Nicholas Bate

I know I'm back in LA...

...because of:
1. Immigration. Business or pleasure? What exactly do you do? Can I see your return ticket, please? Etc.
2. The temperature. It's warm. And not raining.
3. Es necessario hablar en espanol. Claro.
4. Down-town LA is just like The Shield. Seriously.
5. Pedestrian crossings count-down to red. Some even tell you which street you are on. Cool.
6. Starbucks customers use the full span of options: ..half-milk, no foam, 4 pumps, short....
7. The gym-on-the-beach at Santa Monica. Can you climb the rope? Well, can you?
8. And if you are near the pier, get a fresh lemonade at Hot Dog on a Stick. I don't know about the hot dogs but the lemonades are fantastic.
9. Taxi drivers ALWAYS take the freeway.
10. LAX.

Simon Jenkins: heads should roll...

...in the financial markets

You Will Feel Better For (28 of 30)...

...making some tough financial decisions. Whether it's the cutting-up of a credit card, a tough conversation with your financial adviser or simply getting everything in order, you will certainly feel better for personal financial knowledge...

How To Think Like: The Serious Start-Up

1. Switch on phone: sell!
2. Walk briskly (gym membership cancelled to save money) to the copy shop: do 250 of those on 110g paper, please.
3. Make 25 more calls.
4. What documentation do I need for a Mailboxes MBE address, please? Tomorrow. Thanks.
5. Keep it simple. And keep simple brilliant.
6. We can buy a meeting table next month when we have earned it.
7. No. We don't do discounts. Too busy, sorry!

How To Think Like: The Wannabee Start-Up.

1. So let's talk colour of logo. I think this red is too fiery?
2. And weight of headed notepaper. 170g is lovely.
3. I'm not sure down-town is the best address for us? And parking is a little tricky. For us.
4. Hey-the new espresso machine has arrived!
5. We're going to be big-we need a big PR launch.
6. Financial crisis-what crisis?
7. Hey-who's getting any business in?

100 Word Story

He pulled up and unzipped his leather jacket. It was a glorious day and his super-bike looked beautiful, as did the others in the show-room: gorgeous colours with staggering ccs. Now, where was the sales guy? Amazing that six months ago this very bike had been the number one thing in his Life. Down to Brighton. Up to Skye. Across Normandy. Where was he? Ahh well. He’d had fun. Here he was: same guy who’d sold it to him. “Got it out of your system, eh? They all do eventually. It’s an age thing. Let me give you a price”.

How to Write Well...

...by Ernest Hemingway

It's Monday...

and...you've got a lot on already, so why not ask one of your brand new graduate trainees to do a rapid audit of The Small Stuff by Which we are Truly Measured - Unconsciously - by the Customer:
1. Reception. Clean, tidy? Fresh flowers? No FedEx boxes awaiting a home? Today's newspapers? Excellent!
2. Car Parking. Nobody from product marketing parking in visitors slots? Perfect!
3. Product Literature in dispensers is up-to-date? Great!
4. Visitor's rooms. No old coffee cups from Friday's meetings nor beer cans from the 'Closed Sales' beano. Well done-a record!
5. Rest rooms. To coin a phrase: as you would want them to be. Awesome!

Be a Man of Action

like this guy.

Something To Think About

"Each day, deliberately and consciously, do more than one thing to make the world a little better"
Srikumar Rao, author of Are You Ready to Succeed?