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Your EnterQuest Bulletin - 14 December 2005
| Thought for the week: "Every job is a self portrait of the person who did it. Autograph your work with excellence." Jessica Guidobono |
In this week's issue:
Small business answers
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Weekly stir 
Tips to help you get more publicity for your small business
For most small business owners, getting your name or a story about your business in a local newspaper is something that ranks very highly on your marketing wish list, but is also something that most people feel is out of reach or unachievable.
Generally speaking, there are only two ways of getting the name of your business in the local paper - paying for an advert, which often allows you the opportunity to write a story or some news about your business alongside the ad (this is known as 'advertorial'), or by having a genuinely newsworthy event, news release or story about your business covered by the paper's own editorial team.
Both approaches can be effective, but the all-powerful news release can provide a much-desired level of credibility and respect that, in some circumstances, can even spark on-the-spot sales for your business.
Unfortunately, adverts contain information that people generally regard as being biased, and some surveys have found that many people believe adverts contain information that is misleading or perhaps even false.
On the other hand, people believe news articles are written by third-party news organisations and journalists that have nothing to gain by endorsing your business. Hence their credibility is so much higher than ads.
Clearly, life isn't as simple as that, as you have to have something that is newsworthy enough for the paper to cover in the first place, and you need to follow some basic rules when contacting newspaper editors and journalists who might like to write something about you.
So here are seven practical tips to help you get your news releases published in the local press.
1) |
Newspapers want news that is interesting and informative. They like to inform their readers with timely news that is local, current and educational, not just a dressed up sales pitch or boring blurb about your products. So make sure your story is a genuinely current story and not just a rehashed version of your brochure. |
2) |
All media people love human-interest stories. They know that people like to read about other people, especially if it's to do with what they've achieved or if they've done something different or creative. The key is, wherever possible, to include a strong human element in any story you release to the press. |
3) |
Your news release must catch the editor's eye or it will immediately be thrown in the bin. The first item on the news release that is read is the headline, so first of all make sure you have one, and secondly make sure it's catchy and grabs the editor's attention. Not having an attention-grabbing headline, or having no headline at all, are among the biggest errors made by small business owners sending out news releases to the press. |
4) |
Do a customer survey and include controversial questions (about your area of business or know-how, that is). Write articles about the results of your survey. The press loves survey results. |
5) |
Create a top-ten list about something in your business. For example, if you're a hairdresser, try writing an article entitled 'Top ten most popular hairstyles for women this year'. Top-ten lists are very popular with editors and journalists. |
6) |
Highlight things that your customers have done by using your products. For example, if they have done something in an unusual way, or have achieved something spectacular as a result of using your product or service, this has a strong human-interest angle and will be interesting to write about – and also to read about in the paper. |
7) |
Prove a generally accepted myth or stereotype about your industry or business to be wrong. For example, if you're in the building trade and have a love of the opera or fine art, then let the local press know, as this may also be the sort of unusual story they like to write about in their publication. |
So, to recap, the key to getting publicity for your business is to write a news release or article that is not only newsworthy but is also attention-grabbing, slightly unusual or even controversial, educational and with a strong human-interest element that will appeal to the publication's readers.
If you look at this hard enough you are almost certain to find something in your business that is worthy of the publicity.
You can locate the newspapers and magazines for your local area at the Media UK portal. And to read a special report on other ways to gain free publicity for your business, as well as hundreds more tips, ideas, techniques and tactics for increasing sales and finding new customers, check out the UK Small Business Marketing Bible.
Marketing
tip
The importance of Christmas customer service
The news is full of stories about how Christmas is the most important time of year for many businesses, particularly those involved in retail. And last Sunday's Observer has a great article explaining why customer service is so important at this time of year and revealing how many high-profile firms have come a cropper with grumpy attitudes this festive season.
We've produced the following tips, ideas and resources to help you make sure your customer service is second-to-none even in the busy Christmas period.
Finally, you can check out our practical factsheet about dealing with customer complaints for more tips on handling this delicate process coolly.
Legal
tip
Trading law for service providers
Most guides to trading law give a lot of space to the law on selling goods, and not much to the rules about selling services. But the number of businesses providing services rather than just selling goods is growing all the time, so it's worth noting that there are specific rules applicable to people like architects, car valeters, software programmers, cleaners and couriers.
- The 1982 Supply of Goods and Services Act says that this type of business must provide its services with reasonable care and skill and, unless agreed to the contrary, within a reasonable time and for a reasonable charge.
- Service providers who don't meet these standards may be treated as being in breach of contract.
- The Act applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scottish law is slightly different - see this Trading Standards Institute leaflet on Scottish consumer law for details.
- There's plenty more about the Act on the Department of Trade and Industry's website, where you'll find explanations of what the terms mean in practice. It has a set of frequently asked questions, and a useful general guide to the law for traders.
- We also have a practical guide to the Act, written in layman's terms and setting out your responsibilities in clear steps.
And don't forget the UK Red Tape Buster has hundreds of factsheets and scenarios designed to guide small business owners through the maze of laws they have to face these days.
IT
tip
Free and open source software - a tip for start ups on a tight budget
Microsoft software has become the standard in so many areas that many people don't realise there are still alternatives. But if anything, there are now more realistic options for non-Microsoft software around than ever before, even if you never see them advertised.
And the great thing is that many of these programs are free. This means you can alter them and use them as you want, which makes a change from the endless restrictions many software providers impose. Because most of them are designed by volunteers, they're often free of charge, though many designers appreciate acknowledgement or even small donations.
There's free software ('freeware') for word-processing, accounting, graphics and photo retouching, Internet security and almost any other application you can think of. Needless to say, this can be a real boon for those starting up a business on a tight budget.
- The place to start finding out about free software is at the Free Software Foundation website, which has a directory of over 4,000 applications.
- OSDir.com is also a good site for updates about new applications.
- Finally, if these sites prove to contain too much technical mumbo-jumbo, you can cut to the chase by heading to OpenOffice.org, which is the most popular freeware alternative to Microsoft Office.
And if you're looking to develop your own business website to sell to customers via the Internet, why not check out the Small Business Builder, a unique tool to enable a complete novice to set up a website or online store.
New business idea
Each
week we provide you with summaries of some popular or emerging business
ideas in the UK.
Here
is this week's idea:
Just one word
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 what the word 'arbitrage' means?
a) the process of taking a bad debt through the courts
b) the act of serving as an intermediary in a legal dispute
c) the nearly simultaneous purchase and sale of an asset in order to profit from price discrepancies
d) the process of providing a refund to a complaining customer
Answer at the end of the Bulletin.
Website review
The British Computer Society (BCS - www.bcs.org)
It's the industry body for IT professionals, but also provides information about IT for businesses. So how user-friendly and accessible is its website?
-
Navigation and presentation - the homepage is clearly divided to signpost special areas and features of the BCS site, and other BCS services and resources, which makes it easy to navigate. It looks good too, with coherent and intuitive menus.
 
-
Accessibility - the site can be viewed in text-only format, but there are no instructions for users of different browsers, and no foreign language options to be seen.
-
Content and usefulness - the site's 'Information and advice' section contains a wealth of useful information for business owners. From basic tips and factsheets on getting the most out of IT, to detailed guides to IT security tailored especially for firms, the site is definitely worth bookmarking as a reference resource for tackling IT problems.
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Relevance - the news section of the site is fresh, engaging and topical, with most of the stories possessing a general appeal for anyone interested in IT, rather than being aimed at techies only. The 'Industry news' section is a particularly fruitful source of information about trends in technology.
A well-presented and broad-ranging site, providing lots of useful tools and information for any business that uses computers.
Our rating - 15/20
Did
you know?
Deadline is looming for BACS changeover
Business owners are being reminded that the BACS system of electronic payment is changing from the end of this year. You will be affected if you use BACS to pay your staff or contractors' wages, for example. The existing system is being replaced by a new platform, known as BACSTEL-IP, which aims to improve the efficiency of electronic payment. If you use the BACS system, you'll need to ensure your systems are upgraded in order to continue with the process from 1 January 2006.
Still no patch for "extremely critical" Microsoft flaw
Microsoft's web browser, Internet Explorer (IE), is under attack by a Trojan virus that exploits an unpatched flaw in the system. Microsoft has not yet released a patch to fix the vulnerability, but is recommending that users visit its security website and use its scanning tool to check for the Trojan and decontaminate their systems if necessary. The threat has been classed as "extremely critical" by antivirus company Secunia.
Worth
a visit
Red tape resource
Times business doctor and MD of employment law consultancy Peninsula, Peter Done, has launched a red tape busting campaign called Cut Red Tape 2006. Small firm owners can provide examples of how red tape has deterred them from employing people or caused problems in the day-to-day running of their enterprises. You can also sign Done's petition on red tape, and the website's red tape case studies, red tape history and analysis of crazy bits of impending red tape are certainly worth a look.
Beermatting around the creative ideas
Web designer Duncan Weddell has set up an innovative new networking and ideas club in Edinburgh that catches on to the new trend for exchanging ideas in an informal setting. The concept enables twenty- and thirtysomething creative types to get together each week and bounce ideas around, share tips and expertise, and make useful contacts. Although Beermatting is currently restricted to the Scottish capital, it's supported by a great website that features an explanation of the concept, dates for events and a blog-style list of ideas.
Worth
a read
Aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs at the beginning of their quest to run their own venture, this book tells the story of how one of the world's most successful businesses, Coffee Republic, was developed from the homes of its founders. The authors provide a candid account of their problems, setbacks and frustrations, and provide checklist-style tips and hints for others facing similar hurdles. Check out:
Just one word answer
The answer is c).
Arbitrage is the nearly simultaneous purchase and sale of an asset in order to profit from price discrepancies. |
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The EnterQuest Team
This information is meant as a starting point only. Whilst all reasonable
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for any errors or omissions in the information nor any consequences
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