Numbers are important, because they give us an idea of how successful something is.
Even small numbers can mean a big success. While two might seem a relatively little number in the grand scheme of things, you probably won’t complain too much if your sales team doubles your profits for you.
Big numbers are easier. Ten million products sold is a big success in any language.
In social media, though, the waters are a little less clear. 100,000 Twitter followers might mean something [...]

When we’re working with new clients at Bonsai, one of the first things we ask is how their customer service stands up. It’s crucial to know of any pluses and/or minuses before starting a new campaign.
For instance, if a company’s customer service is poor, there could be a very big uphill struggle ahead in terms of brand acceptance. But, if customers have a positive view of you, it’s an extra piece of firepower that can [...]

Breaking out on your own is hard. Just ask anyone that runs their own business, and you can pretty much guarantee that the one answer that will be consistent across the board is that it’s hard to be your own boss.

No guaranteed pay-check; no water-cooler conversations to split the day up; no big corporate budgets for projects and pitches.
But no-one said it would be easy. It takes hard work, commitment, lots of compromise and hard knocks to get to the [...]

There’s a lot of talk about relationships in business, and how to make business more human.
There’s also a lot of talk about how businesses need to be more like friends, and treat people the way you would your friends if you want to succeed.
Add in the view that businesses and their clients should be friends as well, and you could be forgiven for thinking you need to be either Ross or Rachel and sipping coffee in Central Perk to get [...]

Being in business for yourself is difficult.
Sure, you don’t have to answer to a domineering boss. Nor do you have to venture to a drab office on a biting cold day to be bitch-slapped by that same domineering boss. You’re also in the fortunate position of choosing the people you work with, as opposed to having them forced on you.
But it can also be difficult.
You lose the guaranteed paycheck. The company healthcare plan. You have to fend for yourself and [...]

We all know things are tough at the minute.
Businesses are laying staff off or closing down altogether, contractors are finding less clients and people are finding it hard to make ends meet. And it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better.
So here’s an idea. A call to action, if you like.
If you’re a business owner that’s in the position to help, reach out to your community. Those contacts you build up every day of the week? Use them. [...]

When you have a great meal, do you tell your friends about it? When you see a great movie, or hear a great CD, are you someone who recommends it to others?
Word of mouth is the most trusted recommendation factor around. We trust our friends, our families, our connections. We’d rather go with their advertising than some stranger that’s being paid to recommend something.
So how often do you use your word of mouth to highlight [...]

If I want pizza, I call up and order a pizza. If I want to book a flight, I go online and book my flight. If I want to watch a movie, I’ll download from Netflix and watch it. Easy, huh?
So why is it so difficult to do the same when I have a problem and need customer service?
If I call my cable service provider, or bank, or insurance company, I don’t want to be sat there pressing buttons until my [...]

Two of my favourite actors are Joe Pesci and Danny DeVito. Both different actors, yet also so very similar.
Pesci is more your serious actor that’s famous for his gangster roles (Goodfellas, Casino, Once Upon a Time in America) although he’s had some great comedy roles too (My Cousin Vinny, Lethal Weapon 2, Home Alone). DeVito is more known for his comedic roles – Romancing the Stone, Twins and the TV series Taxi.
Yet while they’re both great actors, that’s not the [...]

When we’re passionate about something, we never see it as something we have to do – we see it as something we want to do.
Blogging; business; job; hobby; singing; drawing, anything. If we love it, we’ll spend time on it that we don’t even realize.
While it’s still work, we don’t see it as work. And there’s the danger.
We put in hours that our health can’t afford. We log in time that our relationships can’t afford. We’re still pegging away at [...]