Pinterest…my next big addiction?

Feb 11, 2012 by Helen

I was only introduced to Pinterest last week, as usual it was Nikki Pilkington who introduced me to it, the woman behind my Twitter addiction, and I am hooked! So what is Pinterest? They describe themselves as an online pinboard where you can organise and share things you love. Doesn't sound very business like does it? Much like Twitter it has a balance to it, it shows you who the people are. Unlike Google+ that seems to me to be just a stream of posts Pinterest is a truly visual experience and I do love good images and photography. Read More ... read more

Win a copy of the A to Z of Small Business Tools eBook

Feb 8, 2012 by Helen

To celebrate the launch of the 'A to Z of Small Business Tools' ebook we're giving a copy away! To enter just carry out the tasks below, each task generates one entry. Winners will be drawn at random from all entries when the competition closes. Read More ... read more

When inclusive doesn’t mean inclusive – your phone bill

Feb 1, 2012 by Helen

I take great pride in helping my clients become more efficient and also in helping them cut costs, unecessary costs that is. I have one client who in our first year of working together saved over £3,000.00 from implementing the suggestions that I made. These included reviewing insurance suppliers, telecoms suppliers and stationery suppliers to name but a few. One of the areas where we can save costs is to review our inclusive call packages with our telecoms providers. More importantly look at what is NOT included and make sure you don't make that type of call unless it's an emergency. Read More ... read more

Is your accounting system working with you or against you?

Jan 3, 2012 by Helen

I've worked with several accounting systems over the years and have found that many of them consider the needs of the accountant above those of the business owner.  This is all well and good but shouldn't Read More ... read more

Don’t miss the 31 January deadline for completing your tax return online!

Dec 29, 2011 by Helen

As a business owner, you probably know that you need to complete a tax return and that the deadline for doing so and for paying any tax that you owe is midnight on 31 January 2012, otherwise you will be asked to pay a penalty. You’ve already missed the deadline for filing your return using a paper form, so you will need to submit your details using HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)’s Online Services instead. Before you can do this you will need an activation code, which HMRC will send you when you register, but the deadline for registering is 21 January 2012 so you’ll have to be quick! Read More ... read more

Why I ditched Outlook for Gmail

Dec 9, 2011 by Helen

I had a love affair with Outlook, I had emails filed away in Folders all over the place, you name it there was a folder for it. I felt organised, I could retrieve a message at the drop of a hat. Sadly, in reality it didn't quite work that way. I spend an awful lot of time on my pc/laptop which means they wear out more quickly than normal. Even with the tech knowledge I possess it still meant that every time I changed my IT I lost some of my emails, many of my settings and I was becoming more and more frustrated that I couldn't manage my email from anywhere but this one machine. Read More ... read more

What would you like to see in your inbox?

Dec 1, 2011 by Helen

It's fast approaching the New Year and that time where many business owners review their marketing activity for the forthcoming year. Rather than guess what my audience would like to receive I thought I would carry out a quick poll to see what you would actually find the most useful. Read More ... read more