BMyOffice offers a taste of business support services

10/07/2012 by 2 Comments

How can you improve your business? Do you want to increase productivity and profits? Would smart tips on accounts, customer relationship management, social media and public relations help your business grow?

Virtual business assistance specialist B My Office is offering free taster sessions for businesses in North Devon to try out services that could help them.

All businesses are welcome to drop into B My Office in Bear Street, Barnstaple on Friday 20 July for a chat, a cup of tea or coffee to see what’s on offer, attend a workshop, network with other businesses or to try out the businesses facilities and meeting room.

There will also be the opportunity to enter the prize draw for an A3 laminator donated by South West Office Supplies.

Each taster session will be run by a North Devon business specialising in its field.

Choose your workshop(s) from:

9am – What is customer relationship management (CRM) and how can it help your business? – presented by Convallis Software

10am – Blogging basics: what is a blog? – presented by Multiheat & Energy Systems Ltd

11am – How to use social media and public relations to build campaigns – presented by Zarywacz

12noon – Accountancy tips to improve cashflow and profits – presented by Accountancy Edge

2pm – What is a business mentor?  To be confirmed

3pm – hands-on demonstration – open a twitter account! For all those in business who want one but not sure what to do.

See the BMyOffice community noticeboard to find out what’s happening in the area.

We’re looking to welcome as many businesses as possible on the day to make new connections and to meet old friends.

For details, call 01271 344545 or turn up on the day!

Filed Under: General Business, Networking, North Devon Events Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Get value from business networking

05/03/2012 by Leave a Comment

With so many networking events being held, I could breakfast every day, lunch several times a week and drink away many evenings, but would this help my business or me?

Recently, I have been reminded of the real value of networking from conversations and meetings I have had.

Some people view networking as just a means of getting more business, but I see it more as a means of development for both my business and me. A big part of running a business should be enjoyment and, for me, a big part of networking is enjoying meeting and conversing with people.

In the past two weeks I have been fortunate enough to have conversations with people I like and respect that are helping to drive my business forwards. These people are from across the country and in North Devon, but I have met all of them through networking.

Being able to discuss your business in confidence with someone you trust has three main benefits:

  • It often enables you to remember what you already know but have forgotten: it can set you back on the path towards your goals if you’ve lost your focus.
  • It offers views from a different perspective, a new take on your business, which you may not have seen before. The ideas and advice this can offer are invaluable.
  • It can motivate you to actually put plans into action. So often we think about doing something when we get some spare time, but never get round to it. When we talk about our goals to someone, we start to set our plans in action, especially when we mention deadlines. Once a deadline it set and mentioned to someone else, it is a very good incentive to meet it.

I’ve set . . . and met . . . a number of deadlines recently and am progressing towards others. I see my business moving forward and can tell from client enquiries I am getting that this is achieving results.

Thank you to all who have helped with this.

Of course, the other side to networking is helping other people in return. If I can do the same for others, I will be only too glad.

What value do you see in business networking?

Filed Under: All Blogs, Networking, North Devon Business Tagged With: , , , , ,

What business support does North Devon need?

06/02/2012 by Leave a Comment

At the recent North Devon Tourism conference it was pointed out that the South West England Regional Development Agency and the regional Business Link service had both disappeared. What does this mean for North Devon businesses?

Surprisingly, it seems to me that business support is now far more focused. North Devon+ is offering a programme of affordable, practical business courses, while COMBEbusiness, of which I am chairman, has just obtained funding for a year-long highly targeted training, development and support programme for businesses in Combe Martin, Ilfracombe and Woolacombe. And the NDBA is staging social media workshops too.

Agencies such as Job Centre Plus and colleges such as Petroc appear keener to engage directly with businesses and are attending events to get out and about in the business community.

Perhaps with less funding, organisations are becoming more focused and, as a result, more effective. I remember Tony Robinson OBE at a business event in Barnstaple a few years ago saying that only 10% of the budget for business support reached businesses themselves with the rest spent on infrastructure.

Also, with online networking, businesses have access to unlimited expertise. Previously support organisations were not necessarily staffed by people with direct business experience, while training could be supplied by suppliers good at getting public sector contracts but not so good at training.

I have just received advice on buying a new piece of kit from an experienced user and an IT expert in London, both of whom I connected with via social media. This advice is going to save me money and ensure I get the most suitable piece of kit for my needs. I can’t imagine SWRDA or Business Link being capable of providing such useful, practical support because they were too remote from the day-to-day world of running a business.

I’m not pleased that budgets are being cut, but I think it is a reminder that throwing money at an activity has little bearing on whether it will succeed. Sometimes scarce resources can inspire ingenuity and innovation, which at the moment we need aplenty.

What do you think?

Filed Under: North Devon Business Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,