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13th January 2014
Most businesses need new customers and also need to retain their current customers to survive. Without customers your business cannot survive, but you also need to keep your current customers happy and willing to keep paying for your services and referring people to you. Email marketing can help with both lead generation and customer retention, and this is why it is such an effective tactic for all businesses. To read about 5 ways to generate a list of contacts, click […]
9th January 2014
How many people have made a resolution this new year, and how many of jus are actually going to keep that resolution?! Studies have shown that 75% of people keep their resolution through the first week of the new year, but only 8% actually of people actually achieve that resolution! However, you can achieve the goals that you set yourself if you really want to. To read more about how to achieve your goals, click here
19th December 2013
As the end of the year fast approaches, it is time to think about and reflect upon the business and plan ahead for 2014. Maybe its time to review your website to ensure that it still targets the customers you want, and clearly defines the services or products that you offer. Here are 8 sales tests for your website that you can use: 1. Audience – do you know who they are? Have they changed over the past year? 2. Keywords – […]
18th December 2013
Consumer products use packaging very effectively – we’ve all seen the fast food packaging and pricing of small, medium and large meals. Packaging takes the hassle out of the buying decision for the customer. Studies have shown that most people will pick the medium option, a few will always go for the premium product and a small number opt for the cheapest choice. Packaging products gives businesses a way of putting things together to increase the value of the sale. To read […]
16th December 2013
Line managers are becoming increasingly expected to coach their teams. There are many benefits of coaching your team, including increased performance and productivity, greater communication between employees and their managers and empowering people to achieve their personal ambitions and goals. To read more of this post click here
13th December 2013
Google is a great search engine. It is simply a white page with a form and a search button….. you enter a search term, press the button and that’s it. But do you have any idea of all the other things that Google does, or does it all seem far too complicated and unclear? Well, now’s your chance to learn. The latest changes to Google+ will help your business locally, and this post can tell you how to do this. To […]
12th December 2013
When reporting a crisis, the media follows a largely predictable curve. If you realise this, and can be prepared to tap into it at a suitable time, you stand a much better chance of coverage. An example of this is the media coverage of last week’s storm surge here in the UK. If you are in a position to feed a story to the media which fits into the local hero box, or has a vague link to the story, you’re in with a […]
11th December 2013
Whatever you do, don’t forget about or neglect your website. The goal of any good marketing strategy is to use multiple techniques to get potential customers to take a specific action. Most of the time, any ‘action’ will take place on your website, which is why your website is so important. To read more of this blog click here
9th December 2013
As a business owner, what makes a graduate more valuable to you than a non-graduate? It is true that they have learned extra skills ta university but they are only useful to you if they can help your business in some way. How do you employ a graduate in the right role to enhance and bring out these skills, or should they simply just fill a vacancy? To read more of this post click here
6th December 2013
Maybe its because it the run up to Christmas, maybe its due to the end of the year looming, but whatever the reason I have been extremely busy lately. It doesn’t help that I have been out of the office so much too – 2 trips to the USA within 5 weeks don’t help! When work starts to pile up, you can feel overwhelmed and stressed. The challenge to get through this just adds to the stress of managing it […]
5th December 2013
‘Tis the season of the Christmas party once again. It is a time when the combination of awkward mingling with co-workers plus alcohol can create a social minefield. One mistake can easily turn bad behaviour into a complete legal mess for both the employee and the employer. To read about the ways employers can avoid liability whilst still enjoying the Christmas spirit, click here
2nd December 2013
2nd December 2013
As any business owner will know, employing staff can be a double-edged sword. You need staff if you really want to make a business that creates profit and operates successfully, and also to allow you not to work 24 hours a day! On the flip-side, staff can create their own problems, stress and hassle, rather than whelp with the business. To read more of this blog, click here
29th November 2013
In PR terms, a crisis is simply something which potentially risks damaging your reputation and which in turn will have a detrimental impact on your ability to thrive. It might be something of your own making – a faulty batch of products, noisy lorries leaving the factory and causing neighbours to protest, a piece of news badly delivered. It may be something where you are the victim of malice or the incompetence of others – a competitor spreading a rumour […]
28th November 2013
It can be expensive and time-consuming, so exactly why would you try to win an award for your business? Here’s the why, what, how and when guide to entering awards. Why? The value of awards isn’t just about the kudos of winning them. There’s plenty of mileage in being shortlisted – your local paper or relevant trade journal may well be interested and the awards ceremony itself is an awesome networking opportunity. But I don’t need to go to the […]
25th November 2013
It won’t come as a surprise to you to discover that ‘engaged’ employees are healthier, happier and more productive than their ‘non-engaged’ colleagues. However, did you realise that a government survey has shown that 64% of people say they have more to offer in the form of skills and talent than they are being asked to demonstrate in the workplace? That is a huge amount of untapped potential. To read about how to engage your employees at work, click here
22nd November 2013
Customer loyalty is what most companies strive for. It is often discussed at board meetings, and is mentioned alongside shareholder value, profit and sales. However, there is an issue of congruence here – companies say one thing and then do something completely different. A common example of this is the automatic renewal system that occurs in the insurance industry. To read more of this post click here
21st November 2013
We all get the same amount of time – 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours a day, seven days in a week. We cannot store it, or make more of it or turn it off. However, it seems that these days everyone is in a constant rush, over-booked and without enough time to do anything properly. Although we may not realise it, how we fill our time and how e spend it is our choice. To read more of this […]
20th November 2013
People often complain that the increase in technology is decreasing the amount of face-to-face contact, and therefore ruining personal relationships. But lets think about the positives – the parents who can video chat with their children that live many miles away, or those of us that can keep in touch with friends who live on the of side of the globe. To read more about the effect of emails on your marketing, click here
18th November 2013
Hashtags are a way of labelling a tweet or an update with a keyword relating to the topic of the information. Readers can then click on the hashtag to show all the other tweets or messages which are talking about the same subject. Hashtags are well used on Twitter, Instagram and even LinkedIn, and at last Facebook is getting in on the act! To read more of this post click here
15th November 2013
It could be 50 golden rules, and these are in no particular order: 1. Be available, but build in a safety valve mechanism to buy you time for thought -through responses and information. 2. Be honest, but phrase your honesty in the right way. 3. Know what to say sorry for. If you are sorry, say it early. 4. Don’t be afraid to state the obvious. Of course your thoughts are with the people adversely affected by the crisis but […]
13th November 2013
As business owners, we use so many different tools to get our message our there… · websites, · business cards, · social media profiles, · brochures, · flyers, · PR, · magazine articles… etc. Where do you start? Well there are a few things which tie these together:– · firstly the company name, · then a catch strap line to give people a better idea of what you do, · perhaps create a great “elevator pitch” · a cool new […]
11th November 2013
Believe it or not, there are over one million vehicles leased by companies or individuals on a contract hire or contract purchase agreements, as of October 2013. Both products reduce the cost of running a vehicle, provided that a few basic rules are followed. One of the things to read amongst the small prints are the detail relating to the ‘return condition’, ‘agreed mileage allowance’ and ‘excess mileage charge’. To read more of this blog, click here
8th November 2013
Successful projects in small businesses are as much about planning and structure as they are about delivery. I consider that there are 7 key elements to a successful project within a small business, which include business case, quality, progress and change. To read more of this post, and to find out about the other 3 key elements, click here
6th November 2013
Have you ever questioned whether you need a PR campaign, or why you have one? if so, then have a think about this: We all know what the worst things are that could happen to our business. We know that if that should happen, we would need to tell our staff, customers, shareholders, and also the media. You will want to tell the media what positive steps you are taking to resolve the issue. To read more of this blog […]
5th November 2013
I was recently flying into London, and spending a while without technology gave me some much needed thinking time. I thought that having worked with many businesses about defining their goals, it just struck me how many people are hedging their bets on a single client, or the elusive prospect they are sure will one day become the BIG client. To read more of this blog click here
1st November 2013
Creating effective videos that engage with your customers is not easy. It involves high quality production, a well defined message and a professional delivery. To determine your defined message, you need to pick a topic and then decide exactly what you want to say about that topic. There is a very fine line between spending all your time entertaining someone on the video, rather than actually selling your product or service. However, an effective marketing video is completely achievable with a […]