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

Mavericks given gold ticket to success as economy improves

The Vice President of an exclusive community for accelerated business networking has lent her support to a new competition to scoop a million pounds worth of coaching and is urging maverick business owners to take action now to build credibility and reputation in preparation for the upturn.

The unique competition, which was officially unveiled at an exclusive press conference at Adam Street last week, offers the chance to win a lifetime’s worth of coaching from international speaker, author and thought leadership expert Mindy Gibbins-Klein a.k.a The Book Midwife® who has just launched her third book 24 Carat BOLD: The Standard for REAL Thought Leaders (£10.99 Ecademy Press).

Judith Germain, Vice President of the BlackStar Life Members Community on popular business social network Ecademy, MD of Dynamic Transitions and an established business mentor and author, has officially endorsed the month-long campaign. Agreeing to sit on the judging panel she reveals that wilfully independent ‘maverick’ business owners are likely to benefit most from the million pound prize as it will help them enhance their natural predisposition to stand out from the crowd.

“Mavericks tend to be top performers but also have a fierce sense of independence, are easily bored and need to be given constant challenges to ensure that they are as productive as they can be. When running a business, be it a global organisation or cottage industry in size, this wilful independence needs to be harnessed effectively to ensure that they can achieve their true potential which is why long-term support is a great way of keeping focused,” says Germain.

With the worst of the recession now over, Germain believes that the pressure is now on for many business owners to get ready to ride the upturn and advises that those who can channel their maverick energy positively to build a good reputation will have a far better chance of succeeding in the long term.

“With the economy improving, business owners need to focus on how they are perceived by people in their outer network (i.e. those that know of them but do not know them well). Mindy’s competition to win a lifetime’s worth of thought-leadership will be an invaluable resource to any Maverick serious about growing their business. I’m a great fan of anything which helps people to build their credibility and reputation and for me, this competition ticks all the right boxes,” says Germain.

The competition will run for one month. There is just one stipulation; you need to have purchased a copy of 24 Carat BOLD: The Standard for REAL Thought Leaders from Amazon during the month of September, which then qualifies you to enter the competition.

Entrants need to forward their Amazon proof of purchase with a statement of up to 15 words on why they deserve a lifetime of thought leadership coaching to emma@bookmidwife.com. Entries will be reviewed by a panel of judges. Eligible entries are Amazon purchases dated August and September, closing date is Sept. 30th, with the winner being announced Oct 1st.

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Who says blondes are dumb?

You only need to take one look at high-flying business duo Audra Lamoon and Sue Gilkes to see that these blondes definitely mean business as they prepare for the launch of the  their new book Blondes in Business.

Having built up Your Impact, a successful business training skills consultancy with offices in the UK and Dubai, Blondes in Business authors Audra and Sue know exactly what it takes to set up a business and compete in what they say is largely a male dominated market and come out on top.

It is precisely this success at overcoming the struggles and prejudices associated with being both female and blonde that has motivated the feisty pair to create a permanent record of their rise to success in the form of Blondes in Business (Ecademy Press, £10.99) and in doing so have created a comprehensive guide for other women looking to excel in the business world.

Neither Sue nor Audra have degrees, or rich parents, they are quite simply two normal girls made good through hard work and attitude. Since they founded Your Impact in 2004, Sue and Audra have successfully expanded the business into the Middle East where they launched Dubai-based Kawader Impact.  Having worked with  clients such as Microsoft, AIG, MOD and the NHS, the dynamic duo currently employ at least 40 trainers and have worked in over 20 countries worldwide, delivering programmes into both the public and private sectors.

“Having your own business is scary and difficult, especially in the current climate, yet Audra and Sue have proven that they’ve got what it takes to run an extremely successful business. Blondes in Business is one of the most ‘un-boring’ business books I’ve ever come across, full of real life stories that everyone can relate to and shows anyone that they too can be successful if they truly believe in themselves,” says Mindy Gibbins-Klein of publisher Ecademy Press.

The official book launch for Blondes in Business takes place on 3^rd September at London’s newest 5* luxury hotel, The Grange St.Pauls.

The book is available to order online at www.blondesinbusiness.com priced £10.99.

Editors Notes:

Title:                                     Blondes in Business

Author:                                Sue Gilkes & Audra Lamoon

Production:                       Paperback 132pp

Details:                                216mm x 140mm

Publication Date:            17^th August 2009

ISBN:                                    978-1-905823-60-4

Category:                            KJC, KJVS

Price:                                    £10.99

Market:                                Small Business, Women, Self-employed

Give your business a boost with a £5000 business prize

Better Networking is giving businesses a chance to shine during the recession with a once in a lifetime business prize worth over £5000.

Due to launch on 1st September, Better Networking are opening a competition that will give businesses the boost they need to succeed in the recession, holding both benefits for the winner and the business.

With a grand prize of a weekend break for 2 at a luxury health spa, it is sure to attract many, offering a chance to relax and wind down after a hard week at the office.

Of the many prizes, one is an opportunity to develop a winning sales and marketing strategy with Master Business Development coach Richard White. Richard has over 8 years experience in helping people who hate the idea of selling to quickly develop more business and he is now one of the UK’s leading trainers in Soft Selling techniques. Richard is also the founder of AccidentalSalesman.com ® and a self confessed accidental sales man himself.

“In the current economic climate, only those with a strong sales and marketing strategy will survive and this strategy will need to accommodate existing customers as well as attracting new ones. Having helped hundreds of business owners to define their strategies, I am looking forward to helping one lucky business owner to develop their winning strategy to overcome the recession and come out on top,” says Mr White.

Other prizes include: VAT Advice, Business Coaching, Rebranding, Copywriting, Online Visibility Boost, Business Strategy and Planning and a Weekend Break for 2 at a Health Spa. There are also runner up prizes of Amazon gift vouchers and IB Consulting free membership for 1 year.

To enter simply click here. The competition is based on finding the answers to ten clues. As the answers can only be submitted after the tenth clue is released the competition has an entry deadline of 30th September 2009. Answers to the ten clues must be submitted by the 23rd October, all late entries will be disqualified. Entry is free and the first answer drawn at The Accidental Salesman® Live Event on 2nd November 2009 will win the Grand Prize.

You do not need to attend the event in order to win or collect your prize, the winner will be announced on the Better Networking website (www.betternetworking.co.uk/blog) and notified by email and telephone.

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Businesses in Surrey Get a Taste of Africa

Businesses in Surrey will have the unique opportunity to get a taste of Senegal on 19th July 2009 at an African-themed Picnic in the Park to mark the launch of The Dakar Dragons, a business mentoring scheme supporting entrepreneurial girls in Senegal.

The Dakar Dragons project was inspired by UK television series Dragons Den but unlike the popular TV series, The Dakar Dragons aim is to empower African business women to be independent, confident, and self sufficient business women who choose to work together in business.

The Dakar Dragons is sponsored by local businessman, ‘The Accidental Salesman’ Richard White and was created after Mariéme Jamme, founder of ‘The Mariéme Jamme Foundation’ received a phone call from the Executive Director of the Senegal-based education programme ‘10,000 Girls’ asking her for business advice and connections.

“Viola had already taught her girls basic entrepreneurship and accounting as part of her wonderful 10,000 Girls program based in Senegal, with the funding coming from the girls making and selling things. They are already exposed to business thanks to Viola but the next stage in their evolution is for her graduates to become independent business women, capable of creating and running a sustainable business venture of their own. Mariéme and I then decided that this would be an opportune moment to get together and hatch The Dakar Dragons,” explains Richard White.

Over 3,000 girls have benefitted from the 10,000 Girls project so far and the Dakar Dragons project hopes to help them raise the bar and support those with the potential and entrepreneurial spirit to become big money earners.

There is a saying ‘You can give someone a fish and they will eat for a day or you can teach someone to fish and they will eat for life’. The Dakar Dragons project will help them learn about various aspects of business from people who have been successful in doing it for themselves. They will get mentoring from people who have valuable experience and who want to make a difference. The best projects will get startup funding and support in raising money based on the merits of the business and not out of charity and 10% of the profits will go back to the Dakar Dragons project to fund other projects,” says White.

The official launch of the Dakar Dragons project will be held on Sunday 19th July, 2009 in the setting of an African Picnic on the Green in Grayswood The event is free and everyone is welcome to network and sample the finest food that Senegal has to offer.

“The great thing about the Dakar Dragons project is that you do not have to go to Africa or even part with any money to make a difference. Your time, skills, and connections are very valuable to us and the African women we are helping to transform,” says White, who will also be celebrating the launch of his new Accidental Salesman Training Centre based in Grayswood on the same day.

For more information visit http://africanpicnic.eventbrite.com/

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Cutting edge course delivers entrepreneurial success at the click of button

A new online course in entrepreneurialism has been launched to help small business owners and entrepreneurs grow their businesses, drawing on expert insight from some of the world’s leading authorities on business excellence and all for just 6 USD per day!

Created by iLearningGlobal, the pioneering course EDGE (Expert Directed Guided Education) is designed to support individual entrepreneurs and small business owners in their business growth and personal development and includes insight from industry experts including Brian Tracy, Hyrum Smith, Steve Covey, and Mark Victor Hansen on subjects such as Recession Proofing your Business, Sales, Tax, Strategy and Business Building.

This unique and authoritative online program provides any business or individual with up-to-the-minute, cutting-edge insight, skills and strategies along with proven curriculum, action plans and accountability to help achieve personal and company goals in a relaxed environment.

“Businesses only grow when people running them grow first, which is why the initial four weeks on EDGE are centred on starting the journey with a clear understanding of where the business is and where it needs to go,” explains Larry Boyer, Continuous Learning Director and independent marketer of iLearningGlobal, the company behind the pioneering the new course.

Within the course, EDGE members will have exclusive access to cutting edge training resources, which include specific courses with HD videos and webinars, audios and ebooks, category blogs and behind the scenes insight from a vast array of successful business people. Members will also benefit from regular ‘Leading E.D.G.E’ Daily Strategies, delivering a feel good thought for the day via email and twitter.

“EDGE is not designed to get through fast and first, but is set up to drive deep, foster action, create habits and develop strategies and systems in order to create success which will truly last and additional courses will be posted regularly along with specific paths to follow. With EDGE you will be able to grow as an entrepreneur or business owner and you will be able to grow your employees. With advanced skills and training your business will begin to grow in new and powerful ways,” adds Boyer.

More information about the EDGE training programme can be found at http://edge.ilearningglobal.tv  and http://www.ilg-edge.com .

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Press Contact:
Larry Boyer
Continuous Learning Director
Independent Marketer
iLearningGlobal
Tel: 001-703-298-3391
Email: edge@ilg-edge.com

Twitterific success for The £1 Challenge ‘Hashtagathon’

Thousands of visitors flooded to The £1 Challenge website following a flurry of activity on Twitter, thanks to a new type of promotion coined a ‘Hashtagathon’.

During the hours of 9am-1pm on Tuesday 9th June 2009, users of Twitter were encouraged to participate in a simple but highly effective task, to tweet and retweet adding #1pound to their messages in a collaborative effort to raise awareness of The £1 Challenge, a unique charitable campaign to raise £1 million through the pledging of 1 million donations of just £1.

An overwhelming train of support for The £1 Challenge hashtagathon took place almost immediately, with former Eastender star James Alexandrou and Olympic athlete Kriss Akabusi joining in with the tweets. Even people in the USA tweeted their support and after just 1 hour, #1pound had reached position 4 within Twitter’s Top Topics.

The 4 hour long campaign resulted in 457 tweets using #1pound and over 2,000 visits to the £1 Challenge website.

Twitter strategist Mark Shaw, who supported the The £1 Challenge team’s efforts during the hashtagathon was delighted with the response and believes that brands should be taking more notice of how such strategies can be used to engage and inspire their audience.

“Many businesses are still trying to get to grips with Twitter, and very few have yet to find ways to truly engage with their audience in the same way that they can through Facebook. The success of The £1 Challenge Hashtagathon is proof that Twitter can be used as a mechanism to push out promotional messages quickly and cost-effectively, which can have worldwide impact,” says Mark Shaw.

According to The British Heart Foundation, a donation of £1 million from a campaign like The £1 Challenge could fund 666 defribillators, 121 hours of scientific research or 20 portable echocardiograph machines.

To pledge your £1, simply visit www.1poundchallenge.co.uk, where you can donate via text, PayPal or online.

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Hug your Accountant and see your business soar

Perhaps giving your Accountant a hug during ‘International Hug Week’ may not be the best way to gain business referrals, but the return of a popular business seminar could show you exactly how to build successful relationships with local accountants that could generate literally hundreds of referrals.

Due to the success of his seminar in January and March, Tax Advice Network Chairman Mark Lee will be holding a repeat of ‘What Everybody Should Know….About Building Profitable Relationships With Accountants’ on 13 May at the ICSA, close to Baker Street and just off the Euston Road in London.

The half-day seminar is tailored for businesses that want to target accountants to get them as customers for their products, as clients for their services and also for those who see accountants as potentially good introducers and referrers to their client base.

Lee created the seminar to enlighten businesses as to what matters to accountants, how they work, why they reject so many of the approaches they receive from third party service providers, what can be done to overcome their objections and how to avoid making the fundamental mistakes that competitors make and which reveal lack of experience in dealing with this profession.

“Accountants will have between 100 and 400 clients so, in theory, this could be a great route to market – IF the accountant is willing to advocate you and to refer any of their clients to you. And that’s a BIG if. I’ve lost track of how many people have asked me how they could make this work or, more often, where they’re going wrong. They don’t know the first thing about how accountants work, what motivates them or how to get them to refer their clients on to other service providers,” says Lee, who was Chairman of the Chartered Accountants’ Tax Faculty from 2003-2005 and has worked with hundreds of accountants over the years.

The seminar includes feedback from over 200 accountants from across the UK who participated in a survey conducted by Lee in 2008 and answered questions such as ‘What would it take for you to advocate someone else’s services?’ Lee reveals that the answers were ‘remarkably consistent’ and will be sharing these powerful insights with attendees during the seminar, as well as providing over 40 pages of well signposted notes.

“Let no one tell you it’s easy to win over accountants. It isn’t. But if you get it right, you could see your prospect list grow overnight,” says Lee, who has been presenting seminars and training courses for over 20 years and is a sought after commentator, speaker and broadcaster appearing on BBC Breakfast, Sky and BBC’s Newsnight as well as in Accountancy Age, Accountancy and many other business periodicals.

The seminar will take place between 9am-12.30pm on 13 May at the ICSA, close to Baker Street and just off the Euston Road in London. Places are £147 plus VAT or take advantage of an exclusive 3 for 2 offer for just £294 plus VAT. Late bookings will be charged at £197 (plus VAT) each.

For more information or to book your place visit www.TaxAdviceNetwork.co.uk/seminarpr

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Notes to Editor

Seminar Details

Seminar Title: ‘What Everybody Should Know…About Building Profitable Relationships With Accountants

Short Description: The half-day seminar is tailored for businesses that want to target accountants to get them as clients, for those who see accountants as potentially good introducers to their client base and for those who work for a business that targets accountants as users of their services and products. It will enlighten businesses as to what matters to accountants, how they work, why they reject so many of the approaches they receive from third party service providers, what can be done to overcome their objections and how to avoid making the fundamental mistakes that competitors make and which reveal lack of experience in dealing with this profession.

Venue: ICSA,16 Park Crescent, London

Date: Wed 13 May 2009

Time: 9am for 9.28am start. Finish 12.30pm with time afterwards for networking and chat

Price

* Special discounted price is £147 plus 15% VAT = £169.05
* Special ‘3 places for the price of 2′ – just £294 plus 15% VAT = £338.10
* Late booking full price tickets will be £197 plus 15% VAT = £226.55

How to Pay:

Online: Pay by debit card, credit card or paypal: www.TaxAdviceNetwork.co.uk/seminarpr

By phone: Just call us on 0845 003 8780 or 01635 574 160 and we will take your credit card details over the phone.

By email: If your company requires an invoice and intends to make payment by direct bank transfer before the event please send your booking request by email to Clare.Gillbanks@TaxAdviceNetwork.co.uk (Please ensure you identify the names of all delegates and provide a contact name and phone number)

By post: If you would prefer to send a cheque please make this payable to Tax Advice Network LLP for the full fee of to £197 plus 15% VAT = £226.55 (or the 3 for 2 price of £394 plus 15% VAT = £453.10) and send it, together with the name of your company or firm, postal address and the names, email addresses and contact numbers of each delegate, to Tax Advice Network LLP, PO Box 562, Pinner, Middx HA5 9FW. Please also advise to whom the invoice should be addressed.

Unless otherwise requested we will send a VAT invoice and confirm bookings and the seminar details by email.

For more information visit www.taxadvicenetwork.co.uk/seminarpr

Accidental Salesman delivers recession busting advice for Sussex businesses

Businesses in Sussex are set to benefit from a valuable lesson in sales psychology by ‘Accidental Salesman’ Richard White during a one-off business seminar on 23rd April 2009 organised by the Chartered Institute of Marketing and Business Scene.

Held at Copthorne Hotel in Effingham on the 23rd April from 6pm-9.15pm, the event is predicted to attract hundreds of marketers, sales and management professionals looking to build up their recession-proof armoury with advice and tips from keynote speaker and TV personality Dexter Moscow and a number of round table business experts, including NLP Master Practitioner and Sales Breakthrough specialist Richard White.

The event will comprise focused discussion tables or ‘learning stations’ and each station will be hosted by gurus and mentors from the fields of physiology, psychometrics, Neuro linguistic programming and soft selling. Richard White, founder of free online sales resource TheAccidentalSalesman.com and MD of business development consultancy Pro-Excellence, will deliver an informative session on Soft-Selling. Delegates will have the option to choose to join three stations throughout the evening from which they will be able to learn the very latest techniques to better connect with customers, something which Mr White believes is crucial to business survival in the current climate.

“Sales is the lifeblood of any business and profitable sales is the starting point towards cash in the bank. Quite simply, no cash means no business. For many businesses in the recession, sales provides them with their regular source of cash and whilst most business owners understand this intellectually, often they hate the idea of having to sell. It is a typical ‘feast or famine’ response as they realise that they have no option but to get better and more confident at selling if they want to survive the economic downturn,” says Mr White.

This event is open to CIM members as well as non-members as the institute extends a helping hand to Sussex business owners and their teams. For more information or to book your place at the event visit
http://www.cim.co.uk/cimevents

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Event Details

Title: Understanding Sales and Selling
Date: 23rd April 2009
Time: 6.15pm-9.15pm
Venue: Copthorne Hotel, Effingham Park, West Park Road, Copthorne, RH10 3EU, United Kingdom
Price: Member £19.60, Studying £14.70, Guest £24.70. Price includes buffet on arrival.

Please book online for this event. If you cannot do so please call The Chartered Institute of Marketing on +44 (0)1628 427340

Book Midwife™ delivers words of wisdom over breakfast

An international speaker, author, publisher and consultant better known as The Book Midwife™ will be urging local businesses to ‘get vocal’ if they want to rise above the recession at the Watford & West Herts Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Meeting on Friday 17th April 2009.

Speaking on the subject of ‘How to Be a R.E.A.L Thought Leader’ Ms Gibbins-Klein, from St Albans, will provide an insight into why business owners need to focus on establishing themselves as a real thought leader in their field if they want to survive the downturn.

“In an increasingly competitive marketplace, differentiation can obviously be achieved with marketing, but to get real competitive advantage, business owners need to get vocal as well,” says Ms Gibbins-Klein. “In a market that is already competitive, shrinking demand means fewer pounds flowing around, and those pounds will go to the exceptional companies, those that stand out. Think about the business leaders that stand out in your mind. Chances are, they have been regularly writing, speaking and quoted in the market,” she says.

Ms Gibbins-Klein, a published author and co-founder of co-operative publisher Ecademy Press helps top business leaders get their wisdom into the market by refining their unique message and planning, writing and publishing excellent books articles, blogs, video and keynotes. Her clients have published over 100 books and hundreds of articles as a direct result of working with her.

“Mindy is a popular speaker who consistently gets superb feedback from audiences that enjoy her warm yet no-nonsense approach,” says Roger Gagan Chief Executive at the Watford & West Herts Chamber of Commerce.

The Breakfast Networking event will take place on Friday 17th April 2009 at Jurys Inn Watford, 31-35 Clarendon Road, Watford at 7.15am. For more information or to book your place visit the Watford Chamber website www.watfordchamber.co.uk

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