IAW
LIVERPOOL
It’s About Websites
Spice Lounge Contemporary Indian Cuisine at its best.
hTC Hero Review
IAN
GAMESTER
Award Winning Film Maker & Photographic Artist
Liverpool | September | 2009
Team Talk
Emma takes a look at “women only networking” and expresses her view on it’s effects to women in business.
Have Your Say
Share stories, concerns and experiences with the other members in your very own section. Rant about anything.
ASK The Expert
Richard Dickinson, Lisa Madariaga, Bernadette McDonald, & Pat Cobham give you their words of wisdom this month and are ready to take more questions.
Funny Business
Staphanie Davies talks about the importance of humour in business. Sharing her thoughts on the miscommunication from Hilary Clinton’s latest fumble.
Regulars
Technology For Business
We look at how Bluetooth may make a comeback as one of the most consumer driven technologies for mobile sharing. We also lift the curtain on HTC’s Latest android phone for businesses, The “HERO”.
Networking
Never feel out of the loop, get all events listings here and save time. Find out what group may be right for you. Take a look at who was out last month on our gallery.
What’s Coming New
We constantly update our regular features so here is where we tell you what will be introduced into the e-zine each month.
What We Got Wrong
We mess up from time to time, so we are letting you know what we have done wrong. Always keeping you posted about the development of the e-zine. Sometimes you have to admit when you’re wrong to go forward. plus, somtimes it’s good to laugh at yourself.
Suggestions of the Month
Each month we look at new ways to improve our service and look at suggestions made by our readers.
On The Cover Ian Gamester
Profession or Art? We take a look at photography and film production by Ian Gamester and what makes his work so different.
Spice Lounge
What makes this restaurant stand out from the rest? Chefs, Service, and Surroundings. This will get your taste buds tingling for more.
It’s About Websites
Why you don’t need all your nuts and bolts tight to do a good job. Plus check out the IAW competition
HTC HERO
We look at the latest android phone to come out of HTC HQ, we look at everything from hardware to software and what’s good and what’s bad.
TEAM TAL O
k, nothing like a challenge for our first edition. Women only networking, is it really necessary?
This is something that has been troubling me over the past six months or so, and I’m keen to find out what you think. I have a simple opinion on Women Only Networking. I don’t like it. Its not that I don’t enjoy them, far from it, but as a woman trying to build her business from the ground up, is this a good idea? Women only events are there to empower and encourage women to reach their full potential in business. Women that want to build face to face relationships and work closely together in a collaborative environment. This is all fine and dandy, essentially for those of us who are just starting out and finding the whole networking experience a little intimidating. But i cant help feeling that this is simply discrimination. Sahar Hashemi, co-founder of Coffee Republic (and now managing director of healthy confectionery venture Skinny Candy) said: “I’ve never come across any gender difference when it comes to entrepreneurship. All we have to do for future generations is remove these mental barriers, as the idea that gender remains an issue, is so outdated”. Now I know this can be something of a red herring, but I don’t understand
why there are groups for women only in business. Some sort of ‘Fem-masons’ meeting which men beleive we’re secretly discussing the merits of Karen Miller over River Island. We seem to have reached a cruical point as working women, and finally have the healthy respect from our peers we fought so long to receive. So why do we need to take dainty steps back and isolate ourselves once again? It reinforces a sick notion of separation into two groups. If your good at business and want to grow your company through networking, does it really matter if you’re a man or a women? I don’t want to spend my time exclusively meeting women in business, I just want to meet people who are good at business, period. If not, we are limiting our client base, by half. I think at this point I should point out that I am very much Pro Women! My mother and grandmothers drummed into me the fact that we should never sit back and accept our fate. As many seem to think we should. My great Aunt Vera Bray, who was the first mayoress of Bootle in 1967-68, strug-
LK gled endlessly against ‘the fate’ to gain her position im sure.
If you have any thoughts or opinions on this topic, then don’t hesitate to email your views to me. All are welcome, male or female! “We must be the change we wish to see” (M.K.Ghandi)
By
Emma Dolan
So the question remains. Is it necessary to separate ourselves from what we have fought for, for so long? Maybe I have this opinion because I’m gender blind. Maybe I’ve missed the point all together. Maybe woman isolating themselves is a statement of confidence. An empowered gesture of intent. However you look at it, you cannot ignore the fact that to isolate ourselves in this way, is allowing ourselves to become vunerable within the workplace once more.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Stories fro out and a something AT RISK? Recently in the news we have learned at Ryanair may be cutting 9 routes from and into Manchester and that 600 jobs may be lost as a result. The routes that are going to be cut or moved are those between Manchester and Barcelona, Bremen, Brussels, Cagliari, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Marseille, Bergamo and Shannon. Some sources say that the airline has exaggerated the number of possible job losses and, or course, the media picks up on this. Last month a call centre company, Stream International, has announced that 250 jobs are at risk due to the loss of a major contract. They confirmed that if another contract did not materialise they would have to let people go. And in government we learn that up to 750 British defence manufacturing jobs are at risk as the Ministry of Defence is expected to announce it will drop a Rolls Royce fighter engine in favour of a cheaper American alternative. But is it all doom and gloom? It would
om our members that are about in business and have to say. What’s on your mind? seem so from what we hear on the media. We ask the question - what can an employer do apart from cutting jobs to save money and perpetuate the business? If you’re in business, your cash flow will determine whether you’re a success or a failure. That’s the bottom line. Even companies with full order books can go under if their cash flow isn’t managed correctly. The good news is that there are simple and powerful business tools you can use to ensure your costs are kept to a minimum while your income keeps flowing in, from renegotiating with suppliers to replacing travel with conference calling. Choosing the cheapest suppliers is the downfall of some businesses. Although price is one of the most important factors, you may compromise a good service for bargain prices. Getting the best from your suppliers means getting the service you require at a reasonable
price, however it’s often the case that low-cost and poor quality goes hand-inhand. Whilst it is tempting to go cheap and strike an amazing deal with a great supplier, be realistic. Take a look at a price list before you speak to anyone and calculate how much you can afford to pay against what they are asking. Don’t forget that if you don’t ask you don’t get, so see if in exchange for a greater cost they will throw in services for free, for example extended payment terms or lower delivery charges. Getting repeat business is important - so keep your promises! It sounds obvious, but it’s often forgotten. If you promise to do something for a client or customer, make sure that it gets done. If you aren’t certain that you can deliver something on a given date, don’t promise it. Customers have long memories for failing to deliver on promises, and the worst thing that
can happen is that they believe you deliberately lied to them in order to get a sale. Working effectively by managing your time and resources is vital if you’re going to keep on top of things. It’s all too easy to either get bogged down in the details of running your business, or to simply forget them which will mean long hours into the evening sorting things out later. Take a step back and look to see if you can do things differently and remember your workforce are your asset. Paul Hirst
Reply: Great advice paul. I think a lot of people will find this useful, even if they read it and said “I know that already”. just to have it said again and understood might prompt a few actions, even if they are short term.
Superman Joins Your Business. Meeting People It’s Monday Morning, His first Day At Who Are Positive! Your Office. It is great to meet people He can work at the speed of light. He’s the most popular person on the planet and he’s working for you. He can do anything you want and make your business the biggest and most successful company on the planet. But you decide that all he can do is make tea and sweep the floors. That’s what virtually every business does with the most powerful weapon they have. And this is it The Award For The Most Blindingly Obvious, Oft-Ignored Secret In Business, That Nearly All Of Us Do Absolutely Nothing About, Goes To... ...word-of-mouth marketing. If you ask anyone in business where their business comes from, unless they’re particularly unique or unusual, most people will say word-of-mouth. And most people do absolutely nothing about it. Get Networking... Ian Denny Plus 1 Networking Reply: We have found that nothing works better than when it comes straight from the horses mouth. Have you ever been trying to get into a business to get an appointment or make a sale and found it impossible? I know a lot of people who have. the majority of which have later gone networking to find their primary target standing there waiting to make connections. Sometimes you feel like kicking yourself, but trust me, you can’t afford not to do a bit of networking.
who are positive and are running successful businesses. If we all believed what the papers and the news said we would pack up and go home, I constantly come across people who are getting out there and doing business, the small business is the lifeblood of this country and my view is that won’t change. Bring it on guys and lets all be successful. Dave Forrest Myriad Mortgage Services Ltd Reply: We completely agree Dave. Now more businesses than ever before are becoming very active and taking positive steps in generating more business. It has to be said the we have come across a few people that made me want to close up shop. you wouldn’t beleive it, but is was actually during their 60 second pitch at a networking event. Anyway, it’s good to see you enjoying yourself out there.
Spice lounge is an Indian restaurant in Liverpool. Hang on, I’ve just heard thousands of business people throughout Merseyside saying “oh, and what”, so let me try that again. Spice Lounge is an exquisite fine dining experience based in the Albert Dock in Liverpool whose staff and owners pride themselves on having the very best Indian chefs with the finest ingredients and giving the ultimate customer service to its discerning guests. That’s more like it. You see, there are many Indian restaurants throughout Merseyside, but this family run business stands out not only because of its quality of food and service, but also its environment. Besides being located in an historic landmark in the city, (looking from the town centre towards the Albert Dock, the restaurant is at the front left corner of the building), but it is beautifully and stylishly appointed. The modern yet comfortable look and feel to the restaurant, along with the very attentive staff, make you feel like you are about to experience something special as soon as you walk through the door, and when you begin to eat your food, you realise that your first impressions were correct. To the family owners, this restaurant is the jewel in the crown of their business. They wanted to create for their customers an all round first class experience. From the finest ingredients and one of the very few charcoal fired Tandoori ovens outside of London, to their top chef’s and the fact that they
refuse to use any artificial colours or flavours, so the food you see and eat, is all natural, as it is meant to be. Now when you go to a restaurant of this quality, there are 2 things that tend to go hand in hand with it. They are high prices and tiny morsels of food that are very well decorated. I am very happy to inform you that neither are the case at Spice Lounge. The prices are actually no more than you would expect from an average restaurant and as for portion size, well let’s just say that you won’t be leaving hungry. I have eaten at The Spice Lounge on many occasions and it’s one of those places were the more you go, the more you want to go. Very quickly you become friends with the staff there and nothing is too much trouble. Even when the restaurant is quite full and they are obviously busy, they never make you feel hurried, in fact quite the opposite. The Spice Lounge opened in 2006 to critical acclaim and this award winning restaurant has been going from strength to strength ever since. They support many community projects and their reputation is spreading into the world of the celebrity, with internationally renowned Footballers and Golfers, to Politicians, to TV and Radio presenters, the word is well and truly out. These people know a good thing when they see it, after all, they are used to having the very best. So, if your looking for somewhere to go for a meal this month, why not give The Spice Lounge a try, I can assure you, you will not be disappointed and you never know who’s going to be in there, it never hurts to be seen with the odd celebrity.
WWW.SPICELOUNGE.UK.COM
TECHNOLOGY forBUSINESS We take a look at how Bluetooth could make a comeback and we uncover the Latest phone from HTC and see if it’s any good for business.
Ba Ba By Craig Brake
I
s Bluetooth really obsolete? I don’t think it is just yet. Nowadays a lot of companies are trying to find new ways in which they can market virally. SMS, MMS, LBS, Social networking, even RFID.
None of these are really cost effective as they all require mass adoption by the consumer or they need to be heavily funded and developed. I have done a fair amount of research on this particular subject and I have developed various business models that would fit right in with today’s tech savvy consumer and social media. But again, they don’t get around the fact that mass adoption would be required on both commercial and consumer parts. So this had left me in a bit of a pickle. I didn’t want to seem like I was going backwards
by using Bluetooth. But, would using Bluetooth really be going backwards? I took a lot of time to think about this and spoke to various businesses who use Bluetooth and businesses who use other methods, none of which seem to have identified the business models I developed (I found this scary). Whoever i have spoken with has never had success with Bluetooth. This started to raise questions. Is the technology that bad? The answer is no. There is nothing wrong with the technology, actually it’s really good. So why doesn’t it get used like it should?
Here is my conclusion:
Nobody has the right marketing strategy for it. The consumer is a funny little animal, a sheep if you like. This should not come as a surprise to you as a business. If the consumer is the herd of sheep, then you are a Sheep dog. I say this because the shepherd blows a whistle and talks in a language that nobody can understand. The sheep dog gets the job done. As a business you have to define the gate you wish to guide the sheep through and then gather the
sheep into a nice close huddle and then show them the way. It’s that simple, and because this is not the official sheep dog competitions you can leave little treats for the sheep leading them into the gate so the sheep dog can get away with doing less work. Ok, back to reality. What this basically means is that people won’t do things unless you show them how to and make it look very attractive. Because of the technology that we have access to today, this has never been more accessible. All you need to do to utilise the fact that
80% of all mobile devices have Bluetooth, so tell people to use it. What to use it for is up to you to come up with. I could tell you what I have but that would be too easy. I will cover more on Bluetooth over the next couple of months so please provide me with your thoughts and I will try and answer them as best as possible.
Hero Review
O
ne of the most anticipated releases of mobile Android technology in the industry was the HTC HERO. With its sleek new design and tweaked OS skin, this really is a stylish phone. The Hero doesn’t just look pretty on the outside, when you dive into its 7 page home screen you’ll fall even more in love with the way it looks. Fancy screen animations and HTC designed widgets really make this a device for the next generation. Unfortunately, we do have a few things to mention about this a bit later on. The layouts of the buttons on this minimalistic device are neatly arranged and with a trackball for you to navigate there doesn’t seem much wrong. The buttons are practical shortcuts and sit nicely with the rest of the design. Unfortunately, those of you that are right handed will notice that access to the widely used “back” button requires you to move your hand into a very cramping posi-
tion. One way around this is to hold the phone with your left hand which allows your right hand to move freely. The volume button is in its usual place on the side of the handset keeping the image sleek, whilst a 3 1/4 headphone jack is situated at the top of the screen. The dual point touch screen is a 3.5” LCD-TFT with 320x480 HGVA resolution, using the same smudge resistant coating as the iPhone 3GS. With a built in light sensor, the screen will auto dim to save battery life. Go beyond the screen and into the software, you will see that it has been beautifully reworked from the earlier models. Although it is different, the OS itself is essentially the same, albeit, a lot more attractive. The 7 page home screen is scrollable horizontally and it is here where you will add your widgets, most popular being messages and social media sites feeds. The widgets are not the actual apps so further function-
ality will not be possible without redirecting yourself there manually. Please don’t stress, this can be done by a button on the widget itself. When making a call, the HERO offers a filter like system with its keyboard functionality, the same screen will allow you to dial a number manually or search name, initials, or company. Although the keyboard is much improved from earlier models it is still a touch screen therefore doesn’t quite match Apple’s QWERTY keyboard for full functionality, and definitely doesn’t match a physical keyboard. This Android OS and Browser has opened up new doors to mobile internet with its built in flash player. Because of this functionality you are free to watch flash videos and use flash content on the web. Neither Blackberry nor iPhone 3GS offers this. Be warned, it does come at a price. Were as previous devices don’t process flash and skip past it
to load the rest of the content, the Hero doesn’t, so waiting for a flash rich site can be painfully boring. This isn’t helped by using the Wi-Fi functionality either. It’s a good job that here in the UK we are going to be getting 3G access because, well...we need it.
Hero’s widget (should you choose to use them) offer fantastic file sharing capabilities. Your images are grouped into albums, Facebook, flickr, etc... And can me moved from one group to another with a simple grab and drop action.
We do have to point out one thing and this may be noticeable if you’ve read the spec sheets from previous HTC mobile devices; the hardware is the same. This may not strike you as a bad thing as the processing speed of previous devices was great. BUT! This Android phone is offering more. All of the applications and widgets are even more enhanced and as a result use more memory. The more widgets that you use on the 7 of your home screens, the more data the phone transfers. As a result the OS is jittery and can freeze at times, especially when the device is synchronizing.
Like I said, this phone is possibly the benchmark for phones of the next generation in terms of its features, displays, and customizable appearance but it’s using last generations’ hardware which has really let this phone down. Firmware upgrades aren’t going to solve this problem.
There’s nothing spectacular to say about the camera and video recorder except they lack excitement. Dull hues make for plain images so stay away if you’re a budding photographer. That said, the
We like this phone, its fun, quirky, and has some really great features for business use but this phone is just one big compromise. What you gain in one area, you lose to another. So, day to day this phone is bearable. For the hardcore internet socializing junkie with no patience, you might want to look elsewhere. We’ve listed some alternatives: Nokia N97 Apple iPhone 3GS Samsung Jet Blackberry Curve Blackberry Storm Blackberry Bold
Tell us what you think here
I AN GA
AWA
AMESTER
ARD WINNING FILM MAKER & PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTIST
W
hen is a trade not a trade? When it becomes art. The thing with the photography and film making profession is that the line between profession and art becomes blurred. Ask any photographer worth his or her salt and he or she will tell you that there is a little bit of them in every picture they take. Does this make it art. To be honest, I don’t know. No wonder they say art is subjective. I’ve heard people describing certain cars as “work’s of art”, in fact, I may have even said it myself, (I’m particularly fond of the modern Aston Martin styling and Renault really have come up with some iconic shaped models in recent times), but can this be so. What about something like Tracey Emin’s tent which contained the pictures of every boyfriend she’s ever slept with. I don’t see this as art, all I see is a tent with photographs pinned to it, I’m sure there will be equal numbers of readers both agreeing and disagreeing with me on that one, but that’s ok, isn’t that supposed to be what happens.
I’ve studied art, not in any formal setting, I just mean that I have literally studied it. I’ve listened to art, I’ve looked at art and I’ve even felt art. Allot of it I don’t get, in fact I’m being polite, I think a good deal of what people tell me is art is actually crap. Allow me explain. If an artist produces a piece of work which has a meaning to them, maybe stirs some sort of emotion in them and this is not open to it’s audience to see and experience, then I believe it has failed. So many times we hear people say that it is open to “interpretation”. If it is, then I believe the message has not been communicated and therefore the piece hasn’t worked. So many times I have seen so called artists put together some old pieces of junk and pass them off as art, or daub some paper or canvas with completely random colours, without skill, or indeed a message and again call it art. I disagree. But then again, it doesn’t matter that I disagree, if a work is produced and only one person on earth appreciates it, then it is art to them.
I have known for some time that I would be writing this piece on Ian Gamester, a man I don’t know. I have spent that time looking at his work and trying to decide how to write the article. When we write an article we gather information about the business concerned, interview the relative people and find out what they’re about and ask them to send us as much info about themselves or their business as possible, then try to portray this in the feature. As I sit in my conservatory writing this on a Sunday evening, about 24 hours before the edition is due to be released, I can tell you I’m not going to do it. I am not writing the feature. Ian Gamester sent us a description of each piece of work we wanted to include, this is what you will read. Who better to describe what he does. So please, read his descriptions, but more importantly look at his work and ask yourself as I have, is this art? I think so.
I
am a filmmaker based in the North West. As a filmmaker I divide my time between shooting documentaries and corporate videos, working on more personal short films and shooting music videos when I get the opportunity. Recent corporate work includes “I am not a statistic, I am a story”, a documentary highlighting the experiences of participants of the Wild Transformation course, a social enterprise that works throughout the UK inspiring the long term unemployed to pursue dreams and inspire others in the community.
I am not a statistic, I am a story - Clare’s Story
Currently I am working on a documentary with the West Lancashire Women’s Refuge. This project has been running for several months now and it has been an emotional and exhausting journey. The project is being filmed to celebrate the refuge’s 21st anniversary and I commend them for their incredible service to the community, and also their bravery in embarking in such a project. We had ambitions to shoot a documentary but had no idea if it was going to succeed or not, everything rested on the support of the women who use the refuge. The results so far have far outstripped any of my expectations and I believe we have an incredibly important and powerful piece of work on our hands. For the project we equipped the participants with video cameras and each week they have been documenting their experiences, their many highs and lows. At first it was a very delicate situation and it has taken many weeks
to build up the trust and confidence to get the participants in the position where they are ready to share their thoughts on camera. Each week we meet and watch the footage as a group, and this support network has been crucial to the project’s success. Some of the footage and stories have been harrowing and there have been plenty of tears along the way, but because of the support network the experience has been extremely powerful for all involved. The refuge and I had hoped that the project would have some cathartic benefit for the participants but the whole experience so far has gone beyond what we expected. It seems the process of opening up to a handheld camera, in isolation, on your own terms, when you are ready, has been tremendously liberating for the women and they have all gained something from the experience. I am so proud of everyone involved and I just hope I do the
project justice when I come to edit it in time for our November deadline. I’ve only recently returned to filmmaking after a long time out of the game. It was only when I moved to Australia after reaching a dead end in the UK that I found myself being drawn back to filmmaking and photography. It was like all those years of pent up creativity came flooding out. I started shooting bits and pieces for fashion magazines in Sydney, and then I shot short videos on Sydney Fashion week and street fashion in Tokyo, Paris, London, Milan and Sydney. When I got to shoot my first music video in Sydney it was like the “Eureka” moment, I suddenly realised what I was missing in my life. Since I picked up my camera again about 2 years ago, it’s like I have been playing catch up. I can’t rest these days because I feel I’ve wasted so many years.
After Australia, on return to the UK I shot a short film for the Tropfest Festival in New York. I was nominated as one of 8 finalists and the film was judged by a panel of people like Julianne Moore, Malcolm Gladwell, and Billy Crudup. Although I didn’t win, it was a timely jolt in the arm giving me the belief that returning to filmmaking is the correct thing for me. Plus I got to take the star of the film along with me to New York... my Nan!
Teaching an old dog new tricks
Marina Gillies - This one be killer
I try to run community projects whenever I can draw down the funding. I have a project called Ideas in Motion, a music video project aimed at young people giving them the skills and experience to shoot and direct their own music video for local unsigned musicians. With the support of Helena Housing and Riverside Housing I have so far ran the project in Parr, St Helens, St Cuthbert’s School in St Helens and the Edge Hill Youth Club in Kensington, Liverpool. It’s great to see the kids grow in confidence and you can see a sparkle in their eyes when their ideas are coming thick and fast. They also keep me on my toes which is always a good thing!
Arial Chambers - Just another number (directed by Ashleigh Kinder and Kayleigh Murphy) I wouldn’t call myself a photographer, but it’s certainly something that I love and hope to improve on as I get older. I like to pick up old cameras from the car booty, there’s something romantic and exciting about waiting for a film to develop. I also mourn the end of Polaroid. I have loads of Polaroid cameras and like to shoot Hockney inspired photo joiners. I still have my Fuji check but it’s not the same! I also have ambitions to pursue art projects. I recently took part in an exhibition at NOVAS with a video instillation. It was a piece made up of old analogue televisions stacked on top of each other about head height, each showing a montage of naked body parts making up a composite human figure. The soundtrack was of people talking about their body issues. To film the naked people and get enough willing participants I had open myself up to the Lancashire nudist commu-
nity, but the less said about that the better! I thank them for their involvement in the piece, but the sacrifices I made will remain a mystery! For the immediate future, I am due to shoot a music video for UK rapper Mystro at the end of August. I am hopefully embarking on another documentary shortly with people who suffer with dual diagnosis, a condition that couples a mental problem with a substance addiction. I am also in negotiations with the Crisis Centre in Skelmersdale, a support centre for young men. We hope to shoot a drama based on their experiences, as well as providing opportunities for them to fulfil production roles in the film, giving them some valuable life skills and experience. There are other corporate videos in the offing, so I hope I have a busy few months ahead of me.
SCHOOL
NET It’s September again and you’ve guessed it, the kids are back at school. For some this means regaining precious lost hours during the day, whilst for others such as the commuters, it’s a nightmare. Over the summer holidays we have had the pleasure of getting out of bed later to get into the office whilst still having a relaxing, enjoyable drive. The roads have been empty in comparison. Unfortunately though, that’s all going to stop. As from early September the kids go back to school, and even though the weather is nice, parents insist on dropping their kids off from their home a
TWORKING mere five hundred yards away. Thus responsible for the rush hour traffic. Trying to drive between 3pm and 4pm is nothing short of hellish mayhem. There is however light at the end of the lollipop man’s sign, Go Networking. That’s right. If traffic isn’t your cup of English Breakfast, then why not consider going networking? A simple breakfast meeting will see you at your venue by the time the roads start to get busy, with the added bonus of a nice breakfast too. Beacause networking is getting ever more popular, you can more or less go networking anytime you
like, including evenings. Go to an evening networking event and miss the rush hour traffic on the way home. Enjoy winding down with a drink and refreshments, Instead of bounding home in the five o’clock ratrace.
It’s a win win situation. To find out how to beat the madness and be productive too whilst making great contacts, turn the page to see the many networking events that are available for you to attend. We’ve planned each day for you to suit your specific needs, so you can spend less time searching and more time missing the traffic jams
1st September 2009 Event Organizers: Grahame Browne Event Name: B4B Location: Kings Gap Court Hotel. Kings Gap Rd, Hoylake, Wirral CH47 1HE Cost: £10 (breakfast) Time and Date: Tuesday 1st Sep @ 6pm-7:30 Link to site: grahame@bforb.co.uk
2nd September 2009 Event Organizers: Grahame Browne Event Name: B4B Location: Park Inn Hotel. Linkway West, St. Helens. WA10 1NG Cost: £10 (breakfast) Time and Date: Wed 2nd Sep @ 7am-8:30 Link to site: grahame@bforb.co.uk Event Organizers: Liverpool Chamber of Commerce Event Name: Business Breakfast @ Mocha Lounge Location: 20 Sir thomas Street, Liverpool City Centre Cost: £15 Time and Date: Wed 2nd Sep @ 7am-8:30 Link to site: events@liverpoolchamber.org.uk - 0151 227 1234
8th September 2009 Event Organizers: My Networking PA Event Name: I HEART coffee republic month networking launch Location: Exchange Sq. Liverpool Cost: FREE Time and Date: Tuesday 8th September from 10am Powered by: www.mynetworkingpa.com “making connections that count” 08453017406 rsvp@mynetworkingpa.com
9th September 2009 Event Organizers: Mark Greenwood Event Name: Simply Networking Location: Mosquito,15 Victoria Street,Liverpool,L2 5QS Cost: £10 pay on door Time and Date: 9th Sep 2009 @ 3pm to 5pm Event Organizers: Liverpool Chamber of Commerce Event Name: Business After Hours Location: 50-51 Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool City centre Cost: £10 Time and Date: Thursday 10th Sptember 5:30 - 7pm Link to site: events@liverpoolchamber.org.uk - 0151 227 1234
15th September 2009 Event Organizers: Grahame Browne Event Name: B4B Location: The Liner Hotel. Lord Nelson St, Liverpool. L3 5QB Cost: £10 (breakfast) Time and Date: 15/9/09 @ 7am Link to site: grahame@bforb.co.uk
16th September 2009 Event Organizers: Grahame Browne Event Name: B4B Location: Park Inn Hotel. Linkway West, St. Helens. WA10 1NG Cost: £10 (breakfast) Time and Date: Wed 16th Sep @ 7am-8:30 Link to site: grahame@bforb.co.uk
16th September 2009 Event Organizers: My Networking PA Event Name: My Networking PA Location: Hard Days Night Hotel, Liverpool City Centre Cost: FREE Time and Date: 16th September From 7pm - 11pm Fantastic chance to network in a relaxed environments. powered by www.mynetworkingpa.com “making connections that count” 08453017406 rsvp@mynetworkingpa.com
23rd September 2009 Event Organizers: My Networking PA Event Name: The Curry Club Location: Sultans Palace , Victoria St, Liverpool Cost: £15 Time and Date: Wednesday 23rd September From 6pm Fantastic chance to network in a relaxed environment over a curry! One of Liverpool’s newest, yet most successful networking nights. powered by www.mynetworkingpa.com “making connections that count” 08453017406 rsvp@mynetworkingpa.com
Event Organizers: Juice Networking Event Name: Launch Event Location: Woodside Ferry Terminal, Birkenhead Cost: FREE Time and Date: Wednesday 23rd September From 6pm - 8pm
30th September 2009 Event Organizers: Jim Petafi Event Name: Mastermind Location: Pioneer Bar & Restaurant, Liverpool Road, Crosby Cost: FREE Time and Date: 24th September @ 6pm Open networking, followed by inspirational talk, then mastermind session, then finish off with open networking
25th September 2009 Event Organizers: My Networking PA Event Name: Finish @ 5 Fridays Location: www.chameleonbar.co.uk Cost: FREE Time and Date: 25th September @ 5pm (Every last Friday of the month) Decription: My Networking PA and Chameleon Bar, Liverpool wants to invite those from the creative industries to finish that bit earlier on Friday , to come down to Chameleon Bar kick back , network and meet likeminded creative’s over a nice cold cocktail and the first one is one us ! This is a FREE event, no fuss no structure and no boring the pants off you or should we say jeans? So finish early, blag the boss or just escape under the guise of creative networking. www.mynetworkingpa.com “making connections that count” 08453017406 rsvp@mynetworkingpa.com
30th September 2009 Event Organizers: Plus 1 Networking Event Name: Plus 1 Networking Location: Andersons Bar, Exchange Street, Liverpool City Centre Cost: £15 Time and Date: 30th September @ 2:45pm A combination of formal and informal networking between the virtual and real world.
If you want your networking event listing here free of charge then fill in the box below or email events@yourbusinessezine.com or call 08000 432 734
Our Next Event: Andersons Bar, Exchange Street East (a right off Dale Street just before Royal Bank of Scotland), Liverpool City Centre JOIN US HERE 30th September 09
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e have all become a little too comfortable with social networking on our more than friendly pc’s, leaving many of us unable to converse when face to face. Ian Denny is all too familiar with this as he recently told us ”I’m actually very shy and many years ago forced myself to go to business networking events” he also describes himself as “a wall-flower, sat somewhere in the corner” there are plenty of us who can relate to this so we we’re more than keen to find out about Ian’s new concept, combining reallife and internet-based networking.
The founder of Plus 1 Networking will hold a “real-world” networking event at Anderson’s Bar, in Exchange Street East on Tuesday 25th September. More than 60 people have confirmed and when they arrive they will be put into groups and given discussion topics in order to get them talking. In a recent interview with the Daily Post, Ian explained that, “On Facebook, people raise both personal and business issues in the form of a status update. But, at a networking event, there’s no such ice-breaker. That’s why I think it’s important a conversation topic is chosen before the event.” Mr Denny says the event will also help people understand how online networking through Facebook can work for them. Now here’s the magic bit! after the event, whatever you come up with is published on his site. So you’ll
be able to see what other tables were chatting about. You’ll get an email after the event inviting you to check what you said, and browse through what others were talking about. Your profile, company and if you like, a link to your web-site will be featured too. I’m sure you’ll agree that when you read an opinion, you want to know about the person who gave it? And because everyone who attends is invited to browse through the conversations on the night, you’ll get a lot more quantity of “virtual” coverage than just the 6 on your table. In fact, thousands of people will be invited to browse through what people were talking about on the night. Where other networking events END after you’ve left, this one just keeps on going!
Networking over a cocktail..yes please! My networking PA gets creative... 28th Sept!
This Friday will see My networking PA & Chameleon Bar, Liverpool join forces to give Liverpool’s creative sector a new way in which to meet likeminded creative’s through informal networking at the new event called “Finish@5Friday’s” MNPA is calling all those from the creative industries to finish that bit earlier this week, and head down to The Chameleon Bar, Back Colquitt Street (behind FACT). Come and join creative’s from Liverpool , to listen to some great music ,kick back meet likeminded businesses ,network over a nice cold cocktail ,and the best bit the first drink is on us! Finish@5Fridays is No fuss, no structure, and definitely no boring the pants off you, or should we say jeans? Blag the boss, or just escape your office or place of work under the guise of networking. Friday @ 5 be at The Chameleon Bar ,it could get creative! RSVP to: rsvp@mynetworkingpa.com www.mynetworkingpa.com
Business For Breakfast Business for Breakfast is a business club whose key aim is to help its members significantly grow their businesses through relationship marketing and the passing of qualified referrals. We run fortnightly meetings at locations in Liverpool and Wirral. Business for Breakfast only allows one person per industry sector to join a forum. This effectively prevents any of your competitors from participating - so all the referral business for your particular industry is yours. Why not take a look at the opportunities and benefits that your Business for Breakfast membership offers? Benefits of Business Networking It is the most cost effective way of attracting new clients and generating new orders. It provides you with invaluable contacts that gives your company a dramatic boost, regardless of size or turnover. It frees up your time, reduces your overheads and opens doors to great success. Guest Membership We welcome guest members regularly to our meetings. It is the perfect opportunity to come along to chat to our members and listen to their real experiences. It only costs ÂŁ10 to come along and we usually indulge in a great breakfast to start the day!! Find out more about events and venues or please contact grahame@bforb.co.uk or call on 07970 896 677 to reserve your seat(s).
If you’ve been out networking then why not send us your images and show people how great it was. You can send them to
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ave you ever gone to a networking event and NOT met someone who “does” web sites? Me neither. 10 to 15 years ago it was quite a specialised thing to do, but now it seems like every man and his dog can do them. There are, as usual, several reasons why this is the case. For a start, it’s got easier to do. There are no end of “packages” available online that use standard templates and any old relatively technophobic idiot, like myself, can pretty much fill in the blanks and get online. Also, we have had a full generation, (now grown up), that have grown up with computers and the internet as the “norm”. If they need to do anything I.T. related, it is far more instinctive and they are therefore much more likely to have a go themselves. So maybe we should start a campaign to get rid of all web design companies and just do it ourselves. I DON’T THINK SO! You see here is the problem. Whilst what was difficult 15 years ago has got easier today, things have moved on, significantly. The web has evolved and continues to do so. If it’s not your full time job, then it’s difficult to keep up and let me tell you, it’s evolving at a hell of a pace. A good modern web site is a very complicated work of art. There are so many factors to be considered in order to not only get it right, but as much as possible, future proof it. So here’s your next problem. You know you need a new web site, one that is modern and actually works for you, 24/7 and doesn’t just sit there, passively waiting for someone to fall over it then lets them go with no record after what must have been, quite frankly, an uninspired visit. But who do you go to? How do you sort the wheat from the chaff? Allow me to help. Turn the page and I think you may find an inspired answer. IT’S ABOUT WEBSITES.
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T’S ABOUT WEBSITES. Well let me tell you, for Gavin and Paul, it really is. I only met these 2 likely lads a couple of weeks ago at a networking event in Liverpool, but I immediately new that they had excellent taste, (well, they did become a member of this fantastic publication straight away). But besides this, there was something just a little bit “NOT NORMAL” about them. It’s actually quite hard to put your finger on at first, but you know when you look at someone and think, their brains are just not wired the same as everyone else’s in the room. I have to say that I was intrigued, especially given the industry they are in, which lets be honest, is extremely competitive and very hard to stand out in, so the following day I called them to arrange to meet up and find out more. Let me tell you, my instincts served me well, These lads are a little bit bonkers, but a good bonkers, not the scary kind like the nutter on the bus or anything. Allow me to give you an example; Paul, returning to the office from a very productive meeting with a new client, finds Gavin having a dance competition with Craig, (the newest member of their team), (Gavin is a HUGE line dancing fan and will challenge anyone to a dance off). Now then Paul, being
a partner in the business and obviously very concerned about productivity, did exactly what was expected of a man in his position. He walked straight over to his desk and sounded the air horn they keep there for the ever increasing number of occasions when they sign a new client. In fact they’ve been so busy last month that they thought they had a leak, until they realised it was coffee coming through the ceiling from the office upstairs, (they tend to have a little accident every time the horn goes off). You see, you may now be starting to build a picture of what IAW life is actually like, but believe me, you don’t know the half of it. Well Gavin and Paul have known each other for many years. They first met when Paul went to work at Rippleffect when the company was in its infancy and Gavin was already there as one of the companies founding members. Paul eventually moved on and began working as a freelancer, but Gavin stayed at Rippleffect, rising to the position of Creative Director and winning awards on the way. Eventually Gavin also left and went into the freelance market, were he once again met up with Paul and eventually they formed It’s About Websites 2 years ago. Originally working from home, the 2 of them carried on do-
ing their respective freelance work, whilst building the client base for It’s About Websites, until a few months ago when they decided to take the plunge and do what they love doing best full time. They looked at various areas to locate the business in, but decided on Liverpool, which is a decision they are both extremely happy with, in no small measure because of the help that they have received from the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and also May Fifteen. Actually they are both particularly grateful of the help and support they have received from Jeni of May Fifteen who has not only helped them with setting targets, but also boosted their confidence whilst out networking and in the business as a whole. Now the business is going from strength to strength and the passion and enthusiasm that Gavin and Paul both obviously feel is infectious. As I said before, this really is quite a competitive industry and I wanted to put my finger on what it was that made IAW stand out, because believe me it does, so I asked them. The thing is, I got all of the stock answers that you would expect someone to say about their business. A friendly personal service, middle range pricing for a top of the range product, simplistic to use, blah, blah, blah.
Then, just when I thought that was it, almost as an afterthought, they said it. You see, the thing with these two is this. What they do they do so naturally, there is nothing contrived or calculated with them, there uniqueness almost doesn’t register with them. You’re going to have to bear with me on this one so I can explain. You see, when I first tell you what it is, you will probably say, “is that it, I mean it’s good, but
basis in order for us to really understand their business and give them the best possible service”. What I didn’t realise at the time when they said this to me was they were not reciting this from a how to run a better business manual. This was a genuine passion for them and the payment terms simply allow them to do this more effectively. So if your website costs £X’s, then divide that by 24 and that’s what you pay. Then what hap-
along. Brilliant I thought, but that’s not all. This gives them the time and contact with the client they need, so they can not only get to know their business, but also them as individuals and in doing this, they can do a better job for them.
the way you’ve built this up I was expecting fireworks”. So here goes. You don’t have to pay for your website up front, you can spread the payments over 2 years, in fact they would prefer you to do that. Now let me explain why I am so impressed with this. If we go back a few lines you will see the blah, blah, blah bit. Now, one of those blah’s was this. “We want to get to know our clients and work with them on an ongoing
pens is that IAW bear all the cost of the production of the site, they work very closely with the client for however long it takes in order to get it just right, after all, the client has to be happy, he’s not paying for it all for the next 2 years, then, they sit down with the client every 3 months and check how their search engine optimisation and online marketing is going and make any necessary adjustments to improve things as they go
or organisations in order that they give the best possible service to their clients. They have developed a fun, cheeky kind of atmosphere to work in, were they can all just be themselves and do what they love doing most, after all...
Paul and Gavin don’t want to stand out from the crowd, they want to be in front of the crowd. They are happy to work with other companies
IT’S ABOUT WEBSITES.
Ask The Richard Dickinson
Richard started out in his working life in the Navy, were he served for a number of years, travelling around the world learning some fantastic skills and meeting people from many different cultures. After leaving the navy, Richard entered the world of banking and finance, ending up in a role as East Midlands Region Development Manager for a high street bank. Richard then decided he was ready for another challenge, so he left the bank and set up his own national insurance brokerage, which he ran for 5 years, until selling the business in 2005. Given Richards extensive experience over the years in dealing with businesses and more importantly business people, Richard felt he would make a very good business coach. He then trained and was accredited by the Adler School of International Coaching and took on a franchise from Ology Coaching, which gives him the support of a multi national company, whilst at the same time still being able to give a local personal service to his clients. We are very pleased to have Richard on board and are sure you will benefit from his wisdom and experience.
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Surviving Business Setb
ps and downs are always a part of being in business but occasionally the downs can reach the point where they seriously threaten the survival of your business. There are many factors that can be responsible for this. For example, competition may have increased, interest rates may have increased, fashion may have changed, a key employee may have left, a major cost may have increased markedly, the economy may have slowed etc. So, what to do..?
For instance, failure to monitor the crucial numbers within a business, or even worse, failing to record those numbers can mean that problems may not be identified until too late, e.g. overheads may have become unacceptably high or receivables collection is getting dangerously slow. Once the weaknesses have been found draw up a plan to fix them. If this feels a bit overwhelming or you feel you don’t know how to do it, get help. Spending a thousand or so now is preferable to losing everything later.
1st- Identify the problem
2nd- Start fixing
Do an honest and critical appraisal of your business weaknesses and write them down. Remember that, ultimately, you are responsible for your business. Turning a business around may mean that you yourself have to do things differently.
Don’t wait. Having identified where the problems are, start fixing them now. Eliminate anything that doesn’t contribute to the bottom line. This can be hard to do, but keep in mind that everything will be cut if the business fails.
Remember that not all business setbacks are caused by external factors and that weakness within the business can be just as debilitating.
Make the hard decisions that will either generate cash or retain it. If your business handles inventory, sell that which is obsolete or excessive
and see if your suppliers will give extended credit terms. And when you sell, accept only cash or payment in less than thirty days. Monitor your receivables regularly, and do not hesitate to use a collection agency if necessary. Re-assess staffing levels and training. Could your customers be adequately serviced by fewer, better trained staff? Re-assess your market. Does your customer still want what you are selling, at the price you are asking and in the volume you need to remain viable? Re-assess your marketing. Are you reaching the right customer using the most effective methods for today? Re-assess your systems and procedures. Is your business running as smoothly and efficiently as it could be? A key element in turning any business around is to meet with your accountant, banker, advisor/coach, suppliers etc and especially anyone, apart
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backs from yourself, who has a financial interest in the business. If you are open about your situation and have a plan to turn things around they should be willing to provide help and advice on dealing with your business problems. Finally re-assess your goals and vision. Is what you are doing now really what you want to be doing and be brutally honest with yourself? More than one business has failed simply because the owner really wanted to be doing something else. Remember, if it all seems too much to handle, and it can, get help. Some help now is far cheaper than losing everything in the future.
Ask The Lisa Madariaga
Lisa is a life coach of some distinction. She is what you might call one of life’s achievers. Allow me to explain. Lisa is a qualified Barrister and a Chartered Accountant. She has worked around the world for both NYSE and FTSE 100 companies. Then one day, in November 2005, she collapsed in her London office. Not only was she unable to work, but could barely get out of bed for 5 months. As her health slowly improved, she was able to re evaluate her life. Lisa found that with her unique experiences of life, she was able to help others. She re trained and is now also qualified with the Institute of Leadership and Management, (ILM), as a life coach and executive business coach. Lisa is the founder and trainer of the Finance Coaching Academy of RSA, (formerly Royal and Sun Alliance). Soon to publish a self help book for people living with or recovering from ME, we are truly privileged to have Lisa contribute for us. So, don’t be shy, use this fantastic opportunity and ask Lisa some questions and don’t miss her articles, they may just change your life.
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IT’S ALL ABOU
t’s like looking in the mirror and expecting to see Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie looking back at you. The way we feel about ourselves is what is reflected back at us by our customers, family, friends, husband, wife, partner... So if we believe ourselves to be great at sales, quality workmanship, cooking a roast dinner or dancing, chances are we will be perceived as such by those around us and treated accordingly. Of course, there are those exceptions whose self-awareness requires some work, we have all watched X factor – the rejects! However, the general and vastly accepted rule is that we are what we believe ourselves to be. Confidence in any particular field will lead to success and mastery in that area, which gives an edge over the competition.
Seeing ourselves as a poor financial planner, a clumsy dad, an uneducated woman or whatever, is often self-perpetuating. When we looked at ourselves in the mirror, we would see someone with no financial acu-
men, therefore this would be what the world also saw and would inevitably treat us in line with our belief. This one theme has been a constant in every coaching session I have ever experienced. This is the “big one” that everything else boils down to; the one reason why some people succeed while the rest continues to try.
rubbish at. Put in everything, workrelated, home, social, school days, all of it. You should now have a far better idea of how you see yourself. Reviewing
Henry Ford said
“Whether you think that you can, or that you can’t, you are usually right.” Who are we to disagree? So, identifying how you see yourself is a great start to improving other people’s perceptions of you and to be seen as you want to be seen. above right is the Belief Block grid which can be completed as often as is helpful. The idea is to come up with as many examples for all three columns as you can. Keep going until you have exhausted everything you believe yourself brilliant, ok and
the Belief Block grid will allow you to assess how the beliefs you hold in relation to your abilities are currently affecting your life. During coaching sessions, my clients talk through their completed Belief Bocks and we discuss any evidence that they have for these views. There is often no or little evidence for “I am rubbish at”. Occasionally a single event or opinion from the past is put forward, but this is hardly adequate to justify an adult building a whole belief system
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LIFE COACH
U T Y O U !!! on which continues to affect their actions today. Don’t forget to take time to enjoy reviewing all the things that you are brilliant at as well. This is an excel-
lent confidence booster. The next step is to connect these outdated and now useless negative beliefs (“I am rubbish at”) to our conduct today. Once the basis for how we view ourselves has been demolished, or at the very least seen for the shaky ground that it is, we can start to plan and build our new, positive self-beliefs. As an accountant, I was often told that my skills lay in facts, figures and numbers, that accountants are not
skilled leaders or “people’s people”. It was only through leading larger and more diverse teams that I realised that I could and should learn and implement good management. This was the start of my interest in coaching and training, which has led me to this point in my life, a completely different direction to accountancy. If I had not challenged my own belief of what an accountant, and I, was rubbish at, my life would have been very different! Honesty when completing the Belief Block is necessary. The huge benefits will not be gained otherwise. Good luck in creating your first Belief Block grid – It would be great to hear how you get on.
Ask The Bernadette McDonald is the managing partner at bmd:law in Wavertree. After working as a lawyer for over 10 years she set up her own practice to serve the needs of SME’s and their owners 2 years ago. The firm deals with all aspect of business and personal law and has a very friendly ethos. Bernadette is a Sweet and Maxwell Law Prizeman and lectures on the post graduate legal practice course at Liverpool JMU on business and taxation subjects.
HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM YOUR SOLICITOR
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ost new business are scared of using solicitors, more so than other professionals such as accountants, but there is really no need. We don’t all bite! So here are some tips to make finding and using a solicitor less scary SELECT As a new or even young business you may avoid using a solicitor thinking that it is too expensive. Not necessarily true. But the important thing is to find the right solicitor for you. It’s not so dissimilar to finding a new hairdresser or garage – ask around. Ask your friends and networking contacts. Also the law society runs a scheme for specialist business lawyers called, somewhat cleverly, Lawyers for your Business. This gives
you a half hour session with a member solicitor to chat through what your business’s legal needs are. I get a lot of calls from people wanting to use the scheme and they all find it really helpful. It is also a great way to meet the solicitor, find out if they know what they are talking about and whether they ‘get’ you and your business. It is really important to get on with your solicitor and to feel comfortable with them. Gone are the days where the fat cat lawyer with the cigar lectured to you about what he would do for you. You are in control. COSTS Another scary thing is how much will a solicitor cost and much depends on what you want them to do, where their office is (city centre is always more expensive), the level of seniority (more experienced costs more) and whether they charge hourly or a fixed price. I would always recommend you pin your solicitor to a fixed fee as hourly rates can get out of hand, especially if they need to make more calls than necessary and you don’t know how much time they are spending. An experienced solicitor will know how much time they
are going to take and be able to give you an accurate fixed price, if not be a little wary as they are trying to protect themselves not you! INFORMATION It is easy to be bamboozled by a smooth talking solicitor at the beginning and not really understand what you are paying, why you are paying it and what exactly you will get. But don’t be afraid to ask. You would not go into the supermarket and buy a plain box, not knowing what was in it or how much it was. Legal services are the same. Ask the question and get the answer in writing. REMEMBER Like a puppy, a good business lawyer is for life not just for Christmas. Develop a good long term relationship and your solicitor is worth their weight in gold. They will be on hand to answer little questions that you need the answer to right now and without charging you for each call. They will give you advise on how to structure things even if you don’t ask – and this is really important don’t go with a ‘don’t ask me and I won’t tell you lawyer’ because after all they are the experts and you might not know enough. And the cheapest is not always the best – the one you get along with best is the best for you and your business. Good luck!
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SOLICITOR
Ask The Pat Cobham owns and runs Cobhams, tax consultants and accountants based in Crosby. Pat has recently been highly recommended to us here at Your Business E-Zine, but it was only in the last few day’s before going to publication that we were able to meet up and confirm that she would be able to be our expert accountant. This didn’t exactly give Pat much time to prepare a piece specifically for the e-zine, however, as Pat is very much in demand, she had recently written an article for someone else that, after some minor alterations, she was able to let us have. So next month we will have some more information about Pat herself and Cobham’s tax consultants, as well as an article written specifically for us. So I would just like to say thank you to Pat for responding so quickly and I hope you, the reader, finds this piece informative and useful.
Business Tax.
A capital Idea? The temporary first year allowance for Pla Alastair Darling said in his budget speech that he would be doubling his rate of capital allowances on Plant and Machinery, (P+M). As usual, once the fine print became available, the reality was not quite so generous. But nevertheless, larger businesses will be able to get tax relief for some of their capital expenditure at a faster rate than they might otherwise have enjoyed. Generally spe aking, when a business buys plant and machinery, this will qualify as capital expenditure and as such, can not simply be deducted as an expense in the same way as wages, or rent. Instead there is a complex system of capital allowances, which allows the business to claim relief for the expenditure over a period of time. The rate at which the relief can be claimed depends upon the nature of the plant and machinery. Cars have their own special regime and nothing in this article applies to cars. For most other plant and machinery, there are the following allowances; The annual investment allowance. The first £50,000 investment in plant and machinery in the year can be
claimed in full. The case of a group of companies, or “related” businesses, were much the same people own more than one business, the £50,000 is shared out amongst all the companies or businesses involved, but a single company or sole trader/ partnership can claim the full £50,000. Expenditure over the £50,000 in the year goes into one of two “pools”, depending on what type of plant and machinery is involved. The 10% pool This includes “long life” plant and machinery. This is plant and machinery with an expected useful life of 25 years when new. Not many types of plant and machinery fall within this definition – the classic example is a printing press. There are various exceptions to this rule as well and most businesses will not have a problem with it. The more common forms of plant and machinery in the 10% pool are features “integral” to a building. There is a list of specific types of plant and machinery which fall into this category; • Electrical systems • Cold water systems • Heating and ventilation sys-
tems, including air conditioning • Lifts, escalators and moving walkways • Solar shading • Active facades (what these are has been explained to me several times, but I still don’t understand) The list is exhaustive – that is to say, if it’s not on the list, it isn’t “integral” plant and doesn’t go into the 10% pool. Finally and again with a number of exceptions, assets used for a business of leasing go into the 10% pool. The 20% pool Everything else, being the majority of plant and machinery, goes into the 20% pool. Here we find computers, drills, lawnmowers, milling machines, horses (yes horses, and there is a tax case to prove it), tables and chairs, filing cabinets, telephones and all other stuff you need to run a business. Writing down allowances. Expenditure in either of the pool is written down at the rate applicable to the pool, at 10% or 20%. You take the value of the pool at the start of the year, add in expenditure during
e Expert the year over and above that which got the annual investment allowance of £50,000, and deduct the proceeds of any plant and machinery sold in the year. You then claim a deduction of 10% or 20% of the amount against your profits.
For example, suppose Farmer Giles buys a combine harvester for £100,000. The first £50,000 gets allowed in full under the annual investment allowance and the remaining £50,000 goes into the 20% pool, were it is written down at the rate of 20%. Farmer Giles therefore claims a de-
ant and Machinery. duction of £50,000, plus 20% of the other £50,000 = £10,000. His total allowances on the combine harvester in the year he buys it are £60,000 and the remaining £40,000 is carried forward to the next year, when another 20% (£8,000) can be claimed and so on. The temporary first year allowance In the budget, it was announced that expenditure on plant and machinery which goes into the 20% pool would qualify for an extra “first year allowance” of 40%. This only applies to expenditure incurred during the period from 1st April 2009 to 31st March 2010 (for companies), or during the tax year ending on 5th April 2010 for sole traders and partnerships. Looking at Farmer Giles again, if he bought his combine harvester during that period, he would get the annual investment allowance of £50,000 and on the balance of £50,000 that goes into the pool, another 40% (£20,000). His total allowances for the year are therefore £70,000, an increase of £10,000 on the previous position. Just how excited Farmer Giles will
be about this additional allowance, which in cash terms is worth £4,100 to him if he is a sole trader or partner paying tax at the top rate and as little as £2,100 if he farms using a company, remains to be seen, bearing in mind that all this is only an acceleration of allowances he would get anyway – next year, the balance of the cost of the combine harvester will be £30,000, on which he will get the 20% allowance of £6,000. Expenditure “incurred” One point for Farmer Giles to watch is exactly when expenditure is “incurred” for these purposes. This is not necessarily when he writes the cheque.
Ownership The other title wrinkle that can cause problems is that to claim capital allowances, the plant and machinery must become your property before the end of the period concerned (so for the new first year allowance, before 1st of April or 6th April 2010, depending on your business structure). Many sales agreements for expensive and complicated kit include a clause saying that title to the goods will not pass until payment has been received in full. Farmer Giles may take delivery of his new combine harvester on 20th March 2010, and pay for it within the credit period of (say) 30 days, but if there is a title clause like the one described, he will miss out on his 40% first year allowance because the combine harvester does not strictly “belong” to him by 5th April 2010, as he has yet to make payment in full.
ACCOUNTANT
FUNNY BU
Stephanie Davies
Director and Founder of Laughology, Stephanie Davies has over 10 years experience working in the public and private sector which has gained her an unsurpassed reputation for designing and delivering laughter and humour interventions for businesses, practitioners, clients, young people and adults. Stephanie is recognised as one of the UK’s leading voices in laughter and humour. She was recently invited by the University of Chester to develop and deliver the UK’s first MA course in Humour in the Workplace and will soon complete an MA on The Psychological Benefits of Laughter, Humour and Personal Growth. On leaving Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts in 2002 she began performing stand-up comedy, firing her fascination with the power of laughter and humour. After attending Dr Kataria’s Laughter Leader course Stephanie was accepted as a participant in world-renowned, Dr Patch Adams’s Health Care Intensive Training in the USA. She worked with Patch exploring the relationship between health, humour, community and the arts. On top of her busy training schedule, Stephanie is often asked to contribute to popular television programmes, such as Trisha, The Bank of Mum and Dad, BBC’s Heaven & Earth and ITV’s Stand-up Jenny. She is also a regular on BBC Radio
LOST IN TRANSLATION Have you ever said something you wish you hadn’t? Or thought of a better response to a question you were asked during an interview or meeting, only after you have walked out? Why is it the better answer always pops into your head much later on? I find this happens mainly when debating with a family member, which usually follows with me returning to the room which I had just walked out of to add “and another thing...” Unfortunately in the business world this is not seen as best practice and your first answer is the one that’s usually considered.
I’m almost certain Hilary Clinton is thinking of her own “and another thing...” right now, after her outburst last month: The Secretary of State lost her temper after a Congolese student, speaking through a translator, asked her what “Mr. Clinton” thought about a Chinese trade deal with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“You want me to tell you what my husband thinks?” Clinton replied, clearly riled by the thought of being seen as her husband spokesperson. “My husband is not secretary of state, I am,” she replied. “If you want my opinion I will tell you my opinion. I am not going to be channelling my husband.” It is uncertain as to whether the real question was “lost in translation” and the student actually asked what does President Obama think? Hilary’s reaction to the question has created quite a debate about whether the response was positive or negative.
As human beings we react and respond depending on how we feel. Sometimes we feel pressured, upset and undermined which can cause us to react and respond poorly or not as we would have intended. I suspect a mixture of these things resulted in Hilary’s abrupt response.
Pressure is often part and parcel of the business world and some people actually enjoy and thrive under its grip. However when it gets too much many of our responses in both behaviour and language can be construed as inappropriate and leave us wanting to run away and hide. In what I often think of as an ‘Ali McBeal moment’; where your imagination takes over and starts to interpret the scenario to be much worse than it actually was, to the point where you believe it to have been the worst moment of your career.
Performing as a stand-up comedian for the best part of eight years I know all too well the pressure one feels when questions (or heckles as they’re commonly known in the comedy world) are fired at you and your response is expected to be sharp, funny and worse of all, off the cuff. Keeping your cool and being able to think quickly is a skill that takes time to master. Once you have this skill
USINESS it is transferable and can be used in any situation. I have drawn upon the techniques when presenting at conferences and in interview scenarios. When the pressure is turned up and questions are fired sometimes our brain doesn’t work as quickly as we would like. And let’s face it there’s always some eager delegate or interviewer, who wants to impress their colleagues making it their mission to ask the most ridiculous question, just to watch you squirm. I actually relish these previously awkward moments now as not only can I draw upon my skills to think quickly and with a sharp response, I can also use my good humour to show I am relaxed about the question, usually obtain a laugh from the audience/panel and feel in complete control. With humour we can find common ground with others, build healthy relationships and smooth over difficult situations or questions. However, when we lose our sense of humour, we often get critical or defensive, and we blame others or ourselves for what was said, and how it was said. Humour is an essential skill needed to communicate well with others. A few well chosen words can get the attention of others and make a serious point without causing offense. The challenge for everyone is to become more aware of how to add humour, and when to avoid it, too much can annoy others and none at all can leave you stressed and tense. When we use humour as a skill at appropriate moments it can improve communication and help deflect confrontation and often the humorist comes out on top. Perhaps Hilary would have benefited from some coaching in these techniques? So having a sense of humour and being able to laugh really is a serious business. It is an essential skill needed to communicate well with others. I am not suggesting that as business
people and CEO’s we use ‘one-liners’ to manage staff, “Perhaps if you thought as much about your sales figures as your dress sense we could get you a chair to go with your desk”, as this could go seriously wrong. However I’m certain if Hilary had responded with a little more thought and not so much feeling and perhaps a touch of “good humour” less attention would have been given to her response and more to the reason for her being in Africa.
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HELP YOU!
We know that being a member of “Your Business Ezine” is already fantastic value, But we would like to know if there is anything else we can do to help YOU, for us to add yet more value to your membership. Here’s a few idea we’ve had, we would love to know what you think of them, and please suggest your own. If we can do it, we will. “All of the members offers to go into an online Directory” “Produce a seperate pack for hotels, so when they have visiting business people, they can see Networking Oppotunities, Members Offers and Contact Info.” “Optimise the eZine for Mobile devices”
What Are your suggestions?
What’s Coming New Next Month?
What are they doing for you?
In this section, coming in the October edition of the magazine, we are going to be asking various organisations, such as The Mersey Partnership, Local Government, etc, what they are doing to help businesses on Merseyside. What help and support is available to local businesses and what’s been happening to all of the money being pumped into the city.
To write this section we needed someone who was well connected in the city. A high profile business person who could get in front of the people we want to talk to and ask the right questions. So we turned to the best connected person we know. If you don’t know him, or have not even heard of him, then where have you been? The person writing this section will be Mr John Haynes, Director of The International Coaching Academy. At the time of publication, we have not yet confirmed who will be the first to be grilled, but if you have any suggestions for the following month, including any questions you would like the answers to, then please let us know and we will do whatever we can to oblige.
WHAT WE GOT WRONG THIS MONTH! Ok, errrh, well, yes. This is a little awkward, but what we are trying to do in this publication is provide the best possible service to our members and content to all of our readers. Now on occasion, as with all businesses, sometimes things go wrong, so whilst we are more than happy to tell you just how great we are, we feel it is only fair to let you know where we’ve gone wrong, or were we could improve. By all means if you spot something that we haven’t, please use the section provided to let us know. So here goes.
Brendon’s World
Last month in our preview edition we introduced something called Brendon’s World. This is supposed to be a regular feature where we track our subject, (Brendon Kenny), on his travels around the globe, seeing what he’s up to and where he’s up to it. You may recall that we said we had fitted a tracking device to our subject similar to the one in the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Total Recall. Unfortunately we recently discovered our tracking device attached to the back of a rat scurrying around an abandoned warehouse down by the docks. Obviously our Mr Kenny has had some help in removing the device and has escaped our attention. I can assure you that we are making every effort in order to recapture him and get him re tagged. If successful, you will see this feature appear again next month, but if not, we will endeavour to replace it with something equally as stimulating.
Networking Listings
We are trying to list as many networking events happening throughout the month as possible. Unfortunately and at the risk of sounding like I’m making excuses, we did not factor in the time of year, i.e. holiday season. This has meant that we simply ran out of time in order to bring you as comprehensive a list as we would have liked. If you run networking events and we have not been in touch with you, then I apologise, but if you want your events listing here in this magazine, please contact us, this is a completely free service, we do it to add value to our readers.
Member Offers
Every one of our members is allowed to advertise an offer to the readers of the magazine each month included in their membership fee and with a link to their website. As this is the launch edition and we have only recently begun selling memberships, therefore there are less of these offers to readers than there will be in the future. Also, some of the members that have joined over the last few weeks do not have appeared to have sent in an offer for us to display. This is a section that will grow month on month, so watch this space for some great offers to come. There are some offers there this month, so don’t avoid this section; you could miss out on saving a fortune.
THE DELAY
Oh dear, what can I say, how embarrassing. Ok, we have had a preview edition of this online magazine up for 2 to 3 weeks before the Launch September edition was due to go live on 25th August. Unfortunately in the crazy rush of the last few days before it was going live, some of the raw, (unchecked), content went into the magazine. To compound this problem, a software upgrade for the magazine was also released on the same day, which for some reason would not recognise the “rich content” in the magazine. That is all of the embedded videos, all of the forms for the members to contribute to the magazine and all of the links. As the magazine did not function correctly we had to take it back offline until the software issue could be resolved and we used this time in order to change the incorrect content and also get some additional information from the regions networking companies that had not quite made it in time for the launch date. So we ended up a few days late going live, (which
we have com-
pensated our members for in the form of an additional months membership free of charge), but a better magazine. SORRY.
Well, that’s it for this month, I suppose it wasn’t too bad after all. If you do spot anything or have any suggestions, then please let us know, we appreciate all feedback, this is how we will improve. editor@yourbusinessezine.com
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All Your Business e-Zine readers can get a free business coaching consultation when you call or email. www.ologybusiness.com 0151 428 0045
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JUST TO WRAP THINGS UP WE’D LIKE TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO WAS INVOLVED THIS MONTH.
Mark Has work hard on getting the articles on our featured businesses written and ready to go into the magazine. We would also like to thank him for his outstanding commitment to evening networking at bars.
Craig has worked on the organisation of the e-Zine, as well as designing the pages that bring you the stories and make them come alive.
Emma is our unstoppable networker and has been out and about many early mornings and late evenings. Great crontributions have been added on her part, we enjoy having her around
Fantastic Contributions from our panel of Experts
Our Featured Businesses & Other Contributors
hTC We would like to thank everybody for getting involved. Thanks to those of you that have submitted networking events, articles, and questions. We would like to thank the 200+ poeple who have already requested tickets for the launch event. Thanks to Chameleon Bar & Su Grainger. Thank You