Your EnterQuest Bulletin - Issue 349

Thought for the week
Thought for the week: "I pointed out to you the stars and all you saw was the tip of my finger." African proverb

In this week's issue:

Marketing tip

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How to make your e-zine more readable

If you use an e-zine to drum up business from your clients or keep them informed about your offers and latest products, you'll know that it can be a bit of struggle to keep it interesting and relevant. A successful e-zine is one that people will open up and read as soon as it arrives. So what makes an interesting e-zine?

1. Interactivity - People like to get involved in things. They like to feel valued. Interactive newsletters make the reader feel involved. Conducting surveys, asking for answers to questions, and gathering opinions are simple strategies for getting readers to interact with you.

2. Personality - People are attracted to real personalities. Injecting your personality into your newsletter makes it interesting. Opinions, rants, raves and personal experiences could be included in your newsletter to give it personality.

3. Utility - Newsletters that don't give useful information will not be read. Include content that people can use to improve their lives, jobs, businesses, relationships etc. By giving your best information, subscribers will come to view you as a true expert.

4. Attractive - A newsletter that has paragraphs bunched together is not going to be read. E-zines that are easy to read and easy on the eye will be read.

5. Relevance - Your newsletter should be relevant to your target market. If you're trying to sell marketing services then don't write about logistics or human resources. Write about marketing topics. Then those who aren't interested in reading will opt out. But that's ok, because they probably weren't going to be your customer anyway.

UK Small Business Marketing Bible

The UK Small Business Marketing Bible contains hundreds more tips and tactics for boosting your sales using proven marketing strategies that work no matter what product or service you sell.

A world of business ideas

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Each week we provide you with summaries of some popular or emerging business ideas in the UK and elsewhere around the world.

  • Taxi booking service via Twitter. An entrepreneurial bunch of cabbies in London have extended their use of Twitter from keeping in touch with one another to a 'TweetaLondoncab' service. Anyone who wants to use the service must follow the cabbies on Twitter and directly e-mail them when they want a cab.

  • Product development platform for inventors. Quirky is a platform that helps anyone with an idea for a product or service to develop it then sell it. Users submit their ideas to Quirky for a fee, then each week Quirky rates them and selects the best one for product development, design and promotion.

Just one word

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Regularly improving your vocabulary is not just about learning a new word and its meaning. It will improve your general knowledge and make you feel and act smarter in all sorts of personal and business situations.

Do you know the meaning of the word 'covetous'?

a) curious
b) greedy
c) demanding
d) tiny

Answer at the end of the Bulletin.

How's your business radar?

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The following topical business issues have been recently reported in the media. Did your radar pick them up?

1) According to figures from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which of the following groups of manufacturers performed best in the quarter to December, as a result of high consumer spending on their products?

a) traditional toys and games
b) clothing and footwear
c) soft furnishings and homeware
d) food, drink and tobacco

2) A report from accountancy firm Deloitte has revealed that which of the following industries contributes more than £6 billion to the UK economy, prompting one industry leader to ask for a more sensible tax approach?

a) the beer and alcohol industry
b) the betting industry
c) the music industry
d) the advertising industry

3) Health Secretary Andy Burnham is backing a private members' bill calling for which of the following services to be subject to legislation that would ban under-18s from using them?

a) hairdressers
b) gyms
c) tanning salons
d) tattoo and piercing parlours

Answers at the end of the Bulletin.

Worth a look

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Guide to starting a social enterprise

This guide from Forth Sector (a Scotland-based social enterprise) is aimed at entrepreneurs who want to start up a social enterprise. It covers basics like motives for starting a social enterprise, knowledge of social enterprises, cultural and risk assessments, business plans and ideas testing.

Tips for writing a business proposal

If you're bidding for tenders or have an idea you need to run past stakeholders or your bank manager, these top tips for writing a proposal can help you sharpen your content and help the proposal make sense.

Web in Feb seminars from British Library

Web in Feb is a month of events held at the British Library which are aimed at helping more businesses get online. Events include 'Building an outstanding online brand' and 'Social media for business'. Some events are free to attend while others must be paid for.

Mistakes in e-commerce design and how to avoid them

This article explores 15 common mistakes in e-commerce design and what can be done to avoid or rectify them. Common mistakes include displaying tiny images of products, having a confusing checkout process, and requiring customers to open an account with the business before ordering.

You can get access to hundreds more online business tools, how-to articles, checklists, standard forms and business development resources by subscribing to the Better Business Adviser.

BETTER business magazine

EnterQuest readers can also get a free copy of our sister publication, Better Business magazine. Simply send us your name and address to enterquest@cobwebinfo.com, putting 'EQ magazine offer' in the subject box.

Subscriber Competition

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Win a Bluetooth mobile printer worth £199

The PrintStik from mobile working solutions firm PlanOn is the world's smallest full-page printer that makes it possible for users to print documents anywhere, any time, while on the road.

PrintStik offers full-feature printing capabilities on a self-contained, 20-page roll of A4 paper. It is extremely user-friendly and syncs easily with a variety of devices including laptops, PDAs and smart phones, transferring images and documents clearly with no smudging or bleeding.

EnterQuest has teamed up with PlanOn to offer readers the chance to win this really useful device, worth £199.

To be in with a chance of winning this great prize, just answer the following question:

Q: Who is the current Health Secretary of the UK Government?

a) Alan Johnson
b) Andy Burnham

E-mail your answer, together with your name, address and daytime phone number, using 'PlanOn PrintStik competition' in the subject line, to enterquest@cobwebinfo.com.

All entries must be received by 31 January. Full competition rules are available on request.

Worth a read

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This book is aimed at anyone who likes the idea of running their own business but doesn't know where to start. It provides tips on avoiding pitfalls of running a business, as well as tips on raising and managing finance. Check out:

Worth a read

How to Save Your Life: Sack Your Boss, Start Your Own Business, Find Your Passion, by Steve Carey and Susannah Bowen

Just one word answer

The answer is b).

Covetous means greedy.

The covetous nature of some consumers leads them to spend money on items they don't need.

How's your business radar? The answers

1) The answer is d) - The CBI's figures have revealed that manufacturing production for the fourth quarter of 2009 increased for the first time since January 2007, with food, drink and tobacco performing well. When The Times asked CBI chief Terry Leahy whether Brits had drank, smoked and eaten themselves out of recession, he replied: "You could say that."

2) The answer is b) - The Deloitte report, commissioned by betting chain Ladbrokes, revealed that the betting industry as a whole contributes £6 billion to the economy, and pays nearly as much tax as it makes in operating profits. This has prompted Ladbrokes chief executive Chris Bell to call for a "sensible tax approach" for the industry.

3) The answer is c) - The Health Secretary Andy Burnham has backed calls for tanning salons to be regulated, following the introduction of a private members' bill. Research has revealed that in some English cities up to 20% of children under 18 have used a sunbed.

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Good luck

The EnterQuest Team

This information is meant as a starting point only. Whilst all reasonable efforts have been made, the publisher makes no warranties that the information is accurate and up-to-date and will not be responsible for any errors or omissions in the information nor any consequences of any errors or omissions. Professional advice should be sought where appropriate.

© 2009 Cobweb Information Limited
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