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Your EnterQuest Bulletin - Issue 219
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| Thought for the week: "It is the mark of an educated mind to entertain a thought without accepting it." Aristotle |
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In this week's issue:
Business goes back to the future to fill a niche need
A new small business has gone back to the future to provide a service that was once a common sight in Britain's towns and villages: the mobile grocer.
Sally Chapman runs the Mobile Village Grocer, a new enterprise set up by her husband James and his business partner. It operates across Bedfordshire and parts of Hertfordshire, taking the shop to people who may not be able to get there under their own steam.
Sally said: "It took off extremely quickly. If I'm honest, quicker than I thought it would, especially in certain places."
The team drove around the area, looking for places that had lost shops or where people may have difficulties getting to the shops. A mailshot was sent to parish councils in the area, to inform them of the route and ask whether they had any objections.
"They're really happy," Sally said. "We had a good response."
The mobile shop, which is a van equipped with a fridge, counter and shelves, stocks a broad range of goods. Customers are encouraged to ask for products and Sally also takes orders, which she makes up and delivers to the door.
The ordering service is especially popular at a sheltered housing scheme, where the mobile shop has quickly built up a strong client base. Customers receive an order form through their letterbox and fill in their shopping list.
"Some of them couldn't even walk to the front door," Sally said.
The business also has a website, which lists products and prices, and takes orders either by phone or e-mail.
Sally said: "Initially, [the service] is quite possible to run with one person but it's easier with two if you're providing a service like orders."
The business may be providing a service associated with a bygone era, but Sally and her team are taking a very modern approach to the business.
The enterprise was launched with a bang by former Coronation Street star Bill Ward, who played Charlie Stubbs in the soap.
The modern age is also reflected in the security fitted to the mobile shop.
Sally said: "The vehicle is alarmed and double locked; the windows have grilles on and there are movement sensors inside."
A WEEE reminder
Small business owners are reminded that the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2006 came into force on 1 July 2007.
The WEEE regulations put additional responsibilities on both producers and distributors and aim to reduce the amount of waste electrical goods that are thrown out with household rubbish. Ultimately, it is hoped the regulations will encourage more people to adopt environmentally friendly and cost-effective practices for disposing of waste equipment.
So what duties have been imposed by the Regulations?
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Electrical goods producers (any business that manufactures, imports or brands electrical goods and/or products) must pay for the costs of collecting, treating and recycling waste electrical products and should already have registered with a Producer Compliance Scheme (PCS) in order to do this.
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Distributors (businesses that sell electrical or electronic products) can offer a one-for-one take-back scheme: customers can return their old waste electrical goods free of charge when they buy a similar product.
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Alternatively distributors can register with the Distributor Take-back Scheme. Under this scheme, distributors do not have to operate a one-for-one take-back policy or organise storage of WEEE on-site.
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Distributors that sell own-branded products or import products for sale are considered to be producers of electrical goods and should have registered with a PCS.
More information is available from the Environment Agency or see our useful factsheet on environmental regulations that affect businesses. For further resources, see our recent EnterQuest tip on the Regulations.
Each week we provide you with summaries of some popular or emerging business ideas in the UK and elsewhere around the world.
- Dancewear retail - Shops and websites that cater for dancewear needs, from ballroom and ballet through to tap and jazz. There is also scope for stocking theatrical props and make-up.
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Chauffeur-driven rental cars - Aimed at business travellers, this service provides a chauffeur for the tricky bits of driving - through unfamiliar, busy city centres and crowded roads - so travellers can get on with work before being dropped off at their destinations.
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 the meaning of the word 'malleable'?
a) Rigid or unbending
b) Adaptable, capable of adjusting to changing circumstances
c) Talkative or gossipy
d) Difficult to reason with
Answer at the end of the Bulletin.
The following topical business issues have been recently reported in the media. Did your radar pick them up?
1) Businesses are being warned about a sneaky e-mail being sent by cyber criminals who are trying to infect their computers. What does the bogus e-mail claim to be?
a) A security patch reminder from Microsoft
b) A notification that the recipient has won £2,500
c) A demand from the taxman for monies owed
d) An appeal to help victims of the recent floods
2) Supermarket Waitrose is aiming to boost its green credentials by introducing what product?
a) Biodegradable tins of beans
b) Recyclable cat litter
c) Eggs without packaging
d) Milk in bags
3) Small businesses and University spin-out enterprises are being advised to do which of the following at the same time as registering their business, to help encourage investment from venture capitalists?
a) Assess their impact on the environment
b) Implement an IT security policy
c) Protect their Intellectual Property (IP)
d) Recruit new staff
Answers at the end of the Bulletin.
Competition for disabled entrepreneurs
easyJet entrepreneur Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou has teamed up with a charity to launch a competition to find Britain's disabled entrepreneur of the year. Entrants must have at least a 40% stake in their business, be part of the management team and be officially recognised as disabled. Each business entered must have an annual turnover of more than £10,000 and must not have been running for more than three years. Full details are available from Leonard Cheshire.
New guide for migrant workers
The Trade Union Congress has published a guide to help businesses ensure the safety of their migrant workers. Safety and Migrant Workers: A practical guide for safety representatives, provides advice for safety representatives to help ensure that migrant workers follow health and safety legislation. Language barriers can cause problems for workers with low levels of English and the guide aims to help these workers specifically.
Glossary of marketing terminology
This glossary of marketing terms and concepts can help you get your head around some of the jargon used in marketing factsheets and guides. Click on each term to read a description and access other useful links.
Page ranking tools, blogs and articles
SEOmoz is a web optimisation site offering webpage strength analysis, rank checkers, keyword checkers and more. Users can read a host of free articles on e-marketing and browse blogs for practical tips.
This book looks at egos at work and the harm they can do if left unchecked. It challenges the reader to look at the egos working around them, and reveals how businesses can work better when they exercise self-awareness and self-esteem. The book is also packed with exercises and real-life case studies. Check out:
Just one word answer
The answer is b).
'Malleable' means adaptable, capable of adjusting to changing circumstances.
The owner of the public relations firm rejected the student's job application because she didn't think he would be malleable enough for the type of contracts she had on her books. |
How's your business radar? The answers
1) The answer is a). Cyber criminals are trying to persuade people to click on a link that purports to be from Microsoft, but takes them to a compromised website, where a Trojan horse will attempt to download itself.
2) The answer is d). Waitrose is trialling milk bags in 17 stores and says they use 75% less plastic than milk bottles do, less energy is expended when they're made and they take up less space when disposed of.
3) The answer is c). Small businesses and university spin-outs are being encouraged to register their IP as a form of insurance for the future. |
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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. |
