Personal tools
![[The University of Leicester]](unilogo.gif)
|
Enterprise NewsWant to start a business? Get over £2,000 plus mentoring to help get you startedBy emjm1 from Enterprise news. Published on May 25, 2012. Applications are now open. Apply now.Cyber Security Challenge UK 2012By tgz1 from Enterprise news. Published on May 11, 2012. Are you a student interested in businesses and technology? So you can win!What's new in Social Media?By emjm1 from Enterprise news. Published on May 03, 2012. Could your business benefit from using Pinterest, Buffer, Crowdbooster or SocialBro? Book your place on a eBiz byte seminar today to find out more!Handling Requests for Favors & Freebies in Social SituationsBy Nancy Fulton from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on May 01, 2012. From Doctors to Architects, from Artists to Car Mechanics, everyone who provides services for a living has friends that ask for expensive favors and members of professional and personal networks that make saying “No” awkward. If you find that business discussions in social situations routinely end up with you giving your services away free, the following advice will be useful. You’ll find our suggestions particularly handy if you are just starting your business and many of your customers will necessarily come from your personal circle of friends and acquaintances. Pricing Favors and Avoiding Freebies There’s a rule salesmen often follow when closing sales . . . “He who names a price first loses”. Why? Because if you name too high a price a potential customer goes away offended. If you name too low a price you discredit the value of what you do and you cheat yourself out of a fair price. Always Remember, What You Do Has Value When people ask you for advice or help, whether at a social event or a business networking event, they are indicating that what you do has value to them. So, the next time you end up in a social chat which somehow turns into a solicitation for free advice or help, be friendly. Spend a few minutes talking about specific actions they can take to resolve the problem. At some point they’ll either drop the topic or say “Can you help me?” At this point you should say, “I don’t know. What’s your budget?” Then wait without saying anything. If the person you are talking to doesn’t say anything, or moves on to other topics, they don’t have a budget and you’ve just sidestepped offering your services for free. If they say “I can’t afford to pay,” say “Well, after our discussion, I’m pretty sure you can find what you need online. There are so many good sites for free help this these days.” Then feel free to move on to other topics. Resist the urge to make their problem your problem just because you’ve shared a good discussion. What Happens if They Want to Do Business? If someone ask how much you charge. The only sensible reply is “It depends on what you want done”. If time permits, generate a list of deliverables then ask “How much can you afford?” or “How much will that save you?” or “How much revenue will that generate for you?” That sets some framework for a price. If the person just refuses to participate in negotiation, try naming a high price for your services. Sometimes it helps to use the phrasing, “Well right now I’m doing that for a few clients who pay . . . ” While this may not get you work, it will let you get back to the party. Learning to Handle This Situation Well Makes Networking More Profitable & Social Events Less Trying The truth is, most nice people won’t waste your time for long if they don’t have a budget to pay you for what you. Once you know they are interested in paying you, the only issue is price. Some people will waste your time, either because they are naive and think you can afford to work for free or they have a different set of business ethics from most of us. When you run into those people, it’s best not to turn them into “customers” or people you owe services to. They can waste a great deal of your time, and when you sell services for a living . . . time really is money. Related posts:
RBS EnterprisingU competition launched, win £40,000 worth of prizesBy emjm1 from Enterprise news. Published on Apr 24, 2012. The competition, created by Find Invest Grow and sponsored by RBS Group and LinkedIn, offers a unique online platform for students to "road-test" their business ideas, while building the framework for a professional business plan at the same time.ESNC competition is now open, cash and business support up for grabs!By emjm1 from Enterprise news. Published on Apr 19, 2012. The business competition for anyone with an idea which utilises satellite navigation technology, be it for position, time, navigation or any other application, including iPhone, iPad and Android apps.Former student is Midlands Young Entrepreneur of the YearBy tgz1 from Enterprise news. Published on Feb 09, 2012. Suleman Sacranie, former student of the University of Leicester, is the brains behind 99pWholesaler.com.Applications are now open for Engineering YES 2012By tgz1 from Enterprise news. Published on Jan 31, 2012. Engineering YES 2012 is a wonderful opportunity for Engineering and Science PGR researchers to develop skills for enterprise and business development.Better Business for All Programme Launched(Better Business for All Programme Launched)By (author unknown) from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Jan 13, 2012. The 'Better Business for All' programme was officially launched at noon at the Leicestershire Business Event held at the Leicester City FC stadium on Thursday 29th September. The single point of access into the regulatory system that underpins the programme is now available for businesses to use. The single number for enquiries relating to business regulation is 0871 384 3185. A supporting webpage is available at www.llep.org.uk/betterbusinessforall. Coming soon the site will also have a self refer option through which businesses can post their query online. The aim of the number and webpage is to simplify life for local businesses by providing a comprehensive and clear single point of access. At the event visitors from businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire were able to visit a Better Business for All (BBfA) information stand. This was manned at different points of the day by officers from different regulatory services who were able to describe the aims and mechanisms of the programme. The BBfA stand also provided a valuable opportunity for businesses to meet regulators in a different context and to see clearly the local regulatory services commitment to moving forward in a positive relationship with businesses. Interest in the stand was, perhaps unsurprisingly, at its highest following the lunchtime launch. At the launch itself John Walker (National Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses), Martin Traynor (Chief Executive of the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce) Andrew Bacon (Chairman of the LLEP) and Graham Russell (Chief Executive of LBRO) introduced the programme and spoke on the theme of better regulation being better for business. They then led the signing of the BBfA Partnership Charter (photo attached) follows by representatives from the 13 regulatory services involved in the programme.Jim Eastwood from The Apprentice shares his tips with Enterprise studentsBy mjm33 from Enterprise news. Published on Dec 15, 2011. The University of Leicester, through PULSE (Promoting University of Leicester Student Enterprise), was delighted to welcome Jim Eastwood, one of the finalists of BBC1’s ‘The Apprentice’, on December the 7th 2011. Jim Eastwood gave a talk to enterprising students about his Four Main Tips for Success. Additionally, he discussed being enterprising; answered questions from students and had informal conversations with them.Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2011 - Final 8 RevealedBy (author unknown) from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 26, 2011. The following eight businesses have made it through to the Final of the Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2011 in Lon...Student entrepreneurs to launch new app at GameCity 6By (author unknown) from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 26, 2011. Four Nottingham Trent University students who have set up their own games development company during their placement year are to reveal their first sm...Win a year’s mentoring with Dragon Deborah MeadenBy (author unknown) from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 26, 2011. Small-business owners with ambitious development plans can win a year’s free mentoring with Dragons’ Den star Deborah Meaden, following th...Claire Young Founder of TeenBiz, an Entrepreneur Development Program for those Under 18By Nancy Fulton Mazur from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 26, 2011.
TeenBiz is the UK’s first business start up scheme aimed at teens 13-18. It will launch 1st November, to coincide with Global Entrepreneurship Month. From the 1st January every month one student will receive up to £500 funding (they must match what we give them), a mentor and a start up pack. TeenBiz calls it’Business in a Box’ because it equips students with the items they need to do business for real; for example Companies House set up, business cards, a website, a stationary voucher, office space, USB sticks, logo design, legal advice and virtual PA service. We interviewed Claire Young to find out why she started the program and how she plans to grow it over time. Why did you found TeenBiz? Since leaving the Apprentice 3 years ago I’ve worked across a number of enterprise initiatives which go into schools to encourage students into the world of business which are brilliant. However, the main feedback from teachers and students is that campaigns come and go; we are guilty of gearing up students to be enterprising and start their own business yet don’t provide them with a real way forward in doing this. TeenBiz is a scheme where any teen 13-18 can apply for business support. It is the UK’s first business start up scheme for under 18s. Currently, you can be company director at 16 but cannot get funding or a business bank account until you are 18 – it’s crazy and doesn’t make sense! Was there something you saw or experienced that made this the most natural programme to start? I had a brilliant 14 year old work experience student in the office, Todd, and he is like the next Alan Sugar. A great business idea and he needed support to get his sandwich business off the ground. After 2 days of research trying to find funding, it was a big fat “No!” until he was 18 years old. I think that’s wrong. He’s capable now so why should he have to wait for 4 years? A day doesn’t go by when you pick up a newspaper to read about youth unemployment and record numbers not wanting to go to college and university. We’ve reached crisis point and need to provide young people with alternative pathways – starting your own business and therefore TeenBiz is very much needed. Is this a for profit business? A social enterprise? A charity? Do you accept donations? TeenBiz is not for profit. It’s structurally set up limited by guarantee and clearly states in the company set up documents that it is not for profit. I hope people will donate as much as they can to the program. People, and businesses, can sponsor a student for just £500. What’s the format of your support for teen-based businesses? Over the next 3 years TeenBiz’s aim is to start 100 young entrepreneurs in business. Each winner will receive up to £500 funding, a business mentor and a ‘Business in a Box’ start up kit! There will be key events throughout the year from winners to attend. To celebrate the first year of the scheme there will be a private dinner held with Peter Jones for example. How can schools, churches and other youth-targeted organizations work with you to bring your programme to their teens? My aim is to let every teacher in the UK know about TeenBiz. They are essentially the sales force who will let students know about this great opportunity. Do your classes cost anything to attend? Is there a suggested donation you ask from kids or their parents? The scheme is not for profit, free to attend. We would never ask students to pay, but we gladly receive donations. In fact we depend on them. How can people help you bring this program to more teens? Please spread the word about TeenBiz, if you send people to teenbiz.org.uk, or pass details to teachers, teens and parents about the program, that would be really helpful. Education groups and corporates are essential contacts. One has the students we want to serve and the other has the CRP funding to help the students. Do you need more business leaders as volunteers to speak, teach, mentor, etc? Yes please! If you are interested in helping the scheme please email info@teenbiz.org.uk Do you have any entrepreneurs you’d like to showcase? Not yet but as from the 1st January we’ll be shouting from the rooftops about the TeenBiz young talent! What is your business background? Since graduating from university with a science degree I worked in the corporate world for 3 large blue chips across marketing, sales and retail before taking part in the BBC1 The Apprentice show 2008. Since then I’ve set up www.schoolspeakers.co.uk and www.girlsoutloud.org.uk & consult across a number of education groups re enterprise. Related posts:
Borrowing: what’s your best source?By fiona from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 20, 2011. With banks reluctant to lend, are there better options out there for small and medium companies looking to expand? Amid the latest round of quantitative easing by the Bank of England there have been fresh calls from the small business sector for help to boost funding for small and medium enterprise projects (SMEs). John Walker, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said it was important that banks use any extra cash to decrease the cost of credit and increase the availability of lending.
IT finance provider Syscap says the Bank of England has powers to purchase leases from banks through QE, allowing banks to write new leasing business and in turn giving a boost to the funding of SMEs. The idea is that smaller companies can then use leasing to invest in business assets such as machinery and IT. Related posts:
Every Startup Needs An Advantage: What’s Special About You?By Doug Richard from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 20, 2011. To be successful, your startup needs to offer a benefit to people that they need or want. In every case the benefit you want to deliver to people has been met by some other product or service before you came along. Before the cell phone there was the land line, before the land line there was the telegraph, before the telegraph there were letters. If you develop a new brand of laundry detergent you are competing with every existing brand on the market, plus all the laundry services in the region, and to some degree every shop that sells new clothes. Every business delivering any benefit to customers has competitors. That means that in order for your business to stay in business, it must offer your customers some advantage over their current solution. Sometimes Advantages Are Hard to Perceive Sometimes the advantage one business has over another is very difficult to find. I remember going to Bali, walking through customs and seeing thirty money changing stalls, all apparently identical. I was stunned. How on earth could all these identical businesses survive? What could the advantage of the fourth stall on the third row be? Then I saw a plane load of people land and watched its passengers disgorge into this collection of stalls. Suddenly the advantage one stall had over another was clear. Each stall could handle only one customer at a time, so a stall that didn’t have a customer had every advantage over one that did. Sometimes the Advantage You Think You Have is Merely a Distraction I once ran a business that sought to connect startups to investors. My team created a database of more than 15,000 startups that we updated every 24 hours. While we were building this business we ran events where carefully selected startups were allowed to pitch their businesses to groups of investors in real time. I thought the events were a stop-gap measure until the database was online and investors could just search for the kind of opportunity they wanted. But, as it turned out, when I started talking to investors…the database mattered less to them than the events. That made no sense initially, and then upon further questioning, the investors revealed that they liked meeting with their peers. You Must Determine Your Startup’s Advantage if You Want To Thrive Finding out what advantage you offer customers, or potential customers, always requires talking to them. There is no other way to get the data you need. If you have a business, its easy to ask your best customers why they work with you. In some cases the answer may be quite upsetting. One company I mentored in the US thought they had an exceptionally good solution for customers, but talking to their customers revealed that their key advantage was they were listed almost first in a directory. Initially they fought that finding, but finally embraced it and changed their business name so they were always listed first. If you do not have customers who can tell you what advantage you offer them, then you must tell people about your business and ask them what advantages they perceive in what you describe. You have to know what your advantage is, and in fact you almost always have to bundle many advantages together, in order to get your startup off to a good start. Where Are Advantages Found? Advantages may be found in your product design, your pricing model, how your product is delivered, the channels through which it is sold, the partners you work with to market it, and even the customers you elect to serve. For example, if you run a trendy night club, much of your value is derived from the customers you draw to the club. Strong startups offer a bundle of advantages to customers. Although startups must strive to keep their offering simple, straight forward, tightly targeted and clearly defined…that offering may well deliver many advantages to their customers. Twitter is a very simple product. It provides group-based opt-in text messaging delivered online and via cell phones. But using the tool delivers many advantages. People can add and subtract themselves from twitter feeds, they can reply and retweet messages, they can find new twitterers, and use the tool to network. A simple product product that delivers many advantages. You can never tilt the playing field enough… One of the best things you can do for your business, whether it is an enterprise you are just starting or one you have been running for years, is to determine what benefit customers perceive in your offering and what advantages you offer over the competition. Acquiring this information will help you invest your time, money and resources efficiently. You will end up with lower costs, higher profits and happier customers. Related posts:
Future 100 Young Social Entrepreneurs for 2011By Matt Black from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 13, 2011. The search is on to find 100 young social entrepreneurs who are running a business, to tackle some of society's biggest issues such as climate change, poverty, economic deprivation, equality and health. Lower Your Energy Bills This Winter: 5 Steps to Take NowBy Nancy Fulton Mazur from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 10, 2011. As recently reported in the Guardian, the UK’s addiction to gadgets is translating into higher emissions and higher energy bills. While the Guardian was addressing costs in the home, the truth is that businesses the UK are falling prey to the same higher costs. More computer screens, more tablets, more phones…every device you plug in comes with a cost that goes beyond the purchase price. Use the following checklist to make sure you’re doing your part to conserve energy and to keep your own costs low.
Taking these steps now will save your business money, conserve scarce resources and help keep the planet greener. Related posts:
Government Support for BusinessesBy (author unknown) from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 04, 2011. The Government is changing the way it provides support to people who want to start and grow a business Business Link is changing – not closing! Whilst the regional Business Link advisory service will close on the 25 November 2011, the Business Link website is being significantly enhanced and will provide improved, comprehensive support to businesses. New online services will be launched in November. If you are an established business we will be offering you a growth and improvement service which includes tools to help you diagnose and solve business problems, a business support finder, tutorials and video case studies, information on events in your area and links to business discussions and other services. From the end of November, you will be able to get better business information and advice on starting, improving or growing your business or updates on new regulations online at www.businesslink.gov.uk. Sign up for BiS e-newsletter Here all the changes to Business Link will be announcedHMRC extends crackdown on poor record-keepersBy (author unknown) from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 03, 2011. Small firms should check their books are in order – that’s the warning from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) after it announced it is exten...Special Startup Offer - Complete Business Website (with a blog) for just £570By (author unknown) from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 03, 2011. Get your starup business online for just £570 with buswebs.co.uk. Our special offer startup package gives you a complete website, complete with...Rent-a-Desk for £75 / MonthBy (author unknown) from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 03, 2011. If you need a low cost desk to work from then why not consider sharing our office space, we provide a desk, a PC with Internet connection, a shared me...Entrepreneurs set up ‘school’ to help social entrepreneurs to exploit the digital revolutionBy Matt Black from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Oct 03, 2011. An open competition is being launched today to find social economy organisations who want to develop an income generating digital product. A Recession Is Still a Good Time to Launch a BusinessBy fiona from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Sep 30, 2011. The euro zone crisis is rapidly escalating and some fear a possible Greek default could signal the end of the euro area. Even though the U.K. is technically not in a recession, job creation prospects look anemic with the public sector shedding 100,000 jobs during the second quarter of this year, slashing considerably more jobs than it created. The total number of unemployed people in the U.K. stands at 2.51 million, according to the latest figures released by the Office of National Statistics. Times seem bleak, but it is in this context that small businesses can act as a particular driver of growth for the economy, says Doug Richard, founder of School for Startups. “The future does seem murky but young companies tend to be the drivers of economic wealth,” Mr. Richard says. “The vast majority of new jobs come from them as [entrepreneurs] create most of the new sustainable jobs in the first few years in developed economies. It’s not large and old companies or governments that have a direct impact on the economy, but small and young businesses,” he added. Related posts:
Two innovators break new ground with pioneering £200k investmentBy Matt Black from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Sep 30, 2011. Big Issue Invest has announced a pioneering, shares-based investment in My Time community interest company, an award-winning social enterprise offering counselling and support services. Business in the Community, Deloitte and BP launch Olympic social enterprise bid to create 1,000 new jobsBy Tim from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Sep 29, 2011. Corporate giants Deloitte and BP have joined forces to back an ambitious social enterprise initiative promising 1,000 new jobs in the Olympic host boroughs. Entrepreneurs Guide to Brand AdvertisingBy Nancy Fulton Mazur from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Sep 26, 2011.
For example, someone interested in purchasing a motorcycle will become aware of brands like Kawasaki, Harley-Davidson, Suzuki and Yamaha. They will, over time, begin to choose the brand that is most consistent with their requirements. When it is time to buy a bike, their choice will not be from the whole range of possible motorcycles, but from the one or two brands they’ve come to like best. Until recently, only large businesses were thought to have the collateral required to participate in brand advertising which promotes products and services long before a purchase is contemplated. Compelling viral media, carried through social media tools like Twitter, Facebook, Linked-In and Google Plus make it possible, to reach millions with brand messages that are widely shared. Creating branded content, including ebooks, podcasts and video, that effectively sell a company’s products and services requires an indepth understanding of their target market and the channels they use to communicate. The cost of creating this content is less than creating and broadcasting content vira mass media. Making this investment can generate sales for months or years to come. Even startups and small businesses can use brand marketing techniques to define their offerings to their target markets. If you are not currently creating viral marketing materials of interest to your target market, now is a good time to begin. Related posts:
Looking for Loans, Grants or Investors? Check Out BusinessFunding.co.ukBy Nancy Fulton Mazur from Enterprise's shared items in Google Reader. Published on Sep 20, 2011. BusinessFunding.co.uk tracks more than 1000 funding sources, ranging from banks and investor networks to grants and venture capital funds. It also provides a very in-depth list of Public sector funding sources which includes funding that originates from the UK government, devolved governments, regional and local government (i.e. Regional Development Agencies, Local Authorities and County Councils) as well as some funding from the European Union. In recent months, as more and more funding sources disappear, it has become more and more difficult for startups and small businesses to find the money they need to grow. To meet this need, BusinessFunding.co.uk has created a continuously updated index of capital sources for businesses of every size in every industry. Dr Stephen Bence, Founder and Director of BusinessFunding.co.uk, says: “We were often being asked to compile lists of properly-qualified funding sources for a particular project or company. We found these tasks incredibly time-consuming because the information could not be found in one place – not to mention the complexity of the funders’ eligibility criteria. This is our solution to that problem: a comprehensive and detailed database of funding sources coupled with an easy-to-use online tool to help direct businesses towards the sources of funding and finance that are most suitable for them.” Launch partners for BusinessFunding.co.uk include: Baker Noel Chartered Accountants, the legal firm Vincent Sykes & Higham, the Public Relations firm Presswire and the digital search agency Red or Blue. For more information about the service, visit BusinessFunding.co.uk. Related posts:
|
|
Follow the University on
