It was no surprise then that during a recent visit to the Lakes, HRH Prince of Wales requested a quick stop off in Oxenholme to reacquaint himself with Aidan and his fine sourdough bread!  The Prince, who had met Aidan on a previous visit to Cumbria, praised him on his growing business and of course accepted a loaf of his favourite bread.

Aidan was thrilled to have the chance to meet the Prince again and is very proud to receive recognition of his small Lakeland business.  Equally, at Agenda we are very proud of Aidan who we have worked with from humble beginnings to a burgeoning business where his produce is much in demand not only in the Lakes (and by royalty) but for much wider distribution.

So take a tip from us, if you’re passing through the Lakes, take the opportunity to visit Oxenholme, follow the lovely smell of baking and find out which speciality bread will become your favourite.

Needless to say, the client was delighted by both the effort taken by Dougie Lee to get this procedure completed in the shortest time possible and also by the outstanding results.  Dougie’s practice uses state of the art technology to ensure the very best results for his clients and his surgery is more reminiscent of a fine hotel than a medical establishment.  This and the close attention to customer care ensures that the dental visit is a pleasant one and that the client gains utmost value for money.

Agenda are working closely with the team at their beautiful practice in Accrington and would recommend even the most dental phobic among you to visit and gain a winning smile!

Visit Lovingly Artisan

With so much competition and businesses targeting the consumer, it is ever harder to create a difference. We must always remember that the little things can make a big difference to the customer and maybe just changing your business slightly could ensure more repeat customers and even more new business.

One business that inspired us to write this article is Fakenham Race Course, who will this year be treating race goers not only to horses but camels too.

What should you be doing in your business to set yourself apart?

Based in Tunbridge Wells and servicing the South East of the country, Kerry’s business is focused on photographing women at their best. “I want to make women see how beautiful they really are.” The aim is to capture beauty, and happiness is her guarantee.

Boudoir photography is very much en vogue at the moment, hence the recent feature in Vogue magazine (Feb 12 edition) where these beautiful legs from one of Kerry’s shoots were shown.

You can see more of Kerry’s impressive work on her website and if you wish to discuss the development of your own business with Agenda, whatever your discipline, please get in touch.

And that’s where this wonderful book comes in. “Who Moved My Cheese” is a surprisingly approachable, multi-award-winning parable on the merits of embracing change, as well as the pitfalls of not doing so. The concept my be simple, but the execution is genius, and you’re bound to find someone you know in the pages of this wise tome.

Click below to find out a little more about this book. It’s revolutionised scores of businesses, and it could do the same for you. What are you waiting for?

It’s a philosophy explored in Fish Tales, an amazing and inspiring book whose inception came about through the authors watching the energy and enthusiasm of a group of Seattle fishmongers. (Take that as another valuable lesson in how smart business sense isn’t all about sharp suits and laptops!). It’s an eye-opening read which will show you how a few changes in your approach can make all the difference to your work.

Click the link below to find out more, and discover why fish should always be high on your menu!

It was all so easy to put things off before Christmas, wasn’t it? Indeed, it always is. You’ll start that project next year, when things have settled down a bit. You’ll arrange those important meetings when Christmas is out of the way. You’ll launch that new product when you’ve got back into the swing of things.

But Christmas isn’t a reason to delay any element of your work. Sure, it’s an important turning point in the year, but it’s no excuse to put your business development on hold from the end of November to the middle of January. It’s certainly no reason for the level of procrastination that plagues businesses all year round.

So many business owners are waiting for the perfect circumstances before they make changes, but what’s wrong with doing things right now? If you spend all your time waiting for the stars to align, the marketplace conditions to be just right and your competitors to be looking the other way before you launch your new product, you’ll never be ready. And by the time you realise this fact, let alone do something about it, your customers will have had their heads turned by your rivals.

Victor Kiam said that procrastination is opportunity’s assassin – and never was a truer word spoken, as the remotest hint of dithering can sabotage your position in the market. Staying ahead of the competition may well involve long-term planning and strategising, but there’s an awful lot to be said for rolling your sleeves up and just getting things done. Your rivals are probably doing it right now. So make 2011 the year of achieving things with your business – you might not get perfect results, but it’s far better than getting no results at all.

Let’s take business as an example. You have a great idea for a business, an innovative product that you know people will love, and a keen understanding of your marketplace. The only thing you don’t have is the confidence in your own ability to sell your product. Your world-beating new item is like nothing that’s gone before, but for that very reason you know it’ll be difficult to make potential customers appreciate its value.

So the work continues. You make more of your product in anticipation of the huge demand which you know will arise one day. You prepare marketing materials and keep them in your spare bedroom until you’re ready to unveil your fabulous new idea. You compile lots of facts and figures and make profit projections until you run out of graph paper. But deep down, you know that you’re missing something… you haven’t actually sold your product to anyone. And why not? Because you’re frightened of making those calls and introducing your precious new creation to the scary, cynical marketplace.

The result is simple: there are no results. Your amazing new product never reaches the shelves, the media sensation never materialises, and you don’t ever make the profits which you know are just beyond your reach. Making those sales calls is the only barrier between you and success – but it’s a barrier that you daren’t cross.

All too often in business, a single step in the process brings that process grinding to a halt. Maybe it’s in sales, maybe it’s in production, or maybe it’s in administration, but every business – no matter how large or small – has an area that everybody finds too difficult to spend time on. Find yours, and train your team to deal with it. Neglect it at your peril, or sooner or later it’ll come back and wreak havoc.

A great starting point to ensure that you are compliant would be to visit the Health and Safety Executive website where a starter pack for new and small businesses is available.

If you do already have a policy but need further advice on complying with the law and protecting workers in your particular industry, advice on the site is plentiful and free of charge!