Marketing is a key strategy for businesses of all types but is often fraught with difficulties.

Often owners of start-ups and small businesses do not appreciate its importance, while it can still be neglected by by managers and directors of larger concerns.

Now an expert in the field is running two one-day workshops which will take business owners and managers through the steps needed to create a marketing plan that is right for them and put it into action.

Jackie Jarvis, director of Wallingford-based Marketingco, has many years experience in marketing and is author of the book, 85 Inspirational Ways to Market Your Small Business Yourself, which is due to be published in January.

She said: "Many people start a business without a money-making marketing plan that they themselves have the conviction in and confidence to deliver.

"Spend 2 days with me, mastering information and ideas that can make a real difference to your business and your profits."

The worskshops will run on November 14 and 28 at Marketingco, 8a Castle Street, Wallingford OX10 8DL from 10am-6pm. The price is £299 + VAT. Places are limited to just eight, although more events will be run next year.

For more details call Jackie Jarvis on 01491 833222 or see the website www.marketingco.biz.

October 3: Prime Time for Business Special Business Awareness Workshop, Faringdon Enterprise Gateway, Unit 3 RAC, Park Road, Faringdon SN7 7BP, 10am, free

October 4: Seminar, Six Steps to Building a Winning Business, Bicester Innovation Centre, Commerce House, Telford Road, Bicester OX26 4LD, 12pm, freeOctober 5: Banbury Breakfast Club, Rye Hill Golf Club, Barn Farm, Milcombe, Banbury OX15 4RU, 7.30am, £10Banbury Breakfast Club, Rye Hill Golf Club, Barn Farm, Milcombe, Banbury OX15 4RU, 7.30am, £10October 10: The Tuesday Business Club, Wallingford Town Hall, 9 St Martin's Street, Wallingford OX10 0AL, 6.30pm, £15Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce City Centre Breakfast, Somerville College, Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6HD, 7.30am, £16.45 (members), £22.33 (non-members). To book call 01753 870640.October 11: Course, SAGE Basics, Faringdon Enterprise Gateway, Unit 3 RAC, Park Road, Faringdon SN7 7BP, 10am, £12Seminar, Eight Steps to a Money Making Marketing Plan, Marketingco, Thames House, 5 High Street, Wallingford, OX10 0BP, 10am, £299October 12: Tackley Village Business Network, Sales and Innovation, Unit 1 Court Farm Barns, Medcroft Road, Tackley, Kidlington OX5 3AL, 6pm, freeOctober 17: Henley Athena Network monthly meeting, Zizzi, 21 Hart Street, Henley RG9 2AR , 12pm, £18Seminar, The Challenges of Growth, Sloan Managers, Chiltern House, Station Road, Henley RG9 1AT, 6:30pm, free.

To book call 01491 845505

October 18: Networking group, Oxford Does Breakfast, The Oxford Centre, 333 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7PL, 7.30am, £10Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce Open Networking Evening, RBS F1 Williams Conference Centre, Grove, Wantage OX12 0DQ, 6pm, free. To book call 01753 870640.October 19: Enterprise day, Colin Sanders Innovation Centre, Mewburn Road, Banbury, OX16 9PA, 9am, £20Be Your Own Boss club nights, Waterstock House Training Centre, Waterstock, Oxford, OX33 1JS, 6pm, freeOxfordshire Chamber of Commerce Speed Networking event, Holiday Inn, Pear Tree Roundabout, Oxford OX2 8JD, 6pm, £16.45 (members), £22.33 (non-members). To book call 01753 870640.October 23: Enterprise Day, Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington OX5 1AB, 9am, £20October 24: Ladies that Lunchand men too, The Oxford Centre, 333 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7PL, 12pm, price to be announcedOxfordshire Chamber of Commerce networking event, Henley Means Business, The Hotel du Vin, New Street, Henley RG9 2BP, 7.30am, £16.45 (non-members), £22.33 (non-members). To book call 01753 870640.October 25: Professionals Lunch Club, Rye Hill Golf Club, Barn Farm, Milcombe, Banbury OX15 4RU, 12.30pm, freeSeminar, Eight Steps to a Money-making Marketing Plan, Marketingco, Thames House, 5 High Street, Wallingford OX10 0BP, 10am, £299.October 26: Bicester business breakfast club, Littlebury Hotel, Kings End, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX26 6DR , 7am, £10Thame Athena Network monthly meeting, Thame Barns Centre, Church Road, Thame, OX9 3AJ, 12pm, £18.October 27: Seminar, Employment Law and Health and Safety, Oxford Belfry Hotel, Milton Common, Thame OX9 2JW, 9.30am, freeOxfordshire Chamber of Commerce Networking Event, Oxfordshire Means Business, with guest speaker Wantage MP Ed Vaizey, The Oxford Hotel, Godstow Road, Oxford OX2 8AL, 12.30pm, £23.50 (members); £29.38 (non-members). November 2: Banbury Breakfast Club, Rye Hill Golf Club, Barn Farm, Milcombe, Banbury OX15 4RU, 7.30am, £10.Seminar, Better Teamwork and Collaboration with Sharepoint, The Oxfordshire Golf Course, Rycote Lane, Milton Common, Thame OX9 2PU, 3-5pm, free, details from Sarah Hunt at Riverbank IT Management, 01844 278036, e-mail sarah@riverbank.co.ukNovember 7: Oxford Networking Lunch Club, Blenheim Palace & Estate, Blenheim Palace Grounds, Woodstock OX20 1PP, 12.30pm, £25.November 8: Course, SAGE Basics, Faringdon Enterprise Gateway, Unit 3 RAC, Park Road, Faringdon SN7 7BP, 10am, £12.November 9: Enterprise Day, Colin Sanders Innovation Centre, Mewburn Road, Banbury OX16 9PA, 9am, £20.Tackley Village Business Network, Robert Scott Publishing, The Old Barn, Ball Lane, Tackley, Kidlington OX5 3AG, 6pm, free.November 14: The Tuesday Business Club, Wallingford Town Hall, 9 St Martin's Street, Wallingford OX10 0AL, 6.30pm, £15.November 15: Oxford Does Breakfast, The Oxford Centre, 333 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7PL, 7.30am, £10.November 21: Henley Athena Network monthly meeting, Zizzi, 21 Hart Street, Henley RG9 2AR 12pm, £18.November 22: Enterprise Day, Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington OX5 1AB, 9am, £20.Course, Manage Your Brand, George Hotel, High Street, Dorchester OX10 7HH, 9.30am, free.November 23: Bicester Business Breakfast Club, Littlebury Hotel, Kings End, Bicester OX26 6DR, 7am, £10.Thame Athena Network monthly meeting, Thame Barns Centre, Church Road, Thame OX9 3AJ, 12pm, £18.November 29: Professionals Lunch Club, Rye Hill Golf Club, Barn Farm, Milcombe, Banbury, OX15 4RU, 12.30pm, free.Be Your Own Boss club nights, Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington OX5 1AB, 6pm, free.November 30: Enterprise Day, Colin Sanders Innovation Centre, Mewburn Road, Banbury, OX16 9PA, 9am, £20.To have your event featured in this column, send brief details and a contact name and telephone number to Diary, In Business, Newsquest, Newspaper House, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0EJ or e-mail business@nqo.com. To be included in the Business Link event pages, telephone 0845 606 4466, e-mail events@businesslinksolutions.co.uk or visit the website at www.businesslinksolutions.co.uk.