Helen Dowling Articles

Focus on educating your customers - Click To Read Article
When customers are not buying, it’s very easy to take it personally, think the whole world’s against you and get very demotivated with the whole thing. And then of course, that makes the situation even worse – because customers can sense a mile off if you’re not happy and even though you desperately want more customers, they don’t want to work with you.

How to do business effectively while on the move - Click To Read Article
I don’t know about you, but there have been days when I’ve been out and about and not been near the office once. On days like this, it’s difficult to get any work done let alone any marketing. So, what can you do? Here are my top tips to do business effectively when you’re on the move.

Just what is an autoresponder? - Click To Read Article
The word ‘Autoresponders’ has been used more and more over the last few months and pretty much all of us have now experienced them even if you don’t yet realise it. But just what is an autoresponder and why should you think about using one in your business?

You wont necessarily get customersjust because you have a website - Click To Read Article
You won’t necessarily get customers…just because you have a website. Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking shows you how to turn this around.

Why you should keep an eye on your industry - Click To Read Article
Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking (www.exceptionalthinking.co.uk) is an expert at doing market research for start-ups and small businesses. Here she lets you know why keeping an eye on what\'s going on in your industry can be the difference between life or death for your business.

Writing a business plan and getting it right - Click To Read Article
Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking (www.exceptionalthinking.co.uk) has worked with 300 small businesses and start-ups around the UK helping them to put together the business plan they need to get funding or grow their business. Here are our top tips to getting it right.

Why we are not entering a recession!! - Click To Read Article
I found it quite a struggle to decide which topic to write about in this week’s article as there are a couple of things that have really made my blood boil, but I decided in the end to write about this so-called ‘recession’ that the media would have us believe is just around the corner. One of the reasons I wanted to write about this subject is because I’ve had quite a few emails asking why I haven’t written an article on the current economic climate, so I thought I’d address it this week.

Working from Home - Click To Read Article
For most people setting up their own business, working from home is the ideal solution as renting out office space is expensive and an unnecessary strain on your finances at the beginning. But, working from home is not without its own considerations, so here are my top tips on setting up your home office.

Why you should stick to one business idea - Click To Read Article
Something that’s really common amongst small business owners is running two or more businesses. I see people who own a massage therapy business also run a greeting card company or someone who owns a networking company who also own a florist and so on. Two or more businesses happen usually for one of two reasons:

Why you should have a hobby when you run your own business - Click To Read Article
Now if you’re a small business owner and you’re reading the title thinking “she’s having a laugh…I’ve got no time to do all the things I want to do, let alone have a hobby”, let me tell you that I was in exactly the same position as you about a year ago.

Why you should go to networking events - Click To Read Article
If you’re anything like me, there are probably times when you’ve booked onto a networking event and then when the day arrives, you question whether or not to go to it. My reasons are usually around the stack of work I’ve got building up on my desk and I debate whether to stay in the office and plough through it or to make the effort to go to the event.

Why you should build your reputation - Click To Read Article
Reputation in business is everything. It helps you build trust and credibility with your customers and contacts; it can help persuade someone to buy from you if they’re not sure and it’s also far easier to raise your prices if people perceive you as an expert.

Why am I not getting enquiries from my website? - Click To Read Article
One of the biggest complaints I hear from small business owners is that they’re not getting enquiries from their websites. And I agree – I think that’s incredibly frustrating, especially when you’ve spent a great deal of time, money and effort setting up the website in the first place.

Why is my marketing not working for me? - Click To Read Article
There is nothing more frustrating that doing some marketing and finding it doesn’t work for your business – especially if you’ve spent money on it.

Why don't we like talking about ourselves in marketing? - Click To Read Article
Have you ever had the experience of having to promote someone else’s products and services? I don’t know about you, but I always find this much easier than promoting my own business. May be it’s because we’re not as close to someone else’s business as we are to our own and so if people say no it’s not such a big deal.

When you're thinking about using a marketing company - Click To Read Article
For many small companies, the thought of doing marketing could definitely be classed as hard work! Where do you start? What should you do? Have you got enough time to do it? Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking (http://www.exceptionalthinking.co.uk) gives you some tips to get it right first time.

Whats all the fuss about Twitter - Click To Read Article
Twitter, it seems is everywhere at the moment. You can’t listen to a radio show or turn on the TV without hearing something about it - and you’d be forgiven for believing that everyone is using it at the moment.

What to do with all your business cards? - Click To Read Article
How many business cards have you gathered since you’ve been in business? I’ve seen business owners with hundreds if not thousands of business cards stored in card boxes, in jacket pockets, stapled to diaries and contact details scribbled on bits of paper.

What do you want out of your business? - Click To Read Article
Do you know what you want out of your business? Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking (http://www.exceptionalthinking.co.uk) challenges you to look again.

What does 2008 have in store for small businesses? - Click To Read Article
What does 2008 have in store for small businesses? Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking has a look at this topical issue.

What are my business values? - Click To Read Article
Have you ever stopped to think about your business values and how important they are to you in your business? They can help you decide whether or not to take on a project; help keep you motivated and focused; and values give you guidance for your business that can help keep staff and you on track.

What can the Apprentice teach us? - Click To Read Article
So, were you, like me gripped to the Apprentice final on Sunday night? I don’t know about you, but I was routing for Kate who I thought developed the best product and executed better than Yasmina. Why then, did Yasmina emerge as the ultimate winner?

Using Technology to Market your Business - Click To Read Article
If you’re looking to make your marketing more fun and do something a bit different, there are all sorts of options out there now, thanks to technology. Even if you’re not particularly IT savvy, there are things you could consider that won’t cost a lot to do. I’ve highlighted five ideas below:

Top Tips for Women Setting up in Business - Click To Read Article
Interesting facts and tips for Women Setting up their own business

Top 10 Marketing Tips - Click To Read Article
Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking shares her top 10 marketing tips to help you in your business.

Top Time Management Tips - Click To Read Article
Time is a common problem among small business owners. Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking shows you her top tips to coping with it.

Top tips to starting a business - Click To Read Article
If you’re considering starting your own business, it’s a good idea to think it through before you go ahead. Helen Dowling shows you her top 10 tips to getting it right first time.

Top time management tips for busy entrepreneurs - Click To Read Article
I don’t think I’ve ever met a business owner who wasn’t busy. Managing your time is one of the hardest things you’ll need to do as an entrepreneur. There’s always too much to do, so you’ll need to manage your time well in order to get everything done. Here are my top time management tips:

There's a new breed out there - Click To Read Article
Is it just me, or does there seem to be a new breed of people out there – I’m noticing them when I’m driving around. Several times over the last few months, I’ve had people crossing the road when my car is coming quickly towards them.

The purpose of startup courses - Click To Read Article
Starting a business and got lots of questions in your head. Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking argues the case for business start-up courses.

The Joy of Party Plans - Click To Read Article
Ever wanted to sell your products and services through party plans? Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking (www.exceptionalthinking.co.uk) shows you how.

The Importance of Following up - Click To Read Article
Why is it that small business owners find following up with people such a struggle. Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking (http://www.exceptionalthinking.co.uk) explores this and looks at ways to make it easy for your business.

The Do's and Don'ts of getting finance for your business - Click To Read Article
Let’s face it, if you want finance for your business, times are hard out there at the moment. Banks and other lenders are a lot more cautious about who they’re going to lend to…at the end of the day they want to be paid back! So bearing that in mind, here are my top do’s and don’ts for getting finance for your business.

Should you buy or start a business? - Click To Read Article
If you’re thinking about starting your own business, there are always two options open to you – starting your own business or buying a business that’s already in existence. Each of these options has its pros and cons and it’s important for you to consider these before you make your final decision.

Small Business Opportunity Faux Pas - Click To Read Article
Running a successful small business is definitely partly about identifying opportunities and acting on them. However, I see many small business owners missing out on these opportunities due to one of a number of faux pas. Here are my top five opportunity faux pas and what to do about them:

Should you blog? - Click To Read Article
Blogging has become very popular in the last few months and even the most non-technical of my clients are now talking about using a blog to promote their businesses. But, what exactly is a blog and should you set one up?

Should you advertise? - Click To Read Article
A question I’m often asked by small business owners is whether they should advertise their products and services. My standard answer to this question is usually no and there are several reasons why. But there are some exceptions to this rule and during this article I want to go through both why I don’t think you should advertise and the exceptions in which you should.

Should you join a networking group? - Click To Read Article
Someone told me a couple of years ago that there were over 300 networking groups in the UK each with their own networking events – who knows what the situation is right now? The number of networking groups has grown exponentially while I’ve been in business and what’s more each of them has a membership structure where you can potentially join the group. So, should you join a networking group and if so, which one would be the best for you?

Should you accept feedback in your business? - Click To Read Article
This morning I received an email from a contact of mine. It went something along the lines of “Just listened to your new audio. I have some feedback if you are interested.”

Simple and quick tips to get clients fast - Click To Read Article
August is traditionally a time when things go quiet for a lot of businesses as potential customers get back into the swing of things. When you need customers fast though, knowing that is no help at all. So, here’s my top simple and quick ways to get customers fast.

Setting up a marketing system - Click To Read Article
Did you know that there is a taboo word in business? That word begins with “M” and it’s a word that every small business owner knows they should do, but so many don’t. That’s right, you’ve guessed it, the word is “Marketing”.

Putting the marketing basics in place Part 1 - Click To Read Article
The other day, I was working with a client and talking about their marketing. All the questions that I asked, they were able to answer and I realised that they had all the marketing basics in place and they were ready to move onto the next level. That gave me an interesting thought – THEY might have the basics in place, but do I – do you?

Putting the marketing basics in place Part 2 - Click To Read Article
This week is part 2 of my guide on getting your marketing basics in place. Last week, we covered why it was important to know who your customers are; decide on what you actually do and know why your customers buy from you. But, there are three other things that you need to get in place before you’ll be sorted on the marketing basics. They are:

Planning for the New Year - Click To Read Article
It’s nearly the New Year again and time for a review of your business and a bit of planning for the New Year. Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking gives her top tips for making this work in your business.

My top 10 tips on doing your own PR - Click To Read Article
PR doesn’t just have to mean press releases. There’s loads you can do both on-line and off-line that can help your PR campaign…and some of it means that you don’t even need to speak to a journalist. Here’s my top 10 tips on putting together a low-cost PR campaign:

My top 10 marketing resolutions for 2008 - Click To Read Article
Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking gives you her top 10 marketing resolutions for 2008!

My top 10 tips for staying in business - Click To Read Article
Each year about 440,000 new businesses start-up in the UK and yet each year and yet so many (around 60%) will close their doors within 18 months and walk away from what was their dream. So, why does it go wrong for so many?

Not everyone is the same in marketing - Click To Read Article
Have you ever heard a business owner talk about a marketing activity they’ve been doing and thought ‘if I try that it will work for me too’? Perhaps someone has tried cold calling or sending out sales letters and has found it has worked particularly well for their business – maybe you’re thinking about doing the same to see how well it works for you.

Marketing your business effectively - Click To Read Article
Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking (www.exceptionalthinking.co.uk) gives tried and tested tips to market your business effectively.

Loneliness in Business - Click To Read Article
Running a small business can be an incredibly lonely experience. Here's my top five tops to making your business less lonely.

M is for Marketing - Click To Read Article
If you’re just starting up in business, marketing is probably the most crucial element for you. Get this wrong and you don’t have a business. Get it right and you could take off like a rocket!

I've got a business idea - what's next? - Click To Read Article
One question I get asked a lot goes something like “I’ve got an idea for a business. I need to get finance from the bank, buy stationery and equipment and do some research. I’m not sure how to plan everything that I need to do.”

Is cold calling right for my business? - Click To Read Article
Cold calling or telemarketing is seen, by a lot of business owners as a good way to market and promote their business. It’s one of those marketing methods that many people try some with great success and others with no results at all. When success occurs though, all business owners want to give it a go, thinking that success can occur for their business too.

How to stay motivated when running your business - Click To Read Article
All of us have motivation dips from time to time when we\'re running our businesses. Here, Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking (www.exceptionalthinking.co.uk) talks you through how to stay motivated when you\'re running your business.

How to set your prices - Click To Read Article
One of the things people have been asking me a lot about this month is how do you go about setting your prices for your business. It’s not an easy thing to do for any business and I can definitely see why people struggle with it. Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking (http://www.exceptionalthinking.co.uk) shows you how to get it right.

How will the pre-budget report impact your biz? - Click To Read Article
If you’ve been paying any sort of attention to the news this week, you’ll probably be aware that the Chancellor released his pre-budget report on Monday. This report is likely to have a major impact on your business, whether or not you are VAT registered.

If you could name just one marketing method…what would it be? - Click To Read Article
Small business owners often ask me if I could pick just one marketing method what would it be. Well, don’t worry I’m not going to say to you that it depends on your target market or on what you do. I really do have just one marketing method that I would pick above all others. Do you want to know what it is?

How to use articles to promote your business - Click To Read Article
Have you ever longed for people to knock on your door wanting to do business with you? Um – doesn’t often happen does it? Actually that’s not quite true. There is a way to get people knocking at your door, but it doesn’t just happen by itself. You need to influence this. And how you do that is to build relationships with people so that they perceive you as an expert and know, like and trust your approach.

How to make networking work for you. - Click To Read Article
Networking!! It’s a subject very close to my heart. I get a fair few clients from this method of marketing, which means that on average I attend between 5-8 networking events per month. But just what is networking and how can you make it work for you?

How to make an email campaign work - Click To Read Article
Email campaigns are becoming more and more popular now and are replacing direct mail as a method of contact with potential customers. But what are they and how can you make them work for you?

How to make sure you get paid on time every time - Click To Read Article
In my business we have a rule. The rule goes something along the lines of: We do the work we get paid for doing the work. That’s it – no exceptions, no arguments. If on the rare occasion, someone isn’t happy with the work we do, we’ll look at this and go out of our way to sort it out, but this isn’t (in my book) an excuse not to pay.

How to make leaflets work for you - Click To Read Article
I meet several small business owners who use leaflets as a way of promoting their business. But, one of the biggest complaints with this method is that it hasn’t worked. Whenever, someone tells me this though, my question back to them is “how do you know?”

How to protect your great business idea - Click To Read Article
One of the things that new business owners tend to be very scared of is someone else stealing their business idea. After all, they’ve spent a lot of time, effort, energy and money developing the idea and the last thing they want is someone stealing the business idea and developing it instead.

How to find out what your customers want - Click To Read Article
Finding out what your customers want can transform your business. Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking shows you how to find out.

How to enjoy Christmas in your business - Click To Read Article
If you’re anything like me, December in the business is a bit of a mad time. You’re trying to clear out everything you’ve got to do so you enjoy at least a couple of days off and you’ve also got to write Christmas cards, decorate your office and go out for some Christmas drinks! Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking (www.exceptionalthinking.co.uk) gives you her top tips for enjoying Christmas in your business.

How to follow-up effectively with your contacts - Click To Read Article
If you break the word marketing down into the real basics; there are two general steps to it. The first is to gather a list of contacts who are potentially interested in what you do and the second is to follow-up with them effectively in order to ultimately get a meeting and sell to them.

How to even out the peaks and troughs in your business - Click To Read Article
Do you ever get times in your business where you’re really busy and then other times when you’re really quiet? Annoying isn’t it and frustrating? Wouldn’t it be much easier if you had business constantly coming in and never faced the really quiet times?

How to explain what your business does - Click To Read Article
About 6 months after I started in business, I remember attending a sales course. I had one specific question and to my utter frustration, it wasn’t answered on this course. You see, I had been attending a lot of networking events and the favourite question there is “so, what do you do?”

How to get business from social networking - Click To Read Article
Social networking a.k.a. the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Ecademy, LinkedIn and so on have become the new marketing buzzwords. Everyone is interested in finding out about them and knowing how to use them to get business in through the door.

How to close the sale... - Click To Read Article
It can be the most frustrating thing in the world...you\'ve done everything right, but you haven\'t closed the sale. Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking shows you how to simplify the process and get the sales you need.

How to create and send out an email newsletter - Click To Read Article
Ever since I started my business, we have been sending out an email newsletter on a monthly basis. I meet small business owners all the time who tell me they’d like to send one out too, but often don’t end up doing one for a number of reasons. So, I thought I’d explore what some of those reasons are and how to get around them.

How much information should you give away for free? - Click To Read Article
I’ve always been one for giving information away for free. Some people tell me I shouldn’t do it and other people say that it’s a great thing to do. I’ve tried both. Generally though, I find that giving something away for free does help my business.

Have you taken action on your marketing yet? - Click To Read Article
I had an interesting conversation with someone the other day about our newsletters. He said he received them and I asked him whether he found them useful. He said he did, but mentioned that 70% of what I included, he already knew.

Getting Referrals for your Business - Click To Read Article
Ah referrals from business contacts – the one thing most small business owners would like more of. Why then, doesn’t it happen as much as most people would like? I have a theory and it goes somewhere along the following lines...

Finding Funding - Click To Read Article
These days, not everyone starting a business needs funding, but if you do, you’ll need to think about the options open to you. Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking takes you through the paths available.

E-newsletters: why they're good for business - Click To Read Article
Have you ever thought about sending out your own newsletter to promote your business? Well, Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking (www.exceptionalthinking.co.uk) shows you why they're good for business and how to get your newsletter off the ground.

Doing your marketing for free - Click To Read Article
I’m a great believer in doing things for free – without compromising on quality or getting what you want. In this day and age, I think it’s perfectly possible to have your cake and eat it, but you’re going to need to think about things in a different way. Here’s how:

Does Marketing Work? - Click To Read Article
I was at a networking event the other day, explaining to someone what we did. In response, I received a smile back and the comment “well, marketing doesn’t really work anyway does it?” Interesting question! And I can completely understand why he said that. For a lot of small business owners, that’s exactly what they find – that marketing doesn’t work. The result is that many business owners feel frustrated with marketing and give up on the process, choosing to rely instead on referrals and word of mouth.

Do people know what you do? - Click To Read Article
I was with a business contact of mine the other day and mentioned a project that we were working on for a client of ours. To my surprise he said to me, “I didn’t know you did that!”

Competitors - your most vital asset - Click To Read Article
Whether you\'re just starting out or currently running an existing business, knowing who your competitors are is vital to your industry. Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking shows you how.

Coming up with a business idea - Click To Read Article
There’s nothing more frustrating than wanting to start your own business, but not having the right idea. Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking gives you 12 tips and techniques to help you to come up with that great idea.

Are your prices working for you? - Click To Read Article
Funny thing prices. If I ask one group of small business owners whether or not they’re happy with their prices, I can receive the answer yes. Check with another group however and I find they’re not. Yet, many business owners struggle with this area.

Are Sales People Born or Made? - Click To Read Article
When I started this business, five and a half years ago, I think I would have given up very quickly if I thought sales people were born. I was terrible at sales – it was very definitely a skill I had to learn. I’m sure like anything else, there are some people who don’t need to be taught anything about sales – they just naturally know what to do and how to do it. But, not me. It was something I had to learn how to do.

8 things to do with an article - Click To Read Article
If you’re going to take the time and trouble to write an article, I’m a big believer that you should try to re-use it as many times as you possibly can. Apart from the reason you’ve written it in the first place, which presumably one of the reasons is to help your build your credibility as an expert, here are eight other things you can do once you’ve completed your article:

Advertising - is it for you? - Click To Read Article
Advertising is one of those things that just about every small business owner considers at some point. After all, that’s how big companies promote their businesses, right? So, shouldn’t you be doing it as well?

12 Tips of Christmas - Click To Read Article
Christmas is fast approaching so in preparation, Helen Dowling from Exceptional Thinking has put together her 12 tips of Christmas.

5 marketing activities a day keeps the feast or famine away - Click To Read Article
One of the biggest complaints I hear from small business owners is that they don’t have time to do marketing. What this probably translates into though is that they don’t like marketing; they find it frustrating and they’re not sure where to start. And if I even dare to suggest that ideally you should be doing five marketing activities a day, most owners would tell me that this is unrealistic and there is absolutely no way that they can do this.


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