#Direct #Marketing #Tip – Sales letter

Check the flow of your letter. Your letter should flow smoothly from section to section. Lose your course and you might lose your reader. Also, if you use a teaser copy on your envelope or in your email subject line, make sure your headline or first sentence picks up where the teaser left off.

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State of the UK Angel Market

Colin Mason (University of Strathclyde) and Richard Harrison (Queens University Belfast) have just completed their 102 page annual report on the state of the UK Angel Market in the UK. The report was compiled from 20 of the 24 Angel Networks that belong to the British Business Angels Association.

These are just some of the statistics:

• Average Mean Investment: £192,634
• Number of businesses receiving funding: 233
• Average number of investors: 2.5
• Mean per investor per deal: £77,053
• UK Investment: £63.8m
• Registered Angels: 5,500
• % of all business plans received presented to investors: 10%
• Sole Investors (England): 58% of deals
• Investments with less than 3 investors: 30% of deals
• Deals greater than £500K: 8%
• First round deals: 32% of total
• Change in angel Activity since previous year: 35% lower
• EIS Activity (from HMRC): 27% Lower
• Investments using EIS: 76 %

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Be an Effective Leader at Work

There will always be a person in an organization that stands out among the group. A natural born leader, he will always be looked upon as a mentor or as a role model. While there are natural born leaders, there are those who are struggling just to get some attention.

A good leader won’t have a hard time influencing others; naturally, people will follow an effective leader. One who demonstrated a passion on his work will inspire others to attain a vision. Lee Lacocca is a classic example of this determination. During the 1980’s, Chrysler’s fortune reached its lowest. To show his confidence that the company would regain its footing, Lacocca cut his salary to only $1! Obviously, the company survived and continues to flourish at present.

Aside from the sheer determination exhibited by Lee, there are many other characteristics that a leader should possess. Some are innate to an individual while others can be learned and developed. Some of these important qualities are:

1.    Humility. Definitely, humility is one of the most important attributes to be a leader. In spite of enormous accomplishments, a manager who remains to be humble will ultimately win the trust and respect of his subordinates.

2.    A team player. Getting into the team isn’t just leading them but living with them. Knowing, meeting, training, inspiring, and growing with the team are essential acts that can be done to be a good team player. Cooperative moves can be instrumental to attaining success.

3.    Punctual and visible. A good leader is always seen. Being punctual is one good reflection of the seriousness towards a job. Being seen also means regular visitation to each unit; not just to criticize or check the work but for some pleasantries. Listening to other’s points of views can inspire the employees and make them feel important.

4.    Give trust and empower his subordinates. A leader empowers and gives other a say in minor decisions. Empowerment is a good sign that a leader is trusting. Delegation of work can lessen workloads and develop confidence among the work force.

5.    Thinker. Continuous learning and acquisition of thoughts necessitates a leader’s everyday work. Good leadership encompasses mind boggling situations wherein a manager should think and draw his inferences.

Workplace can be analogous to a war zone with lots of problems and conflicts to solve but having a good leader can be one of the keys to resolving all of these. A leader, no matter how excellent carries some imperfections. Being a good leader at work not only needs managerial skills but the soft skills that include feelings and empathy among co-workers.

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#Direct #Marketing #Tip – P.S.

Always end your letter with a P.S. The P.S. is one of the most frequently read portions of a letter even when other sections are skipped. Take advantage of this by driving home an impressive benefit, sweetening your offer, or otherwise motivating your prospects to act now.

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HMRC stance on Time to Pay scheme may force UK economy into a double-dip recession

The announcement in March of this year that the HMRC Time to Pay scheme (TTP) – a scheme launched to help ailing businesses delay their tax payments – was to be extended for another five years was met with a huge sigh of relief by the business community.

However, news in August of this year that HMRC is withholding statistical information regarding the tax deferral scheme has been met with alarm by many insolvency practitioners. The information is used by these practitioners to determine whether a business is likely to be successful in achieving delayed tax repayment under the scheme, and the fact that HMRC is withholding it has been viewed by many as an indication that the Government is attempting to dissuade businesses from using the scheme.

Read full article: http://www.cashflowuk.com/news/2010/sep/hmrc-stance-on-time-to-pay-scheme.html

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#Direct #Marketing #Tip – Incentives

Give your prospects an incentive to take action NOW. Offer discounts, free merchandise, time limits, or iron-clad guarantees to help ease your prospects over whatever makes them feel reluctant.

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How to Sow Dreams for a Great Tomorrow and Be a Leader in Your Field

Many people dream about being the best in their field: fledgling architects dream about designing the best buildings that challenge gravity and rival imagination; young scientists dream about finding cures to diseases that haven’t even been described in full; starting writers dream about writing the next great novel or poem that will be studied and loved by generations to come. The advantage to being at the bottom of the ladder is that you can dream about rising to the top; the greatest disadvantage is that you can often stay at the bottom for a long time if you don’t take action toward achieving your dreams.

How can you be a great leader in your chosen field? First, you have to select your field. Many people make the mistake of dreaming about being leaders, but end up going from one career to the next without making any considerable progress in each one. If you know your field of specialty, then you can plan exactly where you want your career to go, and how you should achieve what you want.

Second, take steps toward being an expert in your field. Today’s wired world seems to advocate having multiple specialties and doing many things at once. Although this can seem easy with all your communication equipment in tow, you can lose focus along the way and end up tired – but without anything to show for it! Stick with one field and be an expert in it. The key to success is to hone your craft, so do whatever you can to be an expert in your field: attend workshops, join conferences, enroll in educational classes, and read as much as you can.

Third, network and make friends! As soon as you know your field well enough, you will understand that your expertise isn’t entirely self-dependent. Scientists need communicators to make lay people understand the importance of their findings. Architects need accountants to determine the feasibility of their projects. Writers need different experts to confirm the credibility of their work. Make friends, not only in your field, but in the fields of people who can help you in the future.

Fourth and last, set goals for yourself. A well-stated goal can help you achieve success quickly. If being an expert means you should have a PhD, then study for one. If you must publish your work, do so. If you need practice in your sport, practice, practice, practice! The best leaders in their fields not only worked toward greatness, but took the most effective steps in achieving success as soon as they could.

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The 50 fastest-growing companies in the UK

A sofa retailer based in Greater Manchester tops a list of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the UK, according to research from Business XL magazine, the sister title to GrowthBusiness.

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