Title Small business owners - do you feel underserved?

[theade]

Hey.

Quick note: this is not a marketing pitch - I won't mention the name of my company (it's not my username either). This is purely a request for information.

I am a co-founder of a tech start-up. We are building a platform specifically aimed at helping small businesses prosper and thrive. There were 5.3 million small businesses in 2021 making up 99% of all UK companies. These companies are the lifeblood of our economy and community, and yet, having been small business owners ourselves, we believe that there are tons of artificial barriers that make life unnecessarily difficult for small owner managed companies. I won't be more detailed than that, for the reasons below. But we are certain that through technology, clever thinking, and leveraging community and group/network dynamics, we can change this, we can level the playing pitch, making it easier for small businesses to stay in business. Think how Airbnb disrupted travel (and hotels),Netflix disrupted TV (and TV production),Amazon disrupted shopping.

I'm looking for kindred souls who also believe the above - who will give us some insights.

We have built a base platform with some beginning low-hanging fruit features that we've rolled out to an alpha group of businesses who have helped us get this far. This is very good. What we're after now are examples of the other types problems that you have, that I can use to inform us of what we need to build next - we need to prioritise the next 12 months to make sure we're building the most important things for you. I'm looking for those times where you've thought "if only..." - and that could be anything.

I've deliberately left the scope vague to not limit ideas. I would fully appreciate one liners, examples, full anecdotes, rants, either in comments or by direct message. I would even appreciate a simple "this resonates with me" or "this doesn't resonate with me". I would definitely welcome a "I'm with you, how can I help?". Honestly, any thoughts at all are very welcome.

Thanks in advance guys.

AS

 

[fisicx]

I’m really confused. Is this some sort handbook, videos, blog or whatever with advice for businesses?

Can’t think of anything I needed when starting up that I couldn’t get from a Google search.

 

[theade]

I’m really confused. Is this some sort handbook, videos, blog or whatever with advice for businesses?

Can’t think of anything I needed when starting up that I couldn’t get from a Google search.

Yeah I know, I'm deliberately leaving it vague so as to not steer it. Maybe it's too open. We're not focussed just on starting-up a business - though there are many problems there: EG raising capital, buying stock, negotiating payment terms etc - but it's also the ongoing running of a small business where you don't have resources/time/expertise that bigger companies have. I'm trying really hard not to influence thoughts ?

 

[Mark T Jones]

I've read it 3 times and concluded that you post actually says 'tell us some of your frustrations in business' Is that fair?

I'd say wading through BS in order to find the point would feature on my list.

 

[japancool]

If only the stock I had to buy was cheaper.

 

[fisicx]

...but it's also the ongoing running of a small business where you don't have resources/time/expertise that bigger companies have.

Surely this all depends on the business. A man and a van moving stuff around is going to have different needs to a someone setting up a hairdressers.

It's not at all clear what you are offering. Is this some sort of free resource website where you offer a builder accountancy help or find cheap chips for a tech startup or locate a local wholesaler for someone selling fishing supplies?

Your vagueness makes it more confusing.

If you want my biggest pain when I started it was how to avoid a million emails from people offering seo, marketing, logos, websites and videos when I registered the company name.

 

[NickGrogan]

People using 100 words when 1 will do.

If you could make a translator that I can right-click and get the short version, that would be great.

 

[Paul Norman]

One of the reasons I started was I wanted to do this, without a big corporate machine there. In part, I wanted to prove it to myself.

So any lack of support was hardly a surprise. Part of the challenge, even the fun, was having to figure stuff out myself.

So, bluntly, no. I didn't crave more support.

 

[Ozzy]

You're going to have to be more specific, and I'd suggest pick a few verticals to target so that you can hone your product. As others have said, trying to be all things to all is going to be difficult if not almost impossible.

I guess following in the same train of thought as you are, almost everything was a challenge when I first started because I knew almost nothing about business and how to run and build one. The solution I created to address those problems 20 years ago was this site.

 

[fisicx]

The other issue you have is the Rumsfield conundrum: people don't know what they don't know.

A few hours on this forum will show you people need help with a huge number of things and wouldn't even know you exist because they don't know where to look. Unless of course you plan to rank across the UK for thousands of business questions.

 

[Eco - Robert]

I'm not entirely sure I understand either. But, if you can create something where Google is not the dominant search tool, that might be worth looking at. The American business culture where big business must be better than small business - perhaps you could turn that on its head. Quality not quantity.

 

[WaveJumper]

The other issue you have is the Rumsfield conundrum: people don't know what they don't know.

A few hours on this forum will show you people need help with a huge number of things and wouldn't even know you exist because they don't know where to look. Unless of course you plan to rank across the UK for thousands of business questions.

2021 was 5.6million small business's down 6.5% on previous year hardly surprising interesting if you look at the .gov stats on this there has basically been a steady increase year on year since 2000 what with Brexit though two general elections, and a global pandemic and current recession fears I am sure this trend is going to continue in only one direction down.

Well there you go I didn’t realise I didn’t know this but now I do, but what I also know is a few months on this forum and you realise there's a lot of people who really do know...... what they talking about, and I like others above I am not sure I understand this thread either

 

[UKSBD]

Basically a version of the GOV backed business resource from 15 or so years ago "Business Link"

 

[Ozzy]

Basically a version of the GOV backed business resource from 15 or so years ago "Business Link"

Except this time have business advisers who have actually run a business…

 

[SillyBill]

FSB membership presumably would be your competition, and it is very cheap and very useful. They offer a lot for SME's to leverage. My principal bugbears can't be addressed, which is state overreach in everything we do and cumulatively building every year as yet more laws are passed, stacked ontop of one another, with none revoked. Non-responsive agencies or arms of government that can't even be bothered to pick up the phone these days despite record tax takes. Feels like the social contract of running a business to make money but also put something back in is evaporating, now my attitude is more like get nothing out so begrudge putting a penny in.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

What ? !

 

[estwig]

The solution I created to address those problems 20 years ago was this site.

Shut up!

You’re making me feel old!

For the same reasons, I came and found this site, just a little while ago too!

 

[Mark T Jones]

Except this time have business advisers who have actually run a business…

The original BL website was extraordinarily good; then someone decided to dumb it down with Noddy cartoons.

Advisors were a mixed bag, largely due to to the Government's obsession with assuming that bank managers have the first clue about running a business.

 

[Ozzy]

Shut up!

You’re making me feel old!

Ha Ha Ha - I can see us now, sat on a park bench wrapped in our blankets moaning about the youth of today.

 

[Newchodge]

Basically a version of the GOV backed business resource from 15 or so years ago "Business Link"

I still miss that. One of Cameron's early acts of destruction for no reason.

 

[theade]

Wow, great response, probably mostly in reaction to how bad my post was... But that's good, it's helping me to learn. Thanks for not being too harsh...

So I'll try to narrow scope, even though we're looking broader than this...

What are your problems in terms of money matters? What financial problems are difficult/impossible to solve as a small business? Which of these problems do you think are harder to solve specifically because you're a small business, that might be easier to solve if you were bigger, or had a longer history etc.

I hope that's a clearer ask.

Thanks again.

 

[theade]

FSB membership presumably would be your competition, and it is very cheap and very useful. They offer a lot for SME's to leverage. My principal bugbears can't be addressed, which is state overreach in everything we do and cumulatively building every year as yet more laws are passed, stacked ontop of one another, with none revoked. Non-responsive agencies or arms of government that can't even be bothered to pick up the phone these days despite record tax takes. Feels like the social contract of running a business to make money but also put something back in is evaporating, now my attitude is more like get nothing out so begrudge putting a penny in.

This is very interesting and just the kind of response I was hoping to get by being really vague... Do you have any examples of non-responsive agencies other than tax? And could you provide one or two examples of recent laws, just so I can get a feel of the problem? Thank so much. Appreciate it.

 

[theade]

The other issue you have is the Rumsfield conundrum: people don't know what they don't know.

A few hours on this forum will show you people need help with a huge number of things and wouldn't even know you exist because they don't know where to look. Unless of course you plan to rank across the UK for thousands of business questions.

This is a great shout. It's those "wouldn't know existed" things I'm after. I'm going to dedicate a day to this. I should've thought about that rather than going straight to sending a vague post. Thanks

 

[Mark T Jones]

Wow, great response, probably mostly in reaction to how bad my post was... But that's good, it's helping me to learn. Thanks for not being too harsh...

So I'll try to narrow scope, even though we're looking broader than this...

What are your problems in terms of money matters? What financial problems are difficult/impossible to solve as a small business? Which of these problems do you think are harder to solve specifically because you're a small business, that might be easier to solve if you were bigger, or had a longer history etc.

I hope that's a clearer ask.

Thanks again.

I believe that many small businesses - especially those offering credit need a lot of education around cashflow and credit control.

There is a lot available, they might need help in understanding what actually is education and what is somebody trying to see them stuff.

Which comes neatly back to something like Business Link

 

[theade]

I'm not entirely sure I understand either. But, if you can create something where Google is not the dominant search tool, that might be worth looking at. The American business culture where big business must be better than small business - perhaps you could turn that on its head. Quality not quantity.

Yes, that's exactly the type of thinking we're going for - we want to empower small business and remove that bigger is better thinking. When we've dug deeper, seems a lot of small business owners feel the odds are stacked against them in favour of bigger companies. An example of that is which companies get government bail outs and which don't... So we want to be about helping small business get that quality aspect you mention. That's what I'm trying to explore here. What can we do to help...

 

[theade]

The other issue you have is the Rumsfield conundrum: people don't know what they don't know.

A few hours on this forum will show you people need help with a huge number of things and wouldn't even know you exist because they don't know where to look. Unless of course you plan to rank across the UK for thousands of business questions.

That Rumsfield conundrum is a very good point. And yeah, I definitely should've looked back in the forums before posting this.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Yes, that's exactly the type of thinking we're going for - we want to empower small business and remove that bigger is better thinking. When we've dug deeper, seems a lot of small business owners feel the odds are stacked against them in favour of bigger companies. An example of that is which companies get government bail outs and which don't... So we want to be about helping small business get that quality aspect you mention. That's what I'm trying to explore here. What can we do to help...

Doesn't make sense to me.

The notion of a small business is that you can offer product or service in a way that big business can't - it's absurd to attempt to compete on their terms; you create your terms for your market.

Victim mindset around bail-outs and tax breaks is typically just an excuse.

 

[theade]

I've read it 3 times and concluded that you post actually says 'tell us some of your frustrations in business' Is that fair?

I'd say wading through BS in order to find the point would feature on my list.

Yes to the first point. And good point, well made, to your second.

 

[fisicx]

Yes, that's exactly the type of thinking we're going for - we want to empower small business and remove that bigger is better thinking.

Is that how things are? Most small businesses I know are quite happy being small. The local butcher, man cleaning the wheelie bins, the gardener, lady who does our ironing, various tradespeople, the barber and so on are all comfortable in their niche. The don't need empowering. They are just getting with things.

It's still not at all clear what you are going to offer that isn't already out there and available in many places (both on and offline).

 

[SillyBill]

This is very interesting and just the kind of response I was hoping to get by being really vague... Do you have any examples of non-responsive agencies other than tax? And could you provide one or two examples of recent laws, just so I can get a feel of the problem? Thank so much. Appreciate it.

Whereever a permit is required that involves interaction with the government to any degree. Defra for animal products. Local authorities for local pollution prevention control. HMRC for tied oils/alcohol licences.Any whatsoever. I'd go as far as saying I despise the public sector now and the shambolic "service" to business, record tax takes and absysmal service. They are that bad. Laughable that people think making any of our failing private sector driven services public will improve anything. Have they had any dealings with the NHS, DVLA, passport office, HMRC in the last 3 years? Out of the frying pan into the fire springs to mind.

 

[The Resolver]

Let me throw in the one simple advice that every startup MUST follow that I have been repeating here for over 15 years - Shareholder Agreements

PLUS:-Cross Option Insurace

PLUS: Blind bidding to more speedily negotiate business deals/settle disputes etc

PLUS: For the 50/50 partnerings, Mr 2% (not yet fully lcunched as still need to do the page on the recent court decision (Hashmi v Lorimer-Wing) that has caused the sole director problem.

 

[Waddy]

The main problem being a small business is that if you owe somebody money it's your problem, whereas if you're a large business and you somebody money it's their problem.

 

[SillyBill]

The main problem being a small business is that if you owe somebody money it's your problem, whereas if you're a large business and you somebody money it's their problem.

FSB and others have talked about this for years and lobbied for the prompt payment code etc., nothing ever happens. SMEs still expected to be a bank to bigger companies. SMEs buying on shorter terms than they are selling generally with the opposite for big companies. One bit of state interference I would approve of is incidentally is making large corporates have to justify in a report their averaged creditor dates. Constantly banging the drum of Corporate Social Responsibility while the biggest responsible act they could do is pay SMEs on time and on reasonable terms. All fluff beyond that. Creates a lot of carnage from them downstream which they are happy to ignore.

 

[MOIC]

What financial problems are difficult/impossible to solve as a small business? Which of these problems do you think are harder to solve specifically because you're a small business, that might be easier to solve if you were bigger, or had a longer history etc.

The best advice/lesson to give to small businesses is to politely refuse to give credit, especially in the current times.

If customers really need your product/service they'll find their own methods of raising the funds required.