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Originally Posted by Steve Richardson

“You mean we can't be 9 - 5'ers ”

Nope... that's reserved for 'The Staff'  

Steve, 

Thats Brill, thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I kinda felt the same. When I used to be employed by others, I worked in a heartless regime that had lead generators, and field salesmen going out to try and close. Every employee in those departments were well broken before they came to us, and we just burned them out and replaced them.

Our idea is to have the guy sell the product (Which is relatively and easy sell with our company).

But, you've hit the nail on the head with data quality. Most of it is hammered, with a gate keeper ready to just say no.

I'm loathing paying for this stuff though... it's just a phone book - No matter what they say! 

Well, there's the toughie. £Cost wise, they are negligible. Time wise, they can be quite consuming - but they are critical. 

So, if I start a business, and I spend one whole day doing all the things I mentioned, and then never visited them again, there's going to be no real benefit.

If I dedicated a day a week, for weeks, then an hour a day for 6 months, things would start to develop.

I personally spend every minute of every day focused on work - and in my experience (and opinion) that is how to make a business successful. In the time between my last post and this one, I've altered my website, added content, added details to 3 directories I've found, and posted stuff on LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. Its all been done after 5PM.

The point Im trying to make really is that it's all vital, and I can't prioritise one over the other. When we own our own business, we own our own destiny, and we are at the wheel, so must steer in the right direction always.

Hi Robert,
With the open border policy, good. We import a tonne of stuff from Poland, which is landed there from China. 

Complicated stuff, I know.

Business equally is done just across the border in Belarus, and then also to the South in Ukraine.

For a great import business friend for such matters, I'd be useless - however, the very man who can help is a guy called Phillip Owen, of Volgatrader dot com. (Or google Volga Trader).

Now, his expertise is in Russia and CIS, but, it's not a million miles from what you're trying to do. His current speciality is food, and, better still, he's honest, and trustworthy. There isn't anything he doesn't know about the import / export market, and the last thing you want is a charlatan or a fake who will take your cash and run. It's very common in the international startups.

If you do need him, just say contact was from the office next door - the first aid people, and he'll understand. 

Steve, I think the Police can be very convincing at times.

I grew up in a world where we were taught to trust the Police, and have to de-learn this. Of course, most Police people are good. But... it only takes one bad person to ruin your day.

Yeah, I agree. I couldn't turn away a friend, let alone a family member, and I'd be hard pressed not to forgive someone if they had done something. It's an eye opener for sure, and when you scrape the surface off, you realise it is a bigger problem than most people care to think about.

Oh my days, I was reading this as Billy was a Lead Specialist - as in sales leads....

So glad you clarified it was roof lead! Pesky English Language! 

Marketing, easy peasy! (If you have a tonne of time, a tonne of patience, and preferably a tonne of money!)

What's that? You don't have a tonne of money? Ah. Flip. Me neither. 

Fortunately, all isn't lost. You may not have time, but you have your own company, so you've got patience, and your totally hard working...

Here's the key:

Online -
Get a GREAT website. Can't afford one? Build it yourself if you like. It's a start, and is cheapers. 
Get a GREAT domain. i.e. www.billyslead.com . Also buy .co.uk and divert it (If your in the UK)
Get a GREAT set of key words logged. i.e. "Roof Lead TOWN, Roof Sealing TOWN, (Enter your own town name where town is, and do this for your products.
Get a GREAT load of backlinks with good directories (we never ever pay - but might just pay for one with this site, because it's looking refreshingly awesome)
Get a GREAT reputation for customer service online, with a chat client like Zopim, and a good contact us form
Get a GREAT facebook page, and keep posting to it, do the same with Google plus, and Youtube, make youtube videos, 'how to's' and name drop yourself throughout

Offline -
Get a GREAT toll free number (0800 in the UK), divert it to your office/home phone. Divert your home phone to your mobile after 3 rings, so you never miss a call.
Get a GREAT set of leaflets made up, print thousands, stick them through the letter boxes of loads of houses.
Get a GREAT set of posters made, A4, so they aren't too massive, and stick them in shop windows (Newsagents, and of course with permission!) ditto for community centres, churches etc etc
Get a GREAT portfolio done, of past work, a photo album if you will, so you can present your work.
Join your local Business chamber of trade / chamber of commerce. Go to networking meets.
Tender the local authority for opportunities, especially useful if you're able to work with period properties under conservation orders etc
Don't be afraid to do a few free jobs (They pay for the product) ESPECIALLY for churches, charities etc - then MILK the opportunity, get the press onto this lifesaving work your doing, and get your company name in the press (Including web link). Same goes for sponsoring nominated charities - Ex Army? Choose SAAFA. Someone suffered with Cancer in the family? Choose Marie Curie. Make sure there's a good reason to support that charity, make sure you do everything to help them, and your reward is not just in good Karma, and helping a worthy cause, but it's also in exposure of a company kind.

And you know what, I've used the work GREAT loads of times, that's because your business is GREAT and you are at the top of your tree - this needs to be reflected in all your marketing material.

This is about 1/3 of what can be done really, and I've chosen this lot because it's free, or dirt cheap - you don't need to outsource, if you can't do it yourself, friends and family can perhaps help. Just keep pushing, and never give up. Marketing seems like a nightmare that everyone else has sorted, except you, but believe me, everyone in business feels that, especially at the start, or when they are trying to grow.

Then suddenly, 'Click' it all falls into place, and you're figuring out where to stash your millions, and crying to the accountant because the tax man want's to share.

Good Luck!

Hey! 

So, we're trying something new! (Always good to try new things!), we are branching out into Telesales! 

Personally, I hate getting cold calls - for two reasons, the first is I just don't feel I have the time to listen to a blurb on the end of the phone, but, Im just too British to hang up, or give anyone a piece of my mind. The second is, I'm really easy to sell to..... and end up buying loads of rubbish... (Please don't go calling now and pitching me stuff!)

Anyways, we cover loads of Marketing verticals, and holistically cover all the traditional methods, except TV (Due to us not being minted yet) and telesales.

So, we've searched around for a long old time for the right person, and we've been blessed enough to find him! He comes on board soon!

Now, I've got my head around the legislation etc, but, there's one thing we're going to need, and that's something called 'Data', or, the  numbers he will call. It's all B2B.

I've looked around, and found Thompson (The directory) supply data for a premium, but you know, I do need a guiding hand.. (always), and I'm tight, and don't really want to spend out, unless I can help it.

Does anyone have experience with Telesales Data, or is there a golden nugget I'm missing at all?

Here's with hope, it's so random, I don't blame anyone if they never ever answer!

I really ought to keep private and business opinions separate... but...

A really good mate of mine was accused of a very serious offence (One which, if found guilty, would see him have a custodial sentence).

The Police arrested him, banged him up, interviewed him, he gave a full statement, without a brief.

The Magistrate authorised his detention in custody.

The Press printed his name, and all details.

The case was passed to the Crown, he pleaded Not Guilty, it went to trial. It was a hung verdict, a re-trial was announced.

Wife left him, took the kids. Lost his job (Obviously) and house. Most of his friends, thanks to the press, and facebook (Little minds little talk). Parents disowned him, brother and sister too.

He had the retrial, and then, Guess what... Unanimous Not Guilty verdict from the Jury. He was released - Yay! A free man!.... a very very broken man.

Complainant, well, she didn't get charged with Perjury, and life continued for her. There was a tonne of support at the time, which continues to this day. The very vocal comments from the Police were that he "Got away with it".

How did he get the NG verdict? well, the defence team was able to demonstrate he was in Spain at the time of the alleged offence, for 2 years before, and 3 after, with no returns to the UK.

His parents have re-built the bridge, which is good, because he lives in their spare room.

You see - It's a massive dilemma. On the one hand, people do get hurt, and they do deserve justice, and offenders do need to be prosecuted. On the other, their does appear to be an inordinate level of false accusations, potentially powered by the Criminal Compensation Scheme. 

I think, with the attitude of some Police Officers, their investigatory powers are affected, and they are unable to use the power of discretion to ascertain if an offence has actually occurred. 

In my example, which is a factual story of my mate, he was not guilty - even when proven not guilty, and the system has ruined him.

From our old group of mates, it's just me, and one other who has stood by him (I even went to court on both trials and the evidence, especially second time round was overwhelming in his favour).

I once heard someone quote that "All the British legal system needs to fail, is for one person to lie". In a world where the Police are found out to lie... as it spirals down through all the other agencies down to complainants, what hope do we have?

We survive by the skin of our teeth, in the prayer that no one says we did anything.

As for the Footballer who has served time for a guilty verdict of Rape, check out his website. He does maintain his innocence still. What I cant understand is that he has been released early. To my understanding, you would have to admit guilt, attend a treatment programme etc before you could be considered to be released. I am not totally sure.

What I do know, whether I believe he is innocent or not, he was Found Guilty by the Jury (and therefore is guilty within the eyes of the law - even though his website makes a good stand at convincing me of his actual innocence). I imagine he is held on the Sex Offenders Register perhaps, and all in all, this does not make him a good candidate to represent anything as a footballer.

He doesn't fall into the Remit of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, as I don't think his sentence is yet spend (This tends to continue beyond a prison sentence), and although the ROA was amended earlier this year I think, he is still under it's notification stuff etc I believe. 

There's a lot of 'I thinks" and "I believes" going on in my sentences, it's because I'm not totally sure.

All I do know, is it appears all to be a mess. Some kind of witch hunt going on, with truly evil people hiding in plain site, and innocent casualties in-between. What to do... I'm so open to suggestion!

One of my businesses is in retail.

When we first opened, I was literally there 24/7 as we built the revenue to grow, and eventually get more staff.

My first member of staff was a young 18 year old who was at college at the time, and putting in part time hours. 3 days out of 7 I had company, the other 4, I would be fending for myself. 

Customers come in waves I find, and there are reasonably predictable busy times, this means that occasionally I can close shop for 5 mins to run to the bank to make deposits, or go out to grab a pasty etc.

Not long after we opened the second floor to the shop, and had CCTV fitted, and a nice new shop front, we noticed a change in trend, where more stragglers as I call them came in. This was beyond the normal flow, and generated quite a bit of impulse buys. The top floor was really popular, and with the CCTV there were hardly any blind spots for shoplifters to have their evil ways.

One time, there was a total lull in the battle, straight after a mad rush of clients, and I was itching to go and deposit a tonne of money into the bank, so I could then spend it all on bills (We all know that lovely feeling). As the last customer left, I thought 'winner', quickly locked the door, ran upstairs to use the loo, ran downstairs, opened the door, exited, locking it behind me, and sprinted up the high street.

I got back literally 15 minutes later to find the front door to the shop smashed, all glass outwards, and my neighbouring business people all standing around guarding the premises for me.

I was told, they heard a smash, and saw someone running up the street.

Really incensed by all this, I reviewed the CCTV.

As it appears, I locked someone IN the shop.... 

What's nuts is I ran past them, had a dump in the bog (Did I mention I left the door open to the toilet?), flushed, ran past them again, then sealed them in.

I swear, I didn't notice them (My excuse is all down to the Manikins in store)... and I totally understand why someone would smash a door in this situation to get out!

We now have a much better means of escape for anyone trapped, and fully comply with fire regulations before anyone says it.... and of course, a new door....

And yes... all new staff get the story about what the boss did.... and no, you can't have the Youtube link to the video!