Starting a business Archives - Page 8 of 11

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4 mins read

Contributors

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

Whether you are experienced property investor or just set foot in the investor property world, our curated list of top UK property podcasts will help you find the best source of information for all things property investing related.

About Us

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.

Progressive Property Podcast

Publisher: Kevin McDonnell

Total Episodes: 257

Ranked as the UK’s #1*, The Progressive Property Podcast is another weekly and well-established podcast which focuses mainly on property investing and is advertised at “buy & hold investors, flippers, deal packagers or multi-letters”.

It features a great variety of guests, so you’ll hear from millionaire property investors and keep up to date with the latest market trends, laws and regulations for free. What could be a better inspiration than hearing the stories of those who have succeeded sharing their personal journeys, answering hotly debated questions and providing you with key takeaways?

Property Hub

Publisher: Rob Bence and Rob Dix

Total Episodes: 461

Whether you are just starting out, or managing a large investment portfolio, the Property Podcast from Property Hub is the one that everyone could listen. Rob Bence and Rob Dix share their opinion on a variety of property topics and property news each week, passing on their knowledge and advice to the listeners. They are also both investors, so they have experienced the UK property market first-hand.

In addition to the latest industry news, conversational advice, and essential resources you’ll also hear a few bad jokes, so you won’t fall asleep. You certainly don’t want to miss the popular “Ask Rob & Rob”, where they answer questions from listeners like you.

Inside Property Investing

Publisher: Mike & Victoria Stenhouse

Total Episodes: 354

Mike & Victoria started the Inside Property Investing podcast with the intention to document their ups and downs of creating their property portfolio, which now represents a single resource for news, advice, and industry insights to help you succeed on your property journey.

If you tune in, you can listen to the stories of some of the most inspiring and successful property investors, developers, and entrepreneurs in the UK.

Property Magic Podcast

Publisher: Simon Zutshi

Total Episodes: 187

Simon Zutshi is a professional property investor with over 2 decades of personal experience. In his podcast you can dive deep into his investor mindset and listen to property investing strategies from his book, Property Magic.

Simon also shares first-hand Property Investing tactics, hints and tricks, which he also discusses at various educational programmes. Wherever you are on your property investment journey, the Property Magic Podcast will equip you with essential knowledge and practical tips.

The Property Talk from RWinvest

Publisher: RWinvest

Total Episodes: 17

Don’t be deceived by the number of podcasts, The Property Talk from RWinvest has been featured in the Entrepreneur and ranked as one of Feedspot’s “Top 5 Property Investment Podcasts You Must Follow in 2021”.

By tuning in you can listen to general discussions from experienced investors, critical marketing predictions and specific investment topics.

The latest episodes have been dedicated on the UK’s post pandemic property market, tips on buying a rental property and creating a property business plan.

Get Rent Guarantee Insurance from Protectivity

Get rent guarantee insurance from Protectivity

*Disclaimer – This blog has been created as general information and should not be taken as advice. Make sure you have the correct level of insurance for your requirements and always review policy documentation. Information is factually accurate at the time of publishing but may have become out of date.

Last updated by

Bee Ingram

11:38:27 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...

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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.

Get Stallholder Insurance from Protectivity

Get stallholder insurance from Protectivity

Last updated by

Bee Ingram

11:36:48 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

Bee Ingram

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

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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

Last updated by

Bee Ingram

09:40:42 GMT • 11 November 2024

How To Start A Dog Walking Business

By Steffi Cavaliere

3 June 2021

•

10 mins read

Contributors

Steffi Cavaliere

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

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How to become a dog walker

Britain is a nation of dog lovers, and everyone wants to make sure that their treasured terrier or cherished cockapoo stays fit and healthy.

The only problem is that with people living such busy lives, because of work, family and other commitments, it can be hard for them to find the time to give their dog proper exercise.

But their challenge could be your opportunity. All over the UK, many people are setting up their own dog walking businesses, taking people’s four-pawed friends out on a stroll for a pre-arranged fee.

It can be great fun and an excellent way to keep yourself fit – but it isn’t quite as simple as knocking on your neighbour’s door and grabbing hold of a lead.

Like any business, there are lots of things that need to be addressed to ensure that a dog walking business runs successfully. In this guide, we’ll take a look at all the steps you need to take to develop a successful dog walking business:

Experience is key!

Dogs can be challenging, especially if they’re not familiar with you, and that’s before considering that the temperament of dogs can vary substantially from one breed to another.

That’s why it’s vital that you have good experience of walking different types of dog (and not just your own if you have one!) before you start.

You’ve also got to be prepared for the weather. If pet owners have enlisted your services to walk their dog, they’ll be expecting you to provide that service even if the weather is bad.

Ensuring you have not only the right equipment and clothing, but also the right mentality for all-weather dog walking, is therefore very important.

Once you’re properly up and running, you should find yourself walking multiple dogs simultaneously. While you may feel confident and experienced enough to handle a large number of dogs, it’s worth considering what your realistic and practical limit would be.

Additionally, you may find that a limitation is placed on you by your insurer (read more about insurance below) – many insurers insist on a maximum of between four and six dogs at any one time.

Dog walking laws and regulations

It might seem like walking a dog is a very simple exercise, but when operating as a walking service, there are lots of rules and regulations that you may have to comply with. These include (but are not necessarily limited to)

Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs)

PSPOs are put in place by local councils in particular areas to restrict the number of dogs in that space. These are typically local parks or areas where large numbers of dogs may congregate.

Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005

Offences such as failing to clear up dog poo properly or not keeping a dog on a lead fall under this legislation, in places where Dog Control Orders apply. Penalties can reach up to a maximum of a £1000 fine.

Control of Dogs Order 1992

All dogs in public places are required by law to wear a collar that includes the name and address of the dog’s owner. This can be written or engraved, but as a dog walker, you should ensure this information is present before you start each walk.

Dangerous Dogs Act 1991

If a dog is considered to be ‘dangerously out of control’, then a criminal offence is being committed by the person deemed to be responsible for its control at the time.

Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953

If walking dogs around farmland or other rural areas, you should always keep them on leads and well away from any livestock. In the case of farmland, dogs must not chase or attack any kind of livestock; in this scenario, farmers are legally entitled to take measures to protect their animals, potentially up to the point of shooting the dog in question.

The Countryside Code

Although not necessarily legally binding, the UK Government’s Countryside Code provides helpful advice for walking dogs in rural areas responsibly. In particular, it advises to always keep a dog in sight or on a lead, ensure that a dog will return when commanded to do so, and to make sure a dog doesn’t stray into an area where right of way doesn’t apply.

Dog walking qualifications – do you need one?

There is no legal requirement to possess any specific qualifications to run a dog walking business. But getting some dog walking qualifications can be helpful: it can give you additional expertise and experience, and can give you some extra credibility when marketing to potential customers. Potential qualifications to explore include:

Animal care qualifications

Credentials that show an aptitude for taking good care of animals – such as animal behaviour or animal first aid – look good on any CV or website.

City & Guilds

There are a range of City & Guilds Technical Competence Certificates available that relate to dog walking. Of particular relevance are the Level 2 certificates in Dog Walking; Pet Sitting; and Animal Health, Husbandry and Handling; and the Level 3 certificate in Animal Nutrition.

Dog-specific qualifications

A variety of different bodies offer their own courses and certifications aimed at improving the standards of dog walking and animal care, including those at the National Association of Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers, and Think Dog.

Cost and finance considerations

There are plenty of things to take into account on the business side of things when starting out as a dog walker.

Formulating a good business plan should form part of your initial work, helping you establish how you’re going to attract and retain customers, how you can stand out from your competitors, and how you’ll operate day-to-day.

The business plan should also consider any costs you may incur in your operations, in particular around transport.

In bigger cities, it may be possible to use public transport to travel from one client to another (as long as the dog walking market isn’t already saturated).

However, in most cases, your own vehicle will be needed to get yourself around – and your dogs if you want to travel for walks further afield.

You will also need to make a decision about your business status. Initially, it may make more sense to operate as a sole trader, but if your business grows (especially to the point you start to employ other people) it may be beneficial to register as a limited company with Companies House instead.

Dog walking business administration

There are several other business-related duties that you’ll need to fulfil, both as part of the set-up process, and on an ongoing basis once you’re up and running. These include:

Checks

You will need to undergo and pass a criminal record check if you are to enter the houses of any of your customers, or hold their house keys at any point. This means applying to the Disclosure and Barring Service if you’re in England or Wales, Disclosure Scotland, or AccessNI if you’re in Northern Ireland.

Contracts

A solid contract, along with terms and conditions, are vital for clearly defining what you’ll do in return for payment, and to ensure you get paid. It also gives you valuable legal protection in the event of a dispute.

Accounting

Whether you’re a sole trader or limited company, you’ll still be expected to keep and file accounts for tax purposes. You should set up a small business bank account in order to keep business and personal money separate.

Marketing your dog walking business

Getting your dog walking business noticed is one of the most important parts of the job, and it can be one of the trickiest.

There are lots of different ideas you can pursue, but ideally you need to think of ways that stand you out from the crowd, whether that be through different services you offer, attractive pricing, good qualifications (as mentioned above), or through offers, referrals and incentives.

Then you can put these ideas into practice across a range of platforms and mediums. Don’t neglect the more traditional ways of marketing such as leaflets, placing adverts in the local paper or good old word of mouth – these marketing materials may be low-tech but they can still be very effective.

Then of course there’s social media (especially including videos), which should have a clear focus on driving interest towards people making bookings or enquiries, ideally through your website.

A website is essential but it doesn’t have to be overly complex: a few pages explaining who you are, what you do and what stands you out as the best choice gives customers all the information they need to know.

To take your marketing to the next level, consider the ways you can join the dots of all your marketing methods together and build a brand.

In the same way that big businesses have logos, imagery, colour schemes and a tone of voice that makes them instantly recognisable, you can apply many of the same principles on a smaller scale. If you can get these key communication skills right, then your business will be the first one that people think of when they decide to find a dog walker.

Obtain dog walking insurance

Like the qualifications, dog walking insurance is not a legal requirement, but we strongly recommend you take out a policy for a host of reasons.

Firstly, you never know what may happen to you or the dogs that you walk when you’re out and about. Dogs can jump out in front of people, cyclists or cars; they can attack other dogs or cats; their leads can trip up other people (or yourself if you aren’t careful!) – and that’s just three of the things that can happen.

Ensuring that you’re protected if you’re unable to work for whatever reason, and that you can cover any claims arising from injuries or accident damage, including any vet bills incurred.

Exploring public liability insurance and ‘Care, Custody and Control’ cover can ensure that both you and your business are protected, whatever the future may hold.

At Protectivity, we provide a host of dog walking insurance policies so that you can start your new business with confidence. Take a closer look at dog walking business insurance today, and find a wide-ranging policy at a price that suits you.

Get Dog Walking Insurance from Protectivity

Get dog walking insurance from Protectivity

Last updated by

Bee Ingram

11:33:28 GMT • 14 January 2025

How to Use Instagram to Promote your Small Business

By Bee Ingram

18 May 2021

•

5 mins read

Contributors

Bee Ingram

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

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Using Instagram paid advertising is a fantastic way to reach a wider audience, boost credibility, and convert more sales. More than 28 million people use Instagram every month in the UK*, and roughly 90% of them follow at least one business. This means that, in 2021, utilizing Instagram to promote your business could help boost your number of clients.

How to open a Business Instagram account

1. Go to your profile and tap Menu in the top right-hand corner.
2. Tap Settings.
3. For some accounts, the Switch to professional account option will be listed directly under Settings.
4. Tap Account.
5. Tap Switch to professional account.
6. Tap Business.
7. Add details, such as your business category and contact information.
8. Tap Done.

With an Instagram Business account, you’ll be able to access insights that can help you understand who is engaging with your business. You’ll also have access to the professional dashboard, where you can track your performance and discover professional tools.

How to optimise your business Instagram profile

It is important to optimise your Instagram profile and make it look eye catching. It’s where your customers will go to learn more about your brand, visit your website or even book an appointment.

Write a great bio
The people reading your bio were curious enough to visit your profile. So, you have 150 characters to hook them in and show them why they should follow you.

Optimize your profile picture
You can decide to use whatever profile you like, whether that being your logo or something relating to your business for example a hairdresser may have a profile picture of cutting hair. However, it is important that your picture is uniform across all social media platforms to ensure brand recognition.

Add relevant contact info
It’s important to provide a way for people to contact you directly from your profile, not just though your direct inbox on Instagram. Include your email address, phone number or physical address (If you have one).

Add Story Highlights and covers
Add finishing touches to your Instagram profile with profile highlights.

What are Instagram ads?

Instagram ads are posts or stories that businesses pay to promote to users’ Instagram feeds. They can look just like regular Instagram posts, but are always identified by a “Sponsored” label. They can also include a call-to-action button to drive traffic or conversions.

How to set up an Instagram Ad

1. Connect your Instagram to your Facebook Account
– In order to run ads on Instagram, you’ll need to have a Facebook ad account and a Facebook Page.

2. Choose a post to promote

3. Set goals and objectives
– Identify how Instagram can help you accomplish your goals. You could apply the SMART framework to ensure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely.

4. Define your target audience

5. Select Budget

Things to remember

Take thumb-stopping photos
You don’t need to buy a fancy camera; your mobile phone is your best friend when it comes to photos since you can post straight from your device.

Write compelling captions
Instagram may be a visual platform, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect your captions.

Captions allow you to tell the story that makes the photo meaningful. Good captions can build empathy, community, and trust. Or it can just be funny.

Add a Call To Action (CTA)
Want people to click on your link? Tell them why they should.

Keeping tabs on your ads and checking your insights

It can be easy to just leave a recurring advert to do its thing each month without paying much attention. However, monitoring its success can be a good way of increasing its impact. Within the Instagram Insights, it is easily laid out to show you who is engaging with your content and when.

Look at the statistics and then make a business decision on what works and what does not.

Checking your insights:

1. From your profile, tap Insights.
2. Beside Your Audience, tap See All.
3. Scroll down to Most Active Times.
4. Toggle between hours and days to see if a specific time stands out.

Taking your business up a level

Good social media practice and a positive reputation may lay the foundations to marketing your service but paying out for Instagram advertising can be a beneficial expenditure.

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, personal training, pet businesses that protect our customers against unforeseen events.

Last updated by

Bee Ingram

09:40:42 GMT • 11 November 2024

Top 5 Project Management Apps for Small Businesses

By Bee Ingram

1 July 2020

•

3 mins read

Contributors

Bee Ingram

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

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Whether you’re a professional dog walker, hairdresser or personal trainer, project management apps can have a beneficial impact on the way you keep on top of your daily tasks, projects, and teamwork.

We have picked out five of the best project management apps for small businesses, to help keep things running smoothly.

Trello

Whether you need to monitor daily tasks or oversee the completion of a new marketing strategy, Trello lets you organize anything in a fun and flexible way. It is incredibly user-friendly and is based on Kanban boards, it works like a virtual whiteboard with post-it-notes.

Trello is great for organizing your to-do lists, ideas, and is very easy to use. You can create several boards to use for various projects, and best of all it’s FREE. Trello is available to iOS and Android users as well.

Asana

If you are looking for something that is not difficult to use, check out Asana. This is a great task management app that can be used for managing projects as well.

Asana helps you create and share task lists with your team, task prioritization helps teams to be more productive and efficient and all the changes are updated in real-time. The app is simple but smart enough.

Asana is free for up to 15 team members.

Chanty

Chanty is a team chat app that lets you communicate and collaborate with your team. As well as the chat feature, Chanty also allows audio, video calls and screen sharing. Some other cool features include project management, threaded communication, and integrations with other apps such as Dropbox, Trello, GitHub and many others.

Monday.com

If you’d like to plan, organize, track projects in one collaborative space, Monday.com could the right tool for you. Manage any workflow or process and be ready to address any challenge from the simple to the not-so-simple with total ease. Keep up to date with where everything stands and plan for the future with an easily digestible overview.

ProofHub

ProofHub is an all-in-one project management app. It comes packed with powerful features to eliminate the need of having too many different tools to run your business.

Keep all your projects, teams, and communications in one place. It makes it easy to create plans, collaborate with teams and clients and keep things organized.

About Protectivity

Protectivity is a specialist in niche commercial, leisure and lifestyle insurance. Our extensive product offering includes hairdressing insurance, insurance for personal trainers, pet business insurance and much more.

Last updated by

Bee Ingram

09:40:42 GMT • 11 November 2024

How to Start a Mobile Hairdressing Business

By Steffi Cavaliere

30 January 2020

•

6 mins read

Contributors

Steffi Cavaliere

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

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Mobile hairdressing has existed as a business for decades but, as with all industries, it has seen many changes. What does the hairdressing business and specifically the mobile hairdressing business look like today? What are the factors to be considered when setting up a business in 2020 and do mobile hairdressers need insurance?

Setting Prices

When starting any new business, it is important to clarify what services you will be offering and at what price. Do some research on other mobile hairdressing businesses in the area and make sure that your prices are in the same range. Consider the experience that you have and any areas of expertise. For example, a hairdresser who has been in the business for 20 years is likely to be able to charge a higher price than someone who is newly qualified. Consider all your outgoings too, including the products that you will be using and fuel, when setting prices. You can also get a good indication on fees from our blog How Much Does A Barber Earn.

Time Starved Clients

We hear it over and over again, and most of us experience it too. The demands on our time are increasing and as such we often feel like our personal time is being squeezed. With this in mind, any mobile hairdresser who wants to be busy needs to consider offering appointments on days and times to suit the clients. This might mean evening, weekend or lunchtime appointments to fit in with commitments of work or children.

It is also important to manage your own time, and this means ensuring that you allow enough time for each appointment and for travelling in between them. Don’t be tempted to book too many clients in and cause yourself stress. Make sure that you are well prepared with petrol, food and clients phone numbers in case you do get stuck.

Marketing Materials

When setting up a new business it is essential to make yourself known. One of our recent blogs How To Market Your Hairdressing Business To Attract New Clients provides some good tips on that. There are also several low-cost ways of achieving this.

Website

Have a basic website which includes your contact information, details of how to book as well as the services you offer with prices so that potential clients can find the information that they need easily.

Facebook

A Facebook page is also a great way of promoting your business within the local area. There are local Facebook groups within most areas which give you the opportunity to post about the services you offer or any promotions that you have and attract new clients.

Online Directories

There are several directories available online for people to find businesses and services within their local area. Identify the best ones in your area and make sure that your business is listed. Make sure that you keep your contact details up to date so that potential new clients can get in touch easily!

Leaflets

Having a supply of leaflets is a great way of getting your business known. You can leave a supply with other local businesses to help establish yourself within the community. They should be simple, professional and provide basic information such as business name, contact information and an overview of the services that you offer.

Business Cards

These can be as well as or instead of leaflets as a way of getting your information out into the community. Don’t forget that business cards are smaller and therefore more restrictive on the amount of information that you can include on them. Find whatever works best for you and your business.

Insurance

Insurance is important for all businesses and so having Hairdressing Insurance in place is essential to protect yourself from the risks that exist. For example, if you accidentally spill hair dye on a client’s carpet then a client can make a claim against you. In this case, Public Liability Insurance will protect you by covering the associated legal and damage costs. You might also want to consider insurance to cover your equipment and products in case they are stolen or damaged whilst you are working.

Customer Database

Getting hold of new clients is one thing; but keeping hold of them is quite another. Repeat clients are more valuable than new clients, who can cost more in terms of effort to attract them. So, it is well worth doing what you can to ensure that you keep hold of clients once you have them. This can be achieved through providing a great service and good customer care, by offering to book their next appointment before you leave and by keeping in contact. Once a client has booked their details can be added to a database (an excel spreadsheet will suffice). Be sure to get permission to hold their personal data though and follow the GDPR guidelines. Once you have a database then you can send out emails or newsletters on a regular basis advising of any new products or services that you offer, any promotions that you are running and prompt clients to book an appointment. If you time the distribution of this newsletter right, then you can reach customers at a time when they are most receptive (evenings and lunchtimes work best for those working 9am-5pm for example).

The provisions that any hairdressing business will need to make will very much depend on the demands that the clients make, whether it is value for money, customer service or flexible appointments, the focus of any business should always be on meeting the needs of their customer base.

Get Hairdressing Insurance from Protectivity

Get hairdressing insurance from Protectivity

Last updated by

Bee Ingram

09:50:29 GMT • 14 January 2025

How to Become a Personal Trainer

By Mandy Czyz

30 October 2019

•

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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If you love the gym life and want to support people in their own personal training then becoming a personal trainer might be the ideal role for you. But what should you consider when looking to start a career in personal training?

What should you expect?

A Personal Trainer will work closely with their clients to develop and implement a programme of training exercises to help them to achieve a specific target.

This might be weight loss, toning or training for an event such as a marathon. You will be expected to lead a healthy lifestyle yourself enabling you to promote such a lifestyle to your clients.

You will oversee clients as they carry out their programme, you might supervise and lead individual or group exercise sessions and

What skills do you need?

As with all roles that involve working with people, there are some key personal skills that you will need as a personal trainer. These include:

– Patience and Understanding: These are essential skills when working with people

– Flexibility: You might need to be able to adapt a training programme based on your client’s circumstances such as injury or time pressures.

– Positive attitude: You will need to always present yourself in a positive manner. This will help to get the best response from the client that you are working with.

– Independence: Whether you are employed as a Personal Trainer at a gym or are working on a self-employed basis, you will have to be able to work alone in developing programmes and then on a one to one basis with your clients.

– Physical Fitness: You will be required to have a good level of physical fitness to help in promoting this to your client and to be able to work with clients on back to back training programmes throughout the day.

What qualifications and training do you need?

So, do you need a degree to be a personal trainer? The simple answer is no, however working towards a recognised qualification will not only equip you with the skills and training that you need but also provide you with experience and a great selling point when it comes to finding clients. There are lots of colleges that offer training courses.

A Level 2 Fitness Instructor course is a great entry point and stepping-stone for the Level 3 Personal Trainer Course. Contact your local college to see what courses they have available.

Investment

There are a range of training courses available at a range of prices, starting from just a few hundred pounds. There are some other costs to consider when becoming a personal trainer from business set up and marketing to equipment and clothing costs, so you will look professional.

You should also consider taking out specialist public liability insurance for personal trainers. Most gyms and fitness clubs insist on proof of insurance before you start working on the gym floor, therefore, it is important to ensure that you are protected against claims from members of the public or your clients.

Hours

Many of your sessions are likely to be one to one sessions, often with working professionals. As such your hours will be determined by your client’s availability. This might mean working evening and weekends. The hours can be quite long but you can fit these around any other commitments if you need to.

Becoming a personal trainer is a really rewarding role as you support clients in achieving their goals. There are opportunities to become a more specialised sports coach and ultimately become a gym manager if it is a career with progression opportunities that you are looking for. Consider the points above to understand what is involved in becoming a personal trainer.

About Protectivity

As well as Personal Trainer insurance and Gym Insurance we offer insurance to other leisure section entities such as Sports Clubs. Get your quote today by visiting our Sports Club Insurance page.

Get Personal Trainer Insurance from Protectivity

Get personal trainer insurance from Protectivity

Last updated by

Bee Ingram

09:49:39 GMT • 14 January 2025

What is the Average Salary for a Personal Trainer?

By Mandy Czyz

24 October 2019

•

4 mins read

Contributors

Mandy Czyz

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

View profile

The amount that a Personal Trainer will earn depend on a few factors including how many hours you work, your level of qualification and experience, location and any specialist disciplines. Typically, you can expect to earn from £20 to £100 per hour for an elite Personal Trainer.

There are two ways of working as a Personal Trainer. Either you can become an employee of a gym which gives you the financial security of knowing that you have a regular income coming in, or you can become a freelance Personal Trainer which although might have a greater potential to earn, means that you need to source and retain clients yourself.

If you are employed within a gym then you could expect your starting salary to be around £16k. However, if you are self employed then your potential to earn is greater, anywhere from £20k – £40k. The average salary of a Personal Trainer is dependent on a number of factors.

Hours of work

If you work as a Personal Trainer at a gym, then your hours are likely to be set in your contract.

When freelancing, the hours that you work very much depend on what works for you and your clients. You might find that your key hours of work might be evenings and weekends if your clients are working 9am-5.30pm, 5 days a week. You might then be able to accommodate other clients throughout the day.

Level of qualification

There are colleges nationwide offering courses to become a Personal Trainer with different levels of qualification.

A Level 2 qualification is easier and faster to achieve and will enable you to become a Fitness Instructor. A Level 3 qualification gets you to a Personal Trainer level and enables to charge more per hour.

You can then work towards further qualifications in specialisms such as sports nutrition to boost your knowledge and your earnings.

Experience

As with most skills, the more experience that you have, the better the service that you can offer and therefore the more that you can charge.

Try and build up a portfolio of experience across a range of different skills and disciplines and ask clients to provide testimonials.

Location

You might find that if you are a Personal Trainer in a city (London for example) that you are able to charge a higher hourly rate than those in other parts of the country.

Before setting your hourly rate, you should do your research and see what other Personal Trainers in the area charge so that you are in line with them. It is also worth considering that other costs in a city might be higher such as your overhead costs, rent etc.

Specialist disciplines

If you can get a qualification in a specialist discipline, then you can position yourself as an expert in this field and therefore charge a premium.

For example, if you are qualified in weight loss management or sports nutrition then clients who are looking for this as an additional service to their personal training programme are likely to pay an additional cost also. Speak to your local college to find out what courses they can offer to complement the service that you provide to your clients.

Celebrities

If you work with celebrities and become a name within the fitness industry, then you can look to boost your earnings further still. Promotion through social media networks such as Facebook and Instagram can attract more clients willing to pay a premium for a celebrity Personal Trainer!

So, do some research about potential earnings and the average salary you could make when considering these factors and set your own pricing structure taking these key areas into account.

Your potential to earn is often dependent on how much you are willing to invest in the role as a Personal Trainer in terms of time and qualifications gained.

As well as Personal Trainer Insurance we offer insurance to other leisure section entities such as Sports Clubs. To get your quote today you can visit our Sports Club Insurance page.

Get Personal Trainer Insurance from Protectivity

Get personal trainer insurance from Protectivity

Last updated by

Bee Ingram

09:49:22 GMT • 14 January 2025

What to Remember When Becoming a Dog Groomer

By Steffi Cavaliere

24 October 2019

•

6 mins read

Contributors

Steffi Cavaliere

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

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Setting up a dog grooming business might be a long-term ambition of yours but there are some important things to keep in mind when starting a new business venture in dog grooming.

About Us

We’re one of the leading providers of insurance for pet care professionals and offering a variety of tailored products such as Dog Grooming Insurance.

Suitability

There are several parts of the job to consider when assessing if it is the right job for you. You need to consider that you will be working on your feet all day and so need to be sure that you are comfortable doing this.

You will also need a certain amount of confidence as you might need to deal with difficult or anxious dogs. Previous experience of handling dogs would be a distinct advantage, even if it is only as a dog owner.

Also consider that you are likely to be working alone most of the time, although you will of course have company in the form of your canine friends!

Qualifications

You don’t need any qualifications to become a dog groomer, however dog owners are always likely to look more favourably on you to provide a great service for their beloved pet if you are able to state that you have qualifications and of course, experience.

Get in touch with your local college who will be able to give you more information about qualifications that you can study for. Gaining a certificate in dog grooming can only be positive when you are trying to recruit new clients.

Locations

You can operate your business from a salon which has the benefit of space and a fixed site where you might get walk in enquiries. However, you also need to consider the overheads that you will need to pay to run the venue.

Costs include rent, electricity, water, gas, insurance, maintenance etc. Some dog groomers run their business from a room in their house. This has the advantage of providing a fixed premise without hefty overhead bills. But this isn’t always possible as you may not have this space available.

The alternative is that you can provide a mobile service offering dog grooming in a clients home. This has the benefit of significantly reducing the impact of the cost of overheads and enables you to provide treatments in an environment where the dog feels comfortable. You need to consider that you will need to be able to transport your equipment between clients.

Experience

The more experience you have, the better the service that you can provide for your client and their pet. Practice on your own dog or on a friend’s to gain experience in dealing with dogs of different breeds and sizes. Then, when you do a wonderful job ask your friends and family to recommend your services!

Insurance

Public Liability insurance is a minimum requirement when you run your own business and this will cover you for injury or damage to third parties or their property, which may be important if your grooming business travels to client’s houses.

Care, Custody and Control cover will offer protection against the accidental injury, illness or loss of an animal under your care. You should also take out a policy covering any specialist equipment that you use as part of your dog grooming business.

Equipment

There are some key items that you will need to purchase to be able to provide a dog grooming service. You need to ensure that all equipment is cleaned and sterilised between treatments. The key items to include in your kit list are:

1. Table – for grooming the dogs on. When making this investment, be sure to find something that suits your needs. Consider that it needs to be big enough for the dogs that you will be treating. It also needs to be the right height for you to be able to stand at to groom the dogs and easy to clean between pets. If you will be providing a mobile dog grooming service, then you need to ensure that the table you get is portable.

2. Clippers – these should be an essential part of your toolkit. It is worth making an investment to get the right clippers ensuring that they are comfortable to hold as well as being easy to maintain and clean.

3. Dryer – Essential for providing the perfect finishing touch, make sure that the dryer you choose is practical and appropriate for the task. For example, a tiny dryer with little output won’t be very useful for a large dog.

4. Brushes and combs – You should have these in a variety of sizes and for a range of hair types as you are likely to be handling many different dog breeds.

5. Nail clippers – these are another essential tool for keeping those nails trimmed and should be practical and easy to use and maintain.

6. Products – Such as shampoo and conditioner are essential. Make sure that you have a range of products available, taking into consideration that some of the dogs that you treat might have sensitive skin.

Pricing

Put a price structure in place considering the range of treatments and size of animal. You might want to offer a pricing structure based on small, medium and large dogs and could offer packages so that clients can treat their pets to a wash and nail clipping for a standard price.

Additional treatments such as teeth descaling and ear cleaning could be offered at an additional price.

So, keep these considerations in mind when setting up your dog grooming business to ensure that you have everything in place that you need.

Get Dog Grooming Insurance from Protectivity

Get dog grooming insurance from Protectivity

Last updated by

Bee Ingram

09:48:45 GMT • 14 January 2025

Table of contents

Table of contents

Table of contents

Contributors

Get Rent Guarantee Insurance from Protectivity

Table of contents

Table of contents

Table of contents

Contributors

Your pitch – planning

Insurance

Research

Setting Up

Now you’re in business

Successful trading

Get Stallholder Insurance from Protectivity

Table of contents

Table of contents

Table of contents

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Step 1: Sign up process

Step 2: What’s your advertising goal?

Step 3: Write your ad

Step 4: Choose your keywords

Step 5: Location

Step 6: Set a budget

Step 7: Confirm payment info

Table of contents

Table of contents

Table of contents

Contributors

How to become a dog walker

Experience is key!

Dog walking laws and regulations

Dog walking qualifications – do you need one?

Cost and finance considerations

Dog walking business administration

Marketing your dog walking business

Obtain dog walking insurance

Get Dog Walking Insurance from Protectivity

Table of contents

Table of contents

Table of contents

Contributors

How to open a Business Instagram account

How to optimise your business Instagram profile

What are Instagram ads?

How to set up an Instagram Ad

Things to remember

Keeping tabs on your ads and checking your insights

Taking your business up a level

About Protectivity

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Contributors

Trello

Asana

Chanty

Monday.com

ProofHub

About Protectivity

Table of contents

Table of contents

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Contributors

Setting Prices

Time Starved Clients

Marketing Materials

Insurance

Customer Database

Get Hairdressing Insurance from Protectivity

Table of contents

Table of contents

Table of contents

Contributors

What should you expect?

What skills do you need?

What qualifications and training do you need?

Investment