Category Archives: business start ups

September 7, 2012
0

Working a Job while Building a Business [Do’s & Don’ts]

By | business start ups, Mindset, New business | 3 Comments

 

For most people, resigning from a salaried job to start a business is an unaffordable luxury. With bills to pay and a family to support it’s far more sensible to keep the day job and build your new business in the background. This means working a job and then building your business after work. It means working the weekends too and doing this requires energy, focus and prioritisation. It’s incredibly hard. I speak from experience. It involves a delicate juggling act fraught with stress, complexity and occasionally conflicts of interest.

However, there’s no reason why you can’t do it as many of the world’s top companies have demonstrated. Balancing a full-time job with a start-up business can have real advantages. For example it can enable you to set up, gain exposure, contacts and advice while testing your market and commitment to the business that you’re building.

So, here's my advice (9 tips) on exactly how to do this.

Tip #1. Love your job and fill your head with things that empower.

According to Dr Deepak Chopra, we have around 65,000 thoughts per day and many of them (around 95%) are the same thoughts we had yesterday. And, the day before that. And, the day before that. Automatic thoughts can be positive (realistic and goal oriented) or negative (distorted, unproductive and work against us achieving our goals).

Becoming aware of the power of your thoughts is so important at this stage, for when you fill your head with things that empower you e.g. your dreams, ambitions and thoughts about how you're going to get there,  you can achieve so much more. However, when you fill your head with resentment and negativity you become dis-empowered, bogged down and drained. It’s vital for you to stop wasting energy and to use your job as a financial cushion whilst you get clear on your business. I suggest following Oprah’s advice:

[box]“By doing the best in this moment you put yourself in the best position for the next moment.” TWEET THIS[/box]

Tip #2. Build a business plan.

Build a clear, realistic time-line for starting your business. And, set targets and achievable goals for all your activities. Remember, what gets scheduled gets done so put it in the diary and make that commitment. By doing this, you’ll maintain focus and avoid frustration.

Tip #3. Get into a routine.

Structure is even more important when working at home after the day job. Set out a timetable for the exact time you’ll be starting and stopping work each evening, and then do the same for the weekends. It’s a bit like setting a revision timetable! Once you’ve created your timetable, make sure you stick to it. Don’t take refuge in excuses that allow you to procrastinate and don’t work a minute beyond your finish time. The more disciplined you can be, the better your results will be.

Tip #4. Consider your contract.

Check your contract. Many terms of employment stipulate that you can’t work another job or have shares in another business whilst in employment. However many are only concerned with a conflict of interest and will grant it if approached. If you do this, be sure to get everything in writing from HR. Be aware that once you've mentioned this you may be watched more closely, and that the quality of your work may be questioned.

Tip #5. Respect your employer.

Always be respectful toward your employer and deliver a good day’s work. Even if you can’t bear your day job be a professional. Remember: “How you do anything is how you do everything.”

Tip #6. Get support.

Building a business is a lonely affair and it’s great to be able to lean on a friend, mentor, or group. I belong to an entrepreneurial group that meets regularly, plus several groups online that offer round-the-clock advice and support. Having an accountability buddy is another useful thing to do.

Tip #7. Choose your place of work.

When you’re working a job and building a business you have to make best use of the time you have available. It’s therefore essential that you find a place of work that allows you to achieve maximum productivity without distraction. If you don't like working from home use hotels, or coffee shops that have free wifi. If you're ok with working from home set up a dedicated space, or work from an outbuilding.

Tip #8. Be professional and avoid crossover.

Never bring the activity of your business into your day job. The two must be kept completely separate. This means avoiding the use of work email, phones and printing in addition to booking meetings and taking calls for your start-up.

Tip #9. Use resources. Take your time, study, learn and implement whilst you have time. Be an apprentice for your business on the job if you can. Ideally try to get some money behind you before launching too. Some recommend having 3-6 months of your salary saved as a safety net.

Watch the tips via video

Now I want to hear from you…

In the comments below, tell me …

  • What your biggest frustration or challenge is with working a job whilst building a business.
  • What top tips you have for dealing with it.
  • Let me know what action you'll take as a result of reading and watching this post too. I'd love to hear.

Thank you, as always for watching, reading and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!

With love and gratitude – as always,

 

 

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September 5, 2012
0

Drive sales by establishing your core values and identity

By | business start ups, Marketing, Sales | No Comments

The power of ‘why'

There are so many considerations when starting a business, but one that’s so often overlooked is establishing and communicating your business’ core values. Typically, entrepreneurs focus on branding, business plans and financing. Then there’s a mad rush to roll-out! However, neglecting to consider your core business values from the start could have serious implications further down the road.

My favourite example of this is via leadership expert and author Simon Sinek. He believes in starting with your ‘Why.’ Through his bestselling book, ‘Let’s Start with Why’ and his TED talk, he says that if you have a sincere and compelling “why” that resonates with like-minded people, it can propel your business to stellar and lasting success. The same goes for attracting outstanding and loyal employees. If you employ people who have core values aligned with yours, then they’ll see their job as more than just a pay check; they’ll see it as a personal mission. They’ll truly value their job, champion it with others and work for you through blood, sweat and tears.

Turn your marketing message inside out

Whilst Sinek's book and talk are a few years old, the message he conveys is powerful and relevant. He discovered that all great inspiring leaders and organisations think, act and communicate in the same way, and that it’s the complete opposite to everyone else. He explains how by drawing, what he terms, ‘The Golden Circle.’ The circle’s inner core contains ‘why’ and around it is ‘how’, followed by ‘what.’

He maintains that every person within a business knows ‘what’ their company does; some also know ‘how’ they do it, but few know ‘why’ they do it. And, with regards to the latter he’s not talking about the profit (result). ‘Why’ to Sinek means what’s your business’ purpose, your belief, and your cause. Why does your business exist and why should anyone care? He argues that the inspired business’ and leaders all communicate from the inside out.

Sinek illustrates this point with Apple. If they were like any other business their marketing message might be: “We make great computers, they are beautifully designed, simple to use, and user friendly. Want to buy one?” Instead, they communicate their message: “We believe in challenging the status quo; we believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our computers simple to use and user friendly. We just happen to make great computers.”

Apple has turned their marketing message inside out. As a result they are known for their cutting edge ethos and uber coolness which draws buyers to them. As great as their products are, ultimately it is their core values that drive brand loyalty.

[box]“People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” TWEET THIS[/box]

The goal is not to do business with people who need what you have. The goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe.

Sinek says his idea is not new; it’s grounded from the tenants of biology. If you look at a cross section of the brain it’s broken down into 3 major components that correlate perfectly with the Golden Circle. The outer layer – the neo cortex corresponds to ‘what.’ It is responsible for our rational thought, language, and is analytical. The middle two sections make up our limbic brains and correspond to ‘how’ and ‘why.’ They are responsible for our feelings, trust and loyalty. They govern all our behaviour, decision making and have no capacity for language.  When we communicate from the outside in, we can understand it, however, it won't drive behaviour. When we communicate from the inside out, however, we are talking directly to the part of the brain that controls behaviour.

Do business with those who believe as you do

Why is it important to attract those people who believe as you believe? The answer is on account of the law of diffusion of innovation. The early adopters and innovators make way for the others. They want to be seen as being the first, they take on your beliefs and make them their own. Everything they do, is for themselves. The ‘what' you do simply serves as the proof for what they believe. Remember always, people buy for themselves and they follow those who inspire them not because they have to, but because they want to.

In the comments below, tell me what your biggest frustration is with driving sales. Let me know what top tips you have for dealing with it and whether you've tackled this through your marketing message. Let me know what action you'll take as a result of reading this post too. I'd love to hear.

Thank you, as always for watching, reading and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!

With love and gratitude – as always,

 

 

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August 19, 2012
0

Guest blog by Claire Brummell of Feminine1st

By | business start ups, Established business, New business | 3 Comments

The Feminine Approach to Business Success

The Feminine approach to businessUs women have got a bit of a tough job these days. Not content with the roles of wife, mother and home-maker, we decided (many years ago) that we wanted more.  We wanted equality, we wanted everything that men had, we wanted it all…and now we’ve got it all.

The downside – we have absolutely no idea how to manage it! We’re wearing dozens of different hats, trying to be everything to everyone and quite frankly, it’s exhausting. One of the biggest challenges in this huge change has been how to create our success in the business world.

In order to be considered equals in the workplace, a lot of women have felt the need to prove themselves…and many still do. Prove that they are equal to, or better than, their male counterparts.  Unfortunately a lot of women have mistaken then word ‘equal’ for ‘the same’.  In order to prove our worth in the business world, a lot of us have taken on the approach of the men. We’ve modelled the people at the top of our respective fields and in doing so have replicated a very masculine way of working.

Women in business have become tough, independent, uncompromising and ultra competitive.  They have stepped into the shoes of the men at the top and in doing so have also taken on ‘their way’ of doing business too.  I’ve lost count of the number of times that when referring to a woman in business I’ve heard the phrase “she’s got balls”….need I say more? 🙂

There are two main challenges with taking this approach. The first is that it’s not actually the most effective way to work.  In some circumstances a very masculine approach works very well…in others, to be blunt, it doesn’t. You only need to look at the statistics to see what a women’s touch does for corporate success.

When looking at the Fortune 500, the difference in performance between companies with a minimum of 3 women on their boards and those who have none is very revealing.  Those with at least 3 women on their boards outperform those with none by 46% for return on equity, 60% for return on invested capital and 84% for return on sales.  The numbers don’t lie…

The second challenge is that if the woman in question is feminine at heart (which the vast majority of women are…although many of us have lost touch with it), it actually jars with our nature.  We’re physically not built to be able to operate in a masculine way for extended periods of time…to do so takes testosterone, a chemical that we only have in small supply.  When the testosterone has gone we’re left running on adrenaline, which can lead to exhaustion as well as other health and energy issues.   We end up feeling tired, stressed, frustrated and often unhappy.

So what is the alternative?

The answer is that there is a very effective approach to business that comes from making the most of our feminine traits (and no I’m not referring to high heels, short skirts or low cut tops…before you ask).

This isn’t to say that we never use the masculine approach (in fact, there are times when it is incredibly useful, even necessary) just that we feminine women operate from a more feminine approach the majority of the time, and then utilise the masculine traits like a toolbox to pull out as and when the situation requires it.

So what is the Feminine Approach to Business Success?

Earlier this year I put together a series of 30 videos each with a different tip or tool to help you employ the Feminine Approach to Business Success:

For the next 30 days I invite you to watch one of these videos each day…and ‘try on’ a more Feminine Approach to Business Success and see how it works for you. You might be surprised…

Stay fabuous!

Claire x

About Claire Brummell

Having lived for 20 years of her life behind a masculine mask herself, Claire Brummell now has a passion for helping women and men reconnect with what it really means to be feminine or masculine in order to transform their lives.

Claire works with women and men all over the world to help them fulfil their potential by reconnecting with their natural strengths and rediscovering their authentic power.

Many women spend a lot of their time battling a sense of overwhelm, inadequacy and pressure; their lives feel like a continuous juggling act. Claire’s engaging content helps women to release the struggle for control and perfection that so many experience, allowing them to feel more confident, effective and fulfilled by stepping into their full potential.

Connect with Claire here:
www.feminine1st.com
Blog: www.feminine1st.com/blog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/feminine1st
Twitter: www.twitter.com/feminine1st
Youtube: www.youtube.com/feminine1st

August 13, 2012
0

Story tell like an expert in five easy steps

By | business start ups, Established business, New business, Selling, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Why it's vital to become a good storyteller

Storytelling is an age-old tradition that we have been brought up on since being children. It has been the centre of many celebratory and social events for centuries. Whilst a truly great storyteller is blessed with a unique gift, it is possible for anyone to gain these skills and become competent.

[box]“Everyone loves to hear a good story, but the story is only as good as the storyteller.” TWEET THIS[/box]

Being a good storyteller is a vital part of what we do as entrepreneurs. Why? Well, when we do it well we get people’s attention and we gain their trust. And, when we have this, we make more sales – simple! We all love stories and we can all relate to people through them. So whether you are writing, video blogging or speaking you need to know how to communicate through stories because it’s a better way to engage with your customers and pull them in.

Here are 5 tips for storytelling:

1.   Include dialogue. It’s the key to successful story telling as it far more engaging than just telling someone what to do.
2.   Act it out and become the person you are telling the story about. Take on their persona, their tone of voice or accent. Put some performance into it. You become more believable. Put yourself in the moment. It’s so powerful.
3.   Use your words and paint the scene so you can understand who it is that it’s being told about.
4.   Passion – when you’re passionate about something you have something to say and will be more engaging and therefore believable
5.   Practice – you know what they say – practice makes perfect so start by writing daily – 1000 words and even better still – video blogging!

In the comments below, let me know your top tips for telling stories. Let me know what action you'll take as a result of watching and reading this post too. I'd love to hear.

Thank you, as always for watching, reading and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!

With love and gratitude – as always,

 

 

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August 5, 2012
0

What everyone ought to know about pain

By | business start ups, Established business, Lifestyle, New business, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

The real truth about pain

The truth about painMost people know the saying ‘no pain, no gain’ and right now I feel like some sadomasochist when I write and tell people that I like pain! My reasoning is because I know that it is actually my friend and ally. It tells me when I’m injured, it makes me hungry (for success) and it forces me to take action. Pain is not pleasant, it can keep you up at night and make you angry but believe me when I say that in the end going through pain is beneficial for you.

Often when you try something new, you’re not very good at it. If you’re a high achiever, this means experiencing the pain of discomfort and sometimes failure. What you’re essentially doing is stepping outside of your comfort zone. But, rest assured, everything that happens to you, as a result of doing this, serves you in some way. Pain can be both feedback that something is amiss and it can also signal great growth.  Sure it hurts and it’s not welcome, but it’s unavoidable for the successful entrepreneur.

If you ask a champion in any field of endeavour about pain, you will find that rather than avoid it, they embrace it and accept it as part of the game they must play to win. Champions realize that pain equals growth and the benefits far outweigh the discomfort. Look at what these three champions said:

  • Arnold Schwarzenegger: “I realized that pain could become pleasure. I was benefiting from pain. I was breaking through the pain barrier and shocking the muscles. I looked at this pain as a positive thing, because I grew.”
  • Cyclist Lance Armstrong: “Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit however, it lasts forever.”
  • Muhammad Ali: “I hated every minute of the training. But I said to myself, bear the pain now and live the rest of your life as a champion.”

Achievement expert Brian Tracy says, “90% to 95% of people will withdraw to the comfort zone when what they try doesn't work. Only that small percentage, 5% or 10 % will continually raise the bar on themselves; they will continually push themselves out into the zone of discomfort, and these are always the highest performers in every field.”

Studies at the University of Chicago by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, back this up too.  The findings concluded that the highest achievers are those who consistently push themselves out of their comfort zones. Instead of withdrawing to their comfort zones when they don't get immediate positive results, they force themselves to stay at this awkward, uncomfortable and painful (but higher and better) level of performance until the pain finally subsides and they become comfortable at the new higher level.

So, what I’d like you to do is to take a moment and think about the sum total of everything you’re currently doing to improve your business. Think of every detail you can – the sales, the marketing, the admin, the technology, the operations, the management, the HR and recruitment, the level of effort, the sweat, the time that you put in – everything.

Now grab a pen and draw a small circle in the centre of a sheet of paper. Imagine that all the work you’re doing is contained in that small circle. Inside your circle, write the words, “where I am now – my comfort zone.” Next, take your pen and draw another circle outside the first one, and write, “the pain and I suck zone.” Finally, draw another circle outside of this and write the words, “where the magic happens and the kick ass zone.” This outer larger circle represents personal growth, increased performance and positive change.

If you’re not seeing the changes you want – a frustration that so many of us experience at some time in our life – it means you’re staying completely inside your comfort zone most of the time. In order to make a positive change in your life, you have to expand your boundaries by moving outside of this circle.

So, go do it! And, when you've done it, remember, this is too: expanding your comfort zones is a life habit. Each time you grow and step outside of it the pain subsides, the benefits are realized, and the pain is forgotten. You’ll have reached a higher level of achievement that will eventually become your new comfort zone! When this happens it’s time to press on again.

Tom Hopkins, a sales trainer and one of the world’s top motivational speakers, taught me this lesson recently when I read his book, ‘How to master the art of selling', “The pain of every change is forgotten when the benefits of that change are realized.”

[box]““The pain of every change is forgotten when the benefits of that change are realized.” TWEET THIS[/box]

In the comments below, tell me how you deal with the pain that results from expanding your comfort zone and what methods or techniques you use to combat it. Let me know what action you'll take as a result of watching and reading this post too. I'd love to hear.

Thank you, as always for watching, reading and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!

With love and gratitude – as always,

 

 

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July 29, 2012
0

Why failure is an entrepreneurs best friend

By | business start ups, Established business, New business | 20 Comments

You are going down!

Failure and entrepreneurshipWhen you’re new to business, the last thing you expect to hear is that failure is your best friend, but I have to tell you it is! Furthermore, that it's good to fail, and that it’s even better to fail as fast as you can. In some cases too, the more often you fail the sounder an investment you'll make! Let me explain why.

Fail your way to the top!

Failure is good. It’s like fertilizer. It makes you grow faster and stronger, but only if you commit to not quitting.

[box]“Failure is good. It’s like fertilizer. It makes you grow faster and stronger.” TWEET THIS[/box]

Many people sadly become overwhelmed at just the thought of failing in business, so they never try, or they give up at the first hurdle. That’s not a problem as being in business is not for everyone and unless you’re going to accept this and work to overcome it it’s probably best you don’t even start.

Failure sorts the wheat out from the chaff. The fear of it is very real and must be overcome otherwise it will take control and limit what you accomplish. 

Success is often hatched out of adversity or what is perceived as failure; therefore it’s crucial to get things into perspective. It’s not a question of if you will fail; it’s only a matter of when. Failing does not make you a failure, for we are all human, however, not learning and growing from it does. So the most important factor is how you respond to that situation. The only people who are excused from failure are those who never try.

I can think of so many famous entrepreneurs who have failed in business but the example I want to give you, and the one most often used, is of Thomas Edison. When a reporter questioned him about his many failures in perfecting the light bulb, he replied, “I did not fail a thousand times, I learned a thousand ways that it wouldn’t work.”

 It is this defiance of failure – this entrepreneurial attitude – that of a champion, that truly captures the essence of what so may deem as failure. Invaluable lessons are always learnt through what is thought to be failure. And, such learning experiences will continue to be essential to success.

The following ideas may support you through failure or help you change your perspective towards it so that you are able to embrace it as a means of growth in your personal pursuits.

  • I never see failure as failure, but only as a learning experience.
  • I never see failure as failure, but only as the negative feedback I need to change course in my direction.
  • I never see failure as failure but only as an opportunity to develop my sense of humour.
  • I never see failure as failure but only as an opportunity to practice my techniques and perfect my performance.
  • I never see failure as failure but only as the game I must play to win.
  • I am not judged by the number of times I fail but by the number of times I succeed, and the number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I can fail and keep on trying.

Everyday we make a decision about our attitude to failure. We can take it personally, have it destroy our day or our business, or we can brush it off and keep going. Remember, failure is not the end unless you allow it to be – just as Zig Ziglar said, “Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.”

I hope you'll watch the video and review these attitudes to failure. Use them every time you take a risk, or make a move that results in less than a win. In the comments below, tell me how you deal with failure and what methods or techniques you use to combat it. Let me know what action you'll take as a result of watching this video and reading this post too. I'd love to hear.

Thank you, as always for reading, watching and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!

With love and gratitude – as always,

 

 

 

 

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July 22, 2012
0

What everyone ought to know about being an entrepreneur

By | business start ups, New business, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Do you have what it takes to be a real entrepreneur?

Are you a real entrepreneur or just a wannabe

Ok, so now you've quit the job, started your own business, are master of your own destiny and a real entrepreneur. Or are you? Are you a real entrepreneur or a wannabe i.e. an opportunity seeker? Would you know how to tell the difference? Well, I'm going to help you out here and give you the heads up by explaining the traits of both types. I’ll start with the wannabe or opportunity seeker.

A wannabe is someone with a business opportunity mindset who is merely ‘acting’ like a business owner. They're not actually applying business principles to what they are doing and, because of this they are doomed to fail.

A real entrepreneur achieves success because they take responsibility for their success or lack of it, and they work on changing their attitude. Learning is key to this and self-development and growth will ensue. It’s an exciting time! Whilst other people can help by teaching the real entrepreneur and furthering their growth they can’t instill in them the necessary drive needed in order to make use of the knowledge. The real entrepreneur has to be hungry for it all, and be consumed by an obsessive burning desire inside.

Real entrepreneurial success has to come from the fire you have inside you. It cannot be extinguished by anything. You see starting your own business is not like working a job. It’s competitive and requires a multitude of skills. For example:

  • It takes 10x more time, energy and effort than working for someone else.
  • It demands from your spirit a relentless persistence.
  • It demands from your intelligence an unwavering application.
  • It demands from your emotions courage, patience and growth.

A business opportunity seeker gets involved with a business and hopes they will be successful.  They fantasize about what it would be like to have all this money. They spend more time in fantasy land then in actual reality learning how others who make tons of money actually do it.

Anyone who’s making a lot of money is not sitting around hoping or fantasizing about what their future might be like. They are implementing as a real entrepreneur.

A real entrepreneur is marketing their business and much of the time learning new skills and developing new talents to do this.  They are increasing value and studying under successful people.  They are practising, persisting, failing, modifying and growing ALL the time.

The real entrepreneur looks at a challenge and thinks out-of-the-box. They think laterally and figure out a way. They see competitors as a good thing for they highlight the differences between both providers! They seek the real information that they need in order to move them closer to their goals. And they stop at nothing to get there.

Nothing can deter them.  No event or failure can extinguish their fire. No negative person can persuade them any differently of their sheer power to create the reality they want for themselves. They are like something possessed and cannot be stopped. The real entrepreneur mines the gold from the ground where the business opportunity seeker stands on.

So I ask you, which one are you, or which one do you want to be?

The road to success lies in front of all of us and your success will be a direct result of how serious you are about growing a real business. It will be the result of how much energy you put into learning and developing new skills, talents, and abilities that will make you money. Your success will be the result of how dedicated you are to growth in all areas of your life – business and personal.

So the choice is yours.

In the comments below, tell me what you think about your being an entrepreneur and others that you've met including the wannabes. Let me know what action you'll take as a result of watching this video and reading this post too. I'd love to hear.

Thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!

With love and gratitude,

 

 

 

 

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July 16, 2012
0

Meeting the notorious Laura Roeder of LKR fame

By | business start ups, Lifestyle, New business, Uncategorized | 11 Comments

An informal ‘interview' with Laura Roeder

Meeting Laura Roeder LKR, The Dash, Creating FameLast Saturday, I met Laura Roeder, the well-known American social media entrepreneur who has built a formidable online business. I’m a big fan of Laura, and in my opinion she’s doing a lot of things right. She is a social media, marketing expert who teaches small business owners how to get to grips with social media in their business, and become known as the leading expert in their field. She is the creator of Creating Fame and Your Backstage Pass to Twitter, and has over 500,000 subscribers. Her business turns over millions each year, which considering she’s less than thirty years old, and there's a recession on, in my opinion isn’t bad going! I have to say, it was a memorable encounter if only just to see how well grounded and down-to-earth she is.

The event started at 2:00pm at Waterstones bookstore in Piccadilly, London. London was abuzz, despite the rain; the Olympic visitors were in town. High up on the 5th floor, though, about 30 attendees had made the effort to join her and were networking. I made my way through them to a seated area where I could see Laura sitting, chatting and drinking coffee (or was it tea?). She was deep in conversation with several other enthused entrepreneurs. For some strange reason I approached introducing myself and shaking hands, instead of my usual continental cheek-to-cheek kissing! How very British!!!

If you've not come across Laura Roeder before I'll fill you in. Laura earned a degree in advertising at The University of Texas. Whilst she continued to teach herself about the web and online communications she graduated at 20 years old and moved to Chicago to start her professional career.

When she was 22 years old, she left her first and last job as a designer at an ad agency to start her own business as a website designer to small, local businesses. With her first major hurdle being scale, in 2009, she ‘fired' all her web design clients and switched over to the business model that she has today. So, this business really started from behind a video camera, where she taught potential clients how to get comfortable online. How cool!

Getting back to the day itself, in person, Laura is quietly confident, refreshingly honest and as you can see from the photo above, smiles a lot! I didn’t go to the event to interview Laura, but I was keen to meet her and have a chat. Based on that I wanted to share with you my experience, plus some of the questions I asked, and the answers she gave.

Is it easier to do business in the US as oppose to the UK?

Having spent some time in the UK, I was curious to know whether she thought that it was easier to do business in the US as oppose to the UK. At first she said she thought there were no differences, but having spent some time in the country, she was now beginning to wonder. For me, I was interested to hear how business owners in North America were far more used to having mentors and coaches. This was insightful. Having been a business owner for 15 years I hadn't really come across personal business mentoring. In Britain I believed this to be far more unusual than for our friends across the pond. Of course I'd experienced business owners who had attended training courses to develop their skills, but more often than not, I'd only experienced those who hadn't – let alone any who'd engaged with a mentor!

Any advice for a ‘newbie' starting out?

I was curious to know what advice she'd give to any ‘newbie’ starting out or whether, if she could turn the clock back, she'd have done anything differently. She said she’d been asked that question quite a few times, and that in all honesty she said that there was nothing she’d do differently. No regrets – I liked her style!

Growing a business, outsourcing and delegation

We also spoke about her team and delegation. She stressed how important it was not to do everything yourself and how vital delegation was. We shared the same opinion i.e. to do it as fast as the money permitted! If you didn’t, it would only hamper your business and set you back. You only have 24 hours in a day, so the only way to grow your business is by adding more hours, and the only way to do that is by adding more people that have their own 24 hours to add to your 24 hours! Simples!

[box]“The only way to grow your business is by adding more hours” TWEET THIS[/box]

Obviously when you’re starting out, unless you have considerable savings or investment you’ll have to do things yourself, but as soon as you can – outsource or delegate. Laura practices what she preaches and employs a small team – less than ten. Aside from being talented, they are tight-knit, family focused and share her values. Trusting them allows her to travel, which having shared her recent visit to Italy with us, she clearly enjoys!

Networking and events

Being a people person and someone who loves networking, one of the things I found interesting about Laura and her company, LKR, was the host meet-ups for small businesses. I wanted to know why Laura had decided to start doing them. That then lead us onto our experiences of networking. You see, when you serve small businesses, they are desperate to find other small business owners to network with. They need support in addition to finding business. Many of us, who were by now chatting, had our own far from ideal business-networking stories to share. Typically we'd been met with pushy business owners forcing their cards upon us in the hope we'd do business! As a group that valued developing value and genuine relationships, we were striving for something more. So we came up with the idea of hosting regular meet-ups for our own group and other like-minded entrepreneurs. More on this later…

Partnership or going it alone?

Having formed a business with another I was interested to know if she’d recommend going it alone or in a partnership. Being a current student at B-School, I had to ask her about forming this venture and her relationship with my teacher, Marie Forleo.

Laura talked about the relationship and business opportunity candidly and positively. She described it much like a marriage, which having been in business with a business partner I could totally relate to!

She spoke how she hired Marie originally as her mentor and how the idea for B-School was born. Whilst she expressed great gratitude for everything that had happened with B-School, including her adoration for Marie, she said at that time, it was right to move on, to listen to her heart/gut and to concentrate on LKR.

It’s exciting times again for Laura as she changes her entire business and relaunches on 17 July 2012. So, mark your calendar because she's making a huge announcement, and in true Laura style she's having a big fat party to announce it!!! The party is online so everyone can join in. She's promised awesome prizes every 15 minutes. You can ask-her-anything e.g. behind the scenes Q&A and much, much more, and it's all being broadcast LIVE from Blighty (the UK)!

Here are the details for Laura's event:

Tuesday, July 17th
9 AM Pacific
12 PM Eastern
5 PM UK

She”ll be broadcasting live for three hours, so hop on whenever you can but remember you'll have to be there live to win one of her delicious prizes! And here's a hint: if you've ever wished for a private consulting session with her to get feedback on your biz, do not miss this opportunity!

On 17 July 2012 at 9AM Pacific be sure to visit the live link

And, watch out for more information on our networking event!

In the comments below, tell me how you've got on with business networking groups, what experiences you've had of business partnerships and of doing business in the US  and UK.  Let me know what action you'll be taking as a result of reading this post too. I'd love to hear.

Thank you, as always for reading and contributing here. Thank you to my friend Camila Prada, who makes the most amazing pottery, for taking the brilliant photo of us too! If you found this useful, please share it with your friends!

With love and gratitude,

 

 

 

 

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