In for a penny...

Posted Tue, 01/02/2011 - 20:37 by Emily Walker

I'm passionate about an idea but am still unsure how profitable it will be, I'm waiting to be told to give it up, that I'm waisting my time and then for me to blindly refuse.... I'm still waiting!

I've just started reading 'start up your business Week by Week' and I've got to week 3. Although I've done this in a week, I've been a really good girl and followed all the steps. I've joined the site in hope and fear, looking for support, inspiration and advise.

I started my company a few months ago, I had an idea and no real plan of what to do with it. My company is called Recipe4Health ltd and I secured the name along with domain names right from the start - probably not the best way to go about starting up a business.

My plan is based around a website, the basic concept is for it to be a database of healthy recipes and recipes with nutritional information, this isn't a unique concept but its the details that matters. I want to create a website that would help people lead a healthier lifestyle, help them with their weekly shop, help them budget, help them keep fit, make the right choices in terms of diet, exercise and produce. There is no website that currently offers a comprehensive amalgamation of all these things.

I not only want to share my knowledge on how to stay healthy but I want to share my tips and advice on how to do it cheaply and easily. I have spent the last 7 years working out how to do this for myself and now I want to make sure it doesn't take everyone else anywhere near as long.

The USPs would be its unique combination of information coupled with innovative ways to present the information in bite sized, easy to find chunks. Creating tools and apps to fit in with your everyday life, essentially making staying healthy easy and cheap. There are more specific details on these ideas that I've been dreaming up for some time but it would take too much of my valuable time to explain them all right now.

My biggest issue is not how to implement my idea and make it successful but how/if this idea is really going to be a sustainable business or simple an obsessive hobby. I understand that selling advertising space is the way to make money out of websites but my knowledges ends there, I'm now spending my time researching as much as possible, any advice is appreciatively welcome

Comments

in for a penny

by Lambs Tales - 13/02/2011 - 16:46

Your idea sounds great Emily. I am a bit like you, have a good idea but struggling to make money out of it. I think it will be a steep learning curve. I am just about to start week 4.

in for a penny

by Emma Ojehomon (not verified) - 14/02/2011 - 15:21

Hi Emily,
I totally understand where you're coming from. I have the Start your Business book right beside me while I try to do up my business plan ready for my bank appointment on friday! In the meantime, my website is already set up www.nayturesplace.com and I'm working on the online shop.So i'm not sure if I'm doing things in the right order either!

We appear to have similar interests so I guess we can encourage each other along the way. I send out weekly newsletters with recipes for natural skin care based on food products. Last weeks was an anti-ageing avocado face mask. I have a great passion for natural and holistic health and skincare. I just want to be able to make good money from this passion.

Right now, I'm trying to identify my target market and if theres not one already I aim to create one by educating people on being aware of what they are putting on their skin and the long term effect of this. I am also trying to be very positive beleiving that if i can dream it, it can happen. Always have a little note book with you. The ideas can come at the very oddest of times! Write any ideas down no matter how ridiculous it may sound - you never know when the idea can come to good use for the business. All the best!

Glad someone else feels same as me too!

by claresemailaddr... - 16/06/2011 - 20:15

Hi Emily, your idea sounds great. Especially seen as you seem to care so much about it too, im sure youll do great at it. Its comforting to see that other people feel as apprehensive and bemused as I do about the whole starting up thing. Ive spent literally hours on the business link website doing the 7 week "start quest" course they do, Im even booked on one of their day courses about starting up which is great as its free - perhaps you should check those out too, there are tons of courses and there might be one more suited to you and your business being net-based. They do have a course to do with social networking for business. Im sure youll get there in the end, as will I I certainly hope. I have lots of work to do yet as my business will be involved in also setting up a showroom with lots of costs involved in that and I will have to employ at least one other member of staff right from the word go and be VAT registered. I have a lot to learn! Some bits have really entertained me and some I dont even know what to do to tackle them yet and its taking ages!

Could you devise some way from your website to send the whole ingredient list to the members mobile so they can compile a shopping list while theyre out so they can easily remember and pick up the things they need? Perhaps that would be a useful tool?

Im looking forward to seeing how you get on. Its nice to not be on my own with this daunting feeling of setting up!!!

Clare

one step at a time

by Gordon astonacc... - 10/07/2011 - 13:02

Hi Emily, fab idea/concept, great name. Don't worry if it's taking a while to take off. It always takes longer than you think to get things up and running. Think you did exactly the right thing by securing the name, registering the domain and buying the limited company from the outset.

The success of Recipe4Health is likely to depend on how appealing, useful, user-friendly your website is. Research, research, research! Check out as many websites as possible, even ones not in your market. Not sure if you can build your own website but might be good idea to get professional help but be careful when you are choosing company as some are better than others, make sure they are up to the job & don't rip you off. Ask around, get recommendations.

Your website could include Recipe of the week, a forum where people can share their ideas, a directory for health food shops & deli's, cafes & restaurants promoting healthy eating, businesses selling healthy food & drink, gyms & exercise classes & running clubs, etc.You could charge small monthly fee for listing in directory, more for a bigger advert, even more for advertising on your home page. Also some of the content could be free & more is by small subscription?

Have you heard of bylaurenluke.co.uk? She started out doing simple demonstrations on Youtube on how to apply cosmetics. This linked to her website where she sold products. Maybe you could do something similar preparing healthy juices, smoothies, etc? Have you heard of The Juice Lady? She makes juices and smoothies with catchy names like Morning Sunrise, Tropical Treat, Popeye's Power. You could make up your own recipes to help people improve their health, skin, hair, energy, immune system, etc & give them funky names!

Don't give up the day job just yet, it might be that it will take a while. I set up my own business in 2008 & I still work part-time for my previous employer.

Good luck!

Gordon

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