Business – When is it Time to Pull the Plug?

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

When Should a Business Throw in the Towel?

In a departure from my usual posts, I wanted to talk about when (or if) it is time for a business to ‘throw in the towel’. In spite of the negative title, the post is aiming to be supportive, and positive, helping your business to be successful.

Small Business Support

I support small businesses, it is what I do, I strongly believe in their importance to the fabric of society as well as to the economy. We are all observing a dramatic shift in the retail sector as businesses small and large fall prey to the predator that is online shopping. In recent years I, like you, have watched businesses cease to trade, in some cases this was a ‘fait accompli’ resulting from a catalogue of mistakes, in other cases there were factors outside the owner’s control.

Recognise the Signs

Yesterday I was contacted by a local business owner to thank me for the support I had provided as a customer. I had gladly written reviews and provided social media content for the business owner to use. He worked long and hard to make his business a success, and it grew. What happened next was a classic cliché, his work life balance became unbalanced and the negative consequences began to appear. There simply were not enough hours in a day and every hour added to his working day was an hour he couldn’t spend with his young family. He realised the cost and took action, he has sold his business.

‘Get Real’

In the early stage of growth there is often a lag as costs rise but revenue falls behind. It’s a precarious position, I have heard of cases where business owners borrow money in the belief they will be in a position to repay it, only to find they hadn’t done the research or understood the figures, their ambitions were little more than pipe-dreams.

What Could Have Happened?

Crucially as a business grows, owners need to release themselves from the tasks that could (and should) be carried out by others. ‘Free up’ the time to run the business and steer it in the right direction and play to your strengths.

  1. Have a solid plan based on actual results and realistic projections, it is a safer foundation to build upon.
  2. Set regular time aside to get all the free advice and support you can via forums, websites, meetups and local business networks.
  3. Timing is everything, know the right moment to recruit help
  4. Employ people with the expertise your business needs and/or the expertise you lack.
  5. Consider apprenticeships, a cost-effective solution
  6. Consider sharing employees with other businesses
  7. Manage time effectively

What’s the Take-Home?

My take home message is, no business is worth the sacrifice of your health and well-being, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Do everything you can to run your business well, take all the support you are offered, beware of people who promise the earth and charge accordingly, mistakes are OK, but learn from them. If you have a quality offering that is in demand you have the fundamentals in place. It is now a case of getting all your ducks in a row ready to fly.  I wish you every success.

Ducks in a row Small Business Support

Get Your Ducks in a Row

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Link Building Like a Pro

Posted on July 31, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

Top Tips For Sustainable Link Building

Thankfully, gone are the days of creating spurious links from dubious directories in order to climb the Google charts. To reach page 1 of Google, you are competing in a field of millions. The take home message is, be good at what you do and offer a service or product that people want or need. I attended an excellent course in Cambridge last week organised by Optimisey, (slips in a well-earned and relevant link to Optimisey) I thought I would share some of the top tips provided by guest speaker Stacey MacNaught with you.

  1. Do not subscribe to free directories
  2. Write great features for reputable and relevant websites
  3. Make your product/service desirable
  4. Find out what relevant publications are going to focus on and offer useful/interesting/well-written articles at the right times for publication
  5. Research relevant keywords to work out what people are searching for
  6. Offer your suppliers a testimonial including a link to your site
  7. Keep it real/natural
Links in a chain Link building Business support for websites Cambridge

Photo by Kaley Dykstra on Unsplash

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Your Business From a New Perspective

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

Reinvigorate Your Business

We recently had a visit from a garden designer. From the moment I booked her I began to see my garden through a stranger’s eyes, it wasn’t a comfortable experience. In my defence, I am busy, but I must confess, since the moment I knew she was coming, the tidy up began. As I stood beside her discussing plans, the thought entered my head that inviting a fresh pair of eyes has caused me to look at my garden afresh. Imagine if businesses did the same.

Cast A Critical Eye

Remember Sir John Harvey Jones MBE? Imagine you have invited him in to act as ‘Troubleshooter’, as you prepare for his arrival, what do you see? This accountability and exposure certainly sharpens the senses. Suddenly you see the business from a new perspective. Issues you have accepted are no longer acceptable, problems on the back burner, flare up and add to the heat of the situation. You begin to find solutions. Why didn’t you do this when the problems first arose? Maybe it was easier to ‘let it ride’ thinking it could be dealt with when you had more time.

Critical eye on business Small Business Support Cambridge

Photo by Perchek Industrie on Unsplash

Speaking From Experience

I was invited in to a retail outlet by the owner of a small business to suggest and make changes. The changes were glaringly obvious to me, and to the owner as soon as I highlighted each one. Each change brought about an improvement in the business, so why hadn’t he done it before? He simply hadn’t stepped back and looked at his business with a critical eye, or invited anybody else to do it. We had a lot of fun doing it and the rewards were great.

How to Reinvigorate Your Business

  1. Choose an honest, straight talking person with appropriate knowledge / logical thinking
  2. Invite them to cast a critical eye, viewing things from the customers’ perspective.
  3. Be prepared to accept constructive criticism
  4. make changes, and track their effect on the business

More on ‘accountability’

Contact me here to chat more on this topic

 

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SSL Certificate – Is Your Site Secure?

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

Secure Vs Non-Secure Sites

I am working with a client who is paying a sizeable monthly fee to a website hosting company. On investigation, this is the ‘Self-Managed’ package which includes only the hosting, no support, no frills. Yet it is not cheap!

For this money each month my client’s site has no SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate, it is therefore not secure. Google is now penalising such sites by preventing them from appearing in SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages). According to Google:

Beginning in July 2018 with the release of Chrome 68, Chrome will mark all HTTP sites as ‘not secure’

What This Means

An SSL certificate means that data entered will be encrypted, and therefore protected.  Google are right to penalise these sites, secure ones are far better for everyone. My client is in the process of a website overhaul. We need to come away from this dinosaur of a company and build a website worthy of her business. Part of showing potential customers that they can trust this eCommerce company will be demonstrating that their money is safe.

HTTPS_ Image Google Penalise unsecure sites

Would you trust this website?

  • As a customer, look for the green padlock in the browser, followed by the word ‘Secure’
  • As a business, get yourself on to Google and investigate reputable companies who provide SSL certificates, or build your website on a secure patform.

Secure Website Image Content Writer For Small Businesses in Cambridgeshire

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Life Without Marketing?

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

What Happens If I Don’t Market My Business?

Businesses today are caught up in the hamster wheel of endless marketing. The fear of losing customers, not gaining customers, not reaching the audience drives us forward like rats in a maze. What if we stopped? It’s preposterous, I know that, I am just mulling things over.

This week I am in Sete Cidades, a tranquil idyll nestled in the crater of a volcano on the island of Sao Miguel. The birdsong is deafening, flora and fauna beautiful and the views are breathtaking.

Sete Cidades Azores

Marketing by Smell

This place has some 700 residents, they all know each other, many are ambivalent towards visitors. The whole island is well maintained, a wealth of natural resources attract tourists but the local businesses are certainly not vying for their trade. We found the village bakery by smell alone, they produce delicious bread, one type, and will deliver. Opening hours are until sometime around 10 or 11am, when the bread has gone.

Village bakery Sete Cidades the Azores

Open for Business, if you can find us

Village bakery sete Cidades bread delivery

Bread Delivery

This relaxed way of living surely has its merits? Chatting with the locals (they all speak English), this is the life they choose. On investigation, the young have left for Canada or the USA, they are following the money. It is a place of contradictions, the people who live here don’t want to become rats in a maze, but they could certainly do with a bit more money in their pockets.

A Relaxed Approach

We have swum in thermal sea pools, visited a tea plantation, and a rum factory, climbed bell towers, hiked and more, all for free. We would have happily paid for all of these things to increase the workers’ income. I know the residents don’t earn enough to live on but that doesn’t seem to bother them. People here place relaxation above revenue, some struggle to pay for the bread at their door which cost the princely sum of 30 cents.

I am trying to think of a way to morph the two lifestyles into a perfect way of lifestyle balance.

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The Hardest Working Advert

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

Advertising – Reach New Heights

I have always advised clients to steer clear of advertising in newspapers and magazines. At prohibitive costs, that advert only stands a chance of working for you for the seconds that particular page is open AND if someone happens to focus on it. The moment the page is shut, your investment stops working, the end.

So What Media Works?

Attention now is on social media, it’s all about sharing, liking, commenting and viewing. It is worth considering how you could advertise at any place that is likely to be shared on social media. Clearly, it isn’t quite as straightforward as that, we can’t all go hanging banners across Niagra Falls. Think of somewhere that has some connection to your business that people are likely to photograph. Is there an opportunity to promote your business in a stand-out way?

Let Me Give You An Example

Let me explain… As I write, one of the clients I am working with is building the Obstacle Training Ground. People from all sectors of society will be turning up to pitch themselves against a frightening array of obstacles: walls, tyres, ramps, nets etc. etc. Meanwhile, and here’s the thing, their friends and family will photograph them as they conquer each obstacle. What’s the first thing they will do with those photos? Straight on to social media, we all like to show off the moment we conquered the 8 foot wall!

Climbing Wall Obstacle Small Business Support My Words Work For You

Advertising Reach -Scale New Heights

A Win-Win Situation

What an opportunity. We will contact local, relevant businesses and offer them the opportunity to sponsor an obstacle. Every visitor to the Obstacle Training Ground not only promotes the facility itself, but also the associated bussinesses who have a four foot x 2 foot banner in the shot.  Their banner will appear on the screens, and in the psyche of an ever increasing audience every time is it liked, shared, viewed and commented on.

Changing World

Gone are the days of paying hundreds, or even thousands of pounds for a prime spot in a magazine, we need to be thinking far more dynamically. Get people to do the work for you by sharing. For this physical fitness facility we will offer the opportunity to local businesses: sports shops, fitness centres, sporting event organisers, accountants, printers…in fact any businesses whose target audience is likely to visit this venue.

Get in touch if you would like to advertise, venue is opening at the end of the month.

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Privacy Policy

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

GDPR Deadline

The GDPR Deadline is this Friday, 25th May. Businesses that hold, process or use data about any EU citizen need to be aware of, and comply with, a new set of regulations put in place by the European Parliament. This is a good thing.

Step 1 – Privacy Policy

“Not another privacy policy” I hear you cry.

Don’t panic! This privacy policy is clear, concise, and honest, but maybe not ‘run-of-the-mill’. Every business should have one.

What Data is Stored

I am very fortunate, I don’t need to advertise, therefore I don’t need to capture and store any personal data for the purposes of marketing. Data stored is done so for:

  • The performance of contract for clients
  • To comply with legal obligations, or
  • For proportionate processing for a legitimate business interest.

E.g. I have a legitimate interest in storing clients’ contact information, namely to communicate, to invoice and for accounting purposes.

How I Store Data

For a number of clients, I carry out activities that mean I need to store personally identifiable data. These data are stored in password protected documents in a secure location that will only be accessible by myself and the client. If such documents need to be printed into hard copy they are anonymised beforehand, and shredded after use.

Where I Store Data

Well if I told everybody where I stored data that wouldn’t be very GDPR compliant. In the rare cases that I store data, it is stored securely in compliance with GDPR.

Locked gate Secure data storage Privacy Policy My Words Work For You

Cookies and Cream

I do not capture, use or store any information about individuals who visit my website, or read or comment on my blog posts. Similarly, posts published by me on other forums are not used to capture data about any individual who engages with them. I currently do not use Google Analytics or any other tool for analysis of personal data. You won’t find annoying pop-ups ‘tailoring your experience’, ‘enhancing your experience’, ‘ensuring advertisements are tailored/relevant to you’ or however else it is being dressed up, I simply don’t track what you do or how you do it, feel free to have a look around in peace.

Followers

My Words Work For You has a growing number of followers on WordPress and social media sites.  Each individual has chosen to do so, and to continue doing so, presumably they like my tales from the world of content writing, or they like me, whichever it is, I am grateful.

What Does GDPR mean To You?

For the general public, GDPR is a good thing, you are better protected and you have more rights. With an exponential growth in internet use, and businesses fighting for your attention, something had to be done to protect you and prevent misuse of your data. Check the ICO’s website for more information.

For businesses, this is a chance to ‘clean up & clear out’. A complete audit of what data you have, what you do with it, where it is stored and how it is stored is going to make you more streamlined. Clear out the data you don’t need or shouldn’t have and make yourself aware of exactly what you do have. Make sure the data you have is recognised and recognisable, safe, and GDPR compliant. If there is a breach you have 24 hours to report on it, could you? Don’t be fretting about multi-million Euro fines, just be taking steps to compliance.

Any future changes will be updated in my privacy policy. I feel a tweak coming on.

Contact me if you would like to know more

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A Content Content Writer

Posted on May 16, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

Today I received feedback from a new client. No matter how confident I am in my abilities as a content writer, it is always a nervous wait. Why? A new client is a new learning curve,  in this case my curve was engineering, interesting stuff. For me, the process of getting to know my client is of equal importance.

Good Content Writing

Good content works hard for the business, it is unique, and authentic (see previous post). The second the reader stops believing, is the second they stop reading. Good content illustrates the story behind the business, why they do what they do, how they do it, and how it benefits their customers. As a consumer, you know yourself, you won’t buy something you don’t believe in.

“To be believed in, one needs to be believable”

Content Writing – The Process

How do I create content? The process begins with listening. I  research the business I am writing for and meet/speak with the client to develop an understanding of the business and its aims. What’s their story?

  • What are the Unique Selling Points?
  • What makes them tick?
  • How do their customers benefit?
  • What is their ‘Why’?
blackboard-chalk-What's Your Story Content Writer My Words Work For You

Why Do You Do What You Do?

Focus On The ‘Why’

In this case, I was working with an agent who was managing the development of a new website for his client, he chose me to provide the content. What his client does is to make the creation of machined parts smoother and stress free by managing the whole process. That’s the bit his customers are interested in, so that’s what I brought to life in my copy. Hopefully, I have created unique, authentic content that illustrates how this business makes people’s lives easier. The client was happy, I can’t wait to see the results.

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It’s All About Authenticity

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

I met a friend for a coffee recently. We met in an out of town café, run by a young couple with brightly coloured hair, tattoos, and warm smiles. They have created a good selection of food themselves and the coffee is smooth. As ever, this unpretentious café was full of a diverse range of people. It’s not niche, there is no ‘type’ that it appeals to, it is there for everyone.

What We Want, What We Really, Really Want…

Sitting in this frankly inelegant establishment, we were left in peace to enjoy quality coffee and a warmed cinnamon bun. We talked about what made this place so successful. My friend suggested it is authenticity, he is quite probably right. People are veering away from the ‘highly polished’ big brands where one can purchase the same shiny things as other people. They don’t want Starbucks, they want ‘Joe’s Cafe’, they don’t want the perfect sound of CDs, they want the authentic sound of vinyl.

Microphone authentic sound Marketing Small business support My Words Work For You

Authentic Branding

So what does this mean for businesses? Nobody wants to see ‘cheesy’ advertising offering the Earth. Unrealistic advertising making huge claims are so clichéd they are ignored, think furniture stores! All of this is now passé, ‘soooo yesterday’. The message is to be authentic, keep it real, people will trust your honesty and respect you for it. Show people who you are and what you can do, and crucially, how it will help them. Stand out for all the right reasons and get yourself a following of believers in your brand. I believe my friend is ‘spot on’, it’s all about the authenticity.

As a consumer, how do you feel about authenticity?

More on a similar topic: Aim for Believe

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GDPR To Sum Up The Summit

Posted on April 29, 2018 by Nicola Dunklin

Since founding My Words Work For You in 2013, I have enjoyed providing business support to many of my clients. I like having a multi-dimensional approach to my work, it gives me a more complete understanding.

A Varied Audience

As you may have seen from previous posts, I am working alongside Cliff Gibson, Founder of DBR Data to support businesses through the process of becoming GDPR compliant. Last week, Cliff & I ‘manned’ his stand at the GDPR Summit in London. Thousands of delegates paid a lot of money to attend, these ranged from the ‘rabbit in the headlights’ to ‘experts’ aiming to finalise details. Businesses ranged from SMEs to global enterprises who have a mountain to climb. We were there to help them.

Image credit: Aimee Moreau

GDPR Compliance

A recurring event of the day was people arriving at the stand who were ‘delegated’ to become the GDPR expert within their business. Every business needs at least one but the moral of the story seems to be, if you don’t want to be it, don’t be that person who was missing at the meeting or it could be you! GDPR affects us all, it isn’t something to be scared of but it is something to be understood. And therein lies the path to compliance.

It was a successful day for all concerned, needs were met, questions were answered and many businesses took positive steps to compliance.

What Next?

Don’t panic! Don’t listen to the scaremongering about heavy fines, just ensure that you have understood the requirements to become compliant and have taken the necessary steps. Get in touch if you would like any help.

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