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Today I looked at a website from a company selling technical services.

Found this phrase “… you need to improve your companies services…” I went to see my business coach to recover.

She said “think about the people who won’t see the mistake.” To which I said “Yes, and only do business that part of the market!  Who would buy a high-spec engineering service from a company that made such a spelling mistake?”

One of the problems with websites is that people focus on getting on to the front page of Google Search.  Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is not the right place to start.  Better to remain un-found until your website is right.

If you are on page one, and have your fly open, you would be better on page 161.

[PS: you can find Trevor Coultart's image here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/coultart/3746701667/ and his blog here http://trevorcoultart.wordpress.com/]

I’ve been working with a new client.

It was the client who suggest the means of communication between us. Anthony Creswell, owner of Ummera said “Do you use Google Wave? We could use that.”

“Oh dear” I said to myself.  ”This a very advanced client.  How can I keep up to speed?”  Fortunately this was followed by the thought “this a great opportunity: I can learn while I work.”

The great thing was Anthony was willing to invite me to Google Wave. GW as we’ll call it, isn’t freely available yet.  It’s in trial phase.  Google are letting people help them fine-tune it.  Wonderful business practice.  After I got my email invite, I simply clicked on the link and I was into the Wave.

Like everything new, it confused me.  I needed the client to coach me.  I’d say it took me about 15 minutes of concentration to reach GO.

The rest is history and can wait for another time.  I really want to highlight the value of letting your client lead you into a new world. We all do this whenever we start a new project.  The client knows so much. In this case the client not only knew the world of smoking (salmon, duck, eels – you name it Anthony Creswell will smoke it), he knew the world of communication processes.

Next client:
A few days later I met another new client.  I found myself suggesting we use Google Wave to save us time, involve others who’d need to be consulted and let us learn a new  tool.  So one client led me to add value to another.

The working world we live in eh?

PS: For the record, on this job I worked for two smokeries Ummera & Uig Lodge. I feel I have a vested interest in their success.

Michael Kane of Curious Wines today @GoodWineShow Clarion Hotel Cork, Ireland.

I went straight there from CorkMeet, via English Market.  I rushed in and around.  Tasted about 15 wines.  Spat them all out because I had to rush on to childcare duties.

This is fabulous. An event not to be missed.  Of course there are great wines to taste from many suppliers.  Food even.

But it’s the atmosphere I’d go for. Fun, nothing but a joy to stroll round with the glass they give you on reception.

There’s water to wash out your mouth. There’s no limit to the number of wines you can taste.  I wondered how many I could taste before I went over the limit. [Next time they should set up an breathalyser unit to ensure everyone gets home safely.]

For me this was the perfect restorative after a day of corporate work, seeking long term friends for our business.

The full set of photographs on Fickr is here.

ps I have to record for history that this is where I met Sabrina Dent face to face, for the first time. She designed this website.  I promised her I would stop saying how good she is but I can’t resist saying it once again. You can see her doing other work in one of the photos.

We share.  Our policy is to offer our expertise for free – so overall standards for doing business rise (at least a tiny bit).

These tips will appear at irregular intervals – so that we don’t get into a rut. After all they’re a gift, and they’ve come to us from somewhere.

That’s it.  That’s the tip…

ps when you’ve got advertising copy to write, first read a good poem. (Wordsworth was commissioned by the Lake District Tourist Board.  That’s how Daffodils became the best advertising ever.)