Category: Starting a business

11:40:46 GMT • 14 January 2025

How to become a Pilates Instructor

By Mandy Czyz

8 June 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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Pilates offers low-impact routines for building agility, flexibility and strength, attracting some 12 million adherents worldwide*. As an indication of its popularity in the UK, Pilates retained its place during the recent pandemic.

So, if you enjoy Pilates, why not turn your passion into a business and learn how to become a Pilates instructor?

About us

Whenever your business is built on personal relationships with your clients – but especially Pilates training that involves close personal contact – there is always the risk of public liability claims. Protection against these makes our Pilates Instructor Insurance so critical for anyone contemplating this kind of business.

Our policies also extend to professional indemnity insurance – another vital safeguard for anyone in the business of offering advice and making recommendations on physical fitness – together with cover for the equipment you use.

Becoming a Pilates instructor

If you are interested in becoming a Pilates instructor, let’s take a closer look at what you need to know.

What skills do you need?

A core quality will be your empathy towards and concern for other people. This will be backed up and demonstrated by the power and understanding of your verbal and non-verbal communication skills.

You will exercise those qualities in the way you watch and observe your clients in action – giving particular attention to their movements and posture. As a result, you can inspire and motivate your clientele in a common quest to mould better versions of themselves.

To achieve this, you must understand and gain extensive knowledge of posture and movement.

What qualifications do you need to be a Pilates instructor?

The entry-level qualification is the Level 3 Diploma in Teaching Mat Pilates. With this training, you can become a Pilates instructor with the authority to teach the routines either to groups or on a one-to-one basis.

The length of your training course will depend on a whole host of factors – mainly determined by the amount of time you can commit and the work you put into the course. Typically, students qualify between four and nine months.

As you develop your skills as a Pilates instructor, you may want to underscore your sense of professionalism and recognition of the level at which you can offer Pilates training by gaining your Level 4 Certificate in Mat Pilates.

Our blog Pilates Teacher Training and Qualifications discusses what qualifications you’ll need in a bit more depth.

Can you make a living as a Pilates instructor?

Yes, you can! How much you will earn depends on how many hours a week you want to work and whether you are starting your own business or employed by a gym etc.

For example, with the former, it will take time to build up your clientele and therefore your earnings.

Sources say that if you are working as a fulltime Pilates instructor, you may be able to earn between £22k-£52k a year**.

Get teaching and get insured

Once you have qualified, you can apply to teach Pilates. You can look for opportunities advertised online or at your local gym. Or, you can start your own Pilates business.

Whichever way you decide to instruct Pilates, you need to make sure that you have Pilates Instructor Insurance to protect you and your clients.

Sources say that if you are working as a fulltime Pilates instructor, you may be able to earn between £22k-£52k a year**.

Summary

Being a Pilates instructor means you are your own boss and doing something you love. In addition, it allows you to earn an income while working reasonably flexible hours.

The popularity of Pilates globally and in the UK means that you are unlikely to be struggling too hard to find customers. However, the success of your business is likely going to depend on your development of the appropriate attitudes and aptitude, qualifications, and equipment – safeguarded, of course, by our Pilates Instructor Insurance.

Get Pilates Instructor Insurance from Protectivity

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11:40:33 GMT • 14 January 2025

Starting a Pet Transport Business

16 May 2022

•

5 mins read

Contributors

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

https://www.statista.com/statistics/463662/pet-care-market-value-in-the-united-kingdom-by-category

The UK is a nation of animal lovers. Statistics reveal that approximately 59% of households own a pet. In 2020/21, 33% of UK households owned a pet dog; 27% owned cats; and 2% owned rabbits.

There may be times when an owner needs to arrange transport to take their pet to the vets, or perhaps to the dog groomer or a cattery or kennels.

This is where your pet transport business can step in – you can offer a pet taxi service and meet some great animals along the way!

About Us

If you are starting a pet transport business, you want to ensure that your business is protected with comprehensive Pet Taxi Insurance. Our cover includes Public Liability Insurance as well as cover for Care, Custody and Control (animal liability), which protects you in case you accidentally lose or injure an animal which is under your care.

Experience

One thing to consider before you embark on a new venture is to understand what experience you have. It might be a simple enough statement that you are a pet person but, are you good around animals? Do you know if they are sick or stressed? Have you worked with animals before?

Having some level of experience can go a long way to secure you more business and help you develop client rapport. (The cat, dog or other small furry being the actual client).

Qualifications, licences, rules and regulations

There are courses available to help you with being able to transport animals. For example, Animal Careers Direct run a Principles of Animal Transport certificate which can be studied online.

This has positioned itself as a course aimed specifically at people looking to start a pet transport business.

According to the GOV.UK website you will also legally require a type 1 or type 2 transport authorisation depending on how long or how far you are transporting the animal.

You may also need documented contingency plans to deal with emergencies that can arise during a journey. For example, animals falling ill or getting injured, unforeseen delays, breakdowns or accidents.

All domestic animal transports typically need to have animal transport certificates for every journey regardless of length and duration.

Financing your pet transport business

One thing you will need consider is how you will finance your business. Clearly you will need transport which might mean the purchase of a new or separate vehicle. You might also need finance to help with website and marketing costs as well as to fund any courses or accreditations you might need.

How far do you want to go?

Simply put, there are two main types of pet transport business.

First there is the local uber for cats and dogs. So, travelling locally, taking pets to the vets, salon or grooming appointments. Or, maybe dropping them off at the kennels or cattery if the owners are going away on holiday.

The second type could be international transport for family moves abroad.

You need to make sure you understand the implications of each type of business.

Transport – van or car?

You will need dedicated transport and so you need to decide whether you want to use a van or car for transporting. A car means less animals being transported at once but could be stress-free for the pet. Or you could use a multi cage van to pick up and drop off.

It’s a business not a hobby

Remember, this is going to be a business. You will need a business bank account and may need to register with the HMRC as well to ensure you get off on the right foot.

Marketing

A company survives or thrives on your ability to market your business. In today’s online world, you will need a website to showcase your service. You can also explore social media methods to drive traffic.

If you are looking at serving locally, you might want to consider local advertising in nearby vets and pet shops, newspapers and free directories.

Pet business transport insurance

Our Pet Taxi Insurance protects you and your business against the unexpected. Having this insurance will also give your customers reassurance that their pets’ well-being is front of mind. We also offer dog walking business insurance, insurance for dog groomers and several other pet businesses.

Next steps

Running any type of business is a big undertaking. This article highlights some of the things you need to consider if you want to start a pet transport business. It is highly recommended you do a lot more research before taking the plunge. But if you do decide to, it can be a very rewarding and fun business.

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11:39:54 GMT • 14 January 2025

Top Property Investing Podcasts for 2022

20 April 2022

•

4 mins read

Contributors

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

Get rent guarantee insurance from Protectivity

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.

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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...

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.

Get Stallholder Insurance from Protectivity

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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

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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09:40:42 GMT • 11 November 2024

How To Start A Dog Walking Business

3 June 2021

•

10 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

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

Last updated by

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

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

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.

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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

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

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

09:40:42 GMT • 11 November 2024

How to Start a Mobile Hairdressing Business

30 January 2020

•

6 mins read

Contributors

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

Get hairdressing insurance from Protectivity

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

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