Coconut Creatives client, Spettro, deal with insurance claims from home owners for a range of things such as fires, theafts, storm or water damage. It is not uncommon for the nature of the claims to adjust according to the seasons:

In 2005 Surrey recorded 2,216 fires with 678 starting in dwellings and 99 starting in private garages and sheds (1).  Mr Salter in Croydon knows only too well the danger of fires started in garden sheds after an enjoyable BBQ turned into a house-warming!

Mr Salter had a family BBQ last summer, when he finished for the evening he placed the used charcoal in his garden shed. Several hours later the shed was alight and as the flames grew higher they set fire to a nearby tree which, in turn, set fire to the fascia board on the end elevation of the house. Mr Salter explains, “The fire was fanned by the night breeze and spread quickly across the roof before we noticed what was happening.”

The fire was eventually put out by attending fire fighters who used several thousand gallons of water which then caused substantial damage to the rest of the house. Local company Spettro were called in the next morning to assess the damage and spent 3 months returning the property to its original state. “After such a shock, we were so pleased to have someone sort out the insurance claims paperwork and get on with fixing the house straight away!”

Kevin England, one of the Spettro directors, offers a few tips on BBQ safety:

1)    Avoid setting up the BBQ in draughty locations and keep away from flammable materials such as wooden fences and gazebos;
2)    Keep children, pets and guests away from the BBQ – even once the BBQ is over it stays hot for a long time;
3)    Be prepared – have a fire blanket and water close to hand;
4)    Don’t mix raw meats and make sure everything is completely cooked through to avoid food poisoning – fire isn’t the only danger at a BBQ.
5)    Don’t be caught drunk in charge of a BBQ – save your tipple until after the feast!
6)    Don’t put your BBQ away until it is completely cold – dampen embers with water.

For more information and stories about Spettro visit www.spettro.net

It seems that burglars are getting more creative in Mansfield when trying to access homes. Coconut Creatives client, Spettro, who deal with buildings insurance claims for home owners had an interesting enquiry from one home owner with an almost  comical problem.
The burglar climbed onto the roof of a house, removed some loose tiles and slipped through the hole to see what he could find!

Graham Calladine, who owns the local franchise of Spettro, was asked to repair the damage to the roof and, after getting over the shock of seeing such an odd break-in, suggests a few ways of keeping your home secure.
1) Keeping your house in good repair is a great start. If an opportunist burglar can see an easy way to enter your home through a rotten window frame then all the better!

2) Don’t forget to close your upstairs windows as well as the downstairs ones – there are several reasons for the name ‘cat burglar’!

3) Always use good quality locks on doors and windows – they are often the first line of defence and are mandatory with some insurance companies.

4) If you are going away on holiday then ask a neighbour to pop in and pick up your post from the mat – post piling up is a clear giveaway that your house is vacant.

5) Park your car close up to your garage door – garage burglaries are extremely common as people store so many valuables in there as space is at a premium in the house.

6) Get your house alarm serviced regularly. Many people have alarms but don’t use them because they are worried about them going off and annoying the neighbours – if you look after your alarm it will look after you!

For more information and stories about Spettro visit www.spettro.net

Due to the current economic climate, fewer home owners are now moving house. They either can’t afford to move or maybe can’t secure a new mortgage and this has put pressure on families that need to move to gain more living space. These people are now seeking an alternative to improve on space and garage conversions are becoming increasingly popular.

Coconut Creatives started working with The Garage Conversion Company a few months ago to boost their marketing and PR campaigns with an objective to get more franchisees onboard to meet the demand in specific locations throughout the UK.

Being the UK’s number one specialist for designing and converting garages into bedrooms, play rooms, kitchens and a variety of other uses, The Garage Conversion Company now receive over 120 enquiries a week making a total of 6,240 enquiries a year, and this is rising weekly.

Whether a home needs adapting for a larger family, home office, has just been bought or sold, its owner is often interested in maximising on space and adding value to their property. Garage conversions provide an increasingly popular solution in a growing industry.

“It is a logical solution,” explains Phil Bateman, Managing Director of The Garage Conversion Company. “Many people just can’t afford to move house but need extra space. By converting their garage, they gain a room that they can use for a whole range of purposes and add value to their property.”

Due to this increase in demand for their services, The Garage Conversion Company is looking to grow their franchise network so that they can fulfil the ever increasing demand UK-wide.

Individuals or existing small businesses with experience or an interest in building are ideal candidates for a Garage Conversion Company franchise. “Ideal individuals come from a variety of backgrounds but all have good people handling skills, are motivated and ready to succeed,” says Phil.

The franchise costs £23,995 with huge earning potential. “Some of franchisees are turning over £100k a month. So many people are realising that this business is well worth the investment and that this investment can be returned quickly,” continues Phil.

The franchise industry in the UK is now worth over £13 billion. This is because many people now choose to work for themselves and prefer to reduce the risk of failure by starting their business as a franchise which offers proven systems and an established brand. The Garage Conversion Company offer an extensive training program which provides all the necessary skills to operate successfully. Their team of in-house experts will provide training in all aspects of the franchise with ongoing support in the field after initial training has been completed.

With an increase in redundancies predicted over the next year and a reduction in people moving house, this business presents a win/ win opportunity for both the home owner needing more space and the individual looking for a profitable new career path where they can be their own boss. Coconut Creatives is very excited to be working with such a dynamic, friendly company that offers a superb service at an affordable price.

Phil Bateman, Managing Director for The Garage Conversion Company

One of the latest companies to benefit from Coconut Creatives marketing services is The Satellite Shop. Owner, Phil Millington was looking for help in launching his franchise package which responds directly to some key growth areas in the UK.

The Satellite Shop has satisfied many requests over the last year from families that wish to view their home TV channels in the UK.

It is possible to receive hundreds of channels from different satellites using a dish and receiver. The demand for this service had grown considerably over the past few years with the expansion of the EU and more foreigners in the UK wanting to view their home TV channels.

As well as offering dish and receiver products, the Satellite Shop also specialises in home entertainment systems, plasma TV’s, DVD’s, Sky and freeview. They also offer a personal service to customers including a home visit to view the area lounge and recommend electrical and home entertainment systems that fit their space, family and budget.

The Satellite Shop franchise is available throughout the UK with additional demand identified in particular locations. At a cost of just over £40k this is a fabulous opportunity to be your own boss and build a great reputation in your own area.

By the time you start your franchise you will be confident in all aspects of the business and if you have any questions, you will be able to pick up the phone and speak to someone at their head office.

Sarah Dyer at Coconut Creatives launched The Satellite Shop last week and within 4 days Phil had received 26 quality enquiries for the franchise. “I am pleased with the initial launch,” comments Sarah. “We have a range of promotional activities planned for The Satellite Shop over the next few months and I am especially excited to see how they develop.”

The Satellite Shop is also working with Mike Gratwick from Franchise Your Business. Mike has been developing the franchise package alongside Phil for the last year.

For more information about the Satellite Shop franchise opportunity email phil@satshop.co.uk

Phil Millington, Managing Director of The Satellite Shop

Coconut Creatives launched a franchise recruitment campaign for Murcia Villas last month and within the first 48 hours they had received over 40 enquiries for their franchise package.

The campaign started with a series of online messages and later continued into national press opportunities with a write up in the Daily Mail in early May 2008.

Information about the Murcia Villas franchise can be found at www.murciavillas.com along with details about the business and how it all started several years ago.

“This franchise package suits individuals that want to improve their lifestyle and live in a warmer climate,” explains Sarah Dyer, founder of Coconut Creatives and Murcia Villas account handler. “I worked closely with Hugh and Fiona, owners of Murcia Villas to understand their business and the type of person that would be interested in this opportunity.”

With the first franchisees now operational, a second signed up and several other hot prospects booked to fly out to Spain for a tour of the possible franchise zones, the future of the business is very optimistic.  Initially, Sarah set realistic objectives for 2008 with Hugh and Fiona. “Having a solid and achievable set of objectives for any project is absolutely essential. The objectives act as mile stones to show how successful the project has been,” adds Sarah.

Coconut Creatives work with a range of owner managed businesses on a variety of projects to help achieve specific objectives. Visit www.coconutcreatives.co.uk to review some recent case studies and to find out what other clients think about the Coconut team.

Hugh and Fiona James outside their Murcia Villas office in Spain

Coconut Creatives was delighted to attend the Greats Awards with client, Shared Earth in London on 22nd May.

The Greats Awards set out to recognise not only the top independent and multiple gift retailers regionally and nationally but highlight many of the finest retailers in the UK and Shared Earth were short listed for the Best Multiple Retailer Award 2008.

“I am extremely pleased to be nominated as one of the 5 finalists for the Best Multiple Retailer Gifts category. I see this as recognition not just for Shared Earth, but for our staff and producers in over 30 countries,” comments Jeremy Piercy, founder of Shared Earth.

Shared Earth provided over 300 reusable jute bags to hold the goodies offered to each attendee on the evening to help spread the word about reusable bags. Coconut Creatives work with Shared Earth on a number of products including supporting the Daily Mail’s recent Banish the Bag campaign which aims to banish the use of plastic bags within the retail environment.

As well as being the UK’s largest independent retailer of non-food Fair Trade products, Shared Earth offer the best selection of recycled products, including bags made from crisp packets in bangladesh, toy cars made from tin cans in Madagascar, office stationery from computer boards in the UK, wall hangings from old saris in India and jewellery from recycled glass in Chile. With sales both on and offline via wholesale and retail channels, their marketing needs to have an integrated and targeted approach. Coconut Creatives has recently assisted in the set up of their second website www.sharedearthnewsandmedia.co.uk to deal with the large number of press enquiries and stories that have been generated through the PR campaign. All types of customers and business affiliates can now go to this website and find content relevant to them.

Late last year, Shared Earth also launched the first Fair Trade franchise in the UK which is capable of doubling the sales of independent non-food Fair Trade products sold nationally. This is an exciting development which has opened up the industry with a wealth of new opportunities for many individuals who wish to work for themselves in a fairly traded retail environment. Coconut Creatives continues to work with Shared Earth on a number of projects including franchise recruitment and PR. Watch out for their latest story featured in the Mail on Sunday on the 8th June.

Jeremy Piercy and Tammy Hullis proudly display two of their reusable jute bags at the Greats Awards on 22nd May 08.

The Coconut Creatives team attended the National Franchise Marketing Awards ceremony in London last Friday evening.

Coconut Creatives was pleased to attend the event with the Directors and Consultants from Franchise Your Business after assisting FYB on their stand at the International Franchise Exhibition in Olympia earlier that day.

Coconut Creatives founder, Sarah Dyer was invited to sit on the top table with John Hancock, Managing Director of Venture Marketing who organise the event, the National Advertising Sales Manager of the Daily Mail and the the expert team of Judges for the evening. Included within the judging pannel was a Chartered Institute of Marketing representative.

The evening included hilarious commedy from Frankie Boyle and concluded with dancing and the three attending Coconuts; Sarah, Sally Butters and Chris Cook were pleased to be some of the last guests to leave, along with ARC Media’s Fiona and Sam!

Coconut Creatives Sarah and Sally with the Franchise Your Business team at the National Franchise Marketing Awards.

Fair Trade Company Shared Earth has donated £10,000 for the creation of the first sustainable community centre in India. Managing Director Jeremy Piercy handed over the cheque to the John Lally International Foundation outside Shared Earth’s head office in York, which is to fund a new community centre in Goa.

John Lally was extremely active in the environmental movement before he died in his late 20’s. He persuaded the council to give over a disused landfill site as a conservation area, and helped to raise several hundred thousand pounds to set up the UK’s first eco community centre on the site. This now forms the template for the Goa project.

The new Goa centre in Moira, will be promoting environmental education, sustainability, community enterprise, recycling and agriculture for all the community and also includes a kindergarten. Using an old Portuguese-style house renovated to 21st century standards, the Centre will be carbon neutral forming a community base for environmental enterprises in agriculture, recycling, garbage collection and other small scale non-polluting industries.

Shared Earth actively campaign against the use of plastic bags with their jute bags made in India which boast a selection of logos such as ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’, ‘Use me till me bottom wears out’ and ‘Say No to Plastic Bags’. They also backed the Daily Mail’s Banish the Bag campaign which also formed part of their PR plan undertaken by Coconut Creatives.

“Fair Trade is making such a difference,” explains Jeremy. “Critics are quick to question whether the Fairtrade logo is just another way of businesses to profit. We are ensuring that the profits of our fairly traded goods directly benefit those communities that require assistance and this Goa project is a classic example.”

Shared Earth fans were delighted to see a Shared Earth jute bag being used on the Gavin and Stacey show on Sunday 6th April.

It was used in a scene with the actor Alison Steadman, who plays Pam; Gavin’s neurotic Essex mum, as she entered her house with her shopping stacked into one of Shared Earth’s reusable jute bags.

“We’re delighted to see the bags being used, especially on the TV,” comments Jeremy Piercy, founder of Shared Earth.
Shared Earth campaign heavily for the reduced use of plastic bags and currently offer the reusable jute bags in a variety of colours with different slogans including ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’, ‘Use me till me bottom wears out’ and ‘Say No to Plastic Bags’. They also backed the Daily Mail’s Banish the Bag campaign last month.

“We have always aimed to address the imbalance of wealth, working together with people from different cultures,” explains Jeremy who founded Shared Earth 1986 to increase the sales of fairly traded goods.

As well as being the UK’s largest independent retailer of non-food Fair Trade products, Shared Earth offer the best selection of recycled products, including bags made from crisp packets in bangladesh, toy cars made from tin cans in Madagascar, office stationery from computer boards in the UK, wall hangings from old saris in India and jewellery from recycled glass in Chile.

A selection of these products can be viewed at www.sharedearth.co.uk.

Customers to Jon Thorner’s Farm Shop were in for a surprise from Saturday 9th to 16th February as they discovered the ‘purple wall of weird’ located within the shop along with a range of tastings of delicious local produce.

Back by popular demand for its third year, Purple Love Week, Britain’s largest coordinated tasting event aimed at supporting hundreds of independent food retailers right across the country during a traditionally quieter time of year. An idea that was forumlated between Coconut Creatives director Sarah Dyer and Giles Henschel founder national food retailer Olives Et Al. This year the theme seemed to be ‘weird and wonderful’ with many other shops embarking on undressing with food or organising an independent stripper-gram to put some spice into local foods!

Jon Thorner’s ‘purple wall of weird’ included a range of items such as one of the famous purple love t-shirts, purple love postcards, a purple cowboy hat and even a purple bikini! The idea behind the wall was to display a range of purple items highlighting the purple theme. The ‘Purple’ was inspired by the Kalamata olive and the ‘love’ as it coincides with the week that Valentines celebrate!

“It’s been a great opportunity to show our support for local suppliers in order to promote West Country foods… our purple wall of weird has certainly attracted attention from customers and allowed us to think and celebrate the wealth of local foods available in this area,” said Jon Thorner.

For further information about Purple Love Week visit the website at http://www.purplelove.co.uk