BNI Great Western - Paddington Business Referral International

Time management tips from Sathnam Sanghera

Dean — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:52:20 +0000

Do you ever read The Times writer Sathnam Sanghera’s column, “Business Life”? I find that he makes interesting observations and dispenses useful advice, with a good sense of humour.

Last Monday his subject was time management. As someone who once bought a book on time management, but was too busy to read it, I was delighted to find everything I needed to know on half a tabloid page.

His tips include:

stop taking phone calls; let everything go to voicemail, and access it only occasionally
cut down on visits to your inbox
switching tasks when you get stuck

Read his column here

Our business referral group needs a graphic designer

Dean — Tue, 26 May 2009 06:59:46 +0000

Are you a graphic designer? Would you like to expand your business? Our group can help you. We include a web designer, a printer, all sorts of financial services professionals, a solicitor, landscape gardener and more (here’s the full list). We refer business to each other, and we’d like to know how we can help you. It’s simple: you tell us what sort of business referral you’re looking for, and we’ll look out for you.

We meet for breakfast each Wednesday at the Novotel in Paddington Central. The buffet selection is delicious, and the company’s even better. So why not come and pay us a visit? If you’d like to know more, call me, Dean Turney, on 07754 537 428.

Professional photographer needed for business breakfast

Dean — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:56:52 +0000

Are you a professional photographer? Would you like to expand your business? Our group can help you. We include a web designer, a printer, all sorts of financial services professionals, a solicitor, landscape gardener and more (here’s the full list). We refer business to each other, and we’d like to know how we can help you. It’s simple: you tell us what sort of business referral you’re looking for - a retail marketing director? A wedding organiser? Individuals wanting great portrait photography? - just let us know, and we’ll look out for you.

We meet for breakfast each Wednesday at the Novotel Hotel in Paddington Central. The buffet selection is delicious, and the company’s even better. So why not come and pay us a visit? If you’d like to know more, call me, Dean Turney, on 07754 537 428.

Here’s what we’re having for breakfast next Wednesday - I’m sure you can take better photos than mine:

Finding a substitute to represent you at a meeting

Dean — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 08:35:09 +0000

Who would be the best person to represent you at a BNI breakfast meeting that you’re unable to attend? You need someone who is going to do a good job of promoting you and your business. So, ideally, that person would be:

1. Someone within your business, or… 2. Someone who knows and speaks highly of you.

As a last resort, you can find a substitute from another BNI chapter, by using the following site: www.bnilondon.com/subs

The home page looks like this:

Click on “REGISTER FOR SUBS PROGRAMME” and then fill in your details on the next page:

Scroll down the registration page. In the bottom-left you will see a tool for attaching your 60-seconds (the up-to-date version which you’d like your substitute to use) from your computer:

Click on “Browse”, find your 60-seconds (Word or PDF format) in your computer, open it and click “SAVE” on the bottom of the registration page. The bnilondon.com server now has a copy of your 60 seconds. You can delete or change this with a new document anytime you wish.

Now you’re all set up to make a request for a substitute. Whenever you need one, log on to bnilondon.com/subs and click on “PROFILE”. When your PROFILE opens you’ll have another option at the top of the screen, on the right: “MAKE REQUEST” (look on image below):

Click on “MAKE REQUEST”, and the following page will appear:

Do you see the little drop-down menu (above) at the bottom of the “MAKE A REQUEST” page? Select the day/s you need a substitute. Then click “SUBMIT”.

Now click on “View confirmed requests” at the bottom right of the page. The page you will then see will be a more up-to-date version of this:

Check to see that your request/s is/are on the above page. You can remove your request/s at any time if your situation changes.

Members of other chapters who are looking for the opportunity to sub for you (and there are lots of them) receive email alerts twice a day, telling them about these requests. When someone books your request, that person receives your 60-seconds and the details of the meeting. You don’t need to do anything.

Any questions? Call me, Dean Turney on 07754 537 428, or email dean@sixdays.co.uk

Businesses needed for Paddington group

Dean — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:52:07 +0000

Do you work in one of the businesses listed below? Would you like to grow your business over breakfast? Well come along to our next Wednesday meeting at Novotel, Paddington Central.

In particular, we are keen to meet people from the following businesses:

Removal companies

Estate agents

Property finders

Courier companies

Chauffeur services

Office supplies

Insurance brokers

Travel agents

Please have a look at our list of members - if your business category isn’t represented there, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

You can contact us here

Or for further information, phone me, Dean, on 07754 537 428

Advertising on the cheap

Dean — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:14:40 +0000

I always admire advertising whose impact is huge compared with its production and/or media budget. Usually it’s funny or controversial ads that get talked about, or emailed around. About three years ago Ogilvy created the Dove “Evolution” commercial, here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U It was made to be viewed on the internet as a “viral”, that is, as a communication that’s just emailed from person to person. Millions of people have seen it and talked about it. And it cost nothing to run. Isn’t that amazing? I have a more recent example to share with you: an ad that was made to run in the commercial breaks in this year’s Superbowl in the States. Airtime for that event certainly isn’t cheap: $3 million for 30 seconds (you wouldn’t think there’s a recession on, would you?). OK, no prizes for saving money on media. But the commercial, for Doritos, is said to have cost just $2,000 - peanuts compared with most TV commercial production budgets. And something like 147 million people watched this year’s Superbowl. Here’s the ad:

Does anyone still watch TV commercials?

Dean — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:22:40 +0000

A recent report from the UK’s Broadcaster’s Audience Research Board (BARB) says:

“The number of television ads watched at normal speed in the UK reached an all-time high in 2008 at 2.4bn per day or an average of 42 ads per person every day.”

Do you believe it? I don’t.

No time for telly

For years now, TV has had to compete for our eyeballs, with an explosion of new types of leisure activities: DVDs, Facebook, YouTube, Wii, Xbox, Playstation… They all eat into our time, leaving less for TV - and TV commercials. And surely, with the spread of Sky+ digital video recorders, more and more viewers are just skipping ads, aren’t they?

A London copywriter’s view

I’m interested to know who’s consuming which media, because I’m a London-based copywriter. I write all sorts of brand and marketing communications, from websites and brochures to DM, posters and TV commercials. In recent years, I’ve seen marketing budgets drain away from TV and pour into online media. When I do get a brief to write a TV script, it’s usually for overseas (last December I wrote some scripts for a client in Azerbaijan).

I still watch “TV commercials” myself, but not on TV. Friends email me links to funny or clever ads, and I view others on blogs.

What’s your experience?

Do you believe what BARB says, that in the UK more TV ads are being watched at normal speeds than ever? Please let me know.

Dean Turney, Six Days Ltd www.6days.co.uk

BNI and Blogging

admin — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:42:05 +0000

Ok, so you’ve found the website and want to know what all this blogging is about. “How will it really help me (as a member) if I post my own entries? And even if I had the time, what would I write about?”…I hear you say.

These are the real benefits from blogging within thie BNI website, together with some pointers:

Blogging is powerful because search engines love it. They’ll love you for it and a link from your BNI blog post to your website will pay dividends.

People don’t like a marketing pitch. They don’t always find a brochure that interesting. A blog post isn’t an opportunity to talk about what you do, but more about what’s going no, what’s interesting and what people should know (FYI, etc.). Do that, then mention your website address, and you’re be surprised how many people will click it then.

Updated, interesting and relevant content will keep people coming back. That is fantastic news!

Blogging is temporal. That’s a big word for “has a limited time”. However, it’s “now”, and that is attractive to all potential readers. Your post should be about the “now”.

Invite comments and ask opinion. Your blog post doesn’t have to have a conclusion.

Write comments. Another opportunity to include your website link together with some relevant personal opinion.

Use blogging to register yourself as an expert, talking about things that interest you will get others to put in their two pence. Within BNI meetings you get 60 seconds to talk to 20 people. How about the opportunity for the rest of the world to read a 5 minute blog post?

Write a blog post now, see it on Google the same day. It’s true! Try it.

And, there’s more. Writing a blog has the following tools to help you.

You can use the normal VISUAL layout together with the formatting options, or you can use the HTML screen to include images, or video.

Including images is easy - you just need to find it on the Internet and put the link to it.
Always put links to other people, sources of information and your own website. This helps them and they will be encoruaged to help you.

Try adding video by copy and pasting the EMBED code you find within youtube when in the HTML view. I promise, it’s simple once you know how.
Be sure to use the TAGS option below where you type your blog post. Simply type in 4 or 5 relevant words as to what your blog is about, e.g. BNI, blogging, marketing (this blog post’s tags).
Lastly, categorise your blog post. NEWS for more temporal posts that educate others about something that has happened recently, and EDUCATION for more general information. RESULTS are used when you have something great to say about working with another member, a referal or some other success story. (Make sure no others are checked).
Update your profile and make sure the first name, last name, website address and very short biography are completed. Your BIO should be simply what you do, nothing more. This appears at the foot of all your posts, increasing your own website’s SEO.

If you get stuck, read this article on the power of blogging.

Good luck!

BBC interviews with small firms

Dean — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:17:59 +0000

The BBC is following the fortunes of 10 small firms throughout the recession. Surprisingly, considering the incessant gloom pouring out of the media, some of these businesses seem to be doing quite well. Have a look here - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7833049.stm

Dean Turney, Six Days Ltd www.6days.co.uk

International Networking Week February 2nd - 6th 2009

sally nealon — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:42:55 +0000

Our special initiative for Networking Week 2009 is to invite local business people to come and see what it is that BNI does but also how we are raising the bar in 2009 despite the fluctuating economy!

Great Western is the local Paddington-based Chapter of BNI which meets every Wednesday morning in the Paddington Business District over breakfast. We welcome business people to bring along their business cards and see how we network at a regular Wednesday meeting or join us for the special event, the BNI BIG BREAKFAST taking place at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Thursday 5th February.

Click on this link to see a 10 minute video presentation of Dr Ivan Misner, Founder of BNI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSd3COuO6FY

For further details please email: sallly@bnidirector.com or phone 020 8961 7811