Design
Working on a budget Create a business on a shoestring
I started to look for a business that had very little outlay, didn’t require the purchasing of products or premises, and could be transported around easily.
Exploring poly culture
Creating multiple sources of meeting income and needs. I want to start small in one area and then extend to run several mini businesses under one umbrella, to be as diverse as possible.
The business needs to eventually include the knowledge and experience that I have achieved from my Permaculture Diploma.
I need to draw on the resources that I have built up and worked on in my previous Permaculture projects.
Exploring zones
The business will be designed in 3 sections:
- Section 1.The pet sitting business
Including alternative animal services - Section 2.Meeting needs with out money
skill swaps/working parties - Section 3.Putting on Permaculture courses
- trialling small permaculture courses
I explored several business ideas most of which required outlay of fianancial commitment. A discussion with friends planted an idea for pet sitting and when I looked at this from a different perspective I realised I was being guided in this direction for a reason.
Pet sitting required no outlay apart from a laptop which would enable me to be mobile and book in jobs on the go and also continue with my Permaculture work while working away from home, making the best use of my time.My computer is also quite old and despite recent upgrading needs replacing.
What skills and knowledge do I have?
I have had various pets through out my life and possess a wide spectrium of knowledge about looking after them and know a lot about their behaviour. As I researched I found that animal behaviour problems are connected directley to the owner. This connected with my interest of working with people and promoting thier self empowerment.
I was also introduced to a horse whisperer and dog trainer ( working with wolf pack behaviour) both worked and trained in a natural way, and they were keen to be part of the busInIess.
I have also made contact with a friend who promotes Aloe Vera products which are organicaly and ethicaly sourced and can be used on animals or humans.
So the idea for pet sitting business was planted this requires little or no fianancial outlay can be spread by word of mouth through networks I have built upnetworks/vets/friends.
I need to:
To do the following to start a buisiness:
Seek expert professional help to set up a buisiness
Eastern Enterprise Hub http://www.eehub.co.uk/
Friend who volunteers for The Princess Trust assist in setting up new buisiness
Friend who runs her own pet sitting buisiness not in my area
Neccessary paper work
Write a buisiness plan
Costings should be part of the buisiness plan
Contact HMRC to register the buisiness/ and NI contributions/Tax Click on link
Set up a database
Set up a page for fianancial records for tax man
Find a name for the buisiness
Register a domain name for the website
Build a website and connect to face book
Design and order Vista buisness cards link to vista website
Design poster
Build the buisiness in a holistic ethicaly based way click on link
work out a time line
list resources people/skills
Advertising through media
Build website
Use Adsence to generate income
Use Face book to advertise and market courses/pet sitting
Connect to other eviromentally ethical websites to advertise buisiness
Section 2
I also want to include with in the buisiness the setting up and Co running Permaculture self-empowerment courses through: wildlife conservation techniques aimed at a wide section of people.
- Running Permaculture courses for:
- Children
- Adults
- Older people
- All of the above who are less abled
- Corporate events
People who have the skills to bring in to the buisiness:
- Friend with special needs experience with children/adults/older people
- Friend who has conservation experience works with The Wildlife Trust
- Friend who is a horse whisper
- Friend who is an alternative dog trainer
- Friend who has an Aloe vera business
- Friend who is land based permaculture trained
- Bringing in other people sourcing and utilising unused skills
what do I need to start a business
Contacts networks/friends
Website
Utilising media to (get the message across)
I intend to build a website for the business and set it up to bring in income
Google ads
Adsence
Links to other money making sites
Include links to other ethical enviromentally friendly sites
Inputs
Time
Energy
Utilize networks
Outputs
Work through the pets to connect with the owner’s for self-empowermeng
Benefits
A business that can be transported saving on outlay of premises
No outlay of products the Aloe Vera is ordered through a contact.
Travel to a working venue to house/pet sit is allways tied in with another function
Change of location mini holiday
Free lodging/board
Walking dogs good green exercise
Continue building projects on laptop while away.
Meeting people and networking.
Evaluate
The business was launched in September 2012 and has grown slowly and steadily.
Paper work
I found the paper work side of the business relativley straight forward and registered the business on line which took care of
tax and National Insurance.
The hard part was comming up with a name it needed to be something that covered lots of aspects that I wanted to eventually bring into the business, Permaculture courses and the skill swaps.
I eventually gave up and registered under my name cop out I hear you say but time was running out of time and I needed to register the business.
This had a knock on effect as I couldnt design the business cards or the flyers. I am still awaiting inspiration and the time to locate it but am to busy working!!!
Advertising
This has happened mostly through word of mouth as people like to know and trust the person who is house sitting.
I have a designed a website and am currently building it but hit the problem that as it is a business it needs to be paid for, and also linking it to other websites to advertise through Adsence has taken longer than expected.
Products and bringing in other people
I have linked my website with Aloe vera products and I am also working with someone who is expermenting with magnets and their effect on water, healing aliments in the body and more, all of which can be used with animals.
The dog trainer and horse whisper are on standby and I need to get some video footage to put on the website.
Overall things have built a lot slower than I would have liked although not rushing headlong in to it has given me a bit of time to evulate what is working and also spend time with my mum who has dementia expanding my experience with the ailment and learning to help her through it
Skill swaps
I have done quite a few skill swaps since september, house and pet sitting for various friends which has enabled me to use the time to get on with documenting the project and also use their profesisional skills for myself and my family.
This has worked well for both parties and will continue to build.
Maintain
Regular maintence is part of the discipline of running a business and certain procedures have to be followed on a regular weekly basis:
Updating records: For the Accountant/Tax man/my own purposes to assess how the business is progressing ,is it cost effective?
Advertising for new business: Untill the business has a hard core of regular clients there is need to advertise by word of mouth, website, events.
Regular assesment of the business checking to see if it needs to tweaked or modified to fit in with the changing economic enviroment.
Click on link to go to implementation