Ecademy pressroom

A discussion by over 70 small business owners and start ups has revealed that peer support found on sites like Ecademy is one of the most important factors in selecting which social networks they use for business.

Business owners and entrepreneurs from across the globe have been discussing the merits of using LinkedIn, Ecademy, Facebook and Twitter and the resounding message was that interaction, support and dialogue were key in deciding how to share their time between the various social networking sites.

Independent Marketing Executive Sadie Murray had come from corporate life and was used to using sites like LinkedIn for business connections and said “many SMEs decide which networks to use based on their ability to deliver ‘community and service.”

Alan Stevens, President of the Global Speakers Foundation continues to use LinkedIn and Ecademy as well as Facebook and Twitter for his business. He said, “Many of my clients are on Linkedin, it’s partly because of the business I operate. However, I use Ecademy for advice and stimulating conversation.”

This feeling is not surprising considering Ecademy has always embedded Community within its DNA since its inception in 1998, explains it’s founder Penny Power, who likens it to the difference between towns that have developed as communities over centuries and those that have been built with investment, the ‘new towns’.

Power says, “Within social networks like Ecademy, ‘community’ is created member by member not dollar by dollar. They have a shared intention and purpose and the critical aspect for people within communities is friendship and support”.

“The missing link for many is that the transactional world offline in retail and in marketing strategies do not work within the social networks, transitioning corporate marketing knowledge into this new world is a major attitudinal shift”.

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Social media entrepreneur and author Penny Power will be revealing the secrets to successful social media at one the UK’s biggest business events later this week.

Power, founder of the UK’s first and largest business social networking site Ecademy and author of ‘Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me’ (Headline Business Plus), is one of main speakers at Business StartUp 2010 and will be appearing on the 21st May to offer her expert advice on Social Broadcast and Social Networking and how to make it work for your business.

The event which is held at ExCel London from 20th-21st May is the biggest business event in the UK and sees attendees from around the country attend two days of seminars and exhibitions. Power will be joined on the main stage by the likes of Rachel Elnaugh, Richard Farley, Doug Richard and Julie Meyer.

Power says, “The Internet is no longer a new wave, it has been offering businesses the opportunity to ‘be found’ randomly for over 10 years. The gold rush of having your own website has past and now this is passé.”

Power explains that 2002 brought the emergence of the term Social Networking, replacing ‘ecommerce’ as the buzz and Social Networks such as LinkedIn for Corporate employees and FaceBook for ‘students’ were launched, joining the existing Social Networks, such as Ecademy, who’s community was focused on business owners.

“In 2010 we are seeing the Social Media buzz, all around us we are hearing of ‘twittering’ and ‘being found in Social media sites’. This is giving rise to the most phenomenal opportunity for the individual to take responsibility for their brand, their future and their income, providing they understand the rules of the game and know where to spend their time.

Understanding the rules are essential for success, knowing that the term ‘social media’ means exactly that. Social Media is a ‘social world where business happens as a bi-product’ and self promotion and broadcasting will get you ‘un followed’ is complicated and requires patience and a leap of faith,” says Power.

To see Penny speak please visit http://www.bstartup.com/ to register for your free ticket.

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The Entrepreneurs’ Business Academy, brainchild of Bev James and Dragons’ Den favourite James Caan has announced Penny Power, acclaimed author and founder of business social network Ecademy as their latest Millionaire Mentor.

The recently launched Entrepreneurs’ Business Academy will provide aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners with a range of events, courses and materials to help them improve their knowledge and techniques to build the businesses of tomorrow.

With over 500,000 new businesses starting up every year, the Entrepreneurs’ Business Academy will provide a range of courses designed to help business owners improve sales, teach when to take on new employees and expand into new markets. It will also teach the pitfalls to avoid and the techniques James applies in significantly increasing a company’s profitability and eventually preparing businesses for sale.

Caan who has been running successful businesses for almost thirty years says

‘Social media is a fast moving space and continues to grow. It’s great to have Penny on board to provide social networking expertise, as many small businesses can benefit from engaging people through social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Ecademy and Linked In, as well as through trade forums, review websites and blogs. They offer a low cost option to marketing and you also benefit from the credibility factor by sharing information about products, services and businesses to your peers, colleagues and followers.’

Power will be joining the team of experts at the Academy to teach how the power of social networks can be utilised for business. The author of ‘Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me’ (£14.99 Headline Business Plus) is delighted to have been asked to be involved in such a worth-while cause and says,“I will be helping the Entrepreneurs embrace and leverage the world of social networking and social media to help them become ‘Networked Businesses’. Through being networked online, small businesses and start-ups will learn how to keep their costs low, network globally, listen and learn from the conversations online and build a brand that attracts people to them inside the extensive networks that exist. Social networking for business is about building a network of friends that want you to be successful.”

Power continues that she is concerned by the hype surrounding social media and the desire for businesses to ‘make a noise’. ‘We have moved on,’ Power states, ‘businesses need to understand that the word social exists for a reason, ‘friendship’ is the killer app for businesses. Learning how to turn strangers into friends and friends into clients and business advocates is the most powerful aspect of the shift we are all part of.’

If you too would like to receive help in your business or just to expand your business knowledge visit the Entrepreneurs’ Business Academy’s website on www.the-eba.com.

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Business social network Ecademy.com has celebrated its 12th birthday with the launch of its new online community information hub, Ecademy Assist, which has already attracted the support of Microsoft.

Since its creation in 1998, Ecademy has built up a thriving community of active small businesses who are willing to support each other, so much so that it is now regarded as not purely a sales pipeline but THE place to build business.

After asking members how Ecademy could provide them with an easier way to access the information they needed, Ecademy has soft-launched a skeleton learning support area on the networking site, called Ecademy Assist.

Ecademy Assist will rapidly develop into a rich knowledge base of Video’s, Blogs, Articles, RSS feeds and PDF’s. There will also be an Ecademy Q&A area for members to post questions to the community that they will answer.

Each of the support sections within Ecademy Assist, which include IT, sales, marketing, social media, finance and logistics, will be sponsored by a strategic partner who has a genuine interest in supporting small businesses.

Partners already on board include Microsoft, Avanta and yourBusinessChannel.

In a recent post on their official small business blog, Microsoft said;

“At heart most of us are social creatures and networking is not just a way of gaining or giving prospective business it can also offer informal mentoring and support and job opportunities. And this is where Ecademy steps in, providing a ‘hub’ of knowledge and advice that supports small businesses.”

Penny Power, founder of Ecademy says:

“Ecademy’s aim is to be the place for business people to be themselves, without the need to push, without the need to force. A place to be a friend to other business people and through that see the wonder of what open, random and supportive communication can deliver for each other.”

“When we first started Ecademy, we created a place for members to ‘learn, network and develop their career’. Those three words remain true today, although ‘career’ is now replaced with ‘develop your business’ and with the launch of Ecademy Assist we are finally giving this vision it’s fullest respect,” adds Power.

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UK entrepreneur Penny Power has joined the likes of Dragon’s Den stars Doug Richard and Julie Meyer to become one of 30 top business experts revealing their business predictions for 2010 in a new report by Smarta.com.

According to Power, founder of the UK’s first and largest business social network Ecademy.com, who is featured in ‘The Smartest Brains in Business: 2010 and beyond! listening with the right intent is the most important skill to master in the coming months as it will enable businesses to adapt their offering to meet the changing needs of their customers.

Power believes this change is essential for survival in a world where the old hunting ground that many entrepreneurs are used to is rapidly dying out. She reveals that there is still substantial money to be made for those who can get to grips with the value of a ‘networked business’, a highly connected business that involves itself in the online conversations that are taking place.

“Listening online is a skill that requires an open, random and supportive attitude, a non-blinkered view that says to the world, ‘come to me and share your thoughts whatever they are’. I have seen so many Ecademy members adapt their products and services to suit the words, phrases and needs of the new economy.” says Power.

Power, author of ‘Know Me, Like Me, Follow Me’ (£14.99 Headline Business Plus) predicts that by the end of 2010, there will be two distinct sides to the business world, those who have become ‘networked businesses’ and those who have not.

“Those who utilise networks will have several highly beneficial features: They’ll operate a low fixed-cost business, low office and employee costs. They’ll have fast access to many skills and resources. They’ll supply their services into a European and global market. They’ll adapt fast to market conditions. They’ll be highly sensitive to customer needs. Their ability to support others will make them highly attractive for others to advocate and refer business to, reducing marketing expenses further. For many this year will be the turning point for their business and many who have resisted embracing the attributes of a 21st Century business model may find that their very survival rests on their ability to adapt and keep up with the competition,” says Power.

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Freelancing and ’supplier-based’ workforces are set to transform the way that business traditionally takes place during the next decade, claims a leading social media expert.

With the effects of the recession likely to impact business well into 2010, more companies than ever are opting not to employ new staff but instead look to freelancers and consultants in order to fulfil their business needs.

This shift is a positive but scary one for many, as Penny Power, founder of UK social business network Ecademy reveals that individuals now need to stop looking for a job and instead go in search of ‘work’.

Power says:

“Businesses have hired suppliers as consultants, suppliers and external advisers for a long time, but there is now a distinct shift toward a ‘networked model’ of resourcing your company rather than an ‘institutional’ one of having employees that work full time, when perhaps their niche skill is only needed for a smaller amount of the week. In a global market, that competes on costs, sourcing suppliers is the only way to keep your business competitive.”

Power’s views are mirrored in the recent report by the CBI, which revealed that the economic downturn has been a catalyst for a new era of business, which includes more flexible workforces and wider financing options. Power believes that part of this new flexible workforce will be a focus towards outsourcing specific roles to specialist consultants or freelancers and that people should now be looking to promote their core skills rather than trying to sell themselves based on previous job positions.

“A job is something that gives you security and ties you to the company, but only for as long as your are useful. ‘Work’ on the other hand gives you the freedom to look for the right type of work to suit you and allows you to find many people who may want you to ‘work’ for them as a supplier. Having six clients that you work for in a freelance or consultant capacity is far more secure than having one employer in the current climate,” says Power.

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Many small businesses were left relatively unaffected by the Royal Mail strike with most opting to send most of their correspondence electronically, according to social business network Ecademy.

Over 800 people viewed a blog entitled ‘Your business and the Royal Mail, time for a divorce?’ by William Buist last week on popular social business network Ecademy with many commenting on how the strike would impact their business.

A high proportion claimed that the strike would have little or no effect on their day-to-day business as they opted to use the Internet for most of their correspondence.

“It would seem that many small businesses have already made the transition to electronic based communications some time ago, relying mainly on the Royal Mail for delivery of cheques from customers and items which had to be sent physically. Many say they already send PDF versions of letters and invoices and receive payments by BACS and rarely venture to the Post Office at all,” says Societal Web expert William Buist of Abelard Management Services.

Many commenting on the forum post did have sympathy with the Royal Mail workers and blamed the management for failing to move with times and embrace new technology as part of their offering.

Penny Power, founder of Ecademy believes that the Royal Mail needs to turn its attention to the web for valuable customer insight and take into account the views of its customers and what they want from their postal service in the future if they want to survive.

“The strike has highlighted how many businesses have moved their marketing activities online, opting for social networks and online media to create a brand rather than utilizing Direct Mail.
People are becoming a lot more vocal online and willing to express their views and opinions with their peers, this activity is gaining many businesses an opportunity to build their brand globally and with a very low cost associated with the activity. The Post Office is fast becoming out dated in their use of technology for businesses”.

Fraudsters are having a field day with social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter because verification procedures are almost non-existent according to social networking expert Penny Power.

Identity verification which relies on a simple email address alone is no longer sufficient to protect customers and the public from increasing numbers of fraudulent accounts and the subsequent distress and damage they can cause.

“Social media relies heavily on trust and building a good relationship with your followers. Online impersonators or cyber-squatters can completely ruin that trust and can seriously damage your business and reputation.” says Power, “Safer online networking needs to become a top priority for all online networks if they want their members to trust them and continue to use them.”

She is calling on other social networking sites to follow her lead and introduce more stringent verification of accounts to protect members from fake accounts.

Members of Ecademy, the global business networking site founded by Power, are now being asked to verify their identity with a straightforward new system. Members can display a special ‘Safe Networking’ logo only when they have confirmed their identity via a valid credit or debit card and agreed to abide by the terms and condition of safe networking on Ecademy.

“With the rising cases of identity theft, anonymous abuse and cyber bullying across the web, online networkers need reassurance that social networks are doing everything they can to ensure the web is a trusted and safe place to communicate, socialise and do business. Our new Safe Networking Initiative shows our commitment to a future based on safe social networking for everyone and ensures we can take action if a member breaches these terms. It is a move we hope other sites will decide to follow,” says Power.

Nine business owners are now basking in a wealth of social media knowledge thanks to the first Social Media Retreat hosted by Ecademy Chairman and ‘Master of social media’ Thomas Power.

The first of what will become a regular programme of social media training retreats was held at Warren House on 20-21st August 2009 and has received unprecedented praise from attendees.

During the two-day programme, Thomas Power delved into the science of social networking and in particular the difference of approach between open and closed networks, also exploring issues surrounding personal branding and the importance of establishing a core process so that other users are clear about the attendees’ character.

Power’s new course is designed to facilitate just nine attendees at any one time in order to provide a highly personalized, tailored environment with plenty of time for one on one coaching, perfect for embracing the true potential of social networking for business and an approach that delighted the attendees.

Ivor Kellock of Social Networking International said:

“The last 2 days have highlighted for me especially the importance of understanding your own personal reason for getting up in the morning and incorporating this into your brand image. No rocket science there maybe but the key learning point has been then how to tweak this to fit the new world of social media – there is more to it than I ever thought possible.”

Ruth Edwards of SmartStart Media said:

“You have opened my eyes to the true potential of networking through social media, so I can understand its role in my world and my life and how my contribution can help.”

Mark Rhodes of Rhodes2Success said:

“Fascinating two days during which we learnt that social media is so much more than just using the tools and systems. Thomas showed us how we needed to discover what our brand was really all about and more importantly what our contribution to the world is. We learnt that the power of social media networking is about giving and sharing knowledge and ideas that people are interested in and looking for, and then in turn they are interested in you.”

Thomas Power is delighted with the success of his first social media retreat and with more dates in the pipeline said,

“Our first Social Media Retreat was a resounding success and the attendees were so willing to absorb what can be quite complicated concepts when seen for the first time. Warren House was the perfect venue for the event and we look forward to returning in the very near future for our next event.”

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The gap between unemployment figures and those claiming job seekers allowance could partly be explained by the numbers of people choosing to become self-employed, according to the founder of online social business network Ecademy.

Following reports that the Government is to launch an official enquiry into unemployment and benefit figures, social media entrepreneur and Ecademy founder Penny Power believes that the answer may lie in the number of people who have opted to work for themselves, many of which could be using online social networks to help them win business and generate income.

Working mother of three Ms Power is all too aware of the pressures working parents face when trying to balance the demands of work and family life and believes that self-employment is increasingly becoming the preferred option for both men and women looking for a more ‘recession-friendly’ work life balance.

“One of the positive impacts of the recession has been to help people focus on the skills that they possess, rather than the job they had. Thanks to advancements on the web and business networking sites like Ecademy, people who have been made redundant now have the means to look for work and generate an income based on their individual skillset without ever having to go near the Job Centre. This helps them to fit work around other family commitments such as childcare, which may have had to change because of new working arrangements, maybe because one partner now has to work longer hours,” explains Ms Power.

Mark Lee, Chairman of The Tax Advice Network chose to pursue a self-employed route after he was made redundant early in 2006. He did initially approach the job centre to register for job seekers’ allowance but was told it was only payable to those seeking a job and who would be available to take a job.

“I suggest that a key reason for the gap is honesty on the part of potential claimants who have chosen or been forced to work on a self employed basis. This would include contractors, consultants, coaches, speakers, trainers and, of course, those who have chosen entrepreneurship, as did I after I was made redundant early in 2006. I was not willing to lie or to damage the prospects of building up my new business through the distractions of a pretend search for a job and so I didn’t proceed with the application. I suspect many others have come to the same conclusion,” concludes Lee.

In 2006, research commissioned by Vodafone UK predicted that almost half of the UK’s workforce could be self-employed by 2011. It found that 33% of the working population were seriously considering self-employment or had already taken steps to do so. The study also found that people are more likely to enter self-employment if they are starting a family, going through a divorce, getting married or hitting a landmark age. But being laid off was the biggest trigger for people starting up their own business, with one in four start-ups claimed to have been sparked by redundancy.

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