starting and growing small business suffolk 06 12 11

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Information and communication technologyYou also have to make sure that your site has some extrainformation in it called ‘meta tags’ and hope that ‘spiders’ readthem. This is not as strange as it might sound. Google often usecomputers to help them find interesting sites. Google is arguablythe best at doing this. It sends out search programs into theinternet called ‘spiders’ to find new websites. They ‘crawl’ aroundlooking for ‘meta tags’. These ‘meta tags’ are hidden from theuser when they look at a page, but are visible in the HTML code,and are specifically written so the ‘spiders’ pick them up.However, Google also works in another way. The more timesanother site ‘links’ (that is mentions) yours, the higher up thesearch engine it goes.E-CommerceAs well as helping you sell more through online trading, havingan ‘e-shop’ can really help you reduce your costs. Customers domost of the work for you by keying in their details on a securearea of your site, and card transactions can either be processedonline (through what is called a payment gateway - or an onlinecredit card transaction facility) or the details are stored in asecure area and then processed by hand. Either system is agreat way to start trading online but do note that there arecharges involved for the initial set up and for the use of a securepayment gateway. Payment gateways usually take a smallpercentage per sale which covers the cost of the transaction -for credit cards this is normally 3-4 per cent and debit cards areusually a flat fee of approximately 50 pence per transaction.But don’t leave it there. Any information you get from thecustomers filling in their details on your site can be added to yourdatabase and be used for future marketing.TelephonesNo business can operate without an efficient telephone system butthere are many competing suppliers all offering ‘the best’ deals oncombined landline/mobile/broadband packages. Before you investUseful contacts1. Department for Business, Innovation & SkillsTel: 020 7215 5000. www.bis.gov.uk2. E-Skills UKTel: 020 7963 8920. www.e-skills.com3. Learndirect BusinessTel: 08000 150 750.www.learndirect-business.co.uk4. Telecoms Advicewww.telecomsadvice.org.uk5. Business LinkTel: 08457 17 16 15.www.businesslink.gov.uk/eastDid you know…• computers are at the heart of all businessoperations.• you need to make the best choice of computersystem to fit the requirements of your business.• the internet can seriously boost your custom -so build a creative and effective website.• you need to be insured against errors andfailures as insurance and maintenance arekey to continuity.in any equipment, think about how many telephone lines andextensions you will need - and whether these can be increased ifthe business grows. Broadband is the obvious choice over slowdial-up connections because you can access the internet fromyour computer and use the telephone at the same time, but shouldyou consider combined broadband telephone services which allowyou to use the IP telephone to make cheap calls, especiallyoverseas, via the internet.FaxesAlthough email is the main way of communication today, it is stillworth considering whether you need a fax. Faxed documents areaccepted as legal copies, including signed documents such ascontracts. Think about whether you need a dedicated fax lineinstalled and therefore need to buy a standalone fax machine, orwhether you could use computer-based fax software - whichmeans you can send and receive faxes with your computer.PhotocopiersAs with the fax machine, is it really necessary for you to buy adedicated photocopier? If you feel you won’t need a photocopiermuch, many printers now double as scanners and photocopiersmeaning you can print or email documents from your computer.Or perhaps it would be cheaper to outsource photocopying to areprographic firm as and when necessary.“The first rule of technology used inbusiness is that automation applied toan efficient operation will magnify theefficiency. The second is thatautomation applied to an inefficientoperation will magnify the inefficiency.”Bill Gates, Founder, Microsoft Corporation17
Business supportGetting good quality business advice, support and training can be vital both at the start-up stage andas your business expands.Helping Suffolk businessessurvive and thriveBusiness Link East is a free-to-use, independentbusiness advice service. It provides relevantup-to-date information on business issues such asstarting or expanding a business, managing people,marketing, finance, technology and exporting.As the economic downturn continues to bite, the Governmenthas streamlined and increased the level of support availablethrough ‘Real Help for Business’, which can be accessed viaBusiness Link East. This includes small loans for business,grants for business investment and funding for training throughthe Train to Gain service.As well as a team of experienced Business Link Advisers whowork with companies to check how healthy they are and developan action plan for growth and sustainability, Business Link Eastoffers several specialist services.• Access to Finance Advisers diagnose the financial needs ofbusinesses, help them develop funding strategies and workwith them to enhance their appeal to lenders and investors.• Skills Advisers work with companies to explore their trainingrequirements, develop staff training plans, provide details ofrelevant training providers and identify any available funding.• Innovation Advisers offer focused and in-depth guidancearound innovation and increasing efficiency within a business.Business Link East can be accessed face to face, by telephoneor through its award winning website.To find out more call 08457 17 16 15,email questions@businesslinkeast.org.ukor visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/eastEast of England Development AgencySolutions for Business is a suite of highly targeted, publicly fundedproducts and services offering solutions to real business needs andtackling market failure. Designed to drive qualifying businessesforward, it helps them to grow and succeeds by providing helpin a number of areas. These include starting up, understandingfinance, developing people, environment and efficiency, exploitingideas, international sales and marketing and growing yourbusiness. Your gateway to the Solutions for Business products andservices is Business Link, www.businesslink.gov.ukTo find out more about how the governmentis simplifying business support visit theSolutions for Business section of EEDA’S websitewww.eeda.org.ukMENTA(Mid Anglian Enterprise Agency Limited)MENTA helps Suffolk people start their own smallbusinesses, and then helps them to grow. We arein Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and Haverhill.Free advice and training: one-to-one consultations, workshopsand seminars, networking events.Networking events: breakfasts, coffee mornings, lunches, tradefairs and more.Premises: serviced business centres in Bury St Edmundsand Haverhill.For more information call 01284 760206or visit www.menta.org.ukNWES(Norfolk and Waveney Enterprise Services)NWES specialises in helping people whoown a new or existing business by offeringfully-funded professional advice, excellentbusiness training courses and a loan fundspecifically for anyone who has been refused finance. We alsooperate a number of business centres offering lettableworkspace and virtual tenancy.For more information call 0845 60 99 99 1or visit www.nwes.org.ukSuffolk ACRE(Suffolk Action with Communities in Rural England)Suffolk ACRE’s aim is to help communities inSuffolk to identify and tackle their needs throughcommunity action. Suffolk ACRE’s role is tosupport community groups and voluntaryorganisations to undertake self-help activities,and enable communities to take ownership for their own well-being.For more information call 01473 345300or visit www.suffolkacre.org.ukVenture NavigatorVenture Navigator is a state-of-the-art on-line service designedto help start-ups, small businesses and entrepreneurs improvetheir chances of success. If you have a new idea or an existingcompany ready for growth, Venture Navigator can help you steera course to success! The service is free of charge.Web: www.venturenavigator.co.uk18
Page 1 and 2: SuffolkSmall Business Guide 2010A g
Page 3 and 4: Researching your marketAll successf
Page 5 and 6: The business planThis section sets
Page 7 and 8: Legal requirementsThis section prov
Page 9 and 10: Legal requirementsLicencesCertain b
Page 11 and 12: Raising financeThis section explain
Page 13 and 14: Marketing - Winning customersThis s
Page 15 and 16: Finding suitable premisesChoosing t
Page 17: Information andcommunication techno
Page 21 and 22: DirectoryPaying employees’ taxand
Page 23 and 24: DirectoryCommunity Development Fina

starting and growing small business suffolk 06 12 11

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?