Linda Coles

Current

• Owner, Online Networking Trainer, Speaker and SEO Consultant at Blue Banana Ltd

Past

• Merchandiser at The Deal
• Practice Support Manager at Visique Optometrists
• Store Manager then Regional Manager at Vision Express

• Store Manager at Laura Ashley

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1 more...

Education

• The school of common sense

Recommended

34 people have recommended Linda

Connections

415 connections

Industry

Professional Training & Coaching

Linda Coles’s Summary

I am a training professional who focuses on helping you to build relationships with potential new clients, all online. It is a fundamental shift in the way we do business, so why not embrace it, capitalize on it and get started?

I run various workshops and seminars on how to use the tools, so that you can be effective and productive with this new technology. Why not try a workshop to get the best out of LinkedIn?
http://www.bluebanana.co.nz/social_media_workshop.html

You can also book me to speak at your conference or event on “Building Relationships Online”. (Social Media)

Feel free to contact me to discuss how I can help your company use LinkedIn and other sites to generate new business in 2010 before your competitors do.

Connect with me by emailing linda@bluebanana.co.nz

Join Brain Storm New Zealand group, the “Purple Cow” of groups. http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/2424404/

Feel free to download and read any of my recently published articles in the BOX file below.

Linda Coles’s Specialties:

• Using LinkedIn to generate business leads

• Blogging and Twitter tuition

• Basic and advanced LinkedIn training

• Search Engine Optimisation training

Linda Coles’s Experience

• Owner, Online Networking Trainer, Speaker and SEO Consultant

  Blue Banana Ltd

  (Privately Held; Internet industry)

  June 2002 — Present (7 years 7 months)

  We want to be great not big. There is a difference. By keeping it very easy to understand, it becomes less frightening to you, which enables you to maximise your online networking efforts.
  
  We specialise in LinkedIn workshops, and a combination of Twitter and Blogging workshops. The real nuts and bolts on how to do it. SEO also plays a big part in making your online efforts successful.
  
  A social media strategy is also important, and as Jack Welch said, “Strategy is actually very straightforward. You pick a general direction and implement like hell”

• Merchandiser

  The Deal

  (Internet industry)

  June 2007 — 2008 (1 year )

  A site that has collated retailers and others to sell their overstock and end of line stock at reduced prices.

• Practice Support Manager

  Visique Optometrists

  (Retail industry)

  December 2002 — December 2005 (3 years 1 month)

  Practice Support Manager looking after 20 practices through the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

• Store Manager then Regional Manager

  Vision Express

  (Public Company; Retail industry)

  1996 — 2001 (5 years )

  Starting out at Watford store and moving to Milton Keynes to take the store through a re-development. Then on to work on special projects at head office, Nottingham.

• Store Manager

  Laura Ashley

  (Public Company; Retail industry)

  1992 — 1996 (4 years )

  Starting out at Regent Street, London, moving to Brent Cross and Marble Arch stores over the years.

Linda Coles’s Education

• The school of common sense

Additional Information

Linda Coles’s Interests:

All things to do with online marketing, particularly without the jargon. My mission is to keep it so simple, a 10 year old will understand it.

Linda Coles’s Groups:

Thought Leaders, National Speakers Association.
Franklin Business Breakfast Network, Her Business Network, Diva Network, B2B Network, Auckland Chamber of Commerce

•    National Speakers Association (NSA)
•    eMarketing Association Network
•    Kiwi Scrum
•    Small Business Online Community
•    New Zealand Business and Professional Network
•    NZ online Start-UP community
•    New Zealand SEO & SEM
•    Professionelle
•    New Zealand Networking Group
•    Community Group for GSF- Global Speakers Federation, formerly IFFPS
•    Made From New Zealand
•    The Auckland Young Professionals Network
•    Auckland Live
•    The ICEHOUSE
•    ►New Zealand HR and Recruitment Network
•    Marketing Search
•    New Zealand Internet Marketing Professionals
•    SpringBoard (New Zealand)
•    Thought Leaders Global
•    Farrow Jamieson Business Network
•    Friends of LinkedIn
•    RESULTS.com
•    BlackCat Networking Group
•    CompanyOfWomen
•    New Zealand Small Business Talk and Blogs
•    The Very Early Lunch Club
•    CEO & Directors Network - Global
•    New Zealand Exporters Network Group
•    Women Of Power and Influence WOPAI
•    NZIM Networking Group - Northern
•    The Business Hub North Shore
•    Brain Storm New Zealand
•    Social Network / Media Strategy

Linda Coles’s Honors:

Completed a couple of triathlons, cycled 160km around Taupo with energy left, presented with an award for the store with the highest % of profit over plan covering a 3 year period, married the nicest man in the world, just completed my first half marathon.

Working on keeping my body fat low, low calorie wine???

Linda Coles’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• job inquiries
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch