Joe Blackman MBE

Make genuine connections, not false ones ❌ … focus on quality and not quantity. Everyone hates that person who goes around as many people in the room handing out their business cards… By engaging meaningfully, you will have more fun 🎉 , feel less burnt out 🕺 and will be far more likely to create a long term, deeper relationship.

I still love sending customers a hand written note. 📝 In the age of everything digital, it’s incredibly personal and thoughtful. 👍 Sometimes that extra bit of effort - going out of your way and do something really thoughtful can have so much impact. 🫂

Balance operational efficiencies with employee happiness and culture 😊 Customers can feel your team’s energy ⚡️, and their wellbeing is critical to reflecting that back onto your customers. Streamlining processes is not simple 📊 , it has to be viewed as a holistic exercise through the lens of the entire business. Changes can make things more efficient, but will it really make a customer happier? 💡🧐 Taking shortcuts can reduce customer satisfaction and product/ service quality. You might decide to use a AI platform to deliver quicker customer service… However, sometimes all a customer wants is to quickly get on the phone ☎️ and have a very human, personal interaction.

Develop a customer centric culture where your customer is at the heart of everything you do 💫🧍‍♂️ Ask customers for their feedback, and most importantly, LISTEN to them! Sometimes small warning signs ⚠️ are the most important to address before they become bigger issues.

A solid partnership agreement is a great start… 📑 It’s never too late to make one, and they can be adapted as the business grows. A partnership agreement can be a simple document which sets out the expectations and role of each co-founder. You can make this informal or legally enforceable, but it’s a great way to be able to check yourselves and hold each other to account.

🔥 👨🏻‍🚒 I called this the Business Fire Triangle (I.e Crisis Management). 🔥 Find the ignition source and deal with it. What’s causing misinformation? Is it a misunderstanding or malice? 🔥 Put out the fire!🧯Develop a strategy to extinguish the misinformation. There can be legal remedies but also PR helps. 🔥 Repair Damage 🔧 Think internal and external communications. How to you explain what happened to your stakeholders. 💦 🚿 🚒 Review and Learn. How do you ensure your crisis management strategy is always up to date. Was there an opportunity to spot and deal with the misinformation earlier?