The social web makes it more cost-effective than ever to get the word out about your products and services, no matter what industry you’re in. Most social media accounts are free to set up, and many targeted online ad platforms are inexpensive. The most it will cost you to get your marketing campaign rolling, at least in the beginning, is time. However advertising is not always the best way to market on social networks. People crave valuable content, and it can be as niche as the very products you’re selling. By blogging, tweeting, sharing, and updating about things relevant to your industry, you can build credibility in your field.

A strong key is targeting customers who are already fans of your brand, and share their positivity about it on the web.

Also if you are selling a product, you could approach other companies to sell it, or license it to them. But don’t talk to them unless they sign a confidentiality agreement (usually drawn up by a specialist solicitor) first, so they don’t steal or reveal your idea. For the best chance of success make a prototype and stage a smart presentation.

Considering reaching an agreement with staff to reduce their salary or benefits. It is essential that staff agree to any such changes or you will be vulnerable to claims for breach of contract or unlawful deduction from wages.However, sometimes (not all the time, only some), it’s your customers that are costing you too much. The solution: Get rid of them and stick to the customers who make you money. For example, American Express sent select customers 300 pounds if they agreed to pay down and close their accounts. In addition, Amex flat-out closed 2.7 million accounts because they had zero balances or had been inactive for two years.

Also review your employee benefits. It may be that by shopping around or engaging the services of a broker you can find alternative providers for your employee benefits, such as medical insurance and life assurance, which will save you costs. Some employees, particularly those with caring commitments, may also be happy to take up part-time working or reduced-hours flexible working that will cut your wage bill. Such flexible working may include late starts and early ends to the day, term-time working or job sharing.

First thing first is you need to ask yourself these questions; Why do people buy from you? What do you really do for your customers? How are you better than your competition and what special skills or advantages do you have? The answers to these questions are your competitive advantages. They are what make you stand out from your competition. Ask yourself what you are doing right and what might be going wrong in your business. Evaluate your processes, allocation of labor, training programs and marketing materials. Make a list of at least five things that are working and five that aren’t.

Also try and develop a clear offer for each prospective partner. Come up with a free or deeply discounted product or service that has a high perceived value for the consumer with a low cost for you. And do whatever it takes to get the word out about your store. Whether is a website, newspaper ad, tv ad etc etc… But not forgetting word of mouth! Word of mouth is one of the best ways to attract to new customers, so ensure they all receive great service (because bad word of mouth can have devastating effects). The key in successful marketing is to deliver the right message to the right people as often as your budget will allow. So, you need a message that tells your target market why they should do business with you.

Next you need to choose a profitable product (if you haven’t already done so) In order to choose a profitable product to sell, you need to follow four steps: observe, analyze, test and commit. Start by observing the world around you. Look at trends reported daily in the news. For instance, obesity in the UK gets a lot of coverage and based upon your observations, it appears to be true.  Next, make some assumptions about the trend you have identified. For instance, if people are generally fatter, we can assume they don’t like that and they are probably wearing bigger size clothes. Next test those assumptions.

If by now you are starting to a sense demand, there are two options for turning a marketable hobby into a real online business: shacking up with an established site, or striking out on your own. Which strategy you pick depends on how easy you want the process to be versus how much independence you’re looking for. Those snazzy corporate web sites can cost millions of dollars. Do you need one? No! Customers expect you will have a web presence but start out easy. An eBay Store will cost you $15.99 a month (about the same as web hosting) and you can set it up in a day. HOWEVER, if you think you business is going well at a later date, then getting a website is a MUST!! Establishing a website consists of three steps: securing a domain name, designing the website, and finding a web hosting service. Website design can be done without professional assistance but not very effectively for a novice. You don’t want a website that looks like a beginner did it. So get help with the design.

The info also shows that pay growth in the public sector, excluding the bailed-out banks, is running at just 1.4% a year, the slowest rate since comparable records began in 2001. Unemployment across the economy rose by 118,000 in the three months to November, to 2.68 million, the ONS said, in the latest sign that the UK slowed sharply in the autumn. However, not all is bad, the number of people in work increased by 9,000 in the quarter to January to 29.1 million, while the 28,000 increase in unemployment was the lowest for almost a year.

Unemployment amongst women accounted for most of the increase. Not only that, but the number of people working part-time because they could not find a full-time job increased by 110,000 to 1.3 million, the highest since records began in 1992. Part-time employment rose by 60,000 to 6.6 million, while self-employment fell by 52,000 to just over four million. The government said the data showed the situation was “stabilising” but Labour said ministers were being “complacent”. The UK’s jobs crisis shows no signs of letting up, yet complacent ministers are failing to act

Listen carefully to what the customer has to say, and let them finish and don’t get defensive. Try and be open-minded and understanding about the situation. Write down anything you feel is important and ask questions. Once you receive a complaint, don’t leave it. Reply to the letter, email, phone call, blog post or tweet as soon as possible, no matter how outrageous you might think it is.

Next apologize without pointing the blame. When a customer senses that you are sincerely sorry, it usually diffuses the situation. Don’t blame another person or department. Just say, “I’m sorry about that.” Regardless of your opinion, offering some form of apology can help. While in some cases it may not be legally advisable to apologise, you can still say ‘I’m sorry you feel that way’, ‘I’m sorry that wasn’t our intention’, or ‘I am sorry for your inconvenience’. This shows your sympathy and may help to calm the situation. Once you have explained what you are going to do to resolve the customer’s problem, do it. Follow it through and ensure that what you promised is delivered. Hopefully, by this point, you will have a happy customer who will return to your company, not to mention a happy agent whose days are a little less stressful!

If you can reasonably imagine it happening to you, it might. In a business-to-business setting, an insurance policy acts almost like a credential. By having a high level of cover you are demonstrating that you are a respectable business which takes health and safety very seriously, and that you fully understand your own responsibilities. Without ample business insurance, you could leave yourself vulnerable to costly compensation claims, expensive legal costs or financial difficulties from damaged assets and disruption to your daily work activities.

With so many different types of business insurance available it’s hard to know which ones do you need to have, which should you have, and which don’t you need at all? Insurance you must legally have include liability insurance, motor insurance and public liability. Running a business and making it a success is hard work. Don’t throw it all away by not having adequate insurance. So, if you want protection for your assets, your employees, your customers and your commercial property then you must seek out several types of insurance.

One of best ways for you to prepare to make an informed decision about choosing an insurance company is to know exactly what your business does (and doesn’t do) as well as its future direction; then find out a bit about the types of coverage you think might be helpful in your line of work before going and talking to any insurance company.

1, For Businesses that are just starting up, we have the Business Startup Event – This event includes seminars, workshops and speed networking sessions. Last year, approximately 18,000 people attended the November show. A must for anyone looking to start their own venture or grow their business, the show will feature more than 200 exhibitors ranging from accountants and business angels to networking groups.
2, Going for Gold – Russam GMS Summer Congress for Interim Managers – This is a must attend conference for Interim Managers and consultants. As always, this is a hard-hitting day with lots of rich content, original thinking, great speakers and networking. Delegates will have the chance to listen to an impressive line-up of inspirational speakers!
3, Build A Winning Team – Basic Recruiting for Startups – This course will outlinethe basics of recruiting for a technology startup. Analysing the importance of the team, the characteristics to look for in a candidate, where and how to look for talents are just few of the topics that will be debated.
4, Social Media World Forum Europe – This two-day event features key speakers, topical sessions, industry debates, workshops and networking, covering areas such as return on investment to social media, mobile marketing and apps, as well as blogging and SEO.
5, Its time to meet serious networkers – Rareworld Event – If you you searching for a networking business event to network with your target audience and build better relationships with serious professional, then this event has been created with you in mind.
6, The National Franchise Exhibition – Any would be franchisees can get the latest news on international and UK franchise opportunities, meet legal and financial specialists and hear real-life success stories from succesfull franchisees.