Successful Search Engine Optimisation

Well over 1,000,000,000 Internet users use Google as their prime search engine and the vast majority won’t search beyond page one for results.

Is your business listed on page one of Google for your chosen field of searches? Can new customers find you easily or are you succeeding in stopping your competitors stealing a march on you? Can you afford to be left behind?

It the answers are no, then Lever Revel may have the solution. Based at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Venture Centre and part of the Ignite business support programme, Lever Revel provide free half-day seminars to show you how you can make the most of search engine optimisation (SEO) to build your business. You’ll find out:

• How to get your website on page one of Google and other major search engines
• How to use social networking sites to like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to gain business
• How Youtube can drive people to your website.
• How you can better understand the so called “Black Art” of SEO.

John Howell of Lever Revel said “We have been delighted by the help and advice we have received from Russell Munslow at Ignite. As a start-up company we benefit no only from the subsidised office rent but by being networked into a large number of SMEs.  This has enabled us to offer advice and services to other companies that will undoubtedly help them to not only survive a recession but will give them the information to enable their businesses to positively flourish.”

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Shell STEP Offers Great Opportunities for Companies

Shell Step enables companies to ‘take the pick of the student crop’ to help kick-start or manage development ideas – those ideas that you don’t have the time or the money to take further.

Imagine the benefits of working with someone with a fresh, innovative approach and boundless energy and enthusiasm.  That is exactly what happened for Westfield Sportscars who took on Warwick University undergraduate, Johnathan Milsom during the summer holidays.

Johnathan is studying a Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering and applied to the Shell Step Student Placement Programme and was placed with Westfield Sportscars.  Johnathan’s CAD and engineering design skills contributed to bringing forward a new vehicle production date by several months.  In recognition of Jonathan’s achievements, he was awarded the title of ‘Most Enterprising Student’ at the Shell Step West Midlands Finals, a competition where students from across the country are judged on their innovative and enterprising achievements during their placement.  Jonathan represented the West Midlands at the UK Central England Finals in September.

Ross Dickson, Design Manager of Westfield Sportscars, said Jonathan’s skills had greatly benefited the engineering team.

“We have a small engineering department and so having an extra head was very useful,” he said.

“Jonathan’s background and skills from his degree have helped us move forward with various parts and the project.  His input into the design has also been of great value.

Through Shell Step this is something that you really can afford and achieve.

“We can supply you with a highly skilled undergraduate over the summer months to manage any of those projects you just haven't had the time or specific skills to get off the ground”, explains Penny Robb, Shell Step Project Manager at the University of Warwick Science Park.

An industrial training allowance is paid during the placement and the cost to the companies is reduced through sponsorship through the University of Warwick Science Park and the University of Warwick.

For more information about Shell Step and how it can benefit you, contact Penny Robb or Alison Harley on 024 7632 3112/3025, email student@uwsp.co.uk or visit www.shellstep.org.uk

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Apreco Beating the Recession

A West Midlands manufacturer is staving off the effects of the recession after discovering new markets overseas.

Apreco Ltd, which makes environmental air pressure control equipment for the healthcare and fire protection markets, has expanded to a new headquarters in Bromyard from its previous base in Suckley after growing fire suppression vent sales by almost 500 per cent in the past 12 months.

Apreco had limited export experience in this market sector until it received help and advice from the University of Warwick Science Park’s Techmark scheme which was funded by the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) in Wolverhampton.

Now it is doing business in Croatia, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates and sales of its fire suppression vents continue to grow.

Mike Hodges, managing director of Apreco, said: “It was in early 2007 and we saw that sales for our fire suppression vents were falling.

“We needed to identify the reason. Our clients were happy with the quality of our work and our customer service levels.

“We had to question why. We spoke to Dirk Schafer of Techmark and he undertook a detailed market analysis for us in the UK for our fire suppression vents, followed by an analysis of selected export markets.

“The research identified that our range needed updating to satisfy a change in market demand.”

Apreco had to design and develop a new range using the feedback they had received and got a new product to market in quick time with the help of Techmark and a grant from MAS.

To bolster that work, the company also enhanced its marketing communications and sales quickly rose.

“The work we did with Techmark and MAS has been invaluable,” said Hodges. “Not only do they help us to sort out the UK market we are now exporting the product in large numbers.

“We’ve seen sales grow and the business expand which, considering the economic climate, is very good news.”

Dirk Schafer, of Techmark, said: “Businesses that are very successful can sometimes find that sales are dipping – but cannot put their finger on the reason.

“In this case, the Apreco product just needed a little update and the market then needed to know about that.

“With our help, they could do that and now they have found markets they never thought would be open to them. We are able to offer support to businesses across the West Midlands looking for this kind of help.”

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Looking to Start a New Business or Grow an Existing One?

If you are then you need to be talking to us about our ignite programme which combines all our experience from supporting hundreds of entrepreneurs and business owners.

You may be eligible for subsidised office accommodation whilst you’re getting your business off the ground and you’ll never be far away from an experienced support team to give advice on business planning, finance, marketing and product development.

We have accommodation in our centres at Binley Business Park (East Coventry), Cannon Park (South Coventry) and Warwick.  Each centre is modern and equipped with meeting and conferencing facilities and would provide a wonderful platform and advertisement for your business.

To benefit from ignite you will need to be:

• A start-up or pre start-up business OR a small company wanting to grow your business.
• A knowledge based or innovation led business with some growth potential.
• Based close to one of our centres or prepared to locate your business to one of these areas.

Interested?  Then why not contact your nearest centre to arrange an initial, no obligation, meeting.  We will need to agree with you that the ignite programme is right for you and, if so, you will be allocated a mentor to establish an action plan that is right for you and your business.

University of Warwick Science Park’s ignite centres are based at:

Binley Business Park – tel:  024 7643 0000
Cannon Park – tel:  024 7632 3000
Warwick Technology Park – tel:  01926 623000

Call now to IGNITE that business idea!

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