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5 Top Tips For Successful Networking
Now, I'm guessing you wouldn't expect to win the first marathon you ever entered, would you? However, if you train hard, apply yourself, invest the time and really work at it, subsequent marathons will eventually get easier, your finishing times will improve and the...
The Art Of The Business Expo. Yes, There Is An Art …..
My name is Cheryl, and I love to visit business expos! There. I’ve said it. My secret is out, and there’s no going back!
Who Holds You To Account When You Work For Yourself?
There are so many benefits to working for yourself: you can manage your own time, work around school hours, work at your own pace and yes, be your own boss. Perfect! But wait! There are down sides too, and the biggest one I came up against was the self-discipline...
Social Media: How Safe Is YOUR Teenager?
I was recently asked to deliver a social media-based enrichment talk to a group of Sixth Form students at a local all-girls' school. During my research and preparation, some of the things I discovered led to me questioning the values of social media, and whether there...
It’s Basic Grammar – Let’s Get It Right!
The other day I opened an email newsletter only to be confronted with the opening line “Do you know where you’re business is going?” My shoulders immediately tensed up. Did I want to continue reading this piece if the sender couldn’t even get the opening line...
Fed Up With Candy Crush Requests? Block ‘Em!
Hardly a day goes by without reading a status update on Facebook bemoaning the various game requests that can bombard users to the point of distraction. Did you know that you can block game requests? It takes a matter of minutes to do, and will stop the pesky requests...
Top 5 Tips To Make Your Tweets Sparkle!
Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last few years, you can’t have escaped the popularity of micro-blogging social media site, Twitter. Launched in 2006, the site now has over 270 million active users. Businesses of all shapes and sizes across every imaginable...
Tao’s Top 5 Tips for Effective Networking
I first had the idea of working for myself sometime during 2011, after ranting to my partner how unhappy I was in the job I was doing at the time. He actually planted the first seed, and yes, I laughed! As I thought about it, the idea grew on me and a battle plan was...
Monthly Mentoring – and moving forward
In March 2014 I signed up with three fellow small business owners for a monthly mentoring group. We’re all from different business sectors so there’s no clashing in terms of clients or “trade secrets” and we’re pretty much all “one man bands”, although the fourth...
The 10 Commandments For Business Owners
Thou shalt not be perfect, or even try Thou shalt not try to be all things to all people Thou shalt leave undone things that ought to be done Thou shalt not spread thyself too thin Thou shalt learn to say NO! Thou shalt schedule time to thyself Thou shalt switch off...
It’s A Holiday – leave the gadgets at home!
You’ve worked hard all year for your holiday and the time has finally arrived to think about the packing. If you’re anything like me, numerous lists are compiled – the packing (suitcase and hand luggage) lists, the books I want to take list, the documentation list,...
School’s Out! How Do You Cope?
For the kids, it’s the highlight of the year. Six week off school to have fun and generally let their hair down after a year of lessons and homework. The days are long, with little structure and lots of (perceived) freedom. For working parents the school summer...
1-2-1s – The Art Of Planning
Anyone who has met me will know that I am passionate about, and believe in the power of networking. Anyone who read my last blog will also know that I am meticulous about planning my working week. When I sat down at my desk the Friday before last to plan for the...
Distractions Beware! Top 5 Tips For Staying Focused Working From Home
Running your own business can be the most rewarding thing you may ever do in your lifetime. It can offer you flexibility that those in paid employment may never experience. It can give you a sense of self-worth and achievement when you receive positive feedback and...
Seize The #Hour!
Once you’ve got yourself set up with a Twitter account, the next step is to grow your following, after all, tweeting to no followers is akin to shouting to an empty room – nobody will hear you!An effective way to gain followers is to make the most of the various...
Facebook & Twitter Updates – To Link, or Not To Link?
I have to admit that the main social media faux pas that really makes me cringe is when I see Tweets posted from a Facebook status update. This is one of the most common mistakes made by many social media users, but is also very easily avoided. Maybe you can be...
Networking: from tiny steps to leaps and bounds!
Once I’d decided to start my own business towards the end of 2011, I felt that I needed to do a bit of this thing called “networking”, to see what it was all about, and hopefully pick up some useful contacts and maybe even some business. It was early one morning that...
To Outsource Or Not To Outsource …. That Is The Question!
OK, so your business is growing, you’re getting busier and busier and the days just don’t have enough hours in them. Yet you’re STILL trying to do everything yourself. If struggling to keep up with the paperwork, the book-keeping, the marketing and a dozen other day...