Your chance to shape the local business award you really want to enter

Wired Sussex are pleased to be sponsoring one of the Sussex Business Awards again this year.  This time we have the opportunity to influence the type of award up for grabs and make it relevant to you, embracing our local creative, digital and IT sector.

Rather than making assumptions about the type of award you would really like to win, we want to invite your input to collectively come up with an idea for a special award fitting for our truly unique sector.

 The factors to consider:

• ·        It should celebrate creativity, difference and success to showcase what the sector has achieved
• ·        It needs to be a compelling title as it ultimately involves entrants submitting work so it has to be worth it
• ·        Company awards rather than individual awards work best as people are unlikely to nominate themselves, nor pay to attend the event if they’ve nominated another.
• ·        We need to be able to tangibly judge the award and it needs to have mass appeal so it can’t be too niche
• ·        It’s your chance to shake up a formal award ceremony and for our sector to stand out amongst the other award categories

Suggestions are most welcome but need to be ASAP please as we’re on a tight time scale and it needs to be finalised by 25^th May.  Email caroline@wiredsussex.com or comment below.

Get thinking!

Telling Brighton’s story to the world: A mini marketing hackathon.

How do you talk about why you are a Brighton business to those you meet overseas?

Wired Sussex is working with UKTI, Brighton Economic Partnership, Brighton & Hove Council and others to develop a more effective inward investment strategy for the city. Inward investment is about attracting businesses and start-ups from overseas and from elsewhere in the UK and encouraging them to set up and grow companies here. We’ve done that quite successfully in the digital sector, attracting amongst others Linden Lab and Disney and, more recently, Fortune Cookie and Dyn. Such companies add to the cluster, increasing the visibility of Brighton’s digital sector and hopefully helping everyone attract more talent, investment and clients here. 

And an inward investment strategy is a chance to define what is special and unique about the city and find ways to take that message to the world. It’s about creating a business brand that makes sense to those in business here and those who might want to do business here. Currently the Brighton inward investment tagline is “The location that makes business sense”. I’m sure you’ll agree that there is nothing in that phrase that captures what is special about our city (as opposed to a million others) and we need to find something more effective.(BTW check these US taglines out: http://tinyurl.com/dyy7j6n )

Of course a brand is more than a tagline, it’s an aggregation of people’s expectations, memories, stories and relationships http://tinyurl.com/ychdkh2. And, as well as creating a compelling message, we also want to find ways to use digital media to spread that message as effectively as possible - something that our cluster should have some useful thoughts on!

The digital, media and tech sector in Brighton is incredibly internationally connected, whether that’s through having overseas clients, partnerships and offices or through speaking at international conferences and events. We want to make sure your experiences and expertise, your voice and your opinions are heard and understood as the strategy gets developed.

So we are putting on an event to hear from you, our members, about how Brighton could (and how you do) talk about the city and so ensure that we capture a real sense of what is different, unique and compelling about this city.

Cogapp (who have some great international clients themselves) are kindly providing their office (its just up from the clock tower) on Tuesday 15^th May at 6pm – 8.00pm. The consultants TIR who are working on the project will be there, as will UKTI technology inward investment specialist (and Brighton boy) Will Morley.

Please join us and share your thoughts. Register for the event here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/3330980051 . Oh, and pass it on.

Thanks

Being a Successful Freelancer

Yesterday we held the second Wired Sussex workshop ‘Being a Successful Freelancer’ at The Skiff.  It was great to have freelancers Helen Keevy, Nilden Ozkan and PaulSilver at the event to lead the conversation and provide guidance and useful information.

Advice and support were aplenty amongst attendees and it was really refreshing to see so many people keen to motivate and inspire one another.  The discussions covered a range of subjects and addressed lots of questions and concerns, producing many a tip on best practice.  As a result, I’ve put together a list of key hints and tips on how to be a successful freelancer.

And so, in no particular order....

• Network: get involved in your local community, and not just with other freelancers in your area of expertise; it’s essential to speak to people with different specialities in order to learn new things, keep up to date with industry trends and understand different skill sets.
• Be passionate: about what you do and make sure this comes across when you are talking to people. 
• Be resourceful: do your homework before contacting potential clients/co-workers.
• Share: advice, ideas and knowledge via a blog and/or social media but be careful not to give too much away for free.  Why not set up a LinkedIn group?
• Take on a personal project: to freshen things up.  Working on similar projects for clients can become repetitive; take up a hobby or do something fun for yourself.
• Contingency: factor in an contingency for a complex project i.e. £2000.  If the project does over-run you can then let your client know in advance that you are going to need to use the contingency and avoid potential disputes.  It might be helpful to build in boundaries.
• Stopwatching: accurately monitor and assess time spent on each client/project using different stop watches.
• Fees: carefully consider whether to charge per project or per day as well as whether you should factor in additional time into the initial quote/estimate.
• Invoice: and then remind, and resend again if there are delays in payment.  Remember that you are a business.  To encourage the timely payment of invoices, you could consider offering a discount on different payment terms, or alternatively charge 30% up front.  This could also help filter potential difficult customers.  Politely remind any late payers’ with a telephone call to check that your project is all ok and running without a glitch.
• LinkedIn: take advantage of groups and question areas on LinkedIn, get involved in conversations, answer queries and offer advice using private messages.
• Approaching new work: try to obtain new work through organic methods and not give people the hard sell.
• Communication: manage client expectations.  Keep people in the loop and let them know in advance if there might be delays in a project in order to maintain positive relationships.
• Keep in touch: with old clients, remind them about who you are.
• Milestones: really useful for big projects.  Schedule regular meetings, contact and review time.
• Terms and conditions: stipulate everything.  Research other freelancers’ Ts & Cs, lay out expectations and set the tone for the working relationship to avoid disputes down the line.  Map out the expectations of both parties.
• Confirmation: don’t start any work until you have received an absolute agreement from your client.  It might be helpful to secure part of the project cost upfront.
• Value: make sure you add value for your clients in everything you do.

Of course, the list could go on and there are many, many best practices to adopt, suggestions to be voiced and ideas to be heard.  Feel free to post your own crucial tips as a comment!

Essentially, what stood out most for me throughout the whole workshop was the feeling of community between all freelancers present.  It’s clearly important to engage with others in your situation, not only to make new connections and learn of potential joint working opportunities but also for the sake of your sanity if you ‘re working on your own at home all day!

If you are considering using or looking for a workspace, check out The Skiff for a cool coworking space with a unique community feel.  Our informal quarterly members’ meetups are also a great opportunity to network with others in the digital, media and technology industries. Keep an eye on our events calendar for more info on upcoming events.

Other Useful resources

• Brilliant Freelancer, Discover the power of your own success, Leif Kendall.

• Freelancing Cheatsheet, Brighton Farm

• The Wealthy Freelancer, suggested by Joanne Munro for a useful chapter on pricing.

• Freelance Advisor

Don’t forget to head down to Brighton Farm on Wednesday nights to chat with other freelancers about new media and technology, work referrals and potential new business.

Lastly, take a look at Nilden’s rather brilliant ToDo Magazine for creative freelancers and small businesses in Brighton & Hove.

Watch this space for a podcast of the event!

Laura

Events Coordinator, Wired Sussex

Wired Sussex Home Brewed: A Discussion with Miltos Petridis

The first of our Wired Sussex Home Brewed events recently took place at The Skiff in Brighton's North Laines, introducing the New Head of School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics at the University of Brighton, Professor Miltos Petridis.  

Professor Petridis discussed his vision for the School he now heads up, and how it can link in with the needs of local digital, media and technology businesses.  

Freelancer Jonathan Vernon attended the event and took some really great notes that we wanted to share....

Introduced by Phil Jones from Wired Sussex.

Value of Brighton and Sussex Universities to the sector.

Wired Sussex (the host) supports The Skiff which is now used by 100 freelancers. (Another freelancer venue is 'The  Werks')

Miltosh Petridis, New Head of School, Computing, Maths & Engineering

Brighton University. From University of Greenwich. Interested in Artificial Intelligence. i.e. ‘machines doing clever things’ with very large amounts of data. For example, tracking stuff coming in and out of warehouses and using algorithms to identify patterns in email conversations and social media threads. Fascinating conversation on social media and the algorithms used to moderate or sift conversations, whether you are GCHQ or The FT.

‘Most of the time, rather than innovation, we just remember and do what we did before so a machine can be taught how to do the search to make sure something is done in an innovative way’.

Finding real problems from companies

e.g. Experience of finding a different way to recast wheels was used to fix a software problem.

School of Engineering, Mathematics, digital media and computing brought together as the boundaries blur this is appropriate. Finding ways for the hardware and software to work together. New course in mobile computer engineering. Creating multidisciplinary teams.

(See Brighton University website)

155 members of staff

1500 students.

£9.5m  brought in to the university and £2m to the department.

29 externally funded projects.

+CPD income £140k that we want to grow.

Helping people in industry to push the boundaries.

Want more direct interaction with companies.

Want to expand into digital media and product design.

Needs to move with the times and move with Brighton.

Universities tend to thrive in times of recession.

Our graduates will be those who in due course bring wealth creation.

A lot of our alumni are staying in the area.

In three years’ time creating very employable graduates who are wanted by Brighton.

A degree is for life.

Brighton Digital from Wired Sussex research is made up of very many micro-companies.

CONTRIBUTOR 1

Collaborative microsystem.

Lots of freelancers.

Difficult to find the

Skills in niche areas.

CONTRIBUTOR 2

Want more 'fine-grained collisions', sandwich courses and internships for example.

E.g. sandwich course put one speaker into Virgin at Crawley.

Employ graduates through the SIP (Sussex Internship Programme) at Wired Sussex.

CONTRIBUTOR 3

Freelance because they have the experience or because they can't get work?

Want freelancers to have experience having worked in industry.

Understand what works already like Wordpress etc.: being able to apply themselves to a project

(Self–reliance and common sense).

CONTRIBUTOR 4

ex Disney, ex Black Rock studio, had 60 people cherry pick from the best

Internationally. Worked with uni to go in for certain refresher courses. No

Freelancer mode, so get them in, train them up and keep them. Now @GoBo, ex Black Rock, to build a studio around graduate talent.

E.g. Disney and entertainment.

So TV and film onto same interactive platforms. May take the very best from a games course. Otherwise maths.

Attracted to the continental academy.

‘What we are calling clouds a few years ago used to be mainframes’. Miltos Petridis

For £9,000 the graduate with a 1st as well as the one with a 2nd hopes to get a job from it. Up the required grades from students coming in.

A deal with companies that they will have a job for a year or two from which they can grow.

Try telling a student to go on a sandwich course that they have to be a student for another year, yet they are more likely to get a 1st and a job. But they need to hear it from the horse's mouth, from businesses and students.

Brighton Fuse with both Universities

CONTRIBUTOR 5

Many companies are a one man band with a brand.

A big sector of lots of small players.

Can they be offered small term projects?

Need for more practical knowledge, how to work collaboratively on open source for example.

With a music degree working in a small team.

Yahoo as a multiple set of five people units.

NB At Masters level you will reflect on it. For example through case studies.

People learn from mistakes.

A business learns by repeating what it gets right.

You learn by other people's stories.

Apprenticeships.

Being mentored.

Creating a

Sense of accomplishment over a week.

CONTRIBUTOR 6

From Design UB, industry to be able to say what it wants in Preston Barracks.

Our research is hidden.

Nothing on the website.

Lowsy at commercialising it. Vs clinging to IP, spending money on it and getting nowhere.

Physical co-location (staff and students)

Get research out

Commercialisation

CONTRIBUTOR 7

Studio with creative ... At Carnegie Melon

ITP in New York doing computer art

‘I've got hundreds of solutions but not enough problems’. Miltos Petridis

Jonathan Vernon

Freelancer

http://mymindbursts.com

Wired for Sound - a charitable triumph of a night out!

Wired Sussex hosted what can only be described as a truly successful fundraiser social on Saturday night.  Pitched as a ‘Stick it On’ DJ competition for Wired Sussex members, wannabe DJs were invited to play their top tunes for 15 mins of fame in aid of my Cycle for Cancer and Breast Cancer Care.

Before the doors even opened there was queuing round the block to get in and the night hotted up from the get go with dancing, DJing and so much drinking that extra bar staff had to be called in as an emergency!

The crowd suddenly all went wild at one point where Emma Lewis-Griffiths (aka DJ Scratchy Crab) from Pegasus PR dropped the ‘Thong Song’ (Sisqo) and started throwing knickers at the crazed dance floor!  Other highlights included BozBoz with their drum n bass set, RamJam throwing sweets to the crowd, horse masks, fairy wings, medallions and Fresh Egg’s Tom singing into the microphone over the top of Jon Bon Jovi!

The dance floor was packed throughout and music spanned old skool house classics, drum n bass, soul, funk and the odd theme tune a la Bugsy Malone and Minder.  

DJ finalists of the evening were Stefan from Propellernet (aka DJ JD and coke) who went head to head with DJ Scratchy Crab resulting in a victory for Stef who won:

-Lunch for 2 people at Pub du Vin (to the value of £50)

-Pair of tickets to see Breakin’ Convention at the Dome

-A hamper from Infinity Food

 As well as Company prizes of:

-Free advert on our Wired Sussex Jobs Board

-6 bags of amazing fresh coffee from Small Batch Coffee Company

Runner up prize goes to DJ Scratchy crab

- A bottle of champagne

The whole night raised a massive £2187.21 towards my Cycle for Cancer and Breast Cancer Care meaning I’ve now smashed my fundraising target taking me to £4,912.21 raised since mid January.  I just have the ‘small’ task of cycling across Peru now! 

To follow my progress go to http://www.justgiving.com/Carolinescycle4cancer and

http://www.facebook.com/Cycle4Cancer or #cycle4cancer

The exciting bit is that Wired for Sound isn’t over yet – watch out for coverage in Latest magazine as well as a marvellous video filmed and produced by Butchers Hook.

 :-)

There’s now a lot of thanks due to the following people who made it all happen:

Thank you to my colleague Laura Bevans for helping me organise the event, the very charitable Stick it On crew for giving up their club night for charity, Butchers Hook for videoing the whole thing (and managing to stay sober!), Sticky Mikes venue staff, Pat the Pap from Latest magazine our official photographer, my paying sponsors: Fresh Egg/BozBoz/Fortune Cookie/Seb Lee-Delisle, the generous prize donators (above), Andy Cross from Emberlane for the pre-event posters, Mark Ferguson from Very Own Studio for designing the posters put up on the night, Exhibit Printing, Harriet Cavanagh for the visuals, all the DJs and finally the lovely people that bought tickets and came to party with us!

Networking Novice or Specialist Schmoozer?

What does it take to be good at networking and what do you want to get from attending networking events?

Since taking up my post as Events Coordinator at Wired Sussex just over a month ago, we’ve held three member networking events; one in Eastbourne, Brighton and Lewes.

There’s been a great turnout at each of these with a presence from many sectors within the industry. From freelance copywriters, photographers and web designers to Project and Account Managers, Consultants and Directors from larger companies, the variety of members and the sectors in which they are based has been reflected well.

All of this brilliant networking and communicating got me thinking about the purpose of networking, and just how beneficial it can be for both individuals and companies. There’s many a format that a networking event can come in, and many an opinion as to how they are most efficiently run; from the formal drinks and nibbles affair to meeting up in a low key coffee shop or speed networking in a hotel function room through to an informal meetup in a local and rather cosy pub Wired Sussex style. To name badge or not to name badge?

But going to a networking event isn’t all about schmoozing, selling and elevator pitches and you don’t need to be classed as a novice or an expert. It’s essentially a great way to meet others both in your local community and in your industry or sector. So whether you’re a new member or a regular at our meetups, here are some hints to help you get the most out of attending our informal (and now quarterly) events:

• Let us know when you arrive if you want to speak to or be introduced to anyone in particular: it’s what we’re there for!

• Be genuine: don’t give people the hard sell, make connections;

• Speak to people outside of your sector: you might learn something new and meet some great new people;

• Don’t be afraid to share: discussing ideas and industry news can be a useful way to get to know other people and offer opportunities for collaboration;

• Don’t have any expectations: if you arrive with only one purpose in mind you might miss valuable conversations;

• Introduce people: and add value to the event;

• Be yourself: and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

As an events coordinator, I feel it’s most important that people leave an event feeling like they’ve gained something, whether this is knowledge or advice, inspiration and ideas, new leads or contacts, or a belly full of beer and a positive outlook on their business. Meeting other members and talking to Wired Sussex about what your company needs is one of the best ways of getting the most out of your membership. The more we know about you, the better we can help; and the more you know who we are – and who other Wired Sussex member companies are – the more opportunities you’ll be able to grab to create and develop new business.

So get your elevator pitches at the ready (only joking) - looking forward to seeing you at the next event!

Laura

Events Coordinator
WiredSussex

Why the future of e-learning should be mobile

Introducing guest blogger Clare Hardman, most recent  winner of the University of Sussex's Postgraduate Certificate in E-Learning Design course's Best Student award, which we're very proud to sponsor.  Some thoughts from her on the future of e-learning...

Last year I studied on the Postgraduate Certificate in e-learning design at the University of Sussex. Not only was the course interesting and fantastically helpful for my job, it is also sponsored by Wired Sussex with a £200 prize, which I was fortunate enough to win. So I’d like to use this blog post to tell you a bit about the course and what I plan to do with the prize money.

Before I started the PG Cert I thought of ‘e-learning’ as being all about technology.  However,  I soon realised that good e-learning is really about understanding how people learn and the many different ways of making that happen, be that via a conversation, many conversations, an individual assignment or a group activity – all of this can happen face-2-face or via your computer or mobile phone.

For me, the best thing about e-learning, other than the fact that it’s fun (I love analysing your audience, understanding their learning needs, storyboarding and designing creative learning materials), is knowing that you are increasing access to education, and this has helped me to decide how I’d like to spend the Wired Sussex prize money. 

In January I went on a trip to India and Nepal, where I visited an orphanage and met 30 children, all very enthusiastic about school. They told me about their favourite subjects and why they couldn’t wait for term to begin again: they consider themselves very lucky to go to school as education is not available to all children in Nepal.  The orphanage is locally-run and fundraising is an on-going challenge. So I decided to donate the prize money to go towards school fees as I know this will have a small but very positive immediate effect.  It would be amazing to come up with a more sustainable way to support education for children in Nepal and if you are reading this and thinking ‘I’d love to donate some money or time’, then please email me directly and I’d be really happy to tell you more.

But maybe there is another way to make a difference to education in countries like Nepal: via e-learning. The electricity in Nepal is unreliable and the orphanage I visited didn’t have a computer but one thing that they do have is mobile phones! For me mobile learning is an exciting opportunity with new potential to widen access to learning.

Clare Hardman
Student Experience Project Coordinator
c.l.m.hardman@sussex.ac.uk
www.sussex.ac.uk/s3