Are You Getting Enough?

Are you getting enough? Now there’s a question! For many business owners the answer is NO when it comes to the topic of CPD (Continuing Professional Development). We all give ourselves excuses – “I don’t have enough time!” “Training is expensive” “I don’t know what I need” “I don’t know where to start as there is so much I don’t know!”

From my experience these are common and understandable responses. When you are running a small business, so much learning is done by the seats of your pants. Yes, I too have been guilty of neglecting my CPD in the past.

Have you ever stopped to think about how this could be holding back your business potential? Worse still, have you considered the risk your business is under if you are not skilled to manage its future development?

In other professions; accountancy, law, medicine, financial services, they have a professional and legal responsibility to keep up to date with their own personal development. Recording their CPD is essential as is documenting the CPD hours they undertake every year. If they do not do this they risk having their careers terminated.

These are drastic measures for non-compliance and yet it is no different for business professionals. You also risk your livelihood if your CPD does not generate a knowledge and skills levels to match the needs of your business and your clients. It is one thing to know your service or product inside-out and back to front, however the same is true for developing, running and managing a business. There is always something new to learn.

I learnt this the hard way when I found that none of my potential customers, for my bespoke wedding jewellery, were actually reading my emails. My marketing campaign was not working as these brides-to-be were on Facebook and Twitter. They never read their emails!

My heart sank at this realisation as I had been actively avoiding any use of Social Media. Why was this? The amount I needed to learn was overwhelming. Then when I started to play around with Facebook and Twitter I found it even more scary because it was like entering another world!

So I bit the bullet and found a training course and I have not looked back. However, CPD is not just about training it encompasses all areas of learning….

• Face to face training Courses, workshops, seminars
• Online courses videos, podcast, webinars
• Books, eBooks, eCourses, Articles, Blogs
• ‘How to’ videos and eBooks
• Coaching and Mentoring

If you want any help with your CPD then get in touch and check out the FREE Business Development Resources on my Website www.chrissiewebber.co.uk

Self Development Helps Grow Your Business

I was working with some clients recently, helping them with their business planning. There was one problem. I realised that there was one glaring omission from every business plan and template I have ever seen. There is never any mention of self development. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an ongoing requirement of all other professional bodies from accountants to solicitors. So why is it not a professional requirement for business people?

With so much free training for start-up businesses (especially in Wales) it is a wonder that they do not develop the habit of seeking out training to keep their learning and business skills growing. Sadly many do not. Why is this? In my opinion it is because people do not readily value their own self development especially when they get help, advice and training free in the start-up years.

The mind-set seems to be one of ‘get some free training first’ then just develop the business. Many get so bogged down with ‘doing’ the business that they believe they have no time for self development.  Others don’t want to pay for training as they still expect it all for free!

This is a sad reflection on business as a profession. Surely it is even more important, if you are running your own business, to keep increasing your skills and knowledge. After all, there are a million and one things to learn especially if you are a freelancer or sole trader.

Wouldn’t it be useful if all business plan templates included a section for self development? Here are my ideas of what would be included.

1. An individual skills analysis SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) – covering all areas of the business and technical requirements.
2. Research findings for required courses and the costs – Also including low cost/free training such as books and YouTube tutorials.

3. A prioritised list of skills needs – Prioritised both by need and cost.

4. A scheduled action plan of when the training should go ahead.

5. A post-training evaluation Reviewing the effectiveness of the training in terms of skills transfer to the business (2 – 3 months post training)

Without this level of planning and evaluation time and money can be wasted on self development that does not support business growth.

Also don’t forget that training events are a great place to network and do business. So even if the training is not as good as you had expected you may pick up a great lead!

How to Get Results From Market Research

One of my clients recently gave me the best piece of market research advice I had been given in a long time. He said “Chrissie, it is time for you to launch dirty.” In other words just do the market research by getting my new prototype product out to the public and finding out their many different reactions to it.

For many months I had been talking about developing a series of Business Development e-Courses. I had even put together a Top Tips audio/visual video – 21 Different Ways to Create a Successful Business – with the idea that it may be a format worth using for the e-Courses.

So why was I holding back, procrastinating about letting anyone view it and give me the market research feedback I needed? The answer was, my own belief that it was ‘not good enough’ – yet. I was tinkering with it because deep down I thought it was too simple, my voice-over was just awful and nobody would like it!

The truth is, without market research you never know if you are going in the right direction, producing something that customers will want and pay for. So much time can be wasted trying to make something perfect before it goes out. One company who have learnt that it works to ‘Launch Dirty’ is Microsoft and look how well this form of market research works for them. We, their customers tell them what improvements to make and they listen!

So I ‘Launched Dirty’ and sent out my Top Tips video – 21 Different Ways to Create a Successful Business – in the form of a competition and accompanied by a short questionnaire to generate the market research feedback I need.

It is already generating valuable feedback and the most amazing thing was that the first business to respond was the largest VAT specialist company in Wales. They loved my concept so much that we are now working in collaboration to produce some specialist VAT e-Courses!

So ‘Launching Dirty’ is not only great for market research it can also generate the most unexpected results.

To enter the competition and receive your FREE Top Tips Video with a chance of

winning a 12 month e-Course

CLICK HERE

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