We've made every effort to ensure you don't.
If we can, you can is a strict non-trading environment. It's all about sharing, not selling. Although plenty of business happens between members, it happens where they find a mutual business relationship.
What is against the ethos of both the Entrepreneurs' Forum and If we can, you can is overt selling and as such members are reminded that they shouldn't openly solicit business by direct mail. Please visit the website's terms and conditions for official use.
If you spot anyone who is in breach of this or you believe is acting inappropriately, please contact the website manager hazel@entrepreneursforum.net immediately.
The Shared Drive website (www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk) is open to anyone who is either thinking about starting a business, or is running one currently (owner, co-owner, significant shareholder in or founder of a business).
When you join, you'll have your own profile on the website. You can add lots of information about you and your business, and you can also share your experiences and knowledge in the 'Tap Into Knowledge' section.
So, if you're looking to get connected with like minded people, tap into invaluable, first hand business knowledge, be inspired by the stories of those who have set up businesses, and/or share your experience, then you've come to right place!
If you have forgotten your password, head over to the 'Login' link and click 'Forgotten Your Password'. You will be instructed to enter your email address, to which a password reminder will be sent.
If you don't receive this email, please send an email to Hazel@entrepreneursforum.net, the website manager.
You can always change your password once you're logged in. Click 'my profile' and then 'edit profile' and head to the Account tab.
The Tap Into Knowledge section is the ideal place for you to share your recent experiences, on any topic from Planning to Time Management.
You need to be a logged in member of If we can, you can to add knowledge. So, after you've logged in, click Tap Into Knowledge and then 'Share Your Knowledge'.
You'll be asked to provide the name of the topic you're writing about, and a suggested title. As well as text, you can also add and image or a video if appropriate.
When you're done, simply hit save.
If you have any further questions about adding knowledge or the section in general, simply email Hazel@entrepreneursforum.net
Tap Into Knowledge is a bank of user generated content, taken from the experiences of our entrepreneurs. It's not the kind of stuff you would read in a text book, it's all about experiences and perspectives - real entrepreneurs reliving their biggest challenges and secrets of success.
The knowledge bank is split into topics and subtopics, so you can search for knowledge on everything from Finance to Marketing and Support.
We add stuff all the time to the knowledge bank - such as knowledge gained from Entrepreneurs' Forum event speakers, or our daily conversations with our members.
And of course, our members can add to the knowledge bank any time they like - you just need to log in and click 'Share Your Experience'.
If you're the owner of a profile, you can view your profile in two ways - in the edit view, you can administer everything in your profile. By clicking 'View Profile', this is how others will see you on the site.
Your email address, postal address and telephone number will never be displayed publicly. You can choose whether to display other information such as Number of Employees, Current Turnover Bracket, Years in Business etc. in the Basic Info tab when you are in 'Edit Profile'.
To edit your profile, go to 'My Profile' and then click the 'Edit' link next to your name.
There are 5 tabs which you can administer:
Account - This is where you can change your email address and password, choose to become a blocked member rather than an active one, and select if you would like to receive email notifications for any private messages on the site.
Basic Info - Add a photo, change your personal details and your business details (address, employees etc.), add external sources such as a blog and Twitter username, and indicate whether or not you have Time To Help (an icon will appear on the 'Get Connected' page which shows you have time to help other members.)
My Story - Content which you can add to tell people your business journey so far. Doesn't need to be a novel, just a bit about you, your business and how you got to stage you're at now. You can go back and add to this whenever you like.
My Experiences - These are also called 'Badges' - basically it's what you've achieved in business so far - this can be anything from writing a formal business plan, to starting another business. Members will then be able to find you on the 'Get Connected' page under these experiences. The idea is that if someone wants to know how to write a business plan for example, take a look at people who have done that already!
Challenge - The If we can, you can Challenge is now in it's fourth year. From the 14th March 2011, to the 8th May 2011, you can enter the Challenge from this tab on your profile. For more information, please head to Challenge page at www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk/challenge
The Challenge is our annual competition and it's open to both aspiring and established entrepreneurs who are serious about building their business for growth. We work very closely with newspapers in the region to feature entrant case studies, and shout out about the region's entrepreneurial spirit.
This year's Challenge is now closed for entries. There are 7 winners in total - all representing their area of the North East and you can read all about them at www.ifwecanyoucan.co.uk/challenge