Feel the Force - Become a Business Jedi

 This article is for anyone who is keen to start THINKING more about how to position themselves and their business better in 2023.   Best grab a few quiet minutes and a tea / coffee and either listen to the video and / or read the text. They are largely the same thing. During the Lockforce part of the conference in 2022 we discussed the difference between 3 types of service providers in the sector.  The Rogues The Amateurs The Professionals   As you can imagine we discussed this as a group and unequivocally agreed we fit into the Professional category. And then we listed out all the reasons why… Our know how, our uniform, our tools, our ID badges, our liveried vans, insurance, DBS, communication, punctuality etc…..   There is no doubt that we are a professional outfit and everyone who pulls on a Forces Group uniform should strives for the best and to do their best. If you are not tuned into all the things list above then you h...

  The transcript of the video.... Many of you will know that I actively seek out new learnings and experience and i get a lot of ideas and inspiration from a place called the EC run by a serial entrepreneur called Nigel Botterill.  He is very good at what he does and his only failing is that he follows Leeds United. To be fair I get loads of inspiration and ideas from you guys. Anyway he shot a little video the other day talking about the words that should never be said by a business owner.....  I watched it and it really resonated with me. So what are the words you ask...? I'll tell you in just a minute because they are important but the point of the video is 2 fold, share the words of advice from Nige and also make it clear that following advice ain't simple. We all share the same challenges so none of us are different. So I was chatting to Phil Shaw the other day about a strategic idea I was thinking about.... and at the end I nearly said the words that I shouldn't eve...

 If you are looking to develop and grow (as a person in business) then this could be a good read……   Most of you will know that I have a select number of people that provide me with guidance and inspiration. These are people that would easily be in the “Top 20” and some edging towards the “Top 1%”.  They are not my friends or my family… they are specific to helping me manage and grow the business and with life in general.   I don’t listen to a lot of the rubbish that I hear from many people in business or people who sit on side lines (they don’t even run a business) and tell you what you should and shouldn’t do.   I certainly don’t absorb myself in the sh** and negative stuff that gets put on Social media. Who do you take inspiration from and who do you listen to…? Apart from your partner. 😉 Running your own business is tough, and more than anything it can be mentally challenging. And it is made harder as a lot of people dwell on the negative things a...

Further to my last post on getting your attitude right, here is part 2. So in the last post the suggestion was that negative things (and people) are not going to help you get to a positive Attitude (or a YES Attitude as the author calls it). And it is fair to say that negative thoughts and feelings are caused by real things that happen every day. The author says "shit happens, people happen and shit people happen". "Your reaction to the negative crap, or negative people who enter your life (or in your life), is the FATE of your ATTITUDE." This re-enforces the mantra of who you hang around matters. To break through the negative things the author provides a list of positive things that will help your attitude..... Anything funny - always aim to have fun Personal Meditation - your mind and body are interconnected Taking a walk - a great way to start the day or clear your mind (and get some sunlight) Positive self talk - praise yourself Helping others without expectatio...

  I am reading a little book called The Little Gold Book of Yes Attitude.... it is by Jeff Gitomer. Yes a boy from Croydon CAN actually read, albeit a little slow 😃. I am not a lover of reading but I do appreciate learning and sharing things that resonate with me and that I know could help others. Maybe even you...? I tend to listen to audio books instead. But right now I'm reading, appreciating and sharing!! In our business we talk about having the right ATTITUDE if you want to be more successful. I often talk about the "Top 20" as being the place you should be if you want to be successful. Without doubt your ATTITUDE can make or break YOUR success in business and life. This book is all about attitude and while we all have a good appreciation of what "attitude" means, but do you actually think, reflect and take action to improve your attitude? You have the choice to learn, change, adapt and improve. But, it is up to you. And if you find yourself saying "I...

In this video we share 2 simple and easy ideas to help make you stand out from the majority..... Saving the names of your customers (past and present) will make you stand out from the majority.   If you can spare the 19 seconds it takes to save down the contact number and name of each customer will put you in the Top 20 of business owners.  How much more impact will you have with customers if you can answer the phone and know who is calling, and then make it personal.............?  "Hi there Mrs Taylor, its Sean speaking, how can I help you.....?" Imagine a customer from a previous year calling you and you answer with their name.....!!  It is so simple but MASSIVE. And then on the other hand do you store your own details as  CONTACT in you phone - full name, phone number and email.... AND WHAT YOU DO!! This then makes it easy to "share" you Contact Card with customers and they can then simply save your details in there phone at the press of a button. Anoth...