sep 09 tips

Business Tips and Opportunities – Sep 09

Keeping you and your clients positive

Well August has ended and I hope you are getting back into the swing of things. The augurs seem good, with even the ICAEW forecasting that the recession is ending sooner than expected. Keeping yourself positive is important in these times and I read about an interesting twist on this point recently. I am sure you will have heard of the positive effects on sales of playing suitable music in retail shops. Well a Plumbers Merchant was finding that leaving the daily papers in its trade counter reception was having a corresponding negative affect. Customers would pick up the papers and be affected negatively by the doom and gloom and so reduce their purchases as a consequence. Taking these away and putting in more uplifting magazines (Hello etc) had a consequential uplift in sales. Now I have not seen the real evidence; this may be an apocryphal story but I can see where it’s coming from and hopefully you might apply the principle to your business. So keep your stories and communications upbeat. Don’t be part of the depressed brigade.

Putting the past behind you

As part of my activity I had to interview a candidate for a potential position. This candidate had run a business involved in the same area as the role being looked for. Sadly his former business had failed due to problems with cash flow and more importantly with an unsupportive VC. This forced the business into liquidation, he was made bankrupt and his marriage broke. On the surface he seemed the right guy for the role being looked for. He had all the skills and experience necessary. But he was still living the painful past of some three years previously. He saw the role as a way of showing that his failure was not his fault. All he could talk about was the way he had been badly treated. He was in effect damaged goods. He needed (needs) to resolve the issues and put them behind him. My strong recommendation was for him to get away from the vertical area involved and focus on something new. Prove himself there if necessary and forget the past. Tough call.

Newera Controls

My new business is going well and we are progressing to raise funding for the venture in the next few months. Rather than fill this newsletter with information please let me know if you would like to hear more and I will put you on my Newera Controls newsletter list. Email me at info@newera-controls.com