Ryde Business Blog

Make the most of your RBF membership

New members of associations such as RBF and local Chambers of Commerce can often become disheartened when their first visit to a networking function doesn’t result in new orders or other tangible means of measuring the success of their membership.

Don’t give up. I’ve been speaking with other Chambers of Commerce and doing some research, and it seems that you have to give your membership at least six months to really start paying dividends for you, and even then it’s only as good as you put into it.

The key is to attend as many functions as possible, to get out there and meet your fellow members. Savvy members come to as many events as they can, so you’ll see familiar faces and get to know other peoples’ businesses - as they’ll get to know yours. Even if you talk to someone who isn’t in the market for your services, they may well know somebody who is and will pass your details on. 

Referrals are an important part of Forum/Chamber life, and help grow our membership base so we can bring together people from as many different industries as possible and provide a broad and thorough network. If you’ve met someone at one of our functions who could be of use to a colleague, pass the details on and make sure your colleague mentions your name. What goes around comes around, and you’ll find members will repay your good deed with one of their own.

If you met someone at a function but didn’t get their card or forgot their name or business, contact us at the Forum as we have a list of people who attend our events, and may be able to identify that person for you.

If you’re just starting out with your own business, it can be daunting at first meeting up to 100 new people at one function. Networking isn’t for the shy, but as you make friends within your network it becomes easier. Being part of a networking association - whether it’s a Chamber of Commerce or an industry association - is one of the most cost-effective ways to get your business growing. 

Networking is particularly important for micro business owners, who are usually the boss/admin/sales person. In order to establish your brand and make people aware of what you do, expect to attend as many functions as you can. It will pay off for you. If you’re part of a larger organisation you can pick specific team members to send to our events as we cover a range of topics particularly with our workshops. 

We have members who belong to more than one networking association, and have a busy schedule of networking functions. Enjoying a canape and a drink with fellow business people is hard work (!) but these members can testify to the success of face-to-face networking and using newsletters such as this with the growth of their business. 

So if you’ve just joined us, get out there, come along to functions and start a conversation or six. We’re here to help you succeed and look forward to seeing you at our events during the year.

Sabrina Fergson

www.arionproductions.com,au

When the going gets tough, the tough join business associations!

The 'tough economic times' which have hit in particular the retail, hospitality and finance industries are also hitting service providers of all sizes - printers, caterers, stationery... you name it. You may have lost a client or two, or your regular clients and customers have cut back on their spend with you. You need to find more customers in order to survive and then thrive.

Business associations such as Ryde Business Forum or your local Chamber of Commerce are here for you. We all have a member base which covers a broad cross-section of industries. Networking and promoting your business through your local business association is a cost-effective way of getting your message across and getting those new clients. A year's membership is cheaper than advertising in a newspaper or magazine, and your Chamber will promote you to other members through a variety of means. The good thing is that once people meet you and get to know you, they'll recommend you to their friends and colleagues, and I think we all agree a word of mouth recommendation from someone we trust is better than simply reading about that company or person or seeing an advertisement in a newspaper.

What else can your Chamber or Forum do for you? Ryde Business Forum runs regular educational breakfast workshops on a range of topics such as IR and Marketing; you'll get expert advice at a fraction of the cost of attending a seminar with 100+ people, and you'll get personal attention at the event with all your questions answered. Invitations to these events are available to local Chamber members and also to non-member companies. 

Most Chambers produce regular newsletters either in hard copy or electronically - another way to raise your profile. RBF provides a profile of each new member on its website, and in e-news and the new Member News (a members-only publication), giving you a potential reach of thousands of new clients and customers.

Chambers of Commerce and business associations also give strength to the local business precincts; we enjoy a good relationship with local, state and federal government and lobby on behalf of our members and the business community on passionate issues such as traffic, transport and infrastructure.

So don't let your business become a victim of the economy - do something about it! Join RBF or your local Chamber of Commerce, get your name out there and start networking. 

Traffic or Telecommuting - what works for you?

If you drive to work, have you noticed how much longer it takes you these days to get there than, say, ten years ago? Here in Ryde we have bottlenecks in strategic parts of our City - Macquarie Park to the north, Victoria Road to the south and east. These roads can be almost gridlocked in peak hour.

As anyone going to work in Ryde knows, public transport to and within the City isn't fantastic. For those on shift work, there is no option but to drive.

But what about the rest of us? What are the implications of larger organisations implementing telecommuting for their employees for at least part of the week? Travelling off peak into the office for meetings, or scheduling one day a week for meetings, would truly reduce the traffic in Ryde - and probably reduce a lot of stress for your employees too, giving them an extra hour or two a day for work or recreation.

Net-based communication and faster broadband makes logging on to the company server or holding a teleconference a breeze. Skype offers a free telephone conference service for registered users. What's stopping bosses encouraging employees to reduce traffic and carbon footprints and work from home for some of the time? Laptop PCs and paying for a portion of an employee's broadband connection at home could easily be built into an employment package.

I think for many executives it's a control factor. If you can't see your employees at work, how do you know they're not playing Second Life? Perhaps an element of trust might see them exceed your expectations in terms of delivery. Make the telecommuting option results-based. If your employees can't deliver, then it's back to the office with them. 

In the case of teams who work closely together and throw ideas at each other all day the telecommuting option might be a barrier to creativity, however it could also allow team members to develop specific ideas or take time out to think ideas over. 

In this business life where work cubicles have signed the death knell of the quiet office with a closable door, do you think some of your employees might actually work better away from the constant noise and interruptions of an open plan office? And manage to achieve goals quicker as a result?

These days it's common to have teaming partners for tenders on the other side of the planet. We are truly global in the way we work. Everyone is available on email or on a mobile phone. In many larger organisations some employees only ever communicate via email or telephone except for meetings - so what does it matter where they are located?

The state government isn't delivering on public transport - it doesn't have the funds to. So the onus is falling on business to find a solution. Could telecommuting be the solution for your company? Think about it...even better, trial it. 

Sabrina Ferguson

Arion Productions Pty Ltd

You're not Robinson Crusoe

Running a small or micro business means you have to be a jack of all trades in many cases. You probably have an accountant, and perhaps you pay someone to build and maintain a website for you. Depending on your business you may or may not have skills in business writing and marketing.

Do think about outsourcing some of the things you do, so you can concentrate on what you do best and bring the dollars in. For example, many small business operators aren't professional typists. Consider using a typing service (and yes, we have two in the RBF membership, The Environmental Type and Secretarial Support Services) to make your typed material look truly professional and eye-catching.

Before adding new material to your website, run it past a copywriter or marketing expert (and we have those too in the Forum...Cyrius Media, H2M Creative Services, Said Studio and Arion Productions for starters) to ensure it is sending the right message and above all will assist your website's search engine optimisation.

Getting bigger and hiring staff? These days it makes sense to have a professional draft out an employment contract for you, one that can be tailored as new staff come on board. Talk to an IR lawyer (for example BlandsLaw).

Computer problems? Don't spend a day swearing at your PC, call in experts like PC PowerTech or Get Communications.

Small business owners often wince at spending money on outsourcing, but in the long run it's money well spent. You are paying a professional to do what he or she does best, and freeing yourself up to do what you do best. This can only help your business to grow.

Ryde Business Forum exists to provide a conduit for people in Ryde to work together and build their businesses. So don't be Robinson Crusoe - there are lots of Man (and Women) Fridays here to help you!

Sabrina Ferguson
Director
Arion Productions Pty Ltd

You don't drink and drive...so don't drink and email!

Google has invented "beer goggles" for its Gmail users - Mail Goggles software comes to life after dark and on weekends, when altered states of mind are more probable, and requires that five simple math problems be answered correctly in less than a minute in order to send a Gmail missive. Click here to read more.

Now the temptation to send the boss or a fellow employee a nastygram over a gripe or two, or a suggestive email to a co-worker, often intensifies after a drink especially if you've been discussing the situation with friends.

Before you hit the Send button, think. You could seriously damage your relationship with your co-workers, your boss, your job and your career.

Human Resources departments take complaints about malicious or offensive emails very seriously indeed these days. Simply saying you were under the affect of alcohol might not let you off - especially if you send the email at work after a celebratory lunch or office party. (This is even more important if your company has a 'no alcohol during working hours' policy!)

If you really have an issue you want to get off your chest, type your email up, save it in your Drafts folder rather than send it, and review it the next day. You'll probably cringe and feel thankful that you had the good sense not to send it. And you might have just saved your job. This advice applies whether you've been drinking water or alcohol, by the way. Emails typed in the heat of the moment usually need careful editing and refinement when you're in a coldly sober, impartial state of mind.

And if you really don't trust yourself not to send emails late on a Saturday night, perhaps you should think about opening a Gmail account!

Sabrina Ferguson
Director
Arion Productions Pty Ltd

The care and feeding of apostrophes

Have you noticed how Apostrophe Man has been leaving his mark more and more often? How much marketing material do you receive, by email or hard copy, with apostrophes either in the wrong place or not there when they should be?
Many of us use apostrophes to incorrectly denote a plural, eg: CD's $19.99, in the 1990's, PC's on sale now. You see this everywhere, don't you, and assume it's common usage? It might be used everywhere but it's still incorrect and pedants like me itch to get the TippEx out and fix it. These apostrophes are not denoting plurals, they being possessive when they don't have to be. They simply shouldn't be there.
Sadly even the most educated of us fall prey to inappropriate apostrophe usage; I've received many letters and emails from marketing managers and experts with degrees in communication who still get it wrong. This is a personal thing but bad punctuation does turn me off using or buying the product or service it's promoting.
Then there's the confusion between its and it's. "It's" should only be used as a contraction of "It is". "Its" is actually a possessive pronoun like "yours" or a possessive determiner like "my".
There are several good books about language and punctuation which are easy reads, can set you straight and ensure your marketing material doesn't fall prey to Apostrophe Man and his evil band of language assassins. One is the stalwart Style Manual produced by the Australian Government Publishing Service. The other is the marvellous Eats Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss, which you and your employees will fight over. It's serious, but also seriously funny. Both these books can be purchased at booksellers.
End of gripe...go and check your marketing material and website now and consider your apostrophes!
Cheers
Sabrina Ferguson
Director
Arion Productions

Watch your TLAs and FLAs if you want to achieve a PB

As I write this, the Olympic Games are in full swing. Has anyone else noticed the proliferation of acronyms in the sporting world? Swimming commentators chat happily about the IM; think quickly, what do they mean? Individual Medley, for the unaware. Not to mention the Personal Bests (PBs) achieved by athletes on an incredibly regular basis.

So, how many Two or Three Letter Acronyms (TLAs) or Four Letter Acronyms (FLAs) do YOU use in your business or industry? And does your marketing material spell out clearly what these acronyms mean?

There's a golden rule when you wish to use acronyms. The first time you use the term in your publication, use it in full and put the acronym immediately afterwards in brackets. From then on, in that particular document, you can use the acronym. I strongly suggest adhering to this for all your marketing material. Don't assume that because someone has seen your website or read your overall corporate brochure that you can immediately launch into acronyms without explanation in more tactical material such as product brochures. Cater for the lowest common denominator!

There are, of course, exceptions. It's fine to use NSW for New South Wales. HR is in common use for Human Resources, too, for example, CD for Compact Disc, DVD for Digital Versatile Disc. However, when you are using acronyms specific to your company or industry, don't assume automatically that your audience knows what you mean.

And a final bit of advice. If you want to use an acronym in the plural, eg DVDs, you don't use a possessive apostrophe. (More on apostrophes and their care and feeding another time!)

Sabrina Ferguson
Arion Productions
Corporate Communications and copywriting

Marketing Face to Face

This week we held the second Ryde Business Expo in conjunction with Expo Edge, the City of Ryde and the Stamford Grand North Ryde.
Around 340 visitors came to the Expo - that's not much, you might say, but consider who these people were and why they came. With only a few exceptions they were business people looking to connect with other business people in the area, or RBF members supporting the expo and increasing their network base. I counted barely a dozen 'tourists' who may have been guests of the Hotel coming into the expo for a look on the way in or out of the Hotel.
Our exhibitors finished the day exhausted but delighted. They had sourced a good number of hot leads which they were very positive about.
For the visitors and the exhibitors, it was a chance to meet and establish a degree of trust. You can read a website, you can chat to someone on a telephone, but face to face marketing adds a very solid dimension to your contacts.
At the RBF stand we met a number of people who had been on our mailing list for a while but not joined us or attended events to date. After speaking to them we are confident that some of them will take up Forum membership. As our members know, we have some fantastic people in the Forum from businesses of all shapes and sizes. Those that helped us on the day were superb ambassadors for our organisation, giving honest and generous information about what membership can offer.
With the success of our Expo it's likely we'll hold it again next year, and hope that some of this year's visitors will become next year's exhibitors and reap the rewards.
Sabrina Ferguson
Ryde Business Forum

When Word is not enough

Many SMEs are tempted to produce their own marketing material – eg brochures and/or flyers – using Word. The latest version of Word is very slick, but it has its limits. And unless you have a background in design and are aware of what pleases the eye and what doesn’t, or how to write an eye-grabbing headline, leave it to the professionals.

A good designer will work with you to develop your material professionally. While you’ll pay for the service, it will be worth it in terms of customer perception, feedback and orders. Designers know which fonts to use and how to use them, where white space is effective, which colours will complement your own corporate colour and many more intricacies intrinsic to good design. Ask about proof-reading and editing services too, to enhance your own copy and give it a professional edge.

If you don’t have a logo but are using WordArt to make one, or simply a standard font, it’s worth paying a designer to come up with something which is unique to your company. You should be provided with a soft copy of your logo you can use in your correspondence.

Sabrina Ferguson
Arion Productions Pty Ltd
www.arionproductions.com.au

Copy that!

OK, you may have spent a small - or large - fortune on your company's website. If you've had the professionals in to cover everything from concept through to design, images and copy, it should look good and read well.

But if you're maintaining your own site, can you be sure that the website copy (ie text) you put on there fits in with the rest of the site, is grammatically correct, has no punctuation errors and presents your company in its best light? 

Many of us can write business correspondence very well, but there's a difference between correspondence and the information you present on your biggest, most dynamic marketing tool. You need to capture and keep your readers' attention. Remember that people surf off websites within 30 seconds if the site isn't interesting or the language too hard to follow.

Unless you have an inhouse corporate communications or marketing department managing your website copy, or have marketing experience yourself, do consider using a copywriter to give your information a makeover. A good copywriter will keep the essence of your information, emphasise the important and necessary and most of all present a professional image for you and your business. The cost won't be exhorbitant, is tax-deductible and money very definitely well spent.

Sabrina Ferguson
Director
Arion Productions Pty Ltd
www.arionproductions.com.au