Take a look at your Business

The people behind the business

New members this month

Tip of the monthand More...

www.thebestof.co.uk/bolton

Tirelessly working to make your business the best it can be...

Continued...

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

We don’t give these away lightly, but when the number of positive, glowing reviews from customers reaches a certain threshold, it’s entirely appropriate that we confer genuine ”Best of” status on our fab Member businesses.

On this occasion, the response I got when I produced the framed certificate from my bag was somewhat unexpected.

“That’s amazing” he exclaimed, “no one’s given me a certificate since I was swimming at school in the 1960s”.

And that’s when I realised that, just like Paul McCartney and John Lennon said, “It’s easy…all you need is love…” People need to be appreciated and told how good they are yet, as a society, we shy away from it.

I was in the car last week when the Beatles’ classic “All you need is love” came on the radio. I caught myself inadvertently singing along and I was a bit shocked when the DJ announced that the song was 45 years old! 1967 – Where do the years go?Even now, after so many listens, it’s a song that I defy anyone not to feel uplifted when they hear it.

So I was in a particularly perky mood when I arrived at my destination to see one of our existing Members. There were two main reasons for my visit, firstly to help crystallise and clarify a super powerful offer that we could put out on our newsletters and on the website to pull in more business for him during a specific campaign that he had lined up and, also to present him with a certificate, officially recognising his business as one of the very best in town.

January 2013 Update

Bestof-Bolton-Jan2013.indd 1 21/12/2012 11:35

Offer of the MonthDanmarque RoofingGutters Cleaned with Danmarque Roofing for just £50Autumn has come and gone and no doubt the remnants from all the trees in the area are sat in your gutters. This is fine until the rain comes and the result is over flowing gutters, damp walls and generally making your home look unattractive.

This can be solved really easily by a quick visit from Danmarque Roofing who will clear your gutters out for just £50.

Have a great month...

Gaynor & David

www.thebestof.co.uk/bolton Update January 2013

We’re much quicker to complain than compliment. We don’t hesitate to pick fault, yet miss oodles of opportunity to

congratulate and commend on a job well done.

That’s why I’m on a mission over the next few weeks to sprinkle my own particular type of love to everyone I meet. Don’t worry, I’m not going all hippy and bohemian on you – and I certainly haven’t been smoking anything – but wouldn’t it be just fab if we all collaborated and focused our efforts, for just a couple of weeks, on spreading the love around and making people feel great?

I’m going to become expert at catching people doing things well, so I can tell them how fab they are – because I know, in a small way, it’ll make them feel better – just like I did when I was listening to that song on the radio and, just like my customer did when I gave him that certificate. It was an awesome feeling and I want more of it and I want to spread it around.

Will you help me?

Imagine what damage we could do to the gloom, doom and misery if we all got together on this one.

As part of that, we’ll be running our 14 Days of Love campaign from 1st to 14th February, in the

run up to Valentines Day. I’m going to work my little socks off to get as many people as possible in our area to “Show some love” to their favourite local businesses. I want to encourage people to fill in a postcard, or log on to our website and leave a nice comment about a great local business that’s done something well - including yours.

So many entrepreneurs labour tirelessly day after day, month after month and, often for little reward. Well, over the next few weeks I want at least part of their reward to be the feeling they’ll get when lots of their customers tell them just how appreciated they are for what they do.

Come on, join in. You can log on now and leave a review on any of your fellow businesses on thebestof.

“Love, love, love, all you need is love…love is all you need…”

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The People Behind The BusinessIt all started with LA LAW.The inspiration to become a solicitor that is. Greg French, property partner at AFG LAW in Mawdsley Street, quite fancied a life surrounded by beautiful women and fast cars!

Undeterred that Los Angeles was a long way from his native Braintree, Essex Greg decided at the age of 16 to make himself indispensable to a local law firm. He spent every summer voluntarily working with them, helping out and picking up the slack during six week stints, mainly covering holidays but also becoming familiar with the different facets of law. In doing so he became known at the firm and once he finished university they gave him a training contract.

Having met his future wife at university, and spending a year travelling up and down the M6 to spend time together, they agreed that both of them would look for a job in each other’s respective towns and set up home together in the successful location. What Greg later discovered was that his Boltonian wife didn’t look very hard for a position in Braintree!

Greg loves his job. Every day is varied and every client is different. He also enjoys being part of a growing high street firm where you are an individual rather than a number so get to know your clients fairly well and have an ongoing relationship with them.

Greg has been married for 12 years and has two children aged 8 and 4. His time is spent taking the children to their various activities but he also manages to get to the gym, cycle and hike with his family. He also enjoys good wine and good food. His wife says that what makes Greg an interesting person is his unpredictability when dealing with situations!

We asked Greg if he hadn’t become a solicitor what other careers appealed to him. At 6’6” it isn’t surprising that he said a policeman, but also a geography teacher. However, that was when he was younger. These days he thinks he may err towards being a chef. We talked about famous chefs and Greg said the chef he would most like to cook a meal for him is Tom Kitchin, the Scottish chef and owner of restaurant The Kitchin, where he became the youngest winner of a Michelin star.

Greg holidays in Northumberland and Tuscany with his family and said if he was to do a totally selfish holiday it would be a skiing trip!

It could

be you!

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Special Offers through Social MediaAll members of thebestof bolton have the facility to feature special offers alongside their feature on thebestof bolton but it doesn’t stop there. When we are given a special offer, we do all we can to ‘push’ this offer out proactively in as many places as possible including social media. The success of this was highlighted recently when a new member, Barrons of Beef who were very new to social media and digital marketing, started to use their facebook page proactively to promote special offer Meat Packs and within the first 48 hours of posting on facebook, they sold 29 at a cost of £35 (saving almost £20) giving them over £1000 worth of business they may not have had.

The moral to the tale is

Use special offers, keep them specific and time limited, let people know what they are saving AND do everything you can to let as many people know about the offer as possible.

Business Exhibitions and Networking EventsLocal independent businesses often miss the opportunity or exclude themselves from networking or exhibitions thinking that this is the domain of bigger, more corporate businesses. This could not be further from the truth as demonstrated during our recent ‘In Business In Bolton’ Exhibition where many businesses exhibited for their first time.

At thebestof bolton we encourage all our members to take advantage of opportunities to showcase their business whether at an exhibition or one of our networking events. Remember….all business people are consumers too, with family and friends so think outside the box and come along to one of our next events and make your business stand out from the crowd and what normally happens in your sector.

A great example of this was …… who came along to the Expo and what better way to promote her business than to do hair demonstrations on the night. This raised her profile in the area, gained her bookings for corporate events and gave her confidence to do more events like this moving forward. Needless to say she was the only hairdresser in the room.

Our next Expo will be on 18th June 2012, give us a call to book a stand from only £75 plus vat.

www.thebestof.co.uk/bolton Update January 2013

Working Well...

“Share your

successes and let

Gaynor & David

know what bits

of thebestof are

working

for you.”

At thebestof Bolton we are on the lookout for other great members. This month we are looking for....

• Indian Restaurants/takeaways

• Italian restaurants/takeaways

• Garden Centres

• Printers

If you know a business that fits the bill please contact the team...

01204 382 785

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Give them a call & make them feel welcome

We’ve uncovered more hidden gems over the last few weeks. A big welcome to the following businesses who have joined us recently:

Bolton StepsBolton Steps educate, preserve and protect the good health of people who experience mental health problems within the Borough of Bolton by providing support and training. Incorporating Cafe Eden, Bolton Ebiz and Fix IT.

01204 689916

Cloud CleverCloud Clever provide IT advice, support and delivery from traditional IT network solutions, to advanced cloud based operations, in addition to providing a range of maintenance and support packages. Based in Bolton, Cloud Clever tailor IT solutions to deliver maximum benefit.

01204 684560

Barrons of BeefBarrons Of Beef is a family owned butchers that has been in business in Bolton for over 30 years. Barrons are known for their high-quality produce and exemplary customer service.

01204 684451

Bolton CeramicsBolton Ceramics Centre are the suppliers and installers of wall and floor tiles guaranteed to provide that final touch of elegance to your home. The Centre caters to the needs of the people of Bolton, and the rest of the North West.

01204 684438

Trimendus Hair and BeautyTrimendus Hair & Beauty Salon has incorporated the Family Hair Room in Horwich, we provide hair treatments to Children, Men & Women as well as a whole range of beauty treatments to help you feel your best.

01204 689915

Fancy ThatFancy That have been supplying the people of Bolton with fancy dress costumes and accessories since the 1970s, with over 4,000 costumes available to buy or hire in-store or on-line.

01204 684561

Cake DelightBased in Bolton, Cake Delight is a family run business that designs and creates amazing cakes and cupcakes, from simple and colourful children’s designs to elaborate wedding cakes.

01204 689917

The Beaumont ArmsThe Beaumont Arms is a traditional Northern pub with character and charm, where there is always something going on, including live television, sports and live music. It is also an excellent venue in Bolton to host an event.

01204 684437

Johnson LawAt Johnson Law their personal injury solicitors have over 50 years experience dealing with claims and if you have been involved in an accident they could help.

01204 684015

Vida LocaThe Vida Loca Family was formed in 2007 by renowned artist Daniel Watson. Our studio in Bolton town center boasts a tattoo studio, skate and clothing store, piercing studio and a laser tattoo removal clinic all under one roof

01204 684014Global InteriorsGlobal Interiors, an Aladdins cave of furniture and accessories Their huge Bolton showroom has impressive displays of sofas, beds and bedroom furniture, mattresses, dining sets, lounge furniture and free standing kitchen pieces.

01204 684072

Bestof-Bolton-Jan2013.indd 5 21/12/2012 11:35

Facebook, of course, is the daddy at the moment, especially if your market is B2C and the two questions I get asked most about Facebook are;

What on earth do I write on my Page? and…

How do I get people to respond?Now, they’re both good questions so I thought I’d help you out this month and share the answers with you...

Who are you talking to?If you don’t know who you’re talking to on Facebook then how can you possibly know what’s going to interest/ engage/ entertain/ challenge them? So – some proper thought around WHO your audience is please (or rather – who do you want them to be?) What is their lifestyle? What family do they have? What motivates them? What do they want to achieve? What do they love and hate? How can you help them achieve/ avoid key things? If you have already created an avatar of your ideal customer then you will be able to utilise this here.

What do they want to hear?Now you know who you’re talking to, you need to think what you’re going to talk about. This will be grounded in and reflect the positioning of your business, your brand, your core values, your USP, what you offer that

makes you special, your ‘category of one’. It’s also intrinsically linked with talking to the right type of client, of course, so not surprisingly, points one and two are inter-dependent.

You wouldn’t believe the number of people who just set up a Facebook Page and dollop out some stuff and then wonder why social media doesn’t work for them.

So just taking into account these 2 steps will raise you head and shoulders above a sizeable chunk of businesses on there. If you want a good example take a look at the Entrepreneurs Circle page. Great levels of involvement and I know from the guys behind it that it works really well to bring in new business for them.

Don’t forget also that your Page can, and really should, reflect the style and personality of your business. Forget the bland and the beige - make it stand out from the crowd!

Your Facebook page -

flying or a flop?You don’t need me to tell you how important social media is becoming in business – and here at thebestof we’ve been ahead of most over the last few years at understanding how to utilise social media to drive a business forward.

www.thebestof.co.uk/bolton Update January 2013

Bestof-Bolton-Jan2013.indd 6 21/12/2012 11:35

What’s your sales pitch?Can you describe what you are offering to the people who ‘like’ your Page?

You should be able to give a little sales pitch for your Page describing the benefits of ‘liking’ it to someone who hasn’t yet done so. Not only is this a great exercise in its own right to get you really thinking clearly about the focus and goals of your Page but it’s also a useful thing to have ready for when you’re out in the real world meeting people face to face and asking them to like your Page, maybe at your premises, or theirs, or at events. There’s endless research on what makes audiences like Facebook Pages – a couple of the best are getting offers and exclusive vouchers, and connecting with the business and finding out more about them. What incentives are you offering to ensure people like your Page and are you articulating this message effectively?

What makes people respond?Rule no. 1 – remember that real people want to respond to real people. So don’t be afraid to show your personality. There’s nothing worse than a Page that’s full of posts just about that business. Put yourself in your audience’s shoes – what would you respond to? You want to be working at getting a response – a ‘like’ is good, a comment is better, a ‘share’ is better still – as this is what gets your post and content seen by the friends of your fans and gives it the potential to go ‘viral’.

Remember that your posts are now more likely than ever to be seen via the ticker feed on Facebook, rather than by people going to look at your Page directly. That means quick, attention-grabbing posts that are crying out for a response will win over long, wordy paragraphs, Think short questions requiring short answers that tap into your audience as people – ask about their opinions, what they dream of, what their favourite is, etc. Always try and talk to your audience in a very personal way. So If you post offers on your products or services, remember to describe the benefits to them, or when sharing a testimonial, try and make it relevant, so readers can imagine using your service or product themselves.

The best way to capture people’s attention? Pictures! Images are huge on Facebook! But this is not a place for stock photos - think again about the personal angle – how about pictures of real people using your product, or novel uses for it, people at an event, or your staff or suppliers, for example? Tell your behind-the-scenes business story. Pictures will need a catchy headline or point made with them to really max the impact – this could be a link back to your website for the full story or just an engaging comment or question.

If someone does come across to look at your Page in all its glory, a good sprinkling of pictures will make it look really appealing and easy on the eye. Remember to both highlight pictures and pin to the top of your page to add some real impact and variety. Facebook now lets you reposition your photos as you post them, so you no longer have to suffer shots of headless colleagues!

And finally…When you do start getting responses to your lovingly-crafted posts, make sure to respond back. You’ll get the most out of the connection if you mention the people who have commented by name. And try to encourage the conversation to continue, as the more of a community feel that builds up around your Page by it being the host for interesting discussions, the greater the chance that people will come back for more!

Happy Facebooking!

Bestof-Bolton-Jan2013.indd 7 21/12/2012 11:35

Coming Soon

Our aim is to provide the best businesses in Bolton with aworld classmarketing service.We’ll raise your profile, connect you to new contacts and customers - and maximise your business potential.

We really do care about every one of our Business Members and we are there every step of the way to ensure that thebestof works for you.

Our 17 marketing tools

thebestof bolton is run by David and Gaynor Ramsden

At thebestof Bolton, visibility is everything! Helping our recommended businesses to set themselves apart from their competitors, we not only provide a unique vehicle to communicate a business message, but also support our members in developing winning strategies and achieving phenomenal growth.

Call Us: (01204) 382785Email: bolton@thebestof.co.uk

Its almost that time of year again for the 14daysoflove our national campaign to find the most loved businesses in Bolton and the UK.

We had a great time last year with 17 National Category Winners including The Most Loved Business in the UK overall which was THE Chinese Buffet.

This is a great opportunity to engage with your clients and customers in a non- salesy way.

Jackie Hyde from Stanmore Insurance said during last years campaign ‘I am so glad you encouraged us to get fully involved with the 14daysoflove campaign. Our office is positively glowing with pride at the fantastic comments we have received from our customers’

This years campaign will be bigger and better than ever, look out for more details coming to you soon.

1. Testimonials

2. Dual-branded postcards

3. Mix and match

4. Commercial photos

5. Certificates

6. Brand Awareness

7. Campaigns

8. Call Tracking

9. An Evening with

10. Social Media

11. Blog

12. Events

13. Video

14. Special offers for members

15. Quote me

16. Mobile Website and App

17. Website feature

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