Business Action Autumn 2014 online

New look NDBA #ndevon networking Make your business accessible Social media in North Devon

2014 NDBA Online Awards How effectively is your business working?

Improve your staff recruitment

business-action.co.uk | @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

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NDBA

New name, new look In this autumn issue of Business Action, we are delighted to announce both the rebranding of the NDBA and the launch of our 2014 Online Awards.

Originally established as the North Devon Business Alliance, the NDBA has now rebranded as North Devon Business Action.

This coincides with the launch of the new web site at ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk

The site features blogs, business news and events, and useful information. In the months ahead we’ll be adding a directory of NDBA members plus more content and features specifically for members.

NDBA was established as a networking organisation for the whole of North Devon and will continue to focus on this both at our end-of-month Friday lunches, on our web site and via Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and Facebook. @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

Join for more member benefits We’ll also be developing membership benefits – members already receive discounts on events and on advertising in this magazine. So if you want to step up your networking, both online and face to face, why not join now? Sign up on the web site.

2014 Online Awards For the third year we are running our online business awards. These are open to all businesses based or operating in North Devon.

The aim of the awards is to recognise those businesses using blogs, social media, and video and audio most effectively.

Awards categories

➤➤ Twitter ➤➤ Google+ ➤➤ LinkedIn ➤➤ Facebook ➤➤ Online

Media

➤➤ Blogging ➤➤ Online

Networker

Enter online awards Turn to page 16 for full details of the awards and how to enter.

Good luck!

3

FROM YOUR EDITOR

From your editor

Thank you for your kind comments about our bigger, newlook magazine.

I can’t believe that this autumn issue is here already and that we are now entering the final Take Business Action! quarter of 2014. ➤➤ Network with NDBA While the year ➤➤ New customers started off with ➤➤ New suppliers great optimism ➤➤ Build an efficient, and businesses strong and resilient have succeeded in business shaking off much of the gloom of the recession, the uncertainty of global events beyond our control could hamper growth.

As there’s nothing we can do to influence many of these events, what we can do is focus on our businesses so that they are efficient, strong and resilient.

If you want to increase your network and find new customers and suppliers in North Devon, I recommend the relaunched NDBA. The new name – North Devon Business Action says it all.

Let’s connect.

Robert Zarywacz

Action is edited, designed and produced by Zarywacz editor: Robert Zarywacz

tel: 07971 176044 email: robertz@business-action.co.uk online: business-action.co.uk Twitter: @businessactionm follow: Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook ■■ Business

Views expressed by contributors to this magazine are not necessarily those of the North Devon Business Alliance or Zarywacz. Readers are strongly recommended to seek advice from an appropriate professional before taking any action on any topic discussed in the magazine and to check full terms and conditions of any products or services promoted in advertisements. © 2014 North Devon Business Alliance and Zarywacz.

4

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

CONTENTS

New look NDBA #ndevon networking Make your business accessible Social media in North Devon

3 North Devon Business Action

New name, new look NDBA

2014 NDBA Online Awards How effectively is your business working?

Improve your staff recruitment

4 From your editor Robert Zarywacz

6 How effectively is your business working?

Rozz Algar

8 NDBA: the future Kevin Woodward 10 Easy access makes sense

for business Rob Lott

14 Social media resources What networks are available 16 NDBA Online Awards 2014 17 An easy way to connect Robert Zarywacz 18 Twitter Award 20 Google+ Award 22 LinkedIn Award 24 Facebook Award 26 Online Media Award 28 Blogging Award 30 Online Networker Award @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

business-action.co.uk | @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

33 Seeing red Paul Clews 34 Counting the cost

of cost cutting

Kevin Woodward 36 How can you recruit

staff effectively?

Alice Hellmund

39 Advertise in this magazine Packages now available 40 Is there a cost to

please and thanks?

Robert Zarywacz

42 The dreaded

elevator speech Kevin Woodward

44 NDBA member Q&A: Elaine Isaac

5

IMPROVEMENT

How effectively is your business working?

Rozz Algar, from Herne, explores how to ensure continuous improvement really does continue in your business

All too often businesses (even the best of businesses) start to be slowed down by the very things that should be making them tick – the processes and the people. Processes become overly complicated, chains of command too long, people become entrenched in the way that they do things and get bogged down in minutiae.

Great businesses focus on ensuring that continuous improvement is a fundamental principle of what they do. We have probably all heard of the continuous improvement cycle – Plan, Do, Check, Act – but how many of us can honestly say that we follow this principle throughout our business?

Each element of this cycle is as important as the last.

Plan . . .

Planning or having a clear goal has to be the first fundamental.

Without a clear goal and set of objectives, how will we ever know if we have actually achieved

6

anything? But what is more important than having this goal is to communicate it clearly and succinctly to all involved.

Do . . .

Making sure the strategy is clear and then getting on with things has to follow closely behind.

Sometimes too much time is spent planning.

Check . . .

Okay, let’s be honest: how much do we do of this? All too often checking gets forgotten or at least pushed to one side in the rush to keep going. If we don’t take time to stop and evaluate how we are doing, how do we know for sure that any future plans will be any better than what came before?

Act . . .

Once we know what improvements need to be made, let’s act as quickly as we can and not waste time looking back, or debating. If it needs to be done, it needs to be done. And not forgetting of course that it is called a continuous improvement Business Action | business-action.co.uk

IMPROVEMENT

cycle for a very good reason: it keeps on going round; there is no end, just a new beginning.

All this sounds simple and straightforward, but to help you get going, how about asking yourself some questions to see whether now would be a good time to check and act?

Ask yourself . . . ➤➤ If

we started again from scratch, would we still be doing it this way?

➤➤ Are

we focusing on things that make us more effective or worrying too much about the minutiae of the day to day?

➤➤ Do

we have the skills and abilities to do what we need to do efficiently (if we don’t, we need to upskill our staff, or maybe we should outsource that element)?

➤➤ Are

we procrastinating?

➤➤ Are

we spending too much time telling each other stuff without getting on with it (emails can slow us down – go and see your colleague, have a face to face conversation and move on)?

➤➤ Are

the right people doing the tasks? Delegation isn’t hard, it just takes time, good communications and ensuring

@businessactionm | Autumn 2014

people know what needs to be done ➤➤ Have

we packed our days so full of tasks that there is no time to actually plan and evaluate?

Evaluating your business and ensuring it works as effectively as possible can be tough, but taking time to focus on the how as much as the what will make you more efficient and effective and keep your business fit for purpose today and into the future.

So be brave and take a look at how you do what you do.

■■ Rozz Algar is a highly successful and energetic executive with expertise in people management, organisational development and communications. tel: 01837 83111 email: rozz@herne.org.uk web: herne.org.uk Twitter: @HerneRozz

7

NDBA NETWORKING

NDBA: the future Kevin Woodward, founder of NDBA, introduces the new web site and plans for future networking in North Devon

North Devon Business Action (or Alliance previously) has been moving along quite nicely as a small, informal networking group.

The start It started as a lunchtime networking group for a few local businesses, who couldn’t make breakfasts for various reasons and didn’t really want to impose upon family time in the evenings. We felt that lunch meetings were the obvious choice.

We settled upon the last Friday of the NDBA activities month as a time ➤➤ Networking lunches when most of ➤➤ Networking online the month’s work ➤➤ Web site resource had been done ➤➤ Online groups and it was time ➤➤ Business Action to wind down magazine and celebrate the month’s hard work. Although, to be truthful, it has never felt like that as one month rolled into the next.

Progression Four years ago, we thought it would be good to expand our group and invite others to lunches to build up a greater network.

8

We also thought it would be a good idea to have a web site and to use social media to keep Kevin Woodward ourselves in (NDBA founder) contact with K&V Associates one another in between meetings.

FaceBook and Twitter accounts, LinkedIn groups and subsequently even Google+ communities were set up as a way to keep in touch.

Membership numbers have remained steady at around 30 businesses and while some members have left, new ones have joined. Membership hasn’t been expensive, at only £15 per year, just enough to pay for web hosting and to cover the occasional overspend on lunches.

We’ve seem numbers at lunches vary from eight to 28, and for the past two years have hosted them at the Chichester Arms, Bishop’s Tawton, where the warm welcome and the flexibility of the management and staff have been Business Action | business-action.co.uk

HEADER

very helpful in accommodating our varying numbers.

Over the years we have seen 200+ businesses join us for at least one lunch, and of those a high percentage have come back regularly albeit not all at once.

Online Awards Two years ago, we created an awards scheme to find the best online networker, best business use of Twitter, Google+, LikedIn, FaceBook and other social media and online tools. These awards have grown in popularity each year and we look forward to running the awards again this year – for Stacey Pledge entry details (NDBA web site) and dates, see B My Office pages 16 to 30 – and please enter. Entry is free!

New web site Web sites get outdated and our current site has been around for nearly four years now.

Aware that it needed an overhaul, we are launching a new site with a new name and new web address: ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk The new site also creates the opportunity to move forward into @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

the digital era by making it a more useful, fun place to visit.

We’ll never be a Facebook or a Twitter, but we want it to be somewhere that we can all visit on a weekly basis, at least to see the local news, check out Robert Zarywacz the resource (NDBA magazine) pages for Zarywacz information, ask questions of other members and to answer questions from other members.

The web site will be upgraded to cater for members of various levels (details to follow soon), and will offer access to stuff for free as well as specialised resources that only paying members can see.

This development is happening as I write and we have completed phase 1 and launched the basic site. Visit regularly as we complete the next phases and add even more functionality and resources.

So, whether it’s face to face at our lunchtime meetings, online at our web site or on social media, or through this magazine, we look forward to connecting with you. tel: 0333 044 2038 web: ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk Twitter: @northdevon

9

Easy access makes sense for business

Rob Lott from Calvert Trust Exmoor gives some simple tips on increasing your business through improving your accessibility

Have you ever lost a potential sale because the customer couldn’t access your premises, service or information?

There’s a very good chance that if you have, you won’t even know about it.

Why should I bother being accessible?

Putting aside legislative requirements and moral / social arguments around being accessible, improving your accessibility actually makes good business sense.

The Office for National Statistics says that there are 11 million people in the UK with ‘a limiting

10

long-term illness, impairment or disability’; according to VisitEngland accessible tourism alone is worth over £2 billion a year to UK businesses.

Factor in this large potential market, and the realisation that many accessibility improvements are actually going to be of benefit to all of your customers not just those with access needs, and it is easy to see the business case for making access improvements.

Some access improvements can be costly and require specialist equipment, but there are many low / no-cost improvements that you can make.

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

ACCESSIBILTY

Where do I start?

A great place to start is with an access statement. What this looks like will depend on the nature and size of your business, but essentially what you are trying to do is give a realistic description of your business. It’s not a marketing document! It needs to contain the details necessary to help someone with access needs assess whether they can access your business. In our case, it’s full of information like doorway widths, lighting types, flooring type. Feel free to have a look at ours for inspiration – you can find it at: calvert-trust.org.uk/access Many people with access needs use an ‘if I don’t know, I won’t go’ approach; with your access statement you are trying to make sure they know what your business is like before they arrive, and to re-assure them that you have thought about their access needs. The statement itself needs to be easily accessible too, of course. Make sure that it is easy to find on your web site.

Don’t forget: as you make other access improvements and other changes to your business over time, you must keep your access statement up to date.

Information formats Consider which formats might be appropriate for your written

12

information, eg large print, braille, audio, ‘easy read’ / pictorial. Large print is by far the most popular, which is great because it is easy to produce in house.

We offer our large print information on a range of paper colours, but the majority of people with a visual impairment find black text on yellow paper is easiest to read, so make sure you at least can offer that.

Top tips for producing accessible documents ➤➤ Use

a ‘sans-serif ’ font (eg Arial, Tahoma, Verdana)

➤➤ For

large print font size should be 18-20 point

➤➤ Avoid

using LARGE BLOCKS OF CAPITAL LETTERS

➤➤ Avoid

hyphenations (splitting one word across two lines)

➤➤ Place

images at the end of paragraphs rather than interrupting the flow of the text

➤➤ Allow

space between text and image, and never have text run over an image

Following these basic guidelines, I find it takes about 30 minutes to convert a document into large print. If you can, ring-bind the document as it’s much easier to read laying flat on a surface.

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

ACCESSIBILTY

‘Easy read’ is the other popular document format, particularly for people with learning difficulties; the language has been simplified, and much of the text replaced with strong, clear images to aid understanding.

Everyone is Individual It’s just good customer care, but particularly where a customer has accessibility needs it is important to treat everyone as an individual person, not as their disability ‘label’. This is particularly (but not solely) relevant to customerfacing staff. Two people with the same disability may well have very different access needs, so never assume that you already know what the person needs.

Offer help Offer help (and ask how rather than assume) and be willing to be flexible to accommodate their needs. For example, you might need to re-arrange some furniture to assist a wheelchair user, find extra light for someone who is visually impaired to be able to read your document, or provide a water bowl for someone with an assistance dog.

Get them to help you The best source of information about how you can improve your business is your customers.

Gathering feedback from all @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

customers is important; when you have a customer with an access need, it is your perfect opportunity to gain feedback on access in 5 low / no-cost access particular. Make improvements ➤➤ Access statement sure you take the time to find ➤➤ In house large print ➤➤ Everyone as an out how your individual business could ➤ ➤ Get them to help you have made their visit easier. What ➤➤ Start today! steps could you take to help them want to return again and again?

And finally . . .

Start today. The best time to start was yesterday, but today will do.

Customers with access needs have the same wants and needs as everyone else, and want to access the same products and services.

You can be sure that if you are not able to accommodate them, there will be a competitor that is trying to do exactly that.

■■ Rob Lott is head of communications for Calvert Trust Exmoor, and is passionate about encouraging all types of businesses to realise that good accessibility is good for business. tel: 01598 763221 email: rob@calvert-trust.org.uk web: calvert-trust.org.uk/exmoor Twitter: @CalvertExmoor

13

SOCIAL MEDIA

North Devon social media resources

As the 2014 NDBA Online Awards put North Devon online and social media users under the spotlight for a third year, what online tools are available?

Blogging and social media are attractive to many businesses because they are free, although they do cost time that could be spent earning revenue from client work. Here is a brief round up of the main services available.

Blogging Blogging offers the opportunity to write articles about any aspect of business. They can be brief news items or longer, in-depth articles.

Blogs give you the freedom to write about what you want, so you can choose topics that showcase your expertise and capabilities.

You can also illustrate them with graphics, photos or video.

You can use blogs to ask and answer questions and generate discussion. This is especially useful for demonstrating to potential customers who need your product or service that you are a reputable business on which they can depend to do a good job.

You can add a blog to your existing web site, create your own blog site, start a blog on a service

14

such as WordPress or Blogger, or blog on Google+ or LinkedIn. The new NDBA web site offers members the facility to post blogs about their own business or issues relevant to North Devon.

■■ Post, read and comment on blogs

at ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk

Twitter Twitter is a microblogging service enabling you to post ‘tweets’ of up to 140 characters. How long? This paragraph is the length of a tweet.

Tweeting enables you to network with other users and promote your business, even including photos, videos and clickable links to your web site, blogs or other material.

Use #hashtags – keywords – to attract users with specific interests to read your tweets or to identify potential customers.

■■ Join NDBA on Twitter. follow: @northdevon hashtag: #ndevon

Facebook Facebook is often seen as focusing on community and consumers.

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

SOCIAL MEDIA

Few shops, restaurants or attractions do not have a Facebook page. Attracting ‘likes’, comments and shares helps to promote your page and your content. You can also run or join groups focusing on special interests or specific places.

■■ Join NDBA on Facebook. page: North Devon link: facebook.com/ndevonbusiness North Devon group:

facebook.com/groups/ndevon

Google+ Google is a powerful player in the online search world and some businesses see activity on Google+ as an important boost to their presence in search results.

Similar to Facebook, you can post updates and articles, and include photos, videos and clickable links. You can also +1, comment on and share posts.

There are also communities focusing on special interests and specific places.

■■ Join NDBA on Google+.

page: ndevon Business Action link: plus.google.com/+NDBAorgUK North Devon group: bit.ly/ndba-gplus

LinkedIn LinkedIn is often seen as a ‘grown-up’ network with a more corporate approach. You won’t find photos of cats here but articles on management and @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

specific business issues. You will also find people in management roles within large organisations.

As well as developing your business network, you can post articles and serious business content. You can also create a company page and participate in special interest groups.

■■ Join NDBA on LinkedIn. p age: linkedin.com/company/ndevonbusiness-action North Devon group: linkedin.com/ groups/northdevon-2494210

Online media If that’s not enough, there’s also photo, video and audio networks, which we’ll cover in future issues.

Confused?

With so much choice, how do you decide which network(s) to join? A good starting point is to identify who you want to network with and what you want to achieve. For example, LinkedIn is the obvious choice for corporate networking, while Facebook or Twitter could be preferable if you want to connect with consumers.

It’s also best to focus on one or two networks rather than joining all at the same time.

If you’re dipping your toe into the social media water, follow NDBA on the above networks – we’ll always try to help and support where we can.

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NDBA AWARDS 2014

NDBA Online Awards 2014

Third annual awards to recognise best use of online tools by North Devon businesses

2014 is the third year of the NDBA awards. Each year they get bigger and better, and we hope to see even more entrants this year.

The awards are free to enter for both members and non-members

and we encourage you to enter, where you can, for as many awards as possible.

Entry is straightforward, but if you need help, please ask Kevin, Robert or Stacey. Good luck!

How to enter the awards ➤➤ Twitter award ➤➤ Google+ Award ➤➤ LinkedIn Award ➤➤ Facebook Award ➤➤ Online Media Award ➤➤ Blogging Award ➤➤ Online Networker

Who can enter?

Anyone who runs or works in a business based or operating in North Devon.

How do I enter?

Follow the instructions for each category on pages 16 to 30.

How much does entry cost?

Entry is free.

When do the awards run?

26 September to 31 October 2014.

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How many categories can I enter?

You can enter as many categories as you wish.

How and when will the winners be announced?

At the NDBA Online Awards lunch on Friday 28 November 2014 and in the winter issue of Business Action.

Terms and conditions All judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into. All entrants and winners agree to appear in NDBA publicity for the awards.

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

Terry Pike, business manager for awards sponsor Barclays, presents the Winner of Winners award to Rob Lott of Calvert Trust Exmoor at the 2013 NDBA Online Awards

An easy way to connect Robert Zarywacz explains why the internet is such an important tool for businesses in North Devon

When I was about to move to North Devon in 2003, broadband was a big concern for me.

Fortunately, Ilfracombe exchange was upgraded that September and business broadband was installed the day after we moved.

My next challenge was how to meet business people in the area. I belonged to ecademy. com and found a North Devon club started by a certain Kevin Woodward. I joined the club and @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

began networking online in North Devon in January 2004.

Since then, online networking, blogging and social media have all progressed and been widely adopted. Not all businesses have a web site, but almost all have a Facebook page or Twitter account.

The internet offers invaluable tools for businesses in our remote area. The NDBA Online Awards aim to recognise best use of these tools by North Devon businesses.

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TWITTER AWARD

Twitter Award 2014

Tweeting your messages in 140 characters is a powerful way to promote you and your business.

In the NDBA Twitter Award 2014 the judges will be looking for North Devon businesses who: ➤➤ use

Twitter effectively to make themselves stand out

➤➤ tweet

to raise awareness of their business or product

➤➤ engage

with followers by replying and retweeting

➤➤ add

value to the North Devon Twitter community by helping and supporting others

➤➤ entertain

through the originality of their content

While numbers of followers and tweets will be taken into account, judges will weigh up the quality and effectiveness of interaction.

We welcome both established and new #ndevon Twitter users to enter this award.

Enter Twitter Award & top tips 1. Follow @northdevon on Twitter.

2. Tweet: I am entering the @northdevon #NDBA #ndevon Twitter award.

3. Be as active as possible on Twitter between 26 September and 31 October 2014. You can enter any time up to 31 October. ✔✔ Demonstrate your value as a

member of the North Devon Twitter community by helping, supporting and retweeting.

18

✔✔ Use the #ndevon hashtag as

much as you possible to promote North Devon and businesses in the area. ✔✔ Sign up to the NDBA newsletter

for awards announcements at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk

✔✔ We will add you to the Twitter

Awards 2014 list. ✔✔ All links and instructions are

repeated in the awards section at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

braver Making businesses

n Braver with your brand. If you feel your brand is looking a bit stale, we can help.

At Herne we believe in helping our clients to be braver‌

Whether it’s deciding to expand the business offering, taking on more people, dealing with difficult customers or staffing issues, the most important thing you can do is to take action.

We work closely with organisations to encourage them to take that step.

n Braver with your people.

From recruitment to performance management, making brave decisions isn’t easy, let us help.

erne

n Braver with your organisation.

Evaluating your business and ensuring it works as effectively as possible can be tough, we can help.

Making businesses braver

+44 (0)1837 83111

+44 (0)7866 387756

enquiries@herne.org.uk

www.herne.org.uk

GOOGLE+ HEADER AWARD

Google+ Award 2014

The importance of Google speaks for itself. In the NDBA Google+ Award 2014 the judges will be looking for North Devon businesses who: ➤➤ use

Google+ effectively to make themselves stand out

➤➤ raise

awareness of their business or product using their Google+ accounts and pages

➤➤ engage

with followers through +1s, shares and comments

➤➤ add

value to the North Devon Google+ community by helping and supporting others

➤➤ entertain

through the originality of their content

➤➤ use

Google+ regularly and consistently in their business

Enter Google+ Award & top tips 1. Follow the NDBA Google+ page at google.com/+NDBAorgUK. 2. Join the North Devon Google+ community at bit.ly/ndba-gplus 3. Add a comment to the Join the NDBA Google+ Award 2014 post saying: I am entering the #NDBA #ndevon Google+ award. ✔✔ Enter with a Google+ personal

account or business page. ✔✔ Be as active as possible on

Google+ between 26 September and 31 October 2014. You can enter any time up to 31 October.

20

✔✔ Demonstrate value in the Google+

community by helping, liking, posting and sharing. ✔✔ Use the #ndevon hashtag to

promote North Devon and businesses in the area. ✔✔ Sign up to the NDBA newsletter

for awards announcements at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk

✔✔ We will add you to the Google+

Awards 2014 circle. ✔✔ All links and instructions are

repeated in the awards section at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

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LINKEDIN AWARD

LinkedIn Award 2014

LinkedIn has evolved from an online repository for CVs to a networking site for the corporate community.

LinkedIn focuses more on business issues than most other social networks.

In the NDBA LinkedIn Award 2014 the judges will be looking for North Devon businesses who: ➤➤ use

LinkedIn to engage

effectively with connections

➤➤ debate

relevant business issues

➤➤ apply

their professional expertise to answer questions

➤➤ participate

in groups to help and support members

➤➤ post

original content of value to other businesses

➤➤ use

LinkedIn regularly and consistently in their business

Enter LinkedIn Award & top tips 1. Follow the NDBA LinkedIn company page at linkedin.com/ company/ndevon-business-action 2. Join the North Devon LinkedIn group at linkedin.com/groups/ northdevon-2494210 3. Add a comment to the Join the NDBA LinkedIn Award 2014 discussion thread saying: I am entering the #NDBA #ndevon LinkedIn award. ✔✔ Be as active as possible on

LinkedIn between 26 September

22

and 31 October 2014. You can enter any time up to 31 October. ✔✔ Demonstrate your value as a

member of the North Devon LinkedIn community by helping, liking, posting and commenting. ✔✔ Sign up to the NDBA newsletter

for awards announcements at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk ✔✔ All links and instructions are

repeated in the awards section at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk Business Action | business-action.co.uk

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From board level to number crunching level, we can assist you and your businesses (and business systems) get to the next level.

We operate on an informal level providing support both with you in person as well as ongoing away from your office.

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FACEBOOK AWARD

Facebook Award 2014

Facebook pages can be a powerful way to promote you and your business, especially locally.

In the NDBA Facebook Award 2014 the judges will be looking for North Devon businesses who:

➤➤ engage

➤➤ use

➤➤ entertain

➤➤ post

➤➤ use

Facebook pages effectively to make themselves stand out to raise awareness of their business or product

by responding, commenting and sharing

➤➤ add

value to the North Devon Facebook community by helping and supporting others through the originality of their content Facebook regularly and consistently in their business

Enter Facebook Award & top tips 1. Like and follow North Devon at facebook.com/ndevonbusiness 2. Join the North Devon Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/ ndevon (use your personal Facebook account to do this – please contact us if any problem) 3. Add your Facebook business page address to the pinned post headed ‘Enter NDBA Facebook Award’ saying: I am entering the NDBA #ndevon Facebook award. ✔✔ Be as active as possible on

Facebook between 26 September

24

and 31 October 2014. You can enter any time up to 31 October. ✔✔ Demonstrate your value as a

member of the North Devon Facebook community by helping, supporting, liking, sharing and commenting on posts. ✔✔ Sign up to the NDBA newsletter

for awards announcements at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk ✔✔ All links and instructions are

repeated in the awards section at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk Business Action | business-action.co.uk

Your employees can benefit from 24+ Loans through a variety of courses for business

24+ Loans IT ALL ADDS UP

e a course with 24 or over and want to tak If your employees are aged y for the course fee. to a loan to help them pa ed titl en be y ma y the c, involve a Petro is easy to apply for, doesn’t an Lo ing arn Le ed nc va Ad The 24+ u’re earning over have to pay it back until yo credit check and you don’t £21,000 a year. d Level HE Diplomas, Level 3 an to ss ce Ac e lud inc es Eligible cours Management, as in areas such as: CMI lom Dip d an s ate fic rti Ce 4 untancy. nagement and AAT Acco CIPD Human Resource Ma PETROC, d the courses on offer at an s an Lo + 24 t ou ab on For more informati plus or call 01271 338125 visit www.petroc.ac.uk/24 uk/ lcareersservice.direct.gov.

You can also visit: nationa advancedlearningloans Tip: search for ‘funding’ on

the National Careers Ser

vice website

Department for Business Innovation & Skills

PETROC

TM

ONLINE MEDIA AWARD

Online Media Award 2014

If a picture can tell 1,000 words, then graphics, photographs, video and audio play a powerful role in promoting business online This award aims to recognise the creativity in using online media.

In the NDBA Online Media Award 2014 the judges will be looking for North Devon businesses who:

➤➤ use

online visual and audio media to stand out

➤➤ take

full advantage of available online technologies

➤➤ support

the local economy by bringing North Devon to life in pictures and sound

➤➤ entertain

through the originality of their content

Enter Online Media Award & top tips 1. Entries can be accepted using graphics, video and audio services such as: Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, YouTube, Vimeo, Audioboo.

✔✔ Entries must be your own original

2. Go to the awards section of ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk and select the Online Media page.

✔✔ Entries must be hosted online. We

3. Follow the instructions to add the web address of your entry and give your contact details.

4. Enter between 26 September and 31 October 2014.

26

work or be commissioned by your business and you must own all relevant copyrights. ✔✔ You can submit multiple entries.

cannot accept data files. ✔✔ Sign up to the NDBA newsletter

for awards announcements at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk

✔✔ All links and instructions are

repeated in the awards section at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

“we’ve rebranded”

For creative signage and commercial interiors

BLOGGING AWARD

Blogging Award 2014

Blogging is an excellent way to showcase your business expertise, products and services, opinions and other information.

In the NDBA Blogging Award 2014 the judges will be looking for North Devon businesses who: ➤➤ blog

regularly and effectively to promote products and services

➤➤ use

text, graphics, video and / or audio to create original and entertaining blog content

➤➤ engage

with readers by attracting comments and generating discussion

➤➤ add

value to the North Devon business community by helping and supporting others

Enter Blogging Award & top tips 1. Post your blog post(s) between 26 September and 31 October 2014 using either 2. or 3. below.

2. NDBA members can post blogs on ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk – ask us for your login details.

3. Both NDBA members and nonmembers can enter blog posts on their web / blog sites (or on sites such as Google+) by emailing the web address of the posts to

info@ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk – we will post an excerpt on the NDBA site with a link to the original post.

28

✔✔ Blog posts should focus on an

issue relevant to business. ✔✔ You can enter more than once. ✔✔ You must own the copyright to all

blog posts you enter. ✔✔ Demonstrate your value as a

blogger by liking, sharing and commenting on others’ blogs. ✔✔ Sign up to the NDBA newsletter

for awards announcements at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk

✔✔ All links and instructions are

repeated in the awards section at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

Infrared heating panels Affordable and efficient electric heating Infrared warms the whole room, not just the air.

Comfortable, long lasting warmth, using less energy and costing less money.

www.multiheat-infrared-heating.co.uk

ONLINE NETWORKER

Online Networker 2014

Who do you think does their utmost to support businesses in North Devon online by helping, supporting and sharing wherever they can?

Who deserves to be named NDBA Online Networker 2014?

We’re asking you to submit your nomination for this award.

The independent judge will be looking for North Devon business people who: ➤➤ use

social media, blogging and other online tools regularly to network for business

➤➤ share

their expertise and experience freely and offer assistance to those seeking help with business issues

➤➤ recommend

trusted North Devon suppliers to anyone looking for specific products and services

➤➤ entertain

through the originality of their content

➤➤ connect

people with each other to build stronger business relationships across the whole of North Devon

Nominate Online Networker & top tips 1. Go the awards section of

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk and select the Online Networker page.

30

✔✔ The Online Networker Award will

be decided by an independent judge to be announced shortly.

2. Fill in the form giving the name of the person you are nominating and your reasons.

✔✔ Sign up to the NDBA newsletter

3. Nominations can be made between 26 September and 31 October 2014.

✔✔ All links and instructions are

for awards announcements at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk

repeated in the awards section at

ndevonbusinessaction.co.uk

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

SEEING SEEING RED RED

Why Paul Clews can’t stand open mic nights When I say ‘don’t play them’, I also mean, don’t watch them, or eat or drink in the venues that promote them.

Pub landlords promoting them say they want ‘to give new talent an opportunity to play in front of an audience’, as if it is a favour.

Well, they put them on for profit.

Now profit is not a rude word, but everyone contributing deserves a slice of it. They are using the musicians’ skills and talent to line their own pockets, and not share any of it with the musician. Okay, they often give you a ‘free pint’. But that ‘free pint’ is not free: you worked for it.

I wonder if the landlord pays his @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

plumber and staff in pints. Pints do not pay your mortgage, kids’ shoes, or even guitar strings.

They should also be declared to the VAT man by the landlords because, an accountant informs me, they are in effect making a taxable supply to the musician in exchange for services.

Another trick is to say, ‘come play the open mic night, and we’ll see how good you are. If you are good enough, I will book you’.

They rarely give gigs this way.

Entertainers need to stand together, say no and put an end to this practice.

■■ What makes you see red? Email your rant to robertz@business-action.co.uk

33

Counting the cost of cost cutting Kevin Woodward ponders the value of spending valuable time cutting costs

Cost cutting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

In these days of austerity we are all being cost conscious and tend to focus a fair amount of time on ensuring that we do not overspend on items such as stationery, ink cartridges, printing (business cards, compliment slips and the like) and many other consumables. Is it worth it though?

How much time does it cost?

I remember when doing my initial training as a business advisor – oh yes, I have done some training – a

34

story was told that showed that the effort isn’t always worth it, and in my own business I tend to follow that mantra.

A business – I think it was Australian, but it could have been anywhere – did an annual exercise to get quotes to reduce the cost of printing business cards.

The business owner took charge of the exercise and asked three businesses, including the business that did the work the previous year, to quote for printing new business cards.

This was just the printing – no redesign work required, except Business Action | business-action.co.uk

WHAT’SHEADER YOUR POINT?

maybe a name change for new employees. The business was small, with only seven employees, and every one of them needed business cards.

The owner spent more than 10 hours on this exercise, including telephoning around for the quote, discussing paper quality, quantities, and requiring references or testimonials, checking up on the background of the suppliers, often having a meeting with each supplier and finally making a decision and placing the order.

His total bill for printing was less than £2,000 and he was looking to save 5-10%, so a

maximum saving of £200.

Considering the owner charges out his time at £50 per hour, by taking 10 hours he has lost the company £500 of income to save £200 in expenses.

So, before you consider spending time on reducing your costs, consider whether it would be better spent earning more money and forget the cost saving.

What do you think?

■■ Kevin Woodward is a business

adviser with K&V Associates providing practical business solutions.

tel: 01237 451848 email: kevin@kvassociates.co.uk web: kvassociates.co.uk Twitter: @llamakevin

Do you have a point you would like to make on any aspect of business?

Use ‘What’s your point?’ in Business Action to air your views, ask questions or initiate change. Call 07971 176044 or email robertz@business-action.co.uk

Take this magazine to read wherever you go

If you enjoy reading this edition of Business Action, you can find all the articles online at any time without carrying the magazine with you.

Visit business-action.co.uk to read the full magazine online on your computer, tablet or smartphone.

You can also read back issues. @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

Online at business-action.co.uk

35

How can you recruit staff effectively?

In an exclusive series of HR articles, Alice Hellmund, HR Consultant at FitzgeraldHR, continues with how to get your recruitment process right

Case study: We keep hiring people who leave us in the first year, either of their own accord or we have to let them go as they’re not quite right for the job or company. What measures can we put in place to make sure we get it right from now on?

Research in the HR field has revealed that a poorly organised recruitment and interview process is no more likely to produce 36

a good result than choosing a candidate at random. That’s a pretty sobering thought.

With such busy workloads, it’s common for employers to fail to devote enough time to their recruitment activities.

However, choosing the wrong candidate can cost a business thousands of pounds in money, time and lost productivity, so it really is worth preparing properly.

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

HUMAN RESOURCES

We’d recommend that you look at the following measures: ➤➤ Construct

accurate and wellinformed job descriptions

➤➤ Communicate

why people might want to work for the company

➤➤ Think

about the core competencies the successful post holder will need

➤➤ Devise

relevant and competency-based interview questions

➤➤ Use

some kind of scoring mechanism to select the best candidate.

What’s the easiest way of achieving these measures?

You could use an HR consultancy such as ours to undertake these activities for you. If you prefer to handle it yourself, start by analysing the job description.

Does it reflect what the employee does on a day-to-day basis? Does it properly describe the position’s responsibilities?

And do the skills, qualifications and experience required match the demands of the role?

What about competencies?

Alongside the job description, think about the competencies that are needed by the jobholder. @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

You should be able to get some inspiration from similar posts advertised online but there are a number of key competencies that crop up in most roles: ➤➤ Communications

skills – be specific about which kind you need, eg ability to write reports, interpersonal skills, presentation skills

➤➤ Teamwork

– how people get on with their colleagues and contribute to team success

➤➤ Initiative

– this can also be covered by problem-solving abilities or skills in developing new ways of working

➤➤ Management

skills (for supervisory posts) – some employers prefer to emphasise a particular aspect, such as motivating or directing staff

Skills and experience You should also specify any skills and experience that you need the jobholder to have when they start with you. For example, an account manager in an advertising agency will very probably need account management skills, and the ability to juggle multiple deadlines.

How do these apply to dealing with candidates?

All of this information should heavily influence how you

37

HUMAN RESOURCES

write your job advertisement, select candidates and construct interview questions.

When sifting through CVs, look for evidence of the skills, experience and competencies How to recruit effectively that you have ➤➤ Analyse the job specified. We’d description recommend that ➤➤ Identify key you draw up a competencies simple table and ➤➤ Draw up a table to either give each score candidates ➤➤ Combine competencies candidate a tick or a score if they and past behaviour have provided information on each requirement.

Not only will this reduce the risk of selecting by first impression, but also it will significantly improve your ability to choose candidates who are a proper match for the position.

Naturally, the candidates with the most ticks or points should be interviewed. It’s not scientific but it does improve the effectiveness of recruitment procedures and offers a clear justification for the choices you make.

And at interview?

Base your questions on the list of competencies that you prepared. It’s perfectly fine to ask candidates about their employment history but, by and

38

large, you should ask the same question of each candidate so that you can compare their interview performances.

The best interview questions combine competencies with past behaviour as follows: ➤➤ Can

you describe a time when you had to gain co-operation from other team members to get the result you wanted?

➤➤ What

kind of communication methods have you used in previous jobs to get your message across?

➤➤ Please

tell us how you have used Microsoft Word and Excel in the past.

By being specific, you will receive better information from the candidates. Again, we’d recommend that you take notes and use a simple scoring process to judge who the best candidate is.

Follow these procedures and you are more likely to recruit more relevant and qualified people into your business.

■■ Alice Hellmund is a HR Consultant with FitzgeraldHR, a human resources outsourcing company that offers retained or ad hoc services to organisations in need of HR support.

tel: 01237 239 028 email: alice@fitzgeraldhr.co.uk web: fitzgeraldhr.co.uk Twitter: @FitzgeraldHR

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

ADVERTISE

Advertise your business here We’re now preparing our winter issue of Business Action and ready to accept your adverts.

We’re offering full-page A5 adverts in both printed and online versions.

New look NDBA #ndevon networking Make your business accessible Social media in North Devon

2014 NDBA Online Awards How effectively is your business working?

Improve your staff recruitment

business-action.co.uk | @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

Business Action is aimed at and distributed in print to NDBA members and business owners across North Devon.

The online version is available worldwide at business-action.co.uk

Secure your space now – call us on

0333 0444 354

@businessactionm | Autumn 2014

39

COURTESY

Is there a cost to please and thanks?

Experiencing the internal culture of corporations as an outsider looking in made Robert Zarywacz realise the importance of courtesy in business

I’ve always tried to ask people politely when I want them to do something. The results of personality profiling tests I once completed showed me as having a ‘persuasive’ management style.

However, I’ve witnessed more abrasive management styles in 20 years of working within various client organisations. And some made me feel very uncomfortable for the staff who have to put up with it.

Fair play improves productivity Although asking nicely, saying please and thanks, makes us feel better, there’s a lot more to courtesy and it has a deep impact on how staff perform.

I was inspired to start a web site focusing on courtesy in business after meeting the late Albert Humphrey (Humph), who led a 10-year research programme at Stanford Research Institute into why organisations fail. As well as leading to the development of concepts such as ‘stakeholders’ and ‘SWOT’ analysis, Humph’s research proved that organisations

40

thrive when they operate in an atmosphere of fair play. In fact, it can increase the energy employees put into their work leading to improved productivity. pleaseandthanks.co.uk At pleaseandthanks.co.uk you can find a free courtesy toolkit to help your business appreciate and apply courtesy not just to improve your working environment but also to boost your profits.

National Campaign for Courtesy After developing these resources, I was approached by the National Campaign for Courtesy and am now the campaign’s courtesy consultant. A recent survey by the campaign revealed litter to be its members’ main concern, followed by cold calling (phone/visits) and swearing. Inconsiderate driving/parking, bad service from businesses, mobile phone and social media abuse were all among the top 10 concerns.

Indeed, when giving interviews for the campaign on national and local media, questions asked are Business Action | business-action.co.uk

COURTESY

predominantly about swearing, mobile phones and driving.

Even though we may think that people don’t care, the response demonstrates that many do.

Is courtesy a business issue?

When under pressure, courtesy is quick to suffer. When stuck in a traffic jam we can get annoyed with other drivers as we look for an outlet for our frustration. We can get frustrated by a long queue at a supermarket check-out or when we call a utilities supplier and find ourselves trapped in a telephone system or passed from one assistant to another.

And we get angry when seeking information on a company web site, only to find it makes every effort to stop us calling them without actually solving our problem.

There is much to frustrate us in daily life, but an angry or rude response is not the answer, especially when directed at the wrong person.

What can businesses do?

There are many things that businesses can do both for their own employees and customers.

And most cost nothing.

It’s staggering how much every business could do without any outlay, but few take action.

Much of it is about attitude: @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

taking the time to recognise and acknowledge individuals at all levels, from cleaner to managing director. They are all people with an important job to do.

Work pressures also create friction and it can be a minor annoyance that makes someone ‘boil over’. None of us are immune to this and we all have to cultivate our patience. Angry emails are best left to the next day for rewriting rather than pressing ‘send’ immediately. If this happens a lot, the management needs to identify and address the causes.

Customers too want to be acknowledged and know that someone is taking care of them.

It’s remarkable what basic good communication can achieve, even when a problem can’t be solved.

Free business tool Courtesy is a valuable tool available free to every business.

The more you consider it, the more you will see it can help your business and improve work life.

■■ The National Campaign for Courtesy is a UK national charity that stands for good manners, respect for self and others, courtesy for all and rejection of antisocial behaviour.

Businesses are welcome to join the campaign.

tel: 01271 879100 web: campaignforcourtesy.org.uk Twitter: @cforcourtesy

41

The dreaded elevator speech At our North Devon Business Action networking events we don’t ask anyone to stand up in front of the rest of attendees and give out, in 30 seconds, a quick overview of who you are and what you do.

Our events are more informal and we suggest people actually talk to one another and all attendees on a one-to-one basis.

There are times though when we need to be prepared to be able to give that quick overview of who we are and what we do, so what should be included?

are you based?

Who or what is your market?

Think about whether you have a specific market that you are trying to reach, whether there is a relevant industry that you service, or whether you want to do business with a particular size of company.

For me, I am looking at selling to people who own their own homes. People who are looking at self-build projects, renovations, extensions, renovations or looking to replace existing heating systems. Of course, we supply to businesses as well, any business.

do you want or what are you selling?

How do expect to make money?

Whether selling a service or

Ready for the questions? ➤➤ Who

are you?

➤➤ Who

do you work for?

➤➤ Where ➤➤ What

42

What is your product or service?

That’s straightforward for me: I run a company that sells infrared heating panels.

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

WHAT DO YOU DO?

product don’t be afraid to talk about money.

How do you charge?

Do you charge by the hour, charge a fixed price or charge a mark-up?

Do you sell off a price list and do you give discounts?

Well, for me, we sell off a price list. Discounts are negotiable depending on size of order.

Who is behind your company?

Tell people a little bit about you and your company, especially your achievements.

I own my own company which has been operating for over seven years now, and consider ourselves to be leaders and specialists in the infrared heating market.

Who are your competitors?

This shows people that you know and understand your own market.

Seven years ago, we were the only company selling far infrared heaters in the UK, but now with the advent of many Chinese manufacturers there are literally 100s of small companies selling similar products. There are also some European and North American companies selling some very nice panels here in the UK. What is your competitive advantage?

Having told people who your competitors are, you’ve now got @businessactionm | Autumn 2014

to tell people why they should buy from you.

We specialise. This is what we do, and we can focus on you and your needs without being distracted by other possible products that may help you.

We stock the goods ourselves and can deliver within 2448 hours direct to you. Our competitors, in the main, supply infrared heating solutions as part of a wider product range.

Be prepared You don’t need to put this all together into one 30-second speech as in a one-to-one conversation the questions will be asked as part of a discussion, not as part of a presentation.

However, it doesn’t do any harm to be ready to put it all together in one simple sentence.

Take every opportunity The main point of this is to have something in the back of your mind at all times so you never lose the opportunity to tell people who you are and what you do.

■■ I’m Kevin Woodward, owner of Multiheat & Energy Systems Ltd, based in North Devon, selling far infrared panel heaters.

tel: 01237 451759 kevin@multiheat-energysystems.co.uk web: multiheat-energysystems.co.uk Twitter: @infraredheating

43

MEMBER Q&A

Ask Elaine Isaac

NDBA members share their experience by answering 10 questions. This issue Elaine Isaac of Convallis Software is in the hot seat

1. What was your first job?

I washed dishes in the coffee shop kitchen at the Royal & Fortescue Hotel, Barnstaple. After a while, I eventually got promoted to serving in the coffee shop. I was so happy when this happened: no more raw hands as there were no dishwashers back then, just good old washing up liquid and water plus hard work!

2. What is the best business advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t give up – I’m afraid that if I can’t do something, this is something easy to do. I have to keep reminding myself not to give up.

3. What do you enjoy most about business?

There is so much to enjoy about business, especially when it’s your own. I really enjoy meeting different people and learning about their businesses and, hopefully, being able to help them improve their businesses with the solutions that my business offers.

4. What technology could your business never be without?

Obviously, my computer. It would be a bit useless running an IT company without it!

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5. Describe your management/ business style The only person I have to manage is myself. I try to be professional in my business style but not too stuck up – I want to be approachable.

6. How do you go about personal development?

I enjoy training / personal development whether it’s online or training room based. I belong to a great group – Women Do Business, South Molton – that offers monthly meetings and training to help with personal and business development. This and other similar groups are really good at helping with personal development.

7. Is there anything about yourself that you want to change?

I would love to be more confident in myself. I am certainly much more confident than when we started the business eight years ago, but still in the back of my mind there is a lack of confidence when it comes to certain tasks or meeting new people.

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

8. Social media: yes or no?

Which network do you prefer?

Yes, I really enjoy social media.

I don’t really have a preference of a network, but Twitter is the best for immediate interaction.

LinkedIn is great for professional business networking and sharing business advice / comments.

9. How do you wind down when not working?

I love spending time with my family and I recently started to play badminton, which I really enjoy.

10. Do you have a motto or favourite quotation?

Not that I can think of.

@businessactionm | Autumn 2014

■■ With offices in North Devon and

Exeter, Convallis Software have a track record of assisting clients from all over the South West and beyond to get the most from their IT, whether it be bespoke software, customer relationship management software, web sites or general advice.

Specialising in database applications, we have helped many clients in various sectors over the years. We recognise that there are many IT suppliers you can work with, but while a lot of companies will do the bare minimum, we pride ourselves on our customer-centred approach, where your happiness is paramount and our interest doesn’t evaporate as soon as you’ve signed the contract.

tel: 0845 527 7221 / 01769 598155 web: convallissoftware.co.uk Twitter: @computerselaine

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NEXT ISSUE

In our winter issue

n 2014 NDBA online award announcements n 2014 NDBA online awards winner profiles n Looking ahead to 2015 n Who will see red? n More from our columnists n NDBA member Q&A n And a lot more . . .

Available late November

46

Business Action | business-action.co.uk

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