thebestof farnham newsletter – march 2013

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Take a look at your Business The people behind the business New members this month Tip of the month and More... www.thebestof.co.uk/farnham Tirelessly working to make your business the best it can be... Continued... March 2013 Update The Monster Under the Bed Ordering his sandwich he struck up a conversation with the owner who proceeded to tell him how bad business was. “It’s the recession you know!” The owner said. My friend was stunned. The recession was so bad people had stopped eating now? Interestingly, it turned out that business had dropped off dramatically since the owner had invested in a brand new caravan and cooking equipment… what they hadn’t invested in was signage! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out why they had seen sales drop off, they couldn’t have been harder to find if they’d parked up behind a hedge. But in the owner’s mind, it was down to the recession; that monster under the bed that devours businesses. So here we go again. What are we in now? Recession? Double dip recession, Tortillas and dip recession? New and improved recession? The name changes more often than I change my socks; I just can’t keep up! This constant barrage of dramatic, bad news got me thinking about a story a friend of mine told me. One early morning, while travelling home, my friend had an overwhelming urge for a bacon sandwich so he went in search of a ‘Butty Van’. Taking the A road rather than the motorway the miles rolled past but no van was to be seen. Finally, just as he was about to give up he spotted a caravan parked up at the top of the hill. The closer he got the more it looked like a family on holiday, until, at the last minute, he noticed the tell-tale cut out at the front. Bestof-Farnham-March2013.indd 1 01/03/2013 11:30

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Find out more about the great local business community in Farnham

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Take a look at your Business

The people behind the business

New members this month

Tip of the monthand More...

www.thebestof.co.uk/farnham

Tirelessly working to make your business the best it can be...

Continued...

March 2013 Update

TheMonster Under the Bed

Ordering his sandwich he struck up a conversation with the owner who proceeded to tell him how bad business was. “It’s the recession you know!” The owner said. My friend was stunned. The recession was so bad people had stopped eating now?

Interestingly, it turned out that business had dropped off dramatically since the owner had invested in a brand new caravan and cooking equipment… what they hadn’t invested in was signage!

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out why they had seen sales drop off, they couldn’t have been harder to find if they’d parked up behind a hedge. But in the owner’s mind, it was down to the recession; that monster under the bed that devours businesses.

So here we go again. What are we in now? Recession? Double dip recession, Tortillas and dip recession? New and improved recession? The name changes more often than I change my socks; I just can’t keep up! This constant barrage of dramatic, bad news got me thinking about a story a friend of mine told me.

One early morning, while travelling home, my friend had an overwhelming urge for a bacon sandwich so he went in search of a ‘Butty Van’. Taking the A road rather than the motorway the miles rolled past but no van was to be seen. Finally, just as he was about to give up he spotted a caravan parked up at the top of the hill. The closer he got the more it looked like a family on holiday, until, at the last minute, he noticed the tell-tale cut out at the front.

Bestof-Farnham-March2013.indd 1 01/03/2013 11:30

Offer of the Month2 for 1 on Pizza, Pasta, Risotto and SaladA perfect opportunity to enjoy delicious authentic Italian cuisine, freshly prepared and delivered with true passion and style, in a relaxed and rustic atmosphere. You won’t be disappointed! Offer is available Sunday to Thursday for up to a maximum of 6 guests.

Excludes lunchtime menu and Mother’s Day. Offer valid until 31.03.13. Please present this voucher when you visit.

Caffé Piccolo, 84 West Street, Farnham, GU9 7EN - 01252 723277

Have a great month...

Martin

www.thebestof.co.uk/farnham Update March 2013

The recession makes the perfect monster. It is invisible to the naked eye and utterly silent. The media can attribute everything that is wrong with the business world to it

because it never answers back. It is the bogeyman of the adult world and a perfect scapegoat!

Now I’m not going to deny that our economy is not as buoyant as it was 6 years ago. That would be ridiculous. But assuming the demise of a company is purely down to the recession is also ridiculous and, quite frankly, irresponsible. Note the word I use…. irresponsible. To me, irresponsible doesn’t just mean unreliable, it means ‘the inability to respond’. While business owners sit back and lay all their woes at the feet of the monster under the bed, they are not finding out the true reasons as to why sales are dropping or customers aren’t returning. Whether it’s signage, failure to utilise new technologies like social media, not recognising the changing requirements of their customers (see HMV for details), or owners simply not marketing their businesses because they haven’t had to before, all of these issues can be dealt with. Sadly, the Butty Van probably won’t be there the next time my friend craves a bacon sandwich. A real shame as there are plenty of people who not only want them but will take a different, and often longer, route home to find them.

So, before you feed yourselves, your businesses and your bank balances to the monster under the bed, ask yourself a few questions:

Do I really know who my customers are and what they want?

Do I know why my customers buy from me?

Are my customer’s needs changing?

Do I provide my customers with what they want, or what I think they want?

If I wanted to buy from me, how would I find me?

How many customers do I actually need?

Am I doing everything I can to encourage customers, new and old, to keep coming back?

You will probably find, a small change in your marketing, your offering or the type of relationship you have with your customers will consign the monster under the bed to the media’s and your children’s imagination, where it belongs!

Bestof-Farnham-March2013.indd 2 01/03/2013 11:30

The People Behind The BusinessWhat makes Campbell McArthur, owner of Archie’s Launchpad, tick?Tell us about your business and what led you in that direction?Archie’s is a great indoor play facility for children under 9. There were no high quality play areas in our region and I wanted to operate one that I would want to take my children to. We are still without doubt the best play facility in the area and have a really loyal, happy customer base.

Did anyone tell you not to do this?Lots of people thought I was daft, but no one told me not to.

What advice would you give to someone starting a business?Get it right from the beginning. Customers make instant decisions and if you are even just a shade off, then you will struggle. Set a budget and double it, everything costs more than you’d think!

Who do you go to when you need someone to talk to?My friends, family and my wife gives me hard advice sometimes! A good long walk with the dog is a great place to think.

What’s the one most important thing to you?Having time with my kids, I work the way I do so I can (hopefully) pick and choose when to be at work and when I can be at home.

What noise do you love?The sounds that the dog makes when having a dream, I always wonder how big the cat she is chasing is.

What’s your greatest weakness?I have been know to procrastinate a bit when it comes to paperwork.

Your claim to fame?Locally I feel very famous, (amongst the under 9’s) I think that I should change my name to ‘Archiesman’.

What’s in your refrigerator right now?Lots, we’ve been on a slow cooker frenzy so are over flowing with casseroles. Also Cava, always have a couple of ‘just in case’ bottles in the door!

What is your favourite book?My favourite book is a tough one, I read a lot ( and I mean a lot) so I always have couple of books on the go and have favourites that come and go. However, I think one of my all time favourites is the Book Thief by Markus Zuzak.

Describe Archie’s Launchpad in three words BEST PLAYTIME ……EVER

Archie’s Launchpad 01252 726110The North Barn, Lion & Lamb Way, Farnham, GU9 7PY.

Martin

It could

be you!

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Branston Adams Voted Most Loved Accountants in the UK!Local Farnham accountants Branston Adams, has recently been voted the Most Loved Business in Farnham and chosen as the Most Loved Accountants in the UK!Returning for its 4th year, the successful ‘14 Days of Love’ campaign encourages people all over the country to ‘share their love’ by providing reviews about great local businesses. Farnham’s Branston Adams Accountants and Business Advisors took full advantage, they celebrated the power of love and embraced thebestof ‘14 Days of Love’ crusade.

The Crusade Respect and appreciation from their clients is not something new to Branston Adams. In 2010 they won the coveted titles of Most Loved Business in Farnham as well as the Most Loved Accountants nationwide. After coming so close again to winning these awards in 2012, they decided to really pull out all the stops. Their own campaign began in earnest. They personally called and emailed as many of their clients as they could, letting them know about their feature on thebestof Farnham and invited them to leave feedback about their services. They provided a dedicated hotline in case things went wrong when clients attempted to add

testimonials. They really did their utmost to spread the message about the ‘14 Days of Love’, networking until they dropped, promoting the cause with badges and balloons and hanging eye catching banners from their premises. It all paid off! Determination and the belief that they are No 1, Branston Adams has once again been recognised as the Top Accountants Team on thebestof. We so are pleased to be able to congratulate them on winning these fantastic awards yet again and are very proud to have them on board.All thebestof Farnham business members come highly recommended and we ensure that we help them collect local, credible testimonials, as part of their membership. Branston Adams fully understands the importance of testimonials, the credibility of their business is promoted by regularly requesting and recording authentic reviews from their clients.“Branston Adams’ personable team are always on hand to give us the service and advice we need, often at very short notice. They have made it their business to get to know what we want, what we need, how we operate, and match their service to our unique requirements. We have no hesitation in recommending them to other businesses that have the same high expectation of service that we have, and that we offer our clients.”Branston Adams takes pride in providing a friendly, accurate, informative and timely accountancy service, tailored to clients’ individual accounting needs. For all Tax, Accountancy and Business Development Services, contact Branston Adams on 01252 728598

Working Well...“Share your

successes and let

Martin know what

bits of thebestof

are working

for you.”

At thebestof Farnham we are on the lookout for other great members. This month we are looking for....

• Plumbers

• Hairdressers

• Childcare Day Nurseries

• PhotographersIf you know a business that fits the bill

please contact the team...

01252 324741

www.thebestof.co.uk/farnham Update March 2013

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Give them a call & make them feel welcome

We’ve uncovered more hidden gems over the last few weeks. A big welcome to the following businesses who have joined us recently:

DesignPointGraphic and Web Design“I have successfully worked with Steve over the last 10 years on a diverse range of design assignments across a variety of business sectors. I have always found Steve to be extremely conscientious with excellent attention to detail. Steve is always pro-active on projects and helps to ensure that they run smoothly.”

01252 717922

Maid to Sparkle Business and Residential CleanersNow listed under the following new categories: Ironing Services and Office Cleaners.

“I have been using Maid to Sparkle to clean my house and I have been very impressed by the quality of their work and the professionalism of their approach. With just one visit per week they are able to carry out a thorough clean and also offer a good ironing service. Maid to Sparkle offers good value for money and I am happy to recommend them.”

01252 710716

SB ElectricalElectrical Services“Having had SB electrical work on a number of projects for me both personally and for my business I can strongly recommend their work. They provide a professional and efficient service, are trustworthy and are always prepared to go the extra mile for their clients. They really listen to what you need and provide options to suit your requirement, they give great advice and are clean with very high levels of workmanship. I’d give them 10/10 and I’m happy to recommend them any time to anyone whether you need some simple electrical updating at home or a full rewire for your office with new data networking and AV equipment, they’re the go to company.”

01252 763091

Two Counties CareHome Care Services“I came home to a happy, contented, well cared for husband, still singing the praises of your girls. I cannot thank you enough. I am feeling restored this time and hope to get through the winter without any further problems, but it is good to know that you are there if I need you. Please pass on my thanks to all the girls involved.”

01252 891125

Bestof-Farnham-March2013.indd 5 01/03/2013 11:30

www.thebestof.co.uk/farnham Update March 2013

Awards and accolades take this a step further. In my eyes, only the excep-tional win awards; they are a marque that says you’re better than all the others. Switch on the TV any night of the week and you’ll see Aldi proudly displaying their ‘Which Supermarket of the Year’ accolade at the end of each ad. This is particularly important in the current economic climate. It’s not that people aren’t spending money anymore; it’s that they are more dis-cerning about where they spend it. We only have to compare the demise of Woolworths and the consistent year on year growth at Argos to see this in action.

A few years ago Boost Marketing did a survey called “Awards – Vanity or Sanity?” Not only were they looking at whether there was a commercial importance to awards, but also whether the economic climate had increased interest in awards in general.

80% of respondents said consumers were influenced by the presence of an award.

Ok, it seems like a bit of a no brainer, but let’s actually look at this for a moment. Say you need a plumber and none of the people you know can recommend one. You find two on the internet that ‘look’ trustworthy and professional; one has the City & Guilds logo, Guild of Master Plumbers logo, BPEC logo and a Subcontractor of the Year award. The other one doesn’t. Which one are you going to ring first?

49% of respondents said that award winning companies provided superior product and services.

Now this is a biggie! These respondents didn’t just think award winners were superior suppliers, they knew it. How much would you pay to ensure your potential customers knew that you provided a superior product or service?

70% of respondents believed awards were important for generating new business.

The British Quality Foundation take this one step further and state that, on average, small businesses show an increase of 63% in operating income. Let me just say that again…. an increase of 63%!

In truth, that isn’t even half the story! The list of benefits an accolade or award can bring goes on:

There is nothing better than receiving recognition for the work that you do; a sincere well done from a work colleague or a heartfelt thank you from a customer can change a not so good day into a brilliant one!

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TrustIn any business relationship, trust is the most important thing. It’s the thing we spend more time on than anything else when creating a relationship with our prospective clients. Awards build trust immediately because someone independent has judged your business by a set of fixed criteria and found you to be something exceptional. Money simply cannot buy that!

Customer and Employee LoyaltyInvariably, when people talk about the benefits of awards they concentrate on the new business they can bring in, completely forgetting the people you’re already working with.

Employees gain a real sense of pride from awards; after all, their work has contributed to the achievement. Customers also share in the pride; the award gives ‘social proof’ to what they already know, their printer/ accountant/driving instructor is the best.

Marketing OpportunitiesIf 80% of consumers are influenced by the presence of an award, then the fact you have one should be shouted from the rooftops. Every letter, every email, your website, Facebook, Twitter, the local Press should be hearing about it. For press particularly, a success story for a local business it exactly the kind of good news story they want. If you’ve been kind enough to write the story for them on a press release, they don’t have to!

DifferentiationIf you’ve ever read any marketing or sales books you will have come across the word ‘differentiation’ or ‘how is my business different to my competition?’ As I said earlier, in my eyes only the exceptional get awards, that differentiates you straight away because you are better than all the rest. That is a Unique Selling Point that all marketers would kill for!

Validation & TestimonyAnybody who’s ever had a conversation with me will tell you the importance I place on reviews. Once again, it’s all about social proof. ‘If all these people believe this business is good then it must be’. An award strengthens this even further as it not only confirms the reviews you already have, it then states that you are better than the rest as well.

My question to you is this. When did you last enter an award or shout about your own accolades? If you don’t do this you can guarantee nobody else will!

Take a look at our recent 14 Days of Love winners on our loveometer www.thebestof.co.uk/loveometer to see just how our very own have stood out from the rest!

I encourage you, today, to start shouting from the rooftops about your own accolades. It will boost your business in every way!

Bestof-Farnham-March2013.indd 7 01/03/2013 11:30

Coming Soon

Our aim is to provide the best businesses in Farnham with aworld classmarketing service.We’ll raise your profile, 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 Farnham is run by Martin Davidge-Stringer

Here at thebestof Farnham, 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 confidence knowing they truly are one of the best at what they do.

Call Us: 01252 324741Email: [email protected]

Review a business for the opportunity to win a refurbished PCEach time you review a business on thebestof Farnham site, we will automatically enter you in to a monthly draw to win a refurbished PC.

Has a Farnham business impressed you lately? Had a meeting at a local restaurant and received excellent customer service? You could ask for testimonials at networking events or why not incentivise your staff to write one? Help promote the great Farnham businesses, that make us feel so proud.

Each PC has been kindly donated by Tech Recycle - collecting, refurbishing and selling recycled IT equipment at affordable prices. Contact Tech Recycle on 01252 763050.

Win a new PC for your home or office, visit thebestof Farnham and tell us what’s great about your favourite local businesses.

1. Testimonials

2. Dual-branded postcards

3. Mix and match

4. Commercial photos

5. Certificates

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

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