We had to share this poem written by American writer Max Ehrmann. Introduced to the team here at nxo by our Chairman, Philip Dyer and read recently by our Managing Director, Cheryl Jones at a local group. It echoes many of our shared values and the nurturing culture at nxo and is as relevant and true today as it was when it was written. We hope you enjoy reading it.

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story

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In this ultra-connected world, social media represents one of the most vital marketing tools companies should use. Getting involved in social media and generating content is a crucial aspect of business survival and client attraction. Of course, this must be done in a professional manner. Posting and sharing relevant information with the aim of nurturing relations with current clients, and at the same time, having the potential to attract new leads, must be done with great attention and proficiency, otherwise, it can damage your company’s image.

nxo helps SMEs maintain contact with clients by engaging in social media and stimulating interest in your business. There are many platforms available for businesses: Facebook, the major social website for maintaining contact and communicating directly with clients; LinkedIn and Twitter, most useful for B2B marketing and building connections. The platforms that can support a company to promote its brand visually include Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat. Read more →

Are you a small business leader and do you find yourself struggling with recruitment? In 2016 58% of small business owners reported trying to hire staff in 2016, but 52% reported that they were unable to recruit, 48% said that it was a result of being unable to find the employees their business needs.

Fundamentally 60% of recruiters believe cultural fit is the most important factor when recruiting. So by ensuring that your company culture correctly engages with your current teams, culture can be the difference between attracting the right employees for your team and being unable to find any. Culture provides the anchor for your organisation.

A business’ culture is, to a certain extent, responsible for creating its brand image and identity, and many organisations are recognisable just by their culture. No two organisations ever have the same work culture, culture is the defining factor between organisations and makes organisations unique. But most importantly, culture is the factor that determines morale, recruitment, productivity and ultimately the bottom line of your business.

Common characteristics of successful workplace cultures include open communication, an apparent organisational mission, selective hiring, work-life flexibility and competitive pay. And not to forget, enjoyment and fun – in the hard-driving world of business it’s incredibly easy to overlook humanity. Really, culture is about choosing whether you want to be a business that benefits just you or if you want to create a business environment that’s good for all the stakeholders. Culture, after all, is everything.  Read more →

Mens sana in corpore sano

A healthy mind in a healthy body; if I heard my father say this to me once he said it a thousand times. Perhaps this is the route to my interest in personal well-being.

The expression is a truism for businesses too – the office of national statistics refers to start-up businesses as births and you may have already guessed what they call closing businesses – deaths!!

In my line of work, helping businesses to grow, the two things are intertwined; it is essential to gain an initial understanding of the health of the business I am working with:

Culture; customers; cash-flow; profit

It could just as easily be:

Weight; nutrition; blood pressure; activity
Each element has a unique impact on the well-being of the business or the person and cumulatively the impact can be profound – positively or negatively.

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Preston based business consultancy nxo hosted an exclusive event attended by over 40 local businesses. The topic of the event, Practical Engagement for Profit, was delivered by Professor John Oliver OBE, former Chief Executive of Leyland Trucks who shared with the audience his wealth of experience in culture change and the impact of employee engagement on the bottom line.

A startling fact presented was that only 29% of the UK’s workforce is engaged, putting us ninth in the world’s leading economies. This means that 20 million UK workers are not actively engaged with their employers. Read more →