Action Planning is of key importance when running a business, as it instigates a process of reflection, orientation, review and planning the next steps of your business across, whether it's strategic, operational or managerial. It is valuable to form a plan of action on a monthly basis to keep yourself and your team on track.

The six stages of the action planning include:

Firstly Reflect on your Vision your past performance and achievements

Take a Reality Check of your current position against your ideal vision and goals.

Undertake Research and Analysis into the knowledge and skills you need to improve business performance.

Plan and Communicate a framework for action to yourself and colleagues, 

Take a Stock Check – Sett a time frame and manage your time and resources for action

Finally Put Your Plan into Action

A Striding Out Coach can help you create a robust plan of action for taking your business forward. To find out more visit the Striding Out Website

I have just been on a much needed holiday to Egypt and I immersed myself in a great holiday book called 'The Tipping Point' by Malcolm Gladwell. Malcolm talks about the momentum behind a 'word of mouth' epidemic .... i.e. when everyones talking about and engaging with a brand name - the tipping point to success!

So how does it work? well Malcolm believes the emphasis is placed on exposure and relationships with key individuals who entertain certain characteristics!

So who are these individuals? The Connectors! The Mavens and the Sales People!

'Connectors are the kind of people who know everyone. These people link us up with the world and introduce us to new social circles. Connectors have a special gift of bringing the world together and connecting you to people you need to know.'

'A Maven is a person who has information on alot of different products, prices or places. This person likes to initiate discussions with consumers and respond to requests to help inform consumer choice. They are information brokers, sharing and trading what they know.'

'Salesmen have the skills to pursuade us when we are unconvinced of what we are hearing.' They have the ability to attune themselves to their clients in a subtle way, developing a verbal and non-verbal rapport and relationship.'

Mavens are data banks, they provide the message. Connectors are social glue and spread the message, and Salesmen have the ability to pursuade people to take action.

Engaging with individuals from these three groups will help you to build your own word of mouth epidemic and work towards the tipping point of your brand. To find out more about how it works and the other secret ingredients, i would recommend buying the book!

Take care for now,

Heather

We held a fantastic like-minded speaker event on the value of PR last week, so I wanted to tell you a bit about what we learn't. Our guest speaker was Susanna Simpson, an inspirational young entrepreneur who has successed at establishing an excellent PR agency called Limelight PR. She has worked with a whole host of clients over the last five years, who have connected to a wide range of media channels. During the evening, she shared her insights on the three main approaches to managing a PR campaign.

The first is Strategic PR - Telling the educational story behind your product/service to raise awareness. This focusses on editorial that highlights research, findings, knowledge and campaigns about your industry. It is particularly relevant for trade publications/media channels.

The second is Tactical PR - Reaching out to your consumer base with the intention to generate sales. This focusses on editorial or approaches that highlights consumer casestudies, features and product/service attributes or benefits. It is particularly relevant for mainstream/ target niche consumer publications/media channels.

The third is Ego PR - Telling the story of the entrepreneurial founders to build up the personal brand of the business. This focusses on editorial to profile the background, skills, experience, drive and passion of the entrepeneur(s) who founded the business. It is particularly relevant for business or lifestyle related publications.

These three approaches certainly gave our entrepreneurs food for thought at the event, so we hope it helps you to plan your PR campaign too!

To tap into additional tips and articles, check out our PR Blog http://stridingoutinpr.wordpress.com

Best Wishes

Heather

One of the best things you can do when starting out in business is to get to know the 'Connectors', otherwise known as the leaders of networking groups. They tend to be excellent networkers themselves, and they know a vast number of people in their network; it is the case of  'Just Ask!'  and they will know the right person. As the founder of Striding Out, we pride ourselves in knowing each one of our members personally. As a result we can faciliate excellent connections amongst members.....our members say this our added value USP, as it generates relationships and a supportive community. Members contact me on a regular basis to ask 'do you know someone who can...' and more often than not we do! If not, we ask another connector! Within London, the 'Connectors' all know each other, so between us our networks are vast. Joining a range of networks and getting to know the leaders behind them can save you heaps of time, money and energy in finding the right people to help you with your business. Recommendations of trusted contacts is so much better than choosing a service provider at random. To find out more about the 'Connectors' and who you should know, check out this website http://www.starttalkingideas.org/next_steps/networks/make_your_mark_connectors

Best Wishes

Heather

I just wanted to share my favourite websites with you!

If you want to know the latest market trends and keep pace with new business ideas that are taking the world by storm, then look no further than www.trendwatching.com and www.springwise.com

What's triggered this post? well Trendwatching have recently released an overview of 'whats 'hot and what's not' in the business world for 2007....there are some amazing news ideas, alongside some of the more obvious shifts in consumer tastes.. It is well worth a look if you are looking for new business ideas and approaches.. Check out www.trendwatching.com/trends/2007top5.htm

 

 

 

 

 

Everyday our life changes as a result of the new people we meet!

Networking is the key ingredient to any entrepreneur's journey, which makes it fun, fluid, exciting and innovative.

Whether we are online, the phone, at an event or meeting, we will make a new contact and our life will change as a result! There are no two ways around it, networking is essential to business success.

The rewards are not always instant and for some people this puts them off, but it is about managing expectations. In time, networking will pay off, it is about building relationships, this is more than a five minute chat, it is about a conversation, repeated meetings or recommendations that create rewards.

In the first week of January, I had five phone calls from people wanting me to do work for them! It was fantastic, and it proved the value of networking. How much easier would life be if people came to you to do business!  

Our members network in a range of different ways, for example...

Andrew White is founder of www.ydna-extreme.co.uk a surf and skate store in Bournmouth. He uses Myspace to search for and connect with people who live in the local area and who are interested in surfing and skating! What a great marketing tool...he now has over 2000 people in his myspace network.

Bethanie Lunn, founder of www.hugepromotions.co.uk  is a Fashion PR expert.  She actively networks with a range of support organisations who work with budding fashion designers, to lecture, speak and write on Fashion PR, including Fashion Enter, London College of Fashion, Fashion Capital, In2Fashion Network etc. These relationships boost her referrals and recommendations from clients.

Nicola Dillon and James Pascall, are co-founders of www.kinked.co.uk, a creative branding consultancy. Nicola and James actively attend a whole range of networking events across London to meet potential new clients. Through a Striding Out event, they met www.bettyandbird.com and as a result designed their brand logo. During the first year of business, face to face networking has been essential and they are now seeing the result through word of mouth recommendations.

So as you can see, it's worth the time and effort, and there are lots of ways to do it. If your diary isn't full, then you're are not networking enough!

So with my Business Coach hat on, I am going to set you a challenge. I would like you to make at least one new connection a day! Whether it's by email, phone or at an event, make sure you talk to somebody new who is relevent to your business.  Targeted networking is the best approach, so make sure you do your home work first....research attendee lists, websites, magazines to find potential suppliers, clients or partners. Introduce yourself and your business interests, and explore the opportunities for working together!  

If you do this, you'll meet over 28 new potential clients a month. Remember, the reward may not come straight away but it will payoff at some point further down the line...make a mental note.

Good luck...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year from the Striding Out Team! We all embark on 2007 with new year resolutions, whether it's to be better organised, to network with more people, to have more fun, and to ultimately be even more successful than the year before!

To help you achieve these aims, Striding Out is bringing you a whole host of exciting networking events for 2007, so the first thing you need to do is put them in the diary. To find out the dates for up and coming events click here. Alongside this, we are hosting the 2007 Big Leap Competition and the Spring Entrepreneurial Extreme Weekend - find out further details on our website at www.stridingout.co.uk!

If you need some help with your organisation this year, why not call on the assistance of our SO member Stephanie Windsor who runs Chaos to Calm, an Executive Assistant Service who can help with all your office admin, event management and recruitment needs. Alternatively if you need PA assistance, you could call on our Virtual PA Service, delivered by Need More Time.

Alternatively, if you want to have more fun, make sure you hook up with SO member Tim Badham who runs Innerplace, a private concierge service & members' club which offers unparalleled access to exclusive bars, clubs & lounges in London & New York. Just the thing to treat yourself, when you have been working so hard!

Striding Out has worked with a whole range of entrepreneurs during 2006, and we want to kick off the blog by giving an insight into how connecting with a like-minded community is essential to your success as an entrepreneur.

 

One prominant factor within the Striding Out community, is how they network at both a global and local level to connect with like-minded individuals to take their business forward.

 

One of the most exciting entrepreneurial ventures that has embraced global networking was launched by Member Ben Keene. Tribewanted represents a global community engaged in embracing and enabling eco-tourism, with it's first project in Fiji. Ben is a passionate social entrepreneur who wants to make an impact on a global scale and he grasped this opportunity with  www.Tribewanted.com . Since March it has since received overwhelming international press exposure and recently landed a TV production deal. Striding Out has been a source of connections and inspiration for Ben. He has teamed up with Helen Lang, Founder of Global Sense, a sustainable tourism consultancy, and has been inspired by other award-winning eco-tourism entrepreneurs in the Striding Out network - Tom Savage who co-founder of www.blueventures.org  and www.travelroots.com, and Amy Carter, who co-founded www.bespokeexperience.com

 

Alongide the global connections, Ben and fellow eco-tourism entrepreneurs have endeavoured to ensure that they embed their business in the local community, which is essential for all business. 

 

MarmaLadya is a great example of connecting with people and businesses in their local community within the UK. Founder, Lucy Hutchings, is passionate about fostering local cohesion, having worked as the youngest WI leader in Fulham.  www.marmaLadya.com  is an online glossy magazine for local communities. It was launched in London in October 2006, and it currently focuses on the communities of Islington, Primrose Hill, Battersa, and Fulham.  

 

The importance of supporting and promoting our fellow business community is very important, and it is an essential ingredient to the success of Striding Out! Whether it's promotion, referral, exchange or word of mouth, entrepreneurs need to support each other. Alongside Lucy, a number of our Striding Out members have been actively connecting and promoting each other.

 

Nicole Bremner founded www.brittique.com an online retail boutique to promote and sell the work of new UK fashion designers. Nicole has been actively connecting with new fashion designers, and she recently developed a relationship with  Striding Out members Belinda and Gulya who have launched a brand new line of designer lifestyle trollies and bags called TugInc www.tuginc.co.uk

 

Katie and Jamie Fewings founded www.EthicalWeddings.com, to promote ethical suppliers to prospective married couples. They actively seek to connect with like-minded suppliers and customers, and they have connected with Striding Out member and wedding dress designer Sabina Ali.

 

Networking is only valuable if you actively seek to make valuable connections. Both at a global and local level, it is essential to connect with like-minded individuals, whether they are future customers, mentors, colleagues, suppliers, employees, or promoters of your business, as they are a lifeline for your business. At Striding Out we understand the needs of our members so we endeavour to facilitate connections between individuals whenever possible, which has been the key ingredient to our own success.