Small businesses owners living close to the edge need to act fast

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Chesney

It’s just amazing how the cost of doing business has risen. Consider fuel costs – they have sky rocketed Electricity prices have gone through the roof. Rentals, wages and business services are all shooting up. The inflation rate running around 5,8% lulls one into thinking that everything is not as bad as it seems. But costs of products and services that are essential for doing business are increasing at an alarming rate. Continue reading →

Don’t let this happen to your small business

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Chesney

English: Apalachicola, Fla., July 20, 2005 -- ...

FEMA photo/Andrea Booher (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An iconic politician is auctioning off her silver tea set and other items to pay off a debt she owes to a school. A bus company faces liquidation if it does not repay a multi-million loan to its bank. A small business owner receives a red final notice for an overdue account from a debt collection agency – with grave warnings about loss of directorship under the companies act and sequestration.

A sign of the times. Consumers and businesses are finding it hard to pay back their debts as tough economic times continue without any end in sight.

The statistical release of February 2013, “Statistics of liquidations and insolvencies”, makes for concerning reading. A total of 271 liquidations were recorded in February 2013, showing a year-on-year increase of 35,5%. Continue reading →

Starting your business is hard enough … and then you get this

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Chesney

Just think about it: you can come up with a new idea for a business that you are passionate about. You get excitedly busy implementing your idea, trying to break into a highly competitive and crowded market. The idea you started with doesn’t seem to be working as well as you thought it would and through innovation you get things on the right track. That’s what every rookie entrepreneur wants to see and experience – their initial business idea transformed into a viable product or service, making money for them and their family. Continue reading →

It all came down to a customer mailing list

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Chesney

An upmarket stationery business moved its location in a shopping mall for a smaller space because of the economy.

All well and good but business in the new location has been slow.

What’s happening, I asked.

I was told that the business was slow in the new location but they were hoping that things would pick up. After a few questions, I found out that the stationer had not informed its customers of the move, except for a sign on the outside entrance and word-of-mouth. That’s it. Oh, one other thing, they had developed a website to attract customers. How? Continue reading →

What tools do you have in your ideas toolbox?

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Chesney

Toolbox.com (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you had to flee your country in the dead of the night to make a new life elsewhere, what idea generation techniques would you want to have with you?

I suppose I’ve been thinking about that question not because I feel under threat in the country am living in but because the question sharply focuses on which idea generation tools haved worked so effectively for me and others.

What idea generation techniques have worked best for you? Continue reading →

Recording tools for capturing ideas on the run

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Chesney

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ideas have the potential to energise, enrich and even change our lives.

The unlimited treasure of the human imagination has the capacity to transform lives, to create new possibilities for working, living and playing. When we actively engage in producing ideas we begin to awaken within us thoughts from our unconscious. These thoughts may come to us in fragments, brief flashes of inspiration or in whole images that provide an almost perfect or complete blueprint for the way forward. Continue reading →

Turning ideas into something better

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Chesney

(Photo credit: lennox_mcdough)

You’d think coming up with a great idea for a product or service from your hobby, past time or years of business experience would be the one to implement as it is.

It may be fine to do this in very fortunate or unusual circumstances but most times it could be a dumb thing to do.

Here’s a simple example: Continue reading →

What you need to know about protecting your ideas

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Chesney

(Photo credit: MikeBlogs)

You’ve worked damned hard to grow your brilliant idea into the tangible form of a product or service. What protection do you have to prevent others from copying it? Is it worth the trouble to seek copyright, patent or trademark protection?

If you’ve done your homework, and strongly believe that your idea is unique, then it’s worth taking a look at having your intellectual property legally protected. It could be worth the cost because your brilliant new product or service gives you your entry into the marketplace as well as a competitive edge. Continue reading →

How to promote yourself and your business without TV appearances and display ads?

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Chesney

We’ve all seen the rise of the celebrity entrepreneur, business people who have been able to create public personas that help them promote their products, services and brands.

The exposure of a company on TV is worth millions. Just think of entrepreneurs such as Sir Alan Sugar, Donald Trump, Sir Richard Branson, Simon Cowell and Martha Stewart who have chalked up many accumulated hours’ worth of television coverage. Continue reading →

Do you experience these struggles when trying to come up with profitable ideas?

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Chesney

Introduction to my book, “Secrets of Generating Ideas For Profit: how to quickly and easily get viable business ideas”, by Chesney Bradshaw, published by Bell & Cray Business Books:

All it takes to make a million is to come up with a new idea for a product or service and you’ve got it made. A fantasy? Dream? A reality?

Small businesses, start-ups and solo entrepreneurs are coming up with new products and services all the time – just open up your business weekly or business section of your newspaper and you’ll see it. Or, go look around at shopping malls and see the number of new products that have been launched by small companies. Continue reading →

Where do you find ideas for nothing?

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Chesney

Ideas can make millions. Where do you find your million dollar idea?

Well, the first place you could look for ideas is your hobbies and interests. What have you done, are doing that could be turned into a profit machine?

Many entrepreneurs have got their new business ideas from their hobbies. Small businesses have been started from hobbies in baking, gardening, cycling, collecting share certificates – you name it – people have taken their hobbies, found a market for what they have to offer and slowly built successful businesses.

Ideas can come from problems and customer complaints. A young woman in Australia once heard a shop counter salesperson say, “If I had a dollar for every time someone asked for matte lipstick, I’d be rich.” Well, Poppy King listened and built a lipstick business. Listening can unearth a goldmine. Continue reading →