jun 09 tips

Business Tips and Opportunities – June 2009

A down and up month

Each month I am asked just how I find the time to write my articles and newsletters. The reality is that with c25 clients and many other networking contacts I have so many experiences, good and bad that I need to process them and put them down on the web or in this newsletter. I also admit to having a great desire to share with others, from a giving frame, the lessons I have learnt. And boy have I learnt things this month with some really bad downs and some great ups.

As you will see I discuss some “downs” in my main article

“Succeeding in spite of not because of”

But my Business Tips and Opportunities article is focused on the “ups”

A real up experience

You may remember earlier in the year I asked for volunteers to help at my daughter’s school, Bishop’s Hatfield Girls School, in their Insight to Industry 2 day workshop held on the 21st and 22nd May. This covered a range of different disciplines from Manufacturing to Quality Control to Packaging to Advertising and Promotion. I and the school were really delighted at the 12 or so volunteers who came along as a consequence of my appeal. And what a great experience it was for all parties. By that I mean that not only did the Year 9 Girls (or more accurately Ladies as they are called in the school) have a mind stretching learning experience but the Business volunteers learnt lots too.

It is easy to become complacent in our normal working environment giving run of the mill responses to new ideas and concepts. When dealing with 13-14 year olds you immediately see that that tiredness and restraint has not been built up. They enter into everything with enthusiasm and drive. The school mixed them up from their usual groups and the process enabled the Girls/Ladies to learn how to work in teams, to deliver to deadlines and present what they had done. Unlike the aggressive and individualistic team approach of the Apprentice, what the business volunteers saw and learnt was that teams who are encouraged and motivated to work as a team can deliver wonderfully. It was truly inspiring to see supposedly low achievers winning awards for their contribution and teamwork.

I was working in the Advertising & Promotion area. Each set was given an hour and a quarter to come up with a new brand of popcorn (the product used throughout the two days - to be manufactured, quality controlled and packaged) with a new taste and then come up with a campaign of ads/promotions. We had six sessions across the two days with 4 groups of 4/5 ladies in each session. This is a comprehensive and they were mixed abilities with SEN to Gifted and Talented to those whose English was good to those who could hardly speak at all (we had one Chinese girl who had no English at all). The wonder was to see how well they got down to the task as a team with all involved and creating some wonderful ads and ideas. Obviously some did better than others but I can tell you it was inspirational. The assistant head watched one of the teams present and he was amazed too. The group were ladies he taught and had found very difficult to engage (especially one in particular). They were transformed, enthusiastic and came up with a great idea for the product and the method of presentation. I earnestly encourage you to get involved in a similar way if you can do so.

Every one of the business volunteers had such a great and rewarding time, that they are all committed to come back next year and I hope that you might like to volunteer too. So do send me an email if you would like to be kept informed of next year’s dates (no commitment now of course). We would love to share with you the joy of working with the business people of tomorrow.

Treasuring the Treasure

I discuss in my main article company’s that succeed in spite not because of. Invariably though within these “successful” businesses are unrecognised treasures who are not always valued for their contribution. I mention in my main article about a client who invested in another business whose turnover suddenly collapsed. The one saving grace was his Accounts/Book Keeper who was providing him up to date monthly accounts including P&L and Balance Sheet. That information is proving vital in re-establishing control of the collapsing business and certainly will be the reason for its survival. I have another client who after a review with me recruited an office support person. She has proven to be the “Treasure” of my title. Without her the business which has grown but also been through some tough times would not have survived so well. So remember to value the treasure you have in the business, wherever and whoever they are.