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DE&I is being increasingly prioritized by companies, previously seen as a ‘nice to have’ its an area that is nowadays essential to your company’s identity and culture. It is also of increasing importance not only to your current employees, but also to prospective employees, particularly millennials and Gen Z candidates, who see DE&I as an essential aspect of a workplace’s culture.
DE&I has more recently undergone a bit of a rebrand with the ‘B’ being added to the acronym. But what does it all mean?, why the change? and why is the ‘B’ now becoming so important?
Diversity – refers to who is represented in the workforce and the different people who come together to make up the company. Diversity may include different ethnicities, ages, genders, abilities, neurodiversity, beliefs, social backgrounds.
Equity / Equality – the ‘E’ can vary between these two terms. Equality refers employees being treated equally, and have equal access to opportunities. Equity recognises the differences and that not everyone starts from the same place. Equity understands each employees unique circumstances and aims for employees to receive fair treatment (and sometimes adjustments) across practices, policies and norms within a company.
Inclusion – is about how the employees experience the workplace, the degree to which they feel included and that they are heard.
Belonging – means an employee feels they truly ‘belong’ at a company, they can bring their authentic self to work without fear of reprisal, microaggressions, or inequality at a workplace. A sense of being accepted for who they really are. Unless employees feel they ‘belong’ at a company, then other DE&I initiatives will not be successful.
Various reports* have shown that more diverse companies outperform others through:
Attracting and retaining talent
Boosting productivity and performance
Lowering turnover
Fewer sick days taken
Improving company reputation/branding
Better team decision making
Workplace initiatives that companies can consider putting into place to improve DEI&B may include:
Developing a DEI&B strategy and implementing throughout high level operations and employee levels
Establishing a dedicated DEI&B team
Creating allyship groups / employee resource groups to bring diverse groups together for support, development and connection
Making leaders responsible through their authority and influence to promote culture change, by encouraging an open and honest culture, being diversity champions, achieving DEI&B objectives, and having a leadership team representative of the diverse workforce who you wish to attract
Educating and informing employees on DEI&B through companywide DEI&B training
Supporting and growing employee DEI&B awareness through celebrating and informing about cultural days, holidays and events (e.g. Pride month, Black History month etc.)
Ensuring transparent guidelines and processes from recruitment, to reward, to talent development, and beyond, to ensure conduct and opportunities are aligned with company DEI&B values
Measuring, reporting and improving DEI&B metrics regularly
Ensuring DEI&B is covered in staff feedback surveys, exit interviews, appraisals and other qualitative feedback mechanisms to understand real employee views in these areas
If you want your company to have a positive culture, enabling your employees to thrive, increase productivity and boost your company reputation to prospective employees, then working on your business’ DEI&B should be an essential part of your company’s identity and strategy.
Nockolds HR provides strategic HR support for businesses including the development of DEI&B strategies. Please contact Kim Wallace, Senior HR Consultant with any questions or enquiries kim@nockoldshr.co.uk or 07584 575 212.
Posted By Anna Verghese, Business Coach,
26 April 2023
A couple of weeks ago, it was my birthday and my daughter kindly informed me that this year, I get to stay 38 forever. I’ll take that while I can (maybe?) still (kind of) get away with it (?!). But in all seriousness, I turned 42! So in honour of the occasion, I wanted to share something a little different with you.
42 tips on how to organise your business (and yourself!).
I am always telling my business coaching clients how important this is and so today, I wanted to share some of that knowledge with you. Thanks also to those clients and contacts who contributed too!
So here we go… 42 tips on how to organise your business. And remember – focus on the ones that work for you and suit your goals and ways of working.
Do client work for the time of the day when you are most productive. Save the more mundane things when you’re not. (Thank you Helen from HK Graphics)
Block out time in your diary for when you know you need to complete certain tasks.
Automate what you can.
Set aside money for tax every month so you don’t get to the end of the year and panic!
Work out your work flows and stick to them – processes save you time and effort
Use colour to differentiate between different tasks, appointments, events or areas of life so that you can immediately see whether you have enough balance in what you’re doing. (Thank you Liz from Bizzie PA)
Use the Cloud to store your work so that you can work from anywhere.
Work in a way that works for you – we are unique, and trying to copy what others do takes time and energy (and isn’t necessarily going to be successful!)
Schedule your emails – clients don’t need to know what you’re doing and when (Thanks again Helen!)
Learn to say no – if it doesn’t float your boat or contribute to what you’re trying to achieve, don’t do it and waste your energy
Build systems that talk to each other – all of your tools and systems need to work together to help you to achieve your goals, so integrate them wherever you can
Take breaks – better to hit the pause button and recharge rather than allow yourself to burn out!
Default diary – consider creating a ‘default’ structure for your week. Obviously it will be subject to change, but this is a great way of making sure you have everything covered.
Pomodoro Technique – Break your day down into period of 25 minutes focus, followed by a 5 minute break.
Build in times to plan and review – think of these as milestones on your journey, keeping you on track.
Don’t be seduced by the shiny things – these can easily lead to distraction. Instead, have a way of reviewing opportunities as they come by, and consider whether they are actually worth chasing.
Non-negotiables first – our businesses need to work for us, not the other way around. So schedule in time for things like exercise and relaxation.
Clean up and declutter – a tidy environment and a tidy mind is a productive one!
Accountability check ins – when we have a planned meeting at which we will be held accountable, our chances of completing a task or goal increase by up to 95%!
Schedule your social media – No more scrabbling around for something to post each day
Track your time – this can be a great way to understand how you are spending your day. I’m a big fan of Toggl for this.
Our natural instinct is to get the easy stuff done first, but this just means we’re putting off the tricky things. So do the hard things first!
Understand your data – from data we create information. And we can use information to make sensible, well thought out (and most likely more effective!) decisions.
Don’t over-complicate – sometimes, the simplest things are the most effective.
Don’t have meetings for meetings’ sake – while it’s great to meet with actual people, it’s not always a good use of time.
Manage your contacts well – we should know our clients and contacts well, so create a system to help you to do this (and integrate it with other systems as per #11!)
Set aside time for emails – if you get distracted every time a new message pops into your inbox, set aside specific times for emails, and stick to them.
Get your ideas out of your head – we need time for ideas and time for action, so capture your ideas in a book or similar to keep your head clear.
Set up a dedicated workspace – this is so important to separate work and life if you work from home. You need to be able to ‘shut the door’ on your business at the end of the working day.
Set up a kanban board to let you see the status of any piece of work at a given time. Trello is one of the most popular tools for this.
Set deadlines – and stick to them. Reward yourself when you achieve them too!
Understand your ROI – before you say yes to something, think about why you’re doing it, and think about when you’re likely to see a return on what you’re doing. If it’s aaaaages away, maybe do it another time.
Let clients book their own meetings with you using something like Calendly – that way you don’t have to waste time to-ing and fro-ing on email trying to find a date that suits
Repurpose your content – content is so important, so if you’ve got something great, repurpose it! Eg. break a blog down into a series of social media posts (Thank you Sophie from Rimu Marketing)
Break down larger tasks into smaller ones – if you write things on your To Do List like ‘sort the website’, it’s probably never going to happen
Take breaks from your phone – it’s easy to feel like we’re always connected and therefore always available. So turn off your phone and take some time for yourself
Embed good habits – good habits lead to achievement, so create ones that work for you and lead you to whatever you’re trying to create.
Learn to prioritise – we can’t be everything to everyone, all of the time. So learn to prioritise and stick to it. This includes being selfish, sometimes!
Be kind to yourself – none of us can do things perfectly, all of the time.
Outsource where you need to– if you’re struggling with something, or you just don’t have the time, outsource where you can. That way, you can concentrate on your strengths
Get SMART with your goals – Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound
Be prepared to invest in your business – spending money on the right things, at the right time, leads to nothing but reward.
You might already implement some of these in your business, and some of them might be new to you. But dive in. Try something new, and let me know how you get on. And don’t forget, if you want to talk things through, or you need my help to get started, book a 30 minute consultation with me and let’s chat.
PERSONAL STYLIST TIP: WHAT IS A CAPSULE STYLE WARDROBE AND HOW TO CREATE YOURS
You may have heard of a capsule wardrobe and wondered what does it actually mean, and how to create your own?!
Capsule wardrobes are a great option for saving time, stress, and money in getting dressed on your day to day life (while looking your best, obviously!)
While some may say you have to stick to certain numbers of particular garments, I believe that our capsule wardrobes should be as unique as we are, reflecting our own personality and lifestyle.
For some, you may need several trousers but minimal dresses, and vice versa, depending on your personal style, preferences, and needs as a professional, mum, business owner, or all of the above!
What is a capsule wardrobe?
Starting with the basics, a capsule wardrobe in essence, is a wardrobe that has your requirements for your day to day life, as well as a few key items that can be worn in multiple occasions. A capsule wardrobe holds interchangeable pieces that work with one another in a complementary way so you know whatever you pick and choose will work for your day.
For my clients, I often speak with them to discover if they are someone that would have one capsule wardrobe throughout the year, or some that may have seasonal capsule wardrobes that they can rotate to keep them feeling fresh, and enable them to play with trends they love. This is particularly preferable for my clients that are dramatic or creative style personality types (you can find out more about the different personality types and which you may fit into, in my blog, here).
A capsule wardrobe should take away the morning stress of what to wear, and work with your needs, rather than against them.
Now we know what a capsule wardrobe should be for you, we can look at how to create one for yourself.
This is something that I can help you with in more detail in a colour and style clinic, so this blog is a general approach to getting yourself started with a capsule wardrobe. If you’d like to create your own with a little professional help, then feel free to speak to me.
Start with clearing out your wardrobe
My first piece of advice for getting started on a capsule wardrobe would be to go through your own wardrobe now and clear out items that don’t align with your personal style, don’t fit you, or don’t work with any others in your closet.
If there are pieces in your wardrobe that you love, but you just can’t make more than one outfit with them, you may want to either reconsider the garment, or look at investing in further pieces that can make them more useable.
Now you have a clearer view of the pieces in your wardrobe that create outfits that you love, you can look at where you may need to invest or accessorise.
Create your outfits
Creating a selection of outfits from the capsule pieces you currently have will help you mindfully create a more suitable wardrobe for your needs.
For example, if you tend to wear dresses for work, but you feel you are unable to change up the outfit with your current selection, you can look at accessories and layers that make each dress feel like it can be changed up. For example, a belt can be worn to transform the shape of the dress. You can also look at cardigans, blazers, and shoes that elevate the look and change one dress into several outfits.
If you prefer two pieces, and prefer wearing jeans and a blouse, take a look at the options you have with regards to your tops and bottoms. Do you have enough blouses to give you the variety you crave, without filling your wardrobe to capacity? Do you have a favourite pair of jeans, but perhaps would prefer to have them in a different colour? These can be questions you ask while your wardrobe is being reworked.
If you are someone that would prefer a rotating capsule wardrobe based on the seasons, as we are now in spring, you may wish to take out heavy knits and replace them with lighter layers. Cardigans, blazers, and lighter knitwear are great for this time of year.
Remember your shoes and accessories!
For many of my clients, while having the new outfits in their capsule wardrobe being more approachable and easy to create, they find the shoes are where they can get a little stuck.
I recommend making your shoes and accessories a part of your capsule wardrobe update. If you go to work and need to wear an appropriate heel, then you will want to make sure you have one or two pairs that work with this requirement. You may also want to have a pair of comfortable yet professional flats to commute in.
If your work permits, and you prefer to wear them, platform trainers or wedges can be a funky and more approachable alternative to stilettoes and heeled shoes.
If you are a business owner or professional that works from home, shoes are not as important to your work-life, but will be a requirement for your day to day and special occasions. Sandals, flats, and trainers are all great options, while the special occasion wear may only mean you have one or two special shoes for those needs.
Take a look at the outfits you have created within your capsule wardrobe and make sure there are a selection of shoes that work with your outfits, so you don’t get caught at the last moment!
Bags can also be a fantastic way to add a dash of personality and function to your outfit, particularly if you need to take a lot of things with you as you head out. As a mum, I know I have a “mum bag” which can carry all the snacks and essentials, while my business-owner bag is a little smaller and colourful.
Understand your needs
As I have said, each capsule wardrobe is unique to the person who needs it. Your capsule wardrobe may be completely different to your colleague’s, and again different to your best friend’s. Each person has a different set of needs to get from their clothes, so while you may get inspiration for “the perfect capsule wardrobe” from the internet, it is best to really think about your needs.
Before you eradicate all of your garments from your collection, make sure you have the pieces you need to create the outfits you feel great in. Your wardrobe can be a reflection of you – so let it be just that. If a capsule wardrobe for one person is a collection of 20 pieces, yours may be 40, or even 50. A number is not what you need to aim for, a wardrobe that works for you each day is the goal of a capsule wardrobe.
To find out more about how to make a wardrobe that works for you, create outfits you love each day, and having garments that make you feel confident, I’d love to help.
Posted By Vicki Messenger, Business/Leadership Coach,
24 April 2023
Spring has, just about, sprung here in the south of England and, I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely feeling the vibe of new beginnings, budding projects and exciting new ventures on the horizon.
I’m not the biggest fan of the post-Christmas winter slog into spring, and earlier this year I found myself in a bit of a funk – feeling a little disconnected and directionless when it came to my business (it happens to the best of us sometimes, am I right?!). I quickly re-grouped, however; I did a lot of reflection and self-coaching; I had a deep-dive session with my coach; and I had a couple of game-changing conversations with some truly inspirational women in my network. I came to the realisation that I had become misaligned from one of my core values: people.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been loving working with clients during this time, and have led some incredibly fulfilling and insightful sessions, both via video and in-person. What I mean is that I recognised that I was missing being physically in a room with people in a group setting - collaborating, feeling the energy, and seeing real in-the-moment transformation happening en masse.
As a business owner or professional you, like me, will have attended countless in-person and online courses and workshops, I’m sure. Some might have been life-changing when you look back on them now, and some might have been less impactful. As we’re all aware, since the pandemic there has been a huge increase in online vs. in-person training, development and day-to-day interaction. Zoom and other platforms have now become commonplace in how we work and connect with each other. And, whilst it might well be that in some respects receiving training and holding meetings online is more convenient, I wonder what is lost… I believe a lot; and the effects of removing the in-person element will be extremely far-reaching.
Disappointingly, I’ve seen networking groups move exclusively online when they used to be in-person (yet charge the same fees). I’ve seen what used to be incredible, experiential training and development move to shorter online courses. Conferences are now going online, or at least hybrid. Organisations are experiencing a loss of culture, a drop in productivity, and the mentoring of junior staff is disappearing with the increase in home working.
It got me thinking – what really is the difference between online (pre-recorded and live) and in-person training and development, and which one is better? My conclusion was, hands-down, in-person. And these are the three reasons why…
REASON 1:
You have the ability to connect and collaborate with other people who are physically in the room with you
Firstly, picture the last really good in-person training and development event that you went to; there are those informal, ad-hoc in-between moments such as tea breaks and lunches when you have the opportunity to make real connections with real people who are in the same position as you (I have friends now whom I met on courses years ago).
Also, you’re able to learn, not just from the trainer, but from those around you as you work through exercises and workshop ideas, as they bring their unique knowledge and experience to the table, giving you so much more than just the course content alone.
Finally, it’s a lot easier to ‘read the room’ and feel more comfortable in contributing your ideas and asking any questions you might have, which can feel really awkward in an online group if you’re on a live call and, if recorded, you don’t have this opportunity at all.
REASON 2:
The trainer is right there in the room with you to guide you, to give feedback and to provide additional support where you need it
When you’re in the room, you can get clarity in that very moment on the things you haven’t quite understood.
You might ask for specific examples and can benefit from the coaching, experience, and real-life stories of the trainer. If you are online, what happens if you get stuck? Or if something is unclear? Or, if you have a specific question relating to your business? If you’re online, it’s likely to remain unanswered.
When in-person, the trainer is able to lead the session and manage the time available accordingly. They can spend more time if necessary on the topics that the group would like more focus on, and less time on those that aren’t as important, rather than prescriptively delivering the content.
The host is able to read the room far more effectively than an online training and has eyes on everyone, meaning that they can pace the training and no one will go unnoticed. Also, in-person training is likely to be delivered to a smaller group with much more opportunity for focused attention on the individuals in attendance.
REASON 3:
It’s 3D, not 2D!
You can literally feel the energy in the room, which can be highly creative and motivating, meaning you can get more done in less time and are likely to come away buzzing from a great session.
Not only this, you can get pens out and big bits of paper and have some fun! Not very easily achieved through a virtual whiteboard, and much less stimulating if done on your own.
You can take part in exercises that require you to move around the room, giving more flexibility to the trainer and making the activities highly experiential and impactful for the attendees.
Ultimately, if you have taken a half day or full day out of your time for training, you want to be sure that you are going to come away having made real progress, and having had an experience to remember. This is exactly what a great in-person workshop will deliver, as opposed to an online course which can very often end up being yet another unfinished item that you have to tackle on your to-do list, and who wants that?!
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Drop me a comment or send me an email and let me know what your personal preference is with online vs. in-person training, and what your experiences have been, the good, the bad, and the ugly!
In the meantime, why not sign-up for one of my upcoming in-person workshops – I’ve taken the best, most transformative, and progress-enhancing parts of my 1:1 program and will be delivering them across five highly experiential, hugely practical one-day events.
Packed full of simple, actionable strategies and priceless tools that you can apply immediately, you will leave at the end of each day having made huge strides forwards in your business, along with some brand new connections with like-minded businesswomen.
The first event is: ‘Setting Yourself Up for Success’ which will help you to build an incredible foundation for your business based upon your core values, key strengths, and deepest purpose, helping you to achieve your goals and build long-term success.
Running 9:30am – 4:30pm on Thursday 25th May 2023, at The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Cookham, Berkshire SL6 9QH and priced at £267 including all training, materials, lunch and snacks.
You can find out the full details of all five events, as well as how to book at: www.vickimessenger.com/events and take a look at the leaflet below.
Spaces are limited so that we have the best experience possible, so grab them while you can!
As a wedding photographer I typically work alone, as part of the bigger team of suppliers providing specialist services.
I love the independence and creative freedom this allows me but occasionally its fun to fully collaborate as a team on a project.
So this Rock n Roll themes styled shoot represented just that. As a WIBN member I have been delighted to connect with so many fabulous business owners, many of whom work in the same sectors as me. So recently I invited a few local suppliers to join forces on a shoot in Hitchin, Hertfordshire.
We decided on a more quirky theme so it definitely wasn't going to be an average shoot!
On the day we started off in a very empty Hitchin market, giving me some excellent urban backdrops to work with. Then we moved through town to Hitchin Priory who were kind enough to let us use their beautiful venue. The Priory also happens to be the location of the WIBN Hitchin meeting so we knew it well. We had a lot of fun both inside the venue and utilising the outside spaces.
On the day not only did we have Kate's gorgeous VW Bus but a vintage motorbike to play with too! In support of our local charity Garden House, our models wore some stunning dresses selected from the charity's incredible Bridal store. Which is right in the centre of Hitchin should you know of a bride-to-be, bridesmaid or Mother-of-the-bride looking for a dress - be sure to mention it.
It really was a joy to work with so many talented individuals, all contributing to help me produce images I am very proud of. I love WIBN and the support of my fellow WIBN members, which I feel is reflected in the quality of the photos we all got out of an incredibly enjoyable day.
Bring on the next shoot!
Of the amazing Team involved the following are WIBN members:
For more details of the other fabulous suppliers who contributed to this shoot or if you would like to be involved in my next one, please feel free to message me directly.
Emily
Owner, SpinKreative Photography
I talk to people all of the time who say that they aren't living their 'best business life'. Something is holding them back and it's often quite frustrating for them.
Out of all of those people there are three main issues that are mentioned time and time again...
Imposter Syndrome
Not Enough Time
Lack Of Energy
Imposter Syndrome - is it a thing?
It's the thing that most people say is holding them back in their business.
But, do you know what?! It's not a syndrome... It's just a thought.
A cloud passing over the sun!
And I've got another thought for you - a much brighter one! You are unique - and there is nobody quite like you.
This means you aren't in competition with anyone else and Imposter Syndrome goes out of the window.
Be careful with your thoughts, they can end up controlling you.
Not Enough Time
The second most common answer is lack of time.
Now, I know that we all have the same 24 hours in a day. But, people who manage their time better achieve way more.
There are two important ways that you can use your time better...Set your priorities for the day, week, month and year - stick to them!Focus - so much time is wasted getting focused on your work. Work on that and you'll save yourself so much time!
Lack Of Energy
The third and final most common answer is lack of energy.
Working at full capacity, flat out all of the time seems impossible to achieve. And they're right. It is!
You need to replenish your energy to keep going.
However, there are ways to fill your energy cup that will stop you feeling burnt out. Everything we do either takes energy away or gives us energy. And it's working that bit out that will help you to feel more energised.
For example, for some social media is a great energiser as they enjoy posting and reading other people's news. For others, it's a huge drain and they find it both draining and un-enjoyable.The same can be said for people - some people will lift you up and some will zap all of your energy.
Keep an eye on the things that fill your cup and the things that drain it.
Posted By Elaine Walsh-McGrath, Managing Director,
12 April 2023
The first course that I put together was recorded at my kitchen table. It had great natural light coming from the big sliding doors at the back of our house and I had some plants and furniture behind me which gave a nice approachable and interesting feeling to the background.
I recorded it using my really old Macbook and Keynote with me talking over it! At the beginning of each “lesson” I recorded a piece to camera.
Here’s the thing: there was great content in that course.
I had a workbook that yoga teachers could use to create their central marketing strategy.
It covered:
Why? Your niche
Who? Your future clients
What? Do you say to them?
Where? Should you put your message.
It was comprehensive and took new teachers through from finding their niche to where to share their message.
But my sales page was dreadful! And these days using different tools it’s so much easier to create more engaging content for your courses.
When you have decided what topic you’re going to teach and pulled together an outline of your course, you might need a few tools to make life easier.
In this article I answer some common questions about what I use to prepare and share my courses.
What template to use to create slides for the course, webinars and the supporting workbook?
I suggest using a designed template. You could get one on Canva or Etsy. The one that I use is from an amazing creator, Amber Chalus. She has a great supportive group on Facebook and teaches people how to use her templates with Canva.
I bought the Ultimate Course Template which came with everything I needed. I love the community that she created so much that I signed up as an affiliate for her. So if you want to check them out here’s the link:https://rebrand.ly/Biz-Sister-Templates
If you end up buying a template I’ll get a small percentage of the sale, so thank you in advance!
What to use to record the videos for the course?
I still use my 2015 Macbook! But I’ve upgraded my web camera because honestlyI just couldn’t deal with the grainy look of my videos with the inbuilt mac webcam.
I bought the Logitech Brio. I did lots of research at the time and decided to make the investment to uplevel the quality of my videos and I’m glad I did. You can buy it on Amazon, if you do again here’s my affiliate link:
If you end up buying it using this link I’ll get a small percentage of the sale as I’ve signed up to be an Amazon Affiliate.
Lighting is important. It makes videos look much more professional.
And since the wifi wasn’t amazing in my kitchen, where you get the best light, I moved to the front room in our house. Originally I had a Neewer 18” ring light. I loved it. But some advice that I got which I will share with you now is that get the lights that you can afford. It is always a good idea to have better lighting. There are options at every price point.
Here’s a good option: It’s anInkeltech Ring Light - 18 inch 3000K-6000K Dimmable Bi-Color Light Ringhttps://amzn.to/3S7NLRC
It’s not the one that I bought as they’re out of stock at the moment. My additional tip is to think about your height and whether you’ll be doing videos standing or not. I’m tall so I went with one that had extra height.
What lights to use if you have glasses?
Life changes… and about a year ago I had to get glasses. So the ring light didn’t work as well for me because you could see the reflection of the light in my glasses! I invested in softbox lights from Neewer! Some people might think that was crazy, but honestly when I turn them on I feel like I’m ready to perform.
These are the ones that I bought:
Neewer Photography Bi-Color Dimmable LED Softbox Lighting Kit: 20x27 inches Studio Softbox 45W Dimmable LED Light Head with 2 Color Temperature and Light Stand for Photo Studio Portrait Video Shooting
But they’re not available at the moment. So I would check out theSoftbox Lighting Kit, skytex Continuous Photography Lighting Kit with 2x20x28in Soft Box
I always go with something that’s well reviewed and has lots of purchases when I’m buying something that’s outside my realm of expertise, which at the time, photography lights were!
But I’ve had them for a couple of years and I use them for online networking, my coaching sessions and shooting my online courses.
If you end up buying it using this link I’ll get a small percentage of the sale as I’ve signed up to be an Amazon Affiliate.
How do I record the actual presentation?
I use Zoom. For many of my courses I record them live. I like the energy of teaching live. And generally I offer the recordings as a course afterwards.
If for some reason you haven’t used Zoom before then here’s a link to check it out:
What about writing out the notes from the videos for the course?
A great time saver for converting your videos or audio training to text is a software called Descript. I have to admit that I only use about 10% of what it can do, but I still love it. It’s great for creating show notes:
If you end up signing up, by using this link I’ll get a small percentage of the sale as I’ve signed up to be an Amazon Affiliate.
Great sound is important for video.
Initially I used the internal microphone from my MacBook but I recently invested in an Apogee Mic Plus. I bought mine locally but you can get it on Amazon.
If you end up buying it using this link I’ll get a small percentage of the sale as I’ve signed up to be an Amazon Affiliate.
When I have finished recording my video I usually compress it using a free open source tool called Handbrake. It makes videos easier for people to watch and quicker for you to upload to wherever you are going to make them available to your students.
It gives users a 30 day trial instead of the standard 14 day trial. If you want a behind the scenes look at my courses when you’ve started your trial then drop me a line tohello@elainewalshmcgrath.comand let’s get on a Zoom call together.
And that’s the list of tools that I use. If you have any questions about any of the tools I use then come on over to my Facebook Group and feel free to ask me a question. I’m not a techie but I’ll answer based on my personal experience.
Posted By Danni Johnson, Head of Digital Marketing,
12 April 2023
Did you know, LinkedIn is 277% more effective for lead generation than other social media networks? Of all leads generated from social media, 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn. These are shocking numbers, especially if you’re NOT using LinkedIn right now.
So how can you make sure you’re taking full advantage of the above stats when it comes to your own LinkedIn profile? Here are 5 tips that can help you.
1. How to make your profile stand out
There are lots of things you can do to optimise your LinkedIn profile to make it stand out from the noise, below are just a few that can contribute positively towards your SSI score:
Picking the right picture: When you appear in search results, your picture is the first thing someone will see in addition to your headline. First impressions are important, especially on a professional network like LinkedIn. Try to keep your headshot professional but friendly and also make sure you are the only person in the picture.
Adding a cover image: The cover image is your virtual billboard – use it. This is prime real estate on your profile and can be used to highlight offers, services, your expertise or even events. We regularly use this space to advertise our upcoming events. It can be useful to mimic your company page cover image to allow for consistency across your social profiles.
Create a headline that hooks: LinkedIn will add a generic headline with your title and your location. Change this, don’t leave it on default. This is your chance to sell yourself and create a connection with potential leads. Use relevant keywords to hook people in so they want to click on your profile and see what you’re all about.
Tell your story: Whether you’re B2B or B2C, you’re dealing with people. As humans, we love a good story. Storytelling has been used for centuries to communicate key ideas and help people connect through shared values. You can use this powerful method to share your own story which your potential connections and leads can resonate with. Use the about section to share more about ‘you’, your why, what you believe in, and why you started your business/got into what you’re doing. This is your opportunity to build a relationship with the reader.
Use buzzwords sparingly (if at all): Be careful with buzzwords such as ‘specialist’, ‘expert’, and ‘guru’, these words don’t add anything. People are so used to seeing these words that they have become immune to them. If in doubt, when writing a word always think, “can I back this up”?
List your skills and take tests: LinkedIn has a whole library of tests and certifications you can take to prove your expertise and skills in any area, it also allows you to add these skills to your profile.
Spotlight your services: This is a new section where you can add your services and what you provide, to allow people to see how you can help them. It also allows you to be found when someone searches for a service you offer, as LinkedIn will send you a notification if someone is looking in the local area.
Use social proof: This can be done by the ‘recommendations’ section in your profile. Use this section to show proof of the claims you have made in the rest of your profile, by asking for recommendations from colleagues, past clients, co-workers and customers. This will allow people to see that you are genuine and deliver on your promises. Make sure to share the love with others too!
Listing industry information—such as Internet, Financial Services or Education Management —leads to up to 9x more profile views and can help you get discovered up to 38x more in recruiter searches, according to LinkedIn data.
Plus, adding something as simple as your location in your profile can help you get up to 19x more profile views.
2. Using a commenting strategy
We get a lot of people asking about what content to post, and what to say on LinkedIn. We get it, it can sometimes be difficult to come up with ideas for content all the time. That’s where we recommend the commenting strategy.
The commenting strategy is an easy and simple way to engage on LinkedIn without having to post new, fresh content all the time. It allows you to leverage other creators who are already creating content in your industry and simply add to the conversation already going on.
When it comes to the commenting strategy, the LinkedIn search bar is your best friend. You can use this to search for keywords related to your products or services which will bring up posts that are around those topics.
You can now go in and read through the posts that show up, if there is a specific post that you have a comment on you can get involved by contributing useful insights that further the conversation.
This strategy is a secret hack that you can use to bring in more leads than actually posting on your own profile as it allows you to tap into the relevant conversations going on in your area of expertise.
The LinkedIn search box
3. How to get involved in groups
Groups are a huge opportunity that not a lot of people utilise. Again, using the LinkedIn search bar you can search for almost any group in any industry.
Joining, posting and contributing to a group can open up more opportunities than posting on your own profile. The reason is that the people who have joined the group are super targeted, they are there to learn more and connect with like-minded individuals. So if you are contributing to the group then this allows you to get in front of the relevant people, who may be your target customers.
Another benefit of joining groups is that you can go in and message the group members, to take your conversations further if you like. You do not have to have a LinkedIn premium account for this.
Use this sparingly though, don’t spam people as you WILL get banned.
4. How to bypass the follower button and personalise your connection request
Content creators on LinkedIn who are focussed on growing their following now have the option to have a ‘follow’ button instead of the ‘connect’ button displayed on their profiles. It may seem as though you can’t directly connect with them anymore due to these button changes.
However, you can still connect with them, you just have to do a workaround. You can do this by going to a person’s profile, and instead of clicking the ‘follow’ button, click ‘more’ instead.
This will give you the option to connect with them and send a personalised message as well, just be mindful that not everyone will have this option though (if they are paying for the services to block this).
Make sure to always customise your introduction message, take time to look through their profile and customise your invitation. This additional step can be the difference between your connection request being accepted or declined.
Note: If your request gets declined, this contributes to your SSI score – so it’s well worth taking the time to customise your connection message.
Below are some quick ideas that can help you personalise your message:
Just be honest
Look for similarities in their profile
Connections in common
“I’d like to see more of your content”
“Expanding my network”
Both members of the same group
5. How to create quality content with the algorithm in mind
Content forms the foundation of any social media strategy, and that includes LinkedIn. There are six key ingredients in any content recipe- which will allow you to create content that people actually want to read, these include:
The ‘trigger’- This is the hook, it’s the sentence that shows before you press the ‘see more’ and is prime real estate to get your audience interested in what you’re talking about. Its purpose is to ‘stop the scroll’ and entice people to read more.
Post layout – No one wants to read a huge block of text. Space out your text with smaller paragraphs or one-line sentences to allow people to skim your content if they want. Short and sweet is best. If you feel confident then make a video.
The tag – Is there someone you can tag in the post? This could be a colleague, business or another individual. Make sure it is relevant though, and the person will actually engage with the post.
Hashtags – Use relevant hashtags. The key is 3 to 5. Make sure they are relevant to your post and audience.
The storyline – As mentioned before, storytelling can be useful when you are wanting to deliver any message. Every story has a beginning middle and end, it has a structure – try and incorporate this structure into your content.
Call to action – In such a distracted world, people need direction. If someone has taken the time to get to the end of your post, they are engaged so tell them what to do next. Want them to call you, tell them. Want them to comment, tell them. Tell them what action they need to take.
Bonus: Make your company page a consistent priority
We’ve been talking about your LinkedIn profile, but it’s important to note that a lot of the methods outlined above can also be applied to your company page.
Your company page is equally important as personal pages, so make sure it’s up to date, don’t just post random stuff on it, inconsistently.
Posted By Rachel Bradley, Volunteer,
04 April 2023
At Smart Works we passionately believe that female workers are one of the greatest assets we have in our economy. However, too often our clients come to us after months and years of trying to secure work without success and lacking confidence.
The Smart Works Female Unemployment Index is a report designed to highlight the experiences our clients face when looking for work. It covers all aspects from experiencing unemployment, experience of the interview process and the meaning of having a job.
1 in 4 unemployed women revealed they have been out of work for over three years. The average time spent applying for jobs is 23 hours a week and more than 1 in 10 women have applied for over 50 roles.
When they do make it to interview women had an Overall Confidence Score of 68 (with 100 being positive about succeeding in interviews, 50 being neutral and 0 being negative). They felt least positively about employers’ perceptions of them being a woman, with an Interview Confidence Score of 61, and being a parent, with a score of 55.
In a three-month period almost 900 women shared their experience of being unemployed with us to help create this report. During this time there has been one recurring theme; that despite the barriers faced our clients remain determined to find employment with 23% citing their main driver for getting a job was to find a sense of purpose and identity.
The process of securing a job is increasingly complex but by researching and publishing data on the issues facing unemployed women, we can help pave the way for progress.
By giving a voice to unemployed women, we can help unlock the female workforce.
Smart Works Reading opened in October 2015 with a vision of bringing a dressing and interview coaching service to women across Berkshire. The Smart Works Reading team is available five days a week (4 days for client appointments) and has delivered over 350 appointments in the last year.
Smart Works Reading has a team of over 75 highly skilled, fully trained, professional volunteers. In addition, all our stock is donated through professional women & organisations or comes direct from our retail partners.
Posted By Sally Inkster, Brand Specialist,
31 March 2023
What do you wish you'd known before you started your business?
When you start a business you usually come from a point of 'Being good at something'! This can cause a problem - There is so much more to running a business than just doing our job!
You may have come from a corporate company and decided it would be in your best interest to freelance your skills. You may have a job you hate but a hobby you love and so you start a business hoping to monetise that hobby!
According to Durham University in 2020 6 million new small business's started.
4.6 million of those were sole Traders.
When you take into account that statistically 60% of those will fail in the first 3 years it’s good to put the work into knowing your stuff.
This will help us to be one of the 40%.😁
Identifying your Personal Brand right at the beginning of your journey puts you on a positive trajectory.
Looking back I wish I had understood that I would have to become 3 personalities, within that Personal Brand.
These are the three personalities...
The Entrepreneur
Has the ideas
Creates new services, packages, products
Has the vision
Pulls things along
But an entrepreneur can mean you have too many ideas, too many thoughts and get excited by a shiny new object too often!
Apps on my phone that have helped me in this mode are...
Blinkist
Fiverr
Upwork
Pizap
Canva
Pocket
The Manager
Is the pragmatist
Creates order from the chaos
Doesn't see opportunities, just problems to fix
Is absolutely necessary for a business to survive and succeed
Apps on my phone that have helped with this...
Canva
Trello
Hubspot
Kajabi
Dropbox
Buffer
Hootsuite
The Doer
Loves to control the workflow
Loves getting things done
Gets instructed by the entrepreneur and the manager
Apps on my phone that have helped me in this role...
Canva
You Tube
Pexels
Kajabi
Zoom
Social Media Platforms (Find your party)
For the balance to really work you need
10% Entrepreneur
20% Manager
70% Doer
Would you find it helpful to have some clarity around your personal brand to help with the 3 people you need to be?
Book a Free chat with me Here.
Love Sally x
Sally Inkster
Finding Brand YOU!
What's a personal Brand?
''It's who you are, your values and beliefs and the ENERGY you bring to all you do''
I have connected with lots of new people which wouldn't have happened had it not been for WIBN. I highly recommend joining to help you grow your network and develop your business"
Joanna Lorente-Chapman
King's Cross Group
“Every year, the revenue generated through networking and the connections I’ve made via WIBN has increased year on year”
Anne Iarchy
Golders Green & Finchley Group
"WIBN has been integral in my business growing from strength to strength through the networking of like-minded women. I have gained business and referrals that have been profitable and had the opportunity to make connections
that have been beneficial and hopefully have been able to do the same for other members."
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