The Business Bulletin Issue 24

By business owners, for business owners

Building a successful business takes determination, energy, focus, and know-how. But even the best business idea cannot ourish without one additional critical input; information. At Essendon Accounts & Tax, we love nothing more than helping a business thrive. In fact, it’s become our speciality.

Are you a Family Business?

We can act as your virtual Financial Director providing expert advice through a hands-on approach. Whatever accounting and tax support you need, we can help.

Want to make a prot?

Let us take on the grind of tracking what’s coming in and going out, so we can then model your cash ow and provide you with the information you need to make swift and critical business decisions.

Looking to outsource your payroll and bookkeeping?

Payroll and bookkeeping exist in ever-changing complex landscapes that require up to date knowledge and expertise. Would you prefer to spend your time working on your business? We can help.

Need assistance with a tax issue?

Whether you are a sole trader, in a partnership, a director of a limited company, or simply an individual with a regular income, expert knowledge that enables you to maximise the numerous tax allowances and reliefs that are available can save you a fortune. Speak to us.

Looking for support from a Financial Director?

All top athletes achieve the peak of their career by working with a coach, and we know that every business keen to reach the top needs a team of trusted advisors. We have the expertise you need.

At Essendon Accounts & Tax, not only do we believe that building a long-term relationship with our clients makes a difference, but we do it through taking a practical hands-on approach. Whilst you work on your business, we’ll pour over your paperwork, balance the books, provide you with the information you need, and tackle the tax man on your behalf. We will save you time and stress, so you can enjoy seeing your business grow.

Give us a call today on 01908 774320 or visit www.essendonaccounts.co.uk

3 Warren Yard, Warren Park, Stratford Road, Wolverton Mill, Milton Keynes, MK12 5NW

Are you keen to see your business grow? Then you need to keep track of the gures…

A magazine that works for everyone

Welcome to The Business Bulletin - a monthly magazine - which now includes regular columnists, a business book review, as well as some audio and video content; not forgetting the great collection of articles. So what makes this different to any other publication? I’m glad you asked!

For the reader – no more advertorials. All the featured articles have been chosen for their valuable content, not because the author has paid to be published or taken out an advert to get their slot!

For the contributor – you can submit articles for inclusion without having to pay for the privilege or having to advertise. If your article is deemed suitable based on its merits – that it is relevant, good and engaging content and not promotional of your business, then it will be published.

For the advertiser – if a publication is more engaging due to the content, then it is more likely your adverts with be noticed. The number of full-page and half-page ads is limited for each edition and there will be a limit on the number of advertisers from a given industry sector. This means your advertisement is more likely to stand out from the crowd and not be lost in a sea of competitors.

Your feedback and thoughts on this magazine are welcome –let us know your experience.

Thanks,

Design & Layout: Pixooma Ltd Proof-reading: James Tarry

© Copyright 2022 The Business Bulletin. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the editor or the author of the article. Disclaimer – no responsibility can be accepted for any actions that you take as a result of the content provided in this magazine. There is no guarantee that implementing any of the advice contained in the articles will definitely ensure your business success or have a positive impact. They are presented as information based on the experience of the authors working with many different types of businesses in their field of expertise and are provided as a choice for you to consider if they will be useful for your business.

Paul Green Founder & Chief Editor

Is this you?

You can’t keep up with social media - every time you log in something has changed. It’s overwhelming!

You know digital marketing is the way forward and need to use your time efficiently to make sure you get some leads! You worry if you are creating the right content for the right social platforms so you can reach your target market.

What if...

The information you need to know was filtered and delivered to you on a weekly basis?

You had an unlimited resource of advice, guidance and tuition from social media professionals who spend all day every day generating leads through social media activity across a multitude of sectors and disciplines?

Are you a BusComm Member? Discounted coaching packages available from only £45* per month

“I

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Contents

Importance of cashflow in a small business 6 Roger Eddowes

Three reasons why you should review your pension contracts 9 Rachel Efetha

Is discounting a good strategy for sales? 12 Paul Green

The five biggest mistakes people make when looking for new business 15 Julie Futcher

Step away from the axe! 18 Kevin Robinson

Are you featuring your posts on LinkedIn? 21 Eloise Idoine

Managing uncertainty 24 Kathy Bassett

Five steps to boosting productivity 27 John Henderson

Spotlight on 30 Daishik Chauhan

Christmas parties – beware! 34 Sue Pardy

Five simple, but crucial controls to protect your business 37 Chris Lambert

Strategy tips for your success a s a leader 40 Dr Colin Thompson

Leading through uncertainty 43 Mark Billage

What do you ASSUME?! 46 Mhairi Richardson Book Review: 49 Mhairi Richardson

Importance of cashflow in a small business

If you’re a small enterprise owner, you’ll be very aware of the peaks and troughs that you experience in business throughout the year.

Even if you’re not seasonal, all businesses have good and bad months; it’s just how it is. But if you worry that leaves you at the mercy of the market, there is good news. Small businesses have some great tools to manage these ups and downs, and one of them is cashflow. Done in the right way, cashflow management can save your business from disaster and boost it towards growth when things are going well. So with that said, what are we actually talking about here?

What is cashflow?

In simple terms, cashflow presents the flow of cash coming into your business against the flow of cash going out. It’s usually assessed over a set period

of time, and is a good indicator of the general health of your business. This is because, bottom line, it highlights what pot of money you have to access if you need it immediately. And, again bottom line, sometimes that can mean the difference between survival or collapse.

Why does cashflow matter?

To illustrate this point, imagine you have a major customer who has placed a big order with you. You’ve spent time – which equals staff wages – and money – which equals the supplies required to service the order – to get the order out the door. Then suddenly, that customer contacts you to say they can’t pay you on

time. This is what that picture then looks like. You’ve seen money flow out of your business in wages and have invoices mounting up from your suppliers, but you have no money flowing back into the business as those debts become due.

In this scenario, your accounts may well look rosy. You’ve got a big invoice just waiting to be paid, so on paper you should be able to pay your debts soon. The problem is your suppliers aren’t prepared to wait and are demanding payment now. This

is what cashflow is all about. Could your business continue if that happened?

By monitoring your cashflow and creating forecasts, you can predict your lean months in advance, and ensure you have enough cash in the bank to see things through.

This in turn then enables you to work out when to invest, when to spend, and when to scale things back for a bit.

What can you do to manage your cashflow more effectively?

The great news is that there are many things you can do to protect your business from unexpected cash problems and ensure your cashflow remains positive.

1. Create a cashflow statement…

and keep it updated

A business’s cashflow statement should be a working document; updated and referred to regularly. You can track your income and expenses using your accounting software if you have it. However, it can be managed via something as simple as Excel if that suits your business.

2. Start producing cashflow forecasts

To create one, track the history of your cashflow through your cashflow statement and start predicting how things are going to work in the months ahead. Take note of your regular recurring operational costs, such as rent and payroll, and add other ad hoc expenses you are planning too. See what the picture looks against your regular income and orders on the horizon. You’ll soon start to see when it’s the right time to spend on your next piece of machinery or expand your headcount.

3. Plan ahead and take action

Once you have your cashflow forecast, use that to inform your business planning. Anticipate the leaner months and ensure you’re putting cash in the bank to cover those times. Consider boosting that buffer a little with some extra cash to cover any unexpected costs too. Plus pull all this information into a calendar of ‘events’, to ensure you don’t forget when those big expenses are going to hit your bank account so you can keep your cashflow positive.

Roger Eddowes

Liz Truss and her first Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng managed in a few minutes to brew up quite a storm or should I say tornado. To calm things down Kwasi was sacked, Jeremy Hunt brought back from the sidelines, Liz resigned, and Rishi came back from Yorkshire to reassure everyone he could tidy up.

There is a lot resting on Rishi’s shoulders and he himself has described the situation as a “profound economic crisis” He is also on record for saying that he does not want to leave debt for the next generation “because we were too weak to pay for it ourselves”.

But here is the conundrum. A strategy to reduce debt usually means increasing taxes. Or are savings made by cuts to public spending? (Would that be socially acceptable?) Did that not lead to austerity last time around? Growth was stifled but we need growth. How do we get growth, reducing taxes is the obvious way.

So you can see it’s not going to be easy for Rishi or us for that matter in the coming months.

Perhaps Matt Hancock had the right idea of disappearing to the jungle…

What a whirlwind that was!

1. Invoice your customers promptly

Make sure you invoice your customers as soon as you can. Don’t wait till the end of the month to do a batch. Remember, in their minds, they have a little time to pay once they’ve received your invoice, so that only delays when you’ll receive their cash in the bank.

2. Negotiate good payment terms with your customers

Be clear with your customers about your payment terms and ensure these are set out in writing… and aren’t just verbal. Also, consider how quickly your customers can pay you –cash in the bank is worth more than an unpaid invoice. Some businesses incentivise their customers by offering a payment discount if they pay early – the carrot approach often works better than the stick. Though, of course, you should also have penalties for late payment clearly set out in your terms of business too.

3. Make it really easy for your customers to pay

If you deal with small and micro businesses, it’s often not that customers don’t want to pay, it’s just that they never get time to sit down and sort their admin. So make it as easy as possible for their money to reach your bank account. Set up an online payment facility that they can access within one or two clicks of the mouse. There are many applications that enable businesses to invoice and collect payments online.

Also, don’t be afraid of enabling payment via payment processors and cards. You may feel the fees are an unnecessary cost, but if it means you get your money within a couple

of days rather than a few weeks… it’s worth it. Don’t forget… your suppliers will still want paying whether you’ve received your money or not.

4. Be prudent about how much stock you hold

Don’t tie all your cash up in inventory. Of course, you need to ensure you have the stock required to satisfy orders in a timely fashion, but there is software that can help you do this. You can run reports that track where you’re running low and guide you on when you need to place an order to top your stock up. By managing your inventory effectively in this way, you ensure you’re not tying your cash up unnecessarily.

5. Pay your suppliers at the right time… and not before

When you receive an invoice, don’t rush to pay it. Simply pay it according to the terms of payment you’ve negotiated with them. You can respect the relationship without hindering your own business.

Remember, your accountant can be your best ally

All this chatter about cash coming in and cash going out obviously makes sense at a strategic level. However, putting some of these suggestions into action isn’t just a matter of snapping your fingers. And, if you’re a busy business owner, turning to trusted help will be the best way to move forward.

Your accountant is the ideal point of contact on this. They can take on the burden of pulling together cashflow projections, pricing analysis, and monthly reporting. They’ll also give you guidance and advice on how you can manage your cashflow to grow your business, for example by taking on more staff or larger premises.

Roger trained at Edward Thomas Peirson & Sons in Market Harborough before working at Hartwell & Co, followed by Chancery, as a partner. He started Essendon Accounts & Tax with Helen Beaumont in 2014. Roger loves ‘getting his hands dirty’, working with emerging, small-to-medium and family businesses to ensure they receive the best possible accountancy advice. Using an extensive network of business contacts to leverage the best guidance and practical solutions, he has been called a Business Godparent due to his caring, hands-on approach. 07595 021376 roger.eddowes@essendonaccounts.co.uk essendonaccounts.co.uk

The great thing to remember is that small businesses are agile. Where large corporates take months, if not years, to make adjustments, a canny small enterprise with good support from their accountant can put changes in place in weeks. So if any of the points raised in this article have struck a chord, give your accountant a ring today. You’ll be glad you did.

How can you improve your business once you track your cashflow?

Roger Eddowes

Essendon Accounts & Tax

Three reasons why you should review your pension contracts

According to the insurer LV=, the UK worker will change jobs every five years on average. Assuming you have a new pension for every job, the average 50-year-old will have accumulated six pensions. Below are the top three reasons why you should review your existing money purchase/defined contribution Pension Contracts.

Reason one –high charges

The first few pensions you will have taken out will probably date back to the 1990s when charges were astronomical compared to today’s market. Typically, you would be paying around 1.5% annual management charge (AMC) plus around £2-£3 pm policy fee, and have initial units, relating to the first two years’ premiums with even higher charges associated with them. A particularly guilty pension provider for high charges was Allied Dunbar –now Zurich Life, so if you have one of those, you should be seeing a red flag right now.

However, please don’t rush out and move these pensions without taking advice first – it was common in those days to have guarantees

written into the policies (now known as Safeguarded Benefits) which might still be valuable to you.

Charges came down in April 2001 with the introduction of Stakeholder pensions. With AMC capped at 1%, this was changed to 1.5% in April 2005.

However, the more recent introduction of Workplace Pensions has made the market even more competitive, with AMCs below 0.5% for those with larger funds.

Another reason you might have high charges is if you are in a SIPP. A SIPP is a Self-Invested Pension Plan. They allow you to invest in direct shareholdings, use the services of a Discretionary Fund Manager or purchase commercial property. SIPPs usually have higher charges than a Personal Pension (PPP) or Stakeholder Pension (SHP) to reflect the fact that they are more sophisticated. However, I see far too many clients who have a SIPP and are invested in collective funds that can be accessed far more cheaply in a PPP or SHP, so if you have an expensive wrapper holding an ‘off the shelf’ fund, you are paying over the odds.

Reason two – fund performance

Whilst funds you were recommended 5, 10 or 20 years ago might have been flagship performers at the time, they could now be lacklustre. This may be due to changes in the fund manager or investment stance. Another common reason for underperformance is the myriad of pension providers that have been taken over and closed their funds to new business. A closed fund has little incentive to outperform the market as they are not trying to attract new money. They are very unlikely to have a star manager with an outstanding track record. In addition, it has to fund new purchases and exits from the fund by selling other holdings as there is no new cash coming into the fund. This will make it a bit sluggish to respond to opportunities in the market.

Reason three – risk profile

As we get older, and retirement becomes more of a reality, our attitude to risk tends to lower, as we have less time to make up for any losses in the markets. You need to regularly review your risk profile and ensure that the funds you have invested in match the level of risk you are willing to take and the timescale you have until retirement. Whilst 100% in Equities might have been appropriate for you at the age of 25, it almost certainly isn’t the right thing within five years of retirement.

You should also review any pensions which have ‘life styling’. This was the standard practice on employer-sponsored pensions. “Life styling” automatically started disinvesting your pension funds the nearer you got to retirement. It did this in order to end up fully invested in gilts at your retirement age. This is because annuity rates are based on gilt yields, and so by investing in gilts, you were protecting yourself from stock market falls and locking into annuity rates. However, with the popularity of Flexi Access Drawdown, many clients are now staying invested for 20 or 30 years beyond retirement, and so need some stock market exposure to get the best out of their pension funds, albeit at a lower level than when they were working as they won’t have the resources to make up for big falls in the market.

Conclusion on why you should review your pension contacts

Even if you are contributing at a good rate into a current scheme, and know that you are funding at the correct level in order to fund the retirement income you desire, or if you are contributing the most you can afford and can’t put any more into a pension. These three reasons should

Rachel is a Chartered Financial Designer for Kettering based IFA firm, Anstee & Co. She has over 31 years experience in the Financial Services industry with the last 23 years advising clients on a wide range of Financial Planning issues. She holds the “gold standard” Chartered Financial Planner status from the Personal Finance Society, held by only 10% of UK advisers. In 2022, Rachel won “Woman of the Year- Retirement Planning”, in the Professional Adviser Woman in Financial Advice Awards.

07557 192560 rachel@ansteeco.co.uk ansteeco.co.uk

demonstrate that you still need to review what you already have, especially if you haven’t done so for the last few years. You wouldn’t sail the Atlantic without checking your compass at regular intervals, and nor should you plan for retirement without reviewing your plans at regular intervals.

Rachel Efetha Anstee & Co

Is discounting a good strategy for sales?

I guess the quick answer is “no”. Whilst it is widely used and accepted primarily in the business to consumer sector, it needs some serious thought as to the impact it can have on your bottom line.

It is also worth looking at increasing your prices and what difference that makes to your profit too.

You may not be aware of the risks involved with each of these,

The Business Community

The founder of The Business Community is Paul Green, a business owner himself since 2003. He loves working with small businesses; in particular family-run businesses. Having experienced the trials and tribulations that face a small business on that entrepreneurial journey, he is passionate about making sure businesses don’t make the same mistakes that he made en route! He is a big believer in collaboration and encourages businesses to work together to grow their businesses; as well as offering help and support to each other for mutual gain.

07949 703137

paul@buscomm.co.uk buscomm.co.uk

Paul Green

however the following tables may help with that. They start with the margins that you make on your product or service and the percentage loss or gain in sales you would need to have when increasing or decreasing your price to sustain the same level of profit.

Firstly, let’s look at discounting. If you are going to do this, you need to consider the loss of revenue as a marketing cost and be conscious of this as an investment and what return your going to get by choosing this method to attract customers.

From the first table which considers the consequences of discounting, you can see that if your margin is 40% and you reduce price by 10%, you need sales volume to increase by 33% to maintain your profit. When first coming across that statistic, it was quite a shocker. For a seemingly harmless price drop of 10%, your sales need to increase by a third to maintain your margin!

This is where alarm bells should start to ring and for you to really consider whether this is the best strategy.

So, what are the options instead of discounting? Well one thing to consider is “bundling” or adding value to your current offering. This maybe throwing in something of perceived high value to your customer that isn’t too significant (in terms of profitability) for you. This could be something as simple as a guarantee that you would probably honour anyway that you are just not stating; and more importantly, that your competitors aren’t doing. Or it could be something added for free: an extended warrantee, technical support, an

Red flags in your business

Julie Futcher

Red flags are things that can threaten your sales and have a dramatic effect on the revenue coming into your business. Understanding what they are is imperative. They can be the simplest of things and I’ve listed below the four most common ones that I encounter:

1. Not knowing the buying process within a company – failure to understand what happens within a business when they wish to make a purchase will lead to disappointment. A simple solution to this is to ask, “what is your buying process?”.

2. Missing information, for example, start dates, how many other prospective suppliers are they speaking to, what quotes have they had, what are the details of these quotes, etc.

3. Not speaking to and identifying all the people who play a part in the buying process. Some businesses have more than one person who has an input. The person you speak to is not necessarily the one that signs off on the deal. Being aware of “who is who” is imperative. I don’t ask the person I’m speaking to “are you the decision maker?”, it can sound rude! I will ask, “what role do you play in the process and who else is involved”.

4. The “I think” phrase – when I speak to a salesperson or business owner about their pipeline, key accounts, existing clients, etc, and I hear the phrase “I think” I see a huge red flag. This signifies that they don’t have a full understanding of the situation.

If you have the answers to the points above, you will be in control of your sales process and the outcome of this will be secure revenue. To discuss how I can help your business, please contact Julie Futcher on 01604 532004 or email julie@thesalesace.co.uk

extra product or service or gift – there are a number of options that with some thought you could identify within your business.

Ultimately purchases are made for the perceived value they have resolving an issue or fulfilling a need for the buyer. Always focus on value rather than price.

Now let’s look at price increasing. As nervous as this may make you, it is worth consideration as most small businesses under price their product or service (in my experience). It also should be noted that you should do your research before increasing your pricing as you don’t want to outprice yourself from your market – you still need to be competitive. And don’t increase your prices across the board to all customers and all products/services at once – you need to take a balanced approach and test the water.

Anyway, as you can see from the table by way of an example, at the same 40% margin, a 10% increase in price could sustain a 20% reduction in sales volume without loss of profit. Again this is a fascinating statistic that may soften the perceived impact of putting your prices up.

Whatever you do with your pricing strategy, make sure you are making an informed choice and are fully aware of what will happen to your bottom line and whether it is the right move for you.

The five biggest mistakes people make when looking for new business

For anyone running a small business, prospecting is vital. Every business owner needs to do it. If you’re not winning clients, you’ve not got a business. Plain and simple.

But it doesn’t always come easily and, without some basic knowledge of why people buy, you’re likely to be spending time and energy on prospective clients who are never going to commit.

So, let’s look at the five biggest mistakes people make and what you should be doing instead:

you’re not wasting your precious time, you should first be very clear about who your target market is and why they buy from you.

Think about:

■ What industry do they work in?

■ Where are they located?

■ What size business are they?

■ What challenges and problems do they face?

■ What specific needs does your product or service address?

In order to bring in new business and make sure

1. You have no idea who your target market is

Without this basic understanding of who your ideal clients are, you’re likely to end up casting the net too wide. All that will happen here is you’ll end up either with no clients or with clients who are a bad fit for your business. One way to define your ideal client is to look at your current clients or a selection of clients who you particularly enjoy working for. Make a list of all the traits that unite them and start looking for similar people.

2. You don’t know who you should be trying to contact

Once you’ve narrowed down your target market, you need to know how their business functions and who calls the shots before you reach out.

This may be specific to their industry. For example, when reaching out about my sales consultancy service, I know that sales managers are usually a good target because they know the training needs of their staff. However, they may not be the person responsible for signing off on the training budget, so bringing someone higher up or from a different department into the discussion is sometimes needed.

Before making a call or sending an email, do your research. Find out

who you need to speak to and what position they hold then reach out to them personally.

3. You’re not making the most of automation

This can be a tricky one to navigate. Too much automation and you risk missing key interactions or ruining your reputation by spamming prospects. However, using automated posting for social media and emails can really help spread your message, as well as save you time.

The key to automation is to make sure it’s well-targeted. Only send emails to people if you know they’re interested in what you have to say. Only post social media content that is educational or informative for your target audience.

Track your interactions and reach out to anyone who shows continued interest in your offering. When used effectively, automation can be a really great sales tool.

4. You’re not following up

Making sales can sometimes mean playing a long game. Sadly, leads won’t just fall at your feet! You need to be actively following up with prospects, nurturing those leads and feeding your future pipeline.

If you’re always finding yourself looking for new people or new businesses to work with, you might be guilty of this. Instead, try looking back through your emails and social media to see who you’ve stopped interacting with. Think about people you haven’t spoken to in a while; this could be a prospect that fell through or a client who hasn’t bought from you recently. Give those people a ring, check in to see how they’re doing and start re-building the relationship.

5. You’re forgetting about the WIIFM factor

Prospects don’t always care about you and your business. They want to know what’s in it for them. The number one rule for anyone struggling to sell their product or service is to focus on what the client gets and how it helps them.

Julie has nearly 25 years experience within a sales role and has successfully trained many individuals to sell by developing their own style but using tried and tested sales techniques. She understands how daunting it can be to have to pick up the telephone or meet with clients/customers face to face. Julie established The Sales Ace to support and train business owners to increase their revenue. She also provides a sales support service which provides telesales/ telemarketing, assisting in managing sales staff, help with setting and managing KPI’s and well as one to one coaching.

julie@thesalesace.co.uk thesalesace.co.uk

Julie Futcher

The Sales Ace

Step away from the axe!

There is a danger in following the advice from any of the very many guides to writing good copy. It concerns me how they are sometimes treated with reverence. It’s as if they dripped from the lips of a golden muse coated in honey, and not following them to the ultimate degree will result in the wrath of the gods. They aren’t carved in stone though and they can lead you down a path to a place that is the opposite of where you wanted to go. Let’s look at one example of these rules, a version of which has probably featured in every ‘how to create good copy…’ writing guide, or ‘5 rules to great content…’ blog ever published.

<Read this bit in the booming voice of an angry God, go on do it! just to make me happy> “Good copywriting must be concise.”

Let me say that I do agree in principle with this rule, it is the word ‘must’ that bothers me. The word must, or its just as dangerous cousin, should, is often taken to mean cut everything you possibly can. Unfortunately, without knowing the potential reader or the context of the client brand, that is very bad advice. Even more worrying is that the very word ‘concise’ has some pretty negative associations. Take a look in a thesaurus and it will be listed with terse, curt, and reduced. Worse still is that concise writing can be rather dull and that isn’t going to engage your readers. What you could be doing if you apply the concise rule in the wrong way, is creating copy that your reader will not want to read. Which is exactly the opposite of why you wrote it in the first place isn’t it? Dogmatic application of the concise rule, particularly when combined with clumsy SEO stuffing, may well create a hit on Google, but it will ultimately result in a high bounce rate and just repel your prospective customers. The skill is to wield a scalpel, not an axe. Choose what to cut don’t just cut everything.

Let me offer an example of what I mean. This is the full axe attack version of the mission statement that hangs on the office wall:

‘We write good, story-based, copy for businesses’

It works, it’s accurate and it says what we do… it is also uninspiring and more than a wee bit dull.

This is what we actually have up on the wall:

We use words that persuade – where it is the right thing to do

We use search engine-friendly words – where it is the right thing to do

We educate, inform, or amuse – where it is the right thing to do

We always tell a good story –because it is always the right thing to do.

Anatomy of effective email marketing

Christina Robinson

Email marketing is still the top form of marketing for businesses and for many is the point at which marketing takes prospects into a sales environment. Social media is closely following, however, you will find that email will still be the highest conversion tool for your offers and to build traffic to your website. After years of split testing and experimenting with layouts and key features, we are able to share with you some of the tips for success when it comes to the anatomy of an effective email marketing campaign.

1. Send your message from an actual person

Sending from info@ or news@ will reduce your click rate compared to it being sent from an actual person. Sending from a noreply@ address is an absolute deadly sin when it comes to email marketing

2. Always use a clear attention-grabbing subject line

Our subject line should have the customer in mind rather than selling your wares.

3. Content, value, proposition and context

Your email content should immediately address what your offer is. Get straight to the point rather than keeping the recipient hanging on.

4. Always add a relevant image

Did you know that 65% of people prefer emails with mostly images rather than text? Also, 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text. Use images in your emails and blogs to increase conversions – a no-brainer.

5. Be obvious, focused on a strong call to action

It’s important to make sure that you are not adding multiple calls to action within your email. For example, do NOT try to sell more than one thing within your email campaign. Keep things simple with one very strong call to action Good luck!

This is our company ethos. In these four lines, we are spelling out our message to the world. We want inspiration, motivation, and guidance from these words. So, they deserve more than a simple statement. There is a difference between structure, 01604 726758

Green Umbrella

christina.robinson@green-umbrella.biz green-umbrella.biz

Robinson Your-Copywriter.com

Kevin worked for over a decade in corporate marketing. During the late 90s, he trained as a video producer and television writer before moving into education where he taught screenwriting, film and video production for 20 years. He is a published author and has written 1000+ articles for a range of clients. Following the success of your-copywriter.com in 2021, new brand Walkround Media will launch in August 2022 focusing on product photography and information video.

01327 640060

kevin.robinson@your-copywriter.com your-copywriter.com

narrative, and story, and it is important to know the difference because it is the story that grabs the reader. The peril in being too fixed on concise writing is that a good ‘story’ needs the space for the emotional or motivational content that reaches out to the reader. That is where the engagement is, and it is a soft, fragile, fluttering thing that doesn’t always stand up to the axe stroke.

Concise writing is not about the axe.

Here is an example of great writing from Paul Schrader’s incredible script for the film Taxi Driver. I am using this because character introductions in scripts mirror the advice given about copy, in that the recommendation is for them to be concise as possible. In fact, there is a generally accepted formula of <NAME, age, brief description> and then move on to the scene. However, sometimes we need

to know more. Schrader’s introduction below to the main character, Travis Bickle, is hardly what you would normally expect in a script, but it is a work of outstanding storytelling.

‘TRAVIS BICKLE, age 26, lean, hard, the consummate loner. On the surface he appears good-looking, even handsome; he has a quiet steady look and a disarming smile which flashes from nowhere, lighting up his whole face. But behind that smile, around his dark eyes, in his gaunt cheeks, one can see the ominous stains caused by a life of private fear, emptiness and loneliness. He seems to have wandered in from a land where it is always cold, a country where the inhabitants seldom speak. The head moves, the expression changes, but the eyes remain everfixed, unblinking, piercing empty space. Travis is now drifting in and out of the New York City nightlife, a dark shadow among darker shadows. Not noticed, no reason to be noticed, Travis is one with his surroundings. He wears rider jeans, cowboy boots, a plaid western shirt and a worn beige Army jacket with a patch reading, “King Kong Company 1968-70”. He has the smell of sex about him: Sick sex, repressed sex, lonely sex, but sex nonetheless. He is a raw male force, driving forward; toward what, one cannot tell. Then one looks closer and sees the inevitable. The clock sprig cannot be wound continually tighter. As the earth moves toward the sun, Travis Bickle moves toward violence.’

If you went in there with the ‘concise axe’ you would probably have chopped it down to something along the lines of:

“TRAVIS BICKLE, age 26, He wears rider jeans, cowboy boots, a plaid western shirt and a worn beige Army jacket with a patch reading, “King Kong Company 1968-70”

The way Travis is introduced is not concise in the way would normally think of it. If it was, we would lose most of it including ‘As the earth moves toward the sun, Travis Bickle moves toward violence’ which is beautifully descriptive of the character and foreshadows the whole film. When you see DeNiro portray Bickle in the movie, aren’t you glad they left it alone? Interestingly, this may be rather long as a character introduction, it is also a great example of concise writing. Not a word is in there without a reason and most importantly our hearts beat faster knowing in advance what this dangerous, violent, raw force, will become. Concise is a variable concept and in this case concise meant ‘the best way to tell you exactly who this dangerous character is’. Concise, does not mean short as possible, concise means the right length for the copy.

The story is most important.

Concise writing is a flexible thing, and we feel its application should be a part of good storytelling.

The Lord of the Rings is the bestselling novel of the 20th century and probably the third best-selling book ever. It weighs in at over half a million words. Ulysses comes in at a quarter of a million and Les Misérables at 500,000+. War of the Worlds on the other hand comes in at just under 60,000 and Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone at just under 77,000. The popularity of the content is clearly not linked to a specific length. Would you take Ulysses and try to cut it down to 60,000 words?

Zealously wielding an axe at your writing will really cut it down, sure, but it can also cut out all the great writing.

Kevin

Are you featuring your posts on LinkedIn?

Since the buyout from Microsoft in 2016, many different features have been trialed, some of which have been added to the platform, and some which didn’t make the cut – such as the “LinkedIn Stories” similar to those on Instagram. However, LinkedIn is now more focused on implementing new tools to assist creators who want to further their content.

If you’re not already taking advantage of the Featured Section on your LinkedIn profile, then it may well be time to activate the feature.

LinkedIn’s Featured section allows user to feature their posts in a prominent position on their profile. You can feature Posts, External links, Articles, and other types of

media such as photos and videos. The Feature section can be used for a variety of ways to showcase your content and help you promote events, special offers, vacancies and more!

How to activate

It’s worth ensuring you have at least 3

relevant and quality posts available to you when you activate this feature as they will immediately be displayed at the top of your profile.

Once you’ve selected your posts, click on the three dots at the top right corner of the post. The first option you will see on the drop-down list is “Feature on top of profile”. Once

the Feature section is activated, click on the “+” button to add other posts, media, links, or articles which will be featured in the order you select and customise.

Benefits to the Feature section

Promote events

What better way to promote events than to have them prominently displayed at the top of your profile for visitors to see? You can customise the order of the featured posts to ensure your event stays in prime position. This can help to create awareness and excitement around the event, as well as driving ticket sales.

Once the date of the event has passed, you can easily remove from post from your Featured section, and you could even create and feature a follow up post with pictures or videos from your event!

Share promotional offers

If you’re running a promotion, for example, a seasonal pricing offer, then featuring it either via a post, photo, or document is a great way to market it to your audience. This helps to ensure your content and promotions are easy to see by those who visit your profile.

Just remember to remove the post from the feature once the offer has run its course, so you don’t confuse potential customers.

Showcase products and services

This feature is fantastic for showcasing new products or services that your business offers. Feature content that promotes your new offerings. You can add links for e-commerce, display photos, have video demonstrations – which can be recorded directly through LinkedIn – and even share articles or blogs about what your business does.

Drive traffic to your website

To drive more traffic to your website, blog page, YouTube channel, or any other external web content, add the

Rialto Training

Eloise Idoine has spent the last 12 years working in sales and marketing roles in a variety of different industry sectors. Currently launching her business, Rialto Training, Eloise helps companies and individuals to get the most out of using LinkedIn. Whether it’s generating leads or building your brand, Eloise will give you easy-to-implement tools and knowledge of how to get business success via the LinkedIn platform.

07522 885300 eloise@rialto-training.com Linkedin.com/Eloise

link to the Featured section. Ensure there is an attractive thumbnail with your external links so it looks valid to click on.

Alternatively, if your aim is to drive traffic and increase followers to your company page, then instead you can add the company page URL in the Featured section to encourage people to follow your business page.

Feature articles

For content creators and writers who use the LinkedIn Publisher feature, then this is an opportunity to display

Eloise Idoine

Ensure there is an attractive thumbnail with your external links so it looks valid to click on.

your recent, or best, articles to your network. If you regularly create articles which you want to share, you can keep them in the Feature section for viewers to refer to.

The LinkedIn Publisher feature is easy to use and essentially allows you to copy and paste your articles into their text boxes and upload a cover image. Therefore, it’s very quick to format this type of content and make the article look good.

However, despite the ease of use, and the fact that LinkedIn encouraging original content on their platform, the LinkedIn Publish articles are often very slow to get engagement and often don’t get anywhere near the views they may

deserve. At least using the Feature section for the articles allows them to remain in view for profile visitors!

Display current vacancies

Outside of all the other recruitment focused features LinkedIn has to offer, you can also use the Feature section to display current vacancies. By applying the “hiring” frame to your profile picture, you can increase job seekers and recruiter traffic to your profile and by having the vacancies displayed on the Feature section, it’s another way people can easily see the roles you wish to fill. Again, just remember to remove the vacancies once the positions are filled.

Summary

There are lots of creative ways that you can take advantage of the Feature section. Whether you want to drive traffic to your website, share business promotions, encourage candidates, or simply promote your posts, it’s worth using this feature. If you haven’t already turned it on, give it a go and see how your content and business can benefit.

Managing uncertainty

We are currently living in uncertain times. News reports continue to talk about the cost of living crisis, uncertainty over energy prices, strike action by unions, rising cost of raw materials and the continuing war in Ukraine. All of this is impacting business no matter what the size of your organisation. It is important to remember that there are several consequences of all this change.

Kathy’s passion is working with owners of successful small to medium sized companies. She can help you to bridge the gap between where you are now and where you really want to be, whether it be to grow your business long term, or to implement an exit strategy.

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Kathy Bassett ActionCoach

Here are just a few:

■ fluctuating morale

■ inconsistent communication throughout the organisation

■ insecure employees

■ reduced customer loyalty

■ increased employee turnover

■ higher than normal business expenses

■ senior management unsure of what direction to move in

■ vulnerability to competition

Successfully promoting the acceptance/ embracing of change to your employees in this climate of uncertainty is one of your primary tasks.

Here are a few areas to consider:

■ keep the lines of communication open and honest throughout the organisation

■ don’t shoot the messenger who brings bad news

■ share as much information as you can, on a timely basis

■ consistently communicate business goals and direction to your team

■ share challenging news with your employees on a timely basis, don’t wait for them to find out on their own

■ don’t change things for the sake of change, think through the consequences in advance

■ recognise that most people fear change… the less they know about what’s going on, the more negative the effect it’ll have on their performance

■ encourage upward feedback of employee attitudes, concerns, issues, and frustrations

■ encourage ‘out of the box’ and reality thinking

■ reward employees who present unique ideas, solutions, or innovative approaches to new problems caused by change

All roads lead to MoSCoW!

Russell Parker

Every project needs something to help guide it through to success. One such tool is MoSCoW prioritisation or analysis. This is used to make sure that all project stakeholders know what work needs to be completed as a priority and how that work will help return on investment, improve operational costs, increase productivity or impact customer satisfaction.

The term MoSCoW itself is an acronym derived from the first letter of each of four prioritisation categories: M – Must have, S – Should have, C –Could have, W – Won’t have. Some users of this methodology sometimes use “W” to mean wish. So, let’s take a look at each of these stages:

■ M – Must have: this includes all the requirements that are needed for the project to be successful. These are mandatory and if missed out would lead to the project failing.

■ S – Should have: these are elements of the project that are important for a successful project but not essential to its success.

■ C – Could have: these are items that would be nice to have but would have little impact if not included but still worthy of consideration.

■ W – Won’t have: this final criteria covers anything that will have no impact on the project if missed out entirely. This helps focus on the other three aspects of this methodology.

Going through this, particularly with more complex projects, will help all of those involved get clarity on what is needed and where the focus should be to make that project successful.

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■ don’t punish poor performance during a time of rapid accelerating change…rather, find out why it’s happening and how you, or the organisational culture are contributing to it

■ explain to employees that the changes you are going through are necessary to remain competitive and to continue to excel

■ reassure employees their position is secure in the new environment

Productivity factors

During periods of change, whether it’s due to restructuring, downsizing, reorganising, or a general reevaluation of purpose, mission, company direction, the concern for employees as well as organisation productivity is at an all time high.

What is employee and organisation productivity and what are the essentials involved in attaining it?

Productivity is when an individual or organisation grows and achieves greater success with the least amount of wasted resources, effort, and time.

Examples are:

■ reduced employee turnover

■ high level of employee satisfaction and empowerment

■ profits that can sustain the organisation’s continued growth

■ market share that can contribute to the continuation of the business

■ effective communication throughout the organisation

■ effective communication in the marketplace

■ well-trained and motivated employees throughout the organisation

■ innovative product development and a sensitivity to what consumers want and need now, as well as what they will want and need in the future

■ leadership and vision

■ management team in touch with the reality of the marketplace as well as the internal issues within their own organisation

■ clear, established company direction uniformly communicated throughout the organisation

■ accountability at every level

■ definition of what success is for that organisation

■ commitment to the health of the community, whether that community is the local, national, or global population.

As a business coach I am often asked by my clients how they can improve their sales, management or overall business productivity. There

is never one answer, as you can see from the above list… and it’s by no means a complete list of the issues worthy of being considered when you look at overall business’ productivity and effectiveness.

There are several key issues to consider:

■ employee, customer and market loyalty

■ your management style

■ your business culture

■ communication patterns and systems

■ your direction/vision/ prime focus

■ competence levels of your employees and skill/ competence gaps

■ your competitive positioning/USP

■ the perception(s) of your organisation in the marketplace (vendors, customers, competitors)

■ attitudes and perceptions of your organisation by your employees

■ your commitment to employee training and development

A lot to consider? Perhaps. But, if you want a productive organisation and not pay only lip service to productivity, you might want to spend some thinking time about these points, as well as other issues that affect your organisation.

Five steps to boosting productivity

Look at most international comparisons and the UK has a bit of a productivity problem1. In-fact, if UK firms could match their performance on management to those in the US, the productivity of the UK workforce would jump by 12%2 Sobering enough.

John is a partner in a training and consultancy business. The focus is developing people with the skills needed to optimise business performance. They train in the fundamental human skills of critical thinking, lateral thinking and problem solving to be applied to the business objectives of quality, efficiency and growth.

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john@sarapenrose.co.uk sarapenrose.co.uk

We know that productivity is a key driver of economic growth and improved standards of living, so how do we tackle this? Before I hear screaming. this is not a ‘kick the UK’ approach. But productivity is closely linked to both good performance and efficiency. In crude terms the more productive we are, the better the bottom-line result in the business can be. So, any opportunities to close this gap are worth closer examination. Before we hurtle to solving, let’s start with a definition of productivity.

A ratio between the output volume and the volume of inputs. In other words, measuring how efficiently production inputs, such as labour and capital, are being used in an economy to produce a given level of output.

An early observation is that automation and the use of more internet of things (IOT) technologies can address this gap. In a recent study looking at the impact of automation it resulted in revenues up 5-7%, employment up 4-7% and long-term productivity up 15%3. Organisations such as the manufacturing technology centres and the digital catapults are working hard to embed and develop this approach.

Aligned to this drive towards increasing productivity is the process of optimisation. Optimisation is the activity of getting the best out of something. This can be aligned to the technologies mentioned above. But to achieve it we need the unconventional and the creative,

John Henderson

Sara Pensrose Ltd

which are recognised way of ‘pushing the boundary’ or ‘thinking outside the box’. This skill set suits a particular input, humans.

This is not a tired Luddite war cry. Humans and automation complement each other. The predictable, repeatable, accurate nature of the automation with the more context and complex role of the human. If we want to optimise we need to encourage the people in a business to develop their hardwired skills to look at methods of how we can get the best from something to improve productivity. Therefore, the unique human ability to think differently about innovative solutions is perfectly suited to this activity.

With this in mind there are 5 key steps in the optimisation process that can drive better levels of productivity through the people employed in the business.

1. Questioning and translation of key information at pace.

In order to optimise we need to start by gathering information. We can’t look at how to get the best from something if we don’t know what that is. By asking questions and listening we can collect this input. Too often we are plagued by assumptions, unqualified statements and often myths. The warning signs here are classic phrases like ‘it has always been done like this.’ The second crucial element is to be able to translate this information and transfer it to a wider network in a concise fashion.

2. Examination to understand what causes and effects output.

This information needs to be analysed and understood to identify both its value and relevance. If we have been thorough enough in 1)

we should have logical and accurate information which has got to the heart of the discussion. We need to examine how this information could be used to improve productivity. What does it tell us? What are the impacts? What can it be used for? Where’s the value?

3. Play with ideas through what if scenarios.

We have spent time understanding the information so now we need to explore and try out ideas. Practice what if scenarios. We can examine patterns, look for connections. How does something look if we add this?

What about if we turn it around and consider it like that? This freedom to explore links the known with the possible. This forms the basis of innovation and encourages curiosity, imagination and visualisation all key ingredients to craft ways and methods to optimise methods of work and raise productivity. Unless we are free to play with ideas we will drift back to the conventional, which is not where the better and different can be found. The champion of lateral thinking Edward De Bono developed his concept from seeing advertising executives come up with the same idea over and over. He wanted different, this is a keyway of discovering new ways to optimise.

4. Speed and quality of decision making and doing.

Sustained action comes from having accurate and relevant information to make decisions from. Without it procrastination seeps as people are uncertain or decisions are made too promptly leading to costly revision and amendments. The ability to collate and organise concepts and patterns into workable solutions is a key part of creating and delivering optimisation in a business process. In

addition the measuring, control and oversight used can guide an idea into a feasible outcome.

5..Ability to learn lessons and identify needs and actions for change.

The optimisation gains can dwindle over time, so a commitment to constant improvement is vital. This is supported by ensuring robust reviews take place during and after any specific optimisation suggestion. Lessons can be learnt and changes captured and identified. The potential value of optimisation is not always fully realised if we don’t incorporate a thorough review process.

Productivity can be supported by a culture of optimisation. But this involves a willingness for the business to dig into information and processes to identify and translate accurate. considered and explored opportunities to get the best from what we have.

References

(1) Boosting Productivity in the UK’s Service Sectors – OECD – Nov 2020

(2) Great job – Solving the productivity puzzle through the power of people – CBI 2019 (3) Centre for Economics and Business Research and SnapLogic

Spotlight onDaishik Chauhan

Daishik is the founder of Crucis Consulting, a business that started out with him contracting out services as a software developer. Alongside that he also helps small businesses solve their software issues – essentially anything to do with data management – handling imports, exports, etc.

Your origins are outside of the UK, so what was your journey to get here?

I was actually born in India. My mum was born in Rhodesia and my dad in India, however, for various reasons, we settled in Rhodesia. So I was there, growing up in Rhodesia, when the changes happened and Zimbabwe came into existence.

I went to university, I did a degree there. After finishing my degree, and having worked for a couple of years, I took advantage of something called a working holiday, which is offered to

Commonwealth citizens to come to work in the UK. I took that up, and I was here for about a year and a half doing odd jobs in the IT space. I met my wife after about 18 or 19 months and that is how I ended up becoming a resident and then eventually becoming a citizen.

I never set out to get into the software business. I don't think I was even particularly interested in it. Even though I recall being reasonably good at it in those modules I did for my engineering degree course.

However, it turns out that I was rather interested in solving problems, breaking them down and coming up with solutions. That works out reasonably well in most technical subjects, including engineering. After I left university, and even before that, I was working for an IT company. That was basically involved in sorting out solutions for various problems and that’s how I became interested in software.

When I came to the UK I worked for a bank and ended up getting

getting involved in user interfaces and data management and took to it like a duck to water. And now I have been doing IT for 20 years.

If someone is looking to invest in software, what would your advice be?

I think the first step is always to research what's already on the market as pre-packaged software or software as a service.

Those sort of options will always be cheaper, simply because you have a monthly subscription, and the software's already been developed. Also the support is already in place and any bugs in the software have either already been identified and fixed. Or if they aren’t identified, it's going to be a problem shared amongst lots of different users of that software, and there's a greater chance that those bugs will be found and fixed quickly. If you find something which doesn't quite work for you, then you can start looking at whether there's a customization for the closest matching software.

For example, if you're building a website in WordPress, the basic WordPress platform doesn't do everything. But what WordPress does come with is loads and loads

of plugins, which you can install on your WordPress solution and get the functionality you want. See whether there is something out there which will integrate with your existing system, because that will typically also be supported by the software vendor due to large usage.

Thirdly, if either of those two things don't work for you, then you can start thinking about bespoke software. You need to be very clear as to what it is that you want your bespoke software to do to make sure you specify it in the right way.

How do you work with clients?

My way of working is to spend several days writing the specifications. My approach is to work with the clients to identify the problems and present them with a suitable roadmap or strategy to work through the issues. It doesn't always have to be a software solution.

For every line of code you write, you got the potential of introducing a bug. It’s important just to write the code which you absolutely need. It doesn't always have to be new software, it could mean using existing software or systems in more effective ways.

One of the customers I spoke to had already bought software and didn't know that the software they bought did some of the functionality, which they were asking for. That sometimes happens.

It is about cutting waste or wasted resource usage. If they've got resources in the cloud, or optimising their existing systems, like the database, queries might be running slow. There are things which can be done about that without new or bespoke software.

I'm not really interested in revolutionising anyone's business. I believe in simplicity and incremental, gradual changes wherever possible. I try to help businesses merge software and technology into their operational landscape. It's not about something that they necessarily need to splurge out huge amounts of money on every few years and then forget about it. It's an ongoing thing. I think it needs to be dealt with as an operational cost, rather than a big investment.

“The cloud” seems to be the thing in recent years, what's your view on that? How has software evolved?

I think there's two ways of looking at it, there are some clients who really want to maintain control over their own infrastructure. Either because they're concerned about security, or they just liked the idea of having their data and their applications on the premises, which they have ready access to.

The cloud is or can be quite anonymous, because it really is just rented space in a data centre, which could be anywhere. When people do go to the cloud, what they do get is a near-unlimited, pay-as-you-use, amount of resource, both in terms of computation, but also storage, which they don't need to think about in terms of individual servers or individual pieces of infrastructure. That can be quite liberating for some

I’m not really interested in revolutionising anyone’s business. I believe in simplicity, and incremental, gradual changes wherever possible.

businesses.

Businesses can benefit particularly when it comes to things like patching servers, or security updates, the configuration of the firewalls and so on. Those things can make a difference in some organisations where they have a huge operational cost on the infrastructure side of things.

The other aspect of IT that is becoming more and more in the news is security and cybercrime. So as a developer, is that something that you've always been conscious of?

It's something which has always been there. But it has come to the fore because there's been a lot of highly publicised security breaches in recent years. And people's expectation of privacy and data security has gone up as well. There are a lot of steps that can be taken as part of the software development process to mitigate a lot of the risks. Some of them have been around for a long time and some of them are evolving. It's a vicious circle - the more the software developers and the IT experts beef up security, the more an incentive there is for the cybercriminals to up the ante and develop tools to circumvent those!

Do you think that small business owners don't think that they're likely to be affected by cybercrime?

Because there are far greater numbers of smaller businesses, statistically, the likelihood of one individual business being hit by a ransomware attack or some sort of hacking incidents are quite low as an individual, or small business. However, the number of small businesses which do get hacked is actually quite high. The last figure I saw it was around 30 something percent - so it's not insignificant. The other issue is that smaller businesses typically do have less security. They commonly can't afford their own security experts and somebody

watching their IT systems like a hawk. So they're potentially an easy target from that respect.

I think that sort of complacency is not a good idea at all. Because chances are, that if a large organisation gets hit, then they've got the staff on hand to help bring the systems back up. They may suffer reputational damage, but they're more likely to recover. Whereas an attack on a small business may quite possibly be terminal.

What do you think makes you different from your competitors?

I think the first thing is, I am personally interested in solving the problems.

I bring a personal interest and interaction to the way I do business.

I make it perfectly clear, I'm not actually selling technology, or even

necessarily the software. I believe I'm solving the problem. I try and build a relationship in that respect with owner managers, and staff as well in those organisations. The proposals I make, and the solutions that offer are good fit around for managers and or for staff, also do my utmost to explain what I'm doing and why. Without jargon, and especially when I'm dealing with non-technical people.

The other thing, which I think is a little bit different, which I was surprised about when I first started to talk to small businesses, is that I seem to operate in a slight niche in the technical space in which I work. Most small businesses tend to work around WordPress, and the languages and databases, which surround that sort of platform. Whereas I focus almost

…the more the software developers and the IT experts beef up security, the more incentive there is for the cybercriminals to up the ante

For every line of code you write, you’ve got the potential of introducing a bug.

exclusively on the Microsoft. So, Windows desktop, Windows Server, and Azure for the cloud platform.

What would you say is the biggest challenge that you've faced?

For me, I suppose me personally, I'm probably my biggest challenge, right?

I have introvert tendencies, and it doesn't make it easy for me to network and go out and put myself out there and do one-to-ones or even blow my trumpet on social media.

That's not to say I don't work well with people, I genuinely do. It takes me a while to get to know them and build up that sort of rapport. The funny thing is, despite the common perception in the media and movies, software development isn't a lonely activity. There are quite a few people involved in the creative process. You can't write anything, get any

requirements or get any feedback without interacting with people, which I genuinely enjoy.

It's just that initial step. That's always a big challenge for me.

Video: https://youtu.be/F0Bn6fDobec

If you were going to give one top tip for business, what would that be? My top tip is don't try and do everything in one go.

Think about software as something that grows with your business. Start off with a small system, make sure that the software developer you're working with understands that this is not the be all and end all. You can ask for enhancements in the future. Nothing's worse than trying to do everything in one go. The second worst thing is building a small system, which can't be updated. So, you need to hit that middle ground, and you need to talk to your software provider about that.

Technology moves remarkably quickly, even in the web application space. What you don't want to do is blow your entire budget for the next three years on a package which you know, within a year and a half or two years starts to look dated. You're far better having a system which evolves with time, that you can reskin make it look more exciting, or enhance from time to time without having to go into the code afor expensive and time-consuming re-writing.

Christmas parties –beware!

Are

Many of the problems business owners find with Christmas parties centre on violent and aggressive behaviour as a result of excessive alcohol consumption, with complaints of unwanted advances, sexual or racial discrimination and drunken injuries also being fairly common.

If you’re planning to organise some Christmas festivities for your

employees, thinking about some of the potential pitfalls and how to avoid them is a good idea. Here are some dos and don’t for you to consider:

Do attend

Seems obvious, but if you’re a manager/director/business owner you do really need to show your face. The Christmas party is not a time for a ‘them and us’ feeling and this is a risk if senior staff don’t attend.

Pardy Face2FaceHR

Sue is a highly competent and knowledgeable HR consultant with over 20 years’ experience gained in both public and private sectors across a wide range of industries including retail, insurance, financial services, professional services, education and charities. She now works with SMEs across all industries providing practical and affordable HR support. Her ethos is to ensure that all support is tailored to each business as one size does definitely not fit all.

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Don’t discriminate

Your employees have a right to enjoy the party free from discrimination on the grounds of (among others) sex, age, religion, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation or disability. When organising the party and festive activities, just bear that in mind to ensure that no group is excluded or loses out in any way.

Sue

you planning a Christmas event for your employees this year? Particularly after the issues of the last two years it would be lovely to be able to celebrate with each other but a Christmas party can be fraught with difficulty….

Consider food, drink, entertainment, venue and all aspects of Christmas celebrations. If you’re not sure whether something you’re planning might be considered discriminatory, take some advice just to be sure.

Do consider everyone’s personal circumstances

When picking a venue, time and format for your party, do try and ensure it is as accessible as possible for as many employees as possible so that no one feels excluded. Might it be better as a lunch during the day so that those with caring responsibilities find it easier to attend?

If employees will have to pay for the party, are you keeping the cost reasonable where possible so that your lower-paid members of staff don’t feel they can’t afford it?

Don’t participate in gossip

Christmas parties can be a place where inhibitions are lowered and gossip flourishes. As a business owner or manager, this may not reach your ears but if it does, don’t lower yourself into participating.

Do remember your duty of care

You have a duty of care towards your employees and company Christmas parties certainly ‘count’ for these purposes, on or off company premises. If you’re going to be supplying or allowing alcohol consumption, think about how to ensure everyone can get home safely. For example, is the venue accessible by public transport or well-served by taxis?

Consider how you will ensure employees are protected from unacceptable alcohol-fuelled antics of other employees. As well as making it clear that violent/harassing/discriminatory behaviour is unacceptable beforehand, ensuring you spot and deal with incidents or potential incidents very quickly is important both at the time and afterwards.

Don’t forget your employer’s liability

Be aware that you remain responsible for employees’ actions during and even after a company Christmas party so accidents caused by excessive drinking at a Christmas party could present an unwelcome legal battle.

‘Cover’ yourself by reminding employees of any rules/policies you currently have in place which deal

What should you consider for your CRM system?

Ashish Kumar

There are a number of features that various CRM systems can offer, here are some for consideration: Document management – intelligent CRMs are capable of generating and maintaining your documents.

Effective Lead management – software helps capture lead details from multiple channels and ensures that you don’t lose any leads. You can also score and qualify leads correctly for your sales funnel.

Contact management – this involves recording customers’ details, as well as tracking and saving customer interactions.

Email – arguably the most used medium for B2B communication. Email management offers the ability to send mass emails, track conversations, and send automated emails to clients.

Marketing – CRM systems should be able to help you automate aspects of your marketing, helping reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Pipeline management – sales pipelines help visualise the sales cycle and identify where in the funnel a particular deal is, helping you manage potential deals from initial enquiry to close.

Workflow automation – every company is unique and has their own workflow and a CRM system should help automate these processes thus improving productivity and efficiency.

Forecasting – this helps estimate your future sales based on present and past data trends. It also assists in preparing data-driven hiring strategies, deciding on optimal inventory levels, and investing in new marketing channels.

Reporting and analytics – if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Having a CRM system report across all pillars of your business is essential to help you make informed choices about the direction of your business.

RESOURCES

with acceptable behaviour during or after the party (see below), but also take whatever reasonable steps you can to prevent inappropriate or unacceptable behaviour and pick it up and address it promptly.

Do remind employees of policies prior to the event

You probably have a policy on bullying and harassment, and will at least have a disciplinary policy in place, probably with examples of misconduct. You may also have relevant paragraphs in an employment contract, your Health and Safety policy and documents you may have on sickness absence, dignity at work and alcohol and drug consumption. It’s worth reminding

employees that these policies are applicable at work-related events such as the Christmas party and that their standards of behaviour shouldn’t slip just because it’s a social event after work hours and/or off work premises.

Don’t fund limitless alcoholic drinks

Linked with the above, there’s a balance between being a generous employer at Christmas and rewarding your team, and being responsible. Funding some alcohol consumption is great but having an open bar can be a recipe for disaster as it increases the likelihood of problems such as disputes between colleagues turning unpleasant,

harassment problems and post-party sickness absence.

Do ensure you have plenty of non-alcoholic drink available

Not everyone drinks alcohol anyway, and those who do ought to have plenty of soft options available as well, to minimise the potential for excessive alcohol consumption.

You know your people and if you give it some consideration beforehand, you can be sensible about anticipating and minimising risks to yourself and your employees without being a party pooper.

Five simple, but crucial controls to protect your business

Keeping businesses safe from cyber threats is becoming more and more important as smaller businesses are being targeted due to them being an easy target as they more often than not ignore cyber security thinking data breaches will never happen to them.

I’ve spoken to many business owners after an attack and they have always said the same thing in one form or another “I never thought it would happen to me, I’m too small”. While you will never truly be 100% safe from cyber threats, any company that says they can make you 100% secure is only after your money, you can follow five basic controls to help minimise your risk of an incident.

Those five steps are

1. Firewalls

2. Secure configuration 3. User access control

4. Malware protection

5. Patch management

That might look like a small list and for some people might make a lot of sense, but for most they all look like IT buzz words and sound impressive but do not mean a lot. So, let us look at each in a little detail.

1) Firewalls

Firewalls are designed to restrict and prevent access to resources on your network both from Internal and External access.

Providing they are set up correct they are an essential part of your cyber security. To ensure this Boundaries need configuring correctly to give or deny permission to infrastructure either by setting global boundaries or on a user/device basis.

A firewall can either exist as software on your device, normally as part of your Internet Security software or as a hardware device on your network. In both cases the setup and maintenance of both needs to be checked on a regular basis

2) Secure configuration

Computers and network devices need to be configured to minimise the number of vulnerabilities and

provide only the services required to fulfil their day-to-day function.

This will help prevent unauthorised actions from being conducted and will also ensure that each device discloses only the minimum information about itself to the Internet.

3) User access control

Normally the first point of contact for any cyber criminal is the user and the hope that they will click the link and without realising it install malicious software. By carrying out your day-today work on an account that is set up with limited access you can greatly reduce the chances of unwanted software from being installed onto your device. The administrator access should only be used when you are installing known software or devices onto your system.

Also stopping settings like autorun/play can help reduce the chances of unwanted actions taking place when you insert a CD/DVD (remember these??) or memory stick.

4) Malware protection

Much like the days of viruses, malware can wreak havoc on your system if you have no defence against it. From watching what you type to encrypting all of your documents malware can come in many forms, to this end it is vital that you always backup your data either to a cloud-based backup system or to external media that is kept away from your systems when not in use. Having good internet security on your devices is a good place to start with your protection, along with a backup process as mentioned above.

5) Patch management

Let’s face it, we all hate getting the message that updates are being installed onto our devices and it will restart at the most inconvenient

Chris has been involved with IT Support since he used his first computer back in the 80s. He’s worked within IT Support for blue chip delivery companies ensuring their systems and machinery keep the business running. He’s also worked alongside the Technical teams at Barclays Bank, Lloyds and TSB. With the links he’s made from business networking, he’s able to provide a wide range of services from basic IT support to Cyber Security testing and accreditation.

01604 261655 chris.lambert@datasense.ltd datasense.ltd

time, although to be fair Microsoft has got better at this and now has working hour that it will avoid restarts unless absolutely necessary.

But it’s not just the operating system we need to keep up to date it’s also the software we use daily. It can in the long run prove costly but once a required bit of software has reached the end of its supported life it should be replaced with a newer version but doing this will be less costly to you than old software being a route into your systems for cybercriminals.

All of the above is not based on just Windows devices but goes across all operating systems and devices. Following the above regardless of the operating systems and devices you use will greatly reduce the chances of you and your business falling victim to cybercrime.

Chris Lambert Datasense Consulting

C4 Secure

With , administrators can set which authentication methods will be offered to users based on the sensitivity of the application. For example, administrators may decide that SMS authentication is suitable for low assurance applications, but not for those that require a medium or high level of identity assurance. Also, with RSA SecurID Access, users have the flexibility to choose from the allowed authenticators at runtime, which makes a convenient experience for users.

Usernames and passwords are not enough. Thousands of employees require on-demand, 24/7 access to your VPN. Revoking that access is not an option and neither is making the authentication process for complex. A recent Data Breach Investigations Report found that

If your employees rely on usernames and passwords alone, you’re at risk for a VPN security breach. Are you sure your users are who they say they are? Can simple authentication and vigorious security co-exist?

Found out in the RSA eBook:

is a powerful, feature-rich platform that delivers substantial productivity gains and cost savings. However, organisations rushing to adopt Office 365 risk creating holes in their wider security architecture.

See where you could be exposed and what to do to get protected, if you’ve migrated to, or are considering migrating to Office 365, contact to learn about:

Strategy tips for your success as a leader

To help ensure that your business personal adventure is a successful and profitable one, here are some tips and strategies to make your efforts more fulfilling and focused for your success.

Build a foundation based on your core values

What’s important to you? What are the drivers that get out of bed each day to go to work for yourself? Look to your core values for some clues. Our core values shape how we operate in the world both personally and professionally. The more aligned your work is with these core values, the more satisfying your business will be and the less like work it will feel.

Get clear on your commitment

What is your vision and mission for your company and yourself? What impact do you want to have on your community and the world? How do you want to achieve your vision? The more you can refine your vision, the easier it will be to set your goals and objectives along the way.

Create your plan

Writing a business/personal plan isn’t just a nice exercise to do, it’s a road map for building your company and your life. It’s a working document to help guide you, stay true to your vision and help you establish the mile markers along the way. It should entail both your short-term and longterm goals for your company and include your plans for the internal growth of your organisation and the

external growth of your business. Do not let it gather dust, review and update it regularly.

“What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realised it sooner.” – Colette

Determine your unique selling proposition (USP)

Do your research — what are your closest competitors doing? Then look to see how you can provide your services better, smarter or faster than your competition. This will help you to stand out from the crowd. Use your uniqueness to your advantage — quirks and all!

Build Your marketing kit

Take your USP and use it to create a set of effective marketing materials. To get you started, you’ll need a business card, an “audio logo or 30-second commercial” to briefly describe your business, an executive summary of who you work with and what you provide, and even a small website to get your brand out onto the web.

Establish a marketing strategy

Now that you’ve got some tools to get started with, it’s vital that you identify the 2-3 different marketing tactics you can do to help grow your business. This can include but isn’t limited to: networking,

Building your brand

Paul Green

Having recently read Self Made by Bianca Miller-Cole and Byron Cole (to be reviewed in the next edition of this magazine), one of their chapters covered building your brand which should always be on your radar strategically. They reminded me of a quote by the founder of Amazon: Jeff Bezos – “your brand is what other people say about you when you’re not in the room”.

They also used an acronym that I had not come across before: PACK. This stands for Presentation, Approach, Communication and Knowledge. I quite like this and thought it would be worth sharing a little more about the context of PACK.

Presentation: The old adage goes that you have seven seconds to make a first impression, so how you present yourself is important: how you look, how you dress, what you say and how you say it. So be conscious of this when representing yourself and your business – how you want to be perceived.

Approach: This relates to your body language and how you present your business from the point of view of your “elevator pitch”. Make sure you are communicating your offer in a clear and relevant way to your audience. Another “A” that is key here is authenticity.

Communication: This is ensuring that your verbal, written and online communications are in line with your business and are conveying a consistent message – in keeping with your brand.

Knowledge: This is essentially using your knowledge, experience and skills to come across as credible. Basically being able to do what it says on the tin!

Hopefully you have found this useful in thinking about your brand?

advertising, online sales, creating a newsletter, speaking engagements, podcasting, writing articles to get published or even writing your own book. Whatever tactics you choose they should all point your potential clients into your sales funnel. The more closely each of these tactics is tied into the others, the more successful your marketing campaign will be.

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

Create your team

Yes, you are superhuman AND, having the support of different people will help you achieve your goals more quickly than you will on your own. Does this mean you have to hire a bunch of employees? No, you can create your team in many ways using full-time or part-time help. Consider hiring consultants such as a bookkeeper, FCA/CPA or web designer to help you with areas that might not be your forte. The idea is to work from your strengths and find the help you need in other areas that don’t fall into your sweet spot of skills and talent.

Accountability is key

Whether it’s to your staff, your board of advisors or your coach, having someone outside of your head (and preferably not your spouse!) to help you stay in action around your plans and goals is extremely helpful. Establish regular check-in calls or meetings to review where you’re at, where you might be off course and what you need to do to get back on track. That’s why a coach is so important.

Create raving fans

The least expensive way to attract a new customer is through referrals. And the best way to get referrals is to create raving fans! Under promise and over deliver every time and your clients will be singing your praises to their friends and colleagues. Think of it like a pump that needs to be primed — it takes some work initially to get things moving (through your marketing efforts and delivering great products or services to your clients) but as your reputation grows, you’re business will start to flow more easily!

“The future belongs to those who believe in their dreams.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

What you focus on comes true

Focus on what you want to create and achieve, not what you’re fearful of. Fear can easily generate internal negative self-talk or limiting beliefs that get in your way and get you stopped. The more you focus on these negative perspectives the more evidence you’ll find to support your beliefs. Instead, focus your time, energy and actions on the areas that will create your success. It is all about ‘being in the room’.

Find the balance

Go back to those core values and remember what’s important. I’m guessing that working 24-7 is not your ideal lifestyle. Be sure to take time out for the other aspects that make up your version of a balanced life – time with friends, family, hobbies and exercise. “Down time” is vitally important to recharge your batteries, clear out the brain fog and rest your body.

Colin is a former successful Managing Director of a wide range of companies, former Group Chairman of the Academy for Chief Executives, as well as many other prestigious roles. He is also an author/writer for IPEX, Graphic Display World, News USA, Graphic Start, many others globally. His focus is on helping companies raise their `bottom-line` and `increase cash flow`.Plus, helping individuals to be successful in business and life in general. Author of several publications, research reports, guides, business and educational models; as well as over 4000 articles/reports and 35 books published on business and educational subjects worldwide. He is also an international speaker/visiting university professor.

07831 588310 colin@cavendish-mr.org.uk colinthompson.org.uk

Celebrate your successes!

It’s easy to take note of what hasn’t been checked off your list, what’s missing, or what’s not completed. This can send you into a negative frame of mind in a nanosecond if you’re not careful. Be sure to take time at the end of each day to celebrate your successes no matter how big or small they may seem. By focusing on what you’re grateful for, you’ll raise your energy level, clear out some of the internal noise and go to sleep with a smile on your face.

What is your strategy for success?

Dr Colin Thompson Cavendish

Leading through uncertainty

Let me start by asking you: How are you feeling about the next few months? What words would you use to describe your expectations?

Coming out of the last couple of years with the pandemic, a war in Ukraine, inflation and the volatility of energy markets you could be forgiven for hoping for some reprieve from challenging market conditions. An emerging theme for all businesses is uncertainty. How do you lead and thrive in such circumstances?

In Afghanistan in the early 90’s the US Army came up with the VUCA acronym to describe the environment they were operating in:

VUCA stands for:

■ Volatile – The reality is we live in a turbulent world where situations are liable to change rapidly and unpredictably.

■ Uncertain – The feeling of uncertainty is more pronounced than ever before, where it is less likely that future events can be predicted.

■ Complex – Our world has become ever more multifaceted which has led to increased difficulty in understanding.

■ Ambiguous – Many of the issues we confront are not capable of being

understood in more than one way, and thus consensus is difficult to achieve and misunderstanding or conflict becomes more likely.

Whilst it was used to describe their theatre of operations in Afghanistan my interactions with small and medium-sized businesses lead me to believe that this acronym is descriptive of the environment in which you now operate.

What might your approach be to this VUCA world?

In recent weeks I have had the dubious pleasure of being on 7 different flights. When the stewards give you the safety demonstration around a failure of cabin pressure, they emphasise that you should put your oxygen mask on first and then see to those that need your help.

The same is true for you as you lead your businesses, in facing what you are facing now, whether it is finding solutions to challenges or in order to maximise your opportunities – working on yourself, investing in yourself is paramount. You will not be able to give your best contribution without investing in yourself.

How do you lift your head long enough to work on you and the business and what do you prioritise when you make that time?

Investing in yourself starts by knowing yourself which means you can then lead yourself and lead others more effectively. This enables you to begin to understand your preferences your “voice” if you like. To get the best out of those you work with, you will need to understand what it is like to be on the other side of you.

In a VUCA world agile or adaptive leadership will be needed to face the challenges and make the most of the opportunities.

The good news is you can learn how to be agile.

Key characteristics of agile leadership:

■ Build Trust – Employee engagement is key to better performance.

■ Communicate well – know what you are communicating, how you will communicate why you are communicating. Be clear because clarity enables your team to act with more certainty. If communicating in person bear in mind communication is 7% your words; 38% your tone of voice and 55% your body language.

■ Clear expectations – Are you clear on your expectations of others? Do those you work with know what you expect?

■ Remain curious – to keep growing. To invest in your own development to stay at the forefront of what is happening in the leadership space.

■ Be proactive – Move from reactive to proactive ask more questions and use principles to help guide you and your team through·

■ Clear direction – but flexible if needed. Decide where you are going, make a plan, and be prepared to adapt the route to your destination as circumstances change.

■ Connect and collaborate –Build a team who work in an environment where it is safe to be creative, innovative, and to take risks. Where all are heard and can contribute.

■ Be authentic – it is ok to admit you find it challenging

in facing the uncertainty and complexity. Doing this as you lead gives permission to your team to contribute their strengths to solving the problem with you.

■ Get a coach – you are probably thinking well he would say that. Truth is before I trained as a coach, I had one myself. It forced me to make time to get clear on the things I needed to be doing and be accountable for taking good action.

Working on yourself and learning how to be an agile leader will I believe set you up for greater success as you face an increasingly complex and uncertain marketplace.

“The way you view things is the way you do things.” John C. Maxwell

Mark Billage Smart Culture

Over the past 25 plus years, in different leadership roles, Mark has worked in different sectors, from financial services to charity and people development. He has set up businesses, served on Boards of Trustees, and led a medium-sized charity as their CEO.

As the founder of Smart Culture Ltd, he provides quality training and coaching to leaders and their teams. Mark wants to help leaders to be more effective in their leadership. This transforms team culture, and relationships around them, so all can bring their best contribution in a safe environment.

07791 755990 mark@smartculture.uk smartculture.uk

Small charities often support our most vulnerable people, but don’t attract the funding which larger charities can access. In these cases, even a modest amount of money can make a huge difference. This is why we’ve set up Northants Community Aid, and we need your help

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What do you ASSUME?!

There is an old saying that to assume makes an ASS out of U and ME.

This saying highlights the fact that often when we make assumptions we are misjudging or misunderstanding both our own position and that of others.

By not challenging these assumptions we are not getting a full perspective of a situation and that can lead to poor decisions.

Assumptions do add value in certain situations for example Strategic planning requires an element of assumption. It is OK to assume that if you merge two companies that there will be cost savings, although even in this example I think you would do some basic research to make sure that is the case.

Much as I hate assumptions I know that we are almost hardwired to make them.

It is a way of shortcutting thoughts. Our brains want to help us out by giving us a quick response, as the saying goes

“If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck then it’s probably a duck!”

We learn from experience and we store the information within easy reach so we can make quick assessments of situations and people.

But our assumptions can also hold us back too.

■ We assume other people won’t like us.

■ We assume people see our flaws.

■ We assume other people know what to do.

■ We assume other people think like we do.

■ We assume other people feel like we do.

■ We assume other people have understood us!

All of the above may be true but equally, they may not and if we don’t challenge those assumptions how will we ever find out?

So let’s create an example to illustrate this. As a young leader, you were asked to make sure that a team stayed late to finish a project.

Now this wasn’t going to make you the most popular but the work needed to be done and everyone knew it.

Everyone was happy to stay apart from Alex and Drew. Alex explained that they had a prior commitment that couldn’t be changed and apologised.

Drew did not offer an explanation but simply said that they could not stay.

What is acceptance?

Judith Hanson

Acceptance is a very relevant topic at the moment but one that, in my personal and client experience, we all find hard. So what do I mean by acceptance? Reinhold Niebuhr said it better than I can in the Serenity Prayer:

“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

There is so much that is having a major effect on our personal and business lives at the moment that is very much out of our control. For our sanity and wellbeing, it is important to accept the facts, however much they might upset us or make us feel really angry or despairing.

Acceptance does not mean accepting that what is going on for us is OK for it may very well be not at all OK. It means accepting that there is nothing we can do about the cause, be it the government, a family member or a customer! That frees us up to take action about the effect and how we will respond to whatever is going on. It is so easy to waste valuable time and energy on “the things I cannot change” so we have nothing left to deal with the consequences.

If prayers are not for you then there is a very simple CBT technique that may help (you may need to take a few deep calming breaths before you can deploy this rational, logical approach):

■ What is the issue?

■ Can I do anything about it?

❙ NO – go off and do something else!

❙ YES – Can I do it now?

❙ NO – go off and do something else!

(Perhaps make a note for future action)

❙ YES – Do it!

Mhairi Richardson Tomrom Team Coaching

Mhairi specialises in coaching teams to help them achieve more and improve their wellbeing. Her focus is on building trust within the team and a combination of coaching, mentoring and facilitation and she can tailor the program to the needs of your business. She enjoys working with newly formed teams, established team or teams who just feel they should be achieving more. Mhairi is also a coach with a strong SME background, a focus on the detail, a high level of emotional intelligence and a strong desire to develop talent and grow high performing teams.

07970 002129

mhairi.richardson@tomrom.co.uk tomrom.co.uk

Instinctively you see trouble, you are wary and defensive. You are reluctant to treat them well because you assume they will not reciprocate or that they don’t respect you. Your relationship very quickly becomes unpleasant and eventually, they report you for mistreatment.

Now I know this example seems absurd but I have seen similar versions of this happen.

Now imagine that you had taken the time to ask Drew a little more about why they couldn’t do the extra shift? Perhaps they would still have clammed up but they might have told you that they struggle to focus after the standard 8 hours shift, or that they needed to get some medication. There could have been a million other reasons that they just didn’t want to discuss with you at that time. And it might be that you needed to have a conversation with them at a later date.

Now all of the above could be true but my point is do you know if it is true?

The more conversations we have to understand WHY people do things then the more open we can be and the better decisions we will make. Sometimes those conversations may seem uncomfortable but the more you do them the easier they become.

The best place to start is with open questions, questions that require a response that is not No or Yes.

■ What do you think we should do in this situation?

■ How would you solve this problem?

■ What can I do to make this work better for you?

■ Explain your understanding of what we have discussed?

You don’t ask Drew for a reason –you assume that Drew just doesn’t want to do as you have asked or that Drew is “being difficult” or disrespectful.

Now imagine that Alex has pink hair and Drew has blue hair. At an instinctive level, your brain will make an assumption that people with pink hair are polite and understanding and people with blue hair can be difficult, don’t do what you ask them to and disrespect you.

Potentially these are the messages you have stored in your brain. So you have a great career in leadership and in the next 5 years, you never have to speak to another person with blue hair. But then you are promoted into a role where your righthand person has blue hair.

Either way, your experience of people with blue hair will have changed. This is an extreme example but my point is that we have constantly asked ourselves what assumptions we are making. Without entering a debate about the rights and wrongs of any of the below just think about the assumptions made in these thoughts:

■ I should open the door for her.

■ A bonus will make them feel appreciated.

■ Having great coffee in the office will make all the difference.

■ Kelly will be happy to organise the company golf day.

■ Jacob can’t multitask.

■ Geoffrey isn’t looking to progress.

■ What makes you think that?

■ How did you come to that decision?

And don’t forget to LISTEN to the answers too Challenging your own assumptions and those of others will help with conflict, with EDI and improve the lives of everybody around you.

Very few of us have the time to pause and ask ourselves “what assumptions am I making” every time we speak but I think it is worth just trying to have the image of this lovely Ass as a gentle reminder.

Book Review:

Four Thousand Weeks.

By Oliver Burkeman

How many more weeks do you have to live? Do you feel like you need just a few extra hours each day? Or do you love what you do, but feel that perhaps you are missing out on other parts of life? Then this could be the book for you. It’s not another life hack to help you get more of your to-do list done. It’s not the next greatest revolution in productivity hacks, It’s not a straightforward cure to all that ails you. BUT it will help you start to think differently and reflect on how much time you are dedicating to what

is really important to you, and still get the most important things done.

Oliver Burkeman’s bio reads: a British journalist who for many years wrote a popular weekly column on psychology for the Guardian. He has a devoted following for his writing on productivity, morality, the power of limits and building a meaningful life in an age of bewilderment.

Mhairi Richardson Tomrom Team Coaching

Mhairi specialises in coaching teams to help them achieve more and improve their wellbeing. Her focus is on building trust within the team and a combination of coaching, mentoring and facilitation and she can tailor the program to the needs of your business. She enjoys working with newly formed teams, established team or teams who just feel they should be achieving more. Mhairi is also a coach with a strong SME background, a focus on the detail, a high level of emotional intelligence and a strong desire to develop talent and grow high performing teams.

07970 002129

mhairi.richardson@tomrom.co.uk tomrom.co.uk

Four Thousand Weeks is his most recent book penned during the pandemic and published in 2021. The basic premise of the book is that we have a finite amount of time on this earth – on average the four thousand weeks of the title – and we also have a very limited ability to exercise any control over that time. And yet as a society we constantly push to get more done in less time and to make ourselves more productive. Not just that but we are now making our leisure time productive! We are looking to achieve more in our down time – train for a marathon, build a house, learn a new language or in one way or another just try to improve how we are and how we interact with the world. But what if we stopped for a minute and simply accepted that we cannot do everything? We simply do not have the time. What would we do? What has happened to just doing nothing –to simply contemplating life for a few hours? When did you last just sit and look at something for 10 minutes, or 30 minutes, or maybe 3 hours!

Not everybody loved the book and some found it provoked a defensive

reaction. It is hard to hear that you can’t get everything done and that perhaps you shouldn’t even try. My biggest complaint about the book was how hard I found it to explain to other people, so please forgive me if you have struggled to get much from this book report. I would certainly recommend it to many people but those who need it most may not make the time – the irony of which is not lost on me. My key takeaways were the following:

■ Establish predetermined time boundaries for work – i.e. do not work after 5.30pm or on Saturday or before 9am.

■ Focus on one big project at a time and see it through to the end!

■ The freedom to suck without caring is revelatory.

■ Understand that to make a difference you must focus your finite capacity for care on what is most important to you – not what social media tells you to care/rant/get angry about.

■ Practise doing nothing.

■ Do not give up at the first hurdle, or even the second, stay on the bus and see where it takes you.

Towards the end of the book, Burkeman outlines 10 tips to help you to “embrace your finitude” and I found these very helpful. I think those who are looking for easy to implement solutions will enjoy them too.