2015 could prove to be a crucial year for small businesses

With the General Election looming many are talking about what policies will make the difference for small business owners this year and whether the winning party will be able to build on the foundations of the growth of the last 18 months. We take a look at what small businesses need to do to continue to succeed and what the other trends might be for small businesses over the next 12 months.

FSB’s 2015 General Election manifesto

A recent post by the FSB’s John Allan, national Chairman spoke of the rise of the small business in 2014 – whose numbers broke 5 million for the first time. 2014 also saw an exponential rise in the number of small businesses innovating, growing and taking on their first employee – helping to tackle the unemployment rates. Coupled with this small firms saw there productivity grow and Mr Allan commented that small businesses were finally beginning to get the recognition that they deserved.

In order for firms to continue this upward trend the FSB argues that changes need to be made, and as such it has produced a manifesto that outlines what they believe needs to be the focus post-election. Mr Allan continues that the party that wins the election will need to look at ways to support and nurture all business not just big or small – it will need to help sustain growth ensuring responsible business practices, whether that be via using apprenticeship schemes, enhancing supply chain activities or ensuring a better flow of payments between businesses. He warned that whilst the future looked good the uncertainty in the Eurozone could still have an effect on the year ahead and that the FSB’s General Election manifesto contents that include reforms to access to finance, unfair business rates and the still growing skills gap would offer a more sustainable route for small business.

Alternative funding routes

Others have spotted the issue of access to finance and the route by which small businesses can source additional funding as a key trend for 2015 too. With the development of crowd funding sites such as Kickstarter, Crowdcube, Buzzbnk and Seedrs the route to funding has diversified – no longer is the bank the only option. These platforms also enable a globalisation of funding and experts are also pointing towards an increasing appetite for risk once more – good news for the innovative entrepreneur.  

Growth of the tech scene

James Caan, the well known angel investor, entrepreneur and equity head points towards our growing tech industry as sector to watch in the coming year. Silicon Valley is, of course, the giant of the sector but East London has been building a reputation as the go to area in the UK for tech services - providing a great platform for US companies to cross over to the UK, as well as for startups to work within a community. Caan suggests that the next 12 months will see the UK learn even more from their US counterparts and that signals the possibility of greater growth. However the tech industry isn’t solely in the capital and along with areas such as Manchester and Bristol parts of Kent has also been hailed a tech hot spot with Canterbury, Folkestone and Ramsgate highlighted as tech centres for the county. A mixture of great links to both London and the continent and lower business costs means that Kent could be well positioned to further take advantage of the growing tech industry in 2015.

Social media continues to diversify

Linked to the growth in the tech sector many are also urging small businesses to continue to take full advantage of social media. Caan points to the development of advertising on Facebook and Twitter and that images are becoming an increasingly important way to attract clients – meaning that 2015 could well be the year for Instagram. Small businesses have historically used social media extensively and Caan urges small firms to continue this trend. The opportunities that a strong social media plan can have on your business are huge and will only continue to grow in 2015.

2015 is going to be an interesting year across all business, but especially for small businesses – as ever the key is for small business and entrepreneurs to grab opportunities and run with them. The General Election and the winning party have the chance to make some real differences to the way that small businesses work in the UK, and with small businesses and entrepreneurs making up an growing percentage of the UK economy the parties would do well to listen to the sector, their votes could be the deciding factors.

How to get value from business Conferences and Exhibitions

Top Tips for Making the Most of East Kent B2B

There are masses of benefits and the opportunities for learning, connecting and growing you will not find anywhere else.  Follow these tips and reap the benefits

Plan in advance

Check out the programme and choose the sessions you want to attend.  This way you won’t miss out

Be Digital

Make connections with other attendees/exhibitors before the event using our social media

Like us on Facebook - Follow us on Twitter - Join our Linkedin Group

Pack your cards

Bring a healthy stack of business cards with you and give them out to relevant contacts face to face as a physical reminder of your business

Be ready to network
Be ready with who you are and what you do

Speed networking

Exciting and high impact that produces exceptional results

Meet lots of new contacts in a short space of time, sessions running all day that are fun and really work

Be a sponge

There will be a lot going on at the same time so watch, listen and absorb.  Take notes during speaker sessions – there will be masses of golden nuggets of information that could easily have the power to change your business.

Follow up

Identify the most important prospects you met

Schedule time to follow up with them personally within a few days

Make a plan of what you have learnt and how to apply them to your business

5 basics to help you maximise your returns from B2B exhibitions

Want to know how to make every penny count for you at exhibitions?  Need to prove to the boss that exhibitions work and can bring in great new contacts as well as business opportunities? As with any event, if you get the foundations right, the likelihood is that the event is going to, not only, be a great success but also bring in the results that you are looking for. Since the recession first hit back in 2008, and through the intervening years and even now with the economy seemingly back on track, businesses need to ensure that every bit of expenditure has a demonstrable return - and events have certainly been no different. Take a look at some of the golden rules of making a success of your exhibition.

Make sure you know what it is that your business wants from the exhibition

It sounds pretty obvious doesn't it? But it’s surprising how many people head off to their exhibition stand with no clear, defining reason for going. Is it purely to make some new contacts or would you like to forge relationships with potential new suppliers? Is it a great forum in which to meet up with existing clients and talk through their future business? Do you want to take advantage of the speakers on offer and networking opportunities? Or, as with most exhibitors is it a bit of all of the above? Well, the secret to a successful event lies in the preparation and planning prior to the actual event. It’s simply not good enough to book your space, make sure you have some marketing and turn up. Think about the reasons for exhibiting beforehand and plan the details as to what you expect to gain from it. 

Look at the details 

It’s great to have the bigger picture in mind but with exhibitions a lot of the success is also down to the finer details - the thought that has been put into the space and promotion of your business and products.  One of the most important details is working out how you are going to record and track the contacts that you make, not only do you need their details, it’s also useful to note what their interest is in relation to your business. 

Make your marketing count

As you might have gathered so far – meticulous planning is key – but not just for pre and at the event, planning after the event is also a must – following up leads and thanking all those who visited your stand. Creating an integrated tactical plan enables your marketing to be developed along a theme that ties with your corporate, strategic business plan, meaning that your messages both at the event and through your other marketing channels are harmonious. Know your target audience, plan you promotional message and deliver marketing that makes add value and makes a difference.

Manage your time and other people’s well

Make sure your time is well managed, delegate when necessary and ask for help. The very best stands are well managed with the right number of enthusiastic, positive people and as great as it is to be a strong, organised manager, their also a real need to be a great team player when attending events. You alone cannot keep the stand running and working productively all day. Make sure that alongside you are a strong team of knowledgeable, professional people who are well briefed to look after the stand, throughout the day. A positive attitude is a must have and ensuring those around you have a similar mentality means that any challenges become opportunities and outcomes are generally far more positive.

Make post-event follow-up a priority

You've organised a brilliant stand, had lots of positive comments, made new contacts and learnt tonnes from the keynote speakers, so, you think the hard work’s done? No, not quite, this is as important a stage as the pre-planning or the actual event. It’s time to work though all those new contacts, get them uploaded onto your database and start developing your relationship with them. Along with ensuring you have recorded them all and contacted any clients that requested more information or to book meetings, it is essential to follow up all those that visited you with a thank you.

Plan, plan then plan a little more is really the key message of becoming a successful, results orientated exhibitor who profits from their exhibition plans. Remember to maintain an optimistic outlook, keep your sense of humor and learn from your experiences this year – your business will see the fruit of your work and your next exhibition will be even bigger and better. 

So, there's the basics, want to find out more? Come along to the free workshop then on 8th April at 70 Churchill Square Business Centre, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, to get more sound advice and tips on making your exhibitions work for your business.

30 April - The River Centre, Tonbridge