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Ready to Start Newsletter - volume 6 Summer 09

Welcome to the 6th RTS newsletter!

With Ready to Start fast approaching its project end, the team are limbered up for a sprint finish - our objective: Ensuring the right support is in place for RTS clients to achieve their goals, now and in the future. We've laid on extra mentoring in regular themed group sessions, more links to partners across the regions and even lauched our very own Entrepreneur Awards. After all, to date, we've worked with 1,383 disabled entrepreneurs and supported 510 people to sucessfully launch their business. Another 129 people have also been helped to take up employment, training or start voluntary work.

Impressive as those numbers sound, far more motivating has been the amazing individuals we have worked with, whose journeys, dedication and determination (and sense of humour!) have continued to inspire us.

In the spirit of that, we're delighted to launch our own Entrepreneur Award in this newsletter.

Also featured in this edition are the results of an external evaluation you may have participated in and the research into how we communicate with you. Ken Wimbush and Zuleikha Assenjee share their experiences of becoming self employed, plus all the latest from the Online Network.

RTS Entrepreneur Awards

We are delighted to launch our own RTS Entrepreneur Awards to mark the end of the Ready to Start project.

The Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of the disabled entrepreneurs that have participated in this project, overcoming barriers and improving their lives to set up their own businesses. The focus of the Awards is the journey to becoming self-employed, rather than the immediate success of the business, and winners will be those people who's story most inspires the judges.

If you are a participant in Ready to Start, and have launched your own business, we want to hear your story.

With a regional prize of £500 for each of the eight regions we work in, plus an additional £1,000 for an overall national winner, this is also an opportunity for you to give your business a boost as well as gain some valuable publicity.

Additionally, one ‘Highly Commended’ winner in each region will also receive a certificate and be supported to achieve local publicity. All finalists will be invited to attend the end of project event at the House of Lords in October.

You can download an application form from the Ready to Start website www.readytostart.org.uk or the Online Network at: http://readytostart.rowan.tincan.co.uk/?p=568 Alternatively email or phone 0845 6 717173 for large print or hard copy version.

Heading towards the finishing line

As we enter the last three months of the programme, we are doing our utmost to support those people still enrolled on the programme to acheive their goals.

As well as one-to-one mentor support, we've introduced themed group mentoring sessions which, as well as addressing particular business or sector issues, also gives entrepreneurs the chance to link with and share experiences and advice with each other.

Inevitably there will still be some entrepreneurs on their journey when Ready to Start ends in September and we are doing our best to link them with other local partners who can continue to offer them ongoing support.

Leonard Cheshire Disability is dedicated to supporting disabled entrepreneurs in the UK and we are currently bidding for funding in the regions to provide more of this sort of activity. We will widely promote new services as and when they are available.

In the meantime, if you are an entrepreneur on the Ready to Start programme, do get in touch with your Regional Co-ordinator and make sure that you are getting the most out of the resources while they are still available.

RTS judged a resounding success

Dominic Pinkney
You may recall being invited to participate in an independent evaluation of RTS carried out by Dominic Pinkney (pictured) of Pedantic Consulting last autumn. A proportion of RTS entrepreneurs completed questionnaires, participated in phone interviews and several attended a focus group, braving some dodgy mid-winter heating to do so! As well as entrepreneurs, partner agencies, regional co-ordinators and other staff, plus representatives of Barclays, all contributed to give a panoramic view of the project.

At the end of it, Pedantic Consulting concluded that; The project is an obvious success and has demonstrated that it fills a gap in service provision to disabled people to help them receive mentoring, financial support and sign-posting to relevant organisations and information as well as giving them essential motivation and encouragement to succeed.

To download the full report, go to www.readytostart.org.uk

Ask them to buy

Ever heard the maxim, “finding and keeping customers is the only activity that generates income. All other activities generate cost,”?

Selling your product, service and yourself is the most important thing you must do to succeed in your business.

Don’t panic though. There’s lots of good advice and support to help you hone your sales and marketing abilities, from the mentor and enterprise support coaching, through to books, training courses and online resources. Business Link has a raft of advice available on its website.

The simplest thing you can do (and, admittedly, often the most challenging) is simply to ask people to buy. Small ads, posters and websites, even face to face meetings, succeed in getting prospective customers to the v. interested stage, (which is sadly where an awful lot will remain, their wallets v. firmly closed!). To enable your business to succeed and prosper, try helping the v. interested become actual customers with questions like;

• “When would you like me to start?”,
• “How many would you like?”,
• “Why not order now and get this extra item at a discount?”

For more information on attracting customers and making sales, go to www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?topicId=1073861169 or check out ‘Go It Alone – the streetwise secrets of self-employment’ by Geoff Burch.

For support and advice on other business challenges, check out the RTS group mentoring at http://readytostart.rowan.tincan.co.uk/?p=526.

Feedback from Barclays students’ research.

In spring a number of entrepreneurs also contributed to a research project carried out by a two groups of Barclays-employed undergraduate students. The students researched how we communicated with you, how well it was working, and what we could do better.

They found that the majority of entrepreneurs found our current methods of communication satisfactory, but that the information wasn’t always considered relevant. A significant minority knew of our website, Online Networking and other facilities, but did not use them. Two recommendations from the students were that we provide a guide to our services and ensure that our Online Network and newsletter contain more business related information. Let us know how well you think we've succeeded by commenting on the Online Network at http://readytostart.rowan.tincan.co.uk/?p=545


You may also recall that two prizes of £30 were offered to entrepreneurs that participated in the research. We’re delighted to announce that Tracey De Gietilink of Dover and Hilary May of London were both winners and have received their vouchers and our congratulations.

Latest from the Online Network

There are a range of new articles on the Online Network, including advice, requests, information and articles from RTS entrepreneurs.

Anyone can comment on items posted there, but if you'd like to write your own please email to become an author (this is not as scary as it sounds! Ed.)

Articles you may have missed:

Funding opportunities for social enterprises and charities
http://readytostart.rowan.tincan.co.uk/?p=520

RTS Entrepreneur asks for input into market research on buying and selling disability aids at a discount.
http://readytostart.rowan.tincan.co.uk/?p=589

10 ways to get coverage in your local media
http://readytostart.rowan.tincan.co.uk/?p=493

Why does your business need an effective Website?
http://readytostart.rowan.tincan.co.uk/?p=472

There are details of several business awards that you may be able to enter on the Online Network. Find out more about the O2 X awards here. http://readytostart.rowan.tincan.co.uk/?p=506

RTS Group Mentoring

Do you have a particular business issue that you'd like to talk through with a mentor?

Would it be helpful to talk to other entrepreneurs to hear how they tackled it?

How about comparing notes with other entrepreneurs operating in the same sector as you?

RTS is now running themed group mentoring sessions, tackling specific business challenges, such as taxation, marketing, or business finance or looking at particular sectors, including creative industries, web design, social enterprises and writing.

A full listing of the sessions scheduled during July, plus details of how to book a place, are on the Online Network at: http://readytostart.rowan.tincan.co.uk/?p=526

The sessions will cover common concerns and issues which are affecting you in the current economic climate. Delivered over the telephone using the free telephone conference platform Powwownow, each session will be attended by a maximum of 10 entrepreneurs and led by a Distance Mentor, supported by a Regional Coordinator. Places are allocated on a first come first serve basis. Sessions will last about an hour.

Custom built success

Ken Wimbush approached Ready to Start to help him set up his own business making custom-made motortrikes and motorbikes. He has been building motortrikes and motorbikes for himself and friends for over 20 years and is an avid biker. He is also a talented sculpture/artist and wanted to sell his artworks as an addition to his main motortrike business. Ken was referred to Ready to Start following a stressful period in his life dealing with anxiety and depression. Now in recovery, Ken is making great progress and has officially launched his new business, Oxfordshire County Customs, with the help of the Ready to Start programme. The programme has provided Ken with a mentor to coach him through his initial start-up plans and provided funding to buy the essentials tools that he needed to carry out his work. He now has several commissions for motortrikes and is currently working on a ‘show trike’ to take to rallys and exhibitions to showcase his work. The ‘show trike’ features a Celtic knot bent into the steel frame which took him 5 hours to create but this challenge doesn’t put him off. “I love it when a client lets me go loose on the design of their motortrike” says Ken. “I’ll take on any challenge. It’s like a red rag to a bull!” Ken’s motortrikes are particularly suited to disabled and older bikers due to the stability created by the 3 wheel design and the special adaptations that can made. To find out more about Ken’s custom-made motortrikes, contact Ken on 07732 607989.

Therapeutic business

Aromatherapy-care is Zuleikha Assenjee’s brainchild providing clients with the opportunity to formulate their own personalised essential oil blend. She also offers a tailor-made one-to-one service.

Zuleikha started off as a successful self-employed dress designer in Mauritius. After returning to the UK, working as a financial adviser for several years, she went through a period of personal difficulties and developed emotional and physical pain and a back condition. This is when she discovered the therapeutic effects of essential oils and decided to pursue in depth studies in Aromatherapy. Zuleikha received her diploma in Aromatherapy 5 years ago. As a member of the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA) she instils the necessary confidence and trust in her products. In the process of setting up her business Zuleikha discovered: “If I have a problem, I can find a solution.”

Zuleikha says: “Ready to Start guided me to the right places at the right times. Ann Chaplin, Regional Coordinator Ready to Start lifted me and made me believe in myself. My mentor David Scott helped to write an e-book and provided constant support. A small grant from Ready to Start paid towards my website. At the British Library networking event organised by Ready to Start I felt that I was valued.” Zuleikha’s Regional Coordinator Ann Chaplin was impressed that Zuleikha had persisted even when problems arose. “Lots of people start well but stop trying when they encounter difficulties, but that was not Zuleikha’s way. She sought advice and solved the problems one at a time and of course, it has paid off.”

Zuleikha’s focus is on marketing and expanding her business.

FREE environmental support for your business

The EcoVate project provides FREE tailored environmental support to London-based Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)save costs through increased efficiency, improve the environmental performance of your organisation, and comply with key current and future legislation.

Benefits for your business
• Reduce costs through improved environmental performance
• Meet green procurement criteria
• Win new business by demonstrating green credentials
• Enhance your reputation in the marketplace
• Understand and become compliant with current and future environmental legislation
• Work towards environmental certification assessments such as EcoStep, BS8555, ISO14001

For more information please contact the team at CESMB on 020 8411 6303, log on to www.wix.com/ecovate/ecovate or email .

How to contact us

Linda Holland
National Project Manager

07738 033083

Terri Wilson
National Project Assistant

07500 443731

Ann Chaplin
Regional Coordinator for London and Kent

07738 033 098

Samantha Eve
Regional Coordinator for Central Region

07738 034 115

Leonore Lord
Regional Coordinator for Essex, Suffolk and South West

07738 329 508

Martin Moore
Regional Coordinator for Wales and West

07738 328 998

Noel Jones
Regional Coordinator for East Midlands and Peterborough

07738 033 989

Sarah Ryan
Regional Coordinator for North West

07738 034 116

Vanessa Marshall
Regional Coordinator for North East and Yorkshire

07738 033 987

Alternatively you can call Innovative Projects at Leonard Cheshire Disability on 08456 717173 or email