Blog Entries:
01/09/10
12/08/10
23/07/10
28/06/10
28/05/10
19/04/10
01/04/10
24/02/10
25/01/10
05/01/10
02/12/09
01/09/10
Tough talking
So how tough is it out there, from a business perspective? Very! We are supposed to be out of the recessionary woods, but I am not so sure. Many businesses are still struggling and some are unlikely to hold on until the end of the year.
In the rag trade, summer holds out hope – it’s longer and our consumers seem more interested in buying – but it is still one of the most difficult industries in which
to operate.
I make frocks, and so do hundreds of others. So how do I set myself apart? The answer is the key to my success: to innovate, creating products and services that are in line with my core business – such as Stitch ‘n’ Bitch and Chameleon – but also looking at our shops, which are the key source of our income.
They needed to put more money in the till. And so body shaping was born and worked terrifically well during the difficult trading time last year. While others crashed and burned, we flourished, because we provided a sales tool for the team and enabled them to select appropriate garments for our customers.
A recession should, in fact, be healthy for any business. It’s like a great frost that wipes out dying plants, leaving the pathway clear for new growth.
I am sick of average operators out there in the market; going out for a meal and not enjoying the moment or shopping for shoes with a disinterested sales assistant.
I recently posted a note on Facebook, asking customers to give me feedback on the good and bad experiences they have had with my retail sales team. One described a sale in one of our Auckland stores, during which the assistant remained on the phone to a girlfriend throughout the sale and managed to leave the security tag on the garment, which was discovered at the meeting our customer was at the next day. She must have felt like a thief, as her male colleagues continually pointed out the offending tag during the day. I am surprised she bothered to continue with the sale, given the assistant’s reluctance to get off the phone.
There is no way I would have completed the purchase.
Our retail assistant needed to look for another vocation and I would have loved to assist her with this. Fortunately, she had departed of her own accord before I received the feedback.
We need to report both good and bad service. Surely if it was your livelihood, you would want to know. It’s hard enough out there without one of your employees sabotaging your business.
Ladies, help each other. You need to tell me. If you don’t, I can’t make the change, I can’t improve and it may be that I may not even survive in this location. You have a right to great service, and every employer has a right to know that their team is representing their brand well. So help us create businesses that have longevity in our markets and please, give us the feedback.
Enjoy our September issue of the magazine. It will be an exciting month for me with the release of my second book Wise Heart, and the staging of our eighth fashion show at NZ Fashion week; to be enjoyed with the spring blossoms that are finally starting to appear on the trees. I love this time of the year.
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12/08/10
Feedback please!
I gave a presentation the other night to a group of businesswomen in the Central Plateau. At the end, a woman came up to me to talk about our Chameleon frock collection. She had learnt about the dress that can be worn 10 different ways in Her Magazine and decided to go into one of our stores to try it on. I asked her about the level of service she’d had in-store but she was reluctant to give feedback. When I asked her why, she said she didn’t want to get the girl concerned into trouble. It was the verbal equivalent of a slap in the face. I am continually affronted by women who, for whatever reason, fail to supply information to their business peers that could enable them to make changes that impact the bottom line.
Business is damn hard. Don’t I deserve to know where I am being thwarted? I pay my retail team to sell clothes. If they don’t deliver a basic level of service to our customers, don’t I have the right to correct the behaviour? I don’t understand why another businesswoman wouldn’t see this. To me, it’s blatantly obvious. I will never understand the logic behind her decision to withhold the information – it’s not like she was a friend of the girl behind my counter!
All of us who operate businesses deserve to know if our teams are not up to scratch. People are the lifeblood of my business. If I get it wrong when hiring, it can cripple a retail store. I had a case where a store manager took a store down by $10,000 a week simply because she was unable to provide the level of service and connection we need. It was the same store with the same product – the only change had been the girl running it.
As business owners, let’s unite to stamp out ambivalent and – worse still – poor service. Whenever you experience it, feed it back to the relevant people. You’re not ratting on anyone, you’re simply providing a business with important feedback that may mean the difference between it winning or losing in these very difficult trading times.
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Editors Note 23/07/10
Cooks tour
The family that partakes in holiday activities together ... can get very sore feet.
What an amazing week I have just had. I can’t think of anything better than spending time with my kids and partner on holiday. This time it was in wonderful Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. Yes, I’ve been here a lot and watched the ongoing development of this burgeoning tourist paradise. They have been the recipient of much of the tourist dollar since the coup in Fiji, and what a difference it is making to their economy.
We were fortunate enough to stay in the Pacific Resort’s relatively new property Te Manava, a beautiful unit of two pods, supported with a pool and located right on the beach. It can’t get much better than this.
In deciding among the four of us as to what the holiday expectations were, I have learnt that with a full-grown family, it is wise to do this before choosing the destination. Sam’s was all about getting a tan, Edward’s was warmth (remember they are both studying in Dunedin), a tan and activities, the dreaded word for non-activists like Sam and myself. Tony was easy either way, but wanted to be able to meet the needs of the boy, given on previous holidays we were well aware of the consequences of too little to do. This holiday, it was not to be the case.
We arrived late Saturday night, to a wonderful 28 degrees. Yes, it was midnight as we ambled towards our home for the next seven days. As we unlocked our impressive gate, we all knew instantly that we had made the right choice. First day, we were on the pool loungers – thankfully it was sunny! Two days of rain followed with the second night turning on a violent electrical storm. The rain stopped and we were into the real holiday, given it’s never quite the same when it’s wet.
Three days into it and it was time for our first activity. Edward had been eyeing the island walks in a quest to reach the highest peak. We decided on a gentler traverse across the island. Four hours later, we emerged from possibly one of the most difficult walks I have ever done, reaching 430m at its peak. I was determined, no matter how many stops we had, to complete the walk. Not that I had a lot of choice; the terrain was made a lot more challenging with the recent downpour, copious tree roots, steep inclines and numerous river crossings. Thank God I had decent shoes.
It was a wonderful sense of achievement to complete this walk, along with a mental note to increase my cardio exercise when home, with the added memory of a stiffness that I have not experienced for a while. This is only really abating now as I sit in the Rarotonga Koru Club.
A drawn-out bus ride back to the car, courtesy of the roundtrip buses that run around the island, we were then starving so went in search of the best fish and chips on the island. Yes, we had done our homework.
We arrived at the Flying Boat, an extension of the local game-fishing club. It delivered all, and more, with its great location and quirky concept; the product is served from an old fishing vessel that has been beached. Excellent fish and chips!
The next activity we booked was an authentic island night. Not normally keen on this sort of thing, I agreed, wanting to keep a great momentum going. Once again, we did our homework and concurred that the Local Highlanders night seemed to be the preference.
Rather than take the company bus, we arrived in our rental, enabling a stop at the highly recommended Jim’s bar, which has the best Pina Coladas on the island, and served in a jam jar to boot. Edward fell in love with the ambience. Right on the beach, it was an eclectic mixture of 70s paraphernalia run by a very personable Englishman. Exactly the sort of place he would choose if organising a holiday for himself and his friends!
Drink over, we shot up the next road to the main event. A few cliché introductions, the mandatory tourist stuff, and we were invited to enter the boarding-school-like dining room. Food is always a challenge for me, with my principles, and unfortunately it doesn’t get any better on the island. Regardless of the broods of roaming chickens and the huge number of tethered pigs we saw, this meat is still flown in from New Zealand, and yes it is from factory-farmed environments. Even the eggs are still a product of our inhumane practices. I did, however, find plenty to experience on the extensive buffet. The pork, they assured me, was local; killed for the umu. That was doubtful but I did try it.
After the meal, the show began. Our host was relentless with his inclusive format; he was in search of an occasion to celebrate. Sam proffered herself with a birthday seven days away. She became a focus of the host’s attention, the piece de resistance being her selection of the loudest whaka for which she got to dance with the recipient, and Edward just happened to video a hapless Sam doing her very best to emulate the Cook Islands’ dance, much to the amusement of us all. I hate to think where footage like this ends up – YouTube, Facebook – I doubt it, if Sam ever gets hold of the camera! Night over, we carefully transcended the climb in our rental and arrived at our bure, rapt that we had made the effort.
The break has been a potpourri of wonderful firsts. I have reconnected with the kids, managed to stay on top of my work, helped by wireless internet and the fact that I get up two hours earlier than the kids. I have even approached the local chamber of commerce and the local women’s BPW, as I would love to get involved with some of the businesses here and be part of their growth. I just see so much opportunity. Thankfully they agreed to meet at our favourite island café, so the kids hardly noticed my departure for a well-invested hour as they devoured their beers and wood-fired pizzas. I have had another business idea, much to the frustration of Tony, who I am sure is getting ready to retire. Let’s just see how this one plays out.
Most of all I have had an exceptional break with the people that I love the most. I love this island so I will be back and if I can add to the fabric in any way, I will be here with a purpose. Best of all, I still fit my jeans after seven days of great food and way too much alcohol.
Enjoy the mag, with the knowledge that we are steaming towards summer, which presents itself loudly in our space as we fill up with fabulous summer frocks loaded and waiting to be released into our stores. And, like me, I hope that all of you have had a break with your nearest and dearest.
Cook Islands 13 July 2010
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Editor's Note 28/06/10
Mediocrity – I hate it. Too many businesses are happy to trade this way, and too many of us are happy to do business with mediocre operations. By not addressing mediocrity, we let it breed. Maybe it is so hard to confront because there’s so much of it out there and once we get started we’ll be in confrontational mode continually.
I do confront it though, and most often hear: “Oh, we’re sorry, but you are the first person to make this observation. Here, have a voucher to use on your return.” What return? I didn’t raise the issue to get a discount. I thought you might like to address your weaknesses in the interests of making your business better.
This was the scenario when I ate out in a new restaurant last month. They had actively insisted that I try their venue, and so much of what they did was beyond great, especially the food and the ambience. However, attempts to get ongoing service were a non-event. It was bad enough trying to get my wine glass refilled, let alone getting someone interested in bringing the bill at the end of the night.
When I gave them feedback, assuming they would want to know this, the response was exactly as outlined above: “You’re the first to say this. Others have been raving about our team. But here, have a $100 voucher for your return.”
Sadly, I will not be using this … but more sadly, I know the staff did not single me out to deliver poor service, which raises the question of how many others are experiencing this and electing not to eat there again, rather than trying to do anything about it.
Last week, I found that even in cosmopolitan Wellington, mediocrity is alive and well.
The mediocrity began in Auckland before boarding my flight. I decided to have a quick Koru Club breakfast, although the food in the Auckland Koru Club is not as good as it is in Wellington and Christchurch. Starving, I half filled a small bowl with Bircher muesli. Bad mistake. Horse chaff would have tasted better. Where is the consistency, Air New Zealand?
Lunch wasn’t much better. At the invitation of a colleague, I went to a café that was full of noise and had terrible food, but no one seemed to mind. They apparently have a monopoly in this area so they don’t need to try too hard. No one could have enjoyed their food, but I’m sure they will all return. Thank God for the Burger King cheeseburger I had earlier, not expecting the lunch invite. They get a 10/10 compared to this crap!
Later, I spoke to a group of customers at our Coastlands store and enjoyed a catch up with my team. Day over, I headed back to my hotel. The weather was awful – the sort that only Wellington can dish up. It was a marathon simply getting from the car to the hotel, barged by the horizontal rain, but I made it and retired to my room and found a wonderful surprise. I had been upgraded; the news enhanced by a note and some treats from management. Suddenly hungry again, I decided to order room service and watch the first show of Dancing on Ice, the English version. Not knowing how long I would be awake, I simply ordered soup and a great glass of Pinot. Even the bartender said it would be quick, given my order … nothing too hard here.
Half an hour later I’m still waiting. It’s 10 o’clock and I’m shattered, I ring to see what has happened, get a brief apology for the apparent oversight, and am told the food is on its way.
When it’s finally delivered, I imagine the waiter is surprised not to get a tip, even though it’s hardly his fault the kitchen can’t get it together.
One great experience, the room upgrade, has been negated by the other – the meal service. Yep, that’s all I will remember, given we are only as good as our last performance.
Why am I constantly underwhelmed by the retail and service industry? How hard is it to be great? Why are so many happy to accept mediocrity? It’s time we addressed this. Confront, please, don’t avoid, and make it better for the next customer. Try it – it gets easier.
Speaking of delivering more than the customer expects, do enjoy this mag. It’s been upsized and includes our Who’s Who 2010 magazine, which showcases successful women CEOs. They have some great tips on how to move up the corporate ladder, definitely making this issue a keeper.
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Annah's Blog 28/05/10
I will start worrying when they stop talking about me; when no one gives a damn and I receive no bouquets and no brickbats. Neither has any effect on how I act anyway. I will never understand why so many people base their lives and decisions on what others think.
How is it that so many women need the sanction of others whether it is a partner, friend or sibling, simply to purchase a new dress, or a new pair of shoes? How do they ever manage to get dressed in the morning without someone there to approve of their choices?
Why are we unable to directly confront the issue and find a solution when we are unhappy about something? In the interests of keeping the peace, we avoid, we harbour, we deliberate, and we fervently discuss the wrongdoing with 50 people, but never the source. Instead, we remain the firmest of friends with the perpetrator because we are terrified they might decide they do not like us. For many women it is more important to be Miss Popular than to deal with the issue at hand.
I will never make myself the subject of an ongoing assessment process. I have never asked my partner how I look as I change one handbag’s contents for another. The mirror can give me all the information I need.
Many people, when meeting me, feel the need to preface the conversation by passing on other’s impressions of me. Whether these are great or not so great, I simply don't care, because I don't need to.
I am well aware of the sort of person I am, as we all should be. I do not need the media to evaluate me, but I do need to monitor myself constantly, to ensure that everything I perform, and everyone I encounter, is treated with dignity and integrity.
I interact with so many people who create challenges for themselves by putting popularity before performance. In business, there is no room for this. Business is business, never personal. It needs black and white responses that deal with the action rather than the personality.
Given the opportunity, it’s amazing how quickly people will embrace this style of management, and how quickly it will achieve the desired result. A retail assistant who cannot achieve a desired level of turnover in our stores will have to make some choices: is she a fit for the brand? Can she connect with the customer to establish the relationship that enables the sale?
If not, then we both need the opportunity to look at other options. There is nothing personal in this approach; it is simply a reality of business.
Each store needs to trade at a minimum level to be a sustainable unit. If the existing manager can't achieve this, then it is prudent business to make a change.
Yet this approach is practised so infrequently. People in business let their teams slip into mediocrity, avoiding the issue and despairing as to our business results, when in fact the control is within reach, it is simply developing the pluck to engage and amend behaviours.
I have been named among the worst dressed by Metro magazine – for a red streak in my hair that had been out for three years when I earned the auspicious title – and slammed by Stacy Gregg for my NZ fashion shows. All very personal stuff, if you see it that way. The most personal attack had to be by my own local paper the Waikato Times, with their front-page review of the first issue of Her, newly under my stewardship. The list goes on.
So how do I cope with this? I simply believe in myself. It is not for others to judge me. When you don't need or look for others’ assessments, you get so much power back. Try it.
Focus on your own life, your dreams and visions, trust yourself to make good decisions, and you usually will. Remember you won't always get it right, but as long as you approach things with dignity and integrity, you will be just fine.
And remember, start worrying when they stop talking about you.
Enjoy this issue of
Her. As always the team and I have loved bringing it to you and love to get your feedback. I look forward to catching up with some of you at our Bloom conference in Auckland on June 23-24.
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Annah's Blog 19/04/10
Having it all – and loving it
Many people think my life has been about lucky breaks and a great start. Not so. My parents split up when I was nine years old and I lived mainly with my dad. It was a very unsupervised life. I never wanted for material things but from the age of 15, I held part-time jobs while completing my School Certificate and University Entrance at a very average decile high school in Hastings.
My life has been shaped by the choices I’ve made and the opportunities I’ve taken. When I started my clothing company in 1992 (this month we are 18 years of age, a significant milestone in any business), I had a one-year-old baby, Edward, and his sister, Sam, 14 months older. These were challenging times as I drove my vision and passion alongside caring for my two greatest achievements.
But you can have it all and achieve great outcomes to boot. The investment in my children was all about values and creating a positive environment in which to nurture them, not about having to devote every minute of my working day to them.
Last year, Sam graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, Stretton Clothing Company Limited turned 18, and I celebrated 50 years of life as my son commenced his university education. The years in between have been stormy at times, on the home and business fronts, but I’ve never faltered in my love for my children and my business – which perhaps indicates the success I’ve enjoyed in both arenas.
So many people ask me to name one thing that has been key in enabling me to achieve and take on so much. There are two keys. The first is discipline. I have a huge amount of routine in my life, and I am extremely good at prioritising. I only attend to the tasks that need to be done in a day. This brings greater efficiency and much less stress to my operation, no matter how unpalatable the task appears.
The second vital ingredient is passion. I absolutely love what I do, even after 18 years. I head into work each day loving the environment, the people and the product with which I work. With that level of passion, it’s almost impossible to be mediocre; a lesson that’s lost on many businesses.
The combination of passion and discipline that I bring to work each day, has ensured my success, and my ability to thrive even in the recessionary trading conditions that we have encountered.
You cannot and will not be able to achieve without loving and trusting yourself first. To generate success in family and business, you must believe in yourself and you must live and portray success every day. So, trust that you can have it all and start living your life today.
The theme of this magazine is appropriate to all mums and businesswomen in the 21st century. Sure, you have to be a superwoman to achieve and measure up to what the day throws at you, but this stuff is instinctive, and we can cope. In fact, we can do better than that – we can thrive by taking multitasking to a new level, enabling us to effect our dreams and passions, while still enjoying a great partnership and family.
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Annah's Blog 01/04/10
It’s time for women to start thinking in a more black and white way!
I have had one hell of a month, dealing with the hidden agendas of women that come at you from the most obscure directions.
Women continue to undermine each other and themselves in the commercial/corporate environment by simply just being bitches.
We are the masters of avoidance but, in practising this, we are not averse to letting all but the source know exactly how we feel!
The hidden agenda has to be the biggest bane of my life; women who sit in front of you discussing one issue, with absolute knowledge of their total lack of intent to act on any of it. When will they learn that business is just business, it is never personal!
And then there’s the workplace termination. Why is it that so many women fail to see the importance of departing with dignity, and turn their final weeks into such a negative experience? Where does their foresight go? To trash and burn all their previous connections, all their achievements and the hard work that they have done, while they drive forward with excitement to their next goal, just seems so pointless. Many of my retail employees depart their posts with their worst sales weeks ever; telling anyone that will listen of their new position. So, what a surprise it is to have a departure with a record sales week, and a fabulous attitude to boot and one worthy reference earned as well.
It seriously is time for women to adapt a much more black and white perspective in their business model, whether an employer or employee. There is no room for feminine emotion in the business environment. It simply wastes too much time and is extremely counter productive as well as being incredibly bad for your health.
Now is the time to learn the true art of communication, tackle issues at the source, have a clear agenda of what you want to achieve and clearly communicate this. If you think you’re worth more money, and seek a pay rise, work with the right person to achieve this, think about what you can add to your existing role, and sell yourself to your employer. For a company to pay you more, you need to bring more to the role, pay increases are not something that happen each year as a divine employee right. You need to earn them. Remember, until a job’s worth more than the money, it will never pay more; meaning that a great attitude goes a long way in a business. Consider the position of your employer, unless they do something differently, or create a new opportunity, their company revenue take is unlikely to change; therefore the converse should work for the employee.
Clairvoyance will never be my strong suit, so why is it that so many interact with me as if it is? In doing so, we truly determine our own destiny in both the workplace and our outside environment. Therefore, don’t look to others to second guess exactly what this is. Take control of your own pathway and practise communicating in a very black and white way and you’ll surprise yourself with the results.
I’d love to get your feedback on my editorial ... so please drop me an email.
Enjoy the magazine this month.
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Annah's Blog 24/02/10
Our commitment to our greatest achievements is taking away from our ability to thrive!
Why do so many women lack confidence?
They undervalue, they underplay their abilities and generally approach life from the back foot yet they are continually afraid of failure. Their dreams are manageable and bite sized – nothing too big or ambitious. Women have simply fallen out of love with themselves. They need continual assurance in a way that no man ever would. They have forgotten how to push boundaries. They simply prefer to keep the peace and play it safe. Women lack the confidence to give things a go; they simply let others go before them.
Women have stopped believing that they can have it all – a great partnership, well-rounded kids and a life pursuing their dreams. Why is it that so many get to the end of their life and still wonder what it was all really about?
So what do we put this down to … the ‘Mum’ guilt? No way!
I am often asked how I have achieved so much and still managed to effect my role as a mum without the guilt that so many of my peers feel. Easy! For me it was never about the quantity of time that I spent with the children; it was the quality. How can you raise settled, balanced and motivated kids if you're not that yourself? Your kids will be a replica of who you are. They can only take from the environment in which they are nurtured.
Rather than elect to be simply a caregiver – hire one. There are plenty of people that are in the business of running around after kids; your role is a much more extensive one. You are there to set them up for a life of success and independence and to do this you need to have achieved this at some level yourself. Your development adds to your kids’ lives ... fact!
Just as you do, kids learn from the school of hard knocks, so give things a go. Extend yourself; it will only benefit your greatest achievements. Just as you will, they will develop an ability to cope with the challenges that life throws at them, and isn't this one of the greatest gifts you can give them along with your love?
Teach them how to communicate from an early age. Enable them to have opinions and grow their passion for life. All of this comes from your own ongoing self development and love of who you are! Never simply be an extension of your children; you deserve more.
And finally, women need to stop apologising! The other day I sent a text to one of my team. Mistakenly, I had the wrong number (must remember to keep my glasses at the ready) but the person who I’d texted decided to respond even though they didn't know me and here’s the response: ‘Sorry I missed your call. Who is this sorry?’ What the hell are they sorry for? I mistakenly texted them.
So many women take this back foot approach to life. You do not have to be continually sorry (try tabulating how many times you say this in a day; it will surprise you). You are not the reason something hasn't worked out and even if you are, apologising doesn't fix it; finding a solution does!
Back-foot thinking, simply degrades you; you are worth so much more. So stop apologising and get on with finding solutions to assist you in achieving the outcomes you need in a day. You are the master of your own destiny and if you truly want something to occur, it will!
Why do so many women feel the need to justify their actions? Less is more. Self belief will stop this justification and you will not need to seek others approval. I am constantly amazed at how many women, when purchasing a new frock, need the opinion of so many. We damn well know when we step out of that changing room to evaluate ourselves in the big shop mirror whether we look fantastic. This is all part of that self confidence that so many of us lack and simply need to find again.
You get one chance at life and you need to start living it from the day you are able to control your own destiny. Partners and children are wonderful additions to your life but they are no reason to stop driving your dreams. If you're not in love with yourself, you will make choices that compromise you; a partnership that isn't a great fit or decisions for your kids that result in consequences that are not that palatable. Being confident and loving yourself is the ultimate gift to you and the people closest to you.
You get one go at life; live it to the fullest. Place a high value on yourself and never let anyone undermine you. This is your life; fall in love with it, embrace it and remember you can have it all!
Enjoy our March issue and don't forget to send in your feedback; I love to hear from you.
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Annah's Blog 25/01/10
Happy Valentine's Day!
Yes, we are all back at work and screaming through another year. The three weeks or so that we had off in January are simply a distant memory and all the promises we made as to how we were going to balance our hectic lives are a blur. Or are they? No, not for me. This year is the year of real change, the year of slowing it down, focusing on the core business and the year of the family. Yep, a very real investment in the ones that I love and the ones that love me.
February is definitely the month to start this investment, the month of love ..., which leads me to the topic of indifference, a discussion that I had with one of my closest friends at the beach over the summer break.
It started with dogs. Yes, a conversation around the suitability of one’s lifestyle to own a dog, and the many people that own them that perhaps shouldn't. Well, they shouldn't in my eyes, given that I believe that for the ownership of any animal, you need to be prepared to totally embrace their personalities and bask in the love that they will bring into your lives.
Indifference, we decided, is the one element that categorises dog ownership. I, for one, get anxious if I am unable to get home around 5pm to feed my two canine babies. While we were at the beach on holiday, the routine of the daily walk at 5am (moved to 6am given the break) continued rain or shine. When we go away, the suitability of an in-house carer becomes an all-consuming focus given that it will never be an option to place them in kennels. Our lives have, as I’m sure with many animal lovers, a huge handbrake on them given that I am not indifferent to the care of the two dogs I love! I know life would be so much easier if I was indifferent to their care.
Indifference doesn't mean that these owners care less for their animals. It has inadvertently given them a position of strength that I don't have. This strength can be incredibly useful when brought into a business environment. To practise a level of indifference will enable good business decisions. To be too passionate towards the concept can enable a blindness that results in a bad decision.
Of course, to be too indifferent is no way to run a business. Therefore, the key to good indifference is moderation – just enough to enable a detachment that provides a power and not too much that a passiveness creeps in.
Therefore, it will be using the right level of indifference that will enable me to affect my goal of balance and family this year.
Our magazine this month has a focus on the pre-loved market and business that is thriving by trading in the stuff that nobody wants. These businesses have prospered in the recessive environment, as they are not only fashionable, given the sustainable focus that so many are driving towards, but they also enable monetary savings. This is very necessary in the year we have just had and a huge win-win for these operators. With the event of Trade Me, these people have endured healthy competition. Read how the smart operators have made this new age of technology and sustainability work for them.
February is also the month that our new collections come into store and I’m sure many of you are hanging out for a new frock. Let us be the one to meet that need!
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Annah's Blog 05/01/10
The year 2010: I am so much older and feel so much younger. I remember looking at 50 and thinking it was the end of life, not the beginning. Maybe it’s the birch juice I have been drinking.
As 2009 drew to a close, I remember sitting outside with my partner enjoying a well-deserved glass of Rosé, my new favourite tipple; that is, when I’m not on my self-enforced, alcohol-free days (a suggestion from Jacquie Dale, my dietician who seriously can’t believe that alcohol-free days are difficult… what planet is she on?).
I considered the end of the year that we were all racing frantically towards, and I wondered why? There was simply so much to be enjoyed at that time of the year, rather than being exhausted by it. Sure, the thought of the two weeks off that our closure brings was fantastic, but following that, I had a diary that was filling up by the day with so many amazing opportunities. I love my life! The lesson I learnt was to simply treat December as any other month in business as it was just another part of the year, and perhaps reduce the stress levels associated with it, put it into perspective and embrace the silly season for all it had to offer.
So, 2010 is the year to think about globalisation, how to take the product and services that you offer and pitch them to a global stage, as it is the one way that I believe we will close the ever-increasing gap between Australia and New Zealand.
In early December, I judged the Wellington Her Business Network Awards and what a great lineup of entries; one of the best that I have seen in the many business awards that I have judged.
The businesses that won were all global, or at least had a concept that was capable of being taken to a global stage. Not only were they innovative concepts, but the prospect of globalising their products had in fact strengthened their business model – a huge advantage to their business operations.
Therefore, 2010 is the year to up-skill yourselves and increase productivity. Given you have survived the recession and the frost of the business world, you have obviously done things correctly, so now is the time to do it even better.
Therefore, this is the theme of the magazine – to become a big fish in 2010. Sure, not everyone has the goal of global domination in their business plan. But you should have, however, the goal of up-skilling so that you can drive your business to the next level. Static operations very quickly become mediocre so, whether global or not, at least aspire to be a leader in your field.
Make 2010 the year that the market notices your operation and starts talking about you. Look for ways to actively promote what you offer. Assess the people you employ; they need to be great. Find a mentor; you are not the lone ranger. And, most of all, fall back in love with what you do. If you can’t, get out and give someone else a go.
Well, another year is over, we are all a year older and looking forward to 2010.
Happy New Year... Enjoy a glass of Veuve Clicquot as I intend to do!
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Annah's Blog 02/12/09
Does anyone know how to say thank you anymore?
I've been intending to put some words around this bug bear topic of mine for a while, as it seems the more that I give gratuitously the more that people forget to say thank you and given the pending Christmas season and the expected gift giving that attaches to it, there's possibly never been a better time to tackle this topic.
I get several requests a day for help, generated by others in business, which will often result in a full mentor session, or a simple phone call to talk the instigator through their challenge. The sad fact is that 80 percent of the people that I talk to do not follow up with a quick email of thanks. In many instances I will not hear from them until their next challenge arises. It's a sad fact that we do not value what we get for nothing, yet my conundrum remains, in that there are so many deserving cases that proffer their souls in a bid to get help. So, to penalise them, given the actions of those that have gone before, simply seems unfair, and so the cycle continues. Many have suggested that I attach a charge to the information that I impart, which is difficult in that so many simply would not have the revenue to pay, and therefore would not seek the help.
The wonderful thing regarding mentoring is the limitless pool of competent business people that are out there that may or may not accept your approach. Generally this help is free and often it is the one thing that seriously does get you considering how you can drive your business to the next level.
Another of my thankless tasks is in the field of public speaking. Yes, there are many who pay well to have me share my business and life knowledge with their teams but there are also many philanthropic presentations that assist with fundraising goals. Ironically it is always the paying ones that follow up with a thank you email and feedback from their delegates. It is a rare day indeed when the unpaid ones correspond after my session. Sure there is always a ‘thanks’ at the time, but a follow up email is all the more powerful.
While we are on the subject of emails, it is okay to say no. Yes all you high profile people that get continual requests to take part in an assortment of events, if for some reason you don't want to, or can't do this event, for god's sake email back and let the requestor know! Silence is no answer and a no is perfectly okay. The worst action is to leave them hanging, never knowing whether they can move on and ask another, fearful of a duplication they can't afford or don't really need.
And a message for all those that are in employment: an employer deserves a thank you as well, just as you are encouraged and motivated by feedback and to employ someone does not create an ongoing expectation of giving. With the Christmas party looming, and this is not a divine right, think about how you can reciprocate, rather than just receive and remember that they have ensured your job was safe during this difficult recessive trading time.
My final word on thank you is also attached to Christmas and the dreaded presents. Presents are never measured by value spent. I see so many worry about the amount spent on a gift being a measure of the receiver’s worth to the giver. Innovative and creative gifts are by far the best. What about simply thanking them with a card for the part they have played in your life over the year and spending some time with them at an event they enjoy.
So my message to you all, make thank you a big part of your life and business, it's not about the gifts, it's all about the follow up and for me it's simply thank you.
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