Festive Greetings
From Robert Craven,
Keynote Speaker, Author and MD of The Directors' Centre
What a great year it's been! We would like to say a big "Thank you" to all our consultancy clients and everyone who attended our various seminars.
If you thought 2007 was a busy year; then you see what we have planned for 2008! This Newsletter contains details of these new events. If you are interested in attending any then now is your chance to pre-register. We will confirm details nearer the dates. As many of you will know, most of the events we ran with Barclays were booked up several weeks before the event. So, to avoid disappointment, we thought we would give our loyal Newsletter readers advance notice - find out more.
Everyone here at The Directors' Centre would like to wish you a happy and a prosperous 2008 and we look forward to seeing more of you next year. Thank you once again for your support.
Robert, Lesley and The Team at The Directors' Centre.
Regular Features:
- Article of the Month:
The Valley of Death - Growing Business Magazine
- Dare of the Month
- Bright Marketing Book
- Robert's Blog
New seminars for 2008
- The Magic Million... and Beyond.
- So you want to be a Management Consultant.
- Business Growth Masterclass.
'Even More Profit' seminars with Peninsula
The final seminar in this series is in Taunton on 20th December. These have been very successful...
Your last chance to take part in our survey on companies achieving the magic £1 million turnover.
>> Find out more
Increase your sales and profits
Find out how by working with a Directors’ Centre expert.
>> Find out more
Consultant News
Kiki Maurey - Congratulations on her recent appointment to the ministerial national Ethnic Minority Business Task Force.
Stop Press!
'Fast Growth Business Awards' - The search is on to find the UK's most ambitious business. Robert will again be a judge.
>> Find out more and how to enter
The Autumn series of 'Let's Talk...' seminars was once again a great success, with over 2500 people attending.
The dates for the Spring series will be announced in the New Year. As a Newsletter subscriber you will be one of the first to know.
Does your washing machine eat your socks? Have you been getting ready for an important business meeting only to find that you don't have a pair of matching socks? Then Dan Burton and Sean Scott have set up a business just for you! They attended a 'Let's Talk...' seminar in Birmingham in the Spring. With the help of Barclays and their student loans they set up their own business Socks-on and won the Best New Start award at this year's Business Awards - read an article from Esquire Magazine, December 2007.
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
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Increase sales and profits by working with a Directors’ Centre expert
During the year we have helped many owner/managers overcome issues which were holding back their company's growth. If you would like to find out how we can help your company to face the challenges of growth... to help you to develop and implement strategies and processes that focus on your customers and your profitability, then apply for a free diagnostic Business Surgery. Typically, clients turnover £500K or 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!
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Why Enter? 10 reasons why you should enter:
- Invaluable press coverage
- Boost staff morale
- Impress potential investors
- Gain prestige and recognition from peers
- Network with fellow entrepreneurs
- Raise your profile
- Cheer up the bank manager
- Increase respect from existing customers
- Help attract high quality new staff
- Increase your business growth
>> More information and entry form
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We would like your stories on the 'Dare of the Month' - which one did you take us up on and what were the results? We would be very interested to know and will publish the results in a Newsletter in the New Year.
We have enjoyed a very successful partnership with Peninsula during the Autumn of this year. Next year we intend to expand on this with a series of new seminars with the working title of 'The Magic Million... and Beyond'. These seminars will be for companies who have achieved the 'magic' figure or who are aspiring to do so. Ideally you should be employing 5+ people and be looking for that bit of extra help to get to the next level in your business, be that £1m, £2m, £3m or more...
You will also get inspirational tips on how to increase the profitability of your company from Robert Craven, Paul Jobin or Guy Chilvers, the Business Growth experts. Between them they have run many successful businesses. If you are interested in real business success, then this is a not to be missed opportunity to work with people who have 'been there and done it'!
We intend to run these seminar monthly throughout 2008 - the provisional dates for the first three are:
5th March - Coventry - venue TBA
9th April - Bristol Golf Club, Almondsbury, Bristol
14th May - Stansted - venue TBA
These will be half-day events running from 8:45 to 12:30. To register your interest please send an email to Lesley 
If you are interested in finding out more about the services which Peninsula can offer we will be pleased to arrange for one of their experts to visit you, email Lesley
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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 in taking part in our survey please send us an email.
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When you hit the' Valley of Death' run as fast as you can. Sprint to the other side and to the next layer of sustainable profitability. This article appeared in The Robert Craven Column, Growing Business Magazine, November 2007
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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 new seminars - priority will be given to Newsletter subscribers:
- The Magic Million... and Beyond - How to get your company to the £1m turnover mark and sustain your growth to the next level.
- So you want to be a Management Consultant - How to grow and run your own management consultancy. Aimed at aspiring and existing management consultants.
- Business Growth Masterclass - Robert will be running a small, intimate, focused event on growing your business. Aimed at businesses who want to spend time with Robert answering their business issues.
To register your interest in any of these workshops please send an email Lesley
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A selection from the Blog:
- Nutrichef Wins Entrepreneur of the Year Award
- Guerilla Marketing meets Customer is King
- The Ritz Carlton Service Experience
- Ritz Carlton - part two
- Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
Robert Craven works with ambitious directors of fast-growing businesses who feel that they could be doing even better. As a keynote speaker his style is challenging, honest and goading; free of business school hyperbole, he makes his audience think.
The Financial Times describes him as 'the entrepreneurship guru'.
Mentoring and Coaching - The Directors' Centre team work with a select number of Managing Directors to help them grow their businesses. Phone Robert direct to know more on 01225 851044.
Robert's Blog
For more details go to the Directors' Centre website.
www.directorscentre.com
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+44 (0)1225 851 044 office@directorscentre.com
The Directors' Centre Ltd., registered in England and Wales, company registration no. 2606555.