Category: Entrepreneur

Pitching for Management

This is a great series of UK events offering fast-growth companies the chance to find senior executives and non-executives to help their company proceed to its next stage of growth. It’s a testament to the local entrepreneurship community that the first “Pitching for Management” event outside London, was in Bristol! At each event, 6 companies… Continue reading Pitching for Management

How smart are your houses?

A number of years ago, when I was the Business Manager for Futurelab Education, we looked at a couple of projects around technology in social housing and how internet access could transform lives. I began talking to George Grant (Founder, Housing Technology) about several projects across Bristol that were refurbishing PCs and providing them to… Continue reading How smart are your houses?

What’s great about Bristol? Let me count the ways…

Ok, minor confession; I haven’t pulled this list together. Iain Gray (CEO, Technology Strategy Board) is a passionate champion of all UK technology & innovation, and he recently tweeted a list of technology and innovation examples from Bath & Bristol. Enjoy! [Update 1: Iain’s just dm’d me to say there are plenty more to follow,… Continue reading What’s great about Bristol? Let me count the ways…

How do you ‘lean’ a business?

In these straightened times, its a great opportunity to review your business processes & establish the foundations for the future. Never let a crisis go to waste. Rahm Emmanuel (via WSJ) Lean means taking a fundamental look at your business & driving out waste. Some of these wastes will be obvious (work in progress, re-work,… Continue reading How do you ‘lean’ a business?

Management vs Money – which is more important?

This is an age old problem for the company starting out (or indeed growing rapidly). Obviously a complete lack of top-notch people or abject poverty are both unlikely to lead to success. But where should your focus be? This recent piece from Startup Professionals Musing comes down pretty firmly on the people side of the… Continue reading Management vs Money – which is more important?

Social Media – Recommend something

Recommend: to present as worthy of confidence, acceptance, use, etc.; commend; mention favorably This is possibly the hardest stage and the one that most often introduces cognitive dissonance. You spend the time establishing rapport, building your understanding, demonstrating your understanding and expertise, at some point you need to recommend a solution. Obviously you want to… Continue reading Social Media – Recommend something

Social Media – Demonstrate your skillz

Demonstrate: to make evident or establish by arguments or reasoning; to describe, explain, or illustrate by examples, specimens, experiments Now is the time to join the conversation. Relate to your audience, demonstrate that you understand their world and needs. Demonstrate that you are an authentic person not just a marketing drone. This is where a… Continue reading Social Media – Demonstrate your skillz

Social Media – build Understanding

Understand: to perceive what is meant; to accept tolerantly or sympathetically This is the sage advice about having two ears and only one mouth, listen to what is going on. Even if you already have a very strong market leading brand; before you wade in, listen and observe (lurk in the parlance). The social norm’s… Continue reading Social Media – build Understanding

Social Media – establishing Rapport

Rapport: relation; connection, esp. harmonious or sympathetic relation This is ostensibly the easy bit of social media; the ‘friending’ act is usually straight forward and simple and isn’t the whole point of “social media” to be, well social? As is often the case the answer is “Yes, but… I think that the difference is between… Continue reading Social Media – establishing Rapport