Cartoon Shorelines Art Like to start the week with a smile? Sign up for Shorelines weekly cartoon here >> Remarkable Edward Miller has loved the countryside all of his life. That love drove him to develop a mass market product made from recycled material. His efforts to produce a pencil made from recycled plastic took two years. His working life prior to setting up his own business included working for Fortnum and Mason’s and then Savewood a recycling company. His experience working for Savewood on the factory floor gave him the idea to start his own business. Edward Miller worked 16 hour days and had many set backs before he finally achieved a product he was happy with. He raised £20,000 and bought a machine that produced knitting needles which he then adapted for his pencil production under the company name of ‘Remarkable’. The next step was to find a company that could supply the plastic cups. ‘Save a cup’ collected used plastic cups from offices for recycling. Using this company as his supplier had an additional benefit. The offices supplying the used cups were keen to buy the finished product. Surprisingly Remarkable made a £15,000 loss in the first year. Edward Millers luck changed with a Design council initiative charged with finding 2000 pioneering companies as part of Tony Blair’s ‘Cool Britannia’ campaign. Edward Miller’s company was selected and then went on to win the International Invention of the year. Sales increased from £30,000 to £120,000 in one year. Today the company turnover is £3.5m. Source The Times online How easy is it for you to buy fine quality wines from family run vineyards? You will not find the wines Andrassy's sell on supermarket shelves. Andrassy fine Wines are a family run business and they buy from family run wineries in France, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Portugal and New Zealand. www.andrassy.co.uk |
Your post office needs you As village post offices continue to close a spokesman for the Rural Shops Alliance, Ken Parsons, has said it was inevitable that government proposals to close 2500 loss making post offices would go ahead by 2009. According to Mr. Parsons the post offices selected had been chosen for closure in a very methodical and professional manner allowing little room for raising objections. For example in Kent 56 of the counties 58 post offices would close despite numerous protests. He said ‘Many of the post offices to be closed are in a shop and it’s inevitable that over the next year many village shops will close as a result.’ He went on to say that village stores could be saved with or without the post office income by improving goods on sales and by stocking goods to appeal to new markets. Source The Grocer Back to the Top Web site News Looking for a new way to find business? Used in the right way the Internet could be the answer. That's were we come in. With just the right amount of original design from Ovata design and Internet marketing experience from Summ it up we are pleased to announce the launch of Summ it up Marketing web sites. Here is what our sites offer for your business Build a good rate of hits from visitors looking for your type goods and services Generate enquiries and sales from your site Build a mailing list from your site Generate a good rate of return visits Build your business uniqueness
Here are the features of our sites: A uniquely designed web site Technically sound site WC3 complient The flexibility to add to and update your site at any time Ongoing advice and support
Back to the Top A York base business is aiming to help soldiers in war zones communicate more easily and also stop them being deafened by explosions and gun-fire. Lowe Communications believes the lightweight headsets with hearing protection they produce could save soldiers' lives and their hearing. The company is hoping to secure contracts with a number of armed forces around the world. The headsets and control boxes also allow soldiers to communicate with their comrades from remote areas.
Carl Morse, the managing director of Lowe Communications said: 'We provide head sets, hearing protection and control boxes. They are new products for soldiers operating in hot and humid environments. In the past, soldiers would use a muff-style hearing protector, which could become sticky and uncomfortable." Our business aim is to support military forces around the world. We have already got a contract from one country's armed forces where we are supplying units for trials and evaluation.'
Source The Yorkshire Post
Looking for a way to bring your team together? Looking to reward your staff? Opt for one of our unforgettable Ready Steady cook style team building days where you and your team will work together to learn new skills and discover how working together can produce surprising results. How would you like to try one of our team building days? Come along to the our open team building day on March 16th - but hurry places are limited are going quickly Harmony house Cookery School Ring 01904 720933 or 07889 808749 |
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Back to the top How to be exciting To every small business owner their business is exciting, but does your business appear that way to prospective customers and does it matter? Everyone is attracted to businesses that have a buzz and if you provide a quality product or service then the next step is a sale. You know how it is when you meet someone who is enthusiastic and who exudes confidence, they seem to attract business. The businesses we see as not interesting are often those that offer a service. Service businesses make up the majority of companies in the UK and for businesses providing a service such as accountants or solicitors it can be difficult to stand out from the others offering similar services. Check the web and you will see any number of sites all looking very similar and seemingly offering identical services. Your business can be interesting whatever you do and you can use your web site to illustrate what makes you different and to create a buzz for your business. Start by helping prospective customers to visualise your business in operation. Tell a story and use case studies to bring your business to life and to illustrate how your business services could solve a problem for them. Meeting prospective customers in person gives you the opportunity to communicate what it is about your business that you find exciting. Be interested in the people you meet and listen for any problems they are having that your business can solve. Make what you specialise in clear and use case studies to illustrate the interesting work you are involved in. Above all be enthusiastic about your prospective customers business and they will see you and your business as one to watch. Back to the Top Do you know your own value? Most people do not and live their life with regrets. Life coaching from You r my coach will show you how to make lasting changes and we will encourage, support and motivate you to find what you really want from your life. You can find your own self worth gain confidence to lead a harmonious and fulfilled life. Call 0906 575 0906 between 8am and 5pm to speak to a qualified coach. |
And finally .... Piece of me In the press for all the wrong reasons Britney Spears’ life seems to be on a downward spiral. However the ‘Britney Spears’ business is thriving. On her own her earning are estimated to be $9 million. Investments and spin offs from record companies, perfumes promotions and the media bring in $120 million per year. And it’s not just Britney who benefits one photo agency estimates 30% of their earnings come from Britney features. In the weeks that Britney articles appear in the American tabloids sales increase by an estimated 33%. and....... Government threats to tax non domiciliary residents to the UK has raised the question of where do they go to find favourable tax rates. Switzerland seems the obvious choice but things there are not ideal. The tax system is complex and tax rates vary between the different cantons of the country. Monaco and The Channel Islands suit some but are difficult if you take your staff with you. Housing is limited and expensive. Dublin is attractive and tax rates are low but is not an international city with all that goes with that. The latest idea seems to be Dubai, Qatar and Abu Dhabi where tax arrangements are very favourable and where the sun shines throughout the year.
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