Pat's Garage

It's always a pleasure to be able to recommend an excellent local business.

Both cars have been into Pat's Garage recently and in both cases, the work was done well and the costs were reasonable. The Golf went in for a noisy exhaust and unfortunately needed a new catalytic converter. Lloyd called up with a detailed costing and explanation of what was needed, so there was no nasty shock when it was time to pick up the car.

Pat's Garage in East Grinstead is a very professional operation.

You can get in touch via their website at www.patsgarage.net

Winentwine

Recently we have launched a new website for Winentwine.

Winentwine are an events management business specialising in wine tasting. They offer regular business networking events where wine tasting is integral to the event. Attendees get to meet other business owners, hear about the business sponsoring the event and enjoy a number of wines.

Winentwine also run business seminars and will manage all sorts of corporate and personal events.

Their new website is based on the Joomla platform and offers content management facilities, blog, online shop and events diary.

Visit the new Winentwine website here.

Akorn Recruitment

Akorn Recruitment is the longest established generalist recruitment agency in East Grinstead with an outstanding reputation with both clients and candidates. They provide recruitment solutions both for companies looking for employees and for individuals looking for work. They cover East Grinstead, Crawley, Tunbridge Wells, Uckfield, Redhill, Reigate and all areas in between.

Their new website is based on the popular Wordpress platform that allows Akorn staff to add vacancies and news to the website whenever required.

You can see the new Akorn Recruitment website here.

Another First Page on Google

Bliss Interiors of Oxted have been customers for some time and they recently asked us for a redesign and improvements to their search engine results.

The new website, based on the Wordpress platform can be seen at www.blissinteriors.me.uk

A Google search for "interior design oxted", "interior design reigate" or "interior design westerham" now returns Bliss Interiors on the first page.

We will be looking to get first page results for some additional areas to help Bliss Interiors find new business elsewhere.

What goes on Facebook, stays on Facebook.

Last year one third of all divorce petitions in the UK contained references to Facebook. It was involved in inappropriate comments, flirting, gossip and affairs. I also saw that research indicated that 76% of Facebook pictures showed people that were intoxicated. Frankly, that seems a bit difficult to verify, but even if that is partly right, a worrying picture is emerging.

Many people don't know how to behave properly online.

I'll let the marriage counsellors deal with the marital stuff. Instead let's think about the business implications. You are investing time and money in social media because that's the modern way to build business relationships. Quite right. But take a moment to think about what you are actually sharing on social media. In amongst the special offers, news and advice, are there snipes at awkward or bad paying clients? Is there flirting, rudeness and sleazy gossip?

Social media is all about building relationships just as in other forms of networking. You would not turn up to a business meeting dirty, drunk and rude. So don't portray a similarly delinquent image online.

If you really need to get something off your chest, go to the pub with your trusted mates, just like we always did. And make sure no one captures it all on a smartphone!

Christmas Gift Ideas

Our client Food of the Gods has just added a new collection of Christmas hampers to their extensive range of gifts. So if you are looking for Xmas gift ideas be sure to click the link and visit their website.

Food of the Gods deliver to UK and worldwide and are the perfect solution for when you can't be there in person with your gift for that special occasion.

What To Do About Panda

No, not the black and white bear, or the Fiat car. Google recently updated the way their search engine works and it has big implications for people that rely on Google searches.

Google are always trying to get the best match between the search term and the result. A whole industry has built up to attempt to manipulate Google search results for the benefit of paying clients. Panda is Google's latest attempt to undermine bad practice in the search engine optimisation business.

Here is a link to a very good article on hongkiat.com about how to avoid missing out on search results as a result of Panda.

If you are concerned about your search engine results, give us a call on 0333 123 0004

J P Taffe

Joe Taffe is one of our long standing clients. He runs J.P. Taffe Decorating and Property Maintenance.

He provides a high quality painting and decorating service based in Fulham and work throughout the South-West London areas of Fulham, Putney, Richmond and Barnes.

J P Taffe offer the full range of domestic and commercial decorating services and are particularly flexible about when they will work. If it's important to you to keep premises open for your normal business hours, they will work evenings, nights and weekends to keep you trading normally.

If you are looking for decorators who will work with you, call Joe on 020 8780 1108 or visit his website at www.painting-decorating.co.uk

Post a Little Happiness

Before long it will be that time of year when we start thinking about buying gifts for people (you know, Christmas).

If you are sending to someone a long way away, why not send a gift of food or wine with Food Of The Gods? Their website has a wonderful range of champagne, chocolate, food and wine. Just choose what you want to send and they will deal with the gift wrapping and shipping to pretty much anywhere in the world.

For example: Scottish Smoked Salmon & Sancerre or a bottle of Moet & Chandon Champagne.

There's lots of good stuff on the website and it's easier to visit Food Of The Gods than trudging around the shops.

Making Fitness Fun

It's always good to be able to highlight local businesses that are leading the way. Instyle Fitness is very much this type of business.

They made their name with top quality exercise bikes. But they realised that pedalling away at a stationary bike is not one of lif'e's more exciting activities. So they came up with WebRacing.

You still ride the bike, you still get the exercise, but WebRacing puts you in a virtual race with other riders. Pedal faster and you catch up and pass other riders. You can see the scenery go by. You can talk with other riders.

This is done by connecting the bike to a networked computer which tells other riders what you are doing and shows you their actions.

Instyle's american partners have recently installed a number of WebRacing equipped exercise machines in the corporate gym at American Oncology. The video explains more:



WebRacing doesn't just work in a gym. You can have a machine at home and race friends on the internet. Brilliant, isn't it?

If you have ever been really bored on an exercise machine, call Duncan Lawson on 01342 315933 www.webracing.co.uk

Can I speak to the owner?

I find it absolutely incredible that I still receive calls with this as the opening line.

Let's be clear. If you phone me with that opening line, I'm not going to deal with you.

Firstly, you have not introduced yourself. You have called me, you are asking me for something, but I don't know who you are. Just bad manners!

Secondly, you haven't done any research. It's easy to find out who runs a business, so do that research. "Can I speak to the owner" just sounds like you are going through the phone book. Which you probably are.

The phone can be a great way to say hello to someone you might want to do business with. But do it right. Know who you are calling and introduce yourself.

Anything less is just rude.

Barcode Betty

Datalinx Ltd are experts in the business of barcodes. In particular, they are experts in integrating barcode systems with Sage business management software.

So if your business needs help with areas like warehouse management, stock control, time & attendance reporting or production management, you should check them out.

You can visit either their main business website at www.datalinx.co.uk or, if you would like to know more about how barcodes work, visit www.barcodebetty.com where Betty will explain all about barodes.

Warehouse Management with Barcodes

Our clients Datalinx Ltd are experts in barcoding systems that integrate into your existing Sage business software.

Warehouse management, time and attendance and inventory management are all business challenges that can be handled so much better with the right systems.

Sage is a trusted family of products that become much easier to use when linked to Datalinx's hardware and software products.

Find out more about at their barcode solutions website

Caring For Your Carpets

Here at Vapour Trail corporate headquarters we can't abide grubby carpets. So we get Carpet Care to look after them for us.

They visited today and did their usual thorough job. Everything looks as good as new!

You can contact Carpet Care on 07785 317673

Huge File to Share?

You can just about send a few photos by email, but sharing really big files can be a real headache. If this is a problem you encounter, then Mimedia's service might help. Especially as it can now be used for files up to 3Gb.

Find out more at the ever interesting Mashable http://mashable.com/2011/07/06/mimedia-uploads/

Video on your Website

Video on your website is a great way of grabbing people's attention. It keeps them on the page. It conveys a rich message and it just looks good.

If you don't know how to get started, why not talk to Joe Caneen? Here's some of his work on YouTube He knows what he's doing and he is very resonably priced.

You can contact Joe via www.video-whisperer.com or call him on 07809 478108

The Law and your Website

I noticed this website today. It has useful info about keeping your website legal.

New rules about cookies and privacy are now out there and they have a useful article about these changes http://www.sitecompliance.co.uk/ukcnewclaws.html?gclid=CNDOsJOSlKkCFQUe4QodrxZJdw

Paint Effects by SJB

We have just added a page and additional pictures to the website of SJB Fine Finishes.

SJB do specialist painting: murals, faux wood grain, furniture painting, etc. They can make a room look like it's panelled with wood!

The new pictures include the angel on the Wimbledon Theatre which they gilded and it looks stunning.

Metal Free Dentistry

Dr Tom Nyerges makes a very good point on his new webpage about metal free dentistry.

"It is curious that it is against the law to paint your house with a paint containing higher than a certain level of mercury, or a factory may be immediately shut down for exceeding a certain level of mercury vapour in the air, yet it is considered perfectly fine for a dentist to place a material in your teeth that can create potentially far greater mercury levels in your mouth!"

If you are interested in a holistic approach to dentistry, visit his website

Top Google Rankings- according to Google

I thought I would pass on this information from Ana Hoffman. These are Google's own recommendations for getting your website noticed.

http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com/top-google-rankings/