Some Misguided Fools

That's not you, obviously. But some misguided fools think their business is so different that the things that work in just about every business that's ever tried them won't work in theirs...

Which is daft, but it's good news for you, because it means that there will always be people - your competitors - who are NOT doing all they could do to make their business more profitable and easier to run.

Meanwhile, YOU can do much better, not least by copying whatever good stuff they are doing, as well as taking a peek at what successful businesses in just about any market are doing right. 

In other words, if a business is doing well you can probably learn a lotfrom it, even if it's in a totally different industry to you, just by taking a peek at how it works.

But how do you do this 'peeking' into other people's businesses?

You won't be surprised to find the 'how' as well as the 'why' is all right here.

Unless you're one of those misguided fools you'll understand the best way to build a better business is to learn everything you can abouthow other successful businesses work.

And you'll know by now that the 'how' and the 'why' is right here.

Roy

PS. You don't need a Kindle to download and read Kindle books. Just download the app for your device from the Amazon store. You'll find the link on the page for every Kindle book.  

 

Keep Calm and Stop Spinning

Do you ever get that feeling that whatever you do you should probably be doing something else? That there aren't enough hours in the day and however hard you try, nothing gets done? That you're going round in circles and getting nowhere?

It's usually down to stress, and it's a killer for you and your business. And it usually has less to do with how much you have to do than with how little success you're having from doing it. If you feel you're stressed about a lack of customers, or the customers who are late paying you (again), you're actually stressed about a lack of income. And the way out of that isn't found by running round in circles or getting angry with the late payers or reluctant buyers (although you should have a system to pursue late payers).

No, the answer to a lack of customers is better marketing, starting with assessing what you're doing now.

But what if you're too stressed to see that clearly, too?

Well, the answer to that is to have someone objective and relatively uninterested do it for you. Someone who will listen calmly, see clearly and advise objectively. And preferably someone that can get done what you're not getting done however hard you try, which is where we came in.

And it's where Cinnamon Edge's marketing expertise comes in. If you can stop spinning just long enough to pick up the phone or shoot us an email, call 01284 767193 or email info@cinnamonedge.co.uk.

Or you can find us on Twitter @CinnamonEdge or Facebook www.facebook.com/CinnamonEdge. Choose whichever is easiest and least stressful for you, because we're here to take that stress away, not add to it.

Roy

Our New Publishing Website

A quick note today to tell you about the new website for Cinnamon Edge Publishing.

We'll probably keep the publications page on the main website as well, but all our writing, editing, reviewing and publishing services will be decribed on the new site, as well as a list of publications with links to the relevant pages (on Amazon, Bookboon or wherever).

Not all the books we publish are written by us, so maybe your book can be added to our list, too!

Roy

Bargain-Price Business Book Blitz

Jacqui has been busy updating the Cinnamon Edge website to list all the books we've published in the last few weeks. That includes all our business books, on Kindle and Bookboon, and two volumes of my poetry - plus our first by Alain Godard, about how to use online dating.

Our Kindle books have multiple 5-star reviews and Bookboon were very pleased with the two they commissioned from us. We've had very good sales on Amazon.com and in the UK and we've even sold a few in Germany and France.

All the books are available via the special page on our site, at http://www.cinnamonedge.co.uk/publications and you'll be able to read the reviews when you view the Amazon listings.

If nothing else you should download the two free Bookboon books!

Roy

Are Cinnamon Edge as Hot as All That?

A news release published on the Cinnamon Edge Blog last week certainly praised their Content Creation Workshop, and enthusiasm and excitement in the post-event 'high' was palpable.

But how unbiased can a news release be? Obviously, the company who promoted and ran the event are going to say it went well, so maybe it's time for some honest reviews from people who've attended, not just the charity event (this one was for St Nicholas Hospice Care), where there's likely to be some 'feel-good' involved, but also other workshops, talks and training given by Cinnamon Edge.

Well, now you can see those reviews, too. Cinnamon Edge have posted a host of reviews of recent and not so recent events, on their website for everyone to see.

So, if you're considering attending a Cinnamon Edge event (or a 'Fifty Quid Challenge' one for the hospice) or you want to hire Cinnamon Edge for your in-house marketing training, go across to their website and read what other people have to say about their work so far. 


Roy

It ALL Comes Down to Leadership

There are a lot of disgruntled people around today: disappointed with their results, disappointed with their leaders and fearful for the future.

Some of them blame the cuts, some blame the delivery of services and some blame the messenger.

Others have vowed to fight on, while a few have probably decided to call it a day.

You, however, are still here, fighting for what you believe in and struggling with all your might to keep the promises you made when you started out.

That's what leadership comes down to.

And that's the way of it in business (and politics, for that matter): factors outside your control affect you just as personally as the things within it; other people's actions get blamed on you and your business is affected by the performance of your competitors.

That's why it's important to be au fait with latest developments and up to date with the options available to your business, starting with the things that have the maximum positive effect for the minimum initial outlay.

That means starting with search engine marketing: the art of using Google, Bing, Yahoo and the rest to give you access to the biggest market for your products and services for the lowest cost yet - in fact, mostly free!

So it's not too late - you can still vote YES for your business, and you can do it today by choosing to join us in Bury St Edmunds on May 11th for our one day workshop on Search Engine Marketing.

At this small workshop you will get, not just the broad brush 'this should work' approach thata you might hear from experts and pundits elsewhere. Instead, you'll get specific and detailed advice to help YOUR business serve YOUR customers in YOUR market against YOUR competition.

In other words, it's your day to vote YES for your business.

See more details and book your place at http://semworkshop.eventbrite.com and learn more about all Cinnamon Edge's business workshops on the Cinnamon Edge website.

Call us today on 01284 753 912 to ask about special deals for sole traders and discounts for multiple tickets - we especially recommend you combine this event with our Search Engine Domination Workshop on June 9th.

We'll be in touch to ask you for your specific questions and challenges so we can give you the best possible deal on the day and the best possible results for your business.

Join us in voting YES for your business!

Roy

Decision Time!

Whether or not you bother to vote today, and whichever way you cast your vote(s), I hope you'll always vote FOR your business.

If you do, you know that voting YES for your business means investing time, effort and cash, in varying proportions. Usually, the more time you put in the less cash you need to invest.

And usually, the more time someone else gives to your business the more cash it costs you.

We like to break the mould sometimes, which is why a whole day of our time, worth umpteen thousands of pounds to your business, will cost you less than £150.

All we ask is that you invest a day, too, and join us at our all-day workshop to learn everything you need to know about search engine marketing. Pound for pound (and hour for hour) SEM is the best investment you can make in your business.

That's why we think this is the easiest voting decision you will make today. The vote FOR your business.

Go to http://semworkshop.eventbrite.com for more information and to vote YES or call us at 01284 753912 to discuss our special deals and discounts for multiple events.

Best wishes, and remember to vote YES for your business today!

Roy

Launching The Fifty Quid Challenge

Hello again

The Towergate Accumulator Challenge, in aid of St Nicholas Hospice Care, launches this Thursday, 10th June, and your business can benefit, starting right away.

You can learn more about St Nicholas Hospice Care and how you can help them AND help your business at the same time, on the new blog at http://thefiftyquidchallenge.blogspot.com/.

There you'll see a video that includes Jacqui squaring up to one of our worthy opponents in the challenge - to raise as much money as possible, starting with a £50 investment.

To be brief, we jumped at the opportunity to take part by doing what we do best - promoting your business - and our contribution is to be centred around a dedicated website we've created at http://www.thefiftyquidchallenge.co.uk/

But go to the blog first to see an explanation of what you can gain by supporting our campaign, dubbed The Fifty Quid Challenge. Then open your wallet or your cheque book and watch as everyone benefits.

We'd like to win the challenge but it's the taking part that counts, and the more wholeheartedly we all take part the more people St Nicholas Hospice Care can help.

Roy

NEWS RELEASE:

Fastest-Growing Profession Has Potential To Do Great Harm...

Recent comments from golfer John Daley, condemning remarks by his ex-coach about alleged drinking bouts, reminds us that coaches frequently find themselves in a position of great trust. Whether personal, professional or sporting, all coaches are liable to hear and learn things about their clients that are best kept from the outside world.

Some personal coaches, though, might mistakenly invite such revelations. So how do we know who we can trust with some of our less savoury secrets? Are we risking great harm to our reputations and ourselves by seeking the help of a life coach?

‘Only if we confuse coaching with the confessional or even therapy’, says life coach marketer Roy Everitt. He believes there is no need to spill the beans on anything we wouldn’t tell our biggest rivals, apart from our business plans and targets for the future.

‘Even then’, he says, ‘why would we be planning anything untoward?’ Provided we keep the details behind closed doors in a ‘commercial in confidence’ agreement that should be implicit in any working relationship, we have nothing to fear.

Yes, the potential for damage is there, says Roy, but only if we misunderstand what a life coach is actually for.

‘Helping us find a desired destination and designing a route map to get there from here is about the extent of it’, he says.

‘It’s a truly valuable service’, adds Roy, ‘and the fear of letting something slip shouldn’t stop us accepting the help of a genuine and committed life coach’.

Roy helps promote and market coaches through innovative and cost-effective means, concentrating on ‘getting done what needs doing’ rather than what his clients already feel comfortable doing for themselves. He’s married to life coach Jacqui Carrel, author of Become a Professional Life Coach and with whom he co-authored The Complete Marketing Manual.