Learnings from 2012

As glorious as this year has been in many ways, it's also been a far from perfect affair.

Like many of you I began the year with many thoughts, dreams and ideas. None of them driven by any fly-by-night resolutions. These were solid, focused plans all taken from my dreams and hopes for the year, goals to achieve.

Unfortunately the hand of fate has delivered a larger slice of pain than triumphs this year, and I write this having received yet another slice...still I'm not alone and certainly have more than enough to be grateful for, I am everyday.

So I've composed a list of seven points that I'll share with youto keep you warm over the coming months. For next year is another year, and one full of even more promise...

Points to remember:

1. Keep going!
2. You have learnt a lesson with every kick.
3. You are 12 times the person you were in January.
4. Focus on all your great wins this last year, even if they don't feel quite like wins right now.
5. You have learnt so much about yourself and the people around you, use this new found power for good.
6. If you believe,
you can make your dreams come true, however far away they feel.
7. Take action! Wallow, Swallow and Follow...( ie. wallow, allow yourself a small wallow when things go wrong, but quickly swallow some oxygen and click yourself back into gear, and follow your dreams and plans and things will work out for you).

Here's to a cracking 2013...it'll be here sooner than you think

One small leap for business...

As someone who doesn't 'do' heights the prospect of leaping off a balloon 24 miles above the cold and rather solid ground isn't my idea of fun.  In fact sometimes I think the reason I never made the 6 foot tall mark was the sheer determination of my inner self not to be heigh up rather than my genes.

So when Felix Baumgartner stood on the platform and lept I wasn't envious.  Or at least I shouldn't have been....

What Felix did in stunning hd action was something that everyone who has ever started a business has done.  You stood on the platform and lept.

I think that's why I was strangely drawn to that platform.  It brought to life the 'leap', that moment that separates the players from the wannanbees.  The moment that someone considers the risks and decides it's time to take the chance.

Speaking regularly with clients, friends, family and many many enterprising people I'm amazed at just how significant this 'leap' is.  Certainly not in an arrogant way, what I mean is that 'the leap' is what bonds fellow entrepreneurs together, that tacit understanding that means we don't need to speak about 'the leap'...we get on talking about everything else.  Yet for those who haven't taken 'the leap' it often takes on a huge amount more significance.

"You're so brave, I could never take the leap"
"I'd love to work for myself, but I just get scared of the leap" 
"I'm just not ready to take the leap just yet"

Just a couple of the lines that have been said to me in recent conversations.  Don't get me wrong, the little boost of self-esteem that I get whenever I hear these kind of lines is fantastic.  As it should be for all those brave souls that have taken the leap and set up businesses of all shapes and sizes.  The tacit understanding between us 'leapers' means we don't give ourselves the credit for just how significant such a step is.

And that is just the start of the business journey, which can feel like you've stepped off a 24 mile high balloon....Travelling at breakneck speed, not quite sure if you're heading in the right direction, not able to see or hear your instruments, you're visor misting up so you can't even enjoy the view or know when to push your shoot and hopefully the relief of making it to your goal in one piece.

But sometimes, even though the conditions aren't quite perfect, there comes a time you've just got to leap.

Coffee Shops and Full Stops

Coffee shop etiquette.

Just how long is too long? 

I mean the current trend for transposing your whole office to a coffee shop, taking advantage of free wifi and the good old British politeness to drink less cups of coffee than you'd probably manage to get through at the office...whilst taking up a full table of course.

How long can you manage before guilt drives you back to the counter to replace that un-naturally stone cold cup? Would you avoid a coffee shop that didn't have free wifi or restricted the use by time?

I'm going to ponder that question myself...over a brew






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A Memory; 15th April 1989

15th April 1989

I'm not always the best at remembering times, dates and places.  When people talk about 'JFK' moments I sometimes wonder how they possibly remember such detail.  But I do remember the circumstances 23 years ago.  I was at a football match.

10 years old, and 8 months into my first season with a proper season ticket I was with my dad at the game.  Oldham v Sunderland, a game that finished.  It finished 2-2, and I now know carried very little significance for either side, but for the 10 year old me every game was a huge event.

I sat in my seat in the Martins Stand, a stand that no longer exists at Boundary Park, the stand I spent so many hours of my formative football supporting years.  Gazing down on the hallowed plastic turf, it was the sounds and smells of those years that I still hold to this day.  The heady mix of pastry, mixed with 5,000 musty coats, bovril and a cloud of cigarette, cigar and pipe smoke.

Pushing through the tight corridor that ran below the stand, Waggon Wheel (which was huge in those days) and spearmint tab chewing gum in hand I'd turn to my left and head up towards the light at the top of the concrete staircase.  That small staircase seemed to be soundproofed, the buzz of noise hitting me as emerged from the gloom.

I was always aware of the mass of blue metal that surrounded the terraces.  Indeed, I doubt I'm alone in having many fond memories of the cages and barriers at games, especially for those of a similar age.  Many a time the back overhang of the perimeter fence made a fantastic climbing frame in my early days stood on the Chaddy End.  To me, the mass of metal at a football ground was a playground, not a potential death trap.

Even in the relatively small crowds at Oldham I'd stood on the same terrace in previous seasons and felt the surge of the crowd as one of our hero's on the pitch fired a shot fizzing into the net.  Allied to the joy of a goal, the surge of the crowd was an exhilarating experience.

Still I stood that day in the relative comfort of the upper tier of the Martins Stand, looking down on the home terrace, the Chaddy End and on the fans massing together.  I made my way up to my solid, squeaking seat.  Shortly after, the game with Sunderland started.

Less than 10 mins into the game I noticed for the first time my dad speaking with the gents around us.  I heard something, "Liverpool and Forest", I knew it was the FA Cup semi-final that day...had someone scored dad?  An incident on our pitch took my attention.  What was going on?  The click and buzz of transistor radios seemed to be louder than I'd ever heard during a game before.  Normally that was a sound saved for half-time. 

Back to the game, a chance, a tackle I was in the moment.  More strange conversations, phrases like "has a wall collapsed?", "on the pitch", "fans injured" caught my attention again.  What's happened dad?  Nobody really knew, a mass of half conversations becoming rumour and crackly transistor signals couldn't convey a clear story.  My dad wasn't sure what to tell me, too many differing stories.

Something had gone wrong, we both knew that much for sure.

At some point an announcement came over the PA system with some news from the FA Cup Semi-Final match.  There'd been a crowd incident, people were dead and injured.  I could hear the tone of the conversations change around me.

None of us truly knew what had happened, but we immediately knew that 30 miles away, at a football match just like ours, some people wouldn't be walking away from Hillsborough stadium.

96 didn't.

Apprentice Funny Bits Series 8 Episode 3

Matt Edmonson's Funny Bits Apprentice Series 8 Episode 3

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00qrnwd

A Saucy Little Number; Apprentice Series 8 Episode 3

Clichés aplenty time, after all it was condiment making week.  So who cut the mustard?  Who needs to ketchup?  Who needs to pepp-r up their performance?  I’ll move on!

At last Katie revealed herself to the Jedi, taking on her true role as Emperor...sorry I mean project manager.  Leading the remainder of the boys team with all the skill of a silent assassin. (no I still don’t know what that means either).  Whatever it was, it didn’t work out anyway.  Another loss chalked up on her record, though she once again escaped in a pod with sub-team leader Michael taking the firing.

Michael, probably made one mistake in the entire episode and that was positioning himself in Katie eyeline when selecting someone to lead the sub-team.  Should that team have sold more? Yes for sure.  Were they on a bit of a hiding to nothing? Definitely.

Just how product billed as mass market can be that when production ‘errors’ mean there are so few is a puzzler.  Regular readers will know I enjoy a good saying or two, and here’s another one that came true... “Too many cooks spoil the broth” or in this case a rather sour tasting not quite tomato sauce.  Ricky “The Shark” Martin, possibly distracted by the splashing of nearby bather, failed to get to grips with a fairly straightforward production process.  It left Katie no other choice than to increase the trade price to a level as unpalatable as the sauce itself. 

Oh and did I happen to mention the carefully chosen brand name for said sauce, Bellissimo, was also spelt wrongly.  “Bellissimo is spelt wrong”...the first four words out of the mouth of the 1^st trade buyer, not a great start to any pitch.

Not that dynamic Duane and his team did much better.  In fact we almost saw Nick Hewer carrying out CPR on the brave team leader after sampling a rather large mouthful of the first batch of their Pineapple and Chilli Chutney.  To his credit Duane headed to a corner to remove the contents from his gullet, though this did appear less than voluntary.  It was more Duane Dibbly, than The Cat.  If only he was carrying a thermos.

The firing was textbook use of Sith powers from Katie, who at least couldn’t be accused of hiding this week.  Whilst she at least put up a defence that even the Ewoks would’ve admired, Ricky ‘La vida Loca’ Martin revealed his true inner animal...chocolate rabbit.  He melted at the first sign of Lord Sugars’ dragon breath, yet it was Michael who returned to his own self-made kitchen empire. Well you know what they say “ if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”...as long as that isn’t your own Kitchen business.

Star of the Week: Duane Bryan – By default really this time.  It was a rank bad week for everyone else.

Got Lucky: Ricky “The Shark” Martin. Failed on the production line and that was the one major problem in the whole task.

Heading for a Fall: Jenna Whittingham. You get the feeling she’s one slight slip away from a firing.

For Twitter updates on The Apprentice don't forget to follow me @simonbrooke

The Apprentice Funny Bits Series 8 Episode 2

Matt Edmonson's Funny  Bits from Episode 2 of The Apprentice

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00qgyf9

Splash Down; Apprentice Series 8, Episode 2

You snooze, you lose.  In the tough world of The Apprentice selection sleep is for wimps, losers and obviously purple eyed restaurant owners.

Whether it was a dastardly use of Sith powers by Katie (see last week’s blog) or a badly timed one woman sleep experiment, you got the feeling there was always only going to be one candidates head on the chopping block once ‘Sleepgate’ occurred.  After all, 1^st reply to everything in the boardroom to Maria O'Connor...”well at least I wasn’t asleep”.  Game, set, matchsticks!

It was another loss for the girls in a task they collectively failed to impress on.  From the original idea generation where they pretty much ignored the brief to create a gadget and instead created some kind of plastic waterproof force-field, to the disastrous pitches and a frankly terrible boardroom defence.  There was a lack of any quality in the team, and it wouldn’t have been surprising to have lost more than one of the girls team.  The particularly broad Lancastrian tones of Jenna were as pleasant on the ear as the sound of an angry parent scraping waterproof crayon off the rest of a bath not covered by Splish Splash screen.  (and that’s coming from a proud and broad Lancastrian!)

Fundamentally their product solved a problem that wasn’t even there; in fact they may just have created two more.  Their genius idea was to create a shield to corral children into a corner of the bath whilst distracting them with waterproof crayons.  I’m not sure if the London riots were happening at the time of filming, but that solution may be something worth considering by the Met should anything happen again. 

Of course, the inability of the girls’ team to make an early decision left them with a poor choice of rooms for solving a problem in.  The boys quick choice of kitchen certainly left them the better options, and thanks to Duane the created an ideal kitchen gadget.  Ideal in the sense that it’s one of those “must have for a month” kind of gadgets.  You know the kind, the ones that we all see in the Betterware catalogue, decide you cannot do without and then within 2 months it’s gathering dust at the back of a cupboard (hopefully with crushed cabbage already removed). 

The boys brought home the victory mainly due to the complete disarray of the girls, whose project manager Jane must win the prize for most ambitiously flawed pitch to a buyer ever.  1 million units...only if he’d been drinking that many before the meeting.

The boys also won despite the poor project management of Azhar Siddique.  In another week of animal references Azhar ‘committed’ killer whale went head to head with Ricky ‘The Shark’ Martin.  It was a battle that the producers of Frozen Planet will no doubt be looking to add to the schedules.  That would be if it wasn’t for the fact that neither the shark nor the killer whale resembled anything like their predatory cousins. In fact for those of you that saw the awe-inspiring BBC documentary, both Azhar and Ricky are more akin to the poor seal trapped on the ice flow by the team of Killer Whales.  It really is a matter of ‘if not when’ a wave of reality will smash them off their fragile ice home.

In such tasks the product is key, and getting great ideas initially is the only chance you have of getting a good product. 

Star of the Week: Duane Bryan – He’s the first really star of this year’s series. Saved a dying pitch with a passionate sell of his idea.

Got Lucky: Jenna Whittingham. The Preston girl completely messed up the figures, and only ‘sleepgate’ really saved her.

Heading for a Fall: Katie Wright. Her Sith powers could be fading, named again in the boardroom fight-out.

For Twitter updates on The Apprentice don't forget to follow me @simonbrooke

One special business lesson from Bubba Watson

On Sunday night UK time, American golfer Bubba Watson won the first major of the year, the US Masters and claimed one of the most recognisable pieces of sports clothing the green jacket. 

For non-golf buffs thinking of switching off at this point just hold on.  For those who prefer their movies, think of Bubba as Happy Gilmore, he hits the ball almost as far.  Bubba taught us all one of the most valuable lessons that anyone can learn in business.  Be that running one, or just playing your part in working within one.

Having finished the final round level with Louis Oosthuizen the two players went head to head on a sudden death play-off hole.  Having drawn the first hole, the players both hit horrible tee shots at the 2^nd play-off hole.  Oosthuizen got slightly luckier, his ball appearing in light rough with a decent chance of making the green on his 2^nd shot.  Bubba was in trouble, his ball landing well off the fairway in the trees with no direct sight to the green.  Oosthuizen 2^nd shot wasn’t great, but Bubba looked like he would need 2 shots to make the green.  Step forward Bubba who produced an amazing sliced shot that bent around the trees and landed on the green within feet of the hole. 

Thanks to that amazing shot he left himself 2 putts to claim the US Masters trophy and join legends of sport including Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Faldo, Ballesteros and many more.

So what can we learn from Bubba, apart from believing that even the impossible is possible.
 
Well, Bubba never had golf lessons, he hasn’t got a textbook swing, and indeed he never changes a thing if he can help it.  There is no sports psychologist, no entourage of highly paid coaches and fitness trainers.  In fact when he first showed any inclination for the game of golf, his father just told him to go out, swing and do his own thing.

Here is a man who in his own way, and with his own methods has developed a way to succeed.  His golf swing, as unkempt as his hair, has led him to one of the biggest prizes in golf.  So what can we all learn from Bubba?

He’s a man who works hard every day determined to succeed and he’s done it in his own way.

The Apprentice Funny Bits Series 8 Episode 1

Apprentice Episode One Funny Bits





Matt Edmonson's hilarious take on The Apprentice episode

Animal Magic; Apprentice Series 8 Episode 1

There was a time when the world had a sepia tone.  It was the Victorian era, it was mostly black and white (I’ve seen the photos!) and every year a travelling circus would roll into town.

Now, one of the main attractions was a freak show, basically a collection of some of the weirdest people that the circus master could track down.  They all had their own special ‘freakyness’, and yet all equally beautiful in their own way.

Well no longer do we have to queue up to walk past such a collection, the circus masters at the Apprentice never let us down.

So to episode one, which in the style of Friends I’ll refer to as ‘The One with the Tartan Curtains’, which will become obvious later.

The candidates were brimming with the usual blend of bravado, adrenalin and testosterone, and that was just the girls.  What was obvious was that this year the candidates seem to have been asked to compare themselves to an animal.  The episode was full of animal references from Ricky ‘LavidaLoca’ Martin describing himself as a shark - the apex predator through all manner of killer whales, penguins, ducks and bears. 

It certainly inspired the girls team choice of team name.  I am 99% sure that Jenna was referring to a Starling (the bird) in her broad Prestonian accent and not the boring Sterling name that it was mistaken for.  After all it came to her in a dream.

It was a classic-ly appalling display from both teams with no one really shining yet on either side.  The boys products, though inferior in quality were pitched perfectly for quick sales as they identified a key market quickly in terms of tourists.  The girls meanwhile produced a beautiful, if somewhat quirky, product and indeed brand that was always going to restrict their potential sales.  In the hare and tortoise race the girls would’ve won, but the Apprentice episodes are a time for hares! (sorry I seem to be effected by animals too now!!).

Duane seems to have something about him, and unfortunately Bilyana seemed to be manoeuvring herself to being a potential Lord Sugar favourite until her own untimely intervention. 

For the Bulgarian born risk analyst, never could the old Abraham Lincoln saying...

“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.”

...been so appropriate with Bilyana talking herself into a firing.  It makes you wonder if Katie ‘Silent Assassin’ (but useless) Wright is already displaying Jedi powers that Jedi Jim could only dream of.  It was 3 episodes of Star Wars until they discovered that Chancellor Palpatine was an evil Sith Lord, maybe that is what Katie is.  Suddenly her playful description of herself being the ‘silent assassin’ is taking on some dark undertones.  Keep watching episode 3 I say, when Duane and Katie will duel with lightsabers atop the Guerkin building.

And so to the Tartan Curtains.  I’m no fashion expert but Bilyana’s choice of ‘battle dress’ on selling day would’ve looked more in place at an ‘accurate’ historic re-enactment of Braveheart, Hollywood style.  Her march to the shops complete with sales tray firmly in place would’ve scared the life out of those ancient English Londoners, if only Bonny Prince Charlie had thought of that history could’ve been so much different.  That is possibly the real reason why the unfortunate sales assistant in the shop was really upset.  It wasn’t because of the unprofessional and embarrassing way the girls sub-team harangued and harassed her into a decision.  It was a primeval fear that a B-movie re-creation of Braveheart was about to take place on her doorstep.

Her departure was unfortunate, but confirms, if it was needed, one of Lord Sugars considerations for the new formats of finding someone he can partner with.  Incessant chatter is something he can seriously do without.

Star of the Week: Katie Wright – she hasn’t used her Sith powers on me at all I promise

Got Lucky: Katie Wright. She was gone until Bilyana’s intervention.  But I don’t mean that, she’s great really and definitely hasn’t used her Sith powers on me.

Heading for a Fall: Katie Wright. She definitely didn’t make me say her name again, and she most certainly hasn’t used her Sith mind control powers on me.

For Twitter updates on The Apprentice don't forget to follow me @simonbrooke

Chapter 1. 1986, Mexico, Pear Drops and Thighs

Pear Drops. 

Their yellow and red halves and distinctive perfumed smell brings back one memory for me, good work stamps delivered by Mr Broadhurst. 

Mr Broadhurst was a wonderful headteacher at my primary school in Chadderton a small historic town in Oldham, Lancashire.  An archetypal head, his presence in a classroom commanded respect and however itchy the carpet tiles were you sat in silence whilst he delivered whatever news he needed to.  I never knew how old he was.  To an 8 year old boy I had two real guides to the age of adults my Dad and my grandparents.  To me Mr Broadhurst was an age somewhere in between which by deduction now would put him older than 34 and younger than 66.  Not exactly narrow, but you know what I mean.  He always wore a suit, though I do remember the odd occasion when he was jacket-less with sleeves rolled up, mainly school sports day when the slightly musky smelling hessian sacks were taken out of the PE cupboard (a store room with a beige crinkly ‘concertina’ door) and taken to the playing field for the sack race.  Mr Broadhurst had a Theo Paphitis style hairline and a friendly, but stern face. 

I only remember one occasion when I ended up at the Headmasters office, but for the life of me I can’t remember why.  I’d like to think it was on account of something brilliant I’d done, but I know it wasn’t.  After all when you’d done something good there was a system hard wired into the school processes.  It was quickly learnt by every pupil from the day you walked through the green-painted iron gates and involved Pear Drops!

Having run my own Sweet Shop I can confirm to all of you that these were what are known as ‘Northern’ Pear Drops.   Obviously being northern and eight years old I knew them only as Pear Drops, and coming from a family where sweets really were a treat I had very little other contact with them.  You’ll know the sweets I mean, a fantastically perfumed smell, kind of sweet and so distinctive.  They had one red side and one yellow side magically stuck together in the shape of a conference pear.  For those of you still interested, ‘Southern’ Pear Drops are slightly smaller and instead of having a red half and a yellow half, they tend to come in a mix of red sweets and yellow sweets.  To me these aren’t Pear Drops.  I’ve seen the biggest Pear Drop in the world at Oswaldtwistle Mills in Accrington and it has a red half and a yellow half, now that is a Pear Drop!

Each time I get a whiff of that lovely sweet smell it is linked to happiness, success and red ink. 

The reason for this was purely down to Mr Broadhurst and the ‘Good Work’ stamp.  Distant memory prevents me from being sure as to how often Mr Broadhurst would leave his office and venture into the 8 classrooms, 3 kg jar of Pear Drops under his arm but I’m sure it was once a week, a Friday in fact.  Working away in our exercise books each week, adding, learning our times-tables, spelling, story writing we’d hand the books over to our teacher after every exercise and hope with each delivery we’d see a tick (in red ink).  If we’d managed to impress by some unknown force that had elevated our scribes to Einstein-like levels there’d be an even more glorious sight...two ticks!  Two ticks, our pass to rewards beyond our wildest dreams.  It was our very own Golden Ticket, granting us an audience with our very own Willy Wonka with none of the songs and a lot less hair than Gene Wilder (still the best Wonka).  Two ticks meant the classroom visit by Mr Broadhurst that Friday was going to involve you. 

You had performed so well that you, and hopefully a couple of others, (you don’t want to look like a swot) had the pleasure of lining up to present your exercise book to receive both a Pear Drop and a ‘Good Work’ stamp in your book.  You’d cracked it, a friendly ‘well done’ from Mr Broadhurst unregistered as the senses were overtaken by the hard boiled, sugar coated reward that you popped straight into your mouth so as not to risk dropping on the triumphant walk back to your desk; admired by all around you (ok so maybe just ignored because they didn’t get a sweet). 

I’m pretty sure it was my parents and their emphasis on academic achievement that meant I generally performed well at school, but I’m not ruling out that it may just have been that addictive combination of sugar and glory that drove me on for the next 10 years.  Like a dog belonging to Pavlov I still feel the need to write my times tables accurately in an exercise book whenever I scent a Pear Drop.

It was against this background of academic achievement and sugar rushes that I discovered the one love in my life that has remained constant since those heady days in 1986.  It was August 1986, just before term started at Christ Church, Chadderton that my dad made a decision that I’ve come to love him and loathe him for in equal measure ever since.  He won’t take offence at that, after all he’s a football fan, he knows where I’m coming from.

1986 will hold significance for most football fans, after all it is a World Cup year.  One of those summers that every football fan in the country avoids organising any social event for June on the basis that this may just be the year England finally get their act together.  People in the bubble that is top football these days miss this significance.  They miss the fact that many of us fans will have gone through several arguments, much heartache and having to make excuses to cousin Stacey as to why you will have to duck out of the wedding 3 hours early in order to watch another 0-0 draw against the might of a pumped up Tunisia.  Travelling 3000 miles to Qatar or wherever pales into insignificance against the hours of stress we’ve undertaken just to tune in to see 11 prima-donas feeling a  bit bothered because they’ve not been allowed to spend 36 consecutive hours playing the latest console game.

The days of 1986 were slightly different though, especially when you were 8. 

Fans of a certain age and older will remember the days when wall to wall coverage of the beautiful game were merely a spark in an Australian media-magnates eye.  Football knowledge was something to be proud of. 

Certain key (if ultimately useless) facts were passed down from football encyclopaedia to Shoot or Match magazine.  Manchester United used to be Newton Heath, Arsenal’s Highbury ground had the Marble Hall, the FA Cup winners from 1977 to 1986 were... . 

I’d learnt what the offside trap was from my dad and watching him play on a Saturday morning on the muddy playing fields around Oldham, and the glorious annuals, magazines and Skills, Tricks and Tactics books with distinctive illustrations.  There weren’t countless ex-footballer lining up with every clichéd sound-bite about zonal marking, tactical naivety or pressing game.  We learnt what we did through the occasional sneaky Match of the Day viewing, books and word of mouth. 

As for branding and marketing, these were things that Coca-Cola and Amstrad did.  Football teams sold advertising boards at the ground and sponsorship on shirts – that was it.

There weren’t endless column inches and TV stories on the World Cup football design and how it was tested.  It was just the ball and you kicked it.

Generally as a boy under the age of 11 the only footballs we got to play with were Mitre size 4 pimples (not their real name).  These were the footballs that are the stuff of nightmares still for many 30 somethings.  Anyone reading this who had the pleasure of playing a game with these balls will know exactly what I mean.  Especially those that ever had the pleasure of playing on a cold, wet day and being approximately 2 yards away from the lad with the hardest shot on the opposition.  The feel of ball hitting sub-zero temperature exposed thigh was bad enough, but the distinctive red ball-shaped slap mark it left in said area came with free pimple imprints and if you got it right, the Mitre logo tattooed in broken skin was lasting.

By the summer of 1986 I’d reached 8 years old and my interest in football had begun.  I’d played it for hours for many years before then, I’d read about it, but I this was far more interesting than anything viewing of it.  I still maintain that 8 years old (possibly 7) is the healthy age for any young child to begin their football journey.  For one thing you can remember stuff after the age of 7.  Before that age I have flashes of memories, but these are always fleeting.  By the age of 7 I had timelines and a curiosity to discover more about this most enthralling of games. By the summer of 1986 I also had another essential tool in the armoury of any aspiring football follower, a Panini sticker album.  But more on that later.

I’d watched the 1986 FA Cup final between Liverpool and Everton and for some reason felt disappointed Everton had lost.  That was the final when an Ian Rush shot knocked down the camera as it hit the back of the net.  I don’t know why I felt anything about this game, my family have no connection with either club, but I think it must have been an instinctive feel for the team in blue.  Well that and my mum’s love of Gary Lineker’s thighs which she continues to mention to this day.  I think I wanted Gary to be on the winning team just for my mum’s benefit.

The mind of a football fan is one that is puzzling for many non-followers.  Whatever team we support we generally share some key memories, things that qualify the real football fans from those ‘fashionable followers’.  These are:

• The First FA Cup final you watched (all day coverage!)
• The First World Cup you watched (and supported a team at)
• The First game you went to (and were old enough to remember it)

All three of those happened to me in 1986.  My first FA Cup (I remember watching the whole day of coverage just like it used to be) was Liverpool v Everton.  My first World Cup was Mexico 1986 with Lineker, Bobby Robson and Maradonna.  Last but certainly not least was my first Oldham Athletic game on Saturday 30^th August at Boundary Park against the might of Hull City.

10 Days to a New You (Social Media-wise)

It’s the time of year when we are all looking ahead at the months stretching in front of us and planning just what we do when.  Thoughts are already on booking holidays, bikini diets and sporting summers.  Likewise now is a great time to take a look at your Social Media (or consider it if you haven’t got anything going) and make some changes.

Here’s a simple 10 steps that can transform your Social Media, and they only need take a day each to get started.

1.  Create a Plan

It sounds simple, but it is the crucial 1^st step to improving your Social Media performance.  Take some time to consider what you want to happen in 2012.  Think about your target audience, top customers, your market, your competitors and what you want to achieve.  If you have existing Social Media channels review these, what have you done with them so far, how have they performed, what could you have improved, what lessons have you learnt.  Your plan for 2012 should be simple and most importantly take a realistic account of things like the time you will commit to Social Media in 2012 and how you want to measure your performance.

2.  Create a Knowledge Bank

However knowledgeable we are about our subject/business/hobby we still need a super source of information and expertise to fall back on.  By identifying key sources of fresh information on your market/area of expertise and doing simple things such as creating email folders, favourite bookmarks and any number of ‘notes’ systems.  Simple tools such as Google alerts can deliver daily feeds of information in all kinds of formats without you having to search.  Use these tools, create a knowledge bank and you will have a constant stream of fantastic information to help your Social Media efforts.

3.  Learn all about it

There are many tools of Social Media and though you won’t be expected to know how they all work intimately it is certainly in your interest to get to know the tools and how they work.  Take some time to learn how each one works individually, it will help you when you look back at the plan you made in step one.  One thing that may help with this is...

4.  Get Advice

Let’s face it there are now almost as many Social Media ‘experts’ out there as there are users of the tools.  This isn’t a bad thing, as many can ensure you get the results you need quicker and without the many mistakes they will have spent time making.  A good Social Media adviser will be able to simply outline the tools and consider your business objectives to direct you to the best tools for you.  LinkedIn isn’t going to bring your £1 stall thousands of sales a day, and equally Facebook may not suit your niche manufacturing consultancy.  What is crucial is that the experts give you the guidance/coaching you need to feel comfortable with Social Media.  In fact that is a great thought, find a Social Media coach not a know it all ‘Expert’.

5.  Who are You?

Your online persona is the single most important component in your Social Media.  Developing this persona is the starting point for all your subsequent activity.  That isn’t to say you need to suddenly become someone else.  However, there are degrees of yourself you can develop, show or not show and this will dictate the kind of messages/conversations you have.  People you interact will quickly get a feel of who you are and what you stand for.  So make some time to decide what it is you want this to be.  This may even follow the persona of your company brand.

6.  Be A Helpful You

It is vital that your online persona is you.  Social media carries transparency at it’s core, it thrives on real people having real interactions.  So interact, be genuine, be authentic and most importantly be helpful.  You will quickly find that other users of Social Media will be drawn to you if you are helpful, polite and genuine.  Your online persona is you, and people need to know there is a genuine person there behind the screen.

7.  Stand Out

Have you considered how your various Social Media sites look?  Have you got the standard template for your Twitter background?  Is your Facebook page just a boring old photo?  There are millions of users of social media and finding a way to stand out is tough.  However, there are ways to make your profile stand out that much more, or at least be memorable enough.  You should also look at ensuring a consistency across the various sites/tools.  People should know that it is you wherever they find you.

8.  Connect with the right people

The best way to get to know what works in your area of expertise is by finding leaders and key influencers in that same area.  Spend time searching for them, observing what they are talking about, how they are interacting.  Join in conversation where appropriate and before you know it you could be getting your own share of interactions.  Take time to research who the leaders and influencers are that will most benefit you or your business. It’s all well and good being followed by half of the local college, but just 1 influential follower more than beats 500 ‘messers’.

9.  Interact

Social Media is about interaction.  That means two things, the first is being interactive with your various networks.  Reply to tweets, comment on blogs (especially written by influencers), join discussions on LinkedIn, use hashtags, post questions, and if someone asks you a question give them an answer.  Secondly, look at even more interactive ways of communicating.  Try creating videos (vlogs), presentations on Slideshare, podcasts and webinars.  All of which create an even stronger bond between you and your network.

10. Get Publicity

We aren’t necessarily talking a PR campaign to promote your twitter feed.  All around the internet are many influential bloggers, media contacts and digital media writers.  Take some time to identify some of these people and think about how your business or a specific piece of news fits with them.  How can your expertise or company help people, or even better, make life easier for them to do their jobs.  Get writing articles, How To’s, blogs, press releases basically anything that shows off your expertise.  Having these to hand when a relevant issue breaks means you can swing into action before others.  Providing great quality means they’ll see you as a good person to know.  Also, think about how events impact on your area of expertise.  When a newsworthy event happens, be the first to react with a thoughtful piece.

There we have it, 10 simple steps to creating a more impressive social media presence.  Ok some of the steps may require a little longer than a day, but by making a start on each activity you will quickly find your social media presence improving.

What the PFA Chairman had to say on Social Media

Those of you who read my article on how football clubs can benefit from Social Media saw just how important it is for clubs and players to embrace social media.  As a communication tool, Social Media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook offer clubs of all sizes the opportunity to stretch increasingly tight marketing budgets whilst increasing the interaction with fans and more importantly securing the fans of the future.

There is no doubt that football isn’t alone in its slowness to embrace Social Media, however that is changing.  Certainly the players themselves are already seeing the potential of the tools and the additional rewards it can bring financially, personal brand-wise and that human connection.  They are, perhaps most importantly, alive to the potential of such an area. 

PFA Chairman and current Preston North End defender, Clarke Carlisle certainly took an interest in my article.  Speaking to me, Clarke was definite about just how important Social Media is for football in general.  In response to my article Clarke said...

“Interesting view on the social media from a fan's perspective, I can see how they feel under-appreciated by the approach of many clubs.

We are continuing to impress on players and clubs the importance of knowledge about social media, and responsible usage, but also, like the blog alluded to, the unbelievable potential of this technological age.

The most salient point though, by a country mile, is the relevance of it all to the player/fan of tomorrow. My daughter is 13 and is on her 3^rd smartphone already! This is the media of now, of today and of the future generations and we, as an entire industry, need to get to grips with that, quick sticks!”  Clarke Carlisle, Twitter Jan 2012

Social Media can be an essential tool for everyone involved in football.  Clubs such as Manchester City are already demonstrating just how effectively social media can enhance marketing operations at clubs.  Endless supplies of marketing budget I hear you cry!  Not at all, social media, used correctly can effectively double any clubs marketing budget/resource without costly outlays.

What is certainly lacking in football at the moment is that knowledgebase about Social Media.  As Clarke Carlisle alluded to responsible usage is the ‘worry’ at the moment, whereas what everyone involved in the game should be focusing on is the potential of Social Media. 

My previous article layed out some simple steps any Football Club should be following to begin to benefit from Social Media.  It will be a long process to get everyone on board.

Ps.  Thank you to Clarke Carlisle for his comments.

Social Media Lessons Every Football Club Should Know

2011 was without doubt the year that social media really placed itself at the heart of football.  Our national game has begun to be dominated by the Facebook and Twitter ramblings of footballers from all divisions, directors, owners and ex-pros.  Some like Joey Barton and Rio Ferdinand have taken to Twitter like white paint to grass, and in era when our footballing heroes are further away from your average fan than ever before, it has added a new dimension to the relationship between players and fans.

It hasn’t all been a positive experience, but the very fact that so many incidents of social media fau-pars have made headlines has merely served to accelerate the importance of this new media to the game.

Certainly football clubs could benefit hugely from social media, more so than they are doing at the moment.  Even the most active football club Twitter accounts / Facebook pages are 99% broadcasts AT their loyal supporters.  Businesses up and down the country would kill for the kind of loyalty, advocacy and support that football clubs get from their fans, yet feel it is ok to link their various social media platforms together and just churn broadcast after news item after sales message out.  Many of them mistake reaction to these, and comments against articles as them successfully building their social media networks.  It isn’t. 

Social Media is about having a conversation and entering into interactions.  It isn’t just about having a Facebook page or a Twitter account.  With the sheer amount of loyalty to them, football clubs could be gaining so much more from their social media and translating this into real bottom line gains.  Plus, it costs so little.

5 things a football club social media strategy should include:

Player / Staff knowledge

With several high-profile incidents happening on Twitter in particular last year, it isn’t unusual that clubs such as Wolverhampton Wanderers and the powerhouse of Barcelona have brought in legal advisers to speak to players on their use of Social Media.  As a marketer it makes me cringe that the first people clubs are turning to are the lawyers. 
A better idea would be to engage good Social Media advisers to work with the staff and create not just a Social Media Policy, but also to give the full picture to them.  The blanket banning of Social Media is just not going to work.  Better for the players and staff to understand the medium and also understand the impact of how they use it.  After all, there are great gains that can be made by players and staff if they get it right.  And yes I am talking financially.

Interaction with Fans

Social Media has opened up a wonderful (and very cheap) way for football clubs at all levels to speak to their fanbase like never before.  This is where clubs need to get away from thinking about Social Media in terms of just a Facebook or Twitter feed.
By appreciating that Social Media can and should be woven into the fabric of the marketing and operation of the club, it is obvious to see just how clubs can improve their decision making.  How do we improve our programme (to sell more)?  What flavour of pie should we introduce?  What do you think about this kit design?  What promotion would you like?  What type of hospitality package would you love?

Basic questions yes, but these are just a flavour.  In any other business customer feedback is key to making good business decisions that impact the bottom line.  Football clubs cannot afford to ignore this.

Involve fans more

Everyday a football fan somewhere is creating content about their club.  Each club has hundreds if not thousands of loyal brand ambassadors who would be willing to contribute to helping out their club.  Businesses already have blogger outreach programmes with loyal customers creating content on their favourite brand.  Football clubs should be making more of these opportunities.  Pitchside reporters, tweet chats with favourite players, blogs, unofficial match reports could all be leveraged by football clubs to maximise their brand exposure across the web and thereby improve their presence.  Why not challenge fans to make their own ‘day of the game’ reports and feature the best ones in the clubs YouTube channel.

Get Creative

Sure, as fans we need an official source for our club news, and we all want this in different ways.  So broadcasting official news across all Social Media is a good move.  But to stop there is, as explained above, only the first rung on the Social Media ladder.  The next step is to get creative and always be on the lookout for opportunities to evolve your Social Media output and include it in every aspect.  The Manchester City ‘Tunnel Cam’ is a fantastic example of this.  The significance of which may be lost on the powers that be at a football club.  The reason for this is they spend most of their working week at the club, they’ve probably been in the tunnel before a game.  However, 99% of fans only get one view of the ground on match day and that is from their seat.  Creating ‘behind the scenes’ footage, the chairmans blog, or training ground videos all have the chance of going viral.  Whatever you choose, always be on the lookout for ways of including Social Media in every aspect of the club.

Act Now

There is undoubtedly a mistrust in many football club boardrooms over Social Media, and this is understandable given the high-profile spats and often secretive nature of boardroom decisions.  However, football clubs should remember that the fans of tomorrow are the generation of youngsters who are currently being brought up with their hands on a smartphone.  Creating engaging Social Media now ensures that the club will continue to benefit for a long time to come.

And if any football club needs some help creating ideas then I'm certainly available and well up for the challenge.

Overcoming Writers Block on Your Blog; 3 Tips

What’s the first thing you did this morning when you switched your pc/laptop/tablet on?

I’m guessing you checked your emails.  Or at the very least scanned the total in your inbox to see by how many it had increased since yesterday (or earlier this morning if you were burning the midnight oil).  Am I wrong?
Ok, so if you didn’t check your emails I bet you went straight to your favourite website or some other ‘habitual’ place.  Don’t worry I’m not watching you, nor am I the new Derren Brown, it’s just something we all do.

Let me ask another question.  At some point over the last week how many times have you had an opinion about something?  Quite a number I would hazard a guess, and equally how many times have you thought ‘I should write that down’?  I have and I suspect I’m not alone in these thoughts.  I sometimes worry I’m having a seriously high number of ‘senior moments’ for someone in their thirties, such is frequency I forget what it is I was going to write.

However I’m beginning to realise that the reason for what I politely term ‘bloggers block’ (and impolitely harangue myself about) is more to do with the habits I’ve formed over years of working at a computer.

So some simple tips to overcome bloggers block and make a start on that company/personal blog you’ve always wanted to write:

Start your day different

We all need to check emails, after all it could be a new sale, a customer that wants a reply or 10% off at Krispy Kreme.  But how about for once, maybe only one day a week you (horror of horrors) switch your machine on and instead of going straight for the emails, you pause open Word or some other writing programme and get writing.  Don’t worry if you haven’t got a clear idea of your article, just the process of ‘brain dumping’ your thoughts on a subject can make things a whole lot clearer.

Get some inspiration

Sometimes you’ll have a fantastic idea on an article you want to write.  Other times you’ll know what you want to say, but you’re missing some bits.  Don’t despair, get the thoughts down you’ve had and then have a search round.  Try searching for your subject, check a couple of books, maybe send a tweet out and ask your followers their opinions on the subject.  Sometimes the very process of searching can be enough to formulate your article in a much more coherent way.

Fresh Air

It’s amazing how many times we have our best ideas when we don’t mean to.  Generally that means we are doing something else entirely.  Having a shower, working out, sat on the toilet or even having a bath (it worked for Archimedes) all seem to be favourites for eureka moments.  Rather than sitting at your machine, putting yourself under more and more pressure to get an article written, why not put your coat on and take a little stroll in the fresh air.  Even if it’s rotten weather, the process of concentrating on something entirely unrelated can get your subconscious creative juices flowing.  At the very least you’ll be getting away from your screen.

Writing a blog is a fantastic tool for promoting and growing your business, it is all about consistency and content.  Unfortunately we all get caught up in our work habits and forget that masterpiece of an article we wanted to write.

So to use some poetic licence on a programme I do remember from my youth I’m going to ‘Turn off my email and do something less boring instead’.  Why don’t you.

Teaching the Big Boys a Lesson

It isn’t often that Oldham Athletic could be considered able to teach the goliaths of Liverpool FC and Manchester United FC a lesson.  As many a teary-eyed watcher of the (now perennial) League One club will testify, they’ve done it on the pitch once or twice over the years.  Though many of those watchers will undoubtedly have more grey hair than most, indeed some will have even less hair than a pre-transplant Wayne Rooney it is that long ago. Certainly off the pitch the Latics have nothing to teach the giants of the English game, until now that is.

Sitting in a full Anfield on Friday night, the long suffering Oldham fans gave a performance that even outshone their hard-working heroes on the pitch.  Full of verve, songs and no little humour, the kind of humour football crowds at their best produce on a weekly basis.  The highlight being the singing of ‘What a waste of money’ to big money signing Andy Carroll who proceeded almost immediately to score for the 1^st time at Anfield this season with a fine finish.  Not to be put off, the fans immediately switched in a breath to ‘You’re still a waste of money’, to grins and giggles from around Anfield, even on the pitch.

At the other end of the ground it was a different story, with the Kop uncharacteristically quiet throughout the game.  Save of course for at least one individual who, minutes before Carroll’s scoring appearance, reduced Oldham defender Tom Adeyemi to tears with an alleged racist outburst.  It was a sad end to what had been up until the incident a good old-fashioned FA Cup tie. 

In the stands around the ground it was unclear what the holdup was for, but something had clearly happened between the young midfielder and a section of the crowd.

Coming so close to the Suarez affair, the man himself was in the posh seats on Friday night, it was clear the incident would grab the headlines.  Sure enough within minutes of the end of the game reports of statements being made and arrests were across the full spectrum of media.

It is not a position Oldham and their non-existent team of PR people find themselves in often, ever in fact.  Yet from those first post-match minutes to four days later the sleepy League One side has shown more sense, decency and maturity than either the reds of Liverpool or Manchester. 

Oldham as a club were quick to condem the action, there was no speculating, no mention of anything other than the fact that an incident had occurred and reported.  By ensuring the relevant parties were made aware of the incident, including Tom’s parent club Norwich, they gave Tom their public support.  In private, the club staff, his team mates and fans all rallied to Tom’s aid, showing him equally tremendous support.  By these actions alone, Tom knows he has the full backing of the club.

Liverpool’s PR machine also quickly leapt into action, rightly condemning any such action and delivering the reassurance that every effort and support would be made to investigate.  They followed this up with a more significant statement 3 days later to apologise to Adeyemi for the hurt he was caused, whatever the subsequent outcome of police action. 

Oldham, with a quiet dignity have since thanked Liverpool for their actions, and made it clear they hold the ‘fan’ and only them responsible.  Of course it is always easier to maintain such dignity when you are the ‘wronged’ party, but the way Oldham have handled the incident has been classy.

Contrast this with the debacle that followed the Suarez/Evra incident where certainly Liverpool and to an extent Manchester United have played on tribal divides and the historic rivalry between the clubs to exacerbate what was a sad incident.  Much has been spoken about the PR disaster that was the Suarez shirts at the Wigan game and subsequent comments.  In fact sadly some commentators have suggested the Adeyemi incident may have been sparked by the arrival of a team many Liverpool fans see as being from Manchester.  There were unsubstantiated rumours at one stage that the perpetrators against Adeyemi were wearing the same Suarez shirts.

Whatever the outcome of the Adeyemi incident, it is clear is that the Premiership giants could do a lot worse than take a leaf out of the PR playbook of a tiny League One team.  After all, getting these incidents sorted out and ultimately removed from the game should be the aim.  Quiet dignity after the event, but not during the event should be the mantra.  Adeyemi didn’t remain quiet during the event and for that he above anyone comes out of this with dignity. So maybe it’s time for to look beyond clubs and just do what needs to be done.