To be successful in business you must be able to kill a Lion everyday according to that famous business man. Why such strong affirmation? Well, let's take a look at our health. Why do you need to be on your best every and each single day? I assume you know a little about health and medicine and that includes you know that you are deadly attacked everyday by deadly virus and bacterias inside and outside your body, all of them fighting with their life to kill you. They have no choice! If they want to survive they have to attack you.

This behavior is not exclusive for virus and bacterias. In the wild world or in the jungle you can see that all the animals share the same behavior. To eat they must kill and they fight with their lifes everyday and at the end of the day they must be glad to survive once again.

Now returning to business. If you fail and bankrupt probably you will go to the middle of the street. Since people will always choose the best option to spend their money, they will choose the best business and that means that or you fight with your life and with enough strength to kill a Lion or you risk being left behind by your competitor!

So what can you do to be a more aggressive person everyday? What can you do to incease both your physical and mental abilities to be ready to handle one more super stressful day? First of all reduce the amount of sex you have. What!? You may be asking. It just so happens that humans beings need sex, specially men, otherwise they will start to become super aggressive beings. It's just our nature. We need to mate to continue our specie and our body behaves like that. I don't know about your life but try to reduce your sexual activity to only once per week and see the differences.

The next thing to do is to practise a dangerous sport. The amount of adrenaline you will get from risking your body everyday will make all your senses be more aware of the environment and able to make decisions so much faster. I recomend you stunts like these.

Take also special care with all the food you ingest. Make a contract with yourself about eating only top qaulity food and getting rid of all junk food such as fast food and sweeties. I already reduced all junk food and coke to zero. All I eat is healthy food from now on and I intend to continue like that if I want to continue to be good at sports.

Finally get a good night and middle of the day sleep. Sleeping huge amounts of time is not generally good for health. It's so much better to take a little nap in the afternoon than sleeping an entire night. I never ever sleep more than five hours per night but I always sleep at least 30 minutes in the afternoon.

Good luck in business and take care!

This new drive has seen small to medium scale industries being created and run by ordinary Zimbabweans who previously did not dream of owning or running a business. While five years ago, people would jostle for jobs at factories in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second city and industrial hub, these days the slogan is: "Create your own job" and contribute to national development.

Government figures show that about 80 percent of the Zimbabwean economy is in the hands of small businesses, i.e. small farmers, small miners, small producers, small exporters and small marketers. All of these people combined form a big part of the economy.

The small to medium enterprises (SME) sector has grown to become one of the biggest employers in Zimbabwe, particularly at a time when employment within the formal sector has shrunk rapidly.

According to estimates from the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, at least 70 percent of Zimbabwe's working population is employed in the informal sector. This figure could rise as more and more people are developing their entrepreneurial skills through vocational training so as to be able to venture into product-manufacturing businesses.

Two young men in Bulawayo have demonstrated that building a successful business enterprise does not require one to have a Masters in Business Administration or plenty of capital, but sheer determination and focus.
The two, Derrick Dube and Easy Kazeze both aged 24, have been running a successful artifacts business along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge road, one of the country's busiest highways.

What started off as a hobby for the two young men in their backyards has turned out to be a vibrant business enterprise, earning their families much-needed income. Made from a special type of reed grass, their household range of products e.g. bar stools, hanging chairs, ornaments etc which are in demand locally are now finding their way onto the export market.

My success is a result of hard work and determination after years of suffering. I could not get a job because I didn't have any qualifications, in the end a friend convinced me to venture into business and become my own employer, said Kazeze.

This was not the case for his business partner, Dube, who was retrenched from a brick-making firm three years ago, when the company streamlined its activities following a dip in the construction business. "I toiled for years, trying to find another job, but companies were not employing anymore".

"I never really thought I could do something for myself, starting a business was never in my mind. I loved art so much and during my spare time, I used to make small ornaments which I displayed in my home. I never thought, this could be a talent that I could explore and develop," said Dube. Now, with a monthly turnover of around Z$55 million, the business has given their families a lifeline.

What makes their business enjoy so much success is the uniqueness of their products and the artistic flair exhibited in their designs. "We receive a lot of orders from visitors to the country, this way our products have attracted a lot of foreign customers. We get orders from as far as South Africa, Zambia and Botswana, this has helped us a lot," added Dube.

The business has also received a lot of support from locals who order products in bulk for sale throughout the country. The business has enabled the owners to buy equipment such as welding machines and it has also generated employment for three youths. "Our wish now is to expand our business and diversify our product range, but to do that we need capital," said Kazeze.

This is one of the major hurdles faced by local entrepreneurs trying to develop their businesses. The majority of small businesses are hamstrung by a lack of adequate financing, particularly in the absence of collateral security.

Government has however promised that it will do everything in its power to nurture and grow the small to medium scale sector. It has so far this year allocated a total of $55.4 billion in loan facilities to support small to medium enterprises. More than 3000 jobs have been created and a further 2000 sustained.

Addressing mourners at the national heroes acre recently, President Mugabe said "apart from a revolving fund for SME"s, Government was determined to establish bigger markets for locally produced goods'. He said, in order to equip business owners with the requisite skills that would enable them operate effectively; training in various business management programs was in progress in all the country's provinces.

Right now, around the world restaurants owners are victim of limited professional chefs, not to mention maintaining a full kitchen crew. The pleasure of working in a good, no great kitchen has seemed to diminished, questionable facilities and low salary expectations are what are expected these days, leaving a chef with little value in what they do.

As a ex restaurant chef,and one of the two owners of Chef Chop Chop Entertainment, my vision and maybe the solution is to refine and unite, owners, chefs and patrons.

Bring back the value and roots of good food dining. The reality, in the back stage world of food in North America and so more countries.

Clients are Number One, but consideration must be made for the Chef and the staff. A chef is not hired for his quality but for tool productions, only to produce, without time to create, or time for quality placing emphasis on quantity for money and profit. A chef is an artist, an artist in the kitchen, his creation are the wonder meals he prepares

But how can one create with such stringent structure, stifling environments. Today's hectic life style, requires less undue stress, but the system push people to consume pills, too many, and for no reasons, other than instant gratification, some sort of magic elixir.

Natural and healthy meals are just one alternative, and making time to eat, so to replace the pills by good food.

Where are we going?

Pills and chemicals are so destructive to your body. More people are choosing alternative and preventive medicines.

It is time for a change.

We need to revalue the Chef Title. One can not become a chef in a day.

However, questions have been raised concerning the potential of the emerging industry since the country does not appear to have adequate infrastructure already in place; it is also likely to face strong competition from already established centres such as Antwerp and London.

Botswana is the source of about 25 percent of the $13.1 billion worth of rough diamonds produced in the world each year, diamonds account for about 70 percent of the country's export earnings.

Marking the celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the Jwaneng mine which is the world's richest diamond mine, President Festus Mogae revealed that his country wants to become a diamond trading centre, comparable to the likes of Antwerp.

President Festus Mogae

Kago Moshashane

He noted that "out of the 16 cutting and polishing diamond companies which have been issued with licenses, only six of them are operational. He said companies have cutting and polishing facilities in places such as India and Israel, there is a need to include Botswana as one of the viable centers". He added that "while the country cared about its own diamond industry, it also cared about the international diamond industry".

Speaking on his return from the Antwerp Diamond Conference held in Belgium recently, the Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources "Kago Moshashane" supported the view that Botswana has the potential to become the next diamond cutting and polishing centre.

He said that "the country is going to trade at least US$500 million of its aggregated supply and that the balance will continue to be channeled to established markets such as Antwerp".

He expressed confidence saying that "as for our ability and capacity, the massive infrastructure that we are putting in place and the training of personnel that the country is carrying out speaks for itself. Other centres have their own well established markets for jewelery, it is unreasonable for any of them to feel threatened by the emergence of Botswana as an additional diamond trading hub".

It is now commonplace to find items made from cane in a wealthy persons home and also in restaurants, hotels and places of attraction.

Cane is derived from a type of palm plant, the stem of the plant is solid, strong and flexible, this makes it ideal for use in the manufacture of furniture, baskets and other woven products. It is easy to work with, requiring only simple tools and low-cost machines. Eighteen species of the plant can be found in Cameroon, however only three species have the required diameter, fibre wall thickness and density of fibrous tissue that make them most suitable for commercial use.

The increased demand for cane based products is proving to be a boon, many jobless Cameroonians are turning to the trade as a means of earning a living.

In Douala, those who design such products are clustered in different parts of the town, their goods are clearly displayed to attract customers.

24 year old Nwanawasa Paul has been involved in the trade for the past 7 years, he was previously jobless and got involved as a means of trying to earn a living, he soon discovered he had a natural ability with cane. We caught up with him to find out a bit more.

AG: What do you manufacture and what are the materials and processes you use?

NP: I produce chairs (sets), tables, baskets, cupboards and other general items, I use cane/ rattan to construct them. Larger sections of cane are used to create the frame and for strength while smaller pieces are interwoven to provide definition and beauty.

I use steam to bend the cane rather than a blowgun as it reduces discoloration and tarnishing through scorch marks. I then bleach the finished products to obtain uniformity of colour, this is especially important when cane from different species are used to make a product. I sometimes dip the cane in kerosene; this provides protection against insect attack. When I use varnish I apply it in two coats, I usually sand lightly before adding the second coat, this ensures an even and long-lasting finish.

AG: What is the profile of your customers?

NP: It varies, I have customers from all walks of life, both private and trade e.g. wholesalers and exporters, although exporters are the most difficult to come by.

AG: Why are exporters difficult to reach?

NP: The truth is I am not very well connected so I find it difficult to reach them.

AG: What other difficulties do you face?

NP: Rain, during the rainy season my activities are greatly interrupted. I can come up against material scarcity due to the fact that suppliers are also hindered by the rains.

AG: Do you work in collaboration with others?

NP: Yes, I need the expertise of a tailor who sews cushions, I also engage with carpenters who supply me with wooden components that I incorporate into some of my designs.

AG: Is business very good?

NP: The products I produce sell at between 2.5 - 500 pounds. I only know if I have made a profit at the end of the year when I prepare my yearly accounts.

AG: What is your goal?

NP: There are many. I dream of having a big factory that supplies wholesalers and exporters. In order to expand my business, I plan to seek the financial assistance of government and other organisations that promote small and medium size enterprises.

AG: Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.

In Cameroon, cane is considered an "open-access" resource that can be collected from forests, there are very few laws regulating its harvest and state control often does not adequately monitor its exploitation. Increasing urban growth has led to developments that are encroaching on forests and high demand for cane products has led to the threat of over-harvesting of the resource; this can lead to poor quality cane stems being used and thus inconsistent quality of products.

Cane is important at many levels in local communities, its exploitation through the cutting and trading of raw cane for transformation into goods, can occupy up to about 35 per cent of a households time. As it can be harvested all year round, it provides valuable cash income for much needed school fees and medical expenses

Cane is one of the most important non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in Cameroon. The gathering, selling and processing of it has many advantages and can help forest dependent people lift themselves from the margines of poverty.

Some women confide in a colleague, work friend or Manager at an earlier stage, enabling them to have someone to confide in, or share concerns with, it is always advisable to keep this news in the strictest confidence until you are happy to ‘go public’. Once you wish to go public, it is important that your employer (boss) is informed in writing. Included in this correspondence needs to be only basic information (remember, a bit like health issues, you are entitled to privacy). Let him know your EDD (estimated delivery date), your anticipated leaving date, and try if you can to give a rough plan of how long you intend to be off. This is not mandatory at this stage, but it helps all concerned if you have some kind of plan.

Health & Safety

No matter what your line of work may be, or how big or small your company is, it is vital that you and your employer (or a representative of the company), carry out a ‘risk assessment’ at the earliest possible convenience. It is not always the case that those exposed to radiation, or those that lift heavy weights are most at risk of harming their unborn babies. What about those that work ‘unsocial hours’ and are prone to getting tired, or the lady who does a lot of traveling and stands or sits for lengthy periods?

Every role no doubt carries some degree of risk, albeit small, so it is essential that you use the risk assessment as a way of identifying, highlighting and documenting any areas of concern, and ensure these are dealt with to your satisfaction.

If for example you work at heights as a large part of your role, this would be inadvisable for a pregnant woman, therefore would need to be avoided at all costs. If your employer is unable to find you suitable alternative work, then he/she must suspend you on full pay until such times as a role is found, or if necessary, it is time to commence your maternity leave.

You and your unborn baby are the most important people in the equation, and don’t let anyone tell you different.

Did you know you are even entitled to additional ‘rest breaks’ over and above your usual contracted break times? You can go and have a lay down if you need a rest?

This is why it’s important to do your homework, and be armed with the facts about your pregnancy rights, you will be pleasantly surprised!

Breastfeeding women must be provided with a private room in order to feed or express milk - this must not be in or near a toilet facility.

Once the risk assessment has been carried out, it is important you keep a copy. This will then form the foundation of your safety throughout the pregnancy, and it is vital that this is reassessed, and re-documented at intervals throughout your remaining time at work. As you get bigger, and less able, things that you could do at 15 weeks, may not be as easy at 30 weeks!

A risk assessment is a legal obligation of every employer.

Ante-natal appointments

One benefit of being pregnant, is that you are legally allowed to take as much time off as is required to attend ante-natal appointments, classes and any commitment relating to your pregnancy. Where possible it is important that you inform your employer in good time if you are going to be absent for whatever reason. Some employers may insist that you show proof of appointments, such as hospital letters and such like, it is their right to request this.

Sickness absence during pregnancy

For whatever reason, during pregnancy it may be necessary to be absent from work due to sickness. This may or may not be pregnancy related, but it is your right to have this time off, as it would be if you weren’t pregnant.

You can be subject to similar disciplinary actions if you do not follow existing sickness policies, however your employer cannot penalise you any more, because you are pregnant. If you become unwell and require time off from 36 weeks gestation, your employer can request that you commence your maternity leave early (if for example you were not due to finish until 37 weeks).

Be aware that any pregnancy related sickness can affect your maternity benefits, so keep to a minimum where possible. If for example you have a problem that is likely to remain with you until the birth, your G.P may need to provide you with a letter or certificate to verify this. Always use your GP and Midwife as support mechanisms.

Preparing to leave work

The long awaited day is nearly upon you, and you are counting the weeks until you can finally put your feet up and start ‘nesting’. Make sure you don’t leave preparations for your departure until the last few days, or even weeks, as many pregnancies can be unpredictable, and you may need to leave sooner than you anticipated.

Without adding any undue pressure to yourself, ensure that your ‘stand-in’ has all the necessary information they require, to step into your shoes, and make it clear that you will not be on hand to offer any help whilst you are off, so make sure they are clear on everything before you hand over the role!

Ensure that colleagues help you out as much as possible, often our memories as well as our bodies are significantly affected in the latter stages of pregnancy, so if people offer help, take it. Make lists, leave notes, and ensure that email/telephone contacts are aware of your leaving day, so that they don’t leave work for you right up until the last minute.

Clear your desk over a period of days, rather than on the last day, as for many women the ‘finality’ of this can be quite overwhelming. It can be a strange feeling to think you are going to be away from your close friends, colleagues, and for some your ‘safety net’, for a lengthy period of time, so ease out gently.

Keeping in touch

Once you’ve left the ‘madhouse’ that you call work, you will no doubt be glad to see the back of the responsibility for a time. Once you have left, and during the time leading up to the birth, only make contact with your employer if you choose to do so. You are not obliged to do this.

On the birth of your new arrival, your partner, or a family member may wish to inform your employer on your behalf. Again, it is entirely your choice whether or not to do this.

In the months that you are off following the birth, you may decide to resume gentle contact, in a non-work related manner. Depending on their employment role, some women choose to attend ‘keeping in touch days’ whereby they can ease back into their role gently in the months or weeks leading up to their return to work.

You can decide how or if you wish to do this, for example attending your place of work for half a day per month, or a day per week, but no more than 10 days in total.

If you choose to do this, your employer is obliged to pay you, at your usual rate of pay, and this is allowable additional to your ‘Statutory Maternity Pay’ (SMP).

If you choose to extend your maternity leave, over and above your planned return date, you must inform your employer no less than 8 weeks before the original return to work date. This must be submitted in writing.

Failure is defined as “lacking or insufficient; to fall short” according to Webster's New World Dictionary (1980). A study provided by the Business Information Tracking System (BITS) shows that half of new small businesses survived beyond four years According to Characteristics of Business Owners (CBO) of those that did close approximately 1/3 were successful when they closed their doors. Closing a business is not synonymous with failure. The Business Information Tracking System (BITS) reports that of those that closed their doors, many followed a planned exit strategy in that they did not leave the business owing large amounts of money, and most either sold the business and or retired. According to the Small Business Association and the Wall Street Journal (taking sole proprietorships out of the equation) about 80% of all new small businesses succeed after 4 years.

Money Matters

It takes money to make money. So if you have no money there is no hope of owning your own business? Here are some ways to stay within the budget and control costs:

• Location - If at all possible choose a business that you can start from home or by sharing a small office space with someone else until your business takes off
• Research - The internet is such a wonderful place to find information. Look into similar businesses and try to discover their strengths and weaknesses, also be aware of the number of businesses which provide the service you would to market. Is the area already saturated with this type of business, or is there a real need? You want to compete successfully. Also research your own motives and objectives. Do you have the drive, knowledge, skills and motivation that you need to succeed?
• Product or Service - If at all possible provide a service as opposed to a product. This will save on inventory costs. If you are determined to sell goods, try using a consignment service or purchasing from a liquidator to fray costs.
• Personnel - Having a staff increases expenses tremendously. If possible hire personnel on a project to project basis or commission only. Another possible method of payment would be to allow your staff to buy into the equity of the business. This would mean they believed in your venture, and would be more encouraged to see you succeed. This is a great staff motivator.
• Equipment - Check the papers for companies that are either liquidating or remodeling. Sometimes equipment can be purchased for a fraction of the cost. There are also sites such as Freecycle where people place items no longer wanted on a board. There is no cost involved for acquiring these products.
• Legal and Accounting Service - Not only are there workshops provided by the Small Business Administration, but some attorneys and accountants will waive fees temporarily to assist in your start up. Your banker is also a good source for financial information. Many banks also provide free checking to the small business owner.

Job Market/Unemployment Rate

Not many jobs are created by the small businesses. During 2003, which is the most recent year available for this data, small firms created 1.99 millions jobs, while large firms consisting of 500 or more employees lost 995,000 jobs. This information is provided by the SBA Office of Advocacy.

Economical Contribution

Small firms are not contributing much to our economy. Again we have statistics from the Small Business Administration to dispute our rumor. There are some sectors of our economy where small businesses comprise the majority of that field, for example photo finishing, dry cleaning, laundry services, construction, and machinery repair to name a few. Here small businesses make up 80 % of the United States market.

Healthcare

Small businesses do not provide their employees with health care. While it is true, small businesses are not afforded the opportunity to pay the lower costs in health care, the facts are that 48% of businesses with 250 employees or less are still offering their employees health care.

There is an effort to alleviate the difference of costs going on currently by the National Federation of Independent Business. Their site offers more information regarding their health care lobby.

So for those of you who are contemplating opening your own business, do your homework, do not believe everything you hear, and good luck. Send me your business card.

Your mind starts blanking out at times

Thoughts may start blending together or there may be “holes” in your thinking. You may go on “auto-pilot,” and do things without thinking about them until later. That can be dangerous, especially if you're operating a car or hazardous machinery. Being sharp and having a clear mind is important for most jobs. By taking breaks and making sure to get adequate sleep, you can recharge your mind and feel better in general.

Sitting in a bad chair can ruin your back

If you spend all your waking hours sitting in a chair that doesn't support your spine correctly, you can end up with spinal deterioration and problems. I'm living proof of that. Day in and out, I sat in a lovely looking leather executive chair. It was more about looks than comfort, and looked great behind my desk. My back hurt a little here and there as I worked but I shrugged it off and kept working. One day, when trying to get up; there were powerful, shooting pains down my left leg and spine. It made me unable to move or even walk and was the strongest pain I'd ever felt. Weeks later, when I was able to walk enough to get to the doctor by taxi (driving was impossible with the problem), it was diagnosed as sciatica. I went home with a bunch of very strong painkillers and steroids.

Physical therapy only aggravated the nerves in my back so I had to lie flat, for nine very long weeks. Reading up on the condition, I found out that sitting in a bad chair can cause spinal compression, pinching the nerves and causing spine problems like mine. So, I bought all sorts of pillows to sit on and a better chair, which adequately supports my lower back and neck. The pains are gone now, but learn from my pain and make sure to remember that sitting too long can cause big troubles. I sit less now, to prevent further back problems later. The nerve center for your whole body is back there, and if the spine goes out of whack, you will feel pain that is severe beyond comprehension.

Personal Life Suffers

Working to make a better life for the family is a noble goal. But, when it takes you away from home too much, it may make your spouse and children miss you. Schedule quality time for family into your busy life, to keep everyone happy. This can be a touchy subject for some, but remember, life isn't as satisfying if you don't take time to stop and enjoy it with those you love. Everyone needs to bend a little, and create a happy medium. By doing this, marriages and bonds with children are strengthened. Work is important, but time with family is priceless. Enjoy those kids as they grow, soon enough they'll be independent and out on their own. Make sure to appreciate time you have with them while they're still home with you.

If, like me, you tend to overwork, try to at least stop and rest your mind here and there during the day. This will give you a mental time out and help you to focus more. Eating right, and otherwise being good to yourself is a must, too. Don't let your mental or physical health suffer. Go with the flow, and the work will be there for you when you return. It always is.

1. Some telemarketing companies put you through extensive testing procedures to see if you could pass their grades before they put you out on the floor. I liken this to academic studies. They may get a very good indication of a person's ability to perform but if the level of passing is a ninety and you pull an 88 average, does that mean the employer should wipe you off their employment list?
   This is a form of harassment that causes unnecessary stress when the employee has not even set foot on the sales floor. He may have had difficulty surfing for customer information and had a slow start but why should that be a barometer to how he will perform on the floor when he will become more familiar with surfing the sponsored sites and get information out to the client. Potential employees should explain their objection to being tested and then possibly rejected before the training occurs to avoid the stress.
2. Another telemarketing company would advertise training for two weeks when actually training was not more than an hour and the agent was left to his own devices before having a chance to listen into calls three days later. Once the agent was hired, by the way, what appeared to be fourteen dollars an hour during the training period would go down to ten if the person had to be absent
   Here potential employees should check out the pay parameters before employment to see if the offer in the ad matches the reality of the job place. He may use this to bargain over the pay especially if there is a yearly salary involved.
3. The trainer may have a haphazard way of training, accusing the agent of being argumentative and discrediting the owner. If the trainer is looking for excuses to throw the agent out, like accusing him of arguing with the potential client when there was only a singular rebuttal then he is doing very well. Of course the agent should listen politely to his superior to avoid any friction. The agent listened to the manager himself, who used rebuttals, himself in reference to promoting web hosting by saying that hard copy phone books were becoming less popular than on-line web assistance. Evidently the manager's rebuttal was not argumentative but the agent's was.
   This situation is a bit tricky. If the potential agent sees that the trainer is looking for bogus accusations or talks a mile a minute to explain web hosting and then accuses the agent of creating discord when he has not even completed his training to test different rebuttal techniques, then the agent should not start altogether. The manager's extra quick pace is a clear indication of his dislike to be fair to newcomers who are unfamiliar with his program. Training has to require listening in and fair monitoring not exaggerated comments that are totally untrue such as accusations of leaving too much dead space between spoken lines on the part of the agent. The telemarketer that is going to succeed has to talk incisively without creating doubt in the potential buyer. Some people are born with the ability to talk smoothly while others need to acquire this.
4. Agents should also look at the work conditions before even coming on board. If the manager smokes in his office, open to the telemarketers, that is against the law and should be reported to the local labor commission. Other conditions would have to be continually exposed to stereo music that interferes with your ability to hear the customer.
   Here the agent should have understood that if he minds breathing in secondary smoke in the managers office, he is going to breathe in a lot more once he starts working. He is going to have to concentrate on the potential sale and not on the surrounding noise or smoke if he will make any headway.
5. Years ago I had the disadvantage of not knowing how to prospect the internet for potential clients. This problem can still exist for new employees especially when being hired by companies that pressure you into hitting top paying accounts. Other agents coming from marketing backgrounds had had some experience and were able to get good accounts to begin with but if you were not wise, you could spend vital time with small accounts that would not purchase regularly because of their lower turnover.
   Here the prospective agent should gain as much experience surfing the internet for business accounts especially if the potential employer expects you to deepen accounts early.

In this assignment I will be setting up my own business that can be run within the local area of New Mills in Derbyshire and in the area of the school. The business I will be setting up will provide a service rather than a product. In this assignment I will be outlining the legal requirements that must be followed in order for your business to be legitimate and legal. Competition in the local area must be identified in order to compete in the local community and to ensure that the business can be as successful as possible. The legal format of the business needs to be decided upon, for example should we be a sole trader, a partnership or a limited company? I think that the legal format of my business should be a partnership, as I am practicing business in a group. This will be explained further on in my assignment. I will need to highlight why I have chosen this legal format and whether it is justified, for the business.

I will be identifying the sources of finance and help and advice that may be accessible to the business owner. I will outline how to financially manage your money successfully so that we are not missing a penny. I will be defining start up costs and running costs and what they are and what the start up costs and running costs of my business will be.

To make a profit is the reason why people set up in business so I will identify why it is important that my business must make a profit. I will be providing examples of cash flow forecasts and how they may be a weakness and showing what break-even charts are, as I will produce this information from the business that I create and run in order to write this assignment.

My business idea

Before you start a business it takes months of careful planning and negotiations before you can actually set out to do your aims and objectives. First of all I must brainstorm business ideas of what service our business may include. I must identify the aims and objectives of the business and the mission statement in order to clearly define the business plan. Below is a diagram showing the ideas that I had for my business activity:

Garden maintenance Service.
Dog walking service
Valentines day messaging service
Child minding service
Brain storm
Cleaning service
Escorting service
Home work service
Car washing service

Having considered all of my ideas and deciding that I will undertake a lot of research both primary and secondary and remembering that what I am doing must sell a product and/ or a service, I have chosen to do a Valentine Day Messaging Service. I have chosen to run my business in the couple of weeks leading up to the time of the 14th of February (Valentines Day) 2007, this gives me five months to gather myself and establish as a business.

I am going to do a valentines card messaging service where students/ pupils can pay a certain amount of money to have a card delivered to another member of the school. I will be making the cards with specific designs that make them attractive to my target market. I have chosen this plan for my business because it's a popular attraction to the youth of today, valentines for some is an important time, people feel the need to splash out on gift and cards for their loved one. I plan to also diversify to suit the needs of my customers. What I will diversify into will depend on the market research that I will conduct, in order to identify other gaps in the market and increase profitability.

I have also chosen this business because of the time scale. I don't want to be too restricted in my time, as this type of business plan needs to be planned carefully for it to be a success, also the time I have, has given me sufficient time to conduct a fully flourished market survey and to analyse the opinions of my target audience and identify the gaps in the market.

The other business ideas that I had were not as realistic they would have had to have been operated outside of the school in a market that hard to gain access to and I could have potentially lost out on certain aspects and the needs of the market. As there are approximately 700 pupils in the lower school and an estimate of 180 students in the sixth form who come every day, you have a better chance of successfully advertising your service or product because they will see it repeatedly as they walk the next scheduled lesson. The School is a good place to do business as it would be easier to conduct market research and easier for your target market to get hold of your product or use your service.

In market research, companies have two types of data in research and they are primary and secondary data. How you obtain the data on your market research depends on what type of information you use. I have used primary research, which involves a lot of interaction with the target market. Secondary research, which is also known as “desk research” involves using data that has already been created or provided by one of the following:

Government statistics
Market research companies, e.g. Gallop
Newspapers
The Internet

The advantages of this market research are that the information is already available and it is cheap and also you can find out what other competitors are doing, but this information may be out of date and difficult to make sense of. And the information may not be relevant. To avoid this, primary research is done also known as field research and this information that is newly created and can be collected either by research firms, i.e. Gallup and Mori, or can be collected by the firm itself. There are lots of ways that you can conduct field research and they are as follows.

• Test marketing
• Surveys
• Observation
• Consumer panels
• Questionnaires
• Interviews
• Electronic (EPOS)
• Postal
• Face to face
• Telephone
• Open ended
• Group interviews
  

The advantages of this kind of research are that you obtain the information you want; the information is up to date and the competitors will not have this information but this information is expensive, is difficult to obtain and takes longer to obtain.

In order that I can decide whether my idea will be feasible I have decided that I need to conduct some market research. The market research that I will conduct will be primary. This consisted of a questionnaire made up of specially selected questions that may draw the answer we want from the pupil. I have decided that this is the most appropriate due to the nature of the business I am intending to set up. Also because the target audience that I want to attract to buy my service are within our school community, therefore it is important that I gain the views and opinions of the younger students within school. We put together a questionnaire for our market research, which consisted of the questions that you see below.

Questionnaire

How much would you pay for a Valentines Day card?


£1.00 £1.25 £1.50 £ 1.75

How much extra would you expect to pay for the valentine card to be delivered



25p 50p 75p £1.00

What year group are you in? (Please circle)


Yr7 yr8 yr 9 yr10 yr11 6th form

What would you buy them for Valentines Day?

Cards jewellery

Chocolate teddy's

Roses other

Perfume

If you have picked other, please will you state your answer______________

Our target market is the year nines in our school. I found that I naturally aimed this questionnaire at the year nines as they may be experiencing a first love and are new to the giving of presents to loved ones. We are selling valentines cards aimed at both male and female and also year nines are our target market as they hang around in one big group in the library. We asked about 60 pupils 30/male 30/female, questions from our questionnaire, forty-one pupils said they would pay a pound for a valentines card, four said they would pay one-pound twenty-five, eight said they would pay one pound fifty and seven said they would pay one pound seventy five. We then asked them how much extra they would pay for a delivery service and sixty pupils said that they would only pay twenty-five pence for the charge of the delivery service of the cards given the choice, they also said given the choice they wouldn't pay anything for the delivery they would have it all included in the price. So I took this onboard and decided to include delivery in the price.

Tally Chart.

In order that we could analyse our results it was necessary for me to construct a tally chart as this clearly displays the responses that I have gained form the students who completed our questionnaire.

Question

Answer

Tally out of 60

How much would you pay for a Valentines Day card?

£1.00

£1.25

£1.50

£ 1.75

41

4

8

7

How much extra would you expect to pay for the valentine card to be delivered

25p

50p

75p

£1.00

50 pupils said 25p

2

5

3

What year group are you in?

Yr7

Yr8

Yr 9

Yr10

Yr11

6th form

11

6

28

3

8

4

What would you buy them for Valentines Day?

Cards jewellery

Chocolate teddy's

Roses

Perfume

Other

32

0

0

6

18

1

3

3 people said that they would cook a meal for their “loved one”

Graphs

In this Graph I have comprised the results into a pie chart above, it tells you that majority of people would pay a pound for a valentines card

In this Graph I have comprised the results into a pie chart above, it tells you that majority of people would pay a pound for a valentines card

How much would you pay for the delivery of a valentine's card?

This graph above consists of how much the paying customer would pay for the delivery of the valentine's card. Most people would only pay 25p for the delivery but it came out in conversation in my one to one market research that they would rather have the delivery of the card in with the price of the card.

This graph above shows how many people from different year groups have an interest

in the service I am providing. This means that the majority of my customers are in year nine (3rd year)

This graph shows what kinds of things the customers would buy for their valentine bearing in mind that most of the customers will more likely be in year nine (3rd year)

In the Key, people who said other said they would cook a meal.

Analysis

I have analysed through the graphs that my target market is year nines and the products they would be more likely to buy will be valentine's cards and roses and they would only pay one pound for the card and the delivery service of the valentine's cards. So I have determined what the market in the school want and identified that there is a gap. And I also came to an initial decision on the place where I will sell my product, which will be in the library. I think that selling both valentines cards and roses would be a little too much to handle so we have decided that we will only sell the valentines cards

The Name of my Business.

The next stage in my business once I have chosen our service is to choose an appropriate name for my business. I have decided to do a brainstorm on the different types of names for my business this information is below,

Valentines
Messaging service
Be my valentine
Card delivery service
Secret valentine
Service
Valentine spy
Brainstorming
Ideas for business name.
Valentines anonymous
I spy a valentine
Kings cards valentine delivery service
Crowns cards valentine delivery service

I have decided to use the name Crowns Cards Valentine Delivery Service. The reasons for me choosing this particular title is that its catchy, and using words that are strongly linked with royalty make you feel like this will be a royal service. The language used in the title is alliterated using the sibilance of the C at the beginning of the first and second word and the S at the end of both of them. Having these carefully chosen words allows me to colour code my product or service. I can select a number of colours that relate to royalty for example purple's and blues and reds. The title, because of alliteration, will stick in my target audiences mind and that is a good advantage to the supplier, as they will get recognition. The word crowns makes you think of bright, colourful and wealthy prospects and associates the service with good living an a rela-a-a-xing life. Associating this service with such things as royalty will create recognition. The recognition will come through advertising, which is why the name is important because it could influence the colour co-ordination of the logo's, poster's and the Valentines cards and could be a crucial point of your sale of the service or product. The name must stand out and put the message across of what my business is about in abbreviated terms.

The reasons that I did not choose the other business names were because of the reasons that follow.

Valentines messaging service- this name was in my opinion too plain and would not be remembered by its onlookers.

Be my valentine delivery service- was too poetic and may be too girly and I want a good mix of male and female customers.

Valentines anonymous- I then looked at the more secretive side of Valentines Day and decided that this title was too closely related to the title of classes, in which people who have problems go to, for example, smokers anonymous. I didn't want my target market to feel like they have a problem

Secret valentine service- I then got back to the idea of the experience being a service that is publicly used and secret if you want.

Valentine spy- then I created this title, which makes the customer feel like it's a more personal service and mischievous and all kids like mischief. This title could possibly create suspicion between people and provoke action to use the service.

I spy a valentine- I then realised that the target market consists of mainly Kids, I then began to wonder about children's nursery rhyme's and the game called, I spy. And thought that if I incorporate this theme it is almost as if the person who reads it is saying it and it puts the idea of looking for a special valentine into the young ones head. But this title felt too young for my target market.

King's cards valentine delivery service- I then started thinking about reputation of the service and of certain qualities about the service that make it quite respectable and honourable. I wanted people to feel like people who use the service will be treated royally and have fun using the service.

There are many people who get into business every day and start up in business and there can be many reasons for this. To identify them in motion is circumstantial so here is a list of the different reasons for people setting up in business.

To have more control over your working life.

To make a profit
Dissatisfaction of current employment
Belief that they have a potentially successful idea
Recognition that there is a gap in the market
The need to have work of some kind (Self-satisfaction)
Incentives from government or other organisations
Or following the route of family or friends

There are a number of reasons why I chose to run my business inline with Valentines Day. I chose to set up the business on the theme of Valentines day because the market for the types of product or service that I had to build/ create, already existed and I didn't need to invent the market and build a reputation from nothing, but as Valentines day is a special day in which people buy gifts for their loved ones, I thought that I would exploit the needs of the customers for the certain day of valentines day. Another reason for just setting up the business is because there is a gap in the market of the school for Valentines Day and the belief that I have potentially a good idea that I can make a profit from.

One of the first things that I must do is make my mission statement. A mission statement is a statement that outlines the aims and objectives of the business and the business activities that involve the day to day running of the business and the overall targets of the business. Here is an example of a mission statement from a confectionary company called Swizzels Mattlow;

Swizzels Matlow Limited has a commitment to provide QUALITY sugar confectionery at VALUE FOR MONEY prices and will continually introduce INNOVATIVE NEW PRODUCTS and contribute significantly to the development of the children's sugar confectionery marketplace.

The Guarantee:
Swizzels Matlow Limited will continue to respond to the ever-changing needs of our customers and provide the products necessary to maintain our heritage and position as market leader.

Using the same ideas as this mission statement above I have written my mission statement. In this mission statement above they try to draw you in to their aims as a business, for example they say they will continue to introduce innovative new products in order to maintain their heritage as market leader.

Aims and objectives are important in the running of a business; aims are where you aim to be, or where you are aiming to go with the direction of the business. Objectives quantify your aims giving them restrictions for example time restrictions. Saying as a business we aim in two years to be supplying Derbyshire with their valentines gifts. This is an example of quantifying your aims and making them happen in a time restriction or any kind of restriction.

This is my aim as a business

The aims of Crown Cards Valentine Delivery Service are:

• To provide a smooth and quality service to the younger kid's that is unproblematic and fun.
• To promise to listen to the consumer and ensure that this service is as personal as it is public.
• We are also setting out to make this business profitable and we want this service to be very interactive with the customers making sure they get what they want out of the service at a price that is GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY.

We believe that these aims will help us to achieve some kind of direction in the business. We will be monitoring them on a regular basis in order to ensure that they are being achieved, once they have been achieved we will then set some new ones so that our busness is regularly being driven forward. And kept on track so we don't lose our way.

These are our objective as a business

We, for one day want to provide a fun service for the customer, we aim to make a profit and hope we sell at least fifty cards.

Sources of Help and Advice

There are many sources of help and advice available to small businesses. There is even help and assistance for businesses before they set up. The first source that I have researched is HSBC Bank. This was done through the Internet and looking at their website.

HSBC inform and give advice on writing a business plan. A business plan can be defined as:

“A written document that describes a business, its objectives, strategies, market and financial forecast.”

The website tells you how to write a business plan and how it should be set out. The next stage, according to HSBC, is the forming of a business. Once you have made up your mind to go ahead, you need to get to grips with the legal requirements for forming a business. Setting up your business in the right way keeps costs down. It can also help prevent your working relationships turning sour, one of the major causes of business failure.

Ownership of the Business

There are four main choices for the legal form of your business.
If you are a sole trader, you are self-employed, with no special legal structure.
In a partnership, two or more self-employed people work together as partners and share the profits (or losses).
A limited company is a separate legal entity, distinct from its shareholders, directors and employees.
Unlike a sole trader or partnership, it is not the same as the individuals who own or run the business.
A limited liability partnership has some of the advantages (and disadvantages) of both a company and a partnership.
For example, it is a separate legal entity and can continue despite the resignation or death of some members. We as a group decided that we shall write up a business plan and think everything through before hand so we don't make any mistakes and waste any resouces. The idea of this section is to keep you in control of the business so it doesn't go spiraling into debt. We shall conduct market research and join together to make our business.

My group and I have decided to choose a partnership for our type of business ownership, as a sole trader was not suitable for this type of business activity. The advantages of choosing this type of business ownership meant that we could share the responsibilities of the tasks ahead to make a quick, fast and efficient launch of our advertising and our product as we only had a time scale of two weeks. Here is a list of the advantages of a partnership:

Easy to set up, but a deed of partnership is advisable.
These businesses are usually small so less capital is needed.
Responsibilities can be shared.
Decisions can be shared.
And can be run as a family business.
Accounts can be kept private.
And money comes from the partners.

A partnership is more suitable for our business type as our time scale is small, we can operate effectively sharing out tasks, decisions and paper work.

Legal Requirements

There are certain legal agreements that must be followed before a business can start trading. A partnership is a business run by two or more people together. There should be a written agreement detailing this arrangement. Profits are usually shared between partners according to the agreement. Although profits may be shared unequally, liabilities, which may arise, are shared jointly. This is something that everyone involved should be very clear about. Even if you only own 1% of the business you will still be responsible for 100% of the liability.
A partnership is a very risky type of business to get involved in, just because of all the potential for conflict, and the financial effect, conflict between partners would be likely to have on the business. However, now the Limited Liability Partnerships Act has received Royal Approval and will become Law by the end of the year. There are a number of advantages to LLP including limited liability (as with a Limited Company) and the tax advantages of a Partnership. Your obligations are the same as for a Sole Trader. Your liabilities are the same as for a Sole Trader. The good side choosing a partnership is that often more money can be raised to start the business if more than one person is involved. You will need to keep records for Inland Revenue (and also for VAT if you are VAT registered), but there are no other legal requirements. Each partner should submit a P/SE/1 and you are taxed as an individual. If you leave the partnership your tax liability will follow you (unlike in the past when the remaining partner had to pay it)

The workload can be shared. Fair trading regulations exist to protect the consumer from exploitation.

The consumer has basic legal rights if the product is:

• Given a misleading description
• Of an unsatisfactory quality
• Not fit for its intended purpose

There are two types of limited company that define the way money can be raised through shares. Private limited company's can sell shares only to designated people and there is a limit to how much capital can be raised through this method. Public limited companies can issue shares to the public so this means that any one can have a share in the business. In companies such as Sainsbury's shares are sold to gather capital, this is very different to a loan, as the money does not have to be paid back over a fixed period of time. When one shareholder sells his or her share(s) the company does not raise any additional funds. There are also preference shares and ordinary shares; ordinary shares are the most common form of share capital and these shareholders can vote at business meetings but the amount of dividends they receive will vary due to the share price. Preference shares do not have a say at meetings so they cannot vote. The dividends of these shares are usually fixed at a rate of five percent of the share price and are given out once a year. Preference shareholders receive their dividends before ordinary shareholders.

Stakeholders.

I am now going to investigate the stakeholders of a business. Stakeholders are anybody who has an interest or “stake” in the activities of a business. Stakeholders may be able to influence what a business does, but some may have more influence than others. For example the government can influence the location of a business and various other things like employees. For example the stakeholders of Sainsbury's are.

1. Share holders
2. Employees
3. Local community
4. Government
5. Suppliers
6. Management
7. Banks
8. Customers
9. Pressure groups. .

All of the above have an interest in the activities of business, below shows how their interests and influences have changed over time. In business it is important that your business complies with the stakeholders needs to remain inline as a competitor with the competition. Below is an example of Sainsbury's stakeholders and how they influence or change over time. The following stakeholders of Sainsbury's in the chart below are shareholders, employees, local community and Government.

Stakeholder of Sainsbury's

Shareholders

Employees

What is their main interest in the business

High dividends and the business to expand and do well they also want the share prices to go up

Employees want Job security, good pay and good working conditions

What influence do they have over the business?

The share holders own the business

As a group, a union they may have a lot of influence in the business

What expectations do they have of the business?

High profit which leads to high dividends

Want pension schemes, good training, good rates of pay, social events and discounts

How have interests changed over time?

Looking to expand the business using the latest technology available. This may produce higher profits

Interested in the business doing well. They may have shares in the business themselves given as a staff bonus.

How has influence changed over time?

Employ more senior managers from other chains -Tesco manager- new ideas from outside the business.

More influential as there is a staff shortage in the area. Low level of unemployment. It costs 3000 pounds to train one person.

How expectations have changed over time?

Want greater profits and expansion to gain a greater share of the market.

Now expect better training, wages and conditions.

How is the business responding to any of the above changes?

They have tried to target other markets- electrical, insurance, petrol etc.

Always pay above minimum wage. Provide benefits so they don't leave to go to another store. Childcare flexibility maternity/paternity leave. Staff socials

Stakeholder of Sainsbury's

Local community

Government

What is their main interest in the business

They want the business to provide the public with good quality service and products

For the business to be successful and expand because the more money they make the more tax they pay.

What influence do they have over the business?

They have a say in the running of the business with regards to opening times and other things an example of this corresponding with Sainsbury's is the local community stopped the building of a petrol station.

They have an influence over employment, the selling of alcohol, and the location of the business.

What expectations do they have of the business?

They expect the area to be kept clean and tidy and they expect them to employ some of the local community

They expect them to abide by the laws and pay taxes on the goods they sell.

How have interests changed over time?

Sainsbury's stores have got bigger so there may be more disruption

Because they have got bigger they expect them to employ, comply to laws and sanctions put in place and create a good image.

How has influence changed over time?

Local community groups have more power through forming groups

They can influence employment, location and make them give to the local community for example putting money into the hospital near by.

How expectations have changed over time?

They expect a certain number of the unemployed population to be employed and the are to be kept clean and tidy

They expect Sainsbury's to be economic, provide good products and fair service at reasonable prices to pay tax

How is the business responding to any of the above changes?

Employing local people, keeping in touch with the community and being ethical.

Employing the local community and abide legislations

Stakeholder of crowns cards valentine delivery service

Local community

Government

What is their main interest in the business

That the business sell good quality products at a good quality price

That the business do well and create lots of jobs

What influence do they have over the business?

They influence what the business sell

They can influence employment, location of the business and in some cases their product line for example, the government want their product line to educate younger children in some way.

What expectations do they have of the business?

That the business is ethical, honest and conform to legal requirements

They expect them to abide by regulations and pay taxes of goods they sell

How have interests changed over time?

They expect the business to listen more to customers

Their interest in the business

How has influence changed over time?

The influence of customers has not changed over time

More recently they can influence the size of a business for example how many stores Tesco have nation wide.

How expectations have changed over time?

They expect the business to keep the community clean, employ local people and give something back to the community

They expect them to recycle waste, be ethical (charitable) and conform to legal requirements. Also they expect them to pay tax.

How is the business responding to any of the above changes?

The business has employed people from the local area; keeps the area of selling clean and keeps in line with regulations for example VAT registration.

Also the business will organise charitable events that benefit the community.

The business is responding to the government by recycling waste, generating local economy by employing local people and complying with legislation.

Stakeholders of Crowns Cards valentine delivery service

Share holders

Employees

What is their main interest in the business

Shareholders main interests are the profits of the business and the long-term direction; in a small partnership business shareholders are usually family members.

Employees want Job security, good pay and good working conditions

What influence do they have over the business?

They have little influence as a minority but with other share holders they become majority and have say over such things as diversification, dividends

As a group, a union they may have a lot of influence in the business

What expectations do they have of the business?

They expect the business to make a profit and set targets to be achieved and also be legitimate

Want pension schemes, good training, good rates of pay, social events and discounts

How have interests changed over time?

Their interest may have changed to, the direction or the product range of the business. Or the market share that they own and Growth.

Interested in the business doing well. They may have shares in the business themselves given as a staff bonus.

How has influence changed over time?

The influence of share holders can change the direction of a business and what products are being sold

More influential as there is a staff shortage in the area. Low level of employment. It costs 3000 pounds to train one person.

How expectations have changed over time?

Shareholders expect the business to be innovative, modern and competitive. Certain expectations do not change. Like profitability.

Now expect better training, wages and conditions.

How is the business responding to any of the above changes?

My business is responding by increasing dividends from profitability and setting the long-term direction of the business. Also allowing room for more specialised ideas.

Always pay above minimum wage. Provide benefits so they don't leave to go to another store. Childcare flexibility maternity/paternity leave. Staff socials

Every business has competition and that is what in most cases puts businesses out of a sale. Losing sales can be because of the price of your product. You have to identify your competition and put your prices inline or below your competitions price line. This creates desire for the cheaper product and helps achieve to create a custom for your business. Having a cheaper product creates word of mouth and can be very reputable and profitable to your business. The competition in the new mills area is Pricilla's, which is Gift shop in the town centre. Church road Stores, the co-op and the flower shop also I am in competition with shops that sell crafts materials for example card and decorative sequins. This is why I must promote my product as being bigger and better than making your own valentines card and really make people believe that the product is worth the price. The usual price of a valentine card at each of my competitor's stores is one pound fifty at the least. This puts me at an advantage as my business is promoting a sort of after sales service. This is the delivery of the card to the valentine. The local shops advertise valentine's cards with an envelope and nothing else for one pound fifty where as my business is offering free delivery service with the valentine's card for one pound. I have decided this would be my unique selling point and would be the deterrent of the other customers to guide them to the additional cheaper price.

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