Business general

B2B

SarahOrchard — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 05:48:15 -0500

B2B stands for ‘Business to Business’ and is usually used in the context of the sale of a product for any use other than personal consumption. The buyer may be a manufacturer, a reseller, a government body, a non-profit-making institution, or any organisation other than an ultimate end consumer.

B2C

SarahOrchard — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 05:49:13 -0500

B2B stands for ‘Business to Consumer’ and is usually used in the context of the sale of a product or service for personal consumption. The buyer may be an individual, family or other group of collective individuals, buying to use the product or service for themselves, or for use by another end consumer.

Branding

SarahOrchard — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:50:43 -0500

Every person and product or service has an image or ‘Brand’, as much as we would like to think that this is not the case. Often our own personality creates an image and perhaps your business trades on this if your skills are the service you are selling

However, Branding isn’t just about your company logo – it goes far deeper than that!

Business card

FionaHumberstone — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 06:08:27 -0500

Quite simply the piece of card that provides all the essential contact details for clients and prospective clients to be able to contact and recommend you.

What you should know about business cards:

- UK size 85x55mm, US size 50x90mm

- Must include your name, telephone number and email address, website

- Should include your job title, company name (not always necessary if you choose to trade under your own name)

Buying a Magazine Franchise

Antonia — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 05:11:10 -0400

Further to the previous blog entry, if you're thinking of buying a magazine franchise, the kind folk at the Family Grapevine have done a comparison chart. Of course, they offer their own magazine franchise but it is useful info!

Choosing a magazine franchise

Antonia — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:35:25 -0400

If you want to run your own community magazine, you might be bewildered by the choice of franchises now available. If you do want to buy a franchise, I have made a useful list on Family Friendly Working, alongside hundreds of other resources for people who want a flexible job or to become self employed.

Competition: Feeling Stressed?

Antonia — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:02:06 -0400

Are you feeling relaxed after a summer break, or stressed by trying to fit in too much as well as keep the kids happy? This month, you have the chance to learn how to stay on top of stress with a great new book from Need2Know Books.

Find out how to case up to the causes of stress, get useful tips for coping in a crisis, and understand how to make positive changes to your lifestyle to help you handle stress.

If you would like to win this useful book, simply email antonia@acpr.co.uk with STRESS in the header.

Control your resources

WMF — Mon, 05 May 2008 06:48:14 -0400

It's simple common sense to control expenditure, but don't skimp on the important things. For example, in your marketing, ensure that you make good use of low-cost and no-cost marketing tools such as referrals, fusion marketing and testimonials, but don't have an unprofessional looking website done 'on the cheap' which could potentially damage your reputation and credibility.

Make sure you have a clear reason and justification for all expenditure, including your time. A great principle when it comes to how you spend your time is to do only

Corporate identity (CI)

FionaHumberstone — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 08:28:24 -0500

Your corporate identity is the visual image that your company creates. It’s likely that your corporate identity will be based around your logo, but a strong corporate identity is about more than just your logo. It’s about communicating a well planned, cohesive impression that sends out the right signals about your business.

Having a strong corporate identity means that your customers and prospective customers should be able to tell that this piece of marketing has come from your business.

Customer

AlexStone — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 07:01:23 -0500

In marketing terms, a customer is someone (individual or business) who has paid you for a product or a service. Even if they only buy from you once, you should consider them a customer.

Such a simple definition, but getting customers (and making money) is what every single business is about and it’s no wonder that all businesses spend incredible amounts of money, time and effort trying to convert people into their customers.

Demographics

AlexStone — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 07:11:13 -0500

Demographic information is characteristic data about a target or selected population, group or category and is usually numerical and statistical in nature.

Demographics are most commonly used for economic and marketing purposes including research, forecasting and identifying trends. Trend analysis using demographics has a time factor to it and isn’t a one time collection of static data.

Desktop publishing

alicedesigns — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 07:12:46 -0500

Desktop Publishing (DTP) is the placing and positioning of text and graphics on the page to produce paper publications such as newsletters, magazines, brochures, books, etc. It can be adapted to create other paper publicity such as leaflets, flyers, postcards, networking material, business stationery, adverts, cards, posters, signs and other visual communication.

How is desktop publishing different from graphic design?

Do you adapt your pictures for print?

alicedesigns — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 02:25:17 -0400

This week I have been preparing the images for a recipe book. One of the important considerations about publishing books is to work hard towards how attractive it is as well as legible and readable (which are not the same).

Email signature

KarenSkidmore — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 07:30:48 -0500

An email signature is used at the end of your email and includes your name and contact details. Most email systems will allow you to set a standardized signature so that it is automatically included at the bottom of all emails that are sent out.

What to have in your email signature?

Your name, business and contact details
Your website address
If you are a limited company in the UK, you must also have your full limited company registration details listed, including your registration number and full postal address

Finding content for your magazine

Antonia — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:36:31 -0400

I have written a few articles in this blog recently about the ins and outs of running a community magazine. It is a subject that fascinates me. I have worked with several women who have done this and, as long as you don't mind selling adverts, it is a great was to earn a good income from home. Mums returning from maternity leave are more and more looking at magazine franchises as a real home income opportunity. And of course, one of the things that most magazine owners enjoy is creating the content for their magazine.

Forget the dragons, have you heard of Angels Den yet?

WMF — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:02:00 -0400

Angels Den is one of those business ideas where you wonder why it hadn't been done before (which are often also the ones where you think to yourself "darn, why didn't I think of that first?!").

What is it? Well, quite simply, the company brings together business angel investors with entrepreneurs via an easy-to-use website at http://www.angelsden.co.uk

The other day our friends at Angels Den sent through details of an interesting event concept they've come up with - Speedfunding.

Here's how they describe it:

Graphic design

FionaHumberstone — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 07:49:02 -0500

Graphic designers make your business information appealing to your target audience. They’ll take your text (copy) and images and pull it all together to create a piece of marketing literature or information that not only looks attractive, but helps you sell your products and services as well.

Professional graphic designers apply their flair and understanding of your business to achieve the following:

- Create logo designs and business stationery
- Make complex information easy and straightforward to read by creating hierarchies with different font sizes, colours and typefaces

Help! I Need Some Inspiration – Now!

WMF — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:16:39 -0400

By Tracey Dooley, copywriter, marketing strategist, and editorial and creative consultant, http://www.MediaMinister.co.uk

Whether you're looking for that winning headline, a catchy strapline, are stuck with your marketing or are putting off doing those jobs you rather not do, here's something that might help get you in the flow:

1. Check out what your competitors are up to. Sometimes just looking through others' promotional stuff can trigger a fantastic idea or two.

HMRC: New Tax Self Assessment Deadline Is Just Weeks Away

Antonia — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:36:20 -0400

If you send your Self Assessment tax return in in paper form, there is new 31 October deadline, and it's only weeks away.

Up until now both paper and online Self Assessment tax returns had to be filed by 31 January. But from this year, paper returns must be with HMRC by 31 October, or you could face a £100 penalty. If you need more time, filing online is straightforward and you have until 31 January.

How your home office can save you £££

Antonia — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 05:01:02 -0400

When starting a home business, you know there are loads of benefits. You're in control of your time, save hours on your daily commute and have a comfortable place to work. Now, new research from home business website www.enterprisenation.com shows that you can gain in the region of £30,000 by starting a business from home. A home office will add to the value of your home PLUS you will save on ever increasing fuel costs and motoring expenses.