Free Training and Advice

Where else can you access a full day of FREE training with business experts who can help you start your own business?

At Start Your Business you will be able to attend a series of free business workshops. These workshops have been specifically designed to help those people who are looking to start their own business and will be delivered by local business experts.

The seminar listing for Start Your Business 2008 at St James’ Park is as follows:

1	Everything you need to know when starting a business (Introduction Taster Session) Time: 10.15am – 11.00am Start your journey to business success with this stimulating “introduction” seminar presented by UK leading business speaker, Malcolm Gallagher. To achieve your goals and dreams you need ideas, thinking and structure and a “route map”. Malcolm will give you his unique five stations “bizmap” with lots of sound thinking and ideas at each station. You can then use and add to this across your day as you visit the stands and attend the other seminars. Your journey to success starts here! The 5 stations on your “bizmap” to business success: The Challenge The Planning Making it Happen Keeping it going And then what!
2	Promoting your Business for under £1 Time: 11.15am – 12.00pm How to make your flyers and brochures stand out in a crowd Business Cards – top tips on content and design From me to you – how to really connect with your customers How to gain free exposure on TV, Radio an Press Powerful networking to boost your new business
3	Networking for success Time: 11.15am – 12.00pm
4	Balancing the books – Accounting for non-accountants Time: 11.15am – 12.00pm
5	Keep it legal – Guidance for new businesses Time: 12.15am – 1.00pm Choosing your business format Sole trader Partnership Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) Limited Company (LTD) Other formats Dealing with Third Parties What to look for in service/supply contracts Preparing your own Terms and Conditions Protecting your assets Trade Mark registration Imposing restrictions on employees Debt recovery and credit control Pitfalls Meeting challenges from your former work place Offending third party intellectual property rights Falling foul of employees Liabilities under guarantee documents Premises Use of own premises Taking a Lease Buying property
6	Show me the money! – Selling with confidence Time: 12.15pm – 1.00pm There are only 2 ways any business can grow, sell more or sell to more people. Whichever ethos applies to your business, you will leave this vibrant, high energy session with tips and techniques you can immediately apply. You will learn: The most common reason why businesses fail to hit their sales target The real reasons your customers buy – you may be surprised Quick tips to instantly build rapport with anyone How to effectively qualify your prospects allowing you to maximise your results in the minimum amount of time How to master the ‘Art of Selling’ so you know when to ask for the business in the most sophisticated way
7	How to plan and build your website Time: 12.15pm – 1.00pm So, you think you need a website but you’re not sure where to start? We’ll guide you through the process in this step-by-step, easy to follow seminar. We’ll touch on all of the areas of consideration from page titles and content, to the functionality you’ll need to make your website work and how to brief a web agency on your requirements. It’s not uncommon for new businesses to get their website wrong first time, making it a burden rather than an asset. This seminar will ensure that you are armed with the information you need to turn your ideas in to a website that really works.
8	Writing and developing a successful business plan Time: 1.15pm – 2.00pm *A Business plan which works* for you** Create a business plan that you can actively use to move your business forward. This session focuses on aims, goals and action. Why have a plan? Don’t be scared its your plan Benefits to you and your business Other interested parties The essential elements What business are you in? What are the goals for your business? How will you success (Strategy and tactics) How much do you want to make (revenue plan) What will you need to spend? (costs) Documentation Working your plan
9	Essential marketing ideas for every start up Time: 1.15pm – 2.00pm Your price is right?? (Spaghetti pricing – perceived quality versus price) Celebrity service (How would you react if a celebrity became a customer?) Surprise, Surprise! (Fantastic ideas to make you memorable) Sex up your text! Competing with competitions (Save a fortune, gain great exposure and increase your database all in one)
10	Recruiting and building a winning team Time: 1.15pm – 2.00pm
11	Motivate yourself to believe and achieve Time: 2.15pm – 3.00pm Going into business can be both exciting and daunting at the same time. Once you embark on the ‘journey’ it takes a lot of self motivation to keep you focussed, driven and successful. Join us for an interactive seminar with case studies on how others have become successful. Attendees will leave with seminar with hints and tips on how to keep themselves motivated, driven and sane when they go into business.
12	Meet the Money – Raising finance for your business venture Time: 2.15pm – 3.00pm
13	How to set up and run a successful business from your own home Time: 3.15pm – 4.00pm Dennis Laverty (Inspired Learning) Inspired Learning have successfully run their own business from ’home’ for 12 years Dealing with the required self-discipline Learning the ‘switch-off’ techniques How to remain self-motivated Dealing with the feeling of ‘being alone’ Dealing with the ‘Bad Days at the Office’ For every key learning point, delegates will be provided with support paperwork for future reference Peter Hammond On 18th September 2003 at 8.35 am Peter Hammond was making a cup of tea. His daughter, rushing out with her mum to school, asked him: “So, how does it feel then?” The only words he could think of were “Scary – but I think it’s going to be fun.” This was the first full day of self-employment and he has thought of a few other words since then. In order to get to that day, a lot of time and effort was involved, and a lot has been learned since. In his presentation, Peter will outline the route he took to running his business from home, the options that were available to him, and the impact of those decisions on the success of his business. Topics covered include:- Why run your own business, and why do it from home? Working out what you are running towards The VAT Office - and other friends to the small business owner Getting advice – and deciding which to take What to do with the family Legal and financial stuff Fixtures, fittings, and filing Meeting places and mail drops Locking the imaginary office door Key questions to check if it is right for you Peter Hammond is a partner in Pet&r, an HR and Training Consultancy based in the northeast but working nationally. He also works as an associate for other national consultancies and has clients in the public, private, and voluntary sectors.
14	Your secret to success – defining your USP (Unique Selling Point) Time: 3.15pm – 4.00pm Identification to exploitation, this seminar will give you the basics of how to use your USP to best effect Capitalising on what makes you unique is one of the most important aspects of marketing, yet it can be one of the hardest marketing tasks to achieve. Identifying what is unique about your offer and then making sure everyone knows it is what will help you develop a clear brand and stand out from the competition. Why do you need a USP? Examples of a USP Defining a USP What do you do with it?
15	Online marketing for your business Time: 3.15pm – 4.00pm It’s a common misconception amongst new businesses that you pay for a website and the business just comes flooding in. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. It is no longer enough to just ‘have a website’ if nobody can find it. With the internet becoming an increasingly important tool for millions of businesses it’s more and more difficult to ensure that your potential customers find you first. This seminar will take you through the basics of marketing your business online. We’ll cover the key subjects of Search Engine Optimisation, Pay Per Click Advertising, Email Marketing and the emerging trends in Conversational Marketing and Online PR. Our seminar aims to inspire you to use the tools the internet provides and be creative when it comes to marketing your business online.

Meet on a One-to-One basis with business experts who can answer your questions.

In addition to the showcase exhibition and the free business workshops, Start Your Business 2008 offers visitors the opportunity to hold one-to-one meetings with experts who can offer help and advice on a wide range of topics. Our Business Advice Clinic gives you the opportunity to bring all of your specific questions about your business idea to our advisors who will help you get the answers you need. Our VAT & PAYE Clinic will give you the best advice on how your company will deal with VAT, PAYE, and other matters.

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