Week included P35 return, Marketing plan for induction lamps, SagePay, Franchise enq 50, WebForenics analytics, Oxford Marketing conference

First Aid Training is not just something you have to do to meet regulations

First Aid Training is not just something you have to do to meet the regulations. See this email I received today of a very real experience for a recent delegate.

Both Deborah and I would like to express our appreciation of the course that Deborah attended in February. This morning on of our tutors arrived and collapsed immediately with a suspected heart attack. Thanks to the course, Deborah dealt with him calmly and in a professional manner – she was amazing - that is the opinion of everyone here. The ambulance arrived very quickly but without Deborah’s actions who knows?
Once again, thank you for the quality of the course provided.
Carole Seward, Bursar, Oxford Centre for Mission Studies

Carole is right when she says we are grateful for all you did in running the training so effectively and helping the procedures to become second nature. I truly believe that we have not lost a dear friend today purely thanks to the training you gave me.

He was unconscious, unresponsive and lying in a very awkward manner when I arrived on the scene. He was not breathing, had no pulse, had partially swallowed his teeth and was turning a strange colour. If I am honest, I really only ever expected to stick plasters on people when I came on the course. But when I left the hospital once his wife was with him this afternoon, I realise that what you gave us was the ability to help people to hold on to life and reason until the professionals arrived. He was able to recognise me when he came round at about 3pm this afternoon. Considering we thought we had lost him, that is a truly awesome experience.

I had one moment’s panic when I was first called and saw that he was in such a bad way - that I might not remember everything perfectly. But it was over in an instant as I remembered all the clear steps you taught us to take.
Anyway. Thank you.
Deborah Lake

Week included First aid supplies service, Email marketing product demos, online forum development, franchise show, Tourism South East event

HMRC latest Security messages re Scams

An email from 'HMRC Online services - test@test.com' is being issued, stating the recipient has 1 new ALERT message, and should log into their Online Account to read the message.

The email contains a link to a fraudulent website that requests the disclosure of personal account information and password. The email is not from HMRC. If you have received a copy please forward it to us at phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk.

HMRC are also aware of a company that is issuing emails to advertise their service that applies for a rebate of National Insurance on the customer’s behalf, usually for a fee. These companies are not affiliated with HMRC in any way.

Plans now advanced for the Oxford Marketing Conference on Thursday 10th June at the Kassam Stadium Oxford

PAYE Annual Coding - Multiple or Incorrect Coding Notices:

You may have seen recently that the HMRC has recently introduced a new National Insurance and PAYE system which has caused a number of incorrect codes being issued for the new tax year in April 2010 due to discrepancies in their existing records .

For more information about those likely to be affected and what is happening, visit the HMRC website at http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/annual-coding.htm

Week included the A1 Financials Franchise day, Sage Line 50 training, HMRC online filing, First Aid DVD & screen capture videos for client

Oxford Marketing Conference 2010 to be held at the Kassam Stadium on Thursday 10th June. see www.a1-marketing.co.uk/Marketing_Conference.asp

Business Improvement

We were recently invited to the launch of the Business Improvement Programme being offered by Chapman Robinson and Moore Accountants.

The event demonstrated how empowering an audience of like minded people can be and how willing business owners are to support each other.

It was interesting to hear the research results and feedback indicating the current key issues facing small firms, which are:

Personal - work/life, time, lonely at top, exit strategy
Direction - vision, key decision making information
Cashflow - to survive, to grow
Profitability - margins, pricing, external factors
Employees - key people, selection, trust,

First Aid training DVD coming very soon.

Week included various first aid training, VAT on EU sales, Quickbooks & Sage bookkeeping, email marketing for clients, Year end Stock,

Are you using social networking?

At the last breakfast meeting of the Oxford Business Network, our speaker Alice Elliott, spoke on the subject of 'The use of Social networking in your marketing mix'. Alice spoke with expertise about Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogs. She certainly made an impression as I received 8 LinkedIn requests that day!

There was concern about the time commitment, however Alice made the important point about "controlling the noise" and managing your time to maximise its effectiveness.

Follow Alice on her blog at Thoughts of a Visual Marketer or her helpful Alice's blogging blog

Follow Mike Foster and A1 at LinkedIn or Twitter http://twitter.com/A1groupoxford

What's in your first aid box?

We are soon to celebrate the 1st anniversary of our successful first aid supplies online shop. But what should be in your first aid box?

The HSE state there is no mandatory list of contents and deciding what to include should be based on an employer's assessment of first-aid needs. As a guide, a minimum stock of first-aid items is given in HSE's free leaflet: First aid at work: your questions answered. You should make a regular check of your box and always check the 'sterile' contents ! are in date and sufficient.
It is recommended that you don’t keep tablets and medicines in the first-aid box. Also ensure scissors are also 'sterile'.

Our range of first aid supplies can be seen at our web siteComing soon: A new First aid DVD in partnership with Concept Filming and the Just Do It guides.