MOVEMBER IS FINALLY FINISHED….

And we’re pleased to announce that our MD, Derek, has finally had a shave! Movember is a charity event where men are encouraged not to shave for a full month to raise money for The Prostate Cancer Charity. Derek decided to take part in the event and managed to raise £185 for the charity. His group raised over £1500 for this great cause.

We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who donated to the event. If you would like to support the event, you can still donate by clicking here.

Here's an image of Derek during Movember:

We have lots more exciting charity events planned for 2011 and will be announcing further details soon. Thank you for all of your support over the past year!

Thank you Twitter - The 21st Century Community

I have now been tweeting since March 2009 and this article is my 3000th tweet. I wanted to make this a bit of a milestone and decided to write an article about what Twitter has done for me personally and my company. I wanted to pay tribute to all the "Tweeters" who have helped, inspired, worked with us, made us laugh and generally enjoy reading their tweets. I have grouped all these people together in a Twitter list and I would encourage everyone to follow these people and companies.

Twitter and Social Media sites in general are indeed the 21st Century community, it is essentially the equivalent of popping next door and asking for the proverbial cup of sugar and having a chat, that happened many years ago. I must admit I always find it quite funny when people say "why don't you just go and speak to people, there is no need to use Social Networking", that is exactly what people are doing on Social Networking sites, so it may not be physically in person but I am sure people mocked at the invention of the telephone as well!! If you need help with anything you can get it on Twitter from the most unlikely sources, from buying and sourcing a new product, through personal and family relationships and even business advice, its all there. Of course it is only another method of communication and face to face, telephone and email et al all have their place too.

So I mentioned I wanted to pay tribute to some people who have helped or inspired me or simply made me laugh, here goes, for the shortened version just go to my Twitter List.

Who inspired me first

The first person that got me involved in Twitter properly was @glenfeechan, he told me how easy it was to use and update on a regular basis and that the content just flows once you get into it, very true Glen, thanks for that. I was very fortunate that I met someone shortly after that who defined and continues to influence the digital strategy I adopted. She has a fantastic understanding of what is still a very new communications media and that person was @jerri_murtagh and her company @echo23_news.

Good Organisations to Follow

There are a number of companies we admire and follow their tweets regularly, these include @cellsolne who always have good stuff to say and share our own philosophy on Social Media. Other friendly organisations to follow are @leadtransformit, @houghtonint, @gurooltd, @entforum, @girl_geeks, @northeastbic, @1Daylater, @sageuk, @kurodragon, @quay2media @winningsales, @centreforebus, @better_studio, @souterconsults, @sunsoftcity, @b2fanimation, @engleby, @sunderlandsmile and @genicoach. These are just a few of my favourites but the list could go on and on.

Fund Raising

Another great advantage of Twitter is the opportunity to help raise money for charity and we have taken part in Byte Night and I was also part of the Twimmers team earlier this year with @marketingGeni, @easbynow, @canny_lass and @angelfysh. I have also decided to take part in #Movember starting tomorrow, inspired by @easbynow and @christianceriso.

Friends online and offline

These are some of the people I have met through Twitter or know in "the real world" and have grown to know more on Twitter. Again the list is not exhaustive just a snapshot, @thinkfreer, @redboatphoto, @patsyj, @1daveymo, @olivejm, @paul_1daylater, @TunstallM, @ian_farrar, @fari_, @hello_from_U, @oodavid and @_stuartlynn.

I have only been able to include a few names in this article, so sorry if youy have not been mentioned. There are a few more in my Twitter List and there are about 3000 more in my full Following List.

So to anyone who is considering setting up a Twitter account either personally or for business, I would encourage you to do it and take part in the 21st Century community.

Bond Pool Tournament

Here at Bond Solutions, we’re all currently competing in a pool tournament!

To make this competition a bit more interesting we’ve decided that whoever sinks to the bottom of our league table should complete an eating challenge, as voted for by you!

League table as at 30th November

What should our loser eat?
	A chocolate covered scorpion
	A Spoonful of cinnamon
	A chilli
	4 Mars bar ice creams

ACT! 2011 HAS ARRIVED

ACT! 2O11 is now available and, as always, includes a series of new features to improve your experience of using the software.

Sage has improved the initial start up procedure by simplifying the database creation and making it easier than ever to export data from Excel directly into ACT!. There is also now the option to customise the layout of ACT!, meaning it can be adapted to fit your individual preference.

ACT! 2O11 can now synchronise seamlessly with Outlook which allows your calendar and contacts to be exchanged directly between the two programmes. It also now incorporates the function to automate and customise processes, which includes the option to set prompts to contact a customer, schedule calls for other staff members and automate targeted e-marketing campaigns.

In most cases, the information stored in an ACT! database is confidential and you may not want everything to be seen by all staff within your organisation. With this in mind Sage has enhanced ACT!’s security settings, which allows the system’s administrator to define restricted areas and specific user security settings, ensuring that only specified users can see certain information.

Although we love the new features, our favourite addition has to be the mobile integration function, something which is new to ACT! 2011. Available for use with a range of phone handsets, you can now have access to your ACT! database wherever you are. This includes the function to see contacts, calendars, notes and history - perfect for those times when you’re out of the office.

ACT! 2011 still includes our favourite functionality from ACT! 2010, including e-marketing and social networking.

E-marketing provides a cost-effective way to communicate with customers, suppliers and potential leads, and ACT! includes an inbuilt e-marketing tool which allows you to communicate with your customers at the click of a button.

The communications can be pulled together in a short space of time and link to anywhere on your website.

They allow you to promote your business, including any special offers, news or events, to an unlimited amount of people easily and conveniently. The e-marketing tool will translate your results and evaluate your campaign for you, giving a detailed insight into what your customers are interested in, which links they opened and how many times they have viewed the email.

The e-marketing function also allows you to send out surveys to your contacts, with all of the returned data coming straight back into ACT! in an easy-to-view format.

Each marketing campaign will be tailored to your needs and all are basic and simple to set up. You can take a drip marketing approach and even set your emails to send on specific dates and times.

The social networking function was initially launched in ACT! 2010 and provides an innovative way for you to communicate with your customers on a range of different levels and platforms.

ACT! 2O11 links to popular methods of social networking, making it easier to communicate with your customers and encourage a two-way communication, thus helping you understand what your customer wants and how you can deliver this.

When viewing your contact, there is a new tab that shows links to their social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace, helping you discover more about your contacts and what they are up to.

If you would like further information about ACT! 2O11 and its new features, you can contact our sales team at sales@bond-solutions.com or call 0191 516 6882 to speak to an advisor.

We're Moving...

We are excited to announce that we are moving offices in August. Please see our press release below:

BOND IS FIRST THROUGH DOOR AT NEW SOFTWARE CENTRE
A state-of-the-art business location, crafted specifically to nurture software companies as part of the Sunderland Software City initiative, has welcomed its first tenant 2 months prior to its official opening in August.

The new Jupiter Centre at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) aims to offer the ultimate location for software companies to locate and grow, with a choice of thirteen offices ranging in size from 32- 121 square metres.

The centre’s first tenant, Bond Solutions, specialises in technology-based customer relationship management (CRM) and finance solutions, and support services for SMEs.

Upon hearing of the new development, managing director Derek Curtis was immediately drawn to the location as a base to further grow Bond alongside existing offices in Manchester.

Derek Curtis said: "It is important to me that Bond Solutions’ home is in line with the overall aims and directions of the business: we are ambitious and forward-thinking, and always aim to leave an impression. The outline that the Jupiter Centre already carves on the River Wear matches this perfectly. It’s something not just for the present, but beyond this and into the future."

While its foundations rest in the refurbishment of a former conferencing centre at the BIC, The Jupiter Centre has been constructed to offer the highest technical specification currently available. Tenants will be able to choose from offices with balconies, additional annexes, mezzanine floors, and spiral staircases. There centre will also offer two meeting areas, complete with free WiFi and refreshment areas.

David Howell, director of operations at the North East BIC, said: “Whilst it will be an ideal home for burgeoning software companies to further their growth, The Jupiter Centre is also a major element of the larger infrastructure strategy of the Sunderland Software City project. It will offer a perfect location in terms of both technical specification and support services for software companies in the region.”

Bernie Callaghan, chief executive at Sunderland Software City, said: “A huge part of Sunderland Software City’s work is persuading leading software companies to make our region their home. World class, cutting-edge accommodation is a huge attraction to businesses of all sizes and that’s exactly what the Jupiter Centre offers.

“Bond Solutions are well known to us, and we’re delighted that they want to be part of the Jupiter Centre.”

IS SAGE 200 RIGHT FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

We have noticed a rise in the amount of customers who are looking to migrate from Sage 50 to Sage 200.

Sage 200 helps businesses with a turnover from around £1m+ to co-ordinate their full business through both customer-facing and back-end modules. Made up of Sage 200 CRM and Sage 200 Financials, the product provides a complete solution to the management of a company’s processes.

The migration is generally due to the business outgrowing the Sage 50 package and requiring a more complex accounts and CRM package. There are a number of issues which have been identified as key indicators that a company should be looking at a more diverse package.

These indicators include: the software struggling with high volumes of data, repeated corruption, files locking and reports taking a long time to run. Although there are short term solutions to these issues, migration to Sage 200 can save businesses both time and resources by making these processes more effective.

Sage 200 provides a tailored, managed solution for businesses which have outgrown Sage 50. This solutions will help to resolve the issues outlined below:
• Limitations whilst reporting
• Issues with data segmentation and analysis
• With Sage 200 you have the ability to manage multiple stock locations and suppliers as well as tracking batches of stock and serial numbers

If you would like to discuss Sage 50 or the benefits of migrating to Sage 200 please contact us. Our packages are tailored for each individual customer and our sales team would be happy to help you find the product that best fits your needs.

NOT LONG TO GO UNTIL THE BIG MATCH….

The Bond team is busy gearing up for the big game this afternoon and will be leaving the office at 2.30pm to cheer England on in their biggest match yet.

We will still have limited access to our emails, so are able to pick up any urgent enquiries. We hope you will be joining us in cheering the team on. COME ON ENGLAND!!!

Changes to our Telephone Number

The 08700 number is currently unavailable, until notified otherwise please use 0191 516 6882.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

NEW SOFTWARE HELPS STAFF BLOW THE WHISTLE

We have recently been working with Safecall to develop a bespoke system to help them streamline their business processes. Please see our press release regarding the project below:

A Sunderland-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) company has developed a bespoke software system for one of the UK’s leading whistleblowing companies.

Bond Solutions, which is based in the Business and Innovation Centre (BIC), has worked with Safecall to develop a system that allows its customers to log in and view the progress of their case online.

Safecall, which is also based in the BIC, was established by Graham Long in 1999 and specialises in the reporting of workplace concerns. It provides an independent outsourced whistleblowing service to a range of major public and private sector organisations. The service allows employees to securely report problems in the workplace, meaning employers are able to address issues at an early stage.

The system that Bond Solutions developed provides both employees and client investigators with a unique account where they can log in and see specific information about their case and its progress.

Each account has specific permissions, meaning that only certain information can be viewed by each user. The program also features a range of reporting mechanisms, meaning Safecall is able to provide detailed logs to clients on what concerns have been reported and their progress.

The bespoke system was developed from Sage CRM, one of the market’s leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, which is a web-based application that manages organisations’ relationships with customers. The product was developed by the technical team at Bond Solutions, who worked closely with Safecall to establish their needs and what program could be developed to meet their requirements.

Safecall’s chief executive Graham Long said: "The system that Bond Solutions developed has allowed us to provide our customers with an efficient program where they can manage all concerns raised. There are lots of regulations and legalities to be adhered to when dealing with sensitive issues like this and the system provides prompts to ensure that the correct procedure is followed throughout the investigation process. This has proved to be a fantastic resource for our customers.

"I was not aware that a CRM product could be adapted to meet our specific needs, however it has proved to be very effective and has given both Safecall and our customers improved accuracy and control."

Derek Curtis, managing director of Bond Solutions said: “This is a fantastic example of how CRM software can be adapted into a full working solution to suit any business. The software will allow Safecall to provide added value to its customers as they are now able to manage their processes electronically."

CRM On Your BlackBerry

It’s that time of year again – our new mobile phones have arrived! This year we have opted for BlackBerrys and are now busy installing SalesLogix Mobile, an exciting new application that we have recently launched.

As specialists in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software, one of our best selling products is Sage SalesLogix – a system that we currently use in-house. We have recently started selling a new application which allows SalesLogix to be accessed directly from a BlackBerry handset, meaning that staff can access account details and update customer notes etc direct from their mobile phone.

We have so far sold this product to several of our customers and the Bond staff are now looking to enjoy the same benefits.

This application is just one of a number of business programmes that are being released to BlackBerry users and we are constantly looking to source new applications that complement our products.

Being able to update your customer details easily and conveniently whilst on the go is of huge benefit to staff, as well as ensuring your CRM database is constantly up-to-date.

With this in mind, we have decided to upgrade the company phones to BlackBerrys to enable our staff to update SalesLogix in real time.

We will post full information on the BlackBerry application soon, however, if this is something you would be interested in utilising for your business, please call 0870 043 4303 or email sales@bond-solutions.com for further information.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SWIMATHON SUPPORT

We are pleased to announce that the Twimmers successfully completed the world's largest swim last Friday.

The team, which consisted of our managing director Derek Curtis, Heather Baxter of GENI, Mark Easby of Better Brand Agency, Lisa Forster of Angelfysh and Marianne Whitfield of Cobweb, raised over £1100 for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who sponsored and supported us - and of course the Twimmers team. We would also like to thank Paul Keating of Redboat Photography who took our PR shots.

We plan to participate in further fundraising events throughout the year and will post information about this soon.

Thanks again for all of your support and well done to Derek and the team for completing the swim!

There is still time to sponsor us here.

TWITTER HELPS BUSINESS OWNERS MAKE A SPLASH

Our managing director Derek Curtis is participating in a swimathon on Friday with a team he met on social networking site Twitter. Our recent press release is below:

Five local business owners are participating in the world’s biggest swim after meeting through social networking site Twitter.

The team, which consists of Heather Baxter of GENI, Derek Curtis of Bond Solutions, Mark Easby of Better Brand Agency, Lisa Forster of Angelfysh and Marianne Whitfield of Cobweb, will be swimming 5,000 metres on April 16 to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

The group, whose businesses are all based in the North East, met on Twitter and decided to take part in the Swimathon at Sunderland Aquatic Centre. The swim will take approximately three hours to complete and the team, aptly named the Twimmers, is hoping to raise over £1,000 for the charity.

Derek Curtis said: “We all use Twitter for business purposes and we had been talking for a while previous to agreeing to do the Swimathon. We were all discussing getting fit and when the idea of participating in the event was mentioned we all jumped at the chance.

“It just shows how social media is bringing businesses together and can provide a great platform for businesses to network with others in the region. I’m really looking forward to the challenge and of course raising money for this great cause.”

Twitter is now one of the UK’s leading social networking sites with over 58 million members. It is a microblogging site where users can interact and post ‘tweets’ of up to 140 characters.

Heather added: “It’s amazing how many contacts I have made since joining Twitter last year. Since agreeing to do the Swimathon I have met several members of the team to discuss potential business opportunities. Although the Swimathon will be a challenge, I am excited to take part and hope we will exceed our fundraising target.”

The team’s sponsorship page can be found at: http://my.artezglobal.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=33848&langPref=en-CA.

LEGISLATION CHANGES FOR SAGE 200 USERS

From April 1, companies with a turnover of more than £100,000 will have to submit their VAT returns electronically under new HMRC legislation changes. This will affect customers who are currently using the Sage 200 Suite.

The new version of Sage 200 2010 incorporates a link to the HMRC gateway which will allow users to submit and pay their VAT return online – ensuring companies comply with this legislation. We expect Sage 200 2010 to launch in June and will ensure you are kept up-to-date with details of its release. In the meantime customers who are required to submit their initial returns can do so on the HMRC gateway.

If you would like to be kept updated with the latest features of Sage 200 2010 and its launch date, please sign up to our e-newsletter by filling in your details on the box to the right of the page.

BOND’S FIRST FUNDRAISING EVENT OF 2010

Our first charity activity of 2010 is nearly here. Our managing director Derek Curtis is part of a team that was formed on Twitter to do a Swimathon on 16th April.

The team, aptly named the Twimmers, will swim 5000 metres in the ‘The World’s largest swimming fundraising event’. Further details about the event can be found here.

Consisting of Heather Baxter of GENI, Mark Easby of Better Brand Agency, Lisa Forster of Angelfysh and Marianne Whitfield of Cobweb, the team will aim to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Following on from the success of Byte Night last year, each member of the Bond team will be participating in an event to raise money for their nominated charity. Further information will follow soon.

To sponsor Derek click here.

NEW FEATURES OF ACT! 2010

ACT! provides a fantastic platform for businesses to manage their contacts and business processes and ACT! 2010 includes some brand new features.

Sage has embraced the changes in the way we communicate and for the first time, has incorporated features such as e-marketing and social networking into ACT! to position it at the forefront of Customer Relationship Management.

In addition to this, processes such as Sales and Marketing have been revamped and the programme has received a facelift – although its renowned usability remains the same and more user-friendly than ever before.

ACT! helps businesses manage the way they communicate with leads, customers and suppliers and, as well as being a database, it is a tool which measures your business performance. The new version of ACT! has evolved to help streamline all of these processes even more.

We have pulled together a list of our favourite business processes that ACT! 2010 can improve. Please contact us if you would like any further information or a demo of the product.

Sales Process

When dealing with the sales process it is important to know where your business stands at any given time and there are several new features in ACT! 2010 that can streamline this even more.

ACT! 2010 features a new sales tracking functionality which will revolutionise the way you manage your sales process - from your initial contact, through to the final stage of each sale.

You can now customise your dashboard to show the information that is important to you and your business, as well as generating a series of reports bespoke to your specifications – something that has not been possible before.

We are often asked if there is an easy way of generating reports through ACT! and we are pleased to announce that there are 13 new reports included in the new version to allow you to monitor your organisation’s performance closely. This includes sales process by stage, closed and won opportunities, sales totals and analysis.

This can help you more accurately target your prospects and provide your customers with a better service, as well as discovering the strengths and weaknesses within your sales process.

E-Marketing

E-marketing provides a cost-effective way to communicate with customers, suppliers and potential leads, and ACT! 2010 now includes an e-marketing tool which allows you to communicate with your customers at the click of a button.

The communications can be pulled together in a short space of time and link to anywhere on your website.

They allow you to promote your business, including any special offers, news or events, to an unlimited amount of people easily and conveniently. The new link with ACT! 2010, means that it will translate your results and evaluate your campaign for you.

It displays which contacts have opened your email, exactly what links they have clicked on and how many times they have viewed each page. You can manage all costs for the campaign and also generate reports to evaluate the effectiveness of each individual marketing activity.

The e-marketing function also allows you to send out surveys to your customers, with all of the returned data coming straight back into ACT! in an easy to view format.

Each marketing campaign will be tailored to your needs and all are basic and simple to set up. You can take a drip marketing approach and even set your emails to send on specific dates and times.

Social Networking

Social networking is an innovative way for you to communicate with your customers on a range of different levels and platforms.

Sage has embraced these changes and ACT! 2010 now links to popular methods of social networking, making it easier to communicate with your customers and encourage a two-way communication – thus helping you understand what your customer wants and how you can deliver this.

When viewing your contact, there is a new tab which includes links to their social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace, helping you discover more about your contacts and what they are up to.

Twitter is an effective tool that, if updated on a regular basis, can allow you to engage with your audience and ensure that they remember who you are.

Bond has developed a link from ACT! to Twitter, and for a limited time we are offering this tab free to everyone who purchases ACT! 2010.

If you would like to see how we are using Twitter to communicate more effectively, please visit www.twitter.com/bondsolutions.

Customisation

ACT! 2010 can be customised and adapted to fit your business needs and processes.
You are now able to add more additional fields, customise products and services specific to your business, track activities and personalise the full look of your software.

There is an easy access button allowing you to search your database more conveniently and from each screen, instead of having to navigate back to the home screen each time.

INTERESTED...

Please get in touch and one of our sales team will be happy to help. Call us on 0870 043 4303 or email sales@bond-solutions.com for further information.

BOND ANNOUNCES GROWTH PLANS FOR 2010

We have recently celebrated our eight birthday with the announcement of growth plans for 2010. Please see our press release below:

BUSINESS software specialists Bond Solutions is celebrating its eighth birthday with the announcement of growth plans for 2010.

The Sunderland-based company, which specialises in Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and accounts software, will launch its own range of products next year and expand its team.

The business currently specialises in all aspects of Sage software: offering services such as sales, development, training, installation and support on all Sage products. Its technical team has also been working on a range of add-on products that will complement its CRM and accounts packages.

The first product is a software package that links with a digital pen and will automatically update customers' central CRM system via their mobile phone.

Used with paper that's embedded with a digital pattern, the pens capture handwriting and transform it into pen strokes which are imported directly into the CRM system in minutes. Bespoke forms can be developed and an exact copy of these forms are saved against the relevant contact on the system. This also allows the paper copy to be kept and stored if required.

The software has been in development for the past year and is expected to launch in February.

Bond Solutions' managing director Derek Curtis said: "I am delighted to be launching our own range of add-on products and I'm confident that the software will be well received.

"It provides an excellent solution to any business that requires an electronic copy of written forms or documents and the link to the CRM system means information can be updated in real time whilst on site with customers."

Following the acquisition of a Manchester base in 2008, Bond Solutions is also looking to expand its team in the North East and also the North West in early 2010.

Mr Curtis continued: "So far this year we have recruited three new staff and are now looking to expand our team at both offices thanks to some new account wins.

"It's fantastic to be celebrating our eighth anniversary, and our team - most of which have been with us for many years - have been influential to Bond's success.

"Customer service is key to what we do and eight years in business is a testament to our staff's dedication and hard work."

CHANGES TO THE VAT RATE FOR SAGE ACCOUNTS

On the 1st January 2010 the VAT rate returned to 17.5%. Those who are currently using Sage Accounts packages – such as Sage 50 and Sage 200 – will need to adjust their VAT settings to ensure that their invoicing and accounts remain correct.

The new VAT rate will apply to all VAT registered businesses for any takings or invoices raised on or after 1 January 2010.

For information on how to adjust your settings, please click on the relevant link below:

Click here for Sage 200 & MMS - How to account for the increase in the standard rate of VAT

Click here for Line 100 - How to account for the increase in the standard rate of VAT

Click here for Sage 200 POS (Point of Sale) - How to account for the increase in the standard rate of VAT

Click here for Sage 50 Construct & Sage 50 Accounts - How to account for the increase in the standard rate of VAT

Click here for Sage 200 Construct & Sage 200 - How to account for the increase in the standard rate of VAT

Click here for Sage 50 Construct & Line 100 - How to account for the increase in the standard rate of VAT

Click here for Sage 50 Manufacturing - How to account for the increase in the standard rate of VAT

Click here for Sage 50 Accounts - How to account for the increase in the standard rate of VAT.

Click here for Sage 50 Accounts (Cash Accounting) - How to account for the increase in the standard rate of VAT.

Click here for Sage 200 Manufacturing & Sage 200 - How to account for the increase in the standard rate of VAT

For further information regarding our accounts packages, please contact us on 0870 043 4303 or email sales@bond-solutions.com.