08 May 2013
Help save the environment. The environment deserves our respect. You can show your respect for nature and help save the environment by reusing your towels during your stay
We see this at virtually every hotel we stay at these days. There's a good environmental message here, but the cynical amongst us might wonder whether the hotel was trying to save money too. Well, why should helping the environment have to cost us money every time?
Studies have shown that this type of message in hotel...
29 Apr 2013
Characteristics of failure – what is its look and feel?
Failure is natural and intrinsic part of life
Failure is universal – it is found everywhere and affects everything
Failure is inevitable – perfection is illusory
Failure is pain – always some negative consequences
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Failure is opportunity – offering the chance to try line and make a fresh start
Failure is learning – teaching us...
15 Apr 2013
Recent research from Harvard Business School and the University of British Columbia is very revealing about how we value money and time. We all want to be happy and not stressed –which is what we try and achieve for our clients through our strategy and accounting work. But the research suggests that we can all take a little more control over this ourselves.
Money – we know that more money doesn’t always equate to more happiness, or at least that doubling your money won’t double your happiness....
26 Mar 2013
This has developed from an initiative of the Royal Society of Arts on failure – the Glory of Failure. It sought to discover what we can learn from failure, - a very emotive word, and what we can use from that to drive success. From that came a book called the Failure Files edited by David Hillson, otherwise known as the risk doctor, who has kindly allowed us to borrow elements from his presentation and his book.
What do we mean by failure?
Let’s start by defining failure and then explore it by...
02 Jan 2013
Is this the age of the generalist?
So many experts, so much information - how do you make sense of it all?
We are supposedly in the information age, yet suffer from information overload. We find it difficult to know what information is accurate and relevant to our needs, and we can spend endless time searching Google, government websites etc. sifting what is fact and what is opinion, worrying that we've missed the one piece of information that makes it all clear to us.
So...
01 Nov 2012
We seem to have invented a new concept – arse time. This occurs quite regularly in small firms, but is even more prevalent in large ones.
As the firm grows more processes and procedures are necessary to run it. That involves more discussion internally between colleagues. Which is fine; the firm needs to operate efficiently, but as time passes silos can emerge which lead to more inward looking objectives.
Even in small firms a lack of clarity can manifest itself quite easily. ...
20 Sep 2012
Over the next three blogs we’ll be sharing thoughts and practical advice about innovation, in line with a series of seminars we are presenting as part of the Business Essentials series at Bournemouth and Poole College. The full presentations will be posted on the website and our YouTube site too.
Part 1 – In which we look at what innovation really is, how to approach it and what not to do.
Innovation is the lifeblood of any business, yet it’s hard to ensure it happens. This session will...
24 Jul 2012
Is marketing really important in a recession?
Don’t follow the herd – it might just be an opportunity!
Offering a 360 degree business advice and consultancy alongside accountancy is quite an eye opener.
Having worked in marketing for more years than I care to remember, I can’t help but feel that in a lot of small businesses marketing is treated as a ‘fair weather friend’ – great to have when the going is good, profits are being made and business is steady. But when times get tough things are...
28 Jun 2012
I wrote about market research in a previous blog. Since then, we’ve run a presentation to small businesses entitled ‘Market Research – it’s easier than you think to ask your customers what they want’. You can view this presentation for yourself at Hixsons on Youtube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRhosmhh8JQ&feature=channel&list=UL
This generated interesting comments and feedback, and as market research is such a huge topic I’ve returned to it to share a few more thoughts...
17 May 2012
First Impressions Count – get your telephone customer service right with these 7 easy steps
We’ve heard it before and we know it’s true; a customer’s first impression of your business weighs heavily on their decision to buy from you, or not, as the case may be. The telephone is the first point of contact for you with many of your customers, so what first impression does your telephone etiquette give to your customers?
Here are a couple of things to keep in mind to make your...
