FastForward

Do you want to reach more people online? The answer is yes, of course! So, have you ensured that your website is usable by the widest range of people possible? One in five people consider themselves disabled and thousands of other people live with ‘hidden disabilities’.

Inclusive design maximises your audience by limiting the potential barriers to people accessing information about your company. It just makes business sense, because the more people you reach, the higher the potential profit.

Sarah Brown-Fraser is marketing manager at Activity Alliance, a charity that helps more organisations to support more disabled people to be active. Here are some of the key points she discusses with Trish:

- Knowing your audience and understanding the barriers to communication.
- Some of the common problems with websites which limit accessibility
- How to ensure inclusivity when designing a website
- The importance of testing your website with a diverse audience
- How improving inclusion and accessibility can benefit your business and your brand

Host: Patricia Keating
Guests: Sarah Brown-Fraser Marketing Manger, Activity Alliance: www.activityalliance.org.uk/
Listening Time: 28 mins
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Are you maximising your network on LinkedIn? It's no secret that relationships are vital in business and enable you to grow. But, are you making the most of the opportunities available to you?

Charlie Whyman is a Business Development Strategist and LinkedIn Trainer and has built a business helping people master the platform to deliver results.

She shares her top LinkedIn tips to help businesses find and attract customers, and communicate with them in the right way.

Some of the key takeaways:
- Where do you start in developing a good network?
- Why content is king
- How does LinkedIn differ from other social networks?
- Why you should avoid outsourcing your LinkedIn profile
- Edit your network - why it's not all about collecting followers
- The importance of being helpful and engaging with others

Host: Patricia Keating
Guests: Charlie Whyman charliewhyman.com/
Listening Time: 64 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Ideas for a new business can spring from anywhere at any time. But when Kate Greenhalgh received a handmade Christmas gift from her husband, John, little did she know that it would change the course of her life.

The jar with 72 date ideas morphed into a business and ‘A Year of Dates’ was launched in 2016. Two and a half years later, John has also quit his job to join the business full time.

In this episode Kate and John share their startup journey with Trish.

Key highlights include:
- Turning an idea into a business
- Seizing opportunity when it strikes
- Growing a business while balancing day jobs and family life
- Funding the venture
- Working as a husband-and-wife team
- The challenges and what the journey has taught Kate and John about themselves

Host: Patricia Keating
Guests: Kate and John Greenhalgh, founders, A Year of Dates www.ayearofdates.co.uk
Listening Time: 33 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Studies show that 75% of C-suite executives credit their success to being mentored. And 70% of mentored companies survive beyond five years, compared with only 50% of those who aren’t mentored. Other studies show that employees who receive mentoring are promoted five times more often than those who do not - five times! So what are you waiting for?

Tanya Nichol, founder of Tripptee met her mentor Gareth Healey, director of Beyond Noise, at a Tech Manchester mentor match up event. Over the course of twelve months they formed a strong mentoring partnership, which gave Tanya the confidence to pivot her business idea and led to Gareth being named a finalist for ‘Mentor of the Year 2019’ at the National Mentoring Awards.

In this episode they discuss:
- Why they entered into a mentor programme
- The first meeting and how they established a working relationship
- How the process enabled Tanya to pivot her business
- Being open to learning – what both the mentee and mentor can gain
- How the relationship has evolved over twelve months

For more information on Tripptee visit: www.tripptee.com

Host: Patricia Keating
Guests: Tanya Nichol, founder Tripptee, Gareth Healey, director Beyond Noise
 Listening Time: 36 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Ideas are the foundation of so many things, whether that’s for a new business or to find ways to solve problems in all areas of our lives. In fact, Google allows its employees to spend as much as 20% of their working week coming up with new ideas that excite them while also solving a very real problem.

But thinking creatively does not always come easily. So, where do you start and what’s the best way to hit on the next big thing?

Kiran Arokiasamy is Business Development manager at tech startup, Shout and Programme Manager at Accelerate Me, the University of Manchester’s student-run accelerator. He offers some top tips to get you started on the ideation journey.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Kiran Arokiasamy
 Listening Time: 31 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Most businesses understand how vital digital channels are for acquiring and retaining customers, yet many don’t have a plan to grow and engage their audiences effectively.

Zoe Wallace is director of Agent Academy, a digital training programme to help engage young people in tech. Last year Agent Academy, along with The Extraordinary Club became the first UK-based provider of Facebook’s Digital Skills Training Programme.

Zoe shares her advice on starting a digital marketing strategy, how to make the most of your content, the importance of creating engaging ads and why listening is key to online success.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Zoe Wallace, Director Agent Academy
 Listening Time: 36 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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To grow and maintain a successful business it’s vital that you understand and manage your cash flow.

Knowing your figures is also key if you’re considering approaching investors and lenders, as it’s one of the first pieces of information they’ll need to know. But, if you’re perplexed by profit and loss or baffled by balance sheets, help is here.

Graham Niven is a business-finding specialist and founder of Tandem Financial Solutions. In this episode he talks through the key financial terms that startups need to have a grip of, including:

- Profit & loss
- Sales v turnover
- VAT
- Gross margin
- Balancing the books
- How to avoid common financial mistakes

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Graham Niven, founder Tandem Financial Solutions
 Listening Time: 52 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Inspiration for a new business can come from anywhere, even the most unusual places. Ironically, it was El-Salvidor’s notorious M-13 gang that gave rise to an idea to create soothing music for pets to help drown out the sound of gunshots and ease anxiety.

Manchester entrepreneur Amman Ahmed invested his last £1000 into the business. Relax My Cat & Dog, affectionately nicknamed ‘Petflix’, is now worth seven figures and hasn't taken on any additional investment.

Amman shares his story of learning from failure, seizing opportunity and taking a pivot that put him on the path to finding his passion.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Amman Ahmed
 Listening Time: 50 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Do you want to get people talking about you, your company, or your products? You need a good public relations (PR) strategy. Learn how to avoid the trap too many entrepreneurs fall into by thinking, 'if I build it, they will come.'

Kimberley Waldron is Managing Director and Co Founder of SkyParlour, a strategic PR and content agency dedicated to serving the international payments and online commerce industries.

She shares her advice on where to start with developing a PR campaign, including how to deal with the media and tips to make your press release stand out.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guest: Kimberley Waldron
 Listening Time: 55 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

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Have you ever felt as though you’re not qualified to run your own business or do your job? Do you feel as though you are about to be ‘found out’?

If so, you are not alone. Most entrepreneurs at one stage or another experience feelings of being out of their depth, as though they haven’t got a clue what they are doing but when it takes on a new level, you may be battling with the concept of Imposter Syndrome.

Although it may feel terrifying, embracing Imposer Syndrome can actually benefit both you and your business.

To discuss this in more detail, Patricia is joined by entrepreneur and business commentator Vikas Shah MBE. Vikas is CEO of Swiscot Group, an international trading business, co-founder of feature film studio 53 Degrees North and a venture investor in numerous businesses.

At just 16 years old he was running a multi-national web development agency until it all came crashing down when the dot com bubble burst. Vikas openly shares his experiences Imposter Syndrome as an entrepreneur and what needs to change in the entrepreneurial space as a whole.

Host: Patricia Keating
Guests: Vikas Shah
 Listening Time: 45 mins
Follow Tech Manchester:
Twitter: @tecmcr
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/techmanchester/
Or visit us at www.techmanchester.co.uk

Let us know what you'd like to hear to take your business forward. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review.