PRIME business club

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.

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  
 

Are you over 50 and thinking of starting a business or becoming self-employed? Then come along to PRIME’s FREE taster workshop at the British Library (centrally located between London’s Euston and Kings Cross stations).

* Decide if self-employment is right for you
* Hear from older entrepreneurs who have gone ahead and started.
* Meet local organisations that can help you
* Meet and network with your peers

More details about the programme are below.

Like other events in PRIME’s roadshow series, the emphasis throughout is on helping you establish whether self-employment is the right thing for you. This event is suitable for those still at the ideas stage, and those with a firm plan in mind who are almost ready to go ahead. Find out the practical steps involved and hear from people who have already done it before making the leap.

All PRIME events are free. As a charity we are interested in helping people make the right decision - to start in business or do something else. Our role is to provide you with good information so you can make a well-informed decision.
This event is part of PRIME’s Olderpreneur Roadshow. For list of other cities visited click here.

London programme

6.00pm – Arrival, registration and refreshments

6.15pm – Welcome speech – Laurie South, PRIME
6.25pm – Starting your own business. How PRIME can help - Chuffy Jenkins, PRIME
6.45pm – Quick and easy ways to promote your business - Helen Ashley, Upward Curve PR
7.00pm – Your next step, Business Link for London
7.05pm – Help and Advice from the HMRC team
7.10pm – Available resources, British Library

7.25pm – Break

7.35pm – Olderpreneurs who have gone ahead and started up.
Cecile Trijssenaar, Top Match West London
Clare Flynn, Make it and Mend it
Suzy Kilgour, Walking Workouts
8.20pm – Question and answer session following on to informal networking

9.00pm – Close.

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/

Make Your Mark is running a series of free to attend events for budding entrepreneurs this autumn. During these events you’ll:

• Hear how a Make Your Mark Ambassador started their business.
• Work out what you do best and ‘reality check’ it with others.
• Hear best selling business author Robert Ashton’ ten top start-up tips.
• Meet local business advice agencies and others able to help you.

Make Your Mark is a campaign founded by the four leading UK business membership organisations - the British Chambers of Commerce, the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Institute of Directors.

Harrow - Wednesday 14th October

Passion into Profit, is entrepreneurship right for you?

You’re passionate about what you do but somehow working for someone else is losing its appeal. You want to start your own business. You’re not aiming to build an empire, just to earn a good living doing what you enjoy and working with people who respect you for being the person you are.

Meet people who’ve already started their own business in Harrow and find out how you can do the same. Hear Elsa Caleb, a local business adviser who’s a national authority on BAME enterprise share her top tips on business networking and how to do it.

Registration from 6.30 for 7 - 9.30pm 

The Grim’s Dyke Hotel, Old Redding, Harrow, HA3 6SH

Free parking on site

Find out more and book your place today at www.passionsintoprofit.org.uk

Extract from www.tfl.gov.uk  

JOB seekers can now benefit from half-price bus and tram travel to make it easier to get to interviews, libraries, Job Centres and other amenities.

Eligible Londoners in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance or the new Employment and Support Allowance can now get the same half-price travel concession that those on Income Support currently receive.

The move is part of the Mayor of London’s Economic Recovery Action Plan.

Click here to read the full story

Go to www.london.gov.uk to find out if you are eligible

Anyone over 60 in London should qualify for FREE travel anyway, at least at off-peak times. You can get a “Freedon Pass“. This is available to men as well as women from the age of 60 (even though men don’t qualify for a pension till later). It doesn’t matter whether or not you are working or not - age and residence are the only criteria. How to apply.

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and the London Development Agency (LDA) are hosting a series of three free business strategy seminars for small and medium sized businesses called “Fit for the Future”.

The venue is the PwC office at One Embankment Place, London, WC2N 6RH. Time: 16:45 registration for 17.00 start

HR strategies to help grow your business - 22 September 2009A forum covering ways for companies to structure their pay/bonuses/incentives to help grow their business.

Releasing cash from across your business  - 19 October 2009 Ways to free up cash to give you options ranging from survival to strategic investment

Accessing finance - 25 November 2009
Hear about alternative sources of finance, how best to present to potential lenders to get hungry responses and review and negotiate with preferred lenders

For further information and to register please click here.

KPMG and the London Development Agency (LDA) are hosting two innovative web-based seminars for small and medium sized businesses.  It’s an opportunity to take part in a seminar with other like minded professionals without leaving your desk/office.

Business planning/Forecasting/Market Analysis - 9th September 2009

Winning Public Sector Contracts - 6th October 2009

For further information on the seminars and to register for the event please click here.

What is a web seminar? It’s an interactive online seminar conducted via the web using audio teleconferencing. You’ll be sent instructions for accessing the siminar by email at the time you register.

All the things you need to know about breaking up and starting over in one Starting Over Show

The Starting Over Show is the first UK event to help people bounce back from relationship break ups and life crises. On the day, The SOS creates a safe haven in which you can take professional advice to build the confidence and skills you need to go it alone.

Hilton London Metropole on 7 March 2010
Hilton Brighton Metropole on 28 March 2010

Tickets are £3 each

Visit www.startupshow.com for more information.

PRIME will be at this free event over the weekend if you want to drop by to pick up literature or talk to us. The event is really designed to allow local businesses to showcase their goods and services in this busy South London shopping centre. Venue details

Though there may be some seminars and speed networking going on, the significance of this event is really that you may be able to find something like it in your own area - to exhibit at. The stall space is heavily subsidised - at £50 a day far below market rate for such a busy venue.

If you can’t find anything then maybe you could organise something similar yourself. The Croydon event was organised by local business starter Dahlia Anderson, who needed a place to showcase her own skin care products.

Other shopping centres, local councils and business support organisations elsewhere in the country may be receptive to similar events to support their own local businesses. Because of the recession they may be keen to get things moving again by giving new businesses a helping hand.

If you have any queries about the Croydon event please contact event organiser Dahlia Anderson on 0785 290 5382, or visit www.londonnewbusinessexpo.com

Cecile Trijssenaar has secured the first loan under the Zopa-PRIME Olderpreneur loan scheme. She is using it to help her set up her dating site TopMatch West London, which she hopes to have live in August.

Cecile, who is just 50, requested £13,000 to buy into and develop an online dating franchise called TopMatch, which she will operate in the area of London where she lives. She got the loan at an annual interest rate of 9.86 per cent, just 0.46 per cent above what she requested.

Once Cecile decided to buy the franchise, she looked for ways to raise money. She spoke to her bank and found that the chances of getting a loan were minimal.

So she turned to Zopa - an online lending marketplace. Cecile knew about Zopa from previous research, and liked the fact that the money was lent by ordinary people, instead of a big corporate bank. Cecile read about the Olderpreneur loan scheme on the Zopa site, and decided to contact PRIME.

You need to pass a number of requirements to be accepted for the Zopa-PRIME loan. You must be over 50 (or just about to be so you will be when the loan is taken out), and can request no more than £15,000. You must have lived in the UK for the last three years, and have a UK bank account registered in your name at your home address.

You must also not have taken out a loan in the last four months, and vitally you must have a strong and realistic business plan.

Cecile describes her dealings with PRIME in the following way:

“PRIME were ruthless. They were very thorough, but really really good. It focused my mind. I realised that up until now I had been very fuzzy, but Siu (PRIME’s Loans Manager) asked for everything to be really detailed and precise and I thought that was fantastic, and very helpful.”

Cecile Trijssenaar

Writing a good business plan - where you have to outline things like how you are going to make a profit and detail both the strengths and weaknesses of your proposed venture, will help you to get funding. You also need to think about your marketing strategy, and how sales can be realistically achieved.

A good credit record is also a definite advantage, and this seems to have helped win the trust of many of Cecile’s lenders - who are ordinary members of the public lending via the Zopa exchange. If you have a county court judgement (CCJ), loan default, or have been unable to repay a loan, you are not likely to be successful.

Once cleared by PRIME, Cecile’s next step was to apply online for a Zopa listing. This involves three stages; registration, passing Zopa’s online credit score and risk asssessment, and finally getting your pitch for a loan up on the web site’s “listings” section, You can do this online or on a paper-based application if you prefer.

If you are accepted as a Zopa borrower, you are then able to promote your borrowing needs to potential lenders. Your pitch basically sells your business idea, and explains to lenders why you are a ‘safe pair of hands’ and why you can be trusted to repay them.

You can see Cecile’s listing here.

Potential lenders viewing your listing can ask you questions. “This probing by the public can be very helpful”, says PRIME’s loans manager Siu Woo, “and may reveal issues you haven’t thought of. But you are under no obligation to answer if you feel a question is too intrusive.”

Cecile made it through all the hoops. Within three days she got offers for the full amount. With money now in the bank, Cecile can get on with launching the business. The actual launch day is scheduled for the first week of August

Unlike other dating sites Cecile will be personally vetting each individual, which means she can get a more accurate view of what people are like, and what sort of person they are looking for, as well as filter out anyone who seems untrustworthy.

Cecile says “I had a friend who met up with a guy via a dating agency, and afterwards she got a lot of abusive text message. I want to cut out situations like that. TopMatch West London will also be cheaper than a lot of dating sites, costing £399 for a year.”

Cecile has a background in the TV and film industry, but wanted extra stability for her five-year-old son. She initially set up a support website for those trying to adopt internationally - something that Cecile is passionate about. But though this succeeded as a project, the site has too few members to become the basis of a profitable business. So Cecile decided she must look elsewhere to find an income.

“I set up criteria for what I wanted to do. I wanted to work from home. I wanted flexible hours so that I could be with my son. I didn’t want a boss breathing down my neck, and I wanted to do something that made people happy.”

Cecile searched for a job that fitted her requirements, and came across an advert for the Top Match franchise on www.workingmums.co.uk. She says “I immediately thought, ‘that’s what I want to do’, and started to get excited.”

The franchise costs £11,950. This includes a five year licence (that can be renewed at no extra fee), two days training, a laptop and software. The franchisor also promises £500 worth of marketing, £1,500 worth of promotion, continuous IT and business support, legal fees and office set up costs.

Cecile will have exclusivity for the TopMatch franchise in the West London area, which has an estimated 340,000 singletons. But she will have to pay the franchiser £69 whenever she signs a new member. There is a 90-day money back guarantee if the business does not take off, and an option to sell it back to the franchiser at any time for the same price.

Contact:
Top Match West London, www.westlondon.topmatch-uk.com

Further reading

1. More about Zopa-PRIME loan fund and how to apply.

2. More about franchising. Download PRIME’s free 70-page guide, which includes a jargon buster and warnings about pitfalls to avoid.

Exclusivity
The exclusive territory in which a franchisee enjoys freedom from competition by other franchisees in the same franchise network. It needs to be specified in the franchise agreement to have any force.

Franchising
A method of distributing products or services that involves independent businesses - or franchisees, doing business using a business name, trademarks and procedures granted to them by another company - the franchisor.

Franchisor
The parent company that grants, usually for a fee and other charges, the right to use its trade name, trademarks and system of business operations.

Franchisee
The person or company that pays for the right to do business under the franchisor’s name and system. They usually pay an initial franchise fee, then a royalty or service fee and other continuing charges earmarked for specific things such as advertising, rent or equipment.

Date: Wednesday 15 July and Tuesday 8 September, 2009
Time: 10am - 4pm
Venue: Central London

Meeting and building relationships with business contacts can be a real challenge, especially if you’re starting from scratch. This networking event will make it easy and enjoyable for you to meet like-minded people in an informal setting.

The event will include:

Networking activities

Hints and tips on how to best use your time to make quality contacts and what to do with them after the evening is over

One-to-one business advice sessions with John Mitchell

One-to-one benefits advice sessions with Shirley Spong

Workshop with Penny Power on how to network effectively both at the event and online, and how to turn those new contacts into business

Inspirational story from the guest speaker 

Event speakers

John Mitchell

John is an acknowledged specialist on self-employment for disabled and disadvantaged people who has recently assisted the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in the development of the Business Support Simplification Programme launched in 2008.

Shirley Spong

Shirley started work for Greenwich council in 1983 providing free legal representation.
After three years she moved to work in a law centre as a specialist tribunal worker in what was then the third poorest borough in London. Shirley is currently working with Business Link in London to develop supportive and accessible programmes for would-be Deaf and disabled entrepreneurs that overcome the barriers that the benefit system creates.

Penny Power

In 1998 Penny came up with the idea of Ecademy, a Social Business Network to connect business people for learning, career and business development. Glenn Watkins joined Penny right at the beginning becoming Chief Executive in 2001.

Glenn built the business whilst Thomas Power took over as the front person for Ecademy. Penny spent time bringing up the children, remaining in the background of Ecademy, but always watching and contacting members.

Booking details

Reserve your place at this event on Wednesday 15 July, Stamford Street - Opens in a new window

Reserve your place at this event on Tuesday 8 September, Euston Road - Opens in a new window

Made redundant at 52, and suffering from Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME), the Job Centre told Tony Palmer that his chances of paid employment were slim. Tony took matters into his own hands and started his own engraving business.

Crystal Mountain Glass sells engraved awards, wedding gifts, decanters, bowls, and paperweights, as well as rock tablets with multilevel carving, and Swarovski crystals. Tony bulk buys the glass from a supplier in Scotland, and engraves it in a 12ft x 15ft workshop in his back garden. Prices vary, with engraved pet tags at £5, Swarovski Suncatchers from £15, and Champions Trophies at £250.

Tony was made redundant in April 2008. He applied for jobs, but was never granted an interview. Tony suspected this was due to his age and health issues, and the Job Centre agreed with him. Tony says ‘I sat down and discussed it with my wife Marion. We chose self-employment because it was the only option’. On the 1st September 2008, the business was launched.

Starting up

Tony cashed in his pension to buy his equipment and start the business. The equipment cost around £12,000 as some of it had to be imported from America. By giving up his pension, Tony runs the risk of relying on job seekers allowance if the business is unsuccessful. Yet Tony is confident in his ability, and so far, all is going well.

Tony’s first step to becoming self-employed was to ‘get advice’. Tony attended free HMRC workshops on tax returns and VAT. This helped Tony decide whether to be VAT registered or not, and helped him understand about accounts and bookkeeping. Tony is now thinking of taking on an accountant to save time, but is clued up enough to know what is what.

Tony took part in Business Link workshops, which focused on starting in business, and creating a website. He plans to attend a further course on increasing website traffic, and has requested an information factsheet (or Cobweb) on the same, from PRIME. Tony’s main tip in becoming self-employed is ‘Get as much advice as possible. It is free and always valuable’. You can find details of free workshops in your area by going to www.primebusinessclub.com/category/events.

Marketing

Tony and Marion attend craft fairs each month. A pitch can cost anything between £70 and £170 for a 6ft area. The fairs are a way of spreading the word, and can often bring in large orders a few months down the line. Tony says ‘people will talk to us at an event, then a sports day or award ceremony will pop up, and they’ll remember and give us a call’.

Tony wanted to employ a website designer, but every quote was 4 figures so he did it himself instead. Tony went to www.123-reg.co.uk and bought a domain name. It was then about £70 for a software package, which allowed Tony to upload information via already formatted templates.

When looking for a glass supplier, Tony made a shrewd move with The Glass Scribe International in Scotland. As well as getting a good deal on wholesale glass, Tony became sole distributor for The Glass Scribe in London. This meant that Tony got a free listing as a stockist on The Glass Scribe’s website, as well as being able to show off his collection to those picking up orders.

Networking

Tony attends a small business club, once a month, in Thurrock. ‘It is good to mix with businesses that are in different stages of development’ says Tony. People share knowledge and tips, and it is also a good chance to gain contacts, and talk about your own product.

Problems

Tony suffers from Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME). ME can cause severe fatigue and malaise after mental or physical activity. Tony’s old job demanded long periods of visual processing; about 60% of the time dedicated to looking at a computer screen. Tony would go for so many weeks, but then have to take time off to recover. Now his own boss, Tony can have what his specialist calls ‘a modified living style’. He brakes up his time in front of the computer, interchanging it with other aspects of the business. As a result, Tony’s ME becomes more manageable.

Seven months after Crystal Mountain Glass began, and the business is beginning to fund itself. But work is sporadic, and Tony and Marion sometimes have to dip into their bank account to keep the cash flow going. This is a temporary solution, until orders become more regular.

What Tony really wants, is enough profit to support a showroom or a shop. That way people could peruse the collection first hand, just like they do at the craft fairs. With an increasing customer base, and regular marketing, it is surely just a matter of time.

Contact

Crystal Mountain Glass
23 Somerset Gardens
Basildon
Essex
SS13 3JJ
Tel: 07504 779038
E-mail: tony.palmer@crystalmountainglass.co.uk
Website: www.crystalmountainglass.co.uk