Balagan starts twittering.....!

Ok, after our post a week or so, we've done it, joined the networking phenomenon of the year (apparently)

We just joined and we're still working it out - the Tweet grid's got us confused.com but we'll hang in there, because it looks like a lot of fun, and cute too !

If you want to follow us, this is our url: http://twitter.com/balaganlive, just when we thought we couldn't get more up to date than a blog along comes Twitter !

So we're off to learn about tweeting or twittering or whatever it is... see you on the tweet grid - we think?

Have a great week - sunshine on sunday, followed by rain on Monday - least it was the right way round this week !

Congratulations Anna !

Anna our favourite Swedish accountant has passed her accounts exams. Which were, by all accounts a lot of hard work and numbers ! She quite likes numbers and keeps all of ours in order !

So we'd like to say a big well done to Anna on her achievement and that cookie has delicious icing in case you're wondering.

A nice weekend to everyone !

Happy Earth Day !

Earth Day which is celebrated on April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment.

It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. This date is Spring in the Northern Hemisphere and Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Its goal is a healthy sustainable environment.

Since the millennium its goal has differed slightly and is now focused on global warming and a push for clean energy.

Through Earth Day Network, activists connect change in local, national, and global policies with 17,000 organizations in 174 countries.

Earth Day is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities which has got to be a good thing...

So, what can you do to celebrate Earth Day ?

Sukie Lau Spring / Summer '09 catalogue now live !

Finally, after what we freely admit has been more than a slight delay !

The new Spring / Summer catalogue is finished. Ta Da !

Its posted online today under out catalogue downloads section on our website - www.balagan.co.uk. If you are a Sukie stockist, please call or drop us an email to download it today. If you're interested in stocking Sukie Lau, please give us a call.

Its password protected, but its the same password that we use for the other catalogues....

If you get stuck - please give Kim or Charlie, our lovely girls on the phone a bell and they'll talk you through it.

In the meantime, we're soooooo pleased its finally finished, hope you like it....

Are you tweeting?

What’s all the fuss about Twitter?

If you haven’t heard all the media hype about Twitter recently then you must have been somewhere very remote… Its in the news, big retailers are talking about it and Stephen Fry loves it!

Twitter is a micro blogging website, and its this years internet phenomenon, but can it work for retailers? Well, ASOS think so, so do Carphone Warehouse and the guys behind the new Woollies online business and hundreds of others.

But for now, if you hate it, or refuse to do it - thats fair enough, but just think about this one thing…. Remember way back when websites just came out… and lots of big companies got bitten on the bum because someone saw the value in their brand name before they did?

Well, ahem, it could happen again here !

It takes no more than a minute to sign up and even if you never use it, it could save you lots of aggravation later. At least if you do decide to do it later you’ll have the name.

So, its good advice to pop over to twitter right now and register your username – that way no-one else can get it. There’s three compelling reasons why this is a good idea:

1. Even if you never tweet – this will stop someone else from stealing your brand. If someone buys your brand and has a rubbish avatar and does inane tweets – its not going to look good !

2. It prevents people from claiming your name – you can register as a business or an alias, or yourself.

3. Ikea and Sony apparently failed to register their own twitter names, and the people who do have them haven’t activated their accounts……? Hmmmm do you see big money in the horizon for the savvy tweeters there – I do !

and so far, its FREE !

Retailrehab....

Retailrehab has been getting more press mentions this week, in the April issue of Fashion Extras !

A new section went live yesterday on websites and tomorrows release is on SMART goals, setting them, measuring them and achieving them !

we're also working on a section on SEO - thats search engine optimisation to you and me ! How to get the most out of your website :-)

So to jump over and have a look, just click on the apple....

Or maybe join the retailrehab blog?

an apple a day keeps the recession at bay !

Happy Easter !

Well ok, we don't have the sunshine, but do we ever on a bank holiday, but we do have chocolate - every womans friend, so in honour of the occasion, here's some chocolate quotes to nibble on....

“Chocolate is cheaper than therapy, and you don’t need an appointment.”

"Hell hath no fury like a woman who has sworn off fudge and chocolate."

and our office favourite...... because its soooooo true !

"a man found a bottle on the ocean, and he opened it and out popped a genie, who gave him three wishes. The guy wished for a million dollars, and poof! there was a million dollars. Then he wished for a convertible, and poof! there was a convertible. And then, he wished he could be irresistible to all women... poof!
He turned into a box of chocolates."

If you don't celebrate Easter, then don't feel left out, join us in a celebration of Spring and chocolate...

Happy Easter everyone !

Indies group added today on linkedin

Morning everyone,

we've just added a retailrehab group on linkedin for topical discussion about the pressures that independent retailers are facing at the moment - if you're a member then pop over, join up and get talking ! we're looking for feedback and discussion - be gentle !

If you're not a member then you'll have to join first - sorry :-( But don't worry our own forum should be up and running soon on retailrehab so you can join us there -watch out for updates !

have a great day and enjoy the sunshine !

An Inconvenient truth !

OMG i'm probably the last person in the western world to have seen this movie!

It was on last night, and I was in the mood for it, I mean I've heard about it, but i was never in the right place or it wasn't the right time. Anyway last night was the right place and right time, and i was shocked !

What a giant of a man ! I was blown away by him and his humility in the face of a crushing defeat because now i understand what winning the Presidency meant to him - more than just becoming President, it meant that he could have tackled this head on and made a difference - and we all know that he pretty much won - to have been so close and not make it, must have been - ah i can't imagine it !

Anyway, he obviously took a step back and thought, right then, how am i going to spread the word now in the face of this setback? So he made a movie, and he travels the world showing it to everyone and explaining it (here comes the science) and i was blown away by him, his movie and the facts it portrays, as every normal thinking human being would have to be....

So, i'm off today to see what we can do in our own small way and to spread the word about this incredible movie and this incredible man...!
Have a brilliant day x

Crash course in PR

Good morning, we hope you're all enjoying the sunshine !

New on our retailrehab website this morning is our 14 page e-book on PR. Its basically a crash course in writing press releases and getting coverage for your shop. Click on the picture to jump over and subscribe today...

Retailrehab has been featured in Drapers this week and on the Pure website, as well as on the Springfair.com site, so if you're wondering what all the fuss is about, this is as good a time as any to check it out....

have a lovely sunny day !