Make Your Mark Blog

This is my first guest post for the Make your Mark blog so I thought what better topic to start with than making your first sale?

There are some simple steps you can follow to secure that first customer cheque – a cheque that will look so good you’d rather hang it on the wall than put it in the bank.

1. Make a list
Make a list of the people you think will be interested in your product/service. Include friends, family, contacts, colleagues and other local businesses.

2. Make your pitch
Contact the people on your list with a personal message (no one likes group email!.) Set out the benefits of what you have to offer. Include details of the cost and your contact information but don’t expect to receive dozens of immediate calls. There’s a bit of follow-up for you to do.

3. Follow up
Call your contacts, ask if they received the information and whether they’d be interested in learning more at a meeting.

4. Show up
Arrive at the meeting on time! Be friendly and professional, ask plenty about the prospective customer and respond by showing how your service/product can help them. If they agree to a deal, bring the meeting to a speedy end as it’s now time for you to head back home and deliver on what you’ve promised.

5. Tell the world
With a first sale sealed, you’re well and truly in business so be sure to tell everyone! A sale gives you a customer, credibility and a track record. And that will bring even more customers to your door.

Emma Jones is founder of the home business website, www.enterprisenation.com and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up – how to start a business from home’ published by Harriman House.

Hi, Shed here… Great to be with you.

This month, I’ve got two new ideas for you…

1) THE p-Pod - the next big thing in MP3 players?

Forget apple! The next big thing is PEAS. I am very proud to show you my latest idea for a new mp3 player - ‘The p-Pod’:

If you’re a model-maker, graphic designer or manufacturer and you’d like to help me get this idea off the ground and into the shops, please get in touch through my personal site.

2) THE AMAZING ‘DRY CLEANING’ ADVENTURE (never thought I’d write that sentence)

Life is very exciting…because you never know when an idea might hit you. I was in a Dry Cleaner’s shop and became intrigued by the plastic covers used to protect people’s clothes. I noticed that they were printed with the name of the Dry Cleaning shop - and also that there was a space of white in between the reoccurring information.

So I asked myself the question: “Why can’t I use that space….perhaps to promote my new book?…”. I spoke with the Dry Cleaning bosses - a pair of lovely guys named Masood and Ali - and after we came to a deal, we printed a new batch of covers, complete with an advert showcasing - IDEAS MAN…

So, this adventure neatly proves that…

***OPPORTUNITIES ARE EVERYWHERE***

..and so, this means that you can take your amazing brain and just look around, whilst all the time thinking: “What could be done better?” or “What could I do slightly differently?” and you’ll be coming up with great ideas and having superb adventures in no time…

All the best,

Yours,

Shed

Shed’s inspiring, informative and amusing book IDEAS MAN is out now.

See more of his adventures and products on www.ideasman.co.uk

Read Shed’s inspiring story.

check out the world’s top bloggers under 21 from retireat21.com - http://www.retireat21.com/blog/top-young-bloggers-under-21/

The Ideas Igloo road show was created in order to search for hidden entrepreneurs in Colleges and Universities across the UK. 

Being a Product Design student in Manchester Metropolitan University, I had a couple of ideas to share when the road show came to Manchester. After being selected as one of the top ten contenders in Greater Manchester, I was given one minute to pitch my idea to the panel of Dragons. It was an interesting experience to watch each of the ten presentations since they were all so different. By the end of the afternoon I was selected as the winner in the Greater Manchester region. The prize was £150 to be used to further the idea in preparation of the National final, two weeks later. I spent the money on making a prototype of my concept and printing a large poster, business cards and leaflets. I spent my time creating a stand which effectively showcased my idea, and I created a simple, eye-catching PowerPoint presentation. The final was a great experience since it brought together like-minded, young Entrepreneurs from across the country. During the morning, a business meeting was organised for each finalist with the opportunity to discuss financial projections with an experienced entrepreneur. A sit- down, networking lunch was provided which gave the opportunity to speak with the other contenders. Each finalist was then given three minutes to pitch their idea with the opportunity to use presentation facilities. I was lucky enough to win the National Final and was awarded £2000 to further my idea and a variety of Microsoft software packages. Since winning the competition, I have made movements in developing my patent, producing more prototypes and refining the design ready for the marketplace. I have also carried out some market research in the Alps. I have been in contact with prospective investors but am currently playing my cards close to my chest.  

I would like to thank Microsoft and Make Your Mark for this opportunity to further my idea and am excited at what the future holds.  

Professional networking group First Tuesday, in conjunction with leading web conference Internet World, have announced the First Tuesday Award. A distinguished panel of judges from companies such as the Financial Times and the London Business School will bestow the title of ‘UK’s Most Promising Internet Company’ to the most qualified candidate, at the Internet World conference in London on April 30th April, 2008.

Covering a broad spectrum of web-based UK businesses, the companies will be judged on their degree of innovation, growth rate and future potential. The winner will be awarded a lucrative business booster package including personal introductions to some of UK’s top VC and Angel investors, a professionally produced corporate video, access to meeting facilities across the UK and business plan coaching. The full package is valued at upwards of £10,000.

“London specifically, and the UK in general, are experiencing a resurgence in web-based entrepreneurial culture,” said First Tuesday Chief Executive Christer Holloman. “What largely disappeared after the dot-com bust of 2000 has reemerged, with a vibrant mix of young start-ups and experienced venture capitalists starting to make waves.”

Internet World event director James Drake-Brockman commented: “With the UK’s premier web companies and most promising entrepreneurs in attendance, Internet World provides the perfect forum for First Tuesday’s ‘Most Promising Internet Company’ award. First Tuesday’s formula of bringing together venture capital and entrepreneurship will add a valued dimension to the event.”

Companies that believe they should be shortlisted can nominate themselves free of charge on the First Tuesday website ( http://www.firsttuesday.org.uk/award ). The nomination process takes then less then 10 minutes. Members of the public are also encouraged to nominate companies they would like to see win, for a chance to collect a cash prize and tickets to the official after party at Paul Allen’s private members club, The Hospital in Covent Garden.

Hello. My name is Shed.

I know that sounds a bit odd, but my parents called me that from an early age (it’s short for ‘Sheridan’).

Anyway…it’s great to be with you.

One of my huge passions is coming up with new ideas and then making them happen. You can see the sort of mischief and entrepreneurialism I get up to, on my personal site.

Right now though, my only focus is YOU. My aim is to make this blog incredibly useful (and hopefully also entertaining and interesting) for you. You can judge whether I succeed. . .

First off, I’m going to read your mind. So, prepare to be astonished.

Ok, good… hold still…it’s coming through.

The fact that you’re visiting the ‘Make Your Mark’ website tells me so much about you. First off, it tells me that you’re someone who wants to make things happen.

Secondly, you’re someone who searches for information on how to make those things happen. Already, these two facts about you mean that I know you’ve got all the talents needed to achieve success in any field you want, namely: you’ve got both the desire to succeed and also the intelligence to search for ways to make your success happen.

So that’s good news for starters, isn’t it!

In this series of blogs, I’m going to share with you some of my adventures in creativity and entrepreneurialism and give you my secrets of success. Hopefully you’ll find them both interesting an inspiring… If you enjoy them and find them useful, you can read more of my adventures and secrets for success in my latest book ‘Ideas Man’…

All the very best and I wish you great success…

yours,

Shed

SHED’S TEN QUICK SECRETS OF SUCCESS (PART 1: Secrets 1-5)

1- TO GET YOURSELF NOTICED, GO ABOVE AND BEYOND

For my first job in television, I wanted to make myself stand out amongst the thousands of applicants all equally able and willing to get their chance at working in one of the most diverse and upcoming production companies in the UK.

So, I sent my potential employers a pizza with the following message printed in the lid: “Wanted to give you a pizza my mind and say thanks for the interview…”.

Oh, how cheesy (ouch) is that! But it worked because the bosses noticed me. After I sent them scripts proving I was passionate about the job, they interviewed me and eventually hired me as a trainee.

So…research is key. Find out all you can about the job you are going for and the people who are ultimately responsible for making the decisions.

Then use your initiative to go above and beyond and make your application stand out.

2- FIND INSPIRING PEOPLE WHO SHARE YOUR DREAM TO WORK WITH

No matter how great and unique you are, it’s always better when you’re succeeding with someone else. We all need other to help fill in our skill gaps.

So it’s a good idea to always search for the best (and most knowledgeable people) in the field you’re hoping to succeed in and persuade them to work with you.

It’s also a good idea to share your goals with others by telling people (who you trust) about your aims.

Doing this will set your idea in motion, because when you’ve told someone you’re going to do something, you’ll want to prove to them you can.

And hopefully, they can also help you stay motivated. . .

3- DON’T JUST DREAM IT…DO IT

When you have an idea, the worst thing is to sit there and spend valuable time thinking about making it happen. So, stop thinking and start doing.

We all have creative ideas from time to time and the longer we sit and think about them the more we fill ourselves with self doubt and in the end stop doing it.

These days, with the internet at your fingertips, you are always so close to people who can help. As long as you start making your idea happen and then learn from the journey, you can’t go far wrong.

And remember, as Walt Disney said so well, “If You Can Dream It You Can Do It”.

4- PACKAGING IS KEY

One of the first novelty products I launched was the ‘Butt Plug’ – a bum shaped mould that goes on the back of an electrical plug.

Unfortunately, the packaging wasn’t quite right. It didn’t clearly tell the customer what the plastic bum was for.

Presentation is always key when you’re pitching anything – you must communicate quickly and professionally what your message is.

5- AIM TO FAIL

Try to re-train your mind and persuade yourself that when you try something new and than you fail, it’s a good thing.

It’s good…because, if you fail at something, you know you’re moving towards your goal.

All you then have to do is learn from those hiccups and power onwards and you’ll succeed.

(SECRETS 6-10 coming soon….)

All the very best in your endeavours…

Yours,

Shed

*****

To read more of Shed’s adventures in entrepreneurialism and find out the secrets of success, see Shed’s New Book ‘Ideas Man‘ and view his news and products on www.IdeasMan.co.uk.

Also, if you work in the Tea Bag industry, The Bottled Water Industry The Cheese Industry or would simply like to explore working with Shed on one of his new ideas, please contact him through www.IdeasMan.co.uk too.

*****

Read Shed’s inspiring story