Archive for the 'People' Category
Life Coach Directory
Life Coaching for your business may seem an odd idea, but many Life Coaches offer business and staff coaching. They may not be able to sort out all of your business worries but a life coach can help you find out what you want from your business. A life coach can help keep you motivated and helps you set realistic and achievable goals. It may seem pretty straight forward but sometimes it helps to have an outsiders point of view. A life coach can help boost staff morale as well. Life coaches listen to each individuals needs and worries and help them feel more appreciated and valued, meaning a much happier and productive workplace.
If you think Life Coaching for business and staff will help you visit Life Coach Directory today.
Psychology and business success
Over the years I have visited many entrepreneurs and business owners. Have you ever thought why it is that one business can do so well and another is so mediocre when they are both in the same line of business? Well one insight that I want to share with you as to why this may be the case is to do with the psychology of you, the business owner.
How true it is that if you think big then chances are you will make it big…conversely if you think small then chances are you will remain small. Similarly if you think your business won’t succeed then you are likely to fail and your business will fail. On another level it is interesting that if you don’t value yourself and your business highly enough then you will undercharge for your products and/or services. This may be OK in the short term but it will mean that you will have to sell more products/services to make the same level of profit to your competitor that is charging a higher premium. In addition, the psychology of the customer often says well if that company is charging X and that other one is charging Y, then X’s product/service must be inferior to Y’s. Therefore I will buy Y’s. So not only are you selling less because your pricing is less but your margins are also lower. Plus in the long term when you wake up and realise that you need to raise your prices in order to survive your client base wont accept the huge price rise that you need to make in order to put you on a par with your competitor that started off charging higher and has been able to make small regular price increases along the way without alienating his client base.
So be bold, think big, think confidence, think value – your value and that of your product and service if you want to give your business a better chance of success!
About the author: Paul Stanford http://www.paulstanford.co.uk/blog has provided practical advice to hundreds of entrepreneurs for the past 5 years helping them to successfully start-up, transform and sell their businesses. Get in touch to see how his business http://www.4momentum.co.uk can help do the same for you. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.
Copyright 2009 Paul Stanford
Customer service at it’s worse
I’m a firm believer in delivering excellent customer service and the benefits that it brings to business. We are always hearing about how to improve customer service so I thought instead I would give you a couple of recent examples that happened to me of how to deliver poor customer service….
1. I was in a call centre doing some NVQ assessing for customer service…. Client calls in…agent answers…very irate and says I have been waiting for 15 minutes trying to get you to answer….to which the agent replies well wait another 15 then…and promptly puts the phone down!
2. I go to open a new savings account…I take the easy route and apply online. Half way through the website replies “we are sorry we can’t progress your request – please call our call centre”. So I phone the call centre. First question…what is your account number? I dont know I didnt get that far with the application. Reply – well without your account number I cant help you! I reply well cant you find my details from my name and address? Agent sighs and says OK hang on I will try but you are not making it easy for me! Agent finds my application and says we need to have details of all your earnings and savings. I ask why as I am applying for a cash ISA. Agent replies we need the information to proceed. I again enquire why and get the same stock answer. I tell the agent look this is too stressful so cancel my application. Agent says fine and thanks for wasting my time! I immediately apply online with another provider. Everything goes through like clockwork and I dont have to supply any income or savings details!
Well hopefully these will have been a bit of fun. But there is clearly a serious side and I am sure I can guess how you would like to be treated.
About the author: Paul Stanford http://www.paulstanford/blog has provided practical advice to hundreds of entrepreneurs for the past 5 years helping them to successfully start-up, transform and sell their businesses. Get in touch to see how his business http://www.4momentum.co.uk can help do the same for you. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.
Free Green Advantage Workshops For Tourism Businesses
Business Link is pleased to be working in conjunction with Tourism South East, the region’s tourist board, in delivering a series of ‘Green Advantage’ workshops. In a period of financial uncertainty and a surge of interest in green issues and more sustainable good practice, the leading edge course enables you to take advantage of this growing market by revealing how you can make significant savings, improve your green credentials and market yourself accordingly. Attendance on the course also qualifies you for credits towards the Green Tourism Business Scheme, Europe’s leading sustainable certification scheme for the tourism industry.
The workshop is FREE and runs from 10.30 for coffee with the workshop commencing at 10.45 concluding at 3.15pm.
Complimentary lunch will also be served from 12.45 – 1.15pm.
Throughout the workshop it will cover how to:
Ø Save money – reduce, reuse, recycle and rethink
Ø Buy local – sourcing and promote other local produce and attractions
Ø Create customer advantage and adding value to your customers’ experience and develop new ‘green’ products and services
Ø Develop an environmental policy – get the best out of your whole team, make environmental choices and win from them
Ø Communicate your green credentials and gain a marketing advantage by retain current and targeting new customers.
Ø Stay ahead of the pack and capitalise on new business opportunities and boost your business’ performance
‘Green Advantage opened my eyes to the massive business advantage to be gained through tapping into the growing public interest in green issues’.
Be sure to reserve your space by calling 0845 600 9 006 or visit www.ruralbookings.co.uk
About the author: Paul Stanford http://www.paulstanford.co.uk/blog has provided practical advice to hundreds of entrepreneurs for the past 5 years helping them to successfully start-up, transform and sell their businesses. Get in touch to see how his business http://www.4momentum.co.uk can help do the same for you. You have full permission to reprint this article provided this box is kept unchanged.
Copyright 2008 Paul Stanford
Green Office Design
The notion of office design is a comparatively modern one. Since the start of “the working day” and “the office”, little attention has been focused on the way an work space was planned. If any layout was considered, it was normally restricted to the aesthetic appeal of an office and this has, sadly, remained the normal assumption when someone considers an office design. Whilst visual aesthetics stay as an important aspect of office design, modern companies now consider office design representing the much broader idea of space management. Cutting-edge office refurbishment not only produces a visually pleasing interior, it also aims to create an efficient and useable working space.
Office design is integral for a variety of reasons, for both employees and the company as a whole. For the business, modern office refurbishment provides the chance to create a place of business that asserts a strong corporate identity. It is here that visual aesthetics reach their most paramount function as they exist to show a visiting customer about the corporation, what it values, what its priorities are and how it perceives itself. First impressions count and the visual appeal of the space that customers see initially is most vital.
For staff, too, good office design is particularly necessary. Visually, a well-designed work space will improve employees morale. An workplace should be an inspirational area to work and not just a “working space”. Just as for customers, usingoffice refurbishment to brand a workplace with a strong corporate identity can encourage a positive work culture and motivate staff to work in a way relevant to the values of the corporation.
Modern office design software also has a more practical function as it takes into account how an office space will be used and uses that information to design a practical and useful workspace. It should also include features that will work to support workers with particular needs, such as workers with disabilities. In this regard, office design works in conjunction with workplace health and safety in order to build a cohesive, practical and enjoyable environment for all workers.
It is necessary to understand that office design is an continuing practicality, rather than a one-off design event. The office refurbishment must keep pace with the demands usual in a working space, where how an office is utilized is regularly evolving. New workplace and safety laws must also be met. Finally, the changing nature of a company’s logo and corporate identity is another reason why it’s necessary to keep office design up-to-date.
There are two options when deciding on an office design: whether it will be a new fit-out or whether it will be an office refurbishment. A new fit-out should be evaluated for current premises, as well as new ones, as it allows a company the special chance to create a tailor-made plan that works in perfect harmony with a corporation’s workplace requirements. The other choice is an office refurbishment, which is an good choice if the basic structure of the space is still relevant for staff requirements and gives the opportunity to update and modernize economically.
There are several aspects to contemplate in an office refurbishment. Priority should be given to thinking about how a workplace will be used. What are the traffic flows in the space? Where should meeting spaces be situated? What are the specific needs of staff who may have disabilities? All of these questions must be addressed by the office design software if a workplace is to work practically. Additionally, consideration should be given to the storage needs of an space, what equipment will be used and where it should be located, where the power and data points are (or should be), what kind of light sources are in the space and where they are coming from and any sound or sound-proofing requirements. Visually, consideration should be given to color schemes, brands and finishes that work together to build a contemporary effect that strengthens the corporate brand and identity.
When contemplating how to create and execute your office design, a business can hire a professional design corporation. There are many companies that concentrate on business design and a business can use this expertise to create a tailored design with a minimum of fuss. An alternative option is to use office design software. This is an option that has only become available to the general public relatively recently. It has the potential to let a corporation to cost-effectively redesign or refurbish their space. Whichever option is chosen, however, it should be the option that will achieve a company’s design ideas within budget.
The Six Things That Top Telesales People Do Before Every Call
Business to business telemarketing can be a challenging profession. It takes specific skills to be able to close sales over the phone and to relate to customers in a way that instills confidence. Top telesales people often use the same techniques to be successful.
Many telesales people are looking for ways to increase their conversions, subscriptions, or other sales goals. If you are one of them you can use the common tactics of top telesales people to increase your telesales success. Before you make your next call, review this list of top telesales preparations.
The first thing successful telesales people do before a call is review their script or call plan. Even if you are not using a conventional script, top telesales people go over what they are going to say and how they will respond to questions before they make the call.
The next thing you should do before the call is to think about your target market’s point of view. Successful telesales people appeal to the way their customers think by relating to their customer’s specific demographic.
Before you make a call you should also analyze your customer’s needs. Knowing what products or services your customer is likely to need will help you to suggest the best solutions for them.
Before you make a call record the date, client or customer name, and any other pertinent information that will make it easier to keep track of the call. Recording times, dates, what was discussed and follow up plans will make it easier to manage your many customer accounts.
It is also a good idea to review your goal before you make a call. Remind yourself what you want to do during the call, whether it is closing a sale, getting more information, or setting up an appointment, so that you will be more likely to meet your goal.
Something that you should do before making any calls after you make changes to your script or call technique s to test your new sales script or dialogue technique. Make sure your new way of communicating will be effective with a test call before you contact customers.
There are many things you should do before making calls to ensure that you will have the most success. Business to business telemarketing can be challenging, but if you remember these tips of top telesales people you will find greater success with your calls. Before you make any calls be sure to review these important steps.
Business Mileage VAT Reclaim
Reclaiming VAT on your business mileage
You must have been living in a deep underground cave for the past year if you haven’t noticed the soaring cost of fuel. Cleary this is something that will hurt any of us that are running small businesses and need to run vehicles for whatever reason.
OK so this is nothing that you didn’t know already. But how many of you reclaim business mileage? Well if you do and you are VAT registered then did you also know that you are entitled to reclaim the VAT on the fuel element of the mileage allowance?
Let’s be clear this has nothing to do with fuel scale charges. How it works is something like this. Let’s say you claim 40 ppm for each business mile you do. A certain amount of this 40p is for the fuel element (the remainder being for servicing, road tax, insurance etc) and this varies depending upon the engine size and fuel type that your vehicle uses. For example for my car the fuel amount is 13p. Therefore I am able to reclaim approx. 2ppm of that as the VAT element (13/47*7=2).
OK this might not sound like much but if you are doing 10,000 miles per year and run a fleet of 20 company cars then the figures add up. Plus as one large retailer would put it “every little helps”
For further details see http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cars/advisory_fuel_current.htm and make sure you are getting your share of your VAT back on fuel.
Paul Stanford is a Director of 4Momentum http://www.4momentum.co.uk. 4Momentum provides business advisory services to small businesses, charities and social enterprises primarily in Sussex. Services include advice on starting a business, growing and transforming a business and selling a business. Clients typically contract 4Momentum for short periods of an hour to long term consultancy over many months for advice on subjects such as mentoring, business planning, sales and marketing advice, bidding for contracts, raising finance and general business advice. Paul is approved by the UK Government to deliver business advice on their behalf through Business Link and is a member of the Institute of Business Consultants. Visit his blog at http://www.paulstanford.co.uk/blog
Copyright 2008 Paul Stanford
Top 10 Recruitment Mistakes
In order to locate suitable employees, you must focus on the particular characteristics and skills you are looking for. You also need to establish a plan in order to find the most suitable candidate. Unfortunately, many companies repeat the same mistakes over and over again when it comes to recruiting. This ends up costing them a significant amount of time and money.
Here are the top 10 recruiting mistakes you should learn to avoid:
1. Seeking An Exact Duplicate – Many recruiters limit their search to finding an individual who has completed the exact same job in the same industry for a very similar company. The problem is that you may end up forgoing potential progress, creative ideas and innovation. Generally speaking, past behaviour provides an effective indicator of future behaviour when circumstances remain the same. As we all know, the business world is constantly changing and evolving so you may be better off choosing experienced candidates who can offer your company a new perspective.
2. Failing to explain the process – You should advise potential candidates of the interview procedures. If you plan on interviewing them three times during a one-month period, be sure to let them all know. You should also provide them with an estimated date for completion of the interviewing process. If you fail to do so, the reputation of your business may suffer.
3. Hiring an expensive external recruiter – Although many larger companies have the money to hire a professional recruiter, this is usually not the case for small businesses. If you run a small business, you should not hire a recruiter who may not even bring you the most suitable candidates.
4. Failing to involve your employees in the process – It is very helpful to advise your existing employees that you are attempting to fill a position. This is particularly true if you work in a small business environment. You can even include certain employees in the interview process; they will feel a greater sense of ownership when a company involves them in some manner. Current employees may also know suitable candidates which could save you a lot of time and expense.
5. Continuously using the same source – Regardless of your source, you have a greater chance of locating suitable candidates when you expand your horizons. If you always rely on a professional recruiter, employment website such as Monster.com or a local newspaper, try a different avenue the next time.
6. Failing to involve managers and other key people in the process – Any managers who will be in charge of an employee should be involved in hiring that individual.
7. Not allotting a specific timeframe – Many companies continue to post help wanted ads month after month. This gives potential candidates the impression that the company is not seriously interested in recruiting new employees. It is better to establish a realistic timeframe for recruiting candidates so you can narrow the options, interview the most suitable candidates and hire the best one!
8. Providing an incomplete job description – If you don’t provide a detailed job description, you will waste a lot of time and money interviewing individuals who are not even qualified for the position. Posting a thorough and accurate job description will help you to narrow down your list of candidates, thus speeding up the process.
9. Focusing only externally – Many of the most suitable candidates are already working at your company. If you consistently overlook any internal employees, you not only risk missing a suitable candidate, you also lower team spirit and employee morale.
10. Seeking a superhero – Too many job descriptions include an endless list of acceptable traits, degrees, computer skills, background, etc. This often occurs when many individuals are involved in recruiting. Unfortunately, this approach wastes time and normally leaves the position unfilled. If you are recruiting, be sure to establish realistic criteria that can actually be met.
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Be Business Smart has been created to assist anyone who is setting up a new company and to offer valuable support and advice to individuals who wish to expand their current business. Did you realise that approximately 80% of new businesses fail each year? You certainly don’t want to become one of those statistics. Fortunately, Be Business Smart can provide you with the help and support you need to ensure your business becomes a success! Be Business Smart offers two levels of membership to suit your business budget. Here at Be Business Smart, we have a lot to offer any new business, but please don’t take our word for it. We encourage you to browse our website and see for yourself. http://www.bebusinesssmart.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_L_Kirkbride |
Small Business – Playing Music At Work – Are You Legal?
Playing Music At Work – Are You Legal?
Many small businesses are unaware that they may be breaking the law when it comes to playing the radio at work. Did you realise that if for example you are hairdressers and you play the radio for some background music to entertain your employees and customers then you need a licence from the Performing Rights Society (PRS) to do so? Equally if you are a garage and your mechanics listen to the radio whilst they work then you also need the same licence? If not, then you are breaking the law and risk being contacted by the PRS and them demanding payment.
OK perhaps you did know this because much has been written about it lately as the PRS has been quite active of late in pursuing businesses for this “illegal” practice. However, did you also realise that you will likely need a PPL licence as well? PPL licences are needed for the public playing of the actual “sound recordings” – e.g. tapes, CDs and records. Royalties are paid to the record company. The PPL licence makes sure everyone who performed on the recorded piece of music – e.g. backing singers, musicians, percussionists – get paid.
So there you go – think twice before turning on the radio – remember you have been warned!
Paul Stanford is a Director of 4Momentum http://www.4momentum.co.uk. 4Momentum provides business advisory services to small businesses, charities and social enterprises primarily in Sussex. Services include advice on starting a business, growing and transforming a business and selling a business. Clients typically contract 4Momentum for short periods of an hour to long term consultancy over many months for advice on subjects such as mentoring, business planning, sales and marketing advice, bidding for contracts, raising finance and general business advice. Paul is approved by the UK Government to deliver business advice on their behalf through Business Link and is a member of the Institute of Business Consultants. Visit his blog at http://www.paulstanford.co.uk/blog
Copyright 2008 Paul Stanford
Small Business Importing And Exporting
Importing and exporting
In today’s business environment more and more small businesses are looking to export their products and services as well as importing goods and services typically to reach new markets and remain competitive. Perhaps you sell a product that is highly sensitive to the weather – so have you ever thought of selling it somewhere else in the world that might provide more favourable weather conditions in which to sell your product? Or perhaps you need to expand your operations and need to buy in cheaper products and/or labour from abroad.
Well if you are then this will present itself with many new challenges and opportunities for you. I am often asked by clients how to export to X or Y country or how to go about finding cheap labour abroad. Whilst I can advise on these points face to face it is quite another thing to attempt to write about them in this blog as the responses tend to be very varied and the answers quite dependent upon whatever country and/or market sector you are operating in. So how about free seminar that gives you a general introduction and overview to Importing and Exporting? Businesses based in the South East may be interested in attending a free seminar that UKTI is running on 1st October 2008 in Oxford, see http://www.uktisoutheast.com/EventDisplay.aspx?ID=1044 for further details.
Paul Stanford is a Director of 4Momentum http://www.4momentum.co.uk. 4Momentum provides business advisory services to small businesses, charities and social enterprises primarily in Sussex. Services include advice on starting a business, growing and transforming a business and selling a business. Clients typically contract 4Momentum for short periods of an hour to long term consultancy over many months for advice on subjects such as mentoring, business planning, sales and marketing advice, bidding for contracts, raising finance and general business advice. Paul is approved by the UK Government to deliver business advice on their behalf through Business Link and is a member of the Institute of Business Consultants. Visit his blog at http://www.paulstanford.co.uk/blog
Copyright 2008 Paul Stanford
