| |

Wednesday, 30 April 2008

Anyone been to Downing Street?

I ask because I have an invitation and would like to know what to expect. I'd urge anyone who thinks twice about entering an award to just go for it. I've been short-listed for the national Mother@Work Awards 2008 and will be attending the awards ceremony at Downing Street in June. Running a business can be a challenge at times and when you set up on your own it can be quite lonely. This type of recognition really does show that you can achieve anything you focus on.

Labels: , , ,

3 Comments:

Anonymous Amanda Vlahakis said...

I've applied for/entered about four awards over the years and only been shortlisted once about four years ago.

I sort of can't be bothered now because I always think "What's the point, my business clearly isn't impressive enough" :-))

Defeatist attitude I know!

Good luck at Downing Street!

04 May 2008 22:14  
Blogger Alison said...

Congratulations! Which category have you been nominated in? My mum nominated me for the Exceptional Working Mother category and I'm on the shortlist too ..... I'm absolutely terrified!!

07 May 2008 12:57  
Blogger Alice Elliott said...

Just wear something smart and comfortable. That's what my mother wore when she collected her MBE from Prince Charles - and she was the only female recipient not wearing a hat.

Congratulations, though. Let us know how you get on. You don't have to curtsy to the PM - thank goodness.

12 May 2008 17:49  

Post a Comment

Links to this post:

<< Home

Tuesday, 22 April 2008

The Apprentice – lost its shine or still delivering the goods?

I’m a huge fan of The Apprentice. It is very entertaining but also delivers those business lessons you simply cannot be taught through study. So, with the latest series well under way it appears The Apprentice is as popular as ever. But the lessons are the same and it’s very often down to research (knowing your market), planning and common sense. So, if it’s so predictable then why does it continue to be so entertaining? I can’t quite put my finger on it but it keeps me hooked.

Labels: , , ,

1 Comments:

Blogger Charlie Profit said...

I would say the reason it continues to be entertaining is the diverse personalities the producers find every year.

21 May 2008 02:38  

Post a Comment

Links to this post:

<< Home

Thursday, 10 April 2008

Networking – what do you ask?

What’s the first question you ask when you meet someone at a networking event? Or, are you the one answering the questions? Does it vary and does that mean you don’t have a networking strategy? Networking is a first step in building a trusted business relationship but still, in this day and age, people treat it like a glorified raffle – a bit of random selection and hope for the best. I’ve lost count of the number of times I chat to people about a networking event and they say how disappointed they were not to come away with any business. Would you really consider giving someone business when you’ve only just met them and maybe only spent a total of about ten minutes talking to them. I wouldn’t. It’s all about quality not quantity and how you follow-up on that initial meeting, isn’t it?

Labels: , , ,

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Links to this post:

<< Home

Wednesday, 2 April 2008

Gordon’s Nightmares – Cooking or Marketing?

Gordon Ramsey’ Kitchen Nightmares – is that about cooking, good business sense or marketing or all combined? It’s interesting that despite the programme being highly predictable it’s not only entertaining, of a sort, but a lesson in marketing. In fact, it’s probably one of the best examples to demonstrate how understanding what a local population wants, and then giving it to them, is really what business is about. Of course, there are may other lessons which are repeated – doing your research, finding your niche and keeping things simple but they are linked to marketing and good business sense. So, is Gordon a fabulous chef or an expert businessman?

Labels: , , , ,

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Links to this post:

<< Home