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Your EnterQuest Bulletin - Issue 231
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| Thought for the week: "In business, the competition will bite you if you keep running; if you stand still, they will swallow you." William Knudsen Junior |
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In this week's issue:
From smallholding to small business for ceramics artist
Sue Sharp was living "The Good Life" when her personal circumstances changed and she gave it up to become a potter and ceramics artist.
Sue, 59, used the £1,000 raised by the sale of animals on her smallholding in the market town of Alston, Cumbria, plus money from an Enterprise Allowance Scheme, to establish her business, Sue Sharp - Ceramic Artist.
"At the time I was into self-sufficiency in a big way, following the ideals set out in the BBC comedy series The Good Life," said Sue.
Sue's initial involvement in ceramics began when she was 16, but she decided it wasn't the life for her.
"I hated it, but when my circumstances changed in 1991, I found it sucking me back in. It worked for me then, because I was able to work from a small studio in Alston. It kept me together, plus it helped to pay the mortgage."
Her first big boost came from another Alston business, Moorlands Dipped Candles (see EnterQuest Issue 225) when its owner Ted Thompson placed an order for candleholders.
On the back of this, Sue established her website, including e-commerce facilities, to sell her products to a wider audience. She also joined other Cumbria-based potters involved in the Potfest initiative, visiting craft fairs around the North West.
At that time, Sue signed the bottom of her pots with the name Alston, to identify where they came from, but some of the best advice she was given was to sign them with her name too - to help with Internet marketing.
"I was told that people using the Internet would look for an artist's name, as well as the name of the place the pots were being produced.
"By putting my name on the bottom of the pots I was able to raise my profile and increase the number of visits to my website, and hence sales."
Now keen to pass on the skills she has learned to the next generation of potters, Sue conducts workshops in local schools, sometimes in collaboration with other artists.
She also operates an open studio policy (as part of a series of events organised by the Alston Craftworkers Co-operative), which enables interested customers to visit her studio in Alston.
Options for processing online payments
Online retailing is a good way of selling to customers without the need for premises. But how do you accept payment for goods? Here's a quick summary of some of the options:
Merchant accounts - A merchant account can be set up with a bank that offers credit and debit card processing services. Customers enter their card details on your website, which are passed by a payment processing service to the bank. The bank authorises the transaction, collects the money from the customer, and credits your account. Merchant accounts can be set up with one of the main banks. Bear in mind that banks operate chargeback policies - where they reclaim money from you - if they spot a fraudulent transaction.
Payment bureaux - These include PayPal (www.paypal.com) or WorldPay (www.worldpay.com). Payment bureaux accept most types of businesses that have a business bank account and an address to confirm their identity. The bureau provides a secure site that enables customers to pay for their goods. It collects payment from credit and debit cardholders using its own acquiring service on your behalf. Payment bureaux are approved by the major banks, and offer total security. You don't need an Internet merchant account if you choose this option.
Do everything you can to reassure customers that their transactions are secure. Ask your Internet Service Provider for information on security measures such as firewalls and password protection.
For more information on payment services see the Electronic Payments website, which has a useful payment options comparison tool, or our practical guide to enabling customers to pay online.
Each week we provide you with summaries of some popular or emerging business ideas in the UK and elsewhere around the world.
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Computer rental/leasing. These businesses are becoming more popular as individuals move away from equipment ownership.
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Organic vending machines. San Diego-based YoNaturals Inc. has come up with YoZone machines which vend organic snacks and drinks to customers. The machines are billed as healthy alternatives to ones filled with fatty and sugary snacks.
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 'intrepid'?
a) a contradictory term in a legal contract
b) lukewarm or disinterested
c) a dislike of taking risks
d) fearless, bold or brave
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) The housing market has been depressed and distorted, a new study by estate agency website Rightmove revealed. What did it blame for the problem?
a) the introduction of Home Information Packs (HIPs)
b) the problems in the sub-prime lending market
c) lack of available housing
d) lenders refusing to approve large mortgages
2) We've heard that cybercriminals are becoming more professional in their attempts to steal our money. Which of these items can be bought online by aspiring hackers, according to security firm Symantec?
a) fake security software
b) hacking lessons
c) phishing kits
d) DIY virus kits
3) Increasing interest in local food has help boost sales of what type of British produce, according to Mintel?
a) cheese
b) apples
c) plums
d) fish
Answers at the end of the Bulletin.
Chip and PIN Guide
This online guide has been produced by card payment association APACS to help retailers avoid Chip and PIN fraud. It includes tips about where you should position your card payment machine and why it's vital to keep everyone informed about any card security issues.
Key XL shortcuts tool
This website lists handy, time-saving keyboard shortcuts for programs of popular operating systems. It includes the likes of Windows applications like Excel and Word, and versions for Macs. It also has HTML editor shortcuts for programs like Dreamweaver. You can search for shortcuts using the software category drop-down menu or the program search box.
Brush up on your e-mail marketing ...
Email Marketing Reports lists hundreds of useful articles and guides to help you boost your knowledge of e-mail marketing, or, if you're a novice, to help you get started. Topics include copywriting, strategies and tactics, best practice and writing e-mails for mobile devices.
... and check your e-mails against spam filters
Mailtester is a free service from Emailcenter UK and is aimed at businesses that use e-mail marketing. Simply fill out the form on the website and you'll receive an e-mail address to send your marketing messages to. Mailtester checks the e-mail content against common spam filter rules and highlights words/phrases that need re-wording.
This book describes the entrepreneurial journeys of 30 people, who each turned their ideas into successful businesses. Questions such as 'what happened first?' and 'where did you find your suppliers?' are put to the entrepreneurs. Their answers could inspire you to turn your idea into a reality. Check out:
Just one word answer
The answer is d).
Intrepid means fearless, bold or brave.
The adventure holiday organiser described the breaks he sold as being suitable for intrepid travellers. |
How's your business radar? The answers
1) The answer is a). Rightmove blamed the introduction of HIPs for houses with four or more bedrooms for causing a dip in the sales of larger houses.
2) The answer is c). Symantec said it had found phishing kits for sale, which allow criminals to set up fake banking websites to steal customers' financial details.
3) The answer is a). Mintel says the amount of British cheese being sold increased by 16% between 2004 and 2006. |
Correction to last week's legal tip (bulletin 230)
The legal tip relating to the Companies Act 2006 published in last week's bulletin stated that as from October 2007 companies will no longer need to have a company secretary. This date was incorrect as the change actually takes effect from April 2008. We apologise for any confusion caused. |
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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. |
