Do you have a 1900’s website?

Do you have a 1900’s website?

Website’s weren’t around in the 1900’s, they came much later!

Think about this, films today are so different to those made years ago. Films have continued to develop in the way they are made and produced. If you can understand that then think of your business as a film. Just as films have and continue to develop and adapt, so must you and your business.

One focus could be your website. Paying for a website might be difficult at the start, however, your website is the window by which you showcase you and your business and so investing in it is important.

All those wanting to work with you, connect with you, buy from you or support you need to feel they know you. Business and charity are more to do with people than what the business or charity actually does. You can put your products and services on your website but to those visiting it’s so what? Its the why should they buy from you, who are you, why this business and why this product?

8 Tips for your website:

* Spend what money you can on the best website you can
* Engage a copywriter and/or PR expert to help write the content and try not to use jargon – try using plain
English
* Make your website uncluttered – Home, About, Product and/or services, contact
* Have a video – a silent website is like a silent movie, not interesting and out of date. Make your video
effective or different and make sure that a video is on the correct website page and make the video relevant to
the audience
* Keep your landing page simple and concise – remember the 8 second rule? Visitors have just 8 seconds to decide
about looking further
* Include your branding throughout
* Follow up all messages – as time goes on and you become busier you may engage a virtual assistant or an associate
* Review your website, does it still represent your business/charity and you?

Do you have a 1900’s website? Only you have the answer.

Alison Cross-Jones

PR – What’s it all about to you?

PR – What’s it all about to you?

Is PR paid advertising? Is PR social media e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Instragram, etc? Is PR being in the press, on the TV and/or radio? Is PR marketing? Is PR your website? Is PR about images or photos?

The truth is PR is ALL of the above and much more!

Think of PR as your personal business/charity book because its your story and each of the above are parts of that book like chapters. Good PR is about providing interesting stories, building interest in you, your brand and what makes you unique. Just as each person is different so is each business and charity, even those doing similar things.

Do you need to pay for good PR? That’s a question I often get asked as a consultant. My response is that some of your PR you can do yourself at no cost but for some having professional PR support is vital. So if you need advice and support go to an expert in that field. However, remember that excellence in one field does not equate to excellence in all fields of PR. Do your research, ask for recommendations and listen, value the support being provided.

I always suggest an annual PR review with an expert. This is a one off session where you and a PR expert can plan for the coming year, where the expert can provide tips for the PR you plan on doing yourself and to plan the PR the expert will do. This gives a complete balance to what you’re doing.

PR – What’s it all about to you? Its about a lot of different aspects all working together for success.

Alison Cross-Jones

Get your ducks in a row before trouble strikes!

Get your ducks in a row before trouble strikes!

Too many people start a great charitable endeavour. A good, much needed idea, however, they move forward before they “get all their ducks in a row.” Too many people start a charity and think its not a business. All charities are businesses and until you realise that, real success will elude you.

What does getting all your ducks in a row really mean?

It’s about making sure that you have a firm foundation to build on, firstly it’s about making sure your idea is needed and it’s about building a core team to help you achieve your goal. Choose those with ability as well as those who share your passion, so other people in business, teachers, solicitors and barristers, those in financial services, etc

Once your team is in place, things like policies and procedures follow. Some examples are: financial, safeguarding (and not just for children), volunteer, health and safety, to name to few and that’s just for starters because the job is much bigger than you’ll think.

Don’t forget risk assessments because every area of what you carries a risk, staff, volunteers, money, activities/projects are just examples the list is endless. Your risk assessments will show possible supporters, grant givers and supporters that you understand all possible risks and how you aim to mitigate these.

N.B: All of your policies, procedures, risk assessments will need to be reviewed to be regularly, at least annually. Consultants can help you complete an organisational audit and while this costs, its worth putting this into your annual budget.

Then you’ll need insurances for example: public liability, employee liability (even if you have volunteers), trustee/director liability to name a few.

Once you’ve got all these in place you’ll need a robust business plan. However, you can’t write this until you’ve sat down with an accountant and worked out annual costs, planned your income and fundraising strategy as well as your PR for the coming year. When all of the above has been completed then you can put together your business plan in the knowledge that you’re ready to face all possible challenges. I always recommend a rolling business plan because this means an annual review and an opportunity to make any changes that are necessary. It also keeps the team focused on the goals and work.

Finally, everything completed your ready to roll out your work to the public.

Many start without building a foundation, they try and do these vital pieces of work after making their work public. To those individuals and those supporting I’d say beware you have failed to get your ducks in a row and trouble will likely strike without expert help.

Alison Cross-Jones
Consultant

A New Year, A New Start

A New Year, A New Start

2019 has already well and truly begun! For me its been with a bang, a health scare but its been the jolt I needed! No matter who we are or what we do we all need a ‘jolt’ something that makes us stop and reevaluate where we are, where we’re going and how we can get there. Sometimes life throws things into the mix and then no matter what we first thought, our journey changes.

My journey this year is a bit like that. My health scare has put a different focus on my year ahead, a prospective move and a change within my job are all things that will change my direction. I’m looking at each one as a new and exciting challenge.

Whilst frightening at the time my health scare means that I now need to refocus on my weight loss, eat less sugar (again) and drink more water.

My home move is an opportunity to build a home that’s all mine, one where I can make new friends and have a new start.

Any change in employment is an opportunity to learn, develop your skills and progress yourself and that has to be positive, so embrace these, don’t shy away, be fabulous!

I did have other plans for 2019 and while those won’t be forgotten, the focus has changed but that’s okay and that’s positive too. My Nan used to say that every new year was an opportunity to write a new chapter and it was down to all of us to make it good.

A New Year, A New Start, I intend that it will be, what about you?

The world of the homeless!

The world of the homeless!

Homelessness hits anyone! We are all just a step or two away from being homeless and being homeless is a life of despair. “Oh don’t give them money they’ll only spend it on drink and/or drugs” I’ve heard people say. My question to those is:

“How would you cope living the life that they do, is it any wonder these are the things they turn to? Whatever happened to being one community, where has caring about one another gone?”

Recently, I’ve been inspired by the work of the Charities and Community Organisations who go out and support those who face the greatest challenges and the greatest stigma. As a society, we’ve moved on with technology, ideas, housing, employment but in many areas life moves more slowly and for the homeless its almost Dickensian!

Albert Einstein said: “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”

How many of us can truly say that when we spot a homeless person, we stop, talk, give help or smile? These things mean so much to those who live their life on the streets. It’s the small things each one of us takes for granted that means so much. My children always say that a trip out with me takes longer because they know that I’ll stop and talk to every homeless person I meet. Every story makes me feel sad. Sad that they have no-one, sad that their life seems hopeless to them. What makes me the saddest is my fellow citizens walking past, no words, no kindness, as if they are diseased!

We need to make a change. A change for the homeless, a change for ourselves. A change to the way society views those who are homeless. An understanding that those who are homeless will probably turn in desperation to alcohol and drugs because their lives are in utter despair.

We need to get the policy makers to change the way they can be housed. If councils can house the homeless in the cold weather, why can’t they house them all year round? What’s the barriers?

To those out there supporting and helping the homeless in whatever way they can, I commend you. I hope that everyone will at the very least support you and donate to you, even if they feel they cannot do anything themselves.

“We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give” WINSTON CHURCHILL

All the wonderful people looking after the homeless are making a real difference to lives. A homeless person is part of a family, our community.

In the words of a song: “Reach out and touch somebody’s hand, make this world a better place, if you can.”

We may never end homelessness but we can all do our bit no matter how big or small. After all a smile or hello or conversation costs you nothing but a small amount of your time!

The world of the homeless!

When passion alone just isn’t enough!

When passion alone just isn’t enough!

Whether it be a business idea, a charity idea or a great community initiative or project, it all starts with your passion. If you don’t have a passion for what you do or want to do then there is no point. Is passion alone enough?

I recently saw a sign which said “When you have passion, success will follow”. Is this true?

Recently I’ve seen people embarking on things they are passionate about. They ooze enthusiasm, they want their work to be successful. They hold on tight to what they do and try and find others that share their idea or passion. However, for some this is a fruitless task because instead of finding the right people for the task, they find people who want to support them.

We all need people to support what we’re trying to achieve but we also need people who can do the job. For example we might want to set up an organisation/business to help ex fishermen but you wouldn’t only involve ex fishermen because they might not all have the right skills.

Those starting a new venture or widening an initiative might seek advice. On the surface they’ll say, “I want advice” but when its given the response is “I have no time to change things” or “We’ve always done it this way”.

What they fail to realise is that no one person can know it all. I’ve learnt this over the years. What they need is to take advice from those who have expertise. If they want success then they’ll make time! If they want success they’ll think about change and act on it!

You ask about an action or business plan! – Then you find out that there isn’t one! They believe that they can run something successful without one? Really? They also believe that they will get funding, donations and build working relationships without one? Really? The reality is they aren’t! No one is going to give money to someone with passion but no plan. I’ve even heard someone say “I can get someone to write a business plan overnight”. Seriously? Anyone with experience will see it and not support it!

Everything good in life starts with passion but without taking the appropriate advice from those who know, without the right team behind you and in the absence of a well thought out plan in advance, passion alone just isn’t enough!

Finding love when you’re over 50 it’s a different kettle of fish!

Finding love when you’re over 50 it’s a different kettle of fish!

When you’re young you go out, you embrace and enjoy life. You find someone you fancy or even lust over, you’re not afraid to take a chance and even if you’re knocked back you bounce back up and carry on with life. When you’re young you are fearless! Okay so each persons sense of fearlessness will differ because we’re not all the same but I’m sure that each of us looks back knowing that things we would do or attempt to do when we were younger, seem alien to us now!

What happens to us in the intervening years? As we get older our zest for life and fearlessness seems to diminish? Has life really been that cruel to us? Is it because we’ve felt the pain that relationship break ups cause? Do we think rejection is failure? Do we suddenly become more self-consciousness about the way we look or what others think of us?

For me its kind of a bit of all of the above in a way! I’ve been on my own now for almost twenty years! “Get back into the driving seat” people say and all the while I’m thinking, driving seat? “I wasn’t good the first time round in the driving seat and in the last 20 years I’ve lost the manual!” I find myself in need of a set of instructions! In some ways climbing Mount Snowden would seem an easier challenge right now and it was bloody hard the first time and that was over thirty years ago!

Being over 50 seems to be no longer about finding someone you fancy and if you do you probably have even more to worry about because how the hell do you start by letting a complete stranger know that you fancy them? I currently have this dilemma and I have no idea where to start? If I use the same approach I would have used in my twenties he might think of me as some nut and steer clear!

My Nan used to say that looks aren’t everything as long as you get butterflies when you see someone, that you have laughter and some of the same interests, enough to be compatible but others that are different because it gives you things to talk about. She was a wise woman and I miss not having her here to talk to.

My children encourage me to find someone, my family and close friends are behind me supporting me as they always are but it’s a fact that finding love when you’re over 50 it’s a different kettle of fish!

Good luck in your quest to find love! There are people who successfully find love when they’re over 50 so I know it’s not an impossible dream and I remain hopeful!

What kind of society are we becoming? Which Scrooge are you?

What kind of society are we becoming? Which Scrooge are you?

Through my work I’m helping and supporting so many people each facing challenges that the rest of us could never imagine. There are those having their benefits reduced because of a DWP mistakes years ago (sometimes more than four years ago). Should anyone be without money because of a mistake beyond their control?

There are those without any money for up to twenty six weeks, those with disabilities that have never been recognised trying to navigate the road that is life made even more difficult because of their disability.
The homeless ex-serviceman, discharged on medical grounds, the parents of a child with a learning disability that no one seems to be listening to! The list goes on and on!

Should anyone today have to live like this today? Have we really learnt nothing? The truth is as a society we’re spoon fed the media version of life and like fools this is what people believe. The reality is lost! Are we immune to really caring? What kind of society are we becoming? Do we only care when we can be publicly seen to care? What’s happened to our sense of being responsibility for one another?

“Look after our own first,” is the cry I often hear! Who do the people saying this think should be doing this? Are they in fact doing it themselves or are these words for others to do it instead? The truth is we should all look out for one another!

“Charity begins at home!” Is this a justification of not to give or do we mean we should look after our neighbours and fellow citizens because they are the nearest?

Through my charity work I’ve out a number of public appeals, which for the most part have been successful however, they’ve also been seen by some as an opportunity to offload junk rather than really help! It’s the reality! For every person publicly helped, there’s ten who aren’t!

This weekend I’ve read about a charity that’s closing due to lack of support and the business support dwindling. We live in difficult times but kindness costs nothing, having a heart costs nothing. We can give our money but we can also give our time too!

One of my favourite Christmas stories is A Christmas Carol where the main character Scrooge changes the person he is in time for Christmas. Do we resemble Scrooge before the change? Are we just self, self, self?

In the words of ‘Scrooge’ in the modern film ‘Scrooged'(based on ‘A Christmas Carol’):

“Christmas Eve is the one night of the year where we act a little nicer, we smile a little easier, we cheer a little more. For a couple of hours out of the year we are the people that we always hoped we’d be. It’s a miracle …..”

“You have to do something, you have to take a chance, you do have to get involved. There are people having trouble making their miracle happen. There are people who don’t have enough to eat, there are people who are cold. You could go out and say hello to these people, you could take them a blanket, make them a sandwich and say oh by the way, here.”

“I get it now and if you give then it can happen, then the miracle can happen to you. It’s not just the poor and hungry its everybody, who’s got to have this miracle and it can happen tonight for all of you, if you believe, then this miracle will happen and you’ll want it to happen everyday ………”

“You’ve just got to want that feeling and if you like it and you want it, you’ll get greedy for it and you’ll want it every day for the rest of your life ….”

What kind of society are we becoming? Which Scrooge are you? Only you the reader can answer this question and only you are responsible for the choices and decisions you make! Christmas is around the corner, use this time to start afresh; be the Scrooge who found a heart and the true meaning of Christmas.

https://www.gofundme.com/healsxmaswinappeal

http://www.healsmalmesbury.com

What would Dickens say today?

What would Dickens say today?

In the last few days my youngest daughter (Alex) and I had the privilege of meeting Matthew in London. Matthew is homeless, he grew up in care, left care at 16, went to college and successfully became a plumber. Matthew felt he’d achieved something, he told us he was proud of who he’d become. He met a young lady and had a daughter. Life seemed perfect for Matthew, life couldn’t get any better! His young daughter became ill and Matthew couldn’t cope with the prospect of this and after his daughter passed away aged 6 years, his partner asked him to leave the family home. She couldn’t deal with her own grief and Matthews too so Matthew found himself homeless, on the streets with no one to support him! He lost the job he’d worked so hard to get and was proud of, he’d lost his daughter and his home! Matthew felt low. He’s contemplated giving up on life but despite everything he wants to prove he can achieve once again.

He told us that two years ago while he was still in grief he had a brief relationship with a homeless girl who had his son. She got off the streets and has a home. She didn’t want Matthew to live with her because he was still not emotionally ready and the authorities wouldn’t let Matthew move with her and so she now brings his son to visit London once a month.

Matthew is desperate for someone to give him a chance. He can’t get a job, claim benefits or register with a GP/Dentist because he has no home! He told us that he doesn’t want to claim benefits, he desperately wants to work! He wants to be someone, a someone who helps others! It struck us that despite what life had thrown at him, here he was wanting to give to others. We admired that strength and courage.

Alex and I took him to somewhere to eat as our guest. The server looked at Matthew and started to say “we don’t serve ….” I stopped her and told her that Matthew was my guest, I was spending my money and she was going to serve me or I would make a scene! I reminded her that Matthew is a person and he deserves the same respect and customer service as any other customer! Needless to say she could tell, I meant it! She continued to stare as did many others but we didn’t care.

Matthew had a drink, a burger and fries. He ate everything including the garnish salad and pickle! I’ve never seen a human devour food like he did, a starving dog but not a human being. Matthew told us very few people were kind to him, even those who give him money don’t speak to him! People walked past every day. It got me thinking about each of us in our daily lives, how many of us walk past people not ever knowing or caring what life is about for them. Have we really become a society that doesn’t care? I’d like to think not!

Matthew told us how well meaning people are giving out items like soap, toothbrushes, food etc. I learnt from him that without a place to go these items although well meaning were useless but that he could sell them for money for food.

Matthew also shared the horror stories of life on the streets. How he’s seen friends die, of the people who encourage the homeless to deal drugs for more money and a place to stay, how people abuse those who are homeless by kicking them or throwing buckets of cold water over them, to listen to Matthew was heart breaking and it was difficult to hold back the tears! He was determined that the drugs people weren’t going to ‘use him’ and to avoid them he moves around! He’d thought about getting a dog because they help keep the homeless warm, they offer companionship and because friends who had dogs were given more money from people passing. Matthew went to Battersea but they said no! Matthew shared how he’d asked local gyms if he could use their showers to wash, even offering to pay, he was turned down! You didn’t need much to realise that Matthew probably hadn’t washed in weeks even months but Alex and I didn’t care.

We gave Matthew food, our small change and most importantly we gave him our time! On these cold nights, I’ve thought about Matthew often and all those whose lives are just like him. We all live on the edge in life and in an instance any one of us could find ourselves facing adversity. Imagine what would happen if each one of us helped someone like Matthew every single day? A word of kindness, companionship, support, these things aren’t big but to someone like Matthew they mean the world.

Matthew would love to get out of London and start afresh but let’s face it, he’s never going to be able to. He’s trapped on a never ending merry go round of poverty and despair! Moved on from tourist places because heaven forbid they see the reality of our country!

Matthew is looking forward to Christmas Eve because then Church Halls and community centres across London open their doors and give the homeless, fresh clothes, bathing facilities, a piece of foam to lay their sleeping bags on, new sleeping bags and clothes if they need it and three hot meals a day. On January 2nd Matthew will be back on the streets, living an unbearable life but hoping that someone, one day will just give him a chance!

Why do I do what I do? Why did I set up HEALS of Malmesbury? To help all those like Matthew, those who struggle, those whose lives are difficult. If there were no HEALS I’d still help when I could. My mother tells me, it’s been who I am all my life!

Both Alex and I left Matthew with tears in our eyes and sadness in our hearts. No one should have to endure this hardship, not in this country in 2016! This is why HEALS exists! You can help by donating your time or money to HEALS or any other charity helping today!

What would Dickens say today? I think he’d be horrified! At least in his day there were places for the poor! These no longer exist and where they do they are over subscribed with people to help! So the next time you walk down the street, think about those you pass. We all live on the edge, in an instance we can be like Matthew, let’s hope unlike Matthew, there’s someone there to help!

http://www.healsmalmesbury.com

When death creates the action that life failed to do!

When death creates the action that life failed to do!

The death of a loved one hits us all hard. I’ve experienced this and I know how much pain it can cause. Why is it then that sometimes in certain circumstances the death of a loved one, spurs some people into action in a way they never did when the person was alive?

If you never in life visited them, helped them, offered them no comfort at their lowest times (no matter how hard it got), even deterring others from offering them help and made awful comments about them, why would you then after death suddenly rally around and be seen to want to help or even then ask others to do it for you? It makes no sense!

Surely its been better to help our loved ones in life, when they need us the most. This of course isn’t always easy. Loved ones struggling will take out their anxieties, frustrations and anger on those they love the most and that has to be the hardest thing for relatives and loved ones to endure. I’ve been there and worn the t-shirt, as have other family members. However, its at the hardest and most difficult times our loved ones need us the most. Our loved ones are ours and we should help and not be absent!

Perhaps death somehow makes people see, understand and is a reminder of what they should have done in life? Its a question that only those involved can answer and if they feel the need to make amends then that’s down to them but should they be asking others to pay for things that perhaps they themselves should and could have done?

For me its about being their for those we love while we still have them because we should love no matter what and unconditionally. Of course loving someone doesn’t mean liking their life choices, their actions or what they say because we don’t but love, real love goes beyond that.

Billy Ocean made a song called ‘When the going gets tough’ and the line says ‘the tough get going’. Well I guess in some cases that’s true and in those cases its sad. So today and everyday, show you care for friends, neighbours but especially for those we are related to, those we should love, no matter what because one day they may not be here and then it’ll be too late for them and too late to put right your actions. Once they’re gone you can’t put things right and asking others to pay for the things you should have done right will not ease your own conscience.

Its strange that in some situations death creates the action that life failed to do!