Please excuse the self-indulgence but Christmas is coming and it felt like a good time to share some information about using DOUZO lists.
1. Mix all types of gift
Other lists stick to one type of gift: presents or cash contributions. On DOUZO, you can mix requests for any kind of gift on the same list. You can ask for items from shops or websites, for money towards something special, or for favours or pledges of help.
2. List from any store, site, or stall
The list isn’t tied to any retailer. You can ask for gifts from the big high-street or online names alongside things from local, independent retailers. If the retailer has an online catalogue, you can link through to your chosen item from your list. If the retailer doesn’t have a web store, you can include photos and details for givers to shop in person. It’s a great way to get unusual items from boutiques or galleries, or to point friends and family to buy from the businesses that you want to support, such as charities.
2. Ask for money towards something special
Instead of individual gifts, you might want to ask for money towards something special. Photos and descriptions make the gift more personal by showing givers how their contribution will be spent.
3. Ask for help
Sometimes, the things you need most don’t come in parcels. Maybe you’d really like some help with a home project, someone to have the kids for the weekend, or some support for a cause that is precious to you? You can include these on your list.
4. Buy outright or club together
You can include gifts across any price range you like: lower-cost items that are likely to fit the budget of a single giver or more expensive items. Givers can buy outright or contribute jointly to the bigger things. DOUZO tracks the contributions so people don’t have to organise joint presents between themselves.
5. Keep the gifts a surprise
If people choose gifts from a list, they can be sure that the gift will be welcome, but the surprise of opening parcels can be lost for the recipient. When you set up a list, you can nominate someone else to manage it on your behalf. The list manager will see who has given what and give you a summary when you are ready. This works well for children’s lists where parents can track the gifts and preserve the surprise.
6. Control who can see your list
You can choose whether to have the list freely available on the internet or to restrict access. If you keep your list private, when friends and family open your list, they are prompted to request access from you.
7. All gifts come directly from them to you
We don’t hold stocks of gifts. Your list shows people what you want and helps them, with links, photos and descriptions, to get there. If the gift is from a shop, they buy directly from that shop. There is no possible threat of a Wrapit-style loss of the gifts you have been given.
6. All money comes straight from them to you
We don’t hold your money. Anyone who makes a gift of money sends it directly to you. No commission or fees are deducted from the money that is given to you. When you set up your list, you choose what payment methods to allow: cheques, bank transfer, or Paypal. This inclusive approach works for different types of people and allows friends and family who live abroad to participate.
7. Not just for weddings
Weddings are often associated with gift lists but you can use a list for any occasion. Help people to know what you’d like for birthdays, Christmas, or special anniversaries. If you’re expecting a baby, a list can steer well-wishers to the practical items that you need. If you’re organising an event or fund-raising for a special project, a list can enlist the help of friends and family in collecting items or pledging some form of help.
8. Personal look and feel
You can choose from a range of designs. You can upload photos for your list itself and to illustrate any item on the list. You decide what to call your list, how to describe it and what the website address (URL) should be.
9. Straight-forward price
Some lists base their price on the value of the gifts that are given. Others take commission from any money that is given. DOUZO is £10 for a standard list and £12 for a premium list design – no matter how long you have the list open, how many gifts you list, or how much the gifts are worth. You can find discount codes in magazines and blogs to make this even better value.
10. “Help yourself”
“DOUZO” comes from a Japanese word. It is subtle to translate but has the sense of “help yourself”, “by all means” or “please do”. There’s a courtesy about it that seemed just right for gift giving.
If you have any comments or questions about DOUZO, I’d love to hear from you.
Gap years – and their shorter version, the “snap year” – are more popular than ever. Getting the most out of them means taking time to plan and prepare ahead.
The increases in University tuition fees that will hit UK students from September 2012 haven’t dampened their enthusiasm for time out. Gap year companies report bookings are up by 35% for gap years and 28% for shorter trips. Recent research by P&O Cruises revealed a 300% increase in over-50s embarking on a year out. Gapadvice.org estimates there are 230 000 young gappers, 90000 taking a career break and 200 000 travelling in their retirement. That’s a lot of people setting out on trips, learning new skills, or making a difference to communities.
There are hundreds of options for what to do on a gap year and lots of companies offering advice. Something that comes across consistently is the value of preparation. Preparing helps people to stay safe and healthy and to get the most out of their time and resources.
Exactly what to take will vary with the destination, activities, and personal situation. Travellers can’t – and probably don’t want to – anticipate every eventuality but a comprehensive guide, such as http://gap-year.com/ will help to make sure that nothing important is missed.
If you’re preparing for a gap year, here are a few things to consider:
Finding out about your destination
A great starting point for information about other countries is the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/ . It’s important that you find out what’s illegal and what’s offensive. Find out about local customs and points of etiquette. Learning even a few words -perhaps a greeting, “please”, “thank you”, and “help” – can make you feel less of a stranger. The Foreign Office website is kept up-to-date with information about incidents or warnings about areas to avoid. You can sign up for email notifications about countries on your route so you’ll always have the latest information.
Funding your trip
Mintel research shows that the average young traveller spends £3 0000-4 0000 on their trip. The money goes on equipment, living expenses, flights and travel, visas, insurance, and payment for volunteer projects. Cost-of-living sites such as http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/ can help to work out what you might need. Even if living is cheap, you might aim for extra money to make the most of opportunities for local travel and events.
Raising money and getting organised are recognised as valuable parts of the challenge of taking a gap year. Be as creative as you can in thinking of fund-raising possibilities and enlist the help of friends and family to help you; you’d be surprised how much resale money is hiding in people’s “junk” or how much can be raised through auctions or bake sales. Asking for contributions towards your trip for Christmas and birthday presents can make a welcome boost towards your target.
Packing
You can always make do with locally-sourced clothing on your trip, but your documentation needs to come with you from home.
- Passport and visas. You’ll need a passport to go abroad and this should be valid for six months after your planned return date. The Foreign Office can advise on whether visas are required.
- Insurance documents. Make sure you have your insurance policy and the telephone numbers of their emergency helplines. Take advice to ensure that you are fully covered for the regions you are visiting and the activities you’ll be doing. The bills for handling accidents and emergencies without adequate cover will mount up extremely quickly. Make sure that you are clear about what will invalidate your policy; this could be failure to disclose information from the past or being under the influence of alcohol.
- Tickets and itinerary. Leave copies of both with friends and family. Be aware that some countries will refuse you access without a return ticket, unless you can prove either the means to buy one or a ticket onward to another destination.
- Identification. It’s handy to take passport photos to be included in local identification and a second piece of photo identification, other than your passport, is good practice. Student identification might give you access to discounts.
- Contact numbers. In an emergency, you don’t want to have to look up the number for the British Consulate in your country, the number for your airline or insurer, or the lost and stolen line for your credit card provider. Have a list of potentially useful numbers ready.
- Copies of important documents. You might keep these with you. It’s also recommended to leave a set with friends or family. Another option is to set up a secure store that you – or those acting on your authority – can access through the internet, such as http://www.vitalesafe.com/.
- Medical information. The NHS provides a great deal of advice on what you’ll need and what to carry with you: http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/Healthcareabroad/pages/Healthcareabroad.aspx
- Different forms of money. Don’t take just one credit card, or just cash. Mix it up and pack it separately. Prevent your cards being blocked unexpectedly by warning your card provider where you’ll be using it.
With regard to kit, the advice is to take only half of the clothes you intended to pack and to leave behind anything you’d be sentimental about losing. That said, what could be helpful to take?
- Rucksack, holdall or suitcase. Don’t scrimp on your luggage. If you are away for any length of time, it’s going to take a fair bit of wear and tear and you don’t want to be repairing or replacing a split bag. You need it to be robust and comfortable to carry.
- First-aid kit.
- Torch
- Money belt
- Small padlock
- Toiletries. Don’t count on being able to get your preferred sanitary products abroad, and consider condoms and suncream. Wet wipes or antiseptic hand gel are helpful for hygiene.
- Water purification tablets or filters
- Spare glasses – and contact lenses if you don’t use disposables.
- Versatile clothing and footwear to allow for different weather conditions, terrain and customs.
- Duct tape is handy for all kinds of sticking-up and repairs.
- Spare batteries
- Adapter or travel plug
- Lighter
- Travel towels
- Small smoke alarm, if you’re as paranoid as me about fire in countries that might not have the same regulations as we do in the UK.
These are just a few of the things you’ll want to prepare before heading on a gap year. Where ever you are going, do the research about what you’ll need: primarily to stay safe and healthy, also to minimise the possibility of set-backs through loss, inappropriate gear or inadequate funds. Tap into the experiences of those who’ve been before, through expert websites and guidebooks – and make it the experience of a lifetime.
Can you share any tips for those preparing for a gap year?
(Picture credits: gap year luggage label from endemol.com, silhouette from icould.com, suitcase from metal-postcard.com)
A special celebration is something to look forward to. Whether the celebration is a wedding, an anniversary, a birthday, or something else, we look forward to sharing it with friends and family. But what if someone very special can’t be there? Gilly Douthwaite-Wells is an experienced counsellor. She shares her advice.
Planning any special event is full of highs and lows. There is excitement about the celebration. There is anxiety that it should all go well. These normal highs and lows become even more complicated when someone important can’t be there. The excitement might be tempered with sadness or feelings of guilt. The anxiety might be heightened by a fear of how you’ll feel and react on the day.
Gilly offers some strategies that can help to deal with the conflict of celebrating when someone special can’t be there.
Before the event
It is helpful to prepare beforehand. The run-up to any special event is a busy and emotional time. Extra tension is caused by worrying about how you will feel. Preparation can help to diffuse some of that tension.
- Make time to remember. A few days before your event, give yourself some time to remember your loved one. You might prefer to do this alone or to get together with friends and family – whatever feels best for you. Remember and celebrate what was special about that person and acknowledge your sense of loss. Releasing the emotions that surface with your memories in a private way ahead of your event can be a real relief.
- Anticipate your feelings. Think about how you might feel on the day. What will you miss about the person not being there? Think about how you think they would be feeling if they were there? What would they be saying or doing? at would they be saying or doing? How do you think they would be feeling? You might find it helpful to put your feelings down into a letter to the person. Recognise that the person would probably be pleased for you and would want you to celebrate. Thinking ahead about how you might feel can take some of the fear away.
- Keep perspective. You might worry that getting upset will ruin the special event. That worry in itself adds to your stress level. You won’t ruin it. It’s unlikely that you will spend the whole day feeling upset and you will probably be sharing your day with people who care about you and want to support you, whatever you are feeling.
- Brief a supporter. Other people can be anxious about how to behave when someone is dealing with a loss. They aren’t sure whether or how to mention the missing person. They are eager not to distress you and uncertainty about how to react can make them stilted or awkward. It can make things easier if you ask someone to take the lead on your behalf and help others to know how to react.
- Find a symbol. It can help to find something precious to represent the person who can’t be there. Some people use a photo, a crystal, a keepsake, a flower, a tune… anything that resonates for you. This is a way of feeling that the person is there with you, even though they can’t be physically present.
- Get practical. If you do get upset, what would you need to feel more comfortable? Tissues? Face-mist? Eye drops? Spare make-up? You can’t plan exactly how you’ll feel but you can plan to have the kit that will help you to feel more in control.
On the day
It’s OK. Whatever you feel, allow yourself to accept that it’s OK.
If you get upset, it’s understandable. Someone important isn’t there. If you need a bit of time for a cry or to collect your thoughts, then it’s fine to take that time. If you change your mind about how you want to handle part of the event, that’s OK. If necessary, your supporter can help to explain or tweak arrangements. If you feel happy, that’s OK too. You don’t need to feel guilty about celebrating. If you feel something that you didn’t anticipate, don’t be hard on yourself.
After the event
Just as you took some time to think about the person and yourself before your event, it helps to take some time afterwards.
- About the person. Now that the event is over, how do you think that they would have felt? What would they have enjoyed most? This helps to connect your memory of the person to your event.
- About you How did you feel? How do you feel now? Did the event unleash unexpected emotions?
If Gilly can help with more information or with any of the stages above, contact her at 07881 796864 or through www.
Do you have experience of celebrating without someone special? What helped you?
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(Picture credit: www.merrymakingeventsblog.com)
I know it’s only October but plenty of people are starting to prepare their Christmas budgets, if not their actual purchases. Here’s a few statistics about how those Christmas pounds – and hours – get spent.
UK’s average family Christmas spend is estimated to be around £414, an increase of 19% from 2010. (Twenga)
Spend on gifts was around £195 in 2010, down £37 from the previous year. (MoneySupermarket)
Children get the lion’s share of the gifts, with a third of people saying that the most expensive gift they buy will be for a child. 16% will spend most on their wives, and just 7% will spend most on their husbands.
Over a lifetime, Britons spend an average of six months on Christmas shopping (Aviva)
The average shopper buys 18 presents. (Lloyds)
Last year, the average child is received 6 presents from their family, with others getting up to 14 gifts from their family. (swapit.co.uk, 2010)
Parents expect to spend an average of £168 per child for Christmas presents. (LV, cost of a child)
61% of parents born in the 1930s said they typically spent less than £50 in total on Christmas presents for their families. Of parents born in the 1990s, only 14% spent less than £50. (Saga/Netmums)
12% of children can’t remember last year’s best gift. 14% of children surveyed no longer play with last year’s top gift. (Shopzilla)
Almost 27% of 6-12 year olds want a tablet, iPad or laptop most of all this Christmas. (Shopzilla)
The Taj Mahal and its land made history’s most expensive Christmas present. It would be worth £100 million in today’s money. (The Sun)
Use of the internet is growing. A quarter of all 16-34 year olds with Internet access said that they bought most of their presents online and almost 20% of the over 55s said they had done as well. (Mintel). Around 75% plan to make the same or more purchases online this year. (ICM Research)
Most people (34%) hide presents under the bed, with a hiding place of behind the wardrobe coming a close second. (AboutProperty)
Britain’s animal lovers will spend an estimated £27 million on Christmas gifts for their pets this year. (BlueCross)
Most people – 59% – bought clothing as a gift. (Mintel). The next favourites were perfumery items and books.
1 in 5 of won’t be sending cards this year to save money (Mintel)
Friday is my day to round up all the links that I tweeted during the week. If you like them, why not follow me as @giftlistbuilder on Twitter?
The summer weather might still be with us but the summer holiday season is over. It’s time to get back into my weekly round-up groove. So, here’s the latest round-up of our Twitter links. Hope there’s something in there for you.
Business
Retailers urged to make the most of Halloween’s £50m retail market: http://bit.ly/nbN8xI
If you’d like to turn your hobby into a business, check out our new site http://www.kitchentabletalent.com for inspiration, advice and essential contacts (via @CountryLiving)
Dominos is making a feature of its customer feedback:http://bit.ly/mP2gN4 (via @JuliaBramble)
How Today’s Hottest Startups Got Their Names http://mashable.com/2011/09/05/startup-names/ (via @MashStartups)
Tips on dealing with bad clients: http://on.mash.to/nNEKLG (via Nellie Akalp @Corpnet)
Top 10 home appliance trends from IFA international technology fair: http://bit.ly/o1hd0X
How small shops can take on the big stores: The five principles behind retail success: For small retailers to co… http://bit.ly/mYInOg (via @StartupUK)
From @entmagazine: Richard Branson on Building a Brand for Your Business http://bit.ly/jBX1u4 (via @MarketingWizdom)
The Right Way to Apologize Onlinehttp://j.mp/prjiwR (via @TMLTeam)
Public library starts to lend “living books” – people to supplement books with experiences and expertise : http://bit.ly/qssowt
All about balancing running a business with raising kids http://bit.ly/kHrvGj (via @HuddleBuy)
Do you agree with these 8 crucial elements for start-up success? http://on.mash.to/nNrXvN
Charity
FarmVille Addicts Can Help Feed Hungry Children – http://on.mash.to/ovnDRr (via @socialgood)
Only 7 more days to take advantage of 100% Giving – donate to @oxfamgb throughout Sept via PayPal and they cover the admin costs!
I’m donating 2hrs advice to a local charity who needs help with marketing? Know a charity? (via @EmmaBareBones)
UK business aims to help charities make use of vacant properties while landlords are looking for tenants: http://bit.ly/mT2Jhq
M&S/Oxfam partnership wins accolade as the most admired corporate/charity collaboration: http://bit.ly/re579w
“We never knew that people from all over the world would hear our simple voices.” – Zambia project participant, http://bit.ly/nkZHx9 (via @Heifer)
Charity Plan UK seeking support to end forced marriage for very young girls: http://bit.ly/mPmwtI
Children
Neat idea for travelling parents. This gadget squishes food into baby food: http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wean-machine
Christmas
Firebox predicts its top 5 interactive gifts for Christmas 2011: http://bit.ly/pxBKVk (via @GiftwarePro)
US comparison company publishes its prediction of this year’s hot Xmas gifts. Wonder what will be different for UK: http://bit.ly/nWMH39
Environment
Google reveals its energy consumption: http://bit.ly/p1STlI
Green small firms offered £40k funding http://bit.ly/r7lnPQ (via @StartupDonut)
A different eco-vacation – planting or harvesting on a rice farm in Thailand: http://www.springwise.com/tourism_travel/tigerlandricefarm/
Still looking for blogs on the green lifestyle. Do you recycle or use hand me downs or make new things from old…. http://fb.me/1hmtL2J8l (via @SocialMediaMums)
Gap year
Growing trend for combining gap year travels and a wedding: http://bit.ly/pVHFKD
How the gap year has changed since it took off in the ’60s: http://bit.ly/nLNqzA
Just because
Who says shower heads have to be plain steel? Check out this sparkly chandelier shower: http://bit.ly/q2gYqS
Designers bring fashion to bikes for New York fashion week: http://bit.ly/mR982a
There’s much more to NZ than rugby. Check out @GWPStudio Staggering Panorama Photo of Day Break – “Morning Dawn” http://j.mp/Artp20
Loving the slide option in this Netherlands tube station. Much more fun than escalator or stairs: http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hik-ontwerpers
Social media
Have you seen people mention their Klout scores & wondered why? This post explains why we should care: http://bit.ly/nYk2cF
7 sources of free picture images. Great for blogs: http://shar.es/bn27Z
Burberry breaks new ground by putting its latest looks on Twitter before the catwalk show: http://on.mash.to/qXZFAu
This may impact your website… making sense of the new EU Cookie law – http://bit.ly/qPc7Yu (via@MarketingDonut)
StumbleUpon helps this man propose to his girlfriend online: http://on.mash.to/oKAx9s
Tips on where to find content for your business blog via @Junta42 http://bit.ly/nZ509q
80% of Twitter users use Twitter on mobile devices (via @SocialMediaA2Z)
New stats show Stumbleupon far outperforming Facebook for referral traffic from the top 10 social sites: http://on.mash.to/nq9fkn
9 steps to managing your social media presence without affecting your regular workload http://bit.ly/oUWpv4 (via @globalcopywrite)
140 characters go a long way! US Uni offers a fully-funded MBA place to the student who makes the best Twitter pitch: http://bit.ly/nmsq25
Facebook now allows users to declare pregnancyhttp://ow.ly/5SQ6d(via @designtaxi)
6 ways that social media could hurt your business – and how to avoid the pain: http://bit.ly/jGXXIF (via @wchingya)
Tools and technology
It’s the simple things that make you kick yourself after the event. 5 things to do before you lose your gadget: http://bit.ly/q8W0jN
Weddings
Today we are looking at the wedding dress forecast for 2012/2013 http://bit.ly/ro7DcT (via @WeAdore)
If Cunard jiggles its cruise ship registrations, it will be possible to get married at sea: http://bit.ly/qyRKDW
25% of couples are interested in getting married abroad, according to AWeddingAbroad.com
One for the serious Lord of The Rings fan – a Gollum wedding cake: http://bit.ly/ofoFyI
Lovely little stories of your secret weddings, from the furious bride to the guilty secret http://gu.com/p/3xj4a (via @Guardianfamily)
Do fairytale weddings float your boat? It’s all about the fairytale on the blog today http://wp.me/p1wyLh-6q (via @TemptingCake)
Wedding photographer shoots Barbie & Ken’s big day: http://bit.ly/oc3cT1
A Harry Potter #Wedding Where The Guests Were Seated By Sorting Hat ~ http://ow.ly/6esez (via @BrideTide)
Important to give guests options: 20% said they had to spend more than they would have liked on wedding gifts: http://bit.ly/pEKaQA
Giving away your wedding dress? 5 ways to make sure it gets directly to another bride: http://bit.ly/qNGCHI
Your wedding, your choice of gift. This couple wanted rare breed pigs which formed the base of their start-up: http://bit.ly/r36X2f
The way that a business handles an email or call from a customer is a big indicator to its customers. As the business grows, our interaction with customers also grows. It got me thinking about how we can try to make sure that any query handling leaves the best possible impression.
Customer queries come in all shapes and sizes. They don’t come only when we’ve got plenty of time to respond. They don’t always come in neat packages with the need or issue clearly identified. They don’t always ask for things that we can provide. Whatever and whenever they are, our response is critical. Our business will be judged on the way we handle customer queries.
Here are 10 steps that I try to follow.
1. Respond swiftly.
70% of customers will come back if they feel that you handled their problem well. This come-back rises to a massive 96% if you do it quickly. If you can’t fully answer the query immediately – for example, if you need to do some investigations – then swiftly acknowledge the query and let the customer know what’s happening next. That way, he or she isn’t left dangling and wondering.
2. Put yourself in their shoes.
You might feel that the information supplied with your product is sufficient and that a bit of reading would have avoided the problem. You might well have supplied the product within your stated terms and conditions. It makes no difference. The person who has contacted you is important to your business and they have something to say. They’ve made an effort to contact you – only 4% of customers do; the rest walk away without giving you any insight into why – so it’s worth suspending any frustrations or judgements as you take the query.
3. Don’t guess.
Sometimes, the customer’s question will be clear. Other times you’ll find that you aren’t entirely sure what the customer wants. What exactly is the issue or question? What are they hoping that the outcome will be? If the query isn’t crystal clear, then ask them more about it. Reflect back to them what you think the query is and give them chance to confirm. Otherwise, your best efforts will go on answering the wrong question. The result will be a disconnected customer.
4. Make it personal.
Use information in the query to make your response feel personal. If the person gives their name, use it in your reply. You could reference other information from their email or call to differentiate your reply from anonymous boilerplate text. For example, if I get a query from a guest about John’s party list, I might close by hoping that John enjoys his celebration. Make the response come from a person. Even if you use a generic team email address, each person in the team could identify themselves by name at the end of their replies.
5. Be candid.
If your product or service can’t meet their expectation, then say so. Say so nicely but say so all the same. If someone in your team made a mistake, say so. No-one likes to feel that the business isn’t being straight with them.
6. Keep the door open.
Offer a come-back if they need anything more, in a way that connects it with their original request. I recently had some problems with my computer. Every time I called the customer service helpline, I got a different agent. None of the agents had any connection to what the previous one had tried. I had to repeat the problem history every time and the agents attempted fixes that had already been tried and failed. It was not an experience that reflected well on the business.
7. Watch your language.
Take care of your spelling and grammar. Find a tone that is friendly and professional. A scrawled email with misspellings or a careless phone manner sends a message to the customer that you don’t care about the query and, by extension, about him.
8. Do something unexpected.
Is there something that you can do that is beyond the strict terms and conditions but leaves a great impression? Christmas shopping last year, I was frustrated when a website allowed me to order a shirt that proved to be out of stock. I sent an email to let them know. The replacement shirt arrived. Tucked in the parcel was a simple hand-written apology and a complimentary pair of socks. I was happy with the replacement shirt. I was delighted with the unexpected gift and personal touch.
9. Close the loop.
A query is an indicator that something could be improved. Perhaps the text on the product or site could be tweaked to make things clearer for the customer? Perhaps it gives you an idea for a new feature that customers would value? Look beyond the face-value of the query to see if there is something that your business can change to make it even easier or better to use.
10. Follow up.
If their query suggests a change to your product or service and you make that change, why not drop them an email to let them know?
What do you do with customer queries? Can you share other tips?
Photographs make great memories of special times, special places or people. Treat yourself or ask friends and family to club together for some great pictures.
Tony and Carol Jones run a photography business based in Kent. Tony is the photographer. Carol takes care of clients to make sure that things go super-smoothly. Although the team work mostly in London and the South East, they can reach any location nationally and even internationally.
Tony’s style is relaxed, contemporary reportage. This means that his work is less about staging a series of separate shots and more about capturing scenes as they unfold naturally. Careful advance preparation ensures that Tony is in just the right place to frame the perfect picture, without interrupting the flow of the event. Tony has many years of experience in portrait and lifestyle photography and his work was recognised with a finalist place in a recent competition to provide the cover shot for Advanced Photographer magazine.
Regular and personal communication with their clients starts with a pre-session consultation and follows through to the final selection of photographs. Testimonals from their customers praise the level of communication that they’ve had from the husband-and-wife team, how special the team made them feel, and how relaxed and enjoyable they found the sessions.
You can see what Tony and Carol offer at http://www.tonyjonesphotography.co.uk/. For wedding photography, visit their elegant wedding site at http://www.aphroditenet.co.uk/. You can choose from defined packages or discuss your wishes with Tony and Carol for a bespoke service.
Perhaps you have a significant event to mark: an engagement, wedding, anniversary or new baby? Or you want to capture a time in your family history? Or perhaps a certain place has become special for you? No matter what your reason for wanting photographs, Tony and Carol would love to hear from you.
Friday is my day to round up all the links that I tweeted during the week. If you like them, why not follow me as @giftlistbuilder on Twitter?
The last few weeks have flown by. Business activity has been up and the overall juggle level intensified with summer illnesses, team vacations, and family milestones. So, here’s a round-up of a whole month’s worth of Twitter information. Hope there’s something in there for you.
Business
What is a negative online customer review going to cost your small business? http://bit.ly/qk3VsO (via @MarketingDonut)
How open are you with professional contacts about events in your life? Thought-provoking post from @paulhassing http://t.co/IYeaasm
Great advice on making the best partnership with your graphic designer: http://t.co/9cUzjJ2 via @Junta42
Decision not to phase out cheques is welcomed by Which? & other campaigners: http://t.co/h8lD4Rq
Marketing Week’s live summary of brands taking a position on #NOTW advertising: http://t.co/L1rIy6d
Why do people follow brands? http://t.co/vEFuvoO
The importance of images in PR – http://bit.ly/nUHBqU Really useful tips from @CeriJane (via @MarketingDonut)
97% are influenced in a purchase decision by their online experience of a brand: http://t.co/vEFuvoO
Business owners’ three biggest PR mistakes http://bit.ly/mglitp (via @StartupDonut)
British Chamber of Commerce wants Govt to do more to encourage sole traders to become employers: http://t.co/4X82MYS
Businesses cautioned against ignoring the older generation in their pursuit of the young: http://t.co/cYOatRl
Charity
Oxfam could use donations of wellies and jackets for their shops at upcoming UK festivals: http://t.co/HQAhJoV
Children
Plum – Baby clothes for rent by the month http://t.co/XgBYRVz ( #OWNERLESS http://bit.ly/oPcbcG )
Christmas
Summer has not arrived yet and Hamleys released their top 10 Christmas List for 2011 http://t.co/QYJqhmw
Environment
Doesn’t the weather make you want to hang out the bunting? Especially when you can plant it to grow wildflowers later! http://t.co/BVO6EXS (via @TheGreenGal)
Gap year
Tuition fees prompt students into “mini gap years”: http://t.co/YGjssqT
Gifts
Bad news for super-car dreamers. Bugatti have sold the very last Veyron coupe: http://t.co/4m5gcrk
Making a book of your Facebook life: http://t.co/IzPxy9F A gift for someone who shared a special or eventful year?
Just because
INSTALLING SUMMER….. ███████████████░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ 44% DONE. Installation failed. Please try again. Season not found.
Keep up your water intake. Loss of only 3% of your body’s water content causes a 10% drop in strength and an 8% loss of speed.
“Don’t underestimate me – I’m a mother.” Alice Payne’s mother warning lowlifes off her daughter’s blog: http://t.co/HjNI0ti
Social media
How Entrepreneurs Can Connect With Twitter Influentials http://t.co/fIg9Zuu via @entmagazine
Fact of the day: 79% of US Twitter users are more likely to recommend brands they follow. (via @BigWaveMedia)
13 lessons from 13 months blogging: http://www.grassrootsinternetstrategy.com.au/13-lessons-from-13-months-of-blogging/
Five Copywriting Errors That Can Ruin A Company’s Website: No matter how brilliant a website’s des… http://bit.ly/iQT58g (via @MintTwist)
One of the most popular types of blog posts is a list. @NateRiggs gives all the tips and how to’s here! http://bit.ly/imPNb5 #cmi
Tools and technology
How a California hospital uses technology to connect parents with preemies http://bit.ly/qvbq2y #hc (via @MarkRanganCEO)
Weddings
Video link enables injured soldier to deliver his best man’s speech from his hospital bed to his brother’s wedding: http://t.co/3B2wDXb
ONS: 6,385 civil partnerships in UK last year. Seems v low to me vs 231,490 marriages. And just 268 partnerships in Wales (via @HWallop)
Weddings can be pricy events. Check out the many savings available through bigdaydiscounts.co.uk
As wedding planners aren’t yet mainstream in India, Mumbai offers a wedding cafe to connect suppliers and couples: http://t.co/Ms3SJel
Here’s a study on American Weddings. Definitely of interest to photography professionals, engaged couples and… http://fb.me/IMNqBzFy (via @ZaZaPhotography)
Break-up parties taking off in Delhi: http://t.co/rYeOrJe
Thoughtful giving is an aim of DOUZO so we were pleased this week to feature in an article about how to make ethical choices in planning and celebrating a wedding.
Inspired Times was launched in 2009. It’s an independent, quarterly magazine that seeks out uplifting, inspirational news, explores the latest environmental initiatives and issues and celebrates holistic living. In keeping with its eco-friendly ethos, the magazine is printed on recycled paper in vegetable ink and distributed in bio-degradable wallets.
In the latest issue, Fiona Longston looks at ethical options for wedding celebrations. Her article,”Green is the new white”, offers lots of suggestions about how couples can make their wedding as environmentally positive as possible. She mentions DOUZO as a “refreshingly new concept of giving”. You can read Fiona’s article here: IN9Pg4-6
To find out more about Inspired Times, see their website: http://www.inspiredtimesmagazine.com
Do you ever feel overwhelmed at the number of things to worry about? The notion of a “circle of control” is something I learned way back before I started DOUZO. It serves me well both personally and as a small business owner. See what you think…
It’s a busy world we live in today. Far-away events are closer, thanks to increased travel and online information. The internet allows us to reach people and publish in a way that would have been unthinkable a generation ago. Being connected is great but it can also lead to overload or even panic as we grab at hundreds of threads of possibility. For small business owners, it’s important to put our energy where it can make a difference – and not waste it where it can’t. That’s where the “circle of control” can help.
The theory
Leadership expert, Dr. Stephen Covey put forward the idea of distinct areas, shown in the picture as concentric circles.
- The smallest one, right in the centre, is the “circle of control”. This area represents the things that you can affect directly with your own resources.
- Surrounding the circle of control is larger circle: the “circle of influence”. This represents the things that you can affect through others.
- The outside circle is the largest of all: the “circle of concern”. This represents all the things that concern you in the world. You can imagine how relatively enormous this is compared to the other two circles. Tthings in this area concern you but you cannot change them directly by yourself or directly through others.
The practice
What if a major company decided to launch a gift list service with the same features as DOUZO? With their marketing and technical development resources, they would be a significant threat to my business. I’m concerned about that, but there is nothing I can do about it. I need not to waste energy on it.
What I can do is to drive my effort into knowing my market and steadily growing my business’ profile in that market. I’m in control of that. I can build a network of others and, in partnership, reach even further. I can influence that.
If I’m planning a wedding, I can get agitated about the possibility of rain on my special day. The weather is in my circle of concern. There isn’t a single thing I can do to stop it raining. What I can do – in my circle of concern – is to make sure that there are contingency plans for photographs if it’s too wet to go outside and that someone has a pretty umbrella to shield my dress.
Try to…
- Look at what you are using energy on. Is it in your circle of control or influence? Or is it simply a concern? Becoming aware of where we spend our energy is a big step in harnessing it in the most productive way.
- Evaluate what you are doing for the things that are in your circle of control. Are you happy that you’re putting enough energy and resources in there?
- Look at your marketing. Are you directing your customers away into their circle of concern: things that are dreamy but extremely unlikely results of your product? Or to outcomes that are in their circle of control: things that are still aspirational but have likely results? (For example, donating to a charity won’t stop famine – but it absolutely can save a child.) Putting customers in their circle of control or influence empowers them and makes them more likely to take action.
- Extend your circle of influence. Build your network and support others. There’s one of you and lots of others, so make this circle as wide as you can.
What do you think? Are you conscious of a circle of control? Do you think that the idea could help?
(Image credit: www.devinetics.com)
