“Don’t aim for greatness,

aim to be great at

something”Matt Kendall

BAD BUSINESS STUDIES

My business studies teacher had no faith in

me

In front of my parents he said “I don’t want

you to take business studies A Level, as I

think it will lower my grade average”

“I don’t think you have any business

acumen, or organisational skills”

Tonight is dedicated to him

HOW TO TURN YOUR IDEA INTO A CAREER

400 Events

354 Group Reviews (highest in the UK)

Over 300 Different Speakers

24,000 Members

Largest Self Development Meetup Group in the World

I achieved this without backstabbing, without screwing

anyone over and also helping people make a lot of

money out of me.

Remained Fabulous at all Times

NEW MANCHESTER BANDS

NEW MANCHESTER BANDSWHO DID I HAVE TO KEEP HAPPY?

THE VENUE

THE BANDS

THE DJ

THE SECURITY STAFF

THE BAR STAFF

THE ATTENDEES

THE SOUND GUYS

WHAT THEY WANTEDTHE VENUE – OVER 100 PEOPLE, NO PROBLEMS

THE BANDS – WELL ATTENDED, MAKE MONEY, RECORDED

THE DJ – DRINKS, PEOPLE TO STAY AFTERWARDS

THE SECURITY STAFF – NO DRUGS INSIDE, NO MUPPETS

THE BAR STAFF – PEOPLE TO BUY DRINK OFFERS

THE ATTENDEES – WELL ORGANISED, FREE STUFF

THE SOUND GUYS – TECH SHEETS, BANDS ON TIME

MOST MUSIC NIGHT LOSE MONEYTHE VAST MAJORITY OF UNSIGNED BAND NIGHTS ARE QUIET AND LOSE MONEY

I CREATED A FORMULA AND STUCK TO IT

ALL THE EVENTS WERE PACKED AND MADE MONEY

EVERYONE WAS HAPPY

I DID ABOUT 100 OR SO MUSIC EVENTS

LEAVING BTI STARTED A PRINT AND DESIGN COMPANY

HAD 2 FULL TIME DESIGNERS

I RAN IT ALL FROM BT

I WAS FIRED FOR GROSS MISCONDUCT

I VOWED TO NEVER WORK FOR ANYONE EVER

AGAIN

SCALING UP THE PRINTING COMPANY I FOCUSED ON GETTING SMALL ORDERS, MAKING

ON AVERAGE £12

THESE CUSTOMERS WOULD BUY FROM ME ABOUT

ONCE A YEAR

I THEN FOCUSED ON DESIGNERS

I STARTED MAKING ABOUT £22 PER ORDER,

SOME PEOPLE ORDERED 5-10 TIMES PER WEEK

MOVING TO LONDON

I MOVED TO LONDON APRIL 1ST 2009

I ATTENDED A NUMBER OF MEETUPS

SOME WERE TERRIBLE

I DECIDED I COULD PROBABLY DO BETTER

INTERESTING TALKS LONDONAFTER I DID MY RESEARCH, I SET UP MY FIRST EVENT

IT WAS A CHARITY EVENT ON CONVERSATION SKILLS

BOTH SPEAKERS FAILED TO SHOW

DISASTER

INTERESTING TALKS LONDON

INTERESTING TALKS LONDON

I THOUGHT IT WENT REALLY BADLY

HOWEVER LOTS OF PEOPLE LOVED IT

SO I THOUGHT I WOULD DO IT AGAIN

WENT BETTER

SO I DID IT AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN

WHO TO KEEP HAPPY

THE VENUE MANAGER

THE SPEAKERS

THE ATTENDEES

WHO TO KEEP HAPPY THE VENUE MANAGER – BE RELIABLE, ASK PEOPLE

TO BUY DRINKS

THE SPEAKERS – TO MAKE SURE A FULL ROOM OF

PEOPLE, WELL ORGANISED.

THE ATTENDEES – PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY

EVENTS THAT ARE WELL RUN

DID I HAVE GOALS OR PASSION?NO

NOEL GALLAGHER ONCE SAID “IF I KNEW HOW

MANY PEOPLE WOULD HAVE LISTENED TO

WONDERWALL, I WOULD NEVER HAVE FINISHED

OF WRITING IT”

YOU CAN NOT BE PASSIONATE ABOUT

SOMETHING YOU ARE NOT DOING

JUST GET ON WITH IT!!!

THE KEY STEPSTHINK ABOUT WHAT YOU LIKE

RESEARCH WHAT OTHERS ARE DOING

DO A SMALL SCALE TEST AND GET FEEDBACK

CREATE A STRUCTURE

DO IT AGAIN AND IMPROVE

KEEP THINGS SIMPLE

MAKE SURE YOU DO THE LITTLE THINGS

PROPERLY

SOME COMMON MISTAKES OVER COMPLICATING THINGS

NOT COMMITTING TO DOING ONE THING WELL

THINKING YOU SHOULD BE PASSIONATE ALL THE

TIME

NOT DOING RESEARCH

INVESTING LOTS AT THE START

NOT HAVING A SCALABLE PRODUCT/SERVICE

NOT KEEPING AN EYE ON THE FINANCES

BUSINESS STUFFBUSINESS TYPE - SOLE TRADER, PARTNERSHIP,

LTD

ACCOUNTS – QUICKBOOKS AND OTHER

PACKAGES

TAKING PAYMENTS – HOW DO YOU DO IT?

PRODUCT STRUCTURE – FREE TO PREMIUM

CONTENT – HAVING A STRATEGIC PLAN

SALES FUNNELS – HOW TO SELL TO PEOPLE

TAX – FILLING OUT YOUR RETURN ON TIME

RESOURCES YOU NEEDCLICK FUNNELS OR WORDPRESS

SSL CERTIFICATES

REGISTER WITH HMRC

INSURANCE

EMAIL AUTO RESPONDER

CHIP AND PIN MACHINE

PAYPAL OR STRIPE ACCOUNT

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COMECREATE A FANBASE BEFORE YOU MAKE A

PRODUCT OR SERVICE

CONNECT WITH PEOPLE AND CREATE A

FOLLOWING

DO THIS WITH FACEBOOK FAN PAGE/GROUP,

INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, SNAPCHAT OR LINKEDIN

ASK PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT, AND THEN

SUPPLY IT

PRODUCT LADDER WHAT DO YOU SELL?

WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE?

WHAT CAN YOU UPSELL?

CAN YOU PUT PEOPLE ONTO REOCCURRING

BILLING?

NUTRITIONIST – FREE EBOOK, £7 BOOK, ONLINE

COURSE, WORKSHOP, 1-2-1, RETREATS,

MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP SITE

MY BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY BRING AS MUCH VALUE AS YOU CAN TO OTHERS

HELP AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE

MONEY

BE COMPETENT AT WHAT YOU DO

YOU DO NOT HAVE AN OFF DAY

WHAT IS YOURS???

A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS STRUCTURE

Your Skills

Systemisation

Accounts,

marketing etc

Consumer

Demand

DOMINATE A PLATFORM

I DOMINATED MEETUP

• How to get members to join

• Getting people to rate the

events

• Getting people to review the

group

• How many pictures to add

• When to send out emails

MEMBER JOINS OVER THE YEARS

OVERALL PLAN

•Create an audience

•Ask them what they want

•Supply it (products and services)

•Systemise it

•Sell it on or hire staff

MY EVENT STRUCTURE – PRE EVENT

Book speaker (speaker pack and google forms)

Speak with speaker and go over how to give the best talk

Create Meetup event (same structure)

Put event onto Eventbrite and Facebook

Email the venue to confirm numbers

Email attendees with information

Speak with the speaker on the day and confirm tech stuff

MY EVENT STRUCTURE – EVENT

• Arrive at 6pm and ensure venue is set up correctly

• Set up projector and mic

• Go through things with the speaker

• Open doors at 6:30pm and welcome people in

• Introduce speaker at 7pm

• Break at 7:50 and restart at 8:10

• Finish at 9pm

MY EVENT STRUCTURE – POST EVENT

• Email those who attended to thank them for attending

• Upload pictures

• Email speaker to thank them

• Read the reviews and comments

OVER TO YOU

•What is it you like doing?

•What skills do you have?

•Who are your idea customers?

•What platform can you dominate?

MARKET RESEARCH

•Who else is doing this?

•How can you make it better or

different?

•What other research can you do?

•Who is your ideal customer?

SMALL SCALE TEST

•How can you test this on a small scale?

•How could you scale it up?

•Who would be big customers?

WHAT PRODUCTS/SERVICES DO YOU NEED?

•Domains

•Emails

•Website

•Payment processors

•Supplies and inventory

HOW WILL YOU ACTUALLY DELIVER THE SERVICE/PRODUCT?

•What needs to happen before?

•When needs to happen during?

•What need to happen after?

THE POWER OF NETWORKING

•Write down your name

•Write down your business idea

•Write down one specific thing you need

help with

•What is one skill or resource you have

to offer

•We are going to go round the room!!!

FINAL TIPS

•Do your research

•Don’t get too attached

•Make sure you study the figures

•Improve things all the time

•Be nice to people

THANK YOU

•For allowing me to do this job

•For coming week after week

•For giving up your time and making

the effort to be here

•For supporting me in my ventures

•And finally……..

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