Category: Cork Business News

In August, Google announced a new initiative (known as Privacy Sandbox) to develop a set of open standards to fundamentally enhance privacy on the web. Our goal for this open-source initiative is to make the web more private and secure for users, while also supporting publishers. Today, Google’d like to give you an update on our plans and ask for your help in increasing the privacy of web browsing.

After initial dialogue with the web community, Google is confident that with continued iteration and feedback, privacy-preserving and open-standard mechanisms like the Privacy Sandbox can sustain a healthy, ad-supported web in a way that will render third-party cookies obsolete. Once these approaches have addressed the needs of users, publishers, and advertisers, and Google has developed the tools to mitigate workarounds, Google plan to phase out support for third-party cookies in Chrome. Our intention is to do this within two years. But Google cannot get there alone, and that’s why Google need the ecosystem to engage on these proposals. Google plans to start the first origin trials by the end of this year, starting with conversion measurement and following with personalization.

Users are demanding greater privacy–including transparency, choice and control over how their data is used–and it’s clear the web ecosystem needs to evolve to meet these increasing demands. Some browsers have reacted to these concerns by blocking third-party cookies, but Google believes this has unintended consequences that can negatively impact both users and the web ecosystem. By undermining the business model of many ad-supported Googlebsites, blunt approaches to cookies encourage the use of opaque techniques such as fingerprinting (an invasive workaround to replace cookies), which can actually reduce user privacy and control. Google believes that Google as a community can, and must, do better.

Fortunately, Google has received positive feedback in forums like the W3C that the mechanisms underlying the Privacy Sandbox represent key use-cases and go in the right direction. This feedback, and related proposals from other standards participants, gives us confidence that solutions in this space can work. And our experience working with the standards community to create alternatives and phase out Flash and NPAPI has proven that Google can come together to solve complex challenges.

We’ll also continue our work to make current web technologies more secure and private. As Google previously announced, Chrome will limit insecure cross-site tracking starting in February, by treating cookies that don’t include a SameSite label as first-party only and require cookies labeled for third-party use to be accessed over HTTPS. This will make third-party cookies more secure and give users more precise browser cookie controls. At the same time, we’re developing techniques to detect and mitigate covert tracking and workarounds by launching new anti-fingerprinting measures to discourage these kinds of deceptive and intrusive techniques, and Google hopes to launch these measures later this year.

Google are working actively across the ecosystem so that browsers, publishers, developers, and advertisers have the opportunity to experiment with these new mechanisms, test whether they work Googlell in various situations, and develop supporting implementations, including ad selection and measurement, denial of service (DoS) prevention, anti-spam/fraud, and federated authentication.

Google is looking to build a more trustworthy and sustainable web together and to do that Google needs your continued engagement. Google encourages you to give feedback on the web standards community proposals via GitHub and make sure they address your needs. And if they don’t, file issues through GitHub or email the W3C group. If you rely on the web for your business, please ensure your technology vendors engage in this process and share your feedback with the trade groups that represent your interests.
Google will continue to keep everyone posted on the progress of efforts to increase the privacy of web browsing.

Posted by Justin Schuh – Director, Chrome Engineering

Pat Brosnan is an E-Business Consultant and runs iWeb Solutions, based in County Kerry.

Keep Personal Information Professional and Limited

Potential employers or customers don’t need to know your personal relationship status or your home address. They do need to know about your expertise and professional background, and how to get in touch with you. You wouldn’t hand purely personal information out to strangers individually—don’t hand it out to millions of people online.

Keep Your Privacy Settings On

Marketers love to know all about you, and so do hackers. Both can learn a lot from your browsing and social media usage. But you can take charge of your information. As noted by iWeb Solutions, both web browsers and mobile operating systems have settings available to protect your privacy online. Major websites like Facebook also have privacy-enhancing settings available. These settings are sometimes (deliberately) hard to find because companies want your personal information for its marketing value. Make sure you have enabled these privacy safeguards, and keep them enabled.

Practice Safe Browsing

You wouldn’t choose to walk through a dangerous neighborhood—don’t visit dangerous neighborhoods online. Cybercriminals use lurid content as bait. They know people are sometimes tempted by dubious content and may let their guard down when searching for it. The Internet’s demimonde is filled with hard-to-see pitfalls, where one careless click could expose personal data or infect your device with malware. By resisting the urge, you don’t even give the hackers a chance.

Make Sure Your Internet Connection is Secure

Free wi-fi for an example. When you go online in a public place, for example by using a public Wi-Fi connection, you have no direct control over its security. Corporate cybersecurity experts worry about “endpoints”—the places where a private network connects to the outside world. Your vulnerable endpoint is your local Internet connection. Make sure your device is secure, and when in doubt, wait for a better time (i.e., until you’re able to connect to a secure Wi-Fi network) before providing information such as your bank account number.

Be Careful What You Download

A top goal of cybercriminals is to trick you into downloading malware—programs or apps that carry malware or try to steal information. This malware can be disguised as an app: anything from a popular game to something that checks traffic or the weather.

Choose Strong Passwords

Passwords are one of the biggest weak spots in the whole Internet security structure, but there’s currently no way around them. And the problem with passwords is that people tend to choose easy ones to remember (such as “password” and “123456”), which are also easy for cyber thieves to guess. Select strong passwords that are harder for cybercriminals to demystify. Password manager software can help you to manage multiple passwords so that you don’t forget them. A strong password is one that is unique and complex—at least 15 characters long, mixing letters, numbers and special characters.

Make Online Purchases From Secure Sites

Any time you make a purchase online, you need to provide credit card or bank account information—just what cybercriminals are most eager to get their hands on. Only supply this information to sites that provide secure, encrypted connections. As iWeb Solution advises, you can identify secure sites by looking for an address that starts with https: (the S stands for secure) rather than simply http: They may also be marked by a padlock icon next to the address bar.

Keep Your Antivirus Program Up To Date

Internet security software cannot protect against every threat, but it will detect and remove most malware— though you should make sure it’s to date. Be sure to stay current with your operating system’s updates and updates to the applications you use. They provide a vital layer of security.

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• Always check the source.
• Think first ask yourself did I apply for that, did I enter that draw?
• Always look at the web address in the top bar to see where this email is coming from
• Don’t be fooled by the title , because that is where you will get caught out.
• There was money left to you from a relative, would you not be notified by post or phone first? Think about it!

Download our online safety tips below;

• Internet Safety Rules
• Stay Safe Online

Pat Brosnan is an E-Business Consultant and runs iWeb Solutions, based in County Kerry.

Legislation to reduce the requirement for spouses to live apart for a minimum of four years out of the preceding five before they can be granted a divorce has been published.

The Family Law Bill 2019 reduces the minimum living apart period specified in the Family Law (Divorce) Act 1996 to two years during the previous three years.

The bill has been introduced following the May referendum and was approved by 82.1% of voters.

As well as reducing the minimum living apart period, the bill sets out arrangements for the recognition of divorces, legal separations and marriage annulments granted in the United Kingdom, in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said:

“I hope that this Bill will be enacted before 31 October, so that in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the provisions on recognition of UK divorces, legal separations and marriage annulments can be commenced with effect from the date the UK withdraws from the EU. This will ensure a seamless transition from the arrangements under the EU regulation that currently applies in this area to the new recognition arrangements set out in the Bill.”

Contact Mary Anne Jones & Company Solicitors in Kanturk on 029 51889 or email majsolicitors@gmail.com

2 Year Divorce – Having considered the Thirty-eighth Amendment of the Constitution (Dissolution of Marriage) Bill 2016, the President, Michael D Higgins, has signed the Bill and it has accordingly become law.

This is great news as the Constitution has now changed into law the Divorce Referendum. The Divorce Act 1996 needs to be amended so clients can avail of new reduced 2 year waiting time.

Currently the Constitution requires a couple wishing to divorce to have lived apart for four out of the previous five years. The Family Law Divorce Act 1996 once amended will reduce the minimum period to two years during the previous three years.

Four years can be a difficult, unconscionable time for people when they are going through a separation. They are stuck in a limbo land; it often results in increasing the hostility between couples, and it obviously has an adverse effect on their children. It is hoped the 2 years will assist many couples and children as they go through this transition period in their life.

Most of us enjoy a lie-in, but research from a European Chiropractic Association shows that doing just that can bring on back pain.

Extensive research carried out by the BCA has placed sleeping and mattresses as one of the top triggers of back pain, with over a quarter of sufferers blaming their beds. 27% of women and 24% of men said that their pain was brought on during a night’s ‘rest’.

Back pain can be debilitating, but even on a lesser scale, it can prevent individuals carrying out day-to-day activities that most of us take for granted, and sleeping is top of the list.

Although sleep is essential to maintain our body’s natural rhythm, too much can play havoc with our spines. When you are lying still your back stiffens and is more prone to injury when you get up. One of the common misconceptions is that if you are suffering from back pain the best cure is bed rest – that is not the case, bed rest can actually slow your recovery.

Follow these top tips from Blackwater Chiropractic to ensure you can sleep soundly and safely:

• Your bed shouldn’t be too hard or too soft. If you are lying on your side your spine should be parallel to the mattress and the mattress should not sag (bed too soft) or bow (bed too hard). Your pillow should be an extension of this i.e. your neck should be a continuation of the straight spine (not too high not too low).
• Hard mattresses are not always best – opt for firm but supportive. It is easier to make a hard mattress soft than a soft mattress hard, so if you your mattress is too hard – add an extra blanket or duvet to give yourself a softer surface to lie on.
•  Try and adopt a sleeping position which creates less physical stress on the back (e.g. lying on your side is better than lying on your front with your neck twisted to one side!). Lying on the opposite side of any pain with the knees up and a pillow between them is better than the recovery position as is on your back with support under your knees.
• Keep moving and avoid being in any one position for too long (no matter how comfy the position initially; the longer you stay in one position the more this will “load joints”). If your partner moves around a lot at nights try separate beds!! Your partner’s movement could aggravate YOUR back condition! Avoid sleeping in beyond your normal 7/8 hours.
• Drink water and keep well hydrated (dehydration can make muscles ache). A glass of Indian tonic water often helps night time cramps in the legs.
• Remember to turn your mattress regularly this should be done at least every couple of months and will keep your bed in good condition (not applicable to memory foam mattresses).

Ivan Danne, B.Sc., D.C., M.C.A.I.
Doctor of Chiropractic

If you require further advice on back care and spinal health, please feel free to contact Ivan at Blackwater Chiropractic (Mallow & Youghal) on 022 57715, 087 9268482 or at https://www.blackwaterchiro.ie/

Clare O’Keeffe from Succession Ireland recently featured in the Gazette Law Society magazine with a feature entitled;

Nothing Succeeds like Succession – How would the story of ‘The Bull’ McCabe have turned out if he’d taken the time to work out a mediated family succession plan?

Clare O’Keeffe brings the drama. You can view the article by downloading the Gazette Law Society PDF here.

Contact: Clare O’Keeffe
Telephone: 086 601 3365
Website: https://www.successionireland.ie

The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second best time is now.

This Chinese proverb says it all.

In my job there are two things that are often said to me by my clients, one is, “I love colour” and the second is, “I love trees”. People have huge attachment to trees. Childhood memories of tree houses, swings, fruit picking to name but a few. People often plant a tree to mark the passing of a loved one, or the birth of a child. Children’s lives and loved ones passing can be physically measured in the height and thickness of a tree.

A tree adds, not alone colour, but height, structure, atmosphere, privacey, sound and scent to a garden. It is an investment in the future, and now is the time to invest. I often wonder if every farmer planted 10 trees every year on the land how different would Ireland look.

Tips For Planting

The “planting season” or the “bare root season” starts at the beginning of November when the tree becomes dormant, and it finishes around mid March when the tree begins to wake up again. In this period trees are lifted from the ground in the nurseries and made available to plant in peoples gardens. Make sure when you are planting that the ground that you a planting into is not waterlogged. For this reason November and February are usually the better months for planting.

Make sure that the planting hole is dug 2.5 times the size of the trees roots.

Make sure that the sides of the planting hole are loosened, to allow for root development.

Add in plenty of well rotted farm yard manure into the backfill.

When planting a bare root tree don’t put all the backfill back in in one go, this will lead to air pockets and to damage to the roots. Make sure to backfill in stages. After each stage grab the tree by the base and shake the tree up and down. This will allow the backfill to find its way around the roots.

Most importantly of all, don’t plant the tree too deep. Examine the tree where the stem meets the start of the roots. This area is called the collar. Make sure that this is above the ground and not covered in soil or mulch.

5 Trees To Try

The trees that I am recommending here are all chosen for their durability, wildlife benefit and suitability to Ireland. Why not give one of them a go!

• Prunus padus (Bird Cherry). Not a very large tree, spring colour, autumn fruit. Great to attract wildlife.
• Whitebeam (Sorbus intermedia). Tolerant of exposure, attractive foliage and flowers.
• Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris). Great to help with attracting pollinating insects. Easy to establish.
• Beech (Fagus sylvatica). Majestic tree when mature. Suitable only to a large garden.
• Upright Purple Maple (Acer platanoides Crimson Sentry). A good tree for a small garden. Striking purple foliage.

“To be able to walk under the branches of a tree that you have planted is really to feel you have arrived with your garden. So far we are on the way: we can now stand beside ours.”

Mirabel Osle

For a garden consultation or a garden design contact;

Contact: Jarlath White – JW Garden Design
Telephone: 087 220 8303
Website: jwgardendesign.ie

Hypnotherapy is a method of intervention to help people eliminate negative unhelpful habits and take on positive ones. It helps people in many areas of their lives such as controlling their weight, quitting smoking, managing stress and anxiety, confidence building, public speaking, getting over fears, phobias, nail biting, blushing or many other negative habits that have built up over time.

How does hypnotherapy work you may wonder! Well, it works by utilizing the power of your subconscious mind. This is the part of the mind where all our habits reside. I’ll give you an example. When you were young and learning how to ride a bike, you used the conscious or critical part of your mind to figure out how to balance yourself on two wheels. After a lot of practise you eventually learned how to balance yourself and then the subconscious part of your mind took over. Now when you get up on a bike, your subconscious mind remembers how to keep you from wobbling and falling, and off you go without even having to think about how to balance yourself. The same is true of reading, writing, driving, learning a musical instrument, etc.

When we are extremely relaxed our subconscious mind is particularly receptive to positive suggestions. With negative habits such as smoking, the hypnotherapist helps a client by doing a relaxing session on a one to one. Following the relaxation session, the hypnotherapist then uses positive affirmations and suggestions to rewire the mind so that the client will begin to see him or herself as a non-smoker from then on.

Using positive affirmations and visualizations several times a day after receiving hypnotherapy is known as self-hypnosis, which is retraining the mind to continue seeing yourself now as a reformed smoker. And like riding a bike, the more you do it the easier it gets until eventually your natural inclination is to see yourself as a non-smoker.

If you want further information on whether hypnotherapy can help you or someone you know, please feel free to get in touch.

Telephone: 086 1000 599
Email: info.hlccentre@gmail.com
Website: www.hlccentre.com

Remember no habit is stronger than the power of your mind!

NCBA member Diarmuid O’Riordan of Peppers Restaurant in Mallow featured in a wonderful review on the food critic website corkbilly.com recently.

It is wonderful to see Peppers Restaurant receive such high praise and is richly deserved as anyone that has dined in Peppers can testify to.

The article begins;

There is a lovely restaurant, serving top notch food, in historic Mallow. Near to the beautiful Clock House, yards from the statue of Thomas Davis and just across the road from the castle, you’ll find Peppers where they serve local and seasonal and serve it well. And you may wash it down with local beers and cider.

You can read the article in full on corkbilly.com

A girl should be two things classy and fabulous ..Coco Chanel

Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance

Looking great becomes easy when you know the lines that will create a balance and harmony in your overall appearance.

To be well dressed you should wear clothes that;

• Complement you, your coloring and body shape.
• Reflect your personality
• Are appropriate.
• Are current

Your clothes, make-up, hair and accessories should be an extension of you!

I have been in the fashion business for over two decades now and over that time I have realized that Beauty is pain is a terrible excuse for torturing your body to fit into tiny pointy heels or asking random girls on nights out to zip and unzip your play suit.

Fashion is fantastic for letting our personalities shine. It can gives people confidence.The advice i would give to any young person, and listen to me I’ve been around for long enough to have seen it all ..is to dress for you! Don’t dress in some tiny sequin dress that cuts under your arms and and make you self conscious all night because its too short. Don’t wear massive heels in the hope it will look sexier trust me your bunions will arrive years later from it and they wont be sexy.
No matter your size, age, gender, or height always dress for you.

Dress appropriately! Do you want to look back in ten years to see photos of yourself in a Bartlett and hot pants while shivering in five degrees in Irish weather?!

Real fashion is feeling feeling fabulous and confident in yourself.For example i have slim legs that some people torture themselves to achieve by dieting,gym etc etc but trust me shouldn’t. If i ever wear high boots i look like I’m wearing wellies so instead i have to wear ankle boots as they work best for me and my body shape.

So ladies remember ,yes it is your body and you should wear what you want but fashion really is looking classy and dressing for what suits you.

Be comfortable and fabulous and be yourself,

Contact: Maria Connolly
Telephone: 063 21855
Website: www.charismafashions.ie

Previously I would have felt woefully ill equipped to deal with any questions in relation to toddlers and teething but now that I’ve lived through the experience I feel I’ve earned my stripes and I’m happy to dispense my new found knowledge! Whether or not it’s worth anything I will leave up to you!

Teeth get a bad rep. Everything from an ear ache to a cold, from crankiness to a constant state of wakefulness, from sore bums to nappies that make you want to pass out and disown your own child, get blamed on teething. I’m not really sure if there is any hard evidence on it (to Aoif’s disbelief this was not part of my college training) but Noah had some if not all of the above every time a tooth appeared in his mouth. Are teeth to blame? I don’t know and the rational part of me says they can’t be but what I can tell you is that we could tell almost straight away from the contents and consistency of his nappy that we were gonna be in for a tough couple of weeks! Never have I discussed poop so much in my life but that’s the world I live in now.

So what’s the magic cure you ask? Unfortunately for us there wasn’t one but what I can promise you is that it will eventually sort it self out. Nappies will improve, colds will disappear, bums will heal and they will start sleeping again.

The good news is that no two kids appear to be the same and one mum happily informed me in my darkest hour that her little little girl woke up one morning and she had all her teeth not a sore bum,dirty nappy or sleepless night in sight. Oh how I envied her at the time!( I’m exaggerating on the overnight thing but poetic license and all that). So you might get lucky and sail through teething but on the other hand your smallie might be like poor Noah and be struck down with all of the above.

What helps? We found managing the symptoms as best we could. Sore bums seemed to be down to thrush so canesten worked wonders along with Caldesene powder and changing him as soon as possible. Obviously bibs, to mop up the equivalent of the river Lee that flowed from his poor mouth! Teething rings, toothbrushes, fingers, the corner of a book anything he cold get his little hands on to gnaw at. Ice lollies really seemed to help sooth him. Calpol and nurofen took the edge off but not much else. Antibiotics on the advice of our GP for the ear ache.

So now that your toddler has teeth, how do I look after them I hear you ask? Well the rule is that once the first tooth is in the mouth start getting them used to a toothbrush. It took me four months to bring home a toothbrush from work after Noah’s first teeth appeared so if you didn’t or haven’t started don’t worry! Use a really soft toothbrush. Curaprox make a great small headed soft brush that’s brilliant for smallies. We stock them at work so if you can’t find one let me know. From 0-2 I haven’t used and wouldn’t advise using any toothpaste. Water on it’s own is fine. Don’t get too stressed out. Let your smallie get used to holding and putting the brush in their mouth. If this takes a few weeks, that’s fine. I used to brush my teeth with Noah in my arms and he just started to imitate me after a few weeks. Once he’s had a go I usually lay him across my lap and give the teeth a scrub. This is where my training has come in useful. Avoiding having my fingers bitten is an art in itself! Starting the day with a puncture would on my index finger is not a joyful experience however the squeals of delight that come from my son’s mouth make if difficult to be angry with him for long!

Like I said earlier, all kids are different and you may not experience any of the above symptoms but if you do have any queries feel free to contact me on the details below. I’m more than happy to help.

Contact: Darryl Barry
Telephone: 022 42133
Website: www.beecherstreetdental.ie

Without a doubt, our Cassette Blinds range are our most popular sellers. And if you have them in your home, you’ll know exactly why.

Cassette Blinds offer all the convenience and versatility of Roller Blinds but with added sleekness, a better fit and better blackout.

Their slimline aluminium profile offers the perfect solution for large expanses of glass – such as conservatories, sun rooms and ceiling to floor windows. Their encased tracking also means Cassette Blinds are the perfect fit for tilt and turn windows and french doors.

Right Price Blinds supply Cassette Blinds in an array of wood and PVC colours to match any window frame. In addition, all of our blinds are measured and fitted by our professionally trained fitters, at a time that suits you.

Cassette Blinds are available in a wide variety of fabrics including dim-out, black-out, solar reflective, hessian and day/night (zebra) fabrics. We also offer an unrivaled selection of colours and fabrics for you to choose from and of our blinds are supplied with a choice of chain and bottom trim colour.

And the best part – we’ll bring the showroom to you, allowing you to choose your perfect fit blinds in the comfort of your own home, at a time that suits you.

Contact: Colin Higgins
Telephone: 087 1606 509
Website: www.rightpriceblinds.com

So here were are again, Christmas and New Year have been and gone, the dark and gloomy days of January and February are behind us and the days are beginning to get longer and warmer. What does Spring hold in store? Hopefully, good weather, pleasurable activities, good heath and no backache. Come the first good weekend of Spring however, the telephone in the Chiropractic clinic on the following Monday will ring incessantly, followed by an influx of suffering patients.

The commonest reason for this is of course over zealous activity in the garden. After being denied access to it by the inclement weather for most of the winter months, most garden owners are keen to get out and tend to its needs. This could include mowing the lawn, clearing patches of ground, clearing weeds and rubbish or even starting that long awaited project that has been planned all winter. Here are a few tips on how to prevent this potential seasonal danger.

The first bit of advice is simply, don’t take on too much. The weeds aren’t going anywhere and it is better to do twenty minutes daily than several hours continuously over the weekend and run the risk of injury, which will prevent you finishing the task in the long run. Stick to the old tried and tested adage… “little and often”.

Secondly, vary your tasks. For example, don’t spend half a day laying paving slabs. Instead, lay a few, take a break and then attempt a different task. This will help avoid repetitive strain to the same parts of your body over a prolonged period. Therefore the different tasks should ideally involve different postures and actions in order to “spread the load”.

Avoid strenuous work first thing in the morning, your musculoskeletal system needs time to “warm up” after sedentary nights sleep and is not at its most flexible first thing in the morning. So avoid jobs that entail heavy lifting and twisting or prolonged bending until later in the day when your muscles, ligaments and discs are better prepared. Start the day instead with some gentle exercise, such as a short brisk walk or at least with the gentle jobs.

Keep your back straight. It’s not always practical depending on the job but where possible, bring the work to you rather than bend to the job. For example if potting plants, work on a high surface that allows your posture to remain upright rather than bending over unnecessarily. Even a slight tilt forward for prolonged periods can increase pressure on your intervertebral discs to a severe degree. When digging, try to use tools with handles of sufficient length to enable you to keep a straighter back. When lifting, bend those knees with a straight back and hold the object close to you, simple advice that we all know this but are often slow to practice.

Finally, don’t ignore pain. There is no smoke without fire and if you develop pain whilst or after gardening your body is trying to tell you it’s had enough. If you battle through any pain just to get the job finished, you could be at risk of developing a significant injury. Those of us who suffer regularly the day after gardening probably haven’t followed the aforementioned advice but may feel they get away with it, as the symptoms are short lived. If, however, this happens on a regular basis then it usually means a weakness is developing in the affected region which will invariably catch up with you when you least expect it, the classic back “going” after a cough or sneeze being a good example of the straw that broke the camels back.

When performed sensibly, gardening can be a very rewarding and pain free hobby or even occupation. If, however you belong to the eternally green-fingered fraternity, then please try to take as much care of your back as you do your garden, it can be a lot harder to put right!

Ivan Danne, B.Sc., D.C., M.C.A.I.
Doctor of Chiropractic

If you require further advice on back care and spinal health, please feel free to contact Ivan at Blackwater Chiropractic (Mallow & Youghal).

Contact: Ivan Danne
Telephone: 022 57715
Website: www.blackwaterchiro.ie

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. 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. At Office Assist you pay for the number of messages you receive, which again saves you money.
• 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.
• 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?
• Does your answering service provide the service directly themselves or do they outsource?
• Does your service customise the service to meet your exact needs?
• How does your service relay messages?
• 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?

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.

Office Assist offer a professional personal customised service. We have different price packages available but can also tailor the 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.

Contact: Maria O’Donoghue
Telephone: 063 32466
Website: www.officeassist.ie