As we all know you only “get one opportunity to create a first impression”.  In a lot of cases the first contact a potential client experiences are when they pick up the phone to contact your business.  If they get through to a voicemail, answering machine or even worse if the phone rings out the first impression is not going to be positive.  A survey discovered that 70% of people do not leave messages on voicemail and answering machines, they will go to the next name on the list, they want to speak to a person.  If your phone is answered by a professional Personal assistant, who knows about your business and products and who deals efficiently with the call the vital first impression is created.

The Right Telephone Answering Service

• Using the right Telephone Answering Service is very cost effective when compared to hiring a full time receptionist.  With most services you pay for the number of calls you receive.  Cost savings of up to 70% are not unusual.
• Using an answering service can free you to spend time ON your business not in your business; meeting customers, selling your product or service with the comfort that you are not missing phone calls and potential sales.
• Using the right answering service means that you NEVER EVER miss an important call.
• Most answering services provide emergency or contingency cover, which allows you to use the service only when you need it, i.e. illness cover, maternity cover, power outages etc.
• Using an answering service allows you to turn off your mobile phone when you are in important meetings knowing that it will still be answered.

What to look for in an answering service?

• Are all calls answered in YOUR business NAME?
• Are their staff fully trained professionals?  Your calls should be treated as important and be handled by properly trained PA’s.
• Does your answering service provide the service directly themselves or do they outsource?
• Does your service customise the service to meet your exact needs? No two businesses are the same so a “one size fits all” service may not suit your business needs.
• How does your service relay messages? Your messages should be relayed to you instantly the way you want them by SMS Text or Email.  They should also be able to offer Virtual Receptionist Services which allow calls to be transferred to your alternative landline or mobile phone.
• What are the normal working hours that you service operates? Do they take calls during lunch hours?
• Does your service send you a free end of day report giving details of all messages received that day?
• Does you service screen calls that you don’t want to pay for? i.e. Cold Sales Calls
• Does your service only answer limited questions on your behalf or put a limit on the length of calls?
• Can you service provider provide additional services if you want them?

Some providers offer a range of service which complement their Telephone Answer Service such as Business Address, Diary Management, Appointment setting, Enquiry and order processing, payment processing, outbound calling, information lines, geographic and Lo-call numbers.

Does your service provider manage your costs for you, ensuring that you pay lower tariffs when call volumes drop and that you are always on the most cost effective tariff?

Costs vary from provider to provider with the majority having a range of tariffs each of which include a fixed number of messages with an additional charge for excess messages.  Some providers charge a fixed charge regardless of the number of calls received but one would wonder how they can guarantee quality service.  In relation to costs in many businesses call levels fluctuate each month with peaks and troughs depending on the season.  Some providers manage your costs for you moving you up and down their tariffs so as to ensure you are always getting the most cost effective rate.

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Here at Office Assist, we offer a professional personal customised service.  We have packages available but can also tailor a service to suit any pocket and any business.  We will answer all calls in YOUR company name and answer queries.

Your calls/queries are as important to us as they are to you.

We send your messages immediately via SMS Text and/or Email.  We send a free end of day report giving details of all messages.

We also provide additional services such as:

• Business address
• Diary Management
• Enquiry and order processing
• Outbound calls
• Information lines
• Lo call numbers

We will manage your account for you, if we think it would be more cost effective for you to be on a higher package or alternatively on a lower package we will let you know.

We are open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, through lunch

No one will know you are using an Answering Service unless you tell them.

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SPECIAL OFFER

***For the months of January and February we are offering one month unlimited messages for our lowest price of €25 per month.  Realise the benefits of a full Telephone Answering Service for a fraction of the cost.  No obligation and no contract.  Limited places available. ****

Telephone 063/32466

If someone receiving a DSP pension has no other sources of income, they will not be liable for Income Tax on the DSP pension.

However if, in addition to the DSP pension, an individual also has an additional source of income – say an occupational pension from a former employer – they may be liable to tax on the DSP pension.

A person who is 65 years of age or over in 2012 may have a DSP pension and other income sources but may still not pay any tax if their total income for the year is likely to be less than €18,000, if single, or €36,000, if married or in a civil partnership.

The means by which a PAYE taxpayer pays Income Tax on their DSP pension is that Revenue reduces the taxpayer’s annual PAYE tax credits and rate band entitlements and this results in additional tax being stopped by their pension provider on their non-DSP occupational pension.

Please contact our offices, if further clarification is required, or to review Tax Credit Certificates issued in relation to the above.

Willie John, John J. Sheahan’s & Co Accountants

It has been a classic case of using a sledge hammer to crack a nutshell. The approach has been excessive when you consider the vast majority of tax payers have no tax liability at all.

Questions have been asked as to why it has taken so long for the Revenue to address this issue. Since 2005 the Revenue Commissioners have had a legal right to share information with the Department of Social Protection. Up to now their “computers were unable to talk to each other”. This has now been resolved and they can cross check to see who is in receipt of a Social Welfare Pension and in the receipt of a Private Pension as well. The liability arises if the two incomes combine to create a tax liability.

The Revenue Commissioners’ figures suggest that one in four of those pensioners surveyed from Department of Social Protection records may have underpaid on their taxes. Some acts of non-compliance were wilful tax evasion, where individuals failed to declare the State pension payment for tax reasons. According to Revenue estimates, 2,500 taxpayers with pension and other income in excess of €50,000 have failed to pay tax owing on their State pension.

Certainly, the Revenue Commissioners should have done much more, by way of information campaigns, to inform taxpayers of their legal obligations. A tax system in recent years subject to substantial change can give rise to confusion – notably among the elderly. And undoubtedly the Revenue should have identified the problem sooner, and acted quicker to ensure so many could not flout the tax laws with impunity for so long.

The important thing to remember here is that:

• A single person over the age of 65 is except from tax up to €18,000,
• A married couple over the age of 65 are except from tax up to €36,000.

If your pension falls within these tax exemption limits then you definitely won’t be paying any tax. The farce situation has arisen whereby the Revenue have admitted that they will be taking tax from over 15,000 people who have small occupational pensions with a higher tax bill. The Revenue will only have this money on a temporary basis before he has to give it back to the taxpayer.

The Government would have to pass special legislation to forgive underpaid tax in this instance. Revenue has stated that its thrust will be on tax owed by pensioners from 2012 onwards.

In the meantime the Revenue Commissioners are scaring the lives out of our pensioners.

Sean Lynch, QiFA

With an added Household Charge of a €100 now due before the 31^st of March 2012 for anyone who owns their own home, and families already struggling to keep the roof over their heads, it looks to be another year of Ireland’s heroic public supporting each other through valuable organisations like the SVP.

NCBA Donates over €4,000 in donations, fundraising and toys to SVP in 2011

Accepting donations from the NCBA: Paddy Lane, Mallow SVP, Eamon Holly, Charleville SVP, Peggy O’Connell, Kanturk SVP (missing from the picture due to bad weather on the morning Sheila Sherlock).

The North Cork Business Alliance makes an annual donation to the St. Vincent DePaul every Christmas, alternating the branches they support each year. This year, in response to the increase in need and especially due to the increase in numbers of self-employed people who have closed their doors and found themselves needing support, the NCBA has increased their efforts.

At the NCBA’s last meeting of the year, two donations of €1,000 were presented to the Millstreet and Mallow branches respectively, Secret Santa presents worth over €1,000 were presented to the Kanturk and Charleville branches, and several NCBA members were heavily involved in volunteer bag packing in Mallow that raised €1,225. In total, more than €4,200 was raised for branches of the SVP in North Cork.

“As current Chair of the NCBA, I’m proud to call myself a member of an organisation whose members support each other and the community they live in. The NCBA is not just another business networking group. We aim to grow our businesses, and ourselves, by exchanging quality referrals, leads, and contacts, by learning from each other and from external experts, and by supporting each other, listening and sharing insights gained through similar experiences.” Claire O’Neill, NCBA Chair and Personal and Business Coach.

Just to let you know there are only a few remaining places left to register for the upcoming SMILE Resource Exchange event on Wednesday 23 November 2011 in Radisson Blu Hotel, Co. Limerick.  Avoid disappointment - log onto our website now if you would like to attend this FREE business event.

By registering on our website and clicking on the events section you will also be able to see what businesses have already registered.    Click on the link below to register or read on further to see if this event is for you.

Who is this event for?
-       Businesses who have waste resources such as surplus products, by-products, reusable
items, organic waste, packaging waste  etc.  You might be pleasantly surprised that
these resources can be reused by other businesses.
-       Businesses who want resources which can be reused in their business.
-       Budding entrepreneurs who are looking to identify new business opportunities.

What will happen at the event?
-       You will have a chance to hear some interesting case studies about how some
businesses are already saving money by managing their waste more effectively
-       You have lots of time for networking with businesses with the aim of identifying
potential exchanges that could happen between the businesses

Do you know of any other businesses that might be interested in attending? 
-       Please feel free to pass this invitation on.

As places at this FREE event are now limited, registration is essential so we invite you to sign up today at www.smileexchange.ie.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to keep up to date with what’s happening at the SMILE Resource Exchange.

Michelle Green
Project Manager
SMILE Resource Exchange
Macroom-e Enterprise Centre,
Macroom Environmental Industrial Park,
Bowl Road,
Macroom, Co. Cork
Tel: 026-20520 Fax: 026-20536
www.smileexchange.ie

Speed Networking Event

Venue: Hibernian Hotel, Mallow
Date: Tuesday 22nd November 2011

At 6.30p.m.
Admission: Free

If you would like to book a place please contact The North Cork Enterprise Board on 022 43235.

The planting season has started. This is the time of year that trees, shrubs and hedging is lifted from the ground in the nurseries and planted in your garden.

REPS hedging (blackthorn, whitethorn, beech, holly, ash, etc.) is now available.

There is a great variety of mature trees, root-balled or bare root, available to make an instant impact on your garden. Ranging from one and a half feet to 25 feet tall.

With the recent cold winters playing havoc with hedges we have to look for hardy varieties like beech, laurel, western red cedar and hawthorn. This is the time to plant.

If you need to plant a shelter belt, need to replace a dead hedge or need to add maturity to a new garden now is the time.

Contact JW Landscapes for a chat today.

It can often be an onerous task to price around for your Property Insurance. Are you going to the right insurance brokers?  Are you getting the best advice, premium and cover? In a rapidly changing climate resulting in properties being damaged by water leaks, flood, burst pipes, fire etc, it is now crucial to have your property insurance adequately covered so you are not at a financial loss in the event of a claim.

Flooded Office

If you are unsure of the above, Insight Insurance can help you. We have specifically designed a product for Landlord Insurance offering the best price and cover in today’s market.

If you have a buy-to-let single property or multi unit portfolio, you need to protect yourself and others against the risks associated with your property.

Insight Insurance Brokers have the facility to provide a comprehensive package arrangement to cover you for these exposures.

Do you have the best cover under your existing Policy?

Our policy will cover the following benefits automatically under our Landlord Insurance:

• Exceptionally competitive premiums with up to 60% discounts available
• Specifically designed cover for Residential Landlords
• All Risks Cover including Subsidence Cover available
• Premium Payment Plans available

“Buy to Let” Insurance cover provided includes:

• Public /Property Owners Liability
• Employers’ Liability for Property Repairs
• Material Damage All Risks
• Subsidence
• Loss of Rent cover
• Malicious Damage by Tenant

Insight Insurance Brokers strive for excellence in providing top quality products to the landlord / Investor Sector. We have extensive knowledge and experience in this area providing the following benefits to you:

• A dedicated and experience team providing a high level of customer service and claims handling
• Service commitment guarantee
• Immediate quotations available
• Cover can be easily arranged

Contact Marie O’Keeffe at Insight Insurance for a chat today.

This year National Women’s Enterprise Day is taking place from the 16th -17th November at the Heritage Hotel, Portlaoise.

Joan Kelleher, Business Development Executive

North Cork Enterprise Board

Energy efficient windows are available in a variety of frame materials and styles. They also vary in their energy efficiency; depending on how well they stop heat from passing through the window, how much sunlight travels through the glass and how little air can leak in or out around the window.

The energy efficiency of windows are measured by Window Energy Ratings. WER’s take into account the performance of both frame and glass known as a whole window ratings, and are determined by three main factors:

• Thermal Transmittance (U-window): measures heat that is lost through the overall window – energy efficient windows reduce heat loss, therefore a lower u-window value means better energy efficiency.
• Heat Gain (G-window): measures the amount of heat that is absorbed from the sun – energy efficient windows transmit solar heat back into the room (helping to lower home-heating usage).
• Air Leakage/Loss (L-factor): measures heat loss that occurs as a result of general air leakage – an energy efficient frame and glass will help reduce air leakage.

Some window and door manufacturers helpfully use a window energy rating scheme to show the energy efficiency of their product. This is similar to the one you may have seen on appliances such as your fridge, or washing machine. A-rated windows are the most efficient. To check a window’s energy efficiency before you buy, look at the energy label.

Benefits of Energy Efficient Windows

• Energy Efficient windows can reduce heat loss by more than 20% and can reduce heating bills by an estimated 10%
• Can reduce your home’s harmful impact on the environment by reducing your Carbon footprint
• Can help you achieve a better BER (Building Energy Rating, required in Rep. of Irl from Jan 2009) which will potentially increase the value of your house

For a Free quotation on A rated PVC Windows contact Pat Enright Glass & Glazing 022 50450