Your startup 2016 by The Samuel James Group

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YOUR STARTUP

elcome to the launch edition of Your STARTUP in Lancashire magazine. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve just started a new business, thinking about starting a business or have been trading for just a few years, this is the magazine for you!

As a new Start Up ourselves, we know how hard it is to find inspirational advice and to make the right choices. We therefore decided to create this publication to give you a helping hand. Our aim is to provide a magazine full of advice; tips, information and case studies from regional experts and to repeat it on a six monthly basis. Finally, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to thank all the contributors for their excellent articles; our core supporters such as RBS, NatWest, NWLCC, Choose Chorley, FSB and Winning Pitch, part of Boost Lancashire and all our advertisers, with a particular thank you to the Chorley Group - our sponsors. Editorial: Andy Mann - 01772 364152 andy@thesamueljamesgroup.com Advertising: Sam Whitear - 01772 364151 sam@thesamueljamesgroup.com PR & Marketing: Katie Hall - 01772 364150 katie@thesamueljamesgroup.com Design: Stuart Box - 01772 364150 stuart.box@thesamueljamesgroup.com

Contents 3 Welcome 4

Boost Lancashire

Access to Growth

Studholme Bell

North and West Lancashire Chamber of Commerce

Choose Chorley

Federation Small Businessess

Chartered Institute of Marketing

The Chorley Group

GEM Inks

Taylors Solicitors

24 Role 26

Entrepreneurial Spark

Mann Communications

Geminus Training

LH Recruitment

Chartered Institute of Public Relations

MIND Lancashire

Sponsored by:

This publication is produced by The Samuel James Group Ltd, Suite 2, 290 Blackpool Road, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 3AE. Reproduction of the contents of this magazine in any form is not permitted, without the permission of the Publisher. Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy, the Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors and/or omissions in advertisements, photographs or illustrations. The opinions and advice in this magazine do not necessarily express the view of the company.

Published by The Samuel James Group

YOUR STARTUP

How Boost is helping Lancashire businesses succeed

ancashire is home to countless successful businesses of all sizes, covering all sectors and they’re all proud to be based here. But let’s not forget, many started as pipe dreams and through hard work and determination, those dreams were realised. There’s no doubt about it, launching a business can be difficult, sustaining it and growing can be even harder, but I bet most, if not all, of those people who set up their own business, will tell you it has been worth it. Are you a new business which needs some direction? Or have you got an idea which you need help getting off the ground? Maybe you got off to a good start but now need some help to achieve your goals. Well that’s the point of Boost Business Lancashire - the county’s business growth hub. It was set up to help growth-hungry Lancashire businesses – like yours - realise their potential.

Andrew Leeming Senior projects officer for Lancashire County Council

YOUR STARTUP

The business support programmes being delivered under the Boost service include: • Growth Support Programme, provided by Winning Pitch and Enterprise4all: Practical advice, support and coaching for owners of high-growth start-ups and early start businesses. • Growth Mentoring, provided by Community & Business Partners and Orvia: Support for SME business owners from experienced mentors in areas such as business planning, finance, sales, marketing and HR. • Innovation Clinic, provided by

There’s various ways Boost can help you – it might be by providing access to a range of funded programmes, delivered by specialists with a track record of growing established and innovative start-up businesses or by helping you and your business access specialist private sector business support. We’ve been able to help businesses across our county achieve their goals and now they’re reaping the rewards - between July 2013 and July 2015, Boost provided growth advice and support to more than 2,800 businesses across Lancashire and it has helped to create more than 1,200 jobs and new economic activity valued in excess of £10m. I’m pleased to say the help and support doesn’t stop there, in January 2016, the project received £7.8m to continue offering support to businesses until 2018, aiming to support a further 3,360 businesses in the county, creating 2,000 jobs and helping to establish 200 new businesses. So if the above sounds like you and you need support, start the growth conversation today. UCLan: Support in areas like product design, engineering, testing and prototype development to enable business owners to grow through innovation and development of new products and services. • Access to Finance, provided by North West Access to Finance: Free finance consultancy support to help Lancashire SME businesses identify and apply for suitable forms of finance. Businesses can apply for Boost support by calling 0800 488 0057 or by filling in the ‘contact us’ form on the Boost website www.boostbusinesslancashire.co.uk.

Growth is on the cards for healthcare recruitment firm

Lancashire-based healthcare recruitment business has created seven new jobs since it started trading this year and predicts further growth in the coming months. New Life Healthcare Recruitment, based in Whalley, specialises in recruiting doctors, nurses and care workers for private sector organisations across the UK. New Life sources candidates from all over the world including Italy, Spain, Romania, India, UAE and Pakistan, using its multi-lingual recruiters. The firm has been supported by Boost Business Lancashire’s Growth Mentoring programme, which provides support to SME business owners in areas such as business planning, finance, sales, marketing and HR. Managing director of New Life

Healthcare Recruitment, Zoe Hall, has worked in recruitment for around 20 years and late last year she decided it was time to set up on her own. The business has received mentoring support from Boost and co-member Anne Williamson of Lucrative Marketing, including support to create a structured marketing plan, develop a consistent brand identity and help to analyse marketing data to benefit the business. Zoe said: “The results are really starting to show. The turnover of the business will undoubtedly be positively impacted by the strategy we have implemented. “The support we received was really valuable, especially to a fast growing, new business like mine where there are fresh challenges to face each day. This help and guidance has been instrumental to a fledgling business in helping our growth plans and has also provided an added support network at a time when it was needed most.”

CASE STUDY 1 YOUR STARTUP

Business idea becomes a reality for group of friends

hree friends who spotted a gap in the market for a new business have seen their dream become a reality – and they’re planning to create four new jobs in the next 12 months.

CASE STUDY 2 6

YOUR STARTUP

Emma Woan, Tracy Gardiner and Linda Taylor, launched the Education Business Partnership (NW) late last year and in recent months they’ve gone from working in Emma’s kitchen to setting up an office in Oswaldtwistle, near Accrington. The friends, who had worked together in various roles over the years, decided to put their experience in work-related learning to use and set up on their own. At the time Emma was working freelance and Tracy and Linda had both been made redundant. The Education Business Partnership (NW) works with schools and businesses across Lancashire providing high quality employability and personal development support, specialising in work experience.

The business helps and supports young people to improve their employment prospects, develop essential life skills and to be able to self-manage their future. Since launching they have placed 4,000 young people in work places across 3,900 businesses in Lancashire, from one day per week placements to weekly work experience opportunities over an academic year. The trio has been supported by Boost Business Lancashire’s Growth Support Programme, which helps entrepreneurs launch their new enterprises. Emma said: “The changing landscape in the world of work was what made us think about setting up on our own, we had this idea and we thought if we don’t do it then somebody else will. None of us have ever ran our own business before and really the only professional guidance we had prior to the support from Boost was our accountant. “Over this past year we’ve often found ourselves absorbed in the passion of starting our own business, but the Growth Support Programme has enabled us to develop a plan to focus on the priorities for growing the business.”

“I don’t think our growth would have been possible without Boost.” Natalie Smith,

Central Recruitment

Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, is helping the county’s businesses grow. If you’re looking to fuel your business growth, start the growth conversation today.

Disclaimer: Boost Business Lancashire is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and restrictions apply. To see if your business is eligible and qualifies for support from the Boost programme, please call us on 0800 488 0057

Funded support Growth programmes 2,500 businesses helped

0800 488 0057 Search online for

‘Boost Lancashire’

#GrowingLancashire

How Start-Ups can access business support and funding

or any start up, it is key to take a holistic approach to your business and to identify any areas which would benefit from both support and access funding. This article aims to give you a flavour of why this is important and typical organisations you can contact for further advice.

Prakash Patel prakash.patel @a2fnw.co.uk 07785 700 668

YOUR STARTUP

Business Support This includes areas such as mentoring, innovation support, and HR expertise as well as grant support and funding. It is always to your advantage if you engage with business support services as early as possible in order to identify what help can be found for you and your business. There are a wide number of support services, many of them, including the Access to Finance Service, are free of charge to eligible businesses.

local business support organisations, such as: • Your Local Authority business support team (usually found on the Council’s website); • Local Economic Partnerships; • Your Business Growth Hub; In Lancashire, this is called Boost Business Lancashire. Boost is the central point for business support in Lancashire and links into public and private sector providers as well specialists and experts such as the Access to Finance Service. Getting hands-on support usually includes a comprehensive funding search, introductions to funders, assessment of your suitability for a particular type of funding, understanding eligibility criteria and assistance in meetings with funders. A structured approach will then hopefully contribute to greater success in fund raising. This is because expert, impartial advice and support leads to increased success whether this is from your accountants, business support advisers or specialist services such as Access to Finance.

Who should I contact? The first port of call for any business which needs to access business support is to connect with

Required Processes All businesses should have, as a minimum, a business plan plus a written, strategic overview

of the business. Getting the right support and funding to deliver growth is crucial to the success of your business plan and you should always start by developing your growth strategy in words and numbers. This will help you focus on your overall short and long term objectives as well as your first year’s cash flow targets. Accessing finance This is crucial when considering growth plans and knowing what the most preferential funding options are, who the providers are and what they require from you can be difficult to navigate and understand. Within Lancashire, the main providers of finance include: • Government Start Up Loans (for businesses

trading up to 3 years) • Local Authority Grant Support (typically found on the Local Authority website) • Individual Local Authority Funding Schemes (such as the Lancashire Business Growth Fund) • Supplier Credit (for businesses trading over 12 months who have build a relationship with the supplier) • Bank Loans/Overdraft (High Street Banks) If you require any assistance with accessing one of these areas (or wish to explore other areas of funding,) please contact anyone at Access to Finance who would be delighted to help you.

MY TOP TIPS 1. Make sure you have the three essential documents needed to present your business to a funder and that they are up to date: • A comprehensive business plan • Past financial information (annual accounts and management information) • Future financial information (financial forecasts, order book, contracts etc.) 2. Always make sure you are asking the right funder, for the right amount, with the right information The vast majority of finance applications which are unsuccessful (whether this is to a bank, grant provider or investor) are turned down because they do not address the key criteria in a business plan. 3. Work actively with your professional advisers and business support organisations when looking for funding They are well connected, experienced and want to help you and your business.

YOUR STARTUP

Accountancy tips for new Start-Up businesses

“

No one ever said that running your own business is easy, but it can be fulfilling and rewarding” observed local businessman and entrepreneur, Alex Bell. “People tend to set up their own business when they believe that they can provide goods and services to others, in a better way than other entities. Consequently, if you have vision, enthusiasm and foresight in your chosen industry, this will benefit you in helping to establish your business.”

monthly basis.

•

If your business is involved in Research and Development activities - it would be advisable to set the business up as a Limited company, as Research and Development tax credits can only be claimed via a Limited company – please note that you would also need to run a payroll scheme or contract services to be able to qualify for this.

Finance related tips • One of the first tasks to do before starting a new venture - is to prepare a business plan, budget and cash flow forecast of what you realistically believe the first two years of trading will look like. Then update them on a

•

Maximise your expenses - A lot of expenses that are incurred in everyday life, can be included as business expenses and tax relief obtained. For example, your car; mobile phone; workwear etc. Also start putting money into a pension as soon as possible since

Here is Alex’s top ten tips for the most important things to bear in mind when setting up a new business venture:

Alexander Bell Studholme – Bell Limited Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors

YOUR STARTUP

• Consider firstly setting the business up as a Sole Trader or as a Partnership - then as the business develops, move on to being a Limited company. This will enable you to claim start-up expenses and your investment loss against income tax paid, for up to the previous three years. If a Limited company is used initially, an income tax refund would not materialise.

an out of office telephone answering service; branded business cards and marketing support material.

this is a good tax saving method of providing for your future. •

Consider purchasing a relevant accounting software package – there are a number of accounting packages that are available to help you manage the information required for your financial statements and dependant on your demands and needs, these packages can assist businesses with up to date information.

Organisational tips • Make sure that you set up a business bank account – prior to trading so that business transactions are kept separate from personal transaction. •

Assess the minimum core facilities you need – for your working premises, the most cost effective way may be to start from home. Other core essentials to consider include

•

Do your research – before appointing the right Accountant, Solicitor, Insurance provider, Bank and Employment Law provider – although there is an initial cost involved with this, these experts should save you money in the long run and ensure that you and your business are protected.

• Consider sources of other potential income available - When setting up your own business, sometimes your income will reduce. If you think that this is the case, you may be entitled to claim Working Family Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits. Contact your local Department of Work and Pensions for professional advice. •

Always remember that you should enjoy what you do and have fun - if you are not having fun doing what you are doing, then stop and do something else. But to avoid unnecessary stress, make sure you know and understand the trade that you are embarking on before you start it!

If you follow these tips, you should have the foundations for developing a successful business. Good luck!

Alexander Bell Studholme – Bell Limited Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors Telephone: 01257 241 111 e-mail: alex@studholme-bell.com

YOUR STARTUP

Babs Murphy Chief Executive North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce

YOUR STARTUP

Creating the right conditions for new business Start-Ups On 16th September, over a thousand entrants, sponsors, judges, and guests celebrated the 2016 BIBAs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Be Inspired Business Awards.

he Awards, organised and managed by North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, are a celebration of all that’s good about Lancashire’s business community. They celebrate our creativity, our innovation, and our entrepreneurial spirit.

Many of these businesses are not just worldleading but also world-beating. They are at the forefront of modern technology, excelling across a wide range of sectors, generating a positive profile that turns heads, attracts new business and investment, and creates jobs and new opportunities. But of course Lancashire’s economic potential is not just based on the expertise and talent that already exists amongst our business community. It’s also about creating the right conditions and providing the right level of support and expertise to encourage entrepreneurs to start up on their own. The success of the New Enterprise Allowance contract that the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce has been delivering on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions in their part of Lancashire since 2011 (our colleagues at East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce are our delivery partners in East Lancashire) has shown that our County is absolutely the right place to start up a business. No one will ever say that starting up is easy for everyone because taking that first step is daunting. Those who do decide to take that first step are driven by a desire to succeed and not by a fear of failure. But even if they do fail (and let’s be realistic and pragmatic: businesses do fail and not everyone will succeed), it doesn’t mean that they are a failure. It simply means that they haven’t succeeded yet. There’s plenty of advice and support out there to help anyone interested in taking that first step. A quick internet search will throw up a mass of information on what to do and how to do it. I’m not going to simply repeat this advice. What I want to do is go through the initial questions that we ask when talking to our clients on the New Enterprise Allowance scheme. Starting right at the beginning with how and why the people we’ve helped have come up with their idea. It’s a fundamental question that we ask: how did you come up with your business idea? It’s clear from all the answers we get that there is no one single, or one right way, to come up with a business idea. Many of our clients come up with an idea based on their past

experience or hobby. Other clients tell us that they decide to start up after finding out that no one else provides what they want to do. Whatever the idea, we also ask clients what they’ve done to test the viability of their idea. We need to know how much market research has been done. Is there a market for the idea? How much competition is there? How much profit is needed to sustain the business and provide money to live? We also look at the person because the skills, personality, attitude, discipline, ambition, selfconfidence, and commitment that our clients show will have a big impact on their chances of making the business succeed. Clients that possess these qualities ae arguably more likely to succeed than those that don’t (we don’t call it failure!). That’s not to say we won’t work with those clients that don’t have those attributes. We try and identify what’s lacking and if it’s knowledge then we point clients towards further training. Before we get into the “nitty gritty” of the business idea, we also talk about money by asking whether clients can afford to start their own business? We need to be sure that they have enough money (or can get access to the money) to start up and keep going in the first few months. It’s a hard reality but businesses fail because they run out of cash, meaning that their owners can’t settle bills or earn enough to provide a decent living wage. Our clients, to be fair, accept that overnight success stories are very rare. But we still need to explain that they might have to wait longer to earn the sort of money they were hoping for. Finally, we ask about their commitment. If they’re ready to start the journey, we then provide as much support as we can to help them on their way. And once they’re on the way, we stay with them. We offer the opportunity to join the Chamber as a member free of charge giving them access to a wealth of additional help and support. The New Enterprise Allowance scheme works. Of businesses that had started on the scheme, four in five were still trading, giving a sustainability rate of 80 per cent. Over nine in ten had been trading for over 12 months. Together with our partners at Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, St Helens Chamber of Commerce, and Blue Orchid, we’re proud to have played a major role in that success across Lancashire, Cumbria and Merseyside.

Babs Murphy Tel: 01772 653000 9-10 Eastway Business Village Oliver’s Place Preston PR2 9WT www.lancschamber.co.uk

YOUR STARTUP

SMEs choose Chorley More and more people are choosing Chorley as a place to start-up in business – and that’s not just because of its fabulous location at the heart of the North West and its excellent transport links, thanks to being situated between the M6, M61 and M65. It’s mainly down to the help and support offered by Chorley Council.

Cllr. Alistair Bradley Chorley Council leader Tel: 01257 515151

YOUR STARTUP

ince 2012, the council has helped over 400 businesses start up, creating over 700 jobs, and intensively assisted over 150 existing businesses creating over 900 forecasted jobs.

Councillor Alistair Bradley, Chorley Council leader, explains: “Boosting the economy has been

and remains one of our key priorities since we took control of the council in 2012 and one way we can do that is help businesses – they make the money and they employ the people and that in turn means people can spend. What we try and do is create an environment where businesses can flourish.” It is this ethos which won the council the title of Best Business Enabler of the Year 2016 at the Downtown in Lancashire Business Awards beating off stiff competition from major players such as Boost Business Lancashire, Burnley Bondholders, Blackburn with Darwen based Hive and other public and private sector nominees. Chorley Council offers a superb package for people thinking of starting up in business. “Even before starting, if you’ve got an idea, come and talk to us – we will listen and offer help, support and advice to help you turn your idea into a reality,” said Councillor Bradley. “We have a team at Chorley that is here to help with wrap around business support, that will try and solve the problems, help the business to grow and ultimately help create the jobs.” The council offers new start ups: • Group workshops to cover the basics

• • •

One to one meetings to help develop your business plan A small amount of grant funding to help with those set up costs Ongoing support for the first three years

This ongoing support includes: • Regular Boost Your Business workshops to help develop a number of different business skills such as how to use social media; Excel for business spreadsheets; how to complete your tax return form • Regular networking events with high profile speakers such as Levi Roots • Helping provide contacts for you to access the appropriate programmes or specialists • Acting as a contact reference point so that we can find out what you want and point you in the right direction to get what you need. The forward-thinking council is now seeking to become the central hub of the rapidly growing digital sector in Lancashire and is working on an ambitious scheme to provide an advanced digital

office park. This would include a high capacity server and super-speed broadband plus a new intensive business incubation facility for start-up businesses, with onsite business advisors and university researchers giving businesses extensive support in setting up and developing growth. These new businesses will be offered space which includes hot desks, micro pods, flexible desks and more traditional office suites, and a training room will be on site offering workshop facilities as well as a networking zone. Councillor Bradley added: “This is a really exciting project for us which will put Chorley right at the centre of digital technology, a major growth industry, and we expect demand will be high. “I would urge anyone who is thinking of starting up in business, whatever type of business that might be or even if you just want to sound out an idea for a business, please give us a call on 01257 515151 or email contact@ chorley.gov.uk and see just what help and support we can offer you.”

YOUR STARTUP

Running a small business is an experience like no other

here can be highs and lows on an hourly basis as the business owner deals with issues which big businesses have dedicated teams of staff on hand to tackle.

Paul Foster Development Manager FSB

YOUR STARTUP

The vast majority of businesses across the UK employ less than ten staff, classifying them as micro businesses. They are too small to be able to afford or justify in-house human resources, tax, legal or in many cases business development expertise, yet they need this support as much if not more than bigger businesses to ensure that they are compliant and on an upward trajectory in terms of where the business is headed. Usually a small business begins with the skills and abilities of the individual who starts it up,

combined with an entrepreneurial awareness of the value of their goods or services in the marketplace. The rest, as they say, you have to learn as you go. As the business grows it starts to consider its options. There are serious questions to consider. Do I even want to grow or am I comfortable as self-employed with a basic income which I can get by on? If I do want to grow are my premises fit for purpose? Do I need to take on somebody to help? This is typically the point where the businessowner needs support or assistance in some way and why so many put off this move in favour of remaining as a one-person business. Yet the vast numbers of micro-businesses and one-person enterprises that we have across the UK could do so much more to boost our economy if more were assisted and encouraged

to get to that next stage. FSB came into being to provide a voice for small businesses in the corridors of power. We constantly update the Government on the issues which small businesses are experiencing and reporting to us, and we push for change. Government knows the importance of a thriving small business community. Small businesses provide the jobs and pay the taxes which help to fund what we need to run the country. So how do we encourage more people to grow their businesses? The tax regime is a good starting point. It needs to be fair and not to create false ceilings which can deter people from getting to the next stage because they will financially lose out. We also need to remove the stigma of failure from someone who may have

tried and not made it. Some of the best known business figures in the UK have had a business which failed before they returned with a new product or service. We need a safety net for businesses, to plug the gaps in the areas I mentioned at the start, so that they are not worried about HMRC or getting into a legal hassle, or even having to spend hours setting up a pension scheme for their business. FSB does all this and much more I should add. Business needs assurance which sparks confidence. The loss of confidence following the EU Referendum vote reaffirms the importance of this. We also need to have good business support available. Grants for businesses are understandably limited in the current economic climate, but thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not to say there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t good support available and Boost Business Lancashire have recently secured money to help people grow their business. FSB, Boost and many others also run events for businesses, which offer a crucial opportunity to network, promote a business, but importantly, also share ideas, explore common issues and tackle difficulties together. The businesses which get support and take a step back to see the bigger picture are usually the ones with the greater chance of success.

Paul Foster Development Manager for Lancashire & Cumbria at FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) T 01204 308681 M 07917 628909 www.fsb.org.uk

YOUR STARTUP

all your marketing efforts will be wasted if you don’t bother to find out if it has worked.

Why marketing is crucial to a Start-Up Every Start-Up needs to make sure that its marketing is right from the very beginning - not least to give it the best chance of survival but also to avoid costly mistakes.

Diane Earles CIM Network Manager D: 07813669305 E: Diane.Earles@cim.co.uk W: cim.co.uk

YOUR STARTUP

ou might not be advertising your services, but you probably do make an effort to know your customers well. Your instincts tell you that figuring out what every customer wants, and meeting those expectations, will keep you in business. You know that you

need to improve and extend existing products, and sometimes develop new ones. If this description rings true, you are already doing marketing, but is this kind of ‘unconscious’ marketing adequate? If you don’t understand that you’re ‘doing’ marketing, it’s hard to keep things consistent over time. This isn’t an obvious problem for very

small organisations, but marketing on the hoof becomes less feasible as you grow. Applying a simple marketing framework is vital. It enables you to plan your activities in advance, find out what works, then use them again when and where they are most effective. Find out who your customers are and what they want. Once you know this you have to make sure that you fulfil those needs and make your product or service more appealing than those provided by your competitors. At the same time you have to set a pricing structure that customers will find attractive and will give you a sensible profit level. Knowledge about your customer is worth a fortune so keep close to them and regularly ask them for their comments and views on how you can improve your products and service. Part of this process is ensuring that your offering is available when customers want to do business. With 80% of the UK population using the internet, having your own website enables you to reach lots of customers 24/7 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; people of all ages order online because it is more convenient. If visitors to your site can order online using secure payment methods then this again can increase your overall sales. If you have staff, ensure that they are customer focussed and stress to them that no customers means no business and therefore no job.

In terms of types of customers you need to define who these are by segmenting your marketing. For example, if you were a cycle retailer, one group could be members of cycling clubs who would be very knowledgeable about your range of bikes, whilst a second group could be families buying for leisure cycling only. With both groups you can start building a picture of the customer by type, how often they order and the value of the order. It is no use having a great product or service is no one knows about it, so you will need to promote your business and products. You can do this in many ways, for example through the editorial columns of both trade and consumer magazines and newspapers, but make sure that your story will appeal to readers and if you have a web address that you include it with your news story. Or you could take a stall at a local leisure show. You never know who is buying; it could be the buyer from a major retailer who then expresses interest in you supplying their company. But all your marketing efforts will be wasted if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t bother to find out if it has worked. Set up a process for recording your marketing effectiveness. That way you can replicate successful marketing practices and more importantly make sure you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make the same mistakes twice.

YOUR STARTUP

Why Start-Ups could benefit from Ultra Low Emission Vehicles

Miles Roberts Innovation Development Manager, Chorley Group

YOUR STARTUP

hen starting a business from scratch, it can often be overlooked but transportation (whether for commuting, visiting clients, or delivering stock) can quickly eat away at your profits, if not considered as part of the business plan.

You may consider getting something cheap – a “runabout” just to put you on until the business is proven – but what if that’s your sole method of transport for the business, and something goes wrong? Would it be covered by a warranty, or could you potentially be facing a large bill to fix it? Also, would an older vehicle project the right image for your new company? According to the latest figures from the UK car industry, an increasing number of motorists are making the switch to Ultra Low Emission

Vehicles (ULEVs). In September, The Chorley Group bought more than 6,000 ‘plug-in’ cars – and a total of 28,000 have been registered so far in 2016 (an increase of 40% over 2015). With fuel and maintenance costs for conventional cars increasing year-on-year, together with more awareness of the airpollution caused by diesel vehicles in real-world situations, perhaps it’s time to find out why we are seeing a sudden surge in the sales of plug-in vehicles? And what are the potential benefits of switching to ULEVs for you and your business? One of the main factors behind the rise of plug-in vehicles is the expansion of the charging network. There are now over 11,000 charging points in the UK, in 4,200 locations, 950 of which are rapid chargers, offering an 80% charge in as little as 30 minutes. Although, 95% of EV drivers just charge at home overnight. The financial incentives available are another major draw. The government currently contributes up to £4,500 towards the cost of a car by way of a plugin grant, and up to £7,500 towards a van. ULEVs are completely exempt from Road Tax. Company vehicle benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax rates are also significantly lower on vehicles such as the Nissan LEAF or Kia Optima PHEV. The owners of even the most efficient petrol and diesel cars on the road typically get charged 18% BIK or more, whereas owners of ULEVs (Ultra Low Emission Vehicles) pay just 7% BIK tax. This could save drivers of company vehicles £1,000s

every year. ULEVs also deliver huge savings in day-today running costs. With the average daily commute in the UK being less than 26 miles, many journeys can be completed without the use of any petrol or diesel at all. The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association recently calculated that it costs approximately 2-4p per mile to run an EV, depending on when and how the vehicle is charged. This compares to 10-14p per mile for an equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle. Based on annual mileage of 20,000, that equates to a saving of £1,800 per annum. At Chorley Group, we have a network of Nissan, Kia, Hyundai and Fiat dealerships which offer a vast range of vehicles to suit all requirements. There are pure electric vehicles such as the Nissan LEAF, Nissan eNV200 van, and Hyundai Ioniq EV. For those who do a mix of shorter city commutes and longer motorway journeys, the Kia Optima PHEV is an ideal executive car capable of up to 176.6 mpg. There are also Hybrid cars like the new Kia Niro and Hyundai Ioniq, which can offer fuel savings over conventionally-powered vehicles, without the requirement of a plug socket. For more information, please contact our Innovation Development Manager, Miles Roberts, who can help you to choose the solution that would best suit you, and your business.

Miles Roberts Innovation Development Manager, Chorley Group Tel: 07919 414751 Email: miles.roberts @chorleygroup.co.uk Twitter: @ChorleyNissanEV, @ChorleyKiaEV www.chorleygroup.co.uk

YOUR STARTUP

Customer Service is “printed” on everything we do

rinter consumables may not be the first item on your new business agenda, but if you run out, you will instantly realise how important they are to the efficiency of your business. It is therefore crucial that you use a quality, reliable, cost effective supplier

David Howells Proprietor GEM Inks E: sales@geminks.co.uk T: 07538937920 W: www.geminks.co.uk

YOUR STARTUP

GEM Inks is a family owned, Chorley based business, managed and run by David Howells, who has 12 years’ experience in printer consumables. The company prides itself on customer service as well as providing quality products and services at a fair price. Their exceptional service includes the ability to access GEM Inks’ products 24 hours a day via their website www.geminks.co.uk. When starting a new business and looking for the right printing related equipment and consumables, GEM Inks can help advise you on the best value for money products to suit your individual specifications.

The products and services offered by GEM Inks include: Hardware • Printers - new and reconditioned • Cartridges - compatible, remanufactured and original equipment, inkjet and toner cartridges – all makes covered Support Services • Print services - managed print services a speciality, including service, repair and installation • Temporary loan of a printer – if we cannot repair your printer on the same day • Print quality -Print usage analysis Accessories • Full range of papers - from 80gsm to 260gsm in standard, matte and gloss finishes, in sizes from 6x4 to A3 • Cabling – HDMi, network patch cables, USB cables, micro-USB, iPhone/iPad cables, in both smooth and braided • Computer peripherals – keyboards, mice, webcams, headsets, including gaming options • 3d printing pens - plus accessories • Portable battery packs – to suit your needs • Office stationery • Additional IT/tech supplies - upon request e.g. laptops and technology driven products All Gem Inks’ products are 100% guaranteed, with a speedy delivery service, enhanced by first class technical support.

owever, creating the right legal framework and ensuring that you, your business and its assets are protected, is vital for the start-up to achieve its full potential.

Here we address just three of the key most important questions: What kind of business setup is best? If there is a level of risk associated with your product, a limited company may be best. If you are starting a business together with someone else, have you truly addressed what roles and responsibilities each of you have, how will you fund the transaction, will that funding be equal, are you equal partners in terms of sharing the profits, are you to be paid a salary, do you have an agreement on what will happen if major decisions are to be made, what happens if one of you decides the going gets too tough and wants to leave. These are all things that need to be considered now and a simple shareholders agreement is money well spent now, as against your business partner leaving with all your customers and contacts and setting up in competition, with impunity down the line. Whilst you will no doubt have secured the right kind of insurance for your business, once you are trading, you will be entering into contracts with customers and suppliers on a regular basis. You need to be clear about payment terms and liability for your product. If you have no written terms, the Sale of Goods Act will import implied terms into your relationship, which are likely to be more onerous than those you might negotiate in a set of terms. If you

There seem to be a million and one things to address when starting your own business... are selling online, you need to comply with legislation, particularly if you are selling to consumers rather than business-to-business. A proper use of terms and conditions of trade will help you with this to avoid and resist unwanted claims and liability that could cripple your business. Do you understand who owns your intellectual property? All businesses have some intellectual property, whether it is a domain name, logo, a design, a written report or something more technical, like know-how or patented technology. You need to ensure that if you are operating through a limited company, the company clearly owns the products of your team. If your practice is to engage consultants rather than incur the expense of full time employees, you are more exposed and could be held to ransom by consultants claiming that he has originated the work you have paid him to produce for you. You should sit down with your advisors who are very experienced in setting up firms like yours. Businesses also fail because they have focused purely on the operational aspects of getting a business started, without addressing the fundamentals. As a specialist commercial law firm, we have been helping businesses for over 25 years with their legal requirements and can provide invaluable support in this initial set up phase. We have an affordable start up pack, which addresses all the fundamentals on a cost effective basis. If you have any questions on how best to protect your business and how to avoid the pitfalls down the line or would like to discuss our start up pack, please contact Elaine Hurn on 01254 297900 or via email Elaine.hurn@taylors. co.uk

Elaine Hurn Managing Partner Taylors Solicitors Direct: 01254 297900 Fax: 01254 297 916 Email: Elaine.hurn @taylors.co.uk Web: www.taylors.co.uk

YOUR STARTUP

Successive government reports have shown that if we could encourage more women to set up in business, we could add billions to the UK economy.

Wendy Bowers Role

YOUR STARTUP

Why building a Business is a great choice for women

ecent research by the Women’s Business Council has estimated that there would be one million more female entrepreneurs if women were setting up businesses in the UK at the same rate as men.

Although there has been an increase in the number of businesses being set up by women over the last 5 years, only a fifth of UK businesses are majority owned by women. So why aren’t more women running businesses and what are the pros and cons? Today as I sit in my garden and write this, is astounds me that more women are not enjoying

the flexibility I have known and appreciated most of my working life. Before I became a mum at 25, I had succeeded in my career and managed three insurance offices, whilst also running the admin and finance side of my husband’s growing furniture company. Just four weeks after having my first child, I set up my own insurance business from home, which enabled me to work evenings and weekends around my husband’s schedule. The family business grew and my first two came to the office and played at my feet as I took on the role of Finance Director. Having our own business gave me the opportunity to advance my career and enjoy my (by then) three children. When I talk to women today, the number one reason they give for setting up in business is the flexibility this will bring them. It’s not always

about children but this is a key factor. Let’s look at some more pros: Making your own choices: So many of us find our creativity stifled because we are not enabled to use our initiative at work to test and develop our own ideas. If individual entrepreneurialism isn’t nurtured by employers, it can lead to frustration and stress, which further stifles creativity. Diane Johnson of Straight Talk, one of Role’s associates, shares her thoughts on setting up on her own: “I love the flexibility, being able to set my own strategy and agenda and knowing all my efforts are being channelled into something really worthwhile... But I hadn’t appreciated when I set out how liberating it is to be able to target clients, associates and partners who I respect and have shared values with. So every day, I’m surrounded by people who give me energy rather than draining my energy. Love it!” Developing a passion: How many of us go to work to earn the money and then try and create slots in our calendar to do the stuff we really love? In my mid-thirties, I set up my own business - I chose Finance and Management Accounting as that’s what I’d always done and was good at. I built a great business with six employees but outside of work, I supported Women in Business. I set up networks, presented at conferences in the UK and Europe, represented women’s enterprise as an Non-Executive Director (NED) on steering groups and boards. Finally, seven years ago, I followed my passion and developed my first range of programmes and qualifications for future female leaders; now it’s 100% of my business and I have never been happier. Saving money on childcare costs: UK childcare costs have risen by a third in the UK over the past five years, for many couples the cost of two children in pre-school childcare is almost 50% of their joint earnings. Getting to and from childcare on time, juggling care in the school holidays and dreading your child becoming ill, is immensely stressful. Working from home and spending precious time with children is a huge attraction for many women. Working from home: Technology has revolutionized the way that businesses are set up and run and possibly the biggest winners here are women. You can now build a global business from your back bedroom: indeed Rita Sharma, one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs, built a £100 million turnover travel business from her garage, with just £4000 startup capital. Digital connectivity means we can employ anyone anywhere or work

with freelance associates from across the globe and many women choose to build businesses using this model. My own business, run from my home these days, works exactly like this, with 15 superb associates there when I need them to deliver joint contracts. Just a few pieces of advice: You do need self-discipline to work from home, you have to shut the office door and ensure you turn off your phone and email for a few hours each day to spend time with the people you love or importantly, have some ‘me’ time. You need to value your expertise or skill, many skilled and experienced women who have held responsible positions in the corporate world, undervalue themselves or their product and work long hours for very little pay. Do some market research, be competitive but don’t sell yourself short. You need to build a support network; it can be lonely setting up on your own. Get your kids involved with your social media, chores and cooking – the meals can be unique but you are teaching them great life skills! Join one of the great business networks in Lancashire. Start with Unique or Pink Link if you’d like to network with women to gain confidence before joining a mixed group. Join your local Chamber of Commerce for advice and training and find funded business support through http://www. boostbusinesslancashire.co.uk . MY COMPANY Role designs and delivers courses and qualifications for Women in Business and female managers. Our Women Aiming Higher programme, enables you to plan for growth, develop leadership skills, increase self confidence and be mentored by incredible industry leaders. Currently we have some fully funded places available for businesses based in Lancashire who mainly trade B2B. I will leave the final words to one of my clients, they really sum up why Running Your Own Business is such a good choice for a woman. “Setting up my own business is one of the best decisions I’ve made. Not only have I structured a business around the aspects of my career I most enjoyed, but I now get to set my own hours and own pace of work. It’s a cliché to say it gives you freedom, but it so does. It means you can flex your work around childcare and when/where you work most effectively. It’s not for everyone and to be successful you do need to be hard on yourself and take the knock backs head on (and on your own), but with all the positives it is still so worth it.” Suzi Wynne, Director, Wynne Business

Wendy Bowers Founder, Role Mob. 07929 917 701 Email. wendy@role.uk.com

YOUR STARTUP

Supporting the Entrepreneurial Spark in the North West

Dale Sidebottom

Entrepreneur Development Manager at NatWest 26

YOUR STARTUP

ntrepreneurial Spark, the world’s largest free business accelerator, has a vision to create a business startup revival throughout the UK, through the development of entrepreneurial mind-sets and behaviours to enable acceleration and growth. Consequently, it has developed a free exclusive ‘entrepreneurial enablement’ programme that takes entrepreneurs through

a cognitive and action centred development process. It welcomes applications from businesses at all stages and from all sectors who want to grow, scale and succeed. A key supporter of enterprise across the UK is international banking group, The Royal Bank of Scotland and its sister bank, NatWest. During 2016, it is launching six new business accelerator hubs in partnership with Entrepreneurial Spark and KPMG – in Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast, Cardiff, Newcastle, Milton Keynes – as well as a hub in London in 2017. In 2016, NatWest’s Hardman Boulevard office in Manchester opened its doors to a new

Entrepreneurial Spark business accelerator hub (“Hatchery”), in partnership with KPMG. The Manchester “Hatchery” is part of a network of hubs being created across the UK – 13 in total by 2017 – which will support around 7,000 entrepreneurs over the next five years. Eighty businesses beat stiff competition to secure a place in the first intake of entrepreneurs to take part in the programme, which is aimed at early stage and growing ventures and a similar number joined in August 2016. Their research showed that nearly a quarter

(23%) of people in the North West would like to start their own business, but over a third (37%) think it’s too risky, highlighting the need for the right early support for businesses. Worries over the business environment are also apparent, with a 7% fall in the number of people who think now is a good time to start a business (22%) compared to six months ago (29%). Many people hope the Government’s ‘Northern Powerhouse’ initiative will boost conditions but data - compiled by Populus for NatWest – shows 75% of people in the North West think it will only have impact if local businesses and entrepreneurs are supported. Each intake of up to eighty startups is based at the Hatchery for six months, with the most promising given the option to continue for another 12 months. Businesses are given free office facilities so they can concentrate on establishing and growing their business, as well as access to the bank’s networks and contacts, a start-up Bootcamp, dedicated mentoring from local KPMG advisors, regular events, workshops and training. Commenting at the launch, Alison Rose, CEO of Commercial and Private Banking at RBS, said: “Six months ago, we found that a lack of knowledge was holding people in the North West back from starting a business. The region is highly entrepreneurial, but with over a third of people in our latest research too worried about the risk, it’s really clear that the right support could make a big difference to would-be

YOUR STARTUP

Dale Sidebottom Entrepreneur Development Manager at NatWest 07917 553973 www.entrepreneurial-spark. com

YOUR STARTUP

entrepreneurs. We’re providing the basics you need to run a business, such as office space, WiFi and phones, as well as access to our people and networks. This will let entrepreneurs concentrate on establishing and growing, while giving them the guidance to do so.” Jim Duffy, CEO, Entrepreneurial Spark added: “We’re really excited to be in Manchester, a city really going places and one with a great culture and attitude. At Entrepreneurial Spark, we take the barriers away from entrepreneurship and work with individuals to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. We’re delighted to be working with NatWest and KPMG in Manchester to create a fantastic Hatchery for the city’s entrepreneurs to really accelerate their business.” Supporting these views, Jonathan Boyers, Corporate Finance Partner, KPMG Enterprise, enthused: “Manchester has long had a culture of go-getting creativity and entrepreneurialism right at its very heart, and with our thriving tech and digital scene going great guns, the city’s reputation as a fantastic place to start a business will only increase further. “However, growing and scaling up a business can sometimes be a daunting and even lonely experience, and business owners often tell us that they are crying out for more support. This is why the launch of this new hatchery is so vital. With the advice and guidance provided by Entrepreneurial Spark, KPMG and NatWest, we can help the big businesses of tomorrow grow and prosper.”

NATWEST ENTREPRENEURSHIP MONITOR: Northern Powerhouse • One in three Britons (34%) have heard about the Government’s Northern Powerhouse plans. • More than four out of ten (42%) believe that the Northern Powerhouse, “will substantially boost the Northern economy”. •

However, around half believe that the Northern Powerhouse will not be sufficient to rebalance England’s economy away from the dominance of London and the South East.

•

Almost six out of ten people (57%) believe that entrepreneurs will be key to the success of the Northern Powerhouse (61% in the North West). More than one in five people (23%) say that, “the Northern Powerhouse makes me believe that now would be a good time to set up a new business.”

•

NatWest asked people to tell thems how important each of a range of factors will be in boosting the economy of the North: Eight out of ten people (80%) say that investing in local businesses and start-ups is important.

• The same proportion (80%) say that investing in workforce skills is important.

Clitheroe Entrepreneur’s New Standing Desk Aims to Improve the Wellbeing of Office Workers

ick White and his team from the “ I want a standing desk” company have created the EIGER Standing Desk

The idea to create the desk first came to Nick after attending a business meeting in London in February 2014. Nick said: “I was in the queue for a coffee when I heard a woman behind me talking about how her previous employer allowed for her to have a standing desk for her day to day activity. I thought it was something I could benefit from as well so I started researching similar products.” Part of the reason Nick liked the standing desk concept was the health benefits. According to Professor John Buckley of the University of Chester, using a standing desk for three hours a day, five days a week for one working year, the user would burn more calories than they would completing 10 marathons. As Nick continued to learn more about the concept, he found many of the products on the market didn’t quite meet his needs. He said: “What I found was that many of the standing desks on the market just didn’t offer flexibility for PCs and laptops and tablets, so I built an early prototype and developed the desk from there. In addition to getting the desk right I wanted to make sure I was developing something that was sustainable and ethically sourced. I didn’t want the business to be just about the product. I wanted to ensure there was substance behind what we want to accomplish.”

An entrepreneur from Clitheroe who has designed a retrofit standing desk believes his desk will help to improve the health of office workers across the country. EIGER is made from eco-friendly, fast growing FSC sourced Birch Plywood and is manufactured in Chorley, Lancashire. Nick is also in the process of developing models for schools and a product to be used in meetings and conferences. The desks retail at £187 plus VAT. To support his business growth ambitions, Nick has joined the Entrepreneurial Spark programme based in NatWest’s office in Hardman Boulevard, Manchester. Run alongside partners NatWest, KPMG and EMC, Entrepreneurial Spark is the world’s largest free business accelerator for start-up and scale up businesses and has provided free support, mentoring, networking and office accommodation for over 650 businesses in hubs or Hatcheries across the UK. EIGER is Nick’s biggest selling product and his latest customer is Sir Howard Davies, Chairman of The Royal Bank of Scotland and its sister bank NatWest. Nick said: “Sir Howard had used a similar desk in another office and when he visited Entrepreneurial Spark he saw EIGER and said it was exactly what he needed for his office in London. “The support I have had from CASE STUDY Entrepreneurial Spark and its partners has really helped me move the business forward. Nick White It has introduced me to a network of people Enrepreneur/Designer who can help with me selling models to other 07836 236314 Nick White nick@iwantaorganisations, developing my digital strategy standingdesk.com and just moving forward.” YOUR STARTUP

Every Start-Up needs to be creative

As a recent Start-Up myself, one of the key areas I have focused on is trying to make people remember me and my business. But it is not easy and I thought I would share some of my creativity experiences so that you could both benefit and learn from my mistakes.

y background is that I have spent over 30 years working for three major companies, including nearly 20 years with BAE Systems in investor relations, marketing and the full range of communication roles, across about 12 locations. Recently, I formed a Preston based consultancy which works with several large companies on enhancing their marketing strategies, profile raising and better engagement with their customers, suppliers and key stakeholders. However, to have any impact, you have to be creative and memorable. Nobody ever remembers average work, people always remember something which is either bad or preferably, exceptionally good. CREATIVITY: So what do we mean by creativity? One definition is: “the use of imagination or original ideas to create something”. In other words, creativity is the thinking process that helps generate ideas. Ideas are crucial for the development of the creative process but many people think that they are not “ideas people”. This is incorrect but they may need some creativity training to help them generate some ideas. An example of this type of training is the Creativity Forums I am involved with. Recognising your individual creativity: Throughout the whole of my career, whenever I have been stuck with a problem, I have always sought out Kipling’s six wise men:

Andy Mann Mann Communications

YOUR STARTUP

I KEEP six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who.

So from developing your individual creativity viewpoint, here are some questions to help you approach the problem: What – do you recognise as creative? Can you easily recall the examples? Can you tweak these examples to help provide a solution for your problem? Why – are they inspirational? What do they do which is so special? Can you reflect this attitude in everything you do? When – do you do your best thinking? What time of the day are you most creative? How – do you make it memorable? Does it need colours? music? images? humour? Where – are you creative? In my case, I do my best thinking during a long soak in the bath. Do you have pen and paper available to capture your thoughts? Who – is your role model? Can you put yourself in their shoes and think about how they would tackle the problem? These are just some of the ways that successful people brainstorm to come up with creative ideas. But as we have said before, it may not come easy to you. So let’s now consider some of the barriers which are stopping you being creative. Resolving barriers to creativity • No ideas – As outlined above, some people erroneously believe they have no imagination for good ideas. • Commitment – As Gary Player would say, you have to be hard working to be a success in life. • Passion – If you do not love what you are doing, this will become apparent to everyone you deal with. Entrepreneurs have a firm drive to succeed. • Perseverance – Your aim must be to be an obstacle buster and problem solver. Failure is then an opportunity.

• Attitude – You must have the right frame of mind. It is easy to convince yourself that you cannot do something. • Originality – Very few people come up with unique ideas. Most people just adapt existing ones for their required circumstances. • Sharing – Team working is always necessary since we have all heard the saying “two brains are better than one”. • Recognition – You should always focus on benefits not just facts in order that people can recognise the value of your ideas • Progress – Always record your improvements, no matter how small and then when appropriate celebrate any milestones and successes • Fear – It can be overcome. It usually just takes a lot of practice and coaching There are numerous techniques for developing new ideas and/or creative solutions. A few of my favourites are: • Brainstorming – creating many scenarios using Kipling’s 5W+H

• Out of the Box – thinking differently • Matrix – establishing a structure to get your light bulb moments • Not Rocket Science – tweaking existing ideas to meet your circumstances • Helping others – not only does it make you feel good but you should also get some two way learning from it Most studies show that determination and a “never give up” attitude are also key factors in helping start-up entrepreneurs become successful, since they are committed NOT to be a failure, despite the so called advice or any negative feedback they may have been given. Many successful entrepreneurs such as Bill Gates and Richard Branson have recognised this during their outstanding careers. In summary, it is a fantastic feeling to be your own boss, but there could be many stressful moments during your journey. If you remember to keep positive, share your experiences with others; seek advice from peer and role models; continue to network and focus on being creative and memorable, you will have achieved a firm foundation. The rest is up to you!

Andy Mann Director, Mann Communications 07951 731722 andy@manncommunications.com

YOUR STARTUP

Is Innovation the key to growth?

hether it was Henry Ford or Albert Einstein who first said: “If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten”, the quote captures the essence of why companies have challenges growing. Once you’ve found your feet and established a line of business, finding the optimal conditions for growth is the biggest challenge you will face.

Richard Harrison Geminus Training

YOUR STARTUP

As soon as you’ve established a line of customers, other new and established businesses will be fighting to take them off you. If we apply a little further business acumen to this quote, we see that if you only do what everyone else does, then at best, you’ll only equal their feats.

Therefore, to beat your competitors, you need to do something different - this is what we call Innovation. That said, innovation is a dangerous word to use - simply because it’s widely misunderstood. Many people either confuse innovation with invention, or assume that it’s about science, technology and new product development. While this isn’t totally incorrect, it’s a long distance from understanding what innovation is really about and how companies can benefit from understanding this. The people who best understand innovation are entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs - two more “buzzwords” that are so often misunderstood. The difference is in who owns the risk and reward. Whereas an entrepreneur typically invests resources growing their business to turn ideas into commercial benefit and personal gain, an intrapreneur will do so under the protective umbrella of a larger organisation. This gives the

intrapreneur less personal risk and less personal reward, but gives them the safety of a regular job. These people tend to be the driving factor in helping companies grow - we probably all know several intrapreneurs, but we don’t realise it (after all, it is a relatively new term). It doesn’t matter whether you like to think of yourself as an innovator, entrepreneur or intrapreneur. What really matters is the business behaviour that you display - and when you start to think like these people do, you’re setting yourself up with the mindset of a high growth company. What skill sets do you associate with people like Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and all the other highly successful people you

may have met? One thing is for certain - while you may think they’re highly successful people, they’re only telling you about the successful projects that they’ve run. Every successful innovator has had a series of successes and failures - that’s what innovation is all about. The secret is in learning what went well with the successful projects, what went wrong with the unsuccessful ones, and constantly redefining your business model to improve your processes. The worst thing that you can do is stop when something goes wrong, and give up. Failure is a relative term - we prefer to think of something that didn’t go the way you wanted it to, as a learning opportunity. It’s never too early to think about how you’re going to do things differently and gain competitive advantage, not only against the companies you strive to compete with but also those who are hot on your tail. The most innovative companies understand how to turn their experience, knowledge and creativity into business benefits. It’s not only about turning ideas into invoices, but also finding ways to make your business more productive and profitable. Innovation really is the key to growth, as it is what sets you apart from the competition. If you’re not thinking about what you can do to make new ground in your marketplace, then you better watch your tail - we can guarantee you’ve got competitors who are thinking this way, and they’ll soon be overtaking you!

For more information: Richard Harrison Director, Geminus Training E. richard@geminustraining. com M. 07990 588937 Twitter: twitter.com/ geminustraining Facebook: facebook.com/ geminustraining LinkedIn: uk.linkedin.com/in/ richardharrisongeminus #igniteyourimagination www.geminustraining.com Geminus Training Limited is a company registered in England and Wales (Company number 10217954) whose registered office is at Suite 408 4th Floor Daisyfield Business Centre, Appleby Street, Blackburn, BB1 3BL

YOUR STARTUP

The DOs and DON’Ts of Recruiting for Staff

H Recruitment, award winning recruiters with a track record of placing exceptional candidates in great job roles throughout the North West, shares with you in this article their advice for recruiting staff and gives some top-tips on what not to do when searching for an employee. TOP-TIPS

Laura Hartley LH Recruitment, Blackburn & Wigan

YOUR STARTUP

Take your time Recruiting can be time consuming and it is easy to rush the process. Take a step back and look at what skills you think you need to bring in to the business; also what tasks and duties might you want this person to undertake.

Don’t hire friends or family A quick fix to a problem might be to hire a friend or family member. It’s difficult to keep the work / personal separate, if someone isn’t doing what they should. It’s even harder to discipline or dismiss. Have a budget in mind If you are unsure what you should be paying, have a look online at similar roles in your area and see what the average salary is. Only select people who have put their salary expectation on a covering letter that meets your budget and ensure the salary is clear on the advert. Include in the budget, Employers National Insurance Contributions as well as Pension, as you will be responsible for this. Benefits and holidays are as important as the salary, so remember to factor these into your budget too.

Job Spec Now you have an idea of what you are looking for and what you are paying, you can put together a job spec. Include duties / responsibilities, experience / skills required and qualifications. Skills assessments Depending on what you require them to do, you could assess their skills by creating a mini assessment or invite them in for a half day working interview. Second Interviews First interviews are not enough. These should be just competency based. The second interview is about personality and setting the expectations of what you require. So you have found the one, what do you need to do now? Do your checks Send an offer letter, always check references and proof of right to work. Have an induction pack ready on their first day and a contract of employment should always be signed by week 8. Set them up with payroll and have a work space ready for them. Do they need any equipment to carry out their duties? Obligations There are certain obligations you must carry out as an employer. Health & safety and wellbeing

as well as legal obligations, employment law and common law duty of care (ACAS 2016) Methods of recruiting Free of charge - use the Job Centre plus word of mouth and social media are all great ways to get the word out but if you are short of time and are unsure how to do it, then use an agency. Not only can they write the advert and keep you in line with legislation but also they will only put suitable candidates in front of you, proof of right to work will be checked, skill assessed and the interview with the recruiter could be considered as the first interview. WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN RECRUITING FOR STAFF 1. Failing to recruit strategically 2. Rushing the process or the process being too long 3. Focusing solely on money 4. Listing job requirements that aren’t actually required 5. Not delving enough into the CV and references 6. Limiting your search to the “perfect” candidate 7. Using confusing and poorly written job specs 8. Poor interview techniques 9. Having too many people in the process 10. Not selling the job or company

LH Recruitment, Suite 1, Unit 5 Dalton Court, Commercial Rd, Darwen BB3 0DG Blackburn Head Office 01254 271024 Wigan Branch 01942 363578 www.lh-recruitment.co.uk info@lh-recruitment.co.uk Follow us on Facebook @LHRecruitment and Twitter @LHRecruitment

YOUR STARTUP

Courage, contacts and content PR can make a real difference for start-ups, but don’t let the perceived cost deter you. Let me explain how you can spread the word about your business yourself, with a combination of content, contacts and a dash of courage.

Amanda Jackson MD, Tigerfish PR m. 07881 621143 @amandatigerfish

YOUR STARTUP

R is all about reputation, It’s what you do and what you say, and what others say about you. In our tech-savvy world,

you’ll probably already be building relationships using your social media channels, your website, your shared content… but particularly for startups, having coverage in the printed or broadcast media affords a powerful credibility. You can say what you want about yourself in adverts and on your twitter feed – but traditional media coverage has to be earned so carries extra weight.

It also has the advantage of making your business more visible too - after all, if you’re hard to find, you’re hard to buy from. So whilst you’ve probably got the ubiquitous social media nailed, here are some steps to getting in the papers and on the airwaves.

Create a plan To make sure our campaign is planned and sustained throughout the year – print off a ‘year to view’ calendar and start filling it in. When are your trade shows? Are there relevant ‘special’ days? Magazines tend to have a predictable cycle of news, so look to see which ones would fit with your business. Make sure your social media campaigns are listed too. Find your media contacts Based on your own knowledge, make a list of publications relevant to your business –then ask your suppliers, customers, even competitors, about other media. An internet search should flag up the right editorial contact name and email. Trade shows and exhibition organisers often provide this sort of information on their websites. Don’t forget radio either – many local radio stations have slots for interviewees and they are always looking for new and interesting people to speak to, so include them on your list. Once you have your media list, contact them all. Why restrict yourself to just email? Picking up the phone can work a treat, and gives you the chance to find out what the journalists want from you. What makes great content? Many entrepreneurs struggle to identify what might make news, so it’s often helpful to talk

through potential stories with someone outside of work, to get a more objective view of what’s interesting. Can you draw on your own personal story? What about the business growth or major investment? Do you have an opinion on an industry development, or have you some great (professionally taken) photographs? Take time to read the magazines on your list and make a note of the various sections. Most will feature company news, appointments, opinion, case studies – so make sure you use these as prompts for what they might be interested in. Think of these sections as a virtual ‘filing tray’ for news - and make sure your story fits one of the trays. Be brave Many small businesses fear they are too small to do PR, but the successful ones muster up their courage and do it anyway. Do we really know how large most companies we read about are? It’s the perception that counts. Be proud, think big and put your news out. Imagine how peeved you’d feel if it was your main competitor getting all the coverage. Finally, sign up to google.com/alerts to receive an email if your company is mentioned online. Whether you are actively doing PR or not, it’s always best to know what’s being said about you. After all, it’s all about reputation.

YOUR STARTUP

How managing a healthy lifestyle and minimising stress will help any Start-Up business Starting a new business is a new and exciting time but 72% of entrepreneurs still report low mental wellbeing during a business Start-Up (Freeman, 2016)

hy is that? Perhaps it is because we all experience setbacks at some point or another and balancing aspirations with reality is something not all of us are good at dealing with. Some of us thrive under pressure but when we no longer have the emotional tools to deal with this pressure, it becomes stress. Too much stress puts us at a greater risk of experiencing poor mental and physical health. During stressful times, we cannot always trust our own judgement and we make poor choices, which we later regret. But managing stress is difficult, we cannot control or predict what is happening externally and how this will affect our business plans. We can, however, future proof ourselves to get through hard times.

Karen Arrowsmith Lancashire Mind Head Office: 01257 231660 Mob: 07834 584126 Email: karenarrowsmith@ lancashiremind.org.uk

YOUR STARTUP

Building your emotional resilience can support your mental wellbeing and help you buffer those negative experiences and avoid stress. Being resilient enables you to bounce forward through hard times and get back on track. Resilience building is something we need to do on a daily basis. Think of resilience like a bank account... We are constantly making withdrawals, as life is full of unexpected ups and downs. However, if we never made any deposits, eventually that account would become empty. By making a few changes in our daily lives, we can keep that account topped up to give us the emotional tools we need to cope with the demands of starting a new business. Success is out there for the taking, but in taking care of business, we need to take care of

ourselves too. Building your own emotional resilience and supporting the resilience of those working alongside you, will help your business flourish. Resilient people are less likely to become ill during adversity; have greater overall hope, optimism and positivity; are better able to cope with life’s demands and are better able to learn new skills and knowledge (Siebert, 2005). Developing your emotional resilience and embedding it into your workplace and family life enables you to maintain those important connections and surround yourself with the positive support you need to help your business grow. Below are a few quick tips to help you start making small changes and develop your resilience. So don’t delay and start taking care of yourself today. QUICK TIPS: Develop a positive support network - Broaden your connections to provide you with a sounding board to bounce off ideas and help you make better choices. Isolating yourself from others in tough times only makes things feel worse. Make sure you take a break - When starting a business, it is easy to lose your priorities and become buried in your work, but it is important to make time for yourself away from the work environment. Get outside and take in some fresh air or connect with a friend or family member. You’ll come back feeling fresh and with a new perspective. Get some exercise - Exercise raises our endorphins, which give us that feel good factor. Even if you can only take a brisk walk around the block, take time to squeeze it in your schedule and you’ll start to feel the difference. Celebrate the good things - Making time to celebrate what went well, perhaps your first customer or making your first thousand pounds... Treat yourself to a drink with friends, break open the chocolates or buy yourself a new tie. Celebrate achievements and share them with others, so they can bask in your glory.

Can you afford to ignore it?

Creating a new business takes confidence, passion and commitment.

“72% of entrepreneurs report low mental wellbeing during business start up” (Freeman,2016). Find out how we can support you and your business to flourish and create a happier healthier workplace.

Let’s work together to improve mental wellbeing To make an enquiry please contact: T: 01257 231660 e: admin@lancashiremind.org.uk Registered Charity :108142 | Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in England: 3888655

Lancashire-Mind

www.lancashiremind.org.uk/training/

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