Small business masterclasses

All sessions take place in the Norfolk Club, 17, Upper King Street from 6pm to 7.30pm.
Registration is at 5.45pm and there is a chance to have a drink in the bar afterwards.
To book a place ring Jill Brown at Banham Graham on 01603 620241 or email jbrown@banhamgraham.co.uk

Wednesday 8th March: Enhancing Your Profits

Over the last few years the environment in which SMEs operate in has changed significantly, we are all operating in a much more dynamic market, and more often than not a more regulated market. However amongst all the changes and red tape that has been thrown at SMEs, the simple challenge of making sufficient profit to survive has become harder and often less enjoyable.

The thrust of this session will be to give you tips on how you can improve your profit, use rules and regulations to give your business an advantage and put some of the fun back into being in business. Some of the tips are not exclusively financial but they all contribute towards improving the bottom line.

Presenter: James Banham, Banham Graham
James is a partner at Banham Graham who specialises in Corporate Finance and assisting businesses to achieve their goals. He has extensive experience in raising start up and development capital, helping businesses to maximise their potential and business valuations.

He sits on the Harris Walters National Strategic Development committee and was proud to have been recently elected on to the Norwich Chamber Council.

Wednesday 15th March: Thinking Creatively

Great ideas are the lifeblood of successful business, and this workshop is designed to make anybody into a powerful ideas-generator by teaching a range of easy-to-use but effective creative-thinking skills.

Simon, who has been studying creative-thinking and developing his techniques for several years, believes that anyone can learn to think more creatively, but that our daily lives, especially at work, actually push us into a rut of not doing so.

This workshop demonstrates a battery of proven techniques for generating high-quality ideas, which can be used in everything from organisational change to product innovation, team-building, problem-solving and marketing.

Presenter: Simon Middleton, The Simon Middleton Company
Simon Middleton is passionate about the meanings and the people behind brands. His new consultancy, Simon Middleton Company Ltd, was launched in 2005 to help businesses and organisations large and small to understand their own brands better and to leverage them to greater effect.

His work with clients includes brand strategy, marketing communications, senior coaching, creative-thinking training and innovation.

With more than two decades of experience covering many different aspects of marketing, advertising and branding, Simon is also a qualified teacher, a registered nurse and a former senior-manager in the NHS.

Before launching Simon Middleton Company, he was a director of a major full-service marketing communications agency, where he worked on household name brands including Gillette, Frontline, Norwich Union, Barclays, Pret A Manger, and Adnams.


Wednesday 22nd March: The Triangle of Success
Key principles to help you achieve your goals and ambitions

Using the ‘Triangle of Success’ Robert Oxborough will examine what it takes to be successful and rise to the top as both an individual and a business. He will share some key business success principles in a fun, power-packed, interactive session that aims to leave the delegates feeling inspired and motivated to achieve new levels of performance.

Presenter: Robert Oxborough, Dale Carnegie
Robert Oxborough grew up in Gorleston where he attended the Oriel Grammar School. He graduated from the University of Surrey in 1981 after which he spent 3 years teaching A level science before joining the Army.

His 17 years service with the Royal Logistic Corps took him to Germany, the Falkland Islands and Hong Kong. Retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in Apr 2002, he now runs a consultancy company, Elexus Consulting Limited, and as an associate of Ed Carter & Associates, is the area representative in Norfolk for Dale Carnegie Training.

Since Jan 2003 he has developed this business and ended 2005 as the top area representative in the world for Dale Carnegie Training out of 75 countries and over 5,000 representatives.

Dale Carnegie Training are the Global Leaders in Management Training. The organisation was formed in 1912 by Dale Carnegie who, after 24 years of research, published the international business best seller, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence people’ in 1936. The client list spans the range from global industry giants such as General Motors to UK based SMEs, including over 450 Norfolk based businesses. Their focus is on delivering positive business results through improving core business skills with a strong emphasis on developing people skills.


Wednesday 29th March: Successful Networking

“You can never afford to turn down a chance to meet people. Even if you doubt the chances of an event leading to a major deal, it might happen.” Wise words from Julie Meyer, the founder of one of the most successful networking clubs ever formed – First Tuesday.

Every small business owner knows that networking is one of the vital business skills. Some people seem to find it easy, whilst for others, the prospect of approaching and building relationships with people they don’t know is daunting.

This workshop will explain why networking is important, introduce some perhaps surprising examples of networking, and suggest tips to get the most out of networking opportunities.

Using video, exercises and role play, the session aims to remove some of the fears of networking, and build the confidence needed to make networking a positive force for your business.

Presenter: Andy Newman, Newman Associates PR
Andy Newman has been a successful PR man for nearly two decades, during which time he has worked with a huge range of organisations, including national names such as Disney, Hoseasons, Debenhams and Denplan, as well as many smaller local businesses.

Building relationships is key to success in PR, and many years of networking have given Andy an enviable contacts book which has enabled him to build his own successful business – Newman Associates PR - over the last two years. One of Andy’s clients is joint sponsor of the Masterclasses Banham Graham.


Wednesday 5th April: Improving Your Negotiating Skills

We all think that we are pretty good at negotiating! We negotiate constantly, at work, and at home. Do you deserve a promotion? A new kitchen or a new car? What figure does this dispute settle at?

At this seminar you’ll be introduced to the theory of negotiation and helped to improve your negotiating skills to enable you to negotiate a better deal for yourself or your business.

Aspects covered include:

• Evaluating alternatives to a deal
• Non verbal communication
• Neuro Linguistic programming
• Positional bargaining
• Keeping momentum and doing the deal

Presenter: Martin Plowman, Leathes Prior
Martin is a Partner of Leathes Prior Solicitors and has been Head of the Litigation Department for fifteen years. A specialist in commercial litigation, employment law, franchising / IP law, Property and inheritance disputes, he is consistently rated a leader in his field by the top independent guides to the legal profession.

Based in Norwich, Leathes Prior is one of East Anglia’s leading law firms. Founded in 1876, Leathes Prior is both a long established and respected firm of solicitors with 13 partners and 60 staff. In recent years the firm has emerged as a full service commercial practice with a national reputation.


Wednesday 26th April: Motivating Teams

Motivated teams create high-energy working environments in which productivity and quality are natural by-products. The outcomes of ‘motivation’ are unquestionable, but the basic principles are often misunderstood.

This session introduces the ‘the art and science’ of effective motivation. It will cover the theory and practice of inspiring the best in others. Business entrepreneurs will take away strategies for maintaining a mindset for success, as well as practical tools to motivate individuals and teams.

Interactive and enjoyable, this session will demonstrate how to generate an environment of commitment and how to produce outstanding results consistently. It will show that the process of motivation can be as rewarding as the results, and help to identify some commonly made ‘motivational mistakes’.

Employees are often a business’ most valuable asset. Understanding and implementing motivation effectively will add value, allowing a business to enjoy the financial benefits of a motivated workforce.

Presenter: Stephen Ferrey, Motivational Coaching
Stephen Ferrey has over ten years experience of developing teams. Working as a professional coach since 2002, Stephen’s accreditations include a Masters degree in Business Management, coaching accreditation and membership of the Association of Coaching.

Stephen has a detailed understanding of personal development and team motivation, coupled with experience in putting these skills into effective practice. Utilising development tools including coaching, neuro linguistic programming and ‘Thought Field Therapy’, he helps groups and individuals achieve their goals.

Stephen’s firm belief is that everybody has the potential to demonstrate excellence. His absolute commitment is to help people and businesses achieve this.


Wednesday 3rd May: Building The Brand

In this inspiring workshop participants are guided through a series of proven and effective activities which give a powerful insight into the essential building blocks of a brand.

There will be a detailed examination of a particular brand (with the help of a volunteer participant). All the elements which make up the brand will be looked at and participants will together identify the unique characteristics that form that brand’s DNA.

The workshop will also look at factors such as audience, channels, key messages and tone of voice, all in a structured and practical way which can be taken back to participants’ own business situations.

Presenter: Simon Middleton, The Simon Middleton Company
Simon Middleton is passionate about the meanings and the people behind brands. His new consultancy, Simon Middleton Company Ltd, was launched in 2005 to help businesses and organisations large and small to understand their own brands better and to leverage them to greater effect.

His work with clients includes brand strategy, marketing communications, senior coaching, creative-thinking training and innovation.

With more than two decades of experience covering many different aspects of marketing, advertising and branding, Simon is also a qualified teacher, a registered nurse and a former senior-manager in the NHS.

Before launching Simon Middleton Company, he was a director of a major full-service marketing communications agency, where he worked on household name brands including Gillette, Frontline, Norwich Union, Barclays, Pret A Manger, and Adnams.


Wednesday 10th May: Dealing With The Media

Charlie Papworth will give an overview of Archant Norfolk and its titles. Various different options available to small businesses to get into the Media ranging from competitions to Media Sponsorship will be discussed.

Naomi Canton will talk about how to get your business into the editorial of the newspaper, the do’s and don’ts of dealing with journalists and how the media treats Press releases.

The session will include lots of interactivity and a hands-on workshop.

Presenters: Naomi Canton & Charlie Papworth, Evening News
The Evening News re-launched in January 2005 and in January 2006 was voted as Regional Newspaper of the Year.

Naomi Canton is the business correspondent for the Evening News. She has worked at Archant for 18 months and has five years experience in Journalism. After gaining a degree in Japanese from Oxford University she worked in market research before training as a Reporter. "Naomi was shortlisted as Business Journalist of the Year in both the Press Gazette Regional Press Awards 2005 and in the EDF Energy East of England Media Awards 2006."

Charlie Papworth (far right)is the marketing manager of the Evening News. After gaining a degree in Business and Marketing she worked in commercial management roles for Marks and Spencer before she joined Archant in May 2005. Her role within Archant is to develop the brand, and to increase awareness, customer relationship marketing and sales.

Wednesday 17th May: Maximising Your IT Investment

The presentation will raise awareness of the importance of an IT strategy and how this can be linked to company objectives, including some simple tips on best practice which you can use straight away. Other topics will include how your IT can be used effectively to improve productivity and maximise the use of existing resources, as well as more fundamental objectives such as maintaining IT security and disaster recovery. There will also be discussion on current and future technologies and the impact these will have in the work place.

Presenters: Jeremy Clarke & Chris Cooper, Computer Service Centre
Computer Service Centre was started in 1997 by Christopher Cooper and Jeremy Clarke. The company now employs 14 people and clients include Abels Moving Services, Banham Graham Chartered Accountants and Contract Personnel. Computer Service Centre often performs all the tasks of an internal IT department, which includes specifying, implementing and supporting IT solutions. In addition, the company also works alongside IT managers to carry out specific duties or projects. Currently based in Norwich city centre, Computer Service Centre will be moving to purpose-built offices at Meridian Business Park in the spring.

Wednesday 24th May: Understanding Customers

Beware. The customer isn’t king anymore. The customer is dictator. For a business to succeed in these fiercely competitive times it needs to stand-out distinctively from the competition to grab potential customers’ attention and keep current customers coming back again and again.

But how do you set about creating a greater appeal for your business than the one next door? The place to start is by understanding your customers, your prospective customers and your competitors.

In a thought-provoking session delegates will gather valuable and practical pointers for gaining an understanding of customers’ wants, expectations and motivations.

And by the end of session the only question left to answer will be ‘can you afford not to understand your customers?’

Presenter: Will Herschel-Shorland, Insight Track
Will Herschel-Shorland is an experienced marketer with 18-years in the commercial frontline of sales and marketing. He is an active member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing regional committee for Norfolk and Suffolk.

Having worked with a multitude of organisations from the very large to the very small, with famous brands and brands yet to be famous, on scales local to international, and in both public and private sectors, Will has a wealth of relevant experience to share.

A year ago Will set-up the market research agency Insight Track to help organisations succeed in differentiating themselves through a sound understanding of their customers’ needs, motivations and expectations.