Thought for February: Keep pushing the boat out...

Image Copyright - Media Lonely Planet

A phrase, no doubt, we've all heard many times during the course of our lives! Yet it also has several meanings, not all of which are terribly positive.   If you seek a definition of 'pushing the boat out', you'll find that it is derived from an act of generosity where a boat is beached and is too large for a seaman to re-float alone.  Therefore pushing the boat out became synonymous with acts of generosity or, in some cases, being overly so, and in ones' own favour! If you're really into exploring the derivation of this proverb, there's a whole raft of them [pardon the pun] available.  However, that isn't really the point of this post... so I'll move on!

Probably almost two years' ago, in the course of a Twitter conversation with Pádraig Ó Ceidigh, this old proverb re-emerged with a new sense of significance, and I'm afraid to say, Pádraig, I've been using it again recently!

What did it mean to me then? Simply - to keep my eyes wide open to opportunity [nice link to that blog, eh?] - to "live and not weaken" and most importantly - to remain focused on the task at hand.  Entrepreneurship can be a pretty turbulent journey, with plenty of detours along the way, but if it's the right road for you, you'll almost certainly know.  Appreciate and understand the knocks, why they've happened, and how you might negotiate them next time - but don't give up... keep pushing the boat out.

Growing Real Opportunities for Women: VIDEO

I was delighted to work on the MIA Mayo "Growing Real Opportunities for Women" programme, focused on supporting the development of women-lead enterprises in the migrant population of County Mayo.

As part of the programme, each mentor / advisor was interviewed and asked to provide their thoughts on the value of the programme... here's my video!

Time for a Strategy Workout?

Image - C/O - P4LeanStrategy

So, I'm reckoning many of you are utterly fed-up of posts concerned with New Year, New You [I am one of the many culprits behind those types of blogs, I know!] or similar themes?  Thought so.

With this in mind, I thought I'd take a different 'spin' on why the beginning of the year is a good time to dust down your business and give its strategy a good, honest workout.  Like our physical selves, post-Christmas indulgence, this time of the year provides great opportunity to banish bad habits and get ourselves fitter... the same rationale applies to business, and strategy.  To assist you in your bid to limber up in 2013, here are a few key steps:

1. Start as you mean to go on: the "R" word [not recession, the other one!] exists because, yes, a new year provides a good time to set goals and reset the negatives.  Had a few lousy months or a project that didn't fly? Now's the time to get a few new ideas going, learn from mistakes and move on.  Don't dwell on what hasn't worked... it's a pointless exercise.  Set one rule for yourself, and that is simply to ensure you start as you mean to go on - and work to remove the issues holding you back.  Be fair to your business strategy: don't allow experiential blocks to impede progress... accept what can't be changed and adapt how you deal with similar issues.

2. Target practice: one of the things I am fascinated by, is a sense that having goals is enough, in and of itself, to actualise these same goals. Nope! You need to work on identifying the route-map for achieving them.  This can involve a little 'target' practice [e.g. research, analysis, or using the grey matter and sketching out new ideas, products or services].

3. Understand what success looks like: when I worked in corporate-land, many years ago, we used a statement which really helped to actualise projects and bring about results - and that was an understanding of what 'good looked like'.  So, in your business, what does 'success' look like? We're all different, and aspire to different personal and professional goals.  Know what your business's look like and build your business strategy to reflect 'success'.  Remember - target practice! Having goals is not enough, you need the roadmap.

4. Appoint a non-executive ass-kicker: also known as an advisor, mentor or accountability partner.  Hugely important in the regular health-checking of business strategy and ensuring that key objectives are being met [and if not, why not?].

5. Bulletins: Keep your eye on progress and set regular "bulletins" - communication is one of the key tenets of successful businesses... so keep your people informed about progress.  If you're a sole operator, then ensure you keep yourself informed by interacting with colleagues, stakeholders and relevant organisations on trends, changes and opportunities.

Remember: this is a time to think of opportunity, action and results, so get moving and work-out your strategy!

The Time Is Now: Flex Your Ambition Muscle in 2013

Photo Care of onehungrymama.com

The post-Christmas-gorge is over so it’s time to feel the full pang of “overindulgence” guilt, right?

WRONG.

January is traditionally the time of year where we gradually re-introduce ourselves to New Year normality... inch-by-inch [of extra poundage] cold morning by cold, dark morning. Recovering from the financial output of the festive season means many of us spend the vast proportion of our time mourning our ailing credit card or bank balance. Clearly, the times we find ourselves living in now serve only to exacerbate this reality and for many, the impacts are far more serious than my comedic slant.

However, it’s important to remember that the New Year is just that: a new year. And in newness is opportunity and clarity, if we seek it out. The problem is – frequently, we don’t. Suffering from withdrawal post the vast turkey, ham and wine overload often leaves us in a New Year ‘holding pattern’. Bills to be paid, less social weekends to be had, more life expectations to be unfairly managed.

I've written quite a lot about opportunity in blogs of late, and the fact that very often, opportunities are only seen when our eyes are open to them. A new year should be seen as the time to adopt a fresh start – so why do so few of us take the leap of faith and really think about what it is we want out of our lives?

Put simply: fear. I can’t. I won’t be able to. I’d be no good at that. It’s a silly idea. It’ll never work. Everyone will think I’m nuts. Any other excuses in your head as you read this? Thought so.

I’m not going to quote that overused book title at you – but I am going to suggest this instead: why shouldn’t you at least consider giving it a try? What’s stopping you simply articulating the idea onto a page? Drawing out a mind-map? Clarifying the sorts of things you’d like to achieve? Or being a little bold and defining a more ‘ideal’ vision for your career [a vision board can help]. Don’t scoff at any of these notions – they’re the foundations for many-a successful business.

Working with people starting businesses from scratch, as well as those building their SMEs towards growth – there are common factors that influence success – the interesting thing is, they’re not extraordinarily different to the traits we all possess, if we look for them. In the main, these individuals all have a vision of their ideal which, in turn, fuels ambition. They've still got a pinch of fear which keeps them focused [which helps them to plan and evaluate] but not so much that it inhibits them – and most importantly, they’re not afraid to ask for help.

My hypothesis is that it is not impossible to harness your own potential, given the right supports and mindset – however, it is down to you, the individual to make this happen. Why not take the leap of faith this year, and flex your ambition muscle?

Happy New Year , #SMECommunity

Happy New Year one and all! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and are gearing up for 2013, new opportunities and goals [not to mention, the all-important strategy end-of-things!].

Next week, I'll be sharing my article for Irish Tatler [which some of you may have seen on my Facebook page], followed by a post on the importance of strategy in identifying your goals for the coming year, not to mention, implementing them.  

In the meantime, why not tuck into this little morsel of positivity and focus from last year: Three-Step Business New Year Resolution.

... and remember the hashtag! #yeSMEcan

Christmas Wishes!

Wishing all my SME colleagues a very Merry Christmas! 

I'll be offline from Friday 14th until the 7th of January 2013, but you can drop me an email or leave me a contact request via my website should you wish to get in touch.  Keep an eye out for the January edition of Irish Tatler where you'll find a little post from me on the benefits of stretching your ambition muscle in the New Year.

Thanks to all of you for your custom, interaction and support in 2012!

How You Say What You Say... and Where You Say It!

Image Copyright - TweakYourBiz [originally published November 5th 2012]

Elevator pitches / Marketing materials / Introductions / Business cards / Proposals / Letters / Websites / Social media

What do all these things have in common?

They all represent you and your business. They act as a calling card, a reference, a reminder, a point of contact for people to connect with and contact you.  Get your messaging right and you’re memorable, appropriately tailored and connected to the right audience.  Get it wrong and you’re simply wasting your time and money.  If you’re a little sketchy on this detail, then listen up [or, more accurately, read on!].

Start afresh

Sometimes we can become very entrenched in our businesses [a touch of the 'woods-for-the-trees' syndrome].  It’s perfectly natural, business is personal – it’s our creation and betimes it can be hard to distance ourselves from what we think we should be saying about what we do as opposed to what we actually should.

Take a step back from your business; does your messaging succinctly and clearly illustrate your value-add? Do you convert a strong message to the right segments? Which marketing channels do you use to convert that message?  Do you use the right mix of media? Or are you hanging around the wrong places trying to attract the right clients?

A simple equation

Want a simple way to remember effective marketing practice?

Segment + Message + Channel = Sales Output

It’s fair to say that there is some groundwork required in getting to the point of this equation however the key is in remembering it and constantly evaluating whether it is being used.   Successful messaging and marketing requires targeting, clarity and customer intelligence.  It also requires strategy and a long-term view.  Don’t be short-termistic in your approach as you’ll suffer poor results and  frustration [and plunder budgets too!].

Are you fishing where the fishes are?

Be brutal with your marketing strategy.  Are you fishing where the fishes are? Or codding yourself [see what I did there?] by toying with a marketing mix which is not in any way tailored to your market segments? In the same way that you must audit your business’s finance and operational successes and failures, your marketing requires just as much attention.  That’s why target and focus play such significant roles.

How you say what you say… focus on your NOSE

Pitching and introducing your offering can often feel like a painful experience, not least because many business people aren’t exactly radiating joy when asked ‘what they do’.  The reality? If you can’t succinctly communicate your offering – the what, the why and the how, don’t expect to generate any interest from your target  audience.  It all comes down to your NOSE… Or Needs, Outcomes, Solutions and Evidence.  A helpful view: what do I do? Why would it be beneficial to xx customer [being your target customer] and how it is beneficial / useful/ a solutions-provider? Don’t forget to illustrate with evidence or examples… we all like validation.

Is your business sending the right message?

The ultimate question you have to ask yourself [following the other steps], is whether your business really is sending the right message to the right people in the right places. It might sound like a simplification of sorts, but ultimately, if you can’t stand over your market positioning and the types of marketing communications methods you’re using, then you are probably going to continue wasting time and money on a strategy which just doesn’t work. Full stop.

Make time to evaluate what your marketing activities are producing – remember marketing’s role is to make selling [more-or-less] superfluous, so at the very least you should be able to validate and monitor what is working. More importantly, it’s key to understand what isn’t working and quickly reassess its worth.

Don’t make your messaging a casualty of no-review paralysis; review it regularly and ensure your business is sending the right message.