Our Advice Pages

What’s my market?

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Dragon's DenIf you watch Dragon’s Den, many of the companies pitching for money often come unstuck because the Dragons don’t believe they have any clue of their market size and likely success. They often ask the unlucky entrepreneur if they’ve plucked these figures from the sky.

It can be very difficult to have an exact figure for your potential market but you must at least make some effort to estimate it. Here are some ideas on how you might go about it without spending lots of money. (more…)

What’s your message?

Friday, March 20th, 2009

Businesses often send a mixed message to their clients, claiming high quality products for example but then present them poorly. Or they make up some pointless strapline about themselves and their ‘fantastic solutions’ and repeat it everywhere.

You only have a few seconds to grab people’s attention so a well developed marketing message is important.

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Make the most of your internet presence

Friday, February 27th, 2009

Making the most of your internet presenceIt is not enough simply to have a web presence – the chances are that all your competitors have one too. You have to make yours stand out. Publish PR releases on trade sites, advertise in relevant areas, keep online directories up to date and work your website constantly. (more…)

Reminder notes for creating a Press Release

Friday, February 27th, 2009
  • Write the release from the reader’s perspective, not yours and remember you have to interest the journalist who is reading it for it to get any coverage.
  • With that in mind capture the reader’s attention with an interesting headline caption. You are trying to get them to read the first paragraph.

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Business directories are they any use?

Friday, February 27th, 2009

Traditional Business DirectoryThere are many different directories competing to list your company name and service. The basic service is often free.

All will charge you for enhanced listings and some are better than others, but it should be worth your while to at least register for the basic listing. Here’s how to get the most out of business directories: (more…)