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2012’s enterprise club commenced last night with Mohammed Aleem, Enterprise Coach

23rd January 2012
‘Is starting a business right for you’
The first of 2012’s enterprise club kicked off last night with Mohammed Aleem, Enterprise Coach from Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber.
Aleem gave an excellent overview of the key areas that need to be considered when starting out as a new business. He highlighted the importance of developing a business idea into a clear vision. This can be achieved by’ following the enterprise coach ‘honing your business idea’ exercise. This exercise requires the start up to focus on sixteen key areas, for instance:
Why have you chosen this business idea?
What difficulties might you have?
What can you do to overcome these difficulties?
What are your strengths? Could you use them to create a business.
When do you plan to start trading?
Who are your competitors?
Who are your customers?
After a group discussion around these areas Aleem moved on to market research and emphasised the importance of getting to know both your potential consumers and competitors.
The final part of Aleem’s presentation looked at marketing. Aleem pointed out how marketing is quite a broad term, encompassing many things that we all do on a day to day basis. So, marketing not only includes advertising your goods and services or distributing flyers etc but it can also refer to daily activities, such as telling the people you meet on a daily basis about your idea, the image and branding that you have for your business, through to the quality of  customer care that you provide.
One of the top tips that I took away form Aleem’s presentation was his advice to draw up a large plan of all the market research and marketing areas that need to be considered. Aleem suggested displaying it on a kitchen wall and adding to it each day when an idea occurs to you.
To find out more about the services Aleem offers please email him at: mohammed.aleem@yourchamber.org.uk
The next Enterprise club will focus on tax and national insurance and runs on the 6th of February 6 – 7.45pm at Leeds Central Library. To find out more please ring Business and Patent Information Services 0113 2478266

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Do you want to work abroad? Here is an event for you:

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Copyright in sound recordings

Copyright in sound recordings is to be extended following a ruling by the European Commission. Copyright broadly applies to literary, artistic, dramatic and musical works.

When it comes to music there can be several copyrights in any one piece of music – such as the lyrics, the music, the score, the performance and the recording. These rights can last differing lengths of time – and may belong to different people. At present copyright in the sound recording of a song lasts for 50 years from the end of the year in which the recording was produced or released. When the new extension comes in to force in 2014 this will rise to 70 years.

The move has not been without controversy.  Those who support it  – most notably singer Cliff Richard – argue that it is only right that creators should still benefit from their works and be able to control how the works are used when those creators are ageing. As Richard does not write most of his songs he earns nothing from the copyright in the music or lyrics. His royalties come from the copyright in the sound recordings, and as some of his recordings are approaching the end of their 50 year term he faced a drop in income.

On the other hand some feel that 50 years is adequate to gain recompense from a work and support the view of Andrew Gower who was commissioned by the UK government to produce an independent report on intellectual property. Published in 2006 his view was that extending copyright would not be a good thing in either cultural or economic terms.

Some people fear that the extension will only help big-name artists rather than the large numbers of musicians on smaller incomes. They also argue that older works of significant cultural value could be kept out of the public domain.

The arguments are likely to continue for some time.

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/copyright/term-protection/term-protection_en.htm

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Writing a CV the theme for the Work Club 23/1/12

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Leap into Action

 

 

 

 

Take your business to the next level

If you are looking to grow your business or start a new venture don’t miss the ‘Leap into Action’ business support event this February.

Aimed at owner/managers of micro or small businesses and as well as anyone thinking about starting a business, this free event will provide access to a host of providers to help you take your business to the next level and boost growth.

If you are running a business on your own it can be difficult and time consuming finding out who can help you and how. At ‘Leap into Action’ you will have access to a range of organisations providing help on sourcing finance, tax and national insurance, patenting and copyrights, finding affordable office space, business coaching and more. We know you work hard IN your business, its time to work ON it!

Book your free place now.

Seminar programme

11.00-11.45       Why work for yourself? With Carl Hopkins, Direct Business Advice Ltd.

12.00-12.45       Becoming self-employed with Colin Devey, HM Revenue & Customs

14.00-14.45       Protecting your ideas with Ged Doonan, Business and Patents Information Services, Leeds Central Library

15.00-15.45       Financing your business with Meg Heath, Business Enterprise Fund

16.00-16.45       Business networking, nightmare or necessity? With Tina Boden, Enterprise Rockers

17.00-17.45       Social media and why you can’t ignore it, with Liz Cable, Reach Further

To read the full seminar programme and to book your free place please visit http://leapintoaction2012.eventbrite.co.uk

(Book the whole event or for separate seminars. No need to print more than one ticket.)

Europe Direct Leeds is supporting ‘Leap into Action’ as part of its work programme, in accordance with the European Commission’s priority ‘Restoring Growth for Jobs: Accelerating towards 2020.’

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European Year 2012 Opening Conference: “Stay active – what does it take?” #EY2012

18th – 19th January 2012
 
Follow the conference live on Twitter at http://twitter.com/eu_social 
Hashtag #EY2012

The main theme is innovation and how innovation can bring new solutions to the pending challenges of an ageing society in Europe within the fields of employment, social affairs and health.

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Europeans ready for ‘active ageing’

Europeans ready for ‘active ageing’, new survey says

Brussels, 13 January 2012 – To mark the start of the 2012 European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity of Generations, the Commission presented today a new Eurobarometer survey showing that 71% of Europeans are aware that Europe’s population is getting older, but only 42% are concerned about this development. This is in stark contrast with the perceptions of policy makers, who regard demographic ageing as a major challenge. For most citizens, people aged 55 years and older play a major role in key areas of society. Over 60% believe that we should be allowed to continue working after retirement age and one third says that they would like to work longer themselves. Surprisingly, people closer to retirement are more likely to share this view than the younger generation.”

Read the rest of the press release under this link.

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Holocaust Memorial Day

On Tuesday 24 January, during the run-up to Holocaust Memorial Day, we have a lunch event planned: Speak Up, Speak Out. There will be speakers, a choir recital and refreshments, and as usual everyone is welcome.

Have a look at http://www.speakupnow.org.uk/ and http://hmd.org.uk/ for more details on this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day.

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Anniversary of the passing of a great Belgian Detective

Today, January 12, marks the demise of Hercule Poirot. He died in 1976, or at least his creator Agatha Christie did. Was he the greatest ever European detective? Possibly, but what about his Belgian compatriot Tintin – the truly international amateur detective? You cannot but wonder though, when Monsieur Poirot was walking the beat in Brussels as a uniformed policeman whether his path might not have crossed that of a snowy white poodle and a cub news reporter. But maybe Europe’s greatest fictional detective wasn’t a Belgian himself but rather a Frenchman created by a Belgian. A Frenchman created by a Belgian? Elementary, my dear Watson, Commissaire Jules Maigret the child of Georges Simenon? I think I can feel a Europedirect Competition coming on.

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Yorkshire gets ready for Fairtrade Fortnight


Already in Yorkshire preparations are well under way for Fairtrade Fortnight. The Leeds Development Education Centre and Fairtrade Yorkshire have organised a taster event for schools and supporters…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile here at Europedirect Leeds you can be sure the grass is not growing under our feet either. For Fairtrade Fortnight we’re planning to invite two local school classes during the day and have an evening event for adults. Details to follow nearer the time. (The fortnight is end of Feb. beginning of March)

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