Anyone that follows this blog will also likely have seen my profiles on Linkedin, Facebook or Twitter. Although I wouldn’t call myself a prolific user of social media, I engage with it fairly regularly, in addition to my work on this blog. The longer I’ve been on the platforms, the more connections I’ve made. Most, […]
One of the biggest challenges that small businesses face is getting in front of their customers. Last week, I was chatting to a contact who was interested in my public speaking experience and wanted to know how I’d made a success of it. The truth is that it was entirely word of mouth contacts! Despite
Today, I want to share a personal story with you. I was travelling to Nottingham last month and was getting on the train when I came across a young Mother and her two kids struggling with their luggage. Noticing that she was struggling with her case, I gave her a hand to get it onto
Welcome to Part 4 of my ‘How to Build a Website’ series. In this article, I’ll be talking about how to handle challenges and re-programming a schedule to keep things on target when things get challenging. If you’re only just joining us, I’d recommend reading Part 1, where we launched our website project, Part 2,
Build a Website Series: 4. Re-programming for success Read More »
In Part 3 of my ‘How to Build a Website’ series, I’m going to be talking about wire framing, what it is and why it’s important. If you’re only just joining us, I’d recommend going back and reading Part 1 where we launch our project, and Part 2, where we cover the importance of defining
“The only certain thing about the future is uncertainty” Ever since I lost my parents, I’ve embraced my lack of control over much of the world. When we’re young, we feel an almost limitless sense of certainty, but the truth is the world is random and uncertain. Because of this, I put a great deal
Several weeks ago, I wrote about the work I’m doing on a website rebuild, and promised to use the work as a case study which could provide some insight to the way I carry out website builds. The last article in the series covered my work around auditing content, how I was carrying out the
I was once asked in an interview what my greatest career skill was – and I answered that I believed it was the ability to communicate, clearly and effectively, to people at multiple levels of a business. I believe I first learned the power of effective communication shortly after my Father died, when I began
Several weeks ago, I was commissioned on the build of a new website for a client. Their existing site is huge, spanning multiple service offerings, but with extraordinarily variable copy. As one would expect, the largest segment of the business has well-developed case studies and brochures, with glossy pictures and video content, but the smaller
Those of you that follow me on social media might have noticed a few patterns over the last twelve months as I tried various tactics to grow my following. Some of these have been more successful than others, so I decided to carry out a quick review of the plan to determine whether I’m likely
I’ve been responsible for multiple freelancers in my career. Some were engaged directly by me, others were engaged by the company I worked for, but all reported directly to me. I’ve often heard people singing the virtues of hiring freelancers – they’re cheaper, they’re experts, they’re dedicated. In some situations, hiring freelancers makes total sense,
I’ve written before about the importance of seeking feedback, but what about providing it? Thanks to my work with Toastmasters International and the projects I’ve run with freelancers, I’ve recognised the importance of being able to provide good quality, useful feedback. There are countless ways to provide feedback, but it all starts with being clear
A friend recently came to me enquiring about their personal brand and what they could do to develop it. I must admit; I’m not an expert. Sure, I have accounts with Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Facebook; I run my own blog and try to attend networking events when I can, but I’m still trying to
Several years ago, I was asked to help a friend prepare for a sensitive negotiation and found myself perplexed by their mental state. Under most circumstances, I try to remain calm and focused on achieving the best possible outcome – rarely more so than in negotiations. Staying calm, well rested and focused helps me to
Teamwork is an activity that used to fill me with dread at University. From the students that couldn’t be bothered to the ones that couldn’t speak English – I think we’ve all had enough experience of team players being more of a burden than an asset. Despite this, I’ve always been a big believer in people.
