I remember listening to a couple of parents bemoaning their offspring’s football team performance: ‘There’s nothing worse than losing!’ commented one mum, and she’s right of course, isn’t she? Well… Not exactly. None of us likes to lose, but I’m going to suggest that to set yourself the personal goal of winning every time is …
Julian’s Business Tips: When Is A Goal A Bad Goal? Read More »
I’ve talked about procrastination before; putting things off until later. It’s one of the deadly sins of time management. Many people don’t realise they do it, so here are 10 different procrastinators – how many do you recognise? 1. The Cleaner: ‘Before I start, I’ll put on some laundry and then I might tidy my …
Julian’s Business Tips: Which Time Waster Are You? Read More »
Which country do you come from? To help us understand our fellow humans, motivational speaker, Mark Gungor, imagines that all people came from four very different countries: 1. The country of Control This population just wants to get things done; their favourite vehicle is the bulldozer! They want to be appreciated for what they do. …
Julian’s Business Tips: What Country Do You Come From? Read More »
We generally think that growth is good – but it may bring with it the need to hire more staff, find bigger premises and upgrade your machinery. But these are all risky investments – so how do you know when the time is right? I can’t make that decision for you – that’s your job …
Julian’s Business Tips: Time To Grow Your Business Read More »
A magazine I read recently asked its entrepreneur readers to send in business lessons that they had had to learn the hard way. Here are a few that particularly resonated with me: 1. You can’t do everything on your own. Building a team is essential because there are only so many hours one person can …
Julian’s Business Tips: Business Lessons The Easy Way Read More »
Procrastination: that dreadful curse of putting off important things until later. It never helps, but we all do it, even when we know it’s wrong. And we keep trying to justify it to ourselves. Sometimes we do it because the task appears difficult or scary. Maybe we’re hoping that, by putting it off, someone braver …
How do you start in business? Let’s look at three well-known successful entrepreneurs. • Alan Sugar started by selling car aerials out of the back of a van. Less than 20 years after starting Amstrad, he sold it for £125 million! • Teenage Richard Branson started a student magazine, with a loan from his mum. …
Julian’s Business Tips: Budding Billionaires Wanted Read More »
Business contacts are important – networking should be a key part of any SME’s marketing. If like me you find it hard to begin conversations in a room of strangers, here are some useful opening lines I’ve gathered. “Have you been here before?” • Useful at regular weekly/monthly meetings – if they haven’t, you can …
Julian’s Business Tips: Seven Networking Openers Read More »
Decades ago, I spent a holiday based in a granite farmhouse on the edge of Dartmoor, with nothing to read except old copies of the Readers’ Digest. I still remember one of the reader’s letters – and it went something like this: At an army base, the day before the big Passing Out Parade, everyone …
Julian’s Business Tips: We’ve Always Done Business This Way Read More »
At work, I’ve been asked to create a newsletter – so here are my thoughts on how to write a brilliant one! It boils down to four things; what it says, how it says it, who is going to read it and how it is being delivered. What does it say? • Content is king …
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Here are nine tips if you are thinking of starting a new business this year. 1. Evaluate yourself – honestly Why do you want to do it? Are you the right sort of driven person? Could you cope with the lack of security? Can you afford to do it? 2. What is your business idea? …
Julian’s Business Tips: New Year, New Business Tips Read More »
One of the most critical aspects of growing any business is employing the right people. Regard employing a new member of staff as an investment – and the best way to achieve a quick ROI is by spending time on a thorough recruitment process. Firstly, develop a job specification by asking yourself why you need …
