Picking the right help

I've not much to report on the business plan front.  I downloaded some business plan software, but its very Americanised and not that straight forward.  I do have a template for a business plan that I got from the enterprise shows, So I will look at using this one I think unless anyone recommends any good software.

I have been in contact with a company that has quoted me for the web design, and they run a business start up practice where they give you £25k worth of start up support in exchange for a stake in the company.  I'm waiting for a call with the main person to find out the ins and outs.  They will get it so your start up company is investor ready.  I'm quite interested to learn more about this as it could be the perfect help that I need.

I have received a few quotes for my website from different companies and they range from around 13k up to 80k, so im going to get this business plan 100% when I get all of the quotes back.

This week i'm going to push forward with finding out more details on this company and also look at forecasting for my business.  I have downloaded some accounts from similiar companies so that I can try and accurately try and get the best figures.

Interesting and Valuable Day

So today I went to http://www.theenterpriseshows.com/ which are being run by Business Link Yorkshire and help entrepreneurs interesting in receiving help and guidance when starting their business.  I learnt some valuable tips and got some great advice.

At these shows they have various stands from different companies ranging from Banks and Solicitors to local organisations looking at helping you through the stages of your start up business.  I am now expecting a call from a Rotherham Based company that looks to advise startup companies and also a business link advisor who will hopefully help me with my business plan.  I have also emailed a company there who specialise in web design for a quote on the different sites that I am looking to operate.

I went to visit a couple of seminars and while there I bumped into Michael Ord and Gemma Baldan of www.frooly.com which is a start up business which received £1m in start up investment.  They were both doing a talk to local entrepreneurs which was quite interesting and very funny and gave me some good tips on how to get the best from what I want to do.  The business that they run is a Social Networking Site designed to promote the best independent local business, and I think Frooly has the potential and the idea to become huge.  You can follow them on twitter with @whatisfrooly

I also had a bit of a brainwave on the way home, and I need to research this a bit further but it basically a new way for small start up companies to get business.

Anyway, the heavens have opened and what was a lovely sunny day earlier looks quite mental and I may need to build an arc.

Useful Tools for Start Up Companies

Over the past week or so of writing my new blog I have been given some useful information and resources by quite a few people.  These are becoming a great help and some of the things that I thought would be straight forward look like being far from that.  Great that I now know because it means that I should be able to get everything air tight.

I was put in touch with 2 business forums which basically help business people with answers that they may not know.  This is ideal for a start up business such as myself, as many of the questions and terminology thats used is like speaking in toungues!!!  The 2 forums that I have been put in touch with are www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk and www.freebusinessforums.co.uk/ and I've had some great responses from people that are willing to help and seem genuinely knowledgable.

I am also attending an event run by Business Link Yorkshire and it is basically talking through and giving advice to young people about starting and developing a business, the website to the event is www.theenterpriseshows.com/.  I'm looking at getting lots of tips on business plans and hopefully network with some interesting people.

All in all this could be quite an important week in my longterm plans.

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.

Wheels in Motion

So im onto day 2 in figuring out how I get my ideas to the marketplace.  I have found a free hosting company to host www.pimpyourpic.com, i've just got to configure how to get the website live.  Its all techie talk and some of it needs simplyfying for non web developers like me!

I've posted to my LinkedIn account asking for people who can help with my business plan and I have had some response.  I have 2 main people in mind who I want some advice from and I will be approaching them over the next couple of days.  My mind is made up and I want to succeed.

When I get home to my beautiful wife, I have to explain that I need to go on the laptop for quite along time, to do an FTP transfer.......Infact scratch that, she is doing a temple spa party.  www.templespa.com/sharonclarke (Free Plug - I dont mind selling out)

Hopefully by tomorrow, ill be 90% towards uploading the website and have a better idea on how to progress with my business plans.