Using The ‘Moving Parade’ To Grow!

Most business owners give up too soon. What I mean by this is that they may put a large amount of effort into creating a list of potential clients, devising a mailing (or e-mail, etc.) and mailing a marketing piece to that list.

Their investment in time and money can be considerable. No doubt you’ve done something in the past like this?

Don’t get me wrong—all this should be applauded. Getting something out there is infinitely better than doing nothing (something we constantly remind our clients about). But it’s a flawed plan.

Why?

Because selling any product or service is all about timing. Just because someone isn’t interested in buying your products or services today, it doesn’t mean they aren’t going to be interested tomorrow.

That is, in essence, what The Moving Parade is all about. Let me explain this further…

Let’s say that at the moment you’re really happy with your car. You’ve got no intention of changing it. Therefore, every advert, every mailing or any contact you have with a car dealer or car manufacturer is wasted on you.

Letters go in the bin without a second thought. You pick up your newspaper when the adverts come on TV. You simply aren’t interested. And nothing will prompt you at this stage to even consider changing your car.

However, three months later your circumstances have changed. You need to do more travelling, and so you decide it’s time to look for a more suitable car.

Now every mailing, advert, or communication to do with cars is instantly given attention by you. You’re ‘in the market’ for a new car and you develop an insatiable appetite to find out as much as you can about the cars which would suit you best.

This happens every single day when people are buying products and services.

The problem, though, is we don’t know WHEN their circumstances are going to change.

Therefore, if you don’t keep in touch regularly with your prospective customers, you’ll never get ‘lucky’ with the timing – because people move in and out of the market, depending on changing circumstances.

The Moving Parade Diagram.

By keeping in contact at least once a month, the chances that you will hit the prospect at the right time are increased tenfold. You will get ‘LUCKY’!

Plus, if your marketing pieces are memorable in the first place (remember, your marketing always has to stand out—DON’T BE BORING) it’s not inconceivable that a large proportion of your recipients will keep your material for a rainy day (when their circumstances change). The more material they keep for future reference—the better.

It doesn’t get any easier than this, does it? No one said growing a business was easy. But by adhering to just a few key principles, The Moving Parade being one of them (and others we discuss in this newsletter), your continued pursuit of greater success is assured.

But back to The Moving Parade...

 What can you send each month that will engage with the recipient (even if they’re not ready to move suppliers)?

Well, your monthly printed newsletter, of course.

A printed newsletter is, without question, one of the best tools in your marketing arsenal (this is why we created this newsletter!). But it takes time to create. For example, ‘The Business Builder’ takes us a couple of days to write (sometimes longer). It may take 3 or 4 days to write an 8-page newsletter.

But writing and mailing your own monthly newsletter (it is important you mail it and DON’T e-mail it) is one of the keys to your success. Not only can it be engaging, so readership is high, it also takes advantage of The Moving Parade. And, with low printing costs, you’ll be surprised how cheap it can be to produce an 8-page newsletter!

Do this one thing and your sales and profits will increase. Do NOT take this lightly. Taking advantage of The Moving Parade is one of the simplest yet most rewarding marketing strategies you can apply to your business, and one we recommend all our clients take advantage of.

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APJ Accountancy - A team of Chartered Certified Accountant regulated and monitored by The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Tel: 020 89310165  
Mobile: 07900537459 
E-mail: info@apjaccountancy.com

Prioritise Your Business Growth Tasks To GROW

We’re ALREADY three quarters of the way through 2014.

I don’t know about you, but the years seem to be getting quicker and quicker?

Our lives are getting busier. There are infinitely more interruptions to our working day than ever before. Mobile phones and e-mail have become massive ‘Time Vampires’ sucking the time out of your day.

Never before has it been so, so important to manage your time more effectively AND more efficiently.

So let me ask you a few simple questions…

From the beginning of 2014 to the end of September, what have you accomplished in your business? How far have you moved forward? What have you changed to ensure 2014 is your best year yet?

It pains me to say this, but arguably 99% of business owners have done very little to change their business’s fortunes in 2014. I sincerely hope you are NOT one of them.

Reviewing your Business Growth

Remember, if you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll get what you always got. 

Adhering to the key principle of this post will ensure you don’t fall into the same trap as many of your competitors and other business owners: “Simply apply at least one strategy  every  month  from  this post and your business will be unrecognisable in 12 months’ time.”

If time or, more importantly, a lack of time is your problem, or excuse, you have to do something right now to make time.

If you don’t plan to implement at least one strategy a month, you’ll get to the end of each year and wonder why your business isn’t a step closer to where you want it to be. It’s not rocket science.

Yes, we all have many other tasks to do each and every day. But prioritising has to be your mantra.

Nothing is more important than growing and managing your business. Therefore, you have to prioritise the tasks that move it forward. Simple.

Yet I wonder how effective you are at doing this?

Time will tell! 

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APJ Accountancy - A team of Chartered Certified Accountant regulated and monitored by The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Tel: 020 89310165  
Mobile: 07900537459 
E-mail: info@apjaccountancy.com

Changes in VAT place of Supply rules!

VAT place of supply rules changes from 1 January 2015

Andrew Webb, Senior VAT Policy Manager at HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), explained on the changes to the EU VAT place of supply rules for B2C digital service suppliers.

The changes will be implemented from 1 January 2015 to the European Union (EU) VAT place of supply of services rules involving business to consumer (B2C) supplies of broadcasting, telecommunications and e-services i.e., digital services.

VAT Moss Business to consumer supplies of digital services

What are the changes being made to the VAT place of supply of services rules?

On the 1st of January 2015, the EU Vat place of supply, and therefore taxation rules are changing, so that from that date the place of taxation will be where the customer lives, rather than where the supplier of the service is established. It's the final change in a series of changes to embed the idea that, with consumption taxes such as VAT, the place where the tax is paid should be where the service or goods are enjoyed, consumed or used.

What does it mean for the businesses affected?

It imposes on them an obligation to register for VAT where their customer is located. It also means that they have to collect information to define where their customer is actually living and the VAT rate in that Member State.

What can a business do if it doesn't want to register for VAT in every Member State where it supplies a service?

It can make use of a new service introduced on the 1st January called the VAT Mini One Stop Shop, or MOSS. With the MOSS, the business will only need to register in one jurisdiction and make one MOSS VAT return, one MOSS Payment to cover all of its obligations across the whole of the EU.

How can a digital service supplier register for VAT in the UK?

First of all register with HMRC through the gov.uk website.

Then, once registered, the business will collect the information about the supplies it's making to the customers. At the end of each calendar quarter it will submit its single return to us and its single payment, and then it can leave it to HMRC to do the rest.

HMRC will split the payment and the return and send it to the appropriate Member States where the consumers live.

Check the website for more information - http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/posmoss/

Are you still not clear on the changes? We are always happy to help you.
APJ Accountancy - A team of Chartered Certified Accountant regulated and monitored by The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Tel: 020 89310165  
Mobile: 07900537459 
E-mail: info@apjaccountancy.com