http://www.premierlinedirect.co.ukNews and updates from Premlierline Directen-gb15Author - Robin Bowman, Senior Business Editor Bring Your Own Devices, or BYOT – Bring Your Own Technology – is spreading fast in the business world.  It started at the top, with bosses bringing to work their shiny new smart phones, then their iPads and Android tablets. Now it’s spread to staff at every level.  It used to be the case that all the new techie devices came out of business IT departments – nowadays it’s the other way around: staff are bringing the latest gadgets and gizmos into work.  And many people increasingly want to use these new devices to help them with their work.  This immediately offers some great pluses – like potentially big savings for a business, as staff use their own devices, business need to buy fewer; but it also presents some problems.  If BYOD is catching on in your business, it’s worth thinking about the issues that are thrown up right at the start, before problems arise.  Similarly, it’s a good idea to work out how these new gadgets can best be deployed to help productivity.  What BYOD essentially does is make the distinction between work and home more fuzzy – because what these devices all have in common is that they’re mobile. They allow access to files and data pretty much from anywhere – if they are allowed to log into a business’s network.  And here is where the problems can lie.  It’s largely a question of security.   IT departments, however small, will generally have rules about what can and can’t be done on business-issued equipment. It’s a great deal harder to do that with people’s personal equipment.  Can you insist on a certain level of password protection when it’s a device that doesn’t belong to the company?  This is massively important, especially for companies that collect large amounts of sensitive data – sometimes data that they are required to protect by law.  What happens when someone leaves their phone on a train, in a coffee shop, or has it stolen?  Then there’s the whole question of accessing the devices and the ownership of what’s on them – the data.  And what about insisting on certain anti-malware and anti-virus security levels?  Again, it’s a little tricky to impose this if a member of staff personally owns the device.  What happens if a member of staff leaves the company?  How does the business ensure that it can retrieve the data that belongs to it?  All these are problematic areas, and need addressing. At the very least it’s a good idea for a business to at least have policies in place that everyone agrees to adhere to.  In the past, it was IT departments who led technical advances and they were able to control access to information, but the advent of BYOD has changed all that.  Now the challenge is to open up data systems and make access more mobile, while at the same time protecting them.   One possible solution to many potential problems is to use the Cloud – perhaps by insisting that BYODs are used only in the Cloud. In other words, BYOD users access company data and files remotely only and don’t actually download files to their devices at all.  Access is controlled by a password, of course; so, this way it’s a simple matter of the company blocking access at any time by changing the password.  There are other solutions, but the key is to address the BYOD subject before it takes over the workplace and real problems arise.  http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/5/byod---bring-your-own-devices---what-does-it-mean-for-your-businessFri, 11 May 2012 09:59:57 GMT http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/5/byod---bring-your-own-devices---what-does-it-mean-for-your-businessPay-per-click - or PPC as it’s more generally known - is now an established and effective way for a business to draw visitors – and therefore potential customers - to its website.  But it does involve spending money – as the name suggests!  So, it’s just as well for any business to carefully manage the process, otherwise the risk is that money can simply be wasted.  The basis of PPC is pretty straightforward.  Search engines – and for the vast majority of businesses we’re talking about Google – show paid-for listings along with normal, unpaid for search results.  The unpaid for results are usually referred to as ‘organic’ listings.  These paid-for results, or ads, are clearly labeled as such and in Google they appear above and to the right of the organic results.  You bid for a specific keyword or string of words relating to the product or service you sell.  Your bid will compete with others, but where you appear on the list on the right-hand side of the page will be determined by a combination of four factors:  The relevance of your ad to the search term The bounce rate of your site The amount you bid Click through rates for ads (or how often you ad is clicked compared to others)  So, if you’re selling, say metal detectors, and your ad says “free metal detector”, your ad will be highly relevant to anyone researching buying a metal detector. But if, say, what you’re offering isn’t quite what you claim and visitors see this quickly and leave your site, Google will downgrade your ad, or charge you more to climb the rankings. Anyone who clicks on the link in your ad will end up at your site – and that’s what you pay for.  If you bid £1 for a PPC entry, you’ll pay £1,000 if you get 1000 visitors.  This is the bit a business needs to keep in mind – they are paying for the traffic to arrive, not for the amount of traffic that converts into sales. So, it’s important to understand the ratio between numbers of visitors and numbers of sales – this way it’s possible to calculate a reasonable rate of return for a PPC campaign.  Through Google Adwords you can also opt to have your ads appear on content networks (now known as Display Network) – basically other sites that Google will determine are relevant to your ad.  As a general rule, these ads receive lower click-through rates, but are also cheaper to bid for and your ad will be shown many, many more times than through a search result page.  The pros of PPC.  The great thing about PPC is that the results can be really fast.  Spend the money, have a relevant and attractive ad, you’ll be likely to get a rapid pick up in traffic.  It’s also highly adjustable – you can change your strategy or spend very quickly depending on the results you see coming in.  It’s also possible to have a PPC strategy that exploits a niche search term that few are bidding for and is therefore cheap to put in place. This is the famous long tail of the internet – there are often enough people out there to generate healthy sales of very niche products or services. And this can be done cheaply.  The downsides.  Get it wrong, on the other hand, by failing to monitor results carefully and constantly and your business can end up spending money that is not providing a sensible ROI.  So, knowing the conversion rate per pound spent is vital.  SEO experts will also point out that PPC is not scalable, or it doesn’t get cheaper as you are more successful – you pay the same whatever the volume of traffic you generate. But you can, of course, make it more cost effective by increasing the conversion rate once visitors arrive at your site.  This, though, is in contrast to optimising your site and including relevant content, which can increase your site’s ranking within organic searches for a fixed cost. This way, if traffic to your site rises, the cost per click falls.  So, in reality, these two things – SEO and PPC – are trying to do the same thing, but have different personalities.  Optimisation can pay off in the longer term by increasing a business’s brand ranking and it’s place in organic searches.  If done well, it can be extremely cost-effective because the more successful it is, the less you spend attracting each visitor to your site.   The cost of PPC, on the other hand, will not diminish as traffic increases; but it can be highly effective in generating high traffic quickly, which can be highly useful, so long as your business doesn’t get fixated on how much traffic is coming in, but instead focuses on how many visitors become customers. http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/5/pay-per-click-–-what-you-need-to-knowFri, 04 May 2012 16:13:02 GMT http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/5/pay-per-click-–-what-you-need-to-knowSocial media can be a fantastic tool for businesses; but it’s very much a double-edged sword.  Just as it can be a terrific marketing channel, social media can also be used to attack your business.  And, if you don’t defend yourself, or you defend yourself badly, social media has the power to carry a negative message far and wide very rapidly indeed.  Once released on a wide scale, this negative publicity can be hard to deal with – and it can take a long time to do so. For many smaller businesses, such an event can be disastrous.  That’s why it’s important to have a think about how your business will react before it’s on the receiving end of a social media PR disaster – and bear in mind that a disaster can start off as a fairly small complaint.  Things can easily get out of hand. Similarly, what amounts to a disaster could be caused over time by a series of mishandled or ignored complaints made public through social media.  It’s important to understand that, even if your business doesn’t use social media and sees no great advantage in doing so, that doesn’t mean it can exclude itself from the dialogue that’s taking place out there.  This is the power of social media. It can go on with or without you.  Often, companies respond publicly to a disaster in a clearly identifiable pattern – and this goes for small as well as giant companies (the Deepwater Horizon BP disaster in 2010 springs to mind).    First, there is no response or a half-hearted one. Next, the company becomes defensive, then comes the realisation that things are out of control and, lastly, comes the rearguard action as it’s understood that proper and comprehensive PR action is needed. Following this, someone is usually held to be responsible for mishandling the situation in the first place.  This is not a helpful pattern. So, here are some key rules for dealing with the situation when the worst happens through a social media channel.  Never ignore complaints. This is true of even the most minor criticisms. There are many companies that have realised only too late how quickly one, seemingly trivial complaint can escalate, perhaps by attracting many more similar complaints publicly aired.  Address every single one. This does not mean they are all valid, of course.  But the key thing is not to remain silent.  Be super fast.  Not ignoring negative comments or complaints in social media is good, but not good enough. Just as important is to be fast in your response. Head things off before they have a chance to spiral out of control. So, that means really fast! Like yesterday!  Make sure someone is tasked to respond immediately – even if it’s only to say a matter will be looked into straight away and, of course, if a mistake has been made it will be corrected.  Be Straightforward.  If you are wrong, say so clearly. Don’t try and hide behind corporate speak.  Then again, if a mistake looks as though it could have legal ramifications, it may be best to take legal advice first – admitting liability may not be to your company’s advantage. Then again, having been seen to act promptly and appropriately may be a point in your favour. Certainly from a PR viewpoint it almost always is.   On the other hand if something is being said about your company that is incorrect, say plainly (and politely) that this is the case.  Be reasonable. Look at things from the consumer’s point of view to get an understanding of how they are feeling and what kind of response will most satisfy them.  It’s all about being human and making sure you come across as such, rather than trying to fudge things by being imprecise or non-committal.  Keep things simple. Identify the heart of the complaint and the problem and then address that.  Don’t over complicate things by trying to deal with a complex pattern of events all at once. Address one thing at a time and the most important first.  Keep communicating.  Having got an early and constructive start in dealing with the matter, don’t taper off.  Keep up the dialogue and make sure you invite people to make contact with you directly. If you can steer complainants away from the social media channel, so much the better. You will have a far better chance to address their problem properly if you can do this.  Actually do something!  So much for managing the communications side of things!  There will quickly come a point when only actions will count.  You must rapidly decide what actions are going to be taken and, if appropriate, make these public. It may be that it’s not appropriate to do this, in which case you can still explain this and, again, invite the complainant to contact you directly for a resolution.  Make resolutions public. If it’s possible, then make any resolutions to complaints public. Never do this without the express agreement of the complainant, of course, or you may start off a whole new round of problems. But, if things are brought to a satisfactory conclusion, and you are able, it is a good idea to let everyone see that your business handled the situation effectively.   Show that you’ve made changes. It’s also important to let people know that you have used an episode as feedback and acted on it to stop such an event recurring. This sends out a strongly positive message that you don’t just talk, but learn from your customers and act as a result.  Finally, here’s a list of definite Don’ts that apply to any business!  Don’t try and be funny – some people advise trying to make a joke or two to defuse the situation. While you don’t want to come across as stuffy or pompous, cracking jokes is very unwise and can often just exacerbate matters. Don’t respond to abuse or trolling – What applies in face-to-face dealings with customers also applies online. If people use personal insults or attack your business maliciously, the best response is to refuse to enter into any dialogue until their tone is changed.  Such people generally effectively hang themselves by advertising the fact that they are unreasonable and are behaving unacceptably. And that will devalue the strength of everything else they say. Internet 'trolling' is the anti-social act of causing of interpersonal conflict and shock-value controversy online.  Don’t get angry.  However invalid a complaint, however abusive a complainant is, do not be provoked into an angry response. This is what a trolling user of social media wants – just refuse to play the game.  Don’t engage in lengthy dialogue.  Social media isn’t the best channel for having long dialogues about the minutiae of a complaint.  Again, invite the complainant to discuss details off line.  Don’t quote rules and regulations – This just looks unsympathetic and pedantic. Again, invite people to contact you directly. http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/4/what-to-do-if-your-business-has-a-social-media-pr-disasterFri, 27 Apr 2012 13:14:15 GMT http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/4/what-to-do-if-your-business-has-a-social-media-pr-disasterAuthor - Robin Bowman, Senior Business Editor In the world of social media everyone can have a voice. Which is all fine and good; but such an unregulated environment can have serious consequences for a business. As social media develops at a faster rate than ever before, with new channels being created and more people making use of them, the lines between work life and personal life can understandably become blurred. What your staff say or post online is clearly their own affair – until it impacts on your business. That’s why it’s a good idea to lay down guidelines by creating a social media policy. Probably the best approach is to keep any policy as simple and common sense-like as possible.  Even so, it may be worth checking with a lawyer to see that what you are asking for are actually things that can be reasonably enforced. Many employees might not really consider there are potential dangers for your business in what they broadcast through social media. They may be under the misapprehension that what they post is really only for a select few friends or followers.  But, as is all too common these days, whatever is posted can be reposted and spread very fast to a very wide audience.  The first thing then is to remind people that this can happen and to urge them to exercise discretion when talking about their workplace or any matter connected with the business. Make it clear that, as staff don’t represent the company’s viewpoint, they shouldn’t post as though they are speaking on its behalf. This can apply to people posting comments that are intended to be well-meaning as much as negative ones, because seemingly positive comments can have unforeseen consequences. It’s obviously important to make it clear that any complaints about the company, working conditions, managers and so on, should not be aired through social media, but through specific internal procedures. Make sure those internal channels exist, of course, otherwise you can’t expect people not to find an outlet for their complaints. Be clear that personal information that staff come across at work should not be broadcast – and this applies even to things that seem fairly harmless –names and positions of colleagues, anything to do with customers, orders placed and work procedures are just a few examples. This kind of information can be easily garnered by scammers and used to compromise your company. Have a policy on social media interaction in work time and especially on company owned devices. Will you allow this?  If so, even more close attention needs to be paid to what is being tweeted, posted and3 shared.  LinkedIn is an especially grey area because it’s essentially a professional network – so, are links made in work time made on a personal level or for the business?  It’s best to have a clear-cut policy on this and what is and isn’t allowed. The more you go into the issue of social media policy the more questions and scenarios it seems to throw up. But perhaps the best advice is to keep your policy simply, encourage cooperation among staff and be sure they appreciate the difficulties your business, and they, could face over unwise postings. Then just establish a simple policy that covers the areas of concern in the broadest possible way. The bottom line is to stress that it’s always important to…. Think before you post!  Is what you’re about to say going to damage the reputation of the business in any way?   If so, don’t post it! Don’t speak for the company without checking first – even if you want to post something positive, you might unintentionally complicate matters: there may be a legal matter pending that you are unaware of, for example.  Check first! Don’t post any information you have obtained through work - this applies not only to personal information, but also to procedures, delivery times, prices, anything you wouldn’t know if you were not employed by the company.  Even the most innocent piece of information can be made use of by clever scammers – see our article on this Don’t imagine you’re only talking to your friends or followers. Keep in mind that what you post can easily be spread to a far wider audience. Treat the online world of social media exactly the same as you would if you were speaking offline – but to a much bigger audience! Robin has been a journalist for more than 20 years, during which time he has held several senior media management positions in both Fleet Street and Hong Kong. Robin recently returned to the UK after being based in Italy for six years. He has a passion for business innovation. The content of this article reflects the views of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of Premierline Direct. http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/4/social-media-and-your-business-–-why-you-need-a-policyWed, 11 Apr 2012 16:31:47 GMT http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/4/social-media-and-your-business-–-why-you-need-a-policyPinterest is certainly not new. It’s been around for a couple of years, but it’s only in the last few months that it’s really caught the public’s imagination. Now, it’s the fastest growing social media channel around, with almost 12 million people visiting in January.  It’s also said to be particularly used and liked by women.  Both these things have, not surprisingly, caused a lot of people to start thinking about how Pinterest can be used along with other social media channels to promote their business.  But what exactly is Pinterest?  It’s all about images – people posting – or ‘pinning’ - images they like for others to share. These images are separated into topic areas or ‘boards’ for ease of browsing, and they cover a huge range of subjects, from cooking and fashion to gardening and movies and everything in between.  Users can follow subject areas or they can follow individual users and the photos they pin.   The whole experience can be rather like flipping through a magazine.  The emphasis on the visual rather than words is what makes Pinterest different – although other sites have now sprung up, notably those that offer the same kind of experience but aimed at men.  So, how can businesses use Pinterest?  Here are some do's, don’ts and a few examples of ways to use it…  Don’t sell!   As with all social media, the key to getting your business successfully involved is to never try and just sell!   This is the golden rule for all social media – if you wade in making a big splash about how great your business is and how wonderful your products and services are, you will almost always quickly find other users don’t want to know.   So, don’t just talk about yourself – it’s rude! Do focus on doing the essential thing - offering credible and authentic content. It may be that your company has a base of customers who actively want to know about your products and services and, if that’s the case, then it’s fine to inform them.  But it is generally unwise to simply use social media to plug your business. Give it time.  One of the dangers a business faces when it comes to use Pinterest is the same one it faces with any social media. The interaction is simple and easy so it is all too easy to think you can contribute to the visual discussion quickly.  This is a big mistake. As with all social media, it’s better to leave it alone completely rather than not devote a reasonable amount of time to posting quality content.  It’s only by spending some time with the medium that you’ll achieve your primary aim, which is to collect the most repins and as much positive response as possible, because that’s the way your business will attract even more attention within the channel.  Be human. Again, like other social media channels, people follow people, not company names.  What you do within Pinterest needs to have a human dimension and be personalised.    Be relevant – if not, don’t bother.  Ask yourself whether your company’s offering actually fits the Pinterest world. These are pictures that are attractive and items that are cute, beautiful, lovely, stunning, or just plain pleasing on the eye.  Your offering needs to fit into that kind of world. If your business is relevant in this kind of visual world, then make sure your content is relevant too. Try pinning photos and videos according to your trading calendar – display what there is most demand for at certain times of the year and make your content relevant to that demand Do the simple things to help your efforts.   So many businesses make the mistake of not promoting their social media efforts. You should shout about what you’re doing at every opportunity. Make sure you add a “pin it” button to your site, for example, to make it simple for visitors to pin your visual content. And do connect your Pinterest account to your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Pinterest users are growing at a remarkable rate, but the overall number is still relatively small, so you will need to lead people to your content. Do consider pinning videos as well as pictures. These could be explainer videos that are so popular on YouTube.  But make sure they are good quality. Don’t forget to interact with others – don’t just put up your own content. Repin others’ content lots. And comment on their pins.  This shows you are an active part of a community and not just there to sell your business. Do be creative! It’s fine if your ideas are a little removed from what your company does, so long as they represent its brand, it’s look and feel. Some examples of this include a yoghurt company that promoted exercise ideas and recipes using yoghurts as well as travel ideas.  A furniture company that featured photographs of beautiful homes. Fashion companies regularly promote their latest lines.  But smaller companies can be just as active.  A dog biscuit company used Pinterest to post photos of ingredients and equipment for making dog biscuits and other healthy recipes for dogs. Do think about showing your staff, or staff events, especially if there was fun involved. You might show your workplace or how your products are made.  Always make sure the content you post is of the highest quality. Remember the rule: Pinterest is for people who want to look at eye-pleasing pictures, not boring or negative ones. http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/3/using-pinterest-to-market-your-business-–-some-do's-and-don’tsMon, 19 Mar 2012 13:49:01 GMT http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/3/using-pinterest-to-market-your-business-–-some-do's-and-don’tsIf you're a bank, it seems that motivating your employees - your top employees anyway - is straight forward. You just pay them massive bonuses. For most small and medium-sized businesses, of course, this just isn't an option. Yet, when times are tough, businesses really need to get the very best out of staff - the best productivity, the best commitment to the job and the best standards of professionalism. It's long been argued by management gurus that money isn't the real motivator for most employees. Well, that may be true; but just ask a few employees and it will quickly become clear that it's a pretty important one! However, when generous payments just aren't available, how do you get the best out your workforce to help you, them and your business win through these challenging economic times? Most of the best ways to get staff firing on all cylinders revolve around some basic psychology. Here are nine tips that any business can put into operation. Boredom is one of the biggest demotivators. So, to avoid it, take people just a little out of their comfort zone, whether they like it or not. Give people tasks that challenge them, but in ways you believe they will succeed. Richard Branson pointed out that, 'When people are placed in positions slightly above what they expect, they are apt to excel.' Create a clear career path whenever possible. It's important for people to see that advancement is not only possible, but something that can be within their grasp. Share your expectations of staff and make it clear you expect them to progress, however modest the steps. Recognition is vital. However cynical an employee might appear to be, it's rare to find someone who is genuinely not affected by well-deserved praise and recognition from a team leader or manager. Make your staff feel important to your business by telling them they have done well - and make sure that recognition is made public. Consider rewards for outstanding work - other than cash ones. These might be time off, offering training courses or allowing an employee to take on extra responsibility in an area you know will interest them or make them feel good. Communicate. Every business management guide will stress effective communication - and for good reason. It really is very important. Opportunities for staff to offer feedback are essential to make them feel they matter. And, of course, if it's practical, feedback should be acted on promptly. Openness, as far as it's possible, is a good policy. Often staff will feel motivated if they know there is a problem and also know the size of it and what the plan is to tackle it. Try and make a problem seem like a challenge, and one for the company as a whole, not just for managers. Similarly, if there's something good to share, do so and, as much as possible, allow it to reflect on everyone. A key part of communicating is, of course, to be a good listener. Listening is the art of a good conversationalist, it's often said. Well, it's also the art of being a good communicator in business. Listening to people is how you get to know the mood and concerns of the staff - and so put yourself in a position to respond effectively to the positive and the negative. Encourage teamwork as well as individual excellence. We all like to feel as though we belong to something and being part of a successful team is a great way to bond and feel motivated. Be considerate, be polite and show respect. You can't get much simpler than this; but, in fact, getting this right is not always as easy as it seems. Weak managers feel the need to be domineering at all times. Whereas, the more confident will have no trouble in showing proper consideration to their staff and making it clear that they respect them as individuals. Of course, the expectation must be that this works both ways. Be passionate. Never underestimate the infectious nature of being genuinely enthusiastic. If you have drive, dedication and a delight in the business, it will quickly be apparent that this is what you expect of your staff. …….And, finally, be brave. It's sad but true that it's a necessity to let totally unmotivated and cynical staff go. It will motivate others to see that drive and good productivity and effort are rewarded and praised. It might not motivate those same staff to see that those who, despite all efforts, won't fit in are fired. But, the bottom line is that, if you don't get rid of your bad employees, your good staff will eventually leave - never mind your customers! http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/2/how-to-motivate-staff-for-the-best-productivityWed, 07 Mar 2012 12:13:51 GMT http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/2/how-to-motivate-staff-for-the-best-productivity Author - Robin Bowman, Senior Business Editor When we talk about Style Guides we generally mean the so-called house style used by media outlets. All newspapers and most broadcasters have rules on what to call countries - Myanmar or Burma, for example - and on spellings and the use of grammar, as well as such questions as: do we write % or per cent? This may all seem far too fussy for the average small business. But for many businesses a Style Guide can be extremely important, although it will be a little less detailed than the average newspaper. What we're talking about is the importance of words, accuracy, consistency and generally seeming professional. This is as important as it has ever been, and especially so for companies with an Internet presence. One thing attention to style achieves is that it encourages all staff to think about the way their company presents itself in writing - and this act alone can help to avoid simple mistakes that can prove costly. These days, unconventional grammar and spelling are commonplace - in texting and in social media, in particular. But, when it comes to trusting a business to deliver a product or service in a timely and professional way, the customer is highly likely to distrust a company that is so careless it can't even spell correctly or write a grammatically conventional sentence. Add to this the concerns about scams, spamming and phishing and you can see why it all matters. After all, it's always advised that one of the first signs that a communication is bogus is if it reads oddly or contains mistakes. For a business, these mistakes translate into real costs! Entrepreneur Charles Duncombe was reported by the BBC (www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-14130854 ) as finding that a single spelling mistake on a web page actually cut sales off that page in half! He found a single mistake on a page, corrected it and sales doubled. As he points out, multiply that across all Internet businesses and you have a total loss of many millions of pounds. Clearly, not every company needs a thick guide on in-house style; but any business will benefit from some style guidelines and a few rules. The goal is twofold: to have a style that fits your brand and to be consistent. Your guide won't be a weighty tome, perhaps just a single page of rules you feel are most important, but it can be added to as required. The important thing is that everyone knows the style and the rules and that all-important consistency is achieved. Here are areas that a short, easy-to-digest style guide should address: Letters and emails - Salutations and sign offs. Do you start with 'dear' so and so, 'Hi', or 'Hey', or doesn't it matter? How should people be addressed in writing - first name or Mr, Mrs, Ms? Sign offs and email signatures to be consistent. Jargon - Have a policy on jargon and technical language - for example, a rule about using clear terms and explaining things in a way people outside the business can understand. Company name - make sure the company name is always referred to in exactly the same way. Might sound obvious, but it's worth stating. Abbreviations - have a policy on some of the most often used abbreviations in your business. Should they be spelled out the first time they are mentioned, or is this unnecessary? Also, have a policy on the use of SMS abbreviations. Stock terms and phrases - If you have terms or phrases that you feel should be especially associated with your company and used often (obviously in a sensible way), then list them. These may include terms like 'Peace of mind', 'Security', 'Safety', 'Value', 'Best deal', and so on. Tone - Not everyone can write in a particular tone, but everyone can understand the idea of a tone. So, what tone is right for your company? If you're a solicitor then it's unlikely you'll want to be too informal. It's not hard to write a brief description of the way you want your business to be presented to the world and then ask people to keep this in mind when they write anything. Spellings - You almost certainly won't be able to have rules about all the English spelling alternatives there are, but you can start the ball rolling and add others as they arise. Perhaps start with some commonly confused or misspelt words: like practice (noun) and practise (verb); imply and infer; they're, their and there; principle and principal; affect and effect; and the spelling of 'accommodation'. Or if you think such precision doesn't matter to your business, just select those mistakes you commonly see and believe do matter. Grammar - Grammar does matter, but these days most people appreciate clarity more than what experts would say was 'correct'. Some things should be stressed, though: the difference grammatically between 'it's' and 'its' and NOT using apostrophes for plurals, only for possession. There are others. But the best thing here is to keep grammar rules simple and few. Lastly, make sure everyone who works for you has a copy of your style guide. And keep it alive by updating it! Robin has been a journalist for more than 20 years, during which time he has held several senior media management positions in both Fleet Street and Hong Kong. Robin recently returned to the UK after being based in Italy for six years. He has a passion for business innovation. The content of this article reflects the views of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of Premierline Direct http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/1/why-your-business-needs-a-style-guide-(and-what-it-should-cover)Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:24:19 GMT http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2012/1/why-your-business-needs-a-style-guide-(and-what-it-should-cover) With winter fast approaching, now is a good time to ready yourself and your vehicle for severe weather, taking some simple steps to prepare for safe winter driving.   Maintenance and Servicing In this run up to winter, it's now a perfect time to service your vehicle, giving you peace of mind in the knowledge that it has been professionally prepared for the coming months.  Personal maintenance throughout winter is also important, and your winter vehicle maintenance routine should include checks of the following: Antifreeze levels - Ensure they are filled to the correct level to avoid freezing Door locks - Spraying with WD40 every few days during cold spells can prevent freezing Battery - Replace your battery at the first sign of trouble Exhaust system - Ensure system is in good repair; carbon monoxide leaks can be deadly Fuel - A full tank of fuel can keep the line from freezing Heater and defroster - Ensure both are working properly Headlights and hazard lights - Replace any faulty light bulbs immediately; ensure they're kept clean Oil - Ensure filled to correct level Thermostat - Ensure it's working properly Windscreens - Clear all windows of snow / ice / dirt Windscreen wipers - Repair if damaged and maintain proper washer fluid level Number plates - Avoid fines by keeping these clean and legible Tyres - Make sure tread is adequate and tyres are inflated properly.  If winter tyres are fitted, you may be required to notify your insurer.  Preparing for your journey  Always be ready for potential adverse weather.  When bad weather does arrive: Include an extra 10 minutes to prepare your vehicle before you set off Clear all windows and roof of snow, ice and dirt Give yourself extra time and stick to main roads where possible Always let someone know where you are going and when you expect to arrive Always put your safety first before punctuality in winter conditions Always carry your mobile phone, fully charging it before you go Listen to local traffic reports and heed advice from your local authority or police federation concerning driving safety  Prepare a Winter Emergency Kit* to keep in your vehicle including: Ice scraper and de-icer Torch and spare batteries - or a wind-up torch Warm clothes and blankets (for you and all your passengers) Boots First aid kit Jump leads A shovel Road Atlas Sunglasses (the glare off snow can be dazzling) * recommended by the Highways agency  What to do if you break down  Having a well-maintained vehicle is the easiest way to avoid breaking down but breakdowns are more common during periods of cold weather and challenging road conditions, particularly snow and ice.  In the unfortunate event of a breakdown, always remember - safety first - for you, your passengers and other motorists.  If you can, get your vehicle off the road - as far to the left side of the road as possible. Warn other drivers by using your hazard lights, using side lights as well if it is dark or visibility is poor. Put on a reflective jacket if you have one. If you fear your vehicle may be struck, get out if safe to do so and move well away from the traffic.  If on a motorway, it is advisable to exit the vehicle by the passenger door and ensure all passengers do the same. Do not allow anyone to stand in front of your vehicle or between your vehicle and oncoming traffic. If on a motorway, keep clear from the carriageway and hard shoulder.  It is best to retreat up the bank or behind a barrier if this is possible. Once in a safe place, use your mobile phone or other available phone to call breakdown or other emergency service.  Never attempt to cross a motorway carriageway, instead follow arrows on the posts at the back of the hard shoulder.  This will direct you to a free phone that connects directly to the police / Highways Agency. Be prepared to describe your vehicle, the problem you are having, your location and direction of travel.  Motorway telephones and marker posts will include reference numbers of your location. When your vehicle is repaired, take care when returning to the road, using the hard shoulder as an acceleration lane if on the motorway.  Be prepared and drive safely this winter season http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2011/11/be-prepared-and-drive-safely-this-winter-seasonWed, 23 Nov 2011 10:30:27 GMT http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2011/11/be-prepared-and-drive-safely-this-winter-season Experts never lose interest in trying to sum up the reasons why start up businesses fail. The truth is there are many reasons, but right up there among the most common causes has to be a failure to manage finances effectively.  Get this aspect of running your business wrong and you will get into trouble, guaranteed!  No matter how great your core business idea is or how well you manage the rest of the enterprise, financial management problems can still bring down your business.   So, here are 12 golden rules to help manage business finances effectively.  Many of the rules boil down to careful management of cash flow.  Sales are great, but they don't count until the cash is in the bank. Failing to get on top of cash flow can lead to severe difficulties, even disaster, however well sales are going. So….  Keep your eye on cash rather than just sales. Focus on the lag between a sale and getting money in the bank and plan for it as well as try and work out ways to speed it up.  Remember, it may take several weeks to make an initial sale, but several weeks more to actually receive payment.  It's important to try and have several revenue streams. Whatever business you're in, being reliant and solely focused on one sale, one contract or one revenue stream, can leave your business too exposed to unexpected events - like late or even non-payments. Diversity can solve this problem.  Keep your books in excellent order. You don't need to be a book- keeping expert, but you do need to keep clear and accurate records - not only because this is a legal requirement, but also because it assists in business planning and can save you a huge amount of time further down the line.  There's no great secret, just record all financial transactions in a way that can be easily understood and keep bank statements in order and cross check them with your own records. A simple spread sheet, plus a back up copy usually does the job. The golden rule is 'Do not neglect to do the paper work'. Letting it pile up is a recipe for confusion. If your business needs are complex, using a good software program will make all this much simpler.   Understand everything.  Don't bury your head in the sand and ignore anything financial that isn't clear or doesn't add up  - it may well come back and bite you at a later date. If something doesn't make sense or is baffling, get to the bottom of it; use all means to understand it. The tools are nearly always at hand - ask your accountant, look on the internet.  Don't settle bills early unless it means a discount. Equally, make sure you keep a good payment record and sound credit rating by never settling them late.  Watch out for excess cash that's just left sitting in your bank account. It's not working to drive your business forward. Know what the minimum amount your bank requires - if any - and leave no more. Use the money for a more useful purpose; put it to work.  Manage your inventory as efficiently as possible. Inventory is simply cash - or potential cash - when it's turned into sales. Yet, if it's sitting on a shelf, like excess cash in the bank, it's not working for you. The more accurately you can manage the inventory needs of your business, the more efficiently you can manage the business's finances.   Allow for tax. Whatever else you can cut, save on and delay payment on, this is an area that doesn't allow for compromise. Know ahead of time what your tax liability is likely to be as sales are made and revenue comes in. Budget for it. This way you can avoid nasty surprises.  Have a really rigid policy on accounts receivable. This is especially important if your business involves entails large up-front costs for inventory or machinery. Don't assume settlement will be made, even if your current cash flow is healthy, because it can quite rapidly turn around. Remember, it's not an asset until it's cash in the bank. Follow up immediately on invoices that are late being paid and perhaps refuse to deliver more orders until older ones are settled - effectively withdrawing credit. If you receive cheques, don't delay - get them into your account immediately.  Have a reserve fund of cash, especially at the beginning of the business's life. You may take a long time to reach profit, an unexpectedly long time, in which case you'll need cash to keep the business - and yourself - afloat.  If you're using a loan to get your business off the ground, ensure you maintain a good credit rating by prioritising repayments and always making them on time. Your business may well need to rely on this sound credit rating in the future.  Regularly review all financial matters relating to your business and especially carry out an inspection to see if there are hidden pockets of cash - areas where you can make savings, or speed up payments. Even small savings can make a big difference to your bottom line when accumulated over time. http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2011/6/managing-business-finances-–-some-golden-rulesWed, 15 Jun 2011 11:58:32 GMT http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2011/6/managing-business-finances-–-some-golden-rules To many SMEs, especially those just starting out, the idea of brand building may seem like it belongs to another level of business all together - something only for large corporates to think about.  The fact is, however, that in an increasingly crowded and competitive market place, helping your business stand out is vital. Having an identifiable brand - regardless of the kind of business you run - does just that.  Building a brand doesn't have to entail a large budget. In fact, most of what it requires doesn't cost money at all. What it does need is some clear thinking, and understanding that a brand is certainly NOT just a logo and a slogan. A brand is a promise to your customers and stakeholders of what you stand for and what they can expect you to deliver.  The first thing is to decide what kind of brand you want and is appropriate for you to build.  What should your company and the services or products it offers and the way it offers them communicate to people? If it were a person, what kind of person would it be? What words would you use to describe them? It's important to keep your feet on the ground at this point and be clear that your brand is the right one for the marketplace you're in.  There's little point in trying to project your business as a high-end retailer when in fact you're a corner shop and customer loyalty will be built as much as anything else on knowing customers by name, for example, or your having a little time to chat with them.  Your brand must be relevant and meaningful to your customers first and foremost.  Once you've decided what kind of personality you want your business to have, this must be used to inform everything you and your staff do and say. That's why it's important to settle on brand values that can be applied practically and aren't just meaningless slogans. Brand values are part of the foundation of the brand; they inform the customer of a business's intentions and of what and how it will deliver its promise to customers.  Projecting your brand is probably best done in concrete steps, by focusing on the small things your company does and working upwards. This avoids falling into the 'logo, empty slogan' trap.  For example, if politeness, efficiency and prompt service are going to be part of your brand - and what company doesn't want them to be? - then you must translate this into practical measures. If you can't create practical targets for your brand values, then come up with new ones because the ones you've got don't work.   Again, it's best to start with the small things: the aim of 'service with integrity' might begin with, say, targets for answering all phone calls within three rings, specifics about how you speak to customers and what you say to them. But it should also translate into how you deal with suppliers, and internally how managers speak to staff.   Everyone should be clear what the brand values are and how they should be projected.  All these factors will combine to create the overall character of your business, which will translate into brand.  Here, for instance, are two brand values most companies would aspire to: 'Putting Customers First" and 'Offering Excellent Value".  Great! But in order to create a brand that actually has these attributes associated with it, they must be translated into practical measures customers (and staff) can experience - otherwise they are a waste of time.   So, HOW do you put customers first and HOW are you offering excellent value within the context of the whole market place?  If you can answer these questions satisfactorily - and you need to be brutally honest about this - then you have come up with a way of creating a brand concept that has real resonance.  At every point your business has a connection with customers - so called touch points - you should find a way of allowing your brand values to influence the experience: everything, from the letterheads on your stationary, the appearance of your reception (if you have one), to your refund policy and delivery targets.  Just as important is not to promise what can't be delivered because reputations require time and a great deal of effort and attention to detail to build; by contrast, they can be smashed very quickly if you fail to meet the expectations you've created.  So, in summary:  Fit your brand to the customer base your business is aiming at. Find what they want and admire. Cater to these customers' needs and be relevant to them. Make these your brand values.  Translate your brand into small, practical steps and measurable targets. Any brand concept that can't be turned into concrete actions should be revised or replaced with one that can. Make sure all employees understand the businesses' brand values and how these are demonstrated every day, at every customer contact point, but also internally among staff.  While brand is so much more than just a snappy logo, the visual is still very important, so, make sure your company looks the part in all regards. http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2011/6/why-your-business-needs-a-brand-and-how-to-create-oneWed, 15 Jun 2011 11:47:52 GMT http://www.premierlinedirect.co.uk/knowledge/expert-tips-and-guides/2011/6/why-your-business-needs-a-brand-and-how-to-create-one