18 December 2018
The First Two Months of Running a Start-up
By Rebecca Imaizumi, Founder of The Unified Wolves
The last two months went by fast! Here are some of the things I’ve been up to in the last two months.
The Business Show UK
It was my first time going to Excel London, and I had no idea how massive it was! Over 1500 small businesses set up their stalls with flyers, demonstrations and sign-up sheets. I talked to many of the small businesses, often with the founders themselves about their products/ services. I was one of the last ones to leave the show as I wanted to make sure I got to see every stall and get a sense of what their offering was.
Southwark Council High Street Challenge
I submitted an application to help regenerate the high streets and increase traffic to small businesses in town centres in Southwark Council. Even though my idea of having a variety of pop-up activities for the youth in the council was not selected, it was a good exercise to plan such an initiative and it gave me an opportunity to think in terms of budget, identifying needs and meeting multiple objectives for different stake holders at the same time.
Adding Additional Services to My Company
I decided to add two more services to my company: dance classes and translation services between Japanese and English.
I took Naomi’s advice to draw from my strengths when planning my business model and determining what services to offer. I’ve been teaching dance for over 20 years now and have translated professionally for over 10 years in the U.S. and Japan in the business, legal and medical fields. That advice was extremely helpful and I’m hoping to increase traction to my business.
Judging the Dragons’ Den
I was invited to Kingston University Business School as a judge to provide feedback to postgraduate students who pitched their start-up ideas. Among the panel of judges were familiar faces that I’ve worked with before, including Naomi! All the judge’s comments were spot on and it was a learning experience to hear their feedback. Last year I was a student on the very same course at the very same school, pitching with my team mates about our start-up idea. I felt honored to be invited and sincerely hope my advice would be of help to this year’s students.
Endorsement for Tier1 Graduate Entrepreneurship visa
I’m excited to announce that I applied and received an endorsement from Kingston University for my Graduate Entrepreneurship visa. This was a crucial hurdle to clear in order to officially start trading in the UK.
Advice From Naomi
Through our monthly mentor session, I asked Naomi for advice on how to obtain rights to use music for live performances and for video recordings to post online. I’ve contacted PRS and PLS and am awaiting to hear back from them regarding the portable licence recommended by Naomi. With a portable licence, I’ll be able to play popular music on my speaker in public spaces. Since one of the services my company offers is creative marketing through spontaneous performances (small scale flash mobs) it is essential that I have the proper licence to play music.
It really is encouraging to be able to talk to Naomi about anything regarding my business and get helpful advice on matters that I’m having difficulty with. It is also inspiring to know how proactive Naomi Korn Associates is with helping artists on their entrepreneurial journey! December is the last month of my residency at Naomi Korn Associates and I intend to step up my business forward and upward! Also, if this post has interested you, please check out www.theunifiedwolves.com and I’d be grateful if you subscribe to our newsletter for events and updates! I’m grateful for any feedback you may have! You can also find us on:
Twitter @functionofbeat, Instagram @theunifiedwolves and on Facebook!
Photo: http://www.TheUnifiedWolves.com
The new Artist in Residence at Naomi Korn Associates will be announced in January!