All you need is love!

Hi there,

Love it or hate it Valentine’s Day is here again!

Whether you are a romantic at heart or not, all you need is love!

Anyone, who has read my blogs here or on my website PM Noble Consultancy Services, knows that I am all about love. In business and in leisure I am always saying you should do what you love and love what you do!

Today I thought I would share the love with a few quotes, videos and sources of poetry, which I hope you will appreciate.

Quotes

 

 

Videos

 

 

Poetry

Here is the Telegraph’s Top Ten Romantic Poems.

The Society of Classical Poetry’s 10 Greatest Love Poems Ever Written.

I hope that you enjoyed this whistle-stop Valentine-themed blog post.

As always,

Take Care

Tricia

 

…and the greatest of these is love.

 

 

 

 

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Poppies for the fallen?

Hello there.

Today is Remembrance Day, so I thought I would put together articles looking at Armistice Day from different perspectives.

Before I start with all the information, I thought I’d  add What we Remember by the Royal British Legion.

Probably one of the most well-known poems used for Remembrance Day is For the Fallen by Robert Lawrence Binyon. Here’s a stanza from the poem,

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Whether we agree with war or not, no one can deny that those who have fought for their country and who still fight today are brave and should be remembered.

Let me begin with a piece which is in contrast to the other articles I have included. Simon Jenkins of The Guardian states the case against remembrance memorials, as he believes that it’s time to move on and leave this type of commemoration behind.

Now, let me throw something else in the mix – white poppies.  The Metro’s article Where can I buy a white poppy and what do they stand for? explains the history behind them.

What do you think? Is Remembrance Day on the way out? Should red poppies be replaced?

In other news…

In an article in the Dailly Mail, we are given a glimpse of the end of World War 2 in photos; the sheer relief is apparent.

Up until recently, many soldiers from the Commonwealth were not given any type of recognition. These soldiers from the Caribbean, Asia and Africa fought for a country which many thought of as the ‘Motherland.’

Black History Month, Forces Network tells the history of African Caribbean Troops and the part they played in the World Wars.  We now know how much progress has been made when we realise that in June of this year, the heroic soldiers’ contribution was acknowledged with a War Memorial in Windrush Square in Brixton.

For further reading see:

BBC WW2 People’s War

The Commonwealth Contribution

The Telegraph, in ‘Foreign soldiers who fought alongside the British in the First World War,’acknowledge the contribution of overseas soldiers yet cause controversy with the use of the term ‘foreign.’ Many see these soldiers as British as they were citizens of the British Empire.

Thanks for reading.

Take care,

Tricia

You can follow me on Twitter

You can like me on Facebook

 

3 things to do (even more) when business is quiet!

Hello there.

Okay, so it’s nearly November and there are some whose thoughts are turned towards Christmas. If you are a product based business this may be a busy time; for services, maybe not so.

So, what do you do as an SME or entrepreneur or if you are self-employed?

A few things.

Catch up on your paperwork.

While no one particularly likes paperwork; it is necessary. We all must account for our time, so it makes sense to use periods which are quieter for all the ‘background’ work.

If you’re up to date with your paperwork; good for you!  You could still use this time to take stock of what has been happening in the business and sit down to write a marketing plan if you haven’t already done so.

Attend training or workshops

While you’re catching up on all those jobs that you don’t like, why not fit a few workshops, events or training into your schedule. Not only will it break up the monotony but it will get you equipped and ready for the next phase of your business.

Online courses such as FutureLearn Business Courses are there to enhance your current skills and help to develop your business.

I’ve done quite a few FutureLearn courses and they have great interaction with other learners. You may be someone who prefers to meet others face to face while learning new skills.  If that is the case, then Build.Blog.Boost is for you!

What is Build.Blog.Boost?

If you are in business and you aren’t sure about social media or blogging or PR, and you’d like to know how these strategies can help grow your business, then go along to this one -day workshop at the Let’s Go! Business Hub.

During the day, myself of PM Noble Consultancy Services, Vernette John Joiles of 7D Web Design and Colette Machado, will explain how social media and blogging can help the online presence of your business and how PR can add that extra something to your business.

Workshops are always good places to meet other like-minded business folks, who want to be more productive.  Speaking of meeting others, this leads nicely into the third thing to do during a quiet period….

Networking

You don’t have to spend a huge amount of money or join the highflyers (unless you really want to).  There is always something going on which is either free or has a small fee to pay.

Spend some time thinking about those in your circle. Who needs the kind of help you can offer? Who in your circle is a real champion of yours? Who is always singing your praises to others about what you have done for them? The effort is never wasted when we remind those close to us to spread the word about what we do.

Remember Build.Blog.Boost can be booked via Eventbrite. There are still Early Bird tickets available for £55.00. If you are a Let’s Go! Business Hub member tickets are on special offer for £45.00.

See you there!

Patricia Miller

 

 

 

 

Wondering where I’ve gone?

 

 

Hi everyone.

You may have noticed that I have not posted on here in a while.  While I am deciding about the best use of this blog, you can keep up to date here.

I am still as passionate as ever about Grammar and English Language, so this site may well be dedicated to those areas.

If reading the blogs over on PM Noble Consultancy Services isn’t enough, then look back at all the blogs I’ve written on here since 2014. There is enough material to suit all tastes.

Thanks for visiting.

 

Watch this space!

Take care,

 

Tricia

 

 

 

Know Your Worth!

 

Hello there.

Welcome to August!

So, we’re halfway through the year. Some of you will be taking time off with the children or maybe taking a break. Well, for the rest of us who have to keep going, here’s some motivation in the form of TED, with TED Talks.

If you’re wondering who or what TED is, according to the website

TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less).

And as part of their mission means they,

…believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world.

TED Talks is a vehicle used by TED to spread their mission with a wide range of subject matters, through videos.

TEDx  London is a programme of local independently organised events that bring people together to share ideas.

The talks which I’ve selected today are business orientated, but the good thing about TED is that you can find a talk about almost anything.

Here we go:

In the first of the TED Talks, Pricing Consultant Casey Brown speaks about not undervaluing what you do, so that you can Know your worth and then ask for it.

I felt that I should start with this video as this can be a tricky area for most SMEs or Startups to handle. Knowing what to charge clients can be quite difficult.

In the second video, Social Psychologist Adam Galinsky addresses How to speak up for yourself, 

In the last video, Bill Gross, founder of Idealab, shares his thoughts on The single biggest reason why start-ups succeed.

I hope that you found these TED Talks inspiring. Check their website for more information. Who knows, you may even find yourself setting up your own TEDx event.

Take care,

Tricia

P.S. I hope that you enjoy my blogs.  Remember, if you need help with your own blog or website content, check the PM Noble Consultancy Services website.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why you need a Marketing Plan!

 

Hello, there.

So, you thought of a business idea and had a plan in place. You’ve now achieved your dream and you’re running your business. That’s great! Now, what’s the next step? Well, that depends on what you want to achieve and who your target market is.

What tools are available to help you move your business forward? Glad you asked?

Having a marketing plan in place will help you to focus on what you really want for your business. There are so many great sites around, all bursting with information that this week I thought I would share a few, to get you started.

First things first – What is a marketing plan?

‘A marketing plan is a business document outlining your marketing strategy and tactics.’

This definition and some useful information can be found here – TheBalance.com.

 

So, now that we have a definition, let’s look at some sites with all the tools to equip you.

Marketing Donut has a section called startup and SME resources, with handy guides and templates, which can be found here – marketingdonut.co.uk.

 

‘If you don’t plan, you’re doomed!’

In a quick video from Entrepreneur.com, and in the accompanying article, we are given some nuggets of information and advice as to why we all need to have a marketing plan, which should be reviewed yearly. As they said, ‘If you don’t plan, you’re doomed.’

 

‘Done properly, your marketing plan will be the roadmap you follow to get unlimited customers and dramatically improve the success of your organization.’

In Marketing Plan Template: Exactly what to include, Forbes, gives you what they state, the exact sections needed for your plan.

If you live in Enfield or the surrounding areas, Sara Carter Business, offers business coaching and marketing advice for SMEs and Startups.

So, in a nutshell, your Marketing Plan helps you to think about your product, your audience, your goals and which tools will help you achieve your objectives.

I hope that this has made you think about your marketing strategy. I know that I need to take my own advice and start to plan ahead!

Remember, I usually just provide a taster of what can be found on the world wide web. Check out a few sites yourself, after all, you may find that one size does not fit all.

Thanks for reading.

Take care,

Tricia

P.S Remember to follow PM Noble Consultancy Services on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

 

5 Books for Business

 

Hi, there.

Do you need some encouragement for your business but you’re not sure where to look?

Whether you are a reader or not there are some non-business books which can impact your personal and business life.

This week, I’m compiling a list of website articles to point you in the right direction along with a few books which I think stand out.

So here goes:

‘And this book is an action book.’

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie (first published in 1937, but has since been updated)

 

‘Those who develop the process of thinking can rule themselves.’

How successful people think: Change your thinking, change your life by John C Maxwell.

 

‘And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.’

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela.

 

Here are some standout book and sources:

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Business Insider

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Business Collective

And sources of book lists:

Inc.com

Financial Times

I hope that this inspires you to look for guidance and motivation in new and unexpected places.

Take care

Tricia

p.s #Keepgoing