The Hertfordshire Business Independent Issue 6

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LINDA LUSARDI ACTRESS TURNED ENTREPRENEUR REVEALS HER BUSINESS SUCCESS

BECOME WHAT YOU BELIEVE

Founder of the Academy of Chief Executives gives advice on getting started

ASK THE EXPERTS This month, get the most out of your PR

CALL IN YOUR DEBTS : The holidays are over so catch up with these top tips on getting those invoices paid!

SMART PRODUCT FEEDS : Is your marketing agency missing a trick or two?

THE CHARITY MAN : Consultant and charity worker, Nigel Watson, discuss the important link between business and charity

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September 2010

a warm welcome awaits you...

T

he Radcliffe Arms in Hitchin is the very best in the business when it comes to traditional British pubs.

Offering stunning food, the best real ales, beers and fine wines in a great atmosphere, this is one venue you’ll want to revisit time and time again.

Freshly cooked breakfasts are available from 8am until 11.30am, Lunch special deals are available every day and Sunday lunches are available from 122 3.30pm. With the station just up the road, commuters can call in for a coffee on the way to work. A little bakery on site ensures all the food is freshly cooked and prepared and for mums wanting a coffee mid-morning or for friends or business people at lunchtime, this is the place to come.

31 Walsworth Road • Hitchin • Herts SG4 9ST • 01462 456111 • www.radcliffearms.com

CONTENTS NEWS A roundup of the latest business news and stories from our region

10 INTERVIEW : LINDA LUSARDI This top model reveals all about being a top business model

15 IN FOCUS Feature on Hertford and Ware

16 BRIAN CHERNETT The Entrepreneur Within gives his top tips on getting started in business

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THE CHARITY MAN Entrepreneur Nigel Watson discuss the relationship between business and charity

20 BUSINESS SUPPORT 22 23

Sales expert Andy Preston gives his top tips on improving sales after the summer holidays

LEGAL Gillian Harding at HRJ discusses another legal conundrum in the HRJ regular column

ASK THE EXPERTS This month, take advantage of your PR with Media Stakeholder Analysis

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TECHNOLOGY A selection of the best iPhone apps for your business – plus a few more to look out for

EDUCATION 23-year-old University of Herts graduate Alyssa Smith on starting her own successful jewellery business

NETWORKING & EVENTS Regular contributor Andy Lopata shares his thoughts on networking

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DRIVE Take a spin in the brand new Mercedes E-Class cabriolet

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CONTRIBUTORS

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

CONTRIBUTORS Jenna Gould Becky Lewis Terry Sullivan Jade Stoner Sandra Hart Nigel Watson Richard Wood Brian Chernett Matt Ladd Andy Preston Gillian Harding Alyssa Smith 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 nor any 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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WELCOME...

FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the September issue of The HBI. I hope you all had an enjoyable summer as we now focus back onto work in the lead up to Christmas. This time of year tends to be quite

a reflective period when it comes to business, as you often realise that you’ve only got a few more months to achieve those targets you set for yourself at the beginning of the year! With the economy showing clear signs that we are back on the albeit slow road to recovery, you’ll probably also see much more going on this festive season in terms of corporate hospitality and Christmas parties! So in this issue, we’ll be looking at how to maximise sales after a lazy summer and what to consider when deciding to host a Christmas event. With reports that many SMEs are seeing delays on the payment of their invoices by up to 90 days, we look at what action you can take now to ensure you end 2010 with your payments in check. We also explore the exciting world of business Apps and see how these novel tools can help boost your business.

Wishing you a productive September! - Jenna

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Jenna Gould : Editor

NO SLOWDOWN IN SME JOB CUTS IN SOUTH EAST, SAYS CLIFTON ASSET MANAGEMENT

Job losses in the South East’s SME sector show no real signs of abating over the next six months, according to new research.

The latest quarterly survey from Clifton Asset Management (CAM), which provides specialist financial and strategic advice to SMEs, reveals that 26 per cent of small business owners in the region have been forced to shed jobs this year – unchanged from the previous survey.

However the CAM study also shows that 11 per cent are planning job cuts in the second half of the year, which is slightly down on last time.

The research comes at a time when unemployment is at its highest level since 1994, and with the Coalition Government unveiling wide-ranging public spending cuts.

“The fact that the rate of job cuts among SMEs in the South East shows no sign of falling away substantially reinforces the view of two-thirds of those who took part in our survey, that a fully-fledged recovery is still at least 12 months away,” said CAM director Anthony Carty.

FUNDING BOOST FOR HERTFORDSHIRE COMPANIES Finance East is this month celebrating a year of deals which are boosting economic growth in Hertfordshire by funding growth-oriented entrepreneurs and SMEs. In its first twelve months it has committed £2.6million in 20 businesses across the East of England and is looking to complete a higher volume of deals in 2010/11.

An economic impact study released earlier this year, showed companies FSE supported grew almost five times faster than the national average. Now companies across Hertfordshire can benefit from similar schemes, which are designed to fill the funding gap faced by many ambitious, early stage businesses.

Finance East is currently operating two funds; the Regional Growth Loan Scheme and Business Angel Co-Investment Loan Scheme, both of which aim to stimulate growth in companies with clear, ambitious development plans.

Finance East has also recently announced the launch of the Eastern Capital Alliance, a network of business angels incorporating the activity previously carried out under the umbrella of the Great Eastern Investment Forum. Investor events will be held at various locations throughout the year to showcase a number of potential investee businesses. This will also work in partnership with the existing South Eastern Capital Alliance, an awardwinning regional business angel network which was named ‘European Business Angel Network of the Year’ (2007).

WAT FORD BASED ADVISER

IS REGIONAL YOUNG ENTERPRISE WINNER Mark Greenberg of Vocalink in Rickmansworth, has been awarded the East of England ‘Young Enterprise Business Adviser’ award, which is sponsored by The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

Mark won his award for providing business advice to students at Watford Grammar School for Boys on their Young Enterprise company, ‘Smarta Rotaries’.

Young Enterprise business advisers work with these young people and guide them through processes and the trials and tribulations they face during the year. The ‘Young Enterprise Business Adviser’ award recognises the support these volunteers offer the programme, and the importance of their knowledge and expertise to the students’ learning.

‘Smarta Rotaries’ offered a rotary wind up mobile phone charger which they sold to other students. Mark offered the team of students’ invaluable business advice, he never missed their weekly team meetings and gave realistic and sound advice which led the company to succeed.

The award was presented to Mark by Beverley Turner, President of the Beds, Bucks and Herts Society of Chartered Accountants.

LOCAL BUSINESS BECOMES GOOGLE ADWORDS CERTIFIED St Albans based My Mustard, announced that it is one of the first companies in the UK to become a Google Adwords Certified Company, under Google’s new certification program.

To meet this distinction companies must pass the new more advanced certification exams, illustrating practical expertise in managing accounts, and agree to terms and conditions representing Adwords. Google announced on Monday, April 26 2010 that it was radically changing its advertising certification program to include better training, improve focus on practical application and specialist knowledge in specific areas.

The pilot Google Advertising Professionals program was launched in 2004 and due to the changing Internet advertising landscape Google decided to retire the old program and replace it with a new rigorous, strategy-focused version. The new program offers participants a broader curriculum covering the latest tools and best practice techniques, as well as advanced study paths and exams that allow for differentiation in three key areas: search, display and reporting & analysis.

With the recent program change My Mustard has seized the opportunity to be one of the first companies to be able to gain this new status. “We are thrilled to have gained this certification from Google and look forward to the added value that it will bring to our local, national and international clients,” said owner June Cory.

CREATING A GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION For almost 100 years Elstree and Borehamwood have played unique roles in British heritage leading the way in film activity. Now major plans will further develop a film theme by making a walk of fame from Borehamwood’s train station, through its high street Shenley Road, as part of an improvement project called ‘First Impressions’.

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NEWS

Over the years the various studios based in the area have played host to hundreds of iconic stars and produced many hit movies and television shows, some of which have achieved cult-status across the world. Even today the area is home to BBC Eastenders, Holby City, Dancing on Ice and Who Wants to be a Millionaire and residents are accustomed to seeing familiar sights in the backdrops to filming.

First Capital Connect, Hertsmere Borough Council, Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council, Hertfordshire County Highways, the Hertfordshire County Tourism and Leisure Partnership, and local volunteer group Elstree Screen Herit age have been working together on the ‘First Impressions’ project to use the film and television theme to enhance the area from the gateway at the train station, along Shenley Road to Elstree Studios.

Cllr Morris Bright, Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, said: “We will all be working together to develop the creative film and TV theme to make the centre of Borehamwood an innovative and interesting area for all those who use it. I am very much looking forward to seeing this project develop which will create a unique town centre environment which will be the envy of many other towns across the country”.

BANKERS GET ON THEIR BIKES TO HELP WATFORD GO GREEN Staff at Clydesdale Bank’s Watford Financial Solutions Centre (FSC) are saddling up and leading the way in a campaign to help the town ‘go green’. They are hoping to start a chain reaction around the town by cycling to and from work as part of an initiative by Watford’s Business Advisory Group.

SIDAY CONSTRUCTION COMPLETE 2012 OLYMPIC CONTRACT

The group had been discussing transport issues around the town when the initiative was born. As a group they suggested the cycle to work scheme, and branded bikes are being provided for all participants by the local council through the town’s John Lewis department store.

The aim is to get as many businesses in Watford as possible to sign up to the cycle to work scheme and help the town become greener.

Siday Construction, the Hertford based reinforced concrete specialists have just completed their most prestigious contract to date – the Lee Valley White Water Canoe Centre which will be the base of the Olympic White Water Slalom competition in 2012.

The company was formed in 2006 by brothers Paul and Conrad Sidebottom. Both had previously worked in the construction industry but saw a gap in the market for a company that was genuinely main contractor orientated and wanted to focus on building relationships and consistently deliver projects on time and on budget without compromising quality or health and safety.

Siday have completed the structure on the course at Lee Valley which will be used in the Olympics for the approved contractors Morrison Construction & Galliford Try.

BUSINESS CONFIDENCE STILL FRAGILE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES SAYS FSB Government must extend National Insurance holiday to all UK businesses as research shows two-thirds of firms in the South East are most likely to be under capacity.

In a survey of over 1,200 members of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), only a net four per cent of respondents believe that business prospects will improve in the third quarter of the year, down from 16 per cent in March.

The survey also suggests that almost 67 per cent of small firms are operating below capacity, with those in the manufacturing sector faring much better than service sector firms.

This further highlights how the UK economy is still some way from a full-speed recovery, with 64 per cent of firms in the South East likely to be working below capacity - more than anywhere else in the country.

With Government proposals to exempt the South East, London and the East of England from the National Insurance holiday for new businesses, announced in the Emergency Budget, the FSB is concerned firms in the region will not start-up and that existing businesses will not have the support they need to grow and take on more staff.

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RECORD YEAR FOR PERSONAL INSOLVENCIES Leading insolvency practitioners Harris Lipman have predicted a further rise in personal insolvencies in 2010, following last year’s record figures.

Figures released by the Insolvency Service show a total of 134,142 people entered into insolvency arrangements in 2009 – which was an increase of almost 25% on the year before.

Company liquidations also reached a 16-year high of 19,077 during the year, although the final quarter of 2009 showed an improvement, with a 39.7% decrease compared to the same period in 2008.

Many experts have predicted that the figures will get worse during 2010 as people struggle to cope with high levels of debt and a depressed jobs market.

HERTS CHARITY SHORT LISTED FOR THE 2010 CHARITY TIMES AWARDS It was announced that ‘The HERTS 10K’ has been shortlisted in the national ‘Charity Times Awards’ in the Corporate Social Responsibility - Project of the Year category.

The event, created 5 years ago by Levy Associates to provide much needed funds for Grove House Hospice in St Albans, is up against national UK Charity Partnerships including: Cancer Research UK/Towergate Charitable Foundation, Recycling Lives/ BAE Systems and Vital Regeneration/BNP Paribas Levy Associates has provided the financial contribution that has enabled the event to raise over £500,000 and help change the lives of many hundreds of people and their families living in St Albans and surrounding areas. This has also enabled Grove House Hospice to start their new Hospice at Home service.

The 5th annual HERTS 10K race will take place on Sunday 10 October 2010 at 10.00am starting at Rothamsted Research in Harpenden. To find out more about the event and to register your place on this award winning run visit www.herts10k.com

2ND AA ROSETTE FOR THE RESTAURANT AT TEWIN BURY FARM HOTEL

Set in glorious Hertfordshire countryside, punctuated by the river Mimram which runs through the grounds, Tewin Bury Farm Hotel provides guests a stylish and sophisticated stay and has recently been given another accolade to its already outstanding reputation.

After a surprise AA inspection at Tewin Bury Farm Hotel, The Restaurant was awarded its 2nd AA Rosette. Jonathan Green and his team of chefs were extremely proud to have been awarded this very prestigious award. Tewin Bury Farm scored very highly and the AA South of England Area Manager, who came to conduct the 4 star quality inspection, was very impressed, his exact words were “fantastic everywhere” and he described the menu as “adventurous with fantastic flavours”.

The whole team at Tewin Bury Farm played a huge part in scoring so highly towards these achievements from every little “good morning” to the dedication to detail throughout, which all goes together to build a picture of Tewin Bury Farm, where the 17th century is at home with today.

The award winning restaurant is open to non-residents to enjoy morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea. An evening menu is available serving modern British dishes with a Mediterranean twist.

ST ALBANS DISTRICT FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL

The annual St Albans District Food and Drink Festival will take place 1 – 10 October, and promises a variety of special offers and events designed to appeal to a wide range of food and drink enthusiasts. It aims to showcase the fantastic range of food, drink and produce available in the District. It begins during the same weekend as the annual St Albans Beer and Cider Festival organised by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale which began in St Albans) and ends with a Finale event on St Peter’s Street.

POLYFIELD SERVICES TO CELEBRATE 25TH ANNIVERSARY

Polyfield Services (a member of the Exemplas Group of companies) are inviting local business owners from the region to join them in celebrating their 25th Anniversary on 17th September.

Visit www.exemplas.com/polyfield-lunch for further details.

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NEWS

The Gala Dinner and the Food and Drink Festival Awards ceremony will be held at Sopwell House Hotel on 7 October. Nominations for the Food and Drink Festival Awards can be entered online from now until 9 September on the website: www.stalbansfoodanddrink.com. From now until the beginning of Oct you will be able vote for the shortlisted restaurants, cafes pubs and bars in the various categories.

There will be a cooking demonstration at Poggenpohl’s showroom, St Albans, featuring special guest chefs from three of the District’s AA Rosette awarded restaurants: The St Michael’s Manor Hotel, Sopwell House Hotel and Chez Mumtaj. This charity event is in aid of Grove House Hospice, St Albans and will take place on Tuesday 5 October.

This event gives local organisations the perfect opportunity to network with other like minded businesses and local dignitaries.

The lunch will be themed around the “Value of Management Systems” for business today, introduced by renowned guest speaker Dr. Neville Reyner CBE - President of the British Chamber of Commerce (and former UK Executive VP of Mitsubishi Electric). To reserve your place at the anniversary lunch, call Exemplas quoting “HBI” on 0845 60 20 101. Places are limited and are subject to certain criteria.

DEBT REFINANCING ARE YOU READY? Like the man on the street, many businesses took advantage of cheap, plentiful and easy credit pre-credit crunch, following an extended period of economic boom. Over recent months the issue of debt renegotiations has moved from the specialist finance magazines to the business pages of the national press as the issue and the terms on which they are secured become an increasingly difficult process for businesses across the country. Rob Croxen, a director with KPMG’s advisory service at KPMG in St Albans looks at the issue for local businesses.

Despite many businesses working hard to reduce their debt burdens since the credit crisis hit, most will have some debt on the balance sheet and in our experience; even solid, profitable businesses are struggling to find refinancing deals with lenders that they have been doing business with for years.

The latest Bank of England lending report shows that, like consumers, companies are working hard to reduce their debt burdens.

The report also shows that lenders are expecting a wave of refinancings in the next twelve months as companies seek to replace maturing facilities. Coming up in the near future is a confluence of company refinancing, as five-year loans arranged in 2007/08 and three-year loans from 2008/09 must be refinanced ahead of maturity.

Meanwhile, the banks themselves are under pressure to refinance their own balance sheets. The result is that the refinancing process is likely to be much harder for many companies than in the past as the banks employ stringent risk and lending criteria.

While we have seen the veneer of recovery in the past six months, the pool of credit available for lending has not increased substantially and recent market volatility has undermined liquidity. Life could be particularly difficult for those companies seeking to refinance that have already restructured in the recent past due to the recession.

In a competitive debt market, weaker companies will have the biggest mountain to climb in terms of obtaining finance. At the same time, they are likely to be more dependent on debt than their healthier counterparts.

There’s potentially something of a double whammy here.

Many of the quality investment grade names have taken advantage of the capital markets to refinance. Weaker companies have missed out on that. They haven’t been able to diversify, so are still heavily reliant on bank debt.

Tighter liquidity in the loan markets may also reduce the exit options for banks. Typically when a company refinances, it is an opportunity for some lenders to get out and new ones to come in. This time there could be fewer willing lenders, so existing ones may well find that they have reduced opportunities to exit.

With loan margins reducing, banks reporting high costs in securing funding and the possibility of a dreaded ‘double dip’ recession, the scales will again be heavily tipped towards the demand side, and businesses should be thinking about refinancing sooner rather than later instead of waiting to see if the costs fall further. Businesses should aim to be at the front of the queue, and not seek to second guess the markets. Conditions may continue to improve and spreads/margins could contract further but, as many have discovered to their detriment, it is liquidity, not price that matters most.

The big question for many local companies at the moment is not how current trading is going but how long they have got before debt needs to be refinanced.

Burying heads in the sand and hoping the problem will resolve itself is not an option; the earlier active measures are taken to address a looming debt deadline, the better.

Rob Croxen can be contacted via e-mail on rob.croxen@kpmg.co.uk

MARKETING AGENCIES MISSING OUT ON REVENUE FROM SMART PRODUCT FEEDS Marketing agencies are missing out on valuable additional revenue by failing to provide adequate services to help their retail clients to get products visible on the major product listing websites, claims internet marketing experts at Gillissa.

With reports suggesting that year to date, the UK e-retail market has grown 14 per cent* and that the average household spending has reached almost £1,000 per year online**, many marketing agencies could be missing a trick by failing to maximise how visible their clients’ products are online, according to Richard Wood, MD of Gillissa and founder of Feed Manager.

Product comparison websites are used by millions of active shoppers every day and so the team at Gillissa have developed Feed Manager, a simple outsourced system for listing and updating products on all major UK product comparison websites in one step. It can be used either by retailers directly, or alternatively, marketing and advertising agencies can offer it to their clients as an additional service.

This unique system is proven to save retailers and agencies days or weeks of management and development time to set up and maintain listings on product comparison sites and help get products in front of more online shoppers quickly and effectively.

“There are many strategies for retailers to achieve maximum results for their product feeds, but what makes Feed Manager the most advanced solution on the market is its ability to adapt the data it receives”.

Feed Manager gives retailers a quick, simple and low-cost way of submitting listings on all UK product comparison sites.

Feed Manager is massively more cost effective than setting up multiple feeds in-house or through external development.

There are no scripts or codes to install and no learning curve in using Feed Manager, which typically saves customers significant time and effort.

Uploading thousands of products to many different product comparison websites takes a long time but Feed Manager does it automatically. Each loaded feed is verified afterwards - and if customers need to change something, there’s minimal delay.

For more information visit www.feedmanager.co.uk *http://www.internetretailing.net/2010/06/growth-in-online-shopping-at-its-fastest-for-two-years/ **http://www.iabuk.net/en/1/retailonlineshopper.html

The East of England has one of the highest employment rates in the country and invests more in research and development than any other region. One of the main reasons for this success is the investment in employees. Employees can be the lifeline of your business, especially in challenging times where everyone is competing for a slice of the cake. That’s why successful employers are recognising that the need to provide benefits is becoming more and more significant.

If you are one of the thriving employers offering benefits to your employees, do you know if what you are offering is right or valued by them and their families?

Do you know you could reduce the costs of employee benefits and maximise tax efficiency?

If you are not one of those employers offering benefits perhaps now is the time to consider doing so.

Following the launch of our new company Trigon Corporate Solutions, which focuses solely on providing advice and financial solutions to businesses in Hertfordshire and surrounding areas, we are presenting a series of workshops being held in the Autumn to address the increasing demand for flexible benefits and to offer the opportunity for an insight on how to save costs whilst delivering a total flexible reward communication strategy.

For further details or to reserve a place at our first workshop on 14th September 2010 please contact Tracey James on 01707 251253.

Trigon Solutions Group, Marquis House, 68 Great North Road, Hatfield, Herts. AL9 5ER Tel: 01707 251253 Fax: 01707 251254 Email: info@trigonsolutions.co.uk Web: www.trigonsolutions.co.uk

MONEY

Workshop places will be restricted to 12 attendees to facilitate optimum benefit and informal discussion.

FROM BEAUTY TO BUSINESS

BY TERRY SULLIVAN Probably best known for being an actress, television presenter and former model, Linda Lusardi has used all of her previous experiences and has now brought her skills to the world of business. Over the years she has starred in many shows including ‘The Bill’, ‘Brookside’ and ‘Emmerdale’. Since then she has taken part in ‘Celebrity Come Dine with Me’ and ITV’s ‘Dancing on Ice’ where she finished a credible sixth place with her skating partner Daniel Whiston.

I recently visited Linda at her Hertfordshire home that she shares with her Actor and Producer husband Sam Kane, and her two children Lucy and Jack. We spoke about her life and career so far, and about the two new business ventures she is involved in.

“I started my career in modelling at the age of 18 as a Page Three Girl in 1976 when I was 18 years old. I loved every minute of my modelling days, travelling around the world, making lots of money - it was every girls dream and it was a great accolade to be voted ’Best Page Three Girl’ in 1985. As a result I was offered a few guest parts on entertainment shows which really opened the door for me into the world of acting. I have been in various TV shows, all of which I really enjoyed. I was also fortunate enough to work on stage and this year I’m playing the Fairy Godmother in a production of ‘Cinderella’ in Llandudno alongside Sam and the children which will be amazing – a real family affair! My only unfulfilled ambition at this stage of my life is to star in a major feature film!

I started my photography business ‘Linda Lusardi Photography’ about a year ago, although I had been doing it part-time as a hobby for many years. It all stems from my modelling days when I was nearing the end of my career and some photographers hired me as a stylist, makeup artist and lighting consultant to help with the younger girls as I had a good eye for it all having worked around it all for so long and I was able to come up with creative ideas. The photography business has really taken off even though times are hard. The service I offer is very different to other photography businesses. It is unique. My clients benefit from my modelling experience and I am able to offer a complete photographic make over on a one-toone basis. I personally apply the make up then take and style the photos giving them lots of direction and tips on poses to make sure they get the best out of the session. But the really special part of the experience is that I give the images the ‘celebrity treatment’. I re-touch all the photos to magazine standard so there is no need to worry about blemishes, wrinkles, scars or any other imperfections. I want my clients to look at their very best in quality photos they can treasure for a life time. I make it a relaxing day to remember

and a truly enjoyable experience in my private, male-free photographic studio and bring out the truly glamorous side of each and every client.

I guess it was a big gamble to start my own business in the current climate and build and equip a studio. But all my hard work and efforts are paying off as this has been a bigger success than I ever dreamed of and I have clients travelling from all over the UK to come to the studios and enjoy the experience.

My other new project is the ‘My Miracle’ range of skin products which have launched exclusively on the TV shopping Channel ‘Ideal World’. The range consists of five products, Line Lift Serum, Restore Eye Serum, Cleanse and Radiance Cream, Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream and Recharge Night Cream. I know and understand the importance of looking and feeling lovely. I have worked with top skincare experts and a range of luxury ingredients to develop this gorgeous collection. I have been working on this range for a few years now, regularly visiting Switzerland to get the products right and I have had a hands on approach to my skin care range from its original conception through to its first sale.

The skin care range and my photography business really go hand in hand. I believe in business, as in life, you should follow your ideas and dreams and never stop. I am proof that dreams do come true!”

For more details about Linda’s photography business log on to : www.lindalusardiphotography.com or find out more about her skincare range at www.idealworld.tv You can also catch Linda’s Husband Sam Kane on stage at the Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage from Tuesday 14th – Saturday 18th September along with ex Eastender Alex Ferns in “Who Killed Agatha Christie” www.gordon-craig.co.uk

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INTERVIEW : LINDA LUSARDI

The difference between ‘My Miracle’ and its competitors are the contents of this beautiful range. It contains pure Swiss Glacial Water, Jewel of the Sea - a precious caviar extract which is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, Organic certified Edelweiss extract, from the famed rare plant of the Swiss Alps, and this all works with other ancillary elements like beeswax and cocoa butter to give you quality hydrating skin products. Although this is a quality top end range, it is priced affordably so that all can enjoy without ‘breaking the bank’. Typically this would cost at least twice as much for other brands of equal quality.

Since the launch the sales have been amazing and we sold over 60 per cent of the initial stock on the first night! So judging by that I guess people want quality skin care at an affordable price!

LIMITING YOUR BUSINESSES LIABILITY FOR COMMERCIAL LEASES Business tenants are always looking for ways they can protect themselves from claims from their landlord, especially in respect of expensive dilapidation claims that can arise at the end of a lease.

John Byers BSc MRICS and Iain Pendle BSc (Hons) of Chartered Surveyors Langley Byers Bennett describe how tenants can make the most of a Schedule of Condition.

Often overlooked by solicitors or other professional advisers, many commercial tenants can be exposing themselves to extensive dilapidation liabilities that can be greatly reduced if the condition of the property is recorded in detail at the beginning of a lease.

A Schedule of Condition is a detailed record of the current condition of the demise or property which contains detailed written full descriptions, photographs and drawings. Sometimes schedules of fittings and equipment are also included.

However it is not sufficient for a tenant to simply carry out the schedule and rely on it later. It must be done with the landlord’s agreement, and the lease or tenancy agreement must refer to it. The repair obligations within the lease must also describe to what extent the schedule limits the tenants repair obligations.

“A well produced and negotiated Schedule of Condition can potentially save a tenant thousands of pounds in dilapidation costs”

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PROPERTY

The schedule must be professionally produced and include very detailed descriptions of each building element including full records of defects like cracks, dampness or defective services etc.

CALLING IN YOUR DEBTS The worst of the recession may be over but with recent reports suggesting that many small businesses are having to wait an average of 90+ days for payment, how confident are you that your September invoices will be settled before Christmas? Follow our top tips below to ensure you don’t start the new year in the red.

COLLECTION CALL TELEPHONE TIPS

Calling is usually the best way to contact customers, because they are inexpensive and immediate – often you will get an answer there and then. Plus, it gives them a chance to ask questions and for you to gain information and take appropriate action.

Leave detailed and complete messages on answer phones or voice mail. If you leave a message with a secretary, then tell them you are calling regarding an invoice, rather than a debt. Also, take the name of the person answering your call, that way, if you don’t get a call back you can ask for that person again. You can also tell the person you are trying to get hold of who you spoke to.

COMMON DEBT COLLECTION ERRORS

These are just some of the common mistakes collectors make, especially if they are not familiar with the credit policy or are just starting out.

Get it in Writing! You would be surprised how many people do not do this, but an agreement or contract that is signed will carry much more weight when chasing your debt. People often lose their money because they do not have a credit policy in place. It has also been known for people to extend credit because they “sound like they will pay”!

Remember your rights! Of course, do not make the mistake in thinking that small balances do not matter as much – they do. So many people have said that they hate asking for money, so they tend to let the little amounts slide but these are just as important as larger invoices.

You have a right to your money, but also remember that the debtor must not be harassed, or you may find yourself in hot water.

FINAL TIPS

Never extend credit to a new customer without making the relevant credit checks and maintain accurate records on an account payment history.

Stick to your policies and do not compromise your position without good reason. Send regular letters and make them stronger and more action orientated – but be mindful that you are not over harassing the customer.

Always ensure there is no dispute between yourself and the customer and if there is a disagreement on merchandise or service, price or delivery, then attempt to resolve this right away. If there are other invoices open, insist they pay what is outstanding whilst you attempt to resolve the issues in question regarding the account in question.

     

Headline speaker

  

Founder of School for Startups and former dragon from Dragon's Den

Doug Richard

   

FEATURE : CREDIT CONTROL

With The Green Debate and many more

WHEN

Wednesday 6th October 2010 9:00am-7:00pm

WHY

• Showcase your company • Raise your profile • Be inspired • Develop new business relationships • Develop new leads • Win new business

WHERE

Stevenage Arts & Leisure Centre, Lytton Way, Stevenage, Herts

www.schoolforstartups.co.uk



Prices start at £450 + VAT for a 2x3m Stand To book your stand, please contact Sarah Scott:

01438 866023

sarah.scott@archant.co.uk • THE EXHIBITION • SEMINAR STAGES • NETWORKING CAFE • SPEED NETWORKING • ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE!

www.hertsb2bexhibition.co.uk

   

LOCAL FOCUS HERTFORD & WARE Situated at the confluence of four river valleys and located just 26 miles north of London, Hertford is a town steeped in history.

With first mentions back in 673AD, Hertford has been built into the town you see today by the Saxons as well as the Normans.

Wander through the town and you come across the remains of the original Hertford Castle which was a Royal Palace for 300 years. Edward IV rebuilt the gatehouse in 1463. For those wanting a record find, the oldest purpose –built Quaker Meeting House in the world is located in Railway Street, still in use since 1670.

Hertford has plenty of pubs and clubs for its fellow townsfolk to visit, and often attracts customers from the surrounding villages as well as from North London. The Prince of Wales pub in Hertingfordbury Road is just one of these and provides a wide ranging menu of fresh food and a selection of real ales in a warm and relaxing atmosphere.

A typical example of the friendly hospitality you will find in most Hertford establishments.

Hertford is also proud of its education of the future generations and has numerous schools including private schools and Hertfordshire’s Business School.

4 miles to the East is Ware. Set in some of the most beautiful countryside, Ware is another town with many historical features.

Obtaining its name from the weirs built to stop the invading Vikings escaping during the Anglo-Saxon period, Ware was also a great coaching town thanks to its location being just a day’s journey away from London.

Down off Scott’s Road is Scott’s Grot to, a series of interconnected chambers extending into the chalk hillside. Created

by Quaker poet John Scott in the 1700s, Scott’s Grotto is decorated with shells, flints and pieces of coloured glass, along with

the word FROG written in shells referring to his wife Sarah Frogley.

Back in the main town is Ware Priory, built as a Franciscan Friary in the 14th century and given to the town in 1920. Ware Town Council has now taken over and occupies Ware Priory. Each July Ware holds its own Carnival Month to promote civic pride and community spirit. With many events throughout the month, including Carnival Day, the festivities culminate in a day long rock concert.

Whether you are a local or visiting for the day, Ware and Hertford are both towns with many places to visit, history to learn and entertainment to enjoy.

Winters & Co Solicitors Celebrating 25 Years

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Frank, Straightforward Practical Advice in Language you can understand

Employment Law Residential & Commercial Conveyancing Small Business Advice

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‘Quality & Taste’ Always Matter!

6-10 Fore Street Hertford SG14 1BZ Booking / 01992 554828 / 554461 www.shahenshahrestaurant.co.uk Restaurant: Private Function Room : Takeaway Delivery Service

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3 Baldock Street Ware, Herts www.winters-solicitors.co.uk

richard@winters-law.co.uk

YOU BECOME WHAT YOU BELIEVE

Extracted from ‘The Entrepreneur Within’ (£12.99 Ecademy Press). Available from Amazon and all good bookstores.

When I started to write this, I gave a lot of thought as to what comes first and decided that it was taking action. If you want to achieve you cannot achieve unless you do something about it - unless you take action.

However as I ponder this, I think that the first priority, the first thing you have to do, is to believe. I couldn’t start this book; I couldn’t take action until I was confident that I had enough information, perhaps enough style to actually write something meaningful. Action and beliefs are interdependent.

RECEIVED BELIEFS

BELIEFS CONTROL OUR LIFE

We all manage our lives through the structure of our beliefs. Our beliefs begin to be created some time very early in our childhood, perhaps even when we are in the womb. Perhaps they are inherent in our genes, but, certainly, they get quite ingrained as we are growing up. Not only are our beliefs set by our own experiences, but we model them on other people’s beliefs, people who we admire, people by whom we are taught – our parents, our siblings, our teachers, our friends and our mentors.

I live by two very strong beliefs taught to me by my father which are ingrained in my psyche and if I don’t act according to what he believed I feel hugely uncomfortable. They act as drivers for me every day.

The first belief is that I must never start eating at the dinner table until everybody has been served. Many times my food goes cold whilst I wait for the last person to be served. In some respects, it is a limiting belief but is hugely important to me.

The second one is that when I walk down the street, I always walk on the outside of the woman, not on the inside. I recall as a child walking down the street with my mother and, if I wasn’t on the outside, my father would keep elbowing me until I moved to the other side. Now, whoever I am walking with, my wife, my daughters or friends, I have to walk on the outside otherwise I am extremely uncomfortable.

When I think about beliefs, I realise that our lives are controlled by them. Everything we do and the actions we take are based on some sort of belief which is built quite strongly within us. I have a friend who feels he was seriously cheated by a bank and by a set of his supporting accountants. He often says to me, ‘I now no longer trust anybody’. I cannot imagine a life where I don’t trust people. I prefer to trust until I have been let down and, even then, I like to believe they have done the best they can.

One of my own beliefs is that wars are created by people who have strong limiting beliefs, often around religion, and the parties at war believe their set of truths is the only truth. These beliefs become fundamental to the point where they have to overcome the other side’s beliefs and thus wars and killing become part of their lives. On a smaller scale, family conflicts also arise between people with different sets of beliefs that are fundamental to the way each side lives.

So to be able to achieve totally, to be able to develop and improve relationships, to be able to sell your product or service, to be able to maintain your marriage, your friendship; you have to understand your own beliefs and what drives you.

Most of us cannot achieve all that we desire because we are held back by limiting beliefs. We will achieve if we can turn our limiting beliefs into unlimited beliefs.

EXERCISE – LIMITING BELIEFS How do we change our limiting belief to a limitless belief? The most interesting exercise that I have come across is one where you take a word such as MONEY or SEX or SALES and then write down all the beliefs you have around that word.For instance MONEY.

LIMITING BELIEF Money is the root of all evil

Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves Money is power Money speaks Money buys happiness Money corrupts Time is money If you pay peanuts you get monkeys All people work for money If it's dearer, It must be better

LIMITLESS BELIEF Money is good All money is relevant Money is a measure People speak Happiness is a state of mind Money enables Time is priceless People work for people People are all different

Try and write ten of your own beliefs around sales. If you do it as a group exercise, it makes it even more interesting.

The result will normally be a list of limiting beliefs. Then write down next to each item, a sentence that means the exact opposite – a sentence that represents the unlimited belief.

When you write this list against your own limiting beliefs, you will be astonished at how that belief controls your view of the world and thus your destiny. If you want to change in a way that is truly transformational you will need to consciously change this belief to something which is unlimited.

Beliefs can help or hinder us when we move to action. When a footballer is preparing to take a penalty, he can think that he will miss or that the goalkeeper will save it. That becomes his belief and the chances are higher that he will miss. If he is able to truly believe that he will score, the chances are high that he will score. His positive belief gives him advantages when he takes that action.

There is now much written about how belief can positively impact on illness and has even changed a terminal illness into a new healthy state. Deepak Chopra, a qualified medical doctor, is a leading writer in this area. In a recent article he proposes that the mind can be its own placebo and bring about recovery based on belief. “But those who recovered against all odds did have one thing in common. At a certain point people who are inexplicably cured know that they are going to recover. Their doubts and fears lift. With great conviction they realize that they are no longer in danger. (To be clear, we are talking about a strong correlation, not a fact that applies to everyone.) This certainty is like becoming your own placebo. What would that mean?”

UNLIMITED BELIEFS It is remarkable, how if we believe that we won’t get burned when walking on hot coals, we can walk across them and not get burned. If we believe we will get burned, then we do get burned. If we believe we can’t remember names then we never remember names. If we believe can remember names we will do.

As I approached the age of 70 I heard my friends, some of them considerably younger than myself, say things like “I can’t remember names”, “I can’t do this”, “I can’t walk any further” and “I can’t do my job”. Their excuse was always that “I’m getting older”.

My unlimited belief is that I can do anything that I want to do and as I get older I can do it better, with more wisdom and more experience. There are many other excuses we use on a daily basis to avoid taking action. Whatever your excuse, you can always reframe it to overcome the belief and move forward.

Brandon Bays in her book The Journey tells how she cured herself of a serious illness through her strong belief that she could. Brandon now runs courses on how to do this for yourself.

Until recently I had only read about this but in the last few months a good friend of mine had breast cancer and at the point of having a mastectomy and chemotherapy, she decided to cure herself through thoughts and through diet and she has succeeded.

If you truly want to achieve something, however small or large, try to change your belief around it and you will find that you will get remarkable results.

Early this year I met a man who is 123, is still able to speak 13 languages and is moving his yoga business back to India from New York. His secret is to believe he will live forever and also believes in being vegan. His name is Yogi Swami Bua Ji (see Chapter 6 for more on my beliefs about ageing).

When you start to understand yourself, when your own beliefs start to affect what you say, you will begin to understand others.

This will help you to help others to achieve. As a leader, this is vital, as your beliefs can help (or hinder) overall team performance.

Our mind is conditioned by what we believe and therefore if we change our belief, our conditioning changes and we behave and act differently. If we want to change behaviour, if we want to change a situation, if we want to change the world, the first thing to do is to change our state by changing our belief. http://deepakchopra.com/2010/02/how-to-be-your-own-placebo/

1

The Journey: An Extraordinary Guide for Healing Your Life and Setting Yourself Free by Brandon Bays (Thorsons; 1999) 2

Brian Chernett, Founder of the Academy of Chief Executives

17

FEATURE : YOU BECOME WHAT YOU BELIEVE

A clear example of this was at a cricket test match in November 2006, between England and Australia. England had won the Ashes series in England for the first time in 20 years and this was the subsequent series being played in Australia. Everyone was getting very hyped up. The main strike bowler from England bowled the first ball which went about 10 feet wide. Clearly the bowler froze, maybe overwhelmed by the occasion. Normally this would not be an issue and the next ball would be straight and strong but because it was so bad, his head went down and he lost belief in his ability to bowl at all and this brought him down and, with him, the rest of the team. They lost the match by a very serious margin and went on to lose the series.

ST ALBANS CHARITY ored Walk or Bike Ride NEEDS la Tea Dance YOUR HELP

ancing or Salsa Night

The St Alban’s-based the Baby Photo at Work

a Dish

charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK (the new working name for NACC) is pleading for local Potluck Supper businesses and corporate headquarters to take up their October appeal.

awl (in your tutus)

& Roll

ay

Night

The charity desperately needs to upgrade its website and to offer secure online communities for its 31,000 or members Cocktail and Partyit is aiming to raise £20,000 to support this work.

The ‘Red Hot Day’ will be held on 15th October and is the day when you can dare to do something different, all in a good cause. But, don’t worry if you’re busy on the day - you can do a Red Hot challenge event any time during the year. Whether you choose to climb ENVELOPE SnowdonPLEASE in a redUSE tutu AN or dye your hair red, or wear red underpants outside FOR YOUR REPLY your trousers you will be SLIP helping a great cause.

✁

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And address it to:

Crohn’s and Colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases a quarter of a NACC, affecting FREEPOST 73 million people across the UK. They can strike at any time, often during St Albans, Herts AL1teenage 5LU years or early twenties and the effect can devastate the lives of sufferers and their families. Careers, education, social life and general wellbeing can all be badly affected and treatment can involve surgery and a lifelong drug regime for some. The charity funds research into a cure, and offers support through its helplines, information booklets, and a network of Groups across the UK.

DO U DARE

on 15TH OCTOBER 2010…?

If you want to get involved in the ‘Red Hot Day’, complete the return slip and return it to Crohn’s and Colitis UK (NACC), 4 Beaumont House, Sutton Road, St Albans AL1 1HH or email fundraising@crohnsandcolitis.org.uk with your details, and a pack will be sent to you. The charity will provide all participants with balloons, games, posters and ideas so there is no excuse not to get involved!

• • • • • • • • • Rock & Roll or Cocktail Party

Sponsored Walk BikeRide Ride •Sponsored Walk oror Bike •Tombola Tombola •Ball or Tea Dance Ball or Tea Dance •Line Dancing or Salsa Night •Guess Babyor Photo Work Line the Dancing Salsaat Night •Bring a Dish Potluck Supper Guess the •Pub Crawl (inBaby yourPhoto tutus)at Work •Karaoke Bring a Dish Potluck Supper •Rock & Roll or Cocktail Party Pub Crawl (in your tutus) •Hair Day •Curry Night Karaoke

THE CHARITY MAN

It’s probably a given that most businesses donate to charity in some shape or form as part of their corporate and social responsibility (CSR) commitment. Nigel Watson, consultant and charity worker, argues that the link between business and charity has the scope to become much more fundamental than that.

For many businesses, their charitable work may only extend so far as donating the cost of their Christmas Cards to charity by replacing it with an e-card. For others it may go further, for example donating time to a homeless charity over Christmas, or working on longer term sustainable projects across the globe.

But what interests me particularly is the true impact of charity work on the day to day workings of a normal business.

As the founder of leadership consultancy Q4 Solutions and The Global Children’s Trust, I believe I have struck the right balance between business and charitable work. As part of my charity work, I went out to India in late October 2009 to help raise money for the Trust which supports a number of Charities including UNICEF, Rainbow Trust and the Banana Appeal.

What happened next was not expected at all. Over a matter of weeks, I was astounded at how many Q4 prospects started to call to see how things were going and to arrange a meeting when I got back to chat over my work out in India but also to ‘talk business’.

It seemed as the more integrated my charity and business worlds became, the easier it was to achieve success in both.

Prior to working with The Global Children’s Trust, I dedicated all of my time to Q4 Solutions but since returning from India I split my time more equally between the two.

These days, it’s no good just talking the talk when it comes to being socially responsible. With increasing transparency caused by the variety of consumer conversations occurring online, no business can risk being exposed for failing to adopt their ‘vision and values’ as part of their daily business processes. Social responsibility is as much a way of thinking as it is a way of doing business these days.

Companies often favour suppliers who can demonstrate responsible behaviour as this helps them to reduce the risk of any damage to their own reputations. But what makes the biggest impact is not these external factors, but the internal changes and transformations that are going on inside the people who are actively involved in charity work.

Brian Chernett, Founder of the Academy of Chief Executives

ReachOut Plus is an exciting and growing Charity that works to

Create Opportunities that Change People’s lives!

We especially work with young people and those with special needs and disabilities and we offer a range of community based support services providing supported holidays and providing help to young people who are struggling to access mainstream activities by the nature of their disability.

Many of our services take place aboard our small fleet of accessible canal boats in Hertfordshire or at our youth and residential centre in stunning North Bedfordshire countryside.

INKAID

Support this Charity You can do this in all sorts of ways: • Join our 100 Club as a company; partner with us as your charity of the year or organise a corporate fundraiser with us.

• Volunteer with us and help us to support people to change their lives • Make a donation or give regularly to support the Charity • Take a collecting box or join our unity lottery scheme • Use our facilities for team-building, training or client reward • Talk to us about what would work best for you.

ReachOut Plus, Suite 3, City Gate, 17 Victoria Street, St Albans AL1 3JJ Tel: 0845 2160080 www.reachoutplus.org admin@reachoutplus.org

Charity regn. no 286212

COMMUNITY

ReachOut Plus works in partnership with Wise Recycling. Check out our website and click on the owl on the front page to order your ink cartridges at wholesale prices, delivered in 48 hours.

ReachOut Plus will get a 10% donation every time you do that.

Ring us if you would like a similar banner on your own website.

THE SUMMER HOLIDAY IS OVER GET BACK TO (SALES) WORK!……

BY ANDY PRESTON In this article, leading Sales Expert Andy Preston explains what actions you need to take now that the summer holidays are over, in order to get your sales figures back ‘on track’…….

The summer holiday period can be a frustrating time for salespeople. Buyers and decision makers are on holiday (or are busy covering for colleagues who are), your own production, warehousing and delivery staff are off, and you’re probably in a ‘holiday mood’ yourself, and you may have been away as well!.

If we’re not careful, that ‘summer holiday feeling’ can drag over into late September, and even October in some cases! And by the time you come to your senses, it’s nearly Christmas and your sales figures are nowhere near where they should be!

To avoid that ‘summer holiday hangover’, follow the simple tips below and just watch the impact on your sales figures……..

ANDY’S SALES TIP NUMBER 1 TAKE A LONG HARD LOOK AT YOUR ‘PIPELINE’ September is a great time to sit down and analyse your sales pipeline.

You’ll have had a number of people say to you ‘call me back after the holidays’, and perhaps now you’re struggling to get hold of those people? Or they suddenly don’t sound as keen to meet you (or buy from you) as they did before the holidays?

That’s probably because the ‘call me back after the holidays’ was a simple objection, and you didn’t deal with it very well! Now, it’s 4-8 weeks later and their level of interest (if they had any in the first place) has cooled from ‘lukewarm’ at best to pretty much cold. Sometimes you can revive it, and sometimes you just need to move on….

ANDY’S SALES TIP NUMBER 2 BE MORE REALISTIC As salespeople, we tend to be positive. Sometimes we’re even guilty of being over-positive! And nowhere is a better example of that than with our own sales pipeline.

I’ve worked with some salespeople in the past that are entirely convinced that EVERYTHING in their pipeline is going to come in, and probably this month! And most salespeople probably NEED the majority of it to come in, to have any chance of hitting their target!

However, September is the time for more realism about sales pipelines. If the people who said ‘call me back after the holidays’ are no longer that interested, get them out of the pipeline!

ANDY’S SALES TIP NUMBER 3 RE-QUALIFY IF NECESSARY This is a really important point, and one that is overlooked by the majority of people. If it’s 4-8 weeks since you spoke to the prospect last (and probably a lot longer than that you started speaking to them) then there is a good chance that their situation has changed.

This means that their buying motivation may have changed, the drivers behind their initial interest and potentially the business or divisional goals may

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well have altered in that time. Therefore it’s imperative that you re-qualify the sales opportunity to ensure there is still good potential for bringing in this piece of business, quickly!

ANDY’S SALES TIP NUMBER 4 GET THINGS MOVING! Once you’ve taken the above steps, for any potential deals or prospects that are still in your pipeline, it’s important to get them moving! Far too many salespeople sit on a big pipeline, with deals or customers that have been ‘stuck’ at one stage or another for ages, without any idea of when or how they’re going to move to the next stage!

Depending on the length of your sales-cycle, if you’ve got deals or prospects that have been ‘stuck’ at one stage or another for a while, you need to take a close look at them and determine some actions to get them moving THROUGH the pipeline, or get them out!

Sales Managers and Directors much prefer REALISTIC pipelines to ones that are ‘pie in the sky’ (I hope it comes in, I hope it comes in, I hope…). It also can be quite demoralising for a salesperson to have an unrealistic pipeline, as the more deals or prospects that DON’T convert, the worse the sales person feels, and their confidence, attitude and motivation are affected – therefore they’re LESS likely to bring in the other deals!

So, be more realistic about your pipeline, get the deals or prospects out that are UNLIKELY to convert, re-qualify them if necessary and get what’s left moved THROUGH your pipeline – and you’ll see an IMMEDIATE impact in your sales performance!

Follow the tips above and watch your sales soar!

I look forward to hearing how you get on……..

Andy Preston is a leading expert on Sales and Selling, and helps individuals and companies increase their sales.

You can see more about him at www.andy-preston.com

TO BE OR NOT TO BE

CHOOSING A VENUE

Depending on the size of your company you probably have a wide demographic of sexes, ages and tastes for your office Christmas Party… try and go for a venue which will suit most people, for example, don’t choose a club which only plays German Techno, as the chairman’s wife may not be too thrilled, on the other hand don’t choose a quaint coffee shop as that is going to leave some unsatisfied people as well.

Let the venue know the purpose of the booking so that they don’t have any surprises on the day, (although a booking of 30 people in December usually gives the game away).

If you decide on a private room in a hotel or restaurant, this will give your group more leeway to make as much noise as you want.

If that’s not for you and you want more atmosphere, maybe a restaurant is a better choice? Make sure you view the area where your party will be sitting, and if you are after atmosphere ensure that you won’t be the only group on a quiet lunch in an area large enough to seat 100 (unless of course there ARE 100 of you).

A family or friends Christmas Party will probably be in a house, so although selecting a venue isn’t as difficult, there are still many factors that you need to take into account when organising a party.

CHOOSING THE FOOD

You need to decide if you are going to serve food at your party, most company Christmas Parties are lunches that are held in company time, but this isn’t always the case - sometimes they consist of drinks in a bar.

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING A CHRISTMAS PARTY You should always consider the option of food, as there will always be one (or more) who will not know their limit and will drink way too much… food in the stomach will prevent some of these people getting too drunk, although some will still do that too!

If you are having your Christmas party in a bar, canapés are a good option, and try and include carbohydrates as these soak up the alcohol.

If you are having a lunch most restaurants menus which have at least one Turkey dish (with all the trimmings) and then a selection of other dishes. Of course you don’t need to opt for the traditional meal, you can choose a cuisine that is completely different, but then remember the demographic of your group.

Just because tuna sashimi is your favourite doesn’t mean everyone is going to like it’s not very ‘Christmassy’.

CHOOSING THE ALCOHOL

If your party consists of a meal you are probably going to have wine, you may even want to welcome your guest with a small reception before your meal .

If your budget is an issue, serve Prosecco instead of champagne, this will keep your costs down and hardly anyone will notice the difference.

Mulled wine is another good option (especially if it’s cold outside), but as it’s served hot and usually has brandy added to it may go straight to your guests heads.

For company parties try and ensure that there is a bar in the same venue or nearby as most people will want to carry on with the party after the meal. If the entire tab is being picked up by the company ask the bartender or bar manager to let you know when you have reached certain levels, that way you can control (or at least be aware) of how fast you are spending, rather than being presented a bill at 2am in the morning which is large enough to buy a small island!

DECORATIONS

You probably won’t have any say about what decorations are displayed in a restaurant or hotel, but you do have a say about how the room in your family home of a party you are organising for your friends. Always remember, less is more… don’t overdo it with cheap tinsel and baubles Try and be original or find out what the current trends are… those baubles from 1994 have probably had their day and won’t cut it.

Try and use decorations that can be recycled or that are organic.

Of course at a dinner, you will want to include crackers and various other Christmassy things… crackers, although only a novelty are usually filled with items that are all thrown away, if you have budget for it, try and spend a little bit extra and buy some which have nicer gifts which may not be thrown away. Once again try and select some that are kind to the environment.

BUSINESS SUPPORT

The Christmas season is almost upon us and it’s all about bringing family together, charity and good cheer - plenty of good cheer which means… a party.

Christmas is a time when everyone (well almost everyone) is celebrating the same thing at the same time, everyone (well almost everyone) is in a good mood, and everyone (well almost everyone) is making the most of the mulled wine, and there are presents involved as well…what could be better?

There are a few types of Christmas parties, there’s the office Christmas party, which could be a hoot, or boring… and depending on how much you drink you could be the subject of gossip the next day. There’s the friend’s Christmas Party, and then there’s the family Christmas Party which is usually a little more civilised than the previous two and of course there are many variations of the above.

But there are a few factors to consider when planning a Christmas party:

LEGAL COLUMN In each issue Gillian Harding, a solicitor at HRJ Law, a legal firm with offices in Hitchin and Welwyn Garden City is on hand to answer your legal problems. Please email them to gillian.harding@hrjlaw.co.uk. We regret that no personal correspondence can be entered into.

What measures can I put in place to help protect my business during the economic downturn?

One of the first things I advise my clients to do is to check their standard terms and conditions of business. A clear comprehensive set of terms and conditions can’t prevent disputes completely but, it can make them run more smoothly, take less time and cost less by reducing arguments over their interpretation.

At a time when banks have tightened lending terms (particularly in relation to certain business sectors), you may also see an increase in the number of your customers who fail to pay on time but you can take measures to protect your business by: • Requiring payment up front of all or, a proportion of the price you are charging; • Ensuring that your payment terms (including remedies for non-payment) are clearly stated in your standard terms; • Including a retention of title clause in your standard terms so that you can recover your goods in the event of non-payment; • Ensuring that the interest you charge on overdue payments is reasonable (it could be void if it is too high) and linked to the base rate. With such a low Bank of England base rate, you might also want to give yourself the option of claiming interest under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 in your terms;

• Undertaking credit checks of new customers; • Looking at the payment record of existing customers to determine whether you consider them to be a bad risk; • Chasing slower payers and enforcing your credit terms; • Getting guarantees from your customer’s parent company (or even its directors), where appropriate; • Ensuring that your long term supply agreements enable you to increase prices (whether you have any current intention to do so or not) to reflect increases in the RPI, the cost of raw materials, transport costs and other overheads such as energy costs.

You should also review your provisions relating to liability, which should provide you with reasonable protection without being unreasonably strict. After all, an exclusion clause which ends up being held to be void by a Court will not be doing you any good.

For further information log onto www.hrjlaw.co.uk Please note that the answers provided are for general guidance only. If you have any legal problems you should always ensure that you obtain specific legal advice.

Don’t bury your head in the sand

We Mean Business Our no-nonsense, commercial approach gets results when it comes to Corporate & Commercial Law so you can trust our lawyers to deal calmly and effectively with all the challenges that businesses face.

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

SOLICITORS

ASK THE EXPERT JENNA GOULD This month at HBI, we have had a lot of requests through asking if we can provide any top tips on how to get the best out of PR. A lot of businesses seem to want PR on a shoestring whilst still making the most out of their media exposure. As well as being the editor of HBI, I also founded PR Agency Media Jems and so this month I’ll be answering this question:.

“I’m hoping to embark on some PR in the New Year.

I can’t afford to pay a PR consultant so I’m trying to see if I can do it in-house, but don’t know where to start. Any ideas?”

The secret to any successful media campaign is to understand who you are talking to and what they are looking for in a good story. It is all very well understanding the key messages for potential customers and the usual ‘sales’ blurb that will help convert prospects into customers, but when it comes to the media, the same approach simply won’t work.

You see, they don’t want to hear what is so wonderful about your product and why the marketplace will love it. They don’t want to know about its benefits, they just want to know why on earth your press release/pitch is of interest to their readership.

Their job is based on their ability to deliver interesting and relevant news to their audience, often who are paying for the privilege of receiving the information via a subscription or membership. If you can’t help them deliver that then your chances of gaining media coverage are scuppered.

So, the key is making your message as relevant as possible.

Making the story relevant is not just about wording it in a way that appeals to journalists, it is also about making sure it reaches the right person.

Business editors for business stories might sound a great idea for your business related press release, but think about how busy they are, do they actually write anything or just oversee other ‘Business Writers’ or ‘Feature Writers’? Don’t assume they will just forward on to someone.

Also consider the actual space they have- if you are trying to get your press release featured in the Enterprise pages of the FT, have look at how long this section actually is - you’ll find there are about 8 stories in total each week, so is this editor really the right person to go to if your press release is in all honesty, not groundbreaking.

So how can Media Stakeholder Analysis help?

You ask me who are the key freelance influencers in the beauty industry for example - I’ll tell you that if you want to get in the Mail, I can tell you who is writing about your topic in that publications and with the most frequency - and can will tell you know it isn’t any of the in house staff there.

Media Stakeholder Analysis gives you the ability at a glance to see who is influencing your customers, who has the ability to champion your brand to potential customers and who you need to focus your efforts on.

If You Look, You Will Find Hidden Gems The great thing about this kind of analysis is that is can highlight contacts that you never even knew existed or didn’t think about in your initial targeting.

For example, did you know that the Capitalist column in City AM includes a round up of interesting and quirky stories the editor has had in her inbox recently. Some are serious, some are more light hearted. I’ve had two stories picked up in the Capitalist in recent months because I knew exactly the type of story that would appeal to the editor. And if you are interested, one was a finance related story and one was about a psychic!

Media Stakeholder Analysis is a great first step for any business looking to embark on a media campaign, as it is essential that you understand who is going to champion your message to your target market, whether you are a small business or a large global organisation.

Find out more at www.mediajems.co.uk

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INTERVIEW LEGAL ASK THE EXPERTS : CLAIRE YOUNG

Well, Media Stakeholder Analysis goes that bit further than simply producing a media list of contacts, it looks into who is actually writing about key themes relating to your business, product or service and with what frequency. The role of freelance journalists is becoming increasingly important in media targeting and these guys are often way off the radar for people with no experience in the industry.

TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS APPS WHAT CAN THESE APPS DO TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS?

The iPhone has already been dubbed one of the greatest devices of the 21st century and the possiblilities of tools and apps have become endless. See what you can get and make the best out of what Apple have to offer your business.

ECADEMY MY6SENSE:

In response to the problem of ‘information overload’ faced by many users of multiple social networking sites and applications, Business social network Ecademy has recently announced the launch of their new free iPhone app which can ‘learn’ what users like and dislike and stream the content they receive according to their preferences.

Delivered in partnership with digital intuition software company My6Sense, the Ecademy App, also referred to as the ‘smart feed reader for the iPhone’, allows users to stream all their Ecademy, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and Friendfeed content to a single user-friendly screen.

The App can also stream content from all the user’s favourite websites like FT, CNN and The Wall Street Journal, provided they have an RSS feed.

Once all the feeds are connected, users can then ‘train’ the App to recognise what information and people they’d like to find out about by simply clicking on people and stories they find interesting and wish to share.

In a similar way to tools like HootSuite, the Ecademy App enables content to be shared across all the popular social networks at the click of a button, all from the iPhone interface. With each click, the App learns more and more about the users preferences and tailors the streams to precisely match their interests.

READDLEDOCS:

With Readdledocs, you’ll have the ability to open PDFs, any Microsoft Office file, and RTF files. It also supports GIF and JPEG photo formats.

By setting up an account on the Readdle website, you will be able to store and access the files you uploaded to Readdle Storage.

Readdledocs also includes a built-in Web browser, giving you the convenience to save HTML documents from the Web. If you want more storage space you can create a free Appstore account and have up to 512Mb of storage.

MOCHASOFT:

This is a must-have for anyone running XP Professional. With Mocha Remote Desktop you can access your work computer with full security through Wi-Fi or the 3G or EDGE network. This is the perfect application for people who aren’t at their desks often, travel a lot, or need to get into their computers on the weekend when the office is closed. You will see your desktop, programs, and resources displayed on your iPhone just as you would if you were looking at your computer. If you’d like to give it a test drive first, Mocha Remote Desktop Lite is free, with only a few features missing, such as certain right-mouse-button support, text macro support, and the ability to handle 20 different host configurations. The latest upgrade, compatible with the iPhone 4, supports VGA video output and wireless keyboard support.

HEADLIGHT SOFTWARE INC:

If you are an IT professional or webmaster, FTP on the Go Pro can help you fix problems on the fly. FTP on the Go Pro allows you to securely access your business website and fix any text problems with its built-in text editor. Find-and-replace features allow you to quickly access problems and correct them with a simple tap of the Save button. Upload photos using the photo library on your iPhone, and if you handle a number of sites, FTP on the Go gives you the freedom to bookmark them for faster access. Stay connected to your site with this great, low-priced application.

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1. CLARIZEN:

Clarizen’s Work Management solution is a beautifully simple to use platform encompassing an employee’s full workload ensuring all tasks are aligned with the overall business objectives. Work and project details are managed and maintained in one centralised, online location reflecting the true status and driving the players in real time. Status and related data is securely shared based on each user’s role and permissions. All aspects of work that project management software generally maintain in separate applications such as budgets, time, resource and issue tracking are now unified into one platform empowering all users to work smarter and more efficiently.

Clarizen is a leading global provider of collaborative online work and project management software that allows businesses to easily manage all of their work, projects and resources in a single, simple to use environment. Clarizen’s work management tools facilitate true team collaboration and project execution, ensuring data is always up-to-date and aligned with business objectives. No complex software or hardware installations are required due to Clarizen’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) architecture, resulting in immediate business impact as teams and projects get up and running instantly. Clarizen’s intuitive user interface and innovative e-mail and SOA integration capabilities ensure quick and smooth adoption by users, keeping everyone on track with up-to-date project data.

2. MAVENLINK:

Mavenlink is a cloud-based project management, collaboration and professional services automation suite.

The SaaS platform enables professional service providers and their clients to efficiently manage projects from start to finish, including: 1) Collaboration - a secure workspace for communications, doc sharing & task management, 2) Professional Services Automation - time tracking, expense reporting, invoicing & online payments and 3) Networks share opportunities & position teams.

Mavenlink is the most complete solution for managing the entire project life cycle for you and your clients. Manage all project communications, share files, track time, invoice, and manage payments. Project collaborative system for proposals to payments, communicate, track time, and invoice on tasks and integrate your Google Docs, calendar, and contacts.

3. SFAX:

Sfax delivers on-demand secure faxing with digital signature.

Sfax eliminates manual faxing and replaces costly and troublesome fax servers by removing the laborious process of printing, signing, re-faxing or scanning into an application – all with a complete audit trail.

Hosted Fax Services, electronic faxing, electronic faxing over the Internet, Internet faxing, fax to email, efax, FOIP, Fax Over IP, secure faxing, hipaa, hipaa compliant fax.

Sfax Online enables users to securely send and receive faxes introducing a new level of fax automation. Take your first step towards an electronic document management or enterprise solution or simply used to augment an existing system.

Get 365 days of secure document storage as standard or extend as you need.

With Sfax Enterprise™ you can rapidly integrate automated secure faxing using our Web Services API. Sfax has ensured a quick development time because they have done all the ‘heavy lifting’ for software vendors and solution providers. They have everything fully documented with sample code so your development team could be faxing from your applications within two hours. Their secure faxing service can be easily integrated within existing or new software applications. Sfax has a robust, easy to understand set of core web services to enable rapid integration of the services into other applications. The Sfax core set of web methods consist of send, receive, real-time status, delivery and download of fax documents. Their approach also enables customisation for software teams wanting to create a complete automated faxing process.

5. RAPID RECOVERY SERVICE:

That’s why Storagepipe has developed the cutting-edge Rapid Recovery backup service that gives you significantly faster data recovery than other solutions on the market.

The best feature about the Rapid Recovery service is that you can begin using your data within minutes of initiating your recovery download... even before the download has completed. This is possible because the technology can prioritise data blocks based on server requests, enabling services and programs to run while the recovery download is still in progress.

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TECHNOLOGY

Rapid Recovery Service is the ultimate online backup service for small business. Bring servers back online within minutes... even while the recovery download is still in progress. It’s the most cost-effective way to protect critical business data while minimizing unexpected downtime.

When your servers go down and every minute of downtime costs thousands of pounds, getting back up quickly is vital to the survival of your business.

EDUCATION IS THE KEY Alyssa Smith graduated in 2009 from the University of Hertfordshire with a degree in Applied Arts and Marketing. She went on to start her own business making and selling jewellery and at just 23, she has never looked back.

“I walked away from an apprenticeship with a well known designer, some called it absolute madness to leave such a fantastic job – especially in the current economic climate, but I knew in my heart that I needed to work in my own way.

Alyssa Smith jewellery now exists virtually at www.alyssa-smith.com and tangibly too – I also offer one off pieces and commissions; my most recent for a TV celebrity.

Graduating in Applied Arts and Marketing from the University of Hertfordshire was the perfect training ground, putting me in good stead and giving me confidence to climb the steep path to understanding the mechanics of business. It can be so overwhelming and confusing, not knowing where to start and trying to understand complexities and concepts of commerce. The skills I took from the course have been invaluable to my business. I recently discovered Business Link, a government organisation, which proved to be very useful, giving me guidance in many areas that I lacked.

I certainly recommend this to anyone looking to start a business.

Working and creating is my passion, using gold, silver and gemstones. I like to think of my designs as a mix of contemporary and quirky, with the essence of nature thrown in. Romantic and ethereal themes run throughout my creations too. Essentially I make jewellery for women who want to feel good.

The concept is simple and the pride I feel when someone wears my jewellery gives me the biggest buzz! This year I have made a concerted effort to market my designs and have already established many outlets nationally including exhibiting at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle Upon Tyne this June, and at the NEC Spring Fair in Birmingham next February. Magazines are now showing an interest with Marie Claire having just taken details for their June publication.

There is never a right time to start up in business - I think young aspiring entrepreneurs should enter the arena with confidence.

Success is hard. Determination, sheer hard work and of course finding the right niche helps. Armed with the necessary skills or tools, I believe success can be generated. Along with creating jewellery, I work on my accounts, photography, sales and marketing…. versatility to the nth degree! All in all, I believe in myself and others should believe too. I have learned to work hard and aim high.

This is definitely a nine to nine job, I’m sure I’d be bored if it was a nine to five!”

leadership & management programmes

reducing energy costs graduate internships

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science unlocking business performance call 0845 60 20 101 - quote business in herts T: +44 (0) 845 60 20 101 F: +44 (0) 845 60 20 111 E: info@exemplas.com Minicom: +44 (0) 845 60 66 2937

www.exemplas.com/BusinessInHerts www.twitter.com/exemplas

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EDUCATION & TRAINING

LAURA BERRILL

HMC Day School 780 pupils Headmaster: Andrew Grant MA

A partnership for growth Knowledge is power. And with a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, you can grow your business with the powerful support of a leading UK university.

Part-funded KTPs are an easy and cost-effective way for you to access the latest research, technologies and expertise of the University of Hertfordshire.

How does a KTP work?

KTPs typically last between 1 and 3 years, or 10 – 40 weeks for a shorter project. They involve a talented graduate, employed by the University and mentored by an experienced academic, working on a strategic project of real importance to your company.

To find out more about how we can help your business become more competitive and profitable,

visit go.herts.ac.uk/businessservices, call 01707 286 406 or email be@herts.ac.uk.

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Training & development

Professional training courses Looking for a training course for yourself or your team?

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Bespoke training available to suit individual requirements

If you are at a changing point in your career, want to prepare yourself for promotion or just want to develop your professional skills, contact us to see how we can help you.

We work with organisations of all sizes and also offer bespoke training to groups of employees. If you’re responsible for training in your organisation contact us to arrange a visit to find out more about our professional and bespoke training.

Find out more at our open days on 7 and 9 September:

0800 328 5334

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EDUCATION & TRAINING

We have plenty of professional courses on offer designed to benefit both businesses looking to develop their staff and individuals wanting to update their skills.

The Langley

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At The Langley we appreciate that corporate clients require personal touches to their events – whether it be complex presentations, conferences, marketing or training events, we can provide the complete setting with multi-media functionality fully available and the right facilities at hand

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CALL: 01923 218 553 / 07896 272 586 OR VISIT: www.langleybanqueting.co.uk E: info@langleybanqueting.co.uk | Gade House, 38-42 The Parade, High Street, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 1AZ

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Back by popular demand our party nights are guaranteed to be an entertaining and lively event for those who like to dance the night away! The evening will include a delicious festive three course menu, crackers, festive novelties, half a bottle of house wine per person and a live disco. £35.95 per person Available throughout November and December For more information call 0208 214 9988 or visit www.qmh-hotels.com/christmas/londonelstree Email: christmas.hielstree@qmh-hotels.com Holiday Inn London-Elstree M25 Jct 23 Barnet Bypass, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 5PU www.holidayinn.com/londonelstree

THE WAGGONERS

BY TERRY SULLIVAN The Waggoners pub/restaurant is located in Ayot Green near Welwyn and is run by Aude and Laurent Brydniak (formerly of Auberge du Lac). I had heard great things about this restaurant so I decided to pay it a visit for lunch.

Located between pretty houses and cottages on a beautiful English green, the refurbished 17th century coaching Inn had a cosy, homely atmosphere. Its dark red walls and stylish pictures created warmth and I was greeted by the friendly staff.

The French inspired menu offered a wide variety of foods. I started with Foie Gras Poelle Perigourdine (Pan fried Foie Gras with a toasted Brioche, caramelised Apple on a bed of Wild Mushrooms and Perigourine sauce). This had an amazing contrast of flavours and the livers were succulent and cooked to a perfect consistency. For my main course I ordered Magret de Carnard et Poire Caremelisee (Duck breast served with Dauphinois Potatoes, Pan Fried Pear and Red Wine Jus). The duck was moist and well seasoned, the pear was very sweet and the potatoes were creamy. For dessert I selected Croquant aux Fruits de Seasons (Layered Fruit in Tuile Biscuits with Seasonal Fresh Fruit) this included apples, plums, kiwi, strawberries and raspberries, all of which were accompanied by a raspberry puree. The dessert was a wonderful way to complete a first class meal.

The Waggoners is set in Ayot Green near Welwyn, between pretty houses and cottages around a beautiful nglish green. It is a refurbished 17th century coaching Inn run by Aude and Laurent Brydniak who have a wealth of experience and have run successful restaurants for the last 16 years.

The Waggoners offers three private rooms ranging from 10, 15 or 25 guests.

The private room can be use for breakfast, lunch or dinner or just as a meeting room.

Brickwall Close, Ayot Green, Welwyn AL6 9AA t: 01707 324241 Email: laurent@thewaggoners.co.uk www.thewaggoners.co.uk

OUT OF HOURS

All in all, The Waggoners restaurant is a top quality restaurant and proves that you can experience good food and excellent service in a complete package without breaking the bank. In my opinion it is well worth a visit for both business and pleasure.

NETWORKING WIN MORE BUSINESS! LOOK GREAT - FEEL GREAT

RIVERBANKS WHAT, IF ANY,CLINIC ARE THE BENEFITS OF TEN TIPS TO GET YOUR REFERRAL MESSAGE ACROSS (PART ONE) GENDER SPECIFIC NETWORKS? In a tranquil and discreet part of East Hyde lies a detached white house by a river, which is in fact home to

one of the country’s leading non-surgical cosmetic clinics, Riverbanks. But forget the queues of WAGs, this clinic is attracting a totally different clientele of professional men and women who care about their appearance and want to feel more confident in the workplace. Becky Lewis pays a visit to the award-winning clinic to see just what it has to offer the discerning businessman and woman.

BY ANDY LOPATA

Women’s networking groups have grown in popularity in recent years, both for entrepreneurs and within large companies. As they have grown, so they have polarised opinion. I have worked with a number of such networks and forged relationships with many others and have come across many women who feel they do a fantastic job. I have also met women who have been very critical and feel that they play a negative role by reinforcing gender roles and pigeon-holing.

This article has been prompted by a question asked on Twitter by Vena Ramphal. Vena asked me, “What, if any, are the benefits of gender specific networks?” As I am not aware of any male-only business networks, and fear the reaction they would get should anyone wish to set one up, I am assuming that Vena is specifically referring to women’s networks in her question.

First of all I think you have to look at the purpose of such networks. In traditionally male-dominated industries where women have struggled to secure strong representation at higher levels of management, the formation of a women’s network has played a vital role in empowering women to work together and break through the glass ceiling.

In addition to attending a number of corporate women’s networking events, I have spoken for BT’s Executive Women’s Network and Mastercard’s Women’s Leadership Network, as well as being involved in an event put on by Morgan Stanley Women’s Network together with the European Professional Women’s Network. A few years ago the idea of ‘networking’ was frowned upon by women attending such events. In fact, I was made to feel awkward for asking about women networking at such an event two years ago.

Women traditionally have felt that networking is manipulative, game-playing and the preserve of men. Suzanne Doyle-Morris’s excellent book ‘Beyond the Boys Club’ makes it very clear that many of the behavioural traits that help men build their networks and succeed in large organisations do not come naturally to women. This is a real shame as women naturally have a lot of the core characteristics of good networkers (as I outlined in ‘...and Death Came Third!’), but are less comfortable when leveraging that network for personal gain.

Women’s networks have brought women in such industries together and given them both the permission to network for career gain, and the means by which they can do so. Where the field is so uneven due to ingrained attitudes and behaviour, there are compelling arguments for supporting such gender specific networks.

Male dominance also plays a role in entrepreneurial networks. I have been to well over 1,000 networking events in the last decade and have, on many occasions, seen groups that are completely dominated by men. It is intimidating enough for someone to have to enter a room full of strangers, that is made even more difficult if you are the only woman (or man) in the room. The situation was in danger of becoming self-perpetuating as many women would prefer not to network at all rather than feel so vulnerable.

Women’s networks have made networking more accessible for those people who did feel intimidated by attending male-dominated events. Not only is the room more welcoming, but networking with people who may share similar values or experiences makes the occasion so much more palatable for inexperienced networkers. My hope is that women who attend such events for these reasons build up sufficient confidence to attend other networks as well.

Another key benefit of gender specific networks (and this also applies to cultural networks) is learning from, and being inspired by, role models. I met with a prominent female entrepreneur recently and we were discussing the lack of successful women business role models.

Women who are looking to succeed need to be able to look up and see other women who have achieved great things and from whom they can gain strength and support. Women’s networks bring such women together and invite role models to speak and share their stories and advice.

I do think that gender specific networks have real benefits to offer, and probably many more than I have been able to outline here. The key is that they exist to provide those benefits, rather than just for the sake of being.

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Andy Lopata is one of the UK’s leading business networking strategists and co-author of the Amazon.co.uk bestselling book ‘and Death Came Third! The Definitive Guide to Networking and Speaking in Public’. For more information visit www.lopata.co.uk

VISIT OUR WEBSITE, www.businessindependent.co.uk FOR A FULL ROUND-UP OF THE REGION’S NETWORKING EVENTS.

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THE NEW MERCEDES-BENZ E-CLASS CABRIOLET A CAR FOR ALL SEASONS The new E-Class Cabriolet is Mercedes-Benz’s latest edition to the highly-successful E-Class range, and this car has it all: it’s functional, comfort-enhancing, elegant and safe.

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