Links

A bunch of useful links. Be sure to scroll down ↓↓

Useful Links

Immediate use for setting up

Internet Trading

Search for your website name. I use Namesco who always provide great service.

Test drive an autoresponder and learn how to talk to your customers while you sleep. Aweber provide brilliant products I cannot recommend highly enough. I use them for all my mailing lists and newsletters.

Take credit card payments on your website with PayPal. Read more about getting a PayPal Account for your business.

Marketing Links

There is loads of helpful stuff at Robert Middleton’s Action Plan Marketing site. Do join his free mailing list. His blog is great too with links to other good marketing sites.

I recommend a closer look at the Info Guru Marketing Manual - a step by step approach to marketing if you are selling a service and also the WebSite Toolkit - how to put together an attractive website for a service business. Use the links to take a closer look.

Infoguru Marketing Manual
Infoguru Marketing Manual

Have a nose around at LeaveThemInTheDust - library of very practical marketing articles, hints and tips from Paul Gorman.

You also might like Marketing Apple - 5 secrets of the world’s best marketing machine.

Get Help

Jump to the Knowledge Base for briefing notes and articles on Frequently Asked Questions about starting your own business.

Knowledge Base

This Site

The lastest stuff is always on the blog.

Complete product list including the Red Stuff Handbook

The Directory - visit the new websites of other people who’ve been to a workshop

Pick up extra help from the tools page

The “After the workshop” page

Visit the site map for everything on this site

Get your own Terms and Conditions

I used Clickdocs for my first terms and also for my website terms. It's the best way to get terms quickly and far cheaper than employing a solicitor.

How to use LinkedIn

Here is a quick list of useful articles on making the most of LinkedIn. Do let me know if you find any better ones.

Better Than Free…

Sell things that can’t be copied. Read Kevin Kelly’s article on Eight ways to sell things that cannot be copied

Download his book from the downloads page

Raising Money

Remember to download the No-Nonsense Guide To Small Business Funding.

Read the advice at Y Combinator who fund a number of startups each year.

Watch Guy Kawasaki talk about how to make a venture capital pitch in his very funny talk The Art Of The Start. And watch the hyperactive David Rose (The Pitch Coach) give some hard headed advice at TED.

Grab these two audio files, Guy Kawasaki reading from his book The Art Of The Start. Raising Money. How To Pitch.(Right-click to download).

More useful links:

Intellectual Property

HM Government Intellectual Property Office - IPO.gov

Free online patent search - FreePatentsOnline

Business and IP Centre at the British Library

Find Business Insurance

Howden - Professional Liability. Recommended by a previous delegate for their Professional Liability Insurance - aimed at consultants and therapists.

Zurich Business Insurance as recommended by Darren Thomas.

Norwich Union. A new product aimed squarely at the Self Employed. Also Landlords and contents insurance.

Towergate. I use their combined Liability and Indemnity policy.

Lloyds TSB. A comprehensive range of choices.

Alternative Lloyds site aimed much more directly at small business

Barclays. Good, low cost deals for new starters.

Find an accountant

The best way to find an accountant is through recommendation and do remember to talk to at least three.

My accountant is Steve Francis. He gets all his business by referral, a sure sign of a good accountant. Mail me if you want an introduction.

If you have no idea where to start then check out the UK 200 Group who can help you find one.

You might also like to look at the UK company formation service at Formations House I’ve not used them but their service looks very comprehensive.

And might also like to look at the Professional Contractors Group "One Stop Shop" service for setting up a personal service company.

Get business cards

You can order business cards on-line at all of these sites.

Free or low cost cards at Vistaprint.

Slightly better quality and stronger images at Streetcards.

Great quality cards at Moo, and a more basic set of templates at Goodprint

A complete stationery package include business cards at Starting My Business.

Find accounting and cashbook software

Franchising?

Here are some franchise sources that I’ve come across. There is much more at Small Business.co.uk

British Franchise Association - a good place to start. They also offer low cost workshops as an introduction to franchising and their site carries no advertising.

Franchise Magazine - well worth getting hold of if you are thinking about franchising.

Buy an existing business

You’ll find the biggest list of businesses for sale at Daltons Business.com

Try these:

Try these:

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Find suppliers and supplies

Trade magazine aimed at trade buyers (like you!) - The Trader

Trader Magazine frontpage

Other SYOB reference sites

School for StartupsSchool For Startups. Courses and information from Doug Richards from Dragons Den

Small Business.co.uk. A great directory full of helpful articles and adverts aimed at small business.

ByteStart. Another great site full of helpful articles aimed at small business. Lots of practical tips on this site.

Start Up Community A new site aimed at new start ups. Check it out.

From Acorns. Visit the site of the book and look at the toolkit page for a bunch of useful stuff and tips to get off to a flying start.

My Business. General advice for UK startups

Start Up Bootcamp. Run by Business Link. Click through to check on locations.

Start Up Nation. US site with loads of free guides and useful information.

Start Up Donut - UK site run by the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies. Lots of practical startup information.