Hello ,

Spring is in the air and having been away for a few days, in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales for Easter, I’ve definitely seen a change since I came back.  Everything is springing into growth, there's more daylight and things are warming up.

Thanks to everyone who completed the survey last month - there are few Audit sessions available for you this month and next.

There must be something else in the air too, as I’ve been having discussions with several people about starting up or growing their own business.

Often the urge to start your own business comes from redundancy, wanting more flexibility around work or as a result of starting a family or for many mums when the children are off to school.  

You may already be running your own business but want to take it more seriously, get more organised or just take it up a level or add to your existing business (whether it’s your own or you’re working for someone else).

So You're Thinking Of Starting Your Own Business?

Running your own business isn’t easy and takes determination.  I discussed a few of the frustrations in last month's newsletter.  Here are a few more things to consider:

Just because you have the right skills and abilities to do what you do, doesn’t mean you necessarily have the skills and ability to run a business … but you can learn.

As well as the core to your business - the product or service that you provide - you will need to consider and spend time on the following:

Sales and Marketing - not always the favourite activities of many business owners but essential if you want to find your customers or for them to find you.

It's not just about having a website or placing an ad, especially these days.  There are 101 different ways to get your message out there, so you’re sure to find one that suits your way of working.  If you recoil from the thought of  ‘selling’, try a softer approach or ‘pull’ marketing to attract the right customers to you.

Know who your ideal clients are and where to find them.  Don’t waste your time, effort and money on expensive marketing that doesn’t work.

Finance - another essential if you want to understand and keep control of your business.  More businesses go under or don’t survive those first critical few years because they have unrealistic forecast figures, mis-judge or lose control of their cashflow or end up getting paid less than they need to keep going.

Numbers may not be your strong point but you need to understand the basics of balancing what comes in and what goes out.  Earning money isn’t just about income and sales.  It’s also about what you have to spend, the time and effort you put in, your overheads and the cost of doing business.

Know the cost of your time so that you not only value your time but also know what you need to charge.

Admin - often gets left to the end of the day, at weekends or (because you hate doing it) only when it’s built up to such a level that you can’t avoid it!

Save time with automation, delegation or outsourcing.  Have the right systems, processes tools and apps in place to make your life easier (not to create another distraction).  Even if you don’t have anyone to delegate to, you may be in a better position to push-back when new work heads your way, if you understand and can manage your priorities better.

Find someone to help you do the tasks you don’t have the skills or time for or those you try to avoid or are always put off, like keeping your accounts up to date, sending out or chasing up invoices, dealing with ‘paperwork’ - online or offline. ​

People - how do you manage your customers and clients or other people you need to work with?  If you have staff, even if it’s a small team, you need to manage and develop them effectively and deal with any people-related issues that come up, including hiring and firing.

This can be one of the most challenging areas for a business.  It’s important to have the right team in place to help you grow your business and not become something that drains your resources, impacts the productivity of your team or causes you stress.

If you’re looking to grow or start your own business - take a look at ‘How To Grow Your Business’.  It just might help give you the Kick-Start you need.

I'm always happy to answer your questions, so do get in touch if I can help in any way.

Clare