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by Kate Pritchard - Tuesday, 25th September 2007

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“We’ve had our eye on the US right from the start, but it’s taken two years of research before we’re ready to launch there,” Botterill says.

His business, thebestof (shortlisted at last year’s Growing Business Awards), is an online version of a newsagent’s window, featuring details of local businesses from plumbers and accountants to tree surgeons and designers.

Since its launch in July 2005, more than 400 work-from-home entrepreneurs, or “franchisees”, have invested in the business and taken on board the running of their local sites. For examples of how these work, check out www.thebestof.co.uk/solihull or www.thebestof.co.uk/richmond.

Botterill admits that his assault on the US won’t be easy.

The country is riddled with legal hurdles: “We have a very free economy in the UK and it’s easy to set up a business here. In the US, there are only 23 states in which I can set up a franchise model. In the other 27 states, I have to either file applications with the state legislator or place a bond.”

The legal research has burnt a rather large hole in his pocket: “We’ve probably sunk about a quarter of a million pounds into researching the legal framework across the pond,” he says.

Flights to the US are also denting his wallet. “I’ve made 15 or 16 trips there in the past couple of years. Yes, it’s an expense – but you can learn far more about a country by actually being there than by discussing it in your boardroom.”

He’ll be marketing the business in the States through local events and targeted advertising rather than big, national campaigns.

“I’ve made loads of mistakes in the past and I’ve definitely learnt from them,” he laughs. “We spent around £60k last year sponsoring GMTV’s Techno Week, for example. We thought it would be amazing and we got great coverage for about eight or nine days. But it had no long-term impact whatsoever.

"To create brand awareness, we have to target our local markets very specifically. Otherwise we might as well chuck the money down the drain.”

Tags: lastminute.com, gmtv, nigel botterill, friendsreunited, growing business awards, thebestof,