Pippa Hanson from TSIC in April

It was appropriate to have Pippa as our first guest speaker given that we both met her through our own networking experiences, Renee through BNI and Jo through the Greater Frankston Business Chamber. Pippa, the Managing Director of The Sports Injury Clinic was the overall winner of the Frankston City and Mornington Peninsula Shire regions Excellence in Business Awards 2011. Judged on business acumen and outstanding service delivery. Pippa runs her successful business within a strong framework of good corporate citizenship and is a Mother of three children. Starting off our own small business with a huge vision, we personally gained a great deal from hearing Pippa outline some of the innovative aspects of her business from which we were all able to draw inspiration.

So what were some of the key points from Pippas talk......?

• The importance of branding has been a strong theme throughout several events we've attended over the last few months & this was reiterated by Pippa. Having a consistent image throughout your business - your logo, letterheads, business cards, websites, brochures and signage is important when it comes to brand recognition and building a stong presence in the community
• Getting yourself and your business out there in front of people by doing talks to different audiences is a great way to spread your message while helping others - by providing information. It could be schools, kinders, Maternal Child Health Centres, Rotary Clubs or other community organisations that have a relevant audience
• Know your market and think outside the square to target them - create connections with another business you might not have thought of as being a good match. The point being that the business does't necessarily have to compliment yours or have the same focus as you, just share the same target market
• The benefits of inexpensive promotional avenues like networking are still being used by Pippa to increase awareness about The Sports Injury Clinic, eight years after it's beginning. Forming strong relationships with fellow networking members is an important asset with the ability to assist you in many different areas of your business
• It can be difficult as a women in business with a family too. Prioritising, making decisions about where to spend your time and feeling guilty when you can't be in all places at once is a common theme for many of us. the answer? Timetable! Allocate time for each aspect of your life so each gets the quality time they deserve, whether it be children, husband, exercise, business-work or house-work: Timetable! - and don't forget some "ME" time!
• The point that might have resonated the most with us was THINK BIG! TSIC began with one physio, one receptionist (Pippa) and her husband helping out in a small clinic. They have recently moved into a beautiful brand new clinic and have 50 people providing many different health modalities! You may not personally have a huge vision or large business goals, which is fine, but it doesn't stop you having a large business mentality. Set goals, make sure you stay on track by re-assessing and re-evaluating as you travel your business journey!