May – June 2012 leapmagazine.co.uk
Staying Motivated in Your Business by Suzanne Crouch The Path of a Start-up by Roger Gibbons Is the Business Plan Where Good Ideas Go to Die? by Roy Barnes
Top Tips on Writing a Press Release by Amy Woodyatt
LEAP magazine: contents
Articles compiled by Alina Sandu, a freelance graphic designer with an interest in promoting Norwich and the smallbusiness community here alinasandu.co.uk Cover photo by Roy Barnes, a photographer who specialises in people photography (weddings, portraits and commercial) www.roybarnes.co.uk Thank you to all contributors for making this magazine possible.
Page 4 Page 8 Page 12 Page 14 Page 16
In May, the Norwich and Norfolk Festival takes over the entire city, local asparagus is in season, and cygnets start making their way along the Wensum. Business goes on, despite the feeling of holiday, and we’re here to guide you along your next steps in running your business. This month, we feature
The Graduate Internship Programme Broadland District Council Rev Active: Colchester Print Agony Aunt: Sources of Funding for Start-ups Topical Tip: Business Cards
2 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk
Broadland District Council’s Training Services and the UEA’s Graduate Internship Programme, both willing to help businesses develop. We also have a look at a case study from Rev Active, the project that saves businesses money by helping them cut carbon emissions. We find out how to stay motivated, how to write a press release and how to avoid stress when it comes to your computer. Roy Barnes continues his series on how to turn a hobby into a business, this time focusing on business plans, and Roger Gibbons examines the factors needed for a start-up to be successful. Enjoy the magazine and, if you’d like to contribute an article, please get in touch.
Page 18 The Path of a Start-up: From Necessity to Inspiration Page 22 10 Every Day Things to Consider for Small Business Computing Page 28 Staying Motivated in Your Business: 10 Simple Tips Page 32 Top Tips on Writing a Press Release Page 36 Is the Business Plan Where Good Ideas Go to Die? Page 42 A Fab Lab for Norwich
LEAP magazine: Broadland District Council
Always Wanted to Star
Broadland District Council’s Econo
The Economic Development Team offers a range of FREE services to Broadland residents to help turn dreams of running a business into a reality.
Free one hour appointment with a Broadland Business Advisor Not sure where to start? Make an appointment with our qualified business advisor to help answer your business related questions.
Free three and a half day business start-up course The Basics 4 Business programme is a fun and relaxed way to help you with your business ideas. It is specially designed to help you through legal procedures, writing a business plan and working with ideas of how to make your business a success. A series of ongoing support and other free training courses are available after completing the course and take place at the Council’s new training facility in Rackheath. 4 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
Broadland District Council’s Economic Development Team www.broadland.gov.uk/startup 01603 430449 business@broadland.gov.uk
rt Your Own Business?
omic Development Team Can Help!
Business Start-Up Grant for new Broadland businesses* A £1,000 grant is available to help new full-time businesses. This grant primarily aims to help unemployed people start their own business within the Broadland district and the business must be the applicants’ sole source of employment. Applications must be submitted before trading commences.
Enterprise Grant for new and existing small Broadland businesses* A grant of up to £500 is available to help with the purchase of a range of business activities including promotional and specialist training. Designed to help business development, businesses must be within the Broadland District Council area, operating full-time and employ 10 or less employees (including part-time equivalents). To see what we can we can do for you, please contact the Economic Development Team. The details are the top of this page. *Grants are offered subject to availability. The award of grants is subject to the discretion of Broadland District Council whose decision is final.
LEAP magazine: Broadland District Council case study
Jessica Beautician
offer her own treatments for the peop
YouTube sensation Jessica
the experience of working for both a
Cocks has come offline for a
chain and a small rural salon, togeth
while to open up her very own
activities, she believes now is the rig
beautician’s business in Norfolk.
She is a regular face on YouTube g
With the help of Broadland
and advice, one of her videos alone
Council Training Service and
35,000 people worldwide.
their Basics 4 Business course
When asked what makes her so po
Jessica found the confidence to
said “I always make it achievable, g
go after her dream and make it
instructions so everyone can try the l
a reality.
I also hold lots of competitions which
Jessica has been involved in
Jessica says “Social networking is
the beauty world since leaving
communication opportunity and it se
school and it has always been
growing demand for clients to follow
a dream of hers to be able to
then head over to my Facebook pag
and advice, and to talk to me. The w
to keep up to date with the latest loo products”.
Jessica is most definitely a beautici
difference. Who knows what’s next –
domination, T.V? One thing’s for sur looking rosy...
All details at: www.facebook.com/ 6 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
Broadland Council Training Services www.broadland.gov.uk/tfbg 01603 785835 sharon.morgan@broadland.gov.uk
ple of Norfolk. With
an international hotel
her with her online
ght time.
giving beauty tips
e was watched by
opular, Jessica
giving step-by-step
look for themselves.
h people love”. a fantastic
eems there is a
w the videos and
ge for further tips
web also helps me
oks, fashions and
ian with a
– internet
re, the future is
/jessicabeautician.
FREE training for Broadland Businesses Broadland District Council is currently offering FREE training to Broadland businesses, enabling them to prosper and expand in the economic downturn. This free training is only available to businesses in the Broadland District Council area that employ more than one but less than fifty people. A Training Needs Analyst will visit your business and discuss what training is available through Broadland Council Training Services (BCTS), enabling you to choose which courses will help your business thrive. Courses range from Health and Safety to Information Technology, Digital Photography to Business Management and Social Media to Customer Care. Training takes place at the council’s new Eco and Business Training Facility in Rackheath, equipped with up to date technology to make sure you get the most out of every course. For more information and to book your free Training Needs Analysis, please contact Sharon Morgan at BCTS on 01603 785835, email sharon.morgan@broadland.gov.uk or visit www.broadland.gov.uk/tfbg.
LEAP magazine: interns
The Graduate Inter The University of East Anglia is running a flexible Graduate Internship Programme which offers organisations the opportunity to work with a recent graduate for up to 12 weeks. Internships are already a proven way for companies to inject fresh talent into the workplace, but they can also help a small business to develop. One of the main advantages
business to explore its potential
of the programme is that it
for growth and diversification.
is mutually beneficial – the
Trevor Aslan’s internship with
business gains a graduate with
The Great Barn at Hales Hall
the skills to help them get an
is a case in point. The Great
initiative off the ground, and the
Barn is the oldest surviving
graduate gains development
building of its kind in Britain.
opportunities and experience.
The proprietors were looking
Benefits to the business
to speed up the process of
are numerous. Engaging an
restoration and development
intern can help bring a fresh
by seeking funding from The
perspective to an existing
Waveney Valley Local Action
project, or infuse new ideas,
Group, on behalf of the Rural
enthusiasm and fresh energy.
Development Programme for
They may also be able to help a
England. They required an
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The Graduate Internship Programme www.uea.ac.uk/internships internship@uea.ac.uk
rnship Programme intern to help complete the funding application, and identify areas for refinement in the development plans. An Environmental Sciences graduate, Trevor says: “The range of things that is involved with developing a business like this means that I have been exposed to, and had to learn about, financial forecasts, capital investments, loans, obtaining quotes, and all about different building trades... I doubt that I’d have got such experience...working anywhere else at my age and experience level.” Damien Sohal made a similar impact while developing the marketing strategy for Raffles, a family-owned Norwich restaurant chain. After completing his Business Management degree, Damien evaluated Raffles’ existing marketing activity, then proposed and implemented a new strategy. He put in place a new marketing structure, setting targets, plans, and KPIs for each of the four restaurants, in a format that Raffles’ managers will be able to use year after year.
LEAP magazine: interns
Damien says: “I gained so much from the programme, especially working within a very busy SME. Being a marketing intern in an organisation which had no dedicated department allowed me to take ownership of my decisions, see them through, and apply theoretical knowledge learned during my degree in a practical environment.” Jayne Raffles was delighted with the work Damien undertook during his internship, saying: “Having Damien on an internship has been a highly positive experience for the Raffles group as a whole. He has proved a valuable part of our small team, enhancing our web presence as well as producing our marketing strategy.” Damien was so successful that he was offered further employment with Raffles when his internship ended, and Raffles have recently secured another intern to work with them in a marketing role. Graduate projects vary depending on the requirements of the organisation, so the variety of short term projects our graduates have worked on has been vast. They have developed carbon neutral 10 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
The Graduate Internship Programme www.uea.ac.uk/internships internship@uea.ac.uk
funerals, updated systems at a local brewery, conducted
possibilities are endless. Engaging an intern is low risk
environmental surveys,
and cost effective, and, with
and developed marketing
minimal paperwork, it’s easy
strategies, to give just a few
to set up. Internships also have
examples. They could help you
long term potential in that you
to investigate new services,
might find an individual who
products or markets, research
fits well with your organisation,
and develop new products,
and becomes a permanent
create and design a new
employee. Hosting an intern is
website, develop new marketing
undoubtedly an excellent way
materials, secure funding,
to bring new talent into your
or streamline processes. The
business.
If you would like any further information regarding the internship programme, or you would like to discuss a specific project, please contact the internship team at internship@uea.ac.uk or visit our website to see the difference our interns have made: www.uea.ac.uk/internships/casestudies
LEAP magazine: Rev Active case study
REV ACTIVE: Colchester Print Location: Attleborough | Sector: Printing
Number of FTEs: 47 | Turnover: ÂŁ3.5 million
THE CHALLENGE Colchester Print have been trading for 30 years. Over the past 10 years they have made significant progress in improving their environmental performance, and now work at the cutting edge of the print industry as a best practice example of running a green, efficient business. Their progress has been made through a series of small steps that have gradually become embedded in the way they do business. Their environmental improvement has also produced cost savings that are passed on to the customer. Given the competitive nature of the industry, the challenge to Colchester Print has been to become an environmental exemplar to both reduce their environmental impact but also get a commercial edge and tap in to a niche but expanding market. 12 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
Rev Active www.revactive.co.uk 01362 656808 info@revactive.co.uk
THE SOLUTION Colchester Print are forward-thinking in terms of recognising the market shift towards greener business practices and have run an Environmental Management system certified to ISO 14001 since 1998 - making them the first commercial printing company in East Anglia to do so. Having this system in place has identified a variety of cost and carbon savings through optimising energy use, improved lighting and heating controls, waste segregation and many others. Factories and vehicle movements have been measured and a number of Carbon Reduction Initiatives have been implemented to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. is a project that offers free, confidential and impartial support for small and medium-sized enterprises in and around Norfolk, to help them cut their business costs and reduce their carbon emissions. 13
LEAP magazine: agony aunt
Sources of Funding for Start-ups Beverley Webb of Mount Pleasant Marketing asked if we knew of any avenues of funding for start-ups. Chris Leighton of Business Skills Clinic replies: Despite what the media would like to have you believe, there
personal Bank Manager. If your personal circumstances
are a great many sources of
prevent this, you should
funding available for new
approach either the Norfolk
business start-ups. It all depends
Credit Union or Foundation
on what you are hoping to do,
East.
who you are doing it for, where
If you live in the greater
you are doing it, your current
Norwich area, the Norfolk
personal circumstances, and
Community Foundation
what type of legal status your
have a scheme called
business will take.
norwich4newenterprise which
If you are looking to be a Sole
is aimed specifically at local
Trader, starting a regular service
people who are unemployed or
or product supply business, you
are facing redundancy.
should always start with friends
Whoever you approach will
and family first, and then your
need to see that you have done
14 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
Aunt: Chris Leighton chris@businessskillsclinic.com @BusinessSkillsC
your market research, have evidence that there is a demand for your product/service and a copy of your Business Plan, including a Sales Forecast and Cash Flow for the next 3 years. Further sources are shown below: www.fundingcentral.org.uk www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?topicId=1073858790 www.fundingstore.com www.j4bgrants.co.uk www.norfolkfoundation.com/funds.htm Have you got a question about starting or growing your business? Email us at agonyaunt@leapmagazine.co.uk and we’ll find the experts to answer.
LEAP magazine: topical tip
How many business cards should I get printed? With business cards the more you print the cheaper each one is. However, when you first start your business, do not print thousands of business cards. This is because many people find that after a few weeks they want to add to or change the details on their business card – you have changed your email address, you now have a business phone line, you now have a website, a Twitter name, a LinkedIn name etc. In these circumstances it is best to only have 400 business cards left not 4,000! I could say, trust me there will be something you want to change, but let’s have a poll from readers, who have been in business for more than 3 months, to find out if this was true for them. Click here for: “Yes, I wanted to change my first business card after a few weeks.” or
Jenny Wilding Research Plus+ info@research-plus.co.uk 01603 408289 @researchplusnfk www.research-plus.co.uk
“No, I didn’t want to change my first business card.”
16 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
01603 408 289 www.research-plus.co.uk
Guessing what your customers think of you is one thing. Actually knowing what your customers think about you is quite another. Ignorance is not bliss, it will cost you money.
LEAP magazine: starting up
The Path of From Necessity My company Dance Devotion provides all things dance — tuition, social dances, demonstrations and dance floor hire in Norwich and the surrounding areas.
For many years before I started Dance Devotion I had been coming up with ideas to make money, but they never came to much. Was this because the ideas were no good? Were they underfunded, or did I not put enough time into them? In truth it was probably a bit of all of these. In the end the number one factor in me starting Dance Devotion was necessity. I had been made redundant from a job I disliked, the job
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Roger Gibbons Dance Devotion www.DanceDevotion.co.uk 01603 819129 Roger@DanceDevotion.co.uk
f a Start-up: y to Inspiration market was poor, and I needed
need is an opportunity. In
to make some money to pay for
my case it was finding a market
a collection of mortgages and
that I both had a passion for
car loans I had built up whilst in
and was underserviced.
full time employment. With little
So you’ve found an
chance of getting another job at
opportunity, and necessity has
my old pay grade I knew I had
pushed you to take it. Great.
to take it upon myself to make
But necessity and opportunity
the money to live.
are not enough. Now how
Of course simply needing money is not on its own a reason to start a business.
about adding some skills to the mix? In direct contradiction to most
Quite the opposite really when
business advice, I suggest that
you consider the amount of
you don’t worry at all
money it generally costs to start
about the skills you
a business. What you then
don’t have. Focus on what
LEAP magazine: starting up
you are good at (and can make money out of) and simply employ someone else to do what you are not so good at. In this way you maximise your chances of making some money out of your new business. In my case I took on someone to promote Dance Devotion on social media and in networking meetings – areas I had always avoided like the plague. This leaves three points, which in my view are essential to a successful start-up – Inspiration, Courage and Luck. But I hear you saying that inspiration should come at the beginning, not tagged on the end. Perhaps this is true, but being inspired when starting out a business is one thing; being continually inspired when running it is another. I believe you need to be constantly inspired in order to keep developing and pushing new boundaries. If you are not inspired, your business will be in the realms of the mediocre. No matter how good the idea may be, a start-up business is 20 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
Roger Gibbons Dance Devotion www.DanceDevotion.co.uk 01603 819129 Roger@DanceDevotion.co.uk
risky. We have all heard the phrase “speculate to accumulate” and this really is true (as long as the speculation is on a good prospect)! Once you have an idea you believe will work, push it wholeheartedly. If you don’t believe in your idea enough to put everything you have into it, then you should question if starting this business is right for you. I have found sheer bloody-minded determination to be one of my greatest assets. And of course there is luck. I really do believe that we largely make our own luck via the points discussed above, but only a fool believes everything is entirely in his own control. Personally I thank my good luck that I have been able to create Dance Devotion and turn it into a successful business. All of the advice here comes from my own meandering experience, and none of it removes the need for a plan, finance, research, etc. With the right idea and help anyone can make a plan and do some research, there are ample books out there helping you to do just that. To make a startup successful you need more than pure figures on a bit of paper or an idea in your head. Good luck with your businesses!
LEAP magazine: motivation
Staying Motivated 10 Simp There is often huge excitement as you set up your new business with a myriad of tasks needing attention. However, as time progresses, it is easy to become overwhelmed and discouraged if things are not going to plan. This is when it’s time to put your motivational strategies into practice and to stay focused, inspired and productive. The first thing you need to know is that nothing is permanent – the only constant in life is change. So wherever you are in your business, this stage is only temporary.
Here are some simple steps that you can take to kick-start your motivation:
1. Set goals
You will have set goals for your business – they are the best way to measure your success. Make sure they are realistic and achievable. The trick is to break them down into small actionable steps. Tracking your success in these smaller chunks will add to your sense of achievement.
2. Track your successes
Keep an achievement journal. Give yourself proof that things are changing, write down your successes. Particularly note down the little achievements, as they are easy
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Suzanne Crouch Eos Programme www.eosprogramme.com Personal Development for Women 0843 523 5373 info@eosprogramme.com
d in Your Business ple Tips to forget. Social psychology draws the connection between our feelings about ourselves and how we think others perceive us. So include the positive feedback from customers, colleagues and suppliers.
3. Believe in yourself Tracking your successes will boost your motivation. Enhance this belief in yourself by creating positive affirmations about your abilities and your attributes. Affirmations are also a positive and effective way of managing your internal self-talk – that nagging voice in your head that wants to plant self-doubt. Psychologists tell us what your eyes see and ears hear, your mind will believe. So try it! Write down positive affirmations about yourself and read them aloud every day.
4. Building your dreams We subconsciously work towards that which we can visualise – what you visualise is what you want to achieve. Pick an outcome from your hard work e.g. booking a family holiday, a new home, a new outfit or a car; bring it to life by having a
LEAP magazine: motivation
picture of it or visit it in reality (in the shop, get the brochure) and create your visualisation in your head, the colour, the feelings it evokes. Revisit regularly – this will feed your motivation to achieve.
5. Watch the company you keep… People can be threatened by what you are trying to achieve, they may believe that they have to dissuade you. I call these the ‘dream destroyers’. Remember your brain is susceptible to what you hear. You may need to distance yourself from these conversations; they are not supportive and will destroy motivation if you are vulnerable. Seek out your own carefully chosen support network who will nurture your motivation.
6. Your support network
Get help before you’re in crisis. If your business isn’t where you want it to be, you need to make changes. Before you get lost and become totally de-motivated, get help! Talk to people in your network.
7. Your environment There is something inspiring about looking at a beautiful picture, your favourite quote, or listening to your favourite music. It momentarily transports your mind out of work and into a place that nurtures and inspires. So examine your work environment – make sure it works for your motivation. 24 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
Suzanne Crouch Eos Programme www.eosprogramme.com Personal Development for Women 0843 523 5373 info@eosprogramme.com
8. Take a break This eases stress and releases the tensions which are causes for de-motivation. Set yourself a reminder on your appointment calendar to leave your desk every two hours.
9. Start Learning
Take a class or learn something new. This can be related or unrelated to your business. You will meet new people, give yourself time out of the workplace to think and it will feed your creativity!
10. Take the first step When it comes to keeping motivated and doing the actual work that you need to do to ensure your business succeeds, the most difficult step is the first step. 80% of your effort is required for the first 20% of the journey. Once you move, you build momentum. So keep focused and start moving!
LEAP magazine: computers
10 Every Day Thin Small Busines Over the years I’ve met many people struggling daily with their computers and general IT. Often it doesn’t have to be that way, so I’ve written up a random selection of just ten things to consider that may help or give you pause for thought. 1.
Have you still not sorted out that backup of your
business data, critical or otherwise? There are many simple and not very expensive methods available. Getting a regular copy of your data is the first step but more needs to be done before you can fully relax. 2.
USB drives are a hassle and we don’t want a server for
data! Well why not try a NAS box? A NAS box is a device just like a USB hard drive but instead of connecting to just one PC it connects to your network/router so it can be accessed by all the computers. These are great for sharing and storing files and also making your backups to. Once set up, you can just leave it be. They often come with other features such as printer sharing, encryption and data redundancy 26 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
Jason Dagless Norfolk IT Services www.norfolkitservices.co.uk 01603 632108 @norfolkitguy
ngs to Consider for ss Computing (RAID) in case a hard drive fails. 3.
Do you take your laptop out on the road with customer
or sensitive data on it? Have you protected that data with encryption in case it gets lost or stolen? It isn’t difficult to organise and save embarrassment and potential legal liabilities later on. Same goes for desktops in offices or any device with sensitive data on it. 4.
Are you storing business and customer data in the cloud
or online setups such as Dropbox? Have you checked if they comply with UK Data Protection laws? Very few do, so check if you need to be compliant. 5.
Still using an old colour inkjet you bought years ago, costing
you a fortune in ink every month? Well maybe its time to look at a colour or B&W laser printer. If you mainly print for invoices or quotes then maybe a B&W laser printer costing around £100 to £120 would suit you better. It’s usually good for 3000 prints before it needs new toner and is faster too. So instead of £15 a month in ink you could just be spending £40 a
LEAP magazine: computers
year! Also look for one that you can connect to your network so all the PCs can share it. 6.
Old slow computers don’t necessarily need replacing. All
computers get slower as they get older. They get clogged up with software, over-enthusiastic antivirus (or no antivirus) and just general age. However, they can be given a new lease of life with a good service or a full rebuild (just like the day you bought it, only done properly without the garbage). Many people are pleased with the results and it costs a fraction of a new desktop or laptop. 7.
Invest in a good mouse, keyboard
and screen. It amazes me how customers struggle with worn out keyboards and 7 year old 15” LCD monitors that restrict them to a working area smaller than a lot of smartphones offer. Also that old rollerball mouse that’s full of dirt and wobbles across the screen has to go. Treat yourself to a decent optical mouse from a firm such as Logitech or Microsoft, and a £100 22” LCD screen will be a revelation, letting spreadsheets and other applications breathe. Life will be a lot easier if not more vibrant. 28 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
Jason Dagless Norfolk IT Services www.norfolkitservices.co.uk 01603 632108 @norfolkitguy
8.
Consider getting a proper wireless router. If you are
still using that 6-year old freebie your ISP gave you, then you may not be getting the best wireless network connection and speed from your internet provider. Investigate replacing it with a more serious model from the likes of Draytek or Billion. These routers can improve poor internet connections and also give you access to features such as faster wireless connections and also better VOIP functions. Even investing ÂŁ50.00 in a modern Netgear or Linksys router could improve matters.
LEAP magazine: computers
9.
Think about a disaster recovery plan. It sounds
drastic but it isn’t. Sit down and spend an hour or so thinking about what you would need to do if your office burnt down or was burgled. What steps would you need to take to keep business going over the coming days or weeks should that happen? Things to consider are insurance, phones, hardware and software, data safety. Can you relocate? Do you have alternative equipment? Who will you need to contact? The more you think about it the more things will come to light and you can work out solutions for them. Hopefully you will never need it but it doesn’t hurt to prepare. Keep any notes or plans in a safe place just in case. 10. Finally, if you feel you can’t get your head round a lot of this, then it doesn’t hurt to get in touch with someone like me who deals with such matters on a daily basis. This doesn’t need to be stressful; that’s what I’m here to take care of! So if you need any further help don’t hesitate to ask. Jason Dagless Norfolk IT Services www.norfolkitservices.co.uk 01603 632108 @norfolkitguy
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Jason Dagless Norfolk IT Services www.norfolkitservices.co.uk 01603 632108 @norfolkitguy
Eden’s
Finest food for all your catering needs
www.edensonline.co.uk eden@edensonline.co.uk 0790 451 6267
LEAP magazine: public relations
Top Tips on Writing a Press Release Got an announcement to make? Launching a new product? A big event coming up? If you have something newsworthy to share, a press release is a great tool to communicate the information with local, national and trade press. If written correctly a press release can get you free editorial coverage in the newspaper, lead to interviews on the radio, and, if you’re very lucky, appearances on TV! I would like to share with you my top ten tips on press release writing. 32 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
Amy Woodyatt Partnership Plus Public Relations Agency 01603 611031 www.partnership-plus.co.uk
1. The who, what, when, where, why and how? A journalist needs to know the answer to these questions if they are going to write up the story – make sure you answer them! E.g. what is the announcement, when does it happen? 2. Keep it short – ideally to one side of A4; use 1.5 line spacing. 3. Tell the story in the first paragraph. 4. Keep it factual and to the point and include a quote from a spokesperson. 5. Remember: you are writing editorial for a newspaper or magazine; you are NOT writing an advertisement. Therefore avoid the use of words like wonderful, superb, breathtaking, stunning, fantastic. Don’t use jargon. 6. Always avoid clichés: buy now to avoid disappointment, take time to stop and smell the roses, we believe you are what you eat. 7. Get the headline from the first paragraph. 8. Only write a press release when you have something newsy and
LEAP magazine: public relations
relevant, otherwise you will be writing a puff. When journalists see an email from you they will hit the delete button without reading it. 9. If you have several genuine press releases then space them out over a couple of months, never send them all at once. 10. Include your contact details (website and telephone number) at the bottom of the press release. In a Notes to Editors section include background company information and links to high-res image libraries, social media sites etc. Go on give it a go, and if you need any more help, call me! Amy Woodyatt is a PR Manager at Partnership Plus, a public relations agency based in Norwich which helps companies large and small meet their public relations and marketing aspirations on a local, national and international level. Clients range from multinational organisations to those run by the owners out of a spare room in their house! We create and implement highly cost effective PR and marketing programmes for clients. This is now encompassing social media campaigns. Got a story you wish to get in the press? Call 01603 611031.
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Amy Woodyatt Partnership Plus Public Relations Agency 01603 611031 www.partnership-plus.co.uk
LEAP magazine: business ideas
Turning a Hobby int
Is the Business Plan Wher
In the second article on turning a hobby into a business, Roy Barnes, a local small business owner, shows you why a business plan is nothing to be scared of. Read the first article here. In the previous article, we looked at the viability of turning a hobby into a business, through six questions: • Am I as good as my friends say? • Will people buy this? • Can I live off the income? • Have I got the skills to launch a business? • Can I find people to help me? • Have I got enough money to keep me going? If the answer to all of these is “Yes”, it leads to the next major question “What next?” Before launching your business, there are a number of steps 36 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
by Roy Barnes Photographer www.roybarnes.co.uk mail@roybarnes.co.uk 01953 601564 roybarnesphoto.wordpress.com
to a Business Part 2:
re Good Ideas Go to Die? you need to go through, the
are likely to be and what your
focus of which being to attract
start-up and ongoing costs are
people to buy from you.
going to be.
Big businesses have an identity, or brand. Before you determine your brand you need to work out your business plan, a vital first step for any new business. The business plan doesn’t have to be a weighty tome, just a few powerpoint slides or a few pages of text which defines the business, your target market and your pricing and sales models. It needs to cover how people will find you (or how you find them), what your sales
A properly thought-out business plan will give you
LEAP magazine: business ideas
the key indicators to monitor your success and help you make adjustments during your first few years. It will also help you see how your cash flow will vary throughout the year, and will be vital if you need the bank to support you.
Target market This will drive a lot of decisions about products and services to offer. Are you targeting the more affluent older generation, or younger more fashion conscious market who typically have less to spend, or other demographic?
Pricing and Sales Model Based on your target market, do you need to sell a lot at not much margin or are you offering a quality, more exclusive product which fewer people will buy, albeit at a premium? Don’t forget to take into account indirect costs such as insurance, accountancy and training in your pricing. Are you planning to sell mainly through the internet? Then a well developed website is crucial.
Marketing Strategy This is a cost that most new businesses underestimate, and they struggle to know the best place to advertise. There 38 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
by Roy Barnes Photographer www.roybarnes.co.uk mail@roybarnes.co.uk 01953 601564 roybarnesphoto.wordpress.com
are lots of companies who will contact you incessantly to part you from your money for advertising. The best advice is to look where the most successful companies in your field advertise and follow their lead. Network clubs are a good place to find out this sort of information too, as well as to make contact with people who may need your products and services.
LEAP magazine: business ideas
Don’t forget to invest in your website,
tend to be more consta
whether it is ecommerce enabled or not.
many photographers fi
A good website will take many hours to
more income than the
develop and, unless you are experienced in
together, but have a c
web design, is best left to the experts.
studio. Allow for this
Start-Up and Ongoing Costs
plan to see where you
and troughs will be an
Sales are rarely constant through the year
covering the lean time
– most have seasonal peaks, whereas costs
Be realistic in your s
bit of contingency have forgotten.
After you’ve go
thinking, then you
your brand should
Apple or an Ams
an Asda? The wr
business model ca
you can attract po
don’t want to buy
So what did I was confident
40 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
by Roy Barnes Photographer www.roybarnes.co.uk mail@roybarnes.co.uk 01953 601564 roybarnesphoto.wordpress.com
ant. For instance,
good photos but realised that was not
find summer generates
enough. I decided to offer the highest
other seasons put
constant cost of a in your business
quality products I could and the best possible service. My photography is built around expressing people’s personality and
ur financial peaks
their stories through the still image. This is
nd have a plan for
why I attract people who like the journalistic
es.
or storytelling aspect to their weddings,
start-up costs, allow a
and businesses with a USP delivered via the
y for things you may
people who are employed by the business. I’ve built my business plan around
one through all this
u can work out what
d be, are you an
people’s relationships and the quality of my service and products. So sit down with a piece of paper and
strad? A Waitrose or
spreadsheet and work though your business
rong brand for your
plan. Your local library and the internet will
an be catastrophic, as
provide lots of helpful advice. And keep
otential customers who
revisiting it and tweaking it – it is a living
y your products!
document and should help you through the
d I do? in my ability to take
good times and the bad. It really is nothing to be afraid of, but where good ideas don’t die but flourish and grow.
LEAP magazine: fab lab
A Fab Lab f
Napoleon once branded the British (or at least the English bit) as a nation of shopkeepers but I think the mini-military-maestro would have done better to brand us a nation of creatives and inventors. Without wishing to sound like
Fab Lab is, it helps to think of
a jingoist, the British have
it as a large community shed
invented everything from the
kitted out with the likes of 3D
steam engine to the jet engine,
printers, laser cutters and CNC
from the computer to the world
machines.
wide web. All of which leads me rather
If you’re now thinking hang on – that all sounds a bit too
neatly on to the purpose of
manufacturing-y for my liking
this article – the desire to get
– don’t worry. Fab Labs are a
a Fab Lab for Norwich, a
community asset designed for
physical space dedicated to
anyone who has ever wanted to
collaboration, creativity and
make something, be that a new
making things.
gizmo or a piece of art, or has
If you’re unsure as to what a
wanted to acquire a new skill.
42 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
Rob Halden-Pratt robhaldenpratt@gmail.com
for Norwich
The facility can be used to support new start-ups, but it can also: • Foster collaborations across all sectors: creative, engineering, IT, manufacturing • Provide training and short courses to children and adults of the type that cannot easily be filled by the likes of City College, the UEA or schools • Have an exhibition space to showcase work and projects • Provide a venue for creative events • Work with other institutions across the region (Universities, Colleges, other hack spaces) So what can you do in a Fab Lab? The answer to that question is – trite alert – only limited by your imagination. In the USA, Fab Labs have been used to create new manufacturing firms, but also as a base for community brewers,
LEAP magazine: fab lab
craft exchanges, hobby electronics, promoting and working with other local businesses. One of the things the Fab Lab could do is to market our local specialists much better, for example if the local cycle shop runs a build-your-own-bike course. They would be using it as an opportunity to demonstrate their craft as well as provide attendees with valuable skills and a place to buy all those necessary bits of equipment and parts. The emphasis here is on collaboration, on working together to create new opportunities. You need only look at the Fab Lab wiki pages to discover the vast range of projects that have been created from these venues. We’ve got a wealth of creative talent in the city – from filmmakers to engineers – and a space like this will bring those groups together. If you’re interested in getting involved or finding out more, please contact me at robhaldenpratt@gmail.com or come to the Rumsey Wells on the 18th June at 6pm for an open meeting about all of this. 44 | www.leapmagazine.co.uk | Back to contents
Do you want to get involved with LEAP Magazine? You can: • submit an advice article • ask a question for our Business Agony Aunt • advertise • comission us to write an advertorial about your business Get in touch today for more information hello@leapmagazine.co.uk