I hope you enjoyed my last newsletter just a couple of weeks ago.  Some of you have given me amazing feedback, which has inspired me to write again.

With 2020 a disaster for a lot of businesses, particularly in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, it’s time to start focussing on 2021.  As an advocate of entrepreneurs, I particularly feel sorry for those new entrepreneurs who had only started up in the last year or so and maybe don’t have any reserves to fall back on!

Despite the lockdown scenario a lot of us are currently enduring, I love this time of year.  I love to reflect on what has been achieved and I love to plan for the forthcoming year.  I also love crisp leaves on the ground, blue skies and frosty mornings!  I love these even more now that I have two daughters to enjoy them with!

I promised in my last ramblings to share some ideas.  And here are some of my ideas.

I know how you can grow your sales in 2021 – Point Number 1 – Reflect

Whether you are a sales person, business owner, administration assistant or entrepreneur, you should use this time to reflect on the year, plan for 2021 and run through leaves!

Let me tell you why.  Despite the horrible circumstances so many people have found themselves in this year, like losing jobs, not seeing loved ones or fear of catching the virus, there will be some positives that we can all pick out of the year.

This maybe something like developing new home working and home schooling skills.  It may also be learning to buy everything online.  It could be as simple as returning to baking, cooking a meal from scratch or making it through to the end of a Joe Wicks workout!  Whatever it is, be proud and give yourself a pat on the back for any achievements that you have made in 2020, no matter how small.

For me, home schooling both my nine year old and four year old simultaneously has been a challenge, but I have done it and I have also managed to steer my companies through the difficult times and started new companies!

Ok, the financial numbers might not show me what I had planned this time last year, but the resilience and hard work of my colleagues has showed me how they can all navigate difficult and choppy waters, equipping them for tougher and happier days ahead!

When I had my first business, I never used to holiday throughout the year, instead choosing to take a month off at Christmas.  My manufacturing plant was shut down for two weeks anyway, so I would fly to the other side of the World, to places like Australia and New Zealand.  This time I took to reflect on the year and to self-care.

I know how you can grow your sales in 2021 – Point Number 2 – Plan

“failing to plan, is planning to fail” – Alan Lakein.

We have all heard this, but I cannot emphasis enough how we each need to have a plan.  If you are the administrative assistant who wants to develop your career or you are a salesperson or entrepreneur, you need to make a plan.  For each of my companies, this looks like a simple business plan, with areas we want to improve, sales we are planning to target and of course it has some numbers that we want to achieve each month.  Plans are then embedded in the minds of people who are driving growth and it’s amazing what your mind can achieve if you visualise growth!  If you want the bones of one of my plans, just drop me a line and I will happily share one with you – dave@greatmindsproperty.com

I know how you can grow your sales in 2021 – Point Number 3 – Sustainability

If you are going to grow your company in 2021 you need these five things;
1) Your company needs to be sustainable
2) Your company needs to be inclusive
3) Your company needs to show empathy
4) Your company needs to provide the best service or the best product it can
5) Your company needs to have the best people

Taking these points individually;

Number 1 – I almost have to pinch myself at the moment, as the UK Government are talking all things green.  Green grants, green taxes, green growth, net zero.  In order to grow your company in 2021, your company needs to be making a Climate Change Action Plan and it needs to be making steps towards Net Zero!

In the work we are doing with large organisations and Councils, failing to tackle these issues might mean you will no longer be able to supply them.  But actually, business should want to be more sustainable, not feel that their hands are tied.  Sustainability should be embraced and built into every part of your business, top down, bottom up!

I have a few offerings in this area;

Firstly CCC Energy Net Zero can help your business understand “what is net zero?” “what are the implications?” “how can we formulate and deliver on a plan?” “how can it improve my business?”  I have news on a new and exciting appointment below!

Secondly, Climate Change Professionals can help train people in your business to produce your own Climate Change Action Plans, plus much much more.  We can support your existing teams or help you build a Sustainability Team in your organisation, to make a lasting difference.  If you have signed the Climate Change Pledge, then you will shortly receive some information on some exciting training courses  https://www.climatechangeprofessionals.co.uk/service/the-pledge/

CCC Energy can also help you with embedded carbon calculations and actually show you how to save money.  We have access to £6m of grant funding so our advice can be free and any technology installed can be up to 50% off!  Talk to my colleague Dawn – dawn@greatmindsproperty.com

Number 2 – Recently I attended an event hosted by the auditors EY with the fabulous Sharon Emesu from SA Consulting.  She spoke about the power of inclusion.  Now if you know me, you will know that I have been working in Malawi for almost two decades, empowering Malawians.  Just recently I was involved with a Change Making programme with Youth Wave Malawi giving Malawians the skills to assist others in rural communities to fight corona head on.  I believe in the power of inclusion.  I was extremely happy earlier this year when Isaak Badru joined the board of directors at my company Climate Change Professionals, as the ideas and perspective he has already brought to the organisation are outstanding.  There are several other people I follow and learn from in the field of Diversity and Inclusion and they include Ngunan Adamu who is the founder and CEO of iWoman – she is also a talented producer and broadcaster for the BBC.  Check her out, she has a show on BBC Radio Merseyside.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03n0kkk

Additionally, I follow Garth Dallas who is the founder of Diverse Magazine Group and Chair of the Liverpool Commonwealth Association.  Finally, but not least Dr Frank Mugisha – who I have been friends with and supporting in Uganda for almost two decades.  His life threatening work to help homosexuals in Uganda is truly inspirational.  He was even nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2014!

Having these influences on my life and in my business, means that my organisations are Diverse and Inclusive.  I am able to better understand the many facets of individuals and incorporate their views to make our companies better.

Number 3 – Showing empathy.  Although we are all travelling the same choppy waters, we are managing them in different craft.  Some have super yachts, some have highly capable boats and some are clinging to a piece of wood like a scene from Titanic!  (Who remembers the faint scream of Kate Winslett (Rose) looking for Leonardo Dicaprio (Jack)?).  Show empathy to one another in business for a successful 2021.  You never know what anyone else is going through, so be kind.

Number 4 – Both your product and service needs to be on point.  Business owners and colleagues have had to deal with a new way of working, but we all still need to have the fundamentals of business.  Actually doing something right or making a product right every time, reduces wasted time and resources.  This smartly brings me onto number 5.

Number 5 – Equipping your business with the best talent.  Currently my companies are on the lookout for five new members of the team.  At Rhodes and Partners we are looking for a senior/associate Structural Engineer.  At JBH Property Consulting, we are seeking a new senior Building Surveyor.  At CCC Energy we are seeking a Business Development Executive.  At group level, we are looking for a Managing Director and Business Development Manager, as one of my colleagues has recently moved to fill a vacancy to run a project at CCC Energy.  Further details of these jobs can be found by contacting Isaak at Climate Change Professionals – isaak@climatechangeprofessionals.co.uk – Isaak has had over fifteen years in the recruitment industry.  He has joined Climate Change Professionals as a director to head up the Recruitment arm of the company.  He is passionate about trying to help companies build the best teams they possibly can, to help them combat Climate Change and to support them with training.  If you are looking to fill a vacancy, have a chat with Isaak.

To recap, growth will come to your business in 2021, if you now reflect, if you now make a plan and if you build Sustainability into everything you do.

Before I stop writing, I want to share two other things with you.

We have a new addition to CCC Net Zero.  Esteemed Carbon Expert and now “Carbon Expert of the Month – November 2020” Dr. Stephen Finnegan has joined as a director.  Stephen brings many years of practical experience in this field, plus he is a lecturer in Sustainable Architecture at Liverpool University.  If you run an organisation and you are looking for assistance from either a building or operational perspective to achieve net zero, there is no one better placed than Dr. Stephen Finnegan.  Let’s have a zoom and discuss.

And finally, the 1st December is almost upon us.  For many years I have taken part in the World Aids Day Vigil in Manchester to mark World Aids Day.  Like many other things the occasion will be marked online.  This event is so significant to me as I have witnessed for myself the devastating impact of HIV/Aids in the World, including Malawi whereby a whole generation of parents had been wiped out, resulting in over 1 million orphans (2 million if you count children left with only one parent).  To find out more about World Aids Day, check out the Terrance Higgins Trust:

https://www.tht.org.uk/our-work

Wherever you have read this, please leave me some feedback!  And get Christmas shopping, but local!

Best wishes

Dave Armstrong