Alice on setting up in business

Over the last few months I’ve had a number of conversations with people where the topic has steered towards business.  In particular, how to attract clients when you’ve just started up.  When you are still new and fresh, that is the time when you are most reliant on new clients.  But where can you find these clients.  Naturally, it helps if you are trading in something that they actually need.  Then you will need to prove your standards of quality and reliability.  Sandra has recommended this, and also suggests offering free consultations.  She says that the key to getting clients is simply to ‘ask’.  So that reminds me, that to be in business you must remember to be humble and don’t be too proud to ask.

The internet is full of fantastic resources, and if you look carefully enough you will find plenty of sources of free advertising and opportunities for networking.

Free Advertising

• Google Map – place your business address, photos and details, well and truly on the map!
• Free Index – http://www.freeindex.co.uk/
• Local Directories – do a search for directories in the area that your business is located
• Vivastreet – http://www.vivastreet.co.uk/

Social Media

• Blogs – try out blogger; wordpress; and myspace
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Twitter
• Flickr – for posting your photos

Networking

• LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/
• Toastmasters – http://d71.org/portal.php?page=-1&marknow=0
• BNI – http://www.bni-europe.com/
• Chamber of Commerce
• Small Business Federation

Barter

• Bartercard – http://uk.bartercard.com/
• The Business Exchange TBEX – http://www.tbex.com/

Freelancing

• Professional Contractor’s Group PCG – http://www.pcg.org.uk/cms/index.php
• Freelance job board for the UK – http://www.freelancer.co.uk/
• Elance – an international job board – http://www.elance.com/
• People per hour -another job board that is likened to ebay! – http://www.peopleperhour.com/

Free Websites

• Microsoft Office Live http://smallbusiness.officelive.com/en-GB/pricing provide you with a free website with easy to use templates.  The cost to register your own domain name varies dependent on whether you are using .co.uk or a .com name.  At this moment in time, the fees are £7.99 a year, or £10.99 once every two years for a .co.uk domain.

There are many more great resources out there, so if you know of any more, please add your comment here, it would be great to get your feedback.