1. MyNewsletterHELPING YOUR BUSINESS MAKE HEADLINES SEPTEMBER 2014 EDITION 1
LIGHT BULBS ON
IN LANZAROTE
W
elcome to the first edition of the MyNews Letter which will be delivered to more
than 1,000 of our lovely customers every month.
We’ve worked hard on it to make sure it will be filled with articles to help you
grow your business, give you some inspiration, have a bit of fun and get to know a bit
more about what happens at the MyNews Mansion. (We don’t really have
a mansion but we do have quite a nice office in Apsley Lock and it’s next
door to a pub).
The idea for this newsletter came while I was on holiday with the Allen clan
in Lanzarote in July.
Our family fortnight in the sun is always a time when I can relax, refresh
and from a business perspective, reflect and get some new energy and
ideas.
During our stay we were well looked after by our holiday rep, Lorraine, who
popped in every other day to make sure everything was ok and to check we
were happy. Even when we weren’t in, she’d pop a little note through the
door saying she was just a call away if we needed her.
Now,Lorrainedidn’tpopbytryingtosellusexcursionsorpromotespecific
bars, restaurants or days out. She quietly turned up, was unobtrusive,
answered any questions we had and made useful suggestions about
INSIDE THIS MONTH
| Are you a Special One?
| Top Tips for Awesome Advertising
| Meet MyTeam
| Success story - KLBS
| Ask us
‘
‘Don’t think what’s the cheapest way to do it
or what’s the fastest way to do it...think
‘what’s the most amazing way to do it’
Richard Branson
Photo courtsey of PA Images

2. things we could go and visit on the island.
I was really impressed with her and her commitment to keeping in contact during our stay. If we ever visit
Lanzarote again her villa hire company will be the first call we make.
When I started MyNews in Abbots Langley in 2006, keeping in touch with customers was probably
my favourite thing to do. Whether it was having a chat with the local butcher or sharing a
drink with the village’s travel agent; that no pressure regular rapport paid dividends. It built
relationships and in some cases lasting friendships.
The growth of our magazines has meant that over the years I’ve had less and less time to
keep in regular contact with clients.
But thanks to Lorraine from Lanzarote I had a light bulb moment while sipping a poolside
G & T. If I can’t call or visit all my customers regularly we’ll create a great newsletter to
let people know we are always here to help. And here it is folks.
I think there’s great value in Lorraine’s long term thinking approach to customer care.
She could’ve taken the fast buck option of immediately trying to sell to us.
She may have even made a few quid more out of us. But whatever the commission she
could have gained for flogging us a family ticket for a Canarian cruise, that’s dwarfed by the
goodwill she created and the numerous recommendations we’ve made to our friends about her.
When we look at our schedules I’m pretty sure even the busiest of us could find an hour every
month to make contact with our customers.
After that light bulb moment in Lanzarote I asked myself the following questions.
How do we keep in touch with our customers? Could we improve your relationships with them by
more regular contact? And finally when was the last time we called up a customer, past or present, to see how they were getting on?
It was reflecting on things while on holiday that led us to create MyNews letter as a way of keeping in contact AND just as importantly
sharing some of our expertise in marketing and advertising.
We also plan to invite other experts in their fields to contribute to the newsletter. These guest columnists will include local leaders
from accountancy, social media, Public Relations, estate agencies and many other industries useful to business people like you.
In the spirit of keeping in touch I’m inviting all of you lovely people to pop in for a cuppa and a chat at our offices. See below for
more details.
Have a great month, stay safe and keep busy. Nik
Every Friday morning at the MyNews Mansion we put the kettle on in
Nik’s office and get the biscuits out.
Being a sociable bunch we often have guests popping over for a
cuppa and a chat about marketing and advertising ideas for their
businesses.
So if you’d like to pop over and have a chat call 01442 257015 or
send an email to nik@mynewsmag.co.uk

3. Are you a Special One?
It’s over ten years ago now since a relatively unknown but highly
rated young football manager crashed his way into British minds
by declaring ‘I’m a Special One’.
Love him or loathe him one thing about Jose Mourinho is that
everyone knows him. I tested this theory on my lovely wife, Lisa,
by asking her if she had heard of him. Despite having no interest
in football she replied ‘Yes, the good looking guy from Portugal.’
BeforeandafterthatboldannouncementinJune2004Mourinho
has backed up his boast on loads of occasions by winning trophies
in four different countries.
When he confidently uttered those few short words he
immediately set himself apart from other football managers. The
press even reported this with disdainful enthusiasm ‘You wouldn’t
get Sir Alex saying that’ or ‘Wenger would never be so vain’.
However, he was saying it on the back of two record seasons of
success at Porto where he won the UEFA and Champions League
trophies consecutively. This was important because he was not
only telling people he was great, he was also showing them the
evidence why.
Mourinho had put himself firmly into what’s called in the world
of business, a ‘category of one’.
His category: A ‘special’ football manager. Every success (and
to a point failure) he’s had since has referred back to that master
stroke of self promotion.
Here at MyNews we have unearthed our category of one. We
are ‘the UK’s only tabloid newspaper published as a glossy
magazine.’
I’ve come across other people in different industries around the
countrywhohavethroughhardwork,thinkingdifferentlyandgoing
that extra mile for customers, carved out their own categories.
There’s the tyre shop that runs (yes they actually run) up to cars
when they pull onto the forecourt. How about the electrician who
cleverly and superbly subtly markets himself by using postcards?
Rather than randomly distribute his postcards he puts them
through doors of houses near or next to the one he is working in on
anygivenday.Themessagesonthecardsaresimpleyetprofound.
They’re along the lines of ‘We’re working at your neighbours.
There might be a bit of drilling noise which we apologise for. If
you’d like us to move our van for any reason just let us know. If
you need any electrical work done please let us know.’ And guess
what? He ALWAYS gets jobs from those courtesy cards.
How many tradespeople do you know who do this? I don’t know
any, thus securing a category of one for this super sparky.
By finding your category of one you turn your business into
less of a commodity. This makes it much harder for customers to
compare you to someone else and in turn it makes your business
and its services, more desirable to them.
What could you do today to make your business stand apart
from your competition?
How would you show the world what’s special about what you
do and how you do it?
Jose Mourinho dubbed himself ‘The Special One’
and instantly created his very own category
Photo courtsey of Chelsea FC/PA Images

4. 11 Top Tips for Awesome
Advertising Campaigns
Advertising is an investment not a cost
Sir Richard Branson
No matter how great your company’s product or service is, if you don’t advertise, nobody will know about it. The goal of any advertising
campaignshouldbetocost-effectivelyreachthelargestaudiencepossibleandattract newcustomers.Whendonecorrectly,advertising
can be a wonderful investment for a small business. If done badly, advertising can become a huge money pit.
Here’s some tips from the MyNews team for getting your advertising to work wonders.
1. GO AFTER YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE
An advertising campaign should be geared toward your niche market. It is a
common mistake to create generic ads that do not speak the language or grab the
attention of your potential customers.
Ask yourself what kind of customers you want to attract, and make sure your ads
speak to them on a personal level.
2. HIGHLIGHT WHAT MAKES YOU SPECIAL
A key to all advertising is to promote the plus points of your company.
Which factors that give you your competitive edge?
Too many ads are really quite clever but fail to sell the specific benefits of the featured product or service. Unless you highlight these
benefits, your advert delivers no value to potential customers and won’t get them to contact you.
3. CREATE AN IMAGE – BE CONSISTENT
You can recognize the McDonald’s arches when you see it. Likewise, there are plenty of products that you recognise by the colour of
their packaging or logo design.
Image counts when it comes to advertising and promoting your business. A lot of advertisers do not work to build a consistent image,
and they’re missing the chance to make an impression on prospective customers. Be consistent and people will start recognising you.
4. SPEND MONEY TO MAKE MONEY
There are ways to save money and cut costs in business, but advertising is typically not the place to
do it. Doing so will affect sales, and that affects profit. Successful advertising may cost some money,
but that is because it works.
‘
‘

5. 5. ADVERTISE IN THE RIGHT PLACES
Your favourite magazine, radio station, or website might not be a favourite of your audience
(Refer back to Tip number 1). Do some research about your target market to understand who
they are and determine what they read, browse, and listen to. Then advertise in the right
media to ensure you reach your target market.
6. WORK YOUR BUDGET OUT WISELY
If you budget £400 per month for advertising, you’ve made it very easy from a book-keeping perspective. However, if like most businesses
you have seasonal highs and lows, you are spending too much money advertising during down times and not enough when you want to
attract customers. Too many businesses do not budget according to their seasonal advertising needs.
7. AVOID ‘ALL EGGS IN ONE BASKET’ SYNDROME
It is all too common for business owners to choose the best place to advertise based on price and potential
rate of returns, and then stop. As is the case with investing, you do not want to put all of your eggs in one
basket. Spread your advertising budget around by choosing a variety of suitable media for your audience
and budget.
8. YOU CAN’T BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE
No product or service will appeal to everyone. You might love sausages but what
about the vegetarians out there.
Many business owners try to come up with ways to reach every market. Unless you
have a HUGE advertising budget this approach does not work. It can spell disaster
for small businesses, who cannot afford to spread themselves too thin. Therefore,
find your market, focus on it and establish yourself in their mind.
9. GET FEEDBACK ON YOUR ADVERTS IN ADVANCE
If you have the time or money to invest in focus groups, you should test your ads
on other people. Do they understand and accept the message you are trying to get
across? If not, run your advert by a couple of friends (especially if they fit your target
market) and get their opinions on it.
10. BE PREPARED FOR CALLS
Before your advert is printed make sure you are in a position to handle a rise in
calls. One of our pet hates here at MNL is businesses who do not have personalised voicemail or a recorded message set up in the
event they miss a call. How annoying is it when your enquiry doesn’t get answered.
Imagine you’re a customer who has just seen your advert, likes what they see and wants to get a quote or book your service.
Grrrrrrr!!!! That prospective customer, feeling ignored, will probably just call one of your competitors. Be prepared.
11. THE TRIANGLE TECHNIQUEWe love a bit of intrigue at the MyNews Mansion. So to discover this last, but wickedly powerful tip drop us an email at nik@
mynewsmag.co.uk and we will send you it.
ANSWER
ME

6. Meet MyTeam
Every edition we’ll introduce a new member of our team to you.
This month it’s our designing diamond, Nik’s right hand woman
and the office’s go to girl Miss Misha Mistry.
Misha has worked at MyNews for 18 months and during that time she’s become a
crucial part of the team.
We asked Misha;
How would you describe yourself?
I’ve been called the northerner of MyNews even though I’m from the
Midlands! I’m a perfectionist, with a touch of mild OCD so I’m told. I love
to have a laugh and am friendly and down to earth. I love a challenge and I
like to meet my targets and deadlines.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
It’s brilliant that I get to be creative every day.
What is the biggest challenge you face on a daily basis?
People not meeting their deadlines really frustrates me.
What’s the most frequent thing you hear said in the MyNews office?
Where’s their artwork?
Give us a couple of your design diamonds for creating great looking
adverts:
Keep it clean and uncluttered, use a strong image or eye catching
headline. Don’t forget to give the reader a reason to respond – using a
time specific special offer can work really well.
Quick quiz:
PC or Mac? Mac
Eastenders or Downton Abbey? Eastenders
Facebook or Twitter? Facebook
All night party or in bed by 10pm? Depends…if I can recover from a
hangover of partying all night :o) but generally bed by 10pm on a school night
Nik Allen or Rupert Murdoch? Well I have to go for who pays my salary ;o)
*We offer an advert design service for just £40.
Call Misha on 01442 257015 to find out more.
Misha Mistry - Design Editor
member of the month...

7. Every month we ask successful local business people questions
about their career.
Jim Rance, and his wife Marie, run the successful Kings Langley
Building Supplies, which has traded for 36 years, has thousands
of satisfied customers and three depots across Hertfordshire
and Buckinghamshire.
How old were you when you launched your business?
I was 26 years old. Marie and I set up the business in a small yard
in Kings Langley. My dad helped to run the yard. I originally studied
accountancy. However, after working in a builders merchant one
summer I fell in love with the variety of the work and the different
people you meet every day.
Who was the biggest influence on your business career?
Definitely my wife. She keeps me on track.
Describe your approach to business in three words.
Service – value – competitive.
What’s been the biggest mistake you’ve made?
Occasionally we’ve made errors and employed the wrong staff.
We like to treat our staff like family so if we have someone who
doesn’t pull their weight or doesn’t fit in with the team it’s often
hard, but essential, that we let them go. Thankfully it’s quite rare
we fire anyone.
What’s been your proudest business achievement?
I’m very proud of our flagship Kings Langley depot in Primrose
Hill. We bought the freehold and it was a lot bigger than depots
we’d had before so there were a few sleepless nights worrying if
we’d done the right thing.
How many staff do you employ and what do you look for?
We have 40 staff members across the business. I look for a good
attitude and enthusiasm. We don’t want people who just see their
work as a job, we want self disciplined people who will get really
involved and work hard.
My pet hate is when someone arrives to an interview carrying
a newspaper. I just think it sends out the wrong message to
employers.
What advice would you give someone setting up a new
business?
Work hard and be patient. There are no get rich quick schemes
that work. Budget properly and keep an eye on your profit and
loss.
What’s the most valuable asset you have within your
business?
Our staff. By that I mean everyone from the lorry drivers to the
counter staff and the office team. Everyone has an important part
to play.
What’s the biggest challenge your business has faced?
Two recessions. The one in the 1990s was bad but the most recent
one was the worst. The building trade is always badly affected by
economic slumps. Our experience with the first recession stood
us in good stead for the last one. We looked at our overheads and
adapted our outgoings as soon as we saw things dipping.
For all your building supplies go to Kings Langley Building
Supplies or call the team on 01923 268222 if you have any
questions. Visit www.kingslangleybs.co.uk
My Success StoryJim Rance, Kings Langley Building Supplies
HOSSphotography
01923 494532

8. Every month we invite you to ask us any burning questions you have about advertising, marketing, design, copy writing, business,
accountancy, life...pretty much anything.
This month to get the ball rolling three of our department heads give their response to the most common questions they get asked on
a daily basis.
Q: I have been asked about supplying my advert with ‘bleed’ can you explain what this is please?
Our delightful Design Editor, Misha Mistry says:
“I’m asked this question all the time. Bleed is a printing term that refers to printing that goes beyond the edge
of the sheet before trimming. In other words, the bleed is the area to be trimmed off.
“The bleed is the part on the side of a document that gives the printer a small amount of space to account
for movement of the paper, and design inconsistencies. Artwork and background colours can extend into the
bleed area. After trimming, the bleed ensures that no unprinted edges occur in the final trimmed document.”
Q: When we are offered advertorial space in magazines do we have to write the article ourselves or are we able
to speak to a journalist who can write it for us?
Our knowledgeable News Editor, Tim Green:
“When you are offered advertorial space it’s a fantastic opportunity to tell your business’ story and let readers
know what makes you special. There are two ways you can approach advertorials – or to use layperson’s
terms ‘a write up’.
1 – Write it yourself. I’d say sixty percent of people want to do it themselves. We can help with guidance and
advice about how to create some cracking copy. Don’t be shy to shout about what you do, aim to personalise (people
buy people) and make sure you stick to the word count you’ve been given.
2 – We can do it for you. We will send you some questions beforehand. We ask for bullet points about your business and then we’ll
call you. Once we’ve had a chat on the phone our reporters go away and get busy writing. We then send you a draft of the copy. Once
approved it goes off to the printers and hey presto, your business gets immortalised in print.
Q: Is there any difference between paying by Standing Order/Direct Debit each month or MyNews charging my
debit/credit card?
Our ace Accounts Manager, Kelly Osler says:
“With a debit or credit card you have a lot more flexibility in terms of upgrading your advertising or scaling
it down. A standing order or direct debit requires a set amount and is often harder to change. Our lovely UK
banking system isn’t known for its flexibility so card payment gives you more options.”
Got a question for us? Send it over to nik@mynewsmag.co.uk
The next edition will arrive through your letter box the weekend of Friday 10th October
Q
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Misha Mistry - Design Editor
Tim Green - News Editor
Kelly Osler - Accounts Manager