Take a look at your business

The people behind the business

New members this month

Tip of the month

and More...thebestof.co.uk/aldershotandfarnborough

Continued...

Update2014May

Facebook was officially 10 years old this February.

I doubt Mark Zuckerberg knew he would change the

world when he launched it to his friends at Harvard

all those years ago. Social Media has become such

a big part of our lives it’s almost difficult to imagine

a world without it.

In the UK, 24 million users log on to Facebook as an almost daily ritual; to�ÓdZ out what their friends are doing, see what events are on, laugh at funny videos, and share pictures of everything from a big night out to cute kittens. What they don’t do is log on to ÓdZ out about a local business, so why is Facebook so critical to growing your business? Because in the digital world, Facebook is where your community lives!

It’s Called SOCIAL Media

I have no doubt, some of you out there are thinking ‘I’ve got a Facebook page and it does absolutely nothing for me’. When it comes to Facebook, the single biggest mistake businesses make is to forget the ‘social’ part of Social Media. Imagine you’re sitting in the pub with a group of friends. You’ll talk about what you did last week, maybe show that hilarious video of your dog playing football in the garden, ask someone what the name of that�Óbc�m_j �̂Will Smith was or tell them about that amazing little restaurant you found at the weekend. Now imagine if you were with a group of friends who talked about nothing but printer inks for the whole night; you’d be bored out of your mind! Facebook is the digital version of the pub; for people to be interested you have to be interesting.

They’ll Find it

on Facebook,

Like it or Not.

Offer of the Month

Lunch for just £5!The Alexandra Pub, Victoria Road, Farnborough is offering a lunch meal deal for just £5.

Choose from a selection of sandwiches on white, granary or seeded baguette bread and a soft drink in the newly refurbished pub in Farnborough.

Carly

It’s Rude to Eavesdrop

Except on Facebook! In fact, it’s actively encouraged. How many times have you seen something really interesting that was posted by someone you’d never even heard of? People connect like this every day. Talk to anyone who uses Facebook on a regular basis and they will tell you they have ‘Facebook Friends.’ People they have never met or even spoken to on the phone, but they have electronic conversations with on an almost daily basis.

It’s Time To Get Connected

If you’re not on Facebook you’re missing a massive opportunity! In this electronic pub there is no limit to the people who can sit at your table. With a little thought and a little planning your audience can increase exponentially and, as a consequence, could be your potential customers. The more connections you make, the more relationships you build. The more relationships you build, the more opportunities you have. The more opportunities you have, the more proÓt you will make!

So how do you get Facebook

to work for you?

• Get a Facebook Page and make sure it’s set up correctly! If you’re not sure how to do that or you don’t know if you page is correct, please do get in touch. I can help you through it.

• Start looking for great content. People will come to your page because they’ve seen something that interested, educated, intrigued or amused them. If you see a picture or quote that would make a great post, save it in a swipe Óbe. You’ll soon build up a bank of potential posts so you’re never stuck for something to say.

• Focus on your audience not your business. Funny photos and videos, special offers, competitions, interesting quotes,

weird facts and local news all pique peoples interest. You can talk about your business but don’t ‘push’ it too much. Try to keep those types of post to about 1 in 5. Once your audience is interested in what you have to say you can increase them.

• Pay attention to your Facebook Insights. Take note of which posts generate the most engagement and try to follow that formula.

• Use your time well. Schedule your posts so that there’s always a reason for your audience to come back and you’re able to get on with your working day. Use Facebook Scheduling rather than third party apps, your posts will be seen by more people.

And if the world of Facebook leaves you feeling like you’ve landed on another planet, get in touch. We can advise on, create or even manage Facebook for you. Whatever you do, don’t miss out because if your audience don’j�ÓdZ you on Facebook, theoÊbb�ÓdZ�someone else.

thebestof.co.uk/aldershotandfarnborough Update May 2014

The People Behind The BusinessRichard Searson - Phoenix Coaching and DevelopmentRichard from Phoenix Coaching and Development offers superior

tailored training and development, personal coaching and support

to help both individuals and businesses enhance their most

important and valuable asset and make the most of untapped

potential. Richard says “To succeed you must have a dream, for the

dream to become real you need a plan, I will support you to make

that plan happen.”

Lets take a look at the person behind the business:

1. What do you love most in life?

Put quite simply, being alive. Having survived major heart surgery in 2013 and given a 2nd chance it puts into perspective what life is about. Living is cool and fully recommended. My positivity surrounds me, humour also helps!2. What is your claim to fame?

Valley Road last summer. I was there at the right time and place and gave him a reason for being. 3. What sort of training did you have before getting into business?

This question makes me smile, as with what I do the training never stops! I have been in personal development and coaching for over 25 years and for me to give the best, I have to be the best. Learning is a journey, not a destination. I’m always researching new ways to make training fun and memorable. 4. What wekbZ�?�ÓdZ�_d�your fridge right now?

A very healthy collection (except the chocolate!)5. What advice would you give someone who wants to setup their own business?

to get you to the top of Google in 3 weeks!6. Which local shop could you not live without?

Woods Butchers in North Camp. Fantastically good quality meat and service.7. Who is the most interesting person you have met?

I have met so many interesting people. In fact we all are and all have great stories to tell. Just because you’re not on the news doesn’t mean you aren’t interesting.8. What makes your business the best?

experience I have, that this is delivered each and every time. The results can be amazing.9. What is your favourite spot in Aldershot or Farnborough?

The Wellington Statue - it’s a good spot to walk around and climb up to.10. If HollyweeZ�cWZ[�W�Óbc�of your life who would you like to see

play your part?

Morgan Freeman. His approach, tone and style would make a great actor to play me.11. If I assembled 10 of your clients in a room and asked them about

you, what would they say?

That I’m professional, supportive and passionate about people with a vast amount of experience ... all of which is delivered with natural humour that really can make

If you think Richard’s refreshingly positive approach to personal and professional development could

01252 494149.

It couldbe you!

Feeling the love!We’re very excited to be the new

home of the UK’s Best Business!

Big Fry Fish and Chips in North

Camp won the top prize in our

yearly Local and Loved campaign.

They beat off competition from a

Chinese restaurant in Bolton and a training company in Gloucester

with over 2,500 reviews submitted. Given that they only joined

thebestof in May last year, this is an amazing achievement - well done

to Mark, Penny and the rest of the team at Big Fry!

Well done to all the local businesses who won an award this year:Big Fry Fish and Chips - Most Loved Business in Aldershot and Farnborough

Luxe Hair Design - Runner Up Most Loved Business in Aldershot and Farnborough

The Lion Brewery - 3rd Most Loved Business in Aldershot and Farnborough

Big Fry Fish and Chips - Most Loved Takeaway in the UK

The Lion Brewery - Most Loved Bed and Breakfast in the UK

Amazing Baby Creations - 2nd Most Loved Baby Accessories in the UK

Party On Over - 2nd Most Loved Fancy Dress Shop in the UK

Beds n Furniture - 2nd Most Loved Bedrooms in the UK.

Woods Butchers - 3rd Most Loved Butchers in the UK

The Cedar Hut - 3rd Most Loved Massage Therapist in the UK

Nappy Cakes Available at Party On Over!Party on Over and Amazing Baby Creations have teamed up

to supply beautiful nappy cakes to more local people. YekÊbb�ÓdZ�Sheryl’s nappy cakes in

Party On Over (opposite

Rushmoor Cafe) in North

Camp. With a selection

of handmade unique baby gifts along with a new baby

balloon to choose from you’ll have everything you need

for the new arrival.

Lunch at The Alexandra?When we heard that The Alexandra Pub

used local businesses to supply their

food we were very pleased, even better

to know that one of our other members

Woods Butchers is the supplier of all

their meat we were

over the moon.

Woods Butchers

supply amazing quality meat and

The Alexandra’s menu is brimming

with amazing quality the two just

go together perfectly!

Working Well...“Share your

Carly know what

are workingfor you.”

At thebestof Aldershot and Farnborough we are on the lookout

for other great members.

This month we are looking for....

• Tattooists

• Security Services

• Bridal Shops

If you know a businesi�j^Wj�Óts the bill

please contact the team...

01252 217 101

thebestof.co.uk/aldershotandfarnborough Update May 2014

We’re consistently uncovering hidden gems. Say a big hello to this months stars.

Meet some of our

membersGive them

PestForce

When you have a pest

control problem, you

need a fast, efÓY_[nt

response. Father and son team PWkb�WdZ�:Wd_[b�W_bb_i�\rom PestForc[�b_ve and work locally so they

can often be round to your hous[�eh�Xki_desi�_d�j^[�Farnborough or Aldershot area the same day!

Call: 01252 308913

Solutions Business

Finance

Ron runs Farnborough-

based Sebkj_edi�Bki_dess

<_dWdce"�W�Xki_dess

ÓdWdce brokers that can arrange commerY_Wb�ÓdWdce to help locWb�f[efb[�Xko�Xki_desses, and to

enable local SMEs to expand, grow and r[#ÓdWdce.

Call: 01252 371607

Hampshire and Isle of

Wight Air Ambulance

Based at Thruxted�7_hÓ[bZ�near Andover"�j^[�7_h�Ambulanc[�^[b_copter and

crew prol_Z[�ikf[r-fast

responses to road trafÓY�cebb_i_eds, sporj_d]�acY_Z[nts, collapses, and many oj^[h�_dY_Z[nts

throughout Hampi^_re and the Isle of W_]ht.

FundrW_sers from Aldershot and Farnborek]^�_d�the north of the county, down to the Isle of W_]ht

_d�j^[�south, manage to rW_se the £4200 per day

needed to k[[f�j^[�7_h�7cXkbWdc[�Ôo_d]$Call: 02380 333337

Farnborough

Chiropractic Clinic

Rob and Tom at Farnborough

9^_roprWYj_Y�9b_d_Y�can offer

long-term r[b_ef feh�W�m_Z[�vWh_ety of cedZ_j_eds, such

as back pW_d"�^eadaches,

arj^h_j_s, trapped nerves and

i_c_bWh�cedZ_j_edi�caused by sporti�_d`kh_es.

Call: 01252 217158

Newlife Lettings

EstWXb_i^[Z�_d�Farnborough

i_dce 1987"�j^_i�well known

Óhc�of letj_d]�W][nts was

recently taken over by two

o\�_ts former employees, Barbara and Kaob[_]^$�They conj_dk[�to off[h�W�Órst class s[hl_ce to the

landlords and tenanti�_d�j^[�town and local area.

Call:01252 642706

Wellwood Healthier

Living

Luk[�_i�j^[�froud owner

of Wellwood HeWbj^_[h�B_l_d]"�off[h_d]�w[_]ht

loss, wellness & w[bbX[_d]�programmes based on

the proven HerbWb_fe range of health products.

Call: 07894 387299

The Alexandra

DWZ_W�WdZ�^[h�team

at The Alexandra are

a fantasj_Y�WZZ_j_ed�to

Farnborough’s local cecckd_ty. A warm welcec_d]�fkX�m_j^�W�fefkbWh�;d]b_i^#?tWb_Wd�]Wstro restaurant,

perfect for a meWb�eh�`ksj�W�Zh_da$Call: 01252 519964

Mini Miracles

A fWc_bo�Xki_dess,

owned and managed by

Sally-Ann Cooper and

hkdd_d]�ikccessfully

i_dce 2005"�C_d_�C_racles

CleWd_d]�S[hl_ces Ltd

are a domesj_Y�YbeWd_d]�compano�m_j^�W�Z_fference, off[h_d]�W�\h_[dZby,

profesi_edWb�s[hl_c[�Wj�^_]^bo�compej_j_ve rates.

Call: 01252 659216

Are you Resolute or Resigned?Well Spring is officially here! The clocks have gone back; the trees are beginning to blossom and Sunday mornings hum to the sound of lawnmowers. The cold, damp days’ of early January are truly long gone. So here’s a question for you… are the great goals you set for your business in January long gone too?

January seems to be the month of determination, so why is it by February all our good intentions are exactly that? Intentions!Part of it, believe it or not, is Christmas. We all get

some time out from our working lives, giving us a

well needed opportunity to reÔect on what we’ve

done and where we’re going. The rest and the

reÔ[ction Óre us up so we feel ready to tackle

new challenges and make the changes needed

to reach our goals. Unfortunately by the end of

January the minutia of life and our working day

has sucked the resolve from us and we’re right

back to where we were early December.

The second part, and in truth, this is the real

killer when it comes to goals, is that we judge

ourselves by our intentions. We meant to put

that new stock control system in place but

it’s been so busy. We intended to go to the

gym 3 times a week but we’ve been so tired

after work.

It’s not that any of these reasons aren’t

true, they are. However, if we keep on

forgiving ourselves for failing to do

things, nothing will ever change!

So ok, you’ve failed to

stick the grand plan,

what do you do now?

thebestof.co.uk/aldershotandfarnborough Update May 2014

Are You Being SMART?You are far more likely to meet your goals if they’re SMART:

S – Sf[Y_Óc M – Measurable A – Assigned R – Realistic T – Time BasedVague, intangible, unobtainable goals that haven’t been assigned to anyone and don’t have a deadline almost guarantee defeat before you’ve even Ód_shed thinking about them.

Write It Down!Have you ever wondered why some people believe everything they read? It’s because there is a power to the written word, making our thoughts reality. So write your goals down, put them up on your wall and mark off each success as it happens. A master plan is made up of lots of

small actions, and every action you complete will help to strengthen your resolve.

It takes 30 days to Create a HabitWhen it comes to things like going to the gym, or spending 90 minutes a day working on your business rather than in it, what you’re actually trying to do is create a habit. Coaches and psychologists everywhere will tell you that to make a habit stick you have to do it consistently for 30 days before it becomes an automatic part of your day. So pick one thing, stick it on your calendar, tell other people you’re doing it (there’s nothing like a bit of peer pressure to keep something in the forefront of our minds) and celebrate each day that you make it happen. Once the 30 days are up and the habit is formed, move on to the next thing.

Don’t Give Up

Talk to anyone who’s ever dieted or tried to give up smoking and they’ll tell you how that one piece of cake or one cigarette they gave into made them stop trying completely. Instead of just getting back

on plan they throw the plan out completely. A slip up is exactly that, just a slip up. Get over it and get back on track. Losing the odd day may put your goal back a little, giving up completely will guarantee it never happens!

JUST DO IT! Ok, that may seem a little harsh, but truth is sitting around thinking about how you should be putting your master plan into action will just make you feel bad. Again, talk to any coach or psychologist and they will tell you attaching a negative emotion (feeling bad) to something you are trying to achieve will make it ten times harder to stick to the plan. We’re all human, and human beings like to do things that make them feel good and avoid things that make them feel bad.

Plan to ReviewGet your calendar or diary out. I mean now, while you’re reading this article! We’ve just Ód_shed 2014s Órst quarter. I want you to invite yourself to meetings where you review your goals and how close you are to achieving. Now I know, for some of you that will be a meeting with yourself, but what you have now done, is put time aside to look at your planned achievements versus your actual ones. Those meetings, at an absolute minimum, should be once a quarter.

But the Plan Can Always Change!Once you start reviewing your achievements against your goals you might start to see areas that need tweaking. This is a good thing! Unobtainable goals will just demotivate and demoralise you. Tweaking a plan through the year means that you are staying on course and being mindful of the end result.

2014 is far from over and you can still achieve things you planned during the long dark winter nights but only if you make a start now. Time is passing anyway, what you do with it will decide whether in December 2014 you are celebrating or commiserating.

Our aim is to provide

the best businesses

in Aldershot and

Farnborough with a

world classmarketing service.We’ll raise your proÓbe, connect you to new contacts and customers - and maximise your business potential.

We really do care about every one of our Business Members and we are there every step of the way to ensure that thebestof works for you.

Our 17 marketing tools

Thebestof Aldershot and Farnborough is run by Carly & John Baker

Here at thebestof, word of mouth just got louder!

Every business we feature has been checked out by us AND recommended by other local people, so you can use them with conÓZ[dce knowing they truly are one of the best at what they do …

Call Us: 01252 217 101Email: carly@bestoffarnborough.co.uk

thebestof Aldershot and Farnborough

Monthly NetworkingJoin us for An Evening With thebestof Aldershot and Farnborough at The Alexandra Pub, Victoria Road, Farnborough on Thursday 15th May. Meet and connect with local businesses and sample a fabulous selection of food on offer at the newly refurbished Alexandra Pub.To find out more and to book your place give Carly a call on 01252 217101.

Depth Business NetworkingOur latest networking event, Depth Business Networking, is being run in conjunction with Barons Farnborough, The Village Hotel and Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice. A slightly more structured affair than our evening sessions, these are must-attend events. Join us ed�j^[�Órst Friday of every month from 12.30-2.30pm. Call Carly on 01252 217 101 to book your place.

1. Testimonials

2. Dual-branded postcards

3. Mix and match

4. Commercial photos

5. Cerj_Ócates

6. Brand Awareness

7. Campaigns

8. Call Tracking

9. An Evening with

10. Social Media

11. Blog

12. Events

13. Video

14. Special offers for members

15. Quote me

16. Mobile Website and App

17. Website feature