Starting a Business

Make sure you choose the right adviser…

We are experienced in providing support and guidance to all sizes of business. Our start up team recognise that in many cases this may be your first business venture and therefore we work hard to keep our advice and support jargon free with a focus on practical assistance. As a long established business ourselves offering professional advice we have developed some excellent contacts in the region that can help new businesses.

Getting the right support…

Starting a business can be one of the most exciting and daunting events both at the same time. As well as from ourselves support is available to business start ups from a number of sources and our useful links section below details some of the organisations that might be worth contacting.

Make sure you plan…

Whatever the type of your business or your reason for setting it up you should spend the time to prepare a business plan. Read our guide below to gain som useful tips on how to write a good business plan. While it may seem obvious you should test the market for your product or service before starting a business. Like everything in life preparation is the key to success and if you do your homework properly you will end up saving yourself a lot of time and money in the long run.

Set your budget…

In our experience successful business owners budget well. In the early days money is likely to be tight and you may wish to consider outsourcing functions such as your telephone answering, book keeping etc. Home working has also become increasingly popular and easier with new technology. See our outrsourcing section for more information and to see how we may be able to help.

What form should your business take…

From the legal perspective you need to consider what form your business will take. Will you incorporate, will you operate as a sole trader or do you intend to enter into partnership with one or more persons. Each business form is very different and you should take tax as well as legal advice on the most appropriate form.

Protect your brand…

Also from a legal perspective if your business model is based on an idea or an invention you should consider protection. Visit our intellectual property section for more information. Our intellectual property section will also cover protection of your brand. Choosing the right name for your business is one of the most important decisions you will make. A distinctive name and brand can give you a huge competitive advantage for little cost.

Employing staff…

Employing staff and getting it right can be one of the most challenging aspects of running a business. When it goes well good staff can really make a difference to your business, however when it goes wrong a bad member of staff can cause severe damage. Visit our employing staff section for more information.

Contracting with your customer…

No business would be successful if it did not have customers and contracting with your customer is probably the most important aspect of your business. We recognise that the contracting process must compliment the sales process providing you with the protection you need whilst not deterring the customer from purchasing. We can provide training on how to implement your contracts.

Business Property

Your business location is often critical and securing the right property on the right terms is important. We have already mentioned above that home working is increasingly popular but in some cases you need a business premises. If it is a retail premises why not take advantage of our retail shop package where we have developed documents specific to this type of business at a competitive price.

Best of luck…

Whatever type of business you are looking to start we wish you the very best of luck. The team here admire the tenacity and courage of business owners and wish to encourage that entrepreneurial spirit. If we can be of help in any way please feel free to contact us.