PRIME business club

Anne Walsh, 53 from Manchester, went from BT operations manager to quirky craftswoman, when she applied for voluntary redundancy.

BT operations manager Anne Walsh was the breadwinner for a disabled husband and three children. Fed up with her office job, Anne promised herself she would change her life when she turned 50. Anne applied for voluntary redundancy, sold her Porsche, and bought a van. She began to make gifts for family friends, and to sell on eBay. Anne made flowers out of socks, cakes and trifles out of soap and face cloths, and large cakes out of baby’s nappies. Anne says ‘the cakes definitely started as a hobby, but more and more people wanted them, and it soon became a business.’ My Unique Gifts now caters for a wealth of occasions from births and weddings to dog and cat pampering, with products ranging from £3.95 to £55.

Research

Anne’s first idea was the ‘nappy cake’. This is a fake cake made of disposable nappies, which Anne saw on holiday in San Francisco in 2001. Anne researched the product on the Internet and found that though extremely popular in the US and Canada, the nappy cake was barely on the British market. Anne purchased a ‘teach yourself’ DVD, and began to experiment. My Unique Gifts now boasts a whole range of nappy cakes from single to five tiered, complete with 96 nappies, two bottles, a pair of baby socks, baby suit and matching hat or bib, receiving blanket, crystal keepsake, photo frame, and soft toy.

Training

When Anne registered with PRIME, she was told where to go for business advice. She attended a free HMRC Business Advice Open Day, where PRIME hosted a seminar on working for yourself. Anne then booked herself onto a free HMRC workshop on self-employment tax issues. Anne says ‘both events were extremely helpful in getting to know the basics.’ But she did leave some things to the professionals, and hired a bookkeeper to document her accounts. The rest of Anne’s training was simply trying new things and learning as she went along.

Marketing and development

An early marketing tool was to circulate an email round Manchester College. A family friend, worked at the college, and sent out pictures of Christmas cakes that were on offer. This was very successful, and large orders flooded in. Anne now keeps her own mailing list, and sends out details of new gifts, or seasonal promotions.

Anne attended a craft fair with her Daughter in the Lake District, and was thrilled by the positive feedback her gifts received. The buzz spurred her on and Anne began to go to craft fairs and farmer’s markets on a regular basis. This brought in repeat customers, and the business began to expand.

Anne is now considering larger trade markets and has applied for her first two day event, the Stars and Stripes Classic American Car Show in Cheshire. Larger markets are £25 - £60 for the pitch; more expensive than the small craft fairs Anne is used to. But they provide a great opportunity to hit a larger and more commercial audience.

When going to get a logo painted on her van, Alan, the graphic designer gave Anne a tip. He recommended investing in a 0800 number. This means that if Anne’s real number (or ghost number) changes, the business line will remain the same, and customers will not be lost. The freephone number costs Anne about £60 a year. Calls cost an extra 4p a minute, but Anne keeps costs down by using her answer machine to take messages, then phoning people back from her landline, which has free minutes.

Anne’s main marketing weapon came in the form of stepson Steven Walsh. Steven is the Director of Marketing Success Unlimited, a company which specialises in branding and marketing campaign management, with a focus on online marketing. Steven provided Anne with business cards, letterheaded paper and flyers, and crucially created her website and online shop. This made Anne’s products more visible and accessible to customers outside Manchester. It also allowed people to pay by credit or debit card, which made the transaction process easier and safer for customers.

Problems

Anne’s main problem was finding suppliers that would keep the costs down. Where the Internet had proven an invaluable research tool in other areas, a lot of old warehouses were just not online. The Internet pointed to expensive and commercial manufacturers, and Anne had to dig a lot deeper to find wholesalers that provided a cost-effective price. Word of mouth became the best resource here. Anne asked friends that worked in retail, and got some good leads. Finally she was able to get her materials at a bargain, and bring down the asking price of her own gifts.

Future

Anne’s business is steadily growing and expanding. With each request, more socks and nappies are taking over the house. On 1st June 2009, Anne opened a shop and workshop, giving her business more space and achieving her target for 2009.

Contacts

Anne Walsh
53B North Road
Droylsden
Tameside
Manchester
M43 6NN
Freephone no: 0800 043 7156
Website: www.myuniquegifts.co.uk

Free Cobwebs (information factsheets) on renting, buying and choosing business premises are available from PRIME on request.

With the credit famine now biting hard all over the country there’s a glimmer of hope in the North West. The Northwest Regional Development Agency, which is part of government, has put together a scheme with local partners aimed at new and small businesses.

You can apply for any size of loan between £3,000 and £50,000. To be eligible you have to be based in Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Lancashire or Cumbria.

More details at Small Loans for Businesses

Hopefully this scheme with be copied by other Regional Development Agencies around the country. But at the moment the North West is leading the way.

This all-day free drop-in event will help you start your business - or decide if you are ready to take the plunge. Guests include Roger Phillips and Linda Mcdermott from BBC Radio Merseyside who will be interviewing attendees live.

Four free workshops.

One-to-one advice surgeries – confidential and impartial advice.

Exhibition and marketplace – see everyone from start-up specialists to banks, and meet other would-be entrepreneurs.

Interviews with successful local entrepreneurs.

The day is aimed at anyone over 50 who is thinking of starting a business or planning to be self-employed. You can drop-in to the exhibition but you need to book to be sure of a place at the free seminars.

Click here to register

As part of the day, PRIME will be running business idea sessions to help those who may be interested in becoming self-employed or setting up a business, but are lacking a clear idea of what product or service. PRIME’s sessions will help identify relevant, transferable skills and experience, examine potential income-generating hobbies and interests, and stimulate ideas for business that can be enjoyable, productive and with financial reward. Sessions will be run throughout the day, so come and book at the PRIME stand for the next available session.

Date: Friday 21st November 2008

Time: 11:30am - 2:00pm

Venue: The International Business Centre, Delta Crescent, Westbrook, Warrington, WA5 7WQ

Status: PRIME recommended event

 

Opportunity to meet and talk with local advisers who can help you start and grow your business. Please let the organisers know if you are attending, so that they know how much food to prepare.

Please contact Cheshire and Warrington Business Venture on 01925 715 175 or stella.libertini@wbv.org.uk  

Date: Tuesday 18th November 2008

Time: 4:00pm - 7:00pm

Venue: Hyndburn, Globe Centre, St.James Square, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 0RE

Status: PRIME recommended event

Advice on business for the over 50s. Drop-in format, Q & A for potential start ups, existing start ups on panel plus partners to answer questions.

Please contact Aileen Evans at centa@fsmail.net  

Date: Tuesday 18th November 2008

Time: 6:00pm - 8:30pm

Venue: Conference Room, St Helens Chamber, 7 Waterside Court, Technology Campus, St Helens, WA9 1UE

Status: PRIME recommended event

The seminar ‘Be your own boss when you are over 50′, is free to attend and features presentations on the most frequently asked questions when starting a business, as well as a chance to arrange a one-to-one meeting with a business start-up adviser, refreshments and a chance to network with like-minded people.

For more information or to book a place, please contact Lauren King on 01744 742096.

Date: Tuesday 18th November 2008

Time: 10:00am - 4:30pm

Venue: Cumbria Rural Enterprise Centre, Red Hill, Penrith, CA11 0DT

Status: PRIME recommended event

One day seminar in Penrith.

Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency also offer free consultations in Penrith and Kendal. For more information please contact Gemma Barnes on 01539 726 624 or gemma@crea.co.uk  

Entries are now being sought for next year’s awards for women-owned businesses in the North West of England. There are six categories (including the ageist Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award - must be under 30 years of age).

The prizes are £2,000 per category, with £1,000 to the runner up, and a top prize of £5,000 for the overall winner. Plus of course the value of the publicity winning may bring. The closing date is the 31st of November 2008.

You can download the entry form (a PDF) here.

The categories you might be eligible for are:

• Business Start-up of the Year
• Social Enterprise of the Year
• Growth Business of the Year
• Business and Professional Services Sector
• Overall North West Business of the Year

The North West region includes Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire, Lancashire and the Lake District. The awards are sponsored by the development agency for the region, the NWDA.

“Services are falling away thick and fast. There are fewer post offices, fewer bus services. Villagers were in danger of becoming isolated from one another.” This was the thought process that sparked Ann Davidson into creating My Village News, a local magazine which is attempting to bring her community back together.

After being made redundant from her job in newspaper advertising, Ann, 57, saw a need for a magazine in rural Cheshire where she lives. What started as a small idea is now well on the way to becoming a big success story. The monthly magazine My Village News has just celebrated its first anniversary, with 12 issues published.

“We started modestly in May last year with 24 pages”, says Ann, “and delivered to two-and-a-half thousand homes and businesses. Now we are averaging about 50 pages - and we deliver to over 5,200 homes”.

Ann and her husband John deliver all the issues themselves, which takes about eight days a month to do. What makes the task more arduous is that My Village News is aimed at a rural readership. In rural communities houses aren’t always easy to reach. Indeed, many free newspaper teams don’t bother to find the more difficult country addresses, but Ann and her husband feel it’s important to deliver to everybody. They laugh about the trials of finding the elusive letterboxes and the long drive-ways. “We’ve got to know the dogs - and which ones are friendly and which to avoid!”

Local advertisers fund the magazine. Ann believes one reason the magazine is doing so well is that people are moving away from buying from large chains, preferring instead to put their trust in local retailers and produce. For example Ann’s father’s freezer recently broke down - and one of the magazine’s advertisers not only delivered a new freezer and set it up, but packed up the old freezer and put it out for the council to collect. As long as people are happy to support their local advertisers, Ann is confident the magazine will be well funded.

However, My Village News isn’t all about business. It also contains free listings for local events such as fetes, proms and charity events, reviews of local pubs and eateries and editorial features. Ann and her husband write and produce the magazine entirely themselves, sending the final disk to the printers in nearby Nantwich.

Ann’s advice to others thinking of starting a business is to do plenty of research first. For example, Ann came to the conclusion that delivery had to be a high priority, to make sure enough readers were genuinely receiving copies. This would then increase the chance of advertisers getting a good response – which is what drives the long-term commercial viability of the business.

Ann turned to PRIME for encouragement after a friend suggested them. “We went to see PRIME within our first three months. I wanted some advice about the insurance I’d need to cover my business. I used PRIME to discuss ideas and thoughts, and used them as a sounding board. They are very approachable, and always returned my calls.”

Ann suggests making full use of your own experience. “After being made redundant, your first instinct might be to do something completely different. But consider the experience that you have gained in the workplace, and think about going with something you are familiar with. Selling advertising is second nature to me.”

Compared to Ann’s old office routine working on a newspaper, the hours that she works now suit her much better. She can fit magazine work around looking after her grandchild.

STOP PRESS: APPLICATIONS HAVE NOW CLOSED.

PRIME is hiring. We are looking for someone to get a new project going for us in the North West, based in Warrington.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday the 5th of December 2007 at 4pm, and interviews are scheduled for Friday the 14th of December in Warrington.

Full details and application pack on our other web site.

A new small-business award has been launched for those who live on Merseyside, backed by the Liverpool Daily Post and Dominique Faversham Group. The prize is 12 months’ mentoring and support, and a loan of up to £100,000. There are three age categories, including one for people aged 50+. The closing date is noon on the 1st of October 2007.
More details at

www.thesearchmerseyside.com

Friday 30th March 2007, from 1pm to 4pm
Halton Community Partnership Trust, The Old Police Station, Mersey Rd, Runcorn, WA7 1DF
Streetmap

If you have a business idea or would like to start up your own business, then come along to this FREE start up information session. It’s run by Halton Borough Council, in partnership with Silver Entrepreneurs, an initiative to encourage and support business start-ups, self employment and business expansion among the over 50s.

Everyone is welcome to attend the event. No booking is required and refreshments will be provided. The afternoon session includes talks from small business experts and details of where to access business advice and networking opportunities.

For further information contact Aimee at Silver Entrepreneurs on 0151 708 0875, email aimee@ideopolis.info or visit www.ideopolis.info for more details of the programme.

Elizabeth King, 51, and Vanessa Payne, 39, run a new car wash service in Cheshire. The business is based on Vanessa’s professional expertise in car valeting and Liz’s hands-on approach and willingness to learn something entirely new.

The two women were friends before deciding to run a business together. “We are both horsey and we actually met when I bought an Arab mare from Vanessa, who was then living in Cumbria,” explains Liz.

When Vanessa subsequently moved to Cheshire, the two women realised there was a potential business opportunity for them in the local area. Vanessa had several years’ experience in car valeting, while Liz had noticed the growth in car traffic and realised there was a gap in the market.

It has taken Liz and Vanessa almost two years to get their business up and running. Finding the right premises was a particular challenge. But they have now launched Arclid Car Wash, based in the village of Arclid, between Sandbach and Congleton, not far from the M6 motorway.

“We have done a lot of local research on valeting and car wash services and we are in a good spot here to capture trade,” says Liz. “We did start to look for premises nearly two years ago, and at one point we were waiting for some new units that looked promising. But then these premises [in a former garage] came up and they are better because we now have a workshop, with the pits, as well as offices and a waiting room area.”

While Vanessa has a professional background in car valeting, this is a new business area for Liz, whose main experience is in design.

Read the rest of this entry »

Date: Thursday 8th February 2007. Venue: Fourways Inn, Chester Road, Delamere, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 2HB. Time: 6.00pm for 6.30pm start with a free buffet at 7.15 Location map

PRIME is setting up a Business Networking Club in Cheshire, with free membership for people aged 50 plus who are thinking of starting a business or already running a business of their own.

Through the club we can offer you opportunities to:

• Meet with other like-minded people to share knowledge and experience, discover new clients or sources of supply

• Hear from expert speakers on how to develop your business, by increasing sales, raising finance, using IT effectively or implementing new legislation etc

• Learn from the experience of others who have overcome barriers to set up successful businesses

• Find out about the range of help and support available for business development from PRIME and others in Cheshire

Join us at our launch event at: 6.00pm Registration for a prompt 6.30pm start with a free buffet at 7.15on Thursday 8th February, 2007 Fourways Inn, Chester Road, Delamere, Northwich CW8 2HB an informal and enjoyable few hours.

Feel free to this launch as a free networking event where you can meet with other existing and potential entrepreneurs, sources of information and even customers.

To find out more about the free advice and support available from PRIME in Cheshire for people over 50 contact

Andrew Bailey on 01270 628 621
or email prime@reaseheath.ac.uk

Being Scottish, Eleanor Dowds, 53, probably appreciates the well-known words of Burns about the best-laid schemes of mice and men “going aft agley”.

Having worked for more than 30 years as a nurse, Eleanor, who is based in Cheshire, has been planning a move into self-employment for her middle years – but her plans have had to be put on hold for the time being.

“I had planned to take early retirement, which is possible in the NHS at 55, and that would free me up to have a career diversion, into building up a business,” explains Eleanor.

The new career that Eleanor has been planning is in the home-staging business, making homes more appealing to potential buyers. Eleanor and her husband have direct experience of enhancing homes, not only through having renovated two houses in which they have lived themselves, but also through having bought and renovated two properties to rent out.

Using a combination of workmen and their own efforts, Eleanor and her husband have carried out a wide range of renovations, including installing central heating, rewiring, plastering, installing new bathroom and decorating. This has been possible, explains Eleanor, because until recently, she was working only three days a week in her job as a nurse in a local hospital operating theatre, giving her the time she needed to work on her house project.

Two years ago, the couple moved into the house in which they now live and carried out extensive renovation. “It was as we finished that work that I realised that I could probably develop this as a business,” Eleanor says.

Read the rest of this entry »