Archive for the ‘Business’ Category

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Rainy day tasks

Saturday, December 10th, 2011

In the last week I’ve been trying to catch up on things I’ve been putting off, seeing as the weather has been too horrid to do much else. I don’t mind nice, aesthetically-pleasing snow, but this is just cold and depressing! Utterly unreasonable stuff, rain and wind.

Anyway, for example… since moving back to Manchester, I haven’t actually told many people that I’ve got a new address. I did a postal redirection for three months, so I’ve been relying on that… but now it’s due to run out fairly soon and I don’t really want to pay to renew it. There’s also the fact that my business is taking shape quite nicely and it’s about time my marketing was inclusive of my location!

It’s personal contacts too, of course – and not just people I know, but banks and utilities. Ugh, it’s such a pain. You’d think they’d make it easy, but they don’t at all. Well, a few of them do – you can just go online, enter via internet banking security and enter your new details. But others won’t do that as they say it’s not secure enough. Which begs the question; why do they let you handle your finances that way, then?! Instead they rely on sending postal documents, which are much more open to interception, in my view. Grrr. So I’ve been wasting lots of time on that.

We’ve also been watching lots of TV. We tape a lot of things (digital recordings, I mean) – but we’re running out now. We ended up watching a documentary all about processing plants the other night – how they deal with leak detection and stuff like that.

I think I’m going to ask Father Christmas (Anya) for some new DVD boxsets.

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Things to do in the new year…

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

I know we’re only just into December, but Gary Vine is a man who likes to plan ahead. That’s what gives me the edge in business, I think. I’ve therefore started to plan a few things I want to achieve in the early part of next year.

Number one is recruitment. That really is something that I want to sort out as soon as possible. I learned a few things from my first round of advertising and interviews that I’m keen to put into practice, so I can find a good person to rely on.

The second is enjoying myself and doing new things. Mine and Anya’s planned trip to Gloucestershire is still on track – though I need to start monitoring Cheltenham Gold Cup odds if I want a chance of winning some money on the horses. That really would make it complete! And it wouldn’t look half bad in front of any new business connections I make.

The third is exercise. I feel I’ve let that slip a bit, recently. Anya is really into her gym membership and if she signs me up, she’ll get a bonus and I’ll get a discount. Happy all round. I don’t think she believes I’m serious, but I want to get back into shape – especially after all the food and drink I plan to consume over the festive season!

And fourth… I’d like to build my business even further, of course! The sky is the limit. I need to have a continual focus on business development and see where it takes me – without taking my eye off the ball with regard to my existing work. It’s a difficult balance, but I believe I’m up to the task.

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Christmas cards

Monday, December 5th, 2011

One of the most stressful things about being in business at this time of year is organising your Christmas cards.

Anya used to do it all for me, but I’m perfectly capable of doing it on my own. I’m just not super-keen on it. I enjoy letting my clients know that I appreciate them – and it’s always nice to do Christmassy things – but getting the things organised is definitely a less fun task than handing them out.

I had hoped I’d have taken on a member of staff by now, after carrying out those interviews a few weeks back, who could have helped me with the process – but I decided it was best to delay recruitment until the new year. It just makes far more sense. Lots of people go on holiday during the festive season and it’s just too hectic to make arrangements. I plan to take some time off myself, too!

But anyway… back to these Christmas cards. I tend to start by making a list of clients, then arrange them in alphabetical order, in a spreadsheet. Then I know how many I need. I then buy the right number of cards – which must be tasteful and business-like, but with a hint of Christmas cheer – plus about 20 per cent extra in case there’s anyone I’ve forgotten, or in case I make any mistakes.

Then I have a big writing session. I tend to use printed labels for the envelopes, generated from the spreadsheet. I must say, they’re quite a revelation! Though I still need Anya’s help with that bit. Oh, and then I post them. Job done!

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DIY

Saturday, December 3rd, 2011

I had to do some DIY today. I should probably mention up front that generally, do-it-yourself labour isn’t something that Gary Vine does. Some people get a lot of joy from fiddling about with their properties, gardens and cars – but not me, I’m afraid. I usually have far more interesting things to spend my time on, if I’m honest!

But sometimes, it’s just necessary – especially when the significant lady in your life is planning to do it instead. There’s a shelving unit that I bought for my home office and I haven’t had the chance to put it up yet. It’s been leaning against the wall, all boxed up. Anya kept saying I was putting it off because I didn’t know how and I’m lazy, but it’s not that at all – I genuinely haven’t had time. Then, the other day, I walked in and she was sat there unpacking it with an electric drill beside her! Seriously!

I told her straight away to stop being so daft… and so today, here I was. I said I’d do it within two days if she’d promise to leave it alone.

It went okay, actually – the shelves look good. I’m secretly quite glad that I was prompted to get on with it. Anya said I put some of the pieces in the wrong way, which is why there’s chipboard showing instead of smooth wood – but really, it’s hardly the end of the world, is it?

There’s not too much to this DIY stuff really. I don’t know why everyone makes out that it’s so macho. A college friend of mine is an engineer now and everyone thinks he’s so manly and impressive and all that. He’s always talking about things like torque wrenches and hydraulic bolt tensioners. Zzzzzzz. They’re vital to their industry, of course – but hardly a dinner table topic. I always try to steer the conversation towards business strategy instead. He looks at me as though I’ve got two heads.

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The right office

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

People often ask me, ‘Gary, what kind of office should I rent?’. It’s one of the areas I offer advice about, as part of my business consulting service.

It’s not as easy a question as you might think. I’m very happy working in my home office – for the moment, anyway – but every business has different needs… and different people have different tastes.

I saw Anya’s office for the first time last week. I’d accidentally got our keys mixed up and so I went to swap them back over (she couldn’t because she was in meetings, apparently – as if I’m not busy too!). It’s a bit flashy, for my taste – all glass and chrome. But some people love that kind of thing.

When you’re looking for office space to rent, you have to think about whether you want a big airy space with a minimalist appeal, or a cosy, traditional type of building. Some businesses suit clean lines and plain personality – but others need a splash of colour, in my view.

For example, if you visit a marketing company that looks as though it has no creative flair in its own office, it won’t exactly inspire you with confidence. Whereas if you’re seeking a solicitor, you want to know they’re efficient with an impressive history of experience – so a tidy office with some comforting old-fashioned features will impress you.

You also have to think about size. In this economy, no one can afford to be heating and lighting empty space! But a cramped office can make you look cheap and inefficient – especially if it’s untidy.

When my business expands, I’m definitely going to be looking carefully at location, too… though it’ll be a difficult decision between my beloved Northern Quarter and more traditional options in Manchester’s ‘business districts’. I’ll have to think long and hard about that one.

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Minibreaks

Thursday, December 1st, 2011

Anya said to me the other day that she thinks we need to do more activities together – more ‘quality time’ and that kind of thing. I wasn’t quite sure what she meant, at first, but then she said she was thinking about visiting places.

I’m more of a home-city person, really… I could be happy spending all my time working at my home office and popping out for business lunches – and spending evenings in Manchester’s great restaurants and bars. There are a lot more to choose from than you might think, if you know where to look. Especially in the Northern Quarter! But sometimes it is refreshing to get out into different areas, I suppose. Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Lancashire all have loads of interesting places to visit – and Derbyshire and Yorkshire aren’t far away either.

Anya wants to go to a horseracing event. I think it’s because this new job of hers is giving her ideas. She wants an excuse to buy some nice clothes and pose! There could be something in it for me, too, though – events like this can be great for networking and generally raising your business profile. The Cheltenham Gold Cup is on in March 2012, and even though it’s quite a leap from Manchester, my business has a wide reach – I can serve people all over the country.

I’ve heard that Cheltenham is the most well-reputed National Hunt event, so naturally there should be a great calibre of people there… the sort it can be handy to get to know. I think it could actually be quite fun having a few days in Gloucestershire. Or maybe a week. I imagine Anya will get all soppy about the idea of staying in the Cotswolds. I suppose it can’t harm – as long as she lets me have a couple of evenings out in Cheltenham! Apparently they’ve got some great nightspots.

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The working day

Saturday, November 26th, 2011

One thing I’ve found working on my own, from home, is that the lines between work and leisure time start to get more and more blurred. You have to be really careful how you organise your time!

A lot of people think that when you work from home, life is really easy and you spend half the day watching Jeremy Kyle in your dressing gown. Well, days like that do happen occasionally, of course… but it’s amazing how much time you can end up spending in front of the computer in your home office, finding little things that need doing. There’s a guilt that stops you from doing non-work things, even if you have a spare hour or two in the day. If you don’t spend it at the computer or doing some paperwork, you feel like you’re cheating!

I’ve found I’ve had to develop a bit of a structure to make sure I get things done without letting them spill into evenings and weekends. It’s like a checklist. I think many businesses could find it useful, actually, on an administrative level. There’s quite a science to it. It’s probably a good thing that I’m now doing my own office management instead of relying on Anya to do it, as being honest, I’m not sure she ever really mastered it! She’s much more into the marketing side of things – hence this new job of hers.

I start the day by checking my emails and social media messages to see if there’s anything urgent that needs dealing with. I then split my day into sections and decide what I’m going to do with each of those. For example, a couple of hours on marketing and business development; a couple of hours on finishing some tasks I’ve already started, then a couple of hours on doing preparation for new tasks.

It’s really quite a distraction when something else arises, like a meeting or an interview. Or needing to go out to buy a pint of milk!

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Finding new clients

Thursday, November 24th, 2011

When I said that finding a new employee was hard, I meant it – and the process is still underway – but believe me, bagging yourself some new business is tougher! It’s fortunate I’ve got lots of world experience in these kinds of things, or I’d get really fed up. Anya used to handle the marketing side of my business, in its former incarnation – but now she’s doing it for someone else (traitor!!! Haha), I’m getting stuck in and remembering how it all goes.

I had hoped to do most of the business from our apartment, but it looks as though some time on the road may be required, in the early days, in order to attend networking events and visit people who might benefit from my services.

I’m therefore looking at getting myself a car. I know it’s more environmentally friendly to use a bike or public transport, but let’s get serious here. Turning up on a BIKE to a networking do, or a potential new client’s office, will just make me look like a drippy hippie instead of a bonafide businessman. And the bus? Please. They’re full of diseases and weird people. The train and tram are a little better, but too cumbersome and not precise enough to zip around various places to my heart’s content. You have to move fast, in this world!

So yes, a car it is. I’ve had my eye on a used Renault Scenic that’s being advertised for sale near our apartment. It’s very convenient, actually – it’s come along at just the right time. My dad has always driven Renaults and says they’re extremely reliable; and if there’s one thing I trust my dad’s opinion on, it’s cars. Not women, or property, but definitely cars. Well, he did always like Anya, but it was more his view on my employment of Anya that he was wrong about. He thought she left because of my attitude, whatever that means.

I can’t wait to get my new car on the road. In fact, I’m going to go and see the seller about it right now. Watch out, business community of Manchester! Gary Vine is coming to get you!

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Manchester recruitment

Friday, November 18th, 2011

This employing-people lark is actually quite difficult, I’ve found – even though I’m just after a work experience person!

When I started advertising, I needed to give a job title and description. It’s quite tricky to come up with those and get the right message across, without attracting the wrong kind of people.

I’ve so far used ‘Entrepreneurial Apprentice’ as the title, as I feel it encompasses everything – I’m an entrepreneur and I want an apprentice to whom to teach the ways of successful business. And do my admin and gopher tasks, obviously, now that Anya’s become too high and mighty to do them.

Some of the applications I’ve received have been awful, though. Really, really shocking. Do they not teach basic English skills in schools any more? Apparently not. Lesson one to all jobhunters out there: Either learn to spell and construct proper sentences, or ask someone to check your CV and letters for you before you send them. There are loads of internet services doing that kind of thing. In fact, it makes me think about another string I may add to my bow! There are lots of business-related skills I can advise people on… for a small fee, of course. Haha!

But getting back to the point… yes, the most time-consuming part of hunting for a new employee is filtering through the rubbish applications.

After that, it’s interviews – and that’s a whole new world of stress. I’m in the middle of it now. I invited the first one to our apartment to talk to… and dear me, that was a mistake. He was a complete weirdo. I felt a bit uncomfortable having him in our home, despite the fact I’d clearly have beaten him in any kind of physical confrontation, now I’m sharing Angie’s gym membership.

But yes, I feel it’s better to conduct these things in nearby bars that I like – and that’s not too much of a problem in the Northern Quarter. I don’t want to give them too much of an impression that it’ll be all fun and no work, but it’s good for them to see what kind of guy I am – that just because I’m not a teenager any more, it doesn’t mean I’m not still ‘with it’.

Let’s hope the right person comes along soon…

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Office decisions

Monday, November 14th, 2011

It’s official: I’m going to keep working from our apartment. It’s in a pretty good location and, to be honest, I haven’t been all that impressed with the office space I’ve looked at. It’s all overpriced and doesn’t have the right style about it.

If I have my own office – really my own, not just a rented space – I can make sure it has the Gary Vine vibe. Then when people come to see me it’ll help them to understand what I’m all about. It’s nice and quiet, too, with Anya busy with this ‘career’ of hers, as she’s started calling it. I don’t mind letting her enjoy it for a while, providing she stops messing about and comes back when my business gets bigger.

On that note, I’m looking at hiring a new member of staff. And not just staff – but an apprentice of sorts. I’ve always thought I have a talent for education that I should use. I’m a natural mentor. The youth of today can learn a lot from me. And work experience people are cheap! Haha. I’ll help the lucky chosen one with expenses, but they shouldn’t need any, really – we can eat at home in the flat. At work, I mean. In the office.

I’m advertising online and at the JobCentre. Once they start, I’ll try to teach them the administration stuff first, so we’re all ready for when the phone calls and emails start rolling in. Actually, I might ask Anya if she can show him a few things one evening after work.

I need to set up quite a lot of things, so it’ll be good to have another pair of hands on deck. Things like small business indemnity insurance are easily overlooked and that can lead to problems, according to Anya, so I suppose I should check it out.

Exciting times!

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