The Unofficial Business Startup Blog

Notebook Fetish

2009-12-09T21:40:00.002Z

I seem to have developed over the past year a notebook and pen fetish as I seem to do a lot of jotting down ideas etc. Anyway I was going to buy a couple of Moleskins form the usual place but I stumbled across Rhodia, which is a French notebook maker/seller, which I purchased via a small Bristol based business called Papernation. The notebooks arrived and they are just great almost too good to write in them but I soon got over that.

The real reason for this post was that Papernation had a delightful little blog which wasn't just about the hard sell but you could feel the passion for their products, unlike some other sites that sold similar products. Oh Papernation also have a twitter account, which was quite cool and so I follow them. The pricing was the same and the delivery was fast (ordered saturday evening and arrived Tuesday morning). They come in orange and also black but i love the orange as it looks so classy and for some strange reason every-time I look at it I want to write something in it!!

As for the pens nothing fancy but they need to have a good grip and write well. I threw out my cheapo nasty don't write after 5 minutes ballpoints. I now use the Zebra Z-grips as well as papermate widemate. However on Monday I discovered the Signo Uniball 207 in Morrisons 5 for £1.98, which was too good to resist. It's quite a light pen but feels good in the hand and writes very nicely in my Rhodia notebook. I am not into the expensive pens as I tend to lose them and these are quite cheap so it's not a worry.

The Pre-Budget Report

2009-12-09T21:01:00.003Z

I tried to find something to smile about in the pre-budget report and I nearly did when I saw that you could get £200 scrappage for an old boiler however as we just had a new one fitted last month there was nothing to smile about at all. Increased N.I. by anothe 0.5% on top of the increases which will kick in later years, which employer in their right mind would take people on. The economy will recede by nearly 5% next year so expect tough times, unemployment will keep rising and the Tories might (?) gain power.

IPhone Contract nearing an end

2009-12-09T20:56:00.001Z

My beloved iPhone's contract with O2 come to an end in January or I think it does? Well it seems that O2 has put togther a nice little package to stop us all going elsewhere as they are no longer the exclusive carrier. It's simple really we move over onto their Simplicity tariff. Whats the difference, you may ask nothing apart from it being only £20 per month as against the current £35. We get the same picture 600 mins, oodles of text, voicemail, wifi, internet for £20 pm. I'll take some of that thank you and well done O2, that should keep lots of iPhone users jumping to Orange or Vodaphone.

Apparently its not advertised on the website yet so its best to phone O2 as the offer on the website isn't as good, also they can switch you quick as a flash over the phone.

Using Statistics

2009-11-27T18:20:00.001Z

It was if someone at the BBC was reading my thoughts as I came across this article on presenting information and fits in nicely with the previous post. I am not sure if the Billion Dollar O gram works for me but I see it's use in several areas.

The article is here

Presentation Zen

2009-11-27T17:58:00.002Z

I haven't looked at it for a while but it was a damn good blog for information on how to make your presentations look better. The formats changed a bit but the main information about presentations are in his links section on the right hand side so do give it a good look.

The link for the excellent presentations tips are here

Whilst the design aspects of presentations are here

There are three names you should enter into the search box on the www.presentationzen.com website: Steve Jobs, Seth Godin & Lawrence Lessig. Looking at their posts and respective links will make you think in a new and positive way about your presentations.

Excellent Podcast Aimed at New Web Startups

2009-11-25T14:55:00.001Z

Alex Bellinger of Smallbizpod has just released his latest podcast and if you are thinking or involved in a new web startups (yes 2.0 and all that!), then it's one podcast you need to listen to. It gives a great insight as he's chatting with a couple of new web startups. You really need to give a listen if you're even thinking of a web startup.

You can listen to it here via his website

It's also available via iTunes here

Recession What Recesssion

2009-11-19T00:04:00.000Z

I would have expected it to be one of the first things people would stop buying as belts tighten but no the lattes are continuing to flow. The major chains are opening coffee shops like the supermarkets open their small city centre outlets. However its not just the major chains who are opening small independents are finding that good tasting coffee and good service can help to make a business a success. Check out this short BBC piece here.

I am not sure about having a business meeting in a coffee shop such as the crowded one show in the article. , are you really going to discuss a large deal sat in one of them?

The PIcnic's Over - Tough Times in New York

2009-11-18T23:45:00.001Z

I was looking at the New York Times website when I came across this page and for me I had to ask why? Who opens up a coffee shop (named Picnic) in the middle of a recession in a suburb of New York, where you have rivals quite close by? They opened in March and closed in October brave but perhaps a little too brave. However the couple involved already have another business so good luck to them they gave it a go.

What I found really interesting was the comments made by US readers and to me it showed the difference between USA and UK entrepreneurial culture. In the UK the comments would have probably been more negative. Anyway read the article here and decide for yourself.

Some other information regarding Starbucks financial outlook are also here

Springwise - A Mine of Business Ideas

2009-11-06T14:51:00.000Z

Ideas ideas ideas, sometimes we have them and most of the time we don't. However the Springwise website (www. springwise.com) and newsletter can bring you those new business ideas straight to you. I've been a subscriber for well over a year ( if you ask me how I came across it i couldn't tell you) and there are some really good business ideas being generated around the globe. Some will travel, some won't as they are specific to that region or country. Give it a look and see what you think you could adapt for your own local market.

The website is at www.springwise.com

Well Done Jaime

2009-11-03T11:28:00.001Z

I was flipping through last Thursday's edition of the Manchester Evening News and in the business section I saw that ex-Innospacer tenant Jaime Markey of JAMpr had been named as one the UK's top 29 PR practitioners aged under 29. Excellent news and it was great news to read as I can remember her time in Innospace always on the phone, a born grafter, bags of confidence and someone who believes in her clients (I better stop now). JAMpr is a great example of a new business startup and JAMpr moved out to The Express buildings in Ancoats, which I think was a very good move.

I wish her all the best for the future and the MEN online article is here.

The JAMpr website is here

Windows 7 Student Deal - Initial Thoughts

2009-11-03T11:09:00.001Z

Yes, I took up the £30 student deal (downloaded only) and loaded it onto my Macbook, why well I wanted to see how good it was as I never gave vista a look after such negative reviews from users so XP it was. I only really needed it for one or two applications, which are specific to Windows.

The install was done in less than 40 minutes which was fast and on first look Windows 7 had me in a state of wow, things have improved greatly and I mean greatly. It's slicker, faster and more intuitive so it seems that they've taken a leaf out of Apple's book!! A couple of nice touches are the fact that you can 'pin' applications to the task bar and review them by holding your mouse over them. The broadband/Wi-Fi set up was the simplest I've come across and yes it just works. I loaded safari for windows and its seems faster than under OSX.

The offer finishes in January, so snap it up as the price at Amazon is a lot more but remember it's download only but you can turn it into a self-loading disc, plenty of info on that floating about.

I think Microsoft have actually got things back on track and should get those XP users to switch to Windows 7 quickly and they won't be disappointed.

However you may be quite happy with your existing version of XP or Vista but remember that Microsoft will stop supporting XP in a few years.

Oh before you do upgrade check to make sure you have the minimum system requirements needed to run Windows 7.

A fully licensed copy available for £30 who's complaining not me.

Windows 7 Student Deal

2009-10-28T17:35:00.001Z

There's a great student deal which is available at the moment in which you can purchase Microsoft Office 2007 for £39 and Windows 7 upgrade for £30 to good to be true, no as the details are here.

E-Book Readers

2009-10-28T12:17:00.002Z

Try as I might the Kindle from Amazon just didn't make me want to say "I want one now" maybe because I don't read enough books to warrant the expense. However the 'Nook' by Barnes & Noble (big US based bookstore) did make me go mmm, why, well it has a much better design, a colour screen, it also has 3G and Wi-Fi. I doubt if it will make it's way across the Atlantic anytime soon but it just doesn't allow you to read books, as you can download newspapers onto it and photos. I am sure the e-book market at the moment is hundreds of millions but if e-book readers do catch on then it could easily become a billion $ industry. The 'Nook' is a good place to start but I am eager to see how the 'Nook2' shapes up.

Rumour has it that Apple has a tablet in the pipeline, which will incorporate an e-book reader into it and if that is the case Apple will really be knocking the ball out of the park. An Apple tablet (think larger iPhone/iTouch) and would I buy it? I doubt it as I gave up being an early adopter of new tech products years ago. If the rumours are true the tablet will do a lot more than allow you to read books on it and therefore will come at an Apple price. therefore watch this space.

Iceland Waves Goodbye to McDonalds

2009-10-27T17:48:00.003Z

The golden arches will no longer shine over Iceland as that bankrupt nation loses it's McDonalds franchise as it was just too damn expensive to business there. As all it's food products were imported from germany and the Iceland currency pretty much worthless it was only a matter of time.

However the owner of the franchise is going to reopen with a different name using locally sourced products and the question I have to ask him is why did he say yes to such restrictive terms in the first place but I guess at the time things were looking good.

The land of Bjork, Magnuss Magnusson and hot geysers is suffering more than most due to the credit crunch. There's a good article on it here

Warren Buffet

2009-10-25T17:37:00.002Z

Billed as the worlds greatest money maker Evan Davis meets Warren Buffet Tuesday 27 October on BBC 2 at 11.20pm, which will be a must watch for me as I'd love to know his view on the current situation. If you miss it you can probably watch it on iPlayer.

- Posted using BlogPress from Glad's iPhone

50 Cents

2009-10-25T17:27:00.001Z

I have never been a big fan of rap music but I do like Jay Z recent album. However it's 50 cents who I admire for his business acumen. This is the smart guy who invested in the company that made Vitamin Water which was a big thing in the USA when I was last there in 2007. Coca Cola bought the company for $4.1bn and 50 cents made $400m on that deal. I don't like his music but I do like his business savvy.

He's also been in the UK for the film premiere "Dead Man Running" in which he stars and he's also published a business book called 'The 50th Law', there's a short BBC interview with him here

- Posted using BlogPress from Glad's iPhone

The Microsoft Courier Kind Cool

2009-10-24T16:59:00.003+01:00

I am not following tech as much as I should be, too busy on Twtter talking about, oh well nevermind. Anyway Microsoft have a secret project called Courier, which is a tablet PC and if the film is to be believed then it's gonna be a laptop killer perhaps or just maybe something else to put in your bag along with the phone and your laptop. It really did blow me away and I reckon it'll be out in about 12 months time but at what price?

However from a business point of view it's got 901 uses, that I can think of.

Check the video here and believe me it's very cool.

The Recession in the Barcelona Region

2009-10-20T11:24:00.001+01:00

A good article that focuses on Barcelona and the effect on its retailers of the recession as well the winners and the losers! I am a little shocked at olive oil being sold for €70, which is a hell of a price, so no surprise at it not selling as well. It's about being able to adapt to the changing environment, which will ensure a businesses survival. Sticking your head in the sand and doing nothing will only ensure a business goes under quicker without a fight.

The BBC article is here

Business North West

2009-10-16T12:09:00.000+01:00

I keep banging on about it but trust me I have no connection to the event apart from attending. I have just seen a list of the keynote speakers and my favourite lady Michelle Mone of Ultimo bras will be there. I like her as she's always very honest on the 'Apprentice You're Fired' show hosted by Adrian Chiles. I always remember her frosty encounter with Katy a few years ago. A founder from Ryanair (no not Mr 'charge for the loo' Ryan) as well as Michelle Dewberry a past Apprentice winner. The iTeddy guy Imran Hakim of Dragons Den fame as well the head honcho from Google. It seems quite a line-up in fact better than last year (Max Clifford?). Register online as tickets are free.

- Posted using BlogPress from Glad's iPhone

SmallBiz Podcasts

2009-10-14T15:03:00.002+01:00

The SmallBizPod is a website run by Alex Bellinger who I follow on Twitter and I like the content, it's not as slick as some but it's a case of substance over style and he does interact with his listeners. It's aimed at the small business user and I've found the topics quite good especially the interview with the lady who set up a sandwich shop in podcast #89.

One thing I do like is how he's archived past podcasts on his website under 'business advice', funding' etc.which is very useful.

You can download the podcasts through iTunes or via his website. The website link is here

BusinessToday Free Business Magazine

2009-10-14T14:15:00.005+01:00

I can't remember how I stumbled across the Business Today magazine, which you can read online but it's also available as a PDF download. A taste of the future perhaps and I wonder if I can get it onto my iPhone?

Give it a read and make up your own mind there are some relevant articles in it. Here's the link

Small Business Week

2009-10-14T13:32:00.004+01:00

Small business week starts on 19th October and on checking the website there only seems to be the Business North West event (28-29 October) happening, which unfortunately takes place a week or so later! I am little puzzled as to why Manchester hasn't hosted a few more smaller business related events such as workshops and seminars.

The link for Small Business Week is here but do click through into the BT business website which seems to have quite a few goodies in there worth looking at.

Business North West 2009

2009-10-01T01:38:00.004+01:00

It's always a good event and last years speakers were no exception, which is why I encourage everyone to attend as you never know who'll you meet at such a large event. There is also a speed networking event, which is very popular as they are always fully booked so register eraly. Tickets are free and all you need to do is register at Business North West online. It's the major business event of the year in Manchester so it's not to be missed.

All the seminars are free also but just check. Google University will be there so if you want to know about Google Analytics or Adwords then check them out.

Oh and did I say it was a free event.

So It's The Economy Stupid

2009-04-13T22:04:00.002+01:00

Well the G20 meeting seemed to lift some of the global gloom and offer some hope for us all. The stock market has responded quite optimistically and I might not be holding penny shares if it continues. The government seem to have woken up to the fact that the scrappage scheme being operated in germany France and Spain does actually as it gives the car manufacturers and the sales showrooms a much needed boost. Hey I am still riding around in a 10 year old car so I would welcome the cash for it but we'll wait and see what they come up with. There's a rumoured glimmer of hope in the housing market so things might actually be picking up as loan applications have increased.

The retail stores are going under fast but it seems that landlords have their heads stuck in the sand as they still seem to think that it's still 2003 and we have a booming economy as they are giving no leeway on rents.

Hurleys of Manchester has closed its doors as it was unable to renegotiate its rents and this a store that has abeen around as long as I have so it was old.

Woolworths RIP

2008-12-14T00:55:00.003Z

Poor old Woolies the end had been coming for the past 6-7 years or so as it's been a badly run business for quite some time as it lost its place. The wonder of woolies was how it managed to limp along for so long however I must admit I'll miss the one near me even though I haven't bought from it for quite some time. I did like the Big W super stores when they first opened but they soon lost their way and the stock purchases must have been made by the inmates of 'One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest', some bizarre stuff at even more bizarre and outrageous prices.

It was only a few months ago that Mary Portas she of Mary Queen of Shops fame commented on Woolies and what the shop represented. If the board had any sense they'd have got her in years ago and get a few hot shots on the board but the board seemed to have been asleep at the wheel. The current recession will shake out the deadwood so expect more blood on the high street. Finally for the staff Christmas will not be much fun however I hope they all find alternative employment in the new year.

My old employer has shut it's local office which I worked at for a good too many years and I was shocked to hear that old colleagues had been made redundant. However after meeting up with them none were gloomy as they had received some very handsome redundancy paymens from their company and guess what some had jobs lined up for the new year, now they will be having a good christmas.

Congestion Charge Are You Having a Laugh?

2008-12-14T00:23:00.004Z

Did the city burghers and the yes camp actually think that the good citizens of Greater Manchester would vote yes to pay to drive their vehicles in and out of Manchester. Any fool could see that it would not get through after all we are in a recession but I guess in the rarified world of the city council such minor things like a recession, job losses have no real affect on their thinking. Well the result was a resounding no and I am glad my vote counted and my reasons were clear.

1. I did not for one minute believe the guff about £3bn investment on extra buses, trains, cheaper fares. Some of the money was a loan and who would pay for it if the congestion charge didn't pay the debt off.

2. The congestion charge was £5 per day to drive your car in and out at peak times and thats for starters, I shudder to think what it would be in a year of two, £10 per day or even £15 per day. Also using the M60 ring road as the charging area is just plain dumb as many drivers using the M60 never actually come into manchester city centre so why should they have to pay a charge?

3. I like my city centre looking like a city centre with shops open, shoppers and yes cars running through it, the congestion charge would kill the city centre shops and restaurants as people would shop closer to home.

I hope the councils have taken note of the result and don't try and force it through otherwise we all know what can happen when the elected officials do not listen to the wishes of the people.

So Old School

2008-12-12T00:16:00.004Z

On Market street I've passed some young scally looking eindividuals but what are they doing selling illegal substances surely not. No in this digital age, they are trying to sell hip hop cd's to youngsters. The fact they are selling without a licence isn't any concern of mine, it's the fact that these young people haven't heard of the internet or itunes or myspace or youtube because instead of wasting their time hawking a few CD's on Market they should be online building a global fanbase, New York, Tokyo, Lagos. I want to sit them down and give them a quick 20 min session on the power of the internet but they're a lot bigger than me.

Business NorthWest

2008-12-11T12:44:00.004Z

I managed to pop along to this years Business North West event at the Gmex o the second day I did enjoy it purely for the appearance of one person. That person was Dennis Turner the chief economist at HSBC and I actually thought it'd be a laugh for a banker to be savaged by the audience. However he was amazing and had the audience eating out of his hand as he explained the current crises we are facing. In one hour he managed to explain many of the reasons why we got were we are and what was needed to get us out of the mess. "Economics it's boring" he bellowed to us and we all laughed but ate up all the charts and tables he threw at us.

Dynamic speaker is a word which can used correctly for this chap and at times he does come across like a bad tempered uncle but he's got a great line of jokes at his wife's expense.

I wondered why he hasn't been given a few hours on TV to explain the mess we are in and why hasn't he been on the radio or did I miss him? He's a great character who knows what he's talking about and if you get the chance to listen to him then do so.

Oh the rest of the exhibition was quite good some interesting stands but as it was the last day it was a bit subdued, also I felt that the bulk of the celeb speakers were lined up for wednesday.

Business North West 19-20 November 2008

2008-10-07T16:51:00.005+01:00

I mentioned it in the Doncaster post but I can confirm that the Business North west event will be with us in a few weeks 19-20 November. An event not to be missed as it usually has some excellent guest speakers, the odd ex-apprentice eaking out a crust as a speaker and some very good seminars. The details are still a bit sketchy but keep checking the website. I note that the chief economist from HSBC has put his head on the block and will be speaking so that's one I will not miss as he might be able to explain the credit crunch and other economic woes to me.

I suggest you get your registration in early and possibly network like mad in these credit crunch times. The website is here.

There's a speed networking event going on over the two days, which might be good practice as well as a way of expanding your business network.

The Credit Crunch

2008-10-07T16:18:00.008+01:00

Does anyone really know what is going on as I am suitably baffled as it seems our beloved leaders do not seem to have grasped the current situation too well. It might be those well paid pensions they are entitled to might have a head in the sand effect on them. No point in Europe pointing at the Yanks and their $700bn bailout for Wall Street as the European banks are in big trouble unless the ministers (with their gold backed pensions paid for by the rest of us). Iceland with a population of just over 300,000 people could be heading for bankruptcy or so the rumours go. However for such a small miniscule country it owns half of the UK high street retailers and we in the UK have deposited about £4bn in one of it's online banks as the rates were good but is their money safe?

Bradford and Bingley nationalised by the government, I used to be a shareholder but I am not anymore or am I. even though they didn't cost me anything but I can remember the share being at £5.00, now they are at £0.20, hey that's capitalism for you. So that's another year ot two past retirment that some people will have to work to possibly make up the shortfall in pension income.

100% mortgages are all but gone and I read a great article in Saturdays FT (may need to register but it's worth it) about the apartment crash in London and the like it read like a bad tv movie aspiration, greed, fraud, deceit, despair, hopelessness, you can read it here and it's grim stuff.

Do you understand what is going on as I don't, all I know it's grim and no one wants to lend anyone any money, does this mean no Carol Vordermann asking us to consolidate our loans, if so then some good might come out of it. Countdown still can't believe she received £900,000 a year for putting a few cards on a board, nice work if you can get it and I doubt if the credit crunch will be affecting Ms Vordermann.

Like I said if anyone knows whats really going on then please let me know.

News Update: I get it now, the banks forgot the word prudent from their vocabulary and replaced it with reckless or even stupid as they lent money to people who couldn't pay back the loans, charged too little interest and bought bad investments from abroad which they didn't understand, add some blind greed and there you have it, simple really.

Gordon Brown has a plan for the UK involving £500bn which he'll give to the banks to keep them in business will it work only time will tell but the markets don't seem to have much faith in it as the FT is down 119 points.

The Relaunch - I am back!

2008-10-01T16:55:00.006+01:00

I was going to let it die a slow lingering death but I changed my mind, why because I am currently at the Business Yorkshire exhibition after being sent an email from the same people who run the Business northwest event at the Gmex. It's a smaller affair and as it's free entry the only cost is a £10 return ticket to Doncaster. The event is at Doncaster racecourse and after arriving in the town and the city centre ain't half bad, this is my second visit to the town the first visit involved Ann Summers but thats a story I might tell when plied full of drink!

I headed for the local Weatherspoons to sample their farmhouse breakfast, not to be eaten everyday but it went down a treat. Oh I nearly forgot, guess who I saw in the taxi queue looking quite angelic was Jenny Celerier ( boo hiss) from the last season of the Apprentice and I must say she scrubs up really well but what's was she doing in Doncaster? Well she and Kristina Grimes were speaking at Business Yorkshire, apparently the two of them have formed a business partneship called KGJC! How that pairing came about is beyond me as it was only a few months ago that I read that Ms Grimes was selling overpriced apartments for Dandara in Manchester . Well, as the arse seems to have dropped out of that market and no one can get a mortgage I suppose she had to do something else. I wish them both the best of luck in their new venture the KGJC Partnership but Katrina watch your back girl!

I missed a few of the seminars but there was a good one on the credit crunch by a company called Liquid amusing but its real aim was tips on cashflow, such as;

1. Invoicing why not give 21 days instead of 31.

2. Always write your invoices up immediately especially those of you working freelance. How many of you leave it more than a week before you invoice?

Liquid sold online invoicing and accounting software which I haven't checked out yet but it might be worth looking at for some of you.

There has been networking sessions running all day by Corkscrew events but was unable to get in as fully booked.

I am off to the free drinks later and will mingle with the invited guests so I'll try and shuffle up to Ms Gimes and ask her how business is going.

Was it worth coming to yes and it gave you a lot to think about regarding one's own business ideas and taking them forward.

I am looking forward to the much larger North West Business which I think will be in November.

Goodbye NES

2008-08-09T15:20:00.005+01:00

It's goodnight from the New Entrepreneurial Scholarship project which has now been officially terminated and those of you who were in the last batch were the lucky ones as no more grants etc for new startups. It had a good innings but all good things must come to an end at some point. Over the past two years I was involved I have met some great people, some crazy people and some downright nasty people but please note the crazy and the nasties are outnumbered 10-1 by the great people. To all of you who are still running your business, whether in a full-time or part-time capacity keep working hard on achieving your goals.

Note:
To those of you who have asked what I am doing now, well I have my own business idea, which I am taking forward and if all things go well it should be available in the new year. It's time to put my money where my mouth is and get it up and running so you may see me at a few workshops and yes I will put togther a business plan!

The Credit Crunch

2008-08-09T14:54:00.004+01:00

You've heard the term "credit crunch" and we've felt the financial after effects of it from those damn yanks with their dodgy mortgage deals to the poor of America. The BBC Website has some excellent short radio documentaries on it, which are well worth a listen and explain how we got into the current financial situation. The fall out from it all when the s*it really does hit the fan could cause a severe recession, which we've probably not seen since the 30's.

However a nightmare for some is a godsend for others as house prices fall those who couldn't afford to buy when they were rising are now able to pick up some excellent bargains, especially in the USA. How does a $5000,000 home reduced to $350,000 grab you, however the general feeling is that house prices in certain parts of America have still got further to fall. Therefore that $500,000 home could go for $250,000 or even $200,000 or possibly even less!

Oh and if you think that it has no real effect on you then think again, see those falling stock market prices, well if you or your partner have a pension from a private or public employer, well where do you think they invest your money, that's right in the stock market.

BBC World Service "The trouble with Money" - Part 1 and Part 2

BBC World Service " Credit Crunch" - Part 1 and Part 2

My iPhone

2008-08-09T14:35:00.003+01:00

I queued up for it (only 90 mins) on July 11 and was on the O2 network the next day, over the past couple of weeks I have been using it enthusiastically, especially the unlimited internet/data access, which came as part of the £35pm tariff I am on.

The GPS works and is useful once you get the hang of it. The SMS is a breeze and I sent a friend an SMS asking for someone else's mobile number. The reply I received included the mobile number, which showed up as a link and all I had to do was press the link and the number was dialed, that for me was just a little bit special. The visual voicemail is so simple I wonder why the other phone companies never thought of it before.

The applications which I have added have been many but the most useful are Bloomberg Financial, Voice Notes, Zenbe, Facebook, Netnewswire are some of the free applications I have downloaded from the iTunes store. I hope to do a review of of some of them in the future.

The battery life if you don't have 3G switched on will last you a whole day, which includes internet data. However if you leave 3G switched on then have it plugged into a power source somewhere as it eats the battery.

To put it mildly the iPhone 3G kicks ass and the folks at Nokia/Samsung/HTC may wonder how they'll be able to beat it, my guess is they won't anytime soon.

Anyone Need Photoshop?

2008-07-10T11:12:00.003+01:00

If you ever need to alter a few photos but find Photoshop a tad too expensive and quite a steep learning curve, then don't worry as there are now a number of free online alternatives available for you to use. The field is getting quite crowded but I've stumbled across a couple of them and I find them effective for cropping, adding text etc. The good thing is you don't even have to register as you can use them straight from the website. I have listed them below, so give them a whirl and if you find them useful, let me know.

Picnik

Splashup

Sumopaint

Fotoflexer

Friday 11 July - iPhone Day

2008-07-04T15:15:00.004+01:00

At 6pm next Friday, I should be the proud new owner of a shiny new 3G iPhone and the wait has been long enough since it was announced at WWDC by Steve Jobs , as I've had to do other things to take my mind off it, such as work, gym, eating, going out etc. After many years with Vodaphone, I'll be waving goodbye to them and saying hello to O2 and it's £35 per month tariff. It was the all you can eat data package, which swung it for me, as well the syncing ability, video, music playback, GPS and the internet. I'll be able to access the internet from almost everywhere such as trains and automobiles, malls, sat in the garden. As well as that I am rubbing my hands at what the 3rd party developers will come up with.

The price drop is amazing considering what it used to sell for but Apple/O2 have got it right this time although the £30 tariff is rubbish and unsure how much the Pay- as-you-go model will cost. Is the iPhone the one phone to rule them all, methinks it might just be.

Mockups not Cockups!

2008-07-04T14:32:00.006+01:00

I know how difficult it can be for web designers to translate a clients idea into a fully functioning website for £200 (joke). No, if you ever want to get an idea of how a website might look, then this tool might be just what you are looking for. I think that all web designers should show this to or sit with their clients and use it to draw up prototypes of how their website might look. The tool in question is called Balsamiq and it lets you create mockups of websites, internet and web applications. It's quick and gives you that handdrawn look, which makes it very cool indeed. There are two versions, free and paid for as you can download it to your desktop and work offline.

You can check it out here

Send This File

2008-06-24T15:25:00.004+01:00

As file sizes get larger everyday the quickest way to choke your email mailbox would be to send a couple of photos to someone. It can take an age to send and also an age to receive, however there is a far quicker amd more convenient way of sending large files to others. Yousendit.com allows you to send large files up to 100Mb in size.

All you need to do is register for free and the site allows you to input the email address of the person who you wish to send the files to along with a messge. Then you upload the file to yousendit's server and the recipepnet will receive an email from you which includes the download link to the file you have uploaded, it's as simple as that! The email link stays active for 7 days and after that it's gone, so no need to worry about it being accessible months after. I use the free version 100MB file limit but there are other accounts available here and as they are in US$, they do seem quite cheap at the moment.

Backup, Backup and Backup

2008-06-24T14:30:00.009+01:00

The majority of people using PC's don't really act until after the calamity has happened, yes you lose all your data on your computer but didn't back it up at all, duh. I know I've done it but luckily it was only my itunes files which I lost. However it vital that business users back up their hard drive contents. The easiest way to do that would be to purchase an external harddrive and link it with some backup software, which performs automatic backup of your hard drive on a hourly or daily basis.

Noter:Those of you using Mac OSX 10.5 Leopard have the Time Machine software built in, which is pretty amazing all you add is an external harddrive make a few clicks and you're set up.

External hard drives can be purchased quite reasonably and you need to be looking at 250 GB in size, price wise they are available in the price range of £60-70. You can get some good deals so give everywhere a look online, the usual suspects are Amazon, Maplins, Comet, PC World and the like. It's best to opt for a well known brand as you won't have problems if the external goes haywire. Warranties on these are usually 2-3 years, so please keep hold of your receipt as you will need it for any returns (which are made direct to the manufacturer) . The makes worth looking at are Iomega, Seagate, Maxtor and Western Digital (not a big fan of their products) and the good thing is that they all come with free backup software. There are some very good deals on 500GB external hard drives at the moment

So if you haven't backed up your hard drive, then get your hand in your pocket and make that purchase before it all ends in tears.

The Apprentice Winner

2008-06-24T14:10:00.007+01:00

So it ends in tears for Alex (I 'm only 24!) but Lee is a very happy man indeed after being chosen as Sir Alan Sugar's apprentice. Claire didn't get it as she would not have fitted into the Alan sugar empire and as for Alex, he was too much of a snake to get the job. Helene, was just too miserable and talentless and I wonder how she made the final four.

Anyway, I enjoyed it but the quality of the contestants seems more like Big Brother than a serious business competition (which we all know it isn't). Will I be watching the new series next year to see which muppets have got through, you bet I will. It's good mreality tv but it doesn't have much to do with business!

Every Little Bit Helps

2008-04-11T22:32:00.003+01:00

And so it continues episode 3 of the ~~business~~ reality TV show The Apprentice and it was a no-brainer this week unlike last weeks stitch up of Shazia. Ian was assigned to lead the boys team and Sara the girls. The task was to cook and sell food from two old English pubs in a posh part of London. Simple enough you might think but not for our teams it isn't as they manage to make a right dogs dinner out of it.

The lads seem to think that shopping at Tesco is a money saver, believe me the 'Every Little Bit Helps' strapline does not apply to shoppers. The boys for some strange reason ran out of time and were not able to buy their products at wholesale prices. Kevin, who has more than a passing resemblance to Little's Britain's 'Only Gay in The Village' character and come to think of it Helene or Claire could double up for Myfanwy! Kevin was made head chef as he eats in a lot of Italian restaurants but couldn't cook and thinks a cappuccino is a dessert. Oh the boys theme for the night was Italiano!

The girls were their usual selves sniping at each other in front and behind each others back, as they picked a Bollywood Night theme. The girls blagged free printing and also sold tickets in advance, which was a blinder as half the people who paid £5 didn't turn up, easy money and I can see a few restaurant owners up and down the UK rubbing their palms at the thought of such a scheme. The girls also blagged free saris and also an authentic Bollywood dancer from an Indian restaurant around the corner. Now I must admit his dancing had to be seen to be believed and his moves were straight out of the Wacko Jackson dance book Vol.1 (please note: no young children were present).

Back to the boys, the food was crap the pizzas weren't whole and Ian was an absolute disaster as a project manager. I am surprised the boy can tie his shoelaces never mind lead a team and can someone tell me why it take three people to buy 25 ciabattas?

The lads in the end raised more money than the girls but had huge costs, which were out of control and so they lost the task. So chaps, if you watch the pennies the pounds will look after themselves. The girls won and were sent away for cooking lessons as a treat!

So Ian deservedly got the big elbow from SAS as well as lying in the boardroom he had the audacity to bring Simon and Kevin back with him into the boardroom. Kevin actually gave Ian a right old verbal spanking and was backed up by Simon, so Ian was onto a loser. Bye Bye Ian you won't be missed and considering you used to live in a pub your a disgrace to your unimpressed father. However I would like to know how you got a job as a sports broadcaster on local BBC radio.

OpenOffice For Free

2008-04-07T15:24:00.004+01:00

If you are looking for office suite sofware that is compatible with Microsoft Office and is free to use with no licensing restrictions or you are simply anti-Microsoft, then perhaps Openoffice is what you've been looking for.

It's available for Windows/Linux/Mac OSX and it has 5 separate components Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw and Base, whose Microsft equivalents aren't too hard to work out. Yes you can save files in Microsoft format and it will read Microsoft files, so receiving files from customers shouldn't be a problem (it wont read the MS Office 2007 docx format at the moment). I have a copy of it on my Linux eeepc and it does the job, as I haven't had any problems with it.

The cost is £0.00 as it's free as in free beer, free food so you can download it here.

It seems that it is possible to kit out your business with free legitimate software.

Do Not Get Bitten!

2008-04-05T00:14:00.005+01:00

We used to have cyber squatters in the good old dot com boom days which were individuals who used to buy a company domain name and try and sell it back to the company for an inflated price. Anyway a few costly court cases saw off the cyber squatters pretty quickly. However we now seem to have trademark squatters who take their aim at small businesses who despite trading for many years might not have got round to trademarking their business name. These scam merchants will check to see if a small business has trademarked it's name at companies house and if it hasn't will register the name themselves. They then accuse the perfectly legit small business of trademark infringement unless they hand over thousands of pounds other wise they'll be taken to court. Go and see a good legal firm should you ever be approached.

Now you would think that someone at companies house would put a stop to this scam by checking the details of the legit company with the business who are trying to squat on the trademark. It's simple really take the scam companies £200.00 and then inform them that their application has been turned down.

The full details are on the BBC website here

Google Sketchup 6

2008-04-04T23:46:00.004+01:00

Those nice people at Google bought out the company who used to sell the Sketchup software for quite a few £'s and guess what Google then gave it away for free. Crazy, maybe but I can guarantee that the user base is probably about 10x as larger than before Google bought the company. There is a Professional version which cost £256.00, which is a pretty good price.

So if you have a need for a 3D design package that is quite simple to use but still very powerful, then look no further. If you want to create gardens, interiors, houses, buildings, whole streets then give it a go after all what have you got lose, nothing apart from your time as you get hooked on it.

It's available for Windows/Mac OSX 10.4 (Tiger and above), but not yet available for Linux. It's neat bit of kit and if 3D is your thing well it's available here for free!

Reasons 2 B Cheerful Parts 1-22

2008-04-04T16:55:00.003+01:00

To those of you who are running or intending to run your own business you will all have different reasons for going it alone and it's not just about the money. Here are a few good reasons on why working for yourself is a good idea, I wonder how many apply to you,. You can check them out here

The Boys Did Well!

2008-04-03T22:21:00.004+01:00

Last night's Apprentice, well what a turn around for the boys after last weeks fish disaster. That man Raef, chinless wonder he may be but didn't he do well! The boys were far better organised, better motivated, harder working, used a lot more common sense, I could go on but I won't. They deserved their win and rightly so.

As for the girls, alas the wheels came off their laundry trolley big style las night, they were an utter and complete shambles. Backbiting, bullying, clueless, incompetent, as well as embarrassing (asking for tips - what was that all about?). They bickered like a load of old fishwives, truly cringe worthy stuff. In the boardroom we had Lucinda, nasty Jenny and innocent Shazia who was well stitched up by Jenny (who lied in the boardroom about Shazia). The 24 hour phoneline was an absolute gem along with charging £4.99 to clean an item and the 1,000 items they were quoting on meant that they wanted to try and charge the hotel manager £4,999.00 for a job which he usually pays £200.00!

It was a master class in incompetence, which the girls won hands down!

Photos, Pictures and Powerpoint

2008-04-02T18:24:00.006+01:00

So you want to include some photos in your Powerpoint/Keynote presentation (or blog) and just Googling images might not give you the photos you need with the copyright permission or the quality. There are quite a few royalty free free picture websites, where you can use the photos they have available and online for r free or for a very small one-off fee. Some have terms and conditions attached to them (such as model release) so you might not be able to use them for a commercial venture but check out SXC Xchng for some excellent top quality member uploaded photos. I have over a thousand of such images, which I use in my presentations and the quality has been superb. There are plenty of other good photo websites but I found SXC Xchng to be the best for me.

You can check out SXC Xchng here: note you have to join to be able to download the fullsize photos, which is free.

Hello Mum I am on the Plane at 10,000 Feet

2008-03-28T12:43:00.003Z

God helps us is all I can say as Ofcom for the UK has given the green light for mobile phones to be used onboard airplanes. I can see the air rage stories appearing as passengers drag mobiles phones off people. However will it be good for business, depends if you are flying for business it's good news but for those of us who fly for a holiday not much fun having to listen to it.

The full details are here

Free Anti-Virus Software

2008-03-27T23:44:00.004Z

This is aimed at the Windows users, forget Norton with it's nag nag screens and slowing your machine down, the kind people at Grisoft have a free version available, which even I use on my windows laptop, despite being a Mac user. It's free, it works. If you are running your business from your windows laptop or desktop and it's unprotected and you have email/spam hitting your inbox everyday, then get protected asap.

The link is here

Google Calendar

2008-03-27T23:00:00.005Z

I used to use Google Calendar as an online room booking system at our business Incubator, which was embedded into a blogger web page so people could access it anywhere online. I liked it's ease of use and the fact that it could email you a reminder, as well as sync with ical on the Mac and Outlook on Windows. However I have been advised that it can now send you an event reminder by SMS or as I call it a text message for free. I tried it last week and it works.

So if you use Google calendar for your appointments, you could set it up so that you are sent a text message 24 hours before your meeting. Why 24 hours, well you then might want to contact the person you have the appointment with to check everything is ok and they haven't forgotten about your meeting. The only thing I would add is the ability to ensure that the person you are having the meeting with gets a text message reminder as that would be pretty cool. However you can always make sure they receive an email via Google Calendar.

Oh you set it up by clicking on Settings and then on Mobile Setup.

Here's the link to Google Calendar but you need to set up a Google account to get access to it and all the other goodies Google has for free.

More Free Software - Eventwax

2008-03-27T22:36:00.003Z

This is a free to use web 2.0 software/website for those of you whose business it is to arrange an event/meeting as Eventwax is so simple to use, I have no need to explain it in any detail. You set up the event, limit the number of invites, send the link out in an email and people register that they want to attend. It's so simple and I must thank Stephen for bringing it to my attention. I guess there are other event/invite websites out there so please let me know. If you are trying to run your business on a tight or non-existent budget then this will do.

Click the link here

Free Financial Software From Microsoft

2008-03-27T16:11:00.005Z

I know it might seem like an early April Fools joke but trust me it's not. Office Accounting Express 2008 from Microsoft would on initial inspection and a short trial seem to be just the thing for all those new startup businesses as it covers everything you could possibly need. Customer contacts, sales, purchases, banking, invoices and more, which also links into Excel, Word and Outlook and can import Sage files. The download is quite hefty and you need about 2GB space on your harddrive and a speedy machine. It runs on Windows XP and Vista but it does load other applications, which are needed. I suggest that you take a look at the sample companies which are installed to get an idea of what you can do with it.

Give it a try as I personally think it's a nice piece of software, which is aimed at UK small businesses (I am still trying to find the catch but can't!). You can upgrade to the pro version but that will cost you £149.95 but I doubt if many sole traders/partnerships/small businesses will need the upgrade but who knows.

The download is available here

The Apprentice Season 4

2008-03-27T15:17:00.006Z

I said I wasn't going to watch it as it has nothing to do with business and everything to do with entertainment despite the best efforts of Sir Alan Sugar. Well another bunch of posers, prats, snobs and jack the lads await us over the next 12 weeks or more. Selling fish a simple task or so you might think but these lads and lassies manage to make a right mess of it. Pricing, markup (read profit) and fish identification shouldn't have been too hard a task but lo and behold both teams actually manage to sell the fish below cost, way below in some instances (£5 lobster anyone?). The good punters of Islington market must have thought Christmas had come early and in fact it did.

I know 8 years olds who could have done a better job than any of them but the Apprentice doesn't allow 8 year olds on the programme but we had the closest thing to one in the form of Little Lord Snooty aka Nicholas De Lacy Brown aka Nicholas Brown . The boy had never worked before he was on the Apprentice and his head was too far up his own backside to even consider doing such a menial task as selling fish. Anyway Nicky boy was pretty crap at simple maths and so the lads ended up selling fish below cost. I have never detested anyone so quickly than this pitiful excuse for a person. He's down as a barrister but just because you pass the bar exam doesn't suddenly make you a barrister as you need to be hired by someone and do your pupillage (read apprenticeship). If there was ever a person who deserved to be booted off the show it was this prat, good riddance to bad rubbish and god help anyone who employs him as he couldn't argue his way out of an empty school playground.

The other character I just want to beat around the head with a dead lobster is Raef Bjayou, who looks like an extra from a 1970's Cointreau advert or is it 70's Ferrero Roche commercial. He's all blah and no action (completely bottled it when asked to be team leader) but he'll no doubt provide much fun over the coming weeks if he lasts that long. As for the split in the boys team you bet there is, its the doers v the idle toffs and I know who my monies on. Hehehe, it should be fun as well as frustrating to watch over the coming weeks.

Seth Godin

2008-01-30T23:41:00.000Z

Seth Godin he's 'the' marketing guru and if you haven't read any of his books then I suggest you start with 'Permission Marketing' as he takes marketing to another level. I have linked a YouTube video for a talk he gave to Google. Imagine that Google asked him to come and tell them what he thought they are doing wrong, that's how good he is! Anyway watch and listen to him as he's spot on with his observations but can it work for the little business owners, yes it can but scale it appropriately.

Getting Back into Gear

2008-01-30T22:51:00.000Z

It's been a while since I last wrote anything but as most bloggers know you need to write often to maintain the momentum and the creativity. Quite a few things have happened since I last dropped a few words on this page. The sub-prime crisis/scandal in the USA has managed to cause chaos in the world's stock markets.

The USA will probably go into recession, unless Bush pulls some something out of the hat real quick. If the USA goes into recession then we'll feel the cold of it to.

The Societe Generale fraud doesn't help to bolster faith in the banking system especially after the Northern Rock crisis. Things are not looking good but it still doesn't mean that people can't still do business. However does any of this have an effect on your business, you bet it can but you need to be aware of the signs. If you are smart and can look accurately into the future, then you'll do well. My advice read a quality paper or listen to a radio show/podcast such as 'wake up to money'.

How Much

2007-10-25T16:27:00.000+01:00

I am not sure if I can really believe it but some analysts actually think that Facebook is worth $15bn after Microsoft invested $240m for a 1.6% share in the social networking company. Now I doubt it that Microsoft were looking to buy the company, as it seems to me that they were after the advertising revenues from selling ads on Facebook. At the moment the company's turnover is only $150m and to get a valuation of $15bn it had better start increasing it's advertising revenue rather sharpish. Good luck to Mark Zuckerberg especially for holding his nerve and saying no when Yahoo came a knocking.

Personally I think the valuation is way off by about $13-14bn but time will tell.

Love Food Then Read This!

2007-08-09T23:15:00.000+01:00

Another article this time it's on those who are thinking of setting up their own restaurant, it's US based but the advice will still hold up. The only thing is the Americans eat out more than we do in the UK. Anyway here's the link

A Great Article

2007-08-09T23:01:00.000+01:00

If your business plan failed to make the grade, then fear not as it may be the person who was marking it who was wrong or so it seems for Ian Leopold, read the whole story here

The Elevator Pitch

2007-08-06T21:48:00.000+01:00

Here's an article which should be of help to those of you who need to pitch their business, well the elevator pitch is a great way of putting your business into a tight concise package. I prefer the 1 minute pitch but others can do it in 30 seconds. There's a link to a great article on elevator pitches here

Try This Somebody

2007-07-30T21:51:00.000+01:00

Jerry Seinfeld yeah that Jerry Seinfeld, well he's got a great motivational plan and you can read how one person adopted it and liked it as it worked. I think I might try it too, anyway here's the link.

The Art of the Text Message

2007-07-30T19:47:00.000+01:00

It's funny we talked recently about how text messaging can be used as a sales/customer service tool for your business and lo and behold there's a US article on it. It's well worth a read and might give you an idea or two, so here's the link. However it won't work for all businesses but I do wish my dentist would text me when my appointment is due.

Free Advice From Peter Jones

2007-07-25T18:00:00.000+01:00

Well Tycoon has finished and congrats to the winner Iain Morgan, I wish him the best of luck for the future. However Peter Jones ever the entrepreneur has put together (employed someone?) some business advice on the ITV tycoon website, I especially like the 'harness your imagination' section. Howevever saying that I'll be married to Halle Berry and living quite comfortably in Los Angeles! Here's the link

Sales

2007-07-22T14:24:00.001+01:00

Whatever business you are involved in, you need to be able to sell, be it you as an individual or your companies products and services. Here's a snippet from a film I saw years ago called Glengarry Glen Ross, which had a stellar cast and wasn't a big hit at the box office. However this scene from it is a classic and was probably repeated in many sales offices across the USA at the time. It had me thinking do we all have what it takes to sell and if not what do we do about it?

Note: The scene contains strong language, so those of a delicate nature beware!

Blogging For Cash

2007-07-22T14:09:00.000+01:00

There is a very interesting, enlightening and gob smacking article on the Business Week website regarding blogging for a living. You make your money from the advertising you sell on your site, which you can only achieve if you are getting high numbers visiting your website. The numbers visiting some of the sites are pretty spectacular anyway here's the main article as well as the follow-up article here as well.

The Super Jam Website

2007-07-04T10:32:00.000+01:00

This is for the website for the young lad who runs the SuperJam business while still at University (I am not sure how he''ll manage it but the business is doing very well). He was mentioned in the earlier article and I've featured him so you should take a look at his website, which is fairly simple but he has made good use of blogging to get closer to his customers etc. He isn't selling from his website but he uses it to great effect in my opinion. He's got a Facebook group set up for his jams, so he's making good use of free internet technology. I'd love to know how he got the Waitrose contract.

There's an excellent article about him here and check out his turnover!

Can It Really Be Taught?

2007-07-04T10:10:00.000+01:00

Here's an interesting article from the BBC education page on enterprise and entrepreneurship and whether it can be taught.

Wear It Well

2007-07-03T10:40:00.000+01:00

The good old BBC's lifestyle programme 'What Not To Wear' are looking for entrepreneurs starting their own business who's dress sense might not be quite up to it. So if you look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards almost everyday, then perhaps it might be time to apply. Treat it purely as a bit of fun but it could be good PR for your business. Those with a nervous disposition and an aversion to film crews best not apply. The link is here.

Free Creative Industries eBook available

2007-07-02T13:33:00.000+01:00

For those of you whose are planning to set up a creative business, marketing expert David Parrish has made his book 'T-Shirts and Suits' available as a free ebook, which is jolly good of him as it'll save you a few quid on the paper copy. It's free and available here.

Goodbye Fopp, You Were a Much Loved Friend :(

2007-07-01T22:43:00.000+01:00

I am holding a wake this week for Fopp my favourite CD/Book/DVD store which has closed its doors for good. Apparently the downloading onslaught (legal and illegal) combined with the supermarkets has managed to kill it stone dead or so say the business press.

I am not sure if you can really blame the supermarkets as they only stock the top 50 albums and millions of crappy compilations, whilst Fopp was more of an indie store to me, after all you wouldn't find an album by the Bird and The Bee* in Asda/Tesco/Sainsbury's not in a million years. The illegal downloads would have an effect but Fopp aren't the only ones affected and legal downloads are still small in comparison to overall music sales.

I think they expanded far too too quickly and I guess buying the Music Zone stores, who went belly-up last year didn't help their bottom line. The Manchester Music Zone store never did reopen and the Fopp website could have been so much better, it's such a pity but over-expansion can kill you if you don't have the cash to cover your day to day bills.

* I made my very last purchase at Fopp on Sunday 23rd June at about 4.55pm purchasing the new Bird and the Bee CD after hearing it played instore and also a Burt Bacharach CD for £3.00. Fopp RIP

Don't Give Up Your Day Job!

2007-07-01T19:23:00.000+01:00

I think the problem with being a successful entrepreneur is that perhaps your ego can get in the way of your shrewd business sense, which made you your millions in the first place. That has to be the only reason I can think of as to why Peter Jones (he of Dragons Den fame), would put together such a pile of rubbish masquerading under the title Tycoon, Sir Alan Sugar must have laughed his socks off, it is dire! Well it seems that ITV have taken the hint and dumped it to ITV2 (does anyone watch it?) after the viewing figures fell below 2 million viewers for episode 2. if the ratings keep falling then the final which features a live phone in vote would only need one telephone operator to take the one call, as there would probably be only one person actually watching the show.

My view was that the whole format was flawed from the beginning as the contestants were to put it bluntly crap and if they were the ones who got picked I shudder to think what the ones who were turned down were like.

My advice Peter stick to what you do best, that's running successful businesses not making crap TV programmes.

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome!

2007-07-01T14:04:00.000+01:00

TUBS is The Unofficial Business Start-up Blog and it's aimed at those of you who are thinking of starting or have started up in business. If you have that entrepreneurial spirit, then TUBS is well worth a look.

Hey, TUBS is not all about me passing on info to you can get involved and pass on anything relevant to this blog by adding it in the comments ( and I'll post it and credit you as well). Let's hope everyone can make a contribution.

A big hello to the new NES scholars of July 2007, who had their first session on Friday, I hope you'll find this blog useful in some way. A good idea might be to look back at past postings and also check out the links on the right-hand side.

The Apprentice Series 3 - Final two

2007-06-08T14:40:00.000+01:00

So at long last we are down to the last 2 contestants, with a sensational pullout in the boardroom by katie but what else did we expect from her. You really need to ask what was her motive for going on the show in the first place if she was in a £90,000 a year job. The after show with Adrian Chiles was superb as the lady from Ultimo bras really laid into Katie and I guess they wont be sending each other christmas cards. So the finals between Simon and Kristina, despite my dislike for Katie it would have been a good final had she been up against Kristina.

NOTE: Simon beat Kristina in the final, well done Simon, hard luck Kristina and get lost Katie!

You Have a Choice

2007-05-10T18:21:00.000+01:00

There's a business book which is available online here, it's aimed at software developers but I am sure there's something in what they say that can get us all thinking, I'll keep reading and let you know.

Contact Management Tool

2007-05-10T17:19:00.000+01:00

I have recently come across Highrise, which is a great and free online contact management tool, that is oh so simple to use. I will be using it for a little project which would have had me messing around with MS Access or Filemaker Pro, no need as this does what I want it to do. The basis free package allows up to 250 contacts to be stored online, if you want more then you'll have to pay extra . I suggest you give the freebie a try and if you like it then stump up the extra. It's an excellent choice for you budding businesses.

Here's the link

Alas Poor Adam

2007-05-10T17:03:00.000+01:00

I have watched the Apprentice 3 avidly and even though it's less about business and more about personality. However the whispering campaign about Adam Hosker finally paid off and he lost out by 97p but Nigella seeds come on who's ever heard of them before (not me). What I have to ask is why didn't someone nip into an internet cafe and google it as that throws up the answer in instant? It would seem that common sense is missing from this years intake, as they don't seem to have much of it.

This leads me onto the treatment of Adam by the rest of the house vipers, oops I mean mates, which bordered on bullying plain and simple. As for Katie, well she is one hideous individual, who will find getting a job difficult (good as a panto baddie though) as she's just an utterly obnoxious snob and anti-northern. She would have been more suited to Big Brother than the Apprentice as wishing death on fellow housemates does not go down well with the nation. Would you want her in your business, not in a million years. If Sir Alan picks her as the winner then his judgement really needs to be called into question. On the other hand I can't wait to see the showdown between her and Kristina, now that should make good TV.

The Apprentice Series 3

2007-04-05T10:52:00.000+01:00

Well it's back on again but this time Sir Alan Sugar has had more of a say in picking the candidates, so hopefully they should be better than the last lot, however on the showing so far there's not too much to differentiate.

Last night's episode with the dog products showed me that they seem to be lacking in basic business skills and as for ideas well, lets say it was pretty barren. Two people got the sack and rightly so Ifti a product design specalist who did nothing and then bleated about missing his wife and kids, fair enough but you knew what you were letting yourself in for. As for Rory ( another product designer), well he was the epitome of the public schoolboy, talks with a plum in his mouth but was totally clueless as a manager, no wonder he's been bankrupt twice. I thought at one point he was going to cry poor lad, I trust the BBC provide counselling for those given the boot.

I also wonder if the contestants have actually watched previous shows and worked out the format of the tasks.

Click here for the website with videos and Jo's column.

Public TV

2007-04-04T11:22:00.000+01:00

There's a new website where you can watch business related videos free of charge and no need to register. It's a new venture and I believe it has Sir Bob Geldof backing it. The Stanford Uni videos look particularly good from a entrepreneurial point of view. Click the banner to get there.

Thats Just Plain Dumb!

2007-03-08T00:25:00.000Z

Some ideas are so crazy they'll never make money or will they check out this article here

Reggae Reggae Sauce

2007-03-07T23:12:00.000Z

He wooed the Dragons and got their money, now he's on supermarket shelves, I wish him a lot of success and hope he sells shedloads. Here's the link

Free Seth Godin Ebook

2007-03-03T19:46:00.000Z

The best things in life are free and Seth Godins ebook 'Flippng the Funnel' is available for legal download here

Time Really Is Money

2007-03-03T16:21:00.001Z

Some people have a problem with time, I did as I used to be late for many things, until I started my own business as I discovered that arriving late for events, meetings cost me money and possibly reputation. Arriving late to my shop one day cost me nearly £200 as the customer was there and I wasn't, luckily for me he came back and told me off in the process (I nodded politely as I counted his money but he was damn right). Arriving at a suppliers exhibition stand late meant that the one off stock items (at give away prices) they had were all sold out!

Running a business means you have to arrive on time because in my book people who are constantly late, depsite their immense skill and talent are unreliable. If they can't get their butt into weekly meetings on time why should I or anyone else in the room do business with them or recommend them to others.

Getting to a meeting on time is simple put a 30 minute time cushion into your plan. So if you are meeting at 9am and it takes you 30 minutes to get there and another 30 minutes to get up showered, eat, get ready etc thats 60 minutes, so you should be leaving your pitt sorry bed at 7.30 and have left the house by 8am. OK, I don't know what your means of transport is etc but I think you get my drift, the further away the bigger the time cushion. Also, if you are always late, then it also a good indication of how motivated you are ( not!) in setting up your business.

Time really can cost you money as well as your business!

That Man Seth

2007-03-03T16:04:00.000Z

He's the online marketing guru who I think sweats wisdom just for fun, this follows on from the talk yesterday from David Parrish for those of you who were there.

Anyway here's the link to the article, which I am sure you'll agree is another gem from that man Seth.

Another TED Talk

2007-03-03T15:39:00.000Z

This came about as a direct result of the previous post about Ray Kurzweil and it vividly explains what he professes. I have seen this technology as a prototype about 12 months ago but the very thought of the many application uses for it are simply mind blowing. I know it looks like something we've seen in Star Trek but that was fake and this is 100% real. It's still in the lab at the moment but I can see it's many uses within the educational sector dealing with disabled children, those with specific learning difficulties to name just a few. I would love to get my hands on it. Did someone say VJing?

Watch the video here and prepare to be blown away!

The Ray Kurzweil TED Talk

2007-03-03T15:21:00.000Z

The name Ray Kurzweil was mentioned to me yesterday and despite knowing the name I never really knew who he was. Well, Mr Kurzweil is a super inventor, entrepreneur and futurist (and much more), in actual fact he's a pretty amazing character. I might not agree with everthing he believes in but he does get the brain cells thinking long and hard about the role of technology and the future. If as entrepreneurs we can look into the future and predict the technology we will use correctly, then don't we have a big advantage over our competitors? Ray Kurzweil looks at technology and how it can and will continue to shape human history/development.

Here are links to his wikipedia page and his official website as well as a TED talk he did recently, which is very very interesting.

Thanks to Vincent for the info

The Art of The Business Card

2007-02-10T13:51:00.000Z

The only thing I have to say is never leave home without it! However this scene from American Psycho (starring Christian Bale)is very funny, unlike the rest of the movie which is a bit sick in parts!

Amazon Where's The Profit?

2007-02-02T21:49:00.000Z

Amazon has released its annual sales figures and guess what sales increased whilst profits fell. I have been saying this for a while now and everyone thinks I am wrong (perhaps I am). Amazon are not making any profits as I believe there is some dodgy accounting at work , if I am wrong then fine I will hold my hands up. However the sales for 2006 were $10.71 BILLION, thats right BILLION, whilst the profit was wait for it $190 million. I am sorry but there's something drastically wrong at Amazon, as the profits should be at least 5-10 times higher. If it was any other company with such small profits the shares would be on the floor by now. Why so small, well if you take a quick look at the US website all will be revealed. It's lost its focus as it has started to sell groceries, that for me is the end of the line. I wish it the best of luck but I am glad I dont have shares in it.

Fire Your bad Clients

2007-01-20T15:36:00.000Z

Why would you want to do that if you are a startup business afterall every penny counts right? Wrong and this article from Entrepreneur.com tells you some of the reasons why you should get rid of them. To me it all makes sense as I had some customers in the past who were a pain in the butt and i was glad not to do business with them. Anyway here's the article, which is short and to the point.

The Benefits of having a Business Plan

2007-01-18T20:53:00.000Z

Entrepreneur.com have an article giving 15 (yes 15 ) reasons for having a business plan, taking a look a the list you should be able to pick 5 which are relevant to you. The problem is without a business plan you are a bit like a ship without a rudder, unable to direct the business where you want it to go. Here's the article

Networking - Working the Room

2007-01-18T20:45:00.000Z

Some of us have it naturally, the ability to talk to anyone but to enter a room where you know nobody can scare the $*it out of many of us, so here's a nice article from the Growing Business website on working a room.

Meet The Meganiche

2007-01-18T17:20:00.000Z

I like playing games but the best game to play with someone who runs a website is to ask how many people they would like have as paid up subscribers. They seem quite content to have a few hundred but I usually mention why not go for 1,000 paid up subscribers. Why because with a 1,000 fully paid up members the money does start to roll in especially if they pay you £5.00 per month, which will give you £60,000 p.a. Now £10.00 per month and we are talking £120,000 per month. Depending on the website and what you have to offer will determine to some extent the number of subscribers. so why settle for a few 100, when the magic number is 1,000. In actual fact it isn't really a game but it helps them to see the financial benefits of aimer higher. Now if they were paying £20 per month, stop as its giving me headache!

This article from wired on the meganiche should give you food for thought!

Serial Entrepreneurs

2007-01-17T23:46:00.000Z

They first gave us Kazaa (who didn't use it?) then Skype (who's not using it now?) and now after selling out to eBay for $2.6 billion (yes billion!), they've come up with internet TV called Joost. Check out this article from Wired on two guys who seem to be able to do no wrong in coming up with the next new thing! Are these guys making the future for us all? the article is here.

Pitch To Win (You Gotta be in it to Win it)

2007-01-17T22:41:00.000Z

INSTANT WIN, The Greenroom

8:00pm Thursday 1 February
8:00pm Friday 2 February

FREE
instant win returns for its third incarnation. Come and pitch an idea to greenroom and win a £500 commission. You’ve got just 60 seconds to make your case.

Interested?

Artists are invited to present a creative idea to a panel (and an audience). The best ideas receive a mini-commission of £500 commission and a package of support, plus a slot in the greenroom programme.

Students are invited to pitch on Thursday 1st February, and all others on Friday 2nd February.

Those interested in pitching should e-mail info@greenroomarts.org or call 0161 615 0500

Visit instant win for information about previous instant winners!

Sort of a Dragon's Den thing, but with casg (?) and booze involved!
Jim.

P.S. Nice one Jim

Inaugural Faculty Lecture (and Free Buffet Meal)

2007-01-15T09:45:00.000Z

This info was provided by Jim and all NES folk are welcome because if you have a student ID card, then you are a MMU student, so get along if you have an interest in ethical trading. Also it might be useful for some marketing tips. Here are the details and it looks like you'll have to come in to pick up your free ticket.

Inaugural Faculty Lecture
Sara Clancey, Ethics Manager, The Body Shop Will be speaking on “Ethical Trading” 5.30 p.m., 27th February, 2007. Free Buffet meal afterwards. Tickets from the Dean’s Office Suite, 5th Floor, Aytoun (before 20th January 2007). There will be places for 100 students and 50 staff, ticket distribution will be on a first-come-first-served basis.

New Site in Town

2007-01-04T17:15:00.000Z

I stumbled like I do across this after seeing the web address on an information leaflet. The site is called Enterprise Quest and it sends out a weekly e-mail newsletter but you can read it on the website. It's well worth a look around as its linked to some good articles, so here's the link

Free Seminars

2007-01-04T12:00:00.000Z

Those nice folks at the MDDA are putting on some free seminars all based around selling on the web. The first event will be held on Thursday 8th February at 5.30pm to be held at Indus5 restaurant. Its the first in a number of free events put on by MDDA, so here's the link to the
details.

Ooops I nearly forgot, you need to register to attend details via the link given above.

Carnival of the Capitalists

2007-01-03T00:13:00.000Z

I didn't think there were any communists (the socialists are still drinking the champers in their wine cellers) left in the UK but I've stumbled across a few over the past year in all sorts of places. Anyway the title Carnival of the Capitalists had me curious as it popped up in my RSS reader, so I clicked and up came the blog Free Money Finance, its USA based but it's got some great links to some superb articles and is well worth a good read through. The link is also here

Bring It On 2007

2007-01-02T23:47:00.000Z

So thats Christmas out of the way and the New Year Festivities were enjoyable from what I can remember! So how many of you have made resolutions, well the good monies on you not keeping them. My advice would be to set yourself some achieveable goals/targets/aims ( call them what you will) and please please WRITE THEM DOWN, why, because you can forget them, thats why. Also keep them in a place where you will see them everyday, jot them down in a notepad, pda, mobile phone or where you feel that they will catch your eye on a daily basis. Looking at them everyday will act as a good self -motivator also it lets your brain know why you are getting up each morning bright and early.

So for 2007 people write down what you want to achieve and then plan out how you hope to reach it, dead simple really the hard bit is not losing sight of your goal, which is why I told you to write it down.

Oh I nearly forgot Happy New Year and lets all double up on what we achieved in 2006 during the coming year.

Salford Conference on Television from the Nations and Regions

2006-12-19T00:43:00.000Z

There's a conference being hosted by Salford University on January 11th about the new opportunities available as a result of the BBC moving to the Quays. It's not free but it's not too expensive either (£25 students and £60 for freelancers). Here's the links to both websites. If you are really into the media, film etc then perhaps you should pencil it in your diary.

Link 1

Link 2

Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007

2006-12-18T09:44:00.000Z

I think Microsoft are going after the small business accounting software market after cleaning up with Microsoft Money in the home user market, so Sage and Quick Books had better watch their backs! Why, because the lads and lassies at Redmond are giving away their Microsoft Office Accounting Express software for FREE, yes Free as in lunch or beer and in my book you can't get much better than that (unless they pay you as well). I've downloaded a copy but haven't really given it a thorough run through but initial thoughts are it might be a bit too much for some of your new business startups and for others it could be ideal. It's all US centric but hey we all use a decimal system so why let a $ sign get in the way. Here's the link to the website so you can download it but be warned its a big file 240MB, which expands to about 1GB on your system so make sure you have at least 1GB of harddrive space after you've installed otherwise your system will run very very slowly.

You can download it here

Think of it as a Christmas gift from Bill Gates!

Ebay Ebay Ebay !

2006-12-18T09:23:00.001Z

Here's an article on Ebay entrepreneurs, which I don't understand how I missed. It should be of use to those of you who intend to trade online, as Ebay is probably a good place to test trade your wares. Anyway here's the link.