Introducing Micro Oiseau and How to Be in Business
Following the Brexit Referendum and the depressing realisation that the UK would leave the European Union, in 2019 I was staying at Le Moulon de Pensol in the southwest of France. With many friends and contacts in Europe, and freedom of movement rights due to shortly be denied me and many others, apart from being deeply disappointed, I felt the need to make a material difference.
Furiously stalking the forests south of Limoges, I decided to:
a. learn French and
b. start a translation project.
Basing my ideas on my strengths, writing and marketing, with the help of my long-time business partner Ned Hoste, I began to map out a website that would offer free access to a series of marketing guides that would be translated in to as many languages as possible. To achieve this I would write the marketing guides and invite professional translators to translate them, offering them a free online home for their professional biographies, together with social media promotion.
On explaining my ideas to Ned, happily he was as enthusiastic as me and, over and above the day job of running our creative marketing agency The Big Ideas Collective, he rolled up his sleeves and we both immediately got stuck in.
Beginning with branding, I wrote a series of nine concise marketing guides covering the main elements of marketing for startups and small, or micro businesses.
#1 Be Noticed: how to build a great brand
#2 Be Valued: how to set the right price and sell
#3 Be Seen: how to develop your marketing plan
#4 Be Seen Online: how to develop a good website
#5 Be Persuasive: how to advertise
#6 Be Heard: how to get results from social media
#7 Be Successful: how to collaborate
#8 Be Professional: how to make a great first impression
#8+ Be Professional Online: how to prepare for virtual meetings
Using the WordPress platform and Avada theme Ned began to build out a fledgling site with the capability to host translated content through WPML and I went in search of translators. Through personal connection, Twitter (as was) and LinkedIn, I invited a small number of translators to join me. With nothing other than goodwill we all began to build Micro Oiseau, the name I decided on for the project.
So, to recap:
a. is going fairly well but the more I learn, the more I realise that I’ve got a very long way to go, and
b. is here in glorious colour, plus a book, but more on that later. First…
The French connection
Next, I explore ideas behind the creation of the Micro Oiseau name, brand and visual identity.
You’ll find the marketing guides here!
Here's Ned and me. Our meetings are usually 60% gossip, 25% tea drinking, 15% work.
