Surgery success hampered by bad skin

But…women can boost chances of successful ‘natural look’ surgery with good skincare routine

Women opting for surgery to turn back the clock or enhance their appearance but still have that all important ‘natural’ look are increasingly opting for less invasive treatments.

But they could be making the job harder than it needs to be by not looking after their skin properly, a leading cosmetic expert has revealed.

Dr Ravi Jain, Medical Director of Riverbanks Clinic has voiced concerns that whilst managing the rising demand for natural looking non-invasive skin treatments is now a top priority for many salons, basic skincare and skin health is often overlooked and this is having a profound effect on how successful the treatments are for patients with damaged skin.

“Natural beauty is not just about adding some volume to the skin here or injecting some Botox there, it is also about assessing the general health of the skin itself and taking necessary steps to restore and rejuvenate the skin prior to any treatment. Damage caused to the skin by overexposure to the sun can contribute massively to how a treatment not only reacts with the skin but the long term results and so before any you do anything, you need to get your skin healthy,” says Dr Jain.

If you suffer from sun damaged-skin and are noticing fine lines and wrinkles appearing, sun spots emerging or a general tightening and sagging of the skin, Dr Jain recommends taking the following steps to rejunvenate tired skin.

1.    Maximise skin health by effective exfoliation and hydration therapies such as alpha-hydroxy acid skin care programmes and peels. Ensure you use an antioxidant SPF 30 in the summer and 15 in the winter, every single day. (try Priori AHA or Idenbenone)

2.    To correct pigmentation and broken veins consider a course of IPL/laser during the winter months.

3.    Consider botulinum toxin or dermal filler injections for fine lines and wrinkles, caused by sun damage.

“Prevention is always the key to maintaining natural, healthy looking skin and many people simply don’t realise the damage they’ve already caused to their skin, even if it looks ok on the surface. I’d recommend anyone who has over exposed their skin in the past to go and have their skin analysed under a facial scanner. That way, they’ll see exactly what state their skin is in now and can then take the best steps to improve their skincare routine and slow down the ageing process as they get older,” says Dr Jain.

Special Offer: Visit Riverbanks Clinic and have a skin analysis consultation including facial scanner analysis for just £25 if you quote ref: SUN1 when making your booking. Offer valid until Feb 1 2010.

ENDS

Editors Notes

The award-winning Riverbanks Clinic is one of the UK’s leading clinics for non-surgical
cosmetic and dermatological treatments. Formerly the Luton Skin Clinic, the prestigious Riverbanks Clinic helps men and women to turn back the clock, with the help of the very latest safe, non-surgical, highly effective anti-aging skin treatments. The clinic also specialises in treating skin problems such as acne and Roseaca.

The most popular treatments offered by Riverbanks Clinic include Vaser Lipo, Botox, Dermal Fillers, Sculptra, Smartxide DOT Laser and Accent Radiofrequency.

For more information visit www.riverbanksclinic.co.uk

Dr Ravi Jain is available for press interviews, articles and features. For further details, hi-res images or to arrange an interview with Dr Jain, please contact Jenna Gould on 01603 283 503 or email press@riverbanksclinic.co.uk

Cash flow concerns for collaborative groups who fail to call in debts

Suppliers who collaborate with others to provide a combined value added offerings to customers could be putting their finances in jeopardy by failing to chase up internal debts from other group members.

Collaborative working expert William Buist has raised concerns that many could be jumping into collaborative group arrangements only to lose sight of the value additions and transfers of time, effort and skills that are going on between the various companies making up the group.

“The temptation to work for the good of the group and therefore, perhaps not raise or chase late invoices internally, means that some aspects of the collaboration may fail if one or other member of the group feels they’re not getting a fair return for the effort that they are adding to the team,” says Buist, MD of Abelard Management Services and President of the Blackstar Life Members Community on business social network Ecademy.

Buist recommends that whilst companies remain separate, it is important to maintain a strict invoicing and payment structure internally as well as externally to ensure that those imbalances are fairly dealt with.

“The graphic designer in a collaborate group for example may feel they are providing more time and effort than someone providing strategic support which is only used intermittently and without a formal payment structure, this member could quickly tire of the arrangement and feel they are being taken for granted. However, if all of the parties invoice and are paid as normal then the flows of money will cancel out within the group where the collaborative effect is identical. Any imbalances in terms of effort, inputs or costs also gets properly handled in the books of all of the businesses so that their results truly reflect the impact of the collaboration and not the impact of their mutual goodwill.”

“The key message here is that money was invented as a means of measuring fair exchange, and exchanging it in the context of a collaboration certainly works well. When the collaborators know their value is being fairly rewarded, then they will commit a fair effort to delivering the best result they can,” says Buist.

ENDS

Alternative therapies show promising results for wounded veterans

Support is growing for the use of alternative therapies to help wounded veterans to recover from their dehabilitating injuries, says Bowen4Veterans.

Following the airing of BBC’s ‘Wounded’ in which soldiers Andy Alan and Tom Neathway were followed as they recovered from their crippling injuries sustained whilst on duty in Afghanistan, the Bowen4Veterans campaign has revealed that there are an increasing number of cases where alternative therapies like the Bowen Technique are complimenting existing rehabilitation programmes by helping wounded veterans come to terms with their injuries and aid the recovery process, and are calling for increased access for soldiers to such treatments.

The Bowen Technique is a non-invasive, relaxing yet powerful form of bodywork. Bowen helps to reset the body so it can heal itself and restore its natural healing ability and promote pain relief, recovery of energy and functionality to the body.

A rising number of medical experts are recognising the need for a multi-disciplinary approach to treatment and rehabilitation and are increasingly supporting the use of alternative treatments like Bowen.

Dr Gaby Cora, a medical practitioner, former Lieutenant Commander andauthor says:

“Massage therapies may be helpful for different reasons: people with trauma may be in a hyperalert state and gentle techniques may desensitize them from brutal memories or experiences. In addition, they may help the person “reconnect” or ground themselves by becoming more tuned in more relaxed and comfortable within their body.”

Bowen4Veterans has exclusively released details of three cases in which soldiers gained relief after receiving Bowen treatment in the hope that it will help raise awareness of the variety of treatments available to help wounded veterans recover from their injuries.

Chris, who was injured by an IED explosion in Helmand province earlier this year, received severe facial injuries and was thrown 20 or 30 feet away, landing with full body armour on top of him. He lost a lot of blood and a tooth, and there were concerns for his sight. However, when he returned home to recuperate, other problems emerged in that his upper and lower body seemed to be moving quite independently from each other. As a trained Bowen practitioner, Chris’s mother Marylin decided to see if it could help her son and says:

“He took little persuasion to try Bowen, which surprised me actually. I did the basic moves, turned him over, put 1 move across his neck, and his face turned black. Presumably, all the bruising, which had not yet shown, emerged in an instant. By the end of the day, not only had that cleared, but Chris was moving quite fluidly.”

Former Private John Gould suffered severe shoulder injuries after being involved in an explosion in Northern Ireland. John had Bowen for the first time earlier this year and says:

“Even since the explosion, I’ve suffered from stiffness and pain across my legs, hips, lower back and even feet. The doctor even prescribed me quoterzone injections in the balls of my feet to relieve the pain. Yet from just a few sessions of Bowen, my stiffness had gone and I had better movement than I’ve had in a long time. I wish I’d known about this years ago.”

Former soldier Mark Perkins decided to try Bowen to help relieve his chronic back trouble and says:

“Bowen has not only cured me of chronic back trouble, but also continues to resolve work related aches and pains. I served in the British Army for 17 years and know first hand what soldiers experience and endure. I can recommend Bowen to help servicemen recover more quickly from their injuries and also to help restore normal muscle function post recovery. The benefits of Bowen reach further than just helping with physical injuries; the overall feeling of well being that I receive from treatment leads me to believe that it could also be of benefit to those dealing with mental traumas.”

Bowen practitioner Jo Lunn who founded Bowen4Veterans earlier this year, believes that the gentleness of the technique is particularly suitable for aiding rehabilitation and could help keep veterans in the best physical condition to meet the demands of other medical treatments and procedures.

Jo explains:

“When I’ve worked with people before and after surgery, their healing time has been quicker to the point that the consultants have commented on it.

The Bowen Technique works with the fascia of the body – a three-dimensional interconnected web of tissue that extends throughout our body. It gives us structural integrity as well as protection and support. It also provides the environment for intracellular communication and so one Bowen move within the fascia has a ripple effect that can have influence of on other areas of the body. It is also the fascia that is the front line in helping the body to repair from injury. Also our nervous system is found within our fascia and so a Bowen move has a neurological effect on the body too. This enables the brain to establish the appropriate response for the body to correct itself, be that on a physical, mental or emotional level.”

“It has helped many to come to terms with the severity of their injuries without in any way giving in to them. It is this combination of physical and emotional stimulation that is proving so critical to the recovery process,” says Jo, who practices Bowen at her clinics in Malvern, Worcestershire and at The Hale Clinic in London.

For more information please visit www.bowen4veterans.wordpress.com

ENDS

Speaker reveals Epilepsy tragedy at Hawaii Leadership Conference

An internationally renowned book coach and thought leadership expert will be revealing how her own personal tragedy helped inspire her to start two successful businesses in her thought-provoking speech at the 6th Annual International Women’s Leadership Conference in Hawaii today.

During the event which is being hosted at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel and Resort, Honolulu, Mindy Gibbins-Klein a.k.a The Book Midwife® will deliver a speech entitled ‘Pain is a Privilege’ in which she shares the loss of her two close friends to Epilepsy and how this impacted her life and her career.

“Losing not one, but two of my closest friends to epilepsy in such a short space of time was absolutely devastating and really made me take stock of life and grasp the opportunities that were being presented to me at the time,” says Ms Gibbins-Klein, who Is originally from New York but now lives with her husband and two children in St Albans, UK.

After accepting that her pain was actually a privilege, Ms Gibbins-Klein decided to take full advantage of this realisation and wrote and published her first book A Dance in the Desert (£10.99/$14.99, Ecademy Press), became an accredited volunteer for the largest epilepsy charity in the UK, and founded two now flourishing businesses, which aim to assist others in writing and publishing important stories. She has since written two more books including the recently launched 24 Carat BOLD (£10.99, Ecademy Press)

During her time as The Book Midwife® and as co-founder of co-operative publisher Ecademy Press, Ms Gibbins-Klein has helped over 300 people to write and publish their books. Her message to attendees of Conference this year is very clear, don’t be afraid to be bold and opinionated and get your message heard!

“My reason for bringing this story to the Annual International Women’s Leadership Conference is that the lessons I learned are vitally important to those in business, particularly women in leadership roles. With the business world evolving consumers are now looking to see the people behind the company instead of the company itself and this where these women have the opportunity to shine. Business leaders need to be vocal to be noticed in an increasingly noisy world and to make their mark and become REAL thought leaders, they need to be true to themselves, not be afraid of vulnerability and just put themselves out there,” says Gibbins-Klein.

Ends.

Young workers need second language to stand out

Hundreds of unemployed youths could be missing out on jobs because their CV’s don’t stand out with a second language according to industry experts.

As reports reveal that UK unemployment has risen to 2.47m, research by Thames Translations has highlighted that learning a second language could be a way of gaining a competitive advantage in the increasingly crowded job market.

They also revealed that young people could now be facing increased competition from overseas students wanting to come to the UK to gain industry experience, as they are able to demonstrate multi-lingual skills as part of their offering.

Leading European student placement providers Placement UK participated in the research and revealed exclusively to Thames Translations that export companies in particular are using overseas students to help give them the competitive edge with foreign suppliers.

Peter Harrison from Placement UK says:

There is an ongoing demand from UK businesses to add European language skills to their operations. We enjoy considerable success in meeting those requirements with highly motivated, bright undergraduates and Masters Students from across the EU. They assist with market development into Europe, website and literature translation, purchasing, HR – in fact any role where knowledge of languages can be a benefit. While these opportunities are open to British students in commercially related disciplines too, it is rare to find candidates with a second language.

Thames Translations also found that a number of organisations and bodies agree that a foreign language could improve job prospects including the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) who recommend that job seekers should learn a foreign language as it will ‘enhance their CV and improve their chances of being employed.’

The Regional Language Network in London was also highlighted for supporting the view that tackling the decline in language take up at schools and universities could improve the chances of young people entering the job market.

Online language training courses are perhaps the easiest way to get on the language ladder with basic courses costing as little as £15. Language courses can never provide the same level of fluency as a native speaker, or replace the need for professional language translation services, but just completing the course demonstrates much more about the character and tenacity of the candidate than their linguistic ability alone, says Thames Translations’ MD Simon George:

“We are hearing so much about the plight of unemployed youth in the UK, but little about the steps they can take to gain that much needed competitive edge. Our research has confirmed our belief that holding a second – or third- language could just be what these young people need to bolster their CV. It shows that they are willing to expand their skills and knowledge in a way that could add value to the business and differentiate them from other applicants. Business is now conducted on a global scale and foreign languages are increasingly becoming an integral part of daily business life and to get ahead, new employees need to recognise this and find ways to address it within their own skillset.”

ENDS

Editors Notes

The research was conducted by Thames Translations during August and September 2009 with a mixture of online research and offline interviews. Some relevant links that were used to help compile the research are listed below:

http://www.cv-library.co.uk/news/1192/CVs-benefit-from-foreign-language-skill.html

http://www.languagetutoring.co.uk/how-language-skills-can-help-job-hunt.html

http://www.rln-london.com/News/default.aspx

http://www.v3.co.uk/accountancyage/news/2020609/language-skills-say-loud-clear-foreign-language

http://jobadvancement.info/articles/Career-Advancement-By-Learning-A-Second-Language

www.placement-uk.com

Hertfordshire-based Thames Translations is renowned for providing high quality translation services to a broad range of professional and commercial organisations, utilising over 2000 ‘mother tongue’ qualified translators.

The company was founded in 1972 and was acquired by successful entrepreneur and businessman Simon George 11 years ago. Its success continues to be built on a long-standing reputation for excellence, reliability and innovation.

Thames Translations boasts an impressive client portfolio including British Gas, Arriva, Black & Decker, Direct Line, Dixons, Eurostar, IPC Media, Microsoft, Monarch Airlines, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Tesco and Virgin.

For more information visit www.thames-translations.com

Press Enquiries

For further information, images or to arrange an interview please contact Amy Larman on 01603 283 463 or email amy@mediajems.co.uk

Sales Psychologist joins Dragon’s Den star to help inspire businesses

Leading sales psychologist Bryan McCrae will be joining former BBC Dragons’ Den star Richard Farleigh and a host of other business experts to deliver their wise words of wisdom at the BE INSPIRED conference on 1^st October.

Held at 40 Central in Basingstoke, BE INSPIRED is an innovative one-day event which brings together hundreds of local business leaders to share their advice and knowledge, to help each other survive and prosper despite the recession.

Sales psychologist Bryan McCrae, MD of Cognitive Sales will be taking the stand to present his ‘5 Top Tips for Maximising Sales’, during which he will reveal the secrets of sales psychology and how businesses can apply them to rapidly maximise sales and profits.

McCrae has an award-winning track record in sales and marketing which spans over 20 years, is a fellow of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management and an active member and contributor to the Special Group in Coaching Psychology. Described as a passionate entrepreneur who seeks out innovation with high market potential, he is also an advisor to the Portsmouth University Centre for Enterprise and a regular speaker at business events across the country.

McCrae says:

“Selling is based on the ability to identify, attract, engage, understand and persuade other people who might benefit from your product or services. All of these activities can be improved when they take into account what is going on inside the heads of your prospective customers, in other words, by considering the psychology involved in every aspect of sales and marketing,”

‘We’re delighted that Bryan will be speaking at Inspire 09 and will be helping local business become more successful’

Emma Paxton, Events Manager, Business Link

And there’s more! For local businesses in need of yet further sales inspiration McCrae will also be sharing his views on maximising sales and profit at a Business Link breakfast workshop in Winchester on the 29^th of October.

ENDS

Consumers take to the web to test brand reputation

Brands are being warned to monitor their online reputation closely as consumers increasingly rely on web reviews and ratings to aid their purchase decisions.

As National Consumer Week draws to a close, Graeme Crossley, CEO of brand communications agency Brand Reputation believes that many brands are still failing to realise the emergence of ‘Google Enabled Choices’ or appreciate just how many consumers are now relying on web reviews to aid their purchase decisions, with some opting to have no contact whatsoever with brands offline prior to deciding to buy.

“Brands need to recognise that the online world has much more power than they may realise and can often be the only resource a consumer needs when evaluating which brand to buy. We are seeing more people making purchase decisions on high value items such as cars and electronic equipment based purely on online reviews from other customers and this is a trend which will only get stronger,” says Crossley.

Crossley believes that online reviews are becoming as important as word of mouth recommendations, a view that is mirrored in recent research by Rubicon Consulting that revealed they were the most influential factors in consumer purchasing decisions.

But what was of most concern to Crossley was the results of a survey by Lightspeed Research, which revealed that 71% of all respondents said they would read a review before making a purchase decision about a new camera, MP3 player or mobile phone and 33% of respondents said they would be dissuaded from buying a product after reading just two negative reviews. Over three quarters of respondents also said they would be deterred from buying after reading three bad reviews.

Crossley believes that brands need to become more vocal online, interact directly with consumers in the places where they are most active and tackle the issue of negative comments proactively, rather than ‘burying their heads in the sand and hoping the noise will die down’.

“When you think of the huge budgets that consumer brands spend on campaigns, the fact that the views of just two individuals could undo so much of the brand messaging it shows why brands need to take this seriously.” says Crossley.

ENDS

Editors Notes

Brand Reputation is a multi-discipline brand communications agency for consumer brands that specialises in fixing brand pain™. The agency delivers strategies that change consumer attitudes and behaviour to build sales, profit and market share for leading brands.

The agency’s founder Graeme Crossley, spent over 15 years in communication roles of increasing responsibility for companies including The Coca-Cola Company, Amazon.com, Yum! Restaurants Inc, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets and WH Smith. Graeme is a Business Leader of The Marketing Society as well as Non-Executive Chairman of boutique search and selection company Aextis. His first book will be published in 2010

For press enquiries please contact Amy Larman on 01603 283 503 or email amy@mediajems.co.uk.

Real leaders are made of 24 Carat BOLD

In the business world, all that glitters is BOLD, according to Thought Leadership expert Mindy Gibbins-Klein who reveals the secrets behind some of the world’s greatest leaders in her latest book 24 Carat BOLD: The Standard for REAL Thought Leaders.

Released on 3rd September 2009, 24 Carat BOLD (£10.99, Ecademy Press) is a guide for leaders and senior executives looking to stand out from the crowd and get their messages heard in a world that, according to Ms Gibbins-Klein, ‘is forcing its leaders to be both visible and vocal’.

From Barack Obama’s use of social media in his election campaign through to Zappos founder Tony Hseih’s highly personalised approach to internal communications following its acquisition by Amazon, Ms Gibbins-Klein has been providing continuous commentary on the actions of some of the most influential leaders in current leaders and now for the first time ever, has brought together her highly acclaimed views on thought leadership to create 24 Carat BOLD.

In 24 Carat BOLD, Ms Gibbins-Klein explores why daring to be bold and opinionated is often underestimated, what thought leadership entails, where the REAL Thought Leaders are and how to establish yourself as a credible thought leader in your field.

“The term ‘thought leader’ can be very powerful. But it is also potentially very dangerous. Just like any buzzword, the term ‘thought leader’ has spread rapidly, sometimes misunderstood and often misinterpreted. It is important to get it right because the ultimate goal of thought leadership is that you are not just considered an expert, you are considered THE EXPERT,” explains Ms Gibbins-Klein.

The motivations for writing 24 Carat BOLD were simple and came about from the many conversations Ms Gibbins-Klein was having with CEOs and top executives across the globe, who were realizing that the role of a leader was evolving and needed guidance on how to become known for their unique visions and values.

“In times of economic hardship and stress, many businesses forget about marketing and pretty much abandon any kind of strategic marketing of their top executives. But it is a well known fact that people buy from people and particularly people they like. Top executives are starting to realize the importance of being seen and heard, and sharing personal views on key issues. But after years of keeping personality out of business, the kind of openness and vulnerability they need to display is unchartered waters for many and that’s what is preventing them from making headway,” says Ms Gibbins-Klein.

24 Carat BOLD is now available online at Amazon.

For more information please visit: www.24caratbold.com

Local Expert Delivers Sales Advice At National Conference

‘Don’t rely on internet marketing alone’ is the stark warning from local sales expert Richard White, who will be showing hundreds of business owners how to find and keep their most profitable customers at the sell-out E-Business 2009 show in the National B2B Conference Centre, Coventry on 17th September.

During his 40-minute speech, White who is the founder of Pro-Excellence and TheAccidentalSalesman.com will present the ’sales sausage machine’ and use it to show why relying on internet marketing alone can be bad for sales.

“Internet marketing will certainly attract customers but let’s not forget that someone has to sell at the end of the day. In the current climate, the need for a tight sales process and good customer experience has never been more critical, as is the need to make the most of every opportunity and every customer,” says White.

The fully-booked conference has over 200 people attending and the conference organisers say that Richard’s role in the proceedings is to highlight some key sales and marketing techniques that small businesses can use: even if they are reluctant sales people!

“My passion is to provide sales guidance to those for whom sales isn’t their forte but they still have to do it. Most SME organisations have this problem because usually there isn’t the budget to employ a dedicated salesman. My presentation will emphasise the need to create business processes that allow companies to provide a consistent client relationship and maximise the lifetime value of sales from customers,” says White.

With a background in the consulting industry, White specialises in supporting SME business owners to improve sales effectiveness and the management of their sales pipeline. In addition to founding online sales community TheAccidentalSalesman.com, White also opened his own sales training school in Surrey earlier this year.

White will be joined by a number of speakers at the E-Business 2009 show including; Susan Hallam, Managing Director of Hallam Internet Marketing, Malene Stanley, founder of KSBKids (Kids Should Be Kids) and Dr. Dave Chaffey, Marketing Director of Marketing Insights.

The National B2B Conference Centre is located in the University of Warwick, Coventry and starts at 9.30am on Thursday 17th September 2009. For more information visit www.nb2bc.co.uk

ENDS

Politicians shown how to win elections the American way

Politicians hoping to make their mark at the 2010 elections will be shown the secrets to winning public support at a unique thought-leadership seminar this week.

In a two hour session on Tuesday and repeated on Thursday, aspiring Parliamentary candidates of The Reform Club will find out what it takes to become a real thought-leader and how to build rapport with their supporters from thought-leadership expert and native New Yorker Mindy Gibbins-Klein, author of 24 Carat BOLD: The Standard for REAL Thought Leaders(£10.99 Ecademy Press).

Ms Gibbins-Klein will be drawing on her extensive experience as an executive communications strategist and book coach and will address the key success factors that contribute to great thought leaders, which include being bold and opinionated.

“Politicians often have to face enormous challenges; that is part of the job description. But to really get ahead, they need to show the public that they have thought through key topics and can articulate their leadership on these topics in a way that can influence and guide people to a better level of understanding. It is this process that makes them the real thought leader in that space – and not the opposition,” says Ms Gibbins-Klein.

Ms Gibbins-Klein, who has helped over 300 people to write and publish their books believes that more politicians should be writing, publishing and speaking with authority.

“When politicians are interviewed, write blogs or books, they effectively put a stake in the ground, showing the market where they stand on important issues. Put simple, ‘people buy people’ and being more vocal helps the public gain greater insight into their personality. Politicians may not have enough time to write and publish a book before the May elections but they will certainly have time to work towards it and in doing so, improve their ability to get their message across in the way they want it to be heard,” says Ms. Gibbins-Klein.

Ms Gibbins-Klein will be delivering her seminar ‘How to be a REAL Thought Leader’ on Tuesday evening 15th September and on Thursday morning 17th September, at The Reform Club, organised by Rhidian Jones, CEO of Route-to-Market.

The Reform Club was founded in 1836, in Pall Mall, in the centre of what is often called London’s Clubland. It is no longer associated with any particular political party, and now serves a purely social function and today’s Reformers are men and women drawn from many backgrounds and a wide field of professional life.

ENDS