The next question then is how are they going to start and with what funding?

• The first point is that there needs to be support from within the community, which broadly will be the group that the organisation will be looking to serve. That support can be both financial and with physical help.
• There is also a need to establish that what is proposed will have a real benefit, just like any business what is a good idea is not necessarily a good business idea.
• There are still grants available in specific areas but be aware that there will be many other organisations after the same funding and you therefore need to demonstrate why a funder should give you the money rather than anyone else. A key part of that is likely to be sustainability, i.e. the funding oiling the wheels and thereafter the organisation standing on its own two feet. The question may very well be asked, “If we give you the funding where will the organisation be in 3 years time?” and if the answer is that the organisation will be seeking further funding it is less likely to get the money this time.
• Having got the money Social Enterprises need to operate just like any other business. While many Social Enterprises would not like to admit it, if you are to survive long term in the marketplace, then you will need to operate properly, keeping full records etc. and managing what is being done.
• If you are really successful then the organisation will grow and you will be faced with a whole lot of different issues, but that will be a good problem to have.

In the meantime below are some websites that may prove useful as you pull everything together:

www.fundingcentral.org.uk

www.beinvestmentready.org.uk

www.charitybank.org

www.triodos.co.uk

Bob Westrip, FYX Limited

Before you have the confidence to attend a networking event and present your business effectively, you must trust yourself wholly, have faith and be loyal to your own convictions.  Assure yourself that you are able to, can and will gain the self-confidence you already have, hidden away.

Communication
People form an impression of you in 4 seconds so make the first impression count.  Communicating through body language is key, particularly as communication is made up of the following:

Words                         8%
Tone of voice            34%
Non-verbal cues      58%
Message                    100%

Firstly, relax!  Smile, use eye contact and tilt your head slightly to one side so the person you are talking to knows you are completely focused on what they are saying and are not a threat.

When you offer your handshake make sure it’s firm but not too heavy and as the conversation gets going, avoid folding your arms, having your hands on your hips/behind your head or invading any personal body space.

Business cards
Your business card is a representation of you and your company- use it as a sales tool and somewhere you can store details of the conversation.  DO NOT rely on your business card to explain who you are or fiddle with it in your hands.

Preparation
Before you enter a situation where you need to present yourself effectively, plan ahead and prepare.  One of the simplest things you can do is to get into the habit of asking yourself why you are doing it – why are you going to the event or presenting your material?. Be clear about your objectives, be aware of your own needs and recognise that all audiences have a limit!

Katie Hart, Rhetonic

As is often the case, the answer is: “maybe”. There are no grants purely for the purpose of protecting Intellectual Property of any kind, including patenting. However, the various grants that are available to help fund technology R&D typically do include limited funding for the costs of protecting any new IP that is developed within the project.

Under the Technology Strategy Board’s Smart scheme (the successor to the old Smart Awards we all knew and loved), patent filing costs for new IP of up to £5,000 are eligible in principle. In the larger Collaborative R&D projects, the same limit applies to each consortium partner. European schemes tend not to specify specific limits but, as with the national schemes, the costs are expected to be no more than a modest proportion of the total costs of the project, which after all is an R&D project, not an IP protection project.

Then there are further limitations to bear in mind: the costs of protecting background IP (IP that existed before the grant-funded project started) are not eligible, and neither are the legal costs of filing or the costs of protecting trademarks (which are considered sales and marketing costs). The Government may be happy for you to profit from patents, but you’ll still have to be prepared to make an up-front investment.

Join St John’s Innovation Centre and the Intellectual Property Office on Word IP Day, April 26, for an overview on protecting your ideas and inventions.  To book a place, visit the SJIC events page or email events@stjohns.co.uk.

Alex Smeets, Cambridge Innovation Solutions

Venue: Finding and booking the right venue is key, particularly to ensure there is enough space for extra, unexpected attendees (it’s better to have too much space than not enough), plenty of parking and whether the venue fits in with the aims of the event.

Content: Once we have the venue booked, we can plan the content of the event including booking speakers, finalising topics to be covered and produce an agenda.  With this in place, the event can be marketed and promoted through the necessary channels and contacts and bookings can commence.

Logistics: Following event bookings, we can ascertain a general idea of number of attendees and can go ahead and book catering – remembering to consider certain dietary requirements and order refreshments for interval breaks.  If it is a special event, it may be worthwhile to put on a drinks reception and canapés or even a hot dinner rather than the ordinary working lunch.

Sending out joining instructions with venue directions (including sat nav post codes) and an agenda will remind attendees of the event and reduce the number of no-shows.  It’s also worthwhile to point out the closest car park and directions to the venue – including a contact telephone number for the day of the event in case of any emergencies.

Final Preparations: Preparing promotional packs, attendee registration sheets and badges in advance will help the organisation of the event on the day.  Providing promotional packs for attendees is a great way to market any other events or activities within the business and adding a ‘contact us’ slide at the end of the presentation reminds delegates of your social media networks.

Lastly, collating feedback for the event is not only beneficial for future workshops but also lets attendees know that you value and appreciate their thoughts.  After all, you can organise an event but it’s the attendees that really matter.

St John’s Innovation Centre is the ideal venue for conferences and events in Cambridge.  For further information visit www.stjohns.co.uk/conferencing.

Your team is your brand; the way they work, what they believe, the vision and values all make up the overall culture of the business and if you get this right, you can build a positive and professional reputation.  Your sales team, marketing team, finance team – the whole team – should understand the overall mission of the business, in synergy, with the cultural values shared between all departments.

The business brand and value proposition is vital in attracting the right employees and from the website, job description and interview process, a candidate will grasp an understanding of your brand identity, so remember, first impressions always count!

If first impressions count, then retaining talent is equally important.  Don’t just promote what you perceive as the ‘ideal’ image, develop this consistently throughout the company and promote what you preach within the business, as well as outside.

So what characteristics make up a business brand?  Take the University of Cambridge for example, built on history and prestige, they are traditional, very structured in hierarchy and little has changed over the years.  Whereas Google is a young, vibrant organisation known for their fun, interactive work environment where each ‘Googler’ is an integral part of the overall success, allowing for an open forum.

Imagine a delegation of Martians has just landed in your organisation and they do not understand any earth languages – only graphic symbols.  Prepare a short speech composed of graphic symbols to welcome them and tell them what kind of place your organisation is, and then share with your team and combine ideas on what really is your business brand.

Judith Elliott, EL Consulting