Small Business Matters | A Blog for UK Small Businesses

Global Entrepreneurship Week: Intuit takes to the airwaves!

As we mentioned earlier in the week, in honour of Global Entrepreneurship Week our resident small business specialist, Catherine Harrell, took to the airwaves to discuss why entrepreneurs are so important to the UK economy and to offer some top tips on starting a new business in tough economic times.

Catherine chatted with more than 20 stations around the UK, sharing insights that prospective small business owners and those who have already taken the plunge can use to be ensure their success.

Couldn’t get to the radio in time? Click the podcast below to hear Catherine’s interview with BBC Surrey (104.6FM).

BBC Surrey Interview

Throughout the day, Catherine offered these top tips:

Put your plan on paper – whether you’re approaching a bank or your friends and family, getting a strong business plan in place is crucial to securing funding. This should cover how you plan to attract customers to your business, as well as what your contingency plans are for when things go off track.

Tune in for advice and to win small business prizes!

In honour of Global Entrepreneurship Week, tomorrow morning our resident small business specialist, Catherine Harrell, will be featured on local radio stations across the UK providing top tips to small business owners and prospective entrepreneurs on how to survive and succeed in the recession.

 

For more information on when and where you can tune in, please see below:

 

• Colourful Radio, UK (at 08:35)
• BBC Sussex and Surrey, Surrey (at 08:45)
• Phoenix FM, Brentwood, Essex (at 09:05)
• Lanarkshire's L107, Lanarkshire (at 09:15)
• Asian Star, Slough Berkshire (at 09:25)
• Radio Verulam, St Albans (at 09:35)
• 209radio (Cambridge), Cambridge (at 09:45)
• GTFM, Wales (at 09:55)
• Radio Cardiff, Cardiff (at 10:15)
• Harborough FM, Harborough (at 10:25)
• AFAN FM, Wales (at 10:35)
• 91.8 Hayes FM, Hillingdon, Ealing, Hounslow (at 10:45)
• Heart 103.1 and 102.8, Kent (at 10:55)
• Gold Kent, Kent (at 10:55)
• 101.8 WCR FM, Wolverhampton, West Midlands (at 11:05)
• Play Radio, Southampton and Winchester, Hampshire (at 11:15)
• Sunrise Radio National, UK (at 11:25)
• Kismat Radio 1035, Greater London (at 11:25) 
• BBC London 94.9, Greater London (at 22:45)

 

There will also be competitions to win free copies of QuickBooks SimpleStart (RRP £89.95) and £100 worth of PC World vouchers on the following stations, so listen out for your chance to win.

 

• Heart 103.1 and 102.8, Kent
• Metro Radio, Tyne & Wear
• 96.4 The Eagle, Guildford Surrey
• TFM, Teesside
• 96.3 Radio Aire, Leeds & West Yorkshire
• Bang Radio, North West London
• Swansea Sound, Swansea
• Waves Radio, Peterhead
• Central FM, Stirling & Falkirk
• Imagine FM, Stockport
• Isle of Wight Radio, Isle of Wight
• Fire 107.6, Bournemouth

 

Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009

This week (16-22nd November) is Global Entrepreneurship Week 2009 (GEW), a worldwide movement of entrepreneurial people, with millions unleashing their enterprising talents and turning their ideas into reality.

To coincide with GEW, we have surveyed over 2000 people in the UK*, and found that a third of British people want to, or have already started their own business. However, the recession has had a damaging effect on entrepreneurial confidence, as 40% of those that do want to set up their own business blame the recession for delaying their plans. Only 14% believe that now is a better time to start a business than a year ago.

Our research shows that the desire to become an entrepreneur is still alive and kicking for lots of Brits, but many are putting off the decision due to worries about the recession. As small businesses contribute more than 50 per cent of the UK turnover and employ almost half the working population, it is clear that more must be done to restore confidence and encourage entrepreneurship in the UK.