Traditional routes to market still attract the majority of marketing budgets.
UK SMEs are embracing digital and social platforms with their 2012 marketing plans, demonstrating their forward-looking approach. However the traditional B2B platforms, such as exhibitions and direct marketing, are still the main priority when it comes to budget allocation.
The B2B Customer Management Marketing Spend 2012 survey questioned 3,500 SME business owners, who work in the B2B services sector, about their marketing plans for 2012. It ascertained which marketing platforms will be used in 2012, which platform a company is allocating the largest portion of their budget to, and the overall size of their 2012 marketing budget.
Overall marketing mix in 2012
The overall marketing mix shows SMEs are dividing their activity over several platforms. Email and corporate websites are the most popular (17%) with social media, networking and direct marketing tied in third place (13%).
Their responses show digital platforms are proving popular with SMEs. However the traditional B2B platforms of networking, direct marketing are still important routes to market.
SME marketing budget priorities in 2012
The second part of the survey questioned which marketing platforms are allocated the largest part of the SMEs budget in 2012. Respondents could only chose one marketing platform when answering this question.
The responses show that traditional B2B marketing platforms, such as exhibitions and direct marketing, and still attracting the lions share of the SME budget (18% each).  The top spot is shared with the corporate website, demonstrating SMEs place great emphasis on getting their website right.
Platforms such as email marketing and social media (4% each), which were popular choices in the first question are not attracting significant budget share. This could demonstrate the lower cost of marketing activity on these platforms, or it could indicate SME owners see those platforms as useful, but not essential.
Total marketing budgets in 2012
Given the still delicate nature of the economy it would be expected that marketing budgets are under pressure in 2012. Indeed 39% of respondents indicated their marketing budget for 2012 was under £10,000.
32% of respondents are planning on spending about £100,000 on marketing activity in 2012, showing some degree of confidence amongst the larger SMEs. The other 28% are spending between £10,000 and £50,000.
Conclusion
Overall the B2B Customer Management Marketing Spend 2012 survey shows SMEs are being ‘forward-looking’ in their marketing approach and bringing digital and social platforms into the marketing mix. However they are still focussing the main part of their budget allocations on the traditional routes to market.
Taken from http://www.b2bcm.co.uk/index.php/telemarketing/uk-smes-embracing-digital-and-social-platforms-2314

inShare3Unpaid bills to small suppliers are now at the highest level in almost five years, according to Bacs, with combined debts up by almost £2bn compared to the first half of last year.
Bacs, which runs Direct Debit, said the average companyis waiting almost 30 days longer than agreed payment terms to have their invoices settled.
With large businesses insisting on payment terms of as much as 120 days, many suppliers could be waiting up to five months to be paid for work.
The average small firm had £45,000 worth of unpaid invoices at the end of 2011, Bacs said, up from £39,000 in the first half of the year.
Big businesses are least likely to pay suppliers on time, behind the public sector, small and medium-sized firms and individuals, Bacs added.
A report by the all party Parliamentary Small Business Group published this week recommended that all companies supplying the public sector should be forced to sign the ‘Prompt Payment Code’, a voluntary scheme which promotes good payment practice says The Telegraph.
However, the report also noted that there is currently “no adequate enforcement” of the Code so “alternative solutions” may have to be considered.
Rules which allow companies to charge interest on unpaid bills are rarely used and the Government has admitted that late payment legislation “hasn’t worked”.
Philip King, chief executive of the Institute of Credit Management, said Government should pressure big business to improve their payment practices by only awarding public sector contracts to firms which “can demonstrate a genuine commitment” to good payment practices.
Taken from Business Matters: http://www.bmmagazine.co.uk/in-business/newswire/6696/small-companies-waiting-on-35bn-in-late-payment/

Campaigners, however, are disappointed that councils were not given control over more of their finances.  But not everyone is convinced about the estimated impact on the economy based on re-tweaking the existing funding arrangement.  In addition, there are concerns about a wider gap emerging between councils in poorer areas and their counterparts in more affluent parts of the country.

According to SIGOMA, which represents 45 cities primarily representing the North of England, have argued this policy would exacerbate “the North-South Divide”.

“It’s also a question of where the £10bn is coming from – what happens to the poorer areas and how much influence has a council got over generating business? Frances Fraser, Head of Policy at SIGOMA pointed out.

“Councils are doing as much as they can to generate business and jobs anyway,” she added.

But Mr. Pickles is convinced the government’s way is the best way forward to drive local economic growth.  The current flawed system of government handouts to local authorities encourages a begging bowl mentality, with each council vying to be more deprived than its neighbour,” he said.  “Our reforms will allow councils to stand tall, and reward them for supporting local jobs and local firms. All councils, including the least prosperous, have the opportunity to gain from this new system.”

The Minister also re-assured councils that no local authority will see its business rates revenue falling less than 10%.  The Government will also allow councils to borrow money against future business rates revenues to fund major infrastructure projects, Pickles confirmed.

Taken from http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/50225

At the same time 62% of their staff believe they will be discriminated against if they become pregnant, and nearly 50% of respondents had observed colleagues having problems directly related to their return from maternity leave, such as difficulty with flexible working hours, reduction in their perceived status in the workplace, and issues with negotiating part-time employment.

The findings come from a survey by executive search agency Hanson Search in association with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR). 550 people working in the UK in public relations, public affairs, market research, strategic branding, strategic consultancy and advertising sectors were interviewed. The group comprised middle to senior management female employees, and senior male and female employers.

According to the survey, 13.4% of senior employees think employers are out of touch with working mums and plan to quit the industry in the next two years if employers continue to deny flexible provisions for those wishing to return from maternity leave and maintain negative attitudes.

Employers have their own anxieties around maternity leave and senior staff, including fear of losing a valuable resource, stability, staffing upheaval and recruitment problems.

The survey gives pointers towards solutions that will benefit employers and employees: 80% of interviewees believe that flexible working helps both in terms of time management and time efficiency, with 83.8% suggesting it would be good practice for organisations to implement such strategies.

In response to the survey findings, Hanson Search and the CIPR are setting up an independent Task Force geared to helping retain top talent within the comms industry and narrow the ever increasing gender diversity gap.

The Gender Balance Task Force will be a central hub/collaborative of key stakeholders providing resources and support for both employers and employees seeking workable advice and guidance, and a framework for dialogue between employers and returning female employees.

Initial discussions have already resulted in a code of best practice for employees and employers.

Jane Wilson, CEO of the CIPR, says employees and employers must be able to have honest and open conversations about how the requirements of the business can be balanced against the needs of the employee. ‘In a 24/7 world of social media, rolling news and increasing disclosure, this probably matters more to the communication industry than most other professions.’

Taken from: http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/50223

This course is run by The Centre for Micro Enterprise (CME) & the Management Development Unit (MDU) at London Metropolitan University. They have trained over 700 business start-ups and many professional people in the past.

It is aimed at those who are:

• Are you planning to start a business?
• Are you recently self employed & looking to re-focus your business plan?
• Are you facing redundancy and have a business idea for an enterprise you would like to start?

Across face-to-face training and homework exercises the course will cover:

• Business ideas and checking viability
• HMRC – Business Status
• Networking & social media
• Business Planning
• Marketing & business image
• Market positioning & research
• Business finance & financing your idea
• Business pitching

12 June – 5 July
London Metropolitan University

There will be 8 x 2 hour sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10.30 – 12.30.

Course Fee is £195 - without external public funding there is a fee, set competitively.

More information - hilary.farnworth@londonmet.ac.uk / 0207 320 1573 or
l.timms@londonmet.ac.uk / 0207133 3675

The Gate, London’s most successful vegetarian restaurant since 1989, will open in Islington on 1st June 2012, offering diners in North East London the chance to enjoy vegetarian cuisine at its best. The Gate Hammersmith will be temporarily closed for refurbishment on 19th May until 1st October 2012.

The Gate announces the launch of its new restaurant, bringing exciting vegetarian cuisine to diners in North East London. On 1st June The Gate will open in Islington at 370 St Johns Street, introducing a tempting mezze bar menu – perfect to share, and a delicious weekend brunch. The new daily set menu is designed to attract lunchtime and early evening / pre-theatre diners, who can choose 2 or 3 courses at great prices. We will of course also be serving our award winning à la carte.

The Daniel Brothers started trading in Hammersmith in December 1989, knowing nothing about running a restaurant, simply knowing that food should be celebrated. Inspired by their cultural background, they created a menu which blended Indo–Iraqi cooking with traditional Jewish food. Over the years, French and Italian influences have matured their seasonal creative dishes into delicious international cuisine. The Gate has become a successful family-run vegetarian restaurant, recently quoted as London’s most popular vegetarian restaurant earlier this year. Michael and Adrian have produced 2 cookbooks and have recently been nominated for other awards, not to mention the back catalogue of amazing reviews.

Michael Daniel’s passion for sourcing ingredients with care and intensifying flavour through careful cooking and unusual food combinations has helped The Gate to become what it is today. “I am delighted to bring exciting vegetarian cuisine to North East London in a fun and relaxed way.” Michael adds “Launching The Gate Islington has given us the added opportunity of refreshing our restaurant in Hammersmith ready for the re-launch on 1st October.”

The Gate Islington is located opposite Sadlers Wells theatre, near Angel underground tube station and will be open on 1st June 2012. The Hammersmith restaurant will be temporarily closed for refurbishment from 19th May, reopening for business as usual on 1st October 2012.

– Ends –

Notes to the Editor

Images will be available in the next 2 weeks, please email hilary@blackandwhitemarketing.co.uk if you would like to receive photography when available.

For more information on The Gate Restaurants please contact:

Michael Daniel
email islington@thegaterestaurants.com
www.thegaterestaurants.com

WESTMINSTER KINGSWAY College
We hold transition week for our AS students before they progress onto their second year (A2) to get them ready for planning for their next step (Higher Education or employment).  I am looking for a local business person to talk with the year group in our Theatre for 30-60 minutes on what skills and qualities employers are looking for and how to make a good job application.  The theatre is booked between 9.30am-11am so we can fit the speaker in when it suits them within this slot.  I am going to do a 30 min talk on the advantage of volunteering to get some experience to put on your CV either before or afterwards.  If the speaker has employed anyone with volunteering experience then they could talk about this too.  This will be on 7th June at Westminster Kingsway college, King’s Cross campus.

Co-Ordinator Emma Myers Careers and HE Adviser
020 7832 5080 – Emma.Myers@westking.ac.uk

Islington Arts Factory invites recent arts graduates, emerging talent and local Islington artists to exhibit at the 2012 Summer Salon. This is a great opportunity to showcase new 2D work.

The Summer Salon welcomes a diverse range of contributions and will create a launch pad for up and coming artists from a variety of backgrounds. Curation of the exhibition is inspired by the 18th Century French Salons, with floor to ceiling hanging. This creates a busy atmosphere that promotes formal and informal discussions around contemporary art themes. Summer Salon is part of Islington Exhibits, a borough wide arts festival and open studios event.

To apply, please email:
FAO Eleanor Pearce, summersalon@googlemail.com

- A jpeg image of the work that you would like to submit. The maximum resolution should be 150 dpi
- Details of your work: title, date, dimensions and materials.
- A short artist’s statement of no more than 40 words that will be included in the accompanying information for the show.
Deadline for entries is 5.00pm, 5th June 2012
Due to pressure of space there will be a selection process. You will be notified if your submission has been successful.
Please note there is an administration fee of £10 for each work exhibited. 

 For more info please see: www.islingtonartsfactory.org

-          The Start Up Programme compromises of a grant of £4,000 and a place on SSE’s Start Up learning programme. The action learning programme will run in eight locations across the UK from October 2012 – October 2013. It is for applicants at an early stage in the development of their project or organisation, and supports personal development and business skills development to help turn projects or project ideas into reality.

-          The Scale Up Programme compromises of a grant of £15,000 and a place on SSE’s Scale Up learning programme. The action learning programme will be delivered in London (with a national intake) from October 2012 – October 2013. It is for social entrepreneurs with an established organisation who are looking to take it to the next level, equipping them with the tools to develop it further and maximise their social impact.

-          Each year, one of the Scale Up participants will also win the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award with a total grant of £25,000.

See our website for more information or to apply: www.the-sse.org/lloydsbankinggroup

Applications are open now, and the closing date is Monday 28^th May at 10am.