It's Shell LiveWIRE UK's 30th anniversary in 2012. What do you think we should do to celebrate?

(All suggestions posted below or on our Facebook Page www.facebook.com/ShellLiveWIREUK will be considered)!

Thanks
Paul Lancaster
Web Development Executive
www.shell-livewire.org

Social Media: Best Practice for the Voluntary Sector
Tuesday 27 September, 1.00-1.45pm

Have you registered your organisation on a social media platform but don’t know where to go next? Are you struggling to raise awareness of your organisation’s presence on Twitter, Facebook, and other networks?

Join us in this live, interactive session where we will discuss how to get the best from the leading social media platforms, aided with recent case studies from the sector. This webinar is intended for staff with little or no knowledge of social media.

Hosted by Shaun Nichols (voluntaryskills.com), this session will feature guest speaker Paul Lancaster, part of the PNE Group team that delivers the youth enterprise programme, Shell LiveWIRE (on behalf of Shell UK).

- Understand the benefits for your organisation
- What to do and say
- Use tools to manage and monitor your social media activity
- Harness an audience to promote your messages

REGISTER NOW FOR YOUR FREE PLACE
http://www.pne-development.org/webinar-registration

- Management
- Label
- Live promotion
- DIY artist

Topics to be discussed will include establishing your business model, revenue streams and integration with the wider UK music industry. There will be opportunities to discuss your personal business ideas and developing a clear action plan.

- How to make money within the music industry
- Identifying commercial opportunities
- Establishing your income sources

Compact: Music Business Kick Start is free to attend but spaces are very limited so please register interest as soon as possible by completing this form.

For more information on Compact and other seminars in the series please visit www.generator.org.uk/compact or read the official press release.

How many meetings do you have at work where you leave thinking ‘what a complete waste of time and effort’?

If the answer is ‘a lot’ or ‘most of them’ then you really must read Al Pittampalli’s excellent new book ‘Read This Before Our Next Meeting‘.

The latest title from The Domino Project, Al’s book highlights all that is wrong with the ‘traditional meeting’ and suggests a better, more productive way to do business through the ‘Modern Meeting‘.

Describing Microsoft Office email Appointments as ‘weapons of mass interruption’, Al hits the nail on the head when he says that it’s far too easy for people to call team meetings with little care or thought for the impact they might have on the recipients that have to sit through ’another bad meeting’.

Furthermore, he points out how meetings have become stalling tactics and havens for complacency and collective indecision in too many organisations around the world. Too many meetings with too many people (or the wrong ones invited) leads to inaction, compromise and mediocrity. ‘Less talk, more action’ should be the new mantra.

Some of the key themes and ideas I took from the book which I will be trying to implement in future include;

- Thinking really, really carefully before calling a meeting and who you should invite. (Sounds obvious but is a very important point to make).

- Taking your time to circulate reading materials before the meeting and INSISTING that all attendees read them beforehand. If they turn up for the meeting without reading, then you are perfectly within your rights to ask them to leave. Time is precious and you certainly don’t have time to go through the background info at the beginning. These types of ‘informaional meetings’ are a big waste of your and everyone else’s time.

- Simply turning up for a meeting isn’t enough. All attendees should be expected to ‘turn up’ in mind and spirit and contribute something to the meeting. Make it clear that they must add some value to proceedings (asking questions, sharing insight, offering to take on tasks) otherwise they aren’t welcome or necessary and won’t be invited to future meetings.

- Make sure that all meetings have a clear purpose, clear objective(s) and end on time. Put a big visual countdown timer on display so people know that you mean business.

- Ensure that someone makes good and proper notes from the meeting which are circulated soon after with clear action points for all attendees. I would actually suggest that if it’s important, the person calling the meeting should also take their own notes and follow things up personally. Ideally, all attendees should be making their own notes too and taking responsibility for actions in the actual meeting (far too many do neither and then can’t remember what was agreed to).

Like all Domino Project titles, this highly useful book is deliberately fast-paced and designed to be read in around 1hr (I read mine via Kindle App on my Windows Phone on the bus journey home from work).

So, if you’re sick of feeling like your time is being wasted by pointless meetings or are simply looking for ways to improve your professional capacity and productivity at work, then I highly recommend you grab hold of a copy. Even better if you can share it with your colleagues too so they can understand where you are coming from.

Perhaps you could even hold a ‘Modern Meeting’ to discuss how to roll them out across the organisation?

Buy it from Amazon
Kindle version here or
Hardcover version here

FAO all UK-based members - to be eligible for our £10,000 Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2011 you must first enter (and win) our monthly £1,000 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards competition.

31st August is the cut off point for eligibility so if you haven't already won one of our £1,000 awards, please apply online now at:

http://www.shell-livewire.org/awards/grand-ideas-awards

The latest Domino Project book 'Pick Four' by legendary US salesman Zig Ziglar is out today http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1936719215

Coming as a 4-pack of spiral bound books which are designed to be written in and shared, Pick Four is an updated version of Zig Ziglar’s legendary goal-setting program, The Performance Planner.

A handy way to follow Twitter discussions about this book is via the excellent Book#Hashtags website at: http://www.bookhashtags.com/book?id=176

Pick Four (4 Pack - Designed to Share)

Updated, simplified and introduced by Seth Godin, Pick Four, is designed to help anyone achieve his or her goals. This edition includes four copies of Pick Four, ideal for sharing with friends or stretching your goals out over the year. Using Ziglar’s philosophy that the key to success is directed action, this book challenges the reader to reach outside his or her comfort zone and take the necessary steps to achieve success. Known for his genuine and authentic approach, Ziglar imparts decade’s worth of strategies. Pick Four is an important tool for anyone looking to create positive change; guaranteed to put you on your path to success.

Hi everyone,

Outside of my Shell LiveWIRE work, some friends and I have started a Facebook Campaign to encourage people to stop using email completely for 24hrs on 11th November 2011 and do something more productive with the time saved instead.

We're encouraging people to turn off their email and try other forms of communication like actually talking to someone face to face, picking up the phone or even writing a letter. (Remember those?)

We're not anti-email. Far from it. It's a vital and important part of our daily life and one of the greatest inventions known to man. However, it's been overused and abused and hijacked by the spammers and time wasters over the years to the detriment of the whole human race.

If you sometimes feel like you spend too much time dealing with your emails rather than actually doing 'real work', please visit and 'Like' our Facebook Page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/No-Email-Day/245419075477003

We'd love to hear your thoughts and ideas on better email management and being more productive at work and in life on our 'Wall' and any links to good resources or articles that you are aware of. Please also tell us what you will be replacing email with on 11.11.11.

(We're also on Twitter @NoEmailDayHQ so it would be cool if you could Follow Us and Tweet about the campaign using the special hashtag #noemailday).

Thanks

Paul

Something I've been meaning to do for a while is look at data for new Shell LiveWIRE UK members and compare different Email Providers to see who is the most popular with the entrepreneurs we attract.

Here are the results for the first 6 months of 2011 (Jan-June); 

Newcastle upon Tyne based agency Indigo Multimedia are looking for a new Project Manager to join their team.

Having worked with Indigo on several projects, including the Shell LiveWIRE website I can highly recommend them to anyone wishing to apply.

Details below;

Indigo Multimedia
Project Manager for North East Digital Agency

Indigo is an award winning digital agency offering solutions in web design, web applications, e-marketing, e-learning and digital video production. We pride ourselves in delivering inspiring solutions for clients such as Adidas, Electrolux, NHS, UK Sport, the National Trust, Connexions and Shell Livewire… to name a few! We are currently looking for a skilled project manager with a proven digital agency background or similar.

Experience of a formal project management framework such as Prince2 would be highly beneficial. However, training can be given to the right person if they have suitable experience or are working to another framework.

As well as managing one-off projects you will also be required to handle a number of client accounts. Being able to inform, guide and diplomatically handle a client is
essential, along with being able to multitask and coordinate clients’ requirements with your colleagues.

Essential Skills are:

- Passionate about the industry
- Excellent all round communication skills
- Attention to detail
- An understanding or exposure to the processes involved in a technical and/or creative development environment; ideally web design and development, although
creative studio or software development experience would be considered
- Able to solve problems
- Ability to intelligently question to gain comprehensive and realistic requirements lists
- Being able to negotiate with clients
- Proficient with Microsoft Project
- Highly organised

Desirable

- Experience of pricing projects and understanding the commercial aspects of a project
- Experience of Prince2
- Experience of emarketing, and/or eCommerce and elearning
- Degree or similar

The successful applicant may currently be working in a Project Managers position and looking for a new challenge or simply better prospects.

Salary

Negotiable depending on experience. If you could send your CV with salary expectations to recruit@indigomultimedia.com

Original TechCrunch blog from 1st July 2011 reposted below;

New Ignite100 accelerator launches with £1m fund

The Difference Engine – an accelerator programme in the North of the UK we covered last year which borrowed heavily from the YCombinator/TechStars model – has itself ‘pivoted’, announcing a rejuvenation and a new name. The new Ignite100 will be a startup accelerator programme with a £1m fund that will invest up to £100k per team for ten teams later this year in the North East of England. The programme set for a September launch and will take applications from across Europe.

Technically speaking that beats Seedcamp – currently the leading accelerator in Europe – in per-team funding, although it has a larger £3m fund (so far, and the fund-raising on that is not yet finished), plus it tends to attract a pretty stellar array of A-list founders and VCs as mentors. That’s not to say Ignite100 won’t, however, and from listening to the ‘word on the street’ I know there is plenty of appetite for more accelerators in the UK amongst investors, so it shouldn’t be lacking in willing mentors.

Seedcamp takes a variable stake of around 8%-10% of its startups, while Ignite100 will take a set 8%.

Ignite100′s familiar model of a 13 week acceleration programme will be financed by the Finance for Business North East Technology Fund, which is managed by IP Group plc, as well as the Finance for Business North East Proof of Concept fund, managed by Northstar Ventures and angel investors including Hotspur Capital Partners. The Finance for Business North East Technology Fund is backed by the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and regional development agency One North East (ONE). It’s also hooking in participation from angel investors.

Teams will get an up-front ‘ramen noodle’ funding of £15,000 at the start of the programme, with the remaining balance of the £100,000 going in to the teams that finish the programme and meet “pre agreed criteria” – which presumably means the team shows it has some traction with its product.

Jon Bradford, the guy who kicked off The Difference Engine and went on to launch Springboard in Cambridge, returns as Executive Director. He says partners and mentors will come from the likes of Google, Microsoft, Paypal and Amazon Web Services will make the programme “compelling”. The actual running of the programme will be down to Paul Smith, a North East-based tech entrepreneur.

Those interested in applying to ignite100 can visit see the site. The closing date for applications is Sunday 17th July at 23.59 PST.

If you could have anything you want, how do you decide what's worth doing?

Derek Sivers' (CD Baby) new book 'Anything You Want' (released via Seth Godin's The Domino Project) could help you figure it out.

More info below:

‘Anything You Want’ — Not Your Typical Business Book

This is your one chance at life, you can have anything you want, what is worth doing?

Today we’re thrilled to announce the launch of Derek Sivers’ book, Anything You Want. It’s an autobiographical tale of starting a little hobby, accidentally growing it into a big business, and then selling it for $22 million.

Anything You Want is not your typical business book. It’s about living your passion, knowing why you do what you do, and doing what matters. It’s about knowing your personal philosophy of what makes you happy and pursuing that in everything you do.

This book gets at the heart of what Derek learned in ten years of starting and growing CD Baby, compacted into something you can read in an hour–but with a passion that will stick with you forever.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, aspiring to be one, or you care at all about what it means to be human, this book is for you.

Anything You Want is available in hardcover, 5 pack, 52 pack, kindle, audio, and a very limited edition Collectible, signed by Derek.

When you buy the book in any format, you get a free bonus of over 200 MP3s by some of Derek’s favorite musicians.

“Everything is moving online into ‘The Cloud’ but we still need to work out how to monetise products and services that can’t be replicated digitally.”

Read below for my summary (and personal comments) of the fantastic presentation delivered by Gerd Leonhard (via videolink no less) on Day 1 of the Thinking Digital Conference @ Sage Gateshead on 25th May 2011.

‘The People of the Cloud’ / ‘People of the Screen’ expect things to be digital first, physical next.

You can no longer ‘force’ people to buy – you now need to ‘attract’ people to buy/upgrade from the free version once they’ve used and grown to love/need it (a classic Freemium model like LinkedIn).

“When copies are free, you need to sell things that can’t be copied”, Kewing Kelly (Better Than Free).

If people expect digital copies to be free (or very low cost), it’s down to you the ‘content creator’ to work out how to sell things that can’t be replicated or copied digitally. For example, although video footage can be streamed live or broadcast after an event, you can’t digitally recreate the actual physical experience (sights, sounds, smell and touch) of being at a live music gig, conference or training session and all the feelings of excitement and interactions before, during and after which take place.

’360^o Deals’ in the Music Industry

As physical record sales continue to fall, they are increasingly seen as merely a ‘calling card’ or marketing tool for artists and bands. At the same time, live music gigs and festivals are on the up. Therefore, record labels now seek to sign new artists and bands up to ‘360^o Deals’ which means that they make money on live performance fees, merchandise, advertising endorsements, mobile ringtones, tv and movie deals , not just physical and digital download record sales. People can now even pay for a recording of a live gig immediately after a gig has ended.

Authors like Seth Godin understand this. They realise that some people want exclusive, advance copies of the latest titles sent directly to their Kindle or other eReader device (either for free in return for writing reviews, helping to spread the word and creating a buzz, or for a fee which ensures they get it quicker than all ‘normal people’ (see my earlier post about ’The Domino Project’ and ‘Rise of the Information Jockey (IJ)‘.

Meanwhile, others will still prefer the look and feel of a physical book (hardcover or paperback which both have a different cost and speed at which they can be obtained/delivered. Further still, ‘superfans’ will happily pay much higher prices for limited editions which offer something unique and special. It’s all about offering choice and giving the user/consumer what they want.

Can you divide your products or services into digital, hardcover, paperback or limited edition-type versions?

Locking stuff behind a paywall or asking them to pay upfront is a deathwish online. It doesn’t work or make any money (or as much as you want). Sharing is the default mindset of the digital generation and if you don’t share you will be toast! Spotify rocks but their latest move (limiting the number of times people can listen to music for free) could signal the end.

“Data is the New Oil”

“Data is the new Oil” says Gerd  – a more succinct version of the original quote by Meglena Kuneva (EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner) in Brussels on 31st March 2009 in which she said “Personal data is the new oil of the Internet and the new currency of the digital world”

Both are great quotes which perfectly sum up the way things are heading (or have already headed) in the digital world. However, just like oil, the true value (and money) only comes from the myriad of products and services that can be derived from the raw material!

Social networks are broadcasters spreading news and information faster than traditional media channels. For example, “It takes roughly 41 seconds for ‘old media’ (i.e. tv) to report a breaking news story but just 28 seconds on Twitter!” New media then has the added bonus of being instantly ‘shareable’ – passing along far wider and more random patterns around the world.

We are moving away from providing digital copies which people can download and keep (MP3s, PDFs) to content they can stream so long as they continue to use the service (like the aforementioned Spotify).

The Future?

The future is all about;

• Bundling (content provided pre-loaded onto hardware devices like mobile phones)
• Freemium
• Up-selling
• Streaming

3 ways for creatives (or creators) to get paid;

• They pay (being forced to watch adverts at the beginning of a music video or computer game)
• I pay
• We pay

Find Out More / Discuss Further

If you’d like to read more from Gerd Leonhard (@gleonhard), visit www.mediafuturist.com where you can download free ebooks (the hope being that you will appreciate his work so much that you will go on to pay for a physical copy).

To discuss any of the ideas further and how they can be implemented into your business, please email me at paul.lancaster@pne.org or call +44(0)191 423 6239.

Although email is a fantastic invention, there's far too much of it about as people don't think enough before writing and hitting send.

It's worth remembering that every time you send someone an email you're actually giving them more work to do, whether that's reading, replying, forwarding, deleting or marking as spam. (See my earlier post titled 'The Race To ZERO').

Author, thinker, genius and marketing guru Seth Godin recently wrote the following blog post which really resonated with me so I thought I would repost it here in full. Maybe it'll make you stop and think before sending your next email(s)...!

Exciting looking seminar on Mobile Apps / Marketing for music businesses from my friends at Generator... 

• Steve Mayall - Music Ally (Digital Music Business Consultancy)
• Stephen O'Reilly - Mobile roadie (Music App Developer)
• Seth Jackson - PIAS Digital / Indie Mobile (Mobile Distribution /Marketing)

• Get an overview of mobile marketing
• Demystify the jargon used in mobile marketing
• Inspirational campaigns and why they work

• Create mobile marketing campaigns at different budget levels
• Build an app using audience content live
• Deliver a free App to a lucky audience member courtesy of Mobile Roadie

StartUp Saturday is an exciting new 12wk business training programme being piloted in Staples stores across the UK.

Run by the small business support company Enterprise Nation and training providers CragRats, each StartUp Saturday session takes place inside a designated Staples store on a Saturday morning between 9.30am-10.30am, where attendees are given a comprehensive workbook written by Emma Jones (Enterprise Nation) containing advice, case studies, useful links and tips.

GREAT PARTNERSHIP

Personally, I think this is a great partnership and very clever way to take learning out of the classroom and into more public spaces. Research shows that academic institutions can have negative associations for many people and so putting the training in a setting that is neutral and non-threatening, at a time that is convenient to them (on a Saturday morning) is a fantastic idea (particularly for those with childcare issues / who are in paid employment during the week).

It's also a masterstroke putting the training into Staples stores which offer all the office supplies, stationary, hardware, software and peripherals you need to kit out an office! The moment you walk in you are put in the right mindset for starting or running a business and perhaps a little bit of shopping after the training, which of course is what Staples are hoping you will do.

STARTUP SATURDAY @ STAPLES GATESHEAD

On Saturday morning (21st May) I went along to Week 1 of the StartUp Saturday course at the Gateshead Metrocentre Staples store, titled 'Uncover your BIG idea and research the market' to see what it was like (and to report back to Shell LiveWIRE readers).

Upon arrival at 9.30am, I was led to the back of the store where the staff training room had been turned into a classroom for the day.

Not sure what to expect, I was impressed by the set-up of the room and the quality of the training materials on offer to attendees, which included an excellent 'StartUp Saturday Workbook' by Emma Jones (Enterprise Nation), similar to her other great titles 'Working 5 to 9' and 'The Start-Up Kit', plus some Staples money-off vouchers relevant to each of the 12wk sessions.

The store manager had also gone out of his way to provide each attendee with a handy Staples goody bag containing catalogues and brochures, free pens and a fun 'That Was Easy' desk toy which my 2yr old son has been getting great enjoyment out of! ;o)

GIVE IT A GO

If you're seriously thinking about starting a business, I recommend you give some of the StartUp Saturday training a go. You can book onto the full course or dip in and out of the programme by booking individual sessions for just £10 at: http://startupsaturday.co.uk/#book-classes

Read more about the StartUp Saturday programme and the people behind it at: http://www.shell-livewire.org/news/startup-saturday

I've just received a box of lovely new business cards from MOO.com just in time for the Thinking Digital Conference taking place in Gateshead next week (24-26 May 2011).

The cards feature my own unique ScanMe.com 2D/QR barcode on one side & 'traditional' contact details on the other. Cool huh? ;o)

lordlancaster's business cards

In my line of work I regularly get to hear about lots of great new business ideas and start-ups but here's one that I think has huge potential to bring online and offline communities together, whilst enabling tech-savvy and fashion-conscious people to share private messages and information with each other around the world!

ScanMe is an exciting new application that allows individuals to create their own unique 2D / QR Barcode containing links to all their social media profiles (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, Skype), website, email address, telephone number and personal message or short bio.

It's completely free for users to create their code by visiting www.scanme.com and logging in using their existing Facebook details. Once the code has been created, they can download it to their PC or laptop and share it with anyone they like. The recipient or viewer then simply scans the code into their smartphone (using a QR reader app) to reveal all your contact info!

The code will never change in appearance, but you can login to add and edit the info contained within it whenever you like.

As someone who is using all the social media tools listed above for business on a daily basis, I think this is a really excellent way to compile all my contact details into one handy place which I can then share with all my business contacts online (i.e. as an avatar or profile picture) or on printed materials (like business cards).

For example, my unique ScanMe barcode is shown below. To see how it works, take a photo/scan it into your smartphone to reveal my details!

lordlancaster's ScanMe barcode

The official launch date for the fully functioning ScanMe website is Monday 9th May but for those of you who are super-keen and like to be ahead of the pack you can create your code now at www.scanme.com to see how it works, and then add further info to it next week.

Furthermore, after 9th May, users can incorporate their own unique ScanMe code into a range of clothing items and t-shirts dubbed 'Interactive Fashion' featuring exclusive designs by world-renowned artists like Ray Ban and Wired magazine designer Matt W. Moore. Very cool indeed!

Watch the YouTube clip below to find out more... ;o)

My friends at Generator have just launched an exciting new 13wk Level 3 Diploma in 'Managing a Music Business Enterprise' in association with Gateshead College, starting on 30th June 2011.

Here is my list of the most useful and inspiring books I’ve read in recent years. Read some or all of them and I’m sure they will change your life for the better too…!

50 Ways to Make Google Love Your Website by Steve Johnston & Liam McGee

“Essential reading for anyone building or managing a website. The best I’ve seen so far. Easy to read, yet packed full of practical tips and advice to make your site truly great. Awesome stuff!”

Marketing to the Social Web: How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business
by Larry Weber

Engage: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success in the New Web
by Brian Solis

Free: The Future of a Radical Price: The Economics of Abundance and Why Zero Pricing Is Changing the Face of Business
by Chris Anderson

Poke the Box by Seth Godin

“Seth Godin is on a mission to change the face of publishing with ‘The Domino Project’ and I think he’s onto a winner with this book that encourages you to Go Go Go! Instead of waiting for someone else to pick you to do something great, this book will help you realise that it’s time to pick yourself.”

Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? How to Drive Your Career and Create a Remarkable Future by Seth Godin

The Start Up Kit: Everything you need to start a business by Emma Jones (Enterprise Nation)

“Another fantastic resource from one of my favourite business start-up authors Emma Jones. Not only does this include a 200 page book full of bang up to date advice and resources, but also £400 of offers from leading brands including Google, Barclays, BlackBerry and MOO.com. Well worth a look.”

Working 5 to 9: How to Start a Successful Business in Your Spare Time by Emma Jones (Enterprise Nation)

“Easily one of best guides to starting a business from home that I’ve come across so far! Written in a fun and informal style, I think this is essential reading for anyone thinking of, or already running a business in their spare time whilst still holding down a day job – something that lots of people do, but few other books or enterprise schemes seem to acknowledge. The first part of the book is devoted to inspiring case studies of real life ’5 to 9ers’ whilst the rest is full of useful and up-to-date tools, tips and resources. Highly recommended!”

From Those Wonderful Folks Who Gave You Pearl Harbor: Front-line Dispatches from the Advertising War
by Jerry Della Femina

“Awesome book from advertising legend Jerry Della Femina in the 1970s. Inspiration for the show Mad Men which Della Femina worked as a consultant / adviser on in series one.”

Screw It, Let’s Do It: Lessons In Life (Quick Read) by Richard Branson

Get Off Your Arse by Brad Burton

How important is your geographical location and physical environment when it comes to success in business? I’d say massively so after my past two days meeting some of the movers and shakers in the London Tech scene (14-15 April 2011)!

‘Silicon Roundabout’

Although based in the North East of England (Gateshead), I’ve been following with much interest the media buzz surrounding TechHub and the area dubbed ‘Silicon Roundabout’ in and around the Old Street part of the city. What is it that makes this place so special and does it really deserve all the hype?

The first thing that struck me when arriving at Old Street tube station is that it’s actually a little bit of a dump – old and shabby! However, the roundabout itself is surrounded by shiny new high rise office blocks with the ubiquitous EAT! and Pret A Manger outlets which surprised me and isn’t really what I expected to find. Move just a few hundred yards from the roundabout though and I’d describe the area as ‘edgy’ with more rundown buildings containing a vibrant mix of takeaways, restaurants, bars and clubs, plus plenty of trendy young things walking about.

There’s also A LOT of empty office space with ‘To Let’ signs pretty much along the whole length of Old Street. This is exactly the type of environment in which creative, media and tech types tend to flock to as it offers them a vibrant social scene in which to network (over a beer, glass of wine or coffee) plus the great transport links (frequent buses and just two Tube stops from King’s Cross and St Pancras train stations) which make it within easy reach of the rest of the UK and mainland Europe!

 
Old Street Offices ‘To Let’

Floxx

My first destination when I arrived was the apt-named Paul Street, just off Old Street, to meet and interview Rich Martell, the 21yr old Founder and CEO of Floxx – the flirting social network (video coming soon). I first met Rich after hearing him speak at the NACUE National Student Entrepreneurs Conference (NSEC) in Manchester and after several email, Twitter and phone conversations had arranged to visit his office to find out more. I predict big things for Rich who having previously launched the site as the phenomenally successful (and notorious) FitFinder whilst still at University has recently relaunched it as the more internationally-friendly Floxx.com with VC investment of £100,000 from original Dragon Doug Richard (@dougrichard) and Silicon Valley investor Kevin Wall.

Charismatic and charming, Rich is typical of the new breed of successful entrepreneurs I have been lucky to meet who are open to ideas and genuinely interested in the people around them. During our conversation about Floxx and Shell LiveWIRE, Rich mentioned a student intern that had recently joined the Floxx team called Tom from Durham University who he thought might be an ideal candidate for our monthly £1,000 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards. He then brought Tom in so I could explain more about our programme and encourage him to apply, which I hope he does for his interesting new business ‘The Doorman’ (watch this space).

For the rest of our meeting we shared lots of ideas and information about the London Tech Start-Up scene and the importance of location to him and his business. Rich talked about the vibrancy of the area and the attraction of being in such close proximity to other tech start-ups in and around ‘Silicon Roundabout’ for networking and sharing of ideas. A good example of this is the fact that the Floxx team are currently housed in a cool shared office called ‘The Hoxton Mix’, sitting alongside other tech businesses like SoundCloud and specialist PR agency 33Seconds who they have started to work with. It’s this type of close proximity and clustering of similar and related businesses that makes it easier for co-promotion and cross-pollination of ideas which is mutually beneficial to each of the businesses. It also became apparent that although part of a vast city, the London Tech scene was actually quite small with Rich seemingly knowing many of the key players whose names kept popping up during the two days I was in London.

 
The Hoxton Mix, Paul Street

TechHub

After leaving Floxx, I headed on down to TechHub which is very much in the heart of ‘Silicon Roundabout’ on City Road and has been generating a lot of PR buzz in recent months.

Overlooking the high street with big glass frontage, TechHub has a relaxed and informal vibe about it upon arrival – with a reception desk manned by the wonderfully helpful Tina, open plan hot desk area and comfy sofas by the door and window, two small meeting rooms and a kitchenette on opposite sides of the room, and a more private room at the back where the ‘resident’ members are working side by side in what reminds me of a university or library computer room!

 
Hot Desk Area @ TechHub

TechHub is open to most users between Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm (although the residents have 24hr access to the building with many of them working throughout the night). I was slightly surprised to hear that there is a vetting system for approving new members, but in a city like London I can see why this is necessary as TechHub is much more than just a place to work with regular social events, demo evenings and frequent visits from the media and investment world so the founders are trying hard to maintain the quality of businesses involved. Admittedly the rooms and facilities themselves at TechHub aren’t the prettiest I’ve seen but this is more than made up for by the location, connections and networking opportunities available for anyone choosing to do work there.

This was confirmed by the start-ups I interviewed – Squadify, Sharkius Games, Developer Fusion, TechEye and Caped Koala / Pora Ora (videos coming soon) who all talked excitedly about the benefits of being housed in such a vibrant place compared to working from home or in a non-descript office in some other part of town. The people behind TechHub – Elizabeth Varley (@evarley) and Mike Butcher (TechCrunch) are also doing a fantastic job of shining a light on the businesses coming out of the building (and the London scene in general) which is benefiting each and every member of the TechHub community.

Having spent a couple of hours in the place and met not only the people behind it but some of the businesses that are using the facility, I’m pleased to say that TechHub really does live up to the hype and highly recommend any tech start-ups pay a visit the next time they’re in London even if just to soak up the positive vibes and anything-is-possible attitude of the place!

Mind Candy / Moshi Monsters

My final destination for the day was the wonderful Tea Building (former Lipton Tea Building) on Shoreditch High Street, just a short walk from TechHub via Great Eastern Street. As I walked towards the Tea Building, the shops, bars, cafes and restaurant became smarter and there was definitely a cool vibe about the place and the people walking around.

 
Outside the Tea Building

My reason for visiting the Tea Building was to meet and interview Michael Acton Smith (@acton), founder of Firebox.com and now Mind Candy – home of the phenomenally successful Moshi Monsters (37m registered users worldwide)!

Being a big fan of Firebox and having seen and heard lots of great things about Michael and Mind Candy, I was excited to finally get to meet the man behind the brand. Michael didn’t disappoint and is everything I hoped he would be – intelligent, smart, charming, engaging and fun with a cool, rock & roll vibe about him (wild hair and snakeskin boots and all)!

Not only that, but the Mind Candy office he has created is truly something else. You couldn’t fail to be inspired to work in such an environment as this with bright Moshi Monsters artwork on the walls, interesting and exciting breakout areas and meeting rooms, quirky art and all the paraphernalia that you would expect from one of the UK’s most exciting and creative tech and media companies. There’s clearly a lot of thought (and money) gone in to creating such an environment and I wouldn’t be surprised if it won some kind of interior design / best office award in the future!

 
Members of the Mind Candy team

 
Waving Hello To The People Below!

During our fantastic interview (video coming soon) Michael confirmed that the working environment was crucial to getting the best out of his team and making them feel valued, expressing dismay at how many businesses continue to work in boring, drab and soulless offices. If only more companies would take heed and put more effort into their place of work then perhaps we would have more success stories like Mind Candy throughout the UK?

 
Feed The Mind

Physical Environment & Community

As I leave the city with a much better understanding of the London Tech scene, I feel very proud that we have such great businesses and entrepreneurs in the UK right now. Geographical location and infrastructure are clearly important with London at the forefront of the Tech world. However, I feel that the physical environment, sense of community and access to networks of like-minded people is equally if not more important.

There’s really no reason why there can’t be satellite hubs and versions of ‘Silicon Roundabout’ up and down the country with a little bit of thought and effort from the local businesses and powers that be. There are obviously many different ingredients at play here but it can be done as the ‘Silicon Alley’ area of Pink Lane in my home town of Newcastle has shown in the past (albeit on a much smaller scale). All it takes is a bit of effort, determination, imagination and a few key ‘connectors’ to bring people together around a common purpose and goal. You can see the raw ingredients and potential in towns and cities everywhere.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this article or topic, please leave your comments below, email me at paul.lancaster@shell-livewire.org or send me a Tweet  to @lordlancaster.

When was the last time you had ZERO emails in your inbox?

I bet it was a long time ago. Take a look at how many emails you’ve got just sitting there now, like a constant nagging reminder that you have lots of ‘stuff’ to do which isn’t getting done!

At the tail end of 2010 I came to the realisation that every time someone sends you an email they are actually giving you more work to do. Reading, replying, deleting, forwarding, filing or marking as junk all takes up valuable time, piling even more pressure on your already busy schedule.

There are so many emails flying around every second of the day that it can sometimes feel like dealing with them is all that you’re doing. This has certainly happened to me in the past, when a whole morning or even day has been spent just wading through my emails – usually on the first day back after a holiday. I can cope with it (just) but I bet there are many people out there who really dread coming back to work after a break or sickness for fear of what lies waiting in their inbox.

I managed to get my inbox down to zero for the first time in about 10yrs just before Christmas 2010, on Thursday 23rd December to be exact, and it felt AMAZING - like a huge weight off my shoulders and a big sense of achievement (which sounds a little bit sad but true). I didn’t do this the easy way by ‘declaring email bankruptcy’ (i.e. deleting all my emails) but by systematically doing the work that each one required. Admittedly, none of these emails were urgent or massively important (hence why they were still sitting in my inbox) but each one symbolised a little promise (by me) or request for help (by the sender) which deserved a response. I think it’s rude to ignore someone’s email.

I managed to get my emails back down to zero for the 2nd time on Wednesday 13th April 2011 (over 3 months later)! This lasted for approximately 45mins from 3.30pm-4.15pm after which 10 new emails came through in quick succession!

My Tips For Better Email Management

1. If you use Microsoft Office Outlook or Outlook Express – turn off the email notification popup that appears in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen whenever a new email comes through. It’s a pointless distraction that will just lead you to click on it or check your email like Pavlov’s Dog responding the bell.

2. Try and limit how often you check your emails and restrict it to certain times of the day. I know this can be very hard to do and I’m not great at it myself but try spending the first 30mins of each day reading and responding to your emails and then closing your email down completely so you can get on with all your other work. You can then go back to your emails just before lunchtime/early afternoon, and then again later in the day – each time closing your email down completely.

3. Think more carefully about how many emails you send and who the recipients should be.

a. If you’re a manager, instead of sending lots of emails to the same person (or the team) in one day, perhaps you could save them all up and combine into one, with clear instructions on what you need and when? Some top managers and CEOs only send one email per week and so make it count!
b. Do you really need to copy those other people into your emails to someone? Remember, you’re giving them more work to do just by reading it. People also seem to have different thoughts about what it means to copy someone else in or to be copied in themselves. Make sure your colleagues understand what is required and whether they need to do anything in response. If they don’t need to do anything at all, question whether they really need to be included in the email or if you’re just covering your back!

4. Instead of sending an email, how about picking up the phone or even better walking over the person sitting in the next room, office next door or other part of the building? The break from your desk, slight change of scenery and light exercise will probably do you good, not to mention help build up rapport and improve interpersonal relationships within the team or organisation. This is obviously easier if it’s not a negative or difficult topic of conversation but I’d say these are always better done face to face instead of by cowardly email!

5. Unsubscribe from all those newsletters and e-bulletins that you never have time to read, although think carefully before you do this. Have a good hard read through the last one you received to see if there’s anything of interest or work out if there could be in the future. If not, click the ‘Unsubscribe’ link (usually at the bottom of the email) or reply with the words ‘Please Unsubscribe’ in the title of your email. Personally, I find daily emails annoying, weekly ones OK and monthly ones fine so tend to only subscribe to the latter two types.

6. Turn off all your notification emails from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and any other website or social media tool you use that will quickly clog up your inbox.

a. If you log in to Facebook each day (as many people do) you will see any new notifications, messages or friend requests anyway so why do you need another email which will just distract you from doing ‘proper work’? You don’t.
b. The same applies to Twitter. The only notification emails I still receive from Twitter are those alerting me to Direct Messages (DMs) as these are questions sent to me by people I know (or are Following) and therefore almost always require a response. Notifications of new Followers are pure vanity and you’ll see them anyway next time you login.
c. Again, LinkedIn is a fantastic tool but I find the emails highlighting all the latest ‘Group’ discussions a bit annoying and so suggest either turning these off or reducing the frequency in the Group settings.

7. Google Alerts – if you manage a website or do any kind of PR or digital marketing and promotion for your company there’s a very good chance you will have created some Google Alerts. These are very useful for keeping tabs on who is talking about you online, but I recommend changing the frequency from ‘As It Happens’ or ‘Daily’ to ‘Once A Week’ which I find is a much better way to monitor your progress.

8. Lastly, one sure fire way to cut down on the number of emails you receive is stop being helpful to others and to never give out your email address or publish it online. Obviously I’m being a little bit mischievous here but on a serious note, it’s worth thinking about whether you want people to send you an email, if you can cope with the amount coming in, or if you would prefer them to call the office. This all depends on what type of work you do and the organisation you’re in.

Did You Find This Useful?

If so, I’d love to know. I’m proposing a NO EMAIL DAY later this year so if you’d like to be part of this campaign please leave a comment below, email me at paul...@pne.org (click to reveal my full email address) or post your Twitter ‘handle’ (i.e. @lordlancaster) below.

Please feel free to Tweet about this blog too including the special hashtag #noemailday

Are you an experienced entrepreneur, business adviser, mentor, enterprise expert or academic? If so, your country (& Shell LiveWIRE) needs you!

Every day, many hundreds of people visit our Discussion Forum to read all the free business advice on offer and to learn how to start and run a business.

Our stats show that (at the time of writing) the Forum has had 365 new Threads and 1946 new Posts added since 1st Jan 2011.

Furthermore, Google Analytics shows that the Forum section of our site alone has had 70,805 Total Pageviews and 48,929 Unique Pageviews since 1st Jan, so there are lots of people browsing and reading anonymously without posting.

We feel that the Forum one of the best things about the Shell LiveWIRE programme as it's full of real-life entrepreneurs who are just starting out in business, as well as those who are already up and running. We also have some great business advisers and mentors who contribute but we'd like to make the Forum even better by encouraging more to get involved!

How Can You Help?

Please take a quick look at our Discussion Forum (www.shell-livewire.org/forums) and see if there are any questions or requests for help you can reply to.

If not, that's fine - but any help you can give will be greatly appreciated and you'll be doing your bit to support young entrepreneurs and new businesses throughout the UK!

New questions are being asked each day so it would be great if you could bookmark the Forum and pop in every now and then to share your expertise. :o)

Thank you
Paul Lancaster
Web Development Executive
Shell LiveWIRE
http://www.shell-livewire.org/network/lordlancaster/blog/
http://twitter.com/lordlancaster

The StartUp Britain campaign was launched today (Monday 28th March 2011) with the support and backing of Prime Minister David Cameron and the UK Government.

This exciting initiative to 'celebrate, inspire and accelerate enterprise in the UK' has been devised by the following team of leading British entrepreneurs;

- Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2005 Jamie Murray Wells (Glasses Direct)
- Emma Jones (Enterprise Nation)
- Duncan Cheatle (The Supper Club)
- Oli Barrett (Co-Sponsorship Agency)
- Richard O'Connor (Ambergreen)
- Lara Morgan (Pacific Direct)
- Michael Hayman (Seven Hills) and
- Rajeeb Dey (Enternships)

Early Reaction

Within a matter of hours, early reactions and opinions on Twitter (see #startupbritain) have been distinctly divided - with half the people seemingly loving the idea and the rest being highly cynical with comments like;

"Is this just a marketing ploy for already established companies?"

The biggest criticism seems to be the fact that although the website contains links to a wide range of excellent resources to help new and existing businesses (including Shell LiveWIRE under the 'Grant funding for young entrepreneurs' section although not under the 'Sources of funding' section), it's primarily a way for large corporate businesses (many of them US-based) to market themselves to new startups with a view to upselling their products to them in the future.

Other people are also critical of how much emphasis there is on using US-based or US-owned businesses and enterprise tools instead of UK ones, and the suggestion that you should do everything on the cheap instead of calling in the professionals (for example to design a good-looking logo or website).

Personally I feel that anything encouraging and inspiring people to consider self-employment is a good thing, and the StartUp Britain team should be commended for how much online buzz they have created for the initiative. Perfect timing too (less than a week after George Osborne's 2011 Budget), although apart from lending their public support and putting David Cameron's face on the homepage, the UK Government aren't actually putting any money into this new initiative which seems to be upsetting/annoying some people online.

However, people need to be reminded that although the new campaign is undoubtedly exciting, there was enterprise support in the UK long before this one came along. Part of the StartUp Britain campaign is to challenge private sector businesses to do more to help support new startups but I think it's worth reminding readers that Shell has been funding the Shell LiveWIRE programme since 1982, making it one of the UK's longest running enterprise schemes around! The scheme has evolved over the years but a considerable amount of free advice, support and funding has been given away over the years, including £10,000 to one of the StartUp Britain founders Jamie Murray Wells (Glasses Direct) in 2005! ;o)

Website Feedback

I think the new StartUp Britain website looks really good so far and is only going to get better. As I mentioned above there are some great links on there too, and the deals are pretty cool too although not all of them will be suitable (or necessary) for everyone starting out in business.

If I could make one criticism of the website, it would be that there seems to be no mention of the excellent NFEA (National Federation of Enterprise Agencies) - a membership organisation made up of local enterprise organisations across England which can offer independent, impartial advice (and sometimes funding) to startups. The Shell LiveWIRE team regularly encourage our members to take a look at the NFEA website to use the handy Google Map showing all their members. This is because our data shows that those who have received face to face business advice have a slightly better chance of receiving startup funding (like our own monthly £1,000 Shell LiveWIRE Grand Ideas Awards) than those who don't!

Furthermore, one of the great benefits of speaking to a professional business adviser is that they can also stop some people from making the biggest mistake of their life! Although on paper something may seem like a great idea, it's important for people not to rush headlong into something and risk potential financial ruin by not planning things properly and working out if they really are cut out for self-employment. This is a crucial part of enterprise support that is often overlooked.

In addition to the NFEA, you can see a list of other great enterprise organisations in the Shell LiveWIRE Business Library at: http://www.shell-livewire.org/business-library/funding/ and http://www.shell-livewire.org/business-library/further-support-for-business/

Find Out More

Follow the StartUp Britain initiative on Twitter @startupbritain and use the special hashtag #startupbritain to see all the latest news, events, blogs and related Tweets.

Read what Shell LiveWIRE members are saying about StartUp Britain and have your say on our Discussion Forum.

Fantastic oportunity for creative businesses in the West of Gateshead. Rent and Rates-Free Workspace in the beautiful Gibside estate...

The Garden Shell - Call For Applicants

The Shed is an innovative project set up by Gateshead Council to provide rent and rate free workspace to the creative sector.  Currently, 39 creative businesses are resident in The Shed, occupying four open plan studio spaces (http://shedgateshead.blogspot.com)

Following on from the hugely successful Starter For Ten scheme which has seen The Shed thrive over the past 18 months, we’re thrilled to announce the next phase for rent and rate free space for creative businesses within Gateshead. 
 
The Garden Shed is an opportunity to grow your creativity in the grounds of one of Gateshead's stunning historic estates.
 
We're offering rent and rates-free workspace in the grounds of Gibside Estate in west Gateshead for creative people to develop their practice or business.

Spaces range from restored historic stables to timber buildings and canvas structures. They all provide the chance to work alongside other creatives and interact with the 120,000 people who visit Gibside each year.
 
Site Visits:
 
There will be two open days for potential applicants to visit and view the facilities being offered. This will provide an opportunity to decide if the facilities are appropriate for your business.
 
These will be held on:

• Saturday 26 March 2011 at 2.00pm
• Monday 28 March 2011 at 2.00pm

Applicants should allow two hours for a short presentation from the Property Manager, Mick Wilkes, and a tour of the site.
 
To apply for a space at The Garden Shed download the application form from the Gateshead Council website. 
 
 
The Shed
 
Yvette Hawkins – Development Manager
yvettehawkins@gateshead.gov.uk
Tel: 0191 4332849
 
Visit us on Facebook and Twitter
 

In the House of Commons today (Weds 23rd March 2011), George Osborne MP delivered his Budget 2011 which included a raft of measures he claimed would "make Britain the best place to start, run or grow a business in Europe".

Mr Osborne started by saying that the state currently accounts for roughly half of all UK income and it was time to redress the balance with a pro-business budget to support private sector growth. The Government wants to reduce our over-dependence on the City of London and recognise the importance of our skills and talents in manufacturing, technology and life sciences in other regions throughout the UK.

Tax and National Insurance

Mr Osborne plans to simplify the tax system to help reduce the administrative burden on small businesses and reward hard work and enterprise.

Working with the Office of Tax Simplification, he announced plans to merge Income Tax with National Insurance, although the consultation is likely to take a number of years to complete.

Apparently, Corporation Tax used to be the 3rd lowest in the world but is now the 6th highest and so from April it will fall by 2%, with a further 1% drop each year for the next 3yrs. Mr Osborne said this would make it lower than the US and send out a clear message to the rest of the world that "Britain is open for business".

Allaying any fears that this would benefit the banks, George Osborne said that he would be adjusting the Bank Levy next year to readjust the balance.

Measures To Help Small Business

On the subject of banks, Mr Osborne announced that he had agreed with them a 15% increase in credit to small businesses over the coming months.

Other measures to help small businesses include;

• A moratorium of 3yrs for small businesses in relation to any new domestic regulation.
• An increase in Income Tax Relief on the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) from 20% to 30% in April.

Enterprise Zones

21 new Enterprise Zones are to be created in areas of the UK with the greatest need, but also the greatest potential. The first 10 are to be located in the following areas;

• Birmingham and Solihull
• Leeds City Region
• Sheffield City Region
• Liverpool City Region
• Greater Manchester
• West of England
• Tees Valley
• Tyneside
• The Black Country and
• Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

In addition, London will have its own Enterprise Zone - the exact location of which will be decided by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. The Government will also launch a competitive process for interested Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to establish the remaining 10 Enterprise Zones.

To encourage growth in these areas, the Government will introduce a 100% 'business rate discount' worth up to £275,000 over 5yrs for businesses moving into an Enterprise Zone. They will also encourage and support the rollout of superfast broadband in each of the Zones, with funding if necessary.

Furthermore, all business rates growth within the Zones for the next 25yrs will be 'retained and shared by the local authorities to help support their economic priorities'.

R&D and Skills Development

Following consultation with Sir James Dyson, the Government will increase the SME rate of R&D tax credit to 200% from April 2011, and then 225% from April 2012 which it hopes will help stimulate greater innovation in UK business.

In his Budget, Mr Osborne said that Britain's working age population has lower skills than both the US and France, which combined with the highest unemployment figure in 17yrs, makes for pretty grim reading.

To help turn this around and get more people into jobs and training, the Government is introducing the following measures;

• Funding for 24 new University Technical Colleges.
• 250,000 more apprenticeships over the next few years (including 40,000 for unemployed people).
• 100,000 people to benefit from the 'new work experience scheme' which will allows them to work for up to 8 weeks instead of the previous 2 weeks.

Start-Up Britain

On Monday 28th March, the Prime Minister and Vince Cable MP will launch 'Start-up Britain' a new body to help people start and grow a business which the Shell LiveWIRE team looks forward to learning more about in the coming weeks and months.

Find Out More

To read the 2011 Budget in full, visit the HM Treasury website.

You can also read what young entrepreneurs are saying about the budget on our Discussion Forum under the special UK Budget 2011 thread.

"Your Amazon.co.uk order has dispatched"

...is one of my favourite ever sentences. I love the excitement/anticipation of something coming through the post because it's almost always something great like a book or CD that will make my life richer somehow, or a gift for a loved one! :)

I was recently invited by my friends at Codeworks to write a column for our local (North East) business newspaper The Journal.

Journalistic / editorial license means that some of my words were slightly altered or missed out so here's the original article in full...

Tech Notes by Paul Lancaster (published on 24th February 2011)

It’s been another interesting few weeks in the tech world.

Two days after the allegedly leaked memo from Nokia Chief Executive Stephen Elop described his company as ‘standing on a burning platform’ for its failure to develop a smartphone to compete with Apple and Google – they announced an exciting new partnership with Microsoft in which Windows 7 Phone will be adopted as the OS for future Nokia phones.

I say exciting because despite falling behind in the smartphone market, Nokia are still the biggest handset manufacturer in the world, and having just taken delivery of a lovely new Samsung Omnia Windows 7 Phone I can tell you that the Microsoft platform is a joy to use. Intuitive, user-friendly and with great features like the ‘Live Tiles’ which make everything just a single tap away, I’d highly recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade their phone or renew their contract.

Which leads me on to Amazon’s Kindle. Like many people, I was a complete sceptic of e-readers until I had a play of my brother-in-law’s Kindle over Christmas. Although there’s nothing like curling up with a good book on the sofa or in bed, I can totally see the benefit of digital versions of certain types of books, particularly tech and business-related titles where the ideas contained within are more important than the format in which they arrive. I’ve since downloaded the excellent free Kindle app for my phone (also available for iPhone, iPad and Android phones) which has enabled me to download a whole load of classic novels for free in a matter of seconds.

I’ve also ordered my very first eBook, ‘Poke The Box’ by business and marketing guru Seth Godin, which is part of an exciting new initiative called The Domino Project. Ever the innovator, Seth has partnered up with Amazon to try and change the face of publishing with initiatives like reducing the price of the eBook by $1 dollar for every 5,000 people that subscribe to his e-bulletin and order it before a specific date.

In my role for Shell LiveWIRE, I’m constantly amazed by how many creative and innovative new business ideas are being started up by young entrepreneurs in the UK, including Slotzz – a Newcastle-based company producing customised, handmade iPhone and iPad cases. Definitely one to watch for the future!

Follow me on Twitter @lordlancaster if you’d like to know more about any of the above.

Following the recent news that Borders has filed for bankruptcy in the US and the UK's own Waterstones is struggling too, I believe that physical bookstores need to acknowledge that Amazon exists not pretend it isn't there.

I'd be impressed if a bookstore like Borders or Waterstone's introduced a partnership with Amazon where they offered a free in-store book ordering service through a special co-branded website powered by Amazon.

Customers could even place the order themselves (again for free) via in-store PC terminals rather than ask a member of staff to do it for them.

If any orders were placed through it Amazon would then give the store a referral fee. This way, the customer has a choice of either paying slightly more to pick up and walk out of the shop that day, or pay less but have to wait for it to be delivered.

Further details from our colleagues at the PNE Group about their exciting new 'Centre for Young Entrepreneurs' based in the NewcastleGateshead area of North East England.

To mark its 30th year of operation and to give something back to society PNE has launched The PNE Centre for Young Entrepreneurs and we invite you to join us.

This will be a visible example of PNE’s contribution to the society and the community in which it operates. 

• High speed internet access
• 2 hours free consultancy every quarter with our IT team, our PR guru and our accountancy expert
• Free attendance at PNE’s business workshops
• A dedicated business counsellor whom you will meet with monthly
• A media and PR toolkit
• Signposting to accessible legal advice
• Access to PNE Loan Funds
• Access to the LiveWIRE Business Library
• Negotiated discounts on goods and services needed for your business (computers, consumables, books etc)

Apparently it's Social Media Week (7-11 Feb) but Shell LiveWIRE uses Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn to connect and engage with young entrepreneurs all year round.

In the past 12 months or so, Social Media has exploded into the mainstream as more and more people use it for both personal and business use - encouraged by the integration of social media 'apps' into smartphones like the iPhone, BlackBerry and Android handsets.

Indeed, most Shell LiveWIRE members and award-winning businesses can be found on Twitter and Facebook these days, as they appreciate just how useful these tools can be for marketing and promoting their business, providing good customer service and building up their networks.

See our Discussion Forum thread 'Who is Tweeting on Twitter?' to start following Shell LiveWIRE members.

How Shell LiveWIRE Is Using Social Media

The Shell LiveWIRE website has included a popular Discussion Forum for years, providing a great resource for entrepreneurs to tap into for free online help and advice whenever they need it.

Furthermore, our international Social Network was the first of its kind when it launched in May 2008 - providing a place for entrepreneurs around the world to connect with others, promote their business and give their search engine optimisation (SEO) a boost at the same time!

More recently, the Shell LiveWIRE team has introduced a Facebook Page, Twitter Profile and YouTube Channel to give people more choice over how and when they wish to interact with the programme. We also have a private LinkedIn Group for Shell LiveWIRE Award winners or 'Alumni'.

(Icons for the Shell LiveWIRE Social Network, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube sites have been added to the top right hand corner of our website, whilst the Twitter feed has been embedded into the homepage).

Furthermore, to encourage greater user-interaction and sharing of information and ideas, users can rate, comment and share every news article, video and Business Library page contained within the Shell LiveWIRE site (see the boxes and buttons at the very bottom of this page).

Using Social Media To Promote Your Business

If you're thinking of using Social Media, but don't know where to begin, take a look at our handy beginners guide on 'How To Use Social Media To Promote Your Business'.

Also, if you like how Shell LiveWIRE is using Social Media, or have any ideas for what else we can do, please leave your comments below (and don't forget to post a link back to this page on Twitter, Facebook, etc)! ;o)

Seth Godin is on a mission to change the face of publishing with 'The Domino Project' and I think he's onto a winner.

For anyone that's read one of Seth's books like Linchpin, Tribes or The Purple Cow or subscribed to his fantastic daily blog / newsletter / RSS feed, you'll know that it's all about THE IDEA and not the medium on which it is consumed.

Many people, including myself in the past, have poured scorn on the idea of e-readers like Amazon's Kindle, but why?

As Seth himself has said in the past, there will always be a place for books - as artefacts, ornaments and mementos of someone's life and history. There'll always be people that love the look, smell and feel of the paper in their hands. There'll also be people that are willing to pay vast sums of money for limited editions, slightly more for hardbacks, or less for paperbacks and on special offers in the latest bestselling book chart.

There'll also be those that don't really mind what format the book comes in because all they want/need are the ideas contained within - and I'm hereby dubbing these people the IJs or 'Information Jockeys'.

Just like a DJ (which I used to be), these people have a voracious appetite for new ideas and thirst for knowledge. They could be book addicts, academics, journalists and book reviewers or just people that consume more books than the average person. For these people they need the books fast and they want them now, and they're more than happy to download it to their e-reader if it means that they can get the book for slightly less money or slightly quicker than everyone else.

The IJs see themselves as curators of ideas and pride themselves on being ahead of the curve and more knowledgeable than most about a subject and so for these people it makes perfect sense to download a digital version of a book at a time and place that's convenient to them, not when the traditional book publisher or shop tells them they can access it.

When I was a DJ I was a self-confessed vinyl junkie (I've got a room full of records to prove it) and still love the look, smell and feel of it in my hands. However, when I turned from being a bedroom DJ into being a professional DJ, getting paid to do gigs and to be on the pulse with the latest music - digital downloads became more and more convenient and necessary to my career. Again, there were lots of sceptics around MP3s and the use of CDs used to be frowned upon by 'serious DJs' until the Pioneer CDJs came along and changed the game forever. Once the technology arrived to make the use of MP3s and CDs more convenient and user-friendly (not to mention easier to carry from gig to gig) there was no turning back and now it's hard to find a vinyl turntable in a modern nightclub these days.

So, I say there's still room for multiple formats but the issue here is about choice. Different formats for different types of user and Seth's The Domino Project is going to be right there in the thick of it pushing rhe envelope and championing the cause. Watch this space... ;)

Today I am honoured & excited to find out that I have been invited to join Seth Godin's new 'The Domino Project' street team - a global list of influential bloggers & digital thinkers set to change the face of publishing in conjunction with Amazon.com! :o)

More details to follow soon but in the meantime take a look at: http://www.thedominoproject.com/

Shell LiveWIRE's Paul Lancaster discovers an exciting new workspace development taking place in central London.

At the recent launch event for Emma Jones' The Start-Up Kit, Shell LiveWIRE's Paul Lancaster bumped into Steve Pette and James Layfield - serial entrepreneurs and founders of an exciting new workspace development in the heart of London called 'Central'.

Steve and James are the epitomy of all that is great about British business with an irrepressible enthusiasm, can do attitude and willingness to try new things.

This was highlighted by the fact that although they had only just met that evening, the pair kindly invited Paul down to sit in on their planning meeting the next morning at the office of James' award-winning marketing agency The Lounge.

Paul said "I feel very privileged to have sat in on the meeting and the plans for the new development look very exciting. There's clearly a lot of thought and effort gone into the project already and I can't wait to see the finished article when it opens in April 2011".

Tim (Heard Creative), Paul (Shell LiveWIRE) and
Steve (Central) at The Lounge office 

About Central

Due to open in April 2011, Central will be a new kind of workspace for people to collaborate, be inspired and grab a coffee or a bite to eat in the heart of London.

Unlike other private members clubs in the city, or busy coffee shops that aren't quite right for doing business, Central will be fully kitted out with all the equipment and essentials you need to have a productive day 'at the office'. Services will include printing, binding, making phone calls, registering your post, booking a courier, private meeting space, hirable event space and more.

Furthermore, Central say that the membership will be 'full of interesting, passionate and driven people who want to make the best of the opportunities the world has to offer, be that a new venture, a new connection or a bit of inspiration'.

Get Involved

Central is due to open in April 2011 and until then the team are very keen to ask real-life entrepreneurs and business people to share their ideas on what would make their ideal place to work.

To find out more and to get involved, visit the Central website, join their Facebook Page and/or follow them on Twitter @centralworking.

See what Shell LiveWIRE members are saying about Central at:
http://www.shell-livewire.org/forums/showthread.php?t=26080

I've just added a new article on how to integrate PayPal into your website or blog to the Shell LiveWIRE Business Library at:

http://www.shell-livewire.org/business-library/ecommerce/paypal-for-business/

Could those of you using PayPal or some other kind of online shop please take a look and leave a rating / comment at the bottom of the page for others to see?

I'm looking to build up the eCommerce section of the Business Library so any other suggestions on what info you'd like to see in here, and who by please let me know and I'll do my very best to arrange, thanks

If you work in the voluntary sector, our colleagues at PNE Development have just launched their exciting new e-learning academy GLOBE.

See below for full details including a 20% discount off training courses...

 

E-learning for the voluntary sector – get the skills you need now!

 

 

PNE Development is excited to announce the launch of its new e-learning academy, GLOBE.  GLOBE is an interactive online learning tool that helps you get the skills you need to improve your personal and professional development.  With courses starting at just £50 there’s never been a better time to build up your skills!

 

Management Courses

GLOBE offers a suite of management courses that are ideal for aspiring, new and experienced managers. So whether you want to learn about Managing Volunteers, Personal and Professional Development, Project Management or Marketing and Promotion, GLOBE can give you the training you need at a time that is convenient for you.  More exciting courses can be found on the website. 

 

Better still, quote GLOBE2011 at the checkout to get 20% off the course price!*

 

Interactive Quizzes

GLOBE courses offer a variety of quiz types to help support your development and make the learning process fun.

 

Webinars

The GLOBE webinar facility brings the classroom right to you – giving you the flexibility you need and the personal attention you expect from a tutor.  Ask questions, chat with other learners, show the tutor your work, watch presentations, have one-to-one chats with the tutor via webcam, audio, or both!

Webinars take place outside of the e-learning courses, so you can participate in them without purchasing a course.  We will announce the topics and dates of the webinars when they become available.

 

Discussion Forums

The GLOBE discussion forums allow you to ask questions of other users as well as GLOBE tutors.  Get to know your other learners and share your experiences!

 

There are ten new courses available to purchase now, with more on the way.   So why not visit www.pne-development.org/elearning and jumpstart your personal and professional development now!

 

*Offer valid until 4 February 2011

 

Until next time, happy e-learning!

Erin Kinnee

PNE Development
7-15 Pink Lane, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5DW
0191 261 6009
development@pne.org
www.pne-development.org

A former employer of mine, Generator is the popular music development agency (based in Newcastle upon Tyne) that works with a variety of partners to supply the most effective and up to date business advice for start up and emerging new music businesses.

Their 'Music Clinic' is a free service available to their clients from the North East and each session lasts an hour. Pre-booking is also essential and it also helps greatly if we can receive an outline of what help you would need before attending.

"Business planning is an essential for any new business and the music industry is no different. Looking ahead to realistically see where you might be, how you are going to get there and how much it will cost against how much income you receive is necessary. Many times businesses have to take a shot in the dark at forecasting how much they think they will earn but the Music Clinic hopes to ease the pain in this process. Assistance with cash flow forecasts, realistic cost analysis, sales projections and marketing plans are all covered by the music industry experienced advisors we engage."

In addition to this the Music Clinic brings in guest advisors to assist existing fledgling businesses with issues that may strongly affect them. For example a lawyer is often present and they can give initial advice and guidance to music businesses on contracts, disputes, licensing music and copyright issues.

Other specialists that are available at the clinics on a less regular basis are marketing consultants and PR specialists who can help with promotion and marketing planning and execution.

Forthcoming Music Clinic sessions will take place on the following dates:

10th Feb - Leeds
17th Feb - Sheffield
24th Feb - Redcar
3rd Mar - York
9th or 10th Mar - Stockton
17th Mar - Hull
24th Mar - Newcastle
14th Apr - Sunderland
12th May - Durham
19th May - Darlington

Book your place on the next Music Clinic at: http://www.generator.org.uk/music-clinic or contact Rich Myers, Music Clinic Co-ordinator on 07771 713145 or rich@generator.org.uk

PNE Group, the local enterprise agency that manages the Shell LiveWIRE programme on behalf of Royal Dutch Shell plc, is celebrating its 30th birthday with three new initiatives.

Sandy Ogilvie, PNE Group Chief Executive said;

"PNE started out in 1980 to provide innovative solutions to the region’s high unemployment problem, following the demise of its heavy industries. The outlook then for young people was particularly gloomy, and improving their prospects was a real focus for PNE.

Thirty years later, we find ourselves again in equally challenging times, facing major cuts in the public sector and with the urgent need to provide those who lose their jobs with opportunities elsewhere. The Prime Minister has also launched his vision for a Big Society, with a focus on encouraging more social entrepreneurs and volunteers to provide services in the community."

"To celebrate our 30th year and to begin to provide some solutions to the pressing issues around encouraging more entrepreneurs and volunteers, PNE is delighted to offer its expertise and dig into its own resources to launch three new initiatives."

The exciting new initatives are;

PNE Centre for Young Entrepreneurs

Firstly, in early 2011, PNE are launching the 'PNE Centre for Young Entrepreneurs' to provide workspace and a package of business support to help give 15 young entrepreneurs an unrivalled start for their new businesses.

PNE launched the world’s first youth enterprise centre in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1985. Its success inspired the development of many similar centres throughout the world, and within five years it had helped over 450 young people to start their own businesses in Newcastle.

PNE is delighted to be re-launching this concept in a new way that will give 15 young people a dream start for their businesses so please visit www.pne.org/pne30/pnecye for more information.

2011 Volunteer Awards

Secondly, PNE is launching a brand new national awards scheme, the 2011 Volunteer Awards to recognise and reward outstanding volunteers who are making a real difference to the lives of people and communities in their area.

There will be three award categories;

• Innovation in Fundraising
• Services to the Community and
• Versatility in Volunteering.

Each category winner will receive an award recognising their achievement, a £250 individual prize and £1,500 will go to the organisation for which they volunteer.

PNE has over 15 years experience working with the third sector and felt that as well as enabling managers to get the most from their volunteers by adopting well managed volunteer management programmes, they needed to provide them with an opportunity to recognise their outstanding people.

PNE’s ‘2011 Volunteer Awards’ will hopefully inspire more people to become volunteers, and will be a way of supporting the European Year of Volunteering in 2011.

Nominations can be made online at http://www.pne-development.org/va2011 until the 28th January 2011.

If Only I Knew (Learning From the Mistakes of Others)

PNE's final initiative is a new platform on the PNE website www.pne.org/pne30/ifonlyiknew to enable 30 successful business people to share their biggest business blunders and what they learned from them.

Learning from mistakes is a hallmark of successful business people, and PNE hope that sharing the lessons they learned will be extremely useful for people who are just starting out in business.

About PNE Group

PNE Group (formerly known as Project North East) is celebrating 30 years of delivering innovative, sustainable solutions for the development of people, performance and places in the North East, nationally and internationally.

With offices in Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead, PNE provides a wide range of enterprise support services, training and consultancy, loan funds and incubator workspace units for new and developing businesses and third sector organisations.

Find out more about the PNE Group

I've just written a 'Guide to Twitter' based on how I use it. Contains screenshots, simple explanations & personal tips on using it for business and personal use.

Download it for free at: http://www.shell-livewire.org/business-library/starting-a-business/marketing-and-promotion/digital-marketing/lordlancasters-guide-to-twitter/

Merry Christmas!

Paul
Web Development Executive
www.shell-livewire.org
@lordlancaster