The business lesson I took away from the National Running Show

The business bit is towards the end of this post; however, you need to read it all to get the benefit.

Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon – 2015

I was at the National Running Show in the NEC over the weekend of 22^nd – 23^rd January. I loved visiting the stands, meeting up with old friends, making new ones, discovering new products and new challenges. I never expected I would sign up for the Henry VIII’s Wives Virtual Challenge Series, but I have, starting with the Catherine of Aragon’s 99 miles of Dismissal.

One stand that challenged me in a way I did not expect was run by people from the Emancipated Running Crew. I discovered that black people do not feel welcome in my world of running. I was aware that I do not see many people of colour on the trails but had not given it a lot of thought. I know that black people run, I have run the Comrades Marathon several times and therefore been in an event with thousands of black and Asia runners, plus the photograph above is the wallpaper on the screen of my PC monitor.

I believed trail running to be an inclusive sport just like I thought parkrun was inclusive. Parkrun is inclusive if you are white, if you are not there are invisible barriers and the people taking part in parkrun do not effectively represent the community in which they are based. The same can be said of trail running. This is from the Black Trail Runners website: “Running in the outdoors should be for everyone, but although trail running culture imagines itself to be inclusive, it is effectively for the few. Black runners are under-represented in the culture of trail running, and lack a voice in its organisation and visibility in its media. Invisible barriers to access mean that Black people miss out on enjoying our outdoor spaces …”

And in a letter sent to race organisers in August 2020 they said: “Since our launch last month, the response from runners has shown us that our group is meeting a need. Black runners have welcomed the opportunity to join with others who look like them and value their experiences and views. At the same time, the comments of detractors have clearly demonstrated to us that trail running is far from being the inclusive sport many claim it to be. The fact that many people don’t see the problem, is part of the problem, invalidating our lived experiences and those of other Black runners.”

Wow, mea culpa I am part of the problem, I didn’t see the problem. I love trail running and the outdoors and want it to be accessible to everyone. I do not know what the solution is; however, I do know that the start to solving problems, comes from recognising there is a problem, reflecting on it and talking about it.

Reflecting further I thought about the show being in Birmingham, yet almost all the visitors were white, as were the exhibitors with the exception of Black Girls Do Run, Emancipated Running Crew and TYNA, a company that produces sports clothing inspired by traditional ethnic patterns from around the world. Three out of over two hundred exhibitors. I reflected about all the independent shops I sold to and tried to sell to when I was an agent and distributor for sports and outdoor goods, all the owners were white.

Now here is the business bit, if some people don’t feel welcome in your business environment you are missing out on a lot of potential customers. You may think you are being inclusive, but do people of all ethnicities, abilities, disabilities and social backgrounds feel welcome and comfortable in the environment you create. Remember the words from Black Trail Runners “… are under-represented in the culture of trail running, and lack a voice in its organisation and visibility in its media. Invisible barriers to access mean that Black people miss out on enjoying our outdoor spaces …”

Are people missing out on enjoying the benefits of your products or services and are you missing out on the benefits of having them as customers?

Honesty Box

The seed of an idea for these business blogs has to grow and I nurture it until it is ready to harvest, then I prepare it so you can digest it. If you found the content useful please consider popping some money into the honesty box. Unlike buying eggs at the farm gate, you cannot put the cash in a box because you are reading this online. You can click on the Buy Me a Coffee link below which will take you to a page where by magic (nifty software) a small amount of money will disappear from your account and appear in mine. Don’t worry you are in control all the time. If the post wasn’t helpful, please leave a comment suggesting how it can be improved.

If you like what I say you can buy me a coffee if you want to.

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Think outside of the box to improve efficiency

Many people wake up inside a box (the house), pour cereals out of a box and, after they have had their breakfast, get into a small box (their car) and drive to another box (the office) where they spend most of the day at a desk, usually staring at a screen. They then get back into their small box, drive back to their house box, have a couple of glasses of wine from a box and watch an episode from a box set or watch Gogglebox on the box. They are boxed into a sedentary lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle that causes health problems and sluggishness at work.

Moving about is the best way to overcome those health problems and boost your energy and therefore performance at work. Start simply by moving about in your box (unless it is your car). There are useful apps that can help remind you to get up and move about, for example Interval Timer and Pomodoro or you can use the natural patterns of your working day to help ensure you move about. For example, if there are files or other reference material you use regularly don’t have these within reach, put them somewhere that forces you to get up to reach them. And change your mindset, being tied to your desk doesn’t mean you’re being productive, often getting up and going outside for a walk will reenergise you so when you come back, you’ll work harder and smarter. Overall, even though you’ve spent less time at your desk, you will achieve more.

Getting outside particularly in the natural environment and moving about will help with your mental wellbeing and your ability to cope with stressful situations in the office. It’s not rocket science, it’s just recognising that the human body is designed to move and the brain requires both rest and stimulation. You don’t need to run marathons or enter Ironman competitions, you just need to move about. Weekend warriors who tackle marathons and Ironman competitions can still have health problems if they spend the rest of the week locked in their boxes being inactive.

One final thought when you are outside being active think about visiting a graveyard and read the headstones, I can guarantee you that not one of them will say here lies the best marketing manager, chief executive, salesperson etc. They will say things like here lies a much-missed father, a much-loved mother, sister, daughter, son, brother. So perhaps when you’re outside your box in nature share that experience with important family members and remember you owe it to them to be the fittest and best you can be.

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If you like what I say you can buy me a coffee if you want to.

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Hidden gems

On Saturday I popped into Truro for lunch at the Colours Café. While I was there, I decided to explore the parts I didn’t know; there are lots of small streets and alleyways in Truro. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) currently has a campaign #MyHiddenGems highlighting small businesses that people may not have heard about, hopefully the campaign will increase their footfall. I thought my exploration might reveal a gem or two to posts about on social media and help support the campaign; I am an FSB Area Lead in Cornwall. This summer some of our popular venues are being overrun, so if we can spread the load everyone benefits. I had a fascinating afternoon and found lots of candidates for the campaign, a barber called Jabba the Cutt and a hair and beauty salon actually called Hidden Gem. Neither of those were of direct interest to me; I don’t have any hair and it would take an industrial scale intervention to make me beautiful on the outside. Pollen in the Park, a refreshment kiosk selling vegan cakes, was of great interest to me as was Victoria Park where it was situated, I love green spaces in built-up areas and I love trees. Follow me on Twitter to see what else I found.

My afternoon experience made me think about whether there are hidden gems in our businesses that we simply don’t notice.

Have you had a wander through your customer database, either manually or with nifty software, to see if there are some gems in there that need a polish to make them shine? I bought some nut butters a while ago (I’m vegan), because I had not reordered, despite the company sending me emails at suitable intervals, they eventually sent me an email with the subject line “Edward you’re a tough nut to crack”. That worked, I liked the humour, and the discount they offered me. I’m now a regular customer, waiting for an email saying I am a diamond.

Are there products or services in your offering that could shine out given a tweak so they add a sparkle to your business?

Is there an employee who if given extra responsibility, a new role or training would be a glittering star?

Seek and ye shall find. Matthew 7:7-8

and

Those who do not believe in magic will never find it.

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By their deeds shall ye know them

The Government recently published a list of employers who have been found to have not being paying the minimum wage. There were 191 employers on that list, which was round 17 of National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme, there were similar numbers in previous rounds. There are quite a few household names on those lists; when they are interviewed they blame it on technical breaches. Most are caused by deductions that should not have allowed pay to fall below the minimum. That is simply not a valid excuse for two reasons.

These are large companies with HR and payroll departments which should know the rules and there is no excuse for not knowing them. With each round the government publishes an educational bulletin.
If you pay bang on the minimum, then little technicalities will catch you out; the solution is to pay above the minimum wage. I checked the profits of a couple of companies at the top of the list (easy to do via the Companies House website) one company had profits of £26 million the other £29 million, and that was after some eye-watering directors’ salaries, so they could afford that extra for a safety margin.

The management guru, Peter Drucker, said, “The most important part of communication is hearing what isn’t said”, or to put it another way spoken words make up only a small part of communication. The majority of communication is nonverbal. In fact, some research has shown that up to 93% of communication is nonverbal. And that is what is happening with the National Minimum Wage Naming Scheme and the companies on the list. It is not just about their pay rates it speaks volumes about those companies and about our society.

When I see a company on one of those lists, I cross it off my Christmas card list, metaphorically because I don’t send Christmas cards. I also cross it off my shopping list, I will not buy from those companies or use their services; their values are not in line with mine. By their deeds I shall know them; if they are prepared to squeeze as much profit out of their employees as possible by paying them as little as possible and then not even bothering to know the details about those employees’ rights, just think how they are going to treat me as a customer, squeezing as much profit out of me as possible without much regard for me. And just think what they are going to do to the environment; trash it. As a society we allow them to get away with it.

This behaviour is not confined to the UK. This paragraph in a recent article about Coronavirus in Australia caught my attention:

These poorer and ethnically diverse suburbs in Sydney’s west and south west are home to about two million residents. Many are considered essential workers in food, health and other industries.

Poor essential workers – we would rather pay people well for things we do not need than things that are essential. Is that a rational economy?

Being on that list is a big red flag and an indication of profit before people, profit before planet, profit at all costs, as long as they are not incurred by the company.

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BE QUICK AND WAIT

About six months ago I posted about poor communication losing sales, the post was titled, ‘Don’t waste your money on marketing! if you are going to sabotage what you do’ and the moral of the story was, communicate with your customers and they will stay with you, ignore them and they will leave. This post is about great communication generating sales. Last time it was about lager and cider this time it is about cider and lager.

On Thursday I was checking Facebook when an ad popped up for 3 cases of cider for the price of 2. I currently have a reasonable stock of BrewDog Lost Lager and am expecting a delivery of Toast beer soon, so I don’t really need any more alcohol, but I do like a special offer. I sent the company an email to ask if their ciders were vegan and got on with some work. Three minutes later an email pinged into my inbox saying yes, they are. I fired back “Wow that was quick” and instantly got “It is very nice cider. We just won another 6 awards in the international cider challenge” as a reply. My next response was a bit slower and said, “Just placed an order” and got the reply “Brilliant. It will go out tomorrow as you have missed today’s cut off. Should be with you on Saturday”. Fair enough, it was five thirty in the afternoon.

When I saw the ad I was in a buying mood, had the company responded to my email the next day that would have been acceptable, but I may not have been in a buying mood and had they replied after the weekend I would probably have forgotten all about wanting any cider. The quicker you can respond to an enquiry the more likely you are to catch someone in buying mode.

With face-to-face or telephone selling salespeople sometimes take customers passed the point where they want to buy. Here the mnemonic WAIT – Why Am I Talking? can come in useful. Pick up on the clues and give the customer space to make the buying decision rather than firing more and more sales messages at them.

Cheers – if you have never tasted Natch give it a go – awesome cider.

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If you like what I say you can buy me a coffee if you want to.

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Carpe Diem

Whenever I see ‘Carpe Diem’ I cannot help but think of a fancy dish on a restaurant menu in the fish section. That is the strange way my mind works. It is of course Latin and often translated as ‘seize the day’; it is more than that it is an entreaty for someone to make the most of the present time, which is what this post is about.

It was inspired by what happened recently while I was out running. One of my routes takes me passed a house that has an amazing display when the wisteria is in full bloom. The the display had not yet reached it’s best so I did not take a photograph, deciding to return in a few days to capture it in it’s full glory. Two days later there was heavy rain with a strong wind so I decided to run along a less exposed route; it was four days before I passed the house again. And horror of horrors, all the blossoms had gone, the wind and rain had stripped them away. I should have seized the day and taken the photograph when I had the opportunity and not have put it off until the perfect moment – that didn’t materialise.

And that is how it is in business, if we do not seize the opportunity, the winds of change will snatch it away. While you are tinkering away making your product perfect someone will launch a functioning one that corners the market. If you put off making that call to a prospective customer they may no longer be a customers because they have bought from elsewhere and no longer have a need.

I could go on but I am sure you have got the message – Carpe Diem.

Honesty Box

If you like what I say you can buy me a coffee if you want to.

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What can you learn from a Cornish hedge?

When I was out running the other day, I saw a man taking a break from creating a Cornish Hedge, which is a stone structure despite the name. He had completed about half of it and there was a big jumble of stones in front of where the rest of the hedge would go. I wish him good morning and said something about the hedge which led to a conversation. He was not a happy man although I expect that was only a temporary situation. I usually find craftsmen to be contented people.

He was building the hedge on the boundary of a new build house and explained that although the owners had paid for a lot of fancy expensive stuff in the house, they had insisted on buying cheap stone for the wall, despite his advice that it was a false economy. The infill material they had supplied was also substandard as well. He explained that it was taking a lot longer to make something half decent out of the material than had it been good quality material. He said, “to be honest I’d be happy if it fell over once I have left.” I ran on thinking about his words. When I ran past again later, I could tell from his body language that his heart was not in it.

The craftsman’s situation is what often happens in many businesses, employees are expected to work with poor materials, ineffective or no training and inadequate support from management. Management who are quite happy to have nice cars, posh offices and a sparkle reception area but are not prepared to invest in their biggest asset, their people. Those people will not be happy in their work, it will take them longer to do things ,they will become dissatisfied and may leave hoping your business collapses. Happy workers with the right materials will build something of quality that will pass the test of time.

When I try and put up shelves at home it doesn’t turn out well. It is not because I set out to do a bad job, no it is because I do not have the right tools for the job or the relevant training and experience. Staff do not set out to do a bad job and some succeed in doing a great job despite management’s attempts to frustrate them, but most end up producing something like my shelving attempts.

It is not their fault, management have either employed the wrong person (I now know to employ a professional rather than to attempt all but the most minor DIY jobs myself), not provided the right tools and materials or, in some cases, the right training. One last thing, listen to advice from people who know what they are doing, like the guy I talked to on my run. Workers often know more about the coalface than bosses or in his case the property owner.

Honesty Box

If you like what I say you can buy me a coffee if you want to.

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Business lessons from running

A brief introduction then I get to the business bit.

A few weeks ago, I volunteered as support crew on the Endurancelife Classic Quarter, a race that takes runners from Lizard Point to Land’s End. So, from the most southerly point of the UK mainland to the most westerly; one quarter of the compass hence the name. The race consists of a tough 44 miles on the coastal path, my water station was in Penzance about 28 miles into the event. Previously I have worked at some stunning locations, Church Cove and Minack Theatre, now I ask for the uninspiring spot in Penzance. I went car free at the beginning of 2019 (check out my blog) and Penzance is the easiest place to get to by public transport.

When the runners leave the water point they pass through a gap in the wall (not the sea wall thankfully) then head across the car park to cut behind the harbour and on to Newlyn. They could turn left which would take them along a dead end on the left of the harbour or right through the bus station, which is effectively going back in the direction they have come. I keep an eye out to make sure they go the right way; surprisingly, some don’t despite there being a sign pointing the way a little way ahead. Okay it is only the size of a postcard, but it does have two bright red chevrons on and you would have thought that after 28 miles runners would have got used to spotting them.

I have never got lost on an Endurancelife event and I have run plenty of them. I think that is because I run a lot on poorly defined routes in training. In Cornwall (it is probably the same elsewhere) the council grades footpaths Gold, Silver and Bronze, Gold paths, because they are popular, are well defined, well signposted and regularly maintained, Silver get less attention and Bronze virtually none. Being a ‘path less well travelled’ type of person I seek out Bronze routes, which means when I enter a field, I have a vague idea where the path goes but have to look into the distance to spot a gap in the fence or other indication of which way I should head across the field, and of course I have done my homework and studied the map before I set out. When it comes to races it is in my DNA to be alert when there is a choice of directions, even when it is not obvious there is a choice, and I am tuned in to seeing signs. It’s likely that the runners who miss the signs and go the wrong way are not used to off-road running or are only used to running on well-defined routes.

Now to the business bit. A lot of business owners do not see the signs and take the wrong path. Many have their heads down working in the business and they do not see that they are at a junction and need to work on the business to take it in a different direction. They do not see changes in customer or competitor behaviour, new entrants into the market or advances in technology. Be like a savvy trail runner, keep your head up, look around and see the signs.

There is something else businesses can learn from runners. Like other sportspeople runners train all the time to perform at their best. It’s strange that businesspeople think they can be at the top of their game all of the time without training. Wisdoms123 Chats are a great way to train your brain and stay sharp. I pop across to South Africa (virtually) every weekday morning to discuss business topics with a diverse group of people for 30 to 40 minutes. Thinking about what I’m going to contribute on the subject that has been set is good training; however, I get the greatest benefit from listening to others that have different options from me. The South African chats are at 7 am UK time (8 am in South Africa), if that is too early or too much of a commitment drop into the UK ones on a Wednesday at 8 am UK time. It’s not networking, there is no selling, it’s just getting those little grey cells in your brain in great shape. Sign up here for free then you can use the link you are sent to attend any of the chats.

Honesty Box

If you like what I say you can buy me a coffee if you want to.

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Feedback the oxygen of success

Below is a copy of a blog post I wrote a few years ago about running. The principles about the benefits of getting feedback, particularly from someone outside of the situation, apply to businesses. If you are a sole trader, you may want to get the view of a mentor or business consultant.

I was having supper with my younger daughter, Charlotte, at the Bay View Inn a few weeks ago and was surprised by what she said. Now that I live at the other end of Cornwall from her, we do not see each other as often as we used to. This was the first time I had seen her since completing the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon in October.

We chatted and caught up with each other’s news and then inevitably the conversation turned to the Kalahari event. Charlotte is very knowledgeable about it; she has crewed on it three times and grown up listening to her father talk about it. I said that I had struggled this year and thought it was my slowest ever. “No, it wasn’t Dad” she immediately replied, “I was following your progress via the website and there are a couple of years that you were slower”. I was aware that she knew how I was doing because she had sent me a lovely email of support during the event, which I got on the rest day. The organisers print emails out and deliver them to the overnight camps the following day. What I had not realised was the depth of her interest and that she would look back at the history to see how I was doing compared with previous years. It gave me a nice warm feeling inside.

Our conversation was interrupted by the start of the pub quiz on gin. The Bay View Inn has a good range of speciality gins; many of them from Cornwall. We did not do very well in the quiz, but we didn’t come last. Just before we left Charlotte asked if I was going back in 2019. I replied that I wasn’t sure. Completing 10 was my big aim and I achieved this in 2016. I had always planned a year off after that. Going back in 2018 had been wonderful, but I now felt that I could pick and choose when I go back. Charlotte, who is always direct said “Don’t be too picky, if you want to do another 10 you haven’t got a lot of time to play with.” (I am 64).

Later, when I was lying in bed and reflecting on the evening, still enjoying the rosy glow from the fact that Charlotte had shown so much interest in what her Dad was doing, I thought about how useful her feedback was. She had observed what was happening and looked at the data, so knew it wasn’t my slowest performance. I had been relying on emotion and been subjective about my performance labelling it my worst. Charlotte helped me put it in context. And when it came to thinking of the future, I was looking at it from an internal perspective, I would pick and choose. She had an external view and saw the whole picture; I do have limited time. If I do not miss a year, I will be 73 when I complete my 20th, not a too ambitious a goal as the oldest finisher so far is Harry Hunter aged 70. But miss a few years and the goal will become much tougher and possibly out of reach.

Thank you, Charlotte, for providing clarity.

Feedback should always be about behaviour not personality, I know that Charlotte loves me and would never personally criticise me. We had some moments during her teenage years, and I remember her turning around one day and say, “Dad, you irritate the hell out of me, I know it is because you care, but it’s still bloody irritating.” Get feedback from someone you have a good relationship with, and it will be focused on helping you. Charlotte knows how important the Kalahari Augrabies Extreme Marathon is to me so is prepared to point out that I am getting on a bit and need to get a move on achieving my goal. I know that she cares so I take heed of what she says.

If you don’t have someone you have an exceptionally good relationship with who can comment knowledgeably on your business find someone you have no relationship with i.e., an external consultant.

Honesty Box

If you like what I say you can buy me a coffee if you want to.

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Yes you can

Minimum Viable Product

Every weekday morning at 7.00am I pop across to South Africa (thanks to the wonders of Zoom and the internet) to take part in Wisdoms123 Chats. These last for about 30 to 40 minutes and are conversations about business, sometimes life, topics. Great training for the mind. It’s interesting that sports people train to keep their bodies fit and ready to compete, yet businesspeople, competing in the marketplace, seldom train their minds.

At the beginning of the week, I was impressed by what a young South African, Thabiso, said. He wanted to make a record but did not know anyone in the music business and could not afford to hire a recording studio. Thabiso concentrated on what he had and what he could do, not on what he didn’t have and what he couldn’t do. He found some software for his mobile phone that would allow him to create a soundtrack and then allow him to record voice onto it. Where he lived was always noisy, so he went to Sandton an affluent area of Johannesburg to find a quiet spot.

A local park looked like the perfect spot as it was virtually deserted; however, when he started recording there was a problem, there was a breeze, and this was affecting the microphone. I’m sure you know what this sounds like from receiving mobile phone calls from people standing in a windy spot. He started to think about where else he could go when he spotted the solution, a portable toilet. He would be out of the wind there, so he went inside and started recording. About halfway through he was interrupted by a knocking on the door. Someone wanted to use the facilities for something more basic than laying down some tracks. Thabiso waited patiently outside until he was able to go back inside and finish the recordings.

The next stage was to head off to find somewhere with free Wi-Fi so he could upload everything to SoundCloud, which is where you can hear the recordings, just search using antakalipa. You will know you are in the right place when you see the photo of the portable toilet.

What a great example, creating the Minimum Viable Product to get his music to the public and not being put off by a lack of facilities.

Remember

If it is important, you will find a way

If it is not, you will find an excuse

Honesty Box

If you like what I say you can buy me a coffee if you want to.