What’s Getting In The Way?
February 26, 2010
By Cat Matson, Alito
One of the questions I often ask my mentoring clients is:
“What’s getting in the way?”
By that I mean, what’s getting in the way of you making the progress you want, achieving the goals you’ve set for yourself, working on the things that are important as opposed to urgent? Generally the list tumbles out of their mouths – clients, customers, staff, kids, IT issues, emails, traffic, the government, change in policy … blah, blah, blah.
This list of barriers can often feel insurmountable – particularly when day after day feels like a never-ending list of issues and challenges instead of productive, satisfying work. So what gives?
Well, my first tip is to break the barriers down into three categories.
- Speed Bumps – these are the things that are slowing you down … they’re an annoyance but aren’t insurmountable. A speed bump I’ve experienced today has been intermittent and slow internet connectivity. Extraordinarily annoying for someone who practically lives online … but I know it’s temporary and I’ve been able to work around it.
- Bottle Necks – this is where the traffic-flow of your business is slowing down due to a constriction of flow. It often happens when a particular staff member needs to approve ‘things’ … so work piles up in their in-tray while team members ‘wait’ to move-on. In a micro-business, a bottle-neck can often be lack of effective email management systems – so highly valuable emails (like a new client enquiry) gets lost in the ‘mass’ and doesn’t get addressed until the client has lost interest.
- Road Blocks – just like at major road-works, a Road Block in your business is where you’ve hit a complete stop with a particular project or conversation. For me at the moment it’s a major client who just won’t return phone-calls or emails. I can see the writing on the wall … but I can’t get a response and therefore can’t take any action on the file.
By categorising the list of barriers in this way you are in a better position to problem-solve … and you no longer see an endless list of ‘complaints’, rather items that need attention and can be resolved. Pay attention to recurring speed-bumps and bottle-necks – they may point to systemic issues in your business management or business model which, once resolved, could make a huge difference to your business. Road Blocks hopefully are one-off events … but by articulating them as such you can often quickly figure out a resolution.
By categorising the list of barriers in this way, you are in a better position to problem-solve
So next time you feel like you’ve hit a brick wall in your productivity, ask yourself
‘What’s getting in my way?’ and
‘Are these Speed Bumps, Bottle Necks or Road Blocks?’
When you do, you’ll find yourself on the freeway again in no time.
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Cat Matson - Alito
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| Phone: | 07 3289 7055 |
| Email: | cat@alito.com.au |
| Website: | www.alito.com.au |
| Twitter: | www.twitter.com/catmatson |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/AlitoFusion |
| LinkedIn: | www.linkedin.com/in/CatMatson |
| Blog: | www.alito.com.au/blog |
| Member Profile: | See Cat’s Member Profile |
Useful resources from Ed Dale’s Internet Marketing Seminar
February 25, 2010
Last Friday to Sunday I attended an Internet Marketing seminar hosted by Ed Dale of 30 Day Challenge fame. You may know Ed from Internet Marketing this Week, an almost-weekly podcast that I highly recommend if you’re interested in what’s new in new media and technology.
Must-have cheese pic with the host.
The 200, or so, participants enjoyed both local and international speakers on the subjects of outsourcing, content development (including using video), search engine marketing, business best practise, using offline marketing to drive customers online and blogging. All good, practical, information.
The highlight for me was the ‘hot seats’ where brave participants nominated their website for review by an expert panel.
I was lucky enough to be chosen and as a result got great feedback that I’lll start to implement this week at the Australian Businesswomen’s Network website.
The Twitter tag of the weekend was #30dchome. I thought you may be interested in looking it up – as you’ll find that participants posted highlights from the program as well as some handy links.
The 30 Day Challenge
You may have heard me speak about The 30 Day Challenge before. It’s a free, annual program, that is designed to get you online and doing business. Last year over 30,000 people participated. I’m sure it’s coming again in 2010.
I’ll post something when dates are released but in the meantime you can keep in touch with news by:
- Subscribing to Internet Marketing this Week on itunes
- Following Ed Dale’s page on Facebook
- Following Ed Dale on Twitter
Additional Resources
Lynn Terry (left) of clicknewz.com
- Guest speaker Lynn Terry (Affiliate Marketing)
- Guest speaker Leslie Rodhe (SEO)
- The fabulous Market Samurai tool
Cheers,
Suzi
10 Questions You Should Always Ask at an Interview
February 24, 2010
by Kristy-Lee Johnston, Footprint Recruitment.
Whilst interviews are by no means the only screening tool available when considering potential new hires, they still form an important part of the selection process and for most companies are still the screening and selection tool of choice.
So how do you get the most from your interviews and ensure that despite the unreliability they can be fraught with, they generate the information you need before appointing your next hire?
Make sure that some of the key information which is vital to the success of the future placement is not missed.
By incorporating the following 10 questions into your interview, in combination with your other questions regarding skills, availability and organisational fit, you will make sure that some of the key information which is vital to the success of the future placement is not missed:
1. Why did you apply for this position? Seems simple but it will give you great insight into the motivations of the individual and the real reasons they have applied for the role.
2. What salary and benefits are you looking for in your next role? Finding this information out before you disclose what you are offering is so important! Many applicants will accept a lower than expected salary only to try and negotiate higher within their first few months on the job. In addition if your target is well below theirs, they will be more likely to continue seeking a better paying role and accept yours as a stop gap. Conversely they may be seeking less than you were prepared to offer and you may be able to secure a fantastic new hire for a little less than you expected.
3. Why did you leave your last role (and all previous roles)? By asking this question for every single position on their resume you get a great insight into their motivations for moving between previous roles, and can assess whether this may be an issue for you.
4. If I was to ask your previous managers to describe you at work what would they say? The best thing about this question is that you can check the truth of their responses through your reference checks.
5. What was the best job you ever had and why? This question allows you to explore what they really like in their role and workplace.
6. Which was your lest favourite role and why? Conversely this will highlight things that may be problematic for them in your role.
7. What happened during this time? By identifying time gaps in resumes and questioning them you may uncover hidden, but very important information that an applicant would not have otherwise disclosed.
8. What do you know about our company? Understanding how much research they have done displays their true level of interest and enthusiasm.
9. What are the 3 most important things for you in the company you are going to join and/or the position you are going to take on? This again provides you with insights into their desires and motivations. Despite all the benefits you may be able to offer, if your role and company do not offer the key elements they are seeking in a role, the employment relationship may never work.
10. What questions do you have for me? Giving applicants chances to ask questions of you about the role and the company gives them a chance to confirm their interest and suitability for the role, which in the end will also help you to make the right decision.
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Kristy-Lee Johnston - Footprint Recruitment
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| Phone: | 02 4367 5500 |
| Email: | kristy@footprintrecruitment.com.au |
| Website: | www.footprintrecruitment.com.au |
| Twitter: | www.twitter.com/footprintcc |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/footprintrecruitment |
| LinkedIn: | au.linkedin.com/in/kristyleejohnston |
| Member Profile: | See Kristy’s Member Profile |
Solutions to your best excuses!
February 23, 2010
By Catherine Pritchard, Radiance Healthcare Centre.
You know you have them! Your list of best excuses that are stopping you from starting the things you have been putting off for ages like your business plan, exercise or a healthy dietary program.
Excuses are funny things. To the person who created them, they are justified and valid. We stand by them even though they prevent us from achieving our goals and dreams. When you are employed our excuses can be few and far between. Why? Because we are accountable to someone. Deadlines and KPI’s keep us in line. If we don’t meet them then there is an underlying understanding that we could lose our job.
It is important to start learning to keep your agreements to yourself.
When it comes to our personal goals or when we are running our own business, the scenario is slightly different. All agreements are made with ourselves. As such, we tend to easily break that agreement if something comes up or we don’t feel like it as we perceive there is not much of a consequence. But there is. Every time you break an agreement with yourself, you diminish your self worth and trust in yourself that you can do anything, no matter what you come up against. It is important to start learning to keep your agreements to yourself.
Pick an area of your life that you would like to make a difference to. Write out all your excuses (even the ones you think are really valid and true) on why you aren’t taking the steps you know you should.
The next step is to then write out solutions to your excuses. Get creative. If you are busy, then cook in bulk and freeze it. If you are time poor, go and get an exercise DVD so you can exercise in the convenience of your home. If you are finding it difficult then this is where regular appointments with your coach, accountant, naturopath or personal trainer may be beneficial. The act of giving our word to someone else to have things completed often assists us in achieving our goals step by step without excuses!
What is your best excuse and how are you going to overcome it?
A recent one of mine was using long hours as an excuse for not exercising. I threw myself in the deep end, signed myself up for a biathlon and have been exercising ever since!
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Catherine Pritchard - Radiance Healthcare CentreCatherine is a scientific naturopath who is experienced in working with business women to increase their energy, motivation and productivity. Her innovative programs are based on the latest research and incorporate simple dietary changes so that you can get the most out of each and every day. Prior to commencing her career as a naturopath almost 10 years ago, Catherine was an industrial chemist in an oil refinery. Her scientific background caused her to seek out the latest technology to assess your health, energy and vitality. In conjunction with a thorough assessment, these state of the art tests allow her to personally prescribe you the most suitable nutrients that will make the greatest impact on your health and wellbeing.
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Why the Do Not Call Register Could Strangle Small Business
February 22, 2010
By Susan McGrath.
The Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA) has advised the Australian Businesswomen’s Network that the Australian Communications and Media Authority is considering extending the Do Not Call register to include businesses – and has forecast a 50% take up rate of business numbers.
The ADMA is concerned about the potential this has to significantly increase the competitive marketing edge larger businesses have over SMEs – while SMEs will effectively be blocked from making contact with prospective customers and clients, larger businesses will continue to be able to make telemarketing calls, under the “existing business relationships” provision.
The ADMA is currently conducting a survey with respect to small businesses, which can be accessed from this link; and has also provided the following list of actions that members can take in addition to undertaking the survey:
- Write to the senate committee voicing your concerns.
- Write to Members of Parliament voicing your concerns.
- Ministers in favour of extension to business and government numbers
- Ministers against extension to business and government numbers
- Help ADMA fund the Access Economics survey.
- The funding of the Access Economics survey was an expensive exercise. If you want to support ADMA send a donation to ADMA, GPO Box 3895, Sydney NSW 2001; and indicate the money is for the Access Economics Study.
- Join ADMA.
Further information can be obtained here.
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Susan Wareham McGrath - McGrath Career Management
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| Email: | susan@susanwareham.com |
| Website: | www.susanwareham.com |
| Twitter: | www.twitter.com/Susan_McGrath |
| Blog: | www.susanwareham.com |
| LinkedIn: | au.linkedin.com/in/susanwmcgrath |
| Member Profile: | See Susan’s Member Profile |
Networking at an Event – 7 Steps to Make it Fun
February 19, 2010
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
The skill of networking at events takes chutzpah, not to mention practise. But I much prefer jumping off the deep end to twiddling my thumbs in a corner!
Surprise yourself — follow these seven networking tips and discover that meeting new people can be fun and rewarding.
1. Start Slowly
Commit to going to a certain number of events and aim to simply meet one new person at each one. Hosts or guest speakers are easy to approach. Alternatively, ask someone you know to introduce you around.
2. The Art of Conversation
Banish awkward silences by encouraging people to talk about themselves. Ask questions that can’t simply be answered with “yes” or “no” … these usually start with “how”, “why” or “what”. Why did you start your own business? What did you think of the seminar?
3. Remember Names
Imprint a person’s name into your mind by repeating it in your conversation, and don’t be afraid to ask for a name again or check the spelling. After an event, go through the business cards you’ve collected and mentally picture each person. If you really can’t remember, look for their picture on a website or blog, or do a Google image search.
4. Play Your Cards Right
Your business cards, that is. Have plenty on hand and store them in a professional holder — scrabbling for dog-eared cards in your handbag is not a good look.
After, compile any cards you’ve received into a “contacts book”.
5. Shut Up!
Networking isn’t all about you — give people your full attention, listen to what they have to say and look for opportunities to learn. Even better, give people something of value — suggest a useful website address or introduce a friend with similar interests.
6. Ignore the “Brush Off”
Don’t take a cold shoulder personally. You might initially feel angry or humiliated but, chances are, someone who is rude to you is rude to everyone. Besides, anyone who doesn’t realise you are charming and have lots to offer is only hurting themselves and their business in the long run.
7. The Follow-Up
Stay in touch to take new relationships to the next level — send a short email the next day to say you enjoyed your conversation or elect to follow someone on Twitter.
And send a hand-written “thank you” to the host of a particularly valuable or entertaining event — they’ll make a wonderful ally.
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Nerida Gill - Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
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The Top 5 Tips to Writing Great Job Ads
February 16, 2010
By Kristy-Lee Johnston, Footprint Recruitment
If you, like many others, have not looked for work lately, you have probably not taken a great deal of notice of the level of quality of the ‘positions vacant’ advertisements. As someone who scans each position vacant in both print and online media, I can reliably assure you that the following are common features:
- No clue who the company is or what they do
- Very few ‘selling points’ about the company – detailing why someone would want to work there over anywhere else
- Minimal information about what’s involved in the role
- No way of knowing who to contact if you have questions
So why does it all matter? It’s simple – if the role and the company do not sound appealing or interesting your perfect candidate may not apply.
Making your advertisement, clear, easy to read and informative will ensure that not only do you have the great candidates interested in applying, but it also helps to ‘weed out’ those who are not suitable and don’t have the skills and experience you are looking for.
So how do you attract your ideal candidate?
Here are my top 5 tips to writing great ads which attract the candidates you want!
- Tell them who you are and what you do. This will either get them interested or not but you don’t want people working for you who are not in any way interested in what you do anyway.
- Explain what the role is and what’s involved. This doesn’t mean the entire job description but some brief details about the day to day responsibilities will again ensure that only applicants who are interested in these tasks will apply.
- What are you looking for in a candidate? Be careful here, for those not familiar with anti-discrimination laws here are the basics:
- you can not recruit based on age, sex, race, religious affiliation etc
- you can not ask for personal information – e.g. ‘no smokers’
- you can not discriminate based on personal/family circumstances – e.g. ‘no family responsibilities please’
- only include requirements which are relevant to the role
But here is what you can list: - any qualifications needed, such as a degree, drivers licence, forklift licence, first aid certificate etc
- the skills required for the role, such as computer skills, typing skills etc
- the level of experience you are seeking
- any other skills/abilities that are specifically relevant to the position e.g. experience in dealing with customers, experience in supervising staff, experience with BAS preparation etc
- Tell them who you are, how to contact you and how to apply! This may be phone numbers, email addresses or a fax number. Be specific. If you want all applications emailed then instruct interested applicants to do so, if you would like cover letters then note that in the advertisement.
- Finally, but most importantly, make it interesting, make it different, and make it stand out! When you are placing ads via online job boards you are competing with thousands of other ads – to grab the best applicants attention you need to talk their language, engage their interest and stand out from the crowd. Make sure your headline is catchy, your short description grabs their attention and your ad keeps them engaged until they get to your call to action/how to apply.
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Kristy-Lee Johnston - Footprint Recruitment
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| Phone: | 02 4367 5500 |
| Email: | kristy@footprintrecruitment.com.au |
| Website: | www.footprintrecruitment.com.au |
| Twitter: | www.twitter.com/footprintcc |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/footprintrecruitment |
| LinkedIn: | au.linkedin.com/in/kristyleejohnston |
| Member Profile: | See Kristy’s Member Profile |
2010 will be a Very, Very Good Year for Entrepreneurs
February 15, 2010
By Yvette Vignando, www.happychild.com.au
I have good news for me and for you. Phil Ruthven who has spent decades charting the growth and change in Australian business says that 2010 is going to be a “very, very good year for entrepreneurs, no question.” Fantastic!
2010 is the year that I’m launching my online business www.happychild.com.au, a website for parents about raising children with emotional intelligence. I’m excited, a little apprehensive, impatient to get started, mad keen to succeed and loving all the learning and challenge that comes with starting a new business.
In each blog post, I’ll share with you information, tips, books and websites that are helping me on my entrepreneur’s journey. Please do the same; I’d love to hear your ideas too. ABN Startup and Growth Members: I bet you’ve got so much to share and the ABN is a wonderful supportive community in which to do this.
2010 is going to be a “very, very good year for entrepreneurs, no question.”
Surround Yourself with Honest Believers
As I’ve had a few hiccups along the way, including a website that never got launched, I’ve found it’s crucial to be surrounded by people who believe in me and my business idea. Even though I’m convinced that my business will be fabulous, it’s so valuable to have the constant encouragement and feedback of friends, family and mentors to keep me going when things inevitably go wrong. These ‘believers’ as I call them, have been honest and generous in also pointing out where I may need to rethink my plans, and have helped me solve numerous challenges over the past year. An example of a great source of this support has been my pod member from MentorNet, Alycia Edgar. Make time for lunches, coffees and phone calls with your ‘believers’, and don’t forget to let them know how important they are to your success.
Read Widely
If you’re like me, you love good books about developing your business and books that inspire you to keep working towards your goals. There are so many great books; here are three I’ve been reading lately:
- Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk – about building your personal brand, and in particular doing it using social media. It’s a high energy book, informative, engaging and motivating.
- You Tube for Business by Michael Miller – plenty of practical detail about how to leverage online video to market your business.
- Getting Things Done by David Allen – systems to use if you want to be more organised and more productive in your day and in your office.
And just a reminder, Phil Ruthven from IBIS World says “the conditions are never going to be better… if you wanted to start a business from scratch” – I’m definitely a believer in that!
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Yvette Vignando - www.happychild.com.auYvette is pursuing her passion – to take action that helps children develop great social and emotional skills as a foundation for a happy and successful life. Formerly a lawyer and then successful executive coach specialising in Emotional Intelligence, Yvette was encouraged by her experience of MentorNet to launch her business – a website for parents that publishes practical and engaging information about raising children with emotional intelligence. Yvette looks forward to sharing the challenges and successes of her experience as she navigates her way through the adventures of launching a website, and tackles online sales and marketing, an evolving business plan, and the growing universe of social media. Yvette hopes that by following her personal and professional development as an entrepreneur you will also be inspired to follow your passions.
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Mapping Your Marketing
February 12, 2010
By Cat Matson, Alito
You often hear business experts talk about a business plan being similar to a road-map – it shows you the way to go, gives you milestones along the way and helps you progress your business journey – similar to how a road map helps you reach your geographical destination.
Marketing, though, requires a bit more than a road map. The marketing process is not linear. What you really need is a kind of topographical map – showing the surrounding landscape, the shape of the land, the gradient of the hills and mountains. It needs to show the multiple routes to a destination – and the fact that you may even need different forms of transport along the way.
Successful Marketing
Successful marketing unfortunately isn’t as simple as connecting the dots or paint-by-numbers. It’s a combination of many strategies that all work for your business because they match your business style but more importantly connect to your target market… bringing people to you ‘from all over’ your map.
Now I’m not a cartographer, and neither, most likely, are you (with the exception of ABN Member Linda Fairbairn of course). So how does someone like you create a marketing map?
Clarify your marketing outcomes. Ultimately marketing is about creating leads – so your question is what kind of leads do you want to create and ‘where’ do you want them? Do you want someone to sign up to your newsletter so you can stay in touch with them? Do you want prospects to call you to discuss their needs? A prospect is not a lead until they’ve taken some kind of action to connect with you – until then, they’re a stranger. So, how do you convert strangers into leads?
Identify the marketing activities that you can effectively apply resources to. I see many business owners doing marketing ‘things’ they hate, or can’t afford to execute properly, because they think they ‘should. Such an approach is self-defeating. I blog because I love writing and it comes easily to me. What marketing activities (networking, social media, advertising, events) do you enjoy doing and are happy to invest the time and money into strong execution?
Determine how the various activities interlink to achieve your outcomes. You may need to use a blank piece of paper and coloured pencils for this one and just create a diagram of interconnecting activities all leading to the ultimate outcome of quality leads. If you like something neater, use the drawing/shapes/SmartArt feature in Word. (If you’re a Mac user I’m sure you have access to some very easy and funky diagram-creation tools.)
Link your marketing activities back to your core business activities to see they fit. Can you see a logical flow from your marketing activities, to your sales cycle, to your product/services, to your revenue stream?
Execute. The best map in the world won’t get you to your destination if you don’t unfold it and use it. See my previous post on Maintaining Momentum for ideas on that one.
Have fun and make it an adventure. Think of your map as a sophisticated treasure map, showing you different ways to find your ‘pot of gold’ – or your pot of quality leads.
Marketing is a multi-dimensional process and therefore needs more than a ‘plan’ for achieving your outcomes. ‘Mapping’ your marketing, rather than ‘planning’ your marketing enables you to see a fuller picture and have a greater command over your marketing efforts.
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Cat Matson - Alito
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| Phone: | 07 3289 7055 |
| Email: | cat@alito.com.au |
| Website: | www.alito.com.au |
| Twitter: | www.twitter.com/catmatson |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/AlitoFusion |
| LinkedIn: | www.linkedin.com/in/CatMatson |
| Blog: | www.alito.com.au/blog |
| Member Profile: | See Cat’s Member Profile |
5 tips to boost your energy and productivity through your diet
February 11, 2010
by Catherine Pritchard, Radiance Healthcare Centre
How much is your fatigue costing your business?
Fatigue is a common complaint for busy women. Juggling a business, career, family, kids and a social life can take its toll. Coffee, chocolate, convenience foods such as pasta, 2-minute noodles, Cup-a-Soup and bread quickly become the staples you rely on to get you through your day. The 3pm slump, crashing on the couch as soon as you get home and poor energy first thing in the morning are common signs that your diet is impacting your energy.
What if there was a solution to your fatigue allowing you to be productive all day long including during the normal 3pm slump?
Research shows that simple changes to your diet can dramatically increase your energy throughout the day due to the stabilisation of your blood sugar. Going too long without eating, combined with excessive consumption of complex carbohydrates such as bread, pasta and rice have been found to create havoc with your blood sugar resulting in fatigue. The following five tips are easy to implement and have been designed to maximise your energy!
- Increase your protein (chicken, lamb, beef, lentils, chickpeas or eggs) especially at lunch. Protein helps to stabilise your blood sugar.
- Eat breakfast every day. (Coffee does not count as breakfast!)
- Limit your servings of bread, pasta and rice. Avoid white carbohydrates as much as possible. Eat wholegrain or brown instead.
- Increase your overall intake of veggies and salad veggies.
- Eat regularly. Don’t go longer than 3-4 hours without eating. This is a big key to having super fabulous energy.
Do an experiment on yourself! Record what your energy is out of 10 and identify whether you suffer from morning, afternoon or evening fatigue (or all three!). Follow the above 5 tips for two weeks then record the changes. You will be pleasantly surprised with your increased energy and productivity.
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Catherine Pritchard - Radiance Healthcare CentreCatherine is a scientific naturopath who is experienced in working with business women to increase their energy, motivation and productivity. Her innovative programs are based on the latest research and incorporate simple dietary changes so that you can get the most out of each and every day. Prior to commencing her career as a naturopath almost 10 years ago, Catherine was an industrial chemist in an oil refinery. Her scientific background caused her to seek out the latest technology to assess your health, energy and vitality. In conjunction with a thorough assessment, these state of the art tests allow her to personally prescribe you the most suitable nutrients that will make the greatest impact on your health and wellbeing.
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