Women Unlimited Inspiration, lnnovation, Collaboration

Sometimes when we are running a micro business we don’t realise that creating a strong strategy is just as important for us as it is for big business.  Businesses grow and develop in many different ways.  Some business owners are super organised and spend 3 months planning their business, producing a 25 page business plan plus executive summary, 15 page marketing plan and 10 pages of financial documents; others launch their business without really thinking about where the money is going to come from or how they are going to ... Read More »

As part of my recent interview series with successful entrepreneurial women, I’ve asked over 30 women about the highs and lows of working from home and being the boss. What I heard was inspiring and definitely ‘real-world’ advice. No sugar-coating here then! So, how do you ensure massive success with your home business? Here are 3 key tips from women “doing it for themselves”   1. Establish a home/work boundary One of the biggest challenges my entrepreneurial mums faced was establishing the boundary between home and work. Physical boundaries are easier to establish, ... Read More »

Are you worrying about the recession and the shrinking economy? Is that stopping you from starting or growing your own business? Figures out in August and September said that unemployment had slowed. Is this a blip or explainable? The news reporters are citing the Olympics, Jubilee and double Bank Holidays as a reason not to see the good news.  It has been reported that the growth in employment is actually across the country – not just London-centric. Small businesses adapt faster than big business I believe the growth can be ... Read More »

1. Make a plan – then make it happen! Many business owners will say the key is in the planning and a craft business is no different. It’s quite common for crafters to develop a business out of their hobby and move quite naturally to selling, without really making a plan for how they are going to run the business. It is crucial to make a business plan, this will not only help with ensuring that your business meets all your obligations such as paying tax, insurance and meeting the needs of ... Read More »

Despite government initiatives to boost diversity in UK boardrooms - a survey conducted recently for accountancy giant Ernst & Young suggests that the number of women wanting to start their own businesses remains disappointingly low, whilst another report by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) suggests that men were more likely to show entrepreneurial attitudes than their female counterparts. The news is surprising as it comes at a time when almost 20% of working age adults in the UK are either working for themselves or think they may start their own business ... Read More »

If you love the idea of starting your own business but don’t have any funding, then bootstrapping is the answer. Starting a business on a shoestring is a great way to start working from home and create a new stream of income. “The feeblest excuse ever given by a would-be entrepreneur is that they can’t raise the start-up capital to get going.”  (Former Pizza Express chief executive and self-professed business maverick, Luke Johnson.) What is bootstrapping? Bootstrapping means literally to “pull yourself up by your boot straps”, a phrase that ... Read More »

When starting a business, choosing the name is a fundamental step. Although choosing a name seems like an easy task, it can be quite difficult. Once you’ve made a choice, it’s not recommended it be changed, especially once you’ve begun the branding process. A business name can ultimately be any word, name, or combination of the two, but there are simple guidelines to follow when making your choice. Family name The use of a family name is often where we begin. Family names are typically unique to the particular business ... Read More »

You’ve made the decision that you are tired of working for someone else. You want to run the show and reap the rewards for yourself. Ever since the credit crisis a vast majority of us were left feeling disheartened.  Such a large group of extremely wealthy people and organizations were left completely unaccountable for a financial downfall that was felt globally. All the while the consumers (you and I) were left to pick up the pieces and pay the hefty price. I have found that some people are unable to ... Read More »

Online retailing is a lucrative business – UK shoppers spent £68 billion online in 2011, an increase of 16% from 2012. Thanks to advances in technology it is now easier than ever to try and capitalise on this market.  The Middleton’s ‘Party Pieces’ business (even pre Royal Wedding), is a great example of turning a simple concept of creating party bags for children, into a multi-million pound turnover online business, supplying party essentials across the UK. More and more women are looking to set up their own online businesses. They ... Read More »

I’m now more than halfway through my first year working only for myself and I’m quietly optimistic about the prospects for the business. Flexibility As with anything, things have developed and changed so I’ve had to adapt the balance of what I do. For example, the business is called Your Virtual PR because I anticipated providing my PR skills to small and medium businesses. But one of the things which has brought me the most work so far has been copywriting. I love writing, so doing the work isn’t a problem, ... Read More »