Tips

What if you fancy the world of self employment, but don’t actually have a business idea or model that is particularly unique? Considered Franchising?But what is Franchising and what does it entail? How much does it cost? What are the benefits and what can be the disadvantages...and where can you go to get yourself one? Thankfully here’s our Graham, sorry Startacus with a quick reminder...
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Whoever first said that time is our most precious commodity was certainly right. At one point or another most of us end up wishing there were more hours in the day and no matter how hard we may try we may not always get through all the things we planned. Whether you’re trying to start a business while juggling a full time job or simply trying to find the time to do that hobby you really...
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How do you grow your startup with Online Freelancers? Kjetil Olsen, vice-president of Elance Europe highlights some of his top tips on hiring talents, freelancers & partners online successfully using Elance.comAs a startup you never have enough cash on hand. You just don’t. Therefore you need to stretch the cash that you do have as much as possible and spend your time on what is mos...
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Some of you will no doubt already have preconcieved notions of what a sales call actually is... and we cant blame you, the typical 'cold call' has become all too prevalent in our lives.  Before we fully start this article, we want you to realise that whatever industry or business you own or are in, the reality is that every call you make has the potential to be a sales call. Irrespective...
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As the title of this piece suggests these are basic tips.  If you are  a self publishing millionaire then you may find them a little beneath your current experience level (just a tad) however if you are a beginner, then hopefull they will help to get you started! Choosing a subjectIt stands to reason that you can’t write a book if you do not have a subject in mind! It’s not...
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Most people who we have spoken to on this issue, have a hobby that they wish they could turn into a business-  its a fairly universal desire.  But it is really important to bear in mind that not all hobbies can be effectivly turned into a business and not everyone is cut out for self employment.  Before you begin there are a few questions that we reckon should help you to decide if ...
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Name a social network. No, not that one. Or that one. Or that; those three are all too obvious. And while we are on the case, we already have an article on the Top 5 Social Platforms. This is the alternative ones (dude).  Well, Startacus is here to help. There’s actually a massively open market of social media companies which you can tap into beyond the big two and a half. We&rsqu...
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If you had said "Brainstorming and Apps" a few years ago - people might have looked at you a little silly. Surely the old white board and marker pen would suffice? But now with Apps all the rage and with you trying to find a solution to a problem or simply have an idea that you’ve been thinking about doing something about, it’s likely that you’ll be doing a little brain...
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Business Games - Guest Contributor for Startacus Jo Haigh highlights the art of game playing in life and in business Having worked in corporate finance for over 25 years, I am very aware indeed of the games played in business. Whether the game is charades or blind mans bluff being aware the game is on is part of the key in winning. Not everyone likes games; personally I hated them at school and ...
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Guest writer for Startacus Tim Armoo, Founder of Doodlar.com highlights his top 5 apps that will help with your new business...There’s over 500,000 apps available within the iTunes store, so say Apple.  A huge amount. As you’ll find within most large markets, within that colossal number is a lot of rubbish, apps that you’ll download as a novelty only to never use again. My A...
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Basic Human Nature - We all like to be poked: Krisi Smith, co-founder of successful startup Bluebird Tea Co. offers her top tips on how to use social media to promote your startup. Social media is a bit of an odd one for startups because by it’s ad hoc, unstructured nature it rarely feels like ‘work’ so when faced with piles of admin and business planning you can feel guilt...
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Outsourcing Email Marketing - the benefitsToby Fischer, previously a Business Owner of a foreign exchange firm is currently working on a new tech project around the mobile wallet and passbook application on the iPhone making loyalty cards, coupons, boarding passes, privilege and membership cards digital. Toby guest writes for Startacus on the benefits of outsourced email marketing. At the beginni...
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