Starting up your own business.

Transcription

1 Starting up your own business. Supporting you on your business journey. Planning and organisation are crucial in the early stages of setting up a new business. You have a far higher chance of success if you take the time to prepare. This section will guide you through: The first steps of business planning. Who you need to inform about your new venture. And how to make your mark.

2 The first steps of business planning. Before you contemplate putting time, money and effort into a new enterprise, weigh up the pros and cons on a personal level. Be clear about your goals, your strengths and weaknesses, and why you d rather set up your own business than work for someone else. Ask yourself is Self-employment right for me? Do the market research. Position yourself within the market. Write a business plan. Get your finances in order. Your business premises. Working from home. Moving into business premises? Do the market research. Successful businesses rely on knowledge of the market. Within your chosen field, consider what the market needs, then look at what you can do to meet that demand. You can get a good overall picture of your market using surveys, researching what your competitors offer, and checking current research provided in specialist publications such as trade magazines or directories. You should also use the Internet to check current research on specialist websites and publications. Position yourself within the market. Decide on your USP Unique Selling Point. What makes your product or service better, faster and more cost-effective than those of your competitors? What can you do better than your competitors? Write a business plan. The essence of a business plan is to prove the viability of your idea to yourself and others. It will identify where you are, where you want to be and what actions need to be taken in order for the plan to succeed.

3 Get your finances in order. The more detail you can bring to your financial planning, the better. To help you do this, there are a number of key questions you should ask: What will your initial and ongoing costs be? Do you have this money up front or will you need to borrow it? How much money must you make each week and month to cover your personal and business expenses? What will you charge for your products or services? You will also need a book-keeping system to keep track of your income and outgoings on a daily basis. This will help you compare progress against your plan and improve the accuracy of your forecasting. Your business premises. Deciding where you will work from is a key consideration, as it can impact on your start-up costs. Do you need to move into business premises or can you save time and money by setting up an office at home? Working from home. You do not usually require planning permission to work from home if: The character of your home is not materially altered. Your business doesn t become the primary purpose of the property. You do not inconvenience the neighbours. Moving into business premises. In the early stages, be cautious about renting a big property and entering long-term agreements. An alternative is serviced offices, which are comparatively expensive but offer greater flexibility.

4 Who do you need to inform about your new venture? There are a number of organisations that need to be informed, whether you are launching a full-time or part-time business. Your bank. Keep your personal and business finances separate by opening a business account. Your bank s business adviser can also be an invaluable source of information on starting up and growing your business. Your insurers. Working from home can invalidate your domestic policy and affect your life insurance. You may also need to take out additional business insurance. HM Revenue and Customs. You must inform HMRC about your business for tax reasons. If you plan to import or export, you may also need to contact them to pay tariffs or to get permission for some types of international trading. VAT. Registration is required if your taxable turnover reaches or is likely to reach the VAT registration threshold. Companies House. For the registration of limited companies and limited liability partnerships (LLP). Other public authorities. You may be required to register with additional organisations if you work in a specialist area. The Information Commissioner. For businesses involved in the storage of personal data.

5 How to make your mark. A dynamic and visible business stands a far better chance of success. Once you ve identified your market, you can set about promoting your business in all sorts of ways: Create the right impression with a professional image. Network and make yourself known among potential customers. Create an event around your launch and invite potential suppliers, customers or retailers. A website is now essential for most types of business, but make sure it can be found via search engines. Hire a professional designer to ensure your site works well, looks attractive, and supports your promotional efforts effectively. Make it easy for people to contact you by phone or . Make sure your brand identity is displayed consistently and attractively wherever your business interacts with customers from your stationery and invoicing paperwork to your website or vehicles.

6 While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the information in this business guide is accurate, no liability is accepted by Lloyds TSB for any loss or damage caused to any person relying on any statement or omission in this business guide. This business guide is provided for information only and should not be relied on as offering advice for any set of circumstances and specific advice should always be sought in each instance. When using these services your agreement will be with the relevant third party and their terms and conditions will apply. Lloyds TSB shall not be responsible or liable to you for any failure by the third party to provide these services or in relation to use by the third party of any confidential information supplied to them by you. Lloyds TSB Bank plc Registered Office: 25 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7HN. Registered in England and Wales no Telephone: Lloyds TSB Scotland plc Registered Office: Henry Duncan House, 120 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 4LH. Registered in Scotland no. SC Telephone: Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority under numbers and respectively. Lloyds TSB Bank plc and Lloyds TSB Scotland plc are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and the Financial Ombudsman Service (please note that due to the schemes' eligibility criteria not all Lloyds TSB Commercial customers will be covered by these schemes).