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!e cover story feature this week is on Sir Alan Sugar, he is someone all entrepreneurs and small business owners look up to and aspire to be, seeking to emulate his success. He is an inspiration duly to the fact that he has risen from working on a market stall to now being the 59th richest man in the United Kingdom. Have a read to gain a greater understanding for this "eld of work and pick up some inspiring tips and ideas to help bene"t you in your own business. Other exciting things to watch out for in this issue are the top "ve gadgets, giving information on new technology and the latest gadgets to "nd which ones are best suited to you. Repetitive Strain Injury a#ects many of us working in any industry, so read our feature which explains exactly what it is and how you can cure it. Everything in It’s Business will give you an insight into a number of di#erent aspects and are tailored to the needs of all small businesses and entrepreneurs.

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Cut down your spending!e "rst thing you will need to do is sit down and make a list of all your income and expenses. !e key is to cut down or completely eliminate any unnecessary spending, so make a list in order of priorities, making sure that important loans and mortgages are top priority to be paid. Be creative and think of ways to save money or increase sales. You could have motion sensors installed that are linked to the lights, which would save your money on your electricity bill. Ask for customer feedback; a#er all, they are the only thing that matter.

Keep hold of your best employees!e recession is a particularly dangerous time for your sta$, as other companies will be looking to poach your employees. Give your best employees bonus programmes tied to performance, because if they make you more money you can a$ord to give them more money. !at way if a rival company o$ers them a job for more money, they are more likely to stay at your company.

Be aggressive with your advertisingA recession is the most important time to be marketing yourself; many companies slash their spending on advertising in the hope of saving money but this is a mistake that will lead them straight to bankruptcy. Go back and see what has been successful for you in the past, sticking to what you know will make you feel more comfortable and may even bring some old customers back. Make sure you are advertising yourself e$ectively online; look at improving your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and install a hit-counter on your website which will tell you not only how many hits you are getting but also where they are coming from. !is will help you make sure you are aiming your marketing at the right demographic and make sure your advertising is standing out from the crowd. It is important to stay on the current trends and listen to your customers’ demands, and remember that in times of recession they won’t be making large purchases so sell small.

Take care of your clientsYour competitors will be frantically lowering their prices in an attempt to attract new custom, but don’t fall into this trap. If you spend money on e$ective advertising, and reward loyal clients with schemes such as loyalty cards or vouchers, you won’t need to lower your prices meaning you won’t lose out on money. A recession will give you plenty of spare time in which you should reassess yours and your sta$ ’s skill levels. Re-training sta$ will ensure your customers get an experience they will value. Finally, keep stock levels up, as customers are attracted to high stock levels. !ey may be tricked into thinking you have something new and interesting to see, so use display techniques that create ‘the full e$ect’.

Learn from other companies’ mistakesLook at the small businesses around you and what they are doing. If they close down make sure you know why and ensure you don’t go down the same road. For example, in 2008, loans were given at a higher rate and the appropriate credit checks were not made. !is meant that people with a low credit rating secured loans they couldn’t a$ord to pay back and many "led for bankruptcy, losing lots of money for even experienced "rms like Lehman Bros.

It’s all about the cash!Cash %ow is extremely important – liquidity is the factor that will determine whether a business will survive. Ensure you have plenty of cash to pay urgent bills etc and never get behind on payments!

If you follow these tips, market your brand successfully, take care of your clients and learn from other companies’ mistakes and your business will survive the recession.

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When is comes to starting your business, no matter how big or small, you want to know everything there is to know. From marketing strategy to your target audience there is a lot of advice you can get from the web.

Starting your own small business can be a scary and daunting task. Luckily there are people on hand who are able to help you on your way to making it a success. Here at It’s Business we have scoured the net to try and !nd the most useful blogs for you.

In the 21st Century world, blogging has become second nature to a lot of people. So it is no surprise that businessmen and women are now o"ering their own experiences and advice to those just starting out.

If you are just starting out and creating your own small business from scratch then you have already done the hard part. Most bloggers we found say the hardest part is being able to get an idea and go with it, but once you have this idea your small business can grow.

It’s Business scanned the web and found a small selection of what we deemed the best blogs out there. Most of these not only give you great advice but they also tell you what to expect and what is going to go wrong.

Jim Connolly has worked in marketing for 25 years and has had his own successful marketing business since

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1995. He specialises in helping small businesses to make more sales and boost their pro!ts, through common sense marketing.

Jim is best known for his work with small businesses, in the past he has also worked with people from some of the best-known companies in the World.Companies included in his long list

of clientele include: #e BBC, Disney, Mitsubishi and many more. People who come to Jim for help range from entrepreneurs to start-up businesses.

“I try to help established small businesses who have decided it’s time to bring in some professional marketing help they can trust.”

Jim Connolly’s website is perfect for those of you whose main aim is the client. He focuses heavily on working with the client and creating a relationship.

As yours will be a small business he o"ers advice that is crucial for you to know and understand.

Interested?http://jimsmarketingblog.com/

Another blog, which is essential for a small business, is ‘SmallBizPod.’ Simon Lawrence is the founder and CEO of Information Arts. #is is one of the UK’s leading business-to-business marketing consultancies that was set up in 2000.

With over 17 years experience within the business world Simon is heavily regarded as one of the leading experts in business-to-business marketing to other businesses. #is is someone who is great for giving out some of the best advice, for free!

Perfect for small businesses, ‘SmallBizPod o"ers you podcasts, blogs, news and community sites for your small business and entrepreneurs. First thought up in 2005, Alex Bellinger founded this website a$er the realization that there were no business blogs out there.

Alex has also set up his own small business so he knows !rst hand the trials and tribulations that come with this overwhelming task. ‘SmallBizPod’ is also a start up business so he is in exactly the same boat as all you starting your own.

Alex has also tried to take things to a whole new level by creating audio resources to, so getting the right advice is even easier. Some of the blogs of interest, ‘Top data mistakes small businesses make and how to avoid them’ where Simon Lawrence explains why

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Our last pick of blogs took us to ‘growthbusiness.co.uk.’ !is is a great but it is for when you have your small business up and running and are now able to take it to another level.

‘GrowthBusiness’ is an invaluable resource for entrepreneurs and leaders of those fast-growth enterprises. With lots of practical information, inspirations and insights for those on course for a successful business.

!is blog page is perfect for those with a fast-growing business and how you can deal with it moving too fast. It is also great for you to maximise your own business potential and overcome anything that gets in you and your businesses way.

Editor Nick Britton is one of their best bloggers. Blogging about business in politics which will become extremely useful to those creating a their own small business on a budget.

!is is a blog to watch as it is the only one that keeps you updated on politicians spending cuts etc that could potentially cut into your own business.

With a lot of bloggers like Simon Daniel writing about ‘sustainable energy’ and Paul Luen on ‘cra"ing a killer strategy’ you will all the advice you will ever need.

Find out morehttp://www.growthbusiness.co.uk/

All these blogs are out there to help you and your small business run smoothly, of course there are a lot more out there. However, here at ‘It’s Business’ we have de#nitely found the best suited to you.

Remember to read bloggers as o"en they have been through what you are now embarking on. “GrowthBusiness” is great for when you feel out of depth that your business is rapidly growing to fast for you to keep up. Jim Connolly and Alex Bellinger are there to help you from the start.

By Samantha Merritt

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We Connect Students is a fairly new company and was launched on the 4th March 2011. !e owner and mastermind behind the network is 20-year-old Oliver Dickinson. In June, the young entrepreneur has plans of expanding to America and Canada.

When we "rst hear about Oliver’s business, we are instantly intrigued. His social networking website, We Connect Students, acts as a “professional networking system, connecting students with mentors, employers and fellow students.” !is new social network is to help

students connect with others at their own university and ultimately across the world. !is allows prospective university students all around the country to get in touch with others before they even arrive on campus. Giving them the chance to discuss accommodation, courses and to make strong friendships. It will also give students the chance to network with employers and create links out in the industry that they aspire to work in.

University students will be able to upload their CV to the website for a small fee and We Connect Students will network

with employers who are looking for job vacancies to be "lled. Students will even be able to search for placements and work experience. !is allows many people to make a start in the workplace, to get themselves noticed early on.

It does sound familiar with the story of Facebook, as founder, Mark Zuckerberg

initially just wanted to develop a way students at Harvard could connect and interact with each other. Could this mean Oliver will follow in Facebook’s success and be destined for bigger things?

Oliver, 20, started his business with a desire to “revolutionise the social networking market” and establish a

website speci"cally targeted at students. “Being a student I am fully aware of the markets needs and potentials, this is a gap in the market that I realised almost two years ago.” !ere seems to be many options out

there for prospective businesses and the entrepreneur feels that it is essential to do something that you are passionate about. “I spent months planning and devising a strategy to ensure success,” he explained, “being a successful entrepreneur is all about leading the way and taking calculated risks.” Oliver, a second year international business student at University of Plymouth just about juggles university life and having a new and upcoming business. He expresses how vital balance is and explains that it isn’t always simple, “I’m lucky if I’m away from my desk and in bed before 4am.” !e student has taken charge of the

company without the help of a business partner. “One of the main reasons I became an entrepreneur was to carve my own path and to maintain control of my company.”

So why did the student decide to go to

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university and not work full time with We Connect Students? “Getting a degree can really help you establish you,” he said, “not just through the things we learn but from the people we meet, connect and network with.”

Oliver’s course has been very supportive, especially his lecturers who have been very keen to help and have been of great assistance in starting We Connect Students. Oliver voices that “no course can teach nor help you prepare as well as the ‘real world’ does.” !is is not the "rst business for the

entrepreneur. Before attending university he ran a successful lea#et distribution company, Fluid Advertising in Norwich, where he originates from.

At the age of 17, Oliver managed all aspects of the business. He was in charge of advertising and pitching for new contracts, hiring and managing distribution teams, arranging the design and printing of lea#ets as well as looking a$er the website in order to attract new clients. !is "rst company has enabled him to fund the development of his latest venture.

Building a company from scratch comes with highs and lows and Oliver has certainly felt the strain. !e entrepreneur explains one of the most di%cult obstacles was his age. “It can be di%cult to be taken

seriously as a teenage business-person so one has to be very careful about their image and the way they come across.”

With two potentially successful businesses under his belt, I think Oliver has nothing to worry about. So what makes a business successful? “You have to be able to know when you have done

something wrong, admitting defeat is the best prevention of ultimate failure,” he explained, “having a sound idea from the beginning is vital.”

A statement that the student has always believed in is: “Don’t always listen to your market research, because not everybody

is going to be as forward thinking as you are,” he added, “!at’s what being an entrepreneur is all about.”

Overall, Oliver has been very successful with both companies. We Connect Students is growing rapidly and with plans expanding to North America and Canada, it shows that the student has a keen eye and great knowledge for business.

He describes being an entrepreneur as a “lonely mission”, however he feels lucky to have the support of his girlfriend, Melissa Bradley. “It is imperative to have somebody that you can bounce ideas back and forth,” he said, “to cast fresh eyes over an idea or development and to o&er support when the pressure mounts.”

Oliver’s future plans include to have “fully revolutionised the student university experience” and “want to be able to give something back to the community by the way of mentoring aspiring entrepreneur’s.” He expressed that with rising course fees that “it is more important than ever before for students to make the absolute most of their time studying.”

For more information, visit WeConnectStudents.com and email Oliver at Oliver@weconnectstudents.com.

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Sarah Mcvitte is becoming one of the country’s top female entrepreneurs. Quitting her high !ying city job to set up a question and answer SMS service based in the UK, known as Texperts. "is mobile search service proves that you do not have to be a business veteran to be an internet entrepreneur.

Letizia Tufari was working at a high paid job at P#zer’s a$er getting her business degree from Warwick University. However, career driven Letizla set up a money making business with her mother Anna Venturi. Venturi’s Kitchen is the UK’s only dedicated corporate cookery centre, custom built to provide fun cookery experiences for groups of business professionals.

Karen Hantonfounded Toptable in 2000 for restaurant owners to advertise their venues and book customers directly. "is online restaurant booker covers the UK as well as major cities in Europe and New York City. Toptable sat over 1.5 million customers in 2006 when it completed its #rst full year.

Hermione Wayis just 24 and originally studied a journalism degree; she found her true calling as another entrepreneur who spans the media and technology industries. She founded Newspepper.com, which provides internet video and social media news reporting for clients, and Tech!u".TV, which provides tech news in a lightweight, jargon free format.

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Kieran O’neill is a 22-year-old serial web entrepreneur and Co-Founder/CEO of Play!re.com, which is the fast growing social network for gamers. Play!re is a social gaming networking website targeted towards gamers. It was founded in 2007 and currently has more than 245,000 users and more than 40,000 game titles on every conceivable gaming platform.

Natalie Massenet started o! as a fashion editor at women’s wear daily, later moving to Tatler. Founding Net-a-porter.com in 2000, which is an online boutique based in London that sells serious brands to cash-rich, time-poor fashionistas. Natalie found a perfect niche in the cut throat world of fashion with Net-a-porter providing slick service and a website that mixes editorial with clothes for sales..

Alki David is a digital media entrepreneur notable for his early adoption of social media as a marketing vehicle, such as his owned and operated site FilmOn. FilmOn is a video on demand website which is an extension to his 111pix distribution venture that makes video content available through several delivering methods.

Wilfred Emmanuel Jones describes himself as ‘a poor boy, done good’ launching a range of Gluten free food including 100% British meat. "e brand "e Black Farmer was born in 2004. Wilfred not only created this range of food products but he is also a prospective conservative party candidate for the Chippenham constituency.

Rajeeb Dey is the 24-year-old Founder & CEO of Enternships.com. Enternships provides ambitious and dynamic students and graduates with an opportunity to learn about business and enterprise through work placements in entrepreneurial and innovative environments, from start-ups to global venture funds around the world. Enternships was pioneered in association with Oxford Entrepreneurs, a student-run society at Oxford University that encourages and supports student entrepreneurship and is one of the largest in Europe.

Chris Dawson is a self-made retailer who has an unmatched eye for a bargain. Nicknamed ‘Plymouth’s very own deluxe Del Boy’ and with nearly 40 stores to his name now, Dawson has branched out, adding a waste-management business to his portfolio, which also includes online sales, a shop #tting company, insurance, a low-cost energy service and property interests in the south of France. He opened his #rst "e Range store in 1988 and has not looked back since. "e Range is a British home retail chain for a range of home, garden and leisure things. "ere are 49 stores across the United Kingdom.

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+,($-!e latest Blackberry smart phone, the 9800 Torch, comes complete with a 5mp camera; the best a blackberry has to o"er, with touch screen and QUERTY keypad combined. It’s features include blackberry messenger, still allowing you to stay in touch with friends for free. You can download many applications for free and have the opportunity to purchase many more, including Facebook chat pro and Blackberry travel. Get your hotmail emails forwarded straight through to your phone, along with Facebook noti#cations. Use the already installed applications including word, sheet and slideshow to go, to keep you busy while you’re commuting. Available from £399 from the Carphone Warehouse with contract tari"s starting

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5#678#2Why it is di"erent than all of the rest? It’s super fast scanning ability trumps any previous competitors and allows you to

get to where you need faster than ever. As with most updated gadgets, it’s sleeker than most others and easier to handle. It’s 4.3 inches wide and therefore still easy to read from and fast to set up. It’s additional features also include hands-free calling and improved graphics, giving you greater visibility. Available from

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,-*A faultless device brought to us by Apple; none other than the MacBook.We recommend the Apple MacBook pro 250GB. Explore the wide range of design applications on o!er from Photoshop to Quark, giving you access to many programmes you can’t always appreciate on a regular laptop. With a battery life of 10 hours, you can spend less time charging and more time appreciating wireless. With extraordinary graphics and a 13.3 inch display, you can watch and download with a di!erence. Available from £999 from apple.com

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2!""#$%!.-"-./0%Everyone’s heard of the iPad but has Apple introduced the next best thing alongside it; wireless printing? It seems apple has thought of everything with the new Airprint. "is new wireless technology is compatible with many new HP printers, allowing you to print your documents faster and easier. It’s quick and easy to do because the hassle of using a load of cables and installation discs is no longer there. Unbelievably, it really is completely wireless; all enabled through Wi-Fi, Simply install the so#ware update

enabeling Airprint to your iPad and start printing.

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Apple iPad 2It’s understood by all that the iPad is a magni!cent piece of compact technology, but now we are introduced to the iPad 2, and why is it di"erent? As with most updated devices, we expect a lighter, less clumpy piece of equipment- check. We expect more features- check, plus we expect improvements that may have faulted the last one- check. #e iPad 2 is a sleeker and daintier design with the apple website naming it ‘33% thinner and 15% lighter’. Available in 16,32 and 64 GB, it’s claiming to be 9 times faster than the !rst and now with two cameras instead of one, Apple really has stepped up its’ game. Available from 25th March 2011 and prices starting from £399 from

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It started with humble beginnings, he was not the child born with a silver spoon as you may have imagined. In fact, the very opposite, he grew up on a council estate in Hackney, East London. His !rst pay cheque was generated himself by selling car aerials and electrical goods out of a van he went on to purchase with his hard earned savings of £100. Sugar founded his !rst company in 1968; electronics company Amstrad, the name being an acronym of his initials – Alan Michael Sugar Trading. "e company produced innovative electrical goods such as the famous 8-bit computer machine, the Amstrad CPC 464. However also produced products such as injection moulding plastics for hi-! turntable covers. Amstrad secured Sugar’s place in the business world as it was listed on the London Stock Exchange and during the 1980s doubled its pro!t and market value every year. At its peak, Amstrad achieved a stock market value of £1.2 billion. Although su#ering some hardships in the 1990s, facing some serious competition in the form of Nintendo and Seagate, Amstrad remained a success and was bought out by BSkyB for £125m in 2007. “I can tell you where every screw, nut and bolt is in my company. I know everything [in my business]. Never, ever, underestimate me.” Sugar is involved in a number of other company’s and o$en works closely

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with his two sons, Daniel and Simon Sugar. Amsair Executive Aviation was founded in 1993 and is run by Sugar’s son Daniel. !e title is also an acronym of his initials and the basic principle of the business is to o"er business and executive jet charters. Sugar founded this company, as he is a quali#ed pilot with 30 years experience as well as a business entrepreneur. He owns a Cirrus SR20 four seat aircra$ based at Staple#eld Airport, which is used in his Amsair business. Another business venture owned by Sugar and controlled by his son Daniel is Amsprop which bought the IBM South Bank building from private investors for £115 million. Sugar is also owner and Chairman of Viglen Ltd, an IT services provider catering primarily to the education and public sector as well as Chairman of Amscreen, a company run by Simon Sugar, his eldest son. Amscreen specialises in selling advertising space based around screens that they provide to schools and bars. With so many business ventures going on, it is a surprise that Alan has time for anything else. Yet somehow he still found time to become the Chairman of Tottenham Hotspur FC in 1991. His role within the football club was somewhat controversial and he was o$en discriminated for thinking too much about the money the club owned and could potentially make, in e"ect treating Tottenham as purely a business venture. Previous ‘Footballer of the Year’ Jurgen Klinsmann complained;“He only ever talks about money. He never talks about the game. I would say there is a big question mark over whether Sugar’s heart is in the club and in football. !e big question is what he likes more, the business or the football?” In 2001, Sugar decided to sell his majority stake of 27% of the club for £22 million. In 2007, he sold his remaining shares for £25 million ending his 16 year association with the club. He

described his time at Tottenham as “a waste of my life”. “Football is about the only business in the world where it’s embarrassing to make money. Sorry. What can I say, but I touch things and people say they turn to gold. Sorry. It’s a natural instinct. Sorry. I had to apologise that the club actually started to make a pro#t. Sorry. We should have been doing our bollocks like everyone else. Sorry” Whether his ventures received a positive or negative reaction, it is undeniable that they all made a serious amount of money. !is is what led to Sugar becoming the star of BBC reality show !e Apprentice. For those of you that have been hiding under a rock for the past #ve years, !e Apprentice is a reality television series in which a group of aspiring young businessmen and women compete for the chance to win a

£100,000-a-year job as an apprentice Alan Sugar. Alan Sugar has now been knighted and is widely recognised and referred to as Lord Sugar. He holds two honourary Doctorates of Science degrees awarded by City and Brunel University and is worth a massive £730 million. Do you have what it takes to be the next Alan Sugar?

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With o!ce hours increasing and the pressures in the work place on a dramatic rise, is it any wonder why those "les piling up on your o!ce desk are becoming a real pain in the neck?

Reparative strain injury (RSI), also known as work-related upper limb disorder (WRULD), is an unfortunate and painful condition, which is caused by repetitive movement and the overuse of nerves, muscles and tendons. #is condition, that leaves many

workers in regular pain and discomfort, is mainly caused by bad posture in the work place. With o!ce chairs o$en designed to support those sitting in them, yet with only few regularly adjusting chairs and computer screens to provide the perfect position, means that workers are putting their posture at a regular high risk.

Many of us will su%er with RSI at one stage in our career; whether working in an o!ce, driving long distances or for those of us who carry out hard manual work. A whopping one in 50 workers are reported to live and work with this condition and with the number of cases rising every year, it is now time that we learn how to prevent this problem.

Two types of RSI are diagnosed on a regular basis; the "rst type is when the doctor can diagnose a condition from symptoms such as swelling and in&ammation of the muscles and tendons.

#is condition is usually diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome. #e second condition is classed as type

two and this is when the doctor cannot diagnose anything from the conditions, this tends to be the case when individuals do not have any obvious conditions, just the feeling of pain.

Rachel Hall, from West Sussex, works as an admin assistant for a charity in London, she su%ers with regular back pain and strain to her neck. “A large chunk of my day is sorting through "les and organising everyone’s paper work; which means I am constantly working on a computer and sorting through large "ling cabinets.”

“Rachel’s pain began a$er only three months of working in her new job, “I started getting sharp pain running all up my back when I leant over to retrieve some information for someone, this pain gradually got worse until I felt as though I was constantly in pain.

“My neck would hurt every time I looked down at my keyboard and then back at the screen and I began to feel extremely miserable going into work every day.”

Rachel isn’t alone. Most su%ers feel that RSI almost disables you from completing daily duties at work. With 11 medical conditions relating to RIS this means that many workers can have problems from a joint near their knee to their wrist or

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!ngers. Dr Constable specialises in the

treatment of RSI in West Sussex and tells us how many workers o"en leave their condition until it is too late to prevent, ““Many repetitive strain injuries, or work-related upper limb disorders, o"en develop over a long period of time rather than suddenly.

“Most employers will carry out a risk- assessment when you !rst join their company. #ey will analyse your working area and make sure that everything is adjusted so that your posture will not be compromised when in the work place.

“Employers have a legal duty to prevent any work related injuries from becoming worse, but it is also important that you look at your lifestyle outside the work place. Hobbies and general stress levels may contribute to your RSI and it is important that you make a note to yourself when your pain becomes worse so you can cut out what it is that is

aggravating the condition.“When you work a long day and come

home feeling not only exhausted but in pain from head to toe, it may make you reconsider whether you’re in the right job or not. But this condition should not be able to control your working life.

Writer’s cramp is commonly seen in the work place. It is part of a family of disorders known as Dystonia and it can cause muscle spasms in the hand and arms and o"en occurs from the overuse of both the hand and arms.

Matt Burros, 28, works in East London as a graphic designer: “Every day I am working with graphic pads and computer systems, but more importantly the basic pad and pen. I began to notice a few years ago my little !nger would twitch a"er a long week of working and unfortunately this gradually got worse until my whole hand was in regular pain.

“It is an important part of my job to use a pen, from the creative parts of my job to boring paper work. I began to try and

use my le" hand every now and then and wear a wrist support on my right hand but with standards only increasing in the work place this became unrealistic and in the end I had to learn to try and work through the pain.”

When you are diagnosed with RSI or WRULD, it is o"en likely that your GP will look at trying to work out what is causing your problem and what you can do to prevent the problem from getting worse. It is important that you tell your employer that you have RSI and then arrangements can be made in the work place to improve your symptoms.

Taking a course of anti- in$ammatory painkillers, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, can o"en relief any painful conditions for a short period of time. If it is your back that is causing you a lot of problems then by using a heated or cool pack on the back can o"en sooth the pain and relax any tense muscles, and prevent muscle spasms.

If your condition becomes worse and spreads to other parts of the body physiotherapy may

be an important step to take. Diana Martin has worked as a physiotherapist for more than 10 years and works with RSI su%ers on a daily basis.

“It is important to strengthen your muscles and improve your posture even if you have a relatively mild case of RSI.” Diana told us. “By strengthening the muscles you will relax any tension around the body from the feet all the way to pain in the neck. RSI is a condition that will get worse over time so it is important that you learn to prevent the condition before it develops into something a lot more damaging.”

Repetitive strain injury is a condition that can take control of your work life and make even the simplest of activities painful and backbreaking. By being aware of your posture and taking the right measures to protect yourself from developing this condition, may save you a lot of pain and money in your future career. Photographs: SXC.hu

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!e ladies run Simply B, a homely, feminine shop o"ering beautiful gi#ware and accessories. Primarily stocking unusual jewellery and clothes, the shop is in the heart of the New Forest, set in the grounds of the Sammy Miller Motor Museum. “We have never really argued, ever,” says Elaine, aged $#y-six. “At $rst I think it was strange for Beryl because she began the business alone and then had to get used to my input in buying in stock, opinions on layouts and so on.” Beryl admits that at $rst it was hard getting used to having her best ?@'AAA'B081',91$%&11'

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friend has her colleague, but loves every minute of it now: “When someone buys half your business, you do worry you will lose control. But I have known Elaine for years, and we have such di"erent personalities and tastes we balance each other out.” Age sixty-four, Beryl was a branch manager of the Oakhaven hospice charity shop in New Milton. A#er retiring from her post Beryl would keep herself occupied with cra#s and artwork, mainly cushion making and knitting scarves. “I began by selling a few bits and pieces to friends for presents, and a#er

encouragement I went and started setting up stalls in vintage markets and cra# fairs,” Beryl explains. A#er demand for the products went sky high Beryl thought about starting up a permanent shop, and with her experience in retail it wasn’t long before her business plan was in motion and she found an available leasehold in 2005. Simply B is bursting with personal touches by both women: “I wanted a shop that could be a haven for women who come with their families to the motor museum”, Beryl says.

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!e Sammy Miller Motor Musuem isn’t exactly feminine, but Simply B is situated right alongside a pretty tearooms, and "ts in with the cottagey appeal the New Forest o#ers. Elaine and Beryl go way back, they met at a local Weightwatchers club in the 1990s and became "rm friends. A$er socializing for many years Elaine decided Beryl needed a break on her new venture at Simply B: “Beryl was working seven days a week in the shop, and in the evenings she would be doing paperwork and stock taking. “I started to help out every so o$en as a sales assistant. It can get surprisingly busy in the summer months, and it gave me a bit of a hobby and Beryl some time to herself.” Elaine invested into the shop in late 2009 and is now co owner with Beryl. !e ladies admit that owning a business is

tough, but they wouldn’t have it any other way: “It can be a strain to some people’s relationships, but we assign di#erent tasks to one another so we never tread on each other’s toes” Elaine explains. !eir favourite thing they do together is buying in stock, Beryl says: “We have very di#erent tastes. I am more conservative and colourful while Elaine likes more innovative pieces. I love buying stock for the summer season because the accessories are just so bright and beautiful, and getting to play around with fashion with your best friend makes it more like fun and less like work.”

Simply B’s regular clientele consist of mainly older women who are ladies of leisure, and have the resources to invest in the higher end pieces. Elaine says: “ We started o# with simple gi$s and aimed towards the tourists coming in to the museum. However, once we got established we realized many customers kept coming back, and we tapped into what they indulged in.” !e shop carries Italian handbag maker’s Smith and Canova’s creations, all real leather, as well the cheaper Claudia Canova option which is non leather. !e Gabby jewellery the shop sells is highly sought in the region a$er it was stocked in the exclusive Chewton Glen hotel, which is just down the road. “!at’s the best thing about working with a friend,” Elaine suggests, “!rough word of mouth we "nd out about things like what other shops are

stocking, and being able to gossip about it makes it more interesting.” !e boutique has also begun to o#er Simply B parties, which is where Elaine goes round to clients houses and sells the products with certain discounts: “It is great fun meeting new people and entertaining whilst selling. I thrive on socializing, and getting free wine and nibbles while the girls try on clothes make it a great way to earn money”, Elaine says. !e parties have been hugely successful, and are based on the model that make up companies such as Avon and Virgin Vie use. Beryl says that the

parties are the main way the women earn from Simply B: “Being friends means we know pretty much everyone in the area and helps us sell because people pop in for a chat and end up buying pieces. !e parties are where girls get together and bounce o# each other’s styles, so the selling potentional is huge. Beryl and Elaine have both spotted another big client at their shop: “My daughter is getting married, and we noticed that many of our friends daughter’s were getting to the stage of proms and weddings. So we began to make part of the shop younger and more aimed at occasion wear.” Elaine continues on: “!e biggest selling items at the moment are evening bags. We now buy them as sets so the girls have the option of having matching accessories like jewellery to look more classy.” !e only downside the ladies

have with working together is they do "nd it hard thinking outside the box, as Elaine explains: “Working with someone you are so close to means that we both have to remember that we are not buying for each other. You get distracted easily working with a friend and sometimes forget the serious side of the business, particularly stocking.” Beryl continues: “We have to reign each other in, but it really does work and the shop is now a hub for our group to chat, meet and hopefully buy!”

!e shops selection of Smith and Canova hand-bags, pictured right.

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Clockwise from the top le!: Helen Steel Lavendar Bird, £17.00, Spotty Dog Shop Party Charm Bracelet, £13.00, CeeCee Bags Pink Paisley Shoulder Bag, £24.50, "e Soapy Cauldron Bano#ee Soap Bun, £2.49, Gilly’s Handmade Cards ‘You Rock My World’, £3.25 and Munch Cushions “Springtime’, £30.00.

Recently there has been a boom in the cra! industry, with more people than ever jumping on the bandwagon to sell their homemade goods such as jewellery, cushions, clothes, toys, you name it.

You can buy so many of their cra!s online now that shopping for one o", hand made items has never been so easy. #e market is bursting at the seams with new products, as long as you know where to $nd them.

#e Internet o"ers so many cra!smen and women to sell their wares, so we thought we would $sh out some gi! ideas for her, or for you.

#e Spotty Dog Shop

www.thespottydogshop.co.uk

#is has the cutest jewellery and is perfect for when you want to $nd a loved one a beautiful gi!. #e ‘party’ charm bracelet to the le! is adorable, and so colourful that it can be worn with anything. #e prices are relatively cheap compared with big brands such as Topshop and Accessorize.

Munch Cushions.

www.munchstu".co.uk

Authentic Harris Tweed cushions come in adorable designs. #is cushion maker wants to make tweed a fashionable fabric again by using the material in bright hues like oranges, pinks, reds and yellows.

#ere are a number of designs, including striped, checked and characters like ‘Oscar Owl the Outlaw’. For the children All the designs are hand made to order and range from £25 to £30.

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www.gillyshandmadecards.co.uk

A selection of adorable and wonderful looking cards, they wouldn’t look out of place in your local Paperchase. #e shop includes everything from wedding invitations to get well soon cards.

Collections include; Rocks, Pebbles and Beans. #ese particular cards have amusing phrases and collages that make scenes to go with them. Such phrases include; “I’m Nuts About You’ and ‘Just Bean Married’. All the designs are hand made and inexpensive, with most being under £4.00.

CeeCeeBags

www.ceeceebags.co.uk

A collection of handbags made from vintage and retro fabrics. Prints range from the downright garish to simple pastel %orals, but all are well made and look lovely.

All the bags are one of a kind due to being made form the vintage fabrics, and are also hand made. Some have bows while others have buttons; each one is never the same. #ese are unique and stylish, and even though they are made from the old, they are very modern and perfect for the style conscious among us.

Prices vary, but are between £20 - £50.

#e Soapy Cauldron.

www.thesoapycauldron.co.uk

#ese handmade wonders certainly put Lush into shame. #ey have a huge range of beautiful smelling bath items, including

bath bombs, moisturisers, pumices, body scrubs, bath salts, baby products, the list goes on.

We particularly like the gi!s section, where you can $nd some great deals, as well as the pretty soap cakes. #e prices are cheap and they include various oils and scents to make your bath time as relaxing as possible

Helen Steel Designs.

www.helensteeldesign.com

Helen Steel is a textile designer who makes cushions, tea towels, brooches, cushion covers, purses and lavender sachets in cute designs.

We particularly like the lavender birds as they not only smell nice, but they look good too. Any of these products would be a perfect present for your mother, grandmother, or even your sister.

#ere are many online shops and societies that showcase hand made goods from small businesses. Supporting them will boost our economy and ensure that more people get interested in cra!ing their own goods.

Small businesses are becoming more common now, but they need to stay a%oat.

#ey provide us with an alternative to the money-sucking high street chains like Primark and Debenhams and allow people to work from home, doing what they love.

To $nd more hand made goods, go to:

Shophandmade.co.uk

Handmadeinbritain.co.uk

Notontheghighstreet.com

By Kyra O’Reilly

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If you’re thinking about moving abroad, or are already in the emigration process, there may have been a time when you decided to consider starting up a business in your new location. Many Brits use the opportunity of a ‘new life’ overseas to have a go at creating their own new business, and why not? Sun, sea, sand and your own choice of work is always going to look appealing. But there are many considerations when starting up a new business abroad, and they will di!er greatly to doing so in the UK. "ere are a variety of essential pieces of knowledge that all entrepreneurs should know about working abroad, and researching further on the subject will make it just that bit easier.

Business Plans, Bank Loans and Emigration

One of the #rst considerations when thinking about starting up your business abroad, is how easy the emigration process will be. You want to be able to get yourself over the pond without any problems. If you are looking at basing yourself further than the European Union, you must contact the embassy and speak with them regarding your plans. Allow yourself up to 24 months for this process, as it’s not always easy to get to where you want to go. When you know that you are guaranteed entry to your chosen location, it’s time to get a business plan together.

Your business plan is the key to obtaining funds for your business start up, and many banks in the UK are willing to consider a business loan for starting up abroad. Your business plan should include plenty of relevant information regarding the

local area you’re hoping to invest in. You should include facts and #gures on the local economy, similar businesses, rival companies and anything else that will help the bank to make a more informed decision on a loan. When banks are considering investing money in someone who is developing a business abroad, they will see the issue of security as a critical area of whether or not to give you money. You will have to ensure the bank that you can o!er security against the loan. "ey will also want to know if you have the option of local #nance in the country you’re starting up in and how you intend to manage the business from either the UK or by moving to the new area. "is may all seem very daunting, but once you get an idea of the local economy and do your research, it shouldn’t be too hard. It’s all about organisation.

Business like a localWhen starting up a business abroad,

there’s no doubt that local knowledge is

the key to success. "e most obvious being that you need to learn the native language of the country you will now be living in. Even such simple tasks such as talking to customers, #lling in forms and providing information can be impossible without understanding the local language.

Obviously, the more time you spend in a country, the easier it will be to learn a language by picking it up. However, it will de#nitely help to take some time out and really invest some time in learning the basics at least, it will go a long way in helping you get set up, and also settled in your new location.

If you’re in charge of the marketing for the company, or dealing with funds and legalities, there is simply no way in avoiding the language barrier. Everything you do, from designing your website, to placing simple adverts in shop windows will demand knowledge in the local language. Even if you move to a country where the native language

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Even if you more to a country where the native language is is English, having a good grasp on the local lingo will play an important role in helping your business to succeed. Knowledge on local competitors, events, festivals in your chosen location will also be extremely important. Start educating yourself in why locals prefer particular products to others; this will be valuable to your business. If you begin to live like a local, it will really bene!t your business in the long run.

Essentials for starting up abroadWhether your company is to be small or a

large set up, you must seek specialist advice from local advisors when looking to set up abroad. All of the major UK banks will be able to provide you with an overseas contact, and corporate lawyers will o"en have overseas agents who can help you with information. Research as much as you can on local laws, so you have as much knowledge on everything from employment laws right through to bankruptcy laws. Some countries have very long drawn out processes to get what may appear the smallest change to a building plan or

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proposal, so make sure you’re familiar with the local laws.#e ultimate goal for any business is to make

money, so ensure that you have knowledge on the local currency. Set up a business bank account in the country you plan to set up in, it’s usually a good idea to set this up a month or two before you head out there, as it can take this long for it to become active. Some countries can also restrict the amount of money you take out of your new account, and if you’re planning on having your business abroad whilst living in the UK, it can be di$cult to move that money into your UK account. Again, seek specialist advice on this to be sure your business is secure in regards to money.

Putting plans to actionOnce the ball is rolling, hopefully you will be

nicely settled in, learning the lingo and getting in on the local trade. By following these steps, which at times are unfortunately, not always simple, it shouldn’t be too di$cult to get set up abroad.

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By Suzie Toogood