At The ICELAB Ltd we specialise in safely guiding retailers through the minefield of Ecommerce to reach the greener grass on the other side! We have three clear routes across – cool blue, mellow yellow and red hot. To find out more about exactly what we do and how much it costs read this recent blog post here.

Some of our clients’ websites include…

www.foxsoutdoor.co.uk – an outdoor equipment retailer based in Amersham, Bucks

www.tabletennisdirect.com – a mail order table tennis equipment retailer in Deal, Kent

www.cbwdesigns.co.uk – a unique natural jewellery designer based on The Isle of Wight

www.customsportskit.com – a personalised sports kit manufacturer in Deal, Kent

We sponsor an annual award to find the best web shop in Kent www.theicelab.co.uk/award10

We now send out our monthly eNewsletter Ecommerce In Kent to over 4000 subscribers! Feel free to subscibe now to Ecommerce In Kent.

A few of our own various websites include…

www.theicelab.co.uk – our own site that tells you a bit more about us

www.theworldsmostexpensivelink.com – a fun and unique way to promote your website

www.adbasement.com – a great way to promote any advertising space you have available

www.dealkent.co.uk – our local business directory for our area

And finally our blog

www.ecommerceinkent.co.uk

Alan Noake

Take a fresh look at your business for 2010

Following the recent launch of our Faculty of Business and Management, Canterbury Christ Church University offers a FREE breakfast workshop on Tuesday 19th January at Hall Place Enterprise Centre, Canterbury, to all business owners who want to gain a competitive edge and boost their business in 2010.

What does your brand say about your business?

Your customers make their decisions based on a complex range of factors, many of them emotional. The impressions they form based on what they see, feel and hear about your company can make a real difference to the value they place on what you do, and to your success. Your brand is not about having a clever logo or spending lots of money – it is about being clear, consistent and professional in everything you do. Come along to our brand clinic to learn from branding experts and through peer review what your brand says about your business and how you can make it work more strongly for you.

Led by Sharon Wilding from Purple Edge, and presenter for the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and Joanna Wood, marketing consultant and lecturer in the Faculty of Business and Management, our workshop will help you to understand how to:
• identify your brand values
• harness the power of design
• apply your brand consistently
• create your action plan for maximising the power of your brand

Join us from 7.45am to 10.30am (breakfast provided), on Tuesday 19th January 2010 at Hall Place Enterprise Centre, Harbledown, Canterbury CT2 9AG.

Places are limited so please book early.

To book a place email business.services@canterbury.ac.uk or call Fontemaria Totaro on 01227 782666.

www.canterbury.ac.uk/business-services

Paul Tatt Bookkeeping Services was formed in June 2009 providing general bookkeeping and payroll services to sole traders and limited companies within South Kent.

What are the benefits to you for choosing a Bookkeeper?

There are many benefits to the client for choosing a money efficient self employed bookkeeper:

• I can save you time to concentrate on running your business effectively
• I can assist you in providing financial reports to help guide your business effectively
• I can save you money from actually employing a bookkeeper which results in employer NI, holiday pay etc
• I can save you money on your end of year accountant’s fees by saving your accountant time.

The services I can offer are:

• General Bookkeeping including Bank reconciliations
• Payroll Services including year end returns
• Management Reports, monthly or quarterly
• Sales ledger Invoicing / credit control
• VAT returns
• Preparation of Annual Accounts
• Self Assessment Returns (online)
• Cashflow management
• Budget Control
• Liaison with company accountants

My Background, Training and Experience

I have 30 years knowledge and experience of accounting from start to finish using recognised accounting software particularly Sage and am qualified to AAT standard.

After leaving school I started working in the family business which was a greeting cards print and publishing company; naturally I worked in accounts starting from the beginning and at the time attended a business studies course at the local technical college. I was there for nearly 20 years and during this time I became responsible for maintaining the accounts and providing management reports.

In 1999 I then became Company Secretary of Mansion House Caterers Ltd based at Broome Park, Nr Canterbury; my role included having sole responsibility in maintaining all aspects of accounting, to provide monthly financial reports and to manage the cashflow of the company. Other duties included running a weekly payroll including end of year returns, and all secretarial duties required in running an office. Whilst employed at MHC I studied and completed the AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) course.

More recently I attended a course provided by HMRC on self assessment.

So to sum up I can provide a valuable service to small businesses who wish to concentrate on their key skills and to let me take care of the all important accounts. Some say they are a necessary evil but through forward planning is an essential aid to the running of the business.

For sole traders and directors who have not submitted their return, online filing has to be completed by 31st January 2010.

Please visit www.paultatt-bookkeeping.co.uk for further details or contact me on 01303 893724. Mobile: 07518 028078 and I will be pleased to discuss your requirements.

Another great Counterpoint Networking meeting took place last night at the Hythe Imperial, who laid on an amazing spread – most of which went uneaten as people spent most of the time talking and it’s hard to do both!!

There was lots of discussion amongst our members about getting their business profiles together to go on here and although we have Kate Harwood now writing them some were planning to go away and send theirs sooner rather than later to take advantage of our well optimised local business directory as soon as they can! So, Chris our optician in Hythe, Julie who offers property management and Peter our aerial photographer..I’m waiting!!

As usual there was much discussion about online marketing; Chris who has a copy shop in Folkestone was there discussing ‘Jason’ his new website! We helped him to set it up a couple of months ago and his first post was about how he was a very proud ‘Dad’ to his new baby website! He’s preparing for a big launch of it in the next few weeks. Jaci, who is a Kent based will writer, was talking about her daughter’s new business and what her web strategy is to be.

Hannah, who offers the services of a virtual PA – administration and secretarial services, was one of the first to leave but was tracking her movements on Facebook with a mention for us so we’ll let her off! Trevor who can get your microwave repair done was asking me what other ‘whizzy’ plugins I have planned for this website as he likes our ‘tag cloud’.

We were pleased to see Tanya back after a few months away; she’s been too busy offering her marketing and PR services to come along and see us! And Jane who is helping local people kick the dieting habit impressed everyone with her twittering and Tweetdeck knowledge!

It was great to have some new visitors there last night, as well as more familiar faces; do please come again, you know you are always welcome; the more the merrier!

Our September networking meeting is actually on 1 October, at Port Lympne, to support the launch of the new Aspinall Business Club. You can book here.

Just remembered I forgot to take my camera again last night; will try really hard to get some photos from Port Lympne…watch this space!

Paper-work, admin, payroll and accounts all hold more than their fair share of stress for small businesses. That’s why our region’s only Virtual PA says you need her!

“Nobody goes into business so they can do admin,” says Hannah Joyce, aka Virtual Girl Friday. “with the exception of us at Virtual Girl Friday – we love it!”

She explains that “paperwork, admin and book-keeping are by-products of any successful business, but they keep you from doing the thing you do best…making money!”

Hannah has recently set up a Virtual PA and lifestyle management company – Virtual Girl Friday – aimed at SMEs and sole traders in South East Kent. In her years as an in-house PA and Office Manager, she has noticed that out-dated processes, mounting paperwork and ever-growing to-do lists only serve to cause the owners of small businesses to stress. Ultimately, admin can keep them away from doing whatever it was they went into businesses for in the first place.

That’s where a Virtual PA comes in, she says. “In the current economic climate, no business owner wants to take on a new administrative member of staff and many are, sadly, having to cut back on those they already employ. However, admin tasks take no notice of economic downturn – they will always be there!”

Virtual Girl Friday is a remote PA and Office Manager – a cross between a PA, a project manager and a lifestyle concierge!

Hannah insists that a Virtual PA is far from a luxury. “Our clients see us as a necessity”, she says, “And I’m excited about bringing the concept to South East Kent – at present the region doesn’t have a Virtual PA”.

She explains that a Virtual PA service can bring all the benefits of permanent administrative staff, with none of the overheads. “You employ Virtual Girl Friday on an ad-hoc basis – it could be to cover staff holidays, maternity leave or a hand-over period, or you could ask us to come in to manage a specific project. Alternatively, we could look after all your administration, HR and accounts tasks in a set amount of hours per week. Either way, in outsourcing administration and other tasks to us you avoid PAYE, National Insurance and other overheads such as office space, equipment and holiday and sickness pay, which seems the perfect solution for small businesses in a recession!”

To contact Hannah Joyce at Virtual Girl Friday call 01303 262402 or 07792 677953 or visit www.virtualgirlfriday.info