Bruce Walker – We Are The Future
Bruce Walker certainly isn’t lacking ambition. We asked him what the upcoming We Are The Future event on the 20th of November was all about,
Read MoreThe Weekly Round-Up – Starting A Business
Lashai Ben Salmi from RED CARD IT!
We love to share at Live UnLtd, and this week we’ve been sharing news and advice about starting a business.
We back people who are starting projects to try and change their world. These projects don’t have to be businesses, but sometimes they are.
So we thought we’d put together some advice just for you, because we’re nice like that.
If you’ve ever thought about starting a business, or even if you’ve never thought about it until this very moment – read on! You could be swayed.
You’re never too young
People can be put off the idea of setting up a business for loads of different reasons. One is the false idea that businesses are things that are only set up by older people.
With unemployment being the way it is, more and more young people are realising the possibilities that come with starting up their own business.
And there’s no reason why not!
You wouldn’t be alone in thinking that way, and it certainly is hard work, but there are plenty of opportunities out there, including the support we offer at Live UnLtd, to get you thinking about taking care of business for yourself.
Doing it for yourself
This blog post from Adam Lent states all of the ways that lots of young people just get business, especially with the way the Internet has changed things. He says, ”close to one third now want to launch their own firm,” and he suggests some reasons this is more possible all the time. We’ve broken them down for you here:
- We have huge networks of people already in place through our every day use of Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr, and there will probably be plenty of people in these networks who would be willing to help us out.
- Distribution is simpler and cheaper than ever. If you’re selling something digital then there are no physical delivery costs at all, and if you’re selling physical things there are plenty of services like Amazon Marketplace or eBay to take care of sales for you.
- You can get people involved in the development process. The Internet can serve as a free advice service as you test your product out. A site that offers feedback like this is OpenIDEO.
- Sourcing finances doesn’t need to be through pitching ideas to big organisations or banks (for starters, we could help you out!), but there are also crowdfunding options with sites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo where you don’t have to spend a penny before you’re ready to launch into getting the business up and running properly.
We’re not saying it’s easy! But the determination and resources of this next generation explains why this report suggests that 75% of students want to start their own business.
Gina Moffat’s story
Watch this inspiring story of Gina Moffat who was in prison and was extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to set up a florists.
Top tips for starting a business
We put together some top tips from experts when it comes to setting up a business.
1. Be more like Richard
Richard Branson, one of the most well known entrepreneurs is someone whose advice is worth its weight in gold.
Two Live UnLtd Award Winners recently got to ‘Pitch to Rich‘. They were given the opportunity to explain their business ideas and be in with a chance of winning a cash prize (see our article about it here), and in this article on Entrepreneur.com, the Virgin founder gives his top tips for new businesses. While some might not apply to small businesses initially, they may come in useful sooner than you think…
- Know your mission – know what it is you want to change or achieve
- Get the basic structure right – sometimes getting help in is cheaper than doing something yourself
- Put the right team in charge
- Have a strong purpose and a sense of ethics
- Details count
- Listen to your customers
You can read the rest of our tips here.
Step up the Internet pioneers
American marketing guru Jack Myers believes that the current crop of students are a unique generation and represent a bridge between the pre- and post-internet age.
What does this mean? Well, according to Jack they’re ‘internet pioneers’ because they’re the first generation who have always lived with the Internet. And as a consequence, he says, they see it as a medium for creating stability rather than causing chaos.
Best of all, he thinks they’re destined for great things. That’s something we hope we can all agree on. What do you think? Let us know here.
The Initiative
Adam Bradford
Adam Bradford set up his first business at the age of 14. It was part of the “Big Challenge” where he offered a service to make it easier for teachers to use whiteboard technology.
He is now 20 and has continued to start projects and businesses around technology, but something that has never left him is this statement - “I just love to help people out!”
And we have backed his most recent project: The Initiative.
Some people are put off by the idea of a teenager starting his own business, they sometimes don’t take you seriously. And it’s often hard work convincing people that social enterprises can be more than just a side-project. You can do good and make money.
Read the rest of our story about Adam here.
Live UnLtd backs businesses
Sam Harris, Pedal Power Transport
When people run projects with Live UnLtd they don’t have to have a business in mind, they just need to want to make a change in their world.
However, some people we have supported have started businesses. Take a look at our stories about Sam Harris from Pedal Power and Adam Bradford from The Initiative if you’re looking for some inspiration about starting your own business.
Has this inspired you to think more about starting your own business? Or even a project that could perhaps eventually turn into one? Get in touch with us and we’ll get back to you for a chat.
