Advertising, the right attitudes, mentality and strategy to adopt Advertising and how to get results can be somewhat of a mystery to many business owners. However, I often hear many misguided attitudes around marketing generally, especially when it comes to the aspect of advertising. Almost as though people aren’t thinking straight and look at the process of advertising in the guise of sales rather than influence, strategy, creativity and brand building. Let me explain!  The process of advertising any business, product or service is to adopt an understanding of what the market desires—und ..read more

Refocusing branding, reputation and value proposition The events of 2020 have impacted all of us in business. Just a few have seen a positive influence; unfortunately, the majority experiencing negative results on income, revenue streams and market confidence. Specific sectors have encountered significant disruption, such as hospitality, and further exasperation with the additional lockdowns and ever-changing government policies. However, the positive signs are starting to germinate for most in business, and hopefully, with vaccines coming online, many will survive and thrive as we emerge from ..read more

Do you fear marketing? Has it not worked for you? Have you ever ‘planned’ to be successful with your marketing? In my many years as a business coach, I regularly come across businesses that don’t have a marketing plan or strategy, or even, a small predefined annual budgetary spend for marketing. It is ubiquitous for companies to look at marketing as a cost rather than an investment. Business owners have a conscious understanding that marketing should be considered an asset. They get the aspect of reputation building and creating an emotional attachment to their brand. They also recognise they ..read more

Should I be thinking about scaling my business? We are in a period that is unprecedented, unusual, and most undoubtedly, unpredictable. Probably, the most unpredictable economic period in modern times. However, in answer to the headline, I would say most definitely a very big and proactive do not delay, YES. Now given we still have numerous sectors in a state of turmoil, you might say this is premature. Of course, it may be early for some as they prioritise trying to get back to trading with some form of normality. However, for many businesses, it is now the time to consider scaling your busin ..read more

Remaining fluid, flexible and in-touch with market conditions As the country approaches a \’new normal\’, a term I think is probably being slightly overused and somewhat outdated, businesses are now getting back to a current and somewhat fluid normal. Uncertainty still prevails, but the desire to take whatever comes our way in our stride is probably the most appropriate route for all business owners. However, how can we collectively approach the current status quo with vigour and gusto? We are now seeing vast amounts of content around the aspect of what business will look like in the future. F ..read more

When a lack of confidence gets in the way of rational thinking I suspect most of us have been thinking a great deal more about our business and specifically the future, possibly more than we have ever done before. The old normal seems an age away, albeit just a few months, and the new normal is the uncertainty we could certainly do without. It is a national and probably international mood that is perfectly emulated by the stock markets. By the 30th of March this year, every stock that would experience a dramatic downturn in business hit unprecedented lows. Now we are seeing a gradual, but also ..read more

Has there ever been a more appropriate time to press the accelerator? The strangest of times have presented us all with many rather unexpected tasks we wouldn’t have even contemplated just a few months ago. Except for a few industries, many of us in business have experienced a significant drop in income, resulting in regular or previously anticipated income being postponed or cancelled. For some, especially in the hospitality sector, it may take some considerable time to recover. However, I am confident that many businesses will improve, but only if they adopt the right strategy, habits and at ..read more

How are businesses preparing for a post-virus world? It seems inconceivable to consider anything beyond business survival in these difficult times. A catastrophic situation for many business owners, but it’s not unthinkable to think that eventually, and hopefully sooner rather than later we will see the green shoots of normality return. It may bring an entirely ‘new normal’ as the world learns from this global epidemic, how to adjust, thrive and flourish in an evolved commercial existence. In many Asian regions, they are now experiencing a return to their form of normality. Of course, they hav ..read more

A typical conundrum for business owners is timing the recruitment of a new member of staff. For any business to grow, it will require a regular intake of skills and resources. Choosing the moment to employ is one element; understanding the financial implications and what return on investment needs to be is another. I suspect as a n ; you will have experienced that conundrum on numerous occasions. You will have identified the need for a new resource and appreciated the contribution a skilled individual can bring to the business. However, have you looked at a detailed analysis of how much it is ..read more

Advertising, the right attitudes, mentality and strategy to adopt Advertising and how to get results can be somewhat of a mystery to many business owners. However, I often hear many misguided attitudes around marketing generally, especially when it comes to the aspect of advertising. Almost as though people aren't thinking straight and look at the process of advertising in the guise of sales rather than influence, strategy, creativity and brand building. Let me explain!  The process of advertising any business, product or service is to adopt an understanding of what the market desires—und ..read more