Here is some news in Bath with Bath Business Web Your local Online Directory for the South West

For all you good people of Bath. Whether you are a resident, a visitor or just here temporarily. Welcome to the world of Bath Business Web Ltd. Your Online Directory and award winning Website Design Studio, based in the heart of Bath

Happy Easter from Bath Business Web Online Directories

Happy Easter from the staff at Business Web Online Directories to all of you living, working or visiting the very beautiful City of Bath

And with the Easter Bank Holiday fast approaching and the sun showing an appearance, life at Bath Business Web Online Directories is on the up. Yes that’s right the sun is shining and set to shine for a few more days yet. In fact the Easter Bank Holiday weekend is set to be a very warm one indeed. Well that is at the moment lol. You know our little island. It does not do things the way the Meteorological Office says it will. If they are saying that during the course of this week we will see temperatures rising from 15C to 21C by Sunday, then you know as well as me Britain will prove them wrong. Or will it?

Click on icon for Weather

Keeping up with the Met Office - keeping up with the weather:

 

Check out what will be happening in Bath this weekend and see if you will be donning the sun glasses and getting out the shorts.





Remember last spring? It wasn’t great. And what a gift the sun will be after all that rain and flooding over the long wet winter. It will certainly help dry things out and help us all put those days behind us. I for one love the warm and the hot weather. There is nowhere better than Bath in the sun. Whether it’s a walk through Victoria Park or by the river. Pounding the shopping streets in me sandals, shorts and t-shirt. Sitting in he garden with a beer in my hand and a burger on the barbeque.

More news from sunny and beautiful City of Bath:

Talking about shopping. Did you know we are expecting a couple more big names to the shopping experience we know and love in the City of Bath? Well the good people of Bath Business Web keep their ears and eyes open to the coming and goings of this fine town.

We have Primark coming, with its value for money range of clothing and accessories, moving into the spot where BHS once traded until recently. It does seem a shame that the iconic store that was BHS has disappeared from our high street.

Coming to Bath

A sign of the times. The effects of the recession are still with us. We have had the re-emergence of Poundland and now a budget fashion store.


So it comes as a big blow to me and the rest of the Bingham household that BHS have gone from Bath. But it is not just Bath that has lost out. I have been informed that Harrogate, Kings Lynn, Guildford, Folkstone, Winchester and Cardiff have all lost their BHS. It appears that its all the plan of retail tycoon Sir Philip Green. He has been selling off a number of leases to the ever growing budget fashion retailer, Primark. Hence why Primark is moving into their spot.

And the likes of BHS closing stores partly to support their growth on the online market. I guess it shouldn’t really be a surprise that these things are happening. At least in Bath we have a flourishing retail sector and businesses are wanting to be here. It’s great for our economy and great for the future of the City.

Coming to Bath

So moving on with another retailer ready to join the flock. Anthropologie is an upmarket (that means expensive to some), American homeware and fashion retailer of which there are four other stores in the UK at present.

They will be moving into another of our long lost retail giants and much grieved by the Bingham’s and that was the home of Habitat.


I have to say that this is a very good sign that Bath is well promoted in the retail sector. Bath is fast growing a reputation for its high-end fashion outlets. Competing against even the best that London can offer. This will be Anthropologies’ first store outside of the capital and that says a great deal for what Bath has to offer. Anthropologie, which started in Pennsylvania over twenty years ago and has nearly two hundred stores across the USA and Europe, has said that it will ensure everything is done to keep the feel and tradition of the building, as they refurbish the site. A spokesperson for the Anthropologie group said that Bath stands for values such as authenticity, creativity beauty and flair, as we do.

In other news from your local Online Directory, Bath Business Web:

Here’s a short tail for you. Firefighters had to be called out to rescues Harvey the Jack Russell Terrier. The little rascal had got himself trapped down a hole while out on his walkies. A crew from Bath Fire Station responded to the call for help from a very anxious owner. At first they could hear Harvey, but all attempts to get to the hole rummaging doggy failed. It took nearly two and a half hours before the firefighting crew managed to dig within reach of Harvey. He was a lucky little Russell and was not harmed after his big adventure ‘down hole’. Bless!

Police in Bath

The boys in blue have also been making an appearance in Bath.

The Bobbies from Avon and Somerset were on the lookout for rogue traders travelling in and around the City. The Police and Trading Standards Officers were checking van drivers to ensure they were legitimate and their vehicles were legal.

A gang of workers laying tarmac have been questioned and now being investigated by Trading Standards. Scrap metal dealers were visited to check their waste carrier licenses were I order.

The Officers have also visited the elderly offering advice on ‘doorstep crime prevention’.

A high visibility presence was in residential areas where 'no cold calling’ was permitted sending out a warning to all uninvited doorstep visitors. They received thirty eight referrals for help with home security.

Banks, Post Offices, Building Societies were targeted and given reminders to be mindful when customers known to be vulnerable request to withdraw unusually large amounts in cash. Particularly when they are accompanied by an unfamiliar person.

The Police in Bath are asking Bath Business Web to spread the word to everyone living in Bath, especially the vulnerable such as the elderly. There have been a small number of incidents involving a phone scam. This is where bogus bank workers phone the victim aiming to persuade them to reveal bank card details before sending bogus couriers to collect the cards.

There have also been incidents where the scammer is pretending to be from the Metropolitan Police Fraud Squad. Again asking for the same kind of details regarding a bank card and suggesting that there has been illegal activity on the card, so it needs to be handed in. so be aware good people of Bath of these scammers, otherwise known as thieves.

On a lighter brighter note Bath Business Web Online Directory reports:

Sunflowers brightening up Bath

People in Bath have been encouraged to plant sunflowers to help launch Britain in Bloom competition 2014.

Can you believe that Bath is celebrating fifty years of Britain in Bloom. The Bath Artisan Market in Green Park was the venue for people to attend and plant a sunflower seed, to then take home.

The Royal Horticultural Society hope that half a million sunflower seeds will be planted across the UK.


So all you good flowerpot men and flowerpot women of Bath let’s make this City shine with the glowing bright yellow petals of this magnificent long stalked flower.

Bath Business Web Online directory is proud to announce that our very own Aqua Sulis (or to you non roman speaking natives, the Roman Baths), is one of only seven attractions in England to win an award for best UK tourist attraction.

Aqua Sulis - The Roman Baths

Not just that, but this is the third time in a row that the Roman Baths has been presented with this honour.

The judges and tour operator CIE Tours International were no doubt impressed along with the eleven thousand visitors which enjoyed the spectacle in 2013.



Visitors travelling with CIE Tours voted this world famous site for the third year running against a large backdrop of competition from all over the land. There are only a handful of attractions in the UK which receive such a rare and prodigious Award of Excellence such as this.

We can all be proud of Bath for not just having this unique part of our heritage in the heart of the City. But one which is famous throughout the world and helps put the City at the forefront of the tourist industry’s best places to visit – ever! And I’m not biased in any way lol.

The Rec - Home to Bath Rugby

So what of that other great iconic, historic and world renowned assemblage of high class, well executed play and formidable presence we know and love as Bath Rugby?


Well it seems that the request by bath Rugby for extra land to redevelop the Rec has been refused. There is likely to be an appeal on that decision. There is much speculation as fears grow that Bath Rugby could eventually leave the City. This is very likely to happen if the club is unable to redevelop the ground at The Rec.

The club wants to increase capacity to accommodate more fans of the game. However, recently it has been told that no more of the Recreation Ground can be taken for the stadium. Bath Rugby is literally in the heart of this fine city and it would be a crying shame if they are forced to move away.

And finally from Bath Business Web:

And to close a story from the highways and byways of Bath. Yes indeed I am talking the closer of a major link between Bath and parts of Bristol. The Kelston Road, or at least a part of it. This is a road the Binghammobile has travelled many times. It is a much preferred route by Mrs Bingham, who enjoys the scenic slower paced driving this road offers compared to the ring road of Bristol. The Kelston Road is another victim of a very prolonged wet winter.

Road Closure in Bath

The ground, I have been told, was made unstable with a large amount of landslip causing damage and safety issues in the area.

Large amounts of water has been detected moving deep underground and destabilising the road.

There has been a great deal of land movement causing no end of problems for the local Engineers to resolve. It has been estimated that the ground has been slipping as much as seven metres below the road surface. The closing of the road was not done lightly.

A spokesperson from BANES told me that the decision to close this well used and well-travelled road, thereby affecting many from the local area and beyond, was done as safety is paramount and until he road maintenance team have made it safe, the road will remain closed, whether that’s for vehicles or pedestrians alike. It may take a number of months before the road will be anywhere near ready to open.


Spring at Bath Business Web Online Directories

So spring has finally sprung in the beautiful City of Bath leaving behind the gloom that was winter.

Blossom is on the trees, birds are starting to build nests for their fledglings, lawns are being mowed and flowers are opening up.  

 

 

Whatever you are doing this Easter, remember to get out and about to see and appreciate everything that is Bath. At Bingham Mansion Mrs B and the kids are getting ready for the Easter egg hunt I have planned over the weekend.

 

So get out there and enjoy the City of Bath. Let me and my colleagues know at Bath Business Web Online Directories what you have in mind for your Easter.

Have a good one!

All the best,

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd
Your local Internet Marketing Specialist, Business Directory and Website Design Company

Bath Business Web Ltd - Bringing your Business to Life 

Call for a free consultation and find out more about how you can help your business grow

 

01225 920 503

 

Why does my Business in Bath need Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)?

Do you know what to do to help your business website in Bath reach the first page of Google or any other search engine? Does your website for your business in Bath have a strong presence on the internet? If not, read on….

You being good, honest, reliable and sensible business people of Bath want to know that you are doing your best to ensure the business in Bath that you own or manage works efficiently and productively. This of course, includes the marketing and advertising of your business on the internet.



Front page results

Once you have a website built you will want it fit for purpose and fully functioning to meet your business and ecommerce needs.

This includes how to show it off to the world and make it very visible and accessible to any potential new client’s or customers.

To me it’s a bit like how best to place an advert in a newspaper or where to distribute those leaflets for maximum effect.

As a business person you know better than most the need to maximise your advertising and marketing potential, while taking into account the time input or financial costs of doing so.

In the online world this is where SEO or Search Engine Optimisation comes in.

It is just one element of helping your business get the most out of the internet and the most out of your website. That’s where a team of professionals known as SEO Bath come in to their own.


Click on here to find out more about SEO Bath

SEO Bath are part of the business website designers and online business directories known as Bath Business Web Ltd. They know all there is to know about the internal workings of the internet and good sound SEO.

Bath SEO support hundreds of local business entrepreneurs to maximise their websites true potential. They not only operate in Bath, but have business connections that stretch across Somerset, Wiltshire and Bristol to help their clients achieve front page results in Google, Yahoo and all the most used search engines throughout the UK and the world.

The good people at SEO Bath, aka Bath Business Web Ltd, know full well that successful search engine optimisation (SEO) is one of the many vital components which help your business website outperform your competitors. 


Bath Business Web SEO, Web Design & Directories

They have encountered too many business owners over the years who have not considered the SEO needs of their website.

They have experienced first hand the results of business people who have struggled to get any sort of return on the investment they made in the build and construction of a well-designed website.

No use having an all singing all dancing website if it can’t find the dance floor to perform its best.


So good business men and women of Bath, Bristol, Wiltshire and Somerset, don’t in any way assume it is good enough to build a website and think that people will be able to find it. Let’s face it your website has to do battle amongst the hundreds of other websites on the internet which are selling or offering products or services just like yours. 

Not to mention all the websites, directories or social media links which appear in-between those websites on the search engines. It’s a minefield out there and one where you need to have the right gear and the up to date technology to get through it to reach the top and be safe in the knowledge that your business is up there with the best of them.


Contact SEO Bath by clicking here

Every day in Bath many people use the internet as a means to find the services, products or professionals in their local area. A search engine such as Google is often the first place the go to. They can do this at home on their PC, on the move with their laptop or tablet. But more and more they are just using that very common device, the mobile phone to search the internet and download the websites the wish to view.

The websites they view may or may not include yours. I mean to say, do you know how many people are visiting your website every month? Do you know how many are going beyond the first page? Do you know how many people who contact  you have done so because they found your website? 


Ensure search engines find your business website

Some of this information you can get
through the use of Google analytics and a good business person will analyse the performance of their website.

It’s also good to get feedback from new callers. Remember some may have seen your website, but how did they know about it?

It’s no good just asking did you get our details by visiting our website. Because it doesn’t tell you if a friend gave them the details, if they saw a leaflet or flyer or an advert in Yellow Pages.



So there is a need to ask very precise questions on how they came across your website if you are going to gain insight to the effectiveness of the sites ability to perform.



Google Analytics for your Bath business website

So if people are going onto a search engine, in what ways does SEO help you once they get there?

Well search engine optimisation has a number of key elements. Far too many and sometimes a tad complicated to explain in a simple blog.

As well as an ever changing way which Google change the ‘rules of engagement’ on the internet and the changes they want it to achieve for the future of their own business.

Remember Google is a business like any other and can make even more money from the likes of you and me if it too is to keep up to date with the demands of the people who browse the internet. After all Google is a business worth millions and will continually progress and change to fill that financial pot and help it stay at the top of its game.



Getting the keywords right helps with search engine optimisation

So the easiest and most common element to understand with search engine optimisation (SEO), is that of ‘keywords’.

Keywords are the words people use when searching on the internet.

Keywords are also the words that best describe your business, products or services which are most likely to be used by the general public.

So if I am Joe Bloggs and I want someone to come and service my central heating boiler the keywords I use are likely to be ‘plumber Bath’ (as I know plumbers do that sort of thing and I live I Bath).

Am I likely to type ‘central heating technicians Bath’, well not really as a majority of the public may not use that terminology. They may use ‘central heating engineers bath’, that is more common. See what I mean?

So it doesn’t matter what you call yourselves, its what the public are currently calling your type of business or profession that counts. People are also a bit lazy, as well as time demanding and will want to use as little words as possible. Generally people will think of the one word that describes to a T what they are looking for as well as the town or area they live.


SEO by Bath Business Web Ltd

If people type in ‘plumber’ on its own they will get everything there is to do with the word plumber in the whole of the world on the internet. That will include papers or articles written with the word plumber in them.

This will include businesses throughout the globe with the word plumber, some of which may or may not actually be plumbers of course.

There will be all manner of websites and any from Bath will be totally lost in the sea of websites and links in the search engine.

That’s why if they type Bath as well as the word plumber it narrows the each down immensely. As you can imagine lol.



When your business has its website built make sure there is text in the website which reflects and reproduces the words which the public use when searching on Google. If not, get in touch with the SEO professionals like SEO Bath who will put it right.

If you are a plumber in Bath and you don’t have these words strategically written throughout your website, then it is more than likely our site will not be found by Google. That is to say Google will only relate the words used by the people typing in their keywords and who are looking for sites with those words in the text and content of a website, regardless of whether or not it is a plumber or not. Google will prioritise websites which follow these simples ‘rules of engagement’ and your website will be there somewhere. It’s just where? And if it is 3, 4 or 10 pages from the top, well what can I say? Who do you know ever goes looking on those?

Keywords as I say are just one element of search engine optimisation. And just because you have the right keywords in your website now doesn’t means that the will be the keywords you need to consider for the future. Google is constantly changing, the internet is constantly progressing. So you and your website needs to keep up and change with it.



SEO Bath leading the way on the Internet

That’s why a number of companies use professional SEO experts to do it for them and keep their websites up to date and maximise visibility on the internet search engines. After all I said keywords is just one element. Other things which help the SEO process are well written and keyword effective blogs, social media input, use of effective back end coding and front end content, correct use of alt tags and meta descriptions.

Some of these things I realise, will not mean anything to you, but website designers and engineers will klnow exactly what they are and the necessity to use them effectively and in accordance with search engine requirements.

Bath Business Web's SEO specialists are experts in search engine optimisation and have successfully built and optimised hundreds of websites for clients in Bath. We achieve countless front page results for Bath businesses in search engines such as Google and Yahoo thanks to our expert knowledge of SEO.

There are lots of SEO techniques that can benefit the search engine optimisation of a website, and it is certainly not as simple as adding a few keywords to your metadata. SEO Bath know what it takes to get your website onto the front pages of major search engines like Google. In fact Bath Business Web's SEO experts in Bath have gained such great results for so many clients in and around Bath by using our SEO methods, that our websites dominate the listings for many popular search terms in Bath.

How can a business in Bath improve on what it has already?

One way to do this is let the good people at SEO Bath can help you set up Google Analytics. Google Analytics is a free tool to allow you to follow the flow of people traffic coming to your website.

 

Front page results from SEO Bath

This includes detailed analysis and information on number of visitors, whether they got to you through a mobile phone or otherwise as well as much more regarding the activity on the site.

 

Having this tool from Google will give you the edge over the competition.

 

Your business websites ability to rank highly on any of the search engines will of course have a dramatic effect on the traffic to your website.

This traffic of human visitors and potential customers of the future, can then be turned into custom or trade. It’s worth noting that over 70% of web users say that after the third page of a search engine they abandon the search. That means that if your website doesn't appear on the first three pages of that search engine, people won't find your site.

 

Remember, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is equally as important to the end results of your website as the design itself. You will want your business website in Bath to look good, function well and be very visible on the internet.

 



SEO Bath

How the website looks is irrelevant if it is never going to be found or seen by any potential customers. The only way to make sure people will find your Bath business website is to ensure it is optimised using the latest SEO methods.

 

When Google, Yahoo and other search engines look at your business website, they don’t view it in the same way as you or I do. Instead they send out crawlers to view the source code of the site.

The source code, or html, is a website code language used to dictate how elements such as text or images should be laid out on the various webpages of your Bath business website.

There are certain factors in the source code which will give the crawlers extra information about the content of your business website.

If Google finds lots of relevant references (such as the keywords used) to a particular topic throughout the source code of the site, then it will rank that page highly for that particular subject.


So don't go leaving it to chance with your own business in Bah website.Do what you can to make the most of the expertise and tools available, to ensure your website has great visibility on the internet.


Expertise in Search Engine Optimisation of your Bath Business Website

I am looking forward to seeing your Bath business website on the internet very soon. Why not contact me and let me know how you are getting on reaching that top spot on the first page of Google. See what you can do to knock out the competition and take the lead for you, your business and your future.

All the best,

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd
Your local Internet Marketing Specialist, Business Directory and Website Design Company

Bath Business Web Ltd - Bringing your Business to Life 

Call for a free consultation and find out more about how you can help your business grow

 

01225 920 503

 

Bath Business Web has high performing Directories for Tradespeople, Company's, Sole Traders, Professionals, Entrepreneurs and Business People of Bath, Bristol, Somerset and Wiltshire - Bringing the South West of England together and suppoting local Business to thrive

Many a business in the South West are starting to slowly but surely come through the worst of the recession. Therefore, it's time to build and improve on business marketing and advertising online.

There are many towns throughout the region which have suffered because of the challenging economic climate. In such places such as Bath and Bristol there has always been a very vibrant retail sector. However, it has not been easy. Some of the bigger names have disappeared altogether. Many of the smallest shops have battled on and have kept going throughout. The South West is home for many other businesses too. Many of which are unique to this area.

So how does one find these businesses? After all the retail sector has a high street presence, which other business don't have. What if I am looking for something a bit more out the ordinary? Or a business that would not have a shop front to advertise itself, such as a stone mason, a Georgian sash window repairer, a hypnotherapist or a lighting specialist? Well, the answer is easy. Because in the South West covering Bath, Bristol, Somerset and Wiltshire there is the rising star of the Online Business Directory type.

A directory which you can access online via your mobile phone, tablet or PC. A directory which will be found at the top spot of all the search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, Firefox, Google Chrome etc. At Bath Business Web Ltd they know all there is to know about website directories and how you and your business can get the most from the internet. They recognised many years ago the trend in the steady growth of website business advertising and marketing.


Bath & Bristol Business Web Ltd

An online directory which will point you in the right direction for all manner of businesses in the South West of England.

There are traders, retailers, market traders, professionals in the building trade including plasterers, electricians, plumbers, roofers, scaffolder’s, architects and surveyor’s.

Finding sports trainers, martial arts experts, hypnotherapists, accountants, hairdressers, beauty therapists just couldn’t be any easier.



Bristol Business Web Ltd - Online Directory


You can find these trades, businesses and professional services in Bath and Bristol Business Web of course. Not only that but there are Business Web Directories specifically targeted toward the trades and services in Trowbridge, Chippenham, Calne, Warminster, Frome and surrounding towns and villages in each local area.
 

You must have gathered by now that the online directories in Bath and the South West have taken over from the more traditional ways to market or advertise a local business.

The online directory is favourable because it is specific to online users and the websites they seek out. Have you discovered  how an online directory can help your business with its online presence? If not, don't you think it's time to catch up with the competition. Give Bath Business Web Ltd a call for some free help and guidance on how to get the best for your business.


Bath Business Web Ltd - Website Build & SEO

Even now so many local trades or business owners do not have a website, or a website that does justice to their marketing needs. And until they do, they will not appreciate the benefits it can bring to the profits for the business they own.

Listing your business on an online directory will help the search engine optimisation (SEO) of your website.

 

That is a search engines ability (search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, Firefox etc.), to match your website to the keywords a potential new customer would be typing when they search the internet.

 

Testimonials at Bath Business Web Ltd

 
When a potential customer goes on a search they are gong to see our seven local  directories at the top of many pages on all the various search engines.

These local directories such as bathbusinessweb.co.uk not only reinforce the keywords being used, they also help create 'links' or ‘backlinks’ to the website on the director.

Basically it is how you link to another site or how another site links back to your site. A business directory will link to these because the nature of directories is such that it has many websites already, which in turn gives strength and presence to the directory you are using. This in turn improves and strengthens the ability of a local business advertising on the directory to advertise and market their website online.

For local business in Bath, Bristol, Somerset and Wiltshire they recognise the need to be in as many places online as they can financially afford. These for the most part cost very little compared to any paper advertising or marketing.

Even the construction, maintenance and hosting costs of a website are incredibly good value for money when you spread that cost over a small amount of time. Your premier online directory such as bathbusinessweb.co.uk or bristolbusinessweb.co.uk are very reasonable considering the benefits your website receives from the many hundreds of backlinks that these directories and all their associated directories offer.

It is vital to know that the prime search engine Google, recognises the difference between good and bad links. What you don’t want to do is place your website details on a poor quality directory with poor or bad backlinks which would be detrimental to your websites SEO. Google has systems in place to search out the strong or any poor links. It will then respond accordingly and if they are poor, that website will sink so low in the search engine rankings, so mush so, that it may as well not have been built in the first place.

Bath & Bristol Business Web - Online Directories for the South West

Strong links are vital to a business website. Links are a necessary part of the online marketing strategy to get a website highly visible on search engine rankings. So a good business owner will get good, sound professional advice and support from the likes of Bath Business Web Ltd.

Very recently a local paper directory was delivered to Bingham Mansion. I think it lasted three days before it then went off with the rest of the recycling paper. I have kept them in the past, but in our house they sit on a shelf getting in the way and getting dusty. I cannot remember the last time I ever used one to get information on a local trade or business.

I total appreciate that there must be people who do use paper directories to search for a local business. Otherwise companies such as Thompson or Yellow Pages wouldn’t have them printed.

Online directories, unlike a paper directories will not sit on a shelf and get dusty. They are accessible and updated 24hrs a day and 365 days a year. They can be found in your pocket or bag.  Because it’s all in a mobile phone or tablet these days and who hasn’t got one of those?


Bath Business Web Ltd - No. 7 Pierrepont Street Bath

In the 21st Century we have online directories which help you go straight to what you need and when you need it.  These directories display information fast and efficiently.  With a couple of words and very little effort on your part, they take you straight to the business you need. So why not give your local online  business directory a go and see how it works for your business.

Bye for now,

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd
Your local Internet Marketing Specialist, Business Directory and Website Design Company

Bath Business Web Ltd - Bringing your Business to Life 

Call for a free consultation and find out more about how you can help your business grow

 

01225 920 503

Bath & Bristol Business Innovation and Development

What does it take to be a successful Innovative Business in Bath, Bristol or any other City or town in the South West for that matter?

Well one thing is for sure a business needs to develop and grow through innovation. What is innovation I hear you say? I refer to our friends at Wikipedia for a definition as follows:
 
“Innovation is the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, inarticulate needs, or existing market needs”  source Wikipedia
 

Looking for that light bulb Moment

What businesses have been innovative? Apple comes to mind with the iPhone. Microsoft continued to innovate and by doing so brought the world Windows.

If we think of Dyson and what they have achieved means we have vacuum cleaners that do not need to use bags.

How did cars or motorcycles progress from the basics of horseless carriages and bicycle to the incredible machines they are today? How did we go from the Wright brother’s first flight to landing on the moon?

The answer is Innovation, Innovation, Innovation.
Hmm! I sound like Phil Spencer.

As a business in Bath do you find the time for innovation? Or do you just get on with the job and pay little attention to progress or the future needs of your customers.


Because it doesn’t matter what the business, you will always need to be one step in front of the competition or at the least be thinking how you can.



Get your employees thinking Innovation

So how can you encourage innovation within your business?

The greatest asset to you and your business are the people who work for you or with you.

The average small or medium business in Bath will have people from a cross section of society.

These people will all have their own take on life, their own experiences and perspectives on life. T

hey will have different skills to solve different issues or to be able think outside the box. They will come with differing levels of intelligence or more importantly, common sense.

So why not utilise all those skills, all that experience or those different perspectives and get them involved in innovative ideas that could transform your business?

What makes innovation so important to your business? Because it’s the very process that will transform ideas into a business success.

It will turn those business ideas into profits for you and satisfaction for your customers

It may bring big ideas or small improvements that will in themselves create a bigger success

Its about the process of developing and not just about the products or services you sell



The best ideas often come away from the Office

This doesn’t have to take up too much time either. Just a few minutes here and there can bring out great innovative ideas.

 

It doesn’t have to be formal. Don't get your staff together and say “right I want some innovative ideas from all of you in turn” I can guarantee they will go blank.

 

Some of the best ideas have come when people are away from work. Whether taking a walk in the hills, on the loo or fishing by a lake.

So make it relaxed, make it fun and make it an enjoyable moment and you are more like to get those ideas flowing.

• Promote a culture where all ideas are important no matter how big or small the idea
• Once the seed of innovation is planted, allow employees time to just sit and think
• Encourage positive communication and participation from the employees
• Learn the various skills and ways your employees and maximise what they're good at
• Allow for things not working, as there is so much we can learn from our mistakes
• Be aware of the market you are in and encourage feedback from consumers
• Look to find solutions for what the consumer is looking, not what you think they need



Turn that thinking into Gold

You’ll be amazed how much employees will want to please you with ideas, so reward them accordingly.

Because though some may not fit with what you need, others could be the next big idea that changes everything for you and your business.

Whether you involve your employees or go it alone take time to consider the various ways you can innovate.

Get feedback from your customers and solve the problems or issues they bring.


Look at any issues that may be affecting the smooth running of the business. Improve or simplify the processes or services you provide by adapting to the feedback from customers.

Customers will let you know what is missing or what you don’t currently supply that they need. Take all this on board and get innovative to find solutions to meet those needs. Consider your advertising and marketing approach and be prepared to think outside the box or return to ways that you know have worked in the past.

Make sure you ask yourself some important questions:

“What is the future for my products or services?"

Ask yourself important questions about the Business

“What other markets are out there for us?”


“Will the turnover or profits improve?”
 

“Can the business perform better?”
 

“Do we offer what the customers want?”
 

“Do I like how my business is performing?”

 

“Am I utilising the experiences and skills of my employees?”

 

Remember this is step by step

Take small but definite steps to achieve any new goals or innovative ideas. Measure what you are doing and gain feedback on the way to monitor your progress. Be prepared to tweak or change things accordingly.

Most businesses don’t get the one big idea that changes everything overnight. Most businesses have an accumulation of ideas that they test and try before making it part of their day to day business. All these small innovations will soon mount up.

Think about where your business is right now. Now consider where you would like to see it in 5-10 years. Decide how you can promote innovative ideas which will make that future happen?

Innovative ideas J

Consider the checklist to innovation:

• Create a culture of innovation throughout the business
• Innovation will help with processes, products or services
• Involve employees
• Do something new or different
• Embrace mistakes and learn
• Allow some time to think
• Get feedback from customers
• Discover what's missing for the customer
• Be smarter than the competition
• Be better tan you are already
• Think outside the box
• Keep things simple
• Monitor progress

Turn ideas into action and take your business into a profitable future.
 

Bingham

Blogger for Bath Business Web Ltd