Motivation

How do you motivate yourself or others? Is it with direct rewards - bonuses, prizes, gifts? Did your parents pay you for every grade A you got at O Level or GCSE? Did you get a new bike for passing your 11 plus?

Motivation needs to come from within. A job well done, being the best you can be, not having that uncomfortable guilt when you have cheated or got by through luck alone - those are the true motivators that will carry you through adversity and self-employment.

The child who studies hard to earn a £50 payment for an A grade will not understand that. They are not interested in doing the best they can, they are interested in the cash at the end. When they are put in a situation where there is no external carrot urging them on, what will they do? They may well gain the grade A, but in the long term the skills of self-motivation are worth far more.

If you rely on external rewards - either material or through recognition - you will struggle to motivate yourself through the challenges of self employment. The days when every phone call leads to a knock back...the days when you absolutely have to catch up on your book keeping...the days when everyone else is at a barbecue but you have a client proposal to finish...

Nobody else is going to give you a prize or a bonus for going the extra mile. The prize is your flourishing business, your returning clients and your pride in a job done well.

10 reasons to advertise in Fun Under Five

1. Fun Under Five is the only publication across Hertfordshire listing just activities for under 5's. This means that families can be confident that everything in it is available to their child, unlike other publications where the majority of ads are for old children.

2. Fun Under Five has a unique listing format which is designed to give families the maximum amount of information about your activity in a neat format. This means that they don't need to phone you to find out they aren't available on the day your class runs - when they call you they are more than likely going to book.

3. Fun Under Five lists activities geographically. Families are able to look at just the listings in their area, meaning you are more likely to be found.

4. Fun Under Five lists activities by category, such as Dance, Creative etc. Families can easily identify what you do, whether they are searching for a specific activity type, or looking for inspiration.

5. Fun Under Five is not a franchise. I created Fun Under Five, I decide how things look and how things work! Not only is that good for my ego, it means I can discuss with you your specific marketing needs and adapt your listing to suit you. I can create new listing categories as required.

6. Every listing in the printed directory gives you 12 months on our website free. You can update the website as often as you like during the year, keeping your details accurate and up to date.

7. You don't need to create artwork. Fun Under Five's listing format means we take your raw information and put it to work! You save money and time because you aren't paying a designer or trying to put something together yourself.

8. Fun Under Five has a small format, so parents can pin it to a noticeboard or carry it in a handbag. It isn't a "read-once & recycle" publication.

9. Fun Under Five is cost-effective. A single listing costs just £50, with discounts for multiple bookings. For many of my advertisers, the listing is paid for if they get just one new customer - and if that customer stays for more than one term, then you are in profit!

10. Most advertisers stay with me for 4 issues or even more - they wouldn't do that if it didn't work!

The next issue comes out in a couple of weeks - there's just enough time to book a listing! Contact me before Friday and get your summer holiday & autumn term activities fully booked!

The gingerbread man - a business parable

Reading to my 3 year old daughter last night, it struck me that the story of the Gingerbread Man has a big lesson to teach business people.

Remember the story? He jumps out of the oven and runs off with everyone chasing him. He's really proud of himself, singing

Run, run as fast as you can,
You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!

He is ahead of all those chasing him, until the fox outwits him and gobbles him up.

Isn't the Gingerbread Man like the clever businessperson who launches an idea and has a roaring success on their hands? Life is great, all the competitors are trying to catch up and it feels like nobody else is as clever or talented as they are.

The Gingerbread Man doesn't foresee that anyone could be cleverer than he is. All he can see is the gap between him and the chasing pack. When the fox flatters him and offers to help him, he cannot even imagine that the fox could be his undoing.

Like a business that has led the market, the Gingerbread Man forgets that if he is clever, so can somebody else can be too. The fox is the new kid on the block - or maybe even an old hand who has bided their time and now is ready to move in. And because the Gingerbread Man is intoxicated with his success, he is entirely blind to the threat. It's as if he can't even imagine the possibility that he won't always be the leader.

Gulp!

The Gingerbread Man is gone. Don't let your business be swallowed by the clever fox. Be proud of your success - but don't let it blind you to the threats that may be around you!

Business Entertainment Challenge

When you are looking to plan a business social event, or client entertainment, what comes to mind? My guess is that it depends on whether you are a man or a woman.

The classic event is a golf day. Throughout my corporate life I have seen these events take place with little thought for the messages they send out. Let's look at the facts:

1. Golf remains an elitist activity. To become any good, you have to invest a lot of time and money. If you aren't any good, most of the courses where these events are held won't let you play, so you are excluded from the event.

2. Golf is, historically, a man's game. I'm not denying that many women do play, but they remain in the minority.

If you run a golf day, who are you excluding? Your key client or contact who doesn't play for whatever reason. And how do you make them feel? Like an outsider, like someone who isn't part of the establishment and whose business and personal advancement is at a disadvantage? And how does that promote your business relationship?

The trouble is, what else is there? Many events aimed at women will be pamper or spa days, but this is also stereotyping. There is an urgent need for inclusive events that engage men and women equally, that do not exclude people based on their background or experience.

So, let's generate some ideas!

Networking week!

This week I have been to 3 different types of business networking event and met lots of interesting people. I thought a brief overview of the different kinds of events might be useful for those of you thinking you should take the plunge (and you really should!)

The first event was the resurrection of the 1st Tuesday evenings of the local branch of the Federation of Small Businesses. Held at a country pub/hotel in a function room, there were about 30m business people there. The format was informal, with it left up to you to dive in and network over a drink and buffet. If you are new to networking, this could be pretty intimidating - a bit like Fresher's Week at university! Luckily the branch committee are aware of this and made a point of introducing people to others that they had something in common with.

I got talking to two lovely ladies - Melanie and Jane. As we are run businesses that complement each other, I hope we will be meeting again very soon. That's what networking is about, for me. Not sales, sales, sales, but the amazing alliances that can grow from informal conversations.

The second event was 4Networking Stevenage's breakfast. I am not an impartial judge of this one, as I am a member and help to run this group. I joined because of the energy and openness of the network members, as well as the lack of stuffy rules of the organisation as a whole. Whilst there is a meeting structure, it is designed to be flexible and not restrictive. I have found my membership to be inspiring, profitable, sociable and motivating. Not bad, really!

The final networking activity of the week was a coffee meeting of the St Albans branch of Women in Business Network. Unfortunately I only arrived for the last half hour (various small incidents delayed me) so I can't really give a full review. It was an informal session over coffee in a pub/hotel. The group were very friendly and I had a very interesting chat with Kasia. Again, I can see collaborations being good for us both.

If you run or promote a business, then you really should be networking. You'll find support, suppliers, alliances, allies, friendship, fun - and maybe even customers! But don't make find new customers your sole goal, or you'll lose out on everything else.

Fun Under Five News

Today I took delivery of the Spring 2009 issue of the printed directory of Fun Under Five. Having changed printers, I am extremely pleased with how it has turned out, and we will be distrubuting it to libraries, toddler groups and other venues across Hertfordshire ove rthe next week. Look out for it!

The new Across Hertfordshire section is growing in popularity as clients that had classes in just one area when we started 3 years ago have grown until they cover a large part of the county. We introduced the section last issue in response to client feedback. As a completely independent publication, we are able to innovate without getting clearance from a parent company, so we can continue to develop Fun Under Five to work hard for our advertisers.

The web listings are being uploaded as I write, and the updated site is already drawing more and more visits. The search engines are ranking us highly for so many searches now, so our hard work is paying off. Our ambition has always been to be the first choice reference point for activities for children under five in Hertfordshire, and thereby support the businesses across the area offering them. I am very proud of what we have achieved from nothing. Our unique format really does work.

If you know someone with young children in the area, let them know about the site if they haven't found it already - you'll be doing them a favour!

More business mistakes

Some experiences this week have made me question the basic abilities of many business managers to get the basics right, so here are some more of my tips.

1. Answer the phone
Why would you not at least have a voicemail message? If you are a small business (as I am), then you can't always get to the phone, but a professional message and a prompt call back can work. Alternatives may be to forward your landline to your mobile, although this means having to remember to do it every time, or using a virtual assistant service to ensure a professional image at all times. I can recommend a couple of companies if you need pointing in the right direction.

2. When you call back, remember this is potentially a sale
Don't ask "Who are you, I had a missed call from you" because it sounds like you are suspicious and not used to customers calling you. Work out your own script, but make sure you sound like you are ready to do business and welcome the call!

3. Websites need information
I know it can be a pain to update things when they change, but you really have to do it. Websites aren't a static advert like a magazine, people want to see more than just a generic description. products, prices, offers - get them on there! I'm looking at lots of printers' sites at the moment to compare costs, and the ones that give no indication of pricing will not be getting a call from me. If you need an easily updatable site, try these people (I know the consultant for this area, and he's very helpful)

4. Information should be accessible
Don't make people register in order to see basic information. Registration is for people who are serious about finding out details or communicating further. If you won't show me what you do without me telling you my Grandmother's eye colour, I'm not interested. The web is so much about broad brush research, why eliminate yourself from a shortlist by making site visitors jump through hoops?

5. Proofread
Please. Especially if you are a media, marketing or publishing company. Otherwise you might as well stay in bed tomorrow.

6. Measure results & think about what they mean
Let's say you decide to reduce the price of your widgets from £1 to 50p. After a week you say "Whooppee! We have sold twice as many widgets as normal!" But you had to process twice as many sales, for the same amount of revenue. Fine if you just wanted to shift excess stock, but if you wanted to increase income - you didn't achieve your goal.

I'm no high-flying guru, but I have worked in enough businesses to see the basic mistakes that get made when people are focussed on other things. That is why it often makes good business sense to outsource the areas in which you are not expert.

Simple Customer Service Lessons

1. Listen to the customer. Most will tell you what they want from you, leaving you the simple task of just doing it. 9 times out of 10 this will lead to a reasonable level of customer satisfaction all on it's own. Many companies fail at this first hurdle.

2. If you can't do what you have said you will do - communicate with the customer. Most people are reasonable and know that things go wrong. But don't wait for the customer to discover the problem for themselves, or to have to chase you up to see where the promised item is. Are you scared to tell your customer bad news? You could be making things worse.

3. It is always better to underpromise and overdeliver. It is a cliche, but delighting your customer relies on going some way further than the expected. Customers are increasingly demanding, but creative thought can still lead you to exceed their expectations. Doing the bare minimum is no way to beat your competitors.

4. Never criticise your customer. It does not matter if they gave you a duff brief, if they changed their minds or if they wouldn't know quality if it bit them on the nose. Flatter them and they'll love you. If you feel the need to blame them for a mistake or a misunderstanding, ask yourself how you could have avoided the situation. Perhaps you didn't ask them enough questions when they told you what they needed. If you make them feel attacked, they certainly won't feel valued.

These four lessons are so simple, I'm sure that you feel they weren't worth stating again. But do you know what? I frequently have dealings with businesses that forget any number of them. Ask yourself whether you and your staff always remember them. The answer could keep your customers coming back.