The message is loud and clear - never give up!

At ‘245 days…’ I like to take a look at some up and coming startup entrepreneurs as well as give hints, tips and advice on how to get the most out of your startup business. There are many ways in which to set up your own startup company and as we have looked at in the past, all you need to begin with is a great idea along with the passion and rive to make it work. I love to spend my time speaking to entrepreneurs whether fact to face or via the internet. Their passion brings my passion to life.

Today I am looking at an entrepreneur who has overcome some of the things that life can throw at you to become part owner of a Smartphone bag company called FattTrixx. She is called Tracy Austin. She has a great product and a really interesting story to tell. Tracy Austin her mother passed when she was 6 month old just weeks after learning that Tracy was deaf in both ears. She did not let this hold her back and has been a big part of the FattTrixx bag. She never gave up.

The product is so well crafted and is practical as well because it converts into an urban bag, a luxury bag and a sporty business bag so it is perfect for all occasions. The idea part of a startup business can trigger all sorts of other areas for your business. To go from a single idea of a changeable but still fashionable bag and then to have the vision to turn this into a business that is up and coming is the story that sums up entrepreneurship.

A portion of the proceeds go to HELP END EVICTIONS which means that they are not only setting up a great business, they are helping others as well. There is a lesson here for all businesses large and small.

Take this lesson and apply it to your business. Take a look at what this could mean for your startup. If you have a great idea then just go ahead and run with it. You still need to plan to make sure that you have everything lined up properly to make a success of it. But don’t let doubts get in the way. Be like Tracy and never give up!

Visit them and get a Custom set at http://www.fatttrixx.com/ or check them out on Tracy Kyle Show https://youtu.be/srtHNTKMvUI

Everything I think I need to sort out before opening

228 After a whirlwind and scattergun start to my plans for opening an estate agency next year, I have decided that the next best step is to gather together all the aspects that I think I need to cover before the grand opening.

Here goes (in no particular order)-

• A new computer or laptop. My current one is fine for family use but I need a separate workstation with more memory.
• A dedicated telephone line for the business.  Either an extra landline at home or a dedicated mobile phone and number.
• Sorting out the 2nd garage at the rear of the house that I will convert into an office space.
• Furniture for this home office, including a desk, lockable filing cabinets, chairs and stationery.  I have an old dining room table, dining chairs, an office chair, a sideboard, a wardrobe, a chest of drawers and some other smaller pieces of furniture in the garage already, so some of these will be re-used or upcycled.
• A cashflow forecast and business plan for the first year of trading.
• I need a website designed and built.  The design and content are still to be decided, and will take the form of a complete blog of it's own.
• I need to source a provider of for sale boards, design what my boards will look like and have them produced.
• I need to get a grip on what advertising I will use, how it will look, where it will appear, etc.  This is a massive subject and will be it's own blog subject in the future.
• I'm looking at links to the local community to run alongside my advertising and other marketing.  I'm thinking about links to a local school, a local sports club and some other community projects.  I will provide them with support and financial help, maybe with a twist.
• I will need a solicitor for 2 reasons.  Firstly for advice for setting up my business as a legal entitiy, then a reliable referral point for any conveyancing business that I come across.
• An accountant, for the setting up of the business as well.  I will need advice regarding how to set up the business, whether a sole tradership, a partnership or a limited company will best serve my needs.
• I will need to open a business bank account, with online access, but also a local branch for paying in any rent money taken in cash or by cheque.
• A final decision on whether I open with sales and lettings.  If I have lettings as well then I will need contacts for the management of the properties, such as electricians, plumbers, glaziers and central heating engineers.
• I will be looking into the availability of business grants in my area to help with the set-up costs.  As I type this, I have now put this to the top of my mental list.
• I have an idea about becoming a "hybrid" of online and offline state agents by using the window of a High Street business to display my properties and contact details.  I'll need to look into this and start to speak to local businesses about the possibility of this.
• I will need to register with the ombudsman service for estate agency, look at membership of the National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) and, if relevant, the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA)
• I will need to look at contacting, and forging a working relationship with a local mortgage adviser that will be able to assist my clients with their financial needs.
• Likewise with a local surveyor, especially for clients that are buying without arranging finance.
• I have spoken to several companies in the past that supply a software tool for managing an estate agency.  A sort of client and property database, with the ability to upload properties to portals, match clients with properties, email property details to clients and other daily functions.
• On that note, I will need to look at which property portals I am considering and from there, look at costs and fit this into my marketing plan.
• I will need to look at several levels of insurance - any changes to my car insurance, any changes to my home insurance from having a business operate from home and any business insurance I need for operating in clients homes.
• I will most probably set up a charitable foundation where any fundraising will go.  I also intend to donate a percentage of my profits to this charitable foundation.  In the early stages of my thought process, I want some of this money to go to a local charity and some to go to a charity related to housing, maybe Shelter.

I know that this won't be a comprehensive list, and other things will pop up as time goes by.  If anyone has any ideas, suggestions or can see any glaring ommissions then please let me know!

Shop local is more than a slogan - it's my ethos!

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How can I establish links to my local community?

How can I use my local knowledge to network my services around my local community?

How can I let my local community into my business?

These are questions that have been occupying my brain today. I want to use the fact that I live in the town I'll be operating in to develop links to the local community and to promote my business. I want to let people know that the money I earn from selling their homes will stay in their local community and will be (mostly) spent in other local businesses rather than leave the town for companies registered elsewhere. I want to share the importance of local businesses with other businesses and the local community. I want the community to see my work, share in my passion and give me their instructions.

So, where to start?

I'm thinking of several ways of creating this feeling and way of working-

My website

I'm looking at adding a local community page to my website, and it will take one of two forms. Either a space for other local-owned, local-operated companies to be able to put their details on the site - hyperlink, ethos, local credentials, etc.  Or a community notice board for messages, local events, etc. my concern about the latter is that it would take some managing, and could become a forum for abuse or trolling.

Networking clubs

These are popular in many areas, but I don't know offhand whether there is one in my town. As I will be operating solely in one town, it feels pointless to go any further.

Blog on the local market

I'm thinking of adding to my existing blog portfolio by blogging on news and views of the local town. I think that people who live, or are thinking of living, in the area will find this useful and informative. It will establish my voice as an authority in the local market and mean that I will be the 'go-to-guy' when peoe want some knowledge or information about our housing market.

Links to local schools/charities/clubs/associations

I've long thought of this as a way to establish your credentials in a community and to build your business. My main ethos would be to operate a payd referral scheme. So I'd agree a project that the organisation wanted funding. For example, the local rugby club may want to invest in new goalposts at a cost of £1000. For every person who sells a house with me via a referral from the rugby club I'll donate a fee to the club, say £50. At this rate, after 20 referrals from the rugby club, their new goalposts would be paid for, courtesy of your friendly local estate agents!

A webcam in my home office

I think that if people can see me at work, can see where I operate from, can see what I'm doing, then they will see into my ethics and buy into me and my business.

Use my local base in my marketing

I will make sure that my website underlines the fact that I live locally and shop locally. It will explain why I think it's important and why I think peoe should support the principle.

Books on shopping and shop local from Amazon