That Friday Feeling

I love Fridays but I’m really not sure why!  It’s the one day of the week that is somehow different from the other six.  There’s a subdued feeling of excitement, the anticipation of possibilities still unexplored.  There’s a lightness of spirit – have you ever noticed that people smile more on Fridays?

 
When I was a child, Friday meant the end of a week of school, no homework for a couple of days, and no need to get up early.  Two whole days of play!

As I grew up, Friday meant getting ready to enjoy the evening out with friends (is Friday still the best night for going out?).  It didn’t matter that I had to get up early for my Saturday job – I never seemed to need much sleep back then!

During my corporate career, Friday meant looking forward to a lie-in for the next couple of mornings and a chance to recharge batteries.  Friday evenings with my (then) husband were no longer spent on the dance floor; instead a meal out or a take-away was the weekly treat because it meant no cooking!

Now that I have my own business, Friday no longer means the end of the working week.  I often find myself checking emails at the weekend, networking on facebook, and catching up with reading blog posts and newsletters that I didn’t get time for during the week.

So Fridays have always been a bit special to me.  Then I started thinking that it would be great to feel like that every day of the week.  And it’s absolutely possible!  Using some simple NLP (neuro linguistic programming), you can recall a pleasurable experience from your past and apply all the feelings associated with it whenever you want.

But I think I prefer to leave Friday as a special day and enjoy that ‘Friday Feeling’ – just like today! 

What do you think?  Do you love Fridays too, or do you have a different favourite day of the week?

© Louise Barnes-Johnston

In case you missed these

I'd like to make it a regular feature on this blog to share websites and other blogs that may be of interest to fellow business owners. It's impossible to find time to read through all the newsletters and alerts out there, I know I've become very selective these days. Time is precious with every minute accounted for! So, without further ado, here are this week's offerings:

MiniCards £9.99
Buy this on MOO.com

Moo.com Some unusual mini cards, postcards, notes, stickers, etc. at reasonable prices for small quantities. The standard designs are good, or you can customise them. I'm thinking of putting something together for a product launch in a couple of weeks.

Caroline Middlebrook has written a very comprehensive guide on using Twitter which is great for beginners and for business owners wanting to use this tool for marketing. Some useful pointers on 'Twitetiquette' - there's a whole new language awaiting you with Twitter! (If you want to 'follow me' I'm at www.twitter.com/LouiseBJ )

Emyr Williams of Bytestart is one of the stalwarts of small business information. The site contains literally hundreds of articles for start-ups and growing businesses alike. There's a newsletter too, that I've been getting for some years, as it provides updates on changes in company law and other regulations.

Say No to 0870 is an excellent resource (I've used it twice this week). If you're like me and don't like paying up to 10p per minute for calls to UK non-geographic numbers, go to this site. Type in the 0870 number and you'll find out if there is a geographic alternative number listed, that is cheaper to dial. You can also contribute by sharing any alternative numbers you know of. This site also covers 0845, 0844, 0871 - as well as 0800 and 0808 numbers that can be costly for mobile users.

I hope this is helpful.

Marketing Messages - Too Time Consuming?

I've just been trying to watch a series of training videos, the content of which is supposed to help me make a lot of money in my business. I got annoyed when they kept stopping and starting and then playing out of order (could that have been due to my frantic clicking?). Anyway, at that point I gave up and starting writing this post!

Only a few months ago, free audio and video downloads on the internet were far less commonplace than they are now. Advances in technology mean that just about anyone with a webcam and internet connection can make and upload videos (audios are even easier). These are an incredibly powerful marketing tool for small businesses – if they’re done right.

The internet marketing 'gurus' teach that you have to give away something that has high value when you want to promote your product or service. I certainly agree with that. Unfortunately there are many people who have a different idea of what constitutes high value.

It’s true that these preview audios and videos are getting longer (at least an hour). But what I’ve noticed is that the value of the content is shrinking and the amount of verbose ‘filler’ is expanding to fill the gap! At this point I should say that there are still some excellent and very generous providers of free information – but unfortunately they are becoming outnumbered by the poor content providers.

The problem is, for those of us looking to get an idea which provider’s program or product to invest in via these previews, we simply don’t have the time to watch or listen to all of them! Even if we wanted to!

Just as we have become increasingly selective in the newsletters we subscribe to, I believe we need to do the same with these latest marketing messages. The marketers who will succeed in attracting our attention are those who take the time and trouble to form a strong relationship with us - which they will only achieve by delivering consistently high value information.

What's your experience? And your opinion? Feel free to post your comments!

When is a Newsletter not a Newsletter?

In the (nearly 10) years since I've been in business, email newsletters or e-zines aimed at small businesses and entrepreneurs have been both a lifeline, and an endless source of information and inspiration to me.

My own newsletters (I used to write three!) have always had the primary intention of sharing knowledge, resources and tips with their readers. Today, 'Competitive Advantage' is aimed at the owners of small business owners and entrepreneurs, many of whom I meet at various networking events.

When working with coaching clients looking to grow their businesses, I encourage them to keep in touch with their clients and prospects via an e-zine. It's a cheap, efficient and easy marketing tool, and can be incredibly effective if used correctly.

Unfortunately many companies confuse the term 'newsletter' and 'promotion'. I get emails that are 100% promotions - for cars, villas or holidays in warmer climates. Not a mention of '10 ways to stay safe if you break down' or 'The 5 questions you must ask before buying your villa abroad', nor even 'How to select the holiday of your dreams'.

You see, I've been spoilt by some excellent newsletters and have based my own on them. I strongly believe that a newsletter imparts information and tips and isn't just a blatant promotion. Of course it's expected that the sender will refer to a product or service - but such promotion should form just a small part of the whole.

What tends to happen is that, after the first or second promotional email, more people will unsubscribe if they're not looking for a new car, villa or holiday at that moment. With an informative newsletter, relevant to their business, this is less likely to happen.

I shall write an article for my own newsletter 'Competitive Advantage' with some suggestions on how to write ezines that get read.

Small Business Coaching just isn’t taken seriously

I don’t know what it is about small business owners but we must be the hardest people to convince to ask for help!

When, at a networking event recently, I described the sort of problems that can be eliminated through business coaching and the results that can be achieved, I saw a lot of nodding heads. But those nodding heads did not translate to leads, or even to enquiries!!

I’ve come to the conclusion that our culture regards asking for help as a sign of weakness or deficiency in some way. It’s that stiff upper lip syndrome. Fortunately there are some enlightened souls who understand that they can get ahead of their competitors by employing a business coach!

Today, I found myself struggling with a sales letter I want to write. Now, I’ve done a lot of research into copy writing - what to do and the steps to take but I still couldn’t put down on paper what I need to say. Then the thought popped into my head “Why don’t you get a specialist Copywriter to do this for you?”.

After arguing (with myself) that I could write the letter myself, I realised that my pride was getting in the way of my business. One phone call later and I feel such a relief knowing that I don’t need to struggle any more.

And it frees me up to do other tasks that are in my area of expertise.

Planning ahead for your small business

Have you ever found that when you’ve got a long list of tasks to get through, you just put your head down and get on with them? I find that if I’ve loads of time to get something done, it will take loads of time because I can’t seem to settle down and do it. But, give me some tight deadlines and I surprise myself at just what can be achieved!

Tomorrow is a training day, which I’m looking forward to. And myy local Chamber of Commerce is already trying to book me for some dates next year – give me a chance to buy a new diary!

But they’re right. Even though we’re only half way through September, it’s not too early to start planning for 2008. Also, and I know you’ll hate me for saying this, it’s time to order your Christmas cards and calendars if you’re having them printed.

So often my business owner coaching clients cram their diaries to capacity and then exhaust themselves trying to fulfil an additional surprise order. Planning ahead and leaving some contingency time means that the occasional rush job can be fitted in, without too much burning of the midnight oil.

For me, it's important to plan next year's workshops and get the conference rooms booked. I usually give myself the extra challenge of booking in at least one brand new event. That way I have a very real deadline to work towards and get the new material written!

It's also important to plan ahead for rewards and time off. Yes, I know you've just come back from your summer break! But, get those long weekends and days off scheduled in your diaries. Believe me, once the clocks go back, you'll thank me.

Investing in your small business

Today I had a most enjoyable day. I attended a workshop run by a couple of friends of mine. I met these ladies through networking 3 or 4 years ago. Some of their work overlaps with mine but we respect each other's intellectual property so it isn't a problem. I'm sorry to say their workshop was very good. It's always good to see what other people are doing and it encourages me to raise the bar on my own work. Thanks guys!

I should mention what this workshop was about - writing an attention getting sales letter (that won't end up in the bin) and following it up with a phone call. Sounds simple but, as today proved, a bit of a scary experience for many of us. We worked through each stage (one step at a time) and, even though the process isn't new to me, I felt very proud when I completed my draft letter!

All the delegates really worked hard and seemed to get a lot out of the day. What will be interesting is who takes what they've learned and acts on it - in other words, who produces a mailing, follows it up and gains more business. One of the problems with any training or workshop is that, while it is very motivating at the time, once we're back in the office and faced with all the usual stuff, our good intentions of making changes or using what we've learned goes out of the window.

This is where business coaching can make a difference. I was talking to a new client yesterday and I made her laugh when I said that the night before our next session, she would say "Oh no, I'm meeting Louise tomorrow and I haven't done what I said I would - I'd better do it now!" I have that effect on people! Knowing that someone is going to want to know how you're doing really does help keep you focused. End of commercial.

Having made the above comments, I know that I simply have to work on my draft mailing and actually do it! It would be a shame to let all that effort go to waste - not to mention the precious day I took out of my business to invest in it.

Small Businesses are Back to Work!

In case you didn't notice, I took a break from blogging last week in fact I took a break from everything to do with business! The experiment I did to change habits and routines was interesting. I learned that, although it's a bit uncomfortable, it does give you a different perspective and helps to unwind.

However, without my habits and routines in place, I found it difficult yesterday (Monday) to regain the discipline that I personally need to work productively from home. So, back to the pre-holiday routines - and I've achieved a lot today, almost back up to full speed.

I spent a lot of time over the last two weeks exploring social networking and reading lots of different blogs. While I don't pretend to understand the benefits of either in depth, I do know that they are important for small business owners, who can really benefit from being connected in these ways. So, go on, sign up to Ecademy and LinkedIn and write a profile for others to find. You never know, you might get some business!

What's your experience of social networking? Do post a comment, I'd love to hear what you think.

Mondays can be interesting

Today has been a very different sort of Monday. I visited my holistic therapy client today and have really got her thinking about how she can make more money by working less hours. She treated me to a very relaxing Reflexology session, I was so glad I didn't have any heavy coaching to do in the afternoon, it was bad enough having to drive home!

Got back to the office around 4.30 - and delighted to see another booking for my Win More Sales workshop in September!

Had word that last Monday's small business workshop was well received and they're thinking of holding another one - great news.

Tomorrow I'm having coffee with a colleague I haven't got together with for ages in the morning, meeting with a potential new business coaching client in the afternoon and coaching a very long-standing client in the evening. Should be quite a packed day.

Where did last week go?

I had meant to post on Friday - but last week seems to have hurtled past at double speed! I don't make a habit of working on a Sunday but writing for this blog can't really be classified as work!

Last Monday evening saw the first delivery of a specially commissioned workshop and it was OK and the evaluation forms positive. I always think of things to improve on or do differently next time. I'd definitely order better weather - the rain was relentless - again!

Now I'm gearing up the marketing for my next 'open' workshop called 'Win More Sales' in September (details at www.frontline-results.com/winmoresales.html) and hoping for a good number of delegates as I probably won't run it again in its current format.

I don't understand when I hear business owners say 'things go quiet over the summer'. For the last 3 years at least, I've actually got busier with new coaching clients over July and August! That said, a lot of the networking groups take a break during August so I'm hoping to get some much needed business development projects finished and ready to launch in September.

Tomorrow I'm off to visit a good friend and client with a thriving holistic therapy business. She's now reached the point where she's ready to take her business to the next level - working less hours for more profit. I'm looking forward to planning that with her.

But for now, I'm going to log off and enjoy the sunshine that's making a rare appearance!

A very mixed week

Well, I've made it to another Friday! It's been quite a mixed week. Lots of coaching, a bit of networking (see yesterday's post!), and putting the finishing touches on the new workshop I'm presenting on Monday to a group of small business owners. I'll let you know how it goes!

One of the reasons I love what I do is that there is so much variety. Each business coaching client presents different challenges and situations. The newsletters and articles I write, and this blog, allow me to express myself and my opinions (!). The workshops and new products and services give free rein to my creative side. I get to meet lots of lovely people when I want to be sociable, or I can be quiet in my own company when I don't. Every week is very different. I wonder what next week will bring?....

Networking Fatigue Alert!

Yesterday I went to the second breakfast meeting of a small networking group who are just trying to get established. (This is the same group where the venue had cooked all the eggs two weeks ago (see post from 13 July) and were unable to provide me with scrambled instead of fried, of which, more later!)

At the first meeting, there were 18 people present, this time - just 11. I do hope the group survives but I have some doubts. From my own experience of setting up and running a group (4 years ago), I know how difficult it is to build and maintain a viable number of members.

On Monday, I was invited to yet another networking group's first meeting to be held at the end of this month - hence the Networking Fatigue Alert! (see post from 6 July)

How can all these breakfast groups survive? There are only so many breakfasts a person can eat.

Today I heard about a well established (over 6 years) group who are sadly losing long established members and struggling to attract new ones.

Could it be that all the 'new' groups are creating a different breed of networker? I know that I'm in danger of becoming a 'Networking Tart"! (definition: a networker who visits every new group just to see what it's like and who's there.) I know that when I was a regular member of a group, my loyalty was to my fellow members. Now, because I can do all the networking I want, without the commitment of joining a group, there isn't any group loyalty and business referrals are more hit and miss.

Could it be that, with all these new groups starting up, the more established groups are suffering as members defect to find out what else is out there? Could these satellite groups actually be damaging the amount of referred business?

Sadly, what also struck me, as I listened to the proposed goals of this new group yesterday, is that their goals are almost the same as most of the other groups I've visited, although they may be worded differently. I had to keep my mouth well and truly buttoned!

Please forgive me if I start to rant at this point. The main purpose of networking is to build relationships. But, you cannot build relationships based on meeting someone just once or twice. You choose the people you want to get to know better (perhaps on the basis that you have similar interests, similar target markets - or you just like them!) and you spend time developing that relationship.

Visiting different groups once or twice is not enough to build relationships. Joining a group and attending regularly is. I'm not going to risk my reputation referring business to someone I hardly know. On the other hand, if I've been meeting them once a week over a period of time, I will feel much more comfortable introducing them to my other contacts.

Rant over.

Just to let you know that, despite ordering "just scrambled eggs and mushrooms" for my breakfast, on my plate were - scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomato, the hated baked beans, hash brown and toast. I have to say that the eggs and mushrooms were delicious - but I'm still wondering what part of the word 'just' was so hard to understand!