Outsource graphic design, copywriting or administration to help you prepare for your next business expo!

Business expos can be great opportunities to find new customers and build your network. But to maximise the return on your investment of time and money, it’s important to plan ahead. Getting all your materials ready well in advance, as well as keeping your business going while you’re out for a whole day, will make the expo into a calm, positive experience to really help your business grow.

Let’s take a closer look.

How far in advance of the expo do I need to start planning?

Start planning for the expo about two months in advance. Of course, it’s not an exact science, and the amount of planning you need depends on how experienced you are at business expos!

Two months before the expo

The first steps to take are to think about your stand and what promotional materials you will use. If this is an expo where you are likely to pick up a lot of business, it’s worth investing more in sharing the right messages and developing some really memorable promotions. On the other hand, if your business is just making a token appearance or you’ve received the stand for free, you might not feel inclined to invest as much time or money.

Once you’ve decided on your goals for the expo, it’s time to think about what you need to achieve them. For example, the trusty pop-up banner you’ve used for the last three years might need to be updated, or you might need fresh material to promote a new product or service.

Whether you have a specific idea of what you want, or just a very broad vision, a good graphic designer will bring it to life. Planning two months ahead should give you and your graphic designer time to come up with a successful design. Remember, while the actual design might not take long, there are other factors that can delay the process. For example, the designer might have other client work, and you will need to find time to review the draft designs and give feedback. 

One month before the expo

Now you’ve got your designs finalised, it’s time to send them to the printer to make into banners, leaflets, posters or whatever material you’ve decided to use at the expo.

Again, the printer can probably do the work in a lot less than a month, but it’s a good idea to have some time contingency. For example, while good printers will take work seriously and act with professionalism, problems can still arise. Slow couriers, supply chain problems, illness and emergencies can all get in the way of quick delivery of marketing collateral.

One month before the expo is also the right time to organise personnel to cover your stand. If you have a team, decide who is going to go to the expo (choose at least two people so you can cover breaks) and make sure it’s in the diary!

If you work alone, you might want to ask someone else from your business family to help you on your stand. If you’re already using a virtual expert from Get Ahead, they’d be happy to help! However, it’s important to fix it up in advance so they can plan their diary accordingly. 

Expo days can be long. If you need to arrange childcare, book it now.

Two weeks before the expo

Decide how you’re going to get to the venue. If you can pop your banner, freebies and your packed lunch (!) in your car and park at the conference centre, all is well. But if it’s a city centre location and parking is difficult, or you have a lot to take with you and will need to hire a van, make a plan now.  

One week before the expo

Get ready for your day out of the office. Tie up the loose ends, or delegate them to someone who isn’t going to the expo. Get Ahead’s virtual experts are here to help if you need us!

At home, fill up the freezer with easy, healthy meals. Expos can be very tiring – we’ve never had the energy to cook from scratch after an expo and we doubt you have either!

The day before the expo

Take everything you need for your stand and set it up. In our experience, it always takes longer than you think it will. Check the get-in time with the organisers and give yourself enough time to set your stand up properly – it will give you such a boost when you arrive in the morning!

The day of the expo

Enjoy yourself!

Outsource graphic design, administration and general support with Get Ahead

There are lots of ways Get Ahead can support you with your next expo. Many business owners decide to outsource graphic design, but there are lots of other solutions too. Talk to your regional director or download Getting the most from your Expo to find out more. 

 

The much-anticipated Employment Rights Bill 2024 is being described as a “once in a generation” shake-up, protecting all workers and establishing new norms. Looking ahead, ministers hope it will improve job security, enabling more people of working age to stay in employment and contribute to the UK’s economic growth.

The Bill sets out new maternity rights, as well as an increase in statutory sick pay. Other rights will be introduced, including the right of a worker to retaliate against unfair dismissal without having to wait for a certain time period to elapse. While these could mean increased employment costs and workplace adjustments for small businesses, the overall benefits of the Bill are significant and a welcome protection for workers at all levels.

To help your business navigate the new normal and meet the requirements of the updated employment law, Get Ahead are here to help. Here are four ways we help small businesses comply with the Employment Rights Bill 2024:

  1. Outsourced HR support

You want to do right by your employees but you need to know you’re operating within the new law too. Our HR experts will review your systems, contracts and employee handbooks to ensure they are up to date and compliant. Our team can also design and deliver training to update staff and supervisors, ensuring your team understands all the implications of the new Bill.

  • Payroll outsourcing services

The new Bill means changes to sick pay and maternity pay. If this also means changes for your payroll department, Get Ahead can help. Our payroll outsourcing services means we can set up new systems to incorporate the changes, ensuring your staff on sick leave and maternity leave receive the right pay at the right time.

  • Virtual PA services to streamline your systems

Over the years, our virtual PA services have helped countless clients to save money by streamlining systems and introducing efficiencies. Through chasing outstanding invoices, cancelling unused subscriptions, introducing quicker methods or reducing working hours, our VAs have made a massive difference to businesses of all sizes. Business efficiencies could free up the budget you need to cover the increases in sick pay and maternity pay outlined in the Employment Rights Bill 2024.

  • Your virtual team in an uncertain time

If you were on the point of recruiting but the new Bill has made you think twice, Get Ahead can help. Our expert team of remote workers can deliver back-office support while you test the water. And because you’re not locked into a long contract, you can hire your own permanent staff whenever you’re ready.

Flexible back-office support from Get Ahead

At Get Ahead, we know that businesses thrive on flexibility (that’s in the new Bill too!). That’s why all our services are fully flexible and we never tie clients into long contracts. In turn, this means your workplace changes could be sorted out quickly and efficiently – the new Bill doesn’t have to be an expensive, confusing headache at all. We can provide the short-term support to help you through the transition, freeing you up to do what you do best.

Explore our site to find out more, or contact your local regional director today.

Whether Christmas is your busiest or your quietest time of year, it’s always a break from the norm. Our virtual expert Pauline has put together a checklist to help you prepare your business for Christmas – we hope it helps with your forward planning.

Prepare to succeed

Pauline: In my experience of office administration, planning ahead before a break really takes the pressure off. You might dream of some half-days in December so you can do some Christmas shopping or bake some mince pies. But instead you find yourself staying late, trying to get all your office jobs done before you close for the Christmas fortnight. Christmas should be fun, not stressful, so remember to plan ahead so you don’t have to do everything at the last minute.

  1. Plan for your office closure

There are lots of office jobs you can automate or outsource while your office is closed. Set up your email automatic reply. You might also consider using a phone answering service to field your work calls while the office is closed, or while you’re face-to-face with your hospitality or retail customers.

If you have a physical office and no one will be in it during Christmas and New Year, remember to secure it before you lock it up for two weeks. Set the heating to a low temperature so you don’t waste energy but the pipes don’t freeze either! Set your security systems and agree who in your team will be “on call” in case of emergency.

  • Schedule your social media

Social media scheduling enables you to create content before you need it. Simply write your posts, add photos and set them to appear on your social channels at regular intervals over Christmas. This helps you maintain a consistent presence and continue to build brand awareness. Find out more about social media scheduling here.

  • Carry out your Christmas marketing

If you work in hospitality or retail, Christmas is probably your busiest time of year. Preparing your marketing and PR ahead of Christmas is a long game and you might have started as early as May. Even if you’re launching your campaign in the autumn, there is still time to make it effective. Find out more about our marketing support here.

  • Write your Christmas client email

The Christmas email to clients, thanking them for their support during the year, is not something to write in a hurry. These emails often take the form of a “review of the year” and you might need to gather data, ask your colleagues for photos or get permission to mention a certain client. But if you leave yourself enough time to write a really meaningful Christmas message, you might find it’s one of the most popular emails you send all year.

  • Organise your Christmas celebration

If you’re planning a big celebration or meal to thank your staff for their hard work during the year, book it as early as possible. Most party venues, hotels and restaurants start taking corporate bookings as early as July.

If you’ve left it too late (!) or don’t have the budget for something big, consider something low-key like a quiz night, winter walk or simply drinks and canapes in the office.

  • Order your Christmas cards

The view of Christmas cards has changed over the years I’ve been an administrator. Sending physical cards used to be standard practice, but with increased climate awareness and cost of postage, their role in business communication has changed.

If you like to send Christmas cards, get them designed as early as possible (and Get Ahead’s graphic designers would love to help!).

E-cards are increasing in popularity too – you can order them through dedicated websites or have one designed specifically for your business.

Remember, there is a middle road with Christmas cards. You don’t have to send them to everyone! Instead, you could think about which business relationships you want to cultivate and focus on sending cards to those specific contacts.

Virtual PA services from Get Ahead

Whatever support you need to prepare your business for Christmas, Get Ahead can help. Our experienced team provide virtual PA services, social media scheduling, phone answering and more. Contact your local regional director to find the best option for you.

 

Outsource recruitment planning and you’ll find you not only save time but see better results for your business too.

Recruitment planning is an essential part of growing your business. With a strategic plan and knowledge of how you’ll implement it, you can recruit the right people for your business who’ll help you deliver on your goals.

In this blog, we take a closer look at recruitment planning, how to do it and why it matters.

What is recruitment planning and how do I do it?

Recruitment planning is the spadework you put in before you advertise a vacancy.

  1. What roles does my business need?

The first step is to work out what role or roles you need to recruit for. If you’re scaling up from working alone and taking on employees for the first time, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the prospect of recruiting a whole team at once. However, when you take time to plan the recruitment, you’ll see it all fall into place.

It’s probably easier to start with what you need your employees to do, rather than choosing job titles you think you need to fill. For example, you might want someone to do the accounts and keep on top of invoicing. If this is an area of business where you’re already comfortable, you might not need someone else to do this at management level, but you might need an admin assistant to deliver the day-to-day finance tasks.

It’s also a good idea to look at your business goals – these will help you decide what tasks you should prioritise. You might have spotted that you need to increase your sales by a certain percentage. If that’s the case, prioritising the recruitment of a strong sales team is the best way to deliver that goal.

  • What kind of person would be best for the job?

Once you’ve worked out what roles you need to fill, the next step is to think about what kind of person you’d like to have in that role. Remember that skills can be learned but personalities don’t change – think about the kind of person you want in your team and what kind of attitude is most likely to deliver the work you want.

Make sure your person specification and job description don’t have contradictions! Be realistic and remember, for example, that a motivated self-starter is unlikely to be a good team player, and vice versa. Some tasks don’t go well together, e.g. reactive jobs like PR can clash with regular responsibilities like finance and admin.

  • How do I attract the best candidates?

Another aspect of recruitment to consider is how to attract the highest calibre of applicant. Of course, salary is important, but savvy business owners also consider what values and benefits their business has that appeals to potential employees. For example, if you’re expecting to recruit someone to their first job, it might be helpful to say that there are prospects for promotion. If you want to attract someone who will stay in the role and really embed into your business, offering a long-term or permanent contract will help you appeal to candidates who are looking for job security. Depending on the role, values, ethics and your company’s B Corp status might also be worth mentioning.

  • Where should I advertise?

With the person spec and job description written, it’s now time to advertise. Think about where you might find the best candidates for the job. You might choose to headhunt on LinkedIn, or advertise on an industry-specific job board. Take time to think about how you’re going to spend your recruitment budget to be sure of having your advert seen by the most suitable candidates. For example, school-leavers might not be on LinkedIn yet, and efficient admin assistants don’t necessarily need to know your industry to work effectively. In other words, think carefully before you put your entry level jobs on LinkedIn or look for admin assistants by industry. On the other hand, leadership recruitment might involve actively reaching out to likely candidates instead of advertising in the usual way.

Why does recruitment planning matter?

The reason that all of these processes are important is that they help you attract and retain a higher calibre of applicant. This gives you a great talent pool to choose from and ultimately makes your business more successful. Best of all, if you recruit the right people for your business culture, they’ll want to stay. And the longer they stay, the better the value they give you.

Outsource recruitment planning

Outsource recruitment planning and you’ll benefit from the human resources expertise your business deserves. A well-planned recruitment process is the most likely to give you great new employees, ready, willing and able to take your business to the next level. Explore our HR outsourcing section to find out more.

 

 

What are the best ways to retain employees?

With a number of businesses struggling to recruit the right new staff, many business owners are looking to improve their employee retention strategies instead. Of course, we all know the basic tenets of respect, recognise and reward, but putting them into practice in an effective way can be more challenging.

In this blog, we talk to our business operations manager Debra, who manages our large team of virtual experts while also delivering outstanding admin support for Get Ahead clients. Debra herself has been with us for nearly ten years, giving her plenty of time to reflect on why she’s chosen to stay with Get Ahead.

Why is “respect, recognise, reward” not enough on its own?

Debra: The three R’s are a great starting point. But it’s also important that they’re not just a token effort. Instead, it’s important to think about what they mean for your specific business and the people you work with. Respect might include backing up your employees when they’ve done the right thing, even if the client doesn’t see it that way. Employee of the month can be a great recognition scheme, but sometimes a quiet “thank you” is more appropriate.  Maybe you can’t afford to give the financial bonuses you’d like to, but it’s still important that your reward scheme resonates with your team.

How do I find the right employee retention strategy for my business?

Debra: A lot of this depends on your ideal workforce, the type of people they are and what their values are. For example, if you have a creative business where you employ lots of young people who are great at generating fresh ideas, you should acknowledge that they might have different values from older team members. Millennials might want to stay with your business because they admire its ethics and feel that it’s the best place for them to “be the change they want to see.” On the other hand, a team at a later stage of life might have financial commitments like mortgages or university fees. They might value job security more than your business’ journey to B Corp status.

Finding the right retention strategy can be tricky, but Get Ahead’s HR consultants can advise on how to take the general principles and make them specific to your business.

What do you think has made you stay at Get Ahead for this long?!

Debra: It goes without saying that I enjoy it here, I get on well with Rebecca Newenham and I love working with the wider team too. But on a practical level, I’ve found the flexibility perfect for my changing needs. I had a young family when I started working for Get Ahead, but the flexible working practices here mean that I could always be at school for sports day or at home if my family needed me. As family life and other commitments change, I’ve been able to take on more responsibility here, like managing the new content on the website. I didn’t have to stick with the same role as my capacity increased. And when I go on holiday, there’s always someone to cover my role so I don’t come back to a nightmare inbox!

I believe that this is a great example of a business knowing exactly what sort of person they want to work for them, and creating a role where that person wants to stay. A strong Get Ahead team member has to be someone who is naturally flexible, because the client work is so varied. To attract a team who thrive on flexibility, Get Ahead has to offer flexibility within its own culture too.

Develop the right employee retention strategy with Get Ahead

If Debra’s insights have made you take a second look at your HR practices, Get Ahead are here to support you. We can advise every stage of HR, from initial recruitment to rewards schemes that make your unique team want to stay. Explore our HR pages to find out more, or follow us on LinkedIn to become part of our online community.

Why is it important take breaks from work? Because it’s good for us! But we’re well aware that argument isn’t enough – our work needs us, particularly when we run our own businesses.

However, taking a break during the summer holidays when our children are at home or we’re going on holiday is important for family harmony and all-round wellbeing. Let’s take a closer look.

Take a break when your children are at home

 “They grow up so fast” is a cliché but it’s also true. How many more summers with your children do you think you have before they leave home? Whatever the answer, it’s fewer than last year.

Many of us were on our career paths before we had our families. But work takes on a new dimension when we become parents. Work matters to parents because we are making money for our families and setting an example to our children. But it’s important that working for our families doesn’t stop us spending quality time with them.

If you’re worried that your business will grind to a halt if you’re not there, or if you’re scared that ends won’t meet if you take a day off to be with your family, we understand. But it’s also a good idea to rationalise your fear – chances are that you can take time off and nothing will go wrong. If you’re still worried, read our interview with life coach Gloria, or our management tips from regional director Hazel.

Take a break to go on your summer holiday

Whether or not you have a family, taking a complete break once in a while is important. No one knows better than you how hard you work, but you can’t keep it up indefinitely.

Taking a break from work is important for your health, but it also benefits your productivity. In truth, it’s almost impossible to work “all the time.” And the longer we work without a break, the less work we get done.

Most business owners notice how much they get done in their first week back after a holiday. Their heads are clear and they’ve regained their sense of proportion. The situation that seemed like an insurmountable problem hasn’t disappeared; it’s just no longer a problem or insurmountable.

Why take a break in the summer?

Summer is a lovely time to take a break and spending time in the sunshine has lots of physical and mental health benefits.

Sunshine gives us vitamin D for healthy teeth and bones. And if you struggle with sleep, exposure to sunlight will help reset your natural rhythm and remind your body of the difference between day and night.

Sunshine is good for mental health too. It encourages our body to release serotonin, aka “the happy hormone.” (Incidentally, our bodies also release serotonin when we eat chocolate, dance and hug people so try and work some of those activities into your holiday too!)

Of course, the sun’s rays can be harmful to skin so remember to put on your sunscreen before topping up your health and happiness!

Get Ahead can help you take breaks from work

The Get Ahead team have helped countless business owners get away from it all for a week or two in the summer. From back-office support like virtual assistant services, email management and telephone answering, to improving systems so someone else can take the reins, there are lots of ways we can help.

Even if you’re not sure what help you need, talk to your local regional director – they’ll help you unpick whatever’s holding you back and find the right solution for you. Don’t worry if you’ve left it to the last minute – we can set up support for you in as little as twenty-four hours. Explore our site to find out more, or get in touch here.

PS – for more ideas on managing your workload during the holidays, why not follow us on LinkedIn?

How to keep your business running when you go on holiday

How to keep your business running when you go on holiday might feel like an impossible question. Your business is your baby, and no one but you knows how hard you’ve worked to get where you are today. But it’s also important to take a break. Even if you don’t plan on going abroad, it’s a good idea to have Plan B ready to go – you never know when you’re going to fall ill or face a family emergency. 

In this blog, we talk to regional director Hazel about how to find the right team so that your business can survive without you.

Why should my business be able to survive without me?

Hazel: It’s important that you see your business surviving without you as a positive idea. If you can take time away without your business going under, it means you’re doing everything right! When your business survives without you, it doesn’t mean that what you bring to the business doesn’t matter. Instead, it means that you’re a good leader and a good manager who has prioritised putting the right team in place to improve business resilience. 

Your business should be able to survive without you so you can take a break. We all need to take breaks,whether it’s five minutes to look out of the window or a fortnight in the Mediterranean. Breaks make us more productive when we return to work. They also help us retain our sense of proportion and give us a chance to explore what else we have to offer. These are both important protections against burnout. 

I can’t bring myself to trust my staff – what should I do?

Hazel: If you have a team but you don’t feel confident leaving your business with them, it might be time to rethink the way you manage them and consider alternatives. My own background is in HR, and I’m a firm believer in clear job descriptions and company policies so that every member of staff knows what’s expected of them. Similarly, strong performance management means that you can help your staff develop into people you’d be proud to leave your business with. 

If possible, start as you mean to go on, using strategic recruitment planning to ensure that you recruit people with the right skills and personalities. This will mean that the people you recruit will also be the people you trust. Savvy business owners align their recruitment processes with their business plan and appoint the right people to deliver their goals. However, it’s important to remember that skills can be learned but personalities don’t change – pick a team whom you can trust and who trust you too. 

Remember that trust is two-way. Try to develop a culture of trust by modelling reliability for your team and avoiding micromanagement.

And if trust is a serious issue for you, coaching might help. We have business coaches both on the Get Ahead team and in our wider network – please let us know if you’d like an introduction. 

I work alone – who will take up the slack if I’m away?

Hazel: There’s no need for your business to grind to a halt just because you’re on holiday. I always suggest outsourcing or white labelling. An outsourcing agency like Get Ahead will be able to cover your back-office work, and maybe even some of your core business. (Have a look at all our services here to see what we offer)

Alternatively, you could use your network to find someone in your sector who could provide a similar service to your clients while you’re away. With any luck, they’ll return the favour when it’s their turn for a holiday! 

Even if you are the only one who can do the actual work, there’s no reason why you can’t outsource email management, phone answering or social media management so you don’t come home to countless messages. 

Get Ahead helps to keep your business running when you go on holiday

If you think you could benefit from back-office support, outsourced HR services or white label services, we’d love to hear from you. Our regional directors will take the time to learn about you and your business so they can match you with the best business experts for your needs. We always take personalities into account as well as skills, making the best match we can. Explore our site to find out more, or contact your local regional director here.

Working from home during the school summer holidays can be a challenge. With your children at home, it can be hard to focus on work.

But help is at hand! Team Get Ahead have been working from home since well before the pandemic. We’ve put together our top tips for staying on top of paid work during the school summer holidays – read on to find out more.

  1. Keep the children occupied while you work. Work with them to plan activities – this will help you all find something realistic, safe and unlikely to cause an argument. Help your children find the books, plasticene, working felt tips (!), Lego, dressing-up clothes etc so they’re all ready to go and the children won’t interrupt you with questions. We’ve noticed that computer games can lead to a lot of frustration so we try to save them for a time when mum and dad are free to play too. But we also know how difficult it is to manage screen time with our tech-savvy juniors – do what you have to do!
  2. Use a clock and stick to your timetable. Get a clock with clear numbers so you can explain to the children when you’re free and when you’re not. And if you’ve promised you’ll be free when the big hand gets to the six, make sure you’re free!
  3. Book play dates. Fix up with other working parents to have each other’s children over on different days. While this will give you fewer working days, it will mean that those you do get are more productive.
  4. Plan your to-do list. Chunk your work into stuff that can be interrupted and stuff that can’t, and choose when to do what. The calmer and more in control you feel, the calmer your children will be too.
  5. Work when the children are asleep. How you apply this will depend on your children’s ages! If you have tinies, consider working at nap-time or after you’ve put the children to bed. If your children are older, get up early and clear your daily tasks before they wake up.
  6. Share your plans with your partner or whoever supports you. Get the grandparents to save the big day trip to coincide with your online training session. Book important meetings at a time when your partner can take a break to be with the children. If there are two working parents, stagger your work commitments if you possibly can so one of you is always free if the children need you.
  7. Schedule time when you won’t be working. Plan how you’ll use it and stick to the plan. This kind of reliability is reassuring for your children and may lead to better behaviour too. (Disclaimer: there is an element of luck involved too!)
  8. Outsource! If working from home during the school summer holidays leaves you with too much on your plate, we hope you’ll consider outsourcing. Check out our infographic to get an idea of what you could pass on to someone else. Remember, you can outsource almost anything from virtual PA services to social media content writing services . Our regional directors can nearly always track down an expert with the skills your require. 

Working from home during the school summer holidays with help from Get Ahead

Our team has always worked from home – we love the flexibility! We’re always sharing news and views about business ownership and flexible working on our LinkedIn page – follow us to find out more.

Working from home during the school holidays can seem like a real challenge. But the key to finding the balance might lie in your attitude.

For this blog, we’ve caught up with Gloria, one of our VAs who offers life coaching and business planning in addition to back-office support. Read on for her great advice on rethinking work/life balance and overcoming negative mindsets.

Why is working from home in the school holidays such a challenge for parents?

Gloria: It’s a challenge because we care. We love our children and know we should be there for them. But we also know that we’re supposed to be working and earning, both to set a good example to our kids and because there are bills to pay! We often feel pulled in two different directions, and we might feel like we’re letting down both our children and our work.

How can we rethink our working lives to achieve a better balance?

Gloria: The good news is that there are lots of strategies to try. Here are some of my favourites:

  1. Ask yourself what you really want

Start by asking yourself what you really want and what a good summer would look like for you. For example, you might decide that, as well as weekends, you want to have a “family day” every week. Or perhaps you’d rather squeeze all your paid work into two intense days and have the rest of the time free to use however you want. Whatever you decide, say it out loud or write it down. Make it specific. “I’d like more free time,” won’t result in you doing anything; reorganising your diary for a four-day week will.

  • Get your objections in proportion

Once you’ve decided what you want, the little voice in your head will probably start raising objections. It might tell you that your boss will think you’re slack. Or it might tell you that you won’t make enough money if you don’t work every day.

A good way to deal with these objections is to ask yourself whether they’re true. Are you just assuming your boss will hate your plan? Have you actually done the sums that show you won’t make enough?

Try to rationalise your doubts. If you do and you find they have foundation, thank the voice in your head for protecting you! But it’s more likely that you will realise that working a five-day, forty-hour week is just a habit and there’s no reason why you should stick to it. And if that’s the case, let it go.

  • Techniques to let a negative mindset go

Something I have learned as a life coach is that we are capable of any mindset. We can rewire our brains to think in a new way. Yes, we might have learned some negative mindsets during our lives so far, but it is possible to reframe those mindsets and make them positive.

So when it’s time to let go of the idea that we have to do a five-day week, even when it doesn’t work for us, we can use certain techniques to dispel anxiety and put ourselves in the positive frame of mind we need.

By the way, if you spend the summer holiday feeling stressed just because of work and family pressure, these techniques are for you too. Remember, some will suit you and others won’t – just choose the ones that work for you and your family.

Affirmations are repeated words that help you create a sense of internal, emotional safety. Try repeating, “I can do this,” or “My family love me,” or whatever the phrase is that resonates with you.

Try starting the day with meditation. Sit or lie somewhere quiet and place your hands on your tummy so you can feel your body moving as you breathe. Focusing on the breath for a few minutes in the morning can help you feel more focused and positive throughout the day.

Intervene to stop anxiety. Most anxiety is forward looking, suggesting possibilities that haven’t happened yet. So if you start to feel anxious, try to bring yourself back to the present. A good way to do this is to use your senses – find one thing each for sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. This exercise will ground you and might help you regain your sense of proportion.

Go outside! Walk barefoot on the grass and reconnect yourself with something bigger than you. It’s a beautiful world, and so much bigger than your child spilling a drink or a tricky spreadsheet formula.

And lastly, one for the whole family! Work together to write down what is going wrong…and then rebalance it by writing down what is going right. You’ll quickly see that the positive column is a lot longer than the negative one. This can go a long way to making us feel better. When we work, we set a positive example to our children. But we also set a positive example when we show our vulnerability. Writing a gratitude list is a great way to teach emotional literacy to our children (which might mean fewer interruptions too!).

Support for working from home during the summer holidays

If you need business support, Get Ahead are here to help. Gloria offers coaching and business planning alongside more traditional VA duties. She has helped many business owners to find direction as well providing them with valuable back-office support. Explore our site to find out more, or contact your local regional director here.

Outsource website design and benefit from loads of skills, support and expert insights that will make your website work harder.

To get the website performance your business deserves, it’s important to check it accurately reflects your brand. In this blog, we look at how you can make your website work harder by ensuring every page and product is on-brand.

What is a brand?

A brand is the character of your business. What does it look like? What does its voice sound like? Who are its community and how do you talk to them? Is it fierce, strong, gentle, quirky, challenging, supportive, straightforward, creative…or something else?

When you know what your brand is, it’s very important to make it resonate in every area of your marketing. When your branding is consistent, it helps your customers relate to your business, products and services. Consistent branding also means that they feel as much at home and part of your community when they’re on your website as when they’re looking at your Instagram or attending one of your events. These factors are likely to strengthen customer loyalty and increase conversions.

How do I make my brand work on my website?

Appearance

A good designer or branding expert will always share their work with you in a format that you can use yourself or pass onto other marketing experts.  If your designer has given you a specific colour palette and an inspiring logo, make sure you’re using them on your website. Remember to use exact colours – there are lots of shades, but only one or two accurately reflect your brand.

Check each page of your website, especially if they were made at different times or had input from different people.

Photos, pictures and images

Make sure that all the photos are similar – if your look is black and white, don’t let a colour photo creep in. Think about your target market too and check they’re reflected in the photos. Are they families? If so, check your pictures for gardens, children and pets. Corporate clients? Include images of suits and laptops. Of course, those are generalisations but it’s a good idea to think about who you’re trying to connect with.

Tone of voice

Tone of voice matters too: this is how you talk to your potential customers. Think about how you want to describe your business, and what words will resonate with your target market and get them on your side.

For example, if you offer a very traditional product, consider describing it as “classic” rather than “old-fashioned.” If your business is very cool and up-to-the-minute, use the latest trends in language and metaphor. 

If buying your products would be a practical decision for your customers rather than an emotional one, you don’t necessarily need to describe what you sell as “amazing,” “fantastic” or any other hyperbole. Stick to telling people what it does.

There are lots of adjustments you can make to the language on your website to make sure it is consistent with the rest of your brand. And if writing isn’t your forte, consider outsourcing to a copywriter.

Consistent branding across other media

Now your website is on-brand, it’s time to check it against your other media. That logo that appears on your website – is it also on your business cards? Your social media? Your flyers?

Are the images you share on Facebook and Instagram aligned with the ones you share on your website? Is the language you use online the same as the language on your signage and printed collateral?

Check that a potential customer or client has the same experience of your business, wherever they encounter it.

Make your website work harder

When we align our websites with the rest of our brand, we inspire confidence in our potential customers and drive more conversions. Sometimes, strengthening the branding on a website is just a matter of a few tweaks. If that’s the case, it’s well worth investing a small amount of time and money to have them put right – you should see a fantastic return on your investment.

Outsource website design

If your online presence would benefit from outsourced web design, Get Ahead would love to help! Our team of web designers, developers, graphic designers, copywriters and SEO experts are all standing by to create the fantastic website your business deserves. Contact your local regional director to find out more.

PS – you can find our on-brand news and creative output on Instagram!