After the thinking, it's a bit of doing.
Thinking is all well and good, but actually putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) helps make those thoughts a reality. Sometimes, you'll say something that makes sense. Not always, of course.
Sometimes the original thought (they can't ALL be original) spurs on a practical application that brings business benefits or just makes sense of something in life.
Monday 31 March 2014
Saturday 29 March 2014
The Stranglers - 40 years non-stop
Friday 28 March 2014
Appreciating good quality food
Losing a chunk of my stomach in August has left me with a small appetite and the plus side is that I'm really appreciative of high quality ingredients and delicious meals. Even if those are necessarily small.
I enjoyed pasta at Jamie's Italian in Cambridge earlier this evening and it was just gorgeous.
No starter and no dessert, but a beautiful, delicious meal.
Posted via my iPad
I enjoyed pasta at Jamie's Italian in Cambridge earlier this evening and it was just gorgeous.
No starter and no dessert, but a beautiful, delicious meal.
Posted via my iPad
Monday 10 March 2014
Reasons to blog - no 1
Blogging regularly makes you think. About your business, or your life, or the world around you.
It's a great opportunity to express considered opinions. It's up to your audience - or no one - to read and agree or disagree. No money changes hands and (usually) no axes are ground,
Posted via my iPad
It's a great opportunity to express considered opinions. It's up to your audience - or no one - to read and agree or disagree. No money changes hands and (usually) no axes are ground,
Posted via my iPad
Tuesday 4 March 2014
Monday 3 March 2014
Give them what they want
I've been asked to play in a band and I'm torn. The bass player wants to give the punters what he thinks they want. I disagree. Am I right? Maybe I should take my own advice:
The customer is always right It’s a cliché, but probably only because it’s true. Argue with a customer if you wish, but you’ll lose the battle, if not the business. Go ahead.
Keep it simple
If the customer has to pick up the phone to call you, they probably won’t. make an appointment to speak and then make sure it’s you doing the work. And make sure you’re clear on what your objective is, even if they have a different agenda.
Go online – clearly
Great website? But does it say what you want it to say? If not, find a good copywriter (ahem!) and have them edit it until it’s right. And make sure your LinkedIn profile and twitter bio are up to date and relevant. Do you blog? Why not? Find a ghost blogger (again, ahem!) to make it easier for you.
Give and react to feedback
If you moan that you don’t get feedback from customers, ask yourself when you last gave feedback to one of your suppliers. It works both ways. And make sure you always respond to tweets or online reviews.
The customer is always right It’s a cliché, but probably only because it’s true. Argue with a customer if you wish, but you’ll lose the battle, if not the business. Go ahead.
Keep it simple
If the customer has to pick up the phone to call you, they probably won’t. make an appointment to speak and then make sure it’s you doing the work. And make sure you’re clear on what your objective is, even if they have a different agenda.
Go online – clearly
Great website? But does it say what you want it to say? If not, find a good copywriter (ahem!) and have them edit it until it’s right. And make sure your LinkedIn profile and twitter bio are up to date and relevant. Do you blog? Why not? Find a ghost blogger (again, ahem!) to make it easier for you.
Give and react to feedback
If you moan that you don’t get feedback from customers, ask yourself when you last gave feedback to one of your suppliers. It works both ways. And make sure you always respond to tweets or online reviews.
Sunday 2 March 2014
Sonmetimes, it's the simple things
Saturday 1 March 2014
The perils of social media
Many people forget that social media is public. No matter how tight your privacy settings, once you’ve uploaded a photo or piece of text onto the internet, it’s almost impossible to completely remove it.
Whether it’s Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or Pinterest, even if you just share with friends, there’s usually nothing to stop them sharing it wider.
Of course, for most of us, that causes no problems. Frankly, my life isn’t interesting enough to worry about. However, there are issues about identity theft, where a criminal collects information about you and then ‘becomes’ you to steal - open bank accounts or run up debts.
There’s urban myths galore – share too much about your holiday and you’ll be burgled, for instance. I know of one person who lost their job because of comments made on Facebook.
Social media is a great tool for your personal and business life, but always think before hitting ‘send’, ‘post’ or ‘tweet’. Rule of thumb – is this something you’d want to appear in your local paper or be shown to your grandma?
Whether it’s Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or Pinterest, even if you just share with friends, there’s usually nothing to stop them sharing it wider.
Of course, for most of us, that causes no problems. Frankly, my life isn’t interesting enough to worry about. However, there are issues about identity theft, where a criminal collects information about you and then ‘becomes’ you to steal - open bank accounts or run up debts.
There’s urban myths galore – share too much about your holiday and you’ll be burgled, for instance. I know of one person who lost their job because of comments made on Facebook.
Social media is a great tool for your personal and business life, but always think before hitting ‘send’, ‘post’ or ‘tweet’. Rule of thumb – is this something you’d want to appear in your local paper or be shown to your grandma?