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Starting out and Tips for those in business 2

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There are many agencies and organisations which can help your business. This list is not exhaustive, but may help you to expand your network or develop new contacts. If you need help finding an organisation that may be able to help, contact paul.beattie@limavady.gov.uk for more information. Limavady Borough Council is not responsible for the content of external links; please contact us should you find any dead links on this page.

 

The Northern Ireland Library Authority

The Business Department of Belfast Central Library has the most extensive range of publicly available business information in the region. You can find out about opening hours and available facilities here.

Websites

www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk

This is a free site, sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland with a range of advice from starting your own business to buying or selling a business. Packed full of contacts and help, this is a good place to start regardless of whatever level of business you feel you are currently at.

Growthni.co.uk

The Growth Programme, provided by Invest Northern Ireland, can help you develop your business by giving you access to experts in areas of business you are less experienced in. Targeted specialist support in those areas which could make all the difference to your competitiveness. And this support will cost you nothing. If your business has the potential to increase production, workforce or sales and has reached VAT turnover, you could be eligible for this innovative programme.

Startups.co.uk

Startups.co.uk is an online resource for starting a business. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur ready to start a business for the first time or you are an established entrepreneur looking to do it a second time, this site has "all the news and information you need to get your small business starting on the right foot."

eBay

The simplicity of setting up an eBay business is a big attraction for many people. There are four million regular eBay customers in the UK alone. Selling is easy, but reputation is the key to any success on eBay. We regularly hold eBay training for those who wish to expand a business idea. There are lots of books and resources, but best place to start is the site itself.

Etsy

The Etsy mission is "to enable people to make a living making things, and to reconnect makers with buyers. Our vision is to build a new economy and present a better choice: Buy, Sell, and Live Handmade." Which is all lovely, however this may be a site better suited to crafters and people who make products from home.

Facebook

Facebook “Pages” (that’s with a capital “P”) were created to give businesses their own profile on Facebook.  In fact, originally, the code that made up a Facebook “Page” appeared to be almost exactly the same as that which generated user profile pages. Pages give your business or brand an identity on Facebook.  With a Page, those interested and following your brand can become “fans”. Several small businesses in Limavady and beyond are already using this facility.

 

Other Online Tools

Blogs

Blog is another word for weblog. A weblog is a website that is like a diary. Most people can create a blog and then write on that blog. Bloggers (a word for people who write on blogs) often write about their thoughts. You can find out more here.

There are a few small businesses in Northern Ireland who keep a regular blog. The Sensei blog is written by Allen & Dawn Baird, based in Belfast. They work with small businesses on training, coaching, writing and consulting. Suki Tea which is based in Belfast, also keeps an infrequent blog.

A few others of passing interest include: Tescopoly, The Tin Basher Blog, Freakonomics!

 

Twitter!

Twitter is increasingly popular in Northern Ireland, especially with small businesses who use it to spread the word and learn from others. You can sign up through a short and very easy process here. If you're a small business in Limavady, and want to either know more, or get some training, please contact Paul Beattie.

Promoting Yourself Online

There are a few emerging tools which are ways of promoting yourself for free online. Facebook and Twitter have already been mentioned, but you should also have a look at:

Whatsonni - the Website, if you are looking for something to do, somewhere to go or have an event to promote

Linkedin - a business-oriented social networking site, increasing being used as a place to do business; starting to grow in popularity in Northern Ireland

Lookaly - a Northern Ireland based review site for restaurants, diners, cafes, events and gig venues; ignore this at your peril - user-generated content is the most believable - and the most damning. And the same principle should be used for...

Trip Advisor - an international site, where people log in and leave reviews, much in the same way as Lookaly. Increasingly for accommodation providers, websites are becoming a thing of the past as they look to improve their online profile on sites such as these.