Hi,

Smarta.com is a new online business support service launching on 28th January. It’s our belief that business owners and entrepreneurs learn best from each other, that’s why we’ve built Smarta on a social networking platform to enable you to share your knowledge, skills and experiences.

We’ll also have tools, wikis, interactive guides to help you register companies, apply for bank loans, get help from suppliers etc and lots of video interviews from some of the UK’s most respected entrepreneurs.
But at the heart of everything we do is the exchanging of experiences from real business people like you. So ahead of launch we’re looking for case studies to tell us about an experience you’ve had that you think someone else could learn from. It won’t take you long, just tell us about how you dealt with any of the issues below on a simple template form that we’ll email you.

We’ll then add it to the Smarta case studies resource and your case study will appear when people view or search for content on that subject. We’ll also put your picture, an outline of your business and a link to your website next to case study. If you choose to, once we’re live you can also link your Smarta profile to the case study so that anyone who reads it can contact you.

Anyway, here are the subject areas and issues we want your experiences on:

Why you went into business; overcoming fears; biggest challenges; obstacles you’ve over come; what business is really like; managing time; setting up a home office; running a business from home; deciding what type of business to run; buying a franchise; buying another business; developing an idea; protecting an idea; IP protection; patents; trademarks; market research; feasibility studies; business plans; planning; budgeting; making forecasts; understand balance sheets; getting basic business skills; personal development / training; MBAs / business education; using support services / groups; networking; mentoring; choosing company names; selecting company formats; registering a business; sourcing suppliers; business ethics; social enterprise; trading overseas; importing; exporting; selling; coldcalling; raising money from banks; investors; angels; VCs; growth finance; refinancing; bridging finance; VCs; investor relations; valuing your business; find accountants.; marketing; PR; expanding your customer base; free promotion; publicity stunts; brand building; marketing strategy; using PR companies; marketing consultants; SEO; direct advertising; TV; radio; outdoor advertising; insurance; health & safety; legal issues; working with law firms; finding offices; negotiating leases; factory space; retail units; expanding to a second location; relocation incentives; technology; IT; mobile; web; online strategy; social networking; building communities; monitising web ideas; IT; servers; systems; networks; recruitment; salaries; motivating staff; tribunals; investing in talent; tax; VAT; returns; PAYE; monitoring performance; KPIs; assessing your own role; SWOT analysis; managing growth; meetings; organic growth; diversifying; acquisitions; franchising your model; IPOs; Plus Markets; AIM; funding roadshows; advisors; going public; public life; coping in a downturn; making cutbacks; redundancies; driving profitability; exits plans; selling up; starting again; dealing with hostile takeovers.

If you’d like to fill in a case study template and be live on Smarta when it’s launched to the national media, a host of top entrepreneurs and politicians, then please email Sophie Hobson at sophie@smarta.com.