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If you’re the proud owner of a business, functioning from a reputable business address, you may soon find yourself making important decisions with shareholders regarding the transfer of company shares.

Shares Defined

Before we look at how to transfer company shares, let’s define what company shares mean. Shares form part of a company that is limited by shares and are simply a divided-up unit of the value of a company (each share is a specific percentage of the entire business).

Limited companies can issue more shares post incorporation, and its shareholders (members) may transfer or sell their shares to other individuals at any time. Both must adhere to the procedures set out in the in the Companies Act 2006, the articles of association (find out how to get a copy of memorandum and articles of association), and the shareholder’s agreement (if applicable).

How Are Shares Transferred?

The transfer of company shares in a limited company may be exercised from one individual to another in exchange for the following:

• a monetary payment
• a non-monetary consideration such as goods/products, services, knowledge, or writing off debts
• as part of an employee share scheme
• as a gift to a family member

The transfer of company shares after company formation can be processed by completing a Stock Transfer Form. The following details will be required:

• Your company’s name
• Company Registration Number (CRN)
• Quantity and class(es) of shares being transferred
• Existing shareholder (transferor) name and address
• New shareholder (transferee) name and address
• The amount paid for the shares
• If applicable, the details of non-cash payments
• Transferor’s signature
• If applicable, stamp duty liability

You must send a copy of the Stock Transfer Form to HMRC if the transfer’s sale value exceeds £1,000. The transferee will then have to pay Stamp Duty tax of 0.5% of the total sale value.

Once HMRC receives the form, the transfer of company shares must be approved by the company’s board of directors. This can either be agreed at a meeting or through a board resolution. For some companies, current shareholders have to pass a special resolution in order to waive their right to pre-emption on the transfer of shares.

Upon completion of the transfer of company shares, the director(s) must provide a copy of the Stock Transfer Form to both the transferor and transferee. The company should also keep a copy with its statutory records stored at the registered office or SAIL address.

Share certificates have to be provided to the new shareholder as evidence of ownership. Additionally, the statutory register of members has to be updated in a timely manner, recording details of both old and new shareholders in order to reflect the transfer of company shares. If necessary, the register of People with Significant Control (PSC register/person of significant control) must also be updated.

It’s not necessary to immediately contact Companies House upon completion of the transfer of company shares since this can be outlined on your next annual confirmation statement (see confirmation statement at Companies House).

How to Issue Shares Post Company Incorporation

There could be a number of reasons why companies will be required to issue new shares, including:

• bringing in new business partners
• raising capital from external investors for funding purposes
• to pay business debts
• to introduce a bonus scheme for employees
• to gift shares to family members

There are no legal restrictions on the number of shares a private company can issue during or post incorporation, in accordance with the Companies Act 2006. However, some restrictions may be included in the articles of association and shareholders’ agreement. An authorised capital is one of the most common restrictions; it’s essentially a limit on the number of shares that can be issued.

Owners of a shareholding company can form and issue whatever type of shares they like. This can be done during company registration or once your company has been incorporated. Many companies prefer to issue “Ordinary” shares that are of equal value, providing parity on profit and voting rights between members.

Alternatively, a company may wish to issue multiple types (“classes”) and values of shares in order to provide various voting and profit rights for its members.

To issue further company shares post incorporation, the prospective member(s) must make an application to the company. The existing members must waive their right to pre-emption by passing a Special Resolution (if applicable) and adhering to any further provisions as described in the constitution.

Finally, the company must accept the allotment; normally carried out with a board resolution. Once the allotment has been exercised, the directors must provide the following details on the Return of Allotment of Shares (Companies House form SH01):

• company name
• company Registration Number
• date(s) of allotment(s)
• number, class (type), currency, and nominal value of each share
• amount paid or unpaid on shares
• details of non-cash payments, if applicable
• Statement of Capital.
• prescribed particulars (rights) attached to shares
• director’s signature

The company director has the complete responsibility for filing Form SH01 at Companies House (no later than 1 month after the allotment of company shares) in addition to the following:

• providing a share certificate to each new shareholder
• keeping copies of share certificates at the company’s registered office or SAIL address
• updating the statutory register of members
• updating the company’s PSC register (if applicable)
• reporting the changes to Companies House on the next confirmation statement

What Are the Buy-back Options?

It is not uncommon for companies to include buy-back options in their Articles. These often uphold that any directors or employees who hold shares have to transfer their shares back to the company when they leave. This ensures that only those individuals who are directly involved in the business can be shareholders; subsequently, the company always has control of who may be issued with shares.

Unlike the comparatively simple process of the transfer of company shares, buy-backs are a rather complicated affair. Any company who wishes to implement a buy-back, should seek the advice of a legal professional.

Remember...

The rights and powers of directors are listed in the Companies Act 2006 the articles of association, and any service agreement between the company and director. However, company members can alter these rights by passing a resolution.

Company directors might be prohibited from authorising the transfer of company shares without members’ permission. When a director cannot authorise the transfer of company shares, the members have to pass a resolution to permit such authorisation or allow the transfer of company shares on that specific occasion.

Any articles adopted by a private limited company that was formed after 1st October 2009 will allow company directors with a single share class to authorise the allotment of ordinary shares without the approval of existing members. However, this is still at the discretion of members because, under the articles, they have the right to restrict the directors’ powers.

To find out more about how you can transfer company shares, contact our professional and experienced company formations team now for fast, friendly, and expert advice.

Once you’ve obtained a registered office address, your business will be running in earnest along with the presence of a pile-up of paperwork. You can avoid becoming overwhelmed by the inevitable if you familiarise yourself with vital business terms and documents; particularly the memorandum and articles of association.

This guide will outline how you can get a copy of the memorandum and articles of association and detail what these documents mean for your business.

Are the Memorandum and Articles of Association a Legal Requirement?

UK companies are legally required to have both the memorandum and articles of association. Both of these governing documents are produced when a company completes its formations process; subsequently both the memorandum and articles of association will be registered at Companies House.

What Is the Memorandum?

The memorandum of association (in full) is a legal statement detailing the names of a company’s founders. Compiled in a standard format, the document lists each subscriber’s objective to become a member and incorporate the business. Essentially, it is a single document containing the names of the company’s founding members (shareholders/guarantors) who have subscribed/added their name to the memorandum.

The members’ signature to this document outlines the intention of these “subscribers” to form and join the company in question.

Can the Memorandum Be Amended?

Since the memorandum is a legal document, the format may not be changed prior to forming your company. The memorandum of association contains historical significance and will remain consistent for the lifetime of your company regardless of original or new company members leaving or joining the business. Therefore, the names of subscribers cannot be altered or removed after company set-up.

What Are the Articles of Association?

The articles of association act as a blueprint to how a company should be run. Companies may choose to select “model articles” from Companies House or change and personalise the standard document in order to create their own rules and regulations.

Technically, the articles of association are the constitution of a limited company and contain a number of pages outlining the ways in which a company should be structured and managed in relation to the following:

• Decision making
• Members’ rights, duties, and liabilities
• Directors’ duties, responsibilities and powers
• Share capital (issuing and transferring shares)
• Profit distribution
• Director appointment and removal
• Decisions regarding the appointment of company secretary
• Administrative issues

Can the Articles of Association Be Amended?

Unlike the memorandum, the articles of a company limited by shares or guarantee can be changed at any time. Any changes made to the articles of association must be agreed by a 75% majority of the company’s members at a voting process at the general meeting. Subsequently, it has to pass a special resolution, unless entrenchment provisions are in place (which may result in more onerous approval requirements).

Upon confirmation of the changes, a copy of the resolution and updated articles have to be submitted and filed with Companies House within a period of 15 days.

It’s best advised to seek legal assistance if you choose to create your own articles of association in order to avoid any potential errors in the creation and submission process.

What Are Model Articles?

Unless a company decides to form their own articles of association, the model articles from Companies House under the Companies Act 2006 are considered the default articles. They are a simple document and easily adoptable by private limited companies that issue only ordinary shares, and for some companies limited by guarantee.

Model articles are a sensible choice for small companies that are exempt from any specific provisions.

Self-formed articles are a better option for companies that have multiple share classes and more than a single shareholder as the document may be tailored to meet a company’s individual goals, ensuring all company members are fairly treated in adherence to the shareholders’ agreement.

Keep the Memorandum and Articles of Association at Your Registered Office

Companies must keep a copy of the memorandum and articles of association at their registered office or SAIL address. Remember, a company’s articles will be displayed on public record.

Companies House Must Receive Your Memorandum and Articles of Association

If you have registered your company online using Companies House Web Incorporation Service, you have to adopt the model articles by simply submitting the memorandum online. Companies House does not require a copy of the model articles.

However, if your company is registered via the Companies House paper application, you can choose either the model or bespoke articles. Both the memorandum and bespoke articles must be submitted by post (albeit the model articles needn’t be included).

How to Obtain a Copy of the Memorandum and Articles of Association

In order to receive a copy of the memorandum and articles of association, simply go to Companies House and download a copy of the articles online. Moreover, it’s a simple process for those companies that are already registered as you simply have to head over to Companies House for the same, or use the help of a quick and efficient company formations service.

Remember...

It’s crucial for business owners to know the terms and significance of important company documents and processes. At the point of forming your company, the memorandum and articles of association will be submitted to Companies House and notably, all UK companies are legally required to maintain both their memorandum and articles of association.

For more information about the memorandum or articles of association, or for expert assistance with obtaining a business address, contact Your Virtual Office London, today.

Once you register a company, advisably through a company formations agent who will comprehensively manage all necessary communication with Companies House and remedy start-up teething issues, you’ll be met with a plethora of important numbers and codes. One of these important digits will be your SIC code.

This article will explain all you need to know about this all-important code.

The Definition of a SIC Code

A SIC code is a Standard Industrial Classification code. Originating from the U.S. in the early 20th century, a SIC code is a five-digit code that is used to classify industries. SIC business codes are used for the same purpose by Companies House and the Office for National Statistics uses SIC business codes to gather important data. The ONS describes SIC codes as:

“The UK standard industrial classification of economic activities, abbreviated as UK SIC, is a 5-digit classification providing the framework for collecting and presenting a large range of statistical data according to economic activity.”

SIC business codes define and categorise the activities of a company and are the result of a continuous effort to form a comprehensive list of all existing types of businesses in the UK.

How Are Trade Groups Classified?

Presently, there are over 600 unique SIC codes. This information helps to track the number of companies operating in various industries, identify business trends, and monitor the strength of various parts of the UK economy.

Companies House website displays a condensed version of the full codes (as found at the Office for National Statistics). The SIC business codes are classified into trade groups and subsequently, full classifications are provided within every trade group.

For example:

Codes under “Section A” fall under the trade description of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing. Within this heading you will find trades such as “Growing of rice” (SIC business code: 01120) and “Plant propagation” (SIC business code: 01300).

Where Do You Find a SIC Business Code?

The relevant SIC codes can be found by searching the condensed list of SIC codes from Companies House website — follow the link of “condensed version of the full address” above as you must use the codes on this list when filing to Companies House.

If your company is using an earlier SIC business code from the previous 2003 version of codes, you’ll need to search the SIC Conversion Table to locate the 2007 version. You must provide the new code on your next confirmation statement. Find out more about your confirmation statement and Companies House requirements here.

What Are the SIC Code Categories?

There are 21 main industry categories/groups on the condensed list of SIC codes, with a number of SIC codes within each category representing specific trade activities related to that industry. The main categories are:

Section A: Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing

Section B: Mining and Quarrying

Section C: Manufacturing

Section D: Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply

Section E: Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities

Section F: Construction

Section G: Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles

Section H: Transportation and storage

Section I: Accommodation and food service activities

Section J: Information and Communication

Section K: Financial and insurance activities

Section L: Real estate activities

Section M: Professional, scientific and technical activities

Section N: Administrative and support service activities

Section O: Public administration and defence; compulsory social security

Section P: Education

Section Q: Human health and social work activities

Section R: Arts, entertainment and recreation

Section S: Other service activities

Section T: Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and services- producing activities of households for own use

Section U: Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies

Can You Change Your SIC Business Code?

Your SIC business code can be changed if your main business and trading activities change. Simply locate the relevant SIC business code from the condensed list from Companies House (or the Conversion Table if your code precedes the 2007 list). Once retrieved from Companies House, you must add it on your next confirmation statement.

When Would You Need SIC Business Code?

The use of a SIC business code arises in the course of the Annual Return filing process. The SIC business code must be inputted in the relevant section when filing your annual return with Companies House.

Remember...

One SIC code is normally sufficient for most companies, but you may need to select up to four SIC codes to comprehensively describe the nature of your company’s business activities — this is common for companies with more specialised or unique activities.

SIC codes have to be confirmed/updated each year on the Confirmation Statement. Note: your SIC codes, along with other key company details, will be displayed on public record at Companies House.

For more information about obtaining a SIC code, or for any related assistance with setting up a company and registering a business address, contact Your Virtual Office London, today.

Before you conceive a company name, it’s imperative to check if your desired company name is available — running a search on the Companies House name availability checker will return this basic information. But your relationship with Companies House’s online checking service should not end there. Once you’ve finalised the foundations of forming a company, it’s vital that you continue to perform a company check for one very important reason:

Perform a Company Check to Analyse Your Competition

Successful sports coaches take pride in analysing their competition. A thorough analysis can determine their opponents’ strength and weaknesses, enabling coaches to adapt their tactics accordingly and achieve a positive result. As a business owner, you have to adopt a similar mind-set — perform a company check to assess your competition in order to succeed in your market.

What Company Details Can You Check?

Firstly, all companies must register with Companies House and file specific information about its activities, finances, individual board members and shareholders (learn more about the practices of Companies House).

This information is subsequently made available to the public and added to the UK register of companies via the Companies House Service (formerly known as Beta) and WebCHeck. And since Companies House stores over 170 million digital records, you’ll have access to vast, invaluable company information to help your own company grow:

• Date your company was incorporated.
• Registered office address.
• Details of your current company officers (e.g. directors and secretaries or LLP members): name, date of birth, contact address, nationality, occupation, and date of appointment.
• Details of company shareholders, guarantors, or LLP members.
• Details of People with Significant Control (PSCs): name, date of birth, contact address, and the nature of each PSCs control in the company.
• Resigned company officers.
• Details of any disqualified company directors.
• Directors’ appointments that are held in other companies
• Details of the company’s business activities.
• Any former company names.
• Annual financial accounts (also known as “statutory accounts”).
• Confirmation statement (previously known as an “annual return”).
• Statutory filing deadlines for proceeding accounts and confirmation statement.
• Mortgage charges.
• Company status (whether active, dormant, or dissolved).
• Scanned images of company documents, including the certificate of incorporation, annual accounts, confirmation statements, and change of officer details.

How Do You Apply Information Obtained From a Company Check?

Once you perform a company check, it’s important to apply your newly found knowledge in order to better your rivals. Scrutinise personal member details of your rivals and monitor the track record of those individuals regarding their performance to marketing and sales; for instance, is there a correlation between a newly appointed member and a company’s business activities/increased profits?

It’s particularly important to check your competition’s brand management. For example, researching your competition’s social media presence will definitely give you a glimpse into how their brand management works. If this is your first business, any little insight will help when it comes to managing your own brand.

Read between the lines and see what kind of style your competition is trying to exude and how they express that “reputation” to its target audience.

And since you’re sharing the market with your competitors, you don’t want to manage your brand too differently from a successful prototype (the competition), yet you still need to take advantage of any of their shortcomings in order to make your brand stand out.

How Do You Perform a Company Check?

Companies House Service was initially launched as “Companies House Beta Service” in 2015. To perform a company check using this free, simple-to-use online service, simply:

• Input the company name, unique company registration number, or name of a company officer into the search bar on the Companies House Service homepage.
• Select the name of the company or officer for which you wish to retrieve information.
• Click on any blue highlighted text for further company details.

You can also register your details through this service in order to “follow” certain companies and monitor their updates; you’ll receive free email alerts when the company files new information or amendments to any of its registered details.

How Do You Use Companies House WebCHeck Service?

The Companies House WebCHeck provides much of the free information as found on the updated Companies House Service. Additionally, the WebCHeck service can be used to view a company’s filing history and purchase copies of filed document images and company reports. This includes latest appointments of officers, mortgage statements, and additional company records.

In order to purchase these company documents and reports through WebCHeck, simply register online with an email address and password. You will then be contacted by Companies House when your requested documents are available to access and download securely.

Note: The WebCHeck service is gradually being phased out in order to be replace by a comprehensive Companies House Service.

Don’t forget, you can use the WebCHeck service to retrieve your own company information. For example, if you’ve forgotten your company registration number, simply log on and follow these steps:

• Go to http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk/wcframe?name=accessCompanyInfo
• Enter the name of your company in the “yellow section”
• Click the “SEARCH” button
• Your confirmation registration number will then be located on the left-hand side of your company name.

A Formations Company Can Help

Understanding how to perform company checks before you launch your own business can be very useful for your own marketing blueprint. Seeking the correct information and advice is vital for business owners who are just starting out. Using the services of a reputable formations company can help alleviate the oft-demanding administrative tasks associated with forming a company and will help you better understand how to use important platforms, such as Companies House online service.

For more information on the above, or for any related assistance, contact our friendly team and you can begin setting up your business address, today.

When you’re starting a new company, you can either form a business partnership or try growing your business alone by becoming a sole trader. If it’s not the latter, then it’s vital for you to understand the various types of business partnerships that exist in order to decide which one will be most suited to your entrepreneurial goals.

A Business Partnership Defined

Section 1 of the Partnership Act 1890 defines a partnership as: “The relation which subsists between persons carrying on a business in common with a view of profit”. At least two persons comprise a partnership and each “person” can either be an individual or another legal entity such as a limited company (classed as a “person”).

Note:When one partner ceases to exist (e.g. due to individual death/company demise), and subsequently there is no longer at least two individuals/entities in the partnership, then the partnership will automatically become dissolved. The remaining partner can then choose to become a sole trader, begin the process of limited company formation, or continue to create a new partnership. When it comes to forming the latter, it’s vital you understand the different types of business partnerships and what each of them entail, as defined below:

What Is an Ordinary Partnership?

Most business partnerships are considered to be “ordinary partnerships”. This is where a group of two or more persons carry out business duties collectively; each individual partner must act on behalf of the other partner(s) when contracts are negotiated with third parties.

Additionally, each partner is liable (jointly and separately) for any business debts. They must also, without limitation, fulfil company obligations of a partnership as a whole.

Note: If the partnership is sued, each partner can be individually pursued by a debt-recovering creditor.

Each partner is responsible for owing the other partner any fiduciary duties, including an undertaking to the following:

• Rendering accounts and full details regarding the partnership (section 28 Partnership Act 1890)
• Accounting for any personal profits gained during the course of the business partnership (section 29)
• Not competing with the business partnership without the consent of other partners; subsequently handing over any profits generated (section 30)

Many partnerships will often have a partnership agreement in place. The agreement outlines the various rights, responsibilities and duties of each partner including:

• Explanation of any bespoke split of profits
• The decision-making process
• How to follow correct procedure in case a partner leaves the company

What Are the Pros and Cons of an Ordinary Partnership?

Pros: Since an ordinary partnership is not incorporated, there are fewer administrative tasks and costs involved, such as “annual filings”. Moreover, since company accounts are not required to be published or made publicly available, your competitors won’t have immediate access to information that they could use in their favour.

Cons: Each partner is personally liable for debts incurred by the partnership. Additionally,

the partnership does not have its own legal identity and therefore cannot trade or borrow finances on its own account.

What Is a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)?

In 2001, a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) became a new form of legal entity introduced to the UK as per the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2000. Essentially, LLPs are structural combinations of both ordinary partnerships and private limited companies, enjoying the advantages of both types of business partnerships.

In contrast to traditional business partnerships, an LLP is an incorporated company and considered to exist as its own legal “person”. LLPs can own assets and borrow finances independently.

As a partnership-requisite, all LLPs must also include at least two persons (known as “members”). Although there can be any number of ordinary members, LLPs require a minimum of two designated members who will hold the following responsibilities:

• Completing the VAT-registration for the partnership if the annual turnover is expected to exceed £85,000
• Appointing an auditor (if required)
• Maintaining all accounting records
• Preparing, signing and delivering annual accounts to Companies House
• Sending confirmation statements to Companies House
• Keeping Companies House up to date with necessary administrative information
• Acting on behalf of the LLP if it is wound up and dissolved

Similar to an ordinary partnership, any profits made by an LLP will be distributed to partners who in turn are responsible for paying their own personal income tax.

The incorporation process of a Limited Liability Partnership is pretty similar to that of a limited company:

• Choose a unique name that is not similar to other registered company names. It must end in “Limited Liability Partnership”/ “LLP” (or the Welsh equivalent).
• Have a registered address to which official correspondence will be sent. This needs to be an actual physical address located in the same country in which the LLP is registered. A P.O. Box may be used but still has to be followed by a physical address. (The registered address will be publicly available).
• Register the LLP electronically using third party software, or via paper/post. Use form LL IN01, or a reputable company formation agent.
• Specify at least two designated members.
• Consider forming an LLP agreement (similar to a shareholders’ agreement) outlining the desired running of the LLP.

What Are the Pros and Cons of a Limited Liability Partnership?

Pros: A major advantage of forming an LLP is that its members/partners are not personally liable for any debts incurred by the partnership. Furthermore, unlike in an ordinary partnership, fiduciary duties are generally not owed between partners, each partner owes them to the LLP.

Cons: You must disclose the details of all the important duties of running an incorporated company, such as annual filings. Additionally, all income must be disclosed.

What Is a Limited Partnership (LP)?

Limited partners (LPs) are often known as “sleeping partners” — investors who choose not to take an active part in the running of a business. At least one of the partners in an LP has to be a “general partner” (non-limited partner), meaning they have unlimited liability.

Nowadays, an LP is not a common type of business partnership, although they have been in existence since the Limited Partnerships Act of 1907. Moreover, an LP is not an incorporated company structure and has no legal status of its own.

Individual partners must maintain responsibility for entering into contracts on behalf of other partners. However, in an LP it is acceptable to designate specific partners as “limited partners” who are inactive in the management of the partnership and, importantly, have limited liability (limited to their capital contribution) for any debts incurred by the partnership.

What Are the Implications for Profit, Loss, and Tax?

Unless agreed otherwise, profits and losses are shared out equally between all partners. In an ordinary partnership (not in LLPs and LPs), all partners are jointly and severally liable for all company debts and liabilities of the respective partnership.

Each partner is responsible for paying their income tax in relation to their personal share of profits and expenses — no tax is levied upon the partnership itself.

What Is a Partnership Agreement?

A partnership/LLP agreement is highly encouraged. The agreement will outline the rules under which the partnership/LLP will operate and include issues such as:

• Capital contribution of partners and profit share
• Management of partnership and the decision-making process
• How to process and handle the exit of a partner
• Defining partner responsibilities (to both one another and to the LLP)

Remember...

When deciding to set up a partnership, you essentially have two main options: an ordinary partnership and a Limited Liability Partnership.

Additionally, it’s vital to have an agreement in place as a comprehensive and effective partnership agreement will enable the smooth running of a business and can help resolve any potential disputes. If there is no LLP agreement in place, the Limited Liability Partnerships Regulations 2001 lists “default provisions” to govern specific aspects of running an LLP.

For help with deciding between the various types of business partnerships available, or for any related assistance, contact our reputable team and launch your business address, today.

With 95% of all self-employed people inthe UK being sole traders, or single entrepreneurs heading up theirown limitedcompany, there is a lot of pressure on a small business owner tobe present and responsive for their business 24/7.

While you must get some downtime awayfrom your work for the sake of your mental health, you can makethings a lot easier for yourself by effectively connecting both youronline and offline presence to reassure your existing and potentialnew customers that there are real people behind your business, andyou are happy to engage with them.

Theimportance of maintaining you online and offline presence

We live in a very interconnected worldthese days, so solo entrepreneurs need to keep up both their onlineand offline presence to help generate new business and maintainexisting business.

What you need to do here is to ensurethat both your digital and real-life persona match up and that youpresent a consistent image to your customers and followers. Havingthis consistency really helps to build trust with potential newcustomers and loyalty with your existing customer base.

Presenting a fragmented image ofyourself or your company which differs greatly between your onlineand offline persona can confuse prospective new customers causingthem to pause and hesitate over whether or not to trust you withtheir money.

When you present a united andconsistent front you will be reassuring potential new customers thatyou run a genuine business and that you can be trusted.

So, what can you do to join-up youronline and offline persona to build and strengthen your overallpresence? Let's take a look at a few solid ways to market yourselfand your brand to connect them together and present a united frontfor your business.

1:Maintain consistent branding and marketing messages

Take a look at your analytics to findwhat marketing message is performing the best for you. Use thismessage to lead your brand and repurpose it to fit across all of yourmarketing and awareness campaigns.

Finding your best customer touchpointsand being consistent with your delivery is the key for reaching outand connecting with both existing customers as well as engaging withnew ones.

As your target audience continues tosee your online marketing messages and come to recognise your brand,there will be an increased likelihood that they will choose to buyyour product or service due to their consistent recognition andfamiliarity with your brand.

You must take the same marketingmessage and brand to use in your offline marketing efforts to helpbuild your online and offline connection. Those potential customersmeeting you in real-life will be much more comfortable to go onlineand buy from you when the information you provide them in person isthe same as they see online.

2:Join your local chamber of trade and commerce

Most towns and cities will have a localchamber of trade and commerce in some form or another. Check onlineor with your local council to find their contact details.

Joining your local chamber of commercecan be very useful as this is a group of local business people thatwant to help local businesses of all sizes, from large commercialbusinesses to small businesses and sole traders.

Most are run by volunteers, but othersmay charge a small membership fee. Do your research and join one thatsuits your needs the best. This may mean that your nearest large citythat covers your area may run a group that is bigger and morepro-active than a much smaller group in your town.

The meetings they run allow localentrepreneurs to gather together to learn from each other and makevaluable networking contacts. You can take advantage here bypromoting your own online or offline business to fellow businessowners who may be interested in using your services or buying yourproducts.

You can also set up a reciprocationoffer where you share your business details on their websites inexchange for you doing the same for them on your website. You couldalso set up a discount scheme for your fellow chamber members to useand they could offer the same for other group members.

3:Collect email subscribers manually

As most of you will already know,having an email list can be one of the most valuable tools yourbusiness owns. You can use your email list to send out directmessages to your existing customer base that you encourage to sign upwith you when they make an online purchase.

You can keep your email list informedof new product launches, special appearances, seasonal discounts orother special offers or news that you want to share.

While you should be using leadgenerating software on your website to encourage more emailsubscribers, you should also try to collect new email subscribers inperson. This can be done quickly, easily and in a friendly way whileyou are mingling at a local networking meeting or you are presentingat an event. You could offer them a special discount voucher or freegift that they can claim on the day and take home with them when theygive you their email address. This is a great way to connect youronline and offline marketing.

4:Hold a live online Q&A or demonstration

When you offer a product or servicethat you can demonstrate in person, then running a live online showand tell session will help to connect your online and offlinemarketing in a great way!

You can build up a lot of anticipationand excitement around your product or service by promoting an up andcoming demonstration event and live Q&A session where yourcustomers get to learn more about what you do and can get instantanswers to their questions.

Live Q&A or demonstrations work inthe real world too, so if you have booked a booth at an event, takethis opportunity to do a demonstration or a show and tell session toengage with a live audience. This can be more effective than simplystanding by your stall and handing out flyers.

5:Continue the conversation

A great salesperson never leaves aconversation open-ended! Where there is a conversation there is theopportunity to make a great close. You should be using the majorsocial media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter for yourbusiness, so make sure that you recognise any customer pain pointsthat are raised during conversation, and make sure that you close outthat conversation with a solution (usually your product or service)explaining how it can help solve their problems.

Always remember to continue yourconversation and your engagement beyond making a sale. Ideally, youwant to build up a rapport with your customers to help build theirconfidence in your business and encourage them to stay loyal to youwith their repeat business.

Email a thank you message further downthe line and encourage them to feedback to you how your product orservice has helped them. If they are local to any events that you areattending, invite them along so you can meet them in person.

Meeting your customers face-to-face inthe real world can be incredibly powerful. They, in turn, will goaway as happy customers willing to talk about, spread the word andshare the benefits that your product or service brought them to theirpeers, family, friends and larger network.

6:Connect with influencers

No matter what business you areinvolved in, there will usually be some online or offline influencerthat is an expert in the field. Connecting with and building arelationship with an influencer can be a powerful move for yourbusiness.

When someone new discovers yourbusiness, they will be curious about what you can offer, but theywill be more inclined to listen to you or to trust your business ifyou are connected with a well-known and highly respected influencer.

It is important to take the time toslowly build your connection with any major influencers and not toblatantly go out to promote your product or service to them. You needto join in with the conversation or topic being discussed withoutmentioning your business.

Offer useful (free) advice or tellpeople about your own experiences and what helped you overcome anyshared issues you had. As you get drawn into the conversation andpeople get used to you and recognise your name, their naturalcuriosity will lead them to do a bit of research on you and yourbusiness.

This, in turn, can lead them to strikeup a conversation with you where they ask you about your products orservices, which then gives you a stage to start leading theconversation from and to draw in potential new customers.

7:Always be there for your customers

While all of these tips can help you toconnect both your online and offline business presence and promoteyour business, it is fair to say that no matter whether you areworking online to engage with your customers, or you are connectingin person at a live event, you simply cannot be in two places atonce!

By far the most simple, convenient,professional and effective way of always being there for yourcustomers is to have a good communication back up system.

You don't want to miss an importantphone call from a potential new customer because you are busy doing alive demonstration at a business event. You also don't want toencourage the people you meet in real life to call you only for themto be met with an ever-ringing phone that goes unanswered.

You need to capture every singlevaluable phone call that people make to your business. You can onlydo this by using a reliable and high-quality telephone call answeringservice, such as the one offered by CapitalOffices, so that you don't miss any salesopportunities.

The great thing about using aprofessionalcall answering service such as this is thatyour potential new customers, as well as your existing customers,will know their call is important to you and that their query orrequest has been noted and that you will be guaranteed to get back tothem or put directly through when you know their call is urgent.

Technology is a wonderful thing, butwhat seems to be happening more and more in the world of business isthat AI including chatbots, automated answerphones, driverless taxicabs, lorries and cars, self-service supermarkets and fast-foodrestaurants are all making the headlines, but are effectivelyremoving the human element from many walks of life.

While advancements in technology canhelp to automate many a task and save big companies a fortune by nothaving to employ staff to perform certain tasks, it really isworrying that they can believe their customers are going to be happyabout these changes.

At the end of the day, a business ownershould never forget that their customers are the life-blood of theirbusiness. Without happy customers, how would any business manage tobe successful?

Howcommunication has changed

The internet has completely changed theface of business and the creation of mobile technologies such assmartphones, laptops and tablets have transformed the way we interactwith each other.

No matter whether you are a B2B or B2Cbusiness, how we communicate with each other and our customers havegone from just face-to-face meetings, letters and telephone calls tocommunicating over various messaging platforms, social media andthrough apps.

With the creation of Skype and Slack,business people no longer need to meet face-to-face, but instead caninteract with each other and directly with their customers in waysthat not too long ago were once unimaginable.

Greaterflexibility in the workplace

All of these new technologies andcommunication platforms have enabled people that work more remotelyand work together, whether that's via online collaboration sites orSkype when you can have meetings in different time zones unimpeded bygeography.

The ability for teams to work togetherremotely means businesses have a whole new level of freedom thatmeans that they no longer need to build and rely on one physicalcentral head office.

Technology has also enabled soloentrepreneurs and micro-businesses to operate on the same platformand at the same level as the much larger companies that used todominate business sectors.

Adoptingvirtual services

With so much new technology at ourfingertips, it makes sense to adopt and make good use of as much newtechnology as we can, including the creation of virtual services thatthis new technology has allowed to grow and flourish over recentyears.

As a business owner, it is importantthat you identify and utilise virtual options that could bettersupport you and your staff as well as your customers.

Depending on the size of your businessthat could be as simple as adopting one single virtual service, suchas a real-life human callanswering service, an app or piece of softwarethat will help to resolve an existing issue with your business.

Interactingwith your customers

As mentioned earlier, a lot ofbusinesses are moving more towards using AI and technology to replacethe human element of their production line or business structure.While it has meant that companies have cut their overheads and savedmoney, it has served to create a big disconnect with their customers– the very people they need to keep their business alive.

As any business improvement consultantsand managers will tell you, how you interact with your customers ishugely important. While a company can adopt technologies to helptheir staff work better with each other, they need to remember to dothis with their customers too.

Workon your infrastructure

Your business needs to be fast, agileand always connected. However, if you are a solo-entrepreneur or youare running a small business with a skeleton staff, then you will berunning at maximum capacity with little to no time to dedicate to thecare of your customers or to be able to effectively deal withprospective new clients that are calling your business 24/7.

An important part of the success ofyour business will be to realise that you need to run a human-centriccompany that makes good use of modern technology but also maintainsthat essential human element and connection that your customers needto trust your company and get the high-quality customer service thatthey want from you.

While these days it is important thatyour business needs to be connected 24/7, it doesn't mean that you asan individual must be!

Takingthe virtual option

You need to take a regular break fromyour business each day and enable yourself to step away and rest forthe sake of your own mental health. However, you don't want to miss asingle phone call from a prospective new customer that can become anew source of income for your business.

This is where our completevirtual office services can come in very handy.Not only can we help you to catch every single call from aprospective new customer or B2B company that wants to contact you byhaving your calls answered by a real-life human receptionist, we canallow you to break free of being permanently tied to your businessphone line.

Unpluggingyourself from technology

If you prefer to stay in control ofyour business phone and can answer every single incoming call on yoursmartphone during your working hours, then you can at least allowyourself to take the night off after work.

Capital Office London also offers busybusiness clients the option of a voicemailonly service that you can switch on after youleave work so that you are not disturbed by your business calls whilespending time at home with your family or friends.

By using either of our call answeringservices you can set yourself healthy boundaries between work andhome life. This will encourage you to take needed downtime andunplugging yourself from technology as and when you need to.

Protectingyour privacy

Because modern technology allowsbusiness owners to work from pretty much anywhere, this means that alot of lean business owners are able to set up and run their companyfrom home rather than to go to the expense of hiring offices to workfrom.

It can be quite eye-opening to realisejust how much company information is available online. While you wantyour business to have a strong online presence and you will beactively doing everything you can to build up your brand recognitionand raise awareness of your business, you will still be wanting toprotect your own personal privacy and the privacy of your family.

While it is important to protectyourself and your business from hacking and identity theft, you willneed to submit a lot of your information to the CompaniesHouse website for public display.

The Companies House website has aregister of every single registered limited company, a publiccompany, LLP, CIC and persons of significant control (PSC) in thecountry. This means that the details of company addresses, the namesof directors and their addresses are all available for anyone toview.

While all these details are required bylaw to aid transparency and prevent people from hiding behind nomineedirectors or control companies without having to declare an interest,it can be riskier for those running a business from their ownpersonal home address to be exposed to cold callers and disgruntledcustomers knocking on your door, or potential ID fraudsters stealingyour identity.

A great solution here would be to makegood use of our virtual office address services.

Virtualoffice address services

Registered Office Address: Byusing our virtual office address services you can have a RegisteredOffice Address in London for your business.This means that your home address will not be publicised online.

A registered office address is a legalrequirement for all UK Companies. Our service includes free statutorymail forwarding and is cost-effective, reliable and efficient. Yourregistered office address with us is HMRC approved so you know ourservices are credible and trustworthy.

Directors Service Address: Adirectorsservice address package allows your companyofficers to use our central London address as their businesscorrespondence address, which is displayed at Companies House on thepublic record. Using this service will keep your private home addressoff public display.

When using our virtual addressservices, including a directorsservice address option, you will still need tosubmit your residential address to Companies House, but this will bekept private and off the public record.

The only address for your company thatwill be displayed is your virtual office address that is based in thecentre of London's famous business district, giving your businessinstant credibility and a sense of gravitas that will do your companyimage a world of good.

By taking out any of our virtual officeaddress services, your registered office address or directorsservice address will be:

Your name

Your company name

Kemp House

152 – 160 City Road

London EC1V 2NX

Do not hesitate to contact ourexperienced team at Capital Offices to discuss your business needs,whether that is for any of our call answering services to ourcomplete virtual office package or virtual London business addressoptions.

Call our team +44 (0) 207 566 3939 oremail us office@capital-office.co.ukor call in for a chat at our London offices in Kemp House – we arealways happy to talk to you!

In this modern digital age, is it time to ditch the idea of a traditional office structure?Many new start-ups are adopting the 'lean' method of operation where they only use the bare bones of a company structure to function. This means that less time and money is wasted on facilities that are not essential to their business in this day and age, like a bricks-and-mortar office set-up.Many businesses have been adopting the technology to go paperless for the past few years, and many organisations have taken things a step further by eliminating the daily commute to work in favour of their staff choosing to work remotely from home.So is it now time for everyone to think differently by going virtual and outsourcing as many office tasks as possible? Judging by the growth in the popularity of virtual office services over recent years, the answer in a lot of cases is yes!By freeing up your time and using a high-quality virtual office service provider, such as Your Virtual Office, you can give yourself more time to be productive as you will be free of all of your time-consuming office-based tasks.

The benefits of going virtual

There are several very valuable benefits to be had by choosing a virtual office service. However, if you already have an established office, you may worry that switching to using a virtual office service may disrupt and upset your existing staff.One thing to consider is that by getting rid of your bricks-and-mortar office and allowing your employee's to work from home can save you thousands of pounds in office rental costs as well as the costs associated with power, IT infrastructure and other utilities.In the USA, a study by Stanford University found companies can save as much as $2,000 per employee just by letting them work from home.You could introduce remote working for your existing staff while at the same time outsource your every-day office administration tasks to a Complete Virtual Office Service such as the package offered by Capital Office, London.This means that you will still be able to have your incoming business calls answered professionally in your company name and either has your calls forwarded to you, or messages took when you are busy and passed on to you electronically.

Saving money on a business relocation

One of the main benefits of using virtual office services is that you can free up valuable space in your workplace and put it to better use.For example, if your business is growing rapidly, you may face the expense of having to move your business to larger premises. This can mean incurring expensive moving costs, having a new IT infrastructure installed in your new workplace to meet your needs, extension or replacement of the business fire alarm system, higher business insurance costs etc.Instead of having to move premises rapidly to meet your accommodation needs, you can stay put for longer by getting rid of your office and converting the room for more production workspace.

Putting your plans in place

When you have decided that you want to go virtual with your office, it is time to put together a plan of action.Depending on where you are starting from, there could be big changes that you have to face. For a solo-entrepreneur working from home or from a rented workspace, this will be easy because you don't have an office as such.However, for an already-established business owner with a brick-and-mortar office, there will be a major impact ahead for everyone concerned.Sit down with your staff (if you have any) and work out a transition plan for how your business will get its work tasks done.Moving to a virtual office isn't as easy as ditching the office cubicle. You need to agree on how your existing staff are going to work together and collaborate on projects. This could be by working remotely from home and using a tool such as Trello to communicate and share work with colleagues.

Introduce your virtual office service early

By bringing on board and using your virtual office services as early as possible, you and your staff can get used to how the service works and how it allows you and your staff the free time to concentrate on your transitional plans.This allows your workplace to start from a position of understanding instead of confusion about your plans and having to cope with a lot of changes all at once.

Hire a well-established, trusted virtual office service provider

To make the transition as smooth as possible for your company, choose to work with a well-established and experienced Complete Virtual Office Service provider, such as us.Capital Office, London is always willing to go that extra mile for our clients. based in City Road, London, since 1971 we have been in operation for many years and are an integral part of thousands of UK businesses of all sizes.Our London-based virtual office staff have years of experience in customer service and business support roles and are perfectly placed to ease your business into the digital world.

What services are included?

The main aim of using a complete virtual office is to completely replace your every-day reception and administration duties that would normally need a brick-and-mortar office and a team of staff to complete for you.You don't need to worry because Your Virtual Office can take care of everything for you leaving you free to concentrate on your important work without the telephone distracting you or having to stand and open all of your incoming business mail every day.Complete Virtual Office London Package Overview:

• Choose an 0207 or 0203 Telephone Number
• Divert Calls Your Calls to Us
• Forward / Scan / Collect your mail
• Free EC1 Meeting Room Use
• Global Mail Forwarding Service
• Impressive London Address
• London based PA’s taking your calls
• Out of hours voicemail to email
• Packets & Parcels signed for
• Secure Online Payment
• Under 60 Second Sign up
• Unlimited Calls Included
• Unlimited Letters Included
• Use your Existing Number

Improve your business image

For a sole trader or solo-entrepreneur without an existing office, having your own complete virtual office at your fingertips will give you a professional virtual PA and will really help to boost your company image.It can be difficult for many micro-business owners to be taken seriously by their target audience, especially if you are wanting to break into the B2B market. Most large companies do not like dealing with sole traders, so even though you can do your job with one hand tied behind your back, it can be hard to convince a large company to work with you.However, when you have your own professional PA taking your calls and relaying messages, it gives your business a more professional image and status. This may be all you need to get your foot in the door and into the good books of a B2B partner.Our complete virtual office package combines our highly sought-after central London business mail forwarding address with a professional and experienced virtual PA telephone answering service.

Make your communication key

When you have remote staff working from home and a team of virtual office workers, you should always make sure that communications are kept up between everyone.Communications with your staff and services should be done on a continuous basis, but this is even more important in a virtual world where you no longer share a physical workspace with your employees.By using good collaboration tools such as Trello, shared emails and conducting Skype meetings to keep up your connections, you will help to keep everyone informed and ensure that no-one feels neglected or isolated from the team.

Arrange social meet-ups

Although you are moving to a more digital-driven, virtual workplace, you should still set aside some time for meetings and social events.While many of your staff may be content for you to stay in contact via online chat functions, you may still want to connect with your best people outside of the virtual world to reinforce your company culture and make them feel valued as a person.While it is easier to set up a virtual office from scratch for a solo-entrepreneur, it still can be the right choice for your expanding company. As long as you hire the services of a professional virtual office provider such as Capital Office as Your Virtual Office, London, you will never regret your choice to step into the virtual world.

PRODUCTIVITY. This has to be one of the most talked-about buzz-words of the 21st Century. There seems to always be a steady stream of great productivity strategies out there that people simply cannot get enough of.However, what tips work for one person may not work for the next. So you mustn't stress yourself out when you try some new productivity strategies that just don't seem to work for you.The best way forward is to create your own set of effective strategies that work for you and stick with them until they become second nature. Many people say that to form a new habit can take up to 2-weeks of constant practice.You should focus on finding the productivity techniques that work best for you and repeat them until they stick. Always remember to allow yourself enough time for them to work effectively and become routine. Some techniques will stick, others, not so much.If your workload is becoming a bit too much for you to cope with, take a look at some of these strategies we have picked up along the way to improve your work time.

1: Make a morning to-do list

This isn't a list to make in the morning when you start work. You will have far too many distractions happening to make this happen.Instead, you need to make your morning to-do list last thing at the end of every day. Summarise what you want to achieve the next day and prioritise any jobs at the top of your list that you didn't manage to get completed today.Cross off each task on your list with a big red marker pen. This way you have a visual record of your achievements for the day that you can be proud of!

2: Cut your procrastination time

You know those horrible or very boring tasks that you know need doing, but you don't want to do? Yes, those tasks that you end up talking yourself out of doing each day.If you actually stopped procrastinating about them and used your time to get them done instead, you will be far more productive with your time.When faced with one of these dreadful tasks, give yourself 3 seconds to cut your procrastination. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Count down from 3, 2, 1, open your eyes and do it!This 3-second countdown will effectively cut your procrastination time to zero and will deliver you with more time to focus on other tasks on your list.

3: Do your hardest task first

You will have a few tasks to complete on your to-do list, but it is wise to schedule your most difficult tasks at the top. This is because you will be able to tackle these tasks when you are fresh and well-rested with plenty of energy and concentration.Getting these more tricky tasks out of the way first will be much more effective than leaving them until the end of the day when your energy and concentration levels may be flagging.

4: Cut large tasks into bite-sized pieces

There can be nothing more exhausting or energy-draining that trying to tackle a huge task head-on. Biting off more than you can chew at once will simply result in your struggling to make any effective headway.This can lead to you dithering around with little enthusiasm to get the task finished. By dividing up the work into smaller bite-sized tasks you will be able to set yourself small and more achievable goals to finish step-by-step. Taking regular breaks after each small step will give you the energy to get through to the end of a gargantuan task.

5: Verbalise your problems

You know when you are working out a problem in your head and then something happens that breaks your train of thought? Yes? Annoying, isn't it.Working out difficult problems that require a lot of thought can be better beaten out if you get those thoughts out of your head. A good way to do this is to verbalise your thoughts.You can do this by discussing the problem with someone else, maybe a work colleague for example. However, if you work alone you can record your conversation and play it back to yourself.Verbalising a problem can work very well to fix something that needs a lot of thought. Try it the next time you need to chew something over.

6: The post-it notes trick

Using post-it notes, an ideas whiteboard or an online tool such as Trello to note down your thoughts and possible solutions is a great way to get things out of your head into something visible for you to focus on. This can serve as a memory aid.You can do this with new tasks as they pop into your head or appear in emails. At the end of the day, you can look at all of your notes and rearrange them into a priority list that will form tomorrow's to-do list. It is a great way to de-clutter your mind.

7: Ditch the guilt

Although this post is all about improving your productivity, you simply cannot be expected to perform at 100% efficiency all of the time.Don't expect perfection all of the time. Give yourself some wiggle-room. Shelve that guilty feeling because you failed to finish everything on today's to-do list. We know you may feel a sense of failure to be hitting your goals, but no one is setting those goals for you.You are setting your own goals, so if you physically and mentally cannot manage your present workload then this can lead to you worrying and fretting about it so much that it can affect your mood, your ability to recharge and re-energise and to sleep.Look at what you have achieved today and be proud of your accomplishments. Shrug off those tasks still outstanding from your list and simply move them on to your list for tomorrow.They will get done eventually – and done well as long as you allow yourself to switch off the guilt and recharge your batteries enough for the next day's challenges.

8: Get adequate rest

Don't neglect your downtime in favour of completing more work. Too many people will get up earlier in the morning so they can get an extra hour or two of work done before the rest of their work colleagues even arrive.While you may feel good about how much work you can achieve by giving yourself more time, you will be losing it from somewhere else in your life. This usually means less sleep, rushed meal times or forgoing coffee breaks.The problem with doing this is that when you return to your normal schedule, your productivity levels will fall. You will then feel compelled to keep cutting into your rest time to increase your productivity once again.A lot of aspiring entrepreneurs will substitute sleep for work, but will quickly find themselves burning out and being unable to function well.If you need 8 hours of solid sleep, don't try to get by on just 6. What will happen over time is that you will not be on-the-ball for most of the day. This can negatively affect your productivity levels because you won't have the energy to focus and complete your tasks effectively.

9: Set up a self-care routine

One of the most effective ways to keep up your productivity levels while at the same time giving you time to recharge your batteries and clear your mind throughout the day is to use a Pomodoro timer.This handy time management tool will schedule regular 25 minute sessions for you to concentrate on your work followed by a short break. You should take these break times away from your work to give your body and mind time to recharge.Shake off tired and cramped muscles by taking a five-minute walk around your building, go outside for some fresh air or perform 5-minute mini-workouts to save some gym time. Go and make yourself a coffee, chat with a colleague, practice some deep breathing or meditation in a quiet corner away from your workstation.Your break time action doesn't have to be huge or profound. Just focus them on a few minutes of self-care to clear your mind and stretch your muscles. Making it deliberate and forming a routine will help you to re-focus your mind when you return to working on your task.

10: Allocate a time slot for social media

Everyone knows what a time-drain social media platforms can be. It can be so tempting to check your Facebook feeds or to catch up with your tweets only to find yourself fully absorbed in your feed with precious work time ticking away.Consign your social media catch-up to a specific time of day and resist the temptation to quickly check throughout the day. This can mean switching off alerts on your phone and locking your phone away in a desk drawer during working hours.

Conclusion

Try out these productivity tips to see which ones work for you and adopt them for at least two weeks to make sure that they stick and become part of your working routine.You will see your productivity increase and your procrastinating reduce, as well as giving your well-being a boost at the same time!You can also save yourself a lot of time by outsourcing your everyday admin tasks. This will free up your precious time to dedicate to more important tasks that you need to get done.Make good use of virtual services such as professional call answering, mail sorting and forwarding or complete virtual office service that incorporates everything you need.

There is no denying that the invention of the internet has changed the face of work for the better. No longer do people need to be an employee and have to commute to a place of work every day to earn their living.Being a solo-entrepreneur and trading online can give an individual the freedom they desire from the shackles of a traditional 9 to 5 job where you are working to line the pockets of others.Long gone are the days when the whole purpose of starting up a business was to keep growing it until it reaches the size of some giant monolith to completely dominate a business sector.These days more individuals are choosing to become solo-entrepreneurs to provide themselves with a comfortable living to equal that of a regular day job.One of the most popular home-based choices is to work in e-commerce selling goods, services, information or unique products that people can create themselves.

The need to be a savvy entrepreneur

There is also no doubt that if you want to succeed in the world of online selling that you need to be savvy about what you choose to sell, especially on selling platforms such as eBay, Amazon or via your own online shop.For those who buy in products to sell online, you need to have more than a gut feeling that something you buy to sell on for a profit is going to work. This is where you should make good use of free product research tools to spot the latest trend and jump onboard.

Product research tools for spotting trends

One of the best tools for seeing what is trending on eBay is HERE. You can use this tool to spot the current 'hot products' that people cannot get enough of, but also what products are on the rise that can be your next lucrative best seller.This tool will also help you to see what products are taking a nose-dive, so if you are currently stocking items that are falling in popularity, you can decide to jump ship to a trending product to ride that wave instead.Researching what products are hot can give you some inspiration on what to sell if you are starting from scratch and have no idea where to start.Another very useful tool is the eBay Most Popular Tool. You can look at potential new markets to enter that you have an interest in or some background knowledge about. Use this tool like a search engine for eBay. Key in your search terms and the tool will generate a list of current auctions.Not only will you be able to see specific auctions that match your search terms but you will also see which auctions have the most bids and watchers. You will quickly get an idea just how popular a certain niche is that you may want to enter.

Don't put all of your eggs into one basket!

While the above research tools are very handy, try not to get stuck into the mindset of only selling on eBay to make a profit.

There is a potentially better way to use the data that you can glean from these research tools:

1: Find out what is trending2: Source them at the best possible price3: Sell these products elsewhereFor example, instead of buying in a trending stock to list on eBay, look at selling on Amazon, other online auction sites, through your own Shopify store or even via Facebook.By doing this you will be selling hot products that are in demand but via different media channels that may not be nearly as saturated a marketplace like eBay.

eBay vs Facebook marketplace

eBay has been around for a few years now and it has become the 'go-to' place for selling off the junk from your attic, your old baby clothes and second-hand goods that you no longer want.However, the savvy entrepreneur saw a lucrative opening here to source new and second-hand goods to sell on for a tidy profit very early on in the auction site's history.Now over 4 million people are selling on eBay in the UK alone, with an estimated 190,000+ registered businesses trading on the selling platform.This can feel a little overwhelming to a sole trader trying to establish a niche on eBay. It can be a very saturated marketplace where competition is high.However, a great alternative to eBay can be Facebook. There are not only local selling groups on the network but the Facebook Marketplace is now positioned itself to be hot on the heels of eBay and a genuine competitor for those looking to sell products online.

It's all about the fees

What is great about selling on Facebook is the fact that there are ZERO fees. This means you get to keep all of your profit from the sale. With eBay, you will have to pay selling fees which cut into your profits.You need to weigh up your options here because you do get a wider audience with eBay so if you are selling something small, lightweight and easy to post, you may be better off paying the fees to reach a wider audience.eBay will take 10% of the total sale price including postage when your items sell. Factor in your PayPal fees on top of this and what you are left with isn't so appealing.Most of Facebook's sales happen at the local level through local selling groups. This is a great option if you have something to sell that your local community will be interested in.In a test conducted by a team from Money Saving Expert where they sold 20 various items on eBay and Facebook, they found that 14 out of the 20 items sold for more on Facebook after fees were taken into consideration.Facebook is all about connecting with people and supporting your local community, so people are now looking to harness the power of Facebook to sell their goods to the local community through local selling groups for free.

How do you sell on Facebook?

So, let's say, for example, that you have sourced a job lot of t-shirts. You simply post an ad on Facebook advertising your shirts, and interested buyers will contact you.From here you can arrange for them to drop in to look at your shirts and pay you cash for one or more if they are happy with them. It is a bit like a modern take on the old newspaper classified ads.Again, if you try to diversify your selling through various sites and platforms such as eBay, Amazon, other auction sites and Facebook, you will reach a wider audience than simply sticking to eBay.However, one surprising fact that the Money Saving Team discovered while testing both sites was they found it quicker to shift things on local groups that remained unsold on eBay. Something to think about if you are carrying a lot of dead-stock that is listed on eBay!

The downside to selling on Facebook

No selling platform is going to be perfect and with Facebook, you do have to factor in that their local selling groups are run by volunteers.This means that Facebook won't get involved in the transactions between you and your customer. But it also means that there is very little comeback if you experience problems with your customers.If you run your business from home and your Facebook customers drop in to pick up their good from you, then any unhappy or disgruntled customer will know where you live.This can be a worry if you have young children or elderly relatives living with you that you will want to protect. So this needs to be weighed up before you decide to invite strangers around to your house.

How to protect your home address when you have a home-based business

One of the main worries for entrepreneurs running a business from home is how to keep your private home address off the public record to help keep your family safe.The last thing you want is for an unhappy customer to be banging aggressively on your front door and upsetting your family members.There is a very professional way around this problem that many thousands of solo-entrepreneurs use to keep their personal address private. This solution also offers the extra benefit of giving your small business a more businesslike image.What we are talking about here is using a business office address service such as our London Office Address and Mail Forwarding package.By using our service you can give your home-based business a professional image with a highly prestigious London business address. Your company address would be based in the heart of London's business district at:Your business or personal nameKemp House152 – 160 City RoadLondon, EC1V 2NXBut it is not only having a highly prestigious company address that you can benefit from. Our in-built mail forwarding service is also included in this package.This means that we will receive your business letters, parcels and signed-for documentation at our London based offices and you can then choose what you want to do with your mail.You could choose to have all of your mail forwarded to your home address, scanned and emailed to you, or if you are local you can call in and collect your post in person – keeping your private residential address off the Public Register of Businesses kept at Companies House.Our London address and mail forwarding services are trusted by thousands of small businesses that want to keep their home address private to protect their family and property.This is an instant service that once set up can be used immediately. You even get the free use of a modern, well equipped London based business meeting room.Overall you get to protect your home address, keep your family life and business life separate and also impress your customers with prestigious London-based bricks and mortar business address.Give our friendly team a call for more information on +44 (0) 207 5663939 or email us at office@capital-office.co.uk if you need more help.