Beat the downturn with Barclays free seminar in Peterborough

Beating the recession is front of mind for small business owners and today Barclays announces a free Let's Talk seminar in Peterborough to provide tangible support to SMEs to do just that.  The seminars will allow owners to take a step back from their business - looking at where they are going, who their customers are and how they can market their business in the current climate.

The Let's Talk Bright Marketing seminar is taking place on Thursday 2nd July at Holiday Inn, Thorpe Wood, Peterborough-West from 9am-1pm followed by a networking lunch.  Businesses interested in attending should call 0845 300 2098 or visit http://www.barclays.co.uk/seminars .

Research from Barclays Local Business carried out after the last programme of Let's Talk Profit and Marketing seminars, showed that despite the importance of customers, pricing and staff to businesses, these were areas which hadn't had the priority.  By giving business owners the key skills the majority went on to make changes to their business:

• Seven in ten had confidence to approach new customers
• 43 per cent sought out cheaper suppliers
• 43 per cent changed the way they charged for a service

Steve Sawyer, Barclays Local Business Area Manager said: "Our innovative seminars to support the SME sector give businesses key tactics to make fundamental improvements even during these testing times.  We know from our last programme of Let's Talk Profit and Marketing seminars that after attending seven in ten business owners had the confidence to approach new customers, one of the most important elements to any business.  The skills and networking opportunities that business owners pick up at these seminars will certainly help them to go on to survive and thrive in this climate."

The seminar has been developed by Barclays and is being delivered by a leading business guru Robert Craven, who has worked with organisations across diverse sectors and size, helping companies face the challenges of business by implementing strategies and processes that focus on customers and profitability:

• Let's Talk Bright Marketing makes businesses re-think how they get and keep customers, helping  them focus their marketing activities more effectively and profitably, see their business and products through their customers' eyes, to take control of their sales and marketing activity.
• Let's Talk More Profit makes businesses re-think how they make their money giving them  tools and techniques to improve profits in their business, improve cashflow and how to make it all happen by getting more customers, more sales, more profits and more cash.

-ends-

Notes to editors:

Barclays recently won three awards for its commitment to the SME sector:

·       Moneyfacts Awards 2009 'Best Innovation in the SME sector for the programme of Let's Talk activity'
·       Moneyfacts 'Best Commerical Lender'.
·       SFEDI award 2009 winners of 'the Financial Services Start-up Product or Programme'.  SFEDI is the UK government recognised standard setting body for enterprise support.

For further information contact:

Irene East
Barclays Head of Community Relations, Eastern
Communications
Public Relations

Tel: 01604 743980
Mobile: 07775553313
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it