Making Sure Your Data Is Accurate

How and when do you make sure your data is accurate and up to date?  Not only your prospective marketing data for new clients but additionally for your clients, members, staff, suppliers, patients etc.

In such a fast paced world it is refreshing and reassuring to receive a correctly addressed letter or email.  It marks you out as a business that knows your people whether they are customers, associates or staff and data that is inaccurate can give you a poor image and in some cases can come as impersonal.

Taking the time to refresh your data can save you time and money in the long run and should be done as regularly as required (sometimes once a year is sufficient).  In some cases it is a good springboard to engage in conversation with your customers and staff if required.

There are ways of checking large bulk data electronically for marketing (using Royal Mail for example).  It depends on the number of records to be checked – if you require more information or assistance in this area please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Retro Office Products

I watched a television programme on BBC2 this week – The Supersizers Eat…..The Eighties.  The programme looks at the food, diet and lifestyle of different decades and this week it was the turn of the Eighties.  It is quite funny and interesting and the presenters certainly get immersed in the period.  The link for the programme is – http://bbc.co.uk/i/l9ryq/

They featured the power suits of the decade and the start of mobile telephones which are slim and chic now but back then the first phones were more like bricks.    This reminded me of the first printers I encountered when I worked in an insurance office, they were around 8 times the size of the standard laser printer you might see now and I recall there was a special room dedicated to them because of the heat and noise. 

But two of my favourite retro products are still around – a red dial telephone with the old fashioned but very lovely clear ringtone and a calculator with a small printer attached (again like the mobile phone this has reduced in size, although I am not sure this is a good thing in this case).   The calculator is very useful with invoices and receipts.  Although there is Microsoft Excel which does calculations sometimes you just want a quick tally and it helps to have a print out to check. 

Which would be your favourite retro office product?

Better Payment Practice

One of our clients who is a freelance voiceover artist – we arrange all their monthly invoicing – mentioned that some of the Radio Stations and Production Companies have now signed up the Better Payment Practice Code.  The aim of the code is for businesses to pay suppliers promptly.

This is a really good principle and I have always said to any of my clients it is best to pay bills regularly and promptly – not only does it help your business relationship, it helps the cashflow of the other business and it helps you as well.  It is much more efficient and productive to be a prompt payer because if you leave bills they sometimes then take twice the time to deal with when it comes to reconciling them and actually you gain very little credit interest in your bank accounts these days.  If your business wants to sign up to the practice then here is the link – http://payontime.co.uk

Royal Mail Tailored Growth Pack

I came across this recently which is a helpful guide tailored to your business designed to help you find new customers, retain existing ones and provide hints on how to cut costs with your postage.

You answer questions online about your business (14 in total) and you then receive a pack which is tailored to what you currently spend on postage, where you might save money and ways of using Royal Mail to help you with marketing.  The pack is also free and I did one for Your Admin Assistant and very helpful it was too.  It will also assist us with helping our clients.

Here is the link to find out more: -

https://www.royalmailgrowth.com