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One Trick Pony
In the 1800’s small travelling circuses without big headline acts or a menagerie of exotic animals were known as dog and pony shows. The very average acts on the programme were derided as ‘one trick ponies’. When I was growing up conventional wisdom said that you must strive never to be a ‘one trick
This Time Next Year
“This time next year we’ll be millionaires!” —Derek Trotter CEO of Trotters Independent Traders You probably spend a great deal of time setting business goals, working on strategy and planning for growth. It’s the sensible thing to do. After all how can you get to where you want to go if you don’t k
Building A Brand Versus Selling A Commodity
Ideas spread, products become irreplaceable, and businesses grow when they stop being mere commodities and have meaning attached to them. It’s not possible to be a brand and a commodity all at once. Customers don’t demonstrate loyalty to commodities but they can fall in love with a brand. PRODUCT-ME
Worrying About The Competition
Rachael showed up for her trial as a part-time dishwasher in a local cafe, donned her apron and was sent into battle alongside Lolita. Lolita who was a fairly recent addition to the staff was worried, the manager had already had a word with her about picking up the pace at busy times. As she…
Perfect
When a Ryanair flight touches down on time a fanfare sounds over the public address system to celebrate the fact. Flights that arrive on time might be cause for celebration for the airline, but that’s no longer enough to delight most passengers. Just twenty years ago when you made an expensive long
What Business Are You In?
More on those $5 roses that you paid $8 for last week….. On the Saturday before Valentine’s day I went shopping for single white rose. The florist had none on display, but when I asked she went into the fridge and pulled out two dozen. “Oh, these are not at their best. You can see…
Seth Godin On What We Need To Do Now
Seth and I got together yesterday and made this for you. He teaches me something every day and I know you’ll learn something from the insights he shares here. Seth Godin : What we need to do now from Bernadette Jiwa on Vimeo. “We’re living in a moment of time, the first moment of time…
The Difference Between Value And Valuable
On Saturday a single rose would have cost you $5. Today and tomorrow it’s $8. While you clearly got better value for your dollar on Saturday, the roses are more valuable to you today. Who decides then where the value lies and what’s valuable? The value of your product isn’t just in the price you…
2 Questions To Answer Before Bringing An Idea To Market
1. How does your customer want to feel after she’s bought your product or experienced your service? 2. How are you going to get her there? Image by Renato Targa.
How To Get The Customers You Deserve
You’ve heard a version of this story before. It goes something like this. The customer leaves the restaurant a little disgruntled after a Friday evening dinner. The service had been particularly slow, his table had waited an hour for their meal and the waitstaff hadn’t nipped his complaint in the bu
The Business Buzzword Of 2013 ‘Platform’
Everywhere I look online these days I see people being urged to build a ‘platform’. The modern day platform is a digital connection to potential customers, contacts, followers or fans. A platform then is a tool and a tactic. There are plenty of consultants willing to help you with the ‘how to’ of bu
Could Your Customers Find You Blindfolded?
When I first watched the video below about Silver Moon Bakery I shed a tear. I love the line where (spoiler alert) Judith the owner says; “You have to love what you do, or at least enjoy it. Unless you have no choice in life and you have to do this because it’s the only…
Something To Lose
The solitary guy who sets up shop in his garage or carves out a space at the local cafe to use as an office has nothing to lose. He can tell his friends that he’s following his passion, that it might not work but he’s giving it a go anyway. Not so easy to be…
On Being Noticed
You want your brand, your business or your cause to be noticed, but have you considered what you’d actually do with the attention if it came flooding in? What would you do if Oprah called? What would happen if you were featured in that publication of your wildest dreams? What then? How would you pre
Loved
I finally fell out of love with my favourite little cafe. 18 months ago I went there almost every day, not just for the coffee but because of how it made me feel to be there in amongst the noise, the life and the friendly faces with the smell of the ocean wafting through the…
Different, Because
We are different because ———————. We are the only one that does ———————. How are you different and why does that matter to your customers? Image by Evive.
10 Questions To Help You With Your Pricing Strategy
When my family and I were in Venice recently we decided to take a seat in a tiny Cafe in St Marks Square and ordered four hot drinks (anyone who has holidayed in Italy knows what’s coming next!). There was nothing remarkable about the coffee but we walked out half an hour later having paid…
Better Stories Versus Better Stuff
Most things that you can buy are good enough. The companies that succeed now, Tattly, Apple, Zappos and Amazon don’t find ways to make and sell better stuff. They work out how to tell a better story AND how to give their customers a story they want to tell too. The story is baked into…
5 Questions You Need To Ask About Your Ideal Client
1. Who is she? What’s her backstory? What makes her who she is? (Hint…she may not be you). 2. What does her typical day look like? How does she spend her time and where (both online and offline)? 3. What does she care about? What inspires and informs her? What motivates her to act? 4.…
Why Belief Matters
Five years ago, just before Polaroids began to make a comeback, the owner of the Dublin camera store reluctantly allowed the sales rep to create a tiny, top shelf Christmas display. She spent a whole afternoon arranging then re-arranging the cameras. At last she stood back to admire her handiwork, s
