Entries Tagged 'General' ↓

Hi there

Very short blog this week. Not because Humphrey hasn’t given me plenty to talk about this week but because I feel unwell. Came on me during the week and today I still feel fragile. Like after a good night out but without having the night out.

However I did meet up with the owner of one of the cats plaguing our garden recently. Apparently at the moment he is still a whole cat… but is scheduled for the chop soon. Not because of our Portia but because his owners have acquired two kittens and he’s trying to mate with both of them… one male and one female.

Once he’s done then that will be one less for Humphrey to worry about. At the moment he’s contenting himself with chasing next door’s tabby, about half Humphrey’s size, and the pigeons in the garden.

See you next week. Might feel better then!

Just to quickly let you know if you’re in the Derby/Nottingham area.  Erewash Partnership are holding an event on 3 April at Pride Park.  Details on their website as below – check for Events.  If it had been me I’d have put it on the home page to make sure people found it quickly.

http://www.erewash-partnership.com/

I don’t know if you’re a fan of Coronation Street but I’ve been waiting for the (inevitable) outcome of Leanne’s little business venture.    Apparently she is now planning a nice little insurance scam.

They say buyer beware when you go into business and never a truer word…

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Last Friday I went to a presentation given by Business Link – now called East Midlands Business.

Described by one of the speakers as the first stop for businesses in their search for help East Midlands Business co-ordinates the money given to it by EMDA and central government across the region.

There are some interesting developments and if you have a business problem – it’s always worth an enquiry. 

www.eastmidlandsbusiness.co.uk

I think one of the biggest problems for many small business owners is feeling isolated.  Being part of a network can help solve that.   I’m going to investigate what’s possible for one of my clients who isn’t in business but running her own business might in the long term help her out of her particular difficulties.

Don’t know if you’ve seen the buzz on the internet about the new product launch programme from Jeff Walker.  He’s been involved in many of the big launches over the last few years.

He’s got an upgrade on his product out and like all the best marketing gurus he’s giving away free information ahead of it.

ProductLaunchFormula.com     

I’m not getting any commission on this but if you’re thinking about launching a product it’s worth a look.

Forgot to mention earlier in the week that I attended a very useful presentation last week at the University of Derby.  Presented by Eileen Brown from Microsoft it was a very down to earth guide to how to blog and why.  If like me you’ve come to Web 2.0 late then now’s the time to get aboard Web 3.0.  Eileen Brown showed us what it’s all about.

Below is a link to an E-Business Club event in Southwell later in March.  It’s well worth the trip.

http://www.ebusinessclub.biz/events.html?page=2

I’m working at the moment on a book with a client.  And it’s been as much a voyage of discovery for me as it has for her.  From the technical aspect I’m developing a way of working through exchange of material via Word documents of course but also audio files. 

I’m finding this speeds up the process remarkably.  I can record my queries, send her the files and get answers back.  I could phone her of course but this way gives her time to mull over the questions and consider the best way to structure the answers.

Any new client is a challenge because even if I’ve worked in their sector before, their business is unique to them.  But with this client it’s also a voyage of discovery in learning about someone experiencing the world in a different way.  She has mental health difficulties and the book is a combination of her experiences and thoughts about the mental health system.

We’re aiming for a very positive book for people to dip into especially if they have a fear of the topic as many do.  Despite the fact that 1 in 4 people will have some episode of mental illness during their life, it’s still seen as a topic to be avoided.

This project is teaching me a great deal about running a project… and getting rid of misconceptions.

One of the most fascinating parts of writing for me is trying to tap into what’s happening in my prospect’s mind.  How do I do that?

That’s the question I ask myself every time I try and write anything.  It’s a constantly changing target depending upon whether it’s a personal purchase or a business style purchase and what the topic is.  For instance. 

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One of my copywriting mentors always maintains that it takes 1,000 hours to become competent at something.  Anything – he doesn’t think it makes any difference if it’s writing, learning a language, or a sport.

 He also believes you can shorten the time with great teachers.  So whatever you’re learning you want to find yourself the best teachers around to lessen the pain. 

To become “great” at something he reckons you need about 10,000 hours.  And then there are the geniuses.

If we were talking dancing, in 1,000 hours or less with a great teacher you could be a competent dancer.  With 10,000 hours you’d be a professional… and then there’s Fred Astaire.

Get out of your own way when you’re writing

So why do I say there’s an easy way.  Well I agree that you have to practise.  But sometimes we get in our own way by practising too much.  By pushing ourselves too hard.

I’ve read a lot about different marketing writers.  I have a library of books and articles about them and their works.  And the one theme that comes out time and again is how often they achieve top status by trusting their unconscious to do the work for them.

A common method is to do the research then sleep on it asking the unconscious mind to deliver the goods in the morning.  And it does work.  I’ve tried it with a big project that had started to overwhelm me.  I was amazed at how it flowed when I started to write.

Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t edit though!