Mindset

I’ve lost count of how many conversations I’ve had with people who wondering if the weather will ever get any better, and tourism business owners who say that bookings seem slower than usual. The two are definitely connected! You can’t change the weather but there are two easy things you you can do about it.

The first easy thing…

The world is in turmoil - war, climate change and economic certainty. It’s natural for people to be reticent about planning day trips and booking breaks. But many do hav…

Can you feel the excitement and anticipation in the air?

As the weather warms up, holidays approach and we slowly cast off our Winter vests, it’s uplifting to look forward to the Summer.

Social media is filling with news of last minute preparations for attractions re-opening, and visitors are posting about their plans for trips.

Now’s the time to take advantage of two related factors in your marketing: Anticipation and FOMO (fear of missing out).

When I talk to some business owners about using a…

A long time ago I worked in an office where we used ancient manual typewriters to write the same kind of letters again and again. I’d seen one of the early Amstrad computers in action and eventually managed to persuade my boss that we’d be much more efficient with a computer. The day the computer was due to be delivered, one of the secretaries (then aged about 25) didn’t come to work. She sent a letter saying she was giving in her notice because she didn’t want to use a computer and thought it w…

Are you busy? Tired? A bit over-whelmed or pre-occupied? Hamster-wheel spinning too fast? Just generally feel a bit ‘meh’, at least now and then?

I’m guessing ‘yes’ to most of those questions? If so, you’re definitely not alone. This is exactly how many of our visitors feel too.

Do you read every email you receive? Do you see every social media post of all the accounts you follow? When someone tells you something do you always listen and absorb what they say? Do you notice every word and photo on…

Are you leaving money on the table? Or maybe just not attracting people who want to spend money with you?

There are  reasons why you may not be attracting visitors or making as much money as you'd like.

Once you've considered each of these, small actions can have a big impact.

1. You don't make it clear who/what kind of people can benefit from your business. People often think something isn't for them, for example they may like the look of a holiday cottage but just not know what they'd be ab…

Confession time!

What's the one thing you're putting off doing?

The one thing you've either decided you can't do, or a thing that gets in the way of more business success or ease? 

We all have something. Usually our main excuses for not doing something connected to our business are 'no time' or 'no money'. But really they're just the lazy excuses. Most marketing activities don't cost a great deal and we manage to make time for the things we prioritise. 

There's normally something else that w…

There's one thing that makes every marketing activity stronger and more effective.

No, not money. Not even a lot more time. 

Consistency.

Taking one small action every day or week can be as effective as spending ages and pots of money on bigger activities. 

Consistency builds momentum.

It builds trust. It builds awareness. It builds experience.

It builds business and profitability.

What sort of marketing activity am I talking about?

I mean any action you might do regularly (and I do mean…

I've had a few conversations recently with business owners who're teetering.

Some are tinkering around the edges. Some are poised to go deeper but not quite there. 

This is to encourage you to jump and 'go all in'...

I'm talking about focusing on something - in this case a target market - and really doing everything you can to be as strong as you can in that area. There are great revenue benefits when you do. And it makes marketing much easier. 

A few examples: 

Is your business dog-toleran…

How do you make sure you get key jobs done and move your business forward? 

When you work on your own it can be difficult to stay motivated and to tackle important tasks. If you're anything like me, there's always something that you keep putting off!

I've written before about some productivity tips, how small steps can make a difference (here and here).

Here's something else that can help: having an 'accountability partner' or 'co-working'. Read to the end for a free opportunity to try 'co-wo…