Readers of our blog will know that we had a major challenge a few days ago when our offices were trashed due to flooding. As I type this we are in new offices but there is a lot of work to do before we are truly back on our feet.

Friends and business colleagues have been wonderful in their support and we would like to publicly thank them through this blog.

What has surprised us is how difficult it has been to source some equipment!

Recent experience has shown that some suppliers are fantastically efficient with next day deliveries and a can do attitude. Unfortunately others seem to feel that they supply only to their time-scales and offer precious little in the way of support.

• And the bizarre pricing of some organisations has led us to look seriously at ourselves!

We have learned from the experience thus far in that we have put in a new pricing policy for our service so that its really SIMPLE how to deal with us. Plus our payment process is SIMPLE to understand and administer – another lesson learned from adversity!

So how easy is it for your clients to understand how much you will cost?

How easy is it to do business with you?

Is it SIMPLE or do they scratch their heads in confusion?

In this weeks Business With Attitude we have some fantastic, practical and SIMPLE advice which will help both you and your business.

David Nicoll simplifies foreign exchange risks if you export for your business, there are more ways to make exhibitions work for you from Stefan Drew and Michael Beale helps simplify business coaching.

Here's to a SIMPLE week!

Until next time

Regards

Peter

Last Friday we were having a great day with our clients, a four hour meeting was convivial, productive and time efficient. After a nice lunch we popped downstairs (our offices are on two floors) to be confronted with the surreal site of an illuminated swimming pool!

Our office was under three foot of water, the level rising quickly, and although it was clear water the office was absolutely wrecked, our PC's , networks, desks and chairs all submerged..

In came the famous British spirit as both our clients literally leaped into the water to see what they could salvage. My wife called the fire brigade and within minutes they were on the scene and started a major pumping operation. The plumber arrived, found the problem (which was nothing to do with us) and fixed the errant pipe connector that caused so much trouble.

Then the clean up began, or at least so we thought until we realised that we had to leave things as they were for the insurance assessor to arrive.

As I type this we are still waiting some five days later (apparently we have to be fair to them as they don't work weekends even though most businesses, including ours do!).

Life is now moving on, we have sourced new offices which we will move into at the weekend and hopefully a settled claim and new technology in the next few days.

Our clients have been wonderful with much empathy and support, many citing similar instances in their business life.

All have told us the same thing'

“When business throws a big rock at you its how you react that counts!

So how about you?

When the business has a big rock thrown at it how do you respond? Do you let clients wait a week for an emergency service, or do you rise to the challenge ?

In this weeks Business With Attitude show sponsor David Nicoll helps us with Vat, Stephen Roper shares his thoughts on Small Business Opportunity, Neil Barlow helps us with audio marketing and Sheila Holt looks at how to recession proof our business.

As we looked down into the swimming pool that was once our office a postcard from the Nightingale Conant range literally floated in front of us .

It had but one word on it that told us everything we have to do in the coming weeks.......

FOCUS!

FOCUS until the next time...

Peter

A good friend of mine Tim Kidson and I met up recently as we do a few times a year to share our business, life experiences and usually a hearty breakfast!

Although we are very different in some ways, we do share a passion for speaking and the area we live in. Tim lives in Herefordshire, I live in Worcestershire and our offices are in Shropshire – all within a twenty five mile radius of each other!

We have both spoken on stages around the world and yet are always drawn back to where we live because frankly, in our opinion, its the best place in the UK to live – but we are biased!

Its a funny thing attraction…

During this recession we have both come to similar conclusions (without consulting each other) that in the main we can earn our living in a fairly small area.

Not chasing around the world as perhaps we used to, makes strong business sense, as speaking abroad can be very hard work and requires many disciplines, not to mention a different business model.

For us both working fairly locally is a joy and there are so many great companies..

Lets take an example:

Beer!

Our office is in Cleobury Mortimer home of The Hobsons Brewery and a great pint called Town Crier with a strong following of supporters.

We live fairly close to a village called Stoke Lacey, home to the Wye Valley Brewery with another great following of people who just love Dorothy Goodbody and her Golden Ale.

And then there is my absolute favourite, Weston’s Brewery at March Marcle and the home of probably the best cider in the world (just in my opinion you understand) – Stofords Press, again with a great following.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not a ravaged alcoholic but I enjoy a beer or cider as many do and we are so lucky to have these micro brewers on our doorstop fighting the recession head on -and winning!

The reason they are winning?

They all have a loyal following, because they produce a great result, consistently and are prepared to shout about it…

They are attractive..

Social media allows your business to create and sustain a loyal following – to create an attraction to both you and your business.

What can you learn from these great examples?

Besides what a great pint they make!

In this weeks edition of Business With Attitude we have some very attractive people…

David Nicoll explains why our Vat returns can be attractive to our business (honest!), Julia Doherty explains how to attract great staff, Joan Friedlander explains why its attractive not to be too busy in our business and Priscilla Morris explains how to have an attractive voice.

We all want to be attractive – why not have an attractive business?

Until next time.

Peter

I have taken up swimming again fairly recently both for fitness and for some private time. I have always found that as I swim lengths invariably I can go over a speech and things drop into place because I am alone with my thoughts and the water.

Its an important time for me for preparation to give my best to an audience…

As I write this today I have just come back from swimming, having swum three minutes quicker than my previous best. Wow I hear you say isn’t that a fantastic achievement.

Well that depends upon your view point!

As I entered the baths from the changing rooms the attendant came up to me and asked “Are you Peter?”.

Now this isn’t the usual response I would expect from a lifeguard and after a brief conversation it transpired my daughter Sara Beth was trying to get hold of me urgently.

Not having my mobile phone in my swimming trunks the attendant said she would get hold of a phone for me and would shout when she had got hold of Sara Beth.

So I started swimming yet after a couple of lengths, sure enough the attendant waved to me and I had the surreal experience of standing in the middle of the public swimming baths with a phone – listening to an answer machine!

So as we couldn’t make contact I swam the rest of my lengths fearing the worst -all fathers know this feeling and I can tell you it made my swimming speed increase considerably.

My preparation went out of the window…

Eventually having completed my swim and changed I eventually caught up with Sara Bath (oops I meant Beth!)who confirmed there was a significant challenge in the office – but there was nothing life threatening…

Except perhaps from me!

Moral of the story: Make sure your preparation time for speaking cannot be disturbed – its the most important time a speaker can have…

Fortunately this weeks edition of Business With Attitude was prepared on dry land, David Nicoll shares some great thoughts on when renovation of premises is good for business, Guy Ashworth reflects on our Business Reputation, Michael Beale explains the basics of NLP and Stefan Drew has some fab tips on getting the most from exhibitions!

No one else got wet in the making of this blog…

Until the next time!

Peter

Recently I was speaking at an event in the Midlands about how social media has fundamentally changed our business.

The session was going very well and I asked the audience “Who wants to know what “Twitter” really is about?”

Unsurprisingly the vast majority shouted yes please!

Now we were in a hotel room that was on the first floor and with windows open we could view some very lovely hotel grounds. At that very second I could hear a bird singing its song and I said “just listen to that bird singing its song alone in the trees - singing to be heard...”

“Twitter is very much the same”

The audience went silent and were enthralled by the singing and really got the message.

Now inside my head I thought wow that's worked really well!

I was close to smug mode when all of a sudden there was a loud bang as the people outside used their clay shooting guns to great effect.

Of course I didn't know they were there....

Quick as a flash a member of the audience said “Oh my word who shot twitter?” and everyone collapsed laughing - including me!

As speakers we all know that timing is everything and we couldn't have timed it better - in fact you couldn't make it up!

The session went very well and the story went around the convention within minutes...

Moral of the story: you never know what's going to happen when you speak, just go with the flow - in this case the bird got shot (not really of course for all you caring souls it was a laser shoot!).

Fortunately in this weeks edition of Business With Attitude we know exactly what we are going to get -show sponsor David Nicoll shares his ideas on gifts from the tax man, my namesake (and no relation) Stephen Roper talks about Innovation, Tony Dalton has some great ideas on helping us with business cash flow and Sheila Holt takes a look at coaching.

None of these people shot any birds in the preparation of this blog or our podcast!

Until next time...

:)

Peter