Greetings

From Robert Craven,
Keynote Speaker, Author and MD of
The Directors' Centre

This month we are featuring the seminars being run with Peninsula, the Health & Safety and Employment Law experts. These seminars are a must for any growing business as you will have a business growth expert on hand to share their considerable business knowledge and experience.

Final Call: Last three venues for 'Let's Talk...' seminars, all before the end of November. If you haven't been to one, check out the list to see if there's a venue near you. Your last chance in 2007!

The above cartoon was drawn by Steve Hearn, a caricature artist, who attended the Basildon 'Let's Talk... Bright Marketing' seminar. More about Steve on his website - www.drawn4u.com

Robert, Lesley and The Team at The Directors' Centre.

Regular Features:

• Audio of the Month:
  For Accountants this time!
  
• Dare of the Month
  
• Bright Marketing Book
  
• Robert's Blog

'Let's Talk...' seminars with Barclays
Only a few venues left in this series:

Aberdeen - 26th November
Woking - 28th November
Poole - 30th November

>> Find out more
>> Watch the Video  (3 minutes)

Increase your sales and profits
Find out how by working with a Directors’ Centre expert.
>> Find out more

Stop Press !
New workshops are on their way.
>> Find out more

This season's 'Let's Talk...' events are more popular than ever with most venues entirely 'sold out'. so ... Book Now!

Why attend?  You'll get loads of tools, tips and techniques to increase sales and profits! It's also a great networking opportunity.

These seminars are a great way of getting closer to your clients and colleagues - invite them along or host a table so you can enjoy the event together and help them to grow their businesses - it's like corporate entertainment but FREE!


BOOKING FORM


November
22nd November - Bath, Cumberwell Park Golf Club - Bright Marketing - sold out
26th November - Aberdeen, Aberdeen Football Club, Pittodire Stadium - Bright Marketing
28th November - Woking, HG Wells Conference Centre - More Profit
30th November - Poole - RNLI Life Boat College - Bright Marketing

Let's Talk... Seminars - What People Say

Here's a sample comment from a participant at our recent series of Let's Talk... seminars - you can also Watch the Video

"This just opened my eyes and told me that "this is what I have to do". Carlos Fernandes, Unique Accounting Solutions

>> TOP

Find out how you can increase sales and profits by working with a Directors’ Centre expert

I will not waffle. What we are about is simply.... to help companies as they face the challenges of growth... to help you to develop and implement strategies and processes that focus on your customers and your profitability. Typically, clients turnover £500K or more. Find out more

Read our mini-case studies.

And a call to action: Do you want to talk to someone who can show you how to improve sales and profits so that you run the business you want to run (with the rewards you deserve)? Call Lesley or Robert on 01225 851044 or email and explain what you are trying to do (and what is holding you back). We will tell you how we can help you. We can set up a meeting with the appropriate expert and if the chemistry is right then you can set to work almost immediately!

>> TOP

I did the 'Dare of the Month' in October - I turned off my Blackberry and took my wife out for the day - on a Friday - unheard of! I left the office in the capable hands of the office team. I'm pleased to report that not only did the business survive without me, but we also won a large contact (for consultancy services) and they took my idea for seminars for Management Consultants and started to make it happen. Watch this space for further developments. I think I'll go away again!

This Month's Dare - Actively create systems to reduce interruptions by limiting access especially from:

• time wasters (i.e. unimportant things that should be delegated)
• time consumers (that interrupt)
• empowerment failures (where you have failed to delegate appropriately)

The Art of Refusal - Tim Ferris (The 4-hour Workweek) suggests you check email twice per day at 12:00 noon and 4:00 pm. (Never first thing in the morning because you should reserve your most important task for first thing in the day). He applies a similar rule to creating an answer phone message to deal with phone calls.

Create an email auto-responder that will train your staff, suppliers and clients to be more effective, stating that you will be looking at your emails (or phone messages) within 4 hours - offer signposts to other team members who can deal with the enquiry.


>> TOP

So what is it that separates 'magic million' businesses (the ones that break through the million pound barrier) from the rest? Is it their strategy or is it their marketing or is it just luck? Why is it that some people struggle while others seem to take off and grow without any great difficulties? We're being told the answers and now we want you to to help us to make sure that we've got it right!

So, the 'Magic Million' - how do you get to... and break through... the magic million pound turnover mark? We've created a simple research questionnaire for successful (and aspiring) million pounders - it will take a couple of minutes to fill in... and it will really help us to help you and to help other businesses... and we will also be looking for case studies (i.e. free PR for you!). We will be publishing the results and will be happy to share it with all participants!

If you are interested contact Lesley

>> TOP

Audio of the Month - for Accountants this time!

What do today's entrepreneurs want from their accountants?

A 25 minute, no holds barred, interview with Robert by Accountancy Age

>> Listen to the interview

>> TOP

Bright Marketing, why should people bother to buy from you?

In today's increasingly competitive marketplaces, people have a choice: they can buy from the 'me toos' or they can buy from the market leaders. Bright Marketing argues that in a world full of mediocrity it only takes a five percent difference from the competition to stand out.

• Read a Review
• Read an Article
• Buy Now, cheaper than Amazon - and it will be signed by Robert Craven!

Coming soon

Plans are afoot for the following programmes - priority will be given to Newsletter subscribers:

• So you want to be a Management Consultant - How to grow and run your own management consultancy. Aimed at aspiring and existing management consultants.
• Consultancy Masterclass - Robert will be running a small intimate focussed event on growing your business. Aimed at businesses who want to spend time with Robert answering their business issues.

To register your interest in either of these workshops please email Lesley

>> TOP

A selection from the Blog:

• I love my Accountant
  
• Fun in Basildon
• Michelangelo - the greatest danger...
  Tom Peters at 'The London Business Forum. '