Small Business Matters | A Blog for UK Small Businesses

Mumma Mia!

This Sunday is no ordinary Sunday… It’s Mother’s Day! Not only a great time to celebrate your mum, Mother’s Day is a great reminder of the many small businesses run by mums in the UK. According to research by BT Business, nearly 15 per cent of women have already started their own business since having children.

If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift or this day has slipped your mind, don’t fret, it’s not too late! There are plenty of fantastic gifts out there to celebrate mum, while supporting mum-run businesses. This year, rather than looking for the traditional gifts you give her every year, why not opt for a ‘product made by mum’ such as these Lizzie Lou shoes created by Sheena Edwards who decided to set up her mother-daughter flip flop range which she runs from home.

Tell us what you’re planning on buying mum this year!

It’s International Women’s Day

Today is International Women’s Day, a global celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.

Currently there are an estimated one million female entrepreneurs in the UK, creating an impressive combined turnover of about £4.4billion. JK Rowling, the multi millionaire owner of Harry Potter, the late Dame Anita Roddick, successful founder of the international chain The Body Shop, Martha Lane Fox founder of Lastminute.com, and Deborah Meaden multi millionaire founder of Stefanel fashion franchise are just a few of the Uk’s very own exceptional female entrepreneurs.

This year’s theme of equal rights, opportunities and progress resonates well with the support that women need to succeed in the entrepreneurial business world. Barriers such as access to finance and childcare support that prevent women from joining the business world need to be removed and start up support,that all enterprises require, should be encouraged.

Small business women are already playing a key role in keeping the British economy running smoothly, creating local employment and growing the UK’s British business landscape. What is needed now is for more women to take the plunge and bring their ideas to life.

So today, let’s recognise and commend our fellow female entrepreneurs and encourage more and more to flex their business muscles in the future.

It would be great to hear peoples thoughts on what Women entrepreneurs would like to see in terms of support in order to be successful. Join the discussion and let us know what you think.

Small Business Britain: On the airwaves!

As part our Small Business Britain campaign, our managing director Pernille Bruun-Jensen, took to the airwaves to discuss the importance of UK small businesses in the run up to the election.

She chatted with more than 20 radio stations around the UK, sharing the findings of our Small Business Britain survey, as well as some of the key tips that came from the research.

Couldn’t get to the radio in time? Click on the podcast below to hear Pernille’s interview with BBC Radio Northampton (104.2-103.6FM).

BBC Northampton

 

Some of the advice that Pernille shared from small business owners around the UK included:

Be heard! Use channels such as Small Business Britain to make sure your voice is heard, and to call on the government, elected bodies, banks and the wider business community to support your success and prosperity.

Make it personal – According to our research, 84% of small businesses believe that their ability to provide a more personal touch with customers is a key advantage. Start-ups and small companies can show a fresher, newer approach and take advantage of their flexibility.

Keep on top of accounts – Awareness of how much is being spent and for what is important. Our research showed that 85% of small businesses felt the best way to manage cash flow was to always keep accounts up-to-date.

Don’t be late – Most small businesses have experienced difficulty with timely customer payments. Put simply, if you don’t get paid, you won’t be in business for long. Our research showed that the number one way to avoid late payments is to set up clear payment terms at an early stage (48%).

If you want to know more about Small Business Britain or have some comments on the Charter, please get involved and post your thoughts on our discussion boards.

Tune in to hear more about Small Business Britain

In honour of our Small Business Britain campaign, tomorrow morning Pernille Bruun-Jensen, Managing Director Global Small Business at Intuit UK, will be featured on local radio stations across the UK to talk about the challenges and opportunities that small businesses face in the run-up to the 2010 General Election. 

Here are the details on when and where you can tune in:

• Colourful Radio, UK (at 8:50)
• Phoenix Radio, Leeds (at 9:25)
• Asian Star, Slough (at 9:35)
• Hayes FM, Hillingdon Ealing and Hounslow (at 10:45)

As well as throughout the morning on:

• Sky News Radio, UK
• Sun FM 103.4, Sunderland
• Waves Radio, Peterhead
• Tay FM, Dundee City
• Wolf 107.7, Wolverhampton
• High Peak Radio, Peak District
• Ashbourne Radio 96.7, Derbyshire
• Radio Perth, Perth
• Your Radio FM 103, Dunbarton
• AFAN FM, Hash Piperdy Wales
• Radio Verulam, St Albans
• Nevis Radio, Fort William
• Drystone Radio 106.9, South Craven North Yorkshire
• Bang Radio, North West London
• Preston FM 103.2, Preston, Lancashire
• Forest FM 92.3, Dorset
• Broradio, Barry
• BRFM, Blaenaugwent

Not around tomorrow morning? Don’t worry, we’ll be uploading a podcast and some top tips later in the week!

 

Small Business Britain focuses on customer service

It is now three days since we launched our Small Business Britain Charter based on a YouGov survey of over 1,000 small businesses in Britain, and so far the feedback has been great! As well as calling on UK Government and Banks the Small Business Britain Charter also discusses how the Small Businesses Britain community can help itself to prosper in 2010 and beyond.

One area that particularly resonated with the YouGov respondents was the importance of good customer service:

• 84% of the sample recognised good customer service as a key contributor to the success of attracting   new and keeping existing customers
• 73% felt that that their greater emphasis on customer service was one of the major advantages they had over their larger rivals
• 84% backed the claim that a small business’s ability to provide a more personal touch with customer was a key advantage over their large competitors

The Small Business Britain Charter goes live!

Exciting news, we are today launching our Small Business Britain Charter

A couple of months ago we decided to commission YouGov to survey over 1,000 small business owners around Britain to find out about the challenges and opportunities they face in the run-up to the 2010 General Election.

Small businesses are absolutely crucial to our economy. So instead of just announcing the results as an FYI, we decided to develop them into the Small Business Britain Charter, which will give small business owners a platform from which they can call on government, elected bodies, banks and the wider business community to support their success over the coming decade.

As well as the Charter, the Small Business Britain website, which went live today, includes profiles of small business owners who have already had a sneaky peek of the Charter and details their feedback on the areas that they most relate to. Why not take a look and see if their experiences match yours? 

Top 10 Small Business Goals for 2010

The last 12 months have been incredibly tough for all of us, but we’re optimistic that 2010 will be a great year for UK small businesses. To succeed, businesses will need a sound understanding of their priorities and strategies. Based on our discussions with small business owners, we have come up with the Top 10 Goals for 2010 that every small business owner needs to think about.

Here is a taste of some of the tips on offer:

1. I will sort out my finances
Sometimes even the greatest business ideas can fail due to a simple lack of readily available cash. This is something that many small business owners find challenging to keep track of, but it’s vital to be aware of how much is being spent and for what, as is tracking VAT and making accurate returns. It is important to keep on top of bookkeeping right from the start, otherwise there is a risk of forgetting crucial costs or, even worse, failing to invoice a customer.

2. I will learn something new
Going solo can be nerve-wracking and lonely at times, however there is an absolute wealth of advice and top tips available online, as well as many forums and communities where other small businesses share their experiences. Our blog has advice and tips, including the ‘Secret Guide for Small Business’, which was created by small businesses for small businesses. Smarta, Enterprise Nation and BusinessLink are just a few other examples of sites where you can get free information and support.

The secret guide for small business success – from the experts themselves

If you’re an avid Twitter fan you may have seen that since the 1st December 2009, we’ve been asking our beloved Twitter followers and friends to tell us their top tips and tricks to help small businesses tackle some of the challenges they face today, and inspire budding entrepreneurs to grow and improve their business. Each day, over the 12 business days of Christmas (#12DOC) we asked topical questions that were significant to small businesses in the UK.

The response has been so good we wanted to share them with you all! So we compiled your fantastic insights into ‘The Secret Small Business Guide’, created by small businesses for small businesses. 
You can download it for free here .We asked about everything from coming up with a great idea and designing a top website, down to good time management and financial skills. The guide features tips from a range of entrepreneurs and small business owners and experts.

Some of the key tips include:

• Planning – one of the most important requirements for any entrepreneur is a business plan; not one that lives in your head or one that is consigned to an office cupboard, but a live business plan. (Alan Gleeson, Palo Alto Software Ltd)

• Be social – Social Media is a big thing right now and will only get bigger. Make sure you set up a Facebook page for your business and register with LinkedIn and Twitter. All this combined will generate results eventually, but it takes time. (Mark Adams, ACS Computer Services Ltd)

What goodies do small businesses have in store this Christmas?

In the New Year, I will be making regular contributions to smallbizmatters, looking at small and local businesses from around the UK. While I planned to start posting in 2010, the Christmas shopping season inspired me to get an early start. There are so many presents to buy, meals to share, corks to pop… I think it would be great if we all made a point to spread the word about good local businesses and get into the Christmas spirit.

Putting my money where my mouth is, I’ve decided to source the necessities for my Christmas meals at two of my favorite food shops in central London:

La Fromagerie and The Ginger Pig

Both offer a phenomenal selection of gourmet foods and a high-level of service. Add to the mix, knowledgeable staff and heaps of charm and you’ve got the recipe for a fantastic occasion. A jaw-dropping selection of fine cheese and impressively raised and masterfully presented meat don’t hurt either. Even a cooking-newbie like me can’t go wrong! Well, at least not the shopping bit anyway.

Where are you shopping this Christmas? With Santa on his way, I need your recommendations before the snow settles!

Michael Porcaro, Small Business Specialist

Business births and deaths

On Monday 30th November the Office for National Statistics announced the latest results of enterprise births, deaths and survival in the UK for 2008. The figures highlight some of the early impacts the recession has had on the business landscape and indicate those sectors that suffered most throughout the downturn.

Not surprisingly, the results show there was a 3.7% decrease in the level of business births in 2008 in comparison to 2007 ( 270,000 and 281,000 respectively).What is interesting, however, is that there were fewer business deaths  in 2008 compared to 2007 (219,000 from 223,000) which represents a 1.8 percent decrease. From an industry perspective, some industries faired better than others with business administration and support services having the highest level of business births in 2008. The hardest hit industries were within the accommodation and food sector, finance and insurance and construction sectors particularly suffering with 33,000 businesses closing across the UK.

The results reflect the economic climate of the time, where certain industries suffered throughout the gruelling year that was 2008. While there is evidence that the recession may be drawing to a close, British people continue to remain cautious about setting up businesses with just 14% of British people surveyed believing that now is a better time to start a business than a year ago.

While these figures do reflect the risks of running a business during a recession there is evidence that enterprises set up during a recession tend to be exceptionally resilient. For businesses to survive through a challenging economic climate, it is essential to manage finances correctly, be fully aware of what is going on in the industry and be present where the customer is, which increasingly is online. You can see our previous blog for top tips for prospective entrepreneurs. With over a third of Brits keen to start their own business we can hope to see a boom in business births come 2010.