My concern is for those who are becoming addicted to Twitter. With blogging you can post just once a week and even pre-prepare posts so you can take a vacation. But it is apparent that Tweeting can become an activity you engage in several times per day. What happens when you want to take time out? Two weeks for a holiday and no Tweeting could lead to withdrawl symptoms. Could there be a medical condition labelled SMSS (Social Media Severance Syndrome)?

I believe in making use of any and every relevant means of communicating with those we wish to reach. However, may I ask you, is Twitter your servant – or have you become its slave?

1. A positive mental attitude – believing they can create a better future. As Pablo Picasso once said, “He can who thinks he can and he can’t who thinks he can’t .”

2. A commitment to learning – investing time in their own development. “If a man empties his purse into his own head no one can take it from him.” (Benjamin Franklin) I believe the learners of today are the leaders of tomorrow.

3. A proactive approach – planning and taking specific action to grow their business. An action plan without action is only a plan. As Nike say, “Just do it”.

4. A willingness to test new marketing strategies – finding new ways to increase sales. If you want to reach customers you’ve not reached before you have to do something you’ve not done before.

5. A readiness to move out of the comfort zone – accepting challenge and preparing for change. I’ve concluded that all growth takes place outside our current comfort zone.

How would you rate yourself against these key attributes? I’m aware some business owners find a way forward by themselves. Others work with a business coach supporting them on a one-to-one basis’ However, the people that seem to enjoy themselves the most and achieve results the quickest are those that invest time with other like-minded business owners who share the same goal – learning how to grow their business. This is why we’ve developed the Business Growth Mastermind Group. It provides a way for proactive and forward-looking business owners to learn how to grow their business and make more profit. In addition to helping to develop the five key attributes listed above we work with you to help you:

• Review and develop your business growth strategy.
• Improve your marketing (especially through your website and with social media).
• Improve your personal selling skills.
• Resolve your specific business problems.
• Manage your increased personal wealth.
• …and much more.

More details about our next Mastermind Group can be found here on our website.

“Weeks of arctic weather are not expected to endanger the British economy’s anaemic recovery but the impact they have had on productivity could push thousands of already recession-hit businesses over the edge. The most severe cold snap in 30 years — with temperatures plummeting to below minus 21 C and much of the country blanketed in several inches of snow — has caused widespread disruption to transport across Britain, with many people unable to get to work and thousands of schools closed. Estimates from industry group the Forum of Private Business suggest the cost of employee absenteeism could reach as much as 450 million pounds a day if the cold snap continues until mid-January, as predicted by the Met Office…” read more…

Article by Kylie MacLellan of Reuters

• How to develop a business growth mindset
• How to choose the best business growth strategy
• How to attract new and better customers
• How to improve your online marketing
• and much, much more…

We already have one Mastermind Group meeting in Cornwall and are expecting to launch the second in February 2010. More details will be posted soon. In the meantime, if you are interested you can learn more about this programme  on our sister site, www.StrategicMarketingMasterclass.co.uk In the meantime feel free to get in touch if you would like to at mervyn@mervynsmallwood.co.uk