any entrepauners?

Primrose

jpwhittle - I wish you well in your endeavours and hope you succeed. I think that the point some people are trying to make is that in some enterprises it is absolutely imperative that your grammar and spelling are above reproach. Imagine for example that you're setting up a home-made craft business because you are good at design. You decide to make Christmas, Birthday and other festive cards. You make up 500 which you hope to sell to neighbours and at Craft Fairs, etc.
You think you've done a wonderful job and plan on selling 500 cards at £3 each which will give you a good profit. You get to the Craft Fair, people pick up your lovely cards, have a quick look at them and put them down in disgust. Why? Because your spelling was incorrect and you didn't realise that you've spent hours writing cards which say "Greatings on your Birthday" "Congratulations on your Wedding Annerversery".
Nobody will buy your cards and you will have made a financial loss on the outlay of all your materials. Admittedly not all businesses depend 100% on immaculate spelling or grammar but many potential customers might ask themselves "If this tradesman can't get the basics right, how do I know that the job they're doing for me will be to the same low standard?"

jackomdj

Primrose wrote: »

jpwhittle - I wish you well in your endeavours and hope you succeed. I think that the point some people are trying to make is that in some enterprises it is absolutely imperative that your grammar and spelling are above reproach. Imagine for example that you're setting up a home-made craft business because you are good at design. You decide to make Christmas, Birthday and other festive cards. You make up 500 which you hope to sell to neighbours and at Craft Fairs, etc.
You think you've done a wonderful job and plan on selling 500 cards at £3 each which will give you a good profit. You get to the Craft Fair, people pick up your lovely cards, have a quick look at them and put them down in disgust. Why? Because your spelling was incorrect and you didn't realise that you've spent hours writing cards which say "Greatings on your Birthday" "Congratulations on your Wedding Annerversery".
Nobody will buy your cards and you will have made a financial loss on the outlay of all your materials. Admittedly not all businesses depend 100% on immaculate spelling or grammar but many potential customers might ask themselves "If this tradesman can't get the basics right, how do I know that the job they're doing for me will be to the same low standard?"

I know your point was not specifically at the OP but just to add this is "Just a forum". Although fairly inteligent my spelling is awful (I am the first to admit it, & OH is the second as I am always asking him to spell things for me). On forum's I would not dream of using spell check or a dictionary, however for anything important I do.

Good luck OP with whatever it is you are looking to do.

Nicky

geordie_joe

Primrose wrote: »

Admittedly not all businesses depend 100% on immaculate spelling or grammar but many potential customers might ask themselves "If this tradesman can't get the basics right, how do I know that the job they're doing for me will be to the same low standard?"

Why? You can leave school not having learned to read or write so well, but end up being the best bricklayer in the world. Not every one expects a tradesman to to be able to spell perfectly.

If you read my boss' emails out loud you sound like the policeman off "Aloa aloa", but sit him in front of Autocad and he will design the most complex products we sell, then go and program the machines to cut/fold/bent/weld/spray the components.

lexb

Well I am entering new business's at the moment.
One new one has flopped, but as the good book says "don't put all your eggs in one basket" .
I have more business ideas, inventions, board games e.t.c. I recommend to anyone serious about launching a new venture just to do it and take risks, life is about taking risks.

Everyone able to access the internet is already in the top 10% richest people in the world. The only way is up from here you will prosper and succeed if you want to it starts with your thinking and moves into your actions.

lexb

Speaking of which I must get on with making this board game lol....

mrs.maverick

The problem with this thread is that everyone who comments is too busy slagging off/correcting one another. There is no positive slant anywhere. I think of myself as an entrepreneur, but I don't want to waste time reading threads that are basically negative - God knows it's hard enough these days without the negative comments around.

I'm not trying to slate anyone off here BTW, just trying to get a positive approach.;)

jpwhittle

hope everyones doing well with their ideas. I've spent the evening trying to research one idea that i stumbled on on accident whilst making something for my son. Does anyone know how you go about an idea, when there are others out there but not the same, if that makes sense? My new idea is for children/infants, i've only found one thing relativley similar but these are still big and bulky compared to what i'm thinking. Anyone who has seen my product is amazed it isnt out there yet and says they would buy them if they were. I didn read you can better an idea just not rip it of completely, how would i find out if someone thought this was without being sued?

sorry have decided that they are quite different as the ones i have found arent encouraging a child to move on with there development, like a previous poster said you have to try, so here goes, now to figure out how to put a viable prototype together

Primrose

If you belong to your local library it's worth talking to the librarian and asking them to track down any books they might have in their Business reference system which suggest how people can get new ideas off the ground. There are obviously certain procedures you need to undertake regarding protecting your ideas, patents, etc. and the unwary can quickly find themselves walking in treacle. If you are serious about bulk production you will also need to understand the best sources for raising capital if you cannot afford to fund yourself. Even if you are planning production on a very small scale, it's best to be aware upfront of the difficulties you may encounter. Spending some time educating yourself on these at an early stage could prevent disappointment or setbacks later on in the process and you may be able to learn some hints for how to go about the process which may not have occured to you. Good luck anyway.

Anglea

jpwhittle wrote: »

hope everyones doing well with their ideas. I've spent the evening trying to research one idea that i stumbled on on accident whilst making something for my son. Does anyone know how you go about an idea, when there are others out there but not the same, if that makes sense? My new idea is for children/infants, i've only found one thing relativley similar but these are still big and bulky compared to what i'm thinking. Anyone who has seen my product is amazed it isnt out there yet and says they would buy them if they were. I didn read you can better an idea just not rip it of completely, how would i find out if someone thought this was without being sued?

sorry have decided that they are quite different as the ones i have found arent encouraging a child to move on with there development, like a previous poster said you have to try, so here goes, now to figure out how to put a viable prototype together

Hi there are all sorts of websites that deal with ideas and inventions, there's a good one aimed at British inventors which I think would be your first port of call they've got databases where you can check if there are similar items, names etc. You will need to do a search for those kinds of sites, I can't put links here for some reason, comp starts playing up every time I try. There's also Global Ideas Bank. And the websites/books relating to Dragons Den.

But if you are worrying about other products just like yours, you have to remember that it can take years from the idea stage to actually being in a shop and even if you are the only person with that idea NOW, there could be 100 by the time you are finished. And also think how many different products are around for every type of item? Yet a lot of them become bestsellers, even with stiff competition. Unless, you try, you will never know if your product will be profitable or not.

snitty_kitty

Hi
I started my own business over 20 years ago now, I started in a back bedroom & never ever had finance of any sort. It meant the business was slow to grow, but I got it up & running in the end. I ran the business for 18 years until ill health forced me to give up. I would say you need a determination to suceed & be very single minded. Always present a professional image (no one knew I was working from a bedroom) & alway do what you say you will, never let a customer/client down. I wish you all the luck in the world.
Kitty