I’m amazed how much money people are given in their marketing budgets with goals like ‘increase the Company’s revenue’. Managers must have money to throw away! No goal is worth setting unless it is a SMART goal.
Back to basics
Often I hear people talking about how complicated life is and how difficult it is to get focused, and stay on course, moving forward towards their goal. I’ve noticed how we become enticed into programmes and seminars that promise to show us “Secret formulas for success” and the proliferation of get rich quick schemes and … Read more
How to Turn Your Website Visitors into Customers in 5 Easy Steps
Ryan Falconer, Managing Director of Ryster It’s not just religions that need converts – making a website pay is all about enticing the curious visitor into converting to an enthusiastic customer. Edinburgh web designer Ryster shows us how it’s done in 5 easy steps. Design to Delight – It’s simple but worth saying – make your site well organised and … Read more
Pensions, and what you need to know
By Arthur Beverly of Arthur Beverly Financial Management Successive Governments have worked hard to encourage people to make adequate provision for retirement, because they know that State Benefits are simply inadequate. Because of this, the onus of providing for our retirement is being placed fairly and squarely on our own shoulders and that of our … Read more
2011 VAT Changes
By Alistair Marr of 23W VAT Change – What Happens Now? The standard rate of VAT will increase on 4 January 2011, from 17.5% to 20%. This will be the third adjustment in the standard VAT rate in the last two years. This rate change presents a number of challenges to clients, particularly as it … Read more
Internet advertising
Summary: Are you a newbie looking for the lowdown on internet advertising? Armed with a small budget and a little time, here’s how to make your website go further online.
When most small businesses turn to the internet with a small budget and high hopes for their website, it can be a bit daunting – where do you start? There are so many kinds of internet advertising – should you buy banners? Should you buy links? What will get you the best results for the lowest possible cost? Read on to explore a selection of the different internet advertising options…
Prudence in pre-contract negotiations
By Gavin Tosh of Clerwood. In all the excitement of the chase, the friendly interchanges with the potential customer, not to mention the encouraging signs which inspire increasing confidence of a successful sale, it is easy to get carried away. Gradually as well as a lot of your time, you find that cash is being … Read more
New Workplace Equality Rights Come into Force
By Gary Sutherland The biggest change to UK Employment Legislation in over decade comes into force today…..The new Equality Act. UK Equalities Minister Theresa May claims the new anti-discrimination rules will make it easier for businesses to comply but several business groups disagree, claiming the the new legislation will impose a heavy burden on employers, … Read more
Customer relationship management – acquiring, retaining and growing customers
Often the buying process is staggered – it’s not a one off process. Marketing is a lot more like dating followed by a long term relationship than it is a one night stand. People may visit your premises or website many times before they become a buyer and those that become long term buyers and are loyal, are often more valuable as well.
It’s therefore important to look at how you begin relationships with prospects and then move prospects through the various stages of a relationship.
Quotations and Tenders: Introduction
By Gavin Tosh The process of establishing a contractual relationship begins with an offer being made, notwithstanding that there may have been much ‘cultivation’ of the customer and preparing of the ground beforehand. An Offer will take the form of a quotation, which could be simple and could even be verbal, or it could be … Read more
Partnerships
By Gavin Tosh A Partnership is one kind of formal contractual relationship often adopted by businesses, the other common ones being a Limited Company and now a Limited Liability Partnership (LLP). It is possible to have a legal Partnership with nothing in writing, however this is a high risk strategy. For example if a partner … Read more
Forming the contractual relationship
By Gavin Tosh When is the contractual relationship in place? For a contract to be formed an offer must be accepted without qualification. If you make an offer and the customer comes back and says ‘ok but instead of x can I have x plus y’ or any aspect of the offer is varied, that … Read more