Business Information Sessions January - March 2018
  
Please find below a list of our upcoming expert delivered business information sessions, all of which are free of charge.  To reserve yourself a place or for more information please call our Gateway on 0800 043 55 22 or 0114 224 5000.  Our sessions are very popular so places are limited to one person per company/organisation.  In the event of a session being fully booked, we will offer you the option to go on a shortlist in case we have any cancellations.



Starting Up - Coaching Session 1
Research, planning and starting a business

(fortnightly)

This session will provide you with the tools to analyse the viability of your business using market research techniques, topics include; looking at your marketing avenues; identifying what is required through market research; explaining the purpose of business planning; legal structures.
 


Starting Up - Coaching Session 2
Financial Forecasting 

(fortnightly)

This workshop teaches you the principles of basic business financial planning for the year ahead & helping you understand whether the business is financially viable, topics include; personal survival budgeting; start-up costs & overheads; cash flow forecasts; pricing and terms and conditions.
 


Starting Up - Coaching Session 3
Tax Record Keeping and Expenses 

(fortnightly)
 
This workshop will advise you on your legal obligations relating to self-employment, including; registration (when & how); tax and NI contributions; expenses and allowances; record keeping.



Basic Book Keeping

Tuesday 16th January
Friday 9th March
 
For new starts and young businesses undertaking bookkeeping and accounts themselves.  

Topics include how to keep: a sales ledger, purchase ledger; cash book, reconcile the business cash and bank accounts; prepare and understand your profit and loss account.  Tips and hints on bookkeeping.  Computerised and cloud accounting.



Start up Sales & Marketing

Thursday 18th January

Without effective marketing there will be no sales, and without sales no business can survive. This workshop explores the need for a strong brand, understanding your customers and how to reach them using key messaging and compelling marketing material. The second half deals with how to close business using the consultative sell. This workshop is the ideal precursor to the Marketing Fundamentals workshop.



Terms and Conditions 

Tuesday 23rd January
Monday 5th March

Already trading or nearly there?  Learn how to put robust terms and conditions in place: Why you need them; what to include; sales of goods terms; and terms of service.



Marketing Fundamentals for your Business

Friday 26th January

Building on the start-up marketing and sales workshop, looking at the 7 P’s of marketing, how to formulate a marketing strategy, explore routes to market, tactics and more. It also looks at understanding your business and marketing goals, so that an effective marketing plan can be created.  Finally we ask you to bring along a piece of your own marketing material, a leaflet, a business card, or we can look at your website and have a fun, constructive brainstorming session to see how things could be made more impactful.  



Winter Networking Event - Trafalgar WareHouse 

Wednesday 7th February - 5:30pm onwards

Join us for our fabulous, informal winter networking event.

Enjoy a welcome drink, and delicious food from The Wing Kings and ShuJu Kitchen, whilst mingling with around 100 other local business people. With special guest Yorkshire Business Person of the year Craig Wilkinson, we’ll also be showcasing some of the businesses we’ve helped in the last year, but as always, places are limited, and when they’re gone they’re gone. So register now to secure your free place.



Retail Workshop – Driving sales through effective buying, marketing and merchandising 

Friday 9th February

Inspired by Mary Portas, delivered by the Source Academy. This workshop is a must for any retailer covering the following key things: Vision - how you remain true to your brand, Brand Values - and how you resonate with your customers, Knowing your customer – profiling and understanding their needs, Buying the right stock at the right price, Pricing correctly and profitably, Marketing - developing a targeted and effective marketing strategy, Delivering excellent customer service, Visual display techniques.



Social Media

Monday 12th February
Wednesday 28th March

How can social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn) be used to promote your business?  Tips and tricks to grow your social media presence.
 


Pour hour workshop on GDPR

Wednesday 14th February

What the heck is GDPR….well it stands for General Data Protection Regulation and it comes into effect on 25th May 2018.  It will affect every single business owner who has a digital customer database, intends to operate digitally, currently markets digitally, sends email communications, has a customer database, integrates email, has customer data and information with social media and digital marketing. 

The workshop delivered by 0114Marketing and expert Becky Stephenson, Business Improvement Specialist will be short and sweet, jargon free, interactive and effective you will leave understanding what it means for your business and what steps you need to put in place to ensure you are compliant with the new legislation.  This is a shorter workshop, please allow 2 hours maximum.



Winning New Customers via the Telephone

Thursday 15th February
 
For business to business (not business to consumer) sales.  Learn how to approach prospects and gain new business via the phone.  

Explores why so many of us are nervous about using the phone, dispels some of the myths and fears associated with cold calling and gives advice and tips on all aspects of running a successful telephone campaign.

 

How to manage risk in a small business

Tuesday 20th February

The aim of the session is to learn more about the risks that all businesses face and to provide some practical tips and guidance on reducing those risks.

This session will also look at which risks can be insured against and which one’s can’t, discussing the types of cover which are essential for businesses and highlighting those which are nice to have. This is a shorter workshop, please allow 2 hours maximum. 



How to Sell Face to Face

Thursday 22nd February
 
For anyone whose business success depends on selling face to face.

Improve your success rates from appointments. Pre-appointment preparation; creating a good first impression; opening and keeping control of the meeting; questioning techniques; objection handling; recognising buying signals; and closing/agreeing the next step. 

 

Limited Company Workshop

Monday 26th February

This workshop dispels some of the myths and will explain how to register a ltd company, reporting requirements including when accounts will need filing, difference between your money and money that belongs to the company, how to take money out of the business and what way is best to pay yourself? (employee of the company?), what is corporation tax, capital allowances, responsibilities of a company director and how to dis-incorporate.

 

Exploring Finance Options for start-up/early stage businesses  
 
Thursday 8th March
 
For start-up/early stage businesses. Gain an insight into the different finance solutions available in the current market place as well as assessing the advantages/disadvantages of each finance route. Understand the different legal obligations for taking on different types of finance.

 

Creating a Brand 

Monday 12th March
 
Why a strong brand is essential: what constitutes a brand; how to understand your own brand and its identity; style and tone of voice.  Includes several thought provoking branding exercises including looking at a live case study to explain some of these key principles and finally will show you how to use your brand.

 

Maximising your website 

Friday 16th March
 
Gain more business from your web presence.  How to drive traffic to your website via SEO including; long-tail keywords; click bait; backlinks; internal links; and using Google Webmaster and Analytics.  

Shows you how to use social media to attract visitors; how to convert website traffic into leads and sales, how to influence your visitors actions creating urgency, the art of writing good text; the power of FAQ’s and customer reviews as a way of capturing visitor details.

 

Employing people for the first time from an Accountancy Perspective 

Tuesday 20th March

Find out all you need to know to avoid penalties and interest when employing people. What I need to tell HMRC, when I need to tell them, on-going reporting requirements, do I need an accountant to prepare my payroll, how do I pay my staff, what is the national minimum wage, can I pay my employees expenses and benefits, what is Real Time Information and Auto Enrolment.

 

Recruiting and Employing Staff   

Monday 26th March

Recruiting for the first time or want to check you are doing it right?   The session will explore safe recruitment practices and attracting the right people; induction process; contract of employment; staff handbook and policies (understand what is essential and what is desirable); and probationary periods.

Contracts for typical workers - subcontractors, casual staff and zero hours workers.