Tips to help small business owners stay motivated by Michelle Mone, OBE

I know first-hand how tough it can be to run your own business. I left school at the age of 15 without any qualifications and worked my way up the career ladder until I decided to become my own boss and founded Ultimo Bras at the age of 24. Ultimo is now a globally recognised lingerie brand.

Based on my experience I do not believe qualifications are the secret to business success. Instead it is all about your mind-set. Often the toughest part is keeping a business running and continuing to grow and innovate, after you have launched.

So here are my top tips for staying focused and motivated…

1. Self-motivation is key

To get anywhere in the world of work, you've got to rely on yourself to drive you forward. We all need someone around who motivates us, but if you don't motivate yourself then you're never going to get there. Nothing is ever going to be easy - or everyone would be doing it. But you've got to have that passion and determination to start with.

2. Keep focus

So how do you maintain that motivation? Write down what you want to achieve in your life and in your career. Write down your goals and write down a plan of how you're going to get there. Look at those notes every day. Remind yourself where you were when you wrote them down and take a picture in your mind.

3. The eternal optimist

We're all going to face rejection at some point, especially in today's economy. The key thing to remember is that when you fall down, you need to pick yourself back up quickly and have a smile on your face. There is always something better around the corner if you are prepared to work for it.  

4. Dreams can come true

The best thing to do is to dream. Go where really motivates you and dream. It's amazing what you can do once you get in the zone and get your mind sorted, it’s incredible what you can achieve.

 

5. What makes you tick?

Confidence arises from different things in different people, but one thing we all tend to agree with is that it comes from within. For me, it is important that I look good as well as feel good for important business occasions. However, not everyone wants to wear high heels, a tight dress and a blow-dry. It's whatever suits you. You've got to work out what makes you perform and do more of it. Confidence helps the business grow. So think about what makes you feel your best, and remember to bring that to work every day.

6. Doubt the doubters

When you put yourself out there, there's always the risk that doubters and those who are hyper-critical may become obstacles in your path. But at times like those, you've got to muster up all the confidence you've got and remember to turn the negatives into positives. Grow a thick skin as quickly as you can so that you are able to take criticism in your stride rather than allowing it to derail you. As long as you're a good person and you do good things, then you shouldn't care about everyone else's opinion of you.

7. It’s not about gender

I think the recent cabinet reshuffle is fantastic as I am sure the new female members will do an amazing job. However it is vital that women succeed in business based on our own merits and that we are not helped or hindered by our gender. If women are right for the job, then it doesn't matter about gender. It doesn't matter if they are wearing a bra or not wearing a bra. They should get the job on their skills and that should be the way to think about it.

8. Be an inspiration

My biggest business inspiration is Sir Richard Branson, whose progress I followed as a young girl growing up. I hope I am a role model, not just for women but for men as well. Hopefully I show people that one day, if that's what you want, you could get an OBE from the Queen.

9. Work hard and open doors

I left school at fifteen with no qualifications – not that education doesn't matter, of course it matters – but I've worked my way up from nothing to where I am today. Everyone is special whether you've come from money and opportunity or not. You can create your own; you don't have to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth to succeed in business.

10. Take advice and always seek new opportunities

 

If you are a small business owner or sole trader struggling to achieve a healthy cash flow, you are not alone – as an entrepreneur myself there are very few issues I haven’t faced and I know that it’s not always easy!  I’m proud to support Kalixa Pro and the Spirit of Small Business Awards which help and recognise those businesses that are going the extra mile – whether that’s through amazing ideas and entrepreneurship, ensuring customer retention and year on year growth or simply launching a fantastic business idea or concept.

For more information, and to enter visit https://awards.kalixa.com.

Are you a personal trainer? See how Kalixa Pro can help you grow your business.

Are you a personal trainer? If yes, then you're probably always on the move and so are your customers! When it comes to getting paid - carrying cash is a hassle for both trainer and client. Perhaps you currently get paid by bank transfer - when your customers get around to doing it which doesn’t help your cash flow! 

Have you ever thought about offering your customers an option to pay by card? It’s finally an option for small business owners like you with Kalixa Pro.  

 

Forgetting cash, running to an ATM or waiting days for a bank transfer are not an issue anymore! Offering additional payment options to your customers will increase your sales and make your and their lives easier.

 

See how Kalixa Pro can help! Read the story of Matt – a personal trainer and one of our customers - to see how he does it. You can also see how Candy at CC Wellness does it too by watching the video here.

Matt Bryant - Personal Trainer

Matt is a personal trainer who trains clients in his purpose built home gym in Buckinghamshire.

 

As Matt’s business has continued to expand the need to offer multiple payment options to his customers has become increasingly important. Matt turned to Kalixa Pro and loves the results.

 

As he explains, “The Pro device has made taking payments so much easier, and not having to register as a merchant with the bank has saved me time and money.” Matt’s customers are happy to use Kalixa Pro, too. “I was initially worried clients would question me and the security of taking their card payment. They don’t even flinch when I hand them the terminal and I make it clear it’s MasterCard and Visa certified It’s always a seamless process.” 

 

To read more about Matt's business visit: http://www.mbpt.co.uk.

 

To register for Kalixa Pro, go to: https://www.kalixa.com/pro.

Fun facts about your credit card we bet you didn’t know!

Have you ever wondered if all credit cards are the same size? Or what does the first digit mean? Here are some fun facts about your plastic...

 

. In 2013 Brits paid around £142 billion in transaction volume with their credit cards

. Charge plates, or Charga-Plates, predate credit cards. Used until the early 1960s, they were made from aluminum or white metal plates and were the size of dog tags. The backs had a paperboard insert with the issuer’s name and cardholder’s signature. They were sometimes kept in the stores (usually department stores) and retrieved by a clerk when someone wanted to use them.

. The first general credit cards were made from paper and had a limit of $300

. The first modern credit card was introduced in 1949 in the US by Frank X. McNamara and was called 'Diners Club'. It could be used at multiple locations.

. Diner’s Club founder, Frank X. McNamara, came up with the idea one evening after dining at a restaurant — and realizing he had forgotten his wallet.

. UK’s first credit card was issued in 1966 by Barclays.

. VISA was originally called BankAmericard and MasterCard was initially named MasterCharge.

. MasterCard and VISA are a network of banks and financial institutions. American Express is its own company. Discover Card is a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley

. Credit card numbers follow the Luhn algorithm, which is a checksum test on a number. To see how this works, start from the right and double each second digit (1111 becomes 2121), and then add them all together. You should end with a number evenly divisible by 10. If it doesn’t, the credit card is not a valid card.

. Most credit cards are the same size: 85.60 mm x 53.98 mm.

. The first digit of a credit card represents the type of card: 1 and 2 are for airlines, 3 is for travel and entertainment, 4 and 5 are for a banking or financial institutions, 6 is for merchandizing and banking, 7 is for petroleum, 8 is for telecommunications, and 9 is for other assignments.

. Some exclusive credit cards are made from titanium or even diamonds!

Do you have any other fun facts about your plastic you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you!

The workplace in 2014 – a disillusioned and unhappy workforce

Half of Brits are so unhappy in their jobs that they believe their career choice was a mistake - with legal professionals the unhappiest, according to our research.

Forty nine per cent of us are seriously thinking about changing job, with 28 per cent keen to do something completely different.  24 per cent of workers are so disillusioned; they admit that they would describe themselves as ‘poor’ employees. 

The research, commissioned by Kalixa Pro to launch our Spirit of Small Business Awards which are open to entrepreneurs, small businesses and sole traders across Britain, paints a negative picture, with fourteen per cent of employees admitting that they don’t care about their job, and many admitting they hate their boss and have not been trained properly.

The top 10 unhappiest industries according to a recent poll:

1. Legal - 40%

2. Manufacturing – 37%

3. Hospitality – 36%

4. Property – 36%

5. Environmental services – 33%

6. Health – 32%

7. Telecoms – 32%

8. Construction – 32%

9. Finance – 31%

10. Government/public services – 30%

The results, don’t paint a great picture for the legal profession; 54 per cent of those working in this sector fear their career was a mistake and 37 per cent are looking at changing industry.  In addition two thirds of those working in property say their career was a mistake, while 39 per cent of those in hospitality are looking to change industry.

A further 47 per cent of employees think they have gone as far as they can in their profession and worryingly 43 per cent of 35-44 year olds say they have already hit their career ceiling.  Two in ten of us think our job is ‘meaningless’ and too stressful, with another 15% saying their hours are too long.

This disillusionment is leading seventy per cent of the British workforce to consider working for themselves.  Many people are looking for the opportunity to do something they love – nearly half (46%), in fact. A third of us admit we don’t want to take orders from others anymore, and a quarter want to make more money.

So what do we want to do? The list of dream jobs reveals the personal passions and dreams of the nation.  Café owner topped the poll closely followed by a B&B owner.

The top10 ideal jobs according to a recent poll:

1.     Cafe owner - 13%

2.     B&B owner – 12%

3.     Novelist – 10%

4.     Bar owner – 10%

5.     Chocolate/sweet tester – 10%

6.     Travel writer – 10%

7.     Photographer – 9%

8.     Gardener – 8%

9.     Artist – 8%

10.  Food critic – 8%

However, just 17 per cent think they will actually take the plunge and become their own boss.  The barriers to going it alone include not having enough money (42%), worries about the risks involved (35%), or just being too lazy (17%).

In contrast a survey of small business owners shows they have no regrets about working for themselves as 42 per cent insist they could never go back. 82 per cent would hate to be an employee and 23 per cent don’t believe they could take orders anymore.

Colin Swain, Global Head of Product at Kalixa Group, commented: “It’s shocking to see that so many people are unhappy in their jobs, but great to see that some are turning their dreams into a reality.  Sole traders and small businesses are the lifeblood of the UK and as such Kalixa is committed to supporting the growth of this vital part of the economy.  We are delighted to launch Kalixa Pro, which will provide the UK’s sole traders and small businesses with a cost effective way to take card payments, designed to give them the freedom to help grow their businesses.”

Michelle Mone OBE, owner of Ultimo and an ambassador for Kalixa Pro said: “With many disillusioned employees thinking of a change of career, it’s important to remember that running your own business is hard work!  Of course, that’s not to say the rewards don’t outweigh the more difficult times.  If you are looking to set up alone, don’t be under any illusion that it’s the easy option - a third of small business owners are making less money and working longer hours than they expected.”

From July 16th, the Spirit of Small Business Awards are open to entrepreneurs, small businesses and sole traders across Britain and will reward eleven exceptional small businesses across the country. Each of the eleven winners will then be in with a chance of scooping the overall Outstanding Small Business of the Year Award which comes with a grand prize of £10,000.  To enter, visit: http://awards.kalixa.com

For more details on the research, please go to:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8Mnwr_ugvntWHJkMUF4TDU5U0k/edit?usp=sharing

Kalixa Pro Launches the Spirit of Small Business Awards

Awards to reward and recognise Britain’s small businesses and sole traders

Kalixa Pro, the small business mPOS solution, today launched its Spirit of Small Business Awards. The awards are designed to celebrate and recognise the very best entrepreneurs, small businesses and sole traders in Britain and strengthen Kalixa Pro’s commitment to support the ambitions and growth of Britain’s best small business talent.

Are you a mobile beauty therapist looking to expand your business this year? Or perhaps your family run cafe could do with a cash injection?  You may be a self-employed accountant, nursery owner, market trader or taxi driver, or have you just taken the first steps to fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming your own boss? Whatever your small business story, Kalixa Pro want to hear from you!

From today, the Spirit of Small Business Awards are open to entrepreneurs, small businesses and sole traders across Britain.

The panel of high calibre judges, including Michelle Mone OBE, one of the UK’s most successful female entrepreneurs and owner of international lingerie brand, Ultimo, will reward eleven exceptional small businesses across the country. Each of the category winners will be given a cash injection of £1,000 and a business support package including a bespoke corporate photography session, website build or optimisation, and a money can’t buy mentoring session with Michelle.

But that’s not all, each of the eleven winners will then be in with a chance of scooping the overall Outstanding Small Business of the Year Award which comes with a grand prize of £10,000.

Colin Swain, Global Head of Product at Kalixa Group, said: “It’s been a tough few years for small businesses but despite all the challenges they face, small businesses and entrepreneurs continue to prove themselves to be the backbone of Britain and a vital part of our economy.”

“We are delighted to be supporting the success and growth of Britain’s small businesses with the launch of Kalixa Pro and the Spirit of Small Business Awards. Kalixa Pro has been designed to make taking card payments easy and cost effective for small businesses, helping to solve their cash flow challenges and increase sales and the Spirit of Small Business Awards is just another way we are offering a helping hand for the nation’s small business owner,” added Swain.

Michelle Mone OBE, entrepreneur and Spirit of Small Business Awards judge said: “If you are a small business owner or sole trader struggling to achieve a healthy cash flow, you are not alone – as an entrepreneur myself there are very few issues I haven’t faced and I know that it’s not always easy!  I’m proud to support Kalixa Pro and the Spirit of Small Business Awards which help and recognise those businesses that are going the extra mile – whether that’s through amazing ideas and entrepreneurship, ensuring customer retention and year on year growth or simply launching a fantastic business idea or concept.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the array of great business talent we have here in Britain and spending time with the eventual winners to help them drive their businesses forward,” added Mone.

The categories for the 2014 awards are:

National Awards

Best Female Entrepreneur, Best Male Entrepreneur, Best Young Entrepreneur, Best Sole Trader 

Regional Awards

Best Small Business – South East, Best Small Business – South West, Best Small Business – Midlands ,

Best Small Business – North West, Best Small Business – North East, Best Small Business – Wales,

Best Small Business – Scotland

Grand Prize

Outstanding Small Business of the Year

The above awards open today and will close on 4^th September 2014. The eleven winners will be announced the week commencing 29 September 2014. To enter, visit: http://awards.kalixa.com

The public vote for the overall Outstanding Small Business of the Year Award will open the week commencing 29 September 2014, and will see the eleven national and regional winners whittled down to one grand prize winner of £10,000 – chosen by you! The overall winner will be announced on 15^th December 2014.   

For more information or to order Kalixa Pro visit www.kalixa.com/pro. 

Research reveals only 2% of UK micro-businesses use an mPOS solution

• Cash flow identified as the biggest barrier to growth for micro-businesses
• Existing mPOS solutions fail to tackle this challenge  
• Kalixa launches Kalixa Pro, offering the fastest settlement on the market to address merchants’ needs

Download infographic

 ‘mPOS attitudes and adoption’, carried out by research firm MobileSquared on behalf of Kalixa Group, reveals that only 2% of micro-businesses in the UK use a Mobile Point-of-Sale (mPOS) to accept payments. It also identifies the number one barrier to business growth is cash flow. mPOS solutions enable businesses to accept a card payment using a smartphone instead of a traditional fixed point-of-sale terminal.

The research is based on responses from more than 1,000 UK micro-businesses (businesses of between one and nine employees in size) including market traders, fast food outlets, independent retailers, and mobile caterers. The announcement corresponds with the launch of Kalixa Pro, a low cost small business payment solution that includes a mPOS product.

The need for mPOS
The research reveals that many micro-businesses identify cash flow (45%) as the number one barrier to growth. In addition, nearly half (48%) of micro-businesses surveyed miss sales or face delayed settlement, with one in ten saying they miss sales because they don’t have the required payment capability. And more than half of respondents believe multi-channel payments will be important in the future.

Micro-businesses are looking to mPOS technology to help solve these challenges. 19% believe mPOS will help with cash flow and 17% expect it to remove payment issues. An encouraging 38% of respondents say they will adopt mPOS in the near future as long as their concerns are addressed. Given mPOS is a relatively new technology and micro-businesses are typically hard to reach, it is surprising that 47% of respondents correctly identified the actual definition of an mPOS.


Market adoption
Despite clear interest, understanding and awareness of mPOS, adoption remains exceptionally low. Just 2% of respondents currently use mPOS technology. One major reason is that current mPOS and POS offerings are too slow to settle payments and help businesses’ improve cash flow. The majority of existing mPOS services takes between 7-10 days to settle payments.

The research also reveals that mPOS security (56%) and connectivity (29%) are major concerns among micro-businesses. 

Kalixa Pro
Kalixa Pro is unique in that it overcomes the cash flow barrier challenge faced by micro-businesses by offering settlement in three business days - less than half the time of the majority of competitors. To truly disrupt the mPOS market, later this year Kalixa will extend its service to offer a fully integrated small business payments account. The account will enable micro-businesses to accept multi-channel payments using the mPOS and Kalixa’s online payments gateway, as well as access and make payments across all their settled funds using a prepaid MasterCard®.

“Micro-businesses are missing sales and face delayed settlement, with many citing current payment technology as the culprit and mobile as part of the solution. Yet market adoption simply isn’t there,” said Colin Swain, Global Head of Product at Kalixa Group. “We listened to what small businesses needed and have launched a unique service proposition that addresses these needs. We’re focused on helping to solve the cash flow challenge and provide merchants with an integrated service that takes care of all their payment needs - whether it’s making or accepting payments via mobile, online or on the high street.

“However, services can only go so far in solving the adoption problem. According to the research, with the right education 38% of businesses will adopt mPOS in the near future. The UK payments industry needs to tackle the issues of security and connectivity by educating consumers about how safe it is to accept cards using an mPOS, and educating businesses about how next generation networks are delivering near-ubiquitous connectivity. Kalixa is committed to working with the industry to educating consumers and businesses,” Swain added.

“Our extensive research talking to micro-businesses revealed that investment in an mPOS device is a major consideration for the majority of these companies that can often take 12-18 months to make, even though there is a marked increase in sales once that decision has been made,” said Nick Lane, Chief Analyst at mobilesquared. “It is clear from the research that education is key to addressing micro-business concerns around settlement speed, security and connectivity, but also to educate micro businesses and their customers that the ‘calculator-like’ device is as trustworthy and safe as every other POS device.”

Methodology

• mobilesquared surveyed 1,005 micro-businesses from across the UK
• Micro-businesses were classed as having between one and nine employees
• The research was conducted in January and February 2014

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Infographic hi-res
Executive Summary

Kalixa Group launches new mobile Chip & PIN payment service – Kalixa Pro

Allows SMEs and sole traders to take face to face card payments, anytime and anywhere in the UK and offers the fastest settlement on the market.

Kalixa Group, a next generation financial technology company, today announced the launch of Kalixa Pro; an mPOS solution, that enables small businesses, sole traders and mobile workers to accept face to face card payments from customers, on their smartphone. Kalixa Pro combines a low, flat rate transaction fee of just 1.99%*** with the fastest settlement on the market to address small businesses’ need to improve cash flow and increase sales.
 

The new Kalixa Pro service is quick and easy to set up and there are no long term annual fees or monthly contract commitment, instead it offers a simple pay as you go service, so businesses can use it as much or as little as they like.

Kalixa Pro is unique in that it overcomes the cash flow barrier faced by many small businesses, offering settlement and access to cash within three working days. This is less than half the time of the majority of competitor services that take between 7-10 days to settle payments and typically charge a monthly fee.

So whatever your small business, whether you are a mobile hairdresser, B&B owner, plumber, self-employed accountant, café owner or nursery owner, Kalixa Pro allows you to securely take face to face card payments from customers, wherever you are in the UK, to help boost your sales and reduce cash flow issues.

The MasterCard and Visa certified solution, combines a FREE, simple to use,  mobile app (Android and iOS) with a secure Chip and PIN card reader so users can quickly and securely take card payments with just a few taps on their smartphone. The device accepts secure payments from MasterCard, Visa and Maestro, offering consumers a reliable, convenient and stress-free way to pay, and ensuring small businesses need never miss a sale again or be limited by the cash in a potential customer’s wallet.

Kalixa Pro allows small business and sole traders to benefit from a range of additional features including; instant updates on incoming payments as and when they happen, allowing users to keep a close eye on their finances. Merchants can also use the app to provide customers with discounts, refunds, email receipts and reduced transaction times to provide an improved customer experience and as sensitive data is never stored on merchants mobile device both customer and trader can be confident that the solution is completely secure.

Independent research** carried out on behalf of Kalixa Pro shows that 45% of micro-businesses feel that cash flow is the biggest barrier to growth for their business. The research also suggests that in the UK alone up to 65-70% of micro businesses in the UK do not currently accept debit or credit card payments and approximately 423,000 businesses recognise they are missing out on sales as a result.

Colin Swain, Global Head of Product at Kalixa Group, commented: “The UK’s sole traders and small businesses are getting a rough deal from banks today to take card payment; with high prices, poor service and delayed settlement leading to real problems with cash flow.  As a result they’re not accepting cards and are missing out on sales. We listened to what small businesses need and have launched Kalixa Pro, which will provide these  businesses with a game changing payment service designed to help solve the cash flow challenge and enable increased sales. Finally there is a service on the market that makes it commercially feasible for small businesses to offer their customers a face to face card payment facility, wherever their business takes them.  

“The benefits of the product are threefold; firstly it gives customers another way to pay, so they’ll buy more readily, thereby enabling small businesses to increase their revenues. In addition it will reduce the amount of time that tradespeople spend chasing up late payments and it allows sole traders and small businesses to portray a more professional image and provide a better service to their customers.

 “Sole traders and small businesses are the lifeblood of the UK and as such Kalixa is committed to supporting the growth of this vital part of the UK economy by providing an integrated service that takes care of all their payment needs.” concluded Swain.

Small businesses and sole traders can order online at www.kalixa.com/pro. For a one off fee of £59.99 +VAT the reader will be sent out FREE via next day delivery* so once the mobile app is downloaded, users can be up and running, receiving secure mobile payments on the move usually the very next business day.

*UK Mainland only; orders made on Friday and weekends will be delivered on a Tuesday
**Kalixa commissioned research into micro business in 2014. Research was carried out by mobile squared.
*** Until 31 December 2014