March 2013
Update
Tirelessly working to make your business the best it can be...
Monster Under the Bed The
So here we go again. What are we in now? Recession? Double dip recession, Tortillas and dip recession? New and improved recession? The name changes more often than I change my socks; I just can’t keep up! This constant barrage of dramatic, bad news got me thinking about a story a friend of mine told me.
Take a look at your Business The people behind the business New members this month
One early morning, while travelling home, my friend had an overwhelming urge for a bacon sandwich so he went in search of a ‘Butty Van’. Taking the A road rather than the motorway the miles rolled past but no van was to be seen. Finally, just as he was about to give up he spotted a caravan parked up at the top of the hill. The closer he got the more it looked like a family on holiday, until, at the last minute, he noticed the tell-tale cut out at the front.
Tip of the month
an d M ore...
www.thebestof.co.uk/worthing
Ordering his sandwich he struck up a conversation with the owner who proceeded to tell him how bad business was. “It’s the recession you know!” The owner said. My friend was stunned. The recession was so bad people had stopped eating now? Interestingly, it turned out that business had dropped off dramatically since the owner had invested in a brand new caravan and cooking equipment… what they hadn’t invested in was signage! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out why they had seen sales drop off, they couldn’t have been harder to find if they’d parked up behind a hedge. But in the owner’s mind, it was down to the recession; that monster under the bed that devours businesses.
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The recession makes the perfect monster. It is invisible to the naked eye and utterly silent. The media can attribute everything that is wrong with the business world to it because it never answers back. It is the bogeyman of the adult world and a perfect scapegoat!
So, before you feed yourselves, your businesses and your bank balances to the monster under the bed, ask yourself a few questions: Do I really know who my customers are and what they want? Do I know why my customers buy from me? Are my customer’s needs changing?
Now I’m not going to deny that our economy is not as buoyant as it was 6 years ago. That would be ridiculous. But assuming the demise of a company is purely down to the recession is also ridiculous and, quite frankly, irresponsible. Note the word I use…. irresponsible. To me, irresponsible doesn’t just mean unreliable, it means ‘the inability to respond’. While business owners sit back and lay all their woes at the feet of the monster under the bed, they are not finding out the true reasons as to why sales are dropping or customers aren’t returning. Whether it’s signage, failure to utilise new technologies like social media, not recognising the changing requirements of their customers (see HMV for details), or owners simply not marketing their businesses because they haven’t had to before, all of these issues can be dealt with. Sadly, the Butty Van probably won’t be there the next time my friend craves a bacon sandwich. A real shame as there are plenty of people who not only want them but will take a different, and often longer, route home to find them.
Do I provide my customers with what they want, or what I think they want? If I wanted to buy from me, how would I find me? How many customers do I actually need? Am I doing everything I can to encourage customers, new and old, to keep coming back? You will probably find, a small change in your marketing, your offering or the type of relationship you have with your customers will consign the monster under the bed to the media’s and your children’s imagination, where it belongs!
Have a great month...
M e l a n ie
Offer of the Month The Book - Two books for £10. The business book for people who don’t read business books, Its all changed 66 practical down to earth step by steps to growing your business 2013/2104. Cover price £9.95. You can get your hands on yours for £7.50 or 2 copies for £10! While stocks last - worthing@thebestof.co.uk.
www.thebestof.co.uk/worthing
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Update March 2013
01/03/2013 12:25
The People Behind The Business Mark Perring – Helping you to control your office printing costs There are 2 contributing factors that have led me where I am today. The first involved my mother throwing the phone book at me the day after my exams finished and instructed me to set up interviews. The second was the ensuing 5 year stint where I went from front line complaints handler to Customer Service Manager. And now today Mark is using his 20 years experience of customer services to help businesses of all sizes save money on the amount they spend on ink and printer repairs. Ink cartridges and toner prices are not going down. Many office managers have taken a positive step to reduce this expense by opting for remanufactured or compatible toners; however this is not the answer. Why? In some cases this invalidates the manufacturer’s warranty and occasionally faulty, inferior products can end up spilling toner all over the machine which results in a far greater expense as the device usually has to be disposed of. On top of this we often see uncontrolled print environments where print after print exits a machine without any due care given to the cost of each document. Typically the older the machine the more it costs to produce a standard print. We see rates range from £0.02p up to £0.20p per page. In some cases we have conducted audits where upwards of £100.00 worth of prints are lying unclaimed by a printer or sadly passed into the recycling bin” How a Managed Print Service work: 1. Provide an audit of companies print and copy output and suggest an improved deployment of a) types of machines, b) positioning and c) quantity of devices.
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2. Installation of devices which may include inclusion of security and pin release to reduce wasted printing and cater for sensitive departments. 3. Automated response to deliver toner before machines run out of ink. 4. Ongoing support provided to repair and maintain all devices for agreed length of time What are the benefits? A well planned Managed Print Service which could save you 30-40% on toner Ink and printer related products. If you would like to know more about how MPS can help your business contact Valusys on 01903 641712 To arrange a FREE PRINT AUDIT.
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Working Well... Worthing voted a Most Loved Business in National Competition
your e r a h “S let d n a s sse succe know what ie f Melan thebesto f bits o orking are w u.” for yo
Valentines is a special time of year for all those in love. It is a time when loved ones go out of their way to show they care. With times being tough thebestofworthing’s Local Champion Melanie has been encouraging local people to do the same and make an extra effort to show how much they appreciate the great businesses here in Worthing
The 14 Days of Love has seen the best businesses across the UK go head to head to earn the title of ‘The Most Loved Business in the UK. For the 14 days leading up to Valentine’s Day consumers have had the chance to review their favourite local businesses reinvigorating and raising the profile of their local community. During the competition tens of thousands of reviews were added equating to one every eight seconds as the contest reached its crescendo. The locals here in Worthing have really done their bit.
This Year Worthing came in with 41 winners some of where were. Darren Crabb Wealth Management – Financial Advisor Darren’s second year running at number 1 in the UK. JSPC – IT & Computer Support dizzy : Support for diabetes – Charitable Organisations Spofforths – Accountants
At thebestof Worthing we are on the lookout for other great members. This month we are looking for....
Bennett Griffin – Solicitors
• Cleaning Companies
Valusys – Office Equipment
• Estate Agents
Spicer International – Courier Services
• Restaurants
Food Worthing – Fine dining Restaurant L&S Office Supplies - Office Supplies PEP - Printers Goal keeping UK - Sports Shops
• Hair Dressers If you know a business that fits the bill please contact the team...
01903 203673
Fit Lab UK - Gyms Fontwell Park Racecourse - Days out Worthing Business Circle - Business Support & networking 5 Rings - Telecoms LWS - PR & Marketing South Coast Golf - Golf Clubs Clear Computing - IT Support Euphoric Beauty - Beauticians Emerald Finance - Mortgages Alverstone Autos - Car Service & repair & most loved business in Worthing overall. A full list can be found on www.thebestof.co.uk/worthing/blog www.thebestof.co.uk/worthing Bestof-Worthing-March2013.indd 4
James Stoner MD from JSPC said the following; “It is very touching and a real honour to see how much our customers value what we do. It is great to see people coming out to support local businesses. We are hoping that 14 Days of Love becomes a whole year of love for ourselves and indeed all other local businesses, indeed if this is the case whilst we might be winners, in the long run so will all local businesses in Worthing”
Update March 2013 01/03/2013 12:25
We’ve uncovered more hidden gems over the last few weeks. A big welcome to the following businesses who have joined us recently:
Give them a call & make them feel welcome Baker Academy
Fitlab
....specialise in Windsurfing and Kitesurfing coaching. If you want to learn how to windsurf or kitesurf or you would like to improve your existing skills, contact the friendly team today. You won’t believe how affordable it is!
...is a gym in Rustington, offering personal training, martial arts and fitness classes for the whole family. With an extensive range of facilities, Fitlab provides exciting opportunities for the young and old.
07595 835978
01903 550 207
Panic Specialising in 24 hour emergency call outs (including evenings and weekends), Panic Plumbing and Electrics can be at your home at any time of the day or night.
07585 505425
THE HR Point
Vantage Professional Risks ....is a privately owned, independent company offering a wide range of unique insurance solutions to a variety of clients in Worthing and surrounding areas.
01903 256 999
...is a team of Human Resource Consultants in Worthing offering a wide range of Human Resources services to businesses of all sizes
01903 783584
JSAS Web Services Ltd
Specialising in residential lettings and property management, the Letting Agents at Micawber Lettings in Worthing offer an exceptional level of service and fees you can afford.
....in Worthing know how to make websites work successfully and can help potential clients find you quickly and easily through professional Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and the right content. Ensure your products and services are easily found on the Internet by calling JSAS Web Services Ltd in Worthing today.
01903 700854
07837 797225
Micawber Lettings
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There is nothing better than receiving recognition for the work that you do; a sincere well done from a work colleague or a heartfelt thank you from a customer can change a not so good day into a brilliant one! Awards and accolades take this a step further. In my eyes, only the exceptional win awards; they are a marque that says you’re better than all the others. Switch on the TV any night of the week and you’ll see Aldi proudly displaying their ‘Which Supermarket of the Year’ accolade at the end of each ad. This is particularly important in the current economic climate. It’s not that people aren’t spending money anymore; it’s that they are more discerning about where they spend it. We only have to compare the demise of Woolworths and the consistent year on year growth at Argos to see this in action. A few years ago Boost Marketing did a survey called “Awards – Vanity or Sanity?” Not only were they looking at whether there was a commercial importance to awards, but also whether the economic climate had increased interest in awards in general.
80% of respondents said consumers were influenced by the presence of an award. Ok, it seems like a bit of a no brainer, but let’s actually look at this for a moment. Say you need a plumber and none of the people you know can recommend one. You find two on the internet that ‘look’ trustworthy and professional; one has the City & Guilds logo, Guild of Master Plumbers logo, BPEC logo and a Subcontractor of the Year award. The other one doesn’t. Which one are you going to ring first?
49% of respondents said that award winning companies provided superior product and services. Now this is a biggie! These respondents didn’t just think award winners were superior suppliers, they knew it. How much would you pay to ensure your potential customers knew that you provided a superior product or service?
70% of respondents believed awards were important for generating new business. The British Quality Foundation take this one step further and state that, on average, small businesses show an increase of 63% in operating income. Let me just say that again…. an increase of 63%! In truth, that isn’t even half the story! The list of benefits an accolade or award can bring goes on:
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Update March 2013 01/03/2013 12:25
Trust In any business relationship, trust is the most important thing. It’s the thing we spend more time on than anything else when creating a relationship with our prospective clients. Awards build trust immediately because someone independent has judged your business by a set of fixed criteria and found you to be something exceptional. Money simply cannot buy that!
Customer and Employee Loyalty Invariably, when people talk about the benefits of awards they concentrate on the new business they can bring in, completely forgetting the people you’re already working with.
Employees gain a real sense of pride from awards; after all, their work has contributed to the achievement. Customers also share in the pride; the award gives ‘social proof’ to what they already know, their printer/ accountant/driving instructor is the best.
Marketing Opportunities If 80% of consumers are influenced by the presence of an award, then the fact you have one should be shouted from the rooftops. Every letter, every email, your website, Facebook, Twitter, the local Press should be hearing about it. For press particularly, a success story for a local business it exactly the kind of good news story they want. If you’ve been kind enough to write the story for them on a press release, they don’t have to!
Differentiation If you’ve ever read any marketing or sales books you will have come across the word ‘differentiation’ or ‘how is my business different to my competition?’ As I said earlier, in my eyes only the exceptional get awards, that differentiates you straight away because you are better than all the rest. That is a Unique Selling Point that all marketers would kill for!
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Validation & Testimony Anybody who’s ever had a conversation with me will tell you the importance I place on reviews. Once again, it’s all about social proof. ‘If all these people believe this business is good then it must be’. An award strengthens this even further as it not only confirms the reviews you already have, it then states that you are better than the rest as well. My question to you is this. When did you last enter an award or shout about your own accolades? If you don’t do this you can guarantee nobody else will! Take a look at our recent 14 Days of Love winners on our loveometer www.thebestof.co.uk/loveometer to see just how our very own have stood out from the rest! I encourage you, today, to start shouting from the rooftops about your own accolades. It will boost your business in every way!
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thebestof Worthing is run by Melanie Peters
Our aim is to provide the best businesses in Worthing with a
world class marketing service. We’ll raise your profile, connect you to new contacts and customers - and maximise your business potential. We really do care about every one of our Business Members and we are there every step of the way to ensure that thebestof works for you.
1. Testimonials 2. Dual-branded postcards 3. Mix and match 4. Commercial photos 5. Certificates 6. Brand Awareness 7. Campaigns 8. Call Tracking 9. An Evening with 10. Social Media 11. Blog 12. Events 13. Video 14. Special offers for members 15. Quote me
Our 17 marketing tools
16. Mobile Website and App 17. Website feature
Here at thebestof, word of mouth just got louder! Every business we feature has been checked out by us AND recommended by other local people, so you can use them with confidence knowing they truly are one of the best at what they do...
Call Us: 01903 203673 Email: Worthing@thebestof.co.uk
Coming Soon An evening with thebestof Wednesday 20th March, 5.30 pm, Kingsley Coffee Ferring, networking, cheese & Wine, £10 per person, to book on email worthing@thebestof.co.uk Best of Worthing is delighted to be supporting Worthing and Adur’s Enterprise Week which will run from the 18th March to the 22nd March this year. The event welcomes local prospective, emerging and established small businesses to take advantage of a week packed full with a series of FREE events, presentations and workshops.
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