How Companies Really Grow

For some people, setting up as a self-employed business person is for personal reasons; a preference to be at home, work around family-life or simply not be a slave to commuting and a big boss.

To others the idea is to start a business that will in turn grow into something bigger.

Growing pains can be one of the hardest things a company can suffer.  If all is going well and business is good, the way in which a business manages its growth can make or break a company.

I’ve seen this at first hand, where an entrepreneur starts a business, the company excels and grows at an exponential rate without being managed correctly; and the walls come tumbling down.

In such cases this is because the warning signs are not heeded or growth explodes before profit allows for sustainability.

In his book, How Companies Really Grow, Ciaran Walsh explains how to grow a successful business.  By recounting various real life client scenarios he breaks down the process in six easy to follow phases:

• The Creative Phase – when and how you devise an idea for your business

• The Analysis Phase – researching and collecting information to ensure your business idea will work

• The Reactive Phase – where you start to sell your products or services and react to customer feedback

• The Processes Phase – when you are achieving enough sales to make a profit

• The Empowerment Phase – when your business achieves enough growth that you need to delegate to others

• The Divisions Phase – when you create and separate divisions that differ from your main business

One of the main problems that small businesses have as they begin to see growth, according to Walsh, is to carry out inappropriate activities while in the wrong phase of growth. Whether it be writing long term business plans while still in the “Analysis Phase” or launching too many new products at once while in the “Reactive Phase” that causes confusing results.

Others small business owners do not calculate the right time to delegate to others; doing so too early or too late leads to dire consequences.  Again, I have seen this myself in several companies I have worked with where a manager wants to step away from the day-to-day management duties and another whereby his ‘closeness’ turned from a leadership quality to one of interference that stopped others doing their jobs.

Each phase of this enlightening and very easy to read book follows on from the last in a linear fashion and needs to be read from cover to cover rather than be used as a point of reference to drop in and out of.  This book is a valuable source for any start-up or small business owner who is looking to grow their business.

In this book Ciaran Walsh draws on his own experience of running a successful business for 13 years and the knowledge he has of over 200 entrepreneur-led businesses with which he has help to grow.  He has also been a director of many privately owned and Plc companies based both in the UK and overseas.

How Companies Really Grow by Ciaran Walsh is published by Matador priced £19.95

At the same time, Amazon has recently revealed that for every 100 books sold on its site, it sells 115 Kindle ebooks. Kindle allows new authors to upload their books directly, thus offering mass international distribution. As literary agent Robert Gottlieb recently warned, “Publishers are frightened to death of the e-book market, because they see the opportunity for authors that they did not have before.”

With publishers reluctant to take risks on new authors and with these new channels now available to everyone, it begs the question: do authors still need traditional publishers?
Russell Grandinetti, vice president of Kindle Content, believes that the death of traditional publishing is a foregone conclusion, stating that “the only really necessary people in the publishing process now are the writer and reader.”

Publishing a book, however, is rather more complex than just uploading a Word document to Kindle and hoping people will buy it. Whether it is e-publishing, print-on-demand or the more traditional printing and distribution model, many important processes are needed to turn a raw manuscript into something people are going to want to buy.  It will need editing, designing and proofreading prior to launch. It will also need a sales and marketing campaign behind it to attract readers. Industry specific expertise is critical for all in the process.

With this in mind, Oxford-based independent publisher Infinite Ideas has recently launched a self publishing business, Infinite Authors. Authors can access a range of publishing services in order to self publish both printed and e-books. By accessing the company’s publishing expertise authors can self publish books of bookshop quality from as little as £695. Infinite Authors offers direct access to the biggest bookselling platforms and is democratising the publishing process for authors around the world.

If an author self publishes, he can expect to make a profit of 30% of the cover price of his printed book and 70% of the retail price of e-book sales. By comparison most conventional publishing contracts give the author a royalty of 10% of net receipts. On a £10 paperback that can be as little as 35p a book. On an e-book the author may receive 25% of net receipts (although e-book royalties do vary greatly) which may generate £1 per sale. By self publishing, however, authors can put their books up on all e-book platforms including Amazon, Google, Kobo, Sony and Apple and have physical copies available through online retailers and wholesalers. So self-published authors now have direct access to quite literally millions of readers the world over.

Tim Moore, Marketing Director at Infinite Authors, explains:

“Mass consumer channels such as Kindle offer authors unprecedented direct access to their readership. Our sister company Infinite Ideas has had huge success in generating viral campaigns for key authors. Some of their titles have had in excess of 100,000 downloads. We know how to generate interest and we share this expertise with our self-published authors. For a very small investment authors can now publish their own books internationally in multiple formats.”

Moore continues: “In traditional publishing two-thirds of sales take place in the months before Christmas. For the e-book market, the busiest sales are from Christmas Day onwards because this is when people who have been given e-readers as presents begin to download books. This offers authors huge opportunities to sell substantial quantities of their books direct.”

UK sales of digital book products grew by 20% last year, according to the Publishers Association. Yearly sales now stand at 180m, around 5% of total book sales. With the latest generation Kindle selling for a mere £89, the gap between the author and the reader will continue to decrease. Infinite Authors aims to bring authors and readers closer together by providing real publishing expertise to help authors bridge that gap.

The Magic of Making Money on eBay by Matt & Amanda Clarkson

Now before you start this book, be aware there is no actual ‘magic’ involved.  There are some good and helpful tips and guidelines, but the bottom line is you have to be motivated and willing to put in a lot of hard work to reap any rewards from selling on eBay, and although this book is a useful first step, it really is just a promotional vehicle for the couple’s obvious cash cow, which is marketing their Bidding Buzz franchise.

On first inspection the book has an attractive, easily accessible layout which is visually enticing.  The main text is broken up with plenty of positive and affirming quotation, lists of statistics and supporting diagrams.

The layout is particularly useful for finding the chapters which actually offer any helpful advice.  The preface sets the positive tone which is prevalent throughout the book and there is plentiful use of key statements and motivational phrases scattered on every page designed to make the reader think that any old soul, with the help of this invaluable book, could actually become a millionaire!

That said, it didn’t take long to reach the first mention of the couple’s home study course and then their recommendation of the essential support of a mentor and of course the opportunity to become a Bidding Buzz franchisee……Chapter 5 to be precise!

However, for those of you pondering on how to make a bit of extra cash or set up a business selling stock on eBay it probably wouldn’t do you any harm to read this book first. There is some good solid business advice, like starting off with a plan stating your  aim, budget, time frame etc and writing it all down to use as a reference point as your venture progresses, and plenty of suggestions for things to sell.

It also gives advice on the various types of eBay seller:

The Hobbyist – someone who sells for fun or to create an extra income stream in conjunction with their regular occupation.

Drop Shipping – sellers who deal directly with wholesalers who take care of the shipping process

Consignment Sellers – selling products or services on behalf of other people.
eBay Arbitrage – buying up stock from less competent sellers and reselling them at a profit.

The book continues with solid advice on auction formats, listings, setting prices, feedback ratings and basically translating the eBay lingo into a language the novice will understand.  There are also tips on stock presentation and maintaining customer relations, most of which are common sense, but good business practise if you want to improve your chances of success.

In summary, if you are thinking of starting your own retail business or just want to de-clutter your home and make a bit of money from it, then this book will definitely give you the edge over other novice sellers.  But if you want to run a successful business, then as with any market you’ll still need to be 100% committed and be prepared to make mistakes and learn from them, even with this book as a guide.

The Magic of Making Money on eBay by Matt & Amanda Clarkson published by Global Publishing.

Build A Brand In 30 Days with Simon Middleton

Simon Middleton’s business self-help book ‘Build a Brand in 30 Days’ has shot to the top of the ‘Small Business Branding’ chart on Amazon.

‘Build a Brand in 30 Days’ brings intelligent brand strategy into the realms of every businessperson and every business regardless of size. You don’t need a marketing degree or intensive training to build an attention-grabbing brand; you just need this book – and 30 days.

“No matter how high your budget the fundamental truths of brand and branding remain the same,” explains Mr Middleton, who has advised British Airways, Barclays, Aviva, Pret A Manger, The Broads National Park on branding.

“’Brand’ isn’t to do with logo, or even with advertising, but with meaning. Your brand is what YOU mean to your audiences, and it consists of four vital elements: being authentic, being distinctive, being compelling, and being good at something.”

Middleton made an appearance on BBC TV’s Newsnight in discussion with Jeremy Paxman  last week about the effect of the Quantas A380 incident on the brand of Rolls-Royce.

See our review of Build a Brand in 30 Days by Simon Middleton.

Create A Successful Website by Paula Wynne

Paula Wynne starts her book, Create A Successful Website by stating it is a book for everyone.  It’s true, every business small and large, every organisation, group and charity should be using a website as an online promotional and communications tool.  But with so many options, so-called “experts” and free software to choose from, creating your own website, let alone a successful one, can be a daunting task.

As well as being a co-owner and professional blogger for Buzzin Media I have spent 13 years in website development and have seen how website technology has played a fundamental role in changing the face of small business and entrepreneurship over the past decade; and in that time I have also seen, read and reviewed many “How To Be Successful…” books that promote business success as something anyone can do.

In the past few years using the web to promote your business has drastically changed.  Social Media, blogs, eBay shops and oodles of free or cheap templates, hosting and software has made it much easier to create a professional-looking site but there is so much more for someone to understand if they are going to create a successful website that I was intrigued to read Paula Wynne’s book, both from the perspective of a business owner and website development & marketing professional.

In its introduction Paula Wynne clearly states what the book is and isn’t going to teach you.  It isn’t going to teach you programming code or how to become a million (good) but it does suggest it will guide the reader through online jargon and technology, the “mine-field” of building a website and how to learn to bring this altogether through following a plan.

Create A Successful Website starts with Day 1: Planning & Research and covers naming your website, choosing a domain name with an excellent explanation of the different types before moving onto hosting, brainstorming, creating a mind map, researching, creating a list of goals, considering an exit strategy, potential mentors and a management team!

Not wishing to be seen as a slow learner, but there is a lot to do here.  Either the coffee is strong enough to keep you awake for a whole 24 hours or like me you might think there is too much here to be completed in one day. However, page 10 she does state that the daily schedule is only a guide for the book’s format rather than insisting this process necessarily needs to be completed in 10 days.

As I read through the following chapters, Day 2: Branding, Day 3: Navigation etc it doesn’t take me long to realise Create A Successful Website by Paula Wynn is packed with great advice.  Each chapter includes diagrams for simple explanation and ends with a checklist so you tick as you go.

From the perspective of a professional website developer I can see the information and advice is thorough.  For example, in chapter 3 the discussion on website navigation includes definitions of content managed systems (CMS), breadcrumb trails, sitemaps and other secondary pages such as privacy policy and terms & conditions which are often overlooked in books of this ilk. There is the mention of how colour is important, and the difference between static and dynamic web pages.

The book goes on to the cover free website software solutions, the pros and cons of hosted websites and bespoke websites, e-commerce and making a revenue stream and another excellent chapter on adding content to the website.  This sounds ridiculous but even when some of my own clients have spent a large budget on design and bespoke development for a company website, and we are confident we have given the right advice and training, some businesses will never maximise profits from their websites because they do not pay enough attention to the content, itself.

Create A Successful Website is divided into ten chapters, the final chapter, Day 10: Go Live deals with things you need to consider before pushing the website live on the web, and following the live website launch, tracking traffic to the website with Google Analytics.

With the evolution of the web and more importantly how more sophisticated software has become cheaper (and in some cases free) and easier to use, there is no reason why someone setting up a basic or straightforward website cannot learn to create a website themselves; and Creating A Successful Website by Paula Wynn is an excellent book that will give you everything you need to be succeed.

Create A Successful Website by Paula Wynne is published by Lean Market Press priced £15.

Build A Brand In 30 Days with Simon Middleton

Simon Middleton is promoted as ‘the brand strategy expert’ in his new book, Build a Brand in 30 Days.

Brand is serious and important to your business: but it’s also very simple in its essence. Brand is about meaning. In short, your brand is the sum total of all the meanings that all your possible audiences carry around about you in their heads and in their hearts.

Build A Brand In 30 Days is divided appropriately into 30 days each with a clear exercise to follow.

I am always sceptical about self or business help books that attempt to sell you a concept on the basis that anyone who buys this book and follows these simple steps can reach their goal’.

Life isn’t as simple and straightforward as that.  If it were, anyone who put any effort or dedication into running a successful business would indeed be…. successful.

Branding is probably something that many small business owners overlook, believe is not approrirate to their business due to size or cost.  But theis book shows it is important and can ve applied for less money that is often perceived; and like all good business books, it helps you to focus on a strategy and a way of thinking.

Aimed at new enterprises, businesses struggling to stand-out from the crowd or in need of reinvention, Build A Brand In 30 Days shows you how to create, manage and communicate your brand profoundly and effectively, in just 30 days, by following 30 clear exercises.

In his introduction Simon Middleton states the reader can use Build A Brand In 30 Days to:

•    Educate yourself fast in the art of branding
•    Actually build a proper brand for your business or for any of its products or services
•    Build a brand for a charity or public sector organization
•    Build a brand for your team or department within a bigger organization
•    Build your own personal brand in order to enhance your career

What I like about Simon Middleton’s book is the way he has broken down the exercises into bite-size chunks, allowing the small business owner or would-be entrepreneur to see the wood from the trees; and by undertaking these 30 exercises, even if it takes longer than 30 days, the focus you will achieve with your company brand will for sure raise your company profile and help you onwards, towards business success.

Build A Brand In 30 Days shows you how to:

•    Establish your brand values and positioning
•    Get the all-important name right
•    Bring your brand to life
•    Turn your customers into your advocates
•    Manage your PR and use your marketing budget wisely
•    Inspire your staff to live the brand
•    Deal with problems when something goes wrong

One of the exercises explains how to create a ‘Personality‘ for your business that customers will respond to.  Reading some of the points also helps you to look at why you like other brands and  to apply that to your own brand.

Build A Brand In 30 Days is the ideal guide to branding for entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises (SME’s). Published by Capstone, price £12.99.