From a new business perspective, social media has critical impact in the first three stages of the sales funnel. That is, Awareness, Interest and Evaluation. From a social media perspective, you need to do the following, be there, be relevant, be proven. Continue reading
This weekly cartoon is for anyone who is busy, but not achieving their potential yet! Continue reading
Surely, a partner role is just the same as an assignment manager with a bit of other stuff chucked in? Well, no. Is it just a title for appearances sake & business cards? Well, no…These are some of the reasons why so many people fail to make the grade as a partner, because they don’t fully make the transition from assignment manager to partner. It may be that they are not equipped to make the change, or as sometimes happens, the firm they are in does not let them make the transition. Continue reading
Suddenly on twitter seems to be talking about eating frogs. Whilst I am very much a fan of French cuisine, and have been known to munch a few ‘escargot’ while in France… what’s all this frog eating got to do with serious business people? Why should I also join the crowd and start munching frogs? And what happens if I am a veggie? Continue reading
The challenge for every ambitious independent professional is how to leverage their personal efforts so that they can achieve a personal income of more than £100k per year. The question is how to do this, without bolting on more fee earning members of staff. Continue reading
Skill sets and personal values need to change when an individual contributor is promoted to assignment manager within a professional services firm. In this post, we look at what needs to change to successfully progress to an assignment manager. Continue reading
This cartoon is for anyone who is looking at the monthly bills! Continue reading
February 25, 2010 – 8:21 am
There are many classic mistakes that people make when networking. For example, the biggest mistake people make when networking is directly or indirectly selling to people they meet. Another classic mistake is networking without a purpose. Continue reading
February 24, 2010 – 8:12 am
Many people fall into the trap of thinking that an after dinner speech is just the same as giving any old presentation. Wrong. An after dinner speech – similar to a best man’s speech – has its own set of rules. Know and work to these rules, and you will be asked back, get these rules wrong, don’t expect to generate any opportunities from your evenings exertions. Continue reading
February 23, 2010 – 8:15 am
First impressions are everything. Get it right, and everything becomes easy. Get it wrong and you are pushing water uphill with a sieve. So, how do you make a great first impression? Continue reading
February 22, 2010 – 7:43 am
This week’s cartoon is for anyone who is having a tough time and needs to bounce back. Continue reading
February 18, 2010 – 7:48 am
Think back to those heady, idealist days, before you started running your own business… What was your business meant to stand for? What would your being your own boss give you, which employment couldn’t? Now honestly, look at how you are running your business? Are you truly in control, or is the tail wagging the dog? Continue reading
February 17, 2010 – 8:28 am
As a newly qualified coach, how do you go from a newly qualified coach, to a coach with a profitable established coaching business? Continue reading
February 16, 2010 – 8:25 am
What does credibility actually mean for a professional adviser, and why is it so important? Continue reading
February 15, 2010 – 8:02 am
This cartoon is for anyone who found the weekend’s events didn’t deliver as planned. Continue reading
February 10, 2010 – 8:12 am
To run a successful coaching business you need two things – the ability to market yourself and the technical ability to be able to coach people. Far too many coaches belief that by being a good coach, this is all they will need to build up a coaching business, as they will get all their clients via word of mouth. Continue reading
February 9, 2010 – 8:11 am
Social media is often touted as being a free tool that anyone can use to market their business. In terms of cost to buy, most programmes are free, but as any busy professional will tell you, your time is not free. Here are eight tips which help you maximise your time and productivity when using social media. Continue reading
February 8, 2010 – 7:45 am
Some days you can feel as if you are getting it from all angles! Continue reading
February 5, 2010 – 8:15 am
Every great networker knows that to generate business via networking you need to be visible and seen to be credible. Continue reading
February 1, 2010 – 9:47 am
Today’s cartoon is dedicated to anyone who is working with consultants! Continue reading
January 28, 2010 – 10:18 am
It’s a common piece of feedback that many aspiring partners or directors will get told. In a professional services organisation, having a good profile leads to getting onto the plum assignments and being first in line for any promotions. But what does it mean, and how do you go about increasing your profile? Continue reading
January 27, 2010 – 8:32 am
Good client service does not happen by accident. Read on for the seven deadly sins of client service Continue reading
January 26, 2010 – 8:27 am
Generating business with Twitter is easy, but takes time and patience. After all relationships take time to build and develop. Many people give up too quickly with twitter, but those that persevere reap large rewards. Continue reading
January 25, 2010 – 7:58 am
This cartoon is for anyone, who is now feeling the pinch after the christmas bills have been paid. Continue reading
January 22, 2010 – 7:39 am
Sorting out and dealing with e-mail can be a major headache – and lead to a huge amount of time wasted. Continue reading
January 21, 2010 – 8:08 am
How do you get partners to buy into the need for change? Not an easy question to answer, and one that many firms have needed to answer to survive. Continue reading
January 20, 2010 – 8:12 am
Many job hunters struggle to get asked to interview, and wonder why they are being rejected so often. In my experience, a poor CV can often be one of the main reasons why they are not getting asked to interview. Continue reading
January 19, 2010 – 7:42 am
A very simple guide on how to improve your search engine ranking. Continue reading
January 18, 2010 – 7:46 am
I’ve had a great weekend seeing some old friends. This cartoon is for everyone that anticipates a busy week ahead. Continue reading
January 15, 2010 – 7:40 am
It’s not easy being English. On the one hand you know you need to talk about your strengths to your employers. But on the other hand, if you are too vocal, you can be perceived as pushy or arrogant. So how do you go about, in a ‘nice’ way, communicating your strengths to your employers? Continue reading
January 14, 2010 – 8:01 am
Reality has forced many people in the last twenty-four months to consider a career change. Here are seven great tips to help you change career successfully. Continue reading
January 13, 2010 – 7:42 am
Social media is a great way to increase your profile and get recognised. Here are seven top tips to use social media to help you find your next job. Continue reading
January 12, 2010 – 7:52 am
To conquer procrastination, you have to recognise it which is not as easy as it sounds. Putting certain things off could also be described as effective prioritisation. So what’s the difference? Continue reading
January 11, 2010 – 7:55 am
This cartoon is for anyone that is still struggling with the return to work after the festive celebrations. Continue reading
January 10, 2010 – 11:02 am
Another 8 tips to improve your work life balance Continue reading
January 9, 2010 – 10:30 am
Part 1 of a post looking at 16 ways of how you can improve your work life balance. Continue reading
January 8, 2010 – 8:09 am
Does this ring any bells? I frequently hear managers complaining that’ I tell my staff what needs to get done, even how to do it, and they still don’t do it right’, or ‘I have to continually keep telling them what to do – they never seem to take the initiative. What should I do?’ Continue reading
January 7, 2010 – 7:44 am
Did you know that the conventional ways of finding a job a not the most effective or efficient? Here are 10 tips to help you get a job fast. Continue reading
January 6, 2010 – 7:52 am
Did you know that almost 80% of all vacancies are not advertised? All the most efficient ways of finding your next role, involve you finding out about these un-advertised vacancies. Continue reading
January 5, 2010 – 7:45 am
Did you know that the most common methods of finding a job, are generally the most inefficient ways of finding a job? This post details the five most inefficient ways to find a job. Continue reading
January 4, 2010 – 7:53 am
This cartoon is dedicated to anyone who feels their brain hasn’t quite got back into gear… Continue reading
January 3, 2010 – 3:58 pm
Maybe you have sensed that your organisation is going to be re-structuring or downsizing in the next six months, or maybe you have decided that you will find a new role. But, how do you actually get started on an efficient job search?
This post details the questions you need to ask yourself to start a job search efficiently. Continue reading
December 16, 2009 – 8:00 am
Delegation always involves an element of risk. This article details 5 ways in which you can still delegate successfully, but still minimise your personal level of risk. Continue reading
December 15, 2009 – 7:55 am
In a recession, every business is looking to reduce their costs. Here are 9 ways that every business, regardless of their size can reduce their costs. Continue reading
December 15, 2009 – 7:38 am
This article discusses what it takes to build a high performing virtual team. Continue reading
December 14, 2009 – 8:18 am
I won the lottery this weekend… well I won £14 on a scratch card, does that count? this cartoon is for anyone that dreams of winning the lottery.
December 10, 2009 – 10:07 am
Whether you are a start-up business, kitchen table entrepreneur, home worker or sole practitioner, your first office space is normally situated at home. This articles details 8 tips to help you efficiently work from home. Continue reading
December 9, 2009 – 1:01 pm
Marketing a professional services firm can often be viewed as a black art. This need not be the case. Successful marketing tactics for a professional practice is normally reliant on establishing your expert status in the mind of your audience. Continue reading
December 8, 2009 – 7:45 am
There are two main strands of activity that you need to undertake before setting up your coaching practice – learning the art of being a coach, and learning how to run your own business. Continue reading
December 7, 2009 – 7:42 am
Today’s cartoon is for anyone that wishes that they could have had slightly longer in bed this weekend. Continue reading
December 3, 2009 – 8:05 am
Business development is more than just writing proposals and pitching for business. This article explores how everyone in a firm can contribute to winning new business. Continue reading
December 2, 2009 – 7:45 am
This article outlines why it is 7-14 times easier to win new work from existing clients rather than new clients. Continue reading
December 1, 2009 – 7:31 am
As a professional advisor you have two main assets – your knowledge and skills and your relationships with your clients. The difficulty is unless you continually work on developing these assets, the health of your practice will slowly decline. Continue reading
November 30, 2009 – 7:56 am
The Royal Navy is to distribute 230 play station PSPs among its weapons engineers as part of an initiative to improve training efficiency. How can you learn from the Navy and improve your firm’s training efficiency? Continue reading
November 30, 2009 – 7:11 am
Today’s cartoon is dedicated to anyone looking forward to a break over christmas. Continue reading
November 25, 2009 – 7:30 am
One of the best ways of managing your time, is by being able to say ‘no’. This article looks at how to say ‘no’ to your clients, and colleagues. Continue reading
November 24, 2009 – 7:30 am
Becoming a new business owner is more than just a different way of fighting for an income.. it means you need to create a new personal brand and sense of identify. Continue reading
November 23, 2009 – 7:30 am
Today’s cartoon is dedicated to anyone that needs a lift today. Continue reading
November 19, 2009 – 7:55 am
Business ownership… so how does this differ from being a freelancer? And can you be both? What different skill sets are needed to be a business owner rather than a freelancer. These are the questions that I will be looking at in this blog post. Continue reading
November 18, 2009 – 7:48 am
In this post, I look at what it means to work as an interim employee, and how this differs to business ownership and being a freelancer. Continue reading
November 17, 2009 – 7:45 am
What’s right for you… freelance, interim, business owner or a mixture? In the next three posts we will look at the differences and have a discussion highlighting what might be the right option for you and your career. Continue reading
November 16, 2009 – 7:30 am
This week’s cartoon is dedicated to anyone that loves being away from ‘tidy desk’ policies and practices. Continue reading
November 12, 2009 – 8:22 am
There are seven common ways that businesses can attract clients. Great marketing efficiency comes from knowing which of the seven ways works for your business. Continue reading
November 11, 2009 – 8:32 am
Have you ever wondered what it is like to work with a business coach? Read on to hear how one coaching sessions produced great results for a new business owner. Continue reading
November 10, 2009 – 8:10 am
Simplicity is important for good business efficiency. How much of your products or services are your clients using? Continue reading
November 9, 2009 – 7:30 am
Another cartoon from The Cartoonist Continue reading
November 4, 2009 – 7:55 am
You need to be wary of subject experts becoming a trainer. What they may believe makes for successful learning may not always be the case. Continue reading
November 3, 2009 – 7:45 am
The secret to building a successful business is 2-fold… efficient & effective marketing, and good fiscal management. In this article, I look at the questions you need to answer if you are not getting the sales you need to grow your business. Continue reading
November 2, 2009 – 7:58 am
I’ve just spent a great week away for half-term, and been having some great quality thinking and reflecting time.
This cartoon from Guy Carter, The cartoonist, is dedicated to all of you who have been taking time out to think over the last week.
October 29, 2009 – 7:45 am
The actions and time between receiving a job offer and starting work with your new employers will set the tone for your working relationship with your new employers. Here is our guide to what you need to think about as you negotiate your terms and conditions with your new employer. Continue reading
October 28, 2009 – 7:25 am
When setting yourself up as a freelancer, there are several costs that you will need to factor in to your cash flow forecasts and start up costs. This article outlines the main costs you will need to consider. Continue reading
October 27, 2009 – 8:30 am
Most companies when team building with the top team, automatically pay out for an external facilitator. If many highly respected learning and development consultancies are to be believed team building with the top team is a highly skilled process. Is this all just marketing spin? In reality, do you need a special process for top team building? Or, are the rules of the game the same regardless of the seniority of the team? Continue reading
October 26, 2009 – 7:46 am
One of The Cartoonist’s best cartoons – I challenge you not to find it funny! Continue reading
October 22, 2009 – 8:30 am
Identifying the return on your investment for business development is a must for any business. How do you quantify or qualify your investment in social media? Continue reading
October 21, 2009 – 8:30 am
Making the jump from employee to contractor, freelancer or associate is a big step – which should not be taken lightly. However, being a freelancer can lead to greater financial rewards and better career satisfaction. Here are eight things to think about before you turn freelance. Continue reading
October 20, 2009 – 8:30 am
Many a company with a healthy order book and sound business model has gone bankrupt as a result of poor cash flow. Here are twelve ways of maximising your business’s cash flow. Continue reading
October 19, 2009 – 7:30 am
Another funny business cartoon from The Cartoonist, Guy Carter. Continue reading
October 15, 2009 – 8:30 am
Procrastination is one of the big threats to personal efficiency. The good news is that personal will power is all you need to conquer procrastination. Easier said than done… read on for our seven tips to minimise the amount you procrastinate. Continue reading
Posted in personal efficiency
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Tagged how to improve your personal efficiency, how to improve your time management, how to increase productivity, how to increase your productivity, how to stop procrastination, personal effectiveness, personal efficiency, personal efficiency technique, personal efficiency tips, personal efficiency tips which work, procrastination, stopping procrastination, time management
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October 14, 2009 – 8:30 am
Most team away days are well thought out and planned… or are they? Here are some of the common pitfalls that trainers fall into when team building, mostly based on my own personal experiences as a participant! Continue reading
October 13, 2009 – 8:30 am
One of the well-trodden paths for a recently made redundant trainer is to go freelance, and set up a training or coaching business. Here are nine things you must do, BEFORE you leave your current employers, to increase your chances of success with your own training business. Continue reading
October 12, 2009 – 7:00 am
This week’s cartoon is dedicated to everyone that needs a cup of coffee to get going in the morning. Continue reading
October 8, 2009 – 7:55 am
Interruptions often hinder your ability to be truly efficient and productive. Studies have suggested that the average employee is interrupted every 9 minutes. Read on for 6 tips to help you minimise your interruptions. Continue reading
October 7, 2009 – 8:00 am
Communication planning is an important tool for any business regardless of scale or size. Done well, communication planning will help your message get to the right people at the right time, in a format they can understand. Done badly, and you risk alienating the very people you are trying to influence and persuade. Read on for our 6 step guide to efficient communication planning. Continue reading
October 6, 2009 – 1:23 pm
The unpublished job market or “hidden” job market – where an opening is filled without it ever being advertised – represents approximately 80% of the total jobs filled each year. Therefore, particularly the more senior roles that you are targeting, it is important to spend at least 60% of your job search time and effort on the unpublished job market. Here is our guide to planning your unpublished job search Continue reading
October 6, 2009 – 8:12 am
Your ability to organise and keep on top of your paperwork, is a key factor in how efficient you are on a day-to-day basis. This article gives you 4 tips to help you stay on top of your paperwork. Continue reading
October 5, 2009 – 7:00 am
Good morning everyone – I’ve had a busy weekend, and will quietly ease into monday helped by a large cup of tea…
This cartoon had me rolling in the aisles when i received it on saturday morning. It is dedicated to anyone that is current setting budgets or is being told to rethink their budget.
[caption id=”" align=”alignnone” width=”468″ caption=”The light at the end of the tunnel has… Continue reading
October 3, 2009 – 12:21 pm
Successful delegation takes time & effort. Here are 4 questions you need to answer to delegate successfully Continue reading
October 1, 2009 – 8:00 am
How to use your past achievements to get your CV noticed and invited to interview. Continue reading
September 30, 2009 – 9:30 am
The purpose of your CV is to get you to interview. Nothing more, nothing less. As a career coach, when helping job seekers, more often than not the first thing I am presented with is a CV. It always amazes me how easy it is to stand out from the rest of the job seekers by spending time on a well-thought out and written CV. Here are my top 11 ways for you to get your CV to stand out from the crowd. Continue reading