In order to succeed in business, you must have years upon years of life experience and you can’t be ‘young’, fact? False.

An example of a fledgling successful business person is Murray Stevenson of Murray Stevenson Joinery & Building Contractors (MSJ & BC). At 23, and with a thriving business, he has already won the first ever Trades Awards 2013 (run by Trades Advisor) ‘Highly Commended Young Tradesperson of the Year’, he also won 2 months in a row as highest rated Joiner on Trades Advisor adding to his spreading reputation for hard work and attention to quality,

Murray first established his skills during an apprenticeship with Stewart Milne Homes, before honing these skills further at Scotframe Kit Manufacturers and George Black Joinery. By now Murray had  delevoped an itch to own his own business and due to the responsibility he often had at George Black Joinery, he felt he had what it took - so he leaped... And he hasn’t looked back.

Based in Newburgh of Aberdeenshire, MSJ & BC has only been running for few months, but Murray has already made his presence felt. Murray’s top skills lie in Joinery, but MSJ & BC is so much more than that. Whole building projects are catered for - from foundation to the roof, from the window to the wall, Murray S can cover it, and arrange contractors for it all ... Better hold the rap record deal for now.

Being the age he is, despite offering a service that pushes industry standards upwards and closely competes with the top contractors, Murray has still occasionally faced doubt as to his owning his own business. But sometimes the doubts of others can act as fuel and Murray has recycled these negatives into determination and ambition.

While MSJ & BC goes from strength to strength and plans to employ a member of staff within the 12 months, Murray has been grateful for the support of Business Gateway in helping him get his business into the world and proving the doubters wrong:

“Business gateway was incredibly helpful to me starting up my own business, and gave me a great insight into how a business should be run, by offering fantastic courses and advice. Its great to know they are at the other end of the phone if I need any further advice”

Murray's Business Gateway advisor Liz found Murray to be motivated and great to work with:

“Murray is exactly the type of client I love to work with.  Full of energy and enthusiasm.  He’s a prime example of how Business Gateway can work with someone who is really good at what they do and help them build a good solid foundation for their business.  I’m looking forward to working with Murray over the coming months to help him grow his business from strength to strength.”

m.stevenson800@yahoo.com

Tel: 07725880705

If you need help in getting your business launched, we’re waiting for your call! Get in touch now and take that big next step with our help.

Business Gateway Aberdeen: 01224 289 700
Business Gateway Tayside: 01382 443 400

http://www.enetrust.com/business-support

Well my friends, here at Enterprise and Business Gateway we are happy to help and our blog post today focuses on the benefits of writing a Business Plan, when it can come in very handy, and what to bear in mind when you are creating your work of genius...

What are the key purposes of a business plan?

Your Business Plan is a document that describes your business, it's objectives, strategies, market and financial forecasts.

Your business plan can come in very handy to:

1. Assist any applications for funding or bank loans

2. Get your ideas formulated on a piece of paper and help you plan for the future

3. To look back on in the future to see how you have surpassed your expectations

What do the Business Gateway Business Advisors have to say about Business Plans?

 Liz Pirrie always says that 'a Business Plan is like a shopping list - if I go to the supermarket without my shopping list - not only do I forget to buy the things I need - I come home with a bunch of stuff I didn't need.'

Gilllian Macdonald says 'You need to know where you are going, so you know how to get there. For instance, on paper - does this business look profitable?'

 Fiona Gammie, our new girl on the block says: 'It is a good way to make sure that you and any business partners or stake holders are working towards the same goals.'

 June Burnett says 'Its a goal setting and reference document - don't just do it and forget about it, it should be updated like a CV - yearly for instance…to help you see if you are ahead or behind where you planned to be...'

What to include in your Business Plan?

So I believe we have established that the Business Plan is rather a handy article to have, so what should be most definitely be considered when writing it...?

We understand it can be a bit daunting if it's your first one but try to embrace this challenge and put your all into it - you never know who might be reading it some day!

1. Who is your audience? as well as updating your business plan regularly, it should (like a CV) be tweaked depending on who might be reading it. Writing and banking a few different versions to banks, business partners, awards applications etc would be ideal approach. Think of the plan from the point of view of the reader - 'If I read this would I invest in me?'

2. Who are your competitors? Knowing who your competitors are, what they bring to the table, what their unique selling points are and how they may or may not compete with your service offering is really important and the research will help you understand your market so much better. This leads me to the next point…

3. Market Research is your new favourite hobby! Specifically focus on what opportunities lie in the market you work in along with the potential worries and threats in this market. Google is a fantastic tool for your research, just ensure that you note how valid the sources are. Business Gateway offers a fantastic enquiry service - on 0845 609 6611 with phone advisors who can help you with a variety of things such as prospective client and competitor lists. Your local council will also be able to provide you with population statistics if required.

4. Make sure the essentials are covered in your business plan. Go into detail of your goals, your strategy, who your competitors are, how things will operationally work, and the in-depth financials.

5. Using this as a funding opportunity? make sure you go into detail of the opportunities available for funding or investing in your business, the return on investment that would be available for an investor and what makes your investment opportunity stand out from the crowd - there's a lot of competition for funding out there.

6. Don't write War and Peace - but similarly don't scrimp on detail if it's essential - a reader should be able to understand your business after reading your business plan. You want to appear able and professional so for goodness sake please get a friend with attention to detail to review it for you - a spelling error can look very unprofessional and rushed.

7. Sparkling Financials - Please ensure these are spick and span and completely accurate as this is the area most likely to raise questions - revise these financials also so that you can answer questions, include costs and sales. If figures are not your area of expertise please speak to an accountant who can look over these with you.

8. Your Exuctive summary goes at the start of your business plan. BUT remember to write it at the end once you all other sections are complete. Have had a good read through the plan yourself before starting to write the Exeutive Summary - it should sumarise the whole business plan. Similarly to the intro of your CV - first impressions count - this will be the first thing read so it must engage the reader with the most important facts and figures. Make sure to keep it exciting, engaging but most of all truthful.

9. Keep it up to date. Your business plan is a continuous tool in your business to help you monitor your successes (and failures) and to confirm and monitor any deadlines and responsibilities - use it as such, and you will get the best out of it.

10. Last but not least - Seek the advice of your Business Gateway Business Advisor. Your advisor will ensure that this business plan fulfils it's purpose of maintaining the focus of the business. Your Business Advisor will be able to offer you constructive feedback on an independent basis. Your Business Advisor will have experience of reviewing many business plans and can impart some pearls of wisdom.

Other resources Enterprise and Business Gateway can provide:

A template Business Plan - this can be downloaded here www.bgateway.com/businessplan
We also run courses in Tayside and Grampian regions on how to write your Business Plan which are most worthwhile and include exercises which help formulate your business plan. Exercise 1 - what does personal success look like? and what does my business have to do to achieve this? they also cover elevator speeches!

You can Book on our Business Planning Course here

If you would like to speak to a Business Gateway start up advisor - please give us a call on:

Business Gateway Grampian: 01224 289725

Business Gateway Tayside: 01382 443400

JAM Fitness is an Aberdeen dedicated group exercise & Personal Training studio providing classes in the world renowned Les Mills programmes, Zumba, Kettlercise and Bokwa and that’s for the moment... they assure us there is much more to be added to that line-up in due course!

Jillian Burns and Mike Tracey, being the J and the M in JAM respectively, are the motivated founders, who have run down the occasionally bumpy path in setting JAM Fitness up. Before swinging the doors to their studio open for the first time to the fitness seeking masses, Jillian and Mike have pulled together all the help and support they could, ranging from parents to the Business Gateway. Jillian said:

“we received support from the Business Gateway at the initial stages, and we did loads of research ourselves.”

“In terms of the building process, we were guided along the way by my dad, Alex Burns, who runs Burns & Associates, a firm of Quantity Surveyors. He was head of our building works, and Mark Taylor of Cumming & Co was our Architect and planning guru!”

But what about those bumps in the road? The ones that hurt your backside on a bicycle? Well, now would be the perfect time for a fitness related motivational quote “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, “pain is weakness leaving the body” - oops sorry! However, Jillian and Mike have shown that plain and simple, with self-belief and the ambition to make it work you can make it happen:

“We got turned down by pretty much every bank as well, but we had so much faith in what we were doing we raised all the funds ourselves.”

“We've been open a month now- it's been a very steep learning curve but we're delighted with how it's going. Business is growing day by day, slowly but surely.”

Contact JAM Fitness at:

info@jamfitness.me
www.jamfitness.me

If you have a business or would like to start one and would like support too, we’d love to hear from you! Just ‘jog’ on over to the phone and give us a ring! We’ll be doing star jumps while we wait… Maybe!

Business Gateway Aberdeen City and Shire: 01224 289 725
Business Gateway Tayside: 01382 443 400

We also have a series of workshops for Start Up businesses in locations spanning Grampian and Tayside which you can check out here...

If you would like to put your business forward to potentially be featured on our ‘Business Spotlight’ please ask your Business Gateway advisor about this today!

But what if you are the employer? Wondering what the do’s and don’ts might be for Facebook in terms of your employees and its use within your business? Well employers read on. And employees…also read on for some juicy insider info!

It’s said that most people will only remember three points around fifteen minutes after they have read or listened to information. So i’ll give you five do’s and don’ts for employers and Social Media - just to put all your memories to the test!

1. Do...Consider whether you allow or block Social Media on your company computers and network. Both can have consequences - blocking Social Media provides you with greater control over use of company computers, but keep in mind that unless you operate in the wilds of Outer Mongolia, most employees will have access to Social Media on their mobile devices. This makes the often quoted issue of Productivity redundant as they will continue to use Social Media whether you block it or not. Allowing Social Media can boost morale and demonstrate your trust in your employees, so don’t be too quick to batten down the Social Media hatches!

2. Don’t... Use Social Media to check up on, or monitor candidates during recruitment. Well... Not so much a don’t but more be careful. Everyone likes a sneaky peak to see what they are letting themselves in for and making sure they aren’t hiring The Hooded Claw, but unless you have pre-outlined that Social Media checks may take place this has the potential to cause issues. Enter the concept of ‘discrimination’ - every person has a right to be considered regardless of race, sex, age, sexual orientation and so on, and if you conduct Social Media checks and a candidate is rejected and they perceive it’s because of one of those issues, they are within the law to launch a discrimination case. We know you’re not like that and rejected them purely for their lower experience, but they don’t know that. So be careful how you tread and if you plan on doing this, let them know beforehand.

3. Do... Implement a Social Media Policy, and review it regularly. Prendergast Jnr from accounts has been posting saying how rubbish your biggest rival is... But not worded as nicely as that. Or spreading strongly worded hate posts all over an institution’s page. Do you want this? No. Then you need to introduce a clear policy outlining what your employees can and can’t do and say. You must make it clear that they are representing the company, and consider this when making posts. Remember that making unjust or defamatory comments can result in legal cases, so ensure your employees know this! Also remember to review the policy frequently, as Social Media is changing all the time! Dear, oh dear Prendergast.

4. Don’t... Make knee jerk reactions when dealing with Social Media issues and employees. Someone posts something - you call a disciplinary. They didn’t realise it was wrong - you give them the Alan Sugar Special. Later, out-with the heat of the moment you realise it actually wasn’t that bad - firing them was heavy handed. Oops.
Think about social media carefully and consider the greater picture and don’t make hasty decisions. Remember - heavily restricting and monitoring employee outlets can only damage trust and morale.

5. Do... Realise that Social Media is... Social - and public. Because actual face-to-face interaction is removed using Social Media, it’s easier for people to say and do things that they otherwise wouldn’t, or would think twice about. You, or an employee has posted something- for example confidential information, then quickly realised the error of their ways and removed it. But by this time it might have been shared, and now it’s out there, and not out there like a hippy enjoying himself. Things can easily go viral, slipping out of the control of your now sweaty anxious hands.

We hope these 5 top tips come in handy when you are considering social media as an employer and not playing Candy Crush.

If you would like to source some more guidance as an employer we have a few workshops with business advice that may come in handy:

Alternatively you can find a wealth of guidance on the Business Gateway website:

www.bgateway.co.uk

or you can call a local and friendly advisor today on either 01224 289725 (for Grampian) and 01382 434400 for Tayside Region. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

We were especially excited as we decided May means that WIB gets BIG...

So we built a Facebook page, designed a new logo (see above), started a Twitter account and even a Linkedin Group!

We promoted our event through these avenues, set up a very lovely Eventbrite page to take bookings and print tickets. Through all of the ladies who have been engaged with Business Gateway services in the last wee while, we beat our record with 27 attendees at the event.

WIB Got BIG! and we are hoping that it will continue to grow bigger (we are not sure if the hashtag WIBgotBigger will work as well) with the ladies help and encouragement in spreading the news to local start up businesses run by women.

Women into Business exists for any ladies starting up, thinking of starting up, or who have in the last 12 months started up their business - to dip their toe in the water of networking, get out there, make contact with other ladies in business, and learn top tips from the women who have been there and done it.
Last night's event was no exception as we heard from the fantastic Lili Hunter of Lili Hunter Consulting and Eileen Cooper of Limetree Consulting (more on their pearls of wisdom later).

The evening got off to a bit of a blonde start when it came to light that our numpty of a Communications Manager (that's me!) had put 449 union street as the address instead of 499. Nevertheless - out in the rain with a make shift sign and we were back in business!

Business Advisor Gillian chaired the event, ushered the ladies to enjoy the copious amounts of tasty nibbles, introduced our speakers and asked each of the attendees to introduce themselves along with the type of business they were running or thinking of running. It was fantastic to see that we had such an array of sectors and talents in the room: we had… 2 accountants, a florist, 2 software developers, a health and welfare specialist, a cake decorator, a property leasing expert, a mind mapping specialist, an online travel operator, a Business Development lady, a women specialising in language services and tours, an HR & Property specialist, an IT trainer, a lady considering Oil and Gas contracting…and that's just the ones I managed to scribble down - a diverse group by anyone's standards.

Lili Hunter of Lili Hunter Consulting, who has her own practice on 499 Union Street - not to be confused with 449 - which is the Bells Bar!
Lili gave us a brief overview of her career, how she had balanced obtaining her law degrees with having her son, how she'd worked for many legal firms in her time that didn't quite fit the mould of what she wanted out of life and her career, how people had said she wouldn't have time for babies and work! well how wrong were they?!
Lili is a feisty, lovely, hilarious and hard working lady - and even though you'd love to give her a cuddle - you certainly wouldn't like to come up against her in a court of law (she's told us about when the rottweiler comes out).
Lili showed us a perfect example of how branding can perfectly emulate what you want it to.
Lili's branding is bright pink and orange and so is her office (which is why we ladies all love it), but she remarked on the change in people when they come into her office after visiting a perhaps more stuffy counterpart - relaxed and ready to be helped.
Lili's business image is reflected in the staff attire who look smart and professional without wearing suits - she wants her clients to feel like she is part of their team - and for a period of time - she is!
Lili also loves that because her branding has a marmite effect, she can attract the kind of clients she loves working with, which are often butch men - so there you go!

After a spot of networking we were on to our fab second speaker Elieen Cooper of LimeTree Consultancy. Eileen talked us through the vast amount of Marketing jobs she has been through and how other jobs had paled into insignificance in comparison. How 'life is a roller coaster' should be her Ronan Keating soundtrack with the highs and lows she has experience in business and how they have clearly only served to make her stronger and more successful. Unfortunately it sounds like this has lead to her working all of the hours god sends but she was still a bubbly and happy person, so we guessed it must be because she loves it.

The best lessons I feel we learnt from Eileen were as follows:
1. No Budget Marketing: this is all true a reality for many people running their business, that there are not thousands of pounds in the bank to be used up on marketing activities. Eileen urges us to embrace this, use our imaginations, be resourceful, and find better and cheaper ways of doing things.
2. Don't let the down's get you down. Eileen was threatened to be sued by a US company of the same name and as she was without trademark this was a massive panic for her. You can find out more about trade marking at the intellectual property office: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/tm.htm
3. Embrace the Highs! Eileen was delighted when she was awarded with a Northern Star Award and thankfully had her new name trade marked and in place in time

Marketing - What has changed and what hasn't?
Research is still key - think ahead and plan actions and content
Technology has changed the way we shop
Social Media - can work successfully for some business, especially the business to consumer ones, but not all

That's just a brief overview of what you missed if you couldn't manage last night…but what isn't included here is the fantastic networking opportunities, and the secret titbits of information from these legendary ladies.

You can check out all of the pictures from the night on our Facebook Page HERE

If you want to get the very most out of Women Into Business stay tuned for our next event - or email us on Lucy.Williams@enetrust.com if you would like to be added to our invitation list. 

and if you are looking for some resources or help in growing your business - please check out our courses and guides  HERE

See you next time!

Dundee company, Microdot Films, founded by Daniel Ogierman (23), aims to educate and raise awareness of substance misuse, while challenging stereotypes and perceptions, with film being the company’s implement of choice. Microdot prides itself on the human element to their films, listening to the people at the heart of the issues, and this approach is the result of Daniel having a prominent story to tell.

Daniel sadly lost his eldest brother to a drugs overdose, and decided to use his film making talents, which he was studying at university, to try and come to terms with his grief and understand the tragedy. Through filming and interviewing drug addicts, Daniel realised that not only was it helping him through the grieving process, but that film making was a powerful tool to explore the issues surrounding drug abuse. Daniel, who is also also on the board of Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, came across David Graham Scott’s work online and the pair realised they had the same goals in mind, with this meeting forming the birth of Microdot Films.

First Port provided funding for the business start up, and Dundee Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) provided funding to run workshops with adults who were recovering from substance abuse, to create a series of short films about the subject, contributing largely to their own recovery, and following this success, Perth ADP have followed suit. Microdot also delivers training and works in partnership with other organisations aiming to provide voluntary and employment opportunities for individuals.

However, Daniel and David have never taken their foot off the gas as they drive Microdot forward. Daniel adds:

“David and I are always thinking about new film ideas but we also understand that making a film isn’t enough. We are both committed to using our work for education and training purposes and as a way to engage with people, taking them through a creative process in our workshops so that they can learn new skills and build confidence to aid employment opportunities.”

With Microdot’s reputation for ‘action’ (excuse the pun! (don’t get this)), these ideas quickly take shape. Microdot Films are also producing a project with the NHS about young parents, have recently travelled to Thailand to film for the charity East-West Detox about the Thamkrabok Monastery Treatment and Recovery Centre, and have just received funding for a feature length documentary looking at alternative drug treatments. Figure8 Consultancy, and Enterprise North East Trust, are two companies that have benefitted from Microdot training, providing engaging and educational advice around drugs and alcohol. Without also mentioning the upcoming projects in the pipeline, it’s clear that Daniel and David have been very busy indeed!

As well as the desire to educate and raise awareness that has ignited this company, Daniel also acknowledges the support that Business Gateway also offered in helping Daniel and David take their passions, skills and ideas and sculpt these into Microdot Films:

“We couldn’t have got to this stage without the advice and support from Business Gateway. Knowing that you can tap into business knowledge for free is invaluable and has allowed me to not only gain more confidence, but ensure we’re on the right path. My adviser has also helped us to make important contacts that are having a positive impact on the business.”

Email: contact@microdotfilms.org

Telephone: 078 373 799 63

www.microdotfilms.org

Microdot Films Facebook

We are lucky enough here at Enterprise North East Trust to have Business Advisors delivering Business Gateway services, who come from a wide variety of backgrounds.

Some of our advisors have worked in finance or banking, some having run their own business, and some in the world of Accountancy. It's these wide ranging skills that means if you call 01224 289745 there is likely to be someone who can help with your query - whatever it might be. 

Business Advisor, Liz Pirrie is no exception to this rule - Liz comes from an Accountancy background, and has a wealth of experience in helping small businesses. 

Liz has taken some time out of her busy day to give us a brief overview of what the Flat Rate VAT scheme is, since so many of our clients have queries on this area. 

The Flat Rate VAT Scheme (FRVS) is a simplified scheme for accounting for VAT for small businesses.

You are eligible to join the flat rate scheme if your annual turnover (before VAT) is less than £150,000.  Once you have joined the scheme, you can stay in it until your turnover reaches £230,000.

Unlike the standard scheme where you have to account for VAT on all your purchases, with the flat rate scheme you pay VAT to HMRC based on a fixed percentage of your VAT inclusive turnover.  This is best demonstrated by the following example:-

The actual percentage you pay varies depending on the industry you are in (Hairdressing is 13% for example, and Legal services is 14.5%).

HMRC produces a table of flat rate percentages.  In the first year of VAT registration you get a 1% discount on your industry rate.

The main advantage of using the flat rate scheme is that it simplifies your bookkeeping.  If you buy a lot of goods that don’t have VAT on them, for example, if a lot of your suppliers are not VAT registered, there can be a financial advantage to being on the flat rate scheme.

On the other had, if everything you buy is standard rated, you are probably better being on the standard scheme.

If you buy capital items (such as a computer, photocopier, shelving etc) that cost £2,000 or more (inclusive of VAT) you may be able to claim the VAT back on them.  This must be items that you will keep in the business for more than a year.

There are special rules relating to the flat rate scheme for florists, farmers and barristers.

You can find more information on the flat rate scheme here… HMRC Flat Rate VAT Info

You should always seek advice from your accountant regarding the most appropriate scheme for you.

If there's anything specifically that you would like to see a blog on please let us know via email - and we'll be happy to help. 

If you would like to book on one of our courses, you can do so here.

If you would like to speak directly to one of our advisors, you can do by calling 01224 289725.

Following the Queen's speech last week, which if you are anything like us, and have News 24-7 in the office - you will have seen a lot of coverage on. There was a significant amount of focus on the changes to National Insurance payments for Empoyers. Since so many of our clients and followers are small businesses who often come to the decision to take on their first member of staff or increase their staffing and request guidance from us on this, we thought this was a valuable topic to cover. 

The National Insurance Contributions Bill

This bill is designed to reduce the cost to small businesses of employing people. If it passes, from April 2014 every business (and charity) will be entitled to a £2,000 employment allowance.

It also aims to stop the use of offshore companies that are sometimes used by employers to avoid paying their National Insurance contributions. 

The move was first announced by George Osborne in the Budget earlier this year, as part of his plans to build an “aspiration nation” that supports small business and entrepreneurs. 

Around 450,000 small businesses will not pay any National Insurance contributions. This tax is paid by both employers and staff, and they go towards paying for benefits such as the state pension.

The Government is hoping the “employment allowance” will encourage small businesses to take on extra workers, especially those that are starting up.

What the March 2013 Budget said about it

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer said:

“It’s a tax off jobs and it’s worth up to £2,000 to every business in the country,”

“For the person who’s set up their own business, and is thinking about taking on their first employee, a huge barrier will be removed. They can hire someone on £22,000, or four people on the minimum wage, and pay no jobs tax.”

Mr Osborne described this development as “the largest tax cut in the Budget” in an attempt to increase employment and boost growth.

The changes will take effect in April 2014 and apply to charities and sports clubs as well as businesses.

Financial experts said small businesses were “key winners” of the March 2013 budget, as they will also benefit from the cut in corporation tax to 20 per cent- happy days! That means many of the people that Enterprise North East Trust and Business Gateway help are benefitting from these government reforms, which makes us very happy bunnies.

Andy Willox, the Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) Scottish policy convenor, said on the matter:

“The Chancellor’s National Insurance Contributions (NICs) allowance scheme should give Scottish small businesses a shot in the arm as they strive to create the extra jobs our economy needs.
“Combined with strong business support, the FSB is sure it’ll create jobs and grow businesses.”

As the Coalition government also attempt on a wider basis to crack down on tax avoidance, this move will also contain measures to stop people using "abusive tax schemes" to get around paying their full amount to HMRC.

It will extend the "general anti-abuse rule" to the employment tax and prevent the use of offshore payroll companies, which can be used to help companies avoid paying National Insurance

Marion Thomson of Embarc Accounting said on the announcement:

"Working with small businesses on a day to day basis, I see the burden of National Insurance contributions first hand. Many businesses start off with no employees or part-time employees and as business grows they find themselves paying National Insurance contributions for the first time. The annual cost saving of £2,000 will encourage business owners to employ staff and help growth."

Martin Watt at Bon Accord Accountancy adds:

'Employer national insurance can be a hindrance to most small employers to taking on employees. The new National Insurance Employment Allowance will therefore encourage small businesses to take the step to grow their businesses by taking on their first employee. This will hopefully provide a real spur towards real employment. It may also encourage employers to take on first employees who are over the state pension age, as such employees will also have no employee national insurance to pay either.'

Allison Walker of Mint Accounting said:

'This reduction of £2k per employer is certainly welcome, though it is a pity the generous employer’s national insurance holiday for all new businesses in Scotland will come to an end on 5th September 2013. The majority of contractors or one man band limited companies will benefit in Aberdeen as many have a single employee (the director) with a salary of less than £22,188.

They will therefore pay no employers National Insurance. Many offshore employers do not have to pay any Employers’ National Insurance as they are governed under other jurisdictions so the £2k benefit in itself is unlikely to influence this.

Finally, although very welcome, the amount of national insurance payable is not the only aspect influencing business owners (both large corporates and small businesses) when making a decision to take on employees. There are onerous burdens of sick pay, maternity pay and paternity pay to consider as well as disciplinary processes and procedures and many businesses still prefer to avoid these issues by taking on contractors.'

So there you have it, that's what the professionals have to say on the matter. 

If you are considering taking on your first member of staff or would like to grow your business further, one of our friendly advisors here at Enterprise and Business Gateway would be delighted to help. If you would like to come along to our course on Employing Staff or any of our other helpful courses, you can find out more and register here

You can call us on 01224 289725 if you have any questions in the meantime! 

Welcome to our newest feature that we, the ‘enetweeps’ at Enterprise North East Trust will be running on a weekly basis - our brand new ‘Business Spotlight’.

Despite how it sounds, It isn’t a special kind of office lighting, illuminating certain dazzled workers, but instead it is a spotlight to illuminate some of the businesses that we work with! If you get support from Enterprise North East Trust and Business Gateway, we’d be happy to feature you under our Business Spotlight. Our first business we’d like to introduce to you is Arnold’s Catering.

Arnold’s Catering is based in Arbroath, but serves Fife, Angus and Tayside. It is a family run business with the driving force behind being the mother and daughter team of Sandra and Steffie Arnold. This successful partnership drive the efficiency and success of the company. In comparison, a partnership with my parents would likely lead to much burnt food and me probably being sent to my room! (even though I’m in my 20’s!)

We should next cast our spotlight onto the food, of which Sandra and Steffie hold particular pride - Everything they prepare is made entirely from fresh ingredients. This means no pre-packaged or frozen foods, no cash and carry, and even the sandwich filings have the privilege of having much time and concentration funnelled into them as they are sculpted from the base ingredients. Their food has even grown legs and begun to cross the globe! In one instance, at a corporate event, some American visitors asked for an additional batch to take back to their families back in the good ol’ US of A. Other food items have also taken jaunts to London amongst other places!
Arnold’s Catering caters for everything from weddings to birthdays, corporate lunches and everything in between. However, catering for all these different occasions throws up some sometimes very ‘interesting’ scenarios... Steffie Arnold recalls a time they were contracted to cater for a boat party:

“We were asked to cater for a wedding on a boat with no kitchen! We brought our own ovens with us, carried them up the gang plank along with kegs of beer for the bar, and we made a make-shift kitchen in a cordoned off area where we couldn't even stand up straight. But we still managed to serve delicious “Arnold” quality food to all the guests who had a great time!”

Sometimes Arnold’s Catering services have found that demand can put them in a far from smooth spot, but never being ones to compromise on service delivery or effiency, they have taken these challenges by the scruff of the neck! Steffie also described catering for three Burns Suppers on the same night in three different locations!

“Whilst serving at the first venue, we were cooking big pots of boiling haggis, neeps & tatties ready to be moved hot to the next function and so on! This was all in addition to big production lines of fast moving plates!”

What Enterprise North East Trust blog would be complete without the nod to our fantastic business support? Sandra and Steffie remeber the support they recieved from the Business Gateway in getting their business that vital push to get it lifted off:

"Business Gateway have been a great help! An advisor came to meet me and we chatted for a while about all the different aspects of my business from funding to marketing and the best way to go about expanding "Arnolds Catering". He also pointed me in the direction of some new contacts which I have now gained some more business leads from! It's helped me to focus on the right parts of my business and move forward more positively!"


And what does this family team put their successes down to? The answer is simple according to Steffie!

“This worked smoothly as a result of our meticulous planning beforehand. It's all in the planning!”

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There a many aspects of marketing - all completely inter-related, so the marketing machine can be visualised as exactly that- A machine, with all it’s components working together, helping each other to drive the machine forward as a whole. But if this all still seems a bit clouded, read on as this blog will aim to demystify marketing and highlight just how it could benefit your business.

we’ll look at four marketing concepts - and the large corporations and companies who did or didn’t take heed of these. Company names are changed to protect their identity... And my wallet!

1) Complete In-Depth Market Research.

You will probably guess this company, but shhh, keep it to yourself! 

In the mid 80’s a successful inventor/ businessman strived to create a small one man electric powered car. It was intended to be a landmark in the auto trade...It was meant to revolutionise the way people travelled, and could be driven by people aged 14. It was also totally green, running on electricity. He was so sure of it’s world-changing success, this inventor pressed right ahead with the design and production of it.

But did people want this product? Was it something people would buy? He didn’t really know- because he never conducted any market research.

Market research seeks feedback from the public so that businesses can get detailed information on exactly what the consumer would like. From this information, businesses can sculpt their product to ensure that it is something that is in demand.

In terms of the case study of this ill-fated car, it was finally revealed that this was not something anyone wanted at all (at that time). But this realisation came only after production had started. The car was too small to fit anything other than one person, it was exposed, slow, vulnerable and its direct competition was with motorbikes and bicycles, which were much cheaper. Production was halted after only ten months, and spelled sadly the beginning of the end for this company.

2) The Marketing Mix - The 4 P’s

So you have a product. What price do you make it, where do you place the product for sale, and how do you promote it? And in that fell swoop, there you have the 4 P’s!

Product, Price, Place and Promotion can be argued to be four different marketing aspects in their own right, but for simplicity (and to give you a good case study), we’ll l

ook at them in their inter-related concept. These factors directly affect sales, as each one has to be considered carefully in order to reach the desired target market. Let me give you an example.

Pen Maker A designed and produced quality pens. As time went on, they began to experience a considerable decrease in sales. While many companies may accept these periods of down-sales, Pen Maker A resolved to find out why. After a bit of market research (they’ve notched up points in my book already! See above!) they discovered that rather than being purely bought for writing purposes, due to the quality of their pens and the relatively higher price, they were often being bought as gifts. With this information, Pen Maker A was able to implement use of the four p’s to reboot their sales. They had the product already, so they looked at promotion. To this effect, they nodded their sensible heads to the fact that their products were often gifts, and redesigned the packaging as an elegant presentation box rather than regular plastic packaging. Next, the price was revised to reflect the quality and the charm of the product. Finally, renewed consideration about place was given as they looked at where would be best to sell the product, after all, a fancy pen in a presentation box wouldn’t exactly fly off the shelves in a school tuck shop, but it would in an upmarket department store, or a fancy stationers. The outcome? You guessed it - sales were rejuvenated and the company trades strongly to this day.

3) Know your competition

Unless you sell hot chocolate to Antarctic penguins, then most businesses will need to strongly consider this marketing principle as one of the first things they do, and then continue to do so at regular intervals. Much success of a business can rest on keeping up and ahead of your closest competition as much as possible, and as the waves of consumerism wash back and forth, you want to make sure you are squarely in the thick of things as much as possible! Cue the tale of Honey Maker A.

Honey Maker A began losing sales and wondered why, but the key reason lay in his marketing department. Honey branding had moved on, ever since vast investment into honey research by the New Zealand government rolled up the garage door and revealed manuka super-honey, which was confirmed as having a number of health benefits. The straight-forward way in which honey had been presented to the public would never be the same again. The new Manuka honey shot up in price and became a luxury item rather than a staple necessity, and realising the change in honey marketing, updated their packaging and presented more ‘exotic’ honeys such as ‘wild clover honey’ ‘Acacia honey’, ‘Scottish heather honey’ and such like.

Honey Maker A however, did not keep up and as a result began to look dated and the very cheap relative price combined with it’s dusty styling make it look like a poorer quality product than it was. Many customers slipped away in the night and tried new honeys, never to return. Only time will tell if fortunes will turn around for Honey Maker A, and if these customers will slip back again.

4) Develop a Communication Strategy

While donning a private detective hat and perching in a tree next to your competitors’ offices might be part of your product or service marketing (this is metaphorical of course!), communication with the public is what most people would think of when you say ‘marketing’, and they’re right. Connection with the public plays just as big a role as any other marketing principle. Communication is like the drive train from the marketing engine to the company wheels, moving the the business forward!

And what forms of communication do we have? Anything you want! Communication strategies cover anything from posters, leaflets, phonecalls, through to Social media and websites. A good robust company identity and branding can go miles in forming an immediately recognisable product or service, so don’t forget to come up with some nice designs and colour schemes! But psst... there are also some cunning but clever tricks you can use to grab attention.

Tourist Attraction A often had leaflets positioned in a number of leaflet racks in tourist centres and public buildings. The problem that they had experienced is that a run of leaflets will be swallowed into the jostling crowd of colours, pictures and text wrestling it out in the rack. For these poor leaflets it’s survival of the fittest amongst this chaos, so Tourist Attraction A’s leaflets got fit: They grew in height, towering above it’s rivals by a good couple of inches, which meant that it was now too big and burly to sit with the mass of leaflets in the middle of the rack. It’s new size meant that it became king, and was throned on the prestigious and by far most visible top row. Placing the new leaflet anywhere else would cover the leaflets behind, so this cunning trick ensured it would always be on the most visible top row.

Tourist Attraction B took a different route, and their leaflet adapted in a different way to survive. From a leaflet’s point of view, it’s easy to be lost in the forest of colours and pictures so Tourist Attraction B got boring, very boring. They implemented a light, flat block colour with almost no design over the entire front of the leaflet. This cunning trick works, because like a gent in a top hat, tails and a monacle attending a rave, it becomes so boring that it is exciting and stands out! The pale block colour acted like a forest clearing in the clatter of images on the rack, naturally drawing the eye towards it.

Similar tricks can be applied for a number of communication styles, but we can’t give away all the secrets! Remember that the Business gateway offers a range of courses and workshops including marketing, so come along and you may just learn more secrets there! But for now, keep in mind that thinking outside of the norm can go miles in making sure your communication is picked up.

So there we have five marketing principles that can help you boost your business, and as we’ve seen, it can make the difference in helping you boost sales or services. Some companies have shown some good use of marketing, and as we’ve also seen through the colourful (and real!) examples, these have often made the difference in helping to revitalise  sales. Business Gateway offers free workshops in marketing, as well as a range of other skills. Visit the website now to see what workshops we have coming up. You may even have the names of the mystery companies used in this article revealed at the workshop...

Click here for a list of upcoming Business Gateway workshops.

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