Author: Tina Calder

In recent years Twitter has got a bit of a bad reputation for being a ‘dying’ platform.

Not according to Lana Richardson, Digital Marketing Manager for PropertyPal. PropertyPal were early adopters of social media, and today boast over 200,000 followers across their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter profiles. 

With over 10 million visitors to their website in 2019, the business has seen 6% growth month on month in their social following.

Lana shared her top tips on how to maximise Twitter at a Lunchtime Learning session facilitated by the Cathedral Quarter BID (Business Improvement District).

She said: “Facebook and Instagram are image-heavy platforms. Twitter encourages conversation and discussion, as well as debate and disagreement. It has a different purpose for each person who uses it – some are there for current events, some for sports news, and some to follow celebrities. The character limit forces creativity and Twitter is often where viral moments start.”

You might wonder if your business has any place on Twitter, but according to Lana, the statistics speak for themselves:

• The average Twitter user follows five businesses.
• 77% of Twitter users feel more positive about a brand when their tweet is replied to. 
• 80% of Twitter users have mentioned a brand in a tweet. 
• Companies using Twitter for customer service see a 19% lift in customer satisfaction. 

As the third most popular social media platform in Northern Ireland, Lana says all business owners should consider if Twitter could add value to your business. 

Here are Lana’s top 7 tips:

1. Establish a clear brand and a clear brand voice 

Lana said: “Your brand voice will dictate what you post, how you post it, and when you post. It helps to make your business memorable and creates trust through consistency.”

2. Find some inspiration

Research other company profiles and see what kind of content you enjoy looking at, how can you make this work for your business? 

Lana explained: “Check out other businesses in the same industry as you. Many brands treat Twitter entirely differently so see what others are doing and figure out what works for you.” 

3. What do you post?

Lana advises: “Optimise your bio – it’s the first thing people see on your profile so it should give a brief explanation of who you are and give followers an idea of what to expect. An average tweet has a lifespan of just 18 minutes, so you need to focus on quality over quantity and post engaging content that will grab the attention of your audience.” 

4. Engage in conversation with trending topics

Twitter gives you an indication of what topics are popular within the trending feed. According to Lana you can use this to your advantage if it fits with your business and your target audience. Don’t try to shoehorn your brand into a trend when it doesn’t fit, but you can be creative.

5. When do you post?

There really is no hard and fast rule of when to post to Twitter. 

Lana said: “Don’t post just for the sake of it – your tweets should have purpose or being engaging in trending topics. Only post when you have something to say. If a tweet doesn’t do well within the first hour, I’ll delete it from our feed and repost it at another time.”

6. Make use of tools to help you

Twitter Analytics and Twitter Advanced Search are free and easy-to-use tools that can give you an insight into how your profile is performing and highlight areas where you could make tweaks and improvements. 

TweetDeck is another free tool that is great for scheduling content. 

“Twitter is much more fast-paced than other social media platforms, so you will want to post some content ‘live’” said Lana, adding: “And make sure you always have quick and easy access to TweetDeck to stop any scheduled posts if they are no longer suitable. For example, if news is released about a celebrity death and you have scheduled a meme that features them, that probably isn’t the best time to post that content.”

7. Have posting guidelines for what your brand does and does not do

With Twitter, you really need to cut the red tape. 

Lana explained: “Things that land and perform well on Twitter are usually more off-the-cuff and timelier in nature, so if you have to wait three days for your boss to approve a post, it just won’t land the same. Having guidelines can help with this as you can work out what you do and do not post, for example is profanity OK? The use of slang? Whatever you do just remember that Twitter is there to increase awareness of your brand, not to generate direct sales. No one likes being sold to on Twitter.”

Check out Lana’s full Lunchtime Learning on the Cathedral Quarter website: https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/whats-on/lunchtime-learning-twitter-for-small-businesses/ 

To see more Lunchtime Learning sessions go to: https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/lunchtime-learning 

Creating and developing advertising on social media can be a minefield. When you get it right, great things can happen. But, if you get it wrong it can cost you a lot of money.

Gil David, Founder of Run DMG, has spent over 13 years in sales, marketing, and business management, as well as over five years running social media adverts for a wide range of clients, including beauty chains and ecommerce stores, online coaches, and nationwide fitness franchises. 

As someone who has worked with social media advertising budgets from a few hundred pounds to £150,000 plus, Gil has a wealth of experience and tips to share.

Gil delivered an insightful session on Facebook and Instagram advertising at a Lunchtime Learning session facilitated by the Cathedral Quarter BID (Business Improvement District).

Gil’s first point may come as a bit of a surprise to many, he said: “One thing I won’t focus on in this session is targeting. It’s talked about a lot but it’s pretty straightforward to do and it isn’t as important as some of the other elements. 

“If you have a smaller budget, targeting might be more important, or if your product or service is much more niche. But if your product or service would interest a wide range of people and your main market is within Northern Ireland, the actual size of the market is too small to overly benefit from very specific targeting. 

“For example, in comparison with running advertising campaigns in America where there are millions more people.”

With that out of the way, Gil went on to explain some of his key tips and tricks to running successful Instagram and Facebook adverts. 

1. Get the Facebook pixel installed on your website

Gil explained: “This is a simple piece of code that you may be able to install yourself using a plugin or app, but if not, your web developer should be able to do this for you very quickly. The pixel is good not just for monitoring your ad performance but also for optimising adverts.”

To comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) you should have a cookie policy on your website anyway, but if you install the Facebook pixel make sure to update this, along with any other Privacy Notices, so your website users know what data you are collecting and how you plan to use it. 

2. Don’t jump straight to the sales pitch

This is especially so if you aren’t a well known brand, consumers go through a process before making a purchase – they need to know who you are, they need to like you, they need to trust you, then they’ll make the decision to buy. 

“This process fits nicely into a sales funnel where your adverts aim to increase awareness of your brand in the first instance, then to encourage interest in your products and services, before leading to a prospective customer making a purchase” said Gil, adding: “From there you can retarget customers for more sales, or to cross-sell other products and services.”

It’s unlikely that you will achieve significant sales the first time you run adverts on social media. Potential customers should first become familiar with your company and understand the benefits that your product or service will offer them, before they make the decision to purchase. 

3. Get the creative right

When it comes to adverts on social media, it is estimated that the creative (or imagery) element used contributes 47% to the overall sales contribution (targeting is 9%). The image or still (if using video) needs to be eye-catching, with videos of 30 seconds duration generally being viewed as ideal. This depends on the complexity of the product or service you offer and the needs of your target audience. 

Square 1:1 ratio (1080×1080) or tall 4:5 ratio (1080×1350) works best on Facebook and Instagram and remember to include text or captions in the video because most people tend to watch with the sound off. 

4. Entice with good copy.

Gil said: “Your offer should state who you are, what you do, and give customers a reason for them to purchase.”

And he gave these examples:

• Bad Offer – We are NI’s biggest bed store. 20% off today!
• Better Offer – The widest range of beds in NI. 20% off today. 
• Best Offer – Say goodbye to sore backs and enjoy a great night’s sleep every time with our Snooze Guarantee. NI’s widest range of beds. Get 20% off when you shop today at Sleepys. 

5. Always be testing

Gil revealed: “Test as many versions of your advert as your budget allows for. Around seven out of ten ads fail. Check on your ad results regularly. You should know within 2,000 to 3,000 impressions if the ad is successful or not. Aim for a 1% click through rate, and around £1 cost per click. Though this can depend a lot on your product or service. Stop those ads that aren’t working and double down on those that are.”

Check out Gil’s full Lunchtime Learning on the Cathedral Quarter website: https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/whats-on/lunchtime-learning-facebook-instagram-ads-doing-the-basic-well

To see more Lunchtime Learning sessions go to: https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/lunchtime-learning 

Established over 50 years ago, Queen’s Film Theatre is Northern Ireland’s only arthouse cinema, showing a diverse range of films for a diverse audience.

In recent years they have relied heavily on their clever use of Facebook in order to drive audiences to the theatre.

Ellen Reay has been the Marketing Coordinator at Queen’s Film Theatre since 2019. She has an MA in Arts Administration and Cultural Policy from University of London, and before returning to Northern Ireland to work at QFT, she previously worked in marketing for the Barbican Centre in London, the Independent Cinema Office, and London International Festival of Theatre.

Ellen delivered a Lunchtime Learning session about how businesses can maximise their use of Facebook facilitated by the Cathedral Quarter BID (Business Improvement District).

Ellen talked about her experiences of using Facebook to promote the theatre, as well as some tips and tricks she has picked up along the way.

She said: “When I started working for QFT I inherited their social media strategy, which aimed to pinpoint the focus of our social media efforts. 

“It focused on communication, information, and collaboration, but the overarching theme was community. 

“Based on this, I shifted our focus to encouraging the community (developing the brand), informing the community (generating sales), and helping the community (offering customer service via social media).” 

Here are Ellen’s key takeaways from the session:

1. Encouraging the Community (Developing the Brand)

Ellen explained that there was a massive spike in engagement on the QFT Facebook page when they celebrated the 50^th anniversary of QFT with the QFT50 campaign. 

“This campaign gave us the freedom to talk more about our organisation and our history. We created two new campaigns on Facebook – #TBT and #WeAreQFT. #TBT, or throwback-Thursday, is not a new campaign, but it gave us an easy and recognisable way to share our history with our audience. 

“We digitised our archive of programmes and image stock, so rather than them gathering dust, we were able to share them with our followers.

“#WeAreQFT was inspired by social media accounts like ‘Humans of New York. Every week a member of the QFT community is put in the spotlight. This could be a member of staff, a regular customer, or a special guest. 

“We created a questionnaire for the feature and then share the answers in the post. These posts perform exceptionally well for us, with roughly a 60% increase in reach and 670% increase in engagement compared to other posts on our page.

“The plan is to run these campaigns for a year and then take stock, with a six-month review in between. We are looking for what commonalities there are in the posts that perform well compared with those that don’t, as well as checking if there is a clear better time for QFT to post.”

2. Informing the Community (Generating Sales)

QFT have between two and 20 showings per week, and Ellen explained they rarely get a lead time that is longer than six weeks. 

She added: “To keep us agile and responsive, we have a weekly posting schedule and the rest of our content is directed by trends or business needs. We have a weekly marketing meeting, and currently post approximately every hour each weekday.

“Monday is ‘Monday Madness’ with £4 tickets, Tuesday is #WeAreQFT, Wednesday is the following week’s programme, Thursday is #TBT, and Friday is Fresh Film Friday where we talk about a new release. 

“We make a lot of our own content by putting our branding over film imagery, but we also share independent content such as reviews for films that can encourage debate.

“Facebook Events are really important to us. Special Screenings are added as events. Where a post about a screening might get 2,000 impressions, an event for the same screening would get around 32,000 impressions.”

3. Helping the Community (Customer Service via Facebook)

“We have a contact number and contact page on our website, but we are finding more and more that people are turning to social media to make enquiries or ask for advice” said Ellen, adding: “We use Facebook Messenger for customer service. We communicate in an automatic reply how long it should take to receive a response, and we also use automatic replies for frequently asked questions.”

QFT’s successful use of Facebook to market their business should inspire small business owners to try new things on the platform. 

When considering your Facebook strategy Ellen said: “Think about your strategy, your brand, personalising your content, using word of mouth, and make sure to evaluate and review performance and make tweaks based on the results. 

“A lot of marketers are short on time, but this step is important. Also, while Facebook is a key component of our marketing strategy and a lot of what we do is organic, to get your brand in front of a new audience, you generally have to pay for some Facebook advertising.” 

Check out Ellen’s full Lunchtime Learning on the Cathedral Quarter website: https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/whats-on/lunchtime-learning-how-the-qft-uses-facebook-to-put-bums-on-seats/

To see more Lunchtime Learning sessions go to: https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/lunchtime-learning 

Arguments for and against wearing school uniforms have raged since time immemorial. From ‘reducing peer pressure’ and ‘improving focus’ to ‘stifling individuality’ and ‘unaffordable cost for parents’, there’s no doubt that there are both pros and cons for uniforms. 

For parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), however, the list of ‘cons’ is never-ending. That’s because, in addition to the usual gripes that children may have with wearing school uniforms, children with ASD have their own specialised, individual issues with it. 

Meta Auden, founder of Spectra Sensory Clothing explained: “If you’re a parent of a child with ASD, you’ll be only too aware of how many problems your child can experience with regard to clothing, let alone the additional problems posed by having to wear a school uniform. 

“Your child may, for example, have a sensitivity to certain materials and labels. School uniforms may throw up a raft of extra problems, such as washing labels, itchy materials and seams. We recently heard of one child, who repeatedly developed a patch on her neck, which seemed to arise from wearing her school polo shirt. She has now become so sensitive to even the sight of the polo shirt that she is refusing to go to school

“Perhaps you have a child, who only wants to wear jogging pants and T-shirts? How do you persuade them to wear a shirt and more ‘formal’ trousers?

“Or maybe your child isn’t toilet trained when they first start school? Then you’re faced with the dilemma of how to fit nappies under traditional school trousers: trousers which, as you know, he won’t tolerate in the slightest anyway.”

According to Meta, the same goes for if you have a daughter, who refuses to wear the regulation skirt. How do you circumvent this issue?

The answer to many of the problems created by school uniforms can lie in a sensory clothing range, which also offers school uniform items: items which look like traditional uniforms, but have the added advantage of providing the most comfort and least sensory irritation to your child. 

These items contain special features, which may be the answer to your prayers:

• If your child is affected by certain types of material, for example, a sensory school clothing range can enable your child to wear soft clothing items, such as a T-shirt, under their school clothes as a ‘barrier’ to calm any potential irritation caused by the school items
• Autism-friendly socks, meanwhile, are completely seamless, therefore removing the need for your child to itch and scratch at seams throughout the school day
• Necklines on tops and shirts may also be worn inside or out, enabling your child to wear the top whichever way feels most comfortable to them and removing any potential embarrassment about having their T-shirt on ‘the wrong way round’.
• Shirt collars may have ‘soft collars’ for maximum comfort and may come with imitation buttons, meaning that your child can put the shirt on over their head instead of having to struggle with buttons.

“As a parent of a child with ASD, you’ll be only too aware of how difficult it is for your child to concentrate and focus for long periods of time” said Meta, “You want them to get the most out of their education and school experience – not having them spending the whole school day focussing on the discomfort and distress caused by what they’re wearing.”

For many families sensory clothing may provide both they and their child with peace of mind. 

Find out more about Spectra Sensory’s uniform options at spectrasensoryclothing.co.uk/product-category/school-uniform

For the first time ever the YMCA’s extensive Greenhill residential facilities in Newcastle, County Down will be available to the general public to book.

Prior to the Covid 19 outbreak, the national YMCA centre was only available to YMCA young people and community groups. But due to the restrictions on school and youth group residentials, it has cabins, chalets, and a guest house which can now be booked by families for a short time.

Centre manager at Greenhill, Kenny Baxter, said the work of the YMCA continues to be to support vulnerable young people as a core part of its mission, but now we have the opportunity to welcome families to our beautiful site on the side of the Mournes..

“We have a range of self-catering accommodation that is used and enjoyed by 10,000 young people every year,” he explained. 

“While that outdoor learning experience is part of our essential work that we hope to return to very soon, we are delighted to be able to offer the accommodation sited in beautiful surroundings to another audience.”

In Donard Forest Park, Greenhill has five cabins that would be the perfect location for a family staycation, and two large chalets ideal for groups such as walkers or cyclists.

“Greenhill is more than just accommodation, there are always a diverse group of volunteers here to welcome you,” said Kenny. 

“Opening up to the public and enabling them to experience what we have on offer is a key part of this move.

“Our mission is to develop a society where children and young people can freely explore, learn and develop. Making our facilities open to the public will allow us to make sure our excellent facilities are used for the benefit of young people in the future.”

“Our mission is to develop a society where children and young people can freely explore, learn and develop. Making our facilities open to the public will allow us to make sure our excellent facilities are used for the benefit of young people in the future.”

Any revenue generated will be ploughed back into Greenhill to help us through these difficult times to return back to doing the work that we have been doing on this site for many years.

Over the recent lockdown period staff and volunteers provided support for young people with significant additional needs, delivered food parcels in the community, and engaged in online youth work support with local and international young people.To find out more, or to book one of the facilities at Greenhill visit greenhill-ymca.org

Most women have a best friend group, the women closest to us in our lives that we share unforgettable memories with. 

“We all think we’re unique and special in our own way. But, every friendship group has a classic stereotype of characters” said artist and designer Kelsey Tyson, owner of Girl Limit, a home accessories and beauty brand.

I mean it would be pretty boring if we were all the same, right? 

Here are 8 types of friends we all have, which one are you?

1. The Organised One

Just like Monica from “Friends” you need to have a plan of action all the time. You’re probably the one who organised the Whatsapp group chat or the one who makes the dinner reservations. 

You’re smart, level-headed and always remain calm under pressure. So if you find yourself always organising the taxis home on a night out then you’re more than likely the organised friend of the group. 

2. The Funny One 

Just like Megan from “Bridesmaids” you’re always up for a laugh. 

You’re always making jokes even in awkward situations, always lightening the mood. You know how to cheer your friends up even on down days and you always look on the bright side of life.

3. The Photogenic One 

You always look picture-perfect, the “Kim Kardashian” of the group. You stand out in pictures, even in the dreaded tagged photos from the night before.

You’re the envy of all your friends. You’re always sharing your skincare routine with the group and beauty tips, much to their appreciation. 

4. The Mum of the Group

Always find yourself reminding the girls to bring their passport to the airport? Or on hand with the ice cream and wine when there’s a break-up? 

Then you’re more than likely the mum of the group. You always know what to say in tense situations and you’re wise before your years. Everyone looks to you for advice and you’re most definitely the “hugger” of the group. 

5. The Competitive One

Everything is a race with you. You’re always cheering your friends on and hyping them up to be the best they possibly can be.

You want your friends to win and achieve their goals. You always speak words of wisdom and refer to favourite motivational quotes to inspire your friends. You’re always the one hosting games night and 9 times out of 10 you’re on the winning team. 

6. The Tough Friend

Like Jen Harding from “Dead to me” you’re always telling it like it is. You give your friends tough love and always have their back. You don’t care what anyone thinks, whether it’s sticking up for your friends in a fight or sending back the wrong food in a restaurant, you most certainly won’t let anyone walk all over you- or your friends! 

7. The party animal 

You’re always ready to party and always the last to leave. You have the energy of a five-year old and you’re always positive. 

You can convince your friends in seconds to stay for “just one more”. Your friends can always count on you for a good time and to lift their spirits when they’re feeling down. 

8. The Social Media Savvy Friend 

You always want to take selfies, everywhere you go is a photo opportunity, the world really is your stage.

You’re always on the lookout for the perfect photo backdrop and you will stand for as long as it takes snapping photos of your friends to get the right angle. Your friends can count on you to make everything look perfect and be their professional photographer on day-trips or nights out.

Looking for the perfect gift for one of your girls? Check out the Girl Limit collection at https://bit.ly/girllimit 

Soulful Singer/Songwriter Jacqui Sharkey has released the second single from her E.P. Home, hot on the heels of the title track of the same name released last month.

Her beautiful arrangement and performance of the Dutch brothers, Cornelis and Thomas Tol’s song Just An Illusion was specially chosen by Jacqui, as the words resonated so much with her.

“Of the covers I have chosen to record on my new EP and album, I was really drawn most to this song as soon as I heard it,” she explained.  “I am all about lyrics, and for me, ‘Just An Illusion’ sums it all up, really.

“The Music Industry is a very hard and crazy business, and one which I will never understand. It can be cruel at times for musicians in different ways, but, regardless of the pitfalls, there is nothing like that feeling when you are creating or performing music. Then all the hard stuff almost fades into oblivion.”

Jacqui’s E.P. entitled Home is due for release on July 31st, 2020, and includes Until Then, one of Jacqui’s own original songs.  Jacqui recently shared a live performance of the track for Social Media, recorded from her home in Bunbeg in West Donegal, along with her friend, Musician and Music Director, Ray McLoughlin, who accompanied Jacqui on the recording on piano from his home in County Westmeath. 

The Donegal based Singer/ Songwriter, known for her soulful, deep tones, has three albums under her belt, and since her smash hit cover of The Waterboys’ Whole of the Moon, she has been taking time to reflect on her journey so far, as well as writing and recording tracks for a forthcoming album.

Jacqui hadn’t anticipated she would have so much time, given the current situation.

“At the moment, in these crazy times, the industry hangs in the balance, with gigs postponed and everything up in the air,” she said. As to what will happen next? Who knows?
I didn’t see this coming!  I don’t know what’s next other than to watch that space.

“I can’t go for long without writing, recording and performing. Music is truly my sanity and my peace, and I can’t imagine life without it. Music creates feelings and feelings create music. I am blessed to be able to do it, and I am looking forward to sharing Just An Illusion and quite a few new songs in 2020.”

Just An Illusion is OUT NOW and Jacqui’s E.P. HOME will be released on July 31, 2020.Find out more at  or jacquisharkey.com or connect with Jacqui Sharkey on social media.

View post

July’s free webinars from Excalibur Press kicks off with a session this Thursday (July 2) with founder Tina Calder telling attendees just what she does in order to organise, promote and deliver her webinars each week.

Running A Webinar? Here’s What I Do Each Week is the latest session publicity management, content creation and copywriting company Excalibur Press has been running for the last three months to support businesses and individuals to transform their business and take advantage of online opportunities quickly.

A total of seven sessions will be held throughout July including topics such as blogging, podcasts, and maximising use of LinkedIn.

Tina will use over two decades of experience in media, publicity, publishing and content creation to deliver unique “action orientated” sessions.

She said: “At the beginning of the Covid crisis like many businesses I was in shock at the speed at which my business was changing. Clients were no longer able to commit to budgets and large projects were put on hold.

“I could have very easily just settled in, bunkered down and weathered the storm waiting for things to come back again but I decided that was 100% the wrong thing to do.

“I realised quickly that if I could use my experience to help people learn new skills and cope with the crisis a little better then I could create a wonderful community of learners and welcome them into the Excalibur Press family through our online brand The Content Club.

“These webinars offer me a great way to connect with the business community and find out exactly what services they need and want during this time.”

The July 2 session – Running A Webinar? Here’s What I Do Each Week, begins at 3pm and will see Tina outlining what she does each week for her series of successful webinars.

“This week I’ll run through what I do behind the scenes, what systems and processes I use and explain how to streamline creating your webinar” said Tina.

The following Wednesday (July 8) Tina will present Do You Want To Start Podcasting? Here’s How!, equipping attendees with everything they need to know to get started, including the required tools, to set up their first podcast.

On Thursday July 9 attendees of the weekly sessions will be able to hear Tina delivering Setting Up Your First Webinar? Here’s How!

“This session has been tailored to show how webinars can help businesses and individuals supercharge their marketing and sales efforts, as well as establishing them as real influencers and market leaders,” Tina explained.

The July series continues with Turning Your Face To Face Training Into An Online Course (July 15), Creating A Thought Leadership Strategy (July 16), Blogging for Business (July 22), and Supercharge Your LinkedIn With Great Content (July 30).

“We’ve set aside an hour and a half for each webinar which will help you start thinking about what you need to do to begin reaching towards online success,” Tina said.

Throughout each session Tina aims to simplify the process, as well as an opportunity for questions and answers to give attendees real and practical tips and advice.

For more information on all the events go to excaliburpress.co.uk/events

To register for Running A Webinar? Here’s What I Do Each Week go to https://bit.ly/3fvaFhk

The global Coronavirus pandemic was unprecedented. It has had a significant impact on our working and social lives and has been responsible for a high number of deaths throughout the UK. 

As necessary but restrictive lockdown measures are eased to help secure the UK’s economy, workforces across the country return to a “new normal”. 

For many organisations, additional safety measures need to be implemented and maintained to reduce risk and to help control the spread of the virus. 

Michelle Tyson, CEO of Tyson Wilson Recruitment & Tyson Wilson Temps has been preparing both her candidates and clients for creating safe environments for people returning to their offices and places of work.

She said: “There are a wide range of safety measures available to help protect your employees, customers, and the wider community. 

“Some measures are more useful or applicable in certain sectors, with a range of government guidance available online. 

“However, at Tyson Wilson we have identified five measures that are more generally applicable and can help you to ensure you have taken reasonable steps to keep your workforce safe from COVID-19.

“Not only that, we currently have a policy and procedure in place to train all our candidates being placed in temporary and permanent positions on things such as hand washing, sanitising work spaces, wearing PPE to prepare them for entering workplaces where they will have to adhere to strict rules and regulations.”

1. Carry out a Coronavirus-specific Risk Assessment

Risk Assessments are common documents across all sectors and industries that typically list the hazards present in the workplace, or hazards that are created by carrying out a range of tasks and duties. The assessments indicate the level of risk from each hazard, as well as listing specific control measures that must be implemented to mitigate risk. 

“Carrying out a Coronavirus Risk Assessment helps ensure you take a methodical approach to assessing risk and identifying reasonable control measures that can be implemented to reduce risk” said Michelle, adding: “The assessment should be detailed enough to cover all activities that are undertaken by your organisation, as well as identifying all persons who could be at risk. Once complete, the document can be sent to all employees and displayed in a prominent location at your premises to ensure it is well communicated and understood.”

2. Maintain remote-working practices, where possible

Michelle explained: “While the government is taking steps to reduce restrictive lockdown measures, key advice to employers remains the same – where your employees can work from home, they should be working from home. 

“Many organisations adapted quickly to remote working practices, including the use of video conferencing software, setting up group chats, and carrying out daily or weekly team briefings. Unless your employees do work that is of a nature that cannot be carried out from home, such as production operatives and construction workers, then remote working practices should be implemented and maintained.”

3. Implement workplace social distancing measures

For employees who cannot work from home, it is vital that social distancing measures are implemented in the workplace. 

Michelle said: “As of June 23^rd 2020, the guidance is two metre social distancing. To help enforce this, employers can introduce a range of measures including: reduced numbers in the workplace at any one time, spreading out the workforce by changing the layout of offices and work spaces, minimising the maximum number of people permitted to be in one room, staggering tea and lunch breaks, allowing employees to eat at their desks or stations to reduce cross-contamination in communal areas, restricting visitors to the workplace, erecting perspex screens and dividers, marking out social distancing lines on floors, and putting up posters as a reminder to socially distance.”

4. Implement a robust cleaning regime and hygiene practices

“Thorough cleaning regimes that were introduced at the start of the pandemic need to be maintained” said Michelle.

“This can include frequent disinfection of surfaces, equipment, door handles, and other touch points, regular emptying of bins, and removing shared cutlery and cups from use, etc. 

“In addition, adequate hand hygiene must be maintained, and employees should have access to a suitable supply of hand washing materials, barrier and emollient creams, and hand sanitiser. A wide range of hands-free dispensers have become available on the market from local suppliers.” 

5. Supply and proper fitting of appropriate PPE

Michelle advised: “Where it is difficult to maintain social distancing, or work activities require employees to be in areas that have higher levels of traffic (or if employees feel more secure with PPE available), you should provide suitable PPE such as face masks or covering, or full face shields. 

“This is particularly common for employees in the hospitality sector, in supermarkets, and on public transport. If supplying PPE to employees, ensure they know the correct methods to don and doff the equipment to ensure it provides adequate protection.” 

More information for employers can be found on the NI Direct website and the HSE website. The HSE website provides guidance for the UK and the rules in Northern Ireland may differ slightly. 

However, in general, the advice with regards to health and safety measures in the workplace is robust. 

For more information log onto tysonwilsonrecruitment.co.uk

In many cases your website is your shop window, the place people will go to find out more about you and your product or service before making the decision to buy.

Getting it right is imperative to ensure your potential customer moves through your customer journey to convert into a solid sale.

Damien Maddalena is the founder of Elucidate Studios. Based in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, Elucidate aim to design, develop, and deploy meaningful brand and digital experiences through exploration, experimentation, and collaboration. 

Building websites since the early days of the internet, Damien has more years’ experience than he cares to remember.

Damien delivered a talk at a Lunchtime Learning session facilitated by the Cathedral Quarter BID (Business Improvement District) full of tips for small business owners.

Here are Damien’s key questions you need to answer for anyone thinking of building or changing their business website: 

“Your website should be at the centre of your digital universe” said Damien, adding: “All your online activity should direct users to your website for more information – from social media, to email marketing. All your offline marketing activity should also point to your website – from letterheads to print adverts. Your website acts as a centralised online hub for your business.”

A website creates a destination for those who want to know more about your business, acts as an archive for content, news, and stories about your business, and is a simple means of contact for your customers and potential customers to find you and get in touch. As such a key communication tool, it’s important that your website is high quality and effective. 

Key Questions For SME Website Development

• What is your business strategy and how will a website help you meet your business objectives?
• What does your current online presence look like and what needs to change?
• Who is your online audience, and how do you find them? How do they find you?
• How do you perform online compared to your competitors?

Damien explained: “Websites are not vanity projects. It is a functional tool for your business. Consider your wants versus your needs when designing and developing your website. What is going to add value to your business? Sliding banners and additional features like moving components might look good, and maybe your competitor has them, but what value are they going to add to your website?”

What else should you ask yourself?

• What does the website need to do? 
• What is the scope of your website development project? The scope will impact on your design and functionality needs, and ultimately on your budget. 
• Have you considered mobile responsiveness, search engine optimisation, hosting and security?

“Your website design should represent and reflect your brand” said Damien.

“Core features include a home page, an about page, product or services pages, a news or blog section, a contact page, and a cookie policy/privacy notice. Additional features can include an online booking system, customer portal or login area, and an ecommerce online store.

“Spend sufficient time scoping and planning your website from the start. Adding in functionality down the line can be costly and make the design and development process much more difficult. This is known as “reactive creep.”

But it’s not just about the structure of your website that businesses need to consider when developing their website, said Damien. He identified the following questions as integral to the website build.

• Do you have a plan for the content of your website? If you are not comfortable or confident writing this yourself, you can hire a copywriter to write it for you. 
• Do you have high resolution logos, artwork and images for your website? Or do you need to hire a graphic designer to create these for you?
• What are your expectations for the website? Have you seen samples of things that you like that you could show to your web developer?

Damien added: “Some website developers will have graphic design and copywriting skills in-house, but many won’t. It’s up to you to make sure all the content and imagery is how you want it to be. Not having the content ready can delay the creation and launch of the website, so make sure you have thought about this in advance.”

Practical questions

• What on-going support do you need from a website developer? Most websites will require plugin or security updates at a minimum, some will also require a budget for on-going tweaks and improvements over time.  
• How do you choose which website developer to go with? Ask to see a portfolio of their work or speak with some of the clients they have worked with in the past. 
• Are you happy to use a WordPress or similar website developer who designs using templates, or do you want a website that is fully bespoke? What does your budget allow?

Check out Damien’s full Lunchtime Learning which goes into a lot of detail on the questions you should be asking yourself, as well as your website developer, as an SME that is planning on commissioning a new website on the Cathedral Quarter website: https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/whats-on/lunchtime-learning-websites-for-smesTo see more Lunchtime Learning sessions go to: https://www.cathedralquarterbelfast.com/lunchtime-learning