Localventure

Improving the health and efficiency of employees

2011-11-15T03:25:00.001-08:00

Psychology Consultants www.psychologyconsultants.com and www.janusclinic.com offers a range of psychologically based solutions to companies to enable them to improve the health of their employees and in so doing enhance productivity.

We can help with as little as one session with one employee - for example :

In just one session, we can teach you how to control your Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Chaotic heart rate, usually caused by prolonged stress, can lead to serious health problems.

What’s in it for you? – By controlling your HRV you can become less vulnerable to “the silent killer” (Coronary Heart Diseases), which in the UK kills one person every two minutes.

Why should you trust us? – Because if you do not show any progress, we will give you your money back!

How much? One session = £150. Your health = priceless.

For more information visit our clinical website www.janusclinic.com or call us on 07792 075748

Business Updates

2011-11-15T03:16:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to give some quick updates.

At the moment I'm working all out in two main areas - as an independent medical insurance intermediary (authorised via Premier Choice Healthcare) i'm able to advise on all areas of medical insurance for individuals, families and corporates. This is for both brand new insurance and also if you have cover in place already I can probably save money at renewal as well as enhance benefits. If you would like a quote or assistance please call on 07792 075748 or e-mail philknight@pch.uk.com

I also co-own a business working with senior clinicians called Medico Legal Marketing (www.medicolegalmarketing.co.uk) - you can find out all about this service which is unique in its market at the website or call me on the number above.

Lastly I'm working as a marketing consultant with an eminent psychologist who is launching a new practice in the Uk call Psychology Consultants - aimed at improving workplace productivity for large corporates - again more at www.psychologyconsultants.com

You can find out all about me on Linkedin - my public profile is :

My main Twitter accounts are : @localventure1 and @philknightPCH

As my previous website (www.knighthealthcare.co.uk) is no more I will be using this Localventure blog as my main business blog moving forwards.

Yorkshire Bank problem

2011-07-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

Haven't posted a proper business post here for a while but I'm having a problem with the Yorkshire Bank and thought a public airing might help both me and also others considering setting up an account (personal or business).

Essentially I accidentally went overdrawn when a cheque issued by the Halifax was paid into my YB current account on the 1st of July - although the cheque was against cleared funds in the Halifax account (what I still term a 'building society' cheque - the kind you can still go out and buy a car with !) and despite the fact that it appeared as cleared funds on their on-line system on the 5th my debit card was declined and when ringing their helpline confirmed the account was in debit and I'd incurred a £25 charge.

Of course I immediately paid in funds from my business account to cover the debit (the same evening) and then rang their helpline again in the morning to ask them to waive the charge on the basis that the cheque didn't need to 'clear', I've been a long term customer and that the account was only overdrawn for a matter of hours.

They were at this stage super unhelpful and apparently their charges are 'unreviewable'. Laughingly because of the FSA rules on 'treating customers fairly' - I really can't imagine that the intent of the law makers with the TCF rules was to justify charging customers more. LOL !!!

I've therefore written a standard 'snotty' letter to my branch manager (if indeed there is such a thing at the Yorkshire Bank in Yeadon, Leeds LS19 7SP) and asked them to think again - purpose of posting here is twofold - at the moment I wouldn't, couldn't suggest using the Yorkshire Bank - their attitude has been to adopt a one size fits all approach and not listen to their customer but also to point out that customer loyalty goes both ways - I've been with them over 31 years, have my business account with them and have used their services for a host of financial transactions in that time period - isn't it about time that the customer was right in banking as well as in every other industry - in 30 years they must have had their hands on upwards of £ 2,000,000 of my money (admittedly some of it not for very long!) how much interest have they earned on my money that over that time period. Surely my business and goodwill is worth far more than £ 25 to them one would have thought ?

Two thoughts to finish - on average someone with a bad experience of a business tells 10 people about the problem, compared to one or two people if the service was good. On a good month I get over 1,000 hits on this blog - so a couple more than ten people informed then.

Also, I think Halifax are offering a welcome payment of £50 for new current accounts - that looks pretty good right about now !

I will of course update if there is any news.

P.

New Network for Localventure

2011-05-31T04:03:00.000-07:00

As part of a network building exercise I am doing for Knight Healthcare and now Medico Legal Marketing I'm now trying to formally introduce business to some colleagues of mine.

If you have any requirements for the following services I can now recommend reliable professionals to all Localventure members and readers :

Private Medical Insurance - family or group cover
Computer and IT Sales
Accountants
Building Services (West Yorkshire only)
Website design and eMarketing
Independent Financial Advisor
Mobile Phone Sales
Alarm/Security Services (West Yorkshire only)
Mortgage Broker
Commercial Insurance Broker

If you'd like to be referred or indeed have your details passed to one of these companies in the hope that they might be interested in your services please let me know.

Call for more information on : 07792 075748 or e-mail phil@knighthealthcare.co.uk

Medico Legal Marketing

2011-05-31T03:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago an old business colleague asked me to help him out with a business project that he feels he doesn't have the time or interest to devote to at the moment.

This business : Medico Legal Marketing supports medical consultants/specialists, helping them access lucrative medico legal contracts in trials, tribunal/legal work, insurance and corporates. For a one off fee we enable doctors to take up these commissions in a risk free way.

In addition we can also help medical reporting organisations access our registered medical specialists for one off or specialised contracts.

Full details of how we work are at our website via the above link.

If you are a doctor (GP, consultant, surgeon etc) interested in medico legal work or medical reporting organisation please feel free to get in touch.

Contact me on 07792 075748 for more information.

New blog at www.knighthealthcare.co.uk

2011-05-31T03:48:00.000-07:00

If like most people who have private medical insurance you dread the renewal documents arriving through the door once a year I've put together some brief information over at my companies blog

There you'll find lots of reasons why you should do something, rather than nothing and also how a good medical insurance broker can help out.

For more info e-mail me at phil@knighthealthcare.co.uk or call on 07792 075748

Is it time to update and review your private medical insurance ?

2011-04-15T04:14:00.001-07:00

When I tell people the fact that I am about to revealm most of them do a kind of intellectual double take and exclaim, genuinely .... “Surely Not !”

This fact is probavly one of the least understood by the public about the financial services industry.

Here’s the fact :

INSURANCE COMPANIES TRANSACT BUSINESS, WRITE POLICIES ON THEIR CUSTOMERS LIFE TO MAKE A PROFIT

Now that this staggering piece of information is out there in the public domain I would like to examine it a little bit more.

Let’s start by getting one thing clear, a lot of the time I don’t like insurance companies too much. As an independent healthcare specialist intermediary I have the luxury of choosing which of the insurers is the best for my clients and then I have the problem that a lot of the time they go out of their way to make my life and therefore that of my clients as difficult as possible. Not on purpose I’m sure but the very fact of their bureaucratic ways, underwriting rules and product foibles can make my life infuriating. This blog post however is not going to be a rant about insurers. Far from it. I am going to actually try and explain why they do certain and things and how it gives us the opportunity to help you, the customer get a better deal.

So if I may I would like to return to my central thesis - insurers need to make money.

I know some people resent this (and given poor advice to customers in the past and multiple mis-selling scandals within the insurance sector I think this feeling is toally understandable) and feel that insurers should pay for everything regardless of whether it is covered or pre-existing or excluded or eligible (pick your favourite technical exclusion term from the list). But in the end just like your corner shop or Tesco or Barclays Bank or that bit of selling you do on Amazon to top up your salary the insurance companies need to take in more money than they subsequently spend on paying out claims and administration/overheads. In other words like all capitalist organisations it is a simple enough equation they need to work towards - make more money than they spend.

I think because the insurers products are complicated and non-physical (the customer just receives a policy schedule rather than when they visit the Apple shop and buy an Ipad2 where they get their brand new shiny physical piece of kit) that the feel is insurance policies are somehow less valuable than other similarly costed purchases.

So I would contend that if we deem the insurers products to be of value - which surely we must because otherwise no one would ever buy them - then by inference the insurer is allowed to make a profit to remain in business and sell more of the shiny pieces of kit to more people.

However, moving beyond that simple point I do have a gripe and here it is : why do people buy a life or health insurance policy and then never review it again ?

To illustrate, I bought an Ipad when they first became available in February 2010 and now in April 2011 we have the new Ipad2 - I don’t need one (I really want one but that is a different issue!) but I’ve looked at the specs of the new Ipad and compared it to my current one and decided that the first iteration is fine for me for at least the next 12 months - so decision made I will wait for Ipad 3 in 2012 and review again.

We do this ‘update and review’ exercise with a range of products and services where we regularly compare current spend and service capability with our current supplier versus their competition : supermarkets, phone bills, broad suppliers, utilities, computers, cars, schools, mobile phones but we tend not to do it so much with financial products like your private medical insurance.

Imagine the scenario. You obtain quote from a medical insurer via the internet, a newspaper ad or perhaps invite a direct sales person to visit you at home. Whatever the route you buy a sparkling health insurance plan which enables you to claim away to your hearts content for say, £ 50 a month. Over time this premium will increase with medical inflation (running often three or four percent above the Retail Prices Index - 10% in the early noughties was not uncommon), how many claims you make and their value and of course prices also increase based on your age. The net result is that within five years you’ll be paying often double or more than your original premium.

It is also worth bearing in mind that just like my shiny new Ipad a year ago, medical insurance policies get old, their CPU doesn’t work quite as well and that flashy app that five years ago was the best out-patient benefit money could buy, frankly now has very little Vitality left at all (sorry, that is a medical insurance industry in-joke).

I know I may have rambled on a little, but I’m getting to the point now - insurers like to make money - this is not a bad thing, but ..... sometimes they make money on the back of people buying an individual policy and then never reviewing it and paying far more than they need to because of a sense of inertia that doesn’t necessarily exist with other products and services as discussed above.

When I speak to clients in their 40’s and 50’s (and often much older clients as well) who have relatively low levels of historic claims I usually find that they are paying between 35% and 70% (seriously) more than they need to. So the message I would like to put across today is that regardless of how shiny, clever or BUPA’y (sometimes people won’t switch away from BUPA because it’s BUPA - it must be the best ?) your current plan is, so long as there are no major recent health problems we can almost certainly look at transferring you across to a new insurer with no or limited extra underwriting. All you need to do is ask and we might be able to save you 70% of your premiums !!!!!

For more information contact me at :

info@knighthealthcare.co.uk

07792 075748 or 0113 3474395

www.knighthealthcare.co.uk

When did you last review your private medical insurance

2011-04-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

According to 2010 stats around 1 in 10 of us has private medical insurance. Many of those people are covered on company paid schemes with the likes of BUPA, AXA PPP, Aviva, Simply Health, PruHealth and so on.

In addition many consumers have grown tired of the restrictions imposed by the national health service and have decided to pay out for their own individual cover to protect both themselves and their families.

However, medical insurance is a competitive business for the product providers who regularly review their product benefits and importantly change their pricing structure often two or three times a year.

As a consequence, it doesn't matter whether you bought your cover as a company or an individual - if you have private medical insurance and it hasn't been reviewed in the last two years you need to talk to someone about whether your cover is up to date and if you are paying too much.

If you're interested in looking at this we can help you FOR FREE !

Get in touch at : Contact Knight Healthcare or e-mail on info@knighthealthcare

Update on Knight Healthcare

2011-03-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

Many of the people who have visited this blog fairly regularly over the last couple of years will be aware that I recently set up my own business - Knight Healthcare.

You can find more about the business at www.knighthealthcare.co.uk, on Twitter @knighthealth and also on : my facebook page
Fundamentally having worked in the private medical insurance market since 1994 I think that there are some gaps in provision out there from both brokers and insurers and I am aiming to fill them. Most of my ideas are built around going the extra mile for clients, supporting healthcare for families and also enabling other professional advisors to offer private medical insurance to their clients in a coherent and profitable way.

So if you're an individual wanting cover for yourself and your loved ones, a company director wanting to look after your employees or an IFA or accountant who would like support in offering private medical insurance to your clients please feel free to get in touch at : info@knighthealthcare.co.uk

Phil Knight
March 2011

Switching your Private Medical Insurance

2011-02-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

Just because you have private medical insurance (PMI) in place for yourself or your family that isn't necessarily the end of the story. Like anything you buy, the shiny new policy, once 'driven off the forecourt' can begin to depreciate. What I mean is that over time the medical insurance market changes and a plan, once totally adequate for your current needs becomes outdated as the requirements of the policy holders change, benefits are improved or altered and of course prices from insurers go up and down (mainly up unfortunately !).

With this in mind a plan that you bought three or four years ago may not still be up to snuff. The good news is that Knight Healthcare are able to offer a full independent review service where we look at every aspect of your medical insurance cover - the benefits, excess level, hospital list, bolt on options, claims support, service level, pricing and stability of insurer.

This review is of course free and may not result in a requirement to change insurers - often we recommend staying where you are (particularly if you have recent claims) or amending benefits with your current provider. As an alternative we are sometimes able to offer a switch to a new insurer at renewal that might save you money, offer you better benefits or often both.

Whatever your situation please feel free to get in touch to discuss how we can help you ensure you have the very best PMI in place for the most important people in your life.

For more information please check out the website at www.knighthealthcare.co.uk, call on 07792 075748 or check out the Twitter Feed @knighthealth

Knight Healthcare - new member for Localventure

2011-01-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

Knight Healthcare is a fully authorised, independent health insurance and protection intermediary based in the North of England.

We specialise in client focused advice built around service and support when you, your family and your employees need it most. We work for both individual and company clients and can offer the following products :

Private Medical Insurance
Hospital Cash Plans
Optical and Dental cover
Travel Insurance
Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
Sickness Absence Planning
Advice on nursery Voucher schemes for companies
Health Screening
Life Assurance and Critical Illness Cover
Group Risk Products including group life, income protection and key man cover.

Working with all the major health insurers we're able to offer the best products at a price that takes into account both what you need as a consumer but also affordability in the current economic climate.

The service we provide is free and we are able to recommend both new cover and also review any existing plans you may already have in place.

You can get in touch using one of the following :

Mobile : 07792 075 748
E-mail : phil@knighthealthcare.co.uk
Website : www.knighthealthcare.co.uk
Twitter @knighthealth
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001865247953
Linkedin : http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/philip-knight/1a/b47/58b

New member for Localventure : Wine For

2010-12-14T07:22:00.001-08:00

Please find details of the new Wine For website :

I have set up a superb online wine company called “Wine for” The idea behind it is that whilst everyone likes a good wine, not everyone knows which wines to buy, they ask in specialist shops, or in supermarkets etc, but this cuts all of that out, all of our wines are chosen by a Wine Master and wine experts to be exactly right for certain occasions. We have started with Wine for Christmas – www.wineforchristmas.com Each bottle chosen by the experts to suit the time of year, the weather, the festivities, the food and the occasion in general. It is a great new idea, and we are being very honest and true to our beliefs, great value, great wines for a great occasion.

David Bell
Director of Wine for... ltd

T: 07801 782725
W: www.wineforchristmas.com
E: david@winefor.co.uk

Update from Lighthouse printing

2010-10-28T02:01:00.000-07:00

We have some free reams of paper to give away! Most of them are the
sort of textured, tinted paper used for posh letterheads.

It's nice paper but we've had them in our stock room for some time now
and we're having a 'sort-out' to make some space so we've got to be
ruthless! Anyone that wants to come and collect a ream or two of
paper is welcome to give us a ring at Lighthouse Printing on - 029
2034 4899.

You can find directions to our office at www.lighthouseprinting.co.uk.

E-mail marketing - UKBF post

2010-10-19T04:39:00.000-07:00

I've just submitted as post on UKBF answering a question about e-mail marketing that I thought would be of interest. here's a link to the question itself and here's the text from my reply :

"I think with a mailing to existing customers it's a 50 50 call as to whether formatting the e-mail yourself as a simple document (perhaps including your logo) which keeps things looking 'intimate' or having something produced that might look very marketing orientated and/or more mass produced - depends on the nature of your clientele and the impression you'd like to convey. For a small mailing like this I'd go for the in-house approach personally. Perhaps consider a semi-regular professionally laid out newsletter as an alternative ?

As per other comments, be careful about the set up of your e-mail to avoid spam filter problems. You'll also need some kind of 'opt out' clause, so ensure their is a mechanism to remove people from your database on request.

However you route the mailing, make sure that the mailing list is sent in the bcc box - a few weeks ago I saw a large mailing list sent out in the cc box in error and it was a bit of a data protection debacle.

Last bit of advice and this will impact on content and layout - make it short and snappy. In my experience people will only ever take in one or two paragraphs if they bother to read the mail at all - make sure then that there are no more than one or two key messages and only one call to action - once you've rewritten your content for brevity, e-mail it to yourself in the final draft format - then if you can, take a step back and re-read it as a customer and assess :
impact, content, message, layout - does it tick the boxes you want the customer to get?

Hope that this helps

Phil"

Added value services in the insurance sector

2010-10-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

Recently came across an old article on the Money Marketing website ("The Frill of it all") discussing the value of propositional enhancements like Best Doctors, RED ARC and Next of Kin.

It's interesting because the discussion of adding value to insurance contracts that benefit their policy holders in a non financial way really doesn't seem to have moved on since this article was first published in August 2005.

Whether it is a function of the recent economic recession or not, the major insurers are still largely selling their wares based on commoditised pricing and product elements and really not caring too much about 'giving back' to their policy holders. Surely however, when the pricing within a sector is tight and new business hard to come by, the time is right to offer enhancements. More surprising is the failure of mutuals, friendly societies and healthcare insurers to differentiate themselves by offering these kind of benefits more pro-actively.

Perhaps now is the time to re-do the research mentioned a couple of times in the article with a view to finding out if purchasers of protection insurance want value or commodity ?

New member for Localventure - SS Bookkeeping & Accountancy Services in Sheffield

2010-10-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

SS Bookkeeping & Accountancy Services

SS Bookkeeping & Accountancy Services is a small bookkeeping & accountancy service provider based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire specializing in small businesses. I work closely with my clients giving them a bespoke and professional service that is unique to their business, our rates are extremely competitive. There services I offer are:

Bookkeeping

Year End Accounts

VAT Returns

Tax Returns

Payroll

Corporate Tax Returns

The contact information and website address is :

Miss Samantha Nicholson – 07545 149 327

Link to SS Bookkeeping & Accountancy Services website

Localventure on Twitter

2010-09-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

I finally got tired of getting nothing positive from Twitter - my problem had been that in the rush to get a decent following for my localventure1 Twitter feed and therefore to try and drive traffic to the blog I had been automatically following anyone who followed me and had managed to get over 550 followers but at the expense of racking up 723 people that I was 'following'.

Long story short I never bothered to check my Twitter feed as there was just loads of marketing rubbish that I didn't want to actually read. With a little judicious pruning I'm now following just 11 people whose tweets I am actually interested in and will be able to keep up with.

Interestingly my own follower count has already started to drop - from 554 this morning to 543 as I type - which just goes to show that the majority of transaction on Twitter are just follower gaining exercises in spamming.

Leeds Premier Karate Club in Yeadon, Leeds

2010-09-24T05:14:00.000-07:00

If you're interested in learning karate (Shukokai, a style which emphasizes fast powerful strikes with a mixture of traditional basics, sparring and self defence) feel free to come along to Yeadon Westfield Junior School in Leeds at 6.00pm on Mondays and Wednesday to chat with Sensei Michael Tattersall (5th Dan) - a new beginners class started on Monday the 20th of September 2010 and the first four classes are free for new beginners.

Feel free to get in touch with me for more details and I can also pass along Michaels details if you'd like to contact him direct.

I'm an orange belt at the club have trained there for about six months and am enjoying it immensely (I have a second dan from another style and am enjoying the challenge of 'starting again').

Ages 7 to 70 basically !

Focused Hypnosis - update

2010-09-24T05:03:00.000-07:00

The telephone number for Focused Hypnosis has changed. It is no longer 0800 2425686... it is now 0114 3520012.

Changes to Localventure

2010-09-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

The business/sales element of LV has kind of disappeared in the last few months - the business model I'd developed wasn't quite there and rather than ditch the blog and do something different I'm taking some time to lounge on my executive laurels and have some quality failure time.

However, I put a lot of time into the blog and twitter accounts and like having them around so I'll keep both open as my personal window on the world for now - please feel free to add comments on anything I say and we'll see how it goes.

Phil.

2010-09-10T02:06:00.000-07:00

Twitter Accounts

2010-09-10T01:52:00.000-07:00

I currently have two Twitter accounts, one using the name 'whisky1' which is a holdover from the Prestige Whisky business that I closed down in June of this year and the one attached to this blog : 'localventure1'.

With immediate effect I'm stopping using the whisky1 tag - it's a shame because at one stage I had almost two thousand followers on that account (compared to the around 500 on the LV feed) but given the narrow subject matter and the fact that this blog has remained reasonably active I think it makes sense. Hopefully a few of the whisky1 followers may move across but either way I'm going to take the localventure brand on as my main personal blog and twitter focus although I am planning a couple of specific martial arts blogs as well in time.

E-mail marketing snafu or the stupid, it burns !!!

2010-09-10T01:43:00.000-07:00

Last week I received an interesting marketing e-mail from a business I agreed (inadvertantly) to receive marketing and information e-mails from.

I've had about one a month, all above board, most of the content is of little or no interest but so far no problem. Then this company accidently forgot to bcc a portion of their e-mail data base - including mine - so I and around four hundred other people began to receive some very desperate looking sales and marketing messages from companies on this list who had decided that it would be clever to take the suddenly available information and use it for their own ends.

Now I wasn't surprised because to be honest, had I anything currently to sell I might well have considered doing the same thing, however, sitting and thinking about it for 2 nano seconds I realised that it was probably a bad idea, would look pretty sad and is probably illegal in someway.

Suffice to say others moral crap filters didn't work on that day and after about 25 of these unrequired sales solicitations I was getting pretty sick of deleting the e-mails from my Mac, Ipad and Iphone over and over again to the point where I almost deleted the venturelocal@gmail.com address from my e-mail clients. Eventually, one of the sick and tired receipients pointed out the exact legal position and surprise, surprise the deluge stopped.

New beginners karate class in Yeadon, Leeds

2010-09-10T01:34:00.000-07:00

I'm currently learning a new style of karate and my club trains twice a week in Leeds at Yeadon Westfield Junior School.

The style is called Shukokai, the club is Leeds Premier Karate Club and the instructor is a fifth dan called Michael Tattersall. He's starting a new beginners class from Monday 20th of September 2010. New beginners can come along without obligation and have four free classes until the end of September to decide if they like it before paying anything.

If you're interested in coming along, the beginners class will run from 6.00pm to 6.45pm and it's in the main hall at the school whose address is :

Yeaon Westfield Junior School

New Road
Yeadon, West Yokshire LS19 7HW

If you want more information or to chat, feel free to drop me an e-mail at venturelocal@gmail.com - the training is hard but fun and suits both kids and adults alike - probably age seven or eight onwards.

My Nokia E71 is for sale on Ebay

2010-07-27T23:58:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know that if you're after a decent second hand smart phone I'm selling my 12 month old Nokia E71 on Ebay - the auction ends at around 10.00am on 28th of July - bidding is currently at around £80 and may go a little higher.

Full details are on Ebay - search under either my user ID : pkn4395 or "Nokia E71 mobile phone to find it. The phone is a '3' handset and I haven't had chance to unlock it - so you'll either need to unlock it yourself or buy a 3 payg sim - phone is in great condition (never dropped unlike my new Iphone 4G!) and comes in original box with the faux leather case and a car charger - there's no mains charger (I managed to break it) but they're available on line for a few pounds.

The above is a picture of my actual phone, case and charger.

Hope there's a bit of interest - feel free to ask any questions

Cheers

Martial Arts in Yorkshire

2010-07-15T08:31:00.000-07:00

Not something I've ever mentioned on the blog before but I am a martial artist (mainly karate with a little judo) with about 30 years experience and I'm considering opening my own dojo in Leeds towards the end of the year - mainly as a recreational/hobby thing - I've taken a break from karate for a few years but have recently started another style and am looking to set up my own style incorporating some other ideas I've had - if it goes well I suppose it could become a viable business idea ?

Whatever happens I would be interested to know if any readers are into karate or martial arts and in addition do a search on Linkedin for 'Martial Arts Self Defence Forum' which is my group and you're all welcome to join the discussion there - total membership 1 at the moment (me!)

My Iphone 4G some prognostications

2010-07-15T08:25:00.000-07:00

There's a lot of press at the moment about the problems on the new Iphone and the associated poor PR handling by Apple as they've scrambled to deal with the problem that either, they genuinely didn't know about or rather arrogantly chose to first ignore and then belittle.

There is now an emergency press conference scheduled for tomorrow and the likely result seems to be Apple announcing a free case to 4G owners affected by the signal drop - this is going to cost them around $1 dollar per unit sold (1.7 million approx in the first few days) compared to the $1.5 billion spend if they needed to do a full recall. Put it this way, with their quarter year financials due in the next couple of weeks I wouldn't really want to be Steve Jobs or his PR company right at the minute.

The above bit of housekeeping out of the way I wanted to quickly talk about my new IPhone 4G. I've had it for over two weeks now and although it 'doesn't change everything' in the way that for example my Ipad does - it is a game changer in a few key areas.

Firstly can I put the antenna issue to bed. Yep, if you're a leftie like me, then it is theoretically possible to hold the iphone in such a way that after about 20 seconds of quite firm pressing in the bottom left corner the signal will fall away to zero - it's quite hard to do that during a phone call and if like me you hold the top speaker to your ear and the mike a bit away from your mouth during conversations to prevent feedback then you're forced to hold the body of the phone in such a way that blocking the aerials or shorting them is hard to do - I've used it for hours of conversation and the worst I've done is manage to mute a call by tapping the onscreen icon accidentally.

Having used Mrs Localventures 3G a bit I can confirm that as a phone it performs better and the Ipadesque processor makes it fairly whiz along when safari - ing and itunesying - in fact all on-line apps work much better than say my old 8gb touch 1st generation - the two exceptions being the Telegraph and Independent Apps which both crash and I know an OS4 patch for both has been released today which I'm hoping will fix the problems. There have even been occasions when the 3G coverage has proved better than public wifi and I've used the Iphone in preference to my trusty Ipad - on the East Coast mainline for example yesterday and Monday where the words 'free broadband wifi for all customers' should read 'slow assed connection with frequent crashes and it would be faster with a dial up modem'.

As I have now passed on my ipod touch to Miz Localvee (aged 10) and consigned my Nokia E71 to that great mobile phone graveyard called my loft I'm working with only one instead of two or three mobile devices and this is certainly a revelation - the 16gb iphone more than meets my podcast and audiobook storage requirements and as I mention above the phone works well.

Battery life is still a little challenging - anything beyond a 7 or 8 hour working day will tend to leave me fairly close to 10% to zero power especially if you're on-line a lot, I tend to save e-mail checking and surfing until my return journey but in terms of phone call and standby its about equal to my old E71.

The e-mail client including support for Hotmail (why not on Ipad I wonder) is a vast improvement on previous iterations and with the new improved camera/video I'm also nearly at the point of abandoning my 2 cameras as well.

So the iphone is a vast improvement on the Nokia, Blackberry and Ipod Touch combo that used to make nasty bulges in my jeans and coat pocket and as the old clich goes ... is like having an office in your pocket. As well as being practical and fun, Apple have also in my opinion knocked over one of the main problems with mobile phones - even the good ones and I count the E71 in that camp were/are pretty ugly contraptions. The iphone which I would describe as an industrial aesthetic victory is lovely to look at (shiny new screen tech etc) and feels wonderful in your hand. Even the addition of (really cheap £3.99) plastic bumper doesn't hide the powerful beauty of the phone as it hunches ready to pounce from where ever you left it - I always thought putting the 3G and 3GS in one of those plastic cases really did make them just like any other phone - not their big brother though.

In short, the Iphone 4G whilst not a game changer in the way that Apple (despite the bad press) might want it is proving to be more than the simple logical evolution beyond the 3GS. Let's all spare a thought though to all those other smart phone manufactuers (RIM included, as a regular Blackberry user their handsets and apps aren't even close to Apple) who aren't getting any coverage for their hardware or innovations. Maybe Steve Jobs really does think that any publicity is good publicity especially if it drowns out all of your competitors.

One last word of warning though - definitely invest in a cover that protects the glassware. All the metal bits are quite tough but the design does leave the edges of the screen a little vulnerable - I dropped mine only a couple of inches onto the ground while ferreting around in pockets and it bounced on the metal band - no damage but then just flicked itself over and ran its glass edge along the ground resulting in a tiny chip off the very edge of the screen. Not a big deal - phone still fully functional just not quite perfect anymore and with one year and fifty weeks to run on my Orange contract I need to be careful - ironically my £3.99 cover from Amazon (from the QUBits range if you're interested) got lost en route and I had to order a new one that very day and the cover totally protects the edge that was damaged and would have prevented it had the Royal Mail not managed to snafu the first order. Anyway - 4 quid protects it from most idiot slip ups - definitely worth it.

Oriss in Bradford welcome to the blog

2010-07-15T07:52:00.000-07:00

Using only the best T-shirt Printing materials we create high quality durable printed products for all our customers to ensure you receive a well presented final product. If you're looking for a friendly, professional and reliable service from your t-shirt printer you've come to the right place.

Tel: 01274 270 350
Mobiles: Vijay on 07921 713 878 or Manoj on 07958 315 990.
Fax: 0870 622 2184

Correspondence & Deliveries to: Unit 4a, 53 Arncliffe Terrace, Bradford BD7 2DG.
Come and see us at: Oriss Studios, 1st Floor, 15 Lingwood Terrace, Bradford, BD8 0BD

New details for Phoenix 24/7

2010-07-05T06:15:00.000-07:00

You can find them at their new url of www.phoenix247.co.uk

Further to my post yesterday

2010-06-24T00:54:00.001-07:00

Quick post as I'm about to go into a training course - really sorry to admit it but I snapped when i arrived in London this morning, found a Starbucks with wifi, logged on (using my Ipad of course!) and ordered an Iphone 4g from Orange and due for delivery next Tuesday.

What can I say ? I love Apple toys !!!

Will report back on course and the new Iphone when i get chance.

Ipad and Iphone 4G

2010-06-23T06:33:00.001-07:00

My on-going love affair with my Ipad continues. As Mrs Localventure has said on more than one occasion - the Ipad now goes everywhere with me.

I downloaded Pages and Numbers and have a healthy supply of work doucments loaded onto the device so that in addition to all my music, video, podcast and browsing requirements I also can used it for work.

In fact I'm away in London on a course tomorrow and Friday and am planning to use it for notetaking etc. In short it really is a revolution and I can heartily recommend it to anyone.

What about the latest Apple innovation I hear you cry ! The new Iphone 4G which launches tomorrow. Well truth be told, I'm glad to not have one on pre-order. The stress and forward lookyness (sorry is that English?) of waiting two or three weeks from order to fulfillment for the Ipad was I thought exciting but really quite stressful. So although my current phone (Nokia E71) is due for an imminent change and yes, I will be going for a new Iphone 4G I decided to wait a few weeks until the furore has died down a little. So I'll be watching the reviews and features on the Iphone with interest but I'll be in wave two of early adopters on this occasion

The future focus of Localventure

2010-06-09T06:06:00.000-07:00

One of the ideas I have moving forward is to focus Lv more on consultancy for SME's. In particular I'd be looking at two main propositions :

1) Initial set up and post set up/growth phase - an area where I now have some experience
2) New media support - blogging, Twitter and Linkedin to mention a few areas where we've had some marketing success and I think I can be of help to other business owners

This would be on a reasonable hourly or retainer rate and would include short and longer term briefs as required by my client base.

In addition I'm also working on launch for our sister business - The Life Coaching Consultancy (at www.lifeandexecutivecoach.blogspot.com).

If you'd like more info or to get in touch please contact me at venturelocal@gmail.com

UK Roads, you'll never object to driving over a pothole again

2010-06-02T01:49:00.000-07:00

In the previous winter, untold chaos was caused by the ice and snow for extended periods and of course now we're paying the additional price in terms of potholes and other significant damage to the road infrastructure. Add this to the likely freeze/reduction in council spending that will arise in the next 18 to 24 months and we have a recipe for a pretty bumpy driving experience in 2011 and 2012.

However, when you're thinking about filling in pot holes in roads give a little thought to Guatemala City town council :

This pothole (actually a sinkhole that opened up suddenly during recent storms) is several hundred feet deep and has a diameter the size of a small city block.

The joys of a temperate northern European climate suddenly don't seem so bad !

Ipad update

2010-06-02T01:44:00.000-07:00

Still loving the ipad - received it on Thursday afternoon and used it pretty constantly Thursday evening through into Friday - needed to charge it up on Friday night (takes around 3 and a half to four hours for a full charge from the mains). Since that first full charge it seems to be holding its charge very well, because here we are on Wednesday morning and it's still has 26% power left !

I'm out on appointments tomorrow down South so we'll see how it performs in the real world - I discovered that you can use power point presentations loaded via the e-mail client and although you can't do anything fancy in terms of presenting without keynote, you can display and scroll through ppt without it. So I'm hoping to be able to use it with clients tomorrow.

Ipad Review 28th May 2010

2010-05-28T06:20:00.000-07:00

I received my shiny new Ipad yesterday afternoon, a little ahead of the release date this morning. So I've had a few extra hours to play before writing this review. With all the generally positive hype and the fact that I'm really a bit of an Apple fan already you can expect this review to be pretty positive - so I'm not going to disappoint !

I'm going to stick to my main few initial thoughts and perhaps revisit some of the more esoteric things about it later on. I'll try where possible to stick to business applications if I can too.

General Feel and user interface (UI)

As most people know this is a 9.7inch touch-screen device using the basic Iphone/ipod touch UI which is proven to work pretty well and enables software/application developers to use additional buttons that don't require the device to have lots of physical knobs and levers. The device then itself is a simple sleek metal and glass sheet with only an orientation lock, volume slider, power switch and home button as it's actual buttons. Every thing else is done by touch on screen.

The ipad weighs in at 1.5 pounds and is a little heavier than expected but sits well in the hands and quickly becomes quite immersive - more so than any laptop or net pad - this is possibly the Ipads first victory - in a few minutes, once you're used to the UI it's almost like you're holding the internet (if you're in safari) rather than looking at a device which is displaying the internet. To give an example that really happened last night - we needed a pizza takeaway menu and it really was quicker to go into safari and find their website and display the menu than to go and dig out the paper version I know we have somewhere. I was then able to put the tablet on a table and let the kids run through the options on the menu - easy, fun and quicker than paper.

The device has an inch thick black bezel running around the screen and a number of commentators have moaned about this. In fact this edging gives your thumbs somewhere to rest while holding it so you don't partially obscure the screen.

It uses a 1Ghz A4 processor and as I'll discuss later it fairly whizzs along on the interwebs - I went for the 16GB wifi only model. There's a lot of discussion about memory size and wifi versus 3G on the interwebs and moy thoughts are that given this is a composite entertainment/productivity device I think 16GB is fine especially as each time you sync it with your pc or mac you can change the content to fit that days pleasure or work. It doesn't need 500GB of memory like my Mac or 150 gig like my laptop as it isn't designed to do the same things. On the question of 3g - I simply went for the cheaper option, rather than going for two data packages (i.e. phone and ipad) - I've managed on this basis with my ipod touch for over two years and think it won't be a problem with the ipad either. One option I'm considering for travel in bigger cities is a wifi deal with BT - they offer a pretty good wifi network in towns and cities for £ 5 a month.

Last thing, it quickly gets covered in fingerprints - really visible when switched off or looking at darker sites - I'd suggest investing in a good spectacle cleaning dry wipe as nothing comes in the pack to cover this issue.

Having read a lot about the device and viewing lots of You Tube reviews etc. I thought I knew what to expect but in real life the Ipad is more sturdy and user friendly than I expected - it feels real and built to last in a way that some net books really aren't.

Typing/practical use :

One of the main concerns I had was reference ability to type and I've quite quickly gotten used to typing in both portrait and landscape (the device has a similar accelerometer to the Iphone and Touch that enables you to rotate the device to see more or access different features in each of the orientations). As a pretty good touch typist I find it possible to touch type in both orientations - obviously this is easier in landscape but by no means impossible in portrait. A word of warning here though, between the machinations of orientation switch and a possibly uncomfortable typing position (resting on your knees on the sofa for example) it is possible to end up working in some silly positions. I invested in the Apple case for mine and it folds backwards on itself to provide a really comfy typing position in landscape mode - I used this to catch up with my e-mails yesterday evening and found no back aching type problems.

So in terms of tasking and fitting this into your working life I found the Ipad even better than expected.

E-mail

The email user interface is a variant of the current mac standard and offers a listing to the left with larger individual mail pane on the right which flips in portrait to show the whole email in isolation. I'm still getting to grips with the format but it seems to work well. Setting up accounts takes a couple of minutes, the main snag is that gmail isn't a push service but retrieval takes two or three seconds once you go into the app. Setting up MS outlook is also possible - at the moment however I'm leaving my OL account on my blackberry.

Productivity Apps

The main iworks apps are all available as £ 5.99 downloads and I haven't yet partaken although I do fancy a play with Pages which would then enable me to tie work in with my imac more easily.

In terms of productivity the notes app is perfectly acceptable, given the typing works so well as I outline above I've already converted my rather archaic paper To Do list onto notes on the Ipad given that I'll have it with me on all business occasions now.

Note taking in meetings

Notes (or Pages) I suspect may become the norm for the Ipad user rather than paper and I'm certainly planning to use the advent of my Ipad as a vehicle for using less paper in my office at home.

Safari

To me speed of access is important. Having played around at it for a couple of years with my touch I wanted a device where I can get on line instantly in the commercial breaks of House or Flash Forward and the Ipad does not disappoint. The 1Ghz processor fairly whizzes along and accessing mobile sites like google reader, Amazon Kindle etc is almost instant. Even large standard pages load within four to five seconds so it's virtually as fast as my imac. The UI works well here with Google search perching in the top left and as I mentioned it very quickly becomes a case of feeling as if the internet is sat on top of your hands - there really is no barrier between you and the web here.

Replacing Newspapers

I've been a rabid consumer of on-line media for a couple of years now and basically get my daily news fix from the net. The ipad enables me to hit the web over breakfast (my main quiet time) in a really new and exciting way. I've configured my home page apps to give me access to Sky News, The Telegraph and (sadly) comic apps (to pick up the daily releases of free content) instantly in the morning over my cuppa and cereal - something I kind of did on the touch but the ipad gives more speed of access, dimension and physicality to the process somehow. The BBC are apparently about to release their iplayer as an app and this will also give me extra options in addition to my daily BBC News e-mail.

Portability

Yes it's another device to lug about. This is a clear drawback and now with the touch (let's face it the ipad isn't going in my back pocket for random ipod playing is it ?), my personal phone, business Blackberry and now the Ipad i'm walking about everywhere with over £ 1,000 of consumer electronics to be robbed of. But lets be realistic. On business the laptop bag goes everywhere anyway. With Key Note loaded onto the Ipad you don't need the lappy which weighs three times more than the ipad. Blackberry diverts onto the personal mobile (or vice versa) if you don't want to take both and when I invest in the Iphone the touch gets donated to Little Ms Localventure (aged 10) and I'm down to iphone and ipad in most cases.

Just taking the ipad out on it's own to the coffee shop or out in the car on appointments makes sense - even without wifi connection it's still possible to be productive and one of my biggest bug bears for years has been arriving at a meeting early and either not taking the laptop or not being able to bother booting it up for the sake of 10 minutes of work is again sorted by instant access to e-mail, notes, pages etc on the ipad.

Cost benefit ad fun-ness

Well I spent £ 459 on mine including the case. I've used it for around 8 hours solid since yesterday and it's running at 21% power now so clearly it's not going to charge me out of house and home. I've found practical uses for it already (including whilst running on my treadmill at home which I haven't had space to mention here) and I can see nothing but positives so far. I suppose an argument could be made that I, like other fans of Apple tech are shoehorning a digital entertainment device into my productivity/work life but I think the immediacy of the Ipad and it's flexibility make this process of blurring the line between work and fun an exciting and interesting one.

I've only had mine for 24 hours as I type this up and already it feels like I've had it forever. Do you need one, well no, but then again technically we don't need anything but food water and shelter as a species, but when you get one I think you'll instantly forget the 400 odd quid you've spent and begin planning the fun ways you can invent to get the most out of it.

I'd really welcome comments and feedback - take care

Phil

Ipad due to arrive today or tomorrow

2010-05-27T03:47:00.003-07:00

My shiny new Ipad was due to arrive tomorrow. According to the Apple store it is now slated for delivery today. Just had a bit of a false alarm when a driver turned up at my house with an identically sized package which turned out to be something ordered by my wife - what are the chances ?

Still hope to get it today though before I burst with excitement !

I will report back later.

Ipad

2010-05-26T23:31:00.000-07:00

I pre-ordered my Ipad on the 12th of May and hopefully it should be arriving tomorrow some time.

When it comes I'm planning to do a full general review here and then hopefully pick up on business uses and do a more specific work focused review later as I use it more for business purposes.

The way forward ...

2010-05-26T01:58:00.000-07:00

In business you do things and sometimes they are mistakes or more particularly they're not mistakes but maybe a course of action chosen isn't quite exactly right. As I mentioned in a previous post I had a meeting last week with a business mentor to discuss a number of issues around Localventure.

In the run up to the meeting and certainly during the discussion one thing came into focus quite clearly and a second thing developed during the session.

Firstly and I'd been brooding about this for a while - LV is doing too much and there's a lack of focus in terms of what we do and how it can be monetized. In basic terms I think that the blog is trying to do too many things and be all things to all men and probably not quite succeeding in any of them.

The further thing was that I felt that the LV idea as developed didn't quite work - perhaps there's a nugget of a working business idea there but still I didn't quite have it 'right'

So having come to the above conclusions I've decided to take some time away from marketing LV quite so hard and have a think about a product or proposition that is focused on a key business service that Localventure can excel at - I have a training course in London in June which may help with this focus and this also gives me a month or so to begin jotting down ideas and trying other ideas on for size.

In the meantime I very much plan to keep the blog going and open for business to keep issuing my thoughts on business and related subjects out to anyone who is interested. Current members and interested parties are very welcome to submit guest blogs as and when they wish - business as usual in other words.

Localventure - The on-line community that gives small business : free blogging, support, cool articles and useful business services.

2010-05-20T00:31:00.001-07:00

Who Are We ?

Simple ! A blog devoted to supporting SME's and entrepreneurs across the UK. Any business employing less than 100 people can advertise on this blog and our aim is to create a resource/ information centre which acts as a community for business owners.

Can I add the details of my business to the blog ?

Course you can, just drop us through a couple of paragraphs about your business plus a logo or relevant image you'd like to include and we will do the rest.

What do I get for free ?

1)Free blog post covering details of your business + an image and your contact information

2) Update with news, offers or any business relevant content whenever you'd like

3) Send through guest blogs as and when you create them

4) We will offer special services, discounts and business focused deals - as a member you'll be able to access these unique member benefits

What other fantastic things can I expect in the future ?

In time we will upgrade the website - news on this in forthcoming newsletters and blog posts.

Member Benefits

We will continue to roll out details of our growing range of member features and benefits - some will be free, some discounts and others unique business related offers - in each case they will only be available to advertising members of Localventure and all designed to make your life as a business person a little easier, cheaper or better.

Here's a brief list of what is currently on offer :

LV Exclusive - Localventure EAP

Operating in partnership with member Life & Legal we offer access to the counselling, legal, debt & welfare helplines of a full EAP for only £19.95 per annum per person. Aunique benefit for LV that is usually not open to the business below 50 employees.

LV Exclusive - Utility Bill Consultation

MJ Consulting Services in Calderdale offer a free service and take no fee unless they save you money on your business utility and telecoms packages. A free service you just have to use.

LV Exclusive - Localventure Marketing

25% discount on e-mail marketing

Accounts & Book-keeping Discount - RS Book-Keeping

25% discount on annual fees from RS Book-Keeping

The Dizzy Llama Restaurant - Central Cardiff

20% discount on total bill

Reductions on Rare & Exclusive Whisky - Prestige Whisky

5% discount on all orders from www.prestigewhisky.com

LV Exclusive - Life and Executive Coaching

One free personal or executive coaching session with The Life Coaching Consultancy and then a 15% discount on a booking of any coaching package (face to face or telephone).

The Sewing Directory

25% discount on all advertising

Software Discounts

Innesoft is offering a voucher on all purchases using the following unique Localventure code - *BOCO0007M* which gives 20% off all in-house products,and is valid until 31st May 2010. Members can use this an unlimited amount of times before that date.www.innesoft.com

For more information on any of the above contact us on :

venturelocal@gmail.com

07883 882064

via Twitter (localventure1)

or via a message/comment here on the blog

To EP or not to EP .... that is the question

2010-05-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

When you first set up in business many people, rightly tell you to obtain as much free information from other business people and 'wise' contacts to basically learn from their mistakes. So you use the good stuff that they've gleaned via trial and error over their lives and therefore you don't need to repeat others mistakes - I suppose eventually you'll make a whole new load of them yourself regardless - but that's another story.

Since setting up in business I've tried to use as much information from others as possible and regularly learn new things when I thought I already knew best. I have a meeting tomorrow with someone whose opinion I respect and I think would qualify as a mentor. He's asked (suggested) me to work on my elevator pitch (EP) for Localventure and I thought it would be useful to discuss elevator pitches here and also share the current iteration of it with you.

To my mind the EP is not just the short hand for what your business 'does' but it also covers two other vitally important areas. Firstly, it should re-ignite the passion and fundamental 'idea' that sits behind the creation of the business in the first place for the owner. Secondly, it takes this passion and translates it into a sales message that tells everyone and in particular potential clients what you're about.

So if the elevator pitch doesn't excite the business owner (me) then it has no chance of passing on that excitement to the customer (you).

Below are several versions that that I have used in recent weeks to begin to crystalize my ideas from a fairly wordy set of jargon to hopefully something that works in the way I describe above :

Version 1, written to send to my mentor a couple of weeks ago :

Localventure is an on-line small business focused community offering free advertising/guest blogging for members; business interviews & general small business resource/comment to monetized via provision of business related services to members/SME database where service providers pay to participate."

Very catchy isn't it ? Kind of does what is says on the tin but it is neither elegant, memorable or anything more than pedestrian.

Version 2, total change from the above :

Localventure - local business, national support

At least this one was mercifully short. I'd tried to think about tying in the Localventure name into the EP in some way - I like this one but it doesn't describe the business except at a very high level and a reader would be left wondering ... what ?

Version 3, starting to get down to basics, quite elegantly simple and I've even been using this one in marketing literature a little bit :

Free blogging, support, resource and member services for UK small business

Version 3 - this is the current 'final' one :

The on-line community that gives small business : free blogging, support, cool articles and useful business services.

What this one does I think is to combine the ideas from versions 1 & 3 giving a bit more detail in a more fun way. This is the one I'm going to take to my contact tomorrow and see what he thinks - this will almost certainly change then and I'll let you know how it goes.

Client Negotiations

2010-05-19T01:43:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of beginning to tender/negotiate for a corporate coaching contract with a client. The deal could be very small or if things go well end up being worth several thousand pounds a year to me.

Having entered into dozens of complex price and propositional discussions over the years I still find this an exciting but bewildering process. As a business person I build everything I offer to clients around my personal integrity and work very much on the thesis that if something goes wrong it will be me that carries the can ultimately.

However, when you're discussing pricing for example with a new client you have to partially put that integrity to one side to obtain a piece of business at a level that you know you can make a decent profit. This can be even harder when the service you offer is a time resource (i.e. mine) and the temptation is often to undervalue the time and effort involved.

So you put on the table a price where you know you could do the work for a bit less but feel you have to both make a decent margin but also leave some wiggle room for 'negotiation'. The client in turn - if they're serious about moving forward - asks for a rate which is below that which they've budgeted to spend in the first place and so the merry dance begins.

When I'm talking to clients or business acquaintances about business negotiations I often point out two things, firstly that whilst it's important to be flexible (that is to do and say things you think the client WANTS to hear) it is also equally important to cover your costs and say things the client NEEDS to hear.

In the final analysis, business is about making a profit and if in the process of client acquisition you price so low that you cannot really justify doing the work (or worst case scenario, give less than your best because you're cutting corners) then that client really isn't worth picking it up. So the message has to be to keep flexible but charge what you're worth and remember that any business relationship is a two way street.

Phil

Localventure - Free blogging, support, resource and member services for UK small business

2010-05-18T01:50:00.001-07:00

Who Are We ?

Can I add the details of my business to the blog ?

Course you can, just drop us through a couple of paragraphs about your business plus a logo or relevant image you'd like to include and we will do the rest.

What do I get for free ?

1)Free blog post covering details of your business + an image and your contact information

2) Update with news, offers or any business relevant content whenever you'd like

3) Send through guest blogs as and when you create them

4) We will offer special services, discounts and business focused deals - as a member you'll be able to access these unique member benefits

What other fantastic things can I expect in the future ?

In time we will upgrade the website - news on this in forthcoming newsletters and blog posts.

Member Benefits

Here's a brief list of what is currently on offer :

LV Exclusive - Localventure EAP

LV Exclusive - Utility Bill Consultation

MJ Consulting Services in Calderdale offer a free service and take no fee unless they save you money on your business utility and telecoms packages. A free service you just have to use.

LV Exclusive - Localventure Marketing

25% discount on e-mail marketing

Accounts & Book-keeping Discount - RS Book-Keeping

25% discount on annual fees from RS Book-Keeping

The Dizzy Llama Restaurant - Central Cardiff

20% discount on total bill

Reductions on Rare & Exclusive Whisky - Prestige Whisky

5% discount on all orders from www.prestigewhisky.com

LV Exclusive - Life and Executive Coaching

One free personal or executive coaching session with The Life Coaching Consultancy and then a 15% discount on a booking of any coaching package (face to face or telephone).

The Sewing Directory

25% discount on all advertising

Software Discounts

For more information on any of the above contact us on :

venturelocal@gmail.com

07883 882064

via Twitter (localventure1)

or via a message/comment here on the blog

How not to buy coffee over the weekend

2010-05-17T01:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another working week LV readers.

This morning you'll find two new members on the blog in the post immediately below this one. Both new types of business to Localventure. One an on-line shoe retailer and the other a business specialising in organising tours of UK universities.

Already this morning I've sent out an e-mail shot to businesses in Chesterfield so 'hi' if you're reading this as a result.

Wanted to mention a quick story as well. I was out on business early yesterday morning and needed some petrol - I stopped at my local petrol station at 7.25am and was refused service because they didn't open until 7.30am - this was despite the attendant being in the shop, pumps all on etc. Slightly later the same morning I needed a coffee to jump start the old neurons. So I stopped at a motorway service station and went in to the coffee area. It was around 7.55am but the lights were all on, sandwiches, muffins, soft drinks etc. all out on the counter and the 'barrista' was stood behind the (switched on) cash till. However, it seems that they too have an opening time 'rule' which cannot be fractured or even bent.

Two things strike me here, firstly if you don't really care about the customer or his experience of your brand then things like this happen and the customer takes his business elsewhere. Secondly, both the outlets in question were 'national brands'. I won't name and shame the offending businesses except to say that there are a few MOR RISONS why I won't be using that petrol station if I can help it and the coffee would have COST A me a fortune anyway.

The final upshot is that I don't need to get annoyed or upset with these outlets - there are lots of people around, offering the same services and they were quite glad to take my £ 70 spend yesterday morning. As a business today I really don't think you can afford to turn away paying customers for the sake of five minutes.

Henry James Shoes - Welcome to Localventure

2010-05-17T01:35:00.000-07:00

Handcrafted men's shoes of outstanding quality and a first class service.

www.henryjamesshoes.com

Univisits Ltd - Welcome to Localventure

2010-05-17T01:26:00.001-07:00

Univisits Ltd - providing quality tours of universities in the UK and Ireland. If you are interested in offering your students the opportunity to visit universities in the UK and Ireland, to inform their choice of where to go for their higher education, then look no further.

Prices are competitive and can be tailored to fit your budget. Once your exact itinerary, number of students and chaperones and accommodation requirements are known you will receive a quotation that will detail the cost per student, to include all local ground transport, hotel accommodation and food.

Now taking bookings for academic year 2010/2011!

www.univisits.com
Please email david@univisits.com for a quotation.
Registered Office: Millhouse, Costa, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2NJ
Co.Reg No. 372609

The Joy of Apple

2010-05-13T03:53:00.000-07:00

I'm not actually talking about the fruit here. Although apples are clearly one of your five a day and can assist with bringing down cholesterol and possibly even reducing cancer risks (the joys of google!).

No, I wanted to briefly discuss the real Apple - purveyors of fine electronic gadgetry. From a business perspective I'd say Apple's greatest contribution to my working life has been twofold. Firstly keeping me sane for the long hours of my business travels listening to a variety of music and content on first my 4gb Ipod Nano (1) and more recently my Ipod Touch. As an offshoot from this I have gotten in to and now listen to regularly a variety of business and related podcasts.

The practical business contribution has been minimal though. That being said I do now use an Imac as my main desktop computer (her name is Maisie - not sure how she ended up with a name but there you go). I love the Imac, she is without shadow of a doubt the best computer I have ever owned. Maisie is however a computer and does broadly the same 'stuff' as my old HP personal computer. She does it better and faster too.

One of the things that has been occupying me in recent days is the Iphone and the Ipad. Now as you'll begin to gather from the above initial comments, I am becoming (become?) a complete Apple fanboy. To date in my house hold we have the following Apple kit :

Ipod Nano x 3 (mark1 2gb, mark 1 4gb, mark 2 8gb)
Ipod Touch 1
Imac 21.5inch with 500gb hard disk
Iphone 3G

At the moment I don't personally own or use an Iphone (the 3g belongs to Mrs Localventure) but I really want one. I use both a Blackberry and a Nokia E71 at the minute for a mixture of business and personal use. The Blackberry will be staying but the E71 is nearly out of contract and will be replaced in a couple of months. So in Iphone territory I'm conflicted. The 3G is available on contract for free with similar monthly cost to the E71 but the 3GS which is faster and (sad to admit it) much cooler - but it's still massively expensive compared to similar phones. Plus, and this is always the problem with techy gadgets - the Iphone 4G is expected to launch in June 2010 - where the coolness of the 3GS will be superseded and to further complicate matters no doubt the 3GS will also come down in price versus the new 4G at around the launch time. So it would seem illogical to jump in on the Iphone bandwagon now.

As a business smart phone, having played with the 3G versus my Nokia I know that it probably doesn't add much in practicality terms (other than meaning I won't need to carry both the E71 and an ipod around with me). As a phone/camera it's probably inferior to the E71 in fact. So on the Iphone I think it's decision made - wait until June and either queue forever to get a 4G or possibly snap up a 3GS at a reduced cost in the Summer.

Moving on to the piece de resistance - the Ipad. Now first let's be clear on this subject. I am going to get one. I know it's really just a big Ipod Touch - but wow ! it looks so sleek, sultry and sexy - I really can't wait.

I had a disscusion about the Ipad with someone last week and they asked me the really ridiculous question :

"What are you planning to use it for that is different to your Ipod touch"

Do you know what ? I really did not have an answer to that question. However, and this is important, I spent ages thinking of justifications for spending £ 400 plus on this item (it is going to be a birthday present however) - luckily it came to me last week. It's a business justification and I think that it is a good one. Kind of.

I was in London presenting to a business. It wasn't a pure client acquisition situation as he wanted my business to use him as much as I wanted to sell my services to him. We had the slightly embarrassing issue therefore of both needing to bring out our respective laptops to present to each other. Having sorted an order my prospective client went first. He proceed to being out a teeny note book type laptop and present on that. This was a major problem for me because I own two laptops. A massive brick sized Toshiba (which although big, ungainly and slow has a great screen for presenting on) and a smaller (personal) compaq on which I haven't even gotten around to installing powerpoint yet. Guess which laptop I'd lugged all the way along the Northern and Bakerloo lines to Marylebone ? Having seen the presentation I apologised for even bringing my flagstone of a laptop out in public and began to present. And here's the thing, he said : "don't be embarrassed, my work laptop is as big as yours - I just bring out my personal one these days as it's easier to carry".

This was the point at which the inspiration hit.

I've always resenting carrying a laptop around London - even my smaller personal one is still relatively heavy and put it in a laptop bag along with a folder and (I kid you not) sandwiches - I won't get rich buying my lunch from Starbucks every day will ? - and you end up with a real mill stone, literally round your neck between appointments.

Now I know, that if I lighten the load and remove the sandwiches (?) and perhaps take a smaller folder it would work out much cheaper just to buy a copy of powerpoint and use my Compaq (which I love by the way and it is the second best computer I have ever owned - after Maisie) but imagine pulling out the Ipad in a meeting and booting up the Keynote app and presenting on that crystal clear 9.7 inch screen - not sure it's entirely professional but it certainly is a fanboy dream of a purchase justification.

So that's the decision made there too - the 16gb entry level wifi only model - £ 429 + £ 30 for the case - pre-order went in at 06.30 on the 28th of May

Not really sure if the above will be of any use to you in business - other than to say - business should be fun and I think that Apple (whilst perhaps they've lost their way a little in terms of PR and corporate bullying in the past few months) products do enable you to do some of those business tasks in a user friendly and fun way.

Phil

Life lessons in business

2010-05-13T00:52:00.000-07:00

It's been an odd couple of weeks. I've been extremely busy on a number of projects and probably not offering enough (or indeed any) attention to Localventure during that time period. As a business person it is easy to take your eye off the ball and focus on something else. It's important to take time out and realise if the focus is on the right subject.

One of the things I do in my office at home is pin up 'inspirational' messages, notes or quotes that I find and display them above my desk so I can, well draw inspiration from them. A few weeks ago I removed one and replaced it. The new one is funny and clever but it turns out not that useful. The previous one, it pans out was really quite good and I probably should have kept it. Here's the quote :

"Is what I am doing now the best use of my time ?"

Paul Sanneman, Business Success Tips Podcast, September 2009

So I removed the quote from my vision and then went off and did not spend my time as wisely as I could and the result ? I committed in my opinion one of the biggest business sins of all. I failed to check my diary properly last Friday and missed a meeting. Even worse it was a sales call with a potential client. I apologised profusely when he sent me a (rightfully) snarky e-mail but the damage was done and that opportunity is lost for good - quite rightly too.

So there you go - lesson learned for me. Focus on the job at hand, make sure it's the right job and don't be a prat and always, always check your flipping diary !

Phil

What is Localventure all about ?

2010-05-13T00:36:00.000-07:00

Here's the new elevator pitch :

Free blogging, support, resource and member services for UK small business

Read the blogs, get a feel for what we do and perhaps if you're a small business or entrepreneur join up for free and tell the UK about your business !

Localventure - local business, national support

York Debt Solutions - Welcome to Localventure

2010-05-12T03:56:00.000-07:00

What is York Debt Solutions?

York Debt Solutions was set up in May 2009, and offers practical debt assistance. Many people enter into IVA or bankruptcy as a debt solution when it not always necessary or appropriate to do so. The repercussions of either could have far reaching consequences on future opportunities, although many people want an immediate debt solution. There is a Third Way to deal with debt, and that is what York Debt Solutions offers.

How Do We Help?

We always meet with our clients for an initial free consultation (and throughout the process) where we provide a full debt review. During the consultation, we establish trust which is important, as we get to know the person and their family’s needs. Only then do we know how best to deal with their own debt situation. Each person and family circumstances is different; we don’t offer a “one case fits all” debt solution.

We also wish to engage in a positive manner with clients and help motivate them to move forward, and out of their debt situation.

From consultation to implementation of a repayment strategy takes approximately 10 weeks.

What York Debt Solutions Offers

There are Two, Six Step Programmes to Effective Money Management, which we identify and explore with clients. Changing a person’s perception about money management can be positive whilst improving their self-esteem.

We contact creditors and negotiate on clients’ behalf to reduce monthly repayments and also to have the interest and other charges frozen. As part of our service, we provide monthly reviews.

We also recommend a formal six month file review, which many creditors expect.

York Debt Solutions meets with clients within North and West Yorkshire.

Direct Tel: 01904 638 648
Mobile:     07885 729 759
Email:      info@yorkdebtsolutions.co.uk
Web:       www.yorkdebtsolutions.co.uk

Good morning from Localventure

2010-05-05T00:13:00.001-07:00

This morning I've been focusing my prospecting on the Nottingham area - so if you're visiting the blog for the first time as a result of an e-mail or call from me, good morning and welcome.

Localventure is a site devoted to supporting small business both by offering free advertising/guest blogging to you but also resource and business related information - all free for members when they need it.

So if you'd like to join just drop me a mail on venturelocal@gmail.com with details about your business, contact information and a logo and we'll put you on the blog for free. You can update or guest blog whenever you like, again for nothing.

You'll also find a variety of information and articles - for example a couple of posts below this one is a great seo post from H2 in Leeds.

Lastly, we also offer a range of business support services either free, like our Utility Review Service - where we can offer you a thorough review of your business bills and telecoms services for free - there's only a charge if you take up the recommended changes and we save you money.

Or our new Employee Assistance Program : Localventure EAP - this product costs just £19.95 per annum per employee - this EAP product is unheard of in the SME sector and unique to Localventure.

For more information on any of the above great business related stuff drop us a mail, leave a message on the blog or call on 07883 882064.

Guest Blog from The H2 Company - When it comes to keyword research, let Google do the hardwork

2010-05-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

Our member The H2 Company have asked us to put the following seo blog up for them - it's a long one but a goody, enjoy and of course as usual please feel free to leave comments or contact us on venturelocal@gmail.com if you have anything to add.

3 St Peter's Buildings
St Peter's Square
Leeds, LS9 8AH
Tel: +44 (0) 8700 503 574
Fax: +44 (0) 8700 503 576
www.theh2.co.uk
Visit My SEO Blog at www.coffeekicks.com

Enjoy !

FEB25

Part 2 of a series on SEO considerations when building a website from concept to completion.

If you took a handful of successful websites across a variety of markets, I’d bet that the one factor that they all share is one of choosing the right keywords. Whether you discover the your keywords by hook or by crook, once you’re ranking for them, a simple equation begins to work in your favour; the right keywords = the right website traffic. It makes sense to find, and target, these keywords from the start and, as we discussed last time, if possible reflect them within your domain name.

Over the next two posts I’m going to be outlining a couple of quick and free keyword tricks to help you find the right opportunities for your website. These are of course totally by ‘hook’ methods, if anyone out there does have any tips that work by ‘crook’, I’d love to know

How to use keyword research to discover keyword rich domains.

There are many pro keyword tools out there on the market, some of these really are excellent and I use two in particular myself. However, if you’re not obsessing about keywords on a daily basis, these tools prove expensive. So, if you are running one or two company/personal websites, you need to find another way of researching your keywords effectively. Whatever your wish maybe the web usually provides and who better to help us with this task than Google? The very people we want to seduce with our new website.

Google Adwords Keyword Tool is perhaps the place I visit most often online. Officially, this tool is there to entice you into spending your hard earned pennies on Google Sponsored Ads, which when used properly can a highly lucrative advertising medium – more on this in a later post. Unofficially, Google’s Keyword Tool is where those of us with ambitions to crash the top ten organic rankings can quickly find the right keywords to get excited about.

From this webpage, Google will tell us approximately how many times any keyword we type into their search box was searched for across the previous month. If that wasn’t enough of a freebie, this tool will also tell us about a number of permutations of your original keyword that people search for, along with search numbers for last month.

Let’s apply this fine free tool from Google and find a domain for our new website:

Open Google’s Keyword Tool.
Make sure your regional settings read “English, United Kingdom” (see below) – unless you are targeting another part of the world and hence this should be set to your target region.
Type in your ‘wish-word’ ie the keyword you believe you would like to rank no1 for oneday. I’ll stick with ‘buy shoes’ from the last post by way of example.
Type in the captcha and click ‘Get Keywords Ideas’ (click the image below to enlarge).
Unless you’ve been making words up, you should now be presented with a good page full of keywords.
Let’s filter them so they are easier for us to assess. First, pull down on ‘match type’ (see below) and set to ‘exact’. You should now see the search volume figures beside all of your keywords drop in dramatic fashion! Exact match means that Google gives us figures for people typing in the ‘exact’ keywords we queried, ie ‘buy shoes’ and not ’shoes buy’ or ’shoes to buy’ etc. Only ever buy a keyword rich domain based on ‘exact’ match figures, they will give you far more realistic web traffic expectations.
Next, click on ‘Local Search Volume’. This will rank the keywords in order of search number. ‘Local’ refers to the UK here. Click below to increase image size.
Open up a second browser window, pressing ‘Ctrl & T’ together is a nice shortcut for doing this quickly. Browse to your favourite domain retailer and check the keywords as domain names in order of search volume eg ‘buyshoes.co.uk’, ‘buyshoesonline.co.uk’ etc. It’ good to use a domain reseller that quickly shows you a number of domain options for a given search, 123-Reg has a nice, easy screen for checking options. By typing a co.uk domain into their search box, 123-Reg will let you know instantly whether or not the .com, .net and other versions of your domain are available as well as your co.uk.
Everybody has different ideas as to which version of a domain you should buy or avoid. If you work mainly in UK markets, as I do, then the .co.uk is definitely your preferred choice – Google tends to rank .co.uk domains higher for searches made from the UK. I also always buy the .com version if it’s available too.
Often things are quite this easy, in which case I apply the following rules, which have worked for me so far (geared towards UK markets);
- search for yourkeyphrase.co.uk domains first
- if this has already gone, and your keyword has no more than two, occasionally three, words in total, search for your keyphrase hyphenated, eg keyword-keyword.co.uk
- if both natural and hyphenated co.uk domains have gone, or your keyphrase is more than three words, search for .org.uk versions of your domain. These domains have ranked very well for me in UK markets.
- 80% of the time, the above steps will find you a good, keyword rich domain. If so, check the .com version of your domain, just in case it’s free too. If you don’t uncover any domain options, move on to the next keyword from your Google list.

Overall, domain checking does take a little time and you will probably have to check a fair few domains before you uncover one that you are happy with. Try to focus on matching the highest traffic volume keyword against a domain that you feel could represent your business/website effectively. Some people don’t like .org.uk domains (I agree these are harder to utilise for conventional ‘offline’ businesses), some people don’t like hyphens. That’s fine, choose a domain that you feel good about in all of it’s extension, connotation (does the domain truly reflect what you offer?) and traffic potential. Getting all of those three right pretty much means you’ve found a domain worth bagging. Don’t be frightened to note a few domain possibilities down and think about them for a day or so. I often do this, and so far the domain has always been waiting for me when I’ve returned to buy.

Going back to our working example of ‘buy shoes’, let’s see what potential domains we have uncovered? Click to enlarge the image below.

The fourth keyword I checked for domain potential uncovered some possibilities. As you can see above, www.buycheapshoes.org.uk is available to buy. With Google showing 1000 exact match searches in January 2010, I’d say that’s a pretty good domain for a ‘cost effective’ online shoe retailer to consider. If the .org.uk doesn’t feel right then a little bit of digging will also show that ‘buy-cheap-shoes.co.uk’ is also available to buy, as is ‘buy-cheap-shoes.com’. Overall, I tend to struggle more with hyphens than I do with org.uk, but’s that nothing other than personal preference! Both versions of the domain will work well in targeting the keyword ‘buy cheap shoes’ for Google top ten ranking.

Don’t Go Domain Crazy
Here’s a word of warning. Many people I work with online tend to go a tad domain crazy when we delve into domain research. It is better to spend some time researching and thinking about the right domain for you than quickly buying ten or twenty domains in the name of ‘freezing out the competition.’ For example, the above domain ‘buycheapshoes.org.uk’ is definitely not right for you if your stock retails at the higher end of the market! One of the great things about the internet is that there is always another keyword opportunity/keyword rich domain to find. So, find the right one for you then spend your time promoting it. If you haven’t found the right one, keep searching. Try new keywords altogether, ask your friends and family what they would search for when looking for your goods/services. You will always be surprised.

Next time, we’ll look at how we can delve deeper into Google’s keyword data and find more keywords for use throughout our new website.

About Localventure - Legendary Support for SME's

2010-05-04T02:08:00.003-07:00

Who Are We ?

Simple ! A blog devoted to supporting SME's and entrepreneurs across the UK. Any business employing less than 500 people can advertise on this blog and our aim is to create a resource/ information centre which acts as a community for business owners.

Can I add the details of my business to the blog ?

Course you can, just drop us through a couple of paragraphs about your business plus a logo or relevant image you'd like to include and we will do the rest.

What do I get for free ?

1)Free blog post covering details of your business + an image and your contact information

2) Update with news, offers or any business relevant content whenever you'd like

3) Send through guest blogs as and when you create them

4) We will offer special services, discounts and business focused deals - as a member you'll be able to access these unique member benefits

What other fantastic things can I expect in the future ?

In time we will upgrade the website - news on this in forthcoming newsletters and blog posts.

Member Benefits

Here's a brief list of what is currently on offer :

LV Exclusive - Localventure EAP

LV Exclusive - Utility Bill Consultation

MJ Consulting Services in Calderdale offer a free service and take no fee unless they save you money on your business utility and telecoms packages. A free service you just have to use.

LV Exclusive - Localventure Marketing

25% discount on e-mail marketing

Accounts & Book-keeping Discount - RS Book-Keeping

25% discount on annual fees from RS Book-Keeping

The Dizzy Llama Restaurant - Central Cardiff

20% discount on total bill

Reductions on Rare & Exclusive Whisky - Prestige Whisky

5% discount on all orders from www.prestigewhisky.com

LV Exclusive - Life and Executive Coaching

One free personal or executive coaching session with The Life Coaching Consultancy and then a 15% discount on a booking of any coaching package (face to face or telephone).

The Sewing Directory

25% discount on all advertising

Software Discounts

For more information on any of the above contact us on :

venturelocal@gmail.com

07883 882064

via Twitter (localventure1)

or via a message/comment here on the blog

Stefan Lubo - Welcome to Localventure

2010-04-30T03:43:00.001-07:00

Stefan Lubomirski de Vaux (lubo) takes captivating images of people – by themselves, with friends and family, or as part of a landscape or interior.

Coming from a cosmopolitan background, Lubo speaks four languages and is at home in any company, from the British Royal Family to the bushmen of Africa.

But, more importantly, people feel at home with Lubo. They act naturally instead of putting on a pose; their unique character comes into focus. And the magic happens.

Lubo shoots portraits for portraiture’s sake – as well as for brochures, press releases and annual reports. He also captures the interaction of people and places, with striking interior photography for architects and designers and documentary style coverage of events and weddings delivered as astounding quality photobooks and a wide variety of media.

If you need pictures that will stand out on the page or on the screen, you ought to talk to Lubo. So get in touch today to discuss your requirements and obtain a detailed quotation.

We think you’ll click.

photography by lubo
captivating images of people, places and events
character into focus
Website: www.stefanlubo.com & you can follow me on twitter and my blog
24 Marville Road, Fulham, London SW6 7BD, UK
Tel: +44 (0)207 385 0773 Mob: +44 (0)7770 946479
Skype: stefanlubomirski"

Diva Telecom Ltd - Welcome To Localventure

2010-04-29T01:56:00.000-07:00

In business telecoms, knowledge is everything. Mistakes and misinformation are not only costly, they can damage your brands reputation.

That’s why we actively ensure that a high level of expertise runs right through Diva, from the top to the bottom of the organization. So whether you need business lines and calls, phone systems, UK or international inbound numbers, audio conferencing or another telecoms product, we guarantee to give you the best advice….and the best value for money.

We have an excellent rounded knowledge of the UK Telecoms Industry

We are partnered with some of the UK’s leading carriers

We only partner with carriers whose platforms are state-of-the-art in terms of technology and robust enough to handle high call volumes.

W. www.divatelecom.co.uk

T. 08000 126868

E. info@divatelecom.co.uk

About Localventure - Legendary Support for SME's

2010-04-29T00:44:00.001-07:00

Who Are We ?

Can I add the details of my business to the blog ?

Course you can, just drop us through a couple of paragraphs about your business plus a logo or relevant image you'd like to include and we will do the rest.

What do I get for free ?

1)Free blog post covering details of your business + an image and your contact information

2) Update with news, offers or any business relevant content whenever you'd like

3) Send through guest blogs as and when you create them

4) We will offer special services, discounts and business focused deals - as a member you'll be able to access these unique member benefits

What other fantastic things can I expect in the future ?

In time we will upgrade the website - news on this in forthcoming newsletters and blog posts.

Member Benefits

Here's a brief list of what is currently on offer :

LV Exclusive - Localventure EAP

LV Exclusive - Utility Bill Consultation

MJ Consulting Services in Calderdale offer a free service and take no fee unless they save you money on your business utility and telecoms packages. A free service you just have to use.

LV Exclusive - Localventure Marketing

25% discount on e-mail marketing

Accounts & Book-keeping Discount - RS Book-Keeping

25% discount on annual fees from RS Book-Keeping

The Dizzy Llama Restaurant - Central Cardiff

20% discount on total bill

Reductions on Rare & Exclusive Whisky - Prestige Whisky

5% discount on all orders from www.prestigewhisky.com

LV Exclusive - Life and Executive Coaching

One free personal or executive coaching session with The Life Coaching Consultancy and then a 15% discount on a booking of any coaching package (face to face or telephone).

The Sewing Directory

25% discount on all advertising

Software Discounts

For more information on any of the above contact us on :

venturelocal@gmail.com

07883 882064

via Twitter (localventure1)

or via a message/comment here on the blog

The Dizzy Llama in Cardiff - amendment to the newsletter

2010-04-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's just been brought my attention that the newsletter mentions on the second page that the Dizzy Llama is in Cardiff Bay where as in fact it is in the centre of Cardiff - here's the full address details (anyone booking and mentioning Localventure will receive a 20% discount from the bill.

t: 029 2034 3424

e: info@dizzyllama.co.uk

f: www.facebook.co.uk/dizzyllama

24 Churchill Way

Cardiff

Intercity Accommodation in Leeds - Welcome to Localventure

2010-04-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

Long established - 1980 - property lettings and management company based Leeds UK. Daily web updates. Short notice viewings a pleasure.

Further information for property to rent in Leeds, West Yorkshire
Intercity-Accommodation.co.uk is one of Leeds leading property rental portals, helping you to find to rent and make smarter decisions when renting homes in Leeds. Discover information on homes in Leeds, West Yorkshire by researching Leeds, West Yorkshire rental property values, Leeds, West Yorkshire house rental prices paid, our Leeds, West Yorkshire property rental market overview and find Leeds, West Yorkshire letting rates.

Intercity Accommodation - 21 Moor Road-Far Headingley-Leeds LS6 4BG-UK. 0113 2302303 - 2302304

enquiries@intercity-accommodation.co.uk

www.intercity-accommodation.co.uk

Please CLICK BELOW FOR YOUR TYPE OF PROPERTY

studio flats to rent in leeds

one bed flats to rent in leeds

two bed flats to rent in leeds

three bed flats to rent in leeds

one bed houses to rent in leeds

two bed houses to rent in leeds

three bed houses to rent in leeds

four bed houses to rent in leeds

five bed houses to rent in leeds

TUC Report on 'Bad Work'

2010-04-27T05:35:00.000-07:00

The following overview of a recent TUC report covering good and bad work environments and work life balance is taken from an article published by First Assist in late April 2010 :

TUC challenges employers to promote staff well-being through 'good work'
The TUC has challenged the Government and employers to ensure that workplaces don't just prevent staff from becoming ill, but actively promote good health and wellbeing through 'good work'.
The latest in a series of TUC Touchstone Extra reports - In Sickness and in Health? -argues that around one-third of our waking hours are spent at work, and that our working lives help to define who we are, where and how well we live, and even how long we live.
The pamphlet, which is designed to provoke discussion between unions, employers and Government, maintains that people deserve to work in good jobs where they have a fulfilling working life, job satisfaction and can achieve their full potential. Improving people's working lives not only improves personal well-being, says the TUC, but it can also lead to better, more successful organisations with loyal and motivated staff.
'Good work', says the report, goes much further than simply ensuring that jobs do not make people ill, and is more about organising working in a way that promotes good physical and mental health. Reputable employers will have risk assessments in place to prevent workers being made ill or injured by their jobs, and sickness absence policies to support those who are ill, but the TUC believes much more can be done.
There is a danger, the report warns, that employers and workers see work as an economic process where employees come to work simply to earn a wage. Work is far more than that, says the pamphlet, and as well as providing an income, work offers social contact for many people and is one of the main factors in determining a person's identity and general physical and emotional wellbeing.
The TUC report explains that factors that can constitute 'bad work' include: a lack of control over work, poverty pay, repetitive or monotonous work, a lack of respect at work, incompetent line managers, too much - or too little - work, a lack of training, unsafe working conditions, long hours and bullying.
'Bad work', the report finds, can lead to increased levels of ill-health and sickness absence, lower motivation, higher turnover of staff and reduced levels of productivity. There is a strong link between stress and the use of tobacco, recreational drugs and alcohol, says the TUC pamphlet, while desk-bound working or only having access to junk food during a 20 minute lunch break can lead to obesity.
'Good work' can be rewarding and fulfilling for employees, leading to improved performance. For employers, it can increase productivity and help them attract and retain staff. The report highlights factors that contribute to a better working environment: being in control of workload, good quality line managers, good health and safety standards, a friendly and flexible workplace culture, equality and fair treatment, development and training opportunities, sensible hours of work and manageable work intensity, job security and a healthy work-life balance culture.
The report concludes by suggesting a national standard or index of 'good work' is developed. An index would allow employers to look at work organisation and job design, and would include effective channels for employee engagement, such as unions. It would hopefully encourage employers and employees to work together to ensure that work is no longer seen just as a place where employees go to earn a wage.
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'A debate on 'good work' may sound like a pipe dream while 3.3 million people are working more than 48 hours a week, and half the UK's employers have not even done a suitable risk assessment.
'However, in workplaces where there are unions, issues around 'good work' have already been raised with employers, and these employers and employees are already reaping the benefits.
'The economic rewards of a national 'good work' culture could be huge. Every year around 170 million working days are lost in the UK because people are too ill to go to work and the cost of this sickness absence runs into tens of billions of pounds. The benefits to individual workers of leading more fulfilled and healthier live are also enormous.
'But as long as we see 'good work' as a good idea rather than a basic human right, work will continue to make workers ill and as a result employees and society will continue to suffer.'
- The pamphlet In Sickness and in Health? is available to download atwww.tuc.org.uk/extras/goodwork.pdf
- Visit the TUC's Touchstone website and blog atwww.touchstoneblog.org.uk

Blu:72 in Nottingham - Welcome to Localventure

2010-04-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

BLU:72 Creative is a Nottingham based graphic design studio specialising in corporate identity, branding and website design. We provide innovative and stylish design solutions for our clients, allowing them to maintain a consistent brand image across multiple media.

Services include: Logo Design, Corporate Identity, Branding, Web Design and Web Development.

We can make a difference to your suite of marketing materials that will improve your profile and hopefully inspire your target audience to use your products and services, by listening to your requirements, researching your competition and working with you to gain an understanding of what you want and how to achieve it. We are very flexible and can provide a design solution to match most budgets.

We can design and produce any kind of promotional literature or publication, such as: brochures, annual reports, leaflets, prospectuses, banners, flyers, logos, stationery, adverts and packaging. We also offer Web design and development from basic HTML and Flash sites to E-Commerce and Content Management Systems.

So... Give us a call, and let us ‘Design Your World’.

2 King Street, Nottingham, NG1 2AS T: 0115 952 8472 M: 07775 583 875 W: http://www.blu72.com

About Localventure - Legendary Support for SME's

2010-04-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

Who Are We ?

Can I add the details of my business to the blog ?

Course you can, just drop us through a couple of paragraphs about your business plus a logo or relevant image you'd like to include and we will do the rest.

What do I get for free ?

1)Free blog post covering details of your business + an image and your contact information

2) Update with news, offers or any business relevant content whenever you'd like

3) Send through guest blogs as and when you create them

4) We will offer special services, discounts and business focused deals - as a member you'll be able to access these unique member benefits

What other fantastic things can I expect in the future ?

In time we will upgrade the website - news on this in forthcoming newsletters and blog posts.

Member Benefits

Here's a brief list of what is currently on offer :

LV Exclusive - Localventure EAP

LV Exclusive - Utility Bill Consultation

MJ Consulting Services in Calderdale offer a free service and take no fee unless they save you money on your business utility and telecoms packages. A free service you just have to use.

LV Exclusive - Localventure Marketing

25% discount on e-mail marketing

Accounts & Book-keeping Discount - RS Book-Keeping

25% discount on annual fees from RS Book-Keeping

The Dizzy Llama Restaurant - Cardiff

20% discount on total bill

Reductions on Rare & Exclusive Whisky - Prestige Whisky

5% discount on all orders from www.prestigewhisky.com

LV Exclusive - Life and Executive Coaching

One free personal or executive coaching session with The Life Coaching Consultancy and then a 15% discount on a booking of any coaching package (face to face or telephone).

The Sewing Directory

25% discount on all advertising

Software Discounts

For more information on any of the above contact us on :

venturelocal@gmail.com

07883 882064

via Twitter (localventure1)

or via a message/comment here on the blog

Localventure EAP - LV Exclusive Member Benefit

2010-04-26T07:54:00.000-07:00

The new EAP we are providing may be part of the answer to both of the above problems. With access to our counselling, legal, debt and welfare helplines you can provide a real, usable benefit for staff and yourself and also a plan which demonstrates you care about your employees well-being.

Importantly, this vital employee benefit is only traditionally available to larger companies with 50 or more employees. Localventure EAP is unique in that we can offer it to any of our members, even sole traders - all for £ 19.95 per person per annum.

If you want more information get in touch at venturelocal@gmail.com or 07883 882064

Localventure Utility Review - LV Exclusive Member Benefit

2010-04-26T07:53:00.001-07:00

Essentially this free service has the motto of - a penny saved is a penny earned.

For more details contact us on venturelocal@gmail.com or 97883 88206 or watch out for issue 2 of Locaventure SME our monthly newsletter hitting your e-mail soon.

Eitex - Welcome to Localventure

2010-04-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Eitex

101 things on your mind?

Let us help. We are Yorkshire's foremost IT company and have been offering IT Solutions and IT Support throughout Yorkshire since 1997. If you have an IT Support issue, or if your IT systems simply aren’t up to scratch, we are here to help!

FREE Computer and Network Mini-Audit

What would you like to achieve?

SPAM free email? Email on the move via Blackberry or Windows Mobile? The ability to monitor and / or restrict Internet Activity? The ability to work from home or any location? Something else?

A member of the Eitex team will perform a free mini audit to allow you to find the best way of implementing any one or any combination of the above solutions.

For more details click on http://www.eitex.co.uk/downloads/IT_A5_Flyer.pdf

web: www.eitex.co.uk

switchboard: 0845 508 3238

Noble Training Solutions - Welcome to Localventure

2010-04-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

Noble training Solutions was set up in June 2008

The business was set up as a direct result of finding a love for helping and training others, especially the first aid side of it, due to my vast experience running the healthcare dept of a prison and being involved on a daily basis with some serious medical emergencies.

As a key member of the training team of the prison I realised I had found my calling and set about making plans for a future in training others.

We at Noble Training Solutions are partners with the Home Office, Know before You Go Campaign, which helps travellers.

We run courses in First Aid, Manual Handling, Fire Awareness, Anaphylactic Shock, Health and Safety, Positive Behaviour management, Conflict management.

We hold regular workshops in public safety and personal awareness, have given talks and demos to Cardiff round table, Cardiff womens guild, mums matters community group, amongst others.

Clients include:-

Priory Private Hospitals

Harley Medical Group

Cardiff Legal Services Commission

Cardiff Council Housing Association

Companies House

Intellectual Property Office(Patent Office)

Corpus Christi High School

Ysgol Plasmawr High School

Lisvane Primary School

Cwmfelin Primary School

E. noble.training@ntlworld.com
T. 08081 081683
M.07929 139055

Here's a brief testimonial for the business by one of the above clients :

The Harley Medical Group

24 Calthorpe Road
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 1RP

At Harley Medical Group Birmingham, we recently underwent our annual Health and Safety training which included, Basic Life Support, Anaphylaxis Shock, Manual Handling and Fire Awareness, the training day was run by “ Noble Training Solutions”

The service that was provided by their chief instructor and director Gareth Noble was faultless, the professional approach given by Gareth relaxed the group so we felt comfortable to absorb the information being taught and ask questions to which Gareth was highly qualified to answer.

Overall a good training day and we would recommend “Noble Training Solutions” to others requiring training.

The H2 Company - Welcome to Localventure

2010-04-26T07:03:00.000-07:00

WELCOME!

You have just arrived at one of the best full service digital marketing agencies in the UK, specialising in all aspects of the web. We are professional, competent, give tangible 'guarantees' and have superb in house skills. It's why we've been around since 1988. We also understand and deliver Strategy, PR, Marketing and Design brilliantly.

3 St Peter's Buildings
St Peter's Square
Leeds, LS9 8AH
Tel: +44 (0) 8700 503 574
Fax: +44 (0) 8700 503 576
www.theh2.co.uk
Visit My SEO Blog at www.coffeekicks.com

Localventure EAP - LV Exclusive Member Benefit

2010-04-23T04:05:00.000-07:00

Stress and depression are major causes of lost working time in the UK (some estimates suggest nearly 1.5 million days per annum in the UK). As a small business owner we know that you can be disproportionately affected by staff absence. In addition as you no doubt work every hour available yourself to make your business work you'll know that work life balance is primarily for other people !

The new EAP we are providing may be part of the answer to both of the above problems. With access to our counselling, legal, debt and welfare helplines you can provide a real, usable benefit for staff and yourself and also a plan which demonstrates you care about your employees well-being.

Importantly, this vital employee benefit is only traditionally available to larger companies with 50 or more employees. Localventure EAP is unique in that we can offer it to any of our members, even sole traders - all for £ 19.95 per person.

If you want more information get in touch at venturelocal@gmail.com or 07883 882064

Localventure Utility Review - LV Exclusive Member Benefit

2010-04-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

In partnership with MJ Consulting Services in Calderdale we are now offering a free service to review your business utilities and telecoms packages and if we cannot save you money then no fee is taken.

Essentially this free service has the motto of - a penny saved is a penny earned.

For more details contact us on venturelocal@gmail.com or 97883 88206 or watch out for issue 2 of Locaventure SME our monthly newsletter hitting your e-mail soon.

Localventure

Improving the health and efficiency of employees

Business Updates

Yorkshire Bank problem

New Network for Localventure

Medico Legal Marketing

New blog at www.knighthealthcare.co.uk

Is it time to update and review your private medical insurance ?

When did you last review your private medical insurance

Update on Knight Healthcare

Switching your Private Medical Insurance

Knight Healthcare - new member for Localventure

New member for Localventure : Wine For

Update from Lighthouse printing

E-mail marketing - UKBF post

Added value services in the insurance sector

New member for Localventure - SS Bookkeeping & Accountancy Services in Sheffield

Localventure on Twitter

Leeds Premier Karate Club in Yeadon, Leeds

Focused Hypnosis - update

Changes to Localventure

Twitter Accounts

E-mail marketing snafu or the stupid, it burns !!!

New beginners karate class in Yeadon, Leeds

My Nokia E71 is for sale on Ebay

Martial Arts in Yorkshire

My Iphone 4G some prognostications

Oriss in Bradford welcome to the blog

New details for Phoenix 24/7

Further to my post yesterday

Ipad and Iphone 4G

The future focus of Localventure

UK Roads, you'll never object to driving over a pothole again

Ipad update

Ipad Review 28th May 2010

Ipad due to arrive today or tomorrow

Ipad

The way forward ...

Localventure - The on-line community that gives small business : free blogging, support, cool articles and useful business services.

To EP or not to EP .... that is the question

Client Negotiations

Localventure - Free blogging, support, resource and member services for UK small business

How not to buy coffee over the weekend

Henry James Shoes - Welcome to Localventure

Handcrafted men's shoes of outstanding quality and a first class service.www.henryjamesshoes.com

Univisits Ltd - Welcome to Localventure

The Joy of Apple

Life lessons in business

What is Localventure all about ?

York Debt Solutions - Welcome to Localventure

Good morning from Localventure

Guest Blog from The H2 Company - When it comes to keyword research, let Google do the hardwork

About Localventure - Legendary Support for SME's

Stefan Lubo - Welcome to Localventure

Diva Telecom Ltd - Welcome To Localventure

About Localventure - Legendary Support for SME's

The Dizzy Llama in Cardiff - amendment to the newsletter

Intercity Accommodation in Leeds - Welcome to Localventure

TUC Report on 'Bad Work'

Blu:72 in Nottingham - Welcome to Localventure

About Localventure - Legendary Support for SME's

Localventure EAP - LV Exclusive Member Benefit

Localventure Utility Review - LV Exclusive Member Benefit

Eitex - Welcome to Localventure

Noble Training Solutions - Welcome to Localventure

The H2 Company - Welcome to Localventure

WELCOME!

Localventure EAP - LV Exclusive Member Benefit

Localventure Utility Review - LV Exclusive Member Benefit

Handcrafted men's shoes of outstanding quality and a first class service.

www.henryjamesshoes.com