Category Archives: Open & Free Trade
Beyond Mary Portas – An Introduction to the Open Market
Many months have passed sine the publication of the Mary Portas Revirew on the state of Britain’s High Street. Following on from that in recent days we have heard reports of the possible demise of three big UK High Street brands, namely, Blockbusters, HMV and Jessops.
This is part of a trend that in recent years seen an increase in financial hardship for many people. Whether rightly or wrongly the blame is often directed at the banks, government policy, multinational corporations or work-shy citizens. Whatever the root cause our research as shown that the underlying issues always seem to revolve around three key areas; currency, contracts and markets.
i. Currency: From the Far East, to Southern Africa, to South America. In recent years citizens of different countries in these regions and beyond have been plunged into poverty as a direct result of currency manipulation and speculation by outsiders. In most cases these economies have never recovered and the ordinary people continue to suffer the consequences.
ii. Contracts: Whether simple financial contracts or agreements to do with the exploitation of natural resources, the recent trend has been heavily stacked in favour of multinationals and major corporations as opposed to individuals, local governments or small traders & producers. In the UK, organisations and movements such as the Plain English Campaign have recognised that both the small print and also the general wording of many consumer credit agreements has left many ordinary consumers completely bewildered and thus vulnerable to some very exploitative and unjust contracts.
iii. Markets: For many producers, growers and traders access to the market place is much more important than pricing policies or issue of fairtrade. If producers and traders are empowered to get their produce in front of the consumers or end users then they can negotiate an acceptable price and equitable terms. Cutting out unnecessary third parties ensures more money for producers who are then able to make their own decisions concerning issues of health, education and other important matters for themselves and those they may be responsible for. This is true both in the UK and abroad
UK supermarkets have not only dealt a death blow to many small shopkeepers but have also impacted adversely on farmers as well as severely restricting the possibilities of success for many small or independent traders. All this in a time of increasing unemployment and cut backs in public services and expenditure. A major factor deemed necessary in redressing these problems is to create vibrant free and trading spaces that give everyone in society the opportunity to make a living from trading, free of charge. An opportunity that will give producers direct access to end users and consumers. We call this concept the Open Market
The concept of the Open Market can radically change and regenerate communities and society in general for the better, and in doing so directly tackle issues of poverty, isolation and unemployment. The Open Market can cater for 2,000 independent traders in less space than a shopping centre currently catering for just 100 shops. The Open Market will be able offer greater choice and lower prices, naturally support local producers, support existing businesses and be a hive of social activity and interaction.
Many reports point to the beneficial effect of markets in general on the population.
Markets as social spaces
Joseph Rowntree Foundation (2006)
“..The team found that:
Markets were important sites of social interaction for all groups in the community,but most significantly for older people, especially women. Markets also represented important social spaces for mothers with young children, young people, and families with children, particularly at weekends.Markets had a significant social inclusion role, as places to linger, particularly for older people and young mothers. Some markets also appeared to be inclusive of disabled people, although in other places this was less evident.The social life of traders played a significant role in creating a vibrant atmosphere in markets,and in forging social bonds and links in the trading community as well as with shoppers.n-centre regeneration and healthy eating.”
(2) The Portas Review – An independent review into the future of our high streets
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (2011)
Points four and five in the executive summary recommend the following actions:
“Establish a new “National Market Day” where budding shopkeepers can try their hand at operating a low-cost retail businessMake it easier for people to become market traders by removing unnecessary regulations so that anyone can trade on the high street unless there is a valid reason why not.”
The World on a Plate: Queens Market – The Economic and social value of London’s most ethnically diverse street market New Economics Foundation (2006)
“The report finds that:A ‘shopping basket’ exercise found that items bought at the market were on average 53 per cent cheaper than at a local ASDA Wal-Mart supermarket. Moreover, the market offers particular benefits to low- income customers not available at supermarkets. They can use the bargaining and haggling culture to achieve substantial discounts. This process reaches a climax at the end of the market day where produce is reduced to clear or given away free rather than left to waste. “
These are just a few of many examples of research that supports our vision of an Open Market.
More recently, and much closer to home for us, has been the example of West Norfolk council working in Kings Lynn. They recently offered and facilitated free market spaces for local traders in order to revitalise the town centre. By all accounts, although on a small scale, the results were tremendous as shown in this BBC news report (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-19166145). We see no reason why this cannot in some ways be duplicated on a much bigger scale. Indeed our own experience in running market projects as produced similar results in terms of the participation of both new and experienced traders.
Over several years we have had the privilege of being able to practically put some of the concepts involved in establishing an Open Market to the test through involvement in different innovative and sometimes themed market events both in the UK and abroad. Surrounding these events has always also included a lot of work delivering training, support and teaching in strategic areas that include:
- business skills,
- enterprise support,
- using multimedia.
- fundraising & capacity building,
- dealing with issues of diversity & equalities, and
- dealing with self-employment.
We feel that now is most certainly the time to build what we feel will be a compelling case for support and to make alliances with strategic partners in order to move this ambitious project forward. Please join us.
Banksta Rap
My Name is Able GoldSteal
The Original Banksta Rapper
let me store all your gold for you
(and give you back something certainly crapper)
Bank charges and interest are not my greatest con’
even million dollar bonuses are just a little fun
I take a single dollar and lend out another ten
Then on top of that charge, perhaps another 20% again
Mafioso, politicians and others have their little scams
But we Banksta Rappers always have the upper hand
We create money out of nothing!
Money for which you spend your working days grafting
And when I witness that everyday I must admit that I role around laughing
Yes it’s me the Original Banksta Rapper who everyone tries to please
To whom the media, politicians and more come grovelling on their knees
We used to create money as fast as we could print
But now with computers we can certainly even save on the ink
Of course, our real enemy is currencies of silver and gold
While our friends are democracies with populations we can easily mold
For those who do see the light, we can of course simply brand them some kind of terrorist
And failing that, it’s not hard to provoke another murderous military blitz
Yes this banking scam is certainly my best one ever
You must admit that I am extremely clever
I really have no loyalty to race, nation or even religion
All I have is very clear position
Greed, money, control, profit is my absolute and total vision
Of course this is just the tip of the Iceberg
Our tentacles go very far
In worldwide, famine, disease and poverty we have certainly played the major part
Even de-forestation and over-fishing that leave the planet stark.
Of course all YOU can see is bank charges, interest and million dollar bonuses
Suits me Banksta Rapper fine, BUT PLEASE “don’t forget to pay your taxes!”
Book Review by the Guardian’s Robert Ashton
Reviewer: Robert Ashton – social entrepreneur and business author
Book Title: Seven Secrets of Successful Fundraising – Amal Abdalhakim-Douglas
ISBN: 978-0-9535993-4-9
Like most authors, I read a lot of books. It stretches my thinking and encourages my writing style 
to evolve. Like most social entrepreneurs, I can be crushingly critical of ‘one size fits all’ solutions, especially when applied to challenges as huge as fundraising. So when even a time served fundraiser sends me a book promising to reveal ‘seven secrets’ sharpen my pencil and prepare to be cruel.
Which only goes to prove how wrong I can be; this book is 80 pages of the common sense we all too often overlook in our quest for complexity. Too short for flannel or author self aggrandisement, you soon realise that you’re reading the words of a modest and very human man.
Wisely in my view, the book starts with the reader. Are you a Reflector, Theorist, Pragmatist or Activist? By page 20 you know what you are and understand, or perhaps are reminded that what you well is what you can do well and the rest is best shared. In other words, fundraising is like surgery, likely to be botched if you try to do it alone and successful if anaesthetist, surgeon and nursing team combine their respective skills.
And then, prepared or perhaps pre-warned, you discover what is in effect a compendium of answers to the questions you’ll almost inevitably ask yourself on any foray into fundraising. Clear, explicit and confidence boosting, the book says it like it is, as you’ve probably already found it and as inevitably you’ll find it again very soon.
And there are some things here we’ve all seen before and that is actually very reassuring. The million pound appeal pyramid is always worthy of revisiting. It’s something that I’ve found to my cost to be annoyingly accurate.
My only criticism is of the publishing world. This book is proof that the big guy can be too cautious leaving a gem to be marketed by someone smaller and braver. I’m going to keep my copy near my desk. I suggest you do the same.
Robert Ashton is a social entrepreneur and best selling business author and a regular Guardian contributor. www.robertashton.co.uk
The book is available through Black Stone Press or Amazon
Janet Braithwaite’s 10 Minute Interview with author Amal Abdalhakim-Douglas
Janet Braithwaite’s 10 Minute Interview with Amal Abdalhakim-Douglas about his newly released book: Seven Secrets of Successful Fundraising
Title: Seven Secrets of Successful Fundraising – A Handbook for the Professional Fundraiser
Publisher: Black Stone Press and DMC Books
ISBN: 978 0 9535993 4 9
JB: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THE BOOK?
AD: One of the things was simply to coordinate all the notes that I use when delivering training. Another was to stop repeating myself every time people came to me for advice and I also thought it might be a useful tool in publicising my training events. But I have this habit of always trying to make things that I understand clearer for other people.
JB: WHERE DID THE TITLE COME FROM?
AD: Well, it’s the same title as the one day workshops I run, Seven Secrets of Successful Fundraising, and that came from a friend and associate of mine Khalid Mair who has a company called the Digital Lead. He’s one of my internet marketing gurus.
JB: HOW MUCH MONEY HAVE YOU PERSONALLY RAISED?
AD: From the book or as a fundraiser?
JB: AS A FUNDRAISER
AD: it’s hard to say really. It’s hard to know when to draw the line. If you count all the fundraising projects I’ve been associated with in any way, shape or form then it will certainly go into the millions of pounds, because that includes some big players who have come on my courses and some significant organisations that have called me in for advice or to run training days for their staff or their members. Then you have projects I’m more directly connected with. This might be raising anything from £500 to £1.5 Million. What I really do is help people become better fundraisers rather than actually doing it for them.
JB: WHAT’S YOUR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND?
AD: Professionally, I started out as a junior accountant in the City of London, but my family have always had business interests which I’ve always been involved with from a young age. After that I ran a travel and shipping agency in Paddington for a while and also distributed health products to shops and through mail order. And I did ride the telecommunications bandwagon for a while supplying 0800 and other services to businesses. There’s a lot more but perhaps another time.
JB: HOW DID YOU GET INTO FUNDRAISING?
AD: I got into fundraising really through necessity and trying to support projects I was personally involved with. So I studied the business thoroughly and as I learned things put them into practice and experimented. I mean everywhere I looked around me there was a project I could help. Later I joined the Institute of Fundraising just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything and to see If I could hold my own with some of the really big guns and seasoned profesionals.
JB: AND DID YOU?
Oh Yes! In fact some of those guys even attend my events. I like having them at my events because it creates a great mix. You have people absolutely new and knowing nothing at all, and then you have guys who have done a lot, but they don’t know how to be flexible and so find themselves becoming irrelevant.
JB: DO YOU SEE YOURSELF MORE AS A TEACHER?
AD: I certainly enjoy teaching, both adults and children. If I wasn’t involved in some very important projects i could easily become a full-time, very specialist teacher. and I suppose I’ve shaped my business around helping, teaching and empowering people in some way
JB: WHAT CAN PROFESSIONALS EXPECT TO GET FROM READING THE BOOK?
AD: I suppose the very first chapter is a clue. it’s based around a working styles questionnaire I developed that I use in my workshops. A look at different personality types and how they relate to fundraising. So it not only involves a little self-analysis but includes breaking down every single type of fundraising into it’s four chief aspects, which we call the Fundraising Cycle. Anyone who goes through that process and even applies a quarter of what they learn cannot fail to see some positive progress.
JB: YOU SEEM VERY CONFIDENT ABOUT THAT
AD: Yes, that’s because I’ve been lucky enough to witness this time and time again, but I still get quite excited when you see people actually getting it. You see the proverbial penny actually dropping
JB: WHAT’S YOUR OWN WORKING STYLE?
AD: I can’t remember, but I can probably guess that you might be similar and I often predict what people will show up as in the workshops.
JB: SO YOU’VE BECOME AN EXPERT AT READING PEOPLE
AD: Not particularly, but I do know someone who has. In fact let me mention a book that some people might find useful if they like this thing of personality types thing. It’s called Know Yourself by Alex Carberry and it’s only come out recently but I was given an advance copy.I know it’s on Amazon because I wrote a review. It doesn’t do a questionnaire like my book but it goes much deeper into the whole thing of personality types.
But, the other things that professional fundraisers in particular might get from the book is a chance to examine a range of different fundraising techniques and methods that they may not normally use. It’s easy to get used to one or two types of fundraising, whether it be grants or fundraising concerts or membership fees. What I do in the book is look at about 15 or 20 methods, give each a bit of analysis and then give some tips on making the most of these methods. I think this will be a very popular section of the book for many people.
JB: SHOULD PEOPLE BUY THE BOOK OR COME TO THE WORKSHOP FIRST?
AD: Doesn’t really matter I suppose, but everyone should certainly have a copy of the book and it doesn’t cost much. The book’s on sale worldwide so I suspect not everyone will have a chance to attend one of the workshops.
JB: DO YOU EVER WORK OUTSIDE THE UK
AD: I have done bits of work in the States (USA), in Jamaica, in Nigeria, in South Africa and I have clients in these places and of course quite a few UK based clients also operate across Europe and other parts of the world. The latest serious enquiry I received was from India.
DID YOU TAKE THEM ON (AS CLIENTS)?
AD: I did what I normally do with all prospective clients. I ask them to send me all the information they have about the project, including legal status, finances, aims & objectives, current & previous support, projections and progress reports etc. I particularly try and find out as much about the motives and role of the person contacting me. I’ll have a look at that and make a few notes as to what I think I could realistically offer them. Then I ask them what exactly they’d like me to do for them and of course what budget they have to support this. If it all looks good and there is some common ground we thrash out a contract. if not I invite them to at least take part in one of my training sessions to get them up to speed.
JB: HOW HAS FUNDRAISING CHANGED SINCE YOU’VE BEEN INVOLVED?
AD: It’s not that things have really changed except perhaps for the emphasis and new technologies
JB: EMPHASIS?
AD: For example, some really big charities now make a lot from people giving £2 or £3 a month and have perhaps move away from things like big charity auctions. Or perhaps smaller organisations that used to rely on local corporate sponsorship now aim to get grants. So in that way some big players are not actually abandoning tried and tested methods, they are at least temporarily paying a lot of attention to what might have been neglected areas and developing new ones.
JB: WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS?
AD: Sometimes it’s just a way of attracting a new set of supporters and staying relevant. These new supporters might then be channeled into more traditional ways of giving. So if you have a sponsored bungee jump you may attract some young people who are initially only interested in the thrill not the cause, but through the event you educate and cajole them and the next thing you know they are a paid up member with a monthly direct debit coming out of their account, or they themselves organise the next event.
JB: AND YOU SAID NEW TECHNOLOGIES?
AD: Technology is primarily around the internet but also in things like call centres. In the book I talk about the Generic Fundraising Statement which is that short statement that let’s everyone know that you accept donations and just how they will be well spent. This is something that must be on websites and on the tongues of all trustees, staff and volunteers. So I talk about how to come up with an effective statement and how to use it effectively with new technology.
When I say Call Centres, I’m talking of the use of professional call centres to run fundraising campaigns. So like many businesses charities are finding it more effective to outsource some of their work. Similarly, websites like Just Giving and even Paypal and WordPress can take away a lot of the hastle of setting everything up from scratch yourself, but I certainly don’t recommend this for everybody.
JB: I NOTICE THAT ON THE BACK OF THE BOOK IT HAS THE PRICE IN UK POUNDS, EUROS AND AMERICAN, CANADIAN AND AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE IT QUOTED IN ISD – SILVER DIRHAMS, ARE YOU PART OF THIS “SILVER IS MONEY CAMPAIGN?”
AD: I’m absolutely one of those advocating using gold and silver as currency for a number of reasons.
JB: SUCH AS?
AD: Such as combating injustice and poverty and transforming our societies for the better. To put it simply, paper money is banking money and people are waking up to the fact that banks and big multinational are not actually institutions of good, but If i start I could go on for hours about this.
JB: PERHAPS WE CAN DO ANOTHER INTERVIEW AFTER THIS?
AD: Yes, why not!
JB: WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS THEN ON THE BIG SOCIETY?
AD: Well some of the things put forward as part of a big society sound very good but I’m not one that takes very seriously what comes out of the mouths of politicians. However, the book itself is all about helping people who have a worthy cause, or an organisation or a social, or charitable project and helping them move forward.
I’m very much for people having much more control of what happens in their communities and I believe the key to this is enterprise. What the government can do here, it’s the same as needs to be done in Asia in Africa and other parts of the world, is to support and build infrastructures that support enterprise. What I mean here includes air, road and sea transport links, high speed internet access, telephone access, and access to markets. In fact all the others are about access to markets. We don’t really need a fairtrade movement if so called third world producers are given easy access to our markets. In order to regenerate deprived areas of the UK you need to make it absolutely easy and free, without cost, for local people to trade. Either on the high street or in new locations that will attract and facilitate shoppers and traders.
JB: ARE YOU A SUPPORTER OF SOCIAL ENTERPRISES?
AD: In one sense all natural enterprise has a social element. Multinationals and banks take that away. Charities, local governments and political activists need to support initiatives that make it free and easy and potentially lucrative to trade. it would transform our inner cities in ways hard to imagine. So yes, I do support social enterprise in a very big way.
JB: OBVIOUSLY YOU COULD HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT ANY NUMBER OF SUBJECTS, SO WHY WRITE A BOOK ON FUNDRAISING?
AD: When someone approaches me seeking my help for a worthy cause or a great project I can often get more enthusiastic than them and give a lot of my time, often for free. it’s the advice I often need to give to these people that is really the stuff covered in the book. Building a Corporate Profile, Building and Exploiting the Database, Building a Team, Exploring Different Fundraising Options, Actually Knowing How The Fundraising Cycle Works etc. And of course, How to Submit Great Grant Applications. So now it’s all in one place. It saves me time, it’s laid out in what I’ve tried to make an easy to use manner, and of course I get a chance for some additional income and some publicity. It’s also, in my opinion, the exact material that experienced professional fundraisers need to remind themselves of from time to time.
JB: SO WHO SHOULD BUY THE BOOK?
AD: Well if everyone who bought a Harry Potter book would buy one that would certainly be a good start, but it’s obviously for anyone remotely connected to fundraising whether as a trustee, volunteer, paid staff or professional fundraiser. It’s for people who want to build a great team. It’s for administrators and those who have to prepare project budgets. It’s for charity and social enterprise managers, and I think it’s a very useful tool for small business owners and the self-employed.
JB: WHERE IS THE BOOK AVAILABLE?
AD: It’s available through the DMC website (www.dmcconsultancy.co.uk). It’s available through Amazon and through Black Stone Press (www.black-stone.net/books) It’s only £6.95 and is also available in various ebook formats. I think the Kindle version might just be about ready.
JB: THE BOOK IS CERTAINLY PACKED. YOU HAVE THE WORKING STYLES QUESTIONNAIRE AND PERSONALITY TYPES, YOU.VE GOT POETRY, YOU’VE GOT GRAPHICS, SAMPLE BUDGETS, ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS, LOADS OF TIPS. IT’S REALLY A LITTLE TREASURE TROVE THAT I CAN CERTAINLY RECOMMEND. WHAT NEXT FOR YOU?
AD: Well thanks for that ringing endorsement. It’s always good to know an interviewer has actually read the book.
We have a series of book launches to roll out across the UK. So far we are looking at Norwich, two dates in London, Cambridge, Birmingham and Manchester. Hopefully we can follow that or mix it up with some of the workshops. I’m looking forward to having some people attend who’ve already read the book. And of course I’ll continue to be personally involved with a couple of projects that promote and support commercial and social enterprise.
JB: AMAL DOUGLAS, GOOD LUCK WITH THE BOOK AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
AD: Thank you, it’s been a pleasure
Gift Aid – Getting Something Back from the Taxman (Audio)
CVP.s0102 Gift Aid, Getting Something Back from the Taxman
Senior Consultant and member of the Institute of Fundraising, Amal Douglas of the Norfolk based DMC Consultancy looks at how new charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises can avoid the early pitfalls that are unfortunately all too commonplace within the third sector by giving his five point plan for getting new organisations fit for fundraising. Other issues to be tackled in the near future include, building an organisation’s corporate identity, self-employment issues, and charity and company registrations. Comments are invited at: http://consultantsview.co.uk
The True Power of Networking
Many people involved in the running or setting up a business, charitable organisation or social enterprise will have been repeatedly told about the necessity and great benefits of “networking.“
Of course, in many instances this is simply people trying to recruit others into one network marketing scheme or another. Many of these are quite legitimate, while in certain schemes the riches promised are almost impossible to achieve for most people.
However, the networking many of us should be involved with is much more simple and effective. The key to this effective networking is not to necessarily focus on recruiting clients/customers or even funders or donors. What we should concentrate on is first of all establishing links with people who can benefit from what ‘you’ can do for them, and secondly meet people you personally have something in common with, whether it be the football team you support, country of birth, hobbies or political affiliations. Let us consider just a few of the benefits:
• If you can be of benefit to someone then they have a vested interest in keeping the contact alive;
• In many (not all) cases these recipients of your goodwill will want to do something for you;
• If cultivated properly these same people can turn into paying customers or clients;
• If you have other things in common staying in contact becomes natural;
• Personal contacts account for a very high proportion of how contracts and business deals are awarded;
• Personal contacts and people ‘owing you a favour’ can be some of the most powerful forms of advertising and marketing.
The question to ask now, “how does one go about networking?” A few of the things you can do are?
1. Join trade organisations or umbrella groups
2. Attend industry/sector meetings or events
3. go to trade shows
4. respond to blogs and online discussion groups
5. Attend training events
6. Join specific networking groups (many online).
So clearly this form of networking is part of effectively capacity building and must be taken seriously by any organisation wishing to expand it’s horizons.
Three Essential Rules for Successs When Starting a New Business Venture
I’m a great attender of trade shows and exhibitions and get lots of my clients from casual conversations I get into at these events. Most recently I attended the Business Startup exhibition at Excel in London and one of the things I managed to do was record an interview with Levi Roots of Dragons Den Fame with his Reggae Reggae Sauce. (you can hear it on the next podcast episode).
However, I was at this show for two reasons: The first was to help a group of enterprising gentlemen i’m working with to promote their video email/multi-level marketing product and the second reason was to test the waters for our new business course we expect to launch later in the year.
There is definitely much truth in what is often said about entrpreneurship and business not being teachable skills. However, one can always make use of sound advice. Unfortunately a lot of advice out there is what I would term absolute rubbish while on the other hand i’ve benefited tremendously from masses of free advice I’ve received over the years. I must admit that I also still often refer to some of what I learnt studying Business Administration at university (mainly Maslow’s motivation theory and also the “Peter” principle) while a large part of it as proved absolutely irrelevant (which many of us students recognised at the time). So with the launching of this entrpreneurs training programme we will be taking on a big challenge, part of which is to work with key sponsors to make the course a truly worthwhile and rewarding experience based on learning while trading.
There were definitely lots of experienced and successful people at the Business Startup show offering some really good advice and a lot of it will no doubt appear in future episodes of this blog but also the podcast. In the meantime here are my own essential rules for anyone contemplating starting out in business.
1. Test Your Idea
Find people around you who you can trust and will give you honest feedback and let them know your idea, but you MUST LISTEN even if they don’t understand the product or the market. You WILL get some invaluable comments that will save you a lot of time, money and headache. Remember that no matter how scathing these people are that’s nothing to how bad complete strangers will be.2. Do The Business Plan
This cannot be skipped and you will find that the actual DOING of the plan may well be more valuable that the plan itself. This is where all the questions that ANYONE could ask are answered (including Dragons Den type investors). You will need help and their are professional software packages that will help you such as Business Plan Pro, but equally there are lots of able consultants. If you are thinking of using a consultant don’t be shy to ask them exactly what they can do for you and who they have worked with previously that you can contact. Remind yourself of the fact that “To Fail to Plan is to Plan to Fail.“3. Hit The Ground Running
If you’re working then take annual leave/holiday, but once you decide to launch that business you must put the hours in. This is the time when you tell absolutely everybody what you are doing (repeatedly). This is when you trawl through your email and contact list and contact absolutely everybody. You have to leave everyone in no doubt that you are enthusiastic about this product or project and you are expecting great things. At this point a 60 hour work week is a luxury. It is during this early period that because of your enthusiasm people will offer to help, and you have to take advantage of this and work them effectively. Give them a script to use on the phone or give them a clipboard and some leaflets and tell them to collect email addresses. No stone must be left unturned, and remember you can’t have “too many” potential clients or contacts.
Now if you don’t follow this advice and the business fails you’ll be kicking yourself because you’ll never know what might have been. If you follow these things and the business still fails you’ll likely be one of those real entrepreneurs who will learn some invaluable lessons and be ready to go again with something even better.
I look forward to hearing your feedback on these matters, or even your own advice you’d like to share with others.
Until next time!
