Book Resources
Why competing on price is a bad idea for your business!
I'd like to share with you some thoughts on why competing on price is a bad business idea. You see, competing on price is usually a race to the bottom. You cut your price to win the business but end up making no real profit on the sale. And this, for a small business,...
How to sell services more effectively (and with less stress)
Learning how to sell services more effectively is also a lesson in how to develop trusting relationships. This short video talks you through it: TRANSCRIPT To begin with, you need to understand that there is a big difference in the psychology of people who buy...
The importance of touch points in marketing
Did anyone ever tell you about Touch Points in marketing? You see, touch points can improve your marketing and your customer retention. But what is a touch point? Now, a touch point is quite simply: any time you have any kind of contact with your customers or...
Here’s why you should spend more time marketing to existing customers
Sadly, only a small minority of small businesses for any kind of marketing to existing customers. But here's what many fail to understand: it's far easier to sell to existing customers than it is to new ones. And if they've bought from you already then they will buy...
Keep doing the stuff that works in your marketing
Here's a business story with a very important lesson for your marketing efforts. In the middle of 2021 I had a coffee with a guy who runs a technology business and he was really struggling to develop his business further. He had originally started with one service and...
Don‘t make this expensive rookie marketing mistake
In this post I'm hoping to save the expense (and frustration) of making an expensive rookie marketing mistake. I want to tell you a story about a couple of friends I went to University with who started their own little It business. Their names are Tom and Dan. And...
How to get found in local search – quick SEO tip for your website
If you're a local business selling to local people then it's important that your website should be geared up to get found in local search. In other words; when someone searches (on Google, for example) for your business type in your area then you want to ranking high...
Are you doing enough marketing in your social media?
If you're not doing any marketing in your social media then you're missing out on some serious marketing leverage. Because whether you like it or not, if you're in business, you're not doing social media just for the sheer fun of it. Your social media is there to help...
Do something daring, it’ll help
Want to boost your confidence? Well, one way is to do something daring or scary that makes you uncomfortable. Not sure of where to start? Here's a short (true) story that might help: OK, so the photo above might not look like much but it was the first time I'd ever...
Don’t waste time on marketing channels that are never going to work
Let's be honest, not all marketing channels are going to be right for you and your target audience that you're trying to reach. I'm seeing an awful lot of people just trying to be everywhere and definitely using the wrong channel when they're doing their marketing....
How consistent branding helps your marketing
Consistent branding is key and here I want to share with you a quick tip on why it's important to make sure that your branding is the same throughout all of your marketing channels. This short video explains: Okay, so what's this thing called branding? Branding is...
How to win in the search engines with a content sharing strategy
To win in the search engines you need to do more than just SEO. Here's a simple idea to get your website performing better in search results. Well, you may have heard somewhere along the line that content is King. What that effectively means that if you want your...
How frequently should you send out marketing emails to your list?
Okay, so how often should you send out marketing emails to your list? After all, email marketing is easy to do and very cost-effective. There's a whole load of factors that go into this and I'm going to share with you some stuff that I've done. TRANSCRIPT Now there...
Working on your business – what it means and what to do
Working on your business means doing things that will help your business to grow or run more effectively. The thing is; you'll never grow your business if you don't spend time doing the things that will make it more efficient and effective. This means that you should...
The importance of self care when you’re self-employed
The importance of self-care cannot be understated. It's vital in general but when you're running a small business or self-employed it's more critical. After all; if you neglect your well-being and can't work then your business probably can't earn. If there's no you...
Why you should fire problem clients (and how it’s done)!
There are a number of reasons why you should fire problem clients and you're going to learn them here. If you've been in business a while, you probably know that there are times when you get clients that are nothing but a pain in the rear. And to be honest, most of...
Why it’s a good idea to have a small number of marketing channels
We're occasionally asked about how many marketing channels you should actually have, especially if you're just starting out in Self-employment or business ownership. But what do we mean about marketing channels? Well, if you've been following us for a little while,...
What is the best marketing strategy or tactic?
Want to know the best marketing tactic or strategy for your business? So I don't know how many times I've been asked when I've been doing talks and seminars and workshops, what's the best marketing strategy or best marketing tactic out there for a small business? I...
Email newsletters are a waste of space – here’s how to do it better
Email newsletters are dead! OK, so it's not quite that bad but nobody signs up to email newsletters unless you give a very good reason. Here's a better way of getting and keeping signups. Here's the thing: when did you last signup for an email newsletter? If you're...
Focus! It really is the key to getting stuff done
Getting stuff done is paramount when you're self-employed or running a small business. After all, if you're unable to deliver on your promises to customers (because you're not productive) then you won't be in business for long. So, here's a thought on how to focus to...
Why taking time out to build your business is a good idea
Taking time out to build your business can bring loads of benefits. In this video you'll learn a few techniques that you can use to get that time out and how it can help you build your business. Key points to help you build your business Remember: it's important to...