Tune in to any news channel or flick through any paper and you will be excused for thinking that the world is full of doom and gloom. Every other story is Recession this or spending cuts that,
it’s enough to make even the most confident of business owners feel a degree of uncertainty at the thought of what the future may hold.
But don’t throw in the towel just yet;
there are a few tried and tested things you can do that will help to keep you on top of the competition.
It doesn’t take an expert to realise that in the current climate most people are more than reluctant to part with there hard earned cash unless they absolutely have to,
and if they absolutely have to then they want to use the best possible company
at the best possible price.
Don’t be afraid to share you triumphs with the world.
Including customer testimonials and portfolios on your website is a fantastic way of gaining the trust of potential clients and helps to show exactly what you have to offer,
and you never know, it could be the very thing that encourages them to choose you over the competition.
Try offering discounts if possible and where possible.
Sites like Group On have soared in popularity recently and have proven to be a brilliant way of gaining new business,
not to mention the fact that they give you the perfect opportunity to prove that your product really is better than the competition.
And most importantly,
Make sure you stand out from the crowd.
These days image is everything and if you want to stay on top of your game you have to have that extra something that sets you apart from the competition.
An out of date website or a less than perfect logo could be costing you valuable new business at a time when ever last penny counts.
Giving your brand a simple refresh to bring it up to date could be exactly what you need to breathe a bit of new life into your business.
These are just a few examples of tried and tested ways that could help see your business through a recession.
For more ideas and information
or to find out exactly how we can help you
please contact one of our team on 0808 131 2862.
With winter well and truly on it’s way I think it’s safe to say that summer was a no show this year but don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom because we can now start the count down for Christmas and there are just 101 days to go.
Centonex have already started planning our Christmas festivities and it looks as though this year is going to be a whirlwind of Cava, Canapés and Cake.
For those who haven’t yet started to plan your Christmas parties why not try something a little bit different this year and have fun whilst raising money for Bristol Children who are in desperate need of your help?
As some of you may already know Centonex has been providing the Bristol Under Privileged Children’s Charity with Marketing support since 2009 and since January Matthew and Jessica have been members of their committee to help promote the interests of the charity.
The Bristol Under Privileged Children’s Charity (BUPCC) is a Bristol Based charity that provides help and support to under privileged children within a 25 mile radius of Bristol City Centre. BUPCC raises funds from donations, functions and subscriptions and applies the income to Bristol based children who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress.
The popular BUPCC Christmas Luncheon will be held on the 12th December at The Bristol Hotel. Terry Waite CBE will be joining us and there will be more ‘glitz and glam’ than ever before. This luncheon is always good fun and every penny raised goes to a fantastic cause. Tickets are £45 each and can be purchased by visiting the website www.bupcc.org.uk and complete the online form or by calling 0117 907 5182.
This event always proves to be hugely popular and as a result tickets can sell out quickly so please order well in advance to avoid disappointment.
The team at Centonex were thrilled to discover an article in 13th July’s Bristol Evening Post by Michael Ribbeck, all about us and our new business venture, the beautiful Cribbs Causeway Business Centre. We have all been rather excited about taking over the operations of this beautiful Georgian building for quite some time, a lot of planning and hard work had to go into the preparations for the take over and at points it started to seem as if the day we would be handed the keys would never come. But all that hard work has paid off and we are ecstatic to present Cribbs Causeway Business Centre to the world.
The Article reads as follows
Agency has investment plans for mansion business centre
A Marketing agency has taken over the running of a historical building once owned by a pioneering businessman.
Centonex, a Bristol based creative marketing agency, has taken over the running of a business centre in a Georgian mansion once owned by the family of Sir George White.
Sir George was one ofBristol’s most prominent businessmen in the city and is acknowledged as the founder ofBristol’s aircraft and aerospace industry. The new operators say they will immediately be spending around £50,000 on repainting the exterior ofHollywoodTowerswhich is close to Cribbs Causeway shopping centre inSouth Gloucestershire. And there are also long-term renovations of the building being planned.
“We shall also be looking at long-term plans for improving the centre,” said Matthew Wofinden, a director of Centonex. Mr Wofinden founded the firm, which is currently based in the centre ofBristol, nine years ago. It has since become one of the leading firms of its kind in the city and in the South West. He Said: “To take on the running of Cribbs Causeway Business Centre during the aftermath of a recession is a fantastic opportunity for us as a firm. Not only do we want to attract already established firms to the centre but also people who have been made redundant and are starting their own business.”
HollywoodTowersstands in 135 acres of open parkland and it is currently owned by Bristol Zoo which has earmarked the land for a wildlife park.
“The Business Centre is ideally placed for road and rail communications,” says Jessica Spavins, co-director of Centonex. “We are close to the M4 and M5 motorway interchange, the M32 running intoBristoland Parkway station. I think it would be difficult to find another building with so much history and in a wonderful rural environment.”
Ms Spavins said the centre could provide offices to accommodate between one and 15 people, and support services such as secretarial, mailing and photo-copying.
Added to this there are also modern kitchen facilities and on-site professional catering for business meetings. There are also meeting and conference rooms at the business centre which can hold up to 50 people.
“We also provide a virtual office which gives businesses a prestigious address and mail handling services,” said Ms Spavins.
HollywoodTowerswas built in the early part of the 18th century and at one time was the family home of John Davis, a governor ofHong Kong. The estate was later bought by Sir George White, who started theBristol and Colonial Aeroplane Company at Filton in 1911 and also ran the tramway system in the city. HeBoughtHollywoodTowers for his son George, later Sir, Stanley White as a wedding gift. After his death in 1964 it was bought by Bristol Zoo. The ambitious plans for a zoo on the estate have been in place for several years but were delayed by the onset of the recession.
Cribbs Causeway Business Centre really is a fantastic and beautiful home for any business. You really have to see it to believe it. It also provides an ideal location and a stunning setting for any type of meeting, training seminar or event.
For more information about Cribbs Causeway Business Centre please visit the website www.cribbscausewaybusinesscentre.com
or contact the Centonex team directly on 0808 131 2862 or team@centonex.com
Bert Martinez, the CEO of a business- training firm in Huston Texas has decided to try something new. At the end of next month his entire company is going to be saying good buy to the five, 8 hours a day, work week and will instead be trying out a four, 10 hour a days, work week instead. And so long as productivity and profits remain the same, or grow, then this is the way they intend to stay.
It’s all part of Martinez plan for both him and his colleagues to ‘take back’ their personal life’s.
This has got me thinking.
Is it a good idea or a bad one?
On the one hand I’m sure there are very few of us out there that would turn down a 3 day weekend, every weekend, if we were still receiving the same salary.
We could spend more time with friends and family, do the things we want to do but can never quite find the time and maybe even have more weekends away. Sound like heaven?
On the other hand, a 10 hour day, four days a week!!!
I’m sure there are thousands of us out there that do 10 hour days when the situation calls for it, a strict deadline maybe, or a larger than average work load.
I’m happy to work late when I need to but I have never, ever, once been disappointed when 5 o’clock rolls around. Why? Because I need time to wind down when I’ve finished working, even after an 8 hour day, I enjoy my evenings because I get to be me.
By the time I’ve gotten home, had a tidy around, eaten my dinner, sorted out my cloths for the next day and showered, I’m left with very little time to actually chill out and do the stuff I love to do, before it’s time for bed.
Then I’m up again at 6:30 to start the whole cycle again.
A 10 hour day, every day, just seems like the ultimate nightmare to me. And not even the promise of a 3 day weekend could shake away that feeling of dread.
Where would I find the time to read my latest book, or practice guitar, or all the other things I love to do in the evenings (obviously saving my weekends for family visits and socialising!)
I do, however, seem to be the only person in the office that feels this way. Am I maybe the only person in the world?
Maybe it’s the thought of change I dread more than anything. The 5 day work week is what we do as a country. Even school, the very start of our journey into the real world, was 5 days a week
One larger example of this new 4 day, 10 hour, work week is the state ofUtah.
In 2008, then-Governor Jon Huntsman, launched the “Working 4 Utah” plan to shift state workers from the five-day week to a Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m.-to-6 p.m.week.
And 3 years later it doesn’t look as though they have any plans at all to return to the 5 day working week. It seems as though, forUtah, the benefits to the 4 day week have far out weighed any of the negatives. They claim that employee satisfaction has risen considerably and they have even managed to save money on energy, in return helping to save the local environment.
For many the four-day week is all about gaining back their personal time. When asked about his extra day off, Jeff Herring, executive director of the Utah Department of Human Resource Management said “I’m a better husband and a better father,”
So is the 4 day working week a good Idea?
Read the following article and make up your own minds
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42918666/ns/business-careers/t/employers-rethinking-five-day-workweek/
The world seems like a much friendlier place when soaked in sunshine.
For most there is nothing more rewarding than sitting in a beer garden with an ice cold drink after a hard days work.
That’s why the team at Centonex have been putting there heads together to come up with some fantastically refreshing offers aimed at the hospitality industry.
Whether you are just looking to give yourselves a bit of a spring clean or are in desperate need of some innovative ways to win new business and help keep you at the forefront of your customer’s minds this spring, chances are we have an offer to suite you.
Pubs, restaurants, hotels and café can all find exiting and cost effective solutions for all their print and marketing needs.
So how are your Menus looking?
Although the thought of change is enough to throw some of us into a mild panic a quick refresh of your menus can be a fantastic and cost effective way to kick start new business and reconnect with past clients.
With Menu design from as little as £120 this really is the perfect time to breathe a bit of new life into your business.
Happy with the Menus you already have?
Why not check out some of our latest print offers?
With prices starting at £67 for 250 menus of £41 for 250 flyers we are bound to have something to suite your needs.
How are your clients doing?
Are they coming back as often as they could be?
It may seem as though the recession is finally coming to an end but people are still reluctant to part with their hard earned cash without feeling they are getting a bargain! Loyalty cards are a brilliantly simple yet highly effective way of keeping your clients coming back time and time again.
Centonex have worked with clients both large and small across the hospitality industry including Matthew Clark, Cadbury House, Hotel Penzance, and Somerset House to name but a few. We would love to see you for a coffee and a chat however small or large your requirement maybe.
For a copy of our hospitality brochure please click the following link http://www.centonex.com/HospitalityFocus.pdf
Or call the team on 0808 131 2862
It’s clear things are improving slowly, but people are still reluctant to part with their hard earn’t cash without a feeling they are getting a bargain! Groupon has perfectly filled this gap in the market, with a simple but revolutionarily service using the buying power of the people to get offers at unbeatable prices, on everything from hair cuts to holiday’s in the Caribbean.
The way it works is simple you pledge you’re going to buy a product or service and providing the correct number of people pledge the offer goes ahead and you buy the voucher from Groupon and exchange it with the company for the service offered at an amazing price. If the number of people looking to buy the deal doesn’t reach the required level it doesn’t go ahead.
For the retailer they offer a deal and Groupon typically charge 50% of the deal in fees – quite steep but good for getting new clients through the door as a one off exercise which is exactly what one of our clients Papaya Hair Design did.
After they agreed to do a Groupon offer they came to Centonex for some hints and tips to make the most of the business generated and ultimately the new customers through the door, we organised a consultancy session with them and set about putting into place a range of measures to get the most out of their Groupon campaign.
This is what we did:
- Designed and printed a 20% off card so all Groupon clients had a reason to return to the salon and continued to feel like they were getting a good deal – in the form of a discount of their next cut – difference is the salon doesn’t have to give half its profits away to Groupon.
- We designed a database which was use to record the Groupon bookings and all of the client information plus details of when they had their appointment and if a 20% off card was given.
- We setup an account for Papaya on Centonex’s email marketing system Centmail and designed a simple branded template allowing the owners of Papaya to send all of the Groupon clients an email at timed intervals after their initial appointment reminding them to pop back in with their 20% off cards within 6 months and of any other offers available.
Amazingly Papaya achieved a staggering 407 books in 1 day from Groupon and using the tools put into place by Centonex they are able to get the best out of what would otherwise have been a lost leader – they potentially have 400 odd new clients and a new database of people to market their services to.
If you are looking for innovative ways to get new business give us a call and lets arrange an initial consultancy session to explore the possibilities – there are so many ways to get new business and Centonex already have a number of packages to boost business for fixed monthly fees.
Matthew Wofinden on 07974 303029 or email matthew@centonex.com.
If you want to expand your business and win new clients marketing is an essential part of the plans you will need to put into place.
It doesn’t really matter if you are a man with a van or head of a global corporation, there are tried and tested marketing solutions available to all types of companies and all kinds of budgets.
Direct mail, for instance, has always been one of the most successful forms of Direct marketing available. It is often more successful than other forms of advertising for one simple reason, it puts your message directly in the hands of your target audience.
Or there is Email Marketing, a powerful and effective form of direct marketing that allows you to connect instantly with your target audience. If managed properly email marketing can be targeted, relevant and highly successful.
One of the main reasons these two types of direct marketing are so successful is almost any sales pitch can be made this way. They really can work for any kind of organisation, no matter how small all large.
So why just try one?
Centonex has put together a cost effect direct marketing package that is almost certainly going to win you new clients.
It covers everything from the collection of contacts, the writing and distributing of both letter and email and if you would like us to we can even do the follow-up calls.
Many of our clients have reported a high success rate from this tailor-made package
so why not give us a call on 0808 131 2862 to discuss your needs in more detail.
There has been much celebration in the Centonex office lately as we managed to get a client of ours, Wofinden Warrack, press coverage in a major magazine for the hospitality industry.
Needless to say they were thrilled with the article and the press exposure gained from it.
The article was about the PPL license and as all good bar operators will know…
any business broadcasting or playing recorded music or videos in public within the UK require a Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) License. What many of them don’t know is that if they paid for a license between 2005 and 2009 it is very likely you could be due a rebate, even if you no longer own the business. I won’t go into all of the details here but if you are a PPL License holder and would like to know more about this please contact jess@wofindenwarrack.co.uk
Or pick up a February copy of Bar
www.barmagazine.co.uk
The Under Privileged Children’s Charity (UPCC) is a Bristol Based charity that provides help and support to under privileged children within a 25 mile radius of Bristol City Centre.
UPCC raises funds from donations, functions and subscriptions and applies the income to Bristol based children who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress. They do this with the help of their appeals sub-committee and Social Services Department to ensure the money raised is distributed fairly and effectively.
Since their formation thousands of Bristol’s underprivileged children have benefited from their support. Life saving equipment has been provided by the UPCC to Southmead Hospital’s premature baby unit and regular donations have been made to companies such as The Riding School for the disabled and Florence brown school camp, to name but a few.
Centonex has been providing the UPCC with Marketing support since 2009 and now Matthew and Jessica have been invited to join their committee to help promote the interests of the charity.
Over 2011 Centonex will be helping them to implement new ideas and will be providing them with free marketing support.
If you would like to know more about UPCC and the fantastic work they do please visit www.upcc-charity.co.uk
Marketing plays an essential part in the success of any organisations no matter how small or large they may be.
It is by definition the process of introducing a new product or service to the world to encourage sales and growth from the buying public.
The current economy means promotion is more essential than ever, without it companies are consistently missing out on the valuable opportunity of being discovered by potential new clients.
But on the other hand if your marketing campaign is not conducted and researched well the results will be poor and ultimately equal a waste of both your valuable time and money
Understanding your target audience can be a very powerful tool when it comes to marketing and it is always the best place to start.
As Peter F Drucker once said “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.”
Knowing exactly what you do, what you offer and when and why people buy from you means you are more likely to be in the only place your business ever should be, where your customers are.
With so many competitors out there all fighting for a place at the top of their game if you are going to succeed your campaign needs to have that extra ‘something’ that sets you apart from the competition but with so many different online and offline marketing solutions available, choosing one that is right for you can seem like a daunting task.
That’s why Centonex has put together The 7 Offers of Creation covering the 7 key areas of any successful marketing Campaign.
For more information please email Jodie@centonex.com
Or call 0808 131 2862
