Designers’ website Designers Mind has published an interesting list of tips aimed at helping freelancers work better and get more projects / work. Although aimed at writers / designers, the tips listed can be applied to any discipline. If you’re just starting out on your own, or even if you’ve been doing it for ages, you may find the list useful or inspiring.

The article explains how successful freelancers:

• Write/design every day
• Don’t wait for markets to come to them
• Have more than one stream of income
• Have a niche
• Have a website
• Are savvy & consistent marketers
• Put in much more than 40 hours/week

It goes into more detail on each, of course.

Read the article here.

Liverpool has been selected as the city of choice for the inaugural branch opening of Adecco Premier. The launch of this new style branch, targeted at professional candidates looking to develop their careers and businesses looking to select the best workers, marks a change in recruitment practices in the UK by pledging to tap into the talented Liverpool workforce.

So why Adecco Premier? Well businesses not only need candidates but more importantly professional, employees that are the right ‘fit’. Premier has been designed with this in mind. Adecco Premier offers a fresh recruitment approach providing better services for candidates and businesses. These services include in-depth consultation, interview training and ongoing career advice as well as creating a more tailored service for businesses to ensure the right professional candidates are sourced from the area.

Liverpool has been chosen as the location for the first branch opening because of its reputation as a fast developing city and a commercial hub for a number of international businesses. It is now regarded as one of the top cities in the UK rivalling London, Manchester and Birmingham and arguably becoming recognised as the ‘Capital City’ of the North, stealing the crown from fierce rivals, Manchester. After winning the European Capital of Culture status for 2008, it is an excellent time for job seekers and companies alike to stay in the area and develop their career.

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Trident Training, the training arm of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce is able to offer training for new and experienced managers with its new and exciting programme of management training.

Trident has a Management Development Programme which will support:

• First time leadership supervisors/team leaders/managesStaff who have been promoted into new managerial roles and have had limited experience of man management and processes.
• Managers who need a refresher of the key management skills that will make their job a lot easier back in the workplace so that they are more effective in all that they do.
• The aspiring senior manager and director

To decide which course or programme best meets your needs contact our Work Force Development Team on 0151 236 3222.

If you are an SME you be eligible for funding under the Skillworks Project.

Even though the weather’s been miserable, bring a better bit of summer into your workplace with LiveOne20.

It’s a little card-shaped slice of sunshine for you and your staff that offers you all exclusive access to some of the best bits of Liverpool life.

If you’re looking for some fine food to take your mind off the deluge outside the office front door, grab some very tasty discounts from the likes of the London Carriage Works, Filini or Il Forno.

Or, if you fancy getting in shape for when summer finally arrives, check out our finely-toned package of health and well-being offers.

There’s a free consultation with Liverpool’s leading pilates specialists, Flex Studios, a free eye test with Toni and Guy Opticians in the MetQuarter, a free three-day trial at Green’s Health and Fitness or 20% off at Voodou hair salons.

Fantastic new offers are coming on board every week so keep watching the LiveOne20 website - www.liveone20.com - for the latest updates.

Chamber members can reward their staff with more than £800 worth of offers for just £10-18 per year per employee. They’ll love you for it!

Why don’t you purchase some cards today?

To buy LiveOne20 cards, just contact Livesmart’s account manager Daniel White on 0870 055 3472 or by e-mail at liveone20@livesmart.biz.

Liverpool Chamber of Commerce is really getting into gear now for the city’s 800th birthday party on Tuesday 28th August.

A party is planned for Old Hall Street on the Tuesday afternoon. The event will feature ’school games’ including egg and spoon, sack and three legged races and a real ale testing from CAMRA.

Peter Jones, Head of the Chamber’s Business Crime Direct Team said: “We are hoping that local companies will support the event by taking part and we are asking firms in the area to get teams of six ready for the event.

The Chamber is also working with CAMRA, the pub watch and the national pub companies to promote a Liverpool Beer Festival. Peter continued: “It starts at Old Hall Street on the 28th and goes on for 2 weeks to the 16th September. It will be run in conjunction with the Food Lovers Festival.”

“We want all pubs who want to take part to get in touch with us. In addition, the Culture Company want all pub staff to decorate their premises and make a real party of it. They are providing with bunting and beer mats the licensees can collect from the Chamber on a first come first served basis.”

Bold Street are holding its 800th party on Saturday, 1st September. Each shop is doing its own thing - the book shops have local authors signings, Smiffys Serious Fun is doing face painting. Microzine are getting a band. We need all the businesses to decide how they will party and let us know.

For more details about including your business in any of these events please email Peter Jones or call him on 0151 227 1234.

Following last week’s article on Grievance & Disciplinary, this week we look at Performance and Capability. Further advice and documentation can be found by visiting the ChamberHr website www.chamberhr.co.uk

If you have not received your website log in details or you are a new member and would like to register to use the service please contact the membership team by email at membership@liverpoolchamber.org.uk or by telephone on 0151 227 1234.

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At the July Liverpool Chamber Construction & Development Lunch at the Liner Hotel (how appropriate!) an audience of 120 Chamber members and their guests were treated to an inspirational presentation from the recently appointed Manager of the City of Liverpool Cruise Terminal. Angie Redhead, who was born in Liverpool returned from Ibiza where she was Commercial Manager for Thomson Holidays to take up her new post.

During her comprehensive presentation she covered everything from the construction of the terminal to the recruitment of volunteers to welcome tourists and from the economic impact on the local economy to the toilets for departing passengers - which she hoped we would all see for ourselves one day.

The Communication Workers Union has announced a series of strikes over a two-week period beginning at 7pm on Wednesday 25th July 2007 and ending at 12 noon on Wednesday 8th August. This obviously may affect local collections and deliveries.

More details of the actions and when and where they will take place are available on the Royal Mail website.