PRIME business club

Thinking of starting a business? Do you have an idea for a new business venture?

Are you interested in turning a hobby or interest into a business?

Even the brightest ideas sometime need a little help to get them off the ground. With the right support, advice and encouragement anything’s possible.

SELECT PROGRAMME

The SELECT Programme is a series of free workshops designed for anyone over 50 thinking about starting their own business or planning on becoming self-employed.

Training workshops

The Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce can give you all the support and training you need. They are running a number of FREE workshops designed for anyone over 50 who is thinking about starting their own business or planning on becoming self-employed. These workshops will help you develop the skills you need to get your business off the ground - everything from developing your ideas, writing your business plan, developing a marketing plan and much more.

Is self-employment right for you? 8 June 2010

Ideas generation, 15 June 2010

Starting your own business and generating finance, 22 June 2010

Starting your own consultancy, 30 June 2010

Tax, Pension and Benefit Implications, 6 July 2010

E-Marketing, 13 July 2010

They also provide a range of services that could help to make a difference to your business.

• One-to-one business advice
• Essential business skill training
• Outplacement and redundancy support services
• Career coaching and guidance
• Interview technique skills and job search
• Personality profiling
• Mentoring
• Monthly business club

To book your FREE place on any of these workshops or to find out further information call Rebecca Burnett on: 0131 221 3190 or e-mail: rebecca.burnett@edinburghchamber.co.uk

If you have a health condition or disability that is making it difficult to get back into work then this free workshop about self-employment may be for you.

The Work for Yourself programme is open to people living in the areas covered by Bolsover District Council (including Clowne, Elmton with Creswell, Pinxton, Scarcliffe, Shirebrook, South Normanton, Tibshelf and Whitwell) and Chesterfield Borough Council (including Rother and Staveley) who are not working and have long-term health conditions or disabilities.

Topics include:
Learn about self-employment.
Hear how we can help you start your business.
Be a “Dragon” - testing out business pitches.

If self-employment is not for you, Phoenix Enterprises will be available to advise on overcoming barriers (including debt, criminal convictions), how to access funding for training, arrange work trials and placements etc.

To book a place or join the Work for Yourself Programme, contact Disability Dynamics on 0845 459 2547 or 01252 721239 or email theresa@disabilitydynamics.co.uk

If you’re over 50 and thinking about starting a business in the Bristol area, then contact PRIME about getting a mentor. PRIME has recently completed training mentors in the area, who are now ready to talk to you. This is a completely free programme.

Here’s what Harri Harrison, who is running the scheme, has to say about it:

PRIME mentoring is specifically for people aged 50+ who are just beginning to think about setting up their own business. It is about exploring initial thoughts around self-employment. It is an opportunity to have a soundingboard, to check ideas and to discover the best way of moving forward.

Somebody once described this as having ‘a critical friend’ - that’s probably a good description.

We think mentoring is most useful for people at the early stage - when thay are are just starting to think about setting up in business. But mentoring has also been used successfully in many walks of life, and is an increasingly popular learning method for personal, professional and business development.

Mentoring is popular in the business world, where talking to a mentor can be helpful to entrepreneurs as they prepare their business plans, or it help more established businesses to progress.

If you would like to find out more about this new resource, please contact Harri Harrison at harri.harrison@ace.org.uk

Are you aged 45 or over?

Have you been made redundant in the last 18 months or currently threatened with redundancy?

Do you have a business idea?

Are you almost ready to go self-employed?

Do you have a London postcode?

The Centre for Micro Enterprise, a unit within London Metropolitan University has funding to support a small number of people who want to go self-employed.

They are offering an eight day programme delivered over eight weeks. The course is designed to help you to develop your skills to enable you to set up your own business.

Course Content includes:

• Business self image and networking
• Designing your business plan
• Market research and market planning
• Finances and HMRC information
• E-commerce and ICT
• Pitch and present
• You and the law

The programme starts on Tuesday 02 March 2010 and will be delivered at London Metropolitan University, 84 Moorgate, EC2M 6SQ.

If you are interested please call: 020 7320 1383 or email: info@upturnonline.co.uk

Please note, participants will be selected if they fit the requirements of the funding regulations and places on the course will be offered on a first come-first served basis.

Business Link, the governments main business support service, are putting on some events for Women in West Sussex who are thinking of starting a business. These particular events are only for women who live in West Sussex.

Thinking of working for yourself? Interested in self-employment or running a small business? Want to work in away that suits you and your lifestyle?

Business Link offers free business start up workshops. Both workshops will be held at the same venue.

Venue: Field Place, The Boulevard, Durrington, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 1NP

Planning for Success - Tuesday 2nd February 2010, 10:00am till 4:00pm

The workshop covers: What is in your business plan? Why you need one and what goes in it?

By the end of the workshop you will be able to: Understand the basics of planning for your business. Gain insight into how you can ensure you comply with legislation. Complete an individual workshop action plan detailing your next steps.

Managing Money - Tuesday 9th February 2010, 10:00am till 4:00pm

The workshop covers: Estimating your incomes. Calculating your costs & profit. Vat, record keeping & national insurance.

By the end of the workshop you will be able to:Understand fundamental financial issues involved in running a business. Understand the Business Link package and what happens next. Gain support and ideas from fellow participants.

Numbers are limited. To avoid disappointment call Nicola Bannell on 0845 600 9006 to book your FREE place. You can also email Nicola.bannell@businesslinksussex.co.uk

NESTA Age Unlimited Scotland

NESTA, a public body established by Parliament to encouraged innovation and funded with Lottery money, has launched a new programme in Scotland called Age Unlimited.

Here’s what it says:

We are looking for people in their 50’s and 60’s in Scotland to come forward with new ideas that could be turned into live community projects which would improve the lives of older people (people in their 70’s, 80’s and above). The programme aims to test how older people can be engaged in the design and delivery of innovative new services that could improve older people’s health and well-being and reduce dependency on costly mainstream public services.

Maybe you have experience as a carer or volunteer with older people and have skills and experience you’d be willing to share. Maybe you are looking for a new challenge? If so, we want to hear from you. In return we’ve got support and funding to make your idea become real.

More information and the application form for the Age Unlimited programme can be found online: www.nesta.org.uk/age-unlimited-scotland. If you have any queries or would prefer to complete a paper application, please call 01382 229521 or email ageunlimitedinscotland@nesta.org.uk and we will post you a form. Our application closes on 1st March 2010.

Read the recent press coverage in The Herald here: Sheena was a punk rocker…

The Open Day programme is the biggest government business support road show, designed to provide free information and support to businesses, through a series of exhibitions across the country.

It is organised by HM Revenue and Customs, who invite local organisations and representatives of national bodies such as PRIME that can provide support and advice to local businesses. The organisations chosen all operate on an “other than for profit” i.e. non-commercial basis.

At this free event you will have access to a full team of experts who provide advice and technical support on a range of subjects, covering every stage of your business from start-up, through growth and expansion to pension arrangements when you retire. Free seminars cover topics such as meeting government regulations, funding, marketing and enhancing your business through new technology.

Click on the link below to find out more and to book your place.

Website Link: http://www.businessadviceday.gov.uk/events/

When PA, Sharon Lawrence, was made redundant at 50, she decided to go it alone and set up her own business as a virtual personal assistant (VPA). Flying Changes PA offers independent secretarial support for £19 - £23 an hour. Sharon says, ‘The more you stick at it, the better it gets. I would never go back.’

Sharon, now 53, worked as a Personal Assistant at a large corporate company. After four years, Sharon was made redundant at the age of 50. She says ‘My boss came and told me he wanted to retire and play more golf. No one thought about me at all.’ Not wanting to go through the stress of being back on the job market at 50, Sharon decided to set up her own business.

Her main duties as VPA include producing documents, audio typing, and a telephone and e-mail correspondence service. The majority of clients are small businesses, sole traders and entrepreneurs, but she also helps larger organisations who need assistance with a backlog of administration to get through and a deadline to meet. Recently Sharon has taken on work from HM Prison Service and Social Services. Sharon says, ‘I have transcribed some digital recordings of interviews between prisoners and their mentors and often produce reports in preparation for court. Some of them are quite harrowing, but it is much more rewarding than corporate work and my aim is to take on more work within the social sector.’

Starting out

In October 2006, Sharon registered as a sole trader. The name and logo of Flying Changes PA are a nod in the direction of dressage, which Sharon used to take part in; a ‘flying change’ is a dressage movement. In her youth, Sharon took part in the competitive arena and says, ‘to be a good horsewoman, I needed to be patient, dedicated and impeccably focussed; coincidentally, all the qualities of being a good VPA.’

Sharon took a free, three-day small business course with Inbiz to get some support starting up and says: ‘They walked us through the basics - how to do your accounts, get a business logo and name, register with companies house and a multitude of other hugely important information for someone just starting out in business. It was incredibly useful.’ You can find out about other Inbiz courses at www.inbiz.co.uk

There was no business funding available in Wigan, so Sharon started from scratch. She began by doing favours for friends for free, who later became clients. Sharon says ‘It was difficult finding a balance of how many freebies to give out. You have to be careful not to get walked over.’

Marketing

Having an Internet presence is one of Sharon’s key tips for being successful. It is especially necessary for a virtual assistant, as a large percentage of communication is web based. Sharon used www.streamline.net to build her website. She says ‘It is under £100 for a year and walks you through the basic stages.’

When starting out, Sharon made a marketing mistake by forking out £400 for an advert in a magazine. She says, ‘A company approached me via the Chamber of Commerce, so I immediately trusted them. I was not sure if I could afford the advert, but was told I could cancel at any point and be refunded. When I did decide to cancel, I found that my less than honest salesman had left the company and I just had to pay the money; it was a hard lesson.’ Now Sharon markets via networking and word of mouth, which is much more cost effective. If she does place an advert, Sharon makes sure that all promises are agreed in writing.

Networking

Sharon joined Business Network International (BNI). But after paying for an expensive membership and a breakfast at every meeting, Sharon estimates the cost being around £1100-1200 annually. She says I did a lot of work to help the group but got very little in return.’

To get round the expense of networking, Sharon and a group of other business owners set up their own group, ‘Just Networking’. It costs just £50 a year, and goes towards equipment for the group. The group meets every Wednesday morning and after just two months Sharon already feels it is more productive than other networking groups. She says ‘I have already had a good deal of business interest from the group and I know I can refer other members with confidence.’

Wigan Borough Business Club hold a free networking session once a month. The event includes presentations and refreshments and brings in 20-100 networkers. Sharon says that her increase of networking in the last eight weeks has brought in three new clients.

Problems

Sharon became so dedicated, that she got into an unhealthy habit of missing lunch. ‘I would check my emails at 7am and before I knew it, it was 3pm and I hadn’t even had a cup of tea!’ Sharon explains. The problem got serious and she was taken into hospital with severe stomach pains. There was no permanent damage, but Sharon resolved to look after herself. She says ‘I make sure I eat lunch before 3pm, and force myself to have breaks and wind down. You have to look after your health.’

Future

Three years after setting up, Sharon has got a good selection of regular clients. She says, ‘In two more years I’ll be really comfortable. But I’m happy now and would highly recommend being self-employed..

Contact

Sharon Lawrence
Flying ChangesPA
Mobile: 07821288055
Email: sharon@flyingchangespa.co.uk
Web: www.flyingchangespa.co.uk  

Olderpreneur Suzy Kilgour, 53 has become a specialist fitness instructor, after seven years in the charity sector.

Suzy Kilgour runs Walking Workouts - a fitness business specialising in power walking and low impact body conditioning. Group sessions take place on Clapham Common and cost £14 an hour. Personal training comes in at £40 an hour, and is tailored to the client’s needs. Suzy says, ‘we workout in the fresh air, so you escape the gym and absorb more vitamin D!’

Walking Workouts was launched in 2007 when Suzy was 51. ‘I got into the fitness industry by accident, when I was invited to join the Fit for a Princess team in 2006′ says Suzy. ‘It was completely out of the blue.’ Suzy trained as a fitness instructor, and Walking Workouts was born the following year when Suzy thought of the idea while out power walking on Clapham Common.

One essential tool to Suzy’s power walking business, are her Masai Barefoot Technology shoes. Suzy describes her MBTs as ‘those rather-strange looking shoes that have been designed to improve your posture and gait, and activate neglected leg and buttock muscles.’ The shoes have their own ‘walking technique’, which is meant to reduce stress on knee and hip joints. Suzy found that power walking in her own MBTs improved her knee and back problems and changed her body shape. She says ‘I wanted to help others to improve their own health and fitness.’

Starting out

‘I didn’t want to take any business away from Fit for a Princess, so I started completely from scratch.’ Says Suzy. ‘I did some leafleting, and put up notices in the local shops and cafes.’

Suzy approached female fitness clothing and equipment store Sweaty Betty, to start an MBT Walking Club as a free service for their customers. This introduced her to potential clients and gave the business good exposure on the Sweaty Betty store and website. Suzy also introduced the Walking Workouts business concept to her GP practice and to local physiotherapists.

Another tactic was to write press releases, and send them out to local media. Suzy is always updating her releases, which enables her to send them out regularly. Contacting local or national media is a great way to create publicity, and is absolutely free to do. Make sure you include all your contact details and try to have photographs available to send on request.

Qualifications

In 2006 Suzy took her Central YMCA Qualification (CYQ) Level 2 in ‘Fitness Instructing’ (Exercise to Music).

In 2007 Suzy took Level 3 FitPro Advanced Instructor Modules in ‘Training in Different Environments’, ‘Advanced Resistance Training’ and ‘Exercise Prescription for Fat Loss and Fitness’. Suzy also gained a CYQ and Leki certificate in ‘Nordic Walking’.

The qualifications give Suzy accreditation as a professional fitness instructor, and give her a variety of styles to use in her classes.

Age is no barrier

Suzy’s mantra is ‘50 is the new 30.’ Suzy passed her fitness qualifications at 50, and leads an extremely active lifestyle.

‘When I was approached by Fit for a Princess’ says Suzy, ‘I said “You do know I’m 50, don’t you?” But it wasn’t a problem, and I haven’t looked back since.’ Age is certainly not a problem for Suzy’s clients, who can range from 30 - 88 years old.

Skill Voids

When Suzy first became self-employed in 1990, she had never used a computer. Suzy taught herself the basics, and gained experience as a freelance travel writer and marketing consultant. But running a business demanded a bit more.

Suzy used Mr Site (www.mrsite.co.uk) to create her basic website. You choose a package - £20-£100 depending on how much you want on your template. Then you select the style, number of pages, and edit the content. Visit www.primebusinessclub.co.uk for a Mr. Site discount. Suzy brought a local web designer on board, to personalise the site to her own specifications.

Most libraries offer free computer courses for the over 50s. If not, contact your local council, who will be aware of support in your area.

Bookkeeping and accounts were a worry for Suzy, so she employed an accountant. Hiring in a professional is one way of covering your weak points. If you have a small budget, you can offer to trade one of your own services instead of cash. Or you can employ someone on a temporary basis, and learn from them, so you can take over when they leave.

Business Support

Suzy took part in the free Enterprise on Track course, run by London Metropolitan University. ‘It was useful in lots of ways’ Explains Suzy. ‘I found a peer mentor group which has been a great support. Running a business can be very isolating. I would definitely recommend finding someone to mentor you as soon as possible.’

The course made Suzy think about what she wanted out of her business. ‘To make it fly, I would have to put all of my time and passion into it. It would have to be my ultimate dream’ says Suzy. ‘But in the end, other things were more important, and I decided to cut back on the business and spend more time with family.’

The decision to go part time means Suzy has a lot more freedom. She now runs just one group class per week, and takes on more private work, which is flexible. Suzy is financially stable enough to not need her business income for survival. So Walking Workouts is a ‘hobby-business’ that keeps Suzy active, and brings in some extra cash.
Contact
Suzy Kilgour
Walking Workouts
Tel: 0207 585 1344
Mob: 07980 650 951
Email: info@walkingworkouts.co.uk
Web: www.walkingworkouts.com  
Hilary Farnworth
Manager, Centre for Micro Enterprise
London Metropolitan University
Business School, Room 1-11
84 Moorgate
London, EC2M 6SQ
Tel: 020 7320 1573
Email: hilary.farnworth@londonmet.ac.uk
Web: www.londonmet.ac.uk

A group of crafty over 50s have proved that four heads are better than one, by setting up creative resource website www.makeitandmendit.com. Clare Flynn, Clare O’Brien, Anne Caborn, and Hillary Bruffell joined forces in January 2009, and have since established a strong following of almost 2,500 people on social networking sites Facebook and Twitter.‘The business is all about living sustainably and creatively by making things and mending them instead of buying and binning’ says Londoner Clare Flynn. The website is a collection of stories, resources and forums. You can learn how to make chocolate cookies, renovate bathroom tiles, knit a bag or go rubbish skip surfing (looking for gems to recycle.)

Flynn explains, ‘we want to pass on the skills we learnt when we were young - knitting, sewing, making jam. Today’s generation watch TV and go drinking, but these things do not relieve stress or give you a sense of achievement.’

‘Make it and Mend it’ earn their money via advertising and affiliate sales. They sell other companies’ goods and receive a percentage of the purchase cost. Clare Flynn says: ‘At first we measured our income by its equivalence in Primark shoes, but then the money started to come in.’ The recession has meant that reusing, recycling, and ‘make do and mend’ has got a lot more popular in the news and media.

Clare O’Brien says ‘I remember waking up at 6am to the voice of John Humphreys on Radio 4. He was about to do a feature on wartime slogan ‘make do and mend’. I jumped out of bed thinking “Not without a comment from me, you’re not!” Clare Flynn posted a comment on the Radio 4 website forum with a link to makeitandmendit.com. That day we received a huge surge of traffic and sign-ups.’

Starting up

‘Make it and Mend it’ came to life when the four friends were having lunch. The conversation turned to all the remarkable things that could be made with a little guidance. The ladies then decided to make some money out of the idea.

The four set themselves up as a private limited company. This means that the company has a different legal identity to that of the owners, unlike a sole trader or a partnership where there is no distinction. In this case the four businesswomen each own 25% of the business.

‘Make it and Mend it’ set up their first website for less than £100. ‘We pushed it as far as it would go,’ says Flynn ‘but we looked about as good as any other blog’. In July 2009 the team wrote a brief and gave it to four website designers to pitch. The ladies bought the current website from D3R for £7,500. ‘We liked the people, their work, and the fact that they stood up to us and put in their own ideas.’ Flynn explains. ‘As soon as it went up, people began to take us seriously. It was definitely worth it.’

Business support and networking

Clare Flynn attended a Business Link exhibition at the Business Design Centre in London. She saw two useful presentations, which covered sources of funding, and how to tender contracts for the Olympics. The group are now discussing both of these subjects as options for the future.

Flynn also registered with PRIME and was sent a free self-employment pack: ‘It was useful knowing all the bureaucratic legislation and what we need to apply for’.

Online resources have proved invaluable. Problogger.com runs a free program called ‘31 days to build a better blog’, which provides hints and tips to writing web content, while www.thirtydaychallenge.com teaches how to discover and exploit a niche market by finding keywords, monetising, and getting traffic to your website.

All four women are experienced networkers, and are comfortable in a crowd. Anne has a journalist background and runs a business in website content management with Clare O’Brien. Clare Flynn has 30 years experience in marketing, and Hilary runs a media production business. The ladies have a lot of knowledge, and a lot of contacts to further the business.

One tactic is to invite people round for lunch, and then quiz them for ideas. Another is to strike up individual conversations on Twitter.

Flynn explains ‘Hilary will say, “I have some crab apples, what should I do with them?” Recipes and suggestions will flood in, and Hilary will end up getting an article out of it. Plus the talk means that traffic is brought to the website.’

Problems

None of the ladies have skills in finance or technology. The team makes up for the former by hiring an accountant. Up until now ‘Make it and Mend it’ have used affiliate networks, and learnt the basics to manage the technical side of the business. But the team are now considering taking on an apprentice from www.enternships.com. Like interns, enterns offer their services for free while gaining entrepreneurial experience.

Another problem is time. Anne says, ‘the most difficult moments are when you run yourself in - when you find yourself working at 2am.’

Communication

The group know that communication is paramount. They meet every fortnight over lunch, and meet in pairs every week. They also talk daily on free video conferencing system Skype. There can be disagreements, but the group always confront them and talk them through.

Anne says, ‘It is frustrating when you can’t carry out all your ideas. But most of it is terribly upbeat. We are like The Beatles with knitting needles!’

Contact

Make it and Mend it
Clare Flynn: 0208 582 5372
Email: info@makeitandmendit.com
Website: www.makeitandmendit.com

Monday 9th November 2009
Time: 14:00 - 19:30
Venue: Business and IP Centre, The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB

Have you got news for us?

The British Library is putting on a practical and interactive workshop to unlock the world of the media to new and small businesses.

Daily Express Small Business columnist Maisha Frost and Enterprise PR Specialist Louise Third of Integra Communications Ltd have joined forces to create a highly practical and interactive workshop for the British Library Business & IP Centre.

Get the insider’s key to unlocking the world of the media.

Delegates will be shown how to work with the media to achieve optimal coverage, learning how to identify what is “news” for their business, gaining the techniques needed to write an effective press release, and cultivating their selling skills to convince an editor to run their story

Next Workshops:

Monday 9th November 2009
Monday 8th March 2010

Prices:
2009:   £85 (+vat) per person, includes buffet and workshop materials

2010:   £95 (+vat) per person, includes buffet and workshop materials

Click on the link to book your place www.integracommunications.co.uk/mediaworkshop  
 

After 30 years in finance and leasing, 58-year-old Robert White has started a new trade as a domestic energy assessor.

West Bromwich man Bob spent 30 years in finance and leasing, as sales manager, business development manager, and managing director. With the recession the market declined, and Bob found himself made redundant three times in three years. ‘I didn’t want to rely on others for my employment, and I didn’t want to be made to retire while I was still fit for work’ explains Bob. ‘Self employment was a way to take control.’

Bob’s business IDEAL (Independent Domestic Energy Assessors for your Location) provides EPCs (Energy Performance Certificates) and HIPs (Home Information Packs) for the Greater West Midlands area. IDEAL serves local estate and letting agents, housing associations, local authorities, private landlords and solicitor and conveyancing agents, as well as assisting private individuals who wish to get certificates or advice before making home improvements.

Bob says ‘since the 1st October 2008 regulation has changed to state that all properties must have an EPC.’ The certificate grades the building’s efficiency from A-G, showing how this could be improved after recommended modifications. Bob’s services cost around £60 for an EPC, and £250 - £350 for a full HIP’s pack.

Starting up

Bob researched several business ideas including energy assessment, franchising a travel agency, and finding cost reductions for businesses. Bob chose energy assessment because start-up costs were cheaper, and because the training college in Reading, The Energy Assessor College promised immediate work after qualifications had been obtained. This promise never materialised, and Bob has learnt to be wary of small print.

In March 2008, Bob attended a PRIME self-employment workshop. The event included where to go for local support, the basics about starting up, and a networking session. Bob says:

‘It was good meeting like minded people - finding out where they went wrong, and where they went right. We heard one couple talk about their curtain business, and it was interesting hearing about how they did their marketing.’

Business Link provided useful advice about how to manage cashflow and business costs. They provided a cashflow template, and gave Bob some contacts to ring about setting up a website.

Training

In February 2008, Bob did a Diploma in Energy Assessment costing £4,000. Bob studied for about six months, and covered five modules. Exams were taken at the end of each module, and Bob had to talk a lot of friends and family into offering their house up for a practice survey.

After passing his Diploma, Bob became accredited with the National Home Energy Rating scheme (NHER). The accreditation proves that IDEAL meets quality control standards, and allows him to trade legally. Bob pays an annual subscription of £250 plus VAT to be a member of the NHER. Bob’s contact details, website, and services are listed on the NHER site, and can be searched for via postcode.

Marketing

Bob’s main marketing tool is his website. He stumbled upon printing.com while researching local printers. Bob found that the company friendly and keen, and took up the offer of an all-in-one service. Bob says ‘I wanted a professional website to give me a presence. I spent about £1000 and got the website, leaflets, letterheads, compliment slips, business cards, and logo included in the package.’

Bob decided against newspaper advertising after realising it was expensive, and not used by others in the industry. Instead Bob got the word around by knocking on doors and introducing himself:

‘I went to estate agents and letting agents and gave them a business card and flyer. Whether they were interested or not, they all asked for a price.’

Bob’s tip is:

‘Never quote a price. Say “Can I come and see you?” That way, you can understand what the client needs, explain how you will deliver it, and negotiate a good price.’

Age is no barrier

Bob claims that age does not need to hinder, but can instead, be used as a sales tool. Bob is convinced that he got his first deal with a letting agent by emphasising his years and experience, and assuring his client that he would be respectful and professional.

Expanding

A year after starting IDEAL, Bob is looking for ways to expand. One idea is to become a sales agent for renewable energy products, such as wind turbines and solar panels:

‘The changing climate means that these products are already being recommended by the government. It is only a matter of time before they are compulsory’.

Contact

Bob White
IDEAL
64 Europa Avenue
West Bromwich
West Midlands
B70 6TU
Tel: 01215531770
Mob: 07950 786282
Email: robert@idealenergyassessors.co.uk
Web: www.idealenergyassessors.co.uk

Cousins Jackie Hatton, 52 and Denise Lever, 50 have set up a gift shop in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire. The shop offers affordable country lifestyle gifts, which can be anything from handmade soap to second hand furniture. Taking it in turns to man the counter, Denise and Jackie each enjoy a three-four day week, and split the profits of a full time business.

Manchester-based Jackie and Denise were selling at markets and trade fairs, when they realised they could open a gift shop for almost the same amount of expenditure. The shop opened in May 2009, and the ladies are now making profit and making themselves known to the Hebden Bridge community.

Starting Out

The cousins did some research a gift fair in Harrogate. They saw what was on the market, and what was selling, and the cousins began to get a picture of the stock they wanted to invest in. It was then a case of buying a small selection of products, and testing them out at trade fairs and markets.

The two complemented each other. Denise was the creative one out of the two, and made cushions and tablecloths to sell. She had worked in a gift shop before, and was always suggesting new ideas. Jackie dealt with the accounts, and made sure the ideas were realistic, before anything went ahead.

The cousins also differed in taste. ‘Denise will go for pink and fluffy, whereas I like anything with a cockerel on it!’ Says Jackie. The cousins have to get each other to agree to stock before ordering it in, which means nothing is bought on a whim, and there is little that does not sell.

Business Support

The cousins attended a Business Link workshop, but found the information too general. The help also seemed to be aimed at bigger businesses, as Jackie and Denise discovered they could not get a loan or grant unless their business could generate jobs. However, the networking session was helpful, and the two did take advantage of a free hour consultation with Business Link later on. Jackie says ‘The business advisor suggested the shop, but it was too expensive. Over time it became more realistic, and Denise gradually convinced me to do it.’

Jackie also signed up with PRIME, who sent her a free information pack. She says ‘It was reassuring to know there were support networks out there. I know we can contact them if we have any problems.’

Finding a premises

Jackie and Denise decided to rent, as this was cheaper and had fewer obligations, should the business fail. Jackie found a place on the Internet with reasonable rates, and the cousins looked into securing it. Unfortunately the premises was taken, but this gave Denise a kick to find something else. Finally Denise found an empty shop but Jackie believed the rent was too high. The cousins broke down the cost that they would incur when running the market stall, and realised the shop rent, at £11,000 per annum would not be much more. If things did not work out, there was a two-year clause where the ladies could negotiate. By selling the stock and working for a short period of time, the ladies would have a safety net to fall back on.

As the cousins could not attain funding to start the business, they had to improvise. ‘I had money saved some money for my son’s 21st birthday, so I’ve got a year to get that back!’ Says Jackie. ‘Denise had some savings as well, and my husband helped by making some cabinets and doing the painting.’ Jackie also negotiated a three-month rent-free period with the landlord. This meant that they had some extra time to get customers in and earn some cash.

Marketing and advertising

In May 2009 the cousins had a Grand Opening to encourage people to the shop. They gave out free cake and wine, and invited lots of family to make the shop look busy. The event created some chatter around the community, so the cousins are repeating the tactic this Christmas. The shop will stay open late while the Christmas lights are turned on and the festive drink Pimms is handed round.

Most of the cousins’ marketing comes from word of mouth. Jackie is naturally social, and cannot help but get to know the community. She has introduced herself to the neighbourhood shops, and spends time getting to know the customers. ‘Denise and I feel it is even more important to get to know the community, because neither of us live here.’ Says Jackie. The cousins have joined the local business association, which gives them the opportunity to network with other businesses in the area.

Not long after opening, the Halifax Courier did an article on the shop. This created a lot of publicity, gave the shop a good review, and was free of charge. The success of the piece encouraged the cousins to utilise other papers. The women advertise weekly in the local paper for £25. Jackie says ‘Every other business in the village is in it, so we thought we better be in it to!’ The cousins also spent £270 to appear in Yorkshire Life’s shopping guide, and £450 for six months advertising on the ticket sleeves of the local theatre. Although expensive, the advertising is well targeted. According to the website, Yorkshire Life is ‘aimed at those who aspire to a high standard of living.’ This description also fits the average theatregoer, and is the market audience of Country Cousins Lifestyle.

Just a few months after opening, the cousins are making profit. The next step is to get to website and blog to keep people in touch with Country Cousin Lifestyle news, and enable customers to buy online.

Denise and Jackie will be speaking about their business at the PRIME Olderpreneur Roadshow in Manchester on 9th December 2009. Click here to book your free place.

Contact
Jackie Hatton and Denise Lever
Country Cousins Lifestyle
21A West End
Hebden Bridge
West Yorkshire
HX7 8UQ
Tel: 01422 846317
Email: countrycousins@live.co.uk

Olderpreneur Lyn Siddle, 52 is expanding her award-winning spa, and is looking to set up further centres in York, Harrogate, Chester and Bath. The first centre, Portland Hall Spa in Southport, Merseyside opened in November 2005, and now employs 15 staff. Lyn became self-employed for the flexibility, enabling her to look after her four children and gain a good work-life balance. Lyn says ‘I have always worked my job around what I need. When my children were young, I set up a nanny agency so that I could carry on working and be with them too. Now I need pampering and me-time, so I set up a spa.’

Portland Hall offers everything from a £15 single manicure, to a £585 full day experience for two. Individual treatments include massage, hair and beauty, and aromatic rituals. The spa is housed in a beautiful old synagogue, and separates itself from the norm by offering intimacy and personal space. Lyn says ‘I wanted to do things differently in a set industry. I visited some popular spas and found that they were either like a cattle market, or lacked customer service. I wanted exactly the opposite.’

Starting Out

‘The first thing I did before anything else was to register www.portlandhallspa.com as a domain name’. Lyn put a house up for sale to start financing the business. She then took a full year to raise the rest of the money from lenders.

Lyn used funds to buy and convert the synagogue. ‘I looked at renting to begin with, but I would have had to pay £35,000 to renovate the property.’ Says Lyn. ‘If you buy, you’re investing in your future.’

Lyn wrote a structured business plan but admits there should be a lot of leeway. ‘A business plan is just an educated guess. It’s like saying, “how long is a piece of string?”‘

The business did not take off in the way Lyn had expected. The first 18 months were slow and Lyn had to re-mortgage to stop the business going under. The problem was marketing and pricing.

Lyn created an abundance of publicity for the ‘day spa’, before realising people in seaside town Southport had no idea what it meant. In addition to this, Lyn had given her luxury sessions a high price, as she did not want to de-value them. But this stopped people coming through the door.

Lyn learnt her lesson when striking a deal with Lastminute.com. She says ‘They asked me if I could do something for £10, and I thought “Absolutely not!” But it brought the customers in.’ Lyn did business with other online voucher retailers, and found it was worth selling low and adding on.

When Lyn came to an arrangement with four-star hotel Ramada Plaza, she found her target audience. Lyn says: ‘The Ramada is affordable but a bit of a treat, and that is exactly the market I wanted to reach.’ Portland Hall Spa now has package deals that include a night at the Ramada, which means a whole page of free advertising on the hotel’s website, a reciprocal arrangement, and a lot of new customers.

Subsequent publicity was more specific, and extremely cost effective. Lyn sent out press releases with photographs, and followed up the write up with a call. Lyn’s photographer took the pictures for free in return for exposure on her website, so that was more money spared. Linking the website with other business websites was another way to advertise for free, while doing things for charity, or running events at the spa raised the company profile.

Another tactic was to enter competitions. Portland Hall Spa became a finalist in the British Beauty Awards in 2008, and is nominated for two Morgan Foundation Entrepreneur Awards, to be announced on 19th November 2009. The competitions create a lot of hype, and if Lyn wins her categories this month, she could land herself £30,000.

Business Support

Surprisingly, Lyn waited until expanding before seeking business support. Lyn paid £2000 to do a Train to Gain course called LEAD in Management, and was reimbursed £1000. The course lasts 10 months and helps develop emotional intelligence - the ability to utilise your own emotions and those of others and groups. She says, ‘I used to try and do everything myself, but now I’m working on my next venture, I won’t be able to be in two or three places at once. The course is teaching me to utilise my staff to their full potential.’

Lyn is aiming to open her second spa towards the end of next year.

Lyn will be speaking about her business at the PRIME Olderpreneur Roadshow in Manchester on 9th December 2009. Click here to book your free place.

Contact

Lyn Siddle
Portland Hall Spa
17a Portland St
Southport
PR8 1LR
Tel: 01704 537733
Info@portlandhallspa.com
www.portlandhallspa.com

Fifty six year old Janet Wilks is earning £30,000 a year after starting a business in Belief Therapy.

Janet, who lives in Leeds, helps people dismantle conscious and unconscious limiting beliefs, so that they can live a fuller life. Janet specialises in confidence building, personal development, and new businesses. Private sessions cost £100 per hour, but clients can get the service for free if they sign up for the Personal Enterprise Coaching Programme run by Business Link. Janet sees seven to ten people a month, enabling her to live comfortably and still have some free time for herself. She says ‘the key was knowing what I wanted to do, and persisting until it happened’.

Janet retired from her Manager Coach position at British Gas in June 2008. Her father was ill, and Janet wanted to go and look after him. By October he had recovered, and Janet was uncomfortable being the ‘lady of leisure’ her friends expected her to be. She began gathering business ideas.

Research

Janet approached PRIME and was sent a free pack on self-employment. The pack included a directory of local business support, and guides to Ideas for Business, Finance, and Working for Yourself. Janet says:

It was inspirational. The Working for Yourself booklet told me everything I needed to know in plain English. It gave me a bit of a kick, and I thought ‘I WILL do this.

Janet knuckled down and contacted everyone she could think of. She spoke to Business Link, where an advisor helped her brainstorm some ideas. At the time Janet was considering a social enterprise, but Business Link advised against this, and instead recommended a list of enterprise community centres that specialised in belief coaching.

Janet researched online and found out about Sharing the Success; a project run by Leeds Local Enterprise Initiative to put government funding into new and existing businesses in Leeds. Janet investigated the scheme and arranged some voluntary work for herself at Harehills and Beeston community centres. She continued to network and discuss her ideas at these placements, and when lecturing at other voluntary events. Eventually a representative of Age for Employment (A4E) suggested the personal enterprise coaching programme at Business Link.

Personal Enterprise Coaching Programme

Janet was taken on after submitting her CV and Mission Statement, and discussing her terms with Business Link. Business Link pay Janet £200 for every client she sees on their behalf. Janet is obliged to spend two two-hour sessions with the client, but often goes over if she feels the participant would benefit from it. Clients are then given exercises to do in their own time, so that they can continue to see the results after the sessions are over.

Hedpop

Another venture was becoming a guest speaker at Hedpop, who specialise in business transformation and lifestyle management. This is similar to Janet’s old corporate coaching role at British Gas, and helps her keep a foot in the door. The company is run by former colleague Dave Newsome, and is aided by NLP trainer Mark Thompson. The three support one another. She explains: ‘I am the artist who comes up with new ideas, and Dave and Mark have the logic to shape them and make them work’.
Training

While Janet was at British Gas she took a course in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and became a practitioner. She also took the Life Coach Handbook Diploma at the Achievement Specialists centre in Bournemouth. These qualifications are popular in the personal development sector, and give Janet accreditation.

Advertising

Janet’s main advertising medium is her website www.adoptcoaching.co.uk.  The site was made by Phil Johnson who contacted her through the Leeds Chamber of Commerce. ‘He is the most amazing person in the world’ Janet says. Phil charges £500 to set up a website and £15 a month after the first year to maintain and update it.

Janet also uses Phil’s services to print her business cards. Janet has a different quote on the back of each one, which she says provides a talking point when networking. ‘I find that quotes are very inspirational, and can mean something to the person that takes the card’ she explains.

When Janet bought her first lot of cards the business was in its early stages. This meant that after a couple of months the cards were no longer relevant. Her advice is to wait until you are sure about your message and what branding you want to use.

In other advertising, Janet found that flyers were largely ineffective, but that networking and events were successful. Janet volunteered to speak at a number of events including Reach Further Coffee Mornings, Forward Ladies, and My Catalyst.

Problems

Janet’s main problem was negativity:

My family and friends would say ‘Don’t you think you’re a bit old to start a business?’ and ‘How are you going to make any money?’ I didn’t know how it was all going to work, but I wanted it so much that I just kept pushing.

Less than a year after starting, Janet has generated a good income and reputation.

Contact

Adopt Coaching
Janet Wilks
Tel: 07904 865 847
Email: janet.wilks@live.co.uk
Web: www.adoptcoaching.co.uk