CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
1.0 IDEAS FOR STARTUPS 25
2.0 DECISION TIME 59
3.0 PRE-STARTUP RESEARCH 83
4.0 WRITING A BUSINESS PLAN
AND FINANCE ISSUES 103
5.0 SETTING UP 139
6.0 FINDING A NAME AND
CREATING A BRAND 167
7.0 PRODUCT PREPARATION 183
8.0 TELLING THE WORLD 223
9.0 OPEN FOR BUSINESS 247
10.0 NEXT STEPS: REVIEW
AND IMPROVE 279
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IV
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
Still a good time to start up… 2
Entrepreneurs are people like you 4
Can you do it too? 24
1.0 IDEAS FOR STARTUPS 25
The right startup for you 26
Shoestring startups 28
Other popular options 40
Protecting your business ideas 50
2.0 DECISION TIME 59
What it takes to become an entrepreneur 60
The reality of starting up 61
The average UK entrepreneur 62
The entrepreneurial personality 65
How and when to quit your job 70
Women entrepreneurs 73
So you’ve made your decision… 79
3.0 PRE-STARTUP RESEARCH 83
Market research 84
Understanding your competition 97
4.0 WRITING A BUSINESS PLAN
AND FINANCE ISSUES 103
Why write a business plan? 104
Preparing data for your business plan 106
Your break-even point 108
Key elements of your business plan 110
Forecasting your sales 114
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v
CONTENTS
SWOT analysis 116
The people 120
The mission statement 121
The executive summary 123
Getting people to read your plan 124
Raising finance 129
5.0 SETTING UP 139
Limited company 140
Sole trader 147
Business partnerships 152
Banking on success 157
6.0 FINDING A NAME AND CREATING
A BRAND 167
What’s in a name? 168
What you can and can’t call your business 170
Checking for originality 171
A great name is good marketing 172
Your domain name 175
7.0 PRODUCT PREPARATION 183
Searching for the right premises 184
Before you secure the space 190
Equipping your office 192
Building the right team 194
Once you are an employer 202
Finding and dealing with suppliers 206
Insuring your business 216
Pricing 219
8.0 TELLING THE WORLD 223
What is marketing? 224
Building a marketing plan 225
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CONTENTS
Getting your message heard 229
Public relations 231
Low-cost marketing strategy 234
9.0 OPEN FOR BUSINESS 247
Paying yourself 248
Making a sale 249
The importance of getting paid 253
Travel and expenses 267
Bookkeeping 268
Why you need an accountant 272
10.0 NEXT STEPS: REVIEW
AND IMPROVE 279
Time management 280
Self-motivation 287
Enhancing performance 290
Personal development 291
Personal and staff training 294
Over to you… 301

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