Anyone started their own buiness?

[Glaucus]

This will probably end up in my long list of researched and given up ideas. but I don't enjoy my job and as you know I love cooking.

Has any one started up their own business how did you learn about the minefield of starting it up. Everything from tax, employee law, suppliers, business plans and loans, H&S, tax, advertising, renting or leasing properties, registering a company and the other 1001 things.

Do you read books, did you go on several workshops.

[Knipples]

Will send Pheebs your way when she gets home from work later.

[Pheebs]

If my brain wasn't so frazzled from working my ass off for someone else for the first time in 2 years, I think I would be somewhat useful in this thread

Just as a small blurb on it though, I did a lot from my own back. Rang up my local council, found out about business days and courses (all free things which ranged from VAT, accounting, setting up business in general, business planning etc) and just got myself out there. Lots of reading up on the tinterweb too!

Food wise, I cannot really help you with the legislation there as I know nothing about Health and Safety and what food certs/licences you would need to hold to be able to trade nom noms. It's something I think would be fairly easy to research!

Start simple though and in mini chunks. Get the basics of what you want to do down on paper and start sorting out a business plan. What you want to do in the next few months to a year and then piece it apart and research how to go about each section.

WHen I'm more alive I will PM you some details which might help But my advice would be the above and then calling your local council and seeing whether you can pop in with your ideas on paper and have a chat to someone who will be a bit more in-the-know and give you more direction!

*wubs*

Good luck - it's worth it! It really is!!

*curses job she's been in for under a week* Working for others suck!!! Hehehe!

[Desmo]

I've learnt everything I know from my parents and then experience so have no idea of where to go to for information starting from scratch. I guess the best thing is to just read and learn. There are probably plenty of guides on the net.

Get yourself a decent accountant. They don't cost as much as you might think and they'll keep on top of your books and will look after all of your tax returns and other things. They'll come in especially handy whilst you're learning all of this for yourself.

If there's one piece of advice I'd give it would be...don't just work hard, work smart.
My old man is one of the hardest workers you'll ever find. If only he'd have worked smarter over the years he may actually have made some half decent money.

And of course you can always ask more specific questions here and I'll help if I can

[Roberta]

Yes, but am very small and have no employees,stock etc so it was very simple for me. Went on a few government run courses for doing my tax forms etc, made sure I had all my insurances and licenses, set up a website and I was off.

[Kitten]

same as Roberta for me.

Check out Business Link, they usually work with the local council & in my experience are very good, and very helpful.

[Glaucus]

Cheers guys I had no idea you could get free courses from the council will have to have a look around and thanks for the business link link, seems to be loads of info on their.

[Desmo]

What type of business are you looking at Acid? I know it's probably to do with food, but in what context? Just a catering type of business or a full shop, cafe, etc. What route you take means a vast difference in what you'll need to learn

[Glaucus]

Originally Posted by Desmo

What type of business are you looking at Acid? I know it's probably to do with food, but in what context? Just a catering type of business or a full shop, cafe, etc. What route you take means a vast difference in what you'll need to learn

Takeaway. so would need staff. Which complicates it massively.

fast food just done properly, massive shortage in Bristol of good fast food.

Your usual pizza, kebabs, burgers, chips, pies. Just home-made with proper meat.

Most places around here can't even cook chips. fish comes out soggy, kebbabs are done on a grill which hasn't been washed for 2 years and just tastes of burnt ash. Burgers have no taste and are about 1/2 a mm thick.

Obviusly people wouldn't spend loads. but I reckon you could make a tidy profit, as the meat is all cheap cuts. People are much more aware of where their food comes from and this only seems ot be increasing.

[Desmo]

Originally Posted by AcidHell2

Takeaway.

Well if you want menus, I'm your man