Marketing seminar sponsored by Barclays Bank

Free marketing seminar for Leicestershire businesses organised by Barclays Bank

Local businesses are invited to a free marketing seminar to be held in Leicester city centre next month (March). The event will feature a talk by Leicestershire based marketing consultant Alastair Campbell of The Ideal Marketing Company and is sponsored by Barclays Bank which has 13 branches in the Leicester area.

The event is being held on Wednesday March 24th from12.00 pm to 2.00 pm at Mem-Saab Indian restaurant and champagne bar in Highcross Street in the city centre. Alastair will be giving a talk which focuses on the 4 critical marketing activities to grow a business and increase profits.

Monica Mendez, Area Manager for Barclays Business Banking Team in Leicestershire feels that the event is one not to be missed. “Marketing is one of the areas that many business owners forget as often they are so involved in the actual day to day ‘running’ of the business,” she comments. “Alastair will be discussing some simple strategies that businesses can apply, that might just help drive more customers through the door. This event will also provide an opportunity for networking – another invaluable and cost effective way of introducing new business.”

Alastair Campbell is Managing Director of The Ideal Marketing Company and gives talks on low cost marketing solutions for SMEs across the UK. He also runs the Marketing Mentor Programme, a fully funded 18 month support and training course designed for small businesses.

Businesses from across Leicestershire and the surrounding area that are interested in attending should call Pragnesh Sadadiwala from Barclays Bank on 0116 206 2184 or email pragnesh.sadadiwala@barclays.com to reserve a free place for this free marketing seminar in Leicester.

My talk will also cover how business owners can make the most of theMarketing Mentor programme for free.

This year the organisers are thinking about people who have been made redundant as the following news release indicates.

Redundancy need not mean Redundant – say Franchise Show organisers

As more of us begin to revaluate career options with lingering uncertainty in the workplace, starting up your own business – via a franchise – has long been a route considered by individuals looking to re-invest redundancy pay off.

And most franchising companies will tell you that, although a bolt out of the blue, being made redundant can be the making of you. You could well end up happier, and better off, than someone else’s wage slave.

But are those claims slick sales talk from franchise companies who want you to invest in them? Or is there hard evidence to reassure those who do lose their job that using their pay off to fund a business will “pay off”?

Well the organisers of the East Midlands Franchise Show, arriving at Leicester Racecourse in Oadby on June 20th, claim that 9 out of 10 franchisees report profitable business a couple of years into their licence.

And to reinforce the point, the low level of commercial failure is something that the high street banks have picked up on. In this immediate post credit crunch era, some high street banks have even set up specialist franchise teams keen to invest in what the have judged a “safer bet” – and offer preferential banking terms too

So if the worst happens, why not just set up alone? Why not use the capital you would have to pay the franchise fee and instead launch your own copycat idea?

Marcus Remfry, of franchise show organisers Job Done Marketing, gives as good an explanation as any;

“A good franchise will have a good brand, strong national marketing, good support for the new franchisee and most of all – a ready made, proven manual of how to run the business. None of that is there for a stand alone new business.

Those factors make franchising work. It is a far safer bet for the new business owners to succeed – and make their investment work for them

In addition, the clue is in the attitude of High Street banks. Cutting back on almost all forms of lending is in the news constantly, but some have set up specialist franchise teams to invest in, what they see, as a safer business opportunity”

So if you are one of those facing the push from work, it may just be the push you need to succeed. There are five million self employed Britons working today – and in times of economic slowdown, that tally could rise. Considering all career options – including creating your own career in your own company – is one avenue many will consider more and more.

Background:

The East Midlands Franchise Show 2009 takes place on Saturday June 20th at the Leicester Racecourse Conference Centre, Oadby, 4 miles south of Leicester city centre.

The show is free to attend – no tickets required – and there are specialist career and start your own business seminars taking place throughout which are also free to sit in on.

There are 36 exhibitors with full and part time business opportuntites on offer – a list of whom is available online at www.eastmidlandsfranchiseshow.co.uk.

Redundancy need not mean Redundant – say Franchise Show organisers

As more of us begin to revaluate career options with lingering uncertainty in the workplace, starting up your own business – via a franchise – has long been a route considered by individuals looking to re-invest redundancy pay off.

And most franchising companies will tell you that, although a bolt out of the blue, being made redundant can be the making of you. You could well end up happier, and better off, than someone else’s wage slave.

But are those claims slick sales talk from franchise companies who want you to invest in them? Or is there hard evidence to reassure those who do lose their job that using their pay off to fund a business will “pay off”?

Well the organisers of the East Midlands Franchise Show, arriving at Leicester Racecourse in Oadby on June 20th, claim that 9 out of 10 franchisees report profitable business a couple of years into their licence.

And to reinforce the point, the low level of commercial failure is something that the high street banks have picked up on. In this immediate post credit crunch era, some high street banks have even set up specialist franchise teams keen to invest in what the have judged a “safer bet” – and offer preferential banking terms too

So if the worst happens, why not just set up alone? Why not use the capital you would have to pay the franchise fee and instead launch your own copycat idea?

Marcus Remfry, of franchise show organisers Job Done Marketing, gives as good an explanation as any;

“A good franchise will have a good brand, strong national marketing, good support for the new franchisee and most of all – a ready made, proven manual of how to run the business. None of that is there for a stand alone new business.

Those factors make franchising work. It is a far safer bet for the new business owners to succeed – and make their investment work for them

In addition, the clue is in the attitude of High Street banks. Cutting back on almost all forms of lending is in the news constantly, but some have set up specialist franchise teams to invest in, what they see, as a safer business opportunity”

So if you are one of those facing the push from work, it may just be the push you need to succeed. There are five million self employed Britons working today – and in times of economic slowdown, that tally could rise. Considering all career options – including creating your own career in your own company – is one avenue many will consider more and more.

Background:

The East Midlands Franchise Show 2009 takes place on Saturday June 9th at the Leicester Racecourse Conference Centre, Oadby, 4 miles south of Leicester city centre.

The show is free to attend – no tickets required – and there are specialist career and start your own business seminars taking place throughout which are also free to sit in on.

There are 36 exhibitors with full and part time business opportuntites on offer – a list of whom is available online at www.eastmidlandsfranchiseshow.co.uk.

Marketing seminar at Hothorpe Hall

Free Evening Marketing seminar – Low Cost Marketing Ideas to Weather the Economic Storm

This new seminar gives you practical, low cost ideas on what you can do to keep you existing customers coming back and win more new business – despite the economic storm that is gathering around us.

This event is free to any business owners or people with a marketing function within a company. It is aimed at small businesses with limited marketing budgets who want to make their funds stretch as far as possible – typically employing less than 50 staff.

Date : Tuesday April 28th 2009
Time : 6 for 6.30pm till 8.30pm
Location : Hothorpe Hall, LE17 6QX (near Market Harborough)
Cost : FREE

What will this free marketing seminar cover?

During the seminar I’ll cover 12 of the key main low cost marketing areas to help your business. These ideas cover making the most of existing customers as well as seeking cost effective ways to win new business. Previous slow-downs have shown that companies who cut their advertising lose their share of the market, whilst those who continue to market themselves do far better in the long run BUT only if they undertake the right marketing activity.

Why should I attend?

If you are the owner or manager of a small company, you’ll be only too familiar with these problems -

• Fear of Failure – too many small companies go out of business because they don’t understand how to market themselves. Out of the ones that survive the early years, few rarely go beyond ‘making a living’ for the owners
• Small businesses don’t have big budgets to spend on marketing
• Business owners don’t have enough time to attend lots of courses & seminars
• Lack of ideas and fresh ways to attract customers
• Not enough time to put any existing marketing ideas into place.

This seminar is aimed at companies who want to grow, but don’t know the best way to go about it and have limited marketing budgets to spend.

How will this Marketing Seminar help me?

‘Low Cost Marketing Ideas to Weather the Economic Storm’ will give you lots simple, practical ideas to introduce to your company straight away. You’ll also learn about the Marketing Mentor Programme and how it can give your business:

• Have a clear sense of direction in your business – where it is heading over the next 5 years and how it is going to get there
• Generate enquiries though successful direct mail and e-mail programmes
• Read about the success of your business in the local / trade and national press
• Convert more leads to appointments, and more appointments into sales
• Produce a brochure and leaflets that people read rather than toss in the bin
• Create a website to get noticed by Google, and visited by prospects
• Become the ‘go to’ company within your target markets
• Convert more customers, launch more successful products and keep more customers happy
• Receive more warm leads and find out how to close more sales more easily
• Keep your customers loyal and buying from you again and again
• Increase your profits by creating a simple sales strategy that makes sure even a junior sales person can increase their average order value
• Decrease significantly the chances of losing major contracts and improve the chances of extending the work you do for your best clients
• Make networking work for you and excel at exhibitions
• Have your company and products stand out for the crowd
• Learn how to make your advertising results increase 50 fold
• Ensure your customers stay with you for longer and spend more with you than ever before
• Stay ahead of the competition and maintain the lead in the market place

You will also be told about marketing funding that is currently available from the Government to help with your marketing. If you employ one member of staff or more you are likely to be able to receive this funding for your business.This funding will entitle you to a free place on the Marketing Mentor programme (worth around £3,500) and details will be explained on the night about how to apply and when the next seminar will run.

How do I book a place?

Free places for the marketing seminar are limited, but to check availability please e-mail seminar@idealmarketingcompany.com or call 01858 44 55 43 for more information
You can reserve up to 3 places for yourself and friends / colleagues.

This early evening seminar is free to any business owners or people with a marketing function within a company. It is aimed at small businesses with limited marketing budgets who want to make their funds stretch as far as possible – typically employing less than 50 staff.

Date : Monday February 9th 2009
Time : 6 for 6.30pm till 8.30pm
Location : Hothorpe Hall, LE17 6QX (near Market Harborough)
Cost : FREE

It came from ‘The best of’ organisation and the award was for best community business.  I have been doing some PR work for local organisations recently including work for a campaign to bring back a cinema to market Harborough and was niminated as a result of my unpaid work along with 6 other companies.  I’m delighted to say that I won with over 50% of the vote.

Thank you to everybody who voted for the Ideal Marketing Company as ‘Best Business’ in the area. 

Award winning presentation at Marketing Seminar

And of course that is the problem.  Getting people’s attenion is getting harder all the time – hense the need for a the attention grabbing reality we see so often in advertising.

Nobody would ever the accuse James Bond movies of going for ‘reality’ yet that have made plenty of money over the years.

Have a look at the trailer for the latest at http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-gb&vid=3e1ccfe0-654d-4c6f-9b72-3835db18eb77 and compare it with the reality of the situation if you know Mr Bond - as seen by Mitchell and Webb tinyurl.com/6nan8r.

There are still a fe places left at my next free marketing seminar taking place at Hothorpe Hall, near Market Harborough, Leicestershire on Wednesday 17th of September.  Reserve your place by calling 01858 44 55 43 and I hope to see you there.

Booking are coming in quickly for the September evening seminar. 12 people are so far confirmed on the session.  Whilst there is plenty of time and plenty of spaces, it makes sense to reserve your places now to avoid disapointment.