Your EnterQuest Bulletin - Issue 158
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| Thought for the week: "Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it...Success is shy - it won't come out while you're watching." Tennessee Williams |
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In this week's issue:
If
you have any questions about your business idea or target market, or need help tracking down a grant, subsidy or business support
in your local area, then send an e-mail with your query to the EnterQuest
information team and we'll do our best to help.
Send
your question to enterquest@cobwebinfo.com.
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To
access over 800 factsheets, guides and small business reports, go
to www.scavenger.net. |
How to stop being a small business whinger
It's been aptly stated somewhere before that there are two types of people who know nothing about business.
Those people who are in business, and those people who are not.
A great example of this can be illustrated by what is incessantly being said about business regulations and red tape in this country.
Report after report and survey after survey by lobby groups, think tanks (we still haven't figured out exactly what one of those is) and business support agencies claim that the biggest headache for the UK's four million enterprises is the endless red tape and regulations that are strangling them.
Which is rather strange, because in our experience most business owners and managers either don't even know that a lot of these regulations exist, or if they do know about them, they don't understand how to comply with them.
But what's even worse is that they don't lift a finger to find out how to comply or understand what it is that they're supposed to be complying with.
Instead they just twist and whinge about being strangled when they get finally get whacked by the authorities for regulation breaches.
There's no disputing the fact that there are a heck of a lot of business regulations to comply with in the UK. But it's also a fact that this is still one of the least regulated countries in which to run a business.
And although red tape is getting worse, instead of whingeing about it, as a small business owner you've just got to accept it, get your finger out and make sure you're complying with whatever you need to comply with.
If you break the law, the law will break you and your business. It will be nobody's fault but your own.
Whether you're just about to start up, are already trading or are reading this newsletter as one of those people who's in the category of not being in business and knowing nothing about business, try this little test to see exactly how your regulation awareness stacks up right now.
1) Who is responsible for enforcing the Trade Descriptions Act 1968?
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a) The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
b) Your local authority's trading standards department
c) The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
d) The Consumer Protection Council
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2) Which of the following types of businesses are not regulated by the Consumer Protection Act 1987?
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a) Producers and manufacturers
b) Importers into the European Union (EU)
c) Own-brand businesses that have their name on someone else's product
d) Product distributors and wholesalers
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3) According to the Sale of Goods Act 1979, it is presumed that any inherent fault was present in goods at the time of sale if rejection of the goods takes place within how many months of the item's purchase?
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a) One month
b) Three months
c) Six months
d) Twelve months
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4) If you sell goods or services to consumers by 'distance', such as via mail order, over the phone, via the Internet or by fax, the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 provide an unconditional right for the consumer to change their mind and cancel an order (including any credit agreement taken out) within how many working days?
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a) 7 days
b) 10 days
c) 14 days
d) 21 days
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Answers to the questions can be found at the end of this bulletin, but not the answers to your problem if you got most of these wrong.
For more information about each of these regulations, you might wish to check out our explanatory guides:
Market research questionnaires - which technique should you use?
An effective way of collecting focused market data that is relevant to your specific business is to carry out 'primary research' using a questionnaire with your target market.
There are three common questionnaire techniques. The one you choose will depend on the type of customers you are targeting and the information you need. The techniques, and their advantages and drawbacks, are compared in the table below.
Questionnaire Techniques |
Advantages |
Disadvantages |
Personal survey |
- Greater flexibility and control - opportunity to clarify misunderstandings
- Can ask supplementary questions
- High response rate
- Can watch body language as a verbal response
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- Time consuming
- Expensive
- Respondents have little time to think
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Telephone |
- More flexibility and often a higher response rate than post or e-mail
- Reach people who won't give personal interview
- Fast
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- Interviews must be fairly short
- Respondents may have little time to think
- Can't interpret body language
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Postal/e-mail |
- Cheap
- Respondents have time to think
- Objective - there is no interview interface
- Useful when respondent is difficult to contact
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- Possible low response rate
- No flexibility to clarify answers
- Limited information obtained
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Before you use your questionnaire, it is important to test that the questions are easily understood and that the responses are going to give you the information you need.
You can read more about using the right questionnaire technique in our practical factsheet.
Returns policies - the rights and responsibilities of retailers
Under the Sale of Goods Act 1979, where goods are faulty, not as described, or where the seller had no legal right to sell the goods, a consumer may be entitled to a refund and/or compensation, replacement or repair of the goods.
Retail businesses need to bear in mind the following guidelines when producing a returns policy:
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Where the consumer has changed their mind or, for example, bought the wrong size, there is no automatic right of return, except where goods have been sold over the Internet or by mail order, and some items sold to a consumer during a home visit.
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It is incorrect to believe that you can display restrictive notices such as 'Only credit notes will be given against faulty goods', if they are also accompanied by a disclaimer such as 'Statutory rights remain unaffected'. Such notices are illegal and it is a criminal offence to display a notice that is inconsistent with the consumer's rights.
Check out our practical factsheets on consumer legislation and the sale and supply of goods to consumers for more information. You can also see www.tradingstandards.gov.uk for more guidance on this topic.
Each
week we provide you with summaries of some popular or emerging business
ideas in the UK.
Here
is this week's idea:
Regularly improving your vocabulary is not just about learning a new word and its meaning. It will improve your general knowledge and make you feel and act smarter in all sorts of personal and business situations.
Do you know what 'atrophy' means?
a) to reach an agreement through mediation
b) to go back on a promise or pledge
c) to weaken or deteriorate
d) to succeed or impress
Answer at the end of the Bulletin.
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Britain in the EU
(www.europe.gov.uk)
This newly launched website aims to answer questions about the European Union (EU) in an easy to follow format. But how user-friendly and accessible is the site, and how useful is it for businesses? |
Navigation
and presentation - the site is well-presented and features menus that are easy to follow. The homepage is kept fresh through the inclusion of latest news items and publications, and the design is clear.
 
Accessibility - the site is available in text-only format, which is useful because of the number of images it contains. However, there is no assistance with downloading PDF content, and the information is provided only in English.
Content
and usefulness - the site includes some useful tools, such as a plain English quick guide to the EU, a glossary of terminology, information about the euro and practical quizzes to help users of the site assess their own knowledge. The 'EU and me' section also features a worthwhile guide for businesses, providing information about economic policy explained in layman's terms.
Relevance - the news section of the site is patchy, with only about ten stories published so far this year. However, there is also a section featuring recently published white papers and other EU publications, which provides a useful one-stop resource for businesses.
A practical and easy to use site that features plenty of useful plain-talking information, this is a helpful resource for businesses that want to know more about trading in Europe.
Our rating - 14/20
"Stupid" firms are failing at customer service
Small UK firms have been labelled "stupid" for their lack of skill in dealing with their customers. The National Consumer Council (NCC) says businesses are literally throwing away money because they don't know how to treat their customers, who then feel annoyed and alienated. 70% of consumers said they thought business bosses were out of touch with their customers, and half admitted that if they received poor service, they wouldn't complain - they'd simply take their business elsewhere.
Firms aren't prepared for age discrimination "challenge"
Legislation that outlaws discrimination at work on the grounds of age will be a challenge for many UK firms, according to advisory and conciliation service Acas. It says that 80% of firms are not informing their staff about the changes or offering training to implement the new rules. The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 come into force on 1 October. They mean that workers cannot be forced to retire before 65 if they don't want to; people will be able to work beyond 65 if their employer agrees; and employers must give staff six months' notice of their retirement date.
Is downshifting for you?
If you're planning to get out of the rat race and start your own business, or even up sticks and move your firm away from high city rents and car parking charges, you might be interested in National Downshifting Week. OK, so it's too late to take part in this year's events, but all the information you need is still relevant. There is advice for business owners, plus a downshifting 'manifesto' and a planner to help you make that move.
Digest of women's entrepreneurial advice
The Financial Mail Women's Forum brings together news stories and features from the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday and the Evening Standard that are aimed at the female entrepreneur. There's plenty of content designed to appeal to women, such as interviews with business icons, a mentoring scheme, events for women in business, a monthly 'Everywoman' column, and sections for students and shopping. Strangely, there is no equivalent for entrepreneurial blokes.
Finding new ways to make money on eBay remains as appealing as ever, and this book, from the popular 'For Dummies' series, provides a step-by-step account of setting up an eBay business. It takes a jargon-free, straight-talking approach, and covers every aspect of eBay entrepreneurship, from running a successful auction to delivering goods. Best of all, unlike many books about eBay, this one is written exclusively for a UK audience. Check out:
How to stop being a small business whinger - quiz answers
1) The answer was c) - your local authority's trading standards department is responsible for enforcing the Trade Descriptions Act 1968.
2) ALL of these types of businesses are regulated by the Consumer Protection Act 1987!
3) The answer was c) - it is presumed that any inherent fault was present in goods at the time of sale if rejection of the goods takes place within six months of purchase - unless the trader can prove otherwise.
4) The answer was a) - consumers are entitled to a seven-day cooling off period during which they may cancel their order after buying goods via a distance method. |
Just one word answer
The answer is c).
To atrophy means to weaken, deteriorate or otherwise degenerate.
The market for typewriters has atrophied as prices for computers have fallen. |
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Good luck
The EnterQuest Team
This information is meant as a starting point only. Whilst all reasonable efforts have been made, the publisher makes no warranties that the information is accurate and up-to-date and will not be responsible for any errors or omissions in the information nor any consequences of any errors or omissions. Professional advice should be sought where appropriate. |
