A business is comparable to a romantic affair and growing your business is not always straight forward.  The start may be a little difficult, with you feeling out the various responses of the market to your product.  Once you get accustomed to the processes as well as the formulas to attract customers, operations will become smoother, like the blossoming of a relationship.  If tended well, your profits will grow exponentially, paving the way for commercial success.  Easier said than done, right? Things shouldn’t be too hard if you follow these tips.

Focus on Your Target Market

• Your target market is composed of individuals who will show particular interest in your product, based on the demographics and trends.  You need to understand their needs in order to grow your business.
• These people will go out of their way to purchase what you’re offering, so grabbing their attention is essential.  Remember, a product with an uncertain target would likely confuse consumers, which won’t equate to sales, no matter how promising it is.
• For you to tap your target market, you should always be updated with the trends on the market.  You can make the necessary modifications in your promotional strategies, so your targeted consumers can relate to your product even further and this is how your business starts to grow.
• When they clearly define how your product figures in their daily lives, expect a boost in sales pretty soon.  You can then create similar items versatile enough to capture other markets and leveraging new markets is another way to grow your business, customer base and indeed profits..

Explore Various Avenues for Marketing Your Product

TV and print ads are the usual avenues for promoting your company.  Now, with the inception of the internet in our daily lives, online marketing becomes a necessity, especially for products or services catering to young consumers.    In order to get new customers, you need to get your business in front of as many of your target market as possible otherwise how can you possibly expect to grow your business.

Remember, millions of people log on to the internet and spend several hours there daily.  Online marketing can make them aware of your product, given their internet usage, creating a much needed buzz which propels your company above the competition.  Here are several means of online marketing:

•    Website

•    Social networking account

•    Banner ads

•    Blog

•    Search engine optimisation

Apart from online marketing, there are also other ways to promote your company.  You can utilise corporate giveaways, viral marketing, “branded” shirts and other means that are appropriate for both your product and target market.

Educational Investment to grow your business

Learning the varying strategies of highly successful entrepreneurs could spell the difference for your company’s financial success.  Fortunately, there are numerous avenues where you can secure tips, courses and learning exercises.

Business coaching comes as the most ideal form of business education, since instructors can centre on your needs and improve on your company’s processes.  Forms of coaching are business workshops, business courses and online courses.  The programmes are well-structured, catering to entrepreneurs of different knowledge and skill levels.  Their aim is to grow your business into a bustling organisation.

Another form of education is by reading business publications.  Business books tackle the cultivation of ideas, eventually turning them into successful ventures.  In reading them, you will notice the determination of each of the authors in pursuing their business ideas and believing in them.  As you can see, they offer both education and inspiration and what better way to grow your business than through self improvement and learning.

Find out more about how Steps to Success can help you grow your business.

Tags: business growth, grow your business
Filed under: articles

I’m in the middle of moving offices and I’m swinging from one extreme emotion to the next. The excitement of a long awaited new space with fantastic facilities keeps me in buoyant mood, whilst the organisation required to orchestrate the move would make the Olympic Games look like a picnic and has me breathing into a brown paper bag to keep the panic at bay.

When I was young moving house was such an exciting event, I obviously didn’t have any comprehension of the stress my parents were under during the whole process. It was new, it was fresh, it was an adventure. When did change turn into stress, when did something different become a negative? Why do ‘grown ups’ feel that change is to be dreaded rather than embraced?

We lose that childish quality of excitement over new things because the reality of the situation is evident to us. But is that reality what we think is going to happen or what actually does happen? So often our judgements are clouded by our own limiting beliefs.

So, what have you been resisting because it means you have to change? Is it a fantastic opportunity in your business that brings you out of your comfort zone? Or maybe you are in a fur lined rut and are too cosy to get out of it but know in your heart it really is time to take that leap. Rediscover your inner child and relish the change, don’t dwell on the negative just focus on the positive and you will make the change for the better. If you need help making that change or simply someone to guide you as you take that leap then give me a call. I will have moved into my office by the end of the week and it will be fantastic!

Tags: change, fear, move, moving, opportunity
Filed under: Business, Success

We’re all going on a summer holiday… and it seems so are the rest of the world too.  It is a time of year when so many business owners acknowledge that turnover will be less in August because of the holiday season. For some the quiet time can be used to have shorter working days and enjoy the period to have their annual holiday too but for many this period of quietness can be a worrying time.

So is it inevitable that profits are down in August? It is all too easy to accept the fact that historically August is quiet but does it have to be that way? Try to look objectively at your business and think about what you can do to make this month more profitable.

If you work with schools don’t assume they are shut for the whole month. Quite often they only close for the two middle weeks and members of staff are available to talk to without the chaos of a usual school day. If you anticipate a quiet time in August is it worth setting up a marketing campaign in July ready to roll in August and so head off the dip. Or is there another product you could test out in August to add income from an area not previously utilised? At the risk of overusing a phrase you need to think outside of the box.

At the very least you can use the time to review where your business is going and maybe contact a local business coach to help you move your business in the right direction, so that you decide when your quiet period is rather than have it historically forced upon you.

And when you are in control of your business you get to have that summer holiday in any month that suits you.

Tags: attitude, Business, holidays, manage, positive thinking, Success, successful business, summer
Filed under: Business, Success

Risk takers and innovators have a distinct advantage in the professional world, since they can venture out of the financial rat race. Instead of relying on superiors for their finances, they can pursue their ideas in creating a business.  However, before they can enforce their best laid plans, planning and organisation are of utmost importance.  Hiring a business coach comes as the logical first step.   Here we talk about the different ways you can find a business coach in and around the Essex area.

Business Coaching Tips

• Some websites, apart from offering business coaching, give out free tips to people who sign up.  These sets of guidelines and strategies help you realign your business with your mission/vision as well as centering your marketing plans toward your target market, among others.
• If you don’t have the finances to currently enroll in a one to one programme, you can settle for the free tips for now.  Reading through each of them will give you a good idea on not only how to set up your own firm, but also the feasibility of your business venture.
• Getting comprehensive business coaching is ideal, so you would thoroughly understand the logic behind each tip, joining a group coaching session such as The Business Forum is a good way to get all the benefits of coaching without all of the costs.

Business Coaching Workshops

For some, the classroom setup is still the best way to procure knowledge and skill.  Essex has quite a number of coaching firms, which hold workshops for business.  At Steps to Success we can give you advice at to which coaching is best for your business and we can out you in touch with the right solution for you.  Lectures about all the important business concepts are provided.  After which, strategies to attract more customers are given.  Tests are then provided to check how much knowledge you have absorbed and if you can apply them in real-life situations.

Workshops hold multiple sessions, since business is a pretty broad subject.  Some concepts require mastery before you can get ahead of the competition and it would take several run-throughs as well as supplemental readings to fully utilise them, but once you do, browsing through your company’s financial statements feels rewarding.  After all, your coaches are well-versed in the field.

Business Publications

If workshops and online programmes are your coaches, business publications come as your personal tutors.  Books written by the best business coaches provide a buffet of solutions to every aspiring businessman’s dilemmas.  Don’t settle for just one book.  Reading a slew of business publications gives you several angles on how to achieve financial success.  At The Business Forum, we hold a complete library of business books that you can borrow and read at your leisure.

Find out more about how business coaching can help you grow your business and become a success.

Tags: Business, business coach essex, business coaching, business coaching essex
Filed under: Uncategorized, articles

How has your month been so far? Was the weather an incentive to get out and generate more work, or were you too hot to be bothered? Are you one of these people who can find a silver lining in almost anything, or never happier than when you are having a good moan about something?

Well don’t forget the Business Forum is all about changing your attitude to a continual positive outlook. It takes a bit of practice at first but once you have mastered it your life really does become so much easier. A small example from my life this week;

On Wednesday I had to leave a meeting half way through because I could feel a migraine descending. I didn’t even get to eat my lunch!! I didn’t even say goodbye, I just asked my second in command if she could take over and I fled, knowing that I only had 30 minutes before I would be immobile from my throbbing head and nausea. I felt rude leaving in such a way, the manners that were drummed into me as a child were screaming to apologise as I left but my head was screaming louder. I made it home in time. What was the positive to come out of such a disruption to my day? It would have been so easy to look at the negative, initially I could have counted the cost of losing potential business, I could have bemoaned the wasted time and petrol going home when I didn’t need to but for the migraine, I could have felt sorry for myself – it really, really hurt . But I decided to leave those feeling to one side. The fact was I didn’t have a choice, I had to leave the meeting so there was no point living on ‘what if’s’ or poor me.

SO, what was the silver lining? The next day on opening my emails I had several from those who had attended the meeting and were disappointed I had left. They were asking after my health and giving me little insights into the meeting that I might not have seen had I stayed the whole way through. I was even given a testimonial on my service to the group. Their emails made me feel valued and appreciated. I always endeavour to build relationships and support my clients and it was lovely to have that support reciprocated. Without my migraine I never would have found out.

I always try to keep my cup half full. The sun has been very warm but you won’t hear me moaning about it

Tags: attitude, positive, positive thinking, relationships, Success, successful business, successful people
Filed under: Business, Success, Uncategorized

All belong to the lady upstairs…  Did your mother ever roll out this expression when she was trying to impress the importance of manners to you when you were young? Maybe it was just me (and if you know of the origin I would love to hear from you) but I had it drummed into me as a child that you had to ‘mind your manners’ always be polite and keep to certain standards that today can seem somewhat lacking. That is why I found it so refreshing to read this week that David Cameron had left a thank you note to the staff at Chequers to acknowledge his appreciation of their service. It is a bit sad that this made the newspapers, shouldn’t it be the norm? Apparently his predecessor barely acknowledged their existence let alone said thank you.

When was the last time you said thank you? Among friends it is probably more common to drop a card round to say thank you for the birthday gift, or a nice evening but in business do we ever formally write to say thank you?

By remembering your manners in business it turns out to be a win/win situation. If you write a testimonial (or thank you letter) it has several knock on effects:

1. the person who receives it is pleased because:

• they did a good job
• they can show others that they did a good job
• they are likely to get repeat business as they have a satisfied customer
• they have the feel good factor – who doesn’t like reading great comments about their company

2. the third person who reads it is pleased because:

• they have confirmation that the person they are about to do business with has done a good job for others
• their risk is therefore minimised by taking on a new supplier

3. the person who writes it is pleased because:

• they received some good work
• they are advertising their brand – always write it on your headed notepaper
• the person you are writing to may feel inclined to reciprocate the kindness

And finally people like me who believe manners are an important part of society and are what makes the world go round will think you are a lovely person because you took the time to write, and therefore might consider doing business with you too. I know I have a more favourable view of David Cameron because he took time out (and no one can deny he must be a pretty busy man) to thank those who make his life easier. What might it do for your business? Let me know what you think.

Filed under: Uncategorized

Is it the funnel, or the numbers game? Were you taught how to ‘do’ sales or have you been told you have the ‘gift of the gab’?
In reality all sales is about problem solving. Finding out what problem a person has and then solving that problem.  The best way to do this is revert to your inner child and keep asking ‘why’.

When you were 4 you would constantly badger your parents about why you couldn’t do something and you continually came up with ideas why you could. Eventually, although not always they would succumb to your questions when they could no longer disagree with your 4 year old logic. Being a child makes life so much simpler.

As an adult we don’t need to badger our prospective clients but we still need to ask why. We need to understand the problem, the real problem not just the one they initially present. And the only way we can do that is to ask questions and more importantly listen.
That is all there is to sales – ask the right questions and listen to the answers to solve the problems.

It only gets complicated when you use the model that doesn’t suit you, doesn’t fit right, isn’t you. You need to understand why it is important to build rapport with a client and create a relationship that will encourage trust between you and then you can focus on understanding   what they want.

It is rarely what they need in this 21st century, it is all about the want.

Paul Wearmouth is talking about building rapport and creating the right relationship at The Business Forum on 28th July at Chingford. Contact me for more details.

Tags: Business, rapport, relationships, sales, sales model, successful business
Filed under: Business, Success

Essex, one of England’s populous regions, is home to quite a number of bustling industries.  As an aspiring businessman, you have every opportunity to make money, given the county’s sizable customer base.  You should just centre your products and services to your targeted market segments.  However, along the way, you will encounter a slew of necessary procedures as well as the customer-grabbing tactics of competitors.  To get by, getting business advice from coaching firms is necessary.

Business Coaching Workshops

• Business Coaching Workshops offer a comprehensive view on the world of business.  The lectures and exercises are based on the numerous business concepts, which will be discussed in detail by highly qualified instructor and speakers.   The Business Forum in Essex is an ideal way to get group coaching for your business.
• A workshop’s programmes are properly segregated.  So each month a different topic is covered.  Every type of business whether brand new or experienced can benefit from group coaching.
• Programmes run throughout the Essex region and tackle the basics, including discussions about building a mission statement and identifying your target market.  Setting up the business and how to run it properly.  Formulation and application of the perfect business strategies to get ahead of the competition.   In fact at The Business Forum in Essex we touch on a wide range of business topics all within a group coaching environment.
• A programme never really ends as there is always more to learn, but with The Business Forum there is no obligation to attend for a specific period.  You join up and go to meetings for as long as your business needs it.

Online Business Programmes

For those not quite ready to commit to monthly coaching sessions, Essex is home to a lot of websites which offer courses for business.  Online programmes can offer convenience, since you don’t have to leave your home or office to learn and apply multitudes of business theories and strategies.  If you take the course religiously, not only will you know how to start your business, you will also have a good idea on how to become an industry leader.  Milestones are provided, so you can monitor your progress through the programme and feel like you really have received great business advice.

Some websites, apart from offering business courses, also give out free tips.  They are quite comprehensive, as they touch on marketing, business planning, strategising and how to improve your workflow.  In truth, those guides are embodied by many of today’s leading professionals in the way they do business.

This is a good way to start off before diving into Business Coaching in a one on one or group situation.  If you need any advice about which form of coaching would be right for your business, Gill is always happy to give advice and is conveniently located in Essex so easily accessible.  Simply give her a call on 01279 431398.

Business Blogs can be a great source of advice

Business blogs are a great source of business advice and are authored by successful entrepreneurs who have made their mark in their respective industries.  They offer free advice, lectures and tips to readers on how to establish businesses out of good ideas.  Apart from such, blogs that centre on the basics will teach you how to create business plans as well as necessary computations, like the ROI or the preparation of financial statements.

Reading through a variety of business blogs will give you enough information about the basics of business and the current market in Essex.  However, signing up for either a business coaching workshop or an online business course is still advisable, since their take on the subject is very comprehensive.

Blogs and business books are supplementary material.  They build on what you learn from the educational avenues, which is why they are important for any aspiring entrepreneur.

Taking the Bait of Opportunity

Essex is a region bustling with business opportunities, and by learning the ropes of business, it’s just a matter of time before you can establish a plethora of money-making organisations. Find out more about Group Business Coaching in Essex today.

Tags: Business, business advice, business coaching, coaching
Filed under: articles

UK business forums are becoming a popular way for business people to get together and exchange ideas and get sound advice in a number of crucial business areas. Mentoring is also a popular reason why some people join the forums. There are plenty of educational opportunities available within the forum groups and the members can motivate and encourage each other on a more intimate basis. Coaching is a large part of the function that members can provide for each other, but learning new techniques and strategies are some other benefits to be gained by joining UK business forums. Continue reading ›

Tags: Business, business coaching, business coaching uk, business forum, uk business forums
Filed under: articles

Taking a short break with my family we decided to savour the delights of New York and what an amazing city it is too. We revelled in the amazing atmosphere and did all the tourist hot spots, Empire State Building, Central Park, Times Square, Broadway the list goes on.

And for a visit I would recommend it to everyone, but in the wee small hours while the traffic is still roaring below I wonder whether a city that never sleeps is a good place to live and work?

At my Business Forums I am always harping on about getting the work/life balance right but if you are in an environment where your time isn’t a valued commodity do you feel compelled to work night and day to get the job done. How do you find that balance?
Stephen Covey would suggest that we put the rocks in first. That is, we decide what our major priorities are and work the rest of our lives around them. That way we work out who (and sometimes what) are important to us and fit the other ‘stuff’ or in Stephens metaphor stones and sand around it. When we prioritise our lives, the small stresses that we spend so much time on become less important, because we can see the bigger picture. We can then adjust where we spend our time. This exercise often brings us more time because we see where our focus should lie and by changing our focus we generate more time for ourselves and those who matter.

The Americans have an expression ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’ and I’m inclined to agree. I’m sure those who live and work in this amazing city have their priorities worked out because if they don’t the Big Apple will swallow them whole. Make sure your passion, your business, doesn’t eat you up too. Take an hour out of your day with a friend, loved one, or business partner (or business coach) to review your priorities and see if you have your rocks in first. It may change your plans for tomorrow.

Have a nice day now

Tags: balance, big picture, Business, focus, organize, priorities, prioritise, productive, Success
Filed under: Business, Success