Get The Networking Buzz!

LinkedIn Groups: South African Business Network in Sydney

• Subject: You are what you negotiate!

• July Meeting (Monday 25th July 2011) – First meeting of FY12!

It has been said that you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate! Come along and hear international speaker Mark Bernberg and learn how to engage and activate your 5 senses … and a practical hands on session as well for all who want to participate!!!!

This will be an event to remember! An inspirational presenter, great lucky draw prizes, 100 seconds of Fame and informal networking – bring your fellow Saffers and some friends and enjoy a fun filled evening combining business, recreation and networking! The theme of the evening is “Engage your senses to create innovative change in your business”.

Venue: Level 47, MLC Centre, 19 Martin Place, Sydney
Time: 5:30pm for 6pm (Monday 25th July 2011)

Please confirm your attendance (and number of people attending with you) by not later than Monday 25 July 2011 10am for venue and catering arrangements.

Please use our online booking & payments system (save time, no need to pay on arrival, $20 payment in advance, $25/$30 at the door) http://www.trybooking.com/QFA  and RSVP via LinkedIn Events. http://events.linkedin.com/South-African-Business-Network-Sydney/pub/724125 or email Gary (gfoweraker@hotmail.com)

Save the date – Ignite Sydney is back once more! 

At the Oxford Art Factory on Tuesday, 11th October.

Registrations will open soon, but for now please save the date in your diaries.

They want to hear from you

Right now they’re taking presentation proposals. You can talk about anything you like, as long as it’s interesting and you can tell in 20 slides and 5 minutes.

Head to the Proposals page and share your ideas!

Videos from Ignite Sydney 6

The videos from previous Ignite Sydney shows are available on the Ignite Show portal, where you can also catch talks from around the world.

Stay in touch

Follow Ignite Sydney on Twitter, join their Facebook page.

Thanks from
The Ignite Sydney team

We Have Been Nominated for the 2011 Sydney Business Awards!

Win $1,500 in cash – by voting for the Cavalletti Communications team.

Vote & Win at http://bit.ly/jbmoe4, or simply SMS “Words” to 0447 447 070.

Thank you for your support,

Daniela
daniela@cavacom.biz

We Are All Social Creatures With Needs

Much has been written about what to do when starting your own business -
and much valuable advice has been given.

One of my favourite books is “The Ten Truths for Raising a Healthy Bouncy Business” by Roland Hanekroot (www.thetentruths.com.au).  It’s straightforward talk, no tome, yet gives many great insights, resources and examples.  In short, it’s extremely useful. In places, Roland touches on the human element which often is a no-no in a society where not being busy is poo-pooed.

But without taking the needs of the small business owner as a human being into consideration, new starters and old hands alike are prone to exhaustion, lack of creativity and even overall business failure.

So, here are my own tips for small business owners, anyone employed – and any other hard working people.

From a perspective of the owner/worker as a human being.

1. Balance:

Look after yourself – if you are mentally and physically exhausted you cannot function, and get overwhelmed or frustrated too easily.  And being a new business owner may suddenly seem too daunting.  Good food, rest, exercise and, very importantly, regularly connecting with what you love (a hobby, the outdoors, etc.) and people close to you, as well making new contacts, is important. You will feel less pressured and isolated.

2. Flexibility / Openness:

If you started out with one idea, but it does not work out as you hoped or you are not happy with it in the real world – that’s ok.  No need for guilt or feeling of failure.  Business, as life, is constantly evolving and changing.  Be agile, adapt, and you will grow that way (your business and personally).  Too many new starters (and long term owners) have battled with one fixed idea, trying to make it work against all instincts and odds, to the detriment of the new business.  Only flexibility, and the will and ability to adapt, be creative and to trust your gut will keep you going as a happy business owner  in the long run.

3. Networking:

Getting out there to network serves many a purpose, and is good for both the owner and the business: You can exchange ideas, get referrals, find affiliates, grow your knowledge, stimulate the mind with new impressions, develop new angles and ideas, evolve your “elevator pitch” short description of what you do, how, and – most importantly – why.  People buy the emotive “why” of your service, your passion and your conviction that you are offering something unique and worth having.  For more on this topic check out http://thetentruths.com.au/resources/purpose/, especially the Simon Sinek video on “why”.

What are your 3 Tips to a successful and healthy relationship with your work?

Leave your comment below – looking forward to reading your ideas!

Until soon,
Daniela
daniela@cavacom.biz
www.cavacom.biz

We Take Care of All Your Business Words

Hello Everybody, Hello Tribe! 

Thank you very much for all your kind words and wishes on my getting married in early September.  We had a wonderful time honeymooning and seeing our families in Europe and are now settling back into Sydney- and work-life.

So keep an eye on this blog, Twitter and Facebook for new posts on language and its sometimes amusing twists and turns, writing, web content, marketing, life, business – and of course fun.

Fun – what would anything be without it, right?

Until soon,
Daniela
0415 273 272
daniela@cavacom.biz

We are all prone to a good dose of procrastination or “what are my priorities again?!” struggles.

Some days (or weeks, months,… years) just don’t flow the way we want them to.

There are many, many different reasons why we tell ourselves that we will just do that particularly nasty-looking thing later:  The summer sunshine is too tempting, the winter cold too paralysing and plunging us into lethargy.  Or something needs to be done first, urgently. Now. Sorry, just can’t wait. Honest, the world will end if I don’t deal with that (more pleasant looking) thing right now. Uh-uh!

But let’s face it, most of these oh-so-urgent (read: preferred) things can wait a while.

What it really comes down to is this:
We all rather deal with the pretty prince(ss) than the ugly frog first.
That ugly amphibian can wait, thank you very much!

Well, it can’t.

More often than not, the things we like to do least are the ones that are the most important to tackle.
If not for what they are in themselves – the insurance for the car or business IS important, even if it is boring and mind-numbing to get through the forest of paperwork and jargon – then for the challenges they pose.

What is the real reason I keep postponing a particular task? Do I worry about spending money and my financial security, or perhaps about not understanding the insurance jargon and subsequently getting the wrong cover?

So, what to do?

I have used a few techniques to help me hone in on the nasty-looking items first, get them out of the way. I find that the smaller, less daunting tasks end up looking quite pretty afterwards – and are a lot easier and faster to deal with once the dread of  the ugly toad has vanished.

To kiss the ugly frogs good-bye efficiently check out Ask Rebecca How’s own Rebecca Well’s blog here.
Or perhaps you prefer to chuck a tomato at the little blighters? Try the Pomodoro Technique.

What works for you?

How do you set your priorities & overcome procrastination?

And now, I better sort that insurance out…
Until soon,
Daniela

Wow! Some information I gather, read, like, digest and get (very) excited about is just too spot-on to even try to change!
So, here is the text of marketing “guru” Seth Godin’s latest blog offering – shamelessly repeated in its entirety.

He poses some very important questions that are worth considering before you start any new project, job, venture or adventure.  I hope you will find his writing and ideas as useful and thought-provoking as I do.   Enjoy!

Until next time,
Daniela

If you’re starting out as an entrepreneur or a freelancer or a project manager, the most important choice you’ll make is: what to do?
As in the answer to the question, “what do you do?”

Some questions to help you get started:

1. Who are you trying to please?
2. Are you trying to make a living, make a difference, or leave a legacy?
3. How will the world be different when you’ve succeeded?
4. Is it more important to add new customers or to increase your interactions with existing ones?
5. Do you want a team? How big? (I know, that’s two questions)
6. Would you rather have an open-ended project that’s never done, or one where you hit natural end points? (How high is high enough?)
7. Are you prepared to actively sell your stuff, or are you expecting that buyers will walk in the door and ask for it?
8. Which: to invent a category or to be just like Bob/Sue, but better?
9. If you take someone else’s investment, are you prepared to sell out to pay it back?
10. Are you done personally growing, or is this project going to force you to change and develop yourself?
11. Choose: teach and lead and challenge your customers, or do what they ask…
12. How long can you wait before it feels as though you’re succeeding?
13. Is perfect important? (Do you feel the need to fail privately, not in public?)
14. Do you want your customers to know each other (a tribe) or is it better they be anonymous and separate?
15. How close to failure, wipe out and humiliation are you willing to fly? (And while we’re on the topic, how open to criticism are you willing to be?)
16. What does busy look like?

In my experience, people skip all of these questions and ask instead: “What can I do that will be sure to work?” The problem, of course, is that there is no sure, and even worse, that you and I have no agreement at all on what it means for something to work.

As a copywriter, editor and bookworm I love words.

There are words I want to roll around in my mouth, savour, and say over and over again because they just sound and feel perfect (one of my favourites is “juxtaposition”).  A well-crafted sentence has beauty and appeals to my sense of aesthetics.  But the hardest thing to do in writing is to share of yourself, to move and give your readers something valuable and lasting, without sounding trite or lecturing. To give your readers something to think about, to try out, to relate to. And to write in your own, very individual voice.

One of the most talented writers I have come across recently is Allison Nazarian. She never fails to hit the spot.  But don’t take my word for it; read for yourself.

If you ever had a shitty day – Allison’s latest post is for you!

Enjoy… Until next time,
Daniela

Copywriting is the art of writing sales- and marketing-related material. That means a copywriter uses well-chosen words to promote a product and business (or a person, idea or opinion) to a specific target audience.  Some people may relate the job of a copywriter to the creation of advertising “copy” (i.e. text, words) only, but a good copywriter is a business writer and content expert for all areas of your communications – internally or externally.

If it’s written material, then a copywriter has been involved!

Copywriting is used in every major business and communications area, e.g. websites, business plans and reports, newsletters and brochures, press releases and advertising, catalogues and point-of-sale materials.

If you need help with your copywriting and communications material, contact me on +61 (0)415 273 272 or daniela@cavalletticommunications.com

Until next time,
Daniela