Hello everyone

Get booking now for the North Notts Business Connections 2nd Anniversary Breakfast Networking event which we hope to make extra special for you all!

Please find attached the event advisement, a summary of which is as follows :-

 We are delighted to confirm that for this month’s event we have been invited back to the fabulous Hodsock Priory www.hodsockpriory.com We will be bring you the usual packed agenda of presentations and structured networking, giving you the opportunity to build rapport with local firms and to generate those all important referrals, in addition to this there are one or two things we are still working on for you so watch this space!

Again tables will be made available free of charge for small displays and promotional literature – please let me know your requirements ASAP to we can ensure that we have enough space for everyone.

The online booking and payment facility is up and running. Please book as early as possible so that we can effectively monitor numbers and therefore make the event run as smoothly as possible ….. book today at :- http://www.eventelephant.com/NNBCnetworkingMay2010

North Notts Business Connections networking events are organised by

Mel Day, Morgan Black Admin Services. 07527 865060 / morgan.black@sky.com www.morganblack.co.uk Bespoke business research services, executive administrative support and project management.

Michelle Stocks, Manager, Wright Vigar Chartered Accountants 01777 707373 / michelle.stocks@wrightvigar.co.uk www.wrightvigar.co.uk Comprehensive accountancy services and bespoke advice to help you succeed

COME ALONG TO THE .. NO NONSENSE JUST NETWORKING BUSINESS GROUP

TUESDAY4TH MAY 7.30 – 9 AM

The Lurcher Public House Westbrook Drive, Rainworth, Mansfield

£5.00 attendance includes light breakfast and coffee/tea

Agenda

 Registration/Breakfast: 7.30 am Lots of ‘No Nonsense just Networking’ Enjoy a bacon roll, coffee/tea

Welcome by Diane Carter, Chair, followed by opportunity to introduce yourself and your business.

‘Famous for Fifteen’ 

Lots of information related to future events, grants and training in May and June

 ‘Brilliant Business Book’ Review, followed by a ‘Motivational Moment’ to inspire you for the month ahead

Whether you have a business or considering setting up? – Book your space. Call Diane Carter; Chair on: 01623 404299 or email;diane@marathon-marketing.co.uk Or put your details on the comments section and we will contact you

The event will take place at The Idle Valley Rural Learning Centre, Retford, starting at 7.00am.

To see full details, to book your place or RSVP for this event, please just click on the link below to visit Retford b4b webpage.

 http://www.retford-b4b.co.uk We are using a new automated booking system through which you register for the event, make payment and obtain a receipt.

Once you’ve had a look via the link above, if you have any queries please contact Alison Leckenby at The Best of Retford on 01777 816 144 or email: retford@thebestof.co.uk

We look forward to seeing you in January. Kind regards Sam, Neil and Alison at Retford b4b

The aim is you consider your own individual business objectives and goals through the Stage 1 questionnaire and then use the answers to prepare your Stage 2 Marketing Plan 

Simon was made redundant seven years ago after 20 years in building societies and financial services IT firms. But the wealth of experience he has built up wasn’t wasted… because he decided to set up his own firm, Arc Solutions. The company specialises in IT projects for banks and building societies ensuring that they get the right product, on time and within budget. Simon said: “I’d worked for Nationwide and The Mansfield Building Society before moving away from financial services companies to become a business analyst at Lynx, a financial services software provider.  They made cuts seven years ago and redundancies were made”.

“I had built up a wealth of knowledge and thought I could offer services to banks and building societies when they needed to upgrade or change their IT systems”. Arc Solutions has since worked with the likes of Bank of Ireland, Bristol and West and RBS over the years, and recently Simon project managed the successful implementation of a new savings and loans platform at Nottinghamshire-based Kingdom Bank.

Simon added; “For many savings and loans providers, they have excellent IT staff, but implementing changes takes time and specialist knowledge, which is what Arc Solutions offers.” During the downturn money is tight so using Arc Solutions to help you get the right product, implemented on time and within budget makes sense”

For more details, visit www.arc-itsolutions.co.uk

Tell us your story of how you turned the downside of redundancy into the picture of success – just fill in the comments section or email the Editor on; diane@marathon-marketing.co.uk

The ‘Village Voices’ is the 3rd newsletter under Marathon Media’s umbrella and will be covering; Farnsfield, Edingley, Halam& Bilsthorpe

We need passionate people who care about the community to come forward and there are fantastic business opportunities.

Been Made Redundant? Semi Retired? Single Parent?  NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY JUST A DRIVE TO SUCCEED AND ENJOY!

There is amazing potential for you so why not give the Editor; Diane Carter a call on: 01623 404299 or email: diane@marathon-media.co.uk

Marathon Media, Building Local Businesses,  Strengthening Communities

After starting a retail business, the next most risky thing to do is to develop a new product, process, market or service.

Why do things go wrong and how do you ensure success?

What is Innovation? It is NOT:

• Invention (think Mad inventor!)
• Blue sky thinking A Motivator (although innovative business are highly motivated)
• Discovery, new Science or anything to do with Technology
• Any “great new idea”

Creativity Innovation is the successful application of an idea new to the business that makes a significant difference to the business. i.e. Ideas successfully applied to the introduction of new methods, ideas or products.

We can all create changes that make a difference:

• Improve efficiency
• Access new markets
• Stand out from competitors
• Adapting to every changing customer requirements
• Solving everyday challenges

It is the DOING, SUCCESSFULLY that is important

It’s easy – we can all do it every day

• Need wide angle vision, lateral thinking
• Challenge everything
• Plea for originality,
• Be different – don’t be the same as everyone else

Friends of Innovation:

1. Disgruntled customers
2. Rogue employees
3. Off the scope competitors
4. Friendly suppliers

They identify problems, create the ideas and solutions and help in the implementation.

Innovation needs:

• Originality  – Passion –  Guts  – Daring You see these by the sparkle and enthusiasm in your employees eyes.

The following is from various videos by Tom Peters from YouTube:

Don’t be the same as everyone else – Do the unusual. Good companies have NOTHING in common – they did something remarkably different.

Have an Innovation Business Strategy – it contains 3 words – “We do things”

Punish mediocre success. “The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that we aim too low and reach it” – Michelangelo

Think of the Board as the bottleneck at the top of the bottle containing good things that want to come out.

Here are 2 FREE ideas for you to think about, see if there are any opportunities for your business:

1. Target Women (>70% of decisions are made by women).

2. Target the over 55’s (Over 45% of population are over 55)

To be successful at Innovation, there are 2 things that have to be in place and they both involve FAT. If a business is too lean, it will survive but fail at innovation. The fat has 2 components:

• Time – you must free up time to allow the development & implementation of any idea without affecting normal business.
• Money – Whatever your idea, it will cost money that is always in short supply If you ignore these, you will spend time that should be spent on day to day running of the business and spend the cash that is needed to survive – both will lead to the failure not only of your idea, but potentially the whole business.

To be a successful Innovator, you have to put your ideas through the “Innovation Process” to research and evaluate them for practicality and commercial success.

The above was a recent presentation by Michael Huxley of the Hive at the No Nonsense just Networking Business Group. Michael is currently running the ‘ Proof-of-Concept’ programme covering the above subject and much more, to ensure your new business or new product or service is not only innovative but successful!

To find out more, download the information Pack at www.ntu.ac.uk/hivestart-to-innovate or call 01623 600829 or email mansfieldhive@ntu.ac.uk It’s FREE if you are based in the districts of Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, chesterfield or Mansfield. To ensure successful Innovation – Call us today.

Many of my business colleagues say to me that on a Monday morning they can have over a hundred emails waiting and they will simply delete the ones with addressees they don’t recognise, articles that look boring or are obviously circulars with no pre-thought put into them.

 Whilst we at Marathon Marketing appreciate that internet marketing can be a fabulous means of promoting your business for a low cost or even for FREE, we would like to offer a few tips to actually get your emails read and not the reader RED! Grrrr…                                                                                                                                          1. If it is a circular email, without names entered, ensure it is addressed to Sirs or Madams – Obvious?                                                                                                                       2. If you are using your own software such as a CRM system, ensure that ALL email addresses are in the BCC field (Blind Carbon Copy). Businesses don’t want their name exposed to hundreds of other contacts. Vital if purchased data through a specific target provider.                                                                                                         3. Offer an interesting but short punchy title – benefits to their business!                                                                                                                                                                                   4. Ensure you use the correct email address for the person you are emailing. Don’t just go to info@ or sales@. It is so simple to visit the website and get the correct person with the direct contact. Think a little more!                                                                                                                                                                                                                5. When writing the email, again, short and sharp with the business benefits to the potential client. They should not need to scroll to read the email. Don’t forget this is a ‘carrot’ taster!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          6. Tidy text and spelling checks again are both often ignored but are vital.                                                                                                                                                                                7. If you get emails through your website ‘contacts page’ call do not email. They have probably emailed about 5 companies and the one who makes the effort often gets the deal! Call them direct within 24 hours unless specifically requested not to.                                                                                                                                                  8. Do not use the email as a ‘scape-goat’. If you have any issues with clients, suppliers or service providers use the phone or personally visit, as often messages are mis-read and do a lot of damage.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            9. Also set specific times of the busy business day for email checking and replying. You don’t want to appear none- busy with constant replies unless essential information or an immediate response is required                                                                                                                                                                                                                               10. Top Tip – If you are not sure about an email, re-read it and then leave over night. Think twice about the READER not the writer!

Want to receive more tips for essential effective marketing? Click onto http://www.marathon-marketing.co.uk/blogs Please subscribe to our information source today. Thank you. Diane Carter. Editor of Plastic Bottle and Director of Marathon Marketing co Ltd

“No Nonsense Just…..Networking”

The Lurcher Public House Westbrook Drive, Rainworth, Mansfield

 Tuesday 5th January 2010 – 7.30 am – 9 am

£5.00 attendance includes light breakfast and coffee/tea

Agenda

Breakfast: 7.30 am Welcome, breakfast & lots of ‘No Nonsense just Networking’ Enjoy a bacon roll, coffee/tea

Welcome by Diane Carter, Chair

8.00 – 8.10 am One minute introduction. Please offer your name, business name and a very brief introduction

8.15 – 8.35 am ‘Guest Presentation’ or ‘Famous for Fifteen’ Minutes Member Presentations. Watch this space for more information

8.35- 8.40 am What’s happening in October/November. Details of local business events, grant availability and information

Membership Brief with Certificate presentation (Membership is optional)

8.45 – 8.50 am ‘Brilliant Book’ Review

8.50 – 8.55 am Motivational Moments

9.00 am Thank you and closure of Meeting

WANT TO BOOST YOUR BUSINESS IN 2010? COME ALONG TO THE NO NONSENSE JUST NETWORKING BUSINESS GROUP

MORE DETAILS ON THE INFORMATION SITE: www.nononsensejustnetworking.wordpress.com

Call Diane Carter; Chair on: 01623 404299 or email;diane@marathon-marketing.co.uk to book your space Or put your details on the comments section and we will contact you.

 From July 2009 Portland College, in partnership with Job Centres Plus, offers a rapid response programme of extra help for people with disabilities who have recently been made redundant or who are at risk from redundancy For further information please click on the link below:

- /assets/word/Rapid Response redundancy.doc