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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SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING – PLAYING CATCH-UP?

Are you being left behind in the fast changing business and social media marketing arena?

Are you not sure about this? Then ask yourself the following questions…..

• Are you using social media marketing for your business?
• Is your social media activity planned and integrated with your marketing strategy?
• Do you regularly analyse your social media marketing activity for its Return on Investment (ROI)?
• Is your website responsive, working perfectly on all mobile technology?

If you answer no to one or more of these questions then it may be time for you to do some ‘Catch-Up’ Marketing.

Why is this? Because many of your competitors are poised to steal your market share by being social media marketing savvy and website responsive. With 80% of internet users owning Smartphones (Smart Insights, January 2015) the increase in searches for local businesses and services has gone mobile. Social Media is now the marketing tool of preference as it is instant and cost effective. That is the case if it is used well social media marketing terms.

So, are you in need of some social media marketing help? If so here are a few tips to help you move forward…

1. Do not run away and bury your head in the sand because social media marketing is scary! Some years ago I was faced with having to get on the social media marketing bandwagon. My jewellery customers were no longer using emails. They were all on Facebook and Twitter. Having discovered this I rebelled against this new technology! I was 60 years old and comfortable with my old marketing ways. The thought of learning something new and alien was daunting. Eventually I joined the social media marketing revolution and found an evening course. This led to me to completing a foundation degree in Social Media. It was either that or loose business! 
2. Make sure your website is responsive. Whilst out with my daughter, recently, we wanted to find somewhere for lunch. Without hesitation she used her mobile phone to search for local restaurants. All restaurants with slow and unresponsive websites were rapidly rejected. Those without easy to read menus and prices were also rejected. Can you afford to loose business to your competitors by not being social media marketing savvy? 
3. Choose the social media marketing platforms that are right for your business. Learn how to use them well. Every day I see businesses wasting time and money following bad social media marketing practices. They have no idea how to use social media marketing effectively. For example, on LinkedIn I regularly have people endorse me for my business skills. Many I have never met or worked with and yet they write me an endorsement. Would they go up to a perfect stranger at a business event and tell them how wonderful their product or service is? No! So why do it as part of a  social media marketing strategy? 
4. Find experienced people to do your social media marketing for you if you do not have the time. Always choose very carefully who you use to outsource your social media activity to. Make sure you manage what they are saying or doing as your business reputation is at stake. I know a business who outsourced their social media to someone who had no idea how to handle a complaint on Twitter. There defensive attitude was seen by millions and quite clearly damaged the businesses reputation. 
5. Plan and implement your social media marketing campaign well. Include a content strategy that integrates all your other marketing activity. Often I see small businesses who use social media marketing only as a tool to shout about themselves and promote their goods and services. Why do they do this? Probably because that’s what the big brands do and these people just follow blindly. The point they are missing is that the big businesses have already built their brands and customer relationships. For small businesses, social media marketing is about engaging with potential customers, building relationships and being genuinely endorsed by regular customers. This takes time and strategic planning to achieve successfully.

Start your game of social media marketing catch-up today and give me  call if you want any more help.

GOAL SETTING SUCCESS – DREAMER OR ACHIEVER?

PLAN YOUR GOAL SETTING Many years ago I was introduced to the concept of written goal setting in December for the year ahead (although you can do this at any time of year). This meant being very specific about the actions I would take to achieve business success. My friend explained that before you write your […]
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7 Tips to Be Happy at Work – Shake off The Back to Work Blues

Monday morning tips to be happy at work …

1. Greet your colleagues with tales of the positive things you did over the break.
2.  Organise your work and prioritise the list to include tips to be happy at work .
3.  Choose something you love to do which has a ‘quick win’ – now get stuck into it!
4. Work through your list starting with the high priority work and DO NOT skip anything.
5. Priorities all the interruptions so they do not impact too negatively on your planned workflow and your tips to be happy at work .
6. Evaluate your achievements at the end of the day and feel the motivation factor.
7. Make your plans for another great day tomorrow with lots of tips to be happy at work !

(Resources: http://workingmomsagainstguilt.com/back-to-the-office-for-me/)

7 Business Development Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Business

I don’t know what came over me the other weekend but I has the urge to sort out my office at home. This is definitely a business development activity that is rare for me! Spring was obviously in the air as I caught the decluttering bug. It didn't end there either. You know how motivating it feels to have good clear out? Well my motivation was so high that I went on to clear my box room, dining room, wardrobe and utility room all in one weekend!

This got me thinking about the importance of having a good spring clean in the business at this time of year. This is a great time to do a major review; clear the old things out and make room for new ideas and strategies. So here are some of the areas I am concentrating on in my Business Development Spring Clean…..

1.  Updating my Marketing and Social Media Strategy - creating a weekly analytics analysis and quarterly review updates for the year ahead as part of my business development.

2.  Tidying up my filing both in the office, on my computer and on the cloud - it is surprising how much this can trigger new thoughts and ideas.

3.  Evaluating the effect of projects on the bottom line - making decisions to change or close those that are not effective and listing new ones to be explored in the future.

4.   Evaluating the financials as part of your business development – making sure your weekly and monthly financial management was effective over the past year and highlighting actions for future improvements.

5.  Evaluating the sales activities – ensuring that the annual sales goals have been achieved and creating action points for further improvements and monthly reviews over the coming year.

6. Analysing the team skills and effectiveness – creating clear personal development plans for myself and the team, identifying any skills gaps and making decisions about how to fill them.

7. Undertaking a ‘What If’ Scenario Planning Session - this is where you look ahead, identify potential problems, market and political changes and create plans to overcome them as part of your ongoing business development. (Look out for a future blog when I will outline this in more detail}

Have a great time Spring Cleaning Your Business and let me know how it helped to raise your motivation levels.

4 WAYS TO STRETCH YOUR BUSINESS FOR SUCCESS

Staying in your personal comfort zone is the easiest thing to do but it won’t get you to where you want to be in business! Running your own business is about stretching yourself out of your comfort zone, taking personal risks and developing yourself.

This point was brought home to me recently at a networking event I attended. One of the other business owners was a young man who has run his own IT business for several years in Lancashire (near where I was born!). Due to circumstances he moved his family and business to South West England about 18 months ago.

This was the start of him stretching the boundaries of his comfort zone. Up north he had developed a successful business organically from the people he knew. He had not advertised or networked to gain clients. As for cold calling on potential customers that was way outside his comfort zone that he never gave it a go. Word of mouth had been his business development pathway. How excellent is that?

The new move meant that whilst he kept some clients in the north of England, working for them remotely, he still had to develop contacts and business round his new location. So he had no option but to stretch himself out of his comfort zone. He was lucky however, to meet a great mentor who has challenged his procrastination. We all need people like this who know how easy it is to put off the things we hate or fear doing. So what were the fears he has overcome and what can you learn from his actions?

1. Moving his business and starting up in a different area.

Nothing is ever impossible if you are willing to take a risk and have a well thought out plan of action.

2. Getting out and meeting potential customers through networking.

Businesses are grown through relationship development, be it face to face or via social media. To succeed you have to first put yourself in the right arena and ‘fish in a pond’ where potential clients want your services.

3. Cold calling on customers and following up

This is the one thing that successful business people do well but for most people it means a huge stretch outside their comfort zone. Be it face to face or via the phone the fear of rejection is a major barrier to business growth and success. Don’t fall at the last fence though by not doing the follow up calls or visits – this is where the prospects become customers.

4. Maximising his message delivery by giving talks and presentations

Fear of all fears, for many, this is one of the biggest ‘stretches’ anyone can do. It is only practice that will build your confidence and don’t forget to find a way of capturing the contact details of all those who found your message of interest.

What an inspiration he is! I have no doubts at all that his business will continue to go from strength to strength.

 

Resources: http://bit.ly/1bQpSZl