Starting a business

[L19red]

Appreciated. Cheers mate

 

np, sadly they dont offer referal fees, or I'd tap you for the introduction bunce.

[Charles Penrose]

A couple of years ago I set up an Internet Business, CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet.

 

I found the competition in the marketplace somewhat fierce.

[Stouffer]

I've got a great idea for some red bubblewrap.

[Redder Lurtz]

I've got a great idea for some red bubblewrap.

 

Thickie Holden already has that one covered...

 

 

Noos is bang on here. I've done it before - finished in 2003 - and I'm about to do it again in something completely different after fannying about for 3 years wondering if I should do it or not.

 

Tip from me - tap up your local Chamber of Commerce and see if they're any good. Some are utter shit, others have some really good people working with them and you'll get shed loads of free advice - just make sure you filter out what's useful for you and don't be talked in to going to too many soul draining networking meetings. The Chambers I've dealt with in Leeds and Bradford are excellent. They've given me a database of 3,000 fellow chamber member companies for nothing which I'll be using as my marketing database. You'd pay a lot of money for that from a database supplier.

 

If you're good at something, look into doing it for yourself but you need to be able to be enthusiastic about it and to be able to sell yourself and whatever it is you do.

[She Knows It]

I'll be honest. I hate working for myself. We grew too quickly (we had to at the time) and now we're in a position where our monthly wage bill is as much as our mortgage. Our turnover has halved overnight due to changes in legislation (which will even out in 12 months) but for the time being we've had to cut our cloth, and fast. We've got rid of all the managers we had in the company, and from Monday I'll be managing all the staff myself directly. I feel sick at the prospect of the next 12 months - it would have been easier to wind up and walk away with a few quid but I've got 60 odd peoples' mortgages riding on this. It's a proper gun to the head.

[Section_31]

Does anyone know of any decent advice organisations in the Liverpool/Cheshire areas for shit like this?

 

I've tried a few old Chamber of Commerce and council contacts but - worryingly - they've all seemingly been laid off or moved on to something else. So much for encouraging the private sector!

 

Could really use some tips on the basics, funding etc. I've even tried the Alumni thing at my old uni but they never reply, shite.

[piscinin]

Does anyone know of any decent advice organisations in the Liverpool/Cheshire areas for shit like this?

 

I've tried a few old Chamber of Commerce and council contacts but - worryingly - they've all seemingly been laid off or moved on to something else. So much for encouraging the private sector!

 

Could really use some tips on the basics, funding etc. I've even tried the Alumni thing at my old uni but they never reply, shite.

 

Can't help you on this specific question, but I can tell you that when I went through the same thing over here (with the really excellent Small Business Advisory), they said advice without a business plan is pointless. They gave me a book and a CD to create the business plan and hey presto we were off and running.

 

If you don't have a business plan yet at least try and make some headway on that so when you do find someone to help you get exactly what you need from them.

[Bernard Diomede]

Bump.

 

I work in education, and was talking with my mate in work today about starting up our own business. We are thinking of having a butchers at starting something up ourselves where we would go into schools and work with the most difficult and underachieving kids and work with them as an alternative curriculum, working on personal and social skills and gaining them vocational qualifications.

 

Anyone have any experience of starting anything up in this area? Any websites that might be of use etc.

[Pony Princess]

np, sadly they dont offer referal fees, or I'd tap you for the introduction bunce.

 

I used a similar contractors accountant sorry and they seem sound but I have to ask about this...

 

So I pay my accountant a set fee every month and for that I get support and their usual portal to do my accounts (it basically fills in every HMRC form for you). They are sound but when I done my self-assessment etc it is pretty simple and I know when I have to pay my VAT and corporation tax.

 

What exactly am I paying them for beyond a support service and their accounting portal?

 

Would I be better just doing this myself, investing in some accounting software? Or are they providing some amazing service I am missing and is totally worth the money. I am an IT contractor so I don't have any crazy calculations that needs an accountant. I just need to know how much corporation tax and VAT I need to repay.

 

 

Every person I know who is freelance or contractor has as accountant.. what do they do exactly?

 

Btw my accountant has a really good rep, is it just that I am not asking them the right questions and I should ask them more about tax-loops and whoring that kinda stuff?

 

Lots of other contractors have said 'yeah but imagine how much you would be paying in income tax!' But that doesn't wash? You don't need an accountant to tell you to salary yourself below the income tax rate then take the rest as dividends at the corporation tax rate. What am I missing here exactly? Am I paying my accountant to do basically nothing?

[FrenchEyeGlass]

Bump.

 

I work in education, and was talking with my mate in work today about starting up our own business. We are thinking of having a butchers at starting something up ourselves where we would go into schools and work with the most difficult and underachieving kids and work with them as an alternative curriculum, working on personal and social skills and gaining them vocational qualifications.

 

Anyone have any experience of starting anything up in this area? Any websites that might be of use etc.

 

That sounds like a great idea but sounds more like a social enterprise? Who would pay for your services? The school or the parents of the struggling kids?

 

I started something in the same field but not exactly similar. Three years ago I set up a social enterprise: essentially, we took University students and employed them as mentors/tutors for A Level students in the surrounding schools and colleges. We ended up organising numerous informal lectures, talks and short programs in collaboration with the University (who were keen to build bridges within the area). Students were paid for any tutoring contracts they'd acquired through our organisation (and we'd take 10%, which was only about £2.50 per session) but all of the mentoring (talks etc) they did for free as they found it valuable to put on their CV. Overall we'd ended up with a win-win-win-win situation - the University built bridges; the Schools/Collages were helping kids prosper; Kids ended up doing better and the Uni students got money and became more employable.

 

I know thats not directly relevant but if you can find any parallels then hopefully it will be helpful. There'll be many parties willing and wanting to help underachieving kids, so if you can similarly develop a system that is inherently and inexpensively incentivized, it'll make it easier.

[Bernard Diomede]

That sounds like a great idea but sounds more like a social enterprise? Who would pay for your services? The school or the parents of the struggling kids?

 

I started something in the same field but not exactly similar. Three years ago I set up a social enterprise: essentially, we took University students and employed them as mentors/tutors for A Level students in the surrounding schools and colleges. We ended up organising numerous informal lectures, talks and short programs in collaboration with the University (who were keen to build bridges within the area). Students were paid for any tutoring contracts they'd acquired through our organisation (and we'd take 10%, which was only about £2.50 per session) but all of the mentoring (talks etc) they did for free as they found it valuable to put on their CV. Overall we'd ended up with a win-win-win-win situation - the University built bridges; the Schools/Collages were helping kids prosper; Kids ended up doing better and the Uni students got money and became more employable.

 

I know thats not directly relevant but if you can find any parallels then hopefully it will be helpful. There'll be many parties willing and wanting to help underachieving kids, so if you can similarly develop a system that is inherently and inexpensively incentivized, it'll make it easier.

 

Cheers for the reply mate.

 

The idea is that the schools would pay for the kids to attend courses with us. The way things work at the minute at a lot of schools, particularly mainstream ones is that they take on kids with special educational needs because they get more money for them, however they haven't really got the time or resources set up to meet their needs. They are loathe to lose them from the school because of the money that they bring in, but they are a bit of a pain in the arse for most involved with having to deal with them. We are hoping that this is where we can slip in.

 

We have been given the go ahead to pilot the idea in the school we currently work in for next year, so we have the advantage of being able to show them results if it is successful. We would be looking to start out on our own next year maybe. Difficult to know where to start really though!

[Unrighteous]

Currently going through the process of starting one here in Taiwan. I've been basically trying to avoid the paperwork whilst I look for a location, but time is ticking, and I need to sort out my visa situation sharpish.

 

It's not difficult just a real ballacher of a process, really... and I still haven't found a location. Granted, I spend too much time not really looking, but I know the area where I want to be, and I just haven't found the right spot in that area yet.

[Anubis]

Currently going through the process of starting one here in Taiwan. I've been basically trying to avoid the paperwork whilst I look for a location, but time is ticking, and I need to sort out my visa situation sharpish.

 

It's not difficult just a real ballacher of a process, really... and I still haven't found a location. Granted, I spend too much time not really looking, but I know the area where I want to be, and I just haven't found the right spot in that area yet.

 

Do gigilo's need a specific location? Surely just some expensive looking business cards, and a good friendship with the local high class hotel managers and doormen?

[FrenchEyeGlass]

Cheers for the reply mate.

 

The idea is that the schools would pay for the kids to attend courses with us. The way things work at the minute at a lot of schools, particularly mainstream ones is that they take on kids with special educational needs because they get more money for them, however they haven't really got the time or resources set up to meet their needs. They are loathe to lose them from the school because of the money that they bring in, but they are a bit of a pain in the arse for most involved with having to deal with them. We are hoping that this is where we can slip in.

 

We have been given the go ahead to pilot the idea in the school we currently work in for next year, so we have the advantage of being able to show them results if it is successful. We would be looking to start out on our own next year maybe. Difficult to know where to start really though!

 

Ah, I didn't realise that!

 

That sounds quite promising to be honest. Can't say I've ever come across an organisation that does similar, or indeed a housing firm which tenders special educational needs teachers. I have a young cousin with special educational needs and all I know is that he attends a class twice a week outside of school - it is like a 'playgroup' sort of thing. Perhaps you could offer extra-curricular activities too, once you've set it all up.

 

Are the pilot school paying you? Either way, yeah it'd be invaluable - when I started the mentoring thing, a lot of stuff looks great on paper but turned to shit in reality. Good luck with the whole thing mate.

[Bernard Diomede]

Ah, I didn't realise that!

 

That sounds quite promising to be honest. Can't say I've ever come across an organisation that does similar, or indeed a housing firm which tenders special educational needs teachers. I have a young cousin with special educational needs and all I know is that he attends a class twice a week outside of school - it is like a 'playgroup' sort of thing. Perhaps you could offer extra-curricular activities too, once you've set it all up.

 

Are the pilot school paying you? Either way, yeah it'd be invaluable - when I started the mentoring thing, a lot of stuff looks great on paper but turned to shit in reality. Good luck with the whole thing mate.

 

We are piloting an alternative curriculum in the school we both currently work at, so effectively we are setting up the programme whilst still being employed. If it is a success and we can get our shit together in time we will look to leave the school, and take the programme with us. We will probably set things up summer schools and what not for over the school holidays as well.

 

I think there is definitely opportunities there and I'm pretty excited about it to be honest, its just sifting through the logistics and planning, as the idea is in its very early stage.

[Unrighteous]

Do gigilo's need a specific location? Surely just some expensive looking business cards, and a good friendship with the local high class hotel managers and doormen?

 

Gotta think about the gangsters though, Anubis, and Gangsters are all connected politically here... so it's tough to be a proper manwhore out here.

[Section_31]

Currently going through the process of starting one here in Taiwan. I've been basically trying to avoid the paperwork whilst I look for a location, but time is ticking, and I need to sort out my visa situation sharpish.

 

It's not difficult just a real ballacher of a process, really... and I still haven't found a location. Granted, I spend too much time not really looking, but I know the area where I want to be, and I just haven't found the right spot in that area yet.

 

Sounds proper exciting, keep us posted. I know you were pissed off about the Canadian police situation so it's class that you've taken matters into your own hands. You've got stones my friend.

[Unrighteous]

When I've got a decent update, I'll give it. Right now I'm just stuck in a holding pattern. I need to finish jumping through hoops, and then find a location.

 

I can't get a business license without the location locked down... no business license makes it impossible to get a work visa.

[Section_31]

I do some paid writing on the side these days which I suppose technically is a buisness (I pay tax on it and all that bollocks, registered as a sole trader) and there's a couple of things I've learned in the past couple of years of doing it.

 

(1) British corporate culture is all about getting as much as it can for as little as possible. I do some work for companies abroad and they tend to ask you what you can do, what you've done in the past etc before they talk about money - the yanks sometimes even pay you more than you've quoted them, because they think 'more = better', while the British companies just ask you 'how much?' straight off the bat, and if it's any more than rock bottom they're not interested. I've actually had a few people in the UK ask me to do stuff for free. That's pretty much all they use LinkedIn and/or business networking events for.

 

(2) Business support is still a joke. I emailed the Liverpool City Region a while back to see if they doled out small grants as I was after a desktop PC, she ( a fairly senior bod) emailed me back and said no, but asked why I don't get a secondhand one as she got one recently on Ebay.

 

Said before but 'business/arts advice' in places like Liverpool is a scam industry. Probably funded by EU grants etc they do things like host open days down at the Albert Dock on a Tuesday morning when everyone is at work, take a few snaps of a couple of random wankers who've wandered past and spotted the free butties and put the pics on their website along with a caption such as: -'helping small businesses/artists in Liverpool today LOL', but in terms of substantive support (I even asked if there were any advice on doing your own taxes, needless to say not) there's absolutely fuck all.

[Oh Buoy]

So, the journey into vegetarianism has provided some barriers that I'm starting to find really frustrating with the front runner being choice when it comes to eating out and I struggle to imagine how it feels for those who are vegan. It feels like the alternative to meat is cheese/halloumi or a vegetable lasagne. I've always had a passion for food and I've always wanted to have a little restaurant but somewhat fallen into the mental health field as becoming a chef just seemed unappealing (long hours/bad pay). 

 

Decided to test the waters and make an Instagram account to promote/capture my journey. I have absolutely no idea where this will lead but interested to hear others thoughts. 

 

https://www.instagram.com/herbandwild/