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Geek Culture / Entrepreneurship - Starting a Business

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BatVink
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21
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Joined: 4th Apr 2003
Location: Gods own County, UK
Posted: 15th Oct 2005 00:28
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There has been a lot of talk and flaming recently around being "a company".

If you are serious about marketing your skills and products, there is a free distance learning course in the UK, funded by the government, in Entrepreneurship. I am doing another course funded in the same way, and I can say that these are serious courses for serious people who want to get on in life. The content is good, and your contribution is 60 hours of your time over 6 months.

http://www.creatingcareers.net/channels/courses/ent_more.asp

In this course you’ll study four units. Here’s a taste of what you’ll find out:

Unit one - You

Find out if you’re emotionally, mentally and financially ready for business start-up. Identify your personal needs and expectations, review your skills needs and evaluate your finances.

Unit two - Your business idea

Learn how to prepare an excellent business plan, find out how to set achievable goals and select an appropriate legal status for your business.

Unit three - Your marketplace

You’ll develop practical market research skills and learn how to make the right marketing decisions for your product or service.

Unit four - Your business operations

Develop your business plan into practical action plans, build a pre start-up timetable and find out how to achieve operational success by matching financial, human and material resources against your business goals.

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MicroMan
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Joined: 19th Aug 2003
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Posted: 15th Oct 2005 00:40
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Those business courses tend to be very technical. They tend to take you only this far - that is when you get the papers back to show you that you're company is founded and registered.

But then what? Then comes selling, and that is a social task more than a technical one. Yes, there's technique, but if you have excellent technique and is a bully you won't sell a lot. If you have excellent sales skills, but are timid, you won't sell much.

I think those sorts of courses tend to oversell the technical stuff, and shortsell the social dimension. So, I'm quite sceptical. But then again, you need to know how to register the company...

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BatVink
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Joined: 4th Apr 2003
Location: Gods own County, UK
Posted: 15th Oct 2005 00:56
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This is just one course of many. There are courses that help you develop social skills, business skills, and life skills.

You are absolutely right in what you say. But notice the first unit...before you do anything else you assess whether you are in a position to carry it through.

I can also tell you that this is not an automated, impersonal course. I was telephoned before I started on my course to ensure I was committed to the time required and had the pre-requisites.

I started a business after 3 or 4 hours of local government, self-start style "education". I haven't done the course mentioned above, but based on the experience of the course I am doing, I'm sure it will do a much better job.


Anyway...you're from Sweden. You're all better at business than us Brits. I know...I work for a Swedish company. We need educating!

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Oraculaca
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Joined: 6th Jan 2003
Location: Scotland
Posted: 15th Oct 2005 01:29
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I intend to be self employed as of January, it is really quite daunting . I going to work as a sole trader but I still have quite a bit of initial outlay for transport and some kit. Ive had enough of being a number basically.

I think these guys are just based in Scotland but they have been very usefull so far and ive arranged a few free courses through them. Also I may be eligable for some grants :
http://www.bgateway.com/


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indi
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Joined: 26th Aug 2002
Location: Earth, Brisbane, Australia
Posted: 15th Oct 2005 02:25
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even tho i work for myself and want to do video projects all day long, I take work in /repairing noobed XP machines / graphic design / web design, cdrom/dvd authoring / basically any computer job i can get to cover the rent each week etc..

I formed a company but the only difference between that and a sole trader that i can see is the tax breaks you get as a company, the clients are the same and the projects are the same.

If no-one gives your an answer to a question you have asked, consider:- Is your question clear.- Did you ask nicely.- Are you showing any effort to solve the problem yourself 
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Megaton Cat
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Joined: 24th Aug 2003
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posted: 15th Oct 2005 04:16
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indi, how do you seek/attract clients? Do you advertise somewhere? Look for jobs yourself?


The future is here, and I can't afford it.
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UnderLord
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Joined: 2nd Aug 2003
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Posted: 15th Oct 2005 05:19
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Quote: " indi, how do you seek/attract clients? Do you advertise somewhere? Look for jobs yourself?"


He probably advertises a little in the newspapers maybe a small sign here and there and word of mouth works good too =)

When we talk to god, we're praying. When god talks to us, we're schizophrenic.
http://dbworlds.darkuniverse.net/
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indi
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Joined: 26th Aug 2002
Location: Earth, Brisbane, Australia
Posted: 15th Oct 2005 17:48
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clients who refer someone are the best leads. since moving up here ive had to beat the doors and cold call on the phone. advertising is good if you have a defined package.
my work changes all the time so its contractual and diverse.

If no-one gives your an answer to a question you have asked, consider:- Is your question clear.- Did you ask nicely.- Are you showing any effort to solve the problem yourself 
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MicroMan
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Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Posted: 15th Oct 2005 18:42
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@BatVink

When I started my business I went one of those courses, and had to figure out me and if I was the Entrepeneur Type Of Man. I can say now, that none of my brash projections came through. I wasn't a genious at anything.

Particularly in fields where a big part of what you sell is creativity, you get snookered by the fact that your creative efforts become judged subjectively. Thus, advertising that leads to a certain expectation from the receiver of the ads can lead to strange results.

I think these kinds of jobs, the creative ones, probably move by word of mouth. It's a meritocracy. And the key to success in a meritocracy is people skills - even more so than technical skills. It is better to be a fair programmer that can get along with people, than a genious programmer that people loathe.

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They SAID that given enough time a million monkeys with typewriters could recreate the collected works of William Shakespeare... Internet sure proved them wrong.
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