Rachel Elnaugh Entrepreneur

Farewell Blogspot

2009-11-23T00:41:00.000-08:00

Just to let you know I am switching to a new WordPress blog is now embedded in my site at www.rachelelnaugh.com

So, farewell to Blogspot and all who have joined in the party here, the good the bad and the just plain ugly (anonymice).

It has been fun!

Rachel

Gawd Help Us!

2009-11-18T03:00:00.000-08:00

I was eagerly looking forward to seeing 'An Audience with Lord Alan Sugar' as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week last night at the British Library and it certainly started off well, with lots of entertaining put downs and answers.

eg Audience member: 'Do you read business books and which have influenced you?'

L.A.S.: 'Nah'

But as we got deeper into the evening it seemed like there was a descent into anger and completely off-beam responses. At one point Chair of the evening Matthew Rock (editor of Real Business magazing and CEO of Caspian an £8million company) felt the full thrust of the Sugar temper:

'Weren't you listening? I've just answered that haven't I?'

Gems of the dinosaur-like advice included:

'There's no point going into a sector you don't know or understand'
(So you were wrong James Dyson, Innocent Smoothie guys and lastminute.com)

'Personal brand PR is a useless waste of time'
(So you were wrong Anita Roddick, Stelios and Branson)

'You can't teach enterprise skills'
(Close down all those degree courses every University in the country)

Of course, Sugar was whisked off immediately after the event so didn't stop to mingle with the crowd, if he had he would have heard the feedback I did - that everyone was left totally dis-empowered, dis-engaged, de-motivated and even dismayed by his comments.

Most entertaining as a spectacle of old-style and outdated business thinking - and it was an enjoyable evening with lots of networking and lovely wine and food , so thank you British Library for putting it on.

But if this is the government's advisor on enterprise GAWD HELP US !!!!!

R

Come and hear me speak tomorrow

2009-11-10T06:13:00.000-08:00

Just to let you know I will be speaking at one of Nick Williams 'Inspired Entrepreneur' events in London tomorrow night - Weds 11 November at 7.15pm. Tickets cost £20 which includes a signed copy of my book Business Nightmares and you can get all the info and book at http://www.inspired-entrepreneur.com/Events/Passionate-Successful-Entrepreneur.aspx?ID=60

Hope to see you there!

Rachel

I can't believe it!

2009-11-08T00:44:00.000-08:00

Interesting watching X Factor and hearing so many of the finalists saying of their experiences 'I can't believe it!', without realizing the damage of that mantra...

'I can't believe it!' has the energy of 'things like this don't happen to me' ' I don't deserve this' and 'I've only got this through luck'. So energetically the person unknowingly pushes the experience away.

Far better to say 'I love this, I'm enjoying every moment, I've dreamed all my life of getting here and I want this to go on forever'.

Similar thing applies to the 'I can't afford it ' mantra, it implies lack and scarcity and blocks the flow of more money in. Whereas 'I want this so much I'm going to find a way to get it' opens up the flow to the ideas and opportunities to allow the money to manifest.

Listen to your mantras, they represent the mindset which perpetuates your reality.

Lots of Lovely Free Publicity!

2009-11-06T06:55:00.000-08:00

I was totally unaware until I read Susanne's comment to my last post that The Rotherham Advertiser had picked up on the story of my 'dismal' trip to Rotherham...

I definitely won't be able to show my face there again now will I ?

Anyway it's all good publicity for the Riverside Cafe, whose owner was quoted as saying of my laptop usage: 'She plugged in for two hours without asking'. (Having just checked the Dell website my laptop is equivalent of a 200 watt lightbulb so the cost of 2 hours' use is actually c6p).

Here's a few ideas for the Riverside Cafe to take advantage/generate a few bob from its new found fame:

- Introduce new promo - 'Free hour's laptop use with every latte'
- New PR positioning and signage encouraging people to travel from miles to experience 'Rotherham's Rudest Cafe'
- Blue plaque outside: 'Entrepreneur and TV Dragon wrote her second book here'
- Dartboard with pic of me on it, 50p for one dart £1 for three

Anyway, Riverside Cafe (no relation to the River Cafe I take it?), I'm sure you're on top of it.

Glad to read that Rotherham has undertaken lots of initiatives to re-generate the town, but interested to note the results of the readers' poll - 85% agree that yes, Rotherham IS dismal.

Rachel

How to Heal Rotherham

2009-11-01T03:49:00.000-08:00

I will accept that Susanne (see comments on my last post) is light years ahead of me in her spiritual development and so will take her lead and now try to make some positive suggestions on how to regenerate Rotherham...

First I would see Meadowhall on the doorstep as a huge OPPORTUNITY not a threat.

Thousands of shoppers descend there, but it is a nightmare to get in and out of at busy times and full of the same boring chainstores you find everywhere. So, Rotherham, go with the credit crunch thrift - and make yourself the UK's Number 1 Destination Town for shopping outlets selling designer names at knock down prices. Line the main shopping strip with these cut-price outlets - shouldn't be hard to attract them with a few retailer incentives; there are lots of designer outlets based 'oop North.

Also, I noticed there are lots of poster hoardings around town for the online fashion retailer asos.com. So why not persuade asos to base their first and only UK flagship retail outlet at the heart of it! That of itself would create huge PR and footfall.

Now to address the question of local enterprise, turn the lovely old cobbled arcade into an emporium devoted to local crafts people, artists and independent retailers plus (nice!) cafes with outdoor seating with subsidised rents to attract and support local businesses. Those interesting and fascinating-to-browse shops you find in places like Tunbridge Wells and Winchester. Invite local bands/musicians to play in the arcade and fill the place with music, jugglers and street artists. Think Covent Garden.

Finally I would do something with the amazing river - if you've seen it, it is almost like a 45 degree waterfall. Is there a way to create a manmade white water rafting run to attract extreme sports specialists? Up here in the Peak District we attract thousands of them and Rotherham is not a million miles away. Then direct the energy of the local hoodies to creating the kind of businesses which would thrive with those kind of enthusiasts flooding in to town.

And of course make parking plentiful and free.

These are just a few Sunday-morning-in-the-bath ideas - and apologies Rotherham if you've already got the whole thing well in hand!

Dismal Rotherham

2009-10-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

Those of you who follow me on Twitter will know I had a dismal morning in Rotherham today...

I took a walk around town on foot trying to find a coffee shop to kill a couple of hours in,and was shocked at just how many retail units were either empty or in use as Charity shops. Not a Starbucks or Costa to be found! I finally arrived at a dismal little greasy spoon cafe in the arcade along the walkway across the river from Tesco, just opposite Wilkinson's.

I ordered a milky coffee (in London we call that a latte :-) plus a toasted tea cake (which arrived liberally spread with what seemed like marge) and proceeded to open my laptop to work on the manuscript for my next book.

After a while I noticed the woman (not sure if she was the cafe owner) leave the shop and gossip something to the fruit and veg man who was selling bananas outside the shop who then looked at me - not difficult to establish she had gone outside to have a moan about me using her juice for my computer.

So I took my plate and cup up to the counter and ordered a hot chocolate plus a packet of bourbon biscuits - just to show goodwill.

After a little while longer, the woman came up to me and said 'You've had enough time on that love, we don't normally allow it' meaning my laptop. As the pensioner who sat across with his 75p cup of tea looked on. I was incredulous!

There must have been 12 tables in the coffee shop; only three of them were occupied; I was about to buy some mineral water and invite the person I had been waiting for to join me there for another coffee.

Needless to say, I packed up and walked out, but not before giving said woman my business card and telling her if she needed any advice to help improve her customer service be sure to call me.

It's a ridiculously small incident but to me it sums up everything that is wrong with this country - the lack of entrepreneurial spirit, the view that customers are a nuisance rather than a business opportunity and the 'let's go on strike rather than try to add value' mentality that we are seeing hammer the last nail in the Royal Mail's coffin.

I am so passionate about empowerment through enterprise that I could cry at the dismal way most people approach business. If we want to rebuild our tattered and bankrupt economy the starting point is a sea change in the attitude of our people.

Oh and by the way, when I got back to my car I had received a parking ticket.

Rotherham, I won't be visiting you again any time soon.

The Wealth Wizards Trailer

2009-10-28T04:04:00.000-07:00

The Amazing Warren Buffett

2009-10-27T00:36:00.000-07:00

If you didn't see BBC's one hour documentary 'The World's Greatest Money Maker' with Evan Davis interviewing Warren Buffett last night then I urge you to do so at the BBC iPlayer.

It was not just the most engaging hour's television I have seen in a long time, it was completely fascinating not just to understand Buffett's money making style but also to understand his thriftiness, lack of ego and the simplicity of his life.

He has promised his children they will get nothing of his inheritance and they are totally cool with that; he since given most of his £billions to Bill Gates' charity.

The most poignant part was an interview with his son (who had been given some Berkshire Hathaway shares by an Uncle some years before, and sold them to fund his musical career) saying 'I would rather have my music than $60million in the bank'.

And I just loved the way that Evan ended the show to say he had met many multi-millionaires in his time but that Warren Buffett was the only one he had met who was truly rich. Just brilliant TV!

Congratulations Evan.

How to Monetise (and improve) Twitter

2009-10-25T05:07:00.001-07:00

Simply create a charge for each tweet.

And if people had to pay they wouldn't send out so much rubbish!!!

One step better, send ALL the money to good causes, in fact that would be the USP for a platform that wanted to compete.

50 billion tweets @ 5p each = £2.5billion

Have a lovely Sunday, I'm cooking Roast Chicken - you're welcome to come over (but please call first!!!)

R

Is it my imagination or...

2009-10-18T04:13:00.001-07:00

...is Simon Cowell in love with Cheryl Cole?

Did you notice how he kissed her in last night's show?

Will you be one of my 12?

2009-10-11T02:31:00.000-07:00

In January 2010 I am commencing a completely new mentoring programme exclusively for a small group of entrepreneurs who will work together under my leadership and guidance.

The intention is to help you achieve personal fulfilment and success, not just in your business but in every area of your life.

The programme will commence with an intensive three day residential workshop running from the evening of Monday 18 January to the morning of Thursday 21 January 2010. During this workshop we will explore your business proposition, marketing, business model and ambitions for the business. We'll also explore the issues and blocks you currently face.

You'll leave this workshop with clarity and focus, as well as an action plan for the following 12 months.

I then provide you with unlimited one-to-one mentoring support by email and telephone, as and when you need it.

In addition, I'll be hosting a monthly webinar for members of the Inner Circle to touch base and communicate both your triumphs as well as the challenges you face as you implement your plan.

I'll also be hosting an all-expenses paid quarterly networking dinner exclusively for the Inner Circle group which will take place on a weekday evening at the Royal Exchange in the City of London.

Here's what other entrepreneurs have said about the mentoring support I have given them:

"I contacted Rachel after reading her book Business Nightmares. I was impressed with the book as I am a strong believer that we learn the most at our lowest points and mistakes are a natural part of life which help us learn and understand far more than any success. Rachel suggested her mentoring service, after talking with her about my business requirements (high growth) I agreed this was the best option. Rachel helps mentor me on another level compared to other business coaches and mentors I have come across, she helps me with my vision of the bigger picture not just the current business issues at hand, although she frequently helps me with any question and can be a beacon of light when it seems there is no one else to turn to.

She is interested in the long term business relationship and not just a making a quick buck, proof of this is her ability to always return my calls, business book gifts, providing great business contacts (which you cannot put a price on ) and even opening our new offices giving her time for FREE.

I would recommend Rachel to any budding entrepreneur - successful or failing - she has the ability to cut through the crap and get down to real business advice, and the most important thing is you know it's genuine as she has walked the walk."
Simon Stokes - Founder and MD Assured Fire & Security

"On behalf of everyone here at PhotoArtistry, I am writing to say a heartfelt .Thank You' for your continued mentoring and support. As I reflect over the last couple of years it is amazing to see how far we have come in such a short space of time. I find it remarkable that your assessment of our business and its potential after your first visit was spot on, your advice sound and your support tremendous particularly as we were going through a rather rocky patch at the time.

In addition, you were able to provide us with a range of ideas and solutions some of which we were able to implement immediately, others in the medium term and others still have taken longer and are ongoing. I am particularly pleased that you helped us see the importance of moving out of our premises and moving to a larger, more purpose designed facility. We are very, very happy here and you know how happy people are productive people. There is so much energy in the place. Our turnover increased the month we moved which was a bit of a surprise considering we had to take time out to move.

Rachel, you have an understanding of what being in business is really like having been through the roller coaster yourself and for that reason you are able to offer practical solutions and yet understand and appreciate that things aren't always plain sailing but with perseverance, courage and determination the chance of success is higher.

It is wonderful that we can draw inspiration from a number of entrepreneurs and I really look forward to your webinars and seminars. At the end of each session I like to make a short summary and to document any lessons or action plans to help me move forward.

I do really want to thank you. For me it is a great and wonderful privilege. I hope you are getting as much from this relationship as I am. If you ever need me to speak with anyone about our experience, I would feel very privileged to do so. Without a doubt the story could have been a different one if I had listened to my naysayers two years ago.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you!"
Anne Herbert - Founder and MD Photoartistry

"I cannot emphasise enough the exceptional positive impact that Rachel has had on my business. As a .start up' in the baby products industry, Rachel has helped me create a brand that is now holding its own against the .big boys' in the market place. Her input on sales and marketing has been invaluable; always constructive, positively focussed and offered with such overwhelming energy. She is a catalyst for new ideas and her enthusiasm for helping entrepreneurs achieve their goals is incredible. Rachel has helped me immeasurably and I consider it a privilege to be one of her clients; she is without a doubt THE business mentor to have on your team."
Lynda Harding - Founder and MD Easidream

There will be a maximum of just 12 entrepreneurs in the 'Inner Circle' programme.

For full details visit the business mentoring area of my website.

I do hope that you will decide to join me.

Rachel

The Wonderful Wealth Wizards

2009-10-06T03:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday's Wealth Wizards proved to be the most amazing day.

The feedback afterwards was overwhelming, in particular people were blown away by Jeffrey Archer and David Gold who were so charming, entertaining and charismatic. Both stayed afterwards to do a book signing - here I am with my hero Jeffrey Archer.

The show opened with the brilliant 'Something About The Beatles' session by Mike Southon, we had numbers advice from Johnny Martin and lots of food for the soul from Nick Williams and Marie-Claire Carlyle.

And Paul Avins' 90+ minute workshop was packed with practical tips on how to leverage sales and profit.

All in all the most brilliant day - my thanks to all our speakers, my event team plus the British Library for allowing me to hold the event there, and to our event sponsors Vantis, Harrods, Hani O'Keefe, Giraffe Press, Creative Pond and PaloAlto Software.

If you'd like to get your hands on the 4 x DVD set of the event with over 6 hours' of footage you can pre-order at the special 50% off price of £37.50 + £2.50 P&P, simply click here:

I am now busily planning my next event!

Regards

Rachel

Wealth Wizards - Your Last Chance to Come!

2009-10-03T03:06:00.000-07:00

We still have some seats available for Monday's Wealth Wizards event, so here's details of a very special last minute deal which I've created especially to help you if you'd love to come, but if cashflow is difficult for you at the current time...

- Pay just £49 now (this helps cover the extra catering of having you at the event, plus your goody bag)

- Pay the balance (£238.50 inc VAT) at any time in the future when you feel the event has helped you manifest wealth

And if that day never comes you will owe me nothing.

Along with all the money-making inspiration and hard nosed advice on how to drive sales and profits, in our more 'esoteric' sessions on Monday we'll be exploring further the power of 'Karmic Debt', and how giving before receiving can be a magical way to attract abundance into your life.

If you'd like to take advantage of this very special last minute offer simply visit www.rachelelnaugh.com/wealth_wizards and enter the discount code WaitList at the payment screen.

Please be assured I will never chase you for payment of the balance of the monies. It will be entirely up to you if and when you decide to pay any further amount. When I've made a similar offer to help people attend my Masterclasses and other training workshops in the past I've found that the value has always been returned in some way. Sometimes in cash, sometimes in gifts - and in one case through a referral which proved to be worth £000's to me!

This is going to be one amazing event which I know you are just going to love, and I would like as many people as possible to be there to benefit from the wisdom and inspiration which will be on offer from our brilliant speakers.

I hope to see you Monday.

In the meantime, have a lovely weekend.

Regards,

Rachel

PS If you don't see this post until Monday, you can always call our Event Team on 07545 395228 to check there are still places - and then pay on the door either by cash or credit card. Doors open at 9am for a 9.15am start - although if you only want to attend the later sessions you can arrive anytime during the day. Here's the full itinerary:

9.15am Beermat Entrepreneur Mike Southon - entrepreneurial inspiration through the story of The Beatles
10.30am Business Numbers Man Johnny Martin - ways to raise the finance you need and create a profitable business model
11.30am Inspired Entrepreneur Nick Williams - how to put your passion at the heart of your business
12.15pm Intenational best-selling author Jeffrey Archer - wit and wisdom on money and wealth
2.00pm Wealth Coach Paul Avins - a 90 minute workshop on simple and instant ways to drive sales, profit and cashflow
3.45pm Business Coach and Feng Shui Guru Marie-Claire Carlyle - how to create a positive money mindset
4.30pm £300m Rich-List Entrepreneur David Gold - sharing his rags to riches story
5.30pm Champagne Networking Reception

Thank You Singapore!

2009-10-03T03:00:00.001-07:00

Back in July I set the energy in motion to embark on an International Speaking career by going to the National Speakers Convention in Phoenix. A week after I got back, quite randomly I received an email inviting me to go speak in Singapore!

The event happened this week and it was just the most amazing trip - here I am in the 'pod' at the top of the fabulous National Library building, which has panoramic views over the city, with a group of students who came to hear me speak about my entrepreneurial journey.

My thanks to Johnny Lau and Wee Pin Wan at the National Library Singapore for inviting me!

The Meaning of Life

2009-09-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

I went to see Deepak Chopra talk in Manchester last night and now feel I understand 'The Meaning of Life' - or at least 'How The Universe Works'...

Having read many of his books it was fantastic to hear him in person, or rather 'read' his energy in person.

Essentially, his message was:

- The World is a hologram
- Our perception of 'reality' is a deception
- We are all One

Further, mankind is a cancer on the Planet that is about to be destroyed - YET we have the opportunity to collaborate and create a different way of being which can live in harmony with the planet.

You may feel cynicism at these words but those that take them on board will be the ones who lead our survival through what is about to happen.

The more I experience, the more I read, the more I FEEL, the more I KNOW that change is nigh.

Rachel

Does Cosmic Ordering Work?

2009-09-22T03:21:00.000-07:00

In the week that Noel Edmonds launches his 'Cosmic Ordering' iPhone app, I find myself on a preview call tonight discussing the Law of Attraction and how it has worked in my life...

As I travel the country speaking at events, I'm noticing a sea change in the way people approach life, not to mention huge shifts in my own. Subjects which were once written off as 'New Age' are becoming increasingly mainstream. People are starting to realise that there IS a 'magic' to the Universe, and that when you are tapped into its flow, life becomes joyful, effortless and abundant. Yet when you lose that connection life becomes stressful, frustrating and joyless - and money just seems to dry up.

As someone who has experienced both extremes, increasingly I'm being asked to speak about my entrepreneurial experiences, but from a more esoteric viewpoint. First at the Mind Body & Spirit festival earlier this year, and now at the Transformational Business Summit happening in Brighton from 23 to 25 October.

In tonight's event preview call I'll be talking to the lovely, charismatic Alan Forrest Smith (you may recall he was one of my Marketing Magicians at the British Library event in June) and his partner, the sparkling Transformational Leader Katharine Dever who are organising this amazing event.

We'll be discussing:

- Does the Law of Attraction work?
- Can it yield results for you?
- How can you generate MORE from the Law of Attraction?
- Should you be interested?
- Why doing business in 2009 is the perfect time to succeed.
- Why NOW is the perfect time to be female and in business

It is going to be a fascinating conversation!

I do hope you will be able to join us - it's happening tonight, Tuesday 22 September at 7pm. You can register for the call at http://www.transformationalbusinesssummit.com/freecall.html and you'll be emailed login details. And it's totally FREE.

I look forward to speaking to you later, as well as hopefully seeing you in Brighton in October!

Regards

Rachel

Wealth Wizards

2009-09-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

I hope I will see you at the Wealth Wizards event at the British Library on 5 October 2009 - tickets are now on sale at http://www.rachelelnaugh.com/wealth_wizards/ and you can claim £100 off the ticket price by entering the discount code RachelFriends

I've also been asked by several people if they can become an affiliate to market the event, email me at rachel@rachelelnaugh.com if you'd like to help promote the event and I'll send you all the details.

Finally there is the opportunity to get into the 250 goody bags we'll be handing out on the day. If you have a product or service which is targetted at entrepreneurs and business owners and can offer either free samples, a promotional item or a high value gift which we can give to a lucky audience member on the day then please let me know!

Looking forward to seeing you on 5 October.

Rachel

Magical Referral

2009-09-19T00:48:00.000-07:00

It's so lovely when someone posts something like this on YouTube!

The DVD set is available at the Magical Marketing webpage.

Thanks Glenn at Inner Flame!

Rachel

Fire Fighting Again

2009-09-16T01:10:00.001-07:00

It's always wonderful to see my mentoring clients flourish with their business and last Friday I was at the opening of the new premises of Assured Fire and Security in Rotherham. Their business is booming and right now the safety & security sector is a brilliant place to be with the rise in crimes associated with the recession.

It's nearly a year since I started mentoring the business founder and owner Simon Stokes and I'm really proud that he is doing so well.

As well as my one-to-one mentoring I'm just about to launch a new 'Inner Circle' mentoring programme - watch this space for details.

Rachel

Introducing my Wealth Wizards

2009-09-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

Just to let you know, my latest event is about to be launched - 'Wealth Wizards' at the British Library Conference Centre on Monday 5 October 2009, a one day event all around the theme of attracting money...

We have some brilliant speakers lined up including £300million entrepreneur David Gold, Beermat Entrepreneur Mike Southon, Wealth Coach Paul Avins, Inspired Entrepreneur Nick Williams, Feng Shui Guru and Business Coach Marie Claire Carlyle, Business Numbers Man Johnny Martin and my special celebrity guest Jeffrey Archer!

I will be chairing the whole day.

It's going to be a fantastic event full of money making inspiration plus lots of practical advice on how to generate more profits.

And as a special Early Bird Offer, if you book before midnight tonight you'll get an extra ticket absolutely FREE - just visit this hidden page on my website Wealth Wizards before midnight tonight Thursday 10 September.

I'm so confident that you will find this a life-changing event that if after attending you didn't feel you learned anything which would repay the price of the ticket in full within a month of the event, let me know on the day and I will give you a 100% no-questions-asked refund.

Looking forward to seeing you on Monday 5 October!

Regards

Rachel

Dr Stephen Covey

2009-09-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

Just closed a fascinating webinar with Dr Stephen Covey - author of the internationally best-selling book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People'. Did you know it has sold over 30 million copies worldwide? And that it was named #1 most influential business book of the 20th century? And that it was all achieved through word of mouth?

He's coming to London to speak at Central Hall Westminster on 14th October about his latest book 'The 8th Habit' - and I for one will be there. You can get tickets from here - look forward to seeing you there!

Rachel

The DLOG's new business

2009-09-06T23:28:00.001-07:00

You will all be pleased to know that our friend The DLOG has set up his new print business Giraffe Press - view his Blog here !

The current site and branding is only temporary, basically Jason can do any printing for business that you need - he's fast, inexpensive and always gets it right first time.

Give him a whirl!

Rachel

Anonymice Beware!

2009-09-06T00:18:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have been following my Blog will know that occasionally I get the odd ranting slagging - usually from an 'Anonymouse' commentator...

So I was interested to read in Felix Dennis's fab magazine The Week about the case of former Vogue model Liskula Cohen who was called a 'psychotic, lying, whoring, skank [slag]' who 'may have been hot 10 years ago' on a Blog. Cohen filed a defamation suit against Google to identify the Blogger's email - and she succeeded. The culprit turned out to be a 29 year old fashion student and vague acquaintance called Rosemary Port.

Liskula phoned Port - and forgave her - then Port threatened to sue Google for $15million for failing to protect her identity!

In the words of the journo who wrote the piece 'As if people who spew venom on the Internet while hiding their identity deserve any. What is the mentality that let's them get in our face while wearing a mask? It's true that anonymity can sometimes serve the public interest. But on the Internet it's often less about being constructive and more about being cowardly.'

Hear Hear !!!

Making Money While You Sleep

2009-09-01T23:55:00.001-07:00

It was lovely to log on this morning and find lots of DVD sales had come in overnight for the Magical Marketing DVD set I featured in yesterday's post.

It reminded me of something one of my earliest mentors said to me, and that was 'Rachel, you know you're a success when you start making money while you sleep'.

Not long ago I was at a Christopher Howard (the NLP Wealth Guru) event where he was talking to an audience of about 2000 about how to become rich beyond their wildest dreams. He asked the audience 'Tell me, how do you make money?' to which I shouted back (as I am inclined to do at such events) 'Create products and services people want to buy!'

Apparently it was the wrong answer - because Christopher ignored my response and went on to tell the audience to create a mindmap of their most admired entrepreneur - Richard Branson or whoever.

Yep, I do agree there is a certain billionaire mindset - but in my experience that only grows after a sustained period of small successes gives you the confidence to think on a bigger scale.

And it never ceases to amaze me how some people try to over-complicate business.

The only mindset really required is to understand what a customer needs and then give it to them!!! If your product or service isn't selling, then simply ask the customer why, and then adapt until you get to something they DO want to buy.

Rachel

PS Small caveat to the above... It's interesting because the majority of the sales are from someone whose name is familiar. A guy who I did an event for for free in Aberdeen 2 years ago, someone I'm currently mentoring, a girl I sat next to at the convention dinner on my recent trip to Phoenix, one of my Masterclass participants. It serves to remind that every day in business you are planting seeds - and you never quite know when they are going to blossom!

Low Cost Marketing

2009-09-01T08:00:00.001-07:00

It's finally here! The 4 DVD set of the acclaimed Marketing Magician's event featuring over six hours of low cost marketing techniques is now available for purchase at www.rachelelnaugh.com

"Just had to write to say that your Marketing Magicians seminar was without doubt the best I have been to with multiple speakers. The speakers were brilliant in their content and delivery, each one with a different approach. They really knew their field and how to educate the audience in a short time. It was the best seminar for the calibre of delegates attending, intelligent serious business owners who had taken a day away from their business to learn something and who were not disappointed." Angela Beaugeard, Director, Paul Avins Enterprises

Speakers include Internet Marketing Expert Mark Attwood on how to get to the top of Google and much much more, Copywriting Genius Alan Forrest Smith on the power of words to drive sales, Personal Empowerment Coach Sue Stone on how your mindset creates your world, Referral Marketing Expert Royston Guest on how to exponentially drive sales and Celebrity Tailor Thomas Mahon on how he built a £multi-million international business purely through writing a Blog. As well as myself on how to build a brilliant PR-able brand.

And as a special offer for my loyal Blog followers there's a special discount for you if you enter the promotional code RachelFriends here.

I am so confident that you will find the DVD valuable to your business that if after you have watched through and you didn't find anything which you believed would return the cost at least ten times over, I will give you a full refund!

I can't say fairer than that.

"One of the best business events I have ever attended" Paul Fowler, Owner, Enstone Flying Club

But hurry, this special promotional code won't be available for long.

Introducing Jack Stone

2009-08-29T05:17:00.000-07:00

On Thursday evening Sue Stone, my husband and I went to a lovely event on the Super Yacht in Bristol in aid of HOPE - a Charity which aids Helpless, Orphaned, Poor and Exploited children worldwide.

The founder told the lovely story of an old lady who supported the charity by knitting a teddy bear every day until she died... I was lucky enough to acquire one of the teddy bears on the evening for the bargain price of £100 and I have named him Jack Stone.

He will now be accompanying me on all my adventures!

My Wikipedia Profile

2009-08-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

Re: My Wikipedia Profile all I can say is what a load of INACCURATE CRAP

Lovely BBQ

2009-08-23T06:41:00.001-07:00

We had the most wonderful BBQ last night at my home for all my clients and 'Inner Circle' contacts. Pictured in the centre is the lovely Sue Stone, Personal Empowerment Coach, Mark Sheahan Inventor in Residence at the British Library and Marie-Claire Carlyle feng shui guru, business coach and author of 'How To Be A Money Magnet'.

Our next event will be on the evening of Thursday 10 December at the British Library Terrace London - watch this space for details!

You're Rich, Gimme Some Of It !!!

2009-08-21T00:37:00.000-07:00

As we seem to be hung up on the question of money in this Blog of late I thought I'd give vent to something which consistently annoys me...

And that is the way that prices automatically go UP when someone perceives you to be rich and famous. I get this ALL THE TIME - whether it's with handymen who come and do work at my house, freelancers who submit humongous bills for simple jobs or people who give me quotes on projects, to name but a few.

The thought process is 'She's rich so I deserve some of it' - and I can tell you there is no quicker way for you to lose business and/or clients with anyone you perceive to be loaded.

Doesn't just apply to people of course, it applies to corporates (although it's much easier to get away with when you're dealing with executives spending someone else's money).

The entrepreneurs who TRULY benefit from 'high profile clients' are the ones who recognise that, if anything, we are far more stingy than the average customer (most rich people got there in the first place by being ruthless with money, and habits stick) - but that the PR/publicity/referral benefit of dealing with us will yield £££ for you in the long term.

So next time you want to get a 'celebrity' client on your books, it's a smart move to offer it FOR FREE !!!

Lightning Bolt !

2009-08-18T05:27:00.000-07:00

How amazing it was to watch the inspiration on my 13 year old son's face watching Usain Bolt run to victory. What a brilliant iconic hero for our children to have! Can't wait to see him in the 200 metre race tonight...

The August Doldrums

2009-08-14T00:21:00.000-07:00

August is deathly quiet in the enterprise sector, no events running, clients away on holiday, so instead of fight it I have decided to use the time to be on 'input'
; to think and plan for the coming year and work out a strategy of what's really important in my life.

And as part of this 'cocooning' process I went down to Bournemouth to have a session with Life and Happiness coach Sue Stone. You may remember Sue was one of the speakers at the Marketing Magicians event in June and you may have seen her on SKYTV at the time of Jade Goody's death as she was helping Jade through the process of her terminal illness.

It's amazing what you can learn from a professional and I have come out of the session with a completely new set of affirmations and aspirations, far less focussed on material outcomes and far more focussed on success in its truest form - living a fulfilled and abundant life.

If you are feeling as though life is not working out and perhaps you have lost your way a little I'd really recommend a session with Sue - to restore the clarity and get your energy flowing again.

Have a lovely Friday!

Rachel

Why BA is in trouble

2009-08-02T07:36:00.000-07:00

Those of you who listened in to my webinar last week with transformational life coach and feng shui guru Marie Claire Carlyle will know that your surroundings have a huge impact on your life, and as it is for individuals, so it is for business.

So I was interested to read about BA's huge losses announced this week.

I remember reading a feng shui article on British Airways new Waterside head office shortly after they moved there. BA did get a feng shui consultant in to look at the building but only AFTER the architects had planned the main design.

If you have ever been to the building you will know that there is a river running through it. This might sound like a novel idea, and generally water features are good feng shui, but a river running through your building is a feng shui disaster. As is building a house over an underground stream or even having significant waste pipes running underneath your property.

There's also a large lake behind the building; water is good but it is destabilising running behind; it is much better to have a meandering river or lake in front of your property with the flow running towards your front door (not away).

Those of you who don't believe in feng shui may well pooh pooh all this but it is interesting that since moving to Waterside BA has fallen apart with disaster after disaster, now culminating in multi million losses which threaten the company with liquidation.

Low cost solution Willie Walsh, get rid of the river - and replace it with a pathway of golden bricks.

Have a lovely week!

Rachel

Should I become a Recluse?

2009-07-13T13:32:00.001-07:00

Sorry I have not posted for a while - but glad you are all keeping yourselves amused arguing about my last post!

Don't quite know what has happened, but I think I may be becoming a recluse.

No desire to Tweet, much less desire to post than normal...

Maybe it's a feeling of wanting privacy, definitely insecurity (if I Tweet what I am doing then the whole world knows when I'm not home) and generally a feeling of whether I want to conitinue with this idea of 'public persona'.

Any ideas Stephen?

Keep on in the spotlight or retreat to the shadows for a while?

The Amazing Michael Jackson

2009-06-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

I was in a Greek restaurant in Wood Green on Thursday night when news started to break that Michael Jackson was dead. Couldn't quite believe it, and have spent the past two days watching it all unfold...

Just watching tonight's BBC2 documentaries charting his life and his music, have reminded me what an absolute genius he was, and for those of us who were young in the 70's he has truly provided a soundtrack for our lives.

What a terrible shame, doubly so given maybe if he was given the right care and support he may never have died... How terrible that we build our stars up and then go on to destroy them.

Boy the pressure of that 50 date comeback tour at O2 - purely to get himself out of a financial fix - must have weighed so heavily on his mind. Can you IMAGINE the pressure?

And how terrible that 'friends' now appear from the woodwork to reflect & comment on how he went into meltdown - when perhaps THEY could have, and SHOULD HAVE, been there to help and support.

Michael Jackson, troubled soul, you RIP.

God bless.

Testimonial for Mark Attwood's SEO clinic

2009-06-15T03:21:00.000-07:00

You see I didn't even know how to put a YouTube video on my Blog before last Friday's event with Internet Marketing Expert Mark Attwood!!!

Rachel

An Analogue Entrepreneur in a Digital Age

2009-06-13T01:18:00.000-07:00

I had to concede yesterday that I was an analogue entrepreneur in a digital age when I attended Internet Marketing Expert Mark Attwood's latest SEO clinic.

It was an intensive, mind blowing day about how to utilise every available - but legitimate - trick possible to market via the internet as well as maximise conversion from your website.

Mark Attwood is the entrepreneur who took leading Skip Hire company www.topskips.com from £0 to £7.5 million in just three years using these techniques. He is now using his considerable talent as a charismatic trainer to help other entrepreneurs on their journey. Mark also delivered a fantastic 90 minute workshop at our recent Marketing Magicians event and you can buy the DVD set here.

I'm now completely looking at my online strategy in a totally different way so expect some changes over coming months!

The reply from East Midlands Trains finally arrives...

2009-06-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

21 days on and the East Midlands Trains pathetic (& clearly standard script) response finally rolls into the station:

Ref: 177620

Dear Rachel Elnaugh

Thank you for your email of 22 May 2009.

I was sorry to hear that you were unhappy with the policy regarding our
First Class Lounges and I apologise for the inconvenience this caused.

Due to spacing restrictions the decision has been made to limit access to
the first class Lounges to First Anytime, First Plus Breakfast, First Plus
Parking, First Inclusive and First Class season ticket holders.

Holders of discounted First Class tickets will not be allowed access to the
lounges.

I hope you find this explanation useful, if there is anything else that I
can help you with please feel free to get in touch.

Kind regards

Donna Sallis
Customer Relations Officer

Tel: 08457 125 678 (Option 5, then 3)
Fax: 01332 263894
Email: getintouch@eastmidlandstrains.co.uk

Wasn't really worth them bothering was it?

PLEASE GOD let Virgin win the contract next time it's up for grabs.

Rachel

Front Page of the FT no less!

2009-06-09T05:10:00.000-07:00

I'm sure all you bloggers out there don't read the FT but yesterday I was on the front page of it! All about David Cameron's call for entrepreneurs to become MPs.

Had better hurry up and fill out the forms they sent me now...

Isn't life amazing?

R

Time to go Gordon

2009-06-04T01:09:00.000-07:00

A political post this morning as I've just gone and placed my vote for Conservative in both the local and European elections...

What a shame that Gordon Brown is so ruled by ego that he cannot see what damage he is doing to both his party and to the country. He was so desperate to become PM that he got rid of the only thing that was good about Labour (Tony Blair) and after a brief honeymoon period everything he has touched has turned to dust. He has no charisma and a smile that looks completely forced. He is a shambles and so is the government.

He should put his ego to one side and realise there is no glory in being PM if no one likes or respects you.

By the way, I took action yesterday on a life aim which I set for myself long ago, I emailed David Cameron and asked if I could stand as an MP for the Conservative Party. Hey presto everything I needed came back within an hour! Whether they will accept me is another matter but I would love to be in a position where I can be a force for positive change in the world. Particularly in creating an enterprise and empowerment culture within the UK.

I will let you know how my dream unfolds...

Have a thrilling Thursday!

Rachel

The Spectacular 'Marketing Magicians' Review

2009-06-03T01:09:00.000-07:00

It’s over 4 years since I put on an event so yesterday’s ‘Marketing Magicians’ one day conference at the British Library was a big deal for me – and reminded me just how much goes into ‘putting on a show’!

The biggest challenge which faces the entrepreneurs I meet is how to market their product or service amongst the soup of some 5,000 marketing messages we are all bombarded with everyday, while working on a shoestring budget. So the idea behind the day was to bring together a selection of speakers who were not just expert theorists but entrepreneurs who have all built thriving businesses off the back of very low cost marketing techniques.

We opened the event with the inspirational Royston Guest who runs the international training company PTI Worldwide. Royston talked about the power of thinking big, how to implement referral marketing strategies into your business as well as easy techniques to step change your company’s profitability by over 30% within weeks. He made me realise just how under optimised my own business is!

We then had the very suave bespoke tailor Thomas Mahon telling the story of how his ‘English Cut’ blog has lead him to create an international client base and fame as the leading authority on tailoring in the world. Thomas is so successful that his latest Blog post announcing that he was planning to wind down his client base lead to an overnight flood of orders from clients begging him to make suits for them! Everyone was blown away by Thomas’ integrity, honesty and charm.

After a break for coffee we had the first of our 90 minute workshops, with the amazing Internet Marketing guru and skip hire entrepreneur Mark Attwood. Mark showed us very practical techniques of how to track what works on the web, how to get to the top of Google and how to convert the maximum amount of business once you are there. It was like trying to learn brain surgery in a 90 minute session! Techniques I was not even aware existed. I am now booked on to Mark’s SEO workshop on 19 June and can’t wait to learn more.

After lunch (which I am embarrassed to admit was spectacularly crappy and definitely not worth the extortionate prices charged by the incumbent caterers Peyton & Byrne – but you have no choice but to use them) we had our next 90 minute workshop this time from the charismatic Alan Forrest Smith. Alan told us his story of taking his hairdressing business from a disastrous position of being hugely in debt and having bailiffs arrive at the door to being a healthy thriving profitable business through understanding how to market properly and really understand what it is you sell to your customers. You may think it is a haircut - but really it is the power to make them feel fabulous! Alan has clearly reached a stage in his life where he is as much a spiritual philosopher as he is a brilliant marketer and I thoroughly enjoyed just sitting basking in his positive energy stream.

It was then my turn to take the stage, and as time was limited I scooted through my views on why PR & Branding is the most powerful tool in your armoury – a whistle-stop taster of my full Entrepreneurial Masterclass the next one which is happening on 17 June.

Finally we had the lovely Sue Stone, whose light shone from stage, talking about the power of the mind in creating your world. Sue pulled back from bankruptcy with just £10 in her pocket to living a fabulous abundant and happy life through using the simple techniques she taught us. It made me reflect on how idle negative thoughts can inadvertently sabotage even the best laid plans.

We ended the day with a networking session and I had so many positive comments and thanks for the day from the entrepreneurs who attended I feel certain that we achieved our aim – to inspire, motivate and help entrepreneurs achieve personal fulfilment and success.

The whole event was filmed and if you would like the 4 DVD set it is available at the Marketing Magicians website for just £69 – order now and it will be shipped in 10 days’ time.

I’m now excitedly planning our next series of events for the Autumn/Spring season including a re-run of Marketing Magicians and if you’d like details please register for free at www.rachelelnaugh.me

Have a wonderful day!

Rachel

Criminally bad customer service!

2009-05-22T05:48:00.000-07:00

Those of you who follow me on Twitter will know I was nearly arrested at Leicester Railway Station today.

My crime? Refusing to pay a £5 supplement to use the First Class lounge.

The story: our (very old and outdated) East Midlands Train had been terminated on its way to Chesterfield due to engineering problems - which meant a whole hour's wait at Leicester. I had important emails that HAD to be sent and I needed to have someplace to utilise that hour - but my advance 1st class ticket apparently did not qualify me to use the lounge.

Now I accept that if I had arrived an hour early for my train or maybe wanted to dally in there and drink all the free coffee for a while I should be made to pay.

BUT THE ONE HOUR DELAY WAS THEIR FAULT!

To add insult to injury, when I refused to pay and went in (bear in mind the place was completely empty apart from one man) the receptionist called the police and two officers duly arrived to apprehend me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I explained the situation and invited them to arrest me, pointing out the publicity that action might incur, they then backed down and called the station manager who proceeded to give me a good old talking to about rules and regulations and people 'having to do their job properly'.

No problem says I, let me happily pay your £5 - in return for which I will Blog and Tweet about your crap customer service to the whole world.

So much for the East Midlands Train Service 'Passenger Charter' !!!

The problem of course lies in the staff training. So much time is clearly spent teaching them about rules, policies and procedures that they forget to tell them the REAL reason they are there: TO GIVE EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE.

Shame on you Stagecoach, you have started to abuse your monopoly - because I have no other choice than to continue to use your shoddy, uncaring and downright rude crappy service.

Marketing Nuggets of Pure Gold for FREE!

2009-05-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

What if you could increase your business takings by double in 7 days or less by spending virtually nothing on marketing?

Or how about generating over £220,000 in sales from a single webpage in 3 weeks or less again with hardly a penny spent marketing?

Or how about creating virtually zero cost marketing that generates literally a cash flow that can be switched off and on at will?

Do not miss a webinar which I will be hosting with zero cost marketing expert Alan Forrest Smith.

Alan has promised to reveal at least 5 gold nuggets of insider marketing strategies that you can copy and apply right now without having invested a single penny.

Alan tells me all of these strategies are scientifically proven and have worked time and time again in various business.

He told me if you want to survive recession, you need to be on this free webinar. After talking to him for 30 minutes... I believe him, so should you.

Do not miss what is looking like a highly charged, very powerful discussion on low investment, higher return marketing for 2009 with myself and Alan Forrest Smith.

Title: Rachel Live - with Zero Cost Marketing Expert Alan Forrest Smith

Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM BST

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar Seat Now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/827019347

Looking forward to hearing from you on the call!

"It doesn't hurt to say no"

2009-05-18T06:50:00.000-07:00

Actually yes it DOES hurt.

A flat & automatic NO suggests a few things:

Firstly, arrogance that you are better/busier/more in demand than the person asking.

Secondly, that you're not willing to negotiate under any circumstances - either now or in the future.

Thirdly, that you're a pretty rude person to be with/deal with.

And that's all very fine, except when it happens one too many times or with even just a few influential people or when your star starts to fade or simply when you wish to avoid Bad Karma.

And especially when you preach about the importance of 'Tribes' and 'Leadership'.

I saw the brilliantly charismatic social entrepreneur Tim Smit (founder of the Eden Project) speak at the Institute of Directors a week or so ago and he said that he ALWAYS accepts every third invitation. And as a result has found himself judging vegetables at a country show & speaking at a WI meeting as well as all the high powered events. Keeps him grounded apparently.

Yep we're ALL busy busy busy, but my advice would be: leave some space in your life & diary & heart to practice saying YES just once in a while.

Especially when it is to your biggest UK fan, who has so far sold thousands of copies of your books for you via raving about you to every entrepreneur she meets/speaks to at events - and who has just launched an events division and has invited you to come speak in London.

If you're wondering what the hell I'm on about, see Seth Godin's latest blog post "It doesn't hurt to ask".

Evidence a certain person has just lost sight of who is the customer.

I'm a twit

2009-05-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

Yep I've now finally managed to get active on Twitter - you can follow me on RachelElnaugh - a little window into my wonderfully exciting life of watching Eurovision and being a mum of 5 - and of course the odd high profile business event thrown in...

Pacific Rubbish Island

2009-05-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

Following hot on the heels of the last post about honey bees comes news of the Pacific Rubbish Island - basically a large area of floating debris mainly bits of plastic which gets swept around the world and then trapped in the doldrums. It's now at least as big as Texas!

A lot of this island is made up of grains of plastic broken up by the sea which outnumber plankton by 6:1 - yep that means fish are now eating it.

This is by no means a new story - the 'rubbish island' was first discovered in 1997 and has been growing every year, steps are now being taken to clear it - but just where will they put it all?

This is truly the legacy of mass consumerism.

Who killed the honey bee?

2009-05-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I had a conversation with contemporary shaman Judith Seelig (who I have talked about elsewhere on this blog) during which she was talking about the danger to the human race because the honey bees were dying out... Swarms being transported hundreds of miles to pollinate crops and hence being disorientated and destroying their natural sense of direction.

The danger is, without bees to pollinate crops, there will be no food and without food the entire food chain is destroyed. Humans would become extinct.

Therefore it was disturbing to watch BBC2's programme last night 'Who killed the honey bee?' which revealed that MILLIONS of bees are now dying - and that some beekeepers have lost 80% of their bees due to 'Colony Collapse Disorder'.

It would seem that Planet Earth is truly starting to break down...

Peace One Day

2009-05-15T01:29:00.000-07:00

I was invited along to an event last night in London and didn't quite make the connection until I got there that this was for the amazing charity which managed to stop all war on 21 September last year - including the Taliban in Afghanistan to allow 3million children to be vaccinated for polio. You may have seen Annie Lennox and Lenny Kravitz performing at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the event.

Peace One Day is the brainchild of an incredible film director Jeremy Gilley, and this year marks the 10th year since he had the thought back in 1999 'I wonder if it would be possible to get everyone to stop fighting'.

Of course everyone said he could never achieve it (the Jeremiahs are never far away when you try to step out and make change happen) but since then he's gone out and got UN support from all 182 countries and involved lots of celebrities including Angelina Jolie and Jude Law as well as making peace happen one one day for three years now.

So mark this year's date in your diary 21 September - and if you can, get tickets for this year's Peace One Day event (which I think is on 20 September in London and 21 September in Washington).

And spread the word - Jeremy's aim is to touch every person on the planet with the message that peace CAN be achieved, even if just for one day.

Marketing Magicians

2009-05-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you know about an amazing event I have arranged at the British Library on 2 June 2009.

The theme is high return/low cost marketing methods and it's aimed at entrepreneurs who really need help in driving sales, WITHOUT spending a fortune in advertising...

'Marketing Magicians' draws together six hugely successful small business owners who have each built a £multi-million business based on the marketing methods they have employed.

We have www.topskips.com entrepreneur Mark Attwood telling us how he built his skip hire business from £0 to nearly £8 million T/O in just three years - through the power of Search Engine Optimisation - and he owns no skips!!!

We have arch blogger Thomas Mahon - who built a client base of international clients and royalty simply through the power of a blog, despite being based from a workshop in his garden in Cumbria. (Although he now has an office on Savile Row!)

And we have the charismatic marketer Royston Guest talking about the power of referral marketing.

Other speakers include copywriting guru Alan Forrest Smith and empowerment coach Sue Stone.

For full details on the event please go to Marketing Magicians and enter the special code friendsandfollowers to get £100 off !!!

It's going to be an absolutely brilliant event and I hope you will be part of it.

Regards

Rachel

Britain's Got More Talent

2009-04-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

Did you see my brother Joel Elnaugh on Britain's Got More Talent Last Night?

He was the stand up comedian with the guitar...

The Bitch List

2009-04-26T02:24:00.001-07:00

It seems like everyone is revelling in delight at the fact that billions have been wiped off the fortunes in this year's Sunday Times Rich List.

I am left wondering what it is about our society that absolutely loves to hear about other people's failure and misfortune.

Perhaps to make them feel better about their own miserably unsuccessful and uneventful lives?

Why bother?

2009-04-23T00:44:00.000-07:00

Several of you have been complaining to me that I'm not blogging as often as I used to. Frankly I didn't know that you cared - and since the departure of Stephen, C & Mr A Dragon, and we lost our acerbic comment strings, I thought why bother if no one is interested.

That's a feeling I think most entrepreneurs share at some point isn't it?

You're there plugging away at your business, believing you're doing great stuff, and some days - typically those days when nothing's cooking, or you're let down, or people don't bother to reply to your calls, or you get no sales in, or the phone doesn't ring a single time, or only 7 people register for a webinar where you called in a big favour to get someone you thought might be really interesting for your network - you do just sit there and think 'Why do I bother?'.

But then there are the days when the invitations flow and the opportunities arise or you gain some great inspiration or energy or a big deal breaks or that money you've been owed for 8 weeks now lands in your bank account - and you're back in flow again.

I guess it's just a case of when the 'Why Bother?' days overtake the 'Back in flow' days you need to consider giving up and doing something else...

So let me know what type of day you're having.

And if I don't get any comments I will know not to bother!

Signs of Recession

2009-04-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

I took an Easter stroll down into Bakewell this morning - packed with tourists at the moment, we get 2 million of them every year - yet the thing that startled me is just how many shops are now closed and empty around town.

One delightful little picturesque cobbled shopping arcade was completely shut - a fashion shop, brasserie, gift shop and art gallery all closed down, the restaurant with a sign in the window selling off all its furniture.

And all this in a town which is always swarming with people.

It really feels we've only just seen the start of this recession biting.

Even super-optimistic me was left wondering exactly what shops COULD open here and make a success of it.

I said it in my last post and I'll repeat it here - it really seems that we are seeing a tidal change away from old style consumerism - and it's going to take a lot more than a 'fiscal stimulus' to revive it.

Rachel

Why we must kill old style Capitalism

2009-04-05T04:33:00.001-07:00

Well that's a relief then, all the major countries get together and agree a fiscal stimulus package aimed at getting money moving and everyone spending again. So let's all relax and get back to our rampant consumerism of the past couple decades.

The only problem is - and what everyone has failed to notice or debate (except perhaps the City protestors) - is that this old style Capitalism is simply unsustainable - both financially and environmentally.

We simply cannot continue to plough on burning up the world's resources at the rate we are.

Has no one realised that the warnings we are being given - the ongoing evidence of global warming, not least today's reported crumbling of the ice shelf in Antartica, and the meltdown of the banking system - are signals that WE NEED TO CHANGE.

I am all in favour of enterprise and empowerment, but it needs to be conducted in a different style system which is much more collaborative and in harmony with all the world's people and the planet. Harmonism.

The 'much to few' old style Capitalism - driven by money power and greed - simply has to end. Before it is too late.

Some businesses are still doing brilliantly !

2009-03-27T02:37:00.000-07:00

There's so much doom and gloom in the media about the economy, it's great to get a different perspective... This week I was at the High Growth East Midlands Awards organised by EMDA (East Midlands Development Agency) as a guest of Sarah Coleman of Business Evolution Business - who won The Growth Enabler Professional Excellence Award (she is a business coach).

The speaker was Sir Ranulph Fiennes whose world exploration trips have been legendary, and who talked about keeping going in the face of adversity - a great message for all who may be in business and struggling.

All in all it was a wonderful evening of hope, optimism and positivity - and best of all I didn't have to get up there and speak - so could really relax and enjoy the evening!

A big congratulations to Sarah and many thanks to her for inviting me.

Farewell Stephen

2009-03-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

In the recent 'Green Slime' post, Stephen has indicated he's taking a sabbatical from my Blog for a while...

And I just wanted to pay him a small tribute to say thank you and goodbye (but only for a while I hope).

Writing a Blog is only fun when it engages communication, controversy and comment - and Stephen has given us all a brilliant run for our money since he started placing his comments. I know I for one will miss his contributions.

Hurry back soon Stephen - this Blog will be a lot less colourful without you!

Rachel

Finding Your Flow

2009-03-13T04:24:00.000-07:00

One of my latest speaking themes is about 'Finding Your Flow' and I've just completed fabulous events on this for the London HR Connection and the ladies of the East Midlands, both of which were incredibly well received.

Interestingly I've been asked to do a 2 hour workshop of the same title at this year's Mind Body Spirit Festival and you can now book tickets for this event for just £20.

During the workshop I'll be taking you through some practical exercises to help you reconnect with your passion and empower you to create an energised and abundant business. I'll also be teaching the secrets of Magnetic Marketing (these are extracts from my Entrepreneurial Masterclass) as well as techniques to increase your vibration to attract the right contacts and opportunities to achieve success.

It's on Thursday 21st May from 5pm to 7pm at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London SW1 and you can buy tickets via www.mindbodyspirit.co.uk - but hurry as numbers are limited and MBS has just gone live with their marketing on the festival this week...

Look forward to seeing you there!

Regards

Rachel

Green Outrage

2009-03-06T00:06:00.000-08:00

Just watching breaking news on SKY of green liquid/paint being thrown in the face of Business Secretary Peter Mandelson by what they think was a Heathrow third runway protestor... Amazing that no one grabbed the girl who did it; she just walked away.

Personally I think it was an outrage. No matter what the anger/emotion involved no one deserves to be publicly assaulted in that way. To me much damage has been done to the 'Green' movement today.

I'm #5 Hot British Babe !!!

2009-02-28T03:55:00.001-08:00

Well lots of curious things have happened in my life but nothing stranger than finding myself #5 Hot British Babe as a result of Dragons' Den now airing on BBCAmerica...

OK I will admit it may have something to do with the dominatrix outfit (do you know how difficult it is to get into a rubber catsuit and walk around on 8 inch platform heels?) but the photoshoot was certainly fun !!!

Rachel

Great Energy!

2009-02-27T05:41:00.000-08:00

For the latest in my series of webinars I interviewed the award winning entrepreneur Scott Fletcher at the HQ of his IT solutions company ANS in Manchester. Scott has built ANS from nothing to a £10million turnover PLUS listed company with a market cap of c£16million - which makes £1.4million profit a year - in just over a decade. And ANS is still growing despite the recession.

During the webinar Scott shared his secrets of getting a business off the ground from a standing start, how to grow exponentially and some of the sales tools he has used to win business from his competitors. He also answered a selection of questions from the webinar attendees.

It was also interesting for me being in the same room with Scott and hearing him talk about his business to notice just how much passion and energy he has for his company!

We'll be putting the webinar on the site shortly.

To get notifications of, and FREE access to future webinars sign up NOW at www.rachelelnaugh.me

You can also follow Scott's comings and goings on Twitter .

Sad News

2009-02-25T09:07:00.000-08:00

Just back from London and a bit in shock to see the Evening Standard front page news that David Cameron's son died this morning...

I spend a lot of time away from home, so busy, busy, busy - and get back home to hugs and kisses from my lovely five boys. Gosh how sometimes we take such wonderful things in life for granted.

My sincere condolences to David and his family.

Seth, all is forgiven !!!

2009-02-17T23:38:00.001-08:00

Wow, what an event.

We went to see Seth Godin speak in London yesterday and I have to say he was truly brilliant. I take back anything I may have said about ego or arrogance, he came across as a brilliant thinker, a genius ideas man and a genuinely nice guy.

He was also kind enough to sign my copy of Purple Cow (my favourite marketing book ever) which I will now treasure forever.

Oh and by the way C, my 'son' was the lovely young Stefan our prizewinner of the free ticket - an entrepreneur from Birmingham already on his second business at the age of 17.

There was a lot said about tribes (Seth's new book)and if you would like to join mine please go to my website and register for free.

That will also get you access to our first live webinar this afternoon (Wednesday 18th February) from 4pm on the subject of driving sales - with my friend and special guest, the business coach, sales expert and wealth guru Paul Avins.

Look forward to hearing from you on the call.

Come see Seth with me!

2009-02-08T02:49:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of months I have been working with the brilliant MikeB (a regular commentator on this Blog, who finally caught up with me in person at last year's Business Start Up Show) to create a new online business coaching service which is going live this Thursday 12 February.

To celebrate the launch we are inviting one lucky subscriber a free ticket (worth £100) to come to see marketing guru Seth Godin with Mike and me for his only UK speaking gig this year - in central London on the afternoon of 17 February 2009. Plus we'll take you for a drink or three afterwards.

Signing up is FREE and will also get you FREE access to my private member's forum - like this Blog, except everyone can post and share as well as help us get to know you and your business better. Already people in my 'mastermind group' are generating lots of extra business (as well as many new friends!) through working together.

So if you'd like to come on 17 February click here now.

Entrepreneurial Spirit Shining Through!

2009-02-08T02:29:00.000-08:00

I did a speaking event at the University of Hertfordshire last year and a young Nigerian business student called Kelvin came up to me and told me how much he would like to work with me. I told him I'd just taken on an 'Apprentice' so unfortunately that vacancy was filled, but nonetheless he insisted I put his number in my phone so that any time I needed any help I should call on him and he would be there.

So there Kelvin's number sat, until Friday when I was in London, due to do the Franchise Show at Excel and my own Apprentice Richard was unable to make it due to the snow. So I looked through my phone for people who I might be able to call upon in my hour of need - and of course came across Kelvin. He responded immediately and jumped on a train with his fellow business student John and we had a great time at the Show - meeting entrepreneurs, selling copies of my book Business Nightmares and helping promote my new online business coaching service.

I should also thank entrepreneur Chris Yates who also responded - he appeared at the Growing Business Show a couple of years earlier and helped me out for which I helped him by mentoring him plus a free place on my Entrepreneurial Masterclass - his company Dream Marine is now slowly but surely gaining a foothold in the yacht charter sector, despite turbulent economic times.

It's this kind of 'can do' attitude that makes entrepreneurs so different to the rest of the population - and it's why I love spending all my time now in the company of people who run their own businesses.

Walltastic

2009-02-04T13:49:00.000-08:00

At a time when everyone is moaning about the Recession and the Credit Crunch it is great to be involved with a growing UK business...

I first helped kid's wall mural company Walltastic in 2008 on a consultancy basis; first thing we did was to re-brand them (handled by my brilliant designer Tom at Atom Create); their business is now taking off and they distribute in countries worldwide and are on target for PROFITABLE T/O of £1million this year...

On Monday I officially joined then as non-exec director - here I am with CEO Julian Evans at this week's Spring Fair at the NEC.

The Heckler

2009-01-31T03:22:00.000-08:00

Here she is, our American Mrs Angry, mouthing off at last week's British Library Business Nightmares event...

Gosh, I never realised I was so much like Ann Robinson.

Classic!

The Revolution of Kindness

2009-01-26T13:37:00.001-08:00

Entrepreneurs vs Marketers

2009-01-25T08:22:00.000-08:00

Yep, I could go into every single business out there and establish my critique of what they're doing right and wrong. Businesses are ALWAYS suboptimised.

The trickier bit is to help them actually implement the necessary changes - while still fighting all the battles that represent 'being an entrepreneur'.

The old analogy of how do you drain the swamp when you're up to your neck in crocodiles... Sales falling, cashflow issues biting, bank managers threatening, motivation dropping, mortgage repossession looming. These are the realities of entrepreneurship c2009.

What these entrepreneurs need is not a heap of marketing theory and pointy criticism - it's practical & easy-to-implement advice on HOW TO GET IT DONE.

But then, as they say, those who can, do, those who can't, preach.

Wow What a Week!

2009-01-25T03:33:00.000-08:00

I feel incredibly privileged to have a life where I get to be involved in so much great stuff...

Tuesday I was at Cass Business School, working with a group of 25 MBA students in a three hour session to demonstrate how a business can be created on a shoestring marketing budget through a 'pull' marketing strategy.

Wednesday I was at the British Library Business Centre state-of-the-art training facility with three entrepreneurs who I will be working with as their mentor in 2009 in a great session looking at each of their businesses in detail.

Wednesday night the now infamous 'Business Nightmares' evening (see previous Blog post comment string) at the British Library conference centre, on a panel of 4 entrepreneurs who've each lived through a business meltdown scenario, sharing our experiences to a packed house. If you want to watch the event it will soon be on YouTube - the attack on me from our American 'Mrs Angry' comes almost at the end and it was great that the audience were so supportive of me and my response.

Then Thursday back at the BL Training Centre with a fabulous group of entrepreneurs for my quarterly Entrepreneurial Masterclass. Far from ending the week tired and drained I felt inspired and energised to have worked with so many great people.

Entrepreneurial energy is the best on the Planet, everyone so upbeat, supportive and it also feels that the tough times we are facing is bringing out a wonderful camaraderie in everyone helping and supporting one another.

And it's great to be living my dream of inspiring, motivating and helping others to achieve personal fulfillment and success.

The Love Affair is Over Seth

2009-01-19T04:58:00.000-08:00

As you'll know from previous posts, for a long time I was a big fan of Seth Godin.

I've read [almost] all of his books, eulogised about him at lots of business conferences I've spoken at and I would guess promoted his book Purple Cow [my favourite] to a cumulative live audience of at least 10,000 British entrepreneurs at those events over the past couple of years.

Not to mention buying a copy of Purple Cow for every one of my mentoring clients, featuring Seth on my Blog etc. - plus I'd also invited him to be interviewed for my new TV project rachelelnaugh.tv

Yet, in a private email exchange this morning, in response to his recent Blog post about Love (and Annoying) (which obviously annoyed him!) I received the most curtly rude and arrogant response.

So, Seth, this Post is to let you know that my love affair with you is now officially over!

I think it's the same sort of American arrogance that has seen George W Bush leave office as the most disliked US president on record (not to mention the damage done to the US brand) and was displayed by Dick Fuld as he nosedived Lehman brothers into the ground last year.

Let's hope Barack Obama brings back a sense of humility to the US people.

The Art of Blogging

2009-01-19T02:17:00.000-08:00

Once a month I do 6 x one hour free advice sessions at the British Library Business and IP Centre for entrepreneurs needing help marketing their business.

A couple of months ago I advised Disability Consultant Danny Puresh that adopting a 'Guru' marketing strategy would be a good (and very low cost) way to promote his business.

Essentially the idea behind a Guru marketing strategy is to position yourself as an expert in your chosen area, which is easy to do given the power of the web and especially blogging.

Today I received an email from Danny to say his Blog didn't seem to be working...

I'm posting below my advice as I think it's a good guide to how you can make Blogging work...

Hi Danny

I've just had a look at your Blog...

Apart from the train rant it's pretty boring I'm afraid.

Read master blogger Seth Godin on this (or visit his Blog).

First your posts need to be interesting.
Secondly they need to be controversial.
Thirdly it's far better if they cover a diverse range of a subjects so that your meta tags can be varied.
Fourthly you need to refer to other Blogs/sites in your Blog through hyperlinks - as that will attract more traffic to you

A good way to generate ideas for new posts is to set up Google alerts on subjects relevant/interesting to you - and then link to those articles with your own views on the subject. If you get alerts for someone else's Blog on a related topic leave a [controversial] comment there - and people will visit you via that.

For example, topical news like yesterday's TV debate about embryo screening for disability and this morning's SKY news interview with Racial Equality Minister about the prejudices against minorities now endemic in our society.

If you look back at the early days of my Blog I only attracted one or two comments (if any)...

But I stuck at it, got more wide ranging punchy and controversial - and slowly slowly attracted a following to the point where I think the biggest comment string on a post was 93 (about Barack Obama's election victory)

Yet still, if I lapse back into being boring, I only get a comment or two.

The good news is, my Blog is now highly ranked by Google and I'm often approached for comments/interviews/speaking engagements after people have found me via my Blog. Media love people who are punchy and who have strong opinions.

Hope this helps...

Rachel

Any other tips for Danny (and me!) are welcome...

Business Nightmares at the British Library

2009-01-16T04:48:00.000-08:00

Next week I'm involved in a Business Nightmares event at the British Library Conference Centre...

It's happening on Wednesday 21 January from 6.15pm to 9pm and on the panel with me are Gavin Griffiths (former owner of the Erotic Review and author of the Accidental Pornographer), regular commentator on this blog Bradley Chapman who runs Million Impossible, and Aamir Ahmad founder of dwell.

I've also got 8 FREE TICKETS available for this event (normally £10 - and I think they may already have sold out), if you'd like one the first 8 people to email me at rachel@rachelelnaugh.com with FREE TICKET in the subject title win.

Don't say I never give you anything on this Blog!

Desperately trying to preserve the status quo

2009-01-14T01:27:00.000-08:00

Interesting to watch Peter Mandelson's announcement this morning of the package of support which has been put together by BERR to support Britain's small business through the current economic crisis.

For those of you who didn't see it, main features are £20billion worth of guarantees matching bank lending 50:50 (so if a bank lends £100k, £50k is guaranteed by the government) plus a £75 million enterprise fund providing seed & working capital for small business.

Small print is that the £20billion support is only going to 'ordinary risk' businesses - and interesting also that the government is only making a provision for £225million in defaults - which is around 1%. Methinks it will prove a lot more expensive to the taxpayer than that.

While it's great that support is being provided for UK business all this feels a bit like King Canute trying to stop the tide coming in. It feels like the government is desperately trying to preserve the business status quo rather than addressing the REAL issue of where is our future wealth going to come from?

As I've said elsewhere on this blog, I would really like BERR to identify key growth sectors - or sectors it would be foolish/dangerous to lose - and target all this financial support at those. For example, renewable energy, manufacturing, engineering, farming and bioscience. That would encourage ailing businesses to divert their energy and resources to exploring new, higher growth areas as well as build a really strong economy to secure the future (which in turn will provide the money to pay for all these current bailouts!)

Like it or not, the world economy is changing dramatically, and much as governments may try I don't think we will ever go back to the mass consumerism era of the past couple of decades.

It's just not sustainable.

How I made Seth Angry

2009-01-12T01:13:00.000-08:00

I've removed this post as I didn't read Seth's emails properly - which politely request at the bottom that they aren't published or used on blogs etc.

So my apologies to Seth (and I suspect if he wasn't angry before he is pretty p*ssed off with me now!)

However, I've left the comments here intact for Seth to view - as I think they are interesting feedback on his personal brand.

It used to be that all great thought innovators came from the US but I think now the US brand is damaged, their power is perhaps waning.

Big gap in the market then for a fresh marketing guru? Stephen???

Thank you Hani!

2009-01-08T01:01:00.000-08:00

This is a post I have been meaning to make for a while to thank my regular commentator Hani for her wonderful gift to me of this beautiful painting. Hani came on my Masterclass at the British Library last September and sent the portrait through as a thank you for helping her with her business. I was hoping to have had it framed by now but Christmas took over...

You can view Hani's art at her website which is soon to be re-vamped.

It's wonderful to have so many talented and kind people in my life!

Feeling optimistic about 2009!

2009-01-07T01:37:00.000-08:00

I'd like to send thanks to my friend Malcolm Levene for the post on his blog about reasons to feel positive about 2009.

Yes there is a lot of doom and gloom about what's happening in the economy but for me we are going through an uncomfortable but necessary period of change. The credit crunch is making everyone a lot more thrifty and I think it's also making us a lot more grateful for what we DO have. Living with an 'attitude of gratitude' is one of the key steps to happiness.

People are also seeking out inexpensive pleasures - despite the icy weather, my home town of Bakewell was packed during Christmas and the New Year with families wrapped up warm, feeding the ducks on the river and going for long countryside walks.

We're finally realising that happiness does not lie in material possessions, that retail therapy does not truly make you happy and as Malcolm says in his blog, people who live in a state of positivity and optimism attract far more great stuff to them in their lives.

The current struggles and tensions which are unfolding are simply the conflict between the old 'alpha' order trying to preserve the status quo in the face of a tidal change of rising spirituality amongst a now critical mass of people on the planet. It was this changing tide which swept Barack Obama to power.

The faster we accept the gift of the beautiful change which is coming through for us and go with the flow of it (rather than fighting it for fear of losing what little we perceive we've already got), the sooner we will find peace and happiness.

38% of small businesses say they won't survive 2009

2009-01-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

An incredible 38% of small businesses predict that they will not survive through to the end of 2009, according to an article in today's Financial Mail on Sunday.

Given that there are something like 4 million small businesses in Britain, that's something like 1.5 million businesses which may go under - with the knock on effect of redundancies and creditors being left unpaid.

As I've said elsewhere on this Blog, this country's economy is in serious trouble.

What the above does mean is that there is also tremendous opportunity - in the small business sector - either to help those ailing businesses or to assist the failed entrepreneurs phoenix themselves into new ventures.

Meantime, back to basics business rules now apply. Be careful who you give credit to. Defend cashflow. Adapt your offering to ensure it is still what customers want. And become as flexible as possible so you can move quickly to cut costs if you need to.

Time to batten down the hatches methinks - it's going to be a tough year, but also one of great opportunity for those well prepared to weather the storm.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T05:07:00.000-08:00

It's been a lovely week of wrapping pressies, putting the cards up around the house and last minute shopping.

And this year I've received many wonderful ecards from various diverse friends, all from a fabulous site JacquieLawson.com - so many that I ended up signing up myself!

It's actually a brilliant business model - you pay a one-off annual subscription of c£6 for which you can send as many cards as you like whenever you want, and of course the more cards you send the more likely Jacquie is to attract additional subscribers.

Once up and running all she has to do is focus on creating great new cards - and her customers do all the marketing.

What a fantastic business!!!

Have a lovely Christmas.

Rachel

A Fire Inside: Thoughts on the Credit Crisis and the Creativity of Winter

2008-12-22T00:59:00.000-08:00

My thanks to Nicholas Janni at Olivier Mythodrama for sending through the following insightful piece by visionary poet David Whyte:

Outside my window the wintry English fields spread, as they have for centuries to the dark, smoke blue line of woods that limit the horizon of the valley. A bright fire burns in the grate to my left, while outside I can hear the call of a barn owl cutting the still, even air. All is exactly has it has been for many a hundred year in these Cotswold hills where I happily find myself this winter's day.

Everything from horizon to horizon is eternal and quiet and seemingly unchangeable - except, that is, for one tiny but extraordinary portal I can open on this laptop to a parallel world of web-borne news, a world supposedly more real than the quiet one I inhabit this cold but beautiful evening. With a few clicks, I can enter an astonishing world of worry, anxiety and for many individuals, and indeed whole societies, material hardship, brought on by the cessation of credit.

Out of the hermetic silence of a quiet winter day I can take a few short steps and almost touch the sense of panic and the extraordinary breakdown in trust that has stopped the flow of currency from one person to another, one bank to another, one society to another. It is as if the cold hands of this financial season have touched every last monetary stream and rivulet, and frozen them over.

It is winter here in the countryside with all its well-loved beauties, but out in the world of money, it is winter with another form of terrible beauty, the winter of disappearance, immobility, and the worry fret and anxiety that comes from seeming to have very little shelter from its effects. It is always a trauma for the human psyche when those elements it has over-invested itself in at the periphery of life are withdrawn, and the spring-like world of growth and opportunity seems to close down, as if the old currencies have become worthless while we as yet do not know how to value or harvest the following season.

But this form of trauma has also been seen by many of our great religious, contemplative and artistic traditions as an invitation back to another kind of valuation, a return to a more internal focus, an opportunity to revive an old friendship with the place from which all the peripheries are recognized, priced and named. This internal, alchemical, almost catalytic core of identity-making and decision-making has long been associated with the soul of an individual; the part of us attempting to belong to the world in the biggest way it can; the part that witnesses our outer actions, stirs our conscience and quite often seems to be at odds with those other parts of us trying to game the system at the periphery.

It is interesting to think that what may be a financial trauma for the surface personality may be a break for freedom for a more serious, central core of the psyche, the part that understands its own mortality and secretly knows that it will eventually all come to a place where we have to give up on all the peripherals anyway, at that unknown, appointed crossroads when our particular individual life as we know it, comes to an end. In times of difficulty, it is tempting to think that creativity, vision and new possibilities must be put aside simply in order to survive.

It is tempting, when the financial tide goes out, to act from a sense of impoverishment; it easy to feel abandoned when the source and sense of our riches are no longer in the summer air but hidden deep in a form of winter potentiality. It is always very hard to understand that the world has shifted to another axis of generosity; one not so readily recognized.

When we feel bereft of one form of support we can easily forget that it is because we might be meant to put that particular form of comfort aside and look to a fiercer more internally grounded stage of our maturity, one that might emanate from a simpler but surer ground than the outer sky of mirrors and monetary instruments we might have constructed for ourselves in the so-called real world.

It also might be surprising to think that there are just as many forms of courage and creativity associated with disappearance and doing without; just as many satisfying elements of aliveness associated with a winter as with spring.

This central, core conversation to which we return in each succeeding winter is both nourishing and deeply disturbing, it seems heedless of any flimsy structures we may have erected, it seems fiery in that it burns familiar things away and yet provides another form of warmth emanating from a more nested, interior hearth.

In my experience the first necessity of an individual in finding this fiery, core conversation is a radical form of simplification. To get to the core conversation we have to withdraw from the edges. Whatever expenses we have been making at the margins of our lives in terms of emotions, finances or time-based commitment must be brought back to the central conversation that makes the most sense. Radical simplification often entails a seemingly ruthless withdrawal from secondary involvements, it also involves simplifying wants and needs to grant us another form of freedom not necessarily involved with the freedom to buy anything we want at any time.

Arguments for indiscriminate buying to revive the economy are circular and lock human beings into a never ending cycle of buying goods that are non essential, with everyone encouraged to live beyond their means, to the ultimate dismantling of the natural systems that supply those wants in the first place. The practice of radical simplification, however, might not mean living in a desire-less, enlightened state, but simply catching our desires as close to the centre of our experience as possible.

Practically, we can catch a need for an expensive new sports car early on in the process by buying a second hand version of the same, we can catch it even earlier, nearer to the center, by renting one every now and again, without having to go to expense of maintaining it, we can catch it very close in indeed, by attempting to live out directly the very qualities that underlie the desire itself. Without the prop of the car, we might try to cultivate a certain air of freedom as if the wind was always in our hair.

The withdrawal from the literal, over- concretized periphery where everything is counterfeiting for something closer in, almost always leaves us dealing in another more imaginative currency at the center. Now that our focus is shifting away from the peripheral bubble of promised riches, we are just beginning to be reminded again of the depths of poverty, both in the developing world and the United States where the social safety net for those in difficulty has been worn almost to nothing.

But it is exactly this re evaluation of the periphery and the renewed emphasis on what is essential that will bring spending back from mere baubles to infrastructure and education, back from foreign adventurism to a coherent approach to the sources of terror; in the United States especially there must be an attempt at a better health care system, a more cohesive, less poisonous political conversation and a renewed relationship with a world in desperate need for it to return to its foundational ideals.

This new faculty of valuation can be quite disturbing to the way we might have priced and measured out our life in the recent, unbalanced, heady times. The road of radical simplification almost always leads to the door of the great and unwanted unknown. The door to begin with seems to open on to nothing we at first can recognize.

To enter through that door we have to cultivate what Suzuki Roshi called beginner's mind, where we stop having to know and name everything in advance and allow ourselves the satisfactions of discovery and revelation. In doing this we actually start to re mould our identity in the form of the learner and listener.

Learning, listening and radically simplifying as we go we might have a possibility of opening up that catalytic core where very few elements need combine to create a great deal of new energy. A decision made from this core has enormous leverage on the outer world where we see, hear, work and have relationships.

This internal center appears when the outer peripheries have bankrupted themselves, fallen and become a loam that we must plough back to enrich the ground. In the depths of winter under the cold night of wind and stars and shut off from the garden, we look for those hidden and invisible springs that will uncoil, in the still summer air, each new, yet to be imagined rose.

£1 = 1 Euro

2008-12-15T13:36:00.000-08:00

If there were any greater indication that the United Kingdom is in a gigantic mess look no further than our falling exchange rate. The £1 is simply dropping in value like a stone.

However, to paraphrase Napoleon Hill, 'In every adversity lie the seeds of opportunity'.

So, if I were in charge of this country, here's what I would be doing:

- Restore our manufacturing industry.
No, even with the exchange rate we may not be able to compete with China on price - but we could compete on QUALITY.
Anyone else sick of cheap imports that break within days or weeks?
Anyone else remember the days when things actually LASTED?
I would be reinstating the 'Made in Britain' tag with regulated standards and pride in British workmanship to re-establish our brand worldwide.

- Restore our farming industry.
All but lost, and now imports from Europe are incredibly expensive. Yet we have acres and acres of verdant fertile soil.
Let's use them - and at minimum become self-sufficient in inexpensive food for all.

- Encourage future growth industries.
There's a huge tide in entrepreneurial instinct in this country.
Let's use business incentives wisely to divert this talent and passion away from 'no hope sectors' and into future growth sectors - like renewable energy, bio tech science and alternative therapies/well being.

- Encourage tourism like mad.
Britain may not have the best weather but it is incredibly beautiful. The weak pound now makes us a very cheap destination.

- Encourage enterprise skills in schools with a passion. Soon the days of being 'an employee' will be gone forever.

What's needed right now is long term, joined up thinking.

Not short term fixes.

Let's look at what real value and competitive advantage we can create in this country - and then GO FOR IT !

With the decline in the financial services sector it's our only hope to re-establish ourselves as a worldwide 'power' economy.

Christmas Surprises for my birthday...

2008-12-12T05:17:00.000-08:00

I came back home to Bakewell last night after a couple of days in London to a lovely surprise - a Christmas Card from David Cameron!

Then what should arrive in this morning's post but one from HRH Prince Charles !!!

Wow I must be moving up in the world...

[Sorry, I am just a humble Essex girl; these kind of things impress me I'm afraid.]

Jofli Bear

2008-12-09T13:56:00.000-08:00

Great breakfast gig at Barnsley and well worth getting up at 5am for...

Here I am with Jofli Bear, a great gift concept, the bear with a travel log and scrap book which records where he's been and who he's met. Fabulous business idea!

Barnsley Bites Back at the Credit Crunch!

2008-12-08T02:14:00.001-08:00

OK back to 'business'...

Several people have asked me to announce where I'll be speaking next.

Well tomorrow morning I am at a breakfast event in Barnsley, the topic is 'Barnsley Bites Back at the Credit Crunch'. I'll be kicking off the event with a keynote speech, followed by 4 specialist speakers each giving practical advice and tips on how to survive the recession.

It looks to be a great event - it's being organised by Business Link Yorkshire at the Brooklands Hotel, Barnsley from 8am to 11am. There are currently only 14 places left, tickets are FREE and you can book by calling 08456 048 048 .

Look forward to seeing you there!

Rachel

Depressed

2008-12-05T04:47:00.000-08:00

I've just been reviewing all your comments on the last post...

What a kerfuffle!

Anyway, just to say apologies for not having posted anything recently. To be honest I am quite depressed at the moment. No particular reason, just that low energy thing that occasionally descends where my normal enthusiasm and passion aren't flowing as they should.

Maybe it is because I am 44 next week, maybe it is because I haven't managed to get any Christmas cards written or the Christmas tree up yet or maybe it is because I am worried for the future.

Anyway I just wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate your participation on my Blog. It has become one of my most enjoyable pastimes - and it just wouldn't be the same without the Stephens, DLOGS, Annes, Cs, Brads and Anonymice of this world...

Rachel

Thanks a bunch Darling

2008-11-25T00:02:00.000-08:00

I'm just incredulous that Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling think that a 2.5% cut in VAT is going to kick start the economy by getting consumers spending again.

Firstly, retailers can't even shift the stuff on 20% off super duper mega discount splurge days.

Secondly, has anyone in the Government ever had any experience actually running a business? If so they would realise that the administrative cost - not to mention the sheer hassle - of changing all their prices (including the cost of re-printing catalogues and menus etc) is an absolute nightmare. And is any retailer really going to reduce their price from £9.99 to £9.78? I think not.

A friend of ours is the retail director of one of Britain's biggest chains. He has 20,000 different products on sale at 300 stores. We've already offered to send our children over to help out with all the re-labelling...

Should We Re-Possess People's Homes?

2008-11-22T00:55:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine Emma Harrison (she's the social entrepreneur who runs A4e which manages a lot of the government training schemes) was explaining to me recently about understanding the 'lifetime value' of every member of society.

All the time you are in work or enterprise or producing in some way you are adding value to an economy, and every time you are in education, training, hospital, prison, on benefits, drawing pension and so on you are a cost.

Therefore your lifetime value is all the value you bring over the years minus all the cost of supporting you along the way.

It follows that ensuring people are healthy, happy, secure, well-trained and employable is the best way of creating long term value and prosperity.

So WHY OH WHY are we allowing all these state owned banks to re-possess people's homes? (Not to mention HMRCE being the main initiator of so many bankruptcies...)

When someone loses their home they are an immediate and long term cost to society.

The likelihood is that they will go on benefits, need council housing, their security confidence and happiness are immediately destroyed and the stress is the most likely cause of long term illness. It takes a long time to recover from that kind of meltdown.

It is simply not joined up thinking to allow these re-possessions to happen.

The Government should be taking immediate action to prevent banks making people homeless so easily. And if the court does order a re-possession there should be an obligation for alternative accommodation to be sourced (this could be council housing, but a better option would be to provide a guaranteed tracker rate re-finance over a cheaper property to replace the old, more expensive mortgage).

Yes this may cost. But compared to the long term cost of making tens of thousands homeless and/or bankrupt along with the associated social meltdown it is surely worth it?

The Chain Reaction

2008-11-18T01:04:00.000-08:00

It's not often that I attend conferences where I'm not due to speak, but something urged me to get along to the Chain Reaction event - all about international social leadership - yesterday at London's South Bank.

The attraction for me was a session entitled 'Can Entrepreneurs Change the World?' (to which the answer is of course 'YES WE CAN!') - but I was intrigued to know what the line up of Peter Jones, James Caan and Sir Richard Branson (albeit by video) amongst others made of the debate.

I often make the joke in my after-dinner speeches that Peter Jones rarely bothers to show up at enterprise events unless Gordon Brown is speaking - and true to form an unexpected bonus was the appearance on stage of our very own PM Gordon Brown.

And so we had them. Peter Jones swept in no doubt by his chauffeur driven Maybach to tell us that 'Scarcity is a real driver of innovation' and 'Am I the only one on the positivity bandwagon here?'; James Caan telling us that making money is brilliant because then you have lots to give away to charity like Bill Gates does; and then Sir Richard Branson beamed in via a pre-recorded satellite link where he was clearly sitting on the sun-drenched terrace of his holiday home on Necker Island, telling us how wonderful it is to encourage enterprise.

Finally Gordon Brown joined the debate, who reminded me of a Finance Director I used to have who arrived at every Board Meeting looking a bit shabby and crumpled, so busy scribbling notes on to a bit of a paper during the debate that he didn't really seem to be paying attention to much of what was going on, whose every bit of body language seemed to scream 'No you can't!', only to get up and tell us with as much gusto as he could muster that the UK economy was due to double in the next 20 years and that NOW REALLY IS a great time to be in business.

Meanwhile, back over here in the real world, before I set off for London yesterday morning I opened three emails all about entrepreneurs absolutely on the knife edge brink of bankruptcy, about to lose their homes, and in desperate need of my help (or anybody's help for that matter) while meantime at the weekend my own husband received a letter from his company stating that one person in his team of three at work would be made redundant this week, as a result of the tightening economy. By the way, I don't have an army of PAs handling all my correspondence, plus I go and talk to entrepreneurs around the country at business events every week, so I really do feel that I am at the sharp end of what is really going on.

Maybe I should reassure all of these people that, not to worry, in 20 years' time everything will be OK?

The only speaker who really captured the imagination of the audience yesterday was the fabulous Tim Smit, founder of the Eden Project, who spoke with passion about the ability of business to deliver so much more than the constricted City-lead profit expectation of big corporates, whose CSR initiatives are nothing more than a few marketing frills to attract extra shoppers. In other words the current system of capitalism and 'much to few' isn't working - not for business, not for individuals and certainly not for the environment. He would be my vote for PM (or at minimum Minister for Business) any day.

It was a great event and I'm glad I went but all of this left me a bit angry.

Real businesses currently on a knife edge don't need this patronising happy clappy rhetoric from those living in a fur lined sunshine bubble any more.

Firstly we need an urgent law which will suspend the ability of any UK citizen to lose their home until the economy has recovered. And we also need an emergency fund which can intervene to help struggling businesses re-finance in the short term as well as give them advice to help them to restructure and adapt their businesses to get back towards profitability in the long term.

And if I were involved in 'restructuring the global financial architecture' I would start with the premise that capitalism as we knew it cannot be the basis for generating future prosperity for our planet and its people.

Have you got news for us?

2008-11-10T06:26:00.000-08:00

Another chance to attend the fabulous workshop on PR for small business run by my PR Louise Third of Integra Communications and Daily Express Business Columnist Maisha Frost...

It's at the British Library Business Centre on 11 December 2008 from 5pm to 7.30pm and costs £47.50 + VAT.

Well worth going along for the secrets of how to promote your business inexpensively through the power of PR - my favourite form of marketing!

Bizchicks vs The Eggheads

2008-11-07T01:47:00.001-08:00

Something I've been keeping under my hat that's more exciting to report than the 1.5% cut in interest rates - and even more exciting than the election of President Obama...

Yes, the Bizchicks vs The Eggheads episode is due to be screened on Monday 10 November at 6pm on BBC2!

Here we are on set with the Eggheads and the delicious Jeremy Vine - Lynne Franks (PR guru supreme and founder of Seed Network), Emma Harrison (Social Entrepreneur and CEO of A4e), Laura Tenison (founder and CEO of JoJo Maman Bebe) and Gill Fielding (wealth guru and CEO of The Wealth Company).

I can't reveal whether we defeated the Eggheads but we did the show in aid of NEMA the charity which is working to relieve poverty in Mozambique.

A New Era Dawns

2008-11-04T21:32:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning at 4.30am with the burning desire to go switch on the TV and see what was going on in the US...

And just witnessed Obama's incredibly powerful midnight victory speech.

It feels like we are at the dawn of a new era not just for America but for the whole world. The election of Obama is the signal that people ARE crying out for change; towards a more collaborative, peaceful, fulfilling way of existing, at harmony with others and with the world.

Feels like we had to go through the awful 8 years of George W Bush tyranny of war and greed, and the resulting financial and environmental meltdown, and emerge from that dark tunnel to enable us to appreciate the power of this bright new future. One of hope and daring to dream.

Times, they are a changing.

We need a new vision to live by...

2008-11-02T02:52:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to Nicholas Janni at Olivier Mythodrama for sending me the following article from the Times this week by Ben Okri:

Our false oracles have failed. We need a new vision to live by.

So many people are now saying the same things.

"Success justifies greed and greed justifies indifference to fellow human beings."

Seems to me we need a new definition of 'success'.

If I Were President

2008-10-30T02:57:00.000-07:00

Now that baby Jack has got into the habit of waking up at 6.45am I have got into the habit of watching Sky News Breakfast programme for my daily dose of worldwide meltdown and catastrophe. And on the show they have a great 5 minute cameo of historic/important people saying what they would do if they were President of the United States of America.

This morning's slot was a Red Indian campaigner for the rights of indigenious people who pointed out that the whole of the US constitution was based on theft and that what the US (and the world) needs is a move from patriarchy to matriarchy where people live with individual freedom but within communities which function as families with love at the heart of things and where resources are shared and each makes their own contribution in whatever way they can. The community educates the young looks after its old and also respects the land it occupies.

Which I thought was a wonderful way of putting it.

In short a more feminine and harmonious way of existing.

Now that the system which allowed brute force to grab all it could and rape the land, and whose greed has now lead to financial and environmental meltdown not to mention so much war and destruction, perhaps it is time to consider returning to a more natural and peaceful way of being?

Million Possible!

2008-10-27T04:35:00.000-07:00

I love helping others on their entrepreneurial journey and last week was at the Business Show in Bolton speaking about my entrepreneurial experiences, signing copies of my book Business Nightmares and taking part in the panel for a Dragons' Den style entrepreneur pitch.

In return for me speaking the organisers gave me a stand at the show, which I gave to the Million Impossible team - here I am with Bradley Chapman (a regular commentator on my Blog) and his team. Next stop we will be at the Business Start Up Show in Olympia on 28/29 November.

I'm so privileged and honoured to be able to be part of such great events.

Harmonism

2008-10-26T02:12:00.000-07:00

I was at an All Party Parliamentary Small Business Group breakfast at the House of Commons this week; the subject was 'Growing or green - can businesses expand and stay ethical?'. Gathered were various MPs from all parties as well as entrepreneurs and influential people from various organisations.

One of the speakers was Andrew Valentine - co-founder of Streetcar, a pay-as-you-go car club which provides cars across the country for occasional use. So many people are now using this car share system instead of owning a car that every car they provide takes 6 off the road.

The other was David Boomer Head of Climate Change at the Institute of Directors.

There followed a debate about business and green issues and every time the discussion came down to one thing: MONEY. Eventually I made the observation that the thing that we had to change first before we could make any real in-roads to saving the environment was to move away from Capitalism; that the current financial meltdown had been caused because there was no real value underlying the huge growth of the past decade (all the money was borrowed and we now find never existed), and that given Gordon Brown's ambition to create a new 'global financial architecture' government actually has the golden opportunity NOW to do this.

Stunned silence from all present and then a flippant comment from the chair Andy Love, Labour MP for Edmonton who later blanked me.

After the meeting David Boomer said to me, 'What you said back there was pretty radical, but what I think you were trying to say was that what we need to do is move away from money as the measure for everything and replace it with a measure of true wealth.' Which I thought was a pretty succinct way of putting it.

True wealth = happiness, health, harmony, safety & prosperity, not just for oneself or one's family, but ultimately for everyone in the world.

I was laying in bed during one of my 3am wakeful moments recently, thinking to myself what would I call this new way of being?

Us humans have tried Capitalism, Communism, Facism, Marxism and then of course we have the great religions of the world all worthy, but also the reason for great violence and conflict.

The word I settled on was Harmonism.

Harmonism would celebrate the value of every individual but would have no space for ego.

Harmonism would recognise the desire for abundance, but have no room for greed.

Harmonism would encourage the magnificent energy of every individual but have no place for power.

Its values would be:

COLLABORATION
CREATIVITY
CONSERVATION
COMMUNITY and
CONTENTMENT

After the above thoughts had streamed through to me I went on Google and found a site for Harmonism, already sitting there in beauty and simplicity, saying much the same things.

I looked for the name/s of the person/people behind Harmonism - but there are none on the site. Why am I surprised? Of course there are no names! There don't need to be any.

Do Direct Marketing initiatives and Search Engine Optimisation all you like - a far more powerful way of communicating is to send your positive energy out to the Universe and let others who are tuned in to catch the essence of your thoughts.

Perfect synchronicity.

This is how Harmonism will spread - which is why the 'lightworkers' are simply focusing on helping people raise their vibration so they too can get 'tuned in'.

There IS great change coming, and this is how it will happen.

The Tale

2008-10-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time there was no ownership.

There was, as now, life and death, the strong and the weak, but if you took, you always gave something in return. Just as in-breath is followed by out-breath, so receiving was always followed by give away, or giving back. Sometimes this was as simple as giving praise, or thanks. Sometimes it was physical action, such as providing food or care, or the guarding of the young and tender. This applied both to other human beings and to trees, animals, plants, rocks, rivers, springs, fish, insects and all manner of earthly life.

Then there came to the land that was loved and cared for people who knew only ownership. They wanted to have, to hold and to take. Because they did not want others to have what they thought was theirs, they were obliged to defend what they wanted. Out of this defence grew aggression. Soon the ownership people got aggressive in advance of defence… just in case someone else made the mistake of taking what the ownership people thought was theirs. The strongest in the owning people got to have lots of what they wanted to own. The weakest got less. Soon the weakest began to feel that in failing to get, and own a lot, they were not as important or as good as the strong. But they wanted to be. So they tried to get, and to own, in any way possible, including aggression.

The land to which the ownership people came got to be owned. It got to be fought over, occasionally loved and appreciated, but mostly it, and life both above and beneath its surface, was taken, used, discarded and hoarded. The people who practiced give-away found that give-away too was taken.

Some people who lived give-away maintained the vision of that way of life even in the midst of Ownership. They called it The Way of Beauty to remind themselves, and perhaps others, of the loveliness of a life of praise and gratitude. They kept alive a way of being that was difficult to live in the midst of great having, taking, holding, hoarding and warring. They found it was better to keep the Way of Beauty not quite secret, but not quite open either. Ownership wanted everything, even what it did not understand. If it was something that it could not actually hold, hoard or make use of, then it wanted to be sure that no one else could have it, so Ownership took the life of others who might have something that Ownership could not understand.

In time, Ownership became the dominant way of life. With so much owning and warring and making of more and more things to own, life on earth grew further and further away from the Way of Beauty. More and more people born into the way of ownership realized their own discontent but did not know how to alter things. So some of the people who had quietly maintained the Way of Beauty agreed to be born among those who were steeped in Ownership. As children they tried to live give-away but often found that they had just the same experiences that they remembered from the time when the Ownership people first came to the land of the Way of Beauty. Many of these people steeped themselves in Ownership, but one by one, sometimes in partnership and from time to time in great gatherings or shared experiences, there came a stirring, an impulse to change or to bring about change.

These Way of Beauty in the midst of Ownership people were rarely clear and strong. Most of them had grown into a mixture of public Ownership and private Beauty. So even though they wanted to live differently they weren’t quite sure what the Way of Beauty meant. Was it enough to live it privately or in little communities? Could they hold on to possessions and still live give-away? These people wanted to live more beautifully but they found themselves having to defend their private Beauty against the aggression of Ownership. In short, they were thoroughly muddled, uncertain and sometimes a bit cross about not really belonging to Ownership or the Way of Beauty.

Mostly these people had forgotten the magic of praise, or wonder. But when magic struck, they remembered, not in words, but in ways of being or of feeling. Still they vacillated or cast doubts among each other or upon themselves. And so it came about that the Way of Beauty people born in the midst of Ownership began to journey to places on earth where the Way of Beauty was still remembered, or where beauty itself was so great that praise rose spontaneously. In this way these people grew stronger, more certain, and yet still they lived in part by Ownership. They tried to reason or think their way out of their double world, but that did not bring them to their inner wisdom. How to remind them of wholeness, of the inter-connectedness of all things, of the possibility of finding beauty within ownership?

Of course, only wholeness itself can remind anyone of the whole, so when these people were sufficiently willing or sufficiently desperate to abandon the notion of either/or, right/wrong, good/bad then there began the song of all the cells within the bodies of these people. Sometimes they listened; quite often they were caught unawares and heard or felt something that they could not explain. Best of all were the times when someone who remembered the Way of Beauty all the way through their being sang the songs of wholeness.

Then the people who knew the Way of Beauty but who had grown up in Ownership grew big and strong and beautiful. They were filled with peace. They knew more than they could speak. Then was it time for them to return to the lands that they had once loved and hear again the songs of praise that had once kept the Way of Beauty alive through all the cycles of the earth and stars.

This tale was written early in 2007 by Judith Seelig to speak, as she puts it, on behalf of all those people who still live the Way of Beauty despite the often rapacious presence of consumer interests in their landscape, and also to remind those of us who
are Western consumers that we have choice.

The Future

2008-10-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

As the G7 countries meet this weekend to discuss the financial crisis, it's tempting for them to come up with an incremental solution to the world's financial problems.

However, I believe they need to think ahead and work back from what could be a completely different and innovative way of working the system.

How about one international bank and one international currency? And how about letting the system re-base so that all current debt is wiped?

OK the rich would get poorer and the poor would get richer, and jobs would be lost - but then so would time be freed... And maybe people would be freed from the shackles to enable them to do real good in the world?

I read about the troubles in Iceland this weekend. Essentially a country in meltdown without even the money to pay for imports of food. Are we going to bail them out? Or let them live on fish?

Have we now got Western countries which now threaten to become third world countries?

Where does the bailout end?

Shouldn't the entire world now take responsibility for the entire world?

Why We Should Say No To Barclays

2008-10-10T03:45:00.000-07:00

This is a bit of a delayed reaction post, in response to the news that Gordon Brown has offered Barclays (amongst other banks) a #7.5 billion refinancing package to get themselves out of their sticky financial situation.

This is the same Barclays that three years ago pushed my company Red Letter Days into administration on the grounds that we were an 'unacceptable risk' and they had to 'answer to their shareholders' - despite the fact they held #4.3 million in cash and other securities against a liability which eventually proved to be little more than #1million.

The same Barclays (which I have since learned through the numerous emails I have received from other entrepreneurs) which has the worst reputation of ANY UK BANK for ruthlessly pulling the plug on great British businesses which could otherwise have been saved.

The same Barclays that just two years ago posted a #7 BILLION PROFIT.

The same Barclays that just TWO WEEKS AGO danced Lehmans up the garden path - only to withdraw at the 11th hour and then go back in to cherry pick the assets, like a graverobber picking over the contents of the coffin while the corpse was still warm.

The fact that we are now offering #7.5 billion of TAXPAYERS' MONEY to bail this greedy, power hungry, ruthless bank out of financial difficulty is a total and utter disgrace and insult to the British people.

I say LET BARCLAYS CRASH - as they have allowed (forced?) so many other UK businesses to crash - then pick the entire business out of administration, sell off the assets and use the #7.5 billion (if it is needed) to supplement any funds which are needed to ensure depositors' monies are protected.

Give the b*stards a taste of their own medicine.

Emporer's New Clothes type question...

2008-10-09T05:44:00.001-07:00

OK so the US has bailed out the banks to the tune of $700 billion, the UK has put up #50 billion to invest in ours, Ireland has guaranteed unlimited protection for savers in Irish banks and Iceland has just nationalised one of its biggest banks.

My question is, where is all the money coming from?

How much money do we actually have in the kitty - and how much have we now got left? Basic housekeeping type questions which I haven't yet heard anyone ask.

How long before the countries themselves go bankrupt?

News Alert From Japan

2008-10-09T05:29:00.000-07:00

Latest Financial News from Tokyo:

The Origami Bank has folded, the Bank of Bonsai is trimming branches, the Sumo Bank has gone belly up, Kamikaze Bank has taken a nose dive, the Karaoke Bank has gone for a song, but the Ninja Bank is still in the black.

Plus there's something fishy going on at the Bank of Sushi...

Mrs Angry of Bakewell

2008-10-05T08:34:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am ANGRY.

Why?

Because today a good entrepreneurial friend of mine has told me that he is putting his company into a CVA (Company's Voluntary Arrangement).

Is this because his business is loss making?

No.

It's actually a great British manufacturing company, which turns over getting on for £500k and is profit making every year.

The reason is that the business has fallen behind with their VAT. But instead of HMRCE being willing to negotiate terms, they are forcing the company into the action because of continued threats to send in the balliffs.

OK, OK I realise everyone has to pay their VAT, and if people don't it's not fair on all the rest.

BUT at a time when literally BILLIONS of pounds are currently being pumped in to try to make Britain a more enterprising culture, and encouraging people to go into business, WHY OH WHY are we condemning successful existing businesses to death in this way?

(Only about 5% of companies which set up in the UK go on to become profitable companies like my friend's)

Gordon Brown, Peter Mandelson, PLEASE - you guys need to sort out a more supportive solution for companies that get into trouble rather than just condemn them to death.

Call off the dogs and give these entrepreneurs some help in their time of need - so they can survive and be part of this country's future - not thrown on the scrapheap as another insolvency statistic.