Company training.

Today is a nice day for Lizzie and Linda from the Care Providers Network here in Ipswich. They have been learning many things including blogging, adding new pages to the website, changing the the theme and implementing widgets and search engine optimisation during the build.

The website we made for them is the CareProvidersNetwork and it has all the usual features of a WordPress website. Lizzie and Linda have added their own blogs and will continue to do so. They have logged in and added pages and blogs as you can see on the website.

I haven’t as yet told them that their website has funded a free website for a young person - http://www.katiescareproducts.co.uk/ and they can keep an eye on this young persons website, knowing that their company website has paid for Katie to have the opportunity of a web presence for free.

One day WordPress training.

Today was an exctiting day as we tested out what we can deliver in one day, a short day at that. Tom came in and did some training on a new, clean and un-started WordPress website and made it into something complete. Then he also installed a Theme and compeltely re-hashed the look and feel of another websites using the WordPress theme we chose.

He learnt eleven skills during his short day and we measured the impact of six hours of training, taking up an hour and a half of my time to service this training, while he used the one of the PC’s here in the training room at YoungVoice.

We showed him -

WordPress log in and adding users and access levels
Setting up the initial look and feel of a WordPress site
Installing Plug In’s
Adding pages to the website
Amending pages to the website
Adding a blog entry
Amending a blog entry
Adding Images and Gallery’s
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) during build
Adding widgets and implementing them
Installing interaction between website and social media

We managed to increase his understanding of the above by 212%.

Tom is a website developer stating ”I have been using just HTML & CSS to create my websites, and haven’t actually used a content manager which is definetly needed”. We have taken a young website designer and empowered him with WordPress and you can see his blog about the day on our website.

The thank you from Tom was very appreciated and I even managed to do half an hour on VAT, invoicing, credit control and book-keeping with him for is own business venture.

Thank you Tom for being such a polite visitor – 7/10 for your flying too.

Micheal makes his own website

Today is a fantastic day here at YoungVoice. Micheal has been learning the craft of WordPress websites as well as a few more points that I promised to show him on his 1st day. We have struggled (but he has learnt) to get his own domain name taken back from “Go Daddy” web hosting. We had to pay Nominet to do this for us so we could take possession of this but this means his website is now back in his possession and on the YoungVoice account with Heart Internet. This has been something else that he has learnt here at YoungVoice – part of the frustration of dealing with 3rd party suppliers!

Micheal’s journey hasn’t just been about the website, we have been trying to find out why his T-Shirt supplier has gone cold as well as the pro’s and con’s of buying from abroad. We are looking at many aspects of the business and his route to market.

We have been looking at this invoicing, responsibilities to the revenue and registering his business. While we don’t think he needs an e-commerce shop, we have been testing this on a similar entity and shop using PayPal as the payment gateway.

I have enjoyed the experience and journey myself. I have the confidence that what I can be measured and accounted for. I can see the direct impact of what YoungVoice does to motivate, encourage and give wonderful people such as Micheal an opportunity beyond the normal classroom.

Micheal has the exciting opportunity of making his own website today after practicing on a few other projects and tasks, on existing corporate websites and updating, amending and re-conditioning some of my own websites. His own website is the http://www.velvetmonster.co.uk/ website for t-shirts and he is working on this right now!

Thanks to the Eastern Enterprise Hub for the opportunity to help Micheal develop himself and his business here at YoungVoice. I have been given an future enterprise superstar I think!

Micheal has been adding his own blog to the YoungVoice website.

What a week!

Well, this week has been brilliant for YoungVoice. We have the desks, we have two PC’s and according to the updated business plan we don’t need any more until April so we are on a roll! I did go to a start-up event for Social Ventures but this was for very early start-ups and we have been well looked after at the hub and already understood much of what was being delivered to us. It was nice to know that we are very developed and already doing it.

Sam has been doing well volunteering and learning the craft of WordPress and Michael has been learning lots also. Micheal actually came to the school for social entrepreneurs with me on Thursday so that was good.

We are making websites for James and Katie and they are being done this week as well as Michael starting the UnderIpswich website for secret tunnels under Ipswich. Micheal found a fantastic theme for the wedding website he made this week and it’s very impressive – so much so I used it myself for Mandy’s own website (my girlfriend)

We have still got some teething problems with exactly what the deal is with the landlord here at UCS and I was pulled in the office today for more ironing out the solutions for a few problems, but I’m sure we will get there soon.

I have been to see some customers and had a contact for the 1st individual development website today so this is great. I have also been to see a nation schools related entity and this has some great mileage with a possible 12 websites strait away, as well as contact with all the schools in the UK.

Next week will see Colin Crooks website started and then another website we are taking possession of, for someone at the school for social entrepreneurs. We have also offered to make a free website for two girls that are selling bespoke jewellery online and they are very thankful for this.

We have also had contact with Andrew Cook , an Enterprise Adviser from Inspire2Enterprise who has been helping me immensely this week. My business plan was emailed to him today and I’m looking forward to his response. Inspire2Enterprise are providing information, specialist advice and support from start-up through initial growth and beyond so I’m keen to use them as they are free!. To find out how Inspire2Enterprise can help you or your organisation call 0844 9800 760 (Monday to Friday 08.30am to 5.30) or email info@inspire2enterprise.org

So, onwards and upward for next week and let’s see what happens then!

Michael’s first day at YoungVoice.

Micheal Baalham has started his 1st day today with YoungVoice volunteering with YoungVoice learning how to make WordPress websites and learn about business in general. Micheal Baalham is doing a BTEC course with the Eastern Enterprise Hub this is a great opportunity for him to learn all we do here.

iPhone App’ development from concept to delivery.
Website creation and publishing.
Purchasing URL’s for customers
Taking possession of existing websites and re-building them on WordPress.
Setting up email forwarding and rules.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
E-commerce website admin.
Business development and planning.
Correct pricing and quoting for work/products.
Sales and marketing tools and strategy.
Invoicing and Accountancy.
Responsibility and liability to the Revenue/HMRC
Responsibility for his work.
Accountability.
Entrepreneurial motivation and thinking.
Business Etiquette.

I hope he enjoys his education in all that we do here and look forward to seeing the results with the http://www.underipswich.co.uk/ website.

Four Day Week

Its seems there is allot of suggestion that the four day week could be the way to keep your staff, enhance the better working environment and save money! Are your staff committed to the business enough to ‘research’ in their own time?

While I do have to work six+ days a week with all the projects I have, I would be keen to see my staff doing a four day week, after researching the proposition put to me this week. If you hot desk you would need 20% less computers in the office but still use the same energy… You need the light and heating on longer, but get more work done per year as no one needs to have a duvet day!

Why not work ten hours for four days, then have a day off “researching”. Sure, the staff are going to plan three day breaks and not get out of bed Friday morning as a result of going out on their new lease of life at the Thursday venue, but it all seems to add up.

Staff would save 20% on their own travel as well as reducing one fifth of the ‘risk’ of the journey to work. If you’re a shop you can open two hours longer each day. Your support line can take calls until 7pm instead of 5pm and the repair man can come in Fridays and PAT test most of the PC’s! No more “I need a half day off as a bed is being delivered” as they can take the whole day off.

The swap? If you can do some “research” while you are on the day off! OK, so it’s not strict but even without them researching it makes sense! If they just looked at your industry for two hours, their perspective would be different in their own time and the feedback may encourage thinking outside of the box.

Could that email wait another day, would they see it on their iPhone and ring in to delegate if it was important? – after all, it is a research day not a day off!

Good thinking and giving something back to your employees with good reasons that they can see works for you too.

Learning Curve.

Well it’s January and we are back at work and in the new office for YoungVoice. We are still only two desks, one PC (mine) and a lap top borrowed from Mandy but it’s working!

Sam is here learning the trade and adding pages to WordPress websites, adding SEO friendly images and updating commerical websites for customers learning all about WordPress and is potential to make great websites. Sam has been here all day and loving the learning and control over something live on the net… If what he has done works, searching “Sam Monstermunch” should get a result as he has been playing with this redundant website.

This is also a great learning curve for myself, as I am able to get a feel for how to roll WordPress out to someone who has never published a page, let along a whole website. While I have looked after apprentices out on building sites as an electrican this is more of a teaching and guidance roll and it’s going very well.

Development & Training

The succesfull applicant for the work placement from the BTEC in Enterprise & Entrepreneurship is Michael Baalham and he will be joining YoungVoice for 4 weeks later in January 2012.

This is a a brilliant opportunity for Micheal working to be with Andy learning many things during his placement including.

iPhone App’ development from concept to delivery.
Website creation and publishing.
Purchasing URL’s for customers
Taking possession of existing websites and re-building them on WordPress.
Setting up email forwarding and rules.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
E-commerce website admin.
Business development and planning.
Correct pricing and quoting for work/products.
Sales and marketing tools and strategy.
Invoicing and Accountancy.
Responsibility and liability to the Revenue/HMRC
Responsibility for his work.
Accountability.
Entrepreneurial motivation and thinking.
Business Etiquette.

The first project that Micheal will undertake is the development of a new website for Ipswich. The www.underipswich.co.uk website is going to be about secret tunnels and vaults in the area. This is a website that Michael will be starting, then left for development of any further apprentices of YoungVoice to take up the baton and develop learning about some of the things above. Michael will gain a wealth of experience constructing this website then leaving it for others to develop as part of their learning with YoungVoice. There are other websites about tunnels, but this will be dedicated to Ipswich and its tunnels and vaults.

We look forward to getting Micheal doing all the aspects of what we do here and he is going to be left to learn at his own pace, being the 1st person to volunteer under the YoungVoice banner.

To learn more about YoungVoice – please read more about our WordPress website publishing service supporting young people making WordPress websites for social groups, charities, volunteer groups, business, start up business websites and individual young people.

Please check out our website for secret tunnels under Ipswich being made by Michael then handed over to successive YoungVoice students. Do you know something about the tunnels under Ipswich? Why not email us your information about Ipswich and its tunnels!

New office

I’ve just come back from a really good meeting with the administrator of a development, that has ample room for the YoungVoice project.

We asked the question of UCS and the answer was Yes!

We have secured a large room in the UCS incubator complex here in Ipswich. The space is new, clean and well serviced and perfect for the project.

YoungVoice now has space inside the UCS incubator that can be expanded, adapted and comes with access to a large presentation area and communal space. The ability to connect with young people as providers of support for YoungVoice as well as possible lucky recipients of websites with the YoungVoice project is so exciting.

It is a very good deal including some of my time working with the students as an entrepreneur in business, as well as working with UCS to help the students as part of the UCS incubator program.

We do need 6 matching office quality desks. Do you have or know anyone who has some they can donate? Clean and tidy are essential as the space is brand new and we want to attract the best staff and volunteers. YoungVoice to date has had no grants or funding and I would love to keep it this way using generous people, to help other people with websites if you can help?

We can move over in January and I will be posting images as well as blogging further about the new and exciting space so please keep checking out the YoungVoice website.

Merry Christmas every one!

YoungVoice being set up as a not for profit CIC limited by guarantee company.

ICRFM

Today was an interesting day as I was interviewed on Ipswich Community Radio. A little disappointing though as I had to share the slot with Alan Hemmings from Alan D hairdressing academy. Alan Hemmings from Alan D hairdressing is opening a hairdressing academy here in Ipswich after the success of his hairdressing academy in London. As nice as the father and son business owners were, It did take up allot of the oportunity that I had with YoungVoice.

ICRFM Andy Proctor YoungVoice on the radio

ICRFM was a good experience and I managed to get out the message that we need WordPress developers as well as someone to help with marketing, branding and at least a logo but no responce as yet!

As you can see from the image I could do with some sleep at the moment and that’s nothing to do with today being my birthday!

If you want to get a slot on ICRFM try emailing them studio@icrfm.co.uk as this is the email address for ICRFM, Ipswich Community Radio.

Websites for young people.

Opportunities using the internet as a platform to have a voice.

Prockies Blog - Websites for young people.