3 Top Business tips from Katie at Paddlesworth Produce

by Stuart

We asked Katie Anderson at Paddlesworth Produce to give us her top tips for anyone starting their own business.

1. Don’t be afraid to fail. As long as you learn something from it, it is not a failure but a lesson! Starting your own business means you have to learn so many new things – accounting, marketing, manufacturing, delivering – the list goes on! So you are bound to make mistakes. It is easy to give up or get down when things don’t go to plan but it has really helped me to write down the lessons I have learnt from each of the many mistakes I have made to ensure that I have actually grown through the process.

2. Start-Up businesses are just trials. When I sat in my kitchen last year and wrote down the idea for my business it did not look anything like what I am doing today. Businesses have to evolve with customer demand and there is no point offering something that people do not want just because you do not want to deviate from your original plan. Recently when I attended an entrepreneur’s course, one thing that really stuck with me was that start-ups should be renamed as “trials” and they should be seen as ways to test the water and check if your business is viable. Don’t invest too much at the start and get caught up trying to work out every individual detail because it is more than likely that things will change so quickly in the first few months that it will have been a waste of your time and money.

3. Network. When I first started my business, “networking” was such a buzzword that I thought it must be a fad I should ignore. In fact it has been one of the best things I have done to improve my business. Even if you are a shy person, there are ways to network online such as LinkedIn and Facebook groups but I would really recommend face to face conversation for the best impact. Most networking meetings I have attended haven’t ended in immediate sales, however they have always been beneficial because they have helped me to gain knowledge, find inspiration, meet contacts and source suppliers. I cannot stress how much networking should be part of your business, even if you just go and moan about how hard it is to be an entrepreneur with other entrepreneurs, it can be a lonely world running your own business don’t isolate yourself! There are tonnes of groups in Kent to join and a quick google search should get the ball rolling.

Here’s the link to her story

Business of the Month

by Stuart

Paddlesworth Produce – Katie Anderson

My business idea began in November 2018, the website launched in January 2019 and the first boxes were sent out this Easter. I started my business because I am really passionate about consumers buying food and drink responsibly – that means knowing where their meal has come from, how meat and eggs are farmed and acknowledging the environmental impact of packaging, waste and food miles.

However I am also a realist, I understand that farmer’s markets or rural farm shops, even high streets, are often inconvenient for shoppers to get to and I am a huge lover of online shopping because it is so simple! Combining my passion and my own shopping habits I came up with the business idea, in the hope that there were other people out there like me – who wanted to support local producers and understand more about what was on the plate but also like to place online orders in their pyjamas on the sofa.

Paddlesworth Produce sells Kentish produce online for home delivery. The produce is sold in complete meal boxes including a Breakfast Box, BBQ Box and Sunday Roast Box. The three boxes can be purchased as a one-off treat, sent as a gift or you can subscribe for regular deliveries. What makes us different is the fact that all of our products are from small businesses within a 30 mile radius, are packaged 100% plastic-free, only contain natural ingredients and are only sourced from high welfare farms.

I feel so proud of every day I get to run this business. My first orders were obviously a very memorable moment because that is when you realise that someone believes in your idea and is happy to support your business with their hard earned cash. I was announced as a finalist in the South East Rural Business Awards this week so that was definitely a huge gold star in my mind! But honestly the most satisfying part of the job is when a customer takes the time to leave me a review or send me an email saying they enjoyed their delivery. It is so easy to criticise and I know we are far more likely to leave a bad review than a good one, but in that moment that person has obviously had such a good experience with my business that they felt the need to let me know, I just love that.

I have really struggled with my pricing, it is an ongoing challenge, because I want my products to be available for everyone! It is such a hard truth to deal with when you set up a business, that you have to find your target market and create products that they will enjoy and spend their money on. It is especially hard as I am so often compared to supermarket prices, when the truth is my products cannot be bought in the supermarket, they are of a completely different calibre. I have had to learn that unless I want to offer an inferior product or create a business that is unsustainable, I do have to make sure I am making a profit not just covering my costs.

In August I am launching the Sunday Roast Box, which is really exciting and something I have had in the back of my mind since the day I launched the Breakfast Box. I am hoping this will be popular because a Sunday Roast is my favourite meal of the week and it is a great opportunity to get the family together and enjoy good food in good company!

In terms of longer term plans, I hope to increase my subscriber numbers and have started offering a bigger discount for regular subscribers to encourage this. I also am desperately searching for local and affordable storage because I now offer a range of optional extras for my boxes such as condiments, sauces, drinks & snacks and need somewhere to put it all!

Read more about Katie’s business on her website: www.paddlesworthproduce.co.uk

Look out on The Kent Foundations social media for Katie’s amazing top tips for new businesses.

Business of the Month

by Stuart

Although JK Online is only a year old, both Karl and Joe have been in touch with us at The Kent Foundation for about 7 or 8 years. They first approached The Kent Foundation when they were both about 18, with an idea to sell art at local craft fairs that their friends and family had made. This business didn’t go very far, but was an amazing opportunity and insight into the business world for the both of them.

Jump forward several years, and now with the idea of JK Online, they approached The Kent Foundation again, shortly after setting up the business. Both Karl and Joe were keen to learn as much about business as possible and also connect with other like-minded business people.

Karl and Joe

The business started with us both being part time, but over the last 3 months, both of us have gone full time as we continue to grow and improve the business. The business started with just the idea of providing website designing, but has now grown into also providing social media marketing. Our plan for JK Online over the next few years is to keep growing our service list until we can offer the full digital marketing package. At JK we strive to break the norm. We believe in good service at affordable prices for website design, social media marketing and more. We are now officially a 5-star service on Wix arena, Google and Facebook! We truly value making customers enjoy their experience with us, and to date we have creating nearly 100 sites.

So, the first thing we were provided with through the Kent Foundation was a business mentor to help us through the first months of what was starting to be a busy time as the interest in JK Online was growing. Our business mentor has been one of the most valuable assets to the business. Both of us can can get overly excited by new ideas and lose the initial vision for the business. Hanna at The Kent Foundation matched us perfectly with a business mentor that can keep us grounded, and point us in the right direction. We now meet monthly with our business mentor who gives us tips and ideas for what we should do for the following month. Some of the biggest shift in the JK Online business were off the back of one of those meetings as we both realised that the direction we were going was not exactly where we wanted to be and our business mentor was able to help us realise this and get us back on track.

We were also invited to various Kent Foundation events that would help us take our business forward. This has been a great asset to us both as it has introduced us to other young business people going through the same process as us, as well as businesses that have been through the aches and pains of a new business and come out the other end successfully. The ability to talk to others and get their input is a great asset. Kent Foundation host Mastermind sessions where they get some of the business mentors and the young businesses together to talk about areas they may need help with in their business.

Just a last note from JK. We would like to thank The Kent Foundation for all the support they have given us and would urge any young business people to get in touch with them to see how they can help you too.

Visit JK Online here

A Blast! 2019

by Stuart

On the 16th May 2019 The Kent Foundation A Blast! opened its doors at The Maidstone Studios. It was a awesome evening celebrating Young Entrepreneurs and Business owners in Kent. A huge thank you from everyone at The Kent Foundation to all the exhibitors and their amazing stands which showcased their businesses, to our visitors and your interest in the work we do, and our key sponsors for your support. A final thanks to Liu Batchelor for capturing our event, we hope this inspires you to think about how you get involved in A Blast 2020! We look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks to our sponsors

Business of the Month

by Stuart

At school, Hannah Catchlove decided that she wanted to start her own business by the time she was 30. She didn’t know exactly what her business would be, she just knew she wanted to make it happen. Her opportunity arose in 2015 when she was relocating from her home in Kent to Suffolk, when her current employer asked her to continue working with the firm as a freelance graphic designer.

Whilst living in Suffolk, Hannah started to grow her freelance client base and also launched a range of illustrated cards that she began selling online. In 2016, Hannah moved back to Kent and attended the Kent Foundation A Blast! networking event where she found out about the support available and subsequently signed up to be matched with a mentor.

Since moving back to Kent, Hannah’s online shop had been having consistent sales and she was enjoying illustrating and creating new products. She decided this was going to be her business focus and now sells a range of cards, prints and homeware through her website and specialist retailers.

Hannah first met her mentor, Julie a few months after the A Blast! Event and was low in confidence, having suffered some setbacks in her business. Julie initially helped her with confidence building exercises and overcoming ‘imposter syndrome’ whilst also focusing  Hannah to develop a robust business plan with measurable goals. Hannah and Julie continue to review her progress each month and they set fresh goals for 2019, reflecting on her achievements from the previous year.

Hannah’s plans for 2019 include raising the profile of her brand, particularly across Kent, increasing her range of stockists and to continue building upon the success of her online shop.

Hannah’s biggest success was securing her first retailer and her biggest challenges have been adapting to the isolation of working on her own and securing high quality british manufacturers for her illustrative products.

Hannah’s word of advice for other young people in business are….

Make sure you are starting a business you have a passion for.

Use your Mentor to give you advice and feedback that your friends and family may not want to.

Get systems in place and take advantage of technology to manage your finances, admin and invoicing.

Work when you are most effective, you don’t have to stick to office hours!

Hannah will be exhibiting her products at A Blast! 2019 on 16 May so drop by and say hello!

Visit HannaH’s website here

Mentoring – The hidden asset in any successful business

by Stuart

Adrian Wenn, volunteer mentor and treasurer at the Kent Foundation, looks at the benefits of working with a mentor and outlines some of the considerations a prospective mentee should take to help them find the perfect match for them and their business.

What do Steve Jobs and Sir Richard Branson have in common, other than their obvious business success? Well, both sought the guidance of mentors throughout their careers. While it may be easier to understand in the case of Branson, the Apple founder was famously single-minded, but he was not averse to seeking a little help, advice and support from time to time. No matter whom you are, where you’ve come from, or what you have achieved, a good mentor is an invaluable asset in business.

The young Branson was lucky enough to be introduced to a family friend, who was an accountant. The two would spend one evening a week discussing the basics of bookkeeping. Branson said, ‘it was hugely helpful, and he displayed amazing patience with my repeated requests of, ‘Erm, can you run that one by me just one more time, please.’

The other key individual to guide Branson was Sir Freddie Laker who had previously launched a low-cost Atlantic airline. Laker ultimately failed under the weight of competition and pricing tactics of the numerous state-run airlines that existed at the time. This experience helped Branson to launch Virgin Airlines and succeed against the might of the likes of British Airways.

Steve Jobs equivalent of Laker was former Intel manager Mike Markkula. His investment of $80,000 in equity and $170,000 as a loan earned Markkula a one-third share in Apple, but it was his role as what Jobs called the ‘adult supervisor’ that was by far and away his greatest contribution to keeping the unruly Apple youngsters on track.

The American author and businessman Zig Ziglar captured the essence of mentoring when he said, ’A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.’

While there are an enormous number of business advice books and websites to learn from, a mentor can provide that much-needed context in enabling a business owner to succeed. Some of the key benefits of a mentor are:

Advice

Obtaining advice from an experienced individual can make a big difference when it comes to navigating the business world. It can be particularly important to receive guidance from someone who knows you and your business but has no direct connection or vested interest. A dispassionate view is important when making key decisions.

Perspective

Sometimes business owners need to step back to see the big picture and mentors can help with providing this vital perspective.

Networking

Mentors have valuable business connections which have usually developed into trusting relationships over many years. A mentee can gain from both access to these networks but also to have the mentors endorsement when introductions are made.

Confidence and encouragement

Sometimes all it takes to make important business decisions is confidence. Mentors are perfectly positioned to provide guidance and reinforce the business skills their mentees have, making them more self-assured in all of their business dealings.

Sounding board

Running a business can be a lonely existence, and a mentor acts as a sounding board, listening to issues that have arisen and helping the mentee talk through potential solutions. Business owners sometimes just need to vent to someone they trust. They cannot vent to their partners, employees or customers without causing additional problems within the business. However, once they have ‘let off steam’ to a mentor, they can often start the process of working with the mentor to solve the cause of their frustration.

Challenge

A good mentor should offer constructive challenge and not merely agree with everything their mentee suggests. This ensures that all aspects of a plan have been considered and that the mentee is fully engaged and committed to their business and plans. It also ensures that vital element of realism. In the words of Steve Jobs, ’My job is not to be easy on people. My job is to take these great people we have and to push them and make them even better’.

So what should a mentee consider when thinking about approaching a potential mentor? Three core requirements need to be met for a quality long-term relationship to be established.

Experience. Find someone that has significantly more experience than you. Experience takes time. It takes failure, overcoming roadblocks, and overstepping hurdles before reaching success. Immediate business success may not always translate into a strong mentor.

Values. Make sure your values are similar. It’s incredibly challenging to open up to someone who shares different values than you. When meeting a potential mentor, the following questions are useful. Do they value hard work and commitment? Do they talk in a positive way? Are they condescending? Can they listen? The mentee should think about what is important to them and make sure their mentor shares their core values.

Trust. If you cannot trust someone, you cannot learn from them. Trust is not only about being honest. It is about being able to rely on the mentor to be real, to be present, and to be engaged in the mentees story.

A quick search online will show the vast range of organisations and individuals offering to provide mentoring services. Some initial research by the mentee will be required to assess the credentials of these parties. While we are blessed with many people, who are willing to freely offer their time it is always best to approach any new relationship with a healthy level of scrutiny and scepticism.

Many industry and professional bodies provide valuable access to a range of mentors. In Kent, young business owners have the added support of The Kent Foundation, a charity which was established in 1985 and has over 100 fully trained volunteer business mentors. The support ranges from assisting start ups to more established businesses. The mentoring is complemented by a range of workshops, networking events and intensive roundtable discussions involving mentees and mentors.

While the background and experience of business mentors are varied, the vast majority are motivated by their wish to support like-minded business owners to achieve their full potential. As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”