website design, branding and marketing in Newcastle and Northeast

What is an RSS feed and what is it good for

Have you ever heard of RSS or seen the symbol or even seen the statement “subscribe to our feed” Well what is it? RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, which basically is a set of web formats for delivering regularly changing web content. Many news-related sites, blogs and other online publishers syndicate their content as [...]

How to backup your Facebook page

You make backups of pretty much everything, images, videos, documents, website favourites, mobile phone data, emails… you do I hope. Why should you back up your Facebook? You may well think that Facebook already does that already. Well yes they do, however here a few reasons why should make a copy for yourself. What if [...]

This time next year- planning for 2012

Well it’s here! December. The time of year we start reflecting on what we’ve achieved over the past 12 months and making plans for the year ahead. A new year can mean a new start, and whether you have big ambitions for the next year or plan to implement small changes that could make business [...]

Is your Twitter account sending out spam messages

Is your Twitter account sending Spam messages through the direct message system? Have you received a direct Twitter message from a follower or someone you follow, along the lines of? “Someone is posting nasty updates on their Twitter about you, here’s the post they’ve been making [some shortened url link.RU]. 1st thing If you are [...]

Blogging for Business Workshops

Some previous comments from our last Blogging for Business Workshop: “I thought it was an excellent workshop, a real warts and all education. Just what we all needed I think.” “I loved the way you covered so much on social media as a whole too.” “Thanks for being informative but informal. The workshop demystified blogging [...]

The cakes you can’t eat – my new business with Pat Richardson

February 16th, 2012 user

Vicki Stone

Many times I have wondered what to buy for a friend or someone at work when they leave to have their baby. You end up either buying flowers or an item of clothing.

When my daughters (3 of them) all had babies (5 now and another on the way!) I then realised the need to have a gift that is practical as well as looking different.

I decided I would start making nappy cakes as it is a personal gift and all the items are useful to the new mum and baby.

My first nappy cake was delivered to a colleague’s wife at work who had a baby girl.
This is what she had to say about her gift:-

“The nappy cake was such a beautiful gift. I was the envy of all the mothers in the maternity ward. It was so expertly decorated that initially I thought that it was a real cake. We felt bad at having to open it up. The gift was also very practical too. I will certainly keep it in mind if any of my friends have a baby in the near future.”

All nappy cakes are made with quality nappies and accessories and are presented in a creative way in a choice of blue, pink or yellow. They are delivered gift wrapped in white spot cellophane with lots of ribbon and a bow and a card with a message of your choice.

Please visit my website at www.newbornnappycakes.co.uk for further information.

All networked out

February 2nd, 2012 user

Vicki Stone

Setting up our own business a few years ago, meant getting out and about to lots of networking events. So much so that we’d even go to the opening of a packet of crisps, if it meant being beneficial to our business.

Sometimes I’d come away from these ‘old school’ networking events thinking I’m never going to get any business and felt somewhat deflated. At first I used to see networking as a process with an immediate result.

The first year of trying lots of networking events out meant we knew which ones worked well for us, and more importantly which ones we enjoyed (and hated).

Read more »

Making the first move with Caroline Theobald

February 1st, 2012 user

Vicki Stone

In my view a lot of the talk around ‘the art of networking’ is a lot of phoey –dreamed up by expensive consultants.

Networking is about making the most of yourself and your business wherever you are and whoever you meet. It’s not a black art or a learned magic – it’s about doing your home-work, making an effort, consistency of approach, authenticity, respect and (in common with most business development tools) has to map onto your direction of travel.

Yes of course you can become more skilled at entering and exiting conversations, finding the people you want to meet and then coming up with excuses to move on, but the most important thing is to know why you’re there in the first place (if you’re talking about ‘old school’ networking) and/or controlling your message and impact if you’re online.

People do business with people so the most important thing to me is that I am who I say am, imperfect – yes, but me.

Read more »

Forget the door – networking with Deb McGargle

January 31st, 2012 user

Vicki Stone

There was a time when I just couldn’t bear the thought of networking. The walking in the room and knowing no-one, the getting to the right room in the first place and that whole talking about yourself/business card trade malarkey – it’s enough to frighten the most confident person to death! And as time went on, I found that I wasn’t alone; I hear it almost daily from new clients of mine who understandably say they feel physically ill at the thought of going into a room of strangers and ‘selling their wares’.

All this changed for me, when I realised that there isn’t really a right or wrong way to network. There are lots of different ways to connect to people whether this is by attending at an event, joining a discussion group or forum, or via social media.

Events are the most proactive to my mind but here’s the thing; forget the door, forget the room in fact. I have made just as many contacts in networking venue corridors, lifts, car parks and the ladies loo’s Read more »

Launch of ‘Ladies that network’ on 8th March 2012 (International Womens Day).

January 23rd, 2012 user

Vicki Stone

If you’re a woman in business in the North East and you’d like to come along to the launch of the new ‘Ladies that network’, make sure you book a ticket fast, as we’ve already had lots of interest.

We have guest speaker Wendy Parvin from Conversations with Purpose and lots of networking with other like-minded business women (the movers and shakers in the North East).

Venue and time : Summerhill Pavilion, Newcastle Upon Tyne (very close to the Discovery Museum and Central Station), 10am-12pm with tea, coffee & cakes provided by Yum Yum cakes.

There is parking for up to 12 cars in the pavillion grounds. Lots of the parking outside the venue is permit only, but there is lots of pay and display parking at the Discovery Museum/Blanford Square.

Tickets are £10 and only available online:

A bit about Ladies that network

Long gone are the days I spent having long luxurious lunches with clients in my advertising agency days… Running my own business, and being a busy mum of 2 means I barely get time to sit down, let alone enjoy a long lunch break. Networking has been crucial in helping us build our business and our contacts, and we make time for it, building it into our marketing plan.

I meet many North East women in business who struggle with networking events being at the ‘wrong’ times, no time for long lunch events so have decided to set up a Ladies that network business network. We might throw in a ‘quick’ lunch (maybe a sandwich) – it’s up to you.

I set up Newcastle Business Mums in 2008, which is an award-winning business network, and meet many other women who are not mums who I do business with, so thought we could launch a new pay as you go network where YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A MUM.

So please let your friends, colleagues and associates know about it.

Look forward to getting together on 8th March

Vicki

Get your marketing hat on bitesize workshop

January 21st, 2012 user

Vicki Stone

We know what it’s like trying to juggle all aspects of running a business and meet many businesses who struggle with their ‘marketing hat’. It could be due to lack of time, or for some inspiration or lack of other impartial individuals to create and bounce ideas off eachother.

So with this is mind, Vicki Stone will be running our first 2012 ’Get your marketing hat on’ workshop on Tuesday 6th March 2012.

We’ll be getting a group of you like-minded owner-managed businesses together to ‘get their marketing hats on’, with the aim of coming up with something that will make your business stand out from the competition.

This bitesize workshop will run from 10am-12pm at Newcastle Business Village, Benton and costs £10 for a space.

Please email vicki@vickistonemarketing for more information and to reserve a space.