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Kate Bendix is a journalist and former TV producer who is setting up her own business, Natural Pet Choice which sells healthy, organic food for pets. She loves real food, proper cooking and organic produce for herself, so it makes sense that she should want the same for her pets. But when she tried to find a site on the Web that offered a range of natural pet products, she couldn't find one. This is why she has set up the website. She talks about her progress here.

May 8th 2008

Busy Busy Busy

Ok, it's been two months since my last blog, your honour and I am guilty as charged. Bad Blogger!

But I do think about my blog a lot, mostly when I'm driving 200 miles to do a show or on the way home from the wholesalers. Thoughts about blogging divert my attention from running the business, giving me a warm cosy place to hide while thoughts of VAT returns lurk in the back of my mind.

Good things are happening though, and scary stuff. I had a one to one, two hour assessment of my business with a lovely (but scary) lady from Business Link. For no money whatsoever someone who runs their own business will come round and take a good hard look at you and your figures, ask you what your goals are and where you see the business in 12 months time.

Dragons Den? No thanks!

I am willing to confess though what she told me. After two hours of questioning she looked at me and said ‘you’re tough I think you can take straight talking. You’re running a HOBBY! You have no cashflow and no survival budget. If you don’t sort it out you’ll be out of business in twelve months.’ My heart was racing, I was blushing out of control and my stomach was constricted to a tiny tiny tincy little knot of pure fear.

Best two hours I’ve ever spent!

I now have a cashflow. I know how much I need to take every day to make the business work and I know exactly how much money I need to survive each month.

I went on a business course with the same lovely (but scary) lady a couple of weeks later, which was also free. I highly recommend Business Link courses. They’re there to help, and give it to you straight. But then, if you can’t take the heat then you shouldn’t really be in business should you?

I’m still scared, every day. But that’s a good thing. I know how much iså in the bank and I’ve hired the services of a lovely bookkeeper who lives a few doors down the road from me, and made a new friend into the bargain so my books will never be out of control again. Her name’s Karen and she’s got my number, she is scarier than the VAT man!