Intellectual property is at the heart of every business – it is the new product that someone has invented, it is the logo of a company or the website layout.

A representative from the Intellectual Property Office will be on hand to guide people through the areas of intellectual property a business may have, as well as tips on how to protect them and how to profit from them.

Staff from Plymouth Patlib, which is based in Central Library, will explain their free local service which offers information and searches to help you to avoid infringing on other people’s intellectual property.

Council leader Tudor Evans, said: “We want to help businesses in as many ways as we can – not just getting them off the ground through the Urban Enterprise programme, but being on hand to guide them and advise them and to help them avoid pitfalls.

“By working co-operatively we can help each other make this city buzz for businesses.”

The event will take place on Wednesday 29 May at the City Business Park in Stoke and will run from 12pm to 1.30pm.

Book now by visiting their webpage.

Listening to speakers at the launch

As the first phase of the Outset Plymouth and Outset Finance Plymouth projects draw to a close, we are delighted to announce that a further £840,000 of joint funding has been awarded by the European Regional Development Fund and Plymouth City Council to safeguard both provisions until March 2015.

In the last three years, Outset Plymouth has helped 162 people to start their own businesses, leading to the creation of 199 new jobs within the city, while Outset Finance has helped unlock over £850,000 of funding for Plymouth businesses.

Both teams have also been successful in local partnership working, with many referrals coming from successful collaboration with existing provision such as fellow Urban Enterprise programme partners Working Links.

Lee Hughes, YTKO’s Director of Enterprise said: “Our record for delivering strong return on investment to our funders and making a real difference to our clients has resulted in the renewal of the Outset Plymouth contracts. We will continue to work within these communities, to help identify and support new entrepreneurs and tailor our programmes to suit their different needs.”

Outset advisor Gregg Harding prepares to be interviewed.

The programme reaches out to people within the local area from a wide variety of backgrounds, helping them to give themselves a job. Businesses launched through the programme range from graphic designers to research professionals, from architects to innovative sports development programmes.

One such business was Ghostly Publishing, started by local first-time entrepreneur Neil Trigger. After receiving guidance on his business and help to find and secure funding to the tune of £7500, Neil has seen his business grow to house 19 authors and illustrators. Ghostly Publishing’s books are now distributed through major retailers Waterstones and Amazon.

Neil says of his experiences on the Outset programme: “The courses are fantastic and have helped me greatly. Outset Plymouth is a tremendous force for good in Ghostly Publishing’s history.”

The programme has also announced a rebrand to coincide with the contract renewal.

Kate McEwen, Outset’s Head of Operations for the South West, explained: “The renewal of the contract gave us the opportunity to continue and grow our programme alongside the ever-growing businesses that we serve. The new branding represents our goal to develop the project while also continuing to deliver award-winning programmes and provide an excellent service to the people of Plymouth.”

Outset client Magdalena Mrvova

1. Every business needs professional photography on their website. Whether it’s selling property, products or services, they all need it. Smaller websites may use stock photographic images but, you have to ask yourself how many other companies might be using the same image And would that make your customers doubt your credibility if the images were not true to your business?

2. Always use good quality images with a sharply-focused object and an out-of-focus background. You can also experiment with using a plain background of a contrasting colour.

3. When choosing the background and image style for your website, consider the overall style and colour palette. They all need to compliment each other and work well together.

4. When organising a photo shoot, think ahead. Get the photographer to shoot some shots for your future advertising and promotions. You need a stock of images you can use to promote your business for a few months or even the first year before you need to update your photography. Most photographers charge a minimum rate of half a day, so bear that in mind.

5. Always brief your photographer well and put everything in writing. A face-to-face meeting is always the best option to discuss all possibilities but always make the final agreement on paper to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding.

6. Don’t attempt to take photos yourself unless you have all the necessary equipment and knowledge. Setting up the lighting correctly is not as simple as it seems and post-production editing is necessary in most cases.

7. Never clutter your photos. Simplicity and clarity is the key! If you photographing a product, make sure it is clean and polished. When taking photos of properties, there are several tricks of the trade to make the space more appealing. These include putting fresh flowers out, accessorising tables and surfaces with fruit, freshly ironed linen, books, fresh coffee, cakes and nice cushions. Create a warm and welcoming look. You may also want to have some detail photos taken too, not only views of whole rooms. Detail shows quality and higher standards.

8. On your website, show images of your product ‘in use’, using lifestyle shots rather than simply product shots. Use them on your website’s blog or banners to promote particular products. Choose the set-up and positioning of any models carefully.

9. Your website is your ’shop window‘,  so you need to keep it up-to-date and renew it every few weeks to keep your customers interested.

10. A cheap photographer is not always the best option and changing your photographer part way through a shoot is not a great idea either. Aim for consistency on your website in photos and in writing style.

Outset client Magdalena Mrvova is a professional photographer based in the South West. To find out more about her work, visit her website. 

Gregg Harding – Outset Advisor

As part of the official relaunch celebration for our two Outset programmes in Plymouth, Outset’s Gregg Harding was on the radio this morning to talk about the official relaunch of the two programmes.

The BBC team were on location at The Samphire Brasserie where they found out about how Outset Plymouth and Outset Finance helped to create Plymouth’s only vegetarian restaurant.

Visit the BBC Radio Devon website to listen to our segment (around 1 hr 40 mins in).

Mike attended Outset’s Introduction to enterprise (I2E) and Business start-up (BSU) programmes where he was given advice, support and information. The workshops are designed to get people acclimatised to running their own businesses. Topics covered include market research, managing finances and writing a business plan.

After completing the courses, Mike said that they were “Without a doubt, the best thing (he) had done for many years.”

“The courses covered every aspect of starting a business and the courses were not delivered through rose tinted glasses – the benefits were discussed but the challenging aspects were also covered.”

Outset delivers its courses to small groups of people, encouraging cohesion and exploratory discussion that aids learning. Mike also found this approach useful: “being in a group of like-minded people on the course made each session interesting and we soon started to help and support each other. This was actively encouraged by our tutor.”

After finishing the courses, Mike started a handyman and garden maintenance business in his own name. The flexible nature of the work allowed him to get his work/life balance right while providing a service that created something tangible that people were happy with.

Mike said his biggest challenge so far was learning how to advertise to attract work: “This (acquiring clients) has been a slow and gradual process. Without a doubt, the best method is still word of mouth from a satisfied customer, but the Outset team explain every aspect of promoting your business and all of them have their different merits.”

In the future, Mike plans to build up his workload with a view to eventually taking on further staff.

To find out more about how Outset could help your business, call freephone 0800 028 5699 or email us.

Neil Trigger had previously worked in a variety of jobs when his daughter asked him to write a story for her on his phone. From these humble beginnings, the story grew in to Neil’s first full novel.

With no outlet to publish his work, Neil decided to publish the novel himself. After attending an Outset Plymouth networking event, Neil realised that he wanted to turn his passion for writing in to a full publishing company that was capable of selling his and other authors’ work. He subsequently attended Outset’s Business start-up workshop programme and received one-to-one guidance on selling his novel online as an e-book before being referred to sister company Outset Finance to become ‘investment ready’ and look at funding streams for growth.

Ghostly Publishing was formed and his novel would go on to be distributed by a number of retailers including Waterstones and Amazon. Neil says of his experiences on the Outset programme: “There is so much to learn in business. Most of it is common sense, but swimming through jargon to get to the common-sense version can be hard. Outset made it easy by explaining concepts in a plain-speaking and pragmatic way.”

Neil’s new company was successful in securing a £7500 loan from the South West Investment Group (SWIG) which gave them better cash flow, allowing them to further expand. Ghostly Publishing now has a roster of 19 authors and illustrators and has attracted investment to “dramatically grow” the business in the next 12 months.

They have also leased a new office space in Edinburgh, hired an extra staff member to assist Neil, secured an exhibit at the London Bookfair and have signed a number of celebrities to read audiobook versions of the novels including Billy Boyd (Lord of the Rings) and James Cosmo (Braveheart, Game of Thrones).

“Outset are a tremendous force for good in Ghostly Publishing’s history.” Neil said.

“The courses are a great length and have helped me greatly – I loved that I could talk to a skilled and knowledgeable advisor when I needed to. This was very, very valuable to me.” He continued.

When asked what one piece of advice he would give to new business starters, he said: “Focus on one thing…ONLY one thing.”

To find out more about how Outset could help your business, call freephone 0800 028 5699 or email us.

Sarah joined Outset in 2011 where she attended its award-winning Introduction to enterprise (I2E) and Business start-up (BSU) programmes. The workshops are designed to get people acclimatised to running their own business. Topics covered include market research, managing finances and writing a business plan.

The workshops created a nurturing environment for Sarah, giving her the space and confidence to work through her ideas, and a greater awareness of her strengths and weaknesses. Sarah says of her time on the programme:

“I made some great friends, who have since become trusted allies in business. I also built up a strong relationship with my business advisor who has always given me honest, practical, usable advice – which is much needed when setting up and running a business. They taught me that not everything has to be done ‘now this instant’ – and, more importantly, that by taking my time, you are very often more successful in your endeavours.”

Outset Finance Plymouth also had a part to play in Sarah’s success, with one of their expert finance advisors helping her secure a £500 grant towards start-up costs.

Through her hard work and determination, Sarah went on to form 3ivision, a brand building and inbound marketing company that specialises in delivering training to local businesses seeking to grow through online infrastructure.

Her business is now flourishing, with many clients throughout the southwest area. In return, Sarah has made a considerable effort to give back to the community she lives in by giving pro bono marketing talks and seminars for Plymouth Chamber of Commerce.

Sarah was also invited to become a business advisor for Young Enterprise Scheme in Plymouth, mentoring 16-19 year olds as they take their own first steps in to entrepreneurship. “I have found the experience incredibly rewarding” she said.

In the future, Sarah plans to set up a 3ivision training academy, which “matches the branding and marketing needs of local businesses and aspiring young people.”

To find out more about how Outset could help your business, call freephone 0800 028 5699 or email us.

To find out more about 3ivision, visit their website.

A recent example of this in action is joint clients Joe Wadge and Becca Speare. Both under 25 years old and keen to be new entrepreneurs, Joe and Becca were left devastated after being told they would receive £21,500 funding to set up their business, but then being turned down by their bank. According to Becca, this decision held starting their business back by 6 months.

Looking for a way to overcome their barriers and achieve their dream of running a restaurant, they joined the Outset programme in 2012. “A combination of having a strong belief in the welfare of animals and a huge passion for food, we really wanted to start our own business and open a restaurant of our own.” Becca said.

The pair were assigned to an Outset advisor who helped them create a more robust business plan and a strong financial proposition, making them investment ready. Joe and Becca were then referred to the Fredericks Foundation and others for funding. Their pitches were so successful that they were able to raise £15,500 towards their venture – finally they could realise their entrepreneurial potential!

Fredericks Client Manager Annie Popham said: “It was clear that Joe and Becca had prepared thoroughly for their funding pitch through the help of the Outset team’s investment readiness process. As a result, all the questions asked by our Lending Hub panel were answered clearly and knowledgeably, so it was an easy decision for us to offer them finance.”

As a result, Joe and Becca have just launched The Samphire Brasserie, a vegetarian restaurant in the heart of Plymouth. They have also already taken on two more members of staff.

Becca said: “The workshops and coaching gave us the support and confidence we needed to believe in our idea. We truly don’t believe our dream would have become a reality if it wasn’t for Outset and Fredericks Foundation”.

To find out more about how Outset could help your business, call freephone 0800 028 5699 or email us.

By Denise White The SMART Research

“What, why, where, when and how?” This was the first piece of advice I was given as a newly qualified researcher. Asking these five simple questions has turned out to be the most valuable piece of advice I’ve been offered in my career. In fact, I’m sure this has saved me a huge amount of time and even more so, now I have created my own business. It has focused me to provide research that is relevant and effective to my clients. Below are some of my own tips which I believe are critical for a successful business.

1. Understand your competitors
Research your competitors and immerse yourself in the research surrounding your products or services. Understand what makes you or your business stand out and learn from competitor’s achievements and failures. Set up RSS feeds to keep an eye on what’s going on in your area of business. Check out Google Alerts.

2. Understand your customers
Who are your customers? For B2C you want to find out consumer characteristics; are they more likely to be older, younger, male, female, students etc? What are their spending habits? Where do they buy from? For B2B, find out who they do business with, how much they charge, and why do they choose them? What can you offer that is more appealing? Finally, ask yourself: ‘What is it I provide that encourages customer loyalty’?

3. Research your product or service
Read trade magazines, articles and stories on your business, industry or products. Visit your local reference library for business directories / trade publications and search the online British Library for industry guides.

4. Consult your market
Is there a market for your product or service? Work with your customers to develop new ideas, get them to help you with your design process. Testing your ideas out first before committing any further development will vastly reduce the risk of making a costly mistake! Use appropriate research techniques for your customer market and consider using someone independent to manage your consultations. If your customers use social media, use Facebook ads and reach statistics to target your consultations.

5.Monitor your business
Monitor satisfaction levels – learn from positive and negative feedback. Monitor productivity and purchases – What are people buying more or less of?

6. Use Research for Marketing
Give customers confidence in your products or services. For B2B, consider asking your customers what difference your service has made. Present any positive feedback and recommendations for PR purposes.

7. Use your findings for Investors
Use your research findings to prove to investors you have a particular demand. Ensure your sample sizes, research techniques and objectivity are unquestionable to instill confidence in your investor.

8. Give yourself time
Never underestimate how long research can take. Set realistic deadlines with allowance for follow-up responses. If you are unfamiliar with finding trustworthy sources, it can take longer than you expect.

9. Get advice
Although many start-up or new businesses cannot afford to commission professional research, it often pays to get advice from an experienced researcher. This will not only ensure your research is conducted effectively and ethically, but also give credibility and confidence to your findings.

10. Keep it simple

Enough said! Good luck!

She is keen to help improve her local community through her work as a member of the Racial Equality Council.

In the past, she has also been part of the city’s Soup Run project, feeding many of the homeless in the city.