Monthly Archives: September 2021

Former Start-Up Series winner discusses his next funding round – Ed Bird, Bird Eyewear

By Nick Ismail on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
Following winning The Start-Up Series competition, Ed Bird from Bird Eyewear discusses how the business has shifted since winning the competition, the biggest growth challenges the business experienced, how to focus on the next funding round and provides his advice for entrepreneurs on the beginning of the start-up funding journeys.
To find out more about The Start-Up Series competition – run by Worth Capital in partnership with Small Business – and how your small business could secure up to £250,000 in equity funding, read here.
Can you remind us what your company does and how the business has shifted since you won the Start-Up Series and first received investment?
We make beautiful sustainable eyewear – creating exceptional designs and focusing obsessively on quality. For us it’s about reframing what really matters; people and planet. Firstly, seeking out the best sustainable materials for our frames, including certified woods, bio-based acetate, renewable cork and recycled aluminium.
We also ensure that every pair of Birds gives back through our Share Your Sun partnership with SolarAid. Helping to distribute solar light to families in Zambia and Malawi, replacing the use of fossil fuel

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Sales commission structure for UK small business

By Timothy Adler on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

You’re a small firm that has a proven B2B product to sell and the direct website sales to prove it. You’ve even had investment from investors excited about your revenue growth projections. But how can you take your small business up to the next level, finding those buyers without having to rely on word of mouth?

The obvious answer is to take on a salesperson.

But how do you know what to pay them? Obviously, salespeople work on commission – the more they sell, the more money they make – but won’t they need a basic salary to tide them over? And what should that split be?

This is when you need to decide on a sales commission structure for your small business.

First, you need to ask yourself some questions.

What is the hunter vs farmer concept?

A simple distinction between types of salespeople is the hunter vs farmer concept. The kind of salesperson you may need depends on the type of business you are in.

Martin Knowles, co-founder of sales coaching firm Sales Untangled, co-author of the Amazon bestseller of the same name, defines hunters versus farmers as follows:

Hunters are

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Smart meters for your small business – a hairdresser case study

By Nick Ismail on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs
Smart meters can lead to significant benefits for your small business.
We explore how using Amaryllis Hair Salon, Cardiff as a case study.
But, first it’s important to understand what is a smart meter.
What is a smart meter?
Smart meters are the next generation of gas and electricity meters currently being rolled out in homes and small businesses across Great Britain by energy suppliers.
Smart meters digitally measure how much energy you’re using and send your meter reading directly to your energy supplier at agreed intervals – putting an end to estimated bills.
How to get a smart meter for your business
You may be eligible for a smart meter if your business has the following:

fewer than 10 employees or their full time equivalent (including the business owner)
an annual turnover of less than £1.67 million; or
an energy consumption of no more than 100,000 kWh of electricity per year; or
a gas consumption of no more than 293,000 kWh per yearIf you rent your business space but don’t have your own gas and/or electricity meter, then you can ask your landlord if they plan to get one for your building.

Smart meter offerings may

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How to win £4,500 to make your small business green

By Small Business Team on Small Business – Advice and Ideas for UK Small Businesses and SMEs

The Government has teamed up with BT, SSE and NatWest to find Britain’s most green small business, offering cash prizes worth £4,500 each to winners.

To enter, small businesses must show what steps they have already taken to achieve net-zero carbon emissions, in line with the UK’s aim to be carbon neutral by 2050.

The best Heroes of Net Zero entries will be invited to attend the COP26 international climate change summit in Glasgow on November 2, where the winners will be announced and receive an exclusive prize package worth £4,500:

21 hours consultancy with an energy manager and one-year free access to SSE’s ‘business energy intelligence’ energy management platform, worth £3,500Six hours of mentoring with a NatWest enterprise manager from its climate accelerator programme, helping winning businesses gain climate friendly skills in accessing new markets to attracting talentUp to £1,000 in vouchers to access a brand-new digital advertising support package from BTto grow your business

How to enter Heroes of Net Zero

The competition is open to UK businesses with fewer than 50 employees and split into two categories, each with the opportunity to win a £2,500 prize

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