Join our business book club – It’s free!
In January we will be meeting to discuss.
Register or find out more information by emailing bookclub@brightdimension.co.uk
If you can’t make it and have read the book, then why not leave us a comment below and let us know what you thought about it….
I have just been on an international VAT course in Birmingham. It was very
interesting and necessary (as a client is increasing their exporting
activities) but quite expensive and time consuming – it took a full day out
of my already over-full schedule. “Serves you right for being an
accountant!” I hear you cry.
But it got me thinking about the role of training in businesses. In larger
businesses it is often seen by employees as a bit of a skive and a waste of
time as training is often poorly targeted. In smaller businesses it can be
seen as expenditure the company cannot afford and so training needs are
ignored. However, in small companies in particular, their key assets are their
employees; their main competitive advantage is the level of service they can
give their customers. This means that having well trained staff (and this
includes the business owner themselves) is key to their future prosperity. As the old adage goes – knowledge is power. Having up-to-date knowledge of
your industry, market and the technical issues which impact your customers,
will help you maximise the value you can give – which is key to maximising
income! Further, having an understanding of key issues which impact on your business
will reduce the number of sleepless nights you have worrying about what you
might be doing wrong. So, my advice is to spend some time reviewing your business to identify
areas where you are vulnerable because you just don’t have the right level
of training, and plan to fill that gap. If you have staff, well planned training can be a real motivator as staff
feel appreciated and valued. Guess what, allowing yourself as the business
owner to get good training can be a terrific boost to your confidence too!
Fiona
Posted via email from Jop
On Thursday I attended the Somerset Business Awards and it got me thinking about what the businesses who took part got out of the process.
Two of the businesses I work with won awards. Helen Lacey and her team at Red Berry Recruitment won Mendip New Business of the Year, whilst Sandra Pennyfather, and Driving Ambition won the Marketing and Promotion award for their involvement in the Young Driver of the year awards. It was fantastic to be there to help them celebrate their success and I am incredibly proud of both of them.
It was clear that winning the awards was very important to both business owners, but why should this be so?
One of the problems with running your own business is that it is very difficult to determine whether you are doing well or not. Now, I am a great believer that if your business is fulfilling your personal goals and providing you with a good income, it’s a success. However, it is often gratifying to have outside recognition for our efforts. Some of us are lucky enough to have clients who voice their happiness over the service we provide, and if this is the case for you, you will know how great that feels. For others, peer approval boosts our confidence and encourages us to greater heights.
It is often through the reaction of others to our achievements, that we measure success. Even if all the evidence in front of us suggests we are doing well, we are reluctant to believe it until it is confirmed by someone else.
Award ceremonies such as the Somerset Business Awards are an excellent opportunity for great businesses to be acknowledged.
You can’t turn on the television these days without being bombarded with tales of economic doom and gloom. How refreshing, therefore, to celebrate those successful business, who are bucking the trend and putting their best feet forward.
Fiona
Posted via email from Jop