Year: 2016

When I first started my business, using content marketing was an easy decision.  I produce content for other people so it was the obvious way for me to showcase my skills.  That said, deciding exactly what I was going to write proved slightly more challenging.

I knew that I had the ability to talk to people and translate what they told me into something other people would enjoy reading.  However, I’d spent my writing life up to that point either working on fiction or writing reports and advice letters to clients when I was still working in the law.    I had hundreds of ideas but still didn’t know where to start!

Read more

If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you’ve probably heard about content marketing.  You may even know what it is.  If you’re reading this thinking that you should know but you feel silly asking, this blog is for you.

Read more

The thing I love about being a sole trader is that internal communication is easy.  I may run the risk of talking to myself on a regular basis, but I find it’s sometimes the best way to get a straight answer!

Equally, if you only have a handful of employees keeping everyone up to date is simple, but what happens when your business grows?  You may have an increased workforce or have opened new premises so you can’t rely on word of mouth communication any longer.

In those circumstances, a company newsletter can be a straightforward way of making sure everyone is aware of new developments, but done well it can be hugely beneficial in other ways.

Read more

If you’re tasked with running a training session, I’m guessing that the last thing you want is to be that person who sent everyone to sleep.  I remember the first time I had to deliver legal training to my former colleagues.  I thought it would be easy.  I had no problem being eloquent in front of a judge and they were occasionally scary.  These were the people I worked with every day, yet I found myself stumbling over words, eyes glued to my notes whilst I tried to remember exactly what I was supposed to be talking to them about.

Read more

If you’ve decided to outsource, the idea of finding a suitable freelancer can be hugely daunting.  Recruitment agencies aren’t usually interested in placing freelancers so even larger companies will need to talk to freelancers direct.

Read more

If you’re anything like me, when you first start your own business or go freelance you do everything yourself.  This is particularly true when you’re operating a service based business or can make your products at home.  You are your business and you can be really proud that everything you’ve achieved is down to your own efforts.

When you look at it that way, why would you even think about working with anyone else?  No-one else is as invested in your business as you are.  They don’t understand it the way you do.  Could you even trust anyone else to look after your customers or have their best interests at heart?

Read more

It’s a given that calling a meeting is usually a prompt for a collective eye roll and entire teams mentally writing off a whole morning. Meetings don’t have to be a waste of time if they’re run properly (not convinced? Then you obviously haven’t read this).

So how do you have a good meeting?

Read more

When I was a solicitor, I’d often be called upon to speak before a judge. Sometimes it would be a pleasant chat where everything was agreed. It could also be a battle of wills where I’d try to persuade them to give me what I wanted whilst remaining civil to my opponent. That could be a challenge if my opponent was being an obnoxious swine.

Sometimes you knew what to expect. We used to have a list of other solicitors who made a habit of being unnecessarily difficult pinned up in the office. Occasionally both sides would be in complete agreement and we’d be derailed by an irate judge demanding to know why we’d come up with something so stupid.

Dealing with customer complaints can be similarly challenging.

Read more

Which do you think is more important, time management or routine? Perhaps you think they’re the same thing. After all, having a consistent schedule probably means you’re managing your time well and you’ve developed some routines which are working effectively.

I’d say routine is more about the small things that make each day work (or not). I’ve got tons of little habits that I barely notice any more yet I feel out of sorts if they’re disrupted.

Read more

Everyone hates meetings, right? You either have to sit in a stuffy room listening to information that has little or no relevance to your work, or you’re stuck in the car or on a train heading to see a client who won’t speak to you over the phone. You’ve got too much else to do and it’s all a massive waste of time.

Well, maybe not. Whilst meetings can be counterproductive if they lack focus there are times when face to face communication can be hugely beneficial. Since the financial crisis the idea of eliminating meetings altogether has become much more popular; phone calls and emails are considerably cheaper, after all. However, this underestimates the role that meeting in person can play in building trust and allowing emotional intelligence to play a part in client relationships and your dealings with colleagues.

Read more