When was the last time you asked someone unrelated to your business to find something on your website?

A client and I were discussing hiring tactics this week, in particular interview questions. Skills can be easily assessed, what's far harder is personality.

Depending on where in the world you read this blog, you will have between 100 and 101 days left of 2020. Now, that’s still a decent chunk of time to dive into something you really wanted to get done this year.

What do you think that small business owners REALLY need to focus on right now?

We are –globally– facing situations and circumstances that have rocked our routines, shaken up our support systems and made us genuinely question what's important.

How many times in the last month did you find yourself thinking about another person's business? It could have been a direct competitor or someone you barely know from your social media feed.

Do you know your values as a brand? You know, the ideas and beliefs your business stands for? (Don't worry if not, there are more than 1 billion search results for "how to work out my brand values"; it would seem you're not alone).

Comparison is a word that came up a lot for me this past week, in conversations with clients, ad-hoc voicemails with friends and in the rambling one-way conversations that take place in my own head some days.

One question I have often received — and I feel a bit #awks as an Aussie even admitting to this (yep, big fear of the Tall Poppy Syndrome) — is, "How do you get so much done?".

Where do we even begin? The past few months have been a complete rollercoaster of emotions. How will this situation enable you to grow personally and professionally? What might change for the better as a result?

If someone asked you right now to disclose how much your business made in the last quarter, how it would make you feel? Would you squirm and retreat into yourself or would you feel proud and happy to discuss at length? Would you even know the number? Does the mere thought of this possibly happening make you uneasy?

I am writing this Sunday morning, after tearing myself away from reading a new business book. I know, I know, a recent email was on top business books and this won’t be a repeat of that, but I have to share...

I was in Sydney this weekend to talk at an event and, as I usually do, I bought myself a book at the airport (sidenote: something like 50% of all books in Australia are bought in airports, so don’t feel bad if you share my habit of airport shopping).

Have you ever started watching a new series on Netflix and silently promised yourself you’ll only watch one episode, only to find that two hours and three episodes later you’re still watching?

It was a surreal moment when I received the posted parcel from my publisher with the first printed pages of my first business book and seeing my thoughts and ideas brought to life with design elements, colours, page layouts and typography.

It may seem like Buyer Psychology 101, but it's thought more than 90% of purchase decision are based on emotions. In fact, when it comes to guiding people to buy from your small biz, it's ALLLLLL about tapping into the emotion.

Years ago my husband and I volunteered at a winter night shelter for homeless people in London. For three years, we would brave the bitter dark mornings, walk to the shelter, cook breakfast and clean away the bedding.