Nothing gives a man perspective like a trip to outer space

Every valley is parented by two hills

History can be rewritten but not remade

Have you ever wondered why some mobiles have an In Case of Emergency (ICE) setting available to show on the home screen? If you are involved in an accident, and your phone isn't damaged or flat, if you've set an ICE message, first responders may get to see it. Although you wouldn't necessarily advertise your medical conditions on there, it's a great way for people to know who to contact, and to help identify you. Also, as part of the campaign, setting your loved ones to a contact called ICE, means that anyone with your phone will know who to speak with In Case of an Emergency.   Today, I met the man behind ICE, who created this campaign, still globally growing, even more than 13 years later.   For many years, Bob worked as a paramedic, for both the Air Ambulance, and on the ground. During this time, he focused mainly on the body, and providing first aid in the moment. After he retired, he moved more into providing first aid for people’s minds, through a psychology technique called Mindfulness, designed to help provide mental first aid for trauma, stress and overwhelm, as well as counselling, and performance coaching.   Prior to meeting Bob, after seeing his photos, I found everything pointing to a laid back and insightful character, and wondered how Bob could somehow become involved with Aurora. After all, anyone who puts helping others at the heart of everything he does, is good in my books!   From our first contact, before we met, I found Bob both polite & respectful, with a strong air of genuine caring. Everything about him on the internet is humbling, and so I was wondering whether face to face he would meet up with this image I had built. Quite frankly, he was even nicer than I had imagined.   Bob and I discussed Aurora, the Deals for Donations site, and just how the SmartBands interacted to generate donations for good causes, but mainly, of no surprise, Bob was extremely impressed with Aurora's Smart-Technology and the ICE capabilities, requiring no special app, and just an NFC enabled Smartphone with an internet connection.   Bob, who runs a successful Mindfulness business, provides training courses, and often speaks publicly about ICE, and his time as a paramedic, with the importance of having key information immediately available, knows first hand what it is like to wake up in hospital without loved ones around, from an accident  in his early teenage days, and this, coupled with his impressive career caring for people within the NHS, led him to launch ICE in the early 2000's.   We are pleased to have such a great testimonial feedback from Bob, whose enthusiasm for what we are doing could clearly be seen during our 3 hours together, and am sure that his valued input will not stop there, as he accepted our offer to become an Ambassador for Aurora, and our ICE products.

Dreams are better lived than dreamt

To be illustrate better what we do, think about the tale of Gina, the cupcake maker.   One fine Monday morning, Gina went to work, bringing with her the product of an enjoyable Sunday afternoon, spent making specially decorated cupcakes, each like a piece of art.   And each person that tried one melted on the spot, telling Gina just how wonderful they tasted, enhanced by how wonderful they looked. Gina didn't just like making cupcakes. She loved making them. "If I could make these every day for work, I'd be a happy woman", she said. Encouraged by this thought, and the overwhelming feedback she has received, she made a decision, and "Gina's Cupcakes" was born.   And so she strolled confidently into her boss's office, politely handed in her resignation, and began to plan her new life, setting off for new working pastures, with great enthusiasm and positivity.   Ideas flow through her head of what her business will be called, what cupcakes she will sell, and in her mind, she plays and replays how she imagines her future will be, right down to conversations with cake shops and cafes, who she hopes will sell her wares.   On her way home, she stocks up on ingredients, and sets up a social media page to begin to let the world know of her new business. Friends and family rally together to help her sell her first few batches. With such great success, she can't imagine why she didn't do it sooner.   Then she considers formally starting the company, opening a bank account, creating a website, starting various social media pages on multiple platforms for "Gina's Cupcakes", and then starts to track her income, her costs, working out where to advertise, what to advertise, and how to advertise. She photographs some of the cupcakes she had made, and begins working on a flyer. She goes out, door to door at businesses around town, handling each rejection, thinking about stories of Eddison and Colonel Sanders, and just how many rejections they each received before they finally struck big.   Motivated to continue, she makes the odd sale, or possible future connection, creating a new spark, and after a long day on her feet, as she hits the sofa day, she totals up her profits, looking at the left-over cupcakes and spent ingredients. Realising she has taken far less than minimum wage, and with more waste than sales, she plans her next day, hoping for more sales of her delightful creations.   For weeks, day after day, she goes out to convince people why her buying her cupcakes is the best option. Struggling to make the high volume sales she predicted, after a while, she stops making cupcakes to take around, and simply takes around photographs of her works of art, leaving her dream of days spent baking, firmly behind, wearing out her favourite shoes as she pounds the pavements of her local town.   After a few hard and demanding weeks, she meets one of her friends, an old work colleague. "How is it going", he asks, wondering if her new business has been rewarding. "Honestly," Gina says, "it's exhausting. I've been around every place in town, got to meet some truly great people, and even sold quite a few cupcakes, but it's not the life I imagined. Instead of 40 hours a week doing what I have a passion for, baking, I'm spending 4, with another 40 hours on administration, sales, marketing, book-keeping, dealing with advertisers, website technical staff, suppliers, and many more people besides, and all of them are exhausting me, asking me questions I never even thought of, often forcing me to make decisions which I am not sure are even the right ones. And I'm not yet breaking even, let alone earning a salary from this."   Two months later, Gina, with a diet of mainly left over cupcakes, finally gave in, dis-heartened, albeit glad she had tried. "Gina's Cupcakes" was no more. Her passion of cupcake making was something she now had little interest in again, filled with the painful memories of it not becoming the future she had dreamed of. It had been one of the hardest times of her life. And on each working day, unfulfilled by not making enough sales, or finding shops willing to retail her sweet treats, from this point on, she often wondered where she had gone wrong.   If only she had spoken to us.   At Aurora, we specialise in helping any business to deal with any problem, large or small. Complex to simple. Whether helping someone like Gina make her business work, and help her to spend 40 hours a week on cupcakes, be profitable, and help increase her income, taking away all that day to day administration, or whether we are helping one of our many large corporate clients to deliver complex regulatory, technology, or transformation projects and programmes, Aurora is here to help.   Effectiveness - Efficiency means doing more with less. Effectiveness means only doing the smartest things (and doing them efficiently). We focus on making sure that you don't waste valuable effort of what you don't need to, and focus on what will bring the biggest return, to finance or reputation. Direction - We don't tell you what to do. Among us are many trained coaches, but unlike many 'business coaches', we don't just add to your to do list, and charge you for the privilege. We work out where your effort is best spent, and take away anything that you agree needs progressing beyond your skills or time availability.  Cost - Unlike many businesses, we work with you on an affordable and agreeable way to engage us. With some clients, we consider risk and reward; if you don't earn, we don't earn. With some, we charge a flat fee. With others, we find a model that takes the best of all worlds, to make sure that you are happy, getting a great return on investment. Flexibility - Flexibility is our middle name. With a range of specialists, working across many industries, businesses, and company sectors, we know that one size does not fit all. We pride ourselves on our flexibility to meet your needs. Time saving - If you're spending only 4 hours on your passion, while losing 40 hours a week on everything else, it's perhaps not how you really wanted your time to be spent. At Aurora, we aim to help you spend more of the time doing what you do best, and take away your 'to-do list' that you simply don't want to do. And by using our skills, experience, and intellectual property, we can often do your '40 hours', refined into just a few, saving everyone on time, money, effort, and overwhelm. This makes us a very cost effective addition to your business. Time is our most valuable asset. Don't waste it. Planning - We know you can't afford to have us around unless we are adding clear value. We have a strong value that states we find ways to help you, the client become self sufficient, so you only use us when you know we'll be of the most help. Sometimes, that means helping you to plan a roadmap for your company, and help you to plan how to achieve it. We can be as much, or as little involved as you wish.      Focus on what you do best. Leave the rest to us.

People recognise that the right technology and the right people can make their lives easier. But if it's so easy, why for many firms, does it now cost so much, and yield so little? The answer is often among the Top 10 biggest mistakes most companies make, often with People and Technology.     Mistake 10. Not investing because 'you're doing alright' Many companies, large and small think they are doing fine. What they often fail to appreciate is the world is turning, and times are changing. Investing wisely is the key. What is alright today, may not be alright tomorrow, and preparing for those times is like a bear preparing to hibernate, only the night before winter sets in, when it is already too late. Make this mistake, and your troubles, and your company, will be over sooner than you think.   Mistake 9. Being sold on someone else's dream Too many companies I have worked with have been sold on someone else's dream. A good salesman has created a need, when none really existed. And to save face, or to pursue this dream, more good money is being thrown after bad. Sometimes it is just right to stop and cut your losses. Learn from these mistakes. Don't compound them.   Mistake 8. Doing it just because the competition do it People don't want to be left behind. As a result, they tend to look at others, and wonder what others are doing that they are not. What they fail to realise is that by cloning the competition they either become a second rate alternative, or they end up having 2 companies, their old one, and a clone of a new one. If they are in business, there is a reason. Look to what the customers want, most, and not focus on trying to copy what your competitors want to give them. Be your own identity.   Mistake 7. Choosing technology that is beyond their understanding If you don't see the benefits, it is because the benefits are not clear enough. This can be because it's either your lack of understanding the value of these benefits, or simply because these benefits don't have the value that they are claiming. Do what is right for your companies best interests. Learn what benefits will help your colleagues and clients, and work out whether what you are going to give them is actually what they need to benefit them, and the best way to bring it to them. If you don't understand something, don't throw money at it. Understand your problems first. They might not turn out to be the problems you expect.   Mistake 6. Bending the business around available technology in use One of the most common problems I have seen over the last 25 years in technology is that of companies jumping on technology capabilities, and building their business around it. If you're not careful, within 5 years, this technology is everywhere, and there is nothing special about what you offer. reliance upon any technology solution is bad. Unless you have infinite funds and infinite people, can you really afford to spread yourself in a new direction that technology, and not strategy, is suggesting? Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.   Mistake 5. Not using the same technology that other departments are using Many companies do not pool resources. Each departments focus on their own needs, and justify why it is the right solution, without an over-arching view that represents the best interests of the company as a whole. That's not to say that one size fits all. It most certainly does not. The human body shares a number of organs, heart, liver, spleen, but is controlled by one brain. Be the brain. Don't have multiple hearts, spleens, and livers. Choose the right tools wisely for your business, and everyone can take advantage of them, but be careful that you're not paying for what you don't need. Technology doesn't have to be like that.   Mistake 4. Retiring equipment because of a manufacturers end of life plan When technology goes end of life, it does not simply pack up. It often goes on and on.  But all technology should be expendable. In this day and age, it is built with a shelf life set by the manufacturer, and limited by a number of other factors. If your business can afford to change at the whim of the manufacturers end of life programme, it should consider itself lucky. Some clients need to change technology according to their vendors changes, especially those with a strong data security bias, but as a generalisation, it's equivalent to a supermarket expecting you to replace all the food you have at home just because they want to sell you more, even though what you have is all still perfectly fine. Think about whose motives, your company or theirs, that you are serving.   Mistake 3. Creating a dependency on one specific technology  The business should never be locked to any specific technology. That's just plain wrong to breed such a dependency.  Always be ready to change technology by making sure that the technology is just a tool to aid the business, and isn't the business itself. My view? Never be reliant upon any one supplier. They are there to serve your companies needs; not to own and dictate your future.   Mistake 2. Know your identity. Understand firmly what you do. Find a niche that separates you If two companies appear the same, potential customers are generally split between them, or awarded to the one people develop a positive relationship with first. If you have a niche, whether it is used or not, this shows added value. Aurora, for example, has the skills to set up Project Offices, create kick-starter campaigns, deliver any projects (using our own people, or those of the client), and helping to define a roadmap. But the niche is that we work to help you do it on your own, so you can be independent of us too if you choose. We live our own values, and work by strong principles. Don't you want to know that the supplier isn't going to integrate themselves so much that you can't operate without them any more. There is little more powerful in a streamlined organisation than having a clear identity, and having products and services which demonstrate this.   Mistake 1. Make sure that your team understand that the value to the organisation of them has to far exceed their income Many people think their income is a reflection of their role. it is not. It is a reflection of the benefits and value that they bring. If Aurora employed a Formula 1 driver, for example, would we really make the most out of them, and be able to pay them what he, or she, is worth and can get elsewhere? No matter where on the pay scale someone is, they need to generate the company more than they receive themselves, and if it can be done in a way that brings the most out of them, you're on for a winner. Take advantage of the skills and knowledge of your staff beyond the scope of their roles. Without getting into the realms of the HR world, you've invested in people to work for your company, they have gained knowledge, and if they do a good job, they become valuable assets. But they are so much more than that. If they had a chance to prove themselves, find out how would they improve the company. Is there a way you can leverage this passion? At Aurora, we have a range of personality profiling tools to help identify what people are best suited to, and what they most want. Give them a chance to grow within your organisation, or the will grow out of the door.   These top 10 problems are often experienced when companies lose sight of their employees, their technology, their direction, and their identity.   2 words, done properly, can often address all of the above problems. "Transparent roadmap".   By creating a transparent roadmap for what each key stakeholder wants, their directions, their wants and needs, the benefits they provide, and their inputs, we can see how information, money, communication, technology, and sales and marketing strategies flow around the business. With this powerful overview, transparent for all key decision makers to see, can then help you collectively decide what projects will benefit the company most, whether cost saving, or cost generating, and make sure that whatever changes are made, are right for the organisation as a whole.   Aurora specialise in setting up highly effective Project Management Offices, focused on efficiency and revenue generation, and this often becomes the heart of the organisation with it's own value, both financially, and strategic, becoming clear. this all starts with understanding the roadmap. And without one, your company can be operating in the dark. Project management done right should not be an overhead, but a cost saver. We specialise in saving you the money you need to invest in what you most need to do to grow your business, in size, product strength, and most importantly, your bottom line.

In the wake of the United passenger dragging incident, and that of a first class full fare passenger being told to vacate a plane or be handcuffed, eventually to be allowed to sit in economy, attention to bad customer service highlights what all of us at Aurora have been saying for years. A company is as good as its ability to deal with problems, not its ability to deliver a service when everything works. Any fool can sit by while things go right. The value is shown with how issues are handled when things go wrong.   And with an estimated 95% of people sharing bad experiences, can you really afford that?   If an inconvenienced customer is made happier than one who hadn't had the inconvenience at all, surely that is a reward in its own right, and perhaps everyone would want to be inconvenienced! And when relaying their experience, especially in the world of social media viral communication, how well do you think this message will be spread through word of mouth, the most powerful marketing on the planet?     Of course the inconvenience may have a cost, but a happy, loyal and vocal customer is priceless.   Sure, the processes must be designed to work right in the first place, and to avoid obvious and common problems where possible, seamlessly, and ideally without any client awareness if possible, but the process needs to be designed so that any exceptions from the rule(s) are flagged for attention, and where any customer inconvenience is swiftly and unquestionably replaced with an experience that makes the customer glad to have had the 'negative' experience.   Words like empowerment are often overused, and underdone, but it's not about making staff have to jump through hoops "above their pay grade" either. Compensation can take place in a variety of forms, and understanding what ways to compensate a customer so they feel valued is quite simply the first stepping stone of the strive towards perfect customer care.     Designing a service is all about understanding the needs and wants of the stakeholders in the process, establishing the essentials, and identifying what can go wrong.   Murphy's Law (If something can go wrong, it will go wrong, and at the worst possible time) should be a stark reminder to us all to prepare for the worst, and be very happy when that doesn't happen. But when it does, to be so ready for it, that you're almost grateful for the opportunity.   Designing perfect customer care is one of our goals at Aurora. Any business large or small has obligations. All companies provide something, even just peace of mind, and each requires something in order to provide their products or services to their customers. By evaluating what can go wrong, we can integrate identify how and where 'things can go wrong', and introduce measures to deal with them. Often using automated steps for the common issues, and adding bespoke ones as and when deemed cost effective versus the associated risk value.   Often, the biggest obstacle is perceived to be cost. Yet why spend a fortune preparing for every eventuality, when you can simply have a rewarding exception handling process for when deviations occur, that if designed right can work out more cost effective than preparing for every possible loophole, especially if the customer sings you praises for how you handle the exceptions.   And isn't being prepared, and eliminating the risk to reputation or revenue, an essential insurance policy for your business?   If you want to design the perfect customer care solution, contact us, so we can discuss how to make your company, department, product or service delivery smoother, and more rewarding all round.

Our bodies are vessels that carry around our mind. Although we often focus on looking after these vessels, to make the most out of them we often neglect the part of our body where we actually 'live'..... our mind. Our brains, are not guaranteed to be without trouble. Other than through injury, our minds are susceptible to 'damage' from the world we live in, and the stresses we are exposed to. Our clever grey cells try to adapt, but sometimes, these adaptations can cause further problems, and just like a car that is not serviced, problems can compound one another. The term 'Mental Health' has an interesting reaction on its audience. Some may hear it, and empathically want to help. Others are afraid, sometimes naturally so, of being 'sucked' into the unknown mind of someone else, often knowing that such interactions can be a very emotionally exhausting experience. Mental health challenges come in many forms, and it can fall upon anyone. No-one is exempt, no matter who you 'think' you are. Let us imagine these mental challenges as a pool of quicksand. Once someone 'falls into that hole' the path back out is often difficult or impossible to see alone, and the more splashing about, the more we try, the more we are likely to sink.. Those on the 'outside' who see someone struggling, but worry about being pulled in themselves, often question the rationale of the person they see in this sticky situation.  Often passers-by misunderstand the cry for help, and see it more as just a cry for attention, or even a cry worse, are afraid it is a cry of attack. As a result, this often creates panic and fear. Those on the 'inside' have 4 options. Stay still, sink, self-rescue, or seek help. Sadly, in this day and age, we are expected to sort ourselves out. Sometimes, we may not even realise we are in quicksand. For someone on the 'inside', not knowing which way to turn, all you often want is recognition from others, and guidance and help to find the least stressful route out of the quicksand, perhaps with a helping hand to learn not to fall in again.   Asking for help, however is a generally seen as a sign of weakness, and is often attached to ridicule and stigma. As a result, too few people seek help, and think they can rescue themselves. All too often, this is tragic. Too often, terminally tragic. Understandably, some passers by aren't strong enough to notice or offer a life-line, and those that are may be busy or pre-occupied, leaving only a few helpers available to offer the much needed assistance. To the passers by, the way out often seems obvious, but it rarely is that easy, with no-one else truly seeing what is going on below the surface.   So what can we do? If you ever learn to Scuba dive, one of the things you may learn is if someone begins to really panic near you, you are told to swim away. This is because it is easier to help someone once they calm down (or even pass out!), than to get close while they are 'flapping about' and have them accidentally drown you, too. Although the best approach for scuba diving, it rarely works for someone above water. To understand someone with a mental challenge, we have to understand what is hidden behind their behaviour. After all, someone's behaviour is just their way of trying to get an appropriate reaction, either physically from the world, or from the people in it, whether it works or not. Understanding what is behind the behaviour is the key. Firstly, accepting that a person is needing 'real' help, and is not simply broken, makes it easier to begin to identify the right type of help needed. Charities like Mind, focus on helping people get the help they need, and on building awareness. Understand that someone who falls into quicksand is not lost. They just need to be rescued. If only there was an emergency service that we could all call.

How Can these Smart Cards Tackle Homelessness?   ICE SmartBands & Aurora have got together on a mission to help provide swift and effectiive long term recovery for the homeless.   The Situation:  Homeless ‘Bob’ is down on his luck. (insert name of any of the many tens of thousands of men & women in the UK alone)   Imagine Bob comes up to you, & asks you for money. How will you truly respond? Give him money, & perhaps risk prolonging the problem, worried about whether it will be used to fund a drug, or alcohol habit, for example? Ignore 'Bob' & continue walking? Perhaps you’ll tell him to get a job... Maybe you’ll feel obligated to buy him lunch, or a drink. The hard truth is that none of these things will help to get 'Bob' off the streets?   Now imagine Bob comes up to you. He doesn't ask for money. Instead, he simply asks you to learn about his efforts to get off the streets. He show you his unique Donation SmartCard (such as in the picture), & you choose to scan it with your mobile (using either NFC or QR code)   You can then read all about him, learn why he’s on the streets, about his skills, perhaps covering what he did for a living before his life turned, & read about his recovery plan, such as how he can find a home, to get & keep respectable work, & how else he intends to contribute to society in a more meaningful way. You can (under no pressure or obligation) choose to follow Bob’s story (by adding his 'campaign' to your favourites), perhaps even reading Bob’s personal blog, allowing you to track his progress, with ‘live’ updates on progress on his Recovery Plan. You can spread the word, sharing his story with others, who perhaps may be the very ones who could change his life, You can then make an unpressured decision of whether to help in a range of other ways, such as donating DIRECTLY to the Charity that 'manages' his spending (who make sure this money is allocated towards a balance of funds for his daily needs, & the rest goes towards truly getting him off the streets, in the form of rent, professional clothing, training, & whatever will make the change permanent. You can choose to donate with the rewards you receive from buying some of the deals on Aurora from local businesses (more coming soon). After all, if you’ve got a great deal on afternoon tea, isn’t it a good option to use the donation you are rewarded with, to help make a difference for someone like Bob? And whether you donate or not, you can help Bob further by spreading the word, e.g. by social media, helping give him an opportunity, perhaps otherwise difficult to find.   Between us all, we can make a difference in so many ways. We are already starting to work with a range of Homeless Charities in Beds and Bucks, but if you know any other Homeless Charity, tell them about us, and to contact us, so they can take advantage of the work we've already done, which we are very happy to share! Whatever your enterprise, from parrot rescues to pizza shops, or from night shelters to nursing homes, why not contact us, to see how we can help revolutionise what you do. Why wait....Let us change the world together, TODAY!     A note for the sceptics: We make our money from selling our Smart Devices (such as our Medical Information SmartTech keyfob that could EASILY save a life for just a one off cost of just £5), and through offering on Aurora some great deals (min. 20% discount) from local merchants. We truly want to make a difference, and believe there is so much more to be gained by working with, rather than taking advantage of worthwhile charities. All registered Charities can sign up to our platform for FREE, list campaigns for FREE, write blogs for FREE, and to avoid us becoming a bottleneck or extra overhead, we don't even get involved in direct donations either!   Contact us for more details of how we can help your charity. An idea is no good, if no-one knows about it. So (please) spread the word...!!   (Search 'Homeless Bob' on the website, to read more about the DEMO campaign)

Good advice, though rarely sought, is freely given

Talent Rides on the Back of Enthusiasm

Time can be lost, found, made, made-up, extended, wasted or grudged. But, unlike paradise, it can never be regained

Unless you know the lines, you can't read between them

There was once an old submarine, out to sea for months at a time.   As it approached the remote Polynesian Island, a clunking sound began to echo throughout the vessel.   The engineer had never heard such a sound. “Clunk, clunk, grind” it went, again and again, with the sound echoing throughout the ship, growing in loudness each time the ship went above a particular speed or power setting. The captain, knowing he would not be near land for several more weeks asked to surface, and began heading towards the largest of the nearby islands, Jarvis, to try to make some repairs, and for the crew to also take a brief break.   After 3 days in dock, none of the Captains crew could fix the problem. In fact, they still had no idea what the problem actually was.   The dock hand advised that there was an expert submarine engineer who lived on the island, who was back from one of his many trips, working away on submarines, who also ran a local boat engineering business. The dock hand explained that he wasn’t always cheap, but was good. Frustrated by the many days of hard work getting nowhere, the Captain agreed, and asked the dock hand to arrange for to come down and help him to fix the submarine.   “A lovely Type 43B Class 2 isn’t she", said a tall tanned man walking up to the dock, wearing a flowery shirt, shorts, and sandals, carrying a heavy looking metal toolkit, seeing the stressed captain, scratching his head on the beautiful sun kissed wooden pontoon.   The Captain, nodded, looking surprised at this man. No sooner had the captain described the problem, and answered a few questions about the impact of revs, sound at depth, and what were the exact timings of the clunks and grinds, did he ask permission to go aboard, putting down his metal toolkit on the dock, and grabbing just the rubber mallet to take with him.   Hearing a single loud bang, and with not more than 3 minutes having passed, the man emerged from the submarine, and returned his mallet to the box.   He confirmed that the problem was now properly resolved, and bidded the captain farewell, and went off, promising to send him the invoice by email.   Off into the blue ocean, the captain went once again, pleased that this trouble was firmly behind him.   Upon receipt of the email, the captain opened it to see a bill of $200. Shocked, by such a high bill for only 3 minutes work with a single hit with a rubber mallet, he emailed him to ask him to justify and breakdown the invoice.   The reply was brief, but self explanatory: “Justification - Hitting down-pipe with mallet - $1. Knowing exactly where to hit it $199”   The moral of the story - Never under-estimate the time of others, and the value of the right knowledge at the right time to the right people.

Aurora started with the single mission, to make a difference. We saw the plight of small businesses in trying to differentiate themselves in an ever more competitive world. We saw the struggles of charities and non-profits in competing for attention in a world full of causes. We saw so many good ideas never reach their potential, simply because of the huge challenges involved in getting started. As a result, Aurora began to help as a 'fixer', offering services to businesses and charities to help them resolve their challenges, offering them expertise and extra hands, including a range of results driven services, sharing the risk of success. We also had a few ideas of our own. One such innovation was the ICE Smartband. Easily read by over 95% of NFC smartphones, ICE smartbands and tags provide important medical and contact information, in order to help people receive the best selection of care in an emergency, taking into account medical conditions, allergies, & current medication, as well as providing details of who to contact. Another big feature is the automatic sending of location to selected contacts, such as loved ones or carers, helping them respond, find you, or help you get home.   Now, ICE smartbands, have a growing number of resellers, selling our products, or integrating them with their own, & have a growing customer fan base, who can all see the benefits that ICE smartbands & tags have to offer.   If you have an innovation, why not contact us to discuss how we may be able to help. Remember too, to add your business, charity, non-profit, or club to the directory. Click here    

Add your Enterprises to our Business or Charitable directory! Having a great business or charity is of no benefit, if no-one knows you exist! Listing & promoting your enterprise on Aurora - free, with no obligations, & no pressure, and help your community learn who you are & what you do.  Registration is just 3 easy steps! In Step 3, you'll then complete the details to add your enterprise.List Your Enterprise for Free, Now! STEP 1: Start by completing the form: Name Contact Email Enterprise Name Business Charity Non-profit/CIC Club                           After clicking submit, please check your email. If the email has not arrived within a few minutes, please also check your junk folder. Top tip: If you are a cause (Charity, non-profit or club) with products to sell, such as merchandise, please tick both the box marked 'business' and relevant cause. This gives you a listing in each, offering you the best of both worlds!