Answer the following question: What is the name of the Feeling Fabulous Formula Package that Noelle Watson has put together for those of you who are new to exercise. The answer can be found on page 61 of the current magazine.

Send your entry to
Feeling Fabulous Formula
Network She, PO Box 142
Llandudno
LL30 9BL

Closing date for entries is Friday 17th August 2012. There is no cash alternative and the prize is subject to the Feeling Fabulous Formula terms and conditions.

One lucky winner will win the opportunity to experience for themselves all the 308CC has to offer for two weeks of seemless coupe to cabriolet motoring.

To win the use of the 308CC answer the following question;

Which Peugeot model is featured on the back page of this edition of the Network She magazine?

Send your entries along with your name, address and contact details to

Elim Network She
PO BOX
142
Llandudno
LL30 9BL

Closing date for entries is Friday 17th August. The car supplied will be a Peugeot 308 CC Coupe Cabriolet. Use of the car is for 2 weeks. The winner must be over the age of 25 and hold a full driving licence and never have been disqualified from driving. The car will be fully insured but will have an accident excess of £500 if damaged or a claim is made. The winner is to take the 14 days within 3 months of winning. There is no cash alternative.

• Full use of the facilities
• 2 Course evening meal
• Tea and Coffee on arriva
• Indulge in one of the following
• Indian head massage
• Mini Blossom facial
• Back Massage

Nestling in acres of secluded landscaped gardens, meadow and woodland Tre-Ysgawen Hall is approached along a private wooded driveway, just a short drive inland from the beautiful east coast of Anglesey.

You and your guest can take a leisurely swim in the 16m level-deck Swimming Pool or relax in the Steam Room, Sauna, Whirlpool or Gymnasium. Be pampered in the Health and Beauty Suite or simply enjoy relaxing beside the Pool.

Surround yourself in the warmth, peace and tranquility of The Spa, while the dedicated therapists ensure you are thoroughly pampered. Each spa package features the signature product range with treatments designed by expert therapists. To win Sunset at The Spa for Two answer the following question; What is the name of the other Spa package offered in the magazine advert on page 63

Send your entry along with your name, address and contact details to The Spa. Network She PO BOX 142, Llandudno, LL30 9BL. Closing date for entries is Friday 17th August, see page 98 for terms and conditions.

Entry deadline 3rd August 2012. Voting deadline 17th August 2012. The winner will be announced within our Autumn/Winter 2012 edition.

Style Loft Limited is a company that creates and designs smartphone applications for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Android devices. As well as mobile we also create effective Facebook applications.

Mobile technology is moving and improving faster than ever before and it is important that your company is a part of this ever changing evolution.

Style Loft develop and build a very diverse range of iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android applications. Our hugely successful and experienced development team innovates with applications that are creative, innovative, flexible and have a high usability quotient.

With a team of 15 developers they are one of the leading design and development companies in the UK. With over 100 applications in our portfolio and over 25 new applications being delivered every month you will not find any other company that can beat our value or commitment to each and every project.

Style Loft specialise in opening up new markets for their clients through integrated web design, development and optimisation services, social media, ecommerce and mobile applications.

Offering solutions that can help you maximise your online impact, drive your sales performance and develop lasting relationships with your customers.

How to enter

To enter the Style Loft £1000 App competition all you have to do is answer the following question:

In July 2011 how many Apps were reported to have been downloaded from The Apple App Store.

Turn to page 18 to find the answer and to find out just how an APP can extend the reach and productivity of your business Send your entry along with your name, address, business

name and address and contact telephone number and email to Style Loft Competition, Network She, PO BOX 142, Llandudno, LL30 9BL. Closing dates for entries is Friday 17th August. There is one £1000 prize available. Please note this prize is not exchangeable for cash and there is no refundable balance. The winner agrees to take part in future publicity.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the process take?

The average case probably involves three meetings, the first meeting ensures that the couple are aware of their obligations during the process and subsequent meetings are then to negotiate and discuss to work together to reach a settlement that suits the family as a whole.

Is Collaborative Law a cheaper option than Court Proceedings? In many cases the collaborative process can be cheaper but this process should not be adopted for that purpose because if one person decides they wish to spend a long time discussing one particular issue that concerns them then all parties involved have to respect that wish and accommodate it.

The process is to ensure that both have an opportunity to raise issues that concern them and resolve them together.

Will the Agreement be Final?

Yes, if the couple decide that they want it to be. While the solicitors have undertaken not to issue Court proceedings there is an exception to this in that the solicitors can lodge the terms of the agreement at Court and also deal with any divorce or dissolution proceedings that are needed.

What happens if we cannot reach agreement?

If, despite working together an agreement cannot be reached, then either of the couple can leave the process and instruct a new solicitor to represent them in Court proceedings. The solicitor must be a new solicitor and you cannot retain the solicitor who is representing you during the collaborative law process.

You can find out more about this process contact Julie Bridgman at AWB Charlesworth Solicitors, 12-16 North Street, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 3SE or on her direct number 01535 613680.

Meet Joanna in the Spring/Summer edition of the Network She magazine

April 2012

If you’re looking for a great day out for the whole family, we’ve got just the thing for you. A one off Olympic themed day full of free, fun, sport and culture based activities hosted by Conwy County Borough Council. If you’ve got any energy left, join us later that evening and be part of the only official North Wales to London 2012 live site showing footage of the Olympic Opening Ceremony. The free, ticketed concert will be headlined by Only Men Aloud.

Olympic fever is sweeping the nation and if you haven’t been lucky enough to get tickets for the real thing, why not take up our invitation instead; you won’t be disappointed! There truly is something for everyone; aqua fun sessions in the pool, a skate jam, professional displays including a world record attempt by 3Sixty Bike Stunt Team, a fairground, guest artists on stage and honestly, much, much more!

Here’s the bit to note down. It’s all happening on Friday, 27 July at Eirias Park in Colwyn Bay. Get there for a 10.30 am start, if you want to fit everything in expect to be with us until our 4pm finish. Gates to the evening concert will open at 4pm and the whole fun filled day will draw to a close about 9.30pm. The best way to keep up to date with what we’ve got in store is to visit www.accessalleirias.com.

Oh, we almost forgot to mention, on top of all that if you’re looking for something to do the next day on Saturday 28 July, don’t forget to get your tickets for the Olly Murs concert! The newly developed Eirias Stadium, part of Colwyn Bay’s regeneration programme, will play host to its first live music concert headlined by Olly who will be joined on stage by the talented Pixie Lott!

We’ve got two pairs of tickets to give away so for your chance to win 2 free standing tickets visit: www.accessalleirias.com and tell us the name of Olly Murs’ new album. Send your answer to magazine@networkshe.co.uk. Closing date for entries is Friday 13th July. Good luck!

What is a QR Code?

QR Code stands for “Quick Response Code” and at its most simple, it is a barcode on steroids. The reason why they are more useful than standard barcodes is that they are able to store much more data (up to

4296 characters), including web address (url) links, map coordinates and text. The other key feature of QR Codes is that instead of requiring a chunky hand-held scanner to scan them, many modern mobile phones can scan them. Due to their ability to store larger amounts of data they are able to present users with easy methods of accessing and using information.

Where will I find them?

QR codes can be found in places like the pages of magazines, in advertisements and even on TV and Web sites. They were originally used to track car parts and then in Japan, who are often early adopters of technology, for advertising. Advertisers use QR codes in marketing across most printed and screen mediums allowing users to access the information in a much simpler way. A common use of QR codes is on the back of business cards, the code allows a user to add the contact details to their Smartphone in an instant without having to type anything. Uses vary from mundane in-house information used on utility bills to ingenious marketing strategies.

In supermarkets you may find them alongside their more old fashioned sisters, the barcode. Whichever type of code you use with the scanner app; you can often search out the best deals and do price comparisons over the internet on the phone while you are out and about!

How can I use them?

Whichever Smartphone you have there will be a free barcode scanner app in your phone’s app store or marketplace. Once installed it is as simple as point and click, the app will then present you with the data contained and give you the option for processing it. Keep an eye out and you will see hundreds around you in your daily life, you may even find hidden extras contained within the codes.

Can I make a QR Code Myself ?

The answer is yes, you don’t need any special equipment and there are a number of free website services where you can do this instantly, for example – www.qrstuff.com allows you to create a QR code with various data options encoded.

Is it worth the effort?

A simple QR code can be created and implemented within a matter of minutes and

while initial uptake may not be huge, the percentage of Smartphone users is growing exponentially along with their technical know-how.

What Next?

Download a QR Reader app now so that so that next time you see a QR code you can scan it and give it a go. As with all technology you have to ‘play with it’ to be comfortable and ready to go when you might really need it.

If you have grasped the gist of this; why not have a go at producing your own QR code and think about where you could place them to surprise to delight friends, family or customers!

‘Hi, are you OK there?’ ‘Yes thanks, just looking for a new computer.’ As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew it was a mistake. And sure enough, the assistant’s eyes took on a predatory gleam as he gently steered me by the arm towards the rows of similar looking brightly coloured laptops and started his spiel, at which point my attention wandered to my upcoming holiday in Fuertaventura.

I vaguely remember hearing the words netbook, notebook, tablet, Android, Windows, Linux, iPad, DDR3, Dual-layer Blu-Ray, Cloud backup, free Googledrop, darns your socks, makes the tea, antivirus, antimalware, antibacterial, antibiotic, blah, blah, blah’. At least, that’s what it sounded like. And 20 minutes later I found myself sat in the car, with a box proudly proclaiming the contents to be the very latest ‘Sony Jumpjet Vertical Take off Plasma Screen Teasmaid’. Which I still can’t type a letter on because, apparently, the most universally used Office software in the world costs almost as much as the computer itself. And it’s extra…

Sound familiar? When I meet new people at the various networking events I attend, or even when just chatting socially, as soon as they find out what I do I invariably get one of two responses. “Wow, a girl techie. That’s unusual.” Or “I wish I’d met you earlier, I’ve just bought a new PC/laptop and I think they saw me coming”. Buying a computer has always been a bit of a minefield, but since the advent of smartphones, iPhones, and the geek community fighting back with Android and Open Source, it’s little wonder the average customer comes home with something that will do almost everything except what they actually want and a small headache!

I’ve worked in electronics and computers for almost all my working life, and have run my own IT support consultancy since 1993. In this article and on the Network She web site I’m hoping I can use some of those years of experience to try and demystify the seemingly endless stream of acronyms and oddly named systems so that you can walk into your local PC store with more confidence and come out with the machine that you actually went in for.

I’ll be concentrating on Windows-based desktop PCs and laptops in this piece, as that will be what the vast majority of people need and they account for over 70% of the market. So, here goes:

1) Desktop, tower, notebook or netbook?

First, decide what size you want, and whether it needs to be portable. If it’s going to stay in your office or spare room, then the normal PC is more than good enough, unless you’re pushed for space. The only decision you have to make then is whether to get one that lays down (desktop) or stands tall (tower).

2) RAM, hard drive, processor. What???

All computers need ‘space’ to do the work in (RAM or Random Access Memory) and ‘space’ to save it (hard drive). And these things are both measured the same way, in bytes.

3) Other physical components to consider

Screen size – usually measured in inches. For example, 10”, 15.4” 17”. This measurement is taken corner to corner diagonally. What you’ll need is entirely up to you.

4) Programs

Most new systems come bundled with all kinds of programs to help you do things. Email programs, Internet browsers, DVD watching and copying software, and usually games too!

5) Virus/malware protection

Another minefield to negotiate when you buy a new computer, but something is better than nothing.

Each of the previous points cover the basics and are explained in much more detail on the Network She blog. One more piece of advice I will offer is to have a budget and stick

to it. And ask your friends and colleagues what they have and if they are happy with it. Desktop PCs are made by many different companies, but the parts that make them up follow universal standards for size, shape and how they plug into the other parts, so are easier to upgrade and replace faulty parts on. You can also get them custom built. There are also many different makes

of laptop available, with some very well known brands. They also have universal standards for some parts, like RAM and hard drives, to make upgrading easier, but because of the compact designs, most other parts are specific to the make. So a Dell keyboard would not fit into an Acer laptop, for example. All things to consider when deciding how it will be used, and how likely it is that you will need it repairing.

And finally, check out the shop you want to buy it from, particularly their returns and aftersales service. Because some places that should know better offer truly appaling or non-existent customer service. And I bet nearly all of you reading this know someone who’s been on the receiving end of that!

Hopefully that has cleared some of the mist away. Happy shopping!

You can contact the Techie Fairy via www.carlton-consultants.co.uk

One of the tried and tested ways of growing your business network is by engaging in spoken conversation with other people.

I say spoken because you can still engage with people these days without actually speaking to them. Unfortunately the glamour and lure of social media and all its forums, tweets, likes and follows mean that some of us have forgotten and under-estimated the power of spoken communication.

Social media is effective in promoting your business and should be a key part of any business’ marketing activities, however a different approach is required if you want to establish long term relationships with the people you are engaging with online.

It takes more than tweets, comments and likes to build trust and rapport, particularly if you are looking to build a solid and trusted network of serious business owners you can collaborate with.I currently live in the North of England having moved from London so it is very important for me to build a local network as quickly as possible. Networking is great but time consuming due to the commute so I’ve been testing new time effective ways of building relationships. So far, my most effective strategy has been a mix of social media and the good old follow up telephone call.

It is very easy to hide behind emails and other online platforms waiting for your phone to ring.

What I find amusing is that although most people shy away from calling people, ironically, everybody is waiting for their phone to ring, bringing them business.

It is easier to connect with people online but moving the conversation off line is your best bet for creating long lasting relationships. This approach eliminates the discomfort associated with calling people cold.

I’ve been pleasantly surprised by just how lovely, open and engaging people are whenever I’ve taken the initiative and called them after getting acquainted online. You both would have developed adequate knowledge about each others businesses to have a useful conversation. You will also be surprised by the information you can get simply by asking.

Picking up the phone and calling people will complement your other networking efforts immensely, creating relationships where none would have existed. Your business will prosper based on the relationships you build.