Tween Christmas and New Year 2008

The is more bad news from those wonderful purveyors of doom the BBC and now of course the Church of England has decided to give financial advice. Following the reformation they can't still really think that their advice on property acquisition and management would amount to anything of any real value.

Since we are at it the world has been peddalling greed and selfishness for some two thousand years so the odd boom and bust does not mean that the world is coming to an end so cheer up tomorrow will still come around and the sun will still come up so pull the bed covers over your head and keep on going - My New Years resolution is based on helping as many people to reach their goals as possible and making sure that they don't waver just keep at it.

Most businesses that are headlined to fail should have gone years ago. Some of them it is just bad luck, like whittards, but Woolies and MFI should have closed for health reasons I can think of some twenty or so retailers I would like to see off the high street as of now and would never want to shop there if I had a choice not endearing enough to save them I think...

Let em go only the strong should survive lets lose a few banks as well!

 

Reversal of fortune

Another day another breakfast at this rate I will be over 250 lbs by next easter!
This mornings was quite a fun affair with a lot of companies looking over their shoulders at what will happen next and being quite concerned about the future.
Me on the other hand is quite positive about what is going on and we have to always look to the future and what is next. The pound has taken a massive fall against all the other currencies so with a couple of colleagues the time seemed right to run a seminar about learning how to sell overseas. Do not get selling overseas with exporting goods most of what we have to offer from the UK is knowledge based and it seems a bit of an insult to call it exporting. Selling overseas is about getting your head right knowing more about why your client buys and what motivates them to even talk to you.
Most people buy for exactly the same reasons as we do and you will not be surprised at how many companies don't know why anyone does business with them. If they don't know then how are their customers supposed to know.
Selling overseas is about getting yourself right first then worrying about the trip...
Take it from me there is money in them thar hills so go search for it!

Project Finale

One of my longer standing clients gets me to devise and run a PR project the one I have been running this year is an expansion of last years. A number of local junior schools were invited by the company to get involved in designing a reflective armband - the theory being that if the children designed it themselves or at least had some input into the process they would be much more likely to wear the object than if it was just a plain one colour armband. Local schools would get a boost by working with local business and the business would get a bit of positive PR from the project. Hands down winners in every category. This year over 3,000 children took part from 15 schools that is three times last years and of course I was not prepared for the increase in workload so things have run over by about three weeks. This morning I delivered 2,000 of the things and am about to finish off this afternoon. The armbands have broken free from their bags in the boot of my car and being snap-wraps with a mind of their own they have taken over the car, wrapping and snapping every time I open the door! Its like have a rotweiller puppy in the back of the car. I will be glad when today is over. Everything involving school children seems to be fraught with problems. Ensuring that the armbands are not going to take it upon themselves to strangle the child or give a false sense of security and get the little darling hit by a truck!
If we can get throught the winter without litigation I will be pleased.

Nearing the year end

Closer and closer... christmas is on its way and are we prepared? are we ever prepared? This year things are a little bit gloomier, what with jobs going and staff morale at an all time low worrying about what the new year may bring together with the Christmas bills.
I mentioned today, to a group I breakfast with, that business confidence, like any confidence, is all in the mind and if the management are not thinking clearly they will be looking to cut spend in the wrong places. Although its probably too late, companies could make a worse investment than a party, everyone loves a party - keep the staff on a high and they will treat customers likewise and as people like to do business with people who are enthusastic, you may ride out the storm!
Cancel the Christmas party and you will definitely be sending out the wrong message to all and sundry; I can see the staff telling your suppliers and customers what a bad company they work for! Who wants to do business with a bad company? So I am looking for companies that think that if they save a few grand by cancelling an event that everyone has been looking forward to all year is going to do them any good then they seriously need help... Get them to call me for their own sake before they go bust at Easter... if they last that long!