How to effectively advertise events in uk for free

How To Effectively Advertise Events In Uk For Free

Advertising is one of the most important aspects of planning an event. Without advertising, no one will know about your event and you will have no attendees. This article will cover how do you go about advertising your local event and what is the easiest and most cost-effective way to advertise your event? How do you reach your full potential audience and let them know about your event?

There are any number of ways to promote your event; from highly costly to absolutely free, and all budgets in between but here I am listing some of easiest ways to advertise your events for free.

1) Free classified sites:Although, at first glance, it may seem that free classified sites on the internet are geared exclusively toward people looking to buy and sell items; they can help you tremendously by catching the eye of another potential attendee to your event. Some of the online classified ad websites have an events category, like Adsglobe.co.uk and I would suggest using as many as you can for your geographic area. There are numerous classified ad websites some are local, while others are national or even international, and the size of your event will determine which resources you will use. Posting an advertisement also will not take much time and it is free of cost and easy to post.

2) Press Releases:A Press Release forms the very beginning of a public relations campaign. Press releases can bring high quality prospects to your site. You can optimize your press release for targeted keywords. When someone goes to Google or any other search engine to type the keyword, your press release can show up in the search engine results. As a result, it is a great way to have people read about your event.

3) Social networking sites: Social media sites create an effective way for you to advertise your events for free. Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and YouTube are amongst hundreds of other sites are easy ways to generate a lot of buzz quickly. These days even some people are creating virtual tours or videos of their events and posting it on the net. By using these sites you will not only   be able to publicize your event quickly, but cheaply as well.

4) Get your own Blog: Get your own blog and advertise your events on it, complete with digital photos. Before the event, during and after the event blog about it. Blogging beforehand can alert others about your event and encourage them to learn more or register to attend.

5) Live stream your event: If your event is a conference or educational platform, consider live streaming it via web video. You can broadcast your event live over the Internet. This helps expand your audience and interact with them, even if they are not present in person at your event.

6) Word of Mouth: Simply put, talk about your event with others. Information spreads easily through people talking with each other. Individuals are more likely to attend an event if their friend is going and speaks highly of it. It is important to make your event sound interesting and unique when talking about it with others so that they will in turn pass the information along and get more people to want to come to the competition.

7) Listing in Community Newspapers and Websites : In addition to writing press releases and contacting media for publicity, simply listing your event in the Community Events section of newspapers and on community websites is a simple and effective way to reach your audience. Many people tend to read the «Events» section to quickly see what is going on and so this tactic works very well.

Is 2009 a good year for buying a house

Is 2009 a Good Year for Buying a House

While some improvement in the economy and real estate market has been seen in the past couple of months according to the National Association of Estate Agents, struggles continue. In the latter part of 2008, both buyers and sellers were moving a little more, which many experts believe is due to low interest rates. Additionally, movement was also seen in the number of new homes coming on the market and the number of interested buyers.

While the current situation has been devastating to some, for first-time homebuyers, it has created an opportunity not otherwise offered. For a long time home prices were simply too high for new buyers but we now see almost 11% of homes sold went to first-time buyers. The same reports from 2008 show that real estate agents made more sales. This news was positive since the increase in sales was in December, which is usually a slow month.

The National Association of Estate Agents also indicated home prices increased only slightly and the number of falling rates had slowed down in some geographical locations. Other statistics include prospective buyers increased to 200 from 186 in December 2008 and agents with actual sales increased to 100 from 87. This means sales per real estate agent remained on a steady pace of six.

Then moving into the early part of 2009, reports came from the Financial Times specific to 2009 being a good or bad year to purchase real estate. A study was comprised of 50 top economists and the outcome was quite interesting. Of the 50, 60% said the purchase of real estate in 2009 should be avoided but the remaining 40% believed the opposite.

The reasons for each of the responses varied. For instance, some felt that buying property in 2009 would help the slow economy. Then, considering that interest rates are expected to stay low throughout the year and even decline at the end of the year, some people believe the lending process is still going to be difficult. Even with additional money to loan, especially if the government continues to provide assistance, buying versus not buying remained controversial.

Of the 50 economists, some felt that at the end of the year the real estate market will reach its lowest point. With this, homebuyers would be encouraged to start looking at real estate and even buying. However, of the economists that think that people should wait to buy believe prices are still too high when compared to current income. Therefore, the anticipation is that in 2010, the real estate will be much better than 2009. In fact, prices according to Capital Economics will fall 20$ more while Global Insight says 15% and JP Morgan believes 10%.

One particular economist is not as optimistic, stating his concerns are that housing prices will not reach affordability until the year 2014. The continuing fall of the real estate market is in part due to restrictions on credit and lending, high debt ratios, high rates of unemployment, and the stagnant economy. All those negative factors predict a declining real estate market for some time, beyond 2009. Because of this, potential buyers are hesitant to make such large purchases.

The bottom line is that this is a buyer’s market; people should not be in too much of a hurry to make real estate purchases. In 2009, unemployment hit incredible lows and with lenders still following strict lending guidelines, there is some concern. Now, in the situation when a person is transferred for a job or has gone through a divorce and must move, then buying in 2009 offers many benefits.

While the number of sales is low, because of unique situations, sales will continue very slowly. Even people interested in buying property as an investment or buying to flip and rent is a slow market. Experts are optimistic that a boom in real estate will occur once the recession has passed. As the supply of homes decreases, prices become more affordable, and lending institutions lighten up on loans, things will improve.

Real estate sold at auctions in 2009, as well as homes needing to be repaired or renovated are expected to go for low prices so buyers have ample opportunity of finding property that fits within any budget. Therefore, anyone wanting to buy a home in 2009 should put out a low offer and maintain ownership of the property for as long as possible.

Keeping the cash flowing

Keeping the Cash Flowing

IT’S TOUGH OUT THERE in retailing You read the papers, you walk through the shopping malls, and retailers are closing up or being bought out. It’s been a long time since retailing was so tough. Having personally gone through the extreme highs and the lows in retail, I can now comment on why I feel a lot of retailers are going through hard times.

Whether you are a start-up, small business or a multi-national, cash flow is imperative to business survival. Retailers have gone through a stop-start love affair with cash flow management, by putting out fires when they arise, rather than implementing some simple management tools.

To understand how to manage cash flow, you must fully understand what its components are:

Pay accounts slower — Your suppliers that you have good relationships with should give you some leeway with time frames to pay your accounts. Sometimes we chase the discount that is given for early payments on accounts, but should ask ourselves if that discount will make a major impact to the bottom line.

Remember — don’t mistake profit (the money that you make after you have paid for everything) with cash flow (the money that pays the running and growth of the business).

Reduce inventory — Retailers are generally very good at doing this. But rather than slashing prices, have a look at some other alternatives such as: setting open-to-buy budgets; standardising layouts across stores that maximise sales in core departments; reviewing/implementing a replenishment program; concession arrangements with suppliers; and returning stock that has not sold and replacing it with faster moving lines.

Collect accounts receivable — Because most retailers don’t have large accounts outstanding, this really applies to those who have a corporate section of their business. If you are a retailer that has account systems in place, look at ways to reduce the terms of the account from 30 days down to 14 days, or take deposits.

Reduce costs of goods — Internally this would be your processing in which you receive, store, and distribute stock. When dealing with suppliers, organise strong trading terms, which gives you more margin in the backend for rebates, co-op advertising and return-to-supplier programs.

Increase prices — «You’re insane, you can’t increase prices, we’ll get murdered out there.» Yes, retail is competitive, and the majors have pushed everyone into discounting mode to increase sales. But without freaking you out, have a look at the stock on the floor, and determine which items you have that experience high levels of competition (and keep these prices competitive), and review the items which have little or no competition (and increase the prices of these products).

Stopping the leaks

In understanding what makes up cash flow, retailers should put in strategies to ensure that they maximise their cash position at all times. Here are some simple strategies that can be implemented in your retail business.

Measure stock turns — This is the cost of sales times the cost of goods in stock for a 12-month period. So if you had $1 million of total inventory for the year, and sold $1 million at cost, you would have one stock turn a year. The benchmark is to have four stock turns a year, to maintain a healthy cash flow.

Measure wages as a percentage of sales — Setting a benchmark on wages as a percentage of sales is a very basic, but important, strategy. Remember to factor in all of the add-on costs that are associated to wages such as commissions, payroll tax, superannuation, workers compensation, etc. Also when deciding on your wages percentage target, look at what you can afford within your margins, and also adequate floor coverage, so in order not to miss any sales opportunities.

Measure marketing expense as a percentage of sales — It is amazing how many businesses burn cash on useless or over-marketing expenditure. Some of the budgets are plucked out of the air, with no real understanding of how it impacts cash flow. Then when times get tough, retailers rein in advertising, which compounds on the loss of sales. Set yourself a marketing expenditure budget based on a percentage of sales, so that you don’t overspend, or lose traction when business slows down.

Evaluate your rent expenditure — Evaluate your location strategy on a regular basis, if you can rent cheaper premises without hurting the business, then move. We know how hard it is negotiating rents with a major shopping centre, which is why we focus on location strategy rather than negotiating a cheaper rent.

Is my boss exploitating or exposing me

Is My Boss Exploitating or Exposing Me?

In corporate employment, it is common for the seniors to delegate subordinate staff sometimes to the point where is becomes unfair. Have you heard about juniors who draft executive board papers, attend national meetings, drive corporate projects, etc. I know you have or even could be a victim of such occurrences. I have, and we see a lot of such in our African corporate companies. What comes to your mind when such things happen? What would make you make you think it is an exposure opportunity or exploitation? Let’s brainstorm some points that support each of these thoughts.

I would consider any assignment to be exposure if the following apply:

1. The assignment is relevant to your job

2. Notice of the assignment is given when there is still enough time to prepare

3. You are the only or one of the specialist on the subject assignment

4. You are aspiring for the position for which the assignment belong

5. The assignment has benefits such as documented credits for good performance, financial return in form of bonuses, it opens chances for a promotion or better employment opportunities, etc.

Opposites of the points above can be considered as exploitation. In addition to those are the following:

1. The boss is lazy to do the work

2. If poor performance on the assignment warrants a dismissal

3. All benefits will go to the boss and not for company

4. The assignment arises from poor performance of the boss

Points to each of these extreme opposites are many. I know you could come up with your own points that are even more than what I listed.

Let’s think together once again, if you happen to be a victim of exploitation what should you do? Do you reject the assignment, conveniently under perform to expose the boss, resign, or look for another job? The answer is simple – decide for that whose consequences you can take. What does this mean? Plan for the action you want to take, don’t be blind. I cover a topic on ‘How to Quit your day job’ in my blog where I tell of what should keep most of us employed till time is right.

Inspirational plumber aims to encourage others

Inspirational Plumber Aims to Encourage Others

A female plumber is hoping her success at a national awards show will encourage more women to take plumbing courses.

Natasha McDonald was honoured as England’s top learner at the National Vocational Qualifications awards this June after she was nominated by her tutors due to her inspiring qualities.

Ms McDonald’s tutors at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London put her name forward for the award after they were impressed by the way she has acted as a role model for other women looking to enter the construction industry.

The London plumber was praised for her inspirational talks at job fairs in which she encouraged prospective students to take plumbing courses due to the rewarding nature of working in the construction sector.

Ms McDonald, who works for Homes for Haringey, revealed that she was happy to receive the prestigious award because she enjoyed great job satisfaction while working as a plumber.

She said: «It was a shock to be announced overall winner, I’m delighted. I love plumbing and fixing blockages in people’s homes.»

«I’ve studied and work hard so it is really rewarding to get recognised for the work I do. I am also passionate about encouraging other women to enter the construction industry.

Natasha’s achievement will hopefully demonstrate to women that a female can succeed in the stereotypically male dominated construction industry.

«I have been to job fairs on behalf of Homes for Haringey and spoken at Haringey’s International Women’s Day. This has helped me to connect with females who are thinking of a career in construction and offer my advice,» she added.

Lord Baker of Dorking and television personality Arlene Phillips were on hand to present Ms McDonald with a certificate of recognition and a plaque at the ceremony at Royal Horticulture Halls in London.

The annual event celebrates the successes of vocational students from around the country with the VQ Learner of the Year Awards.

Two regional winners from England, one aged under 24 and one aged 25 and over were presented with the top award.

People wishing to follow in Ms McDonald’s footsteps should be aware that the required foundation plumbing courses for beginners is the City & Guilds NVQ 6129 level 2, which allows progression onto the NVQ level 3.

It is essential for potential plumbers to complete both these plumbing courses in order to become fully qualified and work within the industry.

Students should be wary of crash plumbing courses which promise to teach the skills to become a fully qualified plumber in a short period of time.