Category: Business Tips

Why Research Your Competitors?

I am a firm believer in the idea that there is enough business for everyone; you just need to go out and get it. Saying that, I don’t think businesses should forget about their competitors all together. There are lots of things you can learn from your competitors:

  • Model yourself against your biggest, most successful competitor
  • Learn how not to do business from the your worst performing competitor
  • Find out how your competitors are profiling themselves
  • Understand where you need to advertise or make an appearance to keep your place in the industry

You don’t need to be worrying about your competition to want to understand how they operate. It’s a great way to make sure you are keeping up. So how you could carry out a quick review of your main competitors?

Choose your top four competitors; look at a variety from your top local competitor to the biggest or best company in the market.

Have a look on their website considering the following:

  • How is the design and overall look of the website?
  • How are they presenting their story, ethos and USP?
  • Who are their target markets?
  • What are they writing about in their blogs?
  • What do their client reviews say?

 

Have a look at their social media platforms:

  • Which platforms are they using?
  • What is the general message and image?
  • Who are they approaching?
  • How many followers and likes have they got?

 

Have a look through local and industry magazines:

  • Are they advertising?
  • Have they placed any editorials?
  • What image are they portraying?
  • What are they promoting?

Now that you have the information, ask yourself how you and your company compare to those you consider to be your competition. What nuggets could you take and adopt to make your image and marketing better?

We hope that you found this blog post useful. Are you already monitoring your competitors? Please comment below and share some examples of how you use competitor research to your advantage!

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Get Motivated: A Step-by-Step Guide For A Small Business

The kids are back to school and summer is over. We’ve always loved this time of year because it feels like a time to make a fresh start without the pressures we all put on ourselves in January to completely change “this” or “that” about our business, life or career. Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure you head into autumn motivated and ready to make some changes, and it’s as easy as 1,2,3.

 

Pause
You might have taken time to do this over the summer, but if not, why not do it now? It could be as little as a few hours one afternoon. Life happens at such a quick pace these days, just having a chance to change your scenery and breathe a little deeper can do you and your business the world
of good.

Reflect
Give yourself the head space to think about the last eight months of the year. Ask yourself some poignant questions and be brutally honest with your answers. What were your goals? How are you tracking against them? Are you on track to achieve what you wanted to in the time frame you gave
yourself? If you are, then great – you should celebrate. But if not, why not? No excuses allowed.

This isn’t an exercise in beating yourself up but more one of reflection. We’re all caught up in the day to day madness that is running your own business, but without taking the time to look at where we’ve come from and where we’re heading you leave no room to manoeuvre, or to change
direction.

Adjust
Once you’ve figured out what’s worked well for you, and what hasn’t, it’s time to adjust. You are the master of your own ship and it’s never too late to change course. Make a new set of goals to reach by year end. Make them SMART.

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time Based

There’s plenty of blogs and articles out there on goal setting and planning. Here are a few to get you started:

 

We would love to hear from you. Comment below with one of your goals – after all, sharing them helps keep you accountable!

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More Leads = More Customers? Think Again.

I am often reminded of getting back to basics to build revenues and profits in business. But none more so than when I am confronted with a business owner who shows me they need more new customers. If you really want to grow your business and you really want to do it fast, then take a look at grasping these few simple ideas.

You are already getting people contacting you, coming in, emailing you and so on. Your people are already messing up and not selling to anywhere near enough of these potential customers. Want to know just how bad it is, ask one of your friends to call your business and try to buy, just wait and see how they go.

Almost every business owner I meet believes that they are selling to the majority of prospects they come into contact with. Well, put bluntly, you are not. How do I know? After doing this exercise with hundreds of business owners, I have only twice been proven wrong.

For the next two weeks keep a record of every phone call, every email enquiry, every walk in every single prospective buyer that contacts your business. Ask every single one of them how they found out about your business and keep a record of it. Was it referral, direct search etc.? Then, at the end of the two weeks see how many of them have bought from you. If you think you are at about 6 or 7 out of 10, it will be about 3 or 4 out of 10. I have seen this with so many companies, even restaurants who think they get everybody, then measure the people that call versus the people that book, and the people that read the menu out front versus those who actually come in.

Your Conversion Rate is a massive opportunity. If it is lower than say 50%, then we’ve got to get to work!

First, you’ve got to start measuring it every day. That focus alone will get it up to 10% higher than it is right now.

Add to that, here’s another 11 ways to boost your conversion rate right now, this week:

  1. Get your salesperson with the best conversion rate to train everybody else for a day or two.
  2. Script your sales process. Use a lot of questions in the script (it’s NOT a sales pitch) and learn from what the best sales people are doing.
  3. Break your sales process down into each and every critical step and work on one step at a time.
  4. Measure your conversion from one step to the next and work on improving each step by just 10% more than it was.
  5. Work on the letters, brochures and other written or audio and video material you use during each step of the sales process.
  6. Use my magic question for phone selling, “Thanks for your call, just so I can help you best would it be OK if I asked you a couple of questions?
  7. Run a competition among your sales people for a week or two around the one area you need to see the most improvement in, then learn from the new ways they start doing things.
  8. Learn the critical buying step in your sale, for example in female fashion stores, it’s trying the clothes on, with it you have more than a 50% chance at making a sale, without it, less than 10%.
  9. Follow up and follow through, too many sales are lost by salespeople who can’t be bothered to follow up again and again and again at least 7 times.
  10. Make an offer that is either limited or a bonus offer or something to get customers to act now and to give sales people some ammunition
  11. Just plain ask people to buy, usually in sales training the one biggest reason sales people are not getting the sale is that they don’t ask for it.

Stay focused on your conversion rate for 3 months and watch the dramatic effect it has on your bottom line.

Once you’ve got it right, or at least much better than it is today, then and only then is it time to go to work getting more potential customers and investing more money into your marketing and fixing the marketing you are doing now.

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How To Make Your Business Cards Stand Out

A Guide From Graphic Designer Tania Taber

Business cards are a great marketing opportunity. If you haven’t got one to give out to prospective clients, you will be missing out on potential business.

To save money, a lot of companies go to one of those online print companies and get a card churned out – you know the sort of thing – perhaps a bit of that infamous typeface “comic sans” and a cheeky cartoon or a bland clip art image – these are usually a disappointment in terms of the look and feel of the card and the general design, creating a not-so-professional image. And of course, others may use the same image as is on your card so it’s not unique to you. There are several business cards I have come across supplied by an online printers using the very same stylised illustration of animals for their business – one was for an animal acupuncturist and the other for a dog walking business. This is very confusing!

So, it’s important to get it right. It needs to stand out against the many competitors in your marketplace. You will be handing these cards out to people you meet and they will take a very quick look and then put it in their purse or wallet. So you have to grab their attention in a few seconds and this will ensure they remember you and your business.

The first thing worth mentioning is to make sure everything is spelt correctly and the information is spot-on. It may seem silly to mention this, but you’d be surprised what gets through. If there are any spelling errors, it will give the impression that your business is unprofessional and not up to the job.

You need to make sure that nothing wanders off the edge of the card so make sure you keep all written information 5mm from the edge. Any images used need to be of high quality – the higher the resolution, the better. Typography also needs to be legible – 7.5pt is the minimum size – but not too big though, as there is limited space on the card.

Be careful not to overcrowd it with information too. A typical business card size is: 85mm x 55mm. Even though the space is limited, you can still get creative! The only things that need to be on the card are: Name, job title, address, telephone numbers, email address and website, and of course THE LOGO! There is no need for company registration numbers. There might be some room for a strap line though (think “Every Little Helps” by Tesco or “I’m lovin’ it” by McDonald’s). A strap line should be as succinct as possible, five words or less if possible, and should convey the essence of your brand.

 

business cards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To really make the business cards stand out you can use special finishes on it to make it more tactile and memorable. Things like a spot UV (a shiny bit!) or a metallic ink or perhaps a die-cut (a funny shape cut out of the card). Of course, this makes the printing more expensive but can more than make up for that by reaping the rewards in terms of new business afterwards. Or sometimes companies go one step further and have their cards made out of materials other than card. Be as creative as your imagination or your designer’s flair allows!

 

business cards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose fonts to match your logo – either a sans serif (like Helvetica) or a serif face (like Times Roman which have flourishes at the end of the strokes). Colours must also reflect your logo with black as a good colour choice for the type information so it’s as readable as possible.

 

business cards

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So in summary, the business cards must reflect your business and what you are trying to convey – perhaps your business was established by a family member in centuries past – you may wish to convey this with a classic design indicating a company that can be relied on, that’s classic, that is traditional, that has stood the test of time, or a new company wanting to convey structure, modernity, simplicity or freshness. Let your imagination take you to the recesses of your mind and go create!

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How To Organise Your Home Office

Hello – welcome back! Or if you’re new here – welcome, pull up a chair and stay for a while. We’re passionate about all things ‘small business’. We’ve talked on the blog previously about ideas on how to create your dream office but this week we’re focusing on the practical side of things. Keeping your home office space organised is by no means easy – especially when you’re busy running a business. Here are a few things we think are essential to an organised and efficient space.
 

 
Drawers
It goes without saying that all businesses and home offices have one thing in common: paperwork. Unfortunately, there isn’t a magic trick to making it organise itself but luckily there are plenty of storage systems available these days that make it look a lot more appealing. Filing cabinets still have their place, but there are tons of drawer based solutions available too. We’re loving the look of this one from Ikea.

home office drawers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelves
Shelves are also great places to store paperwork, as long as it’s organised in an attractive way. Although, if you’re unlikely to want to put things back in their designated spot on the shelf it’s better to opt for a closed system. A row of sleek magazine files can look great, and you can also keep any books, ornaments or memorabilia relating to your business on them too. Just try to keep it minimal – when it comes to shelves, less is often more otherwise they can become hotspots for piles of receipts!

home office Shelves

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pin Board

A pin board above your desk is a great addition to your home office. Perfect for popping up day-to-day reminders, or you can also use it to pin inspirational images or quotes. It’s the perfect spot for anything that’s going to make you smile when you’re sending invoices at 9.30pm.

home office Pin Board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bull Dog Clips

This may sound random but organising your wires helps keep your desktop clear. And a clear, organised desk is proven to help with productivity. We found this hack online and recently implemented it in our home – it totally works! No more scrabbling around trying to match the cable with the device – they’re all at the side of the desk ready to go.

home office Bull Dog Clips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Desk Life
All home offices will need a desk or clear surface which you can work from, and often you will need to keep a few items on hand. Pens, pencils, note books, tape measures (!) you get the idea! Why not add a couple of nicer items to your desktop to inspire you to keep it clean and tidy? A nice
lamp, or a nice coaster for your morning coffee all help to create a work space that feels intentional. We all want to spend as little time as possible at our desks, but whilst you’re there you may as well enjoy the view.

home office Desk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What are your tips for creating an organised home office? Any tips and tricks for those pesky but oh-so-necessary receipts? Comment below – we would love to hear from you!

Team LP

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Home Office Inspiration

When we last talked about work space on the blog. We were day-dreaming about our ultimate Local Pages office. This week we’re looking at inspiration for that all important home office. Many of our clients are busy running their businesses during the day and then complete all the paperwork surrounding that business from home. Wouldn’t it be nice to have an inspiring and calming space to get productive in?
Monochrome Clean Lines
We love how super-sleek this space is. Monochrome mixed with the wooden floor creates a laid back, streamlined space to work in.

home office Monochrome Clean Lines
Creative Corner
Maybe you don’t have an entire room of your home to dedicate to a home office (we know the feeling!), you can still make a corner of the room feel put together and inspirational.

home office Creative Corner
Light and Bright
Just look at all those windows surrounding the desk. Natural light in a work space is high on our home office lust list. And the plant too.

home office Light and Bright

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Executive
Leather chair, dark panelling, bookshelves? Check, check, check. We love this modern take on executive chic.

home office Executive Vibes
Space for Two
Maybe you need a space for you and a partner to work side by side. An office for two is quite common these days as businesses become more open to working from home and more of us are taking the plunge and starting our own ventures.

home office Space for Two

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does your home office space look like? Are you tempted to put some effort into creating something different? We would love to hear from you – comment below!

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What to consider when creating your company logo

The easiest way to recognise a company and distinguish it from others is by its logo. It’s the first impression many people form of the business, so it’s very important to get it right. If your logo looks amateurish, then that’s the impression it will create with potential clients. It may seem silly to mention, but spelling also needs to be spot-on. Any errors can create the impression of a company that doesn’t care.

A logo (whether refreshing an existing one or creating a new one) is probably one of the MOST important considerations when starting your business. Getting it designed by a professional graphic designer is the preferable route to choose. It may cost a little more than getting it done by a well-meaning friend with a PC but ultimately, it may work out to be the cheaper option. A well-designed logo should also be timeless, so it’s better to avoid the latest trends however wonderful they may seem.

Simplicity is usually the best way to go when creating a company logo. You want something that can convey what your company does in a simple and easy-to-understand graphic. You cannot depict everything that your business does in one picture but you can certainly encompass a few points. You also have to remember that your logo may have to be reproduced at a very small size (for instance on pens), so this is where simplicity comes into its own. Some companies whose names are widely known can simply use their graphic element without the name of the company (think Nike or Apple).

Talking of famous brands, let’s examine some in more detail:

Apple logo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPLE: Simple. Effective. Classy. Easily recognised (even without the name). It can be black and white, chrome or full colour. It’s interchangeable without compromising its shape. The story behind using the apple icon is full of myth and legend. It was said to be in tribute to the World War 2 Bletchley Park code-breaker, Alan Turing, who laid the foundations for the modern-day computer (an interesting, clever and thought-provoking idea). But the truth is much simpler. Steve Jobs used to work in apple orchards and named the company and product after his favourite variety – McIntosh Apples.

 

 

Chanel logo

 

 

 

 

CHANEL, the fashion house, is another simple but very elegant logo. Ms Chanel used the two C’s of her name (Coco Chanel) and interlocked them. She used a typeface that is classic (very much like Gill Sans which is a famous font from the late 1920s). It’s classy, and has stood the test of time, and conveys the message of their brand effectively – class, wealth, elegance.

 

logo

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE WORLD WIDE FUND FOR NATURE has a simple panda graphic representing conservation work as its logo. Pandas are probably one of the most endangered species on the planet so it’s a fantastic image to use to convey their message. It is produced in in mono as a very simple drawing, so you recognise it without its charity name.

In summary, you want an eye-catching logo, something that people will instantly associate with your company and something they will remember and instantly recognise. It will be the ambassador for your business in graphic format, appearing on everything geared towards your business. It will say, in shorthand, what you do, how you conduct yourself and your professionalism.

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How to Conduct a Job Interview

The Interview Checklist

The key to a well prepared and well structured job interview is to have a clear view of the skills, knowledge and ability demanded by the job. You then need to use the interview to gather evidence to demonstrate whether the candidates meet these requirements. Please prepare well for the job interview, using this small business checklist as a prompt.

 

  • Re-read the advert, job and person specification.
  • If you are not seeing all the candidates, ensure that your short listing decisions are based only on the requirement of the job.
  • If you are not seeing all the candidates, sift according to criteria that is tangible from a CV i.e. headcount managed previously; operational background; achievements etc. Don’t second guess what a candidate may or may not be like or may or not have done just because it’s not on their CV. 67% of candidates omit crucial.
  • Ensure that you have prepared some standard questions. If you wish to ask additional questions, ensure that they are based on the person specification requirements for the job. These questions should be asked of all candidates to enable you to determine the best match against the job requirement.
  • Re-read all the application forms, and highlight any points which you want individual candidates to clarify (e.g. further information on qualifications or experience).
  • Arrange a suitable job interview room and make sure that you have diverted any calls and interruptions.
  • Remember that the application forms are confidential documents and should only be circulated to those people involved in the recruitment process.
  • Once you have conducted the job interview, mark your decision on whether to employ. Ensure that this is based on factual information and not gut feeling.  If you have decided to reject the candidate mark your reason where indicated on the back of the form.


Welcome The Job Interview Plan

  • Introduce yourself and any other interviewers
  • Put the candidate at ease
  • Explain the purpose of the interview
  • Outline the way the interview will be structured
  • Explain you will be taking notes

Ask

  • Information about the candidate that is related to the job
  • Use the criteria on the person specification
  • Identify points from the application form that need querying
  • Prepare questions in advance
  • Use open questions – move from easy to more searching ones
  • Listen and probe
  • Find out what the candidate expects from the job
  • Explore the candidate’s motivations. Are these more to do with rewards (such as money or status) or with job satisfaction?

 

Supply

  • Information related to the job. Summarise the main points of the job, department and company.
  • Remember the interviewer should only do 20-30% of the talking

 

Notes

  • Note down key points and remember that candidates are able to ask for copies of all interview notes

 

Wrapping up

  • Ensure there is enough time for the candidate’s questions and respond fully and positively
  • Inform candidates when they can expect to hear from you

 

And finally, restrict your role to

  • Asking questions
  • Clarifying queries
  • Keeping the conversation flowing
  • Providing information
  • Reassuring the candidates

 

After the job interview

  • Assess the candidates by using interview notes, personal specification, test results and candidate comparison forms
  • Inform all candidates of the outcome of their interview.
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Do small businesses need to get real about cyber security?

Katie Holland, Barclays Business Manager, examines the issue.

The prominence of the internet has changed the way companies of all sizes conduct their business. It has opened the doors for many SMEs to streamline their processes and generate additional opportunities in areas which previously might have appeared out of reach. However, it is not without some downsides, a major one being the growth in prominence of cyber crime.

 

Last summer a Government Security Breaches Survey found that nearly three quarters [74 per cent] of small organisations reported a security breach in the last year. This is a real concern, as is the variety and scale of the scams which are currently in the offing.

 

One example in early 2016 reports some cases of conveyancing fraud. In these instances criminals were said to have hacked into emails sent between solicitors and clients. The fraudsters, posing as the solicitor, then sent emails with instructions to transfer money from property transactions to a rogue account. The funds then disappeared.

 

As a lender it’s absolutely vital for Barclays to have a fraud prevention strategy in place. Plus a substantial, and active, fraud team alongside a raft of resources for individual and business borrowers. But, as a SME what more should you be doing?

 

The first prudent step is to ensure your business is fully protected, including the data in your possession. The lengths at which cyber criminals go to shouldn’t be underestimated.

 

SMEs could also be made aware that changes to any payment details attached to a transaction should be treated with suspicion. For example, if they are sent an encrypted email or asked for personal data by email, or anything that feels even remotely dubious, then they should pick up the phone and verify it directly with the party in question. The inclusion of cyber security and anti-malware protection will not only safeguard your business, but also provide an additional layer of protection for you, your customers and subsequently cement your long-term relationship with them.

 

Some of you may have seen Barclays latest advert which sees a seemingly trustworthy advisor asking for personal banking details whilst a voice in the background explains that his intentions are not genuine. The advert goes on to reveal a member of Barclays branch staff, who is a Premier Banking Manager, standing behind the fraudster and offering advice on how consumers can protect themselves.

 

This type of fraud is known as social engineering and it is the manipulation of situations and people that result in the targeted individuals divulging confidential information. It is one of the most prolific and effective means of gaining access to secure systems and obtaining sensitive information, yet requires minimal technical knowledge.

 

The advert is one way in which Barclays is raising awareness about these issues and we regularly host cyber crime events for SMEs locally most recently in Weston-Super-Mare.

 

From April 2016 Barclays will host a series of events specifically for businesses providing guidance on how they can protect themselves from cyber crime. For further information please speak to your Barclays Business Manager and more details about how to be cyber smart can be found here.

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