Getting a Business Up and Running

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The biggest advantage of receiving this support is, it allowed me to create a very strong and well structured business plan which enabled me to get an unsecured loan from my bank

William Buckley Run-IT

William Buckley has long held a desire to be self employed and after starting a small web design business he found the market was too competitive and knew he needed to find an exit strategy which turned out to be Run-IT.

The opportunity really just presented itself, all 3 of my daughters run competitively for Preston Harriers and there is a particular running shop which we used. The owner knew of my web design background and asked me to create a website for him, when I asked him why he wanted the website he replied that he was looking to sell the business. This was the new opportunity I was looking for’.

Even though I had been in business previously I knew I needed help from the outset, I had already gained some knowledge on writing a business plan from a Business Link guide, but I wanted the opportunity to sit down and discuss my ideas with an advisor. I needed to know that my idea was feasible and speaking to Business Venture Group (BVG) really helped me with this.

 I also took advantage of a number of courses provided by BVG on marketing, sales techniques, PR, Head for Business and the Step by Step course. The biggest advantage of receiving this support is it allowed me to create a very strong and well structured business plan which enabled me to get an unsecured loan from my bank. I am also researching other sources of funding and am currently applying for a Kickstart Loan.

 So what does William plan for the future of Run-IT? ‘There are some really exciting changes ahead. We are currently concentrating on 3 main strands of the business, firstly and most importantly we sell running shoes, secondly we sell sports clothing and we are looking to expand this into other sports such as swimwear. I am also excited about the potential of supplying sports clubs with their kit under the brand ‘Club Clobber’. Finally following my web design background I would like the shop to have a big online presence to maximise our exposure. Other plans for the future include taking on more staff and also moving shop premises to a more visible location.

 On a personal level William feels the satisfaction of seeing his dream become a reality ‘it may not have turned out exactly the way I planned it in my minds eye, but to see all your hard work and effort turn into a great business really does feel good. If anybody is thinking of starting a business I would absolutely recommend BVG as there is a vast pool of information and resources available through them.