David Attenborough , the lyrics from What a Wonderful World and the BBC’s Natural History Unit.

A winning combination to help even the busiest of people to stop and smell the roses.

It works for me.

How about this for a compelling marketing message?

Can you explain the benefits of your service as clearly as this?

The mountain of Lochnagar towers above Ballater, a small town on the edge of the Cairngorms with a very special butchers shop.

Michael Sheridan began trading in 1963 from a small van and he soon had his own shop in Ballater.

I was reminded of Sheridan’s when I bought some revolting sausages from a well known butcher in London. Michael wouldn’t have given sausages like that to a dog. Maybe I was unlucky, but I don’t think so. The sausages weren’t “off”, they were just nasty little bags of the lowest quality ingredients, priced at a premium and served with supreme indifference.

In one transaction the butcher ensured I’d never return.

Michael knew his reputation depended on the quality of the meat he supplied every time he served his customers. Perhaps he could have got away with lowering his standards and boosting his profits. He never did. How could he, when he greeted his customers like friends in his shop?

His customers weren’t just buying the best ingredients to raise their strong, healthy families. They queued out the door because he remembered their names, knew what they liked and made them feel special.

Throughout his life he supported his local community and when he died in 2006 he left a legacy to fund a stain glass window in the Glenmuick church in Ballater.

The window depicts the bridge over the river Dee in Ballater, and crossing the bridge is Michael’s delivery van. How many butchers or any other local business owners have been honoured in such a way?

He also left his shop to two trusted employees, Barry and John, who continue to serve by his values.

As businesses grow, some owners distance themselves from their customers. They expand and pour their energies into  financial projections and budgets. Customers become a line on the accounts, rather than emotionally volatile advocates or critics. Service standards slip and the warmth of a personal welcome becomes a meaningless plastic smile. Common sense disappears and is replaced by wooden policies and procedures. Word spreads and customers disappear.

This is not to say that expansion is wrong, quite the reverse, but without customers it’s bound to fail.

Small businesses flourish when they connect deeply with their customers. They sustain their growth when their core values protect the emotional connection that attracted customers in the first place.

Research by Millward Brown suggests it’s the connection customers form with brands, that is the ultimate driver of their growth. Between 2001 and 2011 the brands in their study that succeeded in connecting deeply with their customers grew 3x faster than their competitors. Some grew at 10x the rate.

They identified the 5 emotions responsible for customers bonding strongly with brands as:

• Eliciting Joy: Activating experiences of happiness, wonder, and limitless possibility.
• Enabling Connection: Enhancing the ability of people to connect with each other and the world in meaningful ways.
• Inspiring Exploration: Helping people explore new horizons and new experiences.
• Evoking Pride: Giving people increased confidence, strength, security, and vitality.
• Impacting Society: Affecting society broadly, including by challenging the status quo and redefining categories

No mega-brand in the world is as nimble as a motivated small business owner, nor are they able to bond so personally with their customers and fuel word of mouth recommendations as quickly.

Every moment with your customers either builds a deeper connection or loosens it. The future of your business is built on the values that make these moments special.

Photo credit: James Littlejohn via Flickr

A surge in retail online sales proves that more of your customers browse and buy online.

UK like for like retail sales rose by just 0.3% in December 2012, but online sales stormed ahead by 17.8%. Total retail sales increased by 1.5%.

Morrisons had a poor Christmas with sales falling by 2.5%. Their chief executive believes one of the reasons for this decline is the company’s lack of presence online.

John Lewis and Next reported strong Christmas performances and they believe it’s because they make it easy for their customers to shop online. They have both introduced a click and collect service , where customers buy online and then collect their purchase at the shop of their choice. This saves them the hassle of having to be at home to accept the delivery.

Forget that this data just applies to retail sales. It doesn’t matter what business you’re in, you have customers who chose to do their Christmas shopping online.

Think about their habits. They researched their options and decided what to buy using their iPads, computers and phones. Those retailers that made it easy for them had a good Christmas, those that didn’t saw a drop in their sales.

More of your customers now have the habit of reaching for their iPad when they need a service or product. Do they find you or your competitors?

One of these photos gave a business 108% more enquiries.

Which one’s the winner?

You’ll find out in this short video which is normally only available to members of Business Sparks. You’ll also discover how to choose the best photo for your website.

Most of your competitors mistakenly choose the wrong photo – you’ll see what I mean when you’ve watched this.

My aim is to ignite your business growth online

This is one of the short, inspiring videos that help members of Business Sparks to transform their business. There are many more just like this one.

Each video shows you exactly what to do in just 5 to 15 minutes. That’s what’s fantastic about video – it can actually feel like I’m showing you what to do in person and we’re working together.

Grab your share of the booming internet economy in 2013

You can grab your share of the booming internet economy – and it’s easier than you might think, because the things that really work can be broken into relatively simple steps.

And step by step you’ll begin to reap the rewards.

You know there’s no such thing as an overnight success, but you will enjoy some quick wins. You can expect a surge in sales of between 20-50% in 60 days.

Every video has to pass 3 tests:

1. Will it ignite your business growth online?
2. Will it help you to take a step forward every day?
3. Is this easy to understand with clear actions?

The videos are available on the Business Sparks members website, so you can watch them where and when you want to. And as you see them, if you have any questions or comments you’ll quickly get a personal response from me.

1. Will it ignite your business growth online?

Everything on this website is challenged by this question. If it’ll grow your business it’s here; if not, it isn’t. I keep it simple.

This question was inspired by the British Cycling Team after their success in Beijing at the 2008 Olympics. Their goal is to win gold by being faster than their competitors. Sometimes they win by the width of a tyre.

They challenge everything they do with one simple question:

‘Will this make the bike go faster?’

Sometimes their riders are physically sick because of their training. But they train that hard because it makes their bike go faster.

Other choices are easier. They discovered that by showing each rider how to properly wash their hands they got fewer infections. Fewer infections meant less training days lost to illness, which made the bike go faster.

Each athlete takes their own pillow when they travel because they get a better night’s sleep. The bike goes faster because they are properly rested.

If something will make their bike go faster, they’ll do it, whether it’s easy or hard. If it won’t, they ignore it.

And they repeated their success at the London Olympics, winning more gold medals than anyone else because of this focus.

The simple goal for Business Sparks is to Ignite Your Business Growth Online.

Instead of asking:

• “Will this make the bike go faster?”

I ask:

• “Will this ignite your business growth online?

2. Will this help you to take a step forward every day?

The best way to motivate people is…

…to help them take a step forward every day.

When you’re at work, nothing beats the feeling of making progress towards a goal that means a lot to you. And what could mean more than taking positive steps towards growing your business?

When you’re motivated and happy at the end of the workday, it’s probably because you’ve achieved something, however small. When you have a run of good days your energy increases and so does your confidence and belief. Success really does breed success.

If you’ve had a bad day, it’s usually because of a setback. If you have too many bad days you can quickly lose enthusiasm.

Even small wins boost your motivation. You don’t need to find a cure for cancer; you just need to get nearer to a goal that matters to you.

Every video and comment is designed to help you to take a positive step towards growing your business.

Ok, we both know this is common sense – but it’s so rare. And it’s why Business Sparks members get such spectacular results.

3. Is this easy to understand with clear actions?

When your business gets zapped by Business Sparks it’s going to grow fast.

Your growth will ignite because everything you see is easy to understand and easy to do.

Like a spark, clarity ignites, enabling you to reach your goals. I’ve worked hard, so you don’t need to.

“Techie” language is banned – this is the place for straight-talking and simplicity. That doesn’t mean the content is simplistic or “dumbed-down” – it’s not. Some people hide behind jargon, Business Sparks zaps through it.

If ever you’re stuck or confused, leave a question or comment after the video and you’ll get a personal response from me.

Is Business Sparks right for me?

Yes, if you’re serious about turning your dreams of success into reality.

No, if you’re unwilling to change and try new ideas. It’ll take a little effort to enable your business to fund your ideal lifestyle and if you aren’t prepared to take action you should probably continue your endless search on Google.

Before you go, pause and think of the cost of trying to do it all by yourself. It’s almost certain you’ll make the wrong choices and waste days, weeks or months going down the wrong path.

Deep down you know it doesn’t make sense and you’ll miss the chance to leapfrog ahead to the success you dream of.

What’s the investment?

Members normally invest £67 a month. One of my recommendations is to test different price points to measure the impact on conversions, so this month I’m testing £47, including VAT (i.e. £37.60 ex VAT).

Why am I testing such a low price?

Because I want this to be an easy decision for you. You also have my personal guarantee that you can get a refund at any time in the first 30 days if you’re not thrilled with your membership. And you’re free to leave whenever you want – just let me know.

Let’s get your New Year off to a flying start and spark a transformation in your business.

Steve Jobs commencement address to the students of Stanford in 2005.

A inspiring message for any New Year.

Here’s to brilliant 2013.

Crowd Funding is booming and enables just about anyone with a great idea to ask the “crowd” for small sums of money. If enough of the “crowd” support the idea these small sums can add up to a significant investment, funding the idea to fruition.

Here’s how it works

The person seeking backing promotes their idea on a crowd funding website. Typically they create a video pitch of their idea (campaigns with videos raise over twice as much than those without). Momentum is important. Quickly creating a buzz and social proof for a project attracts more investors. Projects either make their goal or find little support. There’s little in-between.

Each project sets a funding goal, a deadline and the rewards to tempt investors.

On some crowd funding platforms this can be as simple as a thank you card or public recognition of support like a mention in the credits of a film. Where the goal of crowd funding is to fund the development of a product then versions of the product can be the investors reward.

Kickstarter lets fundraisers offer different rewards depending on the amount pledged (see the examples below). They report that 44% of projects on their site reach their funding goals.

In 2012 more than 2.2 million people backed a Kickstarter project. Together they pledged a total of $319 million and successfully funded 18,109 projects, including a best-selling novel, an Oscar-nominated movie, and a bus stop based on the hit song “Love Shack” by the B-52s.

Other crowd funders match more sophisticated investors with small businesses rewarding them with equity in the business.

Some crowd funders insist on an all or nothing funding goal. If the goal is reached every investor is billed and if not their investment is returned. Others allow the investment to proceed even if the goal isn’t achieved.

In addition to raising funds crowd funding can be a brilliant way to quickly and cheaply test demand for a service or product. It engages motivated investors who are often willing to share their expertise and spread the word about the opportunity. Many projects generate considerable PR.

Here are a few examples to get you thinking. Think about the stories these guys are telling. Do you engage people as effectively as they do?

Playing Cards

Tyler Deeb raised $146,596 with Kickstarter from 4,022 backers pledging between $7 and $600.

Tight Wallet

Jack Sutter persuaded 7,521 people to pledge between $ and $1,000 funding $317,424 for tightstore.com

LIFX: The Lightbulb Reinvented

Money poured in for Phil Bosua – $1,314,542 from 7,521 pledges from $69 to $490

Duncan Glendinning of The Thoughtful Bread Company raised £55,000 with Crowdcube to expand their business in Bath. In July they’ll get another enthusiastic customer – we’re moving to Bath.

More crowd funders

Indiegogo

Seedrs

The Economist: Raising Capital Online: The New Thundering Herd

Update. 6.2.2013

FSA gives green light to ‘crowdfunding’

Investors using Crowdcube, an online “crowdfunding” platform, will now be able to claim compensation from the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and access the Financial Ombudsman Service if they have a complaint.

Luke Lang, co founder of Exeter-based Crowdcube, said FSA approval was “crucial” for inspiring confidence among investors and small companies using the service.

“When we talk about taking crowdfunding mainstream, it is crucial that people have that confidence of the additional protection they’ll get as a result.”

Crowdcube has helped 36 small businesses raise a combined £5m since it was founded two years ago.

Consumers can back small businesses by buying stakes with as little as £10.

For small businesses, selling shares through crowdfunding remains a very niche activity, but it is an option that is growing in popularity.

Lord Young, the Government’s enterprise adviser, said: “I am delighted to see that the UK financial services industry and its regulators are reacting dynamically to new models of business finance, such as equity crowdfunding, so that the UK can maintain its position as world leaders in this space.”

In this TED video, innovation expert, Clayton Christensen shares the lessons he gave to the Harvard Business School’s 2010 graduating class. He offers a series of guidelines for finding meaning and happiness in life. He uses examples from his own experiences to explain how high achievers can all too often fall into traps that lead to unhappiness.

Clayton is deeply religious and he makes many references to his beliefs. His wisdom and insights have meaning for all, irrespective of their faith.

As we near the end of 2012 and look forward to 2013 this is an excellent video to watch and reflect on.

Thank you to everyone who attended the webinar hosted by Ann and Steven. I’m particularly grateful to those of you who submitted your websites for feedback.

On this page you’ll find a copy of the webinar.

I’ve also added a bonus video called “Why Don’t They Convert?”

You simply must watch this video because it shows you some amazing tools that will help you to understand your visitors behaviour. One of them can actually record the mouse movements of visitors to your website. Visitors often use their mouse like a “finger” pointing at what they’re looking at on the webpage, so you can see what attracts their attention and what they ignore – it’s fascinating.

Here are the links I mentioned in the webinar.

The Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) report: The Internet Economy in the G20

Google Analytics

These are 5 blog posts that should also help you:

Does Your Website Smell Like a Skunk?

I’m Your Customer: Here Are 19 Things You Should Know About Me

The Stories Your Customers Love to Hear

Personal Branding: How to Fill Page 1 of Google With Your Name

No Argument in the World Can Ever Compare With One Dramatic Demonstration

Please leave your comments and feedback. I’d love to know what worked well on the webinar and what I should do differently next time.

Finally let’s connect on Twitter, Google+ and/or Facebook -please use the icons on this page

I have 3 more free videos which I offer as an incentive for visitors to sign up for. They’re worth seeing and if you do sign-up I won’t pester you.

Webinar: How to Get Your Website to Soar

The audio is not very clear for the first 2-3 minutes and this is quite a big file, so it may take a few seconds to load.

The Missing Website Reviews!

This video has my reviews of the websites I didn’t cover in the webinar.

Why Don’t They Convert?

Watch this video and see the amazing tools that will help you to understand your visitors behaviour.

A farmer had only one horse. One day, his horse ran away.

All the neighbours came by saying, “I’m so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said, “We’ll see.”

A few days later, his horse came back with twenty wild horses. The man and his son corraled all 21 horses.

All the neighbours came by saying, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!” The man just said, “We’ll see.”

One of the wild horses kicked the man’s only son, breaking both his legs.

All the neighbours came by saying, “I’m so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said, “We’ll see.”

The country went to war, and every able-bodied young man was drafted to fight. The war was terrible and killed every young man, but the farmer’s son was spared, since his broken legs prevented him from being drafted.

All the neighbours came by saying, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!” The man just said, “We’ll see.”

Have you got a fable to share? Please leave a comment below.