NEWS : Networking - Free Advice

Networking members give free advice on debt management

Category: Networking - Free Advice

Release Date: 31/07/2017

Members of Medway ebn (Effective Business Network) were given free advice when Group Director Alexander Low, of Forever Living, organised a business feature at the Group's latest meeting.

Alexander has a wealth of business experience. In the early 90s, he helped to start up and develop a complementary therapy clinic, which continued for 13 years.

After selling his share in the business, he ran the office of a building company in South East London, which he did for ten years. Alongside this role, he developed a buy-to-let property portfolio, including project managing a refurbishment in Co Donegal and acquiring an apartment in Berlin.

Then, in 2013, he started up a health and wellbeing business with his wife, under the umbrella of a 38-year-old global company, giving them the opportunity to help others with their health as well as coaching them to building their own businesses.

Based on all this experience, Alexander shared his tips on both business and personal debt, and encouraged the other Medway ebn members to do the same.

He said; "Ensuring you can pay off any loans in full is a must, as well as having some income-protection insurance in place to protect you if you become sick or injured and cannot work.

"If you find yourself in debt for whatever reason, seek help ASAP. The faster you get help, the sooner it can be managed and it won't grow into something insurmountable."

Alex is the Group Director the of ebn Medway Group, which meets every other Tuesday at the Bridgewood Manor Hotel. More information on ebn Groups, including Medway, can be found at www.ebn.uk.com.

ebn Managing Director Glenys Chatterley said: "ebn members not only build good contacts to help grow their businesses but also get regular, free advice from experts to help them meet both their business and personal needs."

ENDS

Notes for Editors

More information:

ebn Managing Director Glenys Chatterley on 07780 666726
Alexandra Low, of Forever Living, on 07932 605643

Networking member gives free advice on company logos

Category: Networking - Free Advice

Release Date: 08/05/2017

Members of ebn (Effective Business Network) were given free advice when Neill Boatman, of Image On, gave tips on designing one's brand.

The logo is the main visual representation of a company's branding. It is the face of the company – often the first thing people see and the main thing they remember.

Neill said: "We all recognise iconic logos; that's the whole point, so it's worth investing time on creating the perfect logo that will stick in people's minds. Remember… you love your company, but if you're not around you need to rely on other people being able to speak for your brand. In short, the logo/brand is your DNA!

"With a logo, simplicity reigns! You don't want it too busy. Easy to look at makes it easier to process; that way, customers appreciate it, and the more they appreciate it the more we like it. Ideally, no more than two or three colours work the best, and try to consider colours that reflect the market you are in.

"In the past, creating an effective logo was a single consideration but, with today's many media outlets and communication processes, we not only have to come up with a design and colours, we have to look at each potential application and if the final result works. In many cases, corporations build into their brand guidelines assorted options to clearly state how and where their brand can be used.

"Stationery, brochures, flyers, merchandise, website, social media, email and other marketing items all play a part in getting your brand noticed, especially since your prospects and customers will be interacting with them directly. So, be sure that you have a definitive approach to how your brand can and will be used."

Neill added: "Your branding will factor into your company's success. Invest the time into getting it right. People will then associate with a brand and have positive feelings with it. It then becomes easier to draw them in and keep them engaged.

Neill is a member of ebn Baddow and Hornchurch Groups. More information on ebn Groups, including Baddow and Hornchurch, can be found at www.ebn.uk.com.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

More information:

ebn Managing Director Glenys Chatterley on 07780 666726
Neill Boatman on 01708 403163

Businesses told to beware of the humble comma!

Category: Networking - Free Advice

Release Date: 02/05/2017

Local businesses have been warned of the need to take the humble comma seriously after a dairy company in the USA had to face an overtime bill of about $10m (£8m) all because of the lack of a comma.

Members of the ebn (effective business network) Southend Group received this warning from Group Member Dallas Willcox of Simply Words Editing Services, a proofreading and copywriting company.

Dallas told them how the missing comma from the phrase "packing for shipment or distribution of" (the comma should have been after the word 'shipment') in the State of Maine's overtime laws had created a loophole in the Regulations on overtime payments.

Dallas said: "Although this was an extreme case, it demonstrates how easily the meaning of a sentence can be changed by a misplaced or missing comma, and this can result in a financial loss to a business, whatever its size.

"Even the most enterprising of business owners sometimes have difficulty with punctuation, and could receive help with this for a very small outlay.The price of my proofreading services start at only £20, for example."

"Out of all the errors that can be made with punctuation, problems with commas can be the most serious.The title of Lynne Truss's popular book 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' is a well-know illustration of this.

"I frequently give presentations in which I show examples from my collection of bad spelling, grammar and punctuation – often seen outside business premises in Essex – and commas feature in many of them."

ENDS

Notes for Editors

For the full details of the USA overtime case, see the BBC News web page http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39300432.

Contacts:

ebn Managing Director Glenys Chatterley on 07780 666726

Dallas Willcox of Simply Words Editing Services on 07757 234521

Networking member gives free advice on comms cabinets

Category: Networking - Free Advice

Release Date: 24/04/2017

Members of ebn (effective business network) were given free advice when Ashley Webb of McConnells gave them tips on keeping a comms cabinet tidy.

Ashley shared tips aimed not only at keeping the cabinet tidy, but also making sure everything's ready for the Company to grow.

Ashley said: "Although not always possible, try to run power cables down one side of the rack, and network and data cabling down the other side. Reason: power and data cables don't mix. These cables too close to each other can cause interference, regarding transmits and cross-talk. This will also ensure that the equipment can be seen and accessed easily.

"Try to place your switches next to your patch panels, so that you can use shorter length cables. Using a one metre patch lead to patch a 30cm gap is going to cause a lot of slack cable and you will soon be in the same mess.

"Ensure that you have space in your rack for extra patch panels, as you never know when you will take on new staff. Plan for twice as many points as you have, because the cost of running two cables is usually near enough the same as running one. Cable is cheap compared to labour.

"Velcro cable ties allow you to run additional cables without having to snip and replace traditional cable ties; the last thing you want to do is accidentally cut a network cable. Velcro ties can also be easy to undo in those hard-to-reach places.

"Pick four or five colours and assign each to a category and hang a sign in your server room with the colours and what they represent, and stick to it – for example, computers use blue and telephones use yellow.

"Put yourself in the shoes of your IT department when trying to trace a fault. If you ask your data contractor to install new cables into an already populated comms rack, you should insist that the first number of the new installation follows on from the last number of the old installation. Labelling full patch panels at the time can save you valuable time and money in the future.

"For further information please visit www.mcconnells.uk.com "

Ashley is a member of the ebn Briantree Group, which meets every other Wednesday at the White Hart Hotel. More information on ebn Groups, including Braintree, can be found at www.ebn.uk.com.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

More information:

ebn Managing Director Glenys Chatterley on 07780 666726
Ashley Webb of McConnells on 07793 240646

Networking member gives free advice on leading a healthier and balanced life

Category: Networking - Free Advice

Release Date 03.04.2017

Members of ebn (effective business network) were given free advice when Ashley Bishop, of Ashley Bishop Coaching Ltd, gave a talk on neuroscience and how to take back control.

Ashley shared tips which are aimed at not taking up a great amount of time or effort, but which can still have a huge impact on your life.

Ashley said: "Take a ten-minute break. When you are living life in the fast lane at 100 mph, you actually give your brain permission to take over. A simple way to take back control and notice what is actually going on in your life is to slow down and take a break. It doesn't matter what you do, as long as it slows you down and give you the headspace to think.

"Drink more water. YES, this is common sense; however, for most people, it is not common practice. Hydration is important because your brain relies on being hydrated to function at its best; your brain is also the first part of you to become dehydrated.

"Get more and better quality sleep. Most busy people I work with have very poor quality sleep, because they go to bed with their brains still buzzing as they haven't switched off. This is because there is no down time for the brain to relax before bed. Think about your evening pre-bedtime routine and look towards having no technology activity for 30 minutes before bed.

"With better quality sleep, you will feel better in the morning. However, we really need to wake up both our brain and body, and prepare them for the day ahead. Spending five to ten minutes stretching and focusing on your breathing will help to get you focused and ready to have a successful day.

"Spend the first ten to 20 minutes of your working day planning out and preparing for the working day ahead. Grab a pen and paper and write down all of the day's tasks. Then prioritise them, from most important to least important; finally do any necessary preparation, so that you have the ability to get the tasks done more quickly."

Ashley added: "To find out in more detail what is going on in your head, and how to start getting into the right headspace for a more productive work life, please visit https://youtu.be/MPZA4LhSdPo."

Ashley is a member of the ebn Braintree Group, which meets every other Wednesday at the White Hart Hotel. More information on ebn Groups, including Braintree, can be found at http://www.ebn.uk.com.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

More information:

ebn Managing Director Glenys Chatterley on 07780 666726
Ashley Bishop, of Ashley Bishop Coaching Ltd, on 01787 476541

Networking members collaborate to give free landlord advice

Category: Networking - Free Advice

Release Date 27.03.2017

Members of ebn (effective business network) have been given free advice as Matthew Baldock of Charles David Casson and John Holliday of Pocknells LLP joined together to advise landlords on the latest legislation and tax changes.

A free event is being held at the Chelmsford City Football Club on 12^th April, from 6.30pm until 9pm.

Matthew Baldock said "This free event will cover the current and recent lettings legislation changes, so anyone currently managing their own properties can be sure that they are doing what they should, and anyone thinking of becoming a landlord has a good overview of what it entails.

"John will be doing a talk during the evening to cover subjects such as: the latest legislation; changes to mortgage interest; ATED reporting requirements; ideas on how to reduce one's investment property tax bill; and what is a tax allowable expense.

"There will be food provided in the way of a buffet, along with tea and coffee. There will also be a cash bar open for other refreshments."

If you are a landlord, or aspiring to become one, and would like to get some free advice from local experts, please visit http://www.eventbrite.co.uk to order your free tickets.

Matthew and John are both members of the ebn Baddow Group, which meets every other Friday at Pontlands Park Hotel. More information on ebn Groups, including Baddow, can be found at http://www.ebn.uk.com .

ebn Managing Director Glenys Chatterley said: "ebn Members not only build good contacts to help grow their businesses but also get regular, free advice from experts to help them meet both their business and personal needs."

ENDS

Notes for Editors

More information:

Glenys Chatterley on 07780 666726
Matthew Baldock on 01245 835859
John Holliday on 01245 322808