PRIME business club

William Cawley, 53 created a heritage walk with a terrifying twist, when he invented the Shriek in Leek ghost tour.

Bill first did the ghost walk in November 2005 as a fundraising event for Children in Need. Over 40 people turned up to be spooked, raising the charity £100. Seeing the opportunity to make money from the venture, Bill began to repeat the event for special occasions like Halloween, and for large groups coming into town.

Bill dresses up in old style hat and robes to set the sinister tone. The tour lasts an hour and a half, with Bill leading the group through some historical landsites, attributing ghoulish tales to them along the way. The groups fluctuate from 3 to 40 plus people, and can be anything from scout groups, international scientists, or supernatural enthusiasts. Bill describes the walks as being ‘like jazz; a basic theme but lots of variation’. While keeping a creepy focus, he tailors the experience to the group; giving out translations for foreign students, and incorporating architecture, literature, art or culture for those with an interest. The tour finishes at a local pub, where participants can enjoy some food and merriment, and sometimes a live band.

Research

With a degree in History and Politics, articles in the Leek Post and Times, and an avid passion for local knowledge, Bill already had a wealth of information, ready to be unleashed on the public. Bill did extra research by placing an advert in the local paper asking for people’s experiences of ghosts in the area. Bill also studied back papers from the Post and Times’ archives, telling him of famous incidents and haunted buildings. Bill keeps his research fresh, so that his tour can change and develop.

Problems

Although Bill managed to do the tour fairly regularly - about once a fortnight, he found marketing a big problem. Without his own website, or help from the local authorities, Bill was unable to get enough visibility to keep the tour consistent. Conveniently, Bill was approached by Julie Lovatt of The Coffee Clique, also in Leek, who wanted to do something special for Halloween. Bill provided his services, beginning the tour from the coffee shop, while Julie stayed open late providing drinks for the returning customers. The pair now works together when there are festivals or events in Leek, and this brings in good publicity and numbers for both.

Though Bill has found ways to advertise, visibility is still an issue. Bill plans to combat this by setting up a website. He has received cobwebs (information for business factsheets) on ‘Developing and creating a basic website for your business,’ and ‘Choosing and using a website designer’ from PRIME which provide tips, advice and contacts for those wanting to explore this area.

Another problem was unemployment. It sounds obvious, but in the period that Bill was signed on, declaring the ghost walk would mean losing benefits, and paying taxes. Shriek in Leek was not reliable enough to replace these funds, so the absence of work meant there was no ghost tour for about 8 or 9 months.

Future

Bill works part time fundraising for local hospice Douglas Macmillan, and part time writing Port Vale Tales; the history of a local football club, funded by The Heritage Lottery Fund. Soon the latter will come to an end, and Bill will think about taking on his business full time. One idea is to invest in a mini bus, which will enable Bill to tour around the Moorlands area. To do this Bill will need funding. PRIME are currently working with Zopa on the Olderpreneur Loan Scheme. You can find details of eligibility and how to apply here. Business Link has information about finance and grants on their website.

Contacts

Bill Cawley
Tel: 01538 382 966
Email: williamcawley55@btinternet.com

Date: Thursday 26th February 2009

Time: 1pm to 6:30pm

Venue: The Bank’s Football Stadium, Bescot Crescent, Walsall, WS1 4SA

 Status: PRIME event

Essential Enterprise Day is a free PRIME event for anyone over 50 who is thinking of starting a business or planning to be self-employed.  PRIME’s programme of free workshops is available on a first come first serve basis.

You can register your interest by emailing prime@ace.org.uk

Black Country Essential Enterprise Day

WORKSHOP PROGRAMME

• 1.00 p.m. Arrival/ Registration Refreshments
• 2.00 p.m. Tom Edge – AGE IS NO BARRIER. Top tips for setting up a business when you are over 50. Tom Edge, our ever popular inspirational speaker will present his views on why, when you’re 50 or older, you have a better chance of ‘making it’ in business. Tom draws on his many years of business management, with an action-packed hour of practical tips and advice, interspersed with humorous anecdotes.
• 3.15 p.m. Irene Baines - HM Revenue and Customs Presentation
• 3.45 p.m. Tea /Coffee
• 4.00 p.m. Microsoft Marketing “How to market your business”
• 4.30 p.m. Workshops:  

Five lucky attendees of the afternoon workshop sessions will receive a FREE copy of the award winning Essential Business Guide , worth £24.95. The guide has assembled the combined knowledge of 32 highly-experienced business experts, and is the perfect reference guide for you if you’re just starting out, or if you’ve been in business for many years.

This piece in the Birmingham Post takes as its starting point Richard Branson, but goes on to profile two local business starters in their 50s and 70s. It also refers to recent PRIME research into the extent and importance of older entrepreneurship.

Meanwhile Branson fans can follow his latest adventure at 9pm on Tuesday the 16th of December 2008 on Virgin 1.

Date: Tuesday 20th November 2008

Time: 10:00am - 4:00pm

Venue: The Honey Pot, The Old Curiosity Shop, The Square, Bromyard

Status: PRIME recommended event

 

Social enterprise and co-op awareness day. Drop in any time. All welcome.

Contact Clare Foster at claref@midwest-rural.org.uk  

Date: Monday 19th November 2008

Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm

Venue: The Old Curiosity Shop, The Square, Bromyard

Status: PRIME recommended event

 

Women’s enterprise event. Please contact Clare Foster at claref@midwest-rural.org.uk  

Date: Monday 17th November 2008

Time: 10.30am - 4:00pm

Venue: Shire Hall, Union Street, Hereford, HR1 2HX

Status: PRIME recommended event

Drop-in event in Herefordshire. Contact Clare Foster at claref@midwest-rural.org.uk

Date: Thursday 20th November 2008

Time: 1pm to 8pm, with both daytime and evening workshops

Venue: Molineux Conference Centre, Molineux Stadium (Wolves), Waterloo Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV1 4QR

Venue map

Status: PRIME event

Essential Enterprise Day is a free PRIME event for anyone over 50 who is thinking of starting a business or planning to be self-employed. There is an exhibition in the afternoon, while PRIME’s programme of free workshops continues on into the evening.

You can register your interest by emailing prime@ace.org.uk

WORKSHOP PROGRAMME

• 1.00 p.m. Arrival/ Registration Refreshments
• 2.00 p.m. Tom Edge – AGE IS NO BARRIER. Top tips for setting up a business when you are over 50. Tom Edge, our ever popular inspirational speaker will present his views on why, when you’re 50 or older, you have a better chance of ‘making it’ in business. Tom draws on his many years of business management, with an action-packed hour of practical tips and advice, interspersed with humorous anecdotes.
• 3.15 p.m. HMRC Presentation
• 3.45 p.m. Tea /Coffee
• 4.00pm Microsoft Marketing “How to market your business”
• 4.30 p.m. Workshops, either a) Tom Edge “How to increase your sales in the slowdown” or b) Martin Sarling “Developing Your Business Idea”
• 5.00 p.m. Buffet, Networking opportunities, Marketing Clinics by Microsoft
• 6.00 p.m. Workshop, Martin Sarling “ Basic Business ICT”
• 6.30 p.m. Tom Edge – Seminar “How to Beat the Recession”
• 7.45 p.m. Questions and Feedback
• 8.00 p.m. Close

FREE prize draw for people who attend PRIME’s daytime workshops

Ten lucky attendees of the afternoon workshop sessions will receive a FREE copy of the award winning Essential Business Guide , worth £24.95. The guide has assembled the combined knowledge of 32 highly-experienced business experts, and is the perfect reference guide for you if you’re just starting out, or if you’ve been in business for many years.

Date: Thursday 2nd October 2008

Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm

Venue: DBH Dudley, Castlemill, Burnt Tree, Dudley DY4 7UF

Status: PRIME event

PRIME is running two free workshops in the morning and afternoon of the 2nd of October, both aimed at people over 50 in the Dudley area of the West Midlands.

The first is aimed at people still thinking about running their own business. It is about whether self-employment is right for you, and if it is, finding a suitable idea.

The second is aimed at both people starting up and those who have already started, and is about the basic computing and Internet tools that can help. This session is run in conjunction with Microsoft’s community technology skills programme.

Lunch is provided.

For more information and to book your place telephone Martin Sarling on 07717 151 168, or email him at martin.sarling@ace.org.uk

Location map

Date: Thursday 19th June 2008, 11:00am to 4:00pm

Venue: The Blakenall Community Centre, Blakenall, Walsall, WS3 1LW

Status: PRIME Event 

Free workshop for people over 50 running their own business or thinking about starting up. Help on working for yourself including, marketing, computing, planning and pensions.

Lunch provided.

To book your place on this workshop Free phone: 0800 783 1904
Email: martin.sarling@ace.org.uk

Date: Monday 31st March 2008, 10:00am to 4:00pm

Venue: Age Concern Training Centre, Suite 10 Bridge House, Bridge Street, Walsall, WS1 1JQ.

Status: PRIME Event 

Free workshop for people over 50 running their own business or thinking about starting up. Help on business computing and finding the right direction for you.

To book your place on this workshop please contact Martin Sarling on: 07717 151 168 or Free phone: 0800 783 1904
Email: martin.sarling@ace.org.uk

Printable flyer 31.03.08

Date: Friday 28th March 2008, 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Venue: Oceana, Bilston Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 3AW

Status: PRIME Event 

Free workshop for people over 50 running their own business or thinking about starting up. Help on planning your future and finding the right direction for you.

To book your place on this workshop please contact Martin Sarling on: 07717 151 168 or Free phone: 0800 783 1904
Email: martin.sarling@ace.org.uk

Printable flyer 28.03.08

Garry Stephenson, 55, has set up an innovative photography company just months after being made redundant.

Garry, from Cannock in the West Midlands, was made redundant at Christmas from his job inspecting motor homes for a large local vehicle importer. His company SkyHiFotos.co.uk offers photography from an unusual angle – taken from the top of a special 50-foot mast.

Garry himself stays on the ground, controlling the camera from a laptop which shows the precise view being photographed. The Canon digital camera is attached to a motorised tilt-and-swivel head tilt he can control with his mouse. Garry is fully insured and is using professional equipment designed for this application – the extensible aluminium mast has wide legs and can be secured with guy ropes and pegs for extra stability when fully extended.

In addition to taking high shots made possible by this equipment Garry will also take ground level and interior shots to offer a full service. “I’d like to specialise in aerial photography”, he says. “But when you are first starting out you’ve got to do what you can – and go where the money is.” That said, he is keen to get work that allows him to develop his speciality – hence the Sky Hi name he has chosen for his business.

He first got the idea from the Internet. “I saw a pole advertised, then looked into what types there were, what they could do and what they cost. I found that I could get something suitable for not much more than buying a good fishing rod and all the kit.”

“For me it ticked all the boxes. Firstly something I could start almost as a hobby, but then secondly something I could work with as a business. And then thirdly something I could keep doing into retirement.”

Garry had always been a keen amateur photography. And indeed, over the years he had done some weddings for friends.

But aerial photography is what got him seriously interested in taking up photography as a means of making a living. It gave him what marketers would call his “unique selling point”.

“I could be a wedding photographer – along with about 200,000 others”, Garry explains. “Or I could be an aerial photographer – and one of about probably 50 maximum in the UK.”

Garry got little warning of the redundancy from his previous job. He heard in November that his employer was thinking about redundancies and then got his notice at Christmas. He received the basic statutory redundancy package (see below) rather than an enhanced package, so he needed to start earning again soon.

“At 55 it’s very difficult to get a job unless you want to be stacking shelves at Tesco or Asda. That’s not what I am. I was already thinking I could be doing something in photography. But when the redundancy came along it pushed me into it faster.”

Garry did get some advice on turning his hobby into a business from the Institute for Innovation and Enterprise, based at Wolverhampton University. He got a total 10 hours one-to-one business mentoring spread over a number of sessions.

“It was useful in that it took me in directions I would not normally have gone – it opened my eyes to other possibilities. By yourself you tend to get into a fixed frame of mind.  If that doesn’t work you sort of fall flat on your face. With mentoring your thoughts open up to more possibilities. So eventually you do find your own niche.”

Garry’s advice to others is to get your business underway whilst still in a regular job if at all possible. “Get a couple of contracts in place fast to get the money flowing in. Work it around your existing job if you can, before deciding to go fully self-employed. It’s easier if you are already in work. I wasn’t quite ready when I was made redundant.”

Contacts:

Garry Stephenson sales@skyhifotos.co.uk
Tel: 01543 425753, 07523 897968 (mob)

Innovation and Enterprise
University of Wolverhampton University
Tel: 01902 518960
Email: innovation@wbs.wlv.ac.uk

More about redundancy pay and notice

How much notice you get and the amount of redundancy pay you are entitled may be written in your contract of employment. But there are legal minimums which you are entitled to anyway, and these depend on your age and how long you have been working for that employer. Legally you are entitled to one week’s notice for each complete year (up to a maximum of 12) if you’ve been continuously employed for two or more years after the age of 41.

The rules are fairly involved. There’s a useful calculator at the Direct Gov site.

If you are faced with redundancy it is also worth checking out the independent site Armchair Advice.

NB: This event has been moved from Wednesday 5th March, the date originally advertised here.

Date: Tuesday 18th March 2008, 1:30pm to 7:30pm

Venue: Upper Room, The Crossing at St Paul’s, Dawell Street, Walsall, WS1 1DA

Status: PRIME event

This free event for people over 50 covers both starting up and running your own business. There will be trained advisers on hand to discuss your options on a one-to-one basis, and a programme of talks throught the day.

Topics to be covered will be confirmed closer to the day, but are likely to include:
• Becoming self-employed
• Benefits, tax and national insurance
• Computers and the Internet for small business
• Sorting out a self-employed pension

For more information and to book your place please contact Martin Sarling on 07717 151 168 or Freephone PRIME on 0800 783 1904
Email: martin.sarling@ace.org.uk

Location map and directions

Walsall Printable Flyer

Date: Thursday 17th January 2008, 10:00am to 12:00 Noon - lunch provided

Venue: Age Concern Training Centre, Suite 10 Bridge House, Bridge Street, Walsall, West Midlands WS1 1JQ

Status: PRIME event

Come to this FREE workshop and think through your business ideas. Aimed at newcomers to business and self-employment, this workshop is about refining your ideas and finding a viable business you could make a living from.

The workshop will focus on:
• choosing the best business idea
• thinking through the business
• sources of help in getting started

For more information and to book your place please contact Martin Sarling on 07717 151 168 or Freephone PRIME on 0800 783 1904
Email: martin.sarling@ace.org.uk

Walsall 17 Jan 08 printable flyer

Location map

Date: Monday 14th January 2008, 10:00am to 12:00 Noon - lunch provided

Venue: Age Concern Training Centre, Suite 10 Bridge House, Bridge Street, Walsall, West Midlands WS1 1JQ

Status: PRIME event

Come to this FREE workshop and plan your future. Aimed at newcomers to business and self-employment it will help you think through your options and come up with an idea idea for a possible business. It will also allow you to better assess the pros and cons of self-employment, stating from your own situation.

The workshop will focus on:
• using your skills and talents
• coming up with a good business idea
• the basics of being self-employed

See also more advanced event three days later 

For more information and to book your place please contact Martin Sarling on 07717 151 168 or Freephone PRIME on 0800 783 1904
Email: martin.sarling@ace.org.uk

Walsall 14 Jan 08 printable flyer

Location map