18 months on: what I’ve learnt

I’ve been running my own business for about 18 months now, and, to be honest, I’m a completely different person now to then. So I thought I’d share a few of the things I’ve learnt along the way.

1.    You don’t have to be all ‘corporate’ to get ahead

At first I thought I had to wear a suit to all meetings and events, couldn’t swear, and controversy was off the menu. Like client meetings when you have a ‘proper’ job.

Now I’ve built a brand on being loud, potty-mouthed and controversial. I’m not saying you should do that, but if that’s who you are, and you’re good at your job, then it’s ok to be yourself.

2.    You can’t spend like you used to

Every penny is precious in those early days. Buying £400 jeans is a thing of the past – for now, anyway.

3.    The only person you’re fooling is you

Stop making excuses. You may be frightened of failure; you may be frightened of success; but the only way to overcome those fears is just to get on with it. If the worst comes to the worst, and it all goes pear shaped, you can call it all an experience and get a proper job again. What have you lost? Nothing.

4.    It’s ok to go to bed in the middle of the day

Or watch Jeremy Kyle, or sleep till 9.30. It’s ok to take a day off. You’re not a machine, you need to recharge sometimes, and with all the pressures you’re under, you are going to have ‘down’ days. Don’t fight them, give in and get back on the success trail the next day, fully pumped.

5.    Brad Burton is always right

This can be infuriating at times, but it’s true. I do whatever [4Networking boss] Brad tells me to now, from getting a phone answering service to avoiding certain individuals. I know he has his haters, like all people in the public eye, but even some of them are hard pushed to deny this.

6.    You don’t have to cold call

People like to tell you that cold-calling is just one of those unpleasant facts of life (or business). I have never made a cold call to win a new client, yet here I am, 18 months on, still standing. In fact, I think cold calling is too labour-intensive, if it works at all. You can build a business on networking, PR, social media and relentless self-promotion. So don’t sit there staring at the phone if you’re in mortal fear of making an unsolicited call, just work around it.

7.    You don’t get a lunch break

I used to take my hour’s lunch break when I fist started working alone. What’s that about. Let me tell you, lunch breaks, five o’clock finishes and fee weekends are a thing of the past when you run your own business. But, on the plus side, you can go to the gym in the middle of the day to avoid the crowds, have a glass of wine while you tap away on your laptop at night and hangovers are much easier to deal with.

8.    You will get there in the end

I didn’t used to believe this. The people around me told me, but I couldn’t see it. But now, you know what? I’m getting there.

If you graft, and you are good, you will get there. Just keep going.

TOP TIPS FOR SMES STARTING OUT ON TWITTER

1.    COMMITMENT

This is the first thing you should consider before creating a Twitter account. There’s no point in bring half-hearted about social media, you have to set aside time, because what’s the point of signing up to Twitter account or any other social media outlet unless you’re really going to use it? Twitter, like blogging or managing a Facebook profile, is an investment in time, so if you want to reap the benefits, commit to it.

2.    THE UNWRITTEN RULE

Essentially, there are no rules to using twitter for business purposes, but when it comes to ‘tweeting’ about it, there are a number of unwritten rules and faux pas that will have your followers ‘unfollowing’ you quicker than you can shout ‘spam’

For instance, constantly tweeting about business and your website won’t win you any fans, instead add a bit of personality every now and again by commenting on trending subjects, adding useful links, retweeting others or even the talk about the programme you watched last night (as long as you know it won’t cause offence to the masses!).

Aim for a healthy balance of all of the above and by doing this it will add some healthy interest to your page and win you like-minded fans and followers.

3.    WORKOUT

Echoing my first point, committing to Twitter means you need to regularly tweet in order to generate and maintain interest in your page. The main benefit to regular updates and tweets means that your network of followers are more likely to ‘retweet’ your comments to their wider audience if you tweet frequently.

Essentially, by producing regular and good content, it can pay off handsomely for you and your business. Of course too much exercise can be a bad thing… it’s about quality, not quantity!

4.    SHARE THE LOVE

By highlighting a good service that you have experienced or perhaps an interesting blog that you’ve read lately or mentioning an inspirational fellow twitter user in your tweets, encourages others to do the same for you and return that compliment. This type of Twitter affection looks great for you and your business.

Two stories from PR land: the good, the bad and the Daily Mail

I would like to share with you today two stories which caught my attention on a arduous trip back ‘Up North’ from London Sunday last, both of which contain lessons in PR.

The first is the story of the barber, Ben Martin, who lost his business in the recession. Not to be perturbed, he took heed from a friend who owned a burger van, and set up a barber van in a lay-by on the A6 near Luton. He is being hailed everywhere for his entrepreneurial spirit, and I, in fact, actually heard the story on BBC Radio 5 Live.

A Barber. From Luton. On Radio 5. I wonder how many other times throughout history that has happened.

You see, not only has he had the get up and go to motor on with his business in the face of adversity, not only has he had the naus to come up with what is a very good idea, but he, or someone close to him, has sent out a press release. Priceless. It’s in all the papers and national radio. Guess where people in Luton are going for haircuts now.

You can read the full story here.

The second story, unfortunately, involves a rather more unfortunate institution of our country, the Daily Mail. I bet they were dead chuffed with their expose of former FA and World cup Bid chief exec Lord Triesman, whose crime seems to be having said something mildly silly and unsubstantiated in private. Well, if that’s an offence to lose your job over, I had better quit now. We all talk to those close to us. Just that they aren’t normally wearing a wire. At least, I hope not.

What the Daily Mail, presumably, hadn’t anticipated was the backlash from football fans against their newspaper for jeopardising England’s 2018 World Cup bid. This page from the title’s website shows some of the vitriol aimed at the Mail (check out the comments), and the general consensus is that they have overstepped the mark and shot the country in the foot.

The Guardian, always pleased to have the opportunity to have a pop at its right-wing counterpart, is having a field day with this. Triesman seems to actually be getting quite a bit of sympathy, having had to resign, because, although his remarks (alleging that officials at the World Cup would be bribed by Spain and Russia) were probably not true and just part of a macho display, they were, nevertheless, made in private.

The Daily Mail seems to be coming out of this the worst. An internet campaign rages urging any individuals who have not had the good sense to do so years ago to boycott the paper. Its writers have battened down the hatches, editorially speaking, and continue to try to justify this completely unnecessary tapping up, by stating that Lord Triesman wasn’t very well liked anyway. So, if we don’t like someone, it’s ok to rip apart their career and private life? Daily Mail hacks ought to take note. They’re hardly the most popular.

It just seems bizarre to me that a paper that claims to be as patriotic as the Daily Heil should set out to do something so damaging to England. the World Cup in 2018 is being touted as the most profitable one ever, not to mention the public morale which it would generate and, if history is anything to go by, the increased chances of England actually lifting the trophy. A really, really, remarkable own goal. Well done ed.

How to have good ideas

Here at Avid, we’re in the ideas industry. Avid Towers is practically bursting at the seams with ideas, clamoring to get out into the world. But creative thinking isn’t just for artsy-fartsy media folk. Have you ever sent off a proposal, or had a meeting, then suddenly had a brainwave later on while sitting on the loo, emptying the dishwasher or walking the dog, only to wish you’d thought of this magic earlier?

Being a creative thinker is, in my opinion, a skill to be honed, but, for those less well practiced, there are some exercises you can do to get into the right frame of mind to get those gold dust ideas on demand, whenever you need them. These are some of my tips:

1. Get undressed

Ok, not necessarily naked (although if it makes you feel more comfortable you can, just be sure to draw the curtains first). Just take your jacket and tie off, and kick your shoes off too, if your feet can be trusted not to emit an objectionable aroma. Get comfortable and sit away from your computer, or at least turn the screen off. You don’t want to be distracted in full flow, and you need to detach your mind.

2. Broaden your mind

You may have heard the fact that we only use 10 per cent of our brains on a daily basis. Engage more of your brain and you will be surprised at the new thought content you generate. How do you do this? By doing things differently to usual. Try writing back to front, with your ‘wrong’ hand (both at the same time if you can), take a different route to work or mix up your routine in some way. The more you challenge yourself the better. You don’t have to wait for a brainstorm session to do this – try doing something out of the ordinary every day to give yourself a broader range of thought all the time.

3. Warm up thoroughly

Clear your mind of the day’s tasks and stresses and get into a creative rhythm with a good old game of word association. If there is more than one of you, chuck a ball or screwed up piece of paper between you as you play. This will focus your mind solely on the catching, and the words.

On your own? Play a song and dance and sing along. Write down every thought that pops into your head for several minutes then rip up and throw away the paper. Try to imagine nothing.

4. Opposites

This is a time old technique in the creative industries (you may have seen its use in a recent infamous Home Office brainstorm involving the Pope). Take your run of the mill ideas or activities, then think of what the exact opposite would be. Now relate this to your project.

5. Celebrity dinner guests

Think of a celebrity you might like to have to dinner (this could be someone you hate equally as well as someone you desire). Write down every attribute you can about that individual. So, for instance:

Will Smith – actor, black, Fresh Prince, married, sexy, rapper, and so on

Now detach these words from the original subject and use them to formulate an idea related to your project.

6. No bad ideas

The objective of an ideas session is not to come up with a final plan. One idea leads to another. They can be developed, especially between several of you, so don’t dismiss anything. Write it all down. Write everything down. Write half ideas and random words and see where they take you. Sequester a flip chart if possible and stick the pages on the walls as they fill up.

Once you’re done you can pick out the best bits to put into practice.

These are just some of my tips for creative brainstorming. If you’d like further help please get in touch with www.avidpr.co.uk.

Don’t ignore your gut feeling

Business is done with the head, rather than the heart, right?

When starting out, most new businesspeople think that they have to lap up every bit of cash that comes their way. How else will you get off the ground? Or, you have started out on your own because you’re an idealist, you believe that business should be built on trust, and vow to have open, honest relationships with all your clients. So it’s one extreme or the other; prostitute your soul for a few quid, or idealism to the point of naivety. Either way, it’s only a matter of time before you get stung.

I learnt that the hard way. Mine was a mixture of both. Feeling I needed to grab any money that was offered to me, and thinking I could do things differently.

Then you come up against people who can’t pay, don’t want to pay, don’t feel they should, or are just nasty pieces of work who trample on small businesses just because they can.

Of course, sometimes, these situations can’t be predicted. A lot of companies have become insolvent over the last couple of years, and we can’t always know this is coming.

But I feel that now, after one or two horrible, drawn out situations, I have developed an instinct for the messers about, time wasters and difficult characters I encounter, whose business will be politely declined.

If I think about it, I had it all along. But now I’m listening.

So, if you’re starting out, don’t dismiss that intuitive feeling you have about someone. It doesn’t mean you can’t work with them, just make sure you’re watertight in your Ts & Cs or get paid up front. It’s not just about your head. Trust your gut.

The art of mindfulness for the small business owner

(from someone who had none, and now has some)

Yesterday, I took a day off. Not just a day off from work, but a day off from Twitter. I won’t lie to you, it was hard. I found myself twitching to pick up my iPhone and let rip with every trivial sentiment that popped into head, but I got through it. And now, I feel good, and I have learnt much. In fact, so confident am I that I have found the enlightened path that I’m smug enough to want to to share it with all of you.

Mira is now 'zen'. Or has it - whatever you do with zen.

I am a Twitter and email addict. I am always hooked up, via computer or iPhone. I can’t stop faffing around from the moment I wake up to the moment I go to bed. It’s a problem.

This, coupled with having to deal with HMRC and DVLA in one day (one at a time is enough – let alone both) led to me feeling totally burnt out by close of play Monday. Thus the decision to take Tuesday off.

I woke up. What shall I do now? After wandering around for a short while (I would normally have got the day off to a start with a tweet and a check of my emails), I remembered the newspaper. I sat in bed and read it, not just the sport pages either- the features and everything. I had a cup of coffee with it. Then I went to the gym. But, instead of seeing it as something to be ticked off the list, I put my favourite songs on the iPod and sang along (not aloud – nobody wants to hear me belting out Ricky Martin in a public place) and focused totally on my work out. And I didn’t check Twitter or email once while I was doing it. And I really, really enjoyed it.

I went for a steam room, cooked a big tomato soup, read a magazine, ate dinner and went to the football.

I did have a couple of tasks to complete – unfortunately the tax man doesn’t care about my day off. I started them, and finished them, in one fell swoop. No putting the letter to one side to envelope up later, no postponing, no distractions. Start, see through to completion, done. And it felt goooooood.

So today, I have adopted a new, more ‘zen’ approach to my work and I am implementing some rules which I hope to be able to maintain permanently. These are:

1. Focus on the task at hand and stop thinking about what you need to do later. Stop rushing through and actually pause to enjoy the little things – this is called mindfulness and it’s something I intend to find out a lot more about.

2. Do one thing at a time, and finish it. Don’t have more than one internet browser tab or window open. Don’t type while on the phone or Tweet while waiting for things to load. You can answer your emails later, at a given time, and not as and when they arrive.

3. Never write a to-do list. if you do, you have too much going on. Distinguish between tasks that are urgent and those that are important.

4. Stay calm, have perspective. Even when dealing with HMRC. They don’t care if you are angry or frustrated, so it does no good. Smile.

5. Go outside. Stop Tweeting sometimes and notice what’s going on in the real world.

6. Take one day a month off from everything.

Today I can already feel my increased productivity resulting from a new-found inner peace, new efficiency and a renewed sense of perspective. Any you would like to add to the list, please feel fee.

Me in my dressing gown – why virals need to be tenuous

Videos can be great marketing tools in this, the age of You Tube. Many a star has been created through user-generated content, but, also, many a penny has been wastefully chucked down the drain by companies wanting to go viral, but negating to realise that nobody cares about their corporate messages.

You see, this is the thing. The whole point of a viral video is that it is funny, silly, shocking or whatever… it has something about it which makes people want to send it on to friends. Imagine receiving a five minute sales pitch, or even just a five minute infomercial, why would you forward that on? You probably wouldn’t even watch it, would you? Nevertheless, I see endless viral flops which are exactly that.

That’s not to say you can’t get your message across. You just need to be inventive with it.

That’s why (cue shameless plug) I decided to post a snap of me in my dressing gown and pink fluffy slippers. You see, at Avid we’re a bit bonkers, in the right way, and these pics, hopefully portray me in a ‘not your usual company director’ kind of light. Anyway, I’m on about 925 views – not bad for what is, essentially, a blurry pic of me in a fluffy hood. I’m aiming for the grand, so get viewing!

Mira in dressing gown

The PR rules (part 1 of indeterminate number)

This afternoon I have been hearing about a serious case of somebody bad-mouthing a competitor. This is a fundamental rule of PR: never, ever, bad-mouth a competitor. Just look at the Carlos Tevez – Gary Neville affair this week. Who came out of that smelling of roses? Nobody (admittedly, Gary Neville is a bit of a legend in my book, though). I nearly said that it would be the number one rule of PR, but then started to wonder about qualifying that statement and decided that the time is right to create, at least partially, a list of the most important PR rules.

And I don’t mean rules for PR practitioners, I mean rules that, as businesspeople, business owners or just decent individuals, most of us would do well to nod to in our daily lives.

Ok here, in no particular order, goes:

1. Never bad-mouth a competitor. Or anybody, for that matter. The only person it causes to look bad is you. Trust me.

2. GET TO THE POINT. My favourite, and the most frequently broken. We’re all busy, just get on with it, whether by written word, on the phone or face to face. No waffle, be clear and concise.

3. Know your audience. Selling isn’t about blindly pitching the same thing to everybody. It’s about finding out what each individual or group values and adapting your offering to that.

4. Tell the truth. Or it will come back to bite you. Never make claims you can’t substantiate. But, by all means, use the power of inference.

5. Listen sometimes. It’s not all about blurting out your own messages constantly. Build relationships through engagement and conversation. Social media is the perfect vessel for this, but you may choose other ways.

6. Give something away for free. This is a real fundamental of PR, a stroke of positivity from which you will reap the benefits. This could be anything, on any scale, so don’t be shy.

7. Don’t try to be clever. Appeal to the masses. Nobody likes to be patronised.

Hmmm, there’s seven rules, some of the most important, but I’m sure that more will come to me over the next days and weeks, and I will post them here. Please feel free to add your own as well.

SNOWED IN? HERE’S HOW I’M SURVIVING THE 2010 FREEZE AND WORKING FROM HOME

It’s time to fetch your laptop and your slanket, settle down on the sofa and prepare yourself for a highly productive day!

So a few inches of snow and the entire country has come to a standstill and turned into chaos. It’s like Day After Tomorrow but without the bad acting and Dennis Quaid coming to save the day. What puzzles me though, is that it snows all the time in some countries and yet they seem to manage to keep their trains running, roads gritted and work rolling, but we can’t seem to manage it here… funny that.

Uh-oh, a little snow and Britain is broken

Any how, the fact is that it’s been snowing quite a lot – in fact far too much for us to worry about taking the risk and going in to work – so it’s much better to work in the safety of your own home.

I’ve found, that over these past two days surviving on tinned beans and long life milk, my productivity has been through the roof, waking up each day raring to go, checking emails at 7.30am and all in the comfort of my own, warm, snow free home.

I’ve managed to maintain my productivity and get the most out of the snow-in by utilising the flexible and remote working practices that have been made available to me. These have played a pivotal role for me during the extreme weather conditions, so for me, staying at home  made complete sense.

Having wisely invested in today’s relevant technology of laptops, smartphones, email and wireless connections it has allowed us at Avid Towers to continue smooth running, allowing us to stay in touch with colleagues and clients all at the touch of a button, and without affecting the business.

What someone might look like working from home

So, rather than fighting to get to the office, stuck in miles of  traffic, only to end up crashing or leaving your car at the side of  the road for hooded opportunists – while altogether making  everything a whole lot worse for yourself – grab a coffee, get on the  couch and pop the laptop out. Ahhh now isn’t that’s much better?!

Dare to believe folks, it’s about to get better!

Does anyone else feel that the start of 2010 couldn’t be more starkly different to the beginning of 2009? Maybe it’s just that this is my first new year as a small business owner, but this time last year everything seemed so bleak, so grey, so depressing. Going into 2010, my PR agency is still in the volatile early days, but with more stability and a stronger foundation than ever before and I’m really looking forward to the coming 12 months as an opportunity to consolidate and build.

But I’m sure it’s not just me. There seems to be a certain je ne sais quoi in the air, a positivity the likes of which we haven’t felt since before Northern Rock said “Errr, we had to ask for some money, but it’s ok, don’t panic”, causing everyone to panic and signaling the start of the UK leg of the most globally encompassing boohoo of my 26 year life. Yes, for the first time since 2007, the general consensus is that things are on the up. Or, at least, that they have hit rock bottom and bounced back, just a little.

True, it may be another four years before the economy recovers fully, but finally those of us in business can finally banish ‘surviving’ as the depressing buzz word of the late noughties and turn our attention to actual growth. I know I am, anyway.

So how are you going to do this? If you are thinking about your budgets for 2010 why not see if you can add a little more to marketing and steal a march on your competitors. There are some really cost-effective and impactful ways to increase your exposure in the public sphere, and now is the time to start using them.

Ask the Avid girlies if you want to know more.