When you get poor quality broadband connection or sub-standard service from your telecoms provider your business can suffer. 

When problems arise, you need to complain. Let’s review the options you have for doing this and getting compensation.

Let your provider know when is going on

You may assume that modern technology allows all telecoms businesses to be able to identify when something isn’t working. Surely, they should be able to quickly and easily fix problems so that your service isn’t impacted? Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes they can, but most of the time, they will need you to tell them what has happened and when.

As soon as you notice a problem, make a note of what you perceive the problem to be, and when it started. Contact them to tell them of the issue; it is from this point that the compensation clock starts ticking.  Different companies have different times as their deadline for that day (otherwise the clock starts the next working morning), so check with your providers about when you have to report an issue by.

Be nice to the call centre

When you do call always be nice to the person you talk to.  It isn’t their fault your telecoms aren’t working and you are likely to be one of very few who are nice. They are far more likely to give you what you seek, compared to if you rip into them as if they had personally cut your internet connection!

Many call centre staff will have permission to apply small credits to your account. The likelihood of them mentioning it is almost certainly directly related to how nice you are when you call.

Review your telecoms contract

Particularly if you’re working through a reseller or broker, check what your contract says. Their terms and conditions may differ from the actual telecoms provider.

If you didn’t read your contract in full before you signed it, shame on you. However, that doesn’t mean all is lost (refer to the point above). They aren’t likely to let you out of the contract (at least not willingly), but they may apply credits to your account if something is clearly not as it should be.

Providers’ Automatic compensation schemes

Here’s a little good news. Due to the volume of complaints – and the improvement in technology – many companies are either signing up for Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme[i], or they are setting up their own.

Since 1^st April 2019, BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Zen Internet have agreed to provide set compensation levels after set periods of time. Vodafone hasn’t joined the Ofcom scheme, but they have set up their own, with the same compensation payments[ii]. The bad news is that these are residential schemes, not for businesses who have experienced poor service. 

BT has set up an automatic compensation scheme[iii] for their business customers; it’s a shame that others haven’t followed.

Complain via Social Media

Business reputation is worth a great deal. Telecoms providers, including resellers and brokers, don’t like their dirty laundry being shown in public. If you take your complaint to Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn, there’s a good chance that they will take steps to resolve the matter. Being able to respond to your complaint publicly, particularly once they’ve resolved your issue, is good for their image and so most companies will do whatever they can to resolve the issue.

If they don’t, LinkedIn is a great way to find senior management and be able to complain directly to them.

Company	Complaints URL	Facebook	Twitter
BT	https://btbusiness.custhelp.com/app/complaints/	https://www.facebook.com/btbusinessdirect/	@bt_uk
O2	https://www.o2.co.uk/how-to-complain	https://www.facebook.com/o2uk/	@O2
Virgin	https://www.virginmediabusiness.co.uk/help/s/businesscomplaints	https://www.facebook.com/virginmedia/	@vmbusiness
Vodafone	https://www.vodafone.co.uk/help-and-information/complaints	https://www.facebook.com/vodafoneUK/	@VodafoneUK
Zen	https://www.zen.co.uk/contact-us/complaints	https://www.facebook.com/zeninternetuk/	@zeninternet

Regulatory protection: Ofcom

In the UK Ofcom is the regulatory body for the telecoms industry. They recognise that telecommunications play a vital role in business, particularly for small businesses. They have produced what they call General Conditions of Entitlement[iv]. They are written to protect your business and provide a standard minimum level of service around complaints.

If you don’t get any joy from your telecoms provider, you may want to mention these general conditions and see what happens.  Alternatively, call Ofcom directly on 020 7981 3040.

Making a formal complaint

If you aren’t getting anywhere by complaining to your telecoms provider, it may be time to make a formal complaint.

Telecoms providers must be members of an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme. They act as an adjudicator or middleman between you and the telecoms provider. Usually within six weeks, they will come to a decision. This decision is final and cannot be overturned and it cannot be appealed. However, that doesn’t stop you seeking legal advice if you don’t accept the decision.

If the ADR does agree with your complaint, they can order the service provider to make compensation payments, to fix the issue or take other steps.

There are two ADRs in the UK:

1. Ombudsman Services[v], and
2. Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS)[vi]

Before you make a complaint, however, you must ensure you have met the following conditions[vii]:

• You have already complained to the company in the first instance
• You are based in the United Kingdom (and not the Republic of Ireland).
• At least eight weeks have passed since you first complained to them or you have received a deadlock letter
• Your complaint is not in relation to fraud, property damage, discrimination or data protection
• Your complaint is not the subject of court action
• You understand that it is your responsibility to ensure you have read the scheme rules, guidance notes and process

In the end you always have the option to walk away and switch to a different telecoms provider. If you need a complex service this may take time and effort but can be worth it.  Of course, you may find that with a complex and valuable contract your current provider will be work very hard to keep your business.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Warren Pryer is from independent telecoms brokerage Equinox. Equinox works with companies, charities and other organisations to help them choose the right telecoms packages for their needs and thereby reduce their costs. Equinox is particularly knowledgeable on the integration of IT and telecoms in business.  www.equinoxcomms.co.uk

Twitter: @CommsEquinox

CITATIONS and LINKS

---

[i] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-telecoms-and-internet/advice-for-consumers/costs-and-billing/automatic-compensation-need-know

[ii] https://www.vodafone.co.uk/broadband/auto-compensation

[iii] https://business.bt.com/compensation-scheme/

[iv] https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0021/112692/Consolidated-General-Conditions.pdf

[v] https://www.ombudsman-services.org/

[vi] https://www.cedr.com/consumer/cisas/

[vii] These are the CISAS conditions https://www.cedr.com/consumer/cisas/make-a-complaint/ but are very similar to those of Ombudsman Services.

Hopefully, Christmas was good for your business!  The flipside may be that, once the gifts have been given, there’s always a chance that someone doesn’t like the product you supplied, or it turns out to be faulty?

As a supplier of goods or services, it’s important that you know your customers’ rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This will keep you in compliance with the law. 

To start with, without a receipt there’s not a lot a customer can do.  However, if they’re not shy about asking for a receipt, or the giver of your present has said they can change the item if so desired, then that is a whole different ball game.

In addition, with so many people shopping online now it’s not just a question of taking something back to the shop with a receipt. What are your customers’ rights in relation to items that have been bought online?

A new statute became law on 1^st October 2015, known as the Consumer Rights Act 2015. This statute was specifically introduced to simplify, strengthen and modernise the law, giving consumers clearer shopping rights. It replaces three previous statutes and includes rights in relation to items bought online and digital downloads.

Quality 

As with previous legislation, under the Consumer Rights Act all products must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described.  

The rules also include digital content in this definition. So, all products – whether physical or digital – must meet the following standards:  

• Fit for purpose.  The goods should be fit for the purpose they are supplied for, as well as any specific purpose you made known to the customer before they agreed to buy the goods. 
• As described.  The goods supplied must match any description given, or any models or samples shown at the time of purchase.
• Satisfactory quality.  Goods shouldn’t be faulty or damaged when received. You should ask what a reasonable person would consider satisfactory for the goods in question. For example, bargain-bucket products won’t be held to as high standards as luxury goods. 

If what your customer has bought doesn’t satisfy any one of the three criteria outlined above, they have a claim under the Consumer Rights Act against the retailer (seller) as opposed to the manufacturer.

What your customer can claim depends on how much time has passed since they physically took ownership of the goods. They will also need proof of purchase such as the receipt.

30-day right to reject

Under the Consumer Rights Act, a consumer has an absolute legal right to reject goods that are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described, and get a full refund – as long as they do this quickly within 30 days of taking ownership. One takes ownership of the goods when one pays for them in a store and takes them away, or when the goods are delivered to a person who has paid online.

Outside of the thirty days

If a customer is outside the 30-day right to reject, they have to give you, as a retailer, one opportunity to repair or replace any goods or digital content which are of unsatisfactory quality, unfit for purpose or not as described. 

If the attempt at a repair or replacement is unsuccessful, the customer can then claim a refund, or a price reduction if they wish to keep the product.

Less than six months

If your customer discovers a fault within the first six months of having the product, it is presumed to have been there since the time they took ownership of it – unless you can prove otherwise.

If they would prefer to keep the goods in question, they can request an appropriate price reduction.

Six months or more

If a fault develops after the first six months, the burden is on the customer to prove that the product was faulty at the time they took ownership of it. In practice, this may require some form of expert report, opinion or evidence of similar problems across the product range. 

A customer has six years to take a claim to the small claims court for faulty goods in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

Digital content

The Consumer Rights Act defines digital content as ‘data which are produced and supplied in digital form.’

Just like goods, digital content must be:

• fit for a particular purpose
• as described by the seller
• of satisfactory quality

If digital content does not conform to these criteria, a customer has the right to a repair or replacement of the digital content they’ve bought. 

So, effectively, the 2015 statute is a very useful piece of legislation to protect consumer rights not only relating to purchased items but also in respect of the supply of services as well.

However, what if the item is not faulty, but they simply don’t like it? Can they ask for a refund or exchange?

Most stores, online or otherwise, will give customers a period of time to get a refund in such circumstances. Some offer such a high level of customer service that they will give a refund on returned goods after a ‘reasonable’ period of time provided the returned item is as new and a receipt is produced. But be aware, you do not have to legally do so outside of your specified deadline.

If you do end up in a stalemate with a customer and feel you need additional help, then engaging a suitably qualified and licenced Paralegal can be a much cheaper option than using a solicitor. Paralegals can do most of the same work as solicitors (with a few exceptions, known as reserved activities) and charge considerably less. Ensure your paralegal is licenced and registered with a membership body such as NALP (National Association of Licenced Paralegals)

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/

As a small business owner you want to recruit people with the technical skills and the soft skills to fit the role and the team.  From experience of recruiting tech people over a long period of time I know how much the right tools can help you in the hiring process.

Let me share a few useful tools so you can find great candidates and the perfect person to join your business.

Get the Job Description and Advert Ready

Finding that perfect candidate starts with an accurate job description and a great advert. They are the first points of contact you have with any candidate and if you want to get the best people excited, you have to have a great job description and an enticing ad

Hemingway App[i]

Designed to help you write clear and concise content. It will help you cut out needless words and highlight overly complex sentences that can be shortened or simplified.

http://www.hemingwayapp.com/

Visuwords[ii]

This thesaurus automatically offers you alternatives words and will keep you from using the same ones repeatedly in your text.

https://visuwords.com/

Post on Job Aggregators

Job aggregation sites gather together jobs from across multiple job boards, careers sites and vacancies pages to provide candidates with a huge range of vacancies that they will find interesting and be suitable for. They are often described as “Google for jobs”.

Posting your vacancy onto a site, such as Indeed.co.uk[iii] will significantly improve your chances of your role being found by great candidates who are looking for their next challenge.

Make the most of LinkedIn

The perfect candidate to fill your tech role may not be actively looking for a new role right now. With over 575 million profiles, LinkedIn offers you an almost infinite buffet of people to pick from. Of these profiles 260 million are active at least once a month and 40% of those use LinkedIn at least weekly.

Of course, LinkedIn was originally built for the recruitment industry. The idea was that the level of detail people put into their profiles, including job titles, experience and hobbies would allow recruitment firms to better select suitable candidates for roles they are filling. LinkedIn provides you with the opportunity both to advertise job vacancies and to proactively search for people with suitable skills and attributes.  The advertising function will put your advert in front of the people their algorithms identify as suitable, with increased frequency if they are deemed to be actively searching (i.e. they have clicked on job adverts recently).

The proactive search opportunity is going to be time-consuming for somebody within your team. Putting “tech” into the search bar and then filtering to the three tech-related industry sectors listed still lists over 1.99 million people[iv] who may be suitable. Luckily other filters, such as Country, Current Employer and by using Boolean search criteria, you can cut that number dramatically. If you pay for your membership, the number of search filters you have available to you increases to further reduce the list to manageable numbers.

“All” you need to do then is approach the candidates you would like to apply…

Use an ATS

So, you have a list of candidates, how do you ensure you keep tabs on all the information you have about them, so you can make the right decision for your business?  This is where applicant tracking systems, such as Bullhorn[v], come to help you. https://www.bullhorn.com/products/applicant-tracking-system/

Think of applicant tracking systems as your recruitment CRM. Recruitment isn’t as simple as it may have been in the past. Legislation designed to protect both the candidates, and the company, has to be adhered to and you have to be able to justify decisions around this. Simple things like interview times and the notes from those conversations can all be recorded into an ATS.

Applicant tracking systems will speed up the process and ensure you never miss a candidate or conversation with them. Some, including Bullhorn, integrate with LinkedIn to help with the activity we described above.

Face-to-Face or Video?

Arranging face-to-face interviews with candidates isn’t always easy. Candidates are usually in another job, so it is difficult for them to come to you during working hours. With many jobs requiring multiple interviews for some people, arranging face time will elongate the process. When you’re looking to fill a role as soon as possible, delays are the last thing you want. If your business is one of the rapidly growing number of remote only businesses, you may not even have an office for them to come to. And let’s face it, the coffee shop really doesn’t cut it!

Video interviewing tools mean you take away much of that delay.  Products such as VidCruiter[vi], Breezy HR[vii] and Spark Hire[viii] allow you to book interview times, record the video (for playback later and to meet legislative demands) and even check references. All of which cuts costs, removes delays and makes everyone’s life just a little easier.

Imagine these as Skype with benefits.

Home

https://breezy.hr/

https://www.sparkhire.com/

Assessing Candidates’ soft skills and traits

When recruiting to fill a technical vacancy, it’s vital that the candidates have the core set of skills you are looking for. However, more and more organisations are looking at the “softer” skills and traits to help them choose the perfect person. Personality, judgement aptitude and cultural fit are all important. Just having the right technical skills does not guarantee they will be the right person for you. That’s where tools such as Saberr[ix] and Athena Assessment[x] will help.

You may be better off finding someone who is the right fit and then training them to fill any gaps in their technical knowledge – as long as you know, in advance, where those technical gaps are.

https://www.saberr.com/base

http://www.athenaq.com/

Testing Candidates’ Tech Skills

So, how do you assess their technical skills and identify any gaps? This is where candidate testing tools come in.  There are many variations available. Some are straightforward skills testers: do the candidates have the exact skills you need. Others take a slightly different approach, looking at the candidates’ abilities to think logically and laterally. Scenario testing, so to speak.

Having an accurate assessment of the skills your candidates really possess, as opposed to what they claim to be able to do, is key to making the right choice. Of course, there are also people who struggle to sell themselves (particularly tech staff) but have a really strong set of skills. Knowing this will stop them being disqualified from your application process. Check out tools like TechRank if you want to know what tech skills your candidate has – this will also help you see through a poor interview performance to the skillset the candidate has.

It’s no longer possible to base a hiring decision on a CV, interviews and the interviewer’s memory. Luckily there are many tools such as the ones above which you support you in making the decision and hiring the right person to work with you and your team.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gurvinder Singh is the co-founder of TechRank. TechRank sources, expertly tests and objectively ranks tech talent helping companies hire the best, and most capable person for the job. By testing candidates for the level of skill the position requires, businesses can make an objective decision about the person they hire to fill a vacant tech role.

Web:  www.techrank.io

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/techrank.io/  

Gurvinder’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gurvinder-singh/

LINKS REFERRED TO IN THE ARTICLE:

[i] http://www.hemingwayapp.com/

[ii] https://visuwords.com/

[iii] https://www.indeed.co.uk/

[iv] https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/people/?facetIndustry=%5B%2296%22%2C%224%22%2C%226%22%5D&keywords=tech&origin=FACETED_SEARCH

[v] https://www.bullhorn.com/products/applicant-tracking-system/

[vi] https://vidcruiter.com/

[vii] https://breezy.hr/

[viii] https://www.sparkhire.com/

[ix] https://www.saberr.com/base

[x] http://www.athenaq.com/

It’s not exactly news that key and iconic music venues are closing across the country. We’ve already seen the loss of the London Astoria, the Manchester Roadhouse, the Harley in Sheffield, Bristol’s Bierkeller, Edinburgh’s Picture House and The Arches in Glasgow, among many more.

Such closures have come about for a variety of reasons. Increases in local rents and business rates make it difficult for owners to make ends meet and poor economic conditions mean that music fans have less money to spend on gig tickets and drinks at live music venues. This means there’s less and less cash to cover staff and equipment costs, insurance and other outgoings.

Noise complaints are another huge problem. Though many venues have been in place for decades, newly built accommodation has seen residents make repeated noise complaints about live music. Bizarrely, the soundproofing onus is often on the owners of existing venues, rather than developers of new accommodation.

Despite this multitude of difficulties, live music is the fastest growing sector in the £4.5bn music industry. PRS For Music found that venues are three times more likely to go bust without live shows, and gig-goers spend 70 per cent more at the bar than other customers.

So, what can venues do to help bring in more people, and increase their overall revenues?

Venue Branding

Venues often become iconic and famous even beyond their own cities by having a unique vibe that’s palpable throughout. Such venues are shaped largely by the clientele and know exactly they’re catering too. Sometimes this is defined by a specific music genre, like punk, metal or blues.

Those able to own a persona, such as being known as the blues club of that area, for instance, have a huge advantage. Consistency is key. A punk venue should get rid of the tables when a band’s playing, spray some graffiti, or have staff dress the part with denim and leather.

Other venues find their strength by wearing many hats. So, they might do blues on a Tuesday, rock on a Wednesday, pop on a Thursday etc. This way, they’re able to attract a diverse set of music fans, albeit a smaller number from each scene.

Social Media

As 88 per cent of people are influenced by reviews and online comments, having a strong digital strategy is important. Promoters still flyer and stick up posters, but social media is the way most music venues find out who’s playing, and where.

Make sure your venue regularly posts about your nights and helps to promote the bands playing, as well as any promotions. You can use social programming tools like Hootsuite to schedule posts across all networks and make sure you’ve constantly got posts going out.

It also pays to make sure the gigs you’re hosting appear on as many sites as possible, such as Bands in Town, Gigs and Tours, The List, etc. You should also do your research to find out who the most influential bloggers, promoters and social influencers in your area and connect with them. They may well be your greatest allies.

Venue Programming

Venue Programming services can help you build consistency in the gigs you’re offering, ensure a good turnout, and plan well in advance, which will also give you time to properly promote shows.

For example, Gigride – a marketplace for musicians, DJs, venues, and promoters – acts like an Airbnb for gigs. It also helps venues find bands, promote gigs and shows how many people a band is likely to attract.

Other services like Nextbigsound, Chartmetric and Soundchart can help you analyse the online engagement generated by a band or performer.

So, by using technology, venues can more easily gauge how many fans a band is likely to attract, and online hype they’re able to generate, which will help them maximise ticket and drink sales.

Get Creative

It’s not all about technology however. There are some old tried and tested methods worth adopting too. Venues can get creative by including promotions such as a free drink with each ticket (co-promotions with drinks brands can assist). You can offer free entry to shows for bloggers and music fans able to bring in a crowd or offer commission to local bands that can fill up a guest list.

You can even think about selling or giving away your own merch, such as t-shirts, tote bags, and badges to regulars to help you get your name out there. Membership is another option that could offer regulars free or discounted entry, a free drink or another reward for their loyalty.

It’s also worth compiling compilation CDs featuring local bands that frequent your venue, with their permission, of course!

There were more than 480,000 independent gig performances last year alone in the UK, held in 130,000 venues, all of which brought 9.5m visits. So, there’s still a huge market for live music.

While music venues have undoubtedly taken a few hits in recent years, I believe that live music can save them from closure. This will in-turn help to safeguard the UK’s music culture, give bands the opportunity to share their tunes, and help them find national and international success – which also reflects well on venues themselves.

With the right environments in our music venues, we’ll be able to enjoy a wide range of live music in the coming years. Let’s get busy!

About the Author

Marco Santesso is co-founder and CEO of Gigride – the Airbnb of gigs – which he set up after years of struggling to book tours for his band.

Gigride is a marketplace which brings musicians, DJs, venues, and promoters together to organise gigs. It also allows promoters and venues to find out how many fans a band is likely to attract to their gigs.

Web: https://gigride.live/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gigride_live

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

Crowdcube: https://www.crowdcube.com/companies/gigride/pitches/bXRvBl

Citations

https://www.pwc.com/outlook

UK Music Measuring Music 2018, Wish You Were Here 2017, The UK Live Music Census 2017 report and PRS for music reports: https://pplprs.co.uk/

https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/Files/Guides/Playing-Live/MU-Live-Music-Kit

Ernst&Young Italia Creativa report, e https://www.statista.com/statistics/491884/live-music-revenue-usa/

http://eventbrite-s3.s3.amazonaws.com/marketing/Millennials_Research/Gen_PR_Final.pdf https://www.home.barclaycard/media-centre/press-releases/Experience-economy-grows-as-consumers-seek-out-memories-in-favour-of-material-possessions.html

https://www.mia.org.uk/2018/11/grass-roots-music-venues-the-data/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/555767/adults-playing-musical-instruments-uk-england/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/310723/total-number-of-pubs-in-the-united-kingdom/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/629796/casual-dining-brands-by-number-of-units-united-kingdom-uk/

http://www.hotel-industry.co.uk/data/hotel-data-industry-size/ Melvin Gold Consulting Ltd

The 100 Largest UK Membership Bodies (INFLUENCE 100 LIST)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/33713015/uk-nightclubs-closing-at-alarming-rate-industry-figures-suggest

https://www.duffandphelps.com/insights/publications/valuation-insights/valuation-insights-second-quarter-2018/european-industry-market-multiples

Entering the Great Taste Awards is quite a process.  Your food product will be blind-tasted and judged by some of the most demanding food critics, restaurateurs, chefs, cooks, and producers, as well as food writers and journalists.

After this intense process customers who see the distinctive black and gold Great Taste label will know that they can expect a wonderful tasting product. One star is given for products that deliver fantastic flavour, while two stars are reserved for those that are above and beyond delicious.

In just over 18 months, Roqberry has won an incredible 20 Great Taste Awards for our speciality tea, so I’ve learned something about what will impress judges.   Let me share some key points with you here:

Create big, bold flavours

When we launched Roqberry, we were foodies wanting to ‘blend the rules’ around what tea is, what it could be, and when it could be drunk. We wanted tea to complement our food, which is a bit unusual, especially in the UK.

This required bold flavours so that the tea could hold its own when paired with rich foods and not be reliant on milk which softens the flavour. For example, our Sushi & Spice and Raspberry Fondant both won two stars.

So, my advice is to not be afraid of flavour. Don’t settle for making something tasty yet boring if you could make something delicious and outstanding.

Trust your own palate

I am often asked, how I know when a new flavour is award-winning. The truth is, I don’t. We create tea blends that we like and work from there. Which brings me to my next tip: trust your own palate!

By creating something that you love, there’s an excellent chance you’ll be creating something someone else will love too! The important criterion to focus on is the flavour. A tea could look good and smell good, we may have even thought up the perfect name for it, but, if it didn’t deliver flavour, it was dismissed.

I recommend that you give yourself a set amount of time to allow your creative juices to flow. Play around with ideas, take inspiration from a number of sources, and don’t be downhearted if it doesn’t taste great on your first try. Some of the best flavours we’ve created have been the result of a number of iterations ‒ we keep working until it tastes just right…to us. Then we get feedback from our customers.

Be prepared to make tough decisions

Of course, the balance to the point above is that you also need to cut any flavours that don’t prove popular with your customers. They are your ultimate tastemakers.

Just because you created flavours with love and care doesn’t mean you should keep them in your range. We use events and tradeshows to test our new flavours on our customers. People vote with their wallet and if we sell out of a product by sampling it, we know we are on to a winner.

We will discontinue the least popular product, even if it is one of our personal favourites. This helps continuously raise the standard of our teas, ensuring every of them meets the standard for great taste.

Push to create something outstanding

One more point on flavour (after all, it’s the most important thing) ‒ you must push the boundaries if you want to create a truly outstanding product.

It’s far better for some customers to absolutely LOVE a product and for others not to care for it than to create something mediocre. And truly unique products will never satisfy everyone’s preferences. At least if you have a unique product that some customers love then you have a captive audience for that range. Other customers will prefer other unique flavours, so it’ll all work out in the end and customers will have a wide range of products to explore!

Use the best quality ingredients

When managing a food or beverage company, there are lots of strategic and commercial decisions you will need to make. One thing you should never compromise, however, is the quality of your ingredients.

Even if you have a delicious recipe, using cheap ingredients will compromise the flavour and overall quality of the product. Eating and drinking is about the entire experience ‒ cheapening the ingredients cheapens the experience. Cheap experiences do not win Great Taste Awards.

For example, for the tea bags themselves, we opted for natural materials over the plastic teabags used by cheaper brands. Not only did this decision help preserve the flavour of the tea, but it also helped get Roqberry noticed by the mainstream press.

My advice: if you have an option, always go for the higher quality ingredients. Customers will prefer it and the Great Taste judges, with their impeccable palate, will certainly appreciate it.

By making something with care and attention you’ll create products that you and other people will love. Test what you create on your customers, refining as you go, and be brave enough to drop what isn’t working. By taking this approach you’ll develop a wide range of great-tasting products.  That’s great for your business and put you in a strong position to impress the judges of the Great Taste Awards when they get to taste your product.

About the Author

Kim is the founder and Managing Director of Roqberry. Kim spent 15 years at GE working across a variety of industries and holding senior leadership roles in Commercial Operations and Strategy. She also holds a Masters in Business Administration and in International Management (RSM/ESADE).  Kim runs the day-to-day operations of Roqberry and has also qualified as a tea sommelier.

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Whether you’re looking to cut the cost of that lunch out or make some savings on your office electricity bill, as a business owner you’re probably always on the lookout for neat ways to save some money.

Available to everyone, these apps and services are great for business owners and employees alike. So, when you’re planning the next team outing or feeling the burn of the bills, then reach for your phone to help your money stretch further. 

1. Yroo

Yroo is a price comparison app which tracks prices over time. In order to help you know the best time to buy it sends you an alert when a price drops. The app can search over 5,000 stores to show you the most competitive price on products, particularly handy when you’re looking for new office furniture or the latest tech gadgets.

The app also has scanning functionality allowing users to check price comparisons instantly on-the-go so you know if you’re getting the best deal. Free to use and regularly updated this app is a great tool for any business owner.

Take a look here: https://yroo.com/

• Honey

Honey is a Chrome browser extension which will automatically find and apply discounts codes to checkouts for you. Not an app, but perfect for business owners, this tool won’t take any extra time for you to make use of.

With over 10 million members, Honey is completely free to use and takes minimal time to set up. You can enjoy discounts at lots of large brands when buying office supplies at sites such as Amazon, Target and Best Buy.

Discover more: https://www.joinhoney.com/

• LoyalFree

If you’re looking for something more personalised to your local area then the LoyalFree app can help you ‘Save money when you shop local’ in 14 towns and cities across England. Boasting thousands of deals, the app also supports many independent businesses as well as the larger names.

So, whether you want to find a great spot for after work networking, save some money whilst out holding a meeting, or stock up on some business supplies – this app can help you do all of those things. Handily, you can find a wide variety of services on the LoyalFree app, meaning savings are available at local cafes, accountants, stationery suppliers, etc.    

The app is also great to share with employees who may not know the local area as they can explore their surroundings through the interactive trails on the app, such as enjoying a ‘Cocktail Trail’ or a ‘Vegan Eats’ tour of the area.

Download the app here: www.loyalfree.co.uk/download   

•  uSwitch

This app will let you compare energy, broadband and mobile deals so you can see if you are getting the best tariff for your business and your team. Switching tariffs is done in the app and only takes a matter of minutes to complete.

The app has handy functionality which will remind you to switch each year so you never miss out on the latest and best deals. uSwitch is also a Feefo 2018 Gold Trusted Service award winner and boasts many top app store ratings and reviews.

Read more: https://www.uswitch.com/

• Vouchercodes

It’s easy to get lost in a world of discount apps on your phone; from Wowcher to Groupon to VoucherCodes – all of them offer a variety of discounts. My personal favourite is VoucherCodes as it gives you wider options for shopping, plus it includes food and travel deals.  So, it’s handy when you are booking your next team outing, or buying a reward voucher for an employee.

Find out more here: www.vouchercodes.co.uk

Although checking through an App before you make a purchase may seem like extra work, it can really pay off as there are some great savings to be had. Whichever of these apps you choose to use, we are sure your business will see the benefits.

About the Author

Sophie Hainsworth is co-founder of LoyalFree, a multi-award winning innovative mobile phone app which helps connect people to special offers in their area. The app combines this with local digital loyalty schemes, tourism information, tours & trails and events. Users benefit by using one app across the UK – so they can tap into the local area wherever they are.

Website: www.loyalfree.co.uk 

App download link: www.loyalfree.co.uk/download 

Twitter: @loyalfreeapp – https://twitter.com/loyalfreeapp 

Facebook: @loyalfreeapp – https://www.facebook.com/LoyalFreeApp/ 

Instagram: @loyalfreeapp – https://www.instagram.com/loyalfreeapp/