bsb free guide
TRANSCRIPT
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Introduction
This free information pack has been put together by four Burton businesses who are keen to share ideas and information that will help others along the road to business success.
It contains essential tips about promoting your business through persuasive writing, PR, video and strong visual brands. There is also advice about personnel issues that will be crucial as your enterprise grows.
The BurtonSmallBusiness.co.uk website - and the creation of this information pack - has been inspired by the Small Business Saturday UK movement. However, the team at Burton Small Business wants to celebrate Burton's small businesses all year round.
Keep an eye on the BurtonSmallBusiness.co.uk website and follow our Twitter account @BurtonSmallBiz for news and updates. You can also follow us on Pinterest - at BurtonSmallBiz - and we'd love you to send us images that sum up what's special about your small business that we can pin to our board. Email [email protected]!for more information!
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In the meantime, if you want to know more about the issues covered in this information pack, contact:!
• Caittom Publishing (for writing persuasive content) - http://www.caittompublishing.co.uk!
• FCM Associates (for PR and communications) - http://www.fcm-associates.co.uk!
• Red Door Studios (for video and branding) - http://www.reddoorstudios.co.uk!• HR Protected (for personnel and HR) - http://www.hrprotected.co.uk!
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For more about Small Business Saturday - visit https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com!
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Turning PR into profit
Public Relations - known as PR - is a way in which businesses of all sizes can influence the perception the general public has of them and what they do. It is a way of increasing awareness of your business, attracting new customers and increasing profit. Any business can obtain PR by approaching media outlets - newspapers, magazines, websites, trade press, local or national TV and radio - with stories and story ideas.
If you pay for advertising you have complete control over the message and how it is conveyed.
PR, on the other hand, involves liaising with the media and encouraging them to publish your story. You are not paying for space online or in print so you also have no control over how - or even if - your story will be used.
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What can PR achieve? • It can increase public confidence - the implied endorsement of independent
editorial coverage in a newspaper, magazine or online carries more weight with consumers than paid-for advertising.
• It can help attract and influence new customers and boost sales. • It can increase your business profile and support your brand. • It can 'set the record straight' or counteract negative publicity or reputation
damage.
What kind of stories might the media be interested in? • Being shortlisted for, or winning, an award. • Strong business performance: New jobs created, major contracts won or new
appointments made. • Human interest stories: You, or a member of your staff, doing something
unusual or interesting. • A special event you are planning that helps others - a local charity or other
businesses. • A visit to your business by a VIP.
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How do you plan a PR campaign? Decide what you want to achieve through PR. Plan the stories you have, or can create, for your business.
Review the types of media you want to target and spend some time researching the audience they have and the types of stories they cover. Local media will run stories in which the national media would not be interested.
If you are hoping to encourage the media to cover an event you are planning you need to give them sufficient notice. Many magazines, including the trade press, work well in advance - sometimes even months. Ring up and find out about their deadlines.
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Writing a press release Very few media outlets will use any press release as it is written. Most journalists will change the wording and probably cut some information out.
It's a good approach to put the most important information in the first couple of paragraphs. You want to grab the reporter's attention early on and convince them to read on.
Make sure you have answered the six key questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why - and How.
Keep it concise - but do include your name and contact details prominently so they can contact you with any follow-up questions.
Always try and send your press release to a named individual - not 'The Editor'. In local newspapers keep an eye out for journalists who cover the type of story you are offering. If it gets used, send an email or pick up the phone and say 'thank you'. Remember that journalists and reporters need stories and features to fill their pages and they'll be grateful for interesting story ideas that make their life easier.
If at first you don't succeed.. Don't be disheartened, or take it personally, if your press release or story idea isn't used. There can be many reasons why journalists and editors don't use a story. Whenever there is an opportunity, do ask any writers and journalists about the kind of stories they are interested in covering and see how you can help.
Read the print publications and websites you want to target, watch local TV and listen to the radio and make note of the stories they are covering and let that inspire you for a future press release you could write or a story you could pitch.
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If you do succeed.. Keep a record of all the coverage you get.
Try to find out if your customers have read about you, seen or heard you in the media.
Spread the word about the coverage via your social media channels or on your business website.
Work on developing relationships with journalists, presenters, media researchers and editors.
Karen McElroy and Tracey Chadwick
FCM Associates Ltd – ‘The Freelance PR & Communications People’
www. fcm-associates.co.uk
[email protected] / [email protected]
07789 004708 / 07775 511174
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Writing content that helps your business make sales
Every business needs to use words to describe what it does on its website. Opportunities may also come your way to write articles about your business in the trade press, on a blog or on social media channels. In order to drive opportunities and sales through this written content the words you write need to have the power to persuade and influence your potential customers.
Why your website words need to be unique The words you use on your business website need to be original and specific to your business.
Don't think you can cut corners by copying and pasting words you have found on another website. This is a breach of copyright and it can cost you time and - in the worst case scenario - money to put it right. There are a number of systems that businesses can use to check if the content they have spent time and money creating has been lifted by another website. It's not worth the risk.
If search engines think that website content has been deliberately duplicated to deceive users, or in an attempt to appear higher up the results pages returned when people carry out online searches, they may push your website further down the results pages, or even remove it from the search engine index altogether.
Who are your customers - and what do they want? The first thing to consider before you start to write any content for your business is 'Who is my audience?'. The words you write should be aimed at the customers that you want to attract and written for them. Make it clear what you offer and how that can make your customer's lives better or easier. What are the benefits to customers who buy your products or use your services? Keep your customer in your mind all the time when you are writing and think about what they need to know.
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Finding your 'voice' The way you write about your business - the 'voice' you use - should reflect the 'personality' and 'style' of your business. For example, if you are running a small, independent business as a graphic designer you may want to use a chatty, conversational style that gives people an idea of your personality and encourages them to want to do business with you. If you are a solicitor, you may want a more formal, but empathetic style that gives potential customers confidence that you are knowledgeable but sensitive to their needs and concerns. When you have found your 'voice' you need to ensure it is consistent across everything you write.
Telling your story Every business has a story - and telling it is a great way to engage your audience. Don't be afraid to use the 'About' section of your website to give the human story behind your business, including when, where and why it was created.
Case studies and testimonials are persuasive tools to help you generate business because they are real-life examples of how you have helped customers. Encourage your happy clients and customers to share their stories with your audience. Future clients will be reassured when they read what it's like doing business with you. What problems have you solved for people? How have you delivered exceptional customer service?
Story telling through social media The majority of your potential customers - whatever line of business you are in - will be on one or more social media platforms. But if you are a small business you have to think about the time you are investing in social media and ensure that you are getting a return.
If your business is not yet active on social media, it may be worth starting with one social media channel first and deciding on clear objectives for what you want to achieve and how you are going to measure success. Spend time looking for businesses in a similar line of work to you and watch and listen to how they are telling their stories through social media.
It is important to remember that it is called 'social' media for a reason. It's not just about broadcasting the sales message you want to put out - as traditionally businesses did through newspaper and magazine adverts - it's about building relationships, engaging with customers, asking questions, giving answers, and demonstrating the personality of your company.
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Facebook If your business is strongly visual Facebook can be an effective way of showcasing images. Have a look at https://www.facebook.com/Scribbelicious and https://www.facebook.com/JustForTinyPeople which are two examples of businesses who have generated great engagement and sales through Facebook. Are there elements of what they are doing that would work for you?
LinkedIn Business-to-business companies generally find it harder to get a return for the time they invest in Facebook - although there are exceptions - but they may find a more natural home on LinkedIn. LinkedIn allows businesses to create a few company Page, start a Group and publish articles to raise their profile and generate productive new business connections. Don't discount LinkedIn if you are a customer-facing business because your potential customers - and the people that know and influence them – will be on this professional network too.
Google+ Google+ has grown in population in the last 12 months - and because it works so well with the world's biggest search engines, it is worth any business exploring ways of engaging with customers, showcasing what it offers and amplifying its key messages through this channel.
Twitter Twitter has become a top source for breaking news and 'live' commentary on events, TV shows and current affairs in short tweets of 140 characters or less. You do need to put some work into building up a following as the main audience for your posts will be those who decide to 'follow' you. Like all social media platforms it does have a well-used search box, which means that people do use it to find people, companies and subjects in which they are interested. Keep an eye on what's trending and join the conversations when appropriate to extend your circle of influence.
Pinterest Pinterest allows you to create 'mood boards' that say what your business is about by pinning your own images to boards that you create - but also pinning other people's images that say something about your business vision, values and personality. Look at this Pinterest account by a British tea room in New York - http://www.pinterest.com/teasympathy - and this one that promotes jewellery making classes in London - http://www.pinterest.com/jewelleryschool
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All social media platforms are an opportunity to learn more about your customers and potential customers by understanding more about the things that matter to them.
Elaine Pritchard
Caittom Publishing
www. caittompublishing.co.uk
07889 821348
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Having the right HR system is crucial for your business
Many small businesses believe they do not need to worry about HR because it's just for larger businesses with HR departments. However, the opposite is true. Is it usually the smaller employers who end up losing at tribunals because they have not followed correct procedures or adhered to employment law. Even if you have just one employee (whether they are full time, part time, a friend/family member etc.) you still have to comply with employment law.
You may think a friend or relative would never take you to tribunal, but unfortunately all it takes is one major disagreement to put you at risk. But before you decide to run for the hills and never take on an employee, the other side of the story is that employees are the lifeblood of a business and having great employees can help your business soar to success very quickly.
How can you protect yourself as an employer? The starting point is very simple – make sure you have all the correct documents and systems in place to comply with employment law. Employers usually find it much easier to get the documents drawn up for them as this saves a lot of time, hassle and cost. As long as the correct procedures are followed, you will protect the business.
What HR documents should you give to employees? We would always recommend issuing the following documents as a minimum for your HR system:
• Contract of Employment • Company Handbook • Health & Safety Manual • Confidentiality Agreement • Holiday Policy • Email and Internet Use Policy • Social Networking Policy • Equality and Diversity Policy
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• Training Policy • Sickness Absence Policy • Bradford Factor Procedure • Company Vehicle Policy
There are many more HR documents, but these would usually be used as and when required (e.g. maternity documents, disciplinary documents etc.).
However, HR is not all about formal documents and policies. Most of the time problems occur when employees feel they have been treated unfairly. The difference between a great HR system and an adequate HR system is how you treat your employees over and above the legal requirements. Remember, we’re all human and everyone likes to be treated fairly and respectfully.
How can employers build a great relationship with employees? The key to a great relationship between an employer and employee is communication. Most problems within businesses occur because of poor communication. Strong communication should be built on all layers of the business, from general staff through to the Managing Director.
The worst companies for communication are ones where the senior management team distance themselves completely from the staff – sometimes they even have separate locked offices where staff have to make formal appointments to see management! This builds barriers within the business and makes communication very difficult.
The best companies have open communication policies where staff and management share ideas, problems and solutions. This kind of company culture leads to happy employees, happy employers, happy customers, happy suppliers… you get the idea!
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How do I handle a ‘problem’ employee? Sometimes an employer has a ‘problem’ employee – e.g. they’re always late, take too long for lunch, never finish projects on time, produce work of a poor quality, clash with other employees and cause arguments, have little or no respect for the company or their colleagues etc. Unfortunately many employers write these employees off and try to dismiss them as soon as possible.
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We would recommend a different approach – first and foremost someone from the management team should speak directly and honestly to the employee to see why they have an issue. It could be as simple as the employee needs further training to understand their role and they have been too embarrassed to ask for help, or the employee may have issues in their personal life which are affecting their work.
The first step is understanding why there is an issue, the second step is finding a solution to the problem. Following initial investigations, it might be that the employee has no underlying reason for their behaviour, in which case capability and disciplinary procedures should be followed.
Despite all the murmurs of 'red tape' and the system being 'for the employee’s benefit', there is no reason at all for employers to put up with bad employees. It simply needs handling in the right way!
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Employees vs. Freelance/Contractors When businesses start, they often use contractors to do the work employees would do (e.g. a design studio may use freelance graphic designers as contractors). Contractors are a great way of being able to expand your capacity without the risk of taking on employees.
However, businesses tend to reach a point where using freelances is no longer a viable option because contractors often work for several companies meaning that they cannot guarantee their availability. Additional problems may include issues with quality, increasing costs and keeping within time-frames on projects.
When this point is reached, businesses normally look for employees to replace contractors. Using employees helps the business to keep much more control internally and expand securely.
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What’s the best way to handle HR in a small business? Once a business has handled the compliancy side of HR (by having correct documents and procedures in place), it should look at how it wants to interact with employees. In a small business, it’s vital that every employee is efficient, productive and capable.
All employees should buy-in to the company culture so everyone is working to the same end goal. Having a strong team is crucial to the success of the business – any disharmony will be felt to a much greater degree in a small business than it would in a larger business.
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Management need to set the right procedures from day one, with all employees being treated equally and with respect. HR is the same as any other function in a business – you get out what you put in! If you put in no effort, that’s what your employees will put out.
A good HR system should add profit to the bottom line, if it doesn’t then you’re not doing it right!
Liz Strama
HR Protected
www.hrprotected.co.uk
01283 240720
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What is visual identity, and what is brand?
In simple terms, visual identity is how you look; your brand is what you say and how you say it in order to create a customer experience.
Designing a logo and visuals is part of your brand - but branding also covers your advertising and marketing strategy, public relations, handling customer feedback and more.
An attractive and memorable logo - and a consistent visual identity that is reflected in your website, your business cards, stationery, social media channels and any posters or flyers you produce - will help you stand out from the crowd and make you recognisable whenever potential clients see you.
How would you l ike your customers and clients to see you? The best way to address this question is to identify who your customers are, and learn as much about them as you can. Make your visuals appeal to them, but throw in a twist, or something unexpected, to make you more memorable.
It’s a lot easier to develop the right logo for your business once you have identified the message or 'story' your business wants to tell.
A logo is much more than just an image or a design. You need to think about the font you want to use in the title and any text, the colours, the size of typefaces and much more. Make sure you are consistent so you look professional and don't confuse people.
Once you are happy with the visual identity and brand you have created - your work is not over.
Review what you have created regularly. As your business grows and develops, your brand needs to change too.
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Putting your business on fi lm
If you think making a video to promote your business is out of your price range - think again.
Video marketing is a powerful way to get yourself noticed and engage your target audience - and the rapid improvement in the quality of video recorders on smartphones in recent years makes it accessible to everyone.
Why is video marketing so effective? • Movement grabs the attention. • Images and sound convey ideas more swiftly and effectively than text. • A video can trigger emotions that are contagious and memorable.
Where do you start? Identify your audience, and think about the message you want to get across.
What's the story?
• What style of video do you want to make? • Can you stand out from the crowd by making 'something different'. • Can you re-use anything you already have - existing film clips, testimonials? • Decide on a clear call-to-action - what do you want people to do when they
have watched the video?
Ideas for your fi lm Millions of Internet users type 'How to......' into search engines every day. Does your business involve a skill that you can share in this way? A 'How to... ' video can showcase your expertise and help you to raise awareness and drive traffic to your main website.
Are there popular myths and misunderstandings about your industry sector that you can explode or explain in a video?
Case studies can be a persuasive sales and marketing tool. A video showing how you have helped other businesses and customers - with the client talking on camera about the experience of working with you - will encourage others to pick up the phone or send you an email enquiry.
Could you make an informative, educational and entertaining video about what goes on behind the scenes at your business?
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'Spoof' videos can become viral hits on social media in no time these days and make your business memorable. Perhaps you can parody a popular book, film or TV hit of the moment - or create your video in an instantly recognisable genre such as 1940s black and white thrillers, musical theatre, pop video or a spoof news broadcast.
Where to find help Think about the talents and skills of your friends and relatives. Do you know someone who could help you plan your film's story, write a script or film it? Look at your own business contacts to see who might be able to help you in a collaborative project.
Don't forget Smartphone technology makes film-making accessible to everyone - but DO make sure your phone - or video camera if you are using one - is secured and held steady.
If you do have any spare budget it's worth investing in a microphone to ensure that the sound is clear.
Posting your finished video on to YouTube, before embedding it in your own website, will help increase its audience. YouTube is owned by Google so there will be benefits to your search engine rankings if you use YouTube to host your video. MAKE sure you have given your video a clear title and description that include the words you want to be found for when people are searching the internet.
Creating a YouTube channel for your business means that you can include more information about your business and link to your other social media channels. It will also encourage you to make more films!
Promote your video wherever you can - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+. If you have a stand at a local event can you show the video on a monitor? Can you put in on CD and give it away at networking events? Look for awards you can enter. Ask around for value-for-money opportunities to display it on local screens or at events and venues.
Tilley Bancroft
Red Door Studios
www.reddoorstudios.co.uk
07752 745035
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Local networking groups and other business support
Burton & District Chamber of Commerce - http://www.burton-chamber.com!
Burton & District Chamber of Commerce ‘Women in Business’ - http://www.burton-chamber.com/women-in-business.aspx
Burton Business Club - http://www.burtonbusinessclub.co.uk
Federation of Small Businesses (Staffs & West Midlands) - http://www.fsb.org.uk/staffs-and-west-midlands
Women In Rural Enterprise (Burton network) - http://www.wireuk.org/burton-on-trent.html
Else Professional Network - http://www.elselaw.co.uk/
Chartwell Practice BGI - http://www.chartwellpractice.com/
Burton Ladies Business Group - http://www.burtonlbg.co.uk
Dirty Thursday for Business - Contact HRProtected [email protected]
Love Burton Jelly - Contact Ian Page at Webb2b [email protected]