The AeroDesigns Web Design Blog » Business Startup Tips

Great Web Design = Great Business

Chris Pangburn — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 15:21:03 +0000

I recently read a post which stated that having a well- designed website will help increase incoming leads that a business generates. My first thought was that this was pure common-sense – the better the website design the more likely it is to generate leads! On second thoughts, however, it wasn’t quite as patronisingly simple as it seemed to some people.

Small business owners are quite rightly careful at how they spend their budget, sometimes too careful. Like many things, in the web design industry you can pay pretty much anything to have a website designed. The difference however doesn’t just rest in the price, but in the quality of the finished website, and hence the business it generates. When pitching for work, we have to differentiate that we’re not the cheapest web design company in the North East for good reasons. A well planned, well designed and marketed website will generate returns many times over a ‘cheap’ website.

The moral of the story… getting a website designed is a bit like hiring a salesperson or other staff for that matter – you should invest in the best you can afford as it will generate much more business for you in the long-term.

Tags: great web design, business leads, increase business, web design company

Are You Getting The Advice You Need?

Chris Pangburn — Tue, 29 May 2007 07:30:54 +0000

Yorkshire Bank have recently been looking at the motives behind small business startups, and also what the key issues are that small businesses typically face. Almost 60% of small business owners stated that their primary reason for starting up in business was because of a desire for more flexible working, and for a better work / life balance. Ironically it is small business owners and entrepreneurs that according to a Barclays Bank survey (2006) spend 60% more time at work than any other group. Small business ownership quite frequently necessitates a different approach and results in different qualities than initially expected…

The Yorkshire Bank research stated that one problem small businesses owners encounter is the difficulty in having a ‘sounding board’ to discuss ideas and decisions. Even if you don’t have any employees that can offer an opinion, there are a variety of sources of advice that shouldn’t be overlooked. The first place for advice is BusinessLink, which provides a wealth of free guides and information sheets through their website. In addition, you can book appointments with them to receive business advice on all manner of topics, from operational issues to marketing advice. I can’t speak for all of the advisers, however the one I met up with in Newcastle certainly knew what they were talking about, as she had previously run a business with an annual turnover of over £8 million. They’re also available to offer help via email or over the phone if you require. You can find the contact details of your local BusinessLink by visiting their website, www.businesslink.gov.uk.

One of the areas uncovered by the survey of Yorkshire Bank was that small business owners felt that approaching a bank manager for advice wasn’t a realistic option. Yorkshire Bank, however, have been keen to promote their ‘experienced advisors’ that have been trained to understand the specific needs and conditions inherent in small business ownership, and will take a holistic and broad view of both the business and personal finances.

So if you need free advice then why not give Business Link a call, or book an appointment with an adviser at your bank.

Tags: business advice, businesslink, bank manager, small business owner

Bootstrapping Your Business – Starting From Nothing

Chris Pangburn — Mon, 28 May 2007 14:47:35 +0000

Guy Kawasaki has written an excellent article entitled “The Art of Bootstrapping“, which gives tips for small businesses who are starting up without funding or venture capital. These aren’t just another set of ‘frugalifying’ tips, there are various methods of cost saving and doing business which are beneficial to low-cash businesses.

Some key points from the article include focussing on cash flow not profitability, being conservative (or realistic!) in your sales forecast expectations, and not wasting or employing resources which your business doesn’t really need. One of my favourite tips from the article is to forecast from the bottom-up and not top-down. What this basically means is that you shouldn’t base your sales forecasts on figures such as ‘percent of market’, but from your actual capacity. For example if you have production facilities for say 20 units per week, then calculate how many per year you can create based on this, rather than by estimating that you will secure 1% of a 10 million total market demand.

Tags: bootstrapping, business startups, cashflow

Small Businesses Shouldn’t Be Afraid To Say ‘No’

Chris Pangburn — Tue, 08 May 2007 08:27:00 +0000

Many small businesses would think you’re crazy if you asked them whether they turned down business. In the first few years of trading, most small business owners chase or say yes to any business they can find – irrespective of whether they have to vary their operations to accommodate it. It is important to have a ‘core focus’ identified in a business, which encompasses all of your strategy, intended mode of operation and the process you use to get where you want to.

There will always be certain customers and potential orders that you know would be more demanding, and take up more resources of your business, or would lead you away from your core focus. As an entrepreneurial business owner you need to recognise that these customers can detract from your overall strategy, and may even deteriorate your performance on tasks within your core focus. Rather than putting your business under greater strain and accepting the work provided by these customers, you should consider saying ‘no’ (or perhaps even outsourcing the work or recommending it to other suitable providers).

The CEO of the executive recruitment firm The Carmon Group, Chris Carmon, said that it is also important for small business owners to assess not only the immediate revenue that a client can bring in now, but must also consider their future impact on the company, in terms of profitability and time.

In summary small businesses should try and see the ‘big picture’, looking at the all-round impact that a tricky customer may cause. If you consider that the interests of the customer doesn’t mesh with your business’ core focus and would take too many resources for the size of the project then don’t be afraid to turn down the business.

Quote Source: Miami Herald: www.miamiherald.com/103/story/97454.html

Tags: small businesses, say no, turn down, be assertive, small business

Government Ecommerce Website Grants – What’s Available

Chris Pangburn — Mon, 07 May 2007 11:00:57 +0000

As with all things ‘Government’, nothing stays certain for long – there have previously been a variety of schemes aimed at encouring small to medium-sized businesses onto the Internet, to establish an eCommerce prescence in particular. In the past a company could apply for a grant for up to 50% of the website development cost of an eCommerce website, up to a maximum of £2,000. Unfortunately the provision of these grants is nowhere near as widespread, however don’t lose all hope straight away, there are still some opportunities to be had…

There are a few grants still available for ‘website development’, which according to BusinessLink are available for website projects which will improve business competitiveness, encourage growth, job creation and increased UK and international marketing. The value of the grant has also been reduced to £1,000, however this can now represent up to 70% of the total website cost, rather than the 50% previously. You also have to be located in a specific area to be allocated a grant, currently these are certain boroughs of London, Leeds or Merseyside in the UK. The Business Link website provides an interactive tool enabling you to search for available grants in your area.

In conclusion, although the days of widespread £2,000 ecommerce grants seem to have dried up there are still a few opportunities to be had for these Government ecommerce grants, as long as you live in the required location. In my experience many companies underestimate the need for online marketing of the site post-development – it would be good to see some Government grants aimed at either educating businesses as to the need for online marketing, or by providing financial grants to enable them to contract the services of online marketing specialists.

To some extent it seems that the Government has already recognised this – I receive semi-annual Business Link invitations to free ‘Search Engine Optimisation’ seminars, however these are likely to just scratch the surface of all the complexities of online marketing. Businesses also need to realise that the potential online market is HUGE, and there are still enough niches out there waiting to be tapped into, if only they could apply the necessary online marketing tools and budget.

Tags: Government business grants, funding, ecommerce website grants, business grants, website grants, uk grants

How To Register Business Names

Chris Pangburn — Sun, 06 May 2007 13:45:37 +0000

The choice of business name for your new company is crucial for a variety of reasons. First and foremost they convey your brand image and represent what it is your business stands for. Consequently any name you choose should convey the feel that you’re trying to achieve, and the industry you are in. That doesn’t mean to say that it has to be stereotyped according to what all the other firms in your industry have chosen, however if you can find a catchy edge along a certain theme then this will help with customer brand recognition. Some business names such as Amazon actually bear no relation to the type of industry they’re in, so don’t feel pressured into your name having to ‘conform to the norm’. Once you’ve drafted up a shortlist of say ten or twenty names, the next step is to check that they’re actually available to register…

In the UK, the WebCheck service from the Companies House website allows you to check the availability of business names. This is a definite essential step as you don’t want to get 6 months down the line to be informed that you’ve got to change your business name. You should also check to make sure that your intended business name isn’t too similar to any trademarks that have been registered at the Patent Office. Another simpler check is to check local phone books and directories for any business names that don’t appear on the Companies House website as they’re unincorporated businesses.

Avoid ‘Sensitive’ Words

No these aren’t words which have easily hurt feelings, but they are ones you cannot include in your business name without official permission, according to the BusinessLink.gov.uk website these are:

Words suggesting your business is national in nature – eg: British, Irish etc..
Words suggesting a special status such as Association, Authority, Chartered etc..
Those words that suggest a function – eg: charity, register, insurance
Words in which a specialised activity is conveyed – eg: Architect, Chemist etc.
Political or royally associated words – eg: Royal, Government, Parliament, Queen etc..

Once you’ve whittled your shortlist down to all those available names, one useful method in getting the list down to just a few names is to actually ask a group from your target market which name they prefer by conducting a poll or survey, or by just brainstorming within your team. Failing that, if you’re a one-man-band then to avoid being biassed you could try asking friends and family for their opinions on which name they prefer.

Registering A Business Name Online

Once you’ve chosen your perfect business name the next step is to actually register it. The method you will use depends on the legal structure of your business – whether that be sole trader, partnership or limited company status. For sole traders your right to the business name is based on ‘trading experience’ – for example if you’ve been trading for quite a while and somebody tries to compete with you directly with a very similar name to yours, they are likely trying to benefit from the goodwill your brand has developed. As you were the first with that name, you would probably have the upper-hand if you were to take it further. For limited companies however, you have to register the business name, and this can be completed either online or with your accountant / lawyer. The process of actually registering the name of your business is covered in our other article, Online Business Incorporation, and is a relatively simple matter if you use one of the many company formation agents.

Having your business name registered as a limited company is definitely a safer way of protecting your business name, as it has been officially recorded. For further information about business names, the Business Link or Companies House websites provide a range of useful information.

Tags: registering a business name, advice for business startups, business names, online registration, business startups