EM Superhero

I find it a challenge to review any book given my background as an author, marketer and journalist of sorts.  It means that my review is based on more factors than say the average reader taking the information at face value. 

 When I received this book, what initially struck me was the clear and inviting layout.  It looked like a book with enough meaningful content to make an impact but not so much that it would deter a person from getting stuck into it.  What a business owner needs, especially in the current climate is access to clear, compelling and attractively laid out information, advice and tips that will help to propel their business forwards  - without the need for an MBA to decipher the messages. 

Emma Wimhurst’s book delivered on three counts:

1. You cannot dispute her impressive business credentials.  She built a business up from nothing to a £1 million turnover and sold it for a handsome profit.  She knows her stuff and she writes from this position of knowledge.  Her credibility shines through on every page.  And you sense that she wants to share as much with you as possible.
2.  Her advice is remarkably straightforward, to the point and incredibly useful.  If you find yourself reading this book and nodding your head, commenting that it’s all commonsense, in all likelihood, it’s because Emma makes it seem so straight forward by cutting out the jargon and the waffle.  Commonsense is an uncommon commodity.  It takes real experience and of course a significant lack of ego to present information in such a format that it looks startlingly simple.  It’s like reading a fantastic headline on an advert.  You wonder why you didn’t come up with it yourself. 
3.  Each chapter is self-contained.  So you can dip in and out of the book and use it as a handy reference guide.  I particularly liked the chapters on practical finance, customer commitment and business planning but I know from experience that each chapter will be useful for a business owner in need of accessible advice.  Emma also delivers precious little memorable nuggets throughout such as “all customers should feel they are your only customer at the point of delivery.” 

This is neither a superficial nor an intense read and I believe, having worked with thousands of small businesses in the last 26 years that Emma has filled a gap in the market place to deliver practical,  empowering and straightforward advice to business owners that are either starting out or that have become stuck.  I have neither met nor spoken to Emma, but the personality that comes through the book is one of a warm hearted, no-nonsense, practical, creative and very talented woman.  This in itself makes the book an enjoyable read.

BOOM!  Will definitely be a book that I recommend in blogs and business articles and at public speaking engagements.

Review by Dee Blick, Fellow of the Chartered Inst of Marketing, Chartered Marketer, award winning business author and journalist.  May 2010

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At last Election Day is nearly here.  Ever since Gordon Brown took over leadership of the Labour Party we have been expecting a General Election.   Voting day is tomorrow and yet I know there are so many people who haven’t made a decision about who they’re going to vote for.   In previous years, I haven’t really given much thought about my voting preference – I have just voted as I have always voted – but this time I must admit I have been extremely thorough  and I have been through the different parties manifestos with a fine tooth comb – my interest has probably been fuelled by the live debates over the last three weeks – interesting as they have been, I have actually found twitter to be more interesting – so read how different people read into a statement – some agree and some completely don’t agree!

I don’t think that there’s ever been a more crucial time to cast your opinion on the way that our country is run. The past few years of recession have pushed everyone to their individual limits and we need to see strong leadership to draw us through this recession which is crucial for the survival of so many small and medium businesses.

Voting is so important and it infuriates me every election to hear people reasoning why they shouldn’t vote saying “my vote doesn’t count” or “it won’t change anything.” If everyone thought like that no-one would vote at all and the whole system would fall apart. How do these people know that their vote is not the crucial one when counting up begins?       My mum told me that in the 1960s she was registered to vote in Brighton but was actually in Chichester in West Sussex for the Election Day – she wasn’t going to bother to make the 3 hour journey – my father insisted and they returned to her constituency – Kemp Town.   The party she voted for won by 2 votes (huge recounts were necessary!) – her vote really did make a difference.

Women and men in this country and all over the world have fought, and are still fighting for this liberty.

Research the different party manifestos – it doesn’t take that long and actually makes for an interesting read.   This is your chance to help implement change where you feel it needs it the most – fuel prices, VAT, interest rates, the NHS, education,  national insurance.  

If you care about the country we live in – then I urge you to cast your vote.

If you do – you are perfectly at rights to clap yourself on the back if good decisions are made or perfectly at rights to moan when you feel let down.

Remember no vote = no opinion.

See you on Thursday…

Hurrah – May is almost upon us with its two long weekend breaks. What have you got planned?  Do you have anything planned?    If you are anything like me it might be about now that you realise you have Monday off and if you work from home…… I implore you to make plans and take the day off.

I am incredibly energetic and actually find Monday’s to be an exciting time – I’m recharged from my weekend off and Monday is the start of another week of opportunities.   So for me there will be a few moments when I have to consciously tear my brain away from thoughts of work, but fortunately I’m sure my three engaging children will solve that problem for me. It just means working harder this week to ensure that I am able to take the extra day off without feeling guilty!

One thing that I am a firm believer in is taking time out to be you and relax. Whether you are a sole trader or run a company, if it’s just you at the top, the feelings of stress with constant management of staff and making sales….. all build up. If you’re exhausted, your work will reflect this lack lustre energy.

The old adage of work hard play hard applies here. Take some time off and you’ll be looking forward to going back to your job and the points on your to-do list will get done a lot faster.

Did you know that the Spanish people are twice as productive as English people due to their siesta afternoon nap break.  So why not spend your lunch break today making a few plans to look forward to this long weekend and leave the work in the office…

Take control and ensure that on Monday you are not shouting MAY DAY! MAY DAY! as an SOS – and that you are shouting it  with glee and delight that you have an extra day off to recharge your batteries!

Between now and the 6^th of May, we are going to be inundated with political messages from all of the major parties – the election campaigns have already sprung into action and every type of media outlet will be carrying a political message – and you won’t be able to avoid them – the newspapers, the radio, the TV and now of course social media.

Although the date was only announced yesterday, everyone has been planning for this event.  Every single message/interview/comment is part of a well-thought through plan which has been in the making for many months and probably even years.   However haphazard certain messages seem – rest assured, every single piece of action is being managed by a team – who are responsible for the execution of a carefully considered plan.

Regardless of the political persuasion there is a common objective by all parties and individuals of winning the election on 6 May 2010 and each party will have a plan of how they are going to gain supporters, who in turn will be fired up enough to take action and ensure that they win sufficient seats to have control of the country.

Every party will be approaching their entire campaign from a business point of view – perhaps they have even used my 7 Business Disciplines as a start point:

Strategic Vision – to run the country and be elected on 6 May 2010

Business Planning – a plan will be at the centre of everything they do – and every risk will have been considered, they will be constantly assessing the competition, and reviewing everything they do and the impact on their ratings

Marketing Management – each and every element of communication will be reviewed to see whether it has been effective – and it won’t be about the size of the budget but more about knowing their market

Practical Finance – improving the countries financial situation and ensuring that we make a “profit” or at the very least break-even should be at the heart of every party – how they communicate this will be key to winning

Team Building – having an effective leader is one thing – having a great team is another – ensuring that the right team is in place, pulling in the same direction, is actually the most valuable asset of each party.   There is no I in team.

Customer Commitment – this should be the start point of each political party – becoming totally tuned to their customer’s needs with constant review.    The successful parties should treat the electorate as a business asset – because without them, they simply can’t survive

Personal Development – the truly committed party, where they have a team of committed individuals will actually be putting their own personal ambitions to one side and focussing on the benefits they can bring to the country.   Considering the recent controversy about expense claims – the winning party will be the one who convinces the electorate that those days will never be repeated. Ever

As Business Owners we should watch and learn from ALL of the political parties over the forthcoming weeks – and I think it could be said, that the winning party will not necessarily be THE BEST they will simply have communicated it better and prompted more people to take action on the day.

Let us all learn!

If you would like to buy your own copy of my book BOOM! visit www.BOOMbusinessbook.co.uk

On Saturday afternoon I was on my way back from Stratford in Warwickshire, having spoken to the trustees and workers in the Jennifer Trust for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.   I was absolutely desperate for a cup of tea – I had been offered lunch, but the last thing you should do when speaking is eat at the same time – not a particularly good look!     On my way back I had decided against stopping at the two service stations on the way and opted instead to stop at a Little Chef in Oxfordshire.

I have visited Little Chef’s on quite a few occasions over the years but not in recent times  but as I had avidly watched the Heston Blumenthal TV show when he worked with Little Chef, I felt compelled to make a visit.

I stood at the entrance sign – and waited and waited and waited.  No one came.   So I walked in.  The restaurant was completely empty and I wondered whether it was actually open.   No!  The chef was reading the Saturday papers and eventually the waiter came out.   I must admit that the restaurant was very clean – but perhaps because there was little to do?   Anyway I chose a cup of tea and a tea cake.

It arrived – promptly – and with butter and jam.

I took my first bite and it was really hard.   Not warm, and soft and delicious!    The looks of my tea cake were deceiving…..  I wondered whether to bother complaining – and then I remembered that I should!  That Little Chef would value and appreciate my comments.  So I did.   Imagine my surprise, when the waiter admitted that everyone complained about the tea cakes.  They were always hard.   And although he would happily make me another one – they were all the same.    They arrived frozen – they had to be thawed and then toasted.   He made me some toast instead.     With a little prompting (although it didn’t take much) the waiter proceeded to tell me that Little Chef were only interested in profit.   They had reduced the size of the bread, that staffing levels were cut and that most people complained that the food was not good value considering the quality.

I asked whether these comments had been told to Head Office and he simply shrugged – what is the point?

Why am I writing this blog?

I suppose,  because it made me wonder about yet another iconic British brand which seems to have completely lost its way.   Where the focus on customers has been lost along and instead it is profit, profit, profit.   But don’t they realise – in the ivory tower of Little Chef – that without customers they won’t have a business?

I often say in my talks to business owners ,  “When was the last time you took your customers journey?    From the moment you start speaking to your customers through to the time they make a decision to purchase and beyond?…… Is it a walk in the park, on a beautiful sunny day, with ducks on the pond and a beautiful picnic or is it simply a hellish ride on the Northern Line tube at rush hour?

None of us should be complacent.

All of us have a choice about where we do business and with whom.   So do our customers.    A successful business takes time to understand their customers, listen to them and react when appropriate. On their website – www.little-chef.co.uk – there is mention of “Friends of Little Chef” – clearly someone, somewhere has decided that profitable customers are loyal ones – where they are treated with respect and feel valued.   But there is little point in undertaking such an initiative unless you are prepared to actually do something.

Regardless of how large or small a company is today – its inception was the result of someone’s passion. Running your own business when there might initially be a team of one – YOU – will require a lot of effort on your part. You will multi-task like never before. You’ll face challenges that perhaps when you were employed were shielded from you. You’ll need to learn how to take control of all aspects of your business, from the planning, finance, marketing, to the sales, promotion and customer care.

Successful entrepreneurs live, breathe and eat their business.

Do you have the Passion Factor?

• Passion in what you do?
• Passion in why you are doing it?
• Passion for being the best and willing to continually learn?
• Passion for working hard? (yet knowing when to kick back and recharge?)
• Passion for business and making money?
• Passion for people? (essential in customer service/client-facing industries!)
• Passion for service and customer care?
• Passion for moving on if something doesn’t work out rather than giving up?

Why is genuine passion such an important aspect of a successful business?

As business owners, we need to love the product or service we offer our customers. If we’re a bit flaky on the passion and our authenticity our customers will pick up on this and won’t emotionally or physically buy into what we are offering. If your goal for your entrepreneurial venture is simply to make money and you are not really caring how you do it, you will portray this in everything you do and quite simply, it will not work.

Nowadays, Customers are seeking “added value” before they make a purchase decision and by having an honest passion in what you do will increase your chances of securing a sale and getting repeat business. They will want to “buy” some of your passion by buying from you. Your genuine Passion Factor is what will help differentiate you and your business.

Why Passion for Learning?

You may well have a passion for your particular niche in the marketplace but this doesn’t immediately translate into being a successful Entrepreneur. There will be many essential areas which will require effort to learn and grasp. For example, you may not naturally be a Financier but don’t have a ‘head in the sand’ approach and rely on others to do this for you. Take time to learn – understand how to read monthly financial reports, understand your running costs and know where you are spending your money and above all, determine your own pricing structure – know your costs and your profit requirements. Also, learn about Marketing, you don’t need to know how to create a website, nor do you need to be able to design – but you do need to get into the minds of your customers and know what they want, what motivates them to purchase and understand what makes them tick. Use this information to brief the experts – but be knowledgeable yourself. Limit what you leave to chance.

Why Passion for Working Hard (yet knowing when to kick back)?

Quite simply, working for yourself will be totally time-consuming – not only in physical hours but in mental hours too. As soon as you are responsible for paying yourself you will realise that the buck stops with you. Suddenly everything matters. If you have passion of course, working hard will not be a hardship because you know that every effort you put in should and will reap rewards – from which you will benefit. Be prepared to work into the evenings and weekends – particularly initially when you are still learning the basics and you are still researching your market and refining your offering. If you think that you will begrudge this effort, you need to question and consider why you want to work for yourself. Hard work with balance is key. You will need your family’s support so involve them and don’t let them become resentful. Let them see what this business means to you so they can support you. Kick back time will recharge you and avoid burnout.

Why Passion for Success?

Regardless of why many of us start our own businesses, all of us have our interpretation of success and what that means to us. Success is not ‘one size fits all’. At the very start of considering running your own business, you need to be very clear on your reasons for taking this big step. You should write down all of your expectations and what success means to you (not what it means to your family/friends). Add a timescale against each of these expectations and of course, be realistic. You will need to refer to these “Success Criteria” throughout your journey – when the going gets tough, which it inevitably will. You will need a reminder of WHY you started this in the first place! Sometimes the criteria may change/evolve over time but it is these success criteria that will drive your passion – they are your real motivation for working for yourself.

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“Where do you score on the Passion Stakes” was number 2 in http://www.BizSugar.com/ top 10 posts!

I admit it. I’m a hotel snob. I have stayed in all sorts of hotels in my life – big ones, small ones, luxury ones, ever-so not luxury ones and quite frankly completely awful ones, 5*, no-star and so I feel quite experienced enough to announce my hotel snob status!

So what do I like? Small, personal (I like people to know my name), individually designed rooms and outstanding food and service, spotless bathrooms, no shower curtain, fluffy towels, comfortable beds (not too soft), a choice of pillows – oh my goodness, the list could go on…..

Last week I was needed in Birmingham for an event which started at 9am – so I had no choice but to stay over the night before.   I googled for hotels close to the venue – and top of the list was Premier Inn.    Exactly the sort of place I tend to avoid – however I recognised their vivid purple branding and recalled their advertising campaign with Lenny Henry.   I could visualise Lenny jumping backwards onto a soft, clean and inviting bed.  I remember his deep bath and a yellow plastic duck.    Having worked in marketing for many years, I knew that the hotel wouldn’t be exactly like this – but because of its proximity to the venue, I decided to give it a go.  My expectations were low.

We arrived quite late on Wednesday evening – it was easy to spot  – who could miss bright purple branding after all?   No, they didn’t know my name – but the receptionist was extremely friendly.   To my surprise, the room was exactly like the TV ad.   The beds did look inviting – with a choice of pillows and a duvet.    A good size bathroom with no sign of mildew or limescale.  I even felt I could walk on the carpet!

Premier Inn... or Premier Out?

Breakfast was good – freshly made porridge, huge selection of everything – cereals, muffins, croissants, teas, coffee, juice – and everything was freshly cooked.   And the restaurant was really busy.   All sorts of customers – a chap with his son who had stopped off on his way from watching Liverpool beat Tottenham,   suited sales executives,   families with and without children and us!

So what’s my point?

• Good, memorable advertising works.  It will generate awareness and should encourage ‘newbies’ to try your product/service.  Don’t be tempted to cut your marketing budgets – simply make sure that you are speaking to the right customers with the right message
• One-time customers are not profitable ones – in order to grow and develop your business, you need repeat, regular business.   And in order to achieve this, you need to “deliver” your advertising promise – in terms of product and quality and more
• Businesses are surviving and thriving – particularly those who are taking time to understand the needs of their customers and delivering.   Premier Inn understand exactly what is required – good quality hotel accommodation, good service and outstanding value

Premier Inn get 5* for the congruency in their advertising message and their product.   They delivered over and above my expectations and would I stay there again?   Yes, I would!

All businesses, regardless of what product they sell or what service they offer, have one thing in common: customers.   In order to be successful – to generate a turnover, customers are essential – and yet so many businesses today still have not grasped the very important fact, that customers really are king.   Customer-centric businesses offering bespoke products or services are doing well in spite of the current economic trading conditions.  Consider Apple;  Consider Dell – they both ensure that their customers get exactly what they want, on time, and to the specified budget.

WHY? It’s simple – they have invested time in understanding and getting to know their customers inside out – back to front – there is no stone unturned.   In fact, they know their customers so well, that they are able to anticipate what they are going to want – and let’s face it, this is extremely powerful information.

OKAY – we are not large, global organisations with unlimited budgets – but there are lots of things we can do to ensure that we understand and get to know our customers.   It doesn’t matter how large or how small your business is.

We can talk to our customers.   One very simple question which can be asked is –“Why do you buy from us?”  Imagine the knowledge you will have with the answer to this simple question.  Decision-making in all areas of your business will be so much easier – your marketing planning – not simply the message, but also to whom.  For a start you will understand whether it is your products or services which are superior, perhaps your pricing is better, perhaps pricing is not even a factor – it is simply because they like doing business with you.   Whatever the answer to this simple question – you will have powerful information – peculiar to you and your business.

Of course, knowing something is all well and good – you need to take action and use the information you have to make a positive impact on your business.

If you are finding that you have to consistently find new customers for your business – you need to find out why you are not gaining repeat business.  If you don’t know whether your customers are new or not – you really ought to!   It is far more expensive to attract new customers than it is to sell to existing customers – so this information is vital for success.

I leave you with this final thought – Do you know the journey your customers need to take to do business with you?     You need to know whether working with your business is a walk in the park on a beautiful sunny day – where the sun is shining, not a cloud in the sky, the picnic is lovely and the children are not arguing (!) – or whether it is a hellish ride on the Northern Line tube in rush-hour.

Do you know?

If you don’t – you need to find out – and fast….

I am hearing a lot about the word FOCUS at the moment – I use it myself! Focus on your business…. Focus on your objectives…. Focus on what you really enjoy….. Focus on your priorities. I am wondering whether I am just hearing the word a lot – because it is relevant to where I currently am, or whether everyone really is talking about it – because it is the beginning of a new year, a new decade?

The ability to be focussed on exactly what you want to achieve and being able to ignore distractions along the way is a significant achievement and is something we should all strive for.

My eldest son, William is a shining example of what “FOCUS” can achieve.

A couple of years ago, William started to play cricket at school. It was embarrassing. He was hopeless. He was picked as the last man for the 1st team as he is a “sporty” young lad, and perhaps he showed potential. Who knows? In the very first game of the season, the match was stopped whilst William was given a lesson on how to hold the bat. I hid behind my deckchair – mortified! When he came off the field, I could see in his eyes the determination to improve. That summer, I spent endless amounts of time, bowling a ball to him in our garden, so that he could improve his batting. I spent endless amounts of time, standing in front of his stumps, whilst he improved his bowling. The following season, he made the first team – and improved up the pecking order – no longer 11th man – perhaps mid-way…. He continued to practice and he continued to improve. About 12 months ago, he announced he was aiming to be selected for the South Dorset Cricket Team for 2010 – a tall order from someone who clearly had “room for improvement”.

William was unswerving with his focus. He practiced. He joined a local team. He played through the winter and remained committed and focused on his one goal.

Yesterday we received a letter, confirming William had been chosen to be part of the squad for South Dorset. I was jumping for joy. My son had achieved his goal – all because he chose to focus on it without being too distracted by his other passions (for your information – football and his X Box!).

I was reminded of the quote by Somerset Maughan:  “It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you’ll very often get it”

Let us all learn from William.

• FOCUS on our end goals
• DEFINE your priorities
• AVOID distractions
• REFUSE to fail

I don’t know about you but I have had to really focus to gain any sort of excitement for the year ahead let alone the next decade.   I feel a real fraud writing this for everyone to read as so many people refer to me for inspiration and motivation and yet, this last week has been really difficult for me.   I can’t explain or provide any reason why it has take me longer than usual to be positive, motivated and fired up about 2010.     Reading  Twitter and all of the positive 140 character tweets delivered by those I follow have actually made me less enthusiastic.   As everyone around me appears to be so positive – why have I felt so different?

I feel even more of a fraud, because in my book BOOM! 7 Disciplines to control, grow and add impact to your business – I extol the virtues of having a strategic vision for your business – and I truly and wholeheartedly agree with my statement.  This vision not only provides direction and focus  – it should also be so positive and motivating that on those “bad days”, there is something to refer to – to remind you why you are doing what you are doing.     And of course, to know that you have achieved – you need to establish desired outcomes/goals etc.      So I truly understand the importance and value of establishing goals – achievement is far more likely when you know what you are aiming for.

Why, then, have I found it so difficult to set any goals for the next 10 years, or indeed 1 year?   I know that the New Year/New Decade is an ideal time to set down some clear goals – both short term and long term – and yet reading and hearing about this everywhere – and I mean everywhere – the media, social media sites, the TV – I have felt a bit of a failure.   I haven’t been able to focus on any sort of goals – up until yesterday.

I am writing this blog, because I want everyone who is struggling with feeling positive about the start of another 10 years to know that they are not the only ones on this planet who is perhaps lacking direction.    We are all human.      But what has changed in the last couple of days – why have I been able to start to get excited – how have I managed to focus on everything exciting which is just around the corner?    More importantly what can you do to establish some sort of focus in your life – albeit short term or indeed long term?

I was asked the simple question – What have you achieved in the last 10 years?   It was by reviewing the last 10 years which has made me recognise just how much is possible in the next 10 years!   In the last 10 years, I set up my business, sold my business, married my husband, had two more children – taking my family to three, moved house several times and started a new career as a speaker/mentor and of course written a book!   Just even considering this, has made me realise that the next ten years can be just as exciting – and what I want to achieve is basically down to me.     All of our achievements are different but are as equally as important – I asked the same question, to a friend of mine, who simply replied, I have achieved contentment. What a wonderful achievement.   It was her answer, which made me realise that anything is possible.

Even so , I still wasn’t quite ready to be excited about 2010 and the next decade – I still felt a fraud – I kept telling myself that others expected me to be positive, focussed and motivated and to have clear goals in place, and I still wasn’t able to do this.   Then I remembered a part of my book, (Business Discipline No.7- Personal Motivation) which reminded me that we can’t always be highly motivated.    I say in all my talks, that perhaps the hardest part of running your own business, is to maintain personal motivation and that in fact it is sometimes the hardest part to do.    It is also the one part which you can’t “outsource” such as accountancy, design, HR or indeed marketing – you need to find it for yourself.   When I accepted that I couldn’t always be this highly motivated person, and indeed gave myself permission to not be as expected, I started to feel better about everything!

So what have I done?

What can you do?

1. Write down your key achievements for the last 10 years – be honest and true – these are for no-one but you – so no need to exaggerate or overstate – simply be honest.
2. Consider how you felt at the beginning of 2000 – did you really believe that you would achieve everything you have?
3. Write down what you would like to achieve in the next 10 years – don’t put up barriers as you write these things down – simply write down what you would like to do.   Remember – these are just for you – so no need to consider anyone else and their reaction.
4. Take the most important elements and consider them as an end destination for a journey (in this case, a 10 year journey).  Consider the most appropriate journey you would like to take to get to this end destination.   There are always many ways to arrive at a destination – even from London to Cambridge, you can walk, drive, take a train, take a coach,  fly, go by river and even go via Lands End if you wanted – none of them are wrong;   you need to find the right route for you.
5. Now consider the stop-over points on your journey – where you may take a rest, review your journey so far, reconsider where you are heading – and these become your smaller stepping stones – your shorter term goals.

Really focussing on the above 5 steps, has helped me get excited – particularly about my final destination and my first stop-over.   I must admit I haven’t defined all of my stop-over points yet, but there is no need I know where I am going – I can review my 2^nd stop-over when I have arrived at the first!    It has suddenly all made sense again……   Establishing Goals/Outcomes really do work – but only when they are yours – and they come from within…

I have done these 5 steps for my personal life and my business life and I truly suggest that you do the same.

I was worried for a while – I can tell you.    Lack of motivation, no enthusiasm and no direction is not a good starting place for anyone let alone a Motivational Speaker/Small Business Expert. I am sharing this with you because it is important to know that everyone is human and if you are truly lacking direction and don’t know where to begin – this blog, may just help you.