Networking taken to a higher level
The Forum of Private Business and Business Scene have joined forces to create a new kind of event bringing together networking opportunities and a range of support services to help small businesses develop and grow.
As part of the not-for-profit Forumʼs Development Director business support solution, paying members are being given free, unlimited access to Business Sceneʼs regional ʻConnectionsʼ events – representing a saving of up to £15 + VAT per event – with access to high-profile speakers from the business world. At each event the Forum will provide support and guidance over changes to enterprise policies and small business legislation, and also offer a unique toolkit of business support solutions that can be tailored to a firmʼs individual needs.
“As well as opportunities to build valuable, lasting contacts entrepreneurs are now being given access to a one stop shop with the support, protection and reassurance they need for success in business,” said the Forumʼs chief executive, Phil Orford. “We are coming together to provide something new and dynamic that does more than networking alone. The business support services of today simply canʼt be
prescribed as standard – every business owner's needs are different and it's important that we cater for all of them. “That is why Business Scene attendees can pick and choose the services that fit their specific requirements, all of which have been designed to help make it easier and more cost-effective to start and grow a business.”
Business Scene is a networking business community with a significant online presence and 200,000 subscribers operating across the country in all industry sectors. ■ Entrepreneurs can book a place at a Business Scene event by going to
www.fpb.org or by calling 0845 612 6266.
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
New face Don is Keepmeʼs latest asset
Leading provider of promotional merchandise and bags Keepme Promotions have appointed well known industry figure Don Groves to their expanding team.
As a field sales representative for the company Don will use his 12 years-experience in the promotional merchandise sector to act as a face-to-face liaison with new business prospects and existing customers across the UK. On Donʼs appointment, Keepmeʼs commercial director Steve Anderson had this to say: “Don comes to us with a wealth of industry knowledge and experience. He is a true asset to the business and we look forward to his contribution as we continue to move forward.”
Before arriving in the UK in 2001, Don set up MidOcean Brands in South Africa and in the UK established Giftwear Limited prior to its sale to The Carole Group in 2008.
Don is a well known and highly regarded industry figure who has had extensive dealings with the catalogue groups, distributors and knows the trade supply system inside out. ■ For more information visit
www.keepmepromotions.com
MASCOT opens up the dialogue on Facebook W
customers and potential new business opportunities on Facebook. Jackie Young, the companyʼs internal sales and marketing manager, said: “We want to start a dialogue with the users of workwear and safety footwear to understand what they expect from their and our workwear. We also want to give them the opportunity to take part in our product development. That is the primary reason that we stake a lot on social media and especially on Facebook.”
She believes that there is a huge potential in making the users speak up on Facebook. “A large proportion of people in our target group have a Facebook profile, and at the same time they are difficult to reach in other ways. These are some of the reasons why we use the somewhat new media,” she says. MASCOT is a market leader of workwear in Denmark and a part of the companyʼs mission is to set workwear trends – not just to follow it. “So it is also our responsibility to create a wearer forum, where our wearers can ask questions, give good advice, debate and help each other. We have just started, but in the long run we hope it will be the place where people naturally turn to if they want to know something or need good advice,” continues Jackie. With approximately 30 million in The United Kingdom having a Facebook profile, more and more companies are actively communicating with their users directly on Facebook. There are more and more examples of Facebook pages functioning as a regular customer service department. So far, MASCOT has profiles in four languages and there will be free test products, competitions, counselling and questions will be answered in all languages.
orkwear company MASCOT is using the power of social networking to engage with
“We do not consider Facebook to be a place for advertising our products. Users are not interested in that and MASCOT will not get much from it,” says Jackie. “However, by using Facebook as a customer service tool, for feedback and wearer dialogue, we will get a lot of dedicated wearers of workwear and safety footwear, who want to test and give good advice for new developments. “The goal is to activate our wearers, making them want to form an opinion of their workwear.”
Mail scanning post haste!
Mail room specialists Totalpost Services Plc have introduced X-ray scanning technology to their comprehensive range of business continuity and disaster recovery services. Installed at Totalpostʼs Warrington and Swindon sites, the new facilities are part of a £300K investment and provide effective protection against hoax, criminal and terrorist mail for major clients including banks, building societies and mail order companies.
The device is able to scan 300 items per cycle, with a capacity of scanning about 15,000 items per hour. The high-resolution imagery enables the detection of metals, powders, explosives and bio-hazards. If any suspicious letters or packages are detected, the facility can be locked down, and the police provided with a CCTV image.
“This latest phase of investment has given us a fantastic piece of equipment that adds real value to our business continuity and disaster recovery offering,” said Totalpost northern contracts manager, Chris James.
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