Gloucestershire
BUSINESS Magazine Hotel du Vin Cheltenham Rising to a new challenge
Autumn Resolutions for Gloucestershire Businesses‌ Autumn/Winter 2015 | Issue 1 | FREE www.smebusinessmagazine.co.uk
Discover the business of VQ Country Wines
Is Digital Marketing for you? Stefano Pucello of SPC explains
Be an exhibitor at gloucestershire’s only event Promoting healthy living & wellbeing
Cheltenham Town Hall Sunday 13 March 2016
Do you need to rebrand – a branding agency does! Subscriptions For Free subscription, please go to www.smebusinessmagazine.co.uk and sign up to the contact form to receive your next FREE copy.
SME Business Magazine is published by BluDiamondMedia GL54 3HJ Tel: 01451 861352
For more information please visit: www.healthylifeexpo.co.uk Email: info@healthylifeexpo.co.uk
© SME Business Magazine Disclaimer. Whilst every attempt has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate and correct, the publishers or its editorial contributors cannot accept or be held responsible and hereby disclaim any liability for inaccuracies or errors within the publication. Nor any party to loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or other cause. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission from the publishers. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the publishers. Front Cover Image – Annabel Parkyn, Hotel du Vin, Cheltenham by ImageMaker – www.designphotography.co.uk
editorsintroduction Running your own business is the ‘in’ thing to do! There are around 30,000 businesses registered as sole traders in Gloucestershire alone! And why not – working from home or running your own business gives you autonomy, flexible working hours (granted, we all probably work too many hours!), lets you do something you enjoy so you can take pride in what you do, and is a fantastic way to make money! Those are the positives, but anyone running their own business will know it’s not all plain sailing. The idea of SME Business Magazine came about from working closely with The Business Kitchen, when we realised that many of us are in the same boat. There is a real need for local, relevant, sound bite-style, business advice which – here’s the important part – is constantly updated and evolves over time. A business doesn’t stand still… the influences and confluences for your business and the larger business arena change constantly. So how do we keep up-to-date? I follow the principle a business owner, MD and maverick character once imparted and which I’ll never forget: ‘Keep it Simple, Pay Attention, Are you Happy?’ (with your work/business/life goals). This principle is
reflected in the style, the format and the content of SME Business Magazine. SME Business Magazine is all about imparting top tips with real value which we hope you will be able to read, absorb quickly and apply easily to your business, with a focus that will really make a difference. We all want to make money; there is no reason for a business not to grow and, as we’ve gleaned from interviewing a variety of Gloucestershire businesses and business people, reviewing and planning is a key part of building your business. We hope you enjoy our autumn resolution theme, combined with top business tips from local business owners – whom I cannot thank enough for their time and appreciation of this project and its goals. The magazine is all laid out in a menu format – aimed at keeping it simple and full of tasty morsels. We hope you enjoy the read. Go on, grow your business and enjoy it! We welcome – in fact, positively and actively encourage – your feedback and reviews. Let us know what you think!
Kathryn Allison kathryn@smebusinessmagazine.co.uk Twitter:/SMEBizMagGlos Editorial & Advertising business@smebusinessmagazine.co.uk www.smebusinessmagazine.co.uk
insidethisissue 3 socialbytes
7 maincourse
Intranet Future
Kim Fleet - Author & Writing Coach Local Business Network VQ Country Wines
4 thebusinesskitchen
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Plan your spring clean now ...
11 today’s speciality
5 dishoftheday - starter
Hotel du Vin
Blumango Creative
13 dishoftheday - dolce
6 masterchef
Stefano Pucello Consulting Ltd
Xact Solutions, LCT Accounting
14 directory
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socialbytes How do you keep all your social media irons in the fire this autumn? Autumn is here and the days are getting shorter and colder, but how do you ensure your social media activity remains red hot? Your best option is to create a Social Media Strategy. It’s the only way. Below are some of the elements you might want to consider.
Business benefits There are numerous business benefits to social media, but it’s important to decide what you are trying to achieve. Are you looking to use social media as a way to increase your sales or perhaps to improve your customer service or to create a brand awareness campaign?
Who’re you talking to? Define your ideal customer. Are they local? What is their age and gender? What are their interests? Without an audience on social networks you have no one to communicate with. On the other hand, a wide, but specific, engaged audience will do your groundwork for you, sharing your content and helping to spread awareness of your brand. There’ll be potential purchasers’ among that audience too. Get to know influencers in your community at the same time: follow them, and share their content as they will be likely to do the same in return.
Social networks Are your social networks appropriate for you? Once you know what you’re trying to achieve and who makes up your audience, you’ll be in a good position to review your social networks and decide which to focus on. For example, if most of your customers are women and you want to increase sales of a product like jewellery, soap, clothing or furnishings, then put most energies into Pinterest and Instagram which, with the focus on imagery, this will enable you to show off your products to a relevant audience.
Content Make a content plan. I know it’s a plan, but it’s vital to focus your content and follow the strategy. Start by picking key events in the calendar and build around them. For example, can you create posts around Bonfire Night, Halloween, Harvest Festival or October half term? If your business has any products, services or special promotions connected to such events then this is a great starting point for your social media plan. You’ll almost definitely want to plan something around
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Jonathan Pollinger Christmas and the New Year too. They aren’t as far away as you might think! Let alone next spring! Try and make your content as visual as possible using photos, images and video and keeping words to a minimum. Above all, make your posts pithy, personal and engaging.
Tools You can action your content plan using a tool such as Buffer, which enables you to schedule posts to multiple social networks. This will make the most of your time and give your content maximum audience exposure.
Measurement Finally, to ensure you remain on track it’s important to measure the success of your activity. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest all come with their own analytical tools showing which content is popular and which is ignored. Use these tools to make sure your time on social media is being well-spent. So get your social media activity fired up this autumn, and you’ll find that by the time you create your plan for 2016, you really will know how to reap the benefits. And if you’re still not sure where to start, then ask for help to achieve your objectives. Social media can help you win business. Keep posting! But in the right, focused, planned, engaging way! E: jonathan.pollinger@intranetfuture.com W: www.intranetfuture.com
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thebusinesskitchen Give your business plan a spring clean this autumn! With many of us now half-way through our financial year, the inevitable flurry of work following summer break, is the perfect time to revisit the business plan and adjust actions so that goals can be met or exceeded in time for end of March 2016.
Here are our top tips for reviewing your business plan: 1. Set yourself a regular time each month to review progress against your plan – this should be a positive experience, not a chore, so treat yourself to a special mug of coffee and enjoy some valuable, yes valuable thinking time. 2. Make sure you know what return you are getting on all activities and at every monthly review, weed out those activities that are just not cutting it 3. Make sure that your plan is in line with your 3-year strategy 4. Have a clear list in your plan of all your products or services with the relevant pricing structure and margins so you can review and update as necessary 5. Also include information in your plan of what your product or service is, why it is distinctive and how it differs from other businesses’ offerings – seeing this in print is a good way of helping you review your offering with a critical eye 6. Create a properly prioritised action plan with realistic and achievable due dates and above all TAKE ACTION!
The Business Kitchen runs practical, interactive monthly workshops in Cheltenham to help local business owners achieve their ambitions and become more successful through developing their menu of skills in a friendly, informal environment. Gill Smith, co-founder has over 30 years’ experience in the corporate world in a wide range of roles, many of which have involved identifying and solving problems. Her skill-set includes control, project management, strategy, financial management and automation. With a solid background in marketing, Nigel Knowlman, co-founder is a registered and approved Growth Coach for GrowthAccelerator providing expert, tailored advice to help ambitious businesses achieve rapid, sustainable growth. We’re delighted to welcome both Nigel and Gill as regular contributors to this Business Kitchen section of SME Business Magazine.
Create a properly prioritised action plan with realistic and achievable due dates and above all TAKE ACTION! Contact co-creators gill@thebusinesskitchen.net nigel@thebusinesskitchen.net www.thebusinesskitchen.net
And, if you don’t have a business plan (or you don’t review it regularly), now is an ideal time to get one started! Oh, and don’t forget to review and adjust your cash flow while you’re on a roll!
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dishoftheday - starter
E: vicki@blumangocreative.com W: www.blumangocreative.com
Why is a branding agency rebranding? Kathryn Allison meets Vicki Gray, Director and owner at Blumango Creative, to discover why she is rebranding her brand agency. If ever a surname didn’t match its owner, it would be Vicki Gray’s! Speaking to her, you discover a warm, natural and clever personality that comes across in her work. She has been running her colourful brand agency, Blumango Creative, for over 15 years now, successfully designing and developing websites, logos, creative brochures and flyers for a long line of Gloucestershire businesses, as well as producing a whole spectrum of sales and marketing literature packed full of her business-generating design. Her strapline is clear, clean and to the point: THINK, DESIGN, DELIVER! But why, after so many years, is Vicki rebranding? She explains: “Because the business is going so well! I made a concerted effort about 18 months ago to attract bigger businesses in which clients are working with bigger budgets, and now my efforts are paying off. We’ve been working hard with these clients but I never forget the saying ‘Do what you say, don’t say what you do’! We all get so busy working for our own clients that we rarely make as much time as we should to look at our marketing, design and the business as a whole.”
If ever a surname didn’t match its owner, it would be Vicki Gray’s! With this in mind, Vicki realised that her own company branding and website were looking a bit tired and out of date – not really an image she wanted to portray to prospective clients. She is currently working on numerous website, logo and design briefs that require her to use the latest technical developments and applications, and this has helped her revisit the Blumango Creative site which didn’t even demonstrate responsive web design. The time was ripe to make some significant changes and spend time rebranding her company. Vicki also took the opportunity to consider how the business had actually developed over the last 18 months – the whole brand package needed to change and to be reflected in a new design: “We don’t just offer logo design or website design & development; we offer the whole brand package and so both our website and our branding have to be consistent while representing this shift.”
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Vicki also realised that the values on which the business was based had changed over time too. Where, once the vision was about being organic and natural, Vicki now wants to market her designs as clean and fresh. Those familiar with the ‘cheeky frog’ element to her branding will however be pleased to know that that is here to stay! You get a sense from Vicki that she is always looking for the next idea, the next development, the next technical advancement. She talks excitedly about holograms and I am wowed by her enthusiasm for the future: “holograms are the next technical development – in fact, in cyber space, the web may not even exist in the future. Something else – the next big thing– will replace it and so it will evolve!”
What are Vicki’s top tips to other businesses?
1. Keep up-to-date with the latest design trends – moving with the times is crucial and this is true for all types of business. 2. Be intuitive and really take note of what your customers and clients want or demand. 3. Always have a 5 year plan. It’s the only way to plan and develop your business to help it grow. 4. Collaboration is key to all business relationships, growth and strength. 5. Be consistent in your offering, but always develop the business. This is no mean feat, when you’re trying to keep up with technical advancements, but it is necessary. 6. Switch off all ‘visual’ noise when designing, such as e-mails, phone calls and distractions. Play music!
Vicki Gray
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masterchef Lance Thomas: Measuring Your Business Performance
Look into my Eyes
Rita Antoniou We all know how important body language is when dealing with customers face-to-face, but when was the last time you or your team checked up on what actually makes your communication as effective as possible? Surprisingly, it isn’t what you say but how you say it that counts most in getting your message across. So, whilst choosing the right words is important, the accompanying visual and vocal signs make a much bigger impact. Getting communication right in your professional life builds trust, cements relationships and sets you apart from the competition. So, let’s sharpen those skills! • Make and maintain eye contact. • Smile and be cheerful. • Stand with an open, relaxed posture, arms unfolded. • Avoid the distractions of smart phones! • Speak clearly – not too loud, not too fast.
We all want to make money: that goes without saying. Whilst having a good business idea and plan is vital, it’s also crucial to measure your business performance on a continuous basis. A good place to start is to keep a close watch on your net profit, return on investment and cash flow. This is how you will control your business. Simply keeping records of your financial transactions will not provide you with sufficient information to properly manage your business. It will tell you how well you are doing, but it won’t tell you why, nor what does and doesn’t work. So you need to measure far, far more than that. What you should measure depends upon the strategy that forms the basis of your business plan. You need to design a strategy based upon what’s important to your customers, ie one that pinpoints where your efforts should be concentrated, so that your strategy meets their needs. Whilst a Profit & Loss forecast is needed, for a snapshot of the business, what many businesses fail to do is measure this as well. Financial analysis must be part of your weekly or monthly reviews. Here are a few options to consider, starting today: 1. Always keep an eye on the cash flow – you can have great profits, but no cash, and if your cash runs out, the business will fail. 2. Measure key indicators such as profit percentages – are you making a profit? 3. Measure Debtor and Creditor days – are your customers paying on time, to enable you to pay your suppliers on time? 4. Consider what drives your business. What has to happen for your business to work? Do you measure that? So make time to measure your business performance. Not all businesses do but this really can be critical to your success and your opportunity to make money!
What the customer wants is someone who is Confident, Likeable, Knowledgeable, Interested in their needs. Think about how these qualities can transfer to email and social media ‘conversations’ too, to create a cohesive feel to your brand.
Lance Thomas
Go on, give it a try! E: rita@xactsolutions.co.uk W: www.xactsolutions.co.uk
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E: lance@lctaccounting.co.uk W: www.lctaccounting.co.uk
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maincourse We interviewed 3 unique businesses based in and around Gloucestershire, to hear about their autumn resolutions, their business goals and their top tips for business success! Kim Fleet, Cheltenham-based Author and Writing Coach
www.kimfleet.com
So Kim, what’s your autumn business resolution?
determined to investigate. Her investigations lead her into a murky world of corruption and human trafficking. But her past as an undercover officer has caught up with her, and Eden herself is being hunted. I wrote Paternoster after someone challenged me to write a crime novel. I’d written murder mysteries before, but had never tried my hand at writing crime, with a detective and clues and red herrings, and I thought it would be an interesting experiment. I chose Cheltenham as it’s known for Regency elegance, but my knowledge of the Georgians told me there would have been a shady underside, and I liked the contrast between the classiness and the sleaze.
I have two autumn business resolutions – one for my work as a crime writer, and one for my business as a writing coach. My fiction goal is to complete the first draft of my new novel, Holy Blood. This is the second in the series set in Cheltenham and featuring private investigator Eden Grey. At the moment I’ve got a timeline, character sketches, motivations, red herrings and a few twists, plus the first 30,000 words are already written. As my books are always time-slip – the story is in two time periods – I always have a lot of research to do. For Holy Blood I’m researching Elizabethan England, specifically Walsingham’s spies and agents provocateurs. By the end of 2015, I hope to have completed the research and written a full first draft of about 100,000 words. My second goal relates to my writing coaching business. I’ve noticed that a lot of people believe that creativity is a fleeting, inconsistent thing. I disagree, and so my goal is to create a new product that will help people to develop and strengthen their creativity, so they’re never sitting there scratching their heads and wondering what to write. I intend to launch the new product at the end of the year, so my clients can start 2016 with a burst of creativity.
What’s your current book about, and what was your inspiration? My current book, Paternoster, was published in June 2015. It’s a crime novel set in present-day and Georgian Cheltenham, and is the first in the Eden Grey series. The 1795 plotline follows feisty prostitute Rachel Lovett who is on the look-out for a wealthy client to support her, and is drawn into the sinister Paternoster Club. But Rachel doesn’t realise just how far men will go for power. In contemporary Cheltenham, when one of Eden’s clients dies suddenly, she suspects foul play and is
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www.banishwritersblock.com
What’s the hardest thing about being in the book business? The hardest thing is that there are no guarantees. Naively, I thought when my first novel, Sacred Site, was published, that getting things published after that would be easier. Then when I was taken on by a literary agent, again I thought it would be plain sailing from then on. How wrong I was! The publishing industry is very cautious, and even if you have a track record of publication, there are no guarantees that any future work will be published.
What are your top tips for being in the book business?
1. Read a lot and write a lot 2. Write regularly – every day if possible – this holds true whether you write fiction or non-fiction. I know it’s not a romantic image, but writing and creativity really do respond to structure and routine 3. Keep trying. Keep on writing, attend courses, buddy up with other writers, get feedback on your work and improve your writing skills. And never give up.
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maincourse
Rachael Willoughby partner at Local Business Network and SquareOne
Alongside her business partner Elliot Richmond, Rachael Willoughby runs both Local Business Network (LBN), a Facebook Group connecting local businesses, and SquareOne, a web design and development business. She has just launched their first-ever Local Business Network roadshow event, to be held at the Pump Rooms in Cheltenham, 4th November 2015.
www.facebook.com/groups/lbnmembers or www.lb-roadshow.co.uk www squareonemd.co.uk
I love autumn. Autumn is a great time to re-focus and think about the year ahead, about where we are and where we want to go. Taking time to do this means we can be up and running ready for January 2016! We run through the business’s processes and take stock of what has worked and what hasn’t.
to connect and create even more business! But our motto is Connect, Learn and Grow, and one of the aims of running our first-ever roadshow is to enable members and participants, to meet and create business – some of our members may have had a number of conversations via the Group, but they have never actually met! As for SquareOne, the business is going well, so much so that we are looking for a new member of staff to handle a new part of the business - offering our own WordPress template designs for those businesses with a smaller budget. We worked out that we turned away over £20K of business in this area, and this is something that we are aware we want and need to address.
What are you up to at the moment?
What are your 3 top tips for being in business?
As we speak, I’m in the midst of getting the first ever LBN roadshow up and running for 4th November 2015. Since its launch in early 2013, the LBN, a not-for-profit organisation, has attracted 5,226 members and this number continues to grow daily. The network acts as a forum to provide free advice, a Q&A conversation area, controlled advertising and an opportunity for owners to promote their business – it’s providing a virtual place
So Rachael, what’s your autumn business resolution?
1. 2. 3.
Make sure you dedicate time each week to spend ON your business Switch off notifications from social media – especially as we’re running a Facebook group, I find I can get sucked into social media! By switching off my Facebook notifications, I am able to allocate enough time to my day job! Know the gap in your business.
Debbie Attrill and Ali Attrill owners of VQ Country Wines
Unit 12, Ladygrove Industrial Estate
www.vqcountrywines.co.uk
Gloucestershire GL17 0DS
Gloucester Road, Mitcheldean
07881 226326 | 01452 831735 Tucked away on the road to Mitcheldean is a thriving wine business. Five years ago, Debbie set up VQ Country Wines following 30 years of perfecting her love of wines! Her daughter, Ali, is now part of this business having gained her advertising degree; earlier this year she redesigned all the company branding, including the wine labels for the whole range. The business is both unique and a passion. Simply, they make wine from everything apart from grapes! 3000 bottles of wine will be produced this year with the aim of continuing an increase of production surely and steadfastly over the next few years. The local element to the business is important to both Debbie
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and Ali, with wines being sold at farmers’ markets and through outlets such as Over Farm Market, Taurus Crafts and Truffles Delicatessen . There are also plans afoot to stock the wines in local supermarkets within Gloucestershire, as well as offering online ordering. Another growth area for the business is non-local fayres and larger festivals. An autumn abundance of blackberries, sloes and damsons make for great wines, but Debbie is not content to stick just to the ‘usual’ fruit wines you may think of. VQ’s Christmas port, formerly named ‘Druid’s Fluid’ but now ‘Chupacabre’, is an annual instant bestseller. Made from a combination of mixed dark
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berries, the year’s production always sells out at the Victorian Christmas Market at Gloucester Quays. Their mulled wine - a mix of cranberries and orange – is also one to consider for your Christmas drinks list. Watch out too for their new gift packs such as the Port & Cheese or Legless Legumes sets as well as the Pie-Eyed Parsnip wine! In the summer time their strawberry and elderflower wine, as well as the raspberry and peach wine, sell out quickly at summer events and their ‘oak leaf’ wine is also a firm if unexpected favourite!
So Debbie, what’s your autumn business resolution? “With Ali on board this year, her work on the rebrand and other aspects of the business has demonstrated, that this business can grow, but in order for this to happen, I need an apprentice to help with the winemaking process – from picking right through to bottling. So my resolution is to learn to delegate!”
And Ali, what’s your autumn business resolution? “To have most of the wines in stock at all times, so orders and sales can be fulfilled throughout the year, not just seasonally. We freeze all fruit and vegetables instantly after picking, as you get better flavours and the product is easier to work with, so we just need to plan
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further ahead and ensure we have enough stock. This would mean a full product list could be produced and circulated throughout the whole year.” “We also want to become accredited for organic production and are moving towards a Natural Wine Accreditation – this is our longer-term aim.”
What’s the hardest part of your business? “Temperature! In order to create the ideal wine, temperature is everything, and of course each fruit and vegetable has slightly different requirements! The seasonal variations and availability of each variety are also constant challenges.”
What are your top tips for being in the non-grape wine business?
1. New product development is key to evolving, so you can offer something different, something extra to your customers. 2. Understand the importance to the business of technology and technological advancements, from social media, digital marketing, finance software right through to winemaking techniques. 3. Know the pitfalls and never assume people already know: communication is everything. 4. Make sure you have fun!
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... perfect places for executive dining and business events
today’s speciality HOTEL DU VIN, CHELTENHAM Kathryn Allison interviews the new Sales & Events Manager, Annabel Parkyn at Hotel du Vin, Parabola Road, Cheltenham on her business remit and aim for Hotel du Vin, Cheltenham.
As the newly appointed Sales & Events Manager, Annabel’s personable, yet professional personality strikes me instantly. Handling an interview in your first week in a new job would be considered daunting by some! However, having spent over ten years in hospitality, Annabel has been exposed to many sides of the industry, including three and a half years working at Claridge’s Hotel in London heading up the events team, and working with fabulous caterers such as Rhubarb Food Design, so she seems to be taking her new role in her stride. So, what can we expect from Annabel and Hotel du Vin Cheltenham in the coming year? [Off I went to find out.]
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What can your previous experience bring to the hotel? As Sales and Events Manager it’s my job to tell everyone about the Hotel du Vin and ensure we are giving customers what they want! Getting out and talking to local businesses is key to my role, as well as ensuring people know what we have to offer. Some people may not be aware, for example, that on Sundays we have a beautiful four-course brunch with a help-yourself French Market Table which is extremely popular with local residents. We also have some fantastic event spaces within the hotel, where you can hold meetings, private dining events and celebrate special occasions.
What can Hotel du Vin offer to business and corporate guests that’s different? Hotel du Vin offers a very different feel to most hotels, being far less clinical and offering a home away from home for the corporate traveller. It has a relaxed reception area with leather arm chairs and soft furnishings and all the modern conveniences you would expect such as free Wifi and Nespresso machines in all the rooms. The hotel really does provide a welcoming environment that ensures guests come back time and again. Our superb meeting spaces and private dining rooms are full of character and are the perfect places for executive dining and business events. To add a fun dimension, particularly for evening events, our Chef’s Table has a liquid crystal feature window into the kitchen which can be turned on to reveal the chefs hard at work or frosted if privacy is required. Our Almaviva room is a stunning mix of exposed brickwork and wood detail
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which has a great feel for executive meetings. We do run regular offers and promotions, from early booker offers for Jan-March 2016 events such as afternoon tea for two or complimentary canapĂŠs with dinner, to free room hire when booking private dinners in November. Despite being part of a group, we are very individual in terms of our offers and where the hotel itself is concerned.
What makes Cheltenham Hotel du Vin stand out? The ambience of Hotel du Vin strikes you as you walk in: there is no characterless reception desk, just relaxed and understated elegance. And this ambience continues in our unique rooms and suites, with their roll-top baths and every luxury one could possibly want.
As our theme this edition is autumn resolutions, do you have an autumn business resolution? My resolution is to look at the business and see where we might improve standards – I think it is so important to provide a high quality product with service standards to match, so I am quite hot on ensuring everything is in place for us to keep our customers happy 100% of the time!
What are the key criteria for your 5-year business plan? We tend to have a group business plan but for Cheltenham specifically it is to build on the great product we currently have and to make it even better. We have 49 beautifully styled bedrooms which are full nearly every night. However, food and drink are at the heart of Hotel du Vin and we are listening to our
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customers to give them what they want. So we are bringing in some exciting new menus and going back to our roots with some dishes that we hope will really wow customers.
Do you have 3 top business tips you can share with us? Three tips? Well, I think my top one has always been to get out there and meet people. All too often we do everything over email these days and while it can be quicker, you do lose the personal touch that you get over the phone or in person! I also think keeping your staff happy makes such a difference, so internal marketing would definitely feature in my top three. I also feel regular checks on the business figures are crucial to ensure the business is heading in the right direction, so I’d recommend keeping a keen eye on the numbers to make sure your financial goals are always being reached. After all, the quicker you can pick up on any budgetary shortfalls or excessive Cost of Sales, the better!
Are you looking to expand? Hotel Du Vin group is always looking for the next beautiful building to put the HdV stamp on. There are 16 hotels currently and there will no doubt be more to come. Who knows, the group may even spread internationally in the future!
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E: annabel.parkyn@hotelduvin.com W: www.hotelduvin.com
dishoftheday - dolce Have you considered Digital Marketing channels? Email marketing, display advertising, social media marketing, affiliate marketing……. Kathryn Allison meets the Man from Rome, Stefano Pucello, in Cheltenham at the headquarters of Stefano Pucello Consulting Ltd (SPC), a sales and marketing consultancy that Stefano owns and runs. With a dedicated international career in manufacturing behind him, Stefano set up SPC in 2014 to offer local businesses the much-needed strategy they should have! Setting up on your own after a corporate career would seem rather daunting. It was therefore almost inevitable that my first question to Stefano would be to ask what his top tip was for setting up on one’s own: “I’d suggest that you don’t overthink it, just do it. Put the effort in with hard, hard work and know it will only work if you are committed.” Sound advice, and to some it might seem obvious. But chatting further to him, you soon realise there is so much more behind this straightforward advice: Stefano really does know what he is talking about. This personable, Italian character combines his business acumen with an infectious brand of energy: “To keep ‘alive’ with your business you have to continually grow yourself and vitally understand relevant and new technology.” This is such a crucial piece of advice to heed. Whilst we all understand the concept of sales and marketing, what makes a business really work is focusing on the correct sales and marketing channels for that particular business. Many of us are confused by the many and varied avenues open to us and our business in the virtual world. Which is the right digital channel for your business? Are we embracing any of the digital marketing channel options? Even Stefano, an expert in his field, knows that he needs to constantly improve and is currently undertaking an online Digital Business Leadership course, fully recognising his need to keep at the top of the industry. Yet, many businesses view marketing – and especially digital marketing – as an add-on. Stefano thumps his desk with his fist in his enthusiasm to emphasise the fact that “the IT and marketing part of the business must be integrated to become part of the business strategy. It has to come from ‘the top down’: embrace the technology, be aware of the technical expertise you will need, be aware of the various digital channels, but then make an educated choice about which avenue will work well for your business, based on your business strategy.”
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Stefano Pucello “To keep ‘alive’ with your business you have to continually grow yourself” His overall top tips in business are:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Good business needs a good business plan Continue to grow and understand the relevance of new technology to your business Understand the numbers Engage with the local community e.g. networking. Stefano’s office is located in a shared building, which guarantees that there are always ‘go to people’ to bounce ideas off, discuss an issue, understand, learn and pass on Never switch off – yes, it can wait, so respond that you’re ‘currently out of the office’ – but never switch off entirely.
E: info@spcgrowth.com W: www.spcgrowth.com
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directory Accountancy
Local Business Network
LCT Accounting Contact: lance@lctaccounting.co.uk 01242 317395
Contact: Rachael Willoughby admin@lb-roadshow.co.uk www.facebook.com/groups/lbnmembers
Brand Agency
Sales
Blumango Creative Contact: vicki@blumangocreative.co.uk 01451 860733 www.blumangocreative.co.uk
Xact Solutions Contact: rita@xactsolutions.co.uk 07752 901679 www.xactsolutions.co.uk
Business Venue
Social Media
Hotel du Vin Contact: annabel.parkyn@hotelduvin.com 084473 64254 www.hotelduvin.com
Intranet Future Contact: jonathan.pollinger@intranetfuture.com 01242 639023 intranetfuture.com
Business Workshops
Strategy
The Business Kitchen Contact: nigel@thebusinesskitchen.net 01242 524361 www.thebusinesskitchen.net
SPC Growth Contact: Stefano Pucello info@spcgrowth.com 01242 300308 www.spcgrowth.com
Consultancy SPC Growth Contact: Stefano Pucello info@spcgrowth.com 01242 300308 www.spcgrowth.com
Customer Service
Photography ImageMaker Contact: andy@designphotography.co.uk 01684 217655 www.designphotography.co.uk
Xact Solutions Contact: rita@xactsolutions.co.uk 07752 901679 www.xactsolutions.co.uk
Your Life Photography Contact: heather@yourlife-photography.co.uk 07866 503648 www.yourlife-photography.co.uk
Digital Marketing
PR
SPC Growth Contact: Stefano Pucello info@spcgrowth.com 01242 300308 www.spcgrowth.com
IPR Communications Contact: kathryn@iprcommunications.co.uk 01451 861352 www.iprcommunications.co.uk
eCommerce
Web Design & Development
Cotswold Web Services Contact: hello@cotswoldwebservices.co.uk 01242 807847 www.cotswoldwebservices.co.uk
Blumango Creative Contact: vicki@blumangocreative.co.uk 01451 860733 www.blumangocreative.co.uk
Networking
Cotswold Web Services Contact: hello@cotswoldwebservices.co.uk 01242 807847 www.cotswoldwebservices.co.uk
The Business Kitchen Contact: nigel@thebusinesskitchen.net 01242 524361 www.thebusinesskitchen.net
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