Business Boost: The North Devon Startup & Business Development Guide 2022
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Business Boost: The North Devon Startup & Business Development Guide 2022

A guide to starting up and developing your business in North Devon

A guide to starting up and developing your business in North Devon

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HEADER<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Boost</strong><br />

business<br />

ACTION<br />

supplement<br />

<strong>The</strong> <strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong> <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />

Introduction<br />

Atthemomentitfeelslike<br />

<strong>North</strong><strong>Devon</strong>ishumming<br />

tothesoundofnew<br />

businesses.Itiswonderful<br />

toseethevarietyof<br />

businessesthatare<br />

thrivinginourrelatively<br />

rurallocation.<br />

Butwhileitishugely<br />

rewardingtorunyourownbusiness,lifeisoftenfraught<br />

withthornydecisionsthatdon’thaveonecorrectanswer.<br />

I’dliketothinkthissupplementcananswersomeofthose<br />

questionsorgivesomeideasforwhereyoumightfind<br />

furtherhelp.<br />

Myownexperiencehasbeenthat,whileIhadaplanto<br />

start,ittookmeseveralyearstoworkouthowtoexplain<br />

thattootherpeopleandtofindcustomerswhovaluedthe<br />

serviceIprovide.<br />

Sowhilemybusinessplaninitiallysounded<br />

straightforward,therealityhasbeenmorelikea<br />

wanderingfootpath.Butit’sbeenhugelyrewardingalong<br />

thewayandIwouldencourageanyonethinkingoftrying<br />

outontheirowntogiveitagoandjointhisthriving<br />

communityofentrepreneurs.<br />

Susie Kevern<br />

<strong>Business</strong> Action Supplement Editor<br />

t: 07801 199671<br />

w: poundlane.co.uk<br />

Sincelaunching<strong>Business</strong><br />

Actionmagazinefor<br />

<strong>North</strong><strong>Devon</strong>in2020,it<br />

hasbeenanaimto<br />

publishsupplements<br />

focusingonspecific<br />

aspectsofbusiness,<br />

althoughthepandemic<br />

putthisonhold.Achat<br />

withSusieKevernreturnedittothefrontofthequeue.<br />

WorkingwithSusietocompilethematerialforthis<br />

firstsupplementhasbeenagreatpleasureandwehope<br />

youwillfinditahelpfulreferenceguideifyou’restarting<br />

anewbusinessordevelopingyourexistingenterprise.<br />

Andwithchangeoccurringsofastinallareas,eachofus<br />

hastostayawareandrefreshourknowledgeandskills.<br />

<strong>The</strong>searticlesareintendedasastartingpointtohelp<br />

youasknecessaryquestionsaboutyourbusinessand<br />

findusefulanswers.Youarewelcometocontactthe<br />

authorsdirectformorespecifichelpandadvice.<br />

Aswellasthissupplement,weareorganisingthe<br />

BBxpobusinessexhibitioninBidefordonThursday27<br />

Octoberandcontinuetopublish<strong>Business</strong>Action<br />

magazineeveryquarter.Addedtogether,wehopethese<br />

activitiesboostyour<strong>North</strong><strong>Devon</strong>business.<br />

Robert Zarywacz<br />

<strong>Business</strong> Action Publisher & Series Editor<br />

t: 07971 176044<br />

e: robertz@business-action.co.uk<br />

Useful guide<br />

Start up and grow<br />

GET STARTED 2<br />

<strong>The</strong>basicsofstartingtotradeofficially–fromregistering<br />

withHMRCtotermsandconditions,andfindingadvice.<br />

PRIVACY & GDPR 4<br />

Abriefintroductiontothelawandregulationstohelpyou<br />

protectyourself,youremployeesandcustomers.<br />

HR & RECRUITMENT 4<br />

5tipsongoodemploymentpracticeandresourcestohelp<br />

yourecruitthestaffyouneed.<br />

CASE STUDY 6<br />

Howa<strong>North</strong><strong>Devon</strong>mumtookthefirststeptofinancial<br />

independenceanddevelopedaflourishingbusiness.<br />

FINANCE & FACILITIES 7<br />

Anintroductiontodifferenttypesoffundingandaguide<br />

to<strong>North</strong><strong>Devon</strong>businessaccommodationandfacilities.<br />

MARKETING 8<br />

Wheredoyoustart?Somethoughtsonmarketing,the<br />

powerofdirectmailand5tipsondigitalmarketing.<br />

IT & TECHNOLOGY 9<br />

UseITandtechnologytoolstorunyourbusiness<br />

efficiently,protectandpromoteit.<br />

SUSTAINABILITY 10<br />

Resourcestohelpyourbusinessmaintainandprotectthe<br />

environment–plusprotectyourselfandyourbusiness.<br />

CASE STUDY 12<br />

Howone<strong>North</strong><strong>Devon</strong>businessdevelopedintoa<br />

nationallyrecognisedbrand.<br />

ACCESS SUPPORT 13<br />

Currentprogrammesprovidingsupporttohelpyoustart<br />

uporexpandyourbusiness.<br />

NETWORKING 14<br />

Buildbusinessrelationships,enjoyrepresentationatlocal<br />

andnationallevels,andattendexhibitions.<br />

<strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business-action.co.uk<br />

@businessactionm | Winter 2021 | business action 1

1 Define your business<br />

Definingyourproductor<br />

serviceandtheprocessofhow<br />

youdeliverittoyourcustomers<br />

iskeytodefiningfuturesuccess.<br />

<strong>The</strong>momentyoustartto<br />

thinkspecificallyaboutwhat<br />

youaresupplyingandidentify<br />

youridealcustomer,itwill<br />

becomeeasiertoseehowto<br />

targetyourmarketandfindthe<br />

rightpricepoint.<br />

2 Plan your business<br />

Next,plan.Keepyourbusiness<br />

planassimpleandspecificas<br />

youcan.Yourplanshouldhelp<br />

youidentifywhatequipment<br />

youneed,whoyouneedto<br />

employ,ifyouneedapremises,<br />

anyfinancerequiredandmost<br />

importantly,theprecisecostof<br />

yourproductorservice.<br />

<strong>The</strong>creativepartofyour<br />

planistoconsiderhowtoput<br />

allofthistogethertogiveyour<br />

businessitsuniqueedge,ensure<br />

itisresilienttochange,and<br />

provideagoodincomeforyour<br />

hardworkandcreativity.<br />

3 Choose a structure<br />

Nextyouneedtochoosethe<br />

structureforyourbusiness.<br />

Wemayrolloureyesatthe<br />

thoughtof‘thesmallprint’–<br />

typicallawyerschargingfees<br />

forsomethingnotreally<br />

needed–butbelieveme,when<br />

youareinthemiddleofalegal<br />

disputewhichcouldhavebeen<br />

avoidedbyforwardplanning<br />

andagoodsetoftermsand<br />

conditionsofbusiness(T&C),<br />

youmaynotberollingyour<br />

eyesafterall.AlthoughT&Cs<br />

maynotbeabletocoverall<br />

eventualities(although<br />

Amazon’sexclusionclause<br />

shouldthezombieapocalypse<br />

occurwasprettyenterprising!),<br />

itcanstillpreventalotof<br />

problemsinthefuturesoitis<br />

worthgettingthemdrafted<br />

beforeyoustarttrading.<br />

Howdoyougoabout<br />

draftingyourT&Cs?Youwill<br />

probablywantsomeinput<br />

GETHEADER<br />

STARTED<br />

5 steps to start up<br />

<strong>The</strong>re is so much to consider when starting up a business so James<br />

Dapling of JD Accountants in Barnstaple has distilled five basic formal<br />

steps to help you. Of course, there are many more steps . . .<br />

Alimitedcompanyisits<br />

ownlegalentityandwillgive<br />

yournewbusinessalevel<br />

standingnotprovidedbysole<br />

tradeorpartnershipstructures,<br />

aswellasprovideyouwiththe<br />

protectionoflimitedliability.<br />

Asoletradeorpartnership<br />

formatisasimpler,easier<br />

structuretosetup,orcloseif<br />

yourbusinessideasdonot<br />

work.However,youwillnotget<br />

thelegalprotectionsthatcome<br />

withlimitedcompanies.<br />

4 Register business<br />

Allbusinessesarelegally<br />

requiredtoregisterwithHM<br />

RevenueandCustomsand,if<br />

tradingasalimitedcompany,<br />

CompaniesHouse.<br />

Registrationcanbe<br />

completedonlineatgov.uk,or<br />

usingformsCWF1forsole<br />

traders,SA400&SA401for<br />

partnershipsorIN01fora<br />

company.Tip:usetheseforms<br />

toworkoutwhatdetailsyou<br />

need,evenifyouactually<br />

registeronline.<br />

Youwillneedtoconsider<br />

registeringforPAYE(PayAs<br />

YouEarn)ifyouplanto<br />

employandforVAT(Value<br />

AddedTax)ifyourturnoveris<br />

plannedtoexceed£85,000.<br />

Don’t,however,becaughtin<br />

theVATtransitiontrap,<br />

experiencedbymanygrowing<br />

businesses,whofindthatthey<br />

arerequiredtoregisterforVAT,<br />

havingbuiltacustomerbase<br />

thatisusedtolowernon-VAT<br />

prices.Ifyourbusinessisone<br />

whereVATregistrationis<br />

inevitable,considerregistration<br />

forVATandpricingofyour<br />

productorserviceattheoutset.<br />

Allbusinessesarelegally<br />

requiredtomaintaina<br />

completerecordofallbusiness<br />

transactions.Moreimportantly,<br />

yourbusinessrecordsand<br />

professionallyproduced<br />

It’s all in the small print<br />

fromasolicitoratsomepoint<br />

butitisworthwhilethinking<br />

whatyouwantbeforehand. So<br />

herearesometips:<br />

1. Howdoyouintendto<br />

trade?Web-basedservices<br />

willneeddifferentT&Csto<br />

physicalservices.<br />

2. Whereorhowwillyou<br />

displayyourT&Cs?<br />

3. Ifyouarewebbased,are<br />

yougoingtobestoring<br />

personalinformationabout<br />

acustomer?Inwhichcase,<br />

youneedtocaterforGDPR.<br />

4. Doyouwanttolimityour<br />

liability?How?Any<br />

financiallimit?<br />

5 Bookkeeping<br />

Emma Slade, partner at Slee Blackwell who specialises in litigation,<br />

advises on the merits of having terms and conditions of business<br />

5. Doyouwishtoprotectthe<br />

copyrightorother<br />

intellectualpropertyright<br />

inyourproduct?<br />

6. Paymentterms:all<br />

important.Whathappensif<br />

theydon’tpay?Doyou<br />

wanttochargeintereston<br />

latepayments?<br />

7. Andwhataboutrefunds?<br />

8. Willyouwanttoterminate<br />

thecontract?<br />

Thoseareonlyafew,very<br />

basictipsbuthopefully,itwill<br />

getyouthinkingaboutwhat<br />

youmayneedandalsomay<br />

highlightafewreasonswhy<br />

youmayneedsomeT&Cs.<br />

accountsareasourceofgold<br />

that,ifusedproperly,canlift<br />

yourbusinessabovethecrowd.<br />

Youcanclaimthecostsof<br />

anyexpensethatisincurred<br />

whollyandexclusivelyforthe<br />

purposesoftrade.<strong>The</strong>reare<br />

complexrulesaroundwhat<br />

maybeallowable,whichare<br />

notalwaysconsistentbetween<br />

differenttaxes.HMRevenue<br />

andCustomsdoprovidesome<br />

guidanceatgov.uk/expenses-ifyoure-self-employedasa<br />

startingpoint.However,dotake<br />

advicefromyouraccountant.<br />

Webelieveinkeeping<br />

bookkeepingsimpleand<br />

recommendtheuseofa<br />

dedicatedbankaccount,freeof<br />

personaltransactions,anda<br />

systemforfilingyourinvoices<br />

asyoupayforthem,whetheras<br />

oldschoolpaperoronline.<br />

Digitaltoolsintheright<br />

handscanhelp,butunlikethe<br />

advertssuggest,theywillnot<br />

blessyouwiththeskillofbeing<br />

abookkeepingortaxgeniusat<br />

themereclickofyourmobile.<br />

James Dapling<br />

JD Accountants<br />

t: 01271 378606<br />

Importantlythough,speak<br />

toyoursolicitortoget<br />

guidance.Becauseifyoudon’t<br />

talktoyoursolicitornow,you<br />

maybetalkingtomany<br />

solicitorsinthefutureasthe<br />

disputesstart.<br />

Emma Slade<br />

Slee Blackwell<br />

t: 01271 372128<br />

w: sleeblackwell.co.uk<br />

supplement<br />

Web site | business-action.co.uk<br />

Online version | business-action.uk<br />

t: 07971 176044<br />

Design & production by<br />

© Need it Find it <strong>2022</strong>. All information in this supplement is published in good faith. Any views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher, Need it Find it. Articles<br />

included in this supplement do not constitute business advice. Readers are strongly recommended to seek advice from an appropriate professional before taking any action<br />

on any topic discussed in the supplement and to check full terms and conditions of any products or services promoted in advertisements.<br />

2 business action | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business-action.co.uk

Whose advice is best?<br />

As well as publishing <strong>Business</strong> Action, Robert Zarywacz’s long career<br />

includes corporate roles and running his own copywriting and<br />

communications partnership. He believes running a business is a<br />

way of life which must fit with your own beliefs and needs<br />

Advice based on experience<br />

<strong>The</strong>rearemanybusiness<br />

advisersandconsultantsready<br />

togiveyouadvice,buthow<br />

manyhaveactuallystartedor<br />

runtheirownbusiness?Thisis<br />

verydifferentfrombeingan<br />

employeeandisdifficultto<br />

understandifyou’venot<br />

experiencedityourself.<br />

Muchbusinessadviceis<br />

aimedathelpingbusinesses<br />

thatwillgrowlargefastand<br />

employlotsofpeople,butvery<br />

fewbusinesseseverdoeither.<br />

Mostaresoletradersormicrobusinessesemployinglessthan<br />

10.Doesthismakethemany<br />

lessvaluable?<br />

Establish your value<br />

Itdependsonyourreasonsfor<br />

runningabusiness.Some<br />

mightwanttoearnextra<br />

moneytosupplementtheir<br />

mainincome,othersmight<br />

wanttosupporttheir<br />

community,whileambitious<br />

entrepreneursmightwantto<br />

foundagiantbusinessempire.<br />

Howdoesasmallbusinessthat<br />

helpsthecommunityor<br />

improvespeople’slives<br />

comparewithabigonethat<br />

employslotsofpeopletosell<br />

consumerproducts?Valueis<br />

measurableinmorewaysthan<br />

justprofit.<br />

What’simportantisto<br />

knowwhat’sdrivingyouto<br />

runyourbusiness,whether<br />

youwanttopromoteaworthy<br />

cause,runahairdressingchain<br />

ormanufactureelectronics<br />

products.Perhapsyouwant<br />

morecontroltoenjoylifemore.<br />

Try out your ideas<br />

It’salwaysgoodtodrawupa<br />

plan,butmanyplansare<br />

purelytheoreticalbecause<br />

thereisnowayofknowing<br />

howrealistictheyareuntilput<br />

intoaction.<br />

<strong>The</strong>sedaysmorepeople<br />

seemtobetestingbusiness<br />

ideaswhilestillinajobtofind<br />

outwhatworksandwhat<br />

doesn’t.Thisresearchis<br />

invaluablebecauseyoudon’t<br />

havetorisklosingyour<br />

incomeorbiginvestment.You<br />

canstartsmallandbuildupto<br />

thedaywhenyourbusiness<br />

needsyoufull-timeandyou<br />

canresignfromyourjob.<br />

Marketing. What works?<br />

Godigital,everyonesays,but<br />

rememberthosebusinesses<br />

thatthriveonword-of-mouth<br />

recommendations,the<br />

personaltouchandpeople<br />

whorememberyourname<br />

withouthavingtolookitupin<br />

adatabase.<br />

Digitalandonlinetoolscan<br />

bevery,veryeffectivebutdo<br />

notguaranteesuccessontheir<br />

own.Whiledigitalexperts<br />

focusonnumbersofviews,<br />

visitsandshares,theonly<br />

statisticthatreallymattersis<br />

sales–doesithelpyousell?<br />

Lookatthewholemarketing<br />

mix–frombrandedshirtsand<br />

phonenumbersonvehiclesto<br />

socialmediavideos–tofind<br />

whatworksforyou.<br />

Who should you listen to?<br />

Everyone,especiallyyourself.<br />

It’sgoodtohearawiderange<br />

ofopinionsandinvestin<br />

whatevertrainingyoucan.<br />

Chooseadviserswhose<br />

advicecorrespondswithyour<br />

ethos.Andrememberthat<br />

whatworksforothersisnot<br />

guaranteedtoworkforyou.<br />

Yourgutinstinctisvital.<br />

Youwillinevitablyhavetodo<br />

thingsyoudon’tenjoydoing–<br />

taxreturns,admin,cleaning<br />

equipment–butdon’teverdo<br />

anythingyoudon’tbelieveis<br />

therightthingtodo.Listen<br />

carefullytoyourownvoice.<br />

Enjoy your business<br />

And,finally,havefun.Along<br />

withtheinevitableupsand<br />

down,problemsand<br />

frustrations,manybusiness<br />

ownerslovewhattheydoand<br />

wouldn’tchangeitfor<br />

anything.That’sagoodaim.<br />

Perhapsyoursuccesswill<br />

leadyoutoofferadviceto<br />

otherpeoplelookingtofollow<br />

yourexampleandstarttheir<br />

ownbusiness.Goodluck!<br />

Robert Zarywacz<br />

Zarywacz<br />

t: 01271 879100<br />

w: z2z.com<br />

FIND HEADER ADVICE<br />

Are you a Small <strong>Business</strong> in the <strong>North</strong><br />

<strong>Devon</strong> and Torridge area and would like to<br />

have an input with the Petroc curriculum?<br />

<strong>The</strong> Big Benefits for Small <strong>Business</strong>es project works<br />

collaboratively with small businesses in <strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong><br />

and Torridge to improve the relevance of skills<br />

provision, maximise innovation and develop training<br />

and skills opportunities.<br />

For more information please e-mail<br />

projects@petroc.ac.uk<br />

in partnership with<br />

@businessactionm | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business action 3

Maintaining privacy<br />

and data protection<br />

Most businesses collect and store data on customers, employees and<br />

other individuals. Ensuring their privacy and protecting their data is<br />

vital. But where do you start? Nigel Hellewell provides specialist<br />

advice and training on privacy and data protection to organisations.<br />

Below is an extract adapted from a comprehensive introduction to the<br />

topic published by Nigel on his web site at enaych.com<br />

Whatarethemainconstituent<br />

partsofUKdataprotection<br />

lawandhowdotheyinteract<br />

witheachother?<br />

Information Commissioners<br />

Office (ICO)<br />

<strong>The</strong>ICOregulatesthelegislation.<br />

Itisfundedmainlybyfees<br />

paidby‘datacontrollers’.<br />

Datacontrollersarethe<br />

legalentity(soletrader,<br />

partnership,company,<br />

organisation,etc)who<br />

ultimatelydecidesthe<br />

purposesandmeansofthe<br />

processingofpersonaldata.<br />

Data Protection<br />

(Charges and Information)<br />

Regulations 2018<br />

<strong>The</strong>seareoftenreferredtoas<br />

theDataProtectionFee.<strong>The</strong>re<br />

arethreetiersofpayments<br />

dependingonthesizeand<br />

natureofanorganisation.<br />

Data Protection Act 2018<br />

(DPA2018)<br />

<strong>The</strong>DPA2018setsoutthe<br />

frameworkfordataprotection<br />

lawintheUK.Itsitsalongside<br />

andsupplementstheUK<br />

GDPR(seebelow),egby<br />

providingexemptions.Italso<br />

coverslawenforcement<br />

authorities,nationalsecurity<br />

anddefence.<br />

<strong>The</strong>DPA2018issplitinto<br />

differentparts,whichapplyin<br />

differentsituationsand<br />

performdifferentfunctions.<br />

Part2:Generalprocessing<br />

(UKGDPR)supplementsand<br />

tailorstheUKGDPR.<br />

Formostorganisations,this<br />

isthepartthatwillapply.Read<br />

italongsidetheUKGDPR<br />

itself,asbothsetsofprovisions<br />

applydirectlytoyou.<br />

General Data Protection<br />

Regulations (GDPR)<br />

AftertheUKlefttheEU,the<br />

EUGDPRwasreplacedbythe<br />

UKGDPR,whichsimilarly<br />

has99articles(asitisderived<br />

fromtheEUversion).<strong>The</strong><br />

wordinghasbeenchangedin<br />

somearticlestomakeitrelevant<br />

totheUKandsomehavebeen<br />

redactedanddonotapply.<br />

<strong>The</strong>UKGDPRappliesto<br />

processingofpersonaldataby<br />

organisationsoperatingwithin<br />

theUK.Italsoappliesto<br />

organisationsoutsidetheUK<br />

thatoffergoodsorservicesto<br />

individualsintheUK.<br />

Specificarticlescover<br />

definitionsoftheterminology;<br />

theprinciplesofprocessing<br />

personaldata,includingthe<br />

‘lawful,fairnessand<br />

transparency’principle;the<br />

provisiontoindividualsofall<br />

detailsaboutwho,where,<br />

what,whenandhowpersonal<br />

dataisbeingprocessed;the<br />

rightofaccessforindividuals<br />

toaskaboutandreceive<br />

confirmationaboutprocessing<br />

oftheirownpersonaldata;the<br />

keepingofrecords;andmore.<br />

Good practice<br />

Gettoknowthepersonaldata<br />

youoryourorganisation<br />

processes.Reviewtheamount<br />

andvalidityofthedata,ensure<br />

itissecureandonlythose<br />

authorisedhaveaccesstoit.<br />

Trainyourstaffinthe<br />

processingofpersonaldata–<br />

it’salegalrequirement.<br />

Rememberpersonaldata<br />

thatyourorganisation<br />

processesarenotyourdata–<br />

youarejustthecustodianofit<br />

whileit’sbeingprocessed.<br />

Privacy and Electronic<br />

Communications<br />

Regulations (PECR)<br />

<strong>The</strong>PECRsitalongsidethe<br />

DataProtectionActandthe<br />

UKGDPR.<strong>The</strong>ycoverpeoplespecificprivacyrightsin<br />

relationtoelectronic<br />

communications.<br />

■ Formoredetailed<br />

information,adviceand<br />

trainingondataprotection<br />

andprivacy,call01271595001<br />

orvisitenaych.com<br />

PRIVACY HEADER / HR<br />

5 HR tips for hiring<br />

a member of staff<br />

Hiringstaffisexciting,but<br />

therearelegalobligationsyou<br />

needtomeetasanemployer.<br />

Workers/employeeshave<br />

employmentrights,soyou<br />

mustbecarefultoavoidrisk<br />

andprotectyourbusiness.<br />

Foranessentialcheckliston<br />

gettingstarted,usetheguide<br />

ongov.uk/employing-staff<br />

Here,full-serviceHR<br />

outsourcingspecialist<br />

FitzgeraldHRoffersfive<br />

practicaltipstohelpyou<br />

navigateyourfirsthire.<br />

1 What do you need?<br />

Scopeouttherole,its<br />

responsibilitiesandnecessary<br />

skillsandexperience,and<br />

recordthisinajobdescription.<br />

Thiswillhelpyoutorecruit<br />

fairly,communicateyour<br />

expectations,andmonitor<br />

performance.<br />

Considerhowyouneedthe<br />

roletooperateandits<br />

employmentstatus.Ifyouneed<br />

torecruitfromoverseas,you<br />

willneedtomeetspecific<br />

criteriaandapplyforasponsor<br />

licence.<br />

Decidehowmuchyouwill<br />

pay.Researchthemarketto<br />

understandwhatafairpay<br />

rangeisfortherole.Itis<br />

essentialthatyoupayatleast<br />

nationalminimumwage.<br />

2 Advertise your role<br />

Itisagainstthelawto<br />

discriminateagainstsomeone<br />

becauseofaprotected<br />

characteristicsuchasage,<br />

gender,disability,race,religion<br />

andmore.Takecarenotto<br />

discriminatewhenadvertising<br />

yourrole,suchasthroughthe<br />

languageinthejobadvert.<br />

Advertiseinmultiple<br />

locationstoreacharangeof<br />

candidates.Itisagoodideato<br />

attachyourjobdescriptionto<br />

theadvertandcommunicate<br />

theprocessifyoucan–eg<br />

closingdate,interviewdates.<br />

3 Select candidates<br />

Aninterviewwillhelpselect<br />

therightcandidate,andby<br />

askingifyoucanmakeany<br />

reasonableadjustmentsyoucan<br />

ensuretherecruitmentprocess<br />

isaccessibletoall.<br />

Avoiddiscriminative<br />

questionsandscorecandidates<br />

basedonhowwelltheymeet<br />

therequirementsinthejob<br />

description.Thiswillhelpyou<br />

tocomparecandidatesfairly<br />

andseewhoisthebestfitfor<br />

therole.<br />

4 Making the hire<br />

Onceyou’vemadeaverbal<br />

offerofemploymenttoa<br />

candidate,youshouldfollow<br />

thisupinwriting.<br />

Youmustcheckthe<br />

candidate’srighttoworkinthe<br />

UK.Considerifyouneedto<br />

carryoutanyadditionalpreemploymentchecks,suchasa<br />

DBScheck.<br />

You’llalsoneedtoregisteras<br />

anemployerwithHMRC<br />

beforethefirstpayday,acquire<br />

employers’liabilityinsurance,<br />

andcheckifyouneedto<br />

automaticallyenrolyour<br />

employeeontoaworkplace<br />

pensionscheme.<br />

Youarelegallyrequiredto<br />

providethewrittentermsof<br />

employment(themaindetails<br />

ofacontractofemployment<br />

suchaspayandworkinghours)<br />

onorbeforetheworker’sstart<br />

date.Inaddition,we<br />

recommendhavingessential<br />

HRpoliciesinplace–suchas<br />

processestomanagebullying<br />

andharassment,grievanceand<br />

disciplinarymatters.<br />

5 Friends & family<br />

Friendsandfamilyareoften<br />

keentosupport,butyoushould<br />

makesuretheyarethebestfit<br />

fortherolebeforehiringthem.<br />

Likeanyotheremployee,<br />

theywillhaveemployment<br />

rights.Werecommendyou<br />

alwaysfollowafairprocessto<br />

ensureyourbusinessis<br />

protectediftherelationship<br />

doesnotworkoutprofessionally.<br />

■ Wehopeyoufoundthis<br />

useful.Ifyouneedsupport<br />

withtheabove,werecommend<br />

thatyouseekprofessional<br />

adviceforyourbusiness.Call<br />

03302235253orvisit<br />

fitzgeraldhr.co.uk<br />

4 business action | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business-action.co.uk

A combination of the pandemic, global conflict and high<br />

accommodation costs makes it hard for employers to find new staff.<br />

Traditionally, many employers sought staff ‘ready to go’, but a<br />

different approach is needed now. Many people want to work but<br />

need encouragement, training or some other assistance. Here are two<br />

support schemes available now to help both employers find valuable<br />

members of staff and jobseekers wanting rewarding careers<br />

Jobcentre: Way to Work<br />

WaytoWorkisanational<br />

pushtohelpevenmorepeople<br />

benefitfromtherecord<br />

numberofvacanciesavailable,<br />

includingmanyinsectorsvital<br />

tonationalrecovery.<br />

Atthesametime,thereare<br />

hundredsofthousandsof<br />

peopleonUniversalCredit<br />

whoareactivelylookingto<br />

makeafreshstartinwork.<br />

Thismeanstherearemany<br />

talented,work-readypeople<br />

onourbookswhoareeagerto<br />

takeonyourroles.<br />

Thiscampaignwillhelp<br />

peoplemoveswiftlybackinto<br />

workandhelpyoufilltheroles<br />

youandoureconomyneed.<br />

How do we help you?<br />

Ifyou’relookingtofilla<br />

vacancy,wewillofferyoua<br />

namedemployeradviserin<br />

yourlocalJobcentreto<br />

supportyou(ordedicated<br />

nationalaccountmanagerfor<br />

largecompanies).<br />

Ourrangeofrecruitment<br />

servicesinclude:<br />

➤ <strong>The</strong>opportunitytobe<br />

introducedtopeople<br />

lookingforworkthrougha<br />

varietyofplatforms<br />

➤ Simplifyingandshortening<br />

therecruitmentprocessto<br />

findbettermatched<br />

candidatestointerview<br />

➤ Helpsettingupworktrials<br />

toassesspotentialrecruits<br />

➤ Adviceaboutofferingwork<br />

experienceand<br />

apprenticeships<br />

➤ Supportfromother<br />

employmentschemes<br />

■ CalltheEmployerServices<br />

Lineon08001690178oremail<br />

employer.services@dwp.gov.uk<br />

RECRUITMENT HEADER<br />

Be Ready . . . to unlock<br />

talent for your business<br />

Beinganinclusiveorganisation<br />

couldenhancethereputationof<br />

yourbusiness,improve<br />

innovationandattractmore<br />

customers.<br />

<strong>The</strong>BeReadyEmployer<br />

Hubcansupportyoutogrow<br />

yourbusinessinnewwaysby<br />

harnessingtheabilitiesandideas<br />

ofamorediverseworkforce.<br />

<strong>The</strong>serviceisfree,offering<br />

informationandguidanceon<br />

employingandkeepingstaff<br />

whoapplytheirskillsandtalent<br />

differently.Itoffers:<br />

➤ onlinetrainingworkshops<br />

➤ telephonesupport<br />

➤ business-to-business<br />

learningnetworks<br />

➤ onlineresources<br />

Employer challenges<br />

Asabusinesssupportservice,<br />

BeReadyEmployerHub<br />

recognisesthechallenging<br />

timeslocalemployersare<br />

facing.Asemployersmakethe<br />

decisionsonwhentoreturnto<br />

anoffice,orhowtokeepthe<br />

workplaceCovid-safe,many<br />

employeesmayalsohaveto<br />

discloseadisabilityorhealthconditionforthefirsttime(as<br />

theirconditionhadnot<br />

impactedontheirabilityto<br />

workpreviously).<br />

<strong>The</strong>BeReadyEmployer<br />

Hubcanprovideguidanceand<br />

linkstospecialistsupportfor<br />

employersandaccesstogrant<br />

fundingforanyreasonable<br />

adjustmentsthatareneededto<br />

supportemployeeswith<br />

disabilitiesorhealthconditions<br />

(includingmentalwellbeing).<br />

<strong>The</strong>DepartmentofWork<br />

andPensions(DWP)Accessto<br />

Workgrantschemehas<br />

introducedadditionalmeasures<br />

toenabledisabledpeopleto<br />

moveintoorretainemployment,<br />

whichincludescontinued<br />

supporttoworkathome.<br />

■ Call01392241124orvisit<br />

readydevon.org.uk<br />

@businessactionm | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business action 5

Somepeoplegrappleforyears<br />

withthethoughtofstarting<br />

theirownbusiness,butare<br />

heldbackbyfears.When<br />

GemmaMullinger’sson<br />

startedpre-school,shewas<br />

determinedtobefinancially<br />

independentandpostedon<br />

Facebookaskingifanyone<br />

neededacleaner.<br />

“Itwasveryspontaneous,”<br />

saysGemma,buttheresponse<br />

snowballedandshestarteda<br />

Facebookbusinesspagein<br />

February2019.Requestsfor<br />

cleaningcontinuedtoincrease<br />

duetoword-of-mouth<br />

recommendationsandin<br />

October2019,Gemmawas<br />

joinedbybusinesspartner<br />

KellytolaunchHiddenGem<br />

Housekeeping.<br />

Gemmawasdriventostart<br />

thebusinessbyseveralaims:“I<br />

didn’twanttoworkforother<br />

peopleandIdidn’twantto<br />

missmysongrowingup.I<br />

neededsomethingIcoulddo<br />

withnostart-upcosts.Iwould<br />

highlyrecommenditto<br />

womeninmysituation.”<br />

Gemmaaddsthatthe<br />

cleaningmodelfitsinperfectly<br />

aroundchildrenandthatitis<br />

CASE HEADER STUDY<br />

It started with a<br />

Facebook post<br />

easytopromoteasyouarenot<br />

sellingaproductthatpeople<br />

don’tunderstand.<br />

“Iusedallmyprevious<br />

customerserviceskillsand<br />

businessexperience.”<br />

HiddenGemHousekeeping<br />

nowemploysateamof12selfemployedmembersand<br />

providesdomestic,commercial<br />

andend-of-tenancycleaning<br />

servicestocustomersacross<br />

<strong>North</strong><strong>Devon</strong>.<br />

Gemmaexperienceda<br />

considerablebuzzwhen<br />

buildingabusinessandnow<br />

wantstosupportotherwomen<br />

tostarttheirownbusinesses<br />

bydevelopingherown<br />

coachingpractice.<br />

“Yourmindsetisvery<br />

important.Self-development<br />

toworkonyourselftoworkon<br />

yourselfisalsoreallyvaluable.”<br />

Gemmaencouragesanyone<br />

wantingtostartabusinessto<br />

gooutandmakeastart:“If<br />

youhaveaskill,justdoit.You<br />

canworkonalogoand<br />

marketingafterwards–you<br />

candoallthatlater.”<br />

Shealsoencouragespeople<br />

toattendthemanyfree<br />

businesseventsorganised<br />

acrosstheareaandtonetwork<br />

asmuchaspossible.<br />

■ Fordetailsandtobook<br />

cleaningservices,<br />

call07403476427orvisit<br />

hiddengemhousekeeping.com<br />

6 business action | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business-action.co.uk

FINANCE HEADER<br />

Funding options for start-up and early-stage businesses<br />

1 Bank loans<br />

Yourbankisstilloftenthefirst<br />

portofcallforbusiness<br />

funding.However,manybanks<br />

arerisk-averse,andyoumight<br />

findthattheyarenotwillingto<br />

lendwithoutaproventrack<br />

record–somethingwhichnew<br />

andearly-stagebusinesses<br />

won’thave.<br />

2 Small business grants<br />

Grantsarenon-repayablesums<br />

ofmoneythatareawardedto<br />

businessestomeetspecific<br />

needs.Whilethenon-repayable<br />

aspectisattractive,these<br />

schemesgenerallyhave<br />

Accommodation & facilities<br />

Node Cowork<br />

Node,locatedofftheA39at<br />

Roundswell,wasofficially<br />

openedinOctober2021.<br />

<strong>The</strong>completedphase1now<br />

offers37smallandmedium<br />

offices,acoworkingspacefor<br />

upto50people,meeting<br />

roomsandon-sitecoffeeshop.<br />

Broadbandinternet<br />

connectivityofupto1Gbpsis<br />

availabletousers,dependent<br />

onmembershiplevel,which<br />

rangesfrom£20&VATfora<br />

daypassupto£249&VATper<br />

monthforpromembership.<br />

Ratesforteams,which<br />

include24-houraccessseven<br />

daysaweek,arealsoavailable.<br />

■ Call01271452442orvisit<br />

nodecowork.co.uk<br />

<strong>Business</strong> & IP Centre<br />

<strong>The</strong><strong>Business</strong>&IPCentre<br />

<strong>Devon</strong>(BIPC)atBarnstaple<br />

Libraryoffersbusinesses<br />

accesstoalargecollectionof<br />

businessandresearchdatabases.Manycanbeaccessed<br />

fromhomewithalibrarycard,<br />

whileothersareavailable<br />

throughthepubliccomputers<br />

inthelibrary.<strong>Business</strong>escan<br />

alsobrowseandborrowan<br />

extensiverangeofbusiness<br />

books,eBooksandmagazines.<br />

BarnstapleLibraryalso<br />

offersanin-houseFabLab<br />

wherebusinessescanaccess<br />

3Dprinters,laserandvinyl<br />

cutters,anddigitalsewing<br />

machinesataffordablerates.<br />

■ Detailsfablabdevon.organd<br />

bipc.librariesunlimited.org.uk<br />

When your business needs finance, you’ll discover that there is an<br />

array of sources available. Understanding your options and<br />

determining what is best for your business can seem daunting. <strong>The</strong>se<br />

different types of finance serve different purposes and you might find<br />

that you’ll need to utilise more than one option during the course of<br />

your business journey<br />

particulareligibilitycriteria.Be<br />

preparedtoinvesttimeand<br />

effortintoyourapplicationbut<br />

don’tlosesightoftheendgoal<br />

–profitabletrading.<br />

3 Overdraft / credit card<br />

Overdraftsandbusinesscredit<br />

cardsoffera‘lineofcredit’which<br />

isattachedtoyourbusiness<br />

transactionaccount–youcan<br />

accessthesewheneveryouneed<br />

to.Youpaybackwhatyoucan,<br />

Castle Hill Work Hub<br />

CastleHillWorkHubinGreat<br />

Torringtonoffersameeting<br />

roomforuptoeightpeople,<br />

15workspacesaswellasa<br />

collaborationareaand<br />

kitchenette.<br />

Membersalsobenefitfrom<br />

freedrop-insupport<br />

opportunitiesandaregular<br />

presencefromPetroc’sBig<br />

BenefitsforSmall<strong>Business</strong>es<br />

programme.<br />

■ Visittorridge.gov.uk/<br />

castlehillworkhub<br />

Cotie (Centre of Technology<br />

and Innovation Excellence)<br />

CotieatPetrocoffersaccessto<br />

advancedtechnology-based<br />

facilities,includingshared-use<br />

laboratorieswith3Dprinting<br />

anddesignequipment.<br />

■ Detailsatpetroc.ac.uk<br />

South West Institute of<br />

Technology (SWIoT)<br />

SWIoTatPetrocincludes<br />

twostate-of-the-artfacilities:<br />

<strong>The</strong>Engineeringfacility<br />

housescleanroomfabrication<br />

capabilities;electronicsdesign,<br />

manufactureandtesting<br />

laboratories;additive<br />

technologies(3D);and<br />

productionrobotics.<br />

<strong>The</strong>DigitalSciencesuite<br />

containsabespokeareafor<br />

developingvirtual<br />

environments;alargespacefor<br />

droneexperimentation;and<br />

thelatestspecification<br />

networking,software,anddata<br />

engineeringfacilities.<br />

■ Detailsatpetroc.ac.uk<br />

whenyoucan–ifthecredit<br />

staysundertheapprovedlimit.<br />

4 Crowdfunding<br />

Crowdfundingiswhenfunds<br />

areraisedbyalargenumberof<br />

peoplecontributingsmall<br />

amountsinreturnforaninterest<br />

orfeereturnand/or‘rewards’.<br />

Typically,rewardstakethe<br />

formofmerchandiseor<br />

benefitsrelatedtothebusiness.<br />

5 Investors<br />

<strong>The</strong>seincludeequity<br />

investment,angelinvestorsand<br />

venturecapitalists.Investment<br />

couldbeusefulforfast-growth<br />

businesses.However,<br />

investmentscanbecomplex<br />

andappropriatelegaladvice<br />

shouldbesought.<br />

6 Non-bank loans<br />

<strong>The</strong>rearemanynon-bank<br />

lenders,manyofwhichcan<br />

giveveryquickdecisionsby<br />

usingautomatedcredit<br />

assessmenttools.<br />

7 CDFIs<br />

Community<strong>Development</strong><br />

FinanceInstitutions(CDFIs)<br />

arenon-profitlenderswhohelp<br />

financiallyexcludedbusinesses<br />

togrow,createjobsand<br />

developtheirlocal<br />

communities.<strong>The</strong>ygettoknow<br />

theircustomers,challenge<br />

businessplans,andtakea<br />

flexibleapproachtolending<br />

whenthebankhassaidno.<br />

<strong>The</strong>SouthWest’sCDFIfor<br />

businessisSWIGFinance,who<br />

istheregion’sleadingdelivery<br />

partnerforStartUpLoans,a<br />

government-backedinitiative<br />

providinganaffordablesource<br />

offinancetohelpnewand<br />

early-stagebusinessowners<br />

bringtheirplanstolife.<br />

■ TofindoutmoreaboutStartUpLoans,call01872227932,<br />

visitswigfinance.co.uk/start-up-loans/<br />

oremailstartup@swigfinance.co.uk<br />

START<br />

Start-up and Grow your<br />

business in <strong>Devon</strong><br />

Call: 0800 500 3107<br />

devon.ytko.com/community-renewal-fund/<br />

Funded by<br />

GROW START<br />

• Start-up Support<br />

Sessions<br />

• Growth Training<br />

Support Sessions<br />

• One-to-one coaching<br />

• Grants of up to £10k<br />

• Skills workshops<br />

Delivered by<br />

@businessactionm | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business action 7

Everynewbusinessneedsto<br />

attractnewcustomers,butwith<br />

endlessoptionsformarketing<br />

(allofwhicharemust-haves)<br />

andalimitedbudget,youneed<br />

tomakesureyourmarketing<br />

effortsproducetheright<br />

results.<br />

Customer focus<br />

It’smostimportanttostartby<br />

identifyingyourideal<br />

customer.Whoarethey?<br />

What’stheirproblem?This<br />

helpstargetyouradvertisingso<br />

thattherightcustomersseeyou<br />

andunderstandwhyyou’re<br />

whattheyneed.<br />

Targetingonegroupdoesn’t<br />

necessarilyexcludeothers,but<br />

givesyouabetterchanceof<br />

beingnoticedbythepotential<br />

customersthatyouwant.<br />

Spend wisely<br />

Withsomanyoptionsoutthere<br />

it’seasytogetcarriedaway.This<br />

iswherethecustomerfocus<br />

comesin:wherewillyourideal<br />

Use the power of direct mail<br />

<strong>The</strong>writtenwordisthesecond<br />

oldestformofcommunication<br />

afterthespokenword.It<br />

continuestobesuccessful<br />

becauseitismemorable.<br />

Mail reaches customers<br />

Today,RoyalMailprocesses<br />

morethan14.4billionletters<br />

peryear.Eachonestandsout<br />

inacrowdedmarketing<br />

landscape.Unlikeemail,a<br />

letterisaphysicalobject:itis<br />

postedthroughaletterbox;it<br />

avoidsspamfilters;reduces<br />

unsubscribes;andgrabsthe<br />

attentionoftherecipientthe<br />

momentitlands.<br />

Withmoreofusworking<br />

fromhome,physicalpostis<br />

achievingevenhigher<br />

engagementrates.Thisis<br />

becausewhentheletterbox<br />

rattles,consumers<br />

instinctivelyjumpupand<br />

openthemailstraightaway.<br />

<strong>The</strong>ystopwhattheyaredoing,<br />

theninstinctivelyleapbackon<br />

totheirPCtogetthedeal.<br />

Personalise your mail<br />

<strong>The</strong>keytograbbingconsumer<br />

attentionispersonalisation,<br />

whichisavailabletoall<br />

businessesthroughplatforms<br />

suchasstannp.com.This<br />

enablesyoutosend<br />

MARKETING HEADER<br />

Marketing: where to start?<br />

Marketing doesn’t come naturally to many of us, but when you run a<br />

small business it’s likely that marketing will be one of your main roles.<br />

Susie Kevern of Pound Lane Financial Management shares experience<br />

she has gained when marketing her own business<br />

customerbelooking?Canyou<br />

useFacebookinsteadofaweb<br />

site?Doyouwantanonline<br />

shoportohavecustomersvisit<br />

inperson?<br />

Usingfriendsandcontacts<br />

tospreadnewsaboutyour<br />

businesswillalwaysbemore<br />

effectivethanpayingfor<br />

advertising.Potential<br />

customersvaluereviewsof<br />

otherpeople’sexperiencesso<br />

tryaskingfriendsorrelatives<br />

forfeedbackandusethatfor<br />

marketing.<br />

Build authority<br />

Selfpromotiondoesn’talways<br />

comenaturally.Rememberthat<br />

whatyouthinkofasbasic<br />

knowledge–makingagood<br />

lemondrizzlecakeorwritinga<br />

personalisedmailtoyour<br />

customersfromyourdesk<br />

throughaneasy-to-usewebbasedplatform.<br />

Monitor and engage<br />

stannp.comalsoprovides<br />

trackingandengagementtools<br />

soyoucantellthatyourmail<br />

arrivesandisread.Mailis<br />

scannedateverystage–apart<br />

fromthelastmilewhen<br />

deliveryisassumed–while<br />

engagementcanbemonitored<br />

throughaQRcodeprintedon<br />

youritem.<strong>The</strong>QRcodecan<br />

takecustomerstoaspecific<br />

webpageorprovideacustom<br />

promotionalcode–all<br />

measurablesoyoucanmonitor<br />

yourreturnoninvestment.<br />

<strong>The</strong>searejustsomeofthe<br />

standardreportingtools<br />

stannp.comoffersyouand<br />

therearealotmorethat<br />

integrateallthebenefitsof<br />

traditionalprintedmailwith<br />

up-to-datedigitaldesign,data<br />

processingandbusiness<br />

managementsystems.<br />

Lorien Hamilton<br />

Stannp<br />

t: 01271 320864<br />

w: stannp.com<br />

Usevouchercode‘POST4’at<br />

checkoutfor10%off.<br />

concisereport–isnotso<br />

simpletootherpeople.Be<br />

proudofyourskillsandhave<br />

confidencethatyouare<br />

providingavaluableservice.<br />

Talkaboutyourstartupto<br />

everyoneyouthinkmightbe<br />

interestedandtakeevery<br />

opportunitytogetamention:<br />

somethingintheparish<br />

magazine,aprizeinaschool<br />

raffle,orsomethingmore<br />

creative.Anywayofraising<br />

yourprofilewithpotential<br />

customers.<br />

Take the long view<br />

EarlyoninmybusinesslifeI<br />

wastoldthatittakesthree<br />

yearstoestablishabusiness.I<br />

wouldsaythatperhapsittakes<br />

longertofeelyouarereally<br />

self-sustaining,butthekeyis<br />

nottoexpectsuccessovernight.<br />

Oftenpotentialcustomers<br />

becomeawareofyourbusiness<br />

longbeforetheyarereadyto<br />

buyfromyou.Usethepowerof<br />

smallbutconsistentmarketing<br />

effortstobuildupawarenessof<br />

yournewbrand.Ifpotential<br />

customersseeyourname<br />

regularly,discussingthingsthat<br />

theyareinterestedin,youwill<br />

bethe‘goto’person/place<br />

whentheyareready.<br />

Listen for feedback<br />

Finally,it’simportanttoreview<br />

youroriginalbusinessidea:<br />

Howdoesitcomparetoyour<br />

currentexperience?Doyou<br />

wanttosticktotheoriginal<br />

planorcanyouseenew<br />

opportunities?<br />

Susie Kevern<br />

Pound Lane Financial Management<br />

t: 07801 199671<br />

w: poundlane.co.uk<br />

5 digital marketing tips<br />

1 Own your web site<br />

Owningyourowndomain–eg<br />

yourname.co.uk–andwebsite<br />

givesyoutotalcontrolover<br />

materialyoupublish.Anyposts<br />

onsocialnetworks–eg<br />

Instagram–aresubjecttothat<br />

network’scontrol.Andifa<br />

networkclosesdown,as<br />

Google+did,youcouldloseall<br />

yourmaterial.Evenifyouuse<br />

socialmedianetworks<br />

extensively,youcanalwaysfall<br />

backonyourownwebsite.<br />

2 Grow your web site<br />

Whenyoustartout,youmight<br />

onlyneedaone-pagestaticweb<br />

site,sodon’tspendmoneythat<br />

youdon’tneedto.Some<br />

services,likewix.comeven<br />

offerfreewebsites.<br />

Youcandevelopandexpand<br />

yourwebsiteatanytimeas<br />

yourbusinessdevelopsandyou<br />

knowwhichdirectionyou’re<br />

goingin.<br />

3 Plan social media<br />

Socialmediaisveryusefulbut<br />

cantakealotoftimetocreate<br />

contentandbuildafollowing.<br />

Thinkabouthowmuch<br />

resourceyouwanttocommitto<br />

it.Withsomanynetworks,itis<br />

besttofocusononeortwoto<br />

avoidover-stretchingyourself.<br />

Monitorresults,asitcan<br />

takealongtimetoestablish<br />

yourself.Isitgeneratingactual<br />

enquiries?Areyouspending<br />

toomuchtimeforlittlereturn?<br />

Rememberthatsocialmedia<br />

networkscomeandgo–don’t<br />

putallyoureggsinonebasket!<br />

4 Sell online<br />

Manyservicesmakeiteasyto<br />

setupanonlinestore,which<br />

canbeespeciallyeffectivefor<br />

sellingconsumerproducts.<br />

<strong>The</strong>seservicesand<br />

marketplacesprovideallthe<br />

infrastructureforyourshopfor<br />

amonthlyorannualfeesoyou<br />

don’tneedtechnicalknowledge.<br />

Becarefulifbuildingyour<br />

entirebusinessonsucha<br />

service.Howeasycanyou<br />

changeserviceonceestablished?<br />

Andensureyoucanaffordthe<br />

feesoyourshopdoesn’tvanish.<br />

5 Stay safe and secure<br />

<strong>The</strong>digitalworldisexcitingbut<br />

notalwayssafe.<br />

Keepuptodatewithactions<br />

youcantaketosecurethedata<br />

youstore(seepage4)andto<br />

protectyourwebsitesand<br />

systems(seepage9).<br />

8 business action | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business-action.co.uk

Harnessing the<br />

power of IT<br />

IT & TECHNOLOGY HEADER<br />

Greatnews!Youareyour<br />

company’snewchief<br />

technologyofficer(alongwith<br />

everythingelse).<br />

Don’tpanic!Formicrobusinesses,harnessingsome<br />

smarttechnologychoicesearly<br />

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In the cloud<br />

Asyou’restillgettingyour<br />

businessofftheground,it’s<br />

wisetopickcloud-based<br />

technology,ratherthan<br />

investingheavilyinhardware.<br />

Manyweb-basedplatforms<br />

offerlow-coststarterplans<br />

thatgiveyoujustthebasicsat<br />

afractionofthetechnology<br />

costs–coveringeverything<br />

fromprofessionalbusiness<br />

emailtopowerfulcreative<br />

tools,simpleaccounting<br />

systemsandyourownonline<br />

store,allavailableviathe<br />

cloudforasmallsubscription<br />

cost.<strong>The</strong>barriertoentryis<br />

low–socapitaliseonthis.<br />

WithyourITresources<br />

cloud-based,you’llbeableto<br />

keepupfrontcostsdowninthe<br />

beginningandstayflexible.<br />

Beingabletoaccessyourtools<br />

fromanywherealsohelps<br />

makethingsconvenientfor<br />

youpersonally,duringwhat<br />

willprobablybehecticearly<br />

daysforyournewbusiness.<br />

Cloud-basedsystemsare<br />

usuallyscaleablesoyoucan<br />

adduserlicencesfornew<br />

employeesorassociates<br />

wheneveryouneedthem.<br />

Monthlypaymentoptionsalso<br />

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licenceswhenyounolonger<br />

needthem,usefulifyou<br />

assembleateamforthe<br />

durationofaprojectand<br />

disbanditoncompletion.<br />

Keep cybersecure<br />

Youwon’thaveabig<br />

cybersecuritybudgettobegin<br />

with,soithelpstomakesome<br />

shrewddecisions.Areputable<br />

antivirussoftwareisamust<br />

(evenifyou’veonlygotone<br />

device)butleveragefree<br />

resourcestoo:theUKNational<br />

CyberSecurityCentreoffersa<br />

free‘CyberActionPlan’<br />

toolkitforsoletradersand<br />

smallbusinessesatncsc.gov.uk,<br />

andITGovernanceoffers<br />

accessibleGDPR/data<br />

protectionguidesaimedat<br />

beginnersatitgovernance.co.uk.<br />

Ourbestrecommendation?<br />

Turnonmulti/two-factor<br />

authentication(MFA/2FA)<br />

everywhere.Thisworksby<br />

requiringextraauthentication<br />

ontopofusualusername/<br />

passwordlogins,suchas<br />

inputtingaone-offcodetexted<br />

toyourmobilephone.Itwill<br />

keepyouraccessprotected,<br />

notjustforyouronlinebank<br />

account,butforallyourother<br />

websiteloginstoo.Manybig<br />

onlineplatformsofferthis<br />

safeguardforfreeinyouruser<br />

settingsanyway–sotakefull<br />

advantageandturnMFA‘ON’.<br />

Virtual landline<br />

Partofthechallengeisalso<br />

aboutpresentingyourselfas<br />

anauthoritative,professional<br />

concern–somethingthatis<br />

alsomucheasierinthe2020s.<br />

It’sworthinvestigatinga<br />

low-costvirtuallandline<br />

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@businessactionm | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business action 9

10 sustainable<br />

business tips<br />

<strong>The</strong> Sustainable <strong>Business</strong> Resource is a <strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong>-based<br />

organisation connecting SMEs with the tools required to reduce their<br />

carbon footprint and improve sustainability in all possible aspects of<br />

operations. Working as part of the Plastic Free <strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong> charity, it<br />

will run a full assessment of your business and then lay out a plan of<br />

action to tackle every aspect from a sustainable point of view, helping<br />

you, target, source and measure change<br />

1 Include your people<br />

Includeandengageyourstaff.<br />

Withoutbringingyourstaff<br />

alongwithyouontheprocess<br />

ofchangeandimprovement,<br />

thejourneywillbetwiceas<br />

longandtwiceashard.<br />

2 Draw up a list<br />

Createahitlistofalltheareas<br />

thatneedimprovingand,<br />

regardlessofhowchallenging<br />

theyare,givethemtargetdates<br />

forcompletion.Startwiththe<br />

lowesthangingfruitandbe<br />

realisticabouttime.<br />

3 Measure progress<br />

Assessandrecordalltheareas<br />

whereyouareworkingto<br />

improvesoyoucanreportyour<br />

improvementstoyourstaff,<br />

stakeholdersandcustomers<br />

withfactsandfigures.<br />

4 Assign roles<br />

Appointkeystaffmembersto<br />

workonspecifictargets,eg<br />

packaging,energyetc.Most<br />

importantly,apportiona<br />

suitableamountoftimeper<br />

weektomakethishappen.<br />

Askingthemtofititintoan<br />

alreadyoverloadedweekwill<br />

neverwork.<br />

5 Explain your aims<br />

Whenmeasuringcostof<br />

change,factorinthelonger<br />

termbenefitsandreturnsin<br />

regardtostaffandcustomer<br />

engagementandallegiance.In<br />

mostcases,ifyourcostshaveto<br />

rise,explainthereasonsbehind<br />

thisandyourcustomerswillbe<br />

morelikelytoacceptthem.<br />

SUSTAINABILITY HEADER<br />

6 Assess all changes<br />

Foreachareaofproposed<br />

change,completeafulland<br />

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thesavingsfromsomeofthe<br />

changesbeusedtooffsetthe<br />

additionalcostsforothers?<br />

7 Collaborate<br />

Workwithyoursuppliersto<br />

helpthemunderstandthatyou<br />

needinformationonhowthey<br />

operatealongwithcertification<br />

ofmaterialsandsources.Bring<br />

themalongonthejourneywith<br />

you.<br />

8 Network<br />

Networkwithyourindustry,<br />

findoutwhohasdonewhat<br />

andhow,workwithspecialists<br />

tocutdownthetimeon<br />

research,andshareyourresults<br />

andfindingssootherscan<br />

benefittoo.<br />

9 Raise awareness<br />

Tellyourcustomerswhatyou<br />

areplanningandwhatyouhave<br />

achieved.Ateverylevel,in<br />

everyindustry,customersare<br />

choosingtoworkwith<br />

responsiblecompaniesfirst.<br />

10 Plan sustainably<br />

Recognisesustainabilityasa<br />

keypartofallyourbusiness<br />

planning.Factoritinatthe<br />

beginningofanynewdesignor<br />

projecttorecogniseboththe<br />

materialcostandecological<br />

costwhendecidingwhich<br />

product/servicetobuy.<br />

■ FordetailsoftheSustainable<strong>Business</strong>Resource,<br />

call01271311104orvisitthesbr.org.uk<br />

Protect<br />

yourself<br />

It’aeasytogetcarriedawayby<br />

theexcitementofstartinga<br />

businesssothatyouoverlook<br />

yourownprotection.<br />

Sometimesnewbusinesses<br />

strikeluckyfastandwinbig<br />

contracts–thenyouneedto<br />

ensureyouhaveeverythingin<br />

placetoprotectyourself–and<br />

yourcustomers–ifsomething<br />

majorgoeswrong.<br />

Develop processes<br />

Whatifyouplaceanorderon<br />

behalfofaclientworth<br />

thousandsofpoundsandyou<br />

findthatyourcontactdidnot<br />

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Processestoensureyou<br />

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authorisedordersfromclients<br />

arevital,asisinsurancecover.<br />

Insurance cover<br />

Aswellasinsuranceforyour<br />

businesspremisesand<br />

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professionalindemnity,public<br />

liability,employers’liability<br />

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Youwon’tnecessarilyneed<br />

theseimmediately,butdo<br />

speaktoatrustedinsurance<br />

specialistfortheiradviceand<br />

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Remember,asyourbusiness<br />

grows,sowillyourliability.<br />

Peace of mind<br />

Manypeopleusepersonal<br />

financestofundanew<br />

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10 business action | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business-action.co.uk

DIRECTORY HEADER<br />

ACCOUNTANTS<br />

Cranford <strong>Business</strong> Services<br />

Bideford<br />

t: 01237 488077<br />

w: accountsindevon.co.uk<br />

JD Accountants (South West) Ltd<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 378606<br />

AESTHETIC CLINICS<br />

Orchard Clinic<br />

Bideford<br />

w: orchardclinic.net<br />

ANTIQUE MAPS & CHARTS<br />

Old Folding Maps<br />

South Molton<br />

t: 01769 573935<br />

w: foldingmaps.co.uk<br />

BRANDING & DESIGN<br />

Boom Boom Media<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 326694<br />

w: boomboommedia.co.uk<br />

BrandLanterns<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 372620<br />

w: brandlanterns.co.uk<br />

BREWERY<br />

Combe Brewing Company<br />

Ilfracombe<br />

t: 07973 488409<br />

w: facebook.com/<br />

CombeBrewingCompany<br />

GT Ales<br />

Chivenor<br />

t: 01271 267420<br />

w: gtales.co.uk<br />

BUILDING SUPPLIES<br />

Heritage Cob and Lime<br />

Bideford<br />

t: 01237 477431<br />

w: heritagecobandlime.com<br />

RGB Building Supplies<br />

Branches in Barnstaple, Bideford,<br />

Hatherleigh, Holsworthy,<br />

Ilfracombe, Okehampton, South<br />

Molton, Tiverton<br />

w: rgbltd.co.uk<br />

BUSINESS ADVISORS<br />

Pound Lane Financial Management<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong><br />

t: 07801 199671<br />

w: poundlane.co.uk<br />

BUSINESS SUPPORT<br />

Be Ready Employer Hub<br />

<strong>Devon</strong><br />

t: 01392 241124<br />

w: readydevon.org.uk<br />

CAR SALES & SERVICING<br />

Blights Motors<br />

Bideford<br />

t: 01237 472282<br />

w: blightsmotors.co.uk<br />

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY<br />

James Doble Commercial<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong><br />

t: 01237 424053<br />

w: jd-commercial.co.uk<br />

CONSTRUCTION<br />

Advanced Scaffolding<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 321100<br />

w: advancedscaffoldingltd.co.uk<br />

COPIERS & PRINTERS<br />

Clarity Copiers <strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong><br />

Barnstaple & <strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong><br />

t: 01271 374061<br />

w: claritynorthdevon.co.uk<br />

COPYWRITING & MARKETING<br />

Zarywacz<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong> & UK<br />

t: 01271 879100<br />

w: z2z.com<br />

COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY<br />

<strong>Devon</strong> Counselling Training<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 07522 841009<br />

w: devoncounsellingtraining.co.uk<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong> Counselling<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 07872 501606<br />

w: northdevoncounselling.co.uk<br />

DIGITAL & WEB SITES<br />

Kameleon<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 375100<br />

w: kameleondigital.uk<br />

Peak Online<br />

Bideford<br />

t: 01237 721256<br />

w: northdevon.peak-online.uk.com<br />

DINING<br />

Terrace Tapas & Wine Bar<br />

Ilfracombe<br />

t: 01271 863482<br />

w: terracetapasbar.co.uk<br />

<strong>The</strong> Royal George<br />

Appledore<br />

t: 01237 424 138<br />

w: trgpub.co.uk<br />

ENVIRONMENT<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong> Biosphere<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong><br />

t: 01392 388647<br />

w: northdevonbiosphere.org.uk<br />

FINANCE<br />

SWIG Finance<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong> & South West<br />

t: 01872 227 932<br />

w: swigfinance.co.uk<br />

FINANCIAL ADVISERS<br />

D Scott Financial<br />

Bideford<br />

t: 01237 426450<br />

w: dscottfinancial.co.uk<br />

Philip J Milton & Co Plc<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 344300<br />

w: miltonpj.net<br />

GARDENING & LANDSCAPING<br />

AB SEA Services<br />

Torrington<br />

t: 07799 478318<br />

w: abseaservices.com<br />

HEALTH & SAFETY<br />

Safety Supplies Direct<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 377558<br />

w: safetysuppliesdirect.co.uk<br />

HOLIDAY COTTAGES<br />

Marsdens <strong>Devon</strong> Cottages<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong><br />

t: 01271 813777<br />

w: marsdens.co.uk<br />

HOTELS<br />

<strong>The</strong> Carlton<br />

Ilfracombe<br />

t: 01271 862446<br />

w: ilfracombecarlton.co.uk<br />

HUMAN RESOURCES<br />

Fitzgerald HR<br />

Barnstaple, Exeter, London &<br />

Wellington<br />

t: 01271 859267<br />

w: fitzgeraldhr.co.uk<br />

INSURANCE<br />

Together Insurance Solutions<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 347147<br />

w: togetherinsurancesolutions.co.uk<br />

INTERNATIONAL TRADE SUPPORT<br />

International Trade Matters Ltd<br />

Bampton<br />

t: 01398 332881<br />

w: internationaltradematters.com<br />

IT<br />

Lineal Software Solutions<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 375999<br />

w: lineal.co.uk<br />

JOINERY & CARPENTRY<br />

Bespoke Timber Joinery &<br />

Carpentry<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 603411<br />

w: bespoketimberjc.co.uk<br />

LOCKSMITHS<br />

MJS Locksmith<br />

Bideford<br />

t: 07532 139388<br />

w: northdevonlocksmith.co.uk<br />

SW Locksmiths<br />

Holsworthy / Bude<br />

t: 01409 255533<br />

w: swlocksmiths.com<br />

MANUFACTURERS<br />

<strong>The</strong> Clovelly Soap Company<br />

Clovelly<br />

t: 01237 432280<br />

w: theclovellysoapcompany.com<br />

Smart Manufacturing<br />

Bideford<br />

t: 01237 471977<br />

w: smart-manufacturing.co.uk<br />

MASSAGE & BEAUTY<br />

Essential Bodyworkx<br />

South Molton<br />

t: 01769 574474<br />

w: essentialbodyworkx.co.uk<br />

NETWORKING GROUPS<br />

<strong>Business</strong> Networking in Barnstaple<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 0843 289 1339<br />

w: bnibarnstaple.co.uk<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong> Networking Group<br />

Barnstaple<br />

w: northdevonnetworking.co.uk<br />

Torridge <strong>Business</strong> Network<br />

Westward Ho!<br />

w: torridgebusinessnetwork.co.uk<br />

OFFICE SUPPLIES<br />

South West Office Supplies<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong><br />

t: 01271 889337<br />

w: swofficesupplies.co.uk<br />

PACKAGING<br />

Atlas Packaging<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 344055<br />

w: atlaspackaging.co.uk<br />

PRINTING<br />

Jamaica Press<br />

Buckland Brewer<br />

t: 01237 452333<br />

w: jamaicapress.co.uk<br />

RECRUITMENT<br />

Cooper Golding<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 349745<br />

w: coopergolding.co.uk<br />

RETAILERS<br />

Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium<br />

Ilfracombe<br />

t: 01271 867193<br />

w: ilfracombechocolateemporium.co.uk<br />

Pedlars<br />

Ilfracombe<br />

t: 01271 863509<br />

w: Facebook @pedlarsofilfracombe<br />

SHEDS<br />

SHEDS 4 you<br />

Bideford<br />

t: 01237 459193<br />

w: sheds4you.co.uk<br />

SIGNS<br />

Doubleuprint<br />

Barnstaple<br />

t: 01271 268 041 / 07866 420436<br />

w: doubleuprint.co.uk<br />

<strong>The</strong> Sign Maker<br />

High Bickington<br />

t: 01769 561355<br />

w: sign-maker.net<br />

SOLICITORS<br />

Slee Blackwell Solicitors<br />

Barnstaple, Bideford, Braunton,<br />

South Molton<br />

t: 0808 139 1606<br />

w: sleeblackwell.co.uk<br />

SPORTS EQUIPMENT<br />

Aramis Rugby<br />

South Molton<br />

t: 01769 550284<br />

w: aramisrugby.co.uk<br />

TELECOMS<br />

Integra<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong><br />

t: 01271 555 666<br />

w: integra.im<br />

TRAINING & EDUCATION<br />

Petroc<br />

Barnstaple & Tiverton<br />

t: 01271 345291<br />

w: petroc.ac.uk<br />

TRAVEL AGENTS<br />

Clare Flint – Travel Counsellors<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong> & UK<br />

t: 01271 828990<br />

w: travelcounsellors.co.uk/clare.flint<br />

WILLS<br />

Wills at Home<br />

West Yelland<br />

t: 01271 860105<br />

w: wills-athome.co.uk<br />

BOOK YOUR £30 LISTING NOW AT needitfindit.uk<br />

➤ Listinginfourissuesof<br />

magazinewithbusiness<br />

nameandcategory,phone<br />

number,websiteandtown.<br />

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withbusinessnameand<br />

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➤ 4issuesofmagazinemailed<br />

directtoyourUKaddress.<br />

@businessactionm | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business action 11

HEADER<br />

Moo Free – growing a national brand<br />

What is Moo Free?<br />

MooFreewasfoundedinMay<br />

2010byhusband-and-wife<br />

team,AndreaandMikeJessop.<br />

Andreaisglutenintolerantand<br />

Mikeislactoseintolerant.<br />

Whentheirsonwasababy,<br />

hesufferedwithallergies.Like<br />

anymum,Andrearesearched<br />

hissymptomsanddiscovered<br />

anarticlerelatingtodairy.<br />

Seekingadvicefromtheir<br />

doctortheydecidedtocutout<br />

milkandhewasprescribed<br />

withsoyababymilk–thiswas<br />

intheearlyeightieswhensoya<br />

milkwasn’treadilyavailable.<br />

Withintwoweeks,his<br />

symptomsimproved.<br />

AndreaandMikedidn’t<br />

wanttheirsontomissouton<br />

seasonalchocolatebecauseof<br />

hisallergies,sotheystartedto<br />

createdairy-freealternativesat<br />

home.<strong>The</strong>ybothstudiedat<br />

ReadingUniversitytogether.<br />

Whenleaving,Andreastarted<br />

asawebandmarketing<br />

managerforachildren’scharity<br />

andMikehadastrong<br />

backgroundincomputer<br />

scienceandexperienceinweb<br />

development.<strong>The</strong>ybothused<br />

theirtransferableskillstocreate<br />

MooFree!<br />

<strong>The</strong>transitionincareer<br />

happenedgraduallyoveralong<br />

periodoftimeandtheyinitially<br />

beganbysellingchocolates<br />

online.Moreandmore<br />

customerswereaskingforfreefromoptions,particularly<br />

aroundseasonaloccasionslike<br />

EasterandChristmas,sothey<br />

startedtoresearchdifferent<br />

If you’re dreaming of developing a brand that transforms your market,<br />

is it achievable? Especially in <strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong>? Holsworthy-based Moo<br />

Free’s dairy-free and vegan chocolate is now available from many<br />

independent retailers across the UK as well as in the major<br />

supermarket chains. Below Moo Free’s chief executive Andrea Jessop<br />

explains how the business started and achieved national success<br />

supplierswhocouldmeetthese dairydodgingchoccybars<br />

demands.<strong>The</strong>yweresurprised catertomanydiets.Allofits<br />

tolearnthattherewasn’tany chocolatecreationsaregluten,<br />

currentlyonthemarket,sothey soyaanddairy-free,making<br />

settoworkonmakingtheir themnaturallysuitablefor<br />

own;thiswasbackin2008. vegetariansandvegans,too.<br />

<strong>The</strong>ystartedwithafew<br />

Eastereggs,usingamilk<br />

What led to the start of the<br />

alternativechocolate,which<br />

business?<br />

flewoutthedoorandwere<br />

Everychilddeservestohavean<br />

incrediblypopular.By<br />

Eastereggthatwon’tmake<br />

Christmastheywereinundated<br />

themunwell(unless,ofcourse,<br />

withemailsaskingforthesame they’veeatentoomuchofit!)<br />

inanadventcalendarformat andthesameforChristmas<br />

andotherproducts.Itwasthen chocolate.It’stheseoccasions<br />

thattheyknewtheyneededto wherechildrencanfeel<br />

investinmachineryandquality particularlyleftout,whichis<br />

ingredientstomakethisa whyMooFreebegan.It’sMoo<br />

permanentoptionforcustomers. Free’smissionthatchildren<br />

<strong>The</strong>yspentthefirsttwo withallergiesandintolerances<br />

yearsresearchingandtweaking don’tfeelthisway,notjust<br />

theirrecipestomakesurethey duringseasonaloccasionsbut<br />

didn’tjusttastedeliciousbut fortheeverydayaswell.<br />

werealsogreatqualityand AndreaandMikecan<br />

sustainable.Duringthistime, rememberwhentheirsonhad<br />

theydiscoveredalotabout hisfirstEasterEggandittasted<br />

pesticidesandinsecticidesand nothinglikechocolate.It’sthese<br />

howitaffectsworkersinthird personalexperiencesthat<br />

worldcountriesduetothe continuetomotivateanddrive<br />

constantexposure.<strong>The</strong>ywere MooFreefurther.<br />

alreadyeatingorganicfoods Asabusiness,ithasvery<br />

andgrewtheirownvegetables. strongethicssurrounding<br />

<strong>The</strong>ywerealsokeentorecycle, equality,diversityand<br />

sotheykepttruetotheirown sustainability–notjustwithin<br />

valueswhenitcametosetting theproductsitcreates,butfor<br />

upMooFree. thewidercommunityaswell.<br />

<strong>The</strong>ypridethemselveson MooFreepartnerswithlocal<br />

beingknowledgeableaboutthe charitiestoprovidework<br />

market,whichiswhytheir experienceandpermanent<br />

rolestothosewithdisabilities<br />

wherepossiblewithinits<br />

company.<strong>The</strong>y’reincredibly<br />

proudoftheirMoofamilyand<br />

believeeveryonedeservesa<br />

chance–thisishowitshouldbe.<br />

What were the biggest<br />

challenges and how did<br />

they overcome these?<br />

Everyoneprobablyhastheir<br />

concernswhenstartinganew<br />

business,butAndreaandMike<br />

decidedtostartMooFree<br />

duringtherecession,which<br />

meantgettingfinancialsupport<br />

wasverydifficult.<strong>The</strong>yended<br />

upre-mortgagingtheirhouse<br />

forasecondtimebecausethey<br />

weresodeterminedtogettheir<br />

chocolateoutintotheworld,<br />

especiallyforchildrenatEaster<br />

andChristmastime.<br />

Fromtheirresearchthey<br />

alsoknewthatnobodyelsewas<br />

doingthisandtherewasa<br />

strongcustomerbasewho<br />

neededthemtodeliver.<strong>The</strong>y,of<br />

course,couldn’thavedoneit<br />

withouttheirfamilyand<br />

friends,whohelpedthemto<br />

developtheirthinking,<br />

conceptsandideas,whilstalso<br />

samplingdozensofproductsto<br />

makesuretheygotitright.<br />

Fortunately,AndreaandMike<br />

wereinittogether,socould<br />

sharethechallengestheyfaced<br />

knowingthattheybothhada<br />

strongpassiontomakeitwork<br />

andbringtasty,ethical,freefromchocolatetothemasses.<br />

<strong>The</strong>pandemicalsobrought<br />

withitseveralhighsandlows,<br />

likemanyotherbusinesses.Its<br />

12 business action | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business-action.co.uk

SUPPORT<br />

strategypre-COVIDwasto<br />

concentrateontheUKmarket,<br />

ratherthanoverseas,duetothe<br />

uncertaintyaroundBrexit.<br />

<strong>The</strong>yfelttherewasplentyof<br />

roomforgrowthonhomesoil,<br />

butthenthepandemichit,and<br />

theirplanscametoahalt.Like<br />

alotofcompaniesinthefirst<br />

lockdown,theyhadnoidea<br />

whatwasgoingtohappen.<strong>The</strong><br />

supermarketsunderstandably<br />

prioritisedeverydayessentials<br />

whichaffectedMooFree.<br />

Fortunately,theywereableto<br />

quicklyrecoverandassoonas<br />

theirteamreturnedtoworkin<br />

Junetheywereworkingflat-out<br />

tomakeChristmasandthen<br />

Easterproducts.<strong>The</strong>irsales<br />

shiftedtoitsonlinesiteand,<br />

thankstotheirloyalcustomers,<br />

theywereabletomakeit<br />

throughsomedifficultmonths.<br />

Sincethen,theyhave<br />

launchedanumberofnew<br />

productsincludingthelatest<br />

ChoccyRockrange,which<br />

includeschocolate-covered<br />

Moofreesas,Bunnycomband<br />

Raisinpieces.<br />

What advice would they<br />

give anyone with an idea<br />

for a business?<br />

<strong>The</strong>re’ssomuchadviceout<br />

therethatitcanoftenfeel<br />

overwhelming,butforMoo<br />

Free,talkingtothosewhoare<br />

alreadydoingitordoing<br />

somethingsimilarisinvaluable.<br />

Sharingyourexperiencesand<br />

learningfromotherswillhelp<br />

tobuildasupportnetworkand<br />

youwillbeabletoshareyour<br />

knowledgeandskills.<br />

What should new business<br />

owners avoid?<br />

<strong>The</strong>reisprobablyawholehost<br />

ofthingstoavoidbut<br />

somethingthatshouldneverbe<br />

avoidediskeepingtrackofyour<br />

finances.Evenifitdoesn’tcome<br />

naturallytoyou,itcanmakea<br />

hugedifferencetowhetherthe<br />

companysurvivesornot–<br />

especiallyduringtestingtimes<br />

likethepandemic.<br />

Makesureyouunderstand<br />

howmuchprofityouneedto<br />

generatetonotjustkeepyour<br />

businessrunning,butyourself<br />

aswell.<br />

■ Formoredetailsandto<br />

orderMooFree’smulti-awardwinningdairy-freeandvegan<br />

chocolatesforyourself,visit<br />

moofreechocolates.com<br />

Looking to start up or grow a business?<br />

Ifyouarelookingtosetup<br />

yourownbusinessorgrow<br />

yourrecentlyestablishedsmall<br />

businesslocatedin<strong>Devon</strong>,you<br />

cannowbenefitfromsupport<br />

thankstotwonew<br />

programmesdeliveredby<br />

YTKOinpartnershipwith<br />

<strong>Devon</strong>CountyCouncil.<br />

If you are thinking of<br />

starting a new business<br />

OutsetStart<strong>Devon</strong>canhelp<br />

youtoexploreifselfemploymentisrightforyou<br />

andgiveyouthetoolsand<br />

confidenceyouneedtostart<br />

yourbusinessjourney.<br />

If you want to grow your<br />

new business but are not<br />

sure how<br />

GetSetGrow<strong>Devon</strong>helps<br />

businesseswhohavebeen<br />

tradingforlessthanthree<br />

yearswithfewerthan10staff<br />

togetbackontrackafterthe<br />

Enjoy Big Benefits for Small <strong>Business</strong>es<br />

What it is?<br />

<strong>The</strong>BigBenefitsforSmall<br />

<strong>Business</strong>esprojectisbeing<br />

deliveredbyPetrocandfunded<br />

bytheEuropeanSocialFund.It<br />

alsohasthecollaborative<br />

supportofTorridgeDistrict<br />

Council,<strong>North</strong><strong>Devon</strong>Council<br />

and<strong>Devon</strong>CountyCouncil.<br />

What are the objectives?<br />

Ouraimsareto:<br />

➤ Helpsmallbusinessesin<br />

Torridgeand<strong>North</strong><strong>Devon</strong><br />

toaccessfullyfunded<br />

trainingopportunitiesto<br />

allowtheirbusinessesto<br />

grow.<br />

➤ Workcollaborativelywith<br />

businessestoencourage<br />

themtoparticipateand<br />

supportPetrocwithits<br />

curriculum.Forexample,<br />

providingatalktoour<br />

learners,orworkingwithus<br />

toensurePetrocstaffhave<br />

up-to-dateindustry<br />

knowledge.<br />

Covidpandemic,especially<br />

tourismandleisure,<br />

constructionandretail<br />

businesses.<br />

Who is eligible?<br />

Youmustbebasedin<strong>Devon</strong>,<br />

excludingTorbayandPlymouth,<br />

havebeentradingforlessthan<br />

threeyearsandhavefewer<br />

than10full-timeemployees.<br />

How the programmes can<br />

help you<br />

Aswellashelpingtobuild<br />

skills,supportfromboth<br />

programmescanhelpyouto<br />

accessgrantsofupto£10kto<br />

buynewkit,installnew<br />

technology,hirepeopleor<br />

expandyourpremisesto<br />

achieveaprofitableand<br />

sustainablebusiness.We’ll<br />

evenhelpyoutocompletethe<br />

applicationpaperworkto<br />

optimiseyourchanceof<br />

successfullygainingthegrant.<br />

Allbusinesseswhowork<br />

withuswillbeinvitedtoattend<br />

anin-depthTrainingNeeds<br />

Analysiswherewecandiscuss<br />

anytrainingneedsyour<br />

businesshasanddesigna<br />

coursetosuityou.Wecanalso<br />

signpostyoutoothercourses<br />

wethinkmaysuityou.<br />

What are the benefits to<br />

your business?<br />

Youcanaccessfullyfunded<br />

trainingprogrammesto<br />

supportyourbusinessandhelp<br />

itgrowordiversifyintonew<br />

areas.Trainingprogrammes<br />

canbedesignedanddelivered<br />

tosupportyourbusinesswitha<br />

specifictrainingneed.Wealso<br />

workwithindependent<br />

businessestodeliverworkshops<br />

oncurrenttrends,<br />

environmentalawareness,and<br />

businesssupport.<br />

BysupportingPetroc<br />

throughinvolvementwithour<br />

curriculumandourevents,<br />

<strong>Business</strong>Actionis<strong>North</strong><br />

<strong>Devon</strong>’sindependentquarterly<br />

businessmagazine,distributed<br />

tobusinessesintownand<br />

villagecentresandonbusiness<br />

parksacrosstheareaand<br />

Advice and training<br />

Bothprogrammesoffer<br />

informalinformationsessions,<br />

practicaltrainingworkshops<br />

andonlinelearningtoprovide<br />

youwiththeskillsyouneedto<br />

succeed.<strong>Business</strong>advisorsare<br />

alsoonhandateverystepof<br />

thewaytoprovidesupport<br />

andadvice.<br />

<strong>The</strong>programmesare<br />

availableforalimitedperiod,<br />

sogetintouchnowtospeakto<br />

oneofourbusinessadvisors.<br />

<strong>The</strong>programmesareledby<br />

YTKOinpartnershipwith<br />

<strong>Devon</strong>CountyCounciland<br />

fundedbytheUK<br />

GovernmentthroughtheUK<br />

CommunityRenewalFund.<br />

■ Formoreinformation<br />

call08005003017,visit<br />

devon.ytko.com/communityrenewal-fund/<br />

oremail<br />

start-grow-devon@ytko.com<br />

yourbusinesscanshowcase<br />

yourbusinesstoawider<br />

audience.Youcantellour<br />

learnersandotherbusinesses<br />

aboutexcitingdevelopments<br />

youaregoingthrough,how<br />

youadaptedtotheCOVID-19<br />

pandemic,orwhatyouhave<br />

learnedintheworldofbusiness<br />

thatwouldbenefitothers.<br />

Byworkingwithour<br />

learners,youcanaccess<br />

potentialfutureemployeeswith<br />

moreindustry-relevantskills<br />

whoaremoreeffectiveinthe<br />

workplace.<br />

More business support<br />

programmes from Petroc<br />

AswellastheBigBenefitsfor<br />

Small<strong>Business</strong>esprojects,<br />

Petrocalsohasseveralother<br />

employersupportprojects<br />

whichcansupportyour<br />

businessthroughfullyfunded<br />

training.<br />

■ Fordetailsemail<br />

james.walker@petroc.ac.uk<br />

onlineatbusiness-action.uk<br />

Wewelcomebusinessnews<br />

fromandofinterestto<strong>North</strong><br />

<strong>Devon</strong>businesses–call07971<br />

176044oremail<br />

robertz@business-action.co.uk<br />

@businessactionm | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business action 13

Securing local, regional and<br />

national representation<br />

Networkingisessentialtobuild<br />

relationshipswithnewcustomers,<br />

suppliers,collaboratorsand<br />

evencompetitors,anditis<br />

importanttofindgroupswhere<br />

youfeelwelcomeandvalued.<br />

Anotherimportantaspectis<br />

representationtogovernment,<br />

councilsandotherbodies.So<br />

manybusinessesfeelthatthey<br />

lacktheauthoritytomake<br />

themselvesheardbybig<br />

organisationsandthisiswhere<br />

representationbylarger<br />

businessgroupsisinvaluable.<br />

Representing <strong>Devon</strong> business<br />

<strong>Devon</strong>andPlymouthChamber<br />

isthelargestnetworkof<br />

businessesintheSouthWest,<br />

andincludessmall,medium<br />

andlargeorganisations.Asan<br />

accreditedmemberofthe<br />

nationalBritishChambersof<br />

Commercenetwork,itfulfilsan<br />

Resourcing & Talent Planning<br />

HR Policy and Process<br />

Learning & <strong>Development</strong><br />

Employee Relations<br />

importantroleinconnectingits<br />

memberstonationalbusiness<br />

issuesandWestminster.Itaims<br />

toprovideastrong,influential<br />

voiceforallbusinesses,<br />

whetheryou’reastartup,sole<br />

trader,educationalorganisation<br />

orlargemanufacturer.<br />

Strategic priorities<br />

<strong>Devon</strong>Chamberhaseight<br />

strategicpriorities:skills,<br />

educationandtraining;sales,<br />

supplychainsandlocal<br />

procurement;accesstofinance;<br />

buildingbusinessresilienceand<br />

offeringopportunities;new<br />

marketsandinternational<br />

trade;digital;environmentand<br />

climatechange;andtransport<br />

infrastructure.<br />

■ Fordetailsandtojoin<br />

<strong>Devon</strong>andPlymouth<br />

Chamber,call01752220471<br />

orvisitdevonchamber.co.uk<br />

Organisation <strong>Development</strong><br />

Pay & Benefits<br />

<strong>Business</strong> Change<br />

Occupational Health & Safety<br />

Human Resources with the human touch<br />

E: office@fitzgeraldhr.co.uk W: fitzgeraldhr.co.uk T: 0330 223 5253<br />

NETWORKING<br />

Networking likes & dislikes<br />

Every individual has a different approach to networking. Andrew<br />

Bowers of digital specialist Peak Online gives his personal view<br />

1. What do you look for in a<br />

networking event?<br />

Overtheyears,Ihaveattended<br />

manynetworkingeventswith<br />

differentformatsandstyles.<br />

<strong>The</strong>yrangefromtheindustryexclusiveapproach,whereonly<br />

onememberfromeachsector<br />

isallowedandisveryformal<br />

andregimented,toopen<br />

groupswherepeoplecomeand<br />

go.<strong>The</strong>nthereareverysocially<br />

targetedevents.<br />

3. What part does<br />

Frommyexperience,the networking play in selling?<br />

industryopengroupswork Onceyouhaveestablished<br />

best.Itgiveschoicetothe goodrelationshipswithyour<br />

groupifseveralpeopleoffer networkinggroups,theyform<br />

thesameservice,butthose agoodpartofyourlead<br />

individualscanalsowork referrals.Networkingformsa<br />

togetherasnobusinessis thirdofPeakOnlineleads,<br />

100%thesame. whichhaveahighconversion<br />

<strong>The</strong>besteventformatis rate.<strong>The</strong>mainreasonforthis<br />

when,onarrival,theroomis isthereisalreadyaleveloftrust<br />

openforyoutomovearound fromthepersonknowingyou<br />

asyouwanttospeaktoas orthepersonwhoreferredthem.<br />

manypeopleaspossible.<br />

Whenseatedforbreakfastor<br />

lunch,circletablesortable<br />

formatswhereyoucanspeak<br />

withsixtoeightpeopleare<br />

bestasyourengagement<br />

opportunitiesarenotlimited.<br />

It’sgoodtohave10-15<br />

minutesattheendtoengage<br />

furtherwithpeopleyouhave<br />

spokentoduringtheevent.<br />

2. What’s your approach<br />

when you meet people at<br />

networking events?<br />

Ideally,beforetheeventyou<br />

shouldknowwhoiscoming<br />

andresearchthosepeopleand<br />

theircompanies.Sowhenyou<br />

arrive,youalreadyknowwho<br />

youwanttospeakwithrather<br />

thanrandomlyspeakingtothe<br />

firstpersonyousee.Ifit’san<br />

eventof25,youwillnothave<br />

timetospeaktoeveryone.<br />

<strong>The</strong>nIconnectwithpeople<br />

ontwolevels:firstly,thoseI<br />

canresellservicesforPeak<br />

Onlineorcompaniesthat<br />

wouldbeusefulformyclients;<br />

secondly,thereasonweall<br />

attendeventsistogainleads<br />

andnewbusiness.<br />

Thispartisthelonggame,<br />

asyouneedtobuildup<br />

relationshipswithpeoplefor<br />

themtotrustyouwiththeir<br />

ownbusinessorclients.Ifind<br />

thiscantakeonetothreeyears.<br />

4. What don’t you like<br />

about networking events?<br />

Mybiggestbugbearwouldbe<br />

peoplepretendingtobe<br />

interestedinyourproductsor<br />

servicestousethisartificial<br />

opportunitytoselltheir own<br />

productsorservicesina<br />

speeded-upprocessinsteadof<br />

buildinganaturalrelationship,<br />

whichtakestime.<br />

Toanyonelookingforthe<br />

shortgame:Iwouldsay<br />

networkingisnotforyou.<br />

<strong>The</strong>nextdislikewouldbe<br />

poorlyarrangedroomsor<br />

tablesandnofreemovement.<br />

<strong>The</strong>rehavebeentimeswhen<br />

yougetlimitedtosmalltables<br />

oftwotothreepeople.Ifthey<br />

arenotagoodmatchforwhat<br />

youarelookingfor,theoneto<br />

twohoursdoesnotturnoutto<br />

beasuccessfulevent.<br />

<strong>The</strong>lastonewouldbeif<br />

peopleusetheexperiencefor<br />

moreofasocialeventrather<br />

thanbusiness.<strong>The</strong>socialpart<br />

isimportant,sotheeventis<br />

enjoyable,butthemain<br />

outcomeisthatpeoplework<br />

togethertoachievemore<br />

businessforthemselvesand<br />

theotherpeopleinthegroup.<br />

Andrew Bowers<br />

Peak Online<br />

t: 01237 721256<br />

w: peak-online.uk<br />

14 business action | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business-action.co.uk

EXHIBITION<br />

BBxpo<br />

BIDEFORD<br />

BUSINESS • BOOST • EXPO<br />

<strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong>’s business<br />

exhibition returns in October<br />

BBxpo,<strong>North</strong><strong>Devon</strong>’slargest<br />

independentbusiness<br />

exhibition,returnsafteran<br />

absenceoftwoyearson<br />

Thursday27Octoberat<strong>Devon</strong><br />

Hall,BidefordCollege.<br />

<strong>Business</strong> <strong>Boost</strong> branding<br />

OriginallynamedBideford<br />

<strong>Business</strong>Expo,theevent,<br />

whichfastbecameknownas<br />

BBxpo,hasbeenrebrandedas<br />

<strong>Business</strong><strong>Boost</strong>Expo–Bideford<br />

tomatchcomplementary<br />

activities,includingthis<br />

<strong>Business</strong><strong>Boost</strong>startupand<br />

businessdevelopment<br />

magazinesupplement,all<br />

aimedatsupporting<strong>North</strong><br />

<strong>Devon</strong>businesses.<br />

ThiswillbethethirdBBxpo<br />

exhibition,followingthe2018<br />

and2019eventsand<br />

cancellationofthe2020and<br />

2021eventsinthepandemic.<br />

Successful exhibition format<br />

<strong>The</strong>formatofthe<strong>2022</strong>event<br />

willrepeatthepreviously<br />

successfulformulaof<br />

exhibitionstandsrepresenting<br />

businessesfromacross<strong>Devon</strong>,<br />

aprogrammeofworkshopsand<br />

/ortalksplusthefreelatelunchnetworkingbuffet.<br />

Detailsareyettobefinalised<br />

atthetimeofpublication.<br />

Affordable promotion<br />

BBxpo’saimsremainthesame:<br />

toprovideeffectiveand<br />

affordableexhibitionand<br />

promotionalopportunitiesfor<br />

all<strong>North</strong><strong>Devon</strong>businesses.<br />

Aswellasstandspace,<br />

exhibitorsreceivebusiness<br />

profilesin<strong>Business</strong>Action<br />

magazineandarepromoted<br />

widelyonline.<br />

■ Fordetailsandtobook<br />

exhibitionspace,visitbbxpo.uk<br />

@businessactionm | <strong>Startup</strong> & <strong>Business</strong> <strong>Development</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> <strong>2022</strong> | business action 15

THRIVE<br />

with free business support for sole traders<br />

and SMEs in <strong>North</strong> <strong>Devon</strong><br />

Are you a sole trader, micro business or limited<br />

company in the South West? Thrive is for you.<br />

Whether you are looking for ways to increase your turnover, grow your business<br />

or just do things more efficiently, Thrive can help.<br />

• A 3-hour review meeting leading to a development plan for your business<br />

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• Webinars on relevant business topics<br />

Webinars and 1-2-1 sessions will cover a range of topics to support your<br />

business: Digital Support (websites, SEO, social media, Google Analytics),<br />

Leadership, Finance, HR, Innovation, Marketing and <strong>Business</strong> Planning.<br />

*Thrive is open to businesses in <strong>Devon</strong>, Somerset, Torbay and Plymouth<br />

(excluding BANES and <strong>North</strong> Somerset).<br />

Register online today:<br />

www.heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk/thrive/<br />

<strong>The</strong> Heart of the South West Growth Hub Service for All is receiving up to £781,965 of funding from the England<br />

European Regional <strong>Development</strong> Fund (ERDF). <strong>The</strong> accountable body for this programme is <strong>Devon</strong> County Council.

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