Publishing details
A Brightword eBook
www.brightwordpublishing.com
HARRIMAN HOUSE LTD
3A Penns Road
Petersfield
Hampshire
GU32 2EW
GREAT BRITAIN
Tel: +44 (0)1730 233870
Fax: +44 (0)1730 233880
Email: enquiries@harriman-house.com
Website: www.harriman-house.com
First published in Great Britain in 2011
Copyright Harriman House LtdThe right of Emma Jones to be identified as Author has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Design and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN: 978-1-908003-05-8
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this book can be obtained from the British Library.
All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the Publisher.
This book may not be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without the prior written consent of the Publisher. No responsibility for loss occasioned to any person or corporate body acting or refraining to act as a result of reading material in this book can be accepted by the Publisher or by the Author.
About the Author
Emma Jones is a business expert and author, and founder of small business support company Enterprise Nation. Her books include Spare Room Start Up: How to start a business from home, Working 5 to 9: How to start a successful business in your spare time and Go Global: How to take your business to the world.
Following a five-year career at an international accounting firm, Emma started her first business at 27, from a spare room in her Manchester apartment. That business was sold 18 months later, and the experience led to Emmas next venture, Enterprise Nation.
Its website (www.enterprisenation.com) was launched in 2006 and became the most popular for home business owners in the UK, attracting over 100,000 visitors each month.
Enterprise Nation has evolved to help even more would-be entrepreneurs. It has launched a new website called Bitsy (www.bitsythis.com), the webs friendliest B2B (business-to-business) marketplace, and Brightword Publishing (www.brightwordpublishing.com), in partnership with Harriman House, which produces books, kits and digital products for the small business market and is the company behind The Start-Up Kit.
Emma advises the government on small business issues and sits on the board of the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies. Her vision is to ensure everyone in the UK thinking of starting a business has the tools at their disposal to turn their dream into profitable and fulfilling reality.
Who This Kit is For
The Start-Up Kit is for anyone wanting to become their own boss. If you have an inkling of an idea for a business, this kit is for you. If youve not yet discovered your business idea, this kit will help you too!
It offers all the tools, tips and templates you need to successfully find an idea and turn it into a way of making a living. Doing so will lead not only to financial success but also the chance to enjoy freedom and flexibility in your working life.
Introduction
There has never been a better time to start a business. In the first six months of 2010 the highest number of people in over a decade started their own business. Why? Because its now perfectly possible to start and grow a successful business (even in your spare time and from home) on a budget of less than 100. In this book Ill show you how its done.
People in their thousands are spotting gaps in the market or turning their passions, hobbies or skills into a way of making a living. They are embracing free or low-cost technology to promote themselves and make sales, with a good number of these sales coming from overseas customers. Having access to the internet means you can start a business on a Monday and be easily trading with the world by Wednesday.
The 12 start-up companies profiled in this book discuss how they got going at low risk and low cost. They are selling everything from baby hats to tours of London in Minis, business consultancy and party cakes. Their products may be different, but the point in common is that the owners of these businesses all talk about how much they are relishing the freedom and flexibility that comes with being their own boss and the exciting times ahead with new products, partnerships and contracts on the way.
If youd like to experience this feeling, all you have to do is follow some basic steps: come up with an idea, do some research and marketing, offer good customer service and, quite literally (almost before you know it), youre in business!
In the following pages I walk you through these steps. With this kit youve also received help from our 13 top brand partners. The value of their offers comes in at over 400 and, taken together, theyll enable you to get going and have only 55 as your start-up costs in month one. This buys you a fully equipped home office, a registered company, an array of sales and promotion tools, and a bottle of bubbly to celebrate!
With the steps, tips, templates and partner deals in this kit, you have all you need to start a business, and its right here in your hands.
So lets get started on what will be an exciting journey.
I hope you enjoy The Start-Up Kit and that you will keep in touch to let me know how youre getting on!
Emma Jones
emma@enterprisenation.com
@emmaljones
www.enterprisenation.com
Kit Offers
Pay 25 for this kit but receive over 400 in offers. This is how it adds up:
Company | Value of offer | Description |
Barclays | 25 | Pre-loaded in new business account |
Bitsy | 10 | Two months free listing |
Experian | 44 | 200 business leads |
Google | 30 | Free AdWords online advertising |
GoToMeeting | 60 | 60-day free trial |
HP | your choice! | 10% off any online purchases |
iStockphoto | 40 | 20% discount on 50 or more pay-as-you-go credits and 25 free images |
moo.com | 13 | 50 business cards |
O2 and BlackBerry | 30 | One months free line rental |
PayPal | dependent on trade volume | Reduced fees on Powa.com site |
Powa.com | 150 | Website at 5 per month for first six months |
Regus | 17 | Business lounge access for a month |
Total value in kit | 419 |
Start-up essentials
By activating the offers in this kit you can start a business, equip your home office, have a celebratory drink, and pay only 55 in your first month. Sounds like a good deal to me!
Kit offers
Look out for the kit offers throughout the book, indicating where partner offers could come in handy!
Start-up costs
Furnishings
IT
Promotion
Other
Overall costs
Total cost of start up: 80
Less 25 in Barclays account: (25)