I hope you find my writing and business tips and observations useful. My business and blog are dedicated to helping businesses communicate clearly and reach their potential.
Read, and enjoy!Tash
Have you recently resent that?
Sometimes, I really wonder how people learn English as a second language – it can be so tricky! For instance, the letters s and c can sound exactly the same but using the wrong one can totally change the meaning of a word, such as in recent and resent.
Recent: of a similar time to the present – not long ago or far into the future.
The recent rains have helped our water supply.
Resent: to send something again.
I resent the email after he said he hadn’t received it the first time.
If English isn’t your first language, do you find learning such words difficult?
You look ravishingly ravenous today
Today’s meanings are not words that sound alike (well, except for starting with rav!) but can be easily confused…
Ravaging: causing destruction, destroying something
The Vikings are known for ravaging many towns and villages.
Ravishing: taking by force; raping. It is more commonly used to mean ‘of great beauty and delight’ which derives from women of great beauty ‘raping’ men of their senses with their beauty!
Ravishing rich women was one of the old pirate’s delights.
Ravenous: very hungry {as hungry as a beast came from the devouring aspect of ravish.}
They were ravenous after their long hike.
Don’t get court…
The Victoria Police have a sign that is used by some shops that amuses me. It aims to reduce shoplifting and finishes “why risk getting court?” Obviously, it is a play on words and catches attention, which is what I like about it.
In case you are struggling with why this amuses me, here are the definitions of the words court and caught.
caught: the past tense of to catch
She caught the ball and won the game.
court:an institution that applies law and justice for society; a defined area, usually with markings, for the playing of a specific game.
Judges, lawyers and jurors come together in court.
A tennis net is strung across the court.
The legal system is there for us, as as games – you could say they are ours. So the word our is in our court…
Beyond the call…
I recently read a post by Melissa about being sick and running your business and it made me smile. I think I can safely say I went beyond the call of duty for one of my clients last month, on the day Melissa wrote that post…
I spent the morning in hospital in false labour and the afternoon doing errands. By late afternoon, I was in full labour with painful contractions and received a request for an urgent client newsletter mailing. So I spent the early evening preparing and sending out an email in between major contractions – and then went back to hospital for my son’s birth!
Aside from my dedication to client’s :), managing business during personal health issues is a serious topic for business owners. Do you struggle on and hope you’ll get better but risk making yourself worse? Do you tell clients you’re sick and delay their work? Do you get help from somewhere?
As professionals, we want to fulfill promises to clients and deliver on time and to a suitable standard. As people, we need time to recover from illness and time to rest and care for ourselves. It is when these needs clash that we struggle.
The ideal is to prepare for such issues, rather than find ourselves unable to deal with it (imagine being so sick you can’t even warn clients things are running behind…) What ways have you prepared your business for your unplanned (or planned) absences?
I formally request…
formally: meeting polite procedures, not casually
We were formally recived at the door by the butler.
formerly: previously, used to be/do something
She was formerly the president of the state association.
Allowing learning…
I read a blog post called Tilda Virtual Services is moving – again! and I was impressed enough to write an answering post, as well as leaving Kylie a comment!
The background is that Kylie started a VA business from home a few years ago. As things were going so well, she moved into an office earlier this year – a big step for her and an exciting one! After nearly 6 months, Kylie has decided to close the office and operate from home again.
Kylie took a risk and left her comfort zone by moving into an office. In doing so, she was able to change her work habits (no more midnight work) and define work and family better.
What I found inspiring about this is that Kylie has realised she is better suited to work from her home office, and has set up her business so that doing so is still feasible. Instead of just accepting the office as what she ‘should’ do as a successful business or worrying that moving out after 6 months is a ‘failure’, Kylie is doing what is right for her.
So often people let themselves get stuck into a rut because they think it is expected of them or don’t want to admit a previous decision was wrong. But why not admit a decision wasn’t right, but was worth trying?
As Kylie said “If I didn’t, I would have wondered if moving out was the right thing to do and I wouldn’t have developed my good habits so I don’t regret it at all. Life is a series of learning experiences and this was another one of those.”
Taking a risk doesn’t mean closing off options – it just means giving something new a go and then deciding what to do with the new knowledge and skills you gain from the experience.
Have you ever taken a risk and then decided to go back to how something used to be?
Bought or brought?
In speech it isn’t always clear whether someone says brought or bought, but I really hate seeing them written in the wrong context so here are definitions to help people get them right…
bought: to have purchased something. It is the past tense of the word buy.
They bought their car from a registered dealer
brought: to have carried or taken something/someone with you. It is the past tense of the word bring.
She brought a friend with her to the conference.
‘After you bring something you’ve brought it’ is a handy reminder of which is which as many people get confused over these two words.
If you are not confident you are getting words like bought and brought in the correct places, get a second opinion before you make your writing public. Ask a friend to read your work for you (not just to catch a brought/bought error) or get a professional to edit your work for you, especially if it is something important like your website content or product manual.
Be quite quiet
As one of the most common spelling errors keep an eye out for this pair of words… especially as a spell check won’t pick the difference if you make a typing error.
quite: actually, truly; to an extent
The house was quite large
quiet: not making a lot, or any, noise
The children were unusually quiet
So how can you remember which is which, other than just repeating it until you get it? I was once told to keep my ears (the letter e) inside (rather than being the last letter) when I need peace and quiet 🙂 Maybe that tip will help you remember the difference…
And just to be complete, the word quit (as it is sometimes used instead of quite or quiet, too) means to stop or end something – for example, the man quit arguing with his boss. It is easy to remember – just quit writing before you add an e!
Bolt of lightning
Thunder bolts and lightning, very very enlightening…
Sorry to play with some great lyrics, but the word lightning always makes me think of that song! Apparently, a number of people don’t realise that there are two versions of the word lightning/lightening – that is, there is one sound for the word but two spellings and meanings. Given people don’t realise there are two spellings, I guess it isn’t surprising to see the incorrect word used.
So here are the definitions of the two words to make sure you know which is which!
lightning: a sudden burst of light in the sky
The lightning storm was exciting and beautiful to watch
lightening: to make lighter or brighter
The sky was lightening on the horizon as we arrived home.
I am looking forward to lightening my load!
Lightning in the sky is fast and sharp – there is no time for extra letters. Whereas lightening something involves some effort, it is a verb, so it has an extra e in the spelling and pronunciation.
Disagreeing with clients – the nice way!
If you work for clients, you will not always agree with how they want things done. Sometimes, it will just be a matter of personal choice so you stay quiet and do things their way. Other times, your professional experience and knowledge leads you to believe the client would be better off following your way.
So how do you tell a valued client that you disagree with their request?
Let’s take a simplified situation – the client asks for bright red and you think pale blue is a better option.
The first response to come to mind may be “Bright red won’t work so I’m going to use pale blue for you.”
However, the client is likely to be annoyed at being told they’re wrong and you’re making the decision. Result? They will dig their heels in and insist you use bright red without further discussion – or just find another supplier.
Another response may be “Pale blue is best and applies in 90% of cases” and just going ahead with pale blue. Taking control of the project like that shows no respect for your client and may just end your relationship.
Here are some better ways to approach your client:
- Bright red would certainly attract attention! However, did you know that colour experts consider red to mean…?
- Is there a particular reason you want it bright red?
- I will do it in bright red, but first I wanted to make sure you know you have a choice. The alternative is pale blue, which has the advantages of …
- I have found an example of bright red for you, and a pale blue example as a comparison. I think the pale blue works better because… What do you think of them both?
- That’s an interesting thought – I would never have considered bright red for this project. To me, bright red doesn’t always work because…
- Based on my experience, bright red is less effective than pale blue because… Would you like me to try both colours so you can see the difference?
If you handle it politely and with respect, your client will appreciate you speaking up and sharing your expertise – after all, that’s why they are using your services! You may still have to complete the project in bright red, but at least the client has made an informed decision and you have respected your professional opinion.
Have you had a supplier respectfully disagree with you which has led to a better result? Share your story in the comments area below.
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