Archive for Business Forum

Digital Alphabet: “D” is for Digital Marketing

Nov 24 | by | Business Forum
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Digital Marketing is essentially:

Anything you do to arrange the sale of a product or service using a computer and/or mobile device.

So, you could actually create a whole digital marketing strategy of your own as well as a traditional marketing strategy.

Within that strategy you would have elements like;

  • Website(s)
  • Mobile Website(s)
  • Blogging and Articles
  • Email Marketing
  • Video Promotion
  • Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare
  • Apps
  • Directories – FreeIndex, Yell.com

And more… like PowerPoint Presentations and Slide shows – Flickr

Your marketing plan shouldn’t just contain the traditional or “offline” methods of Marketing; it should contain elements from both methods.

We are currently in a digital era and there should be no excuse for us not to understand what’s going on, but because focus is currently on Social Media doesn’t mean that advertising, flyers, sales letters have stopped working.

How do you tie in digital marketing together? because one element alone isn’t what grabs your potential clients attention. So, the question is “Which part of your marketing is grabbing their attention?”

The biggest advantage of digital marketing over traditional is that we can monitor and track what is happening. Who is using it, how are they using it, how long for, where do they go next, what are they clicking on?

Digital marketing isn’t the answer, but it does help! Not being there is just giving them the opportunity to find your competitors.

Your potential customer needs to see your message between 5-12 times before they are ready, don’t give them the same message on the same platform. Mix it up a bit and show them your whole offering over a range of platforms.

Digital Alphabet: “C” is for CMS (Content Managed Systems)

Oct 2 | by | Business Forum
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You might have heard us say “We create websites you can edit yourself…” in a Networking Event sometime.

A CMS or otherwise known as “Content Managed System” website allows the user/client to update the website as and when you want without having to constantly ask your web designer for assistance.

Over three years ago Koogar recognised the advantages of CMS for our clients and other business people.

  1. Not having to wait 3-6 weeks for the update to happen – For example; you would have the ability to add special offers on the website for a certain period of time
  2. SEO – (Search Engine Optimisation) Friendly – Search Engines like websites with constantly changing content they will come back more often to find out what your up to and then report back to HQ and help your website move up the ranks.
  3. Become the person to speak to – By changing your content frequently, you will be keeping your followers, clients and potential customers up-to-date with whats happening within your company, if you have a new product or if you have a special offer on.
  4. Long term saving of money – It might be more expensive to have a CMS built for you but it WILL save you money in the long run. Think about it, your company will grow, get more products to sell, staff to help out. Thinking of the bigger picture sooner is always better. P.P.P.P.P.P – Perfect planning prevents p**-poor performance!

Initially a CMS website will cost extra as it takes longer to setup for the clients requirements. Once the bulk of the site is set up and the client is trained you can then add as much or as little as you like. Remembering Search Engines like changing content/text.

At Koogar we also provide an “After Care Plan” that is there for us to make sure your site is running as smoothly as possible but to also be there to answer any questions and amend other parts of the site that may need technical attention.

Digital Alphabet: “B” for Blogging

Aug 29 | by | Business Forum
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A blog is short for “Web Log”. Its basically an online diary where you can keep track of what your company has been up to or to tell people about what you can do for them.

Why should I blog is one of the main questions I get asked on a regular basis and there are many reasons to blog.

One of the main reasons is to educate your audience to understand what you or your product can do for them.

Getting new business is a key to survival in business and sometimes you may come across people who don’t really understand what you do and how you can help them. Answering questions for them is a great way to help them understand, as I said education is the way to go.

So what questions do you get asked on a regular basis?

We always get “So how much is a website?” and our reply, 99.9% of the time is “It depends on what you want and what your company needs. We can give you a guideline/ball park figure but really it would be best to sit down with you to find out all of your requirements”….

By blogging and answering the questions you get asked on a daily basis you will slowly build up an FAQ, which can be used again and again. Go to our Blogging Page to find out more…

Guest Blogger: HR – Benefits of a Social Networking Policy by Danielle Platten

Aug 23 | by | Business Forum
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A SOCIAL NETWORKING POLICY: MORE RED TAPE OR A TOOL TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS REPUTATION?

Every week there seems to be a new story about employees misusing social media – regardless of industry or role… whether they’re a Premiership footballer, CEO of a software agency or a flight attendant.

The role of social media has blurred the lines between our personal and professional lives and behind each of these stories is a business who’s sadly been damaged by the online conduct of an employee.

With the flight attendant story, Simonetti  reportedly wrote a blog where she posted photos of herself in unbuttoned uniform and leaning over aircraft seats showing parts of her underwear which ultimately resulted in her dismissal.
However this throws up a real problem for employers… would you feel comfortable handling such a situation? Would your managers? How would their colleagues treat them before the investigation was resolved?

You should be aware that Employment Tribunal rulings show employees’ misuse of social media doesn’t always constitute gross misconduct and summary dismissal (not a fair dismissal anyway).

Quote: KOO1410 you will get your policy for £49!

However don’t worry – there are some steps you can take to make sure you’re not at risk of having to deal with these difficult  decisions.

  1. Most importantly you should have a social networking policy
  2. Avoid jargon in your policy – remember managers do not have the time to read endless pages of complicated policies and procedures
  3. Be specific yet draft your policy to cover new technology and forms of social media not yet created
  4. Regularly review your policy
  5. Treat any allegation of breach of policy in a fair and reasonable manner
  6. Good communication is essential to prevent situations that can damage your business reputation so help staff understand the impact their actions can have.

Social media is a great tool for helping businesses grow and through this approach our clients have found they can concentrate on using it to engage with customers and not worry by reducing the risk of damaging incidents happening in the first place.

[1] Simonetti v Delta Air Lines – http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/16/business/16pose.html?_r=2

Find out more about Danielle Platten and HR Angels Consultancy on their website: http://www.hrangelsconsultancy.com/

For a Social Networking Policy Package from Danielle, email her now on danielle@hrangelsconsultancy.co.uk to put yours into place.

Quote: KOO1410 you will get your policy for £49!

Guest Blogger: PR – Dispelling the Myths by Clare Delve

Aug 8 | by | Business Forum
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Have you ever been on the outside of a situation and thought – “how cool is that!” without knowing the full background? I have, but I’d never considered people thinking that way about my career until I became a radio journalist and someone presumed I only worked five minutes an hour because that was when I presented the news!

“Must be such a cushy job that.” they said to my total astonishment.

So I have become very defensive of my craft, particularly when I moved into the world of Public Relations. I guess it sounded oh so very glamorous, a world filled with absolutely fabulous champagne, designer shoes and air kisses “Mwah Mwah daaahling! Must dash, lunch soon yah!”

Hmmm, can’t remember the last time I did that… I’ve done lots of standing in the cold, asking total strangers what their opinions are on strikes, public services and movie stars; and I’ve sat writing press releases at midnight because it’s been important to a client but the champagne? Well OK, maybe once or twice over the years…. if I’m honest.

When people ask me to describe what PR is – which they inevitably do because it’s not like saying you’re a hairdresser or a solicitor – I say it’s basically it’s about the ability to tell a person’s story. It’s not dissimilar to journalism in that way when you get down to the fundamentals, you are giving someone a voice. You can bet that this is the same principle for anyone, whether they’re a big business or just a resident involved in their own community.

Now here’s the crux of it… not everyone is good at telling stories. Picking out the important bits and putting them first, getting another person’s point of view across in such a way that people can relate to it, promoting people or businesses in a positive way… I’m just getting started but being a good communicator is harder than you think.

The way I see it is that you wouldn’t expect the butcher to cut your hair or the baker to do your tax return so why would you expect someone with no experience or training in that area to communicate your key messages about your business?

So think of it this way, not as Public Relations and the mythical Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley world, but as communication, whether about your business, your latest endeavour or project and what it and you can do.

At the end of the day it’s your voice, and only you can make sure that it’s being heard.

Find out more about Clare Delve and PR on her website: http://claredelve.com

Digital Alphabet = “A” is for App (Application)

Jul 30 | by | Business Forum
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An App is short for Application which in this case can be downloaded to your phone. Whether you have an Android, Blackberry, iPhone or  iPad you are able to download an App on a variety of devices. They can be for fun, personal, business, finance, weight loss, dress codes, wine lists and so on…

More and more people are using their phones to get information.

  • Are you and your business ready for the mobile age?
  • Which device have you got?
  • Have you tested your website on it?

If your looking into a Mobile Website, feel free to contact us for more information.

RedShiftRadio.co.uk Programmes to listen out for!

Sep 30 | by | Business Forum
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As you should know by now, Koogar have a weekly business show on Crewe’s newest Internet radio station; RedShiftRadio.co.uk.  But, Business Day-to-Day is not the only interesting and enjoyable show on the new station.

RedShiftradio.co.uk boasts a large variety of shows so there is something for everyone, including the Polish communities!

So whether you’re into your gardening or cooking, interested in your child’s education, seeking business advice or simply want to hear some tunes, then RedShift Radio is the station to tune in to.

For more details about the shows and their presenters as well as a programme listing, please download the PDF’s below.

We know there is a programme for everyone, so take a look and happy listening!

E Crime, can you afford to ignore it?

Aug 23 | by | Business Forum
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Okay. You’ve submitted your business plan, bought your domain name, hired the services of a web designer, purchased the latest flashy IT kit and maybe found some office premises to rent. Life is good; business will be great!

But wait, have you thought about everything? Can I suggest that the flashy IT kit might actually need some protection, your web site might not be secure and your web server may not be protected?  Did they mention to you in your free business start up classes that computers are attacked on a very regular basis?

Attorney General Baroness Scotland said; “It is widely recognised that e-Crime is the most rapidly expanding form of criminality and knows no borders.”

What exactly are we talking about here? Well a study carried out last year placed a number of “ordinary” computers on business networks that had access to the Internet.  In a period of five days there were approximately 25,000 attacks on these computers.

Hey that’s okay; my computer only has details of people I trade with, customer accounts and the latest design of my ground breaking invention. Oh thanks said the “hacker.”  I’ll start with the latest design because I can sell your Intellectual Property and as we all know first past the post gets the money. Have you registered it?

Now let’s take the customer accounts, personal information, bank details etc. Should be enough there to take out some loans, maybe a mortgage, oh and buy the latest Flashy IT kit.  Great this person has actually made a document of CSV (Three Digit) numbers they write down when use certain online payment facilities. (It does happen)

What about the people you trade with. Well they are trusted. I have their bank and email details. They have mine and are part of the company’s electronic supply chain.

They are two or three tiers down and may not have the security you have or expect of your suppliers. So they now become the weakest link and I can either disrupt your business or work my way up to attack your IT Infrastructure.  If I disrupt your business in any manner then your competitors may gain, as they fill the orders you could not meet.

I’ll discuss the various threats to your business systems in the future but let’s get a few basics in place.

Is your software updated?  Everyone shouts “yes” which is why Microsoft released a patch for the Conficker Virus in October 2008 before the first reports of attack in November 2008. By January 2009 at least 30% of computers were still vulnerable.  So does everyone really patch their computers?

Of course you have the latest anti-virus products, which get updated on a frequent basis. Did I hear somebody say I got mine off a car boot or downloaded it from a file sharing network? Bless – shall I mention the manufacturers IP or even code put into the AV software by the file sharers to open up ports on your computer, to be used as methods of attack.

I know that everyone has a secure password such as “Bill” “Bill1” etc.  My password is mangled which means I’ve changed the E for a 3 and I for a 1.  They will never guess “Legolas” will they?  Actually brute force attacks on Bill will find it very quickly as will the dictionary attack on E for 3, or the Lord of the Rings dictionary.  Don’t become part of the estimated £500 million plus a year loss to UK businesses. Create secure passwords.

Don’t let anyone steal your dreams of a successful business. Update your operating system software and your anti-virus software on a daily basis and make sure your passwords are strong.  Remember over 1700 attacks a day, in a five day period, happen to people like you.

I will go on to discuss the different types of attack that may impact on your business and suggest strategies to deal with them including getting your business back online as soon as is practicable.

Chris has certainly given us a lot to think about!  I, as I’m sure many of you, was not aware of just how many attacks can take place DAILY on a computer and am therefore really looking forward to Chris’ next blog where he’ll talk us through some strategies to combat this from happening.
Please feel free to comment on the blog or if you would like to discuss anything with Chris, please follow the link below.
  http://www.ecrimesolutions.co.uk

And August’s guest blogger is…

Aug 23 | by | Business Forum
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Chris Sullivan: Director of E Crime Solutions – E Crime, can you afford to ignore it? 

Chris is the director of as well as a consultant at E Crime Solutions; A leading provider of computer forensics in Merseyside.  E Crime Solutions have worked with clients both nationally and internationally from the UK to Europe and Thailand to the USA providing  data recovery and investigations into E Crimes and offering expert testimony for both law enforcement and commercial cases.

Chris’ blog outlines the misconceptions and perhaps the naivety that we all have when it comes to protecting our computer.  We can sometimes forget that the data held by our computers can include our client’s personal details as well as our own.  Even our choice in passwords can be predictable.

Chris highlights areas that are frighteningly true in this day and age and are areas that we all should consider seriously.  Please feel free to comment on the blog as Chris is the best person to help with any problems you’re having or queries you need answering.

So, without further ado, I’ll let you read through the blog and hopefully it will make you rethink the way you back up and protect your data.

 

 http://www.ecrimesolutions.co.uk

It’s not me, it’s you…

Jul 9 | by | Business Forum
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You might be wondering what a Lily Allen album has to do with helping you increase your sales.

Well, the album hasn’t but the title has – let me explain.

When we meet a new client for the first time, we’re always more nervous than they are – Will they like me? Will they want what I’m selling?

It’s natural to feel nervous. But the down-side is that it makes us do things we shouldn’t.

For one, it makes us talk too much. Why is that?

There are many reasons, but we’ll look at two here –  

  1. Fear of silence
  2. Desire to tell the client everything we can about us

Let’s look at silence first – we don’t like it, especially when we’re nervous. 10 seconds of silence can feel like an eternity. So we feel we have to fill the silence by talking. Here’s the thing – we don’t have to be the only one talking. In fact, we really don’t want to be the one talking at all.

We’re there to find out more about the client and their business so we can decide the best way to help them – and we can only do that by asking questions, and shutting up!

How many times have we found ourselves asking a question and then answering it before the client has chance to speak? Or even worse, talking over the client as they’re trying to answer? A simple rule to remember – if a question is worth asking, the answer is worth listening to.

And don’t be afraid to find out more. If the client gives us an answer, don’t be afraid to dig a little deeper – Why is that important? How did you come to that decision?

We’re not digging for the sake of it; we’re giving ourselves the broadest picture of the client’s situation in order to be able to help them in the best possible way. And it gets our client talking – and the more they’re talking the less we are!

So, why do we always fall into telling the client everything about us? Because we see it as safe ground – we know all about us so we feel most comfortable talking about it. But unfortunately, while we’re talking about us we’re not finding out about them. If we’re lucky enough to secure a 30-minute meeting , we should spend the first 20 minutes finding out about the client, then spend the last 10-minutes talking about us -  and there’s a trick to doing that, too!

So, what does Lily Allen have to do with this? Think about it – when we meet a client for the first time, it’s not about us; it’s all about the client. It’s not me, it’s you…

I’m sure that grabbed your attention and made you think about your next meeting with a client. 

 Please feel free to comment on the blog or if you have any matters that you wish to speak to Damian about,  feel free to contact him by following the link below.

http://www.clear-results.org

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