Top ten secret tips to exhibiting!

1  Set your objectives -  what you wish to achieve 

   
    Design your stand to meet your objectives and plan your staffing needs early

2  Train, train, train

    80% of the success of your stand is down to your staff

3  Exhibiting is not just for leads but also to find suppliers and to ...

    Develop customer relations, find business partners, research competitors, 

    launch a new product, get new ideas

4  Market your stand to both customer and prospects

    Invite them to meet you at your stand or in the networking area

5  Messages on your stand
 
    Should be simple, visual and in LARGE print which stresses benefits, less is more

6  Can I help you?
    Not a good question, ask open questions that require more than a one word answer

7  Don’t just wait for visitors to visit your stand

    Lead generation can be anywhere, getting coffee, at workshops and speaker sessions-   
    Talk to everyone you can wherever you are!

8  Networking is about helping other people

    Hard sell is not appropriate and not appreciated and less effective

9  Don’t

    Use a mobile, eat on the stand, sit down, have your back to the aisle, have a messy stand
    or have cheap tacky giveaways

10  Follow up
      Follow up leads as quickly as possible after the exhibition

       

The 24 deadly sins of exhibiting

Common mistakes of exhibiting 

1  Planning is key
One of the biggest reasons that businesses are unsuccessful at exhibitions is that they haven’t promoted and marketed their presence in the weeks and months leading up to it. Not planning or promoting your presence is fatal to your success.Use signature blocks on your emails, develop a social media campaign to highlight your presence, and personally invite clients & suppliers to meet with you.  

2  Not reading the exhibitor manual 

Ensure you read through whatever information that the event organisers send you. Don’t just assume everything will be provided.

3  Not thinking about your objectives 

How can you know if your exhibition stand has been a success or not and the return of your investment without some pre- stand planning beforehand? What are your reasons for exhibiting?  How many leads are you looking to achieve?

4  Being shy

Choose confident friendly staff that are more than happy talking to strangers and are comfortable ‘interrupting’ people passing by in a cheerful, friendly manner. These staff are representing your business so excellent people skills are essential to make sure a lasting impression. 

5  No training

Not training your staff to run the show behind-the-scenes could be detrimental to your conversion rate!

6  Your exhibition stand doesn't clearly communicate your business

Think carefully about your stand design and graphics.  Always assume that people have no prior knowledge of your business. Pictures really do tell ‘a thousand words and so ensure your graphics clearly illustrate your offering.

7  Give people a reason to come to your stand

The power of a compelling incentive. Not creating a great, innovative reason for people to visit you on the day can have enormous consequences on getting the leads.  Display the benefits of choosing you over competitors and the value they will receive from signing up with you. 

8  Not making an effort or giving enough thought to your presence 

Make your stand exciting and stand out! Think about what you could bring on the day to intice potential customers over to your stand, and maybe consider a competition you could run or something equally interesting! 

9  Acting Disinterested

No matter how long your day has been, try to keep up a friendly smiley face and make eye-contact with potential customers at all times. Make sure staff are standing on their feet in an approachable manner and engage with as many people as possible… 

10  Having Too Few Staff

It is important to have plenty of staff to cover breaks and make sure that people are always seen to as soon as possible.

11  Having Too Many Staff

On the other hand, you don’t want your stand to be over filled with too many staff wanting potential customer’s attention… 

12    Staff Who Know Nothing about Your Product or Company

Ensure all staff working on your stand are completely knowledgeable of the whole company and its key information. Even if they are long term staff make sure that they are briefed with a coherent message and approach. Your staff need to be confident and be able to deal with any enquiries in a professional manner. 

13  Compel your audience to visit your stand

 Work on ways to compel your audience to visit your stand, it will dramatically increase your capture rate on the day. Being proactive never lost anybody a sale. You can’t remain at the edge of your stand and expect your leads to flock over. You can afford to leave your stand for 5 or 10 minute missions.

Get out and about, listen to the speakers, go to a workshop, engage with people at the café, when you are getting lunch, visit other stands and see how they are getting on – it’s not just on the stand that you can make contacts, be open and easy to approach. This approach will gain you leads.

14  Not Perfecting your Elevator Pitch

You will need to explain your business and its products/services countless times during the exhibition, so make sure you and your staff can explain the succinctly and effectively.

15  Not Listening

Make sure to really listen to any potential customers to answer as best you can any questions asked, and engage in a conversation with them.    

16  Not having information to take away

A lot of people will not want to be overloaded with bits of paper, but if asked you should have some simple/detailed information that people can take home with them if they wish!

17  Being Cagey about Pricing

Be prepared to answer any questions about price and be upfront! Even if you offer a bespoke service, be sure you can offer them a rough idea on price.

18  Taking Forever to Record Leads

Contact customers that have left their details as soon as possible- Don’t leave them hanging around!

19  Spamming 

If you are to send customers information, make it useful and exciting! Don’t end up sending the same content time and time again. Create interesting, innovative content that people will enjoy reading.

20  Exhibitors commandeering the time of other exhibitors

Respect that exhibitions are for strictly time for business, not to be used to socialise with industry colleagues and suppliers.

21  Uninspiring Tweets

Continually telling people during the exhibition to come to your stand, doesn't necessarily mean they will unfortunately. Give your social media messages some thought! Upload pictures and videos to maximise engagement.

22  Badmouthing Competitors

Be professional at all times- Focus on selling your brand to potential customers!

23  Packing Up Early

Packing up early at an exhibition is prohibited and you will be looked down on. You should be making the most of every last minute at your stand, networking and meeting. Packing up isn't just a potential health and safety issue but it reflects terribly on your organisation.

24  Not Following Up Leads Post Event

The final pitfall between you and gaining business from an exhibition is the way you approach leads after the event. Convert your hard work into strong sales and stop yourself from squandering the great work you did to capture new business prospects.  

Top Tips For Choosing The Right Travel Management Company (TMC)

In today’s economic climate keeping an eye on corporate travel spend and maximising travel budgets is critical (regardless of the size of your business and scale of travel requirements).

On the surface, price would often appear to be the driver in choosing corporate travel arrangements. However, the cheapest flight online doesn’t always equal the cheapest option! In many cases, there are restrictions to certain fares and hidden charges which means you may not always be buying the most cost effective option.

We’re not just talking flights here, the TMC is the expert. They have the knowledge and the relationships with suppliers to get you the best possible solution for your needs at the best price. They can save you a lot of wasted time and help to get you out of difficulty.

Consider what you really need:

·    - More time to do your own job?

·    - Expert Advice?

·    - Policy Compliance?

·    - Reporting?

·    - 24 hour help?

·    - Centralised Payment Solutions?

·    - Flexibility?

Many TMCs will be able to offer what you are looking for but you need to ensure that it is offered in a way that works for you and your business. Cultural fit is critical to a lasting relationship – your TMC should feel like an extension of your own company. That’s where BBTM (Baldwins Business Travel Management) can help. Call us on 01892 515900 for details or visit our website www.bbtm.co.uk

Residential buy-to-let Investment

Alan Stewart 

By Alan Stewart, director and head of Residential Lettings and Management

"Today, it is even more important for anyone considering investing in a buy-to-let property to do their homework. It can make the difference between a lucrative investment and a disastrous and expensive failure. Location is always a key factor, whether buying to live in or to let. Always consider market value, rental income and capital growth. Who will let and manage the property? If an agent, the cost must be factored in."

This was the penultimate paragraph of an article I wrote at the end of 2014.

In the intervening three months, the increased level of publicity regarding property as an investment has prompted me to expand on the topic:

Recent reports confirm that tenant demand continues and is outstripping supply.  As a result, the buy-to-let sector remains attractive for both larger property investors and first time landlords who, during the downturn saw their savings diminish in real terms due to low interest rates, poor returns and limited options.

During 2014, buy-to-let was the fastest growing segment of the mortgage market, and as an investment option, there are many advantages.

Tax breaks are available for buy-to-let properties that are denied for private residential house purchases. In addition ‘allowable expenses and allowances’ permit landlords to offset interest charges on a buy-to-let mortgage against their taxable income.  This makes it an even more attractive proposition for investment.

As well as reaping tax benefits and a regular income from tenants, there is the potential long-term gain from capital growth when investing in bricks and mortar – although it should be remembered that property prices can go down as well as up.

To establish a realistic ‘bottom line’, management, accountancy and other professional fees, void periods, maintenance costs, legislation and regulations will all need to be factored in to the equation, but the yield may still be attractive enough to entice a modern-day investor. It would be wise for any first time buy-to-let investor to consult an expert. 

Some commentators predict an influx of buy-to-let investors releasing monies from their pension funds could add to the problems of first time buyers.  This may put the property ladder even further out of reach for many first time buyers who currently find it extremely difficult due to high prices, lack of mortgage options and the huge deposits required, thus further supporting the strength of the lettings market for buy-to-let landlords.

Generally, buy-to-let and first time buyer properties are one and the same.  In due course, first time buyers move up the property ladder.   Landlord investors tend to hang on to their property.  The inevitable result will be a bottleneck, reducing options for first time buyers even more than at present.

Currently properties in good areas, with potential to provide above average rents, are in short supply.  This has a knock-on effect and the level of investment required may affect long-term gains.  Add to that a soon to be introduced EU directive that, according to David Cox, MD of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) “…will require lenders to tighten affordability levels on buy-to-let loans, making it harder for amateur landlords to obtain a mortgage”.

Urban Sales & Lettings Ltd has conducted a study revealing pre-election nerves have slowed investment in the private rental sector.   This, they suggest, is due to uncertainty around Labour’s intention to introduce a rent cap and longer fixed term tenancies, and a worry that property prices would fall if they were in government.

On a more positive note, Knight Frank and accommodationforstudents research reveals that student property is outperforming all investments. 

My colleague and associate director Duncan Reeves, who is head of residential and student lettings in our Canterbury office says students are more demanding than ever.  No longer will six to a bathroom suffice.  Students, and their parents, are not prepared to compromise, so anyone considering an investment in this market would be wise to explore top end, purpose built property. 

As head of a successful and professional student lettings organisations, Duncan’s experience is that the first properties to let are those sensibly priced, located close to the universities, decorated to a high standard with good quality furniture, modern appliances, wi-fi and en-suite facilities.  Less popular are houses in multiple occupation, that were once so popular.

To summarise, prospective property investors must do their homework: consider whether student or professional tenants are the best option; location is paramount; factor in all outgoings against income and then allow a sensible contingency; remember property will show greatest gains over the long-term; and finally, take advice from professionals who are experienced in the field.

For further information contact Alan: astewart@caxtons.com or telephone 01634 576000.

Economic Outlook for the South East: Stormy, With a Chance of Adventure - Guest Blog from Rift Accounting

Running a small business has always taken strong nerves and the tenacity of a pit bull. Running - or even starting - one in the eerie silence after a major financial crisis requires something more. With businesses all over the world nervously checking the ground under their feet, it's worth taking a moment to look realistically at the situation. It turns out things may not be as catastrophic as some are suggesting. In fact, the more intrepid business adventurers are already starting to hammer the dents out of their battered optimism. There are more of them than ever, too. An incredible 581,173 new businesses were launched in the UK in 2014, which was a 10.4% increase over the previous year and the third year in a row that the number of new start-ups has risen!

Britain's economic growth generally slowed down a little in the last months of 2014, dropping from 0.7% in the previous quarter to 0.5% - which some are calling more of a suspicious birthmark you should probably get checked out than a "growth" at all. However, looking at the wider context, it still places the UK at its highest overall growth rate since 2007 for the entire year. It's not the kind of momentum a lot of businesses were hoping for, but the Office of National Statistics reports that Britain's overall 2.6% growth for 2014 puts it on track to have been the world's fastest-growing major advanced economy that year!

It's also important to remember that we're not talking about a universal, disastrous failure to recover, either. The end of 2014 was more like a slightly disappointing Christmas present from a confused but well meaning uncle. Some business types(construction, for example) were more disheartened than others - and the retail and services sectors actually stayed pretty buoyant about the whole thing. On the whole, the UK economy is now actually 3.4% larger than its peak before the financial crisis hit. It's definitely taking longer than we'd hoped to get where we're going, but we're still heading in the right direction.

Looking at the South East specifically, small business owners have been gritting their teeth, popping their collars and getting set to tough out the recovery in style. They know how to focus on their goals and their eyes are always set on the road ahead for chasms to leap and opportunities to seize. They understand the benefits of innovation and their resilience owes a lot to the adventurer's spirit in their hearts. The South East is a good place to be right now, with support and investment coming in from both government and business. Theme parks are being built, sea fronts renovated and unemployment is dropping as more and more businesses are looking to expand their horizons.

Of course, there's no adventure without risk. With a general election looming and no clear front-runner, the business community as a whole may start to get a little twitchy in the next few months. Whatever the result, it's pretty clear that there's no easy ride for small business. Investment and support from the government have been strong lately, and alternative funding options are taking hold where traditional lenders are turning smaller businesses away simply because they don't know how to assess the risks involved. For every door that closes, small businesses are bursting one open, building a new one or simply breaking down the walls themselves. Hope and audacity are alive and well, but the climate is still stormy and no-one's getting through this on pure optimism and blind faith in their dreams. That tenacity needs to be matched with the strategy and agility to covert simple survival into lasting success.

The whole economy of the South East is changing rapidly, with the Kent and Medway Growth Deal aiming to invest £80 million per year over the next six years in the area. Traditional industries and models are receding, while entirely new ways of doing business are emerging too fast for conventional institutions to understand or even recognise them. The waters are still turbulent and the weather unpredictable, but with RIFT Accounting as the lighthouse and lookout for your enterprise, you've got the brightest beacon in the business to guide you.

5 top tips to make your speed networking session a success

Most businesses would agree — referrals and face-to-face contact are the best ways to build and nurture business relationships — however, contrary to this many businesses spend many thousands of pounds placing advertising and sending marketing via email or though the post. 

Why you should get involved with speed networking?

If meeting someone is the best way to judge whether you can do business with them why don’t more businesses get involved with networking? Well, for many people it seems to be a little bit of nerves that can keep them away from meetings — so, if a breakfast or lunch seems too daunting how about the best and quickest form of networking — speed networking?

Speed networking is not a new concept, however, in a time when we seem to be spending more and more of our working day communicating online and through email it makes a refreshing and interesting change to your business development strategy. Arguably, speed networking will give you access to more people in one hour than you might normally meet in a month. It’s quite normal to feel a little apprehensive but do a little prep work beforehand those nerves should be calmed.

As ever preparation is key

1. Make sure you have a great opener for each of your pitches — just 10 seconds will do, covering an introduction, what your business is about or what you are looking for.  

2. Try to think about the different types of people and businesses you are going to meet and how you could change your intro to meet their needs — you’ll have far more success if you can slightly tailor your pitch to each person. 

3. Be practical — remember your business cards and a pen to make notes (on the back of each card is a good idea) and remember people’s names!

4. Not everyone is going to seem suitable for you or perhaps be interested in your product or service right now, but, remember to “think outside the box” — the product or service may not be suitable today but what about next month or in year’s time when you have diversified or grown? Consider whether a contact could become a mentor or a partner or a franchisee? The people who gain the most from these sessions are those that are the most open minded. 

5. Although it may seem counter intuitive, do your best to help the people that you meet — try to offer solutions to them and their challenges. You’d be surprised at how this “pay it forward” mentality has helped many businesses — perhaps not immediately but at some point. You’ll impress your new contact and you never know they may well recommend or use you in the future. 

Networking for success

Many of the most successful entrepreneurs are those that have spent their time networking — building trustworthy, reliable contacts across their industry, in support services and a wide variety of geographical locations. Meeting people and developing positive relationships is surely the key to a successful business?

So, hopefully now you should feel a little more prepared for a speed networking session? Come along and try a session at the West Kent B2B, 27th March. And let us know how you get on ……

2015 could prove to be a crucial year for small businesses

With the General Election looming many are talking about what policies will make the difference for small business owners this year and whether the winning party will be able to build on the foundations of the growth of the last 18 months. We take a look at what small businesses need to do to continue to succeed and what the other trends might be for small businesses over the next 12 months.

FSB’s 2015 General Election manifesto

A recent post by the FSB’s John Allan, national Chairman spoke of the rise of the small business in 2014 – whose numbers broke 5 million for the first time. 2014 also saw an exponential rise in the number of small businesses innovating, growing and taking on their first employee – helping to tackle the unemployment rates. Coupled with this small firms saw there productivity grow and Mr Allan commented that small businesses were finally beginning to get the recognition that they deserved.

In order for firms to continue this upward trend the FSB argues that changes need to be made, and as such it has produced a manifesto that outlines what they believe needs to be the focus post-election. Mr Allan continues that the party that wins the election will need to look at ways to support and nurture all business not just big or small – it will need to help sustain growth ensuring responsible business practices, whether that be via using apprenticeship schemes, enhancing supply chain activities or ensuring a better flow of payments between businesses. He warned that whilst the future looked good the uncertainty in the Eurozone could still have an effect on the year ahead and that the FSB’s General Election manifesto contents that include reforms to access to finance, unfair business rates and the still growing skills gap would offer a more sustainable route for small business.

Alternative funding routes

Others have spotted the issue of access to finance and the route by which small businesses can source additional funding as a key trend for 2015 too. With the development of crowd funding sites such as Kickstarter, Crowdcube, Buzzbnk and Seedrs the route to funding has diversified – no longer is the bank the only option. These platforms also enable a globalisation of funding and experts are also pointing towards an increasing appetite for risk once more – good news for the innovative entrepreneur.  

Growth of the tech scene

James Caan, the well known angel investor, entrepreneur and equity head points towards our growing tech industry as sector to watch in the coming year. Silicon Valley is, of course, the giant of the sector but East London has been building a reputation as the go to area in the UK for tech services - providing a great platform for US companies to cross over to the UK, as well as for startups to work within a community. Caan suggests that the next 12 months will see the UK learn even more from their US counterparts and that signals the possibility of greater growth. However the tech industry isn’t solely in the capital and along with areas such as Manchester and Bristol parts of Kent has also been hailed a tech hot spot with Canterbury, Folkestone and Ramsgate highlighted as tech centres for the county. A mixture of great links to both London and the continent and lower business costs means that Kent could be well positioned to further take advantage of the growing tech industry in 2015.

Social media continues to diversify

Linked to the growth in the tech sector many are also urging small businesses to continue to take full advantage of social media. Caan points to the development of advertising on Facebook and Twitter and that images are becoming an increasingly important way to attract clients – meaning that 2015 could well be the year for Instagram. Small businesses have historically used social media extensively and Caan urges small firms to continue this trend. The opportunities that a strong social media plan can have on your business are huge and will only continue to grow in 2015.

2015 is going to be an interesting year across all business, but especially for small businesses – as ever the key is for small business and entrepreneurs to grab opportunities and run with them. The General Election and the winning party have the chance to make some real differences to the way that small businesses work in the UK, and with small businesses and entrepreneurs making up an growing percentage of the UK economy the parties would do well to listen to the sector, their votes could be the deciding factors.