Why NO is a Complete Sentence. July 27, 2021 Are you expected to say yes to everything? As a business owner I was always told that the answer should always be yes, and then ask what’s the question? But are we expected to say yes to everything out of fear? Fear...
The Four D’s DECEMBER 12, 2019 Email is the communication king. Quick, easy and free, it’s the chosen method of communication for many business owners. Email offers us the flexibility of working hours, allowing us to work on the move and can help reduce your stress,...
Self-Care Tips – How To Get Rid of Stress and Anxiety When You Run a Business NOVEMBER 26, 2019Self-Care, it’s something we regularly ignore because we get caught up in the stress of life. Running your own business, whilst running a house and caring for kids is a lot...
5 Things You Can Do To Get Off The Treadmill Of Life NOVEMBER 7, 2019 Feeling as if you are stuck on a treadmill, or feeling as if you all you are doing is ‘going through the motions’ every day of life – is no fun. I know that. I’ve been there AND got the t-shirt!...
60 Things You Can Do With an Extra Hour OCTOBER 22, 2019 The clocks change at the weekend and Daylight Savings is about to end and just like that you will have an extra hour every day! Listen we are all busy and got a ton of things to do, so stop moaning about how...
Why You Need An Outsourced Support Team This Summer AUGUST 8, 2019 About 15 years ago I was given the amazing opportunity to work in India doing a fast track promotion process with Zurich Bank for three weeks. Being a single mum, I’m sure you can imagine how much I...
6 Unmissable Tips to Get You Through The School Holidays Without Losing Your Mind or Your Business MAY 23, 2019 With all this lush weather I’ve been daydreaming about holidays a lot! Whether it’s a chilled staycation, keeping the kids busy with outdoor paddling pools...
5 Ways to Get Out of Your Own Head and Get Over the Overwhelm APRIL 24, 2019 REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT ALONE First things first, repeat after me: I am not alone. I am not alone. I AM NOT ALONE! Although the stress of running a business on your own can feel incredibly...
7 Top Tips For Working From Home For a Busy Entrepreneur APRIL 15, 2019 Working from home is brilliant in so many ways. One of those ways is being in control of your own schedule, and you can do that better when you learn how to work more efficiently. Give these ideas...
15 Healthy Business Habits to Radically Improve Your Success and Organisation Skills APRIL 4, 2019Developing a series of effective habits that maintain and sustain you and your business are critical for your continued success. As a small business coach I know how...
13 Tips For Maintaining a Healthy Work/Life Balance. MARCH 20, 2019 Maintaining a work/life balance is easy when you run your own business right? You typically work from home and you have no one else to answer to, so it should be easy to switch off. WRONG!...
5 Business Survival Tips to Get you Through the Christmas Holidays Without Losing Your Mind or Your Business DECEMBER 18, 2018 I loved writing this blog as it's a subject close to my heart. Here’s my 6 business survival tips to get you through the Christmas holidays...
It’s that time of the year – It’s planner season…. DECEMBER 12, 2018I was yearning for the FEA Carrie Green planner last year - I had total FOMO! It seemed expensive, I left it too late and then missed out. She sold out - brilliant marketing, beautiful planner. So...
How to Discover Your Expertise OCTOBER 29, 2018A Bit About Me:I have thirty years of experience in running businesses. I have led and informally coached thousands of people from Sainsbury’s to Barclays and so many in between. As you can tell I’ve got a really big...
5 Top Tips on How to Prevent Digital Dementia OCTOBER 23, 2018Do you ever find yourself forgetting the simplest of things? What were you just talking about? What did you need to get from upstairs? It’s becoming all too common for us to accept our flustered selves as a...
Reading the title of this blog, and knowing what I do for a living, I am sure you are thinking that this blog will be riddled with bias. Whatever you may think, I can assure you that there is no bias (not intentionally, anyway…) but rather an opinion based on personal experience, and mounting facts!
You may or may not now know that Linda- The Master Fixer- has taken on two (lovely) interns in recent months. Here at MF HQ, this month is all about scaling up your business as efficiently and effectively as possible and Linda thought this might be a good opportunity for Lalaine and I (Rosie) to come together to write a blog about how we think successful businesses become just that- a successful business.
Networking can seem daunting at first, especially if you have the tendency to be shy and introverted. Fobbing it off may seem like you’re dodging an night of awkward interactions and embarrassment but in reality you’re missing out on an opportunity that could catapult your business into the stratosphere. So, If you’re new to networking or you just want to make sure that you have a great and productive time, we have some tips to make the most of your interactions.
As a business coach, I am constantly seeing people through their hardships; some handle it excellently, and others not so well. However, some of the strongest people I know have had days where they completely crumble under the pressure. But if resilience is a fixed quality – you either are resilient, or you aren’t- then how can this be? I spoke to Jane Evans, a Stress Intelligence Transformer, to get some clarity.
“The worst thing you have ever written is better than the best thing you have never written.”
Self-esteem is an amazing but fragile entity. In short, self-esteem is your opinion of yourself and your abilities. It can be high, low or somewhere in between; when it’s high we feel more resilient, we’re less vulnerable to anxiety, rejection and stress. But when it’s low, oh boy it’s low. While everyone occasionally has doubts about themselves, low self-esteem can leave you feeling insecure and unmotivated, it will leave you uninspired and doubting every choice you make – not good especially when you’ve got a business to run!
An Elevator Pitch. Have 30 seconds ever sounded so daunting?! It really doesn’t need to be this way, and if you know what you’re doing you should find coming up with the perfect pitch as easy as ever.
We all know that every now and again we all need a break. But when you’re running your own business it’s hard to feel like you can take a step back without your world having crumbled in on you when you get back. Going on holiday and spending time with family and friends never used to be such a daunting task, so here are my top tips for getting back those guilt-free days off:
Finally, the day is here! Today marks National Intern Day, and is the first year that I have cause to celebrate!
Summer holidays can be the prime time for business owners like ourselves to lose our mojo. The kids are running free and you have little time on your hands to focus on yourself, here’s a few tips and tricks to get that mojo back.
We all know that setting goals can be hard and keeping them can be even harder especially when these goals have to potential to make or break your business. If you follow these simple top tips you’ll be on your way to achieving your wildest business dreams!
After Southgate’s well-known blunder that caused us to lose the 1996 European Championship no one expected big things from him, but through integrity, empathy and determination Southgate gave England a much-needed chance of glory. While you’ll often hear people say “he’s no Venables, Robson, Shankly or Klopp.” Gareth Southgate has proven he’s a talented leader that we could all learn from.
In most aspects of our lives, a little clutter doesn’t hurt: be it in our wardrobes or in our cars. But the most distracting and debilitating cluttered space is in our heads. A cluttered mind usually results in us trying to run in ten different directions at once, with the end result being that we haven’t got very far at all. So, here are my top tips for decluttering your mind:
Failure. It’s a daunting word, isn’t it? I think the majority of us would avoid any type of failure if we had the chance. But as I’ve come to learn, failure isn’t something we should avoid and actually it’s something we should embrace.
Having had 2 little people, a full time self employed job and being a single mum I remember the juggling. So I hope you enjoy them and as the summer holidays are less than 6 weeks away – get planning.
Continuing July’s theme of taking action, I want to share with you the importance of planning. We’ve all heard the saying “fail to plan and you plan to fail”, yet the majority of us are still trying to figure out how, why and where to get started.
Many of us are great at planning. We know what we want to achieve in a day and generally what it will take to smash those tasks and cross off the to do list. But, life gets in the way. Or rather, distractions do. Notifications, technology, phone calls, social media, it all tries to take us away from those tasks in hand. Which suddenly puts us behind. So how can you get more sh*t done (without locking yourself in an underground cave)?
Many businesses start out as a ‘one man band’ whereby the business owner does EVERYTHING. While that is possible in the early stages, as you develop your client base, work on your products or services and promote the brand, it’s not viable longer term. Even if you want it to be, it’s just not possible. I’m going to highlight how you can best prepare for business success, but first I want to analyse, what IS success?
There are a huge number of inspirational business women out there. Those that have battled the testing times, running business whilst being a mother or wife and those flowing with entrepreneurial mastery. As someone who has worked in the corporate world, managing teams of people as a single Mum, I have a real level of respect for those that do it all. It really isn’t easy, but certainly teaches you some valuable life lessons.
May is your biggest challenge….. maybe you’re just getting over the Easter holidays and revving back up to speed and there it is BAM! Two Bank Holidays in the UK and a school half term! You have got to be joking!!!!I guess the only consolidation is that the weather is starting to get better – finally!
You’ve heard it, I know you have – the old age and classically overused quote “Fail to plan, you plan to fail.”But really it is relevant now? Isn’t it more about a dynamic cocktail of planning and execution. There is little point having an awesome plan, beautifully nurtured, colour coded, project managed if there is no execution.
Having children changes your life. Even if you plan for the changes, they’ll still hit you harder than you’d have thought possible. It can be particularly challenging if you have your own business, but with careful planning, the right support team and a bucket load of determination, you can wear both the Mum and the Entrepreneur hats. Here’s how…
When I was younger, much younger, I overheard an old boyfriend talking about low and high maintenance girlfriends – I’ll leave that one with you, but the upshot was that the worst variety were the women who thought they were low maintenance but who were really high maintenance, again I’ll leave you with that one, but it got me thinking… it’s all about attitude. Now translate that into business
Today on International Women’s Day we celebrate the women who have gone before us and the young women who will follow us. I’m sitting here at Red Maids’ High School, which is the oldest girls school in the UK, celebrating International Women’s Day at a brilliant event called Brave Bold & Bonkers with Freelance Mum. It’s particularly poignant as my daughters attended this school and had the most amazing and happy school years, my business is a proud sponsor of Freelance Mum and many of my clients are freelancers. Happily bumped into Lisa Brown, the Head Teacher who has known and supported my girls since they were both 7 years old. Today is a happy day 🙂
They say everyone who attends the Oscars is a potential winner, but by the end of the evening there are a handful of winners and a room of losers. Now that is tough! So how so you keep going, honing your craft and persisting after such epic failure played out in front of literally millions of fans watching on TV and surrounded by your famous peer group. How does anyone get over that?
Well, having a goal, a vision and winning strategy are critical steps. But most important a dogged determination and to build personal resilience, and finally be persistence. Pleasantly persistent and consistent. To take action, every single day – no matter what.
Email is the communication king. Quick, easy and free, it’s the chosen method of communication for many business owners. They offer us the flexibility of working hours, allowing us to work on the move and can reduce your stress, and increase our efficiency exponentially.
Procrastination. It’s something we’re all guilty of from time to time. It’s something I regularly hear when speaking with clients, particularly those who work from home. Washing, tidying, dusting, baking and food shopping are all easy things to get distracted by. My teenagers use it all the time and I am convinced procrastination is a modern day epidemic and all you need is to recognise it, and get a regular shot in the arm inoculation. Remember it’s not a thing – it is an excuse.
It’s tough running a business and running a family without running yourself into the ground.
Last year I conducted a rough analysis of how many actual working days there are for an average working mum who is a busy small business owner in the UK. Here’s what I found: You have on average 150 working days to achieve your annual business goals.
There’s been so much scaremongering since the changes to Facebook were posted on 12th January 2018 by Mark Zuckerberg the CEO of Facebook. Here are my initial top 5 recommendations to enable you to take control of the situation and take action straight away.
To make sure you’re really working as smartly and productively as you can, it’s essential and good business sense to give your business a regular business detox.
Brain dumping is a powerful, increasingly popular phenomenon, used by many business owners as a means of planning. It has many benefits and can bring true value to your business. But can also improve your sleep and therefore, your business and your life. Look after yourself to look after your business. It’s good business sense.
I love January. A month full of anticipation, goal setting and excitement for the 12 months ahead. Many take it as a time to reflect on the previous year and critically analyse what worked well and what didn’t. For me, it’s an opportunity to forward plan the epic-ness that will be the coming year. And here’s how to do it…
Most people who make resolutions end up giving up on them after a month so why not use this time to show some real ambition and make 2018 a life changing year instead? So what are you will to commit to – no matter what?
As we welcome in another new year, there’s never been a better time to kickstart your career and shape the year you want. With Blue Monday just around the corner and the ever increasing failure of New Years Resolutions there’s even more of a reason to ensure yours are deemed a success 12 months from now. The best way to do so? Turn them into actionable and accountable goals with these 7 simple steps.
Lets run away to the beach together. It’s the Christmas run up – of course I’m wound up. I want to run away to the beach… You see I planned my month very carefully so I could stop working on about 18th, but so many of my lovely clients have been poorly so now I’m playing catch up and I’m backed up. Also who knew but we’d be inundated with new business enquiries in December!
The best advice I ever received was choose your battles as “Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you choose to react to it!” This quote has guided me since my 20s, challenged me in my 30s, saved me in my 40s and now in my 50s it is supporting active choices I am making in my personal and professional life. Read on >>>
As business owners, it’s a well regarded fact that you’ll work excessively long hours, trying to get as much done in the little time that you have available. Going away, whether for a once in a lifetime trip or a short mini break, seems like a distant dream or an unachievable reality. When in actual fact, it can completely transform your business.
Do you sit there in the evening with your phone or device (or both) pinging and buzzing away – your partner/ husband / wife or child looks daggers at you as they think you’re “playing” on Facebook and have NO IDEA you are running your business and it just doesn’t stop because they want some one-on-one time! So lets explore some simple top tips how not to freak yourself out with notification fatigue without losing your mind or your business.
Now if you’re reading this and cursing me, please be aware that I was a single mum of 2 little girls when they were 2& 4 (they are now 21 & 18) and I was a single mum for about 9 years. So I really do know what I am talking about and how hard it is to juggle everything.
Business owners are busy people. That’s no secret. Instead of making excuses they make a plan. They set goals. They monitor their productivity, results and actions to ensure time and resources aren’t being wasted and that the end result is what was aimed for. Having an accountable list in which to work from not only gives you targets to aim for, but allows you to monitor your progress.
Your life and your experiences help you become a better person, a better business person, a better friend, parent and partner. My experiences have helped me become a much better business coach.
Indulge me, don’t think of a list of things you need to get done, switch your thinking, reframe how you think of time and reposition your time as opportunities. You’ll be surprised what a difference it makes!
Running a business is a minefield. Understanding the numbers and the deep numbers is like having a metal detector to establish whether you have controls, visibility and you know what and when to pull those levers!
Think Big. Get Results You Need in 5 Simple Steps AUGUST 24, 2017 Lots of business owners I know and work with desire a bigger business, bigger results, more time to themselves and more sleep! I could write pages of suggestions, great recommendations and top...
So, if your business year hasn’t turned out the way you had planned. This is a great time. The best bit is you get to press the STOP button, the R E F R E S H button and treat September like a brand new start.
9 top tips to DOUBLE your income in 90 days. AUGUST 4, 2017 Hey listen there are so many people out there - my Facebook feed is FULL of people claiming they have the secret source, the greatest gift and for $5000 they are going to show you how to earn a 7...
If you want to uplevel your business, yourself, your business networking, leadership, and time management skills, it’s time to get reading. Here are my favouite
These 11 top time saving resources, have helped to keep my small business organised and running efficiently and effectively.
The buck stops with you! Only you can make it happen – so lets look at how we can create more value in your business.
Having had 2 little people, a full time self employed job and being a single mum I remember the juggling. So I hope you enjoy them and as the summer holidays are less than 6 weeks away – get planning.
It takes guts to launch a new business. It takes grit and determination. It is hard work and no one ever sees the late nights and the early mornings and the sacrifices that are made. Find out more on my blog post.
Find out why its critical to get your ASK into gear and why if you don’t get if you don’t ask is important for the success of your business. Read more here:
Are you frustrated with the pace of change in your business? Do you need to take action but its just not working fast enough for you? Any of this sound familiar?? OK, got 2 minutes? Read more …
Join me with these 7 Top Tips to Make You Unstoppable in business in life: The good news is that anyone can develop and perfect these qualities to become unstoppable in their pursuit of your dreams, your passions and your goals. Read more …
Knowing your business numbers and the levers you need to pull to drive your business forward are critical. Read more here:
7 reasons why coffee with business works! APRIL 9, 2017 So this week is UK Coffee Week, and it got me thinking.... when did we all get so stuck on coffee shops? I remember as a teenager going out to meet friends and making a "pot of tea" last for hours for 4 of...
5 things a busy business women needs to outsource immediately! APRIL 9, 2017 Did you know its National Gardening Week this week, can I tell you how much I really hate gardening! I'm just not good at it, I do not have green fingers and to be truthful it bores...
6 benefits an entrepreneur can enjoy by hiring a business coach MARCH 13, 2017 As a successful entrepreneur, you probably know exactly what you want and how to get it. You are driven, determined and a self-starter. So if you have all these great qualities, why...
Got what it takes to be a business athlete? MARCH 12, 2017 World class athletes report they fulfil over 90%of their potential, however non-athletes in senior positions in business typically report they fulfil around 40%. This is a shocking statistic and yet the...
Intention + Action = Results MARCH 12, 2017 Commit yourself to be #allin to what you want, see it, feel it, know that it will be and watch what happens. It does not magically happen but your change of mindset impacts your actions, your actions become more...
8 marketing tips to get you more clients MARCH 7, 2017 Everyone needs clients. FACT! Whether you are producing or selling a product or you are providing we all needs clients, someone who wants what we have. Ok so you’ve heard about the law of attraction and...
Magic happens when you niche MARCH 3, 2017 I was encouraged to niche my business offering. Niche? I exclaimed, but I can coach anyone and everyone. I don't want to reduce the size of my market, what about the lost opportunity, the opportunity cost. But I am not...
How to grow your business in 9 steps! MARCH 3, 2017 I read this on an email I received and thought how poignant and how true it is. No wonder why everyone is so confused... We have become a nation of people who don't search for data we "google" it. This...
6 simple ways to overcome your procrastination JANUARY 30, 2017 Without exception all the busy business women I coach, complain about the same one thing. They worry that they procrastinate too much! Procrastination is a an overused and current word, but it is...
How to get down and dirty with the detail! JANUARY 19, 2017 Ever heard that irritating quote "the devil is in the detail?" Well, managing a small business as a solopreneur its essential that you measure and understand how your business works, how it is built...
How to manage email stress JANUARY 15, 2017 A study found that one in three office workers suffers from email stress. Is that you? Making a decision the first time you open an email is crucial for good time management. I advise and encourage practising the...
Why procrastination is a dirty word! JANUARY 11, 2017 A really great quotes ( I found dozens - so I must be onto something!! ) for you to start to realise that the issue with your procrastination is in the space between your 2 ears. The real thing is thinking...
Do what you do best and outsource the rest! DECEMBER 15, 2016 Wouldn't it be wonderful if you only had to do the things you did best, or better still just the stuff you loved? I love walking my dog, helping and supporting great clients, brainstorming new ideas,...
Actions speak louder than words AUGUST 31, 2016 You are what you do, not what you say you'll do. #actionspeakslouder To say I love you is lovely to hear, easy to say and less easy to mean. Actions speak louder than words... To demonstrate that you love and care...
Ditch the drama JANUARY 29, 2016 I have learned (the hard way) that some people just attract drama. So as a parent of two teenage girls my regular mantra of "step away from the drama" or "ditch the drama" have become two of my most used sayings! Its hard...
Excellence - journey or destination? APRIL 16, 2014 It takes time, determination & perseverance. So be kind on yourself and build strong foundations to your excellence. Build strong habits to enable the move towards YOUR excellence. Allow yourself to be an...
Fall in love not in line APRIL 16, 2014 Fall in love with what you do. Fall in love with your friends and family. Fall in love with yourself! Fall in love with life and do not fall in line. Have you ever noticed the difference in attitude between...
8 steps closer to achieving your dream! APRIL 9, 2014 “Vision is the spectacular that inspires us to carry out the mundane.” Chris Widener Can achievement be broken down into simple steps? It isn’t always that simple and easy, but those who achieve great things...
Learn to say NO to support your effectiveness APRIL 4, 2014 Simply put, we all need simple practical solutions to help them get the most out of every day. It’s so easy to lose your focus these days. We are constantly flitting between emails, texts, social...
Busy Busy Busy...its a highly addictive drug MARCH 25, 2014 Years ago I had a friend of a friend who, in his 20s was always SO busy. If you wanted to see them they would be "booked up for months!" and if we wanted to make weekend plans, we arrange to see them...
When is hard too hard? MARCH 19, 2014 I cannot take credit for this - I have taken this from a lady called Debbie Neal. HARD is working for someone else. HARD is commuting back and forth when you can be home with your family. HARD is not having the CHOICE to be...
4 pillars of leadership MARCH 18, 2014 Its really simple - honestly! I was once told that the difference between management and leadership is simple. Managers do things right and leaders do the right thing. It struck a chord with me, left an imprint and I think...
5 tips to declutter your mind MARCH 17, 2014 Too much to do? It's familiar to lots of us, important deadlines, and no matter how hard we try, we can’t stop thinking about something or someone else. Ongoing conflict, an unresolved issue, or something we need to...
Be a fearless failure NOVEMBER 22, 2013 So if failure is simply getting it wrong more times than the other person then sign me up! But failure is wrapped up in so many other layers? I'm NO psychologist - the closest I came was an A/O level about a million years...
Are you financially in control? OCTOBER 30, 2013 Be realistic about how much you will need to live When planning your retirement, set yourself a monthly budget equal to your projected retirement income and try to live on it. Be realistic about what your monthly...
Tips For A Better LinkedIn Profile Picture JULY 2, 2013 Don't judge me, I know my picture is black & white - its the only one I love. Taken by my BFF two years ago. Typical when I look in the mirror I still see a fit 24 year old! Ha! Anyway here are some...
Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the World! JUNE 16, 2013 We've all had the stomach lurching moment - the presentation in front of a crowd of people, walking into a room of strangers, the first date, the job interview that you really wanted,...
3 tips for making money when you sleep JUNE 3, 2013 Make money while you sleep how cool would that be? Film stars do it, Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, Gary Barlow & other brilliant song writers manage it, even Hugh Grant's character in About a boy...