How To Start Up by FF&M

In today’s episode we’re joined by Alex Noonan and Sarah Humphries, co-founders of Sydney-based beauty market research agency The Review Works.  Following media, marketing and PR careers of nearly two decades each, Alex and Sarah decided to pursue the path of joint entrepreneurship during the pandemic whilst continuing to lead their existing independent media agencies. 

Alex and Sarah share with us their advice on starting a new company while simultaneously running another, how to approach it professionally rather than personally, and how trust and transparency are vital attributes to have as a business owner. 

Alex & Sarah’s advice:

• Starting a partnership is very different from setting up on your own: always be pragmatic and businesslike
• Remember to discuss issues frankly with each other; tackle things head on
• Don’t take things personally; if you have a disagreement, be respectful of each other
• A big advantage of a partnership is that you can support each other (with time off etc.) and take things in turn
• Make the most of bouncing ideas off each other
• Always know when to outsource - know what you do well and stick to that
• Contracting is better than paying salaries - at first anyway - and takes away pressure
• When employing people, ensure you are providing a nice place to work
• You owe it to your staff to be honest about your goals
• If you are running two businesses concurrently, make sure to give the second business its own schedule and its own time
• When running your own business, you will surprise yourself at the different skills you will be able to master

If you’d like to contact Alex or Sarah you can reach them on [email protected] and [email protected] 

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

FF&M enables you to own your own PR.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link & Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

In this episode we hear from Olivia DeRamus, Founder and CEO of Communia: a social networking app empowering women, transgender and non-binary individuals to share experiences, seek advice and make new connections. 

Olivia created Communia after surviving a serious sexual assault. Through the social network, Olivia now facilitates a community to support those who have overcome similar situations on topics including mental health and wellbeing. 

Olivia shares with us her advice on defining your vision and audience at the outset of your startup journey and the importance of clarifying the legal aspects of your startup. 

Olivia’s advice:

• Start off with a clear vision of your goals
• Don’t be afraid to start, but also don’t be afraid to take your time to formulate your aims thoroughly
• Outsource if necessary and, when beginning, network with freelancers rather than employ full-timers
• Use a good small business lawyer to check out your trademark among other things
• Structuring your day will make you more productive and also help keep you calm
• Instagram and LinkedIn are useful ways to find staff
• Make sure you market your business to new talent as its competitive 
• If you need refreshing mentally, try a change of scene, change your surroundings, exercise, take a break
• When making requests of others, remember they have needs and deadlines too, with which you may be able to help

If you’d like to contact  Olivia you can reach her via [email protected] 

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

FF&M enables you to own your own PR.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link & Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

In this episode, we hear from co-founders Perdie Alder, CEO, & Margaret Anne Coyle, COO, of Spice Startups, the funding and liquidity platform for tech startups founded in 2020. 

Spice provides tech founders with the tools and resources required to effectively raise investment for their ventures. And their second venture is also set to launch this month - Hot Bed is a place for the ecosystem’s best startups to get funding and liquidity, pillared around relevant content, accountability and community.

Perdie and MA share with us their advice on how to bring in revenue quickly while supporting your ultimate business idea and why it's important to have really worked with a co-founder before committing to starting up together. 

MA and Perdie’s advice: 

• Speak to everyone who shows an interest in what you have to offer
• You need a cash flow from the start, so adapt what you do for clients - if they want consulting, this will help you get to know them - respond to their demands
• Understand your customers and their needs - build them what they want
• Listen to the challenges experienced by clients - this will help you tailor what you offer
• Build relationships with clients
• If in a partnership, divide the work, don’t duplicate it
• Co-founders ideally should have worked together already
• Co-founders should share the same values, and attitudes to money
• Because founding a company is hard work, you will need passion and conviction; don’t think it’s an easy option which simply gives you freedom
• Take advice from other founders who understand
• Enjoy your autonomy and influence
• Have someone near you who will show you your weaknesses and help you look out for pitfalls

If you’d like to contact Perdie or MA you can reach them [email protected] on and [email protected] 

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

FF&M enables you to own your own PR.

Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link & Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

In this episode we hear from Alice Edwards, founder of Memo Press: a bespoke plastic free stationery brand based in London. Founded in October 2020, Memo was born out of a vision to make stationery both beautiful and accessible in equal measure.

Following her successful career as the jewellery editor for Tatler, Sunday Times STYLE and LUXX magazines, Alice now writes in an equally beautiful but very different way.. delighting clients with stationery which is all personalised by her own hand.

Alice shares with us her experience on trademarking and why there is now better time to start than now. 

Alice's advice:

• The autonomy self-employment gives you offers huge advantages to parents
• Self-criticism is a useful quality when you are your own boss
• Being well-organised and motivated is also vital
• Recognise your weaknesses and delegate to someone more skilled in those areas
• Play to your strengths
• The community of startups is one in which advice is readily shared; don’t hesitate to ask for help.  Similarly, be ready to share if you can help others
• You’ll be surprised which suppliers will be helpful - don’t hesitate to ask
• You are bound to make mistakes; learn from them
• You’ll surprise yourself at what you can achieve
• When starting out, investigate resources and support geared for startups (eg. the Prince’s Trust) for business plan models, etc.
• When choosing a trademark, one word is harder to copyright; choose two.  
• Filing for a trademark should be done before anything else so you can avoid unpicking it later
• Know what time of day suits you best for different activities and plan accordingly
• Use mentors, official or unofficial to inspire you

If you’d like to contact Alice you can reach via: [email protected] 

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

FF&M enables you to own your own PR.
Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.

FF&M recommends: 

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link & Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

Today we have not one, but five, guests!

Hannah, Ellie, Ria, Lucianne and Camilla are the founders and members of the hybrid e-commerce consultancy collective A Few Great Women. With a wealth of previous career experience working with renowned brands including Harvey Nichols, Kurt Geiger and Stella McCartney, the team identified that start-up e-commerce businesses could benefit from a unique combination of the flexibility of freelance consultants powered by the collective dynamism of an in-house team. 

Today, A Few Great Women offers a range of services for e-commerce businesses including website development, digital strategy, branding and email marketing. They share with us their experiences of founding a collective and why five heads are better than one. 

Advice:

• Manage day-to-day running by using helpful apps like Notion
• Structure weekly tasks - Monday.com useful
• Outsource those things you’re less good at
• Connect with others, time spent catching up with colleagues is always constructive
• Always ask for feedback;  even knockbacks are a useful learning tool
• When pricing, be confident; a fair price guarantees good work.  Don’t doubt this
• When self-employed, take breaks and never feel guilty about them!
• Understand your limits: say no to a client if the fit isn’t right, and if necessary make a client wait
• Self-employment is particularly good for women a) because employers are not good at offering flexibility, and b) because women are so often limited by the glass ceiling
• Be confident in what you know, your experience and your value
• Keep going with an annual appraisal, even if it’s private and personal
• Go with your instincts
• Have faith in yourself

If you’d like to contact any of the A Few Great Women you can reach them on [email protected]

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.
FF&M enables you to own your own PR. 

MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link & Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

Today this episode we’re joined by Carol Han Pyle, founder and CEO of sustainable candle brand NETTE which she launched in December 2020 and has already won Harper’s Bazaar Candle of the Year award.

This is Carol’s second business venture, having also launched digital agency CA Creative following a career working with leading luxury lifestyle magazines.  Carol shares why now is the perfect time for entrepreneurs to start and her insights into when and how to source external partners. 

Carol's advice:

• Brand awareness is key - if you are a product-based business this is crucial
• Spending time building a reputation initially is more important than sales
• A following on Instagram will speed the growth of your business
• PR can be an enormous help, getting the word out about your product in the appropriate press
• Take advantage of the speed remote meetings can offer during and post the pandemic
• Take the leap: too much preparation could deter you
• Be careful about your supply chain to avoid unnecessary delays
• Starting investments can vary hugely; there is now right or wrong budget to start with
• There is a lot you can do for yourself to saves costs, however know the areas you need to pay for support on 
• Be prepared to learn a lot about a lot 
• Concentrate on your area of expertise and delegate or externalist the things you aren’t expert in
• It’s a great time to start a brand because there’s a lot of support available (mentorship programmes, venture capital funds)

If you’d like to contact Carol you can reach her via [email protected] 

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 founder of PR for startups advisory Fallow, Field & Mason. MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link & Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

In today’s episode, we’re joined by Tom and Chris Hannaway, brothers and Co-Founders of alcohol-free beer brand Infinite Session.  With a passion for great tasting beer but a desire to incorporate some alcohol-free days into their lifestyle, Tom and Chris discovered a gap in the market for a vibrant and confident alcohol-free beer to enjoy during after-work drinks. 

Launched in 2018, Infinite Session beers are now stocked in leading UK retailers including Sainsbury’s and Whole Foods. The brand also launched exclusively into the US state of Wisconsin in March 2020. During the pandemic, Infinite Session launched a series of special-edition beers, including the ‘Stay Home’ beer from which all proceeds were donated to NHS Charities Together. 

Today they share advice on what to consider when expanding internationally as well as how to successfully work together as siblings. 

The Hannaways' advice: 

• Take time to think about what you disagree on and come back to it after some space
• Put boundaries in place and make sure you stick to them
• Get your messaging down first before worrying about the rest   
• Don’t focus too much on logo and web domain at the start  
• Really think about how you would explain your idea to others, think about The Granny Test, keep it really simple 
• Think about your product development but do tell people what you’re doing as well as you need the feedback
• Give your sales channels the same level of importance as product development  
• You can only do what you can do and be comfortable with that  
• Have hobbies outside of work to keep you passionate about your company 
• Know when to chat with each other, and when not to 
• Find your working rhythm together 
• You do have to work hard but build in breaks 
• Grow slow, try things on a smaller basis when you reach new markets to build your growth with a strong foundation   

You can contact Tom or Chris via Instagram or Twitter 

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 founder of PR for startups advisory Fallow, Field & Mason. MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link & Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

In this episode, we hear from Melissa Gauge, founder of virtual assistance firm SpareMyTime.  Melissa spent 15 years working in the City and, having two children to balance alongside work, soon found herself pulled in different directions with various professional and personal responsibilities. Determined to create a solution for other professionals in a similar position, Melissa founded SpareMyTime. Today, Melissa’s company provides busy entrepreneurs and executives with administration, bookkeeping and social media marketing services. 

Melissa shares her advice on how being a fully flexible service provider pays dividends, how VAs can free up vital time for entrepreneurs to focus on building their start-up and why sheer grit and determination are important factors to keep you going.

If you’d like to contact Melissa you can reach her via [email protected] or @sparemytime 

Melissa’s advice: 

• Know you can only do the best you can do, make this your core belief
• Be strong minded - if something’s not working, take a decision even if it's a hard one
• Always take care to listen - both to your team and your clients
• Build a community around your team; be understanding, fair and don’t jump to conclusions
• Find smart timekeeping software such as Harvest
• Aid faster book-keeping with Xero
• Cash flow is essential; always be aware of what you have, both to run the business and to live on
• Believe the compliments you are given to build your own self-confidence
• When pricing, look at other businesses to start with and keep changing as you grow the business
• Don’t be afraid to charge what you’re worth 
• Be patient and determined; keep going

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 founder of PR for startups advisory Fallow, Field & Mason. MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link & Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

In this episode we hear from Hannah Aykroyd, Managing Director of the award-winning property advisory firm Aykroyd & Co. Hannah has many years’ experience advising high net worth private clients on prime London real estate transactions and now, four years into her own business, has clients ranging from private individuals, family offices, investors and developers, both domestic and international. 

Hannah shares with us her thoughts on the freedoms starting a company can afford, especially when it comes to also starting a family, and highlights the fundamental importance of bringing on a team as soon as possible.

Hannah’s advice: 

• Have a clear business plan and if possible take advice from a mentor
• Delegate: be clinical about using your time and if possible employ a PA to support you 
• Share ideas with other like-minded entrepreneurs
• Put trust in the team you’ve built 
• Be proactive in deepening learning and encourage the sharing of key information within the team 
• Have weekly team meetings and work collaboratively
• Good communication skills are vital in any business
• Maintain regular contact with clients by keeping them fully updated so they know everything is being handled
• Communicate efficiently with time poor clients: when emailing, have a clear call to action; when scheduling a call, update them with salient points so they’re prepared ahead of a very brief call 
• Find that work/life balance, put your out of office on and learn when to switch off
• Accept guidance and support
• Love what you do

If you'd like to contact Hannah you can reach her via [email protected] or LinkedIn.

Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2022 founder of PR for startups advisory Fallow, Field & Mason. MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link & Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show

In this episode I chat to two entrepreneurs in the hospitality space, Duncan Stirling and Charlie Gilkes who founded Inception Group back in 2009. The company operates a group of unique bar, restaurant and club concepts in South West and central London.  As a long-standing fan of Maggie’s (as who doesn’t love a solid 80s soundtrack), I was really interested to learn how they’ve quickly built a multi-brand business but also how they weathered the unforeseen pandemic that potentially could have wiped out 12 years of hard work. 

The good news is they are continuing to grow, Maggie’s is still as popular as ever and they are both adamant now is as good a time as any to start up.

Charlie and Duncan’s advice: 

• When you take the leap into self-employment it’s hard at first but stick at it and it will be worthwhile
• Having a partner and fellow founder means you have consistent support
• Remember cash is king: try to put enough money aside for a rainy day
• Charlie believes in learning on the job, and says that being thrown in the deep end is the best way to learn practical skills;  Duncan, however, has found that working elsewhere has helped him hone his management skills
• Take time to build your business as it will be more sustainable in the long run
• Enjoy the work, grow slowly and steadily; and don’t over plan but keep an open mind as you can’t forecast how things will develop
• “Don’t be a busy fool” and spend time at the start on things like business cards, concentrate on clients and revenue 
• Enjoy your autonomy and freedom starting your own business affords you
• When recruiting, spend time with people before you hire them and recruit for the right attitude as skill sets can be taught 
• Always know who your customers are going to be. Spend time getting to really know your audience 
• Right now is always a good time to start a business, especially after a national crisis

If you'd like to contact Duncan or Charlie you can via  [email protected] or [email protected].

 
Head over to Speakpipe to leave your voice note for future guests too.

• LastPass the password-keeping site that syncs between devices.
• Google Workspace is brilliant for small businesses
• Buzzsprout podcast 'how to' & hosting directory
• Canva has proved invaluable for creating all the social media assets and audio bites.
• For contracts check out Law Depot.

Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2021 founder of PR for startups advisory Fallow, Field & Mason. MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod.  Link & Licence

Text us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan Mail

Support the show