Archive for February, 2011

Monday morning blues?

Monday, February 28th, 2011

We like Mondays, so why don’t you?

Monday brings something to the week that makes it all worthwhile. Another week to do something, to make a difference, to do what we do best. This is our philosophy of Monday. So why can’t it be yours?

Most treat Monday as the start of yet another week, part of the ‘same old’ and hence no different to the last. However, think of it as challenging, embrace each new opportunity and look to make a difference. Treat it as a new beginning, a way to work with the people you like and seek out those you respect or admire. Look in the usual places, your own contacts, the newspapers, but increasingly, web blogs, LinkedIn, Twitter or even Facebook. But do find someone that makes your Monday start with a Boom and seek out that inspiration.

Allow Monday to become a passionate day, use it (like any other day) to remember the cornerstones of your business, your culture, your values, the reason why you do what you do. Look to make a difference and relive those values, use them as a reason to get up out of bed.

Monday is just another day, so don’t let it become an ‘Oh, Monday’. Use it to seek out new opportunities and complete existing ones. Tackle the challenge and find a solution to make that difference.

That is what we do. We work for more than just financial reward. We work in the knowledge that we deliver benefits to our clients. We make a difference to them and this is where we derive our satisfaction.

So think, where do you derive yours?

Have your say: Leave a comment below, or tell @Accentis what you think about Monday morning blues on Twitter.

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Priceless Value

Thursday, February 17th, 2011

In our simple view of the world, the customer will only part with their hard earned money if you can deliver something to them that is more valuable than the next best alternative. Therefore, we see the world of business and economics through a simple lens of ‘Value’.

In an increasingly competitive world, you should aim to give your customer more value. Never fall into delivering functional benefits as they will know how you will bring benefit to their life and compare those benefits to that offered by others, instead involve them in something bigger.

Introduce them to the ‘And/And’ relationship and forget about the ‘And/Or’ relationship. For example, look how large brands have done it, Tesco have embraced this with their ‘every little helps’ slogan, ie, get what you want at the price you want, leaving more for the other things you want. The parent company of Asda, Wal-Mart says it brilliantly with ‘Save money, live better.’ Aston Martin say it perfectly with their slogan ‘Power, Beauty and Soul’. What are the commonalities of these three brands? They have put themselves at the heart of their customers.

Forget about leading with your product or service because someone else will do it, bigger, better and for more value. Instead listen to the customers and put yourself at the heart of what they want rather than putting the consumer at the heart of everything you do.

In practice this is very difficult to achieve because you have to become the customer and not just think like the customer, a construct that most companies are not comfortable with.

What are the fundamentals to make this happen? We look at the 6 E’s:

Enthusiasm – Be an irresistible force of nature.
Edginess – Don’t be stable in the centre, be quirky at the sides
Execution – Fail fast, learn fast, fix fast.
Enraged – Never accept normality or ‘it cant be done’.
Empathy – Care about people, and connect with them.
Emotion – Appeal to the mind, body and soul.

As neurologist Donald Calne once said “Reason leads to conclusions, emotion leads to action.”

Embrace your emotions

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A new Dragon

Sunday, February 6th, 2011

For start ups and those looking for investment, the BBC’s Dragon Den has always been a good idea of how to make the 3-minute pitch. While it is a world away from the reality of an investment pitch, it does have the basic ingredients, the what, the where, the how, the when and most importantly, the how much!

You may have heard the announcement that James Caan is to be replaced by Pall-Ex founder, Hilary Devey. But what made the BBC seek out Devey and invite her to join the exclusive panel and more importantly does she have what it takes to be a Dragon?

Hilary Devey certainly contrasts the former incumbent, James Caan. Where Caan has a polished, calm persona, Devey is more of a fire-cracker who says exactly what’s on her mind. But does she really have what it takes to be a mentor and investor?

Devey: The business women

Devey’s history is impressive. Having started Pall-Ex (palletised distribution network based in the UK) in 1996, she carved out a new business model in a male dominated industry. Doing this has certainly given her the experience to look for in a mentor; raising finance, potential customers not wanting to engage with the ‘newby’ and how to manage a growing company. She has also won a number of accolades in her own right too, such as the 2007 Ernst & Young UK Entrepreneur Award, Natwest Everywoman of the Year in 2008, Vitalise Business Woman of the Year twice – in 2004 and 2008 and Woman of Worth Businesswoman of the Year 2009

Devey: The investor

Devey is currently involved with two fast-growing young businesses: WOW Table Art and Pronto Sameday Couriers. This may not sound like much of a portfolio but at least it does indicate that Devey is willing to invest in areas outside of her expertise (albeit only once so far). But will this be an indication of her future investor potential? Only time will tell and for those entering the Den for the first time, we certainly hope Davey is there for the right reasons and not for self-publicity.

Devey: The philanthropist

Devey set up the innovative ‘Penny a Pallet’ scheme which donates money to her chosen charities on an ongoing basis and is also patron of the Princess Royal Trust for Carers and The Stroke Association. Her previous TV appearances have included the Secret Millionaire where she gave away £145,000 to help families and businesses.

The Den

During tough economic times where banks are failing to invest in British small businesses, it is inspiring to see the publicity of Angel investments and how they can create and shape the next generation of UK entrepreneurs. These investors did it the hard way themselves first, they sold assets, lived a meager existence and worked tirelessly on their idea so remember, there is often more than one way to skin a cat.

Have your say: Leave a comment below, or tell @Accentis what you think about Hilary Devey’s appointment on Twitter. Follow us on twitter for the live commentary during the show use #dragonsden hashtag to follow the latest updates.

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