E-Newsletter May 2003

Dear Reader,

We preach regular communication to all our clients and, at long last we are now heeding some of our own advice.

This is the first of what we expect to be a regular flow of information to help you develop your business the way you want it to grow. We have included: case studies, briefing papers, and resource information that should help you save money and/or grow your revenue.

We would love your feedback on all we have included here. We also very much welcome requests for specific information in future editions – we will do our best to oblige. Finally, we hope you enjoy this newsletter and look forward to supporting you in the achievement of your business vision and goals.

Briefing Paper: Survival Tips In Difficult Times
The current economic environment is challenging to say the least. We have compiled some suggestions that will help you weather the storm and grow even in this climate. Click here to read more.

Case Study: How a marketing company raised development finance
This young marketing company had been successfully serving a niche market for two years. They decided to move upstream and become suppliers to competitor marketing organisations as well as their original client pool. Read about their journey by clicking here.

Useful Information: What to consider when relocating to your own premises
Are you contemplating buying business premises? Click here for a run down of the associated costs before you take the plunge.

Platinum News
•	New Website: We are delighted to launch our redesigned website (see www.platinum-business.com). We hope you find it easy to navigate and helpful.
•	New Faces: Marketing Manager – Asomi Ithia, joins us with a wealth of experience gained in the software and services industries. He is looking forward to helping those clients that wish to significantly increase their turnover.

Resources
•	Using PR can be a cost effective way of developing a higher profile amongst your target market. We discovered a website www.pr4everyone.com, that provides great tips and support for managers working on a shoestring or if you just want ideas to get started.
•	Getting Business To Come to You – is a good book I discovered during the early days of running Platinum Business. It is a practical guide on the different approaches you can employ to develop your business and although it is targeted at new businesses, many of the ideas apply just as well to more established businesses. I found it very easy to read, clear and OK to dip-in as and when. The only downside is that the authors are Americans – therefore it does come across as “from over the pond”. Notwithstanding, if you are interested in new ideas, do go to our home page and click on the Book Of The Month link.

Joke corner
Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?
•	KINDERGARTEN TEACHER: To get to the other side.
•	ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross roads.
•	BILL GATES: I have just released the new Chicken Office 2000, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your chequebook.
•	BILL CLINTON: I did not, and I repeat, did not have sexual relations with that chicken.
•	TIMOTHY LEARY: Because that's the only trip the establishment would let it take.
•	RONALD REAGAN: I forget.
•	CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK: To boldly go where no chicken has gone before.
•	ACCENTURE: Deregulation of the chicken's side of the road was threatening its dominant market position. The chicken was faced with significant challenges to create and develop the competencies required for the newly competitive market. Andersen Consulting, in a partnering relationship with the client, helped the chicken by rethinking its physical distribution strategy and implementation processes. Using the Poultry Integration Model (PIM), Andersen helped the chicken use its skills, methodologies, knowledge, capital and experiences to align the chicken's people, processes and technology in support of its overall strategy within a Program Management framework. Accenture convened a diverse cross-spectrum of road analysts and best chickens along with Anderson consultants with deep skills in the transportation industry to engage in a two-day itinerary of meetings in order to leverage their personal knowledge capital, both tacit and explicit, and to enable them to synergize with each other in order to achieve the implicit goals of delivering and successfully architecting and implementing an enterprise-wide value framework across the continuum of poultry cross-median processes. The meeting was held in park-like setting, enabling and creating an impactful environment which was strategically based, industry focused, and built upon a consistent, clear, and unified market message and aligned with the chicken's mission, vision, and core values. This was conducive towards the creation of a total business.
•	LOUIS FARRAKHAN: The road, you see, represents the black man. The chicken 'crossed' the black man in order to trample him and keep him down.
•	MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads without having their motives called into question.
•	MOSES: And God came down from the Heavens, and He said unto the chicken, "Thou shalt cross the road." And the chicken crossed the road, and there was much rejoicing.
•	FOX MULDER: You saw it cross the road with your own eyes. How many more chickens have to cross the road before you believe it?
•	RICHARD M. NIXON: The chicken did not cross the road. I repeat, the chicken did NOT cross the road.
•	MACHIAVELLI: The point is that the chicken crossed the road. Who cares why? The end of crossing the road justifies whatever motive there was.
•	JERRY SEINFELD: Why does anyone cross a road? I mean, why doesn't anyone ever think to ask, What the heck was this chicken doing walking around all over the place, anyway?"
•	FREUD: The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.
•	CHARLES DARWIN: Chickens, over great periods of time, have been naturally selected in such a way that they are now genetically disposed to cross roads.
•	ALBERT EINSTEIN: Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.
•	COLONEL SANDERS: I missed one?
•	PAT BUCHANAN: To steal a job from a decent, hard working American.
•	L.A. POLICE DEPARTMENT: Give us five minutes with the chicken and we'll find out.
•	BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with THAT chicken. However, I did ask Vernon Jordan to find the chicken a job in New York

And finally,
We hope you have enjoyed this newsletter. Do please forward it on to any colleagues you feel may be interested.

If you have received this newsletter through a colleague and wish to register for future editions, or, if you would like additional information on any of the topics above, please click here and complete the form provided.

If you no longer wish to receive further editions of this newsletter, please click here and we will ensure that you are not bothered again.

Wishing you success in all your endeavours,

Bambo Onigbanjo
Managing Director
Platinum Business Consultants Ltd
0845 054 5061

News

"London MAS Business Development Workshops - can you afford not to attend?"

***We are delighted to announce that Platinum has won the 2nd contract for Access to Finance- 2007/08***

***Can we make your accounts and business finance one less thing to worry about?***

Briefing Papers

Helping Business Owners Deliver Revenue
Green Money
Working with your Bank

Case Studies

Securing Grant for Shop-fitting Company "New"
Regional Telco
Marketing Company
National Telco

Services

For Start Ups
For Small Businesses
Medium-size Business