​We all know ‘people buy people’, right? Then why do so many small business owners still create dry, generic websites using the royal ‘we’ – with no photos and no personal information? 

Simply put, there is nothing for your prospects to relate to and connect with. And we want to connect! Connection is crucial if you want people to trust you and buy from you. 

👩 Put your picture up, even if it’s just you.

📢Tell people why you started your business and what’s important to you.

🗯️ Share your vision and values.

👀 Give them an insight into who you are as a person. Assuming you're not Jack the Ripper, it will make them far more likely to buy from you! 
​
If I’m looking to buy online from a local business or checking out their website for contact details – if I can’t see who I’m dealing with, personally I’m off your site and onto someone else's. I believe this is true for all businesses but is especially true for trades and service-led businesses.

What about you? Do you think this is important? Does your website tell your prospects who you are in an engaging and personal way?

​#marketingtips #businesstips #smallbusiness #sales

I hope you’ve all had a prosperous week? Mine certainly was with 2 very promising prospect meetings, 4 great client sessions, another successful Speed Networking session & 5 new members joined our fab LinkedIn breakfast group!
 
Plus... I managed to navigate the challenges of trying to hear people on Zoom, whilst working in my conservatory during torrential rain! Result!
 
Here are a few important things you may want to know...

​Time stealers are sneaky & often cleverly disguised as work, but add little to no value to your day or your business! They are everywhere! They will catch you on the phone, in meetings and through lack of planning - just to name a few.

Here are some of the top time stealers that may be impacting your business...

👉 The phone.
Allowing the phone to constantly interrupt you. Use your voicemail if you are in the middle of something.

👉 Doing too much at once.
Are you a multi-tasker? Stop it! Your brain will thank you as it really doesn't like multi-tasking! It can take 5-20 minutes to get back into the same groove after an interruption.

👉Talking too much!
Plan what you will say to clients and suppliers.

👉 Social media.
Yes, it's important but those are those tik tok videos really adding any value to your business?

👉 Running around like a blue as**d fly.
Otherwise known as a lack of planning and priorities!

👉 Getting bogged down in the detail.
As a business owner, only do what only you can do. Delegate, dump or outsource where possible.

What about you? What are your biggest time stealers?

​As a business coach, (as you would expect!), I passionately believe that every single one of us should have a coach, whether that is a business coach, management coach or life coach.

We all need someone to push us to be the best we can be, someone who will help us see the bigger picture, challenge us on our thinking and hold us accountable to our goals and actions.

I've worked with some pretty fantastic coaches and mentors over the years and there is no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't be as successful as I am without them.

For me, the best thing about being coached has been having an outside perspective. I think we are often too close to our businesses and teams to see the wood from the trees. And whilst it is not always my favourite thing, the accountability has made a huge impact! 😀

Have you ever worked with a coach or mentor? What was the best thing for you?

​I love a success story, especially one that is born out of trying to make the world a better place, which was why I was so moved by this story...

At the beginning of lockdown, Artist Mathew Burrows, like many of us was worried about his livelihood & his industry. But rather than sitting around having a pity party about it, he decided to do something about it.

His idea was to help artists sell their work by creating a culture of trust & generosity. - you post work on Instagram for no more than £200 & when you reach £1,000 of sales, you had to buy another artist’s work. The innovative concept has taken off on Instagram & generated more than £48m in sales since lockdown.

Wow. Just wow. Doesn't that just warm your heart? Think how many artists and their families could be on the breadline right now if he'd hadn't taken action on his idea?

So, bringing that back to business coaching...it got me thinking about how many of us have inspired ideas but fail to act on them because we're scared it wouldn't work. Or that we are too old, too young or not experienced enough.

Do you have any inspired ideas that you have not acted on? If so, get with a coach to breathe some life into them!

Or are you living the dream?

Are offline newsletters worth it?
​Most businesses who send newsletters send them via email, as it’s the most economic, fastest and easiest way to get your message in front of your prospects and clients regularly. 

But… while this can be beneficial, it not only leaves the offline audience untapped, but it also means you are just like everyone else. You do not ‘stand out from the crowd’ because EVERYONE is sending email newsletters. ​