New dates and times announced for the Google Juice Bar

In order to make sure you get the most out of the Google Juice Bar new opening times have been announced for Saint Line House in Cardiff Bay during May.

There are early morning appointments available from 8am on the 8th, 9th and 10th of May, and evening appointments available between 5pm and 7pm on the 14th, 15th and 16th of May.

New dates have also been announced for regional Juice Bars in Merthyr and Tredegar:

2nd May 2012
VITT Tredegar Business Park
Tredegar

9th May 2012
The Orbit Centre 

Merthyr Tydfil

Google Juice Bar sessions are a way to ask as many questions as you like about growing your business online. Chat with a friendly expert advisor about any aspect of online, from setting up a free website to advanced online marketing.

For more information about the Getting Welsh Business Online Campaign visit www/gbbo.co.uk/wales

Google workshop with Chwarae Teg

After visiting Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport and Swansea, Google is heading back to Cardiff for a special workshop in conjunction with Chwarae Teg on the 16th of May.


This free workshop is designed to help businesses either get online or develop their online presence. Places are booking up fast so make sure you don't miss out!

With more than twenty years of experience, Chwarae Teg is the leading professional agency for the economic development of women in Wales

The 2 hour session offers an ideal opportunity to get an understanding of how getting online can help businesses in Wales to grow. It's also a great chance to network. Workshops have been designed with a minimum of technical jargon and offer you a chance to ask a Google Advisor about effective ways to expand your digital knowledge.

The workshop is an introduction to the following:

Opportunity to learn more about the Google products and how to implement them into your business, such as:

•  Creating a website with Getting British Business Online.
• Advertising online with AdWords and AdWords Express.
• Further enhancing your online presence with the +1 button.
• Optimizing your online presence using Google Analytics and Google Insights to Search.
•  Improving your productivity with Google tools for business using emails, calendar and documents. 

Google Juice Bar - An excellent opportunity to sign up to the Google Juice Bar service where you can have a one to one session with a Google expert on how to achieve greater online presence

An opportunity to participate in break out group and speaking to a Google expert 

• Having an effective website
• Social media by Google
• AdWords

Venue & Times
6pm - 8.30pm
16th of May
The Village Hotel





The Google Juice Bar is currently also open for bookings in Cardiff with new dates announced for Merthyr and Tredegar.  To find out more about GWBO and other regional events visit www.gbbo.co.uk/wales


Meet our video diary case studies:
Fiona Mclaren - Bobadeg http://www.bobadeg.com/en
Week 1 
Week 2 


Joan Ryan - Coleridgeryan

Week 1 

Week 2 

South Wales Chamber events

The Getting Welsh Business Online campaign is supported by our fantastic partners in Wales who are on hand all year round with advice, networking opportunities, and more for businesses of all shapes and sizes in Wales. We encourage you to check out our partners page and make the most of their expertise.

South Wales Chamber have a plethora of exciting events and opportunities coming up this summer, we've featured some highlights below and you can find out more at the South Wales Chamber website.

Advice on starting a business

When starting a business you'll be bombarded with advice; some of it helpful and some of it not so much. Here are some top tips which will hopefully help you with your first venture. Don't forget the Google Juice Bar can also offer you a wealth of information.

1. It’s all about focus

Starting a business is an exciting prospect and you're likely to be brimming with ideas, but be wary of jumping on every idea you have. Trying to juggle too many ideas will impact on your effectiveness and productivity; remember that it's better to do one thing brilliantly, than five things badly.

2. Know what you do, do what you know

Successful entrepreneurs become successful doing something that they understand and love. If you build a business around your strengths you are more likely to succeed. Don’t just think about making money, you have to live and breathe your business, so you have to be happy working on it every day.

3. Be able to say it in 30 seconds

You must be able to quickly and concisely pitch your business. See it as an ‘elevator pitch’, You have 30 seconds with which to state your mission, service and goals. Make sure that you tailor your pitch to who you’re speaking to, an investor will want to know something completely different to a customer
.

4. Get online

A website is essential to any business. Head to the Google Juice Bar for a free 40 minute session where you can plan your web-strategy or even build a free website on the spot.

5. Know when to quit

It’s OK to admit if your idea doesn't go exactly as you planned, so don’t keep ploughing ahead for the sake of pride. If it isn’t working, then it is time to look at what went wrong and learn from the mistakes. Don’t be put off because you didn’t get it right first time, it happens to most successful entrepreneurs.

6. Ask for Help

There is plenty of help and support available for businesses of all shapes and sizes in Wales, not only from the Google Juice Bar but from some of our partners; The IoD Wales, South Wales Chamber of Commerce, Business in Focus and the Federation of Small Businesses. Ensure you take advantage of all the support that’s available.

Put your business on the map

As more people use the internet to search for the closest place to buy a product or service, putting your business on the map has become a sure fire way to get more customers.
This is particularly important for businesses who offer a niche product or service, perhaps a specific beauty treatment, a hard-to-source ingredient or an obscure vinyl record. This Saturday is Record Store day, a celebration of a niche market which has suffered in recent years due to digital technology. Google Maps is a great example of how these businesses have used the internet to their advantage and ensure music lovers know where to find them. Check out Spillers Records’ Google Places listing as an example.

From Aberdare to Ystradgynlais, Google Places is a free profile that shows customers your exact location, your opening hours, your contact information, photos and videos. The profile is integrated into Google Maps so customers can find you with ease.

Google Places is popular with mobile searches. Imagine a weary shopper caught in the rain using their mobile to find the closest cafe, Google Places could supply that person with your business name, location, opening hours and customer reviews. Now their time has been saved and a new customer is walking through your door.
People looking for services such as garages, conference space and gyms are all browsing by location. In fact 20% of Google searches are now geographical, so there is an untapped market for businesses who aren’t yet on Google Places.


Follow these 3 basic steps to set up your Google Places page

1. Sign up and submit your business information on Google Places.
2. Verify your listing by phone or postcard.
3. Wait for your listing to appear on Google. Verification can take up to two weeks, so get your account as soon as possible!

Sign up for your free Google Places page or come to the Google Juice Bar for a free 40 minute session where you can sign-up to Google Places, or anything else you want to know about making your business successful online.


The Google Juice Bar

Cardiff- appointments daily
Saint Line House
Mount Stuart Square Cardiff Bay, CF10 5LR


Limited appointments at the Orbit Centre in Merthyr Tydfil on the 9th of May
Book now at www.GBBO.co.uk/Juicebar

Google is coming to Swansea

After visiting Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport the Google team will be heading to Swansea on the 25th of April to run a free workshop and seminars to help businesses either get online or develop their online presence. Places are booking up fast so make sure you don't miss out!

The 2 hour session offers an ideal opportunity to get an understanding of how getting online can help businesses in Wales to grow. They have been designed with a minimum of technical jargon and offer you a chance to ask a Google Advisor about effective ways to expand your digital knowledge.

During the seminars you can learn about:

• Creating a website 
• Advertising online
• Using Google Analytics and Google Insights to improve your website
• Online tools that will help to increase the productivity of your business

Venue & Times

25th April 2012
3.30pm - 5.30pm, 
The Dragon Hotel, Swansea, SA1 5LS




Google workshops and workshop seminars is currently also open for bookings in Cardiff. To find out more about GWBO and other regional events visit www.gbbo.co.uk/workshops

Google Juice Bar video diaries - Week 1

We asked local businesses to share their experiences of the Getting Welsh Business Online initiative through video diaries.  We followed their progress over four weeks.  Catch up with their stories on YouTube:

 Ben Allen - Big Blue Bike

 

 Fiona Mclaren - Bobadeg

 

 Joan Ryan - Colderidgeryan

 

Getting Welsh Business Online in Newport

Bob Shepherd 
Bob Shepherd Finance Specialists
www.bobshepherdassociates.co.uk
"I like the way that Google Places is much more subtle than I'd originally thought, because I'm not limited by Geographical boundaries I can advertise to people within a 30mile radius of my business."






Richard Davies 
Design Consultant at Embrace Design
www.Embracedesign.co.uk
"I think this is a good thing for Newport business, it's important that they get the skills they need to compete with the rest of Wales, the UK and the world!"

Ranjit Ghoshal 
Senior Volunteer at the Oxfam Boutique
www.oxfamboutiquecardiff.co.uk
"Today was a really useful overview and introduction to everything you can do to help your business. It was great to hear about how to improve our organic search ranking. The break out sessions were particularly good and there was a real sense of collaboration in the room."

Google is coming to Newport

After visiting Bridgend and Merthyr Tydfil, the Google team will be heading to Newport on the 4th of April to run a free workshop seminar to help small businesses either get online or develop their online presence.

The 2 hour workshop seminar offers an ideal opportunity to get an understanding of how getting online can help businesses in Wales grow.  They have been designed with a minimum of technical jargon and offer you a chance to ask a Google Advisor about effective ways to expand your digital knowledge.

During the seminars you can learn about:

• Creating a website 
• Advertising online
• Using Google Analytics and Google Insights to improve your website
• Online tools that will help to increase the productivity of your business

Venue & Times

4th April 2012
8am - 10am

University of Wales
Caerleon Campus
Newport
NP18 3QT



Google workshops and workshop seminars are currently open for bookings in Cardiff and Newport. To find out more about GWBO and other regional events visit www.gbbo.co.uk/workshops