6th Mar 2012 / 7:51pm
What’s it all about? Why is it so popular? What should I say? How can I use it to drive sales?
If these are familiar questions, then this workshop will help provide the answers. Delivered in a fresh and interactive way by Louise Fenwick, this half day session will cover:
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What is social media, where has it come from and why is it so popular?!
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The most popular sites and how they can work for your organisation
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What content works with different channels
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Integrating social media into a sales and marketing plan & what to expect
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Identifying and speaking with your target markets using social media
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What works for your objectives and what doesn’t
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Managing social media methods and using your time effectively
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How to measure if social media is working or not
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What to consider in your social media policy
This workshop is strictly limited to 15 people, to ensure you get the most out of it.
Time: 09.30 -13.00
Location: Bishops Waltham, Hampshire
Price: £99 plus vat per person
For more information and to book, please contact:
events@fruitionpi.co.uk
6th Mar 2012 / 7:45pm
Do you wonder what all the fuss is about? Are you keen to start ‘linking in’, but don’t know how to? Are you dabbling, but know you could do better?
Louise Fenwick, director of Coalition Marketing, leads this half-day interactive workshop which will introduce you to Linked In and how to use it for making connections, raising your profile, displaying your expertise, generating leads and ultimately generating sales.
By the end of the workshop, you’ll have a better understanding of what Linked In can do for you and your business, how you could and should be using it – and you’ll be ready to go!
The workshop will cover:
• Linked In as a social media tool
• Setting up a Linked In account & profile & how to improve it!
• How to identify contacts & link in with them
• The etiquette around who you know & who you don’t
• Learning more about people & learning more about yourself
• Getting involved & making it pay
Date: 22nd March, 13.30 - 17.00
Location: Discovery Centre, Gosport
Please bring: Your laptop with wireless internet capability, a picture of yourself and a copy of your CV/ work summary saved on your laptop, plus access to your email account
Book your place by contacting:
anne.dawson@eastleigh.gov.uk
02380 688334
27th Feb 2012 / 4:25pm
For a limited time only, Centus Systems are giving away FREE £50 VOUCHERS to any business in the UK to use off their next PC, MIcro Server or Server puchase from Centus!!
You can redeem these vouchers on any system purchase from Centus, and the vouchers are valid up to the 30th June 2012.
To claim your free voucher, just email hello@centus.co.uk with your full postal address and how many PC's or Servers you have in your office, and we'll do the rest!
If you would like further information on any of our systems or services, of would like to order a system, please call us on 03300 881 656 or email hello@centus.co.uk
24th Feb 2012 / 11:17am
Often when a service or product is referred to as "Bespoke" or "Tailor Made", alarm bells immediately start ringing and most people presume that costs are going to soar as you will be paying through the nose for a fully bespoke product, but in actual fact, this is quite the contrary.
Bespoke products are all about understand the exact needs of your end client and through taking the time to understand these needs, developing a solution that is fitted around them. Taking the time to understand our client's needs are where the foundations of bespoke products are formed, so why should we charge a premium just because we take the time to understand our clients?
Bespoke products offer money saving advantages throughout the product lifecycle. From the start, you are only paying for the actual hardware and software you need. We don't pre install or add in extra hardware or software that you don't need, meaning you don't pay for it!
Throughout our products lifecycle, our choice of fitting only the best components to each system ensures your system is as reliable as it was the day it was bought, and should the worst happen, you can guarantee you will be covered by our 2, 3 or 5 year Return to Base warranty.
Bespoke systems don't end there though. Through purchasing a system fitted to your businesses exact needs and application, you are investing in sound technology, and as with any investment - the better the investment, the better the return.
If you would like further information on any of our systems or services, of would like to order a system, please call us on 03300 881 656 or email hello@centus.co.uk
15th Feb 2012 / 2:51am
So you buy a £200 printer of Multifunction device!!
What do you do when you look back and realise that you spent £100 a month on toner??
What happens when the printer breaks, jams or spills inks everywhere and you don't know who to ring?
What happens to all the unused toner?
Asked these questions and more? If you could save upt o 30% on that figure AND INCLUDE SERVICE, WARRANTY COVER AND A NEW FLEET OF PRINTERS would you be interested?
We specialise in ensuring you have the right equipment to do your internal printing, then we look at how much you print, propose a solution that incorporates new hardware, service cover and toner ALL for less than you are currently paying for toner alone???
10th Feb 2012 / 10:31am
We are very pleased to have created the new South East Design Forum (SEDF) website. Having been in at the start of the SCDF it is great to be involved in it's transition and growth. The new site is responsive to screen sizes and devices and provides the SEDF directors with a comprehensive back-end management system.
3rd Feb 2012 / 9:13pm
Register for our Free Seminar at http://www.holidaysandhomes.com/seminar
31st Jan 2012 / 2:09pm
Having recently read in the news the articles on councils, educational establishments and businesses being sold IT hardware from main stream manufacturers that doesn’t actually fit the exact needs of the business, it raises the questions of why do businesses buy from big brands that don’t have their client’s businesses best interest at heart?
It was reported that in a number of cases, schools were being sold laptops for more than £2000 each when they are available to buy online for under £500 and businesses were being sold servers for more than 5 times their normal retail cost.
BBC New Article Here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16469528
It seems some, but not all, of the big brand manufactures are forgetting the importance their product and advice has on businesses and that in a large number of cases, businesses are willing to accept the advice and product recommended by these big brands. Where have these businesses morals gone?
A large amount of what we do at Centus Systems is offering sound advice when it comes to IT procurement and hardware buying. We understand that when businesses and establishments purchase IT equipment, they are investing in technology for their business. The purchase needs to reflect the needs of the business and in turn offer the very best return both in cost value for money and long term performance and sustainability. This long term sustainability represents the sounds investment in technology.
At Centus, we strive to deliver the very best IT hardware solution for your business, developing every system to exact needs, meaning you only pay for exactly what you really need. Our systems set some of the highest standards for quality, performance and reliability.
So the next time you need new PC’s, Servers or Workstations, or just need IT hardware advice, contact Centus Systems.
If you would like further information on any of our systems or services, of would like to order a system, please call us on 03300 881 656 or email hello@centus.co.uk
27th Jan 2012 / 12:46pm
At Centus Systems, we understand that when businesses and establishments purchase new PC's, Servers, Workstations or other IT Equipment, it not only represents the actual money spent, but more importantly it represents investment in technology and investing in your businesses future.
As with any investment, it is only through sound investment that you get a return, which is why Centus Systems work so hard to understand you and your business, to ensure your new systems give you the long term value and return you need.
Centus Systems develop every system on a per system basis, only including the hardware and software you actually need. Our systems are more powerful and reliable than mainstream manufacturers and have plenty of flexibility to upgrade if needed in the future.
Every system comes with a minimum of 2 year Return To Base warranty covering all parts and labour, and free lifetime telephone support. Our systems lead the industry for build quality, performance and reliability.
We make your investment in technology work for you and your business, and strive to deliver the very best system to safeguard your businesses IT investment for the future.
If you would like further information on any of our systems or services, of would like to order a system, please call us on 03300 881 656 or email hello@centus.co.uk
18th Jan 2012 / 11:35am
As part of our 2012 bid to get new technology into businesses, Centus Systems have a fantastic offer.
Here at Centus Systems we understand the cost implications of upgrading and replacing old hardware at the end of its lifetime. This is why we have a fantastic scheme in place to give you money back for your old systems when you buy a new one from Centus!
1. Buy any new PC from Centus and trade in your old one for £50 off, per system!
2. Buy any new Server from Centus and trade in your old one for £100 off, per system!
We don't just throw away your old PC, we work with companies throughout the UK to recycle and re-use wherever possible. Your old systems could end up in 3rd world classrooms, youth centres, charity day care units and educational facilities throughout the UK.
On top of this, we help you to meet your corporate WEEE and RoHS requirements through the safe disposal of IT equipment through designated, registered and authorised partners. Read more here
Take advantage of this fantastic offer today and contact us Here or call us on 03300 881 656.
17th Jan 2012 / 3:07pm
If you aren't consciously underpinning your face to face networking activity with your on line presence you're presenting a disjointed image. That's fine if you work in a disjointed way - but if you don't then your networking needs to be joined up. To find out how to join up your face to face and on line networking come to the Chichester Chamber of Commerce and Industry networking breakfast at Vicars Hall at 07.30 on Friday 27th January where I'm giving a short presentation on joined up networking.
If you can't make it contact me about a separate session.
17th Jan 2012 / 2:58pm
‘Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity but cash is reality.’ This neat saying, known as the ‘Banker's Mantra,’ is everything a business needs to remember about financial control.
Here’s why. I’ll start with profit - the sanity. The reason for being in business is to make money, and profit is the measure of a business’s ability to make money .... or loss if it isn’t doing well.
Nothing in this life is ‘free’ so the Inland Revenue tax your sanity which is why some businesses may want to keep their reported profits to a minimum. However for the the purpose of this short blog I’m only focusing on operating profit, that is the profit earned from a business’s core business operations. It’s also known as EBIT - earnings before interest and tax.
As I’m blogging about profit and cash I’ll only mention vanity in so much as it’s all the revenue a business generates from its operations. As it’s the largest number in the profit and loss account it’s what companies can boast about
A business can’t focus on just profit and turnover alone because the process of generating revenue needs cash because:
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creating the products of services it sells
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getting these to market
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employing staff
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office facilities, office overheads
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purchasing assets such as computers
all need cash.
These costs happen in advance of the product being produced and sold so cash is an essential ingredient. It doesn’t matter where the cash comes from - whether it’s generated by the business or provided by investors or borrowed from the bank, but without cash a business cannot survive.
Some business owners and managers think that if they are in profit they should have cash and can’t understand when they don’t. It’s sometimes caused by them focusing on the P&L, which doesn’t show cash movement, rather than looking at the balance sheet and cash flow forecasts.
The reason that profit and cash aren’t the same thing is timing. There are two aspects to this. Firstly cash is needed to produce and sell a product or service, and secondly accounting conventions use the tax date of an invoice as the moment the profit is recorded, not the payment of the invoice. For the majority of businesses the cash received for payment of an invoice is not on the day it is raised. Consequently there needs to be a buffer of cash to carry on the business.
Taking this a stage further a company can be highly profitable on paper but because of the disparity between paying the cost of sales and overheads and receiving payment for invoices mean the company has no cash. If the cash outgoings are greater than the cash coming in the company may go into receivership. It’s called overtrading.
Profitability is a function of the company’s ability to maximise revenues from their cost base - namely their direct and indirect costs and assets. Having sufficient cash in the bank to continue the operations that generate profits is the proof of management’s ability to:
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minimise the amount of cash tied up in stock
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cost control
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minimise the time it takes for invoices to be paid - the debtors
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generate a greater margin than depositing the same money in the bank
So - to answer the question - is cash or profit more important and why - cash is the most important as the business cannot continue to carry on day to day operations in the current market without. Banks will foreclose on overdrafts.
However the end game for any business is both - as profits are the purpose of being in business and these can only be enjoyed by the business owners if there is sufficient cash to distribute the profits.
If you need help understanding your business finance give me a call on 020 3286 7224 or 07718 584811 or send an e-mail to sarah@sfmconsulting.co.uk.
12th Jan 2012 / 1:25pm
Are your IT hardware requirements "Off the Shelf," "Simple," or "Pre Built?"
At Centus, none of our systems are pre built or off the shelf. Every PC, Workstation, Server or Micro System that leaves our facility is designed around our client’s exact requirements. These sorts of system build quality, system reliability and individuality is what makes Centus Systems unique.
Centus can cater for any level of system customisation and development. So if you're a 3D design studio rendering the latest building plan in ultra-high resolution and need huge graphics rendering power, or you’re an educational institute needing student-proof PCs, or you’re a business needing a super stable and reliable server to cater for your ordering and email system, Centus can cater for it.
We don't just put together components, we carefully design and develop each system before point of integration, we even account for every last nut, bolt and screw in all our systems.
Because we are so confident in our systems build quality and reliability, Centus offer a full 2 Year Return to Base warranty as standard with all our systems, covering all parts and labour.
Have a question, want more information or want to order a system? Contact Us Here or call us on 03300 881 656.
11th Jan 2012 / 12:37pm
When was the last time you sat down with your bank manager or account manager to discuss your current account? When was the last time you rang your local office and actually spoke to a member of staff at the branch rather than at a call centre somewhere in the UK or abroad?
At Handelsbanken we have account managers, based in your local branch, who are here to help YOU.
Whatever your query, be it for a new account, checking your balance, help with internet banking or looking for additional services from an existing account, your account manager is here to help.
If you are fed up feeling like a number and frustrated by the inability to speak to someone who actually knows your account, then why not try traditional relationship banking, just like it used to be?
Contact me on 023 92387520 / 07794 734551 or e-mail me on mide01@handelsbanken.co.uk
6th Jan 2012 / 11:52am
Top 5 Reasons to buy Centus Systems
Although Centus Systems are a relatively young IT hardware brand, we are already making our mark in the industry as one of the UK's leading custom integration and systems development companies. We are a dependable and reliable hardware supplier who delivery outstanding customer service both pre and post-sale which is why our customers love us.
Our systems speak for themselves, but here are our top 5 reasons to buy a Centus System:
1. Pay for only what you need, not what you don't
Through developing systems to customers exact specifications and requirements, we eliminate the extra components and internal hardware you don't need, so you only pay for what you DO need! Also, we don't pre-install free nuisance software unless requested, saving you the time and aggravation of uninstalling it all.
2. Superior system build quality
We know each and every one of our systems inside out, as each system is hand built by 1 dedicated engineer from start to finish. We ensure unbeatable system quality through a series of checks and tests, and every system is independently inspected before shipping
3. Ultimate Reliability And Performance
We don't just put together component; we carefully design and develop each system individually around the two most important factors - Reliability and Performance. We understand the importance of having a rock solid, stable system, and our systems have been proven to be more than 16%(avg) more powerful than other mainstream brands.
4. 4 phase system testing
Every system, from PC to rack server, must pass our 4 phase testing process. We individually test each system component, the system hardware as a whole, the systems software installation and the completed system. Once the testing is complete, the system is issued a pass certificate, which is attached to the system for your records.
5. 2 Year Return To Base warranty as standard
We are so confident with all our system build quality and reliability that we offer a 2 year Return to Base warranty as standard with all systems. This can be upgraded to 5 year Return To Base if needed, and we can even offer on-site support through our dedicated support partners.
There are many more reasons to buy a Centus System including: Live Order Build Tracking, Our friendly support staff, lower lifetime system cost and our system flexibility, so if you need more information, you can Contact Us Here or call us on 03300 881 656.
You can also Find Us On Facebook and Follow Us On Twitter
29th Dec 2011 / 9:42pm
Welcome to Centus Systems and our new website! Centus Systems are an industry leading custom systems Integration Company based near Chichester on the South Coast. We are a group of highly experienced IT professionals and system engineers all sharing 1 common belief - Off the shelf pre built systems are not the best solution for YOUR IT needs, YOUR budget and YOUR business.
We are passionate about designing and developing the best PC's, Servers and Workstations on the market, and continually send systems for independent testing by major UK PC magazines and bench markers. We also have our own range of Micro Servers designed for small business and niche applications including: VoIP systems, domain controllers, backup systems, telnet boxes and research sectors. Don't let the small size fool you, these Micro Servers pack a serious punch boasting system specs some Rack Servers would be envious of.
Over the coming months members of the Centus team will be sharing our latest system offers, industry news, benchmark results and company developments all on this Blog, so keep checking back! In the meantime, why not Follow Us On Twitter or find us on Facebook?
Have a question, want more information or want to order a system? Email us at hello@centus.co.uk or call us on 03300 881 656.
16th Dec 2011 / 4:01pm
Just a quick note to say that we have a NEW VENUE for our Lewes meetings, PLUS we're not meeting in January, so from February 3rd 2012 we are meeting at
THE CON CLUB
139 HIGH STREET
LEWES
BN7 1XS
Spread the word and I look forward to seeing you there!
Robin
7th Dec 2011 / 11:12am
I joined Handelsbanken a couple of months ago after working for 4 years with a small private bank in Fareham. In that time I made many contacts in all areas of the industry but not too many in the local area.
My focus is to attract business in the local PO postcode area. To do that I need to meet people from local businesses and noticed that there wasn’t a First Friday event in this area.
I have set First Friday up in Port Solent to hopefully attract people from Portsmouth and Fareham. If you’ve been to a First Friday event before you will know that it’s very informal and a really pleasant and fun atmosphere. If you haven’t, why not come along and give it a try?
For the first meeting (only!) Handelsbanken will buy your first drink but from then on it’s up to you if you want to have a drink and maybe grab a spot of lunch. That’s the beauty of the event, you decide how long you stay for.
So I hope to see you on Friday 6th January, at Lloyds No 1 Bar in Port Solent between 1 & 2pm for a drink and a chat. Bring along some business cards and any marketing literature you have as this is event is designed to promote local businesses.
Have a very Merry Christmas and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
11th Nov 2011 / 7:02pm
Coalition is working with the South Coast Design Forum on an event in Brighton for all businesses that take protection of their concepts and designs seriously.
Hear from Schlich & Co attorneys about why you should take the protection of your intellectual property seriously, with some amusing anecdotes and guidelines on how you can go about it.
Creative Barcode is presenting an additional option to protecting your designs and business; their online, web-based application which enables you to track the use of your designs.
Design Business Association is explaining how this professional approach to protecting your business will help your reputation and get you more business!
So join us from 6pm for networking and to hear how you can protect your business from unscrupulous competitors!
Date: Tuesday 15 November
Time: 6pm - 8.30pm
Venue: Grand Parade
Tickets: http://www.wegottickets.com/event/141940
11th Nov 2011 / 12:46pm
I wanted to let you know about two half day workshops
I'm presenting next Wednesday at The Hive in Lewes,
in case you're interested in attending or know someone
who might be.
Both workshops are on
WEDS 16TH NOVEMBER:
10am - 1pm: Twitter for Business
Full details: http://www.thehivelewes.co.uk/?p=413
2pm - 5pm: Introduction to Blogging for Business
Full details: http://www.thehivelewes.co.uk/?p=415
These are small-group sessions so it's a great chance to pick
my brain on things. We'll do one or two exercises, complete some
tasks, look at good (and bad) examples and discuss some of the
key issues. Bring a wi-fi enabled laptop or tablet if you can as
you'll get more from it.
Each workshop costs £30 and can be booked by contacting
Claire Kirtland at the Hive, tel 07846 554316.
If you're interested in these (or other) workshops but can't
make next week, do please let me know because if there's
the interest it's likely we'll be running some more.
Many thanks, hope to see you, if not at the workshops then
maybe at our December First Friday Lewes!
