About Ant Hodges

Christian Businessman, father of two, husband of one. Expertise in digital marketing, graphic / web design and email marketing

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Jun 22

Being a Christian in business

Many business owners and entrepreneurs, like you, find that their business revolves around them and that it just would not be the same without them at the helm. True. As a startup business it is normally the owner of the business that does all the sales, marketing, project work, administration, finance and so on. The light soon comes on upstairs when they realise that they can’t do everything on their own and they need to employ staff or outsource to do the many jobs needed. After all if you were good at making widgets before you started your business and now focus on marketing or human resources more than making widgets - is this right? You went in to business because you were good at making widgets, and widgets you should make!
 
The only real way to succeed in business is to treat the business as if it is an entity in its own right - let it become a business that you are serving in rather than a business all about you! As a Christian I firmly believe in the Bible as the true Word of God and feel that acting in this way, giving the business over to God has led to our success in Creative Rush “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” Prov 16:3 (NIV).
 
In doing this, handing the business over to the Lord, then not telling anyone - are we are hiding the answer from the world? If Christ can beat sin and death - a recession, credit crunch or downturn is relative small fry!
 
Keeping our life as Christians hidden from our business life it just not cricket! We should be seeking to build our business on biblical foundations just as we do for the rest our lives. Then in turn should we not live this out in the public domain, showing others how and why we do what we do?
 
Should we not display the fact that we have built our business, and continue to run our business, on the Word of God and act in many circumstances with faith more than human action or decision first?
 
In the fast-paced modern-world of business, it is especially important to realise that God’s Word should be, and remain, the cornerstone of your personal life and that of business. God’s Word gives all the insight into how we should run our businesses and with that comes wisdom. (Prov. 2:6).
 
Christians in business - ensure your life values and business values are entwined with each other and the practices of both mirror these values. Hand your business over today in your prayers and see that the ultimate provider and creator is near at hand.

Filed under  //   Business Values   Christian   Foundations   Success in Business  
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Apr 06

New developments...

I feel like it has been a while since I wrote anything decent here on my blog... why?

Have I become less opinionated? Have I just got nothing to say? Has the new found energy I had at the start, worn off already?

Swindon Local Trades and The Design Rush

No... I have been a little busy with a couple of projects.

Swindon Local Trades - www.swindonlocaltrades.co.uk

and

The Design Rush - www.thedesignrush.com


Swindon Local Trades

Swindon Local Trades is a swindon business listing and swindon business directory with a difference. The aim is not to make a huge amount of money by taking people's hard earned cash in return for putting their phone number on my site... then ask for more money to upgrade to add their web address... and more money still to add a description of their business.

Free registration and first month free followed by a small fee of £5/month to stay listed - With this you can add as much or as little as you like to the site. Links to your website, phone numbers, contact details and a full description. There is one option to upgrade your listing to a bespoke HTML styled listing through ProfileRush. With this you can add video, images, audio - just about whatever you want.

The main purpose of the site is to promote Swindon business to Swindon People. Keeping trade local is important to any town or city... the aim is to help Swindon grow the trading within the town and boost the local economy. If your are interested and want to sign up and advertise business in Swindon - Register today.


The Design Rush

Start-up businesses and small businesses that are in need to simple, cheap, quick logo design, banner design and website design, can now benefit from the expertise of Creative Rush, but at budget prices.

If all you need is a logo to slap on the side of your white van, or a 3 page website to get you online - The Design Rush should be your preferred option.

When you start out in business, cash is king. if all you need is an identity mocked up to use on invoices, business cards and a starter website - don't pay more than £699.00 - Buy from The Design Rush today. Plus enter our competition for a chance to win an iPod touch.

Filed under  //   Branding   Identity   Logo design   Marketing   Stationery Design   Success in Business   Web design  
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Nov 28

Top tips for marketing success

Keep your eyes firmly on the target
  • Narrow your focus
  • Try not to be all things to all people
  • Find your target market and stick to it
  • Don't be swayed by the little jobs you know you can do when you need to focus on what you really want to be doing

Tell people what makes you different
  • Serve in a tight niche market
  • How are your services/products packaged together
  • The value you place on a belief system or cause, such as the environment or religious persuasion
  • The work ethic you foster internally with you staff - encouraging and relaxed or dictatorial and stressful
  • The price of your products or services 

Create products or packages
  • These help to define how people will relate to and makes engagement with your brand easier
  • Increase the chance of people remembering what you do
  • Create products or packages from a number of services that you offer. e.g: garden design + supplier procurement + onsite project management = complete package
  • It helps to generate something bigger that just one service that you provide
  • Use levels, stars, platinum - gold - silver etc

Pull together a marketing tool kit
  • Brochures
  • Website/s
  • HTML email newsletters
  • Adverts ready to go into business / trade press
  • Leaflets detailing offers you can make
  • A library of your own stock photos (Products / portraits etc)
  • Networking membership
  • Client list (customer relationship management process)
  • A list of prospects/people you want to work with
  • Exhibition stands and roller banner stands

Start at least 3 of these lead generators
  • Advertising
  • Networking
  • Referral systems
  • Public relations
  • Web blogs (as part of or separate to your website)
  • Free seminar events with strategic partners
  • Pay per click advertising (Adwords)

Divide and conquer
  • Get a website that has auto subscription to regular emails / newsletters you send out
  • Use an automated email subscription service to send these emails, manage the bounces and unsubscriptions etc
  • Automate electronic products in terms of purchase and delivery direct from your website
  • Get listed - Sort out your search engine listings by optimising your website design and content (Speak to an SEO expert for this work! Your web team may think they know what they are doing but SEO guys and girls are experts for a reason.)

Prioritise your time
  • You are in business to do what you do, not to become a marketing expert
  • Plan a strategic and tactical marketing plan over 6 or 12 months
  • Take one day at a time, you can't eat an elephant in one go, take it bit(e) by bit(e)

The next steps
  • Come to one of our marketing success seminars and hear all this from the horses mouth
  • Hire Creative Rush on a project by project basis
  • Utilise the OnTap services of Creative Rush
  • Take a look at a non-exec director agreement, for regular meetings,support, strategy development and tactical delivery for your entire brand and marketing development

GET IN TOUCH TODAY!

Visit Creative Rush for all
needs or call
+44 (0)1793 600769

Filed under  //   Creative Rush   Marketing   Success in Business   Tips  
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