The social media marketplace is a competitive, thriving and exciting place to be.  New communication channels are opening for companies and real, two-way dialogue is not only possible but being actively sought out by customers.

New ways of being introduced to, talking to and engaging with customers are at your fingertips – we’re living through a real marketing revolution and the digital world can offer your business a real advantage.

But, we advise you to tread with caution, remember what our mothers taught us – first impressions matter!  This is especially true for a small business fighting for survival in this tough economic climate.

The 5 worst reasons for using Twitter for your business

1. Because everybody else is doing it
2. Because it’s free
3. I read an article saying that all businesses should have a Twitter account
4. My son is a whiz with a computer and could set an account up for us
5. Because I have a work experience person with nothing to do

But of course, there are also massive rewards that can be reaped by taking your first steps into the ‘Twittersphere’:

The 5 best reasons for using Twitter for your business

1. I know my target audience well and want to open new channels of communication with them
2. I want to take advantage of cost effective marketing communications
3. My business has relevant content to share
4. I want to network with other professionals
5. I want to my customers to have direct and immediate access to my brand, day and night

Seeing all those other companies using Twitter, setting up Facebook accounts, blogging or getting busy on LinkedIn can make you feel that you’re lagging behind, particularly when they’re your competitors. When the pressure to have a social media presence is strong and access so easy, many people are jumping in feet first… and getting their fingers burnt in the process.

Have you heard of these high profile Twitter faux paus?

• Vodafone suffered a massive backlash after one of their employees posted homophobic comments

• Habitat upset followers by hijacking hash tag messages resulting in extensive bad publicity

• Mars linked their Skittles URL directly to a Twitter search results page, when users realised this marketing shortcut they began posting ‘humorous’ comments to the detriment of the brand

• Paloma Faith alienated fans over Christmas when she posted a tweet telling people not to approach her for photos or autographs as she was on holiday

Don’t let these cautionary tales put you off, taking your business into Twitter can offer significant business benefits, it can open the doors to new markets, can introduce you to some useful contacts – it’s even fun!  But take a lesson from these high profile mistakes, before setting up a your account, think carefully about what you would like to communicate and who you would like to say it to.  Make sure that you can allocate sufficient time to monitoring, responding and engaging with fellow ‘tweeple’.

Most importantly, remember, even though you may be sitting on your sofa wearing your comfiest pyjamas, speaking to the world via your personal mobile phone – you are representing your business.  Be sure to take on board your mother’s advice about first impressions as that 140 character message may well be your introduction to that big, juicy, new client.

About the Author: Natalie Smith, a CIM qualified marketing professional is the Client Service Manager at Blaze Communication, helping clients to build brands, increase sales, excite customers and communicate more effectively.  follow her with Twitter on @Blaze_Group and visit the website at http://www.blazecommunication.com/.

I first met Claire Young earlier this year at a networking event. I was vaguely aware of the Wakefield girl who had been “on telly” but that was all. Claire took part in one of the biggest reality TV shows on television – The Apprentice. In Lord Sugar’s words, she went through the “interview from hell” and survived long enough to become runner up in the 2008 series.

On the day I met Claire she stood and gave a 15 minute presentation about herself, her experiences and her ambitions. Like the good networkers we are, we exchanged business cards and I emailed her the following day.

Fast forward 6 months and we’re now business partners in a brand new venture ‘School Speakers’. What started in Claire’s spare room is now a thriving business with 4 employees and smart offices in the centre of the city. Our aim is to provide all schools throughout the UK with the most inspirational speakers.  I have learnt more in this last year than I could ever have done in any classroom, workshop or seminar.  So let me share my knowledge with you.

Have no shame

If you need something, ask for it and don’t be afraid to go to the top. Similarly if you don’t know something hunt down the person that can give you help, preferably for free!

Eliminate the word procrastination!

Don’t dither, learn to make decisions fast and stand by them. Commit to any project 110% and give it 110% of your energy and time.

Suss out the time wasters

As your profile rises you’re bound to attract a number of ‘stalkers’ as we call them; people who see your business idea working and want to be in on the action.

Don’t waste time in meetings that are just chit chat and of no real value. We’ve all fallen into the networking trap of “we must have a 1-2-1” but get something out of it, even if it’s just sharing a contact.

Share, share, share

Claire has an enviable address book but she’s not precious about it. If she can put you in touch with someone who can help you she will….there and then, in the meeting.

Finally, always be open to opportunity and you will always be in business. Keep thinking ahead and planning, taking every chance you can. Working with Claire has shown me that anything is possible; you just need to have the right mindset.

Someone recently referred to Claire as a black widow spider, weaving her web right across all boundaries – here in the School Speakers office we still fondly refer to her as the Rottweiler!

About the author: With a passion for words and a love of all things social Cat Yaffe is the lady behind Cat Creative Media – a creative copy and communications company that includes professional copywriting for web & print, see www.catcreativemedia.com for more details.  She is also one half of School Speakers www.schoolspeakers.co.uk.

About 80% of people reading this article use an email signature, but only 5% of those people will use it as a marketing tool. This means that if you can create an email signature that actively helps you  market your business, you will be stealing a march on your competitors in one easy step.

Just think – your signature goes at the bottom of each and every email that you send out, so getting this right would give you a lot of extra impact, instantly.

Use your email signature to increase sales.

A normal email signature looks something like this:

Tamsin Fox-Davies
Marketing Mentor
Enthuse Marketing
email: t.fox-davies@enthusemarketing.com
tel: 0207 127 4658

Maybe you will also have included a  logo and a web address if you’re thinking ahead.

As it’s likely that the person you’re already emailing has your phone number, and they can get your email address by reading the “from” field at the top of the email, this standard signature doesn’t really give a lot of extra information.

So what else should your email signature include?

As an example, here’s what one of my email signatures looks like:

Here’s why this signature works as a marketing tool:

• All my basic contact info is there, in case it’s needed (including my mobile number).
• There are links to my 3 main social media profiles as I make a point of connecting through Facebook, Twitter & Linkedin, and this is one of my key communication channels.
• There’s an invitation to get something for free (my weekly newsletter), and I tell people specifically what to expect ( free weekly marketing tip ) and how they can get it (click here ).
• My next event is listed with a booking link and an event summary (this bit changes regularly).

So, even if the person reading the email doesn’t take any action straight away, they will know that:

• I welcome communication through multiple channels.
• I am active in social media.
• I walk my talk and give away free marketing info every week, which also means I’m a prolific creator.
• That I run a range of events, so I am a versatile and experienced trainer.

Not bad for one little email signature, is it?

However, there’s more to come…

You could add any of the following items to your email signature for extra marketing impact:

• Include one or more client testimonials.
• Links to your latest press cuttings.
• Direct people to your blog for your latest news and comments.
• Promote a special offer.
• Let people know that you’re recruiting.
• Tell folks about the award you just entered, and request their vote.
• Tell them about the award you just won.
• Direct readers to your portfolio or client case studies.
• Include a list of your highest profile clients.
• Send them to your youtube page
• Make a request for survey responses

There’s a whole lot more that could go in this list, depending on your business model and the industry  in which you operate, but the intention is always the same – get people to notice more of the great things that you do and the results that you produce for people.

In this way, your potential customers will get an extra peek at how fabulous you are, and be more likely to choose your products and services, AND recommend you to others. It’s all about building up the ‘know, like and trust’ factor, and you can move this forward in one easy step.

So, get going with your new email signature now, and remember to add it to all your outgoing emails.

About the Author: Tamsin Fox-Davies is London’s favourite Marketing Mentor. She is also the author of Free Marketing Tips, simple weekly how-to guidance to really make your marketing move. You can get your copy when you sign up for free at  www.enthusemarketing.com.

So, you’re thinking of joining the Twitterverse.

Wikipedia defines Twitter as: A website, owned and operated by Twitter Inc., which offers a social networking and microblogging service, enabling its users to send and read other users’ messages called tweets.

Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the user’s profile page.
Tweets are publicly visible by default, however senders can restrict message delivery to their friends list.
Users may subscribe to other users’ tweets-this is known as following and subscribers are known as followers.

Now that the formalities are taken care of, let’s dive into the Twitterverse and find out how to Twitter!

What is Twitter?

Beyond the text book definitions of a micro-blogging social networking phenomenon, Twitter is used and thought of differently by many different people. Twitter is a way to connect with friends and family, a source of news, trends and gossip but most of all Twitter is THE most influential and important marketing tools of the 21st century. It doesn’t matter what you are marketing, whether it’s a multibillion dollar corporation, a local flower shop, start up band or yourself, Twitter will get your voice and opinions heard.

Why is it called a micro-blog?

Blogs are places to voice opinions, thoughts and share ideas. This is exactly what twitter does, yet it does it in short bursts of 140 characters called Tweets.

First time using Twitter

I won’t waste your time explaining the basics of setting up a twitter account. I will assume you can find your way to Twitter.com and follow the simple step by step process to set up your own account (if you don’t already have an @ccount).

That being said, setting up a Twitter account is a little different in the sense that you have to be real concise and short with your words. Take a look through these helpful videos if you are having trouble with the Twitter sign up process.

First time users can learn how to use twitter in a very short time. The best way to learn how to Twitter is to spend some time looking around the site. Spend a little time looking around before you worry about gaining any followers or filling out your full bio. This way there is no pressure. Check out peoples tweet and what they do, not so much what they say. Don’t worry about their message, just what they are doing with it, since it will most likely not be relevant to you but it will be relevant to someone else. Click on their links, pay attention to how they are using twitter and after a few mins each day looking around, it will all make sense.

Most first time Twits have the same thought pattern…. “What is twitter and why is this pointless site so popular?”

That is a great question.

8 Reasons Why is Twitter so popular:

1. Simplicity -

Twitter is simple. Simple as that.

2. Get your opinions heard -

Acceptance. Everyone wants to feel part of something bigger and greater. Getting your opinions heard by others makes people feel part of the online blogging phenomenon. It is also a great place to pitch your favourite ideas or post comments about products or services.

3. Communication -

It’s frowned upon in our culture to call someone up just to let them know we are having a shower, or just drank the most amazing cup of coffee, yet Twitter makes this acceptable.

4. Connect -

Not only can you connect, talk and share ideas with anyone in the world (who uses Twitter) you can also connect to twitter almost anywhere. With the latest smart phones and app worlds, there are more and more places you can log onto Twitter and check the latest trends.

5. Voyeurism -

People love to ease drop on conversations and know what is going on in the community. With twitter, a whole new world of gossip has opened up. Find out what the latest celebrities or even your neighbours are up to.

6. Popularity -

Want more friends? Now it is easier than ever! Sit in your chair, start following some people and chances are they will follow you back! All of a sudden you have turned from Joe Nobody, to being friends with top A-Lister like Barrack Obama and Justin Bieber! Now all you have to do is sit back and bask in the glory of popularity.

7. Marketing -

As I mentioned before, Twitter is one of the greatest marketing tools. Used correctly you can increase brand recognition, sell products or gain additional followers on your blog. Also known as backdoor marketing.

8. Slang -

Since there is a 140 character limit, people get away with bad grammar, spelling and sentence structure. PRT Thx 4 that, just fab, now ever1 is going 2b even worse spellers than we woz b4. cr8tivity at its finest. BFN

How To Gain More Followers

1. Write short, provocative, creative tweets with big impact.

Write about your passions. It will show. Questions work great to make people think and perhaps even click on a link. Share useful info and links that you yourself find interesting and you think others might as well.

2. Start following people you are interested in.

There is a good chance they will then be interested in what you have to say and follow back. If you start following multiple random people, this is a great way to get a large amount of followers at one time yet the quality of the followers will be very low. They may not care about what you have to say or what you stand for. The followers at that point are just for show and not to “sell” them on anything, be it your product or opinion.

3. Create a Bio.

Your bio is what people first read when they check out your profile. You have limited space here so make sure it is to the point, explains who you are and what you will be tweeting about.

4. Get a background.

People have been known to start following someone just because they like the background they used or preferably made. This can be a difficult step since Twitter has recently changed it background format. How much of your background people see depends on the size and quality of each individuals monitor. Free Twitter Background Designer

5. Money.

Money can buy you anything, including more followers. There are sites that will (for a nominal fee) add followers to your account. I do not recommend this since it is a sleaze copout and can be easily done free of charge. It just might take a little bit more effort.

6. Retweet.

7. Be active.

Be part of the conversation. Talk to people following you and more importantly, people who aren’t following you.

8. Add your twitter URL and @ccount name everywhere you can.

Email signatures, business cards, websites, car window, anywhere your tweets collide with the real world. The more links to your profile, the more chances of gaining additional followers.

9. Don’t over tweet.

I can’t tell you the number of people I have added only seconds later to realize it was a horrible mistake. My Twitter stream was blanketed with one person’s tweets. It becomes hard to read the tweets you care about if you can’t find them in a cluster of annoying Twitterrhea.

About the Author: Dave R F is an expert in Internet and Business online.  To read more on What Is A Retweet, Twitter Tips and Tricks, How To Use Twitter Like A Pro, 8 Twitterquette Tips and Twitter definitions, Please visit http://www.squidoo.com/howtotwitter.

The Internet is an invaluable tool for small and medium businesses alike. For very little or no money, the web and its social networking platforms provide entrepreneurs with access to an international market.

The Internet is not only affordable, but is an extremely effective means of understanding, catering for, and reaching potential customers. Lauren Luke, 26, is just one of the many entrepreneurs who owes her success to Internet social media.

Lauren gained fame and fortune when she began uploading her makeup tutorials onto You Tube. Since then, nearly 8,000,000 people have tuned in to watch her videos showing viewers how to recreate celebrity-inspired looks.

Lauren was born in South Shields and had a baby at 16. Against some difficult odds, she has risen to become an outright Internet success story, and the second most popular You Tube user ever in the UK.

Last year, Lauren became one of the first users to be invited onto the You Tube Partnership Program. She now receives sponsorship from big-brand makeup companies, has an agent and has launched her own line of makeup- and she even has a regular column in the magazine supplement for The Observer.

Before her explosion onto the social media scene, Lauren’s lack of confidence meant she had few friends and no one to whom she could impart her skills. You Tube was a perfect platform on which to gain her a massive audience.

Like Lauren, Heather Gorringe, the Global Dell Award Winner 2008, has used the power of social media to reach millions of people and to expand her gardening company, Wiggly Wigglers. She set up her Internet business in a village with a population of 63. Now, the company turns over millions of pounds each year. On Radio Four’s Women’s Hour, Heather claimed:  ‘Without the internet, we wouldn’t even exist’. Her ‘Wiggly Community’ involves podcasts, e-news, videos and a Facebook group.

Accessibility. Usability.

Part of the reason both Lauren and Heather are succeeding is surely due to the accessibility and usability of the technology out there. In her interview for Women’s hour, Heather claimed that, despite her Internet presence, she is still a technological clutz. ‘It’s easy’, says Heather, ‘so easy even I can do it.’

Similarly, Lauren started out with no technical background whatsoever. It was her propensity for entrepreneurship that was the real factor that facilitated Internet success. Her tutorials sprouted from her time trading on Ebay, where she demonstrated her products with videos. The response was positive and, from there, the idea evolved.

‘Conversations are markets and markets are conversations’ – Heather Gorringe, Wiggly Wigglers

Heather and LJ Rich, a reporter of the BBC’s flagship technology program, concur that entrepreneurs achieve internet-success by interacting with their customers. Whatever your product or service, the Internet can help you understand your market so that you can better cater for it. Heather comments: ‘It’s about listening before joining in.’

By showing interest, you generate interest.

The Internet is one of the most effective ways of understanding a rapidly evolving market, and negotiating your place within it. Part of Lauren Luke’s appeal is the way she approaches and engages with her audience on a human level.

The tutorials themselves are a small part of the ‘Lauren Experience’. Her videos are filmed in the most personal space possible, her bedroom, and are unedited. In a video-feature for the BBC, Lauren said: ‘If there are mistakes, you’re going to see them’.

Heather’s videos are similarly unpolished. Her behind-the-scenes appearances are unaffected and send a clear message of sincerity and approachability to potential customers.

The end of the commercial monologue?

Lauren and Heather have raised their Internet profiles to such high levels by engaging with their audiences and adapting their service accordingly. Social networking platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and You Tube are typical of a cyber marketplace, where sharing information is key.

‘If the Internet’s a giant jumble sale, how do you make your stall more attractive than everybody else’s?’ LJ Rich

LJ Rich urges entrepreneurs to ask themselves: ‘What can I give that other people will be interested in?’ Twitter is a perfect means of engaging with the public, because the format mirrors the informal exchange of ideas that we see in conversation.

It is important not to undermine the power of the Internet as a networking tool and a means of raising your Internet profile. The strength of your brand is what will make you stand out in a competitive market and bring you bigger profits.

Suggestion: Test the strength of your Internet Presence by ‘ego-surfing’, that means googling the name of your business. Where do you rank? If your business is way down the list, it’s time to raise your web-presence and get networking! Twitter away!!

Watch Lauren Luke’s video feature for the BBC here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxy-TxCXH6Y – BBC
Listen to ‘Women entrepreneurs making money online’ here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/03/2009_20_thu.shtml

The latest social media craze has hit the business world in the form of Twitter. It’s been around since April 2007, so it’s not exactly brand new. But over the past 9 months it has been picked up by businesses, big and small, all over the world and is fast becoming a rather nifty marketing tool.

But what is Twitter exactly, and how it is being used in business?

Twitter is officially described as a “micro-blogging service.” It allows a user to send and read other users’ updates, similar to mobile phone texts and instant messaging, but with only 140 characters (the micro part) per tweet (a tweet being one twitter message).

The blogging part comes in because it is driven by a RSS feed, which allows you to read and send your twitter feed in to any medium you desire, for example as a text to your phone, to a widget on your website, to your status update on your facebook page.

But so what?

This sounds all very technical and geeky but what on earth has Twitter got to do with your business?

If you are running a business from home and looking for ways to engage with potential clients, then Twitter has everything to do with your business.

The Internet is no longer a place for teenagers and “them young folk.” The Internet has moved in to, what geeky-tech people like to refer to as, Web 2.0: the next stage of using the Internet where conversations online have never been easier or more important to marketing your business.
Social Media (which is another one of the techy-geek phrases!) refers to the online tools that have moved the internet in to this second phase.

Tools such as facebook, LinkedIn, blogs and online forums are all important Social Media tools that allow you, the business, to showcase your expertise, reach out to potential clients and start to engage in conversations which ultimately win you business.
And this is where Twitter fits in.

Twitter can be used as a marketing tool to generate conversations, irrespective of whether your potential clients understand how to use Twitter or not.

Why is Twitter fast becoming the most talked about online marketing tool?

1. It’s simple. Having only 140 characters takes away the pressure of writing long articles so you can share thoughts, ideas and tips quickly and easily.

2. It’s to the point. 140 characters means you have to write what you mean & don’t get bogged down with flowery, over the top language.

3. It’s quick. Type, click, send and you are published.

4. It can be automated. Feed your blog postings in to your twitter account and set up your tweets in advance using an application called TweetLater and you can be tweeting throughout the day without being there to do it.

5. It’s mobile. Tweet via text messaging or wifi on your phone and it means you don’t have to be desk bound to keep your marketing messages flowing.

6. It’s interactive. Twitter’s feed capabilities means that potential clients who have never heard of twitter can still benefit from your tweets via your website, blog or updating your online networking status.

Having used Twitter since August of last  year, I have to confess to being hooked. Yes, it can be addictive and after a few weeks, I had to put processes in to place to ensure Twitter didn’t end up absorbing hours of time and stopping me from focusing on my business goals.
But Twitter is not just a fad that will come and go. It is certain to grow and develop so it can integrate in to other applications, such as the latest link up with LinkedIn, and there is no doubt that more and more businesses will jump aboard the Twitter train to use it to grow their brands and win more business.

Are you ready to dip your toe in the twitter-water?

________

About the Author: Karen Skidmore helps self-employed professionals and home business owners to create successful (and profitable!) business from home. To subscribe to her free email newsletter and get access to practical advice and marketing ideas that will move your business forward, visit www.CanDoCanBe.com

This is a great simple video that talks about how to use social media as a small business.

Invaluable insights into how social networking is changing the face of small business is at hand, as host Sean Walsh welcomes Robin Grant, MD of We Are Social, to the studio. As well as advice on social media marketing from Robin, we will also hear from Heather Gorringe, founder and director of Wiggly Wigglers. The rural England based natural gardening company recently won the inaugural Global Dell Small Business Excellence Award. Using tools such as Facebook, podcasting and blogging, it serves 90,000 customers worldwide and delivers its products across Europe.

You know there’s something happening when you speak at a business event, mention the benefits of Twitter and, by the time you’re home, have 13 new followers. Twitter is catching on. Fast. And it’s a great little tool for business, if you know how best to use it.

Tweet, tweet

Not only are people signing up to Twitter in their millions, it’s the application on everyone’s lips. In the past two days, popular blog Zen Habits has posted a feature on ‘how to get things done with Twitter’ and copyblogger.com is advising on ‘how to go viral with Twitter.’

The more this micro-blogging platform is spoken about, the more it will continue to catch on. And why not? When Twitter is free, quick to use, and easy to maintain, it’s only right that so many people are opting to post life and business snapshots in 140 characters or less.

Here are some tips on how it can work for you.

Make it easy for people to follow you – display a Twitter feed on your website or blog and include your Twitter identification at the end of presentations and on profiles.

Ease in to it gently – post gradually at first and get comfortable with becoming a micro-blogger. People have told me they don’t feel Twitter is for them. I reply to say that’s how I felt at first. But if you see Twitter for what it is (a useful business tool and social meeting pot) then it soon becomes a useful and enjoyable part of everyday life.

Share your expertise – Twitter is a great outlet for sharing your knowledge. Post links to industry news and snippets and upload your thoughts and ideas. This will enhance your image as an expert and encourage people to buy from you.

Get feedback – asking questions via Twitter will result in almost immediate responses. Journalists post and ask for case studies, pollsters ask for views and on the road homeworkers ask for hotel recommendations.

Join the conversation – make the most of Twitter as a business and social tool. When you work from home it’s good to have a network of chattering contacts that you can step into on a 5 minute break or breather.

I would recommend Twitter to you all. Sign up at twitter.com and find and follow me at emmaljones – I share home business tips…and offer what some believe to be out-of-touch homeworking playlist recommendations!

Note from the editor:  We love twitter… You can also follow us at women_unlimited.  It is worth going to check it out – it’s very easy to do.

I come from a farming background where strong ethics and values were installed, where the work was never finished, women worked as hard as the men and divorce was practically unknown until my parents split when I left home.

So no surprise then when my marriage was crumbling that I chose to ‘stay together for the sake of the children’ for as long as possible. But when a financial crisis hit and my ex-husband refused to downsize to ride it out, I no longer had a choice – I had to divorce him to regain financial control.

That experience took many years and was the springboard for my business. When a friend and business coach starting to call me his ‘divorce coach’ the name stuck and I realised there was a huge number of people out there looking for answers they couldn’t readily find.

People facing or going through divorce want and need answers that traditional divorce support can’t readily supply. These people often need answers fast because the pain of dealing with such huge issues means it is only when they are in a really hard place, with their backs up against the wall, that they ask questions such as ‘Can I stay in the family home?’ and ‘How can I afford to divorce?’ These are huge questions. Traditionally people would either take the problem to a family lawyer or the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. In recent years, however, successive governments withdrawal of community funding for the majority of divorcing people, coupled with the well documented expense of family litigation and a dearth of information available about low-cost mediation solutions has meant that the average person facing serious relationship breakdown is in a very hard place indeed.

There’s something about getting through an acrimonious divorce which makes people sink or swim. I recognised that my new-found expertise had given me a unique perspective on the needs of divorcing people, so I set about creating the services I now knew divorcing and separating people really need: a bridge between what the legal experts supply and the shoulder your best friend might offer (if you’re lucky.) Our services also give the weakest link support to find a voice; this may be the partner without the financial means to ‘fight’ the financial settlement, or the arrangements for the children.

Recognising early that I was breaking a new market with the services I was offering, it was clear that word-of-mouth marketing strategies via the internet and local face-to-face networking were the most cost-effective ways to market my business. Thus began a very steep learning curve of developing a website where I could manage the content and make changes instantly.

Web marketing experts told me I should blog, so I developed one; in 2006 two marketers in the same week suggested I should look at Ecademy.com and I am so glad I did. I have learnt so much from the unique energy inside Ecademy where members largely share and support one another.

Earlier this month a number of members of the club I co-host on Ecademy – the Divorce Coaching and Support Club – got together with other divorce experts in my network to develop our business relationships and discuss how we can help one another leverage our respective businesses.

We are developing strategic alliances which really work across businesses with the aim of really helping couples breaking up. For example, the One-Stop Divorce Workshop I’m running in Wimbledon on 13 September is a unique example of how experts – for example, a family lawyer (Charlotte Adler, herself an Athena member,) financial consultants (including Athena member Gaynor Polirer, a wills and trust expert,) a relationship coach and a family mediator. We are developing a strategic alliance to give separating and divorcing people what they really need and want – good advice and information, fast and at low cost. But we are also human; we care and we want to help which is why people going away from the workshop do so feeling so much happier than when they arrived. One participant said ‘The workshop made me feel more positive. When I arrived I felt as if I was a going to a funeral; when I left I felt a lot more optimistic.’

We divorce coaches are still breaking the divorce coaching market but by leveraging our network on-line and face-to-face we are getting noticed and our clients are spreading the word about how we have helped them. It really does help to be prolific on-line networkers, both on established business networking sites like Ecademy and Linked In and social networking sites like Facebook.

Penny Power, founder of Ecademy writes: ‘In the 21st Century business people do not have to build big business to achieve big results, but they have to start with the right intention and use the tools available to spread the word.’

Whilst it is the internet which will deliver our unique messages to a wide audience, this also needs to be blended with face to face contact and support, best delivered at local level by being part of communities which genuinely believe in helping people – like the Athena network.

As someone who was brought up on a farm without a television (and certainly well before computers – let alone the internet) it’s a great feeling to be part of these communities, albeit far removed from the farming community of my childhood!

—————

About the author:

Kirsten Gronning

The Divorce Coach

t: 020 8123 9046

www.itsMYdivorce.co.uk (in its infancy)

Kirsten Gronning, is regularly approached by coaches and therapists and – increasingly, family lawyers and mediators – to share and develop ideas and experiences. It is a struggle developing a new business concept, especially one which challenges traditional ways of thinking and in her article “Breaking a new market – divorce coaching” Kirsten shares one of the main secrets for success – building strategic alliances through networking.