The Hertfordshire Business Independent Magazine June 2011 Issue

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SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIAL! DON’T FRITTER ON TWITTER Author of Fusion: The New Way of Marketing, David Taylor speaks about the pitfalls of Twitter and how to get the best return on your investment SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLAINED Rookie’s guide to social media ARE YOU CONVERSATION MARKETING?

By Thomas Power of Ecademy EMPLOYMENT LAW Employment Tribunal System is Broken, says new CIPD Survey ST ALBANS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Community Business Awards 2011

KATE GARRAWAY Founder of GoodyPass.com, a site that brings celebrity luxury to you

issue June 2011

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Leaders wanted It is during difficult times that effective leadership can have the biggest impact on your staff. The correct focus on your people can be both motivating and empowering, and can help to identify the leaders within your business who can drive it forward.

For more details contact Steve McMullen (stmcmullen@deloitte.co.uk). Be the hero, go to www.deloitte.co.uk

01727 855035

Š 2011 Deloitte LLP. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS 04 08 10 12 14 27 31 32 33 34

photos courtesy of newlandportraits.com

NEWS A round up of the latest business news and stories from our region

INTERVIEW : KATE GARRAWAY GMTV presenter turned founder of GoodyPass.com speaks to The HBI about her new business venture

MONEY Tips for Securing Finance by Bill Morrow, founder of Angel’s Den

EDUCATION & TRAINING Why degrees are still a good investment

LEGAL Hertfordshire’s legal squad discuss the latest issues

SALES COLUMN Featuring The HBI’s regular sales expert Steve Clarke

TECHNOLOGY A look at some of the best gadgets for Father’s Day

AFTER HOURS Your guide to Ascot

DRIVE Introducing the new Citroen DS4

EXECUTIVE PROFILE Mark Fordham of Tax Assist accountants in Harpenden

DISTRIBUTION POINTS Ayot Green : The Waggonners I Cole Green : Panshanger Flying Club Baldock : Jester Hotel, Baldock Station, Ashwell Station Harpenden : Harpenden House Hotel, Gleneagles Hotel, Harpenden Station Hatfield : Ramada Jarvis, Hatfield Oak Hotel, Porsche Centre, Fielder Centre Hertford : Hertford North Railway Station I Hertingfordbury : Whitehorse Hotel Hitchin : Hitchin Railway Station I Knebworth : Knebworth Station Letchworth : Letchworth Hall Hotel, Goldsmith Centre, Bizspace Letchworth, Business Centre West Little Wymondley : Redcoats Farm House Potters Bar : Wenta Potters Bar, Regus Potters Bar, Wyllyotts Centre Radwell : Days Inn Baldock I Redbourn : Ramada Jarvis Royston : Royston Station, Banyers Hotel, Jester Hotel I St Albans : Quality Hotel Stevenage : Roebuck Hotel, Specialist Cars, Merc Stevenage, Premeir Inn Stevenage, BTC Centre, Cromwell Hotel, Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage Station Tewin : Tewinbury Farm I Turnford : Cheshunt Mariott The Business Club : West Herts Ware : Hanbury Manor I Watford : Ramada Jarvis I Welwyn : Welwyn North Station Welwyn Garden City : Weltech Centre

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CONTRIBUTORS

&

CONTACTS MANAGING DIRECTOR Simon George EDITOR Jenna Gould editor@businessindependent.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS Becky Lewis Jade Stoner Katie Richardson Ayesha Bailey Bill Morrow Gareth Lippiatt Cris Beswick Sandra Hart Richard Wood Thomas Power David Taylor Clare Waller Steve Clarke Andy Lopata DESIGNER Karen Birch www.velvetagency.com

ADVERTISING Terry Sullivan terry@businessindependent.co.uk

Sona Shah sona@businessindependent.co.uk TEL : 0844 358 5800 www.businessindependent.co.uk

Published by : Business Independent Ltd. Old Batford Mill Lower Luton Road Harpenden Hertfordshire AL5 5BZ

COPYRIGHT Copyright: 2010 Business Independent Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior consent of the publishers. The views expressed in any of the Business Independent series of regional magazines are not necessarily the views of the publishers Business Independent Ltd. Whilst Business Independent Ltd has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, neither they norany contributing author can accept any legal responsibility for any consequences that may arise from errors or omissions contained in this publication or from acting on any opinions or advice given.

In particular, this publication is general and not a substitute for professional advice and you should consult your own professional advisors where appropriate.

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EDITOR’S WELCOME June is now upon us and we have another exciting issue lined up for you. Father’s Day will soon be with us and we thought we’d bring you the best gifts for the occasion. See our technology special on p31.

As part of our social media special we have brought to you some of the best tips from those ‘in the know.’

Social Media expert Sandra Hart gives us the Rookies Guide to Social Media while Ecademy’s Thomas Power explains why everyone should be ‘conversation marketing’.

We have a jam packed issue for you to enjoy.

We also got out of the office for a bit to enjoy a spin in the new Citroen DS4. See our review on p33. Then we give you the lowdown on Ascot - p32.

We just had time to catch up with our local entrepreneur Mark Fordham of Tax Assist.

As usual if you have any ideas we’d love to hear them!

Enjoy your latest issue! - Jenna

ENJOY A BALMY DAY OUT AT FROGMORE’S SUMMER FAYRE! Frogmore Paper Mill is holding a Summer Fayre on Sunday 26 June, from 10.00am to 4.00pm.

This fun event will include over 40 craft and related stalls selling a wide variety of items including: silverware, jewellery, books, toys, cards, photography, cakes and preserves.

There will also be a Craft Demonstration area, where children will be able to have a go at card making, see printmaking and woodturning, amongst other things.

While at the Fayre, visitors will have the option of being able to take tours of Frogmore Paper Mill, and have a boat ride along the River Gade. There will be a BBQ and the Cafe will be serving light refreshments. You can finish off your visit by buying your craft papers at the Frogmore Mill Shop before you go.

Entrance to the Spring Fayre is £1 for adults and 50p for children. So don’t miss out, why not come along, browse and join in the fun, as well as supporting The Paper Trail, your local heritage charity.

Parking is in the public pay & display car park in Durrants Hill Road (only a 2 minute walk from Frogmore Mill’s main entrance).

If you would like further details about this fun event or any other events at Frogmore Paper Mill & Visitor Centre call 01442 234600, e-mail; events@thepapertrail.org.uk or visit the website at www.thepapertrail.org.uk

NEW ROLE AT LUTON HOO FOR RICHARD LEIGH An events manager whose career has involved working on the British Academy of Film and Television Awards (Baftas) has switched to a new role at Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa. Richard Leigh, who has worked in the hotel industry since studying Hospitality Management at Bournemouth University, has been appointed Events Sales Manager at the five-star hotel. His responsibilities include heading the hotel’s dedicated events sales team and managing the overall sales relating to weddings, conferences and events held at Luton Hoo, including the self-contained Warren Weir complex that opened just over a year ago.

“One of the things that attracted me to Luton Hoo was working for a smaller independent company with flexibility and scope to make an impact,” he said. “It is a very interesting and challenging new role for me.”

Richard, who lives in Watford, has worked for a variety of the country’s leading hotels, starting when he became a conference and banqueting trainee on industrial placement at London’s five-star Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane. “It was a fantastic starting point to my career as I worked on events like the Baftas and the hospitality industry awards the Cateys,” he said.

Richard then moved to the Hilton London Metropole as Conference and Events Sales Manager. His career in conference, meetings and events sales management has also taken him to London’s One Whitehall Place and Royal Horseguards Hotel, Hotel Russell and Kingsway Hall Hotel.

LOCAL LAW FIRM ATTRACTS CITY LAWYER Debenhams Ottaway, the St Albans and Radlett based firm of solicitors, has recently announced the appointment of a new high profile property partner. Ruth Boulton joins from the top 100 city law firm, Thomas Eggar LLP, where she was equity Partner and Head of Property.

Debenhams Ottaway’s property practice has grown over the last 10 years and the number of solicitors in the property team has increased from two to eleven. Ruth will lead the firm’s team in Radlett and provide strategic direction to the firm’s Property services practice.

Commenting on the appointment Ian Hopkins, Chief Executive said: “I am delighted that Ruth has decided to join the firm. She brings with her a wealth of experience and expertise that will further strengthen our senior team. As a Radlett resident our clients will also benefit from her wealth of local knowledge.”

PLATINUM POINT NETWORKING GROUP HELPS ST ALBANS’ BUSINESSES TO GENERATE SOME £1.9M Platinum Point, the St Albans-based business breakfast group which has just celebrated its fifth anniversary, has revealed that the group’s members have generated an estimated £1.9m in revenue for fellow members’ businesses over that period.

Begun by a small number of St Albans based business people who wanted to improve the business networking opportunities then available, Platinum Point meets from 7am to 9am each Tuesday morning. Membership of the group is by invitation and currently stands at 16.

Carl French, who is one of the group’s founders, recently became chairman of Platinum Point. He commented: “Being chairman of the group is really about ensuring that meetings keep to time because they usually generate a great deal of lively discussion,” he explained. “Each member takes it in turns to be responsible for the content of a meeting – and so each meeting is unique.”

From time to time, the group welcomes visitors – including St Albans’ MP, Anne Main; the inspirational speaker and life coach, Jim Rees; Ron Overton of the St Albans-based charity, ReachOut Plus, and Territorial Army (TA) officer, Rhys Little, who spoke about his experiences while serving in Afghanistan with the Royal Anglian Regiment as well as outlining the advantages to employers of employing TA soldiers.

“As a relative newcomer to the group, Platinum Point has helped me to rapidly increase my business network of contacts – and customers – and has taught me a great deal in terms of what to do and how to do it in order to be successful,” said Tom Boother, of the Hatfield- based customer relationship management specialists, Live Software Solutions. “I always look forward to Tuesday mornings – and I’m looking forward to many more years of Platinum Point.”

Professional services firm KPMG has appointed Paul Hobson as a principal advisor in its Performance & Technology practice in Hertfordshire.

Paul will work as part of a team of consultants in KPMG’s St Albans office, who advise clients on complex business issues including cost optimisation, financial management and improving technology systems and joins the team on the back of the appointment of Director, Simon Hammerschmidt from Deloitte at the beginning of the year.

Paul has 14 years’ consulting experience in a number of public and private sector roles and has held management roles at BUPA and the Ministry of Justice. He was Principal Advisor in KPMG’s P&T Infrastructure, Government and Healthcare team in London where he worked on large IT enabled business change and performance improvement programmes.

His key areas of focus are in Portfolio, Programme and Project Management, IT Strategy, IT Governance, IT Application Development & Implementation, Business Strategy & Planning, Business Process Improvement, Process Modelling and Business Analysis.

Commenting on the appointment, Simon Hammerschmidt, Head of Performance and Technology at KPMG in Hertfordshire said: “Paul joins the team at a very interesting time as the short-term outlook for the economy remains challenging, but conversations with local businesses confirm that many are now looking at putting their growth plans into action. As a result, companies across the region are increasingly interested in advice on how to manage the difficult economic climate whilst switching their focus from surviving recession to growing the business.”

“Paul brings a wealth of skills and experience to his new role particularly in working with the technology and public sector, which is undergoing some of the biggest changes seen in decades. He will be a valuable addition to team and supports the recruitment programme we currently have underway to increase the number of specialists that we have available locally to respond to client demand around our advisory services.”

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NEWS

KPMG APPOINTS PERFORMANCE AND TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR TO KPMG INHERTFORDSHIRE

CALLING ALL LOCAL BUSINESSES

THE WORLD COMES TO WHEATHAMPSTEAD ON SUNDAY JUNE 12 Hertfordshire businesses both large and small are invited to participate in one of the County’s major ‘business to consumer’ events, organised by the very successful Wheathampstead for Enterprising Business (WEB) group.

Wheathampstead village will become the centre of the world for one day, when large marquees on the Marford Road playing field will each adopt the flavour and culture of continents around the world.

The event, called ‘The World comes to Wheathampstead’ is an opportunity for visitors from across Hertfordshire to find out more about other countries, their cultures, food, wine, national costume, travel, music and dancing, travel, hotels etc and even sample the food and drink.

There is an opportunity for all local businesses and social groups to exhibit themselves to visitors from Hertfordshire and surrounding counties.

There will be something for all the family regardless of age. This includes music, dancing groups, food and drink tasting, competitions and a lot more. You can see live demonstrations and dancing from Kenyan Masai Warriors, Zulu Dancers, Sega Dancers from Mauritius as well as attend talks on the Zulu wars and Boer War. Radio Verulum will provide music and broadcast live all day and there will be a hot food area, a licensed bar and tea room. There is something for visitors of all ages.

There will be a phenomenal range of prizes valued at £12,000 in free to enter competitions. First prize is £5,000 worth of flights and travel to South Africa, including a trip on the most luxurious train in the world – the Rovos Railway and accommodation at five star hotels and game lodges.

Welwyn Land Rover is providing a free ‘off road’ Land Rover experience.

You could win a new Citroen C1 ‘for a Fiver’ from Slip End Garage and help raise funds for Home Start the charity for families with children under 5 years.

The event is designed to raise funds for the benefit of the village and a range of local charities including The Wheathampstead Community Group, Grove House Hospice, Home Start, Living Hope, Games for Life and Reach Out Plus. This will be one of the biggest events in the village’s history and over 2,000 visitors are expected. Entrance is free and the event runs from 11am to 5pm.

For further information about the event visit www.wheathampstead.org.uk

ACCOUNTANTS MERGER BRINGS BOOST TO THE STREETS OF STEVENAGE Following on from the opening of its new Stevenage office only last September, Streets Chartered Accountants, is pleased to announce that they are to merge with the well established Stevenage based practice ISA Accountants.

The merger will see the current practice of ISA Accountants, currently based in Stevenage old town, relocated to Streets office located at the contemporary Gateway 1000 Business Park, at Junction 7 of the A1 (M).

On meeting the two key players in the recent merger, Paul Tutin Chairman and Managing Partner Streets Chartered Accountants and Ian Croft of ISA Accountants, Stephen McPartland the MP for Stevenage said; “I am delighted that Streets are investing in our town and have teamed up with ISA accountants locally to form Streets ISA. This is a great boost for the town as a top 30 accountancy practice recognises Stevenage as a place to invest to help lead our economy out of recession. They are having a big impact locally and I wish them every success”.

Founded in 1993, by Ian Croft, ISA Accountants has earned an enviable reputation for looking after the needs of businesses in and around Stevenage. Since the early days the expansion of the practice has seen the number of staff employed grow too, with today a total of 20 people forming the team.

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Broxbourne Borough Council held the fifth annual business fair in Broxbourne on Tuesday 24 May at Cheshunt Marriott Hotel. The Marriott sponsored the event along with Broxbourne Housing Association. A wide range of companies signed up to exhibit at the event and there were stalls with representation from a wide range of organisations from local businesses and public sector organisations including Breeze & Wyles Solicitors LLP, All Seasons Landscaping, The Federation of Small Businesses, Jobcentre Plus, Morgan Fire Protection Ltd and HSBC. The event included: • Business information and advice • Networking opportunities • Information about selling to the public sector Efforts are being made to increase the number of business start ups in Broxbourne, in order to encourage local enterprise, and the Council is keen to create opportunities for existing local businesses to gain useful information and to meet with other local businesses. This event offered an opportunity for businesses to engage with other businesses, business support organisations and the public and voluntary sectors.

WATFORD’S MAYOR RE-LAUNCHES THE CASSIO ROAD DENTAL PRACTICE More than 50 patients, local Primary Care Trust (PCT) members, and the press turned out ‘en masse’ last month to witness the Watford’s Mayor officially re-launch The Cassio Road Dental Practice, Watford.

After enjoying a tour of the impressive facilities the practice has to offer, guests tucked into a sumptuous buffet as well as an amazing cake to celebrate the occasion.

After welcoming the Mayor to the practice, Dr Neil Kotecha Joint partner and principal dentist said: ‘We have been here for almost five years now and I am proud to say that the practice has gone from strength to strength, growing in terms of firstly, the number of dentists employed here, who are continually working on their respective postgraduate education which benefits not only them as individuals but also this practice, the development of our hygienist services and also the growth of our nursing and support staff.’

He added: “There have also been a significant refurbishment of the premises, including full disabled access, allowing us now to offer our patients first class treatment and facilities, which has led to the local PCT increasing our NHS commitment by 30 per cent over the last few years.”

Speaking on the most recent achievement, Neil said: ‘We have recently been awarded training practice status, accredited by the University of London. This means a dental graduate will join us for a period of supervised training each year as they embark on the transition from graduate to practitioner. All this growth effectively means that we as a practice are now able to offer better access to NHS dentistry, extensive treatments and high quality care.’

Commenting on the practice and dentistry in general, the Watford’s Mayor, Dorothy Thornhill, said: ‘I think we often forget that dentists are small local businesses that employ people as well as care for people. This is a good thriving business and is an excellent example of good care, and the new refurbishment really shows that this practice is a welcoming and caring business for the community.’

NEWS IN BRIEF CARE COMPANY SHORTLISTED FOR PRESTIGIOUS NEW AWARDS The St Albans branch of a company which specialises in providing care for the elderly in their own homes has been shortlisted for two prestigious awards.

Home Instead Senior Care in St Albans has been shortlisted for the Care Provider of the Year (fewer than 50 employees) award while its Care Manager, Cathy Dyer, has been shortlisted for the Learning Champions award.

The awards are being run by the Hertfordshire Care Providers Association (HCPA) and will be presented at the HCPA Gala Awards evening at Sopwell House in St Albans on 8th July where PR guru and publicist, Max Clifford, is due to speak.

MOTIV8 VOTED BEST BUSINESS A Hertford and Ware personal training firm has been voted the most loved business in the two towns.

Motiv8 Personal Fitness also came second in its category in the poll run by website thebestofhertford.

Fraser Pannet, of Motiv8, said: “It’s brilliant to be recognised for the hard work we put in here at Motiv8. My thanks goes out to all those who voted for us.”

Owner of thebestofhertford Robert Glover added: “What people are realising is that small businesses are the engine room of our economy, they’re grateful for the service they provide and it seems they are happy to reward good service with good testimonials.”

A LOOK AT WHAT SOME OF THE HBI FOLLOWERS ARE SAYING ON TWITTER... @SOWECREATE SO // we create.

Busy day today : Meeting lots of business prospects at the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce brunch and off to the BNI UK strategy meeting. @WardTimes Ward Times Taking a New Direction?: Local Business Offers Top Logo Design Advice, read http://bit.ly/kw8hnU for more. #Hertford #Herts. @trizzsabrina Sabrina Do you live in Hertfordshire? looking for business opportunity? http://tiny.ly/3doE @VivaDebi debbie gilbert Hertfordshire Connections... http://www. business-scene.com/event_detail. php?e=15996

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NEWS

BROXBOURNE BUSINESS FAIR 2011

AN INTERVIEW WITH

KATE GARRAWAY Journalist and Television favourite Kate Garraway is currently the Entertainment Editor for Daybreak and Founder of Goodypass.com.

With such a successful career Kate reveals what she finds most rewarding and challenging.

Kate takes the time to discuss her busy career with The HBI and reaches out to local businesses to join her website.

photos courtesy of newlandportraits.com

Goodypass.com is going very well thank you! I have received really good feedback from people. The great reaction about the site has been evident from Twitter. Tweeting is so great because it encourages communication and people are able to contact me any time with their thoughts.

I’ve always wanted my own business. After the recent birth of my son Billy, and discovering the limited choice of baby boy clothing in comparison to the choice for girls, I wanted to go ahead with the venture. I had considered creating an online shop along with other mums. Despite coming up with a new idea, I still wanted to maintain the concept of owning a personal website that could act as a platform to interact with a group of people.

I feel very lucky I’m in a position where I can receive great perks and my website offers the same chance for others to get a share of my good fortune. So the site not only provides an opportunity for people to find out about my antics, but allows them to engage online. From my initial to final ideas, the two things came together really and everybody believed it was a good idea.

Did you approach the celebrities on goodypass.com or vice versa?

Which other celebrities would you like to sign up?

The celebrities had approached me through their agents after hearing about my site through word of mouth.

What factors do you find most rewarding as an Entertainment Editor and as founder of your business?

I like being able to give something back to people as I am very lucky to be in the position that I am in. Despite the two careers appearing as very different, they actually link and are similar. In TV, you have to think about what the viewer wants to know and hear and whether this will keep them watching and if they will come back for more. This parallels with business as with my website you have to find out what the members want and what they get pleasure from. I find this process both rewarding and challenging. Receiving feedback through tweets and emails is the most pleasurable part. This is why I am keen to encourage national and local businesses to sign up with goodypass.com, as I believe it is important to make the best use of services offered through our discounted deals by reaching out to such businesses.

Goodypass.com emphasises the idea of “treating you like a celebrity.” To promote this concept you modelled as Kylie Minogue.

Which celebrity figure inspires you and which celebrity lifestyle would you most like to experience for a day?

Providing people with deals that make them feel good relates to my decision to donate towards Make-a-Wish foundation, which provides children with life threatening illnesses the chance to fulfil their dreams. I think this is a wonderful charity and I think it’s similar to my site in the way that I can’t transform lives, but rather remind people life can be good and that good things do happen.

For me, ordinary people are inspiring but I really look up to career mums like Fiona Phillips and Lorraine Kelly. Lorraine is a master of her game and very family orientated. Although after interviewing Angelina Jolie and seeing how beautiful she is, I wouldn’t mind experiencing her lifestyle for a day.

Especially as she gets to wake up with Brad Pitt every morning!

What qualities do you think are required for the business industrywhether it be on TV or online?

You need to feel comfortable with an idea and put your heart and soul into that. Also, listening to experts and advice is important in order to fulfil your dream because they know what they’re doing. Especially with TV, there is no putting anything off. You have to be ready, in spite of anything, because once you are about to air there is no going back.

So you need to be confident in what you’re about to do and make things as good as you can get it. Just go for it.

You’re now busy juggling a TV career, a business and being a mum! How do you stay sane and keep on top of everything?

It’s like being a circus performer, but if you talk to any mum today, they are all ‘juggling’ these areas of their lives.

However, I am very lucky being in a career that I love and enjoy - not to mention getting paid to interview the likes of George Clooney for instance. That and having a business are very satisfying along with being a mum. So really I’m juggling “golden balls.”

Do you have any set goals for the rest of the year?

I would like to continue working as Entertainment Editor on Daybreak and make my plans and ideas for goodypass. com happen; hopefully to continue giving people a slice of celebrity lifestyle.

And finally, what is your motto?

In the past I have tended to worry and concern myself with small things that don’t have a big impact on the rest of my life. I believe execution is essential in business. We can all have great ideas but we waste time worrying over small issues. However, caring about the small details is also important but getting on with what you need to do counts the most. As long as you feel good and right about your ideas, make sure you make them happen.

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www.businessindependent.co.uk

INTERVIEW : KATE GARRAWAY

How’s your new business going and how did an initial idea for a baby boys clothing range develop into your discount websiteGoodypass.com?

TOP TIPS

FOR SECURING FINANCE IN 2011 Angels Den is one of the largest angel networks in the UK and Asia, and has over 4,000 registered business angels with many more available via syndicates and through partners. Angels Den has regional offices across the UK and also in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Here are their top five tips on how to win angel finance for a business.

1 The business plan – Business angels are sticklers for detail therefore any documentation presented to them needs to be accurate, complete and convincing.

2 Financial forecasts – All financial information needs to be expertly produced, easily understood and justifiable. Mistakes here will cause a loss of credibility and interest.

3 The presentation – Those offering angel finance will want to meet with their potential partners and hear in their words why they should invest.

The presentation needs to be passionate, precise and persuasive.

4 Questions – A full and complete understanding of your business, its market, finances and strategy are essential. Angels will expect those presenting to them to be able to answer any question thrown at them.

5 Research, research, research – Find out all there is to know about your customers, competition and the potential of the business. You need to become an undisputed expert, and to be able to convey this knowledge to those around you.

Angels Den runs regular Business Funding Clinics where budding entrepreneurs can ask anything they wish to know about business funding.

Angels Den also runs unique SpeedfundingTM events throughout the UK and Asia where entrepreneurs pitch on a one to one basis to angel investors. It’s fast and furious an extremely successful way to gain a fast track to funding.

Visit www.angelsden.co.uk for more information.

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IS THE SUN SHINING FOR UK RETAILERS? As official figures show a 55 per cent increase in the number of administrations for retail firms in the first three months of the year, compared to the last quarter of 2010, Mike Coughtrey, office senior partner for KPMG London North, based in St Albans, looks at what the future holds for the retail sector.

These less than optimistic findings were supported last month, when the KPMG/Synovate Retail Think Tank (RTT), a panel of experts from the retail sector, met to debate the state of the market for our retail sector. The group found that the first quarter of this year marked the reversal of the mini recovery in retail health which had started at the end of 2009 and panel members agreed that things are going to get worse before they get better.

The worse than expected decline was attributed largely to the softening of demand, brought about by consumers reining in spending in response to unforeseen increases in petrol prices on top of the drop in disposable incomes, as the gap between living costs and wage inflation grows.

The primary concern at the moment is that shoppers haven’t adjusted their behaviour fully yet and the rise in National Insurance and tax changes on pay packets could have a further negative impact on retail sales in the coming months, after a stronger April, lifted by the combined impact of an early burst of good weather, Easter, the Royal Wedding festivities and national holidays.

At the same time as the pressures being placed on the disposable incomes of consumers, retailers’ cost bases are increasing due to higher commodity and raw material costs, particularly in the food and fashion sectors, and oil and energy prices, leaving them to consider their pricing strategy at a time when demand is weak: should they increase prices and take the hit to volume or absorb the increased costs and sacrifice margin?

Retail margins certainly suffered in the first few months of the year, as retailers extended winter sales, absorbed the VAT increase and promoted more heavily and this squeeze on margins is a trend

that is likely to continue over the summer. Promotional activity was heavy in the beginning of the year, with a record 40 per cent of food sales on promotion.

These lower volumes remove much wriggle room for retailers when it comes to margins. This is particularly true for non-essentials and big ticket items such as furniture, electronics and DIY. However some food retailers are reporting slightly increased margins as they pass on cost uplifts and the big supermarkets have responded quickly to the heavy discounters by refining their product ranges and special offers long before they lost customers.

But the outlook is not entirely gloomy. Whilst the economic downturn has had a significant impact on profits and growth for many UK consumer businesses over the last three years, those that have weathered the downturn have emerged fitter and leaner: nearly 46 per cent of executives interviewed by KPMG say they have stronger relationships with suppliers; 41 per cent report better prospects for growth; and 28 per cent highlighted improved cost structures.

Of course, there will be regional variations on how retailers perform based on the strength of local economies and local job prospects.

Experian predicts the South East will be one of the fastest growing UK regions and Hertfordshire in particular has low unemployment levels with many highly skilled professionals based here, leading to average incomes being much higher than other parts of the UK. Based on these factors, you would expect that local retailers will feel the pinch much less than other parts of the country, particularly those areas with a higher concentration of public sector employees.

Never the less, across the UK consumer confidence remains fragile, and a strong focus on cost management going forward will be critical.

The management disciplines that consumer businesses adopted throughout the downturn made many of them leaner and more efficient, creating a stronger base from which to pursue growth.

Smaller retailers in particular will need to take an aggressive approach to costs and react quickly to the needs of their customers.

“

Nearly 46 per cent of executives say they have stronger relationships with suppliers...

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MONEY

In a recent KPMG survey of over 290 retailers, over a third of respondents claimed that maintaining profit margins will be a challenge due to rising input costs, inventory carrying costs, discounting, and decreased sales volumes. Moreover, 62 per cent believe that they will have difficulty raising prices and when asked about market share, 48 per cent said this will be difficult to grow in 2011.

DEGREES CAN STILL BE GOOD INVESTMENTS

Despite the increasing fees for tertiary education, the value of a good degree shouldn’t be underestimated.

That is the viewpoint of leading British leather manufacturer Pittards who says educated graduates are still in demand and you don’t have to have been to Oxbridge to move into a rewarding career with lots of potential.

Sarah Williams, 25, benefitted from her BA in Design Craft from Hereford Art College by landing an exciting job as a design and development assistant at Pittards; a career she didn’t even know existed when she decided to start a degree.

“I knew I loved fashion and design, but until I went to university I had no idea of the opportunities that were available,” she said. “I completed my training at the London College of Fashion with a Masters in Fashion Artefact, and joined Pittards last July. I make samples and develop designs including a new collection of leather goods; it is really exciting and I know I wouldn’t be here without my degree.

Although I am of course in debt, long term going to university was the best career choice I could have made.”

Marcus Young, 27, agrees. He took a BSc in Zoology at Durham University with no clear idea of what he wanted to do.

“I loved the idea of zoology but even when I started the degree I realised there were limited careers in that area,” he said. “But I had been told that a good science degree can translate into many different careers

and this advice was absolutely correct.

I read that Pittards were looking for new graduates and as soon as I spoke to them, I realized there were opportunities for a longterm career. I was taken on as a graduate technologist and am currently working on helping the company develop innovative new leathers. Already I am giving talks to groups and travelling overseas and the prospects couldn’t look better. My advice is that education is rarely wasted and you never know where a degree can lead.”

Amy Andrews, 27, started at Pittards the same time as Marcus after gaining a 2.1 in Biology at Bath University.

“When I set out to study biology, I never thought I would ever end up in the leather industry, or even manufacturing,” she said.

“Before I started university, I had no idea of the different fields and the variety of jobs available for graduates. I was just lucky to hear that Pittards took on graduate trainees, and joining the company as an Innovations Technologist was the best step I could have taken. I am building up a technical background, I have already travelled to Italy and China for the company, and there is

potential for me to develop my career in a number of different areas.”

Pittards is just one of many British companies still taking on graduates in a variety of fields, and say tertiary education is enormously valuable.

“Going to university helps students mature and widens their knowledge base in a number of areas,” said Liz Broadbent, Marketing Director of Pittards. “Many top brand companies, including in British manufacturing, still need graduates, and there are still exciting prospects out there.

Investing in a university degree can initially be frightening cost wise, but the rewards it can bring can be so beneficial.”

Universities and Science Minister David Willetts agrees with Liz. He said: “A degree is a good investment and is one of the best pathways to achieving a good job and rewarding career. Not only do employers prize the highly-developed skills and talents graduates can bring to their businesses, research has shown that graduates earn, on average, more than £100,000 over their working life.”

EDUCATION & TRAINING

LEGAL COLUMN SETTING UP A WEBSITE Commissioning a new website is often a major expense (particularly for small businesses) and a website is a vital business tool so the terms of your web development agreement are important, yet some suppliers have no terms at all and those who do often fail to provide their clients with important rights and protections.

You may be asking your supplier to provide any one or more of several services: • development of the site (i.e. writing the code), • design of the site (i.e. designing materials e.g. the look and feel), • hosting the site on its server, and • ongoing maintenance and support of the site.

Issues to consider when entering into a web development agreement include:• Whether you have a detailed timetable for performance of the supplier’s obligations; • How long you will be given to review the supplier’s work before you’re automatically assumed to have accepted it; • Who will own the copyright in content the supplier produces for you? If the supplier owns it and licences it to you:Taylor

- can the supplier re-use it for someone else?

- will you still be able to use it if you terminate your main tenance/hosting agreement later on?

• What warranties you are getting e.g. a warranty that content provided by the supplier is original and that it either owns or has the right to use it? Getting a solicitors letter telling you that a photo on your website infringes their client’s copyright is a daunting prospect and it does happen. If it does, will your supplier put it right and reimburse any losses you incur?

• What happens if the supplier’s performance is poor or late? Can you withhold payment? Can you get the rest of the work done by someone else? Will the work done so far be made available for you to do that?

• If the supplier is offering support and maintenance services once the site is complete, what standards of service is it committing to?

How quickly will your changes be implemented? How much will you be charged for these services? Will you be allowed to implement changes yourself or use a third party to do what you want to?

• If the developer is hosting the site, will you receive a rebate on fees if16x4:aa service Master interruptions exceed an agreed Walton 18/1/11 14:22 Page 1 level?

These are some key issues involved in negotiations but it is important to have a clear agreement to protect your investment in your website. Please contact Gillian Harding at our Hitchin Office on 01462 628888 for more information

WE TAKE IT PERSONALLY

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We provide solutions We are experienced in handling a broad range of disputes.

Specialisms include professional negligence, contentious probate and disputes relating to partnerships and shareholders, IT & software and employment, as well as considerable experience in property disputes.

Offices in Harpenden, Luton and St Albans.

Quality service and advice you can trust Business Law • Employment Law • Commercial Litigation • Property Transactions • All aspects of Commercial Law

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Email: enquiries@hrjlaw.co.uk

Effective Solutions for Business Call 01582 731161 or visit www.taylorwalton.co.uk

SOLICITORS

EMPLOYMENT TRIBUNAL SYSTEM IS BROKEN SAYS NEW CIPD SURVEY More than two out of three employers (69 per cent) say they have no effective protection against employees making wholly unjustifiable claims to employment tribunals. This is a key finding from a survey of employers’ experiences of managing workplace conflict, published in the run up to the CIPD conference on conflict management.

The Conflict Management survey report shows three in five respondents (61 per cent) have experience of an employee claiming unfair dismissal and ‘tagging on’ a discrimination claim in the hope of getting more compensation. 55 per cent say they have endured a complaint against their organisation on malicious grounds.

Other findings include:

More than half (52 per cent) think the law on unfair dismissal should be amended to make it easier for employers to dismiss. A similar proportion (54 per cent) also support more effective case management to identify ‘vexatious’ claims, with exactly half supporting the move to require tribunals to award costs against losing claimants.

• There have been significant increases in the use of most forms of managing conflict, internal and external. Almost half of respondents say their organisation has increased its use of disciplinary action (50 per cent) and grievance procedures (48 per cent)

Mike Emmott, employee relations adviser, CIPD, said: “The problem is that the employment tribunal system itself is broken and its costs and benefits are wholly out of line. The Government needs to take a radical look at the existing machinery for protecting employment rights.”

The survey also indicates a vote of no confidence for the current dispute resolution system. Seven out of ten employers (70 per cent) use compromise agreements to avoid the risk of tribunal claims, with more than half (52 per cent) saying that their use of compromise agreements has increased in the last two years.

Also, half of respondents (49 per cent) say their organisation has increased its use of mediation in the last two years.

• The number of days management and HR spent on managing both disciplinary and grievance cases has gone up since 2007, the last time the CIPD conducted a similar survey, Managing Conflict at Work: from 13 to 18 days (disciplinary) and from 9 to 14.4 days (grievance)

• Three out of five (62 per cent) say their organisation is making increased use of training line managers in handling difficult conversations • Major reasons for using compromise agreements (other than to settle an existing claim) are to remove an employee on grounds of poor performance or misconduct (39 per cent), to avoid legal challenge in relation to redundancy (26 per cent) and to make it easier to remove senior staff without embarrassment (24 per cent) • The median compensation payment under compromise agreements is £10,000, while one in five (20.3 per cent) report that the typical payment is £25,000 or more • Looking at the total costs involved in concluding compromise agreements, including compensation, the median is £11,000.

www.employmentlawandhr.co.uk

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ST ALBANS DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

COMMUNITY BUSINESS AWARDS 2011

IN RECOGNITION OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF BUSINESS TO THE COMMUNITY OF THE ST ALBANS DISTRICT These awards recognise outstanding contribution to our business community. They are based not solely upon successes and achievements but also upon the beneficial impact of those achievements on the business community. The Awards are open to all businesses whose business strategy encompasses policies and projects that have a positive impact on St Albans District. The activities should bring about economic, social and environmental benefits for the community.

Any business or individual in the St Albans District is eligible for nomination and the award in each category will be judged by the St Alabns District Chamber of Commerce.

You can nominate yourself, your business, or any individual or business for one or more of the awards. Please complete the entry form on the back page of the nomination form and send it to us. Alternatively send us an email marked “Awards” containing the information in the nomination form, using the following email address: awards@stalbans-chamber.co.uk

NEW BUSINESS SPONSORED BY DEBENHAMS OTTAWAY “A successful local industry is paramount to sustaining the development of the St Albans area. It is particularly important that the area is able to continue to attract new businesses.

We are proud to be involved with the St Albans Community Business Awards which gives recognition to successful local businesses.”

GREEN AWARD

SPONSORED BY ST ALBANS CITY & DISTRICT COUNCIL “St Albans City and District Council is pleased to sponsor the Green Award as part of St Albans District Chamber of Commerce Community Business Awards. The contestants have come up with a number of inspirational green initiatives that help to reduce landfill waste and energy consumption.

It is encouraging to see that organisations are using their resources to monitor energy use and to reduce their carbon footprint. The Council recognises the importance of environmental sustainability and is working hard to increase the recycling of household waste and to reduce carbon emissions in the District.”

YOUNG PERSON AWARD FEATURE : ST ALBANS & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SPONSORED BY OAKLANDS COLLEGE “Oaklands College is delighted to be able to sponsor the Young Person Award again this year. We’ve been extremely impressed with the high standard of nominations in previous years, and the diversity of skills demonstrated by these young people. We are looking forward to meeting the finalists at the awards ceremony.”

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD

SPONSORED BY HARPENDEN BUILDING SOCIETY Previous winners AECOM quoted “We are proud of our record in the community and the St. Albans District Chamber of Commerce Awards gave us an opportunity to celebrate all the hard work and long hours our employees have contributed towards making St. Albans a better place to live.”

RESTAURANT AWARD

SPONSORED BY HERTFORDSHIRE LIFE “It is with great delight that Hertfordshire Life are once again sponsoring the award that endeavours to find the best dining establishment in the St Albans district. We were pleased to see such a range in the number of nominations which highlighted the sheer quality of restaurants in the area and thank all those who took the time to nominate their favourite.”

PRESIDENT’S AWARD

SPONSORED BY THE HERTFORDSHIRE BUSINESS INDEPENDENT

“The president’s award is for an individual has committed themselves to the betterment of the community, giving their time and energy for the benefit of all. It shows dedication and exceptional commitment to the enrichment of the St Albans District”

P18 : Social Media Explained: Rookie’s Guide to Social Media and How to Know a Tweet from a Blog P20 : Don’t Fritter on Twitter: David Taylor speaks about the Pitfalls of Twitter and how to get the best Return on your Investment P22 : Social Media Worked for Me! – Profiles of Local Businesses who have Succeeded thanks to Social Media P24 : Are You Conversation Marketing? By Ecademy co-founder Thomas Power P25 : Be Your Own Social Media Manager: The Founder of Gilissa, Richard Wood, Provides Information on How to Get Ahead with Social Media if you Want to Manage it Yourself

SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIAL

SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIAL

THE ROOKIE’S GUIDE TO Tweets, status updates, followers and likes. All standard words but in Social Media, what do they mean?

Could you do the same? If they’re not working why not? Try not to make the same mistakes.

Social Media is business’s latest way of keeping up-to-date with customers. Finding out what they’re talking about, what makes them tick, and what makes them loyal or not. It is also a great way of getting your information out to your customers for relatively little cost.

Do you have anything interesting to say? Many businesses make the mistake of going online and not telling their followers anything interesting. The key to a good profile is to show you know your business. Make yourself sound like an expert and you will soon have people recommending you for advice. This in turn keeps you in mind when your services are needed.

Once you have decided which platform to use – and you can use several, the choice is yours! – you need to set up your profiles.

Building up a successful fan page on Facebook or a Twitter profile can seem daunting but with a few easy steps it can be a simple enough activity to build into your working day.

Many businesses are starting to create Social Media Plans to enable them to see where they are going, how they are getting there and, most importantly, when.

The first step you need to take is to decide which Social Media platform your company is best suited to. So do some researching.

Open a Facebook and Twitter account and enter keywords for your industry. For instance, if you run a shop specialising in interior design enter words such as “decorating” “interior design” “paint” and “diy”. It is amazing how many businesses can find contacts this way.

Once you have collated your results check out if there are any other similar businesses online. If so look at their profiles and see whether they are working or not. If they are, what are they doing?

FACEBOOK

On Facebook you need to already have a profile to create a page. A good idea is to create a business profile (go to www. facebook.com) as this can keep your business and your private life separate.

Once your profile is set up go to your profile page and scroll down to the bottom. Here you will find a link called “create a page”.

In this section you can set up your page. It is always best to enter all your information and don’t forget to post a profile picture, your company logo is perfect for branding.

To get to your page from your personal profile click on Account, Use Facebook as a Page, and a list of all pages you are listed as admin will come up. Click on switch and your profile will become your page. To return to your normal profile just click on Use Facebook as (your name).

Once your page is set up send an invitation out to all your contacts asking them to “like” your page. Once you have 25 likes you are able to “own” your page name. What this means is instead of saying, look for us on Facebook, you can say “our Facebook address is www.Facebook.com/yournamehere”. Until you have 25 likes you will just be a mix of letters and numbers.

Your fan page can do many things for your business. Facebook has changed the way pages work and you can now like other pages. Search for your keywords and like businesses that are related to you and look credible.

Don’t associate yourself with a dodgy looking page as it could look bad on your profile. Other people who have liked the page can see you have too and may go onto your page to see who you are and what you do.

Post information about what your business is doing. Do you have promotions? Information? Are there any news items that are relevant to your industry? Even posts stating you are going to a meeting with another business is healthy. And if that other business is on Facebook like their page and mention them too!

You can do this by typing @ before their name.

Another great way to showcase your talents is to create a portfolio of your work.

Go into the profile page and click on photos. Here you can upload photos in the same way you do on your profile. Create album, upload the photo and save. Remember to state what, where and when it is. These profiles albums can be used to showcase anything from new items on your menu to work you have done for your customers.

O SOCIAL MEDIA

BY SANDRA HART

The choice is yours!

“

The key to a good profile is to show you know your business.

Make yourself sound like an expert and you will soon have people recommending you for advice.

This in turn keeps you in mind when your services are needed.

TWITTER

”

Twitter is a relatively new Social Media platform in relation to Facebook. Twitter is a firm favourite of many celebrities and it was the outspoken praise of Stephen Fry and Jonathan Ross, amongst others, that propelled Twitter to be the UK’s second favourite site.

But it can be a bit daunting. Go to www.Twitter.com and set up a profile. Again you need to put in all your information regarding your business. And of course, the company logo as your profile picture.

Twitter doesn’t use status updates. Instead you send tweets.

These are statements of 140 characters or less. These can be seen by anyone and can also be retweeted – where you see another profile’s tweet, like it and retweet it for your followers.

Followers. These are to Twitter what fans are to Facebook. Building up your followers list is a slow journey. To start you need to find other businesses like yours. Again do your keyword search. When you find a similar business go to their followers. Many of their followers follow them because they are interested in what the profile holder has to say. Go through the list of followers and follow them. These profiles will see how many followers they have, just as you do. Many people will follow you back, some won’t. Follow media groups that could be useful; newspapers, TV channels, specifically targeted publications of your expertise.

Many of the rules apply to Twitter as they do to Facebook. The main difference is the links. Where on Facebook you can share a link by posting the URL into the link section (on your page’s profile) on Twitter it can be a bit trickier.

Due to only having 140 characters to use many tweeters shorten the URLs. This can be done by going to http://bit.ly. Paste in the URL you want to link to and click copy. Paste this shortened URL into your tweet with a little blurb about what it is – have you seen my latest blog on deep sea fishing? (link).

Also, you can’t post pictures on Twitter but go to www.twitpic. com and you can upload your photo and get a shortened URL so your followers can find it.

Most of Social Media is hit and miss. Not all your followers will see all your messages as most only see what is in their timeline.

But if you utilise your profiles properly you can use them to work alongside your business and help create the online presence that most customers are looking for.

GLOSSARY Profile: account set up in your or your business name so you can interact with other users Status: somewhere you post what you are doing, thinking, share information and post news Tweet: Twitter’s version of a status but limited to 140 characters RT (retweet): If you see a tweet you like retweet it! If you get one of yours retweeted remember to say thanks!

Insights: a tool on Facebook to monitor users on your page Like: if someone likes your Facebook page they become a fan and will have your updates posted on their walls Followers: like Facebook fans, Twitter has followers who will get your tweets in their timeline Timeline: an up-to-date diary of all tweets by profiles you follow on Twitter Events: you can invite people to attend events on Facebook DM: Direct Message. This is a feature on Twitter where you can send messages that only you and the recipient can receive. All other tweets are visible by anyone.

SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIAL

Once you have everything how you want it don’t forget to check back daily and update. People who like you can comment on your wall so make sure you remember to take time to thank them and to reply.

On the right hand side of your fan page profile is a link called “View Insights”. Click on this to see information on your users, interactions and feedback. This tool is useful if you regularly hold events or have new products and you want to see when people visit most. For example, if you have an event on a Saturday and have been posting information on the Wednesday, check when people view your page most. If it is a Tuesday then they won’t see the information. By using this information and posting a day earlier you could increase your visitors.

DON’T FRITTER ON TWITTER! DAVID TAYLOR

“

Sticking your head in the sand and hoping you can carry on marketing in the same old way is simply not an option.

The world is changing, and your marketing needs to change too.

”

How does the combination of networking face-to-face and online change the impact of social media on business?

Whatever the technological advances that have been made, still the most powerful way to leverage your brand as a small business is through meeting people face to face.

The difference now is that any people you meet in this way, you can carry on communicating with them via sites likes Twitter and LinkedIn. For example, if you attend a networking event or a conference, you meet people, get their business card and often do nothing further unless there is direct business to be done.

Now you can connect with them on social networks to continue to conversation and ensure the networking time you have invested does not go to waste.

It can work both ways though. Many people now connect on Twitter, get to know each other online then agree to meet in ‘tweet-ups’ which are now springing up all around the country. Essentially this is the new form of face-to-face networking which has been facilitated through the use of social media.

identify the people you wish to follow (c) track the conversations which may be applicable to your business and (d) listen to what other people are saying. This does take time but will yield benefits in the medium to long term. Like any form of networking, it is a long game and you will probably not get instant results.

What was the overall message you wanted to present in your book “Fusion – The New Way to Marketing”?

Very simply that there has been a revolution in how people access information and the media in general. The under 30s (Generation Y) especially simply don’t consume the media like the rest of us. They don’t read papers, don’t watch mainstream TV or listen to local radio – they get most of their information online from social networks.

Sticking your head in the sand and hoping you can carry on marketing in the same old way is simply not an option. The world is changing, and your marketing needs to change too.

Why do smaller businesses benefit most from social media?

Essentially because they are closer to their customers and can almost have personal conversations through social media.

Social networking is all about listening, engaging and interacting with people – not so easy to do when you are a multinational corporation.

Also, with limited marketing budgets, small businesses can use social networks to reach the widest possible audience for the least amount of marketing investment. There are at least 16 ways to leverage your business through social media and they don’t cost a dime – except in staff time.

On your Facebook page you asked which out of Twitter, Linkedin or Facebook was the most useful/ relevant to business and users answered – Twitter.

What factors of Twitter determine this outcome?

Every business is different and like any form of marketing, you need to decide which form of social media is applicable to you.

In essence, LinkedIn and Twitter are fantastic business-to-business networking tools while Facebook, YouTube and Flickr are great for communicating with a business-to-consumer audience.

What factors of social networking can be detrimental to a business?

Clearly, as with all forms of technology there is a potential down side. With increasing openness and accessibility to huge numbers of people, there is a risk that you could find your brand harmed. We have seen examples of this with the recent super injunctions furore on Twitter.

By having social networking pages for your company, there will always be the possibility that disgruntled customers or ex employees will post comments. Therefore, you need to have policies and procedures in place to deal with this. And sometimes you can even turn this to your advantage. For example, if you are a restaurant and someone complains about the meal they had, you could contact them online, apologise and offer them a complimentary dinner for two. You are then seen as being a reasonable restauranteur and won’t lose business from the bad publicity.

The key thing is to be prepared and aware of any threats.

How could Twitter be used to maximise or generate new business?

Twitter can be used in a myriad of different ways from online networking to press release distribution and from customer service to brand building. However, as with all forms of social media, it needs to be done systematically and regularly or it will not work.

Essentially you need to (a) have something pertinent to say (b)

What reasons do you think prevent people from joining social media or using this as a professional outlet?

Fear of the unknown, shortage of time, assumptions it is for kids or geeks and lack of evidence that it works are all reasons that are put forward. However in a world where 1 in 12 of the population are now on Facebook, 200 million on Twitter, 100 million on LinkedIn and where a site like YouTube receives 3 billion (yes, that’s correct) hits a day, you simply cannot ignore it.

What are the consequences of your business should you not be aware of how important social media is for marketing?”

At the present time, there may be few consequences for your particular business, depending on your industry or profession. However, as with the advent of websites in the 1990s, a failure to move with the times means your marketing could appear backward and you could also start losing out to your competitors.

Social media is playing a larger and larger part in our lives. A sizeable minority of professionals are now on LinkedIn, 75 per cent of FTSE 100 companies are now on Twitter while Facebook is now in a position to threaten the pre-eminence of websites as an organisation’s primary marketing tool.

It is not going to go away. Sure, the key social networking sites may well be superseded by something even more technologically advanced, but we aren’t going to go back to the days of traditional marketing and one, huge ‘mass’ media.

SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIAL

So, as a business, you need to think carefully about who your audience is, what messages you want to get across and how you are going to go about communicating i.e. have a delineated social media strategy.

SOCIAL MEDIA WORKED FOR ME!

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“The tweetie necklace is currently owned by celebs such as Gail Porter, Dawn Porter and Carol Vorderman.

“I’ve now branched out into being a social media consultant as well as a jewellery designer and tutor businesses on Twitter, and how to use it as a powerful and free marketing tool and make it work for them, which has really taken off.”

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www.businessindependent.co.uk

23

SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIAL

e,

Hayley Ch almers runs her fa shion business fr om her office at home in Tring.

ShortCoutu re.com makes an d retails sm art clothes for ladies that are 5’4” an d under.

ARE YOU CONVERSATION MARKETING?

BY THOMAS POWER At a recent social media retreat with 9 people, we explored the journey into the depths of social media – what could your business, brand or organisation do to benefit even further from it, and how could they communicate their message through each major platform.

Together we spent a great deal of time talking about what your personal brand contributes to other people and the best way to communicate the brand itself. What we discovered was that we’d managed to share the appropriate knowledge and achieve the learning we were looking for through general conversational learning.

After working our way through the five main platforms; Friendfeed, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Ecademy, we decided that if we connected all these site feeds together we could move content around them much quicker.

I tried to encourage the attendees to get into conversation online – what I call being ‘open to the random’. Social networking is great because it is open, random and supportive. It is transforming business and the way we think within it. This open way of thinking online operates totally differently to how we would ordinarily network ourselves within a corporate company. ‘Institutional Thinking’ is when you often have to restrict the amount of information that you absorb because you have to protect the values within that company. I call this C,S,C or Closed, Selective and Controlling. This will ultimately effect who you connect with.

This all changes when you enter an online scenario with networking, because you have to be open to everything that comes in around you, and therefore you must accept everything that comes into you randomly. Also, you must always be supportive of other things going on around you. This is ‘Network Thinking’. I believe that we are now making a big step forward as more people turn away from Institutional Thinking and head into Network Thinking with the 21st century and the new developments within social media.

Any institution can adapt their networking habits from closed, selective and controlling to open, random and supportive despite some of the larger organizations being criticized for not changing fast enough. It can take a long time – it certainly took me a while, around 10 years!

So what can social media do for your business? Get into conversation through blogs, videos, comments, sharing and listening. Through relentlessly contributing to others you will find you are marketing yourself and you will attract people towards you who hopefully get to know you, like you and follow you.

Any institution can adapt their networking habits from closed, selective and controlling to open, random and supportive despite some of the larger organizations being criticized for not changing fast enough. It can take a long time – it certainly took me a while, around 10 years!

HOW TO BE YOUR OWN SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERT

BY RICHARD WOOD, MD OF GILLISSA

With this in mind, it may be time to be your own social media expert, and utilise the best resources available to make managing your own social media as easy as possible. The key concerns that businesses identify with managing their own social media, have been the impact it may have on their time and the cost of hiring staff to manage the activities. However there are digital marketing solutions which offer businesses the ability to retain control of their output, whilst minimising the time cost of keeping on top of social media – software which avoids the expense of outsourcing.

Using a central “hub” to input all your Social Media output is the latest solution for many businesses, and the ability to load content which will be scheduled for output allows you to “find time” for social media.

HERE ARE A FEW KEY POINTS TO CONSIDER: Consider the source by which you are relaying the information - for Twitter you want to provide short concise soundbites, for Facebook you can provide more depth of content. Also examine the time at which people are likely to be looking at their social media when scheduling output – lunchtime, early evening and pre 9am are the times people are most likely to be logging on to social media. Think about the times your customers are most likely to be online – well timed tweets are likely to get more response and feedback.

Adhering to some basic ground rules will aid you to output content just as successfully as a social media expert – and there are now platforms such as our own Social Media Manager which will help you to manage all your social media outlets from one central hub, cutting down dramatically on the time it will take to manage your social media.

Cross Promotion - ensure you are linking from one source (i.e. Twitter) to another (i.e. Facebook) and via your website. This will ensure that you are engaging your fans across as many channels as possible and driving traffic to your website, which should be one of your primary goals. Platforms such as ours show all the channels to which you are outputting, making it easy to monitor all the key data within your social media accounts.

A strong social media campaign will be the right mix of timely and relevant messages. People search social media for news and businesses that are relevant to them but it is crucial to avoid using too many direct sales posts. It is also essential to avoid messages being too infrequent and patchy in terms of issuing content.

We have seen that there has been a rapid explosion of businesses using Social Media over the last 6 months, but even now the UK is still way behind the USA in which 90 per cent or more of the entire business population is using social media in one form or another. Social media is a long term game, so my advice is to ensure that your business publishes a wealth of content, but at a price that is affordable.

“

A strong social media campaign will be the right mix of timely and relevant messages.

People search social media for news and businesses that are relevant to them but it is crucial to avoid using too many direct sales posts.

” 25

www.businessindependent.co.uk

SOCIAL MEDIA SPECIAL

There is little doubt as to the importance of social media and its uses to businesses – whether it be as a means of communication between a brand and its customers, a marketing tool to raise product awareness or a tool to build sales leads, it has now cemented its status as a “must-have”. This has led many time-short businesses to outsource their social media to the “experts” who are capitalising on its popularity by honing their expertise to aid businesses in their aim to utilise its business growth potential. While many companies understand the need to use social media, outsourcing to an expert is not a always a simple solution – it is crucial to question the validity and credentials of these experts, as you may feel of late that everyone is proclaiming to be an authority in the fields of Twitter and Facebook!

SALES COLUMN STEVE CLARKE FROM CYNIC TO CONVERT...

AND ALL IT TOOK WAS A BIKINI A FUR HAT AND A TRANSIT VAN...

“To say I was skeptical of the power of social media for business and of Twitter in particular would be an understatement”...

If you’d asked me just a few months ago what I thought of Twitter – the answer was simple… Twitter, Twatter, Schmitter, Schmatter – what a complete waste of time. All I’d witnessed was, “I’ve had a cheese sandwich” ping. Who cares? What a waste of time. All I could see was that it was for people that were playing at business and had nothing real to do in their day. Boy was I wrong…

I’m a grass roots sales and marketing kind of a guy, a direct marketing man. Do this – get that, measurable outcomes. So when I read Penny Power’s book called “Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me”, in an attempt to get my head around social media, I struggled, I mean really struggled.

I was scouring the pages for how to use social networking for my business and what did Penny in her infinite wisdom tell me to do?…

“Spread the love”. Really? Sorry, but I thought Penny was away with the fairies – spread the love, oh come on… I’m in business; I’m a salesman, a direct marketer.

Let me tell you; I hold Penny in very high regard and we have now become good friends. She and her husband Thomas are the founders of an incredibly successful social media business – Ecademy. I persevered and read her book – it delivered an eye popping pivotal moment for me in my relationship with social media and dozens of ‘eureka’ moments too.

The first thing was to understand that this is social networking not social selling. (Read that again and take it onboard too). The second thing that hit me was that people use Google to search for information where as they use social media to find the people with the knowledge – that’s important to understand.

OK, so spread the love. Penny wrote about how we should be open and random. Find people and groups to engage with and listen to. Join in conversations on things other than just what we are trying to sell.

So I took a deep breath and jumped on in. At the time I was trying to get fit for the London to Brighton bike ride so I set up a filter to let me listen to people on Twitter talking about cycling. In no time at all a guy had pinged out a tweet asking if anyone knew someone that could help him with getting fit for road riding?

OK I thought – let’s spread the love. I sent back a tweet.

“I just bought a bike from a former UK triathlete who has a bike shop with a gym attached, he could help”. Ping.

He tweeted back, “sounds great where is he?” Ping.

“Flitch Bikes, Dunmow, Essex.” Ping.

“Great thanks.” Ping.

That was it. I felt I’d been helpful. I’d certainly spread some love, Penny would be proud, but so what? Well here’s what happened next…

They guy that had asked the question thought… who’s this nice guy @uksalesmentor helping me with the cycling thing? He checked my Twitter profile and saw I was involved in sales and marketing. He then clicked the link to my website. He read my bio and decided to sign up for my free marketing strategies. As he got to know me, he liked what he read and began to follow my tweets too.

(What’s the name of Penny’s book? Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me. Ah ha!)

A day or two went by and he pinged me another tweet, this time with a link to a photo.

“What do you think of the graphics on my van?” Ping.

I opened the link and there was his van covered with a beautiful

model in a bikini and fur hat, wielding a great big power tool that his company sells.

With my marketing hat on I would have lectured him on the lack of benefit statements, missing phone number etc etc etc. Instead, all I said was; “That will grab attention.” Ping.

Quite fun this spreading the love stuff was all I thought, but really, who has time for this nonsense?

Three weeks went by and I was hosting one of my Fast Track Marketing Master Classes, (come and join me on one). These are always relatively small groups to ensure it’s fully interactive and personal. Around 20 people were registered on this occasion. To break the ice a little and to help everyone get to know who else is in the room I have each person give a brief intro of who they are, what they do and to help illustrate how various elements of my marketing generate sales I always ask them to say how they came to hear about the event.

The first person kicked off; “Hi, I’m Jane I’m an architect and I’ve been getting Steve’s top tips for the last few months after I heard him speak at a networking event and wanted to learn more.”

“Morning, I’m Dan, I’m a fitness instructor I’ve been implementing Steve’s free tips and my enquiries have gone up by 20 per cent – thought I’d come and see what else I could learn.”

“Hi I’m Dave, I run a web design company I’ve been reading Steve’s column in the paper and again, I wanted to learn more.”

And so it went on. All my marketing efforts were working; email, PR, public speaking, direct mail, recommendations etc.

Then…

“Hi I’m Paul. I met Steve on Twitter. He introduced me to someone that could help me with my bike fitness.” Wow – it was Van Man! He got to know me, like me, follow me – then decided he’d like to buy from me – without me selling anything at all.

That opened my eyes… wide. Since that day I’ve been completely converted. I now deliver regular talks on how and why people in business should engage in the amazing world of social networking and more importantly how to integrate it into their marketing plan over all.

Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube deliver new clients to me every single month. I now operate an active social media strategy as part of my marketing mix which keeps me from spending every waking moment online. I’ve actually got it down to around 30 minutes a day and it works a treat.

And to think… it took a bikini, a fur hat and a transit van! Go on – you make sense of it.

Spread the love (but have a strategy for best results).

roadshow ad.pdf 1 01/06/2011 09:36:11

THE HERTFORDSHIRE BUSINESS

FROM THE ORGANISERS OF THE HERTFORDSHIRE BUSINESS

ARE YOU GETTING THE BEST RETURN ON YOUR NETWORKING? With so many different networking groups and events to attend, is your strategy working?

Do you know where to spend your time and effort to ensure the best results for your business?

THE HERTFORDSHIRE BUSINESS ROADSHOW is coming to 5 HERTFORDSHIRE VENUES over JUNE AND JULY 2011 C

JOIN US

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for an exciting day of learning from Europe’s leading

networking strategist, ANDY LOPATA, followed by speed networking and business mastermind sessions.

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From 9:30am - 3:30pm your day will be action packed full of helpful tips to ensure that you gain the most from your networking investment.

Lunch and refreshments are included throughout the day.

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PRICE

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CAN YOU AFFORD TO MISS OUT?

Goldsmith Centre – Letchworth Cheshunt Marriott Hotel – Cheshunt Ramada Jarvis Hotel – Hatfield Shendish Manor – Hemel Hempstead Business & Technology Centre – Stevenage

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Int CO ey wi et fro Mi own rk c ho o N m t t ' ke m h V h o s es ICT em CO nfi ev ne So -tos ag IO N t i uth ea de er w n FID ea N te ork wa on rth nt cro EN nd ing ofrethe l the ste word , down to “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is “When you get right root of the ameaning CE ss AU an co-a kno y ca nte di an P d T d u OW nY n da w H because we do not dare that things are difficult.” succeed, you find Fthat it simply means to follow through.” t t h b O l ina ob OU or, e c E e R h d R ne ITY nc iev FU • Seneca F. W. Nichol ial 'The ge f e et L Tim Be in it fr able he anLdY m erm tyou’ve m his om overcome esevent, So you’re at a networking your fears t o EA co a I t bo he nextS Bis the key to SIL t E happens and started to talk to people.lumWhat Y "A N nis ntrep ok.

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“...AND DEATH CAME THIRD”...

...THE SECOND EDITION OF HERTFORDSHIRE’S VERY OWN “MR NETWORKER,” ANDY LOPATA AND CO-AUTHOR AND PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER PETER ROPER.

TIP 1 – BE COURAGEOUS

TIP 2 – BE COMMITTED

FEAR OF REJECTION

Once you have got the feel of the event and feel a bit bolder, you can then ask your associates to introduce you to someone they know.

If there are specific people who you want to meet and you are nervous about approaching, ask a colleague or the organiser if they know them. If they do, then ask them to introduce you. It will also help if you explain why you want to meet them; if they can understand your objectives, they will be happier making the connection.

Take advantage of security in numbers to approach a group of people together. After introducing each other, the group will naturally break up into smaller parties and you have smoothly moved into a conversation with a new person.

THE HOST WITH THE MOST Act the host. Put your hand out and say “Hi, I’m … nice to meet you.” Perhaps volunteer to act as a ‘visitor host’ if you are a member of a networking organisation. This will give you the opportunity to meet all of the new people.

At networking events, I will often look to start a conversation with people who are on their own. You can often find these people around the bar or buffet table.

When approaching these people you are already at an advantage because, they will respect your courage and be grateful that you’ve taken the time and effort to relieve them from their anxiety.

The one thing I try to avoid is approaching two people who are in discussion. If you see two people talking together, they may be building a rapport and an interruption may break that. Alternatively, they may be discussing business.

A MINUTE TO WIN IT When we attend a networking event and listen to speakers, we tend to listen to learn, not to judge. So when the opportunities to speak at such events come up, remind yourself that you know more about your business than your audience, that you have something to offer them. They want to accept your offer rather than mark you on your performance.

You can’t succeed at networking by hiding on your own or by limiting your network by not speaking to anyone new.

28

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THE POWER OF INTRODUCTION

DO YOU KNOW WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS 9 LIKE? 78 1

90 Just going out and networking is not the most 7 effective 72 way to succeed. Before you join a group, attend an 23 01 event or sign up for membership online, ask yourself some simple questions: • Why are you joining?

• What do you want to achieve from your participation?

• Is this event or organisation best suited to meet your ...needs?

• What do you need to do to make sure that those ...needs are met?

• What will success look like to you?

Many people will network because other people tell them that it will benefit them or their business, but they don’t stop to work out what those benefits will be. Many high achievers will tell you, it is much harder to reach a target if you didn’t know you were aiming for it in the first place.

R o pe r

But at some point you’ve got to submerge yourself.

Start by talking to someone you know. It’s fine to speak to existing contacts, particularly if you are looking to develop your relationship with them. The key is not to spend too long with the same people and then walk out complaining that ‘that was a waste of time’.

PLANNING FOR THE MEETING Attending a meeting once and telling yourself that it has been a waste of time because no direct business has resulted may be a missed opportunity. You need to look at the aims of the meeting, the contacts you have made and the long–term potential of the relationships that could be forged. Before attending any event, find out what you should expect and what is expected of you.

BE IN THE ROOM Once at the event, you need to be committed to the other people there. This applies particularly to the person with whom you are speaking or to whose presentation you are listening. Some people spend their time looking over the shoulder of the person they are engaged in conversation with, planning who they are going to speak to next or working out where the nearest drinks waiter is.

DO WHAT YOU SAY YOU ARE GOING TO DO The commitment continues after the meeting. If you agree to do something, then do it. If you agree to follow someone up, then do so. The alternative is to build a reputation as someone who is not reliable. The real networking successes come from building relationships over a period of time.

Whatever you do, make sure you do follow up. Failure to do so can easily result in lost opportunities and lead to you developing a poor reputation.

BE SELECTIVE WITH YOUR CARD I don’t give my card out to everyone I meet. I give my card out either if I am asked for it, or if I want the other person to have it for a reason. I’m not in business to fund printers nor to fund the recycling industry. What happens to business cards that you collect at networking events when you get back to your office? If people haven’t made an impression on you or if you can’t remember what they do, where do you ‘file’ their card?

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The outcome would neither benefit you in the long–term, nor would it encourage them to attend such events.

Many Many people will look at an attendee list and head straight for the person from a well-known national company, particularly one that they have targeted as a prospective client.

Such people, however, are likely to be more focused on sales within the company rather than charged with making buying decisions. In a large organisation they can be further removed from the decision makers within their organisation than many other attendees at the event.

“AND DEATH CAME THIRD”

COMPETITION

AVOID PRECONCEPTIONS When you first meet someone you can have no way of knowing how they may be able to help you, or to whom they may be able to connect you. You will not know when they may be the key contact you need or what they could do for you in future.

It may be that there is no clear connection between the two of you, yet they could be the ideal person to refer to someone else in your network or you may know the perfect person to help them.

The key is to build the relationships to a level where, when people have the connections which you may be seeking, they are comfortable with introducing you. That takes time, so you must be patient.

So those are your three tips for networking successfully: 1. Be courageous 2. Be committed 3. And then be patient, and the results will come your way.

To win a signed copy of Andy and Peter’s book, just answer the following question: What has Lord Digby Jones called ‘… and death came third’ a) “Insightful and important” b) “A must-read for anyone who wants to get on in business” c) “This book is the most important piece of business literature I’ve ever read” d) “The next big thing” Email your answers to editor@businessindependent.co.uk.

Good luck!

FEATURE : ANDY LOPATA BOOK LAUNCH

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ANDY LOPATA Q&A I’m sure that you’ve heard the phrase ‘working the room’.

Well, Business Networking Strategist Andy Lopata will help you make the room work for you.

The HBI’s favourite networking columnist has just re-released his bestselling book “…and death came third!” with co-author Peter Roper. The HBI sat down for a chat with Andy.

Congratulations on the re-launch of “… and death came third!”

It’s such an unusual title – what does it mean?

In 1984, a New York Times study on social anxiety asked people what they most feared. Death came third. The top two fears were walking into a room of strangers and speaking in public.

People were genuinely more frightened of being thrown into a situation where they would have to interact, promote and sell themselves, than death itself.

Peter and I had known each other for over eight years and it all pretty much began with a recorded conversation between us.

Four paragraphs later, we were convinced we had our book (minus another 200 odd paragraphs!)

The first edition was a resounding success, what made you decide to release a second edition?

Our first publishing contract had expired and technically the book was out of print. When we discovered the book was selling for over £100 on Amazon, we realised we had to fill the demand and re-release it. Our launch of the new edition is a celebration and a thank you for the support we’ve received, but also the content of the book has moved on – and we wanted it to be updated.

You were coined ‘Mr Network’ by The Sun newspaper, how did you become such an expert in the art of networking?

In my late 20s, I was working for American car parks and back in England, I used to run the Thames Link car park (sorry HBI readers!). I got sick of playing second fiddle to the stock exchange. I started working at the Business Referral Exchange (BRX) in Hatfield and I found my niche. I was there for eight years and learnt so much.

I believe that networking is a vital tool in business, from sales generation to career development. Unfortunately, it’s still not treated with the same strategic consideration as other business methods, leaving many companies and individuals failing to realise the potential their networks offer.

How would you advise people to build up their reputation for a strong referral strategy?

Ask questions and be interested in others.

?NETWORKING

Too often, people think it’s all about ‘who you know’ but really it’s all about ‘who knows you.’ You need to work to that process.

You have to think about what you want people to say about you and what you want to achieve.

You will want to be known as a professional, so make sure you stay as such. Recently, I was at an LC Commerce event – and there was quite literally a circle around one guy, who stank of white wine. (The best bet is stick to just one glass!)

We don’t know the first thing about ‘how to work a room’, and get so nervous talking to strangers. Where do we even start?

Don’t treat networking as an opportunity to ‘sell yourself’. The event shouldn’t be a sales pitch. You should find something in common with the person you’re talking to, and relax. Try not to tense up.

Make sure you’re attentive, but don’t treat the process like an

“

The key is to build the relationships to a level where, when people have the connections which you may be seeking.

Be Courageous, Be Committed, then Be Patient and the results will come your way.

”

interview. When people let their fears get in their way of promoting their business, be it a large organisation or a small one, it knocks confidence, it puts pressure on a person and more importantly, it is detrimental to your success.

Do you have any fail-proof tips that can ensure a successful networking event?

Think about whom you’re sharing your ideas with. Have a look at social networking sites, such as Ecademy, Twitter of LinkedIn, where members are constantly asking for advice, connections and new ideas.

When you go into a networking event, don’t look at the person you meet and think, “What are you going to do for me? Are you going to buy from me?” Don’t make any prejudgement about their relevance to your life. The key is to build the relationships to a level where, when people have the connections which you may be seeking.

Be Courageous, Be Committed, then Be Patient and the results will come your way.

And what about any networking no-no’s?!

Never ask people ‘what do you do?’

Don’t engage with someone, promise to stay in touch and then not follow up. Always network with a purpose.

Never do an ‘elevator’ pitch, which is effectively a song and dance between two people who ‘go through the motions’ Don’t get drunk.

Don’t be negative – either about yourself or others.

Don’t perceive it’s all about selling, selling and selling. Enhanced sales are not the be all and end all of networking; they are one of the benefits that can be gained from networking effectively.

TOP GADGETS FOR FATHER’S DAY This month is Father’s Day – and what better way to treat your Dad than with a fabulous new gadget?

The HBI have put together a choice selection – so you won’t be stuck for present ideas!

Aren’t we just lovely!

“The Ultimate In Not Doing It Yourself” – The Plain Lazy Self-Stirring Mug £12.95 Can your Dad barely be bothered to lift a spoon to stir his tea? Does he resist having sugar, just so he doesn’t have to stir it himself? Then, the Plain Lazy mug, with its selfstirring technology was made just for him!

Simply flick the switch located on the top of the handle and the battery will drive a mechanism to stir the tea for him! To demonstrate just how effortless this is: you don’t need to install the battery, as it comes ready to go.

Handily, the switch to start the mechanism is located on top of the handle where Dad’s thumb sits naturally when lifting a mug.

“Super Speedy Shuffling” – The Automatic Card Shuffler £8.95 Is your Dad unable to shuffle cards (or just too lazy to learn?) Is he playing for big stakes and don’t want to trust anyone to shuffle the cards by hand? He won’t need to worry with the Automatic Card Shuffler!

Simply lay your cards into the two feeder trays, press a button, and watch through the viewing window as your cards start to shuffle. The Automatic Card Shuffler shuffles one or two decks thoroughly in just a few seconds.

When finished, slide out the card catching drawer and he’s ready to deal.

“New and Improved Model!” - Key Finder £14.95 The Key Finder is essential – especially if your Dad has trouble holding on to his set. Simply attach the fob part to your Dad’s keys and get him to keep the credit card sized transmitter handy in his wallet or pocket. A simple push of the button on the transmitter sends a signal looking for the key fob and his keys, which if within range will emit an audible beeping, as well as flashing light. The Key Finder can locate lost keys up to 40 metres (120 feet) away.

The extra sensitive RF receiver ensures that even if your Dad’s keys are deeply entrenched inside a drawer, or buried under his bedding, he’ll still have no problem finding them quickly just when he needs them.

“A Ferrari At Your Fingertips” - Touch Controlled Ferrari £24.95 Take control of this fantastic, officially licensed scale model Ferrari and let your Dad have the speed and prestige associated with one of the world’s most famous cars at his fingertips. This mini racer comes with a new and innovative touch sensitive controller.

This little racer is as nippy as you’d expect from Ferrari, and the controls allow precision control of the speedy marvel so you’ll be whizzing round the room and dodging the cat with no trouble at all.

This item is definitely something for Dads who look for a bit more in their gadgets and this little gem does the Ferrari brand proud.

www.businessindependent.co.uk

31

TECHNOLOGY

“The Anti-Clock Of The Clock World” - Backwards Clock £16.95 We’ve all been sat there watching the clock tick down those last few minutes, willing time to pass quicker, especially at the end of the working day. It’s often then that the strangest thing happens - if you look hard enough, it’s almost as if the clock is moving backwards!

Thankfully, with the Backwards Clock it’s actually meant to do that as with all the digits reversed, this clock actually does go backwards.

A very quick glance might not give away this clock’s secret, but try to tell time using it and you are sure to realise pretty soon that all the digits have been reversed and arranged in an anticlockwise order, and the hands rotate to match.

This is a quirkily unique timepiece that unlike some less ordinary clocks can actually be used to tell the time – so it’s perfect for Dad at the office!

JOIN THE ROYAL ASCOT CELEBRATIONS! Fancy attending a memorable, world renowned event this summer?

Why not visit Windsor for the Royal Ascot held from Tuesday June 14 to Sunday June 18. The Ascot racecourse returns this year after 300 years of race horsing. The rich heritage defines this event as a national institution and remains on the British social calendar. Tradition, pageantry, and fashion all come together in a glorious setting at one of the most beautiful racecourses in the country. There are areas of interest suited to all, with the quality horseracing and nearly £4 million in prize money on offer and a total of eighteen ‘Group’ races over the five days.

Founded by Queen Anne, the first race meeting ever held at Ascot took place on Saturday 11 August 1711. The Gold Cup remains the feature race on the third day of Ascot as it is traditionally the busiest day of the week. Now colloquially known as “Ladies’ Day” it was the dominant day in terms of the racing, attracting the largest crowds and, it must be assumed from the emergence of the term “Ladies’ Day,” more ladies.

Fashion and style continue to play a major role in the Royal Ascot experience.

Usually the first day of Ascot commences with three Group 1 races (i.e. the very best in the world), the Queen Anne Stakes, the King’s Stand Stakes - the first British leg of the Global Sprint Challenge – and the St James’s Palace Stakes.

The second day is the Group 1 Prince of Wales’s Stakes, arguably the most important race at the Royal Meeting in the modern era with £400,000 prize money on offer. There is also the Group 2 Windsor Forest Stakes, for older female milers and the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, for the best up and coming two year old fillies (females).

Highlights for the third day are the Group 1 Gold Cup, which is a battle of stamina over two miles and four furlongs. Not forgetting the style and elegance on Gold Cup Day, also known as ‘’Ladies Day’’, the whole week of Ascot is a fashion show like no other, but it is “Ladies Day” when designer creations and millinery

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masterpieces reach new heights.

On the fourth day the feature race is the Coronation Stakes, which traditionally brings together the leading three-yearold fillies in Europe. The day also includes The King Edward VII Stakes, familiarly known as the ‘Ascot Derby,’ as its conditions mirror those of the Epsom Classic.

The final day on the Saturday features one of the world’s most important and international races, the Golden Jubilee Stakes, the second British leg of the Global Sprint Challenge.

As the event draws to a close, there is a pronounced, relaxed family feel as many people who are unable to attend until the weekend come to enjoy the experience of the greatest race meeting in the world. The Royal Ascot can be enjoyed by all, whether with friends, family or colleagues.

For further information about dress codes, tickets and the 5 day event itself visit the site www.ascot.co.uk

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POWER, PERFORMANCE AND SOPHISTICATION CITROËN DS4 INTRO

Citroën state details of the DS4 as a combination of creativity, dynamism, exclusivity and versatility. DS4 is the second model in Citroën’s distinctively-styled DS line. Heavily identified by its sleek and classy look, the Citroën DS4 has been named “Most Beautiful Car of the Year” by more than 60,000 web users in 62 countries. This is stated on Citroën’s website along with news that the new model has also won “Most Beautiful Interior.” A combination of style and substance, the DS4 demonstrates an innovative model while maintaining its classic, sophisticated style.

Energy is recovered by the controlled alternator, which also brings the engine to stop before the vehicle comes to a halt and operates in temperatures as low as -5 C.

The aesthetics of the new model present a refined shape like the coupé. The Citroën’s slightly raised stance and taut lines offer a unique addition to the model. “We really wanted drivers to feel like they have the road at the tips of their fingers”, says DS4’s project manager Jérémie Maestracci. Such visionary detail is a prominent factor for the DS4. For instance the meticulous features are also evident from the carefully applied chrome touches to the premium cabin materials. The large panoramic windscreen offers an enhanced occupant visibility, while illuminating the driver-focused cockpit. DS4’s chief stylist, Marc Pinson comments, “Reinterpreting cues opened up new possibilities, bringing practical and surprising solutions to automotive mobility.”

The practical elements are still incorporated in the stylistic approach to the DS4, offering three full-sized rear seats accessed by rear doors with hidden handles that are integrated into the body’s flowing lines. It has a functional 370-litre boot as well a host of clever storage solutions. Also, the DS4 comes with a choice of five refined and efficient engines - two HDi diesels and three petrol power plants. All engines deliver a combination of powerful performance that includes a new Citroën 200hp petrol unit and ecologically sensitive motoring. Citroën’s new e-HDi drivetrains deliver improved fuel economy and lower CO2 emissions. DS4 was designed from the start to have a reduced environmental footprint, judging by its construction as an ecologically focused manufacturing process and the use of ‘green materials.’ The e-HDI powertrain consists of a diesel engine fitted with a second generation Stop & Start system that puts the engine in standby mode when the vehicle is stationary.

Regarding how well this car operates is the primary importance.

On the road, the DS4 exercises exemplary control, providing occupants with a reassuring sense of safety in all circumstances. It is fitted with a MacPherson type suspension assembly at the front, a flexible transverse beam at the rear and hydraulic steering with an electric pump unit. The platform is a tried and tested solution tailored for the distinctive set-up of the car. Depending on trim level, DS4 is fitted with large-diameter ventilated disc brakes, standard braking control systems that include ABS with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA). To ensure optimal vehicle control in the most demanding driving situations, the DS4 also features intelligent traction control with ESP (Electronic Stabilization Program). Turning to the internal drive experience, a laminated panoramic windscreen with damping film and fitted sound absorbent material around the engine compartment as well as enhanced sealing barriers on the body and doors, act together to minimise sound from the wind, road and engine. All of the specifications of the DS4 meet a car owner’s stylistic, practical and environmental needs to achieve a comfortable and secure ride that is also aesthetically pleasing!

For all enquiries: 01438 741177

www.businessindependent.co.uk

33

DRIVE

The DS signature on the bonnet is complemented by a striking LED light signature around the front fog lights, and the LEDs are illuminated both day and night. The striking profile is emphasised by the chrome-finished waistline surrounding dark tinted windows and is enhanced further by the muscular wheel arches. The lower part of the rear bumper is finished in chrome and the horizontal detailing on the rear light clusters highlights their innovative boomerang design. For an added touch of luxury, there is chrome detailing on the air vent surrounds, instrument cluster, gear lever and parts of the central console. Such premium detail is also present by the aluminium pedals, embossed leather door handles and ambient lighting.

MARK FORDHAM Here at The HBI we are always on the hunt for people in the area who would like to contribute to our Local Executive profile.

This month, The Hertfordshire Business Independent caught up with Mark Fordham at TaxAssist Accountants.

For those who are not familiar with your firm, how would you describe it and how does it stand out or differ from other similar firms?

Here at TaxAssist Accountants we offer accountancy and tax services to small businesses and private individuals. We do our utmost to look for the best tax outcome for clients and offer them the peace of mind that all their accountancy and tax affairs are dealt with efficiently and always with their best interests at the forefront of our minds.

We pride ourselves on the personal service we offer our clients, avoiding technical jargon so that tax doesn’t have to be taxing!

We work closely with the local business community – in fact we currently work with more than 800 small local businesses, so have a good understanding of the challenges and opportunities our clients face, which puts us in a good position to offer advice that is actually useful.

As the owner of a small business myself, I understand what factors can affect work flow and productivity, so I’m always open and honest with my clients when it comes to making important decisions which could affect them in the long term.

As TaxAssist Accountants is part of a franchise, we have a wealth of knowledge and experience that we are able to tap into, to the benefit of our clients. We belong to a number of networks and are able to provide additional expertise to the benefit of clients as well as promoting issues which are in out client’s best interest. One of the attributes that we offer that is particularly well received is our flexibility; we meet with our clients at a time and place that is convenient for them. You can reach us by phone, email or by stopping by the office in person, our door is always open!

What general financial advice would you offer to those starting up new businesses?

Start-up businesses should ensure they have the correct legal structure from day one, for instance - as a sole trader or limited company. Setting up with the incorrect legal structure may have adverse tax consequences at a later date.

EXECUTIVE PROFILE : MARK FORDHAM

I advise business owners to recognise their own strengths and seek to fill the gaps, for example by securing accountancy help early on if their financial expertise is still growing.

Keeping good records of income and expenditure is important as the introduction of new laws means HMRC are now able to visit businesses and check the quality of record keeping.

One of the biggest pieces of advice that all businesses should adhere to is that “cash is king”. The majority of businesses that I see that fail are those that don’t monitor their cash flow - and it is absolutely crucial.

What are some of the common problems you encounter with businesses who request your expertise?

Problems which can be detrimental to businesses include poor record keeping, poor planning, not getting sufficient help early on and seeking advice from the wrong sources. Rather than just taking advice and recommendations from friends, it is vital to seek professional help; it’s always helpful to get an outsider’s point of view.

Have you found assisting smaller businesses during the recession challenging?

Clearly conditions the last few years have been, and still are, tough for many small businesses. However, this has not made assisting small businesses any more challenging than usual. We have continued to offer advice and support to all of our clients so any obstacles faced are dealt with as normal.

Do you have a general plan when assisting businesses or do you construct strategies that cater to the size and type of business you deal with?

When initially meeting a client we discuss aims and objectives such as what they want to get out of their business and what help they feel they need from us. Then we form a plan to suit their size and type of business that meets their requirements. We will also conduct a review every few months to see how they get on with the implemented strategy to see if any changes are needed.

Why can people benefit more from Tax Assist Accountants rather than a large accountancy firm?

We work purely with small businesses, often sole traders, and that is a very different skill set to the big accountancy firms. Our own business model offers the biggest benefit for our clients; cost effective local accountants with local knowledge and expertise, working on your doorstep, but able to tap in to almost limitless expertise and experience through our national franchise.

To begin with is there a set amount of meetings designated to each client, or are these on-going arrangements?

Early on it’s important to build rapport with our clients, which is why we encourage them to keep in touch from day dot. Some clients prefer on-going arrangements to begin with, but this also depends on each client’s needs. Start up businesses tend to need more regular hands on advice and support in the early days of the business but as they get to grips with everything and get busier, the support is often concentrated at key points of the year.

What do you aim to achieve once you have completed working with a client?

Our initial aim is to understand the business, add value and ensure we can satisfy the client’s requirements. After this, it’s mutually beneficial to provide clients with a ‘peace of mind’ that they can get on and run their business while we take care of the financial aspects and needs.

Based on the services your firm offers, what general tip would you offer to smaller businesses for this year?

I can’t stress enough how important it is to maintain good records of income and expenses, monitor cash flow and look at ways to save on tax. Some simple tips would be to ensure all expenses are claimed e.g. when running a business from home; also consider whether a car should be included inside or outside of the company.

What is your firm’s motto?

We think of ourselves as ‘the small business champions.’ As a small business ourselves, not only do we help and support businesses and look after their needs but we also deal with accounting and tax affairs while managing and assisting with the wider business requirements of clients.

T: 01582 760154

W: www.taxassist.co.uk/markfordham

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