Is what you say really as important as how you say it? Founder of Awards Agency, Melinda Leyshon, shows us exactly how to seduce the judges in your award submissions.

Let’s be clear. We’re not talking about hustling the judges to give you extra marks by using some sultry phrases in your business awards submission. No – we’re talking about using the right tone of voice to sway their emotions. Just slightly. And in your favour.

Yes, judges will often have a formal marking matrix against which points for every category or question are allocated. But despite the formalities, it’s been proven that emotions play a critical role in human decision-making. Maya Angelou said it best; “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.

The same applies in business contexts, although it’s often overlooked. And this, my friends, is where you can get a leg up over your competitors. Emotion leads to connection. Connections lead to loyalty. And loyalty sticks.

So – how do we seduce when we’re supposed to be professional?

Talk dirty to me

In marketing contexts we talk about tone of voice as reflecting the brand personality of the business in words. And yes, harnessing your business’s tone of voice is critical award submissions. However it needs to be used alongside other techniques to really elicit an emotional connection and bring the reader (AKA your judging panel) to a shuddering climax.

So just how do we whisper those sweet nothings in their ear?

We start by employing your brand tone of voice. Writing is branding, and so the words you choose, and the rhythm and tone in which you write, communicate a message far beyond what the words themselves are conveying.

Think about brands such as Apple (innovative and creative), or Nike (hard-working, driven and dedicated). Apple says things like, ‘the thinnest ever’ or ‘the most advanced yet’, reaffirming their status in the market as creative leaders. The tone of voice in a submission for Apple would exude simplicity and luxury, reflective of its brand promise.

On the other hand, Nike uses words such as ‘tenacious’, ‘dedicated’ and ‘committed’. A Nike submission would employ the same language, an aspirational tone, and a rhythm that’s short and snappy to convey the movement and activity inherent in its brand.

We then start to build via sexy storytelling. Not all stories are sexy – far from it. In fact, some of the business failures I’ve written about are downright depressing. But amongst those stories there remains one constant – the hero, bringing us home the win.

When you tell the judges your story, when you contextualise your success within the battlefield you’re pitted in, they become transfixed. We all do. After all, it’s the age-old tale of a hero pitted against the enemy and, after an intense struggle, the hero emerges victorious. (Only in Nike’s story, they position the consumer as the hero, with the battle being our own internal foe – laziness. Just Do It.)

The centuries-old archetype of heroism tells the story. And because of this, we not only know what to expect but, just like we’ve been ‘trained’ to do, we root for the underdog. So when the hero emerges triumphantly, we have no choice but to admire and applaud.

This is exactly where we want the judges to be – immersed. To be on your side, cheering for you. And to high-five you when you succeed.

Finally, we lather it all up with evidence. Ahh, the facts. Sooooo sexy – NOT! Or are they?

Evidence is your friend – not your foe – when it comes to business awards. It needs to be carefully positioned so that it doesn’t interrupt the flow of your narrative. This means interweaving it seamlessly throughout your submission – when you make a claim, substantiate it with the evidence and continue building. Mesh it into the story; don’t construct it around the story.

Writing a business award? Watch your language

It’s all about the brand. You hope that if your products or services could talk, they’d whisper, “choose me”. Your business award submission should do the same.

Tell your story – in your language, your tone and to your rhythm. Let the judges sink back and inhale. Let them connect.

And let them fall in love.

*****

#Facebook | #Instagram

Instagram is one of the most powerful social media platforms in the world right now, boasting over 1 billion users across the world and over 400 million daily active users of Instagram Stories alone.

2019 is set to be a flipp’n massive year on Instagram with plenty of new features and new accounts sure to take us all by storm. So, how do you stand out above the noise?

The first step? Updating your Instagram strategy so that you are focusing on the right things.

Let’s dive right in.

Instagram Strategy for 2019

STORIES:

Commit to posting at least 3-4 pieces of stories content per day. Educate and entertain your audience between Instagram grid posts and use call-to-actions to drive traffic to your blog, product pages and online booking page. If you struggle to remember to post to Instagram Stories, use an Instagram scheduling tool to stay on track.

Don’t forget that your Stories should always on brand! Use the same Instagram Stories font option and colors that match your website and brand design. Add some flair with stickers and don’t shy away from Instagram Stories polls and question stickers, they are fantastic for humanising your brand and increasing engagement.

ANALYTICS

Peek at your analytics regularly and set goals for your engagement rate, follower count and Instagram-driven sales to make sure Instagram is moving you forward! Use an app like Plann to review your Instagram growth and find out what colours, hashtags and posting times are working best for you.

DM’S

Respond to new DM’s daily and show your personality! Use GIFS and voice messages to humanise your brand and set up quick replies to make answering common questions a breeze.

Always remember that people are watching! It is so easy for anyone to screenshot a direct message or even an Instagram comment, so always respond to messages in a kind and thoughtful way.

COLLABORATE

Just in case you’ve forgotten already, there are a whopping 1 billion people on Instagram now! To stand out above the noise collaborate with complementary accounts to expand your brand awareness and increase the amount of eyeballs on your profile.

A few ways that you can collaborate with others on Instagram are:

Instagram Stories TakeoversInstagram Grid TakeoversCollaborative Product Photos (tag each other when posting)Collaborative Instagram Live VideoGift Guide or Instagram Market Night

FIND YOUR TRIBE

The whole “Instagram pod” thing can be a bit gross. To truly get the most benefit out of Instagram, find yourself a tribe of like-minded people who share content that lights you up. Turn on post notifications for each other and show up when they post something new to give them some genuine love.

So, there you have it! For more Instagram marketing strategy pointers check out the Plann blogfor weekly doses of inspiration.

About the Author:

Mackayla Paul is an Instagram Marketing Specialist, named one of the Top 50 Instagram Marketing Blogs in the world by Feedspot. These days Mackayla is the marketing manager at multi-award-winning

Instagram scheduling and strategy app,Plann.

… A lot of social media experts aren’t going to like me for this one.

As a business that is surviving during the age of social media domination, it’s highly likely that you’ve come across some advice that says ‘you have 8 seconds to capture the attention of your reader’, or ‘on average, healthy adults have an attention span of 8-10 seconds’.

This information is widespread, and suggests that social media posts should be drafted, written, edited and created with the intention of lasting for this specific timeframe to adequately capture audience attention.

Anything longer, and you’ve lost your man.

He’s gone.

He’s back scrolling Instagram looking for ‘New Year, New Me’ memes.

Yes, a short and sharp post definitely has its place. It is definitely one of the most consistently used tools when expanding a business network. It has an excellent ROI.

But, all posts needing to be 8-10 seconds at all cost? I call bullshit. Here’s why.

It’s about HOW you capture attention

Have you read a book for longer than 8 seconds?

Humans have the ability to re-focus on something that captures their attention. We focus, then re-focus, then re-focus again.

So, if you’ve read a book or a newspaper article for longer than 8 seconds, it’s probably because it has captured your attention. You find it interesting, and you continue to re-focus because you want to learn more.

That’s exactly what your written work should be doing. It should be interesting. It should be so interesting that it captures the attention of your audience, and forces them to re-focus until the Very. Last. Word.

Stop thinking about how long you have, and start thinking about how you’re going to make the time that you have the most valuable that it can be.

Use your words. There are millions of them.

Let’s talk facts

If we’re going to refer to science, let’s talk science.

If you’re going to really promote that adults have an attention span that is of 8 seconds only, you need to know where this study was conducted. Wikipedia won’t cut it here.

So, ask Dr Google instead.

And, you’ll find that the results are endless. So many articles saying attention is less because of smart phone time, and not a lot that says where this information or study has come from. Some say Microsoft, but even Microsoft refers to another company… who refers to another company…

So, that’s well over 8 seconds of us trying to find a way to disprove the theory. Stop focusing on the time.

Your clients are, mostly, human

If you decide to put everyone into one box with the same Officeworks label, you’re only going to be able to get the same result over and over again. And, when it comes to business… that’s not an ideal position to be in.

Your clients are human. Your customers are human. Your viewers are human. Give them a little bit more credit than a stat that suggests that they can only focus on something for 8-10 seconds.

Social media is an incredibly powerful tool for business development. It is a free way to spread your message. So make it exciting. Make the most of understanding and connecting with your audience, and use your ability to edit your words to gain the attention that you need to further develop your business.

Stop focusing on length, and start focusing on the right words AT the right time.

So… how Long Has It Taken You To Read This Blog So Far?

*Natalie Scanlon has used the study of journalism and law to revolutionise the written word. Working with innovative business professionals worldwide, Natalie has created a culture of forward thinking, creativity and encouragement while injecting a sense of sass into the usually grey corporate sector. She is not a Doctor, Psychologist or Scientist, and only uses Dr Google in serious situations.

If what you’re waiting for is a breakthrough moment where your social media content has brought you millions of dollars in profit, you’re seriously kidding yourself.

Why? Because it’s more than social media content that is going to earn you the big bucks, and as a business owner you need to be all over this. If you’re not, you’re wasting your time, and your hard earned dollars.

One Instagram caption, blog article, or Facebook engagement statistic is not enough to get you where you want to be. Yes, it will introduce your audience to your brand, but now that they’re here… what are you giving them?

It’s time to start re-writing the rules of online business communication, and making the most of a clouded server that has seen more fake tans than valuable content.

It’s More Than 140 Characters

Your social media manager, content producer or copywriter need to be producing the thumb-stopping content that not only gets a double-tap, but strategically breaks through the noise using a far larger and, far more complicated campaign.

It is NOT enough to be told that the blog content is SEO rich and favours Google searches. It is NOT enough to be told that the 140-character limit has included the best words for the image provided.

So, if you’re only hearing terms like ‘SEO rich’, ‘Number one on Google’ and ‘Influencer’; get a new copywriter.

Why? Because your message will be lost amongst the millions of others as you focus mostly on the amount of likes that you receive, rather than the right word for your intent. You need to start thinking about delivering your message at the right time, matching this with the appropriate context, and then bringing it home with the best words.

This is exactly why written content is so much more than any 140-character limit.

Relevant to the Moment

At this moment, 77% of mobile searches are conducted in a home that has access to a PC.

So, while you sit here looking for the best way to promote your business using online content, remember that although your Instagram caption may be banging, it is going to be how your audience receive the message that really brings home the bacon.

What does this mean? It means you need to be utilising the plethora of devices that have access to your content and consider the interoperability of your online message. Your audience may scroll using a mobile device, order your product using a PC, and then check updates off-site on a tablet.

Do the words used in your caption consider this? Does your online message, blog, or newsletter transfer your customer’s online interest to your offline program, project, or exhibit?

In this moment, there is so much more to consider than the wording of a caption, or the filter of an image. In this moment, it is about making the most of your online and offline promise, and bringing the two together to make the most of your business opportunities.

It’s time to start re-writing business rules so that you are engaging an audience using a strategy that reaches beyond an online sphere. This is where written content is heading, and this is where you need to be.

*Natalie Scanlon has used the study of journalism and law to revolutionise the written word. Working with innovative business professionals worldwide, Natalie has created a culture of forward thinking, creativity and encouragement while injecting a sense of sass into the usually grey corporate sector.

In a time where it is easier to share content online than it is to cook dinner, it becomes a chore to decipher which messages we should be listening to, and which ones we shouldn’t.

Content is everywhere, it’s easily accessible, and it’s bloody concerning.

The quest to decipher the overload of ill-informed, misguided information that is effortlessly published online is just as important for the reader as it is for the writer. That’s why; if you are writing to promote a business or brand it is now far more important to get your message across directly, professionally, ethically and truthfully.

One way that dictates the way that I write for other businesses, and brands (as well as my own) is to ensure that the things that aren’t said directly are received just as strongly as the words that are written on the page.

This means that a great deal of thought, planning, research and drafting goes into every paragraph that is written. This is to make sure that not just the words on the page are perfect, but so are the messages hiding silently behind them.

The following information is usually kept under close guard. It is usually confidential, and it is usually sensitive. But, the only way I can prove my point is to share it with you.

Here is an insight into the top secret Written Communications’monthly business strategy, and how I use the unsaid to get a message across to my online audience without making them feel bombarded with unnecessary information about content and copy.

Why am I doing this? Because, too much content is boring, and transparency builds trusting business relationships that continue to last for a business lifetime.

That’s why.

CREATING YOUR MESSAGE

Creating your message starts with planning, and planning starts with business goals.

‘What do you want to achieve?’… That sort of thing.

The best place to start is to identify what your message will be, and how you will promote it.

You can do this by understanding your core business mission and values.

Business Mission

Understanding your business mission is the best place to start when deciding what your content message or topic will be.

Written Communications:

As a whole, our mission at Written Communications is to rule out the rubbish, and get on with it. We want to write for you, and we want you to be able to build trust with your own clients, followers and readers, through the use of specific words. There are no borders or boundaries.

This is the message that will drive every monthly content topic published by the Written Communications brand, across all platforms.

This is our starting point.

Promoting The Message

Promoting the message is just as important as understanding it. How else will your audience hear, or read, what you have to say?

Written Communications:

A particular topic will be chosen that aligns with Written Communications’ business goals and strategies, and this will be the inspiration behind the planning of one month worth of content (blog, social media, promotional).

This message will be distributed across all online channels. Including: email marketing, blog, and social media.

This topic will be promoted consciously, everyday.

Written Communications’ Topic for August:

The Written Communications’ topic for August is ‘The unsaid’.

It will show:

That there is a purpose behind the words that are written.There is more to the words that you read.We are more than just words on Instagram.

This topic is filled with transparent information that gains trust, and develops intense and sincere relationships with followers and clients.

People start to relate to what is being said, and they start to associate their own business, brand and life with not only the words that are being written; but the message behind the words too.

Blog and Email Marketing

A blog is a great way to build the foundation for your topic. It identifies the key points, and is filled with quotes and information that can help to get your point across on partnering social media platforms.

Written Communications:

This month’s blog is all about understanding that what you don’t write is just as important as what you do write, and that once you have a grasp on how to achieve this, your business relationships will be easier to develop, and maintain.

(Hey, hey… look at what you’re reading!)

Social Media

Use the content from your blog to inspire your photos, quotes and ideas on your social platforms so that you can begin a genuine conversation.

Social media is the most accessible, free marketing tool.

Use it!

Use it to shout your message.

You’ll quickly notice that my first priority is the ‘message’. It is not SEO words, likes, follows or shares.

It’s time to get the message across without the jargon that interferes with transparency.

Written Communications:

Written Communications’ Instagram account is treated like a baby.

It is nurtured and loved. It is the base of the Written Communications brand.

You can see what I mean HERE

I consciously stick with our branding, and incorporate a monthly message based around it.

This process allows me to approach social media with genuine transparency, and draw potential and current clients closer.

Everything that Written Communications drafts, writes, edits and publishes has been planned to ensure that even the words that aren’t written on the page impact the way your client feels about you, your business and your brand.

It’s something a lot deeper than words; and at the end of the day that’s the whole purpose of Written Communications.

*Find out more about how Written Communications can decipher your message here.

So you’ve managed to create or build a brand new product, service or, (in my world) record a new single that is bound for Triple J rotation, or a review in Rolling Stone.

There is one problem, no-one has heard or cares about it.

Too often, I see musicians and bands release a new single or, I see small businesses with a new menu or product with no thought about how they are going to make the world actually care about it. This is where publicity comes into place.

If this is entirely new to you, publicity is about getting your news and product in front of media representatives to be able to secure a feature, a review or an interview with those media outlets - from TV to radio, from online blogs to newspapers.

Here are some of my secrets that I have learnt that will help you secure press opportunities, build credibility for your product or brand, and reach a new audience.

Preparation

If there is anything that I have learnt over the years running Kick Push PR, it is that preparation is everything. Whether it is a product launch, a new cocktail menu, or a new release from an emerging musician or band, you need everything in place ready well ahead of the launch or release date, pieced together in a tight-knit press release.

Your press release is the tool which has all the key information about your product/ service or release. Every company or business – big or small – will distribute a press release on any news or announcements. Learn how to make an exciting press release!

Lead Time

Securing press requires a lot of lead time. We all live in such a busy world, so it can never be expected that an article can and will be published the day a press release is distributed. Sometimes this may happen, but these things take time, resources and energy! Most media outlets typically will not have the capacity to turn this around overnight.

Furthermore, although it is sadly a dying form of media, print media requires longer lead time. You need to consider print cycles (weekly, fortnightly, monthly) and their deadlines to have artwork and interviews completed in time.

Research

Find and learn about the media outlets relevant to you! A quick scan through the website or magazine, and you will have a pretty good understanding of the content they publish.

If it is relevant, find the key contact information of the editors, writers and advertising departments. Create a list of these contacts and prepare the approach/ angle of your pitch.

Finding Press Opportunities

Finding press opportunities is all about taking baby steps. It is quite rare to get the attention of some of the most credible media outlets out there without some credibility behind you first. (It may seem like a catch-22 situation – to get media coverage, you need to have had some media coverage – but there are ways around that found in the following tips).

Be smart with who you approach and start small. In my field – working with musicians and bands – this might mean contacting community radio stations for radio play before tackling national radio station. Rather than seeking out the Sunday Mail, The Age or Sydney Morning Herald, you may seek out the local paper, or a smaller online website/ blog.

Capturing Their Attention

From having done your research, you’ll already have an idea of what stories and content they like to cover. Use your prepared pitch that is relevant to that media outlet to get their attention. Media outlets like something with a unique story - perhaps your failure to success, how you’ve transformed, or maybe you're a national or worldwide first.

Regardless of your story, your pitch should be humble, concise and include all relevant information to make the editors and writers job easy.

Using Your Content/ Product As Leverage

Now, credibility is essential, but you may be asking, ‘how do you approach the situation when you are a start-up facing this catch-22?’.

You use your content/ product or service as leverage. The reason why this works is that it is typically mutually beneficial.

Here are some great examples of how to do this:

If you are launching a new menu, host a soiree! With a small mention of free tastings, food and wine bloggers will jump on the opportunity straight away. You feed them, and they’ll take photos, share it on their socials and probably write up a review.Do you have a brand new moisturiser? Perhaps it’s a new clothing line? Firstly, you can send these products to editors and writers to get their attention. Also, there are always call-outs for businesses to supply their product for live audience giveaways on television programs and channels.Maybe you are offering a new service and are an expert in the field. There is an opportunity to share your wisdom with others inspiring to do the same.Lastly, and what I most commonly work with - online exclusive premieres: an artist/ band has a new release so I secure an online premiere with a particular media outlet. For the first 24hrs, the new single or music video can only be streamed there. Running exclusive content is beneficial for the media outlet as it can be guaranteed that they will have more traffic to their website or listeners/ viewers tuning in.

*Bio: Michael Gillis the founder and publicist of Kick Push PR. He has been running music publicity campaigns and sustainably living off his own business for three years now, helping emerging artists and bands get the exposure they deserve.

Michael’s venture in the music industry began in 2010 where he played a key role in a band that played at major festivals and toured nationally. Mistake after mistake, he began to build an understanding of what is required for successful release.

He later took this experience and started working as a publicist where he learnt on the fly on how to pitch to media representatives. He spent his time researching, reading, listening to others on how to implement strategies to create a successful PR campaign. This still happens today - three years in.

Kick Push PR has now had artists and bands on Rolling Stone, MTV, Rage (ABC), Triple J, Triple M and music blogs, websites and other community radios all across Australia.

Michael has also used these skills to help other small businesses launch their new menus and products where he has seized media opportunities with outlets including the Lifestyle Channel and Style Magazine.

Taking the first step into PR for your business can be daunting, but did you know that there are simple tricks that can get you started without spending money on a PR agency?

Here is my top 6 PR tactics that everyone is using whether they are a big brand, a PR marketer or a first timer.

Plus they are really easy!

Content Strategy: A content strategy is a plan of how you will develop content for sharing. With a plan you can ensure that you allocate regular time for producing this content, with ideas already planned out. It’s easy to find yourself putting off writing new content to a week that never comes. A plan stops this.

Once you have that content it gives you an easy source to contact journalists with story ideas, promote products or ideas, write blogs, engage with your audience and have content to share on social media

Social Media: Why not check the #journorequest for PR opportunities? This # is put out by journalists, bloggers and brand PR when looking for information, sources and products. As an expert you may find that you can be featured in national media because a journalist is already writing about your area. Reply to the request and you can be looking at being featured in some big places in a matter of days. Quick, easy and the work is done for you!

Have Opportunities Sent to Your Inbox: There are a few websites you can sign up to journalist requests, that you can email and put yourself forward. Some of the sources are paid sites so start with Sourcebottle or Help a Reporter Out to see how you go as they offer a free service. You will receive a list of requests for each day so just scroll through and simply email any that might suit your business

Existing Initiatives: Does your business do something unique or interesting that you can already tag on to for some free publicity. Our company My Favourite Voucher Codes, donates 20% of its profits to charity every month. We promote 3 charities each month in a poll with the winning charity gaining the donation. We not only promote this on our social media, but we encourage our charities to do the same. We even send them a press pack of information to encourage them to promote in their local media.

Local Media: We all want to feature in the national press but don’t under estimate your local press. Try contacting your local newspapers and radio stations to tell them your story about your business. Local press are always looking for content and stories to publish. Janet Murray offers some great advice on how to pitch to your local newspaper. The National newspapers also keep an eye on local media, so you never know who might see your story.

Bloggers: Engaging with bloggers that are related to your business could develop a relationship in which they write about you and share with their audience. They also like freebies so maybe choosing a few and sending out some of your products could leave you with reviews and a new customer long term. Don’t send to many freebies and ensure they will endorse you, but bloggers are looking for content just like the press.

When all is said and done at some point you are going to have to send that scary email with your pitch, but today you can start with the easy stuff and find a simple starting strategy.

Bio:

Tegan Groombridge is the Marketing Manager

for My Favourite Voucher Codes, a voucher code website that donates 20% of its profits to charity every month. She lives with her husband Colin, dog Milo and cat Chui. She is a keen runner and rugby player which she likes to follow with a good pint of West Country Cider or a G&T.

Are you a small business owner? Looking to get into business? Looking to expand your business?

The realm of small business is undeniably mesmerising. That’s why it’s important to decipher, and identify, the best ways that you can make the most of your small business journey.

Here are a few of my top tips that I have learnt over my business journey that will help you better become a more savvy business owner:

Do your due diligence

It’s easy to get caught up in the dream of owning a small business, however not every business is going to be in demand of its market, be in its height of success or be profitable. Talk to owners of the same or similar businesses and understand what life is like for them.

If you’re buying an existing business, look at the figures (at least the past 3 years of Accountant Prepared Financials), understand the operating costs involved (particularly leasing and wage costs), and any additional fees and costs involved in a potential sale. Ask to see analytics, disclosure documents and sample agreements (if applicable). If it feels like a stupid question; ask it.

Gain independent advice

I cannot stress this enough, and any good business owner or corporation will get you to disclose whether or not you have sought your own legal and financial advice prior to signing any contracts.

Reputable corporations and banks will be strict on your financial requirements, so don’t get caught out or taken advantage of when it comes down to the nitty gritty. Your lawyer and accountant dollars are well spent when looking at a business model – engage them.

Know your numbers

You need to understand your profit and loss.

You should always have a budget and business plan in place and be tracking and reporting your actuals. You don’t need to be a maths wiz to do this, you just need to know what is coming in, what is going out and what this means for your profitability. Having goals around your expenses are just as important as having goals around your revenue. Likewise, track and report on your marketing like a hawk. To get the most out of your budget, break down your monthly goals into weekly and daily goals.

Keep that mindset in check!

Understanding the impact of your mindset often takes years for business owners to master. Your mindset can send your business into failure, and likewise to success. Staying open-minded, keeping engaged with your passion, being open to learning and change and looking after your mental health can all have a huge impact. This is particularly important if you are the face and brand of your business. Ensuring you are eating well, exercising, engaging in passions outside of work and spending quality time with friends or family needs to be part of your weekly schedule.

Time is money

Poor time management, slow processes and poor efficiency will cost you money, and also affect your stress levels. Continue to review the way you are spending your time. Are you completing one task well or doing a lot of tasks poorly? I live by the Pomodoro Technique and have EVERYTHING scheduled – even my lunch! This helps me to stay focused on one task at a time with minimal distractions. I coach this technique to my owners all the time – Google it!

Stay true to your brand

If you have a business model that is largely successful to it’s market, be mindful of balancing business development with brand development. The longer your brand is around, the more your customers understand your brand for certain core values.

Staying true to these is important as your business develops and grows. Be aware of why customers are coming to you and what values your brand represents. A good, long-standing brand will typically stay true to its original core values as it successfully grows and develops with each generation.

Have a future plan

Every business, and business owner, will have a lifecycle. Ideally, when your business is at the top of its game and at it’s most profitable is when it should likely have higher value and be more attractive to potential buyers.

This is dependant on many more factors, but the goal here is to think about your future plan early, have your goals in place and get the best advice so that you can make your business the best it can be!

** Biography:

Abbie Burns has worked with over 600 small business owners and has a keen passion for helping coach owners through their journey. She has contributed to brand expansion for major international retail and tourism brands across Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States of America.

Abbie currently devotes her time to supporting women in business across Australia and New Zealand in a well-known fitness organisation. She has also recently launched a new travel and lifestyle blog, AZUREA promoting small businesses in regions she feels uniquely reflect their environment.

T

Image: Shuttershock

The thought of pitching to newsrooms can be terrifying. With the increasing demand of 24-hour news and the growth of digital and online content, journalists have never been busier. They’re also constantly being pulled in different directions by organisations vying for their attention. As this all occurs on a daily basis, it’s easy to see how difficult it can be to get you and your story noticed.

The experts at Adoni Media have put together a few noteworthy tips to help get you recognised.

Focus on having a great angle

You’ve probably heard this tip time and time again, but it really is important to have a good and unique story angle that will appeal to the news organisation as well as its readers, listeners and viewers. Think of what’s relevant, interesting or unique. A good starting approach is to not send out mass media releases, instead have a targeted approach. For instance, if you have a local Brisbane story, you wouldn’t be sending it out nationally.

Sending content which isn’t relevant or suited to a news outlet will only waste yours, and a journalist’s time, creating a disadvantage for when you need to contact them next.

Have your story (and imagery together)

The increase of digital content has changed the way you should approach pitching to the media. In the past, a press release or media kit would suffice to have your story published in print, on radio or television.

Now, video news releases (VNR) or electronic press kits are the new form of communication and they can be a very effective tool. If you have the budget available, a professional can assist in putting one together.

The main benefits of a VNR is it saves the journalist (or organisation) valuable time by not having to send a crew to get the imagery, therefore making it likely for them to run your story. An ideal VNR should be approximately five minutes in duration, accompanied by background information and sent electronically.

Make it as easy as possible for the journalist

As their most valuable resource is time, journalists will be more likely to notice your story if it has background information, pictures, case studies, interviews, vision – whatever they need to make a story come to life. Supplying this information makes their job that much easier and will be very appreciated, meaning it’s more likely your story will get a run.

If pitching via email, keep the wording brief as you’ll either get, or lose, their attention in the first few lines – so make them good. As well as this, include a number, email address and contact number for the journalist to reach out if they’d like more information or to follow-up.

After all this effort, it’s also important to make sure you pitch to the appropriate person. Don’t pitch a story on politics to the celebrity reporter, for example. As newsroom staffers can change quite frequently, keep your contact list up-to-date to help make sure you’re pitching your idea to the correct person.

Utilise social media

Unsurprisingly, social media is a major factor as to why newsrooms are becoming increasingly busy. Though, these platforms can be used to your advantage – for example, contact journalists online through social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook or Twitter as most will have professional accounts (don’t reach out to them on their personal ones).

If you don’t receive a response straight away, you can try following up with a phone call a few hours later, or the next day if your story isn’t time sensitive. It’s imperative to make sure you don’t hound a journalist and to remember, if they’re interested you’ll hear back quickly.

Other tips:

If you’ve pitched a story idea or issued a media release featuring a spokesperson, ensure they’re available for interviews the day you send it out.Never call a radio newsroom on the hour (or even half hour) – they’re frantically putting together news bulletins for air.Consider the time of day when you’re pitching – if you issue a media release early in the morning, it’s more likely to get breakfast news coverage.Always thank the journalist for their time, it will be beneficial for building better relationships all round.

** Bio:

Adoni Media is an award-winning Corporate Communications and Digital Agency where journalists and online experts help you to take control of your message to promote your business and protect your reputation.

Australian television Journalist Leisa Goddard created Adoni Media because like too many of her peers she’s spent years turning up to poorly organised media events where little to no planning has gone into basics such as selecting the right location and organising picture opportunities.

Website: www.adonimedia.com.au/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/AdoniMedia Twitter: www.twitter.com/LeisaGoddard

It’s the worldwide phenomenon that can’t be ignored. Social media is here to stay and it’s a viable marketing tool; if you know how to use it right. According to Sensis data from last year, 79% of people use social media. More importantly, 64% of consumers said they are more likely to trust a brand that interacts positively on social media. So how can you effectively use social media? Here’s the top 9 things you should know.

Timing is everything

Have you ever wondered why your breakfast bowl got more likes than your afternoon snack? It’s not because your 3pm muffin wasn’t mouth-watering. It’s because there are peak times when everyone is using social media. First thing in the morning, on their lunch break, after dinner and straight before bed are popular times when most people check their socials. You want to take advantage of this spike in activity so posting during these times is going to mean you get more views and hopefully more likes too.

Use a management tool

It’s hardly feasible to sit around waiting for the right moment to send your post live. But you don’t have too! Social media management tools are a must for businesses that are serious about using socials for marketing. It takes the pressure off logging into your accounts all day long by allowing you to schedule posts for a later date or time. You could use an individual manager such as Schedugram (for Insta) or a comprehensive tool that brings together multiple platforms, like Sprout Social or Buffer.

Always post an image

If a picture speaks 1000 words, then why aren’t you posting one? Most people are skimming through their news feed and you have to grab their attention. A striking image is the best way to get them to stop, look and listen. Image posts also frequently get more shares than text-only posts. Even if it’s a link to your recent blog post, include the header image in your post to give people a reason to stop scrolling.

Find your niche

If you think all social platforms are the same then you’ve made a fundamental mistake. You can’t simply create one post and share it across all platforms equally. From Facebook to Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest and LinkedIn - they all have different demographics. Figure out which one has the most users you’re looking for and turn that into your primary social feed. Prioritise the next best platform for reaching new audiences for your brand and use that to increase exposure. Social posting should be fun so it also helps to choose the platform that you enjoy creating content for. If arranging flat lay photos is a secret passion of yours then use it to your advantage with a curated Instagram account.

Vary your content

How much do you like the person who only posts baby/dog/food photos to their Facebook? Having one type of content is going to become boring. Mix it up with text, videos, images, podcasts and anything else you can think of.

Interact with followers

If you think about why people use social media then you’ll realise they’re not looking for more ads in their day. They’re wanting to connect with friends, family and the world. If you start up a branded page that doesn’t connect with them back then you’re missing the point. It only takes an hour or so of your day to reply to comments and messages. Plus, the more you engage with other brands and build a brand personality the more interest you’ll gather. The Wendy’s Twitter account is by far the best recent example. Using cheeky replies and retweets they’ve found a way to the top of the competitive fast food chain pyramid; at least in Internet brand awareness.

Pair up

Social media is a fickle and competitive place. Search home decor on Instagram and you’ll be bombarded with options. The most liked and followed pages are the ones people trust to give them quality content. But when you’re just starting out how do you build a following? By pairing up with an established influencer. If you go to one of the big players you’re likely to incur a fee to have them feature your products/services. But many micro-influencers (i.e. 5,000 and under) are focused on genuine engagement and recommendations. If you get in touch and offer a free trial/product giveaway they’re often happy to provide social coverage in return. Getting those first thousand followers will speed up in no time.

Use hashtags properly

Those funny little symbols and words after your carefully curated caption are more important than people think. Even though #bobsyouruncle might be hilarious, it is probably off-topic and has very few people searching it daily. Find out the most searched hashtags from the web and use those on your posts to increase traffic and likes. If you want to avoid a spammy social post then put the 3 most relevant hashtags in your caption and follow up with as many as you want in the first comment on your post.

Don’t be afraid to include promotional material

It’s an age-old marketing question; do you gain more likes for organic material or promo posts? Clearly, you’re in the marketing game to get your brand noticed. But if you focus too much on promotional posting you’ll find people disengage. So, what is the right ratio? There’s no hard and fast rule, but a 75-25 split for organic-promo is a good place to start. The organic material will bring user engagement, while the promo is getting them to read your messages. If you overdo the promo to start you’ll lose followers quickly. But if you don’t have enough they’ll be confused about the purpose of your page.

Social media has taken the marketing world by storm and anyone can get in on the action. If you understand the tricks of the trade you’ll be a social posting pro in no time.

Author Bio:

Julia Hammond is an Australian lifestyle blogger working in content marketing for MyDeal.com.au, the one stop shop for all your favourite brands at the best prices. With over a hundred articles to her name, she understands the power

of the right word at the right moment and that bringing value to readers is the most important thing.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-hammond-1985ba148/

With the 24 hour news cycle hungry for new content, and traditional media closing their doors and losing audience share, the PR industry is shifting from a relationship base to quality content. Having worked in and around the PR industry for over 15 years, I've seen the emphasis shift from PR being about who you know, to how well you tell a story. No longer is it good enough for PR agencies to get their interns and grads to write sloppy media releases. Editors and producers are short staffed, and they no longer have journalists on tap to rework your media release. The campaigns that are most likely to earn coverage are those that are print ready, can be top and tailed by an editor, pitched to a producer and published with the exceptional audio visual content supplied. So what is the secret to getting an editor's attention and putting together a print or pitch ready package?1. Find a new news angle - Opening a cafe isn't necessarily interested news. A new cafe opens every day. But opening a new cafe that introduces ramen to the Melbourne brunch scene may be something a bit more interesting. Find a new angle or interesting pact about the business, person or product you're looking to earn coverage for. This could be the founder, a unique product or a first for the industry.

2. Target media thoughtfully - No one likes to get spam in their inbox. So only contact media that are likely to be interested in your story, and try to make it as relevant as possible to their publication or channel. While there are subscription based media list services, you can often find out a lot online today for free if you're clever. 3. Make the headline snappy - If you can sum up your story in a single sentence, it's too long! You've got 5 seconds to get an editor's attention in their in box, so make sure you get their attention with the subject line. Instead of "New cafe opens in high street Melbourne"...try..."Lotus introduces ramen to the Melbourne brunch scene."4. Write like a journalist - The best news stories can be chopped from the bottom up. Write your media release like you're a journalist so that the copy can be published directly with minimal editing. Get your most interesting and important info out in the fi rst sentence, then drip feed the less interesting information as you go down. Big reveals at the end should be left for novels. 5. Include exceptional images or videos - If there's a stunning image or video accompanying your media release, you're much more likely to earn coverage. Again, this is saving the editor time and resources by not having to send a photographer or cameraman out to cover the story. 6. Follow up three times - People are busy so sometimes they miss emails. Make sure you follow up with the media you've contacted, but don't be too annoying about it. If you've tried to follow up three times and haven't got a response, it's time to move on. And if all of that seems like way too much hard work, you can always pay a professional. But be wary of the 3 month minimum retainer that drags out to 6 months and an expensive launch event. The oldest PR trick in the book is to drip feed coverage to keep clients on the hook. Ask for a coverage guarantee if you can. After all, I've never run a campaign that hasn't been able to earn coverage.

* Bio: Steph Barr started her career in fashion and beauty PR over 15 years ago and has since gone on to work in PR for the music industry, food and beverage, tech start-ups and product. She is journalist by trade that now runs her own brand strategy and PR agency – Barr None Group. In addition to her PR experience, Steph is also an award winning brand and creative strategist who has dedicated her career to figuring out what makes marketing effective. Leaving McCann Melbourne to found her own agency, Steph is passionate about building brands using organic growth strategies to reduce reliance on paid advertising placements and generate brand value.

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/stephloubarr/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/steph-barr-13456829/?locale=de_DE

Company website:https://barrnone.com.au

Finding and nurturing high quality customers is top of mind for any business, whether you work in accounting or as a florist.

However with millions of other businesses competing for customer’s attention online, your ace in the hole needs to be content.

Content can position you as a thought leader, educate potential customers on what your business does, and help them find your website.

Follow these 5 tips to ensure you get the most out of your content strategy.

Address the customer’s ‘Jobs To Be Done’

Jobs To Be Done (JBTD) is a way of thinking about what your customer’s immediate need is when they visit your content. Let’s use a florist as an example.

If a customer is looking for flowers for Mother’s Day but they’re not sure what their mother would like, they’d be more likely to click through to the article “How to Pick The Perfect Flowers for Mum on Mother’s Day” rather than “6 Beautiful Flowers This Season”.

The first article immediately meets the customer’s need and will keep them on the florist’s website to buy flowers.

Customers can be lazy, and they’re also extremely demanding. They want their queries answered at the click of a button - which Google is focusing on with their increased rollout of featured snippets - so use the JTBD mindset to set yourself up as the one who answers them and earns the customer’s business.

2. Research what your customers are searching for

Tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush and Answer The Public are great ways to discover what your desired customers are searching for. You should never create content that simply describes what you do and assume customers will magically come to your site.

Using the keywords people are searching for in your content headlines will help you achieve higher rankings in Google for those search terms.

3. Review your competitor's content and social shares

At the same time, tools like Buzzsumo and Ahrefs will show you what content is getting social shares and links from other websites. Use this data to position your content to be more valuable than your competition’s by learning from what they’ve done well, in addition to what their content is lacking.

You should always aim to make your content better than what already exists on that topic. Successful content is detailed, to the point, relatable and uses visual media to make it easy to engage with.

4. Optimise your content with clear CTA’s

Using a Call To Action (CTA) in your content is the key to turning a reader into a customer.

The purpose of a CTA is to compel the reader take an action on your website. For the customer, taking this action should be the solution to their problem.

A CTA can be either an offer to download an eBook, sign up for a newsletter or the option to shop on your website.

Let’s return to our Mother’s Day example; any time a floral arrangement is mentioned in an article, the reader should be provided with the option to buy those flowers. The last thing you want is for a potential customer to read your content but not take an action because the opportunity wasn’t provided for them.

5. Share your content on amplification platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn and Medium

While the keywords you’ve used will attract organic visits to your content over time, using amplification platforms will expose your content to hundreds of potential customers.

Advertising content on Facebook allows you to find audiences whose interests align with what your content offers, as well as positioning yourself as an authority figure.

Similarly, LinkedIn and Medium are content amplification platforms with excellent reader engagement. People here are hungry for great content, so take advantage of categories and tags to put your content in front of an audience who have a keen interest in your field of expertise.

Attract customers to your site

Content marketing is an effective marketing strategy that can help you rank better in search engines, get more shares on social media, and become a thought leader in your industry. If done correctly, all of these benefits of content marketing will translate into the one thing you really want: more customers for your business.

*Bio:

Shayen de Silva is a search and content marketing consultant at Web Profits. His role working in the competitive space of content marketing allows him to use out-of-the-box thinking to create content strategies that will attract customers to his client's business online. If you like the cut of his jib, you can connect with Shayen on LinkedIn.

Every brand or business is working hard to sell their ideas. But most consumers are sick and tired of being sold to all day long. They want something more for their time than just an ad. Enter content marketing; the crossroads of brand messages and consumer engagement. Done well, it can bring new exposure to your ideas and start a conversation that ends with your brand name. Here’s the 5 content marketing secrets the pros use to make sure their content doesn’t get lost in the daily web of words.

There’s more to content than blogging alone

Assuming that content and blog are interchangeable terms is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. A great blog post takes time and research, making it an effective but slow form of content marketing. It’s also difficult to get your post to the top of everyone’s radar when there are so many posted each day. For the sake of your followers and your creativity open your mind to the possibilities of what ‘content’ really means. Try making a video, infographic, photo gallery or slideshow, social media post, podcast or even a brochure that shows what your company can do. Once you let go of the idea that blogging is the only path to your content marketing goals you’ll find it easier to share your message consistently.

Marketing your content is the most important part

You may have worked hard on a professional looking website or brochure but if no-one sees it, it’s not doing its job. Promoting your content is what turns it into marketing. But how do you do it? One of the easiest ways to get your content noticed is to collaborate with other businesses and social media influencers. This could be online or in real world settings. Here’s two examples of how this works:

Example 1: You have an organic skincare brand and want to reach new customers. You write a blog about how to help your makeup last all day suggesting things like prepping your skin with quality moisturiser (your brand) and using makeup suited to your skin type (someone else’s brand). You’ve featured makeup by a reputable brand with a large social following. It’s worth reaching out to them before you publish to offer a feature in return for a social share which exposes your article and by default your brand to their audience.

Example 2: You have a mattress business and are looking for ways to increase revenue. You’ve created a brochure on how to select the best mattress. You could ask local businesses from chiropractors to bedding stores to display your brochure at their front desk. You could even offer a small discount for new customers on the back of the brochure.

In each of these examples you’ve created the content but rather than waiting for the viewers to find you, you’ve put yourself on their radar. It’s important to recognise that these partnerships may cost you time and money but if you do them right the exposure and trust in your brand will be worthwhile.

Your work doesn’t have to be mind-blowingly original

It has been said that there are only 7 original stories in the whole world. Everything else is but an interpretation of these core ideas. But does this mean they can only be told once? On the contrary, this means that originality is more about perspective than anything else. Your content can cover the same topic as another brand and still be valuable. It can look at it from another angle, gender, age or interest point. The history of the world is constantly changing and informing how we see things. Where once it was okay to print sexist advertising we are now in the throws of the #metoo movement turning misogyny on its head.

We also rarely take information from the first source we visit. Be it a blog post, book or video we like to consolidate our ideas with more than one resource before taking them as fact. We search for the resource that tells us in a way we can understand.

The bottom line is this: your topic has probably been covered before, so you need to cover it better. Update it for the current time or debunk a myth that’s been perpetuated for too long. Telling yourself that every post you write or infographic you share must be different to all others that came before it is like asking filmmakers not to reinterpret Shakespeare’s work. It can’t be done and it would mean we miss out on some fascinating reimaginings.

One idea can create a week of content

It’s likely that content marketing is just one strategy in play for your business and dedicating all your time to it is unfeasible. Rather than deciding it’s a time-consuming investment, find ways to work smarter. Your blog readers could be a different demographic to your social followers and both of these are likely different to the people picking up your brochure at a store. Audiences are fragmented; they like different platforms and types of media depending on age, gender and technological capability. When you find a topic that ties in well with your brand don’t just share it in one way. Get it out to as many different audiences as you can.

Write a blog that offers an in-depth answer to your readers and repurpose the subheadings into an infographic that can be shared on Facebook for a 5-minute overview of the same idea. Then take a poignant quote from your article and make an image for Instagram that references the original work and provides instant inspiration to your followers. Perhaps your blog goes into the history of the topic before giving the solution. Take the second half (solution only) and turn it into a brochure that provides actionable answers to potential customers problems. Finally, make a video teaching viewers how to implement one solution, preferably using your product or service. We’ve just turned one topic into almost a week’s worth of content, using different platforms and reaching multiple audiences.

Your content is for people, not computers

SEO has been booming in recent years but it’s only half the story for successful content marketing. Over time search engines have updated their algorithms to penalise those using quick link building strategies which take them to the top of the results page. Why do this? Because filling your content with SEO keywords is writing for the computer to recognise your work but it won’t necessarily be enjoyable for readers. At the end of the day your content should be aimed at consumers. Content that readers enjoy breeds trust in your expertise and ability to inform or entertain them. This is what brings them back for more.

The exciting thing about content marketing is it’s accessible to every business and affordable for most. If you’re going to take the plunge into creating content make sure it’s enjoyable for readers and marketable for your brand.

Author Bio

*Julia Hammond is an Australian lifestyle blogger working in content marketing for MyDeal.com.au, the one stop shop for all your favourite brands at the best prices. With over a hundred articles to her name, she understands the power of the right word at the right moment and that bringing value to readers is the most important thing.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-hammond-1985ba148/

In my mind, the culture of your business is everything. If you have a strong culture, you have happy people. Happy people go on to joyfully serve your customers and everyone wins. Besides, we all know that we spend a bucketload of our time at work, so we may as well be enjoying it.

My first business was a recruitment company and I worked hard to create a brilliant culture there. I took the lessons I learned in that business and brought them across to Business Chicks when I started it, and amplified them even further. I hope these lessons help you build the culture you want in your company:

1. Hire for attitude

You can teach skills but you can’t change attitude. This is the most important thing to remember when hiring. A toxic attitude can have a huge effect on your whole team. It can be hard to pick people from just one interview, so put lots of effort and time into the recruitment process. Referrals are a great way to find people who will fit your culture, and good people generally hang out with good people so ask your good people if they have any friends or family they can recommend. This happened when I hired my assistant three years ago. I asked one of my team members ‘Don’t you have someone just like you in your orbit?’ and she said ‘Yep, I do – my best friend is looking for a job.’ If I hadn’t asked her, she probably wouldn’t have thought to tell me, as she didn’t know I was looking.

2. Set the scene

The little things count. Whenever a new staff member starts, write a personal welcome card to leave on their desk. We go a step further and give flowers/champagne/stationery etc. We also make sure we have their business cards ready on their desk and make sure their computers are all set up and ready to go. First impressions count. You should continue the way you start so keep reminding your team that they’re appreciated – whether that be with a box of chocolates or even something small like an email (or better still a public thank you in front of the whole team) with genuine heartfelt praise. Show them you notice.

3. Wellness matters

Let’s be honest …over-stressed, over-worked, caffeine-addicted, fast-food eating team members are probably not going to perform as well as those looking after themselves. Providing a healthy lunch for your team once a week in a communal space encourages people to switch off and talk to one another. Things like yoga and massages are becoming more popular too. When you treat your staff well, they’ll want to grow your business with you.

4. Stimulating surroundings

The physical space of your business has a huge impact on the motivation of your team. Invest in atmosphere – whether that be just livening up the space with awesome artwork, playing music, or making sure there’s a breakout area for your team to have time out. We even have a bed in our office! These sorts of things can be achieved on all budgets. Get the lighting right, invest in equipment and furniture that’s modern and that works and you’re on your way. A friend of mine has an office with no windows at all and often wonders why his team don’t stay long.

5. Top down

A fish rots from the head and culture filters down through organisations, so lead by example. If that means you need to roll your sleeves up and get amongst the day-to-day stuff sometimes, then do it. Don’t be precious and stay approachable. Sit with your staff for lunch, or ask how their weekend was (and genuinely care how they answer) and sometimes … it’s even ok to change the toilet paper roll (I do this frequently!) One of my favourite leaders Megan Quinn who was a co-founder in the internet retail sensation Net-A-Porter says ‘you’re never too senior to pick up a broom’ and I couldn’t agree more. You need to work on culture every day – you have a whole team depending on you to set the standard.

*Emma Isaacs is the ultimate girl boss, who is both the founder and global CEO of the formidable Business Chicks. For all things girl power, business, and culture visit www.businesschicks.com.au. It is a resource worth its weight in gold. This article was first published on businesschicks.com.au, and shared with permission from Emma and the Business Chicks team. (Thank you Emma and BC, We love you!)

There’s nothing that shouts ‘follow your passion’ more than the entrepreneurial journey of Jane Lu.

Jane’s the incredibly talented mastermind behind the pages of fashion site Showpo, and one half of the genius behind the successful 55,000 member strong Facebook group Like Minded Bitches Drinking Wine (LMBDW).

While we’re stalking the pages of Showpo finding our latest outfit and fashion inspo, Jane is working endlessly to create a brand and business that radiates innovative success and thrives on a strong, influential culture.

From her parent’s garage, to now, Jane is the definition of an entrepreneur who has taken on the world and made the world her own.

It is so easy to be lost in Jane’s words as she passionately tells the story of a journey that saw both success and failure get her to where she is today.

Be inspired by the story that is Jane Lu, and be prepared to make the magic happen.

From your parent’s garage 2010 to now, you have accomplished so much. Tell me more about who you are and what you stand for. When I started Showpo we literally worked out of my parent’s garage, we hired staff, at one point we even had 3 shops. We slowly began to work out of a larger office, moved into a warehouse, switched to using a third party warehouse, hired staff, hired more experienced and senior staff, launched new ranges, launched extended sizes, switched offices again and expanded our operations globally. It's been a whirlwind, and I’ve had a lot of fun along the way. Never in a million years did I think that I would accomplish so much at such a young age. Through this crazy journey I now know that anything you want in life is possible if you just work hard for it. I think I stand as a good example for young entrepreneurs, through my experiences I share my successes and failures to motivate others never to give up working hard for what they want to accomplish.

What projects are you currently working on? Are there any future events we should keep an eye out for? When aren’t there any projects should be the question!

We have quite a few exciting tech initiatives in the pipeline, as well as furthering our international expansion. We also have an increased focus on being more than just a retailer, but rather a producer of content to entertain our community. And of course, there are always fun projects like our trip to Coachella, I’ve actually just purchased tickets for the event, I can’t wait!

Success and failure, both hold important lessons. I’d love to hear more about your successes, failures and the things that drive and inspire you. With the failure of my first business, Fatboye Group I’ve learned a really valuable lesson, well - there were many lessons to learn from that venture, but the biggest one for me, was that no matter how much passion and hard work you put into a business, if the business model doesn’t work, it’s never going to work. If you’re selling a product that’s not in demand, there’s not enough PR in the world you could generate to make it work.

What my experience has taught me is that failure isn’t so bad. It sounds cliche, but the tough times have taught me and helped me grow. The advice I would give to myself when I first started Showpo would be that there will be things that won't go to plan or that won't succeed, but always use those mistakes or failures as a learning block to improve and make you stronger.

From working in accounting and corporate finance, to creating Showpo and LMBDW, how do you use words to get your message out to your audience/followers/fans? I’ve presented at numerous events like the Premier’s Harmony Dinner, NAB IWD Event, Celebrating Women Entrepreneurs Event and plenty of LMBDW events! I released my vlog series which I hope inspires budding business owners.

Being an entrepreneur can be challenging, when I started out, there had been many instances when my peers didn't believe/support me, and for someone who’s just starting out this can truly be discouraging. However, with the success of Showpo, I strongly believe anyone can achieve their goals and aspirations through hard work and determination. I set up ‘Like Minded Bitches Drinking Wine’ - a platform for entrepreneurial women to chat about their ideas and encourage each other to succeed. Since the creation of the LMBDW group, I’ve had hundreds of meetups with fellow bitches and made so many industry contacts.

What’s your favourite quote?

My favourite quote is “Believe in yourself and you’ll be unstoppable.” I love it so much that I even go it printed in the inside front cover of our staff Showpo notebooks. I just think it’s always important to stay true to yourself and do what you believe in and what makes you happy. If I listened to what everyone told me when I started Showpo, I would never be where I am today.

Your positive attitude to entrepreneurship and startups is infectious. What do you believe are the three most important things when starting a business?

1. Believe in yourself and surround yourself with supportive people - don’t let anyone make you second guess yourself.

2. Don’t let failure stop you. You will fail, it's never an easy ride, but use your failures as lessons for the future. 3. No matter what you do, have fun doing it. If your business is not something you're passionate about or something you enjoy doing you’ll never be truly satisfied.

You are the goddess of social media. How do you believe words impact business?

Words hold great power, they have the ability to communicate messages but above all they trigger emotions within each and everyone of us.

In Business, it is important to use words that align with your brand positioning so that you have a strong brand identity. Don’t you ever find yourself reading something and automatically thinking of a particular brand, it happens to me quite often.

If you could choose three words that showcase you/your brand to the world, what would they be?

The three words I would chose that describe myself and Showpo would be energetic, girly and confident.

Given the spectacular success of Showpo and LMBDW, what Words of Wisdom do you have for inspiring business professionals who want to succeed, while doing something that they love? As a business professional myself, my role has changed drastically from being the hustler to the leader, a role that I have far from prepared for and am still perfecting. The best piece of advice I have received and I regularly pass on is that instead doing everything by yourself, you have to learn the value of delegating and hiring and understand the importance of weighing up the opportunity costs.

*Find out more about Jane, Showpo and Like Minded Bitches Drinking Wine.

As far as entrepreneurs go, you can’t go past the vibrantly talented Lisa Messenger.

As the CEO of Collective Hub, her honest advice, acceptance of life and dedication to helping others find their life purpose is something that is truly remarkable.

Her use of words brings beauty and grace to a commitment to helping others achieve the best life that they can. It is something that is as difficult as it is rewarding, but Lisa has managed to make it work. And make it work well.

There’s so much to learn from such an honestly hard-working entrepreneur like Lisa. Her vulnerability is engulfed by a passion for words, and her story is as relatable as they come.

Screen shot, save, and bookmark this page. You're about to be inspired.

I am completely inspired by who you are, your brand, and your positive message. Where did your journey begin?

I am a big believer that when I look back chronologically absolutely nothing makes sense as far as my career and brand go. However it’s the sum of all the individual parts that bring it all together. Every job. Every life lesson. Every hardship. Every little bit of it. In isolation it makes no sense whatsoever – but together it is completely serendipitous. Every moment brought me exactly to my purpose.

Your online presence is both professionally strong and genuinely approachable, tell me more about who you are, and what you stand for.

It’s simple – I am an entrepreneur for entrepreneurs living my life out loud showing that anything is possible. Every single day I check in with who I am becoming and I continue to educate myself to garner more wisdom and love to help make me the best version of me. I believe in having fun. Living with dignity and grace. Being unafraid and being unapologetically you. I don’t always get it right but I wear my heart on my sleeve and hopefully am relatable and attainable. What you see is what you get.

What projects are you currently working on? Are there any future events we should keep an eye out for?

One of our biggest most exciting projects for 2018 is our digital master classes which can be found at www.collectivehub.com/collective101 There is a special offer for the fist one to do it for FREE… it’s a six part series by yours truly on how to Pitch to the Media.

Success and failure, both hold important lessons. Tell us more about your successes, failures and the things that drive/inspire you.

Well firstly I fail every single day. Multiple times. I just fail fast. Failures have become my friend. With social media and instant real time feedback, you can throw ideas out there every day and quickly knock them on the head if your community doesn’t respond. Don’t be afraid to change, morph, pivot all the time. Business (and life) move fast these days.

Your brand is extremely appealing, and is complemented by your ideas, creative talents and positive words. How do you keep up with the demand of maintaining such a great brand?

Thank you. I am just me. Nothing more. Nothing less.

What is a moment that changed your life forever?

Giving up drinking 13 years ago. I was using it as a crutch to self-sabotage. After that everything just started to flow. I don’t suggest you give up drinking but do be courageous enough to look at what might be holding you back. We all have our “stuff” but in the end its only a story. Don’t be defined by it.

What’s your favourite quote?

Anything’s possible.

You use your words wisely. How do you believe words impact business?

Words and story are everything. A product is a product. But your story is what people fall in love with.

How do you use words to get your message out to your audience/followers/fans?

I have an absolute LOVE of words. I write across every medium I can every single day. I journal every day. I put two books out a year. I write on my social media channels, in the print mag and on collectivehub.com – I see inspiration everywhere and it’s my greatest joy to put my twist on it and share.

If you could choose three words that showcase you/your brand to the world, what would they be?

Igniting human potential

What Words of Wisdom do you have for inspiring business professionals who want to succeed, while doing something that they love?

Learn what you are great at and what you are terrible at. Hire your weaknesses. Surround yourself with incredible people. Fail fast. Be unafraid. Think big. We are all equal and we can all do anything if we hold the vision.

* Lisa Messenger is the CEO of Collective Hub, an author and an extremely inspirational business person. Find out more about Lisa, her work, masterclasses and Collective Hub Community by visiting www.collectivehub.com

Where is the thumb-stopping content we’re all yearning for?

In a day and age where entrepreneurial adventures are becoming increasingly popular, the ability to tell your company story is becoming harder and harder.

Social media content is clouded by useless information.

Reading past the first eight words of a blog is proving more difficult than buttoning up a tight pair of jeans on a bad day.

People are calling themselves ‘influencers’ in a bid to gain traction, followers, likes, shares, comments and nudges. The days of thumb-stopping content and wise words that make us want to roll in a field of daisies have long gone.

Until now.

Cue International Writing Company- Written Communications. Yes, we said International and yes, we said writing.

Apparently, they ‘do words’. And by ‘do’, they mean ‘own’.

They’re the ghost-writers behind some of Australia’s most adventurous blogs, they’ve cracked the Asian market, they work with some of the biggest #bossbabes in Australia and they aren’t short of a bit of sass.

But, what had us hooked was the Founder. A young lass by the name of Nat Scanlon who made our words feel like a first born after their very first bath.

Soft and cuddly, addictive and sacred.

Nat’s turning boring content into something we’ve never seen before. And we LOVE it!

Driven by a strong passion to change the world, Written Communications does more than just stop your thumb. It brings meaning back to a clouded Internet server that has seen more fake tans than quotation marks.

We’re talkin’ old school English skills with modern values, #bossbabe inspiration, and writing that leaves you smelling chocolate off your screen.

With a cheeky attitude and professional experience to match, Nat Scanlon is bringing a hellova lot of personality to a business that’s gone global.

The world has gone mad for it!

‘We’ve been helping Asian businesses gain drive within the western market so that they can broaden their audience. The online world is truly something else. With the right words, literally anything is possible’ explains Nat.

The versatility of Written Communications is something that makes it an entrepreneur's dream. From menus to blogs, copywriting to songs and everything in between, there’s no doubt you’ve read some of Written Communications’ words.

They'll be your BFFL, wrapping you in their arms just to say; 'It'll all be okay!'

After being asked what to expect from Written Communications in the not-too-distant future, Nat replied;

‘Well, I’d hold onto your hat. There’s a HUGE change coming. Don’t say I didn’t warn you’.

Bring it on Written Communications. Bring. It. On!

*To find out more about Written Communications, visit www.writcomm.com.au

When you’re in the early stages of establishing a business, building a network and identifying your point of difference, it ‘s often easy to lose track of exactly how you should introduce yourself, and your business, to the world.

Here’s five ways to use writing to tell your company’s story, build a relationship with your audience, and potentially increase profit;

1. Once Upon A Time

The art of story telling is powerful. It is one of the most powerful ways that you can connect with your audience.

Tell the story of your life. How did you get here? Why are you here? What moments shaped you?

Draw from your life experiences so that those that you are communicating with feel a sense of a relief knowing that the people behind the business and the brand are just like them.

Colloquial language is a great way to tell a story, so don’t be too professional and definitely avoid words like ‘thus’, ‘hence’, and ‘where art thou?’

2. Give Us A Giggle

Bring a little personality to the table. People enjoy being part of a conversation. If they can associate with your brand, your message, or your story you are likely to gain their love and support.

Tell some jokes, add some sass, bring some attitude.

This is where the use of sayings, alliteration and strong descriptive words work wonders.

A little bit of personality in a company’s story goes a long way when establishing relationships with potential clients, partners and collaborators.

3. Honesty Is The Best Policy

There are too many businesses doing too many things.

Don’t be one of them. Stick to who you are, and everything that you represent.

Be honest with your purpose and your mission so that anyone who interacts with you can share your goals, contribute to success and become an integral part of the journey.

Don’t over think it. Just write from the heart…and then edit x40.

4. Short and Sweet

The only person who will want to read your four-page company story is your mum, and that’s because she has to.

Be as succinct and concise as possible to maintain the attention of your readers. The placement of short, sharp sentences amongst longer paragraphs is also a great way to grab hold of the attention span and stretch it as far as the eye can see.

5. Platform A to Platform B

When you tell your story, shout it loud and proud. Leverage social media to tie your personality, honesty and story together. This can be through the use of images and witty captions on Instagram, or professional articles on LinkedIn.

Choose the medium that works best for your brand, and adapt the style of writing depending on where the information is published.

Whatever your story- stand strong, be sure, and know that your words make all the difference.

Let Written Communications write your story for you, click here for more.

Samantha Wills.

You know the name, you know the brand, and you sure as hell need to read about the journey.

As one of Australia’s largest export success stories, Samantha Wills has had her jewellery designs worn by the likes of celebrities ranging from Katy Perry to Rhianna, Taylor Swift to Eva Mendes, and creatively collaborated with exceptional brands such as Billabong and Yellowglen… just to name a few.

But, it isn’t the names and the brands that stand out when reading about the success of Samantha Wills. It’s her emotional journey of entrepreneurship, which is passionately driven by the highs and lows of life, while gratefully accepting everything in between.

One thing that you can expect from such an incredible person is a raw, and relatable, story-telling ability that encompasses every ounce of your attention. It’s as if you’re sitting with Samantha at 8.00pm drinking a glass of wine, and planning to take over the world.

It’s at this point you realise; this is no ordinary person! This is a person who has worked tirelessly to get to where she is.

This is a person who has done the hard yards and continues to change the concept and idea of business- not only in Australia but, globally.

This is someone who we all need to be listening to and learning from, as she continues to shine on the US market, with revenue streaming in from Asia, and beyond.

So, for those moments where you have worked so hard, and feel like you are getting nowhere;

For those people who are hustling until they can’t hustle anymore;

For those who appreciate an entrepreneur with a level head, and good heart;

This one is for you.

Cheers to Samantha Wills for being the relatable, transparent, global entrepreneur that we could all call our BFFL.

-

I’d love to hear more about you! Tell me more about who you are and what you stand for.

I have been fortunate to have experienced a career with the SAMANTHA WILLS brand to date, that has seen my journey go from a Bondi Beach Market Table to the global stage of New York City. (Sounds glamorous, doesn’t it?) Well, some parts of it have been, but some parts have been life altering, gut wrenchingly, cry in the shower, anxiety riddled isolation, fucking hard.

16 years into that journey, I am dedicating a lot of my time to try to put a voice to the actual realities of the hurdles we are all facing, that very few people are talking about.

We are living in a day and age of filtered ‘perfection’, across many topics, and I have no doubt it is really easy to find a success story to read – Will this inspire you? Maybe for a second.

When I started out in business at 21, and had no freaking idea what I was doing, I would rip out glossy designer profiles out of the monthly fashion magazines, and pin them on my inspiration board above my desk. But when the 3am hour arrived, and I was still awake burning past the midnight oil, feeling like the only person in the world, making jewellery til my hands physically bled to ensure I could get the order out first thing in the morning. My hair in a dirty top knot, the dirty plate from my toasted sandwich which was my 1am dinner still sitting on my desk next to me, and an anxiety sitting so heavy on my shoulders I could barely differentiate the weight of the physical tiredness Vs the mental angst of owing $80,000 in credit card debt that I had accumulated trying to get the business off the ground… Was that glossy, styled designer profile picture smiling at me from my inspiration board empowering me then?

Not only was it not empowering me, it was doing the opposite. It was making me compare myself & my journey to a single, styled, perfect looking image, and it made me feel shit, and isolated & only fueled my anxiety even more.

I am beyond grateful for the incredible online community that I am lucky enough to engage with, being able to reach hundreds of thousands of women through social media on a daily basis.

As we find ourselves being propelled into the vortex that is digital media, I am also growing increasingly aware of the responsibility that comes with the impact of social media.

I started the SAMANTHA WILLS FOUNDATION as I wanted to create a platform that was accessible to young entrepreneurs, which would hopefully make them feel less isolated in their journey & experiences. Its so easy to find the success stories, but I wanted to create a platform that, while still celebrating wins, also put a spot light on the realities of start-up business, the anxiety, the isolation, the hurdles, the claustrophobia of knowing everything you have at a risk, with no guarantee of reward. It is hard, and it can be very challenging, not only professionally, but personally.

The SAMANTHA WILLS FOUNDATION is a place for me to write & share what I have learnt so far, and also share some things I am still learning (often, the hard way!). It is a platform, & community for our followers to ask questions, be inspired & connect, but most powerfully, share their journey; the successes & the struggles.

What projects are you currently working on? Are there any future events we should keep an eye out for?

I was accepted into a small writing college here in NYC, as I am back at school part time. I have always enjoyed writing, but wanted to learn more about the craft of it. I am hoping to put focus to writing a book… Well, a few books actually! That’s the goal.

Success and failure, both hold important lessons. Tell us more about your successes, failures and the things that drive/inspire you.

This is a great question, and one I have never been asked about in the same sentence… I am going to talk about the failures; because it is from those that the biggest successes have come from.

I have a theory, that if you are not failing often in branding, you aren’t pushing the boundaries enough. From this, I use failure like research – to look at things a different way, to reset… re-route. So often, in the early days, I would just give up if something became too hard, I’d just quit it, and not really think about it again. It took me a while to learn about quitting, and surrendering. When something doesn’t work out, there is a reason – I believe it is the universe pushing you in a different direction for a purpose, but it’s often impossible to appreciate & understand that at the time when you’re ‘in it’.

Around 2008/2009, the SAMANTHA WILLS brand was booming. We were known as a boho luxe brand, our design language was consistent in being known for large, statement pieces. Lots of turquoise stones, burnish metals & lots of layering.

I spoke very transparently about the brands journey to that point, the start up on a Bondi Market table, from very humble beginnings on my dining room table, and how without a design degree, or university education, I would hustle my way through, in my bid to reach my dream of creating a brand that people wanted to be a part of. (That was my WHY from the very start). Our consumer was highly engaged, because she related to my story, and when your consumer is engaged, their spending pattern matches this. As such our retailers couldn’t keep product on the shelves, we were dressing every A-List celebrity as the category of costume jewellery was on fire, and every day would see a new celebrity placement hit our inbox out of the USA, Rhianna, Katy Perry, Drew Barrymore, JLO, and then Eva Mendes wearing the Bohemian Bardot ring – which put us on the map.

Due to the celebrity placements, retailers from the USA where calling, placing orders without seeing samples because they just wanted the brand so much, and we were opportunistically sending orders over. It got to the point where my business partner said that it was probably high time I spent more time over there, and managed the brand for how we wanted it to look globally – with the view, that when we rolled out through Europe & Asia, they wouldn’t be asking ‘what does you brand look like in Australia’, they would be asking, what does your brand looking like in the United States.’ Needless to say, we were having a stellar run, both brand wise & commercially, it was like everything had just aligned.

So, I packed my bags & moved to New York City. I was in my late 20’s, it was the first time I had lived outside of Australia, and the first time I had ever really had a disposable income.

As soon as I landed, I was instantly romanced by everything that was New York City. I had stars in my eyes – and for the first time, had an income that allowed me to buy into luxury brands. I was besotted with the CHANELs & JIMMY CHOOs of the world, not only their product, but their brands. I would attend luxury brand conferences learning all I could about branding, especially Heritage Brands.

In branding, you can hope & wish all you want that your brand sits where you want it to in the market place, but at the end of the day, the consumer is the one who dictates where your brand sits. Whatever price point they are purchasing the most of, is your core price point, and want & wish all you will, but if you want a commercial business, you need to have a very sound understanding of where your consumer is spending & how they see your brand. And it should go without saying – if something is working, booming even, probably best not to fuck with it….

So, here I was in New York, in the middle of a stellar moment for our brand. We couldn’t keep product on shelves, retailers where doubling their orders season on season, we were bohemian, and layered, and bright stones, and burnished metals, and statement size, and relative & authentic in our communications…. And in a hot second, I made the decision that I wanted the SW brand to sit a tier, to a tier & a half higher in the market than where we were sitting.

So, I instantly changed the design language – not over a few seasons, or subtly to progress it….. no. I made the decision that the next collection was going to be minimal. And absolutely NO turquoise. Lets show shiny metals! And petite sizes – nothing statement. And minimal styling, definitely no layering! Yes! … and then I thought, starting on a market table is not very glamorous!? Nor is working from your dining room table – I am going to remove those elements from our story (Which, given I didn’t go to design school, or have much else to say, left our story pretty uninspiring & down right boring.)

Coming off the back of such a successful season, retailers backed me & my hasty change of direction, and ordered big on our new Minimal, shiny, turquoise free collection.

(Not so) shockingly, it didn’t sell.

Also (not so) shockingly, the consumer became quickly unengaged, because they didn’t relate with the unauthentic narrative I was now telling.

So retailers were left with a massive black eye, and a shit load of stock that wasn’t selling. Our consumer, as she was now unengaged with the brand, naturally adjusted her spending to reflect this (shopped elsewhere). In one season, I nearly folded the company. I had lost the trust of retailers, our consumer, and worst of all, my team. All because I was trying to make the brand something it wasn’t. I was not being authentic, and I had completely lost sight of WHY I started in the first place.

SO – I had a long hard talk with myself, and had to do a lot of reflection & work on the WHY. And then it was time to rebuild. Rebuild the brand how I wanted it to look, but with authenticity & owning our story. Time to rebuild trust with our retailers (taking back the shit load of shitty stock), re-engaging the consumer through relativity & talking WITH her, not TO her, and regaining the trust of my team. It took about a year & a half to turn around that one (massive) mistake – but it all stemmed from me completely loosing sight of my WHY.

…..So how does that all relate to building a business on Instagram? Well, it doesn’t directly, because at that time, a business on Instagram wasn’t even a thing! But the point is, if you are truly authentic, in everything you do with your brand (and everything you do on Instagram), and you are doing everything to fulfil your WHY, then the business will grow, and the money will follow.

People don’t want to be sold to. They want authenticity, and realness, and validating, and purpose. Never underestimate the power in sharing your vulnerabilities. No one cares about a perfect, glamorous story (one, because its not true, and two, because perfection is boring). Tell people your why, share your hurdles, share what inspires you. So in answer to the original question, my advice is don’t focus on WHAT you are selling, but WHY you are doing it.

What is a moment that changed your life forever?

There have been thousands! One of the biggest would be taking the risk of the $500 booth at Australian Fashion Week 2004 – I had $509 dollars in the bank at the time, and was offered the spot. I took it, hoping to at least make a few orders from retailers, to cover the cost of the stall. I ended up writing $17,000 worth of orders, quit my ‘real job’ the very next day, and decided to be a jewellery designer, and dedicate myself to building a brand that people wanted to be a part of.

How do you use words to get your message out to your audience/followers/fans?

I talk to them like I would my friends.

In a book I read recently, by Rebecca Campbell, 'Light Is The New Black' she mentions; ‘Don't post to teach or preach, post what YOU need to hear/read, because I guarantee you that someone else is feeling the same way and needs to read it right now’.

This really made me appreciate the power in sharing your story with transparency and vulnerability.

I also try to take the approach of treating people on social media like I would in a real life conversation, and do my best to reply, interact, engage. It does become tougher the bigger the platform grows, but its something I try to maintain on some level – I think it very gracious that people want to talk & interact. It’s very humbling.

What’s your favourite quote?

‘You can’t please everyone. You are not a jar of Nutella.’

How do you believe words impact business?

Words impact everything, more so now than ever before. We live via text, and DM & status updates. This removes the tone in delivery, making word choice all the more important.

I do however, think that the most important thing, is that your actions match your words.

If you could choose three words that showcase you/your brand to the world, what would they be?

For the SAMANTHA WILLS brand, while its more than three words, the three statements I would use would be; Luxe-Bohemian, Down To Earth, Relative.

For myself, I would use; Honest, Loyal, Empathetic.

What Words of Wisdom do you have for inspiring business professionals who want to succeed, while doing something that they love?

I get asked this a lot – and I always preface my answer, by saying that it is not revolutionary… its’ actually quite uninspiring!

My answer is; Do Something. Anything.

There is never going to be a right time to start something, so if you are waiting for that, it will never happen. Often times in start-up, like I did, you have a ‘real job’ that pays the bills (and funds your passion project!). You might be in a position to call it quits on your day job, and pursue what you actually want to be doing. It took me about two years to quit my ‘real job’. But every spare second I had when I wasn’t working 9-5, five days a week, I was hustling to get my then handmade, market stall slash party plan, jewellery business off the ground.

Make little steps to be working on the project you love. It could be an hour a day; it could be what you dedicate your entire weekends to.

Don’t be someone that always talks about doing something. Go, & do it.

Amen to that!

Follow, and be inspired by, Samantha on Instagram;

Or contact Written Communicationsfor more information about how words can impact your life.

No matter where you turn, look…or hide… you will be confronted with content.

It. Is. Everywhere.

It’s on your phone, it’s in the news, it’s on your Spotify, your Instagram, heck, it can even be on your shoes.

To put it into perspective- Google gets 100 billion searches per month[1].

That’s words.

Words typed into a search engine.

A search engine that generates more words.

It is all written content.

The question is; how do you create the ultimate in written content when it is literally being paraded from every angle, and pushed into your face?

The use of language is extremely powerful. And, while partnering this with graphics, a catchy title and some interactive vlogs can maximise engagement, you need to have your written message on point before you can even think about maximising and unleashing consumer engagement potential.

We’re not talking about posting more blogs to increase traffic.

We’re not talking about planning and using strategy when posting on social media.

We’re not talking about collaborating with influencers to market ideas.

We’re talking about three important ways that can help you create a strong, fool proof, written message that becomes the foundation of an extremely successful marketing campaign.

We’re talking Written Communications 101.

Here’s how;

1. Shout it out loud

How would you explain your idea to someone over the phone?

When you’re unsure about what to write, and how to write it… speak it! Shout it out loud!

This is the beginners answer to ‘writer’s block’.

Quite often, saying your message out loud helps to create written content that eliminates any unnecessary language. It is also a great way to brainstorm ideas and strengthen arguments. This is because it creates more time to adjust the flow of your message, and build on your ideas using minimal words.

The rule of thumb is to say it as if you were talking to someone over the phone. This way, you create clean and concise ideas that become the foundation of an even cleaner and concise written message.

2. Cut the jargon, maximise the message.

A confused mind says ‘no’.

There is absolutely NO need to use long words just because you think it sounds professional, or smart. This is an easy habit to fall into, but can cause some serious misunderstandings and, some serious message miscommunications.

Think words like; thus, hence, etc. etc.

One rule that we now live by (thanks to an impressive business mentor) is ‘A confused mind says no!’

So don’t do it! Read, re-read and then read again. If you can cut any words out and still get your point across, do it!

SEO rich words and Google rankings should be one of the last things you consider. It’s all about getting your message across, and using consistent language that doesn’t deter your reader because they feel confused.

Once you’ve established a strong written message, you can incorporate your SEO strategy from there.

3. Be Honest.

Let go of the sugar. There’s no need to sugar coat.

This is, in our honest opinion, the most important and influential aspect of writing.

It sounds simple, but how many of us have unconsciously sugar coated our written message because we want to sell it, and sell it well? (Both hands in the air!)

Be honest. Say it as it is and be confident with every word you write.

It’s about being embarrassingly passionate about the message you want to shout to the world, and knowing that every word you type is a steppingstone towards your ultimate business objective. Being honest is as strategic as it is innovative at a time where social media has become the norm.

For more ways to let your writing do the talking, visit www.writcomm.com.au.

[1] Mashable, 2015

When it comes to interviewing a person of significant influence, there’s none more inspiring than Cristina Re, an extremely creative and talented visionary who has captivated the masses.

Cristina’s ability to use unique design to create fashionable and contemporary products while changing lives is nothing short of amazing.

The Cristina Re Business Empire gracefully stems across countries and cultures to captivate all that is beautiful in the world, while helping to globally improve the lives of women and girls. Equal opportunity, female empowerment and creative elegance are what continue to define Cristina as a distinctive leader in entrepreneurship, with her brand becoming one of significant class, beauty and elegance.

With a journey that began as a freelance designer and wedding photographer, Cristina has continued to build her business utilising a diversified range of elegant teaware and house ware products that are stocked and sold in David Jones stores and boutiques internationally.

Being able to interview someone like Cristina is an absolute career highlight for me, and her answers will continue to inspire me for many years to come.

Grab a pen, screen shot and share, because you are about to be incredibly inspired by the creative mind that is Cristina Re.

We LOVE the idea of high tea, stationary and teacups. Where did your journey begin?

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been extremely passionate about illustration, graphic design and photography. My European background and upbringing provided me with an appreciation for fine art and design. I was fortunate to have studied at an art school in Northern Italy, where I first developed my artistic and illustrative skills.

I was determined to be my own boss from the very beginning and my mission was to be an entrepreneur and successful business woman. As soon as I graduated with an Honors degree from Swinburne University Of Design, I immediately started my own freelance design and wedding /portrait photography business in 1994. I was one of the very first female wedding photographers in Australia and challenged myself to provide a fashionable and glamorous approach to my work.

I also began designing unique stationery for my wedding clients experimenting with beautiful paper stocks and printing techniques, and soon discovered a niche in the retail market for fashionable contemporary invitations that were readily available and affordable.

I created the DIY concept after I received numerous requests for printable papers with my signature patterns that people could personalize themselves at home to make wedding and party invitations. The concept took off in a big way and I expanded the range to include an array of accessories and tools. Today the stationery range encompasses over 500 stationery and craft products and is sold to over 1000 stores around the world.

Further to this, the company has evolved and diversified by introducing new categories including teaware and homewares which carry my signature style of design and packaging. Developing these new gifting categories are now the focus of the company with the aim of reinventing the Cristina Re brand to become the leading name in everyday ‘affordable luxury’ products.

Your Instagram account shouts feminine positivity, tell me more about who you are, and what you stand for.

I believe that I am a visionary, a dreamer and an entrepreneur. I believe that anything can be achieved. I always ensure that the values that I stand for are communicated through our products, their designs and their meanings.

I am extremely passionate about the empowerment of women and the importance of fostering and nurturing our unique talents. I work with a lot of different organizations including i=Change and Global Sisters who support and work with women internationally, with the aim to give every woman the same opportunities and rights that we sometimes take for granted. It is something that I hold strongly to my heart and will always continue to support and work with.

What projects are you currently working on? Are there any future events we should keep an eye out for?

Currently we are further expanding our range of luxury teaware by incorporating new designs, new shapes and exciting new colors. We are also in the process of developing a range of diverse new lifestyle accessories that compliment and epitomize the Cristina Re brand and our uniquely luxurious identity.

We seek our new and exciting ranges and products to continue to inspire people, whilst also maintaining our strong dominance within both the domestic and international lifestyle and homeware market.

Success and failure, both hold important lessons. Tell us more about your successes, failures and the things that drive/inspire you.

There have been numerous exciting and rewarding successes that I have been extraordinarily grateful for, including the diversification of our product range, our expansion within overseas markets, our stand alone boutique and tea salon ‘Where a Girl Goes’ and the many exciting collaborations and partnerships we have been involved with over the years;.

I don’t necessarily believe I have encountered many failures as I prefer to consider them as experiences that have both taught and helped myself to be resilient, to learn and to adapt to an ever-changing market and industry. Everything is a learning experience, so I think it is far healthier and more constructive to look at them positively rather than negatively. One of my largest learning experiences however was when I collaborated with a large retailer on a range, with their main focus being on price point as opposed to quality. We ultimately had to compromise and we weren’t able to design with what we are known for, including our beautiful gold trims and foil finishes. My intuition was telling me to stay true to my design and values, however on this instance I was unable to due to business and I do regret this greatly.

I am still driven by innovation and by the idea that people are inspired and feel joy when they buy our products. My mission is to make sure women feel worthy to indulge in any way that makes them happy, spreading positive messages through all of our platforms.

Your brand is extremely appealing, and is complemented by your feminine ideas, creative talents and positive words. How do you keep up with the demand of maintaining such a great brand?

One of the most challenging aspects of owning a business within the creative industry is the requirement to always stay on trend and to produce innovative, unique and timeless products and content. I think it’s extremely important to always stay inspired, and to surround yourself with what inspires you; whether it be travelling overseas to interesting places or even furnishing your home with inspiring décor, such inspiration ensures that you can remain consistently creative whilst maintaining your brand and it’s popularity. It is also really important to be able to step backwards from the business and identify areas that need to be nurtured, developed or considered so as to ensure nothing is left to fall behind.

What’s your favourite quote?

“Each individual is an artist. The real talent is believing in oneself” - Cristina Re

How do you believe words impact business?

Words can have an immense impact on a business and the message that it portrays to the public, and most importantly to our customers. Words evoke certain feelings, concepts and outlooks that can assist in contributing to and developing a brands identity and therefore their unique image. I always use positive, self-assuring and inspirational language across all of our social and media platforms, as well as when naming our products and collections, as I’d like our customers to feel as if they can relate to and empathize with us. I think this is why we have such an incredible following as our customers feel as if we are all on the exact same page.

I also believe in the Law of Attraction and the effect positive words, when always spoken and communicated, can have on your ability to focus on what it is you so greatly seek and desire.

How do you use words to get your message out to your audience/followers/fans?

I love the power that an interesting and succinct quote can have on how you think about and perceive certain concepts, mentalities and emotions. A few short words can communicate a powerful message that may cause you to view or think about something in an interesting way.

Instagram is a fantastic platform that I use to communicate quotes, phrases, and powerful words to our customers. Our customers and following really connect and relate to the words within these quotes, and we get such a beautiful response to them. I love being able to inspire people with something as simple as a word, it has a beautiful simplicity to it that many of us either take for granted or neglect to embrace.

If you could choose three words that showcase you/your brand to the world, what would they be?

Indulgent, Creative, Inspiring

What Words of Wisdom do you have for inspiring business professionals who want to succeed, while doing something that they love?

I believe that is so incredibly important to have self-belief and to be able to take a risk in order to succeed. I think it most definitely possible to succeed in doing what you love, so long as you are able to identify a niche within the market and offer something that is unique and has a point of difference. I am a firm believer that you can make a career from doing what it is you are most passionate about, however you must be able to believe in yourself and what it is that you seek to succeed with.

Follow Cristina on Instagram: www.instagram.com/cristinaredesign or visit www.cristinare.com.au for more insight into everything that is Cristina Re.

The method of deciphering ‘useful’ from ‘useless’ content is becoming harder and harder with every scroll, click and link.

Making an impact is almost non-existent during a time where online platforms are becoming enticingly busier to the competitive, business-minded individual that is almost welcomingly lost amongst digital traffic.

Every day we’re bombarded with links, blogs, podcasts, webinars and emails that slowly dissolve our ability to create a point-of-difference. Established corporate entities are becoming no more, or less, appealing than social-media start-ups.

Let’s make the most of it!

It’s time to shout out ‘hey’ amongst the virtual masses, and start distinguishing our selves, our products, and our purpose.

‘How?’ I hear you question collectively, with both sarcasm and intrigue.

‘When there’s a will, there’s a way’ I SHOUT with an almost Thor-like, encouraging vocal, but with less muscle and just as much beauty…

…and it’s through the insanely capitalising partnership of words and webinars.

The two ‘W’ words that when partnered together completely transforms a webinar or podcast series, re-invents communication strategy, and re-introduces you to your target audience with more than just your standard wave.

Here’s how;

1. Re-introducing who you are to the world

Let’s get real here. You’re building a brand. You’re building awareness. You’re trying to send a message.

One form of communication is not going to cut it. It’s too unilateral, and almost offensively closed-minded. You owe it to your following, hell you owe it to yourself, to adopt more than one communication method to get your message out there.

Saying ‘hi’ through a webinar is great. It will get you from pedestal A, to step-ladder B, but what you really want is to be standing on the 38th floor with a penthouse view and 24-hour butler service.

How do you take the lift to the 38th floor? By connecting your webinar to an e-book that expressly outlines your ideas and mentally mouths your message through strategic use of words, that’s how.

60% of marketers are already using webinars to get their message across[1], so while individually adopting this method of marketing to publicise your reason for living may be successful, it’s not different. You may get lost. You may never, ever return.

Use your words to back up your video message. Strategically engulf the senses of your audience, and show them who you are and what makes you tick.

2. Re-Inventing communication strategy

The combined use of words and webinars are an expert way to re-invent a mid-strength communication strategy that will begin to add an extra glow to your face when standing amongst the digital masses.

We’re talking about a difference that is more than just knowing that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are proven to be the best days to host a webinar[2], or that the three weeks[3] prior to a webinar launch is the best time for promotion.

We’re talking about planning a message, finding the core purpose of that message and driving it home through the use of words that ignite emotion, allow the audience to feel valued, and gives your audience a key to re-visit your message any time they feel the need.

We’re talking about the re-invention of a communication strategy that won’t be lost, but will forever be kept and used as a resource while driving leads and increasing profits.

And it all starts with accepting that the norm that is the modern-day, basic webinar is no longer strategically or capitally beneficial. The introduction of words can change this, leaving the door always open without having to ever use the key.

3. Re- Shifting accepted structures

So we feel uncomfortable for contemplating bending the social norms, and accepted methodologies of a webinar or podcast. After all, every communication method has a purpose.

Webinars are definitely one of the older tools of the trade, but for a resource that aids in assisting in business profit when the content is 100% educational[4], it’s too hard to ignore that webinars are an old tool that need to be partnered with new tricks.

Partnering webinars and podcasts with strategically created written content is an incredibly powerful way to shift accepted communication structures that currently dictate how webinars and podcasts should be published, edited, and promoted.

Get creative, and shift what’s accepted. Words will become the best way to decipher what the digital masses consider ‘useful’, or ‘useless’.

Use your words, make them limitless, or get Written Communications to do it for you!

* Natalie Scanlon is the Founder of Written Communications, a content, copy and writing service.

[1] http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2014/10/2015-b2b-content-marketing-research/

[2] https://www.readytalk.com/resources/webinar-marketing/infographics/in-webinar-best-practices#.WeMYqDb9COq

[3] IBID

[4] https://www.b2bnn.com/2016/01/whats-the-roi-value-of-webinars/

When it comes to building a brand that is so strongly motivated by a passion, driven by a goal and further ignited through hard work, there’s no better example than Georgia Young, the extremely inspirational talent behind Georgia Young Couture.

An absolute master of couture, Georgia has transformed a passion for sewing into a successful business that has helped create the most breathtaking of gowns, for the most prestigious of events… all while staying true to herself and her brand.

Georgia introduced us to her magnificent ways, where quirky met hilarious, and we were left having a giggle along the way.

One thing’s for sure, Georgia’s attitude to business and life shows exactly why her impeccable skill and hard work has become a household name.

Get your pens out, and be prepared to screen shot, if ever there was a time to remember exactly why words are so important when developing a business brand… this is it!

I’d love to hear more about you! Tell me more about who you are and what you stand for.

'I'm a bit of a dork really. I definitely don't fit the mold of 'Fashion Designer’.

My idea of the perfect Sunday off is going to get a takeaway Chai (in my keep cup of course) then secretly working for a few hours before anyone finds out.

I try to live a pretty simple, minimal life. Less clutter in my surroundings = less clutter in my mind'.

What projects are you currently working on? Are there any future events we should keep an eye out for?

‘About 5 minutes ago before sitting down to write this, I was cutting out a

Brownlow gown. Undoubtedly, one of my favorite times of the year. Other

than the Brownlow awards, I am starting to think of the next RTW

collection and where I want to shoot the campaign’.

Success and failure, both hold important lessons. Tell us more about your successes, failures and the things that drive/inspire you.

‘Ahh failure hurts, but it's imperative to a good business. I think I fail a

lot and on a regular basis, I've just become accustomed to it. I don't

think things through, forever jumping in the deep end. This method isn't the most sane, but I'm okay with hitting and missing, so I'm just going to keep doing it. My creativity is my drive, when I have an idea nothing gets in my way.

Inspiration: Life- inspo is everywhere'.

What is a moment that changed your life forever?

‘I went backpacking by myself for 4months around the world. It taught me a lot, mostly to stop fearing things’.

What’s your favourite quote?

"Live fast die young, bad girls do it well" M.I.A. Okay, this isn't a typical quote and I don't know what it's insinuating, but I say it a lot.

How do you believe words impact business?

I think they can help amplify the beauty of a product or make people feel what you intend them to feel.

If you could choose three words that showcase you/your brand to the world, what would they be?

Original, contemporary, spunky

What Words of Wisdom do you have for inspiring business professionals who want to succeed, while doing something that they love?

It's easy to get caught up in what others are doing. Stay true to your originality and it will be worth it in the end. Also, as the Pantene add says " It doesn't happen over night, but it will happen".

One thing’s for sure, Georgia shows that there’s absolutely no substitute for passion, a little bit of humour and a whole lot of hard work.

Be INSPIRED by Georgia and her team by following @georgiayoungcouture on Instagram.

Alyce Tran, Co-Founder of The Daily Edited, talks future plans, Words of Wisdom and the power of words in business.

The Daily Edited is the Rollsroyce of accessories.

With an emphasis on luxury that is subtly partnered with only the most modern of products, TDE has become a brand that is the epitome of chic.

The products appeal to a range of target markets, shouting ‘pick me’ with every scroll, click and like. From business to social, adult to child, the range is just as appealing to those going to brunch as it is for those walking into a mid-morning conference. (And we’re in love with it all!)

Behind the brand, business and brilliance is Co- Founder and Creative Director, Alyce Tran, an engagingly strong entrepreneur who said goodbye to a law career to launch what can only be described as the definition of a business that has grown from the rawest hard work to create the highest of success.

One thing’s for sure, this #bosslady knows her words. So we wanted to find out a little bit more about Alyce, and just how important words are to her, her business and TDE brand.

We know you’ll be left with as many goosebumps as we are… enjoy these words.

I’d love to hear more about you! Tell me more about who you are and what you stand for.

‘I'm a co-founder and creative director of TDE (an accessories brand), I love creating amazing products and seeing how our consumers react to them! ‘

What projects are you currently working on? Are there any future events we should keep an eye out for?

‘We always have a ton of projects on the go, most unique though is a new store concept we are opening at Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne next month. We've never done anything like this before so we are really excited to unveil the concept.’

Success and failure, both hold important lessons. Tell us more about your successes, failures and the things that drive/inspire you.

‘I don't mind making mistakes. There is always a lesson to be learnt. I suppose what keeps me going every day is doing what I love and enjoying those that I work with.’

What is a moment that changed your life forever?

‘I suppose quitting my job as a lawyer? I feel like I have led a very sheltered existence, haven't had that life changing moment yet!’

How do you use words to get your message out to your audience/followers/fans?

‘Short captions generally are what we go for, we express what we like about a picture or a product in a few words.’

How do you believe words impact business?

‘Communication is everything, everything from written staff manuals, emails to customers, emails to staff are how we represent the brand so words have a great impact on every aspect of the business.’

If you could choose three words that showcase you/your brand to the world, what would they be?

‘Chic, attainable, quality.’

What Words of Wisdom do you have for inspiring business professionals who want to succeed, while doing something that they love?

‘Just go for it, if you have an idea just bring it to market and see what happens!’

JUST. GO. FOR. IT.

A 6am start. A 2am finish.

He is engulfed in the ferociousness and exhilaration that is business.

Too difficult to avoid, and too late to escape, business will eat you up and suck you dry if you let it.

Don’t let it.

It’s tricky. It’s objective. It’s eventful, life changing and time consuming.

The roller coaster ride of emotion that is business cannot be substituted by any other experience. You have to be ‘IN’ it to completely appreciate the hours, the time, the stress, the happiness- the passion.

There will always be business, whether it is something that grows with technology or whether the practice of face-to-face trade makes a surprising come back.

But what does it take? What does it take to write your story the way that you want it written?

PASSION

One thing’s for certain; he who loves what he does, succeeds. But, is this the bottom line? Is passion all that you need?

It’s one thing to say ‘ Yes, I am going to quit my stable, full-time job to pursue my dream of becoming (insert dream occupation here)’. It’s another to actually do it. So surely, there’s more to success than just passion. There’d have to be more to take into account than the fact that you love something.

Passion may not be the sole cause of a successful, prosperous and profitable business professional. But, it sure does count for a hell of a lot. You know why? Because the hours aren’t long; they’re short. Because time isn’t slow; it’s fast.

Everything seems to fall into place if you have the passion… not because you want it to, but because you need it to.

Waking up in the morning is not a chore, as you are determined to change the world with everything you know about the things that you love.

PEOPLE

You can’t have the passion without the people.

We’re all human. Accepting the good and the bad, experiencing the highs and the lows. We all feel. We all care. Human emotion is a powerful thing when it is partnered with business. When you mix this with passion, it’s a combination that is hardly disputed.

So, what does this mean?

It means; network. Collaborate. Guest blog. Ask questions. Write emails. Write thank you emails. Write thank you emails to people who inspire you- even if you have never met them!

Risk it for people. It’s a risk worth taking; and one that will benefit you both personally and professionally no matter the outcome.

Any type of communication between people can lead to strengthening relationships, and business opportunities. Make the most of the resources you already have. You are human; your clients are human; your target audience is… you guessed it… human! It’s literally staring you in the face.

– People. The best investment you can make for your professional development.

PURPOSE

What’s a little passion, and a few good people, without a decent purpose? Nothing!

The hard part is determining your purpose, and why you’re doing what you’re doing. Yes, you love it. Yes, you know some AMAZING people. But, why are you living your life this way? Why are you doing what you’re doing?

Purpose is extremely personal, with no right or wrong. It must be acknowledged and understood because it is a motivational booster that can lead to your next big opportunity.

To truly understand your purpose is to truly understand your self, and that’s bloody hard. So, if you are struggling to find and define your purpose… that’s completely ok. Maybe your passion, and your people can lead you to that very destination?

Passion, people and purpose- it is a formidable combination. But, as a business professional it is the only way to write your own story, your own way.

*Natalie Scanlon is the Founding Director of Written Communications, and the creator of the International Guest Blog Series concept.

You can contact Natalie via the following;

Email: writtencommunications@outlook.com

Web: www.writcomm.com.au

Facebook: www.facebook.com/writtencommunications

Instagram: www.instagram.com/writtencommunications

Twitter: www.twitter.com/writcomm

LinkedIn: @NatalieScanlon

As much as you like writing- at times you will come across what people call 'writer’s block'.

Ideas suddenly stop coming, you can't get the words out of your head, and you seem to lose all motivation.

Sometimes, you have spent hours writing up a piece, but the visuals just don’t look right. If this sounds familiar to you, know that you are not alone. Creating great content is never easy, but thankfully, there are tools that make the process a tad bit easier. Check out below for 7 useful tools to help create great content.

Ideas generation tools: when you have a writer’s block

1. Pearltrees

Pearltrees is not exactly an idea generation tool per se, but it’s helpful to revisit your inspirations when you are against the wall. The tool allows you to save articles on the web. You can also highlight and share a section of the article on Facebook and Twitter as you read. You can organise articles in different categories, search for various topics and connect with people on Pearltrees. Install the extension on your browser and you won’t have to worry about losing your favourite articles again. The next time you need some tips or inspirations, head to your own Pearltrees account and rekindle your creativity.

2. Buzzsumo

It’s always good to learn from the best practices. Buzzsumo gives you an idea of trending articles, what is being shared in your industry. Simply search for a keyword, you will be able to know the top shared content of that keyword, where it’s shared and more. If you don’t have a specific topic in mind, Buzzsumo also gathers popular articles around the web to give you an idea of what is hot. The paid version allows you to see who’s linking back to the article, influencers and more. From this, you will be able to figure out what people are interested in and come up with relevant content.

3. Portent Content Idea Generator

As Portent describe it, some ideas are funny; some are shocking, and all are helpful. You only need to type in a keyword of your choice, and the tool will automatically generate an article title for you. If you don’t like it, just hit enter and you will get another one. While you will come across strange ideas that may not be practical, these surprising suggestions are a good way to get your creative juice.

Writing process: when you are stuck on words

4. Thesaurus

A Thesaurus is a writers’ best friend. Often, we find ourselves looking for alternative words to avoid repetition. At these times, The Oxford Thesaurus and Thesaurus.com will be your saviour.

5. Grammarly

No matter how good your writing is, it is very difficult to get an error-free first draft. That is why proof-reading is always an important step of the writing process. The Grammarly application has just made this part a lot easier. You can copy the whole text into the application; it automatically scans for errors and suggests corrections. There are also browser extensions to scan your texts in real time. Do note that Grammarly does not work when you are writing on Google Document, but you can always copy the texts over for proof-reading.

Visualisation: when you want to illustrate the content.

6. Canva

You don’t have to be a designer to be able to have beautiful photos. On Canva, you will find various pre-made templates, icons, free photos and fonts to create an eye-catching visual. If you are looking for ideas, you can also check out their paid designs for inspirations. You can download your creations as png, jpeg or pdf file.

7. Pixabay

If you need royalty-free stock photos, check out Pixabay. There are over 900,000 photos for you to download, free of charge. You only need to create an account and search for the photos you want. You can also find vector graphics and videos on this website. Attribution is not required but will be appreciated.

These tools will make the content creation process easier. However, nothing can replace the understanding of your readers, thorough research into your subjects and a writer’s meticulousness.

After all, as Duff Goldman said, “It’s not the wand, it’s the wizard.”

The article is written by Khanh Tran from Villa-Bali.com.

*Khanh Tran is the Marketing Communication Executive at Villa-Bali.com, a startup company located in Singapore that specialises in the vacation rental market.

Villa-Bali.com currently have more than 1,000 villas in Bali, Sri Lanka, Phuket, Samui and Mauritius.

You can contact Khanh by visiting: www.villa-bali.com

How have I achieved success? By defining success on my terms and living my values.

I work with customers I like, using a wide variety of skills and I’m turning a profit. I work flexible hours, take time off when I choose and work from home, at a café or on the dining table while my Partner watches TV. I take courses to develop my skills, contracts with organisations to learn from others and I attend and speak at as many networking events as I can. To me, this means I’m successful. I’m a solopreneur with a Communications business.

Success, after-all, is how you define it. To be enjoyed, it can only be defined on your terms. And if you’re not enjoying it, then what’s the point?

I once appeared ‘successful’. I ‘had it all’ Perfect marriage, beautiful house, travelled to exotic destinations, I maintained a size 10 figure. BUT I was so busy rushing around, ticking boxes, reaching goals, trying to make everyone else happy, paying down my mortgage as quickly as possible, saving for retirement. Life was out of control, but ‘perfect’ and ‘successful’. Until it inevitably crumbled.

My health gave out first. I suffered anxiety, then severe depression, followed by a full-blown nervous breakdown. Then my marriage ended.

I realise now that without health, you have nothing. Without love and support, it’s hard to stay healthy.

Rebuilding life was difficult – I moved back to Sydney from Canada - a city I hadn’t lived in for over a decade. But it was the beginning of creating a sustainable, happy, successful life.

Sure, I miss my meticulously renovated former Toronto home, and trips to the Caribbean, but my personal life, body and mind are healthy! Real estate may be out of control in many parts of Australia, but I’m reminded of how lovely the weather is. Renting in perpetual sunshine isn’t so bad after-all.

It can be hard to avoid old habits and pitfalls. I did find myself in a couple of roles that were very similar to those I had in my pre-breakdown life. I could see I’d run the risk of collapsing again if I didn’t listen to my intuition. My brain was rewiring itself for health, and my professional life needed to follow suit.

But, what did I have to offer? I couldn’t seem to find one corporate role that tapped into my broad range of communications skills. They all seemed to want to pigeon hole me into one job title and set of KPIs. I couldn’t feel happy and ultimately didn’t feel successful being defined by others.

After leaving my corporate role, I took some time (and rainy day funds) to attend networking events. I started to sell myself and my skills – rather than as a representative of a company. I undertook my own SWOT Analysis and focused on my strengths and the opportunities I saw, while staying realistic about my weaknesses and the threats I was up against.

Ultimately, I listened to people; family, friends, people on social media networks, people in the café line, the post office queue, the doctor’s waiting room. Nowhere was off limits! I still network like mad – recently after a hospital procedure, I handed my business card to the nurse for her daughter in media. In a recent ferry delay, I chatted to the woman next to me and left with her number and a business opportunity.

I started to write down all of the skills I had to offer and I focused on how I could solve people’s problems. A family friend saw my interest in his new fashion start-up, so I worked with him for free for 3 months - to help with Marketing, PR, digital media and business development. We both learned a fabulous amount, without the pressure of perfection. He is now a paying client with a growing brand, supplying to Wrapped by Red Balloon and Uncommon Goods out of New York.

Building strong relationships and providing quality work that meet my client’s needs is integral to my success. I have learned not to bite of more than I can chew, most of the time… I’m still working on my punctuality!

** Natalie is the Founder & Director of Natalie Hillar Communications, working with businesses, organisations and brands to implement a strategic mix of marketing and publicity services to achieve campaign goals. She also connects Marketers and Influencers via her business IMC Marketing & Communications.

Natalie began working in media, as a travel journalist, in 2000 - amid Sydney's Olympics frenzy.

After those initial years as a journalist, she shifted to media sales in the Magazine Publishing industry, working in Australia, Canada and the United States for over 10 years, becoming an advocate for her clients, and a print, digital and social media aficionado. More recently, she has taken a broader communications approach, focusing on Influencer Marketing and Digital media.

"My passion has always been helping Businesses and Brands connect with their desired audience, to achieve brand awareness and ultimately sales. In my magazine career, I worked with Marketers and Ad Agencies. These days, I gain the most satisfaction working with Entrepreneurs and Start-Ups to drive business growth from the ground up."

Twitter: @nataliehillar

Instagram: @imcmarketing

Facebook: @nataliehillarcomms & @imcsyd

Websites:

www.nataliehillar.com

www.influencercomms.com

email: natalie.hillar@influencercomms.com

HMMM… SO WHAT IS PR?

In my book, it is everything you say, everything you do and everything people say about you.

Get out of your head it is all about getting in the media. That is the ultimate in publicity but as soon as you put your face online, post on Facebook, attend a networking event, or write a blog, you are building a relationship with your public.

That is what PR is really about

Powerful relationships using stories to connect.

PR is such an overlooked tool in the marketing toolbelt. We forget how much people love storytelling. How much they want to believe in something bigger than them. How much they want to work with people who are real and who give a hoot about them.

When you are out spruiking your wares across all the platforms at our fingertips these day, remember PR is:

Any activity that keeps your brand or you top of mind in a positive way Not just about the media…brand messaging and positioning, awards and speaking engagements, social media, media training, thought leadership, blogging, content marketing Earned media – you did not have to buy it Third party endorsement – something you cannot buy Not a solution if you want a quick fix Used in conjunction with other marketing tools

Grow your publicity seed

PR is like a seed; it takes time to take root and needs to be nurtured to grow. It:

Is a long term strategy Builds loyalty, recognition and connections Builds relationships - maintaining healthy media relations Amplifies your profile – here today, gone tomorrow. PR is about getting key messages out to targeted media outlets

Using PR for business is not new

In the 1800s, Alvin Adams, a shipping and banking trailblazer, said “…Public relations are a key component of any operation in this day of instant communications and rightly inquisitive citizens.” If some dude from the 1800s thought this about PR then, do you see how valuable it is for your business now?

Your target audience want and need your stories

There are thousands of journalists and content platforms on the lookout for good stories – they really do want your stories. The media is a great conduit to your target audience. When starting this PR journey, that is who you need to focus on – your ideal client. What do they read and listen to? Is it online magazines or blogs? Is it podcasts? Or do they hangout on Facebook or LinkedIn?

Where to start with PR

Let’s start at the very beginning, shall we? Get to know your target audience well; they should become your best friend. Know what they like, dislike and most of all what is the problem they need solving. From there you can start working out which media platform to use – mainstream, online, blogs, videos, social. When you know the problems they need solving, you have the start of a long list of potential story ideas you can create content around.

From there, create a plan. This plan is your PR roadmap. Imagine getting into a car to drive to Location A and not using a map; your destination may not be where you expect. The same goes for a business … you need strategy and a plan so you know where you are going, what works and what does not, what stories you are writing or pitching to the media and what platforms you will use.

Go on, be different

PR is not just about getting media coverage (have I mentioned that?); it's also about the relationships you establish with your audience, clients, and other stakeholders through networking, speaking gigs, social media, blogs and other interactions. PR is about communicating with the audiences that matter to you. You are probably doing PR without even realising it – your content marketing, the posts on Facebook and Twitter, your Linkedin profile, the talk you did at the local networking group …

PR can benefit your business in many ways… and can dovetail with your current marketing plan (do you have one?). PR helps get you noticed, build your reputation and profile. Chances are many of your competitors have not considered PR as a strategy either – so it can set you apart. I know I am harping on about this but I really need you to get that PR is not something other people do ... it's something you SHOULD be doing RIGHT now.

Website: www.publicitygenie.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PublicityGenie

Email: hello@publicitygenie.com

There are several tactics you can use in digital marketing to attract leads and sales, they are all worthy and valid, but not necessarily ideal for your business. So, which is best for you? Check out the following 5 statements and see which shoe fits best!

I need sales NOW!

If you need to start driving leads immediately you would be best to trial Google AdWords. It taps into potential customers who are looking for your product or service. If people are typing into Google “Mechanic in [Suburb]” then you can get your name in front of them, at the top of the page immediately. A secondary option would be to try Facebook PPC using a direct call to action such as “Call Now” or “Buy Today!”. Google will target people already looking for you using keywords that they type, Facebook will target people based on their geographic location, their demographics and their interests.

I want to slowly grow my sales over the next 1 – 3 years!

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) may be the best fit for you. It will grow your websites traffic over the longer term and deliver you a strong return on investment. You can’t be in a hurry with SEO as it isn’t a quick fix. The tactics involved with SEO will be to look at the content on your website and ensure it is well written and helpful to people, set up your Google My Business account and make sure you link it to your website, fix any technical issues your website might have using the Google Search Console and then to write helpful articles on other people’s website pointing them back to you.

I want to grow my brand and build an audience

Facebook is great for building an audience. You can grow your number of followers and then promote ongoing products and services to them, you can grow your email database as well and then send them email promotions. If your business is even remotely social, then Facebook is a great place. Even if you are a B2B you can still make it work. With over 15 million users in Australia it’s hard to ignore the world’s biggest social network.

I have a large (1,000+) database of customers

Existing customers are much easier to market to than new customers. If you have a database of email addresses you should utilise email marketing to sell them extra products and services and get further referrals. Just write some catchy content, include an offer and a call to action and send it out. You can email people monthly, fortnightly or weekly, whichever is best for your business.

I want it all!!!

We have clients who want to do it all. It’s not uncommon to start with one strategy then add another after 3-6 months, then another and another. It’s important that each method be tested and proven before moving on to the next.

So, which of the above profiles fits you best? Whichever you choose make sure that you are communicating a clear and compelling message and doing so with the best practices technology!

**James Parnwell is an Online Marketing Consultant, Google Adword Expert, On Page SEO Expert and Facebook Marketing Specialist. James also is highly skilled at Marketing Messaging where he will assist your business get your Marketing Messaging correct, then implement the technology to transport that message around the world.Having completed his degree in Marketing 1996 he has since launched and run several businesses.

His primary passion is helping Small to Medium Business grow their business using online platforms and seeing Return On Investment for all money spent in the area of AdWords, Facebook and SEO. Online Marketing became his primary focus in 2009. The uniqueness of his fascination with Online Marketing compared with traditional marketing is the ability for transparency and data gathering. Online Marketing methods allow you to track how a campaign has performed and ultimately relate the dollars invested with the dollars returned.

He grows his consulting business by showing his clients proven results. The inevitable result is that they talk about their successes and he gets new clients from friends and family of existing clients.His business is built around relationships. Relationships with Google and Facebook as well as relationships with clients and staff. He is a Google Badged Partner and also has strong connections with Facebook. This enables him to deliver Best Practice to his clients.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesparnwell/

Website: www.theonlineco.net

Let’s face it, starting a business is tough. Between figuring out tax breaks, finding a domain name and deciding on exactly which social media platform you’ll spend the rest of your life on - you can’t even imagine fitting in workouts, can you?

The thing is, you can’t afford not to. I won’t melt your brain with boring statistics but let’s just say that a little bit of fitness goes a long way in boosting your business, your income and your energy levels.

Here’s my five fitness hacks for busy business owners:

1) Do what you love

There’s no point making yourself do spin class if you hate cycling, just because you saw on IG it was the ‘best exercise to lose weight.’ If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t stick to it. Find something that makes you feel good, and do that. Time restraints could make it tricky to attend a pump class, but once you find an overlap between what you enjoy and what you can fit in your schedule - you’ll be far more motivated to do said exercise. If you love pump but can’t make the timetable, do a 20 min strength based workout at home instead. If yoga is your jam but just can’t fit in an hour class, search YouTube for ’10 min yoga routine.’

2) Habits vs. results

I use this little trick with many of my busy clients and it works every time. Rather than focusing on the result - say losing 5kg, focus on the habit. Put your energy into creating healthy habits. You might aim to do 10 squats while brushing your teeth or to take the stairs instead of the lift before lunch every day. These small habits, done consistently, will eventually create the results you’re looking for. What’s more is they’ll give you an immediate energy spike which will boost your mental performance, helping your business run like clockwork.

3) Schedule it

Just like you use Plann to schedule your IG posts, you also need to plan your workouts. Or they just won’t happen. As a business owner myself, I’m inept at doing anything that isn't written down. You make appointments for your doctor, your hairdresser and your kids, right? Do the same thing for your fitness. Write down the day and time you plan to workout. Then set your alarm to go off 10 minutes before that time, so you’re prepared and ready to rock it. A small yet incredibly powerful tip.

4) Keep it short

Really, who has time for hour long workouts? 60 entire minutes on the treadmill? Unless you’re giving me back to back Orange is the New Black, it’s a hard no from me. You’re a business owner which means you’re probably short on time, but you still want to look and feel healthy, fit and energetic. Short and efficient workouts are what you need. Check out my go to workout for when I’m short on time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J004jiJOa50

5) Listen to the experts

I’m an expert in two things -

Helping stressed out women squeeze bits of fitness into their life Eating cheese

Richard Branson is probably an expert in neither of these, but it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about running a successful business. So when it comes to business and exercise, he’s worth listening to. Check out what he had to say about combining the two.

“Make time for yourself. Exercise does not deplete my energy. Instead, it gives me energy and makes me feel like a young kid again. I make time for physical activity, preferably a fun group exercise. Having fun with others makes exercise feel less like a burden and more social.”

- Sir Richard Branson, co-founder Virgin.

Who would have thought Sir Richard Branson would look so pretty sporting a pair of giant butterfly wings?

If the guy running a global billion dollar company can find time to exercise, so can you.

Starting a fitness routine isn’t easy, and neither is starting a business. If you prioritise self care and take a few minutes out each day to better your health, your business, your body and your bank account will thank you for it.

If you’d like to get started on a fitness program but don’t know how, head over to my website www.fitwithsally.com to download a free copy of my 4 Week Workout Guide.

As a special offer to readers of Written Communications, Fit With Sally is offering four weeks of training for free when you purchase any one of her 12 Weeks to Strong Programs. http://www.fitwithsally.com/12weekstostrong/

*Must purchase by midnight Wednesday 28th June 2017.

** Sally is driven to challenge the current fitness notions that dominate our image focused society. She inspires women to reclaim their self confidence with no-bullshit fitness advice, real world nutrition tips and a healthy dose of positivity.

Sally has lived abroad for the past six and a half years and currently lives in Austria with her husband and several house plants (despite not having a green thumb). She loves traveling, eating cheese and hiking.

To connect with Sally, email her at sally@fitwithsally.com

Alternatively, you can stalk her here:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fitwithsally

Web: www.fitwithsally.com

Instagram: @fitwithsally

What did Steve Jobs, Larry Page and Sergey Brin have in common? Excellent business mentors. Aside from being geniuses, and “tech titans” they knew the value of having a business mentor and they’re not alone. Throughout history there are examples of mentoring relationships right back the days of Socrates’ and Plato.

There are many benefits to having a mentor. Someone who has already faced the challenges in business management can have valuable advice when it comes to problems arising. They can provide experience, knowledge and wisdom in areas you may be lacking. A business mentor can become someone you can trust, lean on for support when making big decisions and also provide thoughtful risk assessments. Sometimes just having a sounding board can be a helpful tool when starting out in a business.

It doesn’t mean either that the mentoring relationship is just for people new to certain businesses. In fact, it can be of great benefit to even those who have years of experience as it may give you a new set of eyes on any issues you may encounter.

The benefits though go further than that.

It can increase loyalty. No longer are they simply employed by a business, they are connected to others which can increase their loyalty and reduce the likelihood of them leaving the company. The connection can help foster stronger bonds and relationships within the workforce as well.New employees have someone to turn to when they need help and may be better able to deal with issues that arise.Better educated employees will perform better than those who have not been trained or have not learned from others. It is one thing to teach someone from a book, or a video, and a whole other thing for them to be able to learn in their own time from someone who is readily available to assist them as they encounter things they need assistance with. It gives everyone multiple perspectives on things within the workplace which can increase innovation and productivity. Having more than one person working on something can push things forward.Mentors can connect other employees with industry leaders and connections that can aid them in their careers as well and help guide newer employees to look to higher roles within the company. This can also assist employees and mentors who may leave a business, giving them connections they may not have otherwise had.Employees asking their mentors when they have questions or run into issues can help cut costs that may arise from mistakes made by newer employees. This can also help to increase productivity as well, by reducing overall mistakes made.Mentorship can encourage new hires as it can be a benefit to employees and give them someone within the business they can trust, confide in and turn to right away. It also creates a better environment where everyone works more cooperatively which can be attractive to someone looking for a new place to work.Mentors also benefit from these relationships. They can gain confidence that can encourage growth within themselves and their work within the business.Mentoring creates a teacher-student relationship which can improve how well they do in supervisor positions and other positions in which they have to look over other employees.

Overall a mentoring relationship can improve all aspects of the business and can aid the employer, the mentor and the employees. It creates a better workforce that is educated properly and well connected and also improves the workplace environment itself.

** Louise Procter is a writer and content developer for Wyatts Compensation Lawyers.

Website: www.wyattscompensationlawyers.com.au

Email:louise@theonlineco.net

I know it is stating the blatantly obvious but the only methods to grow your business are:

To increase your revenue you need to get your current customers to buy more or get more customers.To increase profit you need to find a more efficient way of serving your customers that delivers greater value so they are happy to pay more.

Achieving these objectives depends on effective and resourceful management of your customer relationships. This requires engaging communication strategies with valuable communication.

The following are 5 tips to help you do that.

Know your customer profitability. In particular, who are your most profitable customers and your least profitable customers? Generally you will find that 20% of your customers will bring in 80% of your revenue. Analyse their characteristics to put them in groups; identify the common characteristics of each group. For highest revenue growth, target more prospects who are like your profitable customers and avoid the least-profitable types.Understand your customers. What do they value and what do they want? Where do they gather their information and how do they like to communicate? Knowing this will help you make decisions so you deliver the right message to the right customer at the right time via the right media channel. If you know what they want, you can provide it. If you don’t know, ask them!Define your relationship strategy. You want different relationships with each group of customers. The aim is to increase the loyalty and spending of your most profitable customers, therefore you want in-depth communication with them, individually if you can. As there is little business value in relationships with your least profitable customers beyond maintaining the connection, they should receive less communication that is more general in nature and lower cost to serve. This will help you get the best return on investment on your marketing and customer service spend.Plan your two-way communication. Create a plan for your communication with each group of customers; how often, which communication channel/medium, what message and what offers will you make so that you deliver just what your customer wants. Also be sure to plan how you will receive communication from your customers. A relationship requires two-way communication so you need to listen to your customers to understand them and know what they value. Be sure to save and analyse this feedback and information as it is very valuable to your business – especially if it is negative. It is best to know what you need to fix.Always focus on the value you deliver. In every communication, make sure you deliver value to your customer – in their terms and based on their problems and needs, and not just what you think is value. Ensure you have a message and offer that is valuable and important to them. Knowing your most profitable customers well means you can offer more of what they like and with an objective to acquire more customers just like them. Consequently you will increase you profitability and your revenue.

These are some of the tips for good customer relationship management. I know it is a lot easier said than done, but if you start with the right relationship and communication strategies for your customers, it will be a lot easier for you to grow your business. You can always call on coaches like me to help you execute these tips.

** Janeen Sonsie from Get Real Communications shows business leaders and teams how to break through the blockages that stifle their profitability - by getting real with high energy.

Armed with Janeen’s practical tools, businesses build productive, high energy relationships - leading to lower staff turnover, less workplace squabbling and sabotage, and more engaged staff and customers. Her specialty area is supercharging sales and marketing teams for high energy performance.

Janeen is also author of the book “Get the BALLS to Get REAL – 5 Authentic Strategies to be a Great Communicator”. Available on Amazon.

For more information contact Janeen at;

Website: http://getrealcommunication.com Email: janeen@getrealcommunication.com

Phone: +61 3 9016 9069

Facebook: https://facebook.com/JaneenSonsie.GetRealCommunication/

GetRealCom or JaneenSonsie

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/janeensonsie

You don’t have to be a Zen master to perfect mindfulness, you just have to pay attention in the present moment in a particular way, on purpose and with no judgment.

That’s it!

Not convinced? Well, just like everything, mindfulness becomes easier the more you do it.

What consumes your mind controls your life …

Mindfulness is achievable and it is accessible to everyone who wants to practice it on a daily basis. It’s a little bit like pruning your garden.

If you think of your mind like a garden and thoughts are the seeds you plant and emotions are what waters and fertilises your garden … you can either grow flowers, or weeds, depending on what you feed your mind.

So … on a regular basis, do some weeding, and always water and fertilise the seeds that will bloom into magnificent things!

The opposite of mindfulness is mindlessness

You cannot be fully engaged with your environment if you are mindless – either too caught up in yourself, or too focused on what’s happening around you. Being mindless is bad for your productivity and it ends up leaving you sort of directionless, wandering around wondering what your life is all about.

We all get pulled into the past or the future, and neither of it is healthy. There is now a tonne of research that tells us that being stuck in the past creates depression and being stuck in the future creates anxiety. So ... why do we keep torturing ourselves? We have the ability to choose, and to set our mind to live here in the ‘present’ moment.

Make yourself a priority …

Mindlessness is not a flaw of character, it is simply a consequence of the way your mind functions. The human brain is geared to organise information through action oriented patterns … in other words it automatically jumps to conclusions, like for example, if you don’t get a promotion, you think to yourself: ‘Ugh, they don’t think I’m good enough’ or ‘I never should have applied for the job, now I look stupid.’

This is not an efficient and productive way of thinking – in fact it’s quite destructive and the simple fact of the matter is there is no evidence to suggest any of it.

Alternatively, a much healthier and emotionally intelligent response would be to realise that you didn’t get the job because there is something else coming along for you.

Because life is full of limitless possibilities. And there are always opportunities flowing in and out of our experience.

Don’t’ believe everything you think …

When you can stop for a moment – and be mindful – and just observe what you’re thinking – whether its positive or negative, you’re truly in control. Because in that one instant, instead of choosing thoughts that made you feel sad, stuck and powerless, you can choose thoughts that present a brighter, more optimistic set of circumstances.

Suddenly then, even in the face of an outcome you weren’t hoping for, life seems good, instead of dissatisfying.

When you can be mindful you achieve emotional growth and resilience, because you will have tamed your ‘emotional’ or ‘default’ reaction and chosen to move forward in a far more productive mindset. Being mindful doesn’t allow you to simply ‘ignore the issue’ but it does enable you to see your disappointment at the outcome of the situation for what it is. It enables you to separate emotional response from objective response and give yourself a chance to choose what your next move will be.

After all, it’s your life. There are always setbacks and challenges and despite all the will in the world sometimes we don’t always get what we want. But when we practice mindfulness, we stay present, and we are able to build much more rewarding lives.

**Catherine Plano is known in her community as an innovative leader and creative entrepreneur who specialises in helping people achieve their goals and dreams. She is passionate about assisting others to reach their highest ambitions and live a life that is fulfilling and rich. She is a strong advocate and a leader by nature. Catherine thinks BIG, encourages possibilities, and honors individual wisdom and strengths, and is valued for helping leaders build stronger and more effective teams that come to think strategically and engage in meaningful conversations that allow for reflection, change and growth.

Catherine is an International Keynote Speaker and Executive Coach, Leadership Development Professional, Queen of Transformation, a Creative Soul Adventurer, a Theorist and Provocateur of Change, and … an Agent of Philosophy. Catherine Plano has dedicated her entire life to helping others transform their own lives into greatness. With more than two decades of working with renowned companies and touching 100,000 lives through spiritual and mental reinvention.Catherine Plano continues her mission of aiding companies and individuals in becoming aware of their limitless potential and using their extraordinary abilities to achieve their desired outcomes.

Catherine changes lives daily through working with international teams, executives, businesses and life coaching, both women and teenagers and inspiring as a motivational speaker.With notable certifications issued by prominent organizations like the Life Coaching Institute of Australia (Professional Certified Coach) or Neurofeedback BCI (neuroscience, behavioural and cognitive science) or the Association for Integrative Psychology (Certified Trainer of Neuro Linguistic Programming, Mental & Emotional Release (MER) ®, Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy), just to name a few.

email: catherine@catherineplano.com.au

web: www.catherineplano.com

web: www.heartofthematterbook.com

web: www.riseandthrive.com.au

twitter: @catherineplano

instagram: catherineplano

High emotional intelligence is responsible for productive harmony at work, successful relationships with loved ones and friends, and an inner sense of calm and emotional balance.

For an organisation to evolve from good to great, it requires the people in the business to work well together. Lack of trust, unresolved conflicts or resentment, or individuals not understanding how their actions impact others can be roadblocks to productivity and delivering great results in the workplace.

Unlike IQ (intelligence quotient), there are few measurements of emotional quotient or intelligence (EQ or EI).

Academics, Salovey and Mayer, first coined the term emotional intelligence in 1990. They defined it as the ability to:

perceive emotionsuse emotionsunderstand emotionsmanage emotions.

With the publication of Daniel Goleman’s bestseller, ‘Emotional Intelligence’ in 1995, the term became popularised.

Research shows

EQ skills separate high-achievers from average performersmanagers high in EQ outperform their targets by 20%salespeople selected on EQ outperform others by 40%leaders who display constructive behaviours have high EQ and the business grows.

So what attributes indicate high emotional intelligence?

SELF-AWARENESS

Self-awareness is a quality of EQ; knowing what you are feeling and why you are feeling it.

PEOPLE READING

The ability to read the emotions and non-verbal cues of others is also important.

The Harvard ‘Reading the Eyes in the Mind’ test assesses how well you can accurately read which emotion someone is experiencing by what you see in their eyes. The test presents 37 photos of pairs of eyes with a choice of four emotions, e.g. ashamed, nervous, suspicious, indecisive.

To try this test out for yourself, go to http://socialintelligence.labinthewild.org/mite/

Accurately reading emotions of people around you means you are sensitive and responsive to people’s feelings. That’s EQ.

STIMULUS RESPONSE

‘Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response,’ writes author Victor Frankl.

When something bad happens to us, we can either experience a knee-jerk reaction or we can pause a moment to stabilise our feelings and consider our response.

An emotionally intelligent person has mastery over their emotions and emotional responses. If you can reflect and consider before reacting, you are demonstrating EQ.

ATTITUDE

Our emotions influence both what we think about and how we think. If you are in a positive mood you will see things differently than when in a negative mood.

OPTIMISM-PESSIMISM

When something bad happens to an optimist, they view it as temporary and a one-off event. But when a negative experience happens to a pessimist, they regard it as permanent and universal. A pessimist might even respond to such an event with, ‘That always happens to me! ‘

Here’s an optimism/pessimism indicator question.

You gain weight over the holidays and you can’t lose it. What is your response, A or B?

A. Diets don’t work.

B. The diet I tried didn’t work.

If you answered B, ‘The diet I tried didn’t work’, you’ve taken an optimistic approach; failure is temporary. If your response is A, ‘Diets don’t work’, then that’s how a pessimist views events; failure is permanent.

Are optimists happier in life?

Pessimists may view the world (according to them) ‘realistically’. Optimists may be under an illusion, but it can be argued they experience more joy in the moment.

STRESS TOLERANCE

Ability to tolerate stress and being slow to express frustration is also an indicator of high EQ.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

When treated in an unfair manner or not shown due respect or consideration, can I avoid becoming too angry or lashing out?Can I maintain emotional equilibrium and stop myself from getting too down when I experience negative events?Can I prevent prevent myself becoming overly worried about things?When I do get upset, can I calm myself down and bounce back emotionally?

Being resilient means staying emotionally buoyant, bouncing back after an upset and not catastrophising i.e. viewing an inconvenience or disruption as, on the scale of things, worse than it really is.

RESILIENCE

12-step recovery programs use this saying: ‘Grant me the power to accept the things I can’t change; to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.’

It requires emotional intelligence to achieve this clarity.

THE TWO MARSHMALLOW TEST

This is the scenario. You are given a marshmallow, but here’s the deal. You can choose to eat it now; or if you can wait 15 minutes, and not eat that marshmallow, you’ll be given a second one.

IMPULSE CONTROL AND DELAYED GRATIFICATION

Research at Stanford University showed the ability to wait for a second marshmallow was an indicator of future success in life and career. Dunedin University research focused on the relationship between childhood self-control and social measures such as health, wealth and crime.

Could you wait for the second marshmallow?

FLEXIBILITY

In summary, an emotionally intelligent person is able to adjust their feelings, thoughts and behaviours to changing situations and conditions. They are open to different ideas and ways of doing things. They are able to look at the brighter side of life and maintain a positive attitude even when times are tough. They are good at problem-solving and able to identify problems as well as generate and implement solutions.

WHERE TO FROM HERE

You can increase your self-awareness by:

Observing your reactionsNaming your emotions; ‘What am I feeling right now?’After a negative encounter, stop, reflect what you are feeling and why.Listening to your tone of voice when you are happy, stressed, tired, hungry

And if you have the opportunity, complete a psychometric test or personality profile such as Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ®, DiSC ®, Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument ®, MSCEIT or EQ-i. They help you reflect on your strengths and weaknesses and aid you to understand yourself and understand others.

*Nina Sunday helps teams improve teamwork and tolerance by discovering what is high emotional intelligence.

ninasunday@brainpowertraining.com.au

www.brainpowertraining.com.au

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ninasunday/

© Nina Sunday 2017.

If you run a small business, you want to be spending your time thinking about how to make your business grow – not being buried by paperwork. Using the four small business accounting hacks below, you’ll be well on your way to streamlining your accounting operations and driving tremendous results for your company. HACK #1: Understand your company’s margins Too many small business owners focus only on sales and revenue. If a business is selling a lot of product, it must be good news, right? Well, maybe. A lot depends on the margins of your products. In other words, if you’re spending $99 to sell a $100 item, that’s not the best use of your company’s cash flow. You’re not going to be a successful business with razor-thin 1% margins. Your net profit margin is a simple calculation: (Revenue – Expenses) / (Revenue). In layman’s terms, your net profit margins tell you how much of each sale you’re actually making as pure profit. Knowing your margins can help you focus your energies on business activities that are going to drive tremendous results.

HACK #2: Get into the cloud Just as all of your music and photos are stored in the cloud, it’s also possible to store all of your company’s accounting information in the cloud. Rather than using accounting software that you manually install on a computer – try using the latest generation of cloud-based accounting software. There’s a good reason why this is so helpful – it means you can access your company’s information from any device, no matter where you are. In other words, you can check on your company’s operations at any time using your tablet or smartphone and get a real-time sense of where you stand at any point in time.

HACK #3: Lower the cost of each financial transaction Chances are, you’ve set up a separate small business banking account. But are you aware of how much you’re being charged for each transaction? If you want to squeeze the greatest value out of your business, one easy accounting hack is to lower the cost of each financial transaction. It’s the reason some small businesses are exploring alternative financial providers like PayPal – it’s a way to make each transaction less costly. Now’s the time to reassess your financial relationships. Just like you’d reassess how much you’re paying to a credit card company, you can also reassess how much you are paying for any financial transaction as a small business.

HACK #4: Make taxes a year-round issue Ok, sooner or later we had to mention taxes, right? Most small businesses make the mistake of trying to cram all their tax work into a very concentrated period of the year. Instead of hunting around for documents during the busiest time of the year and missing out on some important deductions, why not make taxes a year-round issue? By getting used to the habit of good recordkeeping, you’ll be well ahead of the curve come tax time. ** These 4 accounting hacks should help to streamline your company’s accounting workflow. By getting as much information into the cloud, it makes it much easier to collaborate with other team members. By getting into the habit of good recordkeeping year-round, you can make tax season as painless as possible. And by constantly looking for ways to make each transaction – no matter how tiny – as efficient as possible, you can literally create additional cash flow overnight!

** Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, with corporate headquarters in Grand Prairie, Texas, Lorra Brown is a multi-faceted business strategist that works with a plethora of clients around the country. As the CEO of LBE Consulting, PLLC, Author of Entrepreneurs New Business Kit and recently CFO for Dr. Tony Evans; she provides accounting services and business consulting to a diverse bed of self-employed professionals. Having early on recognized the specific accounting and tax needs of female business owners, she was inspired to develop her consulting company as the ultimate solution. She has since garnered a wealth of f emale entrepreneur clients, and become widely known as both a thought leader and leading authority in small business accounting and tax. She’s also shared much of her insight through a number of guest speaking opportunities and editorial contributions to various media platforms. Whether hearing her speak or reading her words, people are immediately engaged by Lorra’s experiences in and perspectives about finances, women entrepreneurship, small business accounting, and tax resolution.

Social Media Links

Facebook: @LorraBrownEnterprises

Twitter: @brown_lorra

Instagram: @lorra_brown

I once had a conversation with an editor of a mainstream newspaper who said she didn’t care how PR pros pitched her as long as they didn’t waste her time. OK, seems simple enough. Yet getting your approach just right can still be daunting, so I thought it would be a good time to revisit the rules for successful story pitching as this is something I have been focusing on a lot recently.

Keep your pitch under 200 words

Some PR pros would make the case for fewer, but there are instances where more is actually more. However, the prevailing rule is the shorter, the better.

Be prepared

Those of us who opt for minimal subject lines and two-sentence email pitches need to be prepared to answer all logical questions, arrange interviews, supply statistics or other data, and essentially close the sale. There’s nothing worse than having a journalist bite on a pitch for a time-sensitive story and have to spend a week digging up research or wrangling a client for an interview. Be ready to go.

Get strategic with your subject line

The same editor told me the simplest subject line is the best. If you know the editor well, go with “Hi Jane, it’s me.” If not, find a compelling few words that get the message across without being too clever.

Can your story be tied to a trend?

If this sounds tried and true, it is. The best PR pros are voracious media consumers and this gives them insights into what’s current in pop culture, politics, tech breakthroughs and world events. The best pitches are often those that point out a connection to a hot trend.

We’ve got the beat

Demonstrating knowledge of journalist beats is one of the most direct routes to interest in a story idea. And it pays to go the extra mile. Dig deeper to find out if the journalist covers the software or hardware, or whether a regional publication includes your client’s hometown or if that consumer reporter ever covers new products or only trends. This extra step can be the difference between a productive relationship and a snarky email ousting you on your media mis-step.

Be fearless in your follow-up

If a reporter has opened the door to the possibility of a story but doesn’t commit right away, don’t give up. I don’t condone mindless pestering. I do advocate building on what has already been pitched to flesh out an angle even further. This approach can heighten the urgency of your story and help a fence-sitting journalist decide to cover.

Get results by being persistent

If an editor doesn’t snatch the bait the first or second time, try a third time. And if still no snatch, follow it up with a phone call and prove you believe in the story, and give it one last chance to get the story featured.

Not every story will get covered, it is impossible to think otherwise, but make sure you have covered the facts and tried to sell your heart and soul. If you fail, get thinking about your next media hook.

*Rebecca McGregor is a partner of Publicity Genie and has worked in PR for 16 years and counting. She is also a guest blogger for the Public Relations Charted Institute in Europe. With a wealth of experience, Rebecca is passionate about PR and always happy to help. You can contact Rebecca using the links below;

Website: www.publicitygenie.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/becca.rigney.77

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-mcgregor-mcipr-4b45a2123/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Becca_PRGenie

In recent months, getting engagement on business Facebook pages has got much more difficult.

It’s easy to understand why: there is so much content on Facebook now that your posts can’t possibly reach all of your page followers. It’s estimated that only 10% of your page followers will see one of your posts.

In addition, Facebook’s updated algorithms favour showing pages whose posts have a good level of engagement.

So how can you do this? There are many ways in which to increase your engagement on your Facebook page, but here are five to start you off…

1) Post when your followers are online

If you look at the “Insights” section on your Facebook business page, you can see at what times your followers are most likely to be online.

Times can vary according to your target market (for example if you wanted mothers to see your post, many are online around the time of the school run while they’re waiting for their children to come out), but generally speaking most Facebook users are very active first thing in the morning, around lunchtime and after dinner.

Make sure you’re posting when your followers are online to see the post.

2) Include a “call to action”

If you want your audience to do something, you need to tell them to do it!

Try to include a call to action on as many of your posts as possible - whether it’s asking your audience to comment, share the post or click the link to that article on your website. Asking questions is also a great way to get a response from people:

3) Give people a laugh!

For the most part, you want your Facebook business page to produce posts which are informative, promote your business and add value to your customers.

However, it doesn’t need to be all “serious” - sharing funny posts is a great way to get engagement on your page, because who doesn’t love a giggle? It could be a cartoon related to your line of work….

…. or just something that made you laugh!

However, don’t get caught in the trap of posting more funny material than solid content - your page engagement will be great but your sales won’t be.

4) Respond to all comments

Make sure that you “like” every comment, and where possible respond with a comment of your own. Not only does this literally increase levels of engagement on your page therefore make it more likely to be seen in people’s news feeds; it builds a relationship with people who might be your future customers (or indeed retains a relationship with existing ones!)

5) Use Facebook Live

Yes, it’s can seem scary, but the more you do it, the easier it will become!

Facebook Live is one of the social media platform’s most recent offerings. It’s worth doing because:

Followers can get an idea of the person behind the brand and feel more of a connection with youPeople LOVE videos and are more likely to engage with posts featuring them than any other type of contentFacebook’s algorithms favour pages which use Facebook Live, so you’ll be more likely to appear in people’s news feeds.

Give these suggestions a shot on your own Facebook business page - I’d love to hear back if they helped you increase engagement!

* Zoë Arpin of Teapot Communications specialises in helping small business navigate the world of marketing. She has a particular focus on copywriting, content creation and social media management.

If marketing's not your cup of tea, Zoë would love to help you!

www.teapotcommunications.com.au

www.facebook.com/teapotcommunications

www.instagram.com/teapotcommunications

In a world with ever diminishing resources and luxuries previous generations took for granted, the sharing economy has really boomed. It doesn’t matter if you can’t afford the upkeep on your own car or can’t pay for flights and hotels on your holiday because the sharing economy lets you access luxuries on a pay as you go basis.

AirBnB is the world leader in travel accommodation yet not one of the half million listings across 190 countries are for properties they own. You could be forgiven for thinking their greatest achievement is meeting the needs of homeowners looking to make some cash out of their space or providing affordable, unique accommodation to savvy holiday-makers.

The true genius of AirBnB is not their business model but how they market it.

Marketing Gurus

AirBnB’s meteoric rise can largely be put down to their unconventional yet totally inspirational and innovative marketing strategies. Sure, their business model is sound; they meet many needs from providing budget-friendly shelter to offering unique accommodation to adventurous travellers. However, what has elevated them way above their rivals is the ingenuity and flair displayed in their marketing.

AirBnB have taken the art of marketing and gone beyond expertise into almost savant territory. Their ability to see an opportunity and turn it to their advantage is to be revered and studied.

Take risks

The cornerstone of AirBnB’s marketing success is their courage in taking risks. Some businesses let opportunities pass them by for fear of getting a bad reception, others because they don’t want to be seen jumping on a bandwagon.

AirBnB are not obsessed with being trendsetters and focus more on what they can add to a bandwagon event. For example, the time an American tourist got locked in a London bookshop went viral. AirBnB could have just got involved in the social media banter and hoped their quips gained them a little bit of attention. Instead they thought big and partnered with Waterstones bookshop to offer fans of both brands the opportunity to have a bookshop sleepover.

They took a risk and it paid off with both brands enjoying a lot of positive press from what initially looked like a PR nightmare for the bookshop.

Get some partners

AirBnB have proven that partnering can provide some serious exposure and generate a lot of buzz. Successful AirBnB partnerships include KLM airline, Waterstones bookshop and even the French government.

Each time AirBnB partnered with another brand they thought of what would appeal to lovers of each brand. The brand crossover offered something unique. For example, the KLM crossover saw customers offered the chance to spend a night in a luxury ‘Airplane Apartment’.

Work with influencers

In 2015 AirBnB hosted a ‘floating house’ publicity stunt on the Thames River in London with a variety of related events including a #FloatingHouseParty where attendees were encouraged to live stream, take pictures and splash the evening all over social media. The resultant coverage was monumental with 340 press pieces just in the UK which translated into over 70,000 page hits, 10,000 new users, and more than 200 million social impressions!

Any event AirBnB hosts they invite as many social influencers as possible. By inviting journalists, bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters and Instagram stars to their events they get a steady stream of coverage. Social media users will generate real-time buzz with traditional journalists and YouTube stars following up over the proceeding few days to keep the buzz going.

Use quality imagery

Airbnb place a lot of importance on the quality of the imagery across their site. For them it’s not just about consistency across their media, it’s about the story it tells. It is said that a picture tells a thousand words which is why AirBnB offer all their hosts free professional photography.

AirBnB seeks to inspire travellers with beautiful pictures. Each picture is a promise of a new adventure or a certain quality of life. It’s a powerful marketing tool because people can’t help but brag. They want to show people where they are staying and revel in their audience marvelling in disbelief at the location, the price, the luxuriousness of the accommodation or all three. It also helps that better quality content gets more engagement.

Lifestyle

The focus of AirBnB’s marketing is selling their service as a lifestyle choice. People choose to stay in an AirBnB property rather than a hotel because AirBnB can offer them something the average mid-priced hotel cannot: local knowledge. Hosts often put together welcome packs for their guests with knowledge only a local would have. It all adds to the authenticity of the experience. It allows guests to regale friends and family with tales of discoveries they would never have made by staying in a conventional hotel.

AirBnB have turned the necessity of accommodation into a lifestyle choice. “AirBnb? Oh you simply have to try it.” That’s why they are marketing gurus and you should be paying attention to what they’re doing.

** Attitude isn’t everything. But it sure helps. Maria Bellissimo-Magrin wouldn’t have become the CEO of full-service creative marketing agency Belgrin without it. She is not one to showcase her endless successes, but let’s her client’s results speak for themselves. Maria is able to find the perfect balance between creative aesthetics and marketing which have had tremendous results time and time again. Maria relishes every opportunity and aspect of her full-service creative marketing role, but what makes her most successful is that she goes over and above her clients expectations. It is with proven track record that Maria’s client base is growing and her longer serving clients are reaping the rewards.

• Website - www.belgrin.com.au • Facebook - @belgrin • Twitter - @Belgrin_ • Linkedin - https://au.linkedin.com/in/belgrin

Speaking is much more than just words. When we communicate we are bringing our mindset and vocal tonality to the conversation.

Our voice, message and mindset must send the same signal and say the same thing. When this happens we bring more of ourselves to our speaking, creating deeper engagement with our audiences and conversation.

Have you met someone who says one thing but means another? Or have you heard the statement

“Don’t use that tone of voice with me love”

Your vocal tone must match your message but often the voice is saying one thing and the message is saying another. This is because we are unaware of how our emotions can actually effect our vocal tone.

We are not fully sold on what we are speaking about and not sure about the platform we step on. So we loose our confidence and we become incongruent and then begin to loose the conviction in what we are here to say.

To be heard, those who listen to us need to feel and know that we are confident and the expert in our field.

When I work with clients I often hear nuances that are inconsistent to what the person is actually wanting to create.

Its difficult to assess the quality and effectiveness of your speaking when you are so caught up being the speaker and busy addressing your audience.

To find out what you are really saying you must either record yourself and then listen back and review or have a mentor critic your voice, message and audience response.

Most people say to me they hate the sound of their voice and cringe when they hear it back. When I work with clients I help them create flexibly in their vocal sound, allowing them to have more choice over their voice and not feel stuck with the sound they here. However most importantly I help my clients take their message out to the world with confidence and passion.

EMOTIONS CAN ALTER YOUR VOCAL TONE

We cannot detach the speech from emotions you feel. Your voice will always reveal your soul. Your mindset effects your voice and the success of the power and influence of your message.

“The human voice is the organ of the soul” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Research tells us that emotions conveyed is always more powerful than words themselves.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/01/160118134938.htm?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Your communication will always be powerful when you acknowledge that words are the last thing people hear, instead the first thing is how your body and vocal tone match what your are here to say.

Your vocal tone is effected by emotions and that means that at times we can loose control of our voice because our emotions are exposing what we are really experiencing and we lack experience to manage our voice.

With vocal technique you can navigate and harness this situation and still manage to get your message out without others knowing too much.

The voice is driven by three systems of nerve pathways. The Limbic System is activated by emotions and environment and can take over you voice when you lack control.

The larynx is located about midway in the neck and located between vital systems of the body. Some of the most important functions such as breathing and swallowing are shared with the same space that the voice is located in. We cannot hide our inner soul because our vocal tone will always be stronger than the words we speak.

Scientist and Researchers have identified charismatic leaders who use their voice to convey a messages with success is because they use specific timbre, tone and cadence in their voice which result in powerful influential communication. Now successful politicians share the same key vocal qualities that strongly effect how people respond to them and it has nothing to do with the meaning of their words they say or the ideas the express,

http://www.voicepowerstudios.com/resources/blog/how-to-train-your-voice-to-be-more-charismatic.html

Dr. Signorello said. “The voice is a tool that can be trained,” he said. “Singers and actors train their voices to reach higher or lower frequencies. A leader-speaker should do the same.”

If you wish to find out more please go to www.mariapellicano.com and check out my mentoring packages or contact me on 0409 187601 and let’s have a chat.

Thank you for reading this article and I wish you successful and powerful communication.

Maria Pellicano

Speaker, Author Mentor

Harness Your Voice - Speak With Influence And Power

https://www.lulu.com/shop/search.ep?keyWords=The+art+of+powerful+communication&type=

**Maria Is an author, speaker, singer and coach. She is the Director of "Harness your voice" for speaking training and SingOut school. She is qualified mentor vocal coach, certified with the Institute of Vocal Advancement and also a Master human behaviour and NLP (marin style) Strategist. Maria has been working with delivery and voice for the past 20 years, with over 10,000 hours of private and master classes and workshops. helping singers, actors, speakers, trainers, teachers and preacher to speak with confidence, control and passion. She is the recent author of “The Art Of Powerful Communication” Aligning The Mindset, Message and Voice. The book got best seller in seven Amazon Categories. In workshops and private mentoring sessions maria closes the gaps in communication empowering leaders to have greater credibility, competency and confidence that provoke emotion in audiences on any platform.

When it comes to getting marketing help it can be difficult to understand what you'll get. One of the reasons for this is that marketers are good at positioning themselves. They will often have glossy collateral that seems to cover all your bases. But, not all are able to follow through. Working your way through this is a major challenge for small business owners that are already stretched running the business.

You don't need to know a lot to be able to filter out the hype from reality. It comes down to knowing what questions to ask.

Before you start asking potential providers questions, there are a few things that you need to know to work out what is going to work for you.

The two key questions are:

· What are your marketing goals? Are you looking for a short-term fix or long-term solution?

· What tasks are you comfortable outsourcing? What would you rather have done in-house?

Once you've worked out these basic parameters you'll be able to better assess your options. When looking for help there are 4 areas to assess:

What experience do they have?

They don't need to have experience in your industry to be effective. What is more important is that they have done the type of marketing that your business needs. Do you sell business to business or business to consumer? If a marketing professional has only dealt with heavy industry then handling a surf retailer is going to be challenging. The approach to each is different.

Beyond industry experience, the other thing to consider is the typical client size. This is going to affect their approach to getting a return on the marketing spend. Larger businesses often have the budget for brand building activities. But smaller clients want to see a direct return on their marketing activities.

Do they have feedback and case studies from existing or previous clients?

Often what is not said is just as telling as what is. Did they exceed the expectations of their clients or give them exactly what they asked for?

Without a detailed knowledge of marketing, you're unlikely to know all the options with marketing. You want people who can give you more than you think is possible.

Why do they want to work for you?

Understanding what your business will mean to them is a way to assess how they will view you as a client. Are they chasing awards or publicity, or do they want to give your business the best returns? This is more applicable when it comes to dealing with agencies. You can work this out by listening to how they talk about other clients. Do they focus on the return on investment they delivered? Or about how great the imagery was or how clever an ad campaign was?

How do they market themselves?

While referrals or recommendations are a good sign of a proficient and respected marketer, it isn't enough. It's also important that they have been able to generate new business through their own marketing activities. If they can't generate new customers for their own business, how will they do that for yours?

Not getting the help you need is not the right choice either. You want to be growing your business and marketing help is a key ingredient. Getting the right help will mean that you'll make better use of your limited resources. It will also set you up for future growth. Ask these questions to work out who is right for you.

**Jill is a marketing consultant for small businesses that think differently. She is a mentor and the founder of Harbren Marketing and has been in the small business trenches for around 20 years. Get a copy of the Marketing Kickstart Kit to discover the top mistakes that small businesses make with their marketing and how to fix them.

Website: https://harbren.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/harbren

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/jillbrennan1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harbren/

The way people communicate through texting and social media is creeping into our business communications. Gone are the days of written letters and extended essays. Instead, society is trending towards truncated words, abbreviations, soundbites and images to communicate. There is certainly a time and a place for embracing this modern communication phenomena. However, just because our personal lives are dominated by quick, sporadic messages does not mean that this type of writing should extend to our professional communications.

There can and should be separation between your communication style in the workplace and the way you communicate with family and friends. So, whether you have jumped on the abbreviation bandwagon or are still sitting at the station, below are the top reasons why business writing is still relevant in the age of abbreviations.

Boost Your Brand

One of the most effective ways to shape your business image is through the written word. Whether you are writing content for your business’ website, drafting documents for a client or emailing a business associate, the way you communicate is part of your brand and, by extension, your company’s brand. A well-written document can convince website readers to purchase your product, encourage business associates to refer work to you or prompt clients to retain your services in the future. Don’t underestimate the importance of making a professional impression.

Gain Respect and Credibility

When you read a series of abbreviations, are you reading to assimilate the information or are you just skimming the content? As readers, the style of writing often informs the amount of attention we give to the topic. If you write a casual, abbreviation-filled piece, your readers will meet you at your level and scan through the content. On the other hand, an engaging, professional writing style will command readers’ attention, boost your credibility and earn you the respect and trust of clients, peers and employees. Abbreviations are fun, but they generally do not convey an air of trustworthiness and experience.

Increase Your Network

Your business may be great at what it does, but if your writing consists of slang and abbreviations, clients and business associates may not be interested in what you have to say. Professionals in every industry want to be connected to others who share their beliefs and values. Maintaining a professional style and tone increases your chances of creating positive relationships with others in your field and expanding your network. When you expand your network, you increase your market reach and create more opportunities for your business.

Professional Business Communications Remain Important

As young people grow up with technology that embraces slang, a social shift in language is permeating our culture. It is tempting to fall into the trap of colloquial writing. But, for the sake of your career and your business, it is a far better choice to maintain a professional writing style.

Sally Kane is a lawyer and professional writer who is passionate about helping small businesses with their content and marketing issues. Over the past 14 years, she has published dozens of articles in online and print publications on legal and business topics.

She is the content director for PaperStreet, a digital marketing agency that serves law firms and small businesses around the globe.

Follow her on Twitter : @sallyannekane and @paperstreet.com.

Ahhhhh Millennials…riddles wrapped in a mystery, wrapped in an enigma. Or at least that how it feels trying to market to them. Their loyalty is mercurial, their tastes appear fickle and the minute they feel they’re being marketed to they shut up shop quicker than a startled echidna.

But there is a way into their wily hearts and it really is at your fingertips.

I have two words for you. Social. Media. If your social is not on fleek then you need to get busy.

According to Kantar TNS Research, the average Millennial (aged 16-30) with internet access, spends 3.1 hours a day on their mobile devices – the equivalent of 21.7 hours – almost a whole day – every week. That’s 47 days over the course of a year. 47 days!

And these folks are listening to someone – and you need to jump on board and wring the hell out of that opportunity.

Using relevant key influencers, especially when it comes to Instagram, is waaaaay up there in importance. People scouring, following and interacting on Insta are indeed to be swayed by what their fave people are doing, saying, buying. Do not be scared to approach your chosen Influencer with the idea of getting them to help you out with spreading the word.

But don’t just jump blindly into thinking someone with 1.5 million followers is definitely your best bet – check out their engagement stats before you send off anything. Someone with a lower number of followers, say only 5000 but an engagement rate of 30% is a much better bet than your 1.5 million follower Influencer who can only dredge up 0.2% engagement. Hate to point this out but your mother was right – always look for quality over quantity. Don’t you just detest it when that happens?

Your more Micro Influencers are also less likely to want cold, hard cash for their blessings, but it doesn’t hurt to offer a little somethin’, somethin’. Always, and I mean always, offer your product or service for free to them and make sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to expectations of how many posts, links in their bio to your site and so on..

Now here’s a thing…guess what social platform Millennials jump onto first thing when they wake up?

Insta? Nah.

Facebook? Nope.

Snapchat? Bingo!

If you want to reach your M peeps – than you gotta get snappy about it! Millennials account for 7 out of 10 Snapchatters. If you can afford to walk away from a platform 70% of your target market is sitting on…. well you’re a bigger (wo)man than me.

So I hear you have a beauuuuttifuulllll website? Hate to break this to you - well no I actually I don’t, it’s my job – but unless you are spruiking a link to your website through social media then Millennials ain’t going to visit. They get their online cues from social platforms and don’t just do random searches. That was so yesterday. They buy through Insta and Facebook and they are heavily influenced through Snapchat. Having a website without social media drivers to it is the same giving a bicycle to a fish. You get my drift.

Final word. You need to incorporate your brand into the social world these Millennials are inhabiting seamlessly. Straight up advertising doesn’t work with them, you’ll be ignored and at worse slammed by them. Just ask Kendall Jenner.

SOURCES:

http://www.tnsglobal.com/us/press-release/tns-millenials_study_111915

https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Want-Reach-Millennials-Say-Hello-Snapchat/1011871

Jemimah is the founder of Epic Social, Creative Director of Tangs Design and one half of The Business Experiment podcast. She is passionate about breaking through myths and misconceptions about being an entrepreneur and thrives on helping other business orders success.

Jemimah is a RAW: natural born artist, a skilled improviser and comedian. In 2015, Jemimah was named Canberra's Artist of the Year.

Jemimah has extensive studies in the fields of security, intelligence and speaks several languages.

She also works extensively as a mentor, comedy writer, is a speaker and also social media guru. She is also blogger and a regular contributor to multiple media outlets.

Jemimah brings an original, quirky sense of humour and a fun loving attitude to everything she does. She is passionate about helping people to express their individuality and creativity.

https://www.facebook.com/tangsdesign/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jemimah-ashleigh-22a769114/

https://www.jemimahashleigh.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/tangsdesignjewellery/

For many years I practiced and taught meditation and Mindfulness as a part of a wider program of Buddhism and Buddhist psychology. Some years ago I began to distance myself from a system that I was starting to feel was too narrowly sectarian to be widely beneficial. It was not that there was anything fundamentally wrong with this amazing body of thinking and practice that had evolved over twenty-five hundred years. But I increasingly felt that it was being introduced into western culture in a way that missed or obscured many of its most valuable benefits.

So I began to develop a non-sectarian approach to training entrepreneurs, coaches, psychotherapist, and artists in a way that was free from the religious tone, and the philosophical and cultural presuppositions of Buddhism. People now work with us individually, or attend our programs, not because they have any interest in adopting a new set of beliefs, or a Buddhist 'lifestyle', but because they recognise their own rich capacity to develop their creative and entrepreneurial mind set. As a team, we draw on our range of backgrounds as artists, hypnotherapists, neuroscientists, and NLP trainers, to develop an evolving curriculum to meet the needs of those we serve. Buddhism is seldom mentioned.

After distancing myself from my own background as a Buddhist teacher I had to ask myself what were the most valuable lessons that we can learn from Buddhist practice? What are the skills that are most widely applicable in society, and in the worldwide business environment, especially at a time of so much uncertainty and change? The answer, without any doubt, is mindfulness.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is awareness and focus. It is a basic human skill that we all possess. It is also a skill that we can learn to develop and refine on an ongoing basis. Research shows that the benefits of mindfulness include a greater capacity for sustained attention, greater emotional stability, and an increased level of energy. The experience of the hundreds of thousands of people who have undertaken even small amounts of mindfulness and meditation training confirms that this is generally true.

Leadership and Presence.

An effective leader leads by their presence. They infuse their organisation, and the space around them, not with the bluster of authority, but with the quiet confidence of their focus and presence. Presence is another word for awareness. It entails a sensitivity to the needs of others, and to the situation at hand, as well as to all the various options for finding a way forward through creative problem-solving. By its very nature, this kind of leadership is contagious. It is free from anxiety. And it is unhurried, even when speed is called for.

A good leader leads by the example of their presence. Mindfulness is the foundation for developing this kind of presence. Think of examples of great leadership in business, or politics, or history. Consider the contagious quality of presence that great leaders embody, and which has inspired the people around them. Think of Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi. If you read the biographies of any great leader you will learn that they all practiced some form of mindfulness, some kind of discipline to cultivate and sustain focus and presence. As an entrepreneur you may not see yourself as a world leader, but the principle is the same. Mindfulness helps you to develop presence and to embody your capacity as a leader.

Productivity, Time, and Energy.

Time moves at its usual rate of minutes and hours. But the act of mindful attention, of being fully present here and now, helps to dispel distractions, and allows for greater productivity. Mindfulness clears away much of the inner chatter that clutters up the hours of our life.

We have all experienced a shift in our experience of time when doing something that gives us pleasure. An hour can seem to pass in a matter of minutes, and a minute can feel like an hour. When you are focused and mindful, time flows in an entirely counter-intuitive way. As you begin a task, mindfulness allows you to sustain your focus until the task is completed, or until you choose to move your focus elsewhere. Mindfulness allows for greater deliberation in your use of time, and saves you from exhaustion and distraction by helping you to become attuned to your capacity.

Communication and Rapport.

Just as mindfulness allows for greater productivity because it seems to slow down the passage of time, it also gives you the ability to listen to other people in a deeper way. It’s as if you learn to hear between the words.

We often miss what others are telling us because we are anticipating what we think they are about to say. Or our attention wanders, so that we can rehearse our response. Or we project meanings that were never intended. Or we respond to what we thought we heard rather than to what was actually said. This may sound like a dire scenario, but without mindfulness, this is how a lot of communication plays out.

In any conversation or meeting, when you are mindful both of what is said and of your own reaction to it, you are more likely to speak from a place of empathy and understanding. If there was something you didn't understand, you are more likely to ask for clarification, rather than jumping to hasty conclusions. This is another contagious aspect of mindfulness and leadership. The more you listen before reacting, the more others will follow your example, and learn to be more fully present and mindful in their communications with each other.

Distinguishing the Inner from the Outer. Emotional I.Q.

As humans we are equipped with a brain and nervous system that has a capacity to continually learn and adapt. We learn from our external environment, by the habits it instils in us, and by our own internal process. Sometimes those disparate elements are in direct opposition to each other. We get overwhelmed by circumstance, or by our own habits and emotions. We become confused by the tension between our aspirations and our disappointment.

As an entrepreneur you may have a compelling vision. But the shadow of old anxieties and negative expectations can creep in when you most need to hold onto your vision. Mindfulness is an essential tool to help you navigate that tension between your compelling vision and the old shadows. Mindfulness teaches you to distinguish present realities that may require your attention, from purely imaginary fears that do not. It teaches you to respond to what is in front of you, rather than to react to what is merely imagined.

When you are present to your own subjective experience of the world, to your emotions and reactions, you become more accountable to yourself. If someone acts in a way that triggers an old negative reaction in you, you always have a choice. You can react in a way that reflects the pain or discomfort that was triggered in you. Or with mindfulness you can pause, so that when you do respond, you do so by choice rather than by habit. You can exacerbate the situation, or you can mediate it. Such choice is at the heart of what has come to be known as Emotional Intelligence, or EQ.

Ethical Business Practice.

Mindfulness helps you to stay in touch with your highest values. It teaches you that you are most effective when you consistently operate by ethical principles. It helps you to stay in touch with your vision for what is possible, rather than resorting to old habits based on fear or scarcity. Because mindfulness leads you towards being more empathetic, it helps you to develop an affinity for, and appreciation of, solution-based thinking that has long-term benefit for all. It prompts you to look for solutions that benefit the greatest number of people. You no longer see your competitors as adversaries, but as catalysts, propelling you towards greater competency. You begin to see possibilities for collaboration where before you could only see rivalry. As it helps you to distinguish your vision for what is possible from your fears, mindfulness profoundly deepens your capacity for integrity and ethical practice, in business as in life.

Corners are cut, and ethical principles are breached, not because an individual or an organisation have flawed principles, but because long and short-term goals and priorities get confused. Big picture thinkers are asked to attend to details, and detailed oriented people are asked to guide the bigger vision. The mindful flexibility of good leadership embraces both.

Intuition and Imagination.

Just as mindfulness allows you to choose between reacting to old impulses, or responding by choice, in a similar way mindfulness allows you to explore the landscape of your own imagination and to distinguish the whimsical from the rich veins of your deepest creativity.

A friend asked Richard Branson what his favourite pastime was. "Daydreaming," was his answer. And you know where that has led!

Daydreaming may not usually be associated with mindfulness because people sometimes assume that mindfulness takes a lot of effort. But with practice, as mindfulness becomes effortless, it is a hair’s breadth away from daydreaming.

Mindfulness and Pleasure.

One of my teachers used to say that mindfulness is “just an intelligent way to enjoy your life.” We sometime suggest to our clients that the first thing they could ask themselves when they get up in the morning, or when they sit down at their desk, is "How much pleasure can I allow myself to experience today?"

Your awareness is a pleasure and a gift, for yourself, and for whoever you are with. Awareness is its own reward. Your life, and your experience at any given moment, is yours to choose. This is the gift of mindfulness. It is much bigger than a business tool for entrepreneurs, but there are few other places where it is more dramatically and immediately applicable. And there are few tools that can have as profound and positive influence on you do business .

Below I have suggested a few simple tools for developing a mindful workplace. These are tools that we REGULARLY use in our own business.

Ways to bring mindfulness into your workplace

Whether you work alone or with others, take a few minutes to start the day with a couple of minutes of simply being, rather than doing. You can sit in silence, or acknowledge the presence of each other in a way that feels appropriate. If you are alone just be still, and bring awareness to where you are, your workspace, your breath, your body.

Bring someone in to teach your team the basics of mindful meditation, or find a recording on-line. Make time once or twice during the course of each workday to meditate together for a few minutes.

Create a place of silence and meditation where people can go during the workday, even for a short few minutes. By association, the presence of that special place will have an effect on the workplace as a whole.

Take regular breaks. Perhaps, for five minutes every hour. Stop whatever you are doing. Stand if you have been sitting, walk if you have been standing. Take a short walk, make it like a meditation, focusing only on the experience of walking, step by step, breath by breath.

Take time to deliberate with others, or alone, on your intention, for the day, for the task at hand, or for the bigger vision of your business. Enjoy the process. Make no judgements. See what emerges.

Learn to meditate with your eyes open, using your peripheral vision to bring in all of your sensory experience. Practice for a few seconds whenever you remember, or whenever you feel fatigue or a need for change. If you need you can download a short recording of this particular exercise at www.fivechanges.com/yoursoulmasterpiece

Develop the skill of listening to others without reaction or judgment. You can practice in a public space, a coffee shop or a restaurant, discreetly listening in. Then bring that same skill to your workplace. Notice if your sensitivity to hearing what others are really saying changes.

When engaged in a meeting or a conversation develop the habit of focusing on the effects your words are having. Notice your impulse to speak in reaction to the way others’ words make you feel. See what happens if you pause for a moment before speaking. Can you notice a difference between words you feel you want to say, and words that you know will have the greatest positive effect of others? These deliberations may feel awkward and unnatural at first. Play along with it, and see what you can learn.

Develop the habit of preceding and ending any complaints, or criticism you may have of others, with words of appreciation and praise.

Caitrìona Reed has led trainings, workshops, and retreats worldwide. Her listing in Wikipedia names her as, “An American Zen Teacher in the lineage of Thich Nhat Hanh who has dedicated her life to integrating authentic spiritual training with engagement in the ‘real’ world.” She currently mentors successful business owners, artists, and creative entrepreneurs to embody the magic of their soul’s masterpiece and be seen, and to be, in the world as the visionary they are. “When we dance at the dangerous edge of our creativity we step into the life we imagine, and help everyone move closer towards the world we long for.” She is co-founder and co-director of Manzanita Village Retreat, where, with her partner Michele Benzamin-Miki, she holds trainings and retreats. Her work is a synergy of ancient sacred practices with applied brain science, and engaged spiritual practice.

cr@fivechanges.com

+1-310-339-1660

www.fivechanges.com

Contracts with clients and suppliers are an important part of business. As an employee or business owner, you understand how important it is to make sure that you don’t do anything which might lead to your business breaching a contract. Did you know that the quality of your written communications can inadvertently lead to a breach of contract if you’re not careful?

At law, the terms of a contract don’t have to be formally documented on nice paper and with the signatures of each party. They can be the combination of a series of emails, a handwritten note and the actions of two or more parties. The terms of a contract can also be determined from the current actual conduct of the parties rather than an older formal contract that may have been sitting in a drawer.

Generally, the law requires that one party makes an offer which is accepted by the other party, the parties intended to create a legal relationship between them, the parties exchange some form of payment (whether monetary or otherwise), that both of the parties are legally able to enter into contracts, do so with consent and do not enter into an illegal contract, for a valid contract to exist. In most business situations, both parties are legally able to enter into contracts, do so with consent and they are not for illegal goods or services so the main focus is on the first three elements of a contract.

Sometimes formally documenting and signing every contract in business is not warranted, and that’s okay, as long as both parties are aware of their rights and responsibilities. However, formal contracts help to increase productivity and reduce misunderstandings by clearly set out the rights and responsibilities of each party. Let’s look at some of the more common scenarios that you might not realise that can lead to the existence of a contract and inadvertently breaching it.

Handwritten Notes

We often use handwritten notes as records of our conversations with others. Most contracts don’t have to be in writing unless the law specifies it, such as for the sale of land. So, the combination of a conversation with a client offering goods or services and the client agreeing, the calculation of figures for payment in a handwritten note and a handshake (showing your intention to be bound to the promise) can be enough to create a contract.

This kind of contract can be easily breached when one party starts on providing the goods and services while expecting to be paid. When the other party refuses to pay, this can be a breach of the contract. The first party can be at a loss for the time and money already spent to provide the goods or services.

If you would like to enter into a formal contract, it is good business practice to make sure any handwritten notes, particularly those that are being kept by another party, are marked with words such as “Without Prejudice – Agreement Subject to Execution of Formal Contract”. This makes it clear to the reader that the parties do not intend to create a legal relationship until they sign a formal contract, and therefore an informal contract has not been created.

Text Messages or Instant Online Messages

With the rise in text messaging and instant online messages through social media, this form of communication has become a normal way to engage with potential clients. How often have you had a negotiation with a potential client only for the meeting or phone call to end without coming to an agreement? It is very possible for a quick follow up text message or online message to say “Thanks for the meeting, I accept your offer,” which creates a contract between the parties.

This kind of contract can be easily breached if the original party thinks that a contract hasn’t been entered into and makes an offer to sell the same goods to a second potential client. If they reach agreement with the second potential client before the first potential client replies with an acceptance of the original offer, hasn’t the original party entered into two contracts for the same goods? Inevitably, the original party will end up breaching one of the contracts.

If you would like to enter into a formal contract, it is a good idea to end the meeting with a clear understanding among the parties that there is no agreement until a formal contract is executed or set a time limit for accepting any offer after which there will be no agreement. This could be as simple as sending a quick follow up text message or online message yourself along the lines of “Thanks for the meeting, I look forward to further negotiating with you until we execute a formal contract,” or “Thanks for the meeting. If I don’t receive your acceptance by 5pm today then I withdraw my offer.” If you do not execute a formal agreement or have not received an acceptable by 5pm that day, then you’ll be confident that there is no contract and you’ll be free to offer the goods or services to another party.

Email

We generally use email every single day in business and most of us will have used email to progress business deals. While emails are a way to communicate faster, it can often take a while to receive a response from someone if they are particularly busy. Then factor in all of the other emails and tasks we attend to ourselves while waiting for one particular email to arrive, and the disjointedness of a chain of one-liners emails. This can create a level of distraction and confusion in a business negotiation, leading to situations where one party believes they have reached an agreement whereas the other party is unclear on whether they’ve reached an agreement let alone what the exact terms are.

This kind of contract can be easily breached when both parties start to perform their responsibilities, but then come to a disagreement as to exactly what they are. One party will continue to perform thecontract based on their understanding of what their responsibilities are, and the other party disagrees and declares that the first party is breaching the terms of the agreement.

If you’d like to enter into a formal contract, it is essential to mark any emails that involve any discussions or negotiations about the terms of a business deal with “Without prejudice – Agreement Subject to Execution of Formal Contract”. Better yet, it is wise to get into the habit of using one document to include a single record of all of the terms that are currently being negotiated and are subject to a formal contract being executed. Often called a “Terms Sheet”, using these documents show that the parties are clearly negotiating and do not intend to form a contract until the agreement is made into a formal contract and executed.

Poorly Prepared Contracts

Sometimes you may be presented with a contract that has been written quickly or prepared by someone with little or no legal background. Other times, it may be a contract that has been used for another business deal and changed or had sections deleted to make it shorter.

It is very easy to inadvertently breach a poorly prepared contract because in these situations, it is generally not clear what the parties intended. Where the poorly written contract doesn’t clearly set out the rights and responsibilities of the parties, at law, you must look at other evidence to determine what the parties to the deal actually meant. This means that the contract in the situation can be a combination of the poorly written contract, some conversations and a series of email exchanges. Worse yet, if the parties didn’t discuss a specific aspect of the deal in an email exchange and the poorly written contract is actually clear on that point, then you could end up with a term in a contract that is clear but that you’re really not happy about.

The best thing you can do in this situation is actually read the contract. If it is difficult to understand, doesn’t accurately include what has been negotiated or doesn’t deal with important aspects such as the rights and responsibilities of each party and the processes for payments and termination, then it will need to be reviewed by a lawyer and amended. A good commercial lawyer will draft a contract that is easy to understand and make all of the rights and responsibilities of each party very clear. A well drafted contract will provide excellent guidance for a solid business relationship with your client or supplier and if the relationship should crumble, the contract will provide practical avenues for the parties to pursue to recover any losses.

Make It a Better Deal

There are actions you can implement to make every agreement a better deal. First, think about which business deals you are happy for informal agreements and which deals are important enough to document in a formal agreement. Second, for the deals that you’d like to formalise, get into the habit of making sure the words “Without Prejudice – Agreement Subject to Execution of Formal Contract” are included at the top of any emails or terms sheet documents, or this message is very clear in any meetings or text or online message conversations to make your intention clear that you do not intend to create a legal relationship for any agreement until a formal contract is drafted and executed. Third, ask your lawyer to draft an appropriate contract with accurately reflects eachelement of your deal. Your lawyer can also provide advice on what else may need to be included in the agreement and assist you with your negotiations.

* With over 10 years’ experience, Deborah practices in all aspects of property, commercial and related areas of law in both the Northern Territory and Queensland in Australia.

Deborah has significant experience in residential, commercial and retail property law assisting home owners, investors and developers to realise their desired outcomes with acquisitions, disposals, development, leasing and portfolio management. She also has very diverse experience in property and commercial law working with small businesses and as in-house lawyer for a large organisation (including working closely with government on projects).

Deborah is a trusted legal advisor who makes astute recommendations based on practical realities and good business sense. Importantly, she is able to realise desired outcomes in an efficient and effective manner. As a wife, mother and member of the Defence community, Deborah takes a proactive approach to managing legal matters and has an innate ability to find effective and achievable solutions to legal problems which may arise.

Qualifications – Bachelor of Laws (with Honours) (2005), Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (2005), Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (2006), Master of Laws (2010), Wife and Mummy.

Memberships – Northern Territory Law Society, Queensland Law Society.

You can contact Deborah directly by visiting:

www.supportlegal.com.au

deborah.vella@supportlegal.com.au

GETTING STARTED WITH INSTAGRAM STORIES FOR BUSINESS

Did you know that some companies have an employee dedicated to just producing Instagram stories? Yes that’s right, their full -time role is just to focus on providing content for this feature in Instagram. This, in addition to the fact the Instagram Stories usage has now overtaken SnapChat usage, tells us that Instagram Stories is going to be big.

Here’s the lowdown on what Instagram Stories are exactly, and how you can use these as an effective marketing tool.

A QUICK RUNDOWN ON INSTAGRAM STORIES

The concept of Instagram Stories is similar to that of Snapchat. It’s producing ‘disposable’ raw style content that disappears from your account. The feature allows you to add images and videos in a chronological succession to create a “story” which will disappear after 24-hours. These stories do not appear on your main Instagram feed/grid where you usually post your images, but rather feature at the top of your main feed.

These stories also appear in chronological order, so the most recent stories will be at the front. For business use, this is a very important factor as this tells us that timing is absolutely crucial. If you post stories when your viewers aren’t online, your followers may not see it as other stories will be newer and appear first. So, optimise your stories to this timing and post stories at the best possible posting time when your audience is online.

With stories, you can add text, icons, emojis or even filters to your images and videos so you can get quite creative with your story. You could post 5 stories at a time, or one every hour throughout the day.

Instagram Live

One of the features of Instagram Stories is Instagram Live. This allows you to record a video live – there is no editing and no second take. Something to remember with these is, firstly to make sure you want the video to go out to your audience – ensure it is nothing that can harm your reputation as a brand.

Secondly, don’t film for too short a time as people may take a few minutes to join the live video stream. At the moment, these live videos also disappear immediately after your broadcast ends so you don’t receive views on your Live Stories after the broadcast, as you do with Facebook Live. If you are planning to film an Live Story try promoting it first in both your Instagram feed and stories to let people know when you will be live – and give them a reason to join the Live broadcast.

Instagram stories are fast becoming a key contributor to social media, and specifically for business.

Here are a few ways to use Instagram Stories to get you started:

ALLOW YOUR AUDIENCE GET TO KNOW YOU

Checking in, chatting or even doing a Q&A session with your audience will allow them to build a relationship with you and find out who the faces are behind the brand. This allows you to build trust through this interaction. Although it may seem daunting to have yourself filmed, the impact it creates is huge.

DOCUMENT YOUR DAY

One of the most commonly used strategies on Stories at the moment is documenting. Show what you do and a few snippets of the behind the scenes to allow for people to see the hard work that goes into what you do. Remember that your profession may seem obvious to you, but to others, it is a completely new world. An appreciation of what you do is built through this.

TEASERS

Share some exclusive access or ‘teasers’ to a promotion, new product or event you have coming up. You can also create teasers for other content you have created, such as a blog or video to give it some extra promotion. If you have a blog, send out email newsletters or have tips for your Instagram audience, put snippets of these up on stories to give your audience a quick reminder to read them.

THEMES

Themes are very popular on Instagrma Stories as they allow you to create some level of anticipation with your audience. Maybe it’s a daily motivational quote, tip, tutorial video or weekly wrap. Consider what kind of themes you can execute and what’s relevant and of interest to your audience.

GET CREATIVE, AND HAVE FUN

Every now and then show your fun side of the brand. Showing your office space or team building event will showcase a side of your brand that potential clients may be able to relate to. Depending on your brand image, this should not be overused and rather done occasionally. If it’s relative to the brand, then give it a go.

*Tiffany Wilson founded Chronicle Republic to pursue her love of property and her drive to make brands shine. Her unique industry experience means she truly understands the needs of her customers. With a Masters in Marketing and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications Tiffany has wealth of experience, and has worked on dozens of marketing projects for businesses in the property, interior design and home improvement industries. As a former Marketing Director for an award winning, innovative real estate agency, Tiffany was awarded the first ever industry award for Digital Marketing in 2014. Tiffany is passionate about seeing other businesses grow and prides herself on helping brands bring their stories to life.

You can contact Chronicle Republic via the following:

www.chroniclerepublic.com

tiffany@chroniclerepublic.com

Instagram: @chroniclerepublic

Cash flow is simple – money comes in, and money goes out. A positive cash flow (which simply means that you have more cash coming into your business than going out) is critical for the longevity of your business.

“Poor cash flow management” is cited as the reason for 82% of small business failures. What a lot of businesses forget is that the money that comes in is not all yours though – and instead of setting aside the amounts that don’t belong to you, it all gets spent and then come BAS time, businesses battle to meet the liabilities they need to pay.

So, what can you wiggle in your business to improve your cash flow. After all, cash is like oxygen in your business.

When last did you do a health check on your business? Is your business;

Supporting personal withdrawals and spending?Improving its financial position over time?Meeting regular financial commitments?Funding your business?Setting aside funds to meet financial commitments?Trading profitably?

If not, or you are borrowing from Peter to pay Paul, or you are not paying Peter this month so Paul can get paid and it is a constant juggle, what can you change in your business? What can you do differently in your business and what impact will it have?

When considering “cash levers” – remember the two sides of the cash flow equation. Cash comes in and cash flows out.

So what is “Cash in”?

This relates to the sales that you make or the services that you provide. What you price your product or service at is how much how much you get in. The terms that you offer means how fast you get the cash in. We can increase our cash in by doing things differently – you can change the price that you sell at or you can change the quantity of what you sell. How fast we get our cash in, depends on how quickly our customers pay us.

Some levers to increase CASH IN include;

Pricing

Increase your prices if the market can withstand a price increase. You don’t, however, want to raise prices arbitrarily. Look at how much you’re spending on supplies and inventory and compare that to what you’re charging. Has it been awhile since you increased prices? How do your prices measure up against what your competitors are charging? Raising prices can help to bring you out of a cash flow slump, however, you have to do it strategically. Otherwise, you could end up driving off customers.Alternatively increase your prices by increasing the value that you deliverFocus on the most profitable products, services and customersTry and upsell the sale (bundle or offer a “other people bought this, with that” suggestion or free shipping over a certain sales value)

Volume

Increase the number of customers you sell to or provide service toIncrease the products or services offeredWiden the territory that you provide to service or supply toImprove your sales process and convert sales sooner – for example, convert a sale on the 3rd touch instead of the 5th or 7th touch

Debtors

Where possible, try sell to customers with COD (cash on delivery) termsOtherwise offer payment terms between 7 to 14 days as payment terms. Perform credit checks on customers before extending terms, and request 30 day supplier payment datesOffer an early settlement discountWhere necessary – look at debtors factoring (you sell your debtors book to a collection agency for a % in the dollar, for an amount upfront, and the collection agency will collect the debtors in order for them to recoup their money)

On the flip side, cash goes out. That is how you buy stock, pay staff and have premises from which to operate. So, how can you stop the bleeding, or at least stem it so that the business does not bleed out before the fresh supply of cash comes in?

Some ideas to consider to improve cash out:

Budget! Budget! Budget!

Are all your expenses absolutely necessary? They often say you spend what you have – so ensure that you consider if a purchase is necessary, or if you can at least delay the purchase.

Assets

Consider re-financing assets for improved terms and / or reduced interest ratesSell assets and lease them backSell underutilised assets that are costing you money to operate

Expenses

Reduce your discretionary spendingReduce your overheads – negotiate better terms on your rent or insurances and purchase prices for your inventory

Inventory

Reduce the cost of stock or materialsImprove terms with suppliersClear obsolete or slow moving stockReview your ordering process so that you don’t have long stock holding periods

Staff

Improve staff utilisationReduce staff turnover (saves time in training and upskilling and on-boarding, and saves money in recruitment costs, advertising and interviewing time)Consider contractors to meet ad-hoc demandConsider a revised staff mix

Businesses should remember that cash flow is a different concept to PROFIT. Profit remains after expenses are deducted. A business can be profitable but lack sufficient cash flow, which can ultimately lead to their demise.

Businesses should also plan ahead for seasonal changes in business. Think of a basic example – like an ice cream vendor. Business in winter is likely to be far less active than in Summer. Successful businesses will plan ahead and manage this, by performing a regular cash flow analysis. Running this analysis on a weekly (or monthly) basis will make it easier to pin point the ebbs and flows in your cash flow, and you can address the issues before they happen.

A cash flow forecast keeps track of all of the money coming and going from your account and exactly when you expect the money to flow in or out. Predicting when the cash will flow in and out of your account will help you keep track of all of the bills you need to pay and funds you are expecting to receive so that nothing is missed. It will also serve as an early warning system so you can identify a potential short fall ahead of time. When you have time and see potential issues far enough in advance, you will likely have more options for addressing the shortfall, for making a plan so to say to get through it.

A cash flow forecast is essential. In fact it could be your lifeline.

* Gillian Nathan is a qualified chartered accountant, with articled experience at a Big 4 firm. She is a Registered Tax Agent and a member of the NTAA. She has completed her Masters in Taxation and International Taxation. Gillian has both public sector and private sector experience, prior to starting and running her own successful tax practice. Gillian has sat on a board of directors at listed clients and been a member of the Junior Executive Board at the South African Revenue Services.

In addition, Gillian has completed her Postgraduate Certificate in Education, and is a qualified secondary school teacher in Accounting and Economics. She has also lectured postgraduate courses and facilitated training and presented at in house training courses for employees of large listed clients.

Gillian has combined her passion for education, taxation and accounting and started Simple Solutions Accounting Services. In this business, Gillian uses her passion for small business, educating and empowering business owners to implement affordable, time efficient and effective accounting solutions that provide the tools to allow business owners to focus on operating their business, yet having the ability to make real-time financial decisions.

www.simplesolutionsaccounting.com.au

FB: https://www.facebook.com/SimpleSolutionsAccountingServices

Insta @SSASSolution

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/simple-solutions-accounting-services-pty-ltd

If you’re like me, and are a complete word nerd, the cost of a sentence when talking business is priceless.

However, if your business and trading isn’t focused or structured around writing and communication, the value of a sentence may seem a lot less.

Here’s the problem;

Every word you speak, and every word you write, is building your business and building your brand. Now, I’m not a qualified marketer but, I have seen first-hand the importance of ensuring that your words say what you mean, and not what you THINK they mean.

I’m a big advocate for getting shit done. This is the type of attitude and voice that dictates my writing- both professionally and personally.

Your business is built on documents that need to be seen, and sent, to stakeholders. Internal stakeholders, external stakeholders, clients, customers, business partners, neighbours and councils will- at some point- be on the receiving end of your correspondence. What you write will impact how these people view your business, and ultimately how they view you. It isn’t worth letting one word send the ‘important people’ into a land of misunderstanding.

I’m so judgemental when it comes to writing it isn’t funny. Hey, it’s a flaw and I need to work on this. But, let’s get real. If you are investing your time, money and entire being into a business that you know is going to not only be profitable but also fulfil your life’s purpose- why aren’t you investing your time into getting shit done the right way, and having your documents fool-proof and flawless?

It’s too common to have correspondence missing the mark. It isn’t good enough. There’s no excuse; unless it isn’t your priority to grow and develop your business.

The Australian Centre for Leadership for Women hosted its inaugural Diversity Awards at Parliament House, Sydney, on 14 September 2016.

Written Communications founder, Natalie Scanlon, was nominated for her encouraging volunteer work that enables individuals within the City of Casey to apply for various employment opportunities.

Natalie began volunteering at local community centres with intentions of helping individuals break down communication barriers when they applied for employment opportunities.

With only one job advertised per three people within the City of Casey, Natalie realised that she had to help those who were actively applying for jobs but, had been unsuccessful because they could not put their thoughts into words.

Thriving on the idea that she didn't want the inability to communicate effectively through words to limit an individual's opportunity for future employment, Natalie was nominated for the category of ' Helping a woman experiencing disadvantage within the community' and is very proud to have come third nationally.

It was a night that celebrated some of the most dedicated, impressive and self-less women, while basking in the perfect interior that is the Sydney Parliament house.

The event recognised the highest calibre of female leaders in the country, with change being the dominant theme for the evening.

It has further ignited our passion for change, and we are excited to be able to start putting our ideas into actions.

Congratulations, Nat!