RTÉ's Dragons' Den Seeks Entrepreneurs

'One idea, one pitch, one deal away from the dream'

Here at Thornton MPR, we always encourage new business start ups and we love nothing more than seeing people go for it and taking a risk. So if you think you have what it takes, then download this application form and fill it in, what have you got to loose!

The hit RTE series Dragons Den is seeking Entrepreneurs. They are looking for applications from Ireland’s budding inventors and business minds with killer ideas, amazing inventions and new must have products.

Do you have a killer idea, an amazing invention or a new 'must have' product ready for investment?

Do you have the powers of persuasion needed to part the Dragons from their cash?

If so then apply online now at: www.rte.ie/dragonsden or download the attached application form.

*Applicants must be available from filming dates in November 2009 and January 2010

dragonsdenapplication2009.rtf

14 Ways to Grow Your Business

An article written by Orla Thornton of Thornton MPR was recently featured in Eddie Hobbs Magazine, You & Your Money, looking at 14 ways to grow your business, so here it is for you in case you didnt pick up the magazine.


1. Plan, Plan, Plan – what you spend, how you do it, what you need it for, are you going to use it and what are you going to get from it.

2. Put the Customer back At the Core of Your Business – each employee should see the exchange with your customer as part of a customer relationship, not a transaction. Your customer IS your business.

3. Learn How to Introduce Yourself and Your Business in 30 seconds

4. Stay Visible, Be Smart & Keep it Simple – go back to basics

5. Be Creative – be more creative than your competitors & do it on a shoestring.

6. Advertise – use it in a sustained approach and get value.

7. Don’t Panic & Devalue Your Brand – a well thought out promotional campaign can generate short term interest and develop long term business. A badly executed campaign / special offer can devalue your brand.

8. Revise & Refresh Your Marketing & PR Plan – dust it off this time being realistic and if you don’t have a marketing and PR plan GET ONE and weave into the business plan.

9. Be Positive – positivity is essential for staff moral, a happy staff is a productive staff.

10. Involve Front Line Staff –they are all experts in their own area. Use their creative ideas, ask their opinion!

11. Keep Your Customers Satisfied – their needs are constantly changing, ask them if they are happy with your service? Simple but true!

12. Retain & Reward – 80% of business comes from 20% of your customers & existing clients, treat them well. Loyal customers buy more & spread good word of mouth.

13. Do a Simple Health Check – of your existing marketing & PR tools.

14. Maximise Opportunities – Everything your clients comes into contact with is a marketing & PR opportunity.


For April & May, Thornton MPR- Marketing & Public Relations are offering a free advice clinic to businesses with all proceeds going towards the Westmeath Special Olympics Fundraising Campaign. In exchange for a €50.00 donation you can get a one hour marketing & PR consultation to point you in the right direction with all proceeds going towards the Westmeath Special Olympics campaign. Book your place by contacting Orla Thornton - emailing orla@thorntonmpr.ie calling 0449390606 or log onto www.thorntonmpr.ie

Thornton MPR – Marketing & Public Relations is a dynamic consultancy which focuses on providing the best marketing and public relations solutions to our clients.

Our refreshing, creative and individual approach helps us offer an individual, personalised and professional service. Whether you seek to raise your profile through media exposure, want communication material that has real impact, need an event or project managed or need some practical marketing and PR advice, we can develop the right solution for you.

Thornton MPR combines PR expertise, creativity and business know how to deliver marketing & PR solutions that are carefully and creatively designed. We ensure that your message is delivered to the right people at the right time in the right way. We work with your budget, requirements and timeframe to provide you with the best results, within budget and on time. We are passionate about helping you to succeed.

Twitter Trends - Is it Worth Following? Can it Improve Your Business?

Ok, so its Orla Thornton here! I must apologise for my gap since this and the last post! The last time I posted, we spoke about Twitter, the new social networking phenomenon that everyone is raving about at the minute.

I had mentioned that I was going to ask my class of mature students at AIT who was using it. So, the results. Out of a class of 25 only 1 person was using it, and that was just to see what all of the talk was about! So is it really the new must have tool that we, as business owners should all be using?

Well the frank answer is that it all depends on what you put into it and what you want to get out of it. You have to ask yourself, what are my reasons for starting a Twitter site for my business, what do I want to achieve? Do I want to increase my sales or to I want to engage with my consumer?

So how can you use Twitter for your business. Here is a quick snapshot look into the Twitter trends and terms you need to know.

Celebrity Twitter Streams
While Twitter is primarily used as a self-promotional tool, a large part of the service's appeal is the voyeurism it offers. Through Twitter, celebrities are taking PR initiatives into their own hands, using their tweets to directly reach out to their fans who love following their favorite public figures with such intimacy. Of course there is always the chance you're following a fake, but the blog Valebrity verifies the genuine high-profile users.

Twitter Branding
Want to check out how the competition is using Twitter? A new directory of tweeting brands, Twitter Tracker, compiles real-time updates from companies using the service, such as Whole Foods, JetBlue, and Starbucks.
TweetUps: A TweetUp is an impromptu gathering of fellow Twitter users, many of whom have previously never met in person. These events are usually publicized in the feed of a Twitter user who has an exceptionally large number of followers.

Twitter Slang
Much of the Twitter lexicon originates in gaming terms, like pwned (which we wrote about in New Slang, w00t (it's like a cheer - woot woot! But those "o"s are zeros!), and FTW (for the win), all of which users often use to punctuate their tweets (e.g., "@twitterfriend I just dominated that run. W00t!").

Hashtags
A commonly used character of the 140 permitted in each tweet is the number sign, or the "hashtag." A hashtag is placed before a word in a tweet so that it can be tracked as a trend - Twitter trends change almost daily. For example, when candy company Skittles recently incorporated Twitter users into its online marketing, under the Trend dropdown menu on the Twitter homepage, #skittles was listed. Noted fantasy author Neil Gaiman has a large Twitter following, and after he tweeted about his 33,333rd fan ushering in the "Armageddon," within hours, Armageddon was one of the highest ranking trends. The power of Twitter!

So are you still confused?
Look at the following corporate twitter accounts worth following and their case studies might explain it in real practical terms for you.


Corporate Twitter Accounts Worth Following

@ Palm Inc - Palm has taken the inventive step of using Twitter to break news to its customer base. It also uses the account to respond to customer queries.

@ Dell Outlet - Dell's Outlet twitter feed has more than 100,000 followers, and rightly so. It lets users know about incredible and often very brief deals. Not a bad idea when you have stock you need to get rid of fast in these times!

@ Starbucks - Starbucks uses its account to receive customer feedback, give information about new products and quickly answers questions.

@ Southwest Ait - Southwest Airlines, an American airline answers a customers questions and gives a glimpse into the lives of Southwest Employees.

There are million more examples that I could point out to you but take a look yourself and you wont loose anything if you try it out. However make sure you have a purpose in starting to Tweat, there is no point in starting an account to rabbit on about useless information. If it is going to benefit your consumer, it has to be useful!

Good luck Tweating...

Posted by Orla Thornton
Thornton MPR - Marketing & Public Relations
Marketing & Public Relations in Mullingar, the Midlands, Ireland and across the World!
www.thorntonmpr.ie