Bob Shepherd Associates News and Comment is a series of small articles on topics of general interest and information. These are gleaned, in some cases, from events as they happen and in others from information obtained during our day-to-day activities.

 

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Non -Sales People

September 2008

Are all your people in sales?

Do you have untrained sales people? Probably not, but what about your non sales people?

I'm always astounded how much effort salespeople will put into winning new business for a company, and then as soon as the customer is "on-board", they are treated like a second-class citizen, and virtually driven elsewhere!  Not very helpful if your sales people are trying to build long-term relationships and business with your customers is it?

It is easier to retain a customer than to get a new one, but it is more complicated. How many opportunities do you think the average workforce blows? How much money do they leave on the table every month? How many deals do they lose that the company could (and should!) have won? If you explore this within your organisation, the answers may scare you!

‘No we don’t have stock today but the post office do’.....So helpful that the customer will probably go there instead next time as well. Then there are the off putting attitudes you never see unless you are the customer.
Examination of what your people do could net you extra sales and could keep a customer that might have drifted away elsewhere. Bob Shepherd Associates looks at the whole picture - round the front but also round the back! [top]

 

New Associations

August 2008

Bob Shepherd Associates has a number of business interests . These include a partnership in Creative Enterprise Consulting (see www.c-e-c.co.uk ) a share in a digital Art image market exchange called InyourI that is due for launch shortly and a share in an Air Conditioning company currently constructing a Franchise to push the Blue Mountain Air Conditioning business elsewhere in the UK. We have expertise for franchises INWARDS, which is for potential Investors and OUTWARDS which is for aspiring Companies wishing to develop a franchise.  Don’t struggle! Ask us!

Now Bob Shepherd Associates has a major share in Aggregator SME Ltd which has been formed to offer valuable packages of services to SMEs.  Initially we will have a package based on the yet to be  launched ‘Breeze in Business’ corporate offering that has some remarkable additions to the business individual’s version.
The most valuable will be a regular panel of serious business experts offering consultancy on-line on a regular basis to field queries from members and on email at other times. This is included at no cost. There is also a new Telecoms deal that has industry best price arrangements.  The outstanding Video Conferencing system uses advanced technology to cope with any technical disparities at either end, is completely flexible for portable use and  has a 10 seater room included.

The Video Training package is included here for nothing saving several hundred on the public price and the fast growing Resource Centre has all the geeky material one would ever need. The Web builder is designed for dummies to be able to build credible web sites yet is completely flexible and sophisticated enough to please IT professionals who can save time by using one of 180 templates for the basics before adding what they want.  With all this comes a Concierge Travel service that has special offers on line as well. There are other technical products to add to your business including Tracking for adverts and auto responders.

The B2B portal is a global networking site which has a shop/ecommerce capability using similar technology to Amazon. And other features.

This, and more is available together on a three year subscription for less than the price of a coffee a day, which is staggering value.

Sort out your Life, sort out your Business!!

Aggregator SME is currently looking for Businesses that can add value to what’s on offer.  Plans are under way to add really useful services that SMEs just don’t have the time and expertise to organise for themselves. [top]

 

 

Part Time Entrepreneurs

August 2008

If you dive head first into a new business idea too soon, you could potentially be risking it all too early, with the result that you lose everything very quickly. Chicken entrepreneurs don't do this, because they pay more attention to the risk and spend more time preparing properly before devoting their entire time, energy and resources into their enterprise.

These spare-time enterprises actually increase their chances of success for the following reasons:

• They dip their toes into the water first before diving in.
• They spend more time making all the necessary preparations.
• They are more likely to test their ideas or products in the market first.
• They make contacts and join networks at a very early stage.
• They build up some credibility before they start up full-time.
• They tend to be considered more favourably by lenders and funders over people who just 'go for it'.
• They benefit from their work experience, especially if it's in a related field.

The downside of retaining your full-time job while starting a business in your spare time is that it will certainly take you longer to get the business established, and you'll be spending your evenings and weekends 'working' on your new venture or idea so it may prove difficult to get the right balance. [top]

 

 

Never Mind The Filler What About The Dents?

August 2008

I bought a nice car and I was pleased with it. One day I was with my friendly garage having something done and we hoisted the vehicle up on the ramp. Against the light and from that angle he could point out not only were there three dents along one side but they had been filled and there was even some “drift” in the spray finish, and by the way the paint was half a shade off.  Crushed, I thought I had bought well. A spotless example.

Garage men are always pessimistic. That sharp intake of breath, “Ooooh, shame you got one o’ these , zur!”   
The Business lesson is jumbled. In many ways, it didn’t matter. The car had had a hard life before me, but I had been happy with the purchase and the bargain. It ran well and I was satisfied. The problem is that I hadn’t been informed of the negative aspects to consider and, a pride consideration here, I hadn’t spotted any problems and was under consideration for having been caught out.

So when you are presenting a product should you point out it’s not as good as the one down the road? Our society says not.  Buyer beware. It is up to the customer to consider what he needs, wants, and should pay. It is up to a business to set the price at a rate that covers the overheads, makes a decent profit and doesn’t put people off. For a consultancy it is a matter of establishing trust with the client that they need the advice and expertise and are prepared to pay the rate quoted.

Who is to say my time is worth £10 an hour or £200 an hour or some price in between? Well, actually it is for me to say. Then it is for me to demonstrate that the expertise is there and be prepared to follow up and cement it in place.  

Bob Shepherd Associates does not try to pull a fast deal and overcharge. It does however, set a fair rate for the job and expect to get paid for a job well done. [top]

 

 

Business Guides

August 2008

On the web there is a plethora of information about starting your Business. Many major Companies have useful downloadable business guides quite apart from the thousands of books in print with helpful information. Do a search on ‘Business guide’ to reveal some 285000 Google pages.

That is fine if you know what topic to focus on. The problem is woods and trees - that there is so much there you can’t tell what is important. Much better to get guidance of a realistic nature who will gladly let you speak and ask questions. Bob Shepherd Associates trades in know how for new business as well as Expansion and Development for established Businesses.

Talk to Bob Shepherd Associates for an outside view that can steer you through the maze. [top]

 

 

Brand Building And All That

July 2008

I have been into a number of businesses lately who haven’t grasped something I think should be obvious. Your presentation to the big world out there will have much more effect if it is coordinated. Think about some of the big brand names that have infiltrated our souls whether we like it or not or whether we actually use them or not. It is quite disturbing in some ways. Becoming a household name has a bit of a relationship with brain washing.

There are brands I have in my head that date back decades. There’s nothing I can do about it. I was exposed to them at some point and they will live with me as part of my culture until I pass on. Certain phrases inevitably finish themselves off in my head with the rest of the message. That shows just how powerful branding can be. Turning it round to the business angle it may not be necessary to become a household name but your business can do worse than take note of the point. All your output to the outside world should have the message you wish to portray inherent in the colours you use, the logo, the web site, your compliments slips, the vehicles, the packaging etc.etc.

Why would you have a web site that is brilliant for you but which stands alone? Why would you not have your people answer the phone in a welcoming way with a trace of the quality and ethos you wish to portray? Do you look round before you rush in every day to start work? It’s very hard to see what you do with a dispassionate eye. Bob Shepherd Associates knows something about marketing, branding, positioning and presentation to the outside world. Let us have a look at your offering. [top]

 

Unfair Bank Charges

July 2008

If your bank has levied charges, such as unauthorised overdraft fees on your business, or even returned cheques  you might well be able to get the charges refunded.

You can claim back charges going back up to 6 years, so it can add up.  Banks must deal with any complaints from business customers immediately and businesses are strongly advised to lodge their complaints regarding unfair charges with their bank, and claim refunds as soon as possible.

Credit card fees and also loan protection policies broadly come into similar areas of examination.
There is a test court case against the Banks being conducted by the OFT – Office of Fair Trading. The first round is over but an Appeal is going ahead. We hope to have the answer to that by October 2008. Until that is clear the Banks are holding off and issuing standard letters explaining the position. In the meantime it may be possible to obtain refunds of charges if it can be shown that the Bank has acted wrongly anyway in your particular case. The Court case is to prove whether the charges are unfair in principle. If they have been wrongly applied then there should be no argument.

Bob Shepherd Associates has the background and experience to assess the position and advise. We also have legal associates who are experts in the position and the reclaiming of charges. [top]

 

Corduroy Thinking

June 2008

The Rich List has been published for Towns in the UK. Top of the list is Beaconsfield in Leafy Buckinghamshire (again).  It and several others are on the outer commuter reach from London of course. Other factors come into the list however with a vague association with Royalty bringing in Ascot, Windsor et al. South Wales has an entry at number 38 with Cowbridge.

Other themes are interesting. The Times comments that towns in the New Forest in Hampshire are where the needs and desires of pony mad daughters bring City Brokers while still allowing access to London in 75minutes.
Others come in because of some association or other with a couple of towns in Cheshire playing host to northern football fortunes and entertainment stars with northern accents. Something crosses all the contenders however. They all are described with High Streets having proper fishmongers and proper butchers. The phrase ‘old fashioned’  is used more than once and a ‘pre war gentility’ catches the same thought flavour.

Hearteningly it appears that those indefinable instincts of Britishness are alive and well and still valued. The marching global giants should take note. Bulldozing the bulldog is not appreciated. Quirky villageness is. See the television programme Dad’s Army for suitable clues and hints. [top]

 

Tax Inefficiency

June 2008

Tax inefficiency costs £8 billion in overpayments. Britons wasted nearly £8 billion in overpaid tax or inefficient arrangements in 2007, around £160 per person, according to research by lobby group IFA Promotion. They have carried out a 'TaxAction' survey of more than 2,600 taxpayers and almost three-quarters of those polled had not taken any action to reduce their tax bill. IFA Promotion said that simple measures such as making a will, completing self-assessment forms correctly and taking advantage of tax credits could all have a positive impact.

Small firm owners and small company shareholders are not expert in everything. Bob Shepherd Associates can help you organise your firm or company to best advantage. For general business know-how let us help you sort out your business and we have associates to offer tax expertise as well as many other topics you need to have in your charge. [top]

 

Rifle or Blunderbuss?

June 2008

There was a time when the Blunderbuss was a good idea. The old coachmen carried it as a deterrent against nefarious highwaymen. The Musket was also in vogue at that time. A regiment of Foot would line up 50 yards away from the French and each team take pot shots at the other. How the old longbow went out of fashion is a mystery to me. At Agincourt the Welsh Archers could down a heavily armoured French noble at 300 paces and could deliver 7 or 8 arrows with a reasonable accuracy per minute. Fire power or rather not fire power of awesome force. The French got the point as you might say. Rifling came along and the distance for accuracy improved 10 fold and finally outdistanced the long bow.

What has this to do with Business? By a tenuous analogy, the presentation of your business message by blunderbuss is going to be less effective than by rifle. Make your message accurate and unerring in its aim. Talk to Bob Shepherd Associates who can help with the ammunition to grow your sales. [top]

 

Start-up Businesses

May 2008

Business start-ups were at their highest levels for 20 years in 2007. However, the slowing economy meant that the number of businesses closing also surged during the year.

A record 471,500 new businesses started up in 2007 - the highest annual volume since Barclays started tracking the market in 1988. The figures show an increase of 17% on the figures first recorded in 1988 (403,200), and an increase of 3% on 2006 (457,200).

• The business stock reached 2.93 million in 2007, the equivalent of one firm per 8.7 people of working age, an increase of 15% over the last 20 years.
• More than seven million businesses have started in the last twenty years whilst a similar number have closed.

The closure rate of the business stock has averaged 14%. The closure rate was at its peak in the 1991-92 recession, reaching 18% in 1992. It dropped as low as 11% in 2003 on the back of strong economic performance. It reached 17% in 2007.

The recent stalling in confidence will no doubt skew the figures for 2008. Much of that was misplaced initially but becomes self propagating so easily.

Bob Shepherd Associates can help make your business more efficient and will gladly help develop it. If you give in to a crisis of confidence yourself however there may be nothing anyone can do. [top]

 

Web Sites

May 2008

Do you market your web site? On line there are things to do to make it more effective. What about your other marketing? Not only should it all have the same feel about it so you deliver similar messages but your off line marketing also requires your attention. Your cards should have something about your web site as should your letter headings. If you have a street presence your shop front, your packaging and everything that carries your business name should also have your web address at least or better still a reference to it of some kind.  It’s not much to do but all adds to the picture.

Talk to Bob Shepherd Associates about how you look to the outside world. [top]

 

 

Monmouthshire

April 2008

According to the latest statistics the modern county of Monmouthshire has the best quality of life in Wales, the healthiest life styles and life expectancy and were the best paid of any rural communities in Wales. Corroborative statistics include 76% of houses were owner occupied, 96% were centrally heated, altogether larger and with an average value of £229034. The number of empty houses were the least in Wales.
The highest employment rate in Wales of 77.9%, highest average earnings at £580 pw (£30160 pa) the driest and third sunniest area were also features.

The problem with most of this is that these are averages. It is quite false to suppose that most people in Monnmouthshire earn £30k per year. Some do; some earn more; and some earn a lot more. There are also a lot of people earning less and some of those a lot less. Those people will be struggling harder than places elsewhere with a lower expectancy of living standard. 

So should all the poor people get on their bike, so to speak, and ship off to some ghetto somewhere so they can be catered for on a cheaper basis?  Of course not. The more you think about it all the more ethical considerations you become aware of. Possibly there are more opportunities for an entrepreneurial spirit in the area.

For the National Assembly to support the county with far less money than elsewhere has always been a subject for query and discussion. The grant system for businesses across South Wales is in some disarray with pockets of money here and there and managed percentages available for certain industries in certain areas some of the time. One wonders how much this is all down to the influences of percentage thinking, with a shallow regard for the detail.

Even when there was money commonly available across South Wales it could still be said most businesses were ineligible for most grants most of the time. Bob Shepherd Associates have experience of grant funding and have the practical knowledge to avoid the pit falls. Talk to us about business grants in your area and about raising funds generally. Whether you are an expanding Corporate or a new start one man band the resources you need, including money, need to be balanced and adequate. Failure to realise this will send your business boat careering down the white water rapids. [top]

 

Green Or What?

April 2008

Newport South Wales, as an example, while achieving accolades for its green credentials still uses 2.78 times its sustainable resources. And that is good going. Along with Plymouth it comes top of an ecological footprint measuring table of some 60 cities around the UK compiled by the WWF (formerly the World Wildlife Fund).
On May 11th this year the city goes into ecological overdraft for the year. Winchester went past their zero point on April 10th.

The explosion of recycling pods that has appeared in recent years in our supermarket car parks is encouraging. The inability of some people to catch the point and understand the message is not. Some drive a couple of miles with their carrier bag to dump it alongside the container because they can’t see the desirability of emptying the contents in to the container a bit at a time. A container for recycling books that clearly says they are for resale in charity shops was seen choked at the neck by telephone directories which had become wet from rain which was now able to get into the container and ruin the rest of the contents.

The publicity for the banning of the billions of carrier bags carted away by uncaring shoppers was good in that it was a wake up to some of them. It does the supermarket no harm to be seen doing something positive for the communities and the world outside to counteract the negative publicity underlining their ruthless price war on the small retailer. Locally grown produce can be carted hundreds of miles to be sorted and wrapped before delivery back where it started and labelled ‘locally grown’.

It’s all better than doing nothing. The few lone voices of the early seventies are making themselves felt now they are in charge. There is a very long way to go. How come it is cheaper to ship something from the other side of the World when it could easily be made here? And who is encouraging the emerging nations to adopt the new clean principles before all the rivers die? Economics? It’s all down to the money.

New opportunities for business arise out of these concepts. Bob Shepherd Associates has raised ecologically based funds to support the equipment needed for recycling and waste transfer. Don’t waste you time and resources, if you have a business idea that needs support or help with development speak to us. In the meantime switch off your computers overnight. [top]

 

Why SMEs ARE Important To Wales

March 2008

99.2% of enterprises in Wales have less than 250 employees
94.5% of enterprises employ less than 10 staff
58.9% of the workforce are employed by SMEs
55% of total  turnover is from SMEs

(Source: 2006 National Statistics) [top]

 

 

Predictive Text

March 2008

Did you realise predictive text confuses ‘selected’ with ‘rejected’, sometimes one way and sometimes the other, depending what model phone you have? Imagine a text saying ‘You have been rejected for the position’, or did it mean ‘selected’?

There must be others where the alternative word  is not just oddly confusing but downright misleading. If anyone spots some good ones let us know by emailing mail@bobshepherdassociates.co.uk and they will be repeated in these columns. [top]

 

 

Marketing Competition Or Chances?

February 2008

If there are 5 gift shops in a town is that competition or choice? Following the Hay on Wye principle people are more likely to come looking for gift shops if there are 5 than if there are one? The trick is to work together. – Place adverts as a group or association of some kind rather than individually. You have buy power – so use it!

Talk to Bob Shepherd Associates about your Marketing. If your business is specialised we have Associates who specialise! If your business needs an outside view we can give you that outside view. [top]

 

Rich Or Not Rich?

February 2008

A tenth of the British population are classed as "rich" -- but do not feel it.
Some 2.5 million households earn 88,000 pounds -- almost triple the average household income of 33,000 pounds -- take two foreign holidays a year and have over 20,000 pounds-worth of disposable annual income, insurer Hiscox says.

However, 90 percent of them do not consider themselves at all wealthy, according to a survey of 1,000 "AB" professionals.

They say they would need to earn around 150,000 pounds per household, have paid off their mortgage, own more than one property or a holiday home and send their children to private school before thinking themselves "well off".

Expanding your business interests may be the way towards including your self amongst these statistics. Let Bob Shepherd Associates get involved in taking your business forward. [top]

 

 

No Word For 'Entrepreneur'

February 2008

George Bush famously commented that the trouble with the French is that they have no word for ‘Entrepreneur’. There is another aspect. Any business needs to have a spirit of enterprise amongst its employees. It has been called Intrapreneurialism.

The best companies invite a spirit of ownership in the doings of their employees which instils a sense of value and helps with staff retention. According to Orange and the Make Your Mark campaign, a survey of 523 UK small businesses conducted for Enterprise Week 2007 revealed that 77 per cent have difficulty recruiting enterprising people and more than one in three consider it a major problem.
It’s a question of balance again. Once you devolve responsibility or delegate to the lowly masses who knows where we will end up? The answer is of course to not do so in isolation. As a boss let your people know where the company stands and gradually invite contributory suggestion. If it’s halfway good – go along with it, and that way you won’t end up doing everything yourself.

‘Hiring a dog and then barking yourself’. Delegation is key to growing a business and developing your staff. It may be far quicker and easier to do the critical things yourself, but your staff will never learn if they aren’t allowed to have a go and learn from their mistakes. (Isn’t that how you got to where you are today?)
If you are a boss and are confident enough to recognise that you could do with some help ask Bob Shepherd Associates for assistance. Personal fitness for a role needs observation from outside. The Boss should be doing the least apparent work and the most thinking. In Mid February it will be National Thinking Day. (who thought of that?) How about using it to set some new directions? [top]

 

 

It's Lonely At The Top

January 2008

If you are running a business you need to wear many hats, you need to know everything and you need to know it now.

More than this - in many case you are isolated and alone.It is therefore important that from time to time you take of all the hats and create some time for yourself – some time for you to reflect, some time for you to learn, some time for You to improve. In fact you will get more done, be more directed and more efficient.
Even if you are performing at peak and have a very successful and profitable business there are always things that you can do to improve. After Wales beat England at Twickenham the new coach had faint praise for the Welsh kicker who had been named Man of the Match. The coach said he felt he had kicked poorly once or twice in the first half and had room for improvement.

If you have more than 3 things to do on your list at the beginning of the day you are probably going to be putting them on your list for tomorrow as well.

Bob Shepherd Associates can help with suggestions for Time Management. An outside view can tell you there is room for improvement and you could use an assistant. We could plan for you to afford it as well perhaps. [top]

 

 

Knowing Your Onions Isn't Enough

January 2008

Professional knowledge is essential for any business but building an extensive network of relevant contacts can be just as important. This is particularly the case for a conceptual business. If you are a Printer, or an Accountant, or something with a definite label then people think they know what you do already. (They don’t of course but you have to see it positively) Getting to know the right people can be critical for business success.
The first purpose of networking is making contacts, building possible relationships, knowing who is who and who does what. It is not a selling exercise which can follow. The networking is to be seen and to establish relationships and trust .

Are you doing the marketing but nothing seems to work? Let Bob Shepherd Associates coach you in  how to overcome the problems if you are not so sure yourself. Don’t forget to make it a part of an overall strategy and smile at networking!  [top]

 

 

Shout Louder When Abroad!

December 2007

97 per cent of British bosses think that they should make an effort to learn about business etiquette in other countries when travelling abroad.

Over two thirds (68 per cent) are embarrassed by their lack of knowledge of other cultures.

96 per cent rely on the fact that most people in business can speak English, with only 21 per cent able to use another language.

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) have made a slip-up or had a bad experience in business etiquette when doing business abroad or with foreign business folk.

HSBC have made a successful advertising campaign out of these principles ending up by saying that as a world bank they have the contacts to sort it all out. The reality may not always live up to their contention. I went into Istanbul branch last year and came out again because I had no idea what was going on in there and couldn’t see how to find out.  [top]

 

So Where Did That Stereotype Come From?

December 2007

Question.....Which area of the UK is set to spend the most money celebrating Christmas this year?
a) Scotland
b) Wales
c) East Anglia
d) South West

Actually it’s Scotland – £848 per head. Consumers in Scotland will spend an average of £848 each over the festive season, according to business advisory group Deloitte.

Maybe they are trying to compensate for a past record of parsimony.  [top]

 

 

Business Expansion Has To Be Balanced

December 2007

One of the greatest enemies of business expansion is simply the “balance”. It is no good having the orders come flooding in if the company cannot handle the  workflow. Equally the business resources are finite and you cannot have resources waiting for an expected work flow incoming which doesn’t materialise.

Have you ever noticed a shop closing down and thought you knew why? Was it location? Or was the location right but just not for that sort of shop? Retail is an easy one to judge as we all use shops.

Customer retention is a subject that comes up frequently in these columns.

The Balance of a business is all about having the correct resources in place at the right time and in the right order to deliver the business in an attractive way to your customers. The overheads support the operation to produce the service or goods which provides the profits to go round again.

Projecting sales is an exercise in balance. Bob Shepherd Associates can show you what level of sales will support a level of expenditure. Looking at it the other way round the sales that are expected may allow for some planned expenditure only at a certain point.

A little forethought goes a long way.  [top]

 

 

It’s Easier Just To Write It Down Sometimes

December 2007

There comes a point in every parent’s life when your children know more about the domestic technology than you do. Just when you thought you were in charge! Every one under the age of, say, 35 has been brought up with computer technology more or less readily available. They are intuitive with it and find it difficult to understand why their older colleagues a) have trouble assimilating it and b) can’t see all the possibilities of using it and c) still bother with the old fashioned “tried and tested” method.

On the other hand I have seen office workers struggling to manipulate a program to produce that poster, flier or title page just how it was wanted when they could have photocopied the thing they wanted precisely.
And how many times have you spent ages setting out a spreadsheet or word document simply to make it print out when you could have written it down as a longhand list in a fraction of the time and got on with something more useful?

The more I see of computers the more post it notes and paper I see.

On the other hand again there are some things that the computer can do so well it is not worth contemplating otherwise. In the bad old days a Cash Flow Forecast was a nightmare of balancing figures and any subsequent change was viewed with dread. Nowadays the operation has turned on its head and it is not only a useful manipulative planning tool but a wonderfully quick way of portraying a scheme to support a Business Plan.
The explosion in the availablilty of Banking systems and payment methods in the last 30 years is entirely a product of the computer age. It would not be possible with the old manual steam systems.

At Bob Shepherd Associates we can show you how to produce a useful and meaningful Cash Flow Forecast using that new fangled computer apparatus.

Technology for the sake of it? Not always but keep An eye on it?  [top]

 

 

Old Customers Or New Ones?

December 2007

One of the biggest problems reported by small businesses across the UK is the difficulty in finding well-qualified staff, able to do the job required.

With 60% of small firms in the UK expressing a desire to grow over the next two years, and 40% hoping to increase the number of people they employ over the next 12 months, the situation is not likely to improve in the short term.

The government’s “Leitch Review” published last December stressed the need for a demand-led skills system which realises the needs of employers as well as learners. Leitch recommended that government should provide the bulk of the funding for basic “level 2” skills and provide a subsidy for higher “level 3” skills, with the remainder being funded by employers and individuals. Leitch also recommended targets for over 90% of the adult population to be qualified to at least “level 2”, and 40% of the adult population to posses world class high level skills with a “level 4” qualification.

Managerial skills, IT skills, sales and marketing skills, technical skills, customer service skills, and languages were found to be in particularly short supply in a survey “Lifting the Barriers to Growth in UK Small Businesses 2006”

So is it about Funding? Partly of course in that if there is funding available then the incentive for trainers to get involved is nearer the top of the pile.

It’s also about society as a whole and how we bring and have brought up our young ones. That is something of a reflection of how we were brought up and so on back up the line. For 130 years education has been provided by the state apparatus in some form or other. However the attitudes and backgound standards of behaviour, regard for others and knowledge of the courtesies of society which are all there for a purpose starts to be set before we ever get to school.  With an increasing mix of cultures in the social whirl the problems have a n extra dimension to them.

As a start Bob Shepherd Associates can help you coach your staff in how to handle your customers, in person, on the phone, by correspondence, email or written.

This is not an exercise in bringing back the polite olden days. This is about handling complaints to achieve something positive. It is about giving your company an edge over its rivals because it treats people properly.
Retaining customers is cheaper than gaining new ones.  [top]

 

 

What's In A Handshake?

December 2007

Actually a lot. Get it right and you are giving the right messages and no one thinks any more. Get it wrong and you are giving impressions about yourself that will set you off on the wrong path. It’s one of the First Impression things you do better to get right.

Some years ago I had the pleasure of running some mock interviews for a local Comprehensive school sixth form. The CVs presented were wonderful. The interviews nearly all went wrong the moment the candidates appeared in the doorway.  It seems incredible that some youngsters do not know how to walk into a room. As well as that they did not know how to greet someone or how to sit in a chair and look attentive and interested. Any one of those small attributes would make a difference between getting a job or contract or place of some kind.

Presenting yourself is a small part of being in Business. A wider part is presenting your business. At Bob Shepherd Associates we can shine a light on these things for you. A firm of solicitors was looking to increase their profile. In fact they could have gone a long way by improving the profile they already had. For example their office had some steps down from a doorway which led into a general office with several people working on computers. Appearing in the doorway for my first meeting I was startled to see they all stopped in mid sentence and looked at me quizzically from their position in the room. It was either an attempt to be helpful or they were being nosey, I couldn’t decide which. I immediately felt some sort of address was called for and that I should rise to the occasion.

They should, of course have had someone nominated to be a receptionist who should immediately come forward with a welcoming smile and an appearance of wanting to be helpful. Instead I felt challenged in some way and that I was invading their territory.

So Marketing isn’t all leaflets and adverts and pens with the company name on them. Bob Shepherd Associates can help train and coach your staff to avoid putting off your customers.  [top]

 

 

Starting Out

November 2007

When you start working for yourself you have 3 months to register with HM Revenue & Customs.
To register as self–employed call 0845 915 4515

If you don’t, there is a fine of £100 which is unnecessary. At Bob Shepherd Associates we have a 2 page check list of items to cover when talking to one man band start ups.  There is a lot to know and to cover and there is no shame in not knowing all the things that get in the way of starting a business. You will have your own expertise, let us help with ours.  [top]

 

 

Franchises

November 2007

One very basic question applies to all Franchises of whatever flavour, size or type. It all comes from this.........” Is the money you are spending to get a ready made business as much or even more than it would cost you to set it up anyway?”

You might be surprised how often the question is ignored and how often the calculation is a close run thing. There may be other reasons for using a franchise but – buyer beware! The considerations for buying a Franchise are not that different to setting up a new business. In some cases the promised delivery of leads, dedicated areas, training and all the incentives that make it look worthwhile are just not there in sufficient quantities, once you have paid over the money.

Another little tip you may be able to use, if the required amount is small enough is to pay for the franchise using a credit card. At least one franchise owner we have come across lately has obtained a full refund plus interest, after the Franchisors melted away when they had his money.

Talk to Bob Shepherd Associates before signing anything. We can help you assess the potential business and give you the best chance to not be caught out!

If you have a business that lends itself to franchising outwards – ie to attracting inward investing franchise money, talk to us. We have an associate experienced in setting up franchises that work.  [top]

 

 

Emailing Overloads

November 2007

Virtual pollution or a useful addition to the communication toolbox? One problem with writing anything down is its inherent permanency. What you said at the time and chose to commit to words may have unfortunate connotations or have a flavour you did not intend. It is harder to take back when it is written. On the other hand, if you wish to have a record of a conversation it is best to have it written down.
There are too many emails in the world with too few of them important. It requires a special discipline to keep up with them. Here are a few points you might like to bear in mind.

• Indicate a sensible summary in the subject line. Change it during a run of replies if the topic changes.
• Cut to the chase quickly.
• Use bold sparingly to accentuate words that you'd like emphasised.
• Use Number or alpha-bullet points for clarity.
• If you want a response or the receiver to do something, make it clear!

Paragraphs

When you have different points and they are undifferentiated, it is very difficult for your reader to sort through them and assimilate the email quickly. Try using  a), b), c) or 1), 2), 3) to break up the email, clarify your main points, and make responding to you easy.

Attachments

MS Word documents are the safest form for attachments. While formats like PDF's may seem harmless and have a useful place in that they cannot be altered easily, Adobe isn't nearly as common as MS Office. They generally take a few seconds longer to download and open than Word documents.
Don’t forget not everyone has the most up to date Office software so you may need to send as an older format so everyone can read it.  [top]

 

 

It's Patently Obvious…

November 2007

Britain has always been a breeding ground for Inventors. Very many of the World’s technological advances emanated from Britain initially, even if they were taken up by others. Have a look at http://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/BestifBrits.htm for more guidance on shouting about it.

The Intellectual Property Office has recently reported that the number of patent applications from individuals is increasing, with Chief Executive Ian Fletcher likening the trend to a ‘Dragon’s Den effect’.  [top]

 

 

How To Avoid Alienating People During A Presentation

November 2007

Do you feel you must have a Power Point presentation for that little talk? 

Bob Shepherd Associates can prepare a good set of slides for you but also can tutor you in some of the presentational skills you need to demonstrate a command of your subject and yourself.

There will be times, though, when you’re in front of an audience or a group and actually need some other presentation aid.  It could be worthwhile using a flip chart or some props. How about standing up and winning them over with strength of personality?

If a Power Point presentation is the best vehicle then ...

• Less is More. More than three points on a PowerPoint slide and you’ve actually put your whole argument up there. Your audience will hate it and anyway, if they’ve got all your ideas in writing in front of them why should they bother listening?
• Blue is the colour…except when you’re putting blue on blue for people to look at. It’s actually difficult to focus and this is why World War 2 Aircraft had blue undersides so the enemy would find it difficult to hit them from the ground. Never use pastel colours for writing.
• Your host might not have a projector. Ask in advance. More seriously, I was once giving a presentation and the laptop supplied by the venue had a version of Microsoft Office that didn’t include PowerPoint. Luckily I’d brought my own laptop – moral: never trust the other guy’s equipment and always have back ups – a disk, a pen stick and some slide printouts. If you do use their equipment check beforehand that the screen view behaves in the way you expected. 
• If you’re using an Apple laptop you’ll need an adapter to connect it to a large monitor or projector. It came with the laptop, in the box. Bet you’ve lost it.
• Please do not read every word on a slide. The slide is there to give the audience a summary back up of what you are talking about or to illustrate your words with a chart or picture of some kind.
• Please position your lap top away from the projector beam so you don’t shadow the screen every time you move.
• Please look at the laptop to keep your position in the progress of the talk– not the screen. Turning to the screen turns you away from the audience and your voice will become muffled or at least vary in clarity.

Overall, however, the best advice is to remember there were people before the technology. If it all breaks down, try winging it and talking to people instead – as long as you are prepared, you might be pleasantly surprised.  [top]

 

 

No Systems!

November 2007

46% of small businesses apparently have no idea how much they are owed or how much they owe. We have met some of them but I have to admit being surprised at the figure that was trotted out this last week.
‘Surely that is basic?’ I thought and of course it is. What is not basic is that many entrepreneurial thinkers fail to cover all their bases. To some degree you can get away with it. A lot of country businesses operate on natural cunning. If it ‘s not raining we’ll do that tree tomorrow.

If you run your business on natural cunning and recognise it would be better to organise it properly, talk to Bob Shepherd Associates. We won’t think the worst of you for recognising it and we are in a position to give you the outside view and feedback you need.

Then your business can continue to grow organically but in a measured and controlled way!  [top]

 

 

It’s Not Fair And Don’t Be Late!

November 2007

I went to a presentation at a dinner by someone from the world of entertainment. Comparison with the business world was a little tenuous but had a point. In the hurricane days of 1987 when travel and communications were disrupted by the collapse of several million trees across track and road the big Shows in London all opened on time. At 8pm the curtain is going up for a paid audience and if you are involved you have to be there.

Long ago my natural tendency to be late made me stop outside a door one day with a definite resolve to leave 10 minutes earlier in future for everything. I have adopted that resolve ever since and I rarely arrive late for anything anymore. The consequent palliative effect on my stress levels and well being has been one area of success. If you are late every light is red and every learner on the road drifts into your way just as you are making a snappy bid for the only gap in the traffic. When you do arrive all the parking is taken up by the early worms and you have to find and then park in a space some distance away. Arriving in a heap there is no time to visit the facilities .....etc etc.

The other part was “It’s not fair”. So true, it never is. There is always something to strike a discord in whatever you are doing and there is no point in dwelling on it. People should park further away if they are early leaving those who are late to park outside and recover their position!  People carry resentful baggage around with them for years sometimes. At a company recently one Director was defending his record of achievement when the product was first launched against some disagreement.  I pointed out that we needed to shelve that and look ahead. It’s not fair. It never is.  [top]

 

 

The Power Of The Internet

November 2007

I read somewhere that Youtube has around 18 million videos played/downloaded every day. What an extraordinary statistic. When you think about it you can see how that would be likely given the population of the UK is around 60m and counting.  It can only get bigger with that sort of force behind the demand. Another remarkable aspect is the strength and power of the site to hold that service in operation.

Another statistic is a point of remark. The Led Zeppelin concert coming up has 20000 tickets for sale by lottery. This was done to recognise the significant demand likely for tickets. I would wager they did not anticipate 87million people stepping forward however. When you think many of those people would want 2 tickets the plot gets thicker. Considering also that many people would have not even tried once they heard the web site for ticket registrations crashed within minutes due to demand.  [top]

 

 

20 Years Ago

November 2007

Taking a comparison with 20 years ago wages have risen 270% and 1in 5 jobs are in Finance of some sort compared with 1 in 10 back then.

Women now occupy 13.5 million jobs compared with 10.5 million then.  That’s a 27% increase for women against a 13%increase for men.

None of these figures mean much unless you measure them against some kind of spending power index. That is full of problems because spending requirements and expectations are different now to what they were in the past. A moments thought will show you that the Internet has increased in usage and power for shopping of all sorts. We hear from time to time that High Street retail is struggling. Come Christmas time the News media will be full of it. A few years ago I knew the stock and the layout of “my” WH Smiths intimately. I went in there nearly every day for something. Now I tend to get things online.

The rise of Ebay has had an effect also. If you have taken up the habit you will be able to examine why. Something I haven’t seen acknowledged is that the Royal Mail, often in the news for the wrong reasons turned in a profit last year, thanks in no small part to Ebay and all the parcels that are flying around.  [top]

 

 

Left Brain, Right Brain

October 2007

Are you pedantic, methodical, good at detail and like not to be interrupted? Are you full of ideas, endemically untidy, late and always losing things? Well, probably you are neither entirely though some people do come from the extremes of the spectrum . You may also be great at words but poor at figures, great at design work but unable to sketch, self sufficient in your thinking or always looking for validation and reassurance, always good at History and arty subjects and be unable to follow the empirical and procedural sciences such as Chemistry.

And so on. The truth is you probably lean one side or the other of a balance towards these things. Personally I am pathologically unable to keep my diary in my head and I have to consult it several times a day to make sure I haven’t forgotten where I am supposed to be.  Others I have noticed can trot out the information that they have an appointment free next Wednesday the 12th at 2 in the afternoon.

That is why Bob Shepherd Associates have Associates. They bring in skills that are needed sometimes. A project is run with our skills but we recognise we sometimes need to supplement that. The client then relies on our good introductions. Very often it is a contact we have that they would have struggled to find readily.
So have a look at this link and see which way you lean.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22535838-5012895,00.html?from=mostpop

[top]

 

 

Pensions And Investments

October 2007

Why make your money retire before you do? Balanced funds need looking at. Many Company pension schemes are not actively managed and the staff have their valuable Pension funds in poor performing “Balanced” portfiolios.

Active management of your money is important. Not for today so much but for tomorrow. Most IFAs don’t do this. Most Banks don’t do this. Most people are being poorly served by this.

Bob Shepherd Associates have contacts who can sort out the minefield for you.  [top]

 

 

Wellness Vs Illness

September 2007

Attending a wellness management course lately I was struck by the idea that ‘wellness’ is not a phrase in common usage. It is the opposite of ‘illness’ of course which is a phrase in common usage. Both of them  affect not only business owners but the workforce too. Someone who is balanced in their health and state of mind, who is comfortable with their current place in life and who has the time and energy to stop and rest is o top of things and best placed to succeed.

Talk to Bob Shepherd Associates about the ‘Wellness’  course and how to maximise the potential of yourself and the staff.  [top]

 

 

The Bus Factor

September 2007

Every service industry knows about this. They all come at once. Why don’t they come one at a time to be picked off and dealt with conveniently and easily? Whether it is customers or orders or whatever you deal with the flow is never smooth.

Processing the work is a subject on its own. There are ways of dealing with all kinds of work flow problems but finding the best efficiency is what you should aim for.

Cash Flow is another one. How do you control something that is essentially down to others? In fact what you can do is adopt some strategies that can iron out the bumps and enable you to operate according to your means. It will never be 100% efficient but at least you can look ahead, manage the flow and grow according to your resources.

Bob Shepherd Associates have some tools in the box that will help. There are some cash flow easing devices in the Marketplace that will cost something but if use3d sensibly will add to your business potential. There is also a nice Cash Flow Template that is actually the most useful section of any Business Plan. Let us show you how to use it.  [top]

 

 

The Price Of Petrol

September 2007

Shocking isn’t it? If I remind you that 1971 was the year of decimalistion and petrol was 33p per gallon would you be surprised? When you consider the average wage was around £15 per week then the plot gets murkier. That means that the price of petrol now is actually cheaper than it was then. Not only that the efficiency of cars now is much greater than then. A Ford Anglia 1 litre engine then did around 30 miles to the gallon. Now an equivalent vehicle can turn in 60 miles to the gallon perhaps or more.

There aren’t many things you can get a direct comparison with over a long time. Petrol may be one, bread is another and so is a pint of beer or a bag of chips (about 8d in 1970, say 4p after decimalisation or actually 5p for convenience (a Shilling,  for a few extra chips in a bag to make it seem worth while)  [top]

 

 

Little Acorns And Big Oaks

August 2007

All those phrases along a similar line carry a similar message. Don’t take people for granted and don’t underestimate them. At Bob Shepherd Associates we have no patronising attitude to little businesses or one man bands. Some while ago I was at a seminar sitting beside a local bank commercial manager. More I think from a necessity for small talk than anything else he asked me what’s the best one I have ever done? I suppose he was thinking I would say a multi million pound turnover business borrowing or raising sums with many noughts on the end.

Perhaps he was surprised when I said actually the best one I have ever done was a small back street garage that was taken over by my client. After months of working we got the lease sorted out, a loan  from a bank, insurances and all the other stuff that gets in the way of doing what you want to do. I went to see my client on the Monday after he moved in. A skip full of rubbish stood outside and he had worked all weekend clearing out and setting himself up. The look on his face was a picture. He had finally arrived! That was the best one I have ever done.  [top]

 

 

Managing In All Directions

August 2007

Man Management is no longer an autocratic arrangement. It is about managing downwards, sideways and upwards too.

Your staff have to manage you, and each other and the customers and clients. In fact everyone has to manage everyone else. When I  was first exposed to staff management ideas I used to try out the ‘modern thinking’  I was being taught on the family at home. The kids needed managing, both for their sake and for mine. My wife needed managing, for her sake and for mine and for the kids as well.

That is not to say they need controlling. That is different. They need managing. That encompasses concepts such as guidance, coaching, influencing, accommodating, and all within the knowledge that you must do your best for them.

Staff are the same to many degrees. They all have their skills, their ideas , their needs and worries. You can’t run their lives for them and neither should you want to do. You can however offer them the chance to bring out their best.

You also need to accept that you can’t always get it right and they won’t either.

Bob Shepherd Associates can help with managerial and staff training and coaching. For deeper issues we have excellent Associates who are business coaches and deal exclusively with the relationships needed to get a business going. Get those square pegs out of the round holes and into square ones and watch you business take off!  [top]

 

 

Companies Act

July 2007

The Companies Act was revised last year and is now coming into play. The duties and responsibilities of a Director and a Company Secretary are now spelled out in detail and there are a number of other changes overall.

Being a Director is not to be undertaken lightly and any existing or proposed Director is advised to have a look at the Companies House website where there is a summary of the new provisions. There is also a Directors and Secretaries Guide which is good.

See http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/about/pdf/gba1.pdf

and then talk to Bob Shepherd Associates about structuring your business.  [top]

 

 

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