September 27, 2010 – 7:26 pm
This blog is now sadly only archive material… feel free to have a good old rummage around in it.
We realised the content was getting FAR too muddled to be efficiently read by anyone. So, we decided to split the blog into four, yep four new blogs:
Business Efficiency The place to go when you need ideas [...]
September 15, 2010 – 8:20 am
This is the 24th blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
A quick way to generate rapport is establish if you have any business or personal contacts in common. With a [...]
September 8, 2010 – 8:20 am
This is the 23rd blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
It is a personal bugbear of mine, that if I exchange business cards or help someone out on-line and provide [...]
September 1, 2010 – 8:20 am
This is the 22nd blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
LinkedIn is a great way of keeping in touch with people after you have met with them at a networking [...]
August 25, 2010 – 8:20 am
This is the 21st blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
After you have met someone, use their business card to jot down some notes about them.
August 18, 2010 – 8:20 am
This is the 20th blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
I go to a lot of networking events, and still continue to be amazed by the amount of people from [...]
August 11, 2010 – 8:20 am
This is the 19th blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
This is the 18th blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
You never know when you may need to call upon a favour of someone that you have met at a [...]
This is the 17th blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
Everyone at a networking event has come with the purpose of meeting people. So, no one will be offended if [...]
This is the 16th blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
Your never get another chance to make a first impression. Smiling at, and making eye contact with a person you [...]
This is the 15th blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
Everyone at a networking event is looking to meet people. So logically, most people will be very welcoming if you [...]
This is the 14th blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
First of all, I believe that being punctual is a sign of good manners. But, putting manners to one side, [...]
This is the 13th blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
Networking is similar to being on a treasure hunt. There are lots of clues scattered in places, but it is [...]
This is the 11th blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
If after 5 minutes of a conversation you have found no mutual interests or areas in which you can help [...]
This is the tenth blog post in a series taken from my book ‘ Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
Everyone at a networking event is there for a reason. Switched on networkers will be looking for ways that [...]
This is the ninth blog post in a series taken from my book ‘ Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
As you are reading this book, I am aware that you are a busy female professional, hungry to achieve [...]
This is the eighth blog post in a series taken from my book ‘Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
As a busy female professional, you need to get the most out of your networking time. Whilst networking should be [...]
This is the seventh blog post in a series taken from my book ‘ Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
You want to create the right first impression. As a busy female professional, you don’t have time to repair [...]
Paula Jones discusses the importance of preparing before your presentation.
Breakfast networking clubs, an expensive waste of time and money OR an efficient way to market your business?
Do you add in a joke when presenting and risk appearing like David Brent? Or do you play it straight? Paula Jones discusses this knotty problem.
This is the sixth blog post in a series taken from my book ‘ Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
Joining people in the queue for food or the bar – or for us females, the queue for the [...]
This is the fifth blog post in a series taken from my book ‘ Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
At most business gatherings there is normally a formal part of the proceedings, be it a seminar, speaker, or [...]
After ‘start-up’, in my view, the most painful period in a business’s life is when the business owner makes the transition from working in the business to ‘on the business’. The question is, how do you know when it is time to alter your business model to allow you to step up and lead your business?
This is the fourth blog post in a series taken from my book ‘ Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
The rules of a business gathering are different from a social gathering. People expect to meet people and circulate, [...]
Here (and dedicated to @aileen456) are my instructions on how to pinpoint your target audience.
This is the third blog post in a series taken from my book ‘ Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
What’s worse? A palm-shattering, bone crunching handshake? Or, a being offered a hand which feels more like a limp [...]
Can you build up a business via networking alone? Hear how efficient networker, Elinor Barbary has built up her new business via face-to-face networking alone.
This is the second blog post in a series taken from my book ‘ Networking tips for busy female professionals’. Each week, we will take a tip from the book and publish it in a blog post.
You may recall a scene in ‘Bridget Jones’ when Bridget is at a business social event and trying to [...]
Your website is your shopfront to the world, via the internet. You website needs to communicate why someone should contact you, and how they can contact you. Amazingly, many websites of professional advisers fail to do this.
Many people will tell you that it is the quality not the quantity of followers on twitter which really counts. So, how do you build up the right type of followers?
Working the room is an art form, but in this tip, find out why you need to have a high quality biro and small notepad with you.
If you’re thinking about taking your own company website forward, try these four criteria for size. How does your website fare? Does it meet your customers’ expectations?
so, what do clients look for when buying professional services?
I was asked a question by a client recently, wanting to know how I managed my CRM, and what help I could give them to help them get more ‘efficient’ with managing their sales pipeline. After asking around, I came up with this list…
Getting the opportunity to speak at a networking group or conference is a fantastic way to improve your profile. However, most speakers make classic mistakes which limit their impact and effectiveness.
Every January, it seems like the coaching and training world gets really excited about the importance of setting meaningful and achievable goals. Whilst, I’m not going to disagree with the importance of goal-setting, I believe that it is more important to actually achieve your goals. Take a moment to reflect, how many times have you set business or personal goals which you lose interest or focus in, after a couple of months have passed? As a business owner, it is your role to keep your organisation focused and energised on working towards your vision.
Your top talent are the people who are most at risk of being poached, or who are the most able to sell their talents to your competitors. What are you doing to incentivise them to stay?
Well managed meetings can save an organisation time and money. Unfortunately the reality is that in many businesses, meeting are not managed efficiently or effectively, which will cost the business time and money.
Handshakes are a sign of trust and help build strong relationships. As a busy professional, it is important that you make a memorable positive impression when you are out networking or meeting potential new clients.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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?
February 16, 2010 – 8:25 am
What does credibility actually mean for a professional adviser, and why is it so important?
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.
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.
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?
January 27, 2010 – 8:32 am
Good client service does not happen by accident. Read on for the seven deadly sins of client service
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.
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.
January 19, 2010 – 7:42 am
A very simple guide on how to improve your search engine ranking.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
November 10, 2009 – 8:10 am
Simplicity is important for good business efficiency. How much of your products or services are your clients using?
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
September 14, 2009 – 9:48 pm
Nine ways every business, regardless of its size, can improve its business efficiency.
September 13, 2009 – 4:03 pm
Ten questions to help you achieve more with your blog and improve the efficiency of your blogging.
September 5, 2009 – 10:30 pm
The twelve wordpress plugins your wordpress blog shouldn’t be without!
September 3, 2009 – 9:40 pm
The Efficiency Coach’s 8 laws of business…
August 31, 2009 – 9:18 am
7 ways to help you achieve more with your business development
August 30, 2009 – 8:43 pm
11 tips to help you achieve more with your business newsletter
August 29, 2009 – 5:31 pm
Six principles that you need to know to efficiently promote and market your business.
August 23, 2009 – 12:18 pm
Business focus is vital for good business efficiency. This article details seven great ways to improve your business focus.
August 12, 2009 – 6:18 pm
What’s your pitch conversion rate? How many are you losing? 11 top tips to help your and your business win more work.
August 8, 2009 – 12:09 pm
What do you need to think about to set up a new business efficiently and effectively? Read on for my 5 top tips…
August 4, 2009 – 10:27 pm
Got an idea for a business? Want to take the first positive step to running a successful business? That first step is writing your business plan. Our 8 point guide to writing a business plan will make sure you are considered all the important elements for a business plan which will help get you started successfully.
Ltd vs LLP, or Partnership vs LLP – what is the difference and which legal structure should you choose?
Successful entrepreneurs all need patience to survive and thrive. So how do you go about learning to be patient?
How can you use your blog to increase SEO for your website?
There are many articles out there on how to grow your business via face-to-face and on-line networking. However, there are not many articles that go into the nitty-gritty of how you ‘work a room’ at a face-to-face networking event. Let’s face it, face-to-face networking can be very daunting. There are many simple ways that you [...]
80% of opportunities will come to you from people you already know. You have to remember that when you are talking to someone, that you may not be talking to the end user of your product or service. This article discusses 4 ways that you can use networking to increase the amount of referrals and sales leads via networking.
Ideas to build up support for your people’s learning
To go sole trader or ltd, that is the question! Read on for an comparison of the two different legal structures.
How to achieve more with your blog
Nine top tips which will help you choose the right name for your business
Top 5 tips to help you achieve more with your recruitment
Seven top tips to help you achieve more when negotiating
