Member Blog

Facebook recently announced that they are adopting #hashtags to enable their users to easily find and join threads of conversation.

Hashtags have been used on Twitter for years as a handy way to access threads of conversation. Facebook have announced that they have added #Hashtags to their offering and are starting with a sensible approach of just making #hashtags clickable. They have also said that they will be adding more features in due course such as trending hashtags.

If you use a #hashtag or set of #hashtags on twitter you can now apply this to your marketing on Facebook too, simply add your #hashtags to your status updates.

Facebook are not currently permitting sponsored #hashtags or the ability to target people who use specific #hashtags but we suspect this is likely to change so watch this space!

Take a look at ourfacebook pageto see how we are using #hashtags

If you would like to discuss Social Media and get some expert advice about how you can use it for your business call us on 01603 858250 and speak to one of the team.

#ThanksForReading

TechRadar have given it a 4/5 score.

They say in tablets, the big guns have big names. Apple has its iPad 4 and Google has the Nexus 10. And, if Microsoft is to take on the might of Apple and Google in the tablet space with Windows 8, it needs a big name of its own.Microsoft Surface is the poster boy for Windows RT too, the brand-new version of Windows 8 designed for ARM.Other Windows RT tablets and hybrids are available click here to read more.

So what’s all the hype and what do we here at React think?

Alan says: My initial thoughts are I liked it as a business tool more so than the iPad. That’s mainly because of the Office Apps which I use all the time in my everyday business functions, using Windows 8. However I thought the IE(internet explorer) app was a little cumbersome at times to use. I also found the use of orientation not as good as the iPad but then I suppose iPad have been doing it for longer, other users have told me they find the G-Sensor to be overly sensitive when holding the tablet cradled in portrait, often triggering a rotation to landscape when they don’t mean to. What I did like however about the Windows Surface is the fact you can buy a cable and connect it to your TV and therefore it’s ideal for video’s and presentations, I also liked the keyboard complete with flip out stand which made it much easier on the lap.

Richard says: I agree with Alan, I too liked the keyboard. Personally I prefer the iPad from a touch screen perspective however to use Microsoft products like Office you can only do that with the Surface. I do think when/if they bring the full Microsoft Office ensemble to the iPad that would be my preferred device.

Francis says: I thought on first trial the Surface had a more widescreen feel to it than the iPad. It’s also slightly heavier but the screen does seem to have a higher resolution making images sharper and videos viewed in better quality. I don’t think it feels quite as intuitive as the iPad though, however there’s always the temptation to jump to conclusions having used an iPad first you can get caught thinking ‘it’s not doing it like the iPad does’ rather than just using a different devise and not making the comparison. If you are wanting to create documents and spreadsheets then the Surface would be the way to go as the Office applications are much better. I also like the ‘proper’ keyboard facility especially when using drop down menus on a website. On the downside there are no where near as many apps for the Surface so you don’t have that ‘oh there’s an app for that’ feeling about it.

Our conclusion Click here https://www.reactcp.co.uk/2013/04/30/windows-surface-whats-all-the-hype/ for our overall summary of the iPad v’s Surface

For’s and Against’s As voted for by TechRadar See what TechRadar thought were its strengths and weaknessesSource: James Stables of TechRadar.com

We’d love to hear your views – email us at [email protected] Until next time I hope you’ve found this review usefulRichard Director for React Computer Partnership

Custom apps increase customer connection, reward loyalty and blast your business message home.

Gone are the days when businesses had to have a web presence to survive. They now have to be interactive and packed with ways to engage the expectant customer wanting more for their time and their loyalty.

The time has come to embrace mobile trends and incorporate ways the successful big players are using to entice customers to your door. How’s that? With a custom business app. Apps promote your company whilst providing additional pulling power. That power will always be in the novel and the new.

The app revolution…

When the Beatles sang about joining ‘the revolution’ we were all singing a different song. Bricks and mortar were the shop front. Success was measured in the size and number of business locations and customers walked willingly to browse and to buy. Now they are more likely to browse by foot and then track down the smartest price online.

So anything that makes you and your business unique, any additional ‘old fashioned’ style service you can give that marks you out from the rest is the winner. And the winners in the game are those copying the likes of Apple,Metier and the rest.

Here’s what Metier had to say about the importance of integrating apps into your business:

“You should work to provide value to your audience with the mobile experience. That might be best served by a mobile optimised site, an app, or a combination of both”.

Their recommendation is not to be ignored, unless you choose to ignore the mobile trends and stay out of the game!

New to Norwich, Think Mobile Media makes fantastic apps, QR codes and mobile websites that grow your business. Geraldine is a partner at the firm and for full details on how we could help your business please view our site here

If “all the world’s a stage” and your company is considering exhibiting your products and services to the world then your stand or booth is pretty much your stage to impress and convert customers. As a colleague once told me, visitors to an exhibition are yours to lose!

Exhibition visitors are an unusual breed: they’re the sort of people that make the effort to actively seek out new things, new ideas and new people to help them with their work or improving their lifestyle. Passive they are not.

This is why those of us that present our wares at an exhibition need to be on top form with a encyclopedic knowledge of our products and services and moreover, a convincing argument to help those visitors decide between many competing offerings.

Over the course of the next six articles, I hope to relay some of my experience, good and bad when offering goods or services at exhibitions in the hope that some of the good ideas will be adopted by you and some of the pitfalls, blunders and downright cock-ups that I’ve made will serve as salutary lessons to avoid.

I’ve spent many years researching exhibitions, usually from an organisers standpoint and even longer being one of those people manning a stand, trying to sell the idea that we might be just the thing you’re looking for. I’ve spoken to hundreds of exhibitors about their experience at various shows across B2B and consumer shows and hope to compile this learning into something that may just help you. Some reading this will be considering their first potential exhibition, some will have many years of exhibition experience. I’m going to start from the basics, assuming you have never exhibited before. This may be old hat to those experienced readers but I am constantly surprised by experienced exhibitors who tell me that, “We’ve never calculated how much we earn from this exhibition!”

There are many reasons why you might choose to exhibit; to raise brand/company awareness, ensure that they’re recognised among their peers, develop new contacts, highlight a new product or process or even just to sell what’s on the stand, be it burgers or brain scanners. Each of these companies should go through a process to identify the return on investment for their efforts but this is not such an easy calculation as it first seems. On the face of it, the standard calculations of stand cost, marketing collateral costs, personnel, travel, hotels and lost opportunities from being out of the office is a fairly easy spreadsheet to construct. It’s the flip side that starts to look worrying when you realise what has to be achieved to justify the expense.

Remember, this cost is pretty much all off your bottom line (unless you are lucky enough to get supporting grants to develop your business) and it’s not unusual for these costs to add up swiftly to the £20-30k mark for a national exhibition. The largest stand I did research on cost a whopping £11m and that’s before they factored in the personnel cost!

Let’s say that you spend £20k on going to an exhibition and that your net margin for your products or services is 20% (lucky you!). This means that this one exhibition is going to have to return revenue of at least £100k in the next year to justify its part in your marketing mix (assuming you attend the exhibition annually). Some will look at this and say, “that’s great – that’s just one order!” Smaller companies, though who, let’s say, make £1000 profit per day either need to use the show to increase their sales by a factor of ten at the show (for a 2 day show) or ensure that the benefits of the show will spread across the year to allow them increase their sales by at least the equivalent of 20 days pre-show trading. OK, these are extreme examples but either way, if it’s going to bring in that kind of return there are some key things to really do the homework on to give yourself the best chance of success.

Firstly, unless you’re completely swayed by the glitzy (and factual) marketing, research the pips out of the exhibition. You really need to know so many things about the exhibition but the most important is, who comes to it? Thankfully, many of the larger exhibition organisers undertake research of visitors and many B2B exhibitions require you to complete a registration card that enables them, and you, to identify the target visitors and their decision-making and buying power. If they’re not there or you can’t prove that they are definitely going to be there, neither should you be. The three “R’s” that I use are; Relevance, Return and Resources.

Secondly, if it’s an annual event, do go to the exhibition before you decide to exhibit. Ask yourself, “is this the sort of place that my customers or prospects would come to?”, “What’s in it for them?”, “Are they going to be able to find me, see me, notice me, buy from me in all this?”. Talk to the organisers and other exhibitors, whether they are your competition or not and talk to the visitors – the coffee bar chats elicit enormous benefits. Keep your eyes peeled for companies that look out of place as well – they have made the decision that even though their product is not core to the show, the visitors are their potential customers. Well worth talking to them, too. They may well save you lots of trawling through the organiser’s research.

Thirdly, try to assess how big your stand needs to be, what needs to be on it and what personnel need to be attending. Are you likely to be deluged with lots of customers buying your products? How do you create an attractive space that people want to interact with? Do you need somewhere to sit down with a visitor to discuss a detailed offering? Are you performing live demonstrations of your products? Can you replenish stand stock during the exhibition? How can you rise above your competition and be remembered? What are your ultimate aims and objective for attending? How will you measure them?

In the next few articles I will provide thoughts on five key areas relating to exhibitions:

What Pre-Planning you need to do What features your stand should and shouldn’t have What to do at an exhibition to make yourself more visible What people to have on your stand and how to brief them What to do after the exhibition

Exhibiting as part of your marketing/promotional mix can be incredibly rewarding in both the financial sense and to give you real customer closeness as well as keeping an eye on the competition and providing insight as to where the market is going. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some great organisers and exhibitors whose input has helped me compile these articles. I’ve yet to see anyone with the perfect exhibition experience from either side of the fence but between us I hope that we can learn from mistakes and get it better, faster and more cost-effective.

5 Do’s:

DO do the maths DO research exhibitions in your own field and elsewhere DO talk to and understand who visits DO try to picture yourself at the event DO measure your efforts and success

5 Don’t’s:

DON’T dismiss exhibitions because of pre-conceived notions DON’T exhibit unless you can prove a clear ROI DON’T think that you can just turn up DON’T rely on anecdotes DON’T forget: all exhibitors are in the same boat: learn from them.

Howard Frost runs Spurgo, a research company dedicated to help businesses improve their public perception and sales. Over the last twenty years he has worked for clients in the UK, America, Holland, Germany, Italy and France, helping retailers, exhibitors and organisers be the best they can.

New regulations came into effect in England on 30 May 2013 to introduce new permitted development rights that give landowners more rights to carry out works and change the use of their property without needing to apply for planning permission.

The new rights are varied and include the controversial new right to build bigger extensions on existing houses without needing to apply for planning permission. Other changes include:

• Increased rights for agricultural property to be converted to various other uses to boost the rural economy.

• Increased rights for industrial, warehouse and retail buildings to be extended without the need for planning permission.

• Greater rights to convert properties in various commercial uses to Class A uses such as shops and restaurants to encourage the reuse of empty buildings.

Perhaps the most significant change however is the new right to convert offices into houses.

This new right does not apply to the areas of England listed in a new Article 1(6A) inserted into the 1995 General Permitted Development Order. Nor does it apply to listed buildings, scheduled ancient monuments or sites in a safety hazard area or a military explosives storage area. Likewise if the development is of a type or scale so as to require an environmental impact assessment or appropriate assessment then the right does not apply and a full planning application will be required.

Other than these restrictions, the new right allows the conversion of any building to Class C3 residential use so long as it was in use as a Class B1(a) office immediately before today or, if empty immediately before today, the last time it was in use.

While any external alterations to the building will need a planning permission, one clear advantage of the new right is that it avoids any requirement for a planning obligation to be entered into providing for affordable housing or (subject to the caveat below) other infrastructure provision. If the gross internal area of the building is not increasing and the building has not been empty for a long period of time then there will also be no liability for community infrastructure levy.

In order to take advantage of the right the residential use of the building must be commenced before 30 May 2016 and it is necessary to use the new prior approval process to gain the local planning authority’s approval of the transport and highways impacts of the conversion and to confirm that any contamination and flooding risks have been addressed. While this prior approval process may require the provision of planning obligations relating to these specific issues, this is still much narrower than would be the case with a full planning application and the principle of development is, subject to an acceptable resolution of these issues, unable to be disputed.

These new rights, and the ability to convert from offices to housing in particular, will be of significant interest to landowners and developers but they are time limited so act now if you want to take advantage of the relaxations.

The designation of a site as a town or village green (“TVG”) is often the end of the road for a landowner’s aspirations to develop land. Once land has TVG status it is almost impossible to get rid of it and any development other than for public recreational purposes becomes a criminal offence. This is why a TVG application is the nuclear weapon in the armoury of anyone looking to oppose the development of a site.

The all too frequent use of a TVG application to prevent development in recent years has prompted the Government to include new laws in the Growth & Infrastructure Act 2013 (“GIA”) that are designed to address some of the issues faced by landowners and developers.

Under the Commons Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”), any land can be registered as a TVG if it can be shown that a significant number of the inhabitants of a locality, or a neighbourhood within a locality, have, for a continuous period of not less than twenty years, used the land as of right for the purposes of lawful sports or pastimes.

The Courts have consistently interpreted the tests loosely, making it ever easier to make a successful application. We have also noticed an increase in the number of TVG applications since the passing of the 2006 Act, which made a number of changes intended to make applications easier; including giving an applicant a two year period after the use of the land is interrupted in which to bring an application.

The GIA makes three key changes that seek to tip the balance a little more in favour of development (although they only apply in England):

• The GIA reduces the period of time in which a TVG application can be made after the use of the land is interrupted from two years to one year.

• The GIA enables a landowner to make a formal statement to the commons registration authority for the area in which the land is situated in a form to be set down in regulations. The effect of thisstatement will be to act as an interruption of any period of use thatis on-going.

• The GIA also prevents a TVG application being made once the land is allocated for development (including being identified in a draft Local Plan document) or is the subject of a planning application. Thismoratorium on on an application being made lasts until the land is no longer allocated or is no longer subject to a planning application orplanning permission and no development has taken place.

The first two changes do not come into effect immediately as they require the Government to bring forward regulations. The last change came into effect immediately and so is already offering many development sites immunity from a TVG applicaton being made, although it does not affect any TVG application that was sent to the commons registration authority prior to 25 April this year.

While TVG applications will continue to be an issue for landowners who do not take steps to control public access to their land, these changes give a well organised landowner a much better chance of controlling and managing the risk and also go some way to removing the threat that currently hangs over developers or a TVG application being used as a last-ditch attempt to prevent development from happening.

Rising energy costs have an impact on every business operating in the UK today, but new businesses are at an advantage. As the owner of a start-up, you have the opportunity to build energy management and procurement strategies into your operational procedures from the ground up. Good energy procurement and management can be the difference between success and failure; get your energy prices right and you could have a significant competitive advantage over your rivals.

The range of tariff and contract options available from suppliers in the UK market can be intimidating, especially if you’re just starting out. To help you navigate the energy market, we’ve put together our top five energy procurement tips for new businesses.

• Know what you want. Don’t enter into an energy contract without first researching the kind of products that are available to new businesses. You may think new businesses are limited to fixed price contracts, but you may also be able to get a flexible or semi-flexible deal. Flexible deals can help you make significant savings over the length of your contract. You should also decide how long you’d like your contract to last. For instance, fixing your energy price for three years will give your business some budget stability while it’s getting off the ground.
• Set a realistic budget. Factor your energy overheads into your operating budget and make sure you can meet your financial obligations to your energy supplier. As a new business, it’s important to establish a good credit history with energy suppliers.
• Prepare to face credit objections. New businesses do not have an established credit history with energy suppliers, so you could face credit objections from your proposed supplier that will prevent your energy contracts from going live. The UK has a complex energy market and suppliers take on a lot of risk, so they can often be particular about the kind of customers they’re willing to accept. Some suppliers won’t deal with new businesses at all. If you find yourself facing credit objections, seek expert advice.
• Compare prices. Your energy supplier will send you a list of unit prices available for each contract type you’re considering. At this point, you should shop around and compare prices with other suppliers to make sure you get the best deal you can.
• Buy at the right time. Make the energy market your business. You don’t have to read the OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report, but keep an eye on the news for pricing news and events that may affect energy supplies. By becoming more aware of the energy market and how prices fluctuate, you have a better chance of fixing your deal when prices are low.

In short: make sure you know what you can afford to pay, the type of contract you’d like to agree, and the length of the contract you’re prepared to enter into. The more informed you are about the energy industry and your own requirements, the better off you’ll be when you’re setting up your energy accounts.

TOP FIVE TIPS…on getting a good deal on a commercial property lease

1. Rent Free Landlords are having to accept that commercial tenants are more scarce than they used to be and they are therefore willing to offer incentives to prospective tenants. Rent free periods are the most common way of doing this and can give you valuable time to get your business up on its feet.

2. Schedule of Condition A lot of leases contain an ‘open ended’ repairing obligation for tenants, which can require you to improve the state of the property. Negotiate that your liability is limited by reference to the schedule of condition showing the state of the property on day one.

3. Rent Deposit Rent deposits are common and provide that your landlord will hold a lump sum to cover any tenant default. They are normally not refundable until the end of the term. Negotiate that these funds should be released earlier, whether it be at a fixed point in time or when a financial goal is achieved (ie turnover reaches three times the rent); do you really want that cash to be tied up until the end of your lease?

4. Rent Reviews Rent reviews are normally done by reference to the open market and can leave you open to potentially large increases (especially if you have negotiated a good initial deal). Consider whether reviews by reference to inflation may give you a better deal. With inflation linked reviews you are able to track increases and you will get less of shock when it comes to review time. Do note that this type of review will always lead to increase but may reduce the extent of the increase.

5. Break Clause A long lease term can be as much a burden as it is a benefit. Negotiate the inclusion of a tenant’s break clause to permit you to end your lease early if needs be. Remember you are liable to pay rent for the whole term whether or not your business is making money!

We are very much in a tenant’s market, so don’t be afraid to negotiate; the worst a landlord can do is say no… If you want some specific advice or guidance, please contact us.

Workplace pensions law

From October last year, changes were made to pensions law that will ultimately affect all employers with at least one worker in the UK.

Are you aware of the changes and have you made arrangements to comply with the new rules? In summary, the new law means that employers will need to:

• Automatically enrol certain workers into a pension scheme • Make contributions on their workers’ behalf • Register with The Pensions Regulator (‘the regulator’) • Provide workers with certain information about the changes and how they will affect them

The new employer duties have been introduced in stages, starting back in October. Each employer will have been allocated a date from when the duties will first apply to them, known as their ‘staging date.’ Employers can check their staging date by going to the Pensions Regulator’s website at the link below:https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/employers/staging-date-timeline.aspx

The staging date is based on the number of people in an employer’s PAYE scheme. Employers with the largest numbers of workers in their PAYE schemes will have the earliest staging date.

Workers who need to be automatically enrolled on the new schemes are known as ‘eligible jobholders.’ An eligible jobholder is someone:

• Aged between 22 and state pension age • Working, or ordinarily working, in the UK • Earning more than the tax free earnings threshold (currently £9,205 per annum)

The location of the employer is not relevant when considering if a worker is an eligible jobholder. Neither is the worker’s nationality or the length of their stay in the UK. What is relevant is whether the worker is working, or ordinarily working, in the UK.

The weight of quotes and statistics are overwhelmingly for companies embracing mobile sites. The speed at which customers make a move is staggering, and every vote they make affects your bottom line. For a fractional outlay compared against lost custom you could potentially secure, and lock in each and every customer accessing your business on their mobile.

It’s not just your customer you owe it to. Give yourself a break too.

You have the power to mobilise your customers into action. By saying yes to a mobile friendly site you can expect to watch business grow

Making your current website accessible to your mobile customers doesn’t just make sense in today’s economy. It’s essential. Meet your customers on every corner. Join them – at their convenience.

You may never know how much custom you’ve missed. But you’ll certainly enjoy the new custom on its way.

So what do you say? It’s doesn’t make business sense to give your competitors any more easy pickings. Going mobile lets you reclaim the custom that was yours in the first place.

Mobile won’t be ignored and accepting the change now will mean quicker, greater benefits in the future

If you aren’t the decision maker, talk to them. Let them know that you get the power of going mobile. Point them to some facts and tune into the sweet sound of your sales line ringing off the hook!

81% of smartphone uses access the internet on their mobile devices.Google know this is so big that they and others are well into the mobile market big time.

Any household company that you can think of will have their own custom mobile app designed to attract and engage the customers they want to continue serving.

Communication is no longer one way. Your customer both wants and needs to hear from you and about you. And they want to be able to talk back, and share that with others.

So an app, tailored to your company, is the perfect way for you to introduce yourself, interest your customer, entice them to buy and facilitate sharing.

Businesses who don’t, who continue to stay with a static website will miss out on our innate need for regular social contact by communicating with others.

It’s here, it’s big and you need to be part of it.

Look at the number of apps in the Apple and Android market. It’s in the millions. All designed in that commercial effort to fulfil the basic business function of serving customers.

Without customers you have no business. Growing your business through an app is an exciting extra benefit, but the first rule of thumb must be to keep giving your customers what they need to maintain a loyal following.

A fully functioning business app, designed to your business, will fill this communication gap. And it will fill it so well that you’ll go way beyond just keeping the custom you already have.

It has the powerful potential to put you leagues ahead of your competition. So far in front that you can expect a considerable change in your business fortunes.

Isn’t it time you dived in and follow the likes of Google and Apple?

Energy management is quickly becoming a business necessity. Growing environmental concerns and rising energy prices are substantially increasing cost pressures on businesses – and it’s only going to get worse. Finding ways to reduce your energy consumption and go a little greener is becoming ever more important.

Making changes

Energy management can be time-consuming, but there are several positive changes businesses can make without devoting excessive resource to the process.

• Green energy tariffs.Switching to a green tariff doesn’t mean that the electricity coming out of your sockets will be directly from renewable sources. Instead, your supplier will buy the volume of electricity that matches your energy use from a renewable generator. In theory, more businesses signing up to green energy tariffs will increase the amount of power from renewable sourcing circulating through the National Grid. Signing up to a green tariff could mean that your Climate Change Levy is reduced – or even removed entirely.
• Smart meters.If you haven’t already invested in a smart meter, now is the time to do it. Smart meters transmit regular meter readings directly to your energy supplier, eliminating estimated bills. Your smart meter can also provide you with a wealth of information about your business energy use – providing you have access to a data reporting platform. The true value of a smart meter lies in its data reporting capabilities, and you need access to that data in order to make the most of it.
• Switch things off.Switching equipment off will reduce your energy consumption, and probably your bills – but remembering to switch off the lights and the kettle at the end of each day is only half the battle. Many businesses turn on all of their equipment every morning purely out of habit, even when it’s not necessary. Improving your operational efficiency could mean big energy savings.
• Outsource. Outsourcing your energy management is a great way to increase your energy efficiency without devoting excessive staff time to the problem. Your energy management consultant will be able to assess your business energy use and draw up a step by step plan for improvement. They’ll be able to help you identify energy saving technology that will benefit your business, and help you access financing schemes like the Non-Domestic Green Deal and the Energy Efficiency Financing Scheme operated by Siemens Financial Services and the Carbon Trust.

Control consumption and reduce environmental impact

Energy costs and the environment are often pitched as two disparate and incompatible concerns for business, but the truth is they go hand in hand. Reducing your energy consumption by implementing green energy strategies will reduce your business’ impact on the environment and should reduce your energy costs.