Last week, I was speaking to a colleague about investing and why he’s not riding a Rolls-Royce when he spends so much time saving and investing. Once I’d stopped laughing at the idea of driving a Rolls (although I think they’re classy vehicles, I think they’re a horrendous misuse of capital!), I asked him what […]
Reader Question: What’s the secret to making ‘great’ investments? Read More »
Today, I want to share a personal story with you. I was travelling to Nottingham last month and was getting on the train when I came across a young Mother and her two kids struggling with their luggage. Noticing that she was struggling with her case, I gave her a hand to get it onto
Welcome to Part 4 of my ‘How to Build a Website’ series. In this article, I’ll be talking about how to handle challenges and re-programming a schedule to keep things on target when things get challenging. If you’re only just joining us, I’d recommend reading Part 1, where we launched our website project, Part 2,
Build a Website Series: 4. Re-programming for success Read More »
In Part 3 of my ‘How to Build a Website’ series, I’m going to be talking about wire framing, what it is and why it’s important. If you’re only just joining us, I’d recommend going back and reading Part 1 where we launch our project, and Part 2, where we cover the importance of defining
Several weeks ago, I wrote about the work I’m doing on a website rebuild, and promised to use the work as a case study which could provide some insight to the way I carry out website builds. The last article in the series covered my work around auditing content, how I was carrying out the
I was once asked in an interview what my greatest career skill was – and I answered that I believed it was the ability to communicate, clearly and effectively, to people at multiple levels of a business. I believe I first learned the power of effective communication shortly after my Father died, when I began
Earlier this month, I was talking to a mentor about improving the visibility of my public speaking coaching business, which has largely dropped off a cliff since I first came to London nearly a year ago. When I was in Oxford, I attended multiple evening events each week, constantly growing my network in a positive
I was once told that as a public speaker “I always knew what to say”. No matter how difficult the topic, I’d always seem to find the right way of addressing it and keeping my audience onside. When it comes to negotiation, having the right words is often a powerful tool to enable success, but
Several weeks ago, I was commissioned on the build of a new website for a client. Their existing site is huge, spanning multiple service offerings, but with extraordinarily variable copy. As one would expect, the largest segment of the business has well-developed case studies and brochures, with glossy pictures and video content, but the smaller
Attempting to conduct a negotiation over the phone is never an ideal scenario. Whenever I’m negotiating face-to-face with someone, I’ve got more control of the situation – I’ve usually got a team with me and can physically see the other side of the negotiation to gauge their responses and reactions to my suggestions. When I’m
How to level the playing field when conducting negotiations via phone Read More »
I once used to work with a chap who was a consummate salesman. Everyone’s best friend, he knew people all over the country; all over the world in fact. No matter what the problem was, he ‘knew a guy’ who could help fix it. This colleague would come out of the boss’s office with an
Those of you that follow me on social media might have noticed a few patterns over the last twelve months as I tried various tactics to grow my following. Some of these have been more successful than others, so I decided to carry out a quick review of the plan to determine whether I’m likely
I’m a big advocate of investing in entrepreneurs. I’ve written time and time again that when done well, private investments can produce returns which far outperform regular market instruments. In my mind; it’s a no brainer. Banks, advisers, accountants, financiers; they all want their cut – but dealing directly with an entrepreneur removes these added
A few weeks ago, I was engaged in an email chain with one of my readers who asked me whether I thought he should be using his paycheque to pay down debts or to invest in income-producing assets. This sort of sent alarm bells ringing for me, as I’m clearly not a financial advisor, so
Reader Question: Should I pay down debts or should I invest my money? Read More »
I’ve been responsible for multiple freelancers in my career. Some were engaged directly by me, others were engaged by the company I worked for, but all reported directly to me. I’ve often heard people singing the virtues of hiring freelancers – they’re cheaper, they’re experts, they’re dedicated. In some situations, hiring freelancers makes total sense,
