Comments for On our bikes http://onourbikes.com Small business life Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:18:41 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on Why we need to retain our business ambition by Jon Stow http://onourbikes.com/2010/03/05/why-we-need-to-retain-our-business-ambition/#comment-251 Jon Stow Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:18:41 +0000 http://onourbikes.com/?p=220#comment-251 Thank you, Sarah. I really do believe we all need something to aim for. I wish you luck in achieving your new ambition. I have one too which is not so different from one I had in my mid-teens, and is achievable with persistence and application. Thank you, Sarah. I really do believe we all need something to aim for. I wish you luck in achieving your new ambition. I have one too which is not so different from one I had in my mid-teens, and is achievable with persistence and application.

]]> Comment on Why we need to retain our business ambition by Sarah Arrow http://onourbikes.com/2010/03/05/why-we-need-to-retain-our-business-ambition/#comment-250 Sarah Arrow Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:49:25 +0000 http://onourbikes.com/?p=220#comment-250 Jon, I love this post :-) I also wanted to be an astronaut, but my dream was thwarted by parents who worrying about the first Gulf war in the 90's refused to let me join the RAF. Recently, I have discovered there is something that I want, and I want it so much that it has focused me. Yesterday I had lunch with a mutual friend of ours and he had an almost identical idea for a business that I had. Normally I would have said nothing, but it's a really good idea, so we become a joint venture - to achieve my ambition, I could not let go of the concept and walk away like I normally do, I fought my case and I feel it's stronger for having the other person as part of the team to realise this goal. Regaining my motivation has been a big thing for me :-) Sarah Jon, I love this post :-)
I also wanted to be an astronaut, but my dream was thwarted by parents who worrying about the first Gulf war in the 90’s refused to let me join the RAF.

Recently, I have discovered there is something that I want, and I want it so much that it has focused me. Yesterday I had lunch with a mutual friend of ours and he had an almost identical idea for a business that I had.

Normally I would have said nothing, but it’s a really good idea, so we become a joint venture – to achieve my ambition, I could not let go of the concept and walk away like I normally do, I fought my case and I feel it’s stronger for having the other person as part of the team to realise this goal.

Regaining my motivation has been a big thing for me :-)

Sarah

]]> Comment on How I use Twitter by Martin Thomson http://onourbikes.com/2010/03/01/how-i-use-twitter/#comment-240 Martin Thomson Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:00:19 +0000 http://onourbikes.com/?p=216#comment-240 Another great article Jon. Really informative for us who are just getting into social networking. The clues in the name -Networking. I see it as a natural extension of "real life" networking. It's all about building those relationships, developing trust , which in turn overtime will lead to business! Another great article Jon. Really informative for us who are just getting into social networking. The clues in the name -Networking. I see it as a natural extension of “real life” networking. It’s all about building those relationships, developing trust , which in turn overtime will lead to business!

]]> Comment on Why we need to be courageous in business by Jon Stow http://onourbikes.com/2010/02/28/why-we-need-to-be-courageous-in-business/#comment-239 Jon Stow Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:42:47 +0000 http://onourbikes.com/?p=213#comment-239 Thanks for your comment, Martin. You are right; we need to challenge ourselves on a regular basis. Thanks for your comment, Martin. You are right; we need to challenge ourselves on a regular basis.

]]> Comment on Why we need to be courageous in business by Martin Thomson http://onourbikes.com/2010/02/28/why-we-need-to-be-courageous-in-business/#comment-238 Martin Thomson Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:33:58 +0000 http://onourbikes.com/?p=213#comment-238 Hi Jon I always think of fear as False Evidence Appearing Real. Those voices we sometimes listen to are often our own self limiting beliefs. the I can'ts, the that's not me, it's easy for thems etc. So I wholeheartedly agree when you say we need courage in business. Working on your own self development, setting clear goals, keeping focused and taking action aren't easy. Sometimes it's not nice hearing the answer when we ask questions of ourselves. Courage can help you stear a steady path. Thanks for the article Jon it really struck a cord! Hi Jon I always think of fear as False Evidence Appearing Real. Those voices we sometimes listen to are often our own self limiting beliefs. the I can’ts, the that’s not me, it’s easy for thems etc. So I wholeheartedly agree when you say we need courage in business. Working on your own self development, setting clear goals, keeping focused and taking action aren’t easy. Sometimes it’s not nice hearing the answer when we ask questions of ourselves. Courage can help you stear a steady path. Thanks for the article Jon it really struck a cord!

]]> Comment on Why we need to take an outside view in business by Why we need to be courageous in business « On our bikes http://onourbikes.com/2010/01/31/why-we-need-to-take-an-outside-view-in-business/#comment-236 Why we need to be courageous in business « On our bikes Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:21:06 +0000 http://onourbikes.com/?p=192#comment-236 [...] I have by asking for an outside opinion on what I am doing; taking my own advice. I am taking my own medicine as promised and ignoring the voices at the back with their shrill [...] [...] I have by asking for an outside opinion on what I am doing; taking my own advice. I am taking my own medicine as promised and ignoring the voices at the back with their shrill [...]

]]> Comment on Why we should not always take the easy way in business by Why we need to be courageous in business « On our bikes http://onourbikes.com/2010/02/15/why-we-should-not-always-take-the-easy-way-in-business/#comment-235 Why we need to be courageous in business « On our bikes Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:21:01 +0000 http://onourbikes.com/?p=203#comment-235 [...] Sometimes we need to be brave in business. A week or so ago I wrote about how we sometimes need to show courage in our business and take some hard [...] [...] Sometimes we need to be brave in business. A week or so ago I wrote about how we sometimes need to show courage in our business and take some hard [...]

]]> Comment on More imagination in customer service by Dan http://onourbikes.com/2010/01/16/more-imagination-in-customer-service/#comment-211 Dan Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:52:18 +0000 http://onourbikes.com/?p=189#comment-211 There is a shocking lack of customer service in just about every shop you care to go in these days. Don't get me wrong, I don't expect staff to be falling over themselves to help me (though every now and then it would be nice!), but the sheer amount of staff that barely show the vaguest interest in doing their job is shocking. At least you got a call back from one place, which is more than I dare say you'd get from many, and it's good to see that at least one business had the common sense to try something new! There is a shocking lack of customer service in just about every shop you care to go in these days. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t expect staff to be falling over themselves to help me (though every now and then it would be nice!), but the sheer amount of staff that barely show the vaguest interest in doing their job is shocking.

At least you got a call back from one place, which is more than I dare say you’d get from many, and it’s good to see that at least one business had the common sense to try something new!

]]> Comment on More imagination in customer service by Jon Stow http://onourbikes.com/2010/01/16/more-imagination-in-customer-service/#comment-210 Jon Stow Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:20:06 +0000 http://onourbikes.com/?p=189#comment-210 Thank you, Roy. It really ia a question of imagination in just thinking how we might change our approach to business. Sometimes we can offer a valued service with very little overhead cost to ourselves. We need to consider the value to our client in finding a price, but also the value to ourselves in gaining more opportunity for future referrals by trying something new. Charge the right price but try not to be greedy because that can turn off a potentially good new stream of business. Thank you, Roy. It really ia a question of imagination in just thinking how we might change our approach to business. Sometimes we can offer a valued service with very little overhead cost to ourselves. We need to consider the value to our client in finding a price, but also the value to ourselves in gaining more opportunity for future referrals by trying something new. Charge the right price but try not to be greedy because that can turn off a potentially good new stream of business.

]]> Comment on More imagination in customer service by Roy Atkinson http://onourbikes.com/2010/01/16/more-imagination-in-customer-service/#comment-208 Roy Atkinson Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:31:04 +0000 http://onourbikes.com/?p=189#comment-208 Thank you for writing this. It would seem that one of the prime reasons to gain business is to expand customer base. Sometimes that requires doing something a little bit different. I hope your new venue proves to be just the perfect happenstance. Thank you for writing this. It would seem that one of the prime reasons to gain business is to expand customer base. Sometimes that requires doing something a little bit different.

I hope your new venue proves to be just the perfect happenstance.

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