Common-sense sales & marketing: What works?
Covering a wide range of topics find fresh ways to approach and apply your sales and marketing. Posts reference: meetings; pitching; networking; dealing with people; closing; planning and strategy; research; ideas; branding; targeting; pricing; product development; distribution; marketing promotions; export and more.
Start Exporting: Your Practical Guide
Start exporting - Global opportunities are out there
Building the SimVenture brand has involved little hitchhiking but much globe-trotting over the last decade.
In this time, exporting has become a key revenue stream for our company. Over 35% of all sales are now sourced from overseas. So what's been learnt and how can you start exporting and build your business? Here are my top 10 tips... Read More
Entrepreneurial Poetry
John Keats - inspiration for entrepreneurial poetry
John Keats, the famous 19th century poet, became part of the Italian family holiday during the summer. His life fascinated and helped me to understand the power of entrepreneurial poetry... Read More
Entrepreneurship Competition: Flavour of the Umph!
Umph! The Entrepreneurship Competition
Being 25 years' self-employed I feel I've developed a 'nose' for judging whether a business or project might work.
The personal journey over the last quarter century has had its mix of success and failure; critical experience informing the senses as to whether something new can progress sufficiently so it bears fruit in the longer-term... Read More
Successful Phone Sales Calls
Learn the art of making successful phone sales calls
People who don't seek to master the art of making successful phone sales calls are often crap at their job.
What’s worse is that many charlatans have received some god-awful training which might as well be called ‘How to shaft the customer’... Read More
How to Maximize Exhibition Opportunities
How do you maximize exhibition opportunities?
To promote products and services, many small businesses need to know how to maximize exhibition opportunities.
Just like the hitchhiker, you put yourself right in front of passing potential customers, waiting for someone to take interest and stop by... Read More
Become a Better Business Writer
Be a better business writer & sharpen your communication
To be a better business writer it's important to practice and learn from mistakes.
Years ago, I co-wrote and published an on-line book. Entitled ‘Dexter Bentley: My first million’ the story follows the entrepreneurial journey of a young man whose academic failures prove to be the catalyst for business success... Read More
Making a meal out of dishonest business
The horsemeat scandal and making a meal out of dishonest business
Supermarket 'thoroughbred' 'Tesco' was guilty of making a meal out of dishonest business during the horsemeat scandal.
Matters lurched south in Jan 2013 when the company took out national ads apologising for its home-brand burger containing a reported 30% horsemeat. Then the public had to stomach the notion that consuming a 'Spaghetti Western' didn't necessarily involve watching horses on the telly. And when Tesco thought the PR couldn't worsen, well it did... Read More
Top 10 Entrepreneur Websites
Recommended top 10 entrepreneur websites
To discover the top 10 entrepreneur websites, I polled the views of over 500 people involved with the industry.
All respondents worked in an advisory/business support capacity in academia, and/or the public/private sectors. Some people ran their own businesses.
To keep things simple, I asked the single question:
"What websites do you recommend entrepreneurs use..?" Read More