Month: November 2018

If you’ve always wanted to run your own business, but have been too daunted by the idea of going it alone, then becoming a Get Ahead VA regional director could be the next big move for your career.

Get Ahead VA is headquartered in Surrey, but we are proud to have branches all over the country, from Oxford to Leeds. These branches are run by regional directors, and we’re always looking for driven, entrepreneurial people to become regional directors and take Get Ahead VA somewhere new. That’s where you come in!

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If you’ve always wanted to run your own business, but have been too daunted by the idea of going it alone, then becoming a Get Ahead VA regional director could be the next big move for your career.

Get Ahead VA is headquartered in Surrey, but we are proud to have branches all over the country, from Bristol to Reading, Newcastle to Leeds. These branches are run by regional directors, and we’re always looking for driven, entrepreneurial people to become regional directors and take Get Ahead VA somewhere new. That’s where you come in!

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If you’re a small business owner, then you should know that there’s an important event coming up for your calendar. No, it’s not Christmas – it’s Small Business Saturday!

Every year, on the first Saturday of December, this not-for-profit campaign encourages consumers to support small businesses in their area, whether that’s by visiting independent shops or buying locally online. In 2017, £748 million was spent on Small Business Saturday, so if you want to get involved this year, here’s what you can do.

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If you’re a small business owner, then you should know that there’s an important event coming up for your calendar. No, it’s not Christmas – it’s Small Business Saturday!

Every year, on the first Saturday of December, this not-for-profit campaign encourages consumers to support small businesses in their area, whether that’s by visiting independent shops or buying locally online. In 2017, £748 million was spent on Small Business Saturday, so if you want to get involved this year, here’s what you can do.

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Black Friday – a day on which retailers offer huge discounts to their customers – has been around for decades. It originated in America in the 1920s, and by the 1980s it had become one of the most important shopping days of the year. In 2010 the phenomenon crossed the pond, and in the last few years it has well and truly made its mark in the UK. In 2017, we spent £1.4 billion* in online Black Friday sales alone.

This year, Black Friday will happen on Friday 23rd November, and it is expected to be as significant as ever. But is this an event for big retailers only, or can everybody get involved? Read on to find out whether running a Black Friday promotion is right for your small business.

Should I take part?

There are plenty of good reasons to take part in this seasonal shopping bonanza. On Black Friday, shoppers will be ready to spend and actively looking for deals, so you might find it easier than ever to draw in new customers. It’s also a great excuse to clear out surplus stock, and it means you can boost your sales before the busy Christmas period.

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Get Ahead VA offers a wide range of business and marketing services. In our Service Spotlight, we take a closer look at one of these, and show you how our virtual assistants can help you and your business. This month we’re looking at email marketing.

What is email marketing?

Email marketing is the use of emails to promote products and services to, or to build a relationship with, current or potential customers. Email marketing has lots of advantages over traditional direct-mail marketing: it’s cheaper, you can reach a wider audience, and you can more easily track data to help you refine you marketing efforts. Email marketing is one of the most powerful online marketing techniques out there – according to some research, every £1 spent on email marketing can provide an average return of £38.

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Christmas is one of the most important times of year for any business, and it’s especially important for SMEs because seasonal spending can provide such a valuable boost in sales. Last year, the UK spent more than £78 billion on Christmas, and this festive shopping spree starts early, with more than 50% of people planning to do most of their shopping before December.

It can pay, then, to start thinking about Christmas now. Not sure where to begin? Here are some of the key ways you can prepare your business for the most wonderful time of the year.

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