Lime Green and Blue - a great colour combination

Another infrequent Saturday Morning Musing and glorious weather has returned to the UK.  It encourages us outside to do something different after a long cold winter.  Running the risk of repeating a well-known phrase, 'if you do want you've always done then you'll get what you've always got', I thought I'd focus this week on Change.

Change is fun, exciting and sometime scary.  To fully benefit from change takes careful planning.  Whether it's something simple, like starting a new email campaign or something more involved such as introducing a new product or service, understanding how resources have to be allocated is key to success.  Change for change's sake is futile - if you've reached that point then I suggest you seek help.

So what changes have I made this week.  A couple of quite trivial things - adding new emails addresses to personalise our communications and adding another Workshop to the calendar.  On a more fundamental note, consideration of offering a new service - Intelligent Admin - an interim, outsourced adminstrative service offering clients more time to do what they do best leaving us to handle the repetitive tasks.  It will take some refining.  Consequently, watch this space.

So why the title of this Post?  Well, the contrasting colours of the fresh green leaves and the sky makes me think of the contrasting (and complementary) skills Sheila and I bring to Alterra.  Her attention to detail and my creativity, her calm and my frenetic behaviour, her well-rooted, traditional approach versus my more risky attitude make for a great combination.  There's a place for everyone in the Lime Green and Blue world.

Saturday Morning Musings - LinkedIn

There are now 65 million users of LinkedIn.  In the last week, I have added about 20 contacts - an increase of about 20%.  As a result, my 2nd degree contacts (namely, contacts of contacts) has increased by 50%.  Well that all sounds wonderful as I can now easily reach over 16,000 people but this social media platform will only add value if all these connections really start to use it.

Lots of newcomers to the platform are somewhat bewildered by its value.  One clear advantage is the listing of Jobs.  For a specialist in a particular field or location, the search facility gets the job hunter directly to companies seeking their skills and it may open up new avenues along the way.

Groups and their discussions are a great way to find out information on your own specialism or one you or your clients may be interested in.  Searching for work colleagues and classmates just because you can puts you back in touch.

For me the ability to post Presentations, Events and link my Blog and Twitter, makes LinkedIn an efficient way of disemminating information to my business contacts with minimal effort.  10 minutes am and pm - that's all it takes.

But on this beautiful Saturday in mid April, I'm more drawn to the great outdoors!  Have a lovely weekend.

Marketing Strategy Video

Marketing Strategy Workshop

Join us for an interactive morning creating your Marketing Strategy

• Understanding your customers
• Develop a Niche
• Growing your marketing message
• Marketing medium including Social Media
• Integrating marketing into all you do
• Marketing metrics – more than just the numbers

Who should attend?
This Workshop is for owners and managers of small businesses, either starting out with a new idea, testing a new product or refining the marketing of existing products and services.

It is the essential guide to formulating a creative plan which will increase your profitability. Whatever your marketing problem, solutions will be identified and a budget set to yield measurable results.

When Wednesday, 19 May 2010 from 9.30 – 1.00

Where The Old Pump House
1a Stonecross
St Albans
Herts AL1 4EE

Cost £37.50 payable in advance on registration

To book your place today contact:

Amanda Brown
Alterra Business Consulting
info@alterra-consulting.co.uk
01707 373138 or 07947 502760

PLACES ARE LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM OF 12