WHAT IS YOUR BUSINESS DIFFERENTIATOR? Having a business differentiator is key for business growth within any industry. If you are unsure what yours is, read here as we help you create a unique selling proposition so you can start standing out from the crowd!
FINE-TUNE YOUR COVID SAFETY MESSAGING In the lead up to May 17th, have you considered how you’ll reassure, and welcome back, your customers and clients in a safe, yet stylish way?
SLOW DOWN TO Taking a step back to look after yourself is key for your mental, and physical health. Give yourself some time to #ConnectWithNature.
HOW TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST
CYBER
ATTACKS
Photography courtesy of Lorentz Gullachsen
We’ve got 5 simple things to help you formulate a risk management strategy.
TOOLS FOR
BUILDING A
BUSINESS
LETTER FROM Stormy skies might be our cover picture, an amazing image from Lorentz Gullachsen, but this month's Talk Business Magazine themes are all very positive, always looking to provide a spread of thoughts and ideas from across the Talk Business pool of inspiring businesses and experts. With restriction easing how do we get back to work safely and effectively with passion and purpose? Valuable tips on being wary of Cyber Fraud scammers - and how to fight back-, building resilience into your business, creating safe working environments for any remote working staff , making sure we ensure a covid safe space for guests and visitors to our businesses and venues and using valuable tools like Predictive Index (Pi) to monitor the balance across your teams. A link to a free Pi assessment is included in the article too! Loving the insightful thought on having a 'differentiator' that makes your business unique! Key point, “a good differentiator is not what you do, it’s about what you can do for your customers.” We're not just talking about sound business but reviewing your business to be a ‘good’ business. Good for your staff, good for your customers, good for the wider community, good for you and good for the environment ! Fascinating feature on becoming a B-Corp business “joining the ranks of companies like Innocent Drinks, BrewDog, Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, The Body Shop, Kallo, Activia and many others all committed to using their businesses as a force for good.” This past week has been Mental Health Week with the theme #connectwithnature and we have a timely reminder from Clare Waleknden on 'Slowing down to speed up', and the real business growth benefits of getting outside and enjoying our natural environment. NEW FEATURE! Starting this month is the Talk Business Book Club, where we showcase and review one of the inspiring books that members across Talk Business have written. Our first book featured is 'Selling without Sleaze' from author Sarah Jolley-Jarvis which was published this week. One reviewer writes “there are lots of golden nuggets for both the new and the experienced sales person.” It's online so follow the links to download! Massive thanks again to all our contributors and supporters and the brilliant team who make this magazine happen. If you have an article you would like to feature then please send it in.
JONATHAN SMITH DIRECTOR AT TALK BUSINESS UK
TABLE OF Securing the remote office ... 05 You need a differentiator... ... 09 Meet the Member ... 10 Not just talking but being ... 14 Slow down to speed up ... 15 Returning from an ‘Enforced Winter’... ... 18 Clubhouse; The new kid on the block ... 21 May Book Club ... 23 Self Awareness ... 24 Reimagining the office post Covid-19 ... 26 Fine-tune your Covid safe messaging ... 29 The biggest business problem! ... 30 May’s Business Showcase ... 33 Talk Business Members Directory ... 35 No material may be reproduced in any way, or translated, without written permission of the publishers.
COPYRIGHT © 2021
Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that adverts and articles appear correctly, but Talk Business Magazine cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the contents of the publication.
Talk Business Magazine is published by iPlus Media.
The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of its publisher or editor.
Editorial & Advertising: hello@talkbusinessuk.co.uk Telephone: 01789 330 003 | Website: www.talkbusinessuk.co.uk
TALK DATA
SECURING THE
OFFICE In 2021 the need to make smart decisions on top business priorities and our budgets has never been greater. COVID-19 has had far reaching effects on the world and our daily lives. In terms of cyber risk it has presented a new opportunity to cyber criminals to exploit fears and misinformation. COVID scams relating to the vaccine, fake testing kits, PPE and anything else you could think of have become staples of social engineering and
cyber crime. It has been reported that quarter of COVID-related domains are malicious or suspicious and Google has declared it is the most used phishing topic of all time. Concurrently it has massively accelerated the shift to remote working and changed the way workforce operates possibly forever. This raises the question how do you secure the remote office? Within the first few months of the pandemic the National Cyber Security Centre reported more than 2,000 online scams related to coronavirus. It is hardly surprising that nearly half of organisations (47%) feel more vulnerable since the move to working from home and 21% say they do not understand the protection that is available to their business.
HOW TO FIGHT BACK
5
TIPS ON HOW
TO FIGHT BACK To fight back there are several stages to formulating your risk management strategy:
RISK ASSESSMENT –
The first step is to consider where your risks lie. Think about your worst case scenarios. How quickly would you lose revenue in the event of an attack? Are you reliant on any third party systems? Where do you fit within your supply chain? What are your legal responsibilities? These are just a few of the questions you should seek to address at this stage.
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES –
It is not only important to have these procedures in place but to make sure you review and adapt them frequently so that they are still relevant to a remote workforce. Most importantly communicate these with your staff clearly so they understand their responsibilities and a culture of openness and collaboration is created.
ROBUST DATA MANAGEMENT –
You need to consider the type of data you hold. If you hold personal data you need to ensure you are in compliance with the relevant data protection legislation in both your storage and processing. You also need to ensure that this is secured to highest standard and be prepared to deal with the appropriate authority following a breach. If you have operational data you need to consider how this is vulnerable and ensure you have sensible back up procedures.
TRAINING –
The vast majority of cyber incidents can be traced back to human error – some estimates state up to 90%. It is crucial to be able to trust your staff but in order to do this you need to ensure they have the knowledge and confidence to perform their role safely particularly when working with the distractions of the home environment. Training is the best way to create a cyber secure culture.
INCIDENT RESPONSE PLANNING –
It is also essential to have a plan in place for how you will deal with any incidents. In an effective IRP each step will be clearly communicated and key members of staff will know their responsibilities in case of a cyber event. It will save valuable time and mitigate any loss if you are able to respond quickly.
strategy to adapt to the changing threat landscape. Visit our new cyber risk management hub, JMP Cyber Insurance, to find out more.
QUICK-FIRE
There are tools available which can help you with every step of this process that accessible to every business on every budget. Your preparation is will put you in the best position but even with the best security and culture you may still have a cyber incident. Cyber insurance is key to your resiliency. A cyber insurance policy should form a critical part of your incident response plans. Having the right cover in place means you have access to the right solutions at the most critical time for your business. A cyber insurance policy can pay for your liabilities to others but it can also ensure you do not lose revenue to network downtime. Even the time it takes to rebuild can be covered whilst your insurer helps you to rebuild your systems and business. It will also connect you with the professionals you need when you need them to investigate and fix your issues, address any legal or regulatory ramifications and help you manage the message with public relations support.
BENEFITS Legal Support - legal advice and support may be available to you as part of your insurance plan. Business interruption loss - if business operations are affected your insurer may cover your loss of income during the interruption. Specialist Support - in the event of a cyber attack having support on hand to help you handle and respond is useful.
As the saying goes; a reputation takes years to build and seconds to destroy. 60% of small businesses fold within 6 months of a cyber incident. Cyber insurance is a vital lifeline. The challenges which have been thrust upon businesses over this last year can also be viewed as an opportunity. Now is the time to rethink your business risk management
JMP Cyber Insurance – Providing real solutions in a virtual world. If you are interested in these service, get in touch: email jennifert@johngroup.co.uk or call on 07549 126 245 or visit www.johnmorganpartnership.co.uk
BE THE LEADER your eight-year-old self would want you to be
“Working with Anna grew my knowledge around leadership exponentially, enabled me to recognise my existing values and strengths and build on them – it has transformed my perception of leadership and of myself.” VP of finance, global manufacturing company
LEADERSHIP COACHING
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
LEADERSHIP CHARACTER hello@jester-consulting.com
jester-consulting.com 07802 294 857
“
TALK O PERATIO NS
YOU NEED
A DIFFERENTIATOR
IF YOU WANT YOUR
TO GROW Not having a differentiator or Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is all too common for many businesses. Or at least these companies are not communicating their differentiator, which is effectively as big an issue. A USP is the one thing that differentiates you or your business from your competitors, and can make the difference between having an outstanding business or a faltering one. If your potential customers perceive you to be the same as your competitors, why would they choose you? In fact, if you’re viewed as the same, you can imagine which selection criteria becomes most important…price. It’s no good for any business to be in a price war! So, it astonishes me when companies don’t
promote their differentiator – particularly as outstanding businesses have been founded on a USP alone. Let’s look at Domino’s Pizza for example their USP is "Red hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less - guaranteed." The founder, Tom Monaghan, created one of the most successful fast-food businesses in the world from the strength of this USP. He started from truly understanding his target market and what they wanted. Notice he doesn't say “the best tasting pizza”. Domino's pizzas are good, but not the best you can get. Instead, he focuses on what his target/niche market really want - his customers (primarily students living within a 20-minute radius of each pizza outlet, who
often have the munchies) often buy on impulse so they want food delivered quickly and food that is hot! Sure, they want the pizza to taste good, but they are prepared to ‘suffer’ a little on quality for hot pizza delivered quickly! So, by guaranteeing that customer’s will get their hot pizza within 30 minutes or get their money back, there’s only one choice for a hungry student - Domino’s. Now that’s a massively effective USP. Another key learning here - a good differentiator is not what you do, it’s about what you can do for your customers. A differentiator is only worth having if it provides something your prospects and customers really want.
CREATING YOUR
DIFFERENTIATOR... Now that we know how important a strong differentiator is, how do we create one that works for you?
Once you’ve found your differentiator, you need to be able to articulate it in a short, clear and concise statement, which you can then share in all your marketing materials. It’s great also for your networking so you can quickly explain to your contacts why they should partner with you or refer you. As you can see – getting this right is well worth it so I highly recommend you invest the time to generate and refine your USP. What’s clear is that your competitors are unlikely to have one so this will make a substantial difference to the growth and profitability of your business. What we all want is to have customers understand the true value of what we offer, without price being a main factor in their decision… That’s the power of a strong USP.
SO, WHAT IS YOUR USP?
The good news is that your USP can often be found in your business – you just need to communicate it in a way that makes you stand out from the crowd. Here are some common categories to help you find your differentiator: - New and truly unique - Highest quality
(many try to use this as a differentiator – so you really must be outstanding here)
- Expert status
(often important for service-based industries)
- Speed of delivery
If you’re frustrated you’re missing your growth targets or anxious that you’re over-reliant on a small number of customers, now could be a great time to contact Kevin Robinson from Chrysalis Partners to discuss your challenges and options for business growth support:
- Your biggest, most important benefit
www.chrysalismidlands.co.uk or call 01926 717911
- Truly amazing customer service - The largest size or selection
MEET THE MEMBER
Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed for the latest Talk Business Magazine and in this interview, we want to get to know the member better to share with our readership.
MEET REBECCA MANDER
What was your first job or role after education? I wasn’t clever enough to get onto a graduate programme with British Airways, my employer of choice, so I applied for a part time role on check-in at Birmingham Airport! I got the role that paid £8,000 per annum, did loads of OT and within the year had been promoted to the CEOs office!! That role was super stressful as I was a young woman from check-in so few could see how I could lead a team of assistants to the CEO. I would often cry tears of frustration on my way home from London to Warwickshire…and not because of the M25! I loved the role and dealing with angry customers was my favourite past time; I learned a lot about excellent customer service and training which has never gone away. And I learned a lot about leadership and how to turn a tough team around…they were very sad when I left to sell doorbells!
Could you describe your career path for the reader? My Mum ‘poached’ me from BA. She was an amazing leader, and I knew I would learn a lot from her. Also, the commute to Heathrow was not great for me being a newlywed. (Although the Mauritius and Australia honeymoon had been!!) So, there I was swapping glamourous Waterside for Wharfside in Oldbury and travelling around the UK selling doorbells. Not many women did that in those days so being asked by a guy behind an electrical trade counter if I had any knockers on offer was not a rare occurrence! I soon became Sales Director and I loved, loved, loved leading the team. My mum - and my grandad before her - showed true compassionate leadership. We were honest and humble leaders that put people, not profits first and feedback was a 24/7 culture so everyone knew where they stood and how they could grow.
In 2007, we suffered enormous personal setback, losing our son Charlie and then my Mum, Penni, our CEO in two separate tragedies. Reeling from this loss we found ourselves landed in the global financial crisis of 2008 and I was invited to be MD!! I was grieving my son, my Mum AND was a new Mum to Ruby our third child and I had no clue how to be an MD! I did however have an incredible team, a culture built over years of compassion and authenticity I had learned from the best leaders. With my team, we grew the company back to health and when I left in 2014 I was confident I had done all I could in that role.
Have there been any positives about 2020 and lockdown for you? My business has flourished, and I have won some amazing clients further afield as online coaching has become far more acceptable. I still am excited about seeing clients face-to-face though, nothing can replace that!
What is your current role and what is your favourite part about it? I retrained in 2014 at Warwick University as an Executive Coach and put my leadership knowledge to good use; now supporting senior leaders, primarily in the legal sector.
If you could instantly change one area or thing about your business, what would it be? I would love to work with another coach or have another retainer. Being a solopreneur can be lonely. I have an incredible PA, Allison and supportive husband that keeps me sane, but I would love to grow the business with other coaches. This time next year maybe…?!
My favourite part is watching a client transform before your eyes over the time you work with them. When they begin to see what they are capable of and they have the confidence to go for it. Seeing shifts in perspectives and empowering great leaders, knowing that it benefits a whole team is truly wonderful. I am not the expert, my client is and helping them see that is so rewarding! Are you optimistic, realistic or pessimistic about 2021? Optimistic! Evidence based optimism, not head in the clouds stuff! If we begin to notice the green shoots then the landscape looks far less barren, some of us choose to and some of us don’t. Given my past I have to see the hope based on realistic data too. What is the most important task you carry out each day? Make a cup of tea! What advice would you give to your 21-year-old self about your career journey? Be authentic, don’t be afraid to displease others in leadership but always be yourself as compassionately and as openly as you can.
What causes you the most stress at work? My lack of organisation and frustration at losing things. People think I am efficient and well organised but if they could see my computer and inside my head, they would run a mile!
What do you do to unwind? Nana Naps! 10 -20 minutes of shut down really give me the boost I need! I also love having people round. I am an extrovert so get my energy from others, I love a coffee with a friend or a party with wine…you name it - I will be there! How can people get in touch with you or connect with you? My website www.guruyoucoach.com has all the details about what GuruYou is about, and how we can help. I can be found on LinkedIn: Guruyoucoach or please get in touch via email me at rebecca@guruyoucoach.com
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TALK O PERATIO NS
NOT JUST
TALKING
BUT BEING - OUR JOURNEY TO BCORPS ‘Sustainable event management or event greening, as it is also known, shouldn’t be daunting. It’s just thinking about things in a new way.’ In a recent meeting with another local business owner, discussing our values of running a business with purpose. She shared with me a statement by Doug Stephens – Retail Prophet, ‘someone has to sit in the crow’s nest!’ It resonated with me because I know that being a company with a true purpose, putting people and community alongside profit, can be tough ‘sell’ to boards and shareholders. That sometimes people don’t get it – yet. It takes someone to see the future, perhaps be more than a little bold and daring and to understand that for us to create a lasting legacy for our children and grandchildren, we need to act now. As a small local business, we have always delivered our events being mindful of the environment: minimising waste and encouraging recycling/repurposing. Only using partners within a 50-mile radius of our base we support our local community. The BCorps accreditation was a way of validating what we already do and have done for the past 10 years, and in some respects the pandemic allowed us the time to focus on getting that started. And the value and difference of becoming a BCorps for us? Why would any business consider that route given that initial assessment consists of 180+ questions
across five impact areas? Because we wanted to do more than just talk about what we believe in; to be proud in achieving something that validates our ethos and who we are; and to work with clients who share the same values and goals as us. Research company NielsonIQ found that many consumers would much rather buy from companies that ‘demonstrate commitment to environmentally friendly practice and social values’. Becoming a BCorps shows the world that we are serious and committed to those values. Caroline Noel is the Finance and Governance Partner of Warwick Events. Under Caroline’s direction the company has recently passed its B Corporation assessment and currently waiting official certification. This will make Warwick Events the first Event Agency in the UK to become a B Corp; joining the ranks of companies like Innocent Drinks, BrewDog, Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, The Body Shop, Kallo, Activia and many others - all committed to using their businesses as a force for good.
SO, MY TOP TIPS FOR GETTING STARTED: - Involve everyone in the company. - Don’t try and do it all in one go – have a plan and work to it. - Most questions are straightforward – organising the underpinning processes and evidence in one place really helps. - Keep doing all the things you do. Think about how they could count towards your assessment – and then do it better. - Make use of the support that is available to you through the BLab consultants. Do you want more information on this journey? Get in touch with Caroline at: caroline@warwickevents.co.uk or call 07813 765864
TALK WELLBEI NG
SLOW DOWN
Spring is traditionally the time of renewal, regeneration, re-birth and never more so than in 2021. This Spring signals more than just the flourish of green shoots, blossoms and perfect woolly lambs, it’s the chance we’ve all been waiting for since life changed in so many ways in the last year. Perversely many of us have come into Spring, a time when the body is naturally waking up with energy levels increasing, from a place of fatigue as business owners in particular have struggled with real time out. Lockdown 1.0 brought a definite pause and many of us were able to truly slow down, reflect and become aware of the sense of quality time.
John Cleary Photography ©
TO SPEED UP
Chronos, the linear measurement of time which we literally set our watch by, is held in importance to us in the modern western world – we allocate specific amounts of time to a task, some of us charge by it, we arrange our lives by it and we set deadlines against it for the goals we are looking to achieve.
Conversely, the free and endless time we experience when we are in the moment is known as Kairos – a time that we simply don’t access enough. Kairos is important in life and business, not least because it’s a time that carries a quality with it. Kairos derives from an ancient Greek term meaning “a fleeting opportunity that needs to be grasped before it passes”. How many of us feel that, in the daily blur of business, at times we are chasing after our tails and letting slip those opportunities that feel most relevant?
However, when we do this, we create barriers and false stops that can prevent us getting where we really want to be and more so simply enjoying the moment when we get there.
Children, yet to be conditioned to Chronos, are the masters of Kairos. They don’t understand why they have to hurry up and get ready for school, they are fully engaged and are living in the moment (or muddy
puddle) they are in! So how do we recreate that “child state” and a feeling of time that is a bit more endless, with the quality to recognise the real opportunities? We can use these new beginnings of Spring and the world opening up to plan, explore, learn and begin to take action towards developing more Kairos in our lives. In the past year the benefits of walking, not just for health, have been recognised by many. Walking cultivates mindfulness and the benefits of being in nature have never been more evident than during the pandemic, with 45% reporting that being in green spaces has been vital for mental health. As you relax into taking in the views and details of nature, your mind takes a break from the constant scenarios it’s trying to resolve (often against a deadline), meaning that thoughts become clearer, more logical, decisive and even more creative. Punctuate this with a simple breathing exercise and your stress levels are reduced, as excess levels of cortisol and adrenaline to subside.
#CONNECTWITHNATURE Mental Health Awareness Week (May 10th-16th) focusses on #connectwithnature, so why not take a take a seasonal walk… - Set some time aside to take an uninterrupted wander in nature. - Connect fully with all your senses - what you can see, hear, smell, taste and feel. - What do you notice? - Take a moment to breathe and ask ‘what is it that I really need’? - You can find an example of a breathing space exercise to use here: (https://mailchi.mp/2f0512435931/breathing-space)
The psychological effect of being in the dark before dawn and then hearing the chorus swell as the sun comes up is just incomparable. - MCGEENEY, 2016
Later in the day, perhaps the evening, reflect on your time outdoors - you may also like to consider the following: - What are my goals for this year? - What seeds shall I sow? - What has begun to grow that needs attention? - What possibilities are there? In Spring you may smell the subtle sweetness of fresh blossom, notice the lambs gambolling in the field, hear birds calling their special songs amongst the greening branches whilst the weak sunshine warms your face. Immerse yourself in it and allow yourself to be fully present in the moment and listen with every inch of your body. When you find that time is slipping away, I encourage you to get outside - of your office and your mind - to reap the benefits of “slowing down to speed up” in life and business. Clare is a personal development Coach, passionate about enabling ambitious business owners, organisational managers and leaders to understand their wellbeing and the benefits of being outdoors, in life and business. Find out more, including #connectwithnature content here: Insta: @auburnconsultancy | @theauburnoutdoors LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/auburn/
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TALK O PERATIO NS
RETURNING
FROM AN
“ENFORCED WINTER”
&
IN YOUR ORGANISATION
Now that the country is moving back into some sort of normality, we hear the same questions from our clients: “How do we ensure that our organisation will return in a fit and robust way from the last 15 months or so?” “I have 101 things to do, and that list just keeps getting longer AND I’m not really sure if everything we are doing is right!” “My way of doing business before seems to be different to what is required moving forward.” “How will my team be able to return to ‘normal’…. whatever that is?”
Here at Response Consulting, we have heard these and more from our clients as we help them emerge from this forced winter and reopen for business.
PEOPLE
We have also noticed that our long-term model of service delivery improvement, (left), has expanded slightly.
TECHNOLOGY
PROCESS
In our work, we are beginning to look at a more detailed process that we call the Resilient Operating System (ROS). The system consists of 6 focus areas:
- Vision - Issues
- People - Data - Process - Grip
In this, the first of 4 articles, we assume that your Vision is in place, with clarity and understanding. It all starts with Vision and hopefully you have worked on this during the lockdown period. Here we will offer ideas on themes and processes that, if applied with intention, context, discipline and speed, will support you in rebuilding a resilient organisation into the new future. Part 1 will focus on Data, Part 2 will discuss Issues, Part 3 will follow up with Process and Part 4 will focus on People.
Picture a small plane flying from London to New York. Halfway across the captain announces “I’ve bad news and good news. The bad news is that the gauges and dashboard have stopped working, we have no idea where we are, no idea of what direction we are flying in or how much fuel we have left. The good news is that we are making great time!” This is how a lot of organisations, especially the entrepreneurial ones, operate on a day to day basis. It’s also what causes that nagging doubt in your head, you are uneasy but not sure why. We recommend that you need to measure the pulse of your business but to do that you need factual, relevant information that can give you an objective opinion rather than a subjective one. Instead of managing assumptions, emotions
and egos we believe that you have to find ways to manage consistently and accurately on a regular basis. How could you do this? We suggest two simple tools to get to this: - Dashboard - Measurables
DASHBOARD
This concept has been around for years, common sense but not, in our experience, common practice. Activity based dashboards are rare, most organisations rely only on financial data such as profit, income, sales, surplus etc. These are valid and have a place, but as Lag measures (it tells us how we have done after the event). We propose that you develop what we call Lead measures, the activities that tell us as we go what is happening. WE SUGGEST A 4 STEP PROCESS TO FOLLOW:
- Take 2-3 hours with your leadership team to decide upon a handful of numbers that give you the pulse of your organisation on a weekly basis. We would suggest between 5-15 high level measures that could include sales, client meetings, fundraising applications, cash in, leads generated etc.
- Create a simple dashboard with columns to record who is accountable for each one, the measure, the goal, and dates for each week. We suggest this because it will help immensely with accountability among your employees.
- Agree the timing and circulation of the report prior to each weekly meeting. - Use it!!
MEASURABLES
Everyone has a number! When one of us worked at a high growth family business we allocated a meaningful number to everyone who worked there. For example, our receptionist had the number ‘2’. Two was the number of rings we expected when customers called, two was good, three wasn’t . This also tied directly into our customer satisfaction measure on the Dashboard, helping that person to feel they were contributing to the greater Vision! A great way to start is to look at specific roles. For instance, if you have a Project Manager the 5 major elements of the role could be: - Complete projects on time - Achieve the planned margin/budget on each project - Client satisfaction
- Weekly reporting on time - Achieve quality standards Of these 5, you could easily measure on time, margin/budget and client satisfaction. Give them a number!
BENEFITS OF There are a number of positive benefits taking this approach: Numbers create accountability Accountable people appreciate numbers Numbers create clarity and commitment (to the Vision you have created)
Numbers produce measurable results Numbers create teamwork You solve problems faster
CONCLUSION
When you start to measure the right things regularly and focus on Lead not Lag measures you are also moving towards the sixth step in our ROS - Grip. Your organisation is open and transparent, and everyone understands their own role in achieving your vision.
David Hoey is an Associate Consultant with Response Consulting working with SMEs, Charity and Not for Profit organisations enabling them to develop Resilient Operating Systems. If you would like to know more please contact rob@responseconsulting.co.uk
TALK
THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK
CLUBHOUSE:
APPS
Just as the global pandemic started to take hold, a new platform hit the app stores. Created and initially launched in the US in March 2020, Clubhouse is an audio-only platform designed with one thing in mind: conversation. Online tools to speak to others, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams or even Facebook Rooms, were all designed with video in mind. Clubhouse was different; here the focus was on the power of the voice; the art of conversation.
RAPID GROWTH
Despite being only available on Apple (currently), and being invitation only (from someone who was already inside), the app grew at a rapid rate. There were rumours of people selling invites and others snapping up second-hand iPhones. At the very least, it was a masterclass in marketing through creating ‘the fear of missing out’ (partly helped by the celebrities already on the app, such as Kevin Hart and Jay Leno). In the UK, Clubhouse really took off around November 2020. Today, in May 2021, the app has been downloaded over ten million times.
ROOMS AND CLUBS There are two main elements of Clubhouse: clubs and rooms.
Rooms can be started by anyone, to discuss any topic (within the realms of decency and respect, of course). Clubs are the umbrella under which many rooms can be hosted. Note: rooms do not have to be within a club – they can be standalone. If you scroll through your feed – officially called the ‘hallway’ – you will see all the rooms currently running. We have rooms that cover topics including marketing, social media, music, religion, health, and everything in between. If you can think of a topic, that room probably already exists.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
Rooms aren’t just to grow your personal brand – they are great for learning too. If you have an iPhone and can get yourself an invitation from someone already inside, the first step would just to join rooms that interest you. You can be part of the audience to simply sit back and listen, or you can ‘raise your hand’ to request to join the conversation on the virtual stage. You will find many rooms on Clubhouse, and you won’t enjoy them all – but don’t let the bad ones put you off. And, of course, if you can’t find a room you like, then start your own!
WILL IT LAST?
With over ten million users – including the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and Gary
Vaynerchuk – and growing rapidly every day, Clubhouse has really filled a gap that we didn’t know existed. In addition, they recently hired an Android developer to get the app onto alternative devices (and thus try to gain a much bigger market share) and this is currently in the testing phase. The developers obviously had the right idea, because most other platforms (such as Facebook and LinkedIn) are readying their own versions of an audio-only experience, with Twitter already coming to the market with its ‘Spaces’ audio-only feature.
COME AND JOIN US
Join us in The Positive Business People Club where we host rooms on a variety of business topics to support our fellow business owners. We would love for you to join us, so please register to be kept informed at https://bit.ly/Choose-Positive.
If you need any help with digital marketing, get in touch at: www.themguru.co.uk or email at mguruuk@themguru.co.uk
TALK
B OOK C LU B
TALK BUSINESS
BOOK CLUB
TITLE:
Selling without sleaze
AUTHOR:
Sarah Jolley-Jarvis
DATE PUBLISHED:
19 April 2021
RATING:
CATEGORIES: Business Self help Non-fiction
SUMMARY: It’s packed full of the most effective training on how to sell your product or service with integrity, honestly… Oh and did I mention, very profitably? This book is designed to show you how I’ve sold millions in products and services for the multinational companies I’ve worked with… How I’ve grown 2 of my own startups from 0 to 6 figures using these methods… How I help creative entrepreneurs get positive results and feedback quickly so they don’t end up frustrated... And how you can do the same for your business..
REVIEWS: “This book is packed with actionable tips from cover to cover.” - Hayley Field “There are lots of golden nuggets for both the new and the experienced sales person.” - Phil “What's better is the worksheets to really help you boost your sleaze-less sales. I found some of them really useful, and can see myself coming back to them over and over..” - Jacob H.
TALK
B OOK C LU B
SELF AWARENESS Endless days during lockdown of staring out of the window when not scrolling and scribing of emails, turned my vision dull. I have turned my inner eye to the task of finding a benchmark as to what and why I am doing what I am doing. The answer to this hasn’t been as obvious as it should have been without the stimulation of regular human contact and the opportunity to travel. I was very pleased during lockdown to be able to renew my acquaintance with Predictive Index (Pi) therefore and find through the suite of tools and insights they provide the chance to connect with myself again and how I can relate to others. Very happy to say that thanks to my association with Humanostics, I am able to share some of those with you free of charge.
Pi is one of the oldest of the tools created after World War II to help the US Military to optimise the talent they had at their disposal. It is based on the 5 big personality traits and works on the basis of seeking to predict performance based on
behavioural characteristics, measuring the motivating needs and drives of an individual. The scoring of the assessment produces a graphic behavioural pattern It is used in the selection, coaching, motivation and development of employees.
HOW IT WORKS?
The survey is untimed, generally takes 6 minutes to complete, and is administered. The Behavioural Assessment (BA) has been in widespread commercial use since 1955 and is backed by required scientific studies and hundreds of validity studies that confirm the instrument’s reliability and validity. Intended as a management tool and based largely on the personality trait theories of physiological psychologist William Marston (1928), the BA focuses on several core motivating needs and drives of an individual. These include the drive to exert one’s influence on people and situations, the drive for social interactions with others, the drive for consistency and stability, and the drive to conform to rules and structures. All people have these drives, and an individual’s specific combination of these drives forms a predictable picture of how he or she is most likely to behave at work. The BA employs a free-choice (as opposed to forced-choice) response format, in which individuals are presented with two questions, each followed by a listing of
descriptive adjectives. Each response list contains the same 86 words. The first question asks respondents to endorse adjectives that they feel describe the way they are expected to act by others, the Self Concept. The second question asks respondents to endorse adjectives that they feel really describe them, the Self. ‘Averaging’ across these two lists yields a third, the Synthesis, which can be interpreted as reflecting an employee’s likely observed behaviour in the workplace. Each of the 86 items on the Assessment is associated with one of five Factors: Dominance, Extraversion, Patience, Formality and Objectivity and are used to determine the PI BS’s signature graphic behavioural pattern. The patterns are then interpreted by users trained through a Predictive Index Workshop, who utilize the Behavioural Assessment data for the selection, coaching, motivation and development of employees. I first completed the profile back in 2000 when I was still employed by a large organisation. My core personality profile had changed a little, when I did it again last
year, reflecting the substantial life events that had influenced my outlook since thenCovid being just the latest of those. My Self-Concept, how I was looking to moderate the impact of my personality on work, had changed radically to reflect the challenges of running my own business. Delighted to share a link to complete you own profile and to talk through the nuances. Knowing yourself and how to optimise your talent -and that of your team – will be vital as we enter on the unknown challenges that the new ‘normal’ will require Simply click here to go to the test - 6 minutes only, I think you will be impressed by the insight: https://assessment.predictiveindex.com/bo/03r/Talkbusiness
Thanks to David Kelham for this interesting insight. If you would like to learn more from David, get in touch: david.kelham@excelerateresources.co.uk or visit www.excelerateresources.co.uk
TALK
PE O PLE
REIMAGINING
THE OFFICE
COVID-19
With the successful rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, businesses across the UK are currently making plans to gradually reopen their office premises as we emerge from lockdown. However, with the five-day working week in the office set to become a thing of the past for many UK businesses, the days when a company would own or rent an office with a desk in it for each and every member of staff look likely to be coming to an end. Neil Mackey, Account Executive at insurance broker Gallagher, discusses what the ‘new normal’ is likely to look like for UK offices, as well as highlighting the importance of businesses ensuring they have appropriate insurance in place for any changes they make to their office space. The COVID-19 pandemic has upended normal life in countless ways, but the switch from commuting to the office each day to working from home has proved to be one of the most significant changes for millions of UK workers – with video conferencing calls replacing formal meetings and informal catch-ups overnight. This sudden and dramatic shift looks set to bring significant long-term changes to the future of office design and activity within workspaces – with recent research we conducted among 1000 business leaders indicating that long-term, many UK companies are rethinking the space they need post-pandemic.
THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE OFFICE
Everything in life... has to have balance.
- DONNA KARAN
According to our research findings, almost half (45%) of businesses with office space intend to downsize by the end of 2025 – and are planning to decrease floor space by 40 per cent on average - while a further one in seven (18%) have already reduced their office space since the start of the pandemic.
As a result, around 18 million square feet of office space is set to become redundant in the next five years – or 18 percent of all current square footage in use – saving businesses with office space an estimated £45,430 each per year in rent. The most common reason for downsizing is to reflect the increased number of employees working from home in the wake of COVID-19. To reflect this shift, more than two-thirds (68%) of businesses have already made or are planning to make changes to their working from home policy, including a third (33%) having already implemented policies to allow employees to attend in person four days a week or fewer. With more and more companies adopting hybrid work models – enabling employees to combine onsite and offsite work as they and their employers see fit - 12 per cent of UK businesses intend to utilise co-working spaces such as WeWork locations more often, instead of an ‘owned’ office. The majority of businesses we interviewed plan to keep some kind of space - with only three percent planning to completely close their offices and move to a fully remote set-up. However, with the role of the office changing, with time in the workspace mainly spent working collaboratively or attending meetings, 13% of businesses intend to look for premises that have less desk space per head, to provide more space for break-out
areas and meeting rooms.
INSURANCE IMPLICATIONS From an insurance perspective, making significant renovations to an office space constitutes a ‘material change’ in risk. It’s therefore important that businesses discuss the changes with their insurance broker as failure to report a material change could have implications on cover, such as restrictions being added, or the policy being voided altogether. For businesses who are planning on downsizing or making significant changes to their premises – including renovations to their current office space or using the office for a different primary purpose going forward, such as storage of equipment, or the use of IT - taking the time to review their insurance, will help them ensure their policy reflects their current situation, providing them with confidence that the cover they have purchased will be sufficient when they need it the most. For more information about insurance considerations for businesses who are looking to modify their office space, get in touch: neil_mackey@ajg.com or visit www.ajg.com
OFFICES
WORKSHOPS
Flexible Terms, Co Working Space, Serviced Offices, Workshops, Storage. Ideally located near M1 Situated in Northamptonshire and it is the perfect creative environment to work in.
E: space@the-depot.uk
STORAGE T: 01327 341303
W: the-depot.uk
FINE-TUNE
TALK O PERATIO NS
YOUR COVID-SAFE MESSAGING
Galleries, museums and other indoor venues will be allowed to reopen on May 17. But some customers may still feel anxious about safety. In the lead up to the big day, take a moment to consider how you’ll both reassure and welcome them back - with style. After more than a year of embracing a hermit-like existence, attending a live concert or museum exhibition seems positively indulgent. Lockdown gave us the chance to appreciate the little things in life, but there is a limit to how many freezing al fresco meals or weather-dependent walks one can get excited about. Luckily, the wait is almost up. On May 17, provided cases continue to fall, indoor venues of all types, from galleries and cinemas to bingo halls and theatres, will be allowed to reopen in England. But while some customers may have a devil-may-care attitude, others will be more anxious about safety and cleanliness. Venues should ensure their communications hit the right tone: welcoming but reassuring. Government guidelines will of course need to be adhered to hand-sanitising stations, social distancing measures, masks and the like - but who’s to say messaging has to take on a sobering voice? Adding a little dose of warmth, colour and light-heartedness may even help to calm nerves and ensure Covid-safe comms match the creative vibe of arts-focused businesses. Take signage for example. There’s nothing like a bit of peeling neon yellow and black gaffa tape on the floor to kill the delicate aesthetic of an exhibition opening. Social distancing will still need to be in place come May 17, but it can be communicated
tastefully. Jarring crime scene-esque colours can swapped for a more muted palette, with playful, vibrant and tastefully designed wayfinding signage and stickers. For utmost transparency, venues may also want to consider communicating what’s gone on behind the scenes to create a clean, safe environment. How viewing times have been staggered, for example, or how often common areas are cleaned. If the last year has left you with a scant marketing budget, consider the government’s Restart Grant, announced in the new budget. Eligible non-essential businesses, including venues, could receive a cash grant of up to £18,000 to help them re-open safely. With that in mind, you could go even further than signage. A video is an impactful way to show how much care you’ve taken in your preparations and to inform customers of their safety responsibilities. Use it on social media, in lobbies, or anywhere there are screens. For those still reluctant to attend in-person events, a reassuring video to watch at home could go some way to quell nerves and encourage them back. Or even provide a sneak peek at what awaits. As the days grow warmer and we patiently see through the last weeks of lockdown, now’s the time to get all your planning ducks in a row. After spending the better part of the last year safely tucked up at home, ironically, it’s never been more exciting to shed our coats and head inside. So, roll on May 17, the great indoors beckons! Create a compelling and effective video or animation through Definition Media. For more information: visit www.definitionmedia.co.uk
THE BIGGEST BUSINESS PROBLEM ALMOST
ABOUT
ARE TALKING
TALK O PERATIO NS
THE PROBLEM:
the new generation services that we will all be using in the near future. This must be done as soon as possible, before the inevitable chaos of the last 18 months before switch-off.
Openreach are no-where near the 50,000 upgrades per week they need to achieve. They are at 16,000 per week. Completely behind the curve.
WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?
All Analogue & ISDN telephone lines, and all ADSL & Fibre to the Cabinet Broadband connections are being switched-off between April and December 2025.
WHAT HAPPENED IN GERMANY IN 2018:
Hundreds of thousands of businesses lost their Phones, Broadband connections, Lines and Numbers because: - Businesses owners did not take action to place their orders soon enough to avoid the rush. - Deutsche Telecom were eventually migrating up to 600,000 numbers a day, but there just were not enough VoIP phone handsets, network engineers or phone engineers to install at anything like the volumes needed. Chaos!
THE ANSWER: All UK businesses must migrate their Broadband connections and Telephones to
It is critical to speak to a truly Voice over IP experienced Business Telecoms Supplier that will guide you through the migration process. BT and Openreach even now, only have manual migration systems in place, that are utterly incapable of processing the Millions of number and line migrations that have to happen before switch-off. There are about 24 Million domestic dwellings and 6 Million businesses that must all migrate their Telephone numbers and Broadband to the new generation services. At the moment, it takes at least 10 days to migrate just a single number.
If you see the problem. We recommend you take action. Speak to the SME Business Experts: call Pink Connect on 0345 450 9393 or visit pinkconnect.com
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WE INTERVIEWED NEIL CURTIS FROM
NET VISIBILITY
What does your company do? We generate sales leads for customers of all industries via Google, Facebook and LinkedIn advertising. What changes or challenges do you foresee for your company in the next three years? The online advertising platform changes all the time so it is key we stay on top of all of them – but we are used to that having started in 2003. In those days we promised to get customers to the top of Yahoo and MSN. Google wasn’t a thing in those days. As we continue to grow our focus will be on people and processes. We look for people who fit with our culture and then teach them how to run successful campaigns. Finding the right people with the right attitude and personality will continue to be our biggest challenge. Are you optimistic, realistic or pessimistic about 2021? All 3. As a business owner you can have all 3 emotions on the same day. That said, work is fun again and Net Visibility is a great to place to be.
TALK S U PP ORT
What causes you the most stress in your business? Writing articles like this at 930pm! If you could instantly change one area or thing about your business, what would it be? The ability to communicate better with Facebook and Google. They love to make it difficult even for official partners such as Net Visibility. How would you rank the following in order of importance (1 most, 5 least) - Team communication 1 - Sales pipeline 2 - Environmental 3 - Strong financial data 4 - Social media 5 What do you do to unwind? I’m an open water swimmer. No wetsuit just my trunks, a hat and goggles. Earlier in the year I swam for 20 minutes at 1.5 degrees and last Autumn swam 15km around the Scilly Isles. In the week I’m often found before work in the River Avon!
www.netvisibility.co.uk
What is the most important task you carry out each day? Keeping the team motivated and not to get involved too much in the day to day. There are better people than me to do that. We as a business are more successful when Im out of the office networking. What is your company’s most important KPI? Happy Customers, Happy Team. Work with the right customers who have the same values as you do and the rest takes care of itself. What positive effects has your company experienced during lockdowns? The ability to review everything we do and make it more streamlined.
MAY’S
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When you want the best outcome, you need the best people. “Common-sense approach, high knowledge levels and excellent overall service.” The Legal 500 • • • • • •
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Recruitment
alison@firstsafetytrainingservices.co.uk
We design and devekop WordPress website that show the world how awesome your business is. With over 10 years experience, we are commited to supporting local Warickshire businesses.
EVOLVE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LTD www.evolveglobal.co.uk - 07496 548 382 - afshan@evolve-global.uk
UP FRONT TRAINING AND COACHING www.uftraining.co.uk - 07795 474 074 - info@uftraining.co.uk
Excelerate Resources finds people for people. Through our partnerships we work locally and internationally in all sectors. We have long-term relationships with employers and candidates, supported by our networking. A small and experienced team always happy to chat. 01926 747 606 | david.kelham@excelerateresources.co.uk www.excelerateresources.co.uk
First Impressions Training, Stratford Upon Avon
01789 330 270 | hello@encode.agency www.encode.agency
BLUE SQUIRREL SOFTWARE www.blue-sq.co.uk - 01386 800 350 - james@bluemarblestudio.co.uk
Wellbeing
Purple Monster, Leamington Spa
07784 558 552
Travel
www.illuminatevr.co.uk lisa.whittleton@illuminatevr.co.uk
01789 294831 01242 300 288
www.speartravels.net
www.hoorayworks.co.uk
beverly.clarke@speartravels.net
dan@hoorayworks.co.uk
GOODWILL AND GROWTH FOR AFRICA UK www.gaga-uk.org - 01789 414 088 - claire@gaga-uk.org
THE JOB GURU
www.thejobguru.co.uk - 01242 644 344 - steve@thejobguru.co.uk
Sales
Charities
NOT JUST TRAVEL https://bobgrace.notjusttravel.com - 07484 284 877 - bob.grace@notjusttravel.com
HEART OF ENGLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION www.heartofenglandcf.co.uk - 024 7688 3266 - marketing@heartofenglandcf.co.uk
HEART OF ENGLAND MENCAP
Utilities
www.heartofenglandmencap.org.uk - 01789 298 709 - support@heartofenglandmencap.org.uk
THE PIED PIPER APPEAL
RH Utilities Ltd, Warwickshire
www.piedpiperappeal.co.uk - 0300 422 6119 - office@piedpiperappeal.co.uk
THE LEUKAEMIA AND INTENSIVE CHEMOTHERAPY FUND www.lincfund.org - 07900 433 166 - claire.charlton2@nhs.net
Vehicles iPlus Sales are experts in sales lead generation through both online and offline activity in B2B and B2C. As a company we are agile and adaptive to the needs of our clients, our approach a blend of sales and marketing to provide a comprehensive solution. 01242 312 121 | hello@iplusgroup.co.uk www.iplussales.co.uk
THE MYTON HOSPICES
www.mytonhospice.org - 01926 838 815 - sarah.stallard@mytonhospice.org
02476 158 448 www.electriczoo.co.uk
hello@electriczoo.co.uk
MEMBERS
THE STORY OF THE IMAGE.
Our cover image this month is from Talk Business member Lorentz Gullachsen. This image was part of his ‘A year in Teme Valley’ exhibition from 2009. The exhibition of 21 photographs showed scenes of the valley in different seasons from Tenbury Wells to Knightwick and opened at the Marley Crown Gallery. The photographs were sold worldwide, especially to those who have fond memories of the Teme Valley; one of the UK’s landscape gems. See more of Lorentz Gullachsen’s imagery here: www.gullachsen.com
