Want your own Business? Then get the Ball Rolling…..

Starting a Business could take some time…,.

Firstly, do some research whether it be marketing, location, premises, stock etc. I went on several courses which gave me lots of information about business plans and how to present my Company idea to a Bank in order to get a loan or the funding I might need. This route filled me with horror as I did not want to start a business with a bank loan of any kind. Obviously, it really depends on what you want to do and what your Business entails.

On one of the courses I sat next to a young man who had a regular job in a high street store. He advised the group that he wanted to take on a franchise to have a milk shake company. He said he needed £25,000 to set up. I nearly fell off my chair! I did have my doubts that it would succeed as the market would be limited to seasonal months. I thought this kind of business would be hard to sustain during the winter months.  Anyway, I watched with interest as a shop was refurbished in Town. I watched during the Summer months as it was packed with foreign students and holiday makers. I also noted that he had a few members of staff working in the shop.

And.. I watched during the Winter as the shop closed down and the “To Let” sign was back on the shop window. I felt sorry for the guy and wondered how would he cope with a huge loan from the Bank and maybe even more debt when the shop opened.

My advice would be not to think too big and don’t take on assets like shops or offices until your Business is well on it’s way to making a profit. A profit might not happen for a few years because of start up costs etc.

As for me…..

I spent several months going around my local Town of Hastings listening to Bands and getting to know the musicians. I introduced myself.  I metamorphed into a Band Promoter. I listened to groups playing all music genres. I like some but not all. It doesn’t matter to me wether I like the kind of music they play as I more interested in how they connect, that they are tight knit and they respond to each other.

Hastings has recently achieved Music City status and so there are endless venues where people can go to listen to their favourite music vibe.

Once I had established myself locally I set about a website.

My advice would be “always pay for the best you can afford.” I paid for good quality business cards that impress people more than the cheaper versions. I paid for a good quality website as again there are plenty that you can put together yourself but they may be harder to find on the search engine. Always have the domain name and make sure you are top of the “hit” list in the search engines.

Any good business should have good Sales people. I find that with dealing with creative people they are so immersed in their creativity that they can not sell their own talents or simply don’t have time. I came from a background in Sales and am thus still driven. That is not to say that I will sell anything because I simply won’t. I promote good quality musicians and people who will turn up for a gig and communicate with me every step of the way….

My Business is growing too…

So..don’t give up..be patient and your Business will be sure to succeed….

Jayne Watkins

MJWPromotions