Pension planning over breakfast - just a normal day at the Newbury Business Group

While it is a complete myth that ostriches, when frightened will stick their head in the sand, it is a very useful metaphor when trying to describe the default position when it comes to pension planning.

The uncomfortable importance of pension planning was the thorny subject of the 10 minute presentation at the Newbury Business Group this morning, with member Deane Anderson, an Independent Financial Advisor from Bates Investment Services tackling the challenge with enthusiasm and good humour.

Trying to explain exactly what he said her presents something of a challenge and probably breaks all kinds of compliance rules - suffice to say he started by explaining the pension planning was nothing more than tax efficient savings, went on to firmly illustrate the point, before fielding all manner of nervous questions. You were almost waiting for someone to say: "Well... I've got this friend who is worried about their pension..."

Actually the diversity of questions clearly illustrated why up close and personal advice is essential and Deane made it clear he is the expert we should use!

If I could have invested all the pennies that could be heard dropping within the room this morning... well, that would have been my pension sorted!

'Will the last person to leave please turn out the lights' - powerful energy saving tips at Newbury Business Group

The 10 minute Masterclass slot at Newbury Business Group is always a chance for our members to shine, and none more so than West Berkshire energy saving guru, Anthony Straszewski from Proport Eco-Services, who this week was enlightening us on energy saving lightbulbs.

During a very interactive session Anthony, pictured above, had us shouting out our frustrations with energy bulbs - they are too slow to light up, they are dimmer than normal bulbs, you cannot get spotlight bulbs - the list went on and Anthony would deftly flourish an energy saving bulb that countered our concerns and plug it in, lighting up the room and illuminating our minds in an ever more friendly shade of green.

He clearly made the point that it is really easy to make excuses for not making simple changes that not only save the environment, but can actually save money too. With readily available lightbulbs such as the ones shown to us today saving 80% on old style lightbulbs we could understand what he meant about being green paying in more ways than one.

No doubt many members will be using Anthony's company for its Lifestyle Green-audit™ and Energy Audit. Proport Eco-Services offers a range of energy related services, including Energy Performance Certificates, and unrivalled local expertise on Code for Sustainable Homes.

Morgan PR has been working with Proport Eco-Services on its branding and market position as it moves forward and we have collaborating with fellow Newbury Business Group member Adrian Scott, from Companion Computers to create a web offering to best showcase Anthony's amazing work, including an extranet to help his clients access their energy information online.

Learning to save time over breakfast - secrets of Four FourTime revealed at Newbury Business Group

One minute elevator pitches and 10 minute Masterclasses? Breakfast at Newbury Business Group might sound regimented, but truthfully the dynamic nature of such a remarkable group of entrepreneurs and business owners makes precision timing more of a theory that strictly enforced fact - many say it is the relaxed nature of our group that makes it preferable to the more 'structured' networking groups out there in West Berkshire.

Perhaps if we were running the meetings using Four Four Time, the thoroughly efficient though blissfully simple timer program created by Tony Spiers of, the naturally named Four Four Time company, the meetings might be more as regimented. There is certainly no doubt the this little application can deliver big savings in time and money.

Tony was delivering a 10 minute Masterclass at this morning's breakfast meeting and gave a powerful display of his creation in action.

During the demonstration Tony explained that typically the users discover how much time they save simply by measuring how much time they spend on each task - one client had discovered they wasted two and a half hours a day on personal emails when they estimated it added up to 30 minutes.

The timer can capture multiple tasks and is easily exported to an Excel spreadsheet if required. Tasks can be paused, quickly launched and alarms set too. One user sets an alarm on the timer to remind them to use the timer! Mutli user licences are also available and

Given Tony's background as a trainer - he also offers bespoke training courses in the basic Office programs - he has managed to create a program that is intuitive and that comes with an instruction booklet that only runs to 28 pages. Not the veritable telephone directories that normally accompany new computer programs.

Morgan PR was an earlish adopter of Four Four Time after writing about Tony and his wife and business partner Jill and the successes they have had with the innovative product.

It certainly is easy to use and it was an eye opener for us how much longer some tasks took and indeed how it was also easy to over estimate the time other tasks would take. Now we tend to use it to measure new tasks the first few times to accurately record typical timings and also with the crisis management work that we undertake. We certainly would have no hesitation in recommending it.

MP becomes Shadow Minister just days after visit to Newbury Business Group - mere coincidence?

No sooner does the Newbury MP Richard Benyon come to West Berkshire's foremost networking organisation, the Newbury Business Group, than he is promoted to the Shadow Front Bench.

On Friday he was a mere Whip, keeping the Opposition in shape - and then Monday he is promoted to the important role of Environment Minister!

Richard Benyon told the Newbury Weekly News' website, Newbury Today:

“I am delighted to have been given this challenging role and I look forward to doing what I can to support fishing, farming and other aspects of the rural economy.

“I have really enjoyed my time in the Whip’s office, I learned a lot about how Parliament works but it’s good to move to a shadow ministerial role to see how policies affect people and taking through important pieces of legislature.”

Now, he didn't mention his visit to Newbury Business Group in his comments, but surely it cannot have been far from his mind?! Could his visit to the high profile group of business owners and entrepreneurs have influenced the Leader of the Opposition in his reshuffle?

With my Newbury Business Group chairman's tongue firmly in cheek, I have to conclude we may never know...

MP hears despair... and hope at Newbury Business Group breakfast

The pain of the recession was heard loud and clear when the MP for Newbury, Richard Benyon, met with members and guests at the Newbury Business Group on Friday morning; he also saw the passion and drive that illustrates why these business owners and entrepreneurs will survive.

There was a record turnout at the Newbury Business Group on Friday as members and guests gathered over breakfast at Donnington Valley Golf Club to hear from the local MP, who made it clear he understood the impact of the slowdown, but also sought to put it into perspective.

He railed against the tick box culture of credit qualification and lamented the loss of local business bank managers who understood the local economy and the needs of local business. He also took the opportunity to explain how much more comprehensive the stimulus package supported by the Conservatives was, in contrast to that being pushed through by the Government.

Soon the tables were turned and topics raised with the MP ranged from the stifled cashflow within the credit market, and the knock on that is having for businesses, through to angry recriminations against the Government – at one point the MP had to point out he was a member of the Opposition!

There were suggestions too – Carol Brown, a mortgage broker from Your First Mortgage Co. suggested that as the Government was making so little money from house sales, couldn’t stamp duty be stopped or at least reduced to stimulate the property market. It was something My Benyon concurred with and said a stamp duty holiday could be a good idea.

There was frustration about the small reduction in VAT, which the MP said had wasted £50 billion that could have been better used.

Managing Director of business software developers Kaizen, Robin Winnett said education needed to be addressed so vocational qualifications had the same merits as academic subjects, called for more collaboration in business and in Parliament, while photographer Giles Penfound despaired at the lack of leadership in politics.

Newbury Business Group chairman, Nigel Morgan, of Hungerford-based public relations consultancy Morgan PR, closed the meeting, thanking Richard Benyon and concluded: “This has been a terrific meeting and I honestly believe the members of the Newbury Business Group are the owners and entrepreneurs who show the leadership that will get them through this recession and the collaboration that has long been a hallmark of the group will ensure they flourish. It is why we are the foremost networking group in West Berkshire.”

Speaking after the breakfast, Mr Benyon said: "This was a really useful session which allowed me to show how an alternative approach to business and the recession would work and for me to hear firsthand accounts of the experience for entrepreneurs and risk takers at this worrying time"

The Newbury Business Group meets for breakfast at 7.30am every Friday at the Donnington Valley Golf Club. Guests are welcome, but should book in advance by emailing info@morganpr.co.uk

West Berkshire MP to visit Newbury Business Group

West Berkshire MP Richard Benyon will be joining local entrepreneurs and business owners for breakfast next week when he visits the Newbury Business Group.

With the recession really starting to bite it will be provide an opportunity for both members of the networking group and the local Member of Parliament to find out more about the impact of the downturn on local businesses.

As the group chairman I feel that the very nature of the dynamic individuals who belong to Newbury Business Group places them as the forefront of those most capable of dealing with the downturn in the economy, but that does not mean they are not facing real challenges out there.

We know Richard Benyon has been involved in discussions with many local businesses and we wanted to hear his views on the economy and it is really encouraging that he is so keen to listen to the thoughts of our members too. Clearly this is going to be a powerful business breakfast.”

Richard Benyon is excited about coming the the meeting too. He said: “It is really good to be invited to one of West Berkshire’s leading business networking groups.

“I find these events really useful. I will hear at firsthand what is really happening in the local economy. At Westminster everyone has an opinion about the recession but it is only when you talk to people who are facing the credit crisis and the recession in their own businesses on a daily basis that you really understand what is going on.”

While Richard Benyon will be the guest of honour at the event on the 16th January at Donnington Valley Golf Club, there are limited spaces for guests who might be interested in joining the Newbury Business Group – if you would like to come along for breakfast at 7.30am, please contact me promptly via the Morgan PR website.

Using extranets and intranets to enhance your business - Adrian Scott reveals how at the Newbury Business Group

Morgan PR is already well versed in the skills of Adrian Scott as we are working together on the new design for the Newbury Business Group website; however today provided the opportunity for other members of West Berkshire’s foremost networking organisation to discover more about what this web guru does.

Adrian explained that essentially Companion Computers, which has been running since 1987, is a bespoke software developer, offering tailored practical software for businesses. He proudly emphasised the power of their solutions with applications that are still running today that were developed in the late 80s!

He distinguished Companion Computer’s services to fellow member Rob Winnett’s company Kaizen Systems, which is also a bespoke software developer, explaining: “We develop software solutions solely for the internet.”

“We develop for the internet because demands for solutions are growing as users demand access to their systems anywhere and at anytime; they want real-time information and the ability to share information between users and best of all you do not need to install software – you just need and internet connection and you don’t even need to use your own PC.

“This is the future. Have you heard about software as a service? It will not be long until we’re all be using our Microsoft Office applications through a web browser and we will be subscribing to software only paying for it when we use it.

“This is secure too with our information and services hosted on a firewalled Web Server, which has to be better than a laptop, which can be lost or stolen, or sustain hard disk damage.

“Now, you’ve hear me talk each week about intranets and extranets – but what are they? Well, when we limit the access to the internally within a company it’s called an intranet and when we then open this up to our customers and suppliers we call it an extranet.

“There are plenty of conditions when an intranet would make sense, for example: when access is needed to company information by remote workers or where it was essential for everyone to access the same version of changing data. It could be to access customer data and can remove the need for email attachments.

“What about extranets?” Adrian sought to reassure the group: “You may have come across some extranets and may not have realised it. They’re often called members areas, client areas or my accounts. Online banking is a prime example of one that we have all used.

“Some of you will argue: ‘Surely that’s a website though?’ Well, it depends on your point of view. Our view is that websites are there to promote the business, market the company and increase sales. At least that’s what it should be doing! Extranets are there to improve your customer service and make day to day operations more efficient.”

Clearly anticipating the thoughts of some of the members he explained that this was not just something for big business, indeed this technology is available now for any type of company large all small.

“We’ve worked on projects starting at £850, although that’s not the norm by any means. It is really all about the complexity of the requirement.

So some extranet examples that we recently completed include an event registration extranet that needed to be interactive and meet clients needs online to improve customer service and reduce enquiries.

“We set up a training facility booking intranet that has reduced calls, meant it is no longer paper based and offers a much more efficient digital record of bookings

“Ultimately, whether intranet or extranet, our services are about improving the efficiency of your company and improving the client experience, both more important than ever in the current climate.”

Clearly a man who knows his stuff! If you have any web questions, not least about intranets and extranets why not contact Adrian or better still, join us at Newbury Business Group one Friday.

Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed... a new flavour to the Newbury Business Group breakfast

When the Newbury Business Group was invited to The Mike Robinson Game and Wild Food Cookery School for its weekly meeting, it was always going to be a special experience - fellow member and wild food guru Cat Sheppard has consistently added value to West Berkshire's foremost networking group and her offer to entertain us at the School had been much anticipated.

Members eagerly made the trip to the wilds of Yattendon to the cookery school established by celebrity chef Mike Robinson, and is just down the road from his near legendary gastro pub, The Pot Kiln.

Fine tasting coffee was awaiting our arrival, together with the tantalising aromas of a breakfast worthy of the champions of business we all are - well, we are all at different points on that same journey perhaps!

Maybe it was that coffee, or the excitement of being at such a fabulous venue, but the networking buzz that the group generates was reaching new levels as we made our way into the dining room for the breakfast:

NBG Breakfast - 21 November 2008

Wild Boar & Apple Sausages
Home Smoked Bacon
Scrambled Duck Eggs with
Hedgehog Fungus
Boston Baked Beans

Homemade Bread with
Blackberry jam and Marmalade

The fabulous food proved superb fuel for the networking chatter and led to some enthusiastic one minute presentations, many of which acknowledged the quality of the spread and were brimming with examples of good practice and business wins that made for inspiring illustrations that vision and passion will bring success whatever the economic climate.

Moving back into the kitchen Cat began her 10 Minute Masterclass - we have one every week at the Newbury Business Group - and showed us just how easy it was to bone a haunch of Roe deer and how simple it was to seal before popping into the oven.

My predecessor as chairman of the group, Mark Arrowsmith, from Snappy Snaps, had suggested to our host that she should do something special for me... so, with much excitement in the group, I was handed a bowl of a dark, lean meat, clearly from an animal much smaller than the Roe deer we had just seen Cat prepare and cook.

"Pheasant?" I hopefully queried. It wasn't, nor was it any bird... I pondered on Dormouse, that Roman delicacy, but I was pretty sure they were protected. Similarly, it surely could not be a hedgehog?

"It's squirrel", Cat revealed, to the squeals of delight and gasps of disbelief from the assembled professionals.

With that she took the bowl of squirrel meat and added it to the pan with some duck fat - it turns out squirrel is quite a dry meat and the fat stops it from drying out during the cooking! A few minutes and some rosemary and cream later, I was served up 'Confit of Squirrel in a Rosemary and Cream Sauce'. It came on toast.

Honestly, I am not squeamish and grew up a shepherd's son and that, combined some culinary globetrotting, meant I was game even if the squirrel was technically not... So I tucked in with relish, and amid much snapping from the group's sterling photographer Giles Penfound, I discovered the squirrel actually tastes quite nice. Gamey and textured, but certainly agreeable!

I had seconds and there was plenty for a significant number of the group to tuck in themselves while Cat returned to the Roe deer that was ready to come out of the oven; she turned them over so the juices could flow back through the meat and rested them for five minutes - the same time they were cooked for, before finely slicing the rare meat and drizzling a peppercorn sauce over the top.

This too was delicious - possibly even more so than the squirrel!

With a thunderous round of applause the meeting drew to a close, although many seemed to linger more than normal and there were plenty of one to one encounters too.

Cat commented after the meeting: "It was incredibly nice to have everyone here; there is only so much I can say in the normal meetings to explain what we do here. By coming to the Cookery School it has given everyone a whole new perspective and it will be easier in the future for the members to give us even more referrals."

The star of the day makes a great point - how on earth can fellow networkers be expected to be raving fans if they do not understand what you do? Make the effort to understand!

Newbury Business Group discovers the formula for change during 10 Minute Masterclass

Each week at the Newbury Business Group, West Berkshire's foremost networking organisation, we benefit from a 10 Minute Masterclass from a member, based on their own specialist knowledge and this week we enjoyed the benefit of two for the price of one!

Michelle Lucas from Greenfields is a long standing member and Sally Rainbow-Ockwell from ActionCOACH recently joined the group; both are coaches and part of today's Masterclass was to help members differentiate.

Incidentally, this is something that distinguishes the group I chair from so many networking organisations - we do not automatically 'lock out the competition'. Actually it is a more collaborative approach that ultimately means on many occassions companies and individuals with similar offerings can both thrive in the group and often bring one another business - and this is exactly how Sally and Michelle are finding it.

The Masterclass began with the simple explanation that while Sally is a business coach, Michelle focuses in the individual and the changes they might need to implement.

They then hit us with a formula - the Formula for CHANGE:

D x V + F > R

That is Dissastisfaction times Vision, combined with the First Steps, needs to be greater than th Resistance to achieve change - so increasing any or all of those elements to the point where they outweigh your resistance to change - and great things will happen.

Sally explained that 'nice to...' doesn't cut it. You either have to be dissatisfied enough or bursting with enough vision in order to take those first steps to overcome resistance.

Michelle then introduced us to the Identity Iceberg, pictured here, which is a great analogy for everything from improving business to losing weight or getting fit.

What we HAVE, the results, and what we DO, the behaviour that delivers those resuts is often visible, much like the part of the iceberg the Titanic did see, albeit too late!

Actually, you need to focus on who you need to BE - which is all the parts of who you are that lurk beneath the surface. If you BE the kind of person you need to be, you will DO the things you need to to and oddly enough will then HAVE what it is that you desired so.

Michelle said: "There is an overlap between our work. Sally's is more tangible and mine is more about mindset. As strategic partners we can work together.

"Sally might be working with someone on their business and spot something personal which I can work on with them to give them the best chance. Equally I might be working with someone on on a personal level when I spot something that involves their business.

Sally emphasised that even if group members were unsure of which of them to refer to, they could refer to either as between them they would know who was most appropriate to work with.

Kaizen Flo launched

Morgan PR was among the guests at The Corn Exchange in Newbury earlier today for the launch of Kaizen Flo, an exciting software solution designed by SMEs for SMEs.
It has been developed and brought to market by Newbury company Kaizen Systems Ltd, which was formerly Win IT, and Morgan PR first met its Managing Director, Rob Winnett, when we were both finalists in a local Business of the Year competition at the end of 2006 – he went on to win and become a good friend, client and is a fellow member of the Newbury Business Group.

It was created using key business principles in mind to utilise the most useful aspects to companies today. It can save a business time and money, keeps the owner in control and can improve workplace harmony.

It should be said how abundant Rob has always been with business help and advice, so it was reassuring to see that Kaizen Flo has been based on a series of solid business principles:

• The E-Myth
• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
• Pareto – the 80/20 rule
• PRinCE2 project management
• Kaizen

The Kaizen philosophy, which of course also gave this company its name, is drawn from the Japanese word kai which means “Change” and zen meaning “Good” – Change to become good, or Good Change

The main belief behind Kaizen is that a combination of many improvements, however small, will make a measurable impact to any company.

Great Example is the British Olympic Cycling Team Beijing 2008. They won 7 gold medals out of the 10 events. Plus 3 silvers and 2 bronze! Every medal winner talked about continually looking for small improvements which could make a difference – however insignificant they may appear to be on their own.

I suspect an even better example will prove to be the software launched at today's event, which was a great success and was captured through the unique eye of Gile Penfound, who has supplied the photographs for this blog posting, not least the one below of Rob and Judy Winnett.

Yours truly pictured above and an atmospheric illustration of the event below.

Rock solid techniques for using Google from Rock IT at the Newbury Business Group

As ubiquitous as Google has become, who among us has not been left frustrated at the search engine’s inability to read our minds and only interprets what we type in?

Well if you have been at Newbury Business Group earlier today there is a good chance you will no longer be drumming your fingers while humming U2’s ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’ – all thanks to the insight offered by Paul Cowie from Rock IT.

In a 10 Minute Masterclass that was stylishly delivered in considerably less, for the thoroughly positive reason of having lots of guests attending West Berkshire’s foremost networking organisation’s weekly meeting at Donnington Valley Golf Club.

“It’s all about how you ask!” he told us and gave the example that: “How many calories does an apple have” and “An apple has * calories” will produce very different results, with the latter being more precise.

We discovered that singular is different from plural – apple is not the same as apples! Also that Google plain ignores lots of little words – I, where, how, of, is, in. We should enclose them in quotes if we want them included.

The order of words is important – example Brown Bear and Bear Brown return different results and punctuation is generally ignored except apostrophes, hyphen and quote marks.
One other exception is two dots, which is ideal for finding something in a range. Like this "office chair" £50..£75. Or for dates: Newbury 1850..1899

Most people know that using “quotes” narrow searches, but searching within the results can refine these even further.

Paul told us: “If you put three words in your search, all three must be on the page for it to be returned. However, you can use OR to find pages with any of the words and use parentheses to group terms. For instance if you were trying to remember the name of a certain movie with monkeys, you could search for: chimps (“Ben Affleck” OR “Mark Wahlberg”). You will find yourself landing on the 'Planet of the Apes'

“Google does not understand ‘NOT’ however you can use – to exclude a term from you search example: “Ben Affleck” –”Jennifer Lopez”, only returns pages with Ben not Jen.

“Just as a minus sign says no a + sign says yes. For example: +the omen will find references to the film, although you could use quotes to the same end!”

bY tHE wAY – Google is not case sensitive!

A wild card allows an * to replace one word. For example: “Three * * mice” leads to “three blind fat mice” or “three very tough mice”. Wild cards are useful to get around the 10 word limit on searching because they don’t count and miss out stop words (a the if) because they do!

He concluded urging us to visit the Google help page which has all this and more.

Once again a stalwart member of the Newbury Business Group has proven not only their expertise, but been abundantly generous with it and added enormous value to the group.

I did have a Google tip! Use telephone STD codes like 01635 for Newbury and 0118 for Reading when you are looking for geographic specific businesses!

Morgan PR reveals the Seven Deadly PR Sins in Newbury Business Group 10 Minutes Masterclass

No sooner do I become chairman of the Newbury Business Group than I find myself in the hot seat for the 10 Minute Masterclass! Having spent many of my previous presentations explaining tips and tricks to boost your PR it really did seem about time to explain where it can go wrong.

You see, for all the marvellous advice on the best ways to get good publicity, there are some things that you should never do, or at least not without careful consideration. These are the bear traps for PR prima donnas where journalists with sharpened pens await the unwary. These are our Seven Deadly PR Sins that the PR professional knows to resist.

Lust

Lusting after journalists is generally not a good way to go about getting something published, nor is any covetous approach to a story. For instance, pursuing a single publication with wild-eyed abandon rarely works and depending on your story and the background you can often achieve great exposure by having a story published locally first.

Gluttony

You should know when enough is enough in PR. You may be on to a good thing but do not outstay your welcome. Anyone who gorges themselves on a PR opportunity without considering how this will be interpreted runs the risk of the journalists being turned off and the next story you have will be ignored, however good it might be.

Greed

If Gluttony is over indulging in PR, then Greed is about hungering after that feckless feast without regard for a balanced diet. This greed is not good. Journalists rarely respond to desperation and they actually find those repeated calls irritating. So do not be greedy. Ensure that the story is worthy of coverage and accept what it gets. Learn and provide a better story the next time. Or become known as greedy and see how many column inches that translates into.

Sloth

There really is no excuse for any kind of behaviour that either sees you blithely ignoring a PR opportunity or worse still, not helping a journalist once they are writing a story. I can recall times as a journalist where a good news story died on the vine because calls went unreturned. Very rarely is doing nothing the best option. Sloth is a very good way to destroy your PR reputation, though!

Wrath

‘Do you know how much we spend on advertising?!’ No, they don’t and they really do not care. Journalists do not sell advertising and very rarely will they cower at the threat of you pulling advertising. Take a deep breath and work out how to make right the slight that prompted you to think of foolishly threatening to withdraw advertising.

Envy

You may see stories that competitors have succeeded in getting published and wished that you had thought of whatever has claimed them the headlines. Be inspired, but do not dwell. What can you learn and do better next time. Certainly do not be tempted to brief against your rival. That is the advanced class and needs careful consideration.

Pride

Be humble in victory. Certainly there may be times when you are entitled to puff out your chest and bask in glory, but let the media pour on the pride, you should be modest and even slightly embarrassed and your PR will have far greater impact than trading on vanity. Richard Branson, anyone?

What do you think?

If you have fallen foul of any of these sins they may not be deadly if properly addressed. They can however leave any PR strategy starting from a disadvantage. If you think you have suffered for committing a public relations sin we can help you repent! Seriously, with a little tender loving care and a deft bit of remedial PR, Morgan PR can help you back on to the right path.

From Crackpot to Consultant - an entrepreneur tells all at Newbury Business Group

Friday dawned with another sparkling breakfast meeting of the Newbury Business Group, West Berkshire’s foremost networking organisation.

This morning we heard from stalwart member and local entrepreneur Tony Quinn, who took us on whistle-stop tour of his success-studded career to date, visiting the highs and lows and some of the crackpot ideas he came up with.

Actually that should be ‘Crackpot’™ - ‘Heat ‘em, fill ‘em... then eat ‘em’ – This was an innovative naan bread pot that could hold the curry within and Asda loved it with thousands of units being sold... until the day that the supermarket decided all its curries should be microwavable – and the Crackpot goes soggy in the microwave! So ended that dream!

Moving on he soon got to IQ Consulting and expanded on the normal one minute presentation we each get to make every week.

He explained that IQ offers practical advice that works. It was not about gobbledygook, marketing acronyms, guru books or indeed gurus of any kind. It was very much about big ideas – and every business has a big idea, they just might not know it yet!

He said: “I have started, built and sold two businesses successfully. I’ve had a business go to the wall – and I’ve learnt a few things on the way.”

Tony (pictured left) has also become an Accredited Associate of the Institute for Independent Business and uses its Business Support Programme to help prospects with a free business review that can take up to 2 hours.

“The session will unearth a goldmine of good and bad in every facet of the business and by the end of the session the owner will be more aware of every aspect of his business than he was before. It is as simple as that.

“If there is sufficient need, a Business Support Programme will be proposed to fix the need and this attracts a fixed monthly investment to IQ. This programme will be managed by IQ but parts of it may be delivered by other IIB Associates with specialist skills and parts of the fix could be delivered by Newbury Business Group members."

The 10 minute presentation concluded with Tony stressing that we should make sure he knows exactly what we do as we could be part of the fix!

Those are wise words for any networker; referrals from the people you meet rely upon them actually understanding what you do. If they don’t, they won’t!

New Chairman for West Berkshire's foremost networkers - Newbury Business Group

We've blogged about West Berkshire's foremost networking group many times in the past; Newbury Business Group is the antidote to the bureaucratic money-making nonsense that typifies many such organisations

At the group’s weekly meeting earlier today the outgoing chairman, Mark Arrowsmith of Snappy Snaps, handed the reins to yours truly.

When I first joined Newbury Business Group a little over a year ago I was so impressed at its dynamic nature and real commitment to benefiting its members; it is totally independent and not stuffed to the gills with ridiculous rules and ulterior motives.

Too many networking groups are little more than money making venture for their founders and you only have to look at the member turnover in these groups and contrast that with the typical length of membership at Newbury Business Group to spot how much our group is valued.

There is some terrific collaborative work that goes on within the group and members bring one another high calibre referrals that will lead to significant business – although there is no compulsion to bring referrals, our members give them because they want to.

It is also a really great way to start the last day of the week and we bounce out after breakfast ready to do business and each week a different member offers a 10 minute master class focused on their area of expertise that always inspire.

We meet 7.30 every Friday morning at Donnington Valley Golf Club and guests are welcome to join us and enjoy a free cooked breakfast. We encourage prospective members to visit two or three times to decide if they want to join Newbury Business Group. It costs £100 to join the group and then £100 per quarter, which pays for everyone’s breakfast – members and their guests – and the annual Christmas party too.

Why not give Newbury Business Group a try?

The Newbury Business Group - networking now with added wild mushroom foraging

This morning started bright and early with Morgan PR's weekly attendance at the Newbury Business Group, West Berkshire's foremost independent networking group. A flurry of late apologies had dwindled the group to two tables and added an intimacy to proceedings and did nothing to detract from the collaborative nature that make this group so great.

I feel a special mention in despatches for one of the group's members, Cat Shepherd (pictured), who never fails to deliver a thought provoking one minute presentation from way out of left field - fields somewhere near the Pot Kiln to be honest! That is the heavenly pub owned by chef Mike Robinson in Frilsham, and he is also behind the Game Cookery School at Yattendon which is who Cat represents at the networking group.

Previous one minutes have ranged from lessons in knife sharpening through to advice on bread making; however today she came with a basket bursting with mushroom that she had picked before coming to the meeting. It was truly bountiful and neatly promoted the wild mushroom foraging courses being offered at the cookery school.

There is huge interest in the field of foraging for wild mushrooms at the moment. Few people realise that with our warm, damp climate we are better suited for mushrooms than either Italy or France, where gathering wild fungi is a national obsession. The area around the Pot Kiln is abundant during the months of October and November, during which time they can pretty much guarantee to find a diverse range of species, including ceps, chanterelles and blewits.

As wild mushrooms have a very short season indeed, you need to be quick off the mark in booking a place. They only run the course for a few weeks in October and November. Matthew Dorich, a local mushroom expert, teaching the courses, which cost £230.

There are plans for the Newbury Business Group to 'go on tour' one morning soon where we will meet at the cookery school and have breakfast there!

The Business Breakfast is back in Newbury

Newbury Business Group was back on form this morning after the summer recess.

West Berkshire's foremost independent networking group does not meet during August, chiefly because such a dynamic group of business owners tend to have yachts to sail and islands to visit...

The summer break does leave everyone refreshed though and this morning's meeting, held as ever at the Donnington Valley Golf Club in Newbury.

It was a well attended breakfast spilling across three tables and that was even with a few notable apologies from regular attendees who were otherwise busy early on a Friday morning.

From the one minute presentations it was clear that everyone had enjoyed a successful summer and were proof that successful businesses flourish even when the market is slowing down.

Curry and an art exhibition... Newbury Business Group on cultural tour

Just over two weeks ago we wrote about an astounding exhibition by award winning photographer Giles Penfound entitled 'Skies' at Newbury Greenham Arts - if you missed it you can catch up here.

Well an invitation snafu meant that the only members of the Newbury Business Group, to which Giles belongs, to turn up were a handful who had discussed it with him personally.

Simply not good enough! Over the last few weeks we have rallied the troops and last night a much more respectable number were treated to a private viewing of this remarkable collection.

Naturally, the proximity of New Greenham Arts to the New Greenham Tandoori made migrating there after the exhibition very straightforward so the fun carried on until the small hours - indeed the staff brought out ice lollies ('to remind us we had kids' they half joked).

It was Newbury Business Group... only different.

The Newbury Business Group is the foremost independent networking group in West Berkshire - we do not seek to profit from our members nor cash in on the abundant referrals and collaboration that it encourages, so it was an honour to be asked to chair this mornings and indeed next week's meetings while the chairman, Mark Arrowsmith from Snappy Snaps, is on holiday.

Unusually we did not have a 10 minute slot today where the group benefits from a masterclass from one of its members, so it gave me the opportunity to mix things up a little... The premise was simple: you introduce the person to your left before they do their one minute presentation and introduce the person to their left - and so on it would go.

Immediately it started quite the chattering kerfuffle as some members sought to reassure themselves that they actually knew what it was the person sat to their left did for a living. Which with the exception of the guests was a little alarming, after all surely we all know what one another actually does?

With Search Engine Optimisation supremo Chris Turberville-Tully from Inspiration Ink sat to my left I have to admit my task was a simple one, but everyone managed the task, even if some took considerably longer than others to manage a simple introduction, with one of two opting for a practical eulogy! Indeed Robin Winnett, from Kaizen Systems, practically had me in tears!

Special mention must surely go to Mark Furneaux from Lestac Services, who managed to give a terrific introduction to guest Alex Knapp from CIS Assessment having only met him for a few minutes.

With so much fun and frolics it was little wonder we ran past 9 o'clock this morning, however the universal opinion was positive. So, next week fancy dress?

Recruitment advice from the heart of the Square Mile at Le Petit Square in Newbury

Talk about the Law of Attraction, no sooner do I blog about Le Petit Square and its new chef, then I find myself in the centre of Newbury needing somewhere suitable for a lunch meeting with recruitment guru and fellow Newbury Business Group member Mia Drennan.

Morgan PR has written about the company she founded, Square Mile Connections, numerous times in the past and secured publication of press releases about the company too, however, I was keen to follow up a generous invitation that Mia had made at a recent NBG meeting to freely offer the benefit of her considerable wisdom.

With Morgan PR on the brink of appointing two new members to the team it made sense to hear from Mia if we were on the right track... and thankfully it would seem we are, in no small part thanks to the business coaching we have been receiving and of course we must have paid attention during Mia's talks at NBG.

Beyond the simple calculation over whether you can afford a new member of staff it is important to consider how the creation of that post contributes to your vision, and the short, medium and long term goals for the business. The next step is ensuring that the recruitment process is suited to finding the right person - and just as importantly ensuring you don't pick the wrong person.

The terrific bonus of talking about Mia is that while Square Mile is used to finding the right candidates for often senior roles within the banking and legal sector, the wealth of expertise that this has brought can be applied to remarkable effect to most recruitment processes.

When business is good and schedules are busy there can be short-sighted savings in simply focusing on the job in hand and not investing in learning. Now obviously we do invest that time, but how much richer was I for lunch today (and naturally we paid!) ? More importantly, how much poorer would I have been?

4Networking in Newbury

Another day another network breakfast! Well not quite daily, but after the Faringdon Business Breakfast Club on Monday and with Newbury Business Group on Friday, it feels a little like that! Not least as I was asked to act as a sub at BNI Kennet tomorrow, but have a prior appointment. Back to today I was at the Hilton Newbury North for 4Networking Newbury to see how this flourishing group worked.

Readers with long memories may recall I was at the original launch of a 4Networking group in Newbury in May 2007 where I was quite enamoured with the group - read all about it here - however that group crashed and burned over some internal problem.

Version 2.0 however is thriving and as I have said before the 4Networking model is an appealing one. The obligatory 'one minute presentation' is actually 40 seconds and the killer app is the three one-to-one meetings you can have. Each lasting 10 minutes it effectively turbo charges the part of networking so easily glossed over that involves actually understanding what it is that person does.

My first such meeting was with Julian Wellings from Expertise on Tap. He had given the informative 'foursight' 10 minute presentation on email newsletters, highlighting good practice and warning of the dire consequences of amateurish attempts at this affordable marketing tool. Our meeting gave us the opportunity to explore where the synergy could be between Morgan PR and Expertise on Tap, which for me is as important in networking as the referrals that it can bring.

Next I chatted with David Whittingham from Media Fusion a full service agency in Newbury. Once again it was about the value we could add to one another clients.

Finally I spent 10 minutes chatting with Philippa Syme, Development Manager at The Corn Exchange & New Greenham Arts and was fascinated to discover how affordable and relatively unique the opportunities are for promotions at the Corn Exchange and to its diverse audience.

So as you can tell, a very busy morning indeed. Some things did grate. It is held within the main restaurant of the hotel which while providing easy access to the buffet breakfast, it was shared with other guests and quite noisy, which meant it was difficult to hear people and it was also an odd L shaped table which made it tricky to enjoy eye contact with some members, however there was a good atmosphere and I would go again when the Morgan PR diary allows.