TE THINK ENTERPRISE QUARTER. 4 — 2020
DIGITAL SPECIAL READ INSIDE
ALICK JONES AND INDERJOT SAHOTA
LLOYDS BANKING, MENTORING CASE STUDY THE NEW NORMAL
CYBER SECURITY AND SMALL BUSINESS FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK... WHY YOU SHOULD USE
COMEDY IN YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IN A VIRTUAL WORLD, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES IN
PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING FOR SMALL BIZ OWNERS
THINK ENTERPRISE Quarter 4 — 2020 Vol. 33
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NATHAN HARDWICK, IOEE DIGITAL DIREC TOR The astute of you may have noticed a different name and picture above. Don’t worry, Sarah will be back next time but for this issue I’m in charge! Given the continued reliance on technology throughout this dreadul pandemic, this issue is a ‘Digital Special’ looking at some of the amazing things our members are doing to work remotely, take advantage of new technology and keep their businesses going in these trying times. To get us started we’ve got a couple of articles from our friends at Marston’s Telecoms, explaining how technology can help not only large but smaller organisations, too. Every business needs to be connected, now more than ever. There’s also information about some of the emerging risks when doing business online and how to protect yourself. Next up we’ve got something a little bit different from one of our new members. White Label Comedy have put together a guide to using humour in your digital marketing and beyond. It can be tough out there, particularly at the moment, so a little bit of humour to lighten the mood can go a long way. It’s not just bug companies that ‘go viral’ and when you do you can expect a lot of business to come your way.
ex prisoners in setting up their own business post-release and how it can be a key factor in rehbilitation. We also explore peer to peer learning in the new digital world and what technology means for knowledge sharing. Additionally, we chat to Sue Bedward from IOEE Academy MLB Academy who gives her insight into the new All Party Parliamentary Group report, ‘The BAME Business Owners COVID-19 Response: Voices from the Grass Roots’. We also catch up with Lloyds mentor Suraj Sridhar and mentee Michelle Bateman to find out more about her journey in developing Woof’s Treats. And finally, we have our regular feature, Enterprisingly Me. This edition touches on the realities of going digital when you’re perhaps a little reticent! I hope you enjoy what’s been curated this quarter and aren’t too desparate for Sarah’s return. Oh, and any ideas for what you’d like to see in terms of IOEE’s online services, please drop me a line at nathan.hardwick@ioee.uk
We also look at the pioneering work that RIFT Social Enterprise are doing to support
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CONTENTS 6. lloyds banking group MENTORING case study: alick jones and inderjot sahota In this article we speak to Lloyds Banking Group mentor, Alick Jones, Regional Agricultural Manager for the North of England and Social Entrepreneur Inderjit Sahota who runs a social enterprise providing supported employment for » p.6
migrants and refugees allowing them to rebuild their lives.
8. marston’s telecoms, technology, connected For many SME’s the ‘new normal’ has meant a seismic shift in the way they conduct business. Social distancing, remote working, travel & social distancing restrictions, have all combined to make the workplace a totally different environment, and experience, to that of just a few months ago. » p.8
12. the ‘new normal’, cyber security and small business Since the Coronavirus outbreak, small businesses have faced a deluge of new problems while the world’s economy has shifted to a “new normal”. Millions of small businesses face a fundamental change in the way business owners » p.12
and their employees work. Social distancing and lockdown has necessitated a significant rise in remote working.
16. FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK... We take a look at why you should use comedy within your Social Media Marketing. There are brands out there who absolutely boss it on social - brands of all shapes and sizes, brands with big budgets and brands » p.14
with no budget, that everyone loves to follow and friend. And do you know what those brands have in common?
20. SUPPORTING EX-PRISONERS IN ESTABLISHING SMALL BUSINESSES From January, RSE will be working in partnership with the Faculty of Business and Justice at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), to pilot a new virtual clinic, supporting ex-prisoners in establishing small businesses. » p.20
24. peer-to-peer learning for small business owners in a virtual world Over the last ten years, there have been several calls for demand-led enterprise learning & skills provision for the owner-managers of small businesses. What does it mean?
» p.26
26. an insight into the challEnges for bame owned businesses during the covid-19 pandemic The APPG conducted a ‘listening exercise’ with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Business owners and trade associations across the country, during the summer of 2020. We get additional insight from IOEE Academy, MLB Academy, Founder and Director Sue Bedward
30. enterprisingly me » p.30
Our a monthly feature where you can follow my entrepreneurial adventures. I hope my story inspires you to take your first steps, or if you already have, then it lets you know you’re not on your own.
32. lloyds banking group MENTORING case study: suraj sridhar and michelle bateman » p.32
We speak to Lloyds Banking Group mentor, Suraj Sridhar and Suraj’s mentee Michelle Bateman who founded Woofs Treats back in 2013 which specialises in the production of natural and healthy dog treats.
Lloyds Banking Group Case Study: Alick Jones and Inderjit Sahota The IOEE Lloyds Banking Group Covid-19 Response Mentoring programme was created to support small and micro businesses affected the Covid-19 crisis which has impacted many businesses across all sectors within the UK. In this article we speak to Lloyds Banking Group mentor, Alick Jones, Regional Agricultural Manager for the North of England and Social Entrepreneur Inderjit Sahota who runs a social enterprise providing supported employment for migrants and refugees allowing them to rebuild their lives. We caught up with Alick and Inderjit to find out how their relationship is going so far... Can you explain what made you decide to get involved in the programme? A — Giving something back! I’ve been fortunate to gain a range of experience during my time with Lloyds Banking Group. Mentoring gives me the opportunity to use my skills and knowledge to work with a business that is a complete contrast to the agricultural sector, hopefully bringing a different perspective to that business to help them solve
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challenges. It’s also giving me the opportunity to learn from the challenges being faced by the mentee business in these times, and understanding how they are turning these into opportunities. I — It has been a challenging time, in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic we had to furlough all our cleaning staff and temporarily suspend our cleaning services. We were able to use this time to train our staff on Cross Contamination and Infection Control. Upskilling the staff has allowed us to develop our new service offer. We are now offering a Back to Work Covid-19 Deep Clean, which has helped us to diversify our services and attract new customers. The current situation has allowed me to spend time on the business and identify gaps in our team’s capabilities and capacity. I think synchronicity has played its part as I was looking for someone that was outside of the organisation who would bring experience and skills from the corporate business world and then I discovered this programme.
Tell us how you feel the relationship is progressing? A — Very well – the first session was a good opportunity for me and Inderjit to understand each other, talk about our very different backgrounds and agree how we could work together. For obvious reasons at the moment our meetings are being held remotely. From my perspective it’s so far so good! I— I was feeling a bit apprehensive at the start but felt comfortable by the end of the meeting. I felt reassured that we could work together to grow the enterprise in these difficult times.. It’s early days but the mentoring sessions have helped me to look at different ways to grow the enterprise. It’s great to see both Alick and Inderjit are in a positive frame of mind moving forward and see the benefits of their mentoring relationship for both of them moving forward. What have you gained from the experience so far? A — I’m forming a good understanding of the particular opportunities (and challenges) facing a commercial business that is part of a wider charitable organisation, and the creativity that is needed to deliver both charitable and commercial results. It’s a good opportunity to step back from my “day job” for a few hours a month and understand the great work that businesses and (in this case) not for profit organisations are doing on the front line. I — The mentoring sessions has allowed me to have a safe and non- threatening space to challenge my thinking and decision- making Pictured Above: Alick Jones processes. It has also confirmed to me what I am doing is ok. I would definitely recommend this programme to other business owners as you have the opportunity to learn, develop and grow your skills with an experienced and knowledgeable leader from the Corporate Business World. It helps you to do business differently!
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MARSTON’S TELECOMS – T E C H N O L O G Y, C O N N E C T E D
For many SME’s the ‘new normal’ has meant a seismic shift in the way they conduct business. Social distancing, remote working, travel & social distancing restrictions, have all combined to make the workplace a totally different environment, and experience, to that of just a few months ago. Technology has been at the forefront of the changes and, without solutions such as Zoom and Teams, many companies of all sizes, would have struggled significantly more than they have already.
The key elements of a connected business, from the inside out Almost all businesses will have some form of PC, many will have laptops, tablets and other devices. All of these need to connect to servers, each other and the Internet. Increasingly, workers who can, are leaving the traditional workplace and working from home and this adds additional complication. The Internal Network (Wired & Wireless)
Businesses that rely on footfall such as shops, pubs, restaurants & hotels, have all had to adapt in order to keep trading, and the key focus has been on the safety of customers and staff. The hospitality sector is a shining example of how technology can be employed to retain business and, in some cases actually grow - even in this constantly evolving Covid 19 situation. All businesses have a core of needs that must be addressed to enable staff to work effectively and to provide the best possible service to customers. Where businesses rely on customer footfall, the need for robust and reliable systems is increased; a restaurant needs to be able to take payment for all of the meals they have served so any loss of connection can be catastrophic. With technology moving as quickly as it has been over the last decade, it has become increasingly important for each business owner to have a good grasp of what the right systems are for their business. So, what really is important in a small business?
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In the workplace there is often a ‘wired’ network with sockets into which you plug your PC to connect it to the local network, and to reach the internet. At home we do a similar thing (often by sitting next to the router and plugging our short cable into it). In the office there is often a Wireless (WiFi) network, at home most of us have WiFi too. These two elements are the backbone of both the office and of home working but there is much more to it than that. The type and speed of connection both within the office or home, as well as the connection to the internet, have a dramatic effect on useability & productivity. WiFi connections are (usually) slower than your broadband and they are affected by environmental issues within the office and home which can deplete the range and the quality of the connection. In the office, the wired network is connected to one or more switches which connect to the router. At home, with an increasing number of devices, switches are becoming more prevalent, but as with the office, it is easy to make mistakes when
including switches into the network. A cabled network is more robust and often a faster connection than WiFi but this means added cabling so a homeworker will rely more on their WiFi. That WiFi has a limited range from the router, impeded by thick walls, foil backed insulation and other factors, so we often end up working close enough to the router that we could just plug in anyway. Extending the WiFi requires a WiFi Access Point (or two). These are small units that sit on the desk, ceiling or wall and they extend the WiFi range into the room or area in which you want to work. This is widely used in offices, but it is only recently that companies such as BT have recognised the need to extend WiFi to improve signal across the home. Illustration of WiFi Range across a bar with WiFi from the router only.
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Of course, getting connected to the network, either at the home or in the office has enabled us to (mostly) get a good connection for Teams, Zoom or Skype…even if we do have the odd moment of playing statues whilst our colleagues wonder if we are asleep or frozen. However, for many businesses the telephone is still a key form of communication and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony has been around for year’s but it is really coming to the fore now, with more businesses needing their workers on the company telephone system so that customers have a seamless experience. If you ever call a company and find yourself talking to them on their mobile with poor signal, it may well be that they haven’t discovered VoIP, its cost savings or its benefits. VoIP resolves quality issues and can be very cost effective. It also means that each home-worker can be part of the company phone system, with the auto-attendant still enabling callers to route their own call and (mostly*) the staff can speak without signal issues. The latest systems available from MTL also offer a one sim solution for your mobile that is both a mobile and a traditional phone connection. This is perfect for businesses who have staff on the move. *Having the right broadband and the correct network setup at home as well as in the office is highly important. Security
Illustration of WiFi Range across a bar with WiFi from the router AND an Access Point (AP).
It’s a sad truth that all businesses are the prey of hackers and with increasing numbers of home workers, we have all become potential soft targets. Criminals are increasingly turning their attention to SME’s and many of us are ill-prepared to fight them. Often we rely on the in-built security in software or the firewall in our router but how many of us know how to configure the security correctly? Dedicated firewalls and proprietary software are often prohibitively expensive, so many small businesses cross their fingers and hope for the best. There is good news however, in that there are a small number of companies offering low cost subscriptions to comprehensive solutions that make real security affordable to all of us no matter how big or small we are so SME’s don’t need to be held to ransom either by criminals or by Cybersecurity providers.
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Router At the customer end of any internet connection is the router. Routers come in all shapes and sizes and they are available from a myriad of suppliers. Many ISP and providers use re-badged white box routers so, whilst it might say a brand name on the router, it may well be manufactured by a company that you will have never heard of. Getting the right router for your needs is incredibly important and this is where a provider such as Marston’s Telecoms can add real value. If you work alone, have a home office or maybe a small office with a few staff, then a basic router may well be all you need (except on the question of security). If, however, you have a larger business, a business with different departments or a business that takes card payments, you will likely need something more sophisticated. Choosing the right router can be the difference between enabling your business or impeding its growth potential. ‘Broadband’ Broadband is a term that most people use for a fast connection to the internet but behind this global term is a myriad of options. Access to the internet started with dial up but quickly moved to DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or ADSL (Asymmetric DSL) then ADSL2 and SDSL and then what we know of now as Fibre. All of these have required a traditional telephone line over which the broadband could be overlayed (Virgin, uses its own separate cable connection). Speeds and quality of connection have improved so that most of us can get at least 20Mb/s download and this is what most providers advertise but download is only half the story. When we use the Internet, we exchange data which means that we upload data as well as downloading it. Anyone who has tried to send large files will know that it can take a long time and sometimes it will fail, and this is because the upload speed on a broadband connection is usually around 1/10th of the download speed. It’s only when you get
to Ethernet levels of connection that the up and down speeds are equalised. There is a new broadband service called SoGEA (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access) which has started to penetrate the market with the benefit that it doesn’t need a traditional telephone line (and contract), it still needs a cable but it is an effective way of getting broadband where you don’t need a telephone line and, as outlined earlier, VoIP is the way forward with telephone communication, which could make a telephone line redundant and an additional cost that most of us could do without. Fibre is the high-speed service that most of us are familiar with, but even that has a number of different versions that need to be understood. Fibre To The Cabinet (FTTC) is the one that most of us have experienced until now and this uses the fibre infrastructure across the UK to the local cabinets in each area of your city, town or village. The connection from the cabinet to your business or home is over the old copper cabling and this is often the limiting factor which keeps speeds down to 30 - 40 Mb/s. By offering Fibre To The Property (FTTP) or Fibre To The Home (FTTH), providers are able to offer much higher speeds, but obviously the existing copper infrastructure to your door needs to be replaced with Fibre and it is this process that OpenReach is currently working on. Virgin continues to expand its own cabling network alongside the fibre offered by BT (businesses such as Sky use BT’s infrastructure too so this is why you will see that BT, Sky, TalkTalk and others all offer very similar broadband speeds. For businesses with higher internet access requirements such as larger SME’s or businesses that exchange large files across the internet such as graphic designers there is the next level up which is called Ethernet. Ethernet is a connection offers symmetrical speed so you get the same upload as you do download up to 1Gb so it is superfast and very stable.
The right connectivity enables better productivity
All of these options make it seem like a bit of a minefield and it is easy to get confused or to choose the wrong solution. Getting it right can make a real difference, not just in terms of cost but also how effective it is for your business. Doing your research is really important, but the most important thing is to get the right advice. At the forefront of the technology development and implementation is Marston’s Telecoms (MTL). MTL is both a full ISP, and a technology provider that has built a reputation for innovation and dedication to developing solutions that positively impact the business environment. MTL is backed by Marston’s PLC and it is this backing that has enabled them to build a core network that rivals the biggest names in the UK connectivity market. MTL is different from other ISP’s in that they look at business from the inside, for MTL the way in which a solution positively affects the workplace or the ability to trade, is the key to success and so they have developed a range of solutions that many of the larger ISP’s just can’t match. If you would like to speak to Marston’s Telecoms about your business, please call 01902 283 300 or email sales@marstonstelecoms.com
The “New Normal”, Cyber Sec
Since the Coronavirus outbreak, small businesses have faced a deluge of new problems while the world’s economy has shifted to a “new normal”. Millions of small businesses face a fundamental change in the way business owners and their employees work. Social distancing and lockdown has necessitated a significant rise in remote working. Technology has projected itself as a beacon for championing new ways of working. An increase in demand for video calls and accessing data over the internet wherever business owners or employees are have been met by many solutions rapidly brought to market. Unfortunately in these uncertain times, cybercrime is on the rise. The increased number of remote workers has meant theft through cybercrime is easier than ever. Small businesses are possibly the most vulnerable and at the same time bearing the brunt of the world’s economic challenges. As they scramble to adjust to new ways of working, what’s unclear is what is a safe way of conducting business in the new normal.
annual growth rate of almost 65%.
Source: Cybersecurity Ventures; plus Various including Cost of Cyber Crime Study, 2019 and 2020
There is no doubt that the growth in cybercrime has been fuelled by world events and the shift in how we work. Workers access data and applications via personal or company owned Laptops, desktops, tablets and smartphones over the internet. Remote working diversifies the number of access points to the internet, giving criminals a multitude of options to attack workers outside of secure business environments. Not long after Covid 19 was declared a pandemic there has been a significant lift in cyberattacks on businesses around the world. A number of key examples are outlined below: •
Cyber-crime is increasing exponentially Cyber-crime is a big business and a lucrative one for cyber criminals. The global cost of cyber-attacks is expected to exceed USD$ 6 Trillion by 2021. That is a compounded
• •
There has been a 400% increase in attacks on remote desktops in March and April 2020 alone. In March 2020, email scams globally surged 660% A surge in home working security breaches, where 1 in 5 businesses
curity and Small Business
surveyed have experienced attacks via homeworkers A shift in targeting Cyber-crime is not a new problem. Cyber criminals have been targeting businesses and exploiting weaknesses since the internet proliferated. Traditionally, these targets were the large, enterprise type organisations and a successful breach would likely yield a higher financial reward or any designed disruption would be greater felt. The challenge to cyber criminals has been that these traditional organisations have deeper pockets, greater expertise and are now better equipped to defend and protect themselves. A common view held by small business owners is, “this would never happen to me, they target large businesses”. Cybercrime is a lucrative market opportunity, as participation has increased in cybercrime overtime, criminals have had to expand beyond the enterprise or corporate sector for potential opportunities. As a result, cyber criminals have diversified to “new markets” and now small businesses offer almost infinite opportunities to diversify their efforts. Comments such as “it won’t happen to me”, “I already have anti-virus” exposes themselves as easy targets with a low level of awareness into the issue and how to address it. The focus on small business is certainly alarming, according to Hiscox research, one small business in the UK is successfully hacked
every 19 seconds. Around 65,000 attempts to hack small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) occur in the UK every day and around 4,500 of which are successful. Cisco estimates 53% of SMBs suffered a security breach globally as afr back as in 2018. A breach can be catastrophic for a business •
•
Thirty-three percent of UK organizations say they lost customers after a data breach. A Forrester study of UK and US companies found 38% had lost business because of security issues Forty-four percent of UK consumers claim they will stop spending with a business temporarily after a security breach, and 41% claim they will never return to a business post-breach, compared to 83% and 21% for customers in the US.
How are attacks executed?
attempt to steal money or assets
Cyber-attacks are attempts to steal value from you. As a small business owner, what you stand to lose is potentially far greater than the act of theft itself is looking to achieve. A successful cyber-attack could result in the loss of your reputation and what you’ve worked so hard to build.
Malicious software
Cyber criminals seek to exploit vulnerabilities to either steal personal information, data or money directly. The most commonly small businesses are targeted via phishing, business email compromise and malicious software. Phishing Phishing is an attempt to induce individuals to reveal personal information such as passwords and credit card numbers by pretending to be reputable companies or organisations. Commonly known as a scam, these kind of attacks are normally delivered via email. There are many types of phishing examples however businesses will commonly see examples such as •
•
An email appearing coming from a reputable organisation such as PayPal, requesting individuals that take action that may reveal personal information C-level fraud, where an email that appears to come from a senior officer of an organisation requesting individuals to transfer funds, make payments, install software or update personal details
Business email compromise Essentially a type of phishing attack, except with slightly higher levels of sophistication. Essentially a cyber attacker gains access to corporate email accounts, (likely from being hacked via malicious links or a basic phishing attempt) and then takes on an identity. At that point emails are sent to employees to
Malicious software, often referred to as malware that enables attackers to have your computer perform actions without knowing. Malicious software or malware may look to access information, trick individuals into providing access to business systems, or even cripple systems, preventing businesses from operating until a ransom is paid (ransomware). Malicious software or malware can be either delivered via emails, attachments or websites Where to focus resources to protect your business Think of a home, a safe place for many, think of the walls as the perimeter surrounding your life and business. To prevent intrusion you could then support the perimeter with cameras/CCTV to monitor situation, those cameras give you a view of entry points and who or what intends to come in, you can then block entry with secure doors and locks to keep your family safe. Where you invest most your of your resources in protection will likely start with the most likely threat. Something as simple as email... In the context of protecting your business from cyber attacks, the most common source of cyber threats is email, in fact 90% of cyber security threats start via email. These emails potentially contain malware, attempt to steal sensitive information (Phishing) or pretend to be someone in order to get you someone to act in a way that compromises the business. Ensuring the emails you received are filtered from unwanted approaches should be fundamental to your choice of protection in setting a perimeter around your business. Websites and using the internet Unfortunately there are numerous suspicious
websites in operation globally. Often in Cyber security these are referred to malicious websites. Individuals are encouraged via email, attachments and other websites to click on a malicious link. From there, malicious software is delivered to an individual’s device. The best defence here is known as web security. Here a web security application will leverage large databases that recognise malicious websites, then depending on the settings, prevent or warn an individual from accessing malicious websites. As attempts become more sophisticated via email, an additional level of protection from reaching malicious websites via web security is also a fundamental element of a strong perimeter. Remote working outside of business networks In the new normal, the lines are often blurred between business and personal use devices. An individual’s business or personal device represents another entry point of a cyber attack. A device that has been compromised may connect to a business network or systems. The compromise may have occurred via an attack from using personal or unsecured network environments, such as the pub or your home network. End point security provides protection by scanning the device for malware and blocks potential threats from entering the business network. Where to from here? The new normal, has necessitated the need for a strong perimeter to protect your business from cyber security. The options in market are vast and complexity is increasing. It is recommended that businesses maintain a perimeter that secures a business against the most likely threats first then extending to other common avenues for an attack. First, email security to block 90% of most threats, second prevent you or your
employees from reaching malicious websites and lastly as we all work differently and from anywhere on nearly any device, secure the device at the end point. Marston’s Telecoms (MTL), is both a full ISP, and a technology provider that has built a reputation for innovation and dedication to developing solutions that positively impact the business environment. MTL is backed by Marston’s PLC and it is this backing that has enabled them to rivals the biggest names in the UK connectivity and technology market. MTL is different in that they look at business from the inside, for MTL the way in which a solution positively affects the workplace or the ability to trade, is the key to success and so they have developed a range of solutions that many of the larger rivals just can’t match. If you would like to speak to Marston’s Telecoms about protecting your business against cyber-attack, please call 01902 939 079 or email sales@marstonstelecoms.com
Funny You Should Ask Why You Should Use Comedy In Your Social Media Marketing Your small business needs to have a strong social media presence. We know you know this. But we also know that within the time, budget and personnel constraints that are inherent to marketing for small businesses, it’s hard to know how you can possibly compete with the big guns and elevate your social media content above the noise. The good news, though, is you don’t need to compete. You just need to box clever. There are brands out there who absolutely boss it on social - brands of all shapes and sizes, brands with big budgets and brands with no budget, that everyone loves to follow and friend. And do you know what those brands have in common?
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They’re funny. They entertain and engage their audience with wit and warmth - and it goes down a storm. So why do funny brands do so well on social media? Having spent the last few years developing (and testing) theories about how marketing, comedy and psychology intersect - the honest answer is “OH MY GOD - SO MANY REASONS”. It’s insane. In this short article, I’ll walk you through some of my favourites. But first - it probably helps to start with a few fundamentals.
What do Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn Want From Us? We can’t see all the posts from all the people and pages we follow - there aren’t enough hours in the day - so Facebook, Twitter and even LinkedIn now need to be selective. If they show us posts we have no interest in, we’re much more likely to put down our phones and step away. But they need us to stay so they can sell more Ads. So they try - instead - to fill our feed with solid gold posts that we’ll love. And they’ve only really got one measure of our interest to work with: our engagement. Every single Engagement is a signal that others like us might also like this too Every click, every share - they’re not just signals that we enjoyed a piece of content, but that others like us might like it to.
isn’t entertaining and engaging - then chances are you’re investing your time, effort, and money into content that no one’s ever going to see. As the algorithm’s negative bias towards you and your content is inherited, and magnified, from failed post to failed post. Brands that manage to consistently entertain and engage their audience - creating content that we actually enjoy get rewarded. More engagement means more organic reach. Brands that do exceptionally well can find their best posts with Organic Reach well above 100% - as the algorithms begin showing their content to people who weren’t even following the brand’s page to begin with - because the data tells them those people will probably love it too. That’s no mean feat - but want to know what makes it a damn sight easier?
Plus – jokes only work when they’re based around a hidden truth – and thanks to the nature of branded comedy, that truth is always going to be one your audience wholeheartedly agrees with – which leads to Likes and Shares. Your audience telling the world that you’re funny, and you’re right. Comedy Content directly drives engagement, which in turn increases Organic Reach, and that can mean exponentially increased ROI. And that’s before we even begin to dig into the psychology of why comedy content is so effective in and of itself as a marketing material. The Psychology of Comedy and why it works so well for brands Ok - so we know that comedy drives engagement on social but that’s all pretty functional. You give them what they want, they react, that gives the platforms what they want, you get rewarded.
Comedy. The platforms test that theory by showing it to more people and if they engage, they’ll show it to more still. And more, and more, and more. Even better - Organic Reach can be passed on from post to post. So if your content today goes down a storm, your content tomorrow will have a much bigger initial audience. The opposite is also true. Painfully true. If your content
Comedy Directly Drives Engagement and Reach Comedy content gets your audience talking – and that means Comments. Discussion of the topic, people sharing their own stories, sharing their own jokes, and even people just commenting to tell you how much they loved that post – whatever their reason for responding – every comment counts.
The benefits of using comedy content on social media actually go way deeper than that - and that’s what we’re going to explore now. Comedy Gets Your Audience Talking So many brands forget the social in social media. Comedy doesn’t just entertain and engage – when done right, it drives conversation too.
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But why is that? Well - to understand that, first we need to understand what a joke really is. A joke is two “things” - two different ideas or notions that shouldn’t fit together, but they’re made to fit together, with the help of a perfectly placed twist or a surprise.
It shows them that their world is your world. It demonstrates that we’re all in this together. And that’s important now, more than ever. Well let’s think back to those hidden truths. It would be literally impossible to write jokes that resonated with an audience unless you understood them, what drives them, what makes them tick.
lives, and – more importantly – our social feeds. Comedy Sells Without Selling, By Keeping You Front Of Mind People don’t want to buy from faceless brands waving coupons, vouchers and deals. They want to buy from brands with personality. Brands they feel an affinity to. A connection
That’s literally it. Pick apart any joke that makes you laugh and that’s what you’ll find. We travel from Thing A, to Thing B - via a surprise or a twist that makes them fit neatly together. And the reason we’re able to make them fit together? That surprise twist is based around a hidden truth. If the joke you’ve crafted is a good fit for the audience you’re trying to reach, then not only will they laugh — they’ll respond, because the truth you’ve shone a light on is one that matters dearly to them.
Here above are two of our “If Brands Told Jokes” pieces - these ones, we wrote for Starbucks, in the week that non-essential shops were allowed to reopen, and the high streets started to get
A Good Sense of Humour Proves You’re “One Of Us”
busy again. These aren’t just jokes – they’re proof that you understand our world, and what we’re going through right now. It’s content like this that makes us welcome you into our
You already know that good marketing builds a human connection with an audience.
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with. Comedy content that’s tailored to your audience builds that connection, and keeps your brand front of mind – so that when the time comes for them to enter the consideration phase, they’ve been thinking about you so much that they’ve already sold themselves on you and your offer.
The two posts here are from our first batch of content for Bright Interactive - the SAAS company behind Digital Asset Management platform Asset Bank.
way. When we – as a brand – first share the joke, we’re telling a story about ourselves. But when our audience is motivated to share that story – because they found it funny – it becomes a story that they’re telling the world about us. That story is that we’re fun, funny and entertaining - and that everyone should let us into their newsfeeds, and their lives.
If you’re scrolling through your feed, and you see a post that’s nakedly trying to persuade you to sign up for Asset Bank your guard will go up - you’ll know your being sold to, and that’s not what you came here for - so you know there’s no need to even read, let alone engage. But the majority of their ideal customers are immersed in file formats and classification systems all day long - so when they see jokes that play on that, on their world, a world that’s so rarely represented with any wit, warmth or even humanity - they’re drawn in. Some will just passively absorb, others will actively engage - but in both cases, when they find themselves in need of a piece of software like Asset Bank - it’s going to be the first name that comes to mind. They already know you, they like you - and they’ll have started to trust you too. Comedy Turns Your Followers Into Influencers (and these ones work for free!)
So just by creating great content that your audience wants to share - content that happens to include a relatable hidden truth, alongside your brand’s identity and your brand message - you’re turning your audience into influencers. And these influencers won’t be sending you an invoice at the end of the month. Want to learn how to entertain, engage and sell? White Label Comedy exists to help brands of all shapes and sizes entertain, engage and sell - but we know that not every small business is able to invest as much in their marketing as they might like - especially in these trying times. That’s why we’ve made our training - How to Supercharge Engagement and Reach on Social, Without Putting Your Brand’s Reputation at Risk - free to all. To find out more, head here: https:// whitelabelcomedy.com/free/webinar03
You’ll already be well aware that the things others say about us have much more impact than the things we say about ourselves – and lots of brands think that the only way to get those “others” talking is to pay influencers to kickstart the process. Comedy content offers another
Think Enterprise | 19
E U E x i t B u sEX-PRISON iness SUPPORTING Readiness SMALL BUSINESSES Bulletin
Title
From January 2021, RIFT Social Enterprise rates can exceed 40% and half of all crime (RSE) will be working in partnership with is committed by those who have already the Faculty of Business and Justice at the been through the criminal justice system. University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), However, rates halve where the individual • 2019.a Update - Howclinic, to exchange a UK Driver CPC for an EU Driveron CPC: PrepareAs to Lammy drive in to pilot new virtual supporting ex- gains employment release. the EU in after Brexit: lorry and businesses. goods vehicle drivers prisoners establishing small observes: RSE was founded in January 2018 by Jan • The Department for Group. Transport have updated“Ex-offenders how leaving the EU without will affect Post, Chair of the RIFT need effectivea deal services and rail safety and technical standards, travelling by traincommunities, and running but a rail service: Rail supportive above all else, and technical standards if there’s no Brexit RIFTtransport, Group issafety a traditional, professional, they need work.deal A job removes dependence firm which specialises in helping individuals on criminality for income, and an opportunity • The Home Office have updated the locations you can to getboosts your biometric ID obtain tax refunds from HM Revenue forwhere education or go training self-respect document(HMRC). scanned if youisdoled notbyhave an Android device with neara field & Customs RSE Chief and gives ex-offenders stakecommunication in society and (NFC). Update - Updated of locations: Scheme: ID document scanner Executive, Andy Gullick, a list former prison EU in Settlement their own future.” locations governor, probation officer and an alumnus of UCLan, having graduated from the In line with Lammy, several academic • The Department International Trade studies want to have maintain continuity in trade University in 1992 infor Psychology. UCLan demonstrated thethe positive between theofUKworking and theinCARIFORUM states. - References have hasrelationships a strong track record impact that workUpdate can have as a key source updated to sector the EU and Exit the dateproject and to the of countries who have signed the the been criminal justice of number reduction of recidivism. However, for agreement: Continuing the UK’s trade relationship with CARIFORUM states: environment, parliamentary goes to the heart of its business school’s those released from a prison reportstatement, working with business there are a number of barriers to re-entry mission to empower individuals and positively into the workforce, both on the supply and • Department explaining changes for UK change lives. for International Trade have published demandguidance side of the labour market.
BREXIT
exporters to Papua New Guinea if we leave the EU with no deal: Exporting to Papua New Guinea after EU Exit In 2017, the Lammy Review reported that On the demand side, traditional
reoffending is estimated to cost the UK employment models have been decreasing • Animalbetween and Plant£9.5 Health the Department for Environment, & been Rural taxpayer andAgency £13.5 and billion and self-employment in the Food, UK has published related to on protecting plant health trade of plants, per Affairs year. The Reviewcurrent was anissues independent the rise. Office ofand National Statistics fruit, vegetables or plant material including Xylella - New has commodities enquiry, commissioned by David Cameron, figuresfastidiosa. indicate Update that there been a import from 1 September 2019 have been in added: Protecting plant andsubject led bytothe now regulation Shadow Secretary of significant growth self-employment in health: topicalDavid issuesLammy. It examined recent years, increasing from 12% of the State for Justice, the treatment of Black, Asian and Minority working population (3.3m people) in 2001 • Department for in International Trade have issued changes UK Ethnic individuals the criminal justice to over guidance 15% (overexplaining 5m people) in 2019.forWith exporters to Malta if we the EU deal: Exporting to Malta after EU Exit system but also looked at leave the data for with the nothe global pandemic and unemployment population as a whole. 99% of those who levels rising sharply, the demand side • Cabinet published the third Act and go to prisonOffice will behave released at some stageEuropean of the Union labour(Withdrawal) market is likely to Common become Frameworks statutory reportthat detailing progress onchallenging the development of focus common in their lives so it is important prisonsthe increasingly and the on work to rehabilitate offenders and reduce self-employment opportunities for exreoffending. But, currently, re-offending prisoners, more important than ever. 20 | Think Enterprise
NS IN ESTABLISHING
In 2018, the Government published its White Paper on Education and Employment for Offenders. RSE highlighted to the Cabinet Office that the White Paper did not look at self-employment opportunities for prisoners. Much of the work of RSE has since done has explored ways in which, as part of the rehabilitation process, prisoners and ex-prisoners can be supported in developing skills necessary for viable selfemployment.
will help individuals to make small steps to rebuilding networks. However, more help is needed and RSE is looking for those with professional experience in the area of business start-up to act as mentors for the prisoners it works with.
RSE is working with a number of prisons across the UK to provide support to prisoners and has adapted its operating model swiftly, to ensure continuity of service in the face of Coronavirus. Working in partnership with UCLan and its students, it is hoped that the offering of key business start-up services can be broadened into areas ranging from basic bookkeeping to digital marketing. UCLan has a strong track record of operating pro bono law clinics and the partnership represents an exciting opportunity to expand this clinical model and present students with a platform to put their classroom learning into practice.
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If you would like to take part in this exciting initiative, please contact Andy Gullick at RSE (agullick@riftse.co.uk or 07954 014382).
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/643001/ lammy-review-final-report.pdf Page 57
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https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/643001/ lammy-review-final-report.pdf Page 45
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https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/643001/ lammy-review-final-report.pdf Page 62
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https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/ peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/articles/
Research has shown that one of the key factors in successful business start-up is the presence of a network. Individuals leaving the prison environment have often been isolated from old networks and reintegration into society generally, as well as the business world, is a significant challenge. It is hoped that the virtual clinic, with planned monthly webinars,
Think Enterprise | 21
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Think Enterprise | 23
Peer to Peer Learning for Small Business Owners World — Opportunities and Challenges The real challenge is to join entrepreneurs in their world stimulating demand, helping identify priorities for learning and giving the entrepreneur ownership of their own learning opportunities. Crucially, entrepreneurs must be responsible for making their own choices and decisions - the starting point must be for the entrepreneur to choose a partner they trust to help identify the priorities and challenges (Council for Excellence in Management and Leadership, 2002, p. 1)
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Self-help groups (e.g. owner-manager networks) Study groups.
Understanding and supporting peer to peer learning There has been a growth in these different forms of peer to peer learning within the business and enterprise support landscape over the last 10 to 15 years (Institute of Directors, 2018). This growth reflects a number of factors, including:
Setting the Scene • Over the last ten years or so, there have been several calls for demand-led enterprise learning and skills provision for the owner-managers of small businesses. But what does this mean? At its simplest, we can define demandled learning and training as ‘programmes that respond to demand (i.e. the needs of the business) as opposed to trying to plan supply (i.e. the needs of the provider or funder)’. A more specific definition is provided by Wong et al. (2007) who suggest that demand-learning involves providing resources to learners which they need when they need them and through a seamless process from induction to any assessment of learning.
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The role of peer to peer learning in supporting the development of management and leadership skills in a business setting The benefits of peer to peer learning in spreading good management practices and knowledge and experiences in accessing appropriate learning opportunities The opportunity for other businesses to ‘give back’ by being involved in peer to peer learning programmes.
However, a review of the academic and professional literature identifies a number of key areas of ‘need to know’ in effectively supporting peer to peer learning between small business owner-managers. One of these areas of ‘need to know’ relates to the facilitation of peer to peer learning in a Drawing upon the available definitions, key characteristics of virtual environment. This is particularly important in light demand-led enterprise learning and skills provision for small of the impact of Covid-19 in accelerating the transfer of businesses would include: education and training online but also evidence highlighting the challenges that small business face in accessing online • It is underpinned by, and responds to insights from, the learning (Giles, 2020). life-world of the small business owner-manager • It is co-created between small businesses and VET There is a degree of agreement that there are a number of providers so that there are shared objectives in design, challenges in facilitating peer to peer learning in a virtual development and delivery. environment. These relate to: • It can be consumed flexibly (e.g. the use of mini-learning resources) • Developing trust: The key elements of trust (e.g. • The assessment of learning generates usable insights participants keeping both implicit and explicit for both the business and the provider. commitments and communicating openly and honestly with others) can be more difficult to foster within a virtual There is also agreement that a key characteristic of demandenvironment. In part this is rooted in the challenges led enterprise learning and skills provision is an opportunity in interpreting body language when online but also for participants to exchange experiences and learn from willingness of certain groups of participants to be visible each other, i.e. peer to peer learning. Within the context of when taking part in online sessions small businesses learning from other small businesses, peer • Developing commitment: There is evidence that it is to peer learning can take several forms. These include: more challenging to review, and maintain, the two key elements of commitment (desire and intention) within a • One to one or group enterprise mentoring virtual environment. This is because it can be difficult for • Action learning sets participants to understand and assist others with their • Learning management systems (e.g. experience reviewing needs and recognise the contribution that exchange and idea banks) others make and the skills that they have used in making 24 | Think Enterprise
in a Virtual
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that contribution Supporting engagement and focus – A number of studies have highlighted that peer to peer learning in a virtual environment places a greater emphasis on the self-management skills of the learner. This includes the learner being able to manage the impact of other distractions (e.g. within the home or work environment whilst online) and the skills of the facilitator in building in different reflective activities at different stages in the peer to peer learning process which provide an indication of the extent to which learners are engaged and focused. The latter can sometimes be difficult within the budgets and timescales of publicly-funded programmes Developing networks and relationships – There are a number of challenges in creating the naturalistic opportunities for learners to develop networks and relationships when in a virtual environment. For example, it can be difficult to recreate those moments at the end of an action learning set where participants informally transfer know-who as a way of addressing needs and requirements which have emerged during the learning experience Catering for different learning styles: Like other groups of learners, small business owners learn, absorb and process information in different ways. For some, learning within a virtual environment has positively impacted upon their ability to make the most out of education and training. For others, it has reinforced fears about using online technologies to learn and concerns about how others will perceive their abilities and skills to manage a business if they struggle to learn within an online environment.
Whilst some of these challenges are not new, they do require a different mindset, approach and skills from the facilitator to ensure that the peer to peer learning experience adds value. These can include: •
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A recognition that facilitating peer to peer learning within a virtual learning environment is different and that there are likely to be different levels of commitment, engagement and interactivity when compared to a physical, face to face learning environment (Jones et al, 2014). Therefore, the indicators used to measure effectiveness may need to be different Using a range of different learning approaches and tools to develop trust between participants and commitment to the process (e.g. informal learning contracts, Whats App accountability groups) and to support engagement
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with the learning process (e.g. trial collaborations) Providing access to a learning platform or structure to support engagement, experience exchange between participants between sessions and sharing of resources Providing opportunities for participants to develop ownership of the process (e.g. businesses within action learning sets hosting specific meetings and providing virtual tours of their business) Recognising learning in different ways as there is an opportunity to not only recognise learning related to content (e.g. business development processes and practices) but also the learning process (e.g. recognising learning of the participants in leading action learning sets).
Peer Networks SFEDI will be working through some these challenges and opportunities over the next five months on a UK governmentfunded programme in Leicestershire. SFEDI has recently been commissioned by Business Gateway Leicestershire to develop and deliver Peer Networks for businesses within the retail and tourism sectors as well as for businesses with growth potential across Leicestershire. The Peer Networks will involve a combination of facilitated action learning sets for up to 11 businesses complemented with up to three hours one to one advice and guidance, to support the transfer of learning from the action learning sets into the development of the business. Further information on Peer Networks can be accessed at https://www.peernetworks.co.uk/.If you would like to know more about the Peer Network programme and how to get involved with our work in Leicestershire, please do email Leigh Sear at leigh.sear@sfedi.co.uk.
Think Enterprise | 25
MIDLANDS BUSINESS
LEADERSHIP ACADEMY The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) conducted a ‘listening exercise’ with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Business owners and trade associations across the country, during the summer of 2020. The purpose of this exercise was to obtain insight from businesses at grass root level, of the challenges for BAME owned businesses during the COVID pandemic. The report entitled ‘The BAME Business Owners COVID-19 Response: Voices from the Grass Roots1’ was written by Diana Chrouch, (Special Advisor to the APPG and FSB BAME Business Lead), against the backdrop of the global impact of “Black Lives Matter” and highlights the structural inequalities in the small business ecosystem, exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. The estimated contribution to the British economy from BAME businesses is in the region of £25-32b each year, (Unlocking Opportunity Report: - CREME/ERC/FSB2). However when it came
26 | Think Enterprise
to accessing government funding for BAME business owners, a poll revealed that 68% of BAME business owners were unable to access funding. The impact of these inequalities identified clear gaps in the government’s measures to adequately address the emergency needs of BAME business owners during this period. Midlands Business Leadership Academy, examined the delivery of its SFEDI (Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative) accredited qualifications, in a need to ensure that its assessment methods and delivery reflected inclusive business support is demonstrated in meeting the needs of all BAME Business owners. Sue Bedward, Founder and Director of MBL Academy, added “As a black female-owned business, MBL Academy really understood some of the challenges highlighted and wanted to
take action now to ensure equality and inclusivity is embedded in all aspects of business & enterprise support. We want to encourage Business Support Professionals across all sectors to reach out to diverse businesses and proactively engage with them and demonstrate inclusivity in their professional practice as part of the assessment and accreditation process. This could be in relation to offering businesses support, advice, mentoring, coaching or consultancy. The report highlighted some real issues and the challenges exacerbated by the pandemic on BAME business owners�. MBL Academy is working with SFEDI and the IoEE, to address some of the identified barriers BAME Business owners have expressed in accessing the wider pool of business support services and manage some of the inconsistencies in accessing information, signposts, advice and guidance across the business support sector, whilst raising the occupational standard and sharing of best practice across the business and enterprise industry. MBL Academy will launch a 12 month pilot initiative, working in collaboration with business support professional services to address the findings from the APPG report and implement the recommendations to Government within the Business Support sector. We would encourage Business Support Professionals to contact us if they
would like to take part in the pilot study and receive recognition as an inclusive business support provider. Our aim is to ensure the inclusion and diverse needs of ALL businesses are embedded in the high-quality standard of delivering a Government recognised business support qualifications.
The BAME Business Owners COVID-19
1
Response: Voices from the Grass Roots’ Unlocking Opportunity: The value of ethnic
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minority firms to the UK economic activity and enterprise.
Written by: Sue Bedward Contact Details:- Sue Bedward - MBL Academy Email: admin_support@mblacademy.co.uk Contact Number: 0121 663 0112 Website: https://www.mblacademy.co.uk
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Think Enterprise | 29
‘Enterprisingly Me’ is a monthly feature where you can follow my entrepreneurial adventures. Names have been changed to protect the innocent but everything you read really happened. I hope my story inspires you to take your first steps, or if you already have, then it lets you know you’re not on your own. Starting and running a successful business isn’t about being perfect. It’s about loving what you’re doing, learning from your mistakes and keeping the faith!
Have we ever been faced with such uncertainty? At our recent director planning meeting, all we seemed to be able to agree on was how difficult it is to plan anything with all of the changes happening around us. Being able to communicate with partners, customers, and staff has been an absolute godsend but not without its challenges. Why is it that the wifi seems to work perfectly when you don’t need it to, but as soon as you embark on a crucial zoom meeting it decides to make you sound as if you’re speaking a foreign language by breaking up every few seconds? Or you’ve checked your link and know it’s working correctly, and then it decides to give you a message to say that your access is being denied!! I’ve used a whole new stream of words which I wouldn’t want to speak in front of children and hopefully uttered whilst the microphone was turned off! There’s been lots of time to review which parts of our business are successful. There’s also been time to review what success actually means to us all. This is something that we did when setting up our businesses, and encourage others to do, but it’s easy to get carried along and forget to revisit the plans we make when first starting out. Thinking about what is important allows us to focus our attention on the aspects of our business that earn us income and makes us happy. Sometimes those two
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things don’t come hand in hand, and therefore it’s vital to strike the right balance between the two. Getting the balance right is crucial to both our financial and mental wellbeing as I’m sure you will appreciate. For example, I have been spending a lot of time doing a particular job in the business, which I dislike immensely. It’s a job I know I can do, but I find it quite tedious, and it forces me to use a part of my brain which hasn’t had much practice over the past few years. It’s horses for courses as the person doing it before me was both brilliant at it and had a real passion for it. So although I know it makes financial sense for me to do it my heart really isn’t in it. So how do I get the balance? Well, I’ve identified the parts of the job that I am happy to carry out alone and the parts that I can cost-effectively share with others. It’s counterproductive for me to continue to try and take on all of the work so it’s about deciding which parts can be delegated and which parts I need to keep hold of. It’s hard for me to delegate, a typical trait of an owner-manager, however, I know that if I don’t then it will eventually have a detrimental effect on me personally and more importantly could have a detrimental impact on our business. So things to think about when delegating to others and certainly things I’ve had to think long and hard about as I’ve involved other people in my work:
Before you delegate
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Make sure you have clearly identified exactly what you want the person to do, the deadlines and resources available, the parameters of responsibility and authority you wish to transfer, and your expectations. When you delegate
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Discuss all the above points with the person involved making sure you give them all the relevant information they need. Remembering it is not just what you say, but how you say it that is important making sure that you offer ongoing support. Check that the person you are delegating tasks to understands precisely what you expect and think about how you measure what is being achieved. The worst thing you can do is assume that this person understands what is expected, so think about ways you can check understanding. Good luck with this, I know I will need it as I try to let go and not step back in as soon as things are not going the way I want them to. I have learned that just because someone approaches a task differently doesn’t mean to say it’s wrong, so be open-minded when delegating tasks to others no matter how challenging that is to some of us! I am at a loss to articulate how I’m feeling as things spiral out of control again with another lockdown. It’s just another reason/excuse to think negatively about the future. So to put a spring back in my step, I am using this time to think about the positive things that have happened over the past few months.
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I have had limited success at cracking the code of making edible sourdough bread – granted the first couple of batches wouldn’t have gone amiss as crucial parts of a dry stone wall. Finding a small local bakery specialising in sourdough has driven me to throw the starter away and support my local business whilst taking my daily exercise. I have advanced my IT skills, although particular members of my family would probably dispute this claim, and have even set up my own zoom account. I have stopped beating myself up about the fact that I have had to let a small number of staff go. They have gone on to bigger and better things which I couldn’t be more proud of I haven’t had the pressure of losing weight to go on holiday but will have to either buy a whole new wardrobe of clothes or sign up for major surgery before being able to leave the house again! I have learned to work more effectively at home, however, visiting our office today to pick up some ink cartridges caught me unexpectedly sad when looking around at the empty desks and lack of ‘buzz’ that comes from being with a team of people you have come to treat like family I have walked more, reflected more and enjoyed having time to appreciate the little things in life that I had come to take for granted.
So I, like so many of you, will never forget this last year and the effect it has had on my business, my family and my friends. Looking forward to brighter days ahead with the excuse to put up my Christmas decorations and lights early and zoom everyone I know to show them off. Happy Christmas everyone. Me x
Think Enterprise | 31
LLoyds Mentoring Case Study In this article we speak to Lloyds Banking Group mentor, Suraj Sridhar and Suraj’s mentee Michelle Bateman who founded Woofs Treats back in 2013 which specialises in the production of natural and healthy dog treats. Prior to 2020 Michelle depended on events, dog and equestrian shows and markets to sell products however unable to sell using her known channels Michelle decided to seek the support of a mentor. We caught up with Suraj and Michelle to find out how their relationship is going so far… Can you explain what made you decide to get involved in the programme? S — I decided to participate in this programme because I have always wanted to use my knowledge and experience to help businesses and people directly. Although I currently do this in my role, this opportunity has allowed me to constructively influence the strategy and performance of a different segment (smaller enterprises) on a much closer level. Given that COVID-19 has adversely impacted businesses of all sizes, the chance to help during a time of need really resonated with me. Prior to commencing my role as a mentor, I was looking forward to suggesting ideas to my mentee that would hopefully add value to his or her business. I was particularly excited by the prospect of some of them actually being implemented and coming to life, which I knew would give me great satisfaction. However, because I had no formal mentoring experience, I was unsure as to how my role would play out in practice e.g. how would I influence
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Pictured Above: Michelle Bateman of Woof Treats
constructively? What techniques would I use to build trust with my mentee? etc. The training and induction programme answered many of these questions, and made clear that my role as a mentee was to support but not to impose. M — My business is seasonal and I usually work from March to December, selling my products and gifts at dog shows, markets, charity events, schools, etc both indoors and outdoors. Covid-19 brought Woofs Treats to an absolute standstill! The events I attended, were my lifeline and the events for 2020, hadn’t even begun. As the days, then months went by I realised that I had to move Woofs Treats in a different direction or all the years of hard work would be completely lost. I knew that I needed new ideas and someone to help me get back the love and passion I always felt for the business I had started and given everything to. Tell us how you feel the relationship is progressing? S — The initial meeting went well – my mentee and I used it to know about each other’s background and agree a framework to catch up regularly. Most importantly, I was able to understand
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i) the reasons behind the formation of the business, ii) the challenges that my mentee was facing, and iii) the areas in which she needed support. This gave me a sense of direction for future meetings, and allowed me to focus on certain areas versus others – Social Media Marketing and Product Placement in this case. Two months in, I would like to think that the relationship is progressing well. I feel as though the trust between us has increased, and that my suggestions and ideas are now more nuanced compared to when I started. Catching up on a weekly basis has meant that I have become familiar with the vision of the business, while understanding my mentee on a personal level. Both of these have together made for more enriching conversations as the weeks have progressed.
ctured Above: Suraj Sridhar
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I have learnt so much from the experience, it’s hard work BUT I’m really enjoying it now that things are moving slowly forward.
M — It is very good. Suraj understood immediately how passionate I am about my business and has helped me to put my ideas into action which is exactly what I needed. I like his ideas too. He is a very energetic and positive person which is something I admire. As we’ve worked together, getting Woofs Treats up again, I’ve got to know him better too. What a nice person! I really enjoy bringing him up to date on what I’ve done and showing him the results. Although young, he is very wise, an excellent listener and explains so well. I feel very lucky to have his help. Have you gained anything from the experience so far? S — I have personally benefitted from this experience on a variety of levels. It has significantly improved my ability to structure and communicate ideas
in a manner that is tailored to my audience - my mentee in this case. I have realised the value of listening and processing information before speaking. Most importantly, it has increased my confidence and belief in my ideas, as I have been able to see first-hand the positive impact that they can have. M — Woofs Treats is moving further forward now on social media. I also have an account on Instagram which is attracting attention. The website has been updated according to his suggestions. Things are in a much better place now than they was at the onset of the mentoring. I have learnt so much from the experience, it’s hard work BUT I’m really enjoying it now that things are moving slowly forward. I understand that Woofs Treats will follow a different and new path now and I’m more ready now for the changes. How has being part of the mentoring programme made you feel? S — It is a great opportunity to contribute positively in an environment that is different to your daily role. The satisfaction of helping an individual and a business during a challenging time is immense, and the personality traits that mentoring develops are directly transferrable to many aspects of professional and personal life. M — Being self employed can be lonely sometimes and finding someone who actually understands where you are in your journey and how you feel is really good. This is a great experience.
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