A Good Week 2012 – A Global Celebration of Good!

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Vinny Hira

At OnlyUncle.com, we love projects like A Good Week which celebrates entrepreneurship.

Today’s theme is Innovation & the Power of Entrepreneurship.

‘In order to keep you motivated right until hometime, today’s theme is Innovation & the Power of Entrepreneurship.

We all know the planet’s resources are finite, and we need to find enterprising solutions to overcome the problems that we and our future generations are to face. Thinking outside the box and taking an entrepreneurial approach to problem solving will create all sorts of new opportunities to make Good happen… and will make us all more effective at work too! If things in your life or career are not moving on, then try a different tack. A change is as Good as a break, after all!’

About A Good Week

‘A Good Week is a global celebration of all the Good that happens in the world. Over seven supercharged days, we will shine a spotlight on the people, communities and businesses who do Good.

Our vision is a world where everyone can Feel Good, Do Good and Live Good, and they want A Good Week to help work towards that goal. So, we’ve set the date and created the tools and partnerships needed to make it easy for people to get involved.

A Good Week is a collaborative celebration, so Good is whatever you say Good is! Yes, that might sound like a bit of a cop-out, but Good obviously means different things to different people. We want you to use the week to think about – and do – what makes you and others feel Good. And if you’re already doing Good in your life then even better, just get involved and tell us about it. Use the week as an opportunity to shout about what you or your organisation is doing.’

What’s going on these days on a Good Week.


 

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Go ON UK! ‘Bringing the benefits of Internet to everyone and every organization’

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Vinny Hira

Here at OnlyUncle.com, our main aim is to encourage SME’s to get online and that’s why we like Go ON UK.

‘Go ON UK aims to bring the benefits of the internet to every individual and every organisation in every community across the UK.’

Content cortesy of Go ON UK.

Go ON UK is a radical cross-sector partnership to make the UK the world’s most digitally capable nation where no one – old or disadvantaged- and no organisation – even the smallest – is left behind.

This is an urgent priority because:

  • Only 14 per cent of SMEs sell products and services online (Lloyds Banking Group/ BDRC April 2012)
  • ICT is the biggest skills-gap in the charity sector (NCVO)
  • 8.12 million people have still NEVER used the internet (ONS Labour Force Survey Feb 2012)

For the first time a national broadcaster, a bank, a utility company, a telecoms provider, a community retail network, a charity and a funder have pledged to work together with the support of the Government to help make the UK the world’s most digitally capable nation in which everyone and every organisation is able to enjoy the social, economic and cultural benefits of the internet. To achieve this they have agreed to share their expertise, resources, reach and networks. And they are encouraging every organisation and every individual in the UK to join them on this mission.

Go ON UK has a new CEO, structure and team, and a strong board reflecting cross-sector partnership.  Chaired by the UK Digital Champion Martha Lane Fox, it includes Mark Thompson DG of the BBC, Tom Wright, CEO of Age UK, Dido Harding, CEO of TalkTalk and Paula Vennells, Chief Executive of Post Office Limited.  It is also supported by expert organisations such as Childnet, One Voice, e-Skills UK and UK online centres.

Click on the link below for more about:

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Celebrating National Sharing Day! #NationalSharingDay

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Vinny Hira

Today is National Sharing Day, an idea that we think is highly relevant for local businesses.

As part of #NationalSharingDay, we’re here to remind local businesses to share whatever they can with one another in order to help each along.

Get involved in National Sharing Day.

About

Did you know that over half of the UK would love to find ways of being able to share their time and resources within their local community? The fact is that people love to share. Whether it’s sharing a meal, a journey, our homes or our time, 80% of us say that sharing makes us happy1

National Sharing Day, founded by The People Who Share, is your opportunity to celebrate all things sharing, with mass sharing events all across the country. Communities will be sharing household goods in Liverpool, primary school children are book sharing in Brighton, there’s a Great Skills Share in London and much, much more. Lots of people coming together, finding ways to save money, make friends and help the planet while having fun!

The People Who Share is an exciting social business dedicated to building a Sharing Economy. In fact, they’re more than a business they’re a movement that’s pioneering the evolution of sharing into the mainstream.

Why are they doing this? Because they believe that the world would be a better place if we all shared more. Many of the world’s problems could be solved and our everyday needs satisfied if they learned to live better together. You see the more we share, the more we have.

Our purpose they’re committed to reshaping the world through sharing, harnessing the power of reciprocity to create happier, healthier and more sustainable lifestyles. They’re here to enable sharing, to make it easy for people who need, to connect with people who have and build a global community of sharers. Our passion is unlocking the sharing potential that exists in each of us. What will you share?

Their vision their vision of the future is a thriving Sharing Economy where the need to own is transformed into the desire to access and everyone is a supplier of goods, services and experiences. Where people share skills, time resources, knowledge, responsibility, opportunities, ideas, goods, services and stuff.
It’s a world in which our collective capability meets our collective needs and they collaborate to enhance each other’s lives, protect our planet and create wealth from which everybody benefits.

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The Olympic high street makeover – needed much sooner!

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Vinny Hira

Yesterday, the Daily Mail published an interesting article about High Streets Shops and their visual attraction.

‘Pull down the garish neon and spruce up the rest of Britain’s depressing High Streets.’

Content Via The Daily Mail.

‘How disheartening that it has taken the once-in-a-lifetime Olympics to prompt a makeover for Leyton High Street – the gateway to the games.

Now that the local Council has been busy smartening the place up it is easy to see what has always been there: charming facades of delightful proportions and the potential to look just like the most well-cared for upmarket streets in the best parts of town.

Shopowners report an increase in trade and even an evening passeggiata as locals come out to admire the colourful facades and goods on display behind the newly discreet security arrangements – and plan purchases for the next day.

But if it’s that easy, why didn’t the powers that be tumble to the recipe long ago? All over the country high streets have become depressingly similar at ground level with garish neon facades outdoing each other in tawdriness and grime.

No wonder potential shoppers don’t enjoy visiting what is on their doorstep and hotfoot it to the nearest out of town shopping centre. At first glance you can’t tell whether you are in Liverpool or Leatherhead in many of the country’s high streets, so nothing to inspire local loyalty there.

But look up and, as has been proved in Leyton now, the upper storeys so often provide examples of unique architecture which once made every locality and every shop different – and every local fiercely protective of their patch. Just hose down the facades, give them a coat of paint, make the shops inviting and you have a recipe for success.’

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9 essential Facebook marketing resources – Via Mashable.com

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Vinny Hira

OnlyUncle.com, helping local businesses to get on in the digital world.

We found – and had to share – this fab Mashable.com article with 9 Essential Facebook Marketing Resources.

Content via Mashable.com

1. Expanding Your Facebook Reach

While Facebook has never officially divulged exactly how to increase reach — though it did release an ad product, Reach Generator — there are several tactics known to work.

2. Using Facebook’s Open Graph

Last year, Facebook launched a new initiative built around, of all things, verbs. The company’s Open Graph sought to do something interesting with the way we communicate with each other: Any action expressed on Facebook could become a branding opportunity.

3. The 10 Most Common Facebook Marketing Mistakes

At this point, most people know to market their business on Facebook — there are more than 900 million people on the social platform, constantly “liking,” sharing, commenting and posting, after all.

4. 5 Hot Facebook Marketing Trends

Timeline, the photo-heavy redesign that Facebook herded brands into in March, has changed the way brands market on Facebook. Although there have been conflicting reports about Timeline’s effect on brand engagement, marketers are realizing that Timeline may not be more effective — but it definitely is different.

5. Why Less Is More on Facebook

What’s the best way to market your brand on Facebook? According to Peter Shankman, an entrepreneur and venture capitalist with a background in marketing and consulting, the answer is actually pretty easy: “Sharing for the sake of just hearing yourself talk is pointless.”

6. How 7 Brands Are Using Facebook Ad Tools

On Leap Day 2012, Facebook gathered all of its marketing executives in New York City for a coming-out party of sorts for a slew of new ad products. To people outside the industry, the promise of new initiatives might appear a bit on the dull side. But for advertisers, anything that Facebook does for advertising is of interest.

7. Tools to Boost Facebook Engagement

Over the past few years, Facebook marketing has moved from the domain of early adopters to a mainstream focus for nearly all businesses. During that time, a large number of social media marketing tools have emerged to help companies reach and engage with fans, run promotions and contests, and even integrate Facebook Ad programs with the rest of their social marketing.

8. Facebook Strategy for Brands With Multiple Locations

For some companies, one Facebook Brand Page might not be enough. For example, if a restaurant chain prides itself on local ingredients, or a business seeks to cultivate a strong community around each brick-and-mortar outlet, it might make sense to have a Brand Page for each location. But then again, does a brand really want to divvy up its audience and dilute it among several similar pages?

9. Tips for Better Customer Service on Facebook

Customers know that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and web-savvy customers know that Facebook is the ultimate squeak amplifier. According to Forrester Research, 27% of U.S. online consumers sought customer service support on the web in 2011, and currently three out of four expect a reply to a negative comment posted on Facebook.

Find more information like this on Mashable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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‘Local businesses worth twice as much to UK economy as online market’ – Via Fresh Business Thinking

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Vinny Hira

We’ve found new research from Santander Business Banking about the most popular businesses in UK.

And they’re the local ones – hooray!

Read below to find some of the interesting highlights from the report – Via Fresh Business Thinking.

‘The British pub is the business most valued by local communities, new research from Santander Business Banking reveals.

The study, which asked people about the businesses in their area, found that for nearly half (47%) of people, the pub is their most valued local amenity. It was closely followed by the traditional newsagent (45%), and the local grocery store (36%).

The research also reveals that the local business landscape is evolving to meet the changing requirements of communities. Traditional amenities, such as bakers, butchers and grocers, are increasingly being joined by new ones: two-thirds of people (66%) now live within walking distance of a coffee shop; 61% are near a gym; while over half (56%) say they have a nail bar on their doorstep.

Despite concerns over the health of independent local businesses in the UK, the findings reveal that consumers say they are spending an average of £882 per week in local stores and businesses, a figure that would add up to £217.7 billion a year— nearly double that of the UK internet economy.

And there is significant appetite for more local amenities, with two in three people (67%) identifying at least one additional business they would like to see open near their home.

Other amenities in strong demand are bookshops (15%) and bakeries (13%), and more than one-in-ten people would like to have convenient access to a local garden centre.

Traditional businesses continue to attract high numbers of people, with nearly half of those polled visiting their local grocery store (46%) or newsagent (42%) at least once a week; however, a new breed of store is topping the list of the most desired. Around one in six (16%) people identified the pound store as the business they would most like to have in their area.’

You can find more about this report in this article of FreshBusinessThinking.

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3 reason local high street businesses should start a newsletter

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Harjit

Newsletters aren’t just for large companies, they can work well for local businesses too.

We’ve detailed the 3 main reasons why you should start a newsletter ASAP below.

1. Social media is popular with businesses of all sizes, email is still a priority communication channel for most people – even for those who do not use social media. Obtaining the email address of your clients and customers should be one of your goals, because your message will be delivered directly into their inbox. Your social media updates, however, are competing against various other companies’ content and there is no certainty that your message will be read.

2. Taking in the above points, newsletters are cost effective (free with many tools) and not time consuming. You can spend a couple of hours per week on creating an attractive html newsletter to be sent weekly and still hit your target audience with your key messaging.

3. You can communicate with existing and potential customers and clients in one fell swoop. You can share business news, highlights, offers and promos – you can also drive traffic to your social media sites and website with a newsletter.

 

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Google+ local business pages offer new opportunities Via Bdaily.co.uk

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Vinny Hira

On May 30th, Google switched over 80 million business listings from Google Places to their newly created Google + Local platform.

Content via Bdaily.co.uk

‘Industry experts believe that this move has a twofold driver; Bing, the Microsoft Search engine who partners with Facebook to provide their search results on the Social Media site, has recently updated the way it delivers results. Bing search engine has launced its revised format featuring three columns of relevant information and added social components to augment search queries.

The new format offers three panes in response to search queries

1. Regular search answers appear at left;
2. a centre pane features “snapshot” views about queries, including photos, maps, reviews or product prices;
3. a right-hand “social sidebar” includes relevant comments from social sites.

While the Bing algorithm also drives search on Yahoo.com in the U.S. and Canada, the new format does not appear on Yahoo, which controls the user experience.

The second driver is the expected launch of Google’s new small business toolbox aimed at the SME market.

According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, Google is preparing to launch a new ad service and tools aimed at small businesses as soon as July. Noting that the new service was once called “Business Builder” internally, the report claimed it will consist of various products that have been developed by Google and technologies/services acquired through the purchases of over six companies at a cost of roughly half a billion dollars since last year. The source claimed Google is hoping the new service will bring in billions in new revenue each year.’

If you want to read more click here.

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Simon Sinek on ‘How great leaders inspire action’ – TED Video

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Vinny Hira

What with all the rain, we’d thought you’d need some small business inspiration.

This video is from TED.com, the not-for-profit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading.

‘Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question “Why?” His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers …

In 2009, Simon Sinek released the book “Start With Why” — a synopsis of the theory he has begun using to teach others how to become effective leaders and inspire change’

Read more about Simon Sinek here.

 

 

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3 great tools to source free images!

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Harjit

In our connected world, it is often images that attract us to websites, blog posts, Facebook updates – therefore your image content must be alluring.

We’ve found 3 tools you can use to download free images in order to keep your small business content fresh and exciting.

Dreamstime

‘Dreamstime is a distinguished leader in stock photography and a major supplier of high quality digital images at unbelievable prices. All stock images available are provided by Dreamstime community’s photographers, shot on film or digital and approved by our editors. Structured on categories and subcategories, the database is renewed with thousands of fresh images and titles on a daily basis.’

Download your free images here!

Stock.xchange

‘SXC was launched in February 2001 as an alternative for expensive stock photography. The idea was to create a site where creative people could exchange their photos for inspiration or work. The site has evolved into the massive community you see today — there are over 2,500,000 registered users and around 400,000 photos online.’

Search for the type of image you want and select the non-premium pics for free!

FreeDigitalPhotos.net

‘Download free and premium stock photos and illustrations for websites, advertising materials, newspapers, magazines, ebooks, book covers and pages, music artwork, software applications and much more. All our free images are of high quality, produced by our community of professional stock photographers and digital illustrators.’

Download your free images here!

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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