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marketing

LinkedIn for SME’s: Useful or not?

It was announced yesterday (13/06.2016) that Microsoft is to purchase LinkedIn, the professional networking website, for $26bn (£18bn), which equates to $196 a share. That’s a lot of money. Apparently the deal will enable Microsoft to boost sales of its business and email software, although to be fair, it doesn’t sound as though they’re failing […]

Brands are incredibly powerful

Consider the Pepsi Challenge. According to a series of blind taste-tests, Pepsi is more popular than Coca-Cola. Despite this, Coca-Cola always proves more popular than Pepsi when people are asked to choose between them. The reason for this? The power of the brand. A brand is a carefully crafted personality, designed to be memorable, attract […]

Build a bonfire, build a bonfire: discounting items for sale on eBay, the how, when and why.

So that might be the longest title I have ever used in this blog but I wanted somehow to get a link in to bonfire night given that it’s November the 5th, however tenuous it might be. But in my mind the link is that instead of burning unwanted stock – let’s sell it for […]

Build a Brand on a Budget, Not a Budget Brand

If you are looking for ways to build your public profile you may be wondering how to do that when you don’t actually have much in the way of cash to spare. Marketing has become a complex beast over the years. There are now literally dozens of ways to get in touch with your customers […]

Why do small businesses fail?

A friend of mine is just opening a new shop in East Devon. It’s a massive gamble for her and her partner and while she is hugely excited she is also very concerned. She has been picking my brains about how to make her business successful. While I have been trying to be very positive, […]

Life’s a Pitch

As an entrepreneur you are almost certainly going to need to make a pitch on occasion. It is a really useful skill to have if you are in the business of selling services and products, or if you ever need some investment or a loan for your business from a bank or other financial provider. […]

VAT! Value added …. thoughts

I’m feeling a little philosophical this morning and I’ve seen two quotes on my Facebook feed that I really like. The first was written by a freelance designer who said ‘the more I charge you, the more pressure I put on myself to perform for you’ and the second by American business magnate, investor, and […]