S.M.I.L.E November 2018 Magazine

The ‘It’s Your Time’ Issue





















































November 2018

Welcome to the November issue of S.M.I.L.E






Wow! Can you believe that we are almost at the end of 2018?!

This year has literally flown by and while it’s been packed with many

great things there’s always that sense that should we/could we have

achieved more in the last 12 months?
There’s an old saying that still rings true; ‘We always

overestimate how much we can achieve in a day and underestimate

what we can achieve in a year’.
Now is a great time to have a little pause and think about

your journey this year and where you’d like next year to take you before

the chaos of Christmas gets fully underway. That’s why we’ve called this

issue the ‘It’s Your Time’ issue. We’ve got some great articles to help
you pause, reflect and re-energise. From learning how to be more

resilient to recognising the great achievements you’ve made from

revisiting some essential ‘old school’ skills to addressing the
technological revolution in Making Tax Digital.

Why not get one of your New Year’s Resolutions underway

early and book onto our 1 day professional business networking training,

NakedNetworkerz in 2019? It’s perfect for anyone who would like to
grow and develop their networking skills. Find out more here:

www.opendoorz.biz/naked-networkerz

CONTENTS









Support


How Resilient Are You? By Jackie Fitzgerald from Alquimia Coaching & Development


Motivation


Writing Engaging Award Entries. By Lucy Lavers from The West Oxfordshire Business Awards


Inspiration


How Boredom can lead to your most Brilliant Ideas. An inspiring TED Talk from Manoush Zomorodi


Light bulb moments



The 7 reasons why good writing is still as important as ever. By Lisa Benson from B Engaging Marketing Communications

Expertise



Why you need to prepare for Making Tax Digital. By Debbie Austin and Simon Smith from Wellers Accountants

SUPPORT
How Resilient Are You?


By Jackie Fitzgerald



I am often asked; ‘what is the number one skill a

business owner should develop?’ The answer is easy:

resilience.

You can be a great networker, a brilliant marketer

or a wizard with the numbers but the only certainty in business is
that things will go wrong, often, and sometimes badly. When

they do, you need to be able to dust yourself down and get

yourself back in the game as quickly as possible. The simple
fact is, the better your resilience, the faster and more effectively
Jackie Fitzgerald is the owner and founder of Alquimia Coaching and
you’ll be able to do that.
Development. Pronounced al-kim-i-a, alquimia is Spanish for As a coach, I often work with business owners who

Alchemy, the power or process of turning something ordinary into relish the freedom of running their own business but sometimes


something special. At Alquimia they specialise in transformation and find it really hard and often feel disappointed, frustrated and
exhausted. Usually, they see these difficulties as a rite of
enabling change. Jackie is an expert in self-confidence and the
passage, something you have to go through as you learn the
related subjects of resilience, self-esteem, self-compassion and
ropes and build your business. To an extent that’s true but
motivation. She helps her clients understand what their true selves
putting up with things, ‘coping’, isn’t resilience. Why? Because
need, ditch the unhelpful beliefs and attitudes they've acquired over when you’re resilient you proactively manage the situation and

time, create a kitbag of tools and techniques that will help them and your reaction to it rather than enduring it.

so become more confident, fulfilled and successful.

SUPPORT
How Resilient Are You?





My dictionary defines resilience as toughness or

the ability to recover quickly from setbacks and that’s fine in so
far as it goes. However, the American Psychological Society

describes resilience as ‘the process of adapting well in the face

of stress, trauma etc.’ The key word here is ‘process’ which

indicates that resilience is ongoing and that it can be learned,
adapted and improved. We all have sales processes and

financial processes, so why not develop your own process for

managing your way out of those overwhelming and difficult
situations every business owner finds themselves in from time to

time?

One of my favourite resilience experts is Dr Chris
Johnstone (www.chrisjohnstone.info) who suggests putting

together your own SSRI toolkit (like the prescription

antidepressants but without the side effects). He believes that
the choices you make and actions you take can act as safe,

natural anti-depressants and help you to be more resilient.

To put your own SSRI toolkit together, look in 4

different directions and think about what has worked in the past,
what has helped you climb out of the overwhelm before. Look

over the page for the four directions.

SUPPORT
How Resilient Are You?




To put your own SSRI toolkit together, look in 4

different directions and think about what has worked in the
past, what has helped you climb out of the overwhelm before.

The directions are: Strategies, Strengths, Insights and

Resources.



Strategies

These are the things you know can do, your skills and

competences as well as tried and tested action plans that

deliver results. Think about them and how they have helped
you overcome problems in the past. Which of your skills can

you use to get you past this tricky patch? If a client puts

things on hold, or delays the start date of your work together,
which of your skills will help? What plans and strategies have

you used successfully before? Use them again.

SUPPORT
How Resilient Are You?



Strengths

Your strengths are the inner resources you draw on all the time. For me, my sense of humour often gets me through difficult times. I can

usually find something amusing about a problem which quickly gets it back into perspective and allows me to move on. Having a growth
mindset is also a great strength. Carol Dweck has written extensively on this and found that people who have a growth mindset, who see

setbacks and mistakes as learning opportunities rather than signs of failure, and who believe that we can improve through training and

education tend to be more resilient, happier and more successful in all areas of your life. Other useful strengths might be patience,

enthusiasm, optimism or creativity. It can be hard to recognise your own strengths, not least because we often downplay them so use
something like the VIA Strengths Survey to help you identify yours.

Resources

This is all about where can you go to get help. Your resources might be people, pets, activities or places. A good friend, mentor or coach,

someone you can discuss your problems with is definitely a resource. But a yoga class, your garden, your family, your faith, a sporting

event or even just a lovely walk are all resources you can access to help you take some time out, give your brain a chance to settle and so
help you over a challenge in a way that is meaningful for you.

Insights

It’s easy to get stuck in a particular way of thinking and finding a different way of looking at things will often help. Insights can come from

having an honest conversation with someone, or just taking a few minutes and doing a simple reframing exercise, looking at your situation

or problem from lots of different angles. This is an exercise I often use when there’s a problem: ask yourself what are the best, most likely
and worst outcomes to your situation. Once that’s done, think about what you can do to increase the likelihood of the best outcome,

manage the most likely outcome, and minimise the risk of the worst outcome, then write your plans down and take action.

SUPPORT
How Resilient Are You?



Having your strategies, strengths, resources and insights at your fingertips and drawing on them when things get hard will

really help your resilience. It’s usually best however to reduce the chances of things going wrong. For many business owners there are 3
main sources of stress: time, money and lack of control. Here are my top tips for managing them:

TIME

Doing everything yourself, neglecting family, friends and your own wellbeing, never being able to fit it all in

are all common problems for business owners. But you don’t have to do everything yourself. Think about all
of the tasks you routinely do. If you enjoy them, and they’re valuable to the business keep doing them. If

you don’t enjoy them, and they’re valuable or necessary (like book-keeping), outsource or delegate them. If

money’s tight, barter – swap your expertise for someone else’s. If you don’t enjoy something and it’s not
valuable or necessary, ditch it. Just stop doing it. You are your business’s number 1 asset so prioritise your

own wellbeing over stuff you think you should be doing but isn’t that useful in reality.

MONEY

Firmly in this category are poor cashflow and not charging enough for the services you offer. Start by

understanding your money: where does it come from and where does it go? Do a cashflow forecast so you
can track when the cash is coming in and going out and minimise the risk of overlooking something like a

VAT payment. Most importantly, charge the right price for what you do and what you’re worth. Over and

over again I see people delivering a fantastic service but not charging anywhere near enough for it. There
are lots of reasons why we all fall into that trap and I’ll be discussing them in a webinar on 30 November. A

good start is to benchmark your prices against people who offer a similar service to you and match them if

they’re charging more. When you put your prices up you’ll only lose those people who are looking for a
reason to stop working with you, and that won’t be because of the money, I promise. .

SUPPORT
How Resilient Are You?



CONTROL
Many things influence what makes a business successful and business owners often hate the feeling of

being out of control, describing their business as a rollercoaster or juggernaut. Simple things you can do to

feel as though things are more under control are:

• Make a plan and track your progress
• Know your numbers

• Focus on your purpose, remember why you went into business for yourself

• Ask for help. We all love helping others and do it willingly, but we seldom ask for help ourselves. Running
your own business doesn’t mean that you have to be alone. So join a networking group and let your

fellow members support you and find a mentor or coach to help you grow your business. .


Remember, resilience is a process. Why not start developing your own resilience process today?





th
Jackie is holding a free webinar on Friday 30 November 2018 at 12.30pm.
The 3 secrets of getting your prices right, every time



BOOK NOW!

MOTIVATION
Writing engaging award entries


By Lucy Lavers

Lucy Lavers, Managing Director of Push Start Marketing and member of the West Oxfordshire


Business Awards (WOBA) team gives an insight into the content of a series of free workshops on

entering awards, hosted by WOBA and open to business from across Oxfordshire.


Choose your categories wisely and liberally

When looking at the awards categories make sure you read them all and what

the judges are looking for. There are some you will eliminate yourselves from

immediately, but if you fit the criteria and have an answer to the judge’s requirements then you should
consider applying for all those categories. Don’t assume an ‘innovation’ award requires you to have

manufactured some kind of widget – it might be you have been innovative in other ways. Once you have

written an entry it will not take too long to tweak that entry for the other categories. Remember to look for
new categories in awards you may be familiar with. WOBA has a new Business and Community Award for

2019. There will be a whole host of businesses that can enter this if they have done anything that has

benefited their community.
Take your entry seriously

Give yourself time to write your entry and think about what information you might need so you’re not rushing anything at the last minute.

Although most entry forms do not ask for detailed financial figures they will require top line figures and certainly if you progress to interview

status you may want figures to back up your entry. You might also want to get employees and/or clients involved with quotes or input entry.

You might also want to get employees and/or clients involved with quotes or input. Make sure you know your
submission dates and what you need to complete your entry and plan the time in accordingly.

MOTIVATION
Writing engaging award entries


By Lucy Lavers



Tailor all your entries

It can be really tempting to just cut and paste information about your business from your website or

corporate brochure, but the judges will want to see that you have considered what they are looking for
and are making an effort to present that to them. For each different category you’ll need to just adapt

your entry to ensure you include only information relevant to that category. Judges will have to read lots

of entries; you need them to put yours in the ‘keep’ pile from the get go.


Tell a good story

Telling a story is a good way to engage the judges; your passion will come through by writing a story
rather than a report. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a tale of flawless success it can be one of

disaster – what’s important is what you learnt and what you’re going to do with

that knowledge.

Back it up
Whatever tale you’re telling make sure you can substantiate it with facts,

figures and examples. Most award entries are online so don’t be afraid to

attach/include photos, graphics, quotes or even links to videos. You’re not

only providing evidence but you are literally illustrating a point, and adding
images and videos makes for a much more engaging entry.





Credit: Ric Mellis

MOTIVATION
Writing engaging award entries


By Lucy Lavers




Review and proof

Once you’re done, it’s advisable to have someone proof it for you and to ensure

that you haven’t gone off at a tangent or used jargon that’s hard to understand; it’s

important to keep it simple, focused and concise. If it helps, write your award entry
in Word first and when you’re finally happy with it and have had it checked and

proofed too, then fill in the entry online.


Finally, submit

An obvious one but there are a lot of businesses who don’t press the

send button for fear of rejection, failure or an imagined vulnerability.
Award entries are usually confidential and it’s only the judges who’ll read

them. If you’re proud of what you’ve achieved, then enter an award and

take the opportunity to let your peers know how far you’ve come.

















Credit: Ric Mellis

MOTIVATION
Writing engaging award entries


By Lucy Lavers






The overarching message of the WOBA’s this year is that if you’re proud of what
you’ve achieved in business then get that down in an awards entry. There are

many benefits of entering an award not least the chance to reflect on all you’ve

achieved, make plans and boast about your successes or resilience. Apart from

the WOBAs that are open for entries until 3rd of December, there are the
Cherwell Business Awards that launch on 16th November and are open until

February and the Oxfordshire Business Awards open for entries from December

2018 to March 2019.



The WOBA’s are not the only opportunities to shine and Oxfordshire’s award

season is already in full swing with the West Oxfordshire Business Awards open
for entries until 3rd December, the Cherwell Business Awards open for entries on

20th November and the Oxfordshire Business Awards open for entries from

December 2018 to March 2019.



www.woba.org.uk

www.cherwellbusinessawards.co.uk

www.oxfordshirebusinessawards.co.uk

INSPIRATION How boredom can lead to your most brilliant ideas






Do you sometimes have your most creative ideas while folding laundry, washing dishes or doing nothing in particular? It's because when

your body goes on autopilot, your brain gets busy forming new neural connections that connect ideas and solve problems. Learn to love

being bored as Manoush Zomorodi explains the connection between spacing out and creativity.


























Click here to watch the video



Manoush is co-founder of Stable Genius Productions, a media company with a mission to help people navigate personal and global

change. StableG uses podcasts as a lab to test new ways journalists can educate, entertain, and inspire through narrative. Investigating
Credit: Vine House Studios
how technology is transforming humanity is Manoush's passion and expertise. In 2017, she wrote a book, Bored and Brilliant: How

Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Creative Self (St. Martin’s Press) and gave a TED Talk about surviving information overload and the

“Attention Economy.”

LIGHT BULB The 7 reasons why good writing is still as important as ever






Lisa Benson is the owner of B Engaging Marketing Communications. A strategic


marketing professional Lisa designs, develops and implements marketing strategies

that act as road maps to help businesses achieve their ambitions. An expert in


creating engaging content Lisa believes that good writing is fundamental in

marketing. She loves her, family, skiing, Cornwall, fizz, and catching up with friends.


Her work philosophy is ‘word hard and be nice to people’.




“The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except

in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in

their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess

and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so

th
few.” – Sir Winston Churchill. 20 August 1940.

These words, like so many other of Winston Churchill’s wartime speeches, were carefully crafted to stir up emotion and galvanise the
Credit: Vine House Studios
British resolve during the dark days of World War 2. Almost 80 years later they still have a huge power and resonance over anyone who

hears them.
Churchill had long understood the power of words, writing at the age of 22 he said: "Of all the

talents bestowed upon men, none is so precious as the gift of oratory. He who enjoys it wields a power more

durable than that of a great king.“

LIGHT BULB The 7 reasons why good writing is still as important as ever



It might surprise you to know that Churchill was not naturally a gifted public speaker. His speeches were not off-the-cuff, he

spent a lot of time preparing and practising as well. Most of us don’t have to write speeches that will be broadcast to a nation, thank

goodness. But all of us do write as part of our everyday business and when we write or speak we are listened to and the words we use
have the power to help us grow our business or lose us customers.

One of my areas of expertise is creating content for my clients that helps them engage with their customers and potential

customers and presents them as experts and authorities in their field.

Content marketing is more than just a buzzword; it should be a key part of your marketing arsenal. Traditional marketing, like
TV adverts and magazine ads, no longer work as effectively as they once did. Customers now interact with businesses very differently

using digital platforms. We are a society completely driven by digital technology where communication is instant and we are overloaded by

content. In fact we are so overloaded that the term ‘content shock’ is now a very real phenomenon. Every 60 seconds Google receives
over 4 million search queries and there’s over 72 hours of YouTube video uploaded – that’s every minute of every day.

So how can you as a business get your voice heard above all of the noise and get your target audience to engage with you?

Well, it goes back to an age old concept – using carefully crafted, considered words that when put together have a real power over their
audience.

I write for a wide variety of mediums. From blog posts, to interviews and in-depth articles, from video scripts to social media

posts and from adverts to brochures. All have their own nuances but all have commonalities too. I’m going to take you on a whistle stop
tour of the 7 reasons good writing is invaluable in your marketing using examples from my own portfolio.

LIGHT BULB The 7 reasons why good writing is still as important as ever




#1 Know What You Want To Say
Most people can write, few can do it well, fewer still can write good

marketing copy. Effective copywriting requires a marketing slant, a

way to make your product or service stand out amongst all the

other thousands of marketing messages your target audience see
every day. Great marketing content needs to highlight the

crucial aspects of a product without being over-salesy and it needs

to do it quickly! You have a mere 6-7 seconds to grab someone’s
attention on social media.

When you are thinking about what your key

messages should be there are some golden rules I always apply:

• Make it personal - It’s a well worn phrase but it remains true –
people buy from people. The service you provide must never be

your USP, how you make that customer feel, that’s your USP

• Make it matter - Look at who your target audience is and what
matters to them and make it matter to you too. That way they

will be able to empathise with your brand

• Make it relevant - Always try and see your marketplace from
your customer's perspective

• Make it specific - Think about what your audience wants and

not what they need – benefits not features, sizzle not sausage!

LIGHT BULB The 7 reasons why good writing is still as important as ever




#2 Know How to Say it
Most people will not work too hard to find the golden nuggets of information

amongst a whole load of waffle. Why should they?

When creating great written content break down your key

messages into scannable copy. This means writing short paragraphs, short
sentences and only three to seven main points in each post.

It’s pretty obvious but avoid jargon. Even in content produced for

a technical audience. We are all humans and we all want to be entertained. You
can still sound authoritative and knowledgeable without shoving in a truck load

of jargon or acronyms. In fact, you’ll sound more so because you wont come

across as trying too hard.

Also be aware of using subjective language. Phrases such as ‘We are the best…’ or ‘Solid Track Record’ have little to no

meaning to your reader. It’s lazy writing. Finally, avoid clichés and an unnecessary amount of words. They dilute your meaning and your
message gets lost. So, ‘think outside the box’ and, first and foremost make sure each and every word counts… see what I did there?

#3 Compress

You are not Tolstoy and you are not writing War & Peace! Compress what you have to say into short, easy chunks. Using bulleted lists is

an easy way to

• Convey lots of information
• Avoid clutter

• Make your piece easy to read

• Naturally draw the eye of your reader

LIGHT BULB The 7 reasons why good writing is still as important as ever


















#4 Indulge in the Art of Conversation

As a Marketing professional, I understand the importance of mirroring the tone of the people I’m engaging with and tailoring my language

to suit that audience. This is one of the reasons it’s so important to understand your target audience, so that you can speak to them in a

way that engages with them. Think of the way in which you might speak to a toddler, a teenager, another adult.

Don’t be a content snob! People love a list (which is why I’m giving you my top 7 reasons why good writing matters!), or a
quiz and memes are endlessly shareable! Aim to write in a similar way to how people talk is crucial - even if that means the copy is filled

with fragmented sentences.


#5 Create a Sense of Urgency

You must always ask for business. Share great, educational content yes, definitely. Position yourself as a

market leader, world authority, proven expert by all means yes, but once you’ve done that leave the reader

with a clear direction to contact you or order the product. It might seem trite but there’s a reason why you see
“contact us today to order” in bold or bright red type: there is no mistaking what to do next.

LIGHT BULB The 7 reasons why good writing is still as important as ever




































#6 What’s in it for me?

You write to be read, you speak to be heard. The reader or viewer should always be your focus. Put yourselves in their shoes and think

about what it is they want to hear. Making every message you send to your customers answer the question; ‘What’s In It For Me?

(WIIFM)’ will position your strengths and values to your audience so they can feel as though you get them and their needs. Let’s face it, it

is the only question they are really interested in the answer to from you so make sure you answer it!

LIGHT BULB The 7 reasons why good writing is still as important as ever




#7 Grammatically Speaking

I am by no means the grammar police but I don’t believe you can create content that

expresses ideas and opinions in a clear and engaging way without using grammar.
Copywriters are often burdened by the fact that grammar isn't a reflection of

the way we converse in real life. The trick is to maintain a delicate balance between writing

attractive copy and following grammar rules. It's an art. Think about your audience and

tailor your language and style to suit them. As Picasso put it: ““Learn the rules like a pro, so
you can break them like an artist”

Rolled into this is the importance of reading back something you’ve written to

check it before hitting ‘send’ or ‘post’. It’s a little thing but it makes a massive difference.

EXPERTISE
Why you need to prepare for Making Tax Digital










Wellers is a firm of accountants who work


with start up entrepreneurs, owners of

growing businesses and private individuals.


With over 75 years experience that are

passionate about helping people and their


organisations. Debbie Austin is a The world has embraced and in the main gone digital. More and more process driven


professional advisor and accountant who business tasks are either being performed using software or, are being implemented
by these programs via automation. That said when it comes to financial record
helps business owners develop their
keeping, plenty of individuals and organisations still operate through paper or desktop
entrepreneurial vision into a successful systems of accounting.

commercial reality. Simon Smith is the Such an approach is understandable; after all if it isn’t broken why fix it!?

However, as with all phases of change we’re fast approaching a tipping point. The
partner who heads up Wellers Banbury
introduction of Making Tax Digital (MTD) will likely render traditional forms of record

of fice with responsibility for the firm’s keeping obsolete meaning the time to prepare is now.

clients in North Oxfordshire and the East


Midlands.

EXPERTISE
Why you need to prepare for Making Tax Digital





What MTD is and why it is relevant to you

HMRC have set up a new web based system in MTD that brings the tax

information of all self employed individuals and businesses into one place of
storage. This will therefore require organisations with a turnover above the

VAT threshold (£85,000) to:

• Register
• Update their information online

• Submit their income and expenditure figures to quarterly deadlines

• Pay any tax due based on the quarterly figures





Consequently you will soon have to keep digital records through online accounting software! There won’t be any choice, you will need to

implement this to ensure you stay compliant, pay HMRC what you owe and avoid penalties.
The plan is for MTD to become mandatory by 2020 with a phased introduction in the meantime. Businesses and individuals

can thus start the switch to digital record keeping at their own pace in that intervening period.

Why are government are doing this?

MTD is the continuation of the mass adoption of online accounting software, by recording and paying your tax online on a regular basis. This

has the potential to simplify the process for clients and the Revenue. It means HMRC will be able to view and collect tax on a more real time
basis compared to the current retrospective process of the tax return system.

EXPERTISE
Why you need to prepare for Making Tax Digital





The benefits for you as a user are:
• A centralised portal and account where all your information is stored

• Access your account from different devices and locations

• Less form filling with information obtained from online sources

• More real time processing of your tax liabilities
• View up to date data of your allowances and what you owe

• Receive electronic reminders and push notifications of submission and

payment deadlines


When is MTD happening?

The current deadline is set for April 2020. Since the government presented MTD as a concept in the 2015 Budget it has been revised twice.

It is possible that it may alter again but you can follow the Weller’s blog and sign up to our monthly newsletter to keep on any developments.

The reality is the government won’t delay indefinitely.



Here are the key questions you should be asking yourself to be ready for MTD

• Are our company’s back office systems sufficiently robust to cope with the change to MTD?

• Is our existing software (where relevant) MTD compatible?

• Do we need a plan to transition your existing operations and processes over to digital record keeping?



www.wellersaccountants.co.uk

What we’ve been up to…








Members from our OpenDoorz North Oxford group and their guests had a great day at

the Major Stanley’s rugby tournament this month.



Oxford University RFC took on Cardiff RFU in this tournament that has been running

since 1914. The event was jam-packed with local businesses making it a fantastic way to

network as well as watch a thrilling game of rugby.



We cheered on the Blues to a convincing 27-5 win, an encouraging forerunner to the

th
Varsity Match at Twickenham on 6 December.

The Last Word


Cathy Dunbabin & Sonia Kearns launched Opendoorz a professional business network for either established businesses owners, partners

and directors in January 2011, a few years later ConnectingDoorz was born as a more supportive, development based networking group

for start-up businesses and solopreneurs. The newest addition to the business is NakedNetworkerz, training workshops that share

techniques and skills to help make networking an effective part of your business.


Cathy Dunbabin

Motor sport fan, adores heels, fizz and things that sparkle. Lover of anything (legal) that makes
your heart race! Fantastic at uncovering synergies, connecting people and teaching others to

become cool, collected and confident with their networking so that it delivers time and time again!


Sonia Kearns
Is famous (amongst friends) for renditions of ‘I Will Survive’ and hosting fantastic parties – you will

dance! Has a canny knack of creating great business opportunities for others. Loves nothing more

than seeing those relationships flourish and enjoying a glass of wine to celebrate!


Both love meeting new professionals and making new connections. Why not get in touch…




Opendoorz – opendoorz.biz
Credit: Vine House Studios

ConnectingDoorz – connectingdoorz.co.uk



NakedNetworkerz – connectingdoorz.co.uk/naked-networkerz
See you next month!