Small Business Saturday 2016: Stay Strong, Stay British
As we celebrate the sixth Small Business Saturday this year, SME owners are more integral than ever to the health of our economy as we brace ourselves for uncertain times. SMEs make up an astounding 99.8% of the British economic engine, generating 47% of revenue and employing 60% of the workforce.
Ramp your business up as the year winds down
In a recent blog, I wrote about preparing your business for the traditionally quiet summer period. But there’s another side to this, where the lead up to the festive season can be the busiest time of year for many businesses.
Govt intervention having little effect: 50,000 UK businesses go under each year due to late payments
A new report from The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) says that the UK’s poor payment culture forces 50,000 small businesses under and costs the UK economy around £2.5 billion each year.
Doing it for the kids
As a father of three, I often come back to a phrase I once heard. “In life, there are rubber balls and glass balls and you are always juggling.”
Destination New Zealand
It used to be that people needed to live in the technology hubs of the world, like Silicon Valley or London, to accelerate their technology careers, but that’s changing quickly.
Behind the Success: Expensify
David Barrett is the CEO and Founder of Expensify. Named one of the Most Innovative Companies in 2015 by FastCompany, Expensify’s team has a simple goal — expense reports that don’t suck. That ethos made them a popular app in our marketplace.
7 Ways Retailers Can Increase Word of Mouth and Referrals
Word of mouth is one of the most powerful drivers of traffic and sales for retailers. According to McKinsey, it’s the primary factor behind 20 – 50% of all buying decisions and can influence purchases in ways that traditional advertising can’t.
7 tech trends that will change the way small businesses operate in 2017
Technology has the power to make our lives easier, and small businesses have the flexibility and the creativity to take advantage of this power. By staying lean and agile, a small business can adapt quickly in a moment and use new technology to power into emerging markets.
6 Intriguing Workplace Trends You’ll See in 2017
Pulling aside thick velvet curtains, you nervously step inside the fortune teller's tent. Leaves crunch under your feet and the smell of perfumed incense hangs heavy in the air.
Using customer reviews to build your business online
If you’re a tradesperson looking to build your business and win more work, improving your online visibility is key. Homeowners will often research extensively online before making a decision, and it’s important you can earn customers’ trust from the get-go.
Retention is Key But Even Some Turnover is Healthy
When gauging the health of your business, employee retention is a pretty important measure. Generally speaking, the lower the turnover number, the better it is. Though the number alone is only half the story.
Managing chaos during the silly season
The Christmas period is always a hectic time for anyone working in hospitality. With Christmas celebrations and client functions galore, it should be the busiest time of the year for you and your staff.
KPIs for SMBs: Key metrics for tradespeople (who don’t want to think about metrics)
Let’s discuss something we already know: Most tradespeople didn’t enter the tradie game because they love spreadsheets — usually, the case is quite the opposite.
It makes sense then that plumbers, electricians and other tradies can have a tendency to let some of the more elaborate number crunching required to run a business fall by the wayside. It’s understandable; you’re busy and you’re focused on the job at hand, so the temptation to only measure the bare minimum — ‘profit’ for example — can be strong.
Beating the Christmas cash flow crunch: Managing your invoicing over the holiday period
There’s a lot to love about the holidays — family, food and a blessed reprieve from the rigours of work.
It’s not all baubles and eggnog for SMBs however. Along with those inappropriate secret Santa presents and inadvised mistletoe moments, the period also brings its own unique challenges to business owners. Many SMBs find themselves under economic stress as clients and suppliers shut up shop over the break — often well before the those statutory holidays arrive — leaving phones ringing, emails unanswered and often, invoices unpaid.
5 Tips for Stopping Inventory Problems Before They Happen
The end of the year brings a lot of victories and challenges to eCommerce businesses and Amazon sellers…and sometimes those victories/challenges show up in the exact same package!
Merry Christmas from BUSINESS buddy
Yippee it's December and we are feeling the Christmas spirit.
The Elusive Work Life Balance: 7 Ways to Avoid Burnout
You’ve had a hectic day at the office. A last minute crisis occurred and you worked 2 hours overtime to get everything done. When you finally arrive home you’re too exhausted to cook dinner (and substitute with greasy takeaways and a cheap bottle of wine).Your ‘quality time’ with your spouse consists of a few muttered sentences before doing the laundry and other crucial tasks, then rolling into bed exhausted.
3 ways to tell you run a modern small business
It’s easy to take for granted the innovative technology we have at our disposal today. For small businesses, something as simple as email has completely revolutionized the way you communicate with customers.
In order to run a modern business, you need to utilize modern technology. Doing so means that you can run your business as efficiently as possible, hire staff that are best-suited to the job and retain them.
Consumer law: Footing the bill for faulty products or services
Who is responsible for fixing a product if it breaks after the manufacturer’s warranty or an extended warranty has expired? If you answered “the customer”, you should read on — the good reputation of your business may depend on it.
HomeRetail Tips & Trends How to Create a Workplace Culture that Attracts and Retains the Best Employees
Workplace culture.” This phrase is easy to throw around at HR meetings or interviews, but actually understanding the concept and building a strong culture in your organization is whole other story.
Behind the Success: PANALITIX
Rob Nixon has 22 years of experience as an advisor to accountants, with clients in over 30 countries. In his current role, Nixon is helping define and execute how PANALITIX’s cloud-based accounting solution software helps thousands of accountants improve their firm’s position across profit, capacity and growth through a connection with the ultimate accountant membership community. With a belief that accountants are the naturally trusted advisors to effective business through innovative technology, quality content and transformative methodology, Nixon empowers accountants to a position where they are able to exert a tremendous impact on their client’s conditions.
Not Getting Everything Done? Why Your To-Do List Sucks
A few months ago we set up an innocuous little survey on the WorkflowMax blog to help us understand our customers’ pain points better. We wanted to create more targeted and relevant content that would address their issues directly (and maybe even bring a smile to their face as they scrolled past the occasional GIF and bad pun).
How to Stay on Top of Stock Control and Reduce Costs Using the Just-in-Time Inventory Method
If you’ve never heard of just-in-time, don’t worry—it’s not too late. The just-in-time manufacturing model was introduced by Toyota in the 1960s and has become a popular way for manufacturers to manage their inventory, raw materials and the other supplies they use in the manufacturing process. Of course, manufacturers aren’t the only small businesses that can benefit from this approach.
Here’s what you need to know about your millennial small business clients
Millennials are now the largest living generation in the U.S.. An acute understanding of the entrepreneurial individuals in this group is growing to be a necessity for accountants and bookkeepers in order to provide services that will meet their needs and wants.
Why You Need to Hire for Cultural Fit
When you’re recruiting, identifying cultural fit in candidates is essential. There is a greater likelihood that employees will stay with a business when the work feels meaningful and the company’s values are in sync with their own.
Keep on trucking after disaster
The earth has performed a tap dance, the power is out and access to the office is impossible. How do you continue to function as a business?
It is easy for businesses to think “it will never happen” but when disaster strikes it is too late to plan how to survive both physically and commercially.
Make sure your employee happiness survey ticks all the right boxes
Happy employees are engaged employees. It’s the HR holy grail. So gaining a measure of employee happiness in your business makes good sense. But all employee happiness surveys are not created equal. An employee happiness survey is only as good as the questions you ask and how you follow through on the responses.
Avoiding the cashflow surprises that could kill your business
We all know that cash flow is king. But just how much sway does it have? Well, you might want to ask the nine out of 10 small businesses that have failed because of cash flow problems. That’s, right, according to D&B, 90% of small businesses close their doors because of poor cash flow management.
9 ways to squeeze more profit out of every business day
It’s the Holy Grail of business: increasing the number of profitable hours in a day. Short of asking staff to do more overtime or take shorter breaks, how do owners and managers coax more revenue-raising activities out of every employee and every subcontractor on every shift? And how do they become more effective at making decisions that will boost business efficiency every week?
Why entrepreneurs and startup founders are so important
entrepreneur
noun
1. a person who sets up a business or businesses, taking on financial risks in the hope of profit.
Business isn't always on a high
In an ideal world, the growth arrow of every business would always point up, with no flattening out or dipping.
In our more realistic world, business growth fluctuates significantly, due to both internal and external factors.
10 years of Deidre
Whoot, whoot, our lovely Deidre has reached double digits!
We are very pleased to announce that we have had the pleasure of Deidre’s company here at BUSINESS buddy for 10 whole years.
The 2016 Holiday hiring guide
With Thanksgiving around the corner, small businesses are gearing up for what many say is their peak time.
Boost your business with a free digital toolbox
Whatever the size of your venture, whatever you set out to achieve, a strong online presence has become the cornerstone of a modern business strategy.
Cloud software is the next step in manufacturing
Unsurprisingly, some of the early-adopters of cloud software were the IT, Communications and Financial Services industries. The many advantages of using cloud Software are beneficial to a broad scope of businesses.
Since Henry Ford built his first assembly line in 1913, automation has revolutionised manufacturing industries. Similarly, manufacturing can greatly benefit from the multi-functional nature of cloud software and services, improving forecasting, inventory management, sales support functions, HR, product development and life cycle management.
Boost Employee Productivity: 10 Secrets Your Staff Want Managers to Know
Are you struggling to motivate your employees? Do you constantly chase after them to get their timesheets in on time or wonder why they aren’t more focused or driven? Is absenteeism, poor morale and failure to meet targets a common occurrence?
Why creating a profit and loss budget is critical for success
One of the most overlooked and under-practiced habits in today’s businesses is creating annual profit and loss budgets. But why is this so critical for your business?
With a profit and loss budget, you’ve considered and developed an understanding of the key areas in your business that really make your profit and loss come to life.
Be diligent in your due diligence
You’ve found the perfect business to buy, it’s been up and running for a while and the current owners say they’ve been really successful.
It’s in your budget, you like the concept, you are willing to take the dive but before getting overly enthusiastic, you need to do a spot of fact checking.
Going Paperless: 6 Ways to Digitize Your Retail Business
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when the word “paperless” is brought up?
Don't get beaten by your competitors
I am astounded by the number of times I search for a product online, click the option to purchase, only to find that I then need to phone the retailer to pay. In 2016, this kind of disconnected experience is not good enough. Connected consumers want the freedom to buy from anywhere at any time, with a recent Zendesk survey revealing that 67% of consumers use multiple channels to make purchases.
If disaster strikes, what happens to your tax, bills and any staff?
Emergencies that force you to stop trading, like earthquakes, floods or fires, come with little or no warning. To give your business the best chance of survival, you need a contingency plan. Make sure it includes what happens after disaster strikes, when less — or no — money might be coming in.
How to cope with difficult people in the workplace (or anywhere else)
Several years ago, I had a customer who would glower at me as soon as I entered his department. He would say, ‘Fix it right this time, or get it out of here,’ no matter what the problem was.
If I was even one minute later than my ETA, he would be on the phone with my boss, complaining about the horrible service he was getting.
Because he would place a service call for the slightest imperfection or hiccup of the machine, I was going there almost every day.
Dealing with clashes in the workplace
As a manager, it’s important to do your best to keep your workplace from becoming an episode of the Real Housewives. Here are some tips for managing conflict.
Make plans now to save time later
Everyone makes a plan at some point in their life. Whether it’s for their wedding, family, business – or even just the weekend. Spontaneity is fun when it comes to road trips and skinny dips, but successful businesses need to think about the future and how to work smarter, not harder.
HR for Small Business, Is It Really Needed?
A recent study focused on identifying the current issues and trends facing Australian SMEs has found that 38% of small businesses pick Marketing & Advertising as the primary strategy for growth.
With more than a third of small business competing in the open market it will mean that it’s going to be harder and harder for your prospective customers to differentiate your business to your competitors. This often means that with a limited budget, as an owner of a business you would rather hire new sales or marketing personnel than HR. Or invest time in prospecting new business rather than increasing employee engagement and other people management strategies.
Why a website is vital for a small business
With smartphones at our fingertips, customers are searching online more than anywhere else to research a product. As a small business owner, it’s critical that you have a website ready for customers who are looking you up. Understanding why it is important and figuring out where to start can be intimidating. Here’s what you need to know.
Make sure your customers keep coming back
Small businesses will often say that their number one goal is business growth. But where does business growth come from? An easy answer to this can be “attracting new customers”. But attracting new customers can come at a very high price. Marketing has become increasingly difficult with online advertising and social media offering. Competition is fierce. Every other small business is online competing for potential customers. On the other hand, you could rely on word-of-mouth, but that is going to be a very slow process.
Are Millennials Worth the Risk?
Mention the word ‘millennial’ and the first thing that comes to mind for a lot of employers is ‘risky’. Today’s university graduates are looking to fast-track their career, and are not afraid of jumping from employer to employer to achieve advancement.
5 Ways to Wow Today’s Savvy, Well-Informed Shoppers
Not too long ago, customers walked into retail stores without knowing much about their products. They’d browse the merchandise to discover items they liked, relying on store associates for more details and information.
7 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a ‘Work From Anywhere Week’
Are your staff turning up late, grouchy and stressed? Do they have a distant look in their eyes (like they’d rather be anywhere else)? Is your turnover rate on the rise?
Common traits of successful small business owners
Have you ever wondered what makes successful business owners tick? Do you share their good habits? We surveyed 2,000 business owners to help you find out.
How to prepare a small business for mobile job management software
Job sheets, whiteboards, clipboards, filing cabinets … these are the communication and information storage tools of old-fashioned, inefficient small businesses. For owners and managers of trades and services companies who are only familiar with these traditional ways of working, and systems that may have been used for decades, it can seem like a difficult task to move to modern, cloud-based job management software.
Track small business cashflow without spreadsheets
If you track income and expenses on a spreadsheet, you could be losing sight of how your business is performing and wasting a lot of time on data entry. There are low-cost alternatives that allow you to monitor business cashflow really simply.
Easter trading: New rules for you and staff
If you’re a shop owner, new rules mean your council may let you open on Easter Sunday. However, you can’t make your employees work that day.
Health and Safety lessons from Pike River — for all businesses
The types of failures that led to the Pike River mine tragedy can be found in many businesses and in many industries, says Rebecca Macfie, the Listener journalist who spent a year investigating the disaster and wrote the book Tragedy at Pike River: How and Why 29 Men Died.
How to grow your family business
Working with family members presents unique advantages, and unique challenges. If you've built up your own business, now might be the time to bring in other family members. Here’s how to avoid some of the pitfalls.
Five tips on how to put your business in pole position
‘I love deadlines…. especially the whooshing noise they make as they go by!’ That’s one of my favourite “Dilbert” quotes about business but it flies in the face of what motorsport stands for. Motorsport is a business of hitting deadlines because it doesn’t matter what reasons or excuses there are, the race will always start on time…. Whether you are there or not.
Woot, woot, we are on a roll
The BUSINESS buddy team has made it into the finals of the 2016 David Awards in two different categories and we are mega excited.
We have just heard we are in the running as the most outstanding established business and the Bizbuzz most community minded business.
To hire or not to hire
Business is heading into the final quarter of the year and the challenge of employing someone right now or waiting until the New Year is on a lot of people’s minds.
Small businesses name Xero the most-loved accounting software for the second year in a row
Xero was born to achieve a simple but bold purpose: to build powerful, relevant and beautiful cloud accounting software that would change the lives of its global accounting partners and small businesses.
That’s why we consider it our greatest achievement to know that small business owners and key decision makers have named Xero the most-loved accounting software for a second year in a row, beating MYOB and Intuit Quickbooks, through independent research.
Hit a Profit Plateau? 8 Breakout Ideas for Small Businesses
Starting your own business can feel like scaling Mt Kilimanjaro. You dig your feet in, climb, and pray for the best. It’s an exciting, chaotic, and hope-filled journey… But what happens when you reach the top of the mountain? Is there anywhere to go but downhill?
Unfortunately many small businesses grind to a halt - or even start to decline - after climbing their first mountain. This is known as the small business profit plateau. Your company is finally up and running smoothly, but its exponential growth suddenly stops. Your profits start to flatline. It feels like your team is working twice as hard just to maintain the same ROI.
Manage a cash gap in your business
One of the tougher challenges for many trade businesses today in terms of finance is what’s commonly referred to as a cash gap.
A cash gap is a lag which occurs between income and cost of goods sold (COGS); that is, cash inflows and outflows. Businesses that suffer from a cash gap may be profitable on paper, but have cash flow problems because they have to pay their suppliers (COGS) much earlier than they receive money from their clients (income).
Trust: The currency of the new economy
How did trust, that fundamental building block of human behaviour, become a cornerstone of modern business? Once something that required significant time and investment to build, maintain and yield results, trust is now being made and broken by strangers at speed – and that shift is being commoditised.
The growing social enterprise proving there is such thing as a free lunch
The concept behind Auckland-based social enterprise Eat My Lunch is a simple one. Buy a lunch and a kiwi-kid in need gets one for free. But there’s a level of complexity behind the scenes to ensure its sustainable future – from carefully planning menus to ensure zero-waste kitchen to thorough financial forecasting.
8 ways to better manage your staff
Good managers can make or break a business. They're essential to developing a positive and productive workforce, which, in turn, improves employee retention levels and ensures everybody in the business is working in line with the company’s strategy and objectives.
How to be more productive when you work from home
Freelancing and gigging are gaining popularity fast. Not only do you get the flexibility to work when and how you want, a lot of these jobs let you work from home. However, if you’ve never worked from home before this can be a challenge.
Treating your home like an office can take practice, especially if you don’t have enough space for a dedicated home office. If you’re freelancing and want to work more efficiently, here are some tips to help.
The 5 Ws of basic job creation
Much like finding an old $20 in those jeans that you’ve had away since last winter, or like realising you’ve ordered your pizza on cheap Tuesday when you go to foot the bill, figuring out that just a small change to the way you work can save you time and money is gold.
Sometimes, it’s the minor details that matter. It might seem like a small win at the time, but it’s one that can make a big difference to your business.
What You Really Should Look For When Hiring New Staff
Hiring the right person for the job isn’t always a straightforward process. There are many variables to consider and whether you are a startup looking to hire your very first member of staff or already have a few team members on board and are looking to expand, the right person with the right skills can really enhance your work environment and have a positive impact on production. Hiring the wrong person does just the opposite and can not only be a costly exercise, but it can also be time-consuming and even have a negative impact on employee morale.
Voting closes today!
We like to think we are one of the David’s of the world, punching above our weight, using innovation to help us run rings around the Goliaths out there.
There is even an award for it, and voting closes today, so no dilly-dallying.
On the slippery slope to Christmas
Believe it or not, the super organised of us have actually started our Christmas shopping by now.
But there is another list that business owners should be ticking off on the run up to Christmas, and that is your business plan.
Tips to produce problem solvers
In the pursuit of standardising service so every customer receives the same message or deal, many companies are producing staff who cannot sort out the simplest problem.
One size does not fit all and when someone throws a spanner in the works, can your team handle the situation?
Find the right app to strengthen your small business’ toolkit
Whether you’re an architect or a personal trainer, you’ll know the importance of using the right tools for the job. When it comes to running a thriving business, cloud-based apps are becoming an increasingly essential item in a small business’ toolkit.
Providing access to real-time information on the go, as well as reducing time spent on manual data-entry are just some of the benefits apps can provide busy small business owners.
Five tips for conference fitness
Going to conferences is a much-loved activity for BUSINESS buddy and the team recognises the importance of being at the top of their game to get the most out of the experience.
Training like All Blacks ensures they are sharp as tacks – even in the after-lunch-I’m-ready-for-a-snooze time.
Vote for BUSINESS buddy
No we are not standing in the local body elections but BUSINESS buddy has entered the David Awards.
The team thought long and hard and we thought we had what it takes to be a true David – heroically taking on the big guns in the world of accounting and business advising.
10 Things You’re Not Doing To Nurture Your Clients
Research suggests it costs a business between 4-10 times more to acquire a new client than it does to retain a current client. As a business owner, you will do well to look for ways to nurture these clients who’ve used you once into not just returning, but spreading the word about your company.
How to Approach Your Bank for Funding
Applying for funding from a bank can be daunting. It’s a lengthy process which involves jumping through hoop after hoop with no guarantee of success.
But it doesn’t have to be that way, follow our guide to ensure you go into the loan process with the correct information and watch your chances of approval soar.
What startups can learn from this year’s major tech deals
It’s been a huge year for M&A in the tech industry. For startups, there are many valuable insights that can be gleaned from this activity. By looking to organizations that have been around for a long time, entrepreneurs can learn what it takes to stay relevant in the coming years.
4 ways to adapt to the changes that come with starting a business
In the world of small business, the changing nature of competition requires us to constantly adjust and adapt, succeed and remain grounded. Everyday business decisions can be a continuous battle between the urge to stand still and consolidate, or push to achieve more.
So how do you strike the right balance? Multi-medal winning swimmer Michael Klim shares four top tips.
9 Tips For Hosting Awesomely Effective Meetings
Ah, meetings. With their almost universally hated status, running one can be tough going. You can almost *hear* the groans as you schedule one in the team’s shared calendar (and heaven forbid you try and make it a regular weekly occurrence). Given the enormous amount of pressure you – as the brave meeting organiser – face, it’s easy to default to a boring Powerpoint deck and read off the slides word-for-word. Unfortunately it’s also a great way to send everyone to sleep or to seek solace in tea breaks and lunch.
8 Tips For Launching Your New Marketing Campaign
All too often a brand will launch a new product or service that flops because of a poorly thought through marketing campaign – so here are 8 tips for a successful marketing campaign.
H&S: How to fight workplace fatigue
Being tired on the job is a health and safety issue many businesses have to grapple with, says a world authority on worker fatigue.
“Fatigue is just another hazard,” says Professor Drew Dawson, director of the Appleton Institute at the Central Queensland University.
Are we there yet?
How many times have you been on a road trip with children and heard that constant question that gratingly gets on your nerves: ‘Are we there yet?’
If you’re like me, you want to answer with, ‘Of course not or we’d be… there.’ Kids, knowing the potential fun to be had at the destination, get weary in the waiting of the journey itself.
5 things you should consider when choosing a bank for your business
Choosing a bank is one of the most important decisions when starting a small business.
It’s as important as choosing where you’ll set up a brick-and-mortar store, developing a business strategy or deciding who you’ll partner with.
Choosing a bank should be the start of a long and fruitful business relationship.
Xero Gravity: Small business cyber security: the good, bad & funny
Corporate espionage… A sinister plot to a movie or a real threat to your small business? You’d be surprised by what you don’t know about your company’s cyber security.
This week on Xero Gravity we are joined by our very own Felix Shi. Felix is the product security specialist at Xero and has seen it all when it comes to cyber breaches. On this week’s episode, we explore the holes hiding in your business’ cyber security systems and offer some valuable steps you can take to protect yourself.
5 Classic Blogging Mistakes Small Businesses Make (And How To Avoid Them)
You’ve got a beautiful business blog, full of white space and full bleed imagery. It’s responsive, a pleasure to scroll through and sure looks a whole lot snazzier than what your competitors are pushing out on a regular basis. You know you’re getting traffic because comments are surfacing every now and again, “likes” are trickling from your social feeds – but all in all it’s not really converting to new business or opportunities.
What are you doing wrong?
20 Innovative Ways To Keep Your Employees Motivated And Ultimately More Productive
As the company owner, you have that entrepreneurial streak, that will to succeed. You can see the big picture and have a clear view of where you want the company to be in 5 years time.
The big problem comes when you can’t seem to translate that enthusiasm and drive to your team. They’re qualified and hardworking, but they just don’t really seem that fussed what happens to the company. You want them to be resilient, driven and – above all else – as motivated to succeed as you are.
The Olympics – are they relevant?
Like many other Kiwis, our head honcho, Kirsten Hawke, has been watching Olympic highlights, sharing in the highs and lows of our athletes as they battle it out in the worlds most ancient arena. But not everyone is so keen.
10 Examples of Outstanding Customer Service That Fuels Loyalty
You put a lot of work into gaining your customers.
So once you have them, you don’t want them to simply buy from you once, and then leave you to go out acquiring new customers.
That’s exactly what might happen if your customer has a bad experience with your customer service.
Xero Gravity: Tesla paves road for small biz innovation
This week on Xero Gravity, Xero’s very own Rod Drury joins us to divulge what inspires him as a leader. Rod knows all about the importance of thinking globally. A Hi-Tech New Zealand Entrepreneur of the Year winner and stand-up paddleboard enthusiast, he joins Elizabeth Ü in studio to discuss the parallels between Tesla’s plan to make the world better, and how small businesses can innovate and grow beyond their community.
Following these rostering tips will help drive business efficiency
A robust rostering system is essential in any hospitality or retail business. Ensuring you have the right number of staff rostered on will keep your customers happy, and your wage cost looking great.
How to sustain excellence in a new business
According to world-class athlete and Olympian Sally Gunnell, as well as adapting to change, sustaining excellence in a new business is one of the hardest parts of the journey. In both business and sport, people ask and expect you to consistently perform at a massively high level with challenging deadlines. Sally’s advice in this regard is to stay focused on your goals and remember that they can of course be tweaked when they’ve been achieved or part achieved.
This former Olympian shares how to succeed in sport and business
While the similarities between olympians and entrepreneurs may be few and far between, they do share one unifying cause: both strive for gold. Seeing the dedication of the athletes at this year’s Olympic Games in Rio reminds us of the long and hard path they forged to get to the Olympic arena.
For former Olympic athlete Michelle Roark, the transition from freestyle skiing to business owner was a no-brainer. Roark started skin and haircare company, Phia Lab, and with this came the realization the skills she had developed as a professional athlete were more than transferrable. Her inspiration for the brand was even inspired during training.
Take control of your business without losing sight of yourself
When you own a business, it’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day: from ensuring jobs get done, to checking employees and customers are happy. That’s before we even factor in our families, let alone ourselves.
But when we don’t take care of ourselves too, it can take a toll on the quality we operate at, affecting business productivity and ultimately profitability.
Which Social Media Channel is Best for My Small Business?
Is your small business on social media yet? I’m sure you’ve heard of the great potential social media holds for marketing your company, so I won’t preach to the converted. Everyone knows about the 6 big players - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+ and LinkedIn - but trust me, not all of them are right for your small business.
Protecting the brand you’re working on
Where there’s business there’s brands.
Those succinct simple representations of an organisation carry enormous power and the task of making a business or cause memorable and enduring. Around the globe maybe millions of minds are beavering away on developing brands to drive their marketing, and cement their future prosperity.
We made the finals
This year, Business Buddy took the plunge and entered the Westpac Auckland Business Awards – South, which was a little bit nerve-racking for us.
However, we are super-excited to shout to anyone who will listen that we made the finals for two categories; Excellence in Innovation and Excellence in Strategy & Planning.
Too many hats
Juggling a multitude of roles is the bane of many business owners and when the heat goes on, it can feel like most of the day is spent putting out fires.
Of course, there are going to be times when the unexpected happens and the boss must plonk on the fire chief hat and start extinguishing but with a bit of planning – those days should be reduced.
Prevent the ‘lone wolf’ attitude
Many years ago, I was on lunch with two other techs when one asked, 'Have you seen Tom around lately?'
Tom was a bit of a 'lone wolf' so it wasn’t too strange that we hadn’t run into him, but our manager had also requested a few times that we take his service calls.
I decided to call Tom to find out why he had been MIA for the past few weeks.
Alternative Finance Options for Business
Since the recession in 2008, there have been many complaints that the banks aren’t lending to SMEs. As a result businesses are increasingly seeking out alternative finance routes to access funding.