Tax Free Gifts To Staff

In an environment where most employee ‘perks’ subject to tax it may be helpful for you as an employer to be aware of the few concessions that have been made by HM Revenue & Customs.

Long service awards

Long service awards are allowed within strict limits. There will be no tax charge so long as the employee has been with you for at least 20 years and the article given has a value not exceeding £50 for each year of service.

Suggestion scheme awards

Such awards must be made under a properly constituted suggestion scheme, based on a set percentage of the expected financial benefit to your business. The maximum award allowed is £5,000. There is also a concession for ‘encouragement awards’ of £25 or less to reflect meritorious effort on the part of the employee concerned.

Staff parties

Staff annual functions (e.g. a dinner dance or Christmas party) are tax-free where the total cost per person attending is not more than £150 per year (including VAT).

Promotional gifts

Such items are normally purchased for advertising purposes and must display a ‘conspicuous advertisement’. Staff may receive promotional gifts tax-free provided that the overall cost of the articles involved does not exceed £50 per person per year.

Gifts of food, drink, tobacco or vouchers are specifically excluded.

Trivial benefits

Although all gifts are strictly subject to tax trivial benefits such as a turkey or bottle of wine at Christmas, or flowers on the birth of a child are not generally assessed as a benefit. A cash benefit, however, is always taxable irrespective of the value.

 

www.truemanbrown.co.uk

What does it to be an entrepreneur

What does it take to be an entrepreneur?

With the UK economy in full re-build, it will be the entrepreneurs, who create jobs, through innovation and by putting their ideas into action. Being an entrepreneur or business owner is not an easy thing to do and with so many new business startups perhaps more than ever before, you have to ask yourself one question:-

Am I ready?

Being an entrepreneur requires a passion, determination and courage that few people actually realise. You will experience the highest of highs coupled with the lowest of lows. At times, your mind and resolve will be tested to the limits and only when you face real adversity will you know whether you truly are entrepreneurial.

Entrepreneurial Leaders

Entrepreneurs are natural leaders that inspire and innovate through ideas and creation. An entrepreneur must accept and realise that he is not skilled in every aspect of business and day-to-day operations. The skill is knowing when and where to seek help and how to use it and in what quantities.  Always stand up and be counted even when things go wrong. When your ideas work, ride them, when they do not, evaluate and reapply.

Your idea

If you are starting a business then you must test-drive your idea. Do not keep it to yourself, as you are not re-inventing the wheel. Put your idea out there, as that is the only way to know if it is going to work. Use your friends and family to test drive your idea but also use people who do not know you, as they will answer honestly without emotion. Above all, listen to them, as they could be your future customers.

Finance

Do you have adequate finance to get your business where you need it to be? If you do not then you have two choices: – either wait until you have secured enough money to fund the business or start it knowing that you will require investment at a later stage. Some investors prefer to see something tangible, live and working. Be careful and choose wisely.

Employing people

During my career, I have employed thousands of staff. I have learned only recently at a great cost that you must employ the best person that you can and if that means you have some kind of profit share then do it. Getting employment wrong, can cost you time, money, grow and can have a negative impact on your business. When I met and interviewed David recently he reinforced that to me.

Business planning

Your business will change as soon as you create it. A business pan rarely goes according to plan. Keeping an eye on costs is key and reviewing your monthly costs is essential if you are to survive.

Always look at your three month cost base and if you are not making money then ensure that you either decrease costs, increase sales or your GP to stay above water. Always remember that if your business makes 10% net profit after all expenses then for every £10,000 in turnover you achieve you earn £1000. Every £1000 that you spend requires you to turnover another £10,000 just to make it back.

Time and resources

Entrepreneurs work long hours and often take home less money than they were paid by the jobs they enjoyed prior to starting in business. I would advise that you have a second income while you build your business. The less you draw from the business, the stronger it will be in the long term.

Your resources are everything and the contacts that you make will help you grow your business. Business networking is an essential tool for any business owner and there are many business-networking opportunities for you to explore.

Business Networking

Business networking is a vital tool for your business. Get out and join as many business networks as you can. Entrepreneur networking will help you make new contacts that you can later use to your advantage.  Raw Business online offers free online business networking. Every registered member also receives a copy of Raw Business Magazine each month. Join as many networks as you can and make as many new contacts as you can.

Bradley Chapman

www.rawbusiness.com

Kavita Oberoi Interview by Bradley Chapman

Kavita Oberoi Interview

The Secret Millionaire – Interview by Heidi Weir

Kavita Oberoi is one of the UK’s most successful female entrepreneurs.She is probably best known for her appearance on The Secret Millionaire.

Since her appearance she has become a Director of one of the charities she supported on the show: Sisters with Voices, an eight week programme for disadvantaged young women which provides mentoring, coaching and activities to increase self confidence and life skills, and Kavita has now sold the programme into three schools and to the Sure Start scheme in Derby.

At the age of 38, Kavita runs her own multi-million pound Healthcare and IT consultancy which she started from scratch in 2001 and has a personal fortune of over £10 million. She spotted a gap in the market for IT training and business consulting and she quickly won a large contract and by August of 2001, demand for her services had become so great that she established Oberoi Consulting. The business now provides IT training to more than one in five GP practices across the country.

Kavita, I’ve heard you believe that you got your entrepreneurial spirit from your dad, can you tell me a little bit more about why you think that?

My father came over to England in the 1960s and he was a very smart man. He pretended that he knew how to fit bathrooms, he just watched a plumber do it and off the back of this he set up a very successful plumbing and heating business. He called the rest of the family over to do the manual work so that he could concentrate on the thinking. That business has now gone 3rd generation. At one point we lived above the shop where the plumbing and heating retail business was based and I used to go down from the age of 2 and sit in the office for hours playing on the phone and the typewriter. My father would to take me with him when he went to see his clients so I think I had some very early training.

So what was it like growing up?

I came from a traditional Asian background. The premise really was that girls shouldn’t work and shouldn’t be educated. My sister got married very early, she had an arranged marriage when she was 19 as was the case with most of the girls in family. My mother was brilliant, she really empowered me. I wanted to do more, for example, I wanted to attend after school activities; Ballet and Tap, she’d sneak me out, not let my father know so that I could do those things. Had it not been for her I would never have been able to have gone on and completed my degree. My father died when I was 15, shortly after I wanted to go out to work and I got a Saturday job in a shop, my mum and myself received some backlash because it wasn’t the ‘done’ thing. I fought this with the backing of my mother and then went on to go to university. I used to have to commute everyday because I wasn’t allowed to formally go away so I stayed at home and travelled an hour and a half each way every single day. I think after I achieved that, I almost became a trailblazer and now it’s opened the way for mother family members who have all had an education and mare working.

Do you think that because you were pushing the boundaries from an early age it helped you when it came to business?

I think it certainly has helped, I’ve always been quite driven, I’ve always wanted to achieve and do better and like you say; push the boundaries so I probably had a lot of confidence and drive at the point of starting my business. I am a really focussed person so I knew what I was going to do and I knew that I was able to do it.

You started off working for a large pharmaceutical business where you were comfortable and successful so what on earth possessed you to take the first steps in launching your business by going freelance?

I got to the point in my career where I wanted promotion so I went through the interview process and missed out. I was absolutely devastated because I felt I had earned it, I had been so successful in my current role and this was a job in management. The feedback I was given was that I wouldn’t be a good leader and I wouldn’t be motivational. It was a real set back and I actually started to go for interviews with other companies, that’s when the realisation dawned on me; I could do the same thing for another company for another 8-9 years for them to tell me that I wasn’t good enough when I knew that I was. I had built up a lot of skills whilst working for the pharmaceutical company and I worked out that I would probably have to work 3 or 4 days to be able to have the same take-home pay per week and I knew that I would be able to do that.

Was there ever a time that you faced such adversity that you just wanted to give up?

I think it was difficult when I first started. I got a large contract with the pharmaceutical company and had to put it on hold at one point. It was going to get so much bigger and it seemed that it went on for months and months before we got the approval to really take it to a massive level. So, I’ve never wanted to give up but most entrepreneurs are really impatient and want everything today to happen now.

Can you talk me through the journey you’ve taken from Employment to Freelancer, to launching your business and where it’s taken you?

I had built a lot of skills and I had a real passion for computers and I knew the primary care market. Whilst I was working for the pharmaceutical company there were some guidelines that were launched on the treatment of heart disease which affected the GPs that I was visiting at the time. I’d found that they were very good clinically but they really used to struggle when it came to IT. Some GPs were having trouble identifying their patients on their computer systems, so I self taught myself the systems and I would run lists off which the doctors could use to start calling in patients for treatment. As the same time as I’d gone on my own a colleague of mine had gone to another very big pharmaceutical company and they asked me to do a trial in their area. The trial was so successful that the marketing department called me in and literally handed me a £250K contract!

Being of Asian background and choosing an IT based business, you’ve obviously faced some real challenges; what do you feel has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a woman in business?

I don’t really see myself as a ‘woman in business’ like it somehow makes us deprived. I think at the end of the day, if you’ve got the skills and the knowledge and you know your subject area, it doesn’t matter if you are a woman or a man. I think women are more tenacious as they almost have more to prove because they don’t want to be seen as a failure, they spend their time managing so many roles but I think that makes us stronger.

The biggest challenge that I’ve faced is; staffing, recruitment, motivation, developing people and letting go because most entrepreneurs are very controlling so actually letting go of things and letting other people deliver can be very hard. Sometimes you have to allow your results to come through others and give people the chance to learn from their mistakes. There is also a balance to be found because sometimes you can employ and develop people who may leave, I get very attached to my employees, I understand the importance of flexibility on working hours and the pressures that having a family brings. We have a really good team atmosphere so you don’t expect people to leave and when they do it can really hurt. For me the biggest challenge I face and have faced is recruitment, staff development and retention. We are in quite a niche market so we first of all struggle to even find the right people, I could easily employ another 10 people tomorrow if I could find the right individuals. To overcome this hurdle we try and work by word of mouth, when we work with GP practices we try to look for people there that may be looking to move on. We use agencies, we advertise, we explore every avenue to recruit the right people but it is a real gamble. It’s costly, it’s time-consuming and it’s definitely my biggest frustration.

What is the one piece of advice you would give to a business that is struggling right now?

I think it’s all about attitude and what you have to look at is not moving away from your core business but diversifying and re-packaging. I believe that recession is a good time for start-ups. Some of the most successful businesses started in a recession; Hewlett Packard, Disney… all started in a recession. I think you have to remain focussed and being in a difficult situation means that you learn some very important lessons. When you are cautious with money it’s not a bad thing because when the recession lifts your business will flourish, I think it’s all about the attitude.

If you were 18 again, would you do anything differently?

I think the only thing I’d do differently is the way I went about recruitment, staffing and employment contracts when I started my business. It has been a really big learning curve for me, I didn’t have any leadership skills and I’ve had to learn the hard way. I’ve used a mentor and a coach to help me, somebody who’s very experienced in that area, I think it’s good through networking with others to be able to find people. It’s important that you know what your weaknesses are so that you can try and work on them.

Knowing what you know now, if you were to go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

There’s so much more that you can achieve so always believe in your own potential. Some people are just happy where they are and some people will aim a lot higher. I would always advise that you aim a lot higher because you’ve got that ability in you. If somebody says you can’t do something, don’t listen because I was told I’d never be a leader or be able to motivate people and I have my own company now. I guess that gave me the fire inside that has made me achieve.

We talk a lot about ‘feeling the fear and doing it anyway’, what’s your biggest fear?

I think for most people in business when you have major contracts the fear is losing them and having to replace them. That is why I believe that it is so important to not become complacent and why we are always looking for new business.

Who’s been your biggest supporter – your rock along the way?

My mum has always been brilliant, she’s always encouraged me and been very supportive but I’m quite lucky in that I’m driven. My business is like my baby, I’ll keep going, I won’t stop.

If you woke up tomorrow and you’d lost everything over night, what would be the first thing you’d do?

Well obviously I’d start again. I would research the marketplace to find the needs. I went to Mumbai in India last year and there’s no begging out there, it was very interesting to see how the families are surviving and how it brings out your entrepreneurial spirit. For example on Valentine’s Day even the children make cards to sell because there’s a need. There’s no welfare system over there, so if you haven’t really got anything you have no choice but to go out and do it. In the slums they’d go and get the recycling from the 5 Star hotels and sell it on. The slums were generating around 750 million from this and now the government are trying to tap into that to get people out of the slums and re-house them but they don’t want to as they are doing absolutely phenomenal business. These are people with nothing really, if they can do it, what excuse has anybody else got.

Tell me a little about your business now and what the plans for the future are?

The Core business is clinical audit, what we do is we go into GP practices, gain projects through primary care trusts or a sponsor and we’ll work on different disease areas and help the doctors to identify the patients on mass and put a strategic plan together to recall the patients, so it’s all around the use of IT and healthcare. From a personal perspective I’m now investing in Commercial Property and also setting up conferencing and meeting rooms. We’re finding in this recession that more people need rooms and office space on short term leases so I’ve done a deal with a local developer to buying some commercial property, which most people right now would not be doing. I’m in a position where the banks will lend, the rates are low and I have a tenant for one of them already, the other I’m turning into a conferencing facility. These are both within walking distance of my current offices in Derbyshire.

How did you feel after doing ‘The Secret Millionaire’, the follow up and what was your reaction to it?

It was a really, really good experience, it was such an eye opener. I’m a director of Martha’s Oasis and we’re trying to nationalise The Sister’s with Voices programme, we’ve sold it into different schools so it’s been really, really good and it’s given me a different type of adrenalin rush than I get from the entrepreneur side.

Why did you decide to participate in the programme?

I actually turned it down when they first contacted me because it was a brand new series and I didn’t know if it would be positive or what it would be like. I think the major factor was when I visited Mumbai and was inspired by what I saw. I met this lady out there who set up the National Spastic Society 35 years ago, she had a daughter who was disabled and she was perturbed as her daughter had no rights to education. She was so angered that she went over there and changed policy. Her own daughter has now graduated from Oxford. It’s true that everyone should have the right to education. I found her really inspiring and when I came back out of the blue the phone call came for the second time and I thought this time I have to do it.

A lot of the women in the network want to see more success stories from women but it seems that there are less high profile women entrepreneurs than men, why do you think that is?

I think some of it is a confidence thing. Some women are hugely successful but they just don’t want to do anything on the PR side of things.

What do you think makes a successful entrepreneur in your eyes?

You just have to be very passionate about what you are doing, very focussed and determined and have a lot of selfbelief. If you have an idea, do not stop until you’ve achieved success.

You’re a successful business woman and obviously now you’re very involved in charity so what’s better; giving or receiving?

Whatever you give, you will get back ten-fold. That’s not just in terms or money but in terms of connections. Both organisations that I gave to on The Secret Millionaire I now work with. I have received back much more than I gave. If you give something (and it doesn’t have to be money, it can be time or passing on a connection) they will pass you on and you will benefit in the long term which is why I see the benefit in the Raw Business network.

Have you got a favourite saying or quote that you would share with our readers?

I think I would say; ‘Hard work leads to profit but mere talk leads to poverty’, I think that’s from The Bible but I remember somebody saying that and I thought that really ‘fits’ me.

Thank you to Kavita for her time, for her honesty and interest in our business. I would like to wish you, your business and the Sisters with Voices Programme all the success in the world.

For further information on Kavita please visit: www.kavitaoberoi.com and for information regarding her Healthcare and IT business please visit:

www.oberoi-consulting.com

Jeannette De Vanna interviewed by Bradley Chapman for Raw Business

J. De Vanna has had entrepreneurial blood since she was born. She used to be the low profile entrepreneur hidden behind her day to day career until one day she decided to swap a high flying six figure project management consulting career in Oil and Gas to pursue her real passion!

She established her own company to work with other entrepreneurs in small and medium businesses, together executing profitable fast-tracked projects based on launching products and services that add value to the market and create additional profit centres for the business.

We chat to Jeannette to find out more about WELL-TO-DO (UK)

How did you start your current business?

Let me tell you that I was not that clear from the beginning about what my business was going to be about but I decided to take action and I incorporated my company WELL-TO-DO (UK) Ltd in 2006. In the meantime during my transition period whilst I was figuring out what exactly I was going to be doing as an Entrepreneur, I decided to carry on with my core career and I immediately at the time self-promoted myself to the role of Project Manager on a consulting basis – this was primarily within the Oil and Gas industry.

But after my last contract that ended towards the end of 2010, I decided that I was going to embrace the opportunity of having a bit of time off for myself and would concentrate on developing my company. It wasn’t until the end of January when I was offered the opportunity with Raw TV that I decided to seriously work on officially launching my company and connecting with many other entrepreneurs like me.

Furthermore, anyone will be able to read my article: “How To Make A Killing Launching Of Your Product Or Service In 6 Weeks Or Less” on Raw Business Magazine edition 16, which comes from my own experience in launching my current business.

Were you employed prior to starting this business venture?

Yes I was employed through my own limited company, working on a contract basis.

What was your biggest fear before starting your business?

My biggest fear was about being perfect when starting my business; this is probably why I went on exploring so many business options before actually deciding on what I was going to be doing. At the end of the day, I understood that being perfect many times does not mean to be right! So, I decided to stop trying to be perfect and rather find my passion field and start from there. It is then that I realised my vision of helping and connecting with many people via projects related to business and personal development.

What has your biggest challenge since starting your business?

Making the transition from a high flying six figure project management consulting career into a business start-up all by myself (“the switch”).

How did you manage to raise the finance to start your business?

Good question Bradley! Well, I thought I had it all covered from savings and during the transition period called “the switch” something interesting happened. The safety net I was counting on was almost all taken away from me when a life threatening situation with my mum on Xmas 2010 made me divert those resources towards saving her life and I am so pleased that at the end it was a mission accomplished. That experience made me go back to my drawing board once again and rethink on my priorities and even though my last contract was concluded and I was having no cash flow, I decided to stick to my guns and continue with the realisation of my business no matter what.

What has been your biggest mistake whilst creating building or running your business?

No making a better plan to guarantee that cash flow was still flowing at times of having no contract work, rather than being on a roller coaster situation.

What has been your biggest success?

My biggest business success has been incorporating my company and keeping on with my vision of developing a business that comes from my real passion.

If you could go back and change one thing, what would it be?

Bradley I do not think I would change a single thing as all I’ve been through has been essential for who I am today and who I am becoming.

Have you ever thought about giving up and what made you continue?

No, I never thought of giving up upon realising my Vision of being a full time Entrepreneur promoting quality of life to the market place. I always felt that I had so much value to offer than being on a day to day job that nobody else was interested about.

What would you say is your biggest skill?

It has been my self-motivation and spirit to keep developing myself to the best so that I am able to provide sustainable added value to my life and the lives of many.

How would you define the role of an entrepreneur?

An entrepreneur is the driving force of any economy, we are the pioneers and leaders of the market place and by our vision we are able to impact positively the lives of many.

Many people are afraid to reach out and ask for help, believing that it is a weakness; I believe that it is a strength. If you had to reach out right now and ask for help, what would you ask?

I would love to have the guidance and views of a master that is already at a much more advanced level than me, so that by her/his guidance and experience I am able to perceive a clearer picture of my journey ahead and by that advice I am able to also make wiser decisions that get me where I want to be faster because that person has been where I am right now.

What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses – How will you improve you entrepreneurial ability, what action will you take right now?
My strength as an entrepreneur is about keeping focus on the higher purpose and contribution from what I do. My weaknesses were about being a perfectionist and over prepare to the point of being paralysed by the too much analysis approach.

Tell us about your business and what you offer your customers

Bearing in mind all my experience in project management, I decided to invest my energy and passion in helping small and medium businesses execute profitable fast-tracked projects in the area of launching products and services to their customers, with the aim of adding additional streams of income.

What was the first vision or dream you had about your business?

I wanted my business to be in the educational field within the area of personal growth in a holistic way, related to improving the quality of our lives in all areas. I wanted it to be a community/network of like minded people too. In fact, this first vision was my inspiration for the company name: ‘WELL-TO-DO’, which my adapted definition is: ‘well-to-do, adj. indicative of being happy and healthy and prosperous and successful’.

What was the first thing you did when you had your vision?

I immediately went on brainstorming about the name; I incorporated the company in UK and bought the domain name.

Who did you talk to about your business idea and what did they say?

I shared it with my close family and they have been always supportive of it.

What did you have to give up in order to start your business?

I gave up a high flying six figure project management consulting career in Oil and Gas to pursue my real passion within my business.

What was your inner motivation?

Being the best I could ever been so that I am able to provide sustainable added value to my life and the lives of many and years ago I started my intensive self-education and training path in many areas like: property investment, wealth creation strategies, taxation technicians programme, training for trainers, sales and leadership, stock market analysis and investment, health training and body building, millionaires mindset of wealth, mastery of the little voice insight, internet marketing, plus many other courses for business owners too.

Where did you start work on your business at home or at a new office?

I did start from home.

Do you have any employees now?

Yes, a company PA/Admin assistant.

Did you have any setbacks during the startup stage?

Yes, I decided in 2007 that I was going to take a sabbatical year to dedicate myself full time on setting everything up for the start-up of my company firstly in the field of property investment but later due to the collapse of the property market and personal issues prevented myself from continuing with that plan. However, I kept my original vision alive.

There are three character types, entrepreneur, manager and technician, which one are you?

I am definitely an entrepreneur and a manager.

Do you use a business plan and stick to it religiously?

Yes, I tend to develop the details of the concept itself into a kind of strategic plan, then I keep flexible on the approach during its implementation; from my project management career, I learned to focus more on the general outcome and look quickly for solutions when challenges arrive rather than being fixated to an original plan.

Do you believe that you can become successful on your own?

I did believe that, but fortunately changed my mind along the way. I never understood why I originally envisaged myself on my own when starting up if I have worked with project teams all my life!

Whom would you like to thank today for supporting and believing in you?

First of all, I would like to thank myself for keeping myself committed to continue despite of the odds encountered and I am also very grateful of the support I have received from my lovely family.

Do you think that high levels of commercial acumen and experience are required to become successful in business?

Not high levels per se but some fundamental knowledge would be desirable.

If 90% of businesses fail within 5 years, what are you doing to improve your chances of success?

This is an excellent question Bradley, my actions are towards establishing an effective cash flow system and robust financial foundation so that we keep growing in good times and protect ourselves from any stormy times. On the other hand, keep internal training ongoing and promote creativity so that we are able to continue adding value to the market place.

If your business offers credit what will be the impact on your business if you had to write of a £10,000 invoice?

The offering of credit is no applicable to our business, but if it was I would have included the credit offers as part of our cash flow monitoring system.

Do you feel that a good accountant can add to a business’s success rate?

Yes, indeed but has to be a good accountant in terms of being a proactive accountant rather than only those that are order takers only, providing advice only when directly being asked.

Do you believe that a business must have solid finance sin place before the business starts trading?

Solid finance in place meaning having a contingency budget in place would be very desirable.

Is customer satisfaction important? How do you test and monitor your results?

This is very important. Test and monitoring comes from asking directly to them.

If your business lost money in a month that should have cleared a profit what action would you take?

The first thing will be about debriefing on the reasons why money was lost, identify the lessons learnt and come up with a plan for rapid improvement. Regular monitoring will also be essential to avoiding any surprises down the line.

How will you deliver safe profit growth for your company?

The answer has to do with making sure that we have a systemised business that focuses on cash flow together with long term profit growth, so that we can support effectively the market as we grow i.e. we deliver massively our value in a systemised way with no quality of our service or product being compromised.

Do you believe that you are always right?

No, I don’t believe so. I am always asking for feedback and input from others as this is essential for company growth.

When someone disagrees with your ideas what do you do?

I listen to what the other person is bringing to the table and what solution to it is suggested, and then I am open to brainstorming on the viability of the solution and agree on the best way moving forward.

Is marketing and brand awareness important to your business and why?

Yes and more marketing than branding at the moment. This is to the fact that at the beginning I am more into delivering a valuable offer, branding will later come as a result of continuous delivery of great products and services.

What role does I.T play within your organisation?

I.T is very important in implementation of business systems.

At what time do you decide to grow your business and why?

Once I start receiving confirmation of positive acceptance from the customer.

Have you ever considered talking in angel investment?

Not yet, but I would consider it in very special circumstances and have to analyse first the value that the angel investment will bring to the business.

What are your companies short and long term goals?

Short term: connect with many entrepreneurs as we possibly can and look for ways of effectively team up.

Long term: build up on the list of projects we carry out at any one time and continue focus on receiving confirmation from the market that they like our product and services.

For more information visit www.well-to-do.net or email jdevanna@well-to-do.net.

Will You become a Millionaire Entrepreneur like Charlie Mullins

Hi All

I have had the great pleasure to interview some of the UK’s highest profile and most success entrepreneurs and they all have one thing in common – Strength, Determination and Vision.

My favourite interview to date has to be Charlie Mullins founder of Pimlico Plumbers – He is absolutely as sound as a pound.  You cannot help but love him to bits. He is down to earth, passionate and has a totally mad sense of humour. Underneath the cool exterior is a man who is totally proud of what he has achieved and so he should be. He has an amazing business, an awesome family and I absolutely certain that every employee that works with him adores him.

Charlie’s oldest employee is a gentlemen called Buster. I think Buster is about 103 now and he is still going strong.

Yes Everybody loves Charlie!

I am attaching a list of all y interviews and pages that Charlie has contributed to my business over the last two years. I hope that you enjoy reading and watching what Charlie has to say.

Thanks a Million Charlie – Hopefully the next time we meet up I can sort you out that Scottish Haggis I promised you.

Charlie interviewd by Bradley Chapman on Raw Business Youtube Channel. 

My first written Interview with Charlie Mullins

Charlie Mullins and Pimlico Plumbers Christmas Party - Royal Garden Hotel Saturday 12th December by Bradley Chapman

Charlie Mullins front cover interview in Raw Business Magazine

Less Survival Of the Fittest, More Like Survival Of The Quickest To Adapt! – By Charlie Mullins on Homeform in Administration

Charlie Mullins spoke today on the bad news from the high street with Moben, Kitchens Direct and Dolphin Bathrooms all closing and it’s not looking like they will reopen, with the loss of more than 550 jobs.

“They are not exactly direct competitors but it’s close enough to home to make me sit up and take notice of what’s going on, and consider what exactly the difference is in these times between staying in business and going to the wall. As best as I can see survival in business, as in any walk of life, at any time in history has a lot to do with adaptation to your circumstances. Maybe less survival of the fittest, than survival of the quickest [to adapt], as waiting around doing nothing new and hoping things go your way doesn’t seem to be any kind of sensible tactic.

That’s my best theory and I’m sticking to it. Once upon a time to have a Dolphin bathroom was a bit special, but in recent years they just didn’t come up to the mark, and as such were no longer seen by many people as value for money. It may sound harsh but if you go skint, and it’s not because people don’t know what you have to offer or where to find you, then surely it has to be a case of ‘seen it, and didn’t want it any more’.

Hopefully all the sleep I keep losing wondering what else we can do to add something to what we already have, that will give customers better value for money, are worth sacrificing. Speaking to the accountant yesterday it looks like it was with sales for our last financial looking like going through the £16 million mark. In the last 12 months we have started doing locksmith work, upgraded our call centre technology and communications with engineers, concentrated even more on staff training (for old and new employees), and at the moment we’re running a summer 15% discount offer on labour. The reason I believe we are still expanding is that we are able to continue to come up with all these little tweaks quickly, rather than is the case with less flexible companies where there are meetings to be had before even so much as a memo gets drafted. Or worse companies that know there is so much internal red tape involved in doing something new or different that they don’t even know where to start as far as coming up with something that people actually want. Seems to me Dolphin et al have followed the Woolworths/ HMV example”.

July 7, 2011 | Charlie Mullins

http://www.pimlicoplumbers.com

Press Link

Charlie Mullins talks about Homeform in Administration

Raw Business Interviews with Charlie Mullins - http://www.rawbusiness.com/interviews/index.php?page=8

Raw Business New Members only Marketing offers for July 2011

Being in business is a tough journey for us all and knowing which route to take can at time be a difficult decision to make. I created the Raw Business Network just under four years ago and networking really has changed my life.

I have experienced the highs and lows of being in business but if it was not for the contacts I have made, I would have given up a long time ago. We all need to promote our businesses and keep enquiries coming in and generating new and exciting opportunities to move our businesses forward.

With this in mind I am offering heavily discounted exposure on Raw Business Entrepreneur and Business Networking website to my new and existing members.

July 2011 Raw Business Marketing Exposure

(1)    Entrepreneur and Business Interview - I will interview you and place our interview on the Business and Entrepreneur section of our website. This will be a link for life and will increase your Google and search engine visibility. Your interview will appear alongside some of the UK’s highest profile entrepreneurshttp://www.rawbusiness.com/interviews/index.php

(2)    Top of page 468x60px Advertising Banner – We will create a banner for your business which will be displayed across the 3 of our website pages for a period of 3 months. You can chose the page and the first 6 members only will have their banner placed on our home page http://www.rawbusiness.com

Rate Card Price @ £799

July offer Price 75% off Rate card @ £199

Reserve your exclusive now and have your business banner advert created included within the price. Homepage banner positions are only available for the first 6 members who apply.

CLICK THE BUY NOW BUTTON BELOW TO RESERVE THE SPECIAL OFFER.

BUY NOW

I look forward to interviewing you personally.

Best Wishes
Bradley Chapman – Founder
www.rawbusiness.com

LinkedIn- http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/bradley-chapman/17/466/51/

Facebook-http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/bradleyschapman

Skype – bradley.chapman

Twitter-http://twitter.com/bradleychapman

Raw Business – The Entrepreneur Network

Hi Everyone

If you are in business, thinking about going into business and wish to meet new contacts free via an extensive free members list or require business advice and support look no further.

Raw Business is the UK’s leading FREE to join business network that talks openly about the daily issues that business owners and entrepreneurs face. From the lows of adversity and failure, to the highs of achieving success and seeing your business flourish, Raw Business tackles these in a frank, meaningful way. Raw Business offers a complete business support package with an online network. Raw Business supports, encourages, advises and pushes you and your business to achieve your goals and fulfill your dreams!

 

Raw Business Online – Join us and Get Your Business Connected Today!

Raw Business - Entrepreneur Network

Join the UKs most exciting online business community.

Raw Business offers you:

• A comprehensive member database
• Downloadable business tools
• Marketing Opportunities
• Driect contact with other Raw Members
• Publish and read white paper articles
• Entrepreneur and business interviews
• Support blogs and the latest news
• Connect with 1,000′s of prospective new clients and suppliers

Signing up with Raw Business is quick and easy. Click the ‘Become a member’ link at the top of this page to join the Uk’s leading business networking and education community.

Take a look at our member’s articles
Read our interviews

 

Welcome to Raw Business – The UK’s leading FREE to join business network.

We are a connected network of entrepreneurs, business owners and business managers who understand that business networking is a key and essential tool to develop our business relationships and business connections.

The website is completely free to join and use. Once registered you can create your own profile and start to network and make new contacts immediately. As well as creating your own personal and business profile you can also create and add business articles to the website increasing your profile and your SEO presence. Every registered user can also add news releases and post information to your own personal wall. 
Here are some of the benefits of joining:-

• Network and connect with thousands of entrepreneur members
• Create your own personal profile
• Create and add business articles free of charge
• Add your latest news, videos and add to our forums
• Fill out an Entrepreneur interview to raise your business profile
• Send in interesting stories, articles and press release

Why not join us today and discovery what being part of the UK’s leading entrepreneurial network can do for you? Simply complete the form on the right and start connecting with businesses across the UK. Remember it’s free to join and you’ll get your own business profile and access to a wealth of information, including support, advice and all the latest news as well as being able to connect with like-minded people.

Networking your business could not be easier!

“Everyday people achieve extraordinary things“

Best Wishes
Bradley Chapman – Founder

 

Caprice Bourett interviewed by Bradley Chapman

Caprice Bourret interviewed by Bradley Chapman

 

Caprice’s business now produces Lingerie, Swimwear, Bedding and Sleep wear as well an Ab Fab range of Glam and exciting ladieswear range. The business is booming and going from strength to strength and Caprice isn’t doing to bad either.

Interviewing Caprice for a second time has been a really interesting opportunity for me and a chance for our readers to see how her business has changed and more importantly how her views on being in business has changed and how adversity has brought positive changed to her life.

I hooked up with Caprice once more in the West London Studios where her business is based, hit the leather couch in the foyer, asked her a few questions and fell in love all over again.

Here is a recap on some of the questions I asked Caprice in my first interview with her:-

Where did you grow up?

I grew up with my mum in California. She was divorced, independent and a successful entrepreneur running her business called Bourret Interiors. She is a powerhouse, dynamic and energetic and I wanted to be like her. I moved to the UK in 1996 but we still talk about 5 times every day discussing everything from my dramas to business.

What was it like being a high profile model?

I believe in fate and destiny and I guess it just happened to me. I moved to UK because Europe is the centre point for all the major magazines. Between 2000 and 2001 I was on just about every magazine cover and newspaper in Europe. I attended major shows and events and won prizes and was offered some amazing jobs. It was a very powerful time for me.

 

When did you decide to leave your modeling career and start your business?

As you know when I was 25 I gained some really great exposure from the Wonderbra campaign and my modeling career went into overdrive. I knew that I would not always be “Hot” and in my early thirties I started to think forward about my future. I can remember calling my mum and telling her that I wanted to move into the lingerie market and she said “Go for it”.

What was it like setting up in business and creating your first range?

I visited a factory in China and had my first set of samples produced and I presented to Debenhams who then tested the product in 10 stores. I had offered my range exclusively to them for the first season.

I have since supplied Littlewoods and Next and my range was their bestselling lingerie product in the first season. I did experience some initial problems, one being currency. I was buying in dollars and buy the time the range had landed the dollar had move from $2 to the pound down to $1.37 and it costing me a lot of money. I buy forward currency now but the currency fluctuation nearly costs me my business.

My second range had fitting problems, the colours, styles and collection was just not right, subsequently Debenhams cancelled their order. I soon realised that for any business to be successful you have be involved in every stage of the design, production and marketing process after all nobody has the same inspiration as you. You have to stay on the ball and make it happen.

What has been the toughest business decision that you have had to make?

Probably letting go of people that were not right for the business – it’s awful!

What have your emotions been like since you started your business?

An absolute roller coaster and I have experienced the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. I went from a high profile international model to an unknown entrepreneur and my ego suffered in the process but I knew that if I did not make the transition then I would just fade into normality.

How do you feel now?

I meditate once or twice a day or at night and this has brought clarity to my life. Meditating helps you find stillness in your mind. I used to be a control freak and now I can make decisions without fear, hesitation or doubt. I accept everything and I am open to everything.

The bizarre thing is as soon as I controlled my mind positive things have happened to me. I have expanded the business and now I supply Dorothy Perkins, Next, River Island and Lipsy have taken on my products as well.

You still look really good; do you watch what you eat?

No way man! I love my food especially Mexican food! Ah nachos filled with guacamole, beef, double cheese, sour cream yummy. I play tennis 3 times a week and I still like to exercise.

Is there anyone you would like to thank that has helped you on your journey? 

All the people that have supported me believed in me and encouraged me to continue. I would like to send a special thanks to Littlewoods for giving me a chance.

Now that you have been brought up to speed with my first interview with Caprice here are the questions that I asked Caprice in my recent interview with her.

So what’s been happening in the last six month then Cap?

Well my diffusion range is now live, I’m in TK Maxx and we’re doing great business with Littlewoods. My bedding range is now in the top ten. You know it’s very difficult to get it into the top ten. The range is traditional but glitzy, manufactured at good quality with unbelievably affordable prices. We could have used cheaper embroidery and lace but we think it is important to give a little bit more to our customers and in return they will offer us loyalty.

Since we last spoke I have kept overheads as low as possible and I now buy my currencies forward to protect myself from the changes in the US Dollar rate and it’s been great coming back.

I feel that we are quite efficient at the moment and we are making money and it’s going to continue. I have learned some fantastic lessons on low numbers and I am looking forward to producing high volumes

Have you been working with anyone in particular to help you with the business?

Yes I have been taking lots of advice from a guy called Richard. He is the CEO of a company called Aurora and he has been instrumental in providing me with expansion support and finding equity partners. I am looking to raise £1 million pounds with equity partners to move the business forward.

What are you looking for in your Equity partners?

I am looking for flexible equity partners that are prepared to make an investment in the business and of course myself, but I want to retain control as well.

Where would like to export your products to next? 

I am looking to move into the US market. As you know it is amazingly large country and we could really push some high volume numbers over there.

I will sort out our Diffusion range UK first, walking before I run. I need to master the UK market first, have a smooth operation running and a product that works and then go to the USA.

I will take advantage of hiring the best PR firm to help promote my name and my brand creating awareness and building credibility and then I’m just gonna go get em! I would also employ a full time rep that would present our products to buyers.

We have the warehouses and pick and pack distribution set up, it just needs scaling up. I never put a date on the launch but I am hoping to have products in the US some time in 2011.

How are your imports going?

I love it in China, they are on it over there and they have an overbearing eye on the ball. It’s quite amazing what you can achieve out there. There are some issues with workers at the moment as they are demanding more money, resulting in net costings going up.

How is your health, I heard that you were unwell?

I still visit the gym regularly and still mediate but yes a while ago I had Mercury poisoning and my body had started to shut down. I visited my Doctor John Hopkins in the US and he said I was in a mess. I had about 15 viles of blood taken, which showed that I had both Nickel and Mercury poisoning. I had to go on a drip three times a week but I still managed to deliver for the business through personal ill health.

Looking back how have you changed?

Well I haven’t quite made enough money to buy a G4 Gulfstream jet. I guess the main difference is that I used to have quite a high ego and looking back it is easy to see why I got myself into that state of mind. Travelling internationally and seeing my face appear on just about every fashion magazine over the world kind of makes you feel you’re special.

I used to spend a lot of time in the entertainment industry and there was little time for me, the other day I just walked my dogs for the freedom. My mind set has changed for the better. I am open to the universe and no longer fight my future, Instead I just let it happen and believe that the good things will come and if you do then life will bring it to you. I believe that I am a good person and I work hard and I have realised that half of the battle is in your head. Things happen in life for a reason and this all helps to make you a better person.

I am now working with good people who have a positive outlook on life and I’m much happier. Business is thriving, I have opened myself to a whole new world of opportunities and I am not fighting it, instead I am going with it.

So what do these changes in your attitude mean for you and your business?

I came out of it knowing how to run my business more efficiently and make better choices. I am more hands on than I used to be and I am really enjoying it.

In my personal life I am looking for that someone special. I have had a few superficial relationships and I want to be with somebody who makes me a better person, nurtures me and cares about me. I don’t care about their circumstances or their financials as I want to look after my man in the same way and I am starting to pick much better partners.

What do you think about today’s networking opportunities like Raw Business?

I wish I knew about the various business networking organisations on the market. When I started in business I knew very little about running a company. I have learned through mistakes and research. I guess it must be incredible to have a support network to guide and inspire you when you feel lost or confused. The amount of money that I could have saved from the mistakes that I’ve made – Oh my god!

Caprice, thank you so much for your time spent with me during the interview. I am so pleased to see the positive transition in both yourself and your business.

From sitting with you this time, I could really sense that you have found peace in your mind and like me have been through quite a major battle with the things that we used to call the “Gremlins Inside”.

I would like to wish you every success with your continued journey and I look forward to sharing a drink with you when you crack the USA..

Go for it Caprice – The World awaits you once more

Best Wishes
Bradley Chapman

Raw Business
www.rawbusiness.com 

What would you say if you met the Prime Minister?

What would say if you had the opportunity to meet The Prime Minister, David Cameron? I mean meeting the prime minister is one thing but asking questions will hold great value for entrepreneurs across the UK is another thing entirely.

I had thought about the questions I would like to ask David Cameron. The first thing would to be to congratulate The Conservative Party and their Lib Dem allies for their success in taking office but then again the task ahead for the government is the toughest that any government might have faced for 100′s of years.

Bradley Chapman meets the Prime Minister

 

Are we really relying on UK and global Entrepreneurs to help with the challenging task of getting the economy back in great shape – YES!

Are entrepreneurs looking to the government for answers – YES

Can we all ask ourselves first, How can we help the economy – YES

Will we build a strong UK Entrepreneur nation – YES

My thoughts are simply this…. TEAM! Together everyone achieves more!

Let’s get networking, creating profitable joint ventures and look for skill swap opportunities to enhance our business success rates. Let us start with ourselves and then look to the government once we have gathered momentum.

If we as a collective of entrepreneurs are to build confidence by way of government support, we must first show them that we are capable of delivering innovation through hard work, sacrifice and determination, resulting in job creation and inter company trading.

None of us are alone, we are all fighting and we need to fight harder and work smarter now than ever before. If you have to work nights, then so be it. If you have to take less wages from your comapny to survive and succeed then so be it.

Network, increase your contacts, believe and amazing things will happen for us all.

Mr Prime Minister – Thank you but it’s time that we showed you that we are a worthwhile investment.

Welcome to a brand new day!

Best Wishes Bradley Chapman, The Team here at Raw Business, our members and entrepreneurs across the UK

www.rawbusiness.com
www.bradleychapman.com