issue8

Points of interest in this issue:

• Carrington Charity Golf Day on Sat 26 June (I/F Cover)

• Join Gym for FREE at Village Hotel Bournemouth (p6)

• Property Profits from Pensions by Alan Cracknell (p17)

• Caffe Culture Show at Olympia 23, 24 & 25 June (p18)

• Turn your Smart Phone into a Smart Sales Tool (p23)

• Charity BBQ Captains Club Hotel on Fri 11 June (p25)

Helping your business to develop and grow!

Issue 08/2010 April/May

NEW BUSINESSMATTERSYo u r l o c a l b u s i n e s s t o b u s i n e s s j o u r n a l

ANYONE FOR TEE?If you’re interested in golf, make sure you keep Saturday June 26th free.Local radio station HOPE FM is organising a ‘Carnival of Golf’ in conjunctionwith The Carrington Club, one of the south’s leading business networks.

‘Putting’ on the style…The Carnival will take place at Sturminster Marshall Golf Club. This is a little gem of a course, setamongst mature trees and a couple of lakes. Sturminster Marshall is very rural but is accessible froma number of main roads. The golf course is signposted from the A350 Poole-Blandford road whenyou arrive in the village of Sturminster Marshall. You can find out more details from the club’swebsite, at: www.sturminstermarshallgolfclub.co.uk.

Mike Dodd is the owner of the Sturminster Marshall Golf Club – and it is rapidly becoming known asone of the best golfing academies for junior golfers in the South West. However, you don’t have tobe young to join in the Carnival of Golf! All age groups are invited to play - including bothexperienced players and beginners (and there will be lots of prizes!).

‘Pitching’ for your support…The competition will be a nine-hole team event, four-ball, better ball - i.e. teams of four, with the besttwo scores counting at each hole. There will be 3/4 handicaps on the day, with a maximumhandicap of 24 for men and 26 for women. Entry to the competition costs just £80 per team (BarterCard is also accepted).

There are also plenty of opportunities to support the event in other ways. So why not:

• Enter a team or sponsor a hole

• Showcase your company or exhibit your products at the event

• Help us to raise money for the following charities: Bournemouth YMCA/HOPE FM, Poole Hospiceand St James’s Place Foundation

The emphasis of the day is on fun and the course will be laid out as a ‘greenkeeper’s revenge’. Thismeans that Mike will be setting the course up with interesting pin and tee positions. He says: “You’llnever have more fun than this on a golf course!"

If it’s successful, it’s hoped to make the Carnival an annual event – so please support it! Registrationforms can be downloaded from the HOPE FM or Sturminster Marshall Golf Club websites. Allpayments should be made to Bournemouth YMCA/HOPE FM. For further details about the event,please contact Sheena Dayman at [email protected].

‘Driving’ forces in the local communityBournemouth YMCA/HOPE FM is a charitable organisation and local radio station and is keen tosupport the local Dorset community. It broadcasts on 90.1FM in Bournemouth, Poole andsurrounding areas. It can also be listened to live via the Internet around the world. Visitwww.hopefm.com for further details.

The Carrington Club is a dynamic but friendly business generation club that is also keen to supportthe local business community. Its aim is to create long term,mutually beneficial relationships throughregular network and social meetings. More details can be found at www.carrington-club.co.uk.

NEW BUSINESS MATTERS April/May

To receive a FREE copy go to www.newbusinessmatters.com Page 1

Contents03 ACCOMMODATION

05 EVENTS

06 FITNESS

07 FREIGHT

08 INTERNET

09 INVESTMENT

10 IT MATTERS

11 LETTINGS

13 LEGAL

14 LIGHTING

15 PHOTOGRAPHY

16 PRINTING

17 PROPERTY

18 SIGN MATTERS

19 STORAGE

21 TELECOMS

23 TRAINING

24 VIRTUAL PA

25 FSB MATTERS

26 CLEANING

26 INSURANCE

27 ENVIRONMENT

27 WINE MATTERS

28 RECOVERY

Editor’s NoteThe game of chess can be a complexone, but at the same time the simplemoves can also be the most effective,especially if they are made at theright time! Having said that if youmake the wrong move and leaveyourself vulnerable to attack your

opponent will invariably punish you! Basically the gameof chess needs to be given a lot of careful planning foryou to win the game and sometimes you will go downone route only to find a few moves later that you shouldhave gone down a different route.

In a lot of ways this ethos could be applied to the running ofa business, because in business it is all about making the rightmoves, otherwise we could find ourselves at the mercy of ourcompetition. In today’s volatile market place we also need toput together a business plan with schedules for variouscourses of action. Hopefully we will then be able to steer ourcompanies on to a profitable path and out of recession.

Sometimes we may need help and advice to place us on theright path and I trust that you will find the editorial pages ofthis local business to business journal packed full ofprofessional assistance. Perhaps it would be a good idea toalso keep your personal copy safe so that you could refer to itwhen needed, but please remember that if you cannot findthe help you want in this issue you can always visit ourwebsite www.newbusinessmatters.com and view all the backissues since we started.

Peter Westwood

To enjoy exclusive rights within NEW BUSINESS MATTERS,

by being the only company advertisingin your trade or profession, please

contact Peter Westwood on 01202 233580

or [email protected]


ACCOMMODATION MATTERS April/May

The hotel industry, along

with most other

businesses is run on

supply and demand - if the

business is good, then the price

goes up and if it is not so good

then the price goes down.

Although that is the basics,

there is actually a lot more to

managing room rates in hotels.

If we need to consider the

location of a hotel, for instance,

being in Bournemouth, trade is

very seasonal, and relies on the

tourism. This explains why in

the summer, the room prices

increase, again because of

supply and demand.

However, a hotel in London

would be affected in the

opposite way. Business clients

go on holiday, the city gets hot

and humid and people tend to

want to get away, so London

prices tend to decrease.

That gives you a rough idea

why room rates fluctuate

based on location and time of

year. But why do individual

days in the same period

fluctuate. There are many

reasons, but generally it is

down to lack of rooms sold.

For instance, you have a hotel

which has 100 rooms available

to sell. Over a 7 day period,

6 days have sold 80 rooms per

night and the 7th day has sold

40 room nights. You then have

one day a lot lower than the

others, and the norm is to

reduce the room rate on that

day, in the hope it would

generate more guests and

increase the rooms sold.

This is usually the way it works,

and because of this system,

guests tend to wait for the last

minute to book and hope to get

a cheaper deal, similar to the

airline industry. But this is a two

way street and can actually be a

false economy. Why? I hear you

ask. If we go back to the supply

and demand principle, the one

night you would get at a

reduced rate is good, but would

that counter the extra for the

other nights, as the price would

have increased due to the

amount of rooms sold.

Generally most hotels will have

a better deal the further out you

book, so for instance if you

were to book 3-6 months out,

you would get the hotel and

location you wanted, and

normally at a good price,

perhaps there might even be

some special offers, which

would normally be closed due

to lack of rooms available

nearer the time.

So my advice is to choose your

hotel and book early, as you will

normally get special offers which

wouldn’t be available if the hotel

is busy. The other option, if you are

a regular business visitor, is to get

a set corporate rate for the year,

which would not fluctuate. If that

was with the Ramada Encore Hotel,

you would not only get

a discounted rate off midweek

business, but in the height of

summer you could also have the

last room available at your

discounted rate. Please contact me

on 01202 291266 or email

[email protected]

if you would like more information.

Why do Room Ratesfluctuate so much?

By Brendan Westwood, Ramada Encore Hotel

EVENT MATTERS April/May


Planning a wedding, a mile

stone birthday party, an

anniversary, or any other

big event can be stressful and

very time consuming! You may

have found the perfect location

for your event, but are you

finding it hard to choose an

outside caterer?

To ensure your event is an

enjoyable and memorable one,

here is a checklist to consider

that will assist you when

making your final choice.

Look for Experience!Firstly you will need a caterer

who employs a strong

experienced team, who have

both planned and catered for

many outside events. You will

need them to be adaptable and

be able to fit in to any style or

theme you decide.

Look for Good Food! It goes without saying that the

key in making your event

perfect is good food, so you

need a caterer that can sit down

with you in person and design a

bespoke menu to make it

personal to your event.

Look to be Precise!Whatever you want you must

be precise in your requirements

and then you will be able to

select a caterer from a list of

suitable providers.

Perhaps you should choose

a caterer that assigns you with

your own personal Events

Co-ordinator, whose job it is to

create and run an event to

ensure you have as little stress

on you as possible.

Running an event takes a lot of

work and organisation and can

be very stressful. It is not for the

fainthearted! Ask colleagues if

they have used a catering

company before and study

carefully any feedback they can

provide.

From your very first enquiry you

need to feel you are getting the

right professional help, advice

and ideas.

If after all of this you are still

searching for the perfect caterer

then why not take a closer look

at Black Label Events, who are

the exclusive caterer to AFC

Bournemouth.

They would assign you

a personal Event Co-ordinator,

who would arrange to meet you

in person and discuss your

event in detail. They are able to

provide catering for all events

from wedding receptions, office

board meetings and dinner

parties at your own house!

Their packages can range from

a finger buffet through to

a gourmet dinner and they will

include everything that is

needed to deliver the chosen

menu to your guests from linen

and tableware, tables, chairs

and even the staff to serve,

if required.

To discuss your requirements

please contact one of the

Black Label Events Sales

Team on 01202 726395,

or send an email to

[email protected]

Black Label Events, AFC

Bournemouth, Dean Court,

Bournemouth, BH7 7AF

www.blacklabelevents.co.uk

How to choose an Outside Caterer?

By Derek Brown, General Manager, Black Label Events

FITNESS MATTERS April/May

Page 6 To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

We live in a society laden withtemptation. Having narrowly escapedthe Christmas bulge and wrestled

with New Years resolutions, we must conquer afresh set of challenges disguised as religiousfestivals; namely the fast approaching‘chocolate-fest’ that is Easter. At this time,perhaps it is only right to highlight the inherentdangers of over-indulgence and associateddisease states we surely wish to avoid.

Calorie BalanceThere exists a plethora of myths regarding weightmanagement. However, weight gain is genericallysimple, representing the outcome of a positiveenergy balance; whereby caloric intake outweighsexpenditure. Since exercise is the cornerstone ofweight loss programs, it represents the simplestmeans to offset such accumulation.

ControlFood is presented in such energy dense fashion andin a manner designed to appeal to all of the sensesthat it might seem impossible to control your desires.But consider this: obesity is the primary non-metabolic risk factor for Type II Diabetes. Bycontinually over-indulging, you increase your risk ofdisease states. Through maintenance of a balanceddiet however, one can avoid such predisposition.

TimingThe time we choose to exercise and eat has aconsiderable impact on our body. Low intensityaerobic exercise performed in the morning (prior tobreaking your fast) allows us to burn a greateramount of fat. Eating little and often also ignitesyour metabolic furnace, improving your fat burningpotential at rest. Since tomorrow never reallycomes, why not consider these modest changes toyour lifestyle now and start your tomorrow today?

Exercise, Nutrition & Disease Prevention By Robert Fordham M.Sc, B.Sc (Hons), Exercise Physiologist


FREIGHT MATTERS April/May

T. Lewisham LtdPO Box 5391, Ebblake Industrial Estate, VERWOOD, UK, BH31 6ZX

Tel: 01725 517066 • Mobile: 07980 382049 • Skype: transworldgb • Fax: 08717301941Email: [email protected] • www.transworldgb.com

INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT FORWARDING,SHIPPING AND HAULAGE / COURIERS

• International Removals• Pet Relocation• Domestic and International Couriers• Freight Forwarder• Overseas Shipping• Full Packing Service• Department for Transport Approved

Aviation Security Validation Assessment

“On time, On cost, and to your Total Satisfaction”Contact us Now – you’ll profit from the experience!

T. Lewisham is a fiercely independentinternational freight forwarder and haulagecourier company, offering an enormous rangeof International Air Freight, Shipping, RoadMovement and Forward Services in the UK and around the world.

Our knowledge and experience gained over35 years in international freight forwarding,has enabled us to stay at the forefront of thespecialised haulage / courier and shippingindustry.

Firstly on a recent business trip I was remindedof the amazing work that Russia has done onGround Effect Vehicles (GEV’s). In some circles

these vehicles have an amazing future as a means oftransporting both people and freight.

A GEV is one which follows the contour of theearth, whether that is on water or land. In eachcase the vehicle has wings because the GroundEffect is caused by an interaction between itswings and the surface that it is moving over.

A cushion of air is created in the process and thevehicle then becomes a cross between ahovercraft and an aircraft. These vehicles are alsoknown as WIG’s (Wing In Ground effect) or WISE(Wing In Surface Effect).

To define these vehicles is difficult, to say theleast, because they resemble Aircraft but rely onGround Effect to "fly". The International MaritimeOrganisation (IMO) calls them "ships" and theRussians who invented the process call them sea-skimmers or Ekranoplans.

On another subject altogether, I have just returnedfrom a trip to Zambia and was amazed andimpressed at some of their traffic laws! Forinstance if you transport people e.g. Taxi Driver,then you need a different driving licence whichyou must display at all times and if you visit afilling station when you have passengers theymust all disembark whilst the vehicle is beingrefuelled. Two good ideas from a wonderfulcountry!

Snippets from around the world!

By Andy Fletcher from Transworld GB

To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

INTERNET MATTERS April/May

In the scramble to get to the top of Google,many businesses overlook the most cost-effective way to generate profitable repeat

business – email marketing.

Studies show that two-thirds of people subscribe toat least one email newsletter. Over 70% of bigbusinesses use email marketing to communicatewith customers.

But you don't have to be a big business or spend alot to send regular emails to customers. Aprofessional service can cost less than £15 amonth. The results can be amazing:-

CityLocal in Southampton use email marketing tokeep in touch with their customers. Up to 40% ofcustomers read each email and as many as 10%respond. (www.citylocal.co.uk/southampton)

Art of Swimming run specialist swimming lessons.They sent a single email to their customers andreceived over 40 enquiries for lessons and holidays

within the next seven days. (www.artofswimming.com)

Winchester Joinery Ltd provide bespoke joinery,flooring, doors & windows. After displaying theirhigh performance Scandinavian windows at therecent “Ecobuild” exhibition, they sent an email tothe people they had met there. Within 4 hours theyhad received serious enquiries for business worthover £50,000 (www.winchesterjoinery.co.uk).

If you're not using email marketing, you could bemissing out on an easy source of repeat business.Worse still, if your competitors are emailing yourcustomers and you're not, they could be stealingyour business from under your nose.

So if you've got a list of over 100 customers, you'reready to start email marketing. If you haven't, youcan start building your list today.

To download a FREE guide to running successfulemail marketing campaigns, please visitwww.belmont.uk.com/email

A Better Investment than Google? By Murray Cowell, Belmont Internet Marketing


INVESTMENT MATTERS April/May

Aside from attaining the relevantqualifications, the real advantage of anIFA (Independent Financial Adviser) is

that they offer “whole of market” advice. Thissets them aside many High Street bank advisers,or the direct sales adviser, who only has alimited product range available. The additionaldownside for them – and their customers – is ifthey were asked to comment on an EquitableLife Endowment, as they could only discuss thisgenerically. However, an IFA is authorised toadvise if any individual company’s policies areappropriate to each client’s particular needs. Foran IFA there is no limit to the choice availablefrom the whole market - this is a majoradvantage to clients advised by IFA’s.

An IFA offer clients a choice of both paying fortheir services by a fee/retainer basis or they canelect to remunerate them by commissions. If youare interested (stay awake now!) here is a typicalclient scenario; a mid forties self-employed highrate tax paying businessman, his ‘better half’ is ahousewife with 2 teenaged children, largemortgage arranged on a repayment basis etc. Hetells us that he has made no pension provision andhas a spare £100 a month to fund a pension planand he wants to know which pension plan is bestfor him.

Well, back in the 80’s this could have been theeasiest sale in history all conducted using the backof a pack of Marlboro! Thank heavens things havemoved on. The duty of the financial adviser is toknow your client, treat clients fairly, and toprovide advice that is not only appropriate to theclients individual needs but to present all advice ina manner that is not misleading and is easilyunderstandable – therefore, an IFA should alwaysbe acting in the best interests of his client.

Now this fellow tells us he’s a fairly cautious typeof guy – not something typical of the self-employedI must say. It also transpires that some 9 years agohe purchased a bungalow on a buy to let basis,which has easily doubled in value. Now it seemsto me that this chap had already begun his

retirement planning, without being fully aware ofthe fact – note the use of the word retirement, notpension - via the purchase of the second property.If he was happy with the possible continued riskthat this entailed then it was now a matter ofarranging and diversifying other assets that couldbe utilised for funding his retirement aspirations.Needless to say we also reviewed other areas of hisfinances including income and mortgageprotection, etc.

Identifying and servicing the client’s real needs,and not the client’s own perception of what theyfeel they want, is now paramount in theoccupation of an IFA, and proves they can reallyadd value!

At Alexander Price we like to say that the genuinethings we sell to our clients are “knowledge,awareness and peace of mind.” If this is what youare looking for then you should give us a call on01202 840900 or send an email [email protected]

Alexander Price Ltd, 20 West Borough, Wimborne,Dorset, BH21 1NF

www.alexanderprice.co.uk

What on Earth does an IFA do? By Mark Keniston, MD at Alexander Price


IT MATTERS April/May

On the 11th December 2005 fuel escapedfrom storage at the Buncefield OilStorage Depot, it vapourised, forming

a flammable mixture that subsequently ignited ataround 06.00 that morning with devastatingconsequences.

It may be old news, but the lessons learnt from

Buncefield are still as valid today as they werethen. Amongst these is the fact that denial ofaccess due to nearby issues can seriously harmbusinesses ability to trade.

A number of businesses in the area suffered seriousimpacts from the indirect effects of the disaster.Their premises were not damaged, their staffunaffected, but they were denied access to theirplace of work due to the potential hazardsfollowing the explosions.

“Facts do not cease to exist because they areignored.” Aldous Huxley.

It is fact that your business will be vulnerable toexternal factors that you have little or no controlover. You can however plan against those risksand many already do. The question to ask is, “Ismy planning extensive enough?”

In its rawest form, most businesses plan to makeperiodic copies of their electronic data onto tapesor external disks, and to move those to an offsitelocation for protection. Some even go so far as totest that they can restore that data, and riskconscious businesses will go further and test thecomplete recovery of their IT systems as well as thedata.

With the exception of larger businesses, very fewtruly consider everything that is required in orderto keep their business running when unable toaccess their premises.

A prime example of this is the paper flowthroughout an organisation. Perhaps it’s a batch oflarge orders received by post that morning, or

assembly instructions for the manufacturing plant,maybe internal documents key to workflowprocesses within the business.

In paper form these are costly to replicate and storeoffsite quickly and efficiently, so often they areignored. This need not be the case.

The right IT solutions provider will look at yourbusiness processes and needs as well as thediscrete IT ones when they consider your businesscontinuity and disaster recovery planning with you.They will advise you on the ways of integratingyour paper documents seamlessly into yourbusiness applications, show you how to quicklyand cost effectively replace paper with electronicimages, and help you reduce the amount of paperyou print and store.

Best of breed solutions for document integration,management, and creation will enable you tobetter combine your paper flow through yourbusiness with your IT, so that recovery in the eventof a disaster is far more complete and effective.

So why take the risk? If your IT provider isn’ttalking to you about this yet, ask them if they havethe skills and expertise to help, or call Copyrite andstart taking steps to better protect your business.

Copyrite Business Solutions is a provider ofintegrated IT, Print and Business Software solutions.

If you want to rate this article and/or place yourvote for the next topic to be covered, then pleasego to www.copyrite.co.uk/itmatters

IngredientsThousands of litres of fuel

Leaking storage tank

The wrong environmentalconditions

A recipe for disaster! By Mike Burden, Copyrite Business Solutions

At present anAssured ShortholdTenancy covers

rents up to £25,000 per annum (up to £2083 permonth), but as of the 1st October 2010 anyTenancy with an annual rent between £25,000and £100,000 in existence will automaticallybecome as Assured Shorthold Tenancyovernight.

This change will parachute all of the rights andresponsibilities of the Housing Act 1988 ontotenancies – as well as having to protectdeposits for the first time. Failure to have themprotected on the 1st October could be inbreach of the law and the courts are beingforewarned.

The changes are receiving mixed reviews, someare saying that changes in the law is one thingbut to change the terms of agreed contracts isanother, whilst tenants whose rents have been inthe higher bracket are welcoming the mandatoryprotection of their deposits.

Failure to protect a deposit means a landlordmust pay back three times the deposit held tothe tenant and the landlord will not be able toissue a valid Section 21 Notice, which in theevent a tenant is taken to court, theproceedings would be dismissed.

Of course anything could change, the presentGovernment has been known for U-turns andif a different party is elected in May thenanything could happen!


LETTINGS MATTERS April/May

NEW RULES FOR RENTS ABOVE£25,000 PER ANNUM

By Sharon Moore from Move on Rentals

LEGAL MATTERS April/May


It is often difficult forbusinesses to keep up todate with all the regulatory

changes that affect theirbusiness and sector. Here arejust a few of the key changesthat are likely to affect themajority of businesses in thenear future.

Data Protection The Information Commissioneris to get new powers from 6thApril 2010 to fine businesses upto £500,000 for breaching dataprotection legislation. StatutoryGuidance has been issued bythe Information Commissioneron how the new powers will beused. Here are a few tips forbusinesses drawn from thatguidance:-

1. Consider and assess the risks.

2. Pay special attention whenprocessing sensitive or largevolumes of data.

3. Have appropriate policiesand procedures in place.

4. Follow any guidance orcodes of practice issued bythe InformationCommissioner.

5. Act quickly to resolve anyproblems encountered orinadequacies in yourprocedures or practices.

Agency WorkersNew regulations are expected to

come into force on 1st October

2011 giving extra rights to

agency workers. The new

regulations will essentially

mean that agency workers will

have the right to equal

treatment, in respect of certain

working and employment

conditions, once they have

been on the same assignment

for 12 weeks. The rights will

apply to pay (including salary,

commission, some bonus

payments, holiday pay and

overtime), holiday, breaks and

working times.

Paternity Paternity leave rights are set to

be substantially extended for the

parents of babies born after 3rd

April 2011. This will basically

mean that where a baby’s

mother does not take all of her

statutory maternity leave the

father may be able to take

between 2 and 26 weeks of

additional paternity leave.

Employees will be entitled to

return to the same job, on the

same terms and conditions,

following their additional

paternity leave.

Time off to Train Employees are to be given theright to request time off fortraining. This will apply tobusinesses employing 250 ormore people from 6th April 2010and all others from 6th April2011. Employers will need toconsider any requests andrespond to them within 28 days.If the request is accepted withoutvariation, the employer cansimply notify the employee inwriting. In all other cases, theemployer will need to meet withthe employee to discuss therequest and then notify them inwriting of the decision within 14days. Employers will be able toapprove requests subject tochanges or refuse requestsprovided they do so for one of thebusiness reasons specified underthe regulations.

If you need any advice orassistance on the impact of theseor any other regulatory changesplease contact a member of theDickinson Manser CommercialTeam on 01202 673071 or sendan email [email protected]

Keeping up to Date! By Susie Smith, Dickinson Manser Solicitors


The word on everyone’s lips these days is

‘sustainability’. It’s much like the Perpetual

Motion Machine – a great idea, but impossible

to achieve. Of course, while energy costs rise

and natural resources run out, it’s possible that

the boffins will simply produce a ‘Get out of Jail

Free’ card and we just carry on as if nothing

untoward is happening. But I wouldn’t put any

money on it – not this time.

There’s one option that we might make more use

of, and it’s a kind of ‘energy–free light bulb’; it’s

called Daylight. If we want to help ourselves a bit

further along the Road to Sustainable Energy

Use, then perhaps it’s best we start looking at our

working environment to see how we can gain

from all this ‘free light’.

Sometimes it’s as simple as being able to switch

off the lights nearest the windows. Or maybe we

can alter room layouts to benefit more from

natural light? Are the walls light enough to make

best use of window light? And when was the last

time the skylight was cleaned?

How about a bit of help from some old-

fashioned technology? It’s suggested that the

builders of the pyramids used mirrors to bring

daylight deep into the chambers of the tombs.

Daylight is something that’s available to us at no

cost. It’s there whether we use it or not - and

maybe that’s our problem. But we’ll all get very

annoyed the day that the government taxes it,

as they did in 1696!

As Plain as Day! By John Bullock, Lighting Design

LIGHTING MATTERS April/May

PHOTOGRAPHER MATTERS April/May

We all (hopefully)know theimportance of

having great images topromote your business butwhat about the need to keepthem fresh!

One of the things that will keep people comingback to your website is a constant supply of newimages, reflecting the changing season and thelatest trends in your industry.

You may have had successes, new personnel orproducts and want to showcase these. By havingregular photo-shoots you will keep up this supply ofnew images that are essential to feed your PR efforts.

Press releases, website, social media all need theseimages to catch the attention of editors andreaders. Facebook, LinkedIn, Business Scene andTwitter are central to our marketing and by usingthese fresh new images you can keep peoplecoming back for more.

There's nothing worse than seeing the same imagesused time and again in the press, and eventuallythe Editors will get bored of seeing them and stoppublishing your articles.

So remember to keep your PR image constantlyupdated with new photos and stay ahead of thecompetition!

The Importance of Regularly Updated Images!

By Steve Cook, Seeker Photography


PRINTING MATTERS April/May

Page 16 To advertise in this local journal telephone 01202 233580

We are all affected bythe so called ‘creditcrunch’ in one way,

shape or form and as such thiscan seriously jeopardise ourdecision making, especiallywhen it comes to purchasingsome product or service. Whenmoney is not flowing into thebusiness we do not want tospend any more than we haveto, but unfortunately we are alldrawn into the trap of buyingon price alone and what weshould be doing is buying onthe best advice, because in thelong run it will save us money!

To highlight this point I wouldjust like to tell you a storyabout a client who wanted tohave a full colour CompanyBrochure produced topromote their business, alongwith a practical CompanyFolder to send out data sheetsand reports that theyproduced themselves on theirown laser printer, butunfortunately the overall costworked out to be more thanthey could afford at themoment.

When I asked could they justhave one of the itemsproduced, they replied this is

not the possible as theywanted a functional folder torun their business and abrochure to promote theirbusiness. By thinking outsidethe box and coming up with acreative design we were ableto combine both items intoone document that turned outto be a six pageBrochure/Folder with a centrepocket that they could use inboth instances.

They liked this idea verymuch and to their surprise theprice worked out to be notthat much different to theCompany Brochure on itsown, giving them exactlywhat they wanted at nearlyhalf the price. The answertherefore is to buy on the bestadvice because in thisinstance it also gave them thebest price. Perhaps the onlyproblem with this is where doyou find truly independent,impartial and incisive advice?

It can sometimes be difficult infinding a printer you can trustespecially if they only havecertain equipment that canonly produce certain items. Inthis instance they willobviously advise you to have a

product that is suited to theirpress for them to produce in-house. However, this may notbe the best option for you andas such you should seriouslyconsider the benefits that aPrint Broker can give you asthey have more resources attheir finger tips then any oneprinter can offer you.

With over 30 ‘trade printers’ onour books Authentic Colour cantruly give you a service that isabove and beyond ourcompetitors, a service that youcan guarantee is independent,impartial and incisive and onethat will save you money in thelong run. To find out moreplease telephone 01202 532277or [email protected].

Authentic Colour Print Limited,Spacemaker House, 518 Wallisdown Road,Bournemouth, Dorset, BH11 8PT.

Tel: 01202 532277

Email: [email protected]

www.authenticcolour.co.uk

How to save moneyin the long run?

By Peter Westwood, Authentic Colour Print Ltd


PROPERTY MATTERS April/May

Pensions haven’t necessarily performed welllately. With-profits pensions haven’t alwaysshown that ‘profit’, company pension

schemes maybe in deficit and the Government‘lifeboat’ for bailing out failing pension funds is indeficit itself to the tune of £ millions.

Every day, all over the UK, people are quietlytaking their old, unloved, forgotten, under-performing, personal, company and opted-out (ofSERPS) pensions and taking control of their OWNmoney. How?

An increasinglypopular productthat people areinvesting in withtheir new orexisting SIPP’s(Self-Invested

Personal Pension) is overseas commercialproperty. One of the very best developers of suchproperty is Harlequin Property. With their creativebusiness model, private funding and debt-freestatus, is it any wonder that they have sold over4,000 properties in just 4 years?

Just look at these benefits of investing either in orout of a pension…

• Harlequin’s investment properties are freeholdwith excellent potential for high capitalappreciation and an annual rental income

• Properties are sold off plan at up to 50% belowcurrent market value

• Receive up to ten years 10% rental guaranteefollowed by 50% net room rate share

• All you pay is £1,000 reservation fee. 100%finance** is available – the developer pays themonthly repayment on the loan for the 30%deposit

• 70% developer loan available on completion(subject to finance)

• Harlequin properties are suitable for SIPPinvestment***

• 30 days free use per year (except SIPP investors)

• Resorts will have 5 star amenities including a PatCash Tennis Academy, Liverpool FC SoccerSchool, Cricket Academy, Diving & WatersportsCentre, Alaia Spa and several Restaurants & Bars- Trader Vic’s, Arlecchino, Olivers, Ginger & Co,Jesters, Jacks, The Bay Beach Club and HQ.

• The Marquis Estate in St Lucia will feature aGary Player Signature Golf Course

• Resorts will be managed, maintained andmarketed by Harlequin Hotels & Resorts inAssociation with Oasis Hotels & Resorts

Consider all of the benefits outlined above andyou can see why this is being hailed as possiblyTHE best armchair investment available anywherein the world today.

Visit our website www.caribbean-property-investment.com, email us on [email protected], or call us on 0845632003 to arrange a personal meeting.

Platinum Investment Property Ltd is a MainAgent for Harlequin Property.

*Excludes SIPP investors.**Subject to status. Terms & conditions apply. All informationcontained in this copy is correct at time of writing but itsaccuracy cannot be guaranteed and does not form part of anycontract. The Vendor reserves the right to alter the informationwithout prior notice.***A SIPP is a Self Invested Personal Pension enabling the investor tochoose where their pension fund is invested. Harlequin’s propertiesin the Caribbean are suitable for SIPP investment and overseaspension investment. Platinum Investment Property Ltd does notprovide advice on SIPPs. Interested clients will be introduced to anauthorised FSA firm for this purpose.Platinum Investment Property Ltd and representatives are notauthorised and regulated by the financial Services Authority.Platinum Investment Property Ltd do not offer Financial Advice.

Property Profits from your Pension!

By Alan Cracknell from Platinum Investment Property

Computer Generated Image

Computer Generated Image


SIGN MATTERS April/May

Alargeimportantsegment of

sign sales comefrom cafe's,bistro, pub andrestaurants, somuch so the Caffe

Culture Show, which is an international event,will be held at Olympia, London on 23rd, 24thand 25th June 2010. For more information pleasevisit www.caffeculture.com

There will be a number of new products on displaythat are highly suited to this particular market,including low cost Lighted Window Menu's orLighted Advertising Window Posters. Both offerimproved daytime viewing and they are unmissableduring evening hours. These transparent full colour

posters and menu's can be quickly and easilychanged, making them very user friendly.

Other products on show will include 'Write On -Wipe Off' Instant Message Signs , Pavement Boards,Moving Text Message Signs - single line/fullyprogrammable, LED 'Open'/Cafe Signs, large FullColour Panel Signs printed on to Correx, Foamex orDibond rigid substrates up to 4 metres square in size.

If you are looking for a local Dorset company thatcan offer you all of these products and more thenyou should give messagecrazy a call on 05600473400. They can supply all of your signage needs,including artwork and fixing if required.

For further information on all messagecrazy productsplease click on: www.messagecrazy.com or send anemail to [email protected] or visit them at theCaffe Culture Show in Olympia.

The Caffe Culture Show at Olympiain June 2010 By Ken Lovell from messagecrazy

After ambitious predictions that therecession would be over this year, it isclear we are in this for the long haul.

Yes, the economy is in a fragile state but whyshould that prevent you from progressing yourbusiness? Now is the time to think forwardand take action.

Some companies are downsizing and some aretaking a look at what their existing arrangementsare, and how they can be better utilised. Insteadof moving premises to create space, why notdeclutter, organise and archive old paperwork.Unused furniture gets in the way but may beneeded later and is expensive to replace.

Why not use a self storage unit to enable you tocollect or drop off items as the need arises. You canorganise the unit with racking and labelled archive

boxes so youcan easily layyour handson thatelusive file.Each unit is individually alarmed for those sensitivedocuments and certain members of staff can bespecified to have access as an extra security measure.

Space Maker Self Storage offers a safe, securealternative to some document storage companieswhereby you may have to pay to retrieve a particular file. We allow you access to yourfiles seven days a week for free!

Contact Space Maker Self Storage for anevaluation of any excess items you may want tostore and a competitive quote. Also, as a specialoffer we will give £20.00 worth of archive boxeswith any unit taken before the end of May 2010!

on self storage units


STORAGE MATTERS April/May

Think forward and take action!

By Karl Fuller, Space Maker Self Storage


TELECOM MATTERS April/May

Compared to conventionaltelephone systems, there aretwo major areas where VoIP(Voice over IP) has a hugeadvantage – low cost andgreat features!

Businesses are lured to thetechnology not only by thecompetitive call plans but bythe additional benefit of callfeatures which have previouslycost thousands of pounds.Traditionally, the ability toforward calls to multiplelocations within a businessrequired a PBX box whichneeded to be wired into theoffice’s phone system,maintained and periodicallyreplaced.

With VoIP the ability to set upmultiple extensions, direct dialnumbers and conference inseveral employees and clientscan be provided for very littlecost. By changing to VoIPbusinesses of all sizes canchange the way they portraythemselves to the outside world.

You can set up extensions andpass calls around them and younever need miss a call as you

can tell the system toreach you anywhere,(where ever you are in theworld!). You can even set uprules for when you want toreceive calls and when youdon’t and a VoIP provider cansend your voice mails as anemail attachment so that youcan listen to them on yourBlackberry, iPhone or any PDA.

So, while businesses areattracted to VoIP by the costbenefits they can also obtainthe type of telephony servicesthat was way beyond theirreach with traditionalproviders. Conversely,companies that have alwaysbeen used to having this levelof telephony service arestarting to question why theyare spending vast amounts ofmoney on new systems whenthey could enjoy the samelevel of quality and callfeatures for considerably less.

For Ainscough Vanguard thisVOIP solution, delivered by TXI,provided a fully managedcommunications solution,covering 7 geographical areasand as Andy Argile their ITManager explains “The solutionwas installed quickly andefficiently, the hardwarerequires no special knowledgeto install and TXI were availableand helpful during the simplesetup. They also have a

helpdesk which assists me withmanaging the systems callrouting, voice mail anddiverting of calls.”

Andy went on to say “Thesystem was initially setup byTXI to the specification I wantedand anything in the system canbe changed easily using theBusiness Portal. If I don’t havethe time, or I want TXI to do it,they make the changes with theminimum of fuss. They haveapproached any bespokerequests for the system as a challenge and come up with a solution that works quickly. I am very pleased with how thewhole project went and howhelpful TXI have been.”

TXI has over 10 yearsexperience in providingBusiness TelecommunicationsSolutions.

“At TXI we believe in long-termrelationships……just ask our customers” Call 01202 233550

VoIP for Low Cost andGreat Features!

By Anita Potten, Director, TX Installations

The Dale CarnegieCourse®A training process that improvescompany profitability by improvingemployee performance. Interactivesessions elicit full participation in thelearning process through practice andgroup discussion. As peopleexperience breakthrough training in“real life” situations, self-confidenceand productivity increase. Can betailored for groups interested inbecoming more productive teams.

Sales AdvantageThis cutting-edge programme trainssales professionals to buildrelationships that open more doorsand close more sales. Participantslearn concrete, practical sellingtechniques that help them establishrapport and create solutions. SalesAdvantage focuses on consultativeselling and examines the steps to sellcustomers based upon listening towhat they need. Sales Advantage’sproven method can be customisedand applied to any field.

Leadership Training forManagersThis highly concentrated programmefocuses on primary managementfunctions and communication skillsdevelopment. Enhances leadershipability, including motivating, fosteringcooperation, and building teamwork.Encourages short-term and long-termplanning and goal setting.

Customised CorporateSolutionsTraining customised for the specificrequirements of an organisation. Allprogrammes include a comprehensiveassessment of company needs,interviews with personnel at all levels,and an analysis of corporate missionstatements. Fast-paced trainingsessions hone communication skills,build teamwork, and encourage bettertime and stress management. Post-training reviews and evaluations helpensure long-term effectiveness.

High ImpactPresentationsIntensive training that concentrateson developing presentation skills.Participants learn methods forplanning and delivering effectivepresentations, as well as how torespond to questions from audiences,the media, and in impromptusituations. Presentations are videotaped for review and personalcoaching is provided during training.

Executive CoachingProgrammeA programme for developing greaterawareness of how executives andprofessionals are perceived, and waysto influence and improve thatperception. Participants focus on keyelements of creating, communicatingand maintaining a leadership image.

World Class CustomerServiceThis programme focuses on deliveringsuperior service that not only satisfiescustomers but also transforms theminto business partners. We equip youremployees with the ability to performtheir role of winning and retainingcustomers, to figure out customerpriorities and apply tested strategiesto foster enduring relationships.

High Performance TeamsThis programme turns talentedindividual players into highperforming team members. We offerbusiness people the techniques toimplement critical team processes,such as defining shared goals andclarifying individual responsibilities.

Dale Carnegie Training ®

6 Whittle Road Ferndown Industrial Estate

Dorset BH21 7RU

[email protected]


TRAINING MATTERS April/May

THE NEW DALE CARNEGIESECRETS of SUCCESS APP.

DOWNLOAD TO YOURIPHONE, ITOUCH ORBLACKBERRY.

The uses of the app to help you sell more are only limited by your imagination. The app is like having a coach with you at all times.

TURN YOUR SMART PHONEINTO A SMART SALES TOOL.

Learn how to apply the Dale Carnegieprinciples with video examples.

Valuable tips in the areas of:

• Team Member Engagement• Leadership Development• Sales Effectiveness• Customer Service• Presentation Effectiveness• Process Improvement

Visit www.dalecarnegie.com to downloadDale Carnegie's Secrets of Success App.

Download it today and have some fun!

For more information, please contact:Dale Carnegie Training®01202 892891

or visit us online at:www.dalecarnegie.co.uk


With spring on itsway it is time tolook to the future

for businesses and time tothink about how to build onyour success. It is easy toleave things as they are, somake sure your marketingtools are doing their job andrefresh those parts that needit, especially if you want tolook for growth and improvedproductivity.

We all know how important itis to create a professionalimage and now’s the perfecttime to look at your business

strategy and give it a springclean. Perhaps you need anextra pair of hands one or twodays a week or maybe youneed to put in place cover forholiday, sickness andmaternity periods so that yourbusiness gets the support itneeds.

PA Central is celebrating itsfirst full year in business andfor us it is very exciting, westarted in the middle of theworst recession for years -thinking long and hard aboutthe fundamental question ‘arewe really doing the right

thing?’ butwe werejustified–just stayingin business was good, butwe’ve grown our staff, built asolid base of clients,developed our offerings andmaintained our sense ofhumour (although that wasn’talways easy!).

Call us today to see what wecan do to help you grow yourbusiness and then perhapsyou can also enjoy thedelights spring has to offer!

Enjoy the delights of spring! By Linda Nicol, Managing Director, PA Central

A PROFESSIONAL BUSINESS MUSTPROJECT A PROFESSIONAL IMAGE

Behind every successful business person is a highly efficient, professional PA.

At PA Central we offer professional CEO level PA support to all our clientsproviding a co-ordinated approach to your multiple business activities and

streamline your business

Call Us on 0800 008 7336

Visit our website at www.pacentral.co.uk or contact us at [email protected]

VIRTUAL PA MATTERS April/May

What image do you present to your clients?

Is it not about time you had a personalassistant?

Just review these questions:

Are you spending too much time on administrationor office operations?

Do you spend too much time on organisingmeetings, booking hotels, making travelarrangements and other time consuming activities?

Do you want to devote more time to your keybusiness strengths?

Does voicemail greet your clients or prospectswhen you are in meetings, at lunch or on leave?

Do you have difficulty with making return calls toyour clients or prospects?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions thenyou need a personal assistant.

At PA Central we offer professional CEO level PAsupport to all our clients providing a coordinatedapproach to your multiple business activities andstreamline your life.


FSB MATTERS April/May


Why is it when you areasked to write 250words, your mind

goes blank? With that my phonerang and the news that we had lost out on a ratherlarge contract to a national company was broken tome, which made me think ‘Why are so many localbusinesses missing out to national companies?’

The majority of us network together, we eat anddrink in front of one another and we laugh ateach other’s jokes and smile at the stories. So whyshouldn’t we be helping one another do business,especially with the financial difficulties that wehave faced. Wouldn’t you be sad if one of usdidn’t turn up to a networking event due to ourbusiness not having survived?

Local companies offer a far more personal servicefor your business, and should you need to use the 24-hour call out, you know somebody is

going to be with you within the hour not “I’mstuck in traffic.”

Of course not all national companies operate thisway and with some, you may get a better deal.However, is saving a few pounds better thansaving local business? And remember, thebitterness of poor quality lingers long after thesweetness of cheap is forgotten.

To avoid the bitterness and retain the sweetness,contact Nova Contract Cleaners for your bestvalue quotation on 01202 536770 or [email protected]

Nova Contract Cleaners, Nova House, 12 Smithfield Road,Bournemouth, Dorset, BH9 2QJ

www.nova-cleaners.co.uk

The Bitter and the Sweet! By Leah-Danielle Davis, Nova Contract Cleaners

SIGHT is the numberone thing when looking ata wine as this can tell us alot about what we'reabout to drink. Tip theglass away from you at anangle of 45 degrees andhold it against a white

background to see the true colour of the wine.

The colour of your white wine could range betweenpale straw and rich golden yellow, depending on itsage, its sweetness, its degree of oakiness and the grapevariety. Lighter wines such as Sauvignon Blanc’s arepaler than heavier Chardonnays and the gold tinge ofan aged Chardonnay will be more pronounced thanthat of a younger one.

With red wines the deeper the colour, the moreconcentrated the flavour. Stand a glass of Pinot Noirnext to one of Shiraz and you will easily see thedifference - the Pinot will be an almost transparentlight ruby red, while the Shiraz will be a dense purple.Tasting is bound to confirm the visual impression. Asred wine ages it will take on an amber-brown tinge,and this is most easily discernible at the rim. Finally, sight will give you warning of any defects - ifyou find white filaments floating in your wine, theseare due to unclean bottling. Likewise a brown colour,this is a sure sign of an oxidised wine.Templar Wines next wine and dine evenings are at SOHO Christchurch (01202 496140) Thursday 29th April & Hallmark Hotel (01202 751000) Friday21st May.

Email: [email protected] Phone: 01202 300331

How to Taste Wine by Jeff Bowden of Templar Wines


Benefits to yourbusiness• Gain a competitive

advantage by being a “Green Business”

• Save Energy

• Reduce Costs

• Improve Staff Retention

• Help the Environment

Contact: David MitchellT: 01425 280769M: 07973 770252E: [email protected]

We are delighted to announce the opening of our EnviroSave officecovering Dorset and Hampshire – headed by David Mitchell.

EnviroSave would like to help your organisation to become a “LowCarbon” or “Carbon Neutral” business.

Quite simply we assist you in becoming a “Green Business” whereyour “Green Credentials” will help you generate new clients, as wellas improving customer and staff relations.

We offer a range of “cost effective” Environmental Services andProduct solutions that enable businesses and non profitorganisations to reduce their Carbon Footprint by developingsustainable business practices and offsetting excess emissionsthrough Carbon Offsets.

Our experience shows that the cost of obtaining “Green Credentials”is more than offset by the financial savings the business generates.These savings can then be applied to help you to meet yourenvironmental objectives.

EnviroSave provide an initial no cost consultation to assist yourbusiness in improving its environmental performance and inobtaining either a “Low Carbon” or “Carbon Neutral” accreditation.

To find out more please contact David Mitchell


RECOVERY MATTERS April/May

issue8

Documents

golf course

carnival of golf

carrington club

carrington charity golf

hole team event

local radio station

supportthe local business

annual event