What Do Local Businesses Love About Lincolnshire? #LincsTech Week

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After a great day at Lincolnshire Tech Expo & Conference, we decided to visit the stalls and ask attendees two questions. One was of a more personal and conversational nature while the other one addressed marketing pain points (we are a marketing company after all!).
The SEO Traffic Lab presentations went really well and we are always incredibly grateful for a strong turnout, so many thanks to all of those who came for a feast of digital marketing. If you would like access to the slides then do visit our resource page: resources.seotrafficlab.com/lincs-tech-week.

That’s enough about us – the event was again about celebrating local businesses and bringing them together to collaborate, support and catch up with each other and plenty did just that. Our thanks to organisers Stonebow Media Ltd and their partners Business Lincolnshire for a well-run event. The Epic Centre within Lincolnshire Showground proved the perfect venue once more and staff were friendly and helpful throughout.
We visited every stand in turn and met our friendly conversational neighbours and asked them these two burning (not so much) questions:

1. What do you love about Lincolnshire most?
2. What is your biggest marketing pain point?

So let’s find out the what Lincolnshire businesses made of our two testing (they were tired – it was late on in the event) questions and what picture that paints of:
a) Lincolnshire
b) Marketing in the 21st century
 

Shooting Star

1. The Bailgate
2. Budget

A firm that we highly recommend and hope to work closer with on more projects in the future. Shooting Star operates from two locations, Lincoln and Bristol. They deliver quality PR, marketing and digital services for businesses large and small. As the brand is everything in marketing these days their mix of PR and advertising is the ideal blend for showcasing your business and getting those mentions and that increased awareness you need online.
Website: https://www.weareshootingstar.co.uk/ 
Twitter: @ShootingStarPR
 

Business Lincolnshire

1. Diversity of businesses
2. Website – keeping it innovative and relevant

As part of LCC, the team assist new start-ups and established businesses by providing local business information with help right the way through from paths to financial support to training. Their team each have solid backgrounds in business so they speak from experience and can offer you up to 12 hours of advice for free! 
URL: https://www.businesslincolnshire.com/
Twitter: @BusinessLincs
 

Duncan & Toplis

1. Lincoln City & Cathedral 
2. Lack of broadband facilities & signal in rural areas (which is where a large number of clients/potential clients live & work)

An award winning Chartered Accountancy that operates from offices throughout the East Midlands who provide a wide variety of services tailored to clients individual needs.
Website: https://www.duntop.co.uk/
Twitter: @duncantoplis
 

Allen Signs 

1. Heritage
2. Time

A very well established Lincolnshire family business providing complete signage solutions to companies big and small in the area for over 50 years! Allen Signs are known by many and have a solid reputation and clearly a sound business model!
Website: https://www.allen-signs.co.uk/
Twitter: @Allen_Signs
 

World Pay 

1. Scenery (red arrows, cathedral & fields)
2. Time

Global leaders in providing payment processing solutions and technology allowing clients to accept a varied selection of payment types on multiple channels worldwide. They are proven experts in the service they provide and leaders in the UK market. 
Website: https://www.worldpay.com/uk
Twitter: @worldpay
 

Lincoln Security 

1. Escape/landscape
2. Budget

Operating for over 40 years has seen the firm grow to be one of the most respected providers of security solutions whilst still being proud of their Lincoln roots. 
Website: https://www.lincolnsecurity.co.uk/
Twitter: @lincolnsecurity
 

Smart Solutions Group

1. Heritage
2. Social media & time

Suppliers of complete IT solutions for businesses since 2005. Smart Solutions Group help businesses to achieve optimal performance from their IT infrastructure. 
Website: https://www.mysmartgroup.co.uk/
Twitter: @mysmartgroupuk

University of Lincoln

1. History & technology/innovation mix
2. Budget

Since its inception, the university has quickly built an international reputation and regularly appears in Good University Guides due to its quality in both teaching and research. The university has brought a wave of investment and innovation to Lincoln with it and that wave shows no signs of slowing – thank goodness! 
Website: https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/
Twitter: @unilincoln
 

Orderwise

1. Not too urban county. It has a rural focus with hubs of city and town activity darted around
2. Intangible side to marketing – how you measure brand awareness 

With over 10,000 users of its software throughout the UK it’s easy to see why they are considered one of the leading suppliers of business management software. Orderwise has great brand awareness in Lincolnshire and often get involved in local events. 
Website: https://www.orderwise.co.uk/
Twitter: @OrderWise
 

NBV Enterprise Solutions

1. Diversity of business
2. Reach – building relationships & gaining trust

For over 30 years the team at NBV have been working tirelessly across the East Midlands helping small businesses with the right support when they need it.
Website: https://nbv.co.uk/
Twitter: @NBVtweets
 

Nicholsons

1. Lincolnshire businesses are close knit & connected 
2. Targeting

Serving businesses both large and small throughout Lincolnshire, as well as national and international clients since 1923 Nicholsons, are not your typical accountants.
Website: https://www.nicholsonscharteredaccountants.co.uk/
Twitter: @NicholsonsCA
 

Khaos Control

1. The big skies
2. Buffer playing up and “displaying the blue square of death” 

Founded in 2000 to assist businesses by providing them with high-quality software that enables them to unlock their true potential. Khaos offer an ERP Solution that integrates with your website and has recently launched a Cloud version proving popular with their audience. 
URL: https://www.khaoscontrol.com/
Twitter: @KhaosERP
 

Thompson & Richardson

1. The soil/fresh straight ploughed fields
2. Knowing which channel to focus on

Lincolnshire’s leading insurance brokers specialising in providing unbiased and quality advice since 1964. 
Website: https://www.tandr.co.uk/
 

Skills Support for the Workforce

1. Friendly people & rurality
2. Time & capacity

They provide responsive learning courses across the Humber region, the up-skilling workforce’s to meet the needs of tomorrow and reducing unemployment. They are also very knowledgeable about local beaches and are equally fond of the Lincolnshire coast. I will be paying a few a visit with my new found knowledge! 
Website: https://www.myssw.co.uk/
 

Conclusion

So what do we know? We know that time, capacity and budget are still our biggest limitations as businesses when it comes to marketing. Finding the right tools to make processes easier is great but we equally know that great marketing takes a manual element. Our personalities, our passions and our expertise has to be showcased in the right way and that needs our input at some point even if we do outsource.
Lincolnshire has diverse businesses, friendly people, great heritage and is going somewhere. We are proud of our county and the enterprise that resides within it. Whether it is the tranquil rural scenery or the bustling hub of The Bailgate local business owners appreciate the heritage, depth and richness Lincolnshire holds upon its far-reaching flat lands.
Hopefully, you have enjoyed our brief insight into Lincolnshire business and we look forward to seeing you all there next year!