Monthly Newsletter |
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| May 2008 | 0870 747 4967 | www.nw-events.info |
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Welcome to the North West Events and Information Newsletter for May 2008
If you sign up for any of the events, please mention North West Events and Information, as this helps our advertisers. Have a great month ahead.
Our next newsletter will be distributed on 2nd June 2008. The deadline for articles is 23rd May 2008. If you would like to include an article in the newsletter, please download our order form, email info@nw-events.info or telephone 0870 747 4967 for details. Please note that the order of placement of articles in our newsletter is decided by the order in which completed order forms are received. Therefore, the earlier you order your article placement, the higher up the newsletter your article will be listed. Until next month. Best wishes |
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Managing through recession - An essential one-day training programme for SME’s - 20th May, GlossopPresented by Tony Beavon, noted for his entertaining, practical and highly motivational style. Research shows that few managers today have experience of managing in recession, how will your business cope and could you take advantage of opportunities it might create? At this workshop you will learn how to manage revenues, costs and cash flow and the importance of concentrating on profitable customers and products.
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Thinking of starting a new business in the High Peak? Here's something to get the ball rolling...Glossop based marketing company, First Impression has collaborated with NatWest to produce a free start-up guide for new businesses in the High Peak. Owner Helen Duncan says “There’s a fantastic amount of information on the web but often it’s just too much all at once. There’s a lot to think about when you set up and it shouldn’t be done lightly but it can be off putting, even for the most enthusiastic. We wanted to produce an encouraging, easy to read and easy to dip in guide that points to all those useful sites for more information when you need it. It’s also very positive with examples of our customers who have started a business in the High Peak and their experiences. To order your free copy of the guide visit www.firstimpression.co.uk/news/startupguide.php or call 01457 857111.
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Are you sick of going to networking events but getting nothing from them?
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“LEAD gave me the ability to move away from running the business to growing the business.”LEAD is a ground-breaking leadership and development programme, designed for owner managers or directors of small to medium sized businesses. LEAD, established since 2004, provides an innovative framework to develop the business and the participants through personal development. This combined approach has led to past LEAD clients enjoying increased profitability and business growth. Join us at a free preview session to experience a masterclass and meet the delegates who are currently on LEAD: 20th May - 9:30 - 2:00 3rd June - 9:30 - 2:00 To register or for further information please contact Michelle Atkins: Telephone: 01524 510703
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Halton Business Fair
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This month's newsletter is bursting at the seams with seminars, masterclasses and business fairs. Click on the links below to go straight to the articles.
| 10.30 | What support is available for businesses in Halton (Halton Chamber) |
| 11.00 | Winning Business in the Public Sector (Fresh Consultants) |
| 11.30 | Being Right Isn't Enough (Mentor Corporate Coaching) |
| 12.00 | How to avoid employment tribunals & estate planning for the business owner (Rowlinsons) |
| 12.30 | Marketing Strategy & Planning (Fresh Consultants) |
| 1.00 | Overcoming Barriers to Selling - How to Stay Positive when faced with objections and rejection (Sandler Sales Institute) |
| 1.30 | Easy Steps towards a Lean Organisation (The Manufacturing Institute) |
| 2.00 - 3.00 | How effective are your organisation's appraisal discussions? Are staff becoming disillusioned with the process? (Windmills University of Liverpool) |
Liverpool BA are also holding the fourth annual Wirral and Chester Business Fair on Wednesday 16th July at Wallasey Town Hall for more details please visit www.businessfairsuk.com
What Makes Marketing Effective?
If you find that your marketing isn’t giving you the response rates you need, then it’s time to go back to basics.
At the heart of every piece of marketing is a message. The money you spend on design, print, and website services is only well-spent if your message is getting through to your readers. And the key to creating a successful message is your choice of words. It’s not enough just to write accurately. Good spelling and grammar are vital in giving you credibility – but you have to do more. You have to choose words that connect with customers and lead them to click, phone or buy.
Persuasive writing is a critical business skill, yet rarely covered in any business studies course. Instead, we get caught up in the idea that there’s a special business language where words like ‘purchase’ and ‘optimum’ replace ‘buy’ and ‘best’. We also tend to be constrained by ‘rules’ remembered from school: were you taught never to start a sentence with ‘and’ or ‘but’, or never to split an infinitive?
It’s no wonder we struggle to loosen up and write clear, concise copy that speaks directly to the reader.
To help small businesses create more effective marketing material, Writing Point have introduced the ‘Writing to Persuade’ workshop. In just half a day, you’ll get information and tools that will make a difference to your writing and your response rate. You’re welcome to bring your own material for feedback, and you’ll take away clear ideas and actions specific to your own business.
The workshop will be held in Stockport on 5th June, with a choice of morning or afternoon sessions. Short, sharp and practical - and just £50 (plus VAT) - it’s an extremely effective way of discovering how to make the most of your marketing.
For more details and booking information, go to www.writing-point.co.uk. Each session can only take 20 people - book now to make sure of your place.
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How will you Go Yellow this June?
It's time for the St Ann's Hospice annual awareness and fundraising campaign - so why not get involved? Each year Go Yellow raises around £30,000 which makes a real difference - have a look at our website and see what you could do www.goyellow.org.uk.
Last year our supporters were very inventive in their Go Yellow fundraising. It's great fun, great for staff morale and could help raise the profile of your company through media coverage. Some ideas:
- Yellow Dress Down Day - pay £1 to wear yellow for the day or pay £2 not to!
- Persuade someone to sit in a bath of custard for the day and get sponsored for it!
- Hold a custard eating competition
- Bring in and sell yellow foods - egg muffins, banana smoothies, yellow cakes - all proceeds to your Go Yellow fundraising
- Hold a Quiz and include a yellow round - we can provide the questions
- Sell some of our yellow merchandise - it's on sale or return
- Give up some of your lunch hour on Friday, 6th June to take part in our Sunflower Collection on St Ann's Square in Manchester
Don't forget to let us know what you are doing - we'd love to hear from you. Call 0161 498 3631 for more information.
Student placements can be worth millions
Students on work experience can do more than just make tea and do the photocopying, according to Shell Step, the national summer placement programme. Now entering its 22nd year, the scheme’s organisers are looking for small and medium-sized companies to take on undergraduate students for placements during those oh-so-long summer holidays.
The organisers are urging businesses to make the most of their temporary recruits – last year, a quarter of students added more than £15,000 of value to their host companies’ business, while two-thirds added at least £5,000, according to Shell Step. Last summer, Iain Whiteside, a computer science student, worked at Edinburgh’s Martin Energy. During his eight-week placement he developed a new “demand buyback system”, which the company estimates is worth £4.3 million. Alastair Martin, Martin Energy’s managing director, said: “Iain’s skills and ability were the perfect fit for our business. His work will contribute to a product that could generate significant new income for the business”.
There are no payroll issues; the scheme costs £200 per week with companies being invoiced by your local Shell Step agent who then make payments of £200 per week to students which are tax and NI free.
Liverpool John Moores University is the new Shell Step agent for Merseyside and Cheshire and the brokerage service is FREE. Keri White and John Trantom would be delighted to discuss your needs on 0151 231 8070. Information can also be viewed at www.shellstep.org.uk.
Variety Club Tribute Dinner To Sir Alex Ferguson
Tuesday, 19th August 2008
Manchester United Football Club, Manchester Suite
Variety Club children’s charity are proud to be holding a special prestigious Tribute Dinner to Sir Alex Ferguson to celebrate his outstanding achievements in the world of sport and his charitable work.
The Variety Club is recognised nationally and internationally for its high profile gala dinners and events, which are organised to award and reward special people/organisations, whilst helping to raise funds for those children less fortunate than others.
Sir Alex Ferguson is the most successful Manager in British football history and has been recognised for his tremendous success throughout the world.
This event will be one of the highest profile functions on the social calendar, attended by many celebrities from the world of sport, entertainment, major corporate supporters, and will comprise of a wine reception, three-course meal, and special guest speakers.
Sir Alex Ferguson will be in attendance at the event, with special celebrity guests, and during the course of the evening Sir Alex Ferguson will be presented by the Variety Club with a special award.
The master of ceremonies for the evening will be Jim Rosenthal.
This is a fantastic opportunity for Sir Alex Ferguson’s fans to share a unique evening honouring his achievements.
The event will commence at 7.00 p.m. and finish at approximately 12 midnight.
The evening will also comprise of a fundraising raffle and auction with many unique prizes.
Tickets: £100 per person
For further information please contact: -
Variety Club office
Tel: 0161 236 0500
E-Mail: varietyclubnw@btconnect.com
Web-site: www.variety-northwest.org.uk
Sponsorship opportunities available
Networking Events
Below is a selection of networking events that are taking place in May 2008:
| 1 | Simply Networking |
| 21 | Business Network Event |
| 22 | Simply Networking Late |
| 29 | Simply Networking Extra |
Don't Forget
- Advanced Word Processing (MS Word): 14th, 21st and 28th May. More information can be found at www.nw-events.info/newsletter/apr2008.htm#five.
Promote Your Events
Our monthly newsletter is distributed to around 4,000 recipients around the North West of England on or around the 1st of every month.
If you have an event, press release, news story or special offer you would like to include in our newsletter, please download our order form or contact the North West Events team. This unique service costs just £50 + VAT per article (£25 plus VAT for registered charities).
We will also (subject to available space) list all business events that are mentioned in the articles submitted to us on the home page of our website.
Feedback
If you have any feedback on the content of this newsletter, or to subscribe a colleague, please let us know by emailing info@nw-events.info.
Our subscriber list is confidential. We will never release, sell or give a subscriber's name or e-mail address to any other party or organisation, unless referring business. Our subscribers will only receive e-mail messages that contain requested information, new monthly articles or announcements of new services.
See you in June.
the North West Events and Information Team
| Tel: | 0161 249 0901 |
| Fax: | 0871 277 3199 |
| Email: | info@nw-events.info |
| Web: | www.nw-events.info |
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