Small Business Matters

Go Global in 2012

Research in the first month of the New Year points to record levels of new businesses being created and high optimism amongst small business owners. Will this confidence convert into international trade and expansion? Enterprise Nation founder, Emma Jones, hopes so! 

Here, she offers four steps to going global in 2012 and announces a series of events with DHL and Regus that will help you along the way. 

This will be a good year to grow sales and Go Global. A sizeable opportunity is opening up with growth in markets beyond the Eurozone where more people are going online and wanting to buy British-made products and services.

Here’s how to make the most of it: 

1. Know your product/service – this sounds like a basic starting point but what I mean by this is focus on your niche. Clearly define the look/feel and cost of your product so you know exactly how to position it in new markets and where to promote it. 

2. Look beyond the Eurozone – in late 2011, the HSBC Trade Forecast predicted that world trade will grow by 73% in the next 15 years, with forecasts showing Egypt, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, China and Brazil to be the international powerhouses that will drive growth.

How to stay on track during your first year in business - tips from a real business owner

This post was written by Sharon Lowe, owner of The Pure Emporia, a natural skincare website. She shares what she has learned during her first year in business.

Starting or recently started a business? Are you feeling daunted? Questioning whether it was the best idea? Lost in the massive amount of work that it takes to run your own business?

You need to stay positive and be as proactive as possible in order to push your business forward, particularly in the current economic climate.

These are my tips for staying on track:

Think the worst, and other ways to manage stress when you’re running a small business

There are many great things about running your own business. In theory, you get up when you choose, work when you like and do things your way without anyone telling you to get back to your desk. Add in the probability that you’re doing something that you’re passionate about and it’s easy to see why the self-employed life is so alluring.

However, there is a downside to going it alone – it can be pretty stressful sometimes. In fact, the stress and anxiety are often caused by the very things that make the life so appealing. A certain amount of stress running your own business is inevitable but there are steps you can take to keep it from becoming overwhelming.

1) What's the worst that could happen?

Making the most of craft events

At this time of year many businesses selling handmade goods or gift-related items are busy attending sales events. Emma Maudsley, the creative mind and hands behind SockMonkeyEmporium, gives her advice on preparing for and making the most of such events.

One of the most exciting parts of being a crafter is being able to get out and about at craft fairs. These could be as simple as a school fete or as complex as a major event at a historic house or football stadium. You can find information about events in your area through various internet sites - stick it in Google and see what comes up.
 
There is normally a fee involved in taking part; make sure you know what is being provided for you - the table is usually provided but not all events include chairs, especially if you need more than one. If you need access to electricity you should certainly ask the event organisers if you can be placed in a suitable space.

Also, be sure that the fee involved is a figure you feel you can afford. I have been offered tables at events ranging in price from £10 to £100 and I price it by monkeys - £10 is one monkey. If I don't feel I would sell more than 10 monkeys at an event then I certainly wouldn't be paying a £100 fee.

Preparation is everything

Prior to the event make sure you are organised. If you have Facebook and Twitter tell people where you are going to be.

Top tech tactics for productivity

This post is written by Francesca Geens. Francesca runs Digital Dragonfly a technology consultancy that specialises in one-person businesses. Francesca is especially interested in productivity and the use of technology to improve people’s day-to-day business lives. 

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier but from experience with my clients I think most people will agree that it doesn’t always feel this way! So what are the three easy steps you can take to increase your productivity - or better put, your tech sanity?

Instead of the usual long list of favourite productivity apps, I thought I would add some best practice into the mix as I find that this can often make the biggest difference.

Finding the business idea that’s right for you

This guest post is by ReeRee Rockette, who owns Rockalily Lipstick as well as a creative business group called Wonderful Women: Minding Our Own Business.

I meet many people who dream of being self-employed but just aren't sure where to start. They don't feel they have a stand-out talent or skill, and just don't know what they could become. I definitely know the feeling - I had no clue what I would be if I wasn't a teacher and when I quit, I still wasn't exactly sure!

What follows are some of the strategies I used to discover my new career:

Mumpreneurs, olderpreneurs, entrepreneurs and ninjas: What’s in a business label?

There are a number of labels given to and adopted by business-owners, such as 'entrepreneur', 'olderpreneur', 'mumpreneur' and now even 'guru' or 'ninja'.

The news that the word ‘mumpreneur’ has now been entered into the Collins English Dictionary got us thinking about how the terms are used and how businesses themselves feel about them.

Congratulations to this year's Mumpreneur Award winners!

We had a great day at the Mumpreneur Awards yesterday, meeting some really interesting and inspiring businesses – so much creativity and determination out there!

These were the winners of each category:

The Vintage Affair: I turned my passion into a business

Many of us dream of turning a passion or hobby into a business and getting paid to do what we love all day. Julia Lancaster did just that by turning her collection of vintage crockery into a money-making venture – The Vintage Affair.

Julia told us about what it’s like running a business related to your interests.

The business

The Vintage Affair specialises in vintage crockery hire, including items such as tea cups, saucers, milk jugs, sugar bowls, cake stands, linens and other vintage accessories. 

Adventure company enjoys freedom of online accounts

Guest blog from Samantha Mayne, entrepreneur and small business owner of TriAdventure, an adventure based events company.

Freedom from having a fixed workplace is one of the big bonuses of running an online business. When I set up TriAdventure a couple of years ago, being flexible in how and when I worked was one of the main attractions of going it alone. Using QuickBooks Online to manage my books means I don’t have to worry about carting my laptop around to keep on top of my finances. I log on from anywhere there’s internet access, running my business easily when I’m out of the office – which happens regularly. It saves me a lot of time too as I’ve got instant access to everything I need and don’t have to rush back to my desk to do my billing, create a quote or find out how my cash flow is doing. Having this lack of restrictions was why I set the business up in the first place.