Ideas & knowhow

I really dislike the expression 'food to die for'. For most people it means eating something delicious. For me, it's a reminder that my daughter could eat something that will kill her. No food is worth dying for. 

I used to think people with food allergies were just being faddy and attention-seeking. Since then I've woken up to the reality. You really understand how severe food allergies can be when you’ve travelled in an ambulance, sirens screaming, blue lights flashing while someone clo…

Can I trust you? How do I know that you're trustworthy?

Does it matter? If you're running a business, yes. It really does: you can't build a business without building trust.

Few of us are ready to pay good money for something that we're not certain of, or don't trust. We may seem to happily hand over our cash for goods and services online. In our sub-conscious we're constantly asking ourselves questions.

Is this really as good as it looks?

Is it worth the money?

Is the company genuine? Is it…

Ever feel some things are just too big to deal with?

You know it’s important but it just feels too big to tackle? Sometimes it’s something like redecorating – you know it needs doing but can’t face all the upheaval. Or you’ve got a new phone and know it’s got all kinds of clever functions but there’s never a good time to learn what to do. Climate change is a whole other level of daunting. What can one person do that’s ever going to make any difference?

Whatever the daunting challenge you’re f…

Are you thinking about putting up your prices?

Charging the right price is part of running a successful business. You’re in it to make money. Yet so many business owners hesitate to charge realistic prices or to increase their prices. Here are a few tips to help you feel more confident. 

Relax. You’re sensible

First things first. You’re sensible. You’re realistic.

So you’re unlikely to massively hike your prices in one fell swoop. The very fact you’re reading this means you like to consider …

You're rubbish!

We all have days when it feels like we're just not living up to our own expectations. That inner voice tells us we're not good enough. 

We think others are doing better than us. We tell ourselves off and put ourselves down:

We're rubbish at social media. We can't do technology. We're not efficient enough, we haven't finished everything.

Others have more fans on social media. They're selling more, taking more bookings. They're more successful than you. 

Really? 

You're a…

Would you like visitors to recommend your business? To write positive reviews about it? To really spread the word about what you do? 

If you do a good job, there's a strong chance people will tell others. They may even do so on social media, potentially informing hundreds or even thousands more people. 

But there's only a chance they'll do that. it's likely, but not guaranteed. 

What if you could increase the chance? To make it more likely that people will remember you and actively want to te…

I’ve been asked several questions this week, all with a common theme: comparisons.

What’s a normal level of direct bookings for an accommodation provider?

What sort of level of repeat bookings should I aim for? 

What would be a usual bounce rate on Google?

How are bookings looking for everyone else over the next few months?

Are others experiencing a higher than usual level of cancellations?

How good is my social media compared to others?

I’ll answer each of these in a little more detail l…