• What a week. My team are still hard at it but we've all got that Friday feeling… #
• RT @Robbie_38: Spending late night learning lots of interesting stuff from @nigelbotterill Entrepreneur Circle. I can't learn fast enough! #
• @jamesbondtrain Fraid not. At this price it's steal… in reply to jamesbondtrain #
• @chris_greenf Disappointingly predictable Mr Greenfield. I expected better from you… in reply to chris_greenf #
• RT @samflynn25: took on a great new business opp today. Thanks to @nigelbotterill and team [pleasure Sam - great to have you on board #
• @AlexisFerraris Pleasure Alexis - didn't realise the birth was so recent - dedication indeed on Monday! ConvratulAtions:-) in reply to AlexisFerraris #
• @davidwillmott Great response so far thanks in reply to davidwillmott #
• @sarajgreenfield Slightly delayed response on my part - so we'll let you off! in reply to sarajgreenfield #
• RT @ManjitVirdi: http://bit.ly/bNZvBv .. this is a great business #
• @JuliaCanham Welcome aboard Julia in reply to JuliaCanham #
• @hamish_mcd Good To have you on board Hamish... in reply to hamish_mcd #
• @chris_greenf Need some new floor cloths for the office - any ideas... in reply to chris_greenf #
• @DanJHarrison Glad it was helpful Dan... in reply to DanJHarrison #
• @adamlavery Hi Adam, we
  Re just v keen to have you in the Entrepreneurs Circle ! in reply to adamlavery #
• @marklilleyman it's a fair point Mark - I'll be more robustly equipped next month! in reply to marklilleyman #
• @twofrontteeth55 Told you that would happen!! Well done. Really appreciated all your help in reply to twofrontteeth55 #
• @rentinreading pleasure Angela - great to see you again & thanks for your input in reply to rentinreading #
• RT @Mark_Tivey: Oh you should have been there! @nigelbotterill was on top form as always and there were the usual "gems" to take away... #
• RT @sibelcher: Had yet another great, invigorating & education day with @nigelbotterill and the Entrepreneurs Circle bunch! [thx Simon] #
• Just realised that we had more people in the 100 club session yesterday than came to the first Monthly Event in total! #
• Really enjoyed yesterdays Entrepreneur Circle event in Slough. Thanks to all 125 bus. owners that made the trip. Now go implement!! #
• @CathyEMiles Thanks for being there Cathy. Glad it was useful… in reply to CathyEMiles #
• @MikeLoughton A necessary evil!!! in reply to MikeLoughton #
• @JuliaCanham hope you're feeling better. Missed you yesterday in reply to JuliaCanham #
• OK guys here it is: Last chance to get on Priority List for my new product which launches Weds. http://ow.ly/2GwGP Priority closes at 9pm #
• Heading off to Burnham near Slough to meet 150 ambitious entreprenuers. Gonna be a great day..I can feel it! #
• @AndyCarpet First time anyones asked but shouldn't be too difficult to do. Watch this space! in reply to AndyCarpet #
• @sparklebizcards Up to my eyes in alligators!! Big push to be ready for Wednesday… in reply to sparklebizcards #
• Short fun video tells you about Weds launch here http://ow.ly/2GsgQ Will make you smile, I promise #
• Over 3,000 have registered on Priority List for our big launch on Weds. This is going to be HUGE and we have only 200 available… #
• @JuliaCanham Looking forward to seeing you too in reply to JuliaCanham #
• @CazMessenger @chris_greenf we're making progress but it's been a big problem. Should all be fixed overnight in reply to CazMessenger #
• @chaseprom ok – it's a deal in reply to chaseprom #

• OMG it's Friday. I need more days this week…soooooooooooooo much to get done before the big launch on Wednesday http://ow.ly/2FEhS #
• @luke_phillips Could be right up your street Luke! Hope things are going well with you… in reply to luke_phillips #
• @louisefw I don't know what you mean in reply to louisefw #
• Short video here explaining more about our new biz opp that launches on 22nd Sep http://ow.ly/2F9XG #
• Launching my new bizz opp next Wednesday. Huge interest already. My tweeps can get on the Priority List here: http://ow.ly/2EJOG #
• @samflynn25 Hey- great to have you on board… in reply to samflynn25 #
• @bestofoswestry Thanks John. Appreciate that. Glad it was useful in reply to bestofoswestry #
• Launching my new bizz opp next Wednesday. Huge interest already. My tweeps can get on the Priority List here: http://ow.ly/2EJKs #
• @coventrymarket He was VERY well behaved today in reply to coventrymarket #
• @TrufflePR Why don't you put it to the test…then you'll see why. Seriously. in reply to TrufflePR #
• Really enjoyed thebestof Regional Meeting today. Feeling lucky to have so many fab franchisees in our gang! #
• Having a great Regional Meeting with 44 fab franchisees of thebestof here in Solihull. Going well so far… #
• @steve4ormskirk Oh dear – hope it's not too painful? in reply to steve4ormskirk #
• @Mark_Tivey Pleasure. Was good to see you. Let's set up the 1:1 as soon as you're ready. in reply to Mark_Tivey #
• Feeling v humble after watching First Light on BBC2. We owe such a lot to 'the few'… #
• You know all those plans u have for your business: 1 things certain, if you don't start 'em they def won't get finished! #
• Got some really switched on entrepreneurs on my Franchisors Bootcamp today. Having a blast. Some future stars of fchsing methinks #
• @wow_internet Thanks – appreciate that in reply to wow_internet #
• Really looking forward to my Franchisors Bootcamp tomorrow & Tuesday. Early night so I'm on top form for it!! #
• @karenharewood A bit of good fortune, some killer deadlines … And focus, focus focus. Planning to do even better next week in reply to karenharewood #
• @connectwm Yea was at the game. Took a colleague from Australia – would have been nice for him to have seen a goal… in reply to connectwm #
• @wow_internet not sure but we're reacquainted now in reply to wow_internet #
• Take no pleasure from my 0-0 prediction. A disappointing game at St Andrews… #
• @CazMessenger liverpool v disappointing first half – Blues should be ahead. 2 great saves by Reina in reply to CazMessenger #
• @chris_greenf Hope you'll be v impressed. @michedowney & @andyhurst1 have worked v hard. I think it's best Regional content ever.. in reply to chris_greenf #
• @dennybragg Sorry it has def changed hands. Watch this space… in reply to dennybragg #
• @pcpal Proximity to town centre with ample car pking. Should be open all day Inc breakfasts. Wld do gr8 trade on coffee etc cos u can park in reply to pcpal #
• Off to see Birmingham v Liverpool at St Andrews. As a complete neutral a 7 goal thriller would be great… So I bet we get a goaless draw #
• @DaveAllan72 Agree – but we'd have taken sixth spot after 5 games… in reply to DaveAllan72 #
• @pcpal …and recession has nothing to do with it. It was never marketed properly & they never utilised it's USP in reply to pcpal #
• @pcpal Hasn't closed but change of ownership…& apparently change of style. V big for an Indian tho'… in reply to pcpal #
• @dennybragg Remind me? in reply to dennybragg #
• @wheniwasakid That's what it's all about – implementation! in reply to wheniwasakid #
• RT @apolloblindsHQ: Brilliant feedback on the Apollo website from the UK's King of Business @nigelbotterill during his webinar #
• Understand The Town House Solihull is going to reopen as an Indian? Anyone confirm? #
• RT @TweetsBySkeet: @nigelbotterill is so funny: YOU are not right person to review your website. lol He cuts it with a kinfe, pure elegance #
• RT @BrandDirector: Watching the @nigelbotterill webinar http://tinyurl.com/39go5e7 true straight talking Yorkshireman… #
• @apolloblindsHQ Pleasure – always good to recognise quality in a world full of mediocrity! in reply to apolloblindsHQ #
• RT @ShoesieQ: @RetailChampion And you had some tough competition as @nigelbotterill has been invaluable for general business advice! #

Last week I had the (mis)fortune to be filmed in London. Long story short but it’s a quick introductory video to support a campiagn we’ll be running later this year.

We’ve all seen the pro’s on TV walking down the street talking to a camera that is obviously hundreds of yards away. Well, having had to do that myself last week I can tell you it is one of the strangest things you can do. You’re strolling down a busy street basically talking loudly to yourself. It looks weird. It feels weird. It is weird. And you have to do several ‘takes’ because some passers-by misbehave. Oh yes, I experienced the interruptions, the obscene gestures and the hecklers. Oh what fun!

The worst moment was when i was sat in an open air cafe. At a table all by myself. The cameraman and sound guy were three floors up and some sixty yards away. There I was, Billy No Mates, sipping my coffee when, on cue, I had to talk, animatedly, to fresh air. Oh the looks. The shame.

It had better be bloody worth it!

If you’d like a titter at my expense you can check out the finished video below. And look out for ‘Britains Most Wanted’ – the guy on the fruit stall who did all he could to avoid being filmed!!

This afternoon I went to St Andrews to watch Birmingham City play Liverpool in the Premiership. It’s not my usual place to watch footie – I’d much rather be at Elland Road seeing Leeds do battle in the Championship – but I was hosting a colleague from Australia, Max, who is hopefully going to be taking thebestof into Oz with us and I thought it appropriate that he got the chance to sample our national game.

It was a goaless draw. 0 -0. Mainly thanks to some amazing saves from Jose Reyna, Liverpools Spanish goalie.

I’ll be honest, Liverpool were very disappointing. As one of the country’s top clubs with such a proud tradition they never really looked like scoring. Birmingham however should have won the game. But here’s the thing, they persisted with a lone striker right up until the 88th minute. Had they added more firepower upfront earlier in the game I feel sure they would have got the three points. All the Birmimgham fans that I spoke with after the game though, and heard on the radio phone ins, were happy with the result. I find that maddening. What sort of attitude and mindset is it to be ‘happy’ with a draw in a game that you should have won. And that’s why I’m writing about this today:

You see, so many business owners play like Liverpool and Birmingham. Cautious. With fear. Protecting the downside. Scared not to lose…and so never winning.

So many business owners play it safe – just like Ally McLeish did yesterday.

Now there will be occasions when that’s the smart thing to do. I’m not saying that betting the farm is a smart strategy. But I am saying that you need to identify the risks, weigh the odds and make the positive plays. Like the regiment from Hereford say, ‘Fortune favours the brave’ – and so it is in business too.

When Birmingham saw how Liverpool had lined up yesterday, with two defensive midfielders, they should have made the positive play. They should have brought on their new 9 foot tall striker with half an hour to go – not half a minute. If they had I feel sure they would have won and claimed all 3 points.

So where are you being over cautious in your business right now?
What opportunities are there for you to play an extra striker and seek all three points?

I have five such situations coming up between now and Christmas. I don’t expect we’ll win ‘em all but I bet we end up further ahead by making those plays than if we sat back all cautious because of the ‘uncertainty’ or the ‘economy’ or ‘I haven’t got the time’.

I’ll let you know.

In the meantime…be bold.

Nigel

This is a guest article written specifically for my blog by one of the UK’s most knowledgeable social media experts, Alistair Banks.

Firstly I have to say that I’m honoured to be guest blogging for Nigel and the Entrepreneurs Circle so thanks to Nigel for the opportunity.

Over the last couple of years you can’t have escaped the media coverage of sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. These sites have seen phenomenal growth and attracted the celebrities, meaning we hear about them every minute of the day. Facebook now has over 500 million users and is predicted to hit one billion by 2012. Incredible!

So today I’m writing today about these sites and how a little strategy can go a long way. Most of the people I know using social media for business have given little or no thought to what they are trying to achieve. I don’t want that to happen to you.

I want you to forget about the celebrities. I want you to forget about telling people what you had for breakfast, lunch and dinner and I want you to start thinking about business and how you can get the most from these tools. Here are a few tips for setting up a strategy for success. These are actionable items that are worth carrying out today.

1). Who is your audience? What’s the demographic of your audience? Are you aiming for 50+ CEO’s of large corporates or is your target market 20-30 something’s, running tech companies. Maybe you’re interested in grads from university to come and work for you? Once you’ve defined your target market, work out where your time is best spent online. If for example you’re going for those, 30 something’s tech entrepreneurs then Twitter is probably the place to be. If it’s the grey haired CEO you want, it might be LinkedIn you need to spend more time on. Those grads I mentioned are bound to be hanging out on Facebook so get yourself over there pronto – you get the picture?

2). Listen – you have two ears and one mouth for a reason – my mum told me that before social media came about Same applies online. Setup searches for key phrases to do with your business. Make sure you include the business name and key employees. I search for my local town of Exeter and keep an eye on phrases to do with web design and online marketing. There are loads of great tools for doing this. As a start, go for something like Tweetdeck.

3). Work on your message – Do you broadcast or are you engaging? Social media is called that for a reason – it’s social! If you simply broadcast a message about yourself every five minutes people will turn off, even worse than that, you might turn them against you! Look for opportunities to add value where you can. Link to articles of interest, network people together, engage. As a rule of thumb I’d say no more than 10% sales/marketing messages on platforms like Twitter.

4). Work out your influencers. An influencer is someone that will push your message on and has the power to influence others. They are usually well liked, well followed people on social media platforms. It’s important to search for these people and engage with them. Build relationships and help them where possible. Let serendipity do the rest.

I’ve only just scratched the surface today and remember that social media success doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time to build credibility and authenticity but when you have, you’ll reap the rewards. These four tips should at least get you on your way…

How have you and your business got on with Social Media? Have you thought about a strategy or simply dived in? Got any success stories you want to share with us?

Alastair Banks runs Optix Solutions in Exeter, a Web Design and Online Marketing Agency. He also runs a blog for young entrepreneurs and business owners at http://www.iambanksy.co.uk

I’ve got a very nice holiday home in Cornwall. It’s in a little village called Trevone, about a mile and a half outside of Padstow.

Right in the centre of Padstow is a restaurant called Custard.

Now, I like it a lot in Custard, I go there regularly but, I’m always frustrated at the incompetence, frankly, of the owners to market their establishment effectively. They have a great restaurant. Their food is excellent and the ambience and style they have managed to create is really quite unique. BUT, it’s upstairs above a shop and therefore has a fairly minimal presence on the street and it’s rarely full. There are a couple of reasons for this, one of which is the very poor marketing that the restaurant does. However, the other reason is because they continue to surprise me with their ability to aspire against their own success.

Let me give you an example, in August (which has to be the height of the “very short” season for all businesses in north Cornwall), we walked into Padstow one morning looking forward to a Custard breakfast (their breakfasts are really fab and I highly recommend them). We arrived at Custard at about 10.30am only to find that they were closed on Mondays.

Bonkers.

They are a restaurant in a seaside town which has a six week peak season. Why on earth would they close one day a week?

I could understand it out of season but, not during July and August.

The situation got worse later in the week. We had done a very long coastal walk which ended in Padstow. It was about 4 o’clock when we trekked up the stairs to Custard looking forward to a nice cup of tea and a piece of cake (something else that they do very well). Alas, we were turned away!

The waitress explained that they stopped serving teas and coffees at 3.00pm so they could prepare the restaurant for dinner!

What on earth is there to prepare, front of house, in a 60 seater restaurant?

I understand fully why the chef and his team may well be prepping for dinner but, all we wanted was a cup of tea and a piece of cake – not anything that would require the involvement of a chef. Instead, the front of house team had three hours to set 15 tables with some silverware and glasses. BONKERS

I fully expect, at some point, I will go into Padstow and Custard will have ceased trading. This would be so sad if it happens because the product offering is fantastic. However, they are like so many businesses in so far as they are sabotaging themselves and their own success.