Rock My Roost is an online store that stocks specially sourced, boutique homeware items.<\/p>\n
1. Have a clear vision from the outset<\/strong><\/p>\n Write an achievable business plan and commit to it. It\u2019s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new business idea and forget about the business side of things. Setting achievable and realistic mid-term targets and objectives is key.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2. Be prepared to work harder than you ever have<\/strong><\/p>\n Working for yourself isn\u2019t the easy option; being your own boss can be tough. It includes working long hours, sometimes around an existing job, which can be challenging, but in the end it\u2019s all worthwhile.<\/p>\n 3. Embrace technology and move with it or lead it!<\/strong><\/p>\n Web technologies can make it easier for start ups \u2013 especially using social media to your marketing advantage. Get to grips with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and even LinkedIn \u2013 they do work!<\/p>\n 4. Business will not always be about success<\/strong><\/p>\n Failures are hard but use them to learn from and never let your emotions rule your decisions \u2013 move on and embrace your learning!<\/p>\n 5. Keep an eye on costs<\/strong><\/p>\n Look for creative ways to achieve a similar outcome. For example, if you can\u2019t afford an expensive PR agency to help get your business recognised, try ringing around and see what packages you can get. Sometimes day rate project agreements are better than you think!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Rebuilding Society is a company that connects creditworthy businesses with investors. This peer-to-business lending market is also known as crowdfunding.<\/p>\n 1. Start with the end in mind<\/strong><\/p>\n Have a clear understanding of how you want the business to look in 1, 3 and 5 years\u2019 time.<\/p>\n 2. Be proactive<\/strong><\/p>\n Get through as much as possible and don\u2019t get distracted. Try to stay focussed and finish each day planning the next, until you develop the skill to plan each week in advance.<\/p>\n 3. Look after your staff and train them to look after your customers<\/strong><\/p>\n The first people you work with must be customer-centric in attitude and service. Customer loyalty is absolutely critical for any new business.<\/p>\n 4. Work more on yourself than you do on your business<\/strong><\/p>\n Starting a business is a personal and professional development journey like no other. Read the autobiographies of other entrepreneurs; they always write about their mistakes and it\u2019s so much cheaper learning from someone else\u2019s mistakes than making your own! Be prepared to learn quickly. The words \u2018I know\u2019 are dangerous in business. Try to read about the different functions of business to get a better understanding about best practices. Start with the basics, like the psychology of motivation and advanced communication skills.<\/p>\n 5. Be introspective and desire success<\/strong><\/p>\n At the top there is no one else to blame; everything happens as a result of the decisions you make. When things don\u2019t go according to plan, it\u2019s because you didn\u2019t think things through far enough. Some people become cynical from being repeatedly \u2018let down\u2019. For you to be successful, you need to know everything happens for a reason. You have more power to influence the outcomes you want than you think. As long as there\u2019s competition, your standards need to be higher, your product\/service better, and your smile brighter. Every little detail needs to be worked on, repeatedly, until you win.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Meta4 provides life and business coaching for changes in career direction, business start-up ventures and business growth.<\/p>\n 1. Join a networking group<\/strong><\/p>\n There are so many business networking groups out there, and you can visit many for free. Networking is a valuable exercise for a number of reasons: firstly, your own personal development \u2013 it\u2019s really important for self-confidence and belief, hearing yourself being the expert in your field. Networking provides the opportunity to find out what other business-related activities are going on in your local area, and allows you to mix with like-minded business owners \u2013 self-employment can be lonely. Plus, it offers you the opportunity to gain business and grow your contacts. It\u2019s also a great place to test out ideas and get advice. Networking cannot be shouted about enough!<\/p>\n 2. Create your online profile<\/strong><\/p>\n In the very early stages you may not have a website but it is important to ensure you have online profiles and that they are consistent with one another. Develop your presence on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. This will create early confidence and trust in your brand, and enable potential contacts to connect and share easily with you. This will give you an idea of what your competitors and potential business contacts are talking about and are interested in, ultimately enabling you and your website to have a better online presence.<\/p>\n 3. Know your market<\/strong><\/p>\n Clearly understand who your target market is, and how to get to them (research, research, research). Think about age brackets, demographics, geography, how they like to buy and how best you can serve them. There are lots of really great tools available to challenge your thinking and direct you to answering questions about your target audience: surveys, social media tools and so on.<\/p>\n 4. Be open to all opportunities<\/strong><\/p>\n Being brave and taking risks is part and parcel of being a successful business owner. Say yes and then think about how<\/i> you\u2019re going to do it. The most wonderful thing about running your own business is the amazing opportunities that come your way. You never know where they might lead you.<\/p>\n 5. Take action<\/strong><\/p>\n Always be prepared to step outside of your comfort zone. This is where amazing things happen for you and your business. If you have an idea for a new and innovative product or service: go for it, research it, develop it, test it and send it out to your market. What\u2019s the worst that could happen?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Operation Enterprise provide training and support for aspiring entrepreneurs, and also offers enterprise education consultancy. Juno Projects is an offshoot of the business that focuses on female entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n 1. Write a business plan<\/strong><\/p>\n I get it, writing a business plan isn\u2019t the most fun you can have. When you have an idea for a business and you just want to get up and at it, being tied to a desk for the foreseeable future can appear to be a bit of a chore. It takes lots of time, painstaking research and a degree of commitment. I know a good few would-be entrepreneurs who have fallen at this first hurdle – just the thought of writing a plan has seen them giving up.<\/p>\n But a business plan is vital. It takes you through all of the things that you need to think about \u2013 your product\/service, customers, marketing, operational details, HR and, of course, finance \u2013 as well as helping you to allay potential problems along the way. The mere act of writing a plan can even identify a business that just won\u2019t work.<\/p>\n Investors will want to see one, bank managers will want to see one and even suppliers may want to see one. So writing one is non-negotiable if you want to start up properly.<\/p>\n 2. Don\u2019t be afraid to start off small<\/strong><\/p>\n Not every start-up is going to be the next Virgin or Body Shop. Let\u2019s accept that. And, in fact, not everyone who starts their own business wants<\/i> to be the next Richard Branson or Anita Roddick. Remember that some 95% of businesses in the UK are small. Only a tiny proportion of businesses we see on the high street are corporate enterprises.<\/p>\n Starting small is a really clever way to start. There\u2019s no need to throw everything up in the air and resign from a full-time job to start working on your own. Planning to run your business on a part-time basis for the first few months, even the first year, can be the perfect way to test out not just your business\u2019s suitability to the market but also your suitability to running a start-up!<\/p>\n Starting small can also save you money; not having to take a salary can be the difference between success and failure. And kicking off with a small amount of capital, resources and the basic tools is quite sensible. Better to start small and work up to something bigger slowly.<\/p>\n 3. It\u2019s about you, as much as your idea<\/strong><\/p>\n Whenever I talk to someone about my work as a Start-up Coach, most people sigh and say \u2018I could never start my own business, I don\u2019t have good ideas.\u2019 And whilst that\u2019s plainly a pre-requisite; it\u2019s also important that you have the skills to work for yourself.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t just mean professional or vocational qualifications, they are of course important; I mean attributes and behaviours. Running a business takes resilience and confidence, as well as excellent problem-solving and negotiation skills. You have to be organised and independent, a creative thinker, and a first class communicator.<\/p>\n The trick is to play to your strengths, and to find someone to fill the gap when it comes to your weaknesses. Take a training course in sales techniques; find a great book-keeper or accountant. Send your website off to a designer, rather than spending night after night poring over something that makes you want to pull your hair out. We can\u2019t do it all. Accepting that is a great strength in itself.<\/p>\n 4. Find a mentor<\/strong><\/p>\n Starting a business can be really hard going at times, and very isolating, particularly if you are working on your own. In your previous life as an employee, you will have had a colleague or boss to turn to for advice; someone to run ideas past. Of course you\u2019re the boss now, so all of the decisions are down to you.<\/p>\n Finding a good mentor is essential. Mentors come with lots of business experience and some may even be entrepreneurs themselves. They know the problems you will face and will have some great hints and tips. They will also have a useful network of contacts that they can put you in touch with.<\/p>\n They may not have specific industry experience but that\u2019s not always necessary. The problems that start-ups face are largely the same; it\u2019s just the scenarios that might be different.<\/p>\n 5. Love what you do<\/strong><\/p>\n It might surprise you to know that some people start up a business with one goal in mind. They just want to make money.<\/p>\n Now, I\u2019m not going to say that being motivated solely by money is bad, far from it, but I will say this – starting a business is seriously hard work. It will take everything you have, and a little bit more. It will take over your life. Even if you aren\u2019t working, you will be thinking about it. You will be out with friends, and have to dash home because you suddenly had a Great Idea and have to get cracking with it right away. Believe me, I\u2019ve been there.<\/p>\n Doing something because you love it, because it runs through your veins and excites you more than anything ever will is a much better reason for working for yourself than mere money. It needs to be a passion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thanks to all our contributors for their valuable advice. Do you have any start up tips for new entrepreneurs or businesses? Feel free to leave a comment in the section below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In today\u2019s edition of Tips from the Experts, we\u2019ve asked four seasoned business professionals to give us their top business start up tips. Warren Bickley and Rob Pollard, Founders of Rock My Roost Rock My Roost is an online store that stocks specially sourced, boutique homeware items. 1. Have a clear vision from the outset Write an achievable business plan and commit to it. It\u2019s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new business idea and forget about the business side of things. Setting achievable and realistic mid-term targets and objectives is key. 2. Be prepared to work harder than you ever have Working for yourself isn\u2019t the easy option; being your own boss can be tough. It includes working long hours, sometimes around an existing job, which can be challenging, but in the end it\u2019s all worthwhile. 3. Embrace technology and move with it or lead it! Web technologies can make it easier for start ups \u2013 especially using social media to your marketing advantage. Get to grips with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and even LinkedIn \u2013 they do work! 4. Business will not always be about success Failures are hard but use them to learn from and never let your emotions rule your decisions \u2013 move on and embrace your learning! 5. Keep an eye on costs Look for creative ways to achieve a similar outcome. For example, if you can\u2019t afford an expensive PR agency to help get your business recognised, try ringing around and see what packages you can get. Sometimes day rate project agreements are better than you think! Daniel Rajkumar, Chief Architect and Founder of Rebuilding Society Rebuilding Society is a company that connects creditworthy businesses with investors. This peer-to-business lending market is also known as crowdfunding. 1. Start with the end in mind Have a clear understanding of how you want the business to look in 1, 3 and 5 years\u2019 time. 2. Be proactive Get through as much as possible and don\u2019t get distracted. Try to stay focussed and finish each day planning the next, until you develop the skill to plan each week in advance. 3. Look after your staff and train them to look after your customers The first people you work with must be customer-centric in attitude and service. Customer loyalty is absolutely critical for any new business. 4. Work more on yourself than you do on your business Starting a business is a personal and professional development journey like no other. Read the autobiographies of other entrepreneurs; they always write about their mistakes and it\u2019s so much cheaper learning from someone else\u2019s mistakes than making your own! Be prepared to learn quickly. The words \u2018I know\u2019 are dangerous in business. Try to read about the different functions of business to get a better understanding about best practices. Start with the basics, like the psychology of motivation and advanced communication skills. 5. Be introspective and desire success At the top there is no one else to blame; everything happens as a result of the decisions you make. When things don\u2019t go according to plan, it\u2019s because you didn\u2019t think things through far enough. Some people become cynical from being repeatedly \u2018let down\u2019. For you to be successful, you need to know everything happens for a reason. You have more power to influence the outcomes you want than you think. As long as there\u2019s competition, your standards need to be higher, your product\/service better, and your smile brighter. Every little detail needs to be worked on, repeatedly, until you win. Clare Whalley, Life & Business Coach at Meta4 Meta4 provides life and business coaching for changes in career direction, business start-up ventures and business growth. 1. Join a networking group There are so many business networking groups out there, and you can visit many for free. Networking is a valuable exercise for a number of reasons: firstly, your own personal development \u2013 it\u2019s really important for self-confidence and belief, hearing yourself being the expert in your field. Networking provides the opportunity to find out what other business-related activities are going on in your local area, and allows you to mix with like-minded business owners \u2013 self-employment can be lonely. Plus, it offers you the opportunity to gain business and grow your contacts. It\u2019s also a great place to test out ideas and get advice. Networking cannot be shouted about enough! 2. Create your online profile In the very early stages you may not have a website but it is important to ensure you have online profiles and that they are consistent with one another. Develop your presence on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. This will create early confidence and trust in your brand, and enable potential contacts to connect and share easily with you. This will give you an idea of what your competitors and potential business contacts are talking about and are interested in, ultimately enabling you and your website to have a better online presence. 3. Know your market Clearly understand who your target market is, and how to get to them (research, research, research). Think about age brackets, demographics, geography, how they like to buy and how best you can serve them. There are lots of really great tools available to challenge your thinking and direct you to answering questions about your target audience: surveys, social media tools and so on. 4. Be open to all opportunities Being brave and taking risks is part and parcel of being a successful business owner. Say yes and then think about how you\u2019re going to do it. The most wonderful thing about running your own business is the amazing opportunities that come your way. You never know where they might lead you. 5. Take action Always be prepared to step outside of your comfort zone. This is where amazing things happen for you and your business. If you have an idea for a new and innovative product or service: go for it, research<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,217],"tags":[93],"class_list":["post-1366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-growth","category-expert-tips","tag-tips-from-the-experts-2"],"yoast_head":"\n
\n![\"rock\"](\"http:\/\/uk.instantoffices.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/rock-300x201.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nDaniel Rajkumar, Chief Architect and Founder of Rebuilding Society<\/a><\/h2>\n
\n![\"daniel\"](\"http:\/\/uk.instantoffices.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/daniel-266x300.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nClare Whalley, Life & Business Coach at Meta4<\/a><\/h2>\n
\n![\"clare\"](\"http:\/\/uk.instantoffices.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/clare-216x300.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\nAli Golds, Managing Director of Operation Enterprise<\/a> & Juno Projects<\/a><\/h2>\n
\n![\"ali\"](\"http:\/\/uk.instantoffices.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/ali-199x300.jpg\")
<\/strong><\/p>\n