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Start a
Business
an easy guide
laying the groundwork
could you be an entrepreneur? 5
researching your market 8
pricing your product or service 14
marketing your business 20
setting the whole thing up
financing your business 25
forming your business 31
your legal obligations 37
setting up your first
communications and IT system 44
you’ve got your first customers
effective selling 51
simple book-keeping 58
credit control 63
the essential plan
writing your business plan 69
Content by BHP Information Solutions
Design by Ben Wuersching
Photography by Harrison Photography
Printed by Warwick Printing Ltd
© BHP Information Solutions Ltd 2011. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted without the written permission of the publisher. This publication is for
general guidance only. The publisher and expert contributors disclaim all liability for any errors or
omissions. Consult your local business support organisation or professional adviser for help and advice.
Provided by Invest Northern Ireland and part financed by the European Regional Development Fund
under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland.
we’re here to help
Invest NI has produced Start a Business to encourage and support people like
you. This guide is just one of the services we provide for new businesses.
three pages explaining how to use
Start a Business, telling you more
about us and how we can help you
useful contacts
2
76
Start a
Business
an easy guide
why I wanted to set up
my own business 6
how I researched my
market 10
how I raised finance for
my business 28
how I set up my
firm’s IT 48
how I sold to my first
customers 54
how I wrote my business
plan 72
contents
we’re here to help
If you’re looking to start a business,
you’re looking in the right place. This
guide is just one of the services the
Invest Northern Ireland businesssupport network offers to people
like you every day. So if you want to
know how to start up a business or
how to make it grow, get in touch
with us.
2
Call 0800 027 0639 or visit
our website at www.goforitni.com
to find out more about the
Go for it programme.
3
our mission
Invest NI provides businesses
in Northern Ireland with a
single point of contact and with
expert advice and high-quality
programmes of support. Our role
is to grow the economy by helping
new and existing businesses to
compete internationally – and
by attracting new investment to
Northern Ireland.
And our commitment to you
doesn’t end on the last page of
this guide. In fact, it’s only the
beginning. We’re confident the
guide will be useful, but we also
realise it won’t solve all your
problems. That’s where Northern
Ireland’s business-support network
comes in, with specially trained
business advisers who know
how to deal with the issues that
confront start-up businesses.
The business-support network in
Northern Ireland is made up of a
number of partner organisations.
The support available for new
businesses can be broken down
according to the market you intend
to serve:
global: if you have potential
sales of £1 million (including
30 per cent in export markets),
contact our Global Start Team –
export: if you are planning to
sell outside Northern Ireland,
including into Britain and the
Republic of Ireland, contact
Invest NI 028 9069 8000;
local: core support and advice
is provided through the Go for
it programme – contact 0800
027 0639; www.goforitni.com
Am I suited to starting and
running a business?
What market research should I
carry out?
What are my legal and tax
obligations?
How much do I need to sell each
month to break even?
What’s the best way to keep my
books?
how to use this
guide
You can use this guide in two
ways. If you’re considering making
the leap and creating your own
business, you can read it through
to get a clear idea of all the areas
you have to cover.
And if you do decide that running
your own business is for you,
the guide’s logical, practical
structure means you can use it
as a reference companion every
step of the way – from identifying
the niche your business will fill to
the best ways of winning your first
customers and writing that allimportant business plan.
starting up?
go for it!
You can join the thousands of
people who are already making
a success of their business in
Northern Ireland, providing goods
and services to both domestic and
international markets.
If you’re planning to start a
business, Invest Northern Ireland
is dedicated to helping you. We
provide advice and support through
the Go for it programme and we’ve
produced this guide because it’s
our job to encourage and support
people like you to start and grow
successful businesses.
We’ve also produced The
No-Nonsense Guide. It sets out the
rules and regulations that apply
when you start up in business, and
how to comply with them.
Starting a business isn’t easy and
you need all the support you can
get. This guide points you in the
right direction with easy-to-read,
no-nonsense advice on a range of
topics essential to starting your
business.
The quality of this advice should
give you a flying start. We’ve made
sure all the major issues you want
guidance on are here, including:
If you require a copy of this
document in an alternative
format (including Braille, disk,
audio cassette or in minority
languages to meet the needs
of those whose language is not
English) then please contact
Invest NI’s Equality Team on
028 9069 8273; Textphone
028 9069 8585 or email
4
tailored support
If you’re starting a new business –
or just thinking of it – the Go for it
programme can provide you with a
range of support tailored to your
business needs.
Call the Go for it helpline on
0800 027 0639 or visit
www.goforitni.com
If you're already in business but
want to grow, then contact our
Regional Business Team who may
be able to help.
Call Invest NI on 028 9069 8000
or visit www.investni.com
knowledge is
power
The Business Information Centre
at Invest NI provides access to a
wealth of published and electronic
business information to help
businesses develop and grow
– confident they’re basing their
decisions on sound commercial
intelligence.
Using carefully selected resources
and support from fully trained and
experienced staff, the Business
Information Centre gives you
information on:
Key markets around the world
Company profiles worldwide
Sourcing of key components and
raw materials
Sales leads
Business opportunities
Agents and distributors
Funding information
EU legislation and updates on
EU policies and programmes
EU public tenders information
The Business Information Centre
also holds a contract with the
European Commission to host
Enterprise Europe Northern
Ireland — part of a network of
some 500 centres in Europe and
beyond. Through a dedicated email
system, the network provides vital
local knowledge within a short
timescale.
For more information contact
the Business Information Centre
and Enterprise Europe Northern
Ireland, based at Invest NI's
headquarters:
Bedford Square, Bedford Street,
Belfast – it’s open
Monday 11am-5pm;
Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm. To
make an appointment to use the
resources at the Information
Centre, or if you have a query,
please call 028 9069 8000 or
email [email protected]
our partners
Invest NI works closely with its partners to ensure that services are tailored
to your needs. Among the organisations we work with are:
Enterprise NI/Local Enterprise Agencies
Prince’s Trust NI
Advantage NI
Trading Standards
Local councils
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD)
NI Chamber of Commerce and Industry
InterTradeIreland
Women’s networks
Association of Northern Ireland Colleges (ANIC)
JobCentre Online
1
all about you and
your team
1.1 You will need determination,
total faith in your business
idea and confidence you
can turn it into reality.
1.2 You must have an
independent spirit.
1.3 You must be determined
and motivated.
1.4 You will need flexibility and
humility.
1.5 You must be responsible and
reliable, paying attention to
detail and applying yourself
to tasks you may not enjoy.
1.6 You must have stamina and
be willing to make sacrifices
and work long hours.
www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/startingup 5
At this stage, it’s all about you. There are key qualities that every successful
entrepreneur has. Some might come naturally to you, others you might have to work
at. You’ll need to check you’ve got at least some of these attributes before you start.
You can’t be half hearted. You must be able to show others that you are
confident too.
But as your business grows, you must be ready to share responsibility and to
build and lead a team.
For more information, visit www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/leadershipskills.
Running your own business can be lonely. You’ll need to be a good networker
and find the people out there who can support you.
Have you got the inner resources not only to survive but to thrive?
You will have to keep going when times are tough. Have you got the grit to
make things happen – even when they are not going your way?
You must learn from mistakes and make changes if you discover a better way
of doing things.
Are you happy to ask questions when you're unsure? Are you happy to ask
questions even when you're sure? And are you comfortable taking advice?
Just because you will be boss won’t mean you can put off work or decisions.
Also, you don’t have to act on your own without getting advice, but once
you’ve made important decisions, can you stick with them?
Make sure you understand the effect that starting a business will have on
your personal life. Be prepared for change.
For more information, visit www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/worklifebalance.
could you be an
entrepreneur?
Running a business can be exhilarating, liberating and rewarding. But it
isn't for everyone. There are millions who have done it successfully, but
there are many who have found that it isn't as simple as they thought.
You need to consider seriously whether starting a business is right for
you by honestly appraising your strengths and weaknesses and what
making the move would mean to you, your family and your friends.
This section covers:
The personal qualities needed to run and own a business.
The factors that can make the difference between success and failure.
laying the groundwork
6
make Learning SPACE a reality.
I was constantly talking to people
about starting the business, getting
others’ opinions and ideas. I used
other teachers, therapists and
support organisations like Autism NI
for advice and as sounding boards.
And I had a business mentor to
bounce ideas off and got practical
support from Women in Business.
I’d worked in a toy shop while I was
supply teaching because I wanted to
get some experience of working in a
toy shop. The more research I did,
the less of a gamble it became. I had
to make sure it was a viable business
idea before I started – not least to
persuade the bank manager!
Becoming my own boss was a big
learning curve. At the initial stages,
you have to be absolutely everything
– the accountant, the marketing
person, the sales team. It’s hard,
but exhilarating. And now I’ve got my
sister, Mary, on board as assistant
manager, it’s a lot easier. The
business has grown and I can finally
delegate some of the responsibility
and concentrate on strategy and
business development. I couldn’t do it
alone – and there’s plenty of support
out there from people like Invest NI.
You’ve just got to go and get it.
Starting and running my own
business has made an enormous
difference to my life. It’s incredibly
satisfying to do something that
supports so many people. It really is
something I love doing – it’s fun to
come to work every day. And there’s
not many people who can say that.
Lorraine’s tips
1 Be passionate about your idea
2 Research as much as you can
3 Ask for advice and support
”
I’ve always been aware that some
children need extra support when
they’re growing up. My sister
Emma has Sotos syndrome – a
genetic condition where children
grow too quickly in their first two
to three years which can lead to
physical, communication and learning
difficulties – and I was always trying
to find suitable resources to help her.
While I was teaching in London
for six years, I was aware that
both teachers and parents were
frustrated when looking for products
to meet the needs and interests of
children. I thought there had to be
a quicker more convenient way to
get suitable products. I saw a niche
in the market, was intrigued and
started my research. In the back of
my mind, I’d always known I wanted
to go into business in one way or
another. And I’d always loved working
with children. So creating a business
that involved mixing the two together
was the perfect solution.
I came back home and completed
Invest NI’s Start a Business
programme in 2006. It was great –
it made me really focused. As soon
as I came up with the concept I knew
it was vital to keep the ball rolling to
Sock it to 'em: Lorraine's
educational toys are a business hit
Learning SPACE
11a Fountain Centre
College Street
Belfast BT1 6ET
Tel: 028 9031 9360
www.learningspaceni.co.uk
why I wanted
to set up
my own
business
Lorraine McAleer is owner
of Learning SPACE, an
award-winning retailer of
toys and educational
support aids. She set up
the business to provide
easier access to toys,
games, software and
books that help and
support learning. Now
selling online and through
a retail outlet, she says
that the business has
transformed her life
“