Sharing our advice at Start-Up 2016
Last Saturday Direct Line for Business attended Enterprise Nation's Start-Up 2016 event.
By Jazz Gakhal, Director of Direct Line for Business in For Small Businesses.
On Saturday the 16th January 2016, myself and Nick Breton, Head of Direct Line for Business attended Enterprise Nation’s Start-Up 2016 event.
The event was oversubscribed and had a queue all the way around the block, highlighting just how many people are interesting in starting their own business and getting their hands on specialised support. Inside entrepreneurs were able to chat to people that had set up their own businesses, giving advice and tips on how to start and grow a company. A huge variety of people attended, from those who were keen to know more about entrepreneurship to Silicon Roundabout pros.
The day also featured panel discussions and ask the expert Q&As, covering key areas entrepreneurs may not have considered such as business risk.
Nick and I participated in two panel discussions on the day. These were both live-streamed at the event and shared on our Twitter account - @dl4bnews.
Starting a business in the sharing economy
The first talk was entitled ‘How to Start a Business in the Sharing Economy’ and saw me sit on a panel with a number of sharing economy entrepreneurs including Sophie Neary from Vrumi.com, Pete Dowds, co-founder of Mopp.com and Merilee Karr, founder of UnderTheDoormat.com.
Over the course of the discussion I talked about the importance of Public Liability Insurance, and how it was fundamental for small businesses.
I explained to those watching that if they’re thinking of utilising their home for business purpose, they should check with their insurer whether they have any kind of home business cover first. This is incredibly important to know because any business activitiescarried out in a home could invalidate existing home insurance policies.
Keeping your business financially fit
The second panel discussion was about how businesses ‘Can stay financially fit and protected throughout the year’ and saw Nick talk alongside Bivek Sharma of KPMG Small Business Accounting, Gary Turner from Xero, Clive Lewis from ICAEW and Richard Bearman from HSBC.
When asked about the types of insurance businesses needed to stay protected, Nick explained to the attendees that there were a number of insurance products businesses should consider. With Public Liability Insurance being a prioirty.
‘Whether you’re working from home or have got your own premises, whether you’re visiting a customer at their home or place of work, lots of things can go wrong. You need to cover yourself against claims arising from your customers or members of the public be it an accident, illness or injury’.
He also advised small business owners to look into Product Liability Insurance, reminding them that if any of their customers suffer injury or loss arising from a product that they’d designed, even something as simple as a cupcake, they could face a claim.
On the subject of Employer’s Liability Insurance, Nick explained that it was ‘a legal requirement and crucially important if you employ more than one person’, and not just an optional insurance product.
He also talked about Professional Indemnity Insurance, reminding people that if they’re providing advice, designs or ideas to customers and those customers suffer financial loss or loss of reputation they could also face claims against them.
As the talk wound down, Nick’s top tip to those thinking of starting up their own business was to ‘work on your elevator pitch’. He told customers to ensure they could sum up their businesses clearly, quickly and effectively.
What we thought
It was an insightful day for all involved. We hugely enjoyed being part of the event, and we're really looking forward to continuing our support for Enterprise Nation over the next 12 months.
Jazz Gakhal
Last Updated: 6 Aug 2015