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Network effectively at business networking events

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Today I welcome Janet Torley to my blog. Janet is Chairman of Federation of Small Business - East of Scotland and owner of Events for Business , the event management specialist for business to business. I first encountered Janet at the 2012 Lanarkshire Business Show, one of many business and networking events she has organised across Scotland. With countless hours of networking experience and a bulging contacts book if anyone can give good practical advice on how to network it has to be Janet. So here are Janet's five top tips on how to network effectively at business networking events.             Networking can and should be really simple and really enjoyable and my top tips are very, very simple. Number 1 : Just do it! You might find the idea of walking in to a room full of total strangers daunting but go on, put an event into your diary and just go. Number 2 : Before you go make sure you have enough business cards. Take twice the number of business cards

5 Great Tips To Improve Your Communication Skills

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 5 Top Tips for improving your communication skills  Jill Simpson is a trainer and coach from DEVA Training in Kilmarnock. She helps clients communicate their message to customers, colleagues and others by helping to remove the barriers to communication and improve their verbal communication skills. GreatCommunication skills are important in every aspect of our daily lives and it is also true for our business lives. So without further ado here are Jill Simpson’s 5 Top Tips for great business communication. One . This might surprise you but shut up and listen. It has often been pointed out that we have two ears and one mouth for a good reason:   by really listening you start to understand the other person’s point of view, and when you understand you are far better placed to put across your own position. Listening helps you communicate more effectively whether you are selling to customers, managing your staff or negotiating with a supplier. Two . Asking open question

5 Great Tips For Your New Business

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  Tony Couch from isCompliant is a former Business Gateway business advisor who has helped many people who wanted to know how to start a business but needed top notch business advice. Tony knows only too well how many of those small business ideas fail within the first few years of starting so he agreed to share his insights on how individuals starting a business can plan for long term success by putting quality at the heart of their small business ideas. One . Apply the concept of “excellence and free from defects” to your small business ideas. Gain the customer satisfaction, trust and enhanced reputation that will follow. Enjoy the confidence that repeat business brings, relish recognition for quality and benefit from the rewards. Put simply - Strive to deliver the best product or service for your customer that you can. Two . Let customer focus drive your small business. Demonstrate regular improvements by using your awareness of your client’s requirements, developm

5 Great Tips To Improve Your Copywriting Communication Skills

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    Today I welcome Charlotte Fleming to my blog. Charlotte is a copywriter from Great Copy , a business based near Forfar in Scotland that provides copywriting and proof reading services for business websites and brochures. I would echo a lot of Charlotte’s advice, although I mostly write for the spoken word in radio & TV commercials and online video while Charlotte writes for the written page. We got together to help with your written communication skills. So here are our five top tips on copywriting for your website, brochure and online marketing newsletter. One . Remember it is written English and not spoken English. Spoken English has developed short cuts to allow people to communicate quickly with friends and colleagues. If you write as you speak it will look very odd on the page and potentially put off or annoy some of your readers. Please remember you are writing copy that is to be read. Two . Remember your audience in your copywriting and that your aim

BT's G.fast technology to deliver 500Mbps ultrafast broadband to most homes

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Copyright: / 123RF Stock Photo   While some of us are still waiting for the arrival of superfast broadband BT’s CEO, Gavin Patterson, has announced plans to introduce ultrafast broadband using G.fast technology. Patterson said “ The UK is ahead of its major European neighbours when it comes to broadband and we need to stay ahead as customer demands evolve. G.fast will allow us to do that by building on the investment we have made in fibre to date. It will transform the UK broadband landscape from superfast to ultrafast in the quickest possible timeframe. ”  Early tests have shown that G.fast has the potential to deliver significant speed increases from existing and new fibre street cabinets. This means the technology can be deployed more quickly than previously thought. Two pilots will start this summer in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and Gosforth, Newcastle. G.fast will help BT deliver ultrafast speeds of up to 500Mbps to most of the UK within a decade.

5 Great Tips To Reduce Your Taxes

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The end of the tax year is fast approaching and sole traders and small limited companies should be busy ensuring their 2014/15 tax liability is minimised . To help I have invited chartered accountant Martin Robertson to share some of his top tax avoidance tips. Although most of the tips are  applicable to both sole traders and small limited companies tip two differs depending on your business status. I would recommend watching the video that relates you and then scroll down to see the text version of Martin's 5TopTips on reducing your tax bill. Please note tax avoidance is legal however tax evasion is illegal and we do not recommend nor condone it.* 5 Top Tips to reduce the Tax Bill for Sole Traders 5 Top Tips to reduce the Tax Bill for Small Ltd. Co   Martin Robertson is a director of Martin Robertson Associates , Chartered Accountants in Falkirk and We Are Business Transformers Ltd . Martin Robertson provides accountancy, taxation and business transform

60 Minute Business Transformation Tips By Martin Robertson Chartered Accountants

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   If you want to work with a chartered accountant who is a real business expert you would be well advised to go to  Robertson Associates, Chartered Accountants in Falkirk . Martin Robertson has been in business for nearly 20 years. In that time he has made the same mistakes many small business owners make but he has learned from those mistakes and his accountancy business in the heart of Falkirk is thriving. With the help of Susanne, his wife and business partner, Martin has written a book for small business owners detailing his experiences in business, the mistakes he has made and how to avoid making those same mistakes. At the end of each chapter Martin sets out his recommendations for you to follow. The book is called “Your 60 minute business transformation”, a five star reviewed book on Amazon. It’s packed with real, honest business advice that is designed to save you time and money. It is ideal whether you are looking to start a business, stuck in a rut or loo