The New World of PR

The new world of PR- If you’ve previously dismissed PR as advertising’s poor relation, or something to do to keep the MD happy once in a while by getting their photo in the press, it’s time to be reintroduced.

It’s always been more than this but now there seems to be a new dawn of understanding coming into play and brands are starting to see PR for what it really is – an incredibly powerful tool for managing the relationship you have with your customers.

As brands fight harder and harder for customer loyalty and customers become more and more demanding, it’s crucial that marketing teams are armed with the most powerful tools to fight for their customers’ love. This is the year for the new world of PR.

PR to many used to mean media relations but it’s now undeniably so much more. It’s come round full circle to actually mean what it stands for- Public Relations and it’s being embraced for this.

PR is two-way communications- PR used to be seen as one way traffic. Brands put their messages out to the consumer, after carefully structured communications being signed off across several internal departments, with the corporate line having been agreed company wide. It was a very controlled exercise. The customer was on the receiving end but was not necessarily expected to respond, rather simply soak up the information and love the brand all the more for it.

Now PR isn’t about one way traffic, nor is it so dependant on the media- it’s about good old fashioned communications called conversation.

Customers have become more sophisticated. They demand more. They know more. They use technology a lot more. The information available to them is vast. Their choices are immense. So where is the cut-through? It’s got to be in building strong, meaningful relationships to command brand loyalty and sort the wheat from the chaff.

A brand proactive in their conversations with customers is a brand in touch with its audience

Regards

Bradley Chapman

September is bad month for me!

I have not been myself during September and have found myself reaching for something that is not there. I broke up with my ex two years ago this month and it has brought back all the pains and anguish that i went through. It was not just the break up but the 18 months of hell that ensued and of course the custody battles to see my two beautiful girls…

Although i am now in a flourishing relationship with a woman who really loves me and my kids, the month of September is a month i do like to face and quite honestly have not faced it too well at all. My work has suffered and as a result my team have missed me at the helm and my health has also suffered as a result.

To top it all off, I visited an allergy specialist only to find out that i can no longer take any comfort eating chocolate, cheese, white bread, wine and my favourite of all mushrooms and shell fish! Oh well jelly babies here we come….

I have not really had closure on what happened two years ago and i must admit that i have had trouble coming to terms with it, although i have moved on i still bear the scars.

I think that when people go through a break up they can cause more emotional and financial damage than necessary – after all it takes a stronger person to say sorry..and a weaker person not to.

So as i leave September i am looking forward to October and the first of our trade shows which we are attending at The Business Show on the 23rd October 2008 being hosted at the Bolton Arena.

September will never be my best month and i apologise to all my team if i have seemed a little distant. I am strong but everyone needs to take a little shelter sometimes.

All my love

Bradley Chapman

Entrepreneurs – Face what you fear dont be afraid

I was talking to a close friend of mine this evening about something that is due to happen to him shortly. He said to me that he was unsure if what to do and that he has now change the path that he was going to take and has decided to change the path……..

We all have decisions to make every day, some easy, some not so.. but at the end of the day we do what feel is right, we do what we feel will provide us with the best outcome.

However, sometimes our judgement can be marred our clouded by what we do not know – The Unknown! The unknown can cause us to make knee jerk reactions when we should stand steadfast with our beliefs in tact.

All i can say to you my friend is that i too have faced the situation that you are now in and you will make the decision that is best for your and your family as we stand in the present, but do not make the mistake that many make in our position in that we make the decision based on what might happen and what could happen rather than what will happen..

Tell the story how it is and let the chips fall where they may…. “nothing can hurt you unless you give it the power to do so..

Good luck – Champ

I am with you through thick and thin…

Regards Bradley

Entrepreneurs – You will know what to do in the morning?

They say that if you have a lot on your mind and you need to either make important decisions, decide which route or direction to take your business, that if you sleep on it you very often find the answers that you are looking for!

I have deliberated for well over a week on the position that I find myself in and I still do not have the answers that I need. I am uncertain whether I have just worn myself out after 38 years of burning the candle at both ends or if the real reason is that actually I am scared of taking the next steps..

If I were honest, which I should be after creating the Worlds first honest Entrepreneur Network www.millionimpossible.com and now having launched our online Entrepreneur Magazine www.millionimpossiblemagazine.com ironically named Raw Entrepreneur – The truth is that I am scared about the next steps.

I am scared for a few reasons and I have to think very carefully about how I put this as I might offend some very close colleagues and friends of mine.

FIRSTLY – I am tired and of course a little burned out but that is no excuse for me not standing and the helm regardless of my personal situation. My team looks to me for inspiration, guidance, belief and direction.

I have provided direction and I must say that all I visualised has happened, perhaps not as quickly as one would like but is happening. The business has gained a certain momentum and we have created a market for our service.

I cannot keep finding the route and delivering the ideas and even if I do they need to be followed out to a tee and they are not.

SECONDLY – I now look to others to find the strength and  courage to move out of their comfort zones and attack or at least try something that are either unfamiliar with or scared of, baring in mind most will not admit that they are afraid, instead they will deflect and project  their fears on to another person or situation.

THIRDLY – I know that to move the business to next level it will take precise planning, a major cash flow boost and I will need the whole team behind the effort. Unfortunately we have a mixture of abilities within our team but very few of the team will actually take the time to read, learn and absorb a new idea or indeed take the important time to gain a far greater knowledge than we currently possess.

Finding the Answer?

I am not sure what to do. I have tried to push my people forward but it has and is draining me. I cannot keep pushing and it is taking too much of my strength.

Should I accept that some people do not wish to better than who they are even thought I know that they are just like me – Afraid?

Should I accept that perhaps I am different in that I look at challenges as something that can be overcome?

Should I accept the fact that the younger generation have very little life skills and in fact most feel that the world owes them a living and that working hard is something that is a dying trade?

Should I stop driving the people I love to new heights, new ideas and new frontiers as I always have done?

The Answer

The real problem for me is that after all the pain and adversity that I have been through in the last two years that I know that I have to stay strong for anyone who seeks my help, advice and guidance for both their business and most importantly their personal lives which can greatly impact upon the decisions that as Entrepreneurs we make.

So after a week of deliberating I have made the decision that different people will act at different times, some may never take action but if I stop being me then what hope do we have for the people who need help, support and guidance the most? None….

I will keep battling, I will keep driving and I will continue believing that we are all capable of so much more. I will continue to encourage and empower the people around me with the goal that if we take small steps then it will make for a great journey…

Bradley Chapman – MD
Million Impossible Plc – The Worlds first Honest Entrepreneur Network
www.millionimpossible.com

The Secret Millionaire – Back to Reality

I was watching The secret Millionaire on TV last night and when i see the Millionaires giving out their hard earned money to worthy causes it always makes me cry.. Yes I’m a big softy at heart but it’s the impact that these Entrepreneurs can make on people’s lives…. as well as their own.

During our business careers we get so engrossed with our goals and aspirations that some times we forget to look back and enjoy the successes. There is an old saying “Along the way always remember to smell the roses”.

The Entrepreneurs that give away their money have a big “Take Away” value from giving to people and i believe the biggest impact is that they realise that so many people give unconditionally rather than taking, that actually it makes us feel proud but also ashamed that we as Business people and Entrepreneurs have perhaps taken more than we have given.

So today let me ask you to do something:- Phone some one you either know or do not know and offer them some form of help without expecting anything in return and i guarantee you that goods things will come.

Business Networking is not dissimilar in that you first give and then you receive. One of my membership team guys said to me today “i cant be bothered with free members and i do not get anything from it”. I said to him “To the contrary every free member is not just a new client and friend, It is also an opportunity”.

The opportunity is of course what you make of it. I believe that the bigger your network of friends and business acquaintances will help you make your journey toward success that little bit easier… and we are proving that every day with Million Impossible.

Even if you give something away free you gain many things in return. I guess it just depends on your perspective!

“Always be prepared to go on the occasional wild goose chase as that’s what wild geese are for”

Regards Bradley Chapman – MD Million Impossible PLC

www.millionimpossible.com
www.millionimpossible magazine.com

Entrepreneur Networking at it's Best!

After spending what was quite a few months building a good working relationship with Rachel Elnaugh, she kindly  agreed to provide our new digital magazine with a cover story for the launch edition of the mag www.millionimpossiblemagazine.com (Thanks Rachel). Shortly after the magazine was published I received a call from Rachel’s publicist who then introduced me to a gentleman called Jonathan Jay

Jonathan  called me last Friday and we had a brief discussion about Million Impossible and Jonathan’s business which offers “Brilliant Business Advice From One of the UK’s Top Entrepreneurs” and we have now set a meeting for early September to discuss synergies between our businesses.

It just goes to show that networking really does work and it also proves that networking can be mutually beneficial for all parties.

Some days i look at our little business and think , quick ,launch the lifeboats and other days i look at our business with pride and admiration for the potential of Million Impossible really is quite simply that we could, actually against all the odds achieve the Impossible.

If you have not experienced the the benefits that networking can bring you then i urge you to take the time and consider this.

Just under a year ago i was on my knees, bankrupt and had hit rock bottom. Today I am not a bankrupt and with my close team are successfully running a business that talks honestly about being an Entrepreneur and running and owning a business.

Today we have over 1300 members on Million Impossibles business network and 5000 advertisers with a potential readership audience of 100,000+ for our digital magazine called “Raw Entrerpreneur”… We are about to launch the UK’s first online business collaboration under our Sourcer Group Brands and are now in discussions about launching our American version of our UK web site www.billionimpossible.com

All thanks to a dream, a little vision and a business network called Million Impossible www.millionimpossible.com

Best Wishes
Bradley Chapman- MD

Bradley’s Blog

RAW Entrepreneur Magazine Goes Live Today – Featuring Rachel Elnaugh

The speculation of Million Impossible Plc’s on line magazine launch has created much interest with many businesses Pre-booking features within the online magazine months ago. The wait is now over as the 1st edition was released today.

To read the magazine simply click the link to the magazine on the bottom right hand side of the Million Impossible Homepage.Raw Entrepreneur went live this morning and features Rachel Elnaugh – Former Dragons Den Judge/ Owner Red Letter Days and Author of ‘“Business Nightmares”, when Entrepreneurs reach crisis point’.

Raw Entrepreneur also contains key editorial features by successful entrepreneurs, our members and key MI personnel talking about frankly about their past, present and future aspirations.

Raw Entrepreneur takes an open and honest look at the fight that our Entrepreneurs face to reach their success as an inspiration to those facing similar struggles today.

The Entrepreneurs featuring within the magazine are forwarding the magazine link to their customer database and we are asking that all other members forward the link to their own database of customers to maximise readership.

If you would like to feature within the next edition of the magazine then please contact Bradley Chapman or Matthew Hickey on 0845 468 5000 for full details. Please also note that we are now challenging Bradley to find the next high profile entrepreneur to feature on the cover.

If you are bankrupt it’s not the end of the line – What a difference a year can make!

Bankruptcy is not the end of the road in fact it is just the beginning for many of us.

Million Impossible’s online business network started with one man’s dream to help Entrepreneurs overcome adversity even if they were starting from a position of bankruptcy and to provide a networking platform where all businesses could strategically grow their companies whilst learning from other Entrepreneurs mistakes as well as successes.

My name is Bradley Chapman and last year due to unforeseen financial and personal circumstances I declared myself bankrupt and just 10 months later I am proud and honoured to have been re-appointed as a Managing director of Million Impossible PLC.

The last year has been the most challenging year of my life and although I would urge anybody that is considering going into bankruptcy whether it be forced or your own choice to seek all alternative options available to you which you can do by speaking to an insolvency practitioner before you make your decision.

I came up with the idea of creating an Entrepreneur Network that enabled business people to be honest about the struggles and challenges that they face every day during their business careers and due to my own experiences I decided to call it Million Impossible.

Just ten months on Million Impossible’s Entrepreneur Network www.millionimpossible.com is growing more than I could have ever expected and I am also pleased to announce the launch of our new online digital magazine called “Raw Entrepreneur” which features Rachel Elnaugh former MD of Red Letter Days and panellist on the BBC’s Dragon Den programme www.millionimpossiblemagazine.com

We have also successfully launched our no cost, no catch, free to advertise online Business Directory for any UK business to use www.businesssourcer.com and we already have over 5000 adverts listed.

Another web site that we have successfully launched is called Number Sourcer www.numbersourcer.com where we offer some of the UK’s most cost effective telecoms numbering solutions. We offer 0800 and 0845 as well as town numbers for a one off life time payment of £99+ Vat. Our web site provide a call monitoring platform that helps you monitor all your incoming calls and it is an ideal way of ensuring that your advertising is working for you.

We have now proved that regardless of your financial position, providing you have the right people working with you within your network, that you can create a new life and business as long as you have the courage, strength and determination to succeed in your chosen field.

For Million Impossible my team and myself the journey has just begun and if you are the type of person who has had more than your fair share of challenges in your lifetime and believe that the glass is half full and not half empty, then we invite you to join our network and together we can go from dreams to reality. To join us and register as a member free just click www.millionimpossible.com and meet new friends and expand your business network.

What a difference a year makes!

Regards

Bradley Chapman

www.theunknownentrepreneur.com