MS Accounting Software

Following on from the disasterous launch of Microsoft's highly unstable operating system Vista which has had to be replaced they have just announced that they are to discontinue their accounting software Accounting Express and Accounting Pro.

Microsoft have stated that UK software company Mamut will provide ongoing support until 2014 but no new products will be provided after November 16th. Businesses that have purchased the Pro versions of the software in the last 30 days will be able to claim a refund.
This, however, is no compensation for all those business owners who have spent many hours inputing information into their new accounting software.

Equally lots of business support professionals like myself will have spen literally hundreds of hours coming to grips with the software and gaining Certification as Microsoft Professional Consultants apparently to no avail.

Following Microsoft's announcements to registered users and to members of the Microsoft Professional Accountants Network [MPAN] I attempted to contact Mamut UK to establish if local professonal support and training would continue to be available when owners of the software convert to the new Mamut version. As one might have expected the phone lines were constantly engaged and, as yet, not responses have been received to my email.

I am reluctant to start recommending alternatives at this stage but TAS are currently offering a free package at http://www.tassoftware.co.uk/site/tas_software which you might care to examine.

Long established in the UK QuickBooks is a very solid accounting package for which I have delivered training for many years but at a cost. Simple Start is available direct from QuickBooks http://www.quickbooks.co.uk/ at £89.95 and QuickBooks Pro at £224.95 plus VAT with discounts available from many on-line retailers.

Industry standard in the UK is probably Sage with packages from £115.00 plus VAT at http://shop.sage.co.uk/home.aspx

As for the future - watch this space, I'll keep you posted.

Internet Selling

The latest research that has been carried out for PayPay has found that 94% of people in the countryside are now shopping on line. Here, in the provinces, this probably includes thousands of people who are living in small towns that lack specialist retailers.

The more forward looking retailers are already adding to the sales from the bricks-and-mortar premises by developing e-commerce websites that allow them to stock larger ranges than would be possible for local demand but is perfect for a national customer base.

Practically all Internet Service Providers are offering DIY website development tools that can see the new generation of e-tailers on line within hours. These opportunities are simply to good to miss and with this sort of numbers shifting to buying on line the traditional retailer ignores them at their peril.

The current disputes with the mail service may well be causing some problems but there are hundreds of courier services building up capacity to take some of the strain.

Social Networking in business

The lastest information out of America is that small business is increasingly using social networking sites as a way of promoting their businesses.

Classic amongst these is be creating 'how to videos' that show potential customers how to do various jobs using the tools that you provide. You can also show them the traditional before and after info of the sort of services that you provide.

Today most of us have a digital camera and even the simplest of these will shoot video of sufficient quality for use on the Internet. They even come with some video editing software to help you put together a simple production that can be uploaded to your web site or to You Tube with a link from your web site or blog.

Blogs seem to be the way marketing is moving forward from the traditional newsletter approach but a zero cost. You can create a blog with services such www.blogspot.com or www.wordpress.com and use them to keep your customers informed about the latest developments in your business.

Do remember to make sure that the information your provide is interesting, relevant and to the point. If people find it interesting they come time and time again to read your blog but if it's simply another advert they will quickly lose interest. The golden rule is 80/20, 80% is interesting 20% sells your product or service.

If you want to know more about it visit these sites for the latest information or if you are thinking of starting a new business in Pennine Lancashire make an appointment to talk over your business idea with an adviser at one of the Enterprise Trusts and ask their advice about the various elements you should consider when planning your marketing.

Writing to sell

Most people haven't written a proper letter in years, a few scribbled words on birthday and Christmas cards, gr8 2 c u lol, on a text message, short emails rushed though without a lot of thought seem to sum up most people's literary achievements these days.

If we are trying to SELL then it really makes sense to work hard at composing messages that will persuade your potential customers to buy. More and more of my clients are sending me emails with an outline of what they are trying to achieve and asking for help. Of course I am happy to oblige if I can but often pressure of work delays the sort of help I can provide. So why not try it yourself.

I make no apologies for suggesting a structured or template for a selling letter because if it works why not use it.

Start off by telling the reader, your prospective customer, about the problems they are facing now. Let's be honest if they don't have a problem with their current supplier it's going to be really difficult to get them to buy from you. So research the problems, is it too high a price, to0 large delivery minimum quantities, poor delivery service, bad packaging, poor response to enquiries or any of the other problems we all come up against today.

If we get this right our potential customer will already be, figuratively if not literally, nodding agreement as they read the first paragraph. If we have got agreement at this stage it looks really good for us as we proceed.

Next we tell them how we can help, how we can solve the problems they are facing. Our price is right, our service is spot on and our delivery service can't do enough to help. The third paragraph will tell them what to do next, it could be to ring our free phone number, write to us at our free post address, send us an email to see how we can help them make more profit, cut their working hours or increase their sales.

Then tell them as a matter of courtesy we will be telephoning them in the next few days to answer any questions they may have or to arrange a meeting to discuss our product or services in more detail. Finally thank them for taking the time to read the letter and express the wish to meet them in the near future.

Don't just rely on the spelling checker, read your letter through carefully and check any words you are not sure about in the dictionary. Before you send out the letter or email get someone to proof read it for you. It's surprising how often the proof reader will point out areas difficult to understand or where you aren't getting your message across.

If you have got a large mailing list don't mail the entire list at one go, try your letter on a small sample to see if it works. This is one of the beauties of direct mail, you can always test and measure the effect. You might want to have two or three version of the letter that you can test to see which version works best.

New ways to learn about business

So you thought that everybody walking the streets with earphone wires dangling into their pockets were listening to their favourite music.



You could be wrong because lots of people with iPods are downloading information to help them run their business better from the iPhones Store.

You can download iTunes free from http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ and then visit the iTunes store and on the tab marked iTunes U - the iTunes University - you will find lots of downloads on business topics from such prestigious institutions as Oxford and Cambridge Universities. And the vast majority are all FREE.


So with one or two of these offerings you can use your iPod to assist your Continuing Professional Development and increase your knowledge. Knowledge, as they say, is power. Power to increase the profits of your business.

More Business Support available

The next No Limits workshop programme for October, starts on Tuesday 6th October at Blackburn Enterprise Centre on Furthergate, next to the Tesco store, and we have at least 20 people booked who are keen to find out what starting your own business is all about and what to they need to know.

Once again I will be presenting the workshop programme in Blackburn and you can listen to me talking about the programme in my last blog.

My colleages working in the rest of Pennine Lancashire will be presenting similar programme is Burnley, Hyndburn and Pendle. The full time table for October and November workshops is on our website at http://www.enterprisetrust.co.uk/ . If you would like come and join us do remember to book as the places are often taken. Ring 0800 612 2029 to get in touch with your local Enterprise Trust.

We have now completed the first month under the new regime with me providing business advice and workshops under the umbrella of Pennine Lancashire Enterprise Trust.

What a month it has been with not only that change but also the start to delivering services under a new contract with North West Development Agency, the Intensive Start-Up Support Programme.

This new contract has given us the opportunity to offer our services to an even greater number of people looking for business advice. Amongst the comments I have received recently have been clients saying, " I can't believe it's free, to be able to come in a talk over my business idea with someone who really knows what they are talking about, and for free."

There's not much free these days but this support from No Limits and North West Development Agency really is so don't hesitate to take advantage of it. Today there are no barriers to starting your own business, lots of advice from experienced business advisers and in some cases there is are even grants available to help you set up. All that it needs is lots of enthusiasm from you, and to be honest, a lot of hard work to plan it carefully and make it work.

The No Limits Programme

Hear how the No Limits programme could help you start your own business

To find out more 0800 612 2029 or http://www.no-limits.org.uk/