Yorkshire Business Services - May 08 Newsletter

Helping You Succeed
Welcome to Helping You Succeed - the May 08 newsletter from Yorkshire Business Services.  In this issue………

Focus on what is important and not the distractions.  Did you know that you are probably spending most of your time on the least profitable activities in your business? This month learn how to make a difference and focus on what is important. Don’t miss out on our Creating Connections – real business relationships which generate business.  Of course we have our Events section with details on the next Skipton event.  We also have great pleasure in featuring Suzie Bogle of Breathing Space HR and how she has already benefited.  As usual we have our information on Available Business Support and useful links.

Focus on what is important and not the distractions

Are you really spending your time on what is important?  Do you even know where that time goes and why you never have enough?

These are common gripes and questions which come up with all the people and businesses we deal with.  A lot of people have even been on “Time Management” courses to help them organise themselves even better than they did before!

We then ask, “what are you spending the time on and what did you get done today”.  More often than not it is difficult to answer – “but I know I have been busy”.

My question to you is are you focussed and effective?  I do not mean are you busy or well organised, I mean are you EFFECTIVE?  Does what you spend time and money on deliver any measurable benefit and could you do it an easier or more effective way.  For example – A door to door salesperson can be very efficient, excellent and selling door to door, BUT are they effective?  They could sell much more using a better method such as e-mail or direct mail.

Let me tell you about Pareto’s law which I use all the time when working with businesses. A simple definition is ……80% of the outputs result from 20% of the inputs.  Think of it this way:

80% of the results flow from 20% of the actions
80% of the profits come from 20% of the customers
80% of the business comes from 20% of your product lines

And I could go on – most of the time its even more extreme.

Think about this in relation to what you do day by day and how much time you spend doing it.  Let me give you an example:  Do you check your emails every 10 minutes and break off from what you were doing? Why?  Most of them are junk anyway and if you ignored the 80% of dross and concentrated on the 20% important think what would happen.  Don’t let that pop up box, telling you an email has arrived, run your life.  Turn it off.  Check your email when you want and stop the interruptions.  Its a lot easier to ignore the rubbish all in one go and then concentrate on the important. 

Think about it – what is the 20% which really generates value and profit for your business.  Stop doing all the rest.  Challenge yourself to change and become EFFECTIVE and transform your life.

Carol Buchan

Call Yorkshire Business Services on 01943-607851 and visit our website and learn more at www.yorkshirebusinessservices.com for more news of what is happening in your own Yorkshire business community.

Creating Connections

Promote Your Business within Our Community

Use our website community to raise the profile and profit of your business on-line.

Each month more than 2,500 business owners read and respond to our newsletters, visit our website pages and interact with us at events and via email. 

Referral marketing and networking groups are on the rise and its difficult to know where to start.  We are not a membership group but we are about building BUSINESS COMMUNITIES. 

To support this for the businesses we work with and that have attended events we have developed the Community Connections – we feature your business and provide information on what you do and how to get in contact. 

This month we are featuring Suzie Bogle from Breathing Space HR who has already benefitted from attending the events and building connections by gaining new clients with real issues which with Suzie’s help have been resolved.  That means not only has Suzie benefited but so have the other businesses she has supported.

It is difficult to know who to go to or what service is available if you do not know WHO is out there or WHAT they do and how you can benefit.  Your business community is all about making sure you do.

We will promote your story and get the message out about what you do.  This enables you to establish powerful connections with the Yorkshire business people and organisations who want to trade with you. The more presence your business has on-line the greater the benefit to you of this exposure via the pages of our Connections Community.

Take a look at our connections page and call us now!
http://www.yorkshirebusinessservices.com/connections.html

Call Yorkshire Business Services on 01943-607851 and visit our website and learn more at www.yorkshirebusinessservices.com for more news of what is happening in your own Yorkshire business community.

Suzie Bogle – Breathing Space HR

When you run a business and employ people, sometimes the human issues become potential problems.

Why you should care about Human Resources and how to be successful managing one of the biggest investments you make in a business - your people?

Because they are the most expensive regular cost to your venture and they can also be the biggest asset that your business enjoys.  Our prime focus is on identifying and protecting the successful ways to manage your staff, to help you develop, protect and grow your business, all the while enabling you to stay free from the potential legal mire of HR law and employment issues.

We will work alongside you to effectively manage employee issues before they become problems, and create and implement policy and process matters for you and your business  on an on-demand and as-required basis.

Some of the work we have helped our clients with: change their organisation so it suits the needs of their businesses; manage difficult employees; fixed complicated contracts of employment and created handbooks; supported business owners with absenteeism issues; introduced performance management and recruited new employees; managed discipline and grievance issues and made employees redundant responsibly.

We work directly with you as the business owner.  We provide no-nonsense, cost effective advice – helping you improve relationships and reduce the overhead and hidden costs to your business.

Call Yorkshire Business Services on 01943-607851 and visit our website and learn more at www.yorkshirebusinessservices.com for more news of what is happening in your own Yorkshire business community.

Events

Business Community Events

Don’t be shy! Join us at a regular event and connect with other business community members, and you might just enjoy yourself!

Each month we host several low cost – high impact events in different parts of the county.  Currently we are running and planning events in Skipton, in Otley, in Harrogate, and also in Yeadon / Guiseley.

At such an event we will introduce several speakers to you, each of whom will have a useful message or learning point for you and your business.

You can engage with us and with other members of this community simply by turning up and taking an interest in what is being done and what is being discussed.

Our next Skipton event takes place on Wednesday 4th June.  Email or call for details of other locations, venues and dates for your diary.

Our inaugural event in Otley is being planned and details will be provided in the next few days.

Summer Connections Celebration – Keep a look out for information on this event planned for July.

Call Yorkshire Business Services on 01943-607851 and visit our website and learn more at www.yorkshirebusinessservices.com for more news of what is happening in your own Yorkshire business community.

Your Invite to the June 4th First Wednesday Community

Skipton Business Community Event

Wednesday 4th June  6:00pm onwards
£10 admission fee (Connections Businesses Free)

After the success of our recent meetings of the 1st Wednesday Community we want to give you some advance notice of what we have in store for you next month on Wednesday 4th June.

The title of this coming event is:

BUILDING PROFITABLE BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

With three quality speakers each discussing and exploring different ways to change behaviour within your business to create more profit and time - the evening event will supply vital insight into things such as:

• Identifying the customers and business which generate profit
• How to identify what it is you want from a business connection
• How to change behaviour to generate profit

These events are designed to help YOU and your Business and show you unique ways in which to develop your Business and find new customers.

Our challenge

This month think about a target customer or contact which you really want to build business with and invite them to come with you and meet the businesses which are going places and benefit from making their own connections.  Think about who your customer may benefit from meeting.

So make the decision to join us and start to make an easier future with real help and support.

Go to our website to find out more and what people said about attending the event.  http://www.yorkshirebusinessservices.com/events.htm

There are NO membership fees

Just bring plenty of business cards, mingle, chat and enjoy an evening with other local “like minded” business people

To guarantee your place as space is limited call on 01943 607851 or email support@yorkshirebusinessservices.com

Location:

are kindly hosting the event for us based on the high street in the centre of Skipton.

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON FURTHER EVENTS SUPPORTED BY BUSINESS LINK YORKSHIRE

Available Business Support

DTI MAS Interventions – Don’t forget that Manufacturers are entitled to TWO interventions in any year.  Contact us to ensure you are accessing the support available to you before 31 March 08

Go to our grants section to find out more:
http://www.yorkshirebusinessservices.com/support-for-manufacturing-companies.htm

For more information – call us on 01943 60785