Business Action | February / March 2021
February / March 2021 issue of the independent North Devon-based business magazine covering news on business and enterprise in the area. This issue features our Business Activists answering your business questions plus full details of the Business Action North Devon Business Awards 2021 and how you can enter them. And there's news of businesses of every size and sector from the communities across North Devon.
February / March 2021 issue of the independent North Devon-based business magazine covering news on business and enterprise in the area. This issue features our Business Activists answering your business questions plus full details of the Business Action North Devon Business Awards 2021 and how you can enter them. And there's news of businesses of every size and sector from the communities across North Devon.
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START-UP ADVICE<br />
We started a new business. So can you<br />
Why start a business?When<br />
doyoustartit?Andhowdo<br />
youstart?<br />
Thefirstquestionalways<br />
fascinatesmeandwhenI<br />
interviewbusinessowners,itis<br />
theonethatusuallyprovides<br />
themostilluminatingand<br />
entertaininganswers.<br />
AlanWilliamsandIhave<br />
runourownindividual<br />
businessesforyears–Alan<br />
runsWillsAtHome,providing<br />
willsandprobateservices,<br />
whileIrunZarywacz,a<br />
partnershipwithmybrother<br />
Simon,providingcopywriting<br />
andcommunicationsservices<br />
forbusinesses.Howdidwe<br />
startabusinessmagazine?<br />
Why start a business?<br />
Wehaveknowneachotherfor<br />
someyearsandAlanwantedto<br />
publishalocaladvertising<br />
leafletonwhichwestartedto<br />
collaborate.Hehasadeepand<br />
detailedknowledgeofthe<br />
NorthDevonbusiness<br />
community,developedover<br />
decades,andsawtheneed.<br />
Throughpublishingthe<br />
leafletwealsosawtheneedfor<br />
professionallyorganised<br />
businesseventsandthisledus<br />
todeveloptheannualBBxpo<br />
businessexhibitions(sadly,<br />
cancelledin2020dueto<br />
Coronavirus).<br />
Frommyownexperienceas<br />
abusinessjournalistinthe<br />
area,Isawthenational<br />
broadcastandprintmedia<br />
companieswithdrawingfrom<br />
NorthDevon,leadingtoalack<br />
ofbusinessreporting.Thisled<br />
ustopublishingthefirstissue<br />
of<strong>Business</strong><strong>Action</strong>in2019to<br />
fillthegap.<br />
Everythingwehavedoneis<br />
focusedonsatisfyingamarket<br />
needwehaveidentified.<br />
TIP:Beforeyoustartyourown<br />
business,ensurethereisa<br />
needinthemarketplacefor<br />
yourproductorservice.This<br />
isnotalwaysstraightforward.<br />
ThinkoftheiPhoneandhow<br />
Applecreatedtheneedfora<br />
devicethathadnotpreviously<br />
existed.Howdidpeopleknow<br />
theyneededone?Itis<br />
importanttoensurethatyou<br />
makeyourcustomersaware<br />
thattheyneedyourproduct.<br />
<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Action</strong> magazine is now in its third year. It launched after<br />
co-publishers Alan Williams (left) and Robert Zarywacz identified the<br />
opportunity and drew on their experience, knowledge and skills to<br />
make it happen. Below Robert Zarywacz shares their experience and<br />
offers advice on starting your own business<br />
Howevergooditis,youneed<br />
tosellittothemtosucceed.<br />
What motivates you?<br />
Startingabusinessrequires<br />
greatenergyanddetermination.<br />
Nothinghappensuntilyou<br />
makeithappen.Youneeda<br />
strongreasontoattemptthis.<br />
AlanandIsharea<br />
commitmenttohelpand<br />
supportbusinesses,especially<br />
smallbusinesses.Thisdroveus<br />
tostartandfuelsourpersistence<br />
toovercomeobstacles.<br />
TIP:Identifyyourmotivation<br />
andrecognisetheburning<br />
desirethatmakesyoujump<br />
outofbedeachdaytomake<br />
yourbusinesswork.<br />
When do you start?<br />
Westarted<strong>Business</strong><strong>Action</strong><br />
immediately,ascertainaspects<br />
oftheoperationhadbeenin<br />
ourmindsforyearsandall<br />
NOW IN OUR 3 rd YEAR<br />
13 ISSUES PUBLISHED<br />
260+ BUSINESSES IN ARTICLES & ADVERTS<br />
000s OF ONLINE & SOCIAL MEDIA VIEWS<br />
SELECTED AS SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY<br />
#SMALLBIZ100 in 2019<br />
100+ AWARDS ENTRIES IN 2020<br />
UNINTERRUPTED OPERATION IN 2020<br />
fittedtogetherinstantly.When<br />
discussingit,itwasclearthat<br />
thetimewasright,sowe<br />
launchedwithinfourmonths.<br />
Aswehaveourexisting<br />
businesses,wewereableto<br />
launchquickly,fundingthe<br />
magazineourselveswithlittle<br />
risk.Givingupfull-time<br />
employmenttostartabusiness<br />
canbeamajorriskandmany<br />
experiencedentrepreneurs<br />
recommendstartingsmallor<br />
part-timetotestit.Thereare<br />
manyelementsyouneedtoget<br />
right,sotestingitinasmall<br />
waycanhelpironoutproblems<br />
beforeyourfulllaunch.<br />
TIP:Onceyou’veidentifieda<br />
marketneedandhavea<br />
definiteideaofhowyouwill<br />
runyourbusiness,move<br />
quicklysoasnottomissany<br />
opportunities.Waitingtoo<br />
longcansapyouryour<br />
motivationandenergy.<br />
TIP:Remembertotestyour<br />
businessideaonasmallscale<br />
sothatyoucanseewhatworks<br />
andwhatdoesn’tworksoyou<br />
canfinetuneyouroperation.<br />
TIP:Fundityourselfsoyou<br />
don’tborrowmoney.<br />
How to start?<br />
Together,AlanandIhadthe<br />
businessknowledgeweneeded<br />
tomovefast.Weestablished<br />
thestructureofthebusiness,<br />
developedthemagazineformat<br />
andcalculatedapricing<br />
structurethatwasattractiveto<br />
customersandviableforus.<br />
Muchofthiswepickedup<br />
fromourownexperienceand<br />
fromtalkingtootherbusiness<br />
owners,butwedidn’tknow<br />
everythingandwecontinueto<br />
finetunethemagazine.<br />
TIP:Nooneknowseverything<br />
aboutrunningabusinessso<br />
seekadviceandaskother<br />
businessowners.Findpeople<br />
youcantrustwhohavereal<br />
experienceofrunningtheir<br />
ownbusinessandwhose<br />
adviceyourespect.<br />
More support<br />
AlanandIarealwayspleased<br />
tosupportbusinessesandyou<br />
canfindmoreusefultipsfrom<br />
our<strong>Business</strong>Activistsonpages<br />
8&9,aswellasdetailsof<br />
workshopsweareplanning.<br />
@businessactionm | <strong>February</strong> / <strong>March</strong> <strong>2021</strong> | business action 13
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