Tuesday 10 December 2013

Are you kissing ass or kicking it?


Do you walk into work every day with a mind-set of abject servitude; or do you walk in with your head held high, ready to take on the day and make things better?

Do you have an opinion, stance or way of working that you honour; or do you play the "Yes Man" game? Do you work for a company; or do you work with them? Do you kick ass... or kiss it?

These are important questions to ask. If you find yourself regularly coasting on instruction, playing it safe and bowing down to authority you could be missing a trick.

Monday 2 December 2013

Why I hate the internet

It may sound like an odd thing to say for an individual who lives and breathes the Internet in both his personal and professional life, but it's true - I am not a fan of the Internet.

Sure I see the benefits. I use it every day. It's a networking tool. A general knowledge hub. A sales tool. An awareness engine. The list goes on. But I'm still angry at the damned thing. Here's why...

Saturday 30 November 2013

Do you 'LIKE' your job applicants?

Recruitment is always a tricky business. Inviting someone you've only met a few times to the inner sanctum of your business. Trusting them to deliver for your customers, no matter how thorough your recruitment process, can still be a leap of faith.

Thursday 28 November 2013

Do you support a charity... or a brand?

Giving is good – regardless of what you're donating. Hard earned cash or time out of your day, if you're able, giving to help those less fortunate than you is an important thing to do. But here's the clincher: the things you are giving have value. So how do you know that you're spending wisely

Think of it in terms of investment. If you're taking time to invest your resources in a cause, improving the wellbeing of someone or something else, you're going to want a return. You're going to want to know that an impact is felt. Brand, as with most things, has a huge part to play in helping you form a decision on the charity you're going to support. But it's important not to let marketing hype cloud your vision.


Saturday 16 November 2013

Your start-up… on a shoe string

Starting your own business doesn't have to be an expensive experience. Given a little up front planning and online research, and outside of the legal requirements, you'll find that you can get the bare essentials in place without it costing you the earth.

Obviously every business is different. You may need office space, a shop front, marketing tools or storage space. You may not. But here are a few ideas on how you can get vital resources in place for no more than the change in your pocket.

Saturday 2 November 2013

How to use social to promote your business… and still have time left to run it.

A few years ago it was scary and new, but nowadays social media is very much part of the furniture. All sorts of businesses are using social media to promote their business. Done successfully you can end up with a hugely interactive audience all baying for your attention. But growing your social audience and managing all interactions with them can end up becoming a full time job. So how can you manage your social channels, stay sane AND still have time left over to run your business?

Thursday 31 October 2013

Why Costa is EVIL

A suitably Halloweeny title you might say. But this post (*rant) is one of personal perspective regarding something I am truly passionate about. It's about something many blue and white collar workers are probably passionate about. Something that, for many, is the fuel for the fires of business. Coffee.

You see, good coffee - I mean truly good coffee - is something of a rarity in my opinion. Much of it tastes the same. Most of it is commercialised, mass produced sludge of indiscernible flavour. For years I would only brew my own at home which was cheaper. Better. More fulfilling. Then something changed. I got busy. My mornings started earlier. Home-brewed coffee became a weekend indulgence. So, for my sins, I turned to the coffee houses for my morning pick-me-up (and my mid-morning; elevenses; lunch; late lunch; mid-afternoon; afternoon; and home time pick-me-ups for that matter).

Wednesday 30 October 2013

Get it right. Principle 2: Data

Welcome to Part 2 of my "Get it Right" mini-series detailing the principles I try to live by when running a web project. These principles are designed to help me save time, improve efficiencies and above all, protect investment.

My first instalment in this series looked at the method I use to secure and apportion investment.

This time I want to talk to you about data. More specifically, the types of data you can gather to aid you in your decision making. Don't switch of just yet. I promise I'll try and keep it light.

As ever, this is only one man's opinion. I'm open to feedback and will do my best to come back on any comments made.

So without further ado... Principle 2...

Monday 28 October 2013

New volunteering questions on LinkedIn and why you should be excited

Nearly every time I log into LinkedIn it asks me to update my profile. Now, my profile is pretty much as complete as it ever will be. In fact, I'm an 'All Star' (pause for applause). There's so much information on my profile my career identity is at risk of being stolen. So these requests for update have, up to now, been a bit of an annoyance.

That is, until I logged in today...

Friday 11 October 2013

Celebrating 15 years of Google Search

15 years! Wow! Doesn't time fly? Google have recently celebrated 15 years of search and as part of the celebration have released their own Google Timeline.

Their timeline showcases some of the milestones and successes covered within just a decade and a half of Goggling (that's definitely right... I Googled it). Interestingly there nothing in there about privacy scandals or tax evasion, but nonetheless it's an interesting piece.

Here are my best bits...

Tuesday 8 October 2013

Small Business Saturday UK is coming

For me, one of the most exciting developments in the small business world this year has to be the introduction of Small Business Saturday UK.

Up to now, this day of focus and celebration has been held in the US on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Its aims are to get people to shop with their local businesses and to help support their local communities. And it's proved an astounding success with small businesses in the US raking in almost £3.5 billion in sales last year. And now it's our turn!

Here are my thoughts on why Small Business Saturday UK so important and details on how you can get involved...

Thursday 3 October 2013

Get it right. Principle 1: Invest

If you're working on a website - either improving what you already have or building one from scratch - you'll know that it can be an expensive project. It's one that often requires a significant investment of time and money. Spend more money and you'll save yourself some time. Devote more of your time on things and you'll save some money. But if you're going to do a web project properly you're going to have to invest one or the other.

With that in mind, you're going to want to get it right. The last thing you need at go live is a product that doesn't work. An eCommerce site that doesn't convert. A blog or research site with zero engagement.

So what can be done to protect your investment? The following mini-series will take you through the principles I try and live by. I hope they prove as useful to you as I have found them and I welcome any feedback you have on my own personal approach.

Thursday 26 September 2013

Help from Google for SEOs (not provided)

Any Content Marketer or SEO worth their salt when it comes to analysis will be more than familiar with the increasing presence of the (not provided) keyword result.

Up to now keyword data, despite the (not provided) blemish, has still proved useful in giving marketing professionals insights into why site visitors are visiting. This has enabled greater site content, better blogging, improved web copy and more effective SEO.

Unfortunately, Google has now confirmed that they are going to work to encrypt all keyword data, taking the (not provided) result to 100%. Certain sources state that keyword data will still be accessible through Web Master Tools, but it'll be nowhere near as helpful as it is in GA, and who's to say how long this will still be up for grabs.

Friday 5 July 2013

What's your Startup Story?

Every business has a story, but what is yours? Using the new My Startup Story web app you can now compare your startup's journey and share it with the world.

This beautiful interactive allows you to compare your business's employee and revenue growth against web giants such as Facebook, eBay and Match.com. Your startup's growth is plotted on your own personal graph, which you can then share with all of your Twitter followers. Get started by clicking on the image below...

Thursday 6 June 2013

Hello and welcome

Hello and welcome to my first ever blog. That's how you're suppose to start these things right? Erm... moving on from the awkward intros I guess it's a good idea to explain myself and tell you why I've decided to start writing.

The truth is, I spend a lot of time online - and not just on Facebook and eBay. I read and research other peoples blogs and content, using the information I absorb to draw up my own conclusions and ideas about the world of digital presence, content marketing and user experience.