Small Business Start-Up Idea – Small Business Resources

The purpose of this business is to act as a helping hand for other small businesses that might need assistance, either because they are too busy to perform some functions themselves or they do not have the required knowledge. This could involve providing advice on common legal or tax issues – information which is freely available but can be hard to find. You will also provide them with a list of all the resources available to them in their local area ranging from accountants to office stationary supplies. The opportunities for generating revenue will largely be referral based so you will have to work closely with local businesses to get them on board. 

Skills needed: You will need to have previous experience of owning a small business and an in-depth knowledge of all the processes involved. If you have knowledge of online marketing techniques it would be helpful to promote your business.

Business environment and set-up cost:  There is very little international potential for this business as it is focussed on your local area. You will need to purchase a computer, printer and software as well as paying for the design of your website. In addition, you may need powerful software to manage your mailing list and track referrals. Remember to also set aside a marketing budget, as you will need to drive traffic to your site. The overall start-up cost will range from £5,000 to £15,500 (6,000 – 20,000 EUR, 10,000-30,000 AUD/USD).

Marketing Techniques:  

• Make sure your website is easy to find by using search engine optimisation (SEO)
• Participate in the pay-per-click schemes of the popular search engines
• Get your website listed in link directories and web-rings for SMEs
• Participate on small business newsgroups and forums, linking to your website from your signature
• You could organise local SME conferences or networking events and then charge businesses a small fee if they wish to participate.
• Use OnlineOffice to set up web-site, blog and online shop to promote your business online

Complimentary business ideas: You could organise local SME conferences or networking events and then charge businesses a small fee if they wish to participate. 

Notes:  It will be essential for you to provide accurate and up-to-date information or else you will put off customers. You must have a good referral system in place to ensure you will get paid. 

Online examples & resources: 

• Inc.com – Resources for entrepreneurs
• Internal Revenue Services – A list of resources available to US businesses
• Microsoft Small Business Center – Software for SMEs

For previous SME start-up ideas, look through the archive here 

One Response to “ Small Business Start-Up Idea – Small Business Resources ”

1. Vin Subrajmanan
   
   Said on June 30th, 2008 at 10:23 pm

   A great training and informational resource I’ve found for my small business has been mshare.net. MindShare is a company that helps you to understand how your customer service can be better, and thereby increase both outreach and retention of clients.

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