Alex CorinaAlso This Month

LIVERPOOL

Traci WilliamsExcelace

Rob EdgePhotography

Plus Ask the Expert and Our Liverpool Networking Review

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July 2010

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CONTENTS

Your Business EzineIs Proud To Be Sponsored By

Contributions Creditsand Contacts

Team TalkWritten By Mark Brake

Alex CorinaMona Lennon/Liverpool Artist

Juice{to GoRest and Relax

Howards PhotographyRob Edge

Ask The ExpertRichard Dixon, Lisa Mardariaga, Pat CobhamStephanie Davies and Alan Taylor

Traci WilliamsExcelace

Technology ReviewSteve Macfarlane

Liverpool Networking Scene

Eric HearnBusiness Scene

Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation

Childwall Chairs and Table Hire

The Trading RoomMembers Directory and Offers for Readers

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TEAMTALK

here is a virus that has spread like wildfire through the business community. This is not a new phenomena, it’s actually been quite preva-lent for some time. The difference now is that this vi-rus appears to have moved from the large corporate environment, through to medium sized businesses and into the small and micro business community. “DD” affects more and more business people every year and can often be fatal……, to the business that is. The thing is, there is a very simple cure for this horrible affliction, the biggest problem we have is that we are often too arrogant to realise that we are suffering in the first place. So what is “DD” and how do we recognise the signs?

Directors Disease has affected businesses for about as long as businesses have existed. It is actually a lack of upward communication from within the business, so whoever is in apparent control, in actual fact has little or no clue what is happening beneath them. Unfortunately for those suffering, (of which there are many), the reason for the outbreak also prevents the diagnosis! If you haven’t guessed it yet, IT’S YOU!

So if you’re prepared to take a step back and have a real objective look at your business, then what are the signs you need to look for? Well bizarrely enough, one of the sure signs of the disease is if you only get good news passed to you. If you are never given any bad news, you can’t deal with it and remedy any potential problems, which to be fair, is one of the main reasons you are there, to problem solve. Staff brushing potential problems under the carpet is a sure fire recipe for disaster. Another simi-lar symptom is only being told what they think you want to hear, as opposed to what is actually going on.

Depending on how well your staff have read you, depends on how happy you will be with the information provided.

By Mark Brake

Either way, if that have read you badly or well, the outcome is the same, you are not being given the facts, or best case scenario, a distorted version of the facts, which means that any commercial deci-sions you are making are based upon miss information. You may see a pattern emerging here, the problem is simply a communications one! That old chestnut hey.

So why would your staff do such things to you. Why not just tell it as it is, at least this would give you the potential to deal with situations as they arise and stop some from totally getting out of hand. Well there are several explanations for why people do this, varying from people’s character type, to a total lack of interest in their job, but unfortunately, whilst there are several explanations, there is only one reason! Again, IT’S YOU!

If you react badly when you get bad news, then see how quickly you stop getting bad news. If you fly off the handle when someone makes a mistake, then see how efficiently people cover up their mistakes. What if you’ve just employed someone and they have never seen you react badly and yet they still hide information from you.

This is still your fault for not making it clear that it’s ok to make a mistake, that’s how we learn. It’s ok when things go wrong and you find out, that’s what you’re there for.

Being in a position of authority means you are responsible for how people act around you. Your actions control the decisions they make about how they speak to you and what they say.

If you recognise anything from what you have read here, then at least you are in a position to act. If you’re thinking, “everything is fine here, I have no problems”, you may be in a worse position than you think!

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Alex Corina

iverpool is famous for many things – being home to two much loved football teams, the liver birds, that rather distinctive accent and some warbling foursome named the Beatles. But the city is also home to some of the most exciting art in recent years – both before, during and after its infamous stint as the European Capital of Culture.

Who can forget the phenomenon that was the Superlambananas, or the unforgettable sight of the Mona Lennon – a striking image of the Mona Lisa somehow sporting John Lennon’s face, launched in the House of Commons before being draped across the side of St George’s Hall.

The Capital of Culture may not have gone down well with all Liverpudlians, but there’s no denying the

attention it brought to the city, and how it reminded people that there’s more to Liverpool than football and the fab four.

Liverpool has a wealth of creative talent, and they’ve been hard at it long before, during and after the world spotlight was cast upon our fine city two years ago.

One of the most exciting talents to call Liverpool home is Garston based artist Alex Corina.

Responsible for the aforementioned Mona Lennon, some pretty public criticism of the Capital of Culture planning and numerous jaw-dropping art projects, he is both an extraordinary talent and a jolly nice bloke.

LAlex Corina

Despite having only been a full-time artist for the past 10 years, Alex has always had a genuine passion for art. Unfortunately, his mother was forever telling him to get a “proper” job, so he eventually took his career to the civil service, as a drugs expert for the Home Office. Not quite what he’d had in mind, but his common sense approach proved popular, and he remained there for a decade.

Alex’s time at the Home Office came to an end, and he then suffered heart failure that left him unable to work. The silver lining of that rather grey cloud was that he was now free to attend Art College, and fulfil a lifelong ambition.

Sadly, further heart problems followed, and Alex was still attending the college 4 years later. “I became part of the furniture, someone thought I was a lecturer or I was squatting there,” he jokes.

However, it was while seriously ill with heart failure that he became interested in issues of mortality – not just his own, but that of materials, and he soon developed a keen interest in recycling which is reflected in almost all of his art work.

‘Breathless’, for example, sees a squashed saxophone placed inside a box and turned into a thought provoking piece of modern art. “Brass instruments are absolutely beautiful,” he explains, “You can’t spoil a French horn, a saxophone or trombone – they’re perfect really. Pure poetry,”

Originally conceived as a fresh spin on the recycling theme, the Mona Lennon was not intended for public consumption on the grand scale that it eventually received. “If I’m honest I thought it was kitsch,” explains Alex.

Luckily, an old design consultant friend spotted it, loved it, and showed a client of his who just happened to work for the North West Development Agency. Within weeks they adopted the image to represent Liverpool’s bid to become European City of Culture, and the rest, as they say, is history. The Mona Lennon went on to become one of the most famous and enduring images of recent years, and was a defining symbol of Liverpool’s Capital of Culture year in 2008.

But what was the meaning behind the image? “There was the classic reference there, but also the idea of using a number of iconic images to create an entirely new one,” says Alex. In fact, the image was so iconic that an enormous version of it was draped across the side of St George’s hall, and unveiled at the House of Commons to launch the city’s bid for the Capital of Culture title. Unfortunately, the giant print then went missing – never to be seen again – other than in a long series of alleged sightings that rival those of Lord Lucan or Tupac Shakur.

Post Capital of Culture, Alex initially attempted to recreate the worldwide success of Mona Lennon. However, the artist – who enduringly likens himself to a “one hit wonder singer from the 70’s or 80’s,” –

admits that he’s unlikely to repeat the unprecedented success of that iconic image, and says he isn’t particularly bothered as he just loves to make art.

Fortunately, the likes of the 3 Graces – which features both the original 3 graces and their Liverpool namesakes and the somewhat controversial image of Wayne Rooney being picked out by Michelangelo’s Adam as an ideal specimen of man have all taken the thought provoking, tongue in cheek approach that made Mona Lennon such a massive success - they just didn’t have the global platform of the Capital of Culture to bring their brilliance to worldwide attention and acclaim.

Alex continues to create an exciting and engaging array of art – but his talents are also put to good use at his studio and home, the Artworks in Garston – where there’s also a strong emphasis on working with the local community. Based in a former Conservative club (Alex jokes that he’s “putting it to better use”), the Art Works provides a platform for both Corina, a small stable of other artists, and most importantly, a creative venue in Garston, to showcase their art and other South Liverpool artists.

Artists who Alex has worked with include Chris Vine – who attended the same college as Alex, and is also an award winning illustrator, and Phil Disley – a cartoon-ist. Corina commissioned both artists in the run up to the Capital of Culture year, as well as offering people the opportunity to purchase their work through the gallery.

More recently, the Art Works played host to West African Drum workshops with renowned world music musician Kevin Paton with Garston Schools Gilmore Juniors and Holy Trinity. The Gallery is also playing host to pupils from St Benedict’s school, who will present an exhibition and performance to mark the end of the school before it merges with New Heys to create a new academy in September. There are also plans for an exhibition of South Liverpool artists, a Contemporary Arts and Crafts show and a Christmas fair before the year is through – all clear evidence of Corina’s intention to bring art to Garston and to challenge the preconceptions that so many people still hold.

“I like to do work that’s new to me and that I enjoy – as well as stuff that’s more likely to sell,” says Alex. That might explain the delightful mix of oddities that fill his unassuming studio in the heart of Garston. Virgin Cola cans decorated with the face of the Virgin Mary, a chopped up Superlambanana dubbed “Hung, Drawn and Cultured” and some eye-catching casts of a lady’s breasts (part of a body art project) are just some of the sights that we spotted on our unforgettable visit to the Artworks.

But while Corina is more than willing to part with his one of a kind work for the right price, the refreshingly honest and humble artist insists people should think long and hard before they buy art. “I always say you should buy art if you like it,” he states, “and not just as an investment”.

It’s that unique approach that makes Alex Corina such a breath of fresh air. Both hugely talented and as grounded as our Auntie Pat’s flights during the volcanic ash debacle, his passion for art and Garston are sure to make the Artworks a massive success.

Providing an outlet for the people of South Liverpool to explore, extend and showcase their talents, it’s only a matter of time before the Art Works repeats the success of Corina’s Mona Lennon and replaces it as the reason why he’s thought of so fondly by the people of the city he now calls home.

Written By David Swinburn

www.alexcorina.com

rest and relax!!!!

rest and relax!!!!

howardsphotography

howardsphotography

he camera never lies – but wannabe photographers do. For the so-called iPod generation, any Tom, Dick or Harry with a camera can call themselves a photographer, with no real talent, skill or knowledge of the art of involved. Spare a thought for the poor souls who have spent years perfecting their craft only to be beaten to the post by some chancer with a Dummies Guide to Photography and a few bits of equipment from Argos.

Robert Edge knows only too well the effect such upstarts can have on businesses. As the owner of Howards Photography he’s a long-standing expert in his field, and his forward thinking approach looks set to cement his crown far into the future.

The business was founded by Robert’s father in law in 1973, and initially concentrated solely on wedding photography. They’ve since extended their repertoire to include commercial work and portraits.

He first teamed up with his father in law six years ago and the men soon found that they were an unstoppable pairing. So when his father in law

Excellent customer service is a must for any self-respecting hotel guest, whether you’re there for business or leisure, and Novotel Liverpool has that all boxed off. Assuring customers that “excellence in service is a way of life”, they stay true to their word in the faultless service that they offer in everything that they do.

Notable features guaranteed to provide some well-deserved relaxation include a Bose underwater sound system which makes the rather alluring swimming pool even more of a must-see, and a large number of Apple Mac’s which are available – free of charge – for all guests. There’s also a fitness suite and steam room for those who like to take care of their temple of a body.

The hotel’s dedicated conference floor also hosts a wide range of post-meeting treats, including X-Boxes, T.V. dinners and Wii consoles, which are bound to make a business trip to the Novotel Liverpool a truly unforgettable experience all round.

retired two years ago, it seemed only natural that Robert would then take the reigns. He did just that, and the business continues to be a family affair, with Robert’s wife getting involved, and his aforementioned father in law returning to the fold every now and then.

Howards are currently focusing their talents and energy on wedding photography – an area in which their expertise is second to none. But that’s not to say they’re devoid of any ambition to expand. “Howards never did commercial stuff until I took over. We would like to push the commercial side more and more,” explains Rob-ert.

He’s already produced commercial work for the likes of Core Design, Décor Stucco, Occasions Catering, Mankey Monkey and even your favour-ite high quality business publication, Your Business Ezine – so he’s well on his way to achieving his goal of expanding the business’s repertoire.

But Edge is still oozing with ambition, and his knowledge and experience of the industry has left him as clued up as they come. “There are

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alot of photographers who aren’t as good (as me), but who are charging more. That’s not me being big headed - you have to have a bit of self-confidence,” he insists.

Edge’s concerns over wannabe photographers making a small fortune with their even smaller talents are not unfounded. Many photographers are losing business as companies ditch the experts in favour of lacklustre lens lovers who offer cheaper prices than the professionals. “The increasing popularity of digital photography means that businesses will either do it them-selves or get stock images,” says Robert. “They don’t realise that imagery sells things and that they needn’t be expensive,” he adds.

Despite his years of success, Robert is still hungry for more. “I want to try some more unusual stuff in the future,” he smiles, “One idea is to create an image of the famous iron man from Crosby beach ‘escaping’ by swimming through the sand. It’d be very hard work – but totally worth it – can you imagine?”

Another of his ambitions is to try his hand at landscape photography. “My friend does it and

he’s really good, so he’s inspired me to give it a go myself,” he says. He’d also like to display a collection of his images in a gallery at some point. “I don’t want to rush into things and it would be a nerve-racking prospect, but I think it’d be worth it”.

But future hopes and ambitions aside, Robert has the company’s immediate future clearly mapped out. As well as attending numerous wedding fairs in September, Edge has big plans to build on the commercial side of Howards’ output, as well as increasing brand awareness. He’s also bursting with innovative ideas of how to further diversify, and provide customers with a highly unique service that’ll ensure Howards Photography remains a much-loved family busi-ness for years to come.

“2 years ago we were booked to do a wedding, and they cancelled at the last minute saying they could no longer afford it,” reveals Robert, “Eve-ryone deserves good photographs, whatever you’re earning - but with the average wedding costing around £21, 000 it’s no surprise that peo-ple are tightening their belts,” he admits.

“A lot of photographers don’t like doing weddings because they’re hard work, stressful and totally different to anything else,” says Robert, “You’ve just got to have the right attitude, and be prepared to have a laugh with them - even if it’s at your own expense”.

Recognising the demand for an affordable wedding photograph service, he’s developed a £275 package which allows the happy couple to view their edited photos online, with the option of purchasing them at a later date. “Another suggestion we’ve made is that people ask their guests to contribute to the cost of their wedding photos, rather than provide gifts,” suggests Robert.

“Our cheapest full wedding package at the moment is £685, but it’s not unusual for wedding photographs to cost £2000 or more,” he adds, “People don’t realise the hours we spend editing photographs, and all the hard work involved”.

But it’s not just brides and grooms who can lack knowledge of wedding photography – a lot of photographers are in the dark about the true nature of the job in hand.

“A lot of photographers don’t like doing weddings because they’re hard work, stressful and totally different to anything else,” says Robert, “You’ve just got to have the right attitude, and be prepared to have a laugh with them - even if it’s at your own expense”.

“It’s more about social skills,” explains the photographer, “My father in law gave me an excellent piece of advice. He explained that once the service has finished it is the photographer who is in charge or organising things, bringing some structure to proceedings, and making sure that everyone knows what they’re doing”.

It’s that realistic, forward thinking attitude and personal approach that has made Robert Edge and Howards Photography such a long standing success story, and with a flurry of innovative ideas and a bucket load of drive their future is looking very bright indeed.

Written by David Swinburn

www.howardsphotography.co.uk

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Richard Dickinson

visit the website at:www.ologybusiness.com/

email your question to:richard.dickinson@yourbusinessezine.com

Richard started out in his working life in the Navy, were he served for a number of years, travelling around the world learning some fantastic skills and meeting people from many different cultures. After leaving the navy, Richard entered the world of banking and finance, ending up in a role as East Midlands Region Development Manager for a high street bank. Richard then decided he was ready for another challenge, so he left the bank and set up his own national insurance brokerage, which he ran for 5 years, until selling the business in 2005. Given Richards extensive experience over the years in dealing with businesses and more importantly business people, Richard felt he would make a very good business coach. He then trained and was accredited by the Adler School of International Coaching and took on a franchise from Ology Coaching, which gives him the support of a multi national company, whilst at the same time still being able to give a local personal service to his clients. We are very pleased to have Richard on board and are sure you will benefit from his wisdom and experience.

6 Tips to help you Fly Out Of Recession he good news is that the UK economy grew by 0.1 per cent in the last quarter of 2009 - officially ending the recession. It’s early days yet and we need to work hard to position ourselves to take advantage of, what Azad Zangana, European economist at investment bank Schroders, calls “...the start of an extremely fragile recovery”.

So where should we be focusing in the coming months?  Here are 6 areas that we would all be wise to look carefully at.

Look after your customers like never before

Tomorrow’s sales will come from today’s customers. If you want to beat the recession, you need to get closer to them than ever and find ways to make yourself more needed, even indispensable.

As well as delivering exceptional service on yourcurrent business, think about what you can offer your customers that is extra special... it could be regular servicing or checking... training during the recession... taking over their stock control... a priority booking option... what else could you do that would form a natural extension to your present product or service offering?

People buy from people they like

We’ve all heard the maxim - but we all know it’s true!  There has never been a more important time to step up your net-working and profile amongst your customers, their customers and suppliers as well as the other businesses in your local area.

Get yourself out and about - pre-empt the recovery in your fellow business owners’ businesses and see how you can help - stand out from the crowd by being different and looking out for others.  It’s a sure fire way to be remembered.

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Business Coach

6 Tips to help you Fly Out Of Recession

Never reduce your prices

There are lots of ways of making your goods or services more attractive in a recession than by reducing the price, which is always an act of desperation.  If you want to boost sales, think of something that the customer will value more highly than the cost to you.

How much do you think a room upgrade actually costs a hotel? A couple of pounds maybe? A fiver tops. But the customers will be delighted, especially if they know that the rack rate for the room is an extra £40. Everyone loves bargains in a recession!  So what is there in your business or service offering that could be offered that would have a high perceived value... but little additional cost?

Look at your marketing messages

Have they changed with the times? As an example, Aga’s marketing message used to be that it was the wealthy person’s cooker of choice, with a discreet suggestion that the Duchess of Cornwall wouldn’t cook on anything else.

To beat the recession, it changed its message to say that Agas are really environmentally friendly: they even have a model that runs on bio-fuel.  Statistics from the “Aganomics” section of their website show that it needn’t cost more to run an Aga than a conventional cooker.  To accelerate away from the recession, make sure your marketing material is attuned to the feelings of the times.

Review your website

Nowadays most folk will Google you when they first hear of you, even if that’s not where they found you... they will do the same if they want to check a contact or find out how to get to you. If you’re going to appear at the cutting edge and raring to  help them, make sure your website looks professional.  Real errors are “Copyright 2003” in a footer and so-called “news” that is well out of date... and irrelevant. I just checked out a restaurant near us - the Christmas offers are still all over the Home page!  You must also have come across sites for quite high profile

businesses with just a “Website under Construction” page. There is never an excuse for this... especially emerging from recession!

Get your staff involved with a brainstorm

Don’t ever assume you have a monopoly on either good ideas or knowledge about your business and customers - tap into the massive resource that is your team - why not try setting up a brainstorming group?  

Gather a group of the most energetic people from all areas of the business. Explain the situation and what you are hop-ing to achieve. Then pose the particular problem. The rules of brainstorming are that participants shout out their ideas and others build on or develop them. There should be no negative comments at this stage. Your job as chairman is to stop negativity (even harder during a recession) and en-courage participation.

“That’s a good one but how might we introduce it.....” “I like that. Anyone have any ideas who could do that?”

Have someone capture the ideas as they come and do the filtering and selection of the best ideas at a later session after you have agreed selection criteria which might be such things as cost, speed of implementation, etc.

Not only will you get some great ideas you wouldn’t other-wise have thought of, but you will also have boosted staff morale by being inclusive. And it will be virtually free! What better way to accelerate away from the recession?

visit the website atwww.lisa4coaching.com

email your question to:lisa.madariaga@yourbusinessezine.com

Lisa is a life coach of some distinction. She is what you might call one of life’s achievers. Allow me to explain. Lisa is a qualified Barrister and a Chartered Accountant. She has worked around the world for both NYSE and FTSE 100 companies. Then one day, in November 2005, she collapsed in her London office. Not only was she unable to work, but could barely get out of bed for 5 months. As her health slowly improved, she was able to re evaluate her life. Lisa found that with her unique experiences of life, she was able to help others. She re trained and is now also qualified with the Institute of Leadership and Management, (ILM), as a life coach and executive business coach. Lisa is the founder and trainer of the Finance Coaching Academy of RSA, (formerly Royal and Sun Alliance). Soon to publish a self help book for people living with or recovering from ME, we are truly privileged to have Lisa contribute for us. So, don’t be shy, use this fantastic opportunity and ask Lisa some questions and don’t miss her articles, they may just change your life.

ello! I hope that you are all doing well and enjoying this amazing weather! It’s a fabulous time of year, the sun being out

makes everyone feel so much better. Many of us don’t realise it but the weather does affect us all to some degree. So make the most of it, drink it up and lets smile on!

This month I thought I would use a topic that is very close to my own heart right now...new starts. I have just started a new full-time job myself, at a new employer after eight years at my previous company. Such a huge new start is something that many of us are undergoing at the moment.

The current economic climate and all that it brings, the redundancies, new jobs, unemployment or interim work, has huge effects on people’s lives. Many people though do have a problem adapting to the change. As I have explained in earlier months, we all have out “comfort zones” which we cling to, no matter whether they are good or bad for us, whether they bring us good times and happiness or heart ache and bad times.

We all prefer our “familiar” life, our zone of comfort. I have also introduced the change cycle, or grief cycle, which explains the various stages that we all go through whenever a change occurs in our lives you may remember, the five stages are denial, anger, blame / bargaining, depression and acceptance.

These two tools that we use for life coaching help us as individuals identify where we are and what we are feeling. It aids in our self-

New Starts... Lisa MadariagaLisa 4 Coaching H

New Opportunities

Life Coach

investigation and review. It is through looking at ourselves using these tools that we can really get to grips with what we are going through emotionally.

Are we acting irrationally? Are we directing our frustration or anger at people who are blameless? Are we starting to feel way too sorry for ourselves? Are we stuck in a slump expecting someone to rescue us? Only by asking these questions bluntly and answering them openly and honestly can we move on and truly enjoy the new start or new situation we are in.

Yes, well, easier said than done you may think. There are steps to follow, many will be familiar to those of you who are regular readers of Your Business E-zine. The first stage is to stop living in the past, let go of the baggage and the thought-processes that are holding you in what has happened historically. So, using my new job as an example,

I have let go of my previous position, the “norms” of the job and the employer I had previously and have started learning the culture of my new employer.

This does not mean that I am forgetting everything I experienced, I bring the good ideas and positive learnings with me, but I leave the yearning for what I used to have and work in where it belongs, in the past. This is equally applicable to new relationships, moving house etc.

The next stage is to identify the opportunities that are now presenting themselves to you. So,

to explain, I am now aware of opportunities in my new position that I have never had before.

They are different to my previous role’s chances and possibilities, but they are bigger and better, because that is how I am choosing to see them. The possibilities that have now opened are all due to the new situation, this is the positivity that can be generated in a new start. Ideas, thoughts, potential, success opportunities are all born with every new start.

However, while people are living in the past and unable to let go of everything that has passed, they remain blind to the amazing possibilities that their new situation holds. Yes, initially this may seem like looking for the silver lining of the cloud, but once we start to look for the positives in any situation, we soon see more and more of them, that is the law of Attraction.

It is generally accepted that new starts are scary and challenging, but when the two steps above are followed, that is soon changed to exciting and full of opportunity. We are only our best when we are outside of our comfort zones. We can only grow through rising to new challenges. Benjamin Disraeli said that “change is inevitable...change is constant”.

The more we embrace change and determine to see the best that the change can bring, the happier and greater we will be.

New Starts... New Opportunities

Pat Cobham used to be a tax inspector. She has more than 30 years experience in accountancy. Mostly from the side of the inland revenue. Pat set up Cobhams tax consultants and accounts in 2004 and has not looked back since. With a no nonsense and plain English approach to accountancy, Cobhams is going from strength to strength. You not only get knowledgeable one-to-one advice, but you also get it at a fraction of the cost you would pay a large company. They even go that bit further and offer a one-to-one service out of hours should you require it. With background in the corporate world, they are better placed than most to help you with your corporation tax and whether you’re a sole trader, small business or established company, they will make sure everything is done quickly and efficiently to meet all HMRC deadlines.

visit the website atwww.cobhams.co.uk

email your question to:pat.cobham@yourbusinessezine.com

Pat Cobham ue to the time we have to get this to publication I am not going to be able to do a piece on the June Budget as I don’t just want to churn out the changes which will be done to death by the press. I want to look at a few items which were not in the speech but will affect business owners and the real tax effect of the CGT rise and Entrepreneurs Relief so look out for the August edition. HMRC seems determined to get us filing every-thing online. The latest is VAT. If a business has a turnover of more than £100k per annum then it is mandatory to use the online filing from 1 April. As a transitional measure businesses will be allowed 3 further paper returns but if any further returns are submitted on paper then there will be a penalty.

HMRC are putting into place systems that will allow people to submit online at local VAT offices and most libraries. If you are not computer literate then some form of submission by phone is being considered but otherwise HMRC are expecting you to pay an agent or enlist the help of a family member or friend.

Hand in hand with online filing is the actual pay-ment of VAT. HMRC now say that they will treat all cheque payments of VAT by post as being received on the date when cleared funds reach HMRC’s bank account. Therefore you must allow enough time for the payment to reach HMRC, bearing in mind that cheques take three working

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PiecesBits and

Tax Accountant

days to clear. Failure may result in the imposition of a surcharge. Note that if VAT returns are filed online then the VAT must also be paid electronically. The upside is that online filing gives a further 7 days to pay or if paying by direct debit at least 10 extra calendar days.

For the first time penalties have been introduced for late monthly payments of PAYE. The penalty will be based on a percentage of the PAYE that should have been paid. As with the VAT one fail-ure in a 12 months period is ignored. However, more than that attracts the following penalties: -

2-4 times 1% 8-10 times 3%11 or 12 times 4%

How the Revenue will actually work out what PAYE is due and when nobody actually knows. As the end of year return (P35) only shows the total then it is going to be difficult for HMRC to actu-ally calculate this unless they ask for the monthly breakdowns.

At the moment contractors have to make monthly returns for their sub-contractor payments and it could well be that PAYE goes the same way. Online scams are becoming worse and worse. Daily I get an email purporting to be from Alliance & Leicester, HSBC, Paypal etc etc etc

regarding my non-existing online account. All these scams are of course designed to get personal security information. The variation on the theme is now that it looks as if HMRC are being used to scam tax payers. The scam is along the lines that the person is due a refund of tax. It is all nonsense as HMRC would not send an email in this way. So if you get any such emails delete them.

Up until about 12 months ago it was rare that HMRC would telephone tax payers unless they were chasing late payments of PAYE etc. Howev-er, the indications are that this may be expanded to encompass enquiries about your tax return and general tax matters.

Also their call could be early morning, evening and of a weekend so not just 9-5. So if you do get a phone call how can you tell if it is genuine or a fraudster trying to gain personal information? Never give out your tax reference or NI number but ask the caller to give these to you.

If they won’t or get it wrong then discontinue the call. If you are certain that the caller is from HMRC you do not need to speak if it is not convenient. Furthermore if you have an accountant acting for you, again you are quite within your rights to refer the caller to your accountant.

PiecesBits and

Director and Founder of Laughology, Stephanie Davies has over 10 years experience working in the public and private sector which has gained her an unsurpassed reputation for designing and delivering laughter and humour interventions for businesses, practitioners, clients, young people and adults. Stephanie is recognised as one of the UK’s leading voices in laughter and humour. She was recently invited by the University of Chester to develop and deliver the UK’s first MA course in Humour in the Workplace and will soon complete an MA on The Psychological Benefits of Laughter, Humour and Personal Growth.

On leaving Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts in 2002 she began performing stand-up comedy, firing her fascination with the power of laughter and humour. After attending Dr Kataria’s Laughter Leader course Stephanie was accepted as a participant in world-renowned, Dr Patch Adams’s Health Care Intensive Training in the USA. She worked with Patch exploring the relationship between health, humour, community and the arts.

On top of her busy training schedule, Stephanie is often asked to contribute to popular television programmes, such as Trisha, The Bank of Mum and Dad, BBC’s

Stephanie Davies

visit the website atwww.laughology.co.uk

email your question to:stephanies.davies@yourbusinessezine.com

Not So

s I sit at my computer writing this article I try to remember what it was like B.C: before computers. Computers have always been around in my lifetime, though they weren’t something that everyone had or were expected to have. I had a computer in my classroom at school; it took half a day to turn on and was so big it needed a section of the classroom all to itself.

It was the highlight of my day if it was my turn to go on it and I would go home and tell my parents about the wonder of the school computer and baffle them with how a machine was part of my learning. Fast forward 25 years (I’m giving away my age!) and it’s more unusual now for a classroom not to have a computer and many schools have one laptop per pupil.

Computers are becoming increasingly more powerful and clever and seem to take many decisions out of our hands, or more to the point we listen to the computer as authority. How can it be wrong? It’s a computer and computers can now calculate the most complex of mathematic problems quicker than any even the most brilliant mathematicians. We rely heavily on their calculations whether it’s calculating a route with sat-nav, a formula in spreadsheet (if you’re one of the clever ones

A

PC.....

Humour Expert

Not So

who work out spreadsheet formulas) orbringing up stored information for a booking.

However, if the computer “says no” we’rebaffled and I have seen many people including myself just staring blankly at a screen that doesn’t comply. Admittedly I have fallen into this trap as my life is guided by computers, my sat-nav, blackberry, laptop to name a few. I have turned into a field because the sat-nav told me to do so, whilst doing so, talking back to the machine as if it’s night-rider, questioning why it’s asking me to do this, but still doing it.

Just the other day I was speaking at an event; the room had been changed and there was a note stuck on the door to let people know I was in a different room. People had started to gather in the new lecture room but what amazed me was even though there was a crowd gathering in the room and a large screen with the title of the presentation quite clearly on a holding slide, a few people still questioned whether it was the correct room.

Why? Because the screen in the foyer that had all the information for lectures on it still stated it was in the old room. One person even came in and went out again to check the information even though I, who was lecturing had said yes this is the right room. So what’s

opened to us as individual thinkers, as humans who make decisions based on the information given at that time? Yes computers help us and have made life easier (when they work, when they don’t how many times have you said “it was much easier when we did it on paper”), though it’s important to remember the human has something more than a computer ever has, sensitivity, imagination, flexibility, feeling, emotion.

Even though you may think if you talk nicely to your computer it will work better, it has no impact at all, they are emotionless. Humans however will respond to kindness, can think outside the box and will be flexible where computers quite simply say NO.

So remember next time you are going about your day and becoming increasingly wound up by people getting in your way, taking their time to do things and not having an answer straight away, think what would it be like in a world where only computers existed?

Appreciate the human way, it may be a little slower and not always right, but it’s one of the most unique things in this world and where we know a lot about computers, we know a lot less about the human brain and its ability to make us the wonderful human beings we are.

PC.....

S

visit the website atwww.ttnp.co.uk

email your questions to:alan.taylor@yourbusinessezine.com

Alan TaylorAlan’s early career was in IT (when this included punch cards and paper tape). He quickly moved from programming into analysis which gave him the opportunity in the mid-1980’s to work for an insurance company in the Bahamas. This gave Alan the bug for travelling and he has managed to cover five continents to date on his travels, South America still eludes him.His career in IT eventually developed into project & business change management and Alan has been involved in a number of large projects of this type. This lead him and his business partner to set up their first business together, a business change consultancy (PSI), in 1993. PSI initially grew in the UK & South East Asia and, once acquired by a FTSE-quoted parent, it subsequently expanded to forty-five people across five continents. He has now been developing businesses both in the UK and Internationally for over sixteen years. During this time he has built a global network of contacts including senior level decision makers. As a seasoned professional Alan is able to help a business to focus on the definition and delivery of its development strategy, ensuring drive & momentum are maintained to achieve the company’s strategic goals. This is non more evident than in his passion for international business development where Alan is able to leverage his global network of contacts to generate significant business development opportunities. An adaptable character, with a pragmatic approach, Alan has an open (if determined) mind and the ability to make a significant contribution to a team delivering a product or service to a clearly defined market.Alan lives on Merseyside with his wife and two children and has recently returned to university part-time where he is studying for a Qualifying LLB Law. Of all of the places he has visited San Francisco (and nearby Sausalito) and Singapore remain his favourites.

o Shanghai Expo 2010 is in full swing and the Liverpool Pavilion celebrated its 100,000th visitor on 16th June by

presenting him (12-year-old Michael Zhu from Ji Nan) with a ball signed by all of the Liverpool FC players.

But what will happen once the Shanghai Expo finishes in October and the Liverpool Pavilion is dismantled (or whatever fate lies in store for it)? How can we keep the global presence of Liverpool as a city going and feed back the economic benefits to the wider Merseyside and North West regions? It probably won’t surprise you to learn that your author has a cunning plan, or at least the start of an idea which I hope will grow into something spectacular for the city and surrounding regions.Liverpool’s presence in Shanghai is promoted through a dedicated website at: www.liverpoolshanghai2010.com. The site is very impressive, promotes the Liverpool Pavilion well and offers an insight into the opportunities for visitors and investors to consider Liverpool and its surroundings. I particularly like the ‘Virtual Liverpool’ presentation, which did run a little slow and clunky on my laptop but I was viewing it using a not very powerful netbook.

This website shows how Liverpool can be a Gateway into the UK for visitors and investors, and indeed how this gateway can be extended as a springboard into Europe. It never ceases to amaze me how people in other countries still only

Gateway Liverpool 2010

International Markets

think of London when they consider the UK and this imbalance must be addressed. And for those around the world who do know about Liverpool (and the North West) we need to tell them over and over again that there is more here than football and The Beatles (however good they both are).So what should we do I hear you ask?

Why not a global showcase event here in Liverpool to follow-on from the success in Shanghai which would bring people in from around the world both to visit the city and its region, and, to encourage investment and trade, in competition with other gateways into the UK such as London?

London is planning for The Olympics in 2012, a huge, government funded event which deserves to be a success, and will leave a legacy of urban development around the various Olympic sites. Now I’m not suggesting we put on a show as big as The Olympics but we do have an excellent venue in the combined BT Conventions Centre & Echo Arena which would be perfect for hosting what I would call ‘Gateway Liverpool 2012’ a global business conference.

Why not hold it the same year as The Olympics but slightly earlier, say around Easter time to attract tourists and foreign investors into the city and the regions? If the idea could grow then we could add a series of international music events at the Echo Arena to coincide with ‘Gateway Liverpool 2012’ and perhaps a series of exhibitions of international

artists at various venues around the city?In the current economic climate we are not likely to be able to secure much if any public money for such a venture but I know there is enough talent, drive and initiative across this city region to enable us to put on such an event, and to make it a huge success.

So how can you as readers of this article get involved? Initially I’d like three things. Firstly, give the idea some real thought. Don’t jump at it straight away and don’t dismiss it out of hand. Believe in what we can achieve and what we could deliver to our city’s region.

Secondly, e-mail me with your thoughts and ideas. If this does move forward then of course we won’t be able to include them all but we can at least start a dialogue of what ‘Gateway Liverpool 2012’ could and should be.

And finally, if you do take a look at the current Liverpool Shanghai 2010 website you will see an impressive array of current sponsors of the Liverpool Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo. If you are a decision maker at one of these sponsors or know one of the decision makers then please make contact so we can have a discussion about how you could become involved to help to kick-start ‘Gateway Liverpool 2012’ to bring some of the goodwill and tourism & investment potential that is being built in Shanghai back to the city region.

Gateway Liverpool 2010

TRACI WILLIAMS

TRACI WILLIAMS

Excel Ace

raci Williams oozes passion and energy. As the one woman tour-de-force behind Excel Ace she’s on top of her game and is bursting with ideas and enthusiasm for the future. But is it really possible to get so excited about a business specialising in bespoke spreadsheet models? You’d think not – but Traci’s genuine love for her work is infectious, and she looks set to revitalise the tired and well trodden world of spreadsheets for businesses across the North West – and, beyond.

T

Set up just two February’s ago, Excel Ace is Traci’s baby. Working from her home in Bidston, Wirral, the excel ex-pert has taken the business from strength to strength - all by herself. “I had never worked from home before so I didn’t know how focused I’d be,” admits Traci, “For-tunately, I can tone out Jeremy Kyle and get on with it!” she jokes.

“The sun is a big motivator,” she says, “I know that if I get up early or finish early I can have an hour in the sun”. But the hard working business woman isn’t relying solely on the prospect of topping up her tan for motivation. Stevie Wonder could see that she thoroughly enjoys her work. She’s determined to make Excel Ace the massive success that she knows it can be, and she’s not afraid to work up a sweat achieving her goal.

“I’ve always worked,” Traci explains, “But until 2 years ago I’d always been employed by someone else”. “For me, the business started as an alternative to me being employed. I was always good at my job, and enjoyed it, but I felt that there was a lot of red tape and politics holding me back”.

“I was quite happy to just have a salary - but then I realised I could go it alone and I haven’t looked back since,” she enthuses. But for all her success, talented Traci remains refreshingly modest and down to earth. “I wouldn’t say I was a business person as such,” she suggests, “People look at someone like Sir Alan Sugar and think that you have to be that certain type of person – but if I can do it anyone can!”

And for someone who doesn’t see themselves as a busi-ness person, she’s doing remarkably well. She has clients across Liverpool and the Wirral, as well as Manchester and even Warrington. “As its all computer based I only need to travel to deliver the programmes,” she explains,

“It means that I can cover a much wider area, and there’s always the possibility of templates just being sold and delivered online too”.

Due to the nature of Traci’s work – stepping in and teaching businesses how to make the most of their spreadsheets and equipping them with the skills to con-tinue her good work– Excel Ace clients are often one off’s. But that doesn’t stop them ringing back for even more help from the self-confessed Excel Geek.

Previous clients who have benefited from Traci’s bespoke spreadsheet designs and book keeping models include the likes of Blue Orchid, A4E, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Courtney Consultancy and Approach Sales to name but a few.

“I’m a bit of a wiz with Excel,” admits Traci, “I love it so much, I’m such a geek!”

“It’s just so simple to use and yet so powerful”, she adds, “People think they need programmes such as Sage, but some businesses aren’t big enough to need that”.

“Everyone’s got Excel - and it’s so easy when you know how to use it,” she insists. And she knows – with a long background in accounting, she’s well aware of what’s important for businesses who want to ensure maximum success.

There are two main strands to Excel Ace. Firstly, the one woman team comprising solely of Traci will see what spreadsheets the client is using, what information they’ve got, and what they want to get out there. She then aims for maximum effect with as little input from her good self as possible – it’s all about teaching businesses to fish, rather than handing them a

proverbial Plaice. proverbial Plaice. “One girl was doing it all in her head,” reveals Traci, “So I went in, sorted their spreadsheets out, and it meant they could do month end in one day rather than 4.”

Excel Ace’s work isn’t always finance based either – previous clients have also includes businesses such as salons, who were eager to keep records of their clients including what treatments they had, their birthdays and even their professions.

The second strand of the business is new this year, and concentrates on Traci’s brilliantly-designed book keeping model. “It means that if businesses spend just an hour a week putting in invoices and receipts, the model will produce a Financial Dashboard – which provides them with a wealth of information in a clear, concise way,” she explains.

But not everyone shares Traci’s undeniable passion for spreadsheets. “A lot of businesses have a lot of informa-tion but don’t know how to use it in a way that’s useful,” she says, “One guy was spending 15% of the day getting quotes from clients and didn’t realise there was a quicker and more effective way.”

“He was over the moon after I’d gone in because he then had loads of information at his fingertips that he’d missed out on before,” explains Traci, “I’m really passion-ate about giving people the tools to enable them to do spreadsheets – I love converting people into Excel geeks!”

“People are always phoning back, saying how made up they are, and asking for even more ideas,” she adds. But what are the most common queries from clueless business bods? “The biggest mistake that people make is trying to make spreadsheets both functional and pretty – which isn’t going to work!” says Traci, “I do two versions for them - one that doesn’t look so great, but is highly functional, and another that is easier on the eye”.

Aside from their superb spreadsheets, Excel Ace are also rolling out an impressive book keeping model package which has massive potential to take the business to thenext level. Individually tailored to each client, with the output reports being the main point of difference, the

bespoke service begins with an initial consultation followed by monthly support.

“I have so many different clients from so many different industries that I’m learning all the time,” smiles Traci, who is clearly excited at the prospect of expanding her business in the not so distant future.

She plans to concentrate her efforts on the aforementioned book keeping model and promoting that, but she also has big plans for the business beyond that. “I would like to take on more staff to be able to cope with the workload,” she admits, “It’s difficult to train people to the same standard as myself, as I have had years of experience-but if they can help role out the book keeping model, I can concentrate on other things”.

These “other things”, she confides, could include an infinite number of templates, for stock controls and the like, as well as the very real possibility of selling models through the internet. “It could be huge!” she pipes, excitedly.

“6 months ago I was happy with the business just being me - but seeing the response to my book keeping model I can see the potential for taking people on and having offices,” she adds. “I never knew if I could pull this off, but now that we’ve hit the two year mark it feels amazing,” says Traci, “Before I started I asked myself two questions; “what do I enjoy doing?” and “What am I good at?” – the answer was this, and I love it!”

“I always got a buzz from helping other people in work and so I wondered if I could turn it into a business, and I did! I feel so lucky to be doing something that I’m so passionate about, but I’m not going to pretend it hasn’t been extremely hard work”.

Fortunately, Traci’s hard work has paid off – and Excel Ace is a success story that just keeps gaining pages. “I look on Facebook on a Sunday night and everyone’s dreading going back to work - but I absolutely love my work, and if I can pass on that passion for spreadsheets and book keeping models to others I’m a happy girl,” she says. And with an attitude like that, no wonder she has so many happy clients.

Written By David Swinburn

www.excelace.co.uk

Tech Review

Tech Review ver the past few months we have been well aware of the hype surrounding the impending release from Apple of the much anticipated ipad. On the actual day of the release, we noticed something unusual in the office building where we are based. It wasn’t something tangible, we couldn’t touch it, it was more an air of excitement. It wasn’t long before we found out what was causing this electric atmosphere…., Steve Macfarlane, co-owner of Parr Street Studio’s had taken delivery of a brand new ipad and wow, was he impressed. In fact it wasn’t possible to walk past Steve that day without getting a demonstration of this new found toy.

It was always our intention to do a Tech Review on the ipad when it arrived, but it became very clear to us that we have found in Steve someone that would do a far better job, and to be fair, as an owner and daily user of the product, would be much more realistic in his assessment.

O

Late March and there was a huge hoopla surrounding the launch of this product, appearing on every news channel and bulletins at that time. As a gadget lover I was following all the usual tech news and geek sites as to when it would appear in the UK - and although there was no perceived need for one, it was one of those moments where ‘want’ held more cards (in my heart and head) than ‘need’!

Spring bank holiday weekend and I walk in to Tech Heaven (the Apple store in Liverpool One), worried that they may not have any in stock. There was nothing to worry about, helpful staff and a sea of iPads awaited. Buying the product was easy and supplying my email address and credit card is all that was needed - they pride themselves on being paperless and your receipt is emailed to you on the spot.

Now on to the product...The ipad is a glorious 24.3cm by 19cm and a mere 1.34cm thick(half an inch in old money) and a very

light 0.68kg (or 1.5lbs). Capacity is a pretty good 16 to 64gb flash drive - not mega, but future releases are likely to increase the amount you can store. There is a commendable 10 hour battery life - 9hr in the 3G option. In addition a built-in speaker, mic and the usual dock connector, headphone jack etc.

My advice (but I guess it is personal choice) is not to go for the 3G option. You are unlikely to use such a large device as a phone replacement (unless you are Dom Jolly). In addition, these days you are just as likely to find a wifi signal as you are a mobile. There-fore, at first glance, the 3G option does notoffer anything extra.With wifi connected you can easily use SKYPE or other internet phone applications just as easily.

A sleek bit of kit that I purchased with protective cover and wireless keyboad as a 64gb wifi version - coming in at a pricey £600.

The CONS

No USB - a bit of a downer as this stops you connecting some things to the iPad. No SD slot - this should have been in release one as storing/viewing photos on the iPad is excellent.No camera - for those used to having a cam on their phone or pc then they will consider this an oversight.Lack of support for FLASH - makes viewing certain websites and videos difficult/impossible. Multi-tasking or the ability to keep multiple windows open - not there yet and this would reduce batter life.

The PROS

Ergonomic joy - light, intuitive and easy to use.Camera Connection Kit - provides USB that goes straight in to the dock connector. This will be my next purchase as it will allow many other USB devices to connect to the iPod.Runs iPod and iPad appsSuitable for office applications, photos, music and much moreEase of setting up mail etcbattery life of 10 hours

I work in technology as well as having a hand in music and have been using it for Office productivity - downloaded Mac products, Keynote for presentations, Numbers for spreadsheets and Pages for word processing.

All 3 products are Microsoft aware and allow you to save, mail, copy files in Microsoft and native formats as well as PDF - all this for under £18, WOW. Although my company IT folks have yet to enable iPad for full mail integration, I have webmail support, hence can use my iPad rather than a pc.

Music - I perform regularly and have started using the iPad to record songs (saving lyrics in Pages too). STUDIOTRACK app from Sonoma provides multi-track recording capability. Use a decent mic (connected via USB) and you have demos available where ever you go.

Music, video, movie playback - all the features of the iPod available to you. My home library on my Mac would fill my iPad so I have to be selective on what I store for playing, but quality is excellent. You don’t even need headphones - so long as you are not disturbing those around you.

iPad

Photos - storing, browsing, editing is great and the screen quality adds to your viewing pleasure. Add ColorSplash from the App Store to add some fun to your pictures (part colorizing of pictures etc.).

iBooks - this is a new one for me and I’m just getting in to it now. Competing with other eBook readers on the market, it effectively gives you all the easy to use features of iTunes but for books. You are able to adjust font size, browse and bookmark all on the touch screen - awesome and saves lugging a set of books with you on holiday.

Web browsing simple to use and email is very easy to set up in just a minute.

For some people, they will view it as an outsized iPhone or iPod Touch. While others may consider it as competing with portable computers. This, in part may be where some of the downsides appear. However, this is release 1 of the product and, over time I’m sure additions and improvements will follow.

PS: I wrote this in Pages on iPad and emailed as both a word and PDF to both my home Mac and pc.

by Steve Macfarlane, Entrpreneur, co-owner Parr Street Studios, IT Company Executive & Singer

“This Photo was nothing to do with the iPad whatsoever or this review for that matter but for anyone who knows Steve will know how happy he was to meet one of his all time Heroes, Neil

Sedaka and we just didn’t feel right not including it here....Well Done Steve!”

www.parrstreet.co.uk

LiverpoolNetworkingScene

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ood business directories can be very hard to come by. So when people come across Business Scene, they tend to pop their sceptical heads on and assume that the free service is just as awful as its rivals. How wrong they are.

Far from being your usual run of the mill directory, it is in fact a refreshingly useful and unique service with a huge wealth of information available to users, and no scary hidden costs or annoying limitations.

Eric Hearn, regional director for the North West, is quick to shake off the stereotypes and preconceptions that clients may have before using the service. And as one of ten regional directors across the country, he’s busy relentlessly spreading the message from Crewe to Carlisle.

“The business began three years ago,” he explains, “I was an early adopter – probably the first to get involved, actually – and I was recommended to meet the chairman, Warren Cass”.

“He explained that he was setting up the directory and I thought it was a fantastic idea as there was a huge gap in the market,” he adds, “Before Business Scene, a chairman would arrive in a city and have no resource to turn to, and we changed all that”.

Describing the directory as “the ticket master of business

events,” Eric is clearly confident of the service’s important place in the market – and he has overseen it grow from a small pilot scheme to a national success.“The initial pilot scheme was called Networking Swindon, and we went from having nothing to having 40% of the business community on there within 10 months,” beams Eric.

“Warren thought “we’re onto something here” – and decided to expand”. We soon had 25,000 members across the country, and made a steady growth, which is still on-going”. Eric’s main focus has been the North West, where he took Business Scene from being completely unknown to now having around 40,000 members. Nationally, Business Scene now has in excess of 200,000 members.

So why is there such a need for a directory like Business Scene? “Business people can be very isolated, especially SME’s,” claims Eric, “Their knowledge is limited and they don’t know where to begin”.

“We want to be a focal point at local level for them to access knowledge, contacts and opportunities,” he adds.

Straight talking Eric is also quick to point out the problems facing business people, “A standard problem for business people is that they’ll be a member of the local organisation, such as a chamber but it won’t be

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promoting competitive events even though there is a benefit for their members - we want to provide a transparent, impartial platform where anyone can list any events they are holding”.

Business Scene allows businesses that opportunity to become much more visible, and best of all, it’s all free!

The free to use service allows companies to create detailed online profiles which range from a few lines to a few pages and can be as simple or as flash as you choose. “Some people have all the flash, video, audio and graphics, but others don’t really understand what it is, and they just have a fairly basic profile”, explains Eric.

As well as profiles that increase the business’s Google visibility and help drive traffic to their site, members can also publish articles in order to be known as experts in their field. In fact, they can even publish their own press releases – a highly under utilised online resource which is then syndicated to the business community and its partners.

These include the likes of Microsoft, Telegraph Business Club and Business Matters magazine amongst others, and Eric reveals that press releases from the site have “ended up in all kinds of strange places” thanks to their “interesting” partners.

“Before Business Scene, a chairman

would arrive in a city and have no resource

to turn to, and we changed all that”.

and national advertising and sponsorship, together with paid members’ fees,” he explains – just in case were wondering. Describing the directory as “the network of networks”, Eric is eager to stress that Business Scene co-operates impartially with most of the business network groups across the UK.

These strong connections have culminated in quarterly events called, unsurprisingly, ‘Connections’. Inclusive, informal evening events featuring key note speakers, exhibitors and much more, they have previously taken place in both Liverpool and Manchester, and will soon be coming to Chester.

So what’s the secret to Business Scene’s ever-growing success? Eric Hearn explains, “Our success is in creating better connectivity and visibility for our members and partners. Nationally, we’re partnered by the likes of Microsoft, Santander and Regus, and our nationwide events provide a combination of extended reach for SME’s and the access to the SME’s by the larger companies”.

In short, there’s something for everyone in Business Scene – and with an undeniably driven and focused individual like Eric Hearn at the helm, the sky really is the limit.

By David Swinburn

www.business-scene.com

“We’re not offering any guarantees, but there are lots of opportunities,” explains Eric, “It’s all about people getting involved”.

Business savvy Eric also has his finger on the technological pulse, and has long recognised thepotential of social networking. “There is a school of thought that the traditional website is redundant thanks to social media. People don’t go on the website anymore, they get the Twitter updates” he suggests. Fortunately, Business Scene is linked to each of the social media platforms, and is always looking for new ways to connect with its users.

“People are initially suspicious of it being a free service,” admits Eric, “People never ask the chairman of Facebook how he makes his money, but it’s a question they seem to ask me regularly!” And it’s understandable.

With free membership offering an enormous amount of benefits to users, and just 10% opting for the paid membership, which allows members to attend events for free, receive a discount on exhibiting and enhanced listings, its no wonder some people are suspicious of how Eric and his friends make their money. “Our income is derived from local, regional

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Juice is a networking club that brings a fresh and vibrant flavour to blending different people together, in order to help businesses to grow and prosper. Juice has a friendly, professional and unique approach whereby there are NO rules. Just one simple request which is that each member at-tends the meetings with a zest to demonstrate commitment.

Juice is about creating fresh opportuni-ties... It’s about sowing the seeds and reaping the

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Business For Breakfast

Business for Breakfast is a business club whose key aim is to help its members significantly grow their busi-nesses through relationship marketing and the passing of qualified referrals. We run fortnightly meetings at locations in Liverpool and Wirral.

Business for Breakfast only allows one person per indus-try sector to join a forum. This effectively prevents any of your competitors from participating - so all the referral business for your particular industry is yours.

Why not take a look at the opportunities and benefits that your Business for Breakfast membership offers?

Benefits of Business NetworkingIt is the most cost effective way of attracting new clients and generating new orders.It provides you with invaluable contacts that gives your company a dramatic boost, regardless of size or turnover.It frees up your time, reduces your overheads and opens doors to great success.

Guest MembershipWe welcome guest members regularly to our meetings. It is the perfect opportunity to come along to chat to our mem-bers and listen to their real experiences. It only costs £10 to come along and we usually indulge in a great breakfast to start the day!!

Find out more about events and venues or please visit

www.bforb.co.uk

ith an endless stream of charities pleading for our money every time we stroll down Bold Street, few manage to catch our attention long enough to become household names. The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is one of the few charities that have managed to keep the public’s attention, and it continues to hold a particularly special place in the hearts of many Liverpudlians.

Liverpool has the highest rate of lung cancer in the country (Glasgow has the second highest) – meaning that a huge number of scousers have either been affected by the disease or know some-body who has. Even more worryingly, lung cancer is now a bigger killer than breast cancer, leukaemia and bowel cancer put together.

Fortunately, the Roy Castle Foundation are work-ing tirelessly to ensure that the end is nigh for this deadly disease.

Their latest endeavour was the Liver Birds Midnight Run, which featured around 1000 walkers all hoping to raise some much-needed funding for the foundation. Having raised £700k through last year’s event the ladies were hoping to top that total, and they braved the cold waterfront air to do just that. They even has a message of support from Spice Girl turned West End star Melanie C.

But that dazzling display of dedication was just the latest in a long line of admirable achievements by the foundation.

Founded in 1990 by Professor Ray Donnelly, the charity has been a tour de force in lung cancer research for the past 20 years. The first lung cancer support nurse was appointed in Liverpool a year lat-er, and the charity’s strong links with the city have remained ever since.

In fact, the first ever grant to investigate early genetic changes during the development of lung cancer was given to Professor John Field of the University of Liverpool.

1993 saw Professor Donnelly’s dream of an international centre for lung cancer research finally become a reality – thanks to the support of local hero and national treasure, entertainer Roy Castle.

Roy had recently been diagnosed with lung cancer when he learnt of Donnelly’s plans. Despite his illness, he kindly lent his name to the appeal and launched a brave and tireless campaign to raise money for the project.

Castle died in September 1994, and had spent much of his final year raising an impressive £12million for the charity. In fact, his dedication and devotion was so great that Donnelly renamed the charity The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation – and the entertainer’s reputation secured the charity’s place in the public consciousness – particularly that of the Liverpool people.

20 years since the foundation began its work, the hard working, and big hearted team show no sign of slowing down. As well as looking back on their

DefeatCancerw

past achievements with a celebratory dinner at the Isle of Gladstone Glass House in Sefton Park, they’re also eager to continue their work and are hopeful of raising at least £3million this year.

Amongst their plans for the year ahead is an international campaign to ensure all sufferers have the best resources available, regardless of their location, and groundbreaking research into the early detection of the disease.

They’re currently running a study tracking 7500 people over a ten year period, with the aim of identifying indicators in able to develop a screening program – something which would be immeasurably valuable in the fight against lung cancer.

The foundation also works directly with patients and their carers to provide a national network of support groups facilitated by lung cancer nurses – providing that much needed care and support that mean so much at those difficult times.

Shockingly, the average time from diagnosis to death is often just six months. That startling statistic makes the dedicated team at the Roy Castle Foundation even more determined to beat the disease.

As well as dealing with the disease when it kicks in, the foundation also works to prevent the disease in the first place. A massive 80% of those diagnosed with lung cancer are smokers, and the foundation’s prevention work includes educating people about

the dangers of smoking and helping them to quit before it’s too late.

Despite the fact that all charities, like businesses, are struggling at the moment, the Roy Castle foun-dation still managed to hit last year’s targets and they’re determined to continue their work far into the future.

Their determination, drive and diligence leaves us in no doubt that they’ll continue to take on lung cancer in their own inimitable way for another 20 years- assuming they don’t beat it before then, which wouldn’t surprise us in the slightest.

Written by David Swinburn

www.roycastle.org

DefeatCancerOurvisionisto

“It’s hard to make tables and chairs sound exciting!” jokes Erica – one modest half of the husband and wife team behind Childwall Table and Chair hire.

Of course, you’re probably thinking that she’s not too far from the truth – after all, most of us plant our hard working derrieres on a chair on a daily basis. However, the chairs and tables that Erica and husband John offer are on a complete other level.

Having been established in 1972 by John’s mother (who is still very much involved in the business), the team are experts in their field, and are widely regarding as the supplier of choice for anyone who’s anyone.

Clients include all the local flower shows, the cathedrals, and all the major venues around Liverpool and the North West, even stretching as far as Manchester, North Wales, Lancashire and Cumbria.

“We supply furniture for a wide range of functions including weddings, small family occasions, large corporate and public events,” explains Erica, who is also keen to introduce the company’s hidden trump card.

The Savoy Jazzmen Trio are an intriguing trio who play weddings, corporate events, fetes, dances, concerts and marches – and will move freely around the venue – and those lovely tables and chairs – to provide background

CHILDWALL TABLEAND CHAIR HIRE

music during the arrival of your guests, at your drinks reception or as quiet background music during your dinner.

And Childwall Table and Chair hire’s repertoire extends even further still, as they are able to provide a series of ropes and poles, furniture and even a rather splendid looking bar.

“There’s not much more to say really,” says Erica, modest as ever – and neglecting to mention that the Jamaica Street company is actually one of the largest furniture suppliers in the North West, and has grown tremendously over the past 40 years.

And it’s that down to earth yet diligent attitude that has allowed Childwall Table and Chair to stand the test of time.

Their high quality service, provided by a highly dedicated team is second to none, and while Erica may insist there’s “nothing exciting about chairs” the thousands of happy customers who have enjoyed the home comforts they’ve provided would beg to differ.

Written by David Swinburn

www.table-chair-hire.co.ukCall 0151 708 0294 for Bookings

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Dynanti is a small web design firm serving small and medium sized businesses in Merseyside We offer all Your Business eZine members a free Web Health Check for existing web sites (worth £59) or a free eMarketing account and template

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