Setting Your Goals
Writing a business plan is one of the most time consuming and difficult stages of setting up a new business.Continue Reading…
Getting Your Business Noticed
Once you have your business up and running you might... Read more →
Let us help give your new business a Flying Start
Flying Start is an easy-to-understand ‘how to start a business’ guide – covering all aspects of starting a business and also offers support for new businesses covering an initial assessment of the business idea right through to assistance with business plans and forecasts, raising finance and the setting up of books and records. All this support is provide completely FREE of charge.
Avoid costly
financial mistakes
Bounce your ideas off us. Having had many years’ experience in looking after new starter businesses, we will give you a balanced opinion on your idea and proposals..
Download your Flying Start guide here
The Law and what
you need to know
We will make a full assessment of your business, personal circumstances, risk and tax planning to recommend the correct structure of your business.
Download your Flying Start guide here
Quick start
guide to marketing
Identify a demand, promote the business to generate sales and make a profit!
Download your Flying Start guide here
Getting you off to a Flying Start
Setting up a business can be as traumatic as buying a house. But it may surprise you that many new entrepreneurs do not give the same amount of planning to a new business as they would to buying a house. The old saying ‘failure to plan is planning to fail’ has never been truer than when setting up in business.
The Flying Start ‘how to start a business’ booklet has been produced by Stopfords to enable new business to consider the merits of setting up in business and the requirements needed to becoming a successful one. This package is FREE.
YES COMPLETELY FREE
We are proud to have assisted many new businesses to get started and to grow into thriving concerns. Consequently we have used the experience gained into producing this booklet to help new businesses.
Failure to plan is planning to fail
60% of startup business don’t make it to the second year
Starting a business is always risky, particularly when setting up from scratch. Even with the best professional advice from your Accountant/Solicitor, unforeseen problems can occur causing the business setbacks.
Avoid becoming a statistic.
We are conscious of the difficulties that new businesses face when starting up. Stopfords have therefore come up with a package designed to get new businesses off to a Flying Start.
Following all the advice and recommendations given in this booklet is no guarantee that you will succeed but it will prepare you properly for the problems you are likely to face.
Download the Flying Start guide
Source: CB Insights
Startup
survival
rate
survival
rate
Reasons
for failure
for failure
What's inside
We’ll help you avoid the pitfalls
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Honing your business idea
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Writing your business plan
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Finding your market
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Questions of Finance
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Employees and Training
Your Business Idea
It is the ambition of many people to run their own business, you will no doubt have a good reason for wanting to start a particular type of business. You may for instance…
- Have spotted a gap in the market
- Been made redundant and want to set up on your own using your redundancy
- Wish to invest/buy an existing business or franchise
Whatever your reason or idea, it will cost you both time and money – Flying Start will guide you through the essential questions you need to ask yourself before investing too much in either.
The essential starting point for any business
Writing your business plan is one of the most time consuming and dificult stages of setting up a new enterprise. Whilst all business plans require a considerable amount of guess work, they are an important feature of any start-up situation especially when the need for bank or other funding is required.
Market Research - not just for the big boys
Too many start ups (and for that matter existing businesses) fail to grasp how important market research is to the survival of their business.
Any potential sources of funding, ie Banks, or sources of grants/regional assistance will expect to see Market Research as part of any business plan presented to them.
Funding your new venture
A Bank or lender will want to see that you have considered many of the issues contained in the Flying Start guide when applying for financial support. A lot of emphasis will be placed upon you personally, your business plan/marketing and projections when your lending application is assessed.
Flying Start can help you decide on how best to fund your business.
Employing people
If you will be employing one or more people, there are a number of issues to consider such as Income Tax and Contributions. There are laws governing Health and Safety, Employers Liability and Pensions that you will be accountable for. The guide outlines the basics that you will need before employing anyone.
Training your staff
The only substitute to training is more training. We can offer employee training in Basic Bookkeeping, Health and Safety, Managing for Profit, three levels of Sage training and much more. There is a full breakdown of what we offer in appendix iii of the Flying Start Guide. Request your copy here.
Flying Start has been downloaded by more than 1,964 start ups
Here are just some of the success stories…
Glen really helped me with my business plan, cash flow and projections. He was very patient and made it clear so that I was able to understand my own business plan!
BenApp design
I went to the bank with my business plan knowing full well that I was confident that the plan was expressed well in both words and figures.
RossWholesaler
Secured the funding on a well prepared business plan. It was one of the best plans that the manager had seen!
LouisePost Office
Great product really helped me with key decisions in deciding to go Self Employed.
JohnIT Consultant
Well done Stopfords, couldn’t have done it without you!
DavePlumbing & Heating Engineer
We have just entered a 10th year of trading and thought at times it has been difficult. Our initial meetings and discussions with Stopfords prepared us for the difficulties we have faced. Good planning and keeping an eye on the financials were key to our success.
Mick and MalcolmRetail
Meet the Team
The team involved in the Flying Start have a perfect financial background to help
guide and deliver success to you and your business idea
Phil
Phil joined the team in March 2000 and became a director in May 2007.
Having been in practice since 1988, specialising in corporate clients and audit, Phil has a wealth of experience looking after and advising our larger clients, across many industries and professions.
Phil is extremely hands on in the office as well as managing the business with Glen and Ruth, he is also our compliance Director, overseeing the firms’ regulatory affairs.
In his spare time Phil can usually be found unwinding in the gym or out running.
Glen
Glen joined Stopfords in 2002 and became a director in 2007.
He has over 30 years of experience advising owner managed small and medium sized businesses. Glen has a wide portfolio of clients, he regularly deals with a wide range of accounts, taxation, VAT and business issues. Glen is very much client focused and adjusts his approach to meet individual needs.
Outside of work Glen enjoys golfing and is a member of Hollinwell Golf Club.
Download the Flying Start guide for FREE
Get invaluable expert advice in how to best start your own business
About Stopfords
Established in 1994, Stopfords is an experienced and trusted firm of chartered accountants and business advisers committed to helping your business grow and succeed.
Our goal is to provide a personal and professional approach together with a reliable and dedicated service to our clients every need. As a result we have developed an excellent reputation in North Nottinghamshire and North Derbyshire, combining traditional values with forward thinking to offer a different kind of accountancy firm in the area..