March 2013

Bringing Inspiration To You

In THIS ISSUE

Switch Off Technology
Switch On Productivity
SEO & Value Proposition

Isn’t the year flying by? Do we say this every year? Probably! That’s because all too often, we are so immersed in our busy lives that the time passes us by without us noticing. In this day and age, our home and work lives seem to be so inextricably linked that it has become almost impossible to switch off and separate them. In this month’s Inspiration, we are going to investigate the importance of switching off, even when your business seems like the most important piece of your life’s jigsaw.

Switch Off Technology

In a world where technological devices have become as vital as breathing apparatus, it is now so difficult to switch off our brains as well as our phones, tablets and computers. Ironically, it is even more important to do so. We don’t know the medical side-effects of ongoing use of these devices, but we are certain that everybody has experienced the negative life-effects of this constant technological presence.
Those with children find it hard to put their gadgets away for just an hour to spend some quality time with the little ones. Those with a partner insist on taking their devices to the bedroom. Friends spend previously sociable dinners checking their devices during the meal. Phones and computers have taken over every inch of our working and home life, making it seemingly impossible for us to focus for just 10 minutes without checking our emails. Not only does this constant techy barrage infringe on our relationships, but it also impacts our workplace productivity. Clearly, there is something wrong with this picture. Here, we give you our tips and advice on how to effectively switch off, which we believe will result in increased productivity and improved relationships at work and at home.
1. Take regular breaks, every 90 minutes if possible; get a coffee, stretch, talk to a colleague.
2. Take a proper lunch break, of at least 20 minutes.
3. Meet face-to-face wherever possible.
4. Take holidays and ‘proper’ weekends.
5. Switch off your devices on your way home from work and daydream.
6. Switch off all your devices 1 hour before bedtime to allow your brain to unwind.
7. Don’t go to bed with your phone! Leave it outside the bedroom, switched off!

Switch On Productivity

Once you have switched off your devices and given yourself the opportunity for maximum productivity and focus, you will be able to give your business your full attention. The smallest organisations often need the most attention. Here are our key tips to run a successful small business.
1. Learn how to sell yourself! As the owner, you are the face of the business. Clients and prospects need to ‘buy’ you. Show off your skills and expertise.
2. Practice good money management. Cashflow can be the beginning or the end for a small business. Keep your head above water and don’t bury it in the sand!
3. Get support! Just because you own and run your business, does not mean you can’t ask for help. Get experts to assist you in your weaker areas and collaborate with specialists.
4. Never stop marketing yourself and your business. Put your marketing hat on often!
5. Work with the right people. This means suppliers and clients. Knowing you are working with good people will make you happier and more productive!
6. Manage your time effectively. Time is money – don’t waste either!
For Sir Richard Branson’s small business survival tips, click here

SEO & Value Proposition

We are always preaching to you about marketing, so this Inspiration, we thought we would share some work we are doing at Inspira HQ. For the first time, we are embarking on our own SEO campaign. Search Engine Optimisation is essentially a way of making your website or a web page more visible and ranked higher on search engine results. In turn, this should increase valuable traffic to your site, resulting in more enquiries and ultimately more business!
The first element of our SEO project is to write a value proposition. Before we met our SEO guru Tim Gray, we thought this was just a tagline – how wrong we were! It is actually a part of your business strategy, a way of promising the value of the service or product you will deliver to your client, or perhaps the experience of working with you. A strong value proposition outlined on your website could be the dealbreaker that persuades a prospective client to leave your website or stay and contact you. It’s crucial to get it right and then make it visible on your site. If your value proposition is relevant, you should see increased conversion rates from traffic to enquiry. If not, visitors will leave your site and probably won’t come back, representing a lost opportunity.
We are excited to get this SEO project underway and will keep you informed of any changes to our website. If you are keen to conduct your own SEO campaign, please be in touch and we will connect you with our guru!

No matter how much pressure you feel at work, if you could find ways to relax for at least five minutes every hour, you'd be more productive.

Dr Joyce Brothers

Key Dates and Updates

6th April 2013: there will be a new way to report PAYE: Real Time Information or RTI. You should have already received a letter notifying you of this change and how to prepare for it. The HMRC has detailed information about the new process.