Fishbowl Three

Is failing to plan, planning to fail?

2010-03-08T17:00:00.000Z

Me and Owain had a good old chin-wag to try and get our heads around where things are going. In just over four months our tenancy will end at The Innovation Centre where we are currently on the Enterprise Inc scheme. This will mean by the start of July we will have overheads whether it be some kind of shop space or if even if we remain in The Innovation Centre.

I think if we both looked at our business plan now, we would barely recognise it. In the whirlwind of starting up your own business, planning can sometimes be put to the very last minute or if you have planned – completely ignored.

The importance of planning has been drilled into my cranium throughout my whole education. However, I get the feeling that when I plan something I get too comfortable and I can overlook things as we move forward.

I’m not knocking planning. But as I’ve said before, in this game you can have a few people chuck you ideas and have your head completely turned. What planning does do though is keep a record of the things you’ve thought about – even if they are put to one side, they may come into play later.

There are a lot of things me and Owain make decisions on very quickly, sometimes too quickly. Sometimes things just need to be resolved. Sometimes you go with your gut – if you fail, your hailed as an idiot, if you win, you’re a winner!

We have to make a huge decision on where we are going to be come July. It will require planning for sure. However, the decision may be made on gut.

The Man in the Pink Shirt

2010-02-26T10:23:00.000Z

This is not a remake of the acclaimed film with Alec Guinness ‘The Man in the White Suit’. Rather it is evocative of a lesson I learnt. I met up with a member of BNI who whenever I see him, wears a pink shirt. However, this was a one-to-one meeting, and it was a Thursday, so he wasn’t sporting the pink shirt which I’ve known him to wear regularly.

The pink shirt only makes an appearance at any networking event. Why? Well it certainly gets him noticed – this is a bright pink shirt. You only have to see him wearing it a couple of times and you instantly remember him. Finally, if you happen to be in a busy networking room, you don’t have to see where he is, but if you’re looking for him, ‘he’s the man in the pink shirt’.

We finished our meeting and he left me with a few business cards. ‘Why’ I inquired. ‘Because when you’re happy with our services, you’re going to want to tell your friends’. Perhaps some of the oldest tricks in the book, but these are good habits for me to adopt.

Reasons to be Cheerful - Part 1

2010-02-23T10:27:00.000Z

A quick update regarding what has been happening at Head & Griffiths HQ. This week has been focused around (once again) refining the website in terms of uploading content and making it generally more accessible for potential customers. Somebody told me the other week that a website is always going to be work in progress, which makes reasonable sense – but this is a horrible thought for me and Owain at the moment though!

Morale is high once again. As soon as we hit February, we started to make sales again. This is particularly positive for us as generally January and February can be bad months for retailers.

Both myself and Owain are now trying to find a good middle ground in terms of where we are based from July 2010. We need a space which can work both as an office as well as a place for clients to visit.

This is certainly something although quite far in the pipeline, we need to discuss sooner rather than later.

Being inbetween the investor and the groundfloor

2010-02-17T15:07:00.001Z

If you have been lucky enough to have raised capital then you will know how important it is to keep your investors on side and happy. As for us at Head & Griffiths I have known our investor for a while and have a good relationship with him. Times have come though when being inbetween him and my business partner has been difficult. As Dom is really creative and image orientated that can sometimes be a different perspective to that of our investor. This then leads to me having to try and arrange some middle ground which both parties will be happy with.

This situation often leads to the best outcome as its had input from three different mindsets however it can also be draining trying to come to a suitable resolution. One other aspect of being in the middle which is not always easy is when I delegate work to Dom that has been suggested by the investor but it gets overseen and the next time we meet the same problem is highlighted.

I guess its not easy to be in the middle of different characters but its really important to have the differing opinions which gives insights into the thoughts of our range target demographics.

Our first January in business

2010-02-09T12:55:00.001Z

As I am sure most people are aware January is not a good time for retail. Well we really faced that in our first January but instead of sulking and getting wound up about it we turned January into a really productive month.

Dominic and I set a large number of goals that while not out and selling would be really useful to help us when things got busy again. For example:

-Updates for the website

-Joining lots of networking groups and online forums

-Working on creating an online presence

-Deciding on marketing avenues and getting them sorted

-Market research

This along with nurturing business relations and dealing with designers for the current briefs has been what January has been all about.

What I was not expecting was the speed of growth from 1/2/2010. As soon as February came the enquiries came flooding in. It is really nice to be back in touch with the people we are trying to appeal to and not just being secluded, planning in the office. So the next steps are to continue meeting lots of people and making sure that if they have any suit queries they ask us or if people are ready for a new suit they consider us.

What I have learned is that sometimes when business is going slow the best thing to do is to keep slogging away, minimizing costs and focusing on doing what you're good at!

Network to make it work - Part 2

2010-02-04T12:47:00.003Z

As you may be aware, I have already written a blog about networking. If you’re not, then the title maybe a bit of a give away! I want to take this opportunity to add a few more things I have learnt since.

Recently I attended a different chapter of BNI at Leicester Tigers Rugby Ground. The other chapter I had been to was the De Montfort chapter. Both chapters you might think should be very similar if not the same. However, that couldn’t be any further from the truth.

The BNI networking event at Leicester Tigers had more people, willingness to make connections, develop relationships and make referrals work. It generally had more of a buzz about the place. The lesson learnt here is shop around! The amount of money you can spend on some of these networking events, you better make sure it’s the right one. However, if a BNI event jumps out at you, it’s a good idea to get in there quick. If another company who do suits gets in before I sign up I would be ‘shut out’ of joining the same chapter.

Before that on Wednesday night I attended a ‘Networking Nosh’ evening. This was really informal in comparison to other networking events I had been to. I came out feeling a little unsure how necessary it was attending the event. It was only on Friday after speaking to Owain that I realised it had been a good idea to attend. Owain had met a few of the people I had met on that night at another networking event. Networking is about developing relationships. People are not necessarily going to be interested in you on the first meeting. It may take four or five meetings before someone makes a significant step into a purchase or whatever it may be. Being a familiar face to people installs trust and confidence in you and your business.

I got two referrals on my first visit to BNI and I’m really looking forward to waking up at 6.00am and going along this week! I just have to make sure I’m original in my approach during my minute spiel.

Lessons learned from promo event

2010-02-02T16:31:00.000Z

We recently held a suiting event in our office block this week (video 29/01/10). Its our first event this year and our first of this kind. So its important to learn and grow so the next one is 100% better. If this happens after each one then one day we will have the best suiting events ever!!

Lessons Learned

1) More than two pieces of correspondence with the invited people is likely to bring more people
2) Have more suits so people can look at a wide variety
3) A range of media is probably more appealing (if people have more to do and play with they are more likely to be intrigued)
4) Have attractive members of the opposite sex wearing our clothing and conversing with potential leads
5) A little bubbly... I should think a relaxing glass of something sparkling next time will make everyone feel more comfortable and that’s what it’s all about.

We did take away some great feedback and have some interesting ideas to work on so things are likely to be moving on quicker. The likely changes

- More content on the site
- More manikins at suiting events
- Free consultations for anyone interested
- A range of support videos for people intending to buy suits and shirts

Video - before promo event

2010-01-29T12:00:00.001Z

Just before promo event held in The Innovation Centre

Video Diary - 22/01/10

2010-01-22T21:42:00.001Z

Dom summarises the mood, work and opportunities at Head & Griffiths.

Video - 69 Magazine Meeting

2010-01-16T16:38:00.003Z

Thoughts on meeting with local magazine and how they can help us spread the word...

Do the most important jobs first...

2010-01-15T11:44:00.000Z

When it comes to setting out a route for the next year I think its really important to make sure you can understand your reviews of the last year!

See what you have done well and poorly then try to work out why. I don't see any point in us setting unrealistic goals if we couldn't hit them last year.

I went out before christmas and bought two calenders you may ask why.....well one of them is a large year view sheet with very little room for info for a specific day and the other is a monthly one where you have room to write specifics. On the large one we set about putting all the dates we knew about onto it using little stickers that represent certain things like:

-Event

-Target

-Review

-Launch marketing

-Finished (when a project needs to be complete)

Then on the other calender more information so we wouldn't forget what the blue stickers are for.

Then next thing I think we are going to do is look at the targets for the year financially, sales wise and operational to an extent see where we want to be for instance we may possibly want to be selling 20 suits a week which would mean x,y,z to operations and also finances. Then I think it's a case of breaking down the steps that need to be taken to get there.

- increased public awareness

- increased perceived value

- large online presence

- regular suiting parties

- return customers

A successful businessman was talking to me yesterday about Head & Griffiths and said the most important thing to do as a start up is to prioritise your jobs and then make sure you do the most important. If it seems massive break it down and do it bit by bit till its completed. It sounds so obvious now but the first week back after Christmas I hold my hands up I was doing the easier jobs because they were not so daunting but what's the point?

So my new years resolution is to do the most important jobs first and then when they are done re evaluate the rest of my jobs as something may then be more important or less!

Owain

Round up of 2009

2010-01-06T17:51:00.001Z

This last 6 months has been the most eye opening of our lives! Some of the things we have done we are really proud of but there have also been lots of mistakes that I wouldn't make again. I guess that’s what it’s all about though when you start your own company.. learning on your feet.

Things we have done that we are proud of:

Getting investment
Setting solid foundations for the company
Being involved with many networks in Leicester
Having at least 50 company contacts
Website set up running and ready for orders
Testing our sale system and suppliers
Having a clear 6 month plan for 2010
Made some money!

Some things that we would do differently:

Test suppliers thoroughly
Have clear plans from the beginning to keep focused
Have clear financial plans to be clear on required amounts of investment
Be more clear with developers and set financial and time targets
Search around for best service and best value in all suppliers
Set ourselves sales targets with bonuses and reviews

I think the most important thing we have learned is that it’s vital to plan and review.

Owain

Video - Packaging finally arrives

2009-12-17T13:22:00.000Z

The Head & Griffiths packaging finally arrives so that suits can now be sent to customers...

Video - Pre and Post Tricky meeting with web designers

2009-12-10T16:37:00.001Z

Pre-meeting...

Post meeting...

Video - Art & Design Faculty Meeting

2009-12-10T16:31:00.001Z

After the meeting....

Walk before you can run.

2009-12-08T23:19:00.000Z

‘Walk before you can run’ is fast becoming our mentor’s phrase of choice. I think it’s used a least a couple of times when we meet. It’s not that we don’t listen to him; I think more so that we have all these different ideas which we want to try and do, were blind to the fact that what we need to focus on is to continue to build on the brand’s image and values. Or as our mentor said today, ‘ trees that have roots that spread out tend to fall over. Trees whose roots grow deep, grow stronger ’. He really is a pinstriped suited version of Gandalf! I think he’s going to write a book!

However, I couldn’t agree with him more and in a way it’s pretty obvious. We don’t want to be considered as a jack-of-all-trades who does nothing well or successfully (might I add, like some of our competitors?!). As much as this is our business, I think sometimes you need to get a different perspective and not necessarily abide to it rather, take it on board and perhaps apply it.

The other day we had our first non-family/friend client who found out about us through the Nottingham Post in an article about our involvement in Fishbowl. We’re reaping the rewards of being involved in Fishbowl already! He was also an entrepreneur and was very interested in our concept, and as first clients go, was the perfect customer. He offered us plenty of useful advice and words of wisdom which as a start-up is always useful, however yet again it was a case of listening intently and thinking whether it applied to your business model, not just doing it because somebody had told you that’s the way to do it.

We now have to start writing different plans and strategies, taking on board the advice given but, ultimately doing what we believe is right for Head & Griffiths.

Dominic

Tie loose, shirt creased, jacket off – a successful launch!

2009-12-01T08:13:00.001Z

Well, not entirely successful but not by any stretch a failure! I think for the people who were there, it was a night enjoyed by all, and a lot of people have told us what a lovely night they had. We came away with some potential leads which we just need to confirm fittings with, so that was a big positive.

I think one of the things we perhaps should have done was have invited more people we didn’t know and maybe gone into different businesses – solicitors, letting agents etc – to let them know what was going on. I think as much as it was an opportunity to thank people for their support so far, it would have been a good chance to spread the Head & Griffiths name a bit further. Perhaps it’s just a small thing but it might have been of greater benefit to have had the night during the week as people are generally committed to other things on a Friday. I think if it were on a weekday you’re more likely to getting people talking about it the next day in the office.

The venue and ambience was spot on, and I think it’s given us loads of ideas in terms of holding future events. It’s now a case of reviewing the successes and failures of the event whilst it is still fresh in our heads and chasing up those potential leads!

How to plan a launch party?

2009-11-27T11:09:00.000Z

Its comes to a time in all young businesses where you want to get onto rooftops and tell everyone you've finally arrived. I think the best way is to throw a launch party but where to get started?

The idea came to me when I was chatting to a business advisor about the next steps for Head & Griffiths. We discussed why it would be beneficial and what I should hope to gain from it so this is what I did to plan it:

1) I wrote a plan including possible times and dates, venues and preferred entertainment. We also gave ourself s a budget so we didn't spend a fortune but came across in a way that suited us.
2) We spoke to our mentor to make sure we had the right plan of action.
3) We then chose a suitable venue our thinking was close to where most our guests work and with the right sort of feel for the company. As soon as we decided we got in touch to book it and sort out nibbles and drinks for our guests.
4) We thought about 'what's in it for us' from the perspective of the guest and when getting invitations printed off we also printed some vouchers for discounts for all who are invited.
5) We booked the entertainment that we thought would best fit the venue and guests invited.
6) We sent out invites and gave out as many as we could personally as we thought that would give us an edge over other invitations. It also meant people have a chance to put a face to the name, as some of the people were recommended for us to invite.
7) We made sure we chased up the vip's who we wanted to come, to ensure that they were.

That's where we are right now. The part is tonight and everything seems to be going relatively smoothly!

So next time I blog it will be about the success or not. Optimist to the end!

Owain

Network to make it work

2009-11-17T16:18:00.001Z

It can be a bit daunting going out to different events and networking with complete strangers for the first time. Maybe it’s the added status - ‘networking event’ - that give people the heebie jeebies! However, once you’ve got a few under your belt, networking can really work for you if you go about it in the right way.

It has been another whirlwind week at Head & Griffiths HQ, and a week in which already we can begin to see the benefits of networking and speaking to people. On Wednesday we were at an event where the Pro-Vice Chancellor of De Montfort Vicky Vass, gave a talk on how the university is great for producing enterprising students. We created our first bespoke women’s suit for Vicky to sport for the occasion (which looked fab!) in front of the critical eyes of Jimmy Choo and Karen Millen! We got to chat to them about Head & Griffiths and Karen was absolutely loving it! So you imagine we were both buzzing!

We’ve also received our first corporate contact enquiring about a possible fitting with also the view to purchasing more suits for some of his more regarded employees. All this (and more) was made possible through networking. However, networking isn’t just about turning up. Turning up is just the start!

So if you are going to start networking you might want to keep in mind these few things,

Be prepared. You have to know your business and have the confidence in your business and in what you’re doing.
Be yourself. (This doesn’t mean how you would be at home in your Winnie the Pooh slippers eating fast food and watching Corrie!) It’s always best to get across some of your personality. People will feel more comfortable around you and remember you are essentially the face of your business so you don’t want to come across as a robot!
Try and meet a few different people. You don’t want to drive somewhere for 45mins and only come away with one contact.

One thing I’ve particularly taken into account is that you don’t need to shout to be heard. If you tell one person about what you’re doing, they’re likely to tell others, and then you have that whole snowball or domino or whatever you want to call it effect!

Dominic

Playing the juggling game

2009-11-13T13:11:00.000Z

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you thought you could see the finish line? Only to realise that the finish line is as thin as the pinstripes on the jacket I'm wearing now! I certainly have. It's been a particularly hectic and draining last couple of weeks. My main focus has been working on the website and managing the project. It's been (and to some extent still going) through a rigorous testing period. However, since I designed the website well over the month ago and have passed it on to our web developer I question whether my time has been used in the best way. If I could do the project again, I would certainly invest in a team of developers and designers rather than rely on a lone ranger.

I've suddenly had to draw my attention to potential packaging options and I'm now aware that we have a launch party we have to start planning as well as planning and shooting content for the website! Sometimes you feel so close but when you start to think about it, you realise there are going to have to be some serious hours put in next week!

Dominic

Designer v Business Boy

2009-11-11T09:36:00.000Z

My business partner Owain and I have a very close business relationship. Perhaps in some cases it’s a little too close – we live together, eat together and even did the shopping last week together!

My way of working is completely different to Owain’s. Like any relationship, you have to get to know the person, understand how they work on a day-to-day basis. At the start we had a lot of differences, some ‘artistic differences’ and a fair few heated debates! So for us it was a case of setting some ground rules.

Firstly, like most people, business folks are deadline driven. Secondly, they like to believe that things can get done at the drop of a hat. So, what they like to do is set pretty short deadlines. You don’t want to disappoint so you agree that it’s feasible to design a website in three days. It’s possibly the worst thing you could do. You have to be realistic because in your attempt to not disappoint, if you miss that deadline, all you’ll end up doing is disappointing that person.

Some people will just want to know how long the job is going to take. But if you get a slightly baffled look when you suggest the timescale, it might be an idea to take them through what you have to do to reach the objective. At the end of the day, they have absolutely no clue as to what you do!

Contact is a must. Lack of contact is usually the reason for most of our bust-ups. Even if you have nothing positive to say, they would rather hear from you than hear nothing at all.

Stick to your guns. Business people are not creative. You know better. By standing by your idea, when they get positive feedback in what you’ve done, this is only going to install their confidence and trust in you.

Dominic.

Time to start selling…

2009-11-10T19:28:00.000Z

After many months of planning it is now time to actually start selling. This critical stage has been delayed due to a lengthy wait for our website which we wanted done correctly. It started to dawn on me the other day that all the planning, preparation and procrastinating was coming to the end and the days of “we are just in the process of setting up” were over.

I think it’s fair to say that it came as a bit of daunting realization that my main job is now to be selling and working on new avenues to market and strategies that increase sales. I have always enjoyed making sales and the ‘test sales’ have been great but the general public are not as forgiving or as understanding of a startup.

We have decided on five ways to begin the process of selling:

A launch party – to get the word out there to people locally who can give feedback and pass on the company to potential customers
A social media publicity push – this is a very cheap way of increasing people viewing the website and hopefully making sales
Joining networking groups – This is a great way to meet lots of people and specifically for my company its likely to be my target market. Its also a great way to get people putting your name around
Publicity stunts – Low cost stunts like standing in the city centre with a roller banner is usually free and gets people knowing we’re out there and hopefully checking us out! Just need to make sure we get the go ahead from the right people.
Use our connections – Ask all the contacts we have accumulated over the planning process to put the word out.

I guess it’s a matter of time to find out if our plans are going to be a success.

Owain.

How to plan a launch party?

2009-10-29T17:10:00.000Z

If you’re intending to start a company then a launch party is a great way to start the ball rolling! We think whatever your company it’s a great way to get the people that have helped you, potentially useful people as well as possible customers together. Here’s our plan of action:

Decide on a budget – Putting across a great and suitable first impression is vital so if you have to fork out a little then it may be worth it.
Suitable guest list – People that will buy, sell or promote but feedback is also important. I think it’s really important to look after those who have helped us in the past also.
Choose a venue – Somewhere that can fit all the people in
Food and drinks – depends on time and cost no vodka breakfast or caviar on lobster for us.
Help – There needs to be enough people to make the night run smoothly
Personal touch – If you want to invite people and really want them to come my plan is to create a personal invitation (not decided how yet ….more info to follow)

So we have looked at these things and pretty sure on a venue just some negotiations on the price but a boutique hotel in Leicester I think will do the job! We have decided on the guestlist. Half the list has been suggested to me as really great people to know. What better place to meet someone after a Champaign cocktail and with our product all over the place. Excited!

Avoid the schoolboy error!

2009-10-28T19:08:00.002Z

If you have ever heard the phrase “you’re a walking advert” well this is sooo relevant as a start up business as I found out the hard way today! I would have to say that I like to think I am a pretty good face of Head & Griffiths I go to lots of networking events and speak to as many people as possible about what’s going on, always wearing one of my suits.

So why did I let my guard down today when meeting a well dressed and respected business man! I found out we were meeting early this morning while in the office but instead of rushing home to get a suit and shirt on I thought “naaa it will be fine”.

I met the extremely well dressed entrepreneur at their workplace and immediately felt out of place dressed in polo shirt and jeans (which very soon after leaving did I realise has a split in, yup crotch). Never do I meet new contacts without a suit on and in future I will make sure that I am going to be wearing suits or at least a shirt of mine every day just in case! Gutted!