For Global Entrepreneurship Week 2011, we interviewed three local entrepreneurs to find out what advice they could give to people who are thinking of starting up their own business.
Blackburn Curry man seeks investment for a hot new product
A Blackburn market stall owner is looking for private investment to help his business grow, after inventing a unique snack food.
Hanif Mogra, of The Curry Stall, says he has created a new kind of samosa that contains popular curry fillings, such as vindaloo, korma and tikka masala. Following research, he was surprised to find no one else has thought of the idea.
“You get all kinds of vegetable and meat samosas, but none that contain classic takeaway fillings. I’ve been selling them on my new stall and they are proving popular. I’ve had interest for the product from two national supermarkets and a cash and carry, but they have all stated that I need to expand my premises before we can begin trading. It’s difficult raising funds in the current economic climate, so I am looking elsewhere for funding or private investment.”
All the stalls samosas and curries are freshly prepared in a kitchen unit close to the market, which was recently acquired to meet demand after shop opening hours increased by 3 days following a transfer to from the old market to the new Blackburn mall extension in July. As the head of a growing business, Hanif has some worthwhile advice for those considering starting their own:
“It’s tricky running a business, but you get to do things in your own time and be your own boss, which is great. I’d suggest you do your research and come up with unique services so you stand out from the rest. We have our samosas and also offer a curry takeaway service that is open all through the day, unlike others, so we fill that gap in the market.”
To help with the move into the new kitchen, Hanif sourced funding from Regenerate Pennine Lancashire.
“Regenerate provided me with a small grant to buy a vegetable cutting machine and other kitchen utilities that were essential for my business. It was a godsend. I appreciate all the help I can get to help my business grow during such a difficult economic climate.”
http://www.thecurrystall.co.uk/
New mobile music studio something to sing about
A local music producer has set up a unique portable recording service, which will record choral societies and spoken word events during the Christmas period.
Gary Taylor of Great Mosaic in Accrington cites the Christmas rush as a major tactic for the growth of his new business.
“I used to work in Spain, but returned to the UK following an injury. There are a few existing studios in the area, so I knew I needed a niche. I decided that I wanted to do something that would help the community and noticed that there is a high demand for recording facilities for orchestras, choruses and live performances over Christmas. Often, due to their size these musicians can’t all fit in a studio, so I realised that I needed to take my studio to them. The recordings can then be taken back to the home studio for mixing.”
To start up his new business, Gary looked into what help was available in the area.
“I ran a business abroad, but accountancy and tax laws are different here. I found out about to Regenerate Pennine Lancashire, who gave me my own business advisor and access to free courses on finance, advertising and starting up. They also helped me buy software that is essential in a modern studio and pay for small studio refurbishments.”
Gary recommends working from home and has plenty of other advice for aspiring entrepreneurs:
“You have to be 100% behind your idea and dedicated to it 24 hours a day, but the results are worth it as I’m doing something that I really enjoy. Discuss your ideas with others so you’re not locked into one idea, you can become too focused and other opinions can set of a chain of events. It was useful talking to a business advisor. I had no idea what support was available to me, and they really opened my eyes. My business would not exist without them”.
Construction company celebrates a first year of growth
A local construction firm is celebrating their first year of trading, which has seen them working alongside Johnson Construction UK Ltd on the re-development of 7 Lidl stores.
Barnoldswick based Principal Construction (NW) Ltd was set up by Natalie Sykes, a quantity surveyor, and her partner Roger Hines, a stonemason. They decided to set up their own business last November so that they could offer a higher level of customer service than what they had experienced previously. Natalie believes that this mentality proved to be a major asset to the growth of their company.
“We concentrate on providing a quality customer service, particularly for our domestic clients. We ensure that we meet regularly to help customers and work with them to produce their ideal home. I feel much more satisfaction knowing that our customers are happy with the finished results than downgrading on quality.”
Natalie stresses that others who have a business idea should not be put off if beginnings are tough.
“Your first project is always the hardest. Make sure you are passionate about what you are doing and strive through it, as the results are worth it. You need to get the right support from the start, and make sure you stay focused and are also able to adapt to what your customer wants. We initially thought we’d be working with smaller clients, but quickly learnt that had to focus on the larger projects instead.”
Principal Construction looked for help to make their idea a reality, and received free support through the Pendle Enterprise Centre and Regenerate Pennine Lancashire.
“Pendle gave us cashflow and business plan advice and we were referred to Regenerate for training. We attended construction seminars they provided, which led us to obtain a health and safety accreditation that’s essential in construction work. I don’t think we could have won our first jobs without Regenerate’s support, it helped us get over a sticky period and start making a profit. I also attended their Tender and Bids Clinic to get some advice on finding work and they sourced finance to purchase a scaffold tower.”
Natalie is looking forward to another year of running her own business:
“We just won a barn conversion in Barnoldswick and continue to win other commercial work. It feels like we have achieved so much in the 12 months since we started. By adapting our work, we are now at a stage I first thought would five years to reach”.
