Sales Forecasting - Where dreams are made...

Not a massive amount to report the last few weeks.  I have had various quotes back from web design companies that are looking at winning my business.  I am still in the process of getting my business plans ship shape and these are coming along nicely.  I have also had 1 more idea which I think could potentially be the golden ticket of the 4 plans.

I've come to the forecasting and profit and loss (p&l) side of the plans, and this is very difficult for me to predict/forecast.  I went onto companies house and download accounts from some relevant companies to find out what they are turning over, so I am using these to get to my final figure.  I find it difficult to say how many people will come to my sites and pay.  I have done year ones forecast and I'm halfway through year 2's figures.
The figures I put down are very very important, they are the numbers that investors will look at to see if they will make a gain on their money.  They will need to see enough return to enable an exit strategy should they need to make a quick win.  I think what i've put down is okay, but i'm going to get the advice of some business people for any help.

On another note, i've come across a company via a friend that will get certain sites up and running for a stake in the return (along as a certain number of people register), it looks like an interesting concept for one of the ideas so im going to find out more.  Even if its an option for a couple of years its definately worth looking into.  When i've got the information back ill post on here how it works.  I just need to see if they can support the methods that I am to launch.

I am still trying to get my meeting booked with Rotherham Enterprise also, trying to work it around work is the hard part.

I shant be beaten!!!!!

So im still messing around with this server trying to get the site up and running, ive had my database go missing, ive had table and settings sql go missing and now im missing some kind of smarty file!  Never again will I curse the lads in IT........Saying that they are trained, im merely a monkey trying to do an IT Geeks job!

I've decided I wont let it beat me, im learning new things all the time so for me its actually been a good experience.  I might not no everything about it but the site is nearly up and running, I just have to find out how to install this smarty.php file!

Business plan wise nothing had happened, I need advice from external people and I need to know the best companies to get quotes from so that is going to be a longer process.  I don't mind this, I want it to be right when its done.

I am going to go to an event thats planned by Business Link Yorkshire that is designed for start up businesses which should be good.  They should be able to give me more tools.

I also want to say a thank you to Gemma Killeen an old school friend that got in contact after reading my blog and gave me some good advice and Dave Dingvean who was interested enough to offer his service.  Its much appreciated.

Luck or Karma?

Sooooo, once again companies house sent me out an Annual Return to send back to them (I've still no idea what it is, what it does, or what relevance it will have to them.  I think they just charge it yearly to make more money).  Once again they have failed to send me online filing passwords which means that its costing me more money than it should and it also means that i'm 2 days late in sending the information back to them. Its really frustrating and then they even have the most antiquated methods of payment.  I can pay by cheque or by postal order.  I think someone should tell them that its the year 2010 and there is a thing called the internet that allows people to pay for stuff and there is also something called a Ninendo Wii, its like an atari (with Pong) but without the wires, it must be magic!

Sometimes things just dont seem to be set up for start up or web orietentated business's. Alot of the jargon they use is also a ballache.  I don't know if im supposed to dedicate shares to myself, or distribute them.  Am I company secretary or a director or secretary general!??!?!?  THIS is why I need someone with experience to get advice from!

Sometimes I believe in Karma and other times I dont.  For instance, when I used to live in Peterborough I would go out alot and not maybe concentrate on my career and I never got any breaks.  Then as soon as I moved to Sheffield (The day I moved up I got made redundant) things started going really well and within 6 months I had a new house, a new car, a baby on the way and a wonderful girlfriend (Now Mrs Clarke).  It got me thinking that Karma must be playing a part...........Until I see people that don't deserve things getting the good things! 

Over the weekend we had a really good viewing on our house, but we found out today they had gone for another house even though it was a straight choice!  Now thats Karma........Or is it?

Local Resources

So the aim of getting my business plans to market is to create 1,2 or 3 profitable businesses so that I can easily support my family in the future.  There are lots of resources available to start up companies and people looking for help.

One main company that people know about are Business Link, they help start ups with things such as Grants and Advice.  Other things available to people are things such as business angels, here in Yorkshire there is a company called Yorkshire Business Angels, they are basically a group of investors looking to make money out of start up companies and help young entreprenours.  They are kind of like the Dragons Den people, but without the sarcasm of Duncan Bannatyne and they dont sit in a chair with £100k next to them.

I aim to take advantage of as many of these local resources as I can over the next couple of months, they should be able to provide me with the knowledge that I need to get the results that I want.

On another note, I have some kind of forms that need to be back with companies house by the 20th.  I have registered with webfiling and was expecting some passwords to get mailed to me.  I still havent received these and im sure it was the same lasttime.  I find this ridiculous as these forms by all account are quite important so ill need to chase these tomorrow.

I have already had some enquiries following the writing of this blog which is great, its good that people take an interest and want to get involved.  Hopefully I can get to a stage where I can give a definate answer on the way forward for the business soon.

On another note, hopefully the www.pimpyourpic.com website will finally be back up and running after a year out tomorrow, I managed to transfer everything to the  server myself, im just having problems with putting the database on here too, so im waiting for a good friend of mine to find the file and show me what to do next!!!

In the beginning there was............

So, I keep trying to remember back how all of this started.  It feels like i've been planning it for ever!  PYP was an idea that stretches back 6 years ago, I have been back and forward trying to think of the best way to do it.  I have met numerous designers, some flash based, some psp.  Ive written about 4 plans of different products to do.

I first paid for a designer 4 years ago when I got some bank charges back, it cost me around £2500 and it never really came back like I wanted so its been left on the backburner.  Things change now, im focussed and I know what I want and how to get it.  I just need some guidance along the way.

Today seems to be the change in the seasons, its gorgeous today.  I've already been to Rother Valley with my family, Everton have just scored a penalty after 2 mins and it looks good enough to light up the temporary BBQ.  Today is the day where the plans need to change.

I have 2 other plans that I need to get up to scratch, one seems to be a new idea but is fairly obvious.  No one has done it right.  The second could be a brand new thing, ive seen things that touch on the subject but nothing concrete.  All this has come about because of my current job, I think of new plans, I think of new ideas, I try to create.

The IT Crowd - Im a Server Servant

So today I have been trying to get www.pimpyourpic.com back online.  Its not completed, nowhere near, but I need it to have a presence.  I have spent alot of time and money getting it to this stage already.  I've paid developers to mess around with a script and i've also paid for a brilliant designer to come and design me a fab logo.

The problem that I have at the moment is that i'm not a developer, I don't do servers, I don't do website script, I only have very basic knowledge.  This means that i've had to do alot of reading and messing about.  I've signed up to a free hosting service www.000webhost.com and this seems to be going well so far, i've downloaded the script that the designers originally cobbled together, i've pointed the domain at the correct server, i've even FTP'd the script over to the website............ All of this not bad for an amateur!  I know have to figure out how to get the database up and running.  Im just gonna go in fresh, I had a database of around 100 people, I dont even know how people found the site but they did!

I'll spend the weekend messaging the people that I believe can help me with my business plans, influential people, business people, people to look up to and learn from.  I'll ask for their advice, i'll take their notes, i'll use their information and then hopefully i'll have the right tools in place to put the 3 plans that I have into progress and then hopefully on the right path to a wicked business!