by Angela Taffs | Mar 19, 2015 | Running a Business
Why you need to find out now who owns your website
Yet again today I came across a horror story. I was asked to help out with planning a new website for a company that has been running very successfully for a number of years. During discussions, the CEO told me that they were not getting any response from their original designer and he wouldn’t even respond to a simple request to add a new email address to the site.
I said I would help where I could and if they could give me the login in information for their hosting provider I would set up the new email address for them. This is where it all started to go wrong.
They weren’t sure of the hosting provider so I did a check on Who.is. And to my horror, I saw that the registrant, or owner, of the site was not the CEO as they expected but the web designer himself.
So what does that mean? Well basically, this company cannot do anything with their site if they wish as they do not own it. They cannot do the rebrand they have planned, they cannot update the site, add or delete email addresses, move it to a new platform as planned or anything else they wish without the permission of their original designer who has is now refusing to liaise with them.
They are left stunned. The best case solution is that a dialogue can be opened up with the original designer once again and he agrees to transfer the domain to the company he purchased it for. Worst case scenario will involve a long drawn out and possibly quite expensive legal case, during which time the original designer can take down the site altogether if he so wishes leaving the company in dire straits as much of their work is done online.
You may be under the impression that this is an isolated incident, but I assure you it is not. I have lost track of the times I have come across this scenario which in a couple of cases has had an incredibly detrimental effect on the business in question.
So just go do a sanity check and make sure you know who owns your website and hope that it really is you. And if you don’t, start to resolve the situation now before it gets to a critical stage.
by Angela Taffs | Mar 17, 2015 | Personal and Lifestyle, Running a Business
Anger can be triggered by a wide variety of things which will be different to each and every one of us.
Certain situations will limit our ability to control our anger such as being tired, having consumed too much alcohol or having had a stressful day at work.
If we can try to identify what angers us and avoid these triggers, then we should be able to control our anger more effectively.
If however you find yourself in a situation which makes you angry, try the following simple ways on how to control anger and lessen your stress.
Breathe deeply
Breathing deeply can help you clear your mind and see things from a calmer perspective. It will help slow down your heart rate and bring back a feeling of calm
Visualise
Pick an image that makes you feel calm. Think back to a holiday when you were lying in the sun totally relaxed. Think of a favourite walk in the woods that you love. Think of listening to the sound of the rain whilst you are sat reading a book. Try to focus on that image to bring back a feeling of calm to your mind.
Count to 10 before you speak
Speaking in anger can exacerbate the situation, causing the other person to react in an adverse way towards you which in turn increases your anger. Try not to say anything at all until you have your anger under control. The simple act of counting to ten really can help.
Walk away
Following on from the above tip, walking away from a situation until you have calmed down can be the most sensible option. When you feel calm again you can then return and deal with the situation in a controlled manner.
Put things in perspective
So someone has cut you up in rush hour traffic. Does it really matter in the great scheme of things that you will be 20 seconds later at your arrival point? Someone has been rude to you and you feel insulted. Does it really matter what they think? Are you going to be seeing them on a regular basis and do you really value their opinion?
Always remember that there are far more important things going on in the world that you could spend your energy worrying about. There are children with life threatening illnesses and horrific wars going on. Don’t contribute to any more unnecessary anger in the world.
Think of the situation from the other person’s point of view
We find it all too easy to just focus on our own feelings. Try to think of it from the other person’s point of view. Did they simply misread a signal? If so, calmly and clearly explain that you are sorry if they saw it this way but that is how you saw it/meant it. Are they just having an incredibly bad day? Have they just come from a stressful meeting with their boss? Have they just discovered someone close to them ill? Most people don’t get angry for the sheer fun of it. There is always an underlying factor which will have contributed. So try to find out what that is to help both you and them deal with the situation.
Speak slowly and calmly in a soft tone
This will help the other person calm themselves also. If you shout, they are likely to shout louder. Softening your tone can help them come to their senses and lower their tone also. Just the tone of your voice can have a calming effect. Don’t rise to the bait. Stay in control.
Vent your anger
Find somewhere to go on your own and vent your anger in a controlled manner. This could be as simple as going for a hard run, going to the gym for a workout, using a pillow as a punch bag or going into the garage and having a good scream
Write it down
Vent your anger on a piece of paper. Write down what and who have made you angry and why. Write down your feelings. Let it all out. This can be a therapeutic way of getting everything out of your system and then being able to assess the situation logically.
So next time you feel your blood boiling, take a moment to stop and really consider if your anger is going to contribute to a successful solution to the situation you are in. Try the simple ways above on how to control anger and keep it under control. You will feel so much better in the long run if you do.
by Angela Taffs | Mar 12, 2015 | Personal and Lifestyle
Live like it’s heaven on earth
So I saw this picture this morning of Lady Avalon, Lady of the lake
It made me think of the quote by Vivian Greene
“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain.”
That made me think of the quote by Willian Purkey
“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.”
by Angela Taffs | Mar 9, 2015 | Personal and Lifestyle
The basic essentials to make the most of yourself and look good at all times
When you are running your own business, you are literally the face of your business. Whether we like it or not, how we look can have an impact on how people perceive our business.
For example, a beautician who goes out without make up, with chipped nails and looking scruffy will not paint such a good advertisement for her business as one who is well groomed.
So what key areas do you need to think about when representing your business?
Hair.
Have regular hair cuts to keep your hair in good shape. Leaving any cut any longer than 12 weeks will result in dry, scraggy ends with no style definition that just gets harder and harder to look good. Find a style that is easy for you to maintain and always have a backup plan for a bad hair day, whether that is to tie it up in scrunchie or get out the straighteners.
Skin.
Wear sun block at all times. Always follow a daily routine of cleanse, tone and moisturise. Ensure that you find a product that suits your skin type. Go to a professional beauty counter for advice. Don’t just follow the trends of your friends or the latest article in a magazine.
Healthy Eating.
The old adage ‘you are what you eat’ is so true and when you have a balanced diet, it shows. This makes you feel good inside and this feeling radiates to your appearance. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and avoid those that have plenty of preservatives. This will aid your energy levels which we all need to have at the highest level when running our own business.
Dress well.
Find a style that suits you and is comfortable. Don’t just follow the fashion trends because they look good on the model. Unless you have the exact figure, height and colouring undoubtedly the outfit will look totally different on you. Try new styles and take advice from friends. How you see yourself can differ greatly from how others see you. Find colours that suit your skin tone and hair and stick with these as the main colour for your outfits. This doesn’t mean that a dog groomer need go out and buy a Chanel suit but it does mean they can look neat and professional.
Be nice.
This is the most effective way to look good, if you are nice to other people, they will appreciate you no matter how you look. They will neither remember whether your hair was coiffured or windswept or whether your nail varnish was chipped and flaking. They will only remember how you were with them and how you made them feel.
It is important for anyone to look good. Having a well styled hair and smooth skin will surely add up to your self-esteem. It is also important to have a healthy diet in looking good. If you are healthy, you will have a natural glow and will always feel good inside. Having a nice set of clothes on will also do the trick, but the simplest most important way to look good is to have a positive attitude towards other people.
Follow these simple ways to look good and also feel better, and more confident, about yourself.
by Angela Taffs | Mar 6, 2015 | Personal and Lifestyle
Do you make these simple mistakes when attending a workshop?
Recently I attended a full day technology workshop and during the course of the day I decided that apart from giving out the usual housekeeping rules at the start, such as fire drills, where the toilets were etc, there should be some rules given out about etiquette.
I went to the event as I wanted to learn something new and refresh my knowledge. The incredibly talented @mrmattyoung was the speaker and what he doesn’t know about social media isn’t worth knowing.
So I found it incredibly annoying not to be able to fully concentrate with the amount of distraction from other attendees in the room. From constant chattering (quite simply rude), to constant coughing (quite simply irritating) and ringing of mobiles (quite simply unnecessary) there were too many people who were not aware of the rules of etiquette when attending a workshop.
As I couldn’t find any rules of etiquette readily available to hand out to future attendees at events, I have created some of my own.
Coughing
If you have a cough that is constant, either leave the room or at the very least, move to the back of the room to give those sitting in front a chance of hearing something the speaker is saying. To sit at the front of the room and to constantly and persistently cough and splutter deprives others sat further back of hearing what is being said by the speaker. If you have a bit of a tickle before the event, always arm yourself with copious amounts of cough sweets and a large bottle of water.
Sneezing
Sneezing and blowing of nose. The same rules apply as above (apart from taking cough sweets with you as I have never known these to work with sneezing). Apart from the obvious distraction and irritancy of someone constantly sneezing, it is also concerning as to the amount of germs that are being spread. And unless you are discreet, loud nose blowing that ends up sounding like Nellie the elephant trying to audition for X-factor can reduce other attendees into fits of giggles and disrupt the whole room.
Mobile phones
If you are going to a technology event it is highly likely that you will have some basic knowledge or interest in the subject matter before attending. Therefore, I suspect it highly likely that you know how to turn your phone to silent. So do it!!! No one else cares how important you are that you have to keep your phone on just in case the President of the USA decides to call and ask for your advice. If you are expecting an urgent call, just use the silent button and then discreetly remove yourself from the room if your phone starts to flash up with an incoming call. But please, if possible, turn the thing off and put in your bag or out of sight. If you constantly keep checking it to see if you have that missed call from the White House then you won’t truly be focusing on what the speaker is saying and may miss a valuable point.
Go with an open mind
If you think you know everything already and are not prepared to listen to new ideas, then why waste time and money attending an event? I have been to many events where I have been in earshot of people who blatantly state that they don’t agree and are not going to try something. Firstly, if they went with an open mind and listened to what was being said and thought about why it obviously worked for others, they may be able to find ways the subject could work for them also.
But secondly, and possibly more pertinent, try just keeping negative opinions to yourself as if you are so rude as to openly disagree and state that something will not work, others around may start to have doubts and miss out on new opportunities for themselves.
At the technology event I attended, cloud computing was being discussed by the speaker. Someone not far from me was blatantly stating that the cloud should not be used or trusted. Whilst anyone with experience would realise they were talking nonsense, the person sitting next to them without any experience would have had their view of the speaker compromised in an entirely unfair and unjustified manner.
Keep conversations to the break
If you prefer to have personal chats with people rather than listen to the speaker, then either don’t turn up to the event or leave the room if you are just not interested in what is being said. When you decide to whisper to others around you, this causes distraction to not only the person you are speaking to, but also others within earshot. It is being blatantly rude to the speaker and whilst they won’t be able to hear what you are saying, believe me, they will pick up on what you are doing and it will cause them distraction also.
So there are my etiquette tips for when you are next attending a workshop. You may agree or disagree. But just consider others around you and the effect you may be having on them when you let your manners slip.
