Staffordshire Moorlands Business Blog - The SME Support Director

The SME Support Director

Warren Buffett Delivers Inspirational Speech for Entrepreneurs.

24/4/2018

Warren Buffett one of the most successful businessmen and investors of the twentieth century talks about the importance of outstanding customer care. He cites examples of businesses who didn't necessarily have the best product or capital investment in the business but those who cared about their customers, set out to delight them and became a friend of every customer.

No matter what external factors were at play, the economy the stock market etc, the focus was on the one thing that the business could change - the customer experience. He explains that you also need to multiply yourself through other people (staff) by treating them fairly in order to extend your business philosophy as the business grows.

I trust this video may be of interest to many of the Staffordshire Moorlands businesses

Mind the Gap: EU Workers to Create Skills Shortage?

16/4/2018

Skills shortage remains a key concern for SME's and a forecast that 47% of highly skilled EU workers are set to leave the UK within five years, 19% considering a move within three years and 8% within one year will only exacerbate the problem.

Around 20% of SME's employ skilled EU workers according to the Federation of Small Businesses.

Net immigration has fallen by about one third following the Brexit vote with increasing numbers of EU workers leaving the UK. There are a number of factors underpinning the movement of EU workers leaving not least citizen rights and a perceived anti-immigrant sentiment in the UK.

As negotiations have progressed on the UK exit from the EU the rights of EU workers have become a little more clear if we strike a deal with the EU, however there is no certainty what their rights will be, if no deal can be agreed.

In a recent post by Real Business, SME's that are planning for Brexit are focusing on the following areas:

Gathering data to understand who their people are and what they do, whether they’re EU nationals in the UK, or British nationals working in Europe
Developing policies on financial support for applications for Residence Cards, Permanent Residence Cards and citizenship
Engaging with and providing reassurance to staff who are worried about what Brexit will mean for them and their families
Considering alternate staffing streams

Most vulnerable sectors where EU workers have biggest impact.

Accommodation & food services (EU workers make up over 14% of the total sector workforce). Manufacturing 10.3%. Transport and storage 13.5%

Whilst intentions by EU workers may change over the periods it is clear that there will be an impact on many sectors and action taken now can mitigate the adverse effects those movements.
UK businesses will have to critically evaluate their skills base and look at their investments in training to up-skill the workforce and examine where automation can be effective in replacing lost skills.

#brexit #training #EU #employment

Small Business 10 Point Plan for the Government

13/4/2018

A Task Force representing 2 million small firms and self employed is to raise manifesto points with Ministers and policy makers at a series of upcoming meetings.
Small firms make up 96 per cent of the total business population yet little is understood about their real contribution to the economy.

Businesses in the Staffordshire Moorlands are key to our local economy and therefore lets hope Ministers heed the points put forward.
Read the full article here

Business as Usual is an Outdated Experience.

11/4/2018

In this video world-renowned expert on the future of business in the digital age Brian Solis talks about what customer experience means in this connected world. Increasingly, it is not the experience that many businesses think the customer wants. They need to give the customer an experience that matters in every moment.
Most businesses are operating in an outdated paradigm that was okay some 50 years ago but not today.
Technology is teaching customers that they can get what they want, when and how they want it.

"Modern companies must be relevant, useful, trustworthy,empathetic and respectful"

Businesses must embrace what customer experience means in this digital age. Not to do so could result in the "Kodak Moment" spoken about in this video.

I hope you find this video of value to your business.

Learn to Sell in Six minutes

10/4/2018

Selling: Receiving objections, losing confidence during the process. There are many different emotions and scenarios that unfold when trying to make a sale. However like anything else it is a process and the more prepared professional and likeable you are then the chances of making that sale are much greater.
Asking the right questions is one of the key fundamentals during the process. Here internationally renowned speaker Phil Jones explains the key aspects to help you make that sale.

If you are a Staffordshire Moorlands business wanting to grow your sales (I'm sure you want to!) watch this video.

The single biggest reason why startups succeed

9/4/2018

Bill Gross started his company Idealab some 20 years ago and has started more than 100 companies some of which have been successes and some by his own admission - big failures.
He decided to look at what factors generated the successes and resulted in the failures. In this video he explains his findings.

Family businesses:When the relationships breakdown.

9/4/2018

It is probably fair to say that one of the most difficult issues in a family business is maintaining healthy relationships particularly in difficult times for the business.

There are a number of key issues that can have a significant effect on the ongoing stability for the business - even to the point of one spouse dissolving the business without the agreement of the other.

In a recent article two solicitors at leading law firm SA Law consider the risks of setting up a family business. If you are a Staffordshire Moorlands family business or considering setting up a business involving family members this article may be helpful.

Disruptive Innovation: Will your business be here in 5 years?

5/4/2018

Okay, its a pretty unpleasant thought that after all the massive effort you have put into the business and the sacrifices you have made, but if businesses fail to recognise the opportunities (and threats) that are gaining momentum in an increasingly digital world the outcome could be be seriously detrimental.

We live in the most exciting time in history to innovate and take advantage of the opportunities out there if you are prepared to innovate and disrupt the status quo -the way its always been done.

Jeremy Gutsche, CEO of Trendhunter.com in the video below says" You are not preparing for what will happen. You are preparing for what could be"

The future of businesses depends upon how proactive they are in the face of the disruption innovations that will affect each and every maketplace in some way.
Businesses in the Staffordshire Moorlands are creative and innovative already but complacency must not be allowed to ever take hold, the global marketplace has no sympathies.

I hope you find the time to watch the video where Gutsche provides an inspiring and visionary look at the effects, threats and opportunities of disruption.

8 marketing rules Gymbox founder Richard Hilton swears by

4/4/2018

Gymbox founder Richard Hilton has teamed up with Startup.uk and broadband and phone provider Plusnet in series of events to help small businesses grow. Businesses and startups in the Staffordshire Moorlands looking to expand or scale up may find this useful.

See the full article here

April 04th, 2018

4/4/2018