Before choosing a company to manage your SEO campaign you may want to jot down some SEO related questions… Doing your homework is important, the industry of SEO is not regulated so you will need to box clever and make sure your getting enough bang for your buck!

Ok, you will find no shortage of SEO companies in Hampshire, prices will vary, and SEO jargon can take time to get used to… but remember, it is the job of the SEO Company to explain their processes, break down the work, time scales and costing involved… If you are unsure at any point, just ask! Making sure both parties fully understand the SEO campaign, requirements and expectations before work gets underway is vital…

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On Friday my wife and I went out for dinner with the owner of Portsmouth, Southampton, Chichester and Valencia Language Colleges… The crazy thing is, he had about 10 of his head teaching staff at the meal (people we had never met) plus us… Ok, it was not a networking event, however it was a great night and also a privilege to be invited and told our services (Web Design and SEO) had helped him to achieve what he has today!

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Following on from my recent blog posts that looked at how to create a business plan and what is a brand, I thought I would now look at how to create a memorable company slogan for your business.

When it comes to creating a memorable company slogan I guess you have two options, the first is to employ a company to do this for you… The second is to empower a group of mates (maybe with a bottle of wine or two) to sit down and brainstorm your business, the services you offer and your character AKA brand identity. You would be amazed how many of the most memorable company slogans and brand identities have been created either by accident or when they least expected it!

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Yesterday evening I wrote an article titled ‘What makes a good brand?’ for my business & investment blog.

This article looked at businesses and asked the question what makes one brand better than another? Was it the company image, size of a marketing budget, its personality, energy or simply a desire to do better?

Lets face it, if you are proud to use a brand, happy to stock a brand on your shelves, and the customer experience and the expectations are always exceeded, then that brand will grow stronger and stronger over time… Part of a brands development is delivering the desired results day in day out!

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Dear reader, today I thought I would list my top 10 tips for successful business networking. Are you considering a networking event in your local area? Maybe you are looking to drum up some new business or increase brand awareness? Whatever your reason, these are exciting times because business networking can open many new doors and create new business opportunities. So, here we go… My top 10 tips for successful business networking:

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Are you looking for a business advisor in Hampshire? Maybe you are new to business or your business has grown / developed at such a rate that you find yourself asking: “What now?”

For me, I guess the finish line for any business owner is when he or she no longer feels a slave to the company; the company in a nutshell can run itself!

Business Networking Link would love to hear from any business advisors, mentors, self-development coaches or companies offering SME business solutions in Hampshire. Being myself a business owner, entrepreneur and all round workhorse it would be nice to hear your thoughts / advice on growing and developing both new and established businesses in the area.

Ok, I would say business is all about the people you employ, the relationships you build, choices you make, sales, repeat business, marketing, branding, hard work, building assets and managing your time effectively… However, putting the basics aside… has any one thing helped you to grow and develop your own business?

Dear reader, are you looking for a FREE Hand Drawn Social Icon Set? Tidy Design has recently created a set of bespoke sketch effect icons for you to download and use for both commercial and non-commercial projects!

If you are looking for a graphic design company based in Portsmouth, Hampshire then please contact Tidy Design who offer a high quality graphic design service, creative web solutions and online marketing packages for all.

When it comes to Graphic Design services our clients at Tidy Design have varied from sole traders, international companies, government bodies such as the NHS and more! Examples of our graphic design work can be found online.

Are you looking for an established and reputable solicitor based in Hampshire? If you search Google for ‘Solicitor in Hampshire’ then you will find no shortage of solicitor websites competing for your business. With so many Hampshire based solicitors offering a variety of legal services to businesses and individuals in and around Hampshire, which solicitors firm should you choose? Also, what kind of questions should you ask solicitors in Hampshire?

Recently I met up with Large & Gibson Solicitors in Portsmouth, Hampshire and asked a number of questions about the legal services they offer. For example what makes them the Hampshire based solicitor to choose, do solicitors in Hampshire work with predominantly Hampshire based businesses, what services do they offer etc. Below you will find several extracts from my meeting with this Hampshire based solicitors established back in 1899:

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If you are new to Business Networking Link then welcome, the idea behind this site is to post lots of business and motivational info for start-up companies and people looking to expand or develop a business idea. Through our business networking blog, reader comments, our mobile app (this coming soon) and the FREE Membership option above, we aim to connect SME (Small and Medium Enterprises), entrepreneurs and business owners across Hampshire and the UK! Remember, it is not about the number of connections, it’s more about the quality of connections!

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To end a busy week I thought I would type up a short blog post on new business marketing strategies that I believe really work! Running a web design business I often deal face to face with business owners, it is after all them signing cheques for new websites or the SEO campaigns we offer at Tidy Design. Anyway, I have found that not everyone embraces social networking, video marketing or SEO as viable business marketing strategies. Many established business owners are still hooked on old school marketing strategies such as Yellow Pages or cold calling… However can we really say which is right and which is wrong? Ok, Tidy Design invested several hundred pounds into Yell Group one year… To me this was a waste of money however if you don’t try these things then you will never know! As business owners I believe everyday should see some form of investment into your company, be it a blog post, investing in an advert or social networking, continual efforts and hard work will pay off in the long run! If you don’t invest your time and money into your own business and marketing strategies then don’t be shocked if your website generates no business or your brand / company is not talked about on the high street! Like with all things in life you get out what you put in, and business is one tough cookie to crack!

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