Tag Archive: sme

1. The quest for a cheap startup logo

   August 2, 2011 5:29 pm 4 Comments

   I’ve been hearing a lot about 99designs over the last year or so. I’ve found it difficult to give feedback on the recurring questions I’ve been getting about it so thought I really should give it a go.

   As you may know we’ve got a new product up and running called Rusic. Rusic has been an interesting exercise in general, as we’ve tried to outsource the project as much as possible. We wanted it to feel like a startup. It’s difficult to help startups if you can’t sympathise (or empathise even). So this has been a great experience all round (although possibly a separate blog post!).

   When it came to branding we decided that this might be a good time to try out the 99designs service. We didn’t know what we wanted and we didn’t want to spend much money. So for $295 we decided to give it a go.

   The basic premise is this:

   • Give some details about your business/product
   • Start a competition for a period of time
   • Wait for people to submit their designs
   • You eliminate and feedback on the designs
   • The time runs out and you choose a winner

   It actually works well. To me the most interesting part of the service is the way that they get you to express how you want your finished design to the designers.

   

   You choose three of your favourite logo “types” from a selection and you choose various attributes from sliding scales. It’s very simple and feels intuitive. I actually started off with a very feminine, playful set of values and then changed halfway through as I felt that actually I wasn’t getting the results that I wanted. Designs rapidly started to change.

   

   Once you’ve set all of your information that you want to pass on to the “designers” you can set the project running.

   At first we had three or four designs within 12 hours. We were chuffed but not impressed. Then within 48 hours things were starting to hot up. By the end of it we had over 130 designs to choose from. Some designers submitting multiple revisions of their designs.

   Actually eliminating designs at first made me feel a little guilty but after a while it’s just fun as you start to get left with a succinct pool of reasonable quality entries. The ones eliminated would somehow find there way back with new variations in style or colour. At every stage it’s possible to ask for these changes manually,  if you fancy designer X’s logo but in red.

   

   Once the time finally runs out you have to choose. This was the only tricky bit. The designer delivers the files and then you agree to release the money from 99designs. In our case the designer gave us a JPG. We then asked for the file as a vector. He then supplied it as an EPS with a JPG in it, etc… This took a few friendly communications from us to the designer and ultimately to the very helpful support until we finally got a proper EPS file. I think this was just a language issue as the designer is from the Phillipines.

   You can see the finished design at Rusic.com we’re pretty happy with it. It will evolve I’m sure, but for the budget, time and manual input that we wanted to give ,it worked well.

   Having said that I would not recommend this for client work. It’s just too hit and miss and obviously still takes up time and more than likely you will need to embelish the result (as we did). For a bootstrapped startup on the other hand it is a fantastic service, well thought out, easy to use and efficient. I suspect like most things, the more you put in the more you’ll get out.

2. 6 things I would tell someone about start-ups

   June 29, 2011 9:09 am Comments Off

   Every month we’re featuring a guest post from companies and people that we respect or admire.
   Jon Ellis from tutorhub.com is our first guest offering up advice on starting up an online business.

   A few people have asked me along the way to dispense my wisdom on start-ups and what makes one successful. In a nutshell, here it is.

   1. Follow the right idea. Share your idea with as many people as possible, particularly target customers – get them to tell you if you are solving a real need. Their feedback and opinions will help you shape what you want to do. Remember noone has a monopoly on good ideas, least of all you.
   2. Do the sums. Excel is your friend. Model out what the financials of your start-up might look like. Focus on the cost and income drivers. Do lots of scenarios. Ask yourself difficult questions. Does the idea really still stack up?
   3. Get the right people. Sounds obvious, but you need to have the same objectives and values as co-founders and staff. Get the very best developers you can, and use open source.
   4. Launch early. Get your product developed quickly and as cheaply as you can. Get it out in front of customers. Get them to tell you ‘if your baby is ugly’. Check out what people are willing to pay – if you can, try and get some advance sales.
   5. Change the product iteratively and quickly. Keep on doing this to you have a product that the market actually wants and is willing to pay for. If you can’t do this, then the product is wrong. Look at what Steve Blank has to say on the subject.
   6. Develop bounce-back-ability. Roll with the punches. Try not to get too defensive about your idea. If you get knocked down, – which you will get straight back up again and carry on. Don’t take no for an answer.

   It’s not for the feint-hearted. Be prepared for late nights, crises of confidence and running out of cash along the way. But if you get it right, it can be extremely satisfying and even rewarding.

3. Networking – 16 Top tips

   February 14, 2011 10:07 am 1 Comment

   Over the past six months I have become what I would call a serial networker. In any given month I may go to a few networking breakfasts, a number of evening events, a business show or two and even training sessions where possible.

   I never realised quite how many networking groups there were in Bristol until I really got into it and now I actually feel very lucky!  There are so many ways you can meet up with other small businesses in Bristol!  From Open Coffee to Lloyds breakfast to Bristol and Bath Marketing Network, there is something on offer for everyone if you know where to look.

   LinkedIn is a great way to connect with groups and find out about meet ups.  I also ask people when I am out and about networking what else they go to and often find out about new places that way!

   Why Network?

   Quite simply if people do not know who you are and what you can do they are never going to call you! Yes you can advertise but that does not give you the chance to find out about your customers, build long term relationships and have a good chat over breakfast or a drink!

   The idea is that you see these people often enough that your build a relationship and you therefore are not just selling your business to the people you meet but to all their clients too.  For the majority of us, there are a number of people doing something very similar to us – relationships are key in this competitive world.

   I also enjoy it! Granted I do not always get in the car for a 6.45am breakfast with a smile on my face but I soon get into it after my morning tea! Sometimes it is easy to become quite isolated as a small business and very inwards looking. It is always good to get another opinion, find out what other people are up to, what is new, otherwise you could find you have been somewhat left behind.

   16 Top Tips

   1. Get people to talk about themselves first so you know how to frame what you say about your business to suit them
   2. Do not just tell people what you do, there are hundreds of people doing exactly the same thing, tell people why they should use you. And think about this in an innovative way. Do not use phrases like “the best/quickest/fastest/most efficient/most creative in Bristol” you might as well say nothing… on the other hand, if you say something like “we have enabled our customers to increase awareness by 45% and improve customer satisfaction ratings by 55%”….thats worth listening to
   3. Do not be scared to take examples of your work if it helps to explain it
   4. If you are “speed networking” take a bottle of water….trust me on this one!
   5. Do not give up because you did not win business the first time you went. Networking is about building long term trusting relationships locally, it is not a quick fix
   6. Always have business cards and lots of them – you would be amazed how many people turn up without them!
   7. Be memorable for the right reasons
   8. Listen to others and show you are listening. People respect that. If you play with your phone throughout their 2 minutes they will be less inclined to listen to you
   9. Follow up with personalized emails where appropriate but do not spam!
   10. Tell people what you want. You are not just selling to the people in the room, but to all the people they know as well. Be specific and it might ring some bells…. I would like to speak to small, local charities. I would like to speak to personal trainers…
   11. In the same light as the above, do not switch off because you cannot sell to the person you are talking to for whatever reason, they will have a network of contacts and clients who may be useful
   12. Do not be scared if you happen to end up sitting next to a competitor. Talk about your differences, maybe there is business relationship to be developed through skills sharing? Use this as an opportunity to highlight to people why you are different
   13. Use case studies and real customers. Give context to your work. It makes it much more memorable
   14. Try not to read off a sheet, have confidence in your business, no one knows it better than you
   15. Do not just stick with the people you know. Obviously you want to build relationships so spend a bit of time seeing how they are and reminding them of your existence but then move on. Do not sit on a table where you know everyone, they have heard your 2 mins already, go where you know no one, you have more to gain
   16. The most important thing to remember if you are nervous about speaking is that everyone sat around the table wants you to do well, and they are just pleased that you are talking at that exact moment instead of them

4. Thirsty Bristol #2

   February 10, 2011 1:03 pm 1 Comment

   Thanks to everyone who made it along to The Big Chill for ThirstyBristol in January!  We had a great time and we hope you did too.

   Before I say anything else I want to especially thank our sponsors for putting some money behind the bar and ensuring that the night was, erm, well lubricated. So a big thanks to LoveHoney, Simpleweb and Coull TV [update] And EventStreams for their lovely Event CMS.

   

   ThirstyBristol is all about getting digital startups together under one roof and sharing ideas, successes, failures and laughs. So far we think this is working out pretty well! We met some great people and with 80+ attendees it clearly is something that people want to get involved in.

   January’s speakers included:

   • Pete Blackman (DoubleArt) on Branding for Start-ups

   • Irfon Watkins (Coull TV) on “No one cares about your start-up but you”

   • Pat Wood (Truffle Shuffle) on “Google analytics and your start-up”

   Massive thank you’s to our three speakers. We have had nothing but great feedback about all of the presentations and we know a lot of people found them very useful. We are already lining up our speakers for March and will let you know when the date has been confirmed.  You can keep up to date in the usual place wearethirsty.co.uk, and do not forget to follow us on Twitter @ThirstyBristol.

   

   

   In the meantime if you have some feedback, a suggestion or fancy yourself as a presenter please get in touch! We would love to hear from you!! If we do not see you before, we look forward to seeing you in March!

   Special thanks to @Jason_mayes for taking the photos (to see more check out the Thirsty Bristol Flickr page) and to @helloemsy for all her effort and Twitter management!

5. We use FreeAgent (review)

   September 3, 2010 10:35 am 3 Comments

   The most important thing for a small business – or indeed any business – is to be able to track regularly and accurately the state of the cash flow.  This means knowing how much work has been invoiced, controlling credit, closely monitoring costs and managing client accounts.

   However, if it’s the most important thing, it is probably also the routine task that can get overlooked, forgotten or that gives way to more urgent daily issues.

   When I joined Simpleweb as office manager a few months ago, I was introduced to Freeagent, the accounting software designed to help small businesses do all this.

   Great, I thought.  All good stuff that is going to make life easier.  Providing the information goes in methodically and accurately,  the current situation can be monitored daily.

   So, what do we like most about Freeagent?

   Well it’ s free! (well almost.  There is a small monthly license fee of about £22).

   The dashboard on our home page gives a great point of quick reference. It is graphic and clear and shows at a glance the state of the bank account, how much has been invoiced out, payments received and a debtors list so I can see immediately who needs to be chased for overdue invoices.  It also shows a tax timeline with key payment dates for PAYE/NI, VAT and Corporation Tax and a quick reference profit and loss summary.

   
   

    

   The contacts database means you can keep all your contacts up to date and the work flow section allows you to project manage work for key clients, generating estimates, time sheets and invoices.  We use the invoicing function as it links into the payment details and bank reconciliation – but for project management we prefer Basecamp

   To manage the cashflow, providing you upload your latest bank statement regularly to Freeagent, you can easily reconcile and account for money in and money out. The information you put in here is categorised into cost centres and feeds into the accounting section and profit and loss making costs monitoring and  end of year accounting much easier.

   The My Money section can be used for PAYE & NI, generating payslips, keeping records of  expenses and more.

   What do we not like so much?

   Well, three months on, you can imagine my disappointment with one very important, you could say vital, aspect of Freeagent that has turned out to be seriously lacking: the PAYE and National Insurance calculator.

   By their own admission, Freeagent say on their website:   “. . . this is a simple payslip calculator” and that “if your payroll needs are more complex than the simple calculator supports, you can always use another payroll calculator and edit Freeagent to match”

    

   We were nearly caught out by this simplicity and had been putting blind faith in the payroll figures generated by Freeagent. However,  it turned out that there were some discrepancies in the NI payments, albeit small differences. Luckily we realised quite quickly that the system was not  really robust enough to cope with the nuances of our payroll and the complexities of UK tax and NI deductions so we have handed the payroll function to our accountant who runs it all through Sage. Peace of mind.  I do not think we will be duplicating effort by replicating the data in Freeagent.  The net salaries and tax paid will still be accounted for in Freeagent, but not the calculations or payslips which will come from Sage.

   Like any system, Freeagent is only as good as the data that is put into it and we have made  a judgement call about which parts are really useful to us and then to make absolutely sure that we keep those sections routinely and accurately up to date – then it really does make life easier!

6. The brand journey of our new product

   July 23, 2010 2:14 pm 3 Comments

   We’re getting ready to launch a new product; very exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. We’ve been working really hard on getting everything in order technically and visually. The branding process has been interesting for sure and we’re very happy with the outcome so far.

   We want to go for something fun and memorable, with a Studio Ghibli feel. Serene colouring and simple outlines. We’re happy so far.

   Below you can see the process that we’ve gone through to get to the final ContactZilla character… A lot of fun has been had, with more to come.

7. Grow your greener business success

   July 20, 2010 1:42 pm Comments Off

   Is our attitude to the environment in danger of becoming vuvuzela background noise – a constant drone that we filter out?  Reducing the environmental impact of business and industry has been on the agenda for decades.  Ten years ago, it was still quite easy to ignore and it has taken the big stick of legislation to make businesses respond.

   The need to demonstrate sound environmental practices is being pushed further and further down the supply chain by larger organisations and by the public sector. As we have clients in both those categories, making sure we have an environmental management policy place is crucial.

   But we are small company in the services sector, so do we have an environmental impact?

   Maybe not the kind of impact that a chemicals giant or a metal bashing business would have, but we use energy, computer and office consumables and we travel to work – so yes, we do.  And we would like to see if we can save on the bottom line – and be more competitive by qualifying for extra brownie points when bidding for new business.

   Does this mean we need full ISO14000 accreditation?

   Well no, at least not at this stage.  ISO14000 is the international quality standard for environmental practice.  Accreditation requires external assessment on an ongoing basis and is expensive. For the time being, this is a  bridge too far.  We have opted for putting an environmental policy in place that is monitored, reviewed and updated internally.

   So what does our policy say?

   In outline, we “copied with pride” by looking at other people’s environmental policies and following the guidance on the Business Link website and the Envirowise website

   But of course the policy has to be ours to live up to.  We assessed the areas in which the company has an impact and where we thought we could improve, for example by looking at what we buy as office consumables and what we do with office waste. The result is a straightforward policy statement with the undertaking to monitor for continuous improvement.

   As far as the impact of our  travel to work goes, we are fortunate that most of us can and do cycle to work.  However, for many companies this is not the case.  Carrying our a travel to work survey and reviewing ways of  reducing commuting and business miles can really make a difference.  For example, using video conferencing can save huge amounts of time and travel costs for a business. Encouraging car sharing and  putting in cycle racks and shower facilities can help individuals to save on fuel and reduce congestion.  Check out the Bike2Work Scheme.  This can be a good incentive for employers and employees to encourage cycling to work.

   And why is it important?

   Skeptics might view setting up an environmental policy as merely  a “box ticking” exercise carried out to support the bidding process. That would be an injustice. It led us to think constructively about our business consumerism and any waste products. It has also raised awareness amongst staff, both at work and on a domestic level. Most importantly, it will help us to stay competitive and win lucrative business.

   Thanks to V-2 for use of their image

8. Is Facebook your next CMS?

   July 15, 2010 3:29 pm 3 Comments

   When Tom and I first started Simpleweb our mission was to create “process driven websites” that retained quality, accessibility and value. We feel that we succeeded. Our own CMS was easy to use for users and simple to administer.

   Three years later and things have moved on; a lot. WordPress is almost the universal CMS for small websites. With more and more business’s seeing the need for keeping their users up to-date. WordPress is making big inroads into SME websites as well, even the government is getting in on the action.

   Smaller business’s though have had a notoriously hard time since the beginning of the web boom. They usually can’t afford a “proper” web designer/developer or digital agency, so either settle for a site through a student web designer; which can be great aesthetically, but usually there’s no support or updates and they become hugely frustrating. Even worse than this is the dreaded “site in a box”. Usually £199 for everything that you need for your online business or for giving you a migraine… Arrrggghh!

   Is their a solution? We think so. Pretty much everybody knows how to use Facebook. Over half a billion users and growing, with anyone being able to set a up a “fan page”; a website inside of Facebook.

   Setting up a fan page is easy and it gives you a way to post articles, events, quick updates, photo’s and videos. More importantly it lets you tap into an existing audience and grow a community around you and your business. It’s an online “neighborhood” if you like!

   The downside to a fan page is that it’s inside Facebook. What we really need is visibility of this content outside of Facebook while keeping all of the benefits of a familiar system. No more learning bespoke or clunky technology. We already know how to use Facebook.

   What’s needed then is a website that sits outside of Facebook, somehow connected to the one inside of Facebook. Recently Facebook has released an API called Open Graph. It lets web developers connect directly into the inner workings of Facebook so that we can pull and push information and data. All of which means building a website outside of Facebook populated with all of your daily content such as news and photos is now a viable option. You don’t ever need to worry about keeping your website up to date again.

   By creating the best of both worlds, we have a website that has a nice web address, looks good, is easy to find by Google and a piece of cake to update.

   For a single product or service based business we can’t think of a better alternative for providing businesses with a professional way to advertise online and create traffic, community and sales. Larger business’s are already tapping into this by creating microsites, small spinoffs from their larger websites.

   These “connected” websites can also have Youtube, Flickr, Google maps and other existing services, creating a true socially connected website that can do so much more than traditional websites.

   We’ve recently built some of our own:

   • British Military Fitness
   • Go Ape’s new product G-Trax

9. Is Basecamp the Project Management tool for me?

   July 13, 2010 4:59 pm 5 Comments

   There are so many tools out there targeted at small businesses it is sometimes hard to know where to start. Coming from a very large corporate myself, and having only been with Simpleweb for three months, I was very new to all of the tools on offer and to having the flexibility to change what you used if something better came along!  I was also new to the concept that there are tools out there that can actually help you achieve your goals!  A lot of the tools I had come across previously, sadly formed part of a box ticking exercise and were seen by the majority as more of a hindrance than a helping hand.

   Basecamp was one of the first tools I was introduced to when I started. “Have a look around and then start a new project” Mark said.  What?! No 3 hour webex and an exam to pass before I am let loose? (I wish I was exaggerating!) What kind of project management tool is this?! Within about 10 minutes I had the answer to my question.  It is the project management tool for everybody.

   What Does it Do?

   Over the past 3 months I am not ashamed to say that I have become completely addicted to Basecamp, and it is now very much a part of my daily routine. It is simple, yet effective and tells me everything I need to know at the start of a day.

   

   Instead of emailing different people and having discrepancies over what was said/when/who knew etc (which we all know happens FAR too often across projects), you message people through Basecamp and everything is saved in one place. When you send a message you choose who you want to see it, attach any files and it will automatically be emailed to the relevant people with everything then saved in Basecamp.  It keeps all of the project notes and attachments centralized so everyone is always kept in the loop and any new people to the project/managers wanting a high level view, can quickly catch up.

   

   You can do all the normal things you should be able to do with a Project Management tool – to-do lists with owners and timelines, milestones, track time, but they are done publicly on Basecamp and therefore agreed at that specific time. Everyone knows the timelines, milestones and owners and therefore there is no room for “miscommunication.”

   

   

   

   At Simpleweb we work with a number of different clients, from the Government to Sole Traders and therefore we need to use a tool that everyone can use from day one without wasting precious time on training.

   Multiple Projects

   One of the key features we love about Basecamp is the way it handles multiple projects.  We can often be working on a number of projects at once and therefore it is important for Mark and Tom to be able to quickly see an overview of all projects. What is going on with each project, when the next milestone is, and who is involved so they can manage our resources efficiently. Basecamp enables them to do this.

   Extra Features

   There are a large number of extra features that you can add in to tailor Basecamp to your specific business requirements. These range from iPhone apps to more detailed reporting tools, invoicing and billing tools and even chat (through Campfire). Most of which are costed individually but give you a free trial and can be integrated into Basecamp. This is great because it makes it harder for you to “Grow out of.”  As you grow as a business, so can your project management tool.

   Is it for me?

   As much as I have unknowingly become a Basecamp evangelist, I am in no way suggesting this tool alone will solve all project management needs for all businesses.  We use Basecamp in conjunction with Omniplan which enables us to visualise projects with Gantt charts, and we find that this works best for us and our clients.  Each company will obviously be different depending on your clientele, the nature and number of projects you are involved in at any one time and the service/product you offer. I also appreciate that I may be slightly biased because I have gone from one extreme to the other, missing out the tools in the “middle” which maybe add some real value to the world of project management in a way that I am yet to appreciate.  I cannot help but think however, that for what we, as a small business, need it for, nothing could be any simpler and why would we want to make it any more complicated?

10. Emergency Budget – What’s in it for us?

    June 24, 2010 2:41 pm 2 Comments

    “Tough but fair” and “unavoidable”  are the Chancellor’s labels on this particular bottle of medicine. Ominous words maybe, but what are the active ingredients that will affect small businesses?  We have been trying to evaluate the impact of the measures and have come to the conclusion that, as a small business,  we will be relatively unscathed if not actually helped.

    Tax & VAT – main points

    • VAT -The standard rate of VAT will increase by 2.5% from 17.5% to 20% from 4 January 2011. The zero rate for food and books remains in place while the lower rate for other items, such as fuel and power, remains at 5%.  As long as the flat rate scheme for small businesses is still available,  we can swallow that pill.  The flat rate  VAT scheme allows small businesses to apply a single percentage to turnover in a VAT period, therefore saving work recording VAT on sales and purchases.
    • Corporation tax – The rate for small companies will reduce from 21% to 20% next year.
    • Capital expenditure – The Chancellor has put the threshold for the Annual Investment Allowance for qualifying capital expenditure on plant and machinery back down to £25,000 – but not until April 2012. Until then the threshold will remain at £100,000.

    There are also plans to increase the personal income tax allowance from April 2011, scrap the proposed 50p levy on landlines and  review the IR35 and small business tax that relates to contractors and intermediaries.

    Other measures

    small business rates relief scheme

    Plans to increase the level of small business rates relief from October 2010. Rate relief will apply to premises valued at up to £6,000 and then tapering to £12,000. Take a look at the Business Link website to estimate your business rates.  You can find the rateable value of a property on the Valuation Office Agency website.

    Government backed funding schemes

    There will be an increase in the funds available under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme.  This scheme is aimed at encouraging banks to lend to small businesses that are poised to grow but lack the funding to do so.  However, the health warning here is that,  although the lending is backed by government funds, the banks will still apply their own commercial lending criteria and will not lend if they do not think the loan will be repaid. You can check your eligibility for government backed funding by using the interactive tool on the Business Link website.

    The creation of an Enterprise Capital Fund to facilitate equity finance for small businesses. The government will fund 25% and private investors (Angels) the rest.

    Thanks to Anitakhart for image