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Business Networking is essential and not just for the extrovert or the sales man or women any more. We all do it in one form or another, whether at exhibitions, breakfast clubs, LinkedIn, Twitter or even on the train in the morning commute. At heart most of us are social creatures and networking is not just a way of gaining or giving prospective business it can also offer informal mentoring and support and job opportunities. And this is where Ecademy steps in, providing a ‘hub’ of knowledge and advice that supports small businesses.
Created in 1998, Ecademy has built up a thriving community of active small businesses who offer support to each other and learn from each other. New to Ecademy this month is Ecademy Assist, a learning support area of their community network offering a rick knowledge base of videos, blogs, articles, RSS feeds and PDFs.
With dedicated areas for IT, sales, marketing, social media, finance and logistics, Ecademy Assist offers a wealth of resources for small businesses and Microsoft is pleased to contribute to these. Take a look at our IT Support and Advice page; offering free downloads, customer videos and our ‘Ask the Expert’ panel.
Penny Power, founder of Ecademy says:
“When we first started Ecademy in 1998, we created a place for members to ‘learn, network and develop their career’. Those three words remain true today, although ‘career’ is now replaced with ‘develop your business’ now we are seeing such an increase in the number of people starting their own businesses. With the launch of Ecademy Assist we are finally giving this vision its fullest respect,” adds Power.
For more information visit Ecademy.
Source: Microsoft Small Business
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Keeping existing customers and attracting new ones are core activities for small businesses: there’s an interesting case study on the BBC site today – How to target new customers . In this instance, Ganesh Selvarajah, a Business Link Adviser offers some advice on this to a small retail/mail order/online business selling christening and holy communion dresses.
Amongst other suggestions, Ganesh advises checking out your competitors to see what they’re doing and ensuring your website is slick, neat and professional, so you give the right impress to your prospective customers. Think laterally as well – what other related products and services could you offer? Most faiths have ceremonies where special outfits are required – could this company branch out into other religions perhaps?
You can email your small business question to Ganesh from the website too, or if you have a technology-related small biz question you could email our Ask the Expert team.
And for some more great ideas on attracting new customers, take a look at our Building Sales website section .
Source: Microsoft Small Business
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The PR bods here at Microsoft are looking for innovative / cost-saving case studies and / or customer quotes on implementing Microsoft solutions – Windows 7, Office 2007 (or 2010 if you’re using the free beta version) or Business Productivity Online Services.
You need to have fewer than 15 employees and come from a non-tech industry and your story must not have been published already.
If this is you or your company and you’d welcome some PR coverage for your small business, please email Ayeshna at t-ayhir@microsoft.com for more information.
Source: Microsoft Small Business
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I signed up with Business Link last week as there was an advert in my local paper for a business start-up pack and have been really impressed what they have to offer. I was contacted by a friendly local member a few days later to see if I needed any additional help and to let me know where and when I could drop in to my local BL contact centre.
Yesterday I got a newsletter with great content, including information on :
Tips for maximising profit from your customers (the 4 R’s: recruitment, retention, related sales and referrals)
Which type of online ad is most effective
Bank loan scheme to help with temporary cashflow
Take a look at the online Business start-up organiser, and if you’re not already a member it really is well worth considering!
Source: Microsoft Small Business
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Welcome to some of this morning’s new MicrosoftSB Twitter followers. It’s always interesting to see who’s following us, so here’s a plug for the new UK small businesses. Below are the companies’ names and websites plus their Twitter ids with their own bios, which I’ve copied word-for-word.
Socks for Happy People Twitter: Socks4HappyPPL
Unique, comfy and sustainable socks that amaze, uplift, and inspire! WIN our ENTIRE launch collection!
The Road Twitter: the_road_band
No Twitter bio (ed’s note: put one up guys!) but apparently they’re looking for a drummer…. MySpace bio “The Road” was formed in 2007 by four friends from London - Robbie Wohanka, Freddy Halliday, Leo Holdstock and Matthew Schweich. Having been inspired by the likes of Jim Morrison and The Doors, “The Road” soon began to develop a rock and roll sound reminiscent of the late 1960’s. After a handful of private gigs, they now play live in pubs and clubs around London.”
The Clymo Brief Twitter: Theclymobrief
MSN Tech & Gadgets’ weekly technology columnist
Lilly Blossom on etsy Twitter: LillyBlossom
Hand-made book bags/paperback covers using beautiful fabrics and beads in my Cheshire Studio.
Oaka Twitter: Oakapcsupport
Friendly local pc support. Both remote & in person, for homes & business. Computer, laptop support, sales & advice. Follow me for FREE pc tips & cheap deals.
The Way Consulting Twitter: WayConsulting
Team, Personal & Business development specialists in training and coaching. And all round good eggs
Kesida Promotions Twitter: KesidaUK
Kesida.co.uk is one of the best Promotional Marketing Company in UK offering huge ranges of promotional Gift Items
Source: Microsoft Small Business
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Today, 9 February, is Safer Internet Day, and in the UK, the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) is promoting several ways to make the web more secure for children:
· An animated film, aimed at children around 5-7 years old, shows ways in which children can safety browse and use the Internet. Apparently 8 of 10 children this age are regular web users.
· Microsoft and CEOP have teamed up to produce a special ‘flavour’ of Windows Internet Explorer 8, building on the browser’s already advanced safety features. The CEOP version allows users to add specific features, including a ‘Click CEOP’ button, which links to advice for children, teenagers and parents.
As a company, we (Microsoft) put a great deal of faith in our technology, however, we are also aware that the tools we provide have to be used responsibly. Safety education is one of the most effective means of helping to protect children online.
If you are a parent or have some friends and family that have children active online, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/uk/citizenship/safeandsecure/parentadvice/default.mspx
You can download the CEOP version of Internet Explorer 8 here: http://www.ceop.gov.uk/ie8/
And a story on the BBC website today Government advice: Browse safely with Microsoft is well worth reading too.
Source: Microsoft Small Business
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Guest post from Emma Jones, Founder of Enterprise Nation, the home business website and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up – how to start a business from home’.
A good business partnership is like a good marriage. You meet the right person, work well together and combine talents to create something wonderful. In a Valentine-frosted feature, Emma Jones offers the secrets to a successful business partnership.
A perfect match
Many businesses thrive on account of being run as a partnership. There are a few important things to look out for when identifying your perfect match:
Complementary skills
If your talent is being the ‘front face’ of the company and you relish going out to meet clients and do deals, find a partner who prefers the nuts and bolts of operations and who will make sure the business runs smoothly whilst you’re on the road. Having different yet complementary skills helps define the role you and your partner will play.
One note of caution … if your business is already established and you’re approached by a fellow business owner who wants to partner, bear in mind that by virtue of being a business owner means you like being in control. Be sure you feel comfortable with having two people who like being in control, in control! What often works well is a business owner finding a partner who is an adviser or a former business owner as they put your interests first and no longer have anything to prove in their own business.
Shared vision
You may be different in nature and talents, but where you do need to be as one is in the vision for the business. Have a shared vision for what you would like to achieve, the way in which you’ll go about it and, how you would ideally like to exit the business (sale/succession/buy-out, etc).
Trust
This is a critical one. It takes a while to establish (and partnerships are not something to be rushed into .. again .. just like marriages!) but it’s so important to have trust in the person with whom you are partnering. This is why we see so many family teams (husbands/wives or brothers/sisters) coming together; they trust each other implicitly. Try to find that in your own match.
The relationship grows
To allow the partnership to flourish, there are three points to bear in mind:
- Have clear roles – decide who is doing what in a way that makes the most of your particular skills.
- Work in separate spaces – we often hear from husbands and wives who run one business but work from separate spaces in the home. In my first business, my partner and I worked from separate offices, in separate homes!
- Communicate often – you may have your own role to play, and work in separate space, but be sure to talk, and keep on talking. Collaborative online tools such as Office Live Workspace , which is free, have made project management and communication so much more effective.
Plan for break-up
It may be that your business partnership lasts a lifetime or it may be it lasts until you sell or receive investment. Either way, draw up an agreement at the very beginning of the partnership that sets out what happens in the event of break-up; it’s like a pre-nup for business.
A successful business partnership will bring you happiness and financial reward. It’s someone with whom you share the business highs and the occasional days when things don’t go according to plan. It can be one of the most important relationships you’ll have. Find that person with care and treat them well.
Happy Business Valentine’s Day!
Source: Microsoft Small Business
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In the current economic climate, small business owners need technology which pays its way many times over. So we grilled Paul Spelling, Managing Director of Storm IT, a Microsoft Small Business Specialist Partner on productivity and value. Before setting up Storm IT in the West Midlands, Paul worked as a service manager for a 250-strong international company - so he’s seen IT services both as a provider and a user. We asked him a few questions about how a server really helps to protect data and drive productivity in small businesses – here a few of them.
Can’t I just go round and back up all the PCs every night?
Don’t I need a whole IT department or at least all sorts of procedures to follow?
What is the point of a server in the office?
If you’ve been asking yourself the same questions you probably suspect that a server might just help you become more secure and more efficient but aren’t sure how. Read the full article So who needs a server, anyway for Paul’s clear and concise and answers.
Source: Microsoft Small Business
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We’re branching out here in Microsoft smallbiz – we’ve just set up a Microsoft SB YouTube page where you can find our latest videos. Up now are five customer videos, along the themes of:
· Find new customers with Office Live
· Keep existing customers with Office 007
· Get more done in your day with Windows 7
· Manage your business
· Be more competitive
We’ll be posting more over the coming days, specifically on Windows 7 Professional cost-savings and productivity boosts so it’s worth keeping an eye on the site.
Source: Microsoft Small Business
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Guest post from Emma Jones, Founder of Enterprise Nation , the home business website and author of ‘Spare Room Start Up – how to start a business from home’. Her next book ‘Working 5 to 9 – how to start a business in your spare time’ will be published in May 2010.
Extend your products, not your niche
Emma Jones believes in starting a business and then finding and focusing on your niche. But what happens when you feel the niche audience you’ve chosen could be restricting in view of its size? Then it’s time to expand your product range, as opposed to extending your niche. Emma explains.
Niche is good
When planning and starting a business, try to focus on a niche audience. Doing so will reduce your marketing costs and deepen your knowledge of customers’ desires. Take the example of a cupcake maker. Rather than starting a business to provide all forms of cupcakes to everyone across the UK, how about:
- Providing cupcakes to customers only in your local area
- Specialising in wedding cupcakes
- Becoming an expert in making only red cupcakes
With a clear idea of your customer profile, you will know where to find business and how best to promote your products/service. As you become more involved in the market you’ll gain a solid understanding of market needs which comes in handy when it’s time to innovate and expand the range.
Back to the example of our cupcake maker who, let’s say, chose the option of specialising in wedding cupcakes. This business owner now wants to increase turnover and is wondering how to go about it. The options are to start producing cupcakes for other occasions to or go deeper with existing customers and expand what’s on offer. I’d recommend the latter approach. This wedding focused cake baker could increase revenue in a number of ways:
New products
- Produce a ‘make your own cupcake’ kit and market this as an activity for hen nights!
- Offer cooking courses to brides who want to re-live the special day in culinary style. Produce a line in anniversary cupcakes so the couple can mark the occasion with your products every year thereafter.
Partnerships
- Partner with others who service the same customer base and agree referral deals or affiliate arrangements. Weddings also need photographers, caterers, magicians, entertainment etc.
Become an expert
- Become the nation’s leading expert on wedding cupcakes by writing a book, starting a blog or self-publishing a magazine. Being an expert generates revenue, adds credibility and attracts new customers.
This approach of expanding what’s on offer to existing customers will increase customer loyalty and you can have fun coming up with new ideas for products and services. Stick with your niche – it will serve you well!
Source: Microsoft Small Business