Hi,

I'm wanting to start a business which I think has potential (it's meerly been an off/on thing really) but don't think I'll be able to get any funding. I am blacklisted and so cannot get a loan, but would ideally need to pump roughly £2000 - £3000.00 into it to get it off the ground.

I've been to the free business advice center in town who advised me to advertise and use savings to get it going -but at the moment that really isn't an option.

I was hoping yall could offer some advice?

Swiller.

Can you tell us more about the nature of the business?

-PK-

Yeah no probs. It's a balloon decorating business. Y'know I do arches, table decorations etc for weddings and parties, or any event really. I have made a price list from doing some market research. I have a name for the "business" but no funding. And this time of the year is the busiest for balloon business.

Hi there,

Have you tried SENTA - www.senta.co.uk?

Also, there'll be another Forum Entrepeneur's get together in a couple of weeks - perhaps we might come up with some ideas there if you wnat to come along.

The problem with pulling a business up by it's bootstraps is that it's nearly impossible - I've tried running undercapitalised businesses and it ain't easy.

Are you working in a 'day job' at the moment?

Joe

Sure am working - shift rotations (what fun!).

I tried SENTA, their the ones who advised me to use savings and advertise etc. Which is sound advice, but blatantly obvious.

Where's the entrepeneur's forum getting together, and is this an offshoot of the Sheff forum or an established group?

The businesses you brough up by the straps - can I ask if they are still operational or did they fail because of the lack of finance?

Swiller.

Hi,

The Entrepeneur's group is a spin off from the Forum - quite a few folks are running or want to run small businesses so we thought we'd form a special interest group around that.

Two of the businesses is still running - my web development / hosting outfit - but quite small. A small film / media company I'm director or is also ticking over.

I currently freelance in IT, and want to try again with a company producing AI software later this year.

But undercapitalisation did cost me a consulting firm in the 90s. And ultimately cost me a great deal of stress and money!

Joe