This interactive North Devon Business Alliance taster session at 6pm on Thursday 22 July 2010 demonstrates how to get started on twitter and facebook to:

• tap into the growing North Devon online community.
• increase your business presence.
• boost traffic to your web site.
• sell your products and services online.

The session will be run by Kevin Woodward (@llamakevin) and Robert Zarywacz (@robertz), two of the most experienced online networkers and social media users in North Devon.

To get the best value, you will be invited to register twitter and facebook accounts in advance. You are welcome to bring your wireless laptop along to participate live in online discussion (although not essential).

Learn how to

• Use twitter and facebook.
• Exploit the power of searches.
• Create online profiles.
• Join the North Devon online community.

Participant numbers will be limited to 12. Cost is £5 for NDBA members, £10 for non-members.

Book your place now
Please call 0333 044 2038 or email info@ndba.org.uk

Download Introduction to Social Media flyer.

The session will be hosted by Graham Lofthouse (@glofthouse) at Devonshire Asset Management, 16 Silver Street, Barnstaple, EX32 8HR.
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Visit ndba.org.uk

Follow northdevon on twitter and NDevonbusiness on facebook

Posted via email from z2zine

There’ll be lots of government agencies and business advisers present to offer free advice to all business.

We’ll be tweeting from the event and hope to see you there or else say hello to you on twitter and follow #fsbnd

Follow Kevin at @llamakevin

Follow Multiheat Energy Systems at @infraredheating

Follow Zarywacz at @z2zine

Follow me at @robertz

What do you have to do? Just register at betternetworking.co.uk/blog and follow the online clues to answer the questions.

What is Better Networking? A new UK-based networking site with an emphasis on building real business relationships in a friendly atmosphere. Take a look at betternetworking.co.uk.

PS Our next z2zine blog will be published shortly.

Communication is the primary business tool. Whether you’re negotiating finance with the bank, instructing suppliers, motivating staff or selling to customers, you depend on words to inform people and to persuade them to take action. Instructions have to be clear, motivational messages inclusive and marketing messages compelling: our choice of words and how we use them can determine whether or not we achieve our business objectives.

If you’d like to  join in the chat on Thursday, visit betternetworking.co.uk.

What struck me was how many car boot sellers not only turned up and paid for their pitches – which generated cash for the theatre group – but also enjoyed it and booked future sales through the season. As usual, a number did very well and some not so well, but business was generated. Buyers also enjoyed browsing and picking up bargains. A small event, perhaps, but generating enterprise all the same.

It got me thinking about how I used my marketing skills to promote the event in the local press, on car boot and other web sites and by calling seasoned car booters. I also had to manage the cars and allocate spaces, collect pitch fees, hand out details of further events and act as marshall.

It made me think of all the different skills we have which we can call upon to make an enterprise successful, whether big or small. This is especially important in challenging times when perhaps we all need to work harder, be more inventive and develop our skills further. Like this car boot sale, sometimes it’s simply a case of applying skills we use daily for a different purpose.

One car boot sale won’t restart the global, national or even local economy, but it provided an opportunity for enterprising people to raise some cash through putting in some effort. Replicate that effort a hundred, thousand or million times and it can make a real difference to communities and businesses.

For me Sunday was a successful day of unexpected enterprise.

Robert Zarywacz