Competition: Are you Looking for Funding?

If so you might want to enter our competition for a free ticket to the London Funding Conference.

Taking place on the 9th March at the British Library, the conference is for businesses seeking investment and in particular those who would like to:

• Understand the different types of growth capital and how to secure the best one for them
• Meet funding experts and businesses that have recently raised investment
• Talk to potential investors
• Meet other exciting growth businesses

Confirmed speakers include Luke Johnson (celebrated entrepreneur and founder of Risk Capital Partners), Michael Blakey (canny angel investor and founder of Avonmore Developments) and Mark Prisk MP (Minister for Business Innovation and Skills).

The conference will feature hands-on funding support during the day and separately, high level funding strategy presentations during the evening. See the agenda.

How do you win a free ticket then?

Simples. Just tell us in the comments below why you deserve the free ticket. The most entertaining entry wins.

We’ll pick an answer and announce the winner on Friday 4th March.

What if I don’t win?

Don’t worry, we have a cheeky £25 discount code for LBM members too. Just drop a note in the comments and we’ll email it across for you.

Terms and conditions
- All entries must be submitted in the blog comments on this post
- Closing date is Friday 4th March at 5.00pm GMT.
- The winner will be announced on Friday 4th March via email.
- The competition prize is one free pass to the London Funding conference on 9th March 2011, London.
- The promoter’s decision is final and binding in all matters.
- Prize is non transferable and there is no cash alternative.
- One entry per person.

Making a Great First Impression with Dell

It’s once again competition time and we have a fantastic prize for January’s London Bloggers Meetup provided by the good folks at Dell. What’s Dell got to do with making a great first impression I hear you ask?

Well, let me tell you.

Dell believes that for smallish businesses, freelancers and entrepreneurs, making the right first impression is critical. Not only that, but the laptop you carry says as much about you as the clothes you wear.

Sure, laptops may only be a small part of what makes a good impression, but I have to agree with Dell here, the details count. I can tell you with confidence that I never carry my work laptop to meetings, because for some reason the IT department has seen fit to furnish me with what resembles a concrete slab, rather than a laptop. Oh how I long for something actually portable.

With that in mind and to promote the launch of their upcoming Facebook business community page, Dell is looking to bloggers and businesses to share as many “trade secrets” as possible about how to make that crucial first impression. The incentive, they are giving away one of their new ultraportable and surprisingly powerful laptops. Check out a review here.

If you want to be in with a chance to walk away from the next LBM with one of these laptops (valued somewhere in the £850 range), help Dell get talking about how to make a great first impression. Simply submit your “Top trade secret” in the comments below and turn up next Tuesday to see if you won!

We’ll be picking the winner ourselves and judging your submissions based on funniness and usefulness (in equal measure).

Naked November

We are being joined at this month’s London Bloggers Meetup by Naked Wines. For those who haven’t come across Naked Wines before they are a completely new and different online wine retailer. What makes them different is they invest in independent winemakers in exchange for preferential prices – which they pass on to their customers.

The wines taste great because the winemakers can pour their passion into making great wines and perhaps the best bit, they cost anything up to 65% less. Beautiful.

As part of their involvement in the London Bloggers Meetup, Naked Wines will be creating a special mixed case of wine just for our community. One lucky blogger will even win a case to take home and enjoy at their leisure.

How can I win?

Yes I thought you’d ask. Well, there’s only one free case and to claim this you simply need to nominate a charity in the comments of this blog post. We will then draw a winner out of the hat at the meetup on the 17th November.

The profit Naked Wines makes from the sale of the London Bloggers Meetup case will then all be donated to the charity nomimated by our lucky winner.

So hang on, are you telling me I could support my favourite charity and win a case of wine, simply by nominating my favourite charity below.

Yep….

It’s as easy as that. Oh and of course you must come along to the Naked November meetup on the 17th November. More details here.

Getting in the Groove with Muzu

To celebrate the launch of the world’s first music video social network, Muzu.tv wants you to get you into the groove and is sponsoring the next edition of the London Bloggers Metup! Taking place on Tuesday October 5th, the event will feaure a discussion between Muzu’s founder, the jolly Ciaran Bollard, and Wired’s news editor and music junkie, Duncan Geere.

Not only that, but Muzu is giving you the chance to win a pair of concert tickets of your choice.

Perhaps you fancy going to see the indie-stylings of the Mystery Jets at the Roundhouse or the comic gold that is Jedward at Indigo2? It’s your choice – and Muzu’s got you covered.

All you have to do log on to Muzu and send us the link to your favourite music video – simply add it into the comments for this post. We’ll compile all the choices into a playlist that will be screened throughout the evening. Then, after the panel discussion we’ll choose one lucky winner!

Don’t delay – find your favourite music video and post the link here now! I can’t wait to see the eclectic mix of music you all choose!