Even if you only are only a small business, you may have some outside space.  Perhaps you’ve a studio in the back garden, or maybe you hire an office in a block and have a balcony. If you can use that space for summer parties, you could well save expensive venue costs.

If when you say ‘summer party’ your immediate thoughts turn to the barbecue, you are not alone. It always seems like a great idea, until you remember that the grill needs cleaning, and then there’s all the smoke, and how long it takes to get the charcoal fired up…

So the traditional barbecue is feeling a bit passé. However, there are lots of attractive, elegant, innovative and affordable products available now that allow you turn even the smallest outdoor area into the perfect summer party venue.

Here are a few ideas to help you wow your staff and your clients:

Provide Warmth with a Gas Fire Pit

Fire pits, units and chimineas aren’t exactly new, but they are developing into new more innovative and creative designs. Gas powered fire pits are becoming increasingly popular as a more convenient and cleaner alternative to the standard wood or coal heating solutions. A gas fire can be built-in or purchased as a standalone unit to add warmth and style to your seating area. Gas Fire Pit tables are sleek, high-end designs, but there are options out there to suit any budget. It is recommended that you always get a professional to install your fire.

https://www.modafurnishings.co.uk/gas-fire-pit-dining-8-seat-round-180cm-diameter-h-65cm-table-only-3316

Shake it up with a Tiki Bar

If you like to whip up exotic cocktails for your guests, an outdoor bar is a must. You could complete the experience with a tiki bar: Tiki culture started in California in the 1930s with idealised exotically decorated bars and restaurants catering to an escapist longing for travel to tropical regions.

You can create your own holiday-at-work vibe over Mai Tais and Singapore Slings. John Lewis sells a fantastically authentic looking rattan bar and stool set that will set the tone for some bar theatrics worthy of a South Pacific island beach party.

https://www.johnlewis.com/kaemingk-rattan-bar-stool-set/p3834494

Create an Outdoor Kitchen Space

An outdoor kitchen area is a convenient and enjoyable way to cook and dine al fresco.  

Depending on your space and budget you can go for a complete kitchen installed in a sheltered seating area. Alternatively, many outdoor living companies sell modular kitchen units for more flexibility to build your own custom space – sinks, fitted barbecue cookers, and even outdoor fridges can create an ideal inside-out gathering spot.

Check out these modular kitchens units from Landscaping.co.uk for some inspiration. https://www.landscaping.co.uk/kitchen-in-the-garden-en/outdoor-kitchens/modular-outdoor-kitchens/

Deliver with a Portable Pizza Oven

Portable outdoor ovens have come a long way – now you can get professional specialist quality cooking with new innovations such as the Roccbox. Created by Gozney, Roccbox is a professional standard compact stone fire pizza oven that can provide delicious stone fired pizza in little over a minute. And it doesn’t have to be pizza – the dry heat that can only be got from a stone oven can make meat, fish and vegetables even more delicious. You can choose either wood or gas burner for traditional fire or changeable heat for a range of cooking techniques.

https://www.gozney.com/eu/products/home-ovens/roccbox/

Get Cosy in an Arctic Cabin

If you do have a large enough space (and a decent budget) – then why not go a step further with an arctic cabin, complete with inbuilt barbecue? An arctic cabin can provide a moment of escape on chilly morning, is ideal for private meetings, and perfect for parties – anytime of year. Arctic Cabins Ltd are the only manufacturer and supplier of the traditional sloping wall cabin design in the UK – a typical cabin seats around 15 people (and can sleep three).

14m2 BBQ Cabin

Now you’ve decided on what new features to add, here are a few final tips to enhance your summer get-together:

• Safety – The last and most important point is when using cooking equipment, fires and electrical lighting, ensure that everything is installed and used according to manufacturer instructions. Check for any trip hazards relating to wires (hang or tape them out of harm’s way) and encourage caution around heat sources. 
• The playlist – A little background music can make a real difference, so choose music that sets the tone for the evening. And keep speakers and volume to a minimum – both your guests and your neighbours will not appreciate being sound blasted!
• Lighting – If you are entertaining late into the evening, or have sheltered and shadowy spaces for sitting, make use of small solar lights to brighten the mood and create an ambience worthy of your favourite city pub garden.

Author Bio:

Laura Gozney is co-founder of Gozney, makers of commercial and residential stone fire pizza ovens. Gozney’s latest innovation is Roccbox – the only professional standard portable wood and gas stone oven that can cook a pizza in under 90 seconds.

https://www.gozney.com/uk/

Terms and Conditions (T&Cs) are the clauses in a contract that set out the rights and obligations that both parties should be aware of when they enter into a contract.

It’s crucial for a business that your customers know clearly what they are purchasing and what your terms of business are.  It’s particularly pertinent for online businesses.

So, what should you be considering when drafting your businesses’ T&Cs?

1. Avoiding the usual mistake

A big mistakes that businesses have made in the past is believing that if they hide their terms from the customer, and the customer signs the contract, that these terms can be relied upon. In other words, if the terms of the contract are part of the ‘small print’, the belief is that once the customer signs the contract, whether or not they have seen or read the terms, that they will be bound. 

So, is that true? Can the terms forming part of the ‘small print’ be relied upon? In general, the answer is no!

• Making sure the box is ticked

If the business specifically draws attention to the T&Cs and asks the customer to tick a box to state that they have read and agreed to be bound them, that’s a different story.

It may be as simple as creating a tick box for the customer to check before signing anything. That tick box may state that ‘I the undersigned have read the terms and conditions and am happy to proceed’, and if online, then a link to the T&Cs on the website will ensure compliance.

• Receipt versus contract

Right back in 1940, there was a landmark case in the courts about whether a local authority could rely on a disclaimer (against personal injury) on the back of a ticket given to a customer who hired a deck chair. The courts made the point that in order to rely on this, such a disclaimer would have to be brought to the customer’s notice at the time the contract was being made. In this case it wasn’t, since the customer only received the ticket after he paid over the money. Therefore, it was a receipt, and consequently, the disclaimer could not be relied on since it had not been brought to the customer’s notice before the contract was made, enabling him to pull out if he wanted. One of the Judges in that case commented that if the attendant had mentioned the disclaimer to the deck-chair hirer, before he handed over the money, then possibly the disclaimer would have been activated and could be relied on.

It’s the same with regard to T&Cs. They must be brought to the customer’s attention before anything is signed, and the only way to do this is to ensure that they are clear and available to be read and, in addition, they should be highlighted.

• Effective wording

It is essential to draft T&Cs that reflect the business requirements, and there should be no ambiguity. If badly drafted, customers may interpret them in a different way than intended.  It is a matter of being precise and succinct so that there can be no misunderstandings.

The best advice is to be simple with terminology and not use legal jargon. The more the language is complicated, the more likely that an individual will not bother to read it and this may encourage them not to proceed. On the other hand, if there is a tick box to say they agree to them, and they tick the box, then it may well be legally binding whether or not they have actually read them.

Some terms may be general, for example, confidentiality, intellectual property, disclaimers or limiting liability – and in such cases, precedent clauses (i.e. pre-written, ‘off-the-shelf’ wording) can be used.  Other, more specific terms and conditions can be tailored to fit a particular website or business – you can write these yourself, look at other T&Cs online, or you may want to engage expert legal help from a solicitor or paralegal.

• Complaints about your T&Cs

Should a customer complain that they were unaware of a term in the contract but they have ticked a box to state that they have read the T&Cs and agree to them, then unless the term relied upon is legally unenforceable or ‘unreasonable’, the customer will not have much recourse. If they decide to pursue the point, then the burden will be on the customer to provide evidence that it’s unenforceable or unreasonable in the circumstances. Every business should have a complaints procedure available online, and the first step that a customer should take is to follow this.

From a business perspective, it’s always best to try to resolve the customer’s issues before it’s taken further. Once a complaint is made, for the sake of business reputation, it should be adequately dealt with at this early stage.

Regardless of whether the business decides to acquiesce to the wishes of the customer, it may be advisable to consider whether or not there is grounds for the complaint. For example, maybe the reason for complaint is indeed because the term in question is ambiguous and could be misinterpreted. If so, this is a good opportunity to revisit the T&Cs and tighten them up.

• Ensuring your T&Cs are legally binding

So, every business should have clear, unambiguous T&Cs, that have been drafted to reflect the specific requirements of the company. They should also be considered ‘reasonable’ – and they must be made clear to the purchaser before they buy. By following these simple rules, businesses can protect themselves with T&Cs that are legally binding.

If legal expertise is required to cast an eye over the T&Cs, then it may be a good idea to use the services of a specialist paralegal who can offer advice and assistance at a reasonable cost.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Amanda Hamilton is Chief Executive of the National Association of Licenced Paralegals (NALP), a non-profit Membership Body and the only Paralegal body that is recognised as an awarding organisation by Ofqual (the regulator of qualifications in England). Through its training arm, NALP Training, trading as National Paralegal College, accredited recognised professional paralegal qualifications are offered for a career as a paralegal professional. 

See: http://www.nationalparalegals.co.uk and https://www.nalptraining.co.uk/

Twitter: @NALP_UK

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalAssocationsofLicensedParalegals/

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-hamilton-llb-hons-840a6a16/

For most businesses developing your social media presence and increasing your followers is an important part of your marketing and brand development.

However, making entertaining or informative content people want to return to is a time-consuming activity.

One approach to developing, and maintaining control over, your business brand is by publishing a book and offering content and off-line experiences that fit alongside it.

Here are my top tips for getting a book written and published and monetising your followers from this process.

1) Write for you, not for someone else

Publishing a book gives you the opportunity to control the narrative so you can keep your work true to who you are. But you’ll need to find a publisher who shares your vision or publish the book yourself.

Finding a publisher is much easier said than done. The likelihood is that you’ve built your following by offering your audience something that mainstream popular culture has missed. Traditional publishing is designed around maximising the chances of producing bestsellers, which means they look back into the past to try to emulate something that has already been done. It breeds a kind of unconscious conformity, which is not usually a place suited to the wild creative spirit that exists online.

Publishing the book yourself might seem the best route. Afterall it takes a lot of time to tout your book around the publishers. You may feel that this time could be better spent doing it yourself and maintaining control of your work. However, publishing a book costs a lot of money.

2) Crowdfund your book

The obvious solution to this problem is to crowdfund your book. By crowdfunding your book, you will retain complete creative control over your work. You can produce something you care about, which in turn will appeal to your followers.

Traditional publishing is also limited by the public expectation of what a book should cost – typically up to £10 for a paperback and £20 for a hardback. However, by crowdfunding your book, you can sell additional experiences and merchandise around it. For example, video games influencer, Dan Hardcastle, raised over £300k for his book, Fuck Yeah, Video Games, on Unbound.

What’s interesting is that 80 per cent of the money he raised came from non-traditional book sales, unique experiences and greater access to Dan such as signed copies, exclusive illustrations and personalised videos. This is nearly £250k in revenue that he might not have received if he’d simply published through a traditional publisher. Such is the power a crowdfunded book can bring to an influencer.

3) Write something they’re keen to hear about

Writing a book for your followers sounds simple, but what should it be about? Only you know the answer to that. The key is to be as authentic to yourself and your audience as you can. Don’t try and write what you think someone else wants to read. Or even what you think will sell. Write the book you care most about and tell your audience what that is. They will back you if they believe this is core to who you are.

At Unbound, we’ve developed a machine learning algorithm that helps us to predict, with a high degree of accuracy, how much a book is likely to raise before an author crowdfunds it. By using data such as the size of the author’s following and the topic of the book, we can predict with around 80 per cent accuracy precisely how much a book will raise within 90 days of accepting pledges / pre-orders.

However, you don’t need to have a degree in data science to decide what to write about. You’ve got plenty of followers, so run a poll. Crowdsource your book idea and they’re more likely to buy it.

4) Be imaginative with offers

There’s a fairly simple rule to follow when offering rewards to followers: the more creative the offering, the greater the value. And make sure what you offer is authentic to who you are and what you do.

Never has this been so aptly demonstrated than with popular YouTube comedian, Stuart Ashen, when he offered a ‘box of mystery tat’ as part of his crowdfunding campaign for his book Attack of the Flickering Skeletons. He sold three boxes of junk at £250 a piece. But of course it wasn’t really ‘junk’, each was a hilarious collection of unique things Stuart’s fans would recognise and value because they love what he does and they trusted him to deliver something to them that was suitably extraordinary.

5) Engage your top fans

Within any given audience, you’re bound to have a select few avid supporters who will pay a significant premium for exclusive access to you or your ideas. This is a fact traditional publishing simply cannot capitalise on. However, the digital economy has created untold new opportunities for authors to engage with their most passionate fans.

Dan Hardcastle created a reward level at £2,500 for Fuck Yeah, Video Games, which allowed a supporter to choose the video game for an entire chapter of his book. This was clearly only targeted towards the superfan. In some respects it didn’t even matter if someone bought it – it mainly served to demonstrate the depths of his accessibility and creativity, and to act as something that grabbed the attention of his followers. However, as a bonus, it did actually work and he sold out this reward level.

You would have to sell 312 copies of a traditional paperback to match this one purchase from a superfan. Every high level reward like this is bought by people who are die-hard supporters of what you do. They want the opportunity to have something unique. To connect with the creative people they most admire. You.

The other great thing about superfans is that there’s a direct correlation between the quality and passion of an influencer’s audience and the amount of money they’re likely to be able to raise from them. What encapsulates your offering to your followers? What can you offer them that’s unique to you?

Many businesses are succeeding in creating sizeable follower numbers, and publishing is just one of the industries that has the potential to embrace this new paradigm. Find the cross-over in the Venn diagram of the interesting ideas and information you want to authentically talk about as a business and what your audience wants to hear about.  Then your book that will attract eager buyers from your follower base.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dan Kieran is the co-founder and CEO of Unbound, a crowdfunding publisher that combines data science and an award-winning publishing brand with an online marketplace. Readers pre-order books through pledging, Unbound publishes and sells them, giving authors a 50/50 profit split and access to an engaged community.

The publisher’s 200k users from 195 countries have pledged £7m+ to fund 436 books to-date, including bestsellers like Letters of Note and The Good Immigrant.

By predicting future trends, Unbound funds books more quickly and reaches instant, data-driven acquisition decisions.

Website: https://unbound.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbounders

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Unbound/

Crowdcube: https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/unbound/pitches/b6ALPZ

Citations

Video Games influencer, Dan Hardcastle, raised over £300k for his book on Unbound: https://unbound.com/books/nerdcubed/

Stuart Ashen sold three boxes of ‘mystery tat’ at £250 a piece during his book’s crowdfunding campaign: https://unbound.com/books/moreashens/

The Swiss watch industry has dominated ever since the 1800s when farmers began assembling handcrafted mechanical watches during harsh winter months. Today Swiss watches are synonymous with luxury and prestige. But can the Swiss watchmaking industry survive?

Technology has transformed what collectors want from a watch… or has it?

The release of the Apple watch, and the many other designs that have followed suit, has revolutionized watchmaking for the first time in centuries. With ever-increasing demands on our schedules, millions of consumers are investing in the convenience of having a mini-computer strapped to their wrist. Why would you wear a watch that can only tell the time when a smartwatch can answer your calls, text your friends and track your fitness goals?

And yet for traditional and new watch collecting aficionados, a smart watch is the equivalent of a factory van to an exotic car collector – it misses the point entirely. Even watches that integrate traditional craftsmanship with the functionality of digital technology will fail to capture the attention of true collectors. The love affair with Swiss-made mechanical watches is one that can be passed on from generation to generation, with quality that will last a lifetime.

And thus classical watchmakers have an opportunity to capitalize on and appeal to an emerging market of watch collectors: a generation that grew up with technology and rejects its omnipresence. As the popularity of mindfulness activities such as yoga and meditation peak, so too do the low-tech, slow tech, neo-luddite and tech-free movements. A growing swathe of people reject wearables that ‘ping’ us away from the present moment. Time is a treasure, and while a watch can keep time, it shouldn’t control it.

Although collectors may stick to Swiss-made classical models, consumers have come to expect a curated, technology-driven discovery and buying experience. For example, a magazine advert can now include augmented reality (AR) links, which mean if you put your phone over a photo, an immersive video about the watch can begin to play. At CuleM, we have developed an app called Try On CuleM, so that users can try on all the watches in our first World GMT Collection from their desk or dining room table. By utilising new technologies watchmakers can reach new, wider audiences, and can help consumers ‘try on’ a watch – even if they are nowhere near a retail outlet. This can lead to increased sales and help a traditional brand reach a tech-savvy audience.

Luxury watch brands committed to innovation will drive future demand. Season after season, classical watchmakers release a new edition of a vintage watch – “best-selling vintage watches reimagined.” However, mature brands can no longer afford to play it safe as independent watchmakers like Akrivia and Singer Reimagined challenge the likes of Rolex and Omega.

While the Swiss watchmaking industry is full of staggeringly creative and talented people, they often work for organisations driven by the bottom line and relying on their reputation and heritage – not their innovation. I believe that an overreliance on profits translates into lost creativity and a tired routine of re-releasing best-selling models.

Unlike the technology industry, where Google, for example, encourages its employees to focus 20% of their time on side projects, traditional Swiss watch brands lack novel curiosity and innovation. For watchmaking talent, even a few hours a week focused on creativity and lateral thinking can lead to the uncovering of new and innovative designs that can transform a brand, and its earnings.

Watch brands that seize the opportunity to make the ideas of the past relevant in the 21st century are more likely to cement their place in the industry and its future. For instance, I worked with veteran designer Damien Ummel to challenge and evolve the design standards of a standard GMT travel watch. CuleM’s inaugural GMT World Timers solve the historical inaccuracy of travel watches for the first time, and display the correct time in 24 time zones – an essential feature for the globetrotters of our generation.  By looking to the future, rather than to the past, the watch industry has an opportunity both to remain relevant and to reach new consumers. By constantly looking backwards at design, it will fail to achieve either.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help the luxury watch industry remain relevant. The power of artificial intelligence (AI) to drive intelligent marketing has begun to evolve the watch industry as we know it. Emotional Analytics (EMO), a start-up based in Singapore for instance, uses artificial intelligence to group data from billions of social content updates into topics of interest by mapping out the emotional engagement with each topic.

This insight can help ensure data-driven growth for industry players. For example, EMO recently studied new watch brands with a price point below $500. This revealed some very interesting insights that watch brands can capitalise on to ensure they are creating watches that people really want. For example; people have a strong preference for Swiss automatic watches, like diving, pilot, and dress watches; they prefer 42mm watches or small 38mm watches and have a neutral opinion about 40mm watches; nato and rubber straps are the most popular; and the most popular colours are blue and black. This kind of insight can help reduce the risks when launching a new watch, and enables a brand to combine innovation with design aspects that consumers want.

Baselworld has long been the most important event of the industry’s calendar, and while I enjoyed the palpable, passionate energy of Baselworld in March, many independent watch brands are choosing to forego the show altogether in favour of investing in contemporary online marketing channels. Exhibitions need to embrace the future and new technology if they are to remain relevant and attract the visitors that will make the cost of exhibiting worthwhile.

Unfortunately for Baselworld, it is not the only industry player which can offer behind-the-scenes access to new watch innovations and releases. Social media influencers, for instance, can target millions of people in a way that can be tracked and analyzed for impressions, engagement, and efficiency. Therefore, Baselworld must now reconcile its iconic existence connecting passionate collectors and watchmakers with novel forms of marketing and technology.

For instance, Baselworld might consider live streaming more of its sessions, or enabling exhibiting watch brands to host sponsored webinars for global audiences. More and more conferences are selling to an online audience as well as the offline visitors. Issues of time, the impact of travel on the environment, and the cost of visiting are all eroding visitor numbers, but an event can still be a huge success if it embraces the online world; opening up to virtual visitors from across the globe. Leveraging AI and new innovations in communications technology, Baselworld can ensure its offline event generates a wealth of digital data. In so doing,  Baselworld may be able to offer independent brands actionable insights from one of the most valuable microcosms of the watch industry.

Luxury watch collecting is now an investment within reach. Luxury watches combine high-end Swiss craftsmanship and timeless design into a desirable object that will stay with collectors for decades to come.

These timepieces have an implied cost, however. Although price points for Swiss-made automatic watches can exceed 100,000 euros, watch collecting is no longer an investment beyond reach. Advancements in manufacturing and factory-direct retail business models have opened up luxury watch collecting to new markets.

These business model innovations are not about cutting costs or quality – it’s about finding new, innovative ways to sell direct to the customer, eliminating traditional retail outlets with large mark-ups, and delivering the savings to the customer.

For example, at Culem we looked at how to cut out the retailer and sell direct from the factory and thus launched on Kickstarter. We did this because we wanted to ensure that everyone, not just those with six-figure salaries, had access to the ultimate Swiss-made luxury GMT World Timer, and so we could build a global community of watch collectors and world travelers.

By looking at innovative ways to connect with customers, and reduce costs without compromising on design and quality, there is an opportunity for start-up brands to create another tier in the watch collector market, attracting new buyers with a slightly lower price-point.

There will always be a place for the very high end watches like Vacheron Constantin or Laurent Ferrier, but micro-brands in the 2,000 to 5,000 euro retail price point will be fierce competitors as consumers seek value, relevance, and an alternative to the status quo.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Matthew Cule is a passionate collector of watches and founder of CuleM Watches, an independent luxury travel watch brand. Culem’s World GMT collection of Swiss made dual time, automatic watches are designed for people who love to travel.  Culem believes there is nothing more meaningful and amazing than travel – and no object more special than a watch, so each watch is a masterpiece, a work of art and the perfect travel companion.

Web: www.culemwatches.com

Instagram: @culemwatches

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Culem-Watches-509036822900736/

Twitter: @culemwatches

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/culemwatches/

Kickstarter: http://30e.fnd.to/culemwatches

When you decided to become a freelancer or start your own business you very quickly discover just how much you need to do. It can be quite overwhelming, so it is good to have some digital tools to hand to help you get yourself on track.

Let’s share a number of the best free apps and tools that you will find useful as you set off on your new venture. They’ll help you get organised and make the most of your opportunities.

Clockify

What is it?  Time tracking software that syncs across devices to show you exactly where your time is being spent.

Who’ll want it? Small businesses or freelancers with a lot to do and no love for admin.

Accurate time tracking means you won’t undercharge or overcharge for your work. You’ll also be able to see all your projects’ progress, and how much you have left to spare when you’re pitching for new work. The key to not wasting time is knowing where you’re wasting it.

Clockify’s timekeeping dashboard is the epitome of organised, you’ll know exactly where your tasks are at a glance! Synced to both desktop and mobile, it breaks down your hours, days, and weeks. Track your time, break down the data, and turn timesheets into a doddle.

Trello

What is it? A super straightforward to-do list with easy task management. Trello is a favourite for freelancers, agencies, and other small businesses, because even the free version gives them exactly what they need.

Who’ll want it? List addicts and people who like to keep their tasks and projects organised.

The humble to-do list should never be overlooked. Having a simple list of jobs to do can help you make the most of your working hours and avoid those unpleasant moments of forgetfulness.

Bullet points on bits of A4 paper might work for a while, but when your job list starts growing, you’ll need a smarter way of managing them and staying organised. Trello is a simple task management tool which helps you organise and order your jobs with clean, colourful cards and lists. If a deadline changes, you can just move the cards around, and if you win a new client, you can create a list specifically for them and keep everything in one place.

It’s all dragging, dropping, and a bit of typing – easy!

Headspace

What is it? Easy meditation you can do in five or 10 minutes.

Who’ll want it? Everyone who has a busy mind; i.e. all of us.

Headspace isn’t designed for freelancers or business owners specifically, but some quiet mindfulness is something we could all do with.

The app has hundreds of short meditation sessions designed to help with stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep problems. If you struggle to switch off, or find yourself slipping into negative thought patterns, this is the app to download. You can try 10 sessions for free before you decide to pay for a subscription.

Solna

What is it? More than just an invoicing tool, Solna does all the admin for you. It helps you track your income and gets you paid faster.

Who’ll want it? Freelancers and small businesses with lots of invoices and no time to chase them!

For some small businesses and freelancers, getting paid means sending email attachments and mailing A4 pieces of paper. It sounds simple, but it can end up being a big admin job without the right help.

If you want to get paid on time, smart invoicing is the only way to go. Solna helps you create stunning, branded invoices, send automatic payment reminders to those pesky late payers, and track every invoice until it’s in your account. All invoices come with read receipt, so no more chasing random accounts people either!

Solna is packed with clever features to help freelancers and small businesses whether they’re new to the game or not.

Coconut

What is it? A free current account for freelancers, the self-employed, and small businesses, that also takes care of the accounting and tax.

Who’ll want it? Anyone that dreads financial admin.

Traditional accounting packages and business bank accounts haven’t kept up with the fast-paced way we work today. Coconut addresses this by combining banking and accounting in one simple product.

A Coconut account gives you a debit card, transfers, and simple online statements, as well as some fast, helpful extras. Coconut helps you stay organised by categorising your business expenses and sending you instant notifications when you spend to remind you to snap the receipt. It also gives you helpful tips about what you can and can’t claim, helping to maximise savings on your tax bill. What’s not to love?

These digital tools will help you get started – setting you on the right road to manage all your admin tasks, get paid and generally manage your time and keep everything organised. If you find you need other support, have a look round and it is very  likely that there is an app for that!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Inna Kaushan is co-founder of Solna, a smart invoicing platform powered by credit score data. Solna speeds up the invoicing and payment process for freelancers and small businesses. Through leveraged credit data that is overlaid on the platform’s invoicing and reporting functionality, users get a clear picture of their customer’s financial health and their overall exposure to risk. The system’s automated credit control functionality automatically chases overdue invoices – freeing up time and ensuring faster payment.

Web: https://solna.io/

Twitter: @solna_io 

Facebook:@Solna.io

LinkedIn: Solna

There is a time and place for humour and in some presentation situations it may not be appropriate. However, in most presentations, even those on finance, it can be a benefit to lighten the mood with some touches of humour.  It adds to the enjoyment for the audience and means your listeners are more likely to be on your side.  A boon when you have objectives to achieve from giving your presentation. 

If you’re worried that you’re not a natural comedian – it is all about setting the right tone and engaging with your audience. Here are some tips for adding humour next time you are giving a financial presentation or speech.

1. Research. Take time to find out about the organisation and attendees.    They will undoubtedly have a fund of stories about their organisation and the people in it. Pitched correctly this can provide you with an excellent opening to your presentation – and there may even be a funny story you can share. But remember…

• No ‘victims’. Never make personal comments about anyone in the audience as a way of being amusing. Do not think that having arranged for a ‘victim’ before the presentation will work.  Many in the audience will then spend the entire presentation worrying that they will be the next victim. It’s a sure fire, and quick way, to lose the support of the rest of the audience.

• Use your experiences. If you want to tell an embarrassing story, make sure it is something you have experienced.   Undoubtedly some of the audience will also have lived through this unfortunate episode in their lives.    This way you will gain the sympathy of the audience – and don’t alienate anyone.

• Words and pictures. Some of the audience will react well to the spoken word, and others are influenced by visual presentations.  It is therefore a good idea to have something that will add visual impact to your presentation.   This could be a humorous image on a slide, or even a humorous (and appropriate) prop.

• Avoid laughing. Although you want your presentation to be humorous – don’t join in the laughter.   There is nothing wrong with the presenter having a wry smile on his/her lips – but too much laughter from you gives the impression that the session is for your benefit.   Also, if you laugh and the audience does not this is a way to make the atmosphere uncomfortable for all concerned.

• Watch your language. In a lot of situations, it would be a mistake to use inappropriate language to get a point across.   I have seen this happen and it is nearly always a mistake.  Unless you know the audience well and feel they are happy to put up with fairly tame, but inappropriate language, do not indulge in this.

• Use pauses to full effect.    If providing a humorous punch line to the story, pause and allow the audience to realise this is an important part of the presentation.  If they don’t take the hint; move on.

• Always practice. Humour inserted into a presentation should be written down and rehearsed as any other material would be.  Do not think that humour can be off the cuff. It needs to be planned and rehearsed – you as the top comedians so.

• Give the audience time to laugh.   You can never guarantee when an audience will find a statement funny.  Each audience has its own personality.   Some groups will laugh at a particular statement and others will fall silent.  If they do laugh give them time to enjoy the moment.

1.  Be Yourself. You do not have to mimic your favourite comedian when delivering the funny content.   Be yourself.   If the audience does not get your humour, you can still rely on the main message of the presentation.   Move on.   It will get easier as you deliver more presentations with humour.

Use these tips and you may find yourself becoming one of the most popular speakers in your area of expertise!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jean Stewart is from Toastmasters International a not-for-profit organisation that has provided communication and leadership skills since 1924 through a worldwide network of clubs. There are more than 400 clubs and 10,000 members in the UK and Ireland. Members follow a structured educational programme to gain skills and confidence in public and impromptu speaking, chairing meetings and time management. To find your nearest club, visit www.toastmasters.org