Ben Johnson's Blog

Social Media... the business tool of the future?

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:27:02 +0000

Yorkshire Mafia Conference 2012:

With over 150 exhibitors and an excellent line up of guest speakers, Ben Johnson went along to the Royal Armourieslast week along with the rest of Yorkshire to see what all the fuss was about! We took the opportunity to sign up for some of the fantastic seminars available for delegates this year, which included:

Google (guest speaker – Richard Robinson)
Facebook (guest speaker – Ivan Heneghan)
Linkedin (guest speaker – Wade Burgess)
Freeserve & bcsAgency (guest speaker – EX CEO Freeserve Rob Wilmot)

So the question is.. what did we learn about the often confusing topic that is social media?

Keeping it simple, what is social media about?
Rob Wilmot suggests 3 simple tips:

It’s about trusted 2 way communications
Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through
Be an authority on your sector

Simple social media facts from Richard Robinson at Google:

The UK is the leading e-commence country
£2000 spent on line per person per year on average
Worth 10-13% of GDP
60hours of video on YouTube every minute

Ivan Heneghan from Facebook was challenged with the question, is Facebook more FMCG than B2B?

“Almost ½ the population is on Facebook! The biggest marketing demographic for facebook is 18-24 year olds, but all ages from 8 to 70 are represented. If you are B2B the recommendation is to think of it as a 2 way dialogue not just a broadcast. Get friends of friends to endorse your products”. At Ben Johnson we aim to use our page to be an authority on our industry by showcasing the latest knowledge in our industry and encouraging workers to demand more flexible workplaces, environmental design and technology from their employers

How often should you blog? – once a day was recommended on any networking site

How do I promote myself better on Linkedin? – don’t just promote what you do but the VALUE you can provide

What is the latest from Google? – It’s all about mobile access. By 2016, 80% of Internet access will be through a mobile device!! The number of media devises will exceed the population in 2012!! We are looking at our website and suggest you consider this trend seriously when marketing your business

How do I get better results from my blog and website? Richard Robinson from Google suggested we consider the use of video. A rapidly growing trend to help better get your message out to potential customers. For instance you’re a restaurant owner trying to promote your gourmet food, video the chef making the latest delight and get it on YouTube, Twitter or Facebook and ask your friends to retweet, like etc. You could consider sponsored adds, 5000fans = 1 million people on Facebook when using sponsored adds…

Is it worth adding a fax number to your business card? Rob Wilmot challenged why we have a fax number on our business cards? when was the last time you sent or received a fax? The space could be far better used by putting your LinkedIn

Additional Social Media Tips from Ben Johnson

Check out the free search tool Insights for Search on Google– excellent if you’re interested in buying trends!!
Keep your tweets and blogs up to date – update frequently but ideally not more than once a day
Consider adding Social plug to your website, makes the website more interactive as users can click the like or recommend button etc

Road trip for Ben Johnson as we attend "Ecobuild" 2012

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:36:02 +0000

The future of construction?

This month we’ve been out and about visiting not just one but two exhibitions, both covering current trends in the marketplace. Ecobuild 2012 at ExCel, London which showcased the latest in Sustainability and Environmental Build followed by Yorkshire Mafia Conference 2012 which provided an excellent platform for local businesses, with a strong focus on the impact of social media.

Last week Ben Johnson attended the Ecobuild exhibition at ExCel, London. It was a great day but with so many stands to visit our feet were pretty sore later that afternoon! It was also encouraging to see how this area of business is growing so rapidly and we forsee that environmental factors are going to be increasingly important in the construction industry in years to come. Looking forward, we can also see the potential for being more environmentally aware when planning office spaces. The benefits of this approach are twofold, firstly by doing our bit for our planet but also considering the cost benefits long term when installing utilities such as economical heating and lighting products.

There were a few stands that stood out for us, one of which was Rexel, who were positioning themselves as a total solutions provider, showcasing their expertise in providing the total energy efficiency solution. Cutting edge technology includes the latest in LED lighting, airsource heat pumps, solar power and even an electric car! To find out the latest on their environmental building solutions please click here

Whilst we were there we came across a rather interesting stand for a business called The Tactility Factory. This design and production enterprise involves textile designers, concrete specialists and architects who have developed a new “analogue and digital craft approach” that creates memorable textured surfaces by expanding the potential of concrete from a cold, grey, acoustically harsh and unappealing surface to something that is warm, colourful acoustically soft and appealing. Please contact rebecca.sparnenn@benjohnson.co.uk for more information on this product.

We also had a chat with the girls at Zenex Solar who’s hot pink stand and matching uniforms really stood out from the rest, it was also nice to see a fellow Yorkshire based company exhibiting. Zenex are one of the UK’s leading solar wholesalers. You can find out more about Zenex here

Canon receives BERTL awards

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:09:04 +0000

The Business Equipment Research and Test Laboratories Inc., (BERTL) is an independent testing laboratory whose purpose is to provide objective, independent product evaluation reports and comparative analyses on imaging devices and software workflow solutions.

Recently BERTL anounced the following awards for Canon:

Best Office Multifunction Line of the Year
Best Segment 2 A3 Color Multifunction Printer
Best Color Light Production Device
Best Device Management Solution
Best 44 inch Graphic Arts Large Format Printer

Ben Johnson Ltd continues to invest in it’s partnership with Canon, delivering unique and leading edge Managed Print Services and Information Management projects to its clients.

First Impressions Count...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:09:01 +0000

With more and more businesses looking to create dynamic visual spaces within their workplace, we were very impressed with the latest offering from Muraspec.

In a nutshell, Impressions are sculptured panels which offer a practical and cost effective way to add impact and atmosphere to a feature wall.

Each panel is manufactured by sculpting 3 dimensional designs onto a core panel of 1.2m x 2.4m mdf, finished with a pressure formed laminate surface layer to give added visual impact and durability. This range has been designed exclusively by Muraspec’s in house team using their vast experience in the commercial interiors market.

With over 20 designs available in over 50 laminate finishes (please see JPEG files below) you’ll be spoilt for choice and priced from as little as £45m2 at a 2-3 week leadtime they won’t break the bank either. You can even opt for a raw paintable finish to match up to your own individual colour scheme.

Impressions panels offer a practical and cost effective way to add real impact and atmosphere to interior spaces. They can be mounted as panels using Muraspec’s fixing kits, screwed or glued, and can be cut prior to installation

Impressions panels are also available with 80% recycled content and Euroclass fire rated mdf materials. All panels are designed and manufactured in the UK.

You can find more information on Muraspec’s products here. Please contact sales@benjohnson.co.uk if you would like to request a sample or discuss in more detail.

The One to Watch: 2012

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:46:50 +0000

In our offices this week, the topic of discussion has been not only New Years resolutions (mainly gym related!) but also New Years predictions for the year ahead. One product which we all agreed would be the “one to watch” is Steelcase’s newest academic seating solution, the Node chair. The Node combines a funky design with devilishly clever functional aspects.

Steelcase explain it as: “Seating for the active learning classroom.” The node chair is mobile and flexible. It’s designed for quick and easy transitions from one teaching mode to the next transforming a classroom from lecture mode to team mode and back again, without interruption.

Node boasts many features:

Casters lend mobility for quick, easy transitions between teaching modes.
Available in hard casters, soft casters or glides.
Swivel seat keeps open sightlines between student and instructor, whiteboard, and other students.
Personal worksurface swivels in tandem with seat and is adjustable for users of all sizes. It accommodates left- and right-handed students and is large enough to support students’ digital and analog resources.
Base keeps backpacks and valuable personal belongings out of the aisle.
Flexible seat, without pneumatic adjustments to worry about, keeps students comfortable in a variety of postures.
Open seat design offers easy access, while arms serve as backpack hooks.
Comfort without upholstery means easy maintenance.
Steelcase warranty with elevated durability testing makes node an easy choice.
Optional Cupholder.
Height Adjustable.

The Shell is available in 12 colour options, base in 3 colours and worksurface in 5 colours. The Node is shipped in three simple parts (base, seat, worksurface) that assemble in 30 seconds without tools – yes really – it’s that simple – need we say more?

If you’d like more information on “Node” our chosen product to watch in 2012 – please contact Gemma Thornton via sales@benjohnson.co.uk