Business Start-up and Management

Many courses teach trade skills and offer general advice with regards to business, but we have decided to offer a one-day course concentrating on all the aspects of setting up and managing a small independent business.

This small business management course is aimed towards those thinking of becoming self-employed and setting up their own small business. Topics include business start-up, accountancy systems, suppliers, customers, industry-specific information, advertising and websites:

Business Start Up

  • Registration and formation – where do you start?
  • Business structure – Sole trader? Partnership? Limited company?
  • Use and choice of accountants – what will it cost?
  • VAT registration – do you or don't you? When and how and what does it all mean?
  • Financial periods and accounting
  • Investment and expenditure into business – how and when

Accountancy systems

  • What suits your financial and computer skills and knowledge?
  • Hands on tuition of different systems
  • Use of Sage – the latest version as used by all recognised accounts:
    • Company setup
    • Use and understanding of nominal codes
    • Posting receipts and payments
    • VAT returns, invoicing, reports etc
  • Use of Microsoft Money – the latest version
  • Use of basic spreadsheets
  • VAT calculation and return
  • End of year taxation, calculation and return

Suppliers

  • Choice of suppliers
  • Trading terms
  • Credit accounts and payment accounts
  • Payment terms
  • Discounts
  • Best supplier prices and terms – where?

Customers

  • Trading terms
  • Pricing and what to charge
  • Debt collection
  • Invoicing process, creation etc

Industry specific

  • Useful and essential websites
  • Industry forums
  • Industry events
  • Industry associations
  • Industry contacts
  • Contracts

Advertising

  • Internet
  • In-depth and hands on use of Google adwords, Yahoo etc
  • Websites
  • Costs and budget control
  • Yellow pages, Thompson, 118 247 etc
  • Local Advertising, newspapers etc
  • What works, what does not!

Websites

  • Creation, design and hosting
  • Marketing your website
  • Referral to professional website designer with Industry specific experience

We hope this page answers your questions about our Business Start-up and Management Course.

Information about our courses is also available in a downloadable brochure (8.5MB).

To book a place on one of courses, please download the booking form, complete it and send it to us, together with a cheque for the deposit.

You can also pay the deposit or for the whole course by credit or debit card or from a PayPal account on the website of Walker Lockmiths, who operate The Locksmiths Training Centre.

If you have further questions or wish to reserve a place on one of our courses, please: