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Summer 2010
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Your Business & Lifestyle magazine promoting the Doncaster area
I N V I T A T I O N You are invited to a MONTHLY NETWORKING EVENT in Doncaster brought to you by Local Knowledge. It is a business networking event in a relaxed environment. This is an ideal opportunity to meet other businesses in the area and help each other grow. Friday 23rd July from 12.00noon - 2.00pm at the Park Inn Doncaster, Decoy Bank South, White Rose Way, Doncaster DN4 5PD. If you would like more information including costs please email grahamdobson@localknowledgedoncaster.co.uk with your details. Refreshments and meal included. Requirements: A smile and plenty of business cards!
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Local Knowledge Solutions Ltd PO Box 1097, Doncaster DN11 0WE. Tel: 01302 237137 FRONT COVER PHOTOGRAPH Sandall Park Fake Festival. For details of the next event call 0800 652 2852
CONTENTS
Magazine printed by Apple Tree Print Services Ltd
BUSINESS 6 Crozier Jones 2 Networking invite 7 Success Doncaster 8 NHS Doncaster 10 Lewis’s Financial Planning 12 Q&A 13 Irun Barnsley 14 Speak Marketing
Lifestyle 18 LighterLife 20 Compost Corner 22 Mat and Mouse 24 Waveform Services 28 Spot the Difference 29 Find the Crown 30 Word Search
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Welcome to the ‘Summer’ issue of Business & Lifestyle magazine. At the time of writing the England squad has just been knocked out of the World Cup by Germany (Boo Hoo!). To cheer you up we are all trying our best to get your favourite magazine out over the holiday period despite everybody seemingly wanting to go away to sunnier climes. Who said there was a credit crunch? Maybe people are getting away to forget about the football. Whatever the reason, if you are going on holiday your Business and Lifestyle magazine will be the ideal accompaniment whilst you are waiting in those long airport queues. If you are not going anywhere special then relax in your garden (in between those showers) and read the articles provided in this month’s magazine.
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5
BUSINESS
The NEW Capital Gains Tax Rules Nick Skelton, partner at Doncaster-based Crozier Jones, Chartered Certified Accountants, outlines what businesses need to know.
band is £37,400. Mr Brown sells an asset in May 2010 and realises a chargeable gain of £17,000. In November 2010 Mr Brown sells another asset, realising a chargeable gain of £25,100.
In his emergency Budget on 22 June 2010 Chancellor George Osborne introduced a new rate of CGT with immediate effect. Nick Skelton, partner at Doncaster-based Crozier Jones, Chartered Certified Accountants, outlines what you need to know.
Mr Brown has no allowable losses to set against these gains, and the Annual Exempt Amount (“AEA”) for 2010/11 is £10,100. Neither of the gains qualifies for entrepreneurs’ relief.
From 23 June 2010 there will be two main rates of CGT, 18 per cent and 28 per cent, in place of the previous single rate of 18 per cent for all gains. The rate paid by individuals will depend upon the amount of their total taxable income. These new rates will not apply to those business assets which qualify for entrepreneurs’ relief which remain chargeable at 10%. The change will therefore affect, for example, the sale of second homes, buy-to-let rental properties, stock market investments and other shortterm or speculative gains. There has been no change to the annual exemption so no CGT is payable on the first £10,100 of chargeable gains. You will be pleased to hear that gains made before 23 June 2010 will remain taxable at the old rates and that in working out the CGT payable, taxpayers will be able to deduct losses and the annual exemption in the way which minimises the tax due.
Mr Brown’s taxable income is £10,000 less than the upper limit of the basic rate band (£37,400 £27,400). Mr Brown sets the AEA against the later gain (because part of that gain is liable to tax at the higher CGT rate), leaving £15,000 taxable (£25,100 – £10,100). The first £10,000 of the £15,000 is taxed at 18 per cent and the remaining £5,000 is taxed at 28 per cent. The £17,000 chargeable gain Mr Brown realised in May 2010 before the change of rates on 23 June 2010 is taxable at the old 18 per cent rate. If you are in any doubt about your individual position you should contact your accountant for guidance. Anybody who would like to talk to me or one of my partners can email me at nick.skelton@crozierjones.co.uk or telephone (01302) 738382.
Nick
So, an example In 2010/11 Mr Brown’s taxable income, after all allowable deductions and the personal allowance, is £27,400. The upper limit of the income tax basic rate
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BUSINESS In times of economic difficulty it makes sense for people to work together. We at Business & Lifestyle are playing our part to help by promoting a new business venture each month in conjunction with Success Doncaster. Success Doncaster is available to provide support and guidance to any resident of Doncaster regardless of their background. Help available ranges from support for new and existing businesses, guidance on retraining, help with finding a job and advice on financial issues for individuals and businesses.
Business blooms for Lord Hurst florist – all ideal for meetings, coffee breaks or lunch dates, situated in a fantastic floral atmosphere. Andrew is continuing to access help through the programme and will soon be allocated a business mentor from our Doncaster 100 initiative for continued guidance and support.
Andrew Hurst is a qualified florist who has always dreamed of running his own business. A number of setbacks in his personal life meant he has been unable to progress with his ideas until recently. Andrew, also one of the originators of the cancer charity, Firefly, approached Success Doncaster for support and was referred to one of our Business Advisors specialising in helping new businesses start up. Andrew had help in writing a business plan and was successful in accessing a small business start up loan. ‘Floristry by Lord Hurst’ offers premium quality, exotic flowers sourced from around the world suitable for weddings, funerals or special events. Andrew also goes above and beyond with the services on offer to ensure everything is tailor made to suit the customer’s personalities and needs. After successfully securing premises in Bennetthorpe, Doncaster ‘Floristry by Lord Hurst’ also operates two tea rooms within the shop and a third tea room outside in the garden
He said, “I credit the support I have received from Success Doncaster as the reason for turning my business dreams into reality. For as long as I can remember I have wanted to own my own floristry and café grounds, but I had a lot going on in my personal life and had hit a brick wall. Success Doncaster put me in touch with a business advisor who was excellent in helping me break down the barriers that had stopped me progressing with my ideas before. I also benefited from their business know-how and experience and found the advice instrumental in helping me get ‘Floristry by Lord Hurst’ off the ground” he added. I am confident that my mentor will continue to support me in the future in much the same way as I have already received support, now that my business is established.” To find out more about Floristry by Lord Hurst, please call Andrew on 01302 322004 / 07966 107236 or email floristrybylordhurst@btconnect.com Alternatively visit www.floristrybylordhurst.co.uk
www.localknowledgedoncaster.co.uk
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BUSINESS
PROJECT RAISES MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS IN THE WORKPLACE Better Workplace Better Mental Health programme helps businesses improve work retention PEOPLE with mental health issues are being helped to stay in work and return to their jobs successfully by a Doncaster-wide NHS project. Better Workplace Better Mental Health, run by NHS Doncaster and funded by the Big Lottery Fund, works with businesses and GPs to improve emotional wellbeing in the workplace and encourage people with stress, anxiety and depression back into work. The three-year programme, which was launched in October 2008, helps businesses ensure that their policies and practices are positive about mental health and wellbeing. The project also helps individuals experiencing mild to moderate mental health problems return to work or remain in their jobs during treatment. Employees take an average of seven days a year off work for health reasons and it is estimated that mental health problems account for 40 per cent of this figure. Tackling mental health in the workplace makes good business sense, improving employee commitment to work and staff performance, 8
reducing staff turnover and raising the organisation’s reputation and image. Using a “needs assessment tool” the Better Workplace Better Mental Health team works with businesses to identify specific areas that can be improved so that organisations are able to operate best practices around mental health. The service can offer guidance on training for mental health awareness and help with return to work plans for absent employees. The programme also works closely with GPs to encourage their patients back to work by engaging them in meaningful activities such as volunteering. Jane Jefferson, Mental Health Project Facilitator, said: “We have had excellent feedback from clients who have said they are really pleased that the type of support and information we provide is available to them.
Some had wanted to start volunteering, for example, but did not know how to go about it before this project came along. This type of feedback is extremely encouraging and proves that we are inspiring and empowering people to make positive changes in their lives. We have discovered that not every employer can afford the services of an occupational health therapist. It is these employers who perhaps will benefit most from what the project is offering.” Better Workplace Better Mental Health is part of the Altogether Better programme, which includes 16 projects that aim to improve the physical and mental well-being of communities within the Yorkshire and Humber region. Businesses that would like to book a free needs assessment should contact Emma Marsden on 01302 566 379 or e-mail:
emma.marsden@doncasterpct.nhs.uk
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BUSINESS
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BUSINESS
INFLATION TAX “In my opinion the inflation tax is the worst of all taxes. It is largely ignored as most do not realise the government’s ability to transfer after-tax investor assets into pre-tax income, which can then be taken from individuals via the Inflation Tax” Most people believe that inflation is the general rise in a set of prices of a basket of goods. The goods in the basket being ones chosen by the Office of National Statistics. But the rise in prices is a consequence of inflation and not the cause. The price rises occur because of the policies of Central Banks increasing the money supply. As most business people are well aware when the supply of something is increased its value reduces and it is the same with money. Some also believe that if the price of oil increases then this again is the cause of inflation. But, if the price of oil has increased without an increase in the money supply then the price of other products would have to decrease to compensate for the amount of money used to purchase oil. Then there would be no inflation. General price 10
increases can only occur when the money supply has increased. Over recent years the Bank of England have been given an inflation target of 2% per annum. If they were to meet this target then the purchasing power of someone’s savings, if held in cash, would fall by 18% in just 10 years. If inflation averaged 4% per year then the value would fall by over 33% within 10 years. In the 1970’s inflation averaged 14% per year and many who retired in the late 1960’s, and receiving fixed incomes, saw the value of their income fall over 70% over that decade. In addition to the loss of real income that can be caused by inflation, Individuals no longer receive any Inflation (Indexation) Allowance when calculating Capital Gains Tax (18% at the time of writing but this is likely to increase after the emergency budget on the 22 June 2010).
What this means is that in the future if an asset is disposed of that is subject to Capital Gains then Tax would be payable on gains that were purely down to inflation. The following example shows an individual who invests £1,000,000 for 10 years. The investment increases at 10% compounded so that after 10 years it is worth £2,593,742. However, inflation also averages 10% per year so that £2,593,742 in year 10 only purchases the same amount of goods that £1,000,000 did 10 years earlier. In effect no real gain has been made. This is not how the tax man sees it, as a gain of £1,593,742 is taxed at 18% resulting in tax of £286,874 being due. The inflation adjusted after tax value is £889,398 a fall of £110,602 or 11% purely down to the inflation tax. (See diagram (A) opposite) Given that the Bank of England have created, via quantitative
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BUSINESS Diagram A Years
Investment
1,000,000
Value
Capital Gains Tax 18%
Inflation adjusted after tax value
1,000,000
1
1,100,000
2
1,210,000
3
1,331,000
4
Inflation adjusted
1,464,100
5
1,610,510
6
1,771,561
7
1,948,717
8
2,143,589
9
2,357,948
10
2,593,742
1,000,000
286,874
889,398
Financial Planning & Independent Financial Advice Comprehensive Financial Planning
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easing, £200 Billion within the last 18 months, in my opinion it is highly likely this increase in the money supply will soon begin to show up in increased prices and it would be wise for investors to have strategies to counter the effects of inflation.
Pension Advice
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ISA’s
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The graph below illustrates the fall in the purchasing power of the British £ over the last 300 years. During the period it can be seen that the value of the £ has fallen quite rapidly since Britain went off the Gold Standard (when the £ was convertible to Gold).
Commercial Mortgages
Care Fees Planning
Since 1971 when President Nixon cancelled the convertibility of US$ to Gold, most of the Worlds currencies have had no backing of any tangible assets. History does show that on the many occasions that un-backed paper money has been used as a currency it has always ultimately reverted to its intrinsic value.
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BUSINESS
Q&a Each month Business & Lifestyle ask a member of the business community a series of questions ranging from personal to business and their views on Doncaster. Bob Brown, is the Aspiration Achiever for Inspire2Aspire, coaching businesses to success particularly specialising in exit strategies, finance, people and processes.
Personal What’s your best quality? My integrity and honesty supported by my ‘big heart’ – metaphorically and physically – I care and that underlies everything I do and say. What’s your worst quality? Impatience. I like to achieve results and am not good with negative people. What advice would you give your teenage self? Revise and then you’ll do better in your exams!! What do people remember about you? Silver hair, large waistband, Yorkshire common sense, laced with a dry sense of humour.
interviewed or met? Besides the wife, a Nigerian tribal leader who I met when I was the UK representative at the Eco Summit in Rio – I’ve never met anyone like him before or since. What’s the best business advice you have been given? Work on strengths and delegate weaknesses.
What do you admire in business? Tenacity, focus, empowerment – people with vision and values who want to achieve. Who’s the most interesting person you have ever 12
What would you like to improve about business in Doncaster?
What are your ambitions? To have our own charitable trust, this will work to inspire teenagers with self esteem issues to aspire to greater goals.
I’d like more of it, more inspired entrepreneurs, more inspirational businesses, more success, bigger aspirations.
What’s your secret to success? Life long learning and doing what I’m passionate about.
I like playing bridge so it has to be Doncaster Bridge Club.
Doncaster Business
to take 300 Test wickets and making his debut for Yorkshire at only 17 he also had a good sense of humour. Asked whether he thought anyone would surpass his 300 wicket achievement, his reply was typically forthright: “If anyone beats it, they’ll be bloody tired.”
Who is your Doncaster Hero? Since we live in Stainton, the part of Doncaster that gets forgotten, I have to choose our village hero, Fred Trueman, who was born here. He is recognised as one of the greatest fast bowlers ever to play Test cricket for England. As well as being the first man
What’s your favourite place to relax in Doncaster?
What should Doncaster be remembered for? Great communications, a wonderful market where you can get great Italian coffee, entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to improve. Bob can be contacted on: P: 01709 810081 M: 07976 667226 F: 0870 3000163
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BUSINESS
Business Owner “The largest audience on the planet is right here ........� help, advice, tips, build trust and let them make the next step, use social media as a spring board for them to contact you via the telephone, email, website, twitter or directly through facebook. With close to half a billion users worldwide, of which there are 27 million in the UK and if you think its only for the young, think again, 9 million of these are over 35 years old. If you are a local business and you want to get max exposure then there are 295,680 Facebook users in the Doncaster area over the age of 18! Not only are there great numbers here, but there is an enormous amount of volunteered information on each persons profile to enable you to be very specific as to who you communicate with. No other media allows you target your activity in such a specific way. If you can make use of peoples ages, relationship status, geography, whether they are at school or university, and most importantly what they actually like, then you can set your sights on these people for a fraction of the cost of traditional means. One word of warning! Use social media to communicate and not sell. Engage people, with
Right now its a fantastic medium for business to the end consumer sales, but as more and more businesses get on board the ability to do business to business is growing. It needs doing right, unfortunately many businesses are getting it wrong and creating accounts that contravene facebook terms and conditions and run the risk of their account being closed losing all their content and established connections.
Simply get in touch with IRUN, we are more than happy to sit down and talk to you about what you want to achieve, large or small, there is an effective and affordable solution for you all, one that will get visitors into your website. For more information contact IRUN on: t: 01226 610042 m: 07867 571133 e: nick.cable@irunsolutions.co.uk w: www.irun-barnsley.co.uk twitter: @NickCable
Nick
01226 610042 • nick.cable@irunsolutions.co.uk www.irun-barnsley.co.uk www.localknowledgedoncaster.co.uk
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BUSINESS
SETTING A MARKETING BUDGET If you’re in business, you’ve probably considered setting a ‘marketing budget’. Whether you’re currently following a set budget, keeping an eye on your competitor’s spend or spending ad-hoc, deciding what to spend as a marketing budget could be one of the most commercially important decisions for your business. As a general rule of thumb, most annual marketing budgets are usually set at around 10% of annual turnover. The 10% rule is well known in the industry and is applied if you consistently undertake marketing activities. If you haven’t marketed in a while or are just launching in business, the percentage will increase to around 12-15% of turnover (projected turnover, if you’ve been trading for less than a year). If you’re launching a new product or campaign, the figures might not necessarily be the same but you could use the same formula as a good starting point. The mistake most companies make is letting marketing activity die off. If you’re thinking that I’m bound to say that as I’m in the marketing industry, ask yourself this - do you find the companies that are most successful are usually the ones undertaking consistent marketing activities?
Even if you’re very successful and are not looking for any more clients, set your marketing spend slightly lower to around 7-9% of turnover. Most of that budget can be spent on marketing to existing customers and looking after them. The bottom-line is that it’s unnecessary to overcomplicate and over-analyse the subject of marketing or budgets. Setting a budget does help, but it’s the message that makes the difference. There’s no point spending even 50% of your turnover on marketing if the message isn’t effective. To find out how you can get the most from your marketing budget, please email getresults@speak-marketing.co.uk or call 07947796629. Keerti Baker’s background is over 10 years in the marketing, PR, copywriting, and media relations. She has worked on a number of campaigns across various industry sectors. She is also a business mentor for Doncaster 100.
To find out how you can get your PR campaign going please email getresults@speak-marketing.co.uk 14
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BUSINESS
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REASONABLE RATES - Call Julian: 07792 798022 www.localknowledgedoncaster.co.uk
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lifestyle
Melody Maison is a real treasure trove of unusual finds, and is also one of the UK’s largest retailer of individual vintage chic home furnishings. With products sourced from all over the world, you simply won’t find the same collection sold together anywhere else on or off line. We have ranges and styles to suit all tastes and colour schemes. If we do not stock an item you have in mind we can place a unique special order for you and make your ideas become reality. As a family-run business, you can always be sure of a warm welcome, secure purchasing, and quality customer service from an experienced team who know the collection inside out. Simply call in and browse the different ranges, including gifts and accessories. Newly in, is our summer range, and ever expanding beautiful wedding accessory range. From the glitz and glamour that entails all things wedding, from candelabras, table mirrors, scatter crystals and more. For the garden our fringed deckchairs and wrought iron patio furniture are perfect for hot summer days and sultry evenings alike. If you’re going further afield, then pack up one of our new wicker picnic hampers, with place settings for either two or four. Be sure to check back regularly as new items are sourced and added on a regular basis, so there’s always something new for you to see each time you visit. 16
You can purchase safely online via the website, in our Bawtry showroom, or telephone your order through on:
01302 711116 “It’s well worth setting some time aside to pay Melody Maison a visit” Graham Dobson
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lifestyle
“Secret Scoffers” 7 million dieters hide naughty food! A recent survey conducted by weight-loss and weight-management specialists LighterLife, has revealed that more than a third of women currently on a diet are secret scoffers.
you to overeat in the first place,” continued Vivienne. Learning to distinguish between physical and emotional hunger is absolutely key to staying slim.
A massive 36 per cent – or SEVEN million - of the nation’s ladies watching their waistline are hiding food or eating it in the dark. Handbags, under the bed and clothes drawers emerged as the favourite places to keep secret supplies.
So if you can identify with the women surveyed who eat in secret and like most of us you’ve already broken your New Year’s resolution of losing weight, then LighterLife might be the answer.”
But they’ll also gorge on naughty foods in the car, walking down the street or even on a sunbed. The research found one in six secretly eats on a weekly basis, and one in 10 does so every two or three days.
LighterLife’s programmes combine an easy-touse eating plan using nutritionally balanced soups, shakes and bars with support, work and discussion in small friendly groups, to help you lose weight quickly and safely, and maintain that weight loss.
A desperate 53 per cent of girls have even felt they would rather have food than sex, with chocolate, takeaways and desserts the top choice to sway them away from the bedroom. Vivienne Stewart, LighterLife Counsellor for Doncaster and Wickersley said: “The study of 2,000 women, carried out by LighterLife confirmed the problem is growing – along with the population. Many people who join LighterLife think that they are the only ones who hide food, but it so is common for people to stash away junk and bolt it down in secret. I have heard about people hiding food in the washing machine, under the plastic bag in a cereal packet and even up their sleeves. The secret to losing weight and keeping it off is resolving the emotional issues that encourage 18
Weekly, single-sex group meetings are the other key feature of LighterLife. Run by Vivienne and Julie, they’re designed to help you explore some of the reasons you put on weight – because there’s usually a bit more to it than simply ‘eating too much’. Understanding why you overeat means you’re less likely to return to the old habits that led to weight gain in the past, so you can live lighter in the future. If you’ve always struggled with your weight or just want to lose a stone fast, why not give Vivienne a call to see what you can achieve? To find out more about LighterLife call Vivienne on 01302 760777 or 01709 739066 or visit www.lighterlife.com
e n n e i v i V
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19
lifestyle
Compost
Corner
The Summ er is here !
Summer is traditionally a time for sitting back and relaxing in your garden after the frantic pace of Spring. It’s a time to enjoy all the hard work you have been putting in over the past couple of months. As discussed in previous issues, the seasons are still a little on the late side with gardens only just really coming out of a very late Spring. June normally means that the lawns are slowing down a little and you should be trying to leave a reasonable amount of grass on to stop your lawn from getting scorched from the sun. I would suggest cutting more frequently, at least weekly, but setting the mower quite high which will keep it looking as green as it can be. Having said that, we have had a fairly wet start at the beginning of June so the grass is still green and still growing like stink! Mid-Summer is usually the time that perennials get a little bit leggy and quite often require some extra support. Stake with old bamboo canes. Watch your eyes when weeding or better still cover with rubber cane protectors, small 500ml plastic bottles or large bits of blu-tack. 20
Any bits and bobs of maintenance should be limited to a quick hoe round your borders. Do it during a dry day so you can cut the pesky weeds off in their prime. If you hoe on a regular basis you can cut the tops of the weed seedlings and they will be dead by the end of the day. Make sure you have a nice sharp hoe or you will just bruise the weeds rather than take their heads off. Brutal but effective. Plants in pots require extra water and nutrients at this time of year. They rely solely on your help to keep them going. Don’t expect that a quick shower will suffice. You need to water at least every day, if not twice a day if you have time. Water early morning and late evening to reduce evaporation.
Failing that, we at Country Gardens Residential keep our holidays to a minimum during the Summer months so we are always here to undertake a whole manner of gardening related duties including looking after people’s lawns, pots and watering their hanging baskets whilst they are sunning themselves on holiday. If you require any information on my article this month or you need a free garden health check please contact me on: 07889 858767 or 01302 865075.
Hanging Baskets are also troublesome! Apart from banging your head on a regular basis they also dry out much faster than pots on the ground. Try and mix in some water retaining granules to retain as much moisture as possible and follow the steps above for pots.
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lifestyle
E FRE EN D GAR LTH HEA CK CHE
A typical garden maintained by Country Gardens Residential.
Too busy to maintain your garden? Want to free up your precious time? We provide weekly, fortnightly, or one-off visits to suit you.
Office: 01302 865075 DESIGN, LANDSCAPING, MAINTENANCE www.localknowledgedoncaster.co.uk
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lifestyle
Browse Safely! Tab Napping – a new type of phishing! I know it sounds like I have finally flipped! What am I on about? For those who don’t already know ‘phishing’ emails attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a bank or a service provider.
Tips on how to avoid Tab Napping
These emails usually invite you to click on the link and log onto your account in order to avert some kind of made up security breach. Fortunately most of us are now wise to this practice and we know never to click on the link as it will direct us to a fake website designed to collect personal information.
Avoid leaving tabs open and unviewed, especially tabs where you have to input your login details on the page (eg online banking). Legitimate logon web pages such as banks always have a web address that starts with https:// rather than just http://.
Tab Napping is a new and alarming phenomenon, which shows how phishing has now developed to a new level of sophistication. It works by exploiting our inattention when browsing with multiple tabs.
If you spot an unusual or suspicious web address in one of your tabs, simply close the tab, open a new one and reenter the web address you are already familiar with. Always log out of banking sites immediately you finish using them, and don’t open other tabs in the middle of a banking transaction.
When multiple tabs are open and you are browsing the web on your current active tab, any of the other inactive browser tabs could be replaced with a fake web page. This web page will look exactly the same as the page you opened originally, so you are unlikely to notice that it has been replaced with a fake page designed to collect your personal data. 22
Phishers now have the capability to detect when a tab has been left inactive for a period of time, allowing them to see which web pages you visit regularly. This in turn reveals which bank you use and which email account you use.
at the walls of your home Your broadband connection could be used by neighbouring properties, using up your monthly allowance and slowing your broadband down significantly. Apartments are particularly at risk. Your personal information could be captured It could be happening NOW! You can never be 100% protected against a determined criminal but you can take sensible precautions which will deter the casual hacker or opportunistic neighbour.
Call Mat and Mouse if you think you need help...
Secure, Secure… Those of us who are fortunate to enjoy the benefits of a wireless home network should also pay careful attention to network security: Wireless networks do not stop
For further information call Mat & Mouse on: 01302 534449 or 07867 984740.
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Mat & Mouse at Large
Linda Torstensson of KoziKidz says: “Ian has improved our business communication and maintained our business computers. He is always at the end of a phone!” KoziKidz is a range of Swedish designed, fashionable and functional outdoor clothing for kids. KoziKidz allows children to enjoy playing outside whatever the weather. With a head office in Tickhill, they are an international success story!
Mr and Mrs Hope from Branton were the original and very first customers of Mat and Mouse IT, and still use our services today. To quote them: “We receive a first class service in a pleasant and caring manner. Always approachable and capable of explaining matters simply to those of us who are not as computer literate as we should be!”
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A spot of DIY perhaps or a utility bill free retirement? This is not a busy time for the plumbing and heating fraternity. We, like the rest, are glued to the events in South Africa probably with the same bewildered look as everyone else.
You can expect a return of up to 12% on your investment and payback periods of less than 11 years. I don’t know of many other investments currently giving that kind of return.
Still there’s always 2014.
So when you are thinking about what to do with your pension lump sum or that savings pot you have tucked away earning a couple of percent you might like to consider some of the renewable systems on offer. A utility bill free retirement is a possibility.
Anyway, whilst the great and good of plumbing and heating engineers wander around Europe noting the deficiencies of French and Spanish drainage we that remain need to be giving some thought to any little bit’s we could be doing to make our lives more pleasant. How about that outside tap? How about all those annoying drips on the bath and sink taps? Whilst these are only little DIY tasks they will be much easier to do now than when the weather has turned. Any little problems you have had last winter with your heating or hot water systems are also best sorted whilst you don’t need them. Just a reminder about the renewable technologies we have looked at many times. Our new coalition friends have already pulled the funding from the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. Times are hard and saving the environment can wait a while (maybe not!).
“You can expect a return of up to 12% on your investment and payback periods of less than 11 years.” And at the same time you will be doing your bit for the environment (though this needs to pay too!). Do what you can – your grandchildren’s world needs you! If you need any help or advice give us a call or drop a quick email to info@waveformservices.co.uk or visit our website at http://waveformservices.co.uk We will be happy to help where we can.
John
Have a great Summer. That being said both the Feed in Tariffs for electrical generation which is available now and the Renewable Heat Incentive due in April 2011 are well worth considering. 24
Cheers
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With the general downturn in business and the budget for advertising ever decreasing it is important to select only the methods which give a good return. My choice therefore has to be Local Knowledge ‘Business & Lifestyle’. It is different to the other publications. It has many items of interest and has much more to offer the reader, this is why my investment again this month is with Local Knowledge ‘Business & Lifestyle’. Vivienne, LighterLife.
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If you love it, We can frame it! Custom made frames for: Pictures • Photographs • Mirrors • Football Shirts • Coins • Medals • Stitchcraft Locally Crafted Pottery and Photocopy Service The business logo “If you love it, We can frame it” reflects our desire to oblige customers with a quality framing service at sensible prices to best present a range of items which are important to them, custom made in our own workshop from a first class range of mouldings.
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WIN £50 MARKS & SPENCERS VOUCHERS Somewhere on the pages of this issue we have hidden the ‘Local Knowledge’ blue crown. Please tell us where you have spotted the ‘Local Knowledge’ crown to be entered into our prize draw. Please send your entries by post or email. Correct entries will be placed in a large hat and picked out at random. All entries must contain your full name and valid postal address to be considered. daveburns@localknowledgedoncaster.co.uk or PO Box 1097, Doncaster DN11 0WE. Closing date for entries 19th August 2010.
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The Park Inn. WORD SEARCH WIN £50 Marks & Spencers vouchers.
L R R E Put a ring around the words you find K and send your entry to: C daveburns@localknowledgedoncaster.co.uk Y or PO Box 1097, Doncaster DN11 0WE. Closing date for entries 19th August. P T 1 MODERN 9 QUEEN A 2 BRIGHT 10 ACCESSIBLE 3 AIRY 11 AIR CONDITIONED L 4 WIFI 12 FLAT SCREEN F 5 AMENITIES 13 PARK INN I 6 FAMILY 14 EXECUTIVE O 7 INTERCONNECT 15 POWER SHOWER R 8 KING The rules are simple. Please find the 15 words in the matrix. The words may be spelt forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally.
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