Last week Enterprise Nation, the home business website, went on a roadtrip. Starting in Scotland, the touring team traveled south to meet and film home based businesses in what will become a mini documentary charting the rise in this modern way of working. It spanned 18 home businesses and 1,233 miles.  Whilst out and about, the crew picked up on a few clear trends.

Now is a great time to start - the mood throughout the week was incredibly upbeat. One moment that will stick in the mind is when Patrick Elliott (CEO of Business Link in London) opened an event with a question to the audience of 'Do you think this is a good time to start a business?' - a ripple of 200 voices came from behind and it was a resounding 'yes' - throughout the week we met people who are starting up whilst holding down the day job and others who have come out of redundancy to realise their business ambitions. We met a wide cross-section of businesses and there was nothing but positive chat from them all.

Technology means trade - all of the businesses we filmed are making the most of technology, whether it be Stuart Mills who is applying the web to the pub world, or Malcolm Gallagher who is communicating his business message through online videos; produced cost-effectively from a home studio. Many of the craft businesses are using sites such as Etsy.com and MyEhive.com to sell their products to a national - and international - audience. Technology is clearly broadening the trade and partnering horizons of many a small business.   

Freedom & control - we stopped counting the number of times these words were used in interviews. Having started up, home business owners are finding freedom and flexibility in their working lives and are relishing being in control of their creativity, working environment and earnings.

Ethical - this is a slightly difficult one to put in to words. Every business owner we interviewed is doing something 'good' by being in business; whether it be Clare Nicolson who believes in giving work to the people in her neighbourhood, Emma Henderson who sources fair trade fabrics from India or Emma Warren who offers time and business experience to a charity. They would not refer to themselves as 'ethical entrepreneurs' as such but these business owners are having an impact in many a varied way.

Growth through outsourcing - the adage of 'do what you do best and outsource the rest' is being taken seriously by the home businesses we met. Companies are partnering up and work is being outsourced to professionals. In the case of Bodie and Fou, Karine Kong outsourced the design and build of her website to an expert she's yet to meet! Technology tools such as Skype, email and project management software means there's no need to be in the same place but for others, physical networks are important as a place to meet business partners .. but also just to have a social chat!

It was a crammed and fascinating week that shone a light on what is a bright and vibrant business sector. The documentary will be aired for the first time on Home Enterprise Day [Friday 20th November] when home business owners will be traveling to us!

Home businesses from a range of sectors have reported an increase in turnover and profit as holidaymakers choose the UK as their destination of choice. With the staycation trend set to continue, businesses are preparing to maintain new customers and ensure the sunny times of increased turnover continue.

Results of higher turnover for home businesses came from an Enterprise Nation poll, supported by Business Link. Over 70% of the 230 respondents said their turnover had increased on account of more people holidaying in the UK. The majority (57.1%) also saw an increase in profit, with one in four reporting gains of up to 50%.

Home businesses are benefiting from a staycation trend that looks set to keep on running. According to YouGov 54% of people plan to take their main holiday at home in 2010, more than double the 26% who said they were doing so this summer. With staycationing set to be more than a one-year wonder, home businesses are preparing for the new opportunities this presents.

Alison Vaughan is considering a new colour in her line of Muksaks; her own invention and a product that allows dog-owners to carry dog waste safely and securely. "With the increase in people holidaying in the UK and taking pets with them, I've seen orders rise this summer" says Alison "I'm working on plans for new colours in the range so as well as serving a practical purpose, the Muksak can also be a holidaying fashion item!"

Business Link advises other ways to attract new staycationing customers through incentives and promotions in the form of loyalty cards and competitions, and offering discounts as an effective tool in keeping customer coming back.

Patrick Elliott, Chief Executive of Business Link in London, said:

"Entrepreneurs can take themselves to the next level, setting themselves apart from their competitors by developing tactics to retain new customers. Keeping in touch through e-shots and using creative ways to interact with customers by making the most of social networking tools such as Twitter will all help in making the most of what is a new and growing customer base."

Businesses are taking note. Over half the home businesses polled are planning on improving their marketing strategies (44%) and 38% said they will be customising their products or services.

The general message seems to be, let's make hay whilst the sun still shines!

Photo by: Rob J Brooks

Sales at John Lewis are up 5.6% and organisers of the Edinburgh Festival are expecting a record summer. What's the cause of it? The staycation trend that's seeing more of us holiday at home. Will it last and how will home businesses benefit?

The beneficiaries

In an article reporting on sizzling sales at the Edinburgh Festival and local hotels, Colin Paton of the Edinburgh Hotels Association made the comment "Scotland and Edinburgh have done very well out of staycationing."

It's a message that's coming from other parts of the UK and not just from hotels and B&Bs. There are a number of natural sales happening on account of more British holidaymakers ... such as wind breaks made by Diana Robbins in her home based business, Dart Designs Claire Martinsen must also be smiling. She gave up a 3 hour daily commute to London to realise her dreams and start Breckland Orchard, a company offering traditional soft drinks such as lemonade made to a Grandma's recipe. Her business deserves to do well in this holidaying climate. The same is true for many local food producers whose wares will be sold on busy Farmers Markets as tourists flock to the coast and quaint market towns.

Others benefiting are businesses in the home interiors market as consumers spend on the house, rather than a pricey holiday. Neil Saunders, Director at retail research outfit, Verdict, says:

"If you are not holidaying you probably have a little bit more disposable cash to spend on home improvement or home decoration. And if you're not holidaying you've got a little but more time to do home related activities."

So far, all looks bright. But some customers are miffed. Not by the products and services on offer; more on what's happening with the weather.

Dampened spirits

In a recent article in The Sunday Times entitled 'Chuck another weatherman on the barbie' Roland White reported on a comment overheard in his local grocery store from tourist customer to shop-keeper: "We normally go to Greece every year but thought I'd have a holiday at home this time. I shan't be making that mistake again." Oh dear. Does this mean the staycation trend is a one year wonder and only the glimpse of a bright spot for sellers?

Your views

This is what we'll be trying to find out in a poll asking if you're benefiting from the staycation trend and, if so, how you plan to maintain new-found custom. Please offer your views (the poll only takes 3-4 minutes) and I'll let you know how businesses plan to keep levels of customer service high to keep new trade coming back!  

Please click here to complete the poll: http://bit.ly/staycationsurvey

Photo by: syrenmuse

I need a brochure website - where do I go?

Having asked a question in the Enterprise Nation forum on the best package to create a brochure website, Steven and Zoe from Cosy Cottage received a mixed response. Some suggested off the shelf packages - others warned against - and advised the business couple to turn to professional designers.  Today I wanted to look at the pros and cons as well as offers links to the packages that were suggested in the responses.  

Kick-start question

This was the question that started a chain of responses:

"We are currently setting up our home business and sourcing products to sell via a website. We will be selling home accessories, gifts and seasonal products.

We have had some quotes for websites of which are out of our price range, we want the website to act as a brochure for our products then to sell using PayPal or something similar.
Does anybody know of or has used a product we can buy to create our own website to get a professional finish.

Many Thanks,
Steven and Zoe"

In response

The responses started well. Mike from Mike's Computers was the first on hand to help and did so by suggesting that Steven and Zoe check out osCommerce.

So far, so good.

Friend of the forum, Emily Coltman was next to step in but with a warning. 'Beware of template websites' she wrote 'they have a nasty habit of looking like they came out of a box and can spoil the individuality of your business.'

Point well made.

At this point, Steven and Zoe may have started to wonder which way to turn. So let's try to offer some clarity.

Box-set versus Pro-designer

In the 20 odd responses to Steven and Zoe's original question, it was about 50/50 in terms of who suggested a package versus professional designer. The main points were:

Buying a website package means having to build the site yourself. This can take technical know-how and pressure to keep up to date with changing technologies so your site stays up to date.

Turning to a professional designer will cost you more but think about the time saved and the fact you're outsourcing what could be a key element of your business to an expert.
Package options

What also became clear is there are a number of packages on the market. If you do decide on the DIY route, here are the ones mentioned:

osCommerce - an Open Source online shop e-commerce solution that allows store owners to setup, run, and maintain online stores with minimum effort and no costs or fees.  (Recommended by Mike Sheppard)

Wordpress with an ecommerce plugin - comes complete with a tutorial on YouTube on how to set up your store in less than 5 minutes.  (Recommended by Edward Robson)



Cube Cart - e-commerce shopping cart used by >1 million store owners.  (Recommended by Sarah Barnard)

UK2.net  - uses wizards to set up your site and 'for a starter website, it's been pretty good'
(Recommended by Lol Lowe)

Shopify.com - a hosted system (you don't need your own hosting for the website although you will for email) that can link in a number of payment options (PayPal etc.) and the admin section of the site allows you to easily manage all your orders.

Trading Eye - a highly featured e-commerce package which costs in the region of £350 + VAT (a one off cost) which comes with a simple template design.

(Both recommended by Andrew Armitage) 

So, there you have it! Plenty of e-commerce packages on the market. My only question now is which one will Steve and Zoe choose? I'll ask them and cover it in a future post! :)

Photo by: Huasonic

Let's Celebrate!

Home Enterprise Day is happening on Friday, November 20th and Enterprise Nation (a resource website I founded in 2006) members are making plans to celebrate.

The Day marks the first national celebration of home business. It's being held as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week and the aim is to encourage more people to start a business from home and support existing home businesses to grow. There are a number of ways you can get involved:

Attend the Enterprise Nation Conference

We're hosting a national conference on the Day with a top line-up of speakers who will inform and inspire. Speakers like Doug Richard (former Dragon & CEO, School for Startups), Louise Campbell (founder, Myehive.com) and, from the world of media Lisa Sykes (Features Editor, Country Living), Jenny Culshaw (Producer, Working Lunch) and Jimmy Leach (head of Digital, The Independent).  The event is being held in London and on the day we'll be launching our 2009 Home Business Report and announcing winners of the 2009 Home Business Awards. Plenty of reasons to come along!

You can register for the Enterprise Nation Conference here: Register now!

Join us on a Roadtrip

In the build-up to Home Enterprise Day, we're going on a roadtrip! Starting in Scotland and traveling south, I'll be interviewing people in their working homes, talking to policy makers and hosting home business meet-ups every night, at each stop-off point. The end result of the week will be a documentary looking at the rise of home business in the UK. This is where we'll be - please come out and say hello!

*Monday 14th September  -Scotland
*Tuesday15th September - North East (Newcastle)
*Wednesday 16th September - London
*Thursday 17th September - South West (Bristol & surrounds)
*Friday 18th September - West Midlands (Herefordshire & Shropshire)

Enter the Home Business Awards

The Awards will be open in early September with winners announced at the Enterprise Nation Conference on Friday, November 20th. We'll have the same categories this year as last which are:

*Home Business of the Year
*Home Business Couple of the Year
*Young Home Business of the Year (under the age of 30)
*Home Office of the Year
 
Entry is free and you're in with a chance of winning plenty of profile and prizes.

Run your own event

If you'd like to celebrate Home Enterprise Day but unable to join us for the conference in London, why not host your own event. We've prepared a basic sheet for anyone looking for tips on how to spend the day.

Whatever you decide to do, and wherever you'll be, I look forward to celebrating the UK's first ever Home Enterprise Day with you!

When walking down the street the other day, I overheard someone say 'I'm just killing time' to a friend. It's an expression I haven't heard in a while and that's because many of us are trying to expand hours in the day, rather than loose them. Here are some tips on how you can make the most of your day.

 

A whole extra day

Workshifters are fortunate. We earn, on average, one whole extra day each week, by cutting out the daily commute.  We're also more productive.  Research reported in the Mail on Sunday in 2008 said the average employee does just four hours of productive work a day. The research claimed the rest of the working day (outside the 4 hours) is spent on:

 "fielding unnecessary phone calls and emails, or wasting time by surfing the Internet and gossiping."

As workshifters, we don't have the water cooler chat so we can get more done but here are some tips to get you and time in full flow:

• Tidy your desk as you finish for the day/night so you have a fresh start in the morning.
  
  
• Write a 'to do' list the night before (and try to include time slots eg 7-9am: site content, 9-11am: new client proposal etc - this doesn't always go to plan but it does put some structure in the day) - having a 'Things to do' book helps with this task and it's a great feeling to tick off the items you've achieved.
  
  
• Do the things that require most concentration first thing in the morning. That way, you're less likely to be interrupted by calls and emails.
  
  
• Speaking of which, emails and calls can be a great distraction! When you need clear concentration, switch out of the inbox and, once the project's done, download and reply to the mail that's come in. You can also 'switch off' the phone by leaving the voicemail on or diverting it to a call-handling service, if you have one.
  
  
• Outsource tasks that take up lots of your time but earn little return. This frees up your time to spend on activities that deliver income and happy clients.   
  
  
• Make the most of project management tools such as Basecamp or Pelotonics. Why does this save you time? Because you can keep clients updated on what's happening on their projects which means less travel to and from meetings.

As technology editor, San Sharma, once wrote: 'The tools we use enable us to manipulate time. The web, email, instant messaging offer information and communication on our own terms. The news when we want, messages as they come, responses in our own time...'

He's right. We can manipulate time. Just please don't kill it!

What tips do you have for staying productive, either as a workshifter or as someone who works from an office?

Photo by: practicalowl

Online spending is growing rapidly in the UK. E-commerce in 2009 will be worth over £20bn and, experts say, by 2013, online spending will make up for 10% of total retail sales. If you have a product to sell, you're in a good position, but how to attract customers to buy?  Today I'll share some of the tips that I've seen be the most successful.Offer to write content and guest posts for blogs and sites where you know your customers are hanging out. Offer discounts to member groups and communities and offer links to other important sites, in exchange for them linking back to you. The more inbound and outbound links, the higher you'll appear in the search results.

2. Make some noise

Why not carry out a poll on your site using a service like Survey Monkey and use the results as the basis for a press release. Another tactic that will have you mentioned in the media is celebrity endorsement. This is what Lyndsey Young has done with her product, Count On It, which has received glowing testimonials from the likes of Amanda Holden and Janey Lee Grace, to profitable effect.   

Without a sale we're not in business and ongoing sales will spur the business to grow. Today I offer five steps on how to make a sale and keep the cash flowing.

Step 1: Prepare

Research supply and demand ie spend time looking at what the market wants and how you can supply this in a way that will set you apart from the crowd. Before making a first approach to the potential client, carry out a search (use both Google and Twitter Search) so you're happy you have the right person, their correct name, and possibly a news item highlighting their demand (eg a first note may be 'Dear Andrew, having seen you quoted in a recent article in ABC press, I understand you are looking to move to new office premises. I am writing to introduce you to my interiors company ....')

Step 2: Present

Present the client proposition in a professional manner. This applies whether it be sending a first email (as above), distributing flyers or making a call to a prospect. Present the benefits of buying you and your product/service. How will it make the client's life easier/who else has bought/what does it cost/who can they call if interested. These are all useful points to cover in a first approach.

Step 3: Persist

There's a delicate line between persistence and becoming a pest! Saying that, unless your potential customer has an immediate need for what you offer on the day on which you make the approach, then it's likely you'll present yourself and then have to spend a bit of time following up. Submit the proposal, follow-up with a delicate prompt a week later and, if still no response, keep in regular contact with friendly emails and calls along the lines of 'Hi, just like to keep you updated on what's happening here .. would love to do business with you when you're ready..'  

Step 4: Perform

You've won the gig! It's time to deliver on all the goodness sold and promises made. Perform to a high level so reality meets expectation. Along the way, check that the new client is happy with the service they're receiving.

Step 5: Promote

Sales means testimonials and this leads to credibility. A growing roster of quality clients will give others the confidence to trade with you. Promote new sales and client wins; through a press release, via testimonials on the site, or social media such as Twitter.  

Taking these steps can be eased by using software such as Salesforce.com which keeps track of sales leads and the business development pipeline. Or, do what I do, which is to use an Excel spreadsheet and a handwritten list that's regularly updated and always carried with me!

Do you follow a similar process flow as part of your sales cycle?

Photo by: thinkpanama

Many studies are carried out on the number of people starting businesses and the success of those ventures but few researchers have investigated whether business is the secret to a long and healthy life.  Today I offer a few examples that point to a connection.

Celebrating a centenary

It was two recent insertions in the Obituaries column that got me thinking about this idea of business leading to a long life. The insertions marked the passing away of two great businessmen; Daniel Carasso, founder of Danone, the world's leading yogurt maker, and Wall Street veteran Albert Hamilton Gordon who rebuilt investment banking firm Kidder Peabody after the crash. Mr Carsso was 103. Al Hamilton Gordon was 107.

What I'm suggesting is that their business was very much responsible for keeping them going until a ripe old age. It gave a reason to get up each morning, with both men still very much involved in the running of the business until literally the day they died.

Saying that, when questioned at the age of 103, Al Hamilton Gordon said:

"My longevity I attribute to, number one, excessive exercise!"

The feature reports:

'On business trips to Los Angeles, he would carry his own bags -- from the airport to downtown, walking all 18 miles. At 82, he ran the London Marathon -- and finished in a little more than six hours.'  

The young kid on the block  

Looking almost youthful in comparison, and still very much alive, Gerald Ronson was recently profiled and praised for his stamina and ongoing business success:  

"The 70 year old has no plans to moderate his workload, which still consists of six and a half days a week, more than 12 hours a day, and with regular travel across the nine countries in his £1.5bn development programme'

In his own words, Ronson said:

"I have more energy at 70 than two 35 year olds. I have no intention of slowing down or retiring. I don't do what I do for the money. I do it because I enjoy it."

Working from home gives you the opportunity to set up an office that perfectly suits you and your business. Emma Jones offers her top four tips on creating the right environment.

1. Make some space - you'll work much better if you have dedicated office space. That way, you can work without distraction, and close the door at the end of the working day. This space could be the spare room, the attic or even the garden shed. Working at the end of the garden path is becoming increasingly popular and the garden office industry is booming on the back of it.

Wherever you choose, make sure it has plenty of natural light and decorate it with soft tones of blues and greens as these colors will make a home office, and you, work particularly well.

2. Furnish - Once you've identified the space, whether inside or outside the house, it's time to furnish it and the two most important pieces of furniture are those you'll spend most time at - your chair and desk.

Buy a chair that is designed for computer use and try it out. Sitting awkwardly for any length of time will put your body under stress and make you work less efficiently, so make sure your chair is fully adjustable. Ideally, your feet should be flat on the floor and your back straight. Getting this right will make working from home so much more comfortable.

Invest in a good, sturdy desk that offers you sufficient working space and can also accommodate your computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse. The top of your monitor should be at eye level and the monitor itself about an arm's length away.

Scale furniture to the size of the room to avoid any sense of claustrophobia and keep furnishings an inch or two away from the wall.

3. Cut out the clutter - it's difficult to work effectively amidst chaos, so try to keep your workspace free of clutter. If necessary, invest in some good storage but always buy boxes with lids and make sure you label them well. If you have a lot of boxes or files it can be distracting so consider buying a screen or a box seat for visitors to hide them from view

4. Final touches - to make your home office complete, consider adding a plant to help reduce any feelings of isolation, or a vision board to remind you of your business goals and priorities each time you enter and leave the room. And a decent sound system to provide some background music or something to dance to when celebrating a new deal!

What are some of your tips for the perfect home office?

Photo by: joey.parsons