My family did not have a television when I was teenager, as a result we used to play a lot of card games around the fire in the evenings. So the concept of assessing risk and reward on the basis of the cards held is a familiar concept.

It was very easy to play a laid back game and break even, but here are my tips to playing poker and winning …….. I think they also apply to running a business!

1. Don’t Play Every Hand –Play Games that you can win

2. Don’t Play Drunk –Be at the top of your game

3. Don’t Bluff Just For Bluffing’s Sake –Be honest with yourself and those around you

4. Don’t Stay in a Hand Just Because You’re Already In It –Another common mistake beginners make is to think that “Well, I’ve already put that much in the pot, I have to stay in now.”.

5. Don’t Play When Mad, Sad, or in a Generally Bad Mood  -  Do not play emotionally, play rationally.

6. Do Pay Attention to the Cards on the Table –When you first start playing, it’s enough just to remember how to play and pay attention to your own hand. But once you’ve got that down, it’s incredibly important to look at what’s going on at the table.

  7. Do Pick the Right Game for Your Skill Level & Bankroll -   You want to be one of the best at the table, not the fish who sits down with sharks.

And remember you have to play to win…………..

I was attending a seminar in Plymouth that was aimed at focusing minds towards sustainable communities, in short an approach that was “Earth to Earth”. So in my own way I was thinking what was better than “Earth to Earth”……and the idea of leaving a legacy in addition to leaving  no impact on the environment came up. This legacy was one of Education, Inspiration and Leadership in the community, an operation that drove true Innovation and added real value to the End User.

In particular I was really excited by the idea of measuring the “Social Return on Investment” this is something that the National Economic Forum has been investigating. The UK Public sector spends £150 billion on goods and services per year (about 13% of GDP), imagine if this spending power could be directed towards buying goods and services that gave real tangible benefits to local communities. We hopefuly are moving away from being obsessed with how cost effective our purchases are to a new era where we look at the value we are getting.

To this end with the Food and Drink Sector being such an important part of the community in the West Country we are in a unique position to show just what we can do in this clearly identified region. I find the idea of Local Sustainable food just so much more relevant than Organic and I was delighted to learn of the Soil Association Charter scheme that encompassed this thinking. Over the weekend I met a chicken farmer who posed the thought that the recent increases in price of fuel might drive a change to this way of thinking. In short I do think Local Food has real legevity here in the West Country and how lucky we are to be closely involved with it.

The days are getting longer and it is an exciting time of the year for us with new thoughts, plans and genuine innovation. It is impossible to thrive unless you insist upon change, and it has never been so true. We now live in a world that is far more competitive,  a world where communication is instant ……the pace of evolution has never been quicker. We export around 10% of our production here at Westaway Sausages and so compete on world wide market. Our website is top of page one world wide on a Google search for “Sausage Manufacturers” and this provides a constant source of enquiries. In the UK we are great innovators but sometimes not great finishers, we must realise that we live in a world that seeks FASTER, BETTER, CHEAPER.  An enquiry needs to be responded to within hours rather than days, and needs to be responded personally and with authority.

I do get concerned about Facebook, Twitter, emailer databases and other social media becoming commodities that companies use to chart their success. We have 1000 followers etc. I sincerely believe that Integrity will shine through in those companies that do not outsource these functions but write and post from their heart!

We are delighted to announce the launch of our own, brand new website blog and we look forward to it becoming a lively exchange of news, views and comments.