Being a business owner can be tough, and sometimes we all need a little inspiration and motivation. As many of you know, I love making good use of 'downtime' when I am driving or cooking by listening to audiobooks and podcasts.  

Entrepreneurs On Fire is an award-winning podcast by John Lee Dumas, who has interviewed over 2,000 incredible entrepreneurs including Tony Robbins, Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, Barbara Corcoran and Tim Ferriss. 

Definitely worth a listen! 

Jo x

P.S. As always, if you need help, either pop along to one of our online Mastermind sessions or contact me for a 1-2-1.​

When I first started writing my book, I used Microsoft Word and ended up getting myself into a bit of a muddle. Luckily, a lovely author friend of mine came to the rescue and recommended Scrivener.

Here are 11 benefits of using Scrivener:
​1. It's really easy to use.
2. It helps you organise your thoughts, ideas and chapters easily.
3. You can move stuff around quickly. (Great if you're not sure of the order of your chapters.)
4. It's easy to create MOBI or EPUB files for eBooks.

I'm lucky enough to have an amazing lifestyle. I earn a lot of money working part-time doing what I love. I travel a lot and have amazing friends and family. I'm blessed and very fortunate to have the life I have.  

If you want to know the number one thing that has helped me to have such a great life, I would say it is most definitely gratitude. I am massively grateful for everything in my life and have kept a gratitude journal either on paper or in my head for many years.

I honestly believe that the fastest way to get more in your life is to be grateful for what you have already got.

Yours in abundance

Jo x

P.S. As always, if you need help, either pop along to one of our online Mastermind sessions or contact me for a 1-2-1.​

If you answered 'no' to that question, then give yourself a slap please! You absolutely must keep track of exactly where all your leads and customers are coming from. 
 
How do you do that? By asking them and recording that information!
 
It's not rocket science, but you'd be surprised how many business owners don't know exactly where their leads are coming from.

It's estimated that around 80% of our marketing efforts don't work to the level we would like, and a lot of it won't work at all. This is why it's crucial that you ask the question 'Can I ask how you found us?',  so you can understand which of your marketing efforts are working for you.

Love this simple tool to create customisable 'Call To Action'  buttons for your website!

Step 1: Head over to Da Button Factory 
Step 2: Type in your button text. (See below.)
Step 3: Choose your font, font colour, background colour and shape.
Step 4: Click 'Download'. (See below.)
​
You're welcome :-)

Here are my top 9 tips that I wish I'd known when I first started out in business many years ago!

1. You need to be clear on your target market. Identify your top five target markets and get to know them inside out and back to front. Only then can your marketing materials speak directly to them.

2. You must connect with your prospects. We are in the age of connection people! Make sure your social media, marketing materials and website show who you are as a person. Let them get to know you and your team. 
​
3. You've got to be adding value, adding value, and then adding some more value. Publish great content: interesting blogs, how-to videos, newsletters, events, freebies, offers. Show how you go the extra mile. Do what it takes to show them that you care.

If Canva is a little complicated for you, then try Fontmania – a great typography app that will turn your photos or pics into inspirational/promotional images within seconds.
 
The app is super easy to use – simply import an image from your camera roll, add text, and change colour and font. One click saves to your camera roll, making it easy to share to social media right from the app. Love it, love it, love it! 

To your success

Jo Richings x

#tbsbn #businesstips #success #brisbiztips #happime #tbsbn #thebristolsmallbusinessnetwork

I'm surprised at how many people still don't know about Meetup, despite the fact it has over 27 million members in 180 countries! 

​Meetup is about connecting people with something in common; they are real-life gatherings where members and organisers get together to connect, discuss and practise activities related to their shared interests.

Thank goodness for audiobooks! Without them I wouldn't be anywhere near as knowledgeable as I am :-)

Like many of you, I spend a fair bit of time in the car so, rather than listening to the radio, I pop on a podcast or audiobook and listen to something that will make a positive difference to my life. That could be a business book, a spiritual book, or something motivational. It depends on my mood.

I highly recommend www.audible.co.uk at £8 a month for one audio download. The audiobooks can be anything from two to ten hours, so I think it's great value for money. 

Here are some of my personal favourites... 

I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked this question, and my answer is yes and no!

Some marketing people go on about finding your niche and swear that once you do, business will flow to you easily and effortlessly! Being honest, I think this is pretty dangerous advice, especially for a start-up. 

​Why do 'experts' say we must have a niche market?
So we know exactly who our target market is. We know where they go, what they read, what they like and dislike...