WOMEN MEAN BUSINESS - Blog

What gives you energy? Finding the right fuel

I blogged in my previous post about my daily walking regime and the many benefits I'm feeling as a result. It got me thinking about what we use to give us energy. All too often we get a quick energy fix from caffeine or chocolate then hit an energy slump half an hour later. To say nothing of piling on the pounds!

No, I'm not turning into a kill joy - I still love chocolate and coffee, but I'm trying not to rely on them for quick energy fixes. I'm choosing healthier snacks some of the time  - like oatcakes,nuts, bananas and other fruit.

It's not only the food we eat and what we choose to drink that affects our energy levels. How about the constant diet of negativity from the news. These days I minimise the amount of news I listen to or read, which is saying something for an ex journalist! I am so tired of all the news concentrating on the darkest and nastiest goings on in the world. I don't need to know about every single bad thing that happens world wide every day. No thank you! Try a news diet for a few days and see how much more positive it makes you feel.

Do you have some really negative people in your life who are all gloom and doom and who drag you down every time you speak to them?  Can you minimise your exposure to these people? You can also try countering each negative remark with a positive one of your own and they might get the message! Otherwise you really would be doing yourself a favour by withdrawing from their negative influence.

And let's not forget what we say when we talk to ourselves! Are you being a kind, supportive friend to yourself or can you sometimes be your own worst enemy? Replace your negative self talk with more supportive language starting today!

See my audio and workbook programme: "SELF BELIEF FOR THE SELF EMPLOYED - How boosting your confidence can boost your business" for more on this topic. More information

Time to get fit

As small business owners we spend a great deal of time tied to our desks. This month I started a new regime of going for a 45 minute brisk walk every day. I'm not a fan of the gym, but I love walking. When I had a "proper" job I walked to work and back each day plus I usually went for a walk at lunchtime.

However, for the last few years of running my own business I've been guilty of neglecting my exercise. The result of this has been that I've put on weight and felt more tired. I'm determined to build up my stamina and my flexibility from now on!

You probably have your own favourite kind of exercise - maybe you love going to the gym or cycling or swimming. What I love about walking is that you don't simply get valuable exercise, you gain thinking time and sometimes it seems like you have a  sort of walking meditation. The other fabulous benefit of exercise is that it's a great stress buster. I've had a very stressful couple of days but I'm handling it better than usual because I'm not tensing up.

The other added bonus is more energy and a clearer mind. I'm sticking with my new routine! How about you? Just step away from that desk!

Business writing - top tips for your website or brochure copy!

This article lists 16 top copy writing tips and also includes a system you can use to get unstuck with a new piece of writing.

• Write in short words, in short sentences in short paragraphs! I was taught this when I was training as a journalist and it is especially important for websites where people will be skim reading.
• On your website, consider putting the first line of text in each paragraph in bold – this makes it really easy for the skim readers to grasp your most important ideas.
• Write as if you are speaking to just one person. Imagine your ideal target client or your ideal current client and address your ideas as if to that one person.
• Make sure that your copy is mainly about your target audience and what they are looking for. Too many websites are all about the website owner and not enough about the prospective clients and their wants and issues.  Most people are tuned in to radio WIIFM – "What's in it for me?"
• Remember to talk about benefits and results rather than processes and features. For instance – what results and changes can clients expect if they work with you?
• Don't use jargon. Use simple direct language and keep the use of acronyms to a minimum. Acronyms like RSPB, NHS, etc should always be written out in full the first time you use them.
• Have a "call to action". What do you want the reader to do as a result of reading your copy? Do you want them to sign up for your news letter, buy a product or enroll in a course? You'd be surprised how many people forget this vital element.
• Always, always get your copy double proofed by at least one other person who has not been involved in producing the content. We see what we expect to see, especially if we are checking copy we have written ourselves. If you don't spot typos and other errors, it can lead to embarrassing mistakes and expensive reprints.
• If you find writing lively copy challenging, try getting a friend to record an interview with you and transcribe the best bits. Some people become overly formal as soon as they approach written, rather than spoken communication.
• If you really want your copy to count and make an impact, do your market research. What does your target market want? Do a short survey and ask them directly.
• Don't be invisible or anonymous on your website. Have a background piece on you plus a good photo. Present the human face of your business. But remember to make your website home page about the potential client or customer.
• Don't wait until you think everything is finished and perfect to publish your website. Remember you can always make changes and add new pages as you go.
• Use case studies and client testimonials in your brochure or website. Third party endorsements can be very powerful. Ideally, get agreement to use the full name and even website for your testimonials.
• Think about why someone would do business with you. What makes you and your service unique or special?
• Make a collection of websites and brochures that you like – and ones that you don't! Analyse the elements that work. What do you think makes them successful. Emulate the elements you like in your own copy, but don't plagiarise their copy.
• Remember too that a picture is worth 1,000 words. It is much easier today to add images and colour to your web pages, yet there are still some mighty drab websites out there.

Finally, here's a system you can use to get started:

• Do a brain dump – just write down every idea that comes to you and don't edit or criticise at this stage.
• Use post-its, 5x4 cards or lists of headings to capture your ideas your ideas. Or try mind mapping.
• Order your ideas into relevant sections. If you feel stuck for an introduction, jump in anywhere. Cutting and pasting later will help you.
• Write a complete first draft.
• Let it sit for a few days.
• Revisit and make any changes/additions.
• Get an objective, informed opinion from a few people that you trust.
• Get it proof read and edited – if not by a professional, then by someone unfamiliar with the text.
• Finalise it and let it go out into the world! You can always change the website page or change the copy in your next print run.

More about writing for your business

 (c) Shona Partridge 2008-2009

 

On commitment, by W H Murray

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would come his way."

W H Murray, the Scottish Himalayan Expedition (1950s)

This is one of my absolutely favourite quotations. Often these days it's attributed to Goethe because W H Murray follows this with another of my favourite quotations, actually from Goethe:

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. BEGIN IT NOW!"

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Keep an ideas notebook

As entrepreneurs and small business owners we often have more ideas than we can currently implement. Sometimes we get so creative and spark so many ideas that it can be downright distracting! I've heard this described as "bright shiny object syndrome". It can mean that we don't take serious action on one project before we're off chasing the next exciting idea.

What I have found incredibly useful is to keep an ideas notebook. You may prefer to open a file on your computer.  Another alternative is to always carry a digital recorder. As long as you have somewhere to capture these potentially million dollar ideas before they evaporate! I also recommend carrying a notebook and pen with you everywhere you go. A brilliant idea may strike you while you're out running or grocery shopping. There's no guarantee you'll remember the idea by the time you get home.

Also, keep a notebook and pen (or your digital recorder) by your bedside. I've had to get up in the middle of the night and rush into my office to capture ideas before now, so now I always make sure my trusty notebook is to hand. Thoughts that may seem clear immediately after waking in the night have a disturbing habit of evaporating by morning.

Write everything down, no matter how "out of the box" the idea may seem to you. It might not make sense to you now, but in a month or two it could be just the idea you need for a new venture. This is one of the great things about capturing your ideas in writing. If you date your entries you can look back and see patterns developing. You can see things at a glance but on a recording you have to listen to each item to get the overview.

When the ideas are safely captured in your notebook they stop taking up space in your brain and there's room for new fabulous ideas as there's less "interference". You've written things down so your subconscious doesn't have to keep trying to remember things.

I can practically guarantee that you'll end up with more ideas than you can possibly use in one lifetime! That's half the fun of being an entrepreneur! But with your trusty ideas notebook you'll be in a position to review all your ideas and start to prioritize the best ones.

(c) Shona Partridge, Women Mean Business 2009

www.womenmeanbusiness.co.uk

It Pays to Love Your Business!

I was working with a client recently who was feeling a bit down about the current economic climate and the effect the down turn was having on her particular business. As we talked, I realised that she was actually feeling almost resentful towards her own business. It felt as if her business had let her down and now she was feeling demotivated at the very time she wanted to rev things up a notch.

What turned things around for her was when I asked her to do a simple sentence completion exercise. If the problem was that she was feeling resentful towards her business, I wondered what would happen if she changed that feeling of resentment to love!

Yes I know I usually teach very practical marketing tips, but your mindset is the single most important aspect of running a successful business. It impacts on everything you do. Humour me and do the following short exercise. If you've been feeling any of that negativity and resentment towards your own business, try writing several endings to this sentence:

"If I really loved my business I would...................." Try to find at least ten different things - 20 would be even better! Can you feel the shift in your energy? This simple exercise can help you refocus on what really matters and can jump start your motivation again.

On being number one - or not!

In the current "celebrity" culture we could be forgiven for thinking that if we're not number one - not "famous" - then we don't make an impression. I don't hold with that thinking at all.

Is Susan Boyle less visible because she was runner up in "Britain's Got Talent"? Is Kate Walsh's career suffering because she didn't actually win The Apprentice? I don't think so!

So what does this have to do with you and your business? It illustrates that there's room for all levels of expertise and you don't have to be at the top of the tree to have a viable business, get clients and provide value. For instance - even if you've only been in your field for a year, you're a year ahead of a complete newbie. Maybe your ideal market is absolute beginners.

Or maybe you're ready to teach or coach an intermediate level. My reason for writing this blog post is to show there is room for lots of different levels of "fame" and expertise. You are unique, with a unique set of skills and experience. No-one else will approach things in quite the same way. So don't worry about being the next "......."  Just be yourself and see who shows up!

You won't get everyone to be your client - but then you don't want just any old client do you? You want the ideal clients for you! I'll be blogging more on this topic so do come back regularly and do post a comment.

Invest in your business

When was the last time you invested in growing your business?

Have you been on any training courses lately, or read any books that would give you new ideas for your business? One of my own business mentors spends a huge proportion of her income on learning with the best in the business. This really works for her because she is now  close to being a dollar millionaire and that's annually!

OK, most of us don't have huge amounts to spend on training courses and expensive marketing gurus, but there are  still lots of ways we can invest in our businesses - some that cost money and others that cost time.

Brian Tracy, one of the most successful business and sales experts in the world, recommends reading for at least an hour a day in your specialist subject. This way he says, you can quickly become an established expert because most of your competitors will be too busy to set this time aside.

I like to have my own copies of books so I can mark them and highlight them without getting arrested, but just about anything can be ordered through the local library.

New skills can either be learned or outsourced, depending on budget. Even as sole traders we don't have to do everything ourselves.

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