The JD Approach Newsletter
November 2008
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[TRACKER]
Dear [FIRSTNAME],
The JD Approach newsletter now has over 1200 subscribers. If you know someone who might like to receive this newsletter please forward it on and ask them to subscribe at our website; www.jdapproach.co.uk
The JD Approach Team
Website of The Month
5 Star Computer Training are our partner in computer user training. We work together on a number of courses and training products. Visit their website and search for the right IT course for you.
Click here to visit the
5 star website.
Useful Tip
Photo Gallery
Windows Vista makes managing your media files even easier. Windows Photo Gallery is an improved way of looking at images and includes better organizational features catered to media. You can use the properties tools to add tags for additional references.
Dates for Your Diary
Sheffield Business Awards
The annual awards ceremony for members of Sheffield Chamber of Commerce.
Ponds Forge
Thursday 4th December 2008. from 7pm onwards
£75 plus VAT
Click here for more information
OOO
Women in Business Surgery - Legal and Accounting
Our surgeries are free and designed to give you the opportunity to meet like - minded business women. You can book your own private and confidential slot with WiB experts who can help you to grow your business
HSBC Commercial Centre, Europa Court
Wednesday 10th December 2008,
5.30pm till 7pm.
Click here for more information
OOO
EMarketing Workshop
How to Make the Most of the Internet.
This half day workshop covers a wide range of ways to promote your business using technology and the internet. An essential workshop for anyone who wants to stay ahead of the competition in today's increasgly digital markets.
5 Star Computer Training, Carlisle Street, Sheffield
Wednesday 14th January 2009. 9am till 1pm
Only £70 plus VAT
Click here to
book your place.
E-Marketing - Ways to Promote Your Business Online.
This is not just about having a website, sending an e-newsletter or purchasing pay per click adverts on search engines or other people's sites (although these are all important parts of a strategy!).
E-Marketing refers to any use of technology to promote your business and today that can mean hundreds of different techniques, tools, software, advertising mediums, website listings and directory services.
How you do it really does depend on your business and no-one else knows your business better than you do. Our biggest recommendation for deciding on the best emarketing techniques to suit you is to ask your customers (and even better - people who you would like as customers). What would they search for in Google if they were looking for a company like yours? Would they be interested in joining an online community in order to access more up to date information from you?
As customers become more thrifty with their spending they are likely to use the internet more to search for the best deal and find new suppliers. Therefore it is important to make sure that your business has a presence in as many areas as possble and potentially market yourself using areas and methods that your competitors might not have discovered yet. Emarketing and the new opportunities it is constantly offering is an opportunity that no business can afford to miss.
To give your business a boost in the New Year, why not attend our January workshop on E-Marketing (How to make the most of the internet). At only £70 this half day workshop is an excellent opportunity to find new (often FREE) ways to promote your business and there will also be an opportunity to network with like-minded professionals from other businesses too.
Places are limited and this is our most popular workshop so please book early to avoid dissapointment.
To find out more or book your place, please email training@jdapproach.co.uk
Are You Ready to Change Your VAT Rate on Monday 1st December?
Next week, everyone will need to change the rate that they charge for VAT from 17.5% to 15%. For most this will just mean amending their accounting software to reflect this change, however have you thought about other places where your VAT rate may need to be altered?
ECommerce websites are the most obvious place where small businesses wll need to remember to change their VAT rate. Have you got a content management system which allows you to do this for yourself or do you need to contact your developer now to request this? Bearing in mind everyone will be requiring the same change on Monday morning we would recommend dropping them an email ASAP to get yourself booked in.
Do you have a till that calculates VAT and if so do you know how to change the rate? A good start would be to type the make and model number in to Google and see if you can find a user manual or even a discussion forum where someone has posted the answer.
If you are using MS Accounting, here is how to change your VAT rate:
> Click 'Company' and then 'Preferences'
> Select the 'VAT' tab and then click the 'VAT Codes' button.
> You will see a list of the current codes and you can alter each one as required. The standard VAT rate is usually under the 'S' code.
> Click 'OK' on each window until you are returned to the main screen.
Join Us in Second Life
Second Life is an online program where you can create an electronic version of yourself called an avatar and interact with others online in a 3D virtual world.
You may have heard stories on the news about people falling in love in Second Life, attending music gigs and parties, creating online communities and virtual versions of real life places and loads more - the possibilities are endless.
There is also now a great deal of activity within Second Life from Universities and educational establishments who are using the virtual world to share research information, meet with other academics from different countries and even built virtual learning environments such as the Harvard business school virtual campus or Princeton University's online library resource building.
We are currently working on a collaborative project for schools and also some virtual training courses, networking and marketing opportunities for business within Second Life.
If you are interested in finding out more we will be holding a virtual tour in the New Year and we would love for you to join us. All you need to do is install the software, create your avatar and then send an email to secondlife@jdapproach.co.uk telling us your avatar name.
Here is a link to the website to get you started:
http://secondlife.com/
Find out more by calling us on 0114 2544 004
or visit our website http://www.jdapproach.co.uk
JD Approach Ltd, G1, 824 Attercliffe Road, Sheffield, S9 3RS