Issue19

NEW BUSINESS

MATTERS Your local business to business journal

Points of Interest in this Issue: • £1K Training Grants available to March’12 (p2) • Building the South’s Digital Infrastructure (p10) • Taxman to target Buy to Let Landlords (p14) • A picture speaks a thousand words! (p15) • Find out the power of promotional gifting (p18) • Are you worried about your debts? (p19)

BUSINESS TIPS AND ADVICE! Issue 19/2012

February/March

The Most Amazing ‘Tax-Free’ Income and Investment Opportunity!

By Colin Harris – www.ukmoneyonline.co.uk

How would you like to create an immediate ‘tax free’ income from anywhere in the world using paul@newtonsolutions.co.uk your computer and by making a simple telephone call to a Bookmaker or Trading Exchange, 07845 368 580 such as Betfair? I have a five year track record using the strategies employed in the Sports and Index Trading Markets. My Horse laying strategy has returned over 2000% ‘tax-free’ profits in the last 21 months gross of Betfair commissions using a 5% staking plan.

Example: £10,000 to £202,263.73 in 21 Months......all "tax free".

Answer the following questions truthfully.

• Are your investments earning less than 20% pa?

• Is your job unsafe?

• Are you unhappy in your job?

• Would you like not to pay any tax on your income?

• Do you need more money?

• Do you want more quality time?

• Is your business caught up in the recession?

• Are you owed money by creditors?

• Are you looking for a new business opportunity?

• Would you like to earn a passive income from referrals?

• Do you have an open mind for new business ideas?

If the answer to just one of these questions is yes then please contact me on 07971 511934 or send an email to colinharris@ukmoneyonline.co.uk I will provide all the information you need to get started in my easy-to-use trading manual; and training is provided on a one-to-one basis, or in small group workshops.

www.newtonsolutions.co.uk Company number: xxxxxx

paul@newtonsolutions.co.uk

Will you miss out 07845 on £1000?

368 580 There is a grant available for £1,000 worth of training, which will help towards the cost of increasing your turnover and your profit.

Newton Solutions is happy to help with any companies claim to receive this grant and the only questions you have to answer are as follows: • Do you employ between 1 and 250 people?

• Do you WANT to grow your business by 20% per year for the next 3 years?

It really is as simple as that, but we are seriously concerned that so many companies will miss out, as applications for this grant need to be started before the end of March, so please act quickly! www.newtonsolutions.co.uk You need to act now by giving Paul Newton a call on: Company xxxxxxto paul@newtonsolutions.co.uk 07845 368580 ornumber: send email

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To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

NEW BUSINESS MATTERS

Editor’s Note

February/March

CONTENTS

What dreadful news greeted us all when we came back from our Christmas break!

We have seen various European countries teetering on the brink of financial collapse, we have had several large international and national companies filing for bankruptcy and we have our annual corporation tax or personal tax to pay on top of our quarterly vat bill all at the same time.

02 TAX FREE INCOME

Amongst all this doom and gloom we are expected to pick ourselves up and continue to labour for long hours in our businesses in the hope that everything will be okay in the long run. Personally, I believe this to be true, but I wish I had a crystal ball or perhaps ‘a message in a bottle’ containing words of advice to help us through these difficult times.

08 EVENTS & CONFERENCES

Like most of you I thought we would be out of the woods by now, but growth in any area is going to be difficult this year as it was last year! Therefore, we have no option but to continue running or at least walking, walking along the beach until we find our own personal ‘message in a bottle’ that will give us that ray of sunshine to help us turn our lives around.

13 PRINT MANAGEMENT

Perhaps within the pages of New Business Matters you will find some form of business tips and advice that will help you to improve yourself, your company or your employees? Maybe then you will be able to plan for the future and work towards a healthier and more profitable bottom line, at least I hope so!

Kind regards

02 £1000 TRAINING GRANT 03 EDITORS NOTES 04 ACCOUNTANCY MATTERS 05 MECHANICAL CAR PARKS 06 DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE 07 EMPLOYMENT LAW 09 FURNITURE MATTERS 10 COUNCIL ACCOUNTABILITY 11 INSURANCE MATTERS 12 INTERNET MARKETING 14 LETTINGS & LANDLORDS 15 PHOTOGRAPHY MATTERS 16 DESIGN, PRINT & MAILING 17 MARKETING WITH PRINT 18 PROMOTIONAL GIFTING 19 WORRIED ABOUT DEBTS 20 SOCAIL MEDIA MATTERS 21 STRATEGIC ADVICE 22 TAILORING SERVICE 23 FREE HR CONSULTATION 23 FINE SEAFRONT DINING

Peter Westwood

You can be the only company of your trade or profession represented in this local business to business journal.

For details on the ‘marketing packages’ available, please contact: Peter Westwood on 01202 233580 or email sales@newbusinessmatters.com New Business Matters UK Ltd Spacemaker House, 518 Wallisdown Road Bournemouth, Dorset BH11 8PT Tel: 01202 233580

24 IT PRODUCTS/SERVICES

The information contained within this publication is not intended to be complete. Whilst the publisher endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this publication, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed and the publisher accepts no liability for the use of, reliance on or the accuracy of such information. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher and therefore the publisher accepts no responsibility for them. All artwork and editorial is copywrite and may not be reproduced without prior permission from the publisher. © New Business Matters UK Limited January 2009 Designed by: Kerry Phillips, Palm Design Printed by: Remous Limited, Sherborne Published by: New Business Matters UK Limited

To receive a FREE copy go to www.newbusinessmatters.com

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ACCOUNTANCY MATTERS

February/March

End of tax year

By Richard Osborne, Director at Hill Osborne

A

s we are rapidly approaching the end of the 2011/12 tax year (5th April 2012).

I thought it may be useful to provide you with one or two tips on how you may mitigate your tax liabilities. These are aimed for those of you with a business and I suspect that most of you will have March year ends whether you are trading as a sole trader or partnership or as a limited company.

1

Pension contributions – Consider making a ‘one off’ contribution. Remember if you are a higher rate tax payer relief will be given at the higher rate but beware of the maximum contributions allowable in any one year.

2

Dividends – For those of you with limited companies make full use of the basic rate tax band for dividends, profits permitting, and subject to other personal income.

3

Plant and equipment – For the year ending 31st March 2012 the first £100,000 spent on qualifying expenditure qualifies for an annual investment allowance of 100%.

If you are proposing to incur expenditure on plant and equipment consider doing so prior to 31st March 2012. Beware the annual allowance reduces to £25,000 on the 1st April 2012.

Hill Osborne Logo Variant 1

Before considering any of the above or indeed any other ways in which tax savings can be made speak to your accountant who will advise on relevant legislation to ensure that the relief will be available to you.

C H A R T E R E D A C C O U N TA N T S & B U S I N E S S A D V I S E R S

Our aim is to provide you with the best possible service and we do this by giving you a direct access to the Partner who is responsible for your affairs. This ensures that they will be able to develop a close relationship with you and establish a thorough understanding of your business. Clients can take advantage of a wide range of services as listed below.

• • • • •

Auditing Accounts preparation Taxation compliance including Self Assessment Personal and Corporate Tax Planning Inheritance Tax Planning DSM – Design Solutions in Media

D1, Arena Business Centres, Holyrood Close Poole, Dorset, BH17 7FP, UK

[T] 0845 500 4600 [E] info@dsm-design.co.uk

• • • • •

Payroll Bureau Business Start-ups and advice on acquisitions and disposals Raising of business finance Management consultancy Company secretarial services

Hill Osborne, Tower House, Parkstone Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 2JH Tel: 01202 678555 Fax: 01202 666071 Email: enquiries@hill-osborne.co.uk www.hill-osborne.co.uk

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To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

Construction Matters

February/March

The benefits of Mechanical Car Parking

By Andre Vanheerden from EWL International

M

echanical Car Parks save over 40% in carbon footprint compared to traditional Multi-storey Car Parks (MSCP’s) as they do not require ramps, lifts and stair cores. Other advantages are that each vehicle is parked or retrieved within 60 seconds, making it ideal for Shopping Centres and Business Accommodation, and the security of the car is assured!

The user has a much better experience as they park their car on the ground floor in a bay that allows them to fully open all your doors, without fear of scratching another car. No driving up and down ramps, no carrying shopping up several flights of stairs. Afterwards

you just pay your parking ticket and your vehicle is retrieved in the bay facing the right direction ready for you to leave. Ideal for people who stress about parking, driving up ramps or taking lifts in a conventional MSCP. The car park shown in the picture has been in operation for over 10 years and has not had any down time. This is a very efficient way to park cars and it is also a good experience for the customer.

The car park can be constructed in most shapes and is very eco friendly. Some of these systems have been installed underground to maximize the potential of the site.

EWL has recently designed two Mechanical Car Parks and if you would like further information please call 01202 853300 or send an email to info@ewlinternational.com

We are an international construction company and together with our subsidiary companies we specialise in; Project Design and Construction Management, planning, surveys, architecture, design engineering, building control, refurbishments, and the provision of additional project funding. We can also supply RotaDock developments, a dry stacking system for boats, and Modular Technology for railways, student accommodation, schools, houses, car parks, office buildings and many more.

Planning

Design

Construction

Funding

Operating Maintenance Refurbishment Modular

We have created these different divisions so clients can choose to use only a certain discipline of the project or if required the full turnkey solution EWL International Ltd Discovery Court Business Centre, 551-553 Wallisdown Road, Poole, BH12 5AG Email: info@ewlinternational.com Website: www.ewlinternational.com

To receive a FREE copy go to www.newbusinessmatters.com

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Connectivity MATTERS

C4L advert 144x210 vFINAL - 1_v4.pdf 1 23/01/2012 09:35:38

February/March

Building the South’s digital infrastructure, changing business forever...

C4L’s high speed, high capacity fibre network has been built to enable the lowest levels of latency alongside the highest levels of resilience. Coupling this with space and presence in over 40 premium UK data centres and round the clock UK based technical support, C4L provides all-encompassing internet infrastructure solutions at significantly lower costs.

The expansion of our Bournemouth data centre, one of the largest colocation facilities in the South, is just the latest chapter in a truly amazing success story.

C

So let’s talk about how we can care for your data, across your whole IT infrastructure, right down to the very last byte.

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Call to connect with our team

08000 098 024

www.C4L.co.uk/reliability

Reliability. Flexibility. Scalability.

Stay connected: www.C4L.co.uk /blog /twitter /linkedin

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To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

EMPLOYMENT LAW MATTERS

February/March

Employee Transfers with Businesses

By Susie Sanusi, Dickinson Manser LLP Solicitors Buying and selling businesses can be complicated and so it is wise for business owners and managers to seek legal advice early on. This will ensure that they get the maximum benefit from it.

There are often things businesses can do in advance of a sale being agreed to identify and correct any issues which are likely to be problematic during a sale. This is likely to save time and money in the long run.

It is also useful for business owners to have a good idea of the risks involved and the regulations which may apply to such transactions before they begin negotiations.

If you negotiate the outline of a deal and then instruct a solicitor to draft up the papers, it can be difficult to change the deal even if the solicitor you instruct points out a fundamental problem.

Probate, Wills & Powers of Attorney|Divorce/Family Law| Commercial Matters|Employment Advice| Court Representation|Accident Claims|Moving Home| Parking Available

A good example of the kind of regulation we see upsetting such transactions is the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006.

These regulations can apply to a surprisingly wide range of transactions. They act to automatically transfer employees from one party to the other and impose a number of other ancillary rules and obligations which can affect how a deal proceeds.If parties don’t appreciate how these regulations will apply, it can lead to a deal falling apart or needing to be substantially renegotiated.

If you would like advice or information on such transactions or any other business law matter please contact Susie Sanusi on 01202 673071 or s.sanusi@dickinsonmanser.co.uk

Big business, small business, we’re the business.

• commercial leases • commercial property transactions • property development • business transfers • commercial agreements • shareholder/company matters • partnership matters • dispute resolution and mediation • employment law matters For a no obligation discussion, please contact Mark Daniels or James Love on 01202 673071

BROADSTONE – 221 The Broadway – 01202 692308 POOLE – 5 Parkstone Road – 01202 673071

www.dickinsonmanser.co.uk

To receive a FREE copy go to www.newbusinessmatters.com

Page 7

Events Matters

February/March

Russell Cotes Road, East Cliff, Bournemouth BH1 3AB 01202 552111 www.dayshotelbournemouth.co.uk Days Hotel Bournemouth, formerly Marsham Court Hotel, was proud to unveil the new name on September 1, 2011. The hotel became franchised under the Days brand, part of the Wyndham Group, but it is still proudly owned and run by the Deavin family.

In fact, 2012 is the 25th year of family ownership which they’ll be celebrating on September 30th.

Days Hotel Bournemouth is ideally suited for business and leisure guests as the hotel has several striking function rooms including the new Bay and Dorset Suites which boast glorious sea views and a number of additional areas for private events if required.

Versatile function rooms allow flexibility for any function be it a conference, networking events, private banqueting and of course wedding ceremonies and receptions, the family looks forward to promoting and continuing to offer a high standard of hospitality for the local community and guests alike.

Upcoming Events • Do something different this Valentines Day! 12th, 13th, 14th & 15th February 2012 Valentines Special – 4 courses plus coffee Dinner and Learn to Dance with Ryan & Olesia at just £29.95 per person • 4th March 2012 Wedding Fayre • 18th March 2012 Mother’s Day Lunch from £15.95 per adult, £7.95 per child • Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea at £7.95 per person.

Pop in for a coffee and a chat with the Events Team to discuss your requirements.

Alternatively call on 01202 446644 or email events@dayshotelbournemouth.co.uk Page 8

To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

FURNITURE MATTERS

February/March

Design BuilD DistriBute service

cozy Bay ltd unit 26 upton industrial estate Factory road Poole Dorset BH16 5sl

Tel: 01202 622331 www.CozyBay.co.uk

Exceptional Outdoor Leisure Furniture Ranges in: Woven, Aluminium and SynTeakTM

To receive a FREE copy go to www.newbusinessmatters.com

Page 9

FSB MATTERS

February/March The Federation of Small Businesses

The FSB is Britain's leading business organisation with over 200,000 members. It exists to protect and promote the interests of the self-employed, and all those who run their own business.

The FSB in Dorset has 4,000 small businesses as members.

FSB Regional Office: 01425 280080 : www.fsb.org.uk/wessex

SMALL BUSINESSES SEEK COUNCIL ACCOUNTABILITY As all councils within Dorset draw up and finalise their budgets for 2012/13, there is a necessary requirement to hold National Non-Domestic Ratepayer (NNDR) consultation meetings with the local business community. Although it can be difficult to influence financial outcomes, each year the FSB will formally question each Council on specific aspects and reasoning of their budget. In these difficult times, Councils are facing year-on-year cuts in their Revenue Support Grant (RSG), and are also faced with low interest rates, resulting in returns on investments also falling. The income from council tax, licences, car parking and other charges will therefore not be able to make up any shortfall.

FSB concerns relate to services which impact on small businesses, such as investment in roads, public transport, tourist information and business support, being cut and to increasing charges. Short term cuts or hikes in charges paid by businesses and the public could have long term implications which damage the local economy and further exacerbate the financial challenges that councils now face.

Wherever possible, representatives from small firms will meet local councils to discuss these issues. In addition the FSB formally writes to each Council to seek responses and accountability on the various key issues affecting small businesses. This year, the FSB has identified the following issues as important to local businesses - Spending Cuts; Revenue Raising; Initiatives and support for Business.

Other Issues include Keeping Trade Local, Transport and disposal of Business Waste.

It is important that small businesses have a chance to offer input into local decisions and the Council budgeting process, where possible.

Small businesses remain an important link in the recovery of the UK.

FSB Local Contacts: FSB Regional Office, Christchurch Tel: 01425 280080 E-mail: wessex@fsb.org.uk Neil Eames, Development Manager, Wessex Tel: 07920 846684 E-mail: neil.eames@fsb.org.uk FSB website www.fsb@org.uk/wessex

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To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

INSURANCE MATTERS

February/March

A local A local insurer with insurer with awards for awards for both home both home and car and car insurance. insurance.

2012

2012

WINNER 2011 WINNER BEST CAR INSURER 2011 BEST CAR INSURER

To find out how to To find out how to receive award winning receive award winning service call the service call the Bournemouth Bournemouth team team on on 01202 01202 764322.

764322.

We do right by you We do right by you Agent of The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited.

Agent of The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited.

To receive a FREE copy go to www.newbusinessmatters.com

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INTERNET MATTERS

February/March

Why you need to be in Google+

By Tony Raybould from radikls.com

G

oogle is promoting Google+ as more than a social network, it’s an integrated social platform bringing multiple services together. Google’s been clever to include similar functions of Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Flickr all in one place.

Google Search Google+ is now being integrated into Google’s search results. The new feature is called “Search plus Your World” making Google searches even more personalised.

Twitter refused to renew their contract with Google, so Google can’t legally use their data and Facebook has “no follow” tags so Google isn’t able to rank much content from these social networks. Hence Google+ is more important to Google search than Facebook & Twitter.

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Can you afford to ignore it?

I’m not saying you should dismiss Facebook and Twitter, they both have their marketing uses and Google+ is just in its infancy, but Google+ is growing fast with 62 million users in December, on track to reach 100 million by the end of February and forecast to reach 300 - 400 million by the end of 2012!

What should your business do in Google+ These are early days for Google+ but as things get busier and Google+ is integrated across all Google services smarter businesses will sign up and get a jump on their competitors. Initially you should add your: • Google Profile • Google+ Business page • +1 button to your website pages Then start sharing blog posts, interesting links, images, ideas and conversations with your circles of friends and business contacts.

To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

IT MATTERS

February/March

THINKING BEFORE PRINTING

By Katie Clark, Copyrite For today’s copy, scan and fax management, the modern approach is to think “inside the box”. As our multi-functional devices continue to evolve, you must also choose to incorporate software that is managing to keep up.

Copyrite is an independent company formed in 1993 that continues to be driven by the original senior management team, including its founders.

This means, as with most companies, change has had to be welcomed in order for us to continue to grow and expand. No longer are we just a provider of office equipment, we are now a complete solution provider.

One of the key areas being discussed by nearly every local business we speak to is the costs associated with their print. Many companies are starting to assess ways in which the business can control costs and cut waste. We at Copyrite have started to get heavily behind a company called Papercut.

By implementing Papercut you can; Cut Waste and Your Carbon Footprint – You can encourage responsible printing with Papercut MF quotas and print policies, cutting paper and toner costs and power usage.

Apply Print Policies Enterprise-Wide – Printing requests are intercepted at the print server to control jobs according to policies that encourage or enforce good behaviour.

For example, you might route large jobs to dedicated high speed printers, display pop ups to ask end users to confirm single sided output, automatically delete print jobs with incorrect paper sizes or suggest an alternative printer when a device is offline.

With Find-Me printing, users queue print jobs to a virtual queue, they can then release them on a specific printer.

Secure print release will require a form of authentication before printing, this will ensure that only authorised users can print and collect confidential documents.

Monitor and Report on Usage – Real-time monitoring and reports address all areas of print/ copy/fax/scan management, ranging from detailed page logs to summaries by user, department, device or environmental impact. Papercut offers more than 50 reports out of the box, in PDF, HTML, or Microsoft Excel (.csv) format.

Simple Deployment – An installation wizard installs server software and then proceeds to automatically detect printers and multi-functional devices on your network. Create users and groups automatically from directory services including Active Directory, Open Directory, Novell eDirectory or LDAP. As you can see, Papercut MF is the easy way to automatically monitor and manage all the copying and printing in a company. It is an effective method of giving you control over your costs and environmental impact. We are currently offering local businesses a free print audit, this will involve a member of our staff visiting your business and providing you with a complete report detailing your current print costs and potential savings.

To find out more, visit www.copyrite.co.uk or email Katie Clark at Katie.clark@copyrite.co.uk.

Secure Print Release – You are able to protect confidential documents and slash the volume of unclaimed printouts by ensuring users release print jobs at the point of printing.

To receive a FREE copy go to www.newbusinessmatters.com

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LETTINGS MATTERS

February/March

TAXMAN TO TARGET BUY TO LET LANDLORDS

By Sharon Canning from Move on Rentals HMRC have launched 12 task forces aimed at targeting landlords with 3 or more properties in 2011/12 and more in 2012/13.

The buy-to-let taskforce will specifically target tax evasion among buy-to-let landlords who own or rent out more than three properties. HMRC taskforces form part of the government's aim to raise an additional £7bn a year by 2014/15 through tackling tax evasion, avoidance and fraud.

Mike Wells director of risk and intelligence at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is quite clear –“if you deliberately seek to evade tax we can and will track you down and you'll face not only a heavy fine, but possibly a criminal prosecution as well."

The Task forces will gain information from Banks Mortgage applications Land registry Electoral rolls Council tax records Letting agents Rumour also has it the Deposit Scheme implemented in April 2006 was part of collecting data on landlords as the start of the big brother affect. It is thought the HMRC have identified 80,000 landlords who may have claimed too much tax relief or who have failed to declare all the rent received.

Property investors who sold homes several years ago have also been pinpointed as well as overseas landlords. Of course, if you keep accurate records and declare everything, you have nothing to worry about.

If you want to keep up to date with the latest information with the lettings industry then email Sharon@moveonrentals.com to receive our monthly newsletter.

420 Poole Road, Branksome, Poole BH12 1DF

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To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

Photography Matters

February/March

A picture speaks a thousand words!

By Andy Starmore – Photographer/Author

A

n article without a picture is like a bowl of cereal without milk, a football match without a ball or a car without wheels.

There’s something blatantly missing. Words, of course, are a powerful piece of armoury to have in your locker but, imagine picking up your newspaper in the morning and there are no pictures. Imagine that magazine you look forward to each month suddenly fails to contain any photos.

Or imagine in this super high tech world we live in today a grammatically brilliant piece of literature on a website has no images to compliment it.

What about the other way round. Can you have a picture without words? Yes. You only have to wonder around an art gallery to find images that will constitute your own vivid thoughts of what the artist or photographer was trying to create or say.

What I’m trying to say is a world without pictures is like a world without substance. Whether it’s for business or pleasure we cannot live without photographs. Never mix business with pleasure?

Personally I think there is nothing better.

For me to create a stunning image doesn’t get more pleasurable and, if that means it will enhance a company or an individual’s chances to gain more business then the combination has worked perfectly.

Whether its product photography, creating memories of a wonderful wedding day or delving into the creations of stunning landscapes for promoting glorious tourist attractions you need look no further than here. Right, that’s the words done, now where’s the picture?

To receive a FREE copy go to www.newbusinessmatters.com

Page 15

Remous Limited, Wyvern Buildings, North Street, Milborne Port, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 5EP

PRINTING MATTERS

February/March

Marketing with Printed Material?

By Peter Westwood from Remous

I

n these uncertain times the first cuts most businesses make is to reduce their marketing budget and their print spend, but I would seriously question the reasons for doing this!

I understand that the first rule of business is to stay in business and I appreciate that we all need a healthy cash flow, but at a time when you need more sales is it wise to cut the very expenditure that could help you get out of the doldrums?

Recent findings from the National Readership Survey, which provides estimates of the number and habits of people reading newspapers and magazines, states that 74% of us prefer to read hard copy material, such as newspapers or magazines, compared to reading something on the computer.

I even print out emails or details from someone’s website to take home and read when I get time!

I also personally think the same can be said by your potential customers, who would prefer to read ‘printed material’ compared to an email or even visiting your website. Therefore, sending out a short personalised letter through the post to your warm prospects, explaining why you have written to them and including a full colour leaflet or well designed brochure, will have greater impact than just sending them a compact disk or a long email that will not get read!

I know we should all take a close look at the benefits of Social Media, linking your blogs with Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, but if 74% of the people you send it to are not going to read it then

perhaps you should consider putting your faith back into marketing with printed material, such as small runs of personalised letters including a product leaflet or your company brochure?

It can sometimes be difficult in finding a company you can trust to do this for you, but there are certain criteria you should consider to help you make your decision. Are they local, are they a family run company, have they been in business for more than ten years, do they invest in technology?

All of these things will hopefully help you choose the right partner for your next marketing project. If you can find someone that meets these criteria then it will ease your fears to give you confidence that your printing and mailing will be produced with the right quality, on time and at the right price!

If you are having trouble finding such a company then you should look no further than Remous, a family run design, print and mailing company based in Sherborne, Dorset, who have been trading for over thirty years. They have also invested around £850K in the last two years on the latest technology in pre-press, press and finishing equipment enabling them to ensure they can supply you with the best quality at a very competitive price.

You can even visit their local Sales Office in Bournemouth, where you can discuss your requirements in detail and receive the best technical advice in the industry today!

To find out more simply telephone 01202 233580 and ask to speak with Peter or simply send an email to peter@remous.com

To receive a FREE copy go to www.newbusinessmatters.com

Page 17

Promotional Gifting Matters

February/March

THE POWER OF PROMOTIONAL GIFTS!

By Stephen Burge, MD of BH1 Promotions

I

perceived business gifts to reward your clients for their loyalty over the year. The BPMA survey revealed that 87% of recipients had kept a Promotional Gift for longer than 12 months, demonstrating their longevity.

Primarily, advertising of any kind is about increasing your company’s exposure, improving your corporate profile or raising awareness for your organisation or brand. However, Promotional Gifts also provide a great way to motivate staff or improve client loyalty.

When it comes to marketing and promotional spend the knee jerk reaction is to cut costs, but my advice would be to reduce your cost in the areas that are not returning value and to switch that part of your marketing budget to Promotional Gifts. By making yourself accessible you will be able to engage with your audience and create empathy for your brand.

think it is fair to say that in difficult times most people are looking for tangible, cost effective ways to promote themselves and in a recent study by the BPMA (British Promotional Merchandise Association) Promotional Gifts offer one of the best returns on investment of all the advertising mediums,

The best promotion for a growing SME would be to consider a two-pronged attack, such as high volume scatter marketing of gifts to create a hook for your product or service, plus a lower volume of higher

Page 18

To find out how Promotional Gifts can work for you please send an email to steve@bh1promotions.co.uk or give me a call on 0845 2261 701

To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

RECOVERY MATTERS

February/March

BY GRAHAM DOWN | www.bscorprecovery.com

Worried about your debts?

In 2011 Burton Sweet Corporate Recovery managed a remarkable achievement.

Every single proposal which we put on behalf of financially stressed people for Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) was accepted by their creditors.

Increasingly, as well as dealing with the debt problems of people arising from unexpected misfortunes or excessive credit card borrowing, we are being asked to help with some particularly complex problems. Last year we helped individuals for whom bankruptcy could have been careerending, such as solicitors and IFAs. Much of the explosion in the number of individual insolvencies – including IVAs – in recent years has been as a result of over-stretched consumers, but IVAs can be equally appropriate for someone with trading debts, both where there is an ongoing business which may be capable of being salvaged or where there are debts left when a business closes down.

IVAs are formal procedures under the Insolvency Act 1986 which provide a mechanism for individuals – both consumers and sole traders – to deal with their debts, and are usually seen as an alternative to bankruptcy.

The process is that a borrower or debtor formulates a proposal, usually with the help of an insolvency practitioner, to be put to his (or her) creditors. If the proposal is accepted by 75% in value of the creditors who choose to vote then it is binding on all creditors, including those who may have voted against the proposal or who abstain from voting. Providing that the borrower then does what he (or she) has promised in the proposal, then the amount received by the creditors at the end of the process will be deemed to be in full settlement of their debts.

With the business environment likely to be come even tougher, and household budgets even more stretched, more and more individuals will need help in dealing with their debts. It’s vital to take advice sooner rather than later.

IVAs won’t be right for every situation, but we won’t charge you for listening to your problems and setting out the options in a clear, jargon-free way.

cash flow problems …or worse? clear, professional advice for you and your business when you need it most. contact us for a free initial consultation call: 01202 313624 | www.bscorprecovery.com 2nd Floor, Bristol & West House, Post Office Road, Bournemouth, BH1 1BL

To receive a FREE copy go to www.newbusinessmatters.com

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Social Media MATTERS

February/March

Social Media Marketing: the new Word of Mouth

By Katherine Hanson – The Dorset PA

S

ocial Media is permanent, broadcast and does not rely on somebody remembering what they have heard about a business and passing it on. Online followers of your Social Media channels can share their enthusiasm with their own network of contacts ensuring it remains online almost indefinitely to be found and visited time and again.

To many, Social Media is not yet synonymous with business, a lack of definition that has enabled it to become a watered-down, umbrella term. However, with business and networking increasingly carried out online and it being widely recognised that talking at our business customers is not as effective as talking with them, companies need to mingle in the same circles as their customers, associates and competitors.

You do not have to post every day to create online awareness so it needn’t be a content safari!

If you cannot maintain the quality level of your content at the rate you are aiming for, reduce activity until you find the frequency that does.

Any business with a solid offline reputation and success can form a cohesive Social Media strategy and campaign and, the more content that is generated about your business the easier it will be to leverage this. 70% of all Social Media Marketing is wasted effort due to a lack of strategy. Planned properly and it enables companies to carry out ongoing in-depth research at virtually no cost via free online metrics and tools to set goals and achieve ROI. Contact Katherine on 01202 798270 or katherine@dorset-pa.co.uk to see how I can help you master the metrics.

Tips, Treats and Tip-Offs to help you navigate your way around the world of online marketing & word of mouth!

I also write a wide range of content such as blogs and articles to websites and newsletters, etc. for a number of businesses:

Business Support Services • Audio Typing & Transcription • Data Entry & Malmerges • Internet Research • Proofreading & Editing

Social Media & Online Marketing • Blogs, Newsletters & Article Writing • Strategies & Campaigns • Profiles, e.g. Twitter, Facebook • Websites – content & proofing

Print Media & Desktop Publishing • Company Literature • Newsletters, Brochures & Flyers • Powerpoint Presentations • Proposals & Reports

Contact Katherine today for a free 30-min consultation: I can help you master the metrics 01202 798270 | 07771 303932 | katherine@dorset-pa.co.uk www.dorset-pa.co.uk | www.yoursocialmediator.wordpress.com

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To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

Strategy Matters

February/March

Getting things done?

By Paul Haley from Sterling Business

M

ore of a question than a statement; are you getting things done or not, in itself it's a simple enough question, but then there could be a whole load of different answers.

It's a bit like multi-tasking, something that we men are supposed to be useless at, but what exactly is multi-tasking?

You don't actually need to do everything at once.

Let’s break it down if you need to multi-task it could be that you are in a complete mess. There is no substitute for concentration in today's world; this skill is becoming hard to find. Why, if it is such a great personal commodity, is it that only one gender claims to have the ability to carry it out!

Is it a lack of ability to concentrate fully on what needs to be done or just not being able to identify what is urgent! If so then everything becomes urgent all at the same time and we all know that this idea is just silly, unless you are incredibly badly organised, in which case the whole concept of multi-tasking is thrown into disarray.

I've given this some thought (as well as doing something else at the same time) and this is that multi-tasking is the ability to do lots of different things badly as opposed to doing one thing really well. Would you want a Brain Surgeon that could do great stuff with rump steak or would you prefer he concentrate on the job in hand...?

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Tailoring Matters

February/March

The high end London tailoring service that comes to you From our new office in Compton Acres, Fox Tailoring offers a complete tailoring service – visiting your location at your convenience.

Rob Mitchell – Brand Ambassador for Fox Tailoring and Commercial Director AFC Bournemouth

Our unique service will enable every client to benefit from our extensive knowledge to achieve well fitting clothes with quality touches that single out the stylish from the safe and the samey.

We also provide made-tomeasure shirts with fabrics and styles that are fresh and totally individual.

• Made-to-measure suits and shirts • Personal attention • Colour analysis • Corporate packages • Loyalty scheme

To arrange an appointment call John Parrett

01202 289090 Fox Tailoring Compton Acres 164 Canford Cliffs Road Poole Dorset BH13 7ES john@foxtailoringbournemouth.co.uk www.foxtailoringbournemouth.co.uk

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To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

• Are you spending far too much time dealing with staff issues?

• Are you sick & tired of the red-tape surrounding employment legislation?

Leave the stress and worry behind. Let Change Partner HR be your Virtual HR Manager and get back to what you do best... ...running your business and looking after your customers.

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Fine Seafront Dining at Ocean Bay Restaurant A short trip over the Sandbanks Chain Ferry by car, bus or bike leads you to the picturesque town of Swanage and its premier seaside Restaurant, "Ocean Bay". There is plenty of window seating to admire the views and the relaxed atmosphere gives a sense of holiday, day or night.

We are a family friendly restaurant and also offer a children's menu.

We use local produce for our menus to create interesting dishes with fresh fish, quality seafood or meats. Vegetarian options and special dietary requirements are catered for and we have party menus available to suit your function.

Full à la carte menu and extensive wine list available Roast Lunch is served all day Sunday for £9.95 For all our seasonal menus and special offers please go to www.oceanbayrestaurant.com Tel: 01929 422222 now to reserve your table Ocean Bay Restaurant, 2 Ulwell Rd, Swanage, Dorset BH19 1LH

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