Work hacks

A long time ago I worked in an office where we used ancient manual typewriters to write the same kind of letters again and again. I’d seen one of the early Amstrad computers in action and eventually managed to persuade my boss that we’d be much more efficient with a computer. The day the computer was due to be delivered, one of the secretaries (then aged about 25) didn’t come to work. She sent a letter saying she was giving in her notice because she didn’t want to use a computer and thought it w…

Confession time!

What's the one thing you're putting off doing?

The one thing you've either decided you can't do, or a thing that gets in the way of more business success or ease? 

We all have something. Usually our main excuses for not doing something connected to our business are 'no time' or 'no money'. But really they're just the lazy excuses. Most marketing activities don't cost a great deal and we manage to make time for the things we prioritise. 

There's normally something else that w…

There's one thing that makes every marketing activity stronger and more effective.

No, not money. Not even a lot more time. 

Consistency.

Taking one small action every day or week can be as effective as spending ages and pots of money on bigger activities. 

Consistency builds momentum.

It builds trust. It builds awareness. It builds experience.

It builds business and profitability.

What sort of marketing activity am I talking about?

I mean any action you might do regularly (and I do mean…

Ready for two very quick tweaks that can drastically improve the impact of images on your website and social media? 

They're both really easy. 

First of all - crop. 

Yes, it's that's simple. When you're about to use an image, consider whether it would be stronger if you chopped off a bit. Maybe there's a distracting double yellow line? A bin, some clutter? Or you need to focus on a particular part of the photo? My father was a photographer and constantly tried to educate me. I'm still not a g…

How does your business and local area look at the moment?

Everywhere I look I see beautiful (mainly blue) skies, blooming gardens, lush green trees, fresh produce and happy visitors.

Now’s a good time to take photos.

Not just now and then, not just a few but of everything, everywhere, whenever you can!

I'll suggest how you can use these images in a moment. 

First of all though, I really want to stress: any spare moment, when you’re taking a quick break, when you see something beautiful, wh…

What are you rubbish at? What's the thing you say you can't do? 

We've all got something, or in my case - many things.

I'm rubbish at recognising music, even when it's something I enjoy. 

I'm rubbish at sitting down to start to write a long report. I'm fine when I'm ten minutes into the job but that first minute or two...

I'm rubbish at anything to do with cars. I once had a new car that a client noticed and commented on. I knew I was supposed to respond in some way but all I could say was '…

I'm not great at throwing and catching but I am an expert juggler...

Over the years I've got used to balancing the demands of different clients and working on several projects at once, at the same time as trying to make time for family and friends, three dogs, household chores, hobbies and community voluntary commitments. 

I can never resist learning and trying any new (to me) time management tips and productivity hacks. Some are brilliant. Others just don't work for me. 

These are the very s…

How are you feeling about the year ahead? 

There's no doubt it's going to be tricky for many tourism businesses. But there will also be opportunities. What can you do to maximise them? 

Many are worried about rising prices. Offering good value for money (not necessarily lowering prices) will be essential. 

Over the coming months I think that visitors will have other pre-occupations too:

• Time - how to spend it wisely, how to get back some more time, how to maximise free time and not waste i…

We often say that a picture is worth a thousand words, but how often do we actually use the right photos to convey key points? 

Most businesses have something they need to tell their visitors or need to stand out somehow. A single photo might do the trick. 

Have you thought about the key messages you're trying to convey and then made sure you're using photos that tell that story? 

Years ago I advised a hotelier, Dave, who ran a small hotel in an area that was notorious for dirty and run-down …

Social media is an essential part of tourism marketing. It’s free and can be incredibly effective.

It can also feel overwhelming and stressful. Here are a few ideas to help:

1. Create, then consume. Social media is useful when you use it to post, not just to scroll. So stop scrolling, think what you want to post, post it, and then if you have time, take a peak at the rest of your timeline. Being deliberate about how you use social media definitely helps.

2. Decide why you want to be on social…