May 2012 Blog Posts (18)

Tighter mortgage criteria has led to an increased number of consumer complaints about mortgage products, according to a report by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

The trade body, using data from the Financial Ombudsman Service's (FOS) annual review, said that a 'significant proportion' of complaints were caused by providers changing their lending criteria due to difficult market…

Buckingham Palace is estimated to be worth £1bn, up 9000% since the Queen took the throne when it was estimated to have been worth £11m.

Were it ever to be sold, that would equate to £70m in stamp duty.

Windsor Castle’s estimated value was £2m when the Queen began her reign in 1952 and it is now estimated to be worth 9350% more at £189m – so that would be a mere £13.2m…

Let’s chat about how to save money at the supermarkets...

The first and probably most important thing is to make a shopping list and stick to it!  The smell of bread being spread around the shop floor, together with some summer up-beat songs that we know the words to, pervading our ears and making us feel good, can make it very easy for us to spend just a few extra pounds - or more!…

We’ve all seen both good & bad landing or sign up pages on our digital travels.

However how often have you taken the time to consider what makes a good experience v a bad one?

Take a look at this chart;…

Phew! Now it’s too darn hot to work (any old excuse will do...:0) But work we must, alas, and networking is an increasingly important part of that for any business person today.

People often ask me ‘What’s the best business network, Keith? You go to so many networking events, you must know...’

The short answer is: (drum roll) ‘Your own personal network, of…

Interested in a career in Marketing and Communications? Want experience working with a professional creative team to turn your ideas into a national marketing campaign? Then enter ‘Can You Talk Security?’ – a nationwide communications competition launched by BT, Get Safe Online and Cyber Security Challenge UK.

Cyber crime costs UK businesses an estimated £21 billion every year. ‘Can You Talk Security?’ has…

Consumer research is the art of knowing the consumer's habits and preferences; it is not just a one off activity you do when you start up and then forget. You have to maintain your understanding of your customer's behaviours as their moods and tastes change and evolve.

There are many reasons you should carry out consumer research:

• Identifying potential…

You already know how important networking could be for your business, but are you getting the results you want?  Do you still find it difficult to walk into a room full of strangers or have trouble introducing yourself or remembering names?

Well this book first published in 2002 by speaker and writer Roy Sheppard is full of helpful advice on all of that and the e-download version is currently available free.  Please see below for the book description and link to get your…

Everywhere we look there is more and more information about how bad things are financially and we see prices continually rising. Jobs are on the line every day and people seem to be generally fed up with life at present. Surprisingly though there is an industry growing more and more in these times that offers extra income in return for sharing a business concept with others. It is of course the Direct Selling…

Whatever the English dictionary might describe as the literal meaning for a word, we all have our own meanings and associations that we apply to particular words and phrases. And when you are running a business there are some key words that more often than not trigger a negative reaction or emotion – words like rejection, failure, selling and possibly even success.

At the end of the day they are just words…

There is rising concern that the Government’s flagship NewBuy scheme has hit trouble, just two months after its launch.

The scheme, which launched on March 12, allows first-time buyers and home movers to purchase a new-build house worth up to £500,000 with a 95% mortgage, with taxpayers and developers underwriting the loan.

But the scheme has been dogged…

It’s still raining – but thank heavens we’re finally getting back to our traditional British weather! :0(  On the bright side, we’ve got lots of exciting national events happening this Summer to lift the spirits, and a bank holiday or two into the bargain. Hooray!

Before then, there will be lots of events on NiS which…

The Society of Digital Agencies in partnership with Econsultancy, polled 651 new media executives. Well over 2/3’s  confirmed they are in the process of adapting their marketing operations in light of the ever evolving digital marketplace.



A few weeks ago I wrote about …

The Surrey Shiatsu Network is looking for a venue to hold a special event in October. We'll be giving Shiatsu taster sessions to leave you energised, answering people's questions about what we do and the benefits of Shiatsu, and maybe running some workshops. 

So, is your business based in Guildford? Do you have a spare room or floor in your building, are you a member of a club or church whose rooms we could use? Do you have any suggestions? 

We also want to reach out to people…

NiS Member Nicky Rudd runs Padua Communications.  Here she explains how she got involved with Rabbit 2012...

With the word communications in your company name, the chatter does come easily! It was completely by accident that we got talking to the organisers of Rabbit 2012, but we’re so glad we did!

Padua Communications is a young company. When we set the company up, I in particular did a lot of local networking, and this was great for my first 12 months.…

Next week will see history made in the mortgage market.

From next Tuesday the Co-operative Bank and Britannia Building Society will no longer offer mortgages on an interest-only basis.

Customers will now only be able to take out mortgages on a capital and repayment basis.

The lender says it expects the changes being proposed in the Mortgage Market…

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for office space in Woking town centre within walking distance to the station. I'm interested in either shared office space, ad-hoc office space (on an hourly basis) or taking on a lease for a dedicated office space of my own.

As a career development practitioner, I need somewhere that offers privacy for consultations with my clients rather than a hotdesk/open…