Think like a consultant to win your next job

If you want to find work, think like a consultant, view yourself as a marketable product rather than a person, and focus on your skills rather than your employment history, advises business development consultant and ‘Accidental Salesman’ Richard White.

The rise in unemployment due to the credit crunch has meant that many are actively searching for their next position, but Richard, who holds an MBA from the Cranfield School of Management believes the future is bright for those that are flexible and focused on being able to add value to the jobs market place.

Richard suggests that if people who are in employment see themselves as in business for themselves, then redundancy and career advancement would not be an issue. They would not feel the same way when corporates no longer need their services and they would realise that they have to be able to sell themselves on an ongoing basis.

“Its not an employment pool, it’s a market for services and there is no such things as a job for life any more. Employers consider themselves lucky if employees stay for more that 3 years and realistically, people should expect their jobs to change and evolve every 18 months. If they can get used to change then they will be prepared for the occasional period when they are ‘in between jobs’”, explains Richard, managing director of Pro-Excellence and creator of free online business resource The Accidental Salesman.

 “When I was made redundant in the middle of the last major recession I gave up on the agencies and decided to take matters into my own hands. I was a senior management accountant at the time with a natural flair for systems. This was back in the days when most people did not have a PC on their desk. I went down the library and got a trade directory and got a list of 300 finance directors in the area. I bought a cheap PC and printer and wrote a letter and attached my CV. I printed labels and sent out the 300 letters. Within 2 weeks I had got myself a short term project lasting 3 months by which time the agencies had come up with a few opportunities, one of which I took, ” explains Richard.

“Competition for services is indeed fierce and as an employee within the corporate bubble it is easy to be shielded from that. I recommend that people who find themselves out of work to take the time to smell the coffee. A job is no different to being an independent consultant – it’s just that the jobs are probably longer. Change the way you see a job and you will feel more in control. You will begin to look at the market for your services and perhaps develop a number of skills that are in demand in the market place.,” adds Richard, who will be delivering his popular Lead Generation Masterclass in Central London on 1^st December 2008.

For further information on attending Richard’s highly acclaimed Lead Generation Masterclass or for free sales advice, tips and resources visit http://www.theaccidentalsalesman.com or email Richard@theaccidentalsalesman.com

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Consultants advised to raise their literary game whilst market is down

As the city reports further job cuts, business experts at publisher Ecademy Press are advising consultants to radically up their game whilst the market is down in order to secure a winning position as experts in their field, before an influx of new consultants enter the market.

With reported job losses from the city set to reach 20,000 during this year and next, many of those facing unemployment will have a considerable set of skills and competencies with strong credentials to match, a combination which set them up well for a new career in consultancy, says Ecademy Press founder and business expert Andy Coote.

Coote predicts that the number of consultants is likely to soar in 2009, something which could be problematic for established consultants who risk getting lost in the haze of new entrants unless they act now to reinforce their positioning and credibility in the marketplace.

“Consultants across all sectors should be working now to build on their reputation and create a loyal customer base who trust them and will stick with them as the marketplace expands. We have found that many consultants have been able to achieve this differentiation through simple but effective marketing techniques, such as publishing a book”, explains Coote, an established business editor and author who co-founded Ecademy Press with executive communications strategist, speaker and author Mindy Gibbins-Klein a.k.a The Book Midwife.

 “Publishing a business book is an extremely cost effective route to market and encourages potential clients to literally try before they buy, getting a taster of your expertise without having to commit upfront to much larger consultancy budget”, explains Coote.

“Businesses simply wont risk spending their money on a product or services that they don’t fully trust” Coote says. “Being a published author provides a higher level of credibility, with clients more prepared to believe that consultants must know their subject if they have published a book on it.”

And whilst some consultants may be concerned with selling themselves out of potential consultancy work, Coote argues that publishing a book will actually improve their chances of securing higher paid contracts.

“If potential customers buy your book and like what they read, the hard sell has been done.” adds Coote. “Your book becomes a very potent reminder of what you can do for them. It only takes a few of your readers to come back to buy your services for you to start achieving a return on your investment.”

Ecademy Press offers an affordable, high quality publishing solution for business authors without the pressures and often long development times associated with mainstream publishing contracts. As a result, Ecademy Press business books can reach the market in as little as 12 weeks from initial manuscript. For further information please visit: http://www.ecademy-press.com/author.htm

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Tax Advice Network delivers recession strategy for accountants

With news that the UK is now teetering on the brink of recession, The Tax Advice Network is hosting a unique seminar designed to help equip accountants with a ‘recession strategy’, which will enable their business to survive current economic conditions as well as successfully advise clients who are being adversely affected by the continuing credit crunch.

The half-day seminar entitled ‘Mastering the credit crunch – your practice, your advice, your future’ will be delivered by Tax Advice Network founder and former ICAEW Tax Faculty Chairman Mark Lee and will cover a range of practical topics including tax advice for clients suffering the crunch, credit control tips, techniques and traps, protecting your firm when a client goes into liquidation, avoiding tax traps on redundancies and negotiating fees when times are tough.

Lee will also explore strategic business development issues such as maximising outsourcing opportunities, marketing messages in the current climate, how to find your niche and sources of capital for accountancy firms.

“Many accountants will be acutely aware of the increased risks posed not only to the survival of their own business, but that of their clients too.  As a result, most accountants have probably already started to make changes in the way they conduct business but may be struggling to turn ad-hoc reactions to market changes into a more concise business development strategy”, suggests Lee, who has presented hundreds of seminars over the last 25 years and is renowned for his dynamic and engaging seminars tailored specifically for accountants.

“If you remember what life was like in practice during the last slow-down you’ll want to avoid making the same mistakes again. And to grow and prosper in the current economic climate, you need to take time out to consider the key issues impacting your business, your staff and your clients and plan how you are going to make the most out of the situation”, explains Lee.

The seminar is being supported by Killik Asset Management and will take place on Wednesday 19^th November from 9am-12.30 at their prestigious offices in Grosvenor St W1. Tickets are priced at £197 + VAT and places are limited so early booking is advised. For more information on how to book your place visit www.TaxAdviceNetwork.co.uk/sem  or call Clare Gillbanks on 0845 003 8780.

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Accidental Salesman reveals secret to success

By virtue of setting up a business, many business owners find themselves having to sell without any previous experience, knowledge or even desire to enter the world of the sales professional. But they need despair no longer as business development specialist Richard White announces the launch of The Accidental Salesman, a website dedicated to providing non-sales people with literally hundreds of free articles, advice and training to help them get ahead of the game.

TheAccidentalSalesman.com is a free online resource designed for business owners for whom sales is not their forte. In fact, Richard says it is for all those people who would not take a job as a sales professional if it was the last job left on the planet!

“I am the Accidental Salesman®”, says Richard, who fell into sales more than ten years ago when he landed a job running a business unit within a medium sized IT consultancy.

“That was the day I discovered that business development actually meant selling, something I knew very little about and I dreaded the thought of having to do the type of ‘double-glazing’ selling I despised as a customer ”, explains Richard, who attended one of the top business schools in Europe and founded his own business development consultancy Pro-Excellence in 2002.

Richard started to look for role models who could successfully win business in an honest and respectful way that did not require being pushy or manipulative and was lucky enough to find some top sales people willing to share their approach. He discovered that the secret was not just about the techniques but also the philosophy and mindset that makes the difference.

“They all had a respectful relationship based approach to selling. It was very soft and almost did not seem like they were selling at all and the more I applied this ’soft’ approach to sales, the more successful I became”, explains Richard, who eventually began outselling his colleagues as his confidence in the approach grew.

Richard, who now dedicates much of his time to helping business owners to follow in his footsteps, created The Accidental Salesman website to help all ‘accidental sales people’ to achieve similar success, especially in the area of lead generation, and regularly runs his highly acclaimed Lead Generation Masterclasses.

Richard White will be holding his next Lead Generation Masterclass in Central London on 1^st December 2008. For further information on attending this event, or for free sales tips, advice and resources, visit http://www.theaccidentalsalesman.com or contact Richard directly at Richard@theaccidentalsalesman.com.

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SME crunch mistake puts earnings at risk

Many small businesses are putting their business and earning capacity at risk by investing in expensive marketing activity that increases visibility but does nothing for brand reputation, the ultimate decision making factor used by businesses during turbulent times, according to networking strategy specialists at leadership consultancy Dynamic Transitions.

In a recent whitepaper by Dynamic Transitions MD Judith Germain entitled ‘building reputation and credibility for your business’, Germain suggests that potential clients will only buy ‘high ticket value’ services from those they trust and that SME’s need to focus on how they can develop, nuture and maintain that trust, particularly during the credit crunch when spend is often limited.

Germain suggests that businesses should consider forgoing expensive marketing activity that only increases the business’ visibility but does nothing to lessen the ‘risk’ of hiring the company, arguing that those who rely on referrals or social networking to secure work instead will realise that the most cost effective way to gain new clients is to use ‘pull’ rather than ‘push’ marketing techniques.

“Reputation is personal in its nature, concerning itself with the character of the business (or person) and the intention of its (their) actions. It is essential that you are consistent with what you say and do, especially on the internet where everything that is recorded there is of a permanent nature. Inconsistency can be the biggest killer of reputation because it undermines the trust that is being established between the two parties”, explains Germain.

Germain strongly believes that freely providing advice to others without expectation of a return helps to build your reputation as an expert and provides an informative view on your character, and ironically the return on this activity can be immense.

Germain adds, “with the credit crunch still impacting most industries, you need to ensure that you focus your energies on delivering a consistent and compelling reason for clients to work with you and a well defined networking strategy will help you to achieve this for very little cash outlay. It is a solid, credible reputation (not just increased visibility) that will carry you and business out of the crunch and beyond. So, look at the way your brand is seen by others and ask yourself this…based on the information available about me, would I hire me?”

You can download the free whitepaper ‘building reputation and credibility for your business’ from http://www.developing-leadership.com/leadership-whitepapers.html. For further information or to find out more about Dynamic Transitions visit http://www.developing-leadership.com or telephone +44 (0) 208 288 0512.

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Tax Advice Network reveals truth about 31st October tax deadline

Don’t Panic, is the message from the Tax Advice Network for non-partnership businesses struggling to meet the HMRC’s 31^st October deadline for paper tax returns. The independent specialist tax advice network has revealed that as long as you settle any tax payable by 31^st January 2009, you are unlikely to incur a late penalty charge.

According to the Tax Advice Network chairman and former ICAEW Tax Faculty Chairman Mark Lee, many people still aren’t absolutely clear at what point HRMC’s computer systems will start issuing £100 penalty notices for paper based tax returns filed late (e.g. in November, December and January). In theory, HRMC would need to process rebates on all £100 penalty charges issued during this three month period if the full tax was paid by 31^st January 2009.

“Despite contradictory messages given out in recent weeks HMRC have now confirmed that no penalty for the late filing of a paper return will be generated by HMRC systems until after 31^st January 2009.  Thus, whilst people shouldn’t ignore the deadline simply because there is no effective penalty (as long as they pay all of the tax they owe by 31^st January 2009), if there is some reason why you cannot file your paper return as intended by 31^st October for whatever reason, you need not panic”, explains Lee. “HMRC’s recent messages have focused on whether taxpayers will have a ‘reasonable excuse’ for late filed returns. In practice this will be academic as long as all outstanding tax is paid by 31 January”.

However, Lee warns that this does not apply to partnerships, who DO need to ensure their returns are submitted by the 31^st October deadline.

“The £100 penalty has always applied to the partnership and to each of the partners if the partnership return is filed late. And it’s not rebated to nil, highlighting the importance of the 31^st October deadline for professional firms that do not file their own partnership returns online”, warns Lee.

“It’s also worth remembering that the enquiry window now closes 12 months after a tax return is filed so ‘late’ filed paper based tax returns simply extends the time period during which HMRC can open an enquiry into that return”, adds Lee.

 

The Tax Advice Network is the UK’s first independent specialist tax advice network. For more information or advice on tax related issues visit www.TaxAdviceNetwork.co.uk

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Notes to Editor

The Tax Advice Network contains a free to use (currently) online search facility that helps you find the specialist tax adviser that you need. Much more than a simple directory it is a 21st century approach to business services and a trailblazer in the accountancy and tax world.

The UK’s first independent network of tax advisers was the brainchild of Mark Lee, a former Chairman of the ICAEW Tax Faculty. He has ambitious plans for the network drawing on his many years of experience in the profession and his involvement in both offline and online membership communities.

The Network provides accountants and other regulated advisers with the ability to choose who provides them and their clients with specialist tax support.

Tax specialist members expect to enhance their businesses through the benefits they gain within the network. These include the additional exposure they get to their target audience and from being part of a supportive community of tax advisers.

Membership of the Network is limited to tax specialists who are able to satisfy our membership criteria and are willing to make a commitment to the Network and the members thereof.

For more information visit http://www.taxadvicenetwork.co.uk.

For press enquiries please contact;

Mark Lee 07769 692 890

Or

Jenna Gould PR Consultant

Tel: 01603 283 503 Mobile: 07958 263 708

Email: jenna@mediajems.co.uk

Birmingham author’s top 10 success, but could you be next?

Are you an expert in your field and well respected by your inner network, but eager for the rest of the world to know just how good you really are? Well Simon Zutshi, local author of Top 10 book Property Magic found success when he enlisted the support of The Book Midwife^TM Mindy Gibbins-Klein to help him complete his book in record time and now others are being given the chance to follow his lead at Mindy’s latest open seminar for aspiring authors in Birmingham next month.

“Turning Experts into Published Authors’ is a unique seminar which will be hosted by Mindy Gibbins-Klein, a leading UK authority on writing and publishing and Dan Poynter, author of 124 books and publisher since 1969. Attendees will be given the opportunity to find out the best and fastest way to publish a book and the real truth about getting ahead in the publishing industry.

“Books can be a fantastic way to boost your credibility, increase your income and influence your target market, but only if you do it right”, explains Gibbins-Klein, who has helped over 300 people to write and publish their books, including Birmingham author Simon Zutshi.

Zutshi, a professional speaker and consultant on property investment, had built a good portfolio of properties himself and taught others how to buy property with little to no money down and get an income stream of up to £50,000 per annum from property.  He wanted to write a book but didn’t know where to start and thought he wouldn’t be able to find the time.

He enlisted the support of Gibbins-Klein, otherwise known as The Book Midwife^TM and following the proven methodology, he created an excellent framework and produced his entire book within just 90-days.  He launched Property Magic (Ecademy Press £9.99) at a major property show in London and it was subsequently picked up by Waterstones and of course Amazon. Property Magic reached Number 1 in Property Investment on Amazon on launch day in February 2008 and has not left the top 10 property books since.

Zutshi explains, “I had been meaning to write a book for a few years and having tried a few times unsuccessfully it seemed like a daunting task which I did not have time for. However, I was delighted to see how easy the process became with Mindy’s expert guidance and support. In what seemed like no time at all I had a great book in my hands which has given me even more credibility and has resulted in direct sales for my business”.

“Simon has been successful because he approached the book project in a business-like way and produced an excellent result. It continues to sell well and receive superb reviews, and it has already resulted in over £20,000 for Simon in new clients who read the book and wanted to do the full program, proving just how valuable a book can be in building your credibility and growing your business”, explains Gibbins-Klein.

“Turning Experts into Publisher Authors” will be held on 10^th November 2008 at the Marriot Forest of Arden Hotel in Birmingham. Entry fee is £195 and due to high demand places are already limited and early booking is advisable to avoid disappointment. To reserve your place please register at http://www.bookmidwife.com/november10 or telephone 0845 003 8848

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For press enquiries please contact Jenna Gould on 01603 283 503 or email jenna@mediajems.co.uk

Property Magic by Simon Zutshi is published by Ecademy Press £9.99.

London success for UK’s first sales training breakfast club

Actions certainly spoke louder than words earlier this month as over thirty small business owners and professionals made their way across London at the crack of dawn to attend a unique breakfast event packed with punch. After outstanding success in the northern region, the UK’s first and only sales training breakfast club is celebrating the sucess of it’s first London event which was hosted by highly acclaimed cold-calling and sales expert Andy Preston.

The much anticipated event was held on the 9th October at The Royal Institute of British Architects, where Preston, a former sales director who has over a decade of experience and success in the sales industry, discussed a range of issues relating to Selling for Small Businesses, a topic which is pertinent to many business stuggling to survive the downturned economy.

 The attendee list included employees from CocoBean Recruitment, Rubber Cheese and Natwest and all were blown away by Preston’s training session, describing the event as ‘a revalation’ and a ‘fantastic injection of confidence, sales skills and vision’. William Buist of Abelard Management Services said “Andy’s breakfast meetings and follow ups are second to none and as a result of attending, I turned a prospect i’d started to ignore into a client and a £28k order”.

Preston believes that the breakfast club fills a much needed gap in the market, providing smaller businesses with access to quaity sales training which is normally only available to larger organisations with big training budgets.

‘Many small businesses are feeling the impact of the credit crunch and this is having a negative effect on their desire and motivation to sell. It is crucial for businesses to keep up the momentum and continue to actively search out new business, as the market is still boyont for those who have confidence and the right attitude to seeking out and closing the deals’, explains Preston.

Launched in Manchester in March 2008, The Sales Training Breakfast Club runs on a monthly basis, delivering a compelling but relaxed programme designed to get its members more proficient at sales skills, winning new business, cold calling, dealing with gatekeepers and closing more deals.

Unlike many business networking events, The Sales Training Breakfast Club doesn’t command a membership fee and involves a full English breakfast and thirty minutes of dynamic and challenging sales training delivered by Preston, director and head trainer at sales performance training company Outstanding Results.

The next London Sales Training Breakfast will be held on Wednesday 3rd December at The Royal Institute of British Architects, Central London starting at 7.30am. For more details or to book a place please contact Andy Preston directly on 07968 481729 or visit http://www.salestrainingbreakfastclub.com. Places are in high demand so early booking is recommended.

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For press enquiries please contact Rebecca King on 01603 283 506 or email rebecca@mediajems.co.uk

SME’s with online presence set to benefit most from Brown’s bailout

Small businesses with an online presence are set to reap the greatest rewards from Gordon Brown’s £250m bailout plan and stand a much better chance of securing bank funding according to business social network Ecademy.

With the rise in popularity of business networking sites such as Ecademy, LinkedIn and Xing, small businesses and start ups can now actively promote their businesses and gain new customers, simply by creating an online presence. By utilising the tools provided by these networks, small businesses can quickly create valuable contacts, place adverts and generate leads, all for as little as £10 per month.

“Small businesses who register with business social networks can actively begin building their business, generate revenue and gain the tangible results needed to really impress the banks, without having to worry about accounting for often high operational cost such as offices, travel expenses and additional staff”, explains Penny Power, who founded Ecademy in 1998 from home whilst raising her three small children.

Jenna Gould started her PR business Media Jems on popular business social networking site Ecademy after going on maternity leave and believes that her use of the networking site to build her brand and customer base was an hugely influential factor in securing small business funding from Lloyds TSB earlier this year.

“By establishing my brand through an online network, I was able to immediately test my proposition with real customers and adapt my offering to meet the needs of the market with relatively little outlay. As a direct result doing business through Ecademy, I was able to approach the bank with a clear business model that I could prove was working and it certainly influenced their decision to provide me with the funding I needed to expand”, explains Gould.

“The marketplace and blog pages of Ecademy are particularly effective as they are highly indexed on all the major search engines, meaning that businesses can get their message out to their audience immediately and start generating leads”, adds Power.

Basic membership to Ecademy is free, with PowerNetworker membership costing just £10 per month + VAT. For more information visit http://www.ecademy.com

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Athena1Associates reveals the Power behind great leadership

After a successful UK tour, Athena1Associates is providing people with the opportunity to delve into the personal experiences of one the UK’s most inspirational female entrepreneurs at their ‘Women in Leadership’ finale in London on October 16th.

Penny Power, international speaker, author and founder of the UK’s first business social network Ecademy, will be speaking at the highly acclaimed event finale on the subject of women in leadership, drawing on her own experiences of building up her global business over the past decade.

Penny Power founded her business Ecademy in 1998

Penny, 43, founded Ecademy in 1998 as a way of managing her husband’s growing network of contacts, whilst also remaining a full time mother to her three young children. Since then, the Power family have been through their share of highs and lows, losing their home and over £800,000 through the business in its early years. However, Penny’s strong leadership skills and unfaltering belief in her business has turned Ecademy into the global brand it is today, with over 15,000 new members joining each month and a presence in over 200 countries.

“When I sat down and thought about it, I realised that Ecademy is a totally new way of running a business, through collaboration, discussion, a willingness to take risks, to take knocks and fundamentally a willingness of the community to work with us, to teach us, to believe in us and to share the journey together”, explains Penny.

“Penny is a truly inspirational speaker and the sheer number of glowing testimonials she receives from attendees just speak volumes, proving that this really is an opportunity not to be missed”, explains Don Smith, co-founder of Athena1Associates, an organisation that meets the needs and aspirations of diverse modern leaders.

Penny will be speaking at Women in Leadership London on Thursday 16th October. The event is free to attend and will be held at The Fenchurch Room, Express By Holiday Inn, Old Street, London City from 6pm-8pm.

Places are limited so call today to reserve your place on 0845 331 2754

Notes to Editor
Athena1Associates
Athena 1 Associates is a leadership training organisation that meets the needs and aspirations of diverse modern leaders. Their mission is to facilitate the aspirations, capabilities and opportunities of a diverse group of women in economic, political and social leadership positions.
Their focus for 2008, has been on Women in Leadership and each workshop discusses three themes;
–    Women Graduates & Returning to Work
–    SME’s and Entrepreneurs
–    Executives and Senior Managers

Women In Leadership London
6pm – 8pm Thursday, October 16 2008
The Fenchurch Room
Express By Holiday Inn
LONDON CITY
275 OLD STREET LONDON CITY
LONDON, EC1V 9LN

This event is for anyone interested in the subject of Women in Leadership.

For further information on Women in Leadership events please contact Don Smith on 0845 331 2754

For press enquiries relating to Penny Power, please contact Jenna Gould on 01603 283 503 or email jenna@mediajems.co.uk