Nubie Blog

I’ll get right to the point – why do so many people dislike their jobs and if they dislike it so much then why do they continue to do it?

Ok, so we know necessity is the biggest factor but take that away for a second. Why else would you stay doing something that makes you unhappy? Why, in Ireland in particular, do we end up in careers that we don’t really want to be in? Is it bad career guidance; is it the education system in Ireland? What do you think?

I believe part of the reason so many people are unhappy is because their jobs not only involve the actual job but everything else that goes with being employed – the commute, childcare, getting kids to school on time, working long hours and for some, having very little disposable income at the end of the week. So how can we change this? I believe there are two fairly easy ways of improving this situation. No it won’t solve the problem in its entirety. But it’s a start and I think if you plan on forming a company, you should really take these into consideration.

1. Hire local – I live 4 miles from my workplace. My previous jobs all required a lengthy commute. I cannot describe how much of a difference living close to work makes. (It’s also cheaper and it’s good for the environment!)
2. Be a flexible employer – I am able to work around the school timetable, work from home when needs be, work fewer hours than previous in order to fit in real life. This isn’t down to my job type but down to flexible employers. And yes, before you say it I am very productive; often do a few hours in the evening or whenever I can fit it in and I am happy to do this.

My point is this – if you are on this website, reading this blog, chances are you are looking to start your own company. At some point, you’ll need to hire staff – bear in mind that the happier your staff, the better they will work, the more loyal they will be and the more productive your company will be.  It comes back to the simple idea of promoting happiness in the workplace. Keep it local, keep it flexible. It worked for me!

Please tell me if you have any ideas relating to this topic – it is only through communicating that we can promote change.

Talk soon.

Diva

Worried about the economy – the threat of redundancy? Sick of waiting for suitable employment to come along? Or perhaps your just fed up of your current job? Feeling the entrepreneurial spirit but no idea what to do with it? Starting a business can be a daunting experience regardless of your current situation. This article aims to aid budding industry innovators in their ambition to create a successful business start-up by compiling a concise startup business guide.

1.Challenge your Idea

The most important step to take when considering whether to introduce a product/service to market is to test the concept on its apparent qualities and shortcomings. It is vital that you assess the good from every perspective – many new ventures fail due to delusions of the actual value of the product itself. It therefore might be worth asking an impartial outsider of their opinions on the idea.

2. Business Plan

Without an effective business plan your idea may be doomed to fail from the beginning. Effective business planning combines common sense and a few basic strategies. Set clear goals and objectives with measurable outcomes and feet-to-the-fire timelines. Gather all the information you need. An effective plan depends on a complete and accurate understanding of your market, your customers, your financial situation, and your business environment. It is imperative that you set aside enough time for business planning. The time you spend will save you far more time once it’s up and running.

3. Business Funding

Of course, all of this is just conjecture unless you have the financial backing to turn the idea into a reality. It is worth recognising that you personally don’t need to be financially well off as there are other options available to promising entrepreneurs looking to grow a business.  Government grants, venture capitalists, private investment and ‘business angels’ are all viable options. It could be a fruitful exercise to contact Enterprise Ireland/County Enterprise Board to learn more about your financial opportunities.

As a final point, it really isn’t as formidable as you may think to get your idea from the kitchen table to commercialisation. If you focus on the above points and use business startup tools to good effect, you have every chance of making your idea a winning realisation.

Create quotes, orders and invoices through Nubie.

“Your Invoices” is now up and running…  Easily create quotes, orders and invoices for your new business.

Email the invoices to your customers.  Get paid quicker.

All the best,

The Nubie Team

We have just updated our on-line tutorial for nubie. com

The new tutorial shows your how nubie.com can help you start, fund, manage and grow your business.

It can be accessed at:

http://www.nubie.com/Tutorials/Tutorials.aspx

We will be adding new tutorials all the time…

All the best,

The Nubie Team

‘Diva is… celebrating her new job! 5 mornings a week, 4 miles from home, overlooking the beach and a cool, new start up for an employer… who could ask for more! Wicklow rocks!’

That was my Facebook post 3 months ago – I’m still here. Obviously! And I still feel the same really. Not only do I feel blessed to have a job but I really feel pretty great about the fact that I like it so much. When I talk about work with friends, we inevitably end up discussing how much they dislike their jobs and I feel that is very wrong – the majority of working people spend more hours working than they do with those they love – how is this living?  Most people I know want to start their own company or be their own boss. To have control over their daily lives! I could go on for hours and I will come back to this but first…

What about introductions! Here goes… I’m a 21 year old, 6ft blond with a body to die for and a face even Angelina Jolie would be jealous of. Ok, so maybe I’m stretching the truth a little bit… but hey isn’t that the joy of blogging? You get to be the dream, be faceless, brandless, whoever you want to be!

My blog posts will focus on two main areas – the life side of work (work life balance, career versus kids, stress management etc) and sales and marketing updates (how to market your company on a budget, how to win those sales etc). If there is a topic you’d like to see covered, then let me know!

I look forward to the journey ahead with you.  Join me here on the Nubie Blog every week and who knows maybe together we can change the world!

Talk soon.

Diva

We have just  loaded new roadmaps within Nubie for

- Holistic Therapy
- Marketing
- Web Development
- Teaching

Take the journey with our help at www.nubie.com

We are adding new roadmaps all the time… if your roadmap is not available right now… request it from us and we will upload it…

All the best,

The Nubie Team

We have just added our first on-line tutorial for Nubie.  It covers the “Are you Ready?” self assessment tool.

The new tutorial shows you how to profile your skill-set and check your readiness to start your own business.

It can be accessed at:

http://www.nubie.com/Tutorials/Tutorials_AreYouReady.aspx

We will be adding new tutorials all the time…

All the best,

The Nubie Team

Today, we announced more details about Nubie.com to the wider public. We hope to constantly improve and enhance the service over time,  but we’re delighted to have received some strong funding and support from various people who have a lot of passion about the potential of small businesses in Ireland. Below is the text of our press release which we issued today to the wider world and of course we welcome your comments or feed-back on the service at anytime.

Irish-based Nubie.com secures €150,000 in funding and launches Ireland’s first web-based business “start-up” service

August 11, 2010 – Nubie.com, a new web-based service which helps Irish entrepreneurs to start, fund, manage and grow their business was launched today.

The web-based service will meet the immediate business needs of Irish “start-ups”, over 13,000 of whom are formed in Ireland each year.[1]  It will provide start-ups with customised roadmaps tailored for the Irish market and online tools to research their idea, develop a business plan, check grant eligibility, seek funding and get off the ground quicker.  As well as business planning, funding and forecasting, Nubie will also provide a range of related services including invoicing, customer relationship management and marketing.

Nubie has secured an investment of €150,000 from private investors and Wicklow County Enterprise Board to provide the service and can be accessed at www.nubie.com

“Whether you are starting a coffee shop or software company, Nubie can help guide you through the process, from writing a business plan to selling your product or service” said Loughlin Nestor, Director, Nubie.  “We will provide every start-up with a tailored roadmap of what they need to get done, when and how, as well as related services.  These services can now be easily and conveniently delivered online at very low cost, helping new Irish business to get off the ground successfully”, he added.

Commenting on the launch, Sheelagh Daly, CEO, Wicklow County Enterprise Board said: “We are really pleased to see Nubie being launched as it provides valuable additional support for fostering new businesses at local level around the country.”

The cloud-based service is now available with a free trial period and costs €20 per month thereafter.  It will also offer useful information and content for start-ups including an online library, new business cafe, discussion forum and special guest blog posts.

Nubie.com is also offering a EUR 10,000 prize consisting of customised mentoring , business and marketing services for one Irish start-up. Entry can be made at www.nubie.com and is open to start-ups which have commenced operations in the last 18 months.

ENDS.

[1] Bank of Ireland Business Start-Up Barometer 2009, published on January 22, 2010

Nubie is here to help…

We have just a loaded a new roadmap within Nubie for “starting a coffee shop”…

It includes everything from
* Developing a business plan for your coffee shop
* Choosing your coffee vendor
* Training your staff in customer service
* Your payroll system
* and many more…

Take the journey with our help at www.nubie.com

We are adding new roadmaps all the time… if your roadmap is not available right now… request it from us and we will upload it…

All the best,

The Nubie Team