Do solopreneurs always need a business plan?
Until recently I used to deliver regular workshops for a business start-up initiative. I love nothing more than helping highly motivated new business owners launch their ideas. But one of the things I learned with startups is that not everyone finds writing a business plan very motivating. And consequently some people never finish theirs. So on […]
The best way to get noticed and trusted online
The other day a client asked me what marketing activity helps me to get noticed as a business coach/mentor that leads to more business. I didn’t have to think long about my answer. My No.1 activity happens to be blogging. She was rather surprised because she had expected me to mention networking, social media and speaking […]
Podcast: Should you focus on your weaknesses or your strengths?
Have you ever wondered whether your strengths are more important than your weaknesses as you improve or grow your small business? It’s a question I get asked a lot, especially when people have carried out a SWOT exercise to help them identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. By the way, a SWOT is a […]
Top tips for business bloggers who want to attract readers
Would you like your blog content to have the ‘magnetic energy’ it needs to attract readers and grow your business? Here is a roundup of inspirational articles from our partner site Attract Readers™. They will help you to promote yourself and your blog better, increase your visibility and understand best blogging practice:
How to deal with situations that could ruin your small business
A few weeks ago, my husband and I were sitting in our camper in Blakeney, Norfolk, listening to the torrential rain. The force of the water on the roof was so hard that we ended up with a rather worrying leak through one of the roof joints. As we mopped up the puddle, we remembered […]
How to improve your business on a shoestring
Quite a few people contacted me recently after PROWESS published my article about bootstrapping and how it can help a small business to be sustainable. It seems to have struck a nerve with female readers, especially owners of recent start-ups, who genuinely don’t have any spare funds to invest into their business. Women are often […]
3 questions that solve any business problem
In 13 years of mentoring solopreneurs I have met hundreds of women who all seem to experience similar problems and challenges. Whatever the reasons, it is upsetting when customers don’t settle their invoices, associates let you down, suppliers overpromise and under deliver and existing customers take their business elsewhere. And you have no idea why. […]
The spring clean that simplifies and boosts your business
For the last week I’ve been spring-cleaning and reorganising my wardrobes. Now my clothes have been streamlined (my favourite charity shop should be happy!) and the colours are brighter too. I’ve also reorganised a couple of book cases, filing cabinets and my inbox. As I was busy indoors, my husband cleared up some areas in […]
How to have the mindset of an entrepreneur
I talk to a lot of successful women in business, about their professional background, their ambitions and future aspirations. Recently I had a very interesting discussion with another female business owner. By the end of the meeting, having shared our individual stories, we realised we had lots in common. We both had experience of […]
How good is your vision?
I was in my thirties with three young children, when I got ill with a recurring eye infection that made my eyes so painful and sensitive to light that I would effectively be blind for several days. During the worst attack I was admitted to an eye hospital, on New Year’s Eve! I found myself alone […]