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:

Business trend predictions for 2012

2011 has been quite a year, both in business and beyond – from the summer riots, to banking fraud, and companies and countries alike going to the wall.

In cheery news, it has been mooted that ‘2012 will be the end of the world’. However, David Bowler and Julia Payne,  co-founders of business consultancy Incisive Edge,  believe it will only be the end of the world for those entrenched businesses which choose to hide.

They comment: “Those businesses which simply work to protect the balance sheet, and fail to invest in growth in a brave new world, will not succeed.”

Here, Payne and Bowler offer their predictions for business trends in 2012:

Going with the crowd: What is crowdfunding and how could it work for you?

This guest post is by Luke Lang of Crowdcube. He gives the lowdown on crowdfunding, which has been hailed as “the next big thing” by a number of business commentators.

The task of securing investment is notoriously difficult for any public, private or social enterprise.  Few people who submit business plans to angel investors, venture capitalists or similar sources of funding are successful in raising the money they seek.

For social enterprises, where profit maximisation is not the main objective, this is often a far greater challenge. Angel investors and venture capitalists remain elusive to all but a few. Banks tend to adopt a risk-averse approach to lending and the Government’s recent agreement will not necessarily make it any easier. Demand for finance continues to outstrip supply.

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:

Size doesn’t matter in the global marketplace

This post is written by Linda Kozlowski, Director of Global Marketing and Customer Experience for Alibaba.com. 

With many businesses feeling the impact of the current economic uncertainty, it’s no surprise that the outlook for 2012 is less than rosy. Without a positive change in economic conditions, many small and medium businesses, particularly those that operate with small teams and limited resources, could cease trading altogether. More than ever, reducing operating costs and driving revenues are essential to survival. It will be the savvy businesses who are willing to adapt their approach that will come out on top.  

Are you ready to go global with your small business?

Over 65% of businesses are going global within their first year of trading, according to a survey carried out by small business support company Enterprise Nation and international trading platform Alibaba.com. 

 Below Emma Jones, Enterprise Nation founder, reveals a few headlines from the survey and presents a call to action for start ups and small business owners to attend the upcoming series of Go Global events during Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Headline results

In October we carried out a survey to find out how fast and well companies were going global. Here are the key findings:

The advantages of guest blogging

You might not be familiar with the term ‘guest blogging’ but it's really a simple concept that can help to promote your business. It means writing a blog post (normally only 500-1000 words) for an existing blog that is not owned by you.

Freelance writers usually charge for this content, whilst businesses provide it because of the branding and reputation benefits it brings. Here are some of the advantages guest blogging can have for your business.