Business experts can sometimes share so many conflicting ideas and strategies that we can end up more confused than ever! What is best practice? What really does work? What should be our number one focus?
Recently I attended a fabulous two day event in London which was packed full of global business experts and social media gods! I kid you not! It was thrilling to be in their presence and to soak up their cutting edge thinking.
Move with the times!
You might have heard my Great Aunt Sally story before. When I was a nipper and she was impossibly ancient, she would fix her sharp brown hawkish eyes on me and say, “Move with the times, Gillian, we must move with the times!”
She had no truck with people who stayed stuck in the past, looking in the rear view mirror. I’ve kept those words with me throughout my life and they still ring true today – perhaps even more so than back in the sleepy 70s!
The fact that we are in a massive period of upheaval and change not seen since the Industrial Revolution (you do know that, right?) means that, as business owners, we most certainly need to keep abreast of rapid developments. Otherwise, I believe, that we will swiftly become dinosaurs and our businesses crumble into dust. And what I heard from these select business experts confirmed it.
I was technologically clueless!
When I moved back from Athens in 2008, I soon realised that I had very much got left behind. Prior to having the children in the 90s, I was adept at fixing office machinery, using spreadsheets and word-processing packages and the early clunky computers. However, back in London, just one test at an employment agency showed me to be shockingly inept. They said they’d be in touch…
What a wake up call that was! So I began training myself in the latest office software. I passed my European Computer Driving License with flying colours and started work with The Rollin Becker Institute, organising and marketing their CPD courses. That’s when it became obvious that I need to learn online marketing, which ultimately changed my life!
Since then, I’ve learned how to build a WordPress website, sort out Search Engine Optimisation, update it and redesign pages, send out e-newsletters, master social media marketing, operate a complex customer management system, build and deliver online group courses and all kinds of other things.
Business experts help you reach your goals faster
To maintain my fast growing business and my intention to ensure my advice is always cutting edge and relevant, I continually invest in myself and my expertise.
Recently I hired a top global Business Coach to help me be more dynamic and show me how to reach more Osteopaths who want to create a thriving and valuable service in their community.
Interestingly, with the work I’ve done in recent weeks, I’ve already recouped my considerable investment. And there’s more to come. This recent success underlines to me the magic of actively deploying key strategies.
Too many are still trying and testing outdated ideas which are already proven to be a waste of time, energy and money.
Gurus, Gods and Business Experts!
Back to the two day event last week. Again it was quite an investment and I nearly didn’t buy in but thank goodness I did!
In attendance were the likes of Ryan Deiss of Digital Marketer, probably the largest digital marketing company in the world. He inspired with us down to earth strategies and the latest thinking. Social media guru Ed JC Smith shared masses of great ways to reach our target audiences online.
I even got to hug Fiona Harrold, the author of Be Your Own Life Coach. Having had a pretty austere upbringing myself, her book of new ideas, kind words of encouragement and inspiration helped me to nurture myself some 16 years ago. In this series I’ll be sharing more of her ideas about publicity.
Nick James who organised the event, also gave us a harsh talking to about what we’re doing online and how we do it. He asked us to remember that marketing is like going out on a date and building a relationship. But more on that next time.
The top billing was none other than billionaire social media GOD Gary Vaynerchuk. His F-Bombs littered the stage as he strode around, jabbing his finger at us! He questioned our intentions, asked us searching questions and demanded we get our acts together! Prisoners, he taketh not!
My new Osteobiz Blueprint course is going to hugely benefit from all that I’ve recently learned too. It’s bang up to date with the current strategies which WORK EVERY TIME for my VIP Clients. It’s imperative that we harness new ideas, apply them swiftly and crack on if we are to remain in the race.
I foresee thousands of small businesses left on the wayside in this period of critical change. Poor old Great Aunt Sally must be banging her head on the clouds up there and muttering, “MOVE WITH THE TIMES!”
