Swop a pet 
Cartoon courtesy of shorelines art No more worries about going on holiday and the inevitable question. What are you going to do with the dog? A new business has the solution. SwapaDog is a network that helps dog owners in the same area connect with other pet owners with a view to swapping pets when they go on holiday. Swap a pet have web site networks covering the US and UK. Joining the network costs around £10 and gives members access to dog related hints and tips, discounts and the latest doggy news. The service also allows you to connect for dog sitting, for single days and for 'walkies' while you are at work. Back to the top Marketing Trends and Insight Consumers are slowly learning how to cope Research shows that consumers are beginning to accept the recession and are changing their buying patters accordingly. Well known brands have fallen into administration, so how can we adapt the marketing and promotion of our business products and services, taking account of these trends? Media agency Arena BLM studied 1,000 people across five representative groups based on age and exposure to financial risk. It found that 80% of consumers were affected in some way by the current economic situation. The agency found consumers beginning to regain some trust in the banks and financial institutions and switching blame to the Government’s handling of the downturn in the economy. In figures for May, the British Retail Consortium cited sales of non-food goods at their weakest level since figures were first recorded in November 2008, signifying customers are pulling back on impulse buys. Only food sales were up. Arena BLM survey also revealed that spending on essential items has remained stable but people have cut down on “indulgences” like entertainment, cars, clothing and perceived luxuries. Other key trends show people staying at home more, buying later when they know they have the means to buy and spending more on their home and gardens. Consumers with access to the digital world are buying more on line and trends show this is on the increase and set to overtake high street shopping. How can you translate this for your business? Whatever the trends marketing can’t simply be centred on price reductions, which consumers and businesses accept as the norm whatever the economic circumstances. Adding value is a better approach as is offering products as a luxury or as coping aids to lifestyles and as rewards. It is more important than ever to target your customers wherever they buy, from your shop, online or person to person. What if you sell business to business? Make sure you give value for money with extras rather than discounts. Sell your services in as many ways as you can including online selling. Provide services that will be seen as essential for continued stability and growth of your clients business, services that will save money. Position your business as reliable and one to trust. 
Find the most effective ways to promote your products and services with Marketing and promotional advice specific for your business One to one Marketing master class only £75 including follow up report Thursday 3rd September Beverley Thursday 17th September York To book your place E mail me or ring 07947 779542 | | | | |
Back to the top Business Guru's Would you like to be a business guru, appear on TV radio and publish best selling busines books? The secret according to Matthew Stewart is to act like a US religious preacher. The founder of modern management theory Tom Peters apparently follows this model. According to Matthew Stewart of thebigmoney.com the current year is always the scariest ever according to Mr. Peters. In the past he has called the Japanese 'satanic' in their successful approach to business in the 1970's. Mr. Peters apparently uses words such as "frightening," "dangerous," "disruptive," "crazy," "topsy-turvy," "uncertain," and "dire, in his seminars. Into the 1980’s and 1990’s Mr. Peters blamed problems with the US and world economy on globalization, technological innovation, a general increase in competitiveness, and the growing fickleness of consumers, especially the young. In the 1980s he described the world as being in "chaos". Source the bigmoney.com
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| News From the Internet Farm shop We now hold a monthly draw! Prizes are produce from farm shop members in the form of vouchers. The first monthly draw will be on the site during the first week in September. All you have to do to take part is to sign up for the newsflash which is free and your name will automatically go into the draw. This months prize is a cheese basket. |
Lego sales The toy manufacturer Lego has seen a rise in sales to £469m for the first half of 2009. Retailers of of other traditional toys and board games have also seen increased demand as parents buy more traditional and long lasting toys. A spokesman for Lego said ' Parents spend lots of money on plastic imported toys, but they only do what it says on the tin. But children take Lego to pieces, build them up again and add it to other Lego, and that gives longevity'. Lego was started by a Ole Christiansen, a carpenter in Denmark in 1932. He called his company Lego from the Danish phrase 'lego godt' which means 'play well'. Today Lego is sold in more than 130 countries and more than 400million adults and children are estimated to play with the bricks every year. The spokesman continued 'The company had lost its way back in 2004, we nearly went bankrupt then. We took our eye off the core business'. Lego has many fans with a number of web sites for enthusiasts. To tap into this fan base Lego has launched a range of board games. source the Independent and ....... James May from Top Gear is attempting to build a house from Lego. Work began on 1st August and James May has promised to spend some time in the house once it is finished. Around 1200 people turned up to help build the house at Denbies wine estate in Dorking Surrey. The lego house is expected to be completed by the end of August and will have Lego furniture. More than three million pieces of Lego have been delivered to the site. 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 |
1. Back to the top Who is doing well?While it is difficult to watch businesses going to the wall it's interesting to see the sort of businesses affected and the ones that are thriving. Angling shops in parts of the UK are struggling as many long standing enthusiasts lose their jobs and can no longer afford expensive equipment. However the main reason seems to be a lack of support from younger age groups. Despite the competition from other take away's and despite increased fuel costs and scarcity of fish, fish and chip shops are continuing to do well. The best of the bunch have adapted by offering specials and by introducing new types of fish, curries and kebabs. Tea rooms also seem to be thriving particularly ones providing quality home baking. The reason? A combination of older markets with disposable incomes and people wanting relatively inexpensive treats. Ones to check out Eddie Lockarts Fish and chip shop The Dingle Liverpool Stuarts of Scarborough & Driffield (fish and chips and restaurant) The Magpie Cafe Whitby The village Bakery Scampston - summer only & only two outside tables but cakes and pastries like you've never tasted before! Millers tea room Raywell Upway Wishing Well Upwey Weymouth source Which August 2009 and finally.............. Austrian village The Austrian village of F.....g is fed up with tourists posing in front of the village sign and even stealing them. Former mayor Siegfried Hauppl said 'We want to be left alone. There is absolutely nothing funny in the name to us'. The village of F.....g has existed for 800 years, probably since Mr. F..k moved to the area. Residents of the German town W..k have advised residents of F.....g to relax and cash in on the tourists. The W..k guest house does a roaring trade in W..k postcards. Source the Week After two years work I am very proud to tell you all that I have achieved Chartered Marketer status, awarded by The Charted Institute of Marketing. The wording on the certificate says 'This demonstrates a commitment to continuing professional development as an experienced marketing practitioner' If you enjoyed reading this newsletter please E mail it to a friend Return to Top of Page
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