Madness at the Ulster Bank #hackmakethebank hackathon

Was just part of a meeting preparing for the upcoming Ulster Bank hackathon in the Dogpatchlab in CHQ on 29-31 January.

On the programme, apart from hacking is Techball, lessons in Irish dancing, food, drink and massages.

For good measure, participants can win Spheros. Yep, the robot that is the basis of BB-8 in Star Wars

I am concerned! If you want to be part of this madness, you need to be fast, tickets are quickly running out. Book your place here

The post Madness at the Ulster Bank #hackmakethebank hackathon appeared first on Small Business Can.

How Start-ups can use Technology to Win Hearts and Minds

In business, virtually everything you do needs to revolve around the security, interests, and well-being of your customers. From a customer’s perspective, the business that gives them the best value will get the most attention and loyalty. Thus, aside from spending prodigious amounts of marketing capital attempting to reach new prospects, it’s equally important to understand the dynamic of your relationship with existing customers.

There are numerous things that click together when someone decides to make a purchase. With data, you will be able to unlock this treasure-trove of information, with which you can analyze, on a grand scale, the behaviors and attitudes that will help you build a loyal customer base and refresh the rapport you have with those already within your customer list.

With the multitude of online and mobile commerce options, it can sometimes be difficult to retain customers, despite the advantage that being open to a global market presents. To make it easier to sift through mountains of data on existing and prospective customers, you can turn to big data, professional experts, and social analytics. Basically, anywhere customers can be reached and any technology that can be used to analyze their behaviors plays a role in solidifying the relationships businesses and independent professionals have with them.

Let’s have a look at some of the ways in which technology could be applied in the manner we have described.

Big data makes businesses clean up their catering

The concept of big data analysis has been around for many years, but only recently have we begun to understand the impact it can have on improving the way that enterprises are run. One potential application of big data is analyzing and optimizing one’s own operations with relation to customers. These platforms can let individual professionals and even multi-million-dollar large enterprises have a bird’s-eye view of all transactions, allowing them to spot inefficiencies in their business models that could turn off prospects and which can push away those who are loyal to them.

In the long run, having access to data on internal operations can provide an understanding of the way clients react to variables in the business. As a result, managers can make adjustments along the way, in the aim of optimizing marketing, sales or customer-service activities to ensure customer satisfaction. Through big data, businesses need not simply follow the status quo of imitating or one-upping the competition (although it’s not always a bad idea). Analytics empowers entrepreneurs and business managers to quickly improve the way they cater to customers with better precision and care.

Marketing oneself as an expert is made easy with the right platforms

For professional individuals independently providing services, the playing field seems a bit skewed, favoring large trusted corporations. Having a rating attached to one’s name helps eliminate this, giving freelancers the ability to market one’s abilities and compete on the same arena as more established counterparts. Expert marketing platforms Like PrestoExperts provide such services, connecting experts with potential customers through a review-based system that fosters trust-based relationships between customer and service-provider.

Using these platforms need not be restricted merely to individual users, however. Larger consultancy and expertise-based businesses can encourage their employees to leverage the power of social media and word of mouth in order to likewise compete against more agile individual professional services outfits.

Social media can be a gold mine for customer engagement

The rise of social media has created an immense opportunity for businesses to connect directly with customers and prospects. While the platform provides a multitude of opportunities, it’s not necessarily just minimal effort required. Businesses are increasingly engaging customers through platforms like Twitter and Facebook, and witty and harder-hitting replies have been known to go viral.

Using these platforms on a standalone basis may not be enough, however, especially given the millions of conversations happening at any given time. Businesses can leverage B2B social media management platforms in order to better monitor conversations, engage customers and increase brand equity through a social presence. Good public interaction with customers can be used to capture customers’ hearts and minds.

Conclusion

No business can achieve sustainable growth without keeping customers happy. The customer experience will always change, and customers will continue to expect more out of businesses as they get accustomed to being pampered. Thus, businesses will need an adequate set of tools, skill sets and technologies in use, in order to ensure a stellar customer experience everytime.

The post How Start-ups can use Technology to Win Hearts and Minds appeared first on Small Business Can.

Want a slice of a 37 trillion business opportunity?

Business and not governments will provide the solutions to solve the climate change problem.

Climate KIC

As Irish partner of Climate-KIC, Europe’s leading cleantech programme, we run an IDEAS competition (or pre-accelerator) called Climate Launchpad.

Climate Launchpad

ClimateLaunchpad is Europe’s largest climate change business idea competition. It aims to unlock Europe’s cleantech potential and accelerate innovations that address climate change. To be able to do that, it must find Europe’s best sustainability ideas. This competition creates a stage for those ideas.

The programme

In 2015, 800 ideas spanning 28 European countries were put through the ClimateLaunchpad programme. The programme consists of a 2-day boot-camp followed by 6 mentoring sessions to develop an idea towards reality.

The class of 2015

 

 

From Ireland, 8 teams participated in ClimateLaunchpad 2015. They included Agri Grow Lights; Amarna Energy Solutions Limited; Boltz Secret Seeds; Climate Friendly Design; Marker Biofuel; Smartearth; Unibloc; and WasteNOT. Of these eight, three were chosen to represent Ireland at the European Finals [Agri-Grow Lights, Boltz Secret Seeds and WasteNot], which were held in Amsterdam, September 2015. WasteNot managed to get to the last 20.

Become part of the class of 2016

Building on our ClimateLaunchpad Ireland 2015 success, we will start our next programme in early 2016, giving you access to the largest accelerator in the world, covering 28 European countries. The final will take place in October in Tallin, Estiona. This year, we want to win.

If you have an idea

If you have an idea, or are an early stage start up that has climate impact (and most start ups should ), we would like to talk to you. This could mean that you are an early start-up, SME, researcher, student, public organisation, consultancy, engineering company or a combination of these. It does not need to be high tech, but it does need to have a positive impact on the climate. Anything goes.

Register now

To register your interest please e-mail ron.immink@sustainablenation.ie and we will be in touch by return. We hope to start our first programme in early February.

The post Want a slice of a 37 trillion business opportunity? appeared first on Small Business Can.

This post was originally published here - http://www.smallbusinesscan.com/want-a-slice-of-a-37-trillion-business-opportunity/ on
thinkbusiness

Staying Local: Campaign Ideas to Target Local Markets

Targeting local markets has been a recommended strategy for businesses that want to tap into key demographics and build bases within specific communities. The concept of buying local is something that has continued to work for businesses in a very real and effective way. Companies who focus their marketing efforts locally stand to gain a better customer following, more efficient campaigns, and better customer retention. Read on for some ideas on how to target local markets…

Customize Your Website
One of the simplest ways to market your businesses locally is to create landing pages that are specific to specific cities and areas. If you own a large company with several offices, it’s best to let the manager and employees at each specific store provide their input for what their customers seem to want. Using IT services from Ottawa to help you set up the server to detect where someone is accessing your page from, can help to deliver customized and tailored results. These managed services in Ottawa are also great for protecting against virus and malware threats.

Tailoring Campaigns
Most people get their information about new businesses by going on the Internet. In the past, television and radio were the biggest source of advertising. Even older populations are active on the Internet, so you can’t afford to miss out on this key demographic. IT services can help you set up your website in such a way that search engines know you have a local business that might be relevant for the searcher.

Start Local Fundraisers
A classic way to advertise your business is by creating special events for select groups of customers. By creating VIP memberships and holding special events for your most valued customers, you can create an organization that puts a high value on customer loyalty. A special member’s page for customers who spend a certain amount of money per year is one way to recognize smaller groups. Starbucks offers a good example of this with their Starbucks Card Gold Card benefits program. Customers who buy a certain number of drinks per year get special rewards and incentives.

Be Picky
Too many marketing campaigns attempt to market to everybody. There are good ideas, bad ideas, and the right ideas. The good ideas may offer a novel approach to something, but cost a lot of money and provide little in terms of customer loyalty. Bad ideas can actually harm your company and are typically formed through poor planning, research and a lack of knowledge about the population you’re marketing to. The right ideas ensure that your campaign performs highly by providing real value to customers over an extended period of time.

Mass marketing no longer provides a suitable method of promoting products and services on a large scale. There is going to be some group that disagrees with your mission statement, so it’s best to find your niche and develop an intense loyalty in that group. By doing so, you can develop loyal and reliable customers.

 

The post Staying Local: Campaign Ideas to Target Local Markets appeared first on Small Business Can.

McCormack Family Farms at “I Believe”

As part of “I believe“, Ulster Bank has given a stand to their clients to sample the Christmas atmosphere, sell and make the public aware of their offerings.

Over the next weeks you can visit them at the Food and Craft market. On Saturday 19 December it is the turn of McCormack Family Farms

McCormack Family Farms

The McCormack Family Farms’ story began in 1984 when Edward McCormack began growing and selling veg in Kiltale, Co. Meath. In the late 1980s he was joined by his son Stephen McCormack and together McCormack Family Farms was born. For 20 years the father and son team focused on growing veg and selling into Smithfield Market in Dublin. Then in the early 2000s the focus shifted to growing salad leaves and herbs, the first of many innovative steps! Success followed with the company earning its first retail contract in 2007 supplying herbs to Superquinn.

Today McCormack Family Farms supply all the leading retailers in Ireland! In March 2015 this 2nd generation family farm took its biggest, innovative step yet entering the juice market launching three new veggie juices using the finest salad and veg grown by the McCormacks: Apple & Spinach; Orange & Beet Leaf; Carrot, Beetroot, Kale & Pea Shoots.

Visit them at the fair or visit their website.

The post McCormack Family Farms at “I Believe” appeared first on Small Business Can.

Silver Hill Farm at “I believe” in CHQ

As part of “I believe“, Ulster Bank has given a stand to their clients to sample the Christmas atmosphere, sell and make the public aware of their offerings.

Over the next weeks you can visit them at the Food and Craft market. On Thursday 17 December it is the turn of Silver Hill Farm.

Silver Hill Fram

Silver Hill Farm is a fully integrated family owned duck company. Founded over 50 years ago by Ronnie and Lyla Steele in Emyvale, Co. Monaghan. The present Managing Director is their son Stuart Steele. All aspects of our duck production are owned and controlled by Silver Hill Farm from breeding, egg production, hatching and selection to processing and cooking. The success of Silver Hill Farm lies in the unique Silver Hill Hybrid duck. Continually developed over the years, to produce a duck that is full of flavour, succulent, tender and consistent in its quality. This breed is exclusive to Silver Hill Farm.

Visit them at the fair or visit their website.

The post Silver Hill Farm at “I believe” in CHQ appeared first on Small Business Can.

First Ireland Spirits at “I Believe” in CHQ

As part of “I believe“, Ulster Bank has given a stand to their clients to sample the Christmas atmosphere, sell and make the public aware of their offerings.

Over the next weeks you can visit them at the Food and Craft market. On Wednesday 16 December it is the turn of First Ireland Spirits

First Ireland Spirits

Nestled in the heartland of Ireland’s green and pure landscape, First Ireland Spirts have been crafting Irish creams, liqueurs and spirits for over 20 years. Working with local farmers and producers, the team have perfected the art of Irish Cream Liqueur with 24 hours from dairy to distillery, unique Irish liqueurs with crafted local ingredients, and more recently Irish Whiskey and spirits, creating award winning brand

Visit them at the fair or visit their website.

The post First Ireland Spirits at “I Believe” in CHQ appeared first on Small Business Can.

This post was originally published here - http://www.smallbusinesscan.com/first-ireland-spirits-at-i-believe-in-chq/ on thinkbusiness

Six simple tips for superb Presentation Delivery

So you have prepared your presentation, your speech, your pitch and are happy with your content.  How do you deliver it so that you make the maximum impact?  Here are 6 tips to help you deliver superbly!

1.    Apply the 3-S’s to Start Superbly

When you stand up to speak it is important to make a super impact from the get go.  Before you open your mouth – your listeners are already sizing you up.

The first of our three S’s relates to standing up Straight – it’s a really simple but effective way to make you look and feel more confident.  The second S is to Settle yourself, take time to settle yourself into position, move anything that may be in your way and become comfortable in your own space.  The final S is to Smile – plenty of reasons for smiling!  It makes you look happy and people like happy people.  It also releases endorphins, which are a great antidote to nerves and signals to your audience that you are looking forward to speaking with them.  Caveat – if you are delivering bad news, best leave out the smiling.

2.    Speech Rate

The fastest speaker in the world is Steve Woodmore from the UK who can speak at 637 words per minute (wpm).  Needless to say this is not to be recommended when presenting!  An average speed of 120 wpm is slow enough for your audience to understand your message.  However, if you speak at the same rate all the time it is very b-o-r-i-n-g.  For added impact, it’s a good idea to speed up occasionally and then slow right down.

3.    SOS it’s music to the ear

The Sound Of Silence.  Occasionally just stop speaking ….… this lets your mouth catch up with your brain and your listeners catch up with your message.

4.    Gesture to add impact

It is obvious – isn’t it!  Yet, so many people talk with their hands clasped together, or even behind their back.  Use your hands as you would if you were chatting to friends or family.  Watch the gestures you use in your normal habitat and try to include them in your presentation.  When you are practising your presentation out loud, look for opportunities to add gestures that match what you are saying.  Interesting research recently by the Science of People on TED Talks, found that the more hand gestures in a TED talk, the more views that the talk received.

So, do include plenty of gestures but a word of caution – do not “act” out your presentation with carefully crafted gestures.  People will spot immediately if you are trying to be someone you are not.

5.    Eye contact

If you look at one person and talk to them for a few seconds, it is going to make you feel less intimidated.  Talking to one person is a lot more comfortable for most people, than talking to a big group.  Look at their eyebrows if you find looking into their eyes too intimidating.

Having great eye contact makes your listeners feel important (which they absolutely are) and also makes you go into a more conversational tone.

6.    Use your face

We have over 80 muscles in our face and boy are we great at using them when watching a great match on the TV, describing a delicious meal or even talking about a hilarious incident.

Why is it then, that when we get up to speak we leave our facial gestures in our seats?  Using your face makes you feel more ‘normal’ – because that is what we do in normal conversation.

 

So the next time you get on your feet, do try to use at least some of the tips above.  You never know, they could help you to deliver a super presentation!

The post Six simple tips for superb Presentation Delivery appeared first on Small Business Can.

This post was originally published here - http://www.smallbusinesscan.com/six-simple-tips-superb-presentation-delivery/ on
thinkbusiness

Bru Brewery at “I Believe” in CHQ

As part of “I believe“, Ulster Bank has given a stand to their clients to sample the Christmas atmosphere, sell and make the public aware of their offerings.

Over the next weeks you can visit them at the Food and Craft market. On Saturday 12 December it is the turn of Bru Brewery

Brú Brewery

In ancient times many a great Warrior, High King and Goddess ruled over the Boyne Valley and it is these legends that inspire Brú today. Taking their name from the magnificent Brú Na Boinne Neolithic site (Newgrange) they hope to brew a few legends of their own. Hand brewed with passion on the lush, fertile banks of the Boyne all their beers are brewed using local and natural ingredients and are 100% fluoride, chemical and preservative free.

Inspired by legends… Irish in the making

Visit them at the fair or visit their website.

The post Bru Brewery at “I Believe” in CHQ appeared first on Small Business Can.

A Few New Year Marketing Resolutions to Ensure 2016 Outperforms 2015

When it comes to marketing for the New Year, companies forget they need to take a step back in order to take a few steps forward. What does this mean? It means businesses must be able to critically examine their work from years past before they’re able to make good marketing resolutions for the future.

Many businesses are in the money making zone; they forget what it’s like to be a consumer. Think critically as your customer… What would you improve about your business? What do you want to see from marketing strategies (more coupons, more contests, less direct mailers)? If this is difficult for you, consider surveying your customers. Ask your customers directly because their responses are going to help you paint a clear picture of the resolutions you should make in 2016. Engaging your customer is the purpose of any marketing strategy.

Here’s some ideas for a New Year in marketing, many of which can help ensure 2016 is your best year to date:

Be Memorable with Eye-Catching Packaging

Okay, so brown boxes are inexpensive and cost efficiency is a good thing; however, imagine if a small investment into creative packaging could cause repeat business? Your bottom line would increase, and the small investment would be worth it. Look to companies specializing in creative packaging, such as custom made boxes by Custom Boxes Now, to save money and ensure the packaging is memorable.

Here’s an idea: make your packaging holiday or seasonal. Around the holidays, especially, this packaging will be impactful and memorable. Being memorable is a priceless commodity, and ensures repeat business. It helps to create a brand, and once you’ve established a known brand you can almost guarantee ongoing success.

Renew Your Target Audience

You’re thinking, but, I already built my target audience. No. Stop. You should renew your target audience the same way you renew resolutions – Every. Single. Year.

Go over last year’s data. Notice any patterns? These patterns paint a picture of who your customer is, and should provide you with information about who to target. If the outcome is the same as last year, great. If it’s different, you’ll need to change your strategy. Either way, you should review your target audience year after year. You can’t build a successful marketing campaign without knowing your customer first.

Send Mailers that Won’t End Up in the Trash

People hate junk mail, so the secret to a successful direct mail campaign is to send mailers people want to hold onto. This could include a valuable coupon or offer. In general, you should use the information you have on them (target audience data) to create a mailer that grabs their attention, and connects with them on their level.

Be creative, colorful, and add seasonal cheer, such as holiday themes and colors. Be bright, bold, and fun. A bland, dreary, plainly colored mailer isn’t going to grab anyone’s attention; nor will boring language. You need a talented copywriter to push sales and motivate readers. If you want consumer attention, you should have something to offer, and also be willing to get silly or funny. Give them a reason to shop with you (coupons, promos, etc.), and give them a reason to not forget you (be funny).

Branch Out on Social Media

So, you’ve already got a Facebook and Twitter. Why not make 2016 the year you embrace another social media channel, such as Snapchat? Interacting directly with your customers is a great way to get attention.

Take part in your community (whether in person or online). It’s a great way to market your business, how what you have to offer, and build personal relationships. No matter your demographic, reaching out with photos and commentary builds a network of loyal customers.

The post A Few New Year Marketing Resolutions to Ensure 2016 Outperforms 2015 appeared first on Small Business Can.