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Happy New Year and welcome to podcast #97! We’re looking back on 2014 today – what made it great? (or not so great!).
What did Heather Porter and Andrew McCauley learn this week?
Heather is coming to us from London where she has been on a bit of a tour of skate parks with two teenage boys, including the largest skate park in Europe which is in Stoke-On-Trent. When looking at accommodation they decided to try Premier Inn, the fastest growing hotel chain in the UK. Heather was blown away by their business model, which includes a guarantee that you will get a good night’s sleep or it’s on them. She noticed that they control the maximum volume of the TV in each room, each room has multiple types of pillows so you can find something to suit. They also cook your buffet breakfast to order – meaning there is less waste and better service.
Andrew has been digging into local businesses and was surprised at how many are not up to date and in particular, are not mobile-ready. There are stats out there that say 46% of people say website design is a determining factor of the credibility of the business. It’s important to be up to date! Out of 55 sites checked, only one was mobile-ready…
Looking Back on 2014
1. The transition between pumping out content for content’s sake to spending more time on content that delivers value.
2. Chasing entrepreneurship – many people are waking up to the fact that rather than creating a dream lifestyle, they are creating themselves a job. Not everyone is cut-out to be an entrepreneur and many people are finding they do better as a consultant or something else.
3. Many businesses are making things too complex. For example, trying to be on every social media platform or having too many things on offer. You can’t be everything to everybody!
4. Social media – Facebook was rumoured to be on the brink of dying at the start of 2014 but they have only grown and are offering new technologies. Selfies were rampant everywhere and platforms such as Whatsapp and Snapchat grew rapidly. The biggest gains on each platform have been via mobile – tablets or phones.
5. Heather’s biggest learning – to simplify and to stop comparing with others! Do what works for you…