Manchester 2007

A Manchester MD talks about his experiences of online gambling and shares his thoughts…

I like knowing what’s going to happen and when it’s going to happen. I’m a man who’s got to where he has by instinctively understanding where I’ve got to be at any given time. As you can imagine, I don’t like you if you’re late for meetings!

I guess it’s part of a bigger philosophy; one of direction. I don’t understand those people who idly float through life without a direction. You can’t live your life without a purpose. You need to be calculated and driven.

This is why I play blackjack. I like being able to predict the outcome of a casino game and I don’t understand those people who play slots; the randomness of it all. Of course, I’ve bet on football matches – watched Wayne Rooney earn me a tidy sum from the boxes above the Theatre Of Dreams, but there wasn’t much chance me losing that bet – it was against Portsmouth FC.

Blackjack gives me the most control; it’s an analytical game of percentages. Sure, you’ve got to be pretty sharp to play the numbers in a real casino, but you can get enough practice online. There are dozens of online casino games out there where you can hone your skills pretending to be under the bright lights of the blackjack table.

As with everything in life, practice makes perfect. Sure, it takes time and effort, but if you’re patient it’s not that difficult to count the cards as the smoking-hot croupier dishes them out. Alas, I’ve been married for six years.

According to several recent reports, Manchester is to become a testing ground for the next stage of the UK’s broadband network development.

The government, along with telecoms companies like BT, have been talking for what seems like years about how best to advance broadband in this country, all the while falling ever further behind places such as Japan and South Korea where superfast internet speeds are the norm, not just a distant dream.

They even produced a report looking at the various ways in which the broadband expansion might be funded, including the introduction of a levy (read: tax) on phone lines to pay for high speed network upgrades.

Now, it seems there might finally be some light at the end of the tunnel, as our own fair city plays host to a relatively small scale project, which, if successful, could shape the future of internet use and broadband connectivity in the UK.

The latest round of work will see high speed fibre optic broadband lines fitted along the Oxford Road ‘Corridor’ area, alongside SDSL and ADSL connections between businesses, homes and university buildings. The aim is that users in the vicinity will be able to take advantage of connection speeds of up to 100Mbps, as well as getting their telecoms services from multiple providers, rather than just one.

While I commend the fact that the high speed broadband ball is finally rolling, and feel pride that once again Manchester is at the centre of innovation when it comes to technology, I can’t help but feel that there could be more progress being made. It seems we’ve waited years for… what… one road lined with fast internet?

Hopefully the pilot will be a success and we’ll start to see the rollout of more high speed broadband around the UK – before we fall even further behind our global competitors.

One local MD talks about his experiences of building up a successful company: how SEO (search engine optimisation) and VPNs (virtual private networks) have helped and how SMM (social media marketing) might be the way forward.

Manchester is a fantastic place with a great business history; unsurprisingly for the city that was at the epicentre of the industrial revolution, it seems to nurture endeavour and entrepreneurism like few other places can.

My company has been operating in Manchester for just over eleven years now, during which time we’ve witnessed not only the continuing expansion and improvement of the city centre, but also its communication infrastructure.

When we first started out in the business of re-upholstering prestige cars to our clients’ specifications, we took a lot of our orders by fax, or over the phone. There’s a surprising amount of word of mouth generated around what we do, particularly with all the millionaire footballers floating around Manchester, so we were able to maintain a good churn with the clientbase we had.

Then, with the boom of broadband, came the opportunity to market what we do to a larger audience than ever before. We put together a simple website with an enquiry form and pretty soon we were pulling in sales from much further afield (many of them came from the leafier suburbs of Merseyside and Cheshire, home to yet more footballers and high-fliers). We’ve now opened another dedicated sales office in Liverpool and business is better than ever.

Two things have helped us immeasurably in the venture over the last couple of years. Firstly, search engine optimisation, or SEO. We got a little agency in Manchester to put together our website for us and while I’m still not entirely clued-up on the exact science behind what they did, I know that by using keywords related to our business and building everything with search engine users in mind they were able to generate a lot of traffic (and ergo sales) for what was a relatively simple site.

The second thing we couldn’t really have done without, at least since opening the Liverpool office, is our VPN, or virtual private network. We share a lot of information between our two sales centres and needed a secure and fast way to give staff at both ends access to it all. I believe our managed VPN is much safer and more efficient than sending files over email. It is as though all of my staff are in the same room when using it, even though half of them have the misfortune of being stuck at the wrong end of the M62 (I’m joking!).

What will our next step be? Well, for now, we’ve got to make sure we keep trading well at a time when people are spending less on luxuries. Luckily the market for bespoke, wipe-clean patterns hasn’t bottomed out too much – I guess we’ll prosper as long as the car makers keep producing boring, grey interiors.

I am, however, interested in exploring a more creative field of web marketing over the next year. Buzzwords I keep hearing include viral and social and while at first all that made me think of was the common cold, I’ve been speaking to a few agencies who think they can produce some innovative social media tools and videos.

One idea I’m particularly keen on is a Create Your Own Upholstery-type application for Facebook or phones, which might appeal to our affluent female userbase (without wanting to cast aspersions on the creativity, or lack thereof, of our footballing friends), but I think this needs more development to set it apart from the crowd.

Time will tell how we fare as the economy continues to recover, but I’m still convinced that Manchester is as good a place as any for businesses to thrive.

Manchester is a fantastic city with so much to do and a place where it’s virtually impossible to run out of new things to try out. As the clubbing capital of the UK, it is home to high profile clubs such as Sankeys as well as long-running nights like Funkademia; not to mention being the birth place of the legendary Hacienda.

Manchester restaurants are top class too, and while the city might have lost its only Michelin star last year (putting it someway behind Tokyo’s staggering total of 261), the eateries that line almost every street of central Manchester are among some of the finest in the North West. Last week I went to one of my favourites, Shimla Pinks.

I heard a rumour that they were supposed to be moving this year but so far (with four weeks to go until 2010), it doesn’t seem to have materialised. Nevertheless, they’re still serving up fine dishes (their onion chutney is the finest in the country) and my number one choice – the South Indian Garlic Chilli – went down a treat.

My girlfriend is always one to try new things (she picks a different thing off the menu every time we go, but refuses to eat Korma – good girl) and she had an interesting special involving little pots of various Asian dishes, beautifully presented with rice, salad and nan.

Another new thing she tried out recently involved 80 balls and some nice little prizes. Did you know that our fair city is home to Buckingham Bingo Manchester, along with all those clubs, restaurants and bars? My girl went there recently with a few of her mates.

Apparently it’s like a more local version of the nationwide chains like Mecca (as well as ones in Didsbury and Trafford, Buckingham have got a few Liverpool bingo clubs too), but you can still win the big cash prizes including something called The National, which I thought Peter Kay had invented for that episode of That Peter Kay Thing.

I asked her if bingo wasn’t a bit of an older lady’s pastime, but she was adamant that the place had a good mix of age ranges inside. I wasn’t convinced, so I ended up going along to see for myself. True enough there were all types of people in there, not the normal stereotypes you think of when it comes to bingo clubs, but the first thing that blew me away was the prices in there.

Can you believe I got a pint for £2 and a plate of chilli and chips for less than £3? Amazing. True it wasn’t the same as Shimlas but not even Wetherspoons can beat those prices! As it goes we won £50 on the night we went down – I joked to my girlfriend that I was her lucky charm but she was having none of it. She took the money and banned me from going back (apparently I talk too much during games).

If you’re looking for a different sort of night out that’s a bit of a laugh – and one that won’t break the bank like going to a top club – you could always give the local bingo club a go.

It is necessary for a company in Manchester to have the correct communication tools. The city is a hub for both national and global businesses and the Royal Bank of Scotland, Baker Tilly and the Guardian Media Group all have major offices in the area. In order for your business to play a part in this city’s vibrant commercial culture, it’s going to need the right telecommunications equipment.

If your business relies on clear communication with its customers, sourcing the right headset equipment can be particularly intimidating. Depending on the intended use, there could be dozens of models that suit your purposes. The Alphacom Office 300 is a popular device, especially with companies involved in direct marketing.

As with headsets, there is a selection of handsets available. Sadly, many buyers often ignore functionality and get attracted to phones with an extensive list of features they often don’t need. When you are shopping around for a particular product, ensure you choose one perfect for its environment. The BT Elements range is very popular with a variety of consumers. It’s simple, lightweight and designed for constant use. Perfect if you never get the chance to put the phone down!

Many Manchester companies do not dedicate enough resources to selecting the appropriate telecommunications equipment. It is necessary to have the best model for the job; if a company has the right materials, they can start functioning more effectively and efficiently in this exciting city of commerce.

Serviced apartments Manchester offer a genuinely superior experience to staying in a city centre hotel, whether you are visiting on business or pleasure. They are fast becoming a far more appealing alternative to hotels, offering considerably more space, as well as the added benefit of separate living, dining and fully equipped kitchen quarters.

Manchester itself is a hotspot for corporate travellers and leisure visitors alike, with both massive industry links and an abundance of entertainment.

Deansgate, Castlefield and the Northern Quarter all offer fabulous upmarket recreational bar and dining-out options for anyone staying as a guest in serviced apartments Manchester, while Salford Quays and Manchester’s newly developed Spinningfields area are two of the most vibrant business districts in the ever-growing city (the former hosts the massive new MediaCityUK development while the latter is home to several new serviced apartments Manchester blocks).

Serviced apartments Manchester are extremely cost effective, providing largely the same benefits you would expect to find in an elite hotel, such as room service, welcome packs including tea and coffee, plus extras like bread and cereals, concierge, laundry services and health club access.

However, most guest find that many serviced apartments Manchester do in fact offer that little bit extra in the way of optional luxuries such as private chefs, chauffeur-driven cars and VIP club entry, all of which mean that a stay in a serviced apartment is a cut above what you can expect from a hotel.

The time limit on stays in serviced apartments Manchester varies, but is usually incredibly flexible, making it the ideal hotel-replacement option, whether it’s for a couple of nights or part of a relocation plan. Most serviced apartments Manchester offer stays from as short as one night to an entire month, with some even offering accommodation for up to a year.

Under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, Commercial EPCs Manchester are now legally required upon construction, sale or lease of all non-dwellings. Buildings included in the enforcement vary from simple retail units to large scale public buildings such as airports and hospitals.

Those in need of Commercial EPCs Manchester should locate an accredited commercial energy assessor. The consultant will consider the lighting, heating and ventilation within the building and evaluate how they are maintained and controlled.

This allows the assessor to provide the building with an EPC that rates it on an A-G scale, with A being the most energy efficient and G the least. Commercial EPCs Manchester also include a document which details possible amendments that could be made to improve energy efficiency.

Commercial EPCs Manchester allow prospective buyers and tenants to compare buildings in terms of their energy consumption and what can be done to enhance energy usage. When a commercial property is being rented or sold, Commercial EPCs Manchester must be provided no later than at the time of a request for a viewing or upon release of marketing material.

Valid for 10 years, Commercial EPCs Manchester are enforced by Building Control in newly built properties, and by Trading Standards departments in existing builds. Either way, Commercial EPCs are a legal requirement, and should be attained as soon as possible when there is the intention to sell, lease, or build a new commercial property.

Attaining Commercial EPCs Manchester may appear to be a daunting process and a chore that must be undertaken prior to marketing a non-dwelling. However, a professional commercial energy consultant will be able to draw up the documentation required legally after one full consultation visit.

It is advisable to ensure Commercial EPCs Manchester are arranged early to avoid the penalty fee for non-production of an EPC, which is 12.5% of the rateable value of the build up to £5,000.

Commercial EPCs Manchester are given to “conditioned” buildings, whereby the building is encased with a roof and walls, and the interior atmosphere is maintained by way of lighting, heating etc. However, places of worship, temporary builds with less than two years of planned use, and low energy consumption structures such as barns are exempt from the Commercial EPC requirement.

Manchester is renowned as a centre of sporting excellence. Whether it’s football, swimming, cycling or squash, the city has hosted or given rise to countless sporting success stories.

The town is home to many sporting landmarks and famous venues. Indeed, the City Of Manchester Stadium was built especially to host one of the pinnacles of sporting achievement, the Commonwealth Games. Since then, the stadium has become home to Manchester City football club, who moved there from their Maine Road base after the games.

Over on the other side of Manchester resides one of the world’s most famous sporting venues, Old Trafford, home to Manchester United, and scene of much sporting history made not just in football but also rugby league, which is regularly hosted there.

Nowhere is the relationship between Manchester and sport more evident than at the aptly named Sportcity, the sprawling development that lies to the east of town. The area was built around the world famous Manchester Velodrome and the City Of Manchester Stadium in order to provide the city, and indeed the north west of England, with a hub of sporting excellence.

At Sportcity you will find the English Institute of Sport, which provides training facilities for world class athletes and potential future stars. Nearby is the National Squash Centre and the Regional Tennis Centre, both of which are famed for their outstanding racquet sport facilities.

Finally on the roll call of sports venues is the Manchester Aquatics Centre, which was built at a cost of £32million and today provides athletes and the public with world class swimming facilities.

Nestled at the heart of Manchester’s ‘Educational Quarter’ – a mass of university buildings, colleges and offices which starts at Piccadilly and sprawls across Oxford Road towards Hulme and Moss Side – is the Manchester Aquatics Centre.

Like many of the city’s finest sporting venues (including the City Of Manchester Stadium), the Aquatics Centre was built especially for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, which saw more than 3,800 athletes from 72 nations converge on Manchester for 10 days of world class sport.

Manchester Aquatics Centre was constructed on waste ground that lay empty as a result of old terrace houses being demolished to make way for the relentless spread of business and education in the city, making it an emblem not only of sporting excellence but also urban regeneration.

Inside the centre are two 50-metre pools, both of which can be altered to varying depths and lengths with the use of moveable floors and partitions. The ‘main’ pool is the most impressive, capable of being configured in a vast number of ways to allow for training sessions or top level sporting events. Overlooking both swimming pools is a bank of 1000 spectator seats.

Downstairs in the basement is a dedicated 16 x 50 metre training pool, which lies beneath a curved ceiling designed to convey the effect of waves on water. The Aquatics Centre’s impressive facilities are completed by a dive pool, leisure pool and a health suite (including sauna, fitness centre and sunbeds), all of which make the centre a focal point of local pride.