Social media is where it is at!

If your small business is not blogging and marketing on WordPress and Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn and Pinterest and Stumbledupon and Digg and Reddit and Delicious and … the ridiculous list goes on.

Even if your job consisted of nothing more than producing content for these modern-day monsters you would be hard pressed to keep them satisfied. But, if you are not connected online and everyone else is, won’t you lose out? Will your small business be forgotten?

Well there is a way to blog and tweet and stay LinkedIn without losing your life or your business to social media.

Here are seven ways you can be connected online without living online.

7. Blogging for more business

Writing a blog produces new content for Google to use to push your website up its rankings. To get blogging done well but fast:

• Use your own life

Finding ideas for blogging can be tough, but using your own experience is an inexhaustible supply of new ideas. We are not very interested in what you had for lunch, but your experience of customer service good or bad in a particular restaurant could be just the dish best served warm.

• Allocate some time

Set a time limit and use a timer (like a kitchen timer). 30 minutes should be enough to get your blog written

6. LinkedIn for more sales

If you have a profile on LinkedIn that’s a start but  do you also join groups where you clients hang out? If you do, you can find out what they are interested in and share your expertise with them through your posts into their groups. It’s a fast track to getting to know your prospective clients.

5. Twitter to find clients

Twitter can drain your entire day if you let it run you, but if you grab Twitter by the wings you can be in charge.

Fall in love with that kitchen timer from #7, and set yourself just 7 minutes in the morning and 7 in the afternoon/evening. You can keep up with what is going on in your sector, schedule at least 7 tweets and retweet 7 things during these 14 minutes.

4. Facebook brings your more than friends

If you are selling directly to consumers, Facebook is where it is at.  Same principle as Twitter applies – use that timer to stop you getting too involved in cousin Jan’s cool photos of kittens.

3. Google plus – adds value

Google gets over 2 million searches every single minute of every single day and Google is looking for new signals that your content is popular. By sharing your content on Google plus, (the clue is in the name) and if your contacts re-share it, then you are getting votes for your content. Add a Google+ button to your browser bar and you can +1 anything you read on the fly.

2. YouTube is enough to give you goggle eyes

Also owned by Google, YouTube gets 4 billion video views every day. A really fast way to share your content is to upload your own videos. It doesn’t have to be super-polished.

Gary Vaynerchuk http://tv.winelibrary.com/2010/06/  built a multi-million dollar wine business from his opinionated, some would say obnoxious, video blogs. Every time I upload a Bizfix video to YouTube it is shows high rankings in Google search almost instantaneously: it’s a very fast way to get your company noticed.

1. Keyword research is not just for the nerds

Keyword research is probably the most important and most under-used tool for speeding up your online marketing.  If you don’t do keyword searched before you name your company, name your product, write blog posts, or write content for your company website, you are missing the bullet train to getting found on Google.

There’s a seriously sharp free guide to how on the SEOMOZ site.

So now you have seven ways you can do online marketing for your small business in minutes per day, not days per week.

What’s your top tip for marketing your business online without wasting time?

Guest author Chris Markham of Bizfix, the Cambridge business advice and support company, is on a mission to get more science, evidence and fact into local business support.  You can find more of his small business writing on his blog.

Email Chris or call 01223 851 161

The information provided in this blog illustrates my opinions and experiences, it does not constitute advice and I do not accept responsibility for any actions taken or refrained from as a result of reading this post.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

New powers to tackle PAYE debtors

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will have new powers to tackle companies which fail to pay their employees’ income tax and national insurance contributions.

Upfront demands

From April, HMRC will be able to demand an upfront security from firms it deems to pose a serious risk of not paying.  In particular, HMRC will be targeting companies which deduct money from their employees’ pay packets but have no intention of paying it to the tax office.

The new measures are an extension of existing powers which HMRC has in respect of VAT, insurance premium tax and  environmental taxes.

It is hard to believe that this a “new” power as without it compliant taxpayers are not being treated fairly.

Possible penalties

Businesses failing to provide a security will face a fine of up to £5,000 which will be enforceable by the courts.

HMRC have said that employers facing genuine payment difficulties will not be affected by the change.

Source: Total Investor website.

The information provided in this blog illustrates my opinions and experiences, it does not constitute advice and I do not accept responsibility for any actions taken or refrained from as a result of reading this post.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

by guest blogger, Nigel White. MD of Web2Market.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has recently released new guidelines for Cookie Compliance which affects UK website owners and is based on a new EU directive.

I wonder how many of us even know if cookies are used on our website(s)?

What does the law say?

Some of the points within the guidelines will mean as website owners, you will need to make changes to your website, to avoid the risk of prosecution.

I won’t go though all the guidelines here, you may well nod off, but the main point is that the responsibility for educating users about cookies and how they are used on your website has been devolved to.

This will include informing users about your and 3rd party cookies should your site be using them (e.g. Google Analytics).  This legislation is to be enforced from May 2012.  It is actually a legal requirement already but we are in a grace period.

Ashley Freidlein from Econsultancy summarises some key points in his article Cookie Compliance or you can read the full guidelines from the ICO here who you will see ask for cookie approval already.

What is a cookie?

A cookie is a small text file that a website may put onto the visitor’s computer to “mark” that visitor.

The website may want to mark the visitor for a variety of reasons.

Examples may be to track a user’s basket as they shop or a retain a user’s website preferences.

How are other people complying with the legislation?

For an example of compliance, you can look at the Information Commissioner’s Office website.  At the top of the page you will see the Cookie notice that they have constructed and installed.

How do you know if your site uses cookies?

It is not immediately obvious if a website uses cookies to work effectively.

Cookies are very frequently used for a variety of situations including, but not limited to, remembering a log-in password and managing a shopping basket. I would recommend carrying out a cookie audit to answer this question.

What should you do now?

To get on the right side of the law, you should find out what cookies are being used on your website by carrying out an audit. We can do that for you – I would estimate an hour’s work.  Once you know what cookies are on the site (if any), we can help you formulate a plan for informing the user of their purpose and possibly allowing the user to opt out.

If there are no cookies on your website, we will not charge for the audit! If you’re still confused about cookies, please call me for a nice explanation  If you would like to request an audit, please let me know.

Best Regards, Nigel White

01480 878510

The information provided in this blog illustrates my opinions and experiences, it does not constitute advice and I do not accept responsibility for any actions taken or refrained from as a result of reading this post.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

Now I know you don’t get many invitations to “double your money”, but read on, I’m not expecting you to enter a TV quiz show or participate in gambling activities…..

Doubling the impact

I am speaking about Matched Funding, a concept whereby a donation (plus gift-aid) to a specific charitable fund is matched by Government funding, so the amount of IMPACT it can make on local charities and community projects is effectively DOUBLED.

Local Foundation awarded matched funds

Late last year, I met Jo Abel, Development Director at CCF (Cambridgeshire Community Foundation : charity number 1103314) who introduced me to the concept of named community trust funds that help philanthropic individuals and businesss (large and small) to build relationships with and financially assist local projects and communities, thus creating a more dynamic impact.

There are many advantages to understanding what a Community Foundation does, so have a browse around their website.

Jo wrote:

The Cambridgeshire Community Foundation are pleased to report that the Government are investing in a £50m matched fund to incentivise the building of local endowment funds to create a sustainable source of local grants for the future. 

They want to ‘encourage more people to get involved and work together to improve our communities.

The opportunity to influence the world around you, to feel connected, to be able to make a contribution, and to trust hose around you – these are the some of the most important contributors to our well-being. They form the foundation of both our society and economy.’

The Government partners for their ‘Community First’ initiative are Community Development Foundation and the Community Foundation Network.

As part of the national network of Community Foundations, CCF will be able to offer their Private Sector Donors a 50% fund match through this Government scheme.  Donor funds will need to be invested as Endowed Funds for 4 years before any of the funds can be used for grant-making in the Cambridgeshire area.  Despite these restrictions, we feel that this will provide a good incentive for philanthropic individuals or families who wish to make a lasting impact in the community where they and their families live, to create their own charitable fund, or increase their existing fund.  Once matured, the fund will be used to issue grants to community groups, organisations and charities, carefully selected and vetted by the Foundation, which address the needs the Donor has requested to support, or which fall into the areas of the Donor’s or which inspire their charitable passions.

As your local Community Foundation, we are ourselves a charity, dedicated to strengthening our community.

To that end, we target grants that make a genuine difference to the lives of local people.  We manage funds donated by individuals and organisations, acting as the vital link between local donors and local needs, connecting people with causes, and enabling individuals to achieve far more than they ever could by themselves.

Importantly, we’re independent and ‘cause neutral;  In providing you with expert advice and the benefit of our local knowledge, our only agenda is to help you ensure your giving makes a lasting impact in the areas that you care most about.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, or the Government Match Scheme, please contact Jo Abel on:

01223 410535  jo@cambscf.org.uk

Time is short

Time is of the essence, as £117,000 of this funding is available to CCF for use locally, until the end of March 2012, if it is not matched, the opportunity is lost.

A second tranche has been promised, but this will be at 50% and details are yet to be clarified.

DON’T LOSE OUT ON THE CHANCE TO SPEND GOVERNMENT MONEY ON OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY

Update 23.03.2012 :  Good News

With days before 31 March deadline, we are delighted to have received the support of donors who have enabled us to meet the  2011-2012 Cambridgeshire Community First Endowment Match target.  The new donations and the 100% match have increased our endowed funds by over £380,000.

Whilst the 100% match is now complete, a 50% uplift is available from 1 April 2012 for the next three financial years.

The 50% match offers a 50% higher rate tax payer the chance to receive a 280% uplift on their donation into a ‘family controlled charitable fund’ – which is used to support local charitable projects.

As one of our new donors said “The match offered me a great incentive to set up a family controlled endowment fund with CCF.  I plan to involve my children so they can develop an interest and understanding of local charitable giving, and then take over the running of the Fund from my wife and I when the time comes”.

The information provided in this blog illustrates my opinions and experiences, it does not constitute advice and I do not accept responsibility for any actions taken or refrained from as a result of reading this post.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

HMRC reveals that 7.65 million Self Assessment Tax Returns were filed online in time this year, with an overall  total of 9.45 million returns  submitted in time.

Record Numbers

90.4% of  taxpayers met the deadline – an increase of 4% on last year – the highest on-time filing result since HMRC was created.

The busiest day for online returns was 31 January, when HMRC  received nearly 445,000. The SA rush hour occurred between  4pm and  5pm on 31st January, when 37,460 returns – more than one every 6  seconds – were received by HMRC.

Penalties delayed

Although the 31st January deadline was unchanged, HMRC announced that no penalties would be issued for online returns received by midnight on 2nd February, due to industrial action at HMRC contact  centres.

David Gauke, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said:

“I am pleased that the extension to the filing deadline prevented people from being unfairly penalised if they were unable to speak to HMRC on the 31st.”   This statement is inaccurate as the deadline was not extended, simply HMRC promised not to fine anyone on 1st and 2nd February.  By filing late, the period known as the “enquiry window” is affected in favour of HMRC.

He also said “I’m delighted so many people filed their tax returns online this year. The record number proves that it’s quick, easy and secure to do.”  I wonder if he has ever used the HMRC portal?

Festive filing

Many took advantage of the Christmas holidays to wrap up their  returns this year, with 1,100 people filing online on Christmas Day;  3,512 on Boxing Day; 11,648 on New Year’s Eve; and 8,935 on New  Year’s Day.

Perhaps this is an indication of multi-cultural Briton?

Missed the fun?

The filing deadline has now passed and  anyone who hasn’t yet  filed their 2010/11 tax return must send it to HMRC as soon as  possible, as well as pay any outstanding tax due for the 2010/11 tax  year.

professional, approachable, timely advice

A new penalty regime is in force, so if you need help getting your tax affairs up to date call our Tax Managers, Heather Irvine or Jenna Gaylor as soon as possible to set up a free, no obligation meeting to discuss how we can assist you.

data source : HMRC press release

The information provided in this blog illustrates my opinions and experiences, it does not constitute advice and I do not accept responsibility for any actions taken or refrained from as a result of reading this post.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

It is obvious that the more skills and knowledge you have the better, but is it really that important to engage in academia?   After all there are many “uneducated” muliti-millionaire business entrepreneurs in the world.

This is what Arron Stevens of Degree Jungle thinks.

Business ownership comes with a steep price including time, money and effort.

Many small business owners lose in the race to compete in an industry because they lack the proper training, experience and/or accountability to create a competitive advantage.

Entrepreneurs in College

College is the basis for discovering your personality, passions and opportunities in your studies.

Details for a business idea often begin and are acquired from involvement in work internships and experience in a chosen field while in school.

Based on research data, if the business owner receives proper training, he or she will have the knowledge to plan each step for starting and developing a business.

Reasons to Take A Step Back

Owning a business is a part of the many people’s dream, but it’s also a reality check if you’re not ready.  Your business deserves careful thought and demands leadership, expertise and knowledge of industry expectations.

A business degree from today’s colleges works towards enhancing the workforce’s capabilities to explore ideas, develop plans and execute profitable, worthy companies. You may think your plan is the best in the league, but are you ready to face the heat of entrepreneurship?

Tell the Truth

Do you know the history of business? Are you familiar with business laws, accounting principles, tax regulations and human resource management?

If not, your business and workforce may waste time, resources and intellectual capital in solving business problems.  A business degree gives you an edge in solving problems, developing a vision and acquiring skills necessary to achieve your goals.

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone.

If you own a business now, you may need to consider a degree to increase your competitiveness.

You will learn the outline of business operations, how to work efficiently and effectively; you also develop the proper critical thinking skills to evaluate opportunities the right way – your way, with a twist.

Get ahead of your competition

Skills learned in the classroom can be applied to your actual business ideas, plans and current position in the markets.

Think about it. Whatever you knew two years ago may no longer apply in today’s business world.

The knowledge, skills and education behind business ownership is changing as time progresses; consider earning your degree to get started on beating out the competition today.

Guest Author: Arron Stevens is a professional blogger and business coach.

His goal is to help entrepreneurs achieve business success.

Please direct any questions regarding Degree Jungle to Henry Thompson

What’s your view?

As many of you know, I left school with average GCSE grades, so it was a good job I didn’t have any inclination to go to University!  However, I do believe in continuous education and personal development, being as efficient as you can and distinguishing yourself from “the rest”.  I have devoted a significant part of my adult life learning from others and from various forms of education and can with out a doubt say that I would not have achieved many of the personal and business goals that I am so proud of, without that investment.

What do you think?

Welcome to 2012!  I hope you have all had a well earned rest and have recharged your batteries in anticipation of a successful year ahead.

Everyone knows that “to fail to plan, is to plan to fail” and you should have by now reflected on your performance of last year and be making formal written plans for what you need to achieve this year to take a significant step towards, if not achieve your personal and business goals.

Whilst reviewing some social media posts at the tail end of last year, I came across the following message from John Hall of Enstrata and felt compelled to share it with you.

Do you share these Twelve Business Resolutions?

Telephone contact 0845 226 7673 or 01223 846351

Email johnhall@enstrata.co.uk   Website – www.enstrata.co.uk

The information provided in this blog illustrates my opinions and experiences, it does not constitute advice and I do not accept responsibility for any actions taken or refrained from as a result of reading this post.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has always taken a dim view of the late filing of self-assessment tax returns, but it has now introduced significant new penalties for those who fail to meet the deadlines.

The deadline

If you are registered for self-assessment and have not already filed your paper return then you will need to do so online by 31 January 2012. This may still seem a long way off, but it makes sense to start preparing now rather than leaving your return until the last minute, when it will be more difficult to deal with any issues which may arise.

The penalty

Under HMRC’s new regime, late returns will incur an initial fixed penalty of £100.

This will apply even if there is no tax to pay or any tax due for the year has already been paid on time.

If your tax return has still not been filed after three months, then HMRC will impose additional daily penalties of £10, up to a maximum of £900.

After six months, the penalty increases to either £300 or five per cent of the tax, depending on which is greater.  The penalty could increase to 100 per cent of the tax due if returns have still not been filed after 12 months.

Late tax

Any overdue tax must also be paid by 31 January.  If this deadline is missed then HMRC will impose a penalty of five per cent of the amount due after 30 days, six months and 12 months respectively. It is also worth noting that HMRC will charge interest on top of these penalties.

Stop procrastinating

As with any tax matter, it is always better to act sooner rather than later.

The longer you leave it, the bigger the penalty will be.

At George Hay, we can assist with a wide range of tax matters, including ensuring your self-assessment tax return is filed on time.

Friendly, approachable, reliable professionals

Disclaimer: This article is for general guidance only. All taxation planning should only be undertaken after appropriate professional advice. George Hay Chartered Accountants are registered to carry on audit work and regulated for a range of investment business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

A value proposition is the entire set of resulting experiences from which your customer derives value from what you.  A good value proposition will have an enormous number of elements, or individual value outcomes.  The more you have, the easier it is to promote your offering in a compelling way.

Synergy

It is not unreasonable to suggest you need to identify at least 50, and likely up to 100 different things that your customers will find of great comfort and value if they buy from you.  Some elements of what you do may be inferior to similar elements in other suppliers’ offerings, but it is the overall package that wins.

Focus on customer experiences

Beware of the tendency to focus on internal stuff that’s of no consequence to the customer.  Customer experiences generally revolve around Quality, Price, Service and ‘Intellectual Capital’.  Social Capital – the value in your customers, suppliers, vendors, networks, referral sources, alumni groups, joint ventures, alliance partners, professional bodies, reputation and so on – is the least exploited form of Intellectual Capital, yet is the most highly valued by customers.

Communicate Value

By  emphasising total quality service and transformation, you offer a superior value proposition.  But please, don’t embellish the truth.  Don’t kid yourself that things your customers expect to be able to take for granted will be compelling differentiators.  No one expects ‘poor’ quality  or ‘lousy’ service!

In summary….

Communicate value outcomes with numbers, free  information, rapid results, and exclusive viewpoints all served up in easily digestible bite-size chunks.

Customers actually aren’t price sensitive -  They’re value conscious!

David Winch

david@davidwinch.co.uk

Guest Author:  David Winch works with professional service providers to help them overcome their fear of selling and to get paid what they’re worth.

Trustees Liability

In the past trustees have been worried that they may be personally liable for mistakes they make which put charitable assets at risk.

The Charities Act 2006 (which is still being implemented in phases) introduces two small but important changes.

Indemnity Insurance

If trustees act prudently, lawfully and in accordance with their governing document, then any liability trustees incur may be met by the charity’s resources.

Charities can take out insuracne to cover such circumstances.

Any breach of trust will result in the trustee being personally responsible fpr making good any loss to the charity.  Since trustees are acting  as a collective governing body, they will usually be jointly and severally responsible.

Personal Liability Insurance

Trustees are now able to procure trustee indemnity insurance using the charity’s funds, to protect them from personal liability to third parties.  This is still deemed to be a trustee benefit but it is no longer a requirement to gain permission from the Charity Commission provided that the governing document does not prohibit it.

Fair use of charitable resources?

Trustees need to consider the nature or the charity’s activities, the degree of risk to which the trustees are exposed, the number of trustees to be covered and the cost to the charity of paying the premiums when deciding whether insurance is a good use of resources.

Of course, there is nothing stopping trustees from arranging and paying for their own policies.

The information provided in this blog illustrates my opinions and experiences, it does not constitute advice and I do not accept responsibility for any actions taken or refrained from as a result of reading this post.

If you found this post interesting/useful please share it with your social network and/or bookmark it.  Also, your comments are always valued and will help me to write new posts that are relevant to readers of this blog.