Raw Business Magazine Issue 13 by Raw Business magazine

Raw

issue 13 // 2010

B U S I N E S S Only honest entrepreneurs need apply

NEW!

Raw Columnist

Rachel Elnaugh Paul Johnson

Debt Survivor

Charlie Mullins

Working Families

Raw Interview

Keith Musto

Raw Interview

Richard Farleigh ...talks with Bradley Chapman about life, Dragons Den and his fantastic new venture H2O markets

w w w. r a w b u s i n e s s . c o m NEWS

competition

interviews

WIN! advice

GO TO PAGE 7 information

Only honest entrepreneurs need apply

Raw

issue 13 // 2010

B U S I N E S S Only honest entrepreneurs need apply

NEW!

Raw Columnist

Rachel Elnaugh Paul Johnson

Debt Survivor

Charlie Mullins

Working Families

Raw Interview

Keith Musto

issue 13 // 2010

Raw Interview

Richard Farleigh ...talks with Bradley Chapman about life, Dragons Den and his fantastic new venture H2O markets

w w w. r a w b u s i n e s s . c o m NEWS

competition

WIN!

interviews

advice

GO TO PAGE 7 information

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e’re united ger, together w n ro st e ar e w Together an - Editor

Bradley Chapm

Editor in Chief Bradley Chapman bradley@rawbusiness.com Group Operations Manager Tom Mapes tom@rawbusiness.com Operations Assistant An Truong an.t@rawbusiness.com Sales Manager Ryan Smith ryan.s@rawbusiness.com Group Creative Design Danielle Smith danielle.s@rawbusiness.com Proof Reader Gill Woolcock www.woolcocktypingservices.co.uk 07910 642 536

Raw Business Online www.rawbusiness.com Raw Business Magazine Archives www.rawbusinessmagazine.com Advertising Contact Raw Business Ltd sales@rawbusiness.com 0845 468 5000 Stock Images Fotolia.com Raw Columnist David Gold, Rachel Elnaugh, Sharon Wright, Charlie Mullins, Phil Hall, Emma Wimhurst, Brad Rosser. Regular Contributors Robert Copping, Jeremy Webb, Peter Hartley, Linda Klassen Brown, David Klassen, Yvonne Morton, Albert Wright, Anton Nyman, Catherine Strong, Bryan Jones, Phillip Holt, Clare Lindstrand

Head Photographer Matt Birch Pictures, Tel: 07734 140614

Disclaimer: Raw Business Magazine is published by Raw Business Ltd. All information was correct at time of going to press. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright owner. No responsibility will be accepted for any errors or omissions or content made by writers or interviewees. Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily endorsed by Raw Business Ltd.

Raw Business // Issue 13

Contents P.10 ON THE

COVER

P.42

6 7

Raw Business // Issue 13

Competition

Raw Interview

What you need to do to grow your own business profits

Improve your knowledge with reading

Debts...

Raw interview

26 29

Leadership is not enough

Rachel Elnaugh

A virtual company organisation!

33 37

How to build self confidence

40 41

P.84

Readers Letters

Richard Farleigh

We're in this together but is there a way out? Aaron Sargent

Should we worry about the FTSE? Raw Business welcomes the founder of Red Letter days and ex-‘Dragon’ to the team.

cost or profit?

Raw online services Emergency budget affects us all Investment markets -

where should investors be looking now?

Raw interview

Sharon Wright

6 tips to get the most out of your phone system

Penalty charges & tax issues

How to approach writing a technical manual.

Keith Musto - a surname synonimus with sailing.

The how’s, why’s and when’s of exporting your product.

Top tips on setting us a limited company

Charlie Mullins

How has Pimlico Plumbers dealt with one of the most important considerations in business; recruitment?

60 63

What is the annual investment allowance?

Are you attracting enough profitable customers?

76 77 80 83 84 89 92 94 97 98 104

businessines.cs om wwworwth.rof aw marketing with Raw Bus * £2k

see PAGE 7

Rachel Elnaugh

VAT increases to 2010 what should i do? Blogs blogs blogs Phil Hall

With the World Cup now over, Phil looks at the PR techniques behind South Africa’s image renewal

What do you do for fun?

The importance of good work life balance

Ask Emma!

Emma Wimhurst puts her best foot forward in her new role as Raw Business Agony Aunt

Take the trance to learn some persuasive skills. 3 secrets of the successful entrepreneur Working Families

The Mullins Family celebrate daughter Alices' 21st Birthday.

The E12

Meet more of Raw Business’ elite team of Brilliant Business Bloggers

Taping into sales potential with NLP Insure my liability Can you be the best advert for your product? Need help fundraising? Classifieds

P.29

Celbrity columnists

* K

win £2

How to win your game of life

66 70

to... Become our Top blogger

NEW! COLUMNIST

right sharon w P.47

CHARLIE MULLINS P.59

Phil Hall P.73

EMMA WIMHURST P.77

Raw Business // Issue 13

Readers Letters

W W

Email me at info@rawbusiness.com or by phone on 0845 468 5000 we look forward to answering them in future editions...

Dear Brad, My business covers a wide range of fields and I have so many ideas running around my head I don’t know which ones are best! Help! Adam, Glasgow

Hi Brad, I would really like to start my own Wedding Planning business but have no idea where to start! All I know is that I love weddings and know that I have the ideas, passion and drive to make it happen. What would be your advice? Claire, Essex

I think that this is a common problem with entrepreneurs. We have so many ideas flying around our heads that it can sometimes be hard to focus on the right ones for the business. My way of dealing with this had always been to take a flip chart and write down all of your ideas. Go crazy, you could say you can fly if you want to! Once you have written down all of your thoughts, start to look at which ones fit with your existing business model and could complement your existing products. Focus on those ones first and branch out from there. It won’t stop the ideas from coming but might help you to focus on the ones that are right for you right now.

I think that you have the basics of your company right there! If you have the drive to make your business succeed, from my experience, the rest will fall into place. Being in business can be a tough ride but the rewards are awesome! I have spoken to some Raw members about being in the wedding planning business and I’ve heard that it is quite territorial with many planners having ties with the venues, caterers and florists already in place. Do your research into your competition carefully and then look to offer something that no one else does. Wedding fairs can be a great way of getting your name out there and if you have friends who can supply you with flowers, food and other essential things, so much the better! Good luck and I hope it really works for you; there is nothing like passion to help a business succeed!

Dear Raw, I would just like to say that I really like what you have done with the magazine. I have been reading the magazine since edition 1 with Rachel Elnaugh and I thought it had great potential to become a leading magazine. The advice, content and general style is great and has come on leaps and bounds! Well done! Kate, Ludlow Thank you for your kind words. We have changed our design process and have a great Graphic Designer with fantastic ideas for the magazine. The content is thanks to our Raw Business Members being so passionate about business so thank them! I’m so pleased to hear that you like the magazine and it is great that we now have support from really great people such as Charlie Mullins, Phil Hall, and in our next edition, we have an exclusive article written by Government Enterprise Minister, Mark Prisk. Thank you and I hope you enjoy this edition!

Hey Brad, It is great that you have managed to interview really well known people, but could you include interviews with people in business who are just starting or who are not well known? Success is great, but so are the grass roots! Kevin, Torquay

Raw Business // Issue 13

I totally agree with you! It is great to hear from people who have ‘made it’ but we should never forget about the business owners working long days in tough conditions in the engine room of this country. We have just launched a new section of the website focusing on just this. Our Business Interviews section is designed to focus on business owners and give us an insight into the stories behind each business and their products.

! n i W WinW ! £2kin Win! competition

to... Become Raw Business Top blogger

gazine Edition 13 he competition for Raw Business Ma is a little different from normal. who contributes This month's winner will be the person We want to see great most to our online blogs and forums. and superb delivery. content, real advice, topical comment worth of marketing for If you are selected, you will win £2k nd here your business.Our forums can be fou /index.php http://www.rawbusiness.com/forum Bradleys Blog and E12 Blogs. ibutions to Raw Business Forums, * Top Blogger based on valid contr of Raw Business. iny scrut to ct subje are made s ment between 26 Aug and £0 Sept. Com 5000. 468 0845 call info er furth for Business, ** £2k worth of marketing with Raw

Raw Business Ltd brings you, the reader, existing members and new businesses the opportunity to really make a difference that no other networking facilty has.

Pitch your business idea to our very own entrepreneur investor.

Place yourself in front of others as strategically as you like!

Takes a look at the fight that our entrepreneurs face to reach their success.

Make the most of Raw Business and sign up for your

FREE MEMBERSHIP visit www.rawbusiness.com

email membership@rawbusiness.com or call 0845 468 5000 to find out more... Raw Business // Issue 13

“Raw Business, the on-line networking, face to face networking and business publishing company” brings you, the reader, existing members and new businesses the opportunity to really make a difference that no other networking facility has. Entrepreneurs Database • Business & Networking • Forum School for Entrepreneurs Face to Face Networking • Raw Business Magazine • Angel Investment

Pitch your business idea to our very own entrepreneur investor.

Place yourself in front of others as strategically as you like!

Takes a look at the fight that our entrepreneurs face to reach their success.

Make the most of Raw Business and sign up for your

FREE MEMBERSHIP 0845 468 5000

membership@rawbusiness.com

Raw Business // Issue 13

www.rawbusiness.com

IBM KINGFISHER

Pneumatic Tube Systems Manufacturer ‘Up the Pressure’ on Customer Service

ormittag Associates Inc. (VAI) have announced that Hampshire based Quirepace Ltd will implement their flagship Enterprise Resource Planning software for Distribution, Service and Repair solutions. The ERP solution (known as S2K) will give Quirepace access to integrated company information so they can provide an enhanced service and better product delivery to their clients. This is achieved by viewing client and product data easily across several modules and will be a major benefit in streamlining customer service management. With over 125 years of experience, Quirepace specializes in the design, manufacture, supply, installation and maintenance of Pneumatic Tube Systems (PTS) together with Cleaning Machines, Exhauster Blowers and Centralised Vacuum Systems manufactured under the British Vacuum Cleaning Company (BVC) brand and in conjunction with the Lamson brand of products. Quirepace is recognized as a leading authority on PTS equipment and has installed thousands of systems within the UK and Ireland, primarily in supermarkets for transporting cash away from the trading floor safely and quickly and they have also installed some of the largest PTS networks within hospitals in the UK. These systems are used for the urgent and routine transfer of documents, drugs and samples. For more information, visit www.quirepace.co.uk The software is being implemented by Kingfisher Associates

who are an independent software vendor based in the South of England and the sole official UK Business Partner for Vormittag Associates Inc. For more information, visit www.kfa.co.uk Martin Chewter, Financial Director of Quirepace, said “We selected Kingfisher because of their outstanding reputation on the IBM Power Systems platform and its relationship with a major US ERP supplier to the mid-market. The firm is known for providing quality software solutions and customer service to companies in the manufacturing and distribution market. We knew that it was time to replace our homegrown software with an advanced, flexible solution, which VAI’s S2K system provides.”

About VAI

VAI is an award-winning software developer and an IBM Premier Business Partner. Designed for the mid-range market, S2K Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Software Suite is used by a wide variety of mid-sized companies worldwide, with a number of clients in the manufacturing, distribution, retail, food and related service industries. Advanced applications such as Warehouse Management Systems, EDI, CRM and e-Business provide companies the power to leverage their information technology investment. VAI is headquartered in Ronkonkoma, New York, with branch offices in Miami, Orlando, Chicago and Oroville, California. For more information, visit www.vai.net or contact Roy Mollet at Kingfisher Associates on 01725 517744 for all UK enquiries.

Raw Business // Issue 13

d r a h c Ri h g i e l Far R Interview with Bradley Chapman

ichard Farleigh captured the hearts of the British public after he appeared on the BBC’s BAFTA award winning business angel investment programme Dragons Den. Richard quickly earned the title of “Mr Nice”. Richard is well groomed and has an empathetic yet calculating style.

Of all the Dragons, Richard intrigued me the most. Who was this Australian Millionaire that offered investments. I can remember when he invested in Levi Roots with Peter Jones and I understand that of all the Dragons, Richard has had the highest success rate. I communicated with Richard for about three months trying to get an interview agreed. We met at Business Startups held at London Excel in May of this year and we finally nailed an interview down at Home House in London. It was not the grandest of days for me. I had recently overcome a food poisoning bug and was not my normal 100% fighting fit Brad but Richard welcomed me warmly. We have run two interviews for Richard Farleigh, this one where I ask questions about Richard and his life’s journey and we have run a second article on Richard’s latest business venture H20 Markets, which can be read on pages 11-12. As I walked through the doors at Home House on Portman Square, you could smell the Nostalgia. The building comprises of two grade 1 and grade 2 listed buildings. I have been to two reputed private members clubs, The Athenaeum Club and now Home House and both are equally elegant. I walked in to meet Richard, accompanied by his son Thomas, who is 17. Richard was having a press day to talk about H20 Markets and was kind enough to extend me the courtesy of asking a few questions about his career. Richard is a highly intelligent man and for the first time in my life I felt completely out of my depth, so I wish to thank Richard for his patience and the time he spent with me. This is what I asked Richard:-

d r a h ic You are successful, wealthy and definitely have a skill for business, was there ever a lucky break that got you started in business or was it all just pure hard work?

It was mainly hard work, but of course, you need a little luck along the way. I won a scholarship at the University of New South Wales, studied economics and maths and decided to start my career in the banking sector. I joined Bankers Trust Australia

Raw Business // Issue 13

RAW interview Richard farleigh when I was 23, designed various derivatives trading programmes, today, of course it is managed by computers. I ended up becoming the bank’s highest single money earner.

Did you have an early role model?

Jillian Broadbent had a major impact on my life. When I first started out at BTA, she was my boss and as I progressed through the business we became equals. Jillian is a fascinating person, she had a real impact on me and we are still great friends today. Jillian is currently a Member of the Board of the Reserve Bank of Australia. In the 1980’s finance was exploding and it was a great place to be.

How long did you work at Bankers Trust Australia? I worked with Bankers Trust Australia for about 10 years. I then managed a hedge fund in Bermuda and by that time had made enough money to retire at 34, so I did. During this period I played tennis, chess olympics and this gave me the time to write my book 'Taming the Lion'. I enjoyed all the things that success and money brought. I bought a boat previously owned by Ralph Schumacher, but it was not long before I wanted to do something tangible again.

Restoring Home House meant a lot to you. Why?

I wanted to help build a club that was relaxed and acceptable to all ages. I wanted it to be a fun place to be. We struggled during the first six months of opening but then we gathered pace. Madonna, Sir Paul McCartney and Bill Clinton have since been to the club. I sold out two years ago and it is just great to come in now and have a coffee without worrying about other people’s coffee.

Did you enjoy your time appearing on Dragons Den? Yes I did, the show is fantastic. It helped many entrepreneurs through the living room. I think it helps aspiring entrepreneurs to see just how difficult it is to start a business. I think entrepreneurs have to have imagination and common sense.

There are no guarantees when taking a business from start-up stage through to major growth even a listing on the AIM market. I have been quite successful with my investments on Dragons Den and I believe I still have the highest success rate out of all the Dragons today and have realised a profit, like I did with Reggae Reggae Sauce.

Did your childhood have an impact on who you are today? I was put into a foster home at an early age and it was pretty traumatic. I am one of eleven children and to this day I keep regular contact with my brother and sisters.

Tell me about your book “Taming the Lion”

Taming the Lion was first published in 2005. When I wrote it I did not think that it would be published, but hey never say never. It has been published all over the world now. It covers many of my thoughts on financial markets and I guess I have come full circle now by launching H20 Markets, and re-entering the financial world.

Being an entrepreneur can be a tough and lonely job, how do you balance the amazing highs that success brings with everyday life? In other words, do you have as much fun in your personal life as you do in your business?

Oh, I have more fun in my personal life. I have owned Ferraris,

boats and have enjoyed all the toys that come with success. Today I am not materialistic at all and I do not need it. The biggest skill in being a successful entrepreneur is stepping back when things are not working and admit it to yourself when you are wrong and change it. For me the most important aspect is to have a balanced life.

What makes a business opportunity investable?

For me it is the size of the opportunity versus the cost. Investing and succeeding with a business investment involves a lot or risk. Protect your idea and, above all, test it, test it, test it. Take your product in your pocket to trade shows and do not buy a stand unless it is necessary. Most ideas have been done before, so if you can do it cheaper and better than a competitor then do it. You should get your product in front of as many people as you can.

So many people will fail, so how do you feel about people that go bankrupt and, despite everything they have lost, they try to get up with nothing and try again?

90% of businesses fail and that is a horrible statistic. If only one in ten survive then I hope that the ones who try again have at least learned something. I invested once in a Diamond Mine in Sierra Leone and it failed, but it took me back to being a kid again and I quite enjoyed it.

If you can change any piece of UK government legislation what would it be and why?

I would change the employment laws, as I believe that they are restricting business and economic growth. It is very difficult to employ right now. Entrepreneurs will create jobs but if they are afraid to employ due to the current laws then it could make our recovery a much slower process. Richard, thank you so much for your time. Your intelligence astounded me when I met you and I felt insignificant speaking to you. I am in awe of how such great minds like yours thinks, calculates and acts. I wish you every success with H20 Markets and hope that when we meet again that I will have brushed up on my understanding of the derivatives market and, who knows, maybe I will get to play that game of chess with you – I did not tell you that I am a grand master!

Kind Regards and Sincere thanks Bradley Chapman and everybody at Raw Business. Raw Business // Issue 13

H20 Markets

Coming Full Circle

Raw Business // Issue 13

By Bradley Chapman

ichard Farleigh started his banking career aged 23 with Bankers Trust Australia; he retired aged 34 a multi-millionaire after becoming the highest single earner for BTA. I worked as a blue button for James Capel & Co when I was 16. Instead of calling me Bradley, the Chairman called me Nijinsky. I pressed a button and the stock market crashed in 1987. Well I tried! Richard’s book “Taming the Lion” has been sold in just about every country around the world, so it is no surprise that he has come full circle to create H20 Markets sharing his early success and most importantly his highly effective trading techniques based on measurable, repeatable techniques. As a successful ex hedge fund manager Richard is well placed to attract and teach retail investors how to trade efficiently. H20 Markets aims to deliver a new brokerage service that combines an educational strategy with a higher quality brokerage service. May I take this opportunity to wish Richard and his team every success with H2O Markets. Regards Bradley Chapman www.rawbusiness.com

h2o markets

Why H2O Markets? At H2O Markets we believe that the time has come to set a new standard for derivatives advice, to discard the old ways where advice was often no more than hastily gathered opinion, and build a new structure based on repeatable analysis and transparent ethics.

We intend to change this industry, to challenge those who currently claim to be expert and prove them wrong with deeper, better grounded and highly respected expertise of our own. That has meant creating a new style of advisory brokerage, one that is clear about how it generates the advice it gives, and is confident in the strategies it applies.

Richard Farleigh

Our chairman, a highly successful Hedge Fund Manager and Derivative Trader, is no mere figurehead. His ideas and understanding are fundamental to H2O Markets, the way it operates and the advice it gives. Robustly critical of much that he sees in current CFD and Forex trading, he believes the industry now has too comfortable a relationship with its clients and relies on them to unquestioningly accept advice of limited merit.

Unique Traders Forum

Uniquely, we believe that those who chose to trade with us should be encouraged to judge us. The H2O Markets Traders Forum does just that. It is a place where all those who take our advice can openly discuss its merits. We expect our clients to rely on our advice; we rely on them to judge its quality.

Measurable, Repeatable Models

Risk cannot be removed, but it can be measured. And once it has been measured analytical techniques can be used to develop repeatable methodologies. So we do not view each trade as a single unpredictable event - but as part of a measurable whole that informs the advice we give.

Transparency

Enough is indeed, enough. H2O Markets firmly believe that transparency and honesty are important and that our industry was mistaken to dismiss them as inconvenient and irrelevant.

Independent Economic Research Unit

Staffed by dedicated analysts, The H2O Markets Economic Research Unit is the unique heart of H2O Markets. It provides our advisors with rigorously independent direction based on deep market analysis and intelligence and gives perspective and authority to the advice they offer.

Richard Farleighâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trading Strategies

Richard Farleigh's understanding is fundamental to revealing clearly defined short term trading opportunities as they happen. For instance, we recognise that risk management is critical to profitable trading â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and that capital growth in the stock market is not simply about the number of profitable trades, but avoiding mistakes that incur significant losses.

Client Seminars

We do not consider the knowledge and understanding to be proprietary. We are keen to share it with clients and prospective clients. Our seminars, many hosted by our chairman Richard Farleigh explain in detail our philosophy and how it can be successfully applied.

Structured Remuneration

It is our policy to reward advisors by salary, not commission alone. We expect them to offer independent advice and therefore feel it only right that their income should be clearly separate from it.

Trading Strategy Everything starts and ends with strategy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and it's the effectiveness of that strategy and the rigour with which it is applied that makes H2O Markets different. Our unique economic research unit ensures that a cohesive strategy runs through everything H2O Markets does, both in FX and CFDs, it champions Richard Farleigh's ideas, seeks relevant opportunities, and quantifies risk. Equally, discussing sensible strategies based on repeatable methodologies and founded in observation and reasoning is second nature to H2O Markets' client advisors. After all, we consider that time spent thinking, talking and reading about the markets is the most valuable time of all, for it means we can spot opportunities others may miss and helps our clients to pursue genuine ideas, manage risks and cope with any losses.

Risk Warning

CFDs, Spreadbets and Foreign Exchange (Forex or FX), involve a high level of risk and you can lose more than your original investment and in some cases you may be liable for a greater amount than originally invested. You should be aware that due to the leverage involved losses can mount rapidly and substantially. Only speculate with money you can afford to lose. This is not suitable for everyone so please ensure you fully understand the risks involved and if required please seek independent financial advice. For further information - https://www.h2omarkets.co.uk/Legal/ risk-warning.php

www.h2omarkets.co.uk Raw Business // Issue 13

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Raw Business // Issue 13

SPEAKERS FIRE UP THOSE WHO ARE AFRAID OF RECESSION AND INSPIRE THEM FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE

vent organisers, businesses and associations come knocking on the door of Room54 Ltd for top business speakers. Based at Pinewood Film Studios, Room54 Ltd has over a decade of experience handling enquiries and liaising with busy speakers who work around the world enthusing businesses and business people. Formerly known as Speakers Corner, Room54 Ltd have specialist knowledge of business speakers, motivational speakers, sports and entertainment personalities. The professional team have attended hundreds of events to make sure the speakers they represent know their stuff, give value for money and that their content is current. “We know plenty of exciting speakers who are right for the times we are living in and will fire up those who are afraid of recession and what it might bring. They’re looking to the future and are the drivers of our new economy” says sales manager Jane Hamilton New for this season for instance is young entrepreneur, Fraser Doherty, who runs a multi-million pound jam business which he started as a teenager making jam from his grandmother’s recipes. As a social enterprise Fraser puts on tea dances in aid of the elderly. He is typical of the new breed of top talent who wants to make money but also cares about their community.

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Another in this inspirational mould is television favourite Tim Campbell, a champion of youth who encourages budding entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds to start business ventures. He used his notoriety as the first winner of the BBC Apprentice programme, to springboard his social enterprise called The Bright Ideas Trust. “One of the best things about my job is that we are constantly getting rave reviews from our speakers as well as clients,” added Jane. Entrepreneur Doug Richard of Dragons’ Den fame sums up what many feel. He said: “Room54 market their speakers well, are superbly organised and always make sure that both sides are properly briefed. As a result, engagements that they have organised do not go wrong.” Lingerie Queen Michelle Mone, OBE added: “As an entrepreneur I surround myself with professionals who know what they are doing and take the strain. It is a pleasure working with Room54, they are ultimate professionals who know their market and know their speakers.” Olympian Kriss Akabusi is in the fast lane as a motivational speaker and finds bookings through this agency run smoothly. He adds: “Room54 are great people to do business with.” Contact Jane Hamilton 01753 481162 jane@room54.co.uk www.room54.co.uk Raw Business // Issue 13

he sourcing store limited was founded to give UK businesses better access to cost effective suppliers in China. The formation of the company was a natural progression for me as it would appear my entire career was a carefully executed plan to provide me with the skills, experience and contacts necessary for this business. I have twenty years of industrial experience working with companies from producers of plastic products to textiles, blade manufacturing and electronics manufacture. The roles performed over that period covered a broad spectrum from hands on engineering as a fitter turner and later progressing to manufacturing engineering employing six sigma statistical methodologies for process improvement and cost reduction activities. For ten years prior to launching The Sourcing Store I worked with an American multinational company which involved extensive travel and daily contact with manufacturers and suppliers in China and India. It was during this time I developed my vast supplier network and also gained an invaluable insight into the business culture in China.

So what is sourcing?

A simple description of sourcing is searching for and locating a product, service or business partner for your company. For some the experience is marred with language problems, cultural misunderstandings or just wasting time, effort and money because of the failure to fully understand the local dynamics and the differences in business culture. Done well sourcing is a combination of local business culture savvy, industry knowledge, skilful negotiation all complimented with a wide network of contacts and suppliers.

Why source from China?

Reduce the cost to manufacture your product. Production in China costs less due to lower labour costs, lower overheads and sheer concentration of production facilities in the manufacturing hubs around Shanghai and north of Shenzhen all competing to do business with you. The ever increasing consumer pressure for lower prices is forcing manufacturers of all goods to cut costs wherever possible. There is an ongoing effort to remain competitive, preserve market share and in many cases try to survive in highly competitive markets. The inevitable scramble to eliminate waste, improve designs and processes are all stepping stones to taking cost out of a product. Sourcing from lower cost countries is a valuable element of the overall cost reducing strategy that cannot be ignored. Almost every company that manufactures or assembles a product can benefit enormously from having some component parts or the entire product manufactured in China.

Raw Business // Issue 13

Formulation of a sourcing strategy.

A flood of questions will naturally follow the decision to begin sourcing from China. How will you find the right factory to produce your product and how can quality be controlled effectively from thousands of miles away? How are the language barrier and business culture issues overcome? Do you have sufficient staff numbers and in-house expertise to successfully manage suppliers in China?

How best can you take advantage of the lower costs China has to offer?

A wise decision is to enlist the services of a third party to source for you in low cost countries. This is where The Sourcing Store will help. As already mentioned, the first obstacle to procurement from a foreign country is invariably the language barrier and business culture. These issues can be confusing at best and at worst lead to costly mistakes. When you deal with The Sourcing Store this is never an issue. UK based engineers deal with customers in the UK and Chinese locals work with the suppliers in China. Local people working in both territories eliminate cultural issues and this also allows us to capture the benefits of being active in both time zones.

What can we source for you?

Our business is focussed on supply of the following key product ranges. Industrial components We have fantastic suppliers in China concentrated on four types of industrial components. These are plastic and silicon rubber moulding factories, metal stamping houses, precision machining shops and casting factories. These suppliers range in size and areas of expertise allowing us to satisfy the needs of any client. We look for multiple quotations so you get the best price possible. LED Lighting This is proven technology that is saving money for countless businesses across the world. The LED tube lights consume 65% less energy than the standard fluorescent light tubes therefore drastically reducing electricity bills and carbon footprint. The return on investment is excellent for any company using the lights more than eight hours per day. This is the case in many offices, petrol stations, shops, factories, car parks and tunnels. Further benefits are no ongoing maintenance costs, no annoying flickering lights, no harmful chemicals such as mercury etc., existing light fittings can be used, better light quality and enhancing the environmental image of your company. We are very excited about the standard and quality of LED lighting we are now sourcing from China. We will complete a no obligation audit and demonstrate the savings you can achieve by changing to

SOURCING store LEFT Typical production line from a Chinese factory.

BELOW Chinese factory entrance.

LED lights. When you decide to proceed with the project we offer two alternative approaches. 1.Provide an all inclusive price for supply and fit out of the LED lights in your premises by our registered electrical contractors. 2.Sell the LED lights to you and your contract or in-house electricians can complete the installation. Hotel and office furniture Exceptional cost savings can be achieved by sourcing directly from China for all hotel and office furniture. Some clients are very happy with the cost savings while other clients take the opportunity to buy higher quality furniture for the same original budget. All styles and materials are available and where necessary the furniture designs can be customised to the client’s specifications. Consumer products We are happy to assist with sourcing many different types of consumer products. Some of the suppliers we found recently for customers were manufacturers of bags, T-shirts, surfboards and accessories for the ipad and iphone such as covers, sleeves, cases and stands. If you have a query regarding sourcing any type of product just contact us and we will deliver the most competitive prices available. What services can you expect from the sourcing store? We recognise the fact that different customers have different requirements and to accommodate this diversity we tailor our services to suit the needs of each customer. This said our services can be broadly categorised as follows. Product Procurement Service We provide full product procurement service and our charges are based on a total inclusive product price shipped directly to you the customer. This product price typically includes the product purchase price, shipping charges, insurance and import duty. All parts are produced to drawings and specifications agreed with you and to meet international quality standards. If all you have is sketches, samples or photographs this is no problem. We will produce the drawings for you and progress the project from there. Source and Qualify Contract Manufacturers in China We identify, audit and qualify contract manufacturers in China for

ABOVE Shanghai is a vast, vibrant city and a major manufacturing center catering for almost any production requirement.

Customers in the UK. We can also conduct credit checks on Chinese suppliers for our UK clients. We can assist you to transfer production to a manufacturing facility in China. Our Chinese engineers are located in the main manufacturing regions of China allowing us to compare prices across China while remaining in close proximity to the factories to manage production of your products. Quality Inspection Services We provide both In-Process and Final Quality inspection services at your Contract Manufacturer’s facility in China. These quality inspections are conducted to meet the standards outlined in your guidelines and procedures. Arrange Client Visits to China We arrange trips to China for clients who want to visit contract manufacturer’s facilities and meet directly with the supplier themselves. This service can include everything from airport transfers, hotel bookings, transportation arrangements, translation services and negotiation assistance. Drawing Creation (2D and 3D) We provide a drawing service to allow you to convert your sketches to 2D or 3D drawings whichever you require at a very reasonable cost. We can also convert your 2d drawings to 3d models. In conclusion, the sourcing store is the perfect partner to assist your business to save money, improve profitability and attain the maximum benefit from sourcing in China. You can find us at www.thesourcingstore.com or simply e-mail an inquiry to info@thesourcingstore.com. Raw Business // Issue 13

ACCOUNTS

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS PROFITS By Mike Loughton

fundamental requirement for start up and established businesses is to produce and update your business plan. Many articles have been written and many tools are available to assist with writing a business plan so we will not cover this here. Certax Accounting Camberley can assist you with a business plan if required. This article will concentrate on what practical steps you need to implement to grow business profits. Firstly you need to ask yourself the question:

Is there a market for my products and/or services?

Clearly you will not make significant profits if consumers do not like or need your product. It is essential that you do market research before you invest too much money in preparing the product/service for market: To keep your costs down you can do a face to face survey. Make sure you choose the right location. For example, if you offer a new design of suit carrier, standing outside McDonalds is likely to give inaccurate results whereas standing at the entrance of London Bridge railway station in rush hour should give good feedback whether the market really wants your product. Take the opportunity to seek feedback regarding acceptable price, colour etc. For products a few initial sales via eBay can be useful in evaluating demand and pricing before you make a big purchase of stock. Telephone market research is commonly used but make sure a suitable search database is used for leads to select the right demographic sample, otherwise high costs for wasted calls may be incurred. Social media websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and your blog can also be very powerful in eliciting feedback from an audience of potentially 100s of millions of consumers at little or no cost to you, except for your time. To make this effective it is likely that you would need to have built up a substantial following to achieve a suitable sample size. Good market research will help reduce the risk of business failure. Many businesses have failed in the recession due to high overheads. You need to consider:

outsourcing will allow many operations to function remotely from your home office. If you have to take premises negotiate: no/low initial rent: the shortest lease period: and/or early break clauses. Continuously measure staff performance and be prepared the lay them off if they do not achieve the required return on investment. After one year in employment (including the notice period) it is potentially much more difficult to make staff redundant. Continuously evaluate and improve business processes, with the mindset to add value ready to sell the business. All of the above will be wasted if you do not recognize that:

Marketing is the key to the success of your business

Successful business owners spend 60% of their time marketing their business. Every business should adopt a tag line similar to “Certax Accounting Camberley is in the business of marketing and accountancy/tax planning services”. There are numerous methods of marketing including website, mail shots, telephone marketing, directory adverts, networking, newspaper/magazine adverts and PR, TV, radio, joint ventures etc etc. What works for you inevitably is very much dependant on the type of business you operate. Postcards work well for start up businesses. They are easy to post and interested prospects may keep it for future reference. Thousands can be printed at very low cost. Use both sides or even offer the second side to an associate business. If you sell high value products/services post to high value houses. Post between 5-7pm if you want returning employees/executives to pick it up. Social media is becoming an increasingly powerful method of marketing and should not be ignored. Start by setting up a Wordpress blog, and automate flow down to a Facebook fan page, Twitter, and LinkedIn to achieve maximum exposure. Give information to prospects reading your blog to build trust that you are an expert in your field. Build a relationship with readers and sales enquiries are likely to follow. If you follow the above principles you have a good chance of success.

What Financial risks can be minimised in the business? Don’t take on a business partner unless you are sure they add value to the business.

Certax Accounting Camberley understands that start-up businesses may need help with the above issues. We are proactive in helping you grow profits as well as minimising your tax liability.

Operate your business from a home office for as long as practicable. You can meet clients at their premises, at a good hotel, or at an office rented on hourly basis. Technology and

Contact Mike Loughton, Tel 01276 451465, mikeloughton@certax.co.uk, www.CertaxAccountingCamberley.co.uk Raw Business // Issue 13

IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE WITH

READING

e are being overwhelmed by written material. Perhaps there are better ways to reading.

It has been said that if we do not update our knowledge or change our profession every six years, we will be out of work. As technology, research, knowledge speeds up, so our own knowledge has to keep pace. Much of our knowledge has to be acquired through our own knowledge gathering, courses, hands-on experience, through reading, journals, books, manuals, the internet, and most knowledge comes in the written form. For the lucky few who are in employment, we are sent on courses and attend lectures. In this so called paperless age, we are being deluged with written material, look in WH Smith’s or Waterstone’s, to see the daily additions to the books on offer, tempting us to learn more, to become a better manager, how to relax, to manage our time better. Our postbox is stuffed with journals, circulars, we are being handed the free newspapers as we travel to and from work or appointments. There is more written material produced today than ever there was in the past. With all this written material, do we have time to absorb it, to update ourselves or even glance at it? It seems in todays environment, time is at a premium, we do not have time to fit all our work into 24 hours, and we often hear “I need more time”.

How can we improve our knowledge gathering?

Simple, improve our reading skills. It amazes me, that in our educational system we are taught the three “R’s”, yet the first subject to be dropped from the curriculum is reading. We are taught skills, starting by pointing at the words with fingers and saying the individual words, leading on to using our own internal voice and no pointing. Within a couple of years, any new ideas for reading are not taught, yet we still have lessons in music, art, sports and mathematics, but we are left to our own devices to improve our reading skills.

How can we improve our reading skills? Learn to read with a purpose. There are a number of reasons to read, perhaps it is to relax by reading a novel. For me I love the work of Wilbur Smith. I hang on every word he writes, I am part of the story in Africa. Perhaps it is to acquire information, history of an area of knowledge. For me I am fascinated by the history of my local town and it's association with aircraft production, and I desire more information. Perhaps it is just to gather enough information to solve a problem, for example I needed to know how to splice two video clips for a film I was creating, yet merge the audio/sound as if the two clips were one.

Raw Business // Issue 13

Do not over read. Only read the appropriate amount of information to meet your purpose. Looking in any bookshop, at any range of books, what is the average number of pages? About 300 pages? This is because most people, when confronted with a book of over 300 pages, will consider it to be too big to read, anything below 300 pages, at a subconscious level, most people would consider to be lacking information. Yet, most of what can be said in the book can be told in a few pages, and the author has to pad-out the book to become the average 300 pages. Look at an article in a magazine, and the article will fit a page, a column, a half column. The author writes the article to fit the space available. If you read the first and last paragraph, there should be enough information to tell you what is going to be written, the rest is padding or facts to substantiate what is being written, to fill the space available. Therefore only read what meets the requirements of your purpose. Get an overview of the written material before you start to read, get to know the layout of the work, the sequence of the information and the key words used in the work. With the purpose of why you are reading, quickly go through the work, only slowing down when there is information which meets your purpose. Make notes as you are reading, and not underline words or sections on the original work. Use Mind Maps to create a structure of your notes. Learn how to Speed Read, which will take an average reader from 180 WPM (words per minute), to it is said 800 WPM. But why not take the number of words you can absorb up to 20,000 to 30,000 WPM with PhotoReading? Taught in 2.5 days, absorbing 20,000 - 30,000 WPM can be achieved, as has been proven around the world. Further information can be obtained from Phillip Holt, an International Trainer, presenter and speaker by visiting www. c4photoreading.com. Increase your knowledge, keep yourself updated, learn more by reading with a purpose, and only that information which will fulfill your purpose. Phillip Holt NLPNOW 0845 130 6213 (UK) (+44) 07973178602 nlpnow (Skype) PhillipHolt (Gizmo) Visit my blog http://www.nlpnow.com

debt survivor

s t b De

t…

e boa m a s e h t n i l l a Are we

u o y a w a e r e h and is t

hese days, if you’re in business you’ve probably got some level of Business, Personal or Company debt. Why is this? If we go back 10-15 years it was a different picture… so what changed and who is to blame for the current economic crisis?

The banks & their lending policies…

Well, the banks' lending policies changed for a start. Many years ago if you wanted to borrow money from your bank, you’d have to pass stringent lending criteria to ensure you were capable of actually paying the money back…These stringent lending policies were reduced a few years ago until we eventually reached a point whereby if you had a pulse, a mailing address and a reasonably clean credit rating… you qualified for more debt… These lending policies have changed again now and are once again more stringent, but for many the damage has already been done.

Perpetual Debt

Many economic analysts believe (as do I…) that the major banks want us all in perpetual debt… They don’t make money from our savings & investments… They make money when we’re in debt… Take HSBC as an example (they’re no worse than the other banks, but I’ve just seen an ‘Interest rate table’ on a clients’ Business bank statement). If he borrows money from the bank (he has a debit balance) he pays interest at 26.30% but if he lends money to the bank (he has a credit balance) the bank pays him 0.05% interest. How can this be fair… how can the value of money differ so massively depending on who is lending & who is borrowing… Why is the money that you borrow from the bank 500 times more valuable than the money you lend to them… Anyway, moaning about the state of the economy & who’s to blame won’t solve anything… So, what’s the answer? Well, I strongly believe the long term answer is not to use debt for your day to day business needs… But for many of us this is a medium-long term objective, so what about the short-term… what about now… Well, the key is to reduce the amount of interest you pay… reduce your monthly repayments… and reduce the amount you owe… Easier said than done you may think… but there are various debt solutions that can actually achieve these objectives for many Business-owners.

So, what are your options?

Well let’s start by looking at the different debt solutions that are available… Debt consolidation / Debt management / IVA’s / Bankruptcy / Liquidation / CVA’s / Tax arrears solutions / Administration / Receivership… There are various different options but you have to ascertain which option is right for you & your circumstances.

How do you know which option is for you?

There are various factors to consider when deciding which option is right for you & your circumstances… The level of your debts, whether the debts are in your business name, your personal name or your Company name… did you sign personal guarantees… Are your debts secured or unsecured… What interest rates are you currently paying… how good is your credit rating… What is your current trading position… do you wish to ‘box off all your debts’ and continue to trade, or has the time come to put your current Business/Company to bed & make a fresh start…

So, where do you turn for help…

The obvious answer is to find an Insolvency practitioner/Debt Advisor. A few years ago I had 2 successful businesses and a property portfolio but I also had a large amount of debt that was crippling me on a monthly basis… so I approached an Insolvency practitioner for advice. Unfortunately, although there are some excellent Insolvency practitioners & debt advisors around, there are also (as with most industries…) a few who are more interested in their own bottom line than in the welfare of their clients… I picked the latter… and paid for it massively… I ended up bankrupt and in a far worse position than I was in when I sought the advice…

So, how do you know which Insolvency practitioners / debt advisors to use?

That’s the tricky bit… Finding a trustworthy advisor that will have your best interests at heart is just as important as making sure you choose the right debt solution. I’ve spent the last couple of years researching the debt industry & I’ve made some excellent contacts… I’ve come across a few rogues in that time too, avoid them at your peril… Why not take advantage of my experience (and misfortunes) to ensure you don’t make the mistakes I made.

About the Author

Paul Johnson is a Chartered tax adviser / Accountant and a Director of Your Money Experts Ltd with many years professional (and personal…) experience in Business, Personal & Company debt matters. For further details see www.thedebtsurvivor.com Raw Business // Issue 13

AARON SARGENT KNOWS A THING OR TWO WHEN IT COMES TO RAISING YOUR COMPANY PROFILE - WE GET HIM TO TELL ALL... THE GENERATION GAME

In an age when some companies vanish no sooner than they have started, it is refreshing to hear of a thriving, family run business boasting three generations who have occupied, at one time or another, the corporate hot seat. Pinpoint Badges & Promotions Ltd, based on the borders of South East London and Kent, this year celebrate 30 years in the business of supplying promotional products to some of the world’s largest brands - and business is good. Aaron Sargent is the latest incumbent of the aforementioned seat, a position he found himself in after his father, Paul, sadly passed away towards the end of 2009. Determined to build on the firm

A HISTORY LESSON

‘The whole idea of promotional items is nothing new’ says Aaron. ‘The market was created by none other than George Washington when he created buttons for his presidential campaigns back in the late 1780’s. Obviously over the years the market has evolved, but the original concept remains the same - get your message seen’.

GETTING YOURSELF NOTICED

Aaaron continues ‘Promotional items are increasingly becoming a regular part of company budgets. People are realising that potential business growth can be directly related to the use of promotional products and creative advertising. There are clear benefits - Promotional items are

always been, and I imagine always will be our number one flagship product. Badges are such a versatile product and have so many corporate uses, whether it be in-house award schemes or large volume productions. All of our badges are completely bespoke, so any size and shape is achievable. There is also a choice of platings and the benefit of being able to pantone match all colours. All badge productions can also be adapted to other products, such as keyrings, cufflinks, mobile phone charms and medals/coins. The badge industry has evolved with the times, offering other metal products such as trolley coins as well as other related products. Trolley coins have become one of our core products as they are both practical and functional, whether you’re

“I have no doubt that my success is due to the exceptional influence of my father… ...I certainly learnt from the best.” foundations laid by Paul, and previously by Grandmother Ann, Aaron set to work raising the profile of the company and adding to the already expansive product range. Here, he gives us an insight into the industry and what makes Pinpoint one of the market leaders.

constantly reinventing themselves - there are currently around 750,000 different products available, the majority of which are generally durable, meaning they tend to stay with the user longer than say, print advertising. They give you repeated impressions without repeated costs, making them very affordable. Surveys show that a record percentage of people can still remember the name of the advertiser as long as six months after receiving a promotional item and many still use that item over a year later. In my book that is pretty good value for money’. ‘Naturally, company marketing bosses are not unaware of the great value offered and almost inevitably, have picked up on the potential of branded promotional items - so it is important for us to stay in touch with new advertising trends and offer the latest products as soon as they become available’.

sPOILT FOR CHOICE

‘We offer an excellent range of specialised promotional products. Pin badges have

Raw Business // Issue 13

at the gym or the supermarket. We offer two main styles, the most popular being enamelled which can be on one or both sides of the coin’. ‘Lanyards are another great usable product that is an excellent cost effective method of displaying your brand. Especially popular for exhibitions, concerts and in the workplace, lanyards also have a range of accessories and fitments to suit the desired use’. ‘As part of our catalogue we also offer embroidered and woven cloth badges, button badges, moulded PVC products, dog tags, silicon wristbands, pull reels, mobile screen wipes, executive keyrings, bottle openers, printed magnets and stress balls. With many reliable far east contacts we are able to source pretty much any product you may require. This year has seen the introduction of the newest product to our range, silicon watches, which have proved to be extremely popular and we are looking to extend our catalogue in early 2011’.

staying power

BADGEMAN

interview aaron sargent With 29 years in the industry, Aaron’s father Paul was a great exemplar of the business ‘I have no doubt that my success is due to the exceptional influence of my father… I certainly learnt from the best’. In late 2009 Aaron continued to implement plans to modernise the company previously agreed with his father. Pinpoint increased it’s workforce and invested in successfully establishing its own production line in the Far East. Other changes included an improved order processing system and pricing structure as well as a new marketing campaign for its fresh, updated image.

In his first full year as company Director Aaron was instrumental in returning Pinpoint’s largest turnover and profit figures to date. ‘I believe the company’s increasing success is due to four key areas: high quality products, competitive pricing, excellent customer relations and reliable service. Our customers appreciate that when they place an order with us they can rest assured that their products will arrive promptly and be of an impeccable standard’.

2010 has been yet another successful year for Pinpoint and they are on track to break the company’s previous records for turnover and profits. Aaron’s achievements have meant that he has become a well known face in the promotional industry and his success as an individual is set to continue to escalate. ‘I can’t believe how good the last few years have been for me. I have come so far in the industry but more so individually. I have experienced more success than I could ever have hoped for in just 9 years. Although, I can’t help but think that the best is yet to come’. Find out more about Pinpoint by visiting their website: www.pinpointbadges.com

Raw Business // Issue 13

Amega’s mission is to create

1 million millionaires by 2020! ...Are you one of them??!!

Zero Point technology – breaks the chain of pain! Sales Pitch: “What if you could literally help someone allow their body to rid itself of chronic pain in only minutes … without touching them, without ingesting any products… Would you want to know how you can do that? How many people can you think of that you would like to help right now? The Zero Point Energy Wand is a tool that can literally teach your body to heal itself, often in just minutes!” When I first heard this I thought, “What a load of bovine dung,” but what nagged at my sub conscience was that the people telling me this were people who I had known & respected for years, so I checked out the website and watched the videos. As a lifelong sceptic I felt guilty because I was really impressed with what I saw, so I tentatively bought a wand and a pendant. I used the wand on my stiff joints and yes, it seemed to ease my movement, but still I doubted – was it psychological? I wore the pendant and two days later I attended my doctors for my monthly blood pressure checks. Despite drugs I have had high blood pressure for 12 years since I had a heart attack. The nurse could not believe the result 120 over 80, the lowest it has been since my heart attack, and I had drunk a black coffee within half an hour and walked briskly in as I was late. Half an hour and 3 readings later it was even lower. All sorts of improvements to my wellbeing have followed. Last weekend I even pushed a petrol rotary mower around a very overgrown lawn at my daughter’s new house. Two months ago I would not have managed 10 metres but I did the whole 300M Sq lawn in 45 mins without stopping! www.TheWand.org.uk

www.thewand.org.uk

Dave Martin of Creative Life shares his discovery of the amazing product that can improve your wealth as well as your health.

Do I understand how it works? Not really. Do I believe it? YES, absolutely! You will believe it too when you hear the stories from people being helped every day. With more than 550,000 members in the East, this Zero Point Energy technology is now

www.thewand.org.uk Raw Business // Issue 13

www.thewand.org.uk being introduced in the West… and YOU have an opportunity to experience and share it with the world. We are very excited about the possibilities to help so many people in need. And if you are interested in creating a substantial income from home by becoming a team member, YOU can also share this technology with the world! IT IS CALLED AMEGA GLOBAL. www.TheWand.org.uk

SOMETIMES SOMETHING TOTALLY UNIQUE AND WITHOUT COMPETITION COMES ALONG. SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE. WELL, NOW IT IS HERE! Amega is based in Singapore, where they have a $6.5 million Research and Development Centre. Amega Global is a five year old company with 550,000 independent distributors in Asia. They have expanded into the USA., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and are now launching into the U.K. and Europe. Currently in the UK we are pre launching for the company with just one product. However, this product has a distinct WOW! factor, we have seen it’s phenomenal power in America where, in just 4 weeks, it has gone into ‘vertical take off ’ with hundreds of people joining to get their hands on it. $2 million worth of the product were moved in February alone!! Be one of the first - www.TheWand.org.uk

A massive advantage is that this is a product driven company and the product is one that can be demonstrated to people in virtually any situation and with immediate results. The people using the product are proving to themselves over and over again that it works and very, very effectively. I honestly believe that every household in the world may need one. No!! on second thoughts I’ll change that to every person in the world should HAVE one! This product is rocking the world of health and wellness back on its heels. YES, it really is that powerful and effective. If you have read this far, and I would like to think that you are open minded enough to have done so, I know without a shadow of doubt that within weeks you will be making excellent money. This company is the one I have been looking for for 20 years and one with which I look forward to working with for the rest of my life. Why don’t you work with me and the entrepreneur who is leading the entry into the U.K. and Europe? We are looking for leaders to help spearhead the assault on this market, or indeed on any country where you may have contacts. There is always an advantage to being amongst the first and you can be in that position if you so wish. I became involved approximately three months ago and can honestly say I have never ever known anything move so quickly. This article alone does no justice to the company nor its products. If you would like to work alongside my colleagues, Doris Rodd, Ian Spenceley and myself, to expand the company across Europe and beyond, then let us know as soon as possible, so that we can discuss the opportunity either over the phone or alternatively we can send you more information. We would love to have you in the team.

Dave Martin www.TheWand.org.uk

About The Wand Natural Energy ‘The Key to your wellness lies within and around you’ Made up of a special combination of granulated minerals, processed using Amega’s proprietary technology AMized Fusion Technology® to resonate at Zero Point Energy to help our Body source the universal life force energy which our body needs. Usage of AMwand: 1.To discharge energy blockages in our body 2.To clear the distortions in our Bio energetic field 3.To facilitate the body in healing 4.To energize the foods and liquids thereby increasing potency 5.To supplement energy deficiency in pets and plants 6.To help relieve aches, pains and other ailments 7.To energize the environment in which we live

Amega AMwand benefits: 1.Helps our body to obtain homeostasis condition 2.Helps our body’s bio energetic field source Zero Point energy 3.Relieves us of pain, discomfort and supports healing 4.Energizes the liquid we drink and food we eat by increasing the potency 5.Neutralizes the harmful elements (energetically) from the liquid we drink and the food we eat 6.Energizes creams, oils for better absorption of nutrients 7.Facilitates and strengthens the flow of energy in our body 8.Unblocks and strengthens the flow of energy in our body 9.Stimulates bodily functions and strengthens immunity Price: USD $298 plus post WHAT DO I DO NEXT? www.TheWand.org.uk

Raw Business // Issue 13

p i h s r e Leaisdnot enough The Maligned Manger

All the hype these days about ‘Leadership’ and how it is to be admired and respected more than ‘Management’ is missing a critical point. It is now widely accepted that “people join an organisation but stay or leave because of a manager”. It has been the trend over the last few years to talk about leadership as if it’s the solution to all our problems, and the role of Manager has become rather maligned. There are thousands of books about leadership espousing the virtues of setting the strategy, clarifying the vision and a clear set of values to guide behaviour and specifying Key Performance Indicators. While this stuff is an important part of clarifying the purpose of the business from the top, if the managers are not able to translate it for people, it all becomes a bit meaningless. People are smart enough to see when the Top Managers are just dabbling in the game of Leadership by putting together a trite collection of words and calling them Our Vision and Values. This is because values are measured by experience, by what we see and feel on a daily basis. Unless people truly feel and see how managers and directors are behaving in a way that matches the stated values, it quickly becomes a sham and it breaks the psychological contract. Once that is broken people disengage and bide their time looking for a convenient way out.

Tempering Behaviour

It has been very interesting to observe how the behaviour at the top of a business sometimes undermines the stated values because the leader is a passionate entrepreneur and yet the business can thrive. For example there is a business that I was involved with that had ‘Professionalism’ as a core value. However, while the leader was excellent at generating new business, every now and then he would let rip at the managers and demand (in colourful language) that a particular person be fired or worse. While that would send shivers down the ranks, it was the quality of the managers that kept people motivated. They were able to translate, interpret and transform the entrepreneur’s lack of professionalism into setting clearer standards, better training for people and ensuring that appropriate levels of feedback were being communicated down the line. This created a safety buffer and the business was able to grow and thrive despite the behaviour at the top.

Raw Business // Issue 13

There are also other businesses that may have a charismatic, values-driven leader who knows everyone’s name and is inspirational to listen to. However, if a direct line manager is ineffective, lacking in appropriate training or only pays lip service to the training they were given, people will leave, especially if they are bright and talented.

A Picture Paints A Thousand Words

I often draw the following diagram for my clients to illustrate the importance of good managers. While Top Management, that is the Directors and Senior Managers, are predominantly focused on the Strategy (the plan) they need to know enough about what is going on at a Tactical level (the implementation) to understand resourcing and efficiency issues. People are mainly focused on the ‘doing’ but they need to know how it all fits in to the plan at a level appropriate to their role.

Inspired working In this diagram it is clear to see how managers need to be masters of translation. They need to explain the often ambiguous terminology and language of the strategy in a way that people ‘get it’ and can relate it to their own role. The manager’s role is to help people understand the reasons for doing things in a particular way. The What, the Why and the How. But that’s not all. They also need to translate the ideas, suggestions, gripes and grumbles of people at the front line into language that the top team can understand. This means making a strong economic or financially intelligent argument. When I first draw the diagram for clients and ask about the quality of communication up and down the line I frequently get told that in reality it is more like this second diagram. The orange band is a layer of confusion or lack of appropriate language to communicate effectively. We so often assume that people will understand what we mean when we talk about the details of our job or the big picture of what the business is trying to achieve. This results in people on the front line (who are often facing customers) barely knowing what the Strategy is and Directors having little idea about the issues problems, or challenges they face. The very nature of our motivational preferences means that the people at the top are usually big picture thinkers (or they would not survive at that level) and people at the front line are often more detail oriented because they need to be. These differences cause a lot of assumptions and misunderstandings that can quickly become very judgemental and personal, which only muddies the waters. I frequently hear from people on the front line that they haven’t a clue what Directors do apart from sit around in offices and seem to spend lots of time dossing about in mindless meetings. On the other hand I hear from Directors that people on the front line just don’t seem to have a clue about what the business is trying to achieve! How are you overcoming these issues? What are you doing to develop your managers and their translation skills? Do they even know that the most critical part of their role is translation?

Personal Preferences Get In The Way

I like the statement “The meaning of your communication is in the response you get”. If you take this to be true, it means that you are being responsible for the way people respond to you and adjust how you communicate in order to get your message across. Are you taking responsibility for any lack of understanding in your business? What are you doing to adjust your language and behaviour to help your managers and your people understand you? It is also useful to contemplate Dr. Stephen Coveys wise words

“Seek first to understand before trying to be understood”. Do you fully understand the constraints and limitations that are affecting your people? Do you really understand the language they use to let you know that there is something they need? Are you aware of the language they need to hear in order to be motivated? Knowing the particular phrases and words that engage people can have a profound affect. One of the keys to being an effective manager is balancing the level of detail with the big picture. That means knowing when to elaborate and explain or when to summarise and be very concise. It also means being aware of our own personal preferences as mentioned above regarding Big Picture thinking versus Specific and Detail thinking. What are the motivational and working preferences of your managers? What are your own preferences and how do they help or hinder your ability to communicate up and down the line? For a very efficient and cost effective way to discover the language you or your managers naturally use and prefer, and how it could be getting in the way of what you want to say, contact Amanda. Faramus@InspiredWorking.com with a request for information about our iWAM Motivational Profiling tool.

Leadership Is Not Enough

Engagement is a big issue for businesses these days. A recent study concluded that 61% of UK employees arrive at work each morning feeling somewhere between indifference and serious disengagement to their working environment. While Leadership is important it is not enough. It is the quality of your managers that will make or break your business. In a recent discussion with a Business Angel Investor he said that the best quote he had ever heard about management was “I have seen many successful companies grown on the back of no better than ordinary products by good management, I have never seen any product, however good, converted into a successful company by bad management”. Another survey by a major financial services organisation on small company failures concluded “In the final analysis, 91% of all business failures can be attributed to management.” After analysing more than 1,000,000 responses from employee surveys over the last 25 years, Senior Researchers at Gallop Mori discovered some very interesting facts about what really creates a workplace with high levels of productivity, profit retention and customer satisfaction. It may be no surprise that they found it was the managers that made the biggest difference, but they were surprised by the only thing that these successful managers had in common – they consistently broke all the rules. In future articles I will be discussing what was meant by that statement. In the meantime if you want to discuss any of the issues or questions mentioned in this article, why not drop me a line at David.Klaasen@InspiredWorking.com or contact my Client Relations Manager Amanda on 0845 833 4399 to arrange a call?

Raw Business // Issue 13

Should we worry about the FTSE?

Raw Columnist

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Peter L Hartley plhartley@hartley-consultancy.co.uk

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n case anyone hasn’t noticed, the FTSE 100 has lately been going up and down like a pair of …… well, you know what I mean. This is an indicator that the ‘Market’ is uncertain as to the UK’s emergence from the Recession. But it is also happening during what is commonly called the “Silly Season” – i.e. when Parliament is in Recess, the Schools are on Holiday, and the Press have to look around for a story to write. And Traders are human, too. It is a matter of common speculation that the UK Economy is headed for a Double-Dip Recession (in other words, there’s worse to come). This may be true. Then again, it could be just speculation. One thing that I have observed over the years is that people can ‘talk themselves’ into trouble, whilst they rarely ‘talk themselves’ out of trouble. So what is really happening ? Well, there is one important word that comes into play, here … GLOBALISATION. It seemed such a great idea some years ago, but no one (to my knowledge) performed a serious, careful Risk Analysis before we plunged into globalising our businesses. The consequences are quite simply explained – with globalisation, we gain market exposure but we lose market control. And the most complex part of it all is that the lag time between events in one country and the reaction in another (related or linked) country is variable and uncertain. This makes modelling and forecasting less of a Science and more of a ‘dark art’. So, what’s to be done about the situation ? Well, first of all (to quote Douglas Adams), “DON’T PANIC’. Whatever is going to happen, will happen, whether we worry about it or not. The simple, basic tenets of good business work in ALL situations. Keep your Gearing (Debt/Equity ratio) low, ensure that Cash Flow is carefully monitored and secure, spread your Risks, and Keep On Marketing. Furthermore, whilst it might seem wonderful to be the “First in the Market”, unless you have good Patent protection, you might find it better to let someone else have the credit for being the ‘First’, and learn from their mistakes. And if you invest in the Stock Market, look for undervalued companies and upcoming ideas and policies. Finally, remember that the FTSE 100 is simply akin to the ‘Odds’ quoted in a gambling situation. The only exact financial science is hindsight. Am I worried about the FTSE – Heck, no. (It never worries about me, anyway!) I might use the information to guide my Marketing/Investment, but I care more about the long term (and even a week in Finance can seem like a long time !). Enjoy yourselves, and remember that you can always put down a worry, and pick it up next week.

Staying Motivated

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remember declaring at a business event some years ago that ‘The day when only three people turn up to hear me speak is the day I’ll give up’.

You see, my work as a Business Mentor inspiring , motivating and empowering entrepreneurs has up to now all been pretty much demand lead. People have asked for my help with their businesses, and where cashflow didn’t permit them affording my one-to-one advice I created various workshops and online services at much lower price points. Creating a business based purely on customer demand is the perfect marketing scenario! But when the demand ends you know it’s time to move on. So it was particularly poignant, some months later, to be at a book signing in my home town of Chelmsford in Essex, sitting in Waterstone’s in the High Street rather disheartened - with exactly three people there! Then who should walk in but Bradley Chapman, the founder of Raw Business, with a bunch of tulips and a thank you card for me. He already had my book, ‘Business Nightmares’ which had inspired him to keep going through some turbulent times, and he’d come along to meet me and get his book signed. I took Bradley’s appearance as the ‘fourth person’ that day as a little message from God that I should keep going. Over the past five years I’ve worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs and I would say that the number one issue in business – particularly at start-up – is how to manage your motivation. Most businesses hit ‘The Pit’ at around 12 – 18 months, where all the initial energy and enthusiasm is gone, cash has dried up and it seems that nothing is flowing. It’s at this stage that most entrepreneurs give up on their business dream. But there’s a fine line between success and failure and I’ve experienced on more than one occasion how a business can completely transform – even after months of struggle – literally overnight. It’s called the Tipping Point, where suddenly all those seeds you have been planting for months and years suddenly start to come into bloom. Thus learning the technique of how to keep going despite everything is one of the most valuable qualities you can have as an entrepreneur. It will help you to survive no matter what happens. The trick is to stay positive – and to Never Say Die. Rachel Elnaugh created the market leading experiences brand Red Letter Days and also starred in the first two series of BBCTV’s Dragons’ Den. She is now a business author and an award winning Business Mentor. For details of her new low cost Online Business Mentoring service visit

www.rachelelnaugh.com

Raw Business // Issue 13

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Raw Business // Issue 13

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A VIRTUAL COMPANY ORGANISATION:

COST OR PROFIT?

ave you ever felt this sinking feeling of too much to do and not enough time? Do you take on yourself your admin, sales admin, book keeping, newsletters and other marketing activities just because you know how to do it? For a small business, outsourcing some of the support functions such as switchboard, assistant/secretary, administration, marketing, book keeping is a very effective way to increase the business productivity and ultimately profitability. As small business owners, we often underestimate the time we spend in answering phone calls, writing e-mails, preparing a marketing campaign and so on. How many of us feel regularly that there is so much we should do and are not doing? How many phone calls do we miss in a day, questions from customers we do not answer promptly, quotation we deliver late, quotation that we do not send on time?

Is outsourcing a cost or a profitable investment?

Let us take a simple scenario. A small business owner has an hourly productive rate of £100 per hour. He spend 20 per cent of his business hours time in office tasks such as sending information to prospects, arranging meetings, creating and sending invoices, following up payments, writing reports or quotes, answering customers messages because they could not reach him directly, and more. With a fifty hours week, this is 40 hours a month, costing him £100 per hour or £4000 per month in cost and lost revenues. OK, probably 20 of those hours are spent after hours so let’s work on an assumption of 20 hours per month effectively lost, or £2000.00 per month. A virtual PA/secretary, will answer the calls, qualify the prospects, arrange his meetings and manage his calendar, send information to prospects, raise invoices, and so on. At a cost of £32 per hour, she will cost him for 20 hours a month, £640.00 whilst he is busy making £2000.00 or more. The net profit £1460.00 or more. As he would speak to her in his car up to meetings, record his meeting notes while driving, etc. then he will probably use the service less than 20 hours per month. And because it is an outsource service, he has continuity of service too.

Is there other gain in outsourcing my admin and marketing services?

A few question to ask: • When my customers have my PA at the other end of the phone and not a voice mail, how do they feel about my company? • Does having somebody to send information, quotes quicker, or can arrange my meetings on the spot and transmit messages to my customers, etc. - increase my quality of customer service? • When I tell a customer to contact my PA, or my marketing team, do I look bigger and more successful? What price can you give to those benefits?

Tailored Time will bring you Return on Your Investment.

Since 2004, Tailored Time has provided small businesses with a virtual team (or shared team) of effective support services to allow business owners to be more productive, better organised and improve their business or quality of life. Our range of services span from: Telephone answering, VoIP telephone infrastructure, Virtual PA/Secretary, Virtual marketing assistant, book keeping, credit control and other services. Our customers typically use our services between 5 hours to 20 hours per month. The Tailored Time team thrive on offering our customers the best virtual (or shared) team experience possible. It is important for us that you spend some time at the outset to train your team members on your business, your culture, your standards and your expectations, so they can work for you effectively and represent you as if they were YOUR team. Some of our customers have elected to, give their team member an e-mail address of their company, added them on their website and often entrust them with very confidential information. At Tailored Time, we aim to become a true extension to your business, should it be for your day to day support, to implement your marketing or to take care of your admin, we will put the same passion in working with you.

Eric Churet, Managing Director Tailored Time Ltd 25 baseline Studios, Whitchurch road, London W11 4AT Tel: 0845 075 1044 Contact: eric@tailoredtime.com www.tailoredtime.com Raw Business // Issue 13

Peak Performance Coaching and Mentoring A FREE hour of coaching that could make a lifetime of a diﬀerence for you and your business. • Achieve your goals faster • Make the best use of all your resources • Reduce stress and ... • Get more out of life! Coaching is one of the great investments you can make to accelerate your business and personal performance. Getting the right coach for you is crucial. That’s why we oﬀer a session FREE with no obligation. It gives both you and us the opportunity to talk things through and determine whether or not we are right for each other. Call us now to book your FREE no obligation session:

David Illingworth Director and Principal Coach Tel: 01525 404141 Email: david.illingworth@chaceberry.com Skype: davidillingworth www.chaceberry.com

Raw Business // Issue 13

How to Build Self-Confidence

elf-Confidence is so important to achieving success yet it is difficult to develop confidence without having already achieved success! It is an age old chicken and egg issue. How’s your self-confidence? I was walking through our park and came across a group of skateboarders preparing to launch themselves down a steep hill. It’s years since I was on skates with the confidence to throw myself down a steep incline, let alone attempt fancy tricks. I would hesitate before even contemplating such an act. Are you in a similar place – not attempting to skateboard, but preparing to meet challenges in your business that you don’t feel that confident about? Self- Confidence is a strange thing. Without it those guys on the skateboards would probably fall and hurt themselves. But without trying they would not build the confidence to stay upright and eventually do amazing feats. So how do you develop self confidence, first to stay upright, figuratively speaking, and secondly to achieve remarkable success? It may involve some self - talk but, fundamentally, its about achieving goals and seeing success. I see 3 key steps to developing Self-Confidence – Prepare, Practice, Perform.....

2. Practice.

1. Prepare.

3. Perform.

Self-confidence comes from successfully achieving what you set out to achieve. What do you really want? I’ve never had the uncontrollable urge to throw myself down a hill on a skateboard with no brakes!! But I recognise the thrill it gives people and understand the desire. Success need’s a purpose, direction, and a goal! What do you really want to achieve? Some tips for achieving self-confidence in your purpose: • What have you already achieved? List 10 of your best achievements • Note what you achieve and review regularly. • Celebrate your achievements • Conduct a SWOT analysis and discover your strengths and weaknesses. Where will you focus your energies? • Set SMARTER goals • Monitor what you say and believe about yourself. • Don’t allow illogical negative thoughts to rule. • Find someone you admire and then spend time with them, read their books, listen to talks and model their thinking • Visualise your destination. The brain works with pictures and will watch for things to help you along the way. In building self confidence it is important to get the balance between too much and too little – realistic and unrealistic.

When you set out with a new plan you may hesitate initially and may fear failure! A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. So start! Begin with the end in mind – with small steps designed to give you success. Start with a shallow incline so you can get your balance and build self-confidence. Aim for ‘Quick Wins’. Success builds self-confidence and self-confidence builds success. But you have to do something! Tips for building Self-Confidence: • Set small achievable goals for early success. • Build knowledge and know-how. What do you need to know to get to where you want to be? How can you acquire this knowledge? • Keep to basics at first. Leave the clever stuff until you get your balance. • Manage your thinking: • Be positive • Analyse doubts • Celebrate success • Keep your vision clear – watch what you focus your mind on • Keep learning and developing relevant skills.

Now you have built your confidence and are skating without falling it’s time to aim for remarkable success! Challenge yourself and start to do the clever stuff! Tips for accelerating self-confidence and achieving remarkable success: • Keep focused on your Vision and Purpose. • Stretch yourself. Now your confidence is building reach for a little more • Plan. Know where you are going, what you are doing and why – and do it • Decide what’s important and prioritise. Do things which will achieve your vision • Celebrate successes • Keep the balance right; don’t get over confident and over stretch • Be willing to take risks and put in extra to achieve your goals • Be humble! Always be open to learn from others and from your mistakes. Now you have experience, knowledge and a growing track record of success you will have the self confidence required to succeed! Happy skateboarding!

David Illingworth

David is the principal coach at Chaceberry. He enables business people to build self-confidence and achieve success. Email: david@chaceberry.com

Raw Business // Issue 13

WELCOME

WIKANIKO – Join us today,

we need you!

Hi – my name’s Cathy Levy, and I am based just outside Bridgwater, Somerset. I currently have my own business operating as a Qualiﬁed Distributor for a young UK Company called Wikaniko, supplying eco-friendly products to friends, family and local people. It costs just £48 to join Wikaniko, that gives you a starter pack, your own web site and shop, and free online training in the comfort of your own home, plus a support team that is second to none in the work from home arena. There are at least 12 routes to market including cataloguing, fairs, etc. and you can work full-time or parttime, whichever suits your lifestyle. ****************************************************

Independent Distributor

You are paid a massive 33% on wholesale to retail income (based on a points value), giving you instant income, apart from attracting lots of other income for helping to build a team of people if you so wish (you will be shown how to do that very simply). You can also take part in the unique stamp reward scheme, where you can earn even more on products, etc. A bit like having shares in a company. Your stamps become more valuable as you progress. As a matter of interest nobody at Wikaniko HQ gets paid a fat salary. The people who run the show are all distributors themselves, and it is all done through a brilliant method called Co-operative marketing, where you and the others that are working the business help to run the business and get all the rewards. **************************************************************************

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Statutory Warning – It is illegal for a promoter or a participant in a trading scheme to persuade anyone to make a payment by promising beneﬁts from getting others to join the scheme. Do not be misled by claims that high earnings are easily achieved.

Raw Business // Issue 13

RAW ONLINE

RAW Features T

he Raw Business Network offers many different features and over the coming months, we’ll be looking at some of them. Raw Business Features allow you to expand upon your profile on the network and talk about how your products and services can solve a problem or help other Raw Members. A Feature should be seen in a wider context than just an advert for your business with the emphasis being on a business story or topic that relates to your product. For example, if you are a company involved in executive travel such as private hire cars of chauffeurs, you could talk about the Department for Transport’s forecast that rail fares are expected to rise by 8% in 2011 (this increase is based on July’s RPI measure expected to be 5% which could result in increases of 8%). This could then lead you onto talk about the pros of using a service such as yours and how the net cost could be minimal. Basically, it is a way of gaining exposure on the network whilst showing that you are well versed and up to date in your area of business and can see the needs and problems facing the other members of the network. Currently, the Features section of the website is one of our most popular tools with many members choosing this medium to better promote their products and services. Creating a feature is quick and easy and is done through the ‘My Company’ section within your Raw profile. You can set your feature to be either public or private. A private feature is viewable by registered Raw Business Members only whilst the public version is fully optimised for Google and other search engines. Using the public feature allows you to add links from your website to other online exposure you may have and be safe in the knowledge that your feature is there for all and sundry to read, learn from and be tempted by your products. Within your feature you can add images, video, links and fully format the text to give your feature a great professional look and by adding media you can give your reader a real insight into your business. Features can run for period of three, six or twelve months and do come at a cost, but the exposure and in bound enquiries they can generate make the cost quickly redeemable. If you feel that a feature would suit your business and you would like to benefit from this one of our many available tools, contact one of the Raw team on 0845 468 5000 or email enquiries@rawbusiness.com

In the next issue of Raw Business Magazine, we will be looking more closely at the online banner advertisements available on the network. Raw Business // Issue 13

Matt Birch Pictures is the Head Photographer for Raw Business

att Birch Pictures works in association with Racer Ready and Impulse Racing for winter sports photography. Some of Matt Birch Pictures clients include: Raw Business, Pimlico Plumbers, Caprice, Jacqueline Gold,David Gold, Richard Farley Emma Whimhurst, Racer Ready, Impulse Racing, Telecoms World, UK Business Opportunity Review, iBridge.co.uk. Matt also does work for very worthwhile charities; Mission Croatia Assin Endwa Trust Matt Birch Pictures is a professional photography service, with the ability to work in all situations and available for hire. Matt Birch has experience in all areas of photography, including sports both summer and winter, weddings, and portrait photography, studio and outdoor. I am available for both short and long term photo assignments and for hire for private occasions as well as business and public events.

If you are looking for a friendly professional service please get in touch. e-mail: contact@mattbirchpictures.com

Raw Business // Issue 13

MCCIT, IT SUPPORT

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CCIT, a local IT Support company based in Pulborough but with clients globally has been trading for over 5 years. With experience gained with Virgin Atlantic, IBM, Amex and medical companies such as Systagenix Wound Management, MCCIT offers corporate solutions to the smaller business. More recently partnerships have been struck up with world hosting solutions providers so that we can bring you corporate email and hosting at a fraction of the normal cost. The days of splashing out several thousands of pounds on a server just to host your Microsoft Exchange email are now gone. You can have Microsoft Exchange at a fraction of the cost of maintaining a sever! with pop email, an email solution provided by your hosting company, you run the risk of losing all your email if your computer stops working. With our email system, you will never lose your email because its all backed up on our servers. Many smaller businesses think that because they have a few people working for them, that they need to budget for a server. We believe that with today’s technology there is no need to have your own server in your office gathering dust. Combined with the cost of running and maintaining a server, a hosted solution is a better, safer and most cost effective. At the heart of our business and without question, the reason that we do so well is that our customer service is second to none. We are totally committed to ensuring great customer service and fanatical IT Support. So whether it is IT Support for your day to day computer problems, offsite backup solutions, hosted email or hosted server call us first. The Old School, Stane Street, North Heath, Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 1DJ 0845 652 1945 www.mccit.co.uk

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This is a business opportunity!

We are looking for people with bags of personality, love meeting people, have a passion for customer service and know just a little about using a computer, then we can promise you this: • IT and hosting products that are second to none • A commission structure that is fair and above board • Product training • Ongoing monthly commissions • Ongoing training • Long term prospects • Lots of FUN! We would like to give you the opportunity to start your own business selling our products to businesses in your exclusive area. This is a ground floor opportunity so the more we grow, the more you grow.

0845 652 1945 or visit www.mccit.co.uk Raw Business // Issue 13

EMERGENCY BUDGET

AFFECTS US ALL

t was dubbed the “Austerity Budget” – a series of robust economic measures described by Chancellor George Osborne as “tough but fair” as he seeks to reduce the national deficit.

Delivering his Emergency Budget, the Chancellor observed that “everyone in our society has had to make a contribution.” The hard-hitting package of tax rises and cuts he announced led one national newspaper to describe it as the toughest budget for nearly a century (Source: Telegraph, 23/06/10). But it could have been worse. Before the Budget, there had been fears that Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on non-business assets could increase from 18% to 40% or even 50%. As it was, a new top rate of 28% for higher rate taxpayers was announced, while the annual exemption will stay at £10,100 for this year. For basic rate taxpayers, CGT will remain at 18%. For business owners, there was the welcome news that entrepreneurs’ relief at 10% on CGT will be retained, and is extended from the previous limit of £2m to the first £5m of lifetime gains. CGT was introduced 45 years ago as a measure to prevent people avoiding paying income tax and is a tax paid on any profits when an asset is sold. For some individuals, the latest changes to CGT will increase opportunities for tax planning. For example, the opportunity exists to transfer assets between spouses to benefit from the differential tax rates. Turning to pensions, the Chancellor announced a review of the complex provisions tabled by the previous administration. These provisions would have limited higher rate tax relief for people with income over £130,000 from April 2011, but the review will consider whether a different approach, such as a reduced annual allowance, could be simpler and raise similar revenues. In another change to pensions, the Government announced that, from April 2011, it would abolish the current rules that effectively oblige people to buy annuities with their pension funds when they reach age 75. A consultation will take place on the final rules and, in the meantime, transitional rules have been introduced for anyone reaching age 75 on or after 22 June 2010. Additionally, a restoration of the pension earnings link means the state pension will be increased each year from April 2011

Raw Business // Issue 13

by whichever is the highest out of earnings, prices measured by consumer price inflation, or 2.5%. Nothing announced in the Budget about pensions, however, lessens the critical need for people to continue to invest and plan carefully for their retirement. People who do not build up enough run the risk of outliving their savings and therefore need to determine how much they are going to need to save, understand the cost of delaying, and quickly commit to a plan of action. Other key measures announced by the Chancellor included the standard rate of VAT increasing to 20% from 4 January next year, an increase in personal allowance for basic rate taxpayers of £1,000 and a freezing of the higher rate threshold until 2013/14. In addition, annual reductions in Corporation Tax to 24% by 2014/15, and a reduction in the Smaller Companies Corporation Tax rate to 20% from April next year were announced in a bid to help recovery from the recession. It was also confirmed that the Inheritance Tax (IHT) threshold is frozen at £325,000 until 2014/15. This gives people the reassurance that they can conduct their estate planning requirements with greater certainty than might have been the case, and may provide them with further scope for lifetime gifting through such routes as discretionary trusts. For those people who have created more capital, or who earn higher incomes than average, financial planning is more complex and off-the-shelf solutions by no means meet everyone’s needs. The various issues raised in the Emergency Budget as they affect higher earners make the need for specialist wealth management advice vitally important, as very few people have the expertise or time to stay on top of it all. A personal wealth management service with a specialist explaining the issues, looking at individual circumstances and long-term aims and proposing bespoke solutions, is central to helping higher earners remain as tax efficient as possible and carefully plan their financial futures. To receive a free guide covering Wealth Management, Retirement Planning or Inheritance Tax Planning, produced by St. James’s Place Wealth Management, contact Ian Morgan, Partner of the St. James’s Place Partnership on 0845 094 2732, by email ian. morgan@sjpp.co.uk or visit www.ianmorgan.co.uk

ST james’s place

INVESTMENT MARKETS – WHERE SHOULD INVESTORS BE LOOKING NOW?

nvestors’ finances have been in a state of uncertain flux ever since the Government bailed out Northern Rock in 2007.

The subsequent banking and global economic crisis left consumers wondering whether they should sell equities and invest in safer havens such as cash, gold or gilts. Britain may well be officially out of recession but the outlook is as uncertain today as it was three years ago. Will the UK economy suffer a doubledip? Will the sovereign debt crisis spread across the Channel? Will shares fall further? Up until a couple of months ago investors probably thought they were out of the woods given the stock market’s year long revival. But the sovereign debt crisis has put a spanner in the works and share prices have fallen since mid-April. Many investors, already wondering whether there is worse to come, would not have even countered the biggest oil spill in US history and the collapse in BP’s share price as a result. At least the Coalition’s swift announcement of spending cuts in May gave some much-needed respite to the gilt market, which endured a terrible period in the run-up to the General Election. The gilt market is still volatile and this will have ramifications for bond markets which make it ever more important to consider a diverse approach to fixed interest, where opportunities for reasonable returns still exist in both investment grade and noninvestment grade. Understandably, many investors are in a cautious mood and they have been looking at traditional safe haven shares such as pharmaceuticals, tobacco, food retailers and telecoms. The added benefit is that many such shares offer the carrot of dividend payments too. Dividends are a crucial part of total return and the good news is that the prospects for dividends have improved this year after a poor 2009, which saw many companies scrap or reduce their annual payout. With clouds still hovering over the UK economy, FTSE stocks that derive a significant chunk of their earnings from overseas have also been getting attention from investors and it is why bluechip defensives have started to win favour.

has overheated – values have increased sharply in the past five years sparking fears of a correction. The key, fund managers say, is whether Government intervention to stabilise the property market will work. Many managers remain optimistic that this will be the case and say that its long-term prospects remain as strong as ever. All the uncertainty has played into gold’s hands. It has been one of the undoubted investment winners of the past three years. Its price has doubled and has sat above the $1,000/oz level for some time now, as risk averse investors have hunted down safe assets. Gold advocates argue that the fundamentals support the gold price but given its performance some wonder whether the easy money has been made. There are an increasingly wide range of ways available to investors wanting to gain exposure to gold price movements including commodity-based exchange traded funds and investment funds. No one can predict what will happen – as the BP saga starkly illustrates - and many suggest the best way to avoid boom-andbust cycles is to make objective investment decisions that ignore fashions. The advice more often than not is not to panic. There is the well-trodden argument that “it’s about the time in the market, not out of it that counts’’. It is an argument that makes sense, but it can seem flippant when it comes to the prospect of losing your hard-earned cash. If you haven’t already, it would be well worth reviewing your holdings to see if you are overexposed to any asset class or classes. Diversification across different assets and getting the balance right are vital. After all, many people don’t appreciate the risk they are taking when stock markets are going up. They only become aware of risk when markets are going down and subsequently sell out – and all too often - at entirely the wrong time. To receive a free guide covering Wealth Management, Retirement Planning or Inheritance Tax Planning, produced by St. James’s Place Wealth Management, contact Ian Morgan, Partner of the St. James’s Place Partnership on 0845 094 2732, by email ian. morgan@sjpp.co.uk or visit www.ianmorgan.co.uk

On the international front, China continues to heavily influence the performance of global markets. Certainly investors who bought the China story early will have seen decent returns; the question they might be asking themselves is whether they should be taking some profits and redirecting them elsewhere. The reason? Several analysts fear that China’s property market Raw Business // Issue 13

Keith Musto By Tom Mapes

From being an Olympic Medallist, to building a brand which is now synonymous with sailing around the world, Keith Musto has developed Musto Clothing from an idea to one of the UKs most well known companies with 2 Royal Warrants under his belt, the pictures of Ellen MacArthur returning from her round the world trip sporting Musto and the fact that his clothing is that of choice for the RNLI. I had the pleasure of meeting Keith at his home overlooking the Quay at Burnham-on-Crouch, the town that helped start Keith on his journey…

What was your childhood like? How did you get into sailing?

Well, I was evacuated from Benfleet in Essex during the war when I was about 5 and I was taught to swim using a lifebelt attached to a crane and I enjoyed the water. After the war when we came home, I joined the sea scouts and I learnt to sail. The first boat I owned was a little flat bottom, homemade, 10ft dinghy with blackout material for sails. My father, seeing how obsessed I was, helped me get 13 foot dinghy which I raced in handicap races. I moved onto one of the National Classes and it went on from there. My father got very exasperated one day, which was rare for him, and said “You’ve got to stop messing around in boats and pay attention to your education. You’ll never make a living out of boats.” Luckily I proved him wrong.

How did you go from that to the Olympics?

Erm, because we did quite well in National Class. One of the local guys at Thames Estuary Yacht Club very kindly leant us a new Single Handed Olympic Class in 1958. Thinking about it, going farther back, what made me think of the Olympics was the Yachting World Cadets. The founder of that program, Group Captain Haylock, stood up and addressed us little lads and said “You’re the future of British sailing; you could win Olympic medals.” You hear a comment from someone every now and again and it sticks doesn’t it. My headmaster, in a fit of anger, once said “If you’re going to do something, do it properly or don’t do it at all” and that is a philosophy that I’ve tried to follow. Captain Haylock sowed the seeds about the Olympics.

Raw Business // Issue 13

That gave you a feel for the challenge which I liked. Money has never interested me but challenges have. I tried to convince other sailors that they should try the Olympics because we obviously had the talent but no one was thinking about it. I convinced someone I knew, Tony Morgan, to buy a second hand Flying Dutchman, a two handed class who then said “Well, you got me into this, you’d better come and help me out.” We had sailed together quite successfully on two or three occasions so we got involved in that class and went on from there. When you say quite well, you got a Silver Medal in Tokyo in 1964… Yes. Erm, you don’t think about silver. Your goal was the gold! I was two and a half stone light which gave us a handicap so we went to the local gym and told the instructor our goals. We got slammed for taking it so seriously on the physical side because it was considered unsporting in a way but he gave us what would now be seen as a circuit training program and said that if we did that every day before the Olympics, we’d win. He wasn’t quite right but that was our fault, not his!

In 1965 you started up with Eddie Hyde and formed Musto & Hyde Sails. Was that a natural progression or something that happened?

Mechanical Engineering is my background and I have always been interested in sail shape because that’s your motor. I’d spend hours looking at sail shapes, both ashore and afloat, trying to understand the sail in different conditions. I couldn’t see a great deal of future with

the company I was in and I wanted to do my own thing. Eddie had come down from Uni and enjoyed making the sails. We had worked together in ‘63-‘64 trying to develop sails so it was natural really. We didn’t have any money but for £100 you could buy an old machine and some material and start something. We were very very lucky. I had a neighbour who was a bank manager. I had always kept my boat in his garden and when the Olympics happened, he bought half of the boat we had to buy to use. I went to him and told him our business and that i needed £1,000. He said no, you need £1,500. It was the days of the old bank manager where they trusted the person and he arranged a £1,500 unsecured overdraft which was a lot of money in 1965. He actually died the other week aged 93. I kept in touch with him regularly. I learnt a lot from him personally and am very grateful for the trust he put in us. He could never quite work out how we become half successful! We weren’t silly but not really bright. I said to my father one day that I wasn’t academic and that I was struggling at school and he said that being academic wasn’t everything and that I was practical. I think that’s important; common sense and a little bit of thought takes you a long way.

You said that when one objective comes to an end, you start to look for something new. Was that why you started to branch out on your own away from Eddie? Eddie was very interested in sail shape but the problem with getting involved

INTERViEW KEITH MUSTO in the marine trade is that you lose your sport because you’re looking after your customer. I realise that the clothes we were wearing were old cast off sweaters and bits like that and in the winter, you had to put so much on your ability to move around the boat was virtually gone. I was conscious of the problem in ’63 and spoke to a couple of manufacturers about it but no one seemed interested. It was at a time when, in my view, Britain was very arrogant; everything was going well and would continue like that. I didn’t know how to make clothing but I could see what was needed and the competitors could make clothing but couldn’t see what their customers wanted. I knew I could learn how to make clothing quicker than they could learn what their customers wanted so we started very quietly, starting off with making what I wanted. Once I realised the picture, I took a sheet of paper and thought right, what is this sport: I split it up into dinghy, inshore, coastal, offshore and ocean and then designed for each category. It was a common sense engineering type approach. As well as that I looked very closely at how to be the last into the changing room and the first out, where you’ve got less to wash on a Sunday night and less to buy, how it would handle a range of temperatures and a range of water states. I came up with the ‘three layer system’. Polypropylene was a new fabric at the time which I used for the underwear, it was just a case of getting the thickness right, the insulate layer was a fibre and then the outer shell which was the waterproof. We struggled to get the message across to people. They were looking to keep the water out and we were trying to tell them that the three layer system was the complete solution. We preached that for years and it is now the standard. It was common sense and

it was logical and made sense that everyone else picked it up.

You had competitors when you started out. Why do you think that they weren’t looking for the new materials and new ways of doing things?

I’ve no idea! We were very lucky. I went to other manufacturers before I starting making it but they weren’t interested, so I made it myself. In those days, everything was very basic so if you scratched your head, you could think of a solution. Problems are the most interesting part of a job. Firstly identifying a problem is not a handicap, it’s an asset because once you found a problem, you can reform it.

Do you think you had a brand through your Olympic achievements that helped you at all?

Erm, I don’t know. The advertising director at Yachts and Yachting Magazine said when we had just come back from the Olympics “Well, your name is hot today but everybody will have forgotten it in two months time” and I think that’s absolutely right. If you stopped and asked people in the street the name of the girl who won Gold in the Skeleton Bobsleigh In this year's Winter Olympics or gave them the name and asked what she did, I don’t think there are many people who could tell you. When we lived in Benfleet, we had a long white wall and just after the Olympics I got the medal, took the ribbon off, put it on the wall, called my wife and said “That’s somewhere we can put the medal” she said don’t be ridiculous. Actually, in my mind, that medal

represents one moment in my life and not to live too long in that otherwise you are living a history that no one is interested in. It probably did help but if you haven’t got the right product, no one is going to be interested no matter who you are and in fact, you can probably do more damage.

So now that you’ve made quite a few breakthrough products over the years, do you feel as if you’ve accomplished what you set out to do? Royal Warrants, the RNLI using Musto…?

No because at the start, I didn’t think about what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to make good products and the proudest moment to me was opening the Sunday Times one morning and on the front page was a picture of the Queen watching the Duke of Edinburgh Carriage Racing one day and there she was wearing our Cortex Highland Jacket, and the label was showing! It wasn’t the fact that the label was showing but rather that the Queen had chosen to wear something that I had made. That was a tremendous pleasure and what I still class as my proudest moment. We have been lucky to have a great association with the Royal Family. We have done a lot quietly with Princess Anne and her daughter Zara Philips is now supported by the company. Where did I see the company going? I didn’t know where it was going. I just saw an opportunity and tomorrow there will be another one and it gradually goes on. Rather like going back to the medal on the wall, I don’t think about the success I’ve achieved, I think about the next challenge. I’ve dropped out of it now but the vision of where it could go is there which is

Keith Musto on the flying dutchman that won silver at the 1964 Olympic games.

Raw Business // Issue 13

why we changed things around a bit. The challenge is, can the team do it?

Why did you make the decision to take a step back and retire?

I think it’s important that you understand your limits. If you don’t and you carry on, you become less and less effective and it drags everyone down. It’s not fair on the team; you’ve got to let other people step up and take it forward. I reached a point where I couldn’t see how to take it forward and it was time to shake it up and try to regenerate that potential.

Looking back, have there been any moments when you’ve reached an obstacle and thought, this has gone further than I though and maybe it’s gone too far?

No because the sky is the limit. The interesting challenge for me was when I was obliged to simply take on the role of MD. The concentration then was on building the engine room of the business and making sure that ticked properly. Sometimes I’ve regretted the fact that I was so involved with the organisation that I had to forgo what I really enjoyed and that is coming up with ideas. People forget what you’ve done and think; oh you’re an engine room man. They forget that you did have vision and you did have ideas that lots of people liked. People only see you doing a job that day; they don’t look at the big picture and think how you got there.

Is your brain still thinking of those new ideas, are you still looking even though you’re not directly involved anymore?

Work wise within Musto, no. You’re either in or you’re out. If you try to paddle you just frustrate yourself. I’ve been involved with a couple of companies, just trying to help them commercially. I don’t have any financial interest in them, I just enjoy it. They have outstanding ideas and I just try to help these young guys. I’m doing the same again at the moment with another company. The first one was marine electronics with a wireless program; wires are the biggest problem on boats because of the corrosion, and the other one is again, something totally different, and that’s footwear but very specialised, competition footwear. They both could go a long long way.

Would you class yourself as an entrepreneur?

Not really. I’m just an ordinary guy in the street. Money has never interested me, I enjoy boats and the fact is that the parallel

Raw Business // Issue 13

between sailing and business is identical; it’s just straight forward common sense in each case. It’s team building too; if you want success around you, you need the right people around you. You rely on them to make the whole thing move forward. It takes years to come from an overdraft and nothing else, to the point where you can gamble on something and can afford to take a risk on an idea. The rest of the time you’re watching every penny and can’t afford to misspend something. Entrepreneur is a name that other people use, not one that I use. I have just been lucky enough to have had an idea and have enjoyed doing it and again, challenge is important to me, whether it’s a competitor on a racecourse or an idea.

Did you reach the stage where you could gamble when you branched out in to the equestrian and shooting markets? No, that was a must actually. I spent so much time on the sailing, the three layer system and getting the designs right for each category of sailor, it dawned on me that the sailing season is a very short one. The selling season is roughly March through to May with a bit in September and a bit of a surge at Christmas.

Manufacturing wise, you can’t make enough on your own machines in these months and you haven’t got enough to make in the rest so what could we do to fill in the other months? My daughter started going to a pony club and I saw people who were getting wet and so on and thought, hang on, that used to be us; there’s a market here. Then we looked at the seasons and they were very complimentary to those of sailing and it covered 9 months of the year anyway. It also got us out into the country. It was pure luck.

Have you got any pearls of wisdom to share with our members if someone has an idea or they have seen a gap?

I think what my headmaster told us in assembly is the most important message that I’ve ever heard and that's if you're going to do something, do it properly or not at all. That has always stuck in my head. The other thing which I have seen people in the company do is that they have a job and an idea crosses their horizon which is outside of what they are doing but they follow that idea with great enthusiasm

and don’t pay attention to what they were doing. Don’t be greedy. You see a lot of people that chase a lot of ideas but don’t complete any of them.

Musto is synonymous with sailing and being on a boat…

It is but there is a story behind that. Years ago when we started looking at equestrian, shooting and lifestyle, I looked at a company that provided mountaineering clothing and spread out from there. The people that followed them were no longer interested in the brand and when you looked at the catalogue they showed their whole range. People had gone away from them because their customers thought that they were not interested in their sport anymore. This caused me to make separate catalogues for sailing, equestrian, shooting and lifestyle. A lot of people didn’t know that we had anything to do with equestrian because they never saw the catalogue. That was absolutely the objective.

Your son is now MD of Musto, was that always the plan?

No. When he went to leave school, I vaguely heard that he was going “to work for the old man”! I sat him down and told him to go and get lost, see the world and get experience and if at a future date there was an opportunity within the company, he can go for interview. When that came up we were looking to launch the lifestyle range. He had reasonable experience and he said what you want is an exciting, enthusiastic young man and I said no, what I want is experience. I asked the other Directors to do the interview and I kept out of it. They thought it was a good idea so he joined us when he was 25. He has been with Musto a long time, knows it and has got his own ideas which leave mine miles behind!

If there was another area that you would like to go into next, what would it be?

I wouldn’t. I’d concentrate on what we have got. We are in a very strong position within sailing and the equestrian and shooting ranges have great potential and would also open up the country market for us. When I’d sorted that little lot out, I could look for more!

Keith, thank you for your time, your openness and the opportunity to chat over a cup of tea. I wish you every happiness in your retirement and hope that Musto continues to go from strength to strength.

Internet printing firm

s s e n i s u b s double in recession by giving away

its prod

uct!

rintRepublic a 40-year-old Buckinghamshire company has doubled its business during the toughest recession in modern times – by giving away £100,000 of its products, totally free. Print Republic has given away thousands of free business cards to companies across Britain. And it’s now offering RAW Business readers their own free cards at www.PrintRepublic.co.uk Stefan Boyle runs Print Republic, which was set up by his father Brian in 1970. He said: “People think I am lying when I say we have doubled the size of our business during the last 12 months. But we really have. My staff are working flat out day after day happy that their jobs are very safe. “What with the tail end of the recession and the general state of the economy many businesses are really struggling right now. “Print Republic is my family’s business. I’ve been involved with it since 1986, when I was just 16 years old, so I’ve been through a recession before. “And I knew that it was going to be really tough just to survive, let alone grow the business. So we hit upon a brilliant new marketing strategy that has made a real difference.” At the company’s website www.PrintRepublic.co.uk any business can get 100 business cards totally free. Hundreds of different companies from around the UK go there every day to get their free cards. Stefan said: “Yes the cards cost us money to print, but this is a really efficient way for us to meet new clients. Many businesses order their free

cards, then phone us up and ask us to do other printing for them.” He added: “Print Republic isn’t just surviving the tough economy. We are growing the business as well as securing jobs. Plus, by giving cards away we are helping thousands of other businesses get extra business for themselves.” We have always thrived on giving great customer service and now we are primarily an internet business, we set ourselves apart by offering the benefits of the online automation but still maintaining a personal service that our clients love. Once clients order their free business cards, many come back for graphic design, web design, leaflets, flyers, brochures and many of the other services we offer. We really see ourselves as an extension of our client's marketing departments and work both in partnership and also in an advisory role where required. Many clients want help with getting a better return on their marketing as budgets have been squeezed over the past couple of years. We work with clients to understand their objectives and to design and print their marketing collateral to ensure the best response possible. This even extends to the most simple of marketing tools, the business cards. How many times have you been given a business card that is poor quality but also adds no value and just wastes space. We see this as a massive wasted opportunity, as a business card should be used not just to pass over contact information but to be used as a marketing tool and promote your business. For example, we encourage clients to put a testimonial on the back or maybe their USP. We even have clients putting special offers and really use the cards like mini flyers which is obviously a really cost effective form of marketing, especially as our cards are free! RAW Business Readers can benefit with a 10% Discount on all of PrintRepublic’s services by using Discount Code RAWBIZ1. To get your free luxury business cards, click onto www. printrepublic.co.uk or call us on 01494 724 552 Raw Business // Issue 13

Raw Business Ltd brings you, the reader, existing members and new businesses the opportunity to really make a difference that no other networking facilty has.

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Raw Columnist on Wri ar

t• Sh igh

on Wr ar

Considering Exporting your Product.

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f you are in the privileged position of being able to sell your product internationally there will be considerations and choices to make. These considerations need to be made in the very early stages of taking your product to market for your own protection. With my product “Magnamole” I needed to register my patent in all the countries I wanted to export into. International patent registration had to be applied for within eighteen months of initial application. It would never have been feasible for me to register the patent into every single country I was intending to sell into, so this in itself needs to be strategically planned. Patent insurance can also be extremely expensive, but remember to specify which countries you require coverage. When is the right time to export your product? From personal experience I would suggest you include your plan to export from day one. I wanted to create interest for potential distribution outlets after proving what I had achieved here in the UK. I decided on three key areas, A)Direct to blue chip companies, using my product on a regular basis, as six sigma results showed a potential saving to Openreach of £6.5 million pounds/year. With the economic climate as it is, the product savings instantly came off their bottom line. B)Next was the professional market using various distribution outlets extended to complete national coverage, including N.I.C.E.I.C, CEF, Maplins, Get plc and many more. C)And finally, into the homebuyers market. This door has recently been opened to me and the product will now sit on the shelves in B&Q as of Aug and I’m sure many others will follow. My plan was to smash all these markets in this order and then press the button with individual countries taking the product global. This has definitely proven to be the right path to take for my product as it’s more appealing to countries when you do have history to support your strategy. All your hard work in this country will effectively set the precedent for rolling the product out, so my advice would be keep your business close to home, saturate the market and don’t run before you can walk. Always aim for the rocket in the sky and never the aeroplane, think big and you’ll be big. Good Luck! Follow me on Twitter sharon_wright and Facebook sharonwright.talpa@hotmail.co.uk

Raw Business // Issue 13

chinese art

ChineseArtsCabin – Price-friendly Chinese Artworks Supplier

Since China opened its door to the world three decades ago, “made-in-China” has become very popular abroad. Meanwhile, an increasing number of people from other cultural worlds want to learn more about China and Chinese culture today.

t is safe to say that Chinese art, as a universal language, provides one of the best ways of learning about China and Chinese culture. Traditional Chinese painting and strokes of calligraphy are rather beautiful and expressive of Chinese cultural meanings. There is no exaggeration of considering them to be “ambassadors” of Chinese culture. As a private business, ChineseArtsCabin would love to offer a wide range of Chinese artistic products, such as scrolls of Chinese painting and calligraphy and many other hand-made crafts, at prices so friendly that people can afford them easily. In the front of an artwork, you may have your own way of appreciation. However, behind the artwork, there may be fascinating cultural meanings that you may not know. Therefore, we will further offer excellent “educational consultancy” of Chinese art and philosophy either for free or at a reasonable price. Accordingly, our customers will not only have a good taste of Chinese art but a good understanding of Chinese culture beyond.

Product description

All products from ChineseArtsCabin are hand-made artworks either by professional artists from cultural cities in the south of China or folk artists from other parts of China. We can take individual orders, for example customer-tailored paintings or calligraphies, stone seals (hand-made stamps) etc. We will also provide our customers with a book entitled Chinese Histories of Art and Philosophy at a very friendly price in the future. There will be a catalogue of products with introductions of our artists. Every product will be sold with a handbook that briefly introduces Chinese art. Meanwhile, it can be sold either with a simple free package or in an exquisite box for an extra payment.

Water-ink paintings: 5-6 feet, £10-30 in wholesale (also negotiable), £20-40 in retail Calligraphic scroll: 5-6 feet, £8-20 in wholesale (also negotiable), £15-30 in retail Stone Stamp: 2 inches – 4 inches, £10-30 negotiable prices There are a range of other products available. Any enquiry is welcome. The price of any product above includes a simple package and a handbook. An exquisite package showed in the picture may cost an extra £3 to £5. Contact: Bin Jia UK: 0044(0)7595582552; China: 0086(0)5703310230 or 008613082882598 Email: calligraphy_cabin@163.com Raw Business // Issue 13

Outside the Box – SME Telecoms

6 Tips

to Help Business Owners Get the Most Out of Their Phones With the pace at which technology changes these days it can be difficult to keep up with what’s going on, but as a business owner, you need to be well equipped with technology that can give you the competitive edge over your competitors. So here are 6 tips on how to use telecommunication technology to help your business succeed: 1. How To Get Started with VoIP

VoIP is a technology that carries telephone conversations over a data network and for most people that means over your broadband connection. So for a good experience with VoIP you will need 1) a good Internet connection and 2) a good service provider. First, check whether your current broadband will be sufficient. For that you can use pingtest.net and speedtest.net. Pingtest will rate your broadband on a scale from A to F with A being excellent and F being very poor. If your rating is A or B then you should be able to get good quality VoIP calls. Speedtest will give you an indication of how much bandwidth you have available. Essentially what you are interested in is upload speeds, because VoIP will typically send the exact same amount of data upstream as it would downstream. Run these tests a couple of times during the day including at very quiet and very busy times and it should give you a good idea of the quality of your broadband. Secondly, find a good Business Voip Provider and look at their Hosted VoIP products. This means that you simply need to get your VoIP handsets and connect to their platform over your broadband connection with no need to install any other equipment in your offices.

2. How To Keep Your Existing Telephone Number Most businesses face the challenge of keeping their phone number when they move offices. This happens when your new offices are not serviced by your current BT exchange and so the only option on traditional telephone lines is to either pay high fees to continue to receive calls on your number, or to change your number completely – usually both happens. There is a better way and that is to port your number over to your VoIP provider. This works in the same way as porting your mobile phone number when you switch mobile phone providers. Normally this takes about 7 – 30 days to complete depending on a number of factors. The good news is that you can continue to receive calls as normal during the lead time so you are not without service during the porting process. Being on a VoIP network means that no matter where in the

Raw Business // Issue 13

world you move your offices to, you can still continue to receive calls on your original phone number without incurring any high call forwarding charges.

3. How To Get a Free Enterprise Telephone System

If you have a geeky streak in you and a spare server or even high end PC sitting around, you can install the very popular Asterisk Communications server software without spending a penny. Asterisk comes in a variety of flavours with AsteriskNow and TrixBox CE being of the more popular ones. An added bonus is that it is open sourced so you can download and install it for free. Here’s what you need to do: 1) Download the ISO file from either asterisknow.org or trixbox. org and burn it to a CD. 2) Boot your spare PC from the CD you have burned and go through the installation process. 3) Download a free softphone (X-Lite) which you can install on your computer to use as a telephone. 4) Order a SIP trunk from your VoIP provider to connect to your Asterisk server to allow you to make and receive calls from normal telephones. 5) Configure your Asterisk installation to use the SIP trunk with the login details provided 6) By investing in an ISDN card you can also connect your Asterisk server to your ISDN2 / ISDN30 lines and use that to route your calls From there you can build and add functionality such as call queues, auto attendants, conference rooms, etc – all without spending a penny.

4. How To Choose the Right Numbers for Your Business

If you are setting up a new business or need to add or change the phone numbers you have allocated, it may be worth having a think about which number would be best. So here is a quick guide to the most common ranges: Of course, there is nothing stopping you from using a mixture of numbers so you can advertise a relevant number depending on the target audience.

GENZEEVOICE - TELECOMS CONSULTANTS Number Range

Pros

Cons

Geographical (e.g. 020)

Well known, says where you are based and the cheaper option to call for most callers

It is location based and not ideal if you are looking for a nationwide customer base

0800

Free to call from landlines

Most mobile networks will charge for these calls plus you pay to receive them

0845

National number usually perceived as not too expensive to call

Most mobile networks will charge for these calls and may put off mobile callers

087x

Useful to generate revenue on inbound calls (except for 0870)

Regulated numbers which means you need to register with PhonePayPlus and have many rules to follow

033

National Feel and best of all – must be included with inclusive call packages and discount schemes in the same way as Geographical numbers (i.e. very mobile friendly)

Not well known and most callers may be sceptical of calling a number range they’ve never seen before.

International (E.g. Spain, USA, etc)

Allows your customers abroad to phone a local number, making your business much more accessible in foreign countries

Some countries have strict rules on number allocation so don’t be surprised if you need to supply a copy of your passport and other documentation when ordering your number

5. How To Track Responses to Your Ads

The most common way to find out which of your ads customers have responded to is to ask them when they phone. This is a bit of a fiddly and unreliable method. There is a better way and that is by using different phone numbers for customers to dial in each ad. So here’s what you do: 1) Ensure you have a range of spare telephone numbers that you can use. 0844 numbers work well because you can normally get these for free. 2) Make sure these numbers all route to your sales team 3) Use a different number from this range for each of your ads that you place, i.e. in the yellow pages you have one number and on your website you have a different number. 4) Depending on your telephone system (or provider in the case of non-Geographical numbers) you can then simply generate reports every day to check which numbers received calls and you’ll know which advert generated the most responses. 5) Even better, most VoIP systems will allow you to add a text field to the Caller ID, so you can display the name of the Advert on your phone before you answer the call. E.g. a. Customer calls the number advertised on your website from his mobile b. The CallerID on your phone shows: Website <077xxxxxxxx> This way you have both the number of the caller and details of the number they called in one glance! 6) Look at your reports and make sure you spend more money on those that generate results, and not on those that don’t!

6. How To Increase Responses to Your Marketing with SMS

customers. Here are a few ways you can use Text Messaging to improve communication with your customers: Text Marketing messages are read by 98% of recipients and a 15% response rate according to the MMA so it is a much more effective method than email or direct marketing Giving your target audience an option to contact you by text can increase responses to your advertising by 20% 66% of customers want to receive SMS alerts (order updates, special promos, etc) from businesses they deal with according to research, so send your customers a text when their order is dispatched, or when you run a special promo Be careful of cheap & cheerful SMS providers – they often use low quality networks to route their messages which means your text could arrive 4 hours late, or worse, at 3am.

More Information Visit us at: http://www.genzeevoice.com/raw13 Call us on 0844 484 9384, or Text 6TIPS to 88802 GenzeeVoice is a Business VoIP Provider specialising in Flexible, Cost Effective Telecoms solutions for Small and Medium Businesses. We can help you with a Telecoms solution that will fit in with your business and not the other way around.

Text Messaging is a great way to stay in touch with your

Raw Business // Issue 13

Stewart Business Services

Your Virtual Office ! No more trying to keep up with the backlog of paperwork No more worries about the accounts being completed on time No more concerns if you have the correct Employment Procedures No more trying to balance the books, budget and chase debts Basically, Anything you would require from your own office - we can assist. From Book-keeping through to Year end Accounts and Tax Returns Pay roll, VAT, CIS and other monthly returns HR work – contracts of employment, rules

and regulations etc.. Secretarial and PA work – invoicing, typing quotes, mail shots etc.. We can do it all and you don’t even need a desk for us- and what’s more – our rates are kept low and our advice is FREE We work from our own offices completing just the amount of work required, as and when you require it. No having to pay permanent staff, or trying to take on all the work yourself. Quick collection and return of paperwork available. Documents emailed as and when required, or posted to you or direct to your clients

For full details of our services visit www.businessessex.com Tel: 01268 649022 weekdays 8am to 9 pm or weekends 10am to 7pm or e.mail admin@businessessex.com

Raw Business // Issue 13

Taxing Issues

Penalty Charges & Tax Issues

re you constantly receiving those lovely brown envelopes from HMR&C, formally known as the Inland Revenue, to tell you that you have a penalty charge for late filing of your returns, whether that is for your Self Assessments, Company Returns, PAYE or CIS., or they say you have unpaid tax. As an accountant/tax advisor my post box every day is just full of brown envelopes relating to my clients, that should never have been issued in the first place. Recently I had to contact the HMR&C on behalf of a client who had received 12 penalty notices (one for each month) for not returning his monthly CIS returns, even though they had been informed in the correct manner that no returns were due. My letter was then responded to by three different departments to confirm that this issue would be looked at, a further two responses from two departments to confirm that the penalty notices had been cancelled, and then 12 separate brown envelopes each containing a credit note for each individual month, so due to their initial error, I received in total around 30 brown envelopes and who pays for all this waste of time – we do! IF YOU RECEIVE PENALTY CHARGE NOTIFICATIONS, FOR WHATEVER REASON DO NOT IGNOTE THEM, EVEN IF THEY ARE IN YOUR OPINION NOT DUE. THEY WILL ONLY KEEP ADDING ON CHARGES EVERY MONTH UNTIL THE ISSUE IS SORTED, PLUS YOU WILL INCUR INTEREST CHARGES. Tax issues can be a minefield, and getting through to the correct department is not an easy task. As a registered tax advisor with the HMR&C I have a ‘priority’ help line and can usually find out the right ‘place of attack’ within a few days.

A letter from an accountant or tax advisor often has more ‘clout’ for a quick response than the poor individual that gets the run around. If you need assistance with any tax enquiries, or penalty charges etc., give me a call. My advice is FREE, and if I take the matter up on your behalf, my fees are minimal. And what about those old tax returns that you never completed for self assessment etc Are you under CIS, have you claimed for a refund on overpaid tax ? It’s not too late to look back at previous years. Again my advice is free, and I won’t charge for a quick review of your tax situation and I’ll let you know if I feel you have a claim for overpaid tax. If you have filed late your VAT, PAYE or CIS returns then in most cases you do have to pay the penalty charges, which are £100 per month. Interest will also be added in some cases. Most accountants don’t like to take on minimal tasks like completing your monthly returns for you, without charging an uneconomical fee for the service, but if you need help in these areas, then I can assist at a cost of only £15 per hour, so I could complete your VAT, Payroll and CIS monthly returns for around £30 Better than running out of time and getting the £100 penalty charges ! At Stewart Business Services we are here to work for the Small Businessman whose time is better spent dealing with his trade and customers, than chasing around paperwork for accounts and administration purposes. We’ve all heard of the VIRTUAL PA, well Stewart Business Services are the WHOLE VIRTUAL OFFICE with Accounts and Administration Services included. See our main Advertisement for contact details. Raw Business // Issue 13

Raw Business // Issue 13

ITEAM

How to Approach Writing a

Technical Manual I

f your company manufactures a product that your customers or agents need to know how to install, operate or maintain, whether it’s a combine harvester or a software application, you need to provide them with the correct information, in the form of a manual or user guide. If you don’t do it well, you’ll get unnecessary enquiries to your helpline or customer support department and dissatisfied customers who might not come back. This article discusses some of the points to consider.

What is it for?

You need to have a clear idea of the purpose of the manual, in order to ensure that you include everything the reader needs to know but do not include superfluous and potentially confusing information.

Who is it for?

It’s crucial to know the audience. What assumptions can you make about the reader’s existing knowledge of the subject and related technology; for example, if the manual is to describe the installation of a gas detector to an existing smoke detection system, will the reader be well-informed on smoke detection, but new to gas detection? Sometimes, the audience can be very well defined, such as military personnel. At the other end of the spectrum, the audience could be members of the general public and therefore vary considerably in their existing knowledge.

How will it be distributed?

Will you be producing a small number of printed copies for internal or agent’s use, bulk printing for shipping with a product, or publishing on line? These decisions affect both the production tools you should use and the design of the document. If you are going to laser print a small number of copies, a word processing application, with its many powerful text manipulation and automation tools, is probably best. If you intend to use a commercial printer, they are not keen on word processor output, so you will need to consider a page composition application. Ideally, on-line documents should have a format compatible with a computer screen, so that scrolling is avoided, and should take advantage of the ability to link references within the document. If you intend to distribute in both printed and on-line form, you may have to compromise.

Will it be translated?

If you anticipate a need to translate from English into one or more foreign languages, be aware that they generally take up more space, as much as around 30%, in the case of German and most Scandinavian languages. Incidentally, perhaps surprisingly, simplified Chinese characters take up about the same space as English. It is advisable to maintain a one-to-one relationship between pages in all languages used, to assist in responding to queries and making updates. You will therefore need to allow

sufficient additional space on each page, or adjust font sizes, to accommodate other languages.

Who is going to create it?

What about knowledge of the subject matter – presumably the person who knows the subject matter best, such as the designer, is the obvious choice? In fact, this is probably not so, because they are likely to overlook what to them is obvious, but to the reader requires explanation. The author needs to be someone with an appropriate technical background but who will ask those questions that the reader might. You may also need to make use of specialists, such as a technical illustrator

The process

Having made all those decisions, it’s time to get started. You’ll need to design not only the format but also the content, in the form of a structure of headings. If you expect to use a lot of crossreferencing, it’s best to use numbered headings. It’s important to employ best practice by using the features of the application, such as styles and automatic numbering, cross-referencing and contents lists, to ensure accuracy, ease of updating and consistency. You need to be consistent in the writing too, so that the same item or function is always referred to by the same term. Consider the readership and purpose of the manual as you write and review what you have written. If at all possible, get somebody independent not only to proof read it, but also to validate it against the product – your customer should not be the guinea pig!

Tony Watkins The i-Team 01963 440394 tony.watkins@the-i-team.co.uk www.the-i-team.co.uk Raw Business // Issue 13

etting up a limited company can be daunting but it does not have to be. There are a number of things to consider and I have listed my top tips to help you along the way.

Top Tips

- Setting Up a Limited Company

Top Tip 1

Raw Business // Issue 13

Ensure that a limited company is right for you and your business You may now be thinking – hang on – I want a limited company! But this business structure is not for everyone and you may be better off sticking to a sole trader – at least initially. For example – if you have just come out of employment and your business is initially loss making then you can claim those losses against the income of your previous employment (via a personal tax return) and get some tax back.

Top Tip 2

What’s in a name? Every company is registered with Companies House and to do that it needs a name. You may think that since it is your business you can call it whatever you like, unfortunately for some, this is not the case. There are a few rules surrounding company names. You cannot use a name that is deemed to be you passing yourself off as another brand. For example “Marks n Spencer” is not likely to be accepted! More detail regarding prohibited words/names can be found on the Companies House website or speak to your accountant who should be able to help. Think about the message your chosen name sends out – if you are a lawyer and your business is call Crazy Chick Limited the phone is unlikely to start ringing off the hook!

Top Tip 3

Choosing the Directors A limited company is perfectly fine with just one director. However you may be going into business with a business partner or wish to have your spouse as a company director. Before you do everyone involved needs to be aware of what they are signing up to. There are seven general duties laid out in the Companies Act and if you are going to take on the role of a company director you need to be able to adhere to them. 1. Duty to act within their powers. 2. Duty to promote the success of the company 3. Duty to exercise independent judgement 4. Duty to exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence 5. Duty to avoid conflicts of interest 6. Duty not to accept benefits from third parties 7. Duty to declare interest in proposed transaction or arrangement with the company

Top Tip 4

What’s all this about Company Secretaries? I don’t know what they are. Many people don’t realise that UK private limited companies are no

TOP TIPS

longer legally required to have a company secretary and appoint any old person to the role as they believe they have to have one. The traditional role of the company secretary is chief administrative officer. Of course if you do not appoint one officially someone still needs to take care of the administrative tasks associated with having a limited company. But you should bear in mind that it is not required any longer.

Top Tip 5

Don’t fall behind on the paperwork Being the director and owner (shareholder) of a limited company means there are certain legal requirements with regard to record keeping. Annually you are required to submit an annual return to Companies House (along with a £15 filing fee if done online). You are also required to submit annual accounts to Companies House and a Corporation Tax return to HMRC. There are penalties if your paperwork is not submitted on time.

Top Tip 6

The VAT man This tip is the same for limited companies and for sole traders but is an important one that warrants a mention here.

Most businesses are legally required to register for VAT if your turnover in the previous 12 months exceeds the registration threshold (£70,000 currently) or if you are expected to reach that level in the next 30 days alone. You can also voluntarily register and this may be beneficial in certain circumstances but you should discuss this more fully with your accountant. Once you are registered for VAT there is an increase in the administrative burden. You are required to submit (usually quarterly but speak to your accountant about any VAT schemes you may qualify for) VAT returns to HMRC. Remember the above is no substitute for seeking professional advice. If you would like to ask any additional questions give me a call on 02086225292 and we can arrange to have a free and no obligation coffee and a chat about your business situation. Alternatively you can pop me an email to annette@ duncanaccounting.co.uk Or visit our website www. duncanaccounting.co.uk for more information about the above or any of our services. Annette Ferguson, Duncan Accounting Raw Business // Issue 13

Are you trading tax efficiently?

e regularly advise on the advantages of incorporation and strongly believe that for the majority of privately owned businesses it is the most tax efficient structure, as remuneration (profit distribution) for the owners/directors can be carefully planned to benefit their personal tax circumstances. These savings can be particularly advantageous if you are operating as a family business.

Corporation Tax reduction

In the recent budget Corporation Tax was reduced by 1% making the small Companies rate 20% from April 2011 Good news for those who have incorporated. Sole traders and partnerships are subject to Income Tax and National Insurance [NI] on their business profits so will instead be hit by the rise in NI rates from April 2011. These budget announcements along with forecast a reduction in the basic rate threshold for individuals pose the usual question of should those in business consider incorporating and is it beneficial for everyone to do so? Indicators strongly suggest that it is widely beneficial for most businesses to incorporate and from April 2011 the tax savings increase further.

Risky Strategy?

There have been many attempts to try to curb the incorporation trend in the past due to the significant tax savings that can be achieved. Gordon Brown aired his view that business owners are not paying the ‘right amount of tax’, and we are sure HMRC will continue their expensive and difficult case in the courts. We have been advising on incorporation for over 10 years and it continues to be a successful strategy, so why not take advantage whilst the regulations allow it? It can always be withdrawn from if circumstances change.

Real life example

In 2007 we were engaged by a small business that was earning very handsome profits due the unique nature of its trading activity. We quickly did the maths and explained the value of Incorporating. The owner immediately understood and asked us to form a company without delay. By involving his wife in the business strategy, she was able to take a ‘very nice’ Company Car and they continue to save over £15,000 per annum in Tax and NI.

It’s not all about tax

Careful consideration should be given to incorporation and expert advice sought. It is not always the right choice for everyone and other factors such as legal liability, increased regulation and therefore costs, disclosure of financial information and future business plans need to be considered. huntingdon@georgehay.co.uk George Hay Chartered Accountants 01480 426500 www.georgehay.co.uk Disclaimer: This article is for general guidance only. All taxation planning should only be undertaken after appropriate professional advice. George Hay Chartered Accountants are registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Raw Business // Issue 13

Amega Self Care

Revolution

aunched in 2006 Amega Global AMized Fusion technology is Amega’s proprietary technology solely developed by the Amega R+ D team. Its a resonance technology developed over a period of 15 years of research, applying the principles of quantum physics and quantum mechanics. When the body is in a homeostasis condition our body’s bioenergy field can automatically access the zero point life force energy from the environment and restore the energy deficiency bringing all aspects, mental, emotional, physical and spiritual into harmony. Our body’s own natural intelligence can channel the life force energy received to the point where it is needed most, and when administered over a period of time, it aids cell rejuvenation and enhances our inner vitality, it aids immunity by cleansing, charging, and rejuvenating our body cells, thus aids age reversal, promotes healthy cells and expels disease. AMized Fusion Products are Placed in a Fusion chamber for twenty one days AMwand In some cases a three to five minute wanding can eliminate pain and restore mobility to people who have suffered for years. AMPendant A Zero-point-field energy bubble, three foot around you protects you from microwave and cell phone rays which take your energy field away. AMGenex A Revolution in nutrigenomics and epigenetics switches on over 200 genes in your DNA F.I.R Bracelet Far Infra Red bracelet Speeds up circulation dramatically with no increase in heartbeat. Provides additional strength, flexibility and balance. AMWater Actify Unit Finest quality water that is zero point field energised. Your body is designed to function on a PH of 7.365 but after four years of age your body is acidic in the USA and Europe. Every single person who has cancer has an acid PH. Take your name off the cancer list with Alkaline micro clustered antioxidant water. The Future Imagine A 6x3 mattress with the potency of a 150 to 200 times pendant strength of zero point field energy, you sleep on this mat for 7 to 8 hours a night, and every night your body will be invited to be at ease, Imagine sleeping yourself to ideal health….The Future is here…

Where you can listen and see more information.. www.healingwands.co.uk www.seethewand.com/healingwands

Raw Columnist

what steps one can take

he news from the new government is that Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is to be increased significantly for non-business assets from the current 18% rate. Given that it was under a previous Tory government that the rates of Income Tax and CGT were harmonised, and the stated Liberal Democrat policy is to do the same, we should probably expect CGT to rise to 40% or 50%. There is also talk that the annual CGT allowance of £10,100 could be reduced significantly. In the past, the CGT rules have provided relief in the form of a lower tax rate for assets held for longer periods, compared to short term gains and relief from the effects of inflation by way of indexation of the original book cost of the asset. However, we do not know whether these reliefs (which previously led to effective rates of CGT as low as 10%) will be reintroduced. The timing of the proposed change also remains uncertain. We are promised an emergency Budget within 50 days and it is possible that the changes could start immediately. Alternatively, they could be backdated to the start of this financial year, or they could take effect from 6th April 2011. Given the need to address the country’s economic problems quickly, we expect action sooner rather than later and believe that any changes are likely to come into effect from Budget Day. The devil will be in the detail of course. For example, whilst we know there will be generous concessions for entrepreneurs, we do not know what these will be. Bearing in mind the above and what we know so far, what action should you consider taking now? If you are thinking about realising a capital gain because you are worried about the planned increase in tax rates, you should consider doing so before the emergency Budget in case the proposed increase in CGT takes immediate effect. However, bear in mind there is still the possibility that, for long term holdings, CGT rates may not increase – we simply can’t be definite at this time. Given the Tory commitment to reward marriage, we think it unlikely that any action will be taken to remove the free transfer of assets between spouses. This, therefore, remains an important area for tax planning that would help reduce your tax bill. You should ensure that assets are held in a way that will enable you to take advantage of a lower tax rate and make transfers accordingly. Advice should be taken in order to consider the tax consequences in any transfer of assets.

lie mul ar

t probably won’t surprise people to learn that back in the day I used to do all the hiring and firing at Pimlico Plumbers, but things have changed quite a bit since the late 70s and nowadays I leave most of the recruiting to the professionals. Along with getting a full time marketing director on board I count hiring my recruiting manager, Dominic, as one of the best strategic moves I’ve ever made.

s • Ch lin

ins• Ch ll

Capital Gains Tax and

Charlie Mullins on Recruiting

lie mu ar

Proposed changes to

These days not only are we inundated with people from all the trades looking for work, but there are so many rules and regulations to stay the right side of that an enthusiastic amateur - even one with good instincts for spotting top people - really can’t be expected to cope. Don’t get me wrong though I still reckon, red tape aside, I can still pick the wheat from the chaff within 15 seconds of shaking someone’s hand. Of course meeting someone face to face is one thing, figuring out if they’re going to be right for your company from a CV and a phone call is quite another thing. But that doesn’t mean you can’t filter out most of the time wasters and chancers. Plumbers are like taxi drivers when it comes to having plenty to say for themselves, but I think a general rule for recruiting is beware of the bloke who’s too full of himself; he’s the best tradesman on the planet, but he’s looking for work (what does that tell you?). World class blaggers also tend to have so much to say they rarely bother to listen to a word you’re telling them. These days eight out of every ten people we get in for an interview generally turn out to be okay – but it’s far from an exact science, and occasionally we still get the odd gum chewing shell suit wearing moron, who turns up for an interview in luminous trainers. I’m told one guy we had in a few months ago even texted a mate during an interview – believe me he didn’t get a job and was back on the street in two minutes flat! Another thing I’ve learned over the years is the truly best people rarely turn up at the exact moment that you want them to come on board. Today we’re big enough to have the luxury of being able to snap up a top tradesman or manager when we become aware they are on the market. It’s like football, not only do I get the benefit of their talent, but some other company doesn’t get hold of them either! Obviously not everyone is big enough to operate this policy, but at least keeping your ear to the ground and keeping tabs on the whereabouts of good people, and how happy they are with their current employers is a tactic that will always pay dividends. karl@pimlicoplumbers.com www.pimlicoplumbers.com 0207 928 8888

Raj Maini - apexacc@aol.com

Raw Business // Issue 13

HOW TO

N I W , N I W , WIN ME OF LIFE YOUR GA

ou may have heard the saying “the game of life”. Life IS a game. It is the interaction between free will and universal consciousness which together co-creates life… and if we want to win at the game, then obviously we must first know the rules of that game so we can intentionally co-create powerful life strategies to win, win, win!

-without really trying!

“Be the change you want to see in the world”

Ghandi

So entrepreneurs…once you realise there is a game, and it has rules, and the rules work beautifully, these rules can be applied to any aspect of your life…health, wealth, relationships, business and leisure etc. What do you consider to be winning in the game of life?... qualities such as creating wellbeing, joy, freedom, love, and an abundance of whatever you choose to..be, do, and have?... To express and/or experience, while, at the same time, having a positive effect upon others and on the environment? I believe most of us would agree on some version of these values.

The Basic Principles:

Quantum physics tells us the Universe is made up of electricity, magnetism, light, sound and countless other energy frequency vibrations. Energy is controlled by consciousness. It is also influenced by the interaction with other energy frequencies, such as our conscious and unconscious thoughts, creating standing wave patterns.(just like throwing two pebbles into a pond…the waves overlap) These standing waves are the blueprint for form and matter. We can utilize our coherent focused intention to co-create form and matter…to “materialise” that which we desire. This creative energy force does exist and we interact and co-create with it continuously, whether consciously or unconsciously. Our physical life experience is the result. Consciously utilizing this process is where our power really lies. The universal consciousness (the source of everything) is commonly referred to as “God.” I prefer the term “Creative Principal” (CP) …the anti matter from which all “matter” is created. Humans also have CP consciousness. The quantum physical evidence points strongly to the conclusion that humans are an integral part of this “CP”, and that humans have a powerful co-creative potential that most people are still not aware of. Ancient wisdom traditions knew this and worked with it, using powerful rituals.

Raw Business // Issue 13

Well-being is the joy, the creative power, and abundance of the universe that flows into and through us as a result of being in harmony with, or being coherent with that non-physical consciousness or CP. Just like light; there is no opposite, only its absence. You can’t fight against darkness. You can only sit in the dark or turn on a light. The same is true of well-being. You can consciously partake of the joy, the creative power, and abundance of the universe, or you can experience its lack or absence. Quantum physics research also states we live in an attraction–based universe, which means that we can only pull things and experiences toward us. We can’t actively push them away. Repulsion (focusing on that which makes you feel bad) instructs the universal energy to bring to us that which you don’t want…(what you resist persists) For example, if we focus on lack, lack will continue. Focus on pain, pain will continue. We can only eliminate that which we do not want by focusing on and creating something NEW. Our bodies are a result of the relationship our consciousness has with the greater consciousness, and mirror back to us the state of that relationship… healthy or unhealthy.

game of life Our feelings are our guide. If you are feeling bad, you are focused on and attracting what you don’t want. If you are feeling good, you are focused on and attracting what you do want. The universal laws indicate that thoughts and emotions control all human experiences. The only way to experience anything is to focus attention on it.

The Universal Law of Attraction:

In this vibrational universe, experiences are not created “out there” in the external, physical world. They are created inside one’s own mind by our thoughts, and projected out there.. These may be conscious, or unconscious. This is what the ancient philosopher Hermes Trismagismus termed Mentalism. Our experience of life, what we attract into our reality, and how we perceive that reality, are all vibrational signals which we broadcast out there, and attract like vibes back to us. Experience of life is a personal mental construct. Most of us do not consciously create our experience of life, and we feel the victim of circumstance. But the truth is, we have unconsciously attracted exactly what we are getting! Life, and indeed our bodies, are a reflexion of our mind. All the most successful people on the planet utilize this innate ability, and abundance flows to them with ease. It just takes a little practice and self discipline, and almost no effort at all.

Creating your intention

In order to use thought intentionally, start by consciously remembering who and what you are, what you stand for. Create a conscious intention, and make your intention ecological and in integrity with your values and what you stand for.. This creates coherence between your mind, body and spirit, generating power, like a laser beam. 1) Realize that we are similar to a radio wave transmitter and receiver, combined, rather like a crystal. We constantly transmit and receive energy, electricity, light, and countless other vibrations. We are vibration-frequency-receiving and experiencing beings. 2) The universe is made up of numerous different frequency possibilities. It is up to us to “choose” which frequency we want to tune in to and experience. Low frequency vibrations are experienced as stress, sorrow, depression, loneliness, fear etc, and high frequencies are experienced as flow, joy, laughter, love, compassion, freedom etc. Thought is a frequency vibration. We need to adjust our own vibration frequency FIRST, to match the frequency of that which we choose to experience. We need to BE before we DO or HAVE. How do we do this?… by consciously stating our intention in the present tense, focusing our attention on that which we choose to BE… Then, “I and that which is like me are attracted to each other”.

your self you invest in the process, the greater the result. 4) Create a clear, written statement of what you choose to be, do, have, express, and/or experience. If you are creating a project of any kind, or you are suffering from a physical ailment, relationship problems etc, a clear written statement of intention is essential. This engages not just thought, but your physical neurology also, increasing the force of vibration intention being transmitted out into the universe, and is a very powerful and effective tool. It must be stated in the present tense as if it has already happened. 5) Emotion is the rocket fuel which will cause manifestation of your goal. The more positive emotion and passion you can invest in your outcome, the faster it will appear.

Pay attention to your intention

Remember that there is a time delay between creation and manifestation, so once you have declared your intention, go about your business with sincere gratitude and joyous expectancy knowing that your goal is already accomplished on the nonphysical level and that it is in the process of coming to you in physical form. BE grateful. As a result of believing you are worthy, holding your vision and feeling the feelings associated with the manifestation of your goal, you’ll soon begin to experience that frequency at which you are resonating. Using this law, anybody can, with patience and practice, move step by step closer and closer to being, doing, having, expressing, and/or experiencing anything that he or she chooses. The only things which can hinder the process are lack of focus, lack of trust, and lack of feeling worthy. So entrepreneurs! This is what is referred to as the ”secret formulae” and has been proven over the centuries to be extremely effective in creating abundance in life, health and business, with grace and ease. I personally feel this is not only a powerful tool to be utilized, it is actually our responsibility to consciously co-create for the good of all life forms on Mother Earth. As far as we know, we humans are the only species blessed with the ability to consciously program our minds, actively co-create and materialise transformation in the world, for the world. A massive responsibility.

USE YOUR POWER ECOLOGICALLY! Linda Burke, 028 6632 8200 info@lindaburke.co.uk www.lindaburke.co.uk

3) Visualise your desired outcome. Make the picture vibrant, colourful, with clear contrast, make it moving, large, and engage your other senses in it. For example create sounds (laughter, applauds, music etc), feelings (happiness, excitement, joy, expectation, etc), smells (perfume, flowers, food, or whatever is appropriate), and taste (champagne, food, chocolate etc) The idea is to engage all your senses, and increase the neurological vibration out put. The more of Raw Business // Issue 13

WOULD YOU BENEFIT FROM... Having a committed ally in your life? • Someone to keep you focused, motivated and inspired? • Someone with over 25 year’s professional expertise who will instruct and guide you, and hold you to account?

... YES!

Then you need…

HOLISTIC WELLNESS COACHING!

Holistic wellness coaching with Linda Burke means you get the unique combination of my skills as a master NLP practitioner, Time Line and Hypnotherapist, Chartered Physiotherapist, Acupuncturist, and Naturopath. I am also a META Medicine Health Coach and Trainer.

For more Information call Linda Burke:

02866 328200

info@lindaburke.co.uk www.lindaburke.co.uk Phone or skype coaching available.

Raw Business // Issue 13

LEARN BY DOING INTERACTIVE COURSES Can a person learn to carry-out a task, learn a new skill by just reading?

earning is a whole body experience, which involves the brain acquiring knowledge and laying down neural pathways, and at the same time teaching the muscles of the body, how to move, co-ordinate movement to do the task. Let us take the simple task of riding a bike. It is easy to ride a bike, simply sit on the saddle, place the left foot on the left peddle and likewise with right foot. Hold on to the handle bars to steer, push off, pressing down alternately on the peddles. But there is more. The rider has to learn to balance on two wheels. How to co-ordinate the movement of the arms to move the handlebars, and so on and so forth. So just reading will not teach a person a new skill, perhaps yes to enhance a skill. We have to teach the whole body. Learning to speak a language, requires the person to learn how to shape the mouth, to place the tongue to make the sounds not used in their native language. These skills are not taught in a book, we have to physically teach our muscles to do them, and we cannot just do them once. Malcolm Gladwell and Matthew Syed have written that it will take 10 years or 10,000 hours of practice, of doing the skill or task to become good. Malcolm Gladwell gives examples of Bill Gates and the Beatles who only became the best because they put in the tme and effort. Matthew Syed was the number one British Table Tennis star, only through physically putting in the hours. So, when you choose a course to learn a subject, choose a course that gives hands-on experience, that is structured in such a way to allow you to have a conscious knowledge of the subject, but also a physical, whole body learning. Learning does not stop there. Be prepared to practice, to do what you have learnt, to use the new skills, else the knowledge will be lost, the muscles will forget how to move in co-ordination. We must be prepared to do the 10 years or 10,000 hours to become the expert. Read to gain knowledge, do to become an expert. Phillip Holt NLPNOW 0845 130 6213 (UK) (+44) 07973178602 nlpnow (Skype) http://www.nlpnow.net

Annual Investment Allowance (AIA)

usinesses can currently write off 100% of the cost of acquiring qualifying assets against their taxable profits, up to an annual limit of £100,000. Assets that can be written off in this way include commercial vehicles, plant, computers and other equipment - cars do not qualify. George Osborne's Budget of 22 June 2010 gave notice that the annual limit is to be significantly reduced from £100,000 to £25,000 from April 2012. Unusually business owners have an opportunity due to this advanced notice - they can rethink their capital expenditure plans for the next 20 months. Why you should reconsider is best highlighted if we take a look at some of the advantages offered by this AIA relief. 1. Obvious really, but you can currently reduce your taxable profits by up to £100,000. 2. If you are a higher rate, self-employed trader the AIA claim could save you 40% or 50% of your qualifying investment. 3. If you earn more than £100,000 you could use the AIA claim to protect your personal tax allowance that may be lost without an AIA claim. 4. If you are a self-employed business owner or in partnership and your AIA claim exceeds your taxable profit, the resulting tax loss can be set of against your other income in certain circumstances and perhaps generate refunds. 5. Even if you trade as a limited company or if you are a basic rate tax payer you will be able to recover up to 20% (21% if you pay corporation tax in 2010-11) of your investment. We have to assume that tax relief offered post April 2012 will stay at much lower levels for a considerable period, as the Government tackles the reduction in national debt. Accordingly, this is an opportunity that should not be passed over lightly. If you were planning significant capital expenditure, say during the next five years, you should discuss your tax options with us. At minimum you should find out: 1. If your planned expenditure qualifies for AIA? 2. If a claim for AIA prior to April 2012 will be tax effective, will you be able to make good use of the allowance? 3. Importantly, you should examine the non-tax considerations. Is it commercially sensible to make the required investments at an earlier date?

Contact David Reid Accountancy Ltd on 01371 811 093 www.davidreid.biz

Raw Business // Issue 13

u o Y e r A

h g u o n E g n Attracti

e l b a t i f Pro ? s r e m o t Cus

Problem

Bringing in enough profitable business has got to be the primary focus of every business owner. It doesn’t matter how good your products or services are if no one knows about them or are not willing to pay you a profitable price for the value they deliver. If you’re not turning a profit month-on-month then admit your business is really a hobby and get used to the fact that you won’t be around long, unless you’ve got very deep pockets to fund this hobby. Too many business owners struggle to effectively market their business and the value they can offer their prospects. They find themselves struggling to stand out from the competition and if they can’t differentiate their offering then they are lost in the background noise - another “me too” commodity business, all too easily ignored by the market. You’ll know this is you if you ever find yourself having to compete on price. Let’s face it, the market is brutal. Your prospects don’t really care about you and your story. They aren’t interested in your good intentions or your dreams. All the market cares about is your PERCEIVED value proposition - what value you can deliver to customers at what price. If you can’t articulate your value proposition in a way that makes sense to your prospects then they just aren’t going to buy from you. It’s not a personal judgement; it’s just the real-world feedback of competing in a competitive market place today. On the flip side of that, if you can get your value proposition crisply and meaningfully delivered to your target market, then you’ll never want for more business again. If I offered to sell you £10 notes for £5 each, how many would you want to buy? Get your own value proposition down to that level of clarity and you are home and dry! Sounds simple doesn’t it? Of course in practice it isn’t! Most business owners, particularly owner managers who’re still working in their business day to day, are often too close to the business, and struggle to see things from the customer perspective. If you’ve been a tradesman/consultant/web designer/or similar all your life, you probably started out doing this as a job working for someone else, and then moved on to set up your own business

Raw Business // Issue 13

doing the same thing. So, you are almost certainly too close to what you do. To you, it’s completely self-evident why your customers need you and the help you can offer. It’s just really frustrating when they can’t see it like you do. Why isn't there a queue of people wanting to buy from you?

VERT Getting your marketing message right is critical if you want your business to survive, thrive and grow in today’s economic climate.

The Wall

And this is just one of the challenges you’re up against as the owner of a small business. You’ve got all sorts of other problems and responsibilities pulling you in different directions every day. The frustration and stress this brings just isn’t understood by people who haven’t experienced it themselves. At VERT we call this feeling of frustration and overwhelming stress “The Wall”. Every business owner hits The Wall at some point. This is when you realise that it’s just not as easy as you thought it was going to be when you set up the business. You are working hard (really hard!) and yet you’re not making progress. You are trying to “do more” but you’ve got to the stage where you realise that turning up the volume, and just doing more of the same, isn’t what you need to break through. The Wall is real and you know when you’ve hit it. What you really need are a few key skills to get you OVER it, because you know brute effort and perseverance aren’t going to get you THROUGH it. The missing skills are often in terms of how you MANAGE your business. You probably know plenty about the technical side of whatever your business does or sells, but it’s the effective management of your business as a profitable company that will take you over The Wall.

Help

Once you realise that you need help in a few key areas, then you have many options on where to get that help, and unlock the potential in your business. There are all sorts of coaches and consultants out there who can help you in almost every area of your business, and working with the right person on a face-to-face basis can be of enormous benefit. You get access to knowledge and experience that can be tailored exactly to your business. Working with someone in this way can make a massive difference to your business, but this kind of personalised support and advice does come at a price, often a high one! Consultancy is normally priced beyond the reach of the people who need it the most – the owners of smaller businesses who haven’t grown to the stage yet where they’ve got the time and money to invest in these “bigger business” consultants.

VERT

And that’s where VERT comes in. At VERT we believe that every business owner should have affordable access to the quality business help, advice and education they need to grow their business. The future of business in the UK is clearly entrepreneurial and it will be these smaller businesses that drive the economy forwards, provide the bulk of the employment in the country and ultimately service the needs of the rest of us as customers. We also feel that this small business support needs to be based on real world practicalities. There seems to be a growing number of books and websites appearing which share the stories of the great and good, the ‘Dragons’ and other successful business people, telling us where they came from and their route to greatness. These are often inspirational, but usually leave out the practical details of exactly HOW they grew their successful businesses. We know that small business owners need access to the “nuts

and bolts” mechanics of growing a small business, and that’s what we provide through the VERT Business Community at www. VertBusiness.com . That word Community is important. Another big challenge that you often face as the owner of a small business is a feeling of isolation. In a bigger business you have people around you to help and support you, but in a small business it’s often just down to you. If you are working by yourself you can sometime feel yourself going stir crazy with all the thoughts and frustrations going round and round your head. If you’ve got others working for you, that can sometimes be even worse! You’re the boss, the top of the tree. You can feel them all looking at you, waiting for the master plan that will solve all the problems. That’s quite a pressure and, sometimes you don’t have all the answers. Often you’ve never met this specific problem before and you’re on your own, making it up as you go along! We all need someone to talk to. Of course, you get lots of support at home, but sometimes you don’t want to take your problems with you. You want the support of people who “get it”, people who understand what you’re facing because they’re facing it too – a community of people like you, small business owners who are looking to grow. Members of the VERT Business Community have access to practical support to help them manage the growth of their business. By taking advantage of modern internet and video technologies we are able to deliver real-world advice at an affordable price with access available 24/7, to support busy people whenever and wherever they need help. For a monthly subscription of just £40 +VAT, you can get access to: The VERT Growth Channel – a structured business growth programme that covers all the important parts of effective business management with a new episode every 2 weeks. Each episode includes a video presentation and supporting material on a key management area, to make sure you get the most benefit possible from your business. The VERT Reading Room – a growing library of practical business resources on a wide range of topics, each specially selected for their quality and relevance to business owners today. This means you can get the information and help you need without having to trawl through thousands of dubious Google links every time. The VERT Community Forum – your chance to network and connect with other business owners like yourself, people who understand the challenges you’re facing every day because they’re facing them too! A supportive community of people who “get it” with discussion structured around key management topics for small business. We know what it’s like to be a small business owner facing “The Wall”. You’ve got enough stress and frustration already. You want help and advice not more difficult decisions. So we’ve made it easy for you. Visit www.VertBusiness.com today and you can take advantage of a FREE, no obligation 1 month trial of the Community. If you like what you see then stay with us and see how far you can grow. If you don’t fancy it, or you’ve had enough, then you can always leave – we know how fluid business can be, so membership is always on a month by month basis with no long term tie-ins. As Tony Robbins is fond of saying “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” If you’re ready to make a change and start managing your business for growth then visit www.VertBusiness.com today and let’s get started. Raw Business // Issue 13

VAT Increases To 20%

- What should I do?

rom 4 January 2011, VAT will increase from 17.5% to 20%. It will be an unpopular measure but businesses should be preparing NOW for the increase. In particular, businesses should be looking at the implications of the VAT increase on their pricing and on their cost control. So what should all businesses be doing to prepare for the increase in the VAT Rate. They should be looking at the following matters:-

ANTI – FORSTALLING LEGISLATION

Businesses should be looking for opportunities for pre-invoicing and payment at the lower VAT rate of 17.5%. However, businesses should ensure that they are complying with allowable legislation. The Government has introduced Anti-Forstalling Legislation to prevent arrangements which will be set up to apply the 17.5% rate of VAT to goods or services to be delivered on or after 4 January 2011. In some circumstances, a supplementary charge to VAT of 2.5% where the 17.5% rate has been declared. This measure will affect business which either:• receive a prepayment or issue an advance VAT invoice before 4 January 2011 for a supply of goods to be delivered or services to be performed on or after that date; or • make supplies of rights or options to receive goods or services before 4 January 2011, where the goods or services are supplied free or at discount and will be delivered or performed on or after that date. The supplementary charge will apply where the customer cannot recover all of the VAT and one of the following conditions is met: the supplier and the customer are connected; • the value of the supply exceeds £100,000, unless prepayment or the issue of an advance VAT invoice is normal commercial practice; • the supplier or someone connected to the supplier funds a prepayment for the goods or services; or • an advance VAT invoice is issued where payment is not due in full within six months.

If the supplementary charge is levied, it will not become due until 4 January 2011 and will be chargeable in addition to standard rate VAT on the supply at 17.5 per cent. It is vital that the business gets this right because fines levied by HMRC have never been harsher.

TAX POINT RULES

Following on from the Anti-Forstalling Legislation, it is vital that businesses learn, if they don’t already know, the tax point rules. The tax point is the date when a transaction takes place for VAT purposes. This date is not necessarily the date when the supply physically took place. You must pay or reclaim VAT in the VAT period (usually quarterly) in which the time of supply occurs, and use the correct rate of VAT in force on that date. This means you'll need to know the time of supply for every transaction, so you can put it on the right VAT Return. The date of the supply is called the ‘basic tax point.’ This is overridden when an invoice is issued if that is within 14 days of the basic tax point, or if a payment is received before the supply is made. However, some industries have special rules governing the tax point. It is vital that the business knows the tax point rules. Example In the letting industry it is normal commercial practice for rentals to be demanded (invoiced) in advance. So if a rental invoice was sent out on the 1 December 2010 to cover the period 1 December 2010 to 28 February 2010, what rate of VAT would be used, 17.5% or 20%? In this example, VAT charged on this supply can be at the rate of 17.5% because it is normal commercial practice for rents to be paid in advance although the period covered by the invoice cannot exceed one year.

BOOKKEEPING AND ACCOUNTING RECORDS

The business should ensure that its accounting records are correct and that it does not fall foul of any bookkeeping errors. In particular, the business should be looking to ensure that where credit or debit notes are issued, businesses should know that any VAT credit or debit is applied at the correct rate (i.e the rate which is applied is the same as for the original supply). It is vital that the business accounting records are accurate. It is believed that HMRC will be less lenient with accounting errors arising as a result of the VAT rate increase because of the similar increase of VAT from 15% to 17.5% in January earlier this year.

SALES PRICINGS, COSTS OF GOODS AND PROMOTIONS

It is vital that businesses look at their margins. The business should be trying to reduce the cost prices for their goods and increase their selling prices to compensate for the lower margins that they will achieve.

Raw Business // Issue 13

Trueman Brown Retailers, for example, may wish to consider boosting their preChristmas sales by advertising the lower VAT rate currently in place. Post-January, "no VAT rise" pricing can be compensated for by boosting margins on other lines to compensate. Similarly, businesses should be wary of promotions, from their suppliers, which advertise the lower VAT rate. Remember, the business will only incur an additional VAT charge of £2.50 for every £100 spent. Unless cash flow is very tight or the VAT is irrecoverable, for whatever reason, then the business should not be spending too much on pre rate rise promotions. Businesses, especially retailers, need to ensure that the resources are in place in January to manage the changeover to the new higher rate. January, with the Christmas period just ended and the New Year sales underway will be a very busy time. HMRC will not likely accept any excuses if they were to find any errors on a VAT Inspection, so you must get it right!!

VAT EXEMPT BUSINESSES

The businesses to be worst hit by the increase in VAT will be those who are exempt (including charities) from VAT which are, therefore, unable to recover VAT on any purchase they make. Such businesses will find that their budgets will stretch 2.5% less far in 2011 than 2010. So if such a business was contemplating making a capital investment, they should consider bringing the purchase forward to ensure that they benefit from the lower rate.

FLAT RATE SCHEME

Introduced in 2002, the flat rate scheme was introduced to simplify the calculation of VAT for small businesses. In essence, instead of the business paying HMRC the total VAT charged on invoices minus any Input VAT you may reclaim, you instead charge a fixed percentage of your GROSS turnover and pay that amount over to HMRC. The main benefits of the scheme are twofold:Less administration required in preparing the VAT Returns because liability is calculated by reference to sales only; The calculation of VAT under the flat rate scheme may result in a lower VAT liability due to HMRC. However, businesses that provide zero-rated or exempt supplies need to be particularly careful when considering the flat rate scheme. Example A vehicle repair shop is considering registering for the flat rate scheme. During the quarter ended 31st March 2010 its results were as follows:Sales income from standard rated supplies: £23,500 (including VAT of £3,500) Sales income from exempt supplies (i.e. MOTs): £5,000 Total Gross Sales: £28,500 VAT incurred on expenses: £1,750 Under the normal rules, the VAT liability would be £1,750. However under the flat rate scheme the VAT would be calculated upon a percentage (for a vehicle repair shop 7.5%) of gross sales (£28,500) leading to a liability of £2,317.50. The above example shows that the business should consider all sources of income before it decides whether to join the scheme. If the business decides to join the scheme then it should be aware of the following: • Businesses in their first year of VAT registration can benefit

from a 1 per cent reduction in the flat rate. • You can apply if your annual taxable turnover (not including VAT) will be £150,000 or less; and your annual total turnover (including VAT) will be £187,500 or less. • If you buy a single capital asset with an invoice value, including VAT, of £2,000 or more you can claim the input tax on your VAT return in the normal way. • You continue to invoice clients at the normal VAT rate (currently 17.5%). • You can voluntarily leave the flat rate scheme at any time. • You can continue in the scheme unless your turnover breaches the £225,000 mark. Smaller business which do not use the flat rate scheme presently should take this opportunity to review their position. Businesses already using the scheme should also review their position because the various industry rates will be revised when the higher rate of VAT comes in on 4 January 2011 and there may be a chance to use a lower banding leading to an improvement in cash flow.

IMPORTERS

When a business imports goods into the UK, a number of taxes may have been levied including Import VAT, Customs Duty or Excise Duty. Many businesses set up a deferment account that allows them to ‘defer’ paying Import VAT and Customs Duty until the 15th of the month following for goods brought into the UK in the previous calendar month. There is a similar arrangement for Excise Duty, although the relevant dates are different, with payment required on the 29th of a month for goods imported in the preceding period of 15th of last month to 14th of the current month. To protect itself against possible non-payment by a business HMRC require that the business sets up a guarantee against non payment via an approved bank or insurance company. The guarantee ensures that HMRC receives payment from the guarantor should the business default. The downside for a business is that the guarantor will charge them a fee for acting as guarantor. However, Simplified Import VAT Accounting (SIVA), which was introduced on 1 December 2003, allows businesses to apply to HMRC to seek to reduce the financial guarantee required in connection with Import VAT but not for Customs Duty or Excise Duty. Any reduction in the level of guarantee will therefore reduce the charge levied on a business by the guarantor. Should the business incur Import VAT and have a deferment account set up then the business should consider whether SIVA would be beneficial. It should be noted that HMRC do not automatically allow the business to benefit from SIVA but a number of conditions must be satisfied before they enter any agreement with a business. The increase in the VAT Rate from 17.5% to 20%, although unpopular, should give businesses opportunities to review their particular circumstances and seek a solution to any cash flow problems that the increase would bring. It is vital that the review is done now. For any further information, please contact Trueman Brown on 01708 854943 or review our website at www.truemanbrown.co.uk Raw Business // Issue 13

Travel – e r tu fu e th f o ss e n si u b e Th

ost entrepreneurs continuously strive to find new and exciting business opportunities, so it was with absolute delight, when some of us seasoned networking entrepreneurs found out that the most significant opportunity in the exciting travel market was about to launch in the European markets.

There are 50,000 baby boomers (45-60 year olds) retiring every day in the Western Hemisphere and one of their top priorities is travel. The travel market is the largest on the planet at $8 trillion annually and is set to double in the next 4-6 years. 52% of all money spent on the Internet is spent on travel

With a plan to become the global leader in travel, and with a unique and very special business opportunity this ticks all the boxes for those wanting either an additional income on a parttime basis, or those wanting to build a significant business in probably the most exciting, and certainly the fastest-growing market on the planet.

There has never been a better time to change your future and start a business that you know is going to appeal to almost everyone you meet. In addition, there will never be a better time than now to get involved, to be part of an already established and successful business AND to be at the very be ginning of their global expansion. With this company you can build a business around the world with no restrictions (providing the company is operating in the country where you’re interested in expanding your business). For those who want just a supplement to their income, this opportunity is real and available to you. For those who want to develop a substantial income and are willing to spend the time it takes to build a real business, you can do that too. Or if you don’t want to build a business but just want to join and enjoy travelling with a unique holiday club and benefit from 5-star travel at 2-star prices, then this is the company for you!

The company’s mission statement says it all – “Our mission is to help you travel more often, to better locations, for less money. This mission is reflected in the company’s flagship vacation club product, The DreamTrips Membership, but ultimately includes helping you become financially free, drive your dream car, live in your dream house, and live your dream life.” The company was launched in December 2005 and markets travel-related products. They combine the power of the Internet with the time-tested strength of word-of-mouth marketing. In just four years the company has grown to $250 million in revenue and is set to become a billion dollar business in the very near future. Now operating throughout the U.S., the company also began expanding globally in 2009. The company is now represented in the UK, Cyprus, Malta and Sweden, South Africa and is expanding to open new countries every month including Germany and Holland. If you’ve always wanted to work from home, run your own business and control your own future, but have never been able to find something new and exciting, this is for you. Everyone loves to talk about holidays and travel, and it’s high on the priority list for people and families even in times of recession and financial constraint. Consider this:

Raw Business // Issue 13

Now is the time to establish a foothold in one of the most exciting and fastest-growing industries – the travel industry. And you can be a part of a company who is a global player on their way to becoming the number one in the world. Looking back at the statistics quoted earlier, it is easy to see why this business is so successful. It’s easy to understand why the company will continue to be successful, as this business is a lot less expensive to start up than a traditional bricks-and-mortar shop front travel agency. The baby boomers now retiring are those that have driven most of the trends for the last 30 or 40 years; things like the mobile phone, microwaves, videos and then DVDs. This group has also driven the trends and the developments in entertainment

TRAVEL and communication—anything from satellite TV to palm-held computers. It is this same sector of people who will continue to drive growth in other things that they want and need, and at the top of this list is travel.

If this hasn’t already excited you, go to either www.brianwhiitford. worldventures.biz or www.simoltravel.worldventures.biz , and then you’ll really be hooked. Check out the whole website and you will see the extent of what is on offer.

Combine the desire to travel with the Internet and its influence in our lives and you’ll see that research in the USA has shown that 73% of all US households are online, and a staggering 82% of US travellers are online. And with more than half of those online researching and booking their holidays online, more and more people are shifting their focus to the online market. In addition, CNN Money also claims that travel is the single largest e-commerce category today.

We know that for those who really want to make a difference in their lives and working patterns, we have the tools and people to make it happen. For things to be different in your life you have to do something different, doing the same things will deliver the same results. However, everyone needs help and guidance and that is easily and readily available with the company’s fantastic support structure, training and tools. Our top 5 tips to start and develop your own successful business are:

This dynamic business has harnessed both of these trends and put together a product package and a business opportunity that is unrivalled in the travel market.

1. Find the right product – one that is in demand and not a short term fad. 2. Choose the right company to deliver that product. The best only provide the best. 3. Plan what you want to do and stick to the plan – be organised. 4. Tap into the right support mechanism and use it. 5. Enjoy what you do and other people will enjoy what you deliver.

Success can only come from a great organisation providing exceptional opportunities for those who want to grasp them. And this company delivers a really unique business opportunity both for those who already have experience of running their own business, as well as those who are starting out for the first time. With this product, the emerging travel market, substantial support facilities, effective training tools, and enough time and effort and you can learn to develop a substantial income, change your lifestyle and have a great deal of fun in the process. “This business is growing with enormous speed and we are seeing massive enthusiasm in every new market that gets opened,” commented John and Trisha Kavanagh – the first team leaders in the UK to reach Director level. John adds, “We can demonstrate perfectly how much fun the travel business is and how anyone can get involved in this rapidly expanding $8 trillion industry. We can also show how even in an uncertain economy people can still afford to take their annual holiday to luxury destinations in 5-star comfort and actually make money doing it.” For those who get involved, you will have available an unrivalled array of support at your fingertips. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re experienced or just starting, these support systems will help you achieve success in the quickest way possible. You will also be able to work with the best leaders in the business, worldwide. What’s in it for you? • Flexible working hours • State-of-the-art back office support • You own website • Regular product and marketing training • A very solid and lucrative compensation plan • Fast start bonus available • Regular meetings to network and learn • Ongoing support throughout the organisation to help you and your team World-class online booking engine for all members to book DreamTrips holiday rentals and hotels

There will be lots more information and tips in future issues but now is the time to get started. Those who get involved early stand to gain the fastest reward and we want to work with anyone who has become excited after reading this article. Remember, for those of you who perhaps are not ready yet to begin a business you might know someone who needs a good chance like this desperately. In any event have a good look at the presentation and the DreamTrips websites listed above so that you can take advantage of the amazing holiday offers available just for being a DreamTrips member. Whatever you want to do, call for a chat about how you can get started. Contact either: Brian Whitford MBE on 07768-222011 brianwhitford@dial.pipex.com or: Simone Dornbach on 07846 827525 simone@smarttourismeurope.com Both of the listed individuals are highly experienced and ready to help. They will endeavour to get you set up with an already existing support team in your area.

Remember life is better when you make a living and have fun in the process! Disclaimer: The information listed above is an advertisement only. The authors of this information are independent contractors/independent Representatives of WorldVentures. They are not employees, partners, or spokespersons for the company.

This is the chance to not only build a business, but to become part of a community of like-minded individuals who all want the best out of life, want to control their futures, and just want to have fun!

Raw Business // Issue 13

Ultimate web hosting Blogging

Writing a blog was once regarded as a ‘cool’ occupation practised only by those interested in sharing their opinions on matters close to their hearts – especially political views. But in recent times the number of bloggers has grown exponentially from 35 million in 2006 to become one of the most cost effective and efficient ways of sharing business and social information. Nobody knows for sure how many blogs exist in the Blogosphere but it has been suggested that one is launched every second.

Blogging for all

Blogging began as a way of exchanging news and views with others; a role later cornered by social web platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. But blogs offer much more by providing the opportunity to create personal online publications that you can quickly write without any specialist knowledge and upload using free user friendly services such as Blogger (owned by Google) or WordPress.com. Because editing and adding text, images, video and links is achieved using a simple MS Word based editing platform, anyone can do it. Keeping your content current by adding regular ‘blog posts’ can be fun and encourages others to participate by adding their comments to your blog, although these can be monitored to protect you from abuse.

Blogging for business

It wasn’t long before some bright spark discovered that blogs can unleash vast potential as low-cost communication and marketing tools for businesses. There are numerous advantages and once pages are up and running they can provide a two-way link between you and your customers or you and your staff. Blogging is generally less formal than a website and can be utilised to offer clients a better insight into the personality of your business that can create stronger, more transparent networking partnerships. It can offend if you use a blog for direct selling – this role is best left to your website; but your blog’s versatility should be exploited to carry stories and comments about your business but links may be added to connect with your main website. Traffic can also be generated by linking relevant stories from other blogs to your own to encourage greater reader involvement. This works on the simple premise that the more hits these links attract the higher your blog will advance up the search engine listings. Blog content is automatically categorised and sent to search engines using a standardised web feed format system known as RSS (Really Simple Syndication) that makes searching easier. Whenever a blog is amended or updated the search engines are notified almost immediately. This makes blogs far more search engine friendly than websites that suffer the disadvantage of taking considerably longer to be recognised by the search engine spiders. Blogs therefore tend to appear more quickly on the search engines allowing you to rapidly distribute your business news and information almost instantly. If you are not already utilising the power of blogs as an ideal tool for promoting your internal and external communications you are missing out. For more advice on setting up your blog please visit www.ultimatewebhosting.co.uk

Raw Business // Issue 13

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WARREN BUFFETT

Reveals the Secret to Recession Proof Wealth! We Are Looking For People We Can Run With...

The fact that you are here, I am assuming some things are just not quite right in your life... • •

Maybe you are tired of your job or have come to realise that you will never fulfil your dreams in your current job? Maybe you want to spend more quality time with your family and are looking for alternative ways to make money?

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Raw Business // Issue 13

5 Tips to get you ‘finance ready’ before you apply for a loan: 1.Interest cover – Make sure the net profit of the business can cover the interest payments of the loan several times over. The greater the cover the better, but for smaller businesses the banks will prefer to see at least 4 times. 2.Clarity – Explain exactly how you will use the cash injection and how it will add to the profitability and hence the Interest Cover and reduce the risk. Banks don’t like to pay directors salaries or replace the liabilities of existing shareholders. 3.Reduce liabilities – Trade creditors pressing for payment may agree a reduced amount for a quick settlement. This reduces the liabilities on the balance sheet and improves the Acid Test – how easily current obligations are covered by current assets, i.e. debtors and cash. 4.Match funding – Banks prefer not to be the only party putting funds in. Aim to get another party to invest at the same time. This could be a loan from an existing shareholder or a new party; e.g. a supplier that will benefit from the growth of your business. 5.Trading history – Banks love a track record, so it’s harder to secure a loan for a relatively new venture. Perhaps you can operate under an umbrella business until you establish a trading history. There’s more in our free e-book available from www.businessloanrequired.com Robert Copping, Sightpath Business Planning www.sightpath.co.uk

Phil

ll Ph ha

l•

A Reputation Renovation: The PR behind South Africa’s World Cup Image Renewal

s Spain’s name now appears freshly engraved onto the FIFA World Cup Trophy, the host nation’s public relations team is no doubt breathing a sigh of relief. Doomsday scenarios seem to go hand-in-hand with huge events like this one, and concern was even deeper than usual heading into the tournament in South Africa. The challenge remained for a country best known for its brutal apartheid past to escape the trappings of its former inequalities. The 2010 World Cup provided a vital opportunity to turn the country’s image around. To help make this dream possible, the South African Government formed the National Communications Partnership (NCP) in early 2006. The partnership is made up of leaders across sectors including marketing, communication and public relations. The NCP’s main strategy was to embark on a ‘Highlight and Accentuate the Positive,’ campaign whilst simultaneously acknowledging that where there were shortcomings they needed to be ‘pointed out honestly and in the spirit of cooperation and mutual interest’. And as can be expected with any event of this scale, the tournament didn’t pass without a few challenges. From security alerts and Al Qaeda threats, right down to the great Vuvuzela debate, the PR team for World Cup 2010 certainly had their hands full. Not to mention the football itself; the media fallout and demand for goal-line technology following the Frank Lampard and Carlos Tevez goals have been a PR disaster for FIFA. However, overall the media coverage seems to be conducive with South Africa’s fight for image renewal. The ‘Highlight and Accentuate the Positive Campaign,’ seems to have given the host nation a valuable reputation boost among UK consumers. An emphatic 66% of 3000 respondents to a OnePoll survey for PR Week said the tournament had improved their perceptions of the country. South African President Jacob Zuma has said that he hopes to maintain the momentum of this success. Perhaps maintaining momentum is key for the future of South Africa. The most cynical critic may point out that the root causes of the nation’s tainted image cannot truly be resolved by what could be seen as a multi-billion dollar advertisement, from which the sporting world will quickly move on. It is interesting to consider Germany’s reputation in its build up to the 2006 World Cup. Faced with growing xenophobia, its highest unemployment rate since WW2 and a club league blemished by match-fixing, Germany had hit a low point in 2004. Two years and one World Cup later the country’s reputation was transformed. The hosting of World Cup 2006 was one of the instigators of this much-needed transformation. Only time will tell whether South Africa’s metamorphosis is as permanent as this one. It is certainly apparent that socially they have a higher mountain to climb than Germany; but in South Africa’s fight for recovery, this casting off of its negative reputation is the first step in regaining prosperity, and giving businesses and entrepreneurs the opportunities to succeed.

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usinesses want loans and the banks are under pressure to lend – so what’s the problem? It’s all about risk and reward. The lender’s reward is limited to the interest charged, as there is no capital growth. A bank might earn only 3-5% above the cost of the capital loaned. This means the risk has to be low. Suppose a business borrows £100k, but it goes bust after only paying off half the loan. The bank would have to lend a massive £1.25m at 4% for a whole year with zero risk just to make up for that deficit. This explains why banks are so risk averse and why they look for an alternative way to recoup the debt in cases of default. For smaller companies with minimal assets, this typically means having recourse to the personal assets of the business owner(s). So, how can you improve your chances of securing a loan?

il hal Ph

5 Tips to secure a loan

Raw Columnist

0207 0251 350 info@pha-media.com www.pha-media.com Raw Business // Issue 13

Raw Business // Issue 13

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR

FUN?

was recently asked the question “What do you do for fun?” and was surprised how much that upset me and how I could not give an answer. I am a coach and I coach people on things like life/work balance but have not got this right in my own life. For me the past few years have not been easy, having lost a very good friend to cancer and then just over a year later in May 2008 losing my husband of 34 years in the same way just eleven and a half weeks after diagnosis. My late husband and I ran our own business for 7 years before he died. We sold up after he was diagnosed, business and job were gone and then three weeks later my husband gone. The business had been hard work and holidays went out of the window, it was short breaks mainly. And, looking back very little time for fun! Getting the balance right is difficult when you are running a business, especially when it is small and relies on your expertise to keep going. How do we get the balance right? Now over two years after Trevor died I am now trying to get some perspective into my life and build a new social life as a single person, alongside building up a new business. It is not easy. When you lose your life partner it is quite devastating and, of course, you never think it is going to happen to you. The long term plans have gone, what you were going to do together you either consider going it alone or not doing it at all. We should enjoy our lives and enjoy our work; if you are not enjoying them then something is wrong. Coaches will often ask you to complete a wheel of life, the circle divided into eight segments relating to different areas of life and you draw a line to where you think how full or satisfied that segment is in your life. One of these segments is “fun and recreation” but to have a balanced and full life ideally all the segments should be full, unfortunately most of the time only a few are full and the others need working on. Very often the fun and recreation part is one of the least full, people seeing it as superficial, but enjoyment of life is crucial to wellbeing. We all get into bad habits, recognise any of these? Not leaving the workplace until a task is finished that could wait until tomorrow, skipping on the exercise class; drinking a little too much alcohol, then much too much alcohol; smoking and an increase in the number of cigarettes a day; comfort eating; skipping lunch breaks; being late for meetings; untidy office, filing not up to date; not taking time off: ignoring symptoms that you should see a doctor about; overspending; forgetting birthdays

Raw Business // Issue 13

and anniversaries etc. If you can identify with more than one of those listed above and can think of other things that you do that you really should not, you are probably suffering from stress and have definitely got your work life balance wrong. Okay you are struggling with your business at the moment, these are difficult times and you have to work harder to please your customers, but should it be at the cost of your own health and well being? Money may be short but relaxation and fun does not have to be expensive. A walk in the park or countryside is great for fresh air and exercise. Take the children swimming at the local pool and splash around. Visit your local places of interest, museums, gardens etc. Organise a dinner party at home or go for a picnic with friends who are good fun and try to avoid friends who are negative and can pull your mood down. Life is precious, children grow up very quickly and sometimes death snatches a loved one away. Creating room in your life for time with family and friends is essential not only on a social basis but on an emotional basis. People who are happy are better at their work. I can look back now and see how Trevor and I could probably have improved our lifestyle but, for us it is too late, don’t let it be too late in your life and remember the only person to benefit from your hard work is your wife’s/husband’s second husband/wife!! ©Yvonne Morton July 2010 yvonne@whyareinspired.co.uk www.whYaReinspired.co.uk

ASK EMMA

Ask

Emma

If you have a problem, issue, question or conundrum, please email tom@rawbusiness.com with Ask Emma in the subject.

Q: Having recently launched my company in the consumer sector (we send IT Experts/Engineers to homes and offices to fix computers and software), socialising and networking seems to be a great way of generating business, but on my own, I cannot possibly generate the amount of business I want to be able to grow the company and nor do I wish to let time take its course and depend on only referrals My own history is in the B2B environment in the International Corporate world, so I am wondering what other avenues are there to generate leads in a consumer based business? Having polled customers and potential customers I know that the online marketing is not something they would use to find us. Leafleting

is an option, but are there other ways in which I could generate more business? I was wondering if it was possible to find people to generate leads based on commission? A: Thank you for taking the time to write and congratulations on setting up your own business. The IT market is highly competitive and in order to ensure you standout – you need to be very clear on who your target customers are – and then your marketing decisions – on how to attract these customers will be far easier. By reading your question, it would appear that you are targeting all home consumer users and any business. I suggest that you clearly define these customers and generate customer profiles on

your “ideal customer” – from such profiling – including Demographic and Psychographic information, you will be able to determine the most effective way of marketing to them. There are many ways to generate awareness – and although you state you do not wish to rely on referrals – these are, in fact, the most cost effective ways of growing any business – so it should not be forgotten. Social Media may not initially attract you customers – but it will enable you to start creating connections – by supporting your position as an IT Expert. Using a combination of Information and Educational tweets, you will obtain a following, over time mutual trust develops. Again, Social Media may not be your only form of generating awareness of your business, but it can’t be ignored.

Q: As a leadership coach, I have an interest in women in leadership roles. Do you know of any mechanisms that organisations are using that are particularly effective for supporting women in leadership development? A: Hello Rosemary, Thank you for taking the time to write in. The role of women is changing, and many of our FTSE100 organisations support Women as Leaders as do other leading businesses in the UK and throughout the world. I am sure that there are many effective mechanisms including 1: 1 Coaching, Training Courses & Mentoring. A combination of all methods would be the most effective – and of course, supporting women in their continued career is vital – but so too is the development of their co-workers and the acceptance of Women in such roles needs to be supported by the entire organisation.

www.emmawimhurst.co.uk emma@emmawimhurst.co.uk 01202 830653 Raw Business // Issue 13

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Raw Business // Issue 13

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party planning

Are you dreaming of a White Christmas? W e may have sunshine and a BBQ summer but it’s never too early to start thinking about your Christmas Party be it for the office or just for friends and family.

There’s no time like now to book your C hristmas Party

Set a date as soon as possible and book your venue. The more time you give to plan your Christmas Party the wider choice you will have on where you hold your event, type of entertainment, catering and so on.

You are invited to….

Make sure that you send out invitations in plenty of time giving full details of the date, time and venue of your Christmas Party. Don’t forget to include dress attire (formal or casual); whether food and drink will be provided and if partners are included. To ensure that your guests bring their invitation to the Party (and avoid any gate crashers) why not double up the invitation as a bar voucher or prize draw ticket.

Add a few extras to each table including party poppers, disposable cameras and perhaps a small thank you gift for each guest (for example a small box of chocolates). Consider organising a secret Santa or help a local charity by asking staff to donate a raffle prize and then give the proceeds of the raffle to your chosen charity.

With the run up to Christmas being such a busy time of year it’s always good to send a reminder to your guests a week before the Party just to remind them of the date, time and venue. Finally remember to relax and enjoy the party! 4 Most Occasions Ltd would be delighted to help you with any Party Planning or Event Management questions that you may have, please send your questions to fourmostoccasions@ btinternet.com or contact Catherine Strong on 07891 444 785.

www.fourmostoccasions.co.uk

Be Welcoming

Start with a positive note, arrange for a friendly face (or two) to be in the reception area to meet and greet guests and help them feel at ease. Remember a smile and a compliment will go a long way to help everyone enjoy the evening.

Take responsibility

When booking your Christmas Party decide on a drinks policy. Will the company pay the total bar bill or will they only pay for the first drink? Will wine be provided with the meal – decide beforehand whose paying. If you are expecting guests to pay for their own drinks make this clear on their invitation. Office Christmas Parties – if this is being organised straight after work, have you considered how your staff will get home, will you be providing taxis at the end of the party?

Keep it Fun

You may need to set some ground rules on drinking and behaviour but that doesn’t mean that your Christmas Party shouldn’t be fun. Many venues now offer a wider range of entertainment from themed evenings, casino nights to funfair rides – before making your choice consider who your guests are, what would they enjoy the most. If time allows why not send 2 or 3 suggestions to your guests for their opinions and then book the most popular choice. Raw Business // Issue 13

Take the Trance to Learn Some

Hypnio t i c on Skills I

Persuas

n this article we will explore some of the reasons why you might want to develop some hypnotic persuasion skills, explode some of the myths surrounding these skills and give you an exclusive free way of learning a flexible, simple and powerful hypnotic language pattern that you can try out for yourself.

Why learn hypnotic persuasion skills?

• Imagine being able to consistently make presentations to investors where they are hanging on your every word. • How useful would it be if you could sell your vision in a way that connects with personal values and motivate your team to take action? • Consider being able to bypass any conscious resistance and match your products or services directly to your prospect’s needs. • Would having rapport skills that drove people to want to work with you be useful? All entrepreneurs and business leaders can benefit from enhanced persuasion skills and they are surprisingly easy to learn. Before we look at how you can learn some hypnotic language patterns in an hour or less let us explore what hypnotic patterns are, dispel some of the myths surrounding them and look at how you can use them.

Defining Trance States

My definition of hypnosis, that is not accepted by all hypnotist but I find useful, is that hypnosis is just an altered state of consciousness. Usually I am asked the question, “Altered from what?” My response is, “A state of consciousness altered from what it was before you altered it.”

Raw Business // Issue 13

Consider the idea that you move from trance state to trance state as a normal part of your everyday life. Right now you might be in a reading state, or at least I hope you are. Have you ever been in a driving trance where you remember getting into the car and you get out at your destination without quite remembering the details of the journey? That would be your driving trance. How about losing yourself in a film, book or song. This would be a trance state where you have fully immersed yourself in the subject. Taking this definition for hypnosis is useful for several reasons. Most importantly it defines trance states as naturally occurring and that we do them all the time. This means that if we can find a way of changing states to one that is appropriate for the situation we can dramatically improve the quality of our lives and our performance. For example how would it be if you had a peak performance trance state that you could turn on and off? How about a creative state you could use when you need to come up with ideas or solve problems? How about being able to tap into a motivational state when you are feeling tired, fed up or things are just not working right? As useful as these ideas might be, as entrepreneurs and business owners often our work will involve dealing with other people. How powerful would it be if you could turn these states on and off for other people? Covert and conversational hypnosis gives you that opportunity, but there are some caveats.

Myth Busting Covert Hypnosis

There are some preconceptions out in the world about this area of communications that are worth discussing. Covert

NLP Persuasion Skills or conversational hypnosis is not like stage hypnosis or hypnotherapy. Using these tools you would not expect to swing watches at people until they fall asleep on a couch nor would you expect them to take their trousers off and squawk like chickens. Using these tools you cannot lead people anywhere they would not go for themselves. Using these tools you can clear the path for people but they must choose to walk down it themselves. Any skilful orator is a hypnotist and is using these skills to allow you to see things that you may never have considered before.

Manipulation vs. Intent

I am sometimes asked whether these tools are manipulative. Oddly this question in my experience only comes up from people that are extremely manipulative; and not in a good way. All communication is manipulative. When you speak to people you want them to listen, understand and usually to take some sort of action even if that action is just to continue the discussion. Therefore all communication is manipulation. The issue is not about manipulation but is all about intention. Conversational hypnosis is a tool and like any tool it can be used in unethical and harmful ways, or they can be used to create win/win situations that improve the lives of all the people you interact with. Let me take a sales example. Sadly the hard sell still exists today where sales staff badger, bully and force people into buying products they neither want or need. Eventually the customer will wake up to the fact that they have been manipulated into something that they don’t want, the company loses their reputation and a customer. Let’s take a sales professional that is trained in covert hypnosis and wants' to use the skills ethically. This person treats the prospect with respect; builds rapport, uses skilful questioning techniques to elicit the prospect needs and spends time understanding them. The sales person then educates the prospect

about the product, matching their needs and communication style in a way that communicates with the prospect on both a conscious and unconscious level. Eventually the customer will wake up to the fact that they have been manipulated into making a great purchase that was really useful for them. The company gains in reputation as well as referrals and repeat business.

Are these skills easy to learn?

Despite the depth and complexity some people add to this whole area you can learn patterns that will create a powerful impact in less than an hour. As a subscriber to Raw Business you have free access to the eBook Covert Hypnotic Persuasion in One Hour or Less. The eBook will give you a flexible pattern that you can use to redirect the thoughts of the person you are speaking with. You might use this pattern to take: • A person that can only see problems and redirect them to look for solutions. • A prospect’s objections and get them to focus on benefits • Any conversation from the topic being discussed and turn it to your agenda This pattern is simple and flexible and you will find many different uses for it and I do ask you to only use it in a way that is open, honest and ethical. To access the pattern go to www. theNLPcompany.com/RAWbonus and enter your name and email address. You will automatically be sent to a download page where you can access the eBook.

Links:

Website: www.theNLPcompany.com Facebook: www.fbook.me/persuasion Twitter: www.twitter.com/persuasiontips Free pdf: www.theNLPcompany.com/RAWbonus

Raw Business // Issue 13

Merlin Development Solution LTD Start to look at your business with new eyes. How can you harness your information to give your business the chance to shine? Merlin Development Solutions Ltd has a collaborative approach to helping businesses, letting you gain skills to use to solve future challenges.

The secrets to becoming a successful entrepreneur

Internal versus External Change “Be the change you want to see in the world” a famous quote by Mahatma Ghandi, but what does this mean to us and how are we able to make changes in our lives? We all grow up and develop our personalities and self concepts within a family/social setting, culture and environment. This influences our beliefs and attitudes and our self concept which in turn filter the way we experience things in our lives. By the time we reach the age of 7 a large percentage of our personalities have been set and stored in our subconscious. Some of the experience we go through during the rest of our lives reinforce or re-shape some of beliefs and attitudes. By and large, it is when something in our life has a profound effect on our emotions that we make significant changes in our thinking. Some examples of this are the birth of a child, losing someone you love or falling in love for the first time. It is the effect on our emotions that cause a change in our subconscious thoughts and beliefs – an Internal Change. When we find ourselves living a life full of anxiety, stress or unhappiness, we tend to try and change something external to us – we change our job, relationship, our boss, move somewhere new, get a pay rise, end a friendship and so on – an External Change. In some cases there will be a change and we feel better about life but we often find these changes don’t last and over time we start feeling the same way again. When we want to make permanent changes in our behaviour and attitudes, how do we do it? What we need is an Internal Change, a change to our subconscious programming which controls how we view the world and behave in it. You can make these changes using tools and techniques to help you – audio programs and DVDs, coaching, hypnotherapy, seminars and workshops, books and articles however, if there is no intense emotional involvement in the process the change is unlikely to be permanent. It is possible to learn how to harness and use your emotions to make permanent changes. For more information on this subject or other areas of personal development contact: Iche Otonti, Changing You Changing Me Limited changingyouchangingme@gmail.com

I want to share three secrets with you that successful entrepreneurs follow to help their businesses financially. Secret 1 Know your numbers Do you know each month if you are making a profit or a loss? Not yearly when the annual accounts are handed to you – monthly? Does your accountant provide you with monthly management accounts? If not then I suggest you're putting your business in serious jeopardy. How can you know if you are running a successful business if you do have a clear picture of its financial performance? Get to grips with the numbers - monthly!

Secret 2

Cost to acquire a customer or client Do you know the sources of each of your customers or clients? How they found you? Do you know how much each new customer or client costs you to acquire? And if you are, at the very least, covering your marketing costs to acquire them by what you are charging? This is extremely important and a good way to refine your marketing budget. Set aside some time to calculate this or ask your accountant to do it.

Secret 3

Know what you are worth If you are in the services industry you are probably calculating your fees based on an hourly rate. But how do you know it is accurate? Well you can do a simple calculation: Work back from this key question – How much do I want/ need to be in my bank account every month? Once you have got this number you need to work backwards – what are the expenses of you the business and therefore what do you need the total income of the business to be. Remember though there are some additional considerations – you will not be able to charge out every hour of every day to clients or customers – you will have holiday/sick days, you will have non-chargeable time for networking and marketing. Also – don’t forget the tax man will want his share! If you are unsure then your accountant should be able to help. I hope that sharing some of the secrets that highly successful entrepreneurs know will be helpful to you and your business Any questions please call on 0208 6225292 to arrange free and no obligation consultation about your business situation. Alternatively you can pop me an email: annette@ duncanaccounting.co.uk Or visit www.duncanaccounting.co.uk Annette Ferguson, Duncan Accounting Raw Business // Issue 13

s s e n i s u B g n i k Wor

s e i l i m fa Charlie Mullins' daughter, all grown up...

er eldest brother Scott graced the nation’s TV screen last year with his family in Channel 4’s How The Other Half Live, and next in line to the Pimlico Plumbers’ throne Samm is currently training two high profile boxers towards Olympic gold at the London 2012 games. And of course Raw Business columnist and Secret Millionaire dad Charlie Mullins needs no

Raw Business // Issue 13

introduction after years of unleashing his often controversial views of such diverse subjects as the UK’s desperate need to train more apprentices, crooked bankers, Gordon Brown’s economic abilities, and why students should abandon university and get ‘real jobs’. And now it’s Alice Mullins’ turn in the spotlight as she celebrated her coming of

age with a Pink Pool Party in Marbella, surrounded, not only by the usual family and friends, but also a gaggle of celebrity mates, and with MTV Europe’s cameras recording every minute of the big night for its show – My Super Sweet 21. The party was held at the SiSu Boutique Hotel, with a guest list that included actors Joe Swash, Craig Fairbrass, Charlie Hawkins (Eastenders),

ot all families can work together successfully in a family run business. One family that I have come to know and love is the Mullins family, headed by Charlie Mullins. Pimlico Plumbers are London's most successful plumbing company. Linda, Charlie's wife looks after the call centre, Charlie's two sons also work at the firm. Scott is Operations Director and Samm a plumber and master jetter. Lucy, Charlie's daughter works as an account manager. Lucy is married to Dave Vyse AKA Lurch and let's not forget the lady in question, Alice, who turned 21 recently with a bash that was out of this world. The 21st birthday bash resembled something you would only see on America's "My Super Sweet Sixteen" - Marbella was the setting, the event oozed of glamour , celebrities and there was something going on with a Bentley! Charlie came up the hard way, so how does he treat his children now that he is a millionaire? Very simply - They all work hard and earn their money. The family may be multi millionaires but there's a certain air of grounded normality about the Mullins family and that is what I have come to love about them. Work hard, play hard but remember that we are people before we are millionaires. Charlie has never lost touch with his roots and reminding his children of the tougher days ensures that they appreciate the good things in life as well as being humble about their success. Behind every strong man there is a strong woman and I get the feeling that Linda plays a major role, as all mums do! Well done Charlie and Linda, your children are a credit you and your family.

Glam Alice...

Brad

"...Alice lives in the real world - she puts in five or six days a week on the phones in the Pimlico Plumbers call centre every week.” Chris Simmons (The Bill), Calum Best, Jack Tweed, Olympic gold medallist boxer James DeGale and R&B singer Nathan Fagan-Gayle. Speaking to Raw Business Alice said: “It’s become a bit of a family tradition of maximising on PR whenever and however possible, so when MTV asked if I was up for putting my 21st birthday

party on TV across the whole of Europe it wasn’t something I had to think about for too long. That and the fact that it’s going to be the most amazing and memorable 21st party I could ever have hoped for!” And Pimlico Plumbers MD, Charlie Mullins added: “I’ve done a lot of different kinds of TV over the years, but I must admit I’ve never been on MTV.

...Working Alice I’ve heard mixed reviews about the show’s format, but Alice is no pampered daddy’s girl, so I’m sure she’ll come across like the grounded young woman she is. Unlike many of the spoilt brats I’m told have been featured in the US version of the show Alice lives in the real world - she puts in five or six days a week on the phones in the Pimlico Plumbers call centre every week.” Raw Business // Issue 13

Telecomplus Business Opportunity

ince 1997, Telecom plus has grown from just an idea into a company with a turnover of over £360 million whose shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange. A track record second to none. This phenomenal growth in turnover and profits has been achieved by word of mouth “referral marketing”. The question is: what share of this could you earn for yourself? The explosion in growth that Telecom plus is experiencing right now is just the beginning. It is said that the key to success is not necessarily being in the right place at the right time, but recognising that you are in the right place at the right time, and not four years later with hindsight.

every year. It also boasts an exceptionally strong balance sheet with over £25m of cash and no debt, providing confidence that this business really is here to stay.

Telecom plus PLC is a British, publicly quoted company listed on the London Stock Exchange. The corporate management team, headed by Chief Executive Charles Wigoder, has been responsible for the phenomenal growth of the company. Charles’ previous successes prior to joining Telecom plus include the spectacularly successful growth of Peoples Phone which he launched in 1990 and which grew to 400,000 customers, which at the time represented 10% of the UK mobile phone market prior to its purchase by Vodafone. He is now applying those same skills to Telecom plus PLC, which operates the Utility Warehouse Discount Club, with breathtaking results. Telecom plus is extremely successful and its profits are growing spectacularly

Every time your customers make a phone call, switch on a light, turn on the heating or surf the net, you could be getting paid.

How many people do you know who use the phone, switch on a light, turn on the oven or use the internet? The Utility Warehouse is not asking people to spend extra money on services they do not normally use, they are simply offering the same services but with one major difference - they offer far better value! You will be tapping into a market where people and businesses are already spending many billions of £’s a year.

Anyone who wants to earn some money and has drive and enthusiasm can become successful with Telecom plus. The residual income you build will continue to be paid as long as your customers continue to use these services, and that could be long after you have stopped building your Telecom plus business! Telecom plus provides a unique support and training programme, which includes a comprehensive package of manuals and marketing materials, provides everything you need to start building your own successful Telecom plus business. Initial training for all new Executives is provided free of charge at over 20 training centres throughout the country. The more successful and prosperous you become, the greater the Utility Warehouse’s success, so they do everything they can to help you succeed! In addition to earning a residual income, generating discounts on your utility bills or raising funds for a good cause, Telecom plus Distributors can also benefit from an exciting range of incentives and bonuses. These include owning your own Utility Warehouse branded BMW Mini; driving one of the company’s fleet of Porsche Boxsters; qualifying for luxury, all expenses paid holidays; earning vouchers to spend in Marks & Spencer or John Lewis and also significant cash bonuses for achieving certain customer and Distributor gathering targets. Thousands of Distributors have already joined Telecom plus, and many are earning a significant monthly income which is making a huge difference to their lives, raising funds for community projects close to their hearts, or generating an additional revenue stream for their business. But with 1% of UK households currently using their services, you needn’t worry about being too late to join.

Raw Business // Issue 13

Utilty warehouse

Telecom plus operates a Share Option scheme to act as an incentive for its Distributors. Share Options are a ‘risk-free’ way for you to share in the future growth and financial success of the company. The Options issued so far have been worth a staggering £6 million, creating huge gains for many Distributors, and the intention is for the company to make further allocations in the future. This is your chance to obtain a ‘FREE’ allocation of Share Options in a fast moving PLC on the London Stock Exchange. Did you know that as a result of Share Options issued by Microsoft, they have over 10,000 millionaires working for them? The more customers that we attract and the bigger our business becomes, the more your Share Options will be worth. They could eventually be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. So don’t miss out - get involved and make sure you qualify simply by sharing the benefits of Telecom plus with others.

Executive you’ve introduced gathers a customer and a regular monthly income of around 5% on calls made by your personal customers, together with a share of everything they spend on all the other services the Utility Warehouse provides them.

Here are some of the benefits:

• Generate an increasing wealth by helping people save money • Earn a generous ongoing monthly income • No experience necessary • Free training and support provided • Upfront bonuses and fantastic incentives • Work the hours to suit you • No stock to carry or targets to meet • Share option scheme

Earn an income which could change your life…

By becoming an Independent Distributor (ID), which costs £199.75, not only do you gather your own personal customers, but you can introduce new Executives into the business as well. As an ID you can earn a Customer Gathering Bonus (“CGB”) of up to £42.50 for every new customer; extra bonuses when an

For more details visit www.earnings4me.com

Raw Business // Issue 13

Designs on Engineering

Join online NOW!

t was the engineering industry that put the ‘Great’ into Great Britain, when British entrepreneurs, engineers, inventors and designers created the machines and goods that were sent to all parts of the world. The developing countries have since provided stiff competition for British industry which has gradually eroded our manufacturing base. Fortunately, there are still many companies and individuals in the UK who have great ideas and the ability to produce great products.

All registered members now receive a printed copy of Raw Business Magazine every month visit www.rawbusiness.com and register now to receive your copy!

Designs On Engineering has provided an engineering design service in Chelmsford for 24 years. Proprietor Brian Lidstone has recently teamed up with Facet Engineering of Colchester to take on automation projects.

Avoid disapointment and receive your copy of Raw Business Magazine //Issue 14

Facet Engineering – a new Partnership For The Future They now provide a complementary range of engineering resources in the fields of development, design and manufacture of Special Purpose machinery and allied equipment. Their combined resources also include control and drives technologies for automated materials handling and robotic systems. They have a wealth of experience in packaging, converting, printing and other industries and provide contract machining and assembly facilities too. Furthermore, Facet Engineering has developed an exciting high-specification rotary guillotine (otherwise known as a Sheeter) which is quiet in operation even at high speed. The unit can be configured to suit a customer’s application and customised with ancilliary equipment. Working with Designs on Engineering, the range of applications is growing, and customers are reassured by the fact that the machines are designed, built and serviced from within the UK. The close alliance of these two companies gives a wide range of experience and expertise in engineering solutions. Tell them about your engineering problems here! Designs on Engineering Brian Lidstone, 01245 259887 http://www.DesignsOnEngineering.com Facet Engineering Ltd Sales: Bill Stevenson, 01473 832683 Works: Paul Cartlidge, 01206 231342 http://www.Facet-Eng.com

Raw Business // Issue 13

www.rawbusiness.com

Raw Feature

Raw Business

Entrepreneur 12 By Tom Mapes

Somewhere, hidden deep in the depths of Raw, a secret team of business heroes support businesses and entrepreneurs through advice, guidance, comment… and blogging.

hey are ‘The Entrepreneur 12’, a select team of successful business owners and entrepreneurs who have taken it on themselves to blog about their day to day lives, experiences and thoughts in the hope that they can help others…

Albert Wright ...The Millionaire Coach

lbert is the Managing Director of Millionaire Coaching Academy, set up in 2009, and now recruiting clients. Following University in Manchester, Albert joined Marks and Spencer plc in 1970, where he spent most of his time as a manager in the Food Division and as a manager of Special Projects, which included New Foods and the Gateshead Metro Restaurant. He left in 1991 on an early retirement package on the grounds of ill health, following what was then known as a nervous breakdown and today would be called mental health issues or severe depression. Within a year Albert had recovered and became a Will Writer before discovering his passion as a business adviser, trainer, coach and mentor.

Yvonne Morton ...Leadership & Teamwork Legend Yvonne Morton is Managing Director of whYaRe inspired ltd providing solutions and support for small businesses in management accounting, bookkeeping, payroll and business planning together with small business coaching, life coaching and training. Working her way through life in small to medium businesses and running the finance department of a college as well as teaching for the adult education service, she gained her accountancy qualifications as well as a teaching certificate and life coaching diploma. Her experiences leave her well placed to help small businesses and their personnel move forward in all areas.

Paul Johnson ...The Debt Buster

fter falling foul to some pretty shoddy debt advice which culminated in Paul being declared bankrupt in 2008, he set up a new business www. thedebtsurvivor.com to help other Business people who found themselves struggling with debt. Many Business people who find themselves with debt issues simply don’t know where to turn or who to trust. Paul is in the very unique position of not only having professional experience of debt, Insolvency & Financial problems but he also has personal experience and can therefore immediately empathise with his clients and guide them in the right direction to ensure they don’t suffer the same fate he suffered back in 2008.

Maggie Stewart ...Business Services Wizard

tewart Business Services (Essex) Ltd was founded by Maggie Stewart in April 2008 and was set up primarily to help the small businessman who gets knocked with high fees by Accountants, Business Consultants and other related Service Companies. Progressing through Companies in various industrial fields to include, Advertising, Furniture Manufacturers, Legal Firms, Architects and Construction Firms, Maggie has a wealth of experience in all aspects of running a business and she now uses this experience to offer ‘Complete Office Services’ to her clients and to give Small Businesses Free Advice and Support

The Entrepreneur 12’s blogs can be found on www.rawbusiness.com but don’t ask where the team is based, we don’t know! What we do know is that the Entrepreneur 12 blogs area looks set to become one of the busiest parts of our website. Email bradley@rawbusiness.com to become an Entrepreneur 12. Entrepreneur 12 – Out. Raw Business // Issue 13

Your Skin Is Your Biggest Asset ...Know it, Nurture it and Love it!

eauty is in the skin. Beauty is you. What you have and how you are. How well you look after your skin will determine the result you get. You can hide a bad skin problem and allow a temporary beautiful skin to reflect through cosmetic make-up, but make-up is to enhance beauty and not to cover up the skin. As the saying goes, “beautiful make-up starts with beautiful skin". By preserving your skin you preserve your beauty. A good knowledge of your own body and skin from head to toe is essential to maintaining beautiful skin. Understand when your body is communicating to you. Recognise the need of the hour by regular examination of your skin before bath time to detect onset of stress, lack of vitamins, diseases etc. It is about evaluating and analysing the needs of the skin so that there is minimum requirement of any corrective action as the saying goes ‘A stitch in time saves nine’. Feeding the skin with the right ingredients to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise is also essential. The skin care strategy should be changed according to the age, requirement and actual change in skin. Above all Love your body. Think of the long term effect not immediate beauty. Good sleeping pattern, regular exercise, healthy dietary habits, and drinking copious quantities of water daily will help maintain a healthy beautiful youthful skin that will last. At 50 you can still look 30.

Raw Business // Issue 13

People go to great length in cosmetic surgery to improve their appearance and self-esteem and to make sure that their skins reflect beauty as they perceive beauty. With so many cosmetic surgery procedures available, such as Botox Injections, Blepharoplasty, Brow Lift, Buttock Augmentation, Liposuction, Buttock Lift, Chemical Peels, Dermabrasion, Facelifts, Facial Implants, Injectable Fillers and Thermage, there is no end to finding solutions to beauty. People also go to the extent of applying concoctions on their skin, whether healthy or non healthy, toxic and non toxic in the name of beauty. Blacks are known for the extreme use of skin lightening chemicals while on the contrary the Caucasians go for extreme sun tan, which destroys the skin barriers and leads to many diseases and health problems. Women especially spend lots of money buying products that are claimed to be effective enhancer of beauty. When allowed, women can spend as much as £1000 on products that will bring out their beauty. Unfortunately you cannot buy beauty. What is good for you may not be good for others. I look at beauty as a thing that everyone has. Somehow along the line, the Divine Authority has given us this image we call beauty to stir up some chemicals in our brain which led to the famous saying “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.

yess essentials With the fashion world saying: “Your face looks great, your body looks great”. How about feeling great underneath with a healthy beautiful skin that covers the whole radiant body and last longer with age.

skin cleansing and comprehensive moisturising for best skin maintenance regime. The restorative products are beneficial to all global skin types, whether suffering from the impacts of pollution, harsh climatic conditions or the effects of ageing.

Among all these drastic measures of attaining beautiful skin, there has to be a simple regime that can enhance beauty without so much destruction or drastic measures.

“Natural beauty from the root”

The skin being the barrier and protector of our body organs is being bombarded by many factors from the environment and by our own self inflicted factors. Healthy beautiful skin requires great efforts on skincare maintenance routine. A good skincare has to be a daily routine part of our beauty life. At less than 16 years of age we can blame our parents for making us look ugly but over 16, it’s our responsibility to determine our look. Younger skins are more resilient to withstand more wear and tear but mature skins are quick to register fluctuations in health, diet, exercise and sleep patterns. Therefore as we age, our skin needs changes. To keep skin looking its very best, a woman’s skin care regime should change to address the unique needs of each decade. Healthy beautiful skin starts from natural beauty regime. Tapping into the world's ancient beauty secrets, such as Cleopatra's beauty secret of bathing with milk and honey that our fore-fathers have been using before the advent of technology one can see the benefits of natural products in today’s beautiful skin maintenance.

Yess Essentials products, used as part of routine skincare maintenance programme can help offset and manage the intrusive environmental and age related impacts on beauty. These together with healthy hours of sleep daily, healthy dietary habits, and drinking copious quantities of water daily will help maintain a healthy beautiful skin that will last. Yess Essentials products presents users with the opportunity of taking control of their beauty regime that will over time recreate, nurture and maintain a good radiant healthy skin while at the same time defending the skin from depleting intrusions. Yess Essentials products speaks the language a healthy good skin understands.

Dr. Yemi Shode Yess Essentials Ltd email: bodycare@yessessentials.com website: www.yessessentials.com

“Your body is a chalice, wine-filled. Your skin is silken and tawny like a field of wheat touched by the breeze…” King Solomon. Tapping into the ancient beauty products from the rain forest of Africa, has led to the specific appreciation of the uniqueness of African Natural Soap, popularly called African Black Soap, from the villages of West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria and Togo). The soap is a soft texture 100% natural soap, brownish-black in colour with a natural earthy smell, made from centuries old recipe passed down from generation to generation and used as part of essential component of beauty regime all over the world with its secret kept to the people who value it’s essence. It is widely known in the villages as soap for all skin problems. For centuries, Africans used the soap to relieve acne, rashes, scalp irritations, clear blemishes, body odour and various other skin issues. Traditionally it is used to give babies their first bath. It gives the baby a deep cleansing first bath, leaving the skin silky, soft and smooth with a feeling of freshness The soap is made from naturally sourced potash obtained from cocoa pod husk or plantain skin and unrefined palm kernel oil. It’s made with no animal fats, preservatives, colour enhancers, chemical and fragrance. It is biodegradable, ethical and eco friendly and can be recommended for the most sensitive skins, young children and older more delicate skins with no adverse effects. Combining the benefits of the African traditional ingredients with modern ingredients, Yess Essentials has formulated naturally based skincare products for all skin types that ensure meticulous Raw Business // Issue 13

Tapping into

By Tom Mapes

Sales Potential with NLP A Sales Team can be seen as a single entity with the same emotions and drive as an individual person: the more motivated they are, the more they can potentially sell. The question facing Raw Business at the start of May was “What are the best ways to motivate the team to achieve maximum results?” Of course, there are the obvious ways of incentives (financial or otherwise) or low targets to give the team a sense of satisfaction and achievement when they are hit, but could there be another way?

f a Sales Team is looking to the future only as far as their pay cheque and commission at the end of the month, are they really motivated to build a pipeline and a true feeling of want and need with regard to their revenue? What if we could teach our team to think about their long term goals? Are their underlying behaviour patterns and/or thought processes helping or hindering their success?

This is where NLP could play a part. Neuro-linguistic Programming has been about since the 1970’s when it was conceived by Richard Bandler and John Grinder who found it could play a vital part in finding ways to help people have better, fuller and richer lives. From my own experience, the people who practice NLP and have made it their business to educate others, certainly seem to be fully devoted to its beliefs and have a heartfelt appreciation for its merits. One such person is Bryan Jones, an NLP Master Practitioner, founder and owner of Beacon Business Coaching. We first came across Bryan in early 2009 and in May 2010, we decided that NLP could help our sales team’s performance so we decided to invite Bryan to run some sessions for us. The programme consisted of training 3 teams of 6 sales executives and 1 team of administrative staff in two 1 hour sessions. During the first session, the team were taught the principles behind NLP and were introduced to an exercise called ‘The Circle of Excellence’. This is a technique used to anchor positive experiences in your mind which can then be used to calm down and inspire you before a potentially stressful task. Bryan then took the teams through a goal setting exercise using NLP techniques he had learned while training with Robert Dilts. It is a known fact that the most successful business people set themselves goals. To achieve these end goals, they give themselves tasks, which they know must be completed on a regular basis if the goal is to be achieved. To this end Bryan introduced a “Habits Chart”; on this chart each member of the

Raw Business // Issue 13

team listed the tasks they would need to complete if they were to achieve their goals. They would then tick off these tasks on a daily basis for at least 30 days. In the second session Bryan worked on the subject of beliefs. According to NLP, there are two types of belief: ‘Limiting’ beliefs are where you remember when, as a child, you were told you would never be any good at…….. or you would never be able to………and this stayed with you into your adult life. The other type of belief is ‘Empowering’: where you believe you can achieve anything. The teams learned NLP techniques from Bryan to help create and focus on these “Empowering Beliefs”. Another useful aspect of Bryan’s training was that he left the team notes on the NLP procedures he had used and they are able to remind themselves of the techniques they had learned. Bryan is clearly enthusiastic about NLP and the majority of the sales team emerged from their sessions positively motivated and we look forward to exploring other methods in future training sessions with different disciplines across a wide range of techniques. For more information about NLP and Business Coaching, Bryan can be reached on 01621 857031 or at bryanmjones@ beaconbusinesscoaching.co.uk

COURIER SERVICES

The Personal touch H ave you ever been in a rush to send something out but then realized that you missed the deadline time for the overnight service? Many people are familiar with the companies which rule the courier world. These organizations typically have branches in almost every major city all over the world. However, there is an entire industry of smaller, more local couriers which can provide this service.

The strength of a larger company is going to be in their ability to make very long distance and international deliveries. Many companies which have their base in a local area either don't deal in international shipments, or if they do end up having to put the package with one of the larger companies anyway. If you ship overseas a great deal, one of these organizations can be your better bet.

The Reality is that both types of companies have their pros and cons, as almost anything can when comparing two similar companies. Which type of company is going to be better for your organization to use? it depend to a large degree on what your shipping needs are. Always, when selecting a courier company, defining your own needs before you begin looking is the most important step.

The smaller, local companies on the other hand, can be great if you're only shipping within a certain area. That is because they have a lot less overhead in terms of maintaining their infrastructure, which can often help them to keep their costs down. The other advantage to a smaller company is that they will often get to know you better, which for some people means better customer services. With a larger courier you will likely be treated as just a number on their computer system. The smaller companies enable you to get to know both your drivers and those at the office, and get more personal treatment and are happy to go the extra mile. As you can see, there are differences between these types of companies, but both have their strengths. Defining your needs will help you find the one that's right for you. http://www.whytetigerservices.co.uk/services.html

The overall standard of service I experienced was exceptional. The staff were very friendly and could not have been more helpful. I would not hesitate to recommend this company. Claire Western reviewed Whyte Tiger Services Ltd on 7 Jun 2010

4.3 out of 5 An excellent service provided! I was in a real tight spot but these guys managed to help me out. A thoroughly a professional service, one that I would have no doubts in using again. Bob Hails reviewed Whyte Tiger Services Ltd on 22 Nov 2009

5.0 out of 5 I had urgent last minute notice items to be delivered by a particular deadline. I called several companies who had no way to deliver on time however these guys were professional, efficient, and successful. Excellent customer service, good phone manner an excellent associate to have for the business to get the job done professionally. Harry from Aspire Management Consultants reviewed Whyte Tiger Services Ltd on 22 Oct 2009

4.0 out of 5 Great courier service they got me out of tight situation, they were quick and on time. Customer service was professional and the price was great. Keep up the good work Whyte Tiger Services. Regards John Bead. LSG Watches.

Raw Business // Issue 13

Insure My Liability What's the Risk?

The dangers facing businesses from illegal or negligent behaviour are now greater than ever. Companies face an increasing risk of being sued, or at least threatened with legal action. Legislation in the UK has also increased, requiring companies to take out insurance to protect both employees and the general public from danger as a result of their day-to-day work. But it's not just legislation and an increasingly litigious atmosphere in the UK that make business insurance necessary. The more traditional vertically integrated supply chains, owned by one organisation, have gone. The trend towards outsourcing has created supply chains composed of completely separate companies. Businesses now have to insure against the risk of failing to meet contractual requirements because of problems outside their control, when other companies in the supply chain have failed to deliver.

Major Forms of Business Insurance

There are five main categories of business insurance. Employer's Liability (EL) Pays legal costs and compensation in the event of injury or ill health of employees. At least £5 million worth of cover required by law for all companies who employ staff. Public Liability (PL) Protects a business against damages awarded to members of the public because of injury or damage to their property. Not legally required but often demanded of trades or companies before they are allowed to work on sites or with other organisations.

Raw Business // Issue 13

Professional Indemnity (PI) For use in case of negligent advice or services provided by the policy holder. Designed to safeguard businesses against claims made by clients for any financial loss or damage to their reputation as a result. Officers and Directors Protects the company from inadvertent negligence on the part of directors and other high-level employees. Buildings and Contents Not fundamentally different to house and contents insurance but with wider cover and specialist policies to cater for different business needs. This isn’t an exhaustive list; other types of business cover are available, but these are the policies that most businesses would want to consider. What cover they actually need will differ from business to business.

Employer's Liability Insurance

Employer’s liability (EL) insurance is a legal requirement for all businesses with employees and the penalties for being caught without it are onerous – a maximum fine of up to £2,500 a day. There are even severe penalties just for failing to display the insurance certificate or producing it on demand. Employer's liability cover enables businesses to meet the costs of compensation and legal fees for employees who suffer injury, sickness or even death at work through the fault of the employer. There have been huge and long-running claims in recent years, for example those related to asbestosis.

LOWER PREMIUMS One potential area of complexity is how this law applies to sole traders. In 2005 the requirement for single person businesses to hold EL insurance was dropped, but it can still apply if they take on temporary or even voluntary staff.

The important point is that D&O insurance is intended to cover areas where a director or other officer of the company has done something wrong, but not something illegal.

Public Liability Insurance

Getting cover for a company's premises and contents is strangely not a legal requirement but it makes complete sense. Many businesses that suffer from fire never recover.

Public liability (PL) insurance is not compulsory but is becoming more of a business staple. It protects a business that is found liable for injury or death to a third party, or for damage to a third party’s property. Although a business may believe the risk of a claim is small, the rising costs of awards and legal fees in recent years mean that a single large claim can be catastrophic for a business. This is particularly relevant for businesses who send employees into customers' homes or business premises and also for those who allow public access to their own premises, such as shops, cinemas, hotels or leisure clubs. Most of the billions paid out by insurers every year are due to ‘slips and trips’ or minor damage claims. But in those rare cases where companies have been proved to have contributed to serious injury or death the figures involved are huge.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

This used to be the preserve of a few professional organisations like accountants but the idea of a 'professional' service has spread to include many services these days. PI will protect a company that makes a mistake that leads to another company being unable to fulfil its own contractual duties. For example: a building firm constructs a house following plans supplied by an architect and some of the dimensions are wrong. The customer complains to the builder but the builder can show that they have completely followed the architect's plans. Then the owner has to take action against the architect instead. Regardless whether the builder or the architect is at fault it’s their professional liability policies that would kick in, covering legal fees and then the compensation once the dust had settled. With the increasing tendency to sue in the UK many companies now insist that their suppliers have PI to a certain level before they will do business with them.

Directors and Officers Insurance

While professional indemnity protects a business from the actions of another company, directors and officers insurance is designed to protect more from within. Many owners of limited companies assume that they are completely 'limited' from liabilities arising from the company. But this is not always the case, there are a number of circumstances where disgruntled parties may pursue directors personally. Those parties could be a regulatory body, shareholders or even customers. An example where D&O cover might come into play would be where the theft of a director's identity led to a breach of confidential information. The policy would cover the costs and compensation for certain damages that arise as a result. Or it could be something less straightforward, such as coverage in the event of an accusation of bias in the workplace on racial, sexual or other discriminatory grounds.

Business Property and Contents Insurances

Theft can cripple companies and businesses involved in distribution should consider specialist theft cover for goods in transit. Theft can also lead to claims for subsequent damages from customers, or perhaps other companies in a supply chain. Business continuity insurance specifically caters for eventualities where the cost of replacing or repairing damages isn’t enough. This extra cover provides the funds to go out and hire extra people, or rent machinery or premises, so that the business can carry on in the short term while more measures are taken. Product liability insurance will appeal to companies that make, repair or sell products. In the event of a claim for damage or injury due to defects in design and manufacture, even if the company has not been negligent, the policy can protect the company. Separate legal expenses insurance cover the costs of defending claims on employment or contractual issues, while trade credit insurance can help deal with situations where bad debts or late payment impact on cash flow.

What's Next?

Businesses need to take a step back and look at the risks that they face, then decide which ones can and should be insured against. It's vital not to underestimate liability needs, as many businesses find that the amount of cover isn’t enough once something actually happens. This is the main reason why fire is often so devastating to a business. The amount of cover can be enough to eventually repair the damage from the fire. But it may not replace lost earnings during a period when the business is unable to trade, or the financial impact of losing valuable business information. And although the legal requirement for employer's liability cover is £5million, double that is almost a default now, and £2million is typical for PL. All policies are not the same; it's important to understand what's included and what isn't to make sure that a policy fully covers the business. The best way to sort out what's needed is to talk to a professionally qualified broker. They can lay out the different policies and explain the inclusions and exclusions in plain English. Try a few different brokers until you find someone you can work with, who understands your business, and then relax in the knowledge that your business is properly safeguarded.

0845 450 5360

www. insuremyliability.co.uk Raw Business // Issue 13

Goldclass Employment LTD Recruiting the right people for your team is a crucial, if not the most important, factor behind any business’s success. But it shouldn’t have to be an expensive process. As the UK’s number 1 low cost online recruiter, we’re proud to have introduced a low cost, risk free service that can be used to ﬁll any role, in any sector, at any level of seniority. What sets us apart from our competition is our commitment to quality. From day one you’ll receive quality applicants, all of whom have been hand ﬁltered to meet your requirements. Since 2006, we’ve worked with over 2,500 companies, from large corporates such as AXA and Sage, to local SMEs. Can you justify spending £1000s on recruitment anymore? See how we can dramatically reduce your recruitment spend

Why you should use the Goldclass Employment service... Results-based service - we guarantee to fill your role Our staggering success rate - we fill 8 out 10 vacancies The extensive resources we utilise means we can work on any vacancy in any industry If you’re not successful - we offer a unique money back option Candidate communication - we’ll answer all initial queries, saving you valuable time Peckham Chibonga, from Goldclass Financial Services, invested in Goldclass Employment and appointed Chief Executive. We’re also serious about standards and quality, and this is reflected in our work with industry bodies like the REC and adherence to regulations.

Candidate Find your new role with Goldclass Employment. Here at Goldclass Employment Ltd we pride ourselves on bringing candidates and employers closer together. We ﬁrmly believe that your CV should be reviewed by the employer themselves, so if you meet

www.goldclass.org.uk

our client’s initial requirements, we will pass your details directly on to them. So far we’ve provided 100,000s of jobseekers with a ground-breaking way to apply for jobs, and we look forward to helping you ﬁnd your next position.

www.goldclassemployment.co.uk

0845 430 9621

goldclassﬁnancial@googlemail.com

0845 052 2890

www.accelerated-training-consultancy.co.uk info@accelerated-training-consultancy.co.uk

‘The most successful companies recognise the power of effective communication’ In the current economic climate it’s more important than ever for organisations to have a highly skilled workforce who can communicate well. Communication skills are needed in every aspect of our working lives and to use them effectively requires skill, practice and training. At Accelerated Training & Consultancy we believe that below par performance in any area of an organisation, team or individual can be traced back to poor communication.

What we can offer you

Although we are a newly formed company, we have 16 years experience of working with clients in the UK and abroad. Our expertise is in identifying where communication has broken down and how it can be improved to: • increase market share • improve productivity & sales • increase levels of customer satisfaction • encourage greater innovation • decrease levels of sickness & absence We offer, training, coaching and consultancy for individuals, teams or organisations

Examples of communication skills training can include:

Raw Business // Issue 13

Can you be a true advert of

your product?

What do others see as your product?

Following on from my last article – Business Networking - can you mix business with pleasure – I wondered how many of you go to a networking event to talk about your product range without giving your fellow networkers any real opportunity to see what your product is or what it means to you? I don’t mean simply wearing a badge or a branded t-shirt, although that certainly helps to give others a clue as to the business you are promoting. Also, I admit that certain products are more easily ‘wearable’ than others. I have not met many accountants or solicitors wearing corporate t-shirts, but would you feel that was appropriate? On the other hand, is the smart suit really what we have come to expect for these professions, as a representation of solid reliability.

• Ask if you’d be interested in finding out how those issues could be rectified By taking the trouble to find out what you, the potential customer, is really looking for, has that accountant encouraged you to see them as potentially capable of offering the ideal solution?

Testimonials? – How valuable are they?

How often, when we’ve had great feedback from a customer, do we ask them to give us a testimonial? Typical British reticence?

Getting beyond that outer layer!

To a Forever Living Products Independent Distributor, testimonials are invaluable. We have a product range of which we are immensely proud. Using our product range daily enables us to share that experience and illustrate the benefits we have received. This, together with our customer testimonials has so often triggered an interest and sale with great resulting customer satisfaction.

Until you engage with that person, (my previous article refers) and find out what makes them tick, can you really feel comfortable that they are a good and true representative of the business they offer?

Taking the example of our accountant again – is there any problem with being able to state: • I’ve been able to reduce customers’ annual costs by up to 20% • I’ve saved them significant amounts of income and corporation tax • I’ve shown them more efficient ways to keep records and understand how to interpret what those records indicate about their businesses

Ok – you’ve seen the suit, the badge, the branded t-shirt, but what does that really tell you about the person presenting his or her business to you?

The make-up artist, personal trainer, hair stylist can easily present a picture of personal success at what they do. But, does that mean they can convince you that they are the ones who can make you look beautiful, fit, or find that special style which showcases you?

How do you convince someone that you can ‘do it for them’?

Does just saying ‘I’m an accountant’ work? What would you want from your accountant? Fair prices? Tax efficiency? Proactivity to show you how to get the most favourable results? There are plenty of accountants out there, just as there are solicitors, and Forever Living Products Independent Distributors! I’m sure we’ve all heard plenty of fellow networkers give the full description of what they do, whether we want it or not! Maybe that triggers a need in your mind. Does it, however, convince you that you’re hearing the solution from the right person?

If that accountant took the following approach, how would that change your perception?

• Ask if you’re satisfied with the service you currently receive • If ‘no’ ask what issues you’d want to be addressed

Confidentiality need not stop our accountant from presenting these very positive pictures to great advantage.

Outshine your competition

So, how do you pull it all together? Perhaps you’re not the most confident sales person, but perhaps that works to your advantage? How often have we been turned off by the blatant sales pitch? With a certain amount of effort and assistance from friends and colleagues, we can all get out there and shine! So: • Dress the part • Get to know the real person • Identify what the customer really wants • Show them how you’ve ‘done it’ for others • Show how you can ‘do it’ for them too! Happy prospecting! Pam Charman - Independent Distributor Forever Living Products http://myflpbiz.com/esuite/home/pam/ 01992 421 722 paw@myflpbiz.com Raw Business // Issue 13

Raw Business // Issue 13

Business Solutions

Small Changes Can Deliver

Big Results In the second article in our series on Accelerating Business Growth, Albert Wright of Millionaire Coaching Academy introduces to Raw Business readers some of the business growth tools provided to clients on the MCA Bronze Programme. There are only 4 ways to increase sales: • More customers • More often • Spending more each visit • Staying as customers for longer Small increases; say 10%, in each of, say 3, can have a big cumulative impact on sales of 33%:

Customers

Av. order value £

Av order frequency

Turnover £

100

20,000

110

100

22,000

10% MORE CUSTOMERS

110

24,200

10% more spend

110

2.2

26,620

10% more often a year

There are dozens of marketing initiatives that can be introduced to ensure the increases of 10% are brought about. MCA believe one of the most important is to have a system that allows you to keep in regular touch with your customers, such as a monthly email newsletter, to encourage customers to come and shop more frequently by offering special promotions to existing customers that are time limited to that month. One favoured way to get new clients is to negotiate a successful introducer fee payable to non-competing businesses for contacting their client base that has a common profile to yours. For example, a local fitness centre might contact its members on behalf of a local clothing retailer.

To increase the amount spent per visit you can introduce cross selling or up selling techniques like selling a tie to a man who has just bought one of your suits or doing a discount on ties and socks bought at the same time.

For more information on how to use the grid, increase customer profitability and Grow Your Business, phone Albert on 0208 343 8558 and book a FREE 30 minute phone consultation worth over £100 – available only to readers of Raw Business. www.sbsltd.net.

Raw Business // Issue 13

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Raw Business // Issue 13

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104

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Raw Business // Issue 12 // June 2010

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www.atlanteanbody.com Raw Business // Issue 12 // July 2010

105

NETWORKING

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