Category: Business

11:38:12 GMT • 14 January 2025

How to Find Below Market Value Properties

25 March 2022

•

4 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

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A below market value property is typically a residential property being sold at a price below its actual market value. Owners of these properties generally need to sell their property very quickly, hence the low price.

So, if you are looking for a below market value (BMV) property, how do you find it? It can be quite easy to see property available cheaply, but the whole point is that it must be an income generator – it needs to have some remortgage value after renovation, rental value against the mortgage or, a higher resale value.

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We offer a Rent Guarantee Insurance which is designed to protect landlords against loss of rental income for up to a period of 24 months should a tenant fail to pay their rent whilst still living in the property. We also include Legal Expenses Insurance – covering the costs associated with pursuing legal action against your tenant – as well as providing a 24/7 Landlord Legal Helpline.

What’s a motivated seller?

A motivated seller is someone that needs to sell a property. This could be for any number of reasons but may include an inheritance (probate) house, or someone who is in financial difficulty and needs to sell quickly. They may also be someone who just wants a quick sale from a cash buyer without the hassle of multiple viewings from different people etc.

While this could mean you can negotiate an attractive deal, do bear in mind there may be potential grief and stress on the sellers side. Motivated sellers tend to want fast sales as they need the cash. The quicker you can purchase, the better all around. Keep negotiations professional and kind.

Squeeze the flesh – visit estate agents and keep in touch

Building a relationship with estate agents can be a great way to find below market value properties. BMV properties tend to go quickly, and often get sold even before they are listed on a property website. So, remind your estate agent contacts to give you a call when something potentially suitable becomes available, and that you can move quickly.

Advertise locally – traditional advertising might work best

Sometimes you need to pound the streets and door drop flyers or letters expressing intent to buy property in a specific area. Again, make sure you are targeting houses you are interested in.

Don’t go through “middlemen” – avoid lead sellers

There are plenty of lead sites out there where you can buy motivated seller leads. The difficulty for you as a lead buyer is that you are never sure if the lead might have been sold to multiple people, not just you.

Using property websites

We saved the most obvious to last, but you can start your property searches from the comfort of your own home. Most of the big sites will have live feeds of property. But rather than simply running basic searches, you need to start looking at filters and some of the more advanced searches. These filters can include any properties that haven’t sold or those that have been recently reduced in price. These are good potential indicators of a possible deal.

Summary

As you can see, there are plenty of ways to find below market value property using multiple strategies which you can then investigate. Remember to stick to your plan and only buy those properties you are interested in adding to your portfolio. Don’t get pulled into a property deal that you don’t really want, or deals you cannot handle, just because you see a potential profit.

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11:37:55 GMT • 14 January 2025

What are the Most Popular Event Types?

By Mandy Czyz

17 March 2022

•

5 mins read

Contributors

Mandy Czyz

Mandy has been with Starpeak Insurance Solutions since 2018, starting in sales in the consumer department and mov...

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As a busy event organiser, there are a plethora of different event types you may be asked to organise from parties and weddings to large corporate events. Here we look at some of the most popular event types.

About Us

At Protectivity, we are specialists in the provision of what we believe is comprehensive event insurance. Our event insurance offers protection for you as an event planner. Our cover options are suited to event planners organising or taking part in a wide range of events, including parties, food festivals and sporting events. From Public Liability cover to insurance for event cancellation, we have your back.

1. Corporate Events

There are a wide variety of corporate events with the main ones being:

Conferences

Conferences are typically large-scale events, that may run for one, two or even three days. They feature several guest speakers, often in different areas or large rooms, which means attendees have multiple leaders and potential topics they can learn from and about. These events involve lots of planning, but this also means you can charge a lot of money, to cover costs such as food and the venue. Plus, travel and accommodation for the speakers.

Seminars

Seminars are similar to conferences but on a smaller scale size and cost-wise. Typically, they may only last a day or even half a day.

Exhibitions

Rather like conferences in terms of being a large-scale event (but without as much outlay to you as an event planner as exhibitors will organise their own transport etc.), exhibitions allow different product and service providers to showcase their businesses. They allow businesses to connect, carry out market research and even test out new products.

Other corporate event types could include workshops and classes, networking, awards and competitions, VIP experiences, speaker sessions, trade shows and expos.

2. Social Events

Reunions, parties and themed events can be as small or large as the customer requires. You may be asked to plan a Wedding which will involve everything from organising the venue, table decorations, seating etc. to bridal accommodation on the day and comfort and facilities for the guests.

For reunion events you could get together old photos of the people involved and display them on a screen. Organise an on-site photographer to make more memories for the attendees.

Other social events could involve ‘special’ parties such as an 18^th Birthday party or wedding anniversary celebration. These may or may not be themed.

For people who cannot attend, the event could also be virtual. (Which leads us on to the next point).

3. Virtual Events

Especially since the Covid pandemic, virtual events are extremely common. They are a cost-effective way for businesses to run conferences, webinars, classes and summits. They can even be interactive.

For an event planner, making sure you arrange the right technology needed for a virtual event will make sure there are no glitches.

4. Fundraising Events

Holding events to fundraise is a popular way to spread awareness of a cause as well as raise funds. Fundraising events could be small, online auction type events requiring very little spend or, on a much bigger scale, such as sponsored sporting events and gala dinners held at large venues.

5. Festivals

Festivals typically involve music or food and are large events usually run over a few days. They involve a lot of planning from finding the right venue to lining up the acts (if a music festival) to organising vendors.

As many festivals tend to be outdoors there can be weather challenges. With our event cancellation insurance, if you have to cancel or abandon an event due to adverse weather conditions, you have the peace of mind of financial protection.

6. Community Events

Bringing together communities could involve events such as street parties or swap shops. If you are planning a street event, organisers do need to be very aware of local council rules and regulations.

7. Hybrid Events

We have mentioned these before in other categories. Hybrid events are events such as festivals, parties and conferences that are held both at a venue and virtually.

8. Pop Up Events

Pop up events may sound very spontaneous, but they still need a lot of organising. These are typically a one-off event that lasts for a limited time. This gives business owners the chance to showcase their products or services and can include exercise classes, food collaborations and boutique shops.

Being an event organiser can involve organising many different event types, with each type needing its own special considerations. We hope this blog has given you some useful ideas.

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11:37:36 GMT • 14 January 2025

The Best Dog Walking Gear 2022

14 March 2022

•

4 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

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From hands-free dog leads to LED torches for night-time dog walking, here we round up some of the best, all-weather dog walking gear and accessories for 2022.

About Us

If you run a dog walking business, apart from having the right equipment to make your job as easy as possible, one of the most important must-haves is Dog Walking Insurance.

Our dog walking insurance includes public liability cover for dog walking as well as 13 other pet care activities (such as home boarding, pet grooming and pet sitting). We also offer flexible payment plans so you can manage your budget.

Let’s dive into some of the best dog walking gear and accessories for 2022.

Dog walking coats

A waterproof jacket is a must, especially with our unpredictable British weather. Look for a breathable one that has a drawstring hood to stop the wind pulling it off. The hood should also be able to go over any cold weather head gear you may have on.

Easily accessible, deep pockets are also a must (for dog treats, gloves etc.)

Length wise, you may wish to get a shorter jacket for easier movement and wear it with waterproof over-trousers. (Look for ones with elasticated bottoms to keep the rain out and make it easier to put boots on).

Or get a longer version and wear high waterproof boots or wellies. Which leads us on to…

Walking boots or wellies

If you are going on muddy, wet, walks with your dog, then make sure you buy boots with stable footing. For example, the Grisport boots from one dog walking equipment provider incorporate a stabilizer into the sole unit. This helps stop your boots from twisting, giving you a more stable walk.If you opt for wellies instead, do remember that they won’t withstand snow and should be reserved for wet days only! You can get wellies in different calf sizes to ensure you get the best fit.

Gloves, hats and socks

With all the following, ideally you will want specialist outdoor items rather than the kind you can buy on the High Street.Gloves should be waterproof, warm, and comfortable. Choose ones that have a good grip so you can hold on to the dog leads firmly.

Socks wise, go for sweat wicking socks so your feet keep cool on those long doggy walks.

Ditto with hats. Look for well-fitting hats or caps so they don’t blow off in strong winds. They should also be warm and ideally sweat-wicking hats to keep you comfortable. Hats with brims will stop the rain dripping down your face and the back of your neck. Material wise, you may prefer wax caps that can be reproofed. Or look for washable hats.

Layer up

Thin, easy to remove layers of clothes will help you feel comfortable on your dog walks. Bamboo clothing is better than cotton clothing as it wicks away sweat. Cotton clothing tends to ‘hold’ sweat.

Hands-free dog walking

Online you can find a hands-free dog walking accessory that fits around your hips or waist with an adjustable belt. That then clips to your dog’s collar with a bungee type of lead.

The lead also has two handles so you can correct your dog easily. Depending on the brand you buy, some of these hands-free dog walking kits also include an integrated pouch in which to keep dog poop bags etc.

Let there be light

Finally, a small, LED torch will prove invaluable for those early morning or late-night dog walks. There are lots of options available online, many of which are rechargeable and pocket-sized.

If our blog helped you sort out your dog walking gear, why not check another useful article: Dog Theft: how to prevent your customers’ dogs being stolen.

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11:37:24 GMT • 14 January 2025

Let’s Talk About Event Budgeting!

By Mandy Czyz

3 March 2022

•

4 mins read

Contributors

Mandy Czyz

Mandy has been with Starpeak Insurance Solutions since 2018, starting in sales in the consumer department and mov...

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As an event planner, seasoned or beginner, there are a few crucial steps you need to consider while planning and delivering your event. Most of this revolves around your event budget and your ability to manage it. You need to be able to deliver an event, not just on time, but also on budget. In this article, we look at the elements that may impact whether you can stick to your event budget.

About us

At Protectivity we are a specialist in niche commercial, leisure, and lifestyle insurance. Our tailored products cover thousands of individuals and small to medium size businesses across the UK, including our popular Event Cancellation Insurance, to protect our customers against unforeseen events.

Event focus

The focus and goal of your event are really the most important thing you need to decide before you even consider a budget. Without knowing who your event is targeted at, how many people you want to attend, and the outcome you want, it is difficult to plan. Consider:

1. Is this a small intimate event such as a networking event or something larger like an Expo with multiple vendors and speakers?
2. Is it a free or paid-for event?
3. Is it a local or national event?
4. Is this an exposure event or a profit-making event?
5. How many people do you want to attend?
6. Is it a few hours, a single day or a multi-day event?
7. Do you already have people to invite, or do you need to market to attract attendees?
8. What kind of refreshments are you providing? Do you need to arrange caterers?
9. Will this event be run online as well as the physical event?
10. Have you already been given a budget that you need to work within?

As you can see, these are just a few questions you should be asking. Hiring a room in a hotel needs a very different budget and planning to, say, hiring Wembley stadium. You need to do this first before you ever consider building or opening your event budget template.

Event budget

Once you have decided on the focus for your event, you can start thinking about a budget. While a budget is not set in stone, it needs to be accurate enough that you can get an understanding of what it will cost and what you need for it to deliver.

At this point you can start getting ideas for venue quotes, the cost for speakers, marketing spend for the event, and other items you will need to run an event. Here are a few ideas for what you need to consider. Please note this is not an exhaustive list.

1. Venue
2. Speakers / Host costs
3. Staffing – Paid or Volunteer
4. Equipment – AV Equipment
5. Food and Beverages
6. Event Marketing
7. Furniture – for stands, stage chairs or breakout areas … and much more.

The spreadsheet – your event budget template

How you collate and manage all of this comes down to a spreadsheet. A spreadsheet or event budget template can help you list all the costs you need. It can allow you to add a budget for each line item you consider you will need to run the event.

Once you have your spreadsheet it will be easier to see what elements you have missed – or you can readily share it with colleagues to look at and add their own items if required. Remember your budgeted costs are not your actual costs, but good planning at this stage can mean these two numbers are close to each other!

You can add a suggested budget per item and that will give you an overall budget required. It would also be prudent to overestimate rather than underestimate those costs. Experienced event planners would also add a percentage of the overall budget as a contingency fund on top.

Summary

Budgeting for an event is something you need to work on before you start to book anything. The success of your event can come down to how well you manage and update your budget spreadsheet. Finally, having a detailed event plan with a well-defined budget that covers as much as possible – as well as a clear set of objectives of what you want from your event – will help you deliver an event that is a success and works for everyone involved.

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11:37:05 GMT • 14 January 2025

Average Cost of Dog Grooming in the UK

2 March 2022

•

3 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

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Research shows the average cost of dog grooming in the UK is £43, but prices range from £20 to £90 or even more. The amount paid depends on several factors including location, dog breed, hair type and the dog grooming service required.

If you are a dog grooming business, then this can be a great thing as it could mean increased profits. But it is not simply about businesses putting up their dog grooming prices. This blog discusses why the cost of dog grooming in the UK is increasing.

About Us

As one of the leading providers of pet business insurance and dog grooming insurance, we understand that keeping on top of costs in and out of your business is key to its success. That is why we pride ourselves on offering what we believe is comprehensive and cost-effective insurance for your dog grooming, sitting and other pet-related business activities.

Pet ownership increases

One of the current reasons for an increase in dog grooming costs is simply a matter of supply and demand. There has been a massive uplift in pet ownership as a by-product of Covid-19 and lockdowns. The Pet Food Manufacturers Association released its UK pet survey recently and reported that 2.1m (19%) people collected a new pet in lockdown and 1.8m (16%) are planning to add a pet to their household.

With an increase in pet ownership, comes an increased need for dog grooming. With dog grooming salons not growing as fast as ownership, it means this is potentially one reason for increased dog grooming costs, as salons are much more in demand.

Health concerns

Another reason for increased dog grooming prices is the actual service being offered to pet owners is more comprehensive. It is no longer just simply a cut, blow-dry and “manicure”.

Dog groomers are now helping identify and treat skin problems before a pet needs vet treatment, some dog groomers offer puppy pamper packages, and for elderly or immobile owners, provide a collect and drop-off service.

Better treatment and care

With new qualifications and understanding, the industry has been able to help dog groomers provide better levels of care. Manufacturers have created improved products to help dog groomers better support dog owners. While no UK figures are available, research suggests the pet shampoo market is set to grow by around 60% by 2028 – and grooming professionals make up a large part of that purchasing power.

More skilled workforce

Dog groomers now have access to better and more detailed training and qualifications, meaning they are better placed to provide great quality care and service. With this increased specialism, we see an increase in certain types of services being offered.

Summary

The average cost of dog grooming has certainly increased but this is not just due to dog groomers wanting to charge more money. There are several factors we have highlighted that have seen dog grooming prices rise. While prices are increasing, it is reassuring to see that dog owners are increasingly taking their pets’ health seriously.

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11:36:34 GMT • 14 January 2025

A Guide on Starting a Market Stall

By Mandy Czyz

2 March 2022

•

5 mins read

Contributors

Mandy Czyz

Mandy has been with Starpeak Insurance Solutions since 2018, starting in sales in the consumer department and mov...

Get stallholder insurance from Protectivity

Have you noticed that some market stalls seem to attract crowds of eager customers while others languish with barely a visitor? What is the key difference between them? Let’s take a look.

About us

We know a thing or two about market stalls. That’s thanks to our expertise and experience in arranging insurance for events like food markets along with stallholder insurance. We also offer many tailored policies including cancellation insurance for events, all of which can be tailored to your needs as a small business or event organiser.

Your pitch – planning

Successful market stalls are usually not conjured up by chance. They are the product of careful and meticulous planning and research. If you want to attract the crowds and sell to them, you need to know just what the crowds want, what will convince them to buy, and how much they will be prepared to pay.

Planning will encompass your choice of a market stall – is it part of a permanent market, for example, or a one-off, one-day event? Perhaps it’s a weekly street market or even a farmers’ market – which might influence the kind of products you sell. A car-boot sale might be one of the easiest ways of testing out your initial stallholder skills.

Insurance

Some fairs will require you to hold Public Liability as standard practice and upon booking your stall, you may well be asked to provide a copy of your certificate.

Public Liability Insurance for stallholders protects you if a third party makes a claim against you for injury or damage for which you are found to be responsible for. Consider also getting insurance cover for your products and equipment in case they get damaged whilst at the Craft Fair.

Research

Just as you would for any other kind of enterprise, you must ensure there is demand for the type of products you are selling.

Ask yourself how that demand is also met by competing outlets – such as shops, supermarkets, online stores, and so on – so that you can develop a unique selling point for your stall.

For example, you might want to emphasise that your products are locally sourced, are fresher than your competitors, or are cheaper than customers will find elsewhere.

Setting Up

Once you’ve completed your planning and research, it’s time to buy the goods you’ll be selling.

Stock control will be an important measure of your success as a stallholder – too much in hand and you will have spent more than necessary. Not enough and you will be unable to meet your customers’ demands. Neither situation will help the bottom line of your business.

That is where a business plan will come into its own – showing you when you’re best placed to buy the products you want to sell and how much stock you might need to keep in hand and store. Those questions will also be influenced, of course, by the availability – or cost – of the necessary storage space.

Also, you may need to think seasonally – if you are planning on selling clothes, for example, then buy in clothes for the current and perhaps the next season.

By its very definition, a market stall is unlikely to require much at all in the way of equipment. Whatever is necessary – food-slicers, scales, or the like – you can probably start off with the very minimum and add further pieces of useful equipment as the business grows.

Now you’re in business

Once you’ve set up, running your market stall will require ongoing marketing – to attract new customers and reassure existing customers that you’re still in business offering even better deals than ever.

Your operations will also need to comply with whatever regulations, bylaws and legislation apply to your particular line of business.

Trading from market stalls, for instance, is regulated through licensing systems operated by the relevant local council. The size of your stall, its location, and when you can run it are all questions set out in your licence – and the details, of course, vary from one local authority to another. Whether your licence allows you to trade permanently or on a temporary or casual basis is also made clear in your licence.

Consult the official website to find out which local council grants market stall trader licences in the area in which you are interested.

Successful trading

Market stalls offer a unique and relatively easy introduction to trading. Follow some of the steps we’ve described, and you might be on your way to creating a successful grass-roots business.

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11:36:48 GMT • 14 January 2025

Which Property Strategy may be Suitable for You?

24 February 2022

•

3 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

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If you are looking to join the estimated 2.7m landlords in the UK investing in property, it may be useful to consider which buy-to-let strategy is most suitable for you. We hope the following guide will help you in your buy-to-let property venture.

About us

Our Rent Guarantee Insurance policy protects your income stream if your tenants fail to pay their rent, as well as providing you with legal expenses cover to help you pursue those rent arrears*.

What is a buy-to-let strategy?

When you invest in a buy-to-let (BTL) property, you are buying a property specifically to rent out to tenants. They pay you rent, and you should, after expenses, still make a monthly income from that rent. Giving you extra monthly income.

The property will hopefully also increase in value, meaning that you could expect long-term capital gains**.

Defining your BTL strategy can help you decide on the types of property to invest in and the types of tenants you want to attract.

What are the different types of buy-to-let?

There can be many ways to invest in property, including but not limited to:

Residential properties

Having a single let – this is a single property, a house or flat, that you rent to a family, couple, single person or group of friends.

Investing in a ‘House in Multiple Occupation’ (HMO) – HMO’s are typically properties that have several tenants from different households sharing some facilities. A student house is a great example of this.

Portfolio property investment – this is where you own four or more mortgaged properties – for example, a block of flats or several different homes.

Commercial properties

Commercial – this is where you rent out a commercial property (the benefits tend to be longer-term agreements)

Commercial to residential development opportunities – for example, you buy a warehouse and convert it into flats.

Other property investment strategies

There are also other strategies such as Serviced Accommodation (Holiday lets or corporate lets) and “flipping” properties (where you buy a property in need of TLC, renovate it and then sell it for a profit).

Which buy to let investment strategy is appropriate for you?

We’ve outlined several property investment strategies above. Choosing the most suitable option for you is a matter of personal choice and circumstance.

Considerations may include how much money you have to invest, whether you want to be hands-on or use a managing agent, whether you have renovation and building skills (if you are looking to ‘flip’ a property for example), and your attitude to risk.

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11:36:09 GMT • 14 January 2025

Dog Theft: How to Prevent your Customers’ Dogs being Stolen

4 October 2021

•

4 mins read

Contributors

Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...

Get dog walking insurance from Protectivity

The theft of a pet is a potential nightmare for owners, but for professional dog walkers, sitters and other professionals there’s the added responsibility of the animal in question belonging to someone else.

Sadly the numbers of dogs being stolen has risen sharply in the last few years, with the Blue Cross reporting a rise of 170% from 2019 and 2020.

With those figures being deeply concerning, it’s more vital than ever for pet professionals to ensure they protect their clients’ pets from adding to this unfortunate figure.

About Us

Protectivity is one of UK’s leading online providers of Pet Business Insurance, protecting over 14,000 pet care professionals every year. Our policy extends to include dog walking insurance, pet sitting insurance and dog grooming insurance, as well as protection for 11 other pet care professions.

Why are more dogs being stolen?

The disappointing fact is that pets, in particular dogs, have, and will always be stolen. However during the pandemic there has been a rise in dog ownership, and with the standard supply and demand model, with more prospective owners, the price tag goes up.

That rise in potential profit to be made from dog sales means the most unscrupulous sellers are going that extra mile to ensure they have dogs to make money from.

Owners and pet business operators cannot completely take away the risk of falling victim to pet theft, but there are plenty of things they can do.

Here are some of our top tips…

1. Don’t leave dogs unattended

It should come as first nature to dog walkers and owners but leaving dogs unattended in public spaces increases the chance of you falling foul to thieves dramatically.

That includes leaving dogs tied up outside shops or other businesses, inside a parked car or at the park.

The less time a dog is out of your sight, the less chance there is for the dog to be stolen.

2. Ensure your setting is secure

If your business involves keeping dogs on your premises, or even if you are visiting those of your clients, making sure they are secure is hugely important.

We all know dogs can sometimes take off of their own accord, so it’s worth checking that fences and property boundaries will keep even the most inquisitive dog inside.

By keeping your dogs inside, you can also keep potential thieves out.

3. Watch what you post on social media

Social media can be a great place to showcase your business to potential clients but it also comes with potential risks.

Posting your walks, daily activities or generally marketing your business is good, however there’s also the chance it’ll tell potential thieves where and when there’s an opportunity to steal a dog.

If you must post daily about your dog walks, it’s worth mixing things up to avoid a regular routine that can set you up for the risk of dog napping.

4. Ask that your clients’ dogs have good recall

Letting dogs off the lead when out on a walk obviously gives them an opportunity for a good run to burn off some steam, but it’s always worth ensuring they come back when called.

Should they fail to return on demand it increases the chances of them being snatched by thieves.

Whether you train the dogs yourself, or ask the owners to make an effort to teach dogs good recall, it can increase the safety of the pooches in your care.

5. Invest in a dog GPS system

It might seem an extreme investment, but with the value of certain dog breeds in the thousands, the outlay of a dog GPS system might be money well spent.

There are a number of options on the market, starting from around £50, so if you’ve got a lot of different animals in your care it can be a wise investment.

Should they take off, or worse still, be stolen, a tracker will allow you and the owner to see exactly where they go.

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11:35:27 GMT • 14 January 2025

A Beginners Guide on How to Set Up Google Ads for your Small Business

By Bee Ingram

22 July 2021

•

6 mins read

Contributors

My main focus is managing the blog and product content for the Protectivity website ensuring everything aligns wi...

Google Ads is Google’s online advertising platform which allows you to create online ads to reach audiences that are interested in the products and services that you offer. The Google Ads platform runs on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning you have to pay every time a visitor clicks your ad. Even with the smallest of budgets, if you learn how to use Google Ads correctly, it can be one of the most profitable ways to market your business.

About Protectivity

Protectivity is a specialist in niche commercial, leisure and lifestyle insurance. We cover thousands of individuals and small to medium size businesses across the UK, offering a range of tailored insurance products, such as Hairdressing Insurance, Personal Trainer Insurance and Pet Business Insurance, that protect our customers against unforeseen events.

Step 1: Sign up process

If you already have a Google Account (in other words, if you use any other Google product, such as Gmail), you can sign up by entering your Google email address and password, then click ‘Sign in’.

If you don’t have an account or want to use a different email address to sign in, just click ‘Create an account’ at the bottom of the screen and follow the instructions to create and confirm your new Google account.

Step 2: What’s your advertising goal?

Shortly after you have provided the basic information to Google, you will be asked ‘What’s your main advertising goal?’. Your answer to this question will depend on the type of business that you run or work for and what its advertising goals are.

Do you want to attract phone calls to your business? Or do you prefer to drive sales to your eCommerce website? Maybe you want to attract more people to a physical location such as a gym? Simply select the option that is best suited to your advertising goals.

Step 3: Write your ad

Google will ask you to confirm your business name and website, plus you’ll need to complete a verification process. Once complete, you’ll then need to create your ad. Here is the place to put your creative hat on and write a captivating advert that will encourage people to click on it.

You should consider using keywords in your advert copy that is specific to what people are searching, as well as a clear call-to-action.

Assuming you are just getting started with learning how to create a Google ad in AdWords, we’ll start with the basics. A text ad is made up of these three main parts; headlines, description lines and final URL.

– Headline 1 is the most prominent part of your ad, so it should clearly state what your business is or the product or service you are offering. For example, a personal trainer might use the headline ‘Experienced Personal Trainer’.

– Headline 2 should be used to shout about one of your key USP’s. If you were a gym business owner, for example, you might use ‘Zero Sign-Up Fees’ or ‘Only £X.XX A Month’.

– Headline 3 is optional. We suggest using it for a call-to-action such as ‘Call Us Today’ or ‘Book Online Now’.

– The description lines should provide more detail about what you offer and why the person reading your ad should visit your website.

– The final URL is the landing page of your website that you want people to go to. This should always be the most relevant page on your site.

Once your Google Ads account is set up, we suggest you go into your campaign settings to create Ad Extensions. Ad Extensions expand your ad with additional information such as USPs and/or additional services.

Step 4: Choose your keywords

Keywords are the search queries that people search for in Google. For example, a professional barber might need public liability insurance and, therefore, search for ‘public liability insurance for barbers’ in Google.

To start with, you want to be as specific as you can with your keywords – think about what your ideal customer would be searching for in Google to find your product or service.

You can always use Google’s free Keyword Planner Tool to help you with this area. It will tell you how many people are searching for your keyword(s), plus it will offer estimates on how much it will cost you each time someone clicks on your advert, in turn giving you some idea of how much it will cost you to run the advertising.

Step 5: Location

During the next step, you need to select the geographic location(s) where you would like your ads to show. Your targeting can be as broad as the entire world or as specific as a single post code.

If you have a small business and want to attract people coming to your location, we recommend choosing “advertise near an address”, then you’ll be targeting people in your specific local area.

Step 6: Set a budget

Google will give you a set of budget options that you can consider before you decide on a final figure.

From the image below, you can see that Google offers an estimate on the number of clicks your adverts will get as well as the maximum monthly spend.

Despite Google being kind enough to offer you such insights, we would advise you to enter your own budget. If you want to spend more (or less) in the future, you will have the option to change it.

Put simply, you are saying to Google that you are prepared to spend X amount on your advertising.

You can also select to run your campaign continuously or until a specific date.

Step 7: Confirm payment info

Your last step is to enter your business and payment details.

And there you have it, your account should be all set up. Once you complete the initial set-up, we advise keeping an eye on the campaign to see how well it is performing (i.e. How many clicks have you attracted? How much is it costing you per click?).

One final thing that we suggest you look into ASAP after launching your campaign is conversion tracking…

Conversion Tracking

Conversion Tracking is vital to monitor how well your advertising is performing. Without it, knowing if your adverts are producing website sales or leads (i.e. form submissions and/or phone calls) for your business is extremely difficult.

You can find out how to set up the correct Google Ads conversion tracking by visiting this page.

Thanks for reading this article, we hope you found it useful. If you did, you might find this relatable read of interest: How to use Instagram to market your small business

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