UK Starting Business believes that by providing information on other business start-up resources it aids potential entrepreneurs to locate useful guidance on many of the aspects of setting up a new enterprise as well as maximising the benefits derived from current operations.

The list of starting business resources below have been used by numerous entrepreneurs to increase the knowledge of the start-up options; including business incorporation services, finance for new ideas and information on small business exhibitions.

UK Starting Business would welcome any further suggestions for entries to this section of the website. The goal is to consistently update and review the resources listed here and to make additions where it is deemed necessary to continue with a comprehensive informational base.

Startups is one of the biggest UK based business start–up sites providing information on both full and part-time opportunities and various checklists designed to assess the viability of the venture and the entrepreneurial skills of the potential business owner.

Barclays provides financially orientated planning advice and of course the services which they can offer to aid in launching and sustaining a small business.

Guardian has produced a useful article on starting a new business in times of a recession. The piece details several stages of the planning process including business plan, raising finance and advertising. Further information is also listed on working from home and carrying out a competitor analysis.

This is Money consists of several guides on starting a business together with tools for assessing capital. There are also sections for buying an existing operation and discussing business ideas with other would-be entrepreneurs.

Complete Business Start up is a practical resource on the various elements of starting a business. The information provided covers internet businesses, plan and finance. There are also useful business zones and dictionary sections which provide real-world experiences of starting up and explain some of the technical terms frequently used in commercial circles.

Entrepreneurs outlines the stages of developing a business idea and bringing it to fruition. There is information on home based business and areas which depict entrepreneurial successes.

Business Services Support has a range of training course designed to aid in starting a small business, information on how to build a website and company formation services in both the UK and USA. There are some downloadable brochures outlining the business start-up services they offer.

Startinbusiness provides a well categorised site covering business opportunities, company formation services and listing of existing operations for sale. Their website also provides information of upcoming business start-up shows and exhibitions and resources and advice on types of business entities and financial.

Bstartup has a number of guides of starting a new business in various industries. The site also provides extensive information on business start-up shows, seminars and workshops. New business might also be interested in the sections designed for exhibitors.

The concept of working on a business versus working in a business is an important consideration for any entrepreneur wishing to both develop their operations and ensure that they run effectively.

Whilst the phrases are very similar in their presentation they in fact highlight two very distinct duties a business owner must contend with.

The hypothesis surrounding working in a business is concerned with the entrepreneur subsuming themselves within the daily functions of running the business operations. Typically these would include: proving customer support, employee supervision, individual sales conversations, stationery ordering and some of the other numerous tasks necessary for the business perform on an ongoing basis.

Working on a business has the contradictory approach of absolving the day to day running of the enterprise to others and adopting a more strategic perspective of the organisation; one which is designed to further its overall objectives.

Simplistically, working in a business facilitates the sales of this week, whilst working on the business focuses on generating sales for next year.

Both functions have their own importance but it is the latter which is frequently overlooked and is staved of the appropriate amounts of resources.

During a typical commercial life cycle, at the point of starting a business the entrepreneur spends most of their capabilities working on the business; that is, developing contacts with suppliers, looking at aspects of marketing, creating financial budgets and drawing up their grand vision of what the business will become.

When the plan has been implemented and sales and revenues begin to appear, the business owner’s attention is slowly drawn away for the development side of the operations and more towards the vicinity of satisfying these orders.

The balance of attention continues to shift gradually until the business is so much in demand that the entrepreneur is completely immersed in working in the business and on the daily functions of achieving an efficient operating unit.

At this point they spend very little time working on the business and become a mechanism of an event driven and reactionary organisation.

At some point under this regime business growth ceases as no efforts are devoted to generating further commercial development. It is usually at the point of business decline that suddenly the entrepreneur realises that the undertakings which resulted in the initial business growth are no longer be considered or initiated.

The point in the business life cycle this fact is realised will determine the levels of corrective action that are necessary to stem the decline and redress the strategic versus operating balance.

Having a defined locality from which a business operates can however be used to gain a competitive advantage. By appealing to customer’s loyalty based on their locality a small business can attract orders by focusing its marketing efforts within the designated area.

With the growth of larger businesses the ability of smaller local enterprises to compete effectively has diminished as bigger entities are able to undercut the prices, provide nationwide support and offer a more extensive range of good and services.

A potentially potent and free method of advertising within a specific locality is through word of mouth. Neighbours and communities frequently discuss and exchange comments on purchases made and commissions undertaken by businesses and will hold views on whether to recommend a supplier or to steer others away from that establishment.

As part of the business planning process, a sole trader, partnership or limited company can construe a specific local geographical area in which it wishes to concentrate.

Their resources, whether marketing, customer services or networking can then be applied so as to gain advantage and full benefit from the release of these resources.

There is a philosophy in business when viewing a particular industry which states that only a proportion of any particular market can ever be won; that no single business can cater for the needs of all customers.

In this vein, the local business need not attempt to compete with regional or national enterprises as if it was successful, it would simply be replacing income earned in one area with revenue gained in another.

The principles of competitive advantage therefore mandate that the local business should use its strongest advantage, i.e. its locality to achieve its share of the market.