The Best of Bristol Exhibition Tuesday 2nd March 2010 - Seminar Program

To book your free seminar ticket email info@businessxtra.biz NB: only 30 seats available for each seminar, first come first served. Scroll down for a synopsis of each seminar:

11.00am to 12.00
Room 1 - "Surviving the Broadcast Media".  - Dave Harries - Bizview.tv
Room 2 - "The New First Aid at Work Guidelines and What They Mean for Your Business" – Chris Sollars – Sollars First Aid
Room 3 - "Vehicles in Business – What every business owner needs to know" – Ian Dodd – Transport Management Solutions

12.15pm to 1.15pm
Room 1 - "Getting paid, keeping the cash flowing" – James Taylor – Wards solicitors
Room 2 - "Improving cash flow – show me the priorities" – Peter Weeks – Metaphor Consulting
Room 3 - "How can marketing help you grow your business?" – Jane Silk – Chartered Institute of Marketing

1.30pm to 2.30pm
Room 1 - "Pensions - why bother?" – Simon Carlin – The Lost Coin
Room 2 - "How to advertise, market and position your business - What works, what doesn't and why?" - Paul Kurnyta – The Local Marketing Business
Room 3 - "Get more sales and build a longer lasting relationship with your customers.........." T Branwell – Blaze Ahead

 “Surviving the Broadcast Media”. an interactive workshop by BizView.tv

Ever wondered what it’s like to face the TV cameras for a live media interview?  Could you deal with an awkward question about your business on TV or radio?  Thankfully, it’s not an everyday occurrence for most of us.  But if you’re in business, it’s likely that at some point in your career you may be faced with a broadcast media appearance either as an “expert” or spokesman for your organisation.  We all know how expensive media training can be, but thanks to BizView.tv we’re offering you the chance to attend a media training workshop absolutely free of charge.  Presented by director and ex-BBC producer, Dave Harries, he’ll be passing on some of the tricks and techniques the broadcasters get up to and more importantly how you can deal with them.   Join us for an interactive session, complete with camera, and learn how you can survive the broadcast media.

Bizview.tv are a video production company specialising in broadcast style, interview led documentaries to communicate their clients’ products and services.  Director Dave Harries co-founded the company 2 years ago after a 22 year career in broadcasting and recording. His guiding principle is that business video should be clear and informative, rejecting the special effects and cheesy music so beloved of the genre, in favour of clear, concise, interview driven reportage, giving the viewer information and not a sales pitch.  BizView.tv – Web Video that Works - www.bizview.tv

 "The New First Aid at Work Guidelines and What They Mean for Your Business"

On October 1st 2009 new regulations came into force covering the provision of first aid at work. What does that mean to you? Many small businesses believe that they can safely ignore the regulations because they employ fewer than five people. Is that true? (Clue: NO)

What do you need to do to ensure compliance?

Do you need to complete any paperwork?

How many first aiders do you need?

Do they have to be trained? (-Not always)

What training should they have?

Who can legally provide training?

What equipment do you need?

What if I work alone?

What if your appointed person goes on holiday?

All these questions and more will be answered, as we take an easy to understand look at what the regulations mean and how you can comply with the minimum of time and expense.

Chris Sollars is the owner of Sollars First Aid, a provider of first aid training for industry, commerce and sports clubs.  Based near Bristol, the company can offer a range of courses tailored to suit any industry, including HSE approved First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work certificated training. Chris is a qualified Nurse and has been involved in education and training for many years. As Director of Professional Education and Training for a leading, cutting edge technology, medical device company, he was responsible for the development and delivery of training for hundreds of surgeons, support staff and distributors across the world. Chris also owns Sollars Consultants, which was set up to assist small medical device companies to develop and deliver educational materials for sales staff, medical staff and patients.

 "Vehicles in Business – What every business owner needs to know"

Many business owners are simply not aware of the legal requirements of using a vehicle as part of a business undertaking.  Whether you operate a  fleet of large good vehicles, a work van or on occasion your office staff use their own car to do the run to the post office or the shopping for the tea and coffee, your business falls within the scope of regulations such as the Health and Safety at Work and Corporate Manslaughter Acts. The penalties range from heavy fines to imprisonment for Directors and Managers.

Vehicles in Business will explain your responsibilities under legislation, how the legislation is used by the enforcement agencies and most importantly simple practical steps you can take to reduce the risks to your business.  This is what every business owner needs to know before they allow a vehicle to be used in support of their business. 

The presenter is Ian Dodd, Principle Consultant of Transport Management Solutions who are specialists in Goods Vehicle Operator Licencing, Drivers Hours, Working Time Directive Regulations  and road risk management.  Ian is a graduate member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport, which is the accredited body for Transport professionals and holds a CPC.  Ian’s experience allows him to offer practical advise to company owners and drivers.

 "Getting paid, keeping the cash flowing"

Wards Solicitors’ James Taylor, Associate Solicitor in the Disputes Team, will give insights into:

  • How to use letters and the Late Payment legislation to manage slow payers;
  • Using the County Court to get Judgments, and options for enforcement;
  • When to consider bankruptcy or winding up as an option;
  • What mediation is, and when to consider mediation to resolve commercial disputes;
  • Q & A – War stories – how have you fared – what would you do differently next time?

After the seminar, Business Owners and Accounts professionals will have a good grasp of steps to take to protect their businesses against bad debt, and the various options for enforcing payment and resolving customer disputes.

Wards is a local firm of Solicitors with 10 offices across the former Avon area. The USP of the firm is to offer genuinely specialist lawyers through a network of local offices, rather than making clients travel. James Taylor has been a Solicitor for over 12 years, a lot of which he has spent resolving business disputes and recovering business debts. James is also experienced in financial services claims, firearms licensing and employment law. James has been a qualified mediator since 2004 and is skilled in using mediation to provide a faster way of achieving a good outcome.

“Improving cash flow – show me the priorities”

Peter Weeks of Metaphor Consulting will be revealing why ‘cash is king’ and how improvements can transform your business. Peter will be delivering a one hour interactive seminar showing what drives cashflow, how to improve it and how to prioritise actions for quick results.  Even companies doing OK up until recently are finding current trading conditions difficult. Cashflow improvements, however small, can have a dramatic result and may be the lifeline for companies close to the brink. More than ever, cash is king in business.  Owner –managers will take away useful pointers from this seminar which they can use with immediate effect to improve cashflow.

The free seminar will profile a real-life company case-study, based on a standard set of annual accounts, showing cashflow effects and changes live on screen. The audience will work with Peter during the demonstration, manipulating various elements of the business to see what effect they have on cashflow.  No slides or Powerpoint, just questions from the audience. Peter will then go on to cover how these changes can be implemented in priority to help businesses plan for a more profitable and cash-rich future.

“I was amazed at the results of the review Peter quickly delivered for us. Being able to do “what-ifs” on our accounts in this new way made for a very powerful way of seeing just how cashflow works inside our business and which changes can drive big improvements in profitability and cashflow. This is not what typical accountants do!  It’s more about forward-looking financial management”.  MD, local food manufacturers in Bristol.

Peter is an experienced senior manager, finance manager and business adviser who specialises in: Development and implementation of financial and business strategies, business problem- solving, making businesses more valuable to their owners.

Peter has broad IT, consultancy, financial and management experience in a range of businesses and industries and has been responsible for strategy and operational management, particularly in organisations making major changes. He has a record of working with owner-managers to identify problems and opportunities and provide solutions. He is a qualified management accountant FCMA, a qualified business coach-mentor and has degrees in science and management.

"How can marketing help you grow your business?"

Marketing is about getting the right product or service to the customer at the right price, in the right place, at the right time. Business history and current practice both remind us that without proper marketing, companies cannot get close to customers and satisfy their needs. And if they don't, a competitor surely will!

Jane Silk MA Marketing, Chartered Marketer and branch chair of Bristol & West Chartered Institute of Marketing will take you through the steps towards building a successful marketing plan for your business.

A qualified senior marketing professional, Jane has worked in marketing and branding for over 20 years. She has developed brand and product propositions for blue-chip organisations including Lloyds TSB, AXA Sunlife, C & G, Marks & Spencer, Scottish Widows, Boots, Mercedes, Toyota, Sainsbury’s, Barclays, Thomson Holidays, The Tourist Board and the NHS. With a wide range of management experience Jane has developed and directed successful teams to deliver strategic marketing plans.

"Pensions - why bother?" – Simon Carlin – The Lost Coin

At The Lost Coin we specialise in helping business owners provide for their future, grow their business and pay less tax. We also advise individuals on how to access their pensions in the most effective way. Our talk is entitled “Pensions – why bother?” and will include real case examples, sharing the pros and cons.

  1. Why bother? And why not?
  2. Who can pay into a pension?
  3. How much can I pay?
  4. Where can I invest?
  5. How can I control my pension?
  6. What happens if I die?
  7. When should I review my pension?

Followed by a Question and Answer session (please send questions in advance to Simon@TheLostCoin.info)

Simon Carlin has gained a wealth of financial services experience and qualifications over the last 17 years. He started out at the Inland Revenue examining pension scheme rules and investments before moving on to a Big Four accountancy firm. There he was quickly promoted up to Senior Technical Pensions Consultant where he advised small business clients on their pensions and tax planning, as well as helped audit some of the largest FTSE 100 pension schemes. Moving on, due to an expanding family, Simon joined a smaller accountancy practice to train as a Financial Planner before setting up his own firm The Lost Coin some 4 years ago.

 "How to advertise, market and position your business - What works, what doesn’t and why?"

Paul Kurnyta - The Local Marketing Business

This seminar will cover a range of topics such as, but not limited to; how to build an effective marketing and advertising strategy, how to effectively mix your marketing to ensure the best possible chance of success & what to consider before buying any local advertising.

Paul has 10 years experience in working with local businesses that market and advertise in local markets.  He started his business in 2009 right in the middle of the recession and has already built a strong client list from some very high profile clients in and around the city.

Marketing is a key part of any business success, get it right and you’ll reap the rewards, but get it wrong and you could waste a great deal of money.  This seminar will give you practical advice and guidance on marketing a local business in a local market and should leave you feeling excited about the prospects of the potential success your business could achieve.