Belfast Business Centre

Engage for success

2013-09-26T11:35:00.000+01:00

Nicola Barber, Regional Ambassador Engage for Success

Thursday, 3 October 2013 from 08:45 to 13:30 (BST)

Belfast, United Kingdom

We are delighted to announce that Engage for Success has arrived in Northern Ireland!

An official launch event will be held in a central Belfast location, easily accessible to all.

This is a MUST attend event for those who are interested in employee engagement and for finding out how to become involved in the Northern Ireland movement. The event will be informative, interactive, and fun with lots of networking opportunities. There will also be interesting guest speakers, further details to follow.

The event is FREE OF CHARGE. Thank you to Capita HR Solutions for hosting the event.

Wish to attend?

1. Please book the number of tickets that you require.

2. Email nicola.barber@kilwaughter.com with the name of your organisation and also your position within the organisation. This information will assist us with the activities planned for the day.

3. Before the day of the event, please consider one employee engagement issue that you are currently experiencing.

Please note, places are limited at this event. Don't delay, book your place TODAY!

Contact Nicola Barber, Regional Ambassador Engage for Success who is organising this official event (nicola.barber@kilwaughter.com or Tele: 028 2826 0766) for more information.

We look forward to welcoming you to the event!

Have you seen the Engage for Success website? Check it out! http://www.engageforsuccess.org/

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

10 ways to improve your negotiating skills

2013-08-30T09:16:00.000+01:00

10 ways to improve your negotiating skills

Having to negotiate a sale or purchase is a common requirement for the owners and managers of small businesses. Excellent preparation and a logical approach can help you get the deal you want. Here are our top ten tips.

1. Do your research

Clarify your own objectives and make sure you understand what your opposite number wants from the deal. For example, by doing some basic research into a potential supplier, you can work out how valuable your custom is to them.

2. Decide what is negotiable

Before you start to negotiate, draw up a list of factors that are most important to you. Decide what you are (and aren't) prepared to compromise on. Key factors might include price, payment terms, volume or delivery dates.

The key is to establish your preferred outcome, but remain realistic, because if you’re not prepared to compromise some negotiations won’t last long.

3. Plan your strategy

You need to plan your strategy in writing before beginning negotiations. This will help you set clear goals and work out where you will draw the line and walk away from the deal.

Decide the overall approach that you will adopt. Be clear about the type of deal you want and the priority you will give it.

Write down your negotiating strengths and how you might use them to get the concessions you require. Consider ways of defending the weaker parts of your argument and negating the supplier’s main strengths.

4. Select the best team

Once you've decided on your strategy it is essential that you get your negotiating team right. Make sure it has skills in all the required areas and, where necessary, use a specialist to negotiate in areas outside your expertise.

5. Choose the right time and place for negotiation

Ideally select a time and place where you are not under pressure to close the deal.

6. Outline your requirements

Open negotiations by outlining your requirements or terms and conditions and try to get your opposite number to reveal their starting point for discussions.

7. Ask questions and listen closely to answers

Asking questions will help you understand what your opposite number wants to achieve. You may be able to get them to reveal how flexible they are on certain issues.

8. Don’t reveal your negotiating position or make unnecessary concessions

If you have to make concessions – look for reciprocation. Concessions should only be made to help you get the things you value. You should also avoid appearing too keen to do a deal.

Consider what offer the other party in the negotiations is likely to make and how you’ll respond.

9. Be aware of negotiating tactics

You need to be aware of common negotiating tactics. If the other party keeps referring to urgent deadlines or a person they need to confer with, they might be playing games.

Don’t be forced into making rushed decisions or unnecessary concessions, such as false deadlines. Each time a point is agreed, clarify that you've understood it correctly and write it down.

10. Draw up a contract

Once all the points have been negotiated and a deal has been agreed, it’s best to get a written contract drawn up and signed by both parties. While verbal contracts are legally binding – they are difficult to prove in court.

Most business owners would view a good deal as one that meets all their requirements, but you should also consider other factors such as whether you want to do business with a particular firm again. Although getting the best possible deal in the short-term is important, a good relationship in the future may help you get even cheaper prices or other perks, such as priority delivery.

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

Congratulations Clare

2013-08-29T15:29:00.000+01:00

Congratulations to Clare Mercer on achieving her OCR level 3 NVQ diploma in Business and Administration.

Welcome to Graham and Garret from the Mediator Group part of TMG Corporate Services.

2013-08-28T15:55:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Graham and Garret from the Mediator Group part of TMG Corporate Services.

TMG Corporate Services / The Mediator Group is a well-established and highly regarded multi – disciplinary professional services provider. Since 1994 we have been providing well planned and professionally executed solutions for our clients. Operating globally and at ease serving our client whether they are based in Europe, the USA, Asia-Pac or Africa we have achieved results in tens of thousands of diverse assignments. We offer scale, reach and maturity and a proven strategy and approach. We are light touch and discrete in our methods. Our proven credentials with thousands of corporate clients are backed by verbal references available on request. Compliant with Data Protection & Privacy legislation in all jurisdictions in which we operate we offer our clients transparency and effective “always-on” communication via our Quaesta case management system. We provide the following services:

Investigative services Insolvency Support Services

Specialist Surveillance Services Tracing, Profiling & Lifestyle Reporting

Asset Recovery & Repossession Debt Recovery & Insolvency

Summons & Document Services Outsourced Credit Control

Alternative Investments – Due Diligence, Analytics & Business Intelligence

www.themediatorgroup.org

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

What We Can Do For You

2013-08-21T11:00:00.000+01:00

What we can do for you

Perception and Business Decisions

A customer’s perception of a potential new supplier is key to getting them to contact you, so before that all important first impression they have of you, most people will look at where you are, geographically.

We all know that if we live in County Antrim then suppliers in County Armagh or Tyrone may not seem as attractive as those in Belfast or County Antrim.

Similarly those of us who live in County Armagh or Tyrone may not consider anywhere other than their own county or Belfast. However most people agree they would consider a supplier in Belfast regardless of where they live.

Question: How many of you have goggle mapped an address to see where a company is based at before deciding to do business with them or not? I know I do and my perception of the company and its ability is based on seeing a private home or commercial premises.

While my perception could be completely wrong, when I see a private home I think ‘Part-Time’, not able to service my needs, not a serious business and when I see an office building in Belfast my perception is opposite.

The right perception can win you business so why miss out on the opportunity to be able to make a first impression.

You can use our address for your business on:

· Websites

· Business cards

· Stationery and marking materials

With our business address service which costs £30 + VAT per month.

Visit our website for full details and benefits of our services.

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

Virtual Assistant Services at The Belfast Business Centre

2013-08-15T12:07:00.000+01:00

Virtual Assistant Services at The Belfast Business Centre

All Belfast Business Centre clients have access to the Pay Per Use Virtual Assistant Services within the centre.

Word Processing – Letters, Accounts and Reports
Photocopying and Printing in Black & White or Full Colour up to A3 (single/double sided)
Spreadsheet Creation including Data Entry and Formulae
Faxing up to A3
PowerPoint Presentations created and Slides or Handouts Produced
Database Creation including Data Entry and Mail Merge Labels
Laminating up to A3
Scanning and converting documents into pdf format
Email Marketing using a choice of templates
Shredding arranged at the centre or at other premises
Filing with documents placed into any order and method required
Binding with Plastic or Wire combs
Franking and Mail Dispatch with costs less than Royal Mail Stamp prices

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

PINTEREST FOR BUSINESS

2013-08-14T09:07:00.001+01:00

Pinterest for Business Part Four of Four

In our last Pinterest for Business blog, we have identified a study which gives interesting advise on the images you use in your pins.

Pinterest’s Most Engaging Images

A study by Curalate has revealed the characteristics of Pinterest’s most socially engaging images. Reviewing over half a million pictures and 30 different features, engagement was measured based on Pins, Repins and Likes.

Pinterest Users Favour Colour

The more colourful your image, the more likely it is to be repinned. Pictures with multiple colours in vibrant hues were shared 3.25 more times than those with a single dominant colour. Red is one of the most repinned colours, and images with red, orange and brown tones were shared roughly twice as many times as blue-based pictures.

Avoid Black & White

Very light and very dark images see few repins, with the study finding that “repinning rate for images of medium lightness is 20 times higher than for images that are mostly black, and eight times higher than images that are mostly white.” Pinterest images with mid-saturation have 10 times more repins than those that are completely desaturated (e.g. black and white).

Avoid Empty Space

Images with less than 30% background white space are repinned the most, with repins dropping off for pictures with 40% white space or more. Vertical images with an aspect ratio between 2.3 and 4.5 also got 60% more shares than very tall narrow images (so simply cutting out the white space around the edges doesn’t help).

Face-Free

In one of the more surprising findings, the study revealed brand images without faces receive 23% more repins than those that do have faces. Contradicting the traditional marketing belief that faces provide a connection for the customer, less than 20% of pictures shared on Pinterest include a face in the frame.

(If you are interested in setting up a Pinterest Account, we are happy to invite you to join. Email us at elaine@belfastbusinesscentre.com and we will send you an invite).

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

PINTEREST FOR BUSINESS

2013-08-12T10:48:00.000+01:00

Pinterest For Business – Part Three of Four

Your strategy:-

Ask the expert boards

Invite users to share

Before setting up your Business Pinterest account:-

1. Have a clear strategy with objectives and goals

2. Have an on-going action plan of what is to be added on your account

3. Create your boards logically

4. Be uniform in the product images

5. Maintain current pricing

6. Put the product title, description , price and your website for each pin

7. Decide what other options will be available as added extras :- ask, invite

8. Rename every image to include a product and tile manufacturers name and your company name.

(If you are interested in setting up a Pinterest Account, we are happy to invite you to join. Email us at elaine@belfastbusinesscentre.com and we will send you an invite).

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

PINTEREST FOR BUSINESS

2013-08-09T09:51:00.001+01:00

Pinterest For Business – Part Two of Four

Pinterest has been found to be one of the most effective social medias at attracting customers and driving sales.

Ensure you have added a ‘Pin IT’ button to your website.

Keeping product boards current and interesting is the key to making the most of this latest social media explosion.

Have a strategy and give your people time to follow that strategy. Set out your goals and tactics to encourage followers to engage with you whether it is a re-pin, achieving entry to a competition or exclusive deal.

Keep your boards interesting and encourage return visits.

A great example of a company using Pinterest is: Jetsetter – providing expert knowledge and exclusive deals to over 4,500,000 followers through their 48 boards.

(If you are interested in setting up a Pinterest Account, we are happy to invite you to join. Email us at elaine@belfastbusinesscentre.com and we will send you an invite).

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

Pinterest For Business

2013-08-07T08:47:00.000+01:00

The Belfast Business Centre has been using Pinterest for some time and there is evidence of increased sales and internet awareness as a result. Pinterest is a sales board for your company, giving you the opportunity to reach people worldwide with your products and services, engage with new customers and promote your business.

Our experience has helped us compile this Four part blog which we hope you find of value.

Pinterest For Business – Part one of Four

With Pinterest overtaking Facebook in new users many companies have been quick to see the potential for social media awareness, opportunities to gain new customers and grow their brand.

In return Pinterest has responded with Pinterest For Business Accounts.

Users can convert their existing personal accounts to a business account or create a new one.

Simply search Pinterest For Business in your search engine or (www.business.pinterest.com) and follow the simple instructions – it only takes a few minutes.

A great example of a company using Pinterest is – Sony – with over 32,000 followers they offer rewards for re-pinning the exclusive deals. That’s over 32,000 people promoting your products for free.

(If you are interested in setting up a Pinterest Account, we are happy to invite you to join. Email us at elaine@belfastbusinesscentre.com and we will send you an invite).

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

Happy Anniversary

2013-08-01T16:32:00.001+01:00

Happy Anniversary Elaine

Our Manager Elaine Purdy has been with the company for 9 years and we just wanted to say Happy Anniversary and we hope you enjoy your sweets.

Clare and Danielle

Biz NET - A forum for small businesses to come together and network

2013-07-29T15:08:00.000+01:00

Friday 2nd August 9.15 AM to Friday 20th December 10.30 AM

Get involved with other small businesses by both receiving and giving support and assistance to each other in this challenging economic environment

What is 9:15 Biz NET? A forum for small businesses to come together and network in the belief that it is only by working together that each business can thrive.

Why 9:15? It is when the meeting starts (finishes at 10.30am)

Why Biz NET? Because small businesses can best grow by developing a group of like-minded organisations all geared towards helping each other succeed.

You’ll get your chance at the meeting to:-

·Meet potential customers and suppliers
·Find out how others look to generate business
·Seek help for problems you may be encountering
·Hear interesting speakers giving their knowledge and expertise free to small businesses
Promote your business

But most importantly, get involved with other small businesses by both receiving and giving support and assistance to each other in this challenging economic environment

This week’s event will allow for the opportunity for 1-1 meetings to take place between members and visitors.

OCCURS EVERY 2 WEEKS

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

Welcome Shift-Control

2013-07-29T12:03:00.000+01:00

We are delighted to welcome Paul McAnallen, MD of Shift-Control to his new office in the Belfast Business Centre and look forward to working with him in the future.

Paul can be contacted at www.shift-control.co.uk

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

Kay Johnson Gee Expand Company to Belfast

2013-07-17T15:24:00.000+01:00

Chartered Accountants Kay Johnson Gee have expanded their Client Base into Northern Ireland and are located at the Belfast Business Centre

Services:
Tax Audit & Accounts
Business Advice
Corporate Recovery
Payroll Services
Personal Financial Planning
Forensic Accounts
Charities

Full details can be found at www.kayjohnsongee.com

Belfast Business Centre for Serviced Office Space and Meeting/Boardrooms

Welcome to Credit Control Direct

2013-07-04T12:44:00.004+01:00

July sees a busy time for new clients at The Belfast Business Centre and our latest clients are Cathy and Geraldine from Credit Control Direct who provide very valuable services to business of all sizes across many industry sectors and their website is well worth a visit.

LRA Guide for New Employers

2013-06-17T15:54:00.000+01:00

We have received a very comprehensive Guide for New Employers from Labour Relations Agency in Belfast, contact us for a pdf download. This is a very worthwhile guide.

Located in Gordon Street, a few minutes from the Belfast Business Centre, the Labour Relations Agency website has excellent resources for both employers and employees.

Contact Elaine or Clare for the pdf download at info@belfastbusinesscentre.com

Holiday Cover Telephone Answering Service - £10 per week + VAT

2013-06-11T13:22:00.004+01:00

Holiday Cover Telephone Answering Service - £10 per week + VAT

The Belfast Business Centre can provide you with a Telephone Answering Service while you are on holiday for one week or more.

Simply divert your number to one we will allocate and your calls will be answered by Clare, Danielle or myself in your company name between 8.30am – 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.

You can set the divert permanently while you are away or switch it on and off to suit your plans.

Contact Elaine or Clare for the telephone number to use, our payment methods and the dates you require the service for on Tel: 02890439393 or email: elaine@belfastbusinesscentre.com

Reboot NI

2013-06-05T16:31:00.000+01:00

Reboot NI invite you to visit their website http://www.rebootni.com/ specialising in Digital Marketing, Web Design, SEO and Social Media. As the Belfast Business Centre's latest client they have a range of completed projects available to view.

OR Training & Personal Development at The Belfast Business Centre

2013-05-30T12:16:00.001+01:00

OR Training & Personal Development, now based in The Belfast Business Centre provide a range of NLP, Training, Coaching, therapy & Consulting Services. Full details are available from Shauna and Michael at www.liveitorleadit.com info@liveitorleadit.com.

Belfast Business Centre: Belfast Business Centre: Serviced Office Space: Shared Office Space: Virtual Office Service: Telephone Answering: Mailing Address: Meeting & Boardrooms

Creative Web Fusion at The Belfast Business Centre

2013-05-08T12:28:00.000+01:00

Creative Web Fusion are the latest client to the Belfast Business Centre. Details of this young and dymanic team's services can be found at www.creativewebfusion.com and also in the Belfast Business Centre's Business Information Pack.

New Client Welcome to The Belfast Business Centre

2013-05-07T13:40:00.001+01:00

We are pleased to Welcome Two New clients to the Belfast Business Centre

Caroline and Lucy from Compliance Select who are setting up an exciting new Financial Services Company Nationwide from the end of June 2013

and

Pat and Bertie from Cotter Marketing, expanding a successful business into Northern Ireland, full details of their services and exclusive distributorships can be found at Cotter Marketing

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

Date for your Diary: 23rd May 2013 The Women in Business Conference and Exhibition 2013

2013-05-03T09:26:00.000+01:00

The Women in Business Conference and Exhibition 2013

The conference and exhibition will be held in the Hilton Hotel on Thursday 23rd May 2013. The conference offers the opportunity to CONNECT and ENGAGE with other delegates. So take a day out of your business or organisation to meet and network with like-minded people and to celebrate local and international success stories. Delegates will also have the opportunity to promote their business to a wider audience via facilitated business networking.

Expected to host 300 business women, the event will be focused on personal and business growth for business women throughout the island of Ireland, the rest of the UK and further afield.

Hot Desking in The Belfast Business Centre

2013-04-30T16:43:00.000+01:00

Hot Desking at The Belfast Business Centre is a pay per use service with access to a desk, broadband and complimentary tea/coffee/chilled bottled water on an hour/half and full day basis between the hours of 8.30 am and 4.30 pm. The price is £4.80 per hour, £14.75 per half day (4 hours) and £30 per day (8 hours). There is also access to business support services available to all our clients. A Professional, quiet environment to walk into and work.

Contact Elaine or Clare for availability 02890 439393 info@belfastbusinesscentre.com.

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

Hot Desking at The Belfast Business Centre

2013-04-30T16:32:00.000+01:00

Contact Elaine or Clare for availability 02890 439393 info@belfastbusinesscentre.com.

Check out the Belfast Business Centre social media accounts today for updates, offers, business tips and incentives!

An Update from the Belfast Business Centre

2013-04-25T10:43:00.001+01:00

A New Service

Shared Office Space - Our vision of the Shared Office Space at £165 per person per month plus VAT is that you have a permanent, dedicated desk and storage facility on a monthly contract with 24/7 access. The location of the shared office may vary dependent on availability and demand. There will be access to discounted meeting rooms and business support services.

New Business Centre Clients welcome to the Belfast Business Centre

Nuala, Samantha & Linzi – PropertyMoveNi

Fiona – Advance Business Solutions

Date for your Diary:

Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce (NICC) In Camera with the Department of the Environment

The In Camera dinner on 16 May 2013 at the Europa Hotel provides Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce members the opportunity to network and engage with The Department for the Environment represented by Minister Alex Attwood and Permanent Secretary Leo O’Reilly.