business support

Using words to bring your business to life

The art of persuasion begins with good quality copy. Which tells your story and sells your business.

But in today’s media-rich society, we’re bombarded with competing messages.

This means writing content that helps you stand out from the crowd. That tells the world who you are, what you do and what you represent.

Many business owners or managers find writing about their company difficult. They struggle to find the right words. Get lost in jargon. And spend days wondering what to write for their website, blog or other marketing materials when they should be running their business.

Help is at hand. I can help you discover your voice and communicate effectively with your customers.

Take a look at what I can do for you.

Web Copy. Your website is your virtual shop window. You need clear and compelling copy that makes the reader want to find out more.

I can write fluent, eye-catching content that will win you more clients and generate more sales. From one page to an entire site. This includes basic SEO to move your website up search engine rankings.

Blog Posts. Blogs are a key part of web marketing. They help you add depth to your online presence. Build trust. Allow you to cover topics in greater detail than possible elsewhere on your site. And demonstrate that you are an organisation worth taking seriously.

Case Studies. Everyone loves a good yarn. Case studies are an under-used way of providing a powerful narrative about how your company has helped clients in real-life situations. Offering a structured ‘problem and solution’ format that the reader can readily understand.

They are a really good way of using your success stories to tell potential customers about the quality products or services you provide. And offer a form of social proof even stronger than testimonials. Words matter. The right words matter most of all. Drop me a line if you need creative, engaging content to get more eyes on your business.

www.wealdenwordsmith.co.uk chris@wealdenwordsmith.co.uk

Tel: 07854 129732

You’ve Done the Management Training – now what?

How about One-2-One Mentoring?

What is it?

Mentoring is a combination of bespoke teaching and coaching, where the learner explores specific areas that they are interested in. Working with a trained specialist, they get the learning that they need in order to perform at their best.

How can it help?

Mentoring can give individuals input and help on their current issues. The mentor will then help them to apply this learning to their situation, challenge them to improve and support them over hurdles. It’s a flexible and targeted approach.

Why not just do another course?

One-2-One mentoring has the advantage of providing help with the learner’s own concerns, when they want that help and at a level and pace that suits them. The “curriculum” is driven by the learner.

What areas can it address?

The list includes:

Management and leadership

Communication problems

Assertiveness

Creativity

Problem solving

Janet Webb has been working with clients this way for over 20 years, and particularly so during the last 9 years.

She has a rather unconventional style. It’s never boring. Don’t expect formal.

For more information, contact Janet for an exploratory chat. email: janet@janetwebbconsulting.co.uk or visit her website: www.janetwebbconsulting.co.uk Follow and connect with her at: Twitter: @JWebbConsulting | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/janetwebblandod

How much does IT downtime cost your business?

Your IT system crashes, and while it’s being repaired you put on the kettle to make a cup of tea. But you now realize you’re making lots of cups of tea every week and begin to wonder how much is all this downtime costing?

Is it because you’re using sticking plaster solutions to resolve much deeper IT problems? A bit like the proverbial watched kettle that never boils, you never get to the bottom of your technical hitches.

In some businesses, IT downtime becomes so commonplace that people begin to accept it as the norm. Staff also start devising their own workarounds just to get the job done. They feel they’re being more productive than waiting for the IT issue to be resolved when, in fact, taking short-cuts or creating new unapproved methods can be time-consuming, create new problems, and in some cases be incredibly dangerous.

The true cost of downtime to any business depends on its turnover, staff costs and the nature of the business. But the bottom line is that, if IT issues slow you down or even stop you from completing transactions with customers, the damage can be even higher both in terms of lost revenues and tarnished reputation.

Recent reports suggest that lost productivity caused by IT downtime could be costing British businesses, on average, £3.6 million a year including 545 hours of wasted staff productivity. With an estimated average hourly wage of £13.75, IT problems cost companies £7,235 per employee each year.

Low morale

Constant IT problems can instigate low morale, creating a negative culture, that results in lower productivity, higher staff turnover and missed opportunities as people begin just doing the basics to get through the day rather than thinking proactively about new ideas and opportunities for the business.

As it takes people longer to get through their workload, stress can build. Staff can feel severely undervalued when issues are not resolved, as it sends a message that the company doesn’t care enough to help them do their job properly. Stress and low morale can cause employees to resign or take time off, creating increased recruitment and training costs. Often companies find themselves paying someone to fix daily niggles addressing problems only as these occur. But the cost of such quick fixes can certainly mount up. So how can you reduce downtime, and reduce the costs that come with that? It’s often far more cost-effective to take a proactive approach and update systems or hardware before issues arise. The first step to reducing IT downtime is through proactive monitoring and maintenance. Don’t wait for problems to arise before putting this in place. The best way forward is to carry out a full IT health check. The daily downtime being suffered could be fixed simply by upgrading software, getting licences up to date, aligning systems, or replacing outdated hardware, aligning your IT systems with the business direction.

A good IT support partner will take a proactive approach to ensure your systems are running efficiently and prevent problems from developing in the first place. It will also provide regular reports to show the ongoing work it’s carrying out behind the scenes to protect your business. It will mean fewer cups of tea for you and your team, but your business will run smoother, and ultimately cost you less in downtime.

IMAGINE HAVING ACCESS TO ALL THE BEST IT SERVICES.

CNC provide the most comprehensive range of IT services in the South East including:

We would love to talk to you and offer a Complimentary systems & security check-up with no obligations to use our services.

– IT Support & Outsourcing – Internet Connectivity – Installation & Infrastructure – IT Hardware & Software – Cloud e-Mail Archiving – Mobile & Remote Access – Off-Site Data Backup – Hosted Phones & Mobiles – Security Services – Cloud & Hosting – Disaster Recovery – Apple Support – Virtualisation – Office 365 & Azure ISO 9001:2015 & ISO 27001:2013 Certified

— 01273 386 333 — sales@cnc-ltd.co.uk — www.cnc-ltd.co.uk

24

Celebrating 25 Years in business

1996—2021