Take a look at business angels -> http://www.bbaa.org.uk/.
If you are 'unemploayable' at least they (job centre) shouldn't harass you if you spend all your time investigating this as a possibility instead of looking for jobs.

I think if you have the determination you could probably make this work.
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Wholesale Home Accessories

Wholesale Mirrors

On another note you should try other ways to monetise your site besides adsense. Do some google searches about affiliate marketing and perhaps look into EPN to show ebay auction ads or similar to make money. Look at phpbay and perhaps BANS. That could get you the cash you need.
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Wholesale Home Accessories

Wholesale Mirrors

Thank you! I will certainly have a gander at this!

I think my problem is that I do not consider myself as disabled despite being completely incapacitated for days upon end. Fortunately the Job Centre don't get onto me but I just want out of benefits and be able to pay my way in society doing what I want to do.

Once again, thank you!!

you are going to have to be very careful in reltion to copyright breach, I'm sure winning moves will jump on you if they think they have a case
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Richard How FIAP MAPM
How Associates - Programme Management Consultants
Quality Web Hosting
Photography Forum
Tourist Guide to Newport Pagnell

Would be interested to see how you get on, please post back here if you make any progress.
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Wholesale Home Accessories

Wholesale Mirrors

Thank for all the replies and they are appreciated.

As far as a copyright breach with Winning Moves, I have a feeling that they are already aware of my intentions as I am a moderator on their forum and have strong contacts with other close members. My first pack idea was Roller Coasters, this was over a year ago and lo an behold, what pack is due out in Germany very soon? No idea if this is anything sinister but I will be keeping my big fat gob shut from now on. The word Top in Top Trumps is the copyright word and a word that I will not be using becasue this will definitely cause a stir.

Once I get replies back from many emails I will indeed keep you all posted. I really hope that someone out there can be of some help. Either way, I am going to persevere with the idea and have 500 packs (a minimum order) to see how it goes.

Once again, thank you!

[edit] Oh yes Scarthingale Replicas, thank you for the info about the affiliates and eBay bits. I have checked these out and once I have some spare dosh I will be joining these as much as I hate advertising the money is an issue. So once again thank you!

Just had a suddent thought, I assume you know what the cost per pack will be to get the minimum 500 packs made and shipped to you. You will also have some idea of what price you will reatil them at. If you devide the cost by the retail price that will tell you how many packs you need to sell to break even.

Then what you do is design the pack, promote the pack as coming soon and gauge the interest, if no onesinterested try a different pack. Once you have a proposed pack that people are interested in promote it on your site offering people the chance to pre order it. They order and pay for the pack on the basis that it will be shipped to them the moment its available. If you get enough orders to get to your break even point you can order the 500 packs send on the ones that are ordered and the ones that are left are your profit, if you sell them you make a profit if you dont you havent made a loss
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Richard How FIAP MAPM
How Associates - Programme Management Consultants
Quality Web Hosting
Photography Forum
Tourist Guide to Newport Pagnell

Continue its efforts to
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Fashion Bags People

Thank you Richard! It is a sensible way to go and I will be honest I did not think of it. I know it is done on a big scale for instance with a shop outlet. I have indeed sourced and got prices for printing, cutting, sealing and for cases and the cost to have it all delivered and even with the cases coming from Germany I could still make a sensible profit which will go straight into further packs or for more prints of the original. I am not too sure about using a shop but maybe that will come along in the future.

I know that I will not be able to start getting anything to print for about another 2 months or so, plenty of time to research packs and test the water with some packs ideas.

Once things get moving I will of course perhaps someone here would like one too!

I have set up a poll on my site of some of the packs I am currently working on in order to get some feedback to find the most popular pack as recommended by Richard Howe. I am pleased to say that the current leaders are my favourites too!

http://www.ultimate-top-trumps.co.uk/poll.html

well I wish you good luck, hopefully you can get enough advanced orders to get you first lot of packs created soon and then it will be onwards and upwards,
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Richard How FIAP MAPM
How Associates - Programme Management Consultants
Quality Web Hosting
Photography Forum
Tourist Guide to Newport Pagnell

Things are slow but getting there but I just cannot believe the reaction when I inform people and in some way make a point that I am not fully capable all the time. It is as if the 'D' word is something that should be shunned almost as though I am looking for free help and advice, as if I am mentally handicapped or something.

I think that this is the first obstacle I need to overcome in trying to make people who can make a difference realise that I am serious. I know there is a big thing about race and sex discrimination but some of the responses have really annoyed me. In fact they have made me more so determined just so that I can turn tound and stick two fingers up.

As you mentioned that you are in search of starting a new business and i would like to suggest you to start the business of restaurant or garments. These two business are moving in real profit these days...

You might be able to get some additiona advice and financial support becuase of your disability - contact your local business link for some advice and see what they've got to say. If your young you can also get help from the princes trust
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Yoga Poses
body cleanse diet Isogenics

Unfortunately I am in my mid 40's so there is no chance of the Princess Trust. There is one company here in Eastbourne that I have found and/or been informed about and that is a company called EDEAL. I have not been too pleased with their response even though they supplied a few links. I think the problem is that I am not looking at making a million in my first year or intending to 'employ' people as such, instead use freelance to help me get started, for instance designs. I am approaching my local college to see if I could use a graphics student which would help them on their cv/portfolio as well as myself. I would naturally pay for the work.

The real problems are with tax, the right to work from home (my local council refuse to reply and when I phone up the person is always either on holiday, off sick or in a meeting and has a difficulty in phoning me back.

I just wish that when people are given a position within an organisation that they actually do their job with ehtnusiasm. It just seems that beinf disabled and not looking at being a major business the help is just so rare, it may as well be non-existent. Frustrating.

This is becoming quite a long thread now!

In terms of financing, I know there is a government scheme called Access to Work which might be beneficial to you. We have a client who is registered as blind and receives funding to helps towards her employing someone for work she can't physically do.

ttp://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Employmentsupport/WorkSchemesAndProgrammes/index.htm?CID=DWP&TYPE=Sponsoredsearch&CRE=WorkSchemesAndProgrammes

As for other organisations to approach for finance, there are local 'trusts' set up to help disabled people start their own business - the amount of funding is not huge, but it might be perfect for your situation. I see you have not had much success with EDEAL - you don't strike as the person to give up without a fight though!! (this is one based in Colchester http://www.destinycic.co.uk/ - not sure if there is a network of similar operations nationally)

In terms of staffing to cater for your needs once you expand, there are alternatives out there in the form of VAs so you do not need to hire someone yourself.

Good luck with it all
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Paul

Paul Smalley

Paper Mountain Solutions Limited

Scaling new heights for your business through effective outsourcing

www.papermountainsolutions.co.uk

I must say that the help and advice here is brilliant and I thank you all!

Paul you are right I will not give up until the whole idea falls flat on its face becasue it is something I am passionate about and I know that deep down collectors want something different.

I do have a meeting with a guy named Phil from BBAA, a link offered by Scarthingale Replicas and that is next month, surprisingly he has agreed to visit me at home so that I can go over my ideas and plan by showing the situation. I am looking very much forward to this as this is the first and only (so far) that has replied with a promising result.

I have visited all of the links you have all offered and I am grateful and I promise to let you all know the outcome of the visit by Phil and of the first move to it all happening with a completed pack.

Once again thank you all!!