- Original Poster
- #1
Weeks 1-10
http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=150099
Week 11
I feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted this week!!
1st off, the business has hit a plateau, for the last 3 weeks, we've not been any busier or quieter. So the early growth has stopped.
Several regulars have cancelled for a few weeks for school/easter holidays and there have been fewer new customers as I had stopped doing flyers through doors for a couple of weeks. But, we are still getting random new customers joining who have heard about us, seen the van/flyers etc So, it's nice to see word of mouth is spreading.
But, i got back to putting flyers out yesterday and today - as the weather was gorgeous and I feel I've a lot more free time now!
Why the more free time? Last monday i took on a full time "me"
I have an assistant to do a lot of the day to day stuff. The business got to a level where it could afford a full time employee - JUST - and I decided that it would be better to bring someone in than make a few hundred pounds each week
Why? well, I had been looking at my original business plan and I kept seeing holes and gaps where I hadn't got to doing the things I had planned. I found I was bogging myself down in the day to day and chasing my tail - and the result was I was busy, but the business wasn't going to be growing.
In fact, I was getting close to burn out and I knew that if this kept up I'd not be a happy or healthy chap in a few weeks and this would probably be reflected in my products/services etc.
So, I'm investing the meagre weekly profits into a full time employee who can do everything i was doing and a lot more (though in all liklilhood, i'll just move onto doing the things I had originally planned to do but was struggling to find the time for!)
So, following on from a meeting a few weeks ago with another UKBF'r I have jump started a part of my original business plan that I had been neglecting. (recurring theme this week)
So, I've updating my web page, web shop and created some new litrature and I'm now going to be selling my fruit to work boxes - so all you kind hearted empoyers can buy a box of fruit and give it to your staff to ensure they snack healithly and it's a low cost way of giving them a wee boost/thank you in these times of lay offs, hour cuts, no bonuses and other business cuts.
I've also engaged the services of another UKBF'r who will be doing a trial telesales run for me - just so I can test the water.
I managed to get the "refer a friend" scheme on my site working, and I've been busily telling all my customers about it. They get a small credit to their account for any friend that signs up and places an order.
I'm now also going to be doing deliveries to peoples place of work (this is going to run alongside the fruit to work thing) and I've created a corporate discount card - so that if more than 1 person from any workplace order, both customers get a small discount. This discount will increase once we have 5 and then 10 people all ordering from 1 workplace.
(I'm actually going to roll this out for residential street addresses too!)
My new Man Friday will also do lots of things that I have only paid lip service too - updating recipes and cooking tips, updating the what's on events page on my site, updating the news page of my site (it carries food and "green" news)
We also hope to add several new products to the site - such as a shop which contains "whole recipe" items - so, want to make a pan of Tomato and roasted red pepper soup - order all you need here, including the recipe - simply add your own water!
Next he is going to target seasonal products - Obviously I've missed Valentines day, but these holidays come round more regular than a Daily Mail Cancer scare, so we'll get on the next one.
Other small but important things that will now get regularly done include washing the van, filing the receipts and telling the accountant! and returning all the excess packaging back to the suppliers to be recycled.
The other benefit has been the fact that I have someone to come up with and bounce ideas off. So i don't quite feel like i'm in this on my own.
Also, as he is going to be manning the "shop" during the day, it means I'm able to do the deliveries at night - and that means meeting my customers - and that's the bit of the job i love. It's a good product and service and the customers love to engage in it with me. So it always lifts my spirits.
So, onwards and upwards!! I've had a real shot in the arm this week, I feel i can get back to focussing on the business plan, how we will grow it, new products, new suppliers and how to improve the service. (it also means I do an honest days work in my regular 9-5 job)
http://www.ukbusinessforums.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=150099
Week 11
I feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted this week!!
1st off, the business has hit a plateau, for the last 3 weeks, we've not been any busier or quieter. So the early growth has stopped.
Several regulars have cancelled for a few weeks for school/easter holidays and there have been fewer new customers as I had stopped doing flyers through doors for a couple of weeks. But, we are still getting random new customers joining who have heard about us, seen the van/flyers etc So, it's nice to see word of mouth is spreading.
But, i got back to putting flyers out yesterday and today - as the weather was gorgeous and I feel I've a lot more free time now!
Why the more free time? Last monday i took on a full time "me"
I have an assistant to do a lot of the day to day stuff. The business got to a level where it could afford a full time employee - JUST - and I decided that it would be better to bring someone in than make a few hundred pounds each week
Why? well, I had been looking at my original business plan and I kept seeing holes and gaps where I hadn't got to doing the things I had planned. I found I was bogging myself down in the day to day and chasing my tail - and the result was I was busy, but the business wasn't going to be growing.
In fact, I was getting close to burn out and I knew that if this kept up I'd not be a happy or healthy chap in a few weeks and this would probably be reflected in my products/services etc.
So, I'm investing the meagre weekly profits into a full time employee who can do everything i was doing and a lot more (though in all liklilhood, i'll just move onto doing the things I had originally planned to do but was struggling to find the time for!)
So, following on from a meeting a few weeks ago with another UKBF'r I have jump started a part of my original business plan that I had been neglecting. (recurring theme this week)
So, I've updating my web page, web shop and created some new litrature and I'm now going to be selling my fruit to work boxes - so all you kind hearted empoyers can buy a box of fruit and give it to your staff to ensure they snack healithly and it's a low cost way of giving them a wee boost/thank you in these times of lay offs, hour cuts, no bonuses and other business cuts.
I've also engaged the services of another UKBF'r who will be doing a trial telesales run for me - just so I can test the water.
I managed to get the "refer a friend" scheme on my site working, and I've been busily telling all my customers about it. They get a small credit to their account for any friend that signs up and places an order.
I'm now also going to be doing deliveries to peoples place of work (this is going to run alongside the fruit to work thing) and I've created a corporate discount card - so that if more than 1 person from any workplace order, both customers get a small discount. This discount will increase once we have 5 and then 10 people all ordering from 1 workplace.
(I'm actually going to roll this out for residential street addresses too!)
My new Man Friday will also do lots of things that I have only paid lip service too - updating recipes and cooking tips, updating the what's on events page on my site, updating the news page of my site (it carries food and "green" news)
We also hope to add several new products to the site - such as a shop which contains "whole recipe" items - so, want to make a pan of Tomato and roasted red pepper soup - order all you need here, including the recipe - simply add your own water!
Next he is going to target seasonal products - Obviously I've missed Valentines day, but these holidays come round more regular than a Daily Mail Cancer scare, so we'll get on the next one.
Other small but important things that will now get regularly done include washing the van, filing the receipts and telling the accountant! and returning all the excess packaging back to the suppliers to be recycled.
The other benefit has been the fact that I have someone to come up with and bounce ideas off. So i don't quite feel like i'm in this on my own.
Also, as he is going to be manning the "shop" during the day, it means I'm able to do the deliveries at night - and that means meeting my customers - and that's the bit of the job i love. It's a good product and service and the customers love to engage in it with me. So it always lifts my spirits.
So, onwards and upwards!! I've had a real shot in the arm this week, I feel i can get back to focussing on the business plan, how we will grow it, new products, new suppliers and how to improve the service. (it also means I do an honest days work in my regular 9-5 job)
