language, Word Meanings, Leeds, Redrite

Double meanings in an evolving language

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A constant evolving language and double meanings

The English is a forever evolving language, like many others in the world, with around 4,000 new words added each year to the Oxford English dictionary alone! This new words included updated meanings which can at times confuse what could have been a simple message.

Oxford Dictionay Double meanings

Although many words have held a double, less than respectful meaning the list is growing with each generation and new technologies evolving. Some words that have gained new meanings in the last century are:

  • Sick – No longer just means ill or poorly, it now also means really good or brilliant
  • Bad – Now can also be used as synonym of itself.
  • Pants – No longer an item of clothing but also a rubbish situation
  • Hump – Not just a part of a camel or a traffic slowing measure but also used in relation to a bad mood
  • Chat – (An unusual one) What was once a word for a conversation is also now used when describing something gross
  • Armour – A world renowned word for protection yet it is also used for describing a person’s body
  • Hard – Does not just describe the strength of something or density of an object but can be used when describing a person’s false sense of strength.
  • Bottle – A liquid container that now also appears to describe the state in which a person becomes upon partaking of the contents of the bottle.
  • Bomb – A device people would usually run from unless an EOD expert, is now a description for highly expensive costs or a really good situation/item

Animals and food have also had their names misused in the more recent generations of language.

  • Bacon – A derogative term for the Police
  • Anaconda – Description of a male’s particular body part
  • Bird – Used when talking about a woman

If you are an individual looking to approach a professional body either for a job or to offer a service then double check the words you are using do not have double meanings. With it becoming harder and harder to earn positions and look the best out of a constantly growing crowd of individuals in the same position something as simple as using the correct and upmost professional language can work miracles.

If you are applying for a job or designing marketing materials and want to the work checked for appropriateness then give us a shout today.

Environment, Business impact, Carbon footprint, RedRite. Leeds

Making a difference in the Environment

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Making a difference to the environment is easier than you think for SME Businesses.

A lot of stories in the news are regarding large corporations and their environmental and ethical impact but what about small businesses and their impact? As a small business the difference you can make to the environment is limited but there are ways in which some businesses are making a difference. One such way is taking the office outside, in London there is the TreexOffice who rent out work stations in a treehouse and then invest the money back in to Hackney’s parks and green spaces. Similarly a retired federal prosecutor John Lenoir now uses his yacht as his office for civil right cases trail prep, video conferencing with other lawyers while sailing the blue seas.

If you run a café, small restaurant or similar food providing business where at the end of the working week you have supplies left over then why not get in touch with a local charity. See if the food can be donated to families who may be struggling and would appreciate some extra support. 1 in 6 parents go without food so their children can have a meal, even getting a few close to due date sandwiches could make a big difference, Oxfam are currently working to improve their lives through the Fare Share who work with retailers to provide surplus supplies and redistributes around the country to those that need it.

Another way in which a small business can help the environment is by recycling, even the materials in which your supplies are delivered as some suppliers take back the packaging to reuse. Make sure every item that can be recycled is separated from non-recyclables and if you can maybe even re-use it yourself. We have done such that and re-used sauce jars to create beautiful vases filled with silk flowers after painting them, a lovely idea if you own a restaurant or café.

 

If you use gadgets in your business and they break, do not just throw them in the bin dispose of them at electronic recycling points and reduce the space taken up in landfills. It also helps reduce the amount of toxic chemicals such as lead and mercury from being released into the environment. Using environmentally friendly lightbulbs is also a way in saving the amount of waste you have, not only do they cut back on the electricity bills but they also last longer so you are throwing bulbs out less often. Check with your local recycling centre as to what electronic devices they will accept and with your equipment suppliers as to what they will recycle.

These may seem like silly little things yet can make the world of difference, all those things such as turning taps off and electronics off in the home can be applied in the office as well. Something as simple as stopping one drip per second can save 10,000 litres per year!!

So wear an extra jumper in October, do a good deed and donate a little food to charity and save your company money while helping the environment 🙂

 

Business Paperwork, RedRite, Small Business, Leeds

Plan your paperwork and stay organised

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Plan, plan and plan some more to keep yourself organised.

So now you know what paperwork is necessary in smoothly running a business (If not visit our previous post) do you know how to plan it all in to your time? Finding the time to squeeze in extra work when you are so focused on the actual income generating aspect of your business can be difficult especially if you aim to do it yourself.

The easiest way to do things is use what you already have. Set up your business pages and email on your smart phone, then you can nosey and post where ever you are when you have 5 minutes break between jobs. However set up your notifications so that you are only bothered by them between your working hours, giving you time off on an evening and weekend to chill without the ‘chirp’ of your work disrupting.

Plan, plan and plan some more, the more work you have the more likely you are something will fall through the cracks. If you do not work on Sundays then take an hour or two to sit and type up some blog posts or social media posts, sign up to HootSuite or a similar software so that you can then schedule them to post across all your social media platforms ahead of time. As emails come in during the day highlight ones that will need responding and act on the urgent important one, then dedicate on hour on an evening where you go through the non-important emails you marked earlier. Choose a reasonable time so that your customers are seeing your emails as they come in. For example emailing out at 11pm at night means for some of your customers that email will be at the bottom of the pile when they check in the morning.

Once a week or fortnight set aside a few hours to go through your paperwork that has piled up – your invoices, new client information in hard copy, receipts etc. This way you can get it all tidied up efficiently and without the piles getting too big, if you have payment terms of 28 days then you can also chase up invoices during this time that have not been paid and you can easily work out the time frame without counting days.

If remember all these set aside times and what to do when gets confusing then use a simple planner. Highlight what is done on each day and if it is the same every week have weekly reminders set up. We use Wunderlist for everything, setting up weekly alarms for regular tasks and even alarms for the certain twitter hashtag hours we participate in so we do not have to remember them all. Do you prefer paper planners? Then set up a simple week page that can list all the tasks required on each day, and if there is a deadlines looking highlight them with bright colours so they catch your eye and you are constantly aware of them.

 

If all of this is still too time consuming and you would much rather leave it to someone else then consider hiring a virtual assistant who can take all this on for you and free up more of your time to relax with family and friends.

Call today for more information about Virtual Assistant services.

Business Paperwork, What you need, RedRite, Leeds

Paperwork – What do you really need??

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Paperwork: The bane of every company owner’s existence but a necessary evil.

 

Even with the developments in technology the one thing that has not changed over the many many years of business is the need for paperwork, whether it is hard copies or electronic, every company needs to keep track of everything going on.

Every business, not matter what size or type, needs at least some form of tracking the following:

  • Income and expenditures/Receipts –
    • Even if you are a business consultant or offer a professional support you still need to keep track of all the paper, marketing tools and software you purchase.
    • Even if you have an accountant who takes care of all your finances to send to HMRC at year end, it is also good for you to keep track of all your receipts on a monthly basis, a simple spreadsheet is more than enough.
    • Another major piece of finance paperwork that needs tracking is invoices. Knowing when they are due and if any payments have been made guarantees you keep track on any overdue invoices and you are not short changed by clients.

 

  • Marketing Campaigns –
    • Keeping track of any marketing campaigns you run, i.e Google Ad words, Facebook Ads etc, helps you identify which are successful and which are a waste of your money.
    • Keeping track of newsletters sent out also keeps track of any information you have sent out and if someone contacts you regarding that information you can easily look it up.

 

  • Social Media –
    • Keeping track of social media/blog posts means you do not end up repeating yourself and looking unorganised. For example our ‘This month in history…’ posts are saved and we keep track of all facts used so next year we are not blogging the same information and boring our readers.
    • Tracking the amount of followers gained and people engaged helps you see more clearly your company grow and spread.
    • Searching your business on social media also helps track any bad publicity you may have obtained. If you do not create a page for your business before someone else does then you have already lost control of what your audience sees.

 

  • Appointments and Planner–
    • This will help you work out exactly which months are more popular and if you have repeat customers it allows you to see how often they are returning, maybe to help offer them a loyalty offer. If you reward referrals it also helps confirm the name you are given has genuinely been a client.
    • May seem an obvious one but keeping on top of everything from client appointments, business meetings and even your social media time can help you make the most of your time and reduce the risk of double booking yourself or running out of time for something.  Why not try the Business Planner offered by Educate Business, it not only helps you plan your business but also your personal life.

 

  • Potential and Current Clients –
    • Keeping track of your clients helps your business grow. Even keeping track of potential clients means you can email them at a later date and see if there is anything you can do for them or sell them. With lives so busy these days it is easy for people to forget who they contacted for help, sending a quick ‘Hi, how are you…’ email can help them remember. If you have sent a current client something it is always best to follow up when there is no response in case your email slipped through the cracks, or again they have been too busy to remember.

 

  • Hours Worked –
    • Whether you are selling handmade items or providing a service, keeping a note of all hours worked means you can compare your income to the amount of work required, it helps to see if the financial return is worth the time invested or if things need changing. If you spend an hour networking every Monday then still record it, if you were an employee your employer would be tracking every time spent at work whether you are working or not.
    • If you have employees it also helps see how the workloads are shared and work out their wages due. It also helps you understand more clearly how many hours an average job will take so when quoting a similar job you have a better understanding of the time truly required.

 

  • Current News –
    • It may seem an unusual thing to keep track of but it prevents you from making mistakes similar to those seen in our previous blog post, ones that could cause severe damage to your business. Using a severely distressing situation as an advertising ploy will not settle well with customers and followers.

 

It can be time consuming and tedious to keep track of all this as well as running the main body of the business. A simpler method to keep track of all this is to outsource it to a capable and experienced team, such as RedRite. All we require is access to invoicing and appointment systems, customer databases and any receipts obtained, if none of the databases are in place we can easily create them for you, helping to smooth out the running of your business.

No need to stress over the piles of paperwork building up, stop digging through shoeboxes full of receipts or paying your accountant a fortune to do it for you, pass it on to someone who loves paperwork and will cost you less than an accountant or an employee who needs desk space. We love paperwork and promise to handle it with the upmost care.

Call today or Email us for help digging out of the sinking hole of paperwork you have found yourself in.

Business Plan, RedRite, Leeds, Virtual Assistant

How to build a Business Plan

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It is always best to have a business plan set up if you are approaching the bank or investment, even a mentoring support program, for help and support .

The question is what to include in the business plan however.

Firstly it needs to include your business name, even if it is just a proposed name, your business address and contact details. If this a proposal for a new company you may not have these details so it is best using your personal details and further in the plan note where you would prefer to be located and possible ideas for email addresses, i.e Info@yourbusiness.co.uk or yourname@yourbusiness.com. This is also the section in which you need to identify all those that will be partners in the business with you.

Secondly is your executive summary, a short paragraph no more than about 100 words that explain the main basis of your business, services or products you intend to offer and main customer base. This is then followed by a little back ground in to why you wish to run this business, this needs to show that this business is not just a random idea, that you have thought it through and are capable of providing the type of experience your customers will expect from your type of business. Any relevant work experience and qualifications gained or in process of obtaining are needed here to back up your ability to run the business.

Section 3 looks into what your business will provide to its customers, whether this is a service, product or both. A description of the basic product/service offered and then a more in depth description advising of other products/services available including any modifications applicable to the product/service. If for whatever reason these services/products will not be available straight away then please note them in this section so those looking at your business plan can understand why.

Section 4 requires you to look at the market in which you are planning to approach, in other words your customer base. Are they individuals, businesses or both? If you choose businesses to approach then it is best to specify what type of businesses, for example RedRite is aimed prominently towards small businesses and tradesmen who require help with their paperwork without office space. A location of where you prefer your customers to reside and what will have them choosing your company over others. If you have any customers awaiting to purchase your products/services then listing those here may help to show an interest in your company already.

Section 5 looks at your marketing strategy, at how you intend to interest your customers and attract new ones. Looking into which social media sites to use, the best type of website needed and any other forms of marketing you may use. If you have already advertised your business then list them so that it can be seen where interest is currently coming from. Looking into your competitors and how their strategies compare to what you are currently doing or plan to do. A SWOT analysis may also be used here.

Section 6 involves disclose your prices and logistics information. For products sold this will include the stock price and the items they are sold for, any postage costs if items shipped to the customers. An estimated profit margin allows the reader to see how realistic your prices are and will help further on in the financial planning stages. For services, this would look more at the hourly or set rate for each service, it will also include if there are items needed in order to begin trading. Depending on the intensity of business plan needed this can also include insurance and legal costs, as well as those for staff members.

Once you have determined the main logistics of your business, you need to look at the finances of it all in more detail. To determine if your business will be profitable for you it is necessary to look into your incoming and out goings. There are many spreadsheets available online to help with this section but it is just as simple to create your own similar to the one below.

Monthly cost (£)
Estimated costs Mortgage/rent
Council tax
Gas, electricity and oil
Water rates
All personal and property
insurances
Clothing
Food and housekeeping
Telephone
Hire charges (TV, DVD etc.)
Subscriptions (clubs, magazines
etc.)
Entertainment (meals and
drinks)
Car tax, insurance, service and
maintenance
Children’s expenditure and
presents
Credit card, loan and other
personal debt repayments
National Insurance
Other
Total costs (£)
Estimated income Income from family/partner
Part time job
Working tax credit
Child benefits
Other benefits
Other
Total income (£)
 Total survival income required (£)

 

Some banks and investment firms will also want to see cash flow and cost projections, once again a simple table is all that is need for this.

The final element of a business plan requires you to prepare a short and long term plan for the business, including any expectations of expansion or change in the services provided. Having a plan B in case initial things do not work out is essential and informing the reader of this shows you have accepted there may be bumps in the road but you are prepared for them.

Still unsure how to prepare a fully acceptable and relevant business plan then get in touch and we can help you get that bit of extra funding or support your business needs.

 

Twitter networking, Business, RedRite, Leeds

Networking on Twitter

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Getting noticed is a big step in getting customers for your business but the problem is getting noticed in the first place. One way that has become very popular and effective is using a #twitterhour hashtag.

The traditional methods of networking usually consist in getting together in a designated location, talking with like-minded business men/women and exchanging business information. You then leave such events and keep your fingers crossed to hear from those businesses again, which is not always a guarantee. With Twitter hours however you get to interact and chat to other business owners, exchange information and gather new followers, you can then keep on top of communicating with these new followers keeping your business fore front in their minds. There are over 300 #twitterhour hashtags currently circulating around twitter containing both local and category hashtags these can be found here – #TwitterHours

The aim of these hours are to chat with other business owners, retweet tweets and help not only your business but their businesses get noticed by a larger audience of people. You are expected to be polite, friendly and supportive in your comments, creating an effective community of businesses all supporting one another. The large the community the more chance the hashtag has of trending and getting noticed even further.

Although this does not guarantee you extra customer it does provide you with extra leads and the possibility of turning those leads in to customers, it all depends how you tweet. Be careful as to what you tweet, check that it does not cause discomfort with your followers or insults anyone. If you use any other hashtag double check its relevance also.

Follow our Twitter account to see some of these Hashtags in use and we mention all new followers.

Happy Networking.

Twitterhour

 

Business Finances, Finances, RedRite, LEeds

A Company’s Finance Obligations

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One major aspect that all businesses should have, no matter how big or small, is a system to track their finances. If you offer a service rather than sell a product it is still worthwhile to track all the finances associated: Income wage, marketing expenses, and any transport costs associated. It gives the opportunity to really see how financially better off you are working for yourself rather than being the employee in a company. The simplest format is through an excel spreadsheet, a handful of columns to list what is coming in and going out, a basic sum to work out the difference and you can quickly see what you are pocketing each week.

There are many free resources online to help you determine how to categorise your expenses and incomes, these balance sheets also help you fill in your self-assessment forms at the end of the financial year. Keeping track of all your finances allows you to see if there is any outstanding payments due or a better deal on something you purchase for the business. If you need a little more than that then its best to do your research first before paying out an overly large amount of money for something you may only use half the features of. Accountants can also help but be careful of an extra charges you may face for simple things like sorting receipts and invoices out. The HMRC provide many links to Payroll systems that are synced so you never have to worry about staying on top of the current rates and tax levels when dealing with employee wages. HMRC require you to keep track of the following for limited companies, it is good practise however to keep track of these even if you’re self-employed:

  • All money received and spent by the company
  • Details of assets owned by the company
  • Debts the company owes or is owed
  • Stock the company owns at the end of the financial year
  • The stock takings you used to work out the stock figure
  • All goods bought and sold.
  • Who you bought and sold them to and from (unless you run a retail business)
  • Spent by the company, eg receipts, petty cash books, orders and delivery notes
  • Any financial paperwork received by the company, eg invoices, contracts, sales books and till rolls.
  • Any other relevant documents, eg bank statements and correspondence.

They also require them to be kept for 6 years up from the end of the last company financial year they relate to unless the documents cover more than one accounting period or is a debt owed for more than 6 years. You can be fined up to £3000 if you do not keep accounting records. If you do not have time to organise through your finances, categorise your receipts and chasing up invoices yet cannot afford a full time accounts team then get in touch today. RedRite can help organise your finance tracking so you don’t have to and your accountant doesn’t charge you above and beyond your current arrangement.

Hashtag guide, RedRite, Leeds

Hashtags… What not to do

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Hashtags… a useful aspect of language, but can also have disastrous effects when done wrong

What started out as an identifier for address mode in computer language back in 1970 has now become one of the most used symbols in international languages on Social Media platforms. The hash-tag (#) was once just a basic symbol very rarely used by those outside of the computer programming network but back in 2007 when Chris Messina proposed to use hash-tags to identify groups on twitter it changed the use of hash tag completely. Although it had been used in Internet Relay Chat (IRC) networks previously to label groups and topics it wasn’t until it was introduced on Twitter that it fully developed in to everyday use. Hash-tags have become especially useful for business owners on Twitter to get their business notice, using trending hashtags to make people more aware of their business and in turn lead to new customers.

However there is a downside to the hashtag phenomenon and that is picking the wrong hashtag. There are documented incidents where companies have not researched the use of a hashtag correctly and tweeted very damaging messages to their followers. For example the #McDStories, where Macdonald’s had hopes of people sharing their good stories about Macdonald’s and was connected to their #meetthefarmer campaign of tracking the story behind the supply chain of their products. The McDStories however was shut down 2 hours after release when people used it to relate stories on how they had been disappointed in the service or had become ill because of the food. This is a fail that is still seen today. Another example is the numerous Q&A hashtags that have popped up and very quickly disappeared again, from figures such as J P Morgan and Dr Mehmet OZ, who when opening themselves up to Q&As ended up with ridiculous questions unrelated to their business or related yet complete jokes.

When planning on using a hashtag for your company it is best to research first, keep an eye on international news as sometimes if disaster has struck and you hashtag that area your tweet can become an offensive remark. Like the Celeb Boutique who mistook the hashtag #Aurora trending to be regarding their new Kim K inspired Aurora dress. The truth was that the hashtag was in relation to the mass shooting in a movie theatre in Aurora, this came off as very insensitive and upsetting.

So when looking for a hashtag don’t just pick a random one hoping it will be effective, or pick one that’s trending without knowing why. Something as simple as a hashtag can cause great problems for a company no matter how big and impact how your customers see you. If you are not sure if it will be beneficial to your company then get a second opinion or just do not use it at all. If you use a scheduling software to schedule your tweets remember what it is you have picked as well so you do not automatically tweet something that has become insensitive or is no longer relevant.

Business Startup, Drive and Determination, RedRite, Leeds

Drive and Determination

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When starting a new business many websites and advisors provide lists and lists of actions that need to be taken in order to get started but they miss the 2 main points needed when starting a business.

Drive and determination.

You can come up with any business and follow the guidelines to set it up but if your heart isn’t behind the original idea, and your reason behind creating the business is something as simple as wanting something to do then you can tick all the lists in the world but the business will most likely fail. Some are lucky enough to land on their feet and succeed but one the personal interest and motivation within a company is gone there is very little driving it forward to continue to succeed.

Just like a painter, you cannot create if there is no muse to make you want to create. For business owners this is their drive to continue seeing their business succeed and the creativity to come up with ideas which will get them noticed amongst the crowd. This doesn’t mean painting the shop walls a vibrant orange or displays in neon colours, no it means providing customer service that pulls customers back and has them spreading the word, it means creating an atmosphere that attracts customers and makes them feel comfortable to stay a little longer.

This is true for all businesses not just shops. Online business? If your website is not functional enough or overloaded with irrelevant information potential customers are less likely to follow through with contact. Service providers? A comfortable, welcoming office can make any potential customers calmer about approaching you than a stark office with aging posters on the wall. Café or restaurant? Unclutter tables, a comfortable environment and quiet service allows customers to relax, enjoy their food and encourage friends to join them next time they visit or buy desert/another drink.

In this growing technological world being connected on a variety of platforms will increase your market (unsure how or do not have time? Then contact us today) as long as you know your business and your customers to create a solid foundation in which to grow from. Harassing people and overloading them with marketing materials though has an alternate effect and can turn people off from following your company, determination is one thing but pushing is too much. One tip that is mentioned in many marketing diplomas and degrees is to be human with your customers but do not make it personal, a friendly and approachable personality will attract customers but if they see your social media platforms contain personal grievances over something or an increasing amount of posts completely unrelated to your business this will also turn them away from you.

Yes, follow the lists to make sure you have set everything you need up but do not lose sight of the reason you set the business up amongst all the fine details running a business needs. It is all those little jobs that will help you accomplish the bigger picture that is your business. If those little jobs though start to become too much and you do start losing sight, contact us and let us lighten the burden for you.

Independence Day, RedRite, Leeds

Independence Day

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On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence that had been proposed in June by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia declaring the United States independent from Great Britain rule legally. After voting for this independence, Congress started to work on the Declaration of Independence, a statement explaining their decision to take this step, which was prepared by a Committee of Five, with Thomas Jefferson as its principal author. Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration, finally approving it on July 4.

A day earlier, John Adams had written to his wife Abigail:

‘The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.’

Adams’s prediction was off by two days. From the outset, Americans celebrated independence on July 4, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, rather than on July 2, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress, although that it has been disputed amongst historians who believe it may have been actually in August 1776.

In strange circumstances, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, the only signers of the Declaration of Independence later to serve as Presidents of the United States, died on the same day: July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. Although not a signer of the Declaration of Independence, but another Founding Father who became a President, James Monroe, died on July 4, 1831, thus becoming the third President in a row who died on the holiday. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President, was born on July 4, 1872, and, so far, is the only U.S. President to have been born on Independence Day.

In 1781 the Massachusetts General Court became the first state legislature to recognize July 4 as a state celebration and was eventually labelled as Independence Day in 1791 and in 1870 was made an official unpaid federal holiday by US Congress. This decision was turned around in 1938 and turned into a paid federal holiday. Traditionally Independence Day is saluted by one gun for each state by any military base capable of doing so, it is known as Salute to Union. Fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies

We would love to wish all our American followers a Happy Independence Day and would love to see some of your celebration photos.