MP shows the Wright way for the FSB

Shropshire Branch

MP shows the Wright way for the FSB

David Wright MP bought himself closer to the Telford business community, recently, by listening to and taking up causes from members of the Federation of Small Businesses at the recent Shropshire branch networking meeting.

On a warm night at Meeting Point house in Telford, David Wright MP answered questions from members on VAT, finance, the local council and future policies to see the country out of recession, there was also discussions on how the Shropshire business community can become more powerful, and approach the council in stronger ways.

David took on board a lot of the comments, offered his view on most and assisted in looking at ways forward.

Ray Hickinbottom, membership manager and event organiser for the branch said “we are a non-political lobbying group for small businesses, and David Wright MP very kindly offered his services to come and listen to how life is on the shop floor so to speak, indeed one of our members had a call from the MP in regards VAT, just as he was about to pose the query in the House of Commons. It is part of our series of events, our main aim is to bring the issues real people are experiencing, into sharp focus to the people that need to know, and our thanks go out to David for making the time to see us.”

The conversation was free flowing and everybody got to make their point at the meeting, it was local business owner of a logistics firm and FSB member, Ben Coates, that posed the VAT question, and he added “I recently spoke to the VAT office with regards setting up a monthly payment scheme, rather than new businesses having to find a huge lump sum every 3 months, however this was not available, when I mentioned it to Mr Wright he seemed to agree that the idea of enabling new businesses to budget this way, made sense, and of course it would help with Cash Flow.”

“I wrote to David as he asked me to, then I received a call three weeks later, with the question that was to be asked. The MP said he was about to table it and was outside the chancellor’s office as we spoke. Without the FSB I would feel isolated, so I have to thank my local branch for offering me the chance to move my idea forward.”

Ray added, “Since we met with David, he has invited us to take a group down to parliament for a tour, and has also booked a committee room so we are able to move discussions forward, we are not committed to any political party, our ties are firmly with the local business community who we represent.”

Up and coming FSB events include:

Monthly Networking meeting at Meeting Point house, 21^st June, 19^th July and the yearly social event, September 20^th, venue to be arranged.

Please feel free to contact FSB Shropshire on the following:

Ray Hickinbottom – Membership Manager – 07733 603052

Ben Coates – Committee member – 07738 715038

Twitter: @fsbshropshire

Facebook Group: FSB Shropshire group

Sshh I was meant to be on the BBC

Well it seems like a radio interview with the BBC was a big secret, yes the fact that author, Brian Rowlands, advertised the fact that he was being interviewed on BBC Radio Cornwall to promote his book, the Life of a Single Parent, Brian, meant that Auntie Beeb cut the proposed interview.

In what is a shocking turn of events, the day before the interview, Brian sent out a message stating that he would be on radio the following day promoting his book, a book that is an honest piece of writing about a single parent who raised his kids single handily, a book that is from the heart and to promote the fact that there are many great single fathers out there.

Brian said “I was so proud of the fact the my local radio station had chosen me to be interviewed on BBC Radio Cornwall, that I felt I had to tell people, if you read the book you can tell that everything in life has been a struggle, and to gain this little bit of success was a huge honour for me, I felt that telling people would help station figures too, but then bang, the BBC shot me from the schedule, why? What had I done that had been so wrong?”

“I am an author that only has had very limited success, my book is more about people learning from my experience, enjoying the fact that I bought up kids on my own, the fact that I had been to the bottom and came back, this is a natural story of a parents ability, I pay my licence fee, as does everybody, so why do they feel the need to be like this, I am disgusted at the attitude of them”

“What grinds at me is the hypocrisy of the corporation that is the BBC, the fact that they advertise their schedules and who is on it well before shows are on, yet some small time author in Cornwall tells a few people that he is being interviewed on his local radio station and they axe me as if I didn’t exist”

The irony is that Brian cut short a family holiday to return to Cornwall a couple of days early so he could be interviewed, I am sure that this type of treatment by the BBC will reflect well to his children, the future licence payers of this country, the licence payers who pay the wages at the Corporation, yet are treated with contempt.

Brian was aiming to promote his book, http://www.thelifeofasingleparentbrian.co.uk/, Brian is available for further comments through his PR company, BK Business Solutions Ltd, Ben Coates, 07738 715038, ben@bkbusinesssolutions.co.uk

Please note this is a press release that was approved by Brian Rowlands and is not the views of Ben Coates or of BK Business Solutions Ltd. 

Shropshire Star, will it catch up with the future?

So the Shropshire Star employees are going on strike over job cuts, at least this will assist the MNA save costs, but will it stop the cuts, the answer is simple really, NO! Some of these people will have no doubt had a cushy number for the past few years, sitting on their laurels, doing what they have to each day, but as they are in a diminishing industry surely the wise ones would have shown initiative, taken the business forward.

A company is only as good as its employees, but sometimes, older, aging businesses do not change with the times, and do not look at growing the business, we sit in a world of technology, we are a world who are hungry for exclusives, and what does our local paper do? Use national stories that have been in the press in the morning’s media.

There is no doubt that with the recent hacking accusations, that newspapers need to change, they need to find other ways of selling news, and this applies to local media as well, the Shropshire Star has no journalist’s, it has reporters, re-active reporters, people who don’t make contacts, snitches, so everything we read is old news, there is the odd local story that somebody has given them, not really something that makes the masses buy the paper.

The way forward has to be internet, local papers have to employ people who are going to seek stories, seek them before they start, charge a subscription internet charge, it can be something as low as 25p a day, but people won’t subscribe for boring journalism, stuff they have already read in the morning papers.

There also must be more of an element of local stories, can you believe that Shropshire’s only local paper has very few photographers, they ask for readers to send in their own pictures. The Shropshire Star is so far behind the times, it is three generations behind.

The problems of course have to be laid at board level, the people who ran the business successfully a while ago, but fell into the trap of all is well, in business you have to move along with the times, sometimes beat them.

The idea of knowing what the market wants seems lost at local level, they have a pretty poor website, that is under used, they copy the morning papers, and have nobody looking at stories in the Shropshire area, yet the arrogance of people who work for the star think they can keep their jobs and see the demise of the Shropshire Star in total, however, even if the board think laying people off will help, it is only a short term fix, to avoid a similar situation again they need to invest and bring the Star out of the dark ages.

Current PR Pieces I can introduce you to

To contribute to any of these please e-mail me on ben@bkbusinesssolutions.co.uk

1)  Business Secretary Vince Cable has said the government is willing to take "further action with tax on banks" if they do not increase lending to SMEs.

How much of a problem is the level of lending to SMEs? Have attempts by the Government to boost lending had any impact, and if not what needs to happen? Is a tax on banks the answer?

I'm looking for an opinion piece on the subject aimed at an audience of business advisers. If you've got a strong view on this, drop me a line for further details.

2)  Looking for all things money saving - from food/drink, fashion, beauty, right through to the best car deals, home improvements etc.  also would like to hear about new schemes, grants or deals plus every issue I highlight interesting websites to suit readership. KS readers prefer organic, natural, eco, energy saving, ethical or simply money saving deals.

3)  We're looking to talk to individuals at END USER ORGANISATIONS eg CIOs, IT directors, HR directors, Customer Service directors or other line of business people who are either involved with Cloud Computing deployment OR are people in line of business functions whose jobs have changed/been impacted by the use of Cloud Computing technologies. Interviews with such individuals will be for inclusion in our Practical Cloud profile series on BC9. We will also be interested in considering them as panelists/guests for the Business Cloud Summit 2011 (www.businesscloudsummit.com). Please note I am NOT looking for reps from technology vendors or services companies who can talk about Cloud, ONLY genuine end users from end user organisations, private or public sector.

4)  Looking for competition prizes for July and August on popular website. Min PV £300.

Mass market women 25+

Hitwise top female lifestyle site 2010

1.7 m unique users

5)  Do you have a serious clutter problem? A kitchen that is crammed withgadgets that you never use but won't get rid of?  A bedroom that belonged to the kids who have since left home but used the room as a dumping ground for stuff they don't need but won't let you get rid of it?  Or a home office that is so cluttered you can't move.  We are looking for clutter and hoarding stories...  will need to do a phone interview and pic of you in the cluttered room....  Preferably not clothes as we've done lots of clothes stories, more 'stuff'.... Stuff that you should take to the charity shop or sell on ebay but just never get round to it....

6)  A Major Newspaper’s summer campaign - 99 Days of Summer -  kicks off shortly and they were wondering if it was possible to sort comp prizes. We are hoping to give away prizes such as digital cameras, video cameras, camping gear and footy shirts. The campaign is broken down into a few sections including - £9.50 holidays, 2-4 1 days out and camping trips. Coverage will be provided on The website (logo and link), as well as shout outs on Facebook and Twitter pages.

Stats:16 million uu p/m, Facebook: 27,946, Twitter: 20,550

7)  Interesting opinion pieces sought for a Technology Industry Voice section. Must be 600-900 words long and include a colour high-res photo of the author. Must be on a topic of interest (and be interesting in itself --ie not make points that are well worn, tired, or widely known to our readership) to our readership. Four new pieces sought weekly.

8)  Looking for call centre managers or supervisory staff who can explain how they deal with short-term absence requests from customer service agents, for example, to cover dental appointments or child care.

9)  Looking for a victim of a mail scam (scam letters)

10)PUZZLE COMPETITION PRIZES I'm looking for products that can be given away as prizes within our puzzle section in the magazine. Reader will complete the crosswords, word searches etc and your product will be the prize they win!

The product will wrap around the puzzle and you'll get 100 word copy and 2-3 images to promote your product on the page.

The puzzle page attracts a huge interest from our readers and many buy the magazine just for our puzzle section. The minimum give away value is only £200.

I have spaces available in July/August.

Products that have worked well before are:

Health & beauty products

Electricals

Spa/pamper days

Weekend breaks

Cameras

Clothes

Vouchers

Jewellery

Accessories

Chocolate

Tickets

Hampers

Food and drink

Watches

Sunglasses

Home & Garden ware

11)DO YOU HAVE A YOUNG MALE CLIENT WHO - WHEN HE'S NOT AT WORK - IS REALLY INTO HIS CARS?

Hello and sorry for that big, booming headline. I'm looking for successful guys under 35 who have made a go of things professionally and have consequently treated themselves to a set of dream wheels. It's for a five page feature in Major UK mag, and each of the 5 people I speak to will have a 500 word interview, plus pics of him and the car. It's meant to be a positive, inspiring piece, designed to make readers go, "Man, I've got to do that, too!"

If you have a client who fits the bill - ie, they're young, have an amazing car and love talking about it - please drop me a line.

Thanks!

12)Have you left a negative social networking footprint? Seeking case studies, 20-30 year-old-ish who have been negatively affected by something reflecting them online. For example, a prospective boss has googled you to find ‘inappropriate’ images of you on Facebook (even though they were placed there several years before when you were a partying Uni student); or some kind of slanderous story or negative media still comes up  online when your name is searched for. I’m after any kind of story or experience that still lingers online and that has caused you issues in later life for consumer magazine feature story. Sources may remain anonymous.

13)HR software & technology special digital eguide To be featured in a brand new digital eguide format:

Looking for the latest innovation on HR software & technology trends, plus case studies, top tips and practical advice on the following:

As HR becomes more commercially accountable for its function, how can HR software help organisations become streamlined, efficient and save costs within the business?

What software solutions are on offer to help HR manage its workforce:

- performance management

- talent management

- recruitment

- direct sourcing

- employee self-service

- payroll

- employment law

- workforce management

• As HR looks at ways to connect its global multinational workforce, what challenges does this present to HR and what solutions are on offer to help overcome these?

• Impact of digital applications: social networking/digital/mobile

• Cloud based technology – is this the hottest trend? Why? What is it and what are the implications for HR? At what point should HR consider looking into cloud based technology (does it make sense for a business that has a more remote/mobile/flexible workforce or will this be a trendsetter for all businesses in future)?

• Presenting the HR business case: how can HR secure the budget and

convince the board/senior management team that investing in new HR software/technology makes commercial business sense - upfront costs versus long-term cost savings and ROI?

• How to manage smooth implementation: what are the common pitfalls HR falls into when implementing new software solutions and how to avoid them?

• Any other tricks being missed?

14)E4's hit reality show 'Tool Academy' is back for a second series!

Filming in an exclusive luxury location this summer - 12 guys, nominated by their long suffering girlfriends, will live together and compete in a range of tasks to redeem themselves and win a big cash prize!

We will be filming the boys and their girlfriends over the course of their stay in 'Tool Academy' as one 'Tool' is eliminated each episode.

We are seeking various products to be placed in the bedrooms and communal areas where the girls and boys will be spending their down time between challenges. They will be filmed while in these areas to gage reactions, talk about experiences and throw tantrums!

We will be able to credit any suppliers on the E4 website for items donated.

For the Boys:

Games/ Toys/ Gadgets

Furniture (beds, seating, storage)

Bed linen

Mens styling products

Clothing

For the Girls:

Health and Beauty products and accessories

Hair products and styling

Make up

Clothing

Furniture (beds, seating, storage, dressing tables)

Bed linen

Games/ Gadgets

15)I need to source 25 identical competition prizes with a value of approximately £25-£30 In return I can offer substantial coverage worth up to £1000. I'm thinking along the lines of an iPod shuffle or similar gadget, a gift voucher or just make a suggestion!

Email me with any ideas you may have either for the full 25, or may consider a partial submission.

16)I'm looking for a savvy, young individual under 40, who is already thinking about their retirement and making good pension provision. Maybe someone who has upped their monthly saving because they are worried about the retirement age increasing, or someone who has recently just started saving for the same reasons.

If you fit the bill and are available to speak to journalists and have your photo taken before the meeting, drop me a line and we'll make sure you're compensated for your time with shopping vouchers.

Thanks very much in advance,

17)I’m writing a Focus article for Newsflash, Computer 2000’s monthly publication, which is sent in electronic or printed form to around 9,000 UK reseller organisations.

This piece will look at new developments, market trends and projections in the mobile sector and at the impact that the new generations of tablets, smartphones and ultra-portables is having on the market. As part of this we’ll look at the on-going impact of the tablet phenomenon and how this is starting to change the way that we work and interact. We will try to look at how this might change the way people use technology, communicate and collaborate and what that might mean for the reseller.

I’m interested in getting concise responses from:

•       Research firms and analysts

•       Vendors that are directly involved in this sector of the market right now

•       Resellers that care to share their views and experiences so far – and perhaps their hopes and concerns as well

Please don’t waste your time if you don’t fall into one of these categories. We have limited space for this piece.

Here are a few questions – if you only want to answer one or two, that’s fine with me.

•       How is the explosion of different kinds of devices we are now seeing going to affect user behaviour, both in terms of what they buy and how they use mobile technologies? Can we really expect users to start adopting multiple devices and carrying them with them everywhere they go?

•       Will we see an increase in mobile and virtual working – and perhaps a positive knock-on effect for cloud services adoption?

•       Will people use UC and conferencing more, collaborate and interact more, simply because they can do that anywhere and on any device?

•       Which formats and technologies will be the winners and losers over the next two to three years and why?

•       Is the tablet going to take off in business? Or will it be principally or almost exclusively a consumer device?

•       What effect are these changes going to have on the role of resellers / retailers / integrators?

I need answers preferably by close of play Friday 10th June.