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BCL49 How to Fastrack Your Business
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Its what every business owner needs to know, How To Fast Track Your Business. Ask yourself these questions.

1.How does an MD evolve from being hands-on during the start-up phase to delegating and having a more strategic role?

2.How do you find the right staff for a fast growing business?

3.How do you retain the company’s values and ethos during a fast-growth period

How To Fast Track Your Business with Bishopsgate Financial

1.Understand your marketplace and your audience’s needs in order to provide a product/service which is genuinely in demand – spot gaps in the market which you can address

2.Think outside the box to deliver something different – i.e. Bishopsgate Financial’s Advance Training Programme which offers career opportunities to ex-services personnel and provides Bishopsgate Financial with a pool of home grown talent.

3.Consider how to attract the best skills – look at transferrable skills/people from other industries. Offer training and responsibilities to inexperienced staff and help them to rise to new challenges.

4.Empower your staff /ensure they feel involved in the business and motivated to help the business to grow.

5.Managing Director’s leadership skills are critical for a fast-growing business – ensure that he/she is given support (through training/mentoring etc) to evolve from a hands-on to strategic role

Developing a strong company culture, values and ethos is key for a fast-growing business

1.Learning from different industries is important for a fresh perspective

2.Ensure your company values represent the brand and that all employees understand and adhere to these values – this will help with the positive external perception of your organisation

3.Treating staff with respect and providing excellent career opportunities and training will help with staff retention

4.Training raw talent will ensure that you have exactly the right skills you need for your business

5.A focus on leadership skills for the MD and senior team is key for driving the business forward

Mike Hampson, CEO, Bishopsgate Financial

Mike Hampson is a successful entrepreneur with a career spanning 25 years in the finance sector, operating at board level in senior leadership roles in technology and transaction banking. He has held senior roles at Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and ABN AMRO and has successfully exited a number of other small businesses. He is a co-founder of Bishopsgate Financial and also Managing Director of Midpoint.com, a disruptive peer to peer currency exchange and payments platform.

Adam Crawford, Director

Adam Crawford, MBE, joined Bishopsgate Financial in April 2014 to support the organisation’s ambitious growth plans.

Previously a Lieutenant Colonel with the Royal Marines, Adam was appointed for his expertise in leadership and his strategic capabilities. Part of his remit is to help the City-based consultancy to further capitalise on its Fast-track 100 success and attract and develop the very best talent. In particular, he is focusing on Bishopsgate’s Advance Training Programme, designed specifically to offer career opportunities in the City to ex-services personnel.

Bishopsgate Financial is the UK’s fastest growing management consultancy, ranking 4th in The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 2013, with growth of 228.72% over the last three years.

The company has experienced particular success over the last year – including launching a major new training initiative to offer career opportunities in the City to former armed forces personnel in addition to client, Associate (freelance consultants) and employee growth.

http://www.bishopsgate-financial.com/

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Business Connections Live Programme 49 How to Fast Track Your Business

This is the Business Connections Live Business Channel On YouTube Business Connections Live Programme 49. Broadcast 20th August 2014

BCL48 ‘Netwinning’ –The new way of Networking to develop your Business
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‘Netwinning’ –  The new way of Networking to develop your business. It’s all about people and ‘people buy people’, whatever product or service you put in front of them.

• Networking is not about ‘selling’, it’s about creating relationships. If it were about selling it would be called a sales meeting!

• Networking is not a quick win and is not just about the people we meet. An effective network is one that forges relationships beyond the room, where the people we meet make introductions to their wider network,

• Netwinning is just the start of the business development process.   It takes time, effort, energy and enthusiasm.   It’s not about going to a meeting and waiting for the phone to ring, you need to make an effort to follow up – yes via ‘social’ media, but also by phone and face-to-face too.  

• Netwinning is an investment, NOT an expense.   And to get the most out of it you do need to do a lot more work following the meeting.

• But you also need to measure your investment.   Not just by the cost of membership or indeed the monthly cost - your time + travel costs and if you don’t start with a goal and measure the performance, you will find it an uphill battle.  It’s like everything in life!

Fabulous Women is about supporting women in business through networking opportunities, training and business support.

• Regular networking encourages business owners to think hard about their businesses, what they do and who they do it for. 

• Women network differently to many men, they are less focused on sales pitches and more open to building longer term relationships for business advantage.  However, marvellous men understand that too which is why they are welcome at Fabulous Women and who likes ‘to be sold to’?

• Many female business owners are striving with a constant juggling act managing a family and a business. Getting children to school on time makes breakfast meetings difficult which is why Fabulous Women’s networking meetings fit around school times whilst still leaving time to work following the meetings.

• We know that networking can be daunting which is why we are very supportive and non-judgemental. Our Group Leaders will always help if someone is a nervous wreck when doing their 60 seconds and will ensure that visitors are looked after and introduced to the more experienced members.   

• We all know how difficult it is to run a small business.   But, with a strong network, business owners can always tap in to the help they need to overcome any difficulty, whether it’s finding a sounding board for a tricky decision or bringing in extra skills to the business

• Business moves fast and it’s near impossible for the owner of a small business to keep up.   Fabulous Women allow knowledge and expertise to be shared so owners don’t miss out on new ideas or changes in the law for example

• People love givers and will always look for ways to repay a kindness, networking facilitates that – naturally.

• Unlike many networking organisations Fabulous Women doesn’t restrict attendance to one per profession and members are free to visit any group at the member rate. This means that our members have the opportunity to collaborate and win contracts that are just too big for an individual micro business

• Growing – By asking for help or learning from the talks, coaching or at our affordable training events, you will ‘grow’ naturally and become more fluent in everything thing we do – in life and in business – because there really is life outside of our business and personal demands on us too and at Fabulous Women we acknowledge this fact and it is NOT a negative!

Jane Hardy, Managing Director of Fabulous Women.

They are predominantly a ‘Netwinning’ organisation for Women, but welcome the Gents too – well those that believe in ‘Collaboration, not Competition’ and who believe that trust, relationships, giving and supporting is the new way of developing your business.

http://fabulous-women.co.uk/

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Business Connections Live Programme 48 –  ‘Netwinning’ –  The new way of Networking to develop your business

This is the Business Connections Live Business Channel On YouTube Business Connections Live Programme 48. Broadcast 13th August 2014

BCL47 How Winning Awards is a Boost for Business
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How Winning Awards is a Boost for Business Business Connections Live Programme 47 Broadcast 6th August 2014

http://businessconnectionslive.com/free-business-video/

On this week's programme we talk to Tom Higgins CEO Gold-i about winning awards in particular the Queen's Award for Enterprise 2014 for Innovation.

Winning awards can be a real boost for a business – a strong external endorsement that the company has market leading products, is commercially successful, has strong leadership and good business ethics. It’s a mark of success which has a positive impact on clients and prospects as well as employees and potential employees.

Since its first year of trading, Gold-i has won a host of industry and business awards. This year, Gold-i won the ultimate business award, The Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2014 for Innovation. CEO, Tom Higgins was invited to Buckingham Palace for a reception with the Queen and was presented with the award by the Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey at his office.  

In addition to talking about the Queen’s Award, Tom talks about his experience of entering and winning awards and the impact on his business of award success.

Entering awards helps you to focus on your business and future plans. It’s a very useful exercise in terms of business planning as you have to write about all aspects of the business and can see where there can be gaps/areas to focus on or strengthen in the future – for example, you may realise that you need to strengthen your communication with your employees about your corporate values or focus more heavily on CSR. Some of the awards we’ve entered have involved interviews once we’ve been selected as finalists and these have been thought provoking/provided useful feedback to help with our future development.

Tom Higgins, CEO of Gold-i. Gold-i is a specialist financial trading technology company, helping retail brokers to trade more effectively. In less than 5 years and with no external funding, Gold-i has grown from Surrey-based start-up to global market leader. Gold-i’s clients include some of the leading retail brokers in Europe, Asia, Middle East, Australasia and America.

http://www.gold-i.com/about-us/

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Business Connections Live Programme 47 – Winning Awards is a Boost for Business

This is the Business Connections Live Business Channel On YouTube Business Connections Live Programme 47. Broadcast 6th August 2014

BCL 46 Twitter Time Tools and Tips
Watch our Live Show every Wednesday 6pm UK HERE on Business 

http://businessconnectionslive.com/free-business-video/ - Time, Tools and Tips. This is the ultimate Twitter How To with one of the leading authority's on using Twitter in Business, Nicky Kriel. We look at how to manage your twitter time, The tools that help you manage your twitter account and tweets and and some tips that let you get the most from the social media platform.

Twitter - Time, Tools and Tips

Twitter is probably the easiest Social Media platform to come to grips with, yet the one with the highest fear factor. It is very easy to get overwhelmed with the noise and the constant need to think of what to Tweet in what seems a fast flowing river of information.  If you are wondering how to find the time to use Twitter for your business, how to filter the noise and how to be more effective using Twitter, this is the programme for you.

Twitter has over 500 million users and 135,000 new users signing up every day so it is a great place for you to connect with your target audience. And by following the advice in this programme you can make it work for your business as part of an effective marketing strategy.

By getting involved in the conversation, you can make twitter a valuable asset to your business and to your customers. Get started today!   Nicky Kriel Social Media Consultant, Trainer and Author of How to Twitter for Business Success working with business owners to inspire and empower you to use Social Media more strategically to grow your business www.nickykriel.com author of “How to Twitter for Business Success”

http://www.businessconnectionslive.com/ - ‪http://www.businessconnectionslive.com/ Business Connections Live Programme 46 – Twitter – Time, Tools and Tips This is the Business Connections Live Business Channel On YouTube Business Connections Live Programme 46. Broadcast 30th July 2014

BCL45 Business Development in a Connected World
Watch our Live Show every Wednesday 6pm UK HERE on Business

Great Business advice & techniques http://www.businessconnectionslive.com. Business Development in a Connected World Streamed live on 23rd July 2014

‪Many viewers ask us at Business Connections Live How to Use Social Media for Business Development. On this edition, we talk to Jim McLaughlin of Axiall about how these new phemomena are changing the ways companies segment their marketplace, identify and target their prospects, create and disseminate their messages, engage with prospects and interact with prospects and customers

This is Business Connections Live Programme 45 Broadcast 23rd July 2014 Business Development in a Connected World

The impact of the Internet on all aspects of business has been profound and transformative. From Social Media to Search Engine Optimisation to Big Data we're all familiar with the headlines, but have we stopped to think about how they are affecting the way we do business and, in particular, develop our businesses?

If you are in sales and are not using social media correctly to develop qualified business relationships, you are missing the boat.

Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and Google+ were developed to encourage user to user interaction. Sales in business is being social, these platforms are essential tools to a sales professional.

What you need to know:

As traditional methods of marketing to customers like advertising or direct mail become less and less effective, businesses are turning to social mediums to connect in positive ways with consumers and the people who influence them. The key to social media success is to not get hung up on the tools and technology but to focus on how you can use them more effectively to:

You need to be acutely aware just how social media has fundamentally changed the way we are connecting, communicating and collaborating as individuals, and therefore society as a whole.

Axiall Ltd is a business development company in the b2b space. They specialise in lead generation and market research -- that means helping their customers:

a)    to create and deliver lead generation programmes that find new customers

b)    to use market research to help their customers understand what's happening in their marketplace and what their customers think of them

http://www.axiall.uk.com

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Business Connections Live Programme 45 - Business Development in a Connected World

This is the Business Connections Live Business Channel On YouTube Business Connections Live Programme 45. Broadcast 23rd July 2014

BCL44 Dee Blick Get Your Business Marketing Working
Watch our Live Show every Wednesday 6pm UK HERE on Business Connections 

For any SME or small business marketing is not an option -- it's vital if sales are to soar! Get Your Business Marketing Working says Dee Blick on Business Connections Live.  http://www.businessconnectionslive.com

Most SMEs and small businesses dive into marketing tactics and spend money on stuff that does not work. Dee Blick can show a small business how a simple marketing plan before tactics delivers sales, why you don't have to use a marketer and how this approach delivers long term growth with examples of great campaigns. 

For example a direct mail letter Dee created a few weeks ago has already generated 3 leads, one from a £100 million brand. How does she do this? She spends time with a client understanding core messages, target audiences etc. The letter cost peanuts but has had an amazing impact. Most small businesses don't invest the time exploring and planning yet it drives sales, saves time and ensures accurate targeting.

On this edition of Business Connections Live Dee Blick explains:

Dee shares real live and current business case studies to illustrate all the features and these amply convey the benefits which is more powerful than simply telling a business owner that it works. She gets across the fact that shoestring marketing takes time more than money and that it builds growth that a business can sustain. In a nutshell more sales at a lower cost.

Dee has 31 years experience in marketing and although she is comfortable in the digital world she knows that for so many of her clients 'traditional marketing' as it is called is so important and her approach is to be 'brilliant at the basics' when it comes to marketing. She gets results too having generated £12 million sales over her career. She also walks the walk in her own business and has a waiting list (never trust a skint marketer!!)

BCL43 How to Raise your Google Ranking with SEO 
Watch our Live Show every Wednesday 6pm UK HERE on Business Connections 

http://www.businessconnectionslive.com/ - SEO -- How to raise your Google Ranking with SEO

How can small businesses raise their ranking in the Google search results through Search Engine Optimisation?

99% of all clicks from Google go to the websites on the first page of Google, so search engine ranking results are vital to any business. Small business can compete if they target their local area or focus on a specific niche. There are no magic tricks just good marketing disciplines applied to your website content. Combining good onsite content with offsite promotion is the key to success.

Writing copy that targets the search terms and is optimised for search results -- how to structure a good landing page, the type of content and the basics of good onsite SEO.

Promotion of your website across the internet for your key marketing terms -- offsite SEO is now more important than ever in good search rankings.

Avoid some of the traps that some businesses fall into like unfocused content, keyword overload, duplicate content and over reaching their target area.

What are the benefits of SEO?

 SEO is 'pull marketing' attracting those potential clients who are looking for exactly what you provide if done correctly.

 SEO can increase traffic to your website and lead to a greater conversion to sales and enquiries

 SEO is an investment in your online presence that outlasts other advertising and continues to work for months after publication

 SEO allows you to target specific niches or local markets and compete with larger competition.

Mark Rouvray from Activ Web Design

Is the Activ online marketing advisor for the Kingston and Wimbledon area. Mark spent 25 years working in large blue chip organisations and now helps small business to grow their business through a professional online presence.

Activ specialise in providing online marketing solutions for small businesses at affordable, fixed prices. Their clients include business startups, businesses looking to get a professional online presence for the first time and those wanting to grow their business online. Increasingly, their clients are recognising the significance of Search Engine Optimisation and the opportunities to increase leads generated by their website from higher google ranking results.

Their services include: websites, SEO, email marketing, mobile websites, Apps and Social Media.

DOs and 5 DON'Ts for improved Search Engine Optimisation -- Available for download at www.thesurreywebdesigner.co.uk

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Business Connections Live Programme 43 - SEO -- How to raise your Google Ranking

This is the Business Connections Live Business Channel On YouTube Business Connections Live Programme 43. Broadcast 9th July 2014

BCL42 How to use the power of Facebook for your business success.
Watch our Live Show every Wednesday 6pm UK HERE on Business ConnectionsHow to use the power of Facebook for your business success, on this edition of Business Connections Live we talk to Mark Hughes from Funky Social Media.
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Business Connections Live Facebook for Business Why Do I Care To Share 2nd July 2014

Facebook for Business

Over a billion people use Facebook to connect. Based on their location, age and more, we can introduce you to the people who'll love your business. On this edition of Business Connections live we look at Facebook for Business and Why Do I Care To Share.

Why Do I Care To Share?

We Look at how to produce targeted organic content for your business Facebook page that engages your customers and prospects while positioning you as the go to expert.

Using Facebook for Business is essential we show you how to...

1. Building Your Customer Avatar

2. Keyword research

3. Using Wisdom to research great content

4. Building a content strategy

5. Using Facebook to find top related content

How to

1. Targeted prospects beat general fans every time

2. The right content initiates engagement and influences Facebook's Edge Rank

3. Having a strategy means you can measure its success

Mark Hughes from Funky Social Media. Consult with SME's to help them build a strategic social media strategy to generate leads and traffic, get it implemented and track the results to maximise business growth online. http://www.funkysocialmedia.com/about-us/

Also watch Facebook for business a how too introduction.

‪http://www.businessconnectionslive.com/‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬ Business Connections Live Programme 42

BCL42 How to use the power of Facebook for your business success.

Watch our Live Show every Wednesday 6pm UK HERE on Business ConnectionsHow to use the power of Facebook for your business success, on this edition of Business Connections Live we talk to Mark Hughes from Funky Social Media.Broadcast 2nd July 2014

BCL41 Benefits of Cloud Computing
Watch our Live Show every Wednesday 6pm UK HERE on Business ConnectionsThe Benefits of Cloud Computing, on this edition of Business Connections Live we talk to Tim Bodill of Phoenix.http://businessconnectionslive.com

Cloud Computing is now evolving like never before, with companies of all shapes and sizes adapting to this new technology. Industry experts believe that this trend will only continue to grow and develop even further in the coming few years. On this edition of Business Connections Live we look at The Benefits of Cloud Computing

Benefits of Cloud Computing

IT and those that work in the industry are very good at confusing the world with new technologies and even more new ways of describing them. What people don't realise is that although Cloud is a fundamental shift in the way IT is delivered, the technology behind it is nothing new. Wide Area Networks and Data centres have existed for many years.  What really is new is the level of innovation and improvements applied to these technologies that give Cloud the potential to change IT service delivery forever. 

Phoenix has addressed this by providing a commoditised cloud service offering -- CloudSure UK.

With CloudSure UK, Phoenix has brought enterprise class Cloud services to the mid-market.  What makes CloudSure UK different is that you don't need to be a highly skilled technician in order to access the full range of Cloud delivered packages and services.  Phoenix has packaged them up into a range of easily understandable, off-the-shelf packages that still give the benefits of low-cost and high availability, but without the need of a computer science degree.

Features

Barriers to cloud adoption are coming down through the provision of commoditised standard platforms.  As a result of this we are able to create products and services that are easier for our mid-market customers to understand

Efficiencies are gained by providing a standard platform which are converted into cheap user based menu pricing

This approach allows for pay-as-you-go/utility based model which also enables the flexibility for users to choose scalable cloud packages that can flex up and down as the business changes

Phoenix are offering access to world class enterprise class datacentres -- something which previously would have seemed too expensive for mid-market companies. As a result of having access to these data centres comes the reassurance that the environment is always available with automated monitoring built in 

Better adoption of the cloud enables the users to free up real estate/skills to focus on their core business.  Phoenix through their provision of cloud services allows for SME businesses not necessarily ofay with 

Through our cloud services we are allowing SME access to enterprise class cloud services as a sensible price, something which previously may have been too expensive.

Benefits

Organisations now no longer need to hire in specialist skills or complex equipment freeing up headcount and office space.  The benefits of this to SME's are that they can save money, reduce risk and redeploy resources more effectively to suit business needs

 Utility based pricing enables businesses to flex up and down as their requirements change. This allows for better cost management/cash flow; businesses don't have to tie up large amounts of capital. In addition the flexible nature of cloud allows SME's to adjust their demand as their business changes

SME's can reduce the cost of their IT support and maintenance by outsourcing to the cloud.  Servers and IT support contracts will no longer be required -- many of which are required for a traditional IT delivery model

The utility based flexible model means that SME's can now demand the benefits of cloud that enterprises have been enjoying for years -- innovative solutions on a reliable hosting platform 

Help to meet compliance regulations and UK Data Sovereignty requirements by hosting in UK only data centres.  As we have UK only based data centres dealing with regulatory requirements such as Data Sovereignty become much easier for our customers.

 Tim Bodill, Director of the Managed Services division of Phoenix IT Services http://www.phoenix.co.uk

http://www.businessconnectionslive.com/ - How Cloud Computing can benefit your Business

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BCL41 Benefits of Cloud Computing
Watch our Live Show every Wednesday 6pm UK HERE on Business ConnectionsThe Benefits of Cloud Computing, on this edition of Business 

Broadcast 25th June 2014

BCL40 LinkedIn Masterclass 2 The Power Of LinkedIn
Watch our Live Show every Wednesday 6pm UK HERE on Business Connections
Business Connections Live Programme 40 Broadcast 18th June 2014

LinkedIn? if you're not, then this edition of Business Connections Live will convince you that, of all the Social Media for business, this is the important one. Since our last programme on LinkedIn, this social platform has moved on. There have been a number of changes and the addition of some new features to LinkedIn which make it a valuable tool for all business owners regardless of the size of their organisation.

LinkedIn Masterclass 2 The Power of LinkedIn

On Business Connections Live TV, Steve Mills returns with LinkedIn Masterclass 2 The Power of LinkedIn, to show you how to unleash the power of the new features on LinkedIn with some amazing revelations about LinkedIn and how to use it in your marketing strategy.

Steve Mills - The Prudent Marketer http://www.stevemillsmarketing.com explains some of the techniques and inside secrets you can use to increase sales and profits. How to build your prospects list, the power of groups and why it is so important to set up your profile correctly.

We look at the key changes to LinkedIn

Steve Hyland, host of Business Connections Live said "I was amazed at how powerful LinkedIn can be for your businesses marketing. This update on the Power of LinkedIn is a unique insight into how you can easily build new business and create opportunities to maximise the success of your business".

LinkedIn Masterclass 2 The Power of LinkedIn

Find out How to

This is, without doubt, an hour well spent that brings real profitable results.

Business Connections Live BCL40 LinkedIn Masterclass 2 The Power of LinkedIn

BCL40 LinkedIn Masterclass 2 The Power Of LinkedIn
Watch our Live Show every Wednesday 6pm UK HERE on Business Connections
Business Connections Live Programme 40 Broadcast 18th June 2014