Don’t steal Mazuma’s web copy – or anyone else’s!
Hello, and sorry for not being Lucy. But she’s asked me (as a copywriter) to throw my tuppence in, cos right now Mazuma is suffering a torrent of copycat writers – a gang of brazen hussies who’ve stolen the copy from the Mazuma website and pasted it (keywords and all) into their own humble pages.
OK, I guess Mazuma deserve some acclaim for being the target of choice for the scummy accountancy underclass. But you have to wonder who’d pull a scam like this – and what else would they happily swipe?
Would they copy and paste someone’s tax return and hope no-one notices that?
Who knows – but clearly these people are too daft to fulfil the business they’re trying to siphon off!
So why is this such a bad idea? Well here’s half a dozen good reasons:
1.Your copy is the voice of your business – an expression of your brand - and someone else’s copy will sound like them. NOT YOU!
2.You won’t get away with it – like Mazuma, any website owner will spot you in an instant and get their legal bods on the case. Then like the dimwits in question, you’ll face the trauma of your website going offline...
3.You’re adding to your workload. After the strenuous task of nicking someone else’s content, you’ll have to write something original before your site can re-launch!
4.Google hates duplicate content: they’re unlikely to penalise the original source, but they’ll probably omit your site from the search results.
5.If you do a straight cut & paste job, you could be pasting internal links from the original site – so you might end up sending traffic back to the site you’re ripping off!!
6.When (not if) your website is taken offline, you drop off Google’s radar – and that means climbing the greasy pole all over again. (Game over?)
So - all things considered, it’s not a great idea to use someone else’s content! Better to write your own...and if you’re stuck for ideas, I know a great course on writing for the web!
James Daniel is a copywriter and MD of EarthMonkey Creative Media. In his spare time he co-runs training events in South Wales for non-techie people who want to learn search engine optimisation.
Tuesday 20 October 2009
Friday 9 October 2009
Beware email tax scams
Please note that HMRC is warning of a significant rise in email scams that offer a tax refund. These emails are designed to throw recipients off their guard by warning that the refunds are subject to a deadline which expires in the near future.
Some emails direct you to a website that looks just like HMRC's official one. Others invite you to either complete an online application or to dowload, complete, sign and then fax it to the number given. Both versions request your full bank or credit card details.
An alternative scam asks you to call a number to check your eligibility to the refund. Callers will hear a dialling tone but while waiting for an answer they will be charged £6 a minute!
Please note:
HMRC has not yet adpoted email as a way of communicating with the public, so treat any email offering you a tax refund as suspicious and report it to HMRC.
We have seen a significant number of our clients receiving these emails. They look very realistic and it would be very easy to be fooled by them.
As a general rule, if you are even slightly concerned that an email may be malicious, don't open any files attached to it, click on any links it contains, or telephone any numbers given within it.
Some emails direct you to a website that looks just like HMRC's official one. Others invite you to either complete an online application or to dowload, complete, sign and then fax it to the number given. Both versions request your full bank or credit card details.
An alternative scam asks you to call a number to check your eligibility to the refund. Callers will hear a dialling tone but while waiting for an answer they will be charged £6 a minute!
Please note:
HMRC has not yet adpoted email as a way of communicating with the public, so treat any email offering you a tax refund as suspicious and report it to HMRC.
We have seen a significant number of our clients receiving these emails. They look very realistic and it would be very easy to be fooled by them.
As a general rule, if you are even slightly concerned that an email may be malicious, don't open any files attached to it, click on any links it contains, or telephone any numbers given within it.
Thursday 8 October 2009
First Minister Offically Opens Office!
The First Minister for Wales, Rhodri Morgan, has helped accountancy firm Mazuma officially open its new Cardiff office.
Mazuma, a Cardiff based accountancy firm, which serves the needs of small businesses and sole traders, has opened a larger office in Rhiwbina in order to expand its offering to the Welsh business community.
Established in 2006 by Lucy Cohen and Sophie Hughes, the opening of the new shop front premises marks the next stage in their ambitious growth plans as they continue to franchise the company across the UK under the Mazuma Associate Scheme.
The business, which has witnessed a rapid growth in recent months, will double its number of Cardiff based staff and use the new location as a model office for potential franchisees to visit.
Said Sophie Hughes, Operations director of Mazuma: “Since launching Mazuma the business has grown rapidly over the last three years. We franchised the business in 2008 and currently have six offices throughout the UK with two based in South Wales. The move will be beneficial to all involved, allowing us to build on the range of services we can offer.
“As our business undergoes dynamic development in the months ahead, it is important for us to not only offer a wide variety of services but also become more easily available to our clients, allowing us in turn to conveniently service our growing customer base.”
On officially opening the new office, First Minister Rhodri Morgan said: “It is a pleasure to see a local Welsh business defy the recent economic downturn and expand its offering within the capital. The company has an outstanding reputation and I wish them well.”
Danielle Lewis has been appointed branch manager of the new Mazuma office. With over two year’s experience Danielle will head up the five strong team as she looks to grow the number of clients by a third over the next year.
Mazuma specialises in accountancy, bookkeeping, payroll. For more information visit www.mazumamoney.co.uk
Thursday 1 October 2009
Mazuma Congratulates a Livewire of a Client!
Mazuma would like to say a big congratulations to Michael Turner of Turnkey IT Solutions who has made the finals of the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2009. As finalists in 2007, Mazuma know all the hard work that went into getting there!
Michael Turner, 17 year-old proprietor of Weston Super Mare-based TurnKey I.T Solutions, has been selected from some of Britain's most talented young business people to be in with a chance of winning Shell Livewire's Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2009.
The award, hosted by one of the UK's longest-running youth enterprise schemes, offers young entrepreneurs, aged 16-30, the chance to win a cash prize of £10,000 and gain some great publicity.
Previous winners of this prestigious award, including Christian Arno of the hugely successful translation agency ‘Lingo24' and James Murray-Wells of multi-million pound GlassesDirect.co.uk have gone on to achieve phenomenal success in business.
Seventeen may seem, to most people, a very young age to be running a company, but Michael is already somewhat of a veteran to the business world.
Aged just 11, he set his own web venture up, building websites for small businesses in the local area.
Five years on, and after running numerous other successful ventures throughout his school days Michael left school at 16 and enrolled on a computing course at a local college. After just two weeks, he quit the course to set his own IT helpdesk, web consultancy, and business voice over IP technology to SMEs and public sector clients across the country.
‘The things they were teaching us were already three years out of date' Michael said. ‘With the rapidly changing nature of the IT industry, I knew that if I was going to get anywhere I needed to be at the forefront of any developments, not lagging behind. The only way I could see to do this was to go out there and immerse myself in the industry, and set my own company up'.
In the 8 months that followed, Michael developed his business from nothing, to an enterprise turning over £60,000+ with 3 members of staff.
Thanks to this extraordinarily fast growth, Michael has already been recognised for his business acumen and entrepreneurial style amongst local media and the Shell Livewire community.
He now hopes that he can achieve even more recognition for his achievements, an opportunity to expand his company even further, by winning the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2009.
‘It's a great opportunity for me to further the success of my company' Michael explained. ‘Being young is often looked upon as an obstacle in business and it's great that organisations like Shell Livewire celebrate and support young entrepreneurs, and spur them on to do even greater things'.
Michael is one of just 8 young entrepreneurs from across the UK to have been shortlisted for The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2009. He and seven others were selected from 29 finalists to attend the final in London at Shell HQ.
The winner will be announced and awarded on Tuesday the 27th October at the Shell Livewire LIVE event.
The award, hosted by one of the UK's longest-running youth enterprise schemes, offers young entrepreneurs, aged 16-30, the chance to win a cash prize of £10,000 and gain some great publicity.
Previous winners of this prestigious award, including Christian Arno of the hugely successful translation agency ‘Lingo24' and James Murray-Wells of multi-million pound GlassesDirect.co.uk have gone on to achieve phenomenal success in business.
Seventeen may seem, to most people, a very young age to be running a company, but Michael is already somewhat of a veteran to the business world.
Aged just 11, he set his own web venture up, building websites for small businesses in the local area.
Five years on, and after running numerous other successful ventures throughout his school days Michael left school at 16 and enrolled on a computing course at a local college. After just two weeks, he quit the course to set his own IT helpdesk, web consultancy, and business voice over IP technology to SMEs and public sector clients across the country.
‘The things they were teaching us were already three years out of date' Michael said. ‘With the rapidly changing nature of the IT industry, I knew that if I was going to get anywhere I needed to be at the forefront of any developments, not lagging behind. The only way I could see to do this was to go out there and immerse myself in the industry, and set my own company up'.
In the 8 months that followed, Michael developed his business from nothing, to an enterprise turning over £60,000+ with 3 members of staff.
Thanks to this extraordinarily fast growth, Michael has already been recognised for his business acumen and entrepreneurial style amongst local media and the Shell Livewire community.
He now hopes that he can achieve even more recognition for his achievements, an opportunity to expand his company even further, by winning the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2009.
‘It's a great opportunity for me to further the success of my company' Michael explained. ‘Being young is often looked upon as an obstacle in business and it's great that organisations like Shell Livewire celebrate and support young entrepreneurs, and spur them on to do even greater things'.
Michael is one of just 8 young entrepreneurs from across the UK to have been shortlisted for The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2009. He and seven others were selected from 29 finalists to attend the final in London at Shell HQ.
The winner will be announced and awarded on Tuesday the 27th October at the Shell Livewire LIVE event.
Michael Turner, 17 year-old proprietor of Weston Super Mare-based TurnKey I.T Solutions, has been selected from some of Britain's most talented young business people to be in with a chance of winning Shell Livewire's Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2009.
The award, hosted by one of the UK's longest-running youth enterprise schemes, offers young entrepreneurs, aged 16-30, the chance to win a cash prize of £10,000 and gain some great publicity.
Previous winners of this prestigious award, including Christian Arno of the hugely successful translation agency ‘Lingo24' and James Murray-Wells of multi-million pound GlassesDirect.co.uk have gone on to achieve phenomenal success in business.
Seventeen may seem, to most people, a very young age to be running a company, but Michael is already somewhat of a veteran to the business world.
Aged just 11, he set his own web venture up, building websites for small businesses in the local area.
Five years on, and after running numerous other successful ventures throughout his school days Michael left school at 16 and enrolled on a computing course at a local college. After just two weeks, he quit the course to set his own IT helpdesk, web consultancy, and business voice over IP technology to SMEs and public sector clients across the country.
‘The things they were teaching us were already three years out of date' Michael said. ‘With the rapidly changing nature of the IT industry, I knew that if I was going to get anywhere I needed to be at the forefront of any developments, not lagging behind. The only way I could see to do this was to go out there and immerse myself in the industry, and set my own company up'.
In the 8 months that followed, Michael developed his business from nothing, to an enterprise turning over £60,000+ with 3 members of staff.
Thanks to this extraordinarily fast growth, Michael has already been recognised for his business acumen and entrepreneurial style amongst local media and the Shell Livewire community.
He now hopes that he can achieve even more recognition for his achievements, an opportunity to expand his company even further, by winning the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2009.
‘It's a great opportunity for me to further the success of my company' Michael explained. ‘Being young is often looked upon as an obstacle in business and it's great that organisations like Shell Livewire celebrate and support young entrepreneurs, and spur them on to do even greater things'.
Michael is one of just 8 young entrepreneurs from across the UK to have been shortlisted for The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2009. He and seven others were selected from 29 finalists to attend the final in London at Shell HQ.
The winner will be announced and awarded on Tuesday the 27th October at the Shell Livewire LIVE event.
The award, hosted by one of the UK's longest-running youth enterprise schemes, offers young entrepreneurs, aged 16-30, the chance to win a cash prize of £10,000 and gain some great publicity.
Previous winners of this prestigious award, including Christian Arno of the hugely successful translation agency ‘Lingo24' and James Murray-Wells of multi-million pound GlassesDirect.co.uk have gone on to achieve phenomenal success in business.
Seventeen may seem, to most people, a very young age to be running a company, but Michael is already somewhat of a veteran to the business world.
Aged just 11, he set his own web venture up, building websites for small businesses in the local area.
Five years on, and after running numerous other successful ventures throughout his school days Michael left school at 16 and enrolled on a computing course at a local college. After just two weeks, he quit the course to set his own IT helpdesk, web consultancy, and business voice over IP technology to SMEs and public sector clients across the country.
‘The things they were teaching us were already three years out of date' Michael said. ‘With the rapidly changing nature of the IT industry, I knew that if I was going to get anywhere I needed to be at the forefront of any developments, not lagging behind. The only way I could see to do this was to go out there and immerse myself in the industry, and set my own company up'.
In the 8 months that followed, Michael developed his business from nothing, to an enterprise turning over £60,000+ with 3 members of staff.
Thanks to this extraordinarily fast growth, Michael has already been recognised for his business acumen and entrepreneurial style amongst local media and the Shell Livewire community.
He now hopes that he can achieve even more recognition for his achievements, an opportunity to expand his company even further, by winning the Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2009.
‘It's a great opportunity for me to further the success of my company' Michael explained. ‘Being young is often looked upon as an obstacle in business and it's great that organisations like Shell Livewire celebrate and support young entrepreneurs, and spur them on to do even greater things'.
Michael is one of just 8 young entrepreneurs from across the UK to have been shortlisted for The Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2009. He and seven others were selected from 29 finalists to attend the final in London at Shell HQ.
The winner will be announced and awarded on Tuesday the 27th October at the Shell Livewire LIVE event.
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