Grown men quaking in their shoes; students screwing up their faces in indignation; pretty young secretaries deflated on seeing their 'so-called' perfect shorthand script crawling with red ink, I've seen it all!

No-one loves the Proofreader! If only I had a fiver for every script I've marked for examination bodies, letters I've corrected for bosses and homework I've sent back to be re-done … I'd be a millionaire.

Proofreading isn't a horrible job, it's a routine job performed to a professional standard.  Here's a perspective you will I hope, find interesting and entertaining ….. continued

It really doesn’t matter whether you sell computer hardware, fine handmade soaps, luxury fashion items, cars, bathrooms, garden gates, or dog collars, social media is going to help your business brand get traction in the market.

Why is it that some enterprises still don’t ‘GET IT’?

I liked this video - Chris Pirillo talks about a small business in Seattle called Pooper Trooper.  The company has a very clear understanding of social media.  They use the power of social media to pull consumers to their product … a product they know is of enormous value to their potential customers.

If you would actually like to view the Pooper Trooper’s YouTube Video, then click here.

It should be an issue but all too often it seems business owners are too busy or too scared of the technology to get a plan together for tackling data security.

I recently posted a question on a professional forum on LinkedIn:

“How do we get the message out to those who need it most”?

I’ve selected two of the respondents answers, two great responses by top-notch individuals within the IT industry in UK.

Oli Rhys, a Business ICT Advisor for one of the Welsh local councils and Tomasz Bergiel, business owner of a web design company The Mint Factory.

Read the full script here.

It doesn't take long to get a grasp on Twitter

Within a few weeks of using Twitter it becomes clear how it works and more to the point how you can make it work for you.  However if you are feeling uncomfortable using it and have thoughts in your mind like:

"Why on earth am I exposing myself to this nonsense"?

or

" I really don't have time for this, it isn't working for me".

Then you might be suffering from a mismatch scenario.  The platform is mismatched to you.  What you need to appreciate is that there are lots of other platforms available that might better suit your skills and personality.

Don't give up, instead change platforms and give it another go!

Micro-blogging is fun for personal interaction and for business, it's a very worthwhile addition to your marketing tools.  Remember though it is not a broadcast medium, people do not want to get the business 'hard sell' all the time, they can after all simply unfollow you.  They want to get to know what makes up the brand.

It's called 'pull marketing': when you like something well enough you gravitate towards it.  So when people on Twitter like your message and begin to understand your ethos, they warm to you and will in all probability want to recommend you to others, at the very least, and may even choose to buy your product over another.

Here's a super screencast production by one of my Twitter contacts Su Butcher who uses the Twitter ID @justprofs, she explains the issues very clearly.

She tells us Twitter isn't the best interface for beginners and shows us how it lets us down.  Sometimes the frustrations we feel with a piece of software can deter us from using it, right from the word go.  Other times when we use something that we like from the word go, it often becomes a favourite of ours.

Did watching the video change your mind?  Will you give Twitter another go?  Do let me know if you found more satisfaction using something else – may be Tweetdeck or Hootsuite?

You might like to follow my Twitter account @LadyBizBiz

Slightly longer version of this blog appears here.

PhotoCredit: Fotolia © Destinyvp

Time's Paces

When as a child I laughed and wept,

Time crept.

When as a youth I waxed more bold,

Time strolled.

When I become a full-grown man,

Time ran.

When older still I daily grew,

Time flew.

Soon I shall find, in passing on,

Time gone!

(These lines appear on an old clock in Chester Catherdral).

I think all of us can relate to these words.

I'm advocating immediate action by sole proprietors and business owners everywhere who would like to make a difference to the success of their business enterprise.

There is no time like the present to become involved in the world of social media in order to promote your business and yourself.

I am going to cogitate here on just one platform for social media interaction: the one that seems to have taken the whole world by the scruff of the neck … Twitter.

Tweeting isn't for everyone, or is it?  

I didn't think it was for me, really I didn't until I experienced a sudden intuitive leap of understanding.

If you would like to read about that epiphany here's the link.

I think we will all agree that your brand whether personal, professional or commercial, is definitely something that should be protected.   Why would you allow it to be tarnished when you have endured blood, sweat and tears in establishing it over the years? 

You may have sacrificed a huge amount of family life in the making of your business, so protection for your brand is probably top of your list.

Have you considered how Social Media and in particular Twitter can affect your brand? 

People have the notion that if they aren’t interested in engaging in social media, and stay well away from it, then their brand is protected.   So, it’s a nasty wake-up call when they discover that actually whether they are registered on social media platforms or not, their brand, be it personal, professional or commercial, is probably being talked about in their absence.

You simply cannot prevent people from talking about things on Twitter, or even complaining, so let’s hope they aren’t complaining about your products or services?    This isn’t all bad because it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that if you are being talked about it’s better than NOT being talked about.

Here’s why it’s GOOD …..  you can make sure that the moment someone does complain publicly on Twitter that you are brand monitoring and you then nip the problem in the bud.  

You can turn it to your advantage and walk away feeling proud.  You can help someone who in the first instance expressed a negative opinion of your brand, to change that opinion.  Following your efficient response in engaging with them, you can leave them with a glowing impression instead!

This is precisely why you would want to respond efficiently and effectively to that Twitter comment:

Sue is a Broadband customer of Company A and she’s been attempting to query the low download speed through customer service.  She’s angry and frustrated and she tweets that “Company A has dreadful customer service – I can’t get anyone to appreciate my problem, they just ignore the fact that I’m paying good money for an appalling service.”

Now you are Company A’s person monitoring the brand on Twitter.  And you use various search functions to make sure that whenever anyone tweets about Company A you know about the tweet within a reasonable amount of time.

When you see this tweet by Sue, you immediately tweet her publicly: “@username I can help you. Call me at xxxxx and I assure you I will personally attend to your problem.”

Sue calls you, you take care of the problem, and she’s so delighted she then tweets:“Company A just took care of my problem.  That’s good customer service!”

Now imagine if you hadn’t been brand monitoring and Sue’s tweet went unanswered.  Then her complaint escalates.

For example, someone could reply to Sue: “@username I also had crappy customer service from Company A.”

Sue could then reply: “I wish I could switch to another Broadband provider.  I really dislike Company A.”

Before you know what’s happening because of the viral nature of Twitter, and the fact that it is real-time, a whole load of people – people who perhaps don’t even have a complaint with your company, but want to offer their ‘opinion’ – have jumped on the bandwagon.

It might, or it might not be, too late at this stage to undo the damage.  Without a doubt though, this is the way that a brand can suffer damage.  It could probably have been prevented if you had caught it early, taken care of the problem promptly and efficiently, and then you and the satisfied customer, could have tweeted about the successful resolution.

Brand monitoring can take advantage of positive comments, here’s how:

Track your brand on Twitter so that you can also pick up the positive comments.  Until someone can convince me otherwise I will continue to use Tweetdeck for this purpose because it meets all my needs. If, for example, someone tweets a compliment for your brand, you can re-tweet that compliment and potentially send it farther into the ether.

By tweeting worthwhile information in connection to your brand, there is also the added advantage that the perception of your brand can be emboldened in the public mind.   This will enable you to cultivate goodwill so that, should a problem arise your customers or clients will be magnanimous and likely to forgive you.

Finally I urge you to recognise that brand monitoring is a very important marketing activity in the social networking Twittersphere.

In the words of the minstrel in the light-hearted video that follows

" You might as well not have existed".

THE BALLARD OF TWITTER

Would you kindly leave a comment and tell me how Twitter has been successful in endorsing your brand, be it personal, professional or commercial?

Is your personality suited to home-based working?  

This question is directly related to Virtual Personal Assistants.  This discussion does not touch in any way on the experiences of Virtual Assistants working out of a regular office space; it deals solely with those experiences in working out of a home-based office or study.

It is not as straightforward as one might first imagine.  There are always complicated subtleties to take stock of because the scope for variance is immense.  However, in generalising, because I am not aware of any research in this new field, I would suggest the following: people with the these traits are suited to this mode of working.

• People driven by a rock solid work ethic.

The work ethic when it is strong and durable is more important than top rate skills.  Skills will develop with time, and that's the crux of the matter, it is only those people who are driven by a strong work ethic who will devote the time.

If someone is motivated to work solidly within the recognised work zone viz. 9 to 5 pm, they will strive to complete the task in hand, no matter how long it takes.  They will acquire the skills along the way and in acquiring those skills will feel a huge sense of satisfaction, and that satisfaction in their achievement will spur them on to work longer and harder to complete the task.  They are in fact not bound by the recognised working time zone.

So, these people often exceed the expectation of their clients by working faster and delivering work of a much higher standard.

• People who do not have to consider other demands on their time.

When there are family members to consider there will be less time available for home-based working despite all efforts to achieve a balance, the needs of the family will always come first.

I hear all you working mothers out there disagreeing saying “but we set ourselves targets just like any other individuals”.  Yes, I'm sure this is the case, however families have a knack of diverting the attention of the main carer, who is usually female.

With all the will in the world if the carer is attempting to 'get on with some work', but the family member wants their attention, then I believe the child, partner, spouse, parent or pet is going to get that attention, by hook or by crook.  Be honest with yourselves, if your child is complaining of feeling unwell, or if you can hear sibling fisti-cuffs occurring in the background, if your hubby is pressing you, or your dog is throwing up on the carpet, you will be distracted, and you will leave your desk to attempt to deal with the domestic problems. Thus the work-flow is disturbed.

If the Virtual Personal Assistant has none of those distractions she works like a demon.  The super organised VPA ensures the distractions do not impinge on her work programme.

So what is clear here is that it is only the well-organised and expert time managers within this new field, who can achieve excellent performance levels and keep many clients happy simultaneously.  They will take into consideration that there are natural distractions when they are home-based working, and will construct a work pattern which has equal weighting with their family commitments.

• People who value the benefits of social media as a primary means of communicating win ‘hands down’.

Using the tools available via social media we can work smarter in the home.  If using these tools is second nature to us we will engage more effectively with our clients and colleagues.  Skype video conferencing, chat and calls; MSN chat; Facebook; LinkedIn and Twitter – in no particular order – help us to keep our finger on the pulse of the current issues and allow us to deal with things in an instant.  Nothing has to be delayed till later, we have all we need at our finger tips.  Not forgetting if we are using cloud computing techniques, like Huddle workspace or Google Docs, the client can actually witness the progress in real time.

In building up solid and extensive networks of connections through social media we build an arsenal of resources to make our tasks easier to complete.  If you are not a natural communicator you are disadvantaged, however you can learn how to network effectively without being Miss Exuberance 24/7.  There are, after all, hundreds of 'gurus' and 'experts' in social media out there offering to help us become more proficient.

When we are home-based we are not working in a vacuum we are immersed in a virtual world that is vibrant and dynamic.    There is never the opportunity to feel unsupported or under-valued with such a solid network in place.  Feeling empowered by our network we work more effectively and efficiently.  With social media at hand we become ‘wonder-women’:  super-charged super-VPAs.

If  you are considering becoming a VPA business owner you need to consider whether your personality is right for this role.  I hope the points I have made above help you to reach a position of clarity.

Finally, there is an additional consideration: you must not neglect the legal aspects of working in a home-based business.  It might well affect your Council Tax status.

The SME Hub covers this topic well and I would encourage you to take a few minutes to read their blog on the topic:  'Are you allowed to run a business from home?'

Tungle is a calendar accelerator that gets you connected, productive and in control of your calendar. Say no to closed off, inflexible calendaring. Tungle your calendar at http://www.tungle.com.  

Here’s a short video explaining the concept:

If you would like to arrange a meeting with me, or a slot for Skype,  you can view my calendar at http://www.tungle.me/LadyBizBizzy.    This invite is extended to people within my social networks and those already in my contact lists.

At this point in time I only welcome contact from my LinkedIn people and my Twitter followers.

My LinkedIn profile can be found here   and my Twitter ID here.

Remember you don’t have to be registered with Tungle to view someone’s calendar, but you do have to be a real person with a verified email address.

Please only use this online calendar if you are a serious enquirer.  All spammers will be reported to the relevant authority.

5 Critical Elements to an Effective Collaboration

The tone of this article is not meant to be heavy-handed: it hopes to provide a pragmatic view of what steps can be taken to keep your business from becoming a statistic in the insolvency tables.

If we all stopped spending on little pleasures like dining at restaurants and visiting sports events etc. the economy would feel the effects and this wouldn’t do much for recovery.  The same is true in our business lives, we still need to spend money on networking, travel and office sundries.  The crux of the matter is the amount we are spending: have we made proper adjustments in order to give our business the best chance of survival in these tough times.

‘Get ahead of the game’ ……

This check list might be of use to you in reviewing your action plan:

Focus on cashflow

Make sure you invoice promptly and chase up outstanding debtors. Strengthen credit control, reduce stock levels, sell surplus assets, negotiate extended credit terms, including so called “time to pay agreements” with HMRC. Obtain up to date credit reports on major customers.

Cut your costs

Look for savings in all areas of your business – are you still getting the best deals from your suppliers – if you don’t have the time to ring round why not use the price comparison sites to check?  Could you get better credit terms? Renegotiate your ‘terms of business’ for slow paying clients: you might make your formal credit terms shorter where possible and perhaps in staged payments?  Could a meeting be held over the phone – it would save you money (and time) if you held a video-call – Skype B2B.  Keep an eye on the simple things: check your equipment is turned off at night.  Make certain you are using the correct postage on mail to avoid penalties.

Add more value – don’t cut prices

Improve what you are offering – look at possible customer care initiatives that add value as opposed to slashing prices that will impact your bottom line and won’t be easily recovered when the crisis has passed.

Increase your marketing

It’s more important than ever that you market your company.  There is as much competition in the market place as always however you are fighting for a smaller pot. Don’t neglect to engage in attraction marketing using social media websites such as Twitter and one that I rate very highly for professional contacts, LinkedIn. (I call LinkedIn ‘the serious professional’s Facebook).

Analyse staffing costs

Could you function with a reduced number of staff?  Could you make more of their existing skills.  Staff is a valuable resource, they may provide you with ideas to help you survive the crunch, and involving them will also be good for team building and morale.

Could staff become home-workers for your business in order that you lose the overhead costs involved in employing them?  You might also consider working with a VA, a virtual assistant who has their own business. They provide expertise on an ‘as-and-when-needed basis’, from their own office-space, at an hourly rate between £20-£40 depending on the nature of the work involved, (This is a very cost effective option if you consider the hourly rate of employing full-time staff can be twice as much cost again).  As a last resort, if absolutely necessary, take advantage of the redundancy payment loan scheme operated by the government.

Communication is essential

Keep in touch with your bank and your professional advisors. The warning signs are more obvious to an observer than they will be to you.  If you think there is trouble ahead, face problems head on and don’t adopt a head in the sand approach.  The earlier you deal with it the more options there are open to you.  Recent case law has clarified that as long as directors act in accordance with professional advice they should avoid personal liability.  Do keep detailed records of all decisions made by minute at board meetings.

Take your chances – when you get them. For every business that fails there will be customers, key personnel and other assets available to those that survive.

Register on IP-Bid.com, the UK’s online insolvency market place, to receive email updates and opportunities.

Sources:    AIMS Accountants for Business  and  McTear, Williams & Wood