This year we decided to demonstrate how technology could be used for bulk e-mailing and reducing use of paper. We also wanted to support the local charity - Round Table Childrens Wish . Here is our press release describing what we did.

Saratoga uses Technology to Raise Money for Round Table Children’s Wish

Using the technology solutions they provide, Saratoga Technologies has sent an electronic Christmas card to customers and associates. Meaning the money normally spent on paper cards can be passed to Round Table Children’s Wish to use for the magnificent work they do with children that have life-threatening illnesses. A welcome donation of £50 has been passed to Round Table Children’s Wish by Saratoga.“We advise our customers to use technology to make their lives easier, be more efficient and save money.” explained Wayne Harris, Saratoga Technologies UK Sales and Marketing Executive. “We practice what we preach and follow this same rules ourselves whenever possible. This was a perfect opportunity to show how technology can be used to save time and money and support a worthwhile local charity.”

It is estimated that in the UK alone, 1 billion Christmas cards will end up in the bin after the festive period is over. Electronic cards save time, money and the environment!

Here is a picture of Holly with Quentin.

and here is the work they produced.

We sincerely hope our small gesture will help with the work RTCW are involved with.

On the 15th December I was one of 20 business people providing a 40 minute workshop at the local businessXchange creative cooperation event.
businessXchange is the peer support network run by Business Link across Dorset, Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

My workshop was on the topic of e-mail newsletters.
I had planned too much and did not complete it all, but hopefully I managed to get across enough information to demomnstrate the value of this marketing tool to the listeners.

E-mail marketing, when done well, is one of the most effective marketing tools available. It should be a key component of any serious business marketing plan.
There are many considerations and, as with all marketing, it should be well planned, followed up and throughly reviewed and evaluated.

I had lots of notes and have combined them into one PDF that can be viewed/downloaded here: 2006-12-15_bxc_creative_-e-mail_marketing.pdf

If you have any questions about e-mail marketing, please post them here. I cannot gurantee answers, but I will do my best.

Happy e-mailing!

No joke. No scam.

It is included as part of a deal with telephone billing, but we are more than happy to provide costs for all aspects of the package before you make a decision - there really is no attempt to trick anyone.

Interested?

Here’s the text from the official marketing:

We get Broadband and WiFi right!

WEBConnect

How we get IT right?

• FREE - even free migration (4)
• Speeds of up to 8Mb Max
• Wireless router to share access
• Opens Internet access to customers.
• Independent of existing IT infrastructure.

We get broadband and Wifi right by … making it FREE (1)!
If you have existing BT phone lines we can provide 8Mb (2) broadband and a wireless router free (1) of charge to create a Wifi Hotspot: one phone line providing Internet access for multiple users at the maximum available speed.
No rental charges (3).

We get broadband and Wifi right by … using your existing phone line arrangements!
By linking WEBConnect Hotspots to your BT line arrangements, ADSL rental can be FREE. If you migrate an existing broadband service to us then you do not even pay a set-up fee (4).

If you use your BT lines for calls we’ll match your provider’s costs and if that’s BT we’ll even keep your calls with them - and provide you with a WiFi router.

We get broadband and Wifi right by … adding value to your business!
If you host meetings, own or run a hotel, cafe, restaurant, bar or even car-wash, with our BT infrastructure, our BT wholesale arrangements and our superb ADSLmax broadband service, with WEBConnect your customers can surf the Internet, send e-mail or access their own corporate networks during a meeting, whilst having a drink, enjoying a meal, doing the shopping or sitting just about anywhere. You can offer this as a value added service to your business or charge your customers for its use.

We are pleased to be working with Commerce Call to make this offer available.

www.saratogauk.com/go/freewifi

1 Free with 3 BT lines, £5 with 2 lines, £10 with 1 line (VAT extra).
2 You get the highest possible speed, up to 8 MB, available at your site.
3 Fair use policy operates yet max monthly usage fee only £10.
4 New connection fee is £50; with MAC code it’s free. Conditions apply.

Why are we doing this? We are a Technology company that believes in value. You cannot get better value than FREE (so long as it works!).

If you’re interested get in touch. I am also keen to hear from you if you are not interested and to find out why.

Thanks

Wayne

Interested in this issue? See BBC article - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6210068.stm

Interested in my opinion? See my article - http://wayneharris.blogspot.com/2006/12/web-site-accessibility.html

Concerend that your commercial Web site may not comply with accessibility guidelines? Drop me a line and I’ll run the site through our tests and send you a report.

Wayne