I don’t know about you, but internally I still seem to run on the school-calendar. September always feels like a time for a fresh start; a time to try a few new things after the summer. Perhaps we’re just fuelled by a summer dose of sunshine, but who knows. In my case, it’s been my fuel to give our website a major overhaul so that it now actually refers to the coaching, teaching and advisory work I spent most of my time doing with start-ups! It’s still WIP, but I’ve stopped hating it, which is a major improvement. Big shout out to Phil at Pip-Creative for our new logo too. Thanks to those who ..read more

Content marketing is a long-term investment, and even the most carefully planned strategies take time to yield results. Businesses need to take every opportunity available to them to make sure that their content strategies are both sustainable by being evergreen and targeted towards the right audience. The following essential tips will help you to optimize your strategy to accomplish you goals: Make your content accessible Given that people are more likely to browse the Internet using a mobile device, such as a tablet or smartphone, it is vital you make your content easily accessible across th ..read more

I don’t know about you, but I am not seeing an improvement in the random stuff I receive in my inbox. So much for the GDPR clean up… I even received a completely unsolicited mass-mailed text message from someone I’ve never met today… #rude Anyway – regardless of how others have adjusted to the new post-GDPR world, I thought I’d use it as a good excuse for a freshen up… Thank you for choosing to keep receiving the BB, but I really want to shape it more around what you want: Which sections do you like or find useful? What would you like more of? I could share inspiring books; share tem ..read more

It’s finally here. There’s just two weeks to go until the world as we know it will change….  Or rather that’s how GDPR feels sometimes, judging by some emails I’ve been receiving. Clearly the world wont end – but any business with an email list will need to make a few changes ahead of the 25th. If you haven’t sorted it yet I’d recommend having a look at Path – it doesn’t have all the answers (I’d like to have seen extra templates) but if you do their GDPR healthcheck their system will provide you with clear guidance on each GDPR area – all for free! The newsletter ..read more

Content is becoming extremely streamlined and tactical – peppered with keywords and tags to increase the benefits for your website. So for this week’s Quick Tips we collated some top tips to ensure your content keeps hitting the mark.   Set out clear objectives for your writers It is hugely beneficial to build up team of writers to fuel your content – whether it is encouraging your whole team to write or building a trusted group of freelancers. But to create a sense of consistency across your content is a great idea to create a definitive style guide and make sure it is stuck to. Within t ..read more

A big thank you to those of you that have sent in marketing and startup related questions recently. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed researching the different areas and digging through my content archives to fill the newsletter. It feels like everyone has that Spring-clean feeling going on (perhaps driven by the big thaw), so good luck with your adventures. The newsletter is always [I hope!] packed full of resources, courses & events to grow startups of all sizes – inspired by questions from those I teach or work with, or from things we’ve encountered at the coal face of our own startup adventures ..read more

Our Open Letter to the Telegraph landed today to coincide with International Women’s day. Two hundred business leaders, entrepreneurs, Members of Parliament and academics joined The Telegraph in calling on the Government to boost female entrepreneurship in Britain. Leveling the playing field will boost business for the whole country; this is not just about women, this is about equality, progress and economic growth. Read the full article and download the letter here The post [Press] 200 business leaders and MPs sign Telegraph letter urging Government to boost female entrepreneurship in Britain ..read more

Content marketing is all the rage, but it isn’t as simple as bombarding your customers with content and then expecting them to hand over their hard-earned cash. The way to build trust online involves more of a softer touch, using other people’s content to drive interest and credibility, encouraging them to be interested in your content, and only then asking for the sale when people have some faith in what you’re offering. Don’t be selfish, share other people’s content If you want to get off on the wrong foot, then post a ton of branded content, including blog posts all about you, your upcoming ..read more

I’m not a huge advocate of making resolutions – I prefer the idea of intentions, where there is room for error, reflection and learning with a view to getting to a better place or version in the end. I do however think January is a great time to do this. I’m verging on obsessive when it comes to getting some serious R&R over the festive period as it really does mean we can all come back to our businesses with a fresh pair of eyes. All the content this month is inspired to help you do just that – whether it’s because you’re pondering an entire business pivot, need to sharpen up your propo ..read more

Social media can be a positive and engaging tool to communicate with your potential and existing customers but in the wrong hands it can also have a very unpleasant impact on your business. Not just that, social media takes time to understand and manage, which is why we’ve put together a list of the most obvious mistakes to avoid when promoting your company through social media. 1. Trying to be in too many places at once First and foremost it’s important to remember that different channels have a different demographic of people using them, so choosing which channel is right for your brand is t ..read more