Brighter Directions Blog

NEW GOOGLE POLICIES

2012-02-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

We’re getting rid of over 60 different privacy policies across Google and replacing them with one that’s a lot shorter and easier to read. Our new policy covers multiple products and features, reflecting our desire to create one beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google.

We believe that this stuff matters so please take a few minutes to read our updated Privacy Policy and Terms of Service at http://www.google.com/policies These changes will take effect on 1 March, 2012.

EGG-ING ON THE COMPEITION VIA TWITTER

2012-01-09T07:13:00.000-08:00

If you have a Twitter account, then at the very least you should have updated your bio information, uploaded a professional photograph and started posting messages....

Havent done these yet?

How many times when you log onto Twitter do you see the famous Egg as a Profile Picture?

Now ask yourself: How engaging is that to make you want to communicate with a company that cant even be bothered to upload a photography or a logo display about what they do?

The profile photograph promotes you as a business.
It promotes you as a professional organisation to deal with/ speak to
It shows you ARE actually bothered about perseption and want to engage online

So do your reputation management a favour and upload a personal, real and professional image of yourself on your commercial Twitter account today and see the increase in communication on your account!

For help with personalising your Twitter (or any other Social Media account for that matter) contact the professional, friendly team at Brighter Directions on 01246 252855 or the website http://www.brighterdirections.co.uk/

INTEGRATING PR INTO THE BUSINESS

2012-01-04T04:25:00.000-08:00

PR should be a continuous process wether you outsource your public relations management or do it yourself inhouse. Oursourcing PR can be done on a regular contract basis, or can be done on a ad-hoc basis:

As a one-off basis some companies will simply put together a press release, send it out, and hope that it delivers results. This method is low cost but risky in that results are not guaranteed. They should also distribute your news through online medias (across the internet).

Many PR firms will also act as media centre taking enquiries from journalists and may offer a guarantee of some kind, which can reduce the risk of spending thousands of pounds for no end product.

The other alternative is to hire a PR agency on an on-going basis. For this they will put together some targeted press releases each month, and develop a longer term PR strategy.

You may also wish to complement your traditional PR activities through generating buzz in other ways, such as social media, optimisation, guerrilla marketing or getting bloggers to write about your company.

If you decide to hire a PR agency here’s a checklist to follow before choosing one particular firm:

Different PR agencies specialise in different areas. Some are better at promoting established businesses whereas others are more focused on newly formed companies.
Do they understand your company and its industry?
History. Ask for copies of press releases and media coverage that they have obtained in the past.
Are they desperate? A good PR agency is a busy PR agency. They shouldn’t be desperately trying to encourage you to take them on – they should simply present the facts and let you make up your own mind in your own time.
Do they have the media contacts?

Generally you can look to hire a PR agency on a one-off or on-going basis. The PR agency should have local, regional, and national press contacts – previous work should illustrate this.

If you are looking for PR support in your business, please contact Brighter Directions on 01246 252855 or visit the website for more details http://www.brighterdirections.co.uk/

WISHING YOU A HAPPY CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR

2011-12-20T04:42:00.000-08:00

Brighter Directions would llike to take the opportunity to wish all our clients, friends, contacts and associates a very happy Christmas and positive New Year into 2012!

December is a great time for reflection and strategy development, ready for the next year with focus on the activities that worked well (increased ROI) and improve or deflect on those activities that didn't..

2012 should be a better year for most businesses, with the European economy in turmoil, the UKs challenges seem to be clearing, light is beginning to bleed through the end of the tunnel and sunshine is highlighting the great talent of SME businesses the UK has to offer with opportunities in procurement, international trading and growth.

For Brighter Directions, it’s been an extremely busy year; we’ve been working up and down the country and even a few trips internationally to help clients develop a tangible social media strategy and set clear objectives, we were shortlisted for the most prestigious national awards in the industry, the famous BESMA best in the business in London part of a star-studded award ceremony...

We have appeared on local, regional and even national radio stations, media publications and even the BBC News live from Yorkshire and London discussing our expertise and news opinions, we've supported charity organisations through sponsorship, fund-raising and providing free advice as well as promoted free regional seminars and events here we've given away more free advice and offered support in the campaign to 'shop local' and grow SME's across the region - and finally, we've continued to support our clients when and where they need it by growing our fantastic team, committing to the national Apprentice Scheme!

We would love to hear from you in 2012 and see new opportunities of how we can help your organisation grow and develop opportunities, so whether you're looking for help to develop a clear Marketing Strategy or clearing the way for new technologies like Social Media communications then make sure you call us first and ensure you are on the right track....

Speak to our friendly team on 01246 252855

We close our offices from the 21st December for Christmas and look forward to re-opening on the 3rd January totally re-freshed and looking forward to another successful year of helping our clients to grow!

If you do need anything urgently, you can contact Claire on her mobile number.

See you next year - hope you all have a lovely break from work!

Love, the team at Brighter Directions xxx

FREE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS ON THE GO

2011-12-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

Not much in life is free these days, which is why its so refreshing to come along some free tools that help small businesses become more effective with time management.

Weve trailed the internet to find the best three tools for businesses, best of all they are totally free:

1 - Dropbox

Since it launched a few years ago, Dropbox has signed up more than 25 million users worldwide, it’s easy to understand why. It’s a cloud-based system that allows you to store up to 2GB worth of files and documents for free, as well as share files with colleagues without the need to email attachments, making it ideal for project work.

Any file you save to Dropbox instantly saves to your computer, smartphone and the Dropbox website, meaning you can work on the move.

2 - Email Marketing

MailChimp is a free email marketing software tool, operating virtually and live across the internet - we have been advising small businesses on utilising this free email marketing software for years now and have yet to be disappointed with its impressive features and credentials.

The software allows you to design from scratch a email campaign or chose from one of its great range of design templates. It also offers tracking tools to monitor effectiveness, a social network function so you can integrate campaigns with social media sites, and even a translation tool. The free package allows you to send up to 12,000 emails per month with upgraded options available

3 - Market Research

This great little tool offered by Survey Monkey is a great for small businesses wanting to conduct customer satisfaction surveys, product feedback or general market research without paying expensive agency fees.

The software allows you to set up a free online account, so that you can create interactive, web-based surveys as well as integrating the information so that data can be gathered via your website, Facebook or email.

For more information on how to best utilise free business marketing tools, conatct Brighter Directions on 01246 252855 or visit the website for more information about how we can help your business grow http://www.brighterdirections.co.uk/

HELP FOR MANUFACTURING SME'S

2011-12-07T06:49:00.001-08:00

Manufacturing industry is a driving force in Britain today.

The Government has actually listened with a call of support for our countries failing industries and offered a lifeline of support starting soon across the nation.

The Manufacturing Advisory Service is a support system offered as a consortium to drive growth in the economic focusing on key areas to drive growth, including:

Technical and Strategic support system to develop new manufacturing capabilities
Business improvement with global supply chains
Opportunities to increase staff through apprenticeships in engineering and manufacturing

The new MAS system will offer consultancy through to support and funding, for more information visit the website on http://www.mas-em.org.uk/

CHRISTMAS MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

2011-11-25T04:05:00.001-08:00

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CHRISTMAS MARKETING CAMPAIGNS...

Christmas is a prime selling time for many businesses, everyone is inspired by the Christmas feeling and festive cheer so you (as a business) needs to do all possible to ensure your marketing stands out for Christmas and attracts the action you want!

So what should your Marketing strategy look like over Christmas season?

Here are our top tips to ensure your campaigns are up to scratch...

*** Im sure you have all heard this before, but here it is again.. if you fail to plan, you plan to fail!
This is true to all your marketing efforts, but esepcially during the Christmas season.
Well before Christmas you should have a clear strategy and have a vision for exactly what you are going to do, when and why.

*** As in with all your Marketing efforts, you must know your target market.
Who are your prospective clients? What percevied benefit are you providing? Why is this the time thay they will/ must buy your product or service?

*** At Christmas more than any other time, benefits are key to sales.
Seasonal Marketing is all about being specific, its even more vital during this time as most people are busy with their festive shopping and other priorities, so your product or service must be a 'must buy' or have a key marketing message that generates that response

For more information to generate ideas for your business either this Christmas or beyond in 2012 - Contact Brighter Directions on 01246 252855 or visit our website http://www.brighterdirections.co.uk/

BUSINESS LINK - De-Minimis

2011-11-22T05:47:00.001-08:00

A recent email alert from Business Link & EMB notified that if you've benefited from face to face support from a Business Link Adviser in the last three years, you have received what's referred to as De-Minimis state aid.

There is no need to make any declaration about the receipt of this aid unless you are planning to apply for other De-Minimis state aid as there is a ceiling of 200,000 Euros (approx £175,800 as at Oct 2011) for all De-Minimis aid provided to any one company in any 3 financial years.

The average support provided to a client that has been intensively assisted by a Business Link Adviser is, 569 Euros(approx £500 as at Oct 2011).

**Please note** This is provided as a guide only and if you need the specific figure which relates to your business and the support you have received please email info@embltd.co.uk with De-Minimis in the subject line.

OUTSOURCING SOCIAL MEDIA IS A BAD IDEA

2011-11-16T02:09:00.001-08:00

After seeing a post with this header recently online I thought I would share my thoughts with you and actually response from the originator, who happened to be in the digital industry too, a SEO specialist:

Post: Outsourcing social media is a very bad idea. A third party cannot build relationships for you

Reply: Actually professional social media managers who have valid experience building relationships commercially are actually the best people positioned to ensure the right connections are made for a business to grow. Don't take my word for it, you're welcome to ask any of our hundreds of clients we've managed accounts for! Much the same as doing in house SEO I would imagine...

Post: If you don't mind about building personal relationships of course outsourcing social media can save a lot of time - but most experts agree that networking is about building relationships. Nobody can build relationships for you.

Reply: Absolutely networking and social media is all about building relationships - so, an independent organisation that is greatly experienced and professionally capable of doing this for other businesses is a vital solution for many organisation...
What are your thoughts? Is social media management on a out-sourced basis a good idea when you don't have the time, knowledge or capacity in-house or are you better off ignoring the media all together?

We'd love to hear your thoughts....

CORPORATE REPUTATION MANAGEMENT

2011-11-05T05:06:00.000-07:00

Reputation Management for organisations is very much like an individuals reputation..

Think of someone you know, their characterises, personality and your overall perception of them - whats it like? Good, Bad?

Thinking about a person, some are known for being trustworthy, honest, hardworking, reliable, people person while others may be remembered for being political, opinionated or bossy.

Company reputation is no different. Its how people from the outside view your organisation, where you are, what you do, their opinions of you, good and bad.

Improving the reputation of an organisation is time consuming and lengthy.

The first step for any business should be to ask yourself this question: "What would your perception be from the outside?"

Then look, assess and determine if it can be improved, how and why.

For more information about how you can improve your corporate reputation and manage it successfully contact Brighter Directions on 01246 252855 or visit the website link http://www.brighterdirections.co.uk/

UNIVERSITY GRADUATES REQUIRE WORK EXPERIENCE

2011-10-13T01:46:00.000-07:00

University graduates are discovering that they require a bit of on the job experience to enhance their own educational qualifications. This has resulted in internships becoming an important aspect of the graduate jobs marketplace. Internships typically assist with satisfying the need for work experience.

It must be mentioned that this growth of internships is really a new trend and thus they may differ in quality and length. It is therefore vital that you acquire the maximum amount of the info on any internship position you are considering. Selecting the correct company before beginning is essential. Here is one particular inquiry you should ask the business just before you start: Exactly what are the prospects of obtaining a permanent role following the internship? Your host organisation must have an accurate idea of the odds of you getting a job after carrying out an internship. Many will offer a job should you complete the work experience, though they will expect you to exhibit potential and talent during the internship. In any event, try to determine exactly what your opportunities will be.

Once you've begun an internship you’ll want to be sure the practical experience is beneficial, helping you on your way to a career. Here's a tip to help someone complete a prosperous internship:

Ask for guidance and feed-back! Do not be frightened of asking fellow workers for guidance on how to do your job or maybe just insights on their industry and duties. You're there to educate yourself. On top of that they will likely enjoy the opportunity to help out someone looking for a career in their industry. If you’re after everyday ideas about how to develop your ability then consult the people you're working together with. They'll be qualified to deliver plenty of helpful suggestions.

CLOUD COMPUTING

2011-09-28T01:16:00.000-07:00

Local networking associates Peak Support gave an insightful presentation recently regarding Cloud computing and how it affects businesses, which resulted in this blog post: Hope you find it interesting!

Major players such as Google and IBM are maximising their efficient online with the use of Cloud Computing - but what is it and how could it help your business?

Cloud Computing is putting software and data on computer equipment in a safe and secure location on the Internet, meaning you can access all your data and business applications anytime and anywhere in the world. A small business will be able to rent the services they require without any capital upfront costs, hardware maintenance, office space, out of date hardware or software or backup issues. In addition this will allow you to setup shop anywhere, plug in to the Internet and go. Cloud Computing will have a fundamental change in our working patterns and helps you to spend your time more effectively, managing your business and not your ICT.

This practical breakfast briefing is designed to provide you with a clear plain English explanation of the technologies involved with independant practical advice on how your business could benefit from adopting some of the ideas or concepts to improve productivity and save money.

For our IT & Technology needs, we deal with Peak Support in Derbyshire, to contact them to discuss your needs call and feel free to mention us :)

MADE IN SHEFFIELD - BUSINESS FESTIVAL

2011-09-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Businesses around Sheffield are invited to attend this innovative festival being held between the 21st and 24th September near to the centre.

Providing valuable information for all size of businesses, from start ups to established organisations booked to attend the events spread over days.

Topics will include sourcing financial support, motivating your staff and development techniques to enhance the growing businesses

For more information http:///www.madefestival.com/programme/

LINK ME, FACEBOOK IT, TWEET WHERE ~ CONFUSED?

2011-09-07T06:01:00.000-07:00

In this current climate, as a business, you need to embrace online marketing and use it to create opportunities for your business

If like many other small firms you are still trying to get your head around the digital age, we can help..

Social Media will be a vital asset for all businesses for networking and communication in the future, its important you make the most of opportunities now so that you’re in a strong position with your online marketing activities

Our last workshop dates for this year are:

29th September & 27th October 2011
Full day introductory training session delivered in small groups to allow 121 support!

These fun interactive online marketing workshops will guide you in the right direction and help you to move your business forward online

The workshops will arm you with the knowledge and skills to build strong online marketing campaigns that will get you ahead of your competition!
Can you afford not to attend?
Book now (Limited places) Call 01246 252855 or email info@brighterdirections.co.uk

FUNDING FOR MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT

2011-09-01T03:23:00.000-07:00

Brighter Directions are pleased to be approved providers for the Leadership Development grants available for businesses around the region.

Grants are available for up to £1,000 matched funding from the Leadership & Management Advisory Service to eligible businesses in order to develop essential management skills.

For more information to check if your business would be eligible, please contact Brighter Directions today on 01246 252855 and we will take some details and confirm back to you.

LOOKING TO OUTSOURCE A SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

2011-08-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

Are you looking to outsource a social media manager for your business?

Here are 5 questions to ask when you are looking to hire a Social Media Manager.

1. Have they been using Social Media for a while?

You don’t really want a new kid off the block managing the credibility of your business online do you? We recommend you use someone who has been using Social Media for at least a few years commercially, if not alot longer and ask why, when and how!

2. Are they business savvy?

You need someone who knows about business if you want them to represent your company and build your social media profile and your online business presence. When your looking to hire a social media manager, make sure you ask them about business topics outside the world of social media as well.

3. Do they know what questions to ask you?

An experienced social media manager should be able to ask you the right questions and then be able to promote your business the way you want to be seen, they should firstly conduct an assessment to determine what you want to achieve.

4. Do they know how to help you create a social media strategy and then develop a successful social media action plan to achieve your goals?

If you don’t have an overall strategy to your social media activity you risk having a lot of activity in the wrong direction! You need a clear action plan with measurable results to bring you success.

The company that you use should be familiar with working towards objectives for other businesses, with the experience and knowledge on how this should be structured.

5. Do they know about other internet marketing services?

There are countless other internet marketing activities that can be used in conjunction with your social media activities. A well rounded strategy takes all of these other tools and tactics into account and gradually builds your online presence.

If your looking to hire an experienced, professional and accedited Social Media Manager, take a look at our website or send us a message at info@brighterdirections.co.uk or even better call us on 01246 287414

SMALL BUSINESSES STRUGGLE TO RECRUIT YOUNG STAFF BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF SKILL SET AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS WORK

2011-08-17T04:34:00.000-07:00

Small businesses are struggling to find school leavers with relevant skills, according to a new report from the British Chambers of Commerce.

Over half, 55% of the 2000 companies surveyed said they wanted to increase workforce numbers. But more than half also said it was difficult to find the right people.

Almost half of respondents (47%) would be “fairly” or “very nervous” when hiring a school leaver with A-levels due to a perceived lack of skills. Just 22% would be “fairly” or “very confident.”

When asked the same question regarding university graduates, only a third of small firms were “very” or “fairly confident” they would have the required skills, suggesting a lack of ‘real world’ experience may be the issue.

Director of Policy at the BCC, said: "Despite high levels of unemployment, many micro firms are frustrated by the quality of applicants for vacant roles. There is a real mismatch between business needs and local skills supply, with many businesses unable to find school leavers or even graduates with the right mix of skills."

Claire Curzon, MD of Brighter Directions, a Strategic Marketing & Social Media consultancy spoke on Radio 4 earlier today to discuss the matter commenting "Recruitment is a tough stage in any business, its essential to find the right people that will continue to work hard to grow the business you have worked hard to build. Our main challenge with recruitment is a mixture between skill set and attitude towards the workplace."

"An example of this is our latest recruitment campaign for a sales advisor which we had 67 applicants apply for. Because we are committed to various schemes including back to work and getting young people onto the career ladder, we offer all applicants an opportunity for an interview and skills assessment. Out of 67 applicants we had, 40 of them did not even bother to turn up for the interview or even notify us - this wasted valuable time out from our business and therefore, lost work and money which as a small business we cannot afford to keep doing"

"In addition to attitude and motivation to get into work, we have found that many of the applicants we saw still lack basic level skills like literacy and grammar, vital for use in a office environment like ours. This shows that some educational methods are still lacking"

Need marketing support or advice on social media for your organisation? Contact the professionals, Brighter Directions on 01246 252855.

FACEBOOK DEBUTS 'FACEBOOK FOR BUSINESS'

2011-08-16T01:01:00.000-07:00

At the end of last month, Facebook debuted a step-by-step online guide aimed at helping small businesses use the social networking site. The company describes the new site as a 'online education centre' for its users giving information about how to set up a profile page and create targeted advertising on the site.

The timing is interesting, coming just a week after Google + began its campaign and started restricting access to the company profile listings.

Its worth noting that Facebooks new business web page doesn't come with any additional features, it is simply a listing of information to help you utilise the facilities available through the main site.

Facebook is known to activley encourage users to promote their company branding on its site, with spokespeople for the company commenting "Facebook allows small businesses to create rich social experiences and engage online through word of mouth advertising"

Want to get your business started on Facebook but don't know where to start?

Speak to the friendly team at Brighter Directions, we offer low-cost solutions specially for small businesses to get noticed online through social media - call today for a no obligation chat to see how we can help on 01246 287414/ 252855

NEW OFFICE STARTERS - INDUCTION PROCESS

2011-08-12T04:38:00.000-07:00

As a manager, you are legally responsible for the health and safety of your employees. A high-quality health and safety induction for new employees will help you meet your responsibilities.

For many businesses, all that’s required is a basic series of tasks set by the HSE governing body and have lots of information available to help you stay legal on their website, including a printable version here

Health and Safety for many small firms can be full of anguish and extra burden put onto the business, but by checking your legal requirements and ensuring you put into place some careful considerations, your business and staff will be protected.

For more information on protecting your business, contact the HSE or Business Link via the website http://www.businesslink.gov.uk

UK ROITS AFFECTING SMALL BUSINESSES

2011-08-10T01:19:00.000-07:00

Have you got the "riot" measures in place for your employees?

Most small businesses have woken this morning to face the aftermath of the riots taken places across the UK with the situation expected to be an ongoing concern for businesses located in the areas.

Is your business adequately equipped to deal with the HR and health & safety consequences?

Is your workplace closed for business as a result of the riots and what are your responsibilities to your employees?

You may be able to ask your employees to assist with the clear up. It is not unreasonable to ask employees to undertake duties that would not normally be within their role during these exceptional circumstances. However you should not ask an employee to undertake anything dangerous and if an employee refuses from a health and safety perspective you should take further advice before proceeding.

Employees unable to attend the workplace

Some employees may have been affected by rioting and looting around where they live and although your business is open they may be unable to get to work safely. Some may be unable to attend work due to childcare issues. If your business has been unaffected you may be able to offer them the opportunity to make up the time, take holiday or take unpaid leave. You should refer to your employment contracts.

With the threat of rioting escalating and spreading against major towns and cities in the UK should you consider closing your premises early and sending employees home?

Employers should carry out an ongoing risk assessment in their locality. Information can be obtained via local radio and news channels as to the threat in your area. There is a statutory duty to ensure your employees' safety in the work place. Should you decide to remain open you should ensure that emergency procedures are in place and are communicated to all employees.

Can you dismiss an employee who had been involved in the riots and/or looting?

Potentially yes but regard must be had to due legal process. An investigation should take place as soon as is practicable to identify whether there is sufficient information to suspend an employee. Again you will need to refer to your company handbook.

Who can help?

Finch Consultancy offer a free initial chat to discuss your HR requirements and discuss how you can keep your business protected in such issues, call them today on 01773 749914 or email info@finchconsultancy.co.uk

Qudos Consulting have recently sent out a email campaign advising on the above matters and are currently offering a free 20 minute telephone call with one of our professional and qualified advice team to discuss how your business is affected and how they can help - call 01455 850000 or alternatively e-mail qed@qdosconsulting.com

Brighter Directions are here to offer further support to manage your marketing campaigns if required, you can call us on 01246 252855

NEW BRIBERY ACT - ARE YOU COVERED?

2011-08-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

Taking a valued customer out for a three-course lunch or sending a client a bottle of champagne as a thank you gift can be an important part of a maintaining a good working relationship. But upcoming reforms have made many small firms question whether wining and dining clients will remain straightforward. Will the Bribery Act change the rules on client hospitality?

Good customer care can be particularly vital in small firms, whose reputation often depends on a personal touch and good customer service skills. However, when the Bribery Act was introduced on 1 July, businesses must ensure that client hospitality is “proportionate” or risk prosecution

Brighter Directions MD, Claire Curzon was happy to comment on this issue..

“I don’t believe in taking clients out for a meal to pitch to them, it has to be about relationship building, not winning business.”

“We always pay for clients. If you invite someone for a meal or drink then you pay for it ― it’s just normal etiquette. There is so much red tape for small firms we haven’t thought about the Bribery Act ― other regulations are more of a priority. We wouldn’t have a policy on corporate hospitality as we don’t need one. It’s only our senior managers who meet clients and they are knowledgable, well trained and genuine.”

See here for the full article from the Marketing Donuts site and our live comments

FREE SMALL BUSINESS EVENT * BOOSTING BUSINESSES IN EAST MIDLANDS *

2011-07-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Keep your business ahead of your competitors - Part 3

Theres no doubt that business is difficult for all of us at the moment..

To help you when you need it the most, local businesses have donated their time and energy to hosting this FREE business event for you to attend..

The speakers from around Derbyshire are specialists in their field and will be available to give helpful advice on seeing you and your business through these challenging times.

Unlike some other local events, this will not be delivered by 'professional speakers' but what we can guarantee is that it will be presented by 'real life' businesses that want to share their advice and expertise to help you!

Are you....

·A small business with up to 30 employees?

·Operating within Chesterfield, Derby or the Nottingham area

·Interested in developing and growing your business?

·Open minded to learn from successful, local businesses willing to share their knowledge?

Event details:
23rd August 2011
2.00pm - 5.00pm
Touchbase - Nottingham

The reason behind hosting these events are to help small local businesses who will be left behind with the demise of Business Link this year, these events are hosted locally to 'fill the gap' and supply you with the support you need to grow!

Book now here... http://boostingbusiness3-eorg.eventbrite.com/

SMALL BUSINESS DONT UNDERSTAND SOCIAL MEDIA AS A MARKETING TOOL FOR BUSINESS

2011-07-11T04:47:00.000-07:00

After over a decade supporting commercial organisations master the skills of social media marketing I still find it surprising the mistakes I see small businesses doing online.

Over the course of the last few years, we have dedicated our time through Business Link, EMDA, CIM and other well known national institutes to help small businesses dispel the myths and start utilising social media marketing as a professional marketing tool for business, yet we still see the same mistakes made time and time again..

So, to help you avoid the pitfalls that many other small businesses fall into, follow our guide below on things not to do when using Social Media:

1 - Run your business account from a personal profile
This is a popular error, mainly seen through Facebook, where people have created a 'Business Page' from their own personal account. bare in mind that all visitors to the Business Page can see the personal account details through the admin section so be aware what you put!

2 - Share personal information
Yes, people like to get to know people, that's the same in business or in life, but why do any of your business contacts or potential customers need to know your body statistics, where you live or your date of birth? Answer is, they don't, so try and keep that information to yourself, it will not only make you more professional but also avoid fraud behaviour

3 - Use medias as a chat channel
This I see in extremes, people either use them as a chat channel to communicate full conversations with a business contact or use the account as a one-way channel to post nothing but sales posts to connections

4 - Keep things standard
All Social Media platforms have the ability to be customised one way or another, so why wouldn't you use this? Even if its changing the background or layout to your corporate colours or simply adding a picture image that's relevant, make sure it represents your business at its best

5 - Swearing
There are no excuses on a business account!

We hope we've given you some food for thought...

Brighter Directions have been working with social media marketing commercially for over a decade so have the experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to take your business forward honestly and correctly finding the solution that's right for your business!

If you think you would like further information or help to grow your organisation online professionally and correctly through social media channels, please call us today on 01246 287414

BRIGHTER DIRECTIONS JOINED APPRENTICE CAMPAIGN 100/100

2011-07-08T04:41:00.000-07:00

Brighter Directions have joined other local businesses by signing up to take on an apprentice as part of the 100 in 100 campaign, which aims to get 100 local employers within 100 days to pledge support to create a placement.

The business case for taking on an apprentice is compelling. As the country moves towards economic recovery, Apprenticeships can help businesses across all sectors by offering a route to harness fresh new talent. The Coalition Government has already shown a commitment to Apprenticeships by announcing £250m of additional funding to help create an extra 75,000 opportunities nationally.

Giving young people a recognised training programme and a basis for sustainable employment, Apprenticeships ensure that the local workforce will possess the practical skills and qualifications organisations need now and in the future.

For more information about how you can join the cause, contact the Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce for details

CARBON TRUST GREEN FINANCE FUND

2011-07-04T04:39:00.000-07:00

Companies can apply for a share of £550m fund to cover energy efficiency upgrades in private sector version of Green Deal

Businesses can today apply for a share of a £550m fund backed by the Carbon Trust and Siemens designed to help companies install energy efficient and low carbon technologies.

The green finance initiative was unveiled last month, but is now open for applications from organisations looking to fit measures such as cavity wall insulation, efficient lighting and biomass heating.

The Carbon Trust will see its budget almost halved next year following the coalition's spending cuts, necessitating job losses and fewer services, so this type of private-sector partnership may well provide a model for its future operations.

Further information on the Energy Efficiency Financing for Business fund is available from the Carbon Trust website http://www.carbontrust.co.uk

FREE SMALL BUSINESS FOCUSED EVENT

2011-06-30T04:06:00.000-07:00

Keep your business ahead of your competitors - Part 2

Theres no doubt that business is difficult for all of us at the moment..

To help you when you need it the most, four local businesses have donated their time and energy to hosting this FREE business event for you to attend..

The speakers from around Derbyshire are specialists in their field and will be available to give helpful advice on seeing you and your business through these challenging times.

Unlike some other local events, this will not be delivered by 'professional speakers' but what we can guarantee is that it will be presented by 'real life' businesses that want to share their advice and expertise to help you!

Are you....

·A small business with up to 30 employees?

·Operating within Chesterfield, Derby or the Nottingham area

·Interested in developing and growing your business?

·Open minded to learn from successful, local businesses willing to share their knowledge?

What youll learn:

•Cas Francis from April Insurances will talk about how you can sustain a positive attitude and keep driving your business through a tough economic climate

•Maggie Lucas from Spotlight (Brand Consultants) will be sharing how to grow your business through networking and events

•Claire Curzon from Brighter Directions (Online Marketing Agency) will be talking about how you can increase brand awareness and increase customers through utilising the right social media marketing tool

•Scott Bradshaw from Coleman Bradshaw Accountants will talk about how to build your business to improve saleability and value of your business for when the time comes to sell

Event details:

7th July 2011
2.00pm - 5.00pm
Touchbase - Nottingham

The reason behind hosting these events are to help small local businesses who will be left behind with the demise of Business Link this year, these events are hosted locally to 'fill the gap' and supply you with the support you need to grow!

To book your free place, register here http://boostingbusiness2notts.eventbrite.com/(limited places available, book now)

ADVERTISING SCAM

2011-06-29T04:12:00.000-07:00

Businesses are being warned about a scam where advertising space is offered in a bogus police magazine.

The words of caution come after a Nottingham business was contacted by someone claiming to be a Nottinghamshire police officer on 8 June.

The bogus caller said he represented a police publication called Streetwise and tried to sell him advertising space in the magazine for hundreds of pounds.

It was only when the business owner researched the magazine online that he discovered the call had been a scam.

Luckily, he had not handed over any money and contacted police.

PC John Bridgewater, who is investigating the incident, said: “Nottinghamshire Police does not produce a Streetwise magazine and the caller was not an officer – he was a conman who wanted to get his hands on honest people’s cash..

To read the full story, visit the Nottingham Police website for full details at
http://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/newsandevents/news/2011/june/27/beware_advertising_scam/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

AVOIDING SPAM FILTERS FOR YOUR EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

2011-06-18T02:02:00.000-07:00

The easiest way to get your emails a direct route to the SPAM folder are the words used in your subject line.

Most email softwares now have an automatic spam filter within the programming to 'bin' any emails it deems not relevant or spam.

Some basic rules when considering the subject line:

* A blank subject line
* Contain the words alert, response, assistance, proposal, reply, warning, notification, greeting, matter, credited, owe, indebted, debt, obligation or reactivation… or misspellings of those words.
* Contains the month abbreviated (example: May)
* Begins with “Re: new”
* Includes the words: “a bigger”
* Includes the words: “approves you” or “approved”
* Includes the words: “at no cost”
* Includes the words: “security measures”
* Includes the word: “cheap”
* Includes the words: “low rates”
* Includes the words: “as seen”.
* Starts with a pound sign (£) or spammy looking monetary reference.
* Includes the words: “your bills”.
* Includes the words: “your family”.
* Includes the words: “no prescription” or “online pharmaceutical”.
* Start with lose, “weight loss”, or talks about losing weight or pounds.
* Includes the reference to buy or buying.
* Starts with “Do you dream”, “Do you have”, “Do you want”, “Do you love”, etc.
* Is in ALL CAPITALS.
* Contains the first part of the email address (example: subject contains “Dave” and the email is addressed to dave@domain.com.
* Cotains sexually-explicit content.
* If the sentance attempts to obfuscate or misspell words. (example: c1alis, x@nax)
* If the subject line contains an English or Japanese UCE code.

From a Marketing perspective, we always advise our clients to research the subject lines of any marketing campaigns, especially email marketing.

This is more to do with the fact that you will increase engagement and reach the right target people with your campaigns than it get automatically 'binned'

For mroe information please call Brighter Directions on 01246 287414

SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE 1990'S? NO REALLY!

2011-06-07T01:36:00.000-07:00

(Post by MD Claire Curzon - Brighter Directions)

Back in the late 1990's, I was regularly taking part in discussions on the web through what was then, social networking sites.

At the time, I was working my way to the top of a worldwide publishing firm with nothing more than a dial-up connection within limited time-frames, to access the worlds sales and marketing databases to conduct my research and collate the all important statistical and growth information.

It was my task to develop the new digital strategy in taking the company forward through new online marketing methods, going where hardly anyone had gone before..

At the time, I didn't realise how these social networking sites would impact the way business is done today, although from early on, these platforms were the first place that I saw online marketing in its true form..

Lets take a look at how much the Internet has grown since then here via the BBC.

Fast forward a decade and were still here today, using our extensive experience and knowledge of how Internet marketing first began, we have adapted and changed with technology and the markets to update our skills and move with the times to create a strong positioning in the industry.

Unlike other 'specialist online marketing companies' WE DO have the experience and knowledge to carry your commercial social media marketing to the next level with a range of solutions available to help your business.

Talk to us today about how we can help you!

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT ADVISORY SERVICE

2011-06-03T01:35:00.000-07:00

Leadership Funding

There’s now another chance to improve your business skills through funding which has just been announced by EMB Ltd Leadership & Management Advisory Service.

It’s especially for businesses that want to grow, have the potential to grow and make the most of leadership and management skills.

By working with us, this matched funding will enable you to improve your leadership skills so you can motivate your team, learn how to adapt your behaviour to improve communication, reduce conflict and develop effective team dynamics which support your customer services.

Can you answer “Yes” to either of the following questions:-

•Is this your 1st year of trading, do you have the potential for a turnover of £500k by the end of the 3rd year?
•Have you been trading for longer than a year & there's potential to increase your turnover by 20% for the next 3 years, or for your business to increase its workforce by 20%?

If you’ve answered “Yes” then contact us now to find out more information and for a FREE Business Training Review Meeting where we can help you apply for the funding

For more information contact Brighter Directions by email or call 01246 287414

BESMA AWARD WINNERS 2011

2011-05-27T09:48:00.001-07:00

DERBYSHIRE COMPANY WINNERS OF NATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

Management and staff of local Chesterfield based Marketing company Brighter Directions joined over two-hundred of the most elite business professionals from across the UK at the prestigious award ceremony for BESMA (The British Excellence in Sales & Marketing) held at the stylish venue ‘The Lancaster London’ in Hyde Park, London on the Thursday 26th May.

This year, the ISMM (Institute of Sales & Marketing) who organise the annual event were delighted to receive a record number of entries and were impressed with the quality of the nominations. Spokesperson for them said “It is extremely positive to see so many companies celebrating their success, with over six thousand nominations sent in this year!”

Having completed the shortlisting, Brighter Directions were announced as finalists in March for two categories ‘Sales Excellence’ & ‘Customer Service team of the year’ beating off competition from some of the best organisations in the country to the top five position.

The finalists were the best entries who: worked effectively as a team, focusing on providing excellent support to customers, including listening, problem solving and strong communication skills with a strong commitment to professional and ethical selling.

For the company, to achieve this level of recognition is encouraging for other small firms; Managing Director Claire Curzon said “I’m extremely proud of our achievement so far, working within a small team of passionate and hardworking people who all work to the same ethos is not often found in larger sales and marketing organisations. Our nominations for the BESMA awards follows several years of customer service excellence accreditations, proving the strategy of Brighter Directions is dedicated to providing the right solutions and communicating with our clients clearly and consistently.”

The award ceremony in London proved that a small company can compete at a national level, up against large identities like Virgin, Dell and Reed Learning.

Brighter Directions first launched in 2006 as a sole enterprise now thrives with 11 dedicated staff working from the Chesterfield office offering strategic marketing solutions to organisations across the UK.

To learn more about their fantastic achievement, log on to Twitter @brighteridea or connect on Facebook ‘Brighter Directions’

NEW RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GRANT

2011-05-16T05:03:00.000-07:00

A new grant is now available (from 4th April) around Derbyshire offering funding to small businesses for researching and developing new products, processors and services.

Funding is upto a maximum of £25,000 for proof market grants.

This new grant replaces previous regional development funding and more information can be found at www.innovateuk.org

BRIGHTER DIRECTIONS STAFF NEWS

2011-05-10T04:57:00.000-07:00

We are currently looking to recruit a new addition to the friendly sales and customer service team at Brighter Directions.

Are you looking for a career and not just a job?
Do you want to work as part of an award winning, friendly team?

Then you may be just what we’re looking for!

Brighter Directions are looking for a confident, outgoing individual to join the hardworking sales team in our Chesterfield office as a Sales Executive.

We are a leading service provider in the UK with accreditations from the world’s top associations for our industry for delivering customer excellence in sales and strategic marketing solutions.

The role involves contacting local businesses via telephone to establish if our services could benefit them and if applicable selling a solution from our range of services or arranging appointments for either yourself or one of the senior sales team to deliver a presentation at their premises.

You will receive full on-going training and support within a friendly team, as well as the opportunity to attend national and local events and networking to further your knowledge and skills.

We are looking for someone who is punctual, honest and reliable with experience in customer interaction, good communication and presentation skills.

Someone with a go get attitude that thrives on targets and loves to meet new people and learn new sales skills would be ideal for this position.

The role is commission only for the initial period of 3 months, during which time there will be associated target bonuses available on top of your commission - after the initial assessment period; we will assess the opportunity for the successful applicant to become permanent.

For a chance to work within a small, friendly and independent company with great future prospects, please send your CV with covering letter to info@brighterdirections.co.uk telling us why we should choose you!

REP TAPE CHALLENGE

2011-05-09T04:47:00.000-07:00

The Government has set up a new website online so that businesses can now challenge any regulations that affect their lives and business.

Red Tape was recently announced by businesses around Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire to be the most challenging aspect to running a business!

This new website can be found at www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Make sure you log on, talk about whats affecting your business the most and have your say - make your voice heard!

Brighter Directions are members of many local and national lobbying groups so that we can campaign to help grow local business in our area.

NEW LEADERSHIP FUNDING IN DERBYSHIRE

2011-05-04T04:27:00.000-07:00

Brighter Directions have welcomed government funding for a scheme which aims to improve the leadership skills of managers.

Earlier this month, Skills Minister John Hayes announced the leadership and management development grant scheme.

About 13,000 small and medium-sized businesses and social enterprises that demonstrate potential for growth will benefit from the grant.

Stephen Smith, chief executive of enterprise and economic development company EMB, in Raynesway, said: "The scheme is a great opportunity for senior leaders of locally-based small and medium-sized enterprises."

For more information contact us on 01246 287414

SONY LATEST VICTIM OF HACKER ATTACKS

2011-05-03T04:39:00.000-07:00

Sony's computer networks were worse than previously thought, affecting 24.6 million Sony Online Entertainment network accounts.

The attack happened over the bank holiday weekend and was realised by the engineering departments

The Sony Online Entertainment network, used for massively multiplayer online games like EverQuest, Star Wars Galaxies and Matrix Online, has been suspended temporarily, Sony said Monday. Add this to the 77 million accounts that may have been compromised last week, and Sony is responsible for one of the largest recorded data breaches.

The entertainment network is separate from the PlayStation Network but both hacks have similar traits, said Mai Hora, a spokeswoman for Sony Computer Entertainment in Tokyo.

In both cases, the stolen data includes customer names, e-mail addresses and hashed versions of their account passwords. That data could be used to spam customers or trick them with phishing e-mails.

Last week, rumors surfaced on underground hacking forums that the thieves had obtained millions of credit card numbers, but Sony maintains that this is untrue. "There is no evidence that our main credit card database was compromised. It is in a completely separate and secured environment," Sony said Monday

CASE STUDIES FOR THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IN A BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

2011-04-28T03:08:00.000-07:00

After recently being contacted by a business who was offering social media training, through one of our social media accounts, (as well as asking others for personal opinions)we were asked to provide them with information and my background data research of how social media impacts the bottom line through utilising as a marketing tool...

This struck a cord with me and so I thought I would share my reply as its obvious that so many businesses offering these services do so without the proper knowledge and experience....

**** Private information has obviously been withheld for privacy reasons ****

To be honest, this evidence and informative case studies are used in our own social media training sessions, and as I’ve been doing it for over ten years it would be pretty impractical from my perspective to keep giving that information away so others can make sales off the back of it...

Brighter Directions work with organisations large and small providing social media solutions and each case tends to have a different strategy to usage, content and management – even businesses within the same sector have different influences so it’s not one size fits all, there are literally hundreds of social media platforms available for commercial use, so that’s why it’s worth using the services of someone with experience in these to develop in this area.

Unfortunately there are too far cowboys out there at the moment using social media as a route to gain more sales for themselves, selling training off the back of very little knowledge and sadly, this negativity affects the whole industry.

There’s plenty of case studies and stats online available for cost and free if you spend the time looking, your more than welcome to look over our recommendations and see the impact our clients have had through using us and social media...

****

Was I too harsh or is this indeed the reason why I keep lobbying for training and marketing to become more regulated?

Your thoughts, as always are welcome

SOCIAL MEDIA - A RELIABLE SOURCE OR FAD?

2011-04-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

For businesses, the sudden introduction of online marketing with applications like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook can seem challenging and daunting to even the most tech savvy of companies.

It’s without doubt that online marketing is the way forward and a sure fire way to generate brand awareness, communicate with your potential markets and increase revenue - over two thirds (64%) of the UK population have researched products/services online within the last 3 months.

Social media for business isn’t a new concept: although it is only recently that it has become a major phenomena sweeping through companies marketing agendas across the globe.

The same social media strategies can be applied whether your company is large or small, but it’s the structure and delivery that will differ and this can be the difference between success and failure.

Brighter Directions based in Derbyshire have been working with companies across the UK for several years in developing successful online campaigns, the most important question you can ask yourself when considering embarking your brand online is ‘What’s right for my brand?’ not, what everyone else is doing....

For valuable, honest advice call the team today on 01246 287414

SOLUTIONS FOR BUSINESS

2011-04-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Solutions for Business is a suite of highly targeted, publicly funded products and services offering solutions to real business needs and tackling market failure

Previously called the Higher Education Collaboration Fund, the Sustainable Construction iNet provides grant support for East Midlands’ innovative and business-driven research and development (R&D) projects though Collaborative Research and Development.

Collaborative Research and Development grants are awarded to collaborative partnerships drawn from business, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and other research organisations for R&D of sustainable construction sector enabling technologies with real commercial potential.

Through Collaborative Research and Development, the iNet aims to facilitate and expedite knowledge exchange between organisations at the leading edge of technological advances to benefit the region’s economy. Projects awarded grants must:

•Involve two or more East Midlands’ universities
•Leverage additional funding of three times the value of grant support from other public sector sources
•Also be part-funded by the collaborating organisations
•Demonstrate economic benefits for the region.

Apply for Collaborative Research and Development

The Sustainable Construction iNet has allocated £250,000 to fund qualifying projects through Collaborative Research and Development in 2010. Projects across three themes will be awarded grant support

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

2011-04-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

Brighter Directions are pleased to announce the next available 'How to utilise FREE social media platforms for your business' workshops...

27th April, 12th May & 28th June 2011

Online marketing through social media (for example platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Utube, LinkedIn) can, if used correctly achieve you the sales your products and services deserve without costing you a penny..

As discussed, the social media workshops we run locally are ideal for small businesses delivered in friendly groups as an introductory to utilising social media commercially. These workshops are ideal for people with little knowledge of how this form of marketing can help grow your business and includes work on your digital strategy as well as creating and managing the accounts going forward.

Call Brighter Directions on 01246 287414

Book online here

CHANGES TO SAT-NAV RUNS

2011-04-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

The department of transport have published proposals that state that Councils may be able to downgrade roads under a new scheme for 'sat-nav runs'

More information is available http://www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/

DERBYSHIRE BROADBAND SURVEY

2011-03-31T07:45:00.000-07:00

Derbyshire County Council is undertaking a survey to discover where broadband weaknesses are around the area.

Businesses and residents are being asked to complete the surevy for the council to use to assess the extent of the issue and work out demand.

Complete the survey here

Orginally from the Derbyshire & Nottingham Chamber
Closing date 31st March 2011

TRAVEL BY TRAIN?

2011-03-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

East Midlands trains are offering a 20% discount off First Class Business tickets booked before 31st March on train journeys to and from St Pancras.

Service includes free wifio, hosts and first class facilities - claim your dicount at www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/ Chamber
Published in Derbyshire Chamber first.

NOMINATED FOR BESMA AWARDS

2011-03-29T07:13:00.001-07:00

WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE WE HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED AS FINALISTS FOR THE NATIONAL PRESTIGIOUS BESMA AWARDS - BRITISH EXCELLENCE IN SALES AND MARKETING Winning over thousands of other applicants, Brighter Directions proved just what makes them stand out from the crowd!

Brighter Directions were nominated by providing an excellent service to existing clients across the UK and was honoured to be shortlisted for the British Excellence in Sales & Marketing Awards upon nomination in 2 categories including 'best sales team' and 'best customer service team'

Having completed the shortlisting, feedback on what constitutes an excellent entry included:

•Were the right length – They were not so short that they offered only glimpses of excellent performance or so long that the judge had to wade through pages of information, trying to pick out the important points. The best entries clearly described the key points.
•Were specific – The best entries accompanied statements such as “X is a very high achiever” with some form of evidence or justification.
•Addressed the judging criteria – The best entries kept in mind the criteria the judges were evaluating their nomination against.
•Used the “What makes the nominee exceptional” section well – With the high standard of entries this is often the section that makes the difference, the best entries used it to demonstrate the broader skills or talents of the nominee, ideally with evidence supporting the statements.
We’d like to thank everyone that entered, the initial judging was long and difficult, but also inspiring, reading case after case of exceptional performance and achievement

The Judging Day took place on 18th March at Beaumont House in Windsor, where the judges were very complimentary about the achievements of all candidates and impressed by the quality of the finalists.

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony taking place on Thursday 26th May in London. This fantastic event celebrates sales as a profession and, of course, the individual successes of those who make it on to the stage!

Wish the Brighter Directions team luck!

HOWS THE BUDGET AFFECT YOU?

2011-03-28T04:15:00.000-07:00

How will the Budget affect your business?

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, presented the 2011 Budget on 23 March.

Key measures in the Budget for businesses include:

From 6pm on 23 March 2011
Fuel Duty
Fuel Duty will be cut by 1p per litre.

Tobacco Duty changes
Tobacco duty rates will rise by 2% above inflation, and the duty regime will be reformed in due course.

From April 2011
Corporation Tax reduction
The main rate of Corporation Tax will be reduced to 26% from April 2011, with further yearly reductions of 1% until it reaches 23% in 2014. See our guidance on Corporation Tax rates.

Domestic Regulations
A moratorium exempting micro businesses and start-ups from new domestic regulation will be introduced for three years from 1st April.

R&D Relief
Subject to State Aid approval, the Small & Medium Enterprise Scheme Relief will increase to 200% from April 2011 and 225% from April 2012.

Reform of Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS)
The Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trusts will be reformed. This will include raising the rate of EIS Income Tax relief to 30% from April 2011 subject to State Aid approval.

Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) rates
VED will increase by RPI indexation only in 2011-12. Rates for Heavy Goods Vehicles will be frozen.

National Insurance rate rise
As previously announced, the National Insurance rate rise will go ahead.

Longer term
Controlled Foreign Company rules
New rules will allow groups based in the UK to compete more effectively with those based overseas.

Simplification of the tax system
43 outdated Tax Reliefs will be abolished.

Merger of Income Tax and NI
The Government will consult on options for integrating the operation of Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions.

Changes to Health and Safety regulations
The recommendations of Lord Young's review of H&S regulations will be implemented.

Changes to the planning process
The planning application system will be streamlined and a new fast-track process will be introduced for major infrastructure.

Entrepreneur's Relief
The lifetime limit for Entrepreneur's Relief will be doubled to £10 million.

Enterprise Zones
21 new Enterprise Zones will be established, promoting growth.

Work experience and apprenticeships
An additional 80,000 work experience places for young people and an additional 50,000 apprenticeship places will be created within the next four years

Personal Allowances
The Personal allowance for income tax for under 65s will be increased to £8,105 from April 2012.

Fuel duty
Inflation only increases in Fuel Duty will be deferred until 1st January 2012. The April 2012 increase will be implemented on 1st August 2012.

Small Business Rate Relief
The Small Businss Rate relief holiday will be extended by one year effective from 1st October 2011.

Encouraging the Housing Market
The Government will work with house builders to assist over 10,000 first time buyers to purchase new build property.

For further information and the full Budget report you can visit the HM Treasury website - Opens in a new window and HMRC website

BRITISH BUSINESSES - GET ONLINE!

2011-03-14T02:39:00.000-07:00

Thought that FREE was too good to be true?

Businesses of every type and size need to be found online. Use our simple online tool to create your first website - no technical knowledge needed. Update your site from any computer, for free.

Getting British Business Online is a joint initiative from Google, Enterprise UK, BT, e-skills UK and many other partners to help small businesses create their first website and understand the opportunities offered by the Internet. We've already helped 100,000 UK organisations get their first website easily and for free in 2010, and we plan on helping just as many in 2011.

Get a free customised website from www.startingonline.co.uk - with a choice of designer templates to customise your website with your own words and pictures.

HOW TO WIN TEAM... AT IT AGAIN

2011-03-11T09:42:00.000-08:00

How To Win In Business gets bigger and better

You don’t want to miss out as The How To Win In Business team share their top smart marketing tips to help your company grow in 2011.

Our FREE seminars are supported by Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce (DNCC) and at this event your team of local experts are joined by two hand-picked guests who will give you an insight on specific aspects of smart marketing.

More than 200 local businesses signed up to the last seminar on winning and keeping loyal customers and How To Win In Business seminars are becoming the MUST ATTEND EVENT if you’re serious about building your business in 2011.

Meet the winbiz team..
•You’ll never go back to printing leaflets or brochures again once you’ve seen the future with myVirtualbrochure.com MD Mark Joyner
•Claire Curzon, MD of Brighter Directions will show you how to release the power of social media marketing using the professionals preferred platform LinkedIn to manage contacts and generate business
•You’ll be able to impress the press with your news after listening to Paul Kirby from Derby-based Octopus Public Relations
••It’ll be hosted by Julian Smith from The Alternative Board who is quickly earning the reputation as one of the East Midlands' most influential business connectors
For full event detail:

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW at our FREE event using our online booking form at www.howtowininbiz.co.uk as places are strictly limited.

SOCIAL MEDIA - A RELIABLE SOURCE OR FAD?

2011-03-11T09:36:00.000-08:00

For businesses, the sudden introduction of online marketing with applications like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook can seem challenging and daunting to even the most tech savvy of companies.

It’s without doubt that online marketing is the way forward and a sure fire way to generate brand awareness, communicate with your potential markets and increase revenue - over two thirds (64%) of the UK population have researched products/services online within the last 3 months.

Social media for business isn’t a few concept: although it is only recently that it has become a major phenomena sweeping through companies marketing agendas across the globe.

The same social media strategies can be applied whether your company is large or small, but it’s the structure and delivery that will differ and this can be the difference between success and failure.

Brighter Directions based in Derbyshire have been working with companies across the UK for several years in developing successful online campaigns, the most important question you can ask yourself when considering embarking your brand online is ‘What’s right for my brand?’ not, what everyone else is doing.

NOMINATE US FOR BESMA AWARDS

2011-02-22T06:34:00.000-08:00

The nomination deadline is 25 February..

The BESMA awards are a prestigious ISMM annual event

Five good reasons to nominate
•Recognises and rewards top achievers and the use of best sales practice, providing aspiration for all sales team members
•Enables employers to show sales teams the value they place on them, thus boosting team morale and increasing motivation
•Provides independent validation of your sales and marketing talent and achievements to help you gain competitive advantage
•Acknowledges the vital role played by sales personnel throughout the business world and raises the status of professional selling
•Enhances career development within your organisation by using BESMA as a career path

Why you should nominate us:
•Because we LOVE to help our customers long-term not just for a quick fix
•Because we look after our clients and make sure the training is suitable not only for the organisations objectives but for different personalities too
•Because our training is proven to work!

To nominate Brighter Directions, click here - Thanks in advance!

DO YOU HAVE A FACEBOOK DISORDER?

2011-02-16T03:37:00.000-08:00

Clinical and psychology tests in Los Angeles, U.S.A have revealed a new disorder showing signs that you could be addicted to Facebook (or any other social networking site)

Take a look to see if you’re suffering from any of the symptoms:

1 – You lose sleep
It becomes a compulsion to spend entire nights logged on to social networking sites, causing you to become tired the next day for work

2 – Obsession
You become obsessed with old friends and contacts that you reconnect with or find yourself constantly viewing competitor sites

3 – Time Management
You spend more than a couple of hours a day on the sites. It’s sometimes difficult to measure usage but on average small businesses spend around an hour.

4 – Increased stress
If not logging on to your social networking site at least once a day causes you stress and anxiety

5 – Work takes a back seat
You spend time commenting on social networking sites instead of actually doing any work

If any of this sounds familiar, maybe you need a little guidance on making the platforms work successfully for your organisation. If so, give us a call on 01246 287414

WHO ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS?

2011-02-07T03:34:00.000-08:00

Whether you are marketing your business online or offline, the importance of ‘knowing who you’re talking to’ is vital in making the campaign a success.

All too often we work with companies that do not know or understand their customers and because of this incorrectly blame ineffective operations on ‘doing the wrong marketing’ when often, the fact is that campaigns simply need to be more targeted within the content and delivery.

There are two sides to delivering value to your customers as mentioned above, the first is content which includes your message, tone, clarity and creative style, all together focusing on the target customer while designing your campaign - the second is delivery, which is simply the market and platform you use.

To really know your customers, it takes time and energy.

Researching your existing and potential customer markets takes commitment; it’s not something that is likely to be achieved in a day or two.

Firstly, what you need to do is look at who your customers are and what they want from you, once you have that all figured out… your marketing will be off to a great start!

Brighter Directions offer strategic marketing solutions and can help you have a clear vision of your customers through our marketing review service that tells you what is working, and more importantly what isn’t.

For more information contact us today on 01246 287414 or email us here

GET ABRIGHTERIDEA FOR BUSINESSES ONLINE

2011-02-03T05:26:00.000-08:00

Brighteridea is the online marketing brand for Brighter Directions and company, who specialise in helping small businesses make the most out of what you have.

Online Marketing is fast becoming the most efficient and productive way to promote and market your company and brand.

What are they saying about your brand online??

Call us today for a review of your social media and online marketing campaigns from as little as a small magazine advert

Follow us on Twitter hereCall us on 01246 287414

TWITTER CRACKS DOWN

2011-01-25T05:20:00.000-08:00

You are either very very lucky or have no internet connection available, if you havent already encounted one of the hundreds of enhanced followers tools now available on the internet

What these programs do is promise to increase your followers by thousands of followers within a few short days for a bargain price

The whole essence of Twitter is bought into dispute with the idea of quick-buy followers - going against pretty much everything for what the network is all about.

The fact that accounts using these sources tend to die out not long after subscribing is a testament to how Twitter users will respond to these external tools as well as Twitter now promising to suspend accounts using those services in the future.

Twitter is about engagement and building relationships, none of which can be bought.

Follow us on Twitter here

STUCK IN A RUT WITH SOCIAL MEDIA?

2011-01-20T05:18:00.000-08:00

Brighter Directions have worked with businesses throughout the world for over ten years delivering consistent and valuable solutions in social media marketing for companies large and small with measurable results.

If social media is something you feel you would like to look into as another marketing source then we are on hand to help you get there..

Our solutions are completely bespoke, from managing your online campaigns (setting up your accounts along with updating, management and measuring) to delivering the support you need via training or consultancy methods to build your knowledge and understanding of how things work to enable you to build on your accounts with our guidance and support.

There may be funding available which could help you pay for or towards the costs of our services** ask us for details on 01246 287414 or email us here

FACEBOOK LEADS IN PHISHING ATTACKS

2011-01-18T05:17:00.000-08:00

A report published detailing spamming activity during July 2010 has found that Facebook is now the second most attacked site online by phishers according to Kaspersky Lab who conducted the report.

Top position is still kept by Paypal, marking over half of all phising attacks being directed at them, while Ebay now sits in third place.

During July, the top rated European countries for spam attacks were the UK, Germany and Italy.

Make sure you keep your online passwords safe and protected, be sure to change your passwords regually and instal a security system on your pc.

MANSFIELD 2020 BUSINESS AWARDS

2010-12-16T02:25:00.000-08:00

Mansfield 2020 Annual Ball & Business Awards are open to all 2020 members adn to non member businesses from teh Nottinghamshire area

Categories are:

Community Award
Best New Business
Entrepreneurial Spirit
Best Retailer Custoemr Focus Initiative
Business of the Year Award

Deadline for enteries is the 4th February 2011.

The winning awards will be presened at a black tie event on Saturday 9th April 2011 in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.

For more information visit www.2020businessawards.com

VAT INCREASE - JANUARY 2011

2010-12-13T02:17:00.000-08:00

Businesses are reminded that the VAT increase to 20% on the 4th January 2011

You will need to consider the amount of extra administration and commercial costs that will be involved.

For any sales of standard-rated goods or services that you make on or after 4 January 2011 you must charge VAT at the 20 per cent rate. If you have a cash business and calculate your VAT using the VAT fraction you must use the VAT fraction of 1/6 on your standard-rated VAT inclusive sales from 4 January 2011

For more information on the VAT increase visit http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/forms-rates/rates/rate-increase.htm

SOCIAL MEDIA DOESNT WORK

2010-12-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

SOCIAL MEDIA DOESNT WORK

Its true.

Social Media will not work for your business... if you do not implement your strategy, promoting your brand with correct knowledge!

Not everyone can become an expert overnight, it takes time, energy and experience to learn the skills and knowledge to run successful online campaigns.

Brighter Directions can help you deliver a clear marketing message online and offer the following services to help you on your way..

Social Media Account Set up

Fantastic option for those not technology friendly and just need a helping hand to set up their online marketing campaigns successfully and without stress, we can help you set up your profile and account information, provide you with the tools and support and leave the rest to you.

Starting from only £199 + Vat including account set up, populating, market branding and strategy development)

Onsite Bespoke Development

A popular method for businesses around the East Midlands is for us to come to you, sit down in your office or home and discuss what you want from your online marketing campaigns and then show you how to do it, fully bespoke to your needs and markets.

It wont break the bank either, with prices starting from as little as £350 + vat for a half day session.

Online Brand Management

For businesses that 'dont have time' this solution is ideal, we take care of your post and profile updates, linking to chosen sites, online promotion and all your customer interactive and communications

Starting from £199 + Vat per month inclusive of prospecting customer searches and building brand promotions.

Blog set up

Want to start blogging but don't know where to start? We can help you develop and create your blog template, build your brand, promote and give useful insights into making it a success for your business from only £99 + vat

SEO Website Content

Want to improve your search engine rankings for your website but don't want to change the design aspects? Then speak to us, our informative knowledge built over the years means that we can help your search optimisation by using keywords and relevant search information within your website content that will increase your Google and search rankings in no time.

For a 5 page website, re-write of content starting from only £100 + vat

Contact Brighter Directions today on 01246 287414 or email us to discuss any of the options above and soon you'll be happily tweeting and linking your way to success!!

TWIT-IONARY GUIDE

2010-12-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

We've all had those moments on Twitter where you stare at the screen and mumble to yourself, normally something along the lines of "eh???" in a confused manner...

Gone are the days when mobile text speak upturned the world as we know it, now are the days of social media posts...

Were here to dispel some of the 'twit-ionary' myths that are most popular

140er A tweet that users exactly 140 characters (the maximum)
chirp A tweet
tweeps People using twitter
speedtweet A quick tweet
twitterverse The world of Twitter
twitch The need to tweet

So thats our short and snappy Twitter dictionary guide... Love to hear your thoughts on more?

Follow us on Twitter

ITS NOT A NEW CONCEPT!

2010-11-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

Social Media and Social networking hasnt just been invented within the past 12 months, though to see the 'hundreds of experts' online increasing daily you would think so...

Before the popular social media sites you all know and love today there were other foums and avenues which you could use to brand your company and self online.

The concept of using social networking to generate online branding for businesses isnt a new idea. Online chat and social networking happended years ago, before progressing to MSN from the original MiRC into what we see today with Twitter, Skype, Facebook etc..

All designed for the same reason: COMMUNICATION.

There was a recent blog post which caught my eye addressing this same subject (read it here) and although some points I didnt agree with, its a honest article with some valuable points and information to help you choose the right 'expert' to help you!

Remember to think about what you want to achieve from hiring a outside source and always consider if they are going to fit with your company ethos and the way you work - that is vital!

Be clear when setting aims for your business and assessing what you want social media to achieve for you, afterall it was built for communication...

ARE YOU DELIVERING SALES?

2010-11-23T04:48:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of the 80/20 principle?

What it suggests is that 80% of your sales force are delivering only 20% of your sales results

Another way of looking at it is 80% of business is being lost by unmotivated staff... what is that costing your company?

Our mission is to motivate and get the results you want from 80% of your team, ensuring higher profits!

To talk to us about how we can help develop your sales, customer care staffing skills, call today on 01246 287414

Connect on Digg

FACEBOOK LEADS IN PHISHING ATTACKS

2010-11-19T02:46:00.000-08:00

STUCK IN A RUT ONLINE?

2010-11-17T09:43:00.000-08:00

FUNDING ANNOUNCEMENT - LEADERS FIRST

2010-11-02T03:32:00.000-07:00

Weve just had notification from the funding that the Leaders First program is being cut back due to the high demand in raedyiness to deal with all applications before the deadline next year.

What that means is that any business wanting to apply for the funding must do so over the next few weeks to avoid disappointment

To reiterate, funding is available for businesses around the East Midlands with more than 5 employees in need of business development for a senior manager of the business with the impact to grow the business in the recession.

Funding is available of £500 fixed funding with a further 50% matched funding availabnle upto £1,000 under the program.

To improve sales, strategic marketing or online media (social media, email marketing, blogging) is a priority in your business then we can help

For more information and to start your application call us today on 01246 287414

NO TIME TO PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE?

2010-11-02T03:11:00.000-07:00

Do you want to promote your business through the worlds fastest growing media?

Want to make your time spent on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn actually work for your business...

* Increase Brand Awareness
* Create buzz about your product or services
* Generate more visitors to your website
* Enhance your customer service
* Reach potential new customers

With over ten years experience working with large and small companies, we have the expertise to manage your reputation using our extensive experience you can have the success of larger companies like Dell and Virgin!

Want to know more?

Then contact us today on 01246 287414 or email us here to book

IMPROVING YOUR ONLINE MARKETING

2010-10-19T01:36:00.000-07:00

If getting up to date with all this online marketing is the top of your agenda then help is at hand..

Brighter Directions publish regular articles on their online media blog, providing tips and useful information to help you grow online.

Topics include, developing your profiles online, to the latest news and information affecting online marketing and our top tips on how to improve your online efforts and protect your business

Take a look now, and don't forget to spread the word! :)

http://abrighteridea.blogspot.com/

WIN SALES AND BUILD CUSTOMERS!

2010-10-14T02:51:00.000-07:00

Brighter Directions are looking forward to presenting 'How to build customers and win sales' at the joint DNCC event next week.

As a joint development project to help local businesses around the region, we are working with other local experts in the area including, Julian Smith of Alternative Board, Mark of Vbook marketing and Paul of Octopus PR and the Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce to provide our inside tips and advice on how to build your business.

To follow up on the event, we are hosting a fantastic training event to enable you to develop your skills to build customer relations and improve sales in a full day intensive training session which is guaranteed to improve your business.

"Building Customer Relations & Winning Sales"
Wednesday 8th December 2010 (last event of the year)

During the day we will assess your marketing impact, research current trends and discuss how this influences customer behaviour and how to use this to create better relationships within your business, surrounding communication issues and understanding the sales process

Limited places are available, early bird booking fee is available:

For more information or to book a place, please contact Debbie today on 01246 287414/ 267160 or email us here

READY FOR 'FIT NOTES'

2010-10-12T05:45:00.000-07:00

Fit for work notes’ will save companies money, as long as everyone is aware of how they will work

With election fever gripping everyone’s thoughts, and business news being full of the consequences of the result, you may be forgiven for not noticing a change to the ‘sick note’ regime that came into effect from the 6th of April.

The scheme is designed to reduce the £17.3 billion estimated cost to the UK economy caused by staff absenteeism by allowing health professionals and employers to look at what an employee can do as opposed to what they can’t.

Under the old ‘Sick note’ culture, which was first introduced in 1922, employees were either unfit for work, in which case they were signed off by the GP, or they were fit for work, and expected to perform their usual duties.

The new fit note creates the ability for the employee to discuss their condition with the health professional and determine the tasks that can and can’t be undertaken and the length of time until full duties can be resumed.

This puts greater emphasis on the employer to accommodate an employee who is returning to work on a ‘may be fit for some work’ recommendation from the doctor. The employer is expected to assess the working conditions, such as whether the employee can easily climb stairs and if not, whether they can work on the ground floor, as well as providing a risk assessment for both the employee and their colleagues.

Depending upon the employee’s condition and the recommendations of the GP, it may not be possible for them to return because the roles that the fit note suggests aren’t required. In cases such as this, the employer is entitled to state that the employee is not fit for work and ask them not to attend the workplace, but because they have indicated a willingness to return to perform the tasks outlined by the GP, they may be entitled to full pay whilst they are away.

Employers also need to take into consideration the Disability Discrimination Act when an employee produces a fit note. Measures have to be taken to show that an employee is given the opportunity to return to work under acceptable conditions as soon as is possible.

For this scheme to work, it is vital that there is clear communication between employers and employees and that all steps are documented so as to demonstrate that opportunities are being given. Aiding an employee’s early return to work can help them overcome their condition sooner, can increase productivity for your organisation and can help reduce the costs of absenteeism, but the challenge is doing this in a way that benefits all parties and doesn’t leave you open to any risk or claims at a later date.

STRATEGIC SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP

2010-10-11T04:19:00.000-07:00

Due to high demand, we will be running the last strategic social media workshop of the year on Tuesday 2nd November at our newly renovated offices in Chesterfield

By the end of the workshop you will have created accounts for the three major social media applications including Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and have the knowledge on how to manage your accounts successfully for your business, to build your brand and attract potential customers within your strategy and build on your marketing plan.

Workshop Will Include:

•Introduction to social media influences and what this means specifically for your business, focusing on the main platforms Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn.
•Developing your online marketing strategy looking at market research, client segmentation and analysing your aims for the business so that you have a clear focus and structure to your online media campaigns.
•Introduction to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn which include interactive sessions to enable you to experience the social media applications first hand. Discussing relevant case studies and statistics on how other businesses are using the platform.
•After the accounts have been set up and populated we will discuss the best methods on management and general usage rules to the three platforms, allowing you to get the most out of your time spent online networking.
•Question and Answers session to enable you to ask direct questions to any outstanding queries you may have.

Places are limited, early booking offer of only £50 per person + vat.

For more information or to book your place, please call 01246 287414/ 267160 or email us here

DERBYSHIRE ONLINE PROJECT

2010-10-04T06:18:00.000-07:00

The 'Derbyshire Online Presence Project' is an initiative managed and funded by Peak Support Services Ltd in order to help small businesses understand and utilise the benefits offered on the Internet and create brand awareness through online positions.

To simplify the process of getting online with your first website we've put together a project that will allow small businesses to get online quickly, easily and without cost.

Package Includes
A free .co.uk address
A free .co.uk email address
Exclusive Discounted Website Prices
A free telephone 0843 number
Up to 20 email aliases

For more information visit the site http://derbyshireonlineproject.co.uk

STRUGGLING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA?

2010-10-01T06:07:00.000-07:00

If you are struggling getting to grips with your social media then help is at hand...

After running numerous workshops across the region on behalf of Business Link East Midlands, we have found a massive increase in enquiries from local businesses to help them develop their social media

Brighter Directions have over fifteen years experience working with corporate international identities and are putting that expertise to help local businesses develop your skills and grow!

During October we are running a very special offer to help you fast-track your social media campaigns and get them off to a flying start!

Our social media management solutions ~ 50% off

Included in the management services:

•Set up of your social media accounts (if required) or amending to be more successful if they have already been created
•Promotion of accounts online via other networks and associated accounts (ours etc.)
•Marketing activity for the accounts and online publicity via forums and directories
•Build your following strategically with relevance
•Building communications with potential and existing clients, conveying your brand
•Building customer relationship management and building associates
•Measuring any ‘brand talk’ about your business or sector
•Communication with potential customers on your accounts
•Managing enquiries and directing them back to your company
•Prospect canvassing and chasing any potential leads for you

After the 1 months management period is finished, we will also include…

•A bespoke social media management report detailing our actions taken and the effectiveness of our marketing your business
•Breakdown of our actions as well as any successful achievements through the accounts
•Our top tips bespoke to you on how to continue to manage your account successfully should you wish to carry on with it yourself

All totally FREE with the above services (worth over £100 for this alone)

That’s if you don’t choose to stay with us another month to take advantage of our fantastic service!

Interested? Call Dominique on 01246 287414 today to find out more..

MATLOCK LINKS BUSINESS EVENT

2010-09-14T03:02:00.000-07:00

Last month finally came the business event we've been talking about for ages, the ALL IN business event held by local business networking group Matlock Links in Matlock, Derbyshire.

As a non-profit organisation, the committee is made up of local businesses that run the group in their spare time to support other small local growing businesses throughout the region.

The annual summer event turned out to be a huge success thanks to their efforts, with over 120 businesses attending on the day of 9th September at the New Bath Hotel.

Brighter Directions sponsored the event with a few other local companies, it was a pleasure to attend and be part of the successful day.

Local video production company Pixelated also sponsored the event and recorded the whole day, which we cant wait to see along with some promotional photos we requested of the team..

For more information on Matlock Links visit their website here

SMALL BUSINESS LOANS

2010-08-27T01:13:00.000-07:00

Small Loans for Business is a source of loan funding for business start-ups and existing businesses that have not been able to secure all of their finance from conventional high street lenders.

Small Loans for Business provides loans to both existing entrepreneurs and people starting a business. Loans of £3,000 to £20,000 can be used to turn your ideas into a new business, or to grow your existing business if you can raise 30 per cent of the value of the loan. The purpose of this fund is to support individuals with a viable business idea who require finance. This includes those in disadvantaged communities and under-represented groups

For more information please visit the Business Link website

WERE MOVING!

2010-08-23T01:07:00.000-07:00

As some of you are already aware, the Brighter team has been growing over the past few months, so much so that its getting alittle tight in the Brighter HQ offices, which means its time to pack our bags and move to bigger and brighter things..

Pinemonte Business Centre in Chesterfield is a new hub for businesses, convieniently located just out of town within easy access of the M1 and local routes.

Were really excited about the move, as not only will we have bigger and better offices, but also access to training, conference and meeting room facilities onsite which will help our clients and associates no end!

If you are thinking about moving to new offices, take a peek at the facilities at Pinemonte Business Centre, and you never know, we may see you there!

STRATEGIC ONLINE MARKETING BOOTCAMP

2010-08-18T22:25:00.000-07:00

Brighter Directions have joined forces with local innovative company TBAT to create a series of action workshops across the region in order to give you a commercial edge within the market place

Overview

Online marketing is growing rapidly and today’s businesses must embrace this change or simply get left behind!

This Advanced Social Media & Online Marketing Strategy course will provide you with the practical tools and strategies required to successfully utilise the most popular social networks and maximise your business growth and reach potential.

It also offers expert guidance on how to measure these interactive marketing efforts and respond to negative commentary.

What you will learn

Developing your online strategies
Fitting your objectives around your business model
Action and strategic planning session

An overview on Twitter/ Facebook/ LinkedIn history and statistics
Creating a successful brand identity
How to target and develop your potential reach
Establishing yourself within social media platforms

Guidance notes on using all applications
Interaction & Customer Management
Managing negative promotion

Expert question and answers session / case studies

An introduction to YouTube for business use
Other useful media applications available for integration

Management Operational tools to manage your accounts efficiently
Assessment of the monitoring and measuring tools available

Who should attend

This course is ideally suited to businesses that are currently using social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook & LinkedIn and wish to develop and further advance their existing social media and online marketing strategies to gain better results.

Workshop deatials

Location - Lockington Hall, Lockington, Derbyshire, DE74 2RH
Room - Conference Room
Date - Tuesday 19th October 2010
Time - 9.30am - 4.30pm
Cost - £235 per delegate (includes lunch, refreshments and on site parking)

Book your place here online

For further information please contact James Purdy 01509 670 610

WHAT NOT TO DO - MARKETING

2010-08-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

Marketing can be damaging to a company:

After speaking to a company recently I wanted to share our discussion as 'what not to do' when developing your marketing strategy:

I wont name the company in question for obvious reasons, no-one is born with the knowledge to get everything right first time (me included) and were confident they will be changing their ways for the future growth of the business with a small helping hand from yours truly! :)

Lets call the company Casea for the sake of this post - 'Casea' is in the consultancy sector dealing with business clients throughout the UK, with an annual marketing budget of £5,000 which included all advertising, networking fees, promotional items and related marketing materials like business printed stationary.

Casea's annual spend was broken down as: majority print advertising, networking fees and printed stationary including business cards and leaflets.

As a small consultancy business, they didnt see the need for a website at this time, as the majority of incoming work was through networking.

After being advised by a fellow business friend to take up social networking for the business they threw everything into it, spending at least three full hours per day at his desk making 'progress' with fellow social networkers.

Soon after the initial setup of the social media accounts, the company received queries as to why they were unable to locate a company website for more information of the services offered, so after much consideration the company spent over £2,000 on a template website built by a new online contact from America.

After a few months spending hours at the desk 'developing' social relations all over the world he noticed that nothing was happening from his efforts and to make matters worse he had not received a single enquiry or follow up from his website!

Can you see what went wrong?

All marketing activities were sporodic and ill planned, there was no monitoring and impact processes in place, within six months the annual marketing budget spend had been tripled just through word of mouth suggestions.

As a result of this:

The company website didnt rank in any of the UK keyword searches as it was fully maintained in America and not in the UK

No firm enquiries came in through social networking activities for the business as there was no clear strategy in place

When received incoming enquires, Casea directed them immediatley to the fresh website but never heard from them again

All marketing efforts had been developed seperatley and there was no brand consistancy throughour the collateral which meant that the companies marketing message was all over the place and difficult to convey to potential customers, leaving them confused and un motivated, although the actual service is great!

What did this mean for the company?

Increased Expenses + No ROI for any of the marketing activities...

What this does is make marketing and any form of advert branding for the company a complete waste of time, energy and money!

If you feel you would benefit from some honest, friendly advise and supportive expert advice with regards to developing and marketing your business please give us a call on 01246 287414 or email the office

Are you following us on Twitter yet? Click here!

A GROWING TEAM

2010-08-16T03:36:00.000-07:00

Brighter Directions is a growing company with a range of services from staff training solutions to event management and strategic marketing solutions who have developed a range of solutions over the years to help and support businesses from across the UK and internationally.

We are happy to welcome a new addition to the team, Debbie Hawkes who will be managing the training side of the business and taking it forward to new heights!

Specialising in the following training solutions for your business:

* Customer Care & Sales Training
* Telesales/ Call Centre Training
* Managing Customer Relationships
* Strategic Staff Development Courses
* Marketing Development and Training

We are also working on a range of new training solutions are currently in development so that we can offer you a much miore tailored and efficient service onsite or offsite to suit your needs.

For more information on any of our training services, please contact Debbie today on 01246 287414, you can also email us here or visit www.brighterdirections.co.uk

LEADERS FIRST FUNDING

2010-08-12T01:21:00.000-07:00

There is still time for you to take advantage of your entitlement for strategic development and training for your company with the Leaders First program.

Brighter Directions are approved suppliers which means that you can access our services and also take advantage of the funding to use towards the cost with £500 fixed funding and a further £1,000 50% matched funding available.

Our services include:

* Strategic Marketing Solutions
* Senior Management Support
* Sales & Customer Care Training
* Social Media development & Training
* Online Marketing Support

The scheme is available for businesses with 2 + employees and businesses based in the East Midlands region*

For more information please contact us today, you can email us or call on 01246 287414 before you miss out!

PATENT & PROTECT

2010-08-09T01:29:00.000-07:00

Patents can be vital for businesses that have products or services they would need to protect and can cost from £230 and £280 to process the application.

Intellectual Property lets people own the work you create and Patents specifically protect the features and processes that make things work. This lets inventors profit from their inventions.

Patents protect the methods and processes that make things work. You need to decide if a patent is the right type of protection for your business, product or invention.

For more information click here

SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOPS

2010-08-06T02:45:00.000-07:00

Brighter Directions are ecstatic to be delivering social media training on behalf of Business Link in a series of workshops across Derbyshire this summer.

Working in conjunction with local company TBAT Innovation and Business Link we are helping businesses across the region come to grips with using social media applications like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to help their businesses.

Social media is a vital marketing activity for any business in this day and age. Like any other marketing activity for a business it needs to be strategically planned and have the appropriate amount of time dedicated to make it a success.

In the future, we will no longer search for products or services... they will find us via social media

Brighter Directions will also be running advanced social media training surgeries in the future on a commercial level, please contact us for details

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BUSINESS LINK

2010-08-04T02:26:00.000-07:00

Business Link have been a valuable asset to my clients over the years, helping to develop smaller businesses with a variety of resources, not only that, doing it for free.

In the last year (2009/10), EMB Ltd, the organisation responsible for delivering the regional Business Link service has enabled over 80,000 businesses to receive the help they need to start, survive and grow

Customer service was also given a thumbs up with a 90 per cent independently verified satisfaction rate.

With over 80 per cent of Business Link's staff in customer facing roles, and the recent announcement from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills that Business Link remains the government's support service for business and will continue to offer the same quality and level of support to local businesses in their areas, the region's enterprises can continue to benefit from swift local access to valued, trusted and high quality advice and support in the East Midlands.

I urge you to contact your local Business Link representative to see if they can help you and your business grow... before its too late!

HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT GOVERNMENT

2010-08-02T02:22:00.000-07:00

Businesses are being asked by Government how they want to redress the balance between the citizen and the state as part of a public consultation launched by the Deputy Prime Minister.

Your Freedom is an opportunity for anyone to suggest ideas on restoring liberties that have been lost, repealing unnecessary laws and removing excessive regulation on businesses and the Third Sector.

Questions to answer
Your Freedom asks the public to consider three questions:

1 - Cutting business and Third Sector regulations: which regulations do you think should be removed or changed to make running your business or organisation as simple as possible?

2 - Restoring civil liberties: which current laws would you like to remove or change because they restrict your civil liberties?

3 - Repealing unnecessary laws: which offences do you think we should remove or change and why?

What happens to your ideas?

Once ideas have been submitted, users of the site will be able to comment and rate their favourite ideas. Relevant departments will respond to the most popular workable ideas, and the Government will give regular progress updates.

The aim is that the Government will roll back the unnecessary regulations that are strongly disliked. The views expressed on Your Freedom will be taken into account as part of the Freedom Bill in the autumn.

http://yourfreedom.hmg.gov.uk

PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS

2010-07-24T04:14:00.000-07:00

Due to a recent increase on spam and frauding emails coming through I wanted to notify of a fairly recent scam that has come to light which could potentially affect many businesses and owners credit ratings:

A business friend of ours was recently sent a new credit card through the post for business banking. While many of us receive these kind of promotional letters (sample credit cards attached etc) and throw them in the bin, we could be making a huge mistake..

Instead he called the online banking company directly to state that he had not ordered this account and please remove from the mailing list and was surprised to find that it had been approved and processed under his personal and business name and had been a victim of identity threat.

It seems that rouges are finding business contact information from Companies House and with this using the information to open fake business accounts which immediately receive an automated overdraft.

Although authorities are aware of this happening, its always wise for us as businesses to be aware on how we can protect ourselves and our businesses.

The moral of this news

If in doubt, check with the company!

The Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce (DNCC) has also picked up on this in the recent issue of In Business Magazine, so if you are a member please check with them for more information.

RIGHT FUNDS FOR BUSINESS

2010-07-24T04:10:00.000-07:00

The Right Funds for You is a business seminar held on 12th August from 4pm - 7pm at Pride Park in Derby.

Are you an SME based in the East Midlands? Are you looking to fulfil your high growth potential by securing investment?

If so, this friendly, informal event is for you.

The seminar is fully subsidised for companies in the East Midlands and will be presented by four industry experts who will cover grant, debt, venture capital and business angel finance options. There will also be an opportunity to network over light refreshments following the presentations.

Click here to book

GUEST BLOG - RECRUITMENT

2010-07-23T02:56:00.000-07:00

Another fellow Twitter friend @StarPS has kindly offered to write a guest blog offering you her top ten tips to recruitment:

Top Ten Tips When Recruiting a New Team Member

1. A CV is not a legally binding document!
Anyone can write a CV for anyone else. A CV can be tweaked, elaborated and downright fibbed on! Don’t just take that everything on that CV is correct and always question people from their CV at interview.

2. Thoroughly check education!
If someone has a degree listed on their CV, does it have dates and grade on? If there is no grade present, it could be they got a third or maybe didn’t even complete it. Always ask for dates if not present – again that could mean someone studied the degree but didn’t actually complete. A degree takes at least 3 years to complete, a HND/ONC etc two years then have to be topped up by a year at University to be converted to a degree. Check those A levels, GCSE’s etc as well. For anyone over the age of 38, an O Level is the equivalent of A, B or C at GCSE, a CSE 1 is the equivalent of a C at GCSE. Anything less than a CSE1 is equivalent to less than a GCSE C.

3. Investigate gaps in employment!
Any gaps should be explained at interview. Where the CV shows jobs listed in dates such as 2007 to 2009 question what months they started and finished those roles. There are 12 months in a year and if they started in 12/07 and left in 1/09 they didn’t do two years!

4. Question reasons for leaving jobs including redundancy!
Unfortunately due to the economic climate over the last few years, redundancy has been a common factor in people leaving jobs. However, a few people use redundancy as a cover up for reasons more sinister! Ask if they were already looking to leave, the reasons given for redundancy and whether other team members were also made redundant at the same time.

5. Hobbies and interests!
If your interviewee is less than forthcoming due to nerves during an interview, discussing their hobbies and interests out of work can be a good ice breaker. If they have listed reading for example; ask them the last good book they read and would they recommend it? It also gives a good indication of someone’s personality and that is very important when recruiting a new team member.

6. Spelling and grammar!
There is NO excuse for spelling and grammar mistakes on a CV produced on a computer these days – all software has spell check. Errors show a lack of professionalism, attention to detail and all-round carelessness. Not particularly the best start to finding a new role, whatever the post applied for.

7. Temp to Perm – advantages versus disadvantages!
Don’t be sold a temp to perm by an agency without questioning it. The thought of being able to “try before you buy” may seem appealing on the face of it however, there are serious drawbacks. Firstly, anyone working wouldn’t apply for a temp to perm role as the very nature of it doesn’t mean a guaranteed job, therefore your pool of candidates is instantly minimised. Secondly, as they would be paid hourly by the agency for the temp period, they wouldn’t actually be part of your workforce and may be seen as and worse – feel – ‘just a temp’. Thirdly, you cannot stop a temp looking for another permanent role so you could be in the position of looking for a replacement during the temporary period which is a waste of your time, resources and money. Instead, ask the agency for a guarantee period that would match the temp to perm period offered.

8. Advertise the salary bracket!
You will be inundated with lots of people unsuitable for your particular role if you don’t advertise a salary. Use circa e.g. “circa £25k” or a scale of salary e.g. £22 to £27k if you don’t want to limit yourself and be specific. If there is a bonus package offered, always put the basic AND the OTE on the advert.

9. Always check Right to Work ID!
A valid EU passport or outside of EU passport plus VISA and supporting paperwork is the best form of ID that proves someone can legally work in the UK. A UK full birth certificate (not a short copy) plus something from the Government to their home address that states their National Insurance number is acceptable. Please note – a driving license only proves you can drive in the UK – not that you can legally work here!

10 Always offer subject to references and make sure you do reference them!
If I had a pound for every time I ask clients if they reference their direct recruits and they said no, I would be typing this on a beach in the Bahamas. Sadly I’m not. It goes without saying really that every applicant should be able to offer references from previous employment going back at least 2 years. If they can’t – seriously reconsider hiring them.

For more down to earth advice please contact victoria@starpsltd.co.uk or go to http://www.starpsltd.co.uk/

HELP FOR DISABLED ENTREPRENEURS

2010-07-21T03:22:00.000-07:00

£50,000 Award For Disabled Entrepreneurs

The creation of the Award was motivated by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, whose goal is supporting disabled entrepreneurs and also raising awareness of the skills and inventiveness of those with disabilities.

The winning disabled entrepreneur will be awarded a £50,000 prize to fund the further growth of their business. Can you answer yes to these questions:

 Do you have a recognised disability (see Disability Discrimination Act guidelines on disability)?
 Do you own at least a 25% management stake in your company?
 Does your business have a turnover in excess of £10,000?
 Have you been trading for between 1 and 5 years?
 Do you own a UK registered business?

To register, email SteliosAward@LCDisability.org or call the office on 020 3242 0357.

Entry for the 2010 Award will close on Friday 3rd September at 5.00pm

For more information, please visit original source of this article at Womenswork newsletter nottingham

SUPPORTING WOMEN IN BUSINESS

2010-07-16T03:18:00.000-07:00

I was recently sent an invitation to join a new online resource for women in business and thought I would share this with you as it contains some fantastic information to help everyone in business.

WomansWork is a monthly one-stop resource for women.

Providing support for start-ups, the self-employed, those wishing to get back into employment, those facing redundancy, mums in business and established business-women in the Norfolk, Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Lincolnshire, Northampton, Leicestershire and Nottingham counties.

Download the newsletters from the different counties, especially useful if you live on or near bordering counties. I would be more than happy to put your information in the existing counties until there is one for your area.

Every month I gather together valuable information you have have sent me: Training, Your news & information, opportunities, Your events, selling opportunities, Your websites and Your networking groups and events in your area, and produce a downloadable newsletter called The Notebook.

For more information please visit the site at www.womanswork.co.uk

WHICH MARKETING ANIMAL ARE YOU?

2010-07-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

Over the years working with a wide section of business, from small to large, it’s always interesting to see how different businesses carry out their marketing

Many businesses take the butterfly approach, flitting from one activity to another, not really getting much accomplished and moving from one activity to another in hope of immediate results

The downside of this method is that your constantly drawn to different ideas and marketing activities by easily become distracted and float off to a new attraction, with no real structure in place to monitor the results.

Building a brand that people trust takes time and consistency as well as thoughtful planning and research.

The butterfly approach to marketing can be frustrating for your marketing teams and even more importantly confusing for your potential customers and target market.

Spending time on smaller unplanned marketing activities can be a waste of time and money if its not correctly planned and implemented.

Marketing is a long term activity in business, which needs to be kept consistent and targeted so that you are able to measure results and act on those findings for the good of the business.

In my business, I need to be a strategic eagle; I love nothing more than brainstorm business ideas and strategies, helping clients to plan your promotional strategy being a guide down the marketing path for your unique business.

In business you always hear people talking about working in and out of your business, marketing is an activity where it helps to see the ‘bigger picture’ so that you can work on those smaller tasks to get where you want to be..

Which marketing animal are you?

Brighter Directions can work with you to develop your marketing strategy so that you have a clear direction to aim for, for more information please visit the website on http://www.brighterdirections.co.uk/

JULY NEWSLETTER

2010-07-08T23:49:00.000-07:00

Brighter Directions publish a monthly newsletter packed full of tips and information affecting the business industry around the East Midlands, UK

To help keep you up to date we will be publishing the content on our blog each month..

July 2010 Issue:

Last week’s #budget means a lot of changes, particularly for the smaller business. Bring proactive within your organisation will mean a stronger stand during the changes: budget key facts

Marketing needs to be at the top of everyone’s priorities now, businesses are much more likely to succeed with a higher profit margin with a firm strategy in place.

This month we’ve been working across the East Midlands with a couple of companies who want to get their marketing on track, developing strategic marketing plans and getting them up and running online using various social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook etc.

>>read the rest of this months issue here

GUEST BLOG - THE VISION THING

2010-07-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

What is, as Bush put it; ‘the vision thing?’

Well, you’d be surprised how few companies, large as well as small, actually get this right, including more than a few who enjoyed mocking poor old George.

I was recently discussing this story with a client who assumed they had ‘the vision thing’ sorted and who proceeded to proudly tell me theirs. Unfortunately their vision was not really a vision, nor was it a mission statement (more of which later). What it was, was a hybrid of the two which fell short of being either, thus failing to provide either direction or focus to their strategic planning.

So; What is the difference between your mission statement and your vision? Why shouldn’t they be merged into one? And, why do you even need them?

Let’s start with the Mission Statement. If you are in business on your own or in a small partnership you probably know, roughly, what yours is. The problem is, as your business grows and you get pulled in different directions you might forget it if you haven’t recorded it.

For your Mission Statement is the very core of your business, in fact it is why you are in business at all. It doesn’t need to be flashy, motivational or carry bells and whistles; it just needs to be an accurate statement of fact which easily reminds you and your staff why you exist.

It is unlikely that your company Mission Statement will change very much although you should stay aware that sometimes progress leaves inadaptable companies behind and be prepared to review it if the line of business you are in is becoming outdated and superseded. We can all think of companies that went to the wall because they slavishly continued manufacturing products the world no longer wanted.

The Mission Statement can be long or short, the key is to be descriptive and true to your reason for existing.

A long mission statement might not make engaging reading but can provide for complete accuracy in describing your purpose for being.

Shorter, punchier mission statements can be just as effective while leaving far more leeway for a company to evolve in fast moving markets.

And what of the vision. One of the world’s leading strategists, Jacques Horovitz, phrased it superbly:

“The vision is what enables us to define the future, to work towards a specific objective.”

Read part two here © This guest blog was written by Jim Cowan, Cowan Global Limited 2010
jim.cowan@cowanglobal.net

SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES

2010-06-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

There has never been a more important time for small businesses to invest in the effectiveness of their sales and marketing activities.

Recent research by the LSC (Learning Skills Council) found that businesses that invest in training are 25% more likely to survive.

Brighter Directions offer practical, relevant high quality training events throughout the region that develop core skills and in turn will help your business grow.

Feedback from our training programs are always positive, showing measurable results that the content we deliver is accurate and well structured to help you get the most out of your time with us.

Take a look at the training events we have scheduled over the next few months ~ reservations are being taken with a 10% early booking reduction before the end of July, for more information please click on the links:

* Introduction to Sales

* Management Leaders Masterclass

* Marketing Essentials for SMEs

* Social Media for SMEs

Brighter Directions also offer a fully bespoke service for your organisation to suit your individual needs and requirements, please contact us to discuss on email or call 01246 287414

BUDGET KEY FACTS

2010-06-28T01:43:00.000-07:00

Last weeks budget means alot of changes going forward for businesses, here are the key-facts which could affect you:

• The standard rate of VAT will be 20% from Tuesday 4 January 2011.

• From 23 June 2010, the rate of capital gains tax will increase to 28% for higher and additional rate taxpayers, but will remain at 18% for basic rate Taxpayers

• The small profits corporation tax rate will reduce to 20% from 1 April 2011.

• The annual investment allowance will be cut to £25,000 from April 2012.

• The personal allowance will rise by £1,000 in 2011/12, but higher rate taxpayers will not benefit because the basic rate limit will be cut.

• Entrepreneurs’ relief will continue at 10% and from 23 June 2010 the lifetime limit will be raised to £5 million per person.

• The main corporation tax rate will fall to 27% from 1 April 2011 and be reduced by 1% a year in the following three years.

• The writing down allowances for plant and machinery will also be reduced.

• The effective requirement to buy an annuity at age 75 will be scrapped from April 2011.

If you would like to discuss your organisations marketing strategy in light of these changes affecting business, please contact us to discuss on email or call 01246 287414

We are here to help you grow and develop.. on and offline.

GET A GRIP ONLINE

2010-06-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

@brighteridea is the online marketing brand for Brighter Directions, who specialise in helping small businesses make the most out of what you have..

Did you know….??

• There are 2.4m Twitter users for business in the UK alone
• Facebook has 23m active users in the UK
• 80% of companies use LinkedIn as their main source for recruitment
• Social media is now the #1 activity on the web (overtaking porn!)
• 25% of search results for the world’s top 20 largest brands are linked to user-generated content

Social media is changing the way we do things: the way we shop, the way we search for news and information and the way in which we do business..

Online Marketing is fast becoming the most efficient and productive way to promote and market your company and brand.

What are they saying about your brand online?

Visit the online media blog today for tips and cool information to make your time spent online successful http://www.abrighteridea.blogspot.com

LOCAL REGENERATION

2010-06-17T02:31:00.000-07:00

Regeneration Scheme - Clay Cross, Chesterfield.

Work started last month on the £22 million scheme to bring employment and visitors to Clay Cross in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.

The designs include a new Tesco superstore, retail units as well as a brand new bus station and link road during the first phase of the development.

More than 450 jobs are expected to be created within the region from the Tesco store alone, which is due to open in February 2011.

For updates on the regeneration of Clay Cross, please visit http://www.claycross.org.uk/

Images care of www.propertyweek.com/story.asp?storycode=3144250

IS YOUR ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOR IMPORTANT IN BUSINESS?

2010-06-13T01:36:00.000-07:00

In business, I think it’s vital to build strong, honest, positive relationships with everyone I meet, contacts, associates and potential clients. We work very hard in this particular area and have built very firm friendships along the way by doing so..

Recently I was contacted by an individual from a networking group attended last year via email and was surprised that he had got in touch simply to slur and insult me in business and personally without any cause whatsoever.

The background is that before he 'left' the networking group he did upset a few of the members by his tasteful wording and its fair to say, he wasn't missed from the group.

I have since heard his business is not doing well, which brought me to question a couple of things..

1 - Is it ever ok to be rude/ arrogant and generally negative to another person in business?
2 - Do they ever succeed in business with this attitude?

Would love to hear your thoughts on this?

GUEST BLOG - HOW TO WRITE A GREAT STRAPLINE

2010-06-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

How do you write a good strapline?

It’s a good question and for most copywriters the arrival on your desk of a new strapline brief can fill you with excitement and trepidation in equal measures. Why? Because it’s your opportunity to show your skills and possibly create a strapline that really captures the essence of a brand.

Conversely, you know you’re in for some bloody hard work which will really test your mettle as a wordsmith. It’s like chipping away at solid rock hoping to find a diamond. Trouble is, you don’t know where it is or even if you’re prospecting in the right place.

You’ll probably come up with plenty of alternatives which are pretty good. But you still have that feeling that somewhere out there is that unique combination of words that nails down that company and everything it represents. You’ve just got to keep looking.

(For men, it’s that same uncertain, troubling feeling you get when your wife/partner/girlfriend is extremely cross with you, but you’re not exactly sure why…)

It’s the brand in five words or less

Before you even put fingertip to keypad you want to be absolutely, totally, 100% certain that you know the brand inside and out.

Read more >>

Guest blog was written by our Twitter friend and associate Jamie Hudson, expert freelance copywriter based in the Midlands.

THE ALL IN BUSINESS EVENT - Independent Derbyshire Business Event

2010-06-07T06:20:00.000-07:00

Don't miss THE business event of the YEAR - Independent Derbyshire Business Exhibition Seminar & Networking Event Full Day ** 9th September 2010

Matlock Links are proud sponsors of a local business event held at the lovely New Bath Hotel, Matlock, Derbyshire on Thursday 9th September 2010 from 10am-4pm.

The event is the FIRST EVER independent business to business run event that has been organised in the area and is sure to be a fantastic event

Tickets are only £10 to attend (rising to £20 after 30/6) which includes full day access, open networking, free time to browse the exhibition stands from local businesses, speed networking sessions and three key-note speakers - focusing on business issues which matter the most to you, like procurement, business growth etc. As well as much more!

Refreshments will be provided throughout the day as well as business lunch and business promotional pack, including delegate list on arrival.

Limited places are available and tickets are sure to sell out fast, so to book your place, please contact us via email info@brighterdirections.co.uk

** Local networking group Matlock Links are the proud sponsors and hosts for the event **

BASIC SALES & INTRODUCTION TO SALES

2010-06-03T05:12:00.000-07:00

Starts: Wednesday August 18, 2010, 10.00am - 4.00pm
Event Type: Training/Seminar
Location: Derbyshire
Price: £169 = Vat (early booking)

If you’re new to the sales environment or have a job facing customers every day, then this is the course for you!

For businesses and staff wanting to improve your knowledge, awareness and sales skills.

Ideal for new starters in sales as a introduction to the sales process.
Includes relevant activities on how to convert more sales and improve your positioning.

For more information, please visit our website or contact us direct on 01246 287414

Intended For: Anyone in a customer service role who would like to develop your sales skills or refresh current knowledge, or as an introduction to the sales environment

Organisation: Brighter Directions
Website

EUROPEAN TRADE WEEK

2010-05-24T06:41:00.000-07:00

25th May - 1st June

European Week is an initiative to support SME businesses with upto date information and encourage entrepreneurship across the EU.

Events are organised across the 27 countries for businesses to share their experiences abd develop their core knowledge and skills

For more information please visit http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/entrepreneurship/sme-week/about/index.en.htm

MARKETING IS A WASTE OF TIME

2010-05-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

Far too many companies are taking the ‘easy option’ by following trends in marketing and many are still not even measuring the impact and success of said campaigns.

Ask yourself this question:

If you don't know what response your receiving from all your marketing efforts, how do you determine what time is best spent doing which marketing activity?

For example, if you're advertising in X Magazine' costing you a fortune - what happens if you aren't getting any enquiries or customers from it after a reasonable amount of time?

At the same time, social media as a ‘new fad’ seems to be attracting businesses to use as a sole marketing activity which again isn't always the right way for every business.

Marketing should be researched, correctly implemented, monitored, measured and then acted upon depending on the findings over time.

Otherwise its not marketing – its just another activity that costs the company time and money!

If you feel you need some advice and support to get your marketing campaigns on track, we offer bespoke tailored support services customised to your needs

Contact the office today to find out how we can help you save money and use the right marketing methods for your business on 01246 287414 or visit the website http://www.brighterdirections.co.uk/