Issue 36 by New Business Matters

NEW BUSINESS

MATTERS Your local business to business journal

Points of Interest in this Issue: • Research & Development Tax Relief & Tax Credits (p2) • What makes the difference between being good and great? (p6) • Fit for business? Why have a personal trainer? (p7) • Shared Parental Leave Update (p11) • Why Word can be bad for your business? (p14) • Cost vs Value (p19)

BUSINESS TIPS & ADVICE! Issue 36/2014

December/January

ACCOUNTANCY MATTERS

December/January

Research & Development Tax Relief & Tax Credits

By Peter Lashmar, CEO at Lashmars Tax Accountants Research and Development (R&D) Relief is a Corporation Tax (CT) relief that may reduce your company's tax bill, which may only be claimed if your company is liable for CT and is a going concern. If your company or organisation is small or medium-sized and meets the definition of a SME for R&D relief purposes, you may be able to choose to receive a tax credit instead. R&D Tax Credits got an unexpected boost in this year’s Budget; welcome news for many entrepreneurs, especially those with start-ups and loss-making companies. HMRC define R&D as “work to resolve scientific or technological uncertainty aimed at achieving an advance in science or technology” - however this does not just mean companies with scientists in white coats! Any company spending money to improve a product or service through a technological advance, using qualified staff and

appropriate project controls, and where there’s a doubt about the project’s success, is likely to be eligible. We have helped a wide range of businesses to claim support for their R&D activity. From 1 April 2012, the tax relief on allowable R&D costs is 225%. It also includes a payable credit in some circumstances. You can claim R&D tax relief on expenditure that's up to 3 years old. The precise size of any tax credit will depend on the size of your company, its tax rate and how many of your activities are eligible. From 1 April 2014 smaller companies can obtain a cash payment of 32.6% of the actual expenditure. For more information and to book a free consultation, please contact Peter Lashmar on 01590 688838 or email peter@lashmars.co.uk. To receive business and tax news, relevant to your situation, sign up for our monthly eNewsletter at www.lashmars.co.uk.

Are you paying too much tax?!

Over 20 years experience supporting businesses of all sizes and private clients in accountancy and tax, tailoring our service to your specific requirements. We will take care of your routine financial and accounting operations and help you to grow your business.

Tax compliance including Self Assessment Personal & corporate tax planning Management accounts Proactive business advice including business start-ups, acquisitions, disposals

- Tax audit - Inheritance tax planning - Company secretarial & payroll services

“My companies have now been using Peter’s taxation advice for nearly 30 years and he never ceases to amaze us with his depth of knowledge. I recommend his services to businesses small or large.”

! Contact us for a FREE consultation ! ! Mr A Blane - Blue Alligator Company Ltd

01590 688838

www.lashmars.co.uk office@lashmars.co.uk @Peterlashmar!

Lashmars Tax Accountants, Headmaster’s Halls, The Square, Lymington. SO41 8GN.

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NEW BUSINESS MATTERS

Editor’s Note

Give youself a gift this Christmas... I recently attended an evening workshop with the CEO of the world's number one business coaching firm, Brad Sugars from ActionCoach. Apart from being an excellent evening full of inspirational tips and advice for taking control of and growing your business, one particular story that was told strikes a chord at this time of year. This Christmas, give yourself the gift of knowledge. In his early years Brad received a tip from Jim Rohn that he has never forgotten - "You will earn as much as you learn". For example, if you "learn" how to make £100,000, how much is the most you will make? Brad took this to heart and ever since has read one book a week! His challenge to the attendees was that the only way to "out earn" him was to first "out learn" him. Needless to say, this spurred me into getting more reading material and taking the time to boost my own knowledge. On that basis, we have a number of new categories in this issue of New Business Matters, so do grab a coffee and take some time out to read through. If you do find something interesting, why not share it and pass that gift on to others? Our next networking party will be on December 10th at The Cliffeside Hotel in Bournemouth and we would love to see you there. Just give us a call or send an email to confirm your attendance - you may learn something new! Best wishes,

December/January

CONTENTS 02 R & D TAX RELIEF AND CREDITS 03 CONTENTS & EDITORS NOTES 04 OPEN FOR BUSINESS 05 UTILITY OR GROWTH DRIVER? 06 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD & GREAT? 07 FIT FOR BUSINESS? 08 AUTUMN STATEMENT TO DELIVER 09 BUSINESS COACHING 10 BEAT THOSE WINTER BLUES 11 SHARED PARENTAL LEAVE 12 ENSURE YOU ARE WELL INSURED 13 THREE WAYS TO OPTIMIZE A WEBSITE 14 WISE TO USE WORD IN BUSINESS? 15 OUR GROWING POPULATION 16 WHAT DO YOU REALLY HATE DOING? 17 DOES SIZE MATTER? 18 DESIGN & PRINT SERVICES 19 COST VS VALUE 20 PUZZLE MATTERS 21 INCREASE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? 22 GENERATE BUSINESS USING TWITTER 23 STRESS FREE ZONE!

Stephen Corney

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: Stephen Corney on 01202 233580 or email sales@newbusinessmatters.com New Business Matters UK Ltd 1 Moorlands Rise, West Moors, Ferndown, Dorset, BH22 0JR Tel: 01202 233580

24 BUSINESS SYSTEMS TO CELEBRATE! 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: Stephen Corney 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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COMMUNITY MAG MATTERS

December/January

The value of words By Stephen Corney, Director at Dorset Publications I once heard a professional copywriter say that while a picture paints a thousand words, he could get the same message across in less! In my Editor's Note, I talk about giving the gift of knowledge and this, to many, comes from the written word. How, in business, can you use this to your advantage? Advertising can often be the art of getting a message across in the simplest form possible. Whilst this works well in the case of promoting a particular product or brand, trying to convince a potential new customer on the reasons why they should choose your business over a competitor needs more. Press releases are one way of getting more information to others. It is best to use a good PR agency who can create the right image and maximise your chances of the article actually being printed.

People do still like to read. Yes, there are those that have "embraced" the digital age, and they may use e-Readers, but that doesn't dampen this message about the value of words. Magazines, in the right format, make pictures look great, and readable content is what lengthens the shelf life of the magazine. One of the ways that we enhance the value of advertising in our community magazines, is that we offer a free editorial with our three month packages. This gives our clients the opportunity to write more about what they do and how they can benefit potential new customers. We are always more than happy to talk to you about this unique service. Give Stephen or Debbie a call at Dorset Publications on 01202 894397 to get more information or send them an email to info@dorsetpublications.co.uk.

Would you like your business to reach 1000s of potential residential clients on a monthly basis? Full colour A5 glossy magazines distributed by our own team of distributors - you can rely on us! » A free article, the same size as the advert booked in one of the months, with a 3 months booking » Free advertising on our magazine Facebook pages » A free listing on our Website Directory pages » Each magazine is fully uploaded every month on the internet via our website

Call Debbie or Stephen on

01202 894397 info@dorsetpublications.co.uk

West Moors • Ferndown & West Parley • Bournemouth • Poole • Southbourne • Christchurch Page 4

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COMMUNICATION MATTERS

December/January

Utility or Growth Driver? By Mark Scott of Technovox The liberalisation of telecom regulation thirty years ago brought great cost saving opportunities for businesses as the newly licensed operators devised great packages and service plans as they sought to achieve a competitive advantage. Now we are firmly in the voice over IP (VoIP) age, the scope for finding cheap deals is even wider. But have you ever considered that alongside driving down costs, your communications could drive up revenue? There are a number of ways to achieve this using voice communication, such as the appropriate choice of telephone number class and routing, tracking and call analysis to ensure you are providing optimum service to your customers. Messaging, however, is a particularly effective means of engaging with and retaining your customers. Here are some example of how you could engage: • We haven't seen you for a while, how's it going?

Tel: 01202 901888 Web: www.technovox.co.uk

• Thanks for your order • Delivery notifications • Useful hints and tips related to your area of expertise • Special offers • We hope you enjoyed your ... Messages could be delivered by email or text, but its useful to know that while the open rate for emails is around 30% for well-constructed campaigns, more than 90% of texts are read within three minutes. So when you're thinking about your business communications, yes, get a good deal, but also consider whether you can create growth opportunities too. For help and advice on the communications in your business please call Mark on 01202 901888 or send an email to info@technovox.co.uk.

Email: info@technovox.co.uk Isis Business Centre, Willis Way, Poole, BH15 3TB

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CUSTOMER SERVICE MATTERS

December/January

What makes the difference between being good and great? By Frank Marsh of Positive

Is there a difference between being good at something and being great? Are you born to be great or sprinkled with fairy dust sometime during life... what drives people, teams, businesses to be world class, to stand out, be recognised, to thrive and not just survive, to be winners... Over my years in business I have been privileged to talk with and work alongside some household names and some that are still up and coming. What I have noticed is that there is very little difference between the good and the great. The great do exactly the same as the good. There’s no difference in their work, their attitude, their passion, their life, their focus, their belief, their optimism... but what turns them from being good into great is they do everything a little bit better. The athlete, sports team, concert pianist, salesperson, restaurateur, tennis player and entertainer are just a few of the people who we can prefix with the word great... You may be one

of them, so you know what it takes to be great, for the rest of us, let’s look to make a 10% difference in what we do, because that’s all it takes to move from being good to great. Ask yourself the question... If my team can all do 10% more, what impact could it have on my business? Then set yourself a time frame and challenge yourself and all others to 10% more hard work, more practice, more calls, more orders, more positive actions, more teamwork, more customer care and more optimism and you will stand out and grow your business. Don’t forget that when you achieve the result it’s just the start of what you can do with simple challenges and remember to say thank you to everyone, including yourself. This is just one of many ideas that can provide the fuel to grow your business, so step aboard my energy bus to identify your destination and what route plan you need to take.

BOOK YOUR SEAT ABOARD MY ENERGY BUS AND LET ME HELP DRIVE YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION You are about to engage with a specialist in both internal and external customer relations. My knowledge base is both academic and seated in a successful career spent ‘walking the talk’. Speaking Frankly... my clients and partners have used the adjective word unflappable to describe myself and I am proud to say that in my own words ‘nothing much fazes me when it comes to customer service’. You may be saying yeah, I know, I’ve heard it a million times before, but now you will hear it from a successful business owner who remains “hands on” to improving business performance. Contact me NOW!!! For your FREE no obligation meeting.

T: 01425 839550 • M: 07967 132735 • E: frank@frankmarsh.co.uk Page 6

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FITNESS MATTERS

December/January

Fit for business? Why have a personal trainer? By Angela Barton at Body Fitness

Hardest time of the year isn’t it? To start thinking about getting fit and losing weight – BORING!

Say for example you would like to take part in a fun run, but have never run before...

Feeling guilty by the end of Christmas and you start thinking about New Year Resolutions.

Or maybe you are feeling those persistant aches or twinges while you are at work and know that you really should get it sorted?

Well I’m here to help, having a Personal Trainer can be affordable and fun. Helping you feel good about yourself, at the same time encouraging and motivating. Personal trainers don’t have to be scary and I am certainly not! I truly believe exercising can be fun and go out of my way to make that happen. Having my own studio in Southbourne I can help you achieve your goals. I find people expect quick results when they could take their time to build up their fitness levels slowly. I like to set achievable goals agreed with my clients which are manageable and realistic.

As well as helping you to get fit, I can also help to sort out those tired and damaged muscles, caused by postural issues or repetitive strain, both of which can be common in the working environment. With the correct balance of positive exercise and relaxation or restorative massage, you too can be fit for business in 2015! For more information about the services that I can offer, either from my studio or your place of work, contact Angela on 07813 805541 or send her an email to angela@bodytherapy.fitness

• Personal training • Holistic massage • Deep tissue massage “Angela is a tremendous force of nature. For me, she does the impossible, by making exercise fun. I always have a fantastic work out and a massive laugh. She is more of a friend than a trainer, I cannot recommend her highly enough!” Claudia Tuohy

Contact Angela now:

T: 07813 805541 E: angela@bodytherapy.fitness

www.bodytherapy.fitness

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FSB MATTERS

December/January

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

FSB calls for Autumn Statement to deliver investment and support business ambitions Reform of business rates, tax simplification, better roads and faster broadband is needed against a backdrop of solid support for small businesses In its submission to Government in advance of Autumn Statement on 3 December, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) called on the Chancellor to continue supporting business confidence by reforming business rates, taking forward tax simplification, and investing in infrastructure to strengthen and rebalance the economic recovery. Reforming business rates With the ending of the doubling of small business rates relief in March 2015, almost half a million (384,000) small businesses are at risk of returning to paying rates they can ill afford, with thousands more (190,000) potentially seeing their rates bills double. With the economic recovery just taking hold and many firms on the High Street still struggling, it is essential that the temporary doubling of relief, announced in the 2013 Autumn Statement speech, is extended. Investing in infrastructure to rebalance the economy The FSB is calling for the Chancellor to announce additional investment in our national infrastructure, to ensure the UK remains competitive internationally and to help rebalance the UK economy. A key priority for the Chancellor should be to invest in improving our road infrastructure, and address bottlenecks in regional road networks. Eighty two per cent of small firms rely on the road network to run their businesses.

Creating a faster more modern digital infrastructure is also essential for businesses growth, and is a vital tool to encouraging growth in all parts of the UK. Access to broadband services is now the ‘Fourth Utility’ and the Government’s ambition for future broadband should match this reality. Tax simplification The FSB is asking the Chancellor to commit to further simpler tax simplification that reduces deadweight costs on compliance and makes rules easier to understand and comply with. Overly complex tax rules cost small businesses both time and money, with more than three quarters paying around £3,500 a year to comply with obligations. Action to simplify rules is needed as three fifths of small businesses report the UK tax system has a negative impact on their ability to take on more staff and grow. Neil Eames, Development Manager for the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “Businesses want an Autumn Statement that delivers stability and certainty, and provides them with incentives to grow and create employment. That means investing in our infrastructure to match the world’s best, whether that be broadband, road, rail or air. Businesses will also be looking for measures to ease the cost of business rates, and a commitment to fundamental reform of the current, outdated system. To support business growth and reduce costs, further efforts to simplify our complex tax system should also form a central part of the Statement.”

FSB Local Contacts: FSB Regional Office, Christchurch - Tel: 01425 280080 - Email: wessex@fsb.org.uk Neil Eames, Development Manager, Wessex Tel: 07920 846684 - Email: neil.eames@fsb.org.uk FSB website: www.fsb.org.uk/wessex - Twitter: @FSBWessex Page 8

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GROWTH MATTERS

December/January

Business Coaching By Nick Powter, ActionCOACH Bournemouth

Nick Powter Business Growth Expert E: nickpowter@actioncoach.com W: actioncoach.com/nickpowter Tel: 01202 048600

STEP4 TO A BETTER BUSINESS

It’s coming to that time of year when we all make new year resolutions, so why not make them for your business.

you can survive in business without the help of a Coach, but it's almost impossible to thrive...

Did you achieve what you planned to this year in your business?

• A Coach will make you focus on the game.

• A Coach CAN see the forest for the trees.

Have you got a business plan for next year?

• A Coach will make you run more laps than you feel like.

If not then let’s put one together!

• A Coach will tell it like it is.

Every great performer, whether an elite athlete, business legend or performing superstar, is surrounded by coaches and advisors.

• A Coach will give you small pointers.

As the world of business moves faster and gets more competitive and difficult to keep up with both the changes in your industry and the innovations in sales, marketing and management strategies as well... Having a Business Coach is no longer a luxury, it's become a necessity. On top of all of this, it's difficult to get a truly objective answer from yourself. Don't get me wrong,

• A Coach will listen. • A Coach will be your marketing manager, your sales director, your training co-ordinator, your partner, your confidant, your mentor, your best friend... and an ActionCOACH will help you make your dreams come true. For a complimentary place on our next ‘6 Steps To A Better Business’ Seminar, please call us on 01202 048600, or drop us an email at nickpowter@actioncoach.com

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

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HOSPITALITY MATTERS

December/January

Beat those winter blues at The Cumberland Hotel

By Becci Moynihan, Event & Functions Co-ordinator Well, it’s that time of year again! Christmas is almost here and everyone is madly buying presents, making arrangements with family and friends, and booking their places to finish of the festivities with a bang on New Year’s Eve. However, many of us forget to plan ahead into January, with so much going on over this festive season, and it is then when it is all over, that we all get overwhelmed with the dreadful “holiday blues”. At the Cumberland hotel, we are very excited to be releasing our 2015 What’s On Guide, which details all events we are hosting throughout the year. January sees our fabulous new Showstoppers hitting the stage on the 16th, with songs from the Broadway and West End, sung by local trio Diane James, Paul Shinar and Laura Fealy. The 25th has us bringing on the bagpipes and kilts as we celebrate Burns Night in traditional Scotts Style, by addressing the Haggis, and entertainment from an authentic Ceilidh band.

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Looking ahead into February, Love will be in the air on Saturday 14th, so if you want to treat your special someone to a night of romance, why not join us for a candlelit 3 course dinner in our Mirabelle restaurant, with chocolates for the ladies, and Diane James singing live. Alternatively, if you fancy a quieter atmosphere, our Award Winning Chef Matuesz Nowatkowski will be preparing a gourmet 3 course dinner, and we are treating you to a glass of champagne on arrival. Many other fantastic events are being held throughout the year, with tribute nights including Shirley Bassey, Elvis, the Bee Gees, and of course Michael Buble, Fawlty Towers Dinner Show antics and many more. Full details can be found on our website at www.cumberlandbournemouth.co.uk or call the Sales office on 01202 298350.

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HR MATTERS

December/January

Shared Parental Leave Update By Tom Doherty from The HR Dept Employment law changes frequently and keeping up to date as a business owner can often be tricky and getting it wrong can be costly. The HR Dept is here to help provide advice and guidance to SMEs. Family friendly rules are about to change with the introduction of Shared Parental Leave and Pay and The HR Dept is here to advise. What is shared parental leave? It’s the right of parents, but not the obligation, to split 52 weeks of parental leave between themselves – as they see fit. The Mother must take the statutory leave after birth (normally two weeks, but for factory workers four). The remaining leave can be split - taken in turn or together - with eight weeks’ notice given. A parent can request leave in on/off blocks but you do not have to grant this. Only the Mother is entitled to the six weeks 90% of salary payment, with the remaining leave paid at the statutory rate.

When does this take effect? The law comes into force on 1 December 2014 but will only start affecting parents of babies born after 5 April 2015. Who does it apply to? Broadly speaking, this will apply to parents and adoptive parents employed for 26 weeks or more. It should be noted that the parents don’t have to work in the same business! How should I handle it? All employers need to develop a clearly worded policy. Much of the administrative burden will actually fall on the employees: requesting leave within required timescales and co-ordinating between employers. You will be entitled to see the birth certificate and details of the partner’s employer and NI Number. Communication between you and your employees will be key. Contact me on 0845 296 2745 or email me at tom@hrdept.co.uk for a free review of your contracts and handbooks.

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INSURANCE MATTERS

December/January

Ensure that you are well insured!

By John Palmer of Coversure Insurance We all need insurance for either our business or for our homes and cars. Buying insurance online is popular, but does it give you the cover you need and the expert advice and service you want? Well, it’s good news for the local residents and businesses in Bournemouth and Poole as a new insurance broker has opened in Parkstone. Local insurance man, John Palmer opened Coversure Insurance this week after 12 years with A-Plan Insurance, where he was branch manager for 4 years. Coversure Poole is part of the Coversure Group, which has over 90 franchise businesses nationwide, meaning it can negotiate great deals for its customers, yet still provide a personal service. John confessed that he wasn’t fazed by opening a new business, having already set up an office in Poole over a decade ago. “It’s a great opportunity. I’m really looking forward to running my own business and using my experience and knowledge to give great products and service to the local community.” John went on to say “I have the added benefit of having the backing of a professional business behind me, and support services that will enable me to focus on growing my business and looking after my customers’ needs”. Page 12

John intends to get out and personally visit local businesses early on. “As a local businessman myself, I understand the challenges faced by business owners. Insurance can be a complex subject. I believe it’s important to have a strong face to face relationship with your insurance broker so you get professional advice and the right level of service.” Coversure Insurance Service (Poole) recently opened its doors for business and has high ambitions to grow the business. Looking to the future John said “After I’ve established the business, I’ll be looking to employ local people to help me take it to the next level.” If you have any questions regarding your insurance, whether you have the right cover or could get a better deal, give John a call on 0800 223 0060 or email poole@coversure.co.uk.

Tel: 0800 223 0060 Email: poole@coversure.co.uk www.coversure.co.uk/office/poole

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INTERNET MATTERS

December/January

Three ways a website can be optimized so it ranks better By Gino Cirelli from Website Internet Marketing

A search engine canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t read a page on a website like we can, so how does it work out what should make a site rank better than others?

there are large images or other content such as flash. So reduce the size of images and remove flash content to speed this up.

Well, it will try and work out what the content is about, it will measure how well the site works and it will work out if the user has a good experience. Here are three things that can be done to make sure that a website ranks better.

3. Make sure the user has a good experience by making it easy to navigate around the site. This is where keeping to a traditional layout is important so users can find things quickly, if they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t they will get frustrated and leave.

1. Make sure that the content of a page is relevant to the title and theme of the page. A good tip for creating content is to answer questions that your users may be searching for. Make sure that the most important content is easy to find and read. 2. Check that everything works on the site such as links and buttons, also note how long each page takes to load; then fix anything that is broken. If it is very slow it may be because

The search engines will know how long people spend on each page and how quickly they leave. There are ways of getting hold of this information, known as website analytics. It is worth spending some time understanding this data, because if we know where problems occur such as readers leaving a page very quickly, we can do something about this. For a free website review call Gino on 01425 200 678 or email gino@webiml.co.uk and quote NBM.

01425 200 678 To receive a FREE copy go to www.newbusinessmatters.com

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IT MATTERS

December/January

Why Word can be bad for your business?

By Ava Lambert, Copyrite Business Solutions We all use Microsoft Word. It is an industry standard for creating business documents. But is it the best format to distribute the documents in? Sending Word files can reveal confidential information. Word is often configured by default to automatically track and record changes you make to a document. When you send such a document to a third party, you can recover these changes and see how the document appeared several revisions ago. The confidential information you thought you removed from a document before sending it may in fact still be accessible to the recipient. There have been a few high-profile cases of confidential information being leaked via publically-posted Word documents such as Blair's Iraq Dossier. Word files can be a security hazard. Unlike standard data formats, Word files can contain programming code which can be executed by your computer automatically when the document is opened. Word has been targeted by dozens of computer viruses. When you receive a Word attachment by e-mail, do you really want to take the risk of infecting your system? Microsoft Word documents cannot always be read by customer and clients. People, who use other word processors, either by choice or by necessity, may be unable to open Word documents Documents produced with one version of Word cannot always be read by other versions of Word. Word file format is not standard and fixed, it can change between versions. As a result, documents saved with one version of Word often cannot be opened with previous versions of Word.

computer may end up with radically different formatting and pagination even when viewed with the same version of Word on another computer Microsoft Word documents are large compared to other file formats. A large collection of Microsoft Word files can quickly eat up one's available disk space What are the alternatives? Convert your documents into a secure PDF format before emailing or distributing! eCopy PDF Pro is a low cost option to: • Convert PDF to and from Word and other office formats (Excel, PowerPoint etc) • Compress the document to a fraction of its original size • S ecure the PDF file by encrypting it and restricting who can print it, view it and edit it • P rotect confidential information by redacting (placing a solid black band over it) • C reate searchable documents so one can search on any words within the document • A utomatically compare versions of documents such as contracts • C onvert paper forms into electronic PDF fillable forms and email them to clients/ customers to complete • C onnect with popular Document Management Systems Try before you buy – please contact us for a free 45 day trial version of your eCopy PDF Pro Please quote NBM 28 when you call 01202 848866 or send an email to info@copyrite.co.uk

Microsoft Word documents are not guaranteed to look and print the same way on every computer and printer. A document produced with Word on one

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LETTINGS MATTERS

December/January

Our Growing Population By Sharon Canning from Move on Rentals Having turned 50 recently, I realised I had to adjust my numbers. The numbers I am referring to represent my life in the property world! So I now have 31 years of being a landlord, 24 years of working within the industry, 9 years of owning Move On Rentals and nearly 2 years of producing and presenting a weekly radio show dedicated to the property industry. Not bad for a young 50 year old!! I love numbers and so when preparing for my 30 minute talk on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;New Market Opportunitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at the recent Landlord Exhibition in Bournemouth I looked at some stats and thought I would share them with you. 2020 has been talked about for the last few years. Mainly because the baby boom of the 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. However, there is a prediction there will be a shortfall of a million homes to accommodate the ever growing population. The experts predict that 250,000 homes are needed to be built each year and only just over 100,000 are being built. So, what does this mean? Well in the private rented sector this will most probably push up rents, good news for investors, but not so good for tenants. In a recent survey, 3.7 million 20 plus year olds are

still living with their parents. In the rented sector, 50% felt they would never own their own home and 20% would contemplate moving back in with their parents to save for a deposit. In the peak of 2007 72.5% of the UK population owned their own home; this has been declining and is presently around 65%. Interestingly in Poole and Bournemouth of the 70,000 plus properties that are rented out, nearly 43,000 are provided by the private rented sector, no wonder we have some 115 plus letting agents between the 2 towns! As said it is good news for investors, however be warned, the nation of renters are expecting good quality accommodation for their money and some landlords will need to up their game so to speak in providing clean, modern and up to date properties. If you would like a friendly, no obligation chat regarding any property matter, then please email sharon@moveonrentals.com or telephone 01202 711169. For the weekly property show on Wednesdays 12-2pm presented by Sharon Canning, tune into HopeFM 90.1 or visit the website and press the listen live button.

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PA MATTERS

December/January

What do you really hate doing at work???

By Barbara Marsh of Barbara's Office Services You run your own business so you really enjoy what you do. But are there times when you find yourself doing a task which you feel is outside of your comfort zone, or just resent doing it because you would rather be doing ‘the day job’? If so, have you ever considered a Virtual Assistant (VA)? A VA works as an extra pair of hands for your business. They can help you with activities that take up your time and save you money as well. You can task a VA with undertaking projects such as sending out your newsletters, mail shots or letters/phone calls chasing up your unpaid invoices – all the things that need to be organised for your successful business, but take up so much of your time. In fact a Virtual Assistant can do all the things that need covering in your office – when they need to be done. A Virtual Assistant won’t even take up space in your office as the majority of tasks can be carried out remotely. It may be that you require assistance on a regular basis, in which case most Virtual Assistants will work

on a 5 hour, 10 hour or 20 hour a month retainer so you know exactly how much you are spending each month. VA’s are there just when you want them. Or perhaps it’s just a one off project you need some help with – organising a Christmas party or an off-site meeting/conference, maybe it’s just a large amount of copy typing or perhaps it’s just remembering to send those anniversary flowers you are always meaning to do!! In which case Virtual Assistants will work on an ad hoc basis. Just think – going into 2015 wouldn’t it be a big weight of your mind to know that certain routine tasks are being carried out each and every month without you having to worry about them – whilst you do the things you enjoy and bring the profits into your business. Why don’t you contact me either by telephone on 01425 839550 or 07813 318466 or email me at barbara@barbarasofficeservices.co.uk so we can have a coffee and a chat about how I can help your business by freeing up your time with all those things you don’t enjoy doing for your business.

BARBARA'S OFFICE SERVICES Would you like 30+ years of experience to help run your business more efficiently & save you time and money? If you are looking or thinking about help and you want someone to work flexible hours at a cost you can afford, then call Barbara for an initial free chat or email over your business needs.

T: 07813 318466 E: barbara@barbarasofficeservices.co.uk www.barbarasofficeservices.co.uk Page 16

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PC REPAIR MATTERS

December/January

Does size matter? By Clifford Johnson from PCs Made Simple We have touched on productivity being king over the last year, this time I thought we would touch on the situations where size is king. Size of your IT can have an impact on your productivity, or your workforce, these situations are more common than we ever thought they would be. Desk space is precious, counter space, or general office space. PC towers can start taking up a lot of room. If you run a shop you are not going to want a full sized tower PC on the side, but if you go smaller you may hit a cross road where the power and performance of that PC becomes a detriment if it’s too low. Following the release of the Raspberry Pi PC, a flood of next generation PCs hit the market. They come in a range of different names, Brix, NUC, to name just a few. Now you are wondering how this can help... This range of next gen PCs, amazingly can fit in the palm of your hand! Yes, your hand! Without losing

on power or performance, full voltage i3 and i5 processors running off a solid state hard drive. These systems are fast and easy to hide behind your screen using the wall mount bracket on the display. Most handle multiple monitors with a range of other ports including built in WiFi. If you need the power but don’t have the space, we are the people who you need to see! Even if it is just that you want it all to look nice and tidy... If you would like to know more, you can find further information on our website at simple-pcs.co.uk/ introducing-the-nuc or please feel free to email info@simple-pcs.co.uk. Alternatively drop us a line on 01202 830121~ or pop in for a chat.

We make computing easy... It's as SIMPLE as that! PC & Laptop Repairs & Sales

PCs Made Simple can usually fix any sick computer. We can also supply a new one, off the shelf or tailor made just for you.

We Come To You!

If your computer can’t come to us, PCs Made Simple can come to your computer! We cover all of Dorset and most of West Hampshire.

Tel: 01202 830121 E: info@simple-pcs.co.uk W: www.simple-pcs.co.uk

312 Ashley Road • Poole • Dorset • BH14 9DF

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

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PRINTING MATTERS

December/January

Cost vs Value By Alan Bunter, MD of Remous Limited There is an expression that some people know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. In highly competitive situations, like print sales, it is not always easy to demonstrate to the customer why they should change suppliers and give you an opportunity to win their work. So often today, it comes down to price and we have all had experience of trying to compete with ridiculous prices from fly-by-night companies. So, it helps to have an edge, a special advantage, a way of demonstrating how your company will add value to someone else’s business. We know there is no 100% guaranteed method to succeed in selling, but you can make it a little easier to sell more, to gain that small advantage over your competitors, by demonstrating just why it is that your clients and prospects should choose you and your company to do business with. Take the story of the wealthy lady in Paris who needed a hat urgently for an important occasion. She telephoned her milliner and requested she came immediately to her apartment and, within twenty minutes of arriving, had created an amazing and beautiful new hat from a single strand of ribbon. The wealthy lady was delighted and asked the milliner the fee, to which she

replied "One thousand Francs". The lady gasped, "But that's so much money for a piece of ribbon!" The milliner unpinned the ribbon and handed it to her, "Madam the ribbon is free, it's the 'know-how' that you're paying for." So, demonstrate to your clients and prospects that you can transform their “ordinary” situation into an eye-catching, winning one, by using your expertise and experience. Convince the client that they can be confident that although there is a cost element involved, by making that investment in your company’s experience, the future value to their company will far outweigh any cost. If you would like to gain that extra edge in your design, print, finishing or mailing by using the wealth of experience and 'knowhow' at Remous, give Alan a call on 01963 250920 or email alan@remous.com

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PUZZLE MATTERS

December/January

Put your feet up over coffee or lunch and have a go at these!

P 8

5 1

4 9

8 9 6

2 7 5

Across

Crossword

9 Motion sickness (7) 10 Query (7) 11 Trouble (7) 12 Army squad (7) 13 Winners (9) 15 Also known as (5) 16 Smiled contemptuously (7) 19 Car pilots (7) 20 Italian lawn bowling (5) 21 Categories (9) 25 The joined continents of Europe and Asia (7) 26 Exposes (7) 28 Duo (7) 29 Correction to a printed mistake (7)

Down

1 Micro______ = something very small (6) 2 The circle of colour around a nipple (6) 3 The lowest timber in a structure (4) 4 Elbows pointed outwards (6) 5 Threw away (8) 6 Greenish blue (10)

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7 A black ďŹ&#x201A;avoured candy (8) 8 Mesmerism (8) 14 Approval to do something (10) 16 Branches of knowledge (8) 17 Snails (8) 18 Diverged (8)

22 Ship's steering mechanism (6) 23 Inborn (6) 24 Big Bird's street (6) 27 City in Italy (4)

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RECOVERY MATTERS

December/January

BY GRAHAM DOWN | www.bscorprecovery.com

When an increase in business is too good to be true It’s been a tough few years, but hopefully things are at last looking up. Orders are starting to come through and the business world looks a much rosier place. But whilst a sudden upsurge in demand seems like great news at first, sometimes it can have a negative impact on a business. A long line of customers doesn’t necessarily mean a healthy bank balance. When a business struggles to find the resources or cash necessary to service new orders before customers pay trading can be brought to a juddering halt, stopping the successful delivery of the firm’s products or services. It’s a very common problem which arises when firms expand rapidly, and is known as “overtrading”. Very often raw materials need to be bought, and staff and other costs paid before goods are delivered to customers. Allowing for credit periods – and customers paying late – may mean a struggle to pay suppliers on time. That, in turn, leads to the business being placed “on stop” by those suppliers. If it can’t get the materials, it can’t finish orders, which means it can’t issue invoices, which means it doesn’t get paid. Threats of legal action

become actual legal proceedings. Court judgements impact on the company’s credit rating and it all becomes a vicious downward spiral. Even if the business survives its reputation takes a knock if quality suffers or if the business fails to deliver on its promises. So a bursting order book is not necessarily as attractive as it may seem at first sight. Taking on too many contracts can actually slow things down. That’s why it’s vital to plan ahead and organise your finances. Cash flow planning is essential. Project your monthly sales, predict when customers will pay (not forgetting that some will pay late), and factor in a reserves for contingencies. Most importantly, if finances look as though they’re getting tight, take advice. Our Team of highly experienced professionals have seen these problems – and others – many times. Call us today for a free initial meeting.

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

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SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS

December/January

Generating business using Twitter

By Mike Sharp from Mike's Online Academy To some small businesses Twitter has nothing to do with them, it is for celebrities to tweet photos of themselves having lunch or something like that! For others it is a vital tool to generate business and build relationships with existing customers. Here are some stats about Twitter that you might not know: • 85% of followers feel more connected with a small business after following them (Twitter.com) • 67% of Twitter users are more likely to buy from the brands they follow on Twitter (MediaBistro) • 42% of consumers learn about products and services via Twitter (ConvinceandConvert.com) • 63% of people follow Small Business to show their support for them (Twitter.com) • 42% of Twitter users use Twitter to learn about products and services (Edison.com) So after looking at these stats you may ask yourself how do I use Twitter to generate business? The first thing I would say is don't just halfheartedly open a twitter account, tweet a few times and expect to get anything out of it. It would be a bit like going to a few networking events giving out a few business cards then thinking that's it!

will follow you back. Caution: Be careful not to follow too many people at once, Twitter does not like this. An effective way to get more followers is to interact with others on Twitter, this can be done by sharing others tweets known as "retweeting" and by commenting or replying to tweets. (A Tweet is when you post something on Twitter) Tweet regularly, if possible tweet at set times of the day so your audience know you are a professional and not just a tweet by night! What you tweet about depends on what type of business you are, for instance if your business is a restaurant you can tweet your latest offers, menus, interesting stories, behind the scenes photos, positive customer comments or just anything that you think your followers may find interesting. Keep in mind that you are a business when tweeting, it is not recommended to air any "dirty laundry", your competitors and customers will be reading your tweets too!! By the way, have a look at your competitors on Twitter, it is a good way of finding out what they are doing that is successful and implementing those successful actions in your business. In all Twitter is an exciting and fun way to generate business so happy tweeting!

No it takes dedication, a plan and a bit of good old fashioned work. To start off you need to create a great twitter profile, have a good quality photo and a descriptive and punchy biography. Make sure to add your web address and other contact details that you don't mind anyone seeing. Next follow lots of people and usually they Page 22

T: 07445 033826 E: mike@mikesonlineacademy.com W: www.MikesOnlineAcademy.com

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