Wednesday 30 January 2013

Business Planning is like Learning to Fly!



After 20 years of successfully running a business I should know a bit about business planning….

What I do know is that it isn’t an exact science, it gets easier the longer you have been in busine...ss, a crystal ball would be incredibly useful at the beginning (!) (how on earth do you predict and forecast your sales when you are just starting??!!) and you need to be able to find a balance between:
1/ defining the business and planning it -after all the Sistine chapel was designed before it was started
and
2/ being prepared to accept and step into the unknown- after all the Wright brothers didn’t know how they were going to invent flying!

Confused??!!
I did say it wasn’t an exact science. In fact we can draw comfort from this. There is no right or wrong way to plan your business, it is fine to do it your way. The important thing is to do it whether you are just starting out or already established.
Let’s go back to the flying analogy. If you were learning to fly a plane- you wouldn’t be an instant success!!! Oh no, it would take many training and practice hours with your flying instructor to get you off the ground and even once you had earned your “wings” you would still need to keep your flying hours up to be able to keep your pilots license.
And so it is with planning and running a successful business. A continuous learning curve that gets more fascinating, exciting and satisfying the more you learn and put into action.
The plane gets bigger, the altitude higher, distance and speed increase.

Whilst some will view a business plan as boring! (and it can be if you look at some of the very dry ones that banks will give you to fill out) it can be a creative and dynamic process.
A business plan gives you the opportunity to develop a sense of purpose and direction. A business plan for most people when they finally get round to doing it is done quickly to get it out of the way and then filed away to collect dust. It has very little to do with reality and has no steps to get you from where you are now to the supposed end of the plan where you collect the gold at the end of the rainbow.

A far better plan is something that is totally imperfect, flexible and achievable that helps you:
Analyse your current position
Realise how much money you’ll need to get started
Establish priorities
Creates unity of purpose if there is more than 1 person in the business
Makes the case for a loan if required


Let’s get started! Each step in this plan is meant to be an organic process a bit like gardening. It means you are continually revisiting it, to water it, feed it, weed it, prune it, dig up bits, compost bits, treat the greenfly and disease, sow new seeds and replant new shrubs.

The map-Write your Vision
Vision will be the life blood of your business giving it purpose and direction.
Sit down with a cup of coffee/tea/glass of wine, put on some music and just let any thoughts about how you’d like your life to be and what you’d like your business to include to just flow onto a notepad or laptop. There doesn’t have to be any order or logic. It doesn’t need to make sense and you don’t need to know how you are going to achieve it. Just make sure it’s a compelling vision, giving details on what will you contribute, how will you be remembered and what will your legacy will be.

Once you have your vision in place (allow it time to gel, this may involve several cups of coffee or glasses of wine- over several sessions of course!) then think about what you want to achieve.

How to plan!
A business plan will be anything from 1 year to 5 years in length (or more). I would suggest if you struggle to think too far into the future, you start with the next 12 months.

Know your outcome and work backwards
For example; By the end of this year, I want a full clinic of 20 hourly clients per week, paying £50.00 an hour and working 46 weeks per year.
I want to work a maximum of 2 evenings a week and 1 Saturday per month.
Having done my market research, I know that I will get approximately 30% of my clients coming weekly, 30% coming fortnightly, 30% coming monthly and 10% coming as one off’s or on an occasional basis. *** Details of how to discover you clients buying patterns will be covered in my next article.

Now think about what you want to achieve in the next 12 months by dividing the year into quarters.
A three month chunk is so much more manageable than a year and suddenly planning gets a bit easier.
 

Monday 28 January 2013

Anatomy and Physiology £100 off!




Would you like £100 left in your pocket?

We are giving away a limited number of places on our Anatomy and Physiology Virtual Classroom at an amazing price of £245 (plus £90 for exam enrolment).

This is an amazing course that you study at ...home, at your own pace and at a time to suit you. Jane Johnson stands in the front of the classroom, so you will feel part of an actual class.

Please use the code VCAP100 when booking your place - remember this offer is limited so hurry!

http://www.essentialsforhealth.co.uk/SHP/EventsInfo.php?ItemID=106

Our normal price £345
 

Monday 21 January 2013

Two Golden Rules for Therapists


Principle 1
Get Networking
Last month I mentioned briefly about networking and what to expand on this.
Networking is going out to business breakfasts and meetings and specific networking events to meet many people, swap business cards and help support each other with business leads.
I think networking is an extremely important business activity, but it needs to be done selectively. I am quite a social animal and have really enjoyed going out and networking and meeting interesting people. That in itself served a purpose. It kept my energy high for my business and I would come back with some new ideas. There are lots of networking clubs and groups. Your professional association may well have regional groups that meet, the local chamber of commerce will have meetings and the virtual networking club ecademy http://www.ecademy.com/ will have local meetings.

However did it bring me any business?
No! Not until I was clear about who I needed to network with and collaborate with.
Listed below are guidelines for making the most of networking.
 Network with Purpose
Before you sign up for a networking event, think about reason for attending. Decide your goals and what you hope to accomplish. You may not achieve them straight away but thinking this way really gets your prepared and you will improve with networking practice. Often what happens at networking events is that you develop stepping stones to where you want to be.
Goals may be:
·         To get ideas for how to run your business
·         Find out about opportunities for working in clinics and centres in the community
·         Practice giving an elevator pitch (giving a short promotional presentation)

Prepare your pitch
Often at networking events you will be invited to give a short presentation. Grab this opportunity with both hands. In later steps I will be talking about how important public speaking is to your success (and how many people who would rather die than speak in public have become great speakers!).
Practice in front of the mirror at home a one minute presentation clearly stating with warmth and humour why you are the person to book for your particular speciality.
Practice scanning the room and making eye contact and smiling as you speak.
Be prepared
Make sure you arrive on time and are armed with plenty of business cards and promotional flyers. If you’ve booked an event be sure to attend- no dropping out because of nerves ort a better offer or feeling too tired!
Make sure if you promise something to someone that you do the follow up within 48 hours of the event. Remember what goes around, comes around and your success is more likely if you are congruent.
 Network and be yourself
People are more like to trust and warm to you if you are sincere and are being yourself.  Be interested, listen, be genuine, honest, friendly and giving
Network with a view to giving support and help
When you are networking your thoughts should be on “how can I help” rather than how can I sell my service. If you have this mindset, when you present a particular issue or problem people will want to help you too. So for example, I recently met a woman at an event who I know would really benefit from being in touch with 3 business people I know. I have called them to see if they would be interested in speaking with her and put them together. What I get from that is the satisfaction of helping and knowing that there are other like minded people at networking events who will do the same for me.

Principle 2
Get yourself a mentor

When you start your own business, you definitely will not know absolutely every thing about what it entails to be successful and I would encourage you to get as much help and advice as you can.

You may need financial, marketing, sales, business development, legal or employment advice and for specialist areas I would encourage you to seek advice from the experts.

However there will come a time however when you need someone who is way ahead of the game from you, maybe knows your business or industry and has connections where they can make introductions for you.

Formal mentoring is a powerful development tool that will accelerate the launch, take off and expansion of your business.

I struggled for the first few years of owning Essentials for Health, believing I had all the answers, that the golden egg was around the corner, that I hadn’t done it “properly” unless I’d done it all myself and that I would more proud of my achievements because of my struggle to defeat the odds! Phew what a waste of years! How naïve and how foolish could I be!
Talk to any successful person in business and they’re likely to have not just one mentor but several!

Given that 70% of businesses will fail within their first 3 years and Essentials for Health was nearly one of them be sure that you set yourself up for success by getting the right help and advice. 

Choose a mentor who:
Has a huge amount of business experience
You like
You admire and respect
Would like to be more like

Mentoring works best when you have one or more of the following:
Some questions to ask
Problems to solve
A dilemma to discuss
An issue to resolve
An opportunity to consider
A project to plan for
A direction to decide


Use a mentor to help you:
Clarify goals, set targets and ensure you stick to them
Evaluate your successes and failures
Stay on track
Keep on a even keel- the road to success is bumpy and full of trials and tribulations, talking them through with a mentor will turn these challenges into real nuggets of learning and a springboard to move forward from
Develop your business skills and confidence
Keep moving forward
The principle of modeling
Mull over projects/ tasks and provide you with a sounding board

Free Mentoring Trial
Guess what! I provide mentoring and would like to provide you with a free 10 minute telephone mentoring session Call 01628 476100 to arrange.
Gill Tree

Essentials for Health

Essentials for Health, School of Massage and Sports Massage based in Central London, was established in 1992 and is now one of the most reputable and innovative schools in the U.K.  Gill Tree is the founder and owner.

The School offers an exceptionally high standard of tuition designed to equip the aspiring Therapist with a broad range of skills.  They hold a broad range of courses including professional diplomas in Holistic Massage and Sports Massage and a variety of Masterclasses for qualified therapists. These part time massage courses are run as a weekend massage course or weekday massage course. Most massage courses include an online Anatomy and Physiology course or this can be taken separately.

For further information please visit their website at www.essentialsforhealth.co.uk or call on 01628 476100.

Essentials for Health
2 Dukes Place, Marlow, Bucks.  SL7 2QH
Tel: 0845 108 0088
Fax: 0845 108 0527
enquiries@essentialsforhealth.co.uk

Thursday 10 January 2013

Smoking Doesn't Relieve Stress

Smoking doesn't relieve stress... quitting does! Study proves benefits of nicotine are a myth

An Article this week in the  Daily Mail featured research on the fact that smoking increases anxiety and stress and people are misguided when they thought they were smoking to relieve stress.

     The Researchers found ex-smokers were less anxious
·         One in five say they need cigarettes to relieve stress
·         Researchers say smokers deserve to know relaxing benefits of nicotine are a myth

Contrary to popular perception, smoking does not relieve stress. But quitting does.
British researchers measured anxiety levels in almost 500 smokers – before and after they tried to give up.

Less stress: The study found that smokers who quit were less anxious than before
One in five said they smoked to help them deal with stress. Nationally, the figure is as high as one in two.
All took part in an NHS smoking cessation programme, which involved being given nicotine patches and attending two-monthly appointments.

Six months after signing up for the course, 68 of the 491 were still abstaining – and they were less anxious than before.
However, those who tried to give up  and failed were more stressed than in the beginning, the British Journal of Psychiatry reports.
The researchers, from Oxford University and King’s College London, said: ‘The belief that smoking is stress-relieving is pervasive but almost certainly wrong.
‘The reverse is true: smoking probably causes anxiety and smokers deserve to know this and understand how their own experience may be misleading.’
 

Essentials for Health is one of the UK's largest and most successful massage schools.

Since 1992, Essentials for Health has trained 1,000's of people on our massage courses and sports massage courses, many now with successful massage therapy clinics and schools in the UK and overseas.
Do the same and benefit from the highest levels of massage training, expertise and support from world-class tutors, huge flexibility including part-time courses intensive fast track weekday courses, weekend courses and online learning.
With our proven therapists business support and scheme to become a Licensed Essentials for Health Therapist, we are the massage school in London, that provides a Career not just a Course. We look forward to you joining us!


www.essentialsforhealth.co.uk

Gill Tree
Managing Director
Essentials for Health
www.essentialsforhealth.co.uk

Wednesday 9 January 2013

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep Tissue Massage

What do you do when your clients want deeper massage work than you feel confident and competent to give? This advanced massage techniques workshop will provide you with the necessary tools to develop your deep tissue massage skills.

Course contents:
  • Your safety first: couch height, proper body positioning and posture
  • Working efficiently with reinforced fingers and thumbs
  • For deeper work – advanced massage techniques using forearms and elbows
  • Client positioning: prone, supine and side-lying work
  • How to use your couch for support to make your work easier
  • Focus will be on the back, neck, shoulders and gluteal area.
On this deep tissue course, you will be taught how to work safely and effectively using all these different tools so that you can incorporate them into your own massage style. You will also be shown how varying your client’s positioning on the couch will allow you to access certain muscle groups better, making your treatments even more effective.
Throughout the day, you will be given 4 individual demonstrations of techniques and have plenty of opportunity between them to practice these techniques in your own time. It’s a fun and active day run in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Suitable for anyone with Swedish massage skills.

Please note: If you attend a Deep Tissue workshop and then book onto a Sports Massage Diploma course with us within one month, you will receive your workshop fee back!

Gill Tree
Managing Director
Essentials for Health
www.essentialsforhealth.co.uk