Starting a New Business: Tips and Tricks

Julie Starr • January 21, 2022



There are countless reasons to start your own business. Maybe you’ve been made redundant or lost your job and are struggling to find a position as an employee. Starting your own business can allow you to take more control over your own career path. Perhaps you’re tired of building someone else’s fortune on their behalf and want to benefit from your hard work through taking profits directly. You might want to work more flexibly, choosing your own working hours, time off and location of work. You may simply have a great idea for a product or service that you rethink will see and benefit others. Whatever your reason for wanting to set your own business up, it’s important to know that you can experience success on this path. You are, however, going to have to learn a lot in the process. Here are a few tips and tricks that can help you along the way.

Be Sure of Your Products or Services

First things first, if you’re going to run a business, you’re going to need to sell a product or service. It’s easy thinking up an idea, but you do need to make sure that it actually has the potential to sell. Think about your products or services thoroughly. Who are you aiming to sell to? Are they likely to buy it? Can you produce it at a low cost that you can still make a profit? Make sure to conduct market research . This will give you the answers to these questions and give you confidence in your products when they’re finally ready to go. Be prepared to take feedback from market research on board. Keep business sustainability in mind as you develop your business as you will need to be flexible and you need to adapt to meet people’s needs.

Outsource

You can’t do all of the work for your business on your own. You’re going to have to accept work somewhere along the line. Often, this is to complete tasks you’re not qualified to complete yourself. Outsourcing allows you to benefit from help without having to employ staff until your business is more stable. Common areas to outsource include SEO through https://tessa.tech/virginia-seo/virginia-seo-company/ , product photography, web design, web development, copywriting, email marketing and more.

Register Your Business

Before you start selling, it’s important to register your business. At the end of the day, you’re going to want to make sure that your finances and assets are separated from your business’ finances and assets . You don’t want your personal money and belongings being impacted if your business does not’ achieve the success you expected or hoped for. Register your business with Companies House and this will help to achieve this goal.

Invest in the right equipment and resources. 

Having the right equipment and resources is essential to any start-up business. Investing in quality equipment can help you save time and money while optimizing your productivity and efficiency. Choosing the right tools will also help you create a professional image for your company. For example, suppose you’re starting a video or music production company. In that case, you’ll need high-end equipment like cameras, recording devices, and editing software to produce a quality product, or maybe you’re just looking for the best Best Drum Machines . In addition, investing in cutting-edge technology will ensure that you can provide your customers with the best possible result. The same concept applies to other industries, such as web design or IT services. You’ll need to invest in the necessary hardware, software, and other resources to create a competitive product.

Hopefully, some of the tips and tricks outlined above should help you to get your business started out as best as possible. Take your time, consider every decision, and be prepared to take constructive criticism or help where required. Everything should go smoothly as long as you follow these suggestions!

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.