Like many, I spend December thinking about the highs and lows of the year. Then, in early January Tribe Research has its bi-annual planning session to review the previous year and set out the strategy for the year ahead. It is a great way to bring everyone together, energise, share ideas, and cement a plan for the future.

Looking back, a lot happened in 2010, personally and professionally.

• Tribe Research grew fast with a new team. Fast growth tests your business. A new team tests your systems and procedures, especially when they come on board when you’re above target. They need to get up to speed fast. It’s a great team who feel empowered by being given space to explore, uncover and drive change themselves. This is great for your business in the longer term, although at the time it is very hectic.
• I joined the Creation Healthcare team as an Associate Consultant. Sharing ideas with others working in the health sector and working with a global team gave great insights to the research I do, as well as ideas for Tribe Research having a team with a flexible working style (something I’m always striving for).
• I lost my friend, mentor and grandpa. He was an amazing source of inspiration for me. One of my last conversations with grandpa was about Musica Viva’s Young Professionals program. He was their patron, and was excited about the program and me getting involved. It was great to have the opportunity to discuss it with him.
• I had my longest break from Sydney – spending 7 weeks in New York allowed it to start feeling like a second home rather than a holiday. It was great to meet my niece (pictured left). As a friend said, it was a period of the ‘bookends of life’ – while as a family we lost grandpa, we gained a new edition, Marlo. The business grew while I was away, thanks to a great team, which has so many great flow on benefits.
• I was reminded that a good, random, small idea can grow to be something bigger quite easily – one night I thought it would be good to support small businesses at Christmas by buying their products as gifts and then promoting on social media. The response to my Christmas Mission was great and plans are underway to make it bigger and better in 2011.
• I had a strange sense that the symbols and logos that developed with Tribe Research’s growth were coming to their own fruition while in another way I was stepping away from the core of service delivery, giving me freedom to focus on the growth of the business. Sound esoteric?
  • Tribe Research’s logo is 4 puzzle pieces, designed over a decade ago because Tribe Research is about putting together the pieces of your tribe. In 2010, I felt the pieces of the puzzle of what I wanted to do were falling into place.
  • The first sub-brand for Tribe Research, in 2004, was Tribal Voice – the tribe of a business needs to have a voice. It started as our newsletter and now encompasses communicating back.
  • In the same period we developed our running tag – explore, uncover, drive change – because we felt that was what we were about. It has become part of the whole business. Our research assistants are Explorers, our project managers are Discoverers (because you can’t call them Uncoverers) and I’m called the Change Driver. Our planning and training days are called Planning Expeditions and Training Expeditions, and projects are called Expeditions. Team members are encouraged to submit ideas that outline what they have explored and uncovered and their change driving idea. Our website outlines how exploring is asking questions, uncovering is analysing feedback and driving change is implementing ideas.
  • The second sub-brand of Tribe Research was Tribal Know-How – sharing knowledge and planning.  It came about because one of my team in 2005 said I was good at sharing my knowledge and should start workshops. Tribal Know-How has developed to be about planning sessions and the workshops have become part of Tribal Tool-Kit as Masterclasses.
  • The need for businesses to have tools to grow themselves started to form as an idea in 2006 under the brand of Tribal Tool-Kit. It has taken a few turns but is now back on track as being a ‘tool-kit’ for businesses to grow through knowing their tribe.
  • In 2001, we incorporated clear-head to explore, uncover and drive change because to drive change you need to get a clear head after you explore and uncover. Getting a clear head is getting away from the every day to assess and decide what you need to do to then drive change.
  • In 2008 the ‘Know Your Tribe‘ brand was integrated. When we first started it there was little understanding of its meaning, particularly from my family that were still thinking in the literal sense of ‘tribe’ whereas in 2010 I was asked numerous times if I changed my name for the sake of my business.

2011 looks to be just as big and although you can’t plan everything, several great ideas are already starting to come together.

• I’ve been passionate for a while about how tribes need a full feedback cycle and that market research is only a part of this cycle.
  • Tribe Research now has three streams of consulting services:
    • Know Your Tribe – custom market research
    • Tribal Know-How – planning day facilitation
    • Tribal Voice - communicating
  • We also have Tribal Tool-Kit for our products that are part of all stages of the feedback cycle. Currently they are still in two sections, but plans are underway to merge them in 2011:
    • Software – CloudMaker and ActionMap within tribaltoolkit.com.
    • Other products – Survey Design Review; Masterclasses for member organisations and small business; Orientation; Schema; and Clear-headed Room Spray within tribaltoolkit.com.au.
• I’ll be spending more time getting my thoughts into publications so that others can benefit from knowing their tribe.

Photos courtesy of TheGoodTribe – a talented amateur photographer and Director of Finance at 20×200 based in New York (and my brother).

It was a great year for the pieces of the puzzle to come together both for Tribe Research and myself. Here’s to 2011 seeing those pieces cementing together!

How was your 2010 and what are your plans for 2011?

Click on photo to see full size

I decided to take on a Christmas Mission this year – to buy all my presents from local entrepreneurs and promote what I was doing on social media, effectively giving twice. Two gifts gave three times as they are businesses that donate.

Here is how I went.

Wrapping and tags

• Christmas Gift tags from Blonde brat pack cards and invitations. Hand made by a friend who has recently started to sell a range of paper products: Blog, Buy, Facebook page.
• Letterpress printed tea towels (they are great as wrapping paper and have an ongoing purpose) and ‘drink me’ gift tags from Hill End Press.

Food and drink

• Some yummy red capsicum chilli (very mild and feisty) and balsamic red onion n lime relish from Relish This – Website & Buy, Facebook page, Twitter.
• Chocolate coated raspberries from Christmas Hills Raspberries Farm. Delivered thanks to Johanna Baker-Dowdell from Strawberry Communications.
• I was recently able to taste the range of wines from Huntington Estate again, so selected some favourites for gifts – 2008 Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay -Methode Champenoise, 2010 Pinot Noir Dry Rose, 2010 Semillon, and 2008 Grenache Shiraz
• There were a range of stalls at the Huntington Estate Music Festival from local food suppliers, so I picked up these:
  • Lime and Date Chutney from Angela’s Edibles
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Cudgegong Valley Olives
  • Delicious honey soy spice roasted hazelnuts from Australian Gourmet Hazelnuts
  • Sundried Tomato & Macadamia Nut Pesto and Roast Capsicum & Coriander Tapenade from Mowats Mudgee

Other Gifts

• Outfit from Baby-Teresa where for every onesie, the baby gets a gorgeous outfit and so does another baby, one you don’t know but one in need. That other baby could be anywhere in the world from an orphanage in Vietnam, a small village in Africa or a family in need in Australia. Baby Teresa allows you to feel twice as good about the one gift.
• 100% natural Soy Candles with Lemon Grass in red mosaic glass from Zulu Communications’ Candles for Community. The price includes a donation to a charity in Cambodia.
• Personalised stationery from Paper Magnolia that I decided on after plucking one from my collection to write a note to someone.
• The real baby book you need at 3am by Karen Miles, an expert on the impact of motherhood on women’s identity and career.
• Bathtea from mudtea - hang bathtea bag from tap and run a warm bath. Then relax and exfoliate. The lavender relieves nervous tension and enhances blood circulation. The palmarosa eases nervous stress and tension, and has a reputation for stimulating the growth of healthy skin cells.
• Starlettos that protect the heel of your fancy shoes in the party season!

It also got me thinking about other local businesses that weren’t suitable for my current Christmas list but had been on previous lists. So thought of how Mocks are good for more than just your mobile phone.

One crazy thing I found – way too many businesses give away so much for free; not packaged in any way so they can be bought. I searched for Australian entrepreneurs producing specific products I knew people on my list wanted. I found great blogs, newsletters and website content. Within those websites I searched to buy their information and there was no place for me to exchange money for their packaged intellectual property.

Have you looked at your website recently to investigate how your content could be packaged? What income are you not getting because interested members of your tribe can’t buy from your site and leave?

The Christmas mission was fun and I didn’t have to rummage through busy shopping centres going crazy.

Also, in case you are wondering, I paid for all of the gifts, so yes, it was about supporting the businesses, not getting free Christmas presents. I hope some things on this list gives you ideas.

Before the strategy

I probably had the setup you have:

• One business card with all my details: name, office phone & fax, postal address, email address and mobile number.
• One email address for everyone. Sounds simple.

The problem

When you network regularly with people who assume that a business card means permission to receive their newsletter, you can start to get a lot of emails. Some do ask for permission,  you say yes, because it is polite, but not always because it is wanted.

You set up rules in Outlook, but still constantly see there is all these unread newsletters. It makes you feel behind. You end up deleting without reading because you get so behind. That doesn’t benefit either party.

Some questions for you

• How many hours do you spend reading emails every day?
• More importantly, how much time do you spend thinking about the pile of emails?
• What does your inbox do to your mood?

The strategy

Two business cards:

(1) The same one as above that you give to qualified opportunities and clients

(2) A networking card – with no mobile and a general email address that is collected daily by someone on your team

Set up several email addresses with different purposes

• Primary business: Work emails related to opportunities and projects that I collect and they are received into a CRM where they almost 100% are attached to opportunities or projects
• General business: Networking card address and used on forms that require an address. If someone emails me personally at this address, it is forwarded to me and I can action.
• Business mail: Newsletters and communications from groups I’m a member
• Online: Online networking emails
• Personal: Friends and family

The outcome

I can completely segment my time by which email address I am looking at.

It works well when busy and need to focus without too many distractions.

It gives me a clearer head.

Then if I have some time, I can look at the other emails and register for networking events I want to go to and catch up on the newsletters.

When you think of the skills needed in business, what are the first 3 words come to mind?

I posted this question to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Ecademy.

Then I collated the words and uploaded them to our software. The results are on our Flickr site – have a look for an insight on the skills that came to business owners minds: Cloud of results.

Do you have any to add? Comment below and I will update the cloud soon.

I guide my life by what I call the “three plus three minus” rule or test.

Recently, I have explained the guide to quite a few people saying they are frustrated by aspects of their life, so I thought I would share it here.

It is really simple:

1. What 3 things are frustrating you the most?
2. What 3 things do you most enjoy?
3. What actions can you take to minimise or remove the 3 in (1)?
4. What actions can you take to increase the 3 in (2)?

Your answers to (3) and (4) is what your goals are for the next year.

I don’t only do this activity at the end of the year for the next year, I also do it when I am frustrated. It helps me get focused and back on track again. It is also a great activity to do each night. What was great today, what would I prefer to not be spending my time doing, or what did I find frustrating. Doing that as you go to sleep allows your mind to work it over and you wake up with solutions that you can focus on for the next day.

I am currently formulating my 3+ / 3- so that I can work out my priorities for 2009. What are yours?

I was recently interviewed by Julianne Dowling for an article she was writing. She wanted to know how I was being innovative as a market research business owner in the present economic situation and planning for the future.

The focus of the article was the Adversity Quotient developed by Dr Paul Stolz.

Australians scored just one point above the global average on the overall ratings (ie: not as good) and ‘we’ let negative work issues affect other aspects of our lives. On the upside Julianne reports that the research showed: “we also have an innate ability to knuckle down and solve our problems in times of adversity”.

Read the full article

Which tribe do you want to be a part of? The tribe of “world class whingers” or the “resilient do-ers”. I find whinging, exhausting; but doing is energising.

The research also found that training can help you be more positive, resilient and innovative in all aspects of your life.

Running your own business isn’t ‘a walk in the park’ but that is what makes it so rewarding.  Now is a great time to reflect on the year, thinking about where you were in December 2007 and where you want to be in December 2009. Celebrate the highs. Think about what you can do differently for the things that didn’t work out the way you planned.

I have several specific actions that help me be resilient:

1. Support networks: Advisory Board, Great Minds Group, friends, family
2. A 3+ / 3- rule: Think about 3 things I enjoy doing and how I can structure my life & business so they feature more; think about 3 things that I don’t enjoy and how I can structure my life & business so they go away or don’t feature as much
3. Activities to mentally escape: classical music, crime novels, sewing, dinner parties, cricket, cricket, and oh, cricket.

What do you do to maintain your membership to the resilient do-er tribe?

Sometimes as a small business owner, you can feel a little alone. Which is why I have an Advisory Board, Mastermind Group, Previous staff club, and other networks.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports that, for Australia, in June 2006 there were 1,646,344 small business operators. In June 2007 there were 2,011,770 actively trading businesses.

Proof enough that you aren’t alone. Of the business owners:

• 68% were male and 32% were female
• 58% were aged between 30 and 50 inclusive; 33% were >50; and 9% < 30
• 67% worked full-time hours (ie: 35+ hours/week) and 33% worked part-time hours (ie: < 35 hours/week)
• 71% were born in Australia
• 92% conducted one business; 6% two businesses; 2% three or more businesses

In 2003-04, 325,935 new businesses started. In June 2007, 49% of these were still operating. In the short to medium term, business survival is related to the age of a business, so the longer a business survives, the greater its chances of continuing survival.

Non-employing businesses, have significantly lower survival rates than employing businesses, so while 49% of all entries in 2003-04 were still operating in June 2007, 71% of new employing businesses were still operating compared to 40% of new non-employers.

So, next time you are feeling staff angst, maybe they are helping your survival.

I went to a great talk this morning on Battling Balance and I wanted to share some key points with you.

Jenny Campbell, is a Lawyer with a large Sydney based firm. As she called it, “back in the dark days”, she was 216 kg and worked 24/7.  She was part of the tribe who called people who talked about balance and a desire for it ‘wimps’. She came to understand that stress is real and it has a bad effect on your body, and so set out to loose the weight. She started to do this in the same obsessive way she had worked, and is now at the stage of finding a balance between work, fitness and a social life.

However, as was discussed this morning: To achieve something big you have to be out of balance. Are you going to tell me that Olympians have a balanced life? But, at what point does imbalance become unhealthy.

Key lessons from this morning:

• People only build 1 facet of their life at a time and this causes other facets to fall down which in turn pulls down the one thing you were spending all your energy building.
• Esteem comes from how close our view of ‘self’ is to our perception of ‘ideal’, but we have a tendency to question self, rather than ideal. Why do we believe the ideal?
• Being out of balance can de-motivate as well as motivate. If you are given an ideal that is too far from where you are at, you might not bother trying to get to the ideal.
• They identified a simple formula to ignite change:
  Dissatisfaction + Vision + First Steps to take > Resistence that I am feeling

Welcome back to regular blogs from me and welcome to the new financial year.

It has been a crazy and eventful first half to 2008 with a turnover 3 times the same period in 2007, new team roles at Tribe Research and new products being developed and enhanced.

Small business owners often forget to celebrate their successes or say they don’t have time to celebrate. It is a big mistake, as the celebrations can carry you through the lows or hectic times and raises the energy of your team (whether they are staff, family or friends). Plus they are fun!

At Tribe Research we celebrate the end of the year at our annual dinner, every 6 months at our Planning Expeditions, weekly in our Explorer Update and Friday 4pm meeting.

We also send small business owners birthday cards for the birthday of their business and remind them to celebrate.

I have spent the weekend preparing our next Planning Expedition for our team. It will be starting with the following celebratiions:

• We just started our 7th year as an incorporated company
• We will be having our 6th Planning Expedition
• The first half of 2008 had turnover 3 times the same period last year
• The last financial year had turnover 1.6 times the previous financial year
• We introduced having a Mapper to the Tribe Research team
• We started TRX, a club for previous staff
• New products are almost ready to be released

So, share, what are you celebrating?

One of the biggest problems for small businesses is managing time and cash flow. You can see the need for getting a consultant for developing your business in a specific direction, but you don’t put the time aside later to use the information you have gained from the consultant. As a result, you don’t realise the benefits of their advice and your longer term perception of the consultants’ value for money is decreased.

But that isn’t their fault.

The reasoning is that most consultants are advisors not doers. They will investigate the current situation in your business within their specialty (marketing, finance, business development, research etc) and then provide you with a report of what you should do to rectify or improve the current situation. If you have chosen the right consultant then it is all good stuff, but it doesn’t happen without your participation so the good stuff ends up collecting dust or taking up valuable disk space.

So next time, before you invest in a consultant, make sure you have the time available to digest and act on the information you receive. This will mean that the outcome has real value for you and your business.