This week (5th Dec 2011)we were very pleased to have Ed Ryder owner of Biskit ltd presenting to the Enterprise Club.
Ed provided both a motivating and thought provoking talk as he shared his own experience of starting and developing a business over the past 8 years.
http://www.biskit.co.uk/leedslibrary.ppt
Here are just a few of Ed’s pointers that I took away from his talk:
- your chosen business type should not only reflect what you are familiar with but also what you are good at and just as importantly, enjoy.
- Be prepared for extreme highs and lows these are much greater when starting out; with time the lows should taper out.
- Investigate and attend the range of workshops and seminars that are available for instance through the chamber and Chartered Institute of Marketing.
- Ensure you consult family and friends. Do they really ‘buy’ into your idea and fully understand what you are doing and what it involves.
- Join groups such as Linked in; make connections and let people know you’re starting a business.
- Be quite clear about your goals and review them regularly.
- Research your market both online and on the high street; ensure there is a demand.
- Do not try and market to everyone – look to see in which groups demand is highest and really get to know your customer.
- Be prepared for change, where you start out and what you start doing may be very different to what you are doing years down the line.
The final Enterprise talk for the autumn term takes place on the 19thDecember.
'Researching your business and protecting your products and services'
