Leitrim Business Network

At our last network meeting we discussed having our meetings on a monthly basis, on a fixed day of the week, at a fixed location. I set up a poll and the results are in.

First Tuesdays from 6pm to 7pm got the most votes. Also, it was agreed that The Ramada Lough Allen Hotel, Drumshanbo would be a suitable central venue.

So the next network meeting will take place on Tuesday 6th May from 6pm - 7pm in The Ramada Lough Allen Hotel, Drumshanbo.

Agenda to follow.

The Border People website is an information gateway, designed to help people answer questions about crossing the border in either direction to live, work, study and retire. It will include information on taxation, health care, social services, education and banking which can at times be difficult to access.

Acting as a central access point, this website signposts people to the most relevant information sources and provides ‘case studies’ illustrating the dilemmas facing people crossing the border.

Press Releases that Work

This one day workshop will help participants to develop writing skills to have a press release noticed.

Participants will develop skills including:
• Understand the framework of a basic press release.
• Understand the difference between an ad, a release and a statement.
• Have clear guidelines to measure each release against.
• Draft a press release that will be read

Venue: to be finalised.

Duration: 9.30am-4.30pm | Start Date: 16th April 2008 | Book now >>

Many business owners under-value the free publicity there is to be had from issuing press releases and seeing them used in the media.

Journalists and newsdesks get hundreds of press releases every day; but most go unused, simply because they are not suitable, at the time.

The one-day Press Releases that Work seminar is designed to show how to draw up and send press releases that will be noticed above others.

It considers releases that failed and discusses why they were not successful.

Advice is offered on how to make follow-up contact with key journalists and how to be aware of their needs and requirements.

The sessions are informal and informative and geared towards practical results for participants.

Book now >>

• Network Members - 82 - up 15% on February
• 538 absolute unique visitors - up 18% on February
• 992 Visits - up 33% on February
• 2,562 Pageviews - up 1% on February

As you may already know, we encourage people to use LinkedIn.com when joining Leitrim Business Network.

Firstly:

81 Leitrim Businesses have now joined through LinkedIn and so it is becoming a real ‘live’ business network/directory for Leitrim.

Not only that, but each network member brings other contacts outside of Leitrim to the table, increasing the possibility of meeting new contacts and potential clients/customers. This is one of the key advantages of LinkedIn over traditional business directories.

The network now has over 900 ‘connections’ combined. On Friday last, an INNOVATE client in Omagh asked me for an introduction to 4 different companies he seen on my contact list. YOU SHOULD DO THE SAME - JUST ASK ME. If it is appropriate, then I will make the introduction.

People cannot introduce/recommend you/your business if they don’t know you.

Secondly:

LinkedIn have upgraded their site with some new features and improved usability. Of course the same reasons for using it still apply:

- When you create a profile on LinkedIn (which is FREE), link to your website, it is another qualified link to help improve your Google search results.

- When you add a new connection, others see that you have - it keeps your name out there.

- People tend to have a browse around and look at their connections’ connections so to speak.

You may also find this blog useful – ‘I’m on LinkedIn, Now What?’ .

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Damien Mulley (among other things) organises the Irish Blog Awards. Today, he provides us with a useful insight into business blogging.

From ENN

Search giant Google has crushed all opposition in a survey of visitor numbers to Irish websites.

According to the report by Net Behaviour, 78 percent of all Irish internet users visit Google every month, well clear of second-placed Yahoo on 49 percent and Aer Lingus on 48 percent. The Dublin-based internet agency commissioned the survey in a bid to better understand Irish web traffic. “We need to know how the Irish people use the web,” Emmet Kelly, operations director with Net Behaviour, told ENN.

The study, which was carried out by research firms Amarach Consulting and Monitrack Internet Research on behalf of Net Behaviour, asked 2,500 people about their use of 500 websites. While search engines topped the charts, other areas, such as finance and banking sites, also played a prominent role. AIB was the most popular money-related site with 30 percent of users visiting it regularly, followed by Bank of Ireland on 25 percent with Permanent TSB, Rabo Direct and Ulster Bank rounding out the top five. In total Net Behaviour estimates that 641,000 Irish internet users, or 45 percent of all users, visit these kinds of sites at least once a month.

The most prominent sector in the top 30 sites listed was travel. Ryanair was tied with Aer Lingus on 48 percent while Aer Arann also cracked the list on 16 percent. Other sites from the industry to chart well included ebookers.ie and Budget Travel.

The success of both finance and travel in the study shows the increasing interest Irish internet users have in processing transactions online. People are becoming more willing to pay for goods and services over the internet, indicating a rise in the confidence Irish web surfers have in buying online. No site testified to this trend more than eBay, which is visited by 37 percent of Irish internet users at least once a month.

The study also found that attitudes towards the internet are changing, with younger users setting the trend for the future. Social networking and Web 2.0 style sites such as Bebo and YouTube performed well with this segment of the market. Kelly said that having this breakdown of data on how different users behave online can aid businesses trying to reach specific target markets. He said the aim of the study was to use this information give advertisers a better idea of what various market segments are doing online.

HR Solutions have recently re-designed their website. Embracing Wordpress and blog technology, visitors can keep up to date will regular features and news on human resource managment. The website was developed by local web development company - Reverb Studios.
Recent News Items include:

• It’s not a joke - highlighting the potential costs of jokes gone wrong especially on April Fools Day
• Cost of unfair dismissal

Contact Details.

Carmel Murphy
HR Solutions
The Old School House
Keshcarrigan
Co Leitrim

T: 071 9642748
M: 086 83372228
E: info@hrsolutions.ie

At our last network meeting, it was suggested that we fix a regular day/time for network meetings.

I would be grateful if you could provide feedback by ticking some options below.

You may choose more than 1.

This is a great blog with useful information on  Creativity and Innovation.