Enterprise Nation's 7 Steps to Selling without being Pushy Workshop....

You may know from previous posts that I have attended many events organised by Enterprise Nation. So when I saw an invite for members to attend events, for free, in exchange for writing a review, I was quick to offer my blogging services!

I chose to attend their workshop, “7 Steps to Selling without being Pushy”, as I thought it would be useful and I was right!

Anis Qizilbash, founder of Mindful Sales Training, did a great job of hosting the workshop at Somerset House. It was a really enjoyable session, everyone was engaged. It was interactive with exercises along the way to help apply what we learnt to our business.  The group represented a variety of services or products and it proved that these steps can be applied to any type of business.

I hope you enjoy reading my guest post over on Enterprise Nation's blog.

Thank you Enterprise Nation for giving me the opportunity to write for your blog and sharing my review with your readers!

Anis Qizilbash, founder of Mindful Sales Training

fizzi~jayne x

Disclaimer: Enterprise Nation kindly let me attend the workshop free of charge in exchange for producing a review on their blog.

A day out of the craft den....

Last Friday, I had a fun filled day out in London....

First off, I attended the Home Business Summit hosted by Enterprise Nation at Somerset House.  I was joining the rest of the commuters and in London for 9am, I'm not used to this commuting lark!

The conference was to celebrate the 2.9 million Home Businesses in the UK. 70% off all small business start ups start in the home and contribute £300 billion to the annual UK economy.  The event was also to announce new measures by the government to back home businesses as part of it's long term economic plan, Matthew Hancock, the Minister for Enterprise, Business and Energy was there to announce this.

Emma Jones, Founder of Enterprise Nation

The Rt Hon Matthew Hancock MP

It was inspiring to hear from the panel but none of us expected the Prime Minister to turn up! I thought that the security was OTT but now I know why!

The Prime Minister! David Cameron

David Cameron came to share his enthusiasm and support for home businesses and the importance not only for UK economy but the values of the country, he wants us to be a nation of entrepreneurs.  It was great to hear that home businesses are being taken seriously.

To find out more about the new legislation and the event visit Enterprise Nation's blog.

It was a privilege to be there and I came away buzzing, as I always do from these events, feeling inspired and raring to take on the business world!

After an exciting morning I went to visit the Cornershop.  It's not your normal corner shop it is an art installation by Lucy Sparrow.  It stocks all the usual items you would find in a shop but everything is made from felt!

The Artist, Lucy Sparrow

The shop stocks everything from newspapers, sweets and groceries.  Everything can be bought

It is very Impressive and if you get the chance to go, do! It took 8 months to put together and her next project is a convenience store in New York.  Check out her blog here.

I ended my day by going along to the crafty catch up club, organised by the lovely Zoe from LadyBird Likes.  We met at Hawkhurst Vault a great bar that sells cake!

It was great to meet other crafters/creatives sharing experiences of being self employed/working in a creative job and our love for creating.  It's a monthly event and I can't wait for the next one.

It was not my usual Friday and it was a lot of fun to get out and about. I am feeling truly inspired and looking forward to my next day out which just so happens to be this week and in London.

fizzi~jayne x

Go and Grow with Enterprise Nation....

I went to another great Enterprise Nation, Go and Grow event.   The focus of the evening was about growing your business globally online.

 

The Panel

All the speakers were great and I made lots of notes from each one, but there were two particular speakers that stood out, Rob and Andrew.  They have successful businesses and I found it inspiring to hear about their experiences....

First up was Rob, one half of Gandys Flip Flops.  If you haven't heard of them, check out their story of how two brothers help other orphans. It's so inspiring how they came up with the idea after suffering tragedy to do something that would honour the spirit of their parents and give back to those less fortunate.

Rob's top tips for success:

1. Make it easy to for customers to refer you to their friends and family.
2. Use social media to get everyone talking.  Everything they do has a story which encourages conversations on social media.
3. Find relevant ambassadors to make noise about your product and brand. They have collaborated with the likes of Richard Branson.
4. Be persistent!

You can read their top tips for success on their website

Andrew from Coconut Grass was another success story, after 3 years he has 27,000 customers! I can only hope!

Andrew started selling through the marketplaces and now has his own website.  Andrew's top tips are from his experiences and if you sell through your own website or, you are thinking of doing so read on:

• You need a full range to give customers a reason to visit your website. Focus on product development, you are only as good as your next idea! Also applicable if you sell on a marketplace.
• When choosing a website builder, choose one which is right for your business
• Websites should be designed to solve a customer's problem. Customers want or need information / to make a purchase / to be entertained / to be part of a community.
• The 4 second rule ~ Can your customers understand what your website and your brand is about in less than 4 seconds
• Don't get in the way of a sale with barriers such as pop up ads
• Think about the customer experience ~ is your website easy to navigate and does it offer an easy and reliable checkout service?
• Photography is important, use detailed and lifestyle shots.
• Keep your website updated and fresh so customers have a reason to come back.

Andrew had the best strapline for any small business about customer service....

Don't behave like a small business, be John Lewis!

It's always reassuring to hear success stories, it makes me feel inspired and think, "I CAN do it!"

Also on the panel were two experts....

Remy Jansons from Ve Interactive gave his top tips on converting online visitors into retail customers. This was focused on those who already have a website but if like me, you are thinking of selling through your own webpage the following tips are useful to know:

1. Replicate offline, online.

Make customers feel welcome, think about exceptional customer service.

 

2. Responsive design.

Content shifts when it is resized from PC to mobile platforms

 

3. Compare other e-commerce technology

If you visit Ghostery.com you can see the apps that websites use.  If you know what your competitors and your favourite online retailers use you can replicate.

 

4. Re-engage with abandoned customers

Utilise online tools to encourage a purchase.  For example, offer free shipping or a discount.

And last but not least....

UPS are one of the sponsors of the event and they had their Director of Marketing, Matt Guffey, to give us his five tips to introduce products to global markets:

1. Do your research. 
Don't let preconceptions hold you back
The global marketplace is smaller than ever.

2. Understand the needs of your customer

3. Get organised
Get a system in place to streamline paperwork.
Ensure the right tracking systems are in place to address any problems before they escalate.

4. Get to grips with the paperwork for the regulatory bodies.
You can visit UPS' website for helpful resources.

5. Be able to send your product to customers, wherever they are.
Make sure logistics are fool proof. Obviously this was an opportunity for UPS to plug their services but using the services of a logistics company may be of value to you.

Final words of wisdom ~ Start slow, get smart and make sure that you take on each market one at a time

This was the last of the Go and Grow series. However due to its success there are more planned, yay! There will be a campaign launch on 31st July with more inspiring speakers, to find out more click here . 

I'll definitely be there, I have found them very useful and I have enjoyed meeting with other small business owners.  They are free events so it seems silly not to take advantage of the opportunity to hear from e-commerce entrepreneurs willing to share their top tips for success, and have I mentioned there is wine and beer available after!

fizzi~jayne x

Enterprise Nation ~ Go and Grow Online....

I went to a free event hosted by Enterprise Nation at the end of May. If you don't know anything about them they are a business that "help people turn their passion into great businesses".  I reviewed a book by the owner last week you can check it out here.

The event was one in a series about growing a business online.  The talk I attended was about Social Media which is a huge topic to squeeze into an hour, but they managed to cover the key points and I got some helpful hints.

They had Communications and Social Media experts from Microsoft (where the event was held), UPS as well as freelance consultants.

Here are some of the top tips from the experts:

• Don't post the same thing, at the same time across all platforms.  Be more targeted on each platform.
• Use a consistent tone of voice across all platforms.  Not sure what that is? Ask yourself this question, if your brand was a person how would you describe it?
• Consider what you want to be known for.
• Most people follow or like a page because of an incentive or a promotion.
• Which platform and at what time to post depends on your customers and their lifestyle.  If you are not sure ask your customers what they use and try posting at various times to see what gets the most comments/ retweets/ Likes etc.

I found the Twitter tips from @AlisonBattisby (Social Media Consultant) most useful. Her top 3 tips plus a bonus one are:

#1 Be interesting

• There are three types of posts ~ fun, informative and helpful.  Use a mix of all three.
• Generally people are looking for entertainment on social media.
• Make your audience feel special by posting news about offers, new products/services.
• Use images at least once a week.  This will also make your post stand out on your followers timeline.

#2 Speak to influential people

• Use #journorequest to see the stories and features that journalists are looking for.
• Twitter advance search ~ this is great for finding specific tweets. For example if you are a social media consultant you may want to search for people asking for help with social media and using this tool may help you find your next project.

#3 Use Twitter advertising

• Be targeted, specific and always add a link to your website.
• You can pay for different types of advertising but the recommended one by Alison is a promoted tweet. Always include an image and your web link.
• Use advertising for key events such as launching a website, hosting an event or launching new products, to get the most return on your spend. 

The Bonus : Make sure your twitter account looks professional.

Quote of the evening was by @StevenWoodgate #JFDI & be awesome, I think this will be my daily mantra!

There was also an opportunity to network.  It was a pleasure to meet others who own a small business and are at various stages in their journey.  You get to meet people who have gone through the process of starting a business or who are at the early stages and it's a great opportunity to share experiences and get support. You can guarantee whatever you are struggling with someone else will have gone through exactly the same at some point.

I am going to another event about Going Global. I had my first order from the USA last week so this may be quite apt!

If you are interested in these events there are two left in the Go and Grow Online series and you can get more info here (one of them is tomorrow night so be quick!). They are being held at Microsoft's offices in London, near Victoria Station (not as easy to find as you would expect!).

I don't have any pictures of the event as I didn't pick the best seat in the house, I had a pillar blocking some of my view! So I thought I would end with this....



Source

fizzi~jayne x

Book Review ~ Turn Your Talent Into A Business by Emma Jones....

I was given this book -Turn Your Talent into a Business, as a gift a couple of years ago just after I decided to start fizzi~jayne makes.... and it gave me the confidence and advice I needed to go for it!  When I took on the venture full time I thought I should read it again and brush up on my knowledge.

I like this book as it covers all aspects of starting a business and takes you step by step through the process. It also takes into account that you may be starting a business whilst working in a full time job and working from home, so it is realistic.

In this book you will discover how to:

• Make sales beyond your friends and family
• Promote your brand
• Register your company and manage your finances
• Embrace technology to save you time and money
• Create a support network and work with partners
• Above all, it shows you how to make money from doing what you love!

It includes top tips with case studies along the way from people who have successfully made the leap. It is a good introduction to all aspects of starting a business.

It highlights the amount of resources available to small, start up businesses which you may not be aware of, I know I wasn't.  Various useful websites are cited throughout the book to check out.

I found it really useful and I am sure I will refer to it again for advice along my journey. 

This book is perfect for anyone who has a hobby, passion or skill whether it is baking, sewing, painting or a writer and wants to make money from it.  So if you are starting out or thinking about it I would recommend picking up this book.

About the author....

This is a book from a business perspective not a crafter. Emma Jones is a successful business owner, she started her first business at the age of 27 and sold it 2 years later.  She successfully runs Enterprise Nation which "help people turn their passions into great businesses".  I saw her talk at the Folksy School 2013 and I attended a free event she organised about Social Media last week (more about this in another post soon).  I admire her passion and she really knows what she is talking about.

My Inspiring book mark for my business books.  It helps me keep focused whenever I doubt myself and my ability.

I am now reading Handmade Marketplace which was one of my leaving pressies from my 9-5.  This book is by a crafter and it will be interesting to compare it to this book (there will be a book review but I'm not the fastest reader so be patient with me!).  You can see what is on my reading list on the right of my blog and any business/craft books will have its review here.

fizzi~jayne x

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