Four Great British Reasons to Start a Business NOW!

Valuable advice from Emma Jones, Director of national campaign StartUp Britain, Founder of small business community Enterprise Nation, entrepreneur, author and the opening keynote speaker at the second Kent 2020 Vision START-UP LIVE on Wednesday 23rd October 2013.

If you’re considering starting a business and becoming your own boss, let me give you four good reasons as to why now is a great time to do so!

1) Costs are low

The costs of starting a business have come tumbling down. When you can start the business from home (and whilst holding onto the day job) and embrace social media and free websites to get to market, you can start and grow a new business on a very modest budget.

My advice to StartUps is beg, borrow and barter to access any resource you need to get going. Most businesses just require an internet connection and some business cards to start, but if you do find you need access to funds, there are many places to look including increasingly popular crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter, Crowdfunder and Crowdcube, as well as government programmes such as StartUp Loans.

2) Interest in British products is high

We are seeing ever-growing appetite from overseas for products designed and/or made in Britain and with 1.2 billion customers online across the globe, so it’s a great time to be selling into new and international markets. You can sell via third party platform sites such as Etsy, eBay and Elance.com, which reach customers in diverse destinations – or create your own home on the web and leverage social media (Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook) to attract browsers and convert them into buyers.

Consider a PopUp (with organisations such as PopUp Britain to test new markets, meet customers and make sales.

3) Talent is all-around

Never before has so much top talent been so readily available. Many talented executives are going freelance and can be found on marketplaces such as Elance and Peopleperhour.com and at rates that fit with a small business budget. Mentors are also available through accelerators such as WAYRA, The Bakery and the excellent GrowthAccelerator service, which do as they say and accelerate a small business by matching you with customers and serious support.

Which brings me onto my final point …

4) Support is yours

For StartUps, high levels of support is on hand. From the government in the form of funding, Growth Vouchers and international trade promotion, from large companies that are lending their assets for the benefit of small ones, and from fellow small business owners who are happy to lend their time and expertise in the form of peer support.

So what are you waiting for? It’s a great time to be starting a business.

Come along to my session at Kent 2020 Vision START-UP LIVE and I’ll show you how it’s done!

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Kent 2020 Vision START-UP LIVE is the South East’s leading event for new businesses, organised by BSK-Direct to provide a value-packed day of inspiration, practical advice and vital information for the early stages of any new venture. The event is free-to-attend for new businesses or individuals looking to start one in the next 1-2 years.

CLICK HERE to register now.