It will be a rocking good start to 2012. The UK Enterprise Rockers movement is inviting journalists to kick off 2012 by covering the launch of our #MicroBizMatters campaign. The Enterprise Rockers, all micro business owners, have chosen Scarborough to host the media launch event at noon on January 9th.

Scarborough is a former winner of both the most enterprising place in Britain and the most enterprising town in Europe. Oh and the two founders of the Enterprise Rockers, the wonderful Tina Boden and me, live there.

The aim of the Enterprise Rockers movement is to make life better and fairer for all Micro Business Owners. The #MicroBizMatters campaign will improve awareness of the importance of the UK’s 4.5 million micro businesses, including start-ups, to jobs, the economy and communities.

Although the UK is the first to launch the Rockers there is already interest being shown in many countries to take up our movement, including the US.

Positive Messages Will Tackle Discrimination

The campaign also seeks to make people more aware of the discrimination by Government, Banks and Big Businesses against micro business owners and what the benefits to Britain would be if they gave them a fairer chance to survive and thrive. The campaign also positively recognises large organisations that the Rockers agree are micro enterprise friendly such as Apple, the Co-op, British Library and ACAS.

Founder Tina Boden, who owns a fine food company, explained, ‘We’re not a political, lobbying or a fee paying membership organisation. Micro business owners freely get involved in the Rockers to do as much or as little as they like. We agree everything by majority decision.

We believe that by thousands of us supporting each other, trading with each other and carrying the same messages in villages, towns and online all over the UK that we can harness the power of plenty to make life better and fairer for micro business owners.

Our #MicroBizMatters campaign will make people aware why it is important that Britain is more micro enterprise friendly. This in turn will improve the future prospects for micro-business owners including start-ups.’

Why this way works?

For me, it is really important that everything we do is really positive. As micro enterprise owners we are and have to be positive people and we’re used to just getting on with ‘doing the biz’ so we’re certainly not moaners and we’re not looking for hand outs.

We’ve made very little progress in the last twenty years consulting with Government Ministers and their officials to try and get a better deal on skills and support for start-ups and enterprise owners. So the Enterprise Rockers movement is a welcome change of direction.

As one in seven of the adult workforce in the UK are running their own micro businesses there can’t be many of the population that don’t know, and more importantly, would like to help a micro business owner to earn an honest living.

Politicians are only interested in what the public think around election time but by the next UK election we’re pretty sure that we’ll have enough public opinion on our side so that they, for the first time, will need to state what they are going to do for micro business owners (0-9 employees).

Fact: Micro-Business Matters

Influencing public opinion and in turn government is a small part of what we’ll achieve. After all, we’ll never be as important to Ministers as Big Business and the Banks but we can hopefully stop 95% of government funding and support going to bigger business so that the 95% of all UK businesses that are micros get a fairer deal and an even break.

We’re growing. We already provide most of the new jobs, innovation and best help to communities and we contribute a third of all private sector jobs and a fifth of UK turnover. The thousands of Enterprise Rockers actively involved on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and ready to champion our #MicroBizMatters campaign will make life better and fairer for us all.

The #MicroBizMatters campaign already has 750 signatures on its ‘Tell Us What You’re Doing for Micro Enterprises Not for’ SMEs’ government e-petition. This already puts it at Number 14 out of over 600 e-petitions to the government’s Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.

Whilst the Rockers are not campaigning, through #MicroBizMatters for government funding they are requesting that government reduces its funding and support to Bigger Business. For example for every £50 million of government support 4.5 million micro businesses get 6000 big businesses get £1 billion.

Time to join our band?

The launch of #MicroBizMatters takes place in the Penthouse, the Sands, North Bay, Scarborough at 12 noon on Monday, 9th January. If you know a journalist then ask them to either register here http://enterpriserockersofficiallaunch.eventbrite.co.uk/?ref=enivtefor&utm_source=eb_email&utm_media=email&utm_compaign=invitefor&utm_term=readmore&invite=MTU1Nzk2OS90b255QGVudHJlcHJlbmV1cnN1ay5jb20vMA== or they can arrange to interview the founders of the Enterprise Rockers by e-mailing tony@entrepreneursuk.com with their requirements.

There’s also no better time for you to get involved with the Enterprise Rockers. It’s free and you can join our Enterprise Rockers discussion groups and MicroBizMatters discussion groups on Facebook and Linked In or follow us on Twitter @EnterpriseRocks or check out our website http://enterpriserockers.co.uk and sign our Government e-petition at http://t.co/QK36cLlU

Thanks lots – enjoy 2012 the year of the Enterprise Rockers.

Here’s my e-petition http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/18396

If you’re a UK resident you can sign the government e-petition I’ve started.  If you’re not in the UK you may still find this blog about our UK campaign, to get a better and fairer deal for micro business owners (less than ten employees), of interest.

This e-petition is already ranked 14 out of nearly 500 government accepted e-petitions on business issues. Over 6,000 readers have read my blogs on this subject in under a week. Hundreds of micro business owners have already joined me in collecting signatures for the e-petition.

I’m Not An SME

The petition calls for government to reveal what they’re doing to support micro enterprise owners (those with less than ten employees and including start-ups) and not lump us into the disrespectful, meaningless and deliberately confusing term ‘SMEs’. Government use the term SMEs as a ‘catch all’ for their policy targets, in fact 99.9% of all businesses in the UK are SMEs.

The term SME allows them to meet their SME targets without including micro enterprise owners in the policy initiative or programme.

The media and institutional spokespersons will conveniently re-interpret ‘SMEs’ to mean ‘Small Businesses’. Everyone can then pat themselves on the back that they’ve done their bit for small businesses.

Small Business Owners are different from Corporate Managers

A career in corporate management and as a public official is usually about power, influence, large departments of employees and big budgets. They only get the big bucks by climbing the corporate, status, power and staff responsibility ladder.

In 25 years of running my own businesses I haven’t found a small business owner that runs their business for the above. Yet, our having less than ten employees is to large organisations and most government officials that we’re ‘not serious’, not ‘growth oriented’ and ‘lack ambition’.

This is wrong as it assumes a corporate model for business expansion. Ambitious micro enterprise owners often expand through bootstrapping, partnerships, acquisitions, using independent contractors and even family members and friends. Staff recruitment is not the only way neither is it my preferred way to growth.

Big Is Beautiful to Government

95% of all businesses in the UK are micro enterprises. There are 4.5 million. As the owners of these businesses we need to get together to ensure we’re able to compete on a more level playing field with the large corporates. Mostly we’ll do things ourselves but from time to time we need to work as a large team to get government policies that are fair to us.

If my petition is successful it will be debated in parliament and we can get a policy that ensures they do reveal what they’re doing for micro enterprise owners against larger companies. For example: on bank lending, public sector procurement, employee training, de-regulation, employment tribunal claims, employment incentives and start up support (against corporate bail outs).

News last week in the UK that the government is going to provide a hotline to a Minister buddy for the top 50 Corporates’ CEOs sums up how close the relationship is. It’s not even clear anymore who tells who what to do. The media is financed and run by large organisations so we can’t expect any favours from them either.

We Need the Power of Plenty

None of this is surprising as micro-enterprise owners tend not to fund or facilitate our political system, apart from as tax payers and tax collectors. Neither can we offer people lucrative positions before nor after they leave government. Add to this the fact that most senior civil servants, Ministers and senior management in large organisations haven’t a clue as to what it takes to start and run a business and it is evident that it will always be an uphill task trying to get fairness in policies, procurement and regulations for micro enterprise owners.

It is important that micro business owners get together from time to time to right wrongs which impede their ability to succeed. In the UK ‘the wrong’ is that over the last 15 years I estimate that 90% of the £billions of government support has gone to 5% of businesses with over 10 employees. The survival rate of new start-ups should be a very important issue for government but it’s not.

Hold Your Head High

I firmly believe that because we really care about getting the best from our staff and limited resources we are better at people management than most corporates. Because we want to walk down the street or meet our fellow business owners we’re better at paying for goods and services on time. I know we do more for our communities and are better at starting, managing and growing businesses than corporate managers.

My petition also proves that we’re better at networking and helping each other than corporate managers. Make sure you build your networks for when you need to right wrongs and protect your small business.

Finally, please, please sign the e-petition

My petition asks for clearer communication by government on the contribution and benefit of its policies, programmes and support/employment/skills bodies to micro enterprises.

Please sign it  http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/18396 and then get all your friends to do the same

If you want to learn more about virtual assistants, or you are a virtual assistant who wants to know or share some tips and tricks about the profession then the new website Assistant Edge should be your first destination.

Assistant Edge is a news portal for virtual assistants around the globe to come together and share information on various topics related to professional assistantship. The site aims to collate all of the highest quality and most recent virtual assistant information from all around the Web and display it all together in one place, making it easy to browse and quickly find useful information.

The Assistant Edge portal covers all relevant topics, ranging from social media and marketing through to issues related to the workplace and dealing with small businesses. It is the complete one-stop shop for anybody who requires the tools and training to become a successful virtual assistant, or has a wealth of experience that they can contribute to the assistant community.

And, of course, my Blog is featured on the website, along with some fantastic others! So head on over for some great small business news and advice.

As you will all know, I am truly passionate about helping small businesses to succeed, and that a fundamental part of that process is learning from both the mistakes and the successes of business veterans. That is why I was so eager for WinWeb to enter in to a partnership with the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE). WinWeb software, and the help of an IOEE mentor, could make a real difference between success and failure for a small business.

I’m delighted to announce that, as part of our partnership with the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE), WinWeb are pleased to offer 50% off membership to the IOEE. So whether you are an experienced business owner wanting to provide mentoring to other budding entrepreneurs or a new business wanting free support on getting your business going, you can join today. Simply use WINWEB50 in the ‘Discount code’ area for the membership of your choice: http://ioee.co.uk/membership/join-now-winweb/

The IOEE offers your business the advice and support it needs, and as WinWeb’s software is formally recognised by the Institute for contributing to the learning and development of small businesses, as a reader of my blog I’m thrilled to be able to bring you this offer – so join now!

I would like to let all current WinWeb customers know that the WinWeb.com website will be down this weekend – which will mean that customers will be unable to login or use their WinWeb Software. However, this inconvenience will be worth the wait as WinWeb’s V6 Software launches on Monday 1st November.

WinWeb’s all-new software encompasses all I believe is necessary for small business success. WinWeb’s Small Business Software is a fully integrated, highly powerful software suite. Not only does WinWeb V6 has an easy to use interface, powerful software and all stored online to allow quick and easy collaboration, but it is also highly integrated providing ease of use and increasing time efficiency for small businesses.

I am passionate about small business success and believe that much of the new software in the WinWeb V6 software suite will help small businesses to succeed. The WinWeb V6 software has all you would expect from WinWeb, but will also include some exciting new software including a Business Analytics module and increased collaboration and integration possibilities.

I look forward to telling you more about WinWeb V6 and showing you around the new software suite!

The ability to be able to offer this has been achieved by collaborating with the IOEE (Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs), the UK’s first entrepreneurs learning Institute. The Institute explicitly recognises and rewards the enterprise skills and know how gained by people who successfully start and run their own enterprise.

As part of its activities, the IOEE is building a community of business mentors who have been recognised according to the informal or formal learning they have achieved. The IOEE mentoring service has national backing and has been set out as a key recommendation in the FSB’s white paper, ‘Vision for a National Mentoring Scheme’.

WinWeb’s software has been developed with a real understanding of the needs of small and medium sized business, providing support for every aspect of running a business. Our collaboration with the IOEE will add even further value by connecting people with others that have been in their shoes. The small business mortality rate in the UK currently stands at 60% – something has to change and I believe WinWeb.com and the IOEE can facilitate that change.

WinWeb’s software also enables mentees to give their mentors access to some of their business planning data so that they can support on real information such as business goals, objectives, cashflow or growth forecasts.

The IOEE has been very supportive of WinWeb’s approach, Nat Hardwick, CEO of IOEE, says; “there was a natural partnership with IOEE and WinWeb, the software enables business owners to consider every aspect of their business to mitigate risk and those business owners with mentors are 25% more likely to succeed”.

The newly launched IOEE is powered by SFEDI, the UK expert and accreditation body which has for fifteen years researched and identified best practice in enterprise skills and support.

Tony Robinson OBE, SFEDI Founder says,
“We all know how vital enterprise is to the economy, society and especially as the main creator of new jobs but we’re not that good in the UK at recognising the people who are their own bosses.

Recognition of IOEE members will encourage more people to start and run their own business as they realise that this is a professional and worthwhile career option, at any age, which requires specific skills and know how to succeed. It’s just that you don’t learn these skills and know how in a classroom.”

To cement the relationship between the two organisations, WinWeb is giving all IOEE members free access to their business planning software and the IOEE is recognising the learning and development that using the WinWeb system provides by giving WinWeb users eligibility to join and a reduced cost membership.

Nathan Hardwick, IOEE CEO says, “we’re delighted with the collaboration, it’s a great opportunity for IOEE members to access a development tool which we believe is really in tune with the needs of small businesses and it enables a whole new community of business owners to access business mentors”.

And we here at WInWeb.com are also delighted with the partnership and see it as a great way for us to rally the cause of small businesses and offer the support that they surely need.

I continually stress the importance of being online, and have been doing so for many years. This week, in the UK, it is Get Online Week, which is crucial in helping the over 9 million Britons who have never logged on to the Internet, to get online.

Being on the Internet and having access to a computer, is something that many of us take for granted without considering what it would be like to have limited or no computer access. Not only does being online revolutionize the way people to business, but also for many people could change the way they shop, socialize and communicate.

Being online is a great way to keep in touch with family and friends, share special moments and for the less mobile is also an easy and affordable way to shop.

I fully support Get Online Week, not only in the hope that more businesses will make the switch to an online way of working, but also that barriers that prevent individuals getting online will be removed and everyone will have the opportunity to experience the freedom that having access to the Internet brings.

So whether it’s a neighbor, a friend or a relative, no matter where you are in the world, try and help someone to get online this week – it might just change their life.

We all drink and use water every single day, yet one in eight people across the globe don’t have access to clean drinking water. If you have a blog make the most of it, and join me for Blog Action Day.

As regular readers of my blog know, I am an active participant in this project each year and would urge you to do the same. We really could make a difference

You can sign up and register your blog here. Voices of bloggers around the world can drive change; will you be part of it?

In RARE Business, Adrian speaks about how businesses both large and small can build better relationships with their people and customers enabling them to drive sustainable growth.

Business and customer relationships are something I feel passionately about, and I look forward to reading Adrian’s book and reviewing it here.

As regular readers of my blog you will know that I am passionate about small businesses, and want to see the awful mortality rate of small businesses fall dramatically. That is why my company, WinWeb.com, have started a regular feature to help small businesses to increase their profile, and even improve their SEO.

WinWeb.com are running a weekly competition where you can pitch your small business idea or service, free of charge, on their Facebook page. Then, all you need to do is get your clients, customers, affiliates, friends and family (thanks to Cole, see comment 5 below) to vote for your pitch using the “like” button. The only catch is that it has to be 110 characters maximum, plus a URL for your business; making it easier for Tweeting!

Got more to say than the 110 characters will allow? Why not upload a video to You Tube, then add it to our Facebook page. WinWeb.com will then feature it on WinWeb TV, gaining your small business even more exposure.

The competition will run Wednesday to Wednesday, and the winning small business will be that which has accumulated the most votes throughout the week.

The prize? The winning small business will receive a professionally written blog post featured on the WinWeb.com Business Blog linking back to a URL of their choice, on any issue to do with their small business. This article can then be used to promote a new product, service or just to raise awareness of their brand. I will also feature the WinWeb.com Business of the Week on The SME Blog, gaining more valuable publicity for your business and extra links back to your website.

There is no catch, just free publicity for your small business, and some great written copy for the winning small business every week. All I ask is that you respect this offer, and don’t post any links to ‘dodgy’ websites, any such links will be promptly removed and the user reported to Facebook.

I look forward to reading your pitches, and learning more about your small businesses!

The WinWeb Facebook page can be found here, you really have got nothing to lose!