Articles in the Category 'Business'
5 things to think about in the run-up to Christmas…
‘The early bird catches the worm’ So the Summer holidays aren’t even over and people have started complaining about ‘Christmas party advertising’ and festive wrapping paper. Bah humbug. Whatever your thoughts or beliefs on the holiday se... Read more »
Published on 17 August 2010
How much should you pay a marketing consultant?
Saw a great Tweet from Trevor Levor this morning, quoting Red Adair “If you think hiring a professional is expensive… try working with an amateur” – it made me smile, and think of practically every new business meeting I’... Read more »
Published on 7 July 2010
5 tips for effective note taking
Because we can’t all have our own personal court clerk. I’ve never seen one of those stenotype machines (if that’s what they’re called), but a court recorder possibly is the most efficient note taker I can think of. And, according to my stepd... Read more »
Published on 15 June 2010
Three ways we use Twitter as a business tool
In the last six months, through Twitter, we have: Hooked up three people we hadn’t previously known with new paying clients. Met up with somewhere in the region of 20 local experts who are now on our referral list. Received two good quality leads... Read more »
Published on 5 May 2010
Why marketing is like DIY – 5 tips to avoid costly mistakes
“One part planning saves twelve parts doing” You know it struck me recently how similar marketing is to DIY, in particular home renovation. Having experience in both, I now realise that the enjoyable bits, like hanging beautiful wallpaper... Read more »
Published on 20 April 2010
How to achieve your company goals and targets, in five easy steps
This is a guest post from Heather Townsend, The Efficiency Coach. Sales and marketing is a goal-centred discipline, and with a new financial year in sight, we asked Heather to give us some pointers on making them real, and getting the whole team o... Read more »
Published on 16 March 2010
Bry’s Business Book of the Month: ‘The Manager’s Book of Checklists’
Welcome to the first of a regular blog; Bry’s Business Book of the Month, in which Bryony Thomas will recommend a business book. She will have chosen it from her bookshelf. So, not necessarily a brand new book, but one that she has enjoyed and ... Read more »
Published on 22 February 2010
Mind your Meta Data – how hidden web copy impacts social media success
Making your website marketing-ready is one of the keys to make the most of free. A site that doesn’t have the basics right can seriously limit your ability to maximise the social media and online word-of-mouth opportunities that now exist for b... Read more »
Published on 16 February 2010
Your marketing questions answered
“The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask” Any questions? Call me ancient, but I still like some of the old fashioned terminology and methods used in the modern and online world of marketing today. But what does it all mean, and wh... Read more »
Published on 16 February 2010
10 ways to weave a little marketing magic into everyday activities
“Sometimes you can’t see the wood for the trees” ‘Business-as-usual’ is the term that we all use for the things we do every day while doing our job, or running our businesses. With some clear thinking and a little bit of planning, these thi... Read more »
Published on 15 January 2010
Clear Thought’s Top 10 Blogs of 2009
Taking a look at our stats, and based on unique views of these posts, the Top 10 Clear Thought Blog posts of this year goes like this… 1. 10 things to include in a marketing brief Handy tips on writing a brief for marketing that sells – w... Read more »
Published on 22 December 2009
How to remember not to forget something
“The average human can’t remember more than seven things at once”. No matter what you do for a living, you’ve probably got dozens of things to remember, and they’ve all got to be fitted into that ever elusive seven hour day. Perhaps it’s ... Read more »
Published on 11 December 2009
So, if you’re not an agency… what are you?
We’ve been getting a few puzzled looks when we say that Clear Thought Consulting isn’t a marketing agency, so we thought we’d clarify the business model a little for those who might be interested. So, we work with smaller businesses... Read more »
Published on 23 July 2009
What shape is your marketing budget?
The questions I most often get asked about marketing budgets are: How much should I spend as a percentage of turnover? Should I benchmark against competitors? How much shall I spend on each discipline (PR, DM, Events, Ads, etc.)? All totally reason... Read more »
Published on 9 July 2009
Really good design should go completely un-noticed
I spent six hours this weekend clearing junk from my house. It felt great. I sorted through piles of boxes, threw out unwanted clothes and re-organised a load of storage. Then, my Dad came to visit and commented on what a lovely home we have. Now, he... Read more »
Published on 10 November 2008
Necessity, the mother of invention?
Will an economic downturn curb the enthusiasm of companies to spend on decent creative, or will it force people to be more inventive? The recent Honda live ad, where they booked the entire ad break for a live parachute jump was pretty innovative. You... Read more »
Published on 4 November 2008
