This Saturday, March 26 marks the fifth year of celebrating Earth Hour. At 8:30pm local time you are encouraged to turn off your lights for an hour. The goal of Earth Hour is to raise awareness against climate change. This year’s campaign aims to get you to think beyond the hour and encourage you to take actions to make the world a better place throughout the year. Here are some ideas to take your business beyond the hour.
Print green
When it’s time to print your marketing materials work with a printer that employs green printing practices. Look for local printers that use recycled paper and a sustainable supply chain, and does everything possible to minimise their impact on the environment. Consider printing reports double sided.
Give green
If your company uses branded, advertising specialty items, choose products that show environmental stewardship. Reusable coffee mugs and water bottles reduce the amount of plastic and Styrofoam in our landfills.
Go green
This may sound obvious but recycle at your office. Just about everything from paper to computers can be recycled these days and many recycling services make it so you don’t even have to sort. Find a company and encourage your staff to participate.
Green speak
While your efforts to go beyond the hour will be appreciated, don’t miss out on an opportunity to capitalise on your efforts. Several people search for businesses that take actions towards helping the environment.
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
You and I Contacts Day Update...
The You and I Contacts Day looks like it’s going to be a roaring success!
http://www.youandibath.co.uk/events/contacts-day
We have over 25 guests confirmed with 25 members already round the table, that’s 50 people taking advantage of the free breakfast at Bailbrook House.
This is a great opportunity for networking and to meet the members of the You and I group in Bath.
We are not going to try to make you join or sell the group to you. We are all grown-ups here and we know that if it’s a good match for you and your business then the value of the meeting and the group speaks for itself.
We can still squeeze one or two more in, so if you would like to come along this Thursday, drop us a line or contact one of the members directly. Just remember to bring lots of business cards!
http://www.youandibath.co.uk/events/contacts-day
We have over 25 guests confirmed with 25 members already round the table, that’s 50 people taking advantage of the free breakfast at Bailbrook House.
This is a great opportunity for networking and to meet the members of the You and I group in Bath.
We are not going to try to make you join or sell the group to you. We are all grown-ups here and we know that if it’s a good match for you and your business then the value of the meeting and the group speaks for itself.
We can still squeeze one or two more in, so if you would like to come along this Thursday, drop us a line or contact one of the members directly. Just remember to bring lots of business cards!
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
Do you have an A Board In Bath and North East Somerset?
For some time now Bath and North East Somerset Council has been considering how best to regulate obstructions on the highway (which include A Boards on pavements and a host of other obstacles).
They have drafted a policy and guidelines which seek to introduce clear controls by using the Council’s powers under the Highways Act 1980 to balance the legitimate aspirations of local businesses to attract customers, whilst at the same time safeguarding the pavements for their primary purpose. This is particularly important, for example, to wheelchair users, people with visual impairments, the elderly and those who try to get pushchairs around.
The proposal is that anyone wanting to put an object on the pavement would have to apply for a permit, and this would be advertised if it meets the guidelines (i.e. if it would not be an obstruction according to the policy). If they receive any legitimate objections to the proposal, we would refer this to the Council’s Licensing Committee for determination. This is similar to the process they have for authorising Tables and Chairs on the highway and fee would be charged for the application and permit. Anyone who puts an obstacle on the footway without a permit (or if the object breaches our guidelines in terms of size, position, etc.) may, after due warning, receive a Fixed Penalty Notice (a fine) and could have the object impounded and have to pay for its return.
The Council are therefore carrying out a consultation on the proposed policy and guidelines over the next few weeks (until the end of March) and this will culminate in a report and decision on whether or not to adopt the policy with, or without, any amendments in April.
A copy of the proposed policy can be found at the following web address:
http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/business/LicencesStreetTrading/Pages/ObstructionsPolicy.aspx
Any comment on the proposed policy must be sent to Andrew_Jones@bathnes.gov.uk by Thursday 31 March 2011.
They have drafted a policy and guidelines which seek to introduce clear controls by using the Council’s powers under the Highways Act 1980 to balance the legitimate aspirations of local businesses to attract customers, whilst at the same time safeguarding the pavements for their primary purpose. This is particularly important, for example, to wheelchair users, people with visual impairments, the elderly and those who try to get pushchairs around.
The proposal is that anyone wanting to put an object on the pavement would have to apply for a permit, and this would be advertised if it meets the guidelines (i.e. if it would not be an obstruction according to the policy). If they receive any legitimate objections to the proposal, we would refer this to the Council’s Licensing Committee for determination. This is similar to the process they have for authorising Tables and Chairs on the highway and fee would be charged for the application and permit. Anyone who puts an obstacle on the footway without a permit (or if the object breaches our guidelines in terms of size, position, etc.) may, after due warning, receive a Fixed Penalty Notice (a fine) and could have the object impounded and have to pay for its return.
The Council are therefore carrying out a consultation on the proposed policy and guidelines over the next few weeks (until the end of March) and this will culminate in a report and decision on whether or not to adopt the policy with, or without, any amendments in April.
A copy of the proposed policy can be found at the following web address:
http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/business/LicencesStreetTrading/Pages/ObstructionsPolicy.aspx
Any comment on the proposed policy must be sent to Andrew_Jones@bathnes.gov.uk by Thursday 31 March 2011.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Lifestyle Brands
Your relationship with a company’s brand is like dating. You may try out a few different brand names at first, then over time you become more loyal. Eventually you find out that you become hitched to a particular brand. In essence, you’ve fallen in love. A lifestyle brand becomes a part of you.
When you see a swoosh you instantly know it’s Nike. But lifestyle brands are beyond mere brand recognition. Lifestyle brands, like Nike, have a way of connecting to a person and making the brand a part of a person’s life. Achieving lifestyle brand status requires time, but the effort can pay off in a big way. Through the following examples, you too can become a lifestyle brand that will make your company something to love.
Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.
A lifestyle brand gives people a chance to be who they want to be. The Ralph Lauren brand allows people to associate themselves with a higher class. When you walk into a Ralph Lauren retail store, you walk into the lifestyle of Ralph Lauren himself. That’s something very few can relate to, but many aspire to be. Take a look at your brand and see what can make people aspire to be more.
Apple
A lifestyle brand becomes ubiquitous in a person’s life. Apple has some of the most loyal customers. A customer starts with the iPod or the iPhone and suddenly they need the iPad and a MacBook. Soon they’re searching Google for someone to leak the next big release from Apple. They tend to seek out others using Apple’s devices just to talk about Apple. This type of loyalty creates early adopter mentality and typically higher financial returns because they’re willing to pay a premium. Take a look at your products and services and think about ways to make them irresistible.
Looking to these enormous lifestyle brands may have you thinking that there’s no way to achieve that status. Remember these brands started small. Nike sold shoes from a trunk of a car. Apple sold computers from a garage. If your goal is to remain local, take a look around your community. There are local lifestyle brands around you. All you have to do is have a vision, share it with your employees and share with the community through advertising. Deliver on the promise of your vision and soon you’ll have suitors lined up at your door.
When you see a swoosh you instantly know it’s Nike. But lifestyle brands are beyond mere brand recognition. Lifestyle brands, like Nike, have a way of connecting to a person and making the brand a part of a person’s life. Achieving lifestyle brand status requires time, but the effort can pay off in a big way. Through the following examples, you too can become a lifestyle brand that will make your company something to love.
Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.
A lifestyle brand gives people a chance to be who they want to be. The Ralph Lauren brand allows people to associate themselves with a higher class. When you walk into a Ralph Lauren retail store, you walk into the lifestyle of Ralph Lauren himself. That’s something very few can relate to, but many aspire to be. Take a look at your brand and see what can make people aspire to be more.
Apple
A lifestyle brand becomes ubiquitous in a person’s life. Apple has some of the most loyal customers. A customer starts with the iPod or the iPhone and suddenly they need the iPad and a MacBook. Soon they’re searching Google for someone to leak the next big release from Apple. They tend to seek out others using Apple’s devices just to talk about Apple. This type of loyalty creates early adopter mentality and typically higher financial returns because they’re willing to pay a premium. Take a look at your products and services and think about ways to make them irresistible.
Looking to these enormous lifestyle brands may have you thinking that there’s no way to achieve that status. Remember these brands started small. Nike sold shoes from a trunk of a car. Apple sold computers from a garage. If your goal is to remain local, take a look around your community. There are local lifestyle brands around you. All you have to do is have a vision, share it with your employees and share with the community through advertising. Deliver on the promise of your vision and soon you’ll have suitors lined up at your door.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
Probably the Best Networking Breakfast, ever...
The You and I Business breakfast club in Bath is organising an open networking breakfast on 17th March 2011.
The meeting will be thrown open to any business that wants to come along and enjoy breakfast and networking opportunities at Bailbrook House in Bath.
You and I is a business breakfast club that enjoys a relaxed friendly atmosphere for their members to conduct business without rules and restrictions.
Want to know more? Contact Dave on 01225 442000,
The meeting will be thrown open to any business that wants to come along and enjoy breakfast and networking opportunities at Bailbrook House in Bath.
You and I is a business breakfast club that enjoys a relaxed friendly atmosphere for their members to conduct business without rules and restrictions.
Want to know more? Contact Dave on 01225 442000,
Monday, 21 February 2011
Do your customers love you?
At Minuteman Press we have certainly felt the love from our customers this past month.
Do Your Customers Love You? Let Them Count the Ways.
Do Your Customers Love You? Let Them Count the Ways.
They love you, they love you not. This month we demonstrated how you can show your customers some love. Now you should explore ways to gauge customer satisfaction and determine if the work you’re putting into the relationship is yielding results. Here are some ways to get inside your customers’ heads.
Where’s this relationship going?
If you want to know how the relationship is going, just ask. Gauging customer satisfaction is as easy as sending out a survey. Your customer satisfaction survey can ask a range of questions from what your customers think of your customer service, a new product or what additional products or services they’d like to see. Make sure you have an objective of what results you want to collect. You don’t want to make it too long, as your customers are busy.
Once you’ve determined what you’re going to ask, you need to plan a distribution method. You could provide a survey with every transaction, mail a postcard or conduct an online survey. Whatever you do, make sure you’re actually using the results to improve your customer service.
Make your relationship public.
It’s a good chance a majority of your customers are on Facebook or other social media sites. If they are, you should be right there with them. Listening is the foundation to a solid relationship. Set up social media listening tools like Hootsuite to see what people are saying about your company. Don’t be afraid to engage in the conversation and correct any issues publicly to show that you care about your customers. The key is to be transparent and authentic. If you have time, you should listen to what people are saying about your competitors.
Share the love.
If your customers sing praises about your company, share it on your website or even better on a third party site such as The Best of. If you’ve made a customer happy, they’ll have no problem putting their name online for you. Customer testimonials are a great way to attract new customers. Determine how you will collect your testimonials. Maybe there’s an open-ended question on your survey or you can have an online form. Don’t be afraid to ask, but always make sure you do. Testimonials are a true testament of your love.
Where’s this relationship going?
If you want to know how the relationship is going, just ask. Gauging customer satisfaction is as easy as sending out a survey. Your customer satisfaction survey can ask a range of questions from what your customers think of your customer service, a new product or what additional products or services they’d like to see. Make sure you have an objective of what results you want to collect. You don’t want to make it too long, as your customers are busy.
Once you’ve determined what you’re going to ask, you need to plan a distribution method. You could provide a survey with every transaction, mail a postcard or conduct an online survey. Whatever you do, make sure you’re actually using the results to improve your customer service.
Make your relationship public.
It’s a good chance a majority of your customers are on Facebook or other social media sites. If they are, you should be right there with them. Listening is the foundation to a solid relationship. Set up social media listening tools like Hootsuite to see what people are saying about your company. Don’t be afraid to engage in the conversation and correct any issues publicly to show that you care about your customers. The key is to be transparent and authentic. If you have time, you should listen to what people are saying about your competitors.
Share the love.
If your customers sing praises about your company, share it on your website or even better on a third party site such as The Best of. If you’ve made a customer happy, they’ll have no problem putting their name online for you. Customer testimonials are a great way to attract new customers. Determine how you will collect your testimonials. Maybe there’s an open-ended question on your survey or you can have an online form. Don’t be afraid to ask, but always make sure you do. Testimonials are a true testament of your love.
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
Thank you from the Most Loved Printer in the UK
We have had confirmation that we are officially the Most Loved Printer in the UK as voted for by our clients on the Best of.Thank you to all those who have left kind words and testimonials. It is nice to be a nationally recognised award winning business by those that matter the most. Our customers.
This runs on from being recognised as the Most Loved Business in Town 2010.
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