Capital Enterprise is happy to welcome the City of London Business Library as a member. As you will see below the City of London Business Library helps organise and host a whole menu of workshops and advice sessions for Londoners wishing to start or grow a business. This is in addition to running one of London’s most comprehensive and easy to use business reference libraries. So if you are either a would be entrepreneur looking for support or a Capital Enterprise member looking for a venue to host an event, you will definitely want to visit www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/cbl
In the meantime please check out below the wonderful programme of workshops and offers available at the City of London Library in the next 6 weeks.
Free one-to-one marketing advice from the experts!
The Worshipful Company of Marketors have kindly agreed to offer this unique opportunity to examine and review your company’s marketing plan for free! The workshop will take place on Thursday, 17th February- I will confirm your time slot in advance. If you wish to take advantage of this fantastic offer please send me the following by Friday 4th February:
* A one-page industry and sector summary showing your marketplace structure, company share, market size and growth rate.
* A one-page company summary showing the ownership structure, marketing background and experience within your company. Please provide a summary of your trading history. What have been the growth drivers and patterns to date? Please provide summary financial data.
* Briefly summarise what makes your company better than and different to your competitors, in ways that are valued by and add value to your customers, that can’t be easily copied
* A short statement on what you see as the factors currently limiting business growth.
* 1-2 pages on what you want to ask, and which area do you feel that you benefit from marketing advice
The workshop will be run by two senior members of the City Livery Company, the Worshipful Company of Marketors. They have extensive business and marketing experience in many business sectors, geographies and with organisations of all sizes. Every session will be strictly confidential and limited to your own staff (maximum 3) – similarly all information that you supply will be kept confidential and used only for the purposes of the individual session. Each session will last 45-50 minutes. If you applied for the last session in 2010 and were unable to get an appointment, please resubmit your application.
Please reply directly to Goretti Considine at goretti.considine@cityoflondon.gov.uk. She will contact you after the 4th February to let you know if your application has been accepted and to allocate a time slot for the 17th Feb.
Free seminars, so get booking…
The City of London Business Library has over 50 seminars and workshops for you in February so there’s bound to be something that takes your fancy. All the ones listed here have some spaces left at the moment so drop us an email if you would like to come to any of them. As always, there is no charge for any of them owing to the generosity of our speakers to whom we are immensely grateful; we couldn’t do it without you!
There are also a few places left on these January seminars:
Reduce the hidden cost of meetings
Monday 24 January 10.00 -11.30pm
At a time when all organisations are mindful of the demands on precious resources, Susie Kay of The Professionalism Group will help you to take an objective look at the hidden costs of meetings of all kinds and, as a bonus, reclaim your diary. These issues apply to all of us, as individuals and as employees in organisations of all types and sizes, so your experiences will be welcome as part of the discussion.
Motivated to succeed
Monday 24 January 2.30 – 4.30pm
Are you sabotaging your own chances of success? Find out in this fast-paced, dynamic workshop from life and business coach Hazel Walker -– and discover how to get out of your own way and make the most of your natural resources.
It’s a big deal-winning contracts in the public sector
Tuesday 25 January 2.30 – 4.30pm
As the impact of the recession continues to be felt in the public sector there are many opportunities for ambitious business entrepreneurs to successfully bid for contracts. Working collaboratively is proving to be increasingly successful and encouraged. Come and find out from a successful collaborative enterprise how to grow your business in partnership with others. Partnership Working Ltd offers practical and tested guidance for successful collaboration. Hilda Stearn will lead the discussion and provide an invaluable insight drawn from her experiences and those of her clients. Collaboration is an important ‘route to market’. Come and find out if it is the right one for your business.
Self assessment online seminar & drop in day
Thursday 27 January 9.45 – 11.45am
Do you have a tax return to complete? In partnership with City Business Library, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs staff will help self-employed people through the tax jungle including the benefits of online filing. There is also a drop in day from 10.00am-4.00pm – a last chance to do your online self-assessment with individual help from the HMRC advisers (no booking required for the drop in sessions but please book for the Self assessment seminar).
Fashion Brands: How to maximise your trade show investment and get more sales! Guaranteed
Friday 28 January 10.30am – 12noon
Are you involved in the fashion industry? Thierry Bayle of Global Fashion Management has been working with fashion companies for over 18 years both in Europe and the USA. He will show you how to present yourself, prepare for trade shows, make successful connections and transform those into sales. If you are going to attend a fashion trade show in the UK, Europe or the USA, this seminar will help you generate more sales.
February workshops and seminars
It’s about more life, not more work. Linking exciting personal goals to boring business objectives
Tuesday 1 February, 2.15 – 4.30pm
Alan Sellers of Coaching Wins will consider how you can build a bridge between your exciting personal goals and objectives in your business or career. This seminar will give you useful tools to help you get the balance right in your life. He will also give you tips on how to create your Personal Success Plan.
Going Global -– Fast-Track Your Business into China
Tuesday 1 February, 6.00 – 8.30pm
It is never too late to invest time, energy & money taking your business into the Chinese market – in fact, as the World recovers from economic recession, this could be an excellent window of opportunity. Ignore the greatest market in the World at your peril!! There are copyright issues, quality control needs improvement, and there is a different political system, as well as the obvious language barrier, cultural differences and alternative business code of conduct. Use Grace Bian’s expertise, of Global Business Associates and let’s see how we can cut through all of the red tape and fast-track your business into the China market with maximum efficiency.
Effortless sales
Wednesday 2 February, 10.00am -12.00noon
Do you hate the selling part of your job? Do you ever wonder why some organisations seem to achieve effortless sales? Is lack of sales holding you back from taking the business to the next level? Does more than 60% of your business come from one type of client (or even one customer)? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, Bambo Onigbanjo of Platinum Integrations will show you how you can create systems for making the selling process easier. She will explore improving the profitability of your existing product portfolio, tools for improving client recruitment, foreign markets, funding the changes needed when growth accelerates, etc.
How VAT works
Wednesday 2 February, 2.15 – 4.15pm
In partnership with City Business Library, staff from Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs will help those not already registered for VAT understand when to register and how to account for and monitor their VAT turnover.
Redundant –- now what?
Thursday 3 February, 10.00am – 12.00noon
Research states that unemployment can have negative effects on the health, psyche and relationships of individuals… but it does not have to be that way. In this participative workshop, Nicky Stone from Happy Ltd and Nicole Kollermann from Inspiring Perspectives are going to help you:
* Come up with ideas of how to develop while you’re jobless
* Provide you with resources to equip you for your job hunting expedition
* Create structures to ensure you will still “get things done”
* Give you an opportunity to network with people who are in the same boat as you are
This workshop is for the newly unemployed and anyone else who would like to make the most out of their situation.
How to present yourself confidently
Thursday 3 February, 10.00am – 12.00noon
How do you ensure your message is clear? Would you like to enhance your influencing skills? Could a few tips make your communication even more effective? In this short interactive workshop Kate Atkin of Aspire 2 will provide you with tips, tools and techniques to help you present yourself, and your message, with confidence whether talking to senior management, staff or colleagues… or indeed others out of the workplace. Kate will cover making the right impact; creating (or faking!) confidence and the powerful three-step influencing tool from ancient Greece.
Planning for fundraising
Friday 4 February, 10.00am – 12.00noon
Are you planning to raise finance within the next 6 months? Are you concerned that you may not be able to secure the funds you need? Have you ever been turned down for funding? Are you planning to grow or change your business in anyway within the next six months?
Did you answer yes to any of the above? If so, Bambo Onigbanjo’s seminar will address many (if not all your worries). The seminar looks at all the core elements of a business plan targeted at funding providers. We will also explore all the other preparation needed before making contact with a funding provider (yes – there is more to funding than a killer plan). Finally we will explore the different funding sources and how the work done when preparing your business plan can help select the most releva
nt partner.
Digital communication – a catalyst for change….for you & your company?
Monday 7 February, 10.00am -12.00noon
With social media as a focal point; has strategic thinking, planning and communication changed? Or is it simply, but not to be underestimated, a fundamental change in human behaviour? In this third event ‘Digital communication a catalyst for change…for you and your company?’, in the series Human Leadership and its potential Katrin Andersson, will together with her Swedish business partner Anna-Maria Berggren open up a discussion based on insights on why and how the digital era is an enabler for change. Together with you we will embark on a journey exploring change in leadership, organisation structures and communication strategies.
It’s a big deal-winning contracts in the public sector
Monday 7 February, 2.30 – 4.30pm
As the impact of the recession continues to be felt in the public sector there are many opportunities for ambitious business entrepreneurs to successfully bid for contracts. Working collaboratively is proving to be increasingly successful and encouraged. Come and find out from a successful collaborative enterprise how to grow your business in partnership with others. Partnership Working Ltd offers practical and tested guidance for successful collaboration. Hilda Stearn will lead the discussion and provide an invaluable insight drawn from her experiences and those of her clients. Collaboration is an important ‘route to market’. Come and find out if it is the right one for your business.
Targeting your audience and defining your marketing mix
Tuesday 8 February, 10.00am -12.00noon
If you are starting a small business or looking to take initial marketing steps to promote your business, it is essential that you know your audience and how to reach them. In this training, Amber Raney-Kincade will discuss how to target your audience by identifying them and how to reach them through the various marketing channels that are available. This is known as the marketing mix, and getting it wrong can be expensive, time-consuming, and disappointing. Let’s avoid all of that by getting it right the first time!
High street to online – going online for retailers and restaurants
Tuesday 8 February, 2.00 – 4.30pm
Do you run a shop or restaurant? Do you want to make more use on the Internet to gain new customers? Are your competitors making better use of online to steal your customers? Tony Cattermole of Business Link will help you learn about the things that your website developer doesn’t tell you. Learn how to be successful in Google, and how to drive customers to your website. Understand the need to integrate stock and sales management across your offline and online businesses.
Complaints, relationships and service: key components of any business growth strategy
Wednesday 9 February, 10.30am – 12.00noon
In today’s competitive climate, more and more businesses are realising that business relationships will strengthen their position in the marketplace. In a tough market it is increasingly difficult to win new business, hence the importance of protecting and growing the asset you already have – your existing customer base. The customer experience is vital to organisational success and how people behave can make a real difference to that experience. Their actions can transform customers into loyal ambassadors who can play a key part in the success of any organisation.
With every new encounter, you are evaluated and yet another person’s impression of you is formed. These first impression can be nearly impossible to reverse or undo, making these first encounters extremely important, for they set the tone for the all the relationships that follow. Adrian Swinscoe will provide you with practical tips and a framework to help equip us to build better relationships with your own people as well as our customers – all of course with an eye on the goal to deliver sustainable growth.
Alternative networking
Wednesday 9 February, 2.30 – 4.30pm
Uncomfortable at Networking events? Lacking confidence?
Perhaps there is a different way, different events, more suited to bring you success. Especially if you’re selling skills rather than widgets, the alternative approach maybe for you. See how to use NLP skills to transform your business. Christina, WISE Woman on a Mission will bring out the best in you.
Setting up a limited company
Thursday 10 February, 9.45 – 11.45am
In partnership with City Business Library, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs staff will look at the tax implications of setting up a limited company in the UK.
Guerrilla Marketing – Insights into Your Target Market
Friday 11 February, 10.00am – 12.00noon
Guerrilla Marketing is the realisation of conventional goals using unconventional means. How would you like to gain an advantage by discovering who are the four major mass demographic target markets? In addition, you will learn about each of their backgrounds, outlooks and examples of the type of message themes they will be attracted to. Knowing this will help to create leverage in your marketing endeavours, like sharpening your mission statement through to developing your marketing strategy. Bybreen Samuels, of Insights To Impact Ltd will offer highlights and tactics during this session.
Assertiveness Part 1 & Part 2
Friday 11 February & 18 February, 2.30 – 4.30pm
Learn how to communicate directly, calmly and convincingly – with confidence and without aggression. Hazel Walker of Redbird Coaching will give you a better understanding of good communication and discover how to identify and manage confidence sappers. You’ll be able immediately to apply a set of straightforward rules to improve your own communication style.
What do you do when the going gets tough and the tough get going? You reach for your “stress busters”
Monday 14 February, 10.00am – 12.00noon
Stress is something which affects us all. With cuts in manpower and ever burgeoning workloads in the workplace and trying to manage the work-life balance, stress not only affects us at work but ultimately finds its way into our personal lives.
Esther Austin, Coach, Counsellor, Reiki Practitioner will show you how to identify and manage stress more effectively, providing simple coping mechanisms and techniques which will empower your life and how you operate in the workplace into a calmer place.She will also guide you through a brief 10 minute meditation and visualisation session as part of the informative process of managing stress.
Motivate your staff to love their jobs
Monday 14 February, 2.30 – 4.00pm
Come to this event on St. Valentine’s Day when “love is in the air”! Your staff spend a large proportion of their lives working and they will work so much more productively if they love their job. In this session Pat Rosser of Rosser & Terrier will show employers how a happy and highly motivated workforce, working to their full potential, will greatly enhance their business and profits.
The Power of praise and constructive criticism
Tuesday 15 February, 2.30 – 4.00pm
Feedback can be a powerful tool – but like any tool it can be dangerous in the wrong hands! Tara Daynes looks at the features of effective positive & negative feedback, and the skills & techniques of delivering it for maximum impact. We will also look at why we find feedback so hard to give, and the possible pitfalls if it’s not delivered in the best way!
Successful prospecting in network marketing
Wednesday 16 February, 10.00am -12.00noon
What’s stopping you from total success when prospecting fac
e to face in your Network Marketing or MLM Business?
Anthony Charles’ introductory workshop will enable you to build a solid foundation for your Network Marketing Business. You will learn that you don’t have to be a super salesman or a recruiting machine to be successful in this industry. When you leave this workshop you will:
* Identify what’s holding you back, and how to turn it around so you can begin to achieve success in your business.
* Learn how to present your business professionally and with confidence.
* Learn the key secret to successful sponsoring.
* Discover the basis on how to build, motivate and maintain a strong loyal team!
This seminar is for distributors building face to face (not 100% online) Network Marketing Business. It is designed to give you confidence through competence. Come and learn how to develop your team and your customer base and make your business work for you.
What the heck is social media? How can it help you grow your business and should you be using it?
Wednesday 16 February, 2.00 – 3.30pm
Social Media has been the big story of 2009 and 2010 but many business owners and executives are mystified by its seeming complexity and how they can apply it to their business. In this seminar, Adrian Swinscoe will be sharing his layman’s experience of Social Media, asking some key questions to help you figure out how you could be applying it to your business, and some practical tips and strategies to help you get started (or not).
How to manage complex change projects – and succeed!
Thursday 17 February, 10.00am – 12.00noon
Is your organisation implementing a new IT system to improve efficiency? Or merging or restructuring to cut costs? Did you know that 70% of such projects fail to deliver the planned benefits? Can you afford yours to be one of those?
Peter Duschinsky of The Imaginist Company has developed a set of models and tools to help you de-risk your project and avoid disaster. Come along and find out how to assess the complexity of your project and discover whether your organisation has the capability to cope with it.
Create the life you desire whilst working in the City
Thursday 17 February, 12.30 – 1.30pm
We all recognise that the City has changed rapidly over the past 5 years and it will continue to do so in many areas. So, if you feel that you’re ready to embrace change and create the life you desire then please attend this seminar — I can assure you that you won’t be disappointed! Nikki Hutchison www.chillipepperglobal.com
Champions live their vision
Friday 18 February, 10.00am – 12.00noon
Is your life living up to the vision? Have you connected with your assignment for your life? Have you discovered what problem you are here to solve? Maybe you have forgotten the long-term vision or have not yet clearly designed it. If not, then this workshop is for you! If you want an outstanding and compelling future – you have to design it. Katrina Prentice’s style of teaching will be fun, informative, fast-paced – yet rewarding.
The Season of Winter and the element water
Monday 21 February, 2.30 – 4.30pm
How does winter affect your health and well being? Do you love it or hate it?
Find out how you can enjoy better health during the winter months if winter is a difficult season for you. Reena Zaska is a 5 element acupuncturist with 24 years experience. She is an interesting speaker and can happily answer questions you bring.
Debt proofing your business from the ground up
Tuesday 22 February, 10.00am – 12.00noon
Following on from many questions that were raised at their last seminar, Clayton Coke of PRMS Ltd will address how the debt problems within a business originate and illustrate ways of laying a solid yet flexible foundation, for good business and best practice. There will be a lively, relaxed and informative atmosphere, with plenty of scope for questions and discussion.
Communication – making an impact
Tuesday 22 February, 2.00 – 4.00pm
How do YOU communicate effectively? This interactive workshop is all about well presented positive and effective communication making an impact on our private and business relationships. Incorporating Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) exercises, Sibylle Chaudhuri, Systemic and NLP Coach, will cover how to use your words and energy to make your audience understand and feel you; how to understand messages passed onto you, and how to prepare communication, build rapport and trust, and keep your communication harmonious and in flux.
Self assessment online
Wednesday 23 February, 2.15 – 4.15pm
Do you have a tax return to complete? In partnership with City Business Library, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs staff will help self-employed people through the tax jungle including the benefits of online filing.
Successful networking for business and pleasure
Thursday 24 February, 9.45am – 12.00noon
What’s stopping you from successfully meeting people at Networking Events?
Anthony Charles’ introduction to Networking for Business And Pleasure is designed to help you to begin to build confidence and raise your self esteem. Learn key secrets to building your self confidence; learn how to approach strangers at events with more confidence; learn how to join or leave a group conversation; and learn the secret key to effective networking. There will also be an opportunity to practice some of your new skills in a supportive productive environment.
Employing your first manager
Thursday 24 February, 2.00 – 4.30pm
Has your business grown so you’re struggling to keep all the balls in the air? Do you wish that you had someone experienced to delegate to? Come to this Business Link workshop to learn about how to stabilise the growth of your company by developing a management structure, understand roles and responsibilities, recruit, train and motivate a manager that you can trust to create the foundations for future growth.
Dress for success
Friday 25 February, 10.00am – 12.00noon
The way you present yourself to the world is reflected back in the kind of opportunities life offers you. Sandra Hutton-Miller will give you an overview of how to discover your own unique style – a defined image that will enhance every aspect of your life through increased confidence and self-belief. Express who you are, live the life you want to live and build the foundations for a better future!
6 steps to building a better business
Friday 25 February, 10.30am – 1.00pm
Do you want to learn how to increase your profits by 61%? Get the chance to step out of your business for 2 hours and get focused. Benefit from 2 hours of marketing concepts, sales promotions and profit building strategies. Sima Awad of ActionCOACH will give you a clearer direction and new tools to achieve your goals faster.
You’ll learn financial planning for business owners, how to take immediate control of the time you spend at your business, how to turn your advertising and marketing into an investment instead of an expense and how to get back thousands of pounds in lost profits. You’ll also learn how to work ON your business instead of IN your business!
Fed up at work – It’s time to change
Friday 25 February, 2.30 – 4.00pm
* Learn how to identify and conquer personal barriers to work fulfilment
* Learn powerful strategies to align purpose and passions with your job
* Boost your confidence to go for what you really want
* Massively improve your earning power
Dion Johnson of Unlocking Potentials will show you how.
The 24/7 professional: reputation management in social media
Monday 28 February, 10.00am -12.00noon
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” (Warren Buffet) It is said that your reputation is what people say about you when you are not in the room. It is the most valuable asset you own and it is essential that you manage it. But is this possible with the growth of social media? Join Kathy Ennis for a session that will explore the true meaning of reputation management and its application in the social media context.
If you want to find out more about any of these programmes, please e-mail: cbl@cityoflondon.gov.uk
