Inclement weather and unexpected events -

How does your business manage these?

A short thought provoking article about how we manage operational risks to our businesses by James Dynan, James Dynan Associates

So far in 2018 we have experienced some serious weather conditions, indeed the Met Office suggests the ’beast from the east’ may return over the Easter period.

The basics of resilience planning is to face these challenges knowing you have put plans in place to “keep calm and carry on”.

How did my business cope?

For inclement weather the impact will generally be staff availability and travel disruption.

Consider the following:

• Was I able to operate normally or did I experience staff shortages which caused me to close the business for the day?

• If I ran my business on a reduced staff basis was I still able to deliver the minimum services expected by my customers/clients?

But what other events could impact your business?

Denial of access to your primary office/premise

How would your business operate if impacted by an extreme event such as the ongoing situation impacting businesses located in Salisbury?

This is not a staff availability issue because you have a full staff compliment but access to your business premises is restricted indefinitely.

Supply chain disruption/failure

This means things like no receipt of stock, no deliveries to customers,  production delays etc.

Failure or disruption to information technology, for example banking, ATMs, communication outages 

Loss or corruption of customer information

This could be either malicious or negligent.

What can I learn from these events?

For any business disruption it is crucial that a lesson learned session takes place without delay. This should seek to answer some simple questions:

What was the impact on my business and customers?

Had I already identified/assessed/planned for these?

             Did my response plans prove effective? If not, where did they fail?

             What can I do to be better prepared next time?

Awareness of organisational resilience in your business

             Do your employees understand organisational resilience and their own role in delivering it?

             Would you benefit from some support in finding ways of improving the awareness across your business?

Business Continuity Awareness Week is coming up...

The Business Continuity Institute (BCI) have announced that Business Continuity Awareness Week 2018 (BCAW) will take place during the week of 14th – 18th May.

The topic is  ‘Working Together to Improve Organisational Resilience.’

We promote collaboration and believe a business cannot deliver true resilience without its business units all working together towards a common goal.

Externally there must be collaboration with third party suppliers; a failure on their side could seriously impact on your business.

Do you have dedicated skilled resource to support BCAW?

We have experience of supporting businesses in preparing for and delivering awareness campaigns.

How can we work with you to enhance your business resiliency?

If you would like assistance in carrying out an impartial review of your resilience planning or to discuss how your levels of awareness can be enhanced, please call us for a free initial consultationn.

Contact James Dynan:  email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 07771 371256

http://www.jamesdynanassociates.com 

March 2018

New Forest businesses support Lymington's Ocean Brothers.

Transatlantic row in aid of the British Skin Foundation touching the heart of New Forest business.

In January 2018, Jude Massey and Greg Bailey will start their unsupported row across the Atlantic Ocean. Known as the Ocean Brothers, the pair are undertaking this huge challenge in memory of their late father and stepfather, Pete Massey, who passed away in 2015 after battling for many years with skin cancer. All funds raised by the brothers will be donated to the British Skin Foundation, to fund vital research into skin cancer. Find out more about the Ocean Brothers and their transatlantic challenge.

During the course of 2017, awareness of the Ocean Brothers has grown enormously throughout Lymington, the New Forest and the South of England - and it is easy to see why. Only 317 people have rowed the Atlantic, compared to 6,000 who have climbed Everest and 550 who have been to space! Greg and Jude will be doing their row unsupported - and they will also be the first vegan pair to row the Atlantic. And of course the brothers are rowing for such a good cause, the British Skin Foundation.

New Forest business Bartley Marketing to manage Ocean Brothers social media

Bartley Marketing, based in Lymington and East Boldre, will be managing the Ocean Brothers social media communication for the duration of the challenge. 

"We want to keep everyone updated on how we are getting on during the voyage and although we'll be able to get quick messages back home via our satellite phone, we will not be able to manage our social media whilst at sea. This has been concerning us for some time and we realise that it is a huge commitment - especially as we don't know whether the journey will take 6 weeks or 12 weeks! We are thrilled that Bartley Marketing have offered to manage our social media." shared Greg.

As well as looking after the brothers' social media, Bartley Marketing will also continue to help spreading awareness of the Ocean Brothers and their transatlatic challenge on their local marketing channel, Lymington.com. Using a unique combination of advertising, PR and recommendation, Lymington.com reaches out via its combined media channels (website, social media and emailed weekly newsletter) to both the local community and visitors to the Lymington and New Forest area, to promote and champion businesses, events and causes.

"We're delighted to be able to support Jude and Greg with local marketing and social media management, they are rowing for such an important and relevant cause," said Tanya Baddeley of Bartley Marketing. "Many people have been following the Ocean Brothers and it is important to keep communicating their story whilst they carry out their challenge. The brothers will be unsupported at sea during their voyage and although they are well-prepared, anything could happen. We have a robust process in place to ensure we get the latest information to communicate to their supporters and followers."

During the course of their challenge, the Ocean Brothers aim to raise awareness of skin cancer and how to prevent it. Incidences of skin cancer are becoming more and more widespread. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK, and rates continue to rise - in particular, rates of malignant melanoma are rising faster than any other type of common cancer. At least 100,000 new cases are now diagnosed each year, and the disease kills over 2,500 people each year in the UK - that's seven people every day.

New Forest businesses support the Ocean Brothers

Bartley Marketing joins a number of other New Forest businesses who are supporting the Ocean Brothers. 

Early in their campaign the brothers secured sponsorship from a number of large names including Aproderm and the Skin Health Alliance, followed recently by ATG Gloves.

The first local business to offer sponsorship was Lymington and Beauliey based business, BHG Marine, who have been looking after boat servicing, parts and sales for 70 years. Back in July, the Ocean Brothers showed off their boat at the New Forest Show on the BHG Marine stand.

Also sponsoring the Ocean Brothers are New Forest Cottages, who manage over 120 holiday cottages across the Forest, Scorpio Vision, Elumin8 and Lymington Yacht Haven. Everton Garage, Ocean Safety, Wightlink, Sign It, Lymington Harbour Commissioners and Chewton Glen have also provided valuable support.

The Natural Health Hub in Lymington are also helping Greg and Jude prepare for their voyage. "I'm keen to do some yoga whilst at sea as it will be really important to stretch out regularly and refocus the mind," shared Jude. 

Sponsorship can be an excellent part of a business's local marketing toolkit and sponsorship of the Ocean Brothers not only supports a fantastic cause but also two local men with a desire to push themselves to the limit in memory of their late father. If your business would like to support the Ocean Brothers as they make their final preparations for the voyage, contact them on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On 25 November the Ocean Brothers are hosting a fundraising dinner at the Chewton Glen in aid of the British Skin Foundation. The evening includes a delicious three course dinner, with fizz to start and half a bottle of wine per person. A live auction will be hosted conducted by local adventurer and motivational speaker, Manley Hopkinson. The evening promises to be a great send off to the brothers before they depart for final training and preparation in the Canary Islands. Most of the tickets have already been snapped up, find out more about the event here. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

You can made a donation to the Ocean Brothers using this link: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/oceanbrothers

RELAXED NETWORKING IN FABULOUS WEATHER AT BUSINESS SHOW

BROCKENHURST COLLEGE PROVIDES PERFECT VENUE FOR 3RD ANNUAL NEW FOREST BUSINESS SHOW

The third annual New Forest Business Show on Wednesday 31 May took place in beautiful weather which combined with the excellent all day catering by Appetite for Adventure and coffee by Ahh Roma helped to ensure that exhibitors and visitors alike enjoyed a very pleasant day of relaxed networking and contact making at Brockenhurst College.

A steady stream of visitors throughout the day stopped to talk with each of the 50 exhibitors from a wide variety of business sectors in the B2B Expo. Exhibitors commented that the quality of engagement was very high and many felt they had generated some useful leads. Some even reported actual on the day sales. Graham Bell from Absolute Graphics said: “Although the Show was not packed with people, I feel it’s all about quality not quantity and I was very pleased with the level of business I did on the day. I sold 4 artwork prints and had a number of enquiries for art commissions and also numerous enquiries for graphic design.”

As usual it was also a great opportunity for exhibitors who don’t meet each other in the normal course of business to chat and find common ground for future collaboration.

Bite size briefings and new workshops

Visitors enjoyed half hour “bite size briefings” in Brockenhurst College’s new state of the art STEM Centre on subjects which included better cash flow management (Argentum Capital), HR tips and pitfalls (HR Dept), Microsoft Office tips and traps (Vivid Connections), prevention of postural problems in the workplace (Brockenhurst Chiropractic), health and safety in the workplace (Six Moves Ahead) and opportunities offered by the new Apprenticeship Levy (Brockenhurst College).

New for this year was a series of one hour workshops on various aspects of marketing and selling given by members of the Bartley Marketing and Forest Forge teams, which was well attended and received positive feedback from those who took part.

Business support from Enterprise First and Enterprise M3 Growth Hub

Also new for this year was a business support area.

Enterprise First has been supporting startups and existing businesses since 1981 and offers offer a range of free support including independent advice, mentoring, practical workshops on marketing and finance. New Forest District Council have come to an agreement whereby Enterprise First can provide free advice and support to new and existing businesses in the New Forest.

The Enterprise M3 Growth Hub is a business-led Local Enterprise Partnership working with private and public sector partners to realise the full growth potential of the area by supporting individual businesses in their growth ambitions and plans.

Matt Callaghan, Economic Development Manager for New Forest District Council said: “The Show provides an excellent opportunity for local businesses to network, collaborate and learn. It is vital that we continue to provide environments in which businesses can work together to facilitate a strong and growing local economy.”
New Forest Business Partnership encourages local businesses to support each other."

The Show organisers, all members of the New Forest Business Partnership, are committed to supporting New Forest businesses by helping them in practical ways to grow their businesses locally. Speaking for the organising team Jane Porter of Bartley Marketing said: “The Business Show is primarily about giving local businesses the opportunity to meet other businesses with whom they can do business, which is the first step towards choosing local suppliers and partners wherever this is feasible.”

NFBP Membership - a great deal for business owners

All local businesses, however small, are encouraged to join the New Forest Business Partnership where they will soon recover their £50 membership subscription when they attend the regular breakfast meetings held in locations around the New Forest, which include talks on topical relevant subjects from which everybody learns something and which also lead to a very natural and productive networking forum.

Find out more about the New Forest Business Partnership

Changes to buy-to-let finance costs relief

New restrictions for property landlords start 6th April 2017

Do you let out property?

If so you should already be aware that in just a few weeks time, from 6 April 2017, higher rate tax relief will gradually be restricted for buy-to-let landlords on the ‘costs of finance’, such as mortgage interest. 'Restricting finance cost relief for individual landlords' was a measure introduced by the Chancellor in the Summer Budget 2015.

What does this mean?

The new measure restricts relief for finance costs on residential properties to the basic rate of Income Tax and will be introduced gradually from 6 April 2017. The change is being phased in over three years. In the 2017-18 tax year, only 75% of the 'costs of finance' will be able to be offset; this will fall to 50% in 2018-19, 25% in 2019-20, and then 0% from 2020-21.

It means that property landlords will no longer be able to deduct all the finance costs from their property income to arrive at their property profits. Instead, individual property landlords are required to make a tax return adjustment. The adjustment will give you a basic rate tax deduction after the rental profits have been taxed. This deduction will be up to 20% of the finance cost.

Unfortunately, this measure will impact on all taxpayers who incur finance costs who report rental business, under Self Assessment and not just higher rate taxpayers.

What are 'finance costs'?

Finance costs include mortgage interest, any payments that are equivalent to interest, and incidental costs of obtaining finance, such as fees and commissions, legal expenses for negotiating drafting loan agreements or valuation fees required to provide security for a loan.

Example of change to tax liability

A landlord with £60,000 of gross rental income, £6,000 of agent’s commission, £8,000 of repairs and other expenses and £40,000 of interest would currently have £6,000 of net rental profits.

However, from 2017-18 the interest relief will start being restricted, and from 2020-21 there will be no interest deduction, which would mean that, assuming the rent and expenses remain the same, the taxable rental income would be £46,000.

For many landlords this will mean that the rent will fall into the higher rate tax bands and the £40,000 interest will result in a £8,000 basic rate tax reducer to set against the tax liability.

Can anything be done?

If you would like any assistance in ensuring you are claiming all allowable expenses or have any concerns on this matter, get in touch with New Forest Tax Accountants who have been providing accountancy services for property landlords for over 25 years. 

Read New Forest Tax Accountant's latest Property Tax Newsletter

The budget: time to 'keep calm and carry on'

The budget of 8th March 2017 was a budget of 'firsts' - the maiden budget for the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, the first budget since the Brexit referendum and the first of 2017 - for there will be another budget in November as the UK moves to its new fiscal timetable.

Pundits are mixed in their interpretation of the prospects for the UK economy as we approach the formal Brexit disengagement. They are keen to see encouragement for industry to invest and export rather than more of the same debt fuelled consumer expenditure. Has Philip Hammond succeeded in meeting these demands, and will he be able to bank any hard-won savings for this financial year?

Click here for a useful summary of a selection of specific tax changes and other budget announcements for 2017-18 and beyond.

A confident outlook

The budget gave a confident outlook about the state of the economy: slightly better for this year than expected. This should send the right message to inward investors. A bit of stability is welcome, especially given the uncertainty we’re facing as we go into negotiations to leave the European Union.

The budget offered few new measures for business, but that is understandable after all the things that were announced at the Autumn Statement.

Attack on the self-employed?

Understandably the self-employed are already voicing their dissatisfaction at the National Insurance levy on their profits (currently 9pc, will rise to 10pc next year and 11pc in 2019) The Chancellor has effectively abandoned an election pledge; Hammond said he had acted to address a multibillion-pound shortfall in National Insurance, which is due to expand as more Britons choose to work for themselves.

Of course, people aged over 65 do not pay National Insurance at all! For those reaching 65 Class 4 NIC stops at end of the tax year, as it is an annual charge.

The self-employed will also be hit by the slashed tax free dividend allowance (dropping from £5,000 to £2,000 from next year).

The government will consult on enhancing parental leave for the self-employed, although it is unclear what form these proposals will take. Self-employed people do not receive State benefits of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Sick Pay.

These measures will increase tax liabilities for the self-employed but, while they may be considered unwelcome by those affected, they could have been far worse. The government has a strong focus on the 'gap’ that exists between the tax contribution made by the self-employed, and the much higher tax cost of being an employee. It is likely that the Chancellor will seek to further close the gap in future budgets.

FREE CONSULTATION WITH NEW FOREST TAX ACCOUNTANTS

For advice on any of these matters and to organise a free initial consultation, contact New Forest Tax Accountants on 01590 688838 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow New Forest Tax Accountants on Facebook, Twitter and Linked In to receive regular updates on tax and accountancy news and issues, including reminders of key dates and deadlines. Receive the New Forest Tax Update every month by email.

Find out more about New Forest Tax Accountants, based in Lymington.

 Surprising savings on your energy bills with Energy-Consulting

Save the time, cost, hassle and stress of dealing with energy companies

 There is savings potential on energy bills for most businesses and homeowners. If you are sick of spending your valuable time trying to understand and compare energy tariffs - or even simply to get your utilities bills to be correct – then this is for you. Energy-Consulting will save you time, cost, hassle and stress. And you’ll never have to deal direct with an energy provider or agent again!   

Contact Energy Consulting today for a free consultation 

How does it work

Energy-Consulting will begin with a review of your recent utility bills. Based on their findings, they will then access their pool of dozens of providers including lesser known smaller energy suppliers, for tailored high-volume tariffs not normally accessible for smaller businesses or domestic households. The review, which includes a site visit, considers any legitimate way your future or past bills bill can be reduced. 

Working for you the customer, not the energy provider

The team at Energy-Consulting works for you, not on behalf of any other utility suppliers. They’re not a broker. They don’t take a commission from any utility provider and have no conflicts of interest: they work squarely for the customer, not the provider.

No savings, no payments

Energy-Consulting’s earnings come from a small percentage of the savings you make.

To explain this: the fee charged by Energy-Consulting to you is a share of the time and money you save, in other words you pay out of the savings you make, which you wouldn’t otherwise have had the chance to enjoy.

No savings, no fee. Pay if you save, don’t pay if you don’t. There’s literally no risk for you.

Free Consultation - contact Energy-Consulting today

Call Jon Amery on 01590 700911 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for a Free Consultation about your business energy usage and the potential savings your business or home could make. It’s got to be worth a chat!

Background to Energy-Consulting

Energy-Consulting is a Hampshire based company which has access to a huge selection of UK energy suppliers, and thanks to its specialist knowledge and contacts it can maximise savings on utility bills.

The owner manager of Energy-Consulting is Jon Amery. Jon’s background is in management accounting and marine insurance. He moved into telecoms systems and services and began to save small businesses in London and the SouthWest enormous amounts of money. Before long his delighted clients, having experienced how much Jon could save them in telecoms, asked him to help them save on the increasingly greater cost, stress and hassle of energy arrangements, and latterly the limited opportunities with water sewerage costs. Jon then moved back to South West Hampshire where he grew up and now wants small businesses and homeowners in the New Forest to have the the energy savings benefits normally only available to their large company competitors’ in-house and government advisers. His mission has always been to ensure that this can be done for a net saving to the client that is guaranteed to be greater than his fee.

Energy savings for business

As Jon says, for businesses there is a raft of areas in energy-billing where the tariff - and even in some cases the regulatory charges and changes - can be offset if you know what you’re doing, wish to leave no stone unturned that would cut cost for the customer, and are rewarded in line with that goal.

They range from tailoring the tariff to daily/weekly patterns of usage to the size of a power cable into a building. Jon will also be able to rectify contracts and billing likely to have included overcharging, and leverage legal loopholes which it’s in no energy provider’s interes  to make known.

You won't get a proactive call from the provider or their agents about these saving opportunities!  

In short, Energy Consulting takes on the hassle and sorts out the problems and saves you money, stress and the value of your ongoing time.  

Typically businesses and homeowners pay more for their energy than they should

Jon says: "As recently reported from government findings, British small businesses are typically paying £4.5bn more for their energy than they should, largely because:

• energy providers and often their agents have a vested interest in limiting tariff savings
• the regulator has yet to insist on the sort of rules against this that they very recently have finally introduced in the domestic market, and despite liberalising the business retail market 18 years ago and having levied fines of more than £20m since then
• trying to find out about this subject is a minefield and an enormous hassle for businesses who don’t have the time to do the research and don’t know whom to turn to for correct, impartial advice."

Lymington and New Forest businesses which will benefit especially from a review by Energy-Consulting

If you’re a small to medium-sized local business spending increasing amounts each year on power - whether for manufacturing, engineering, refrigeration or simply heating, office appliances, air conditioning, catering and lighting, it’s highly likely you can make significant savings on energy costs. What's more, if you’re a hotel or restaurant, a garden nursery or pub, a golf club or yacht haven, a care home or other sports club, a bakery or a butcher’s, an ice cream maker or a laundrette, you’ll know your energy needs are considerable and a higher than average percentage of your total costs. There will almost certainly be savings we can uncover for you.

Click here for your FREE consultation - call or email Jon Amery today! 
Read what some very satisfied customers had to say 

Examples of businesses which are high energy users:

• Laundrette, Dry Cleaner
• Hotel
• Restaurant
• Pub
• Care Home
• Golf Club
• Yacht Club
• Sports Club
• Precision Engineering
• Bakery
• Butcher
• Ice Cream
• Essentially, all businesses where energy is a big bill, because they use a disproportionate amount of power, heat or refrigeration.


Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 01590 700911 for your free consultation today. 

How to transform business conversations

Keeping in mind the desired outcome, right from the start, can help.

In business, we often have conversations that go no-where. That’s frustrating, when we have so much to do. “Start with the End in Mind” said Stephen Covey, author of Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. If we apply that mantra to conversations, they are much more likely to move us forward, closer to an outcome that we would like.

To start with the end in mind, we need a contract for what we want to get out of it. That sounds grand, but it’s really not.

At the New Forest Business Expo, I demonstrated how that contracting works, using a model developed by 3d Coaching, called STOKeRS. A stoker, in case you don’t know, is the person on the back of a tandem; this person provides drive. The role of the coach, just like the stoker, is to provide drive. As the old Chinese proverb goes, “The Banks of the Yangtze give it depth, drive and direction”, and using the STOKeRS questions gives the conversation banks, just like those river banks, that give the conversation depth, drive and direction.

Subject – what do we need to think about today?
Time – given that we have x minutes, what about that do we need to focus on?
Outcome – what would you like to be different by the end of our time?
Know – how will you know you have got what you need out of this time?
e (there is no e)
Role – how are we going to do this?
Start – where shall we start?

What we discovered in the demonstration at the Expo was that the person I was speaking to had an idea of what he was going to do differently, even before we had finished the questions above. It can take a bit more questioning to get to that point, but more often than not, the person gets a huge amount of benefit, just by getting clear on what it is they want. The questions above enable them to do that.

I encourage you to try this out, using STOKeRS in conversations with your employees, your customers and your suppliers. See what a difference it can make to the quality of the conversation and where you can get to, when you know the end point you are hoping for.

And if you are interested in finding out more about how we use STOKeRS in coaching for business owners, leaders and their teams, talk to Clare at Clare Norman Coaching Associates Ltd. Clare Norman Coaching Associates can help you and your team to develop clarity, direction, fulfilment and business growth.

We provide executive coaching and transition coaching to individuals and teams. Whether you have your own business or work in a larger corporate environment, we can coach you to achieve your goals, navigate change and develop a clear direction.

Our approach is simple, client-centred and encouraging. Our professionally certified team offer bespoke, tailored coaching in all business environments and also by telephone. We also offer walking coaching in the beautiful New Forest.

Website: clarenormancoachingassociates.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: 07775 817 344

Business booms at second New Forest Expo in Brockenhurst

And lots of fun for all at the 2016 Expo - including climbing wall! 

Hundreds of business people visited the second New Forest Business Expo at Brockenhurst College on 3 June, where 80 local companies were showcasing their products and services.

Expo stands, which ranged from food manufacturers and hotels, to renewable energy companies and private detectives, gave exhibitors the opportunity to showcase their offer, meet new customers, and develop their role in a thriving local business community.

A range of business briefings were delivered throughout the day along with tours of Brockenhurst College and demos in the New Forest Cookery School, also based on campus.

Exhibitors and visitors alike were full of praise for the event and social media was alive with testimonials and positive comments:

“Well done on a really good business exhibition - just what the local business community needs. I'm sure this event will continue to go from strength-to-strength; we will certainly be supporting you with a stand next year.”

“Good show, great diversity of talent in the Forest.”

 “Really enjoyed my first expo! Looking forward to the next one.”

“Great day spreading the word about our brilliant New Forest Marque producers.”

“This was such a fantastic day for us, so worthwhile – what’s the date for next year’s Expo?”

"As an owner of a New Forest business myself, I was delighted we had so many local business exhibitors and visitors." said Matthew Lawson, Chairman of NFBP and the organising Expo group. "It was a real demonstration of partnership, cooperation, mutual support, networking and doing business together – all in aid of the New Forest Economy. We have had nothing but positive feedback for this locally organised not for profit event to help develop local business and I thank everyone who organised and attended the Expo for their support.”

Expo Organising Group left to right – Matthew Lawson, Carol Seymour, Matt Callaghan, Jane Porter, Anthony Climpson, Juliet Tomlinson, Sandeep Sesodia.

The event was organised on behalf of the New Forest Business Partnership (NFBP) and the Brand New Forest Campaign. Event organisers were - Matthew Lawson (Escape Yachting & Chairman of New Forest Business Partnership), Juliet Tomlinson ( Foxpond Marketing), Jane Porter (Bartley Marketing), Ian Erridge (Quay Social Media), Sandeep Sesodia (RBS) Anthony Climpson & Carol Seymour (New Forest District Council - Tourism, Employment and Brand New Forest)

Find out more about joining the New Forest Business Partnership 

 
Businesses can sign up to the Brand New Forest campaign 

Brockenhurst College New Forest

The 6th Form College at Brockenhurst delivers a wide range of A Level, vocational and apprenticeship programmes. It also provides a Higher Education programme for adults, skills and training courses for adults, as well as bespoke services to business. More information about Brockenhurst College

Celebration of New Forest Business at 2016 Expo at Brockenhurst College

Following last year’s success, the second New Forest Business Expo looks forward to welcoming hundreds of local business people on Friday 3 June between 10am – 4pm at Brockenhurst College.

The 2016 Expo will once again celebrate the diverse range of businesses from all industry sectors doing business in the New Forest. It’s the only exhibition of its kind in the Forest and it offers both exhibitors and visitors a unique and time efficient means to network and make new contacts. It’s free for visitors, and exhibitor stands are priced to encourage even the smallest sole traders to take advantage of the day’s showcasing opportunity. Up to 100 exhibitors are expected, including many of last year’s exhibitors - positive testament to their enjoyment of the day together with the benefits to their businesses.

The exhibition layout at Brock will be easier to navigate than was possible at Berthon last year: the stand layout deploying the sports hall with covered stands on the adjacent sports courts, will be open and accessible to all.

The convenient and central New Forest location of Brockenhurst College and its long heritage combined with the vast range of apprenticeships and vocational courses which Brock offers today’s students alongside the traditional excellent academic options, will also offer many local people a trip down Memory Lane! As it’s half term, most of the students will be absent but Student Ambassadors will be on hand to give visitors a guided tour of the facilities which will surprise and impress many who have not previously had this opportunity, and are perhaps not aware of how much the College has developed.

The College offers great exhibition facilities including ample free parking, reasonably priced all day refreshments, and convenient transport links from all directions.
As well as the Exhibition itself there are lots of other attractions are on offer – including rope climbing wall and bite size cookery demos courtesy of Brockenhurst College. In addition, there is a full day’s programme of short sessions by expert speakers on business related topics of relevance to everybody (morning sessions will be repeated in the afternoon), as well as the College Tours.

Organised by the New Forest Business Partnership together with a small team of independent local businesses including Bartley Marketing, Escape Yachting and Quay Marketing Consultancy, the Expo is being run as last year on a not for profit basis. The team’s commitment is to support local business by facilitating the meeting of new local contacts and thus encouraging everybody to buy more goods and services locally, which in turn will help the continued growth of the New Forest as a brilliant place to do business.

‘Eric the Owl was delighted to be part of such a successful first year for the Expo. Lots of businesses, plenty of visitors and a great many hugs!’ Eric Robinson Solicitors after last year’s Expo!

Full details and a list of exhibitors who have already signed up can be seen at newforestbusinessexpo.com. Everybody interested in either attending or exhibiting at the 2016 New Forest Business Expo should register at http://newforestbusinessexpo.com/

Expo Website: http://newforestbusinessexpo.com/

Expo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newforestbusinessexpo

Expo Twitter: https://twitter.com/NForestBizExpo.

Virtual PA for Lymington Business.

Wright Services provides administrative support – for corporates, self employed and households.

Wright Services is a time-saving, cost-effective and professional solution to accommodate all of your business and personal requirements. Delegating administrative and personal tasks to Wright Services frees up your time, so that you can focus on other essential tasks.

"Monique's assistance has enabled us to spend more time focused on our clients. She has proved time and again to be highly professional and incredibly competent at tasks we have delegated to her. We would thoroughly recommend her PA services." Tanya Baddeley,  Bartley Marketing.

Here’s a taste of how Monique’s 'Virtual PA' service works in practice for her predominantly Lymington based customers.

Administrative services for a wide range of needs

Monique is able to carry out a wide range of tasks, willingly and competently. And in fact although much of the work is indeed 'virtual', in some instances it’s carried out within the employer’s workplace – it all depends on what’s required.

What Monique does from one day to the next can vary greatly because she provides support to a very diverse group of clients, who range from very small businesses to larger corporates. She really does cover all administrative bases.

Monique is calm, courteous and consummately professional. As soon as you meet her you get the sense that she is also immensely capable, in a reassuringly commonsense way.

Administrative support for a busy self employed person

Here is an example of Wright Services in action, which demonstrates both the breadth and the depth of Monique’s skills and experience. This particular business owner is self employed and trying to build the business. Employing Monique as a Virtual PA has given the business owner the time to focus on doing her job, and thus on making the money to sustain and grow the business.

The 'virtual PA' support role for this business covers a very wide range of skills and tasks. In no particular order (as tends to be the case with a busy day’s work!), Monique may start with management of her client’s social media posts (including interaction with replies and comments) and a check on forthcoming diary appointments. She may then switch to website updates: that could involve updating information, posting news articles, changing the layout and incorporating other new material as needed.

There’s a considerable financial element to the virtual PA role for this business which also includes finance and tax assistance with banking, bills and payments, receipts and updating records, assistance with tax returns, and keeping track of all monies. She also manages a whole host of other activities such as the promotional side of the business: help with promotions including coming up with ideas for offers and discounts and placing advertisements. She may be called upon to do some research into equipment in which her client is considering investing in order to develop the business.

In short, Monique wears all the hats and performs all the roles that need to be carried out 'in the office' so that her busy client can maximise the time she spends running the business!

Company roles – short term cover for sickness and holiday

Monique will often fill a short term administrative role in a bigger company, such as temporary cover for a receptionist or secretary, often at very short notice, to cover sickness or holiday.

Monique will always do her own research on the company, in her own time before starting work. The role will usually include a mix of answering the phone, emails, welcoming guests, signing them in, handling incoming and outgoing post, organising and filing documents and other paperwork, and any individual company needs. On arrival she’s typically given a brief rundown of how everything works and is then left to get on with it - which is no problem! 

List building exercise for a B2B business

We recently employed Wright Services to conduct a list building exercise for one of our clients, a specialist company whose target market is businesses in the SME sector, with a need to approach prospects directly by mail or email as part of a coordinated marketing campaign.

Monique had previously carried out a similar assignment for a corporate sales department, to research a list of companies and gather contact details for them. For us this exercise was to go one stage further to include telephoning companies, to check individual contacts and try to establish requirements for the services being proposed.

As the exercise got underway initial queries led to refinements to the brief - and as should happen in these cases an even more efficient modus operandi seamlessly evolved. This process was greatly aided by Monique’s communication skills, initiative and judgement. Suffice to say we’ll be asking Wright Services to help us again!

Free, no obligation initial consultation

Monique would be delighted to meet with you and discuss the assistance you need, on a no obligation basis in Lymington or nearby.

Contact Wright Services:
Telephone: 07875739852
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Wright Services Website

Lymington.com - updated November 2016