The Future-Proof Your Business Podcast

060 Embracing a Sustainable Approach with Claire McEvoy

In this episode, I’m thrilled to welcome my guest, a good friend and LR Comms client to the show, and that is the gorgeous Claire McEvoy [Mcevoy.claire@yahoo.com].  Claire is the founder and owner of Alta Hair Studio and Light Lounge, an eco hair and beauty salon nestled in the picturesque Chapel en Ie Frith, in the Peak District. Claire shares insights into her journey as a business owner, her commitment to embracing a sustainable ECO approach and sharing her skills and love for what she does with her growing team.  Claire's passion for sustainability extends beyond her salon walls, reflecting her personal values and love for nature. She highlights the importance of community engagement and shares anecdotes of how she was able to think outside of the box to make sure she could continue to connect with and nurture her clients during the COVID lockdown. Through her dedication to eco-conscious practices, Claire has not only been able to attract more of the right clients for her salon, she is also inspiring positive change within the hairdressing industry. Her story serves as a brilliant example for other business owners looking to embrace their values and passion, and still be able to grow a successful and profitable business. Claire McEvoy Resource Links:  * Website: https://altahair.com/ [https://altahair.com/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altahairstudio/ [https://www.instagram.com/altahairstudio/] * https://www.greensaloncollective.com/ [https://www.greensaloncollective.com/] * https://www.hurhair.co.uk [https://www.hurhair.co.uk/?ref=hv3JGr21uo1EqD&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZBnYfEp_L8hE-iiMVOLSL4UDVerA9yDNqyMnNCnqn-eqcqvkf1JliXqhE_aem_AbGCkypDd0SKMPs8yVR-F_hLnsOmobSrzMbAkMpe1ulz1e3S9oBAOY2LTVZWX6UlQ1qNpUx2c4uWLdvBXHGKSJM2] Resources * Future-Proof your Business Webinar 18th April [https://lrcomms.kartra.com/webinar/futureproofyourbusiness] - sign up for my free interactive workshop * https://www.iamlucyrennie.com [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/] - free downloadable resources, other episodes and more information about how to work with Lucy. * Buy my book here [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/mybook] * Join me in my membership The Future-Proof Club here - * The Future-Proof Club [https://go.lrcomms.co.uk/future-proof-club] * Episode 26- Are you really listening? https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/podcast/are-you-really-listening [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/podcast/are-you-really-listening] * Episode 43 - Joining the Dots https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/insights/joining-the-dots-the-programme [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/insights/joining-the-dots-the-programme] Come and join me and lots of other small business owners like you in my FREE Facebook group:CWP (Communicate with Purpose) Group | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/CommunicatewithPurpose]

059 What's the point of marketing my business?

In today's episode, I'm discussing the changing landscape of marketing and challenging some of the traditional approaches.  Sharing insights from my conversations with various business leaders and highlighting some common misconceptions about marketing.  Whether it's the MD of a successful engineering firm questioning the value of marketing or a frustrated business owner trying to manage multiple platforms, we’ll explore a fresh perspective, emphasising the importance of building and strengthening your brand to attract the right audience.  I’m urging businesses to look beyond traditional marketing methods and consider a more holistic approach that focuses on long-term sustainability and engagement with various stakeholders. Key Takeaways: 1. Broaden Your Perspective: Move away from traditional marketing concepts and think holistically about your brand and its values. 2. Know Your Audience: Understand who you're trying to attract and why they should choose your business. 3. Internal Marketing: Engage your team as brand ambassadors, starting from the inside out. 4. Focus on Retention: Think of your business as a bucket; focus on retaining customers rather than constantly filling the funnel. 5. Test, Track, Tweak: Implement the four T's in your marketing strategy - test, track, tweak, and try again. 6. Word of Mouth Marketing: Embrace and encourage word of mouth as a powerful and sustainable marketing tool. To wrap up, I encourage businesses to align their marketing efforts with their business goals and to be open to testing and tweaking their strategies for better results. Resources * Future-Proof your Business Webinar 18th April [https://lrcomms.kartra.com/webinar/futureproofyourbusiness] - sign up for my free interactive workshop * https://www.iamlucyrennie.com [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/] - free downloadable resources, other episodes and more information about how to work with Lucy. * Buy my book here [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/mybook] * Join me in my membership The Future-Proof Club here - * The Future-Proof Club [https://go.lrcomms.co.uk/future-proof-club] * Episode 26- Are you really listening? https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/podcast/are-you-really-listening [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/podcast/are-you-really-listening] * Episode 43 - Joining the Dots https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/insights/joining-the-dots-the-programme [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/insights/joining-the-dots-the-programme] Come and join me and lots of other small business owners like you in my FREE Facebook group:CWP (Communicate with Purpose) Group | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/CommunicatewithPurpose]

058 Building trust: The key to future-proofing your business Pt2

“The principle of social proof says so: The greater the number of people who find any idea correct, the more the idea will be correct.” — Robert B. Cialdini. This is Part 2 of my Building trust: The key to Future-Proofing your business episode where I’m taking you through my 14 step checklist to build the trust factor in your business. If you haven’t already listened to Part 1 from last week, episode 57 I highly recommend you start there and then come back to listen to the 2nd half. Resources * Future-Proof your Business Webinar 18th April [https://lrcomms.kartra.com/webinar/futureproofyourbusiness] - sign up for my free interactive workshop * https://www.iamlucyrennie.com [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/] - free downloadable resources, other episodes and more information about how to work with Lucy. * Buy my book here [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/mybook] * Join me in my membership The Future-Proof Club here - * The Future-Proof Club [https://go.lrcomms.co.uk/future-proof-club] * Episode 26- Are you really listening? https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/podcast/are-you-really-listening [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/podcast/are-you-really-listening] * Episode 43 - Joining the Dots https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/insights/joining-the-dots-the-programme [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/insights/joining-the-dots-the-programme] Come and join me and lots of other small business owners like you in my FREE Facebook group:CWP (Communicate with Purpose) Group | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/CommunicatewithPurpose]

057 Building trust: The key to future-proofing your business Pt 1

If you’ve worked with me or you’ve read my book you’ll know that I believe that TRUST and GOODWILL is the essence of everything and the most effective and sustainable way to build and grow your business.  In this 2 part episode I take you through my 14 step checklist to build the trust factor in your business: 1. Be real. People have different expectations and are looking for purpose, substance, provenance, and positive realism.  2. Demonstrate your competence and ability through storytelling.  3. What makes you credible? Making key information available to your stakeholders about why you are the right person / team / brand for the job. 4. People do business with people. Who is / are the faces behind the brand? Share more of you, your story, the people working in your team and your customers.  5. Be a force for good. Why not “Go the extra mile” - become that Great Place to Work - or the best apprenticeship provider or award winning brand.  6. Review results and demonstrate and communicate the IMPACT you make.  7. Lean manufacturing - Never sit still, always look to see how you can do things better. 8. Social proof.  According to Robert Cialdini, who studied the principle of social proof in-depth in his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion [https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Robert-Cialdini/dp/006124189X?ref=buffer.com], “we view a behavior as more correct in a given situation to the degree that we see others performing it”.  9. Share your key milestones and statistics. 10. Show you care - take time to engage with your teams, your customers, your partners or other key stakeholders. 11. Silence is never golden. This means sharing the good and the bad. 12. Keep your promises - do what you say you’ll do.  13. Embrace being perfectly imperfect. It’s how you deal with it and fix things that make the difference 14. JOY - love what you do - be yourself, share your passion and create a shitload of tummy flips.  Resources * Future-Proof your Business Webinar 18th April [https://lrcomms.kartra.com/webinar/futureproofyourbusiness] - sign up for my free interactive workshop * https://www.iamlucyrennie.com [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/] - free downloadable resources, other episodes and more information about how to work with Lucy. * Buy my book here [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/mybook] * Join me in my membership The Future-Proof Club here - * The Future-Proof Club [https://go.lrcomms.co.uk/future-proof-club] * Episode 26- Are you really listening? https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/podcast/are-you-really-listening [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/podcast/are-you-really-listening] * Episode 43 - Joining the Dots https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/insights/joining-the-dots-the-programme [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/insights/joining-the-dots-the-programme] Come and join me and lots of other small business owners like you in my FREE Facebook group:CWP (Communicate with Purpose) Group | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/CommunicatewithPurpose]

056 Building Trust and Safety in the Workplace

Today I want to talk to you about a topic that has been pivotal in my career and in my passion for all things communication, manufacturing and championing people in business. And that is Visible Felt Leadership. An incredibly important and valuable concept that you can embrace and use in your business to help you to show you care, change and strengthen your culture and ultimately future-proof your business. The key benefits of felt leadership  * When you lead with safety you change the whole way of doing business and approach. * It helps break down barriers and opens up two-way communications and constructive conversations. * It creates trust within your business and with your key stakeholders * It helps you to build a strong and engaged team.   * Develops a “great” brand and builds credibility- to attract the right kind of people and long term customers who expect safety to be at a high standard. * It demonstrates respect and support for your employees * It is a great way of learning more the behind the senes from all parts of the business and ultimately improves your bottom line. Resources * Future-Proof your Business Webinar 18th April [https://lrcomms.kartra.com/webinar/futureproofyourbusiness] - sign up for my free interactive workshop * https://www.iamlucyrennie.com [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/] - free downloadable resources, other episodes and more information about how to work with Lucy. * Buy my book here [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/mybook] * Join me in my membership The Future-Proof Club here - * The Future-Proof Club [https://go.lrcomms.co.uk/future-proof-club] * Episode 26- Are you really listening? https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/podcast/are-you-really-listening [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/podcast/are-you-really-listening] * Episode 43 - Joining the Dots https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/insights/joining-the-dots-the-programme [https://www.iamlucyrennie.com/insights/joining-the-dots-the-programme] Come and join me and lots of other small business owners like you in my FREE Facebook group:CWP (Communicate with Purpose) Group | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/groups/CommunicatewithPurpose]