The ABC Solution, growing you, Part II

So we now have the website set up, the business is live, but where do we start, luckily with Utility Warehouse, it is all explained to you in several free training sessions, I believe the fee is worth the money alone just for the training and personal development, with a complete online training schedule and superb interactive training class rooms, it really can be a dummies guide to your new business.

But who do you have behind you and who says they are any good? The Company is Telecom Plus, based in North London, and operates only from this main office, it was founded in 1996 as a telecommunications business. Its first product, launched in 1997, which was a least cost call routing ‘Smart Box’, a gadget that plugs into a phone socket and then routes the calls to alternative networks at a cheaper rate than British Telecom Since then, the company has added to its portfolio: a full landline telephony service, mobile telephony (piggybacked on the T-Mobile network), broadband, gas and electricity (the company is licensed by OFGEM), and a Cash Back card (a pre-paid Mastercard).

To date, the business has grown to over 375,000 domestic and small-business customers, around 30,000 of whom are also Distributors, signing up new customers under a Multi-level marketing scheme in return for a residual income.

In March 2009 the Company was awarded the prestigious title of “Company of the Year” at the Quoted Company Awards annual dinner.

In February 2011, Which? magazine named the Utility Warehouse as the UK’s ‘Best Energy Supplier’ for the third year in a row. It also names the company Recommended Provider for Home Phone. Which? named the Utility Warehouse ‘Recommended Provider’ for Broadband in September 2010, and awarded it a ‘Best Buy’ for Home Phone and Broadband in Dec 2008, Feb 2010 (renewed in August 2010).

Trading as The Utility Warehouse, Telecom Plus has no shops and does not advertise on television or in the national press. The entire operation (including call centres) is based in North London, with around 450-500 staff.

So as you can see, this is something special, and at the presentation evenings you learn more about the people behind the business, but if you can’t wait just google Charles Wigoder.

Thank you for reading part II, I will update again later this week, to get involved as a customer please visit www.theabcsolution.co.uk and as an interested distributor please visit http://www.telecomplus.co.uk/biz/videodir/home.taf?exref=G62804, also don’t forget businesses you aren’t left out, your page is http://www.telecomplus.co.uk/business/?exref=G62804.

The Utility Warehouse Pig

Help is needed from the local business community

No beating around the bush, Ben Coates needs the business community help, in bringing Ruth Badger to Shropshire, he has taken on a massive financial commitment, and to help the local economy, but it must have input and sponsorship from Shropshire’s businesses.

In hearing people moan that not a lot goes on in Shropshire, Ben decided to do something about it, now he needs help from those who were begging for events to kick start local business, he has not got anybody on the cheap to come and talk, and neither has he skimped and saved on the venue.

Sponsorship and assistance has so far very generously come in from Lanyon Bowdler solicitors, WN Security Shredding and Fasc Ltd t/as I Think IT, but it needs more, businesses also can help keep ticket prices low.

Ben Coates said “When you talk to people they seem unsure how to bring the business spotlight onto Shropshire, however I am determined to get the economy moving, in my courier firm, 80% of the business comes from outside the county, yet many people promote that local business is best, what I am trying to achieve is getting 200 – 300 people in the same room and to listen to somebody with Ruth’s experience, this lady has worked with the great Lord Sugar, we can all be arrogant and think we know it all but we all can learn something new every day.

Also the fact that many other businesses will be socialising, surely means that being there is a must, I am laying on a buffet and also refreshments will be available, but sponsorship is a must for this evening of entertainment. It is not time for businesses to put their money in to bring out valuable sales and new customers. This is not something that will benefit Ben Coates or BK Business, but will benefit Shropshire and its business community; also people will be able to make new contacts away from their cocoon they seem to trade in.”

To add your support please contact Ben on ben@bkbusinesssolutions.co.uk, visit www.bkbusinesssolutions.co.uk, or for tickets only please order them at the special early bird half price offer at http://ruthbadger.eventbrite.com/

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.