torfaen business voice newsletter december 2013 edition

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Time to pin the next Torfaen Business Voice date on your wall - Thursday 5th December 2013. This will be our annual Christmas event at the Greenmeadow Golf Club, Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran (DON’T FORGET) and what a meeting it promises to be. I will tell you first about the part that everyone wants to know...in two words, we will be having a HOG ROAST!

It is nearly as interesting as that word beginning with S. You know the one I mean “Success”. The word that we all want to relate to in our own business. We are privileged to have as our speaker someone who has that magic formula in her career, Lowri Morgan.

Just a look at her CV says it all. Makes one envious. To give you a taste of her achievements: Lowri is atelevision presenter, a marathon runner and anadventurer. Has completed the Ultra in the Arcticchallenge. Is a sky diver, a scuba diver and dived to see the wreck of the Titanic. Holds an Honorary Fellowship and Master Degree from Swansea University. Has worked on the World Rally Championship. Has lived with Namibian Indians for a S4C documentary, and is an accomplished musician.

In addition, if that is not enough, she has represented Wales on the rugby field, athletics and cross country; she has competed in the illustrious Ironman Challenge; has completed the Jungle Marathon in the Amazon...She managed to finish the race in the top ten in her first ever ultra marathon.

Lowri Morgan was the sole survivor of the 2010 6633 Ultra Marathon and she is only the sixth person to cross the finish line.It just makes you tired reading about all that effort!!

One thing that will not tire you is the following news that the TBV Committee agreed upon at their last meeting:

• Introduce a Member scheme - Existing Members will continue to receive £5.00 off their 2014/15 membership for next year every time they introduce a new member.

• New members, joining between now and next March, can enjoy pro-rata rates to cover for the last twomeetings of our membership year – so spread the word to other business contacts you may have. See the form at the end of the newsletter.

• Dates for all 2014 events for your new diaries have now been set. See the page opposite for details.

When you look at the cost that would be required to attend an after dinner speech with such an accom-plished speaker, it would far exceed your annual busi-ness club membership fee. This event alone is going to be a sell out. Standing room only I am sure; a great evening not to be missed.

I Look forward to seeing you all.

Page 3 - Our previous networking event / Dates for your diary in 2014 / New membersPage 4 - Christmas 2013 event / Christmas food donations / Violette perform live

Page 5 - ‘How to tender’ workshops hosted by Business Wales / TBV on LinkedinPage 6 - Wales up-skilling Pathways programmes / Torfaen’s ‘Women in Business’ evening eventPage 7 - Rhymney Brewery networking event / Leadership Management Wales

Page 8 - Create effective marketing videos / Online directories for the local areaPage 9 - Meet the member - Genesis Vehicle Solutions / Be in the next newsletter Page 10 - News wanted from Torfaen businesses / ‘Introduce a member’ scheme proving popular / Our new TBV committee memberPage 11 - TBV membership information and benefits / Pro Rata fees now activePage 12 - TBV application form

To book, please [email protected]

– www.7hr-training.co.uk - www.aeroperspective.com - www.afhwm.co.uk - www.communicationxroads.com - www.pontypoolonline.co.uk – www.torfaenleisuretrust.co.uk

Registration will be earlier than usual –Please arrive for 6:00pm prompt. Places for our December event always fill up very quickly so please ensure you book your places now. Remember there are 2 free places for your business. We look forward to seeing you.

To book, please [email protected]

Violette will be entertaining us with their musical talents during our meal. They are an all violin group aged 16 - 18 from Torfaen who have been performing together for the past 3 years. They first met through playing with Torfaen Senior Strings, and then as part of Greater Gwent Youth Orchestra and Greater Gwent String Symphonia including having the honour of performing at the Royal Albert Hall at the Schools Prom in 2012 and later this year. They have also been successful in their own right, being chosen from young musicians from across the UK to play at the National Music for Youth Festival in Birmingham in 2012.

Violette started as a quartet, but following the recent success of one of their players gaining a scholarship at the prestigious Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, they now play mainly as a trio. They love performing together and regularly meet at each other’s houses for rehearsals. They have a wide repertoire and have taken part in festivals and open mic events in the local area, as well as providing musical interludes for weddings and parties.

http://business.wales.gov.uk

For more information about Business Wales, or to arrange anappointment with a Tendering Advisor,please contact 03000 6 03000

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Modern businesses of all sizes rely on IT, with technology being the business for some, or a core element in others. Whether you use IT to run the tills; offer computers for staff to work on; or build websites, it is likely that your business employs IT professionals, either directly or indirectly.The result is a growth in roles for IT professionals in Wales, but a lack of people skilled to fill them, leaving business with a problem.

e-skills UK and the Welsh Government are running two programmes to address this:

Pathways to Digital Growth* focuses on helping companies to upskill their IT workforce, with subsidised, high quality online training in IT.

Pathways to Digital Employment* works with career changers, job seekers or recent graduates with an interest in IT, helping them get the skills and training they need for entry level IT jobs.

* The two projects are funded by Welsh Government with Pathways to Digital Growth specifically through the Sector Priorities Fund Pilot (SPFP) under European Structural Funds (ESF).

Karen Price, Chief Executive Officer at e-skills UK comments: “e-skills UK is delighted to be working with the Welsh Government on these two programmes as we know that money spent on technology skills has a noticeable and positive impact on the economy.”

http://www.e-skills.com/walespathwaysprojects

Network in a relaxed and informal atmosphere and enjoy a fashion show and home-made tea.

6.00pm : Registration, informal networking & visit trade stands

6:30pm : Welcome & facilitated Networking

7.00pm : Mini home-made tea

7.30pm : Fashion Show by Emily RoseVintage

8.15pm : Business card Raffle & Close

Places are strictly limited: To Book your FREE place or a trade stand * :

Call: 01633 242711

www.southwalesbusiness.co.ukWhy not donate a prize to the raffle?

* 15 Trade Stands available, £10.00 per stand

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www.lmw.org.uk

Do YOU want to:• Wind-down and informally network in pleasant surroundings? • Hear about some amazing marketing opportunities?• Be inspired by a short talk about the night sky?• Use telescopes or the mobile planetarium?• Enjoy the Brewery Visitor Centre, shop, bar and sample tasting?• Stock up for Xmas and, at the same time, support community green projects in the Valleys?

If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions thenbook your place NOW on the Rhymney Brewery andDark Sky Wales event in association with theResponsible Business Partnership (which includesSouth Wales Chamber of Commerce, Business in theCommunity, Blaenavon World Heritage Partnershipand the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority) andTorfaen CBC.

Please download a booking form athttp://bit.ly/1aQsLYc or contact Phil Burkhard(07816 756 509 / [email protected])for more information.

Creating videos that effectively engage your customers and nudge them along whatever path you want them to follow isn’t easy. It involves high quality (but not necessarily expensive) production, professional delivery and mostimportantly, a well-defined message.

Determining your video’s message should begin with picking its subject and then figuring out what you want to say about that subject. A helpful exercise might be to think of a product or service that you bought or used based on a video you watched. Chances are the video spent more time trying to engage and entertain you than actually trying to sell you a product or service. But in the end, the video was still somehow related to solving a problem and highlighting the value of a product or service. It’s a very fine line, but completely achievable within any industry with a little bit of focus.

Other tips and tricks to keep in mind when creating your videos:

- KISS (keep it short, stupid): The slightly modified acronym for simplifying things feels right, especially since the stats support it. The longer a YouTube video goes on, the lower its chances of being viewed to completion.

- Quality matters: No, your video doesn’t have to be a Hollywood production to be successful, but make sure you use a decent camera, get the lighting right, and film somewhere quiet so your message resonates loud and clear.

- Ask for something: As with most methods of marketing, forgetting a call to action in your video is a huge mistake, so don’t make it. Provide your viewers with a clear path to completing the action your video is trying to persuade them to take.

Pontypool Online is one of five websites I run in this area, with the backing of a national company called Dotty Directory Ltd. The others include Cwmbran Connection, Cwmbran In shop Traders and Newport Connection.The idea behind the websites is to promote the local areas we live in and bring back trade to the businesses within our local area. They encourage local people to shop local, rather than travelling to larger supermarkets, out of town or to bigger cities.

Pontypool Online was the first website I began working on and the principles of this website are continued through all our websites. It is a simple and easy to navigate. It has local businesses, local jobs, local news and local links. We only feature small to medium sized businesses within the area and our aim is to provide businesses with a cost effective advertising model. The cost per year to be featured on our websites is £25 plus VAT (total price £30) and this is the same price across all of our websites. Every customer pays the same price, making our website fair on everyone. We do not offer exclusivity and we promote healthy competition on all our sites.

From the first four websites, I came up with an idea to promote the wedding industry within Torfaen. It was my vision to encourage Brides and Grooms who live within Torfaen, to source all their wedding services and products from the local area and so www.torfaenweddingdirectory.co.uk was born.

For more information or to be featured on any of the websites, please email me [email protected]

For more information contactMark at [email protected]

I am Peter Gabriel and the Owner and Director of Genesis Vehicle Solutions based in Torfaen and Bristol.

We specialise in the Contract Hire and Leasing of New Cars and Vans to both Businesses and Private Individuals. These options give you the benefits of having a new vehicle with a low deposit, cheaper monthly payments and no hassle of selling the vehicle at the end of the contract. You have the option of fullymaintained contracts so all you have to do is insure and fill up with fuel.

We can supply any make, any model but foremost we can give advice on different ways of acquiring your next vehicle, to make sure you are getting the best option and deal for you, using knowledge built up from over 17 years experience in the Motor Industry.

How did I get in to the Motor Industry? Despite my love of cars from a very young age, I never really thought I would end up in the Motor Industry. The dream as a youngster was to be a professional Golfer. To which end I left school at 16 (despite my parents buying all my new 6th form school uniform!!!!) to work in the Pro-Shop at Pontypool Golf club to start my PGA career, however...

Our next newsletter will be published early February 2014 so if you would like to advertise what you do or have a recent success or news story, just let us know and we will book you a space. We only have 2 slots available and it’s first come, first served for this opportunity. The maximum number of words you need to supply is 250, plus we can carry your logo and, if room, a suitable photograph.

We also have a new feature called “Meet the Member”, so if you would like to be the next one please let us know. Again, it’s first come, first served.Another 2 good reasons to be a member!!!

E-mail:[email protected] or [email protected]

Page 8

... after the first year in the Pro-Shop and not really playing as much Golf as I wanted, a Golf Club member and family friend offered to help me out by giving me the chance to work part time at his Vehicle Hire Company and play tournaments with the use of a car, and the rest, as they say, is History!!!

We have recently launched our new website, which shows 1000’s of deals which can be tailored to your specific requirements. We are proud of our customer feedback and testimonials and would welcome the opportunity to discuss any vehicle requirements you may have.

Peter Gabriel: tel: 07838 531009 | email: [email protected] | web: www.genesisvehiclesolutions.co.uk

The Torfaen Economy & Enterprise website is packed full of information on how to access advice and support to help you develop your business.

We also have a business news section within the website, giving varied business news from funding support given to success stories on winning business. So, please let us know your business success stories and we will let Torfaen and the rest of the world know. Any free publicity during these times when budgets are tight is worth taking advantage of, so if you have a story e-mail the site at: [email protected]

Our Introduce a Member scheme which was piloted for the first time this year is starting to bear fruit. Welcoming new members to Torfaen Business Voice is key to keeping our thriving local business club dynamic, diverse and vibrant.

So, we have decided to continue offering existing TBV members an incentive when they introduce a new business to TBV.

Keep spreading the word and earn £5.00 off your 2014/15 membership every time you introduce a paying new member. (up to a maximum of £50)

Make sure when you introduce a member they complete your details on the application form – see the back of this newsletter or go to www.southwalesbusiness.co.uk to download a form.*terms and conditions apply

The big advantage of the Club is that it is directed by a committee formed by representatives from local businesses, keen to make a difference and to steer the Club in a direction decided by them.

We are pleased to announce and welcome a new member to our Torfaen Business Voice Committee, Ashley Harkus - Managing Partner of Everett Tomlin Lloyd and Pratt Solicitors.

We are very lucky to have such a dedicated and supportive committee at Torfaen Business Voice and would like to say a big thank you to them for helping make the club what it is today.

Torfaen Business Voice is the area’s thriving business networking club, comprising of staff in the Economy, Enterprise and Tourism team at Torfaen County Borough Council and local Torfaen businesses keen to make a difference. Joining is simple, provides excellent value for money and offers you and your business a host of benefits. These include:

2 free places at our bustling quarterly business events which feature inspiring speakers, networking opportunities and buffet at a quality local location.Quarterly emailed newsletter with articles, tips and information tailored for local Torfaen businesses.Earn up to £50.00 off next year’s membership fee through our Introduce a Member scheme Informal and organised networking opportunities.Email bulletins with relevant, vetted information.Advance notice of other FREE Torfaen County Borough Council business events and opportunities, including business breakfasts.Your company details maintained on the Torfaen Business Voice website.Sponsorship and advertising opportunities via Torfaen Business Voice for member companies to reach the local business market.

If you are not a member of Torfaen Business Voice yet, now is as better time as any to join especially with this half price deal...

Membership usually runs from April to the end of March of each year. However, since we are currently half way through the 2013 – 2014 membership year we are able to offer pro-rata, half price rates starting from just £15.00 for companies wishing to join after 1st October 2013.

Companies under 1 year of tradingCompanies with 1 – 4 employeesCompanies with 5 + employees

Secure your October 2013 – March 2014 membership TODAY by completing the form overleaf andreturning it to us with your cheque for the relevant amount. This will entitle you to attend the next two meetings - 5th December and 6th March.

Annual Membership renewal takes place in April 2014 when the full membership rate will be applicable should you wish to renew then.

For more info: www.southwalesbusiness.co.uk | 01633 648644

was £30.00 NOW £15.00was £50.00 NOW £25.00was £65.00 NOW £32.50

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Membership Fee Please Tick as Appropriate

£50.00 (Companies with 1-4 employees)

£65.00 (Companies with 5+ employees)

£30.00 (Companies under 1 year of trading)

Company Name:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Company Address:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Contact Name:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Contact Telephone Number:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Position in Company:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

E-mail address:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Website address: www. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Brief Description of company products/services: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Post Code:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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No of employees:

Length of time business has been operating:

Under 1 year 1-5 years 6-10 years 11-15 years 16-20+ years

(Cheque payable to Torfaen County Borough Council) FREEPOST RTCX-SHBY-LCYZ Torfaen Business Voice, Economy, Enterprise & Tourism,Ty Blaen Torfaen, Panteg Way, New Inn, Pontypool, Torfaen, NP4 0LS

Now £25.00

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Introduce A Member schemeIf an existing TBV member has introduced you, pleaseenter their name and company name below:

Name :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Company Name :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Torfaen Business VoiceLlaith Busnes Torfaen

torfaen business voice newsletter december 2013 edition

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