Pier pressure

There is very little that’s attractive about Brighton seafront. Other seafronts have more appeal. There. I’ve said it.

I had breakfast in one of the restaurants in Kings Road on Sunday morning. Apart from the fumes from the adjacent car park, I was faced with a grey concrete view (not the one above) and scaffolding on the prom, so I had to squint around it all to see the colourful sail boats just beyond.

It was a sunny morning, but the surrounding buildings were grey like the concrete and Regency Square appeared somewhat tatty. The one string of lights along the promenade said it all. No-one in authority seems to care what the prom looks like and hasn’t for years. At a lower level, there’s the Fishing Museum which is interesting, and some quirky shops and galleries along and under the arches. But overall, it seems a missed opportunity.

With the bright and vibrant history of Brighton, it deserves an attractive, colourful and welcoming seafront. So do tourists and residents alike. It should be more of a destination in its own right, with more interesting and quaint stalls, entertainment and shops, tourist information and so on. At least some beautiful weather-resistant and thug-resistant flowers, tubs and displays, which could withstand the late night antics of stag and hen party guests.

Of course, all this takes budget and resources which are in short supply, as we all know. Maybe the exorbitant cost of street parking on the seafront and in the city could go towards it. Or the same creativity and effort as has been expended on the restoration at The Level. Or perhaps it’s already in the pipeline and I’ve missed the notices. Or maybe I just turned around and didn’t see the flying pig.

I believe the city would benefit as a whole. Simply driving along the prom would be much more pleasurable, as would staying in the seafront hotels. Tourists might come even more if there were street performers, so retailers and hoteliers would be happy. Maybe more staff from nearby offices would visit during their lunch breaks if the weather was good, which would benefit their health and wellbeing if they got out in the ‘fresh’ air and had a meander along the prom.

And if by some remote chance anyone in power sees this and thinks there’s an ounce of merit in the content and does something about it, I promise I’ll sing “Oh, I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside” as I strut happily along the prom. 

Now there’s a challenge ...

First published in The Argus on 17 September 2013

Never knowlingly under-managed

I read a piece in the media recently about companies like John Lewis, co-operatives which give their staff a stake in the company, keeping salaries realistic while still motivating hard work, good customer service and sales. Their profits are rising. Royal Mail staff will get free shares in an effort to gain their buy-in and engagement, as part of the organisation’s privatisation process.

When I go into John Lewis, I certainly get a feeling their staff are proactive in selling while caring about giving a first class service and offering top notch, quality products. Can the same be said for Royal Mail, albeit prior to the share pay-out?

Every year, the postage increase gets worse and worse, so much so that this year’s hike and associated parcel size fiasco can only be classed as someone’s idea of a joke ... on the British public. It begs the question: how can they beat that next year?!

Have we got a better mail delivery system as a result of increased postage? Do we get deliveries first thing in the morning like we used to? Do we get a second delivery mid-morning? Of course not. We’re lucky if we see mail by lunchtime, and in some cases by suppertime. The Edwardians probably had a better service than we do. Yes I know there was far less post but in bygone days, they could post something in the morning and it’d be with the recipient by the afternoon. New technology should mean things improve.

Being British, do we complain? Again no, for fear they’ll take umbrage, go out on strike, picket our picket fences and stop deliveries altogether.

At this point, I should say that in the main, postmen and women are absolutely delightful and at least I get my post mid-morning. It’s not their fault that Elf & Safety and the unions won’t let them carry anything heavier than a bunch of A4 envelopes or a lightweight parcel or two, and advise them to keep away from a ‘Beware of the Dog’ sign in case there really is a monster pooch ready to take a bite out of them – quite sensible, really, and it’s to protect them. When the postman can’t get something through my letterbox or I’m out, I have to drive miles to the nearest delivery office, and there’s no Elf & Safety concern over whether I put my back out to carry it.

And don’t get me started on their offer to deliver packages to neighbours. You can’t specify who, just anyone else in the road who’s in. The last time this happened, they left a parcel with someone I’d never met, in a property I didn’t know, about a quarter of a mile away.

Increased costs should mean increased service. Maybe the bosses at John Lewis should take a turn as operational leaders for Royal Mail. Now that would be first class!

(Originally published in The Argus on 27.9.13)

Young people: like, speak properly, innit

Today I was watching BBC Breakfast when a piece on fan obsession - specifically One Direction - came on. Someone had made a film on the boy band's legions of fans. Nothing particularly momentous about that, fans have been behaving stupidly for decades, probably since Frank Sinatra and the Bobby Soxers. I did it myself; I had pictures of David Cassidy and Davy Jones to drool over, whipped away in favour of Paul McCartney (till he jilted me and married Linda) and then whoever was the latest icon.

We all know it's the media's silly season, not much going on and lots of air time and print pages to fill. But to have on the couch two teenage girls, one of whom had just had her arm tattooed with lyrics from a One Direction song (she'll regret that later) and the other saying she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her choice of band member, is an insult to those intelligent people watching.

It's an insult because (a) it's most definitely neither news nor interesting; (b) neither young lady could speak intelligibly or put across any reason why they like One Direction as opposed to any other boy band; and (c) every other word was 'like' - which is extremely frustrating and unnecessary. "Like" has taken over from "innit" or "you know" or "whatever" but it's just as irritating, if not more. 

OK, I'm sounding like (used as a preposition) an old fuddy-duddy, I know - but why have schools and parents allowed youngsters to speak in such a way? Is it from fear of litigation - maybe violating their 'Human Right to speak in a slovenly and incomprehensible way' or fear of being threatened - "We'll, like, speak in whatever way, like, we wanna"?!

What possible hope do we have when our bastion and gatekeeper of the English language, our very own BBC, allows examples like this on our screen as being acceptable? 

There are also so many typographical errors in newspapers and on screen, and factual inaccuracies too - just recently one TV station told us the Battle of Trafalgar was in the 18th century when it was actually in 1805 (the 19th century). The chef on the ITV Lorraine show today talked about "vinegar-ette" instead of vinaigrette, and so it goes on.

I really must lie down in a darkened room now before I self-combust! Either that or stop watching early morning TV...

No-one ever went to their grave wishing they’d spent more time at the office

By the time you read this, I will have completed Phase One of my summer break – a long weekend last month! This will be followed up with Phase Two – another long weekend – this month. Rarely one for lengthy holidays, this is more or less as much as I can expect till the Christmas shutdown because thankfully we’re as busy as ever in this, our 10^th birthday year.

I’m sure I feel like many small business owners when it comes to a work/life balance: sounds fantastic but this is reality. While it’s essential to be mentally and physically fit to carry out my work to the level my clients expect and deserve, I have to make sure there’s a snug fit between this and taking time away from the business to regroup, relax and revitalise. After all, a worn-out and exhausted PR and marketing consultant is no use to anyone!

I’m lucky, of course, because I have some truly delightful clients with whom I work closely and effectively. And I have a team of exceptionally talented associate consultants working with my company. I have no problem delegating projects or tasks although ultimately I’m responsible and have to be on top of what’s going on.

I’m not an avid sun-worshipper and I don’t like hot climates, so I don’t crave weeks away on end in idyllic locations, although as I’m writing this, I may be having a change of heart! Fairly recently I’ve started working with a personal trainer who has revolutionised my approach to health and fitness. You’ll be able to see this for yourselves when I update my photo in the weeks to come!

One great result of the healthy diet and daily exercise regimen has meant I’m brighter, sharper and much more energetic. The first month’s detox wasn’t as hard as I’d imagined and I’m enjoying doing different exercises and gym routines. My business benefits from me having even more capacity for ideas and outputs, and now I really differentiate the working week from the weekends, when I value every ‘down-time’ moment. I try not to be computer-obsessed at weekends now, only respond to emergencies and rarely now work unless it’s absolutely necessary.

So what have I learned about having a good work/life balance? There’s no magic formula, just whatever works for you.

Remember no-one ever went to their grave wishing they’d spent more time at the office!

First published in The Argus on 25 June 2013

I'm ready for my close-up now, Mr DeMille!

I was delighted to see that Brighton is to take a leading role in the UK’s film industry. The British Film Institute (BFI) is opening a ‘talent centre’ here as part of a £5m plan to boost the industry across the country (Argus 21.5.13).

What a boost to the city! Hopefully there’ll be much job creation using Sussex actors, make-up artists, scriptwriters and producers etc; more visitors to the city; more hotel beds booked; use of our lovely country and seaside; and maybe even the ‘Brighton & Hove Film Awards’ or the ‘Sussex Oscars’?

Brighton has a history in film, of course, with the iconic Brighton Rock, Oh! What a Lovely War, Carry On Girls and Tommy all being shot here. Now perhaps it can add another string to its bow and progress from its renowned fabulous sauciness to something a little more serious, showing Brighton as the metropolitan, cosmopolitan, thriving city and business hub it really is.

Local venues could be used on film: the Sealife Centre for a remake of Jaws, Brighton City Airport (Shoreham to you and me) for a remake of Casablanca, the Jubilee Library for Pulp Fiction, the Downs for North by Northwest and the King Alfred for Apocalypse Now.

It’s possible the ‘talent’ will be behind the cameras, perfecting their art on editing, dubbing and animation, but it’d be great to suddenly turn into Churchill Square and find you’re an extra in the film version of Extras. I wonder, though, if some Brighton inhabitants will suddenly go out in full make-up and dress with slightly more attention in the mornings, having one eye out for the cameras!

As Brighton is such a creative hub anyway, this could be just what its student population needs as a transition from academia to practical application. Those who have hidden their light behind a bushel working for high street stores, supermarkets, corporates and independent businesses alike will be whitening their teeth, perfecting their happy faces, resurrecting their shelved film scripts or buffing up their best accents, ready to knock on the door of opportunity at the talent centre.

BFI might in future stand for the Brighton Film Initiative.

Actually it’s rather exciting. I’m ready for my close-up now, Mr DeMille!

Originally published in the Argus (Brighton & Hove) 28.5.13 www.theargus.co.uk 

The link between a good Americano and the internet

My second office is fast becoming a coffee shop in town. It’s become a place where I can go for a change of scenery, a meeting place, a decent Americano, a quiet catch-up on the news, a sanctuary and a creative haven. It’s a neutral zone where I can meet contacts, suppliers, contractors and maybe a client over a coffee. Yet one thing disturbs me and it disturbs me greatly... it still has no internet access available despite months of promises.

“Quite right” some of you will say, “there’s far too much technology these days. Give it a break!” to which it pains me to respond “You’re right, but I must have access to keep up with things.”

And so it has come to this. How many of us sit in front of the television with our smartphones or other mobile devices, tapping away, thinking how great it is to be multi-tasking, part listening to and part looking at a film while checking emails, watching ebay or messaging a friend? Who’s going to own up to texting or emailing someone sitting only feet away, instead of talking? Or maybe that’s too much like a sketch in a comedy show.

Much has been written about the effects of too much technology on young people and not enough focus on human interaction and communication skills. Recruiters have highlighted a growing inability in candidates to speak or write properly. Good old-fashioned grammar and care are, in the main, getting forgotten along with mathematical skills which disappeared with the advent of calculators. This does not bode well for businesses in the future.

For the growing band of similarly-minded business people flocking to coffee shops, willing to spend money on cappuccinos and a bite to eat, internet access is not just desirable, it’s essential, otherwise we might just as well stay in the office.

Love it or hate it, the era of mobile devices is here to stay. The majority of people already use them to search for products or services and reviews. Whatever you want, there’s an app for it. Now there’s Google Glass and a million and one new innovations for our delight and delectation.

Don’t even think about fighting it. Jump on board, keep up or get left behind. I say embrace new technology and change because actually it can be good fun and theoretically it’s supposed to make our working lives easier. Until the internet goes down or there’s a power cut.

Now, where did I put that Americano?!

Originally published in The Argus on 23.4.13

Ten years ago today I started my company, public relations and marketing consultancy Chimera Communications. Ten years which have seen governments come and go, the colour of local politics change, the worst recession in living history, the birth of social media, Olympic frenzy, a different James Bond, several different faces of Dr Who, the strange popularity of reality shows (or should that be unreality shows?), freak weather, Jeremy Kyle, America's first black President and now the first papal resignation for nearly 600 years.

The price of petrol in 2003 was around 78p a litre, a onesie was what a baby wore, twitter was something the birds did first thing in the morning and we'd never heard of Justin Beiber. Happy days!

Well, petrol now costs around 139p a litre and despite clients' budget restraints, rapidly changing technology, ridiculous parking prices, the hell of automated phone systems, frustrating customer care via overseas call centres, with the grace of whichever god in which you believe and a prevailing wind, Chimera Communications has survived and flourished.

Key elements which contribute to that fact, I believe, are experience, planning, organisation, self-belief, dogged determination, value for money, flexibility and caring for my clients' businesses as if they were my own. The company is run on the basis of low costs and a friendly and approachable, effective service. There’s no fancy office, ‘Ab Fab’ style champagne lunches or glossy brochures. All my business over the years has come through word of mouth and the testimonials speak for themselves. We work with award-winning clients, businesses of all sizes as well as not-for-profits and charities, all of whom are treated exactly the same.

Of course there have been tough times, like any business. I've learned the hard way that there are occasions when I have to say 'no', that there are clients with whom it's best not to work, that there are never enough hours in the day, and that working all night is really not a good idea. I love working with such a wide variety of businesses and learning just enough about what they do to enable me to do my job. I was invited to become a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations more years ago than I care to remember, and that always stands me in good stead as we have to sign up to a code of conduct which ensures we act responsibly and ethically.

Looking back, as one is prone to do at times like this, my best decisions in recent years were to join Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce, BNI (Business Networking International) and a select range of other professional and networking groups. Networking is certainly the way to go these days for building great contacts and useful, trustworthy and lasting business relationships.

It can certainly be argued there are already more than enough networking groups in the area, and this is where targeting is crucial. You could spend all day, every day going to different events and every week, there are new groups jumping on the bandwagon. The really effective ones are those which monitor business passed, or are proactive in fostering links between relevant members. There is a place for those which meet on a more informal basis, but it’s important for me to be able to justify and quantify the results of precious time and money spent.

I’ve built up really good business relationships with people I can trust, knowing I’m going to be sitting across a table each week or each month when they’ll be accountable for every piece of work done, whether for me or for those to whom I refer them. These include not only professional suppliers like printers, designers, accountants, photographers and lawyers, but electricians, plumbers and lettings agents, even a chiropractor. Much work has come through networking, as well as some introductions to my own associate consultants.

So my advice, should you need it, is to think carefully about who it is you need to target and why. Whether it’s specific professions, ages, gender, business size or location, there are plenty from which to choose. It’s important to remember it’s not only about who is at the networking event, but who those people know and in turn, who their contacts know. And of course, it’s equally important you’re comfortable giving an ‘elevator pitch’ to promote your business or whether you prefer to eat, drink and mingle. Networking can help build confidence and presenting experience, but don’t forget to ask for specific business or contacts you’d like – you need to focus or networking can become a bit of a jolly and a waste of time.

On the whole, the last ten years have been a blast. Huge thanks to all my clients, media contacts, suppliers, networking colleagues, business partners and my merry band of Chimera associate consultants over the years. 

Here's to the next decade!