Category: Business Growth
Active Cheshire’s top 10 tips for getting active at work
Now we all know we should be moving more, the benefits of being active are endless; helping to reduce stress, weight loss and generally living a happier and healthier life. There aren’t many issues being physically active won’t help. But let’s face it, you’re not alone if you feel that going for a run or the gym isn’t really your cup of tea! Or you feel low on time or motivation to do it. It doesn’t have to be an extra burden, so why not think about getting active where you spend most of your time… at work? So if…
5 Classic Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Marketing is so important to a growing business isn’t it? But that doesn’t mean that it’s quick or easy, and it definitely doesn’t mean that every type of marketing you do will always generate results. If only it were so simple! If only you knew exactly which type of marketing was the right one for your business instead of having to waste time and money working out all the things that don’t work first! Just in case you’re in the same confused boat as bazillions of other people I speak to about this, I thought I’d share some advice about the most…
How Can I Get Everything Done?
Do you ever have one of those days, or even one of those weeks, when you feel as though you’ve worked absolutely non-stop? You’ve barely come up for air let alone eaten properly. But you still feel as though your to do list is a massive, insurmountable beast that will never, ever be finished! Firstly if this does sound familiar, don’t panic, it’s a bit of a natural side effect of growing your own business so it actually means you’re very normal. This is a challenge that I help almost all of my clients with though, so I thought it would…
Do you have clarity?
I think one of the biggest things that gets in the way when you’re trying to grow a business is feeling completely bamboozled by the number of ideas you have, and the volume of ‘stuff’ that you know needs doing in order to get you there. ‘Idea overload’ is definitely something I’m guilty of myself sometimes! There are always new products or services to be developed, better content or images that need adding to your website, systems to organise your finances so everything is under control, social media platforms to crack, new networking events to try out and it can…
What Does Value Really Mean?
Do you ever have that sinking feeling at the very moment you’re about to tell somebody your price, when your conscience jumps in with the ‘can I really charge that’ doubt? Am I worth that? Do I really deliver that much value? I know this is something that happens to a lot of people (I was only having a conversation about it yesterday) and it’s one of the major reasons that a lot of small businesses miss out on sales that should have been a certainty. You see, two things tends to happen when you have these doubts about your own price….
Scheduling Your Way To Becoming More Organised
Are you somebody that loves to have a really detailed schedule for the next few days? Or are you like lots of people running their own business who crave freedom, fluidity and variety in their days? A lot of my clients prefer this approach because often they’ve left behind a job or a corporate role that gave them little or no choice about how to manage their day and left them feeling penned in or held back. So they really value the ability to have free reign over what they do each day. But I’ll let you into a secret. If…
How Do I Hire My First Employee?
I’ve been talking to my good friend and long-time business associate Claire Bentley from Bentley HR recently about the trials and tribulations of taking on your first employee. It’s such a pivotal moment for any business but it can easily seem as though there are a million hoops to jump through to be certain that you’re going about things in the right way. Claire has helped a number of my clients with this over the years so I really value her advice. And she proved just how incredibly helpful she is by putting together this quick starter guide for you. Claire Says: Employing…
The Power of Asking Great Questions
I want to let you into a secret this week that could save you lots of time and energy in your future sales meetings. It’s a great trick that could make those meetings feel much less stressful, run more smoothly and hopefully become a lot more lucrative for you too. Because I know that sales meetings for many people growing a business, are a thing of dread! But they really don’t need to be. The simple fact is that without making sales, a business simply can’t grow. But there’s a way to manage these meetings so that you can feel professional…
How To Write A Super Simple Business Plan
Do you have a business plan that feels like a living, breathing guide for your actions every week? Or is it one of those things that you created once, tucked away nicely in the bottom drawer and have never looked at since? I know that a huge number of people running their own businesses wish they had a plan, and feel like it’s something they should definitely do, but they simply don’t know where to start. How many pages does it need to be? How much detail should it have? How many years ahead should it forecast? And how can…
What’s The Definition of Success?
Do you have a really clear image of what your business will look like when it’s successful? I often find that people start a business with a short term financial target in mind. Most people know how much money they need their business to make for it to be sustainable, and they focus on that. I typically find that beyond that point though, the majority don’t have a clear definition of success and that’s when it’s easy to find yourself drifting or to feel as though you’re working incredibly hard but you’re not actually that clear what it’s all for. There…
7 Classic Networking Mistakes & How To Avoid Them
Are you a networker? I’ve been using business networking as my primary marketing strategy for the last 7 or 8 years. I met around 75% of my current clients via business networking so I absolutely know it can work. It definitely didn’t work overnight for me though. I can honestly say I’ve made plenty of mistakes in my time! There are a huge range of benefits from business networking beyond the obvious chance to find new clients. Being part of a supportive business community and spending time with people facing similar challenges to you can be very reassuring. I also find all…
Does Putting Your Prices Up Fill You With Dread?
At this time of year I always find myself talking to a lot of people about their prices. There’s a natural trend within all the new-year target setting for people to decide that the time has come to charge what they’re truly worth instead of underselling themselves. Price is a hugely emotive issue though, and that makes it very difficult to be objective about it when it comes to your own business. You may well know that you’re undercharging but still have a mountain of doubts about putting your prices up. Many people worry over questions like: Will people think I’m worth…
Are You Still Getting Round To It?
Are you like so many business owners out there who still have a mahoosive list of things you’re getting round to? Do you have that one thing that’s always number two on your to do list but somehow it never quite makes it to number one! You could call this procrastinating, you could call it faffing; you might think it’s because you’re disorganised or terrible at prioritising. The reality is probably a whole lot simpler though. Here’s an example of something I’d been getting around to for about the last 3 years. I’m using this to show you the three simple…