year. In comparison, U.K. retail sales overall increased by only 0.4%. It’s enough to make anyone think that getting
into the e-commerce business could be a great money spinner! The reality for many is a tough slog of competing for a share of Christmas business, walking the tightrope of clever stock management whilst wrestling the basic logistics of order fulfilment for a sudden increase in demand in the face of festive delivery chaos. And when our 10,000+ community of online shops is busy, that means that the whole of the Create.net office is busy, too. As a small, family-owned, family-run business we take great pride in taking care of our customers, which is why 97% of our users would recommend Create. net to others. So this Christmas we 40
Merry Christmas and make them aware of office closing times over the break.
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wanted to give something back to the Create.net community. We wanted to delight them and provide them with something that would be both fun and useful for their businesses, at the same time collecting some data along the way and boosting our website visits.
The results showed good levels of engagement with the campaign. Although customer enquiries are very busy over the Christmas period, the trend is usually for website visits to fall. Instead visits were higher and page views increased substantially. One of our customers even donned a beard and sent us back a Christmas e-card in reply to our emailer.
Over 12 days in December we ran our ‘12 Days of Christmas’ campaign. Visitors to our website could: • Read an inspirational profile about a Create.net customer and pick up a discount to use on their website.
If there were five things I could tell you that will help your campaign, they are:
• Enter a competition. Each customer profiled had donated a product. Visitors could enter a competition to win all these products plus a free website subscription for one year. Prizes included items such as recycled skateboard jewellery, a mirror disguised as a biscuit and a Venetian mask (perfect for the party season).
1. Start planning early! You will need more time than you think! 2. Keep your campaign short. 12 days was a long time to keep the campaign going. It is likely that you will get more out of a campaign with a shorter deadline that creates urgency for the visitor to take part.
• Download a free gift that could be used to improve their business, whether they were a Create.net customer or not. Each day we released a new free gift, including website graphics, ebooks and marketing activity planners.
3. Keep your campaign simple. It should be really easy for people to take part, and the perceived pay-off should be greater than the perceived investment of time. 4. Call in favours. You need to ask lots of people you know to share and promote what you are doing. No campaign will share itself.
We pushed the campaign hard across our social media accounts and promoted it in the press and through our local business contacts. To finish we made all of the free gifts available on the last day and announced the winner. We followed up the campaign with a Christmas emailer from each Customer Account Manager to their specific customers to wish them a
5. Definitely make your boss wear a beard for the photoshoot... But seriously, you will need photos to promote your campaign and smiling faces of real people go a long way. 41
digital
FIVE ONLINE RESOURCES TO INSPIRE YOU AND HELP YOU IDEATE By The Crowd ’Zine team
Ted TED (standing for Technology, Entertainment and Design) is an annual conference and series of free talks which are delivered by key opinion leaders from around the world. If you are looking for inspirational and educational talks on technology, entertainment, design, business, science, and global issues, then look no further! www.ted.com
The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation’s website has loads of great ideas to practise kindness and pass it on to others! Innovation is not just about business development and change, but also about social change too. Improve someone else’s life, and your own, by carrying out some of the kindness ideas listed on their website! www.randomactsofkindness.org
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Quirky Quirky is an invention company headquartered in New York, USA which brings products to the marketplace through interaction between their online global community and Quirky’s product design staff. Join their community if you are looking for inspiration, or have a product idea of your own which you would like to commercialise. www.quirky.com
Pinterest Pinterest is a pinboard-style photo-sharing website which individuals and businesses can use to share image collections which reflect their interests. It can be a useful resource to help you generate ideas for new products and designs, as well as identify particular consumer trends. www.pinterest.com
Springwise Springwise boasts an extensive ideas database, with examples of some of the most innovative ideas for products, services and community projects. If you sign up for their free newsletter, you will receive a daily email, or a weekly round-up, of exciting new business ideas to inspire you in your work. www.springwise.com 43
play
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY? By The Crowd ’Zine team
Get some right brain action. Draw the view from your desk.
Share your views via Twitter and Facebook. 44
play
TAKE A BREAK...
By The Crowd ’Zine team Pimp up a shopping trolley! How could you make it better?
Share your ideas via Twitter and Facebook. 45
gallery Wayne Thomas is a freelance Photographer, Writer and Videographer with a thirst for knowledge and humorous outlook on the world. This series of photographs is called ‘The Hatch’.
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The rest of the images can be found here: www.waynethomas.co.uk/THE-HATCH www.waynethomas.co.uk @dubblyoot (Twitter) @samohtenyaw (Instagram)
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resources
NO PROBLEM!
By Jessica Hylands Life Coaching Q: I go networking
Q: I thought I’d have more time
all the time but I
working for myself but I’m working
don’t seem to get
harder than ever. Am I doing it
any business.
wrong?
Networking can
Not necessarily. We imagine that
draw in business
setting our own hours will mean that
if you do it right, and repel potential
we can take time off whenever we
clients if you don’t. You want to make
feel like it. Then reality hits and you
a good impression. In business, it is as
find yourself working more hours than
much you as the service or product that
when you were employed. If this is
others are buying into.
purely due to the volume of work, then congratulations, but if it’s down to lack
Don’t try to sell, sell, sell. Be
of systems, then it could be that there
interested in what other people have
is room for improvement.
to say. Try and make appointments to meet with people on an individual
Ensure that you have systems in place
basis. There’s often not enough time
for everything so that you aren’t
for someone to understand exactly
wasting time searching for paperwork
what you do in the short time available
that should have been filed, or
at a networking event. The benefit of
supplies not stored correctly. Worse
having a chat on a one-to-one basis is
still, missing the opportunity for work
that you really get to know what each
because you weren’t reminded to
other does and it forms a stronger
return a call from an enquiry. A cliché,
bond between you, meaning that you
but: Work smarter, not harder.
will remember each other when the opportunity to refer business comes along. For a more detailed answer, see: jessicahylandslifecoaching.co.uk/ business/does-networking-work-foryour-business/ 52
By The Crowd’Zine team Business Support, Information and Guidance
resources
USEFUL LINKS
www.enterprisenation.com – Enterprise Nation has developed a range of support services for small businesses, including an online network as well as training events. They also sell practical business books via their website. www.fredericksfoundation.org – The Fredericks Foundation is a charity which helps disadvantaged people to set up or expand their businesses. www.ideastap.com – Ideas Tap provides information and work opportunities for young people wanting to work in the creative industries. It also runs an ideas competition (with cash prizes) aimed at those who are setting up or running creative ventures. www.mymas.org – The Manufacturing Advisory Service provides manufacturing business support for companies based in England, helping them to improve and grow. www.princes-trust.org.uk/need_help/enterprise_programme.aspx – The Prince’s Trust provides business support for people aged 30 years and under. www.shell-livewire.org – Shell LiveWIRE is an online national business support organisation which runs a monthly ideas competition (with four cash prizes of £1000) for individuals aged 30 years and under. www.smarta.com – Smarta is an online business support network for start-ups, small business owners and entrepreneurs, providing a range of free practical guides, tools and informative videos. www.startacus.net – Startacus is an online support network for self-starters, with a handy online toolkit and platform to help individuals develop their ideas and collaborate with each other. www.startupbritain.org – Start-Up Britain is a national campaign to inspire, accelerate and celebrate entrepreneurship across the UK. www.startupdonut.co.uk – Start-Up Donut provides free, online resources, advice and tools for those wanting to start a business. www.unltd.org.uk – UnLtd offers a range of support, funding and mentors for aspiring social entrepreneurs and established social enterprises. 53
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Government Support Schemes www.gov.uk/browse/business – This website replaces the former Governmentfunded Business Link website. It provides up-to-date information for start-ups and small businesses. www.gov.uk/new-enterprise-allowance – The New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) offers job seekers a weekly allowance worth up to £1,274 over 26 weeks, and a loan of up to £1,000 to put towards start-up costs. www.growthaccelerator.com – Growth Accelerator links up small to medium-sized businesses (SME) with industry experts. The industry experts offer mentoring support to the business owners, and support the SMEs (with high-growth potential) to become investment-ready. www.startuploans.co.uk – Start-Up Loans is a Government-funded scheme to enable individuals to start and develop their own businesses.
Legal Issues www.companieshouse.gov.uk – Companies House is the governmental organisation that registers all new UK companies and can provide information on legal requirements associated with registering, dissolving, and the filing of accounts for limited liability companies and partnerships. www.hmrc.gov.uk – HM Revenue and Customs is the UK customs and tax department providing information for self-employed individuals and companies about tax, VAT, national insurance contributions and returns processes. www.ipo.gov.uk – The Intellectual Property Office is the official Government body responsible for granting intellectual property (IP) rights in the UK, including copyright, trademarks, design rights and patents.
Funding Databases www.j4bgrants.co.uk – j4b Grants is a searchable database which provides information on all the latest UK Government grants, European grants, and other sources of funding, to help businesses, social enterprises and charities start up and grow.
Crowdsource Funding Platforms www.crowdcube.com – Crowdcube is an equity-based crowdsource funding 54
www.indiegogo.com – Indiegogo is a reward-based crowdsource funding platform for individuals, groups and start-up companies who have ideas for new products, services, and community projects.
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platform for high-growth ventures. The average investment is £140,000.
www.kickstarter.com – Kickstarter is probably the most well-known reward-based crowdsource funding platforms, originating in the USA, for individuals, groups and start-up companies who have ideas for new products, services, and community projects. www.pleasefund.us – Please Fund Us is a reward-based crowdsource funding website for creative practitioners seeking financial support for their projects. www.seedrs.com – Seedrs is an equity-based crowdsource funding platform for highgrowth ventures. The average investment is £150,000. www.sponsume.com – Sponsume is a reward-based crowdsource funding website for individuals, groups and start-up companies who have ideas for new products, services, and community projects.
Skill-Swapping and Favours www.swapaskill.com – A large community of people who want to trade skills and items from across the globe. www.horsesmouth.co.uk – A social network for informal mentoring, where everyone can share experiences and advice. www.fiverr.com – A website where people offer to carry out tasks for five dollars (such as marketing, graphic design etc.).
Online Networking www.linkedin.com – Arguably the most recognised professional online networking site for professionals, start-ups and established businesses.
Inspiration for Ideas www.springwise.com – Springwise is an ideas database with examples of some of the most innovative products, services and community projects from around the world.
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