We've only just begun...

(image copyright - musicnotes.com)

Welcome to the irishbusinessintelligence.com blog... this is our first entry (of many, we hope)!

Our business is in helping small-medium businesses hone their identity and marketing / communications so that they reach all their potential customers instead of just existing and hoping for a positive outcome.

Our blog will be focused on items of interest for small and medium-sized businesses, as well as specific posts on marketing, communication and all-things online... so stay tuned!

A little help from online friends...

A special 'thanks' to all the users of irishbusinesswomen.com who have been so helpful in answering my recent online ravings!

With their help, I have been able to collate and analyse a survey completely dedicated to my new business idea. If you are not a member, please join, I promise you won't regret it!

Business Plans = FUN

Not strictly true, I'm afraid...

As a seasoned procrastinator, I have found myself ignoring this end of the bargain in an almost determined way! Sadly, if either a) I want the business to succeed or b) I want anyone to take it seriously (and in this regard, give me money!) then I need to have one.

Admittedly, the part I am grappling with most, is the projections... so I am approaching it with the view that I will most probably be laughed at when I present it, so therefore I may as well make it as cosmic in its over-arching aim as possible!

Will keep you all posted :)

Good Vibrations!

Now on to week two...

The nerves are abating somewhat although now I am wondering why?

I have to say that the influx of support in email, phone-calls and general conversation has been really heartening. If it's any indication of whether this was the right thing for me to do... well, I'm guessing that yes, it was.

At this point, I've had two associates express an interest in using my business so that is also very positive. I'll also be collecting the results of a survey I put together earlier this week tomorrow - that should give me more insight into how to market the service... by the way, for anyone checking this blog out, my website is http://www.irishbusinessintelligence.com/.

Now it's on to the part I have been dreading... business plan time!

One week on: Nerves!

I report to you from my home-office (again, AKA kitchen table)... nerves are progressively becoming more fried with the "what if" scenarios I have reeling around in my head. However, I am comforted by the notion that (I believe) every other human being in the same position feels this way too...

So far I have been bashing away at my website and at times, also bashing my head off the table. Ah, I hear you say, if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. I now HATE that maxim!

Kitchen-table Business Planning

This blog post is being written at my new seat-of-operation (well, for the last week or so!). Also known as my kitchen-table office.

I have to admit that the first month of freedom from work has been fun, and I've been able to utilise it to catch-up with people, do a bit of much-needed apartment cleaning... etc, etc.

Now, however, the lack-of-any-serious-routine bug has bitten.

SO - I have decided to look at starting my own business! Having been given the opportunity to do some work with a friends' PR agency last week, which allowed me to test my interest in the area, I've come up with a variation on the PR theme... more of which later.

I'll end this piece by saying: I am exhausted from the sheer energy I've used working on the rudiments of this idea... additionally, I am terrified it won't work... BUT I am excited. An interesting combo! Stay tuned ;)

Hmmm....

Ever had a moment which really made you think? As in, a pensive "hmmm" moment?

Clearly, these "moments" should be par for the course when one has just been made redundant, and is in the throes of re-thinking career / future etc... HOWEVER, when someone turns to you and says "how come you've never thought of 'X'?! It's so obvious"!

Now, to demystify the above: I'm an IR graduate, despite having wanted to be a journalist from the age of 14, up until I was about 16 and decided it might be a tad risky (or was it something to do with the fact that I reckoned I'd never actually get to marry Damon Albarn?!). On sound career-guidance, journalism changed to PR as I headed towards my final school exams, however, for whatever reason, I never chose it for my university course.

Which brings me to today; ten years experience later, in Operations, Administration, HR, Management... and guess what? I've realised that, yes, PR is actually where I want to be.

Thankfully I have had plenty of exposure to Marketing and PR through the prisms of the different roles I've held... however I am mildly terrified about how I'm going to manage this transition! Any suggestions are VERY welcome :D