TAKING THE DIVE OFF THE HIGH BOARD

JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT LESS SCARY!

Are you a marketer, creative or communications professional who's been thinking about starting your own business and want 2017 to be the year it happens?

Starting a business can seem very daunting. But those who have taken the plunge and enjoy the many benefits of running their own show will tell you: It's definitely doable but, for heaven's sake, make sure you get good advice at the start!

There are endless decisions to make, risks to take, money to find, and a never ending ‘To Do' list. Where do you start, go to for guidance - and can you rely on the advice you receive?

It was because of these challenges when starting a business from scratch and not having the right kind of advice available that the people behind ShereCatalyst came up with this new service.

"I would have saved huge amounts of time and money if something like this had been around when we started out" says John Foster, founder of ShereCatalyst.

Launching this spring, ShereCatalyst offers budding business entrepreneurs who are ready go out on their own, a comprehensive package of support and assistance that provides everything they could need. There are two ways to benefit from an association to ShereCatalyst, depending on the level of support required: Membership and Partnership.

ShereCatalyst MEMBERSHIP

Members receive benefits and support like those provided by professional trade associations and business networks. There is a raft of advantages, not least of which is the brand equity conferred by association with the ShereCatalyst brand. When a business joins, it is listed on the ShereCatalyst website within a searchable database that potential clients and the other members can access and ShereCatalyst promotes the database through ongoing activity including online and social media activity. Members can also use the social media content that ShereCatalyst creates to promote their own services.

Additionally, there is a monthly e-newsletter provided to members containing the latest business and marketing ideas that can be customised and then used by members to send to their own clients and, importantly, prospects. Members can also become ‘Accredited', which acts as a strong assurance to clients that they have met strict standards of professionalism and success in their service delivery.

And finally, as part of the ShereCatalyst community, members can access ShereCatalyst CPD resources that include seminars and training on a wide range of business and marketing topics.

ShereCatalyst PARTNERSHIP

Partnership goes further. Partnership provides all the benefits of membership, plus one-to-one support - a partner in the business, to assist and mentor the business to get started, launch successfully, grow and expand.

Partnership is aimed at those seeking in-depth bespoke step-by-step advice and direction, starting with an analysis of their business objectives and situation.

When in partnership with ShereCatalyst, the start-up business entrepreneur can receive input to every aspect of creating and managing a business, from raising capital, deciding what type of business entity is best, developing a unique and compelling proposition, finding new clients, making pitches, managing the work, and creating an effective team. In addition, ShereCatalyst provides support with other aspects of running a business including administration, tax and legal advice.

The start-up business can additionally gain access to industry-leading online tools that otherwise might be financially out of reach, and draw on the resources of the ShereCatalyst team to help with fulfilling client work.

All of this helps the one-person start-up business to operate more effectively and compete against larger, more established players - but without loss of control of their new business.

In fact, the people behind ShereCatalyst only partner with entrepreneurs who wish to remain autonomous and are keen to create a business that they drive and lead. ShereCatalyst is there to support and assist - but the new business owner retains full control and management sits firmly in their hands.

The remarkable thing about ShereCatalyst is that in the partnership scheme, there is no up-front cost. Return on investment for ShereCatalyst is achieved through a profit-sharing arrangement which only comes into effect once profits in the new business have risen to a pre-agreed level.

John Foster (founder of Shere Catalyst) explains it this way:

"When I set out to start my own business I knew nothing really other than how to undertake the service delivery. All the business aspects were learned on-the-hoof...and I made so many mistakes! It took me years to reach the point where things began to fall into place. From personal experience, I know that setting up your own business is exciting, can be very enjoyable, and it has ultimately enabled me to achieve more freedom and a better work-life balance. But it was extremely stressful in the early days! ShereCatalyst is all about helping people avoid as much of the stress as possible, get onto the first rung of the ladder and grow into a sustainable business, ultimately securing an exciting and sound financial future. Our team have been-there-done-that, so it's real-life experience and expertise that we provide."

Short-term resourcing

Attracting new work often requires the early acquisition of directly employed staff. Members and Partners of ShereCatalyst, however, can call on the group's existing resources of personnel and skills plus those of other ShereCatalyst members, so also expanding their skillset. This means you do not have to take on the added commercial responsibility of employing people and all the associated overheads, until the business can confidently afford it. When a member or partner buys from within the group, it pays for the time of the personnel at a significantly reduced ‘trade' rate.

When the time is right, ShereCatalyst can provide all the expertise necessary to help in taking on new employees, including assistance in finding the right people, creating employee contracts, navigating the very tricky issues surrounding employment law, pensions contributions, PAYE etc.

HOW TO FIND OUT MORE

A series of launch events is planned for 2017, starting in February. For details of upcoming events or to find out more, including to download a free guide, please go to www.sherecatalyst.com or telephone 01483 203010.

>Ends

For press information contact Charmaine Kimpton on 01483 203010/07414 749973

or email ckimpton@sheremarketing.co.uk