The Successful Founder Winter 20/21 Issue

The Successful Founder 40+ 2021 Expert CREATING AND LIVING THE LIFE YOU DESIRE Your Guide To Building A Successful Business & Creating The Life You Desire

Success Secrets

Ready Set Go!

Articles

MARKETING 200 Pages & PR SKILLS KNOW HOW

30+

Is Your Mind Set for Success?

RCROWDFUNDING Expert Advice SUCCESS SECRETS Articles Inside

Enhancing Staff Wellbeing

Luxury Lifestyle The best of Cars, Pitching Luxury Building an Ethical to Win Lifestyle Yachts, Travel, Business with Heart Dining, Spa & Marketing, Leadership, Finances, Pitching, Luxury Lifestyle Section Gastro UK Breaks Covid-19 Recovery Issue 13 | £7.95 www.entrepreneurandinvestor.com

13

+

Cars, Travel, Dine & More

EDITOR’S LETTER DEAR READER, Welcome to this Winter 2020/21 edition of The Successful Founder Magazine.

This issue focuses on looking positively ahead and embracing 2021, recovering from Covid 19, and thriving. You’ll find a wealth of useful and inspirational features on everything from buiding your social media presence, to keeping a positive mindset, and embracing new ways of working.

In addition to reading our digital and print magazines, do also visit us online at www.thesuccessfulfounder.com for daily new articles, and join us on our socials – details below.

Finally if you’ve any suggestions or great stories to tell, we’d love to hear from you. Drop us a note on team@thesuccessfulfounder.com.

Do also keep an eye out for our sister titles, Female Founders Guide, and Luxury Lifestyler too. www.femalefoundersguide.com and www.luxurylifestyler.com.

My very best wishes, LISA EDITOR Visit our website www.thesuccesfulfounder.com www.femalefoundersguide.com www.luxurylifestyler.com Find us on Issuu - issuu.com/thesuccessfulfounder Follow us on our socials @thesuccessfulfounder @femalefoundersguide @luxelifestylers Find us on Readly www.gb.readly.com

EDITOR & FOUNDER Lisa Curtiss EDITORIAL & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERS Brooke Sealey Amrit Mann

EDITORIAL & DESIGN TEAM Lauren Weaver Victoria Itagyba Kruti Patel Mollie McMillan Natalie Carter Alina Spiridonova Lydia Ellen Gayle Penny Luke Penny ADVERTISING, SPONSORSHIP, SUBSCRIPTIONS & DISTRIBUTION team@ thesuccessfulfounder.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

The Secrets to My Fashion Industry Success BBC’s The Apprentice Linda Plant BBC The Apprentice Interviewer, and successful business leader, Linda Plant is famous for making the unaffordable in fashion affordable for everyone, with her highly successful fashion brand, Honeysuckle. Here she tells some revealing stories from her life in the fashion world and how fashion will always be at the centre of her life…

“My love of fashion started as a child and by the time I was 15 I had left school and was selling clothes on my mum’s market stall in Dewsbury market. I eventually took my fashion business, Honeysuckle, to the main London stock market all without a single qualification and at a time when women were not at the forefront of the industry as they are today.”

“In my fashion days I travelled the world to many places including Paris, New York and Tokyo looking for inspiration. I would buy expensive garments which would have key design elements that I could use in order to produce a mass market garment and sell it at a fraction of the cost of the original. I brought these designs to the high street so they were available for every woman to buy. At one point I had a team of eight designers.”

“Inspiration can be found everywhere if you are creative and I think that’s the secret and has been one of my gifts. I’m not a trained designer but in my fashion days I could take something so simple like an embroidery on a handkerchief and turn it into a fabulous sweater. I once bought a tablecloth to use as inspiration for a specific piece and it was during the time when Ralph

Lauren was producing a lot of designs with antique lace. I created the sweater and then added lace which I found in Korea, but I asked the producer to dip the lace in very weak tea so it had an antique effect. That sweater went on the front of Littlewoods Mail order catalogue. It was their biggest selling sweater in the history to that date. I think we sold 75,000.”

“It was in Macy’s department store in New York, in the children’s department that I got inspiration for a new season of clothes, in the end producing a range for 9 to 14 year olds.

There was a gap in the market at that time, as girls didn’t want babyish design and no one was producing pre-teen looks, so I decided to create this. I employed a dedicated team just to design these ranges.”

“I also spotted a girl’s sweater in Macy’s. It was a V neck but it had a false tea shirt attached so it looked like it was a T-shirt underneath a sweater but it was really only a false piece of cotton made to look like 2 pieces. I loved this design and I knew I could translate this into something very commercial for women, which I did. I probably produced more than a million pieces of that single design.”

“I believe that I could still design winning ranges today. If you have a good eye with a creative brain I don’t think you ever lose it, or the ability to evolve with the changing fashions, you just get on the band wagon and keep it relevant to today’s market.”

“My heart has always been in fashion and I would love to be involved in the industry today if the truth were known. Perhaps I should get a

ENTREPRENEUR

IMAGE CREDIT: Reel Feel

ENTREPRENEUR

job styling women or answering their fashion questions!”

And just like Linda’s Honeysuckle range which made unaffordable fashions affordable for everyone, Linda is launching a new business course that’s affordable too called Linda Plant’s Business Blueprint Course.

back she later became one of the first women to head a fashion company flotation becoming a PLC. As a pioneer female business leader she continued her business successes in a series of challenging executive roles, whilst consecutively growing and selling her electronics company after three short years, for substantial profit.

The course, written in Linda’s own words and based on her own experiences at Honeysuckle, is a complete package and includes everything you need to start and run your business, from generating ideas and coming up with a USP to branding, pricing, negotiation, reaching customers and of course a step by step guide to writing the perfect business plan. It also includes an invaluable chapter on starting or building a business in uncertain times.

Linda is known as ‘The Queen of Mean’ for her no-nonsense interviews of BBC The Apprentice’s final five candidates, providing advice to Lord Sugar for over 5 seasons.

The Linda Plant’s Business Blueprint Course costs £299 and includes a 40 minute video from Linda and an audio version.

Today Linda runs highly successful property development and interior design businesses and her Linda Plant Business Academy.

You can enrol at the Linda Plant Academy at lindaplant.com For twitter @LindaBPlant Facebook: www.facebook.com/ LindaPlantAcademy/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ lindaplant_official/

About Linda: Linda has built her career from humble beginnings to become one of Britain’s most successful business leaders. She is now helping others to forge their own career and business path too, with her Linda Plant Business Academy and her personally written Business Blueprint Course.

After leaving school aged 16, Linda progressed quickly from selling fashion on a Leeds market stall, to launching her international knitwear brand, Honeysuckle. After taking the company

Her passion for business and entrepreneurship has also been recognised with a number of business awards and as judge the top female entrepreneur for HSBC’s Panel of Forward Ladies.

ENTREPRENEUR

IMAGE CREDIT: REEL FEEL

ENTREPRENEUR

5 Ways to Expand Your Audience Your audience is a group of people you’re providing your products or services too. The larger your audience, the more quickly your business is likely to grow and more successful it will be. Whether you are a new company just starting to grow your audience or a more established enterprise looking to expand more rapidly beyond your customer base, here are 5 easy ways to achieve this and set you on your way.

1. Define your audience First of all it’s important you understand who your audience is. The best way of doing this is to create a client avatar. This is a representation of your ideal client which will help you develop your messaging, sales and marketing. Define their age, profession, their interests and challenges. It’s likely that you will have more than one avatar but try to keep it to no more than three. You could even give them real names so they become vital members of your business development!

2. Create newsworthy stories PR is one of the most cost effective ways of getting your brand in front of a large number of people. Maybe you have some great data or insights for your industry that are newsworthy or you’re launching a new innovation.

Otherwise, try ‘newsjacking’.

Simply type in your sector topic into google ‘news’ and see what’s trending in the media.

Offer up your expert to give a comment and expand on the matter in question. Create a list of your top 30 media titles and reach out to them on a regular basis with your news stories

3. Team up One of the easiest ways to expand your audience is to partner up with another company which has the same audience but with products or services that don’t compete with yours. This could be a joint event, new initiative/campaign, promotion, special offers or discounts. Perhaps you have a product which needs to be seen by more people and there’s a partner venue which could be a prime showcase for you and would benefit from the added value it gives their visitors/members.

Alternatively, you could simply interview someone from another company in your sector and then benefit from them sharing it.

4. Amplify your content Get into the habit of creating regular new ‘quality’ content for your website and social channels and then simply ask people you know to share it. A great way of doing this is to create round-up posts which includes comments from other experts in your field. All you then need to do is ask them to share these with their communities.

5. Be a guest Guest blogging or guest podcasting is a brilliant way of growing your own audience. Identify those blogs and podcasts which have a similar audience to your own and approach them with suggested articles for blog posts or offer your founder or experts to speak on a subject which would be interesting to their listeners. This also works well B2B with offering up speakers for webinars and conferences.

By Tracey Stapleton, Founder, The Spa PR Company : www.thespaprcompany.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

The Art of Not-Networking This year of all years I have realised the importance of networking. I have looked at what happened to my business since Covid struck and I realised that my whole career to date has been leading me to here.

I am self-employed and didn’t qualify for any government support. In March when lockdown happened some fairly chunky contracts “evaporated”. It was understandable. Everyone was in self-preservation mode, battonning down the hatches and making sure that their businesses and staff were going to be ok or furloughed or, in the worst of cases, made redundant.

As the work disappeared and with two youngish children at home, I decided that I would focus on the children and home-schooling! A pandemic is not something I had planned for financially but between some savings and the value in my house I knew that we would be ok, that I would still put food on the table and that things could be so much worse. I knew that we were in this for a while and that we would survive – my business would come back or I could go back out to get a job when things picked up. So, this is not a sob story by any means. It is a reflection on what has happened since.

What started to happen is that work started appearing from here and there. Some of it was referral, some from existing clients whose needs had changed, and in some cases expanded, some came from former colleagues or employees. All of it came from known sources. None of it was prompted by any specific action I had taken. I have deliberately

kept a very low new business profile. In the midst of all this chaos, my desire to work with a particular company, team or individual seemed a little irrelevant to say the least. With business development, timing and relevance is so important.

As I reflected on this a few days ago on my morning walk, I realised that my whole career I had been networking, and that this was the time it had best served me. It had all been unconscious. I had always tried to create and leave a good impression, to say a kind word, to be accepting, supportive, non-judgmental and not to burn any bridges. Without a doubt, I won’t have succeeded at that all of the time but, for the most part, I think I have tried to do the right thing in all my relationships. Be they former clients, employees, colleagues, suppliers or people I just met for coffee to do someone else a favour. It never mattered who they were, how far up or down the ladder they were, how “important” they might be; I always made time if I could. More than that, I am reminded that throughout my career what mattered was not so much what I said to people but how they felt after our meeting. Be genuine, sincere, authentic, interested.

Now, many of those people I met along the way are doing high powered jobs in organisations big and small and they have become my client base. They come from a range of sectors, backgrounds, disciplines. What we have at the beginning is trust. The rest grows from there.

But I realised that networking is not about walking into a crowded room and talking to as many people you don’t know as possible.

ENTREPRENEUR

Or attending several events a week to show your face or work the space. Of course, it can be that, but it is so much more in reality.

It is about establishing relationships along the way, during your whole career, in my case some 25 years. Because at some point you might just find that unwittingly you have created a network that is so strong, so solid and so precious that it will deliver for you in the best and worst of times.

want more out of life and are prepared to invest the time and energy to make it so. I am struck by how willing people are to adapt, to change and to reinvent themselves. And I realise that along the way, every interaction, every meeting, handshake (back in the day) or smile counted.

So, my word to the wise is this – don’t rush, and take your time to establish good relations with people throughout your career. Whatever they do, wherever they are in the hierarchy, make sure they remember you for the right reasons and that you remember to stay in touch. You never know when you might need them or they you. Ask yourself when you meet people how you can help them not what you can sell them.

It will go a long long way.

Vonnie Alexander is the founder of Vonnie Alexander Executive and Leadership Coaching.

With 20 years’ experience in marketing services, Vonnie co-founded marketing agency Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw which she later sold to the Publicis Groupe. Now a business leader and coach, Vonnie is a graduate of The Coaches Training Institute (CTI). She seeks to develop strong cultures, bring out the best of people and teams in a way that delivers a real impact and help them grow.

I have enjoyed my best year yet in my coaching practice. I work with people and teams who

About the Author:

ENTREPRENEUR

Business Tips For A Zero-Waste Founder Running a zero-waste business always starts with passion. Passion for the products, passion for ‘being better’ and passion for the planet.

In order to ensure that you’re going to have the biggest impact, you need to consider all elements of your business from manufacturing and supply chain to the packaging that you use.

For me, being a zero-waste business founder meant continually learning and developing and continually improving all elements of our business to ensure we’re having the most impact possible on the people and the planet.

When thinking about setting up a zero-waste business, why not go one better and try to go organic and use locally sourced ingredients too. Be confident that you have a real, engaged eco-minded audience that is waiting for your product. As consumer demand for environmentally-focused businesses increases, people are placing greater importance on the brands and the products they choose to support. Being truly committed to being the best version of yourself is vital in attracting these consumers.

So just how important is passion? Very.

Creating an ethical zero-waste business goes against the grain of traditional business. From your investors to your bank, being truly ethical means you’re often pushed to go against business advice and follow your own path. This can sometimes feel scary, but knowing you’re going in the right direction and prioritising people and the planet is always what gets me through. This is where passion comes in. Those businesses that set up ethical companies and have no passion for the world in which we live, will struggle to cut through. Passion is what drives us when times are tough.

For me, setting up Lamazuna was driven by passion. It all started with cleansing wipes and the waste this was creating, this was something I found truly shocking. The idea that I could create a company that was helping people go zero-waste in the bathroom was a real motivation for me.

Having a passion for people and the planet is also vital for preventing greenwash. As a zero-waste business ensuring that you’re truly committed to the cause is vital, choose your mission based on your heart and not profit.

Remember, it’s not about perfection, it’s about being transparent and striving to be better. You’re not going to make all the right choices straight away, but ensuring you learn from your mistakes is essential. No business is perfect, but getting aligned on your mission for doing better for people and the planet will help your zero-waste business thrive.

About the Author: Laetitia Van De Walle is Founder of Frenchbased zero waste lifestyle brand, Lamazuna.

It all began in 2010 when she decided it was time to stop using five disposable cotton pads and a toner to cleanse her face every day. Instead, she began using simple, ultrasoft microfibre cleansing wipes that could be reused hundreds of times. This was Lamazuna’s first product. The first website launched in 2010 and then Laetitia began branching out to offer a range of other everyday zero-waste items… and the rest is history.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

Why Confidence is Key in Developing your Team I can still remember my ‘lightbulb’ moment very clearly. It was 2nd March 2012 and I was reading an article in the Independent when the BBC News programme in the background covered the same story I was reading about: research had revealed that 50% of adults in the UK could not manage basic mathematics.

As a maths teacher, I just found this so sad. I had met intelligent people who did not know what even and odd numbers were, simply because they missed those lessons then never had the confidence to raise it again. How many more people were missing just one or two lessons, not knowing prime numbers, square numbers, basic number bonds - and ending up with this impacting on their overall understanding of this vital subject?

Well, half of us, clearly. Half of UK adults had not had the confidence to put their hands up and ask for help.

I started to look into how we could get around this – I knew that one on one tutoring was part of the answer, as you can’t hide a lack of knowledge from the person sitting in front of you and it’s easier to admit it to one person than to a group.

But how to deliver those facts and transfer that knowledge, without knocking someone’s confidence further?

The answer was in Peer Learning - recruiting energetic young people to support others who just a few years younger. By relating to them, engaging with them and making it fun, they

could develop that confidence. While it made perfect sense to me, it took a while to convince others to come on board.

My own confidence took a number of knocks when schools told me time and time again that it was too much of a risk, or they couldn’t see it working. It was only when invigilating a maths exam as a volunteer that I got the chance to connect with two fantastic sixth form maths students who asked to join me on my first contract. As expected; they made it fun, they related to the pupils easily and they gave them the confidence to ask questions and speak up if they didn’t understand.

And this is the key. When I was setting up, I was confident in my idea. I got rejections but I knew it would work and I kept plugging away. If someone doesn’t have confidence in themselves, and if people don’t show confidence in them, it can have a huge impact on their output. It’s up to all of us to help develop confidence in others. It’s not difficult, and the same techniques teachers and tutors use apply to entrepreneurs and employers: Stay calm Raising your voice as a tutor or teacher rarely works. It might grab the attention of the audience, but they won’t warm to you and it won’t help them concentrate or retain information. In the same way, it’s key for a business leader to stay calm. Stress is infectious and does nothing to generate good results. Manage your moods through apps like Headspace, take walks, have several deep

ENTREPRENEUR

breaths if you start to feel anxious. These are simple approaches but popular for a reason they can work.

Listen Your pupil or your employee might not know the answer to an equation or a business conundrum, but they have the right to their opinion - and by taking the time to listen to it and discuss it, you are giving them respect.

We all need to know our thoughts are worthy, even if they are not 100% the right answer to the problem at hand: only by being able to voice them and discuss them, will we have the confidence to have more ideas - and next time, the idea could be the right one at the right time.

Enthuse This doesn’t mean we need to be all singing all dancing cheerleaders to others. But we need to enthuse and give credit for getting things right. It’s the old carrot and stick analogy: everyone performs better with a carrot, and the best carrot in my opinion, is praise. Public praise. Telling someone they have done well is great - telling others they have done well is even better. What a way to lift each other.

Be consistent All of the above needs to be consistent. While this year has thrown more pressure upon all of us, it’s imperative that we don’t let that pressure impact on our work. That’s not to say we shouldn’t talk about pressure or take time to recognise its impact: quite the opposite. We should talk about it, and deal with it, so that it doesn’t affect the way we deal with each other.

Being consistently calm, listening and praising can still be done.

Having started with just an idea eight years ago, I’ve now grown my tutor organisation to place hundreds of tutors in primary and secondary schools for full year placements, meaning almost 1m younger learners have benefitted

from individual attention, additional support, raised grades and renewed confidence.

A good teacher believes in their students’ abilities and is able to recognise and draw out a young person’s strengths. Good managers will do the same for their team - someone else demonstrating confidence in you is the biggest confidence boost you can have, after all.

About the Author: Anne Morris is a former Maths teacher. She founded Yipiyap which provides peer tutors to schools all over the UK. Created in the northwest in 2012, the organisation harnesses the talent of high-achieving school leavers and following a thorough interview process, places them with schools for their gap year.

ENTREPRENEUR

How to Start A Purpose-Driven Business That Truly Cares I’ve worked since being a waitress at 13, through university and had my fair share of rubbish jobs when I left uni until I started my career as a buyer. This was a career which came to an end when I became a first-time mum in 2009. I decided that I didn’t want to leave my son, and with another baby on the way, I made the decision to leave working life and become a stay at home mum. Having two babies in quick succession was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.

So what did I do? I started a business as well.

I often blame hormones and tiredness, but I think my work ethic wasn’t being satisfied in the world of babies. I needed something for me. I have always been an environmentalist and my parents drilled into me at a young age that most things can be reduced, recycled or upcycled, and I also had a new passion for cloth nappies. This was the perfect combination. I found throwing disposable nappies away was so hard, and I knew I had skills to design and make reusables, but the rest was the steepest learning curve of my life.

I started Baba+Boo in the days when reusable nappies were hardly seen at all. It’s been a really hard slog getting to where we are now.

I have tried to give up so many times but I am not very good at giving up. People say to me now things like ‘you are in the right place at the right time’ but for so many years, it was the complete opposite.

In the beginning, learning to balance my working life and my personal life was a struggle. I felt guilty for taking business calls

when my children wanted my attention, I felt guilty attending business meetings, and I felt guilty that my attention wasn’t always 100% on them. But, taking those early steps into the unknown was one of the best decisions of my life, for me and for my children.

If you are going to set up a business, make sure you know your ‘why’. Make sure you are passionate about what you do because that is what will push you forward on the hard days.

The old adage is true, only entrepreneurs would work 80 hours a week so they don’t have to work 40 for someone else. Surround yourself with like-minded people offline and online. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It is a myth that the world of business is ruthless. I have never come across anyone who hasn’t wanted to help other entrepreneurs to succeed.

As a purpose-driven business owner, I often get asked how to ensure your business is truly doing good, staying clear of ‘greenwash’ and helping to influence consumers to buy less and buying better. It’s important to remember that you’re still a brand, you sell products and you make products. However, it’s vital that the products you’re making are being created with people and the planet in mind. Ensure you truly know your supply chain, you’ve carefully picked your manufacturers and you’re doing everything in your power to be the best you can be. Hey, you might not be perfect, we know we aren’t, but it’s important to be on the journey to be better.

ENTREPRENEUR

We know sustainability can be confusing landfill, carbon, diversity - there are so many elements that your company could champion to help make the world a better place. Yet, trying to tackle them all will dilute your message. It’s better to focus on one element and get this nailed, then work on the others slowly. You’re not going to become Patagonia overnight, but you have to start somewhere.

It sounds obvious we know, but to start a purpose-driven company you have to genuinely care. We’ve seen many ‘sustainable’ brands come and go because the foundations and the true passion for the planet wasn’t there. If you’re starting the business for the wrong reasons, your customers will soon see through this.

About the Author: Eve Bell is Founder of leading reusable nappy brand Baba+Boo. Dedicated to giving back to people and the planet, Eve has already saved millions of nappies from going to landfill, as well as using her business to support charities and organisations all over the world.

ENTREPRENEUR

Five reasons you should use a PR agency There are lots of benefits to working with a PR agency, but where your company’s reputation is concerned, it has to be for the right reasons.

Whether it’s a one-off helping hand or continued support, public relations companies can help to highlight a brand’s identity in what can sometimes be a saturated market.

Through a variety of communication tools like social media, paid advertising, or press releases, public relations teams work closely with clients to create effective strategies that generate exposure.

Especially in times of lockdown and recession, you may feel the need to shy away from the extra expense of having an agency working alongside you, although PR is perceived as a luxury service, it’s now more important than ever for companies to stand out from the crowd.

So here are the five key reasons you should allow a team of experts to take hold of your brand…

Experience People in PR really know what they are doing.

Having tried and tested different methods to know what works for different types of businesses.

Whether you’re looking to create a great marketing strategy or some help to create an event for a new product launch, a PR team will always have a keen eye for what makes a brand appealing and potentially spark interest from your target market.

Agencies can save you time and money on trial and error and give you quick results. Most PR companies will have worked closely with a variety of brands, big or small, so they can pick out what’s been effective previously and apply it to a new client, working around budget, time, and facilities.

As all businesses are unique it’s important that the agency and client work closely to create an effective strategy that works best for each party.

Working with an agency also results in highquality work, with a team of experienced people dedicated to making your brand’s reputation shine, which means there’s lots of proof reading, fewer mistakes, and great innovative ideas generated.

In times of emergency, they are on hand to give advice, media training or creating crisis PR strategies. If you have found yourself in a situation where your reputation has been damaged, it can be potentially dangerous not to ask for help as the issue could be made worse – it’s always best to get in touch to get experienced guidance on what to do next.

Contacts Agencies know who to get in touch with, some PR and marketing executives are often former journalists, and they know the industry very well having spent years building up relationships, which on occasion may mean there’s a higher chance of securing coverage.

These contacts can also lead to further opportunities for the brand. Agencies can

ENTREPRENEUR

highlight events or empty editorial spaces, which is always great for brand exposure.

Journalists will often find themselves getting in touch with media agencies if they require a quote from a spokesperson within a particular industry.

Data analysis Who doesn’t love to see results? Agencies are always analysing data to see how efficient our work is. How many media outlets have covered a story? How many retweets has a post received? Are animations getting good feedback?

It’s always important to keep checking if techniques are working… And if they aren’t it’s time to change the strategy.

Increase your productivity Workplaces may struggle to juggle the workload of trying to promote the company’s brand, it takes lots of time and effort to create an efficient strategy. Handing this responsibility over to a professional team will mean the workforce can focus on what they do best.

PR firms are there to give you a one-off helping hand too. If a member of your marketing team is sick or on holiday, they could be there to help fill in the gaps and take away any pressure of handing the responsibility to what may be a busy team, who aren’t qualified in the area.

Transparency This is something that you don’t often find when having an in-house team, as they can be biased towards the company they work for.

Whereas with an agency, they are free from all prejudice – if an in-house team or agency doesn’t challenge you, you should start to be worried.

For example, agencies should know a good story when they see one and what content will catch a journalist’s eye. If a story just isn’t

going to work, they should be able to challenge it and tweak the angle or make suggestions about what to do to make the press release newsworthy. They want to see results too.

About the Author: Charlotte Nichols has over 15 years’ eperience in the PR and marketing sector and established her company Harvey & Hugo during that time.

Charlotte’s mission is to use PR, social media and marketing techniques to make brands lovable and memorable. The flexible offering of Harvey & Hugo makes PR and marketing accessible to all.

ENTREPRENEUR

Is the Role of a Leader Changing Post Pandemic?

In the context of work and business, a great leader is someone who can create the circumstances where people feel ok to be themselves and bring their full selves to work. For years organisations have and are concerned with performance and results and this can only be done through their people and the degree to which they are engaged.

A great leader is in touch with this, builds effective relationships and trust so people feel psychologically safe. They will have a vision, but be willing to share and co-create this with others so people are onboard and take ownership of this, creating a real sense of pulling together. Today great leaders are open and able to be vulnerable, creating a culture where its ok to own up to mistakes and promote the learning and innovation that comes from this.

Post pandemic all of the above remains valid, but for the foreseeable future, employees in a majority of organisations will largely be working from home. This creates both challenges and opportunities for how leaders lead.

Technology is already being heavily relied on - who hasn’t participated in endless zoom or teams meetings yet? The challenge is real for leaders in terms of staying in touch with their team, creating a positive working culture and maintaining a common sense of purpose and collaborative approach.

As human beings we all have fundamental needs to be: ·included, giving us a sense of belonging, security and personal power ·validated for our capability and we have something worthwhile to contribute ·connected on an emotional level with others.

In the remoteness of the new normal, these needs don’t go away. The social distance actually heightens them, requiring an adjusted response from leaders.

For many years now trust has been considered the foundation stone to creating healthy, participative and high performing workplaces.

Now more than ever the emphasis on trust remains as the cornerstone for psychological safety.

Trust is built through relationship and being consistent with your word. The implication for leaders here is to ensure you invest more time in building the relationships you have with your people. Scheduling regular 1:1’s and sticking to them, really getting to know your people, understanding their strengths and needs and being willing to be open about yourself your aspirations and concerns too. Being real, open, honest and when appropriate vulnerable are the foundations to trust building.

This also cascades out to how you engage with your team. Running regular team meetings that encourage participation and the sharing of ideas. Hidden wisdom is available in each individual person you lead, so ensure to acknowledge peoples strengths not just to the individual but also openly amongst your team so everyone appreciates what each other has to contribute. When bringing the collective wisdom of your team together there is huge potential for synergy and building on that wisdom to surface ideas and solutions that otherwise would have remained hidden.

For those leaders who like to control and micro-manage, this is an opportunity to learn to extend trust. Agree clear expectations

ENTREPRENEUR

around what is required and the levels of support people need and then trust people to get on.

Mistakes will happen, it would be strange if they didn’t, ensure these are learnt from to keep growing the group wisdom. I was working with a leader recently who requested the same thing from each of the 5 leaders who reported to her. One of them delivered exactly what she asked for but each of the other 4 delivered a variation on what she had been expecting. This was a real lesson for her to check understanding of what she was asking of them before they go ahead and do it. So often we live in the world of assuming people understand our communication, only to our cost. Ironing these assumptions out is even more invaluable when remote working.

Extending trust, being clear of expectations, coaching and supporting as appropriate and letting people step up and deliver, we open up the potential for people to grow and develop.

Both of these are fundamental to engaging people and enabling a sense of fulfilment in their work. Its also a great way to set people up for success and for us as leaders to delegate effectively. There is no reason why this cannot be practiced remotely and in fact remote working creates almost ideal circumstances for doing so. For the leader its about trusting and letting go of the need to control and being open to peoples potential.

In terms of the need for real human connection, while technology provides us with some wonderful apps that mean we can see and hear each other, this only addresses 2/5’s of the multi- sensual connection we crave.

Being with someone in person absolutely creates a level of communication and understanding which is easily missed however supportive the technology. So firstly accept that for the time being this type of connection is going to be missing and focus on the “can” of what can be set up to re-create the coffee time chats or casual conversations that take place in the ambiance of the office. Weekly quizzes have become popular as have coffee calls.

Leaders need to look for ways that will ensure an ongoing connection and the answers are most likely to be with the people themselves, so reach out and see what ideas come back.

Finally as leadership starts with the leader and the way you show up, be mindful that whatever mood you are experiencing leaks out through how you are being. This can just as easily be communicated through an email or zoom call which undoubtedly impacts the mood and atmosphere you create around you and ultimately how people perform and achieve results. So make sure you are looking after yourself and have the support in place that means you can be at your best the majority of the time. Without health and wellbeing we will not be in a fit frame of mind to lead others, nor role modelling this either.

Maintaining a healthy life balance means keeping your energy levels topper up holistically from a spiritual, mental, emotional and physical dimension and will ensure we are in top condition to navigate the emerging and uncertain circumstances we face.

About the Author: Mary Gregory is a leadership coach and author of the Amazon bestselling book ‘Ego - get over yourself and lead!’. She has led change for organisations including First Choice Holidays, O2, Ralph Lauren and Tesco. A trusted coach to senior executives, she also designs and delivers large scale leadership programmes. Having learned through both her work and life how our ego can hold us back, Mary is committed to empowering leaders to create workplaces where people thrive.

ENTREPRENEUR

Being Successful in a Man’s World By the BBC The Apprentice Interviewer and successful business leader, Linda Plant.

“Well I have to say up until a short while ago I always said no matter how successful I was, I recognised that the business world was still a man’s world, I just learnt how manoeuvre around it. Today is a different story. I actually feel some companies could be scared to employ women. Have things gone too far? In some cases it’s definitely a yes. As a woman who was at the forefront of business when women were not in business I can tell you today is a different story in my book.” Here BBC The Apprentice interviewer and pioneer female business leader, Linda Plant tells her story and talks about her new launch that will help other women succeed in business too...

“How did I cope as a woman in business in very much a man’s world? I was always confident in my ability and comfortable in my woman’s skin.

The lesson I’ve learnt as a woman in business in the Far East stood me in good stead. As in any business negotiation, I always believe both parties must leave the table feeling the deal is fair. I am not one to strip the last penny or to leave my counterpart feeling too disappointed, thinking I got the total upper hand or they got a raw deal. I don’t think that works for building relationships, which for me are paramount in business.”

“Dealing in the Far East prepared me well. I knew that as a woman I was starting from a more difficult position than a man because face is very very important in the Far East, so I had to

be tough to get my prices but had to leave my counterpart not feeling in any way humiliated or taken advantage of. I learnt to use the tactic that I was just a mere woman in a very tough man’s world and needed their kindness and co operation, expertise and support to help me grow my business. I evaluated each situation and acted accordingly. Actually I still do today if we are talking about negotiation. I learnt that you will easily get something you want by being nice rather than being nasty. That’s how I negotiated then and that’s how I negotiate today. Being a woman in business in a man’s world was great for me!”

“In the early days I was special and unusual and I used my femininity to its full advantage, velvet on the outside, tough as steel on the inside if that’s what was needed. I never let a man take advantage of me and I never let him think he could, but I was vary rarely overtly tough. My way was to gain men’s respect and that’s what I did.”

“I say it a lot but one of my biggest compliments was when I received an award in Korea and I was told ‘Linda you are like man!’ I knew I had earned the respect of my male counterparts, after all in Korea women could not work after marriage and all children belong to their husband’s family. Still when the government presented me with the award it was my husband on his annual visit who collected it.”

“Like anything, respect must be earned and it’s the same today. Would I change anything?

- No it was great being a business woman in a

ENTREPRENEUR

IMAGE CREDIT: REEL FEEL

ENTREPRENEUR

man’s world. Do men intimidate me? No. Do I intimidate them? well, yes but not purposely. If you are self confident then your achievements speak for themselves. Make your point, just no need to shout it from the roof tops.”

Fast forward a few years later and Linda is now launching her Linda Plant Business Blueprint Course to help women succeed during these turbulent times. The course, written in Linda’s own words and based on her own experiences, is a complete package and includes everything you need to start and run your business, from generating ideas and coming up with a USP to branding, pricing, negotiation, reaching customers and of course a step by step guide to writing the perfect business plan. It also includes an invaluable chapter on starting or building a business in uncertain times.

The Linda Plant’s Business Blueprint Course costs £299 and includes a 40 minute video from Linda and an audio version. You can enrol at the Linda Plant Academy at lindaplant.com

About Linda Plant Linda has built her career from humble beginnings to become one of Britain’s most successful business leaders. She is now helping others to forge their own career and business path too, with her Linda Plant Business Academy and her personally written Business Blueprint Course.

After leaving school aged 15, Linda progressed quickly from selling fashion on a Leeds market stall, to launching her international knitwear brand, Honeysuckle. After taking the company back she later became one of the first women to head a fashion company flotation becoming a PLC. As a pioneer female business leader she continued her business successes in a series of challenging executive roles, whilst consecutively growing and selling her electronics company after three short years, for substantial profit.

Linda is known as ‘The Queen of Mean’ for her no-nonsense interviews of BBC The Apprentice’s final five candidates, providing advice to Lord Sugar for over 5 seasons.

Her passion for business and entrepreneurship has also been recognised with a number of business awards and as judge the top female entrepreneur for HSBC’s Panel of Forward Ladies.

Today Linda runs highly successful property development and interior design businesses and her Linda Plant Business Academy.

ENTREPRENEUR

IMAGE CREDIT: REEL FEEL

ENTREPRENEUR

The Art of Compassionate Leadership Post-Pandemic One thing I noticed during the first lockdown was how communities pulled together, taking a kind and compassionate approach to ensure everyone was looked after and ok. I’ve seen this expression of compassion carried through as a theme with many of my coaching clients, all of whom are senior leaders navigating their people and businesses through the emerging and uncertain future created by the pandemic.

Traditionally recognised qualities of leadership such as vision, decisiveness, intellectual intelligence, all domains of leading from our heads, are not enough.

Emotional intelligence has long been recognised as an important set of skills which are heart centred. Capabilities such as the ability to genuinely empathise, recognise and understand your own and others feelings and build relationships from a place of sensitivity are recognised as the skills that really enable good leaders to be great and are fundamental to leading through such challenging times as this. Compassionate leadership is therefore a required leadership style of choice in the new normal.

Yet there are many misconceptions as to what compassionate leadership is and is not.

Some misguidedly perceive it as a soft, easy, even “molly coddling” approach, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.

Being a compassionate leader really takes something which includes:

· a commitment to developing and maintaining our self-awareness · an ability to act with honesty, openness and integrity which includes being having the guts to be vulnerable · being able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and really understand how they might be experiencing the world · the courage to conduct those difficult conversations and do so with empathy and sensitivity to the other persons experience · holding others in positive regard as resourceful people who are motivated to be their best selves and are on their own journey · suspending judgement and practising being curious as an attitude that supports learning and encourages others · being motivated beyond our developed ego – it’s not so much about us, but about our purpose and drive to make a positive difference or leave a positive legacy. · practising self-compassion and being willing to look after yourself to ensure you are able to be there for others.

Ultimately when we are being compassionate as leaders, we are coming from love.

Love is a word that is not always eagerly associated with being in business or at work and yet talking about love in connection to organisations is becoming more and more relevant.

Organisations and businesses are large

ENTREPRENEUR

collections of human beings and we’re all emotional animals. The two main emotions that drive us are love and fear. All other emotions link back to one of these primary two.

Fear causes all sorts of challenges for us as it activates our defensive, ego-centred survival reactions which we are usually unconscious to. Uncertainty and ambiguity are a breeding ground for triggering fear and this is then embellished by the culture we are a part of.

Look, for example, at how the role the press and the headlines that are written result in a heightened sense of drama and increased insecurity.

Compassionate leadership provides an antidote for fear, because when you are being a compassionate leader, you are practicing love in action by being kind. Kind to yourself and kind to others.

So consider, what challenges are you and your

team facing over the coming months?

How could being compassionate really support you with this?

Where might you need to replace fear with love? And what does that open up for you when you do?

Keep checking in with yourself and make sure you are starting with self-compassion as a means to support you be the compassionate leader your people need over this period of ongoing uncertainty.

About the Author: Mary Gregory is a leadership coach and author of the Amazon bestselling book ‘Ego - get over yourself and lead!’. She has led change for organisations including First Choice Holidays, O2, Ralph Lauren and Tesco. A trusted coach to senior executives, she also designs and delivers large scale leadership programmes.

ENTREPRENEUR

2020 – the year that taught us all more about ourselves and about our work 2020 is a year we will never forget. One of the things that I had to be diligent about was staying productive during a pandemic.

It’s strange, because I do work from home a lot of the time, but I’m used to having meetings at least twice a week and seeing my business partner, maybe getting some lunch afterwards. I’m always outside meeting friends, going to a concert, the theatre—I’m not a homebody. I didn’t realise how much I would miss all of that once it was taken away from me.

I co-founded Hashtag Press, a small indie publishing house, four years ago and trying to keep that afloat while still launching books (with bookshops closed) was extremely hard.

I saw publishers bigger than ours closing their doors forever. One thing that I knew was no matter how frustrated or scared I felt, stopping was not an option. We built Hashtag Press from nothing—no start-up money— and we push daily to get our books into the hands of readers and the media. It’s not easy.

In 2020 we had five books that were being published during lockdown. We could push back some titles but we did have to publish them in 2020 to keep our company going.

The things that helped me work through the pandemic were: 1. Lists I’m what you would call an organised mess!

I have notes in my phone, my diary, laptop, desk, floor but I 99% know where everything is! During lockdown my lists got longer and

longer. Whilst my friends were complaining about how bored they were, I felt like I was busier than ever. I was overwhelmed and was getting sick of being at home and around family (sorry guys) so I started writing a more organised list in my diary. Then I would take the key dates and write them on a weekly planner and stick that on my wall. I noticed that if I didn’t write a date or time down, I just forgot about it. I have been late to countless Zoom meetings. Lists have helped.

2. Treat yourself. Look, we all need a break and when you’re working so hard the last thing you want to do is cook. Deliveroo became my best friend! To be honest, knowing that I was going to eat some good food once I finished work kept me going sometimes.

3. Work out. I usually am at the gym with my PT or a dance class but that wasn’t possible. I did try doing dance classes online but I don’t really have the space to go all out. I bought hand weights just before they closed the gyms down. I had a feeling they would be next to close down. One evening I wanted to find a workout video for weights. I have no idea why but I have never used or thought about using YouTube to find workouts! I stumbled upon a girl called MadFit and I love her workouts.

Then I realised she did dance workouts too so I tried it - it was brilliant. I try to do one of her videos every day. It’s the best mental release because while I’m working out I don’t need to think about anything but following the instructions. Because I used to be a

ENTREPRENEUR

professional dancer I have the mindset of ‘if I’m not sweating, I’m not working hard enough’ so I really push myself. Honestly, it makes the biggest difference to my day.

4. I can’t watch Netflix all day and that’s okay!

I think I assumed when I had a spare moment that I would just watch Netflix for hours, which is what a lot of people were doing, but when I had a spare moment, I just wanted to close my eyes! I would maybe watch an episode of a series but that was it. I just can’t binge during a work day.

5. Get creative! Paint, draw, write, dance, sing—whatever creative outlet you love, do it. It doesn’t matter if you’re rubbish at it, just let your creative juices flow. For the first few weeks I remember feeling so un-motivated to write. I started to feel more and more overwhelmed and I knew that if I didn’t use my creativity I was going to start feeling down. I worked on my books, I danced, I baked (thank God for my baking friend and her instructions via WhatsApp), I re-decorated.

I’m a really good self-motivator but lockdown tested me for sure. As well as running Hashtag Press I have several other businesses, a new book (the third in the Emily Knight series) out in September and was on a deadline for my fourth book. When you feel like your head is about to explode, just stop. Close the laptop, go have a cup of tea, put your phone on silent and just chill for an hour. It helps.

One thing 2020 has taught me is to live life… so take risks. If you’re starting up a new business I would suggest the following: 1. Have a clear plan of what you want to achieve in one year and the next five years.

2. Build your tribe. I’m so lucky that I have the best business partner and we are just so in sync. I know that’s so hard to find.

3. Hustle. If you don’t know how to graft you will struggle.

4. It will be a bumpy road but remember the hard times are just for a season.

5. Shout about your business! No one will be a

bigger cheerleader than you. Be excited about what you’re doing and it will attract people.

6. Always analyse what’s working and what isn’t. If it’s not making you money stop investing time into it.

7. Celebrate your successes. You don’t need to take a holiday to Vegas to party! Order yourself those shoes you wanted or for me I love bubble tea! That is my go-to celebration drink!

8. Lastly, have fun! My work is really hard but I love it so much. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else and when all that hard work pays off, there is no better feeling.

About the Author: Abiola Bello is a prize-winning author and publishing entrepreneur. Born in London and living in North London, she first began writing the Emily Knight saga shortly afterwards (only 12 years old!) with the intention of filling the gaping hole in children’s fiction for an inspirational, strong, black female, young protagonist. This gap remains in the publishing world.

ENTREPRENEUR

Why Pushing Pain Points is Bad For Business Sales calls are great for engaging new leads, forging a connection with them, and letting them know exactly why your product or service is right for them. If you pitch your sales calls just right, they are the ideal tool for turning prospects into new, paying clients, and that’s why entrepreneurs and coaches of all stripes use them as a go-to tactic. But, while sales calls do have an awful lot of positive potential, they can also go badly wrong.

Ideally, you should use your sales calls to motivate your prospective clients to really get on board with your high-ticket programme or products. But instead, even the most smart and savvy business-owners are using the same tired, antagonistic techniques, and it’s cause for concern. You see, the idea that pushing pain points will help to secure sales has been around for a while now. And, while that may have been the case some time ago, people have caught onto this approach – and they’re getting sick of it.

What’s wrong with pain points?

A few years back, pushing pain points was all the rage. The idea was that, if you keep reminding a person of the problems they have and all the ways in which they affect their life and business, your product or service would start to look as though it were the only way to fix it. But people are getting annoyed, because really this is all about undermining where they’re at, so they’ll feel as though they have to buy into what you’re offering. It’s a pretty transparent tactic, though, and your prospects are starting to see through it.

Now, there is a time and a place for questions that touch on pain points. However, context, timing, and knowing when to pull back are so important. Without these three things, your sales calls become all about applying pressure until, hopefully, your prospects cave. This isn’t how people want to do business.

Your prospects likely already know that they have things they need to change before they can level up – otherwise, they probably wouldn’t be talking to you in the first place. So don’t try and draw them in by playing on feelings of guilt or stress. Instead, let them know that you are the person who can help get them to exactly where they want to be.

Be someone your clients can trust Ultimately, people want solutions, and they want to know that they are talking to someone with an approach that will get them results. So, quite simply, you have to use your sales calls to show them that you are that person.

The advice is simple: people will invest in services they feel they can trust, so be direct, upfront, and prove to them that you can do your job well. Don’t apply so much pressure to your prospect’s pain points that they feel forced to go along with what you say. Not only does this tactic try and persuade people to buy for all the wrong reasons, it all too often causes you to get stuck, too. When people start pushing back against this tactic, you will more than likely find yourself going round and round in circles on your calls, never actually moving things closer to the point of sale.

ENTREPRENEUR

If you want to start making plenty of high-ticket sales, then you need to make sure you are connecting to the right sorts of clients, letting them know that you are here to help them, and using your sales calls to show them how you will do that. One of the best ways to do this is through the prospect inspiration method, which will be explained below.

Target the right people When it comes to getting your prospects on board, making them feel worthless or like their achievements mean nothing just won’t get you very far, especially if you want to attract confident, motivated clients. These are the sorts of people who will have a growth-oriented mindset, and who will be keen to work their way towards an end goal. Crucially, these are also the sorts of leads who will have the time and money to invest in your offer.

Now those who are goal and growth-driven will not take well to being told that their achievements so far haven’t been good enough. Most people who are looking to level up in their life and business will have got to where they are today through hard work and determination. What they’re looking for from you is a way to take things even further.

Secure the sale You can show these sorts of people that you mean business and make your offer as attractive as possible to them by using the prospect inspiration method, the principles of which are very different to pushing pain points. You see, when you relentlessly push a prospect’s pain points, you are trying to make them feel worthless and insecure. But actually, if they’re on the lookout for a high-ticket programme or product that will help them to level up, then chances are they’re already doing very well.

So let them know that they’re already ahead of the game, appreciate what they have accomplished so far – and then, show them exactly where they could be with your help.

Prove to them that your offer is the way to

get them that bit further, so that whatever it is they’re looking for, whether it be boosted revenue, a more impressive client list, or the ability to expand, you can help them achieve it.

This is the sort of motivation a growth-oriented person needs to have in order to invest their valuable time and money in you and your offer.

Remember that people who are motivated by a specific end goal are far more likely to stick to it than those who are purely motivated by avoiding pain. Those are the sorts of people you want to work with, and so you have to show them the reasons they should want to work with you, too.

Convert your leads Always keep in mind that your sales calls are all about converting leads. While pretty much all sales coaches are teaching pain points as the ideal way to do that, it’s becoming more and more clear that prospects are being repelled by this approach, rather than convinced to buy.

But, if you can throw out this outdated tactic and really connect with your clients’ wants and needs, then you could give your conversion rate a massive boost.

The “gold-standard” conversion rate is around 25%. But with a better approach and more thoughtful techniques, it is possible to more than double or even triple that. And it’s not even all that difficult to do so. If you can be smooth, smart, and represent yourself and your product or service in the best possible way, you can up your client list and revenue quite easily – without making your prospect feel like a complete loser.

About the Author: Richard Fletcher is an upbeat, down to earth highly successful business coach, who you can trust to help you boost your brand and bring in the big bucks, often within just a few weeks.

Starting his current business from scratch, these days Magic Sauce Marketing will very often bring in between 20k and 33k in a single week.

ENTREPRENEUR

How to keep your remote team motivated and happy Remote working is a joy to a few and a significant challenge to many. How can you, as a startup founder, help your team members and yourself to handle the challenges and make the most of an experience that will be new to many of you?

Let’s look at three key challenges 1. Lack of boundaries between work-life and home-life For people new to working from home one of the challenges can be the sudden dissolutions of role boundaries. One minute the division between work and home is clear, the next it’s all happening in the same place.

Usually the expectation when we are at work in the office is that we act ‘as if’ we have no other roles in life. In return, when we’re at home, we can forget about work. This boundary has been steadily eroded since the advent of the mobile phone. But the idea of two different domains held and most people had a transition zone from one the other; the commute. In the main it was clear that different rules applied in the two different domains.

Now, for the first time for you and those working in your startup, the two domains of at-work and not-at-work are happening in the same physical space with not even a transition zone between them. While trying to be ‘at work’, people are surrounded by cues that nudge towards not being at work: doorbells, hungry cats, laundry waiting to be hung, tables that need clearing, grass that needs cutting or a thirsty looking garden. It’s easy to end up feeling that you are neither working as conscientiously as you would like, nor are you keeping your home as you like it. How can we manage work-life balance in this new situation?

How to deal with this There are different ways of dealing with this.

You can pretend there is still a boundary: put on the suit, enter the office with your packed lunch, and not emerge until you’ve ‘finished work’. For most people this is impossible, for a minority the structure and routine will be essential.

A better strategy for most of us is to go for balance rather than boundaries. Encourage everyone in your team to take a break from the computer every 40 minutes or so and also do so yourself. This is both on mental effectiveness grounds, it’s hard to concentrate fully for much longer, and on physical health grounds, it’s not good to stay sitting still for long stretches.

So taking a break and doing something active for 10 minutes, such as watering the plants, hanging up the laundry, or playing with the dog is important.

Whatever strategy you choose, it’s a good idea to have a clear marker between predominantly work time, and predominantly home time. So take a run, have a shower, or mix a cocktail to mark the transition for yourself and those around you.

2. The challenge of staying motivated For some people the challenge becomes one of motivation. Without the regular blips of pleasure they experience joshing with colleagues or chatting inconsequentially about nothing much, the day begins to seem all work and no pleasure. In this situation mood can quickly drop and then it can be hard to motivate ourselves to get on with things, especially things we aren’t looking forward to, don’t enjoy, or find hard to do.

ENTREPRENEUR

How to motivate yourself There are a number of ways entrepreneurs can manage this. Some are general techniques from regular work management advice. Break big projects down into small tasks. Set clear targets for the next hour, day, week. Make a list, prioritise it, and tick things off as you achieve them. Take breaks. Decide at the end of the previous day what the first task is for tomorrow.

Then there are more psychological tips. For example, use a task that you are looking forward to as a reward to yourself for doing the less pleasant one first. Do hard tasks in small bursts, followed by a reward of some kind, or taking five minutes exercise going to post that letter.

In addition, you can focus on how you can use your strengths to help you achieve your goals. Strengths are the things we can do naturally, easily. Using our strengths tends to be motivating and confidence building and enjoyable. Think about how you can recraft your job so that you spend more time using your strengths while you are working. If you want to know more about strengths you can take a free strengths test here, or you can purchase a pack of strengths cards to use at home, for a good selection look here.

Proactively manage your mood. Notice when you are starting to flag, becoming lethargic, or cutting corners you wouldn’t normally. Many people are astonished at how much more productive they are away from the distractions of an office, the interruptions, the meetings and all the social chat. This means you are likely to be working harder or concentrating for longer periods, both of which are tiring. Think not about the hours you are putting in, but about the mental energy you are expending. Pay attention to the signs that you are becoming fatigued and take a break.

You can boost your mood by doing something physical, by ringing someone for a chat, or by watching something funny, for example. Think about what gives you pleasure and be sure to include many of them in your day.

3. The effect on relationships Finally, I want to think about the effect of working from home on relationships. For many entrepreneurs and their staff their main relationship network is their work colleagues.

Quite often the people they work with are also the people they socialise with. Working from home, especially under C-19 conditions, can cause a real change in the pattern of the relationships. Sustained for years by daily incidental contact, fuelled by interest in the ongoing mini-sagas, or latest leisure passions, they tootle along without anyone needing to give them much thought. When those opportunities for lots of micro-moments of connection are suddenly lost, the friendship, which seemed so solid, can whither on the vine.

What to do The most important thing is to notice what is happening. Entrepreneurs, and team members of an extrovert nature are most likely to quickly miss the camaraderie of work and to start picking up the phone to call colleagues or to set up a zoom meeting the moment they are bored or need a distraction. The less naturally social need to make a much more conscious effort to stay in touch and may prefer to do it through texts and emails, sending things they think will interest their colleagues. Even so, it’s a good idea to make sure you speak to someone in a social downtime way, rather than a purposeful work-oriented way at least once a day. Easy if you are living with others, much harder if you live on your own, but very important to your health and wellbeing.

A sudden move to remote working is a challenge for startups and for more established businesses. Entrepreneurs need to use their drive and adaptability to help themselves and their teams to make the necessary adjustments.

I hope these tips will help for today and so for the long-term.

By Sarah Lewis, C.Psychol., Appreciating Change.

ENTREPRENEUR

How to Overcome Impostor Syndrome Fitness & Wellness PR Guru, Tori Porter, shares an insight into impostor syndrome as an entrepreneur and how we can tackle it.

Have you ever achieved great successes but still doubted your own ability? Perhaps you’ve felt unqualified for the role you’ve achieved, or that your clients will suddenly realise you have no idea what you’re talking about? Impostor Syndrome affects most people at some point or another. It usually pops up when you start asserting yourself as an authority in your field, or you do something you’ve not done enough to feel super confident. You suddenly feel like all your accomplishments must be luck and you must be a fraud. Isn’t the mind wonderful?

Impostor Syndrome is most prevalent among high achievers, especially women. It’s even more prevalent among creatives such as founders, inventors & entrepreneurs. Why is that? Well, many of these people are doing things not many people they know are doing, breaking the mould, pushing boundaries. It can be easy to step back and wonder, why me?

Should I be doing this? Am I capable? As an entrepreneur you’re always pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, to new places doing new things, therefore impostor syndrome is a natural by-product. It doesn’t mean you’re actually bad at your job! Far from it. It just means you set far higher standards for yourself than other people.

It seems that we are conditioned from an early age to understand business as going through the ranks. You must go to University, then do certain exams and achieve certain titles.

When we reach a certain level, we will be good at our job. So, when deciding to become selfemployed at 24, there’s always a part that says “do I know enough?”, “can I do this?” Thing is, you wouldn’t make these decisions if you didn’t

feel worthy! If you didn’t know you had the capability and drive to succeed. Giving in to these doubts would only hold you back.

Also, have you noticed that many great entrepreneurs didn’t even finish school!

They were passionate, smart & driven, and achieved greatness.

That’s the issue with imposter syndrome. It creeps in and makes you feel not worthy or good enough. And this can seriously impact your choices & success going forward. It can even prevent you from growing & achieving greatness.

So how to deal with it?

1. Write down your accomplishments.

Remind yourself why you are where you are, why you are great at your job. As soon as you see your achievements in front of you, you’ll be reassured of your ability. Accept that your success is because you are good at your role.

2. Talk it out. It’s helpful for others to bring you back to reality but also share their own experiences of dealing with imposter syndrome. It’s not necessarily digging for complements, sometimes you just need to get out of your own head! Plus, people in your position or field have felt the same. We all started somewhere, and with experience and growth, you’ll gain more confidence to back up your success.

3. Let the feeling move you forward. When you experience the worry you aren’t good enough, you’ll ultimately strive to become better, to do better, work harder. Plus, if you’re feeling the feeling, it’s likely you’re pushing yourself to new heights, which is only going to make you grow!

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

Lessons from a Creative Entrepreneur Entrepreneurship too often summons up backbedroom whiz kids or business mavericks with bank balances to match their egos. But, in reality, the world is full of creative, hardworking individuals who want to make a difference by starting their own organisation. The Gig Economy, furloughing or unemployment, and a desire to take charge of our own destiny, will kick start even more start-ups next year. Not all will succeed, unfortunately. There’s no magic formula. But there are some key things that will help you turn your idea into a sustainable and rewarding revenue stream. After seven years overseeing the Guildhall School of Music & Drama’s Creative Entrepreneurs programme and the incubation of 55 new businesses, I’ve learned some lessons that all entrepreneurs can benefit from.

The Creative Entrepreneurs Programme began as a way to provide performing artists with the skills and support they needed to develop sustainable businesses, ensuring they had control over their working lives, money in the bank and the satisfaction of expressing their creativity under their own terms. Too many performing artists have to sit around waiting for their agent to contact them with audition or job prospects – there are few sectors that are tougher when it comes to the percentage of time unemployed or ‘resting’ and the knowledge that no matter how hard you develop your craft, there’s still a large amount of luck involved in success. In a pandemic world, with recession and mass unemployment predicted, more professionals are going to be in the position where they are waiting for the phone to ring.

They’ll have more in common with performing artists than they might imagine.

Over the years of the Creative Entrepreneurs business incubator, I’ve heard a lot from the participants that they ‘weren’t good with spreadsheets, ‘didn’t want to sell out’, or ‘couldn’t see any creativity in a business plan’.

My response? Unless you have a magical source of income, you’ll need to put aside your preconceptions of what it means to run a business and use your existing skills and experience to create a sustainable way of life.

Firstly, the finances – An entrepreneur needs to be clear on what their financial goals are.

Just as creatives don’t need to be impoverished artists, any entrepreneur shouldn’t have to gather up debts or struggle to pay for the things that matter to them. Money won’t flow in immediately. Although the new business theory of ‘first year in debt, second year break even, third year into profit’ has been proven wrong as many times as its been proven right, it provides a view of the start-up process that you should be aware of. You deserve to be paid properly, so be clear on what you need to earn. Making money is a huge part of realising your ambition, so decide what that success looks like for you and write it into your plan.

How long are willing to invest to grow your business? Be realistic. Most businesses fail because they run out of money. Don’t add to the ranks of start-ups that folded under the weight of the overheads.

Get comfortable with your proposition – You’re going to be asked again and again what it is your business does, how your services or products differ from your competitors’ and who is your target customer. Everyone from your family members to potential investors will want to

ENTREPRENEUR

know and you need to be word perfect. Part of the work we do with new entrepreneurs is to help them shape their proposition, give them a chance to practice in front of a varied audience of business mentors, investors and possible partners. Expect to have your idea pulled apart and your plans scrutinised. Your proposition needs to be clear, simple and direct. Even people with no knowledge of your industry should understand it. If you can’t convince an audience of friends, good luck persuading a bank manager for a loan or a customer to take the leap and pay for your services.

Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses – The best entrepreneurs know when to call in the experts to fill the gaps in their skills, contacts or experience. People hold up famous entrepreneurs like Bill Gates or Richard Branson as entrepreneurial heroes but neither worked alone. Who you choose to work with, and when you bring in individuals with the knowledge you lack, is a key part of your decision making process and could well be what tips the balance between success and failure. You can learn a lot from other entrepreneurs. Even if they are not in your industry, they will have been through many of the same issues that you face, from cashflow to branding, from staffing to copyright. Invest your time in creating a supportive network of people who can guide you through the early stages. When the time is right, you’ll be called upon to payback to the next generation of entrepreneurs too.

You’ll never really know until you start – Even with a clear proposition and a well-researched business plan, you’ll only get a proper view of what works and what doesn’t once you get out into the market. Keep your eyes open and watch who’s spending money on which of your services or products. You can then refine your offer. All the planning in the world is only academic until you actually step into the ring.

Be aware that you will want to flex your plan once you really get going.

Be realistic with friends and family - Make sure your friends and family are clear about the trade-offs that are needed at least until your

business gets established. Starting a business is not for the feint hearted. They may be surprised at the time you’ll commit to work, how careful you’ll need to be with money, and how you’ll need to look after yourself and recuperate to handle the stress and build your stamina for the road ahead. It’s better to forewarn them. If they can support you at this crucial time it will make a big difference.

I’ve been proud to be a support to a lot of new businesses. It’s been rewarding to see so many talented individuals finding ways to drive their own agenda, realising their own vision and not just trying to meet the expectations of others.

Hopefully, Covid-19 may seed a few more entrepreneurial businesses that can go on to great things.

About the Author:

Michelle Wright is founder and CEO of Cause4.

Launched in 2009, Cause4 offers strategic support to charities and not-for-profit organisations. The company has grown rapidly and has worked with some of the country’s leading charitable organisations. Cause4 works in the private sector developing CSR and philanthropy programmes with organisations such as Santander, Close Brothers and Cineworld and supports the development of philanthropic foundations.

ENTREPRENEUR

Where is social going?

What’s next for influencers in an oversaturated market?

Over the past few years, the term influencer has blown up and it’s clear that influencer marketing is here to stay. But what’s next for the influencer in an increasingly oversaturated market?

This is especially effective with video and is a natural, unpaid version of influence. 89% of millennials trust recommendations from friends and family more than claims by the brand according to Kissmetrics.

It’s important firstly to clarify what we mean by the term ‘influencer’. The term influencer is attributed to online entertainers who have a large social following, but we are all influencers, and a large audience is often confused with influence. Real influence can be thought of as someone who causes others to make specific consumer decisions. This can also be referred to as word of mouth marketing. For example, if I tell 10 people to watch a film and they do, then those 10 people tell 10 people, then those people tell more people, each time it goes up logarithmically. In a very short space of time a lot of people will watch the film. Think about how many people you know that would watch a film on your recommendation, because they trust your opinion. That is influence.

Secondly, brands ask people with a large social following to promote their product or service to their audience .This second form of influencer marketing can often be seen as unauthentic and has been more obvious since social channels demanded that influencers clearly signpost paid for promotions.

The point is valuable influence is a chain, not an announcement of one to many, and people with a big social following don’t necessarily start that chain. The future of influence is advocacy and micro influencers. In other words, normal people spreading the word, scaled on social media. It’s authentic and it works as long as the product or service is good. Going back to the film analogy. If the film is rubbish. The chain stops pretty quickly, and that’s what makes it real and authentic.

There are two models for influencer marketing.

The first, enables customers to spread the word about a product or service authentically.

Where is social influence going?

It may not be long before what we term as ‘influencers’, are as inauthentic as celebrity endorsement when it comes to promoting products and services, we may even be there already. However, there are always opportunities for these online entertainers with a large social following and the ability to engage an audience.

The future could be branded episodic short form social content, hosted by ‘influencers’ and sponsored by just a brand logo or graphic overlay. In other words, the brand facilitates the content as opposed to paying the ‘influencer’ to endorse a product. This is similar to the sponsor bumpers on TV shows. Imagine watching a show like the X Factor where Simon Cowell turns to camera and says ‘I love Dunkin Doughnuts mmmm, tasty, my favourite treat’.

It really would not work, however that’s what brands are asking online entertainers to do, and no wonder their credibility is suffering.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

According to Hubspot, 84% of millennials don’t trust traditional advertising.

So, what’s next for influencers and the brands that work with them?

Already we are seeing the rise of the cancel culture, for example, Shane Dawson losing millions of followers because of inappropriate posts from his past.

‘Influencers’ need to be selective in their partnerships as one too many product endorsements could see a backlash from fans and an ‘influencer’ fall from grace. It’s important for all ‘influencers’ to keep their content fresh, relevant and authentic and stick to what they are good at, the ability to entertain and inform their audiences.

Influencers should also start looking to the future and how they can remain relevant. One option is to create their own formats like TV has done and also start looking for people to host those formats.

‘Influencers’ are the on-screen talent, but they are also the channel owners. If they just focus on themselves, they are like a media network with one programme and one star.

Thinking of themselves as owning a media network, nurturing on screen talent and doing sponsorship deals with brands is a good place to be for those who play it right.

Conclusion The real power of influence is with micro influencers who do not call themselves influencers and do not view themselves in that way. Micro influencers are not actively seeking a relationship with a brand, they are just spreading the word because they genuinely like the product and service and don’t really want anything in return. This is real influence. What we currently call an influencer is something different as it is more transactional and, in fact, they should not be thought of as influencers because in a lot of instances they are not.

This is not to diminish what they do, quite the opposite. It’s to say that many are more than just vehicles to promote a product.

The future for brands is to help facilitate multiple clusters of micro influence by encouraging and enabling advocacy. This is about brands finding ways for genuinely happy customers to shout out about what they love, especially with video on social media.

That means forming deeper relationships with customers and using technology to enable advocacy to take place. Organic content created by customers that starts a chain reaction is where the real power lies.

About the Author: Dan Gable founder and CEO of ShoutOut https://www.shoutout.social/ Dan Gable is the founder of ShoutOut, the ground-breaking automated video creation and distribution platform. ShoutOut enables you to create branded videos and distribute them to your social media channels in just one click.

Over the last 35 years, Dan has worked on hundreds of TV programmes including pioneering shows such as The Word, The Brit Awards, Big Brother and Top Gear.

He has shot and directed many corporate and music videos and has been on the board of various media companies including Air Studios and Co-Founder of Resolution, who pioneered nonlinear editing in TV production and, at its peak, had over 100 edit suites in London. Dan is also a qualified Master NLP Practitioner, Hypnotherapist and Counsellor and is a wellknown figure in the television industry – being nominated for a BAFTA in 2002.

ENTREPRENEUR

What does COVID-19 means for property entrepreneurs with HMOs? As we continue to get through coronavirus and with a recession on the horizon some people seem to believe that this spells the end for HMOs (Houses of Multiple Occupancy, also known as house shares).

But I don’t believe that’s the case, in fact, there is good evidence that the opposite is true. Let me share my thoughts as an entrepreneur with property businesses. I’ll start by addressing some myths that you may have heard repeated.

Myth No. 1 – No one want to house share after coronavirus Although this may seem like common sense, it’s not quite that clear-cut. In our experience, even during the current pandemic, people are continuing to choose to move into HMOs. Most of our young professional housemates that I rent to could easily afford a one-bedroom flat, but they tell me they’d prefer to live in a house share for these main reasons: i) To meet people Often people are moving to a new city for work and don’t know anyone and therefore prefer to live, at least initially, with other likeminded people rather than live alone. House shares are a great way to meet people and make friends and have a ready-made social life. ii) For affordability Often people are saving to buy their own home and love the affordability of HMOs because they can save more each month than they would if they rented on their own. iii) For convenience

It’s the ease of moving in and having everything set up already; furniture, white goods, all bills included, internet etc., and fast service if anything goes wrong. iv) For flexibility We live in a much more mobile society than ever before. Many people move around the country for work, whether it’s to find a better job, or within their existing position. So being tied to a place isn’t very appealing. HMOs make it easy for them to commit for short periods only.

All in all, we’re seeing the demand for HMOs increasing, not decreasing.

Myth No. 2 - HMOs demand will plummet in a recession If we are heading for the market dip many financial commentators are forecasting, then it’s likely demand for HMOs will grow, as past evidence has shown that residential rental demand increases in recessions. More people prefer to rent rather than buy in recessions.

In 2017 home ownership in England was at a 30 year low according to the English Housing Survey, the lowest since 1935. The private rental sector has doubled in size since 2004 with 4.5 million households renting, including almost 50% of people aged 25-34 renting their homes.

Research by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) research showed that following the 2008 recession there was a continued rise in tenant demand.

ENTREPRENEUR

So, although many people state, as though it’s a universally accepted fact, that getting into rental in a recession is bad, they are wrong.

Recessions see growing demand for rental property and especially affordable rental property, such as HMOs, which means there are opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Myth No. 3 – The HMO market is saturated There is a shortfall in affordable housing. A National Housing Federation and Crisis report conducted by Heriot-Watt University reveals that the UK needs to build 340,000 new homes every year until 2031 to meet housing demand.

And at least 145,000 of those homes need to be what’s termed ‘affordable’.

In the 30 years between 1959 and 1988 7.4million houses were built in England. In the 30 years from 1989 to 2018 only 3.3million houses were built. That’s a shortfall of 3.1million homes – over 104 thousand homes a year over 30 years.

So, there is strong demand for affordable housing – and house building is not keeping up.

Which means HMOs are becoming ever more popular.

In 2018 the UK Government estimated that there are around 4.5 million people in England housed in around 497,000 HMOs in England and Wales.

It’s therefore easy to see how HMOs can contribute towards alleviating the housing shortage. However, many councils have introduced Article 4. This means that a planning application has to be submitted to the relevant council to change a house to an HMO, even if it will only house for 3 or 4 people, which under the national legislation wouldn’t require planning permission.

This means it is a bit more challenging for entrepreneurs to create a new HMO. So, the number of available HMOs is not growing as fast as it used to, and yet demand is on the increase.

In my experience, the people claiming the HMO market is saturated have sub-standard

properties in the wrong areas or don’t have any HMOs at all – just unsubstantiated opinion. To me, it is clear that the HMO market is buoyant not saturated so entrepreneurs should continue to take up the challenge as they develop their businesses in this market.

So, if you are an entrepreneur with HMOs or you are launching a start-up which is planning to buy one or more HMOs, or convert existing properties, what do you need to do to be successful?

These are the types of thing you can be doing to make your properties attractive to house sharers and boost your profits: An attractive workspace Now that people are more likely to be working from home, having a desk, an attractive work area and fast broadband is important.

If necessary, add extra lights to ensure the workspace is well lit, and ask an electrician to add a few extra sockets if needed so laptops, phones and other work paraphernalia can be plugged in and kept charged.

Abundant kitchen storage Ensure there are enough kitchen units to provide suitable storage and include a fridge and freezer. It’s surprising how many landlords don’t supply enough kitchen cupboard space.

So, if your kitchen is small, look at clever ways to maximise the storage space – there are loads of ideas from places like the NRLA and IKEA. Thinking about the little things that make life easier can make a huge difference to your tenants.

More wardrobe space While you can’t change the size of a house without major works, you can increase the storage and make it feel more spacious. Simple fixes like having two wardrobes, or adding shelving (for example, above doorways can be a great way to add a bit of extra storage space) can make a big difference. No one wants all

ENTREPRENEUR

their ‘stuff’ on display, so provide somewhere for them to tidy it away.

Top class service This is the one that will make your properties stand out. From the first viewing to moving in, be proactive and attentive. Show your tenants you care about giving them a great place to live. Once they have moved in, don’t think that’s your job done! Look after them, make the experience of living in your property one they will remember and cherish. This helps housemates stay longer and also leads to more referrals.

For entrepreneurs with existing property businesses, or for start-ups going into the HMO market, it can take a little effort to create a really great HMO, but it’s worth it. Use your entrepreneurial skills to good effect and you’ll have both happy tenants and growing profits.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR : Stephanie Taylor is Co-Founder of HMO Heaven and Rent 2 Rent Success. She started HMO Heaven along with her sister Nicky and has grown the property management business to contracts of over £2m in just three years. Her goal is to inspire others to believe bigger, be bolder and be gamechangers for good through the power of ethical property businesses.

Her focus is on using property to do good in our community and in the world. https:// hmoheaven.co.uk

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

How to prevent your startup from outgrowing its processes As a startup founder you will be putting processes in place when you prepare to open for business. When doing this you need to plan for growth and be agile and responsive to change. That way your startup will not outgrow its processes.

Let us begin by defining what a process is.

A process is a series of actions or steps taken in order to achieve a task or goal. Processes can be as simple as how to answer the phone when a customer call or a detailed written procedure with a several hold points or approvals needed along the way.

Most startups will have a set business strategy or vision, this will show the direction of the business and the products or services it offers, it will also state what they want to achieve and who their customers will be. In order to achieve your vision, you will have a set of core processes that help you to deliver the company’s products or services. For example, if your vision is to bake five different artisan breads, you will have a core process for making each of these breads, and within that core process you may have tweaks that allow you to change to flavour or textures you want for each type of bread. The ‘recipe’ is the core process and this needs to be able to grow with your business.

However, in many cases this doesn’t happen, and companies outgrow their processes, which can trap them, preventing them from expanding and increasing their profit.

From our experience there are three main

reasons that startups and other businesses outgrow their processes.

The Reasons 1) Not taking time at the start to set core processes When founding a startup, it can feel like a race to the finish line and because of that people get swept away with the initial excitement, but if you don’t spend time preparing and planning, you’ll come unstuck.

Imagine you are brewing a new beer. If you don’t follow the 10 key stages of the brewing process, the end product won’t taste great and if you are lucky enough to create the perfect beer and you haven’t recorded how you got to it, you won’t be able to recreate it next time.

From day one it is essential to be clear what the process is, and to record it. This not only means you can repeat it, but others, as they come onboard and your team expands, can also repeat it.

Tweaking and revising your plan as you go is good practice – after all nothing stays static and you learn as you develop - but not having a plan, is you planning to fail.

2) Putting clients’ needs above your own Whilst clients’ needs are important, remember they come to you to deliver a product or a service. And they chose you for a reason – in

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

other words they like your product or service the way you do it. Remember this before you start pandering to every request.

For example, let’s look again at the artisan bread maker and his/her vision of creating affordable artisan bread. The first few months go well, and sales are through the roof at the local food market. Then requests start coming in for gluten and diary free, all organic, cheesy topped bread etc. Should you adapt your recipe to satisfy these requests? Do they fit with your original vision? What are you left with if you change the recipes of the breads that made you popular in the first place? Have you now created an expensive bread that is no longer able to be made by hand?

Of course, it is important to listen to your customers, but you also need to consider your own needs and the vision of the business. Just trying to adapt what you do to suit everyone will almost certainly mean you end up with a process that no longer works and a product that suits no one.

However, there may be requests that make sense for you to incorporate in your products and services. Your customers’ feedback can be a great way to gauge how and when to expand the business. But before you do this, ensure the changes fit into your core process. Just bolting them on makes the process unwieldy and can mean that it is harder to replicate and ensure quality control.

If you are creating a completely new product, then take the time to create a suitable process for that new product/service.

3) Creating a tick box process to suit others Several companies want or need accreditations or certifications, for example ISO9001, in order to compete in a market. To achieve this, they write a procedure that ticks the boxes for each requirement but is not created holistically and doesn’t align to the core process. The procedure ends up sitting outside the core process and is therefore often overlooked. People perceive it as a bolt on task – not something that is

essential or needs proper care and attention, so it is neglected as are too busy doing their day job. Processes should be designed to reflect and align with the core processes so that all aspects and activities are considered to be part of job the person does.

The key to not outgrowing your processes is to focus on each individual process and find ways to fit the needs and wants of your clients and other interested parties into what you do best. To do this you will need to get both the performance measurement and the culture right. Never forget that people can make or break a process.

The Solutions: Culture If you do not want your startup to outgrow your processes, as startup founder it is important to create an agile and responsive culture.

This requires joined up thinking and collaborative working, being open to change and empowering your team to be creative and to make change happen.

A good way to build this culture is to establish Process Working Groups. These groups will have the responsibility for setting the process, reviewing its successes and looking for improvements. The people in these groups should be selected, not only for their knowledge and understanding of the current process, but for their energy, their edge, their ability to enthuse others and their capacity to get the job done.

When starting a Process Working Group, it needs to be given a brief to work to. In order to create a clear brief, the following questions will need to be answered: •Why do we need to change?

•What are we trying to achieve (increase compliance, time or cost efficiencies)?

•What are the risks to the business if this is not achieved?

•Do we need to include performance reviews,

ENTREPRENEUR

measures or objectives?

•What is the timescale to implement any changes required?

•Is it achieving its purpose? or •Are there barriers, blockers or waste in the process?

The working group should be focussed on the bigger picture and must be open to feedback.

It needs to be objective when reviewing the success of the process. Remember things change, processes grow and evolve and sometimes things just don’t work out how you would have wanted them to. Do not see these as failures, instead view them as lessons to learn from and improve.

Essentially, the process audit is checking that the process is effective and efficient.

The working groups should also be involved in the initial implementation and will need to be a constant champion for the new process.

Communicating the change and the reasons for it, is key. People should know why they are doing something, not just what they need to do.

Performance Review For some team members performance reviews and audits can be a stressful part of their job.

The worry of someone going through what you do with a fine-tooth comb and finding any mistakes or the things you just haven’t had time to do, can be very stressful.

As a startup founder you will need to change this perception. You need to know that the work is being done and the processes are being followed, but equally you don’t want your team so stressed that they turn each process into a tick box just to be sure they can get through the performance review.

One way to help reduce the stress is to ensure the team understands that the review is also about the process itself – not just the person carrying it out. This approach is more holistic and allows you to complete processbased auditing. This helps avoid the ‘tick box’ mentality.

These process audits should look at: •The purpose of the process •What business objective is it supporting?

•Is it managing the risk and exploiting the opportunities?

These audits must be a true and honest reflection of the process and should not be carried out by anyone who is part of the task/ project or the process working group.

The feedback from these audits along with any other performance measures should be given to the Process Working Group for review. The auditor and the working group should agree any corrective actions needed and should identify any changes or improvements to the process.

If you create robust process from day one of your startup, and use the suggestions and solutions above, you’ll find that your processes will grow as your startup develops.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joanna Strahan is founder of C2C Process Group and an expert in business improvements, management systems, achieving industry accreditations, auditing and inspections. C2C Process Group offers expert support in the implementation of process and risk-based approaches, driving operational efficiencies, compliance monitoring and collaborative working as well as helping businesses ensure high standards of quality, safety, and sustainability.

Web: https://c2cprocess.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ c2c-process

ENTREPRENEUR

How entrepreneurs can use lessons from nature to bring their businesses out of lockdown The easing of lockdown (even with some adjustments to the restrictions) is clearly a huge relief for startups and growth businesses.

However, the ongoing impact of the situation requires all businesses to ask some important questions.

As entrepreneurs you will be very aware of the many positive impacts that technology has had on the development of businesses and on our lives. However, as you reflect on the lockdown experience consider whether our modern way of operating is what we really want. Will it serve us well in the future?

Whatever we decide now will have a longlasting effect – particularly on our younger generation and the business and political leaders of tomorrow.

In order to make the right choices it is important for entrepreneurs to reconnect with our own natural and intuitive knowledge. Our reliance on “expert advice” is ever present. We have business and leadership models, we follow rules and often observe constraints that no longer serve us, we look to medical technology to heal us and keep us healthy, and we take people management courses.

Although there is a place for this, there is also a downside; even as entrepreneurs we are in danger of losing our initiative and our natural flair and not trusting our own judgement.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents us with an opportunity to rethink our approach, to reconnect with nature and our inner ‘gut feelings’.

Nature can reconnect us to ourselves, the comfort of birdsong, a view of the vast sky and its changing canvas can, for example bring an element of calm. By looking to nature, we can learn new ways of being and thinking. New ways to develop our business and lead our teams; ways that may serve us better in the future and will help us enjoy the presen.

Let’s look at The Five Cs of Nature and how entrepreneurs can use these tools to develop their businesses: 1) CONSTANCY - Let nature anchor you in the eye of this storm. Consider that penguins throughout the Antarctic are forced into a situation of lockdown for their survival – every year! Their natural cycle is to maximise energy intake in the easier times, foreseeing the challenging months ahead with a welldesigned plan for survival. Let’s not forget as well, that penguins survive their harsh winters by huddling together in unity and support.

Those animals on the outside who brunt the biting winds are quickly rotated back into the middle of the pack to make sure that no individual alone has to bear all of the burden.

They endure, they survive, they thrive.

The lesson: Hard times don’t last forever and

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

together we can bear the brunt of the worst of it for the benefit of all. Don’t dwell on the bad, rather look to the future, and while we travel the road to a post-COVID world look at how you can help others and share the burden of travel.

2) CONSISTENCY - We’ve all heard the analogy of the ‘tortoise and the hare’. Take one step at a time, be surefooted, do not race to fake conclusions based on false information - about your work, relationships, or the future.

Lesson: Now is the time to be more like the tortoise. Trust in the path that you are on and that you will reach your goal, even if it takes a while. There is no need to rush back and forth, no need to panic and make rash decisions.

Stop. Take stock. Think. Trust your instincts.

3) CONGRUENCY – Nature has the incredible ability to keep itself in balance, adapting to new conditions in order to thrive. Think of the ‘urban fox’, that is, a regular fox that has learned to thrive in a city environment. Naturally speaking, these animals are better suited to the countryside, yet they have learned to balance ‘need and survival’ to make the most of living outside their chosen comfort zone. Mankind can learn from this by seeking alignment, unity, and harmony with the world around us.

Whether that’s keeping our business afloat, or connecting with family, or even learning to live with the constraints of lockdown.

Lesson: Seek to embrace the world and situations around you. Don’t fight them or wallow in the apparent unfairness of a situation.

Instead find ways to adapt and inevitably you will learn to thrive in that new environment, no matter how ‘unnatural’ it may feel.

4) COURAGE – This is embodied by the hatchling that flings itself off a mountaintop with the hope that it will fly. This tacit knowledge is passed down through generations. The young bird doesn’t need to be told it can fly, or taught how to fly, it just has the courage to leap with the inherent confidence that everything will be ok. Imagine having the courage to trust our natural instincts more often, instead of always seeking external validation?

Lesson: Take inspiration from nature to build your courage and trust your natural instincts.

By all means take small steps first and trusting that your confidence will grow with every step.

5) COLLABORATION – That is to say, collaboration over competition. There is of course a great amount of competition in nature, whether it be for food, security or a mate. Yet nature’s ability to collaborate, even between species that would naturally be at odds with one another, is one of its greatest assets.

Imagine the classic mutualistic relationship of a plover eating leftover food scraps from inside the mouth of a crocodile. The competitive food chain dictates that the crocodile should eat the bird at the expense of any other benefit, yet it doesn’t. Instead it allows the plover to clean its teeth and reduce the chance of infection. A truly natural form of oral hygiene!

Lesson: Consider the value of collaboration for mutual benefit. This is particularly important through the current global economic downturn, when we are all seeking the same goals.

Collaboration over competition will often help us find a sustainable solution for the future of our startups and growth businesses.

The realities of the pandemic and the process of coming out of lockdown give us the reason and opportunity to ask important questions about our future. By connecting with Nature can use her lessons to improve their businesses and contribute to forging and new future for the benefit of all.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rosie Tomkins is founder of the Natural Capital Consultancy and author of ‘N-stinctive’, an inspirational book that introduces an alternative to traditional leadership training by unlocking the power of the natural world to provide strength and confidence to people who are shouldering huge responsibility.

Rosie’s clients include the GB Olympic hockey and England rugby teams, the NHS and multinational companies in the airline, engineering and pharmaceutical industries.

Website – www.n-stinctive.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

How Entrepreneurs can Squeeze the Best out of the Rest of 2020 As entrepreneurs we know that 2020 has been the most extraordinary and challenging year to-date. The issues we face aren’t going away in the coming weeks. This means that the only choice we have is to take the remainder of the year by the scruff of the neck. Start-up founders need to put all their energy into squeezing the best out of the rest of 2020!

We have the opportunity create something better for everyone instead of some watered down ‘new normal’ that focuses on all the things we can’t do. The first step for getting the most we can from the remainder of 2020 is to embrace uncertainty. None of us know what’s around the corner. There is not going to be some miracle vaccine that saves us all

by Christmas, so what do we do now and for the rest of the year? We demonstrate our entrepreneurial skills and adapt.

Let’s look at ideas to give you a boost in the right direction.

Embracing Your Innate Growth Mindset Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck became obsessed with understanding how people cope with failures and setbacks. Initially her research looked at kids and how they reacted to puzzles they couldn’t solve. She thought that she would find different levels of resilience but what she actually found was that children, especially young children didn’t even consider not being able to solve the puzzle as a failure in the first place. It was just a game – a fun challenge. The outcome of Dweck’s research is now world

famous and she proposes that our success and happiness in life comes down to one thing – mindset. According to Dweck there are only two – fixed and growth.

Those with a fixed mindset, have a fixed idea of what they are capable of, believing that what they are born with is the finish line. They tend to be more defeatist, accepting the problems without much effort or belief they can find solutions. Those with a growth mindset believe that what we are born with is just the beginning.

What we are capable of is not determined by anything other than our own aspirations, effort and determination.

Interestingly, Dweck believes we are all born with a growth mindset and get trained out of it by the school system, unsupportive parents and social expectations. We are taught that failure is unacceptable – even though all great success comes through failure not by avoiding it. If ever we needed to re-assess that growth mindset it’s now.

Take a minute to consider whether you have a fixed or growth mindset? Has Covid-19 made it more fixed as you sink into a gloom? If you imagine you had a growth mindset instead – what would you do? Looking at your startup and the rest of 2020 – what could you try? What have you always thought of doing but never got around to it? Lean into the uncertainty and adapt. Use it as a springboard to try things you’ve been putting off. Is there a different market you could approach? Stay flexible, open and curious.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

Change Your Today to Change Your Tomorrow What have you done today? Is that getting you closer or further way from your life goals and those you have for your startup? If you want a different tomorrow so you find a successful way through the pandemic, you need to take steps to change what you do today.

Stop for a moment and reflect on how you spend your time. When did you get up this morning? How much TV do you watch? How much time do you spend on social media? How much time do you spend learning something new? Do you spend time with family or friends?

Are those exchanges enjoyable or stressful?

How much time do you spend on your health?

How much sleep do you get most nights?

Take a minute to draw a circle and divide it up into slices that represent how you spend your time during a typical day. Now draw another circle and divide it up to represent how you would like to spend your day. What could you change today in your startup or growth business to improve your day? Identify the things you like or can live with and the things that you don’t like and can’t live with. How can you change the aspects of your day that bring you down?

Often, we don’t need to make wholesale sweeping changes; subtle little shifts accumulate to bring about change.

Post-Traumatic Growth In 1967 psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe developed a list of 47 stressful events that could impact health and happiness.

The assumption is logical – we get more stressed when bad stuff happens to us, start accumulating stressful experiences such as a job loss, illness or divorce and you are more susceptible to physical illness, disease and depression. Global pandemics and economic uncertainty don’t help especially if you are in the early stages of your startup.

But, the fly in their theoretical ointment was the fact that not everyone who experienced really

tough life events were negatively impacted by them. On the contrary, some of those people actively flourished. This field of study is called post traumatic growth or adversarial growth and studies have shown that great suffering or trauma can actually lead to huge positive change. For example, after the Madrid bombings of 2004 psychologists found that many of those affected experienced positive psychological growth. A diagnosis of cancer and subsequent recovery can also trigger positive growth.

The people in many of these studies found new meaning and new purpose from surviving something terrible. Instead of seeing their situation as a failure or a problem they believed Nietzsche, who said, “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger”. As an entrepreneur how can you use Covid-19 in the last months of 2020 to find new meaning and positive growth?

Take a minute to think about exactly what you are worried about most in your startup and identify one thing you can do about it right now. Set that in motion. What positives could you pull from the turmoil? Get creative – think of at least three positives that Covid-19 could give you and your business. It might not be fun but if you can find the silver linings you can often move on quicker.

I’m a great believer in the power of micro moments and tiny interventions. These suggestions are pulled from my Meee in a Minute books, each offering 60 one-minute micro-ideas and insights that can help us to shift our perception in life, family and at work.

It need only take a minute to make a change and get the very best out of the last few months of 2020 or you and your startup’s team.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sid Madge is founder of Meee (My Education Employment Enterprise) which draws on the best creativity and thinking from the worlds of branding, psychology, neuroscience, education and sociology, to help people achieve extraordinary lives.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

Why Corporate Social Responsibility is important than ever for your startup Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been around for year but I would say the ethos behind it is still as important as ever, if not more so and something that startups should be looking at from their inception. We’re currently living in a low trust world where it seems everyone is just out for themselves and what they can take from life. But the tide is turning.

Before the pandemic started, people were already looking for a different approach, wanting a world where business is more than just about making money. They had also started demanding transparency – just saying ‘we do what we can’ was no longer enough; they wanted specifics about supply chains, fair trade, good working conditions, environmental responsibility and so on. The pandemic hasn’t stopped this, if anything it has crystallised it, with all of us more aware than ever of our impact on the planet and its fragile balance.

So, for entrepreneurs CSR is more important than ever; for the long-term survival of your startup and the future of the planet.

Of course, it’s true that some customers won’t care. They will buy on price or because a brand name is more important to them. However, a growing majority do care and these people, whether they are buying as a business or as a consumer, they are looking for companies that care and are about more than just the money.

They want to buy responsibly, and they want details to prove that they are doing so. They don’t want to be fobbed-off with greenwash; they want to know what you are doing as a

business, and what that means. And in many cases, they are willing to pay a bit more for it.

What is included in CSR? CSR can be undertaken in many different ways. For example, resource donations (e.g. product, time, staff, etc.), financial donations, offering pro-bono work for charities or the vulnerable in society, co-marketing to promote a charitable cause, and having specific, clear, publicly announced ethics (e.g. carbon zero, LGBTQ-friendly, vegan, no investment in drugs or weapons etc.)

As well as being good for business all these approaches can help build your brand, boost staff morale, make a positive contribution, while also being the right thing to do.

And for those customers that don’t care, having good CSR won’t put them off. So, you have nothing to lose. But many customers do care – so why lose their business? By having good CSR you attract more people, you stand out from your competitors, and you show that you care about the long-term future. I believe the expression is ‘win-win’!

Here are some examples of different approaches to CSR. Take a look at see what could be applied to your business: Give a financial donation for every transaction A clear and easy way to practise CSR is to donate a percentage or a given sum to a charity

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

or organisation with every transaction. For example, at Bidwedge, we are all mad about cats, so we partnered with Born Free. When changing your unwanted foreign currency back into Sterling, you can opt to donate the full amount to Born Free (via the Bidwedge platform) and we’ll donate 100% of our handling fee, or if you’d prefer to keep the cash yourself, we’ll still donate 50% of our handling fee. All the money donated goes directly to support Born Free’s big cat sanctuaries at Shamwari Private Game Reserve in South Africa: https://www. bornfree.org.uk/shamwari-big-cat-rescuesanctuary.

Another example is UK insurance broker Club Insure, which announced earlier this year that it aims to raise £75,000 for Prostate Cancer UK by donating £5 for every new or renewed insurance policy.

Donating in-line with your brand

Rather than buy-one-get-one-free, the smart money might well be on give-one-away-forevery-one-bought. It certainly worked for Dashel, who gave away one of their stylish recycled cycle helmets to an NHS keyworker for each one bought online during lockdown. Not only did they give a real benefit to NHS workers choosing to cycle to work, rather than risk public transport, they showed themselves to be a truly ethical company and, in turn, found their helmets very much in demand.

Stand4socks is another brand that donates one product for each sold. They create socks from sustainably sourced yarns, have ethical working conditions and sustainable packaging.

But arguably, what really sets them apart is that they recognised that the most requested items from homeless shelters are socks. So, they designed what they believe to be the most suitable socks for homeless people and donate a pair with every sale.

There are also many organisations which donate something allied to their brand. This can give a fun and / or memorable message for the organisation. For example, Who Gives A Crap’s tagline “toilet paper that builds toilets” tells you what their business is and what their charitable contribution is, while showing itself as a fun brand, with the nudge towards toilet humour. And they do donate a very generous 50% of their profits to help build toilets in developing world countries where access to sanitation is limited.

Volunteering

Green Tomato Cars is another ethical brand, founded to provide an eco-friendly car service in London. They aim to do their bit towards improving air quality in London and were the first operators in London to use the Toyota Prius. Not only that, they offset their unavoidable emissions by supporting The Ugandan Improved Cookstoves project. This subsidises the sale of charcoal cookstoves and fuel-efficient biomass and across Uganda which improves cooking conditions and reduces indoor air pollution.

Alternatively, you may have services that you can provide to a smaller charity. Perhaps you can offer to set up some social media activity or give an hour each week to advise on financial administration or software. Reach Volunteering is a platform connecting businesses with skills they want to offer with organisations looking for help: https://reachvolunteering.org.uk/

Donating product like-for-like

Here are some tips to help you on your way:

For startups with limited resources volunteering is a great way to contribute. A lot of the big organisations offer what’s known as Corporate Volunteering Days. Nationwide Building Society, for example, gives their employees two paid days per annum for volunteer activities. Of course, this may be harder for small businesses but even a couple of half days might make a difference and boost morale, while you are building your startup and your contribution.

I hope these examples of successful CSR will provide inspiration for your startup and that you’ll introduce your own CSR.

ENTREPRENEUR

1) Choose something that resonates with you and/or your startup 2) Don’t choose something simply because it makes you look good. You clients (and your team) will see through it, and you will find it difficult to sustain if your heart’s not really in it.

3) If you have a big staff, consider allowing them to choose what they want to do and how they want to contribute. You’ll get better buy in that way and they will enjoy it even more!

4) Something is always better than nothing so if necessary, start small. Once you’ve got going you’ll find it easier to expand your contribution.

5) And announce it on your social media, on your website, maybe even on your packaging. Just be sure to let people know what you are doing.

There are so many good causes and charities needing help, so there will definitely be something to suit you. Teaming up with a big

name can give the business added kudos; supporting a local charity makes sense if your market is primarily local; getting involved with a smaller charity can work well if you’re looking to make a big difference or would like reciprocal exposure.

As discussed, CSR can cover a wide range of activities and different types of contribution.

Find something manageable that will work for you at your current stage of business growth.

Your startup can make a different right from the beginning of your journey.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shon Alam is founder of Bidwedge. Bidwedge makes it easy to change your left-over cash currency back into Sterling – at great rates for even the smallest amounts. Just enter the amount, see the rate you’ll be paid, post the cash and watch the money appear in your bank account. It’s easy to do.

Website - www.bidwedge.com

ENTREPRENEUR

How entrepreneurs can develop leadership skills in their business with a leadership simulator Entrepreneurs are brave people but even you wouldn’t jump into a plane if you knew the pilot had learned to fly by reading a book.

You are willing to trust pilots because you know they have spent hundreds of hours in a flight simulator. They are experts at what they do, because they know what it feels like to fly an aircraft through an electric storm. They know how it feels when they lose the tyre on take-off.

They know how it feels to land a jumbo jet in a fierce crosswind. Most of all, you need to feel that they have confidence in their own ability to cope under pressure, whatever happens.

Book and classroom teaching are useful and necessary, but they’re not enough. Like the pilot entrepreneurs also need ‘real’ experience of a variety of situations where we can try, in a safe environment, different approaches. A pilot doesn’t wait for his engine to fail at 30,000 feet before s/he tries out approaches to deal with the situation. S/he spends time in a simulator where a range of different solutions can be tested and then practiced. As entrepreneurs, leaders in our business we need the same.

In other words, we need a Leadership Simulator where we can hone our skills, make mistakes without catastrophic results, celebrate our innate qualities and those of our teams, and initiate new ways and ideas without suppression.

I believe this Leadership Simulator has to be

outside the classroom, it has to be experiential, and it has to include the “nature factor” (NQ), working alongside other living flora and fauna.

Why? Because we need to get immediate feedback. Trying an approach but not experiencing the result won’t help us much.

In nature we have the perfect simulator which can allow us to practice and give us instant feedback. Imagine getting immediate feedback in a non-judgemental way from another living thing (that has no vested interest). It would be, and is, incredibly valuable!

So, how can you develop a Leadership Simulator in nature, for your startup or growth business? Let’s look at two examples that will help you get out of your comfort zone gain a new perspective: Scenario one – The Spider In nature – Spiders are truly amazing creatures.

For many they are considered household pests and scary or dirty. However, when you take a deeper look at the life of a spider there are many attributes that could resonate strongly within a successful business team. For example; • Patience – A spider is the master of patience.

They trust in their abilities to create the perfect web and will wait patiently (sometimes for days) for their next meal, only moving to make small adjustments to their web.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

• Resilience – How many times have we purposely or inadvertently broken a spider’s web? Many! Yet they are able to find the energy and composure to begin again. They are resilient against all kinds of threat and can always move to a less volatile space to build their next home.

• Adaptability – The spider needs to be adaptable. They thrive in all conditions, from deserts, to jungles, to houses to shoe boxes.

No environment is too extreme and they are experts at making the best of a non-ideal situation.

• Detail oriented – A hole in their web weakens the whole structure making it more vulnerable to falling apart, or it may fail to catch the elusive fly for dinner. For this reason, they spend much of their day fine-tuning the web to ensure maximum productivity.

• Creativity/Artistic – Take a close look at a spider’s web and you’ll notice the incredible intricacy of the silk strands. They truly are architectural masters and talented artists.

• Strategy – The placement of their web can make the difference between eating and hunger. It can also make the difference between a few days of safety and needing to rebuild from scratch within a few hours.

Building a web takes a considerable amount of time and energy for a spider, so they only want to do it once!

Simulation – Why does this all matter? And what does it have to do with leadership?

Well, depending on what lens you have on a team, it can look very different. What could be seen as inactivity in one glance might be seen as patience in another. Being patient, resilient, adaptable, detail oriented, creative and strategic are all very strong assets for any successful team. Whilst a spider has all of these, it is unlikely that a single human will embody all these attributes, so why not look deeply at your team and assess their strengths (and weaknesses) and notice how they are distributed. Can a perceived weakness be a source of great strength? And do you have a

mixture of these attributes in your team?

Scenario two – The Butterfly In nature – Butterflies are the epitome of transformation. They live and thrive in three difference natural states (caterpillar, pupa and butterfly). Their ability to undergo this metamorphosis takes time, patience, and the correct nurturing environment, but little else in the way of tools. It is a natural process that they don’t need to learn; it is simply inherent in their genes.

Simulation – The same can be said for a welldesigned team. As a leader we need to be patient and create a nurturing environment.

The team will naturally take itself from ordinary (caterpillar) to outstanding (butterfly) if the correct conditions are present; often without the need for strict guidance through the learning journey. In this sense, it is better for a leader to focus on the workplace environment, making it enjoyable and hospitable, than to micro-manage the specific tasks of each team member. The transformation will take care of itself.

Next Steps Nature is a powerful tool and one that we can all learn from if we take the time to observe its lessons. The most powerful way to conduct a leadership simulation is to take your whole team an experiential leadership day connecting with nature, guided by a professional. There are many organisations now offering this kind of work, and it is safe because it is outdoors.

For example, including horses in leadership training is a great way to get instant feedback.

By running workshops on my farm, with the horses, the entrepreneurs and their teams are taken out of their normal environment and the horses provide immediate, but judgement free, feedback. The experience with the horses allows people to adapt smoothly to changing realities (as the horse reacts to their behaviour).

By learning to adapt in the moment your selfesteem can be boosted, especially in the face of uncertainty. Even entrepreneurs whousually

ENTREPRENEUR

navigate change well, can benefit from live feedback and a much-needed confidence boost at this time difficult time. See: https:// vimeo.com/441676304 Horses are a great feedback mechanism as they are very sensitive, but you can also get feedback on your abilities yourself with your own pet cat or dog (ensure you are always kind and respectful, not aggressive or hurtful).

The reaction will not be quite as useful as they already know you, but they still come without judgement and can be a good way to get you thinking about different approaches.

Remember memories are stored in the muscles. They are literally embodied. Imagine a leadership simulator experience with your team that combines the skills and techniques of the leading thought strategies with a deep understanding of your own personal physiology. Where in a safe environment you can access the impact of stress and pressure on your decision-making capabilities and general wellbeing.

The learning can be transformational.

These are different ways to challenge yourself, as an entrepreneur and leader, and to also to challenge your team. A natural leadership simulator experience will take you outside your comfort zone and challenge your deeply held belief. This will make you and your team stronger and more confident in your abilities so you can successfully navigate this changing world that we are all learning to live in.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rosie Tomkins is founder of the Natural Capital Consultancy and author of ‘N-stinctive’, an inspirational book that introduces an alternative to traditional leadership training by unlocking the power of the natural world to provide strength and confidence to people who are shouldering huge responsibility.

ENTREPRENEUR

How entrepreneurs can close all their presentations with impact When you are presenting your startup or talking on industry issues every entrepreneur wants to be memorable. Imagine a situation where your presentation starts well. You hook your audience with interesting content but then you lose them as your presentation fades away at the end.

Then, you come to the end of your speech, but you are the only person in the room who knows.

So, you quickly mutter ‘Thank you’. There is an awkward silence, a few tentative, uncertain claps before it gathers momentum and you slowly slump off stage, or hover uncertainly in front of your camera, as the other video conference attendees gaze on awkwardly.

How disappointing after so much work spent crafting your presentation.

The sad truth is many people do not dedicate enough time and effort to the closing of their speech. They either end abruptly, tell the audience they are done, or mutter thank you. For online presentation they can hover uncertainly in front of the camera. If the audience is uncertain whether you’ve finished this creates embarrassment, an awkward silence and some uncertain clapping. This will inevitably detract from the impact of your presentation There are a few general points for startup founders to remember when closing presentations or speeches: 1) The closing should be about ten to fifteen percent of your speech. This may sound like a lot because most people tend to think

the closing is only the last sentence of your presentation, but it should not be. Ten percent of a thirty-minute speech is just three minutes.

This gives you a reasonable time to summarise key points, give a call to action or repeat your key messages without rushing. Remember to pause after each key point you want your audience to remember.

2) Your presentation should flow towards the conclusion. Make use of effective transitions to link the body of your presentation to the ending. A story to reiterate your key points and repeat your take-away message is a great way to end. This can be a bigger wow factor if you started and ended with the same story and added an unexpected twist. You can also use transitional connectives such as ‘having heard all this, you now understand why’ or ‘I am sure at this point you are thinking…’

3) Put time and effort into crafting and practising your ending. Once signposted, every word must add impact to your presentation.

Do not lean into the temptation to ad lib.

Deliver the closing as you have practised it.

Going off on a tangent is likely to decrease the potency of your words and lose some part of your audience. You’re also more likely to use filler words such as ahm, err or like. Excessive rambling will decrease your impact.

4) Do not try to cut your ending short or rush it.

At some point in their careers, most speakers will lose track of time at least once. When this happens, do not rush to squeeze in every sentence. Acknowledge that you have run out of time. If necessary, cut something before the

ENTREPRENEUR

end, but still deliver your closing. Experience will help you become more adept at timings.

5) Close your presentation on a high by signposting the ending. If you end abruptly you negate the recency effect as the audience’s brains will not be prepared. Most speakers tend to incorporate terms such as ‘in summary’, ‘finally’, or ‘to conclude’ to herald the closing of their presentation. These words will trigger what psychologist call the recency effect and the audience will re-engage – even those who have mentally wandered off.

6) Use your body language. For entrepreneurs presenting in-person to the room, I recommend making the most of your body language. For example, standing in a fixed position, arms at your side and slowly looking around at your audience with a smile on your face, in most cases, will quieten a room. Try and get eye contact with specific audience members at different points around the room to spread calm and silence. When the room is quiet and you have everyone’s attention, then start your ending.

You can use a similar principle on video too.

Face the camera, stay still, pause, possibly look around at the attendees on your screen (although you can’t make eye-contact in the same way, the gesture is clear), and then, having signposted with this body language, start your ending. This ‘pause’ will need to be shorter via video than it would be if you were on-stage, but the aim and the effect is the same.

It’s a signpost, a form of transition, it breaks the state and wakes everyone up!

7) Change the tone of your voice. Monotony kills most presentations, especially if they are over five minutes. Every entrepreneur has their own voice/tone but a great presenter will always vary their tone and intonations. Your closing and final words should be delivered using your normal voice/tone. This will come across with more authenticity.

8) Use the wrap-around technique. Expert speakers do a wrap-around and tie the closing of their speech to their opening. For example, a

startup founder may ask a rhetorical question at the start and ask the same question at the close using the closing minutes to give their answer.

How you structure the closing of your presentation will depend on your intended outcome. Do you want to leave your audience with a takeaway message, a feeling or a call to action? For example, as an entrepreneur your presentation is likely to involve a call to action.

If so it must appeal to ‘pathos’, the emotions of the audience. Your closing should include emotive language that appeals to the senses.

For example, if you intend to give your audience a call to action so they stop smoking, you could end your speech with the following lines: The next time you feel the smooth texture of a cigarette in your hand. The next time you hear the voices in your head saying ‘ Go on, take a puff, nothing will happen! The next time you smell that cigarette smoke and think it offers comfort, contentment and calm. ‘ That next time… might just be your last time.

I want you to remember this picture of a father who will not see his children grow up, will not hear their laughter, will not kiss them goodnight, because of lung cancer. The message is simple. Stop smoking! This closing is emotive and appealed to all the senses using a litany of literary devices. It is then followed by the final two words which is the key message.

If you follow these techniques to close your presentation your audiences is likely to be talking about your presentation in the coffee break and beyond. The strong ending will capture your audience’s attention and keep them focused on your entrepreneurial message.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vinette Hoffman-Jackson, DTM is a member of Toastmasters International, a not-for-profit organisation that has provided communication and leadership skills since 1924 through a worldwide network of clubs. www. toastmasters.org

ENTREPRENEUR

How startups can set up an effective Learning and Development plan and drive growth Whatever the size of your team, startup founders need staff who are highly motivated and well-trained and who will work together to drive the growth of the business. To achieve this it will be essential for you to put a learning and development plan in place.

Learning and development (L&D) forms a key part of developing your staff and carrying out performance management within your business. A L&D Plan is a strategic roadmap creating a picture of where the organisation wants to be in the future with Learning and Development to support the building of staff capability, capacity and commitment.

As a startup founder you want to empower your people to achieve their full potential.

Engaging them in the plan can have a hugely positive impact on both your business and your staff. It can also help you attract, recruit, and develop the skilled workers you need by enabling you to: • Establish clear career pathways and personal development reviews •Demystify education programmes and promote upskilling initiatives • Diversify recruitment routes by identifying key transferrable skills and offering apprenticeship programmes A Learning and Development plan should be designed to inspire, develop, and ultimately help your people grow in competence and confidence. Businesses and teams with the best players thrive and outperform the competition.

Here are six steps startup founders can take to develop a coherent, practical and effective Learning and Development plan: Step 1: Create clear career pathways To create clear career pathways, you will first need to identify the role profiles that exist within your business. You will need to determine the purpose of the role, the hierarchy of authority, reporting lines and career progression routes.

For example, the purpose of a sales team is to generate sales, grow the business and retain existing customer relationships and within the sales teams there will be different job roles: • • • • •

Trainee Sales Representative Assistant Sales Representative Sales Representative Sales Manager Sales Director

Career pathways should also show how to achieve progression and promotion. For example, how do you move from Sales Representative to Sales Manager? The written pathway should include what skills are needed and how you obtain them through upskilling and undertaking additional roles and responsibilities under supervision and mentorship.

Step 2: Define Roles and Responsibilities Defining clear roles and responsibilities provides your own business with the vital

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

advantages necessary for continual growth. If people are clear about what they need to do, it makes it easier for them to do it, this enables increased internal control, improved process management and enhances operational performance.

To develop an effective Learning and Development plan, you should evaluate your existing roles and responsibilities defined in your job descriptions to ensure that they are reflective of what you need people to do. If not, the knowledge and behaviours criteria you set will not deliver the skills required to fulfil the role. The most efficient and effective way of achieving this is to set up a small working group with key operational people at different levels and across a variety of job roles.

Step 3: Define the Knowledge & Behaviours required It is important that the new job descriptions clearly define the knowledge requirement to successfully undertake the role. When defining the knowledge levels required for each role, remember that knowledge can be gained through experience or education. Not everyone is required to be experts in everything, but base line awareness is often desirable.

Whilst knowledge is vital, you must also identify the attitude and behaviours that will fit within your startup’s culture and are aligned to your Vision, Mission and Values. Because how you do something is more likely to deliver good customer service that just what you do.

Asking your staff to be part of this process will ensure that all angles are covered. Together with a training gap analysis you will be able to highlight specific skill gaps within your business.

From there, you can prioritise your employees’ training needs. When discussing this with your team, you should consider a variety of core skills including: • Values & Behaviours - Values are just behaviours you want people to live by, giving them direction on how to achieve your mission.

They should be specific and descriptive in the way you want people to act or treat people

• Health, Safety & Environment – Businesses have a moral and legal obligation to manage this well, and people need to be aware of how you are protecting them and their environment and what they should do to help • Quality – The standard of the products or services you deliver has a direct link to your customer service and brand loyalty, people should know the effects of poor quality and be given the skills to deliver your standards • Performance & Time Management – Efficiency and punctuality are critical to a successful business and people should know how to prioritise and make the most of their time • Commercial Focus – Everyone in a business can affect your profitability, from general awareness of business costs and the use of company resources, to cost saving and revenue generation • Leadership & Management - Line managers or supervisors have a massive influence on the team dynamics and performance. It is important to understanding how to motivate and manage you staff, this is often overlooked when people are promoted from time served • Strategic Thinking - This is aimed at the senior management in your team, and focussed on performance reviews and planning for success.

This type of thinking will help you achieve your Vision.

Step 4: Choose the right Training Having identified the knowledge and behaviours required to fulfil each role, you can now look to select the appropriate training.

Training is the act of teaching people the required skills or behaviours, and can be delivered in a variety of ways including: •Technical Courses or Qualifications •Apprenticeships, Vocational Programmes or Mentoring •Internal Training •Continued Professional Development (CPD) Modules •Compliance Training A good Learning and Development plan gives people the opportunity to complete different types of training, not simply to assist in the

ENTREPRENEUR

competency of their role, but to inspire them to achieve their career goals, to broaden their knowledge and to widen their skills base.

To select the right training, you will need use the job descriptions to identify the learning outcomes needed to fulfil the role. Finding a course that meets these needs, in the delivery method that best suits your business, can often be difficult and can require thinking outside the box.

Remember a recognised training course or a theoretical qualification may not deliver the competence levels you are looking for and often blended learning delivers the best results.

Where you have a training need for a member of staff and you cannot find the course – approach your training provider and ask them if they can work with your business to design, deliver and complete a bespoke training.

Step 5: Build on Skills & Experience Just because people attend a training course does not mean that they are competent in those skills. Skills are defined as the ability to do something well, and this is developed over time.

You should encourage your teams to put their knowledge into practice in order to develop their skills, whilst being observed, supported and mentored by their line manager. Within the job profiles, you should determine the skills and experience levels required for each role.

Step 6: Monitoring the Learning & Development Journey Whilst it is important to track statistical performance against the learning and development plan, knowing that 95% of your people have completed a required course, is not the only measure you should be focussed on.

Every individual’s learning and development journey will be different, and it is important that you remain flexible and inclusive in your plans.

You need to have a system for understanding their journey and monitoring their development. A Personal Development Review (PDR) can provide a framework for employees

to have open and regular conversations with their line manager about their performance, including reviewing their competency, personal development and career goal: A PDR should include: Competency Review

The employee’s level of competency will be determined within set criteria in line with their roles and responsibilities and the company’s competency framework.

Development Review

During your development review the employee and line manager will discuss the employee’s development needs for the year ahead and how the line manager is able to support the employee’s development. For example, what training courses will the employee require to better their knowledge and experience within their role.

Career Goals The employee and line manager will discuss the employee’s career goals and future aspirations.

The line manager will encourage the employee to outline their short term and long-term goals and establish actions required to achieve them.

For startup founders, creating a structured Learning and Development plan will mean that you are able to identify the training needed for your team to do their jobs well. You can then monitor the effectiveness of the plan and adjust where necessary. A focus on L&D from the early stages of your startup will help you to drive growth and achieve your strategic plans.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanna Strahan is founder of C2C Training Group, which offers high quality assessment/ competency-based courses in Health and Safety, leadership, business skills and personal development. Joanna brings 18 years industry experience to her training courses to ensure that learners are engaged and change is generated. www.c2training.co.uk

ENTREPRENEUR

Why investing is like online dating – how investors can reap the rewards The first foray into using tech for matchmaking was way back in 1959 when Stanford students developed a punch card system for planning happy families. However, it didn’t enter into the mainstream until the mid 1990s and even then, internet dating was viewed with a certain amount of scepticism.

After all, love is all about chemistry and clicking with someone (pun intended), so the idea of shopping online for that special someone felt counterintuitive – assessing potential partners based on a set of interests in the same way you might assess as set of features on an appliance.

But in 2012 that all changed.

The launch of apps like Tinder, brought online dating in the mainstream. Facilitated by the ubiquity of smartphones and high adoption rates of social media, dating apps exploded in use, over taking ‘meeting through friends’ as the top way to find a partner.

But, what does all that have to do with investing?

The catalytic moment the online dating industry saw in 2012 is happening now for the early stage investment market.

Fuelled by COVID-19 and global lockdowns, savvy investors are looking for new ways, those beyond the traditional model, to find, vet and invest in high growth business.

And the answer is digital.

Online investment platforms

perform

a

function similar to that of dating apps – they make it easier to find that someone (or in this case, deal) special.

Tinder for investing The idea feels foreign to many; ‘investing is about relationships!’ and ‘high net worths don’t do things online,’ are common refrains.

But these notions are misguided. High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) do use the internet.

In fact, a PWC study proved that 98% of HNWIs use the internet daily, spending up to three hours of their personal time. Further to this, Accenture Consulting found in a separate survey that 83% are already using digital for financial services and more than 41% consider themselves to be early adopters of technology.

So, with investors ready and willing to use digital for their early stage investment portfolio, how does Tinder for investing work?

There are already a number of digital investment platforms, like Envestors’ platform, aimed at the early stage investment space on the market.

Not unlike Tinder, they allow investors to filter a large number of vetted deals according to their interest and to conduct due diligence online. Additional features facilitate the multistep journey by allowing investors to ‘follow’ deals and receive automatic updates. When an investor is ready, they can pledge online and invest directly through the platforms.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

Another key benefit is compliance with regulation set out by the Financial Conduct Authority. Many off-the-shelf investment platforms include this, reducing risk for investors and organisations involved in matchmaking.

How does it work?

Let’s start by clarifying that online investing, just like online dating, has an offline element.

As crucial as that first date, investors, as part of their journey, will meet with founders.

But that isn’t the starting point for the journey and a key benefit is that those meetings don’t need to take place until after an opportunity has been vetted by an investor.

Looking for love A key issue for investors is finding enough of the right kinds of investment opportunities in order to build a portfolio. The risks associated with early stage investments are well documented, and so a broad portfolio is a must. However, the traditional model does little to facilitate this. Reliant on pitching events that feature only a handful of companies and closed investment clubs, it is extremely difficult to get access to enough companies to build a good portfolio.

Returning to our dating analogy, this is a bit like attending a speed dating event, where you meet 10 people for 4 minutes each as opposed to a dating app where you have access to the entire dating pool at your fingertips.

Why wouldn’t you want access to the entire pool of opportunities?

Marketing-leading investment platforms include advanced filtering options as well as smart matching to allow investors to easily home in on those opportunities which are most suited to their preferences.

Swiping right A second issue for investors in the traditional

model is ready access to information on deals.

It’s still very common to attend a pitching event and be handed an A4 piece of paper describing the investment opportunity. But if interest is piqued, where is the additional information?

Many event organisers do not have anywhere for investors to go to learn more. That leaves them with two choices: Contact the broker or company to request more info or walk away because they weren’t that interested.

However, with a digital platform, interested investors can start looking into a deal without having to proclaim their interest. They can go online at their leisure and read about the opportunity and interrogate the plans.

Further, where there are questions, they can use chat functions to get answers —again without having to set up a founder meeting before they are ready.

First dates As, I said earlier, meeting in person is still an important part of the vetting process. The key difference in using a digital platform is that investors can schedule that first meeting, at the click of a button, when they are ready and not before.

Effectively, digital pushes the founder meeting, not out of the journey, but to a later stage which benefits everyone. This means no more ‘blind dates’ that don’t lead anywhere.

Meeting the family Part of the allure of private investment clubs is a safety in number mentality. Investors like to invest along-side like-minded investors.

This may seem at the surface like one of those things that cannot be replicated online.

It isn’t.

Digital platforms include features to highlight lead investors. This tells investigating investors that someone known or with a background in investing has already vetted the deal and

ENTREPRENEUR

immediately can provide more confidence.

Further to this, automatically updated pledge trackers show the traction of a deal. This information is critical to an investment decision and in the old offline model, it is typically invisible to investors.

Committed relationships Once an investor is ready to commit, they are faced with a flurry of papers. Investment agreements, AML checks, payment detail requests. All of these papers need to be filled, scanned, returned and stored securely. Digital platforms strip out all this manual admin by allowing investors to pledge and transact online, storing all relevant records in a secure area, accessible to the investor via a portfolio management feature.

2020, a year unprecedented will bring about a lot of change.

But, while some grapple with the new normal, for others it will be an opportunity, a catalyst to look at ‘the way we’ve always done things’ tear it up and find a new way of achieving the same goal – one that is ultimately better for all parties involved. The early stage investment community is now being presented with this choice.

So, while comparing investing with online dating may seem a curious idea; there is a lot we can take away from an industry that used technology to redefine the way something was always done, and reinvent itself in a way that has led to a whole lot of happily ever after.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chantelle Arneaud is from Envestors.

Envestors’ digital investment platform brings together entrepreneurs and investors across geographies, communities and sectors – creating the single marketplace for early stage investment in the UK. Envestors partners with accelerators, incubators and angel networks to provide a white-label platform empowering them to promote deals, engage investors and connect to other networks. Founded in 2004,

Envestors has helped more than 200 high growth businesses raise more than £100m through our own private investment club.

Envestors is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Web: https://www.envestors.co.uk/

ENTREPRENEUR

How entrepreneurs can develop themselves as skillful and sincere speakers As a startup founder you are the driver of the business and also the voice of the business.

To deliver a successful presentation or a speech, whether that’s via Zoom or in person, you need connection, change and confidence. So, what does this mean in terms of how entrepreneurs can design and deliver important presentations and speeches that are both skilful and sincere?

Connection You need to connect with your audience, whether they be investors, suppliers, your team etc. or you might as well be talking to yourself.

And it needs to be genuine. If that connection feels inauthentic, people will be suspicious.

Picture yourself sitting in an audience. This applies whether the people are in the room with you, or sitting at their own computers at home having dialled in to listen to you. Your audience has set aside the time, maybe even spent money to attend. They are all wondering ‘What’s in it for me?’ As a speaker, it’s your job to answer that question. To do that, you need to ‘deep research’ your audience. It’s not just about their name and job title. Depending on whether you’re talking to a larger, conferencestyle audience or debriefing a project team via Zoom, key questions might cover the goals of the event, other speakers, audience profile, what they do/know/expect/how they talk and what do they most want from you.

‘The more you know about your audience, the stronger your ability to connect with them and

influence their thinking and behaviour on their terms, i.e. answer their ‘What’s in it for me’ question.’

— Lyn Roseaman, author of ‘Now You’re Talking!’

And it’s not just about the content. Knowing your audience will also give you strong pointers about delivery – whether or not you need slides and how many, relevant stories you might include, appropriate levels of energy, vocal variety, body language and so on. And yes, body language still applies even if the audience can only see your head and shoulders via a video link.

A message that drives change There is no point in speaking if you are only going to tell people what they already know.

As an entrepreneur you are speaking to drive change of some kind.

Having researched your audience, you will have a good idea of what information and message they’ll value.

All too often, we confuse audiences because we start assembling content or making slides without even thinking about our message and its value to our listeners. When preparing a presentation, try starting at the end. What do you want your audience to think, feel or do differently after they’ve heard you talk? What is the single most important message you need them to take away? Jot it down in large letters

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

in fewer than ten words and keep it visible. Any content you try to include that doesn’t support your message doesn’t belong in this particular talk or presentation.

Confidence Confidence matters because it is part of your authority and credibility as a speaker: ‘Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.’

— Samuel Johnson, English writer and lexicographer If you don’t feel confident in what you have to say, then why should your audience? When audiences sense you’re nervous, they will get concerned. Confidence allows your listeners to relax and engage with what you have to say; your message, not how you’re feeling.

As an entrepreneur you may not have been a frequent speaker in the past. However, to build your skill and confident you need to become one. Take every opportunity to speak, be it to your team, in a video meeting, on the phone, in a pitch or presentation. Get comfortable with speaking and use the opportunity to practise different techniques, e.g. voice projection, storytelling, opening a speech with impact, etc.

Invite people to give you specific feedback on what they liked and any improvements they would welcome to improve their experience.

We shouldn’t, however, assume being confident means being extrovert. Some entrepreneurs have said to me that they can’t be a good speaker because they are introverts and feel uncomfortable trying to create a high-energy, gregarious, perhaps larger-thanlife version of themselves. Maintaining this persona is untenable and exhausting. It’s also unnecessary.

Public speaking isn’t about being a ‘big’ presence. When you are yourself and talking about something that matters to you and your audience, people will listen.

Speaking styles

Of course, different audiences and speaking situations may well require a different speaking style. For instance, if you have a tech startup and tend to speak to a technical audience, they tend to favour visual aids and ‘data’ to support your message. That’s not to say that they don’t appreciate a story or anecdote, but they also value an evidence-based focus.

When your intention is to inspire, you probably need to share your story and invite your audience to adopt your experience and learnings into their own lives. In these situations, slides can be an obstacle and undermine the emotional connection of a story.

During a new business pitch, you obviously need to demonstrate your competence and vision, but also what it will be like to work with you, showing what the relationship would be like. It is after all often the nature of the future partnership, or investment that differentiates one offer from another.

Whatever style you deem appropriate to connect with, and delight, your audience, remaining ‘true to you’ is crucial. If you try to conceal the real you behind some persona, your audience will know and wonder what you’re hiding. So how do you remain authentic?

1. You care, we care When you talk about something you care about, such as your startup vision, your personal passion and enthusiasm for your subject will shine through. If this is relevant to your audience, they will happily connect and engage with you. As far as possible, choose to talk about subjects that you care about, for example if you speak at conferences. Granted, this may not always be possible. In such situations, try to find angles that are important to you and matter to your listeners.

2. We love a good story Storytelling dates back to prehistoric times when people shared stories around the campfire.

Not only was this part of ‘belonging’, but also a way of staying together and safe within the

ENTREPRENEUR

group. Storytelling connects us as human beings. Opening a speech or presentation with a well-crafted and relevant personal story will captivate an audience. And because it’s personal, it’s authentic and uniquely yours to tell. Stories are also memorable and far more so than facts and figures. So, judiciously used stories and anecdotes that are relevant and presented in the appropriate speaking style for your audience are invaluable in making an impact as a startup founder.

3. Your voice Your voice is part of who you are. Your accent is part of your identity. Authenticity is not about trying to hide or change your voice. It’s about being proud of your voice and learning how to use it effectively so that you bring both ease of understanding and interest to your listeners.

If you stumble over certain words, don’t use them, or practise tongue twisters to make them easier to say. Think about the pace, pitch and volume of your voice and how to project it so that your words are clear, interesting and meaningful. Use pauses for impact or, for instance, to give your audience time to reflect on what you’re saying.

4. Your body doesn’t lie If your words don’t match your facial expressions or hand gestures, audiences will believe what they see over what they hear: ‘When the eyes say one thing, and the tongue another, a practiced man relies on the language of the first.’

— Ralph Waldo Emerson, essayist You can finesse your body language for a presentation or speech. For instance, an excess of hand gestures and arm waving can become distracting; try dialling it down by letting your hands relax at your side from time to time. You want to use gestures and expressions that feel natural and reinforce your words and meaning.

Be aware of your body language in everyday conversation and bring that authenticity to your speeches and presentations, scaling up

or down for the size of your audience and the platform (scale it up for a large conference style, dial it down for a smaller video meeting).

5. Authenticity adds originality Nowadays, we live in a world that values authenticity. We want to hear each other’s stories and we embrace vulnerability. The bonus of being authentic is that you don’t have to work out how to be someone you’re not.

Furthermore, it often feels as if there is so much information available to us that it’s difficult to come up with something new and interesting to say. Being authentic in everything you say and do helps you come across as original and unique.

As a successful founder and the voice of your business enhancing your speaking skills is essential. Focus on authenticity and build your skills so you can always deliver your message clearly and sincerely.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lyn Roseaman is author of ‘Now You’re Talking!

Take your speeches, talks and presentations to a wider audience and a bigger stage’ and a member of Toastmasters International, a not-for-profit organisation that has provided communication and leadership skills since 1924 through a worldwide network of clubs.

There are more than 400 clubs and 10,000 members in the UK and Ireland. Members follow a structured educational programme to gain skills and confidence in public and impromptu speaking, chairing meetings and time management. To find your nearest club, v Visit www.toastmasters.org

ENTREPRENEUR

Comprehensive guide on how to get back to business speedily & safely As fellow entrepreneur and startup founders you will probably be delighted to be able to get your team members or at least some of them back to work in your office or other premise.

However, we all need to approach these next few months with due caution. We aren’t out of the woods yet. You still need to keep a close eye on your bottom line, while also investing in all the necessary health and safety measures to keep you, your staff and your clients safe.

It can be somewhat nerve-racking, but with good preparation, and a solid understanding of ever-changing government regulations, there’s no reason your business can’t bounce back to pre-corona levels.

In this 10-point guide, we’ll break down the most important steps that entrepreneurs should be taking today. If you want to reopen quickly and safely, this is the stuff you need to know.

A quick note on the legal requirements of reopening during a pandemic What follows is simply our advice on getting back to business the best you can. And while we will be referencing government guidelines throughout, it is important to read these guidelines in full yourself, before reopening your site — particularly with regards to the status of lockdown, which could quickly change.

Here’s how you prepare for business as (un) usual, in the rest of 2020 and beyond...

1. Reviewing all government guidelines, and take the necessary actions When it comes to getting your office up and running post lockdown, the priority for entrepreneurs is to review and follow all government guidelines. This is vital to both comply with the law, and protect the safety of yourself, your staff and your clients.

The government has released official guidelines that cover eight key sections, ranging from social distancing rules to potential PPE requirements.

2. Conducting a COVID-19 risk assessment As an employer, it is your legal responsibility to protect the wellbeing of staff, suppliers and clients. Of course, this has always been the case but a pandemic like Covid -19 requires totally new health and safety precautions and a laser-focus on assessing risk.

That’s why the HSE (the government agency responsible for Health & Safety regulation in the UK) have issued new guidelines that require businesses to carry out new risk assessments in regards to COVID-19.

You can read through their official guide for more information on what this needs to cover specifically, and you can frame your assessment with this recommended template.

But, generally speaking, your coronavirus risk assessment should highlight all the things you’re going to do to limit the risks of COVID-19 within your space.

ENTREPRENEUR

This should include enforcing social distancing rules, setting up precise cleaning procedures, providing the necessary PPE, and keeping your staff up to date with how you’re going to protect them.

Once you’ve ticked those boxes, it’s worth displaying the government’s risk assessment certificate somewhere visible — to help put everyone’s minds at ease.

3. Offering hand sanitising

Next, create procedures that encourage cleanliness more generally. Really ramp up your toilet cleaning schedule. And ask your staff to wipe down their desks as much as possible — especially if they’re working a shift, picking up from someone else, or preparing to hand over to a colleague.

Government guidelines advise that your ‘usual cleaning products’ will be sufficient for this. So long as you stick to bleach or alcohol-based solutions, your efforts will be effective.

Government guidelines advise that frequent handwashing is the most effective way of preventing the spread of coronavirus. But frequent bathroom trips aren’t always practical particularly for startups in a small and very busy office. This is where hand sanitisers come in.

“Hot desking” or sharing of workstations should be avoided for the foreseeable future if at all possible. If you have a cafeteria, be extra vigilant that it follows all government guidelines for food hygiene before resuming service.

When picking a hand sanitiser, it’s important to be sure that it contains a WHO approved formula and is at least 60% alcohol-based.

You’ll also need to think about how the hand sanitiser is presented within your office.

Government guidelines stipulate that PPE is only essential in medical environments (other than the new rules for face masks in shops coming in from 24th July 2020). But your staff (and clients) might feel more comfortable if they are wearing a face covering while at work in offices etc. Talk to your staff about how they’re feeling and make face masks available should they need them.

Dispensing stations, for example, are a great idea, as they make it clear that hand sanitiser is available. Placing sanitiser dispensers near your front door, in kitchens, and around desk spaces, shows staff and clients how seriously you are taking the fight against coronavirus — you can even get dispenser units customised with your own corporate branding!

4. Disinfecting and cleaning generally Keeping your surfaces COVID-secure is going to be a team effort. So, create a clear and focused rota, outlining everything that needs doing.

First, focus on the key surfaces that pose the most risk, computer desks, keyboards, kitchen worktops and any communal office equipment (like pens and notebooks). Ideally, these should be cleaned after every use. That’s why a rota is so important — it’ll help to organise whose responsibility that is throughout the day.

5. Providing PPE

Depending on the size of your commercial space, you could also consider installing plexiglass screens around reception desks where social distancing might be difficult to maintain.

6. Offering flexible work arrangements Government rules state that all businesses must provide flexible work arrangements whenever possible. This, most importantly, means allowing your staff to continue working from home if they can.

It’s also important to retain a degree of flexibility in general, too — especially for those at higher risk. Try to be understanding of people’s homelives and responsibilities; if they need to care for a friend, or home-school their child, you should support them in this.

ENTREPRENEUR

And, of course, grant immediate time off if anyone reports coronavirus symptoms.

Remember, it’s still mandatory for those with a fever or new, persistent cough to self-isolate under government guidelines.

7. Enforcing social distancing rules Official government guidelines state that all staff and visitors must keep a 1m (in England) or 2m (elsewhere) distance at all times. This is the best and most effective way of preventing the spread of coronavirus, as it decreases person-to-person transmission.

To enforce social distancing measures in your space, you should: a). Provide 1m / 2m markers that remind staff, clients and visitors what proper social distancing looks like b) Be mindful of the amount of staff working each day/shift c) Space out desks as much as possible d) Consider alternate ‘work from home’ days if office space is tight Break areas should be reassessed, too. If it’s difficult for staff to maintain social distancing while on break, you should consider closing small communal areas, and staggering break times as much as you can.

8. Providing clear guidelines and signage throughout your premises While we’re surrounded by coronavirus news most of the time, it’s still wise to leave a few health and hygiene reminders around your office.

We’ve already mentioned 1m / 2m markings, but there are a number of other visual cues you can lean on during this time. Posters are a great way of reminding people to wash or sanitise their hands, always cover their mouth when they cough, and sneeze either into a tissue or their arm if necessary. Additionally, if you choose to implement any new procedures — like staggered breaks, or closure of communal kitchen areas — do all you can to make this

as clear as possible, to avoid any confusion or frustration.

9. Managing the risk of transmission When, or if, 1m / 2m distancing isn’t possible, you should do all you can to manage the risk of transmission. This means providing alternative and new ways of working that put the safety of your staff and any visitors first.

If, for example, your office space gets easily crowded, you should definitely encourage your staff to work from home as much as they can and/or take client meetings off-site, in an outdoor area of a local cafe, if they can.

And again, plexiglass screens are a great way of avoiding staff-to-client contact at reception desks when welcoming any new or returning clients into your premises.

10. Consistently monitoring employee health (and general circumstances) Monitoring the health of your employees is an extremely important part of protecting them, you and your startup or growth business.

Each day, you should check in with your staff and ask about their health and general circumstances. If a member of your team is unwell, or if someone in their household has symptoms, you should take immediate action and grant them sick leave — as advised by the government.

You should also encourage your staff to be open and honest with you about their situations. This means showing understanding, and making it easy for your team to request time off if they need it.

We all need to play our part in containing the virus. As entrepreneurs we need do everything necessary in our startups and growth businesses and contribute to wider community efforts.

By Hugo Tilmouth, founder of CleanedUp.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

If your team is working apart what can you do to build and maintain camaraderie?

Many entrepreneurs had to move rapidly to get their team and themselves working from home when lockdown started. And, as quickly as we settle into this new way of running our businesses, things are changing again. Some homeworking team members will now be returning to the workplace, at least for some of the week.

While those working from home may now be finding the novelty of working in their PJs and being able to put a load of washing on between calls and emails is rubbing off, those at the start of the trickle of the returning workforce will be faced with fresh anxieties; such as whether their journey is safe and how it will feel being in the office without many of their colleagues.

What can entrepreneurs do to support their team in this next phase? Now is not the time to get complacent about your team’s mental wellbeing. Indeed, you should be revisiting the concerns you had initially about keeping your team in touch and connected and, most importantly, retaining the sense of camaraderie that can be lost when people are working apart.

Increasing and maintaining camaraderie will be vital for startups and growth businesses in the current circumstances. Here are some ideas for taking action: THE WORK ANGLE Regular video meetings Zoom, Skype, Facetime. All have been wellutilised over recent weeks. It’s not only important to speak regularly, it’s important

to see your team members, read their facial expressions and body language and smile at one another! Ideally, these communications should be regular and scheduled. These give everyone points in the week to look forward to and to keep them motivated.

Really make sure that everyone is given a voice during these meetings. If there are too many faces on the screen, some might melt into the background. Make time for everyone to speak and be listened to. This is crucial for mental wellbeing and to enhance feelings of togetherness and team building.

Set working hours While this may not be possible for all business models, if you can, give everyone a set working day. Give them a start time and set times for tea and lunch breaks and a finishing time.

You can then encourage them to ‘have lunch’ with a colleague and get to know them better.

Also ensure that they are able to separate work and home life. If they are staying at their workstation to finish a project and not leaving until 7pm, they are not likely to be motivated to start at 9am the next day and a lack of routine can be very demotivating.

Motivate your team to achieve together There are few feelings as good as when you achieve something as part of a team! In the office, you can high-five when you hit a target or finish that project. That’s not so easy when you are all in different places. However, there

ENTREPRENEUR

are ways to help your team feel together when they are apart.

Remind your team of the core values of your startup/growth business. Discuss these in a group, focusing on how they can be applied and tweaked to fit with the current situation.

Ensuring everyone engages with these values is critical for a successful business and even more so when working remotely.

You could encourage your team to have – and share - morning motivations, where they each write down “What I accomplished yesterday…

What I am planning today… What the challenges are for today”. This is a moveable feast and one that colleagues can talk to each other about; “I had a similar challenge last week, this is how I approached it, and this is what worked”. “I have the same plan today, shall we speak later to see how we’re both getting on”.

Having regular brainstorming sessions is a good idea and entrepreneurs should encourage team members to call with new ideas. Again, voice or video calls are preferable to email, keeping communication verbal and more fluid and interactive.

THE PLAY ANGLE Socialise “at work” The culture of business has changed so much over recent years; it is far more sociable in its nature. So, keep this going. You will have to trust your team to spend an appropriate amount of time socialising within the framework of the working day but it is likely to be highly motivating and encourage that camaraderie if they can still have a virtual chat by the water cooler, using an app such as Tandem.chat or set up a group chat on WhatsApp. Alternatively, why not suggest they play an online game in their tea break? For example, they could play scrabble on Facebook or a site such as Lexulous or fans of Uno can play online either one-onone or in groups.

Drinks after work

Perhaps your team like nothing better than a ‘quick one’ after work together or a curry night the Friday after payday. While that may not be immediately possible, there are other ways they can socialise after work.

It’s probably best to let them choose an activity they all enjoy but, for example, a cook and wine evening might be fun. Each team member can take a turn in demonstrating their favourite recipe and suggesting a chosen glass of wine to go with it. Perhaps one of your team is a fish expert and can tell you how to cook sea bass and recommend their favourite Sancerre to compliment it. Keep the pressure off. If they want to demonstrate how to make a pot noodle while drinking tea, that is also good!

Or go all out on a wine tasting evening with nibbles or a cheese board, taking it in turns for the choice of three or four wines, playing some favourite music in the background or sharing your chosen playlist.

Fitness fun Perhaps your team is more likely to hook up at the gym or gather for a casual five-a-side game. A team fitness challenge could be a great way for your team to socialise, while boosting their physical and mental wellbeing through exercise. Of course, they can’t go to the park and have a run together, but they could all go to their own local park and have a run at the same time. Then they could share photos on the chat group of your choice. Or make it a walk that they all do in different locations and chat throughout about what they are seeing.

Perhaps one is in the countryside, one at the beach and another simply walking round their garden.

BRINGING THE TWO TOGETHER Team training Some startups may still be working at full steam, but others will have slowed down. Perhaps now is the time to get some training booked in. Again, to boost camaraderie, try to include team training that will benefit everyone, even if it’s not specific to everyone’s role. Training

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

can be done via video calling. If you like to use outside trainers get in touch and see what they are offering.

If your team roles are diverse, you could make the training about something non-work related or have a slot each week where each team member spends some time giving more detail about his/her role. This will let your team better appreciate different aspects of your business and the pressures on their colleagues.

Organise a (non) away day

Of course, a great thing to build team spirit is an away day together. As impossible as this sounds, you may be able to replicate it and give your team some fun to take their minds off everything. It will take some creative thinking but perhaps they could all go fishing at their own local catch-and-return lake and have a competition to see who can catch the biggest.

Or, instead of go-karting, they could play online karting games together. What about a day at the races? Your team could dress up, get the prosecco on ice, and bet on races being run abroad. You know your team. If you can, give them a fun treat!

If you’re a startup and haven’t yet you’ve paid enough attention to this – don’t worry. Now is a good time to get the wellbeing ball rolling with some fun, virtual activities. Support the development of camaraderie and you’ll support your team’s mental wellbeing and strengthen their ability to work together seamlessly.

By Craig Bulow, the founder of Corporate Away Days,

ENTREPRENEUR

Identifying and Reducing Stress as an Entrepreneur It was made official earlier this year, in the HSE’s health and safety at work report 2018/19, that we’re more stressed, anxious and depressed than ever.

Furthermore, since the report was released in January 2020, the world has suffered through the defining global health crisis of our time.

It’s true, the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest economic challenge we’ve faced since World War Two. Taking this into account, it seems natural that entrepreneurs - known for their risk-taking and business initiative - might be feeling the pressure of industrial slowdown particularly sharply right now.

It’s important that those focused on building their empire don’t ignore the signs of stress, but instead equip themselves with the tools to recognize and manage it effectively.

What does stress feel like?

Stress can be defined as the degree to which you feel overwhelmed or unable to cope as a result of pressures that are unmanageable.

As entrepreneurs with a high workload and high work intensity (not to mention financial pressures and the burden of taking sole responsibility for hard decisions), it seems obvious that, to a certain extent, stress simply comes as part of the job.

However, it’s important not to forget the key motivations for entrepreneurialism; these often include things like freedom,

flexibility, autonomy, and a sense of personal achievement. All these traits are proven to lead to happier, healthier individuals.

This means we shouldn’t just accept stress as an inevitability of business ownership, especially if it regularly outweighs feelings of accomplishment, success, and happiness.

Signs that stress may be getting out of control include: Physical problems: If you’re getting minor illnesses such as colds more often, that can be a sign of stress wearing you down. Headaches and muscle pains may also suggest you’re under stress, especially if they’re happening more often than usual.

Difficulty concentrating or making decisions: When we’re overwhelmed, it can feel impossible to function at our normal levels.

If you’re anxious, struggling with motivation and finding it hard to continue your day-to-day tasks, your stress levels could be getting out of hand.

Coping mechanisms: Most people use coping mechanisms of one kind or another to get through the harder parts of life. These can be healthy, such as exercise or a creative hobby.

They can also be destructive, like drinking to excess regularly. With many of the usual routes to de-stress taken away because of the coronavirus, it’s true that many are finding it harder to handle stress constructively.

Managing stress There are things entrepreneurs can do to help manage stress for themselves (and their staff

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

members if they have them). Staying aware and not ignoring the warning signs of stress can help keep burnout at bay, as well as contributing to increased productivity, reduced sick days, and lower staff turnover rates for your business.

It’s not something we often hear in the business world, but prioritizing mental health is just as important as any other function your business needs to be successful and continue to grow.

As the leader of your company, it’s down to you to set the right tone from the top. Whether you have a team working with you already, or whether you one day hope to, members of staff will look to you to see that you take your own wellbeing seriously.

Setting the right tone here might be as simple as taking a flexible approach to work, so as to make time for personal/family commitments, or it could be hiring people managers who understand the importance of good listeningskills and empathy. Whatever form this sort of positive behavioral modelling takes for you, nurturing a strong, consistent tone from the top will go a long way towards setting standards of personal care and keeping a lid on stress in the future.

For business leaders feeling the pressure, connecting with like-minded entrepreneurs and business leaders is also a good way to manage stress. After all, who doesn’t need to vent out a problem or issue every once in a while?

It can be helpful to meet other people who have been through the same thing and gather feedback (maybe even a little empathy) on the subject. Doing so will help entrepreneurs recognize that others have been through, and successfully overcome, similar stressful problems, and this can help put things into perspective.

Extending this idea slightly, finding an experienced mentor might be better yet. A good mentor with an informed vision of the bigger picture can be invaluable. If you admire

a businessperson in your community, it’s always worth reaching out to see if they’re free for a coffee.

As a final note, it’s so important that, as entrepreneurs, we keep conversation going around stress – no matter what industry we work within.

Cultures of silence surrounding mental health issues like stress have built up over decades, and it’s up to the next generation of business leaders to continually reinforce the positive behavioral change that’s needed to tackle it.

By Darren Hockley, International.

MD

at

DeltaNet

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

The challenges and opportunities of launching a business during a global pandemic “Your business is going to be booming at the end of all this” – a sentence I hear pretty much every time I speak to anyone about The Soke, a mental health concept scheduled for launch in October 2020. Of course, this was never the plan. When I set out to create a modern solution for private outpatient behavioural healthcare, I didn’t envision that the lead up to our opening would coincide with a global pandemic that would cause an unprecedented rise in demand for such services.

Whilst it may seem to the casual observer that this is good news for a start-up like ours, the reality is that it plays very little into our model beyond the considerations that are currently relevant to any business: what steps can we take to minimise any risks to our staff and clients; what measures can we put in place to mitigate disruption in a future lockdown?

Of course, the increase in conversations about depression, anxiety and other common obstacles to psychological wellbeing is helpful to any organisation whose focal point is a message of normalisation, but this in itself is not enough. As well as seeming relevant today, organisations must have a strategy for viability tomorrow or they will suffer the same fate as the millions of well-intentioned start-ups who fail to sustainably realise the visions of their founders.

So what of the challenges and opportunities of launching a business during a global pandemic?

Periods of adversity are always going to present an opportunity for those inclined to think quickly and creatively in responding to needs that have

been created by the circumstances. The risk, however, is that at some point the outlook will improve and, unless those individuals have adopted a long-term view and created a model that is resilient beyond the crisis, then socioeconomic recovery will not be good news for their business. Sustainability demands forward thinking, so the vigilant approach would be to build a durable identity around a reliable business and entrust colleagues to look after its operations today, whilst founders use their natural and acquired skillsets to prepare for what’s on the horizon tomorrow.

Another opening that often presents in a decline is the availability of good people.

Some may have lost their positions through redundancies and lay-offs, others may find themselves with a window of clarity through which to reassess their careers and ambitions. With the latter group in particular, if an individual is even entertaining the idea of turning their back on a secure position to join a start-up in a downturn, then she or he should be deemed as showing a propensity towards “vision” – a good quality for any founder looking to build their dream team. Top tip: you can’t do it alone. Many people with good ideas think that by working hard they can succeed single-handedly (albeit with the occasional help of ‘dispensable’ staff). Unfortunately, working hard is not a differentiator: anyone can do it – including your competition. The smart alternative, therefore, is to find those who believe in your idea and to be prepared to empower and subsequently share the venture’s success with them – however that

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

success manifests.

Following on from the topic of “good people”: the recent pandemic, for all the tragedy it has created, has also been instrumental in forcing many of us to stop and consider what matters to us personally, professionally and collectively.

At The Soke, this has made the process of identifying our organisational values and creating the outline for our corporate culture all the more meaningful. We have been able to evaluate a set of principles and authentically relate to what each means in the context of what matters to us not just as individuals but as literal contributors to the health of the society in which we live.

Having set up The Soke Foundation (our nonprofit arm focused on community mental health initiatives) in conjunction with The Soke itself, the new and recent rise in the level of interest it is generating in prospective stakeholders (whatever their capacity) is something that we attribute largely to the pandemic: an unexpected but welcome by-product.

A less welcome by-product of Covid-19, in so far as the business world is concerned is, of course, the uncertainty it has created. Bringing a truly new product to market always presents challenges as generally investors expect you to point to existing players so that they can understand what you’re doing, and to identify the competition in order to distinguish your USPs. What happens when there are no existing terrains and no footsteps to follow? Moreover, how do you produce a clear, reliable forecast when the short-term economic landscape looks so opaque?

In The Soke’s case a major step we took to overcome these obstacles was to limit our investor search to individuals, rather than corporations. It seemed obvious from the outset that we would be more likely to find backers among high net worth women and men who may have once walked in our shoes

themselves and were willing to bypass the rigid criteria of institutional investors. Significantly, such backers would not be looking for a quick buck at any cost and were prepared to wait longer for their return on a genuine impact investment.

Taking this approach gave us access to a committed network who continue to have an interest in our success but who, beyond the financial gain, have recognised our vision and genuinely want to see it come to fruition. They have given us their time, their guidance and occasionally their contacts and are happy to be our companions on this journey.

Ultimately I hope that we will one day be the sort of company that attributes its success first and foremost to its people and secondly to its commitment to quality and innovation.

Beyond that, we will not deny the role played by the 2020 lockdown which forced so many to acknowledge the importance of mental health in our overall wellbeing.

By Maryam Meddin , CEO of The Soke.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

How to create a positive company culture in a virtual world of work On my podcast ‘Searching for Mana’ I’ve asked a number of thought-leaders about their view on the secret to creating a positive company culture. This conversation feels particularly relevant now that businesses face having to refine and nurture their culture and community in an online capacity.

My guest responses to this question include the importance of a common passion and “engaging smart, friendly people” according to Julian Sawyer co-founder of Starling Bank whilst Joe Parkin, head of Digital Channels at BlackRock says the key is a sense of purpose.

Anna Brailsford CEO of Code First: Girls highlights the importance of gender equality when it comes to building strong company culture sharing the impact of “carving out spaces for women to feel that they can be empowered”.

I believe that all of the above applies, and that smart hiring choices is the starting point in allowing a common passion and a sense of purpose to filter through businesses.

The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted entrepreneurs to look at their team’s resilience and creativity and whilst navigating such an unpredictable transition period in the postcrisis reality, this feels more important for entrepreneurs than ever before.

As a society driven by growth metrics such as KPIs or OKRs, leaders are now challenged to rethink how they measure a team’s performance and refocus to a more human-

centric approach. Consider the following question: Am I hiring the right people in my business?

Hiring employees that aren’t culturally aligned to the organisation will risk the employee’s early exit and a high employee turnover. One industry-based study in 2014 from Oxford Economics reveals that just one bad hire can cost a company £30,000. In addition to replacement fees, there are also hidden costs such as productivity loss (O’Connell & Kung, 2007), where the damage to productivity caused by the inexperience of new employees is the greatest contributor to the overall costs of turnover (Hinkin & Tracey, 2000).

Hiring smart will inevitably impact employee relationships within a team with latest research showing that employees who have friendly relationships at work are happier, more engaged and less likely to look for new jobs (Schinoff, Ashforth & Corley, 2019).

Higher job satisfaction also leads to increased productivity and performance.

With this in mind, these are 5 tips on hiring smart: 1. A strong job description You’ll ultimately end up saving time going through unqualified candidates if you pull together thorough and considered job requirements that are really informative for candidates.

ENTREPRENEUR

2. Engage the team manager from the very beginning of the process

5. Support your search with dedicated headhunters

By ensuring that the manager reviews applicants from the start, you’re trusting that they will know who will be the best match for the team.

Who can unearth passive candidates who are not visible on job boards.

3. Introduce behavioural assessments (PPA) To understand how candidates work and identify areas for development.

4. Use referral schemes Incentivised recommendations from current employees act as a layer of cultural-fit assessment.

By Lloyd Wahed.

ENTREPRENEUR

How entrepreneurs can reconnect with their passion As a founder of a startup you will have been propelled by a passion for your business.

However, the last few months have been challenging and when you’re faced with constant stress and uncertainty it can be easy to your passion. However, you can reconnect with that entrepreneurial passion, while also using the opportunity to achieve a new balance in your life.

Let me start with a story of reconnection and then share suggestions that entrepreneurs can use themselves and for with their teams:

A powerful encounter Last year, I worked with the CEO of a successful business. The context was ‘communication’, a very challenging problem in most organisations and in life generally. I particularly wanted this client to ‘feel’ leadership rather than ‘think’ strategically.

The meeting took place at my farm where we are lucky enough to have space to play with ideas outside in nature. I wanted to engage him with ‘out of the box’ thinking, thus I obtained his permission to work without the sense of sight or language. In other words, to blindfold my client and work without speech; purely by touch. I proceeded to lead him outside using different techniques. Firstly, I was collaborative and supportive, giving him my arm and guiding him with care. Secondly, I gave him the end of a rope to hold and quickened my pace and distance, taking him out of his comfort zone.

Thirdly, I went behind him and pushed him gently into the unknown. This carried on until

I had exhausted all the different leadership styles that I knew. What he didn’t know was that he was moving towards a horse. Finally, I took him into the outdoor arena and placed his hands on the withers of one of my horses.

What happen next will stay with me, and him, forever.

The expression on his face was unbelievable as he felt the strong warm coat of a living thing. He spontaneously buried his head in the horse’s side, and he wept. His sense of relief was palpable. The strength and sheer presence of the horse standing strong and patient by his side was immensely poignant.

Another living creature had his back and somehow the horse understood that the man simply needed to be in contact with him and needed support. My thoroughbred horse did not move a muscle. The client was able to let go of his own power for a minute and simply be. To take a breath, feel the moment and gain the insight that it gave him without words, without sight, simply feeling the animal connection and shared understanding.

This entrepreneur’s learning During our debrief without any embarrassment or hesitation he confirmed he was happy to share his experience.

“I was born in the high mountains of Pakistan” he said, “where nature in all its glory is on your doorstep. Connection with all living things had been part of the culture. How far away all that seems now. I had forgotten that deep

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

connection and how much I long for that in my life again”.

He had voiced the central issue that brought him to work with me in the first place. Loss of connection with nature.

“I knew something was unfulfilled in my life I now know that the way I am living has to change dramatically. I had all the trappings of success, but no idea why I felt this emptiness inside.”

Later he told me the most liberating aspect of this experience.

“I re-evaluated the way I conducted my business and brought in a senior manager who now runs the day-to-day operation. This has freed me up to connect with nature and I have found this to be a wonderful bedrock of ideas. I am now positioned to utilise my natural creativity and have someone else handle the daily process for me. Our company has gone from strength to strength.”

Why is this story important for entrepreneurs?

Unconventional ideas are worth considering…

Here are suggestions for allowing nature to ground us, help us in our startups and growth businesses and in our life overall:

Connect digitally – Change your ‘Zoom’ background to something aesthetically natural.

Add a beautifully scenic screensaver to your computer. Sometimes these small changes to our daily working lives can reignite our enjoyment of the outside world.

Connect with adventure – Swim in your local ‘open water lake’. Embrace the brisk water, and the rewarding feeling of being physically connected to nature. The cold water soon feels warmer, enjoyable, invigorating.

Connect in your garden – There’s a lot of joy to be taken from simply noticing birds.

Their unique calls, their vibrant colours, the innocence of their existence. We all hear birds, all the time, but we very rarely take a moment

to fully appreciate the beauty of their song.

Take a moment to stop, close your eyes, and listen.

Connect in your local area – Walk in the park and count the different types of animals you see, trot up the highest hill in your neighbourhood and take in the vastness of the sky, stroll through the woods and smell the under-forest. There’s an incredibly emotive experience to the feeling that you’re a small part of something bigger.

Connect with your reading – Find an engaging book that describes and visualises nature.

“Rewilding Yourself” by Simon Barnes is particularly good.

Connect with fun – Support your sanctuary or wildlife reserve. When COVID restrictions are lifted, go spend the day with your family, surrounded by the world’s most beloved creatures. And, for an extra sense of connectivity, ‘Adopt an Animal’ to harness support of the natural world.

Connect with a documentary – Who doesn’t enjoy a David Attenborough documentary? In the ‘doom and gloom’ of many social media campaigns these days, and in the face of lockdown restrictions, these documentaries are a fantastic way to remind ourselves that there is a world of beauty out there.

Connect with natural phenomena – Watch a sunrise or sunset, either on your own, or with the other members of your household. The ‘dawn of the day’ and the ‘end of the day’ are perfect times to reflect on the beauty of nature.

Connect with philanthropy – Subscribe to an intuitive, reputable and beautiful wildlife magazine. I find the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation to be exceptionally good.

ENTREPRENEUR

What does this all mean for entrepreneurs?

Why is it essential to remain connected to nature?

Nature has an incredible ability to restore the human spirit. If we ignore it and continue to believe that manmade solutions will supplement our connection to the wildlife, we are deluded.

“We are not in nature, we are nature,” is something I frequently tell my clients. Nature connects us to the present moment so we can savour the here and now, instead of always striving for the goals of tomorrow.

It is important for driven entrepreneurs to remember by connecting to nature we are

connecting (and feeling that connection) to something bigger than ourselves, something timeless, endless, out of our control. This can help us both reconnect with our passion and create balance in our lives.

As the naturalist Edward Osborne Wilson once said, “humans depend on nature for more than food. We have an evolutionary need to connect with the natural world for cognitive, mental, emotional, spiritual development, growth, meaning and fulfilment. Without contact with the natural world we become impoverished.”

By Rosie Tomkins, N-stinctive.

ENTREPRENEUR

Here’s What Start-Ups Can Do to Attract Angel Investors Amid Covid-19 Despite the crushing economic impact of the coronavirus, start-ups still have an opportunity for investment. Angel investors in the UK are continuing to back fledgeling businesses, but their capital will soon dry up. As such, start-ups need to be quick to the mark in attracting fresh interest.

A UK survey, recently undertaken by Activate our Angels (AoA), reveals that well over half (67%) of UK angels continue to invest despite a stringent lockdown and ensuing economic catastrophe. Of these angels, several are chasing more investments, with dealings increasing by 122%, from 0.27 deals per month in 2019 to 0.60 deals per month in the last three months. Consequently, angels are starting to see a positive ROI of as much as 18%. Angel Academe, an angel network which prioritises ambitious female-led tech startups, has closed several deals during lockdown.

However, it’s not all good news. Over half (61%) of angels are operating on reduced capital.

And a further 60% believe that the ongoing coronavirus will hinder their ability to invest for the rest of the year.

With this firmly in mind, start-ups need to capitalize on this transient opportunity before it passes.

Adapting to a Post-Covid-19 World First and foremost, start-ups should focus on what’s changed. Some angels have been forced to adapt their strategies out of necessity. For example, per the AoA survey, many are looking for Revenue Generative start-ups (34%)

focusing on firms with longer runways (30%), and sometimes, those plucked for investment are in later stages of operations (8%).

Start-ups must also reevaluate their businesses in light of the pandemic and keep figures realistic while not selling themselves short. This is especially important given that most angels cite less capital for the remainder of 2020—as a result of bunkering down and riding out the storm of Covid-19. As such, startups ready to raise should start their first-round as soon as possible. It’s important to note that early-stage financing from angel investors is critical to the success of high-growth start-ups.

Further, as a consequence of innovative and often tech-based solutions arising from the pandemic, angels are leaning toward Fintech (32.8%) and remote education start-ups (19.7%). Angel Academe is a prime example of an inclination toward tech and health-focused firms, recently closing a six-figure deal with med-tech start-up Forte Medical. Emerging firms fitting these criteria should capitalize on this advantage.

Other practical steps may include conserving cash. Right now, as the economic fallout of the coronavirus takes hold, cash is becoming a highly sought after commodity. Additionally, how start-ups are using said cash is equally as integral. Adopting a risk-averse mindset to your capital will help maintain cash flow to a minimum during turbulent times. This involves cutting marketing spending, as well as pushing the brakes on any plans to expand.

Cash preservation is particularly important for

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

B2B start-ups as the firms they cater to have likely been struck as well. B2B start-ups can expect revenues to drop and take longer to recover—even after the worst of Covid-19 has passed.

The Future Fund: A failsafe or a fail?

If all else fails, though deemed rather paltry an offering, some start-ups may be able to employ the UK government “Future Fund.”

Born out of the relentless work of the Save Our Start-ups (SOS) campaign, the UK government set aside $250 million in taxpayer cash to invest along with private investors. Understandably, however, not everyone is comfortable taking taxpayer money.

Nevertheless, the £125,000 to £5 million convertible loans must be matched by private investors—somewhat easing the concerns about mooching from the taxpayer. This seems to line up fortuitously with the AoA survey finding that, in the aftermath of Covid-19, many start-up seed rounds were much smaller and exhibited reduced valuations. This means that some fledgeling businesses may already have the required inventorship and thus use the future fund as a top-up.

This said given that the Future Fund is only applicable to start-ups that have raised $250,000 investment over the past five years, it’s been criticized for favouring venture capitalbacked companies and excluding the bulk of actual start-ups. To make matters worse, the fund appears to completely rule out the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) as well as the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS).

These two government-mandated schemes provide tax relief to start-up investors, making it even harder to source private investors as they’d have to be willing to forgo the schemes.

Fortunately, angel investors are taking matters into their own hands.

The UK scale-up angel network, DSW Angels, has pledged £10m new investment over the next 12 months to help strengthen start-ups during

the post-COVID recovery. Since announcing the fund, British Business Investments— a backer of DSW Angels—increased the network’s funding.

For all start-ups, big and small, opportunities like this are crucial to surviving post-COVID-19.

It’s a good idea to keep a firm ear to the ground in order to be first in line for similar breaks.

By understanding the needs of angel investors, making sensible cutbacks, and sourcing any aid available, start-ups can weather the storm of Covid-19. Still, they need to strike while the iron is hot—angels won’t wait around forever.

By Emma Maslen is an executive coach and adviser to start-ups.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

How entrepreneurs can make the most of their live online presentations Maintaining your business and building it in the current situation is challenge even for the most steadfast entrepreneur. Business growth may have halted and the founders of startups will may have had to radically alter their plans.

As entrepreneurs one of the key tools at your disposal is communicating with what I describe as ‘Confidence, Connection and a message that drives Change’. In today’s environment this means taking on the challenge of speaking powerfully online.

Standout speaking online brings challenges that even seasoned speakers are grappling with. So, let’s look at ways you can express your entrepreneurial drive and enthusiasm for your business when connecting with investors, customers and suppliers online.

Displaying Confidence I’ve been doing pitches and giving talks and presentations in workshops, debrief meetings and conferences since the 1980s and I was the terrified person clinging to the lectern so you couldn’t see my hands shaking. I was petrified and the nerves would not go away. I felt so alone. I didn’t realise at the time that nerves are normal: “There are two types of speakers. Those who get nervous and those who are liars” (Mark Twain) Feeling nervous is part of being human. It’s our brain’s way of keeping us safe, but it makes our audience feel uncomfortable and concerned for our wellbeing. Online, they may choose to abandon us and stop listening.

This is the last thing we need. As entrepreneurs want our key audience members to be focused on what we’re saying and engaging with our message. To achieve this, we need to bring confident energy to the screen. Here’s how.

Get ready for your close up Right now many entrepreneurs will be going online from home, it’s easy to overlook your familiar surroundings – what can your audience see and hear and is it what you want them to see and hear? What’s on the walls and behind you that the camera will pick up? Are there people or sounds that may interrupt your talk or meeting? Is the space you’ve chosen sending out the message you intend? Unless you have a food related startup the kitchen is probably not the ideal room to set up your camera.

Think about being online as having a close up.

You’re on the small screen and the camera will pick up every detail, expression and gesture. Is your lighting setting you off to best advantage?

Is the light behind the camera so that you’re not plunged into shadow? Is dazzling sunshine making you squint or bouncing flare onto your face, especially if you wear glasses? Capture a photo/screenshot before you go live to make sure you’re representing your brand appropriately.

Handling the technology smoothly Having to work with technology while presenting can be stressful, particularly if you are a starup founder talking to investors! Online, we need to convey a feeling of calm and control when

ENTREPRENEUR

we host a meeting or event, handle technology and ensure everything runs smoothly.

In spite of doing all the appropriate tech checks, things can still go wrong. And people accept that this can happen. What’s important is that you handle it calmly and efficiently, explaining what’s happening. And even better if you find someone (at a safe distance) to take care of the tech for you.

Body language and confident energy Think of all the non-verbal ways you can convey confident energy online: It is hard to smile in a genuine way when you’re nervous, so smiling conveys confidence.

A posture that is relaxed and assured. If you’re seated, push your bottom to the back of the chair and sit upright, both feet firmly planted on the floor. This will help to keep your posture stable and prevent any distracting swaying backwards and forwards.

On the small screen reduce your gestures. Big gestures work in a large venue but online they can be distracting or disappear off the edge of the screen.

Steady eye contact and the correct positioning of your camera lens at just above eye level helps you to come across as open and sincere.

So close to the mic, people may hear your nerves in your voice. By breathing into your abdomen and relaxing your upper body you will create a rich vocal tone. Shallow breathing high in the chest is hard work and can make you sound as if you’re about to burst into tears.

Audience Connection When I think back to my first conference presentations, I like to believe I gave a polished presentation, complete with comprehensive facts and figures, clear slides and an informative commentary. My audiences would applaud politely, thank me and head for the coffee! At the time, I always wondered why other speakers had people queueing up to talk

to them. I felt as if I’d been talking to myself.

And, online, you may be doing just that if your listeners don’t connect with you and what you’re saying – even if your startup’s product or service is exactly what they need.

Those with people queueing up to talk to them had connected, both in terms of the value the speaker gave to the audience – their relevant message – and the way the speaker made them feel: What’s In It For Me? As an entrepreneur hosting a webinar, or giving a presentation at an online event, it’s your responsibility to know what your listeners are expecting from you, i.e. answering their all-important ‘What’s In It For Me’ question – as quickly as possible – so that they have a reason to carry on listening. To achieve this, you need to know your participants and I don’t just mean their name and job titles. Find out as much as you can about them i.e. what makes them tick, as well as their individual roles and responsibilities.

‘You’ is the magic word ‘You’ is the magic word when it comes to being relevant and engaging online. In the English language, ‘you’ power comes from being both singular – a one-to-one conversation – and plural, including everyone. You-focused language creates a strong feeling of inclusivity and, at the same time, offers up a personal connection with each and every listener.

Barack Obama understood the power of ‘you’.

In his 2012 presidential election victory speech, he used the personal pronoun ‘I’ 36 times. In stark contrast, he used ‘you/you’re/your’ 55 times and ‘we/us/our’ 97 times.

If you can take things a step further and create a sense of ‘we’re in this together’ in terms of encouraging interaction between presenter and the other meeting participants, then you hit a ‘sweet spot’. However, to ensure things run smoothly, it’s important online to manage

ENTREPRENEUR

proceeding so that people listen to each other and not all talk at the same time!

Dial down the PowerPoints and share a story Storytelling comes into its own online. Human beings are hard wired to respond to stories and they can be relevant in a startup founder’s pitch to investors as well as other business presentations.

When we tell a relevant personal story, openly and honestly, our listeners can relate to us as people. Stories not only create connections, but they are both engaging and memorable.

In her book ‘Now You’re Talking!’ Lyn Roseaman observes: “Engaging speakers share their message through stories. They can move an audience, even in business settings, to feel, laugh or cry, and are memorable for all the right reasons.”

In stark contrast, sharing your screen and wading through bullet points is neither engaging nor memorable and fast-track to losing your listeners. I recommend that all entrepreneurs prioritise relevant storytelling at every opportunity.

Creating Change In the words of John F Kennedy (US President, 1961-63), “The only reason to give a speech is to change the world.”

With our world currently turned on its head, online meetings, events and conversations are our opportunity to keep ourselves and our startups or growth businesses visible.

Your new and relevant message In a few keystrokes, search engines can tell us what’s new and different online. If we want to stand out and keep our listeners interested we need to ensure what we have to say is relevant and on-point.

For any important meeting of course all entrepreneurs will prepare! When you do make sure you consider how you want your audience to feel, how you want them to think and what you want them to do after the event. Doing this will help you to Identify your message and make it targeted and relevant to now. Once you have your message you can make sure you only cover content that directly supports it.

Make it easy for your audience Our attention spans are short at the best of times. Online, there is even less appetite for asides and digressions than when you’re in the same room as your listeners, so it’s crucial to get to the point and stay relevant. Less is most definitely more online.

Structure and signpost your talk so that it is easy to understand and follow. Consider a clear structure, such as a timeline, pros & cons, hero’s journey, etc. Break up your presentation into small ‘chunks’ of around five minutes each and top and tail each chunk with what you plan to cover and a keyword to sum it up as you move on to the next chunk. Signpost what you have to say to let your audience know the ‘road map’ or agenda for your talk to make it clear and easy to follow.

Conducting key business meetings online is something that all entrepreneurs can expect more of from now on. To represent your brand and yourself, to shine online, the skills outlined here need to be constantly honed so your presentation of your message stays fresh and on point.

By Lyn Roseaman, a Distinguished Toastmaster at Toastmasters International.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

8 ways entrepreneurs can maintain and leverage their businesses in a pandemic The lockdown is being slowly lifted but we know there are still many businesses that will remain closed or at best will operate at a reduced capacity. Some entrepreneurs will have been able to do well during the pandemic with their core products or pivoted their business successfully. However, if you haven’t been able to achieve this, and knowing that ‘business as usual’ is a long way off, you may be wondering if your startup will survive.

There are actions that entrepreneurs can take to maintain and leverage their businesses. Let me share some ideas with resources to help you.

Review using a Financial Survival Action Planner Entrepreneurs will need some form of action planner that covers areas in your business to review, as well as a checklist on all the support from the government and how it applies to you.

I suggest creating a spreadsheet and listing all the grants, loans and deferred payment options available to you. Then review where you can save money (tax, rent, staff, agreeing longer payments terms with suppliers etc.) and where you can make more money (new business ideas, speeding up customer payments etc.).

Review your tangible assets – is there any way to leverage those?

To save time, you can download the ‘Peace of mind financial action planner’ here: https://www.thetaxguys.co.uk/client-area/ This contains a Financial Survival Checklist and the Government Stimulus Planner. Work through the 16 areas with your accountant.

Applying for government help It’s a good idea for entrepreneurs to review the help available with their accountant.

If your startup is a limited company (including one-man band companies) there is help available. And these keep changing, so please watch out for the dates and deadlines. Go through your finances and the government support available to make sure that you get the necessary paperwork right when making a claim (this could include furlough paperwork and board minutes). Again, speaking to your accountant can make this easier and ensure you include everything necessary for your business in your plan.

If you’re a sole trader there is a grant available.

If you are eligible, you’ll have received a letter from the government. This scheme opened on the 13 May 2020 and you need to register for an online account and prepare to file the claim.

You will find both action planners and furlough paperwork templates here: https://www. thetaxguys.co.uk/client-area/ Cutting cost without crippling your startup In times of crisis, resist the knee jerk reaction to cut all costs immediately because this can actually cripple your startup. Approach this with some consideration and financial analysis.

Even when no revenue comes in for, say three months, unless you plan to close your startup, there are some expenses you may want to leave alone or even increase when your competitors are cutting back (for example, smart marketing).

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

We have one client who ramped up their marketing at the start of lockdown (despite clients cancelling and the signs indicating that there were tough times ahead) and found that they almost doubled their business as a result plus they have a large number of warms leads for later in the year too. So, think carefully – is it time to ramp things up rather than cut back?

If you need to cut costs, create a spreadsheet with all your expenses. Then look at each in turn and see where you can cut back. A few small cuts can make a big difference and will often be less damaging to your startup than one or two exceptionally large cuts. Ensure you understand your cashflow and the ‘target’ you need to reach for survival. This way you will cut enough, but not too much. You can read more about cost cutting here; https://www. thetaxguys.co.uk/2020/04/24/how-to-cutcosts-without-crippling-your-business/ There is also a cost reduction exercise and savings tool (excel template) that you can use to save time and money here: https://www. thetaxguys.co.uk/client-area/ Cashflow Forecast Once you’ve reduced your costs and you know where your income will come from in the next 6-12 weeks (including income from the government), you now have a 12week cashflow forecast in place. This will give you some peace of mind, at least for the time being. This document is the basis of your business going forward. Stick to it. If you’ve decided to cut some costs, make sure you cut them. If you’re going to ramp up the marketing or add a new service – do so as soon as you can. You need to follow the decisions you made when creating the forecast – or it very soon becomes a work of fiction!

To save you time creating your own, especially if you’re not using an online accounting platform, you can download an integrated cash flow forecast tool here: https://www.thetaxguys. co.uk/client-area/ It’s called Time Saving Tool to project income-expense and cashflow.

Saving tax in a crisis Did you know there are many areas to save tax during a pandemic? Ask your accountant about these examples and others to see what is relevant to your business: Normal Loss Relief (Generate a tax refund from last year) Negligible Value Claim (Get a tax refund if an asset you purchased has gone down in value) Company closure and paying 10% tax (Don’t overpay your tax bill in this difficult time) Research and Development Tax Credit (Are you missing out on generous tax cuts? Would your new business re-invention lend itself to tax a refund?)

Early tax filing (File your returns early to secure eligible tax refunds) VAT bad debt relief (Reclaim any VAT you’ve paid on bad debt) Realising capital losses (If an asset you hold has gone down in value, consider selling it) Transferring assets at low values (If an asset you hold has gone down in value, consider transferring it to, say, your company) Adapting your Business Model Successful businesses are always adapting, leveraging and taking advantage of new commercial opportunities. This has never been truer than in the current situation. You may have heard of businesses taking their goods and services to their customers at homes or adapting and taking their products and services online. Restaurants that didn’t offer take-away service or delivery, now do. Spas are selling their exclusive creams and serums direct to their customers. How can you adapt your business to “make lemonade out of lemons”?

ENTREPRENEUR

Creating customers by looking at current demand There are certain products and services that are being consumed at high levels right now.

Cycling is a good example of this, with sales of bicycles and accessories seeing a massive increase. Others that will come into their own as lockdown eases. How can your business solve some of the current pressing problems posed by the pandemic? If you’re a services startup or growth business, can you productise parts of what you do and sell these at a reduced price for now? For example, a psychologist can create a five-step programme to help improve the mental wellbeing of business owners, or help your staff build resilience? Or maybe you can run workshops online via a platform like Zoom?

Generating revenue streams by anticipating future problems and trends Even after lockdown is fully lifted, it’s unlikely business will ever be quite the same again. The way we do business has changed and some of those changes are here to stay – at least for the short to medium term. For example, social distancing and increased hygiene awareness.

If your startup is in, say construction or space consulting, how are you preparing now to help businesses solve these challenges in the workplace? If you’re an accountant, how would you support businesses in the coming months when they have to pay back all their deferred taxes? And if you’re a marketer, how are you preparing your clients with the right messaging to market their business successfully?

A great way to be inspired with new ideas about how to adapt your startup or growth business and spot the upcoming trends is to look at what other successful entrepreneurs have done.

How did they approach it? What did they do?

Read business books and good news business stories to be inspired or you can download a white paper here: https://www.thetaxguys. co.uk/client-area/ which covers 16 ways to leverage your business and stories from UK entrepreneurs.

Remember to take care of yourself Whether you the founder of your first startup or a serial entrepreneur there is a good chance that you are a high energy, driven person.

While you are working hard and constantly pushing yourself remember that the current crisis has made a profound impact and will continue to affect our physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. Some of the help from the Government (furlough and grants) is coming through now. Hopefully these will go a long away to helping avoid total collapse and will ensure the economy gets back up and running. But if our mental health suffers in the meantime, the government schemes are a bit irrelevant. After all, if the startup closes and you’re healthy, you can begin again. The reverse is sadly not true.

There are plenty of resources and articles online from medical experts on this subject.

Make looking after yourself a priority

By Jonathan Amponsah, the CEO of The Tax Guys.

ENTREPRENEUR

The importance of company branding and how to market it It’s no secret that branding is important. With so much competition in today’s economy, consumers are spoilt for choice when it comes to deciding where to spend their money. Many factors play a part in their decision making, but one of the most salient factors is how distinguishable a company’s name, logo and identity is from its competitors.

Companies who are able to utilise their brand to create a lasting impression on their target audience can seize this opportunity to drive new business and cement their place in the market. However, knowing where to start can often be the most difficult step. Below are the strategies that businesses of all shapes and sizes can implement to create and market a unique, uniform and unbeatable brand.

Building a brand strategy We have summarised three key areas that you should focus in to create an effective brand strategy.

1. The first step to using branding to secure new business is to understand what your brand is in the first place. You may already have a good idea of your business’ brand identity and how best to communicate with your audience.

However, brands should seek to grow over time and if your approach hasn’t been revisited recently it is likely that the values that guided your marketing activities are no longer optimal.

2. Secondly, you will need to spend time cementing your brand’s purpose, mission and values by speaking with various stakeholders across the organisation. Gathering internal feedback is crucial to create a strong brand.

A brand exercise can be a great opportunity to receive feedback from your employees on the kind of company they want to work for, and their direct experience of dealing with customers and clients can be invaluable in understanding the impression you are currently making on your audience.

3. Finally, you need to decide on your voice and personality as clear messaging is important to build a successful brand. Do you want your business to be seen as helpful and kind, or perhaps as innovative and optimistic?

How do you want your customers to feel after interacting with you? Should they feel excited?

Comforted? While it’s likely you’ll want your customers to feel many things after engaging with you, the key here is to understand the main takeaway a customer will have after seeing your brand.

How to communicate your brand Once you have your brand identity nailed down, the next step is to communicate it in such a way that it leaves a lasting impression on your target customer. There are dozens, if not hundreds of ways to do this; crafting a unique logo, selling promotional merchandise, sponsoring industry events, providing fantastic customer service - just to name a few. However, there are several that have become more essential than ever due to COVID-19.

1. Digital Marketing Touting the benefits of digital marketing as a tool to promote your brand is nothing new.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

However consumer behaviour is changing; consumers who may have been hesitant to shop online before lockdown are now using the internet to purchase everything from food to futons. The rise of ecommerce has accelerated and businesses who previously relied on retail stores are now seizing the opportunity of a direct-to-consumer (D2C) model.

Likewise, B2B companies who previously relied on industry events and careers fairs to win new business and drive recruitment are now seeing more enquiries come in from their website.

Your social media profiles are a great opportunity to display your logo and branded imagery for the world to see. Your posts, tweets and comments should reflect your brand voice.

By testing your brand on social media, you can see what resonates with your customer base and incorporate that into your activity.

Likewise, investing in increasing your website’s visibility through search marketing can go a long way to increasing your site’s visibility in search engines. Carry out some keyword research to see what search terms your audience is using and allocate advertising spend and time for content creation to place your brand in front of people searching for that term.

A worthwhile tool to use is Google Trends, which reveals topics that are increasingly popular across the world. Certain topics like home gym equipment have exploded in popularity in recent months, and it’s likely that some topics in your industry have also become more important to your customers . Identify these topics and produce content around them.

2. Proximity Targeting While ecommerce is growing in popularity, research has also shown that some consumers are eager to return to brick-and-mortar stores.

With markets starting to reopen across the UK, now is a crucial time to cement your brand’s messaging and shape that perception in the minds of customers.

Brand affinity in retail will likely be at an alltime low given that consumers have not been visiting shops over the last quarter. It is therefore essential to defend and grow your customer base during this time. But how?

Proximity targeting is one of the most sophisticated ways to do this. Businesses that operate out of brick-and-mortar stores can use the smartphone location data of people who have visited them in the past and retarget them with online advertising. By monitoring the activity of your customers in this way, you can identify those who may have forgotten about your store and gently remind them that you are open for business.

3. Seize the opportunity of outdoor events While it is unlikely that many events will be permitted to take place over the next three months, it stands to reason that venues with outdoor facilities will be some of the first to host events in the near future.

On May 13, the UK government relaxed its restrictions on outdoor gatherings, permitting two people from separate households to meet for the first time. On June 1 the government also allowed outdoor markets to reopen, signaling that outdoor spaces will be crucial for reopening the economy.

A truly holistic branding plan must incorporate both digital and traditional strategies.Providing fantastic customer service in brick-andmortar stores will clearly be central to this, yet businesses must go further to put their brand in front of potential clients. Outdoor events will be a key battleground for brands as we come out of lockdown, and marketing managers should start signing up for outdoor conferences and trade fairs.

If you are speaking at an event or attending a trade fair, make sure to showcase your branding as much as possible. Personalise your stall with your logo and colour scheme, or pepper your social media profiles across your

ENTREPRENEUR

presentation slides to help your company stick in the audience’s minds.

Conclusion Branding has never been more important. The relationships that businesses have built with their customer base have been hampered in an unprecedented way, and it is those who can reconnect with their audience most quickly who will come out on top.

Providing excellent customer service and crafting a memorable visual identity will certainly be crucial to this, but we must do more. We must leverage both digital and traditional strategies to showcase ourselves to our target audience, using tools like digital marketing, proximity targeting and outdoor events. Leveraging these opportunities will place forward-thinking businesses in good stead in an increasingly volatile market.

By Luigi Pannozzo, MD of event specialists Gazeboshop

ENTREPRENEUR

What Bounce Back Loans Mean for Small Businesses Christina Nawrocki, Managing Partner at Wellers, explains the latest announcements from the Government aimed at helping small businesses.

At the beginning of lockdown, the Government unveiled a £330bn war chest to help British businesses weather the storm of coronavirus.

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) was welcomed by many in the private sector, however it is mainly aimed at larger businesses.

Since then, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has unveiled an initiative to support small enterprise – the Bounce Back Loan (BBL) scheme.

Aptly named, the scheme has been designed to help businesses ‘bounce back’ following the pandemic and help the economy to recover faster by preventing businesses from collapse.

Qualifying companies could receive a loan of up to £50,000 which is guaranteed by the Government and interest-free for 12 months.

What is it?

During this time, many businesses have experienced a downturn in sales. In fact, the FT reported that over half of small businesses in the UK could run out of money within three months.

The scheme has been devised to help businesses survive until the economy begins to recover, when it is hoped that British enterprise will eventually get back to normal operating levels. Businesses can apply via a short and

simple online application through accredited lenders, such as high street banks including Lloyds Bank, HSBC and Barclays. Like with any loan application, they do need to be approved so are not an automatic guarantee, but unlike a normal loan, once approved, the funds will be available within 24 hours.

Who can benefit?

Businesses are able to claim up to 25 percent of their turnover, up to £50,000. So, if a business has an annual turnover of £200,000, it can claim the full £50,000. However, if it has a turnover of £100,000, it could only claim up to £25,000.

Additionally, there will be no interest applied for the first year (2.5% thereafter) and the Government is covering any fees raised.

Businesses don’t even need to prove their turnover in order to benefit and there are no laborious forms to fill out and accounts and cashflows to prepare,, unlike when claiming through the CBILS, which can involve incurring costs.

What’s more, when the scheme was originally announced, businesses couldn’t benefit from both a BBL as well as the CBILS. However, the Government has updated this, and those that need urgent access to funds can access them through the BBL which can later be transferred to a CBILS loan, which allows for a higher loan amount.

Through a BBL, a business has up to six years to repay the loan amount – although no

ENTREPRENEUR

payments are required for the first year. To qualify, there are a number of fundamental requirements which are listed on the Britsh Business Bank website but fundamentally : The business must be UK based Business must have been negatively impacted by coronavirus/and or the lockdown The question of debt During a time when many businesses are experiencing difficulty, it wouldn’t be wrong to question whether taking out a loan is only going to prove more problematic down the line.

Of course, both the CBILS and BBL schemes have been hailed as significant measures by the Government to save British business, but it must also be recognised that it will take time for the economy to recover from the effects of COVID-19.

For those operating on a sole trader, micro or small business basis, the announcement of the Bounce Back Loan scheme will be a welcome one. Since the Government’s initial announcement, the CBILS has been met with some criticism – mainly because only a mere 2.6 percent of the loans applied for have been approved.

With its limited criteria and smaller loan amount, the BBL scheme is able to differentiate itself for the better. The 100 percent guarantee on the smaller loans and fast-track approval system means that businesses requiring an urgent cash injection can access it. However, it is important that before any business takes out a loan, no matter how small, they should consult their accountant first to ensure that it won’t impact on their enterprise’s future.

ENTREPRENEUR

What needs to happen to get your team back to work successfully?

With lockdown easing some entrepreneurs who have had to close their businesses or operate at a low level can start to reopen and get their teams back to work.

can use Zoom or other similar platforms to create an anonymous Q&A chat during the conference, where the presenter can address anyone’s immediate concerns.

Navigating this transition period requires preparation. To help get plans in place here are some questions to help you and your startup or growth business.

Effective communication can be critical when engaging with your staff, especially during times of change and often the most important form of communication is listening and being able to respond clearly and definitively to the majority of questions, and action any takeaways.

a) Are team members anxious about returning to work? b) Have you developed a clear transition plan which incorporates the lessons learned? c) Are people ready and motivated to embrace necessary changes?

Let’s look at each question and what your startup can do to get your reopening plans on track.

Question a) Are team members anxious about returning to work?

Covid-19 has tested and threatened our basic human needs, from our health to food shortages to being apart from those we love.

As we transition out of the pandemic, people are left with the dilemma of balancing their safety with their security of employment.

The best way for entrepreneurs to engage their teams and help allay their fears is to talk to them. In advance of your teams returning to work consider arranging a Back to Work conference call. This should be led by you as the business owner or startup founder and should have clear and concise messages about what happens next and when. You

People will need time and space to reflect on what you have told them, so follow up the conference call with a one-to-one call with their line managers (or you if you have a small team), ideally two days later. Managers will need to have a more in depth understanding of the company’s back to work plan and be given parameters as to what adjustments, if any, they can make. The last thing you want is for the person to come away from this call with more unanswered questions.

From conversations with our clients, we’ve noticed that people have ended up working longer hours through fear, uncertainty or even boredom. Restore work-life balance on their return to work, remember the goal is to work smarter not harder.

It is critical that you recognise this, find ways to restore it, and review your processes. A ‘lessons learnt’ workshop is a great way to do this. You will probably find that actually not everything during the Covid19 pandemic has been negative. Make sure you create an environment where people feel they can share

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

their experiences and opinions, listen to what worked well during this time, and identify changes that were efficient and increased simplicity.

Ask your people what they want to see continue in their working life and what they would like less of.

Question b) Have you developed a clear transition plan which incorporates the lessons learned?

Your people will be very proficient at their role in normal circumstance, and particularly in small startups, be ready to help out where necessary.

However, the return to work and necessary changes may mean a drop in productivity, the need for additional training, and the ability to deal with frustrations that changes inevitably bring.

Planning is the key to managing the back to work transition. In your plan include the lessons learnt and then cover the 5 W’s: Why – Why are the changes needed? As teams come back together, they will discover that everyone’s experience of Covid-19 was different. This may affect their behaviours and adjustment to the new norm. It will be very important to create an environment where people are respectful of other’s positions. To help teams reconnect set the ground rules clearly and explain why these are needed.

Who – Who is doing the work? Ever heard of the analogy of “you’re playing in my sand pit”?

People can get precious about their job role or the part they play in a team, and when someone else gets involved it can create childlike emotions of not wanting to share. During Covid-19, with people furloughed and teams stretched, it is inevitable that people will have been asked to pitch in and do things that were not usually part of their normal day to day role.

Effective delegation is needed to reallocate or reassign the workload, whilst being mindful of individual’s emotional responses. Setting clear roles and responsibilities, briefed well, will help your team settle into the new norm.

Where – Where will work be carried out?

Working in the construction industry means that I’ve been asked to visit sites to carry out Covid-19 assessments. When this can’t be done remotely, I visualise where I am going, how am I going to get there and who will be there. This helps me plan what’s needed for the day and ensure that everyone involved can adhere to the current social distancing rules.

As an employer, you can give clear guidance and information about where people will be working and how they can get there. This will help to alleviate anxiety.

When – When will this happen? Whilst the situation remains fluid it is important to give your teams ample notice of when these return to work measures will be in place. This will allow them to make arrangements in their home life and mentally adjust to the change.

What – What is the new work or role? Prior to Covid-19 everyone knew their job and the tasks that they needed to complete. Following a ‘lessons learnt’ review, you may have updated some processes. These changes will affect returning staff, and the people who took on additional tasks during lockdown. Your Back to Work plan needs to clearly communicates these changes and embraces them.

As an entrepreneur, it makes sense to treat the return to work as a project in its own right.

Treat it just as you would any other project, which means managing the change and planning for the transition are key. You need a well-defined and concise plan, that is clearly communicated to your team, and managed with an understanding that these are unusual times and we don’t have all the answers. By letting your team know that you have a plan in place and that are you are working with them, taking their challenges into account, you can ensure a smooth transition and a united team.

Question c) Are people ready and motivated to embrace necessary changes?

Ensuring your staff embody the behaviours you want and focus their efforts on achieving the team’s goals, is a key part of team development.

ENTREPRENEUR

Make sure your team has taken part in the lessons learnt exercise. Then demonstrate with your actions, not just your word that their concerns and their ideas have been listened to.

In this way, you will help to ensure that they will embrace the necessary changes much more quickly.

High performing teams need to work well together and be motivated, and during lockdown this team spirit may have been tested as the teams were necessarily fragmented.

As your team comes back together, consider a team building exercise. This can be as simple as a fun ice breaker or maybe even a quiz.

In an unusual situation, such as the one we find ourselves in today, both entrepreneurs and their teams will have to prepare and adapt.

However, with clear information about new processes and roles, and training to support those whose responsibilities have changed, you can bring your startup or growth business through the transition period successfully.

By Joanna Strahan is founder of C2C Training Group.

ENTREPRENEUR

How to Fully Realise the Value of Your IP Assets Companies, ranging from start-ups to SMEs, are frequently seeking a capital injection to sustain their business, and now even more so because of the significant economic impact currently seen worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With large numbers of businesses throughout the UK facing loss of income or even insolvency, there is a case to be made for the increased use or monetisation of the intangible / intellectual property (IP) assets held by such companies.

Traditionally, the value of companies has been largely based on their tangible assets - for example: buildings; plant machinery; production equipment; and vehicles, and as such, debt financing has been based on the value of these tangible assets. However, things are changing and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) [1], UK Intellectual Property Office and the British Business Bank all recognise this [2].

Nowadays, the value of intangible assets / IP assets represents up to 84% of the company’s value [3] [4]. This shift is further seen at a larger scale as many developed countries, including the UK, have moved from largely production based to being service-based economies. This shift to a ‘knowledge-based economy’ has seen a commensurate rise in the use and importance of intangible assets, including IP, and with this a rapid increase in the UK wide investment in intangible assets - almost doubling between 1995-2015 [2]. This has the secondary effect that many newer companies, especially operating in the software developments space, have few tangible assets on which to base traditional debt financing.

While it is recognised that IP can be monetised by selling or licensing the assets, not all companies recognise the intangible assets they possess and even fewer recognise the potential of these assets as sources of untapped capital. These intangibles including trademarks, designs, trade secrets, know-how, databases, client lists, domain names and associated goods.

The process of lending fully or partially against intangible or IP assets is also known as IP securitisation or alternative assetbased financing. This concept is a new arrival in a number of countries, including the UK, and has the basic premise of collateralising debt financing to SMEs and small companies by providing a security interest in the company’s IP assets [5]. With this in mind, and given the current dire situation in which many companies across the UK find themselves due to the COVID-19 crisis, there is a significant opportunity in raising awareness of the value of intangibles in a business and how to unlock this value.

In some cases, this can take the format of the financial institution gaining control of future license royalties for the IP asset in question, while others may effectively involve the purchase and lease-back or licensing of the asset from the financial institution. The IP securitisation or IP backed financing concept has already been trialled in a number of countries, with mixed results, but is still in its infancy in the UK with a relatively low number of financial institutes providing an IP backed financing service.

ENTREPRENEUR

Those that have recognised this opportunity in the UK include: Lombard: Lombard, which is part of RBS, offers an IP backed funding solution based on a business’ internally developed and owned software assets [6]. Under this solution, the software assets are sold to Lombard and the business then licenses the software back from the bank for a fixed term of three - five years, after which time the agreement can be extended and further financing provided or the IP can be transferred back to the SME. Morgan Lloyd Management:

Trustees/Clifton

Asset

This UK based pension administrator offers two

products, the Self-invested Personal Pensions (SIPP) and Small Self-administered schemes (SASS), both of which will consider IP assets for investment [7]. In addition, a subsection of IP backed financing called pension-led funding may also be provided [8]. In this case, the pensions held by the SME are used to provide a capital injection, where the IP is used as collateral in a loan or is purchased by the pension fund and licensed back to the SME.

In all of the above, IP backed financing requires IP assets to be developed, owned by the company and free of any existing encumbrances or liens and not currently subject to any litigation action. In each case, in order for a loan or purchase and lease-back facility to be provided, the IP assets in question need to be valued by a third party, which has

ENTREPRENEUR

expertise in the area of IP valuation. For the most part, many current offerings in IP backed financing focus on software assets and the ability of management and founders to deliver returns based on their own know-how and the software assets.

As the valuation of IP assets requires knowledge of both IP and financial modelling, there are only an estimated 600 practitioners offering IP valuation in the UK [2].

This processes not only identifies the range of values under which the transaction should occur, but also helps businesses open their eyes as to how these contribute to the business and how their contribution can be further enhanced moving forward. In many cases, this takes the form of a review or audit of the IP assets to be valued.

While IP securitisation or IP backed financing is a very attractive offering and is likely to grow further under the current economic difficulties, problems still remain in wider roll out due to the risk involved. Some IP assets may not have easily realisable value outside of the business in which they were created, while there may be differences in the perceived value of the assets based on the methodology being used and the market conditions.

Ultimately, the valuation process is useful for businesses as it highlights where the IP assets add value to the business, and in doing so, ensures they are better prepared for negotiations and more likely to leave with a good deal.

References [1] WIPO, “The Securitization of Intellectual Property Assets - A New Trend,” 2020. [Online].

Available: https://www.wipo.int/sme/en/ip_ business/finance/securitization.htm.

[2] British Business Bank, “Using Intellectual Property to access growth funding,” British Business Bank Plc, Sheffield, 2018.

[3] Raconteur, “Intellectual Property 2020,” February 2020. [Online]. Available: https:// www.raconteur.net/intellectual-property-2020.

[4] J. P. Ogier, “Intellectual property, finance and economic development,” WIPO Magazine , February 2016.

[5] OECD, “Enquiries into Intellectual Property’s Economic Impact - IP-Based Financing of Innovative Firms,” OECD, Paris, 2015.

[6] Lombard, “Intellectual Property Funding,” 2020.

[Online].

Available: https://www.lombard. co.uk/lombard/finance-options/intellectualproperty-funding.html.

[7] Morgan Lloyd, “Products - SIPPs,” [Online].

Available: https://www.morgan-lloyd.co.uk/ sipp.html.

[8] Clifton Asset Management, “Clifton Asset Management,” 2020. [Online]. Available: https://www.clifton-asset.co.uk/.

By Anthony Coleman, Chief Analyst at IP valuation and commercialisation firm Coller IP. Based in London, it

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

The Six Biggest Pitch Deck Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Raising funding for your startup can be a challenging task at the best of times. And then along came a pandemic, making it even harder.

The UK government’s Future Fund scheme is a useful boost for those startups who qualify (which means having raised more than £250K in equity funding before 20 April 2020, and can raise £125K in new funding which the government will then match-fund). Of course, you need to find that new funding in the first place, in order for the government to matchfund it. And, with companies clambering for investment to offset declined revenues and competing for a smaller pool of active investors, you’ll need to work harder than ever to stand out from the crowd.

Which means having a compelling investor pitch deck.

SeedLegals is the largest closer of funding rounds in the UK, and thousands of companies send us their pitch decks to review as part of their SEIS/EIS Advance Assurance applications.

This gives me a unique vantage point, by being given access to large numbers of pitch decks and seeing which of those companies then go on to secure investment.

Some pitch decks are really compelling, but many would leave an investor scratching their heads trying to figure out exactly what the company does, or how much they’re looking to raise, or what they plan to use the money for.

So, here are the six biggest things to get right in your pitch deck:

Explain the problem you solve, not what you’ve built When we started SeedLegals the first version of our website explained that we did document automation, machine-generation of legal documents. All very clever stuff. Then I came across Mike Butcher’s excellent The Press Release is Dead article and I realised… nobody cares. There are zero people in the world who wake up one day and go, oh, I need document automation. After that epiphany, we completely changed our website messaging to “the fastest way to do your next funding round”, because that’s what people are after.

So the very first thing I look for in a pitch deck is a clear description of the user benefit, the problem you’re solving. It’s amazing how many pitch decks spend all their pages describing their blockchainbased immutability without actually describing why anyone would want it. Show how you’re solving a problem (even better if it’s a problem the investor has experienced themselves) and you’ll have an investor who gets it instantly. If you’re thinking “But the investor isn’t my customer”, maybe so, but for sure they’re looking at your messaging as if they were a customer thinking “If I don’t get it, nobody else will either”.

Do one thing, and do it well Founders often try to impress investors by listing a grand vision of all the things they’re going to build. “We’re building a B2C product, and B2B as well, with partner APIs, and we’ll sell data, with an admin portal”. The founder is thinking “More is better, we’re impressing them with our vision!”. The investor is thinking “There goes all

ENTREPRENEUR

my money, frittered away before the business earns a dime in revenue”.

Think about it… if you’re spreading your resources over a B2C app, B2B portal, data warehouse… and your competitors are focussing all their firepower on just creating a great consumer app, who’s going to win? Plus, you’ll need to hire more people, so you’ll run out of money faster.

So, unless you have 50 developers, focus on one thing, and do it well. Stay focussed and aim to get revenue before you go wide.

Don’t over-value the company One of the most difficult problems every founder will need to figure out is how to value the company. Get it too low and you’ll give away too much equity and dilute yourself excessively. Get it too high and investors won’t bite. But, what many founders don’t realise is that get it too high, and your next round may have to be a down round, which makes everyone unhappy. That’s a particular problem for companies doing crowdfunding, where a bubbly pitch deck may entice small investors to invest at a high valuation, but when it comes to the next round, VCs may not buy into that stellar valuation. This SeedLegals article shows benchmark valuations for UK companies.

Avoid buzzwords and distractions It’s all too easy to sprinkle your deck with buzzwords. CAC.LTV. ARPU. GMV. You might know what it means, but don’t assume your investor does. Your investor may not engage in conversation about your business for fear of being embarrassed that they don’t know those terms. Or, if they’re industry-specific terms (e.g. medical buzzwords) you’re sending a message to investors who don’t specialise in just that segment that this isn’t for them.

Also, investors are going to be looking at every single word, every image, trying to extract meaning. That graphic of a man climbing a rock face, you thought it was a cool way to show you’re up for a challenge, but racing through

your investor’s mind is “Why a man, not a woman? / OMG, no ropes, they could fall / Hey, is that Chamonix? I need to book for next year”.

So treat every word and image as either adding value, or being a distraction that could lose the attention of the investor.

Remember the ask!

If your slide deck doesn’t end by saying what you’re looking for, your investor will be left thinking, “nice, but why are they showing me this?”. So make sure your deck ends with an ask, “Raising £300K, offering SEIS and EIS” and of course your contact details and web URL. You’d be surprised at how many decks miss that.

Know when it’s time to stop I’ve seen pitches which had me at slide 12, then lost me at slide 30. A pitch deck should tell a story, and like a story it has a beginning (the problem you’re solving, what it is), a middle (market size, competition, unique advantages) and an end (revenue projections, traction so far, team, the ask). And, then, job done, stop there. Get the slides in the wrong order and you’ll miss building the desire and holding the attention of the investor.

By Anthony Rose, CEO and founder of SeedLegals .

ENTREPRENEUR

How can conscious business practices transform a small business?

When people first set up a small business, they focus on certain tasks. Their priority is to get the underlying structure of the business created and all that comes with this - producing the product, ensuring there is a sales funnel, working on a marketing approach, etc. Whilst these are all important, they will not dictate the success of the business. It is actually items like your listening skills, the way you go about negotiating and your ability to lead that will set you apart from your competitor and ensure you thrive. And these are all conscious business practices.

The term ‘conscious business’ is relatively new, developing from the concept of corporate social responsibility. Whereas 20 years ago businesses were either commercial or communal, now the most successful businesses combine the two. The business strategy is not just about increasing the bottom line but about improving the lives of the people both inside and outside the company, as well as helping the planet.

Within a conscious business, the basics of a business are still important, yet it is the beliefs and values that drive the company forward.

Every member of the company from the executives to administrative staff have bought in to the company vision and ensure each task they complete is aligned to it. This means that everyone is responsible for creating the heartbeat of the company.

Business owners understand that, as the team is so important to their business, their thought forms will ultimately impact the company financially. For instance, if someone in the sales team is having a bad day their attitude could lead to them not making a sale which they’d

usually close effortlessly. Therefore, there is a focus on team wellbeing, ensuring they feel supported and are encouraged to rise to their full potential.

There is a simple way to help improve the mood of the team and that is to provide transparency on the workings of the business.

When the team are invested in the success of the company and see the direct correlation between the tasks they are completing and the benefits arising from the finished product, they will be happier at work and so more motivated.

This in turn benefits the company. It will lead to better communication, greater efficiency of tasks and heightened creativity within the solutions provided.

As a business owner, soft skills are therefore on some level more important than hard skills, as they really enable you to make a difference.

They allow you to communicate clearly with the team, so they have all the necessary information to produce outstanding products.

They help you to create a positive, safe environment with a no judgement policy so the team can brainstorm innovative solutions.

In this type of space, everyone is free to make mistakes… and then learn from them.

Soft skills are also essential for great conflict resolution. All business will experience conflict at some point, no matter how conscious; what is important is how you handle this conflict.

Being able to put yourself into another person’s shoes will allow you to understand why there is a difference of opinion. What motivates the other person? Do they understand the overall goal? Is their personal vision in alignment

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

with the company’s vision? When you think in this manner, you will be able to remove any obstacles.

As you can see, soft skills can have a massive impact on your business when implementing them internally and this continues to be the case when employed externally. You will find that when you apply your communication skills to your customers and truly listen to their needs, you can deliver a product that fulfils all of their requirements… and even add benefits on top of this! This improves the relationship you have with them which will in turn lead to more repeat business and free marketing as the customer tells others about the type of service you deliver.

In line with this, the concept of creating ‘winwin’ outcomes that benefit all parties is also becoming increasingly common. The strategy has been around since it was introduced

by Stephen Covey in his book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ and is especially important in companies that operate in a value driven and ethical manner. These businesses want to do everything they can to make their customers happy. Their customers’ profits become just as important as their own profits, encouraging them to produce truly customercentric products.

Care for the local community is just an extension of the care afforded to customers for a conscious business, as they continuously find ways to benefit or give back to the local community. The more people they positively impact, the better. This could range from providing discounted products to those in the local area, to raising money for a local good cause. Some companies partner with a nearby school so team members can help children to read on a weekly basis. Others join forces with the council so the team can volunteer to help with gardening or by contributing to a building renovation. These initiatives not only help the local community but also the team itself as their mood is positively impacted by the act of helping others.

On top of this focus on the local community,

conscious businesses also consider environmental impact. Today this is common within any business at some level, yet conscious businesses make this a fundamental part of their strategy. They look to source materials locally to reduce their carbon footprint, they consider the amount and type of packaging they utilise and they embrace technology to reduce the need to travel. Many conscious businesses even look to use renewable energy sources and so have a ‘zero-impact’ workplace.

Imagine how different your business would be if you started to incorporate these practices. When implemented in the spirit they are intended, they will have a positive impact on your team, your customers and the environment. Create your own conscious business strategy and each week introduce another practice. Then notice how your business upgrades. No matter how small your business, conscious business practices are sure to help you evolve to the next level.

By Lucy Spencer.

ENTREPRENEUR

Credit: Depositphotos. com

ENTREPRENEUR

How can entrepreneurs build resilience and adaptability as business faces a new normal?

As aspects of the lockdown start to loosen it does not mean that our business and personal lives can go back to normal. Instead, as entrepreneurs we need to think of ourselves as moving forward in to a new normal. This means running our businesses with the ongoing presence of covid-19. Understanding the new normal and learning to work within it will take resilience and adaptability.

What can help entrepreneurs to be more resilient and adaptable?

Resilience is an important trait for entrepreneurship. It is about having the resources to cope with unexpected, difficult, or adverse situations. To be able to use these resources we, of course, need to know we have them before we can deliberately use them. This is why spending time gaining self-knowledge is so essential for entrepreneurs.

These three things, having resources, being aware of them, and being able to deploy them, are what feed our resilience, and our ability to bounce-back from adversity in business and other areas of life.

Being adaptable means being able to quickly and appropriately change our behaviour when circumstances change. For example, at present people are having to find different ways to manage their startups or growth businesses, possibly while also having to home school their children.

The old strategies may not be appropriate now. For instance, although entrepreneurs are driven individuals being ‘always on’ for work

might not be good for our mental health in the current circumstances. And we’re all going to have to adapt again as more workplaces are allowed to open.

For both resilience and adaptability, resourcefulness is key. How can entrepreneurs discover their resourcefulness and use it to increase their resilience and adaptability?

Broadly speaking every entrepreneur will have personal resources and social resources to call on.

Personal resources Our Strengths One of our biggest sources of personal resources is our own unique strengths.

Strengths are the attributes that are at the heart of our best self. They are the things that are natural for us to do and that seem easy to us. We each have our own set of strengths.

For instance, entrepreneurs are inherently strategically minded while others are more naturally empathetic. Some are good at logical analysis while others are great at developing others.

It’s important to know our own strengths as using them boosts our confidence and gives us energy, allowing us to recover more quickly from setbacks. We are likely to solve a business problem better if the solution uses our strengths. To learn more about your unique strengths as an individual and business-owner, you can take the VIA free strengths test or buy a pack of strengths cards so you can self-identify your strengths. Once you have done that,

ENTREPRENEUR

you can get some feedback from colleagues and others on what they think your strengths are, and when they’ve seen you use them in a difficult situation.

Our previous experiences As entrepreneurs are well aware starting and developing a business can be stressful at the best of times. When times are extra tough it can be really helpful to remember other times when we coped, when turned a tricky business situation around. Being in the grip of the present can prevent us from accessing resources from the past: our entrepreneurial skills, our business knowledge and experience.

We can discover these hidden resources by remembering our best experiences, when we were really flourishing and excelling. Once we have brought these experiences to mind, we can mine them for tactics, strategies, ideas, conversations, that really made a difference then and that might be useful now. Appreciative Inquiry is a change process that is built on the understanding that resources from the past can help us in the present and in the future.

There are there are some books about how to apply it to your personal life, or your business life to tell you more. If you want to try it for yourself, there is a pack of Appreciative Inquiry Cards with questions designed to help you through the resource discovery process.

Entrepreneurs need HERO abilities Our HERO ability made up of our states of hopefulness, optimism, resilience, and confidence (efficacy). Add these four things together and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. In other words, although resilience is part of our HERO abilities, it is also boosted if we boost our sense of hope, optimism, and confidence.

You can discover more in the Psychological Capital and Beyond, a book by the people who discovered this, or, invest in a HERO card pack that contains questions and quotes as well as explanations, to help boost your own HERO abilities.

Tap into your social networks Our social networks extend our resourcefulness.

Think of it as ‘I know a (wo)man who can’. Our network contains people who find easy what we find hard. This means that for entrepreneurs they can be a source of inspiration, uplift, practical advice, useful contacts and many other resources. Exchange your strengths across your network. For instance, you might find it easy to use Zoom, Team and other online resources, while your friend, who is hopeless at that sort of logical rational technical stuff, might be able to reel off a whole list of fun ways to teach times tables to your children!

The social capital of your startup or growth business A startup or growth business’s resilience is about all of the above, and, about social capital. The social capital of a business reflects its connectedness. It’s about how easily information flows around the organization and how much trust there is. Both of these, quick information flow and trust, make it much easier for businesses to be resilient and to adapt quickly. As we tentatively ease lockdown, the enthusiasm of people to return to previous places of work will depend, to some extent, on the extent to which they trust the organization to look after them. Do they believe the organization is telling them what they need to know? Do they trust the plans to keep them safe? These positive organization development cards have lots of information about the features of the best organisations.

For entrepreneurs to weather the difficult months ahead thinking about this aspect of their business will be crucial.

Let me share some quick tips that entrepreneurs can use to boost their own resilience and adaptability in the new normal.

Follow safety instructions, but more importantly, understand the principles and apply them in different situations so you can be active in keeping yourself safe. Manage your energy and look after yourself. Having to suddenly adapt our behaviour means we can’t

ENTREPRENEUR

run on habitual lines, so it takes more energy even if you seem to be achieving less. Go easy on yourself, adjust your expectations and standards Re-prioritise, and then do it again when things change again. It’s very easy to assume the priorities stay the same even as the situation changes. They don’t. So take the time to think about what the highest priorities are now, in this situation within these constraints, with these resources.

Redefine your goals so you can succeed in the new situation. This is very important.

Create and recreate structure for yourself.

Structure really helps because it reduces decision-making, which is taxing. Keep evolving new structures to your working day or your life as things change.

These tips will be good to share with your team members. Help them to boost their own resilience and adaptability as they adjust to the ongoing changes in our response to covid-19.

If you are interested in learning more about resilience and adaptability, we are running 4 two-hour live virtual development workshops.

You can also access a video interview of two psychologists talking about resilience both generally and at work.

By Sarah Lewis C.Psychol., the principal psychologist at Appreciating Change.

ENTREPRENEUR

Credit: Life Hack . Ccom

ENTREPRENEUR

Can crypto help us through the coronavirus crisis?

You would be forgiven for thinking cryptocurrencies would die a death during a global pandemic. Many see them as a nice-tohaves in a time of abundance – when citizens don’t need the state and are keen to capitalise on intangible ways to build value. In the face of the Covid-19 crisis, the default is that we need the state, from service provision to funding to managing the money supply, to come to our aid and remain in control.

But is that really where we’re heading?

We tend to overestimate the effects of technology and innovation in the short term and underestimate it in the long term.

(Unfortunately, not my own pearl of wisdom but that of futurist Roy Amara.) Today, with stock markets and the real economy in disarray, it feels like the value of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies just starting to be understood. This is not something that will happen overnight, but bitcoin was born out of the last financial crisis; it is likely that it will help us out of this one.

Validating the white paper The thesis behind crypto is, you could say, very (pre-Covid) 2020. Create a decentralised, nonpolitical, non-geographic based currency that is both digitally-encrypted and has a limited supply, as well as having the full feature set of a currency. The usefulness of these attributes has been advancing for years.

And while the need for redistribution of wealth accelerates, with democracies around the world turning to universal basic income and cash handouts, the limits of the fiat-based

global financial system are thrown into sharp relief. Is crypto finally coming of age?

People have been waiting for a watershed event like this. As cashless societies get bigger and fiat currencies become increasingly manipulated, stimulus packages will weigh heavier and heavier on debt-to-GDP ratios.

This is exactly what happened in the last crisis, where we saw 120% debt-to-GDP ratios. Debt servicing will be costlier, while the poorest in societies start to feel the burn of inflation, and everyone feels the burden of rising taxation and a manipulated money supply. The relative value of those currencies will drop.

The former governor of the Bank of England Mervyn King (now Lord Lothbury) believes that the coming crisis caused by the coronavirus in the real economy will be worse than the financial crisis of 2008. He told the BBC last month that: “in the financial crisis, we were dealing with a relatively small number of financial institutions. We knew broadly what we had to do. In this case, the situation is extremely uncertain.”

For anyone not around at the time, take my word for it – it was pretty bad.

An unlikely safe haven From a central bank point of view, the coronavirus crisis is different to almost any standard economic shock in that it necessitated both supply and demand intervention.

And while global markets reel, bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies, have remained largely unaffected. Bitcoin’s most disruptive benefits

ENTREPRENEUR

have moved front and centre: scarcity and liquidity, in a world of money-printing and global financial strain.

Clearly, despite some sell-offs, for many, bitcoin currently represents a hedge in the face of huge stock market risk. And with institutional flows coming in, the foundation is well and truly being laid for it to be traded with trust and confidence. The super-speculation, which feels more like the dotcom era and subsequent crash, is waning. Institutions and other large financial organisations are now more engaged than ever, with the likes of Fidelity, Square, and Revolut all facilitating trading. And India has finally lifted its crypto trading ban.

CoinCorner, a bitcoin exchange in the UK, says it has seen a growing number of people entering the bitcoin market in 2020, perhaps also in the run-up to the anticipated bitcoin halving in May. If you don’t know about halving, there is a good explainer here. CoinCorner says it saw an increase in the number of new customers every month since the beginning of 2020 with February up 5% compared to January, and

March was up 17.6% compared to February.

We could, of course, see new innovations in the crypto space come out of this crisis. But certainly the euphoric frenzy (based on not very much) that we saw in bitcoin’s earlier days has come to an end, and now, investors on both the institutional and retail side are interested.

The start of something more legitimate for financial asset allocation has arrived. And an asset immune, even somewhat, to the volatility and uncertainty of the present time, could be a saving grace to millions.

ENTREPRENEUR

10 Ways to Encourage a Safe Return to the Office After Lockdown Lockdown has taken its toll on both individuals and businesses, and many of us are feeling eager to return to normal, or at least a ‘new normal’. Since the Covid-19 lockdown, research shows that approximately 60 per cent of the UK’s adult population are now working from home, a transition that has been essential, yet difficult for many.

Remember, even when government says it’s possible to return to work, that doesn’t mean you necessarily have to. Take in all the official guidance available to you and make a carefully-considered decision based upon your business and your employees’ needs.

So, what happens when lockdown restrictions are lifted, and businesses have an opportunity to get back up and running? The government is set to release a series of papers which will outline its approach and advise businesses on how to return to work safely. Even with government regulations in place however, it will be up to you to go above and beyond for your employees and create an office environment that is safe, hygiene-focussed, and considerate of mental health needs.

When you do reopen the office, social distancing is going to be a challenge.

According to the BBC, the “principles may not necessarily insist that workers strictly observe a two-metre social distancing rule”. However, where possible, you should try to adhere to social distancing in any way you can. Tools such as social distancing floor stickers make this a little easier — offering your employees guidance and reassurance that they are not getting too close to one another.

In relation to a safe return of the workforce, Gary Peeling, Chief Executive Officer at Where The Trade Buys, said: “With shared spaces gradually reopening, businesses such as retail outlets, offices, factories, and schools will require numerous health and safety products to ensure the safeguarding of their staff, customers, and students. Before doors can reopen, careful planning will be needed in order to put the necessary protective equipment in place and enhance health and safety measures before employees return to the workplace.”

3.

Implement a one-way system in the office Another way to implement social distancing efforts in the office is to encourage a one-way system. If you have to ways in and out of your building, consider how these could be utilised so that your staff aren’t risking close physical contact.

With this in mind, here are ten ways to ensure that your return to the workplace is smooth, safe, and positive: 1. Closely monitor government guidelines As an employer, it is up to you to stay on top of all the recent information and act accordingly.

2.

Install social distancing floor stickers

4.

Provide hand sanitisers and other cleanliness reminders Cleanliness is key, and you need to up your hygiene procedures as much as possible.

As you were most likely doing before the full lockdown came into place, encourage thorough handwashing, provide hand sanitisers wherever possible, and install health and safety posters as regular reminders around the office.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

5.

Make sure you’ve done a deep clean before you reopen Before you open your doors once more and endeavour to return to ‘business as normal’, try to create as clean and hygienic a space as possible. Not only will starting on a fresh slate create a safer environment, but it will show your employers that you’re taking health and safety precautions with the utmost seriousness.

6.

Provide your employees with PPE equipment is appropriate If you want to go the extra mile, provide your employees with PPE equipment such as face masks and gloves. Depending on the environment you’re working in, fabric facemasks might also do the job.

7. Consider staff who use public transport or visit other premises The previous point is especially applicable for staff members who use public transport to get into the office or those who have to visit various premises due to their role. Make sure you’re listening to the needs of each individual staff member so that you can provide extra support to those who might be more at risk.

8.

Conduct one to one ‘back to work’ meetings Managers should conduct one-to-one meetings with each staff member to make sure they feel supported and listened to. Chances are, each employee has had a completely different lockdown experience — some may have been working from home throughout with 100 per cent pay, whereas some may have been furloughed and faced financial stress or anxiety related to other issues. The only way you’ll be able to offer the support each staff member needs is to take the time to understand their needs individually.

9. Offer mental health support In addition to these back-to-work meetings, you should make sure your workforce has access to ongoing mental health support. Each member

of staff will likely have felt the impact of this crisis, and whether that has manifested itself in health anxiety, financial concern, or loneliness, you must show them that the company is there for them to provide ongoing emotional support. For more information and guidance, consult the resources available at Mind UK. 10. Wherever possible, make it optional Finally, take into consideration that each staff member will be in a unique position, and for some, remote working might still be a safer and more productive option. Your employees will appreciate your flexibility and the fact that you are reviewing everyone’s circumstances individually. After all, if you’re a business that can work as productively online, it makes sense to allow people to continue doing so until they feel safe and confident to return to work.

Currently, it’s impossible to predict when you’ll be able to resume ‘business as usual’. Until then, carry on supporting your employees as best you can. When the moment to return to work finally does come however, take all the precautions you can in order to create a happy, healthy, and productive workplace dynamic.

This article was researched by UK print company Where The Trade Buys, currently producing PPE for UK workplaces, education spaces, shops, the NHS and more. The company has also been involved in manufacturing face visors for NHS essential workers in the fight against Covid-19.

Sources: https://www.finder.com/uk/working-fromhome-statistics https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ business-52496636 https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/ fundamentals/emp-law/employees/workplaceguide-returning-after-coronavirus https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infectionprevention-and-control/covid-19-personalprotective-equipment-ppe https://www.mind.org.uk/informationsupport/coronavirus/coronavirus-and-yourwellbeing/

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

How Entrepreneurs Can Reinvent Their Business During a Crisis What do you do when your business revenue dries up overnight? You can give up or you can reinvent yourself whilst contributing to the fight against Covid-19.

ChargedUp is Europe’s largest phone charging network. In early March, we watched with dismay as the venues hosting ChargedUp stations closed their doors to the public and our core business revenue started to disappear.

Let me share how we’ve tackled the current crisis and what other entrepreneurs with startups may find useful learnings from the story.

First response Faced with a potential tsunami for the company, my first thoughts were for my team; their health and wellbeing and their livelihoods.

Within 24 hours the Shoreditch based team had transitioned to remote working, with a framework in place to facilitate successful and fun remote working. We formalised the working day, tapped into fantastic and free resources, and optimised our virtual meeting tools. I also scheduled lunchtime hangouts, Friday evening beers, and other social events to help the team to help and support each other through the crisis. Then we spent several days reworking our finances to optimise our expenditure during this period.

The Choice - hibernation or reinvention We were faced with a stark choice, either go into hibernation and carefully manage our outgoings until the end of the lockdown, or look for other opportunities to keep us busy and enable us to contribute to the battle against

covid. The stakes are high, ChargedUp has 30 employees who have families to support and we were facing a potentially damaging situation. Never one to sit around and wait for something to happen, we quickly started the process of determining how we could do something worthwhile to fight covid-19.

A process led workshop One of our core values is that we encourage off the wall ideas, as you never know where the next great idea will come from. I scheduled a virtual workshop with my team leads, with two days to prepare. It is difficult to simply conjure up new ideas, particularly when under pressure, so I decided to adopt a process led approach to blue skying.

Preparation phase: Participants must not come to the table cold; they must have done their pre-work and research. Our starting point was to find some reference material online that could spark ideas. We found lots of sites providing advice on covid proof business ideas. We also found an excellent website from St. Catherine’s College Cambridge, which highlighted advice and guidance for managing Covid-19. https://covid-19.biorisc.com This pre-work and research provided a basis for the workshop.

Business model canvas phase: We then prepared a business model canvas; this enables you to highlight the key skills and assets that your business possesses. This captures your businesses key capabilities; your contacts, your core skills, etc. We prepared this on a single A3 sheet. You will find resources and templates online to help you to do your own business model canvas.

ENTREPRENEUR

The dreaming phase: Allow the team to dream and share a wild wish. We came up with lots, most of which I cannot share!

Discussion & analysis phase: Write them down and discuss, refine and analyse the potential of each wild wish. We emerged after a daylong workshop with four ideas that we felt had legs and could conceivably work. We then set up virtual teams to investigate the concepts further. Each team had representation from technology, marketing and operations. We time boxed the research phase, and gave the teams just 24 hours to analyse, refine and prepare their business case for each of the four ideas.

Refinement phase: We reviewed and refined down to two concepts that we felt could work.

We then tested the concept with some of our partners to see whether they would be interested in our proposed offering.

Remember that this process took just three days. Each phase was time boxed to prevent the process becoming overly long and to ensure we acted swiftly.

The idea that emerged Whilst doing our business model canvas, we noted down an existing asset; we had 100+ large charging station structures sitting in a warehouse in London, waiting to be dispatched to airports, shopping malls and other high footfall venues. The large stations allow us to fit a number of smaller stations and one of the blue-sky ideas was to refit them to hold hand sanitizer dispensers. This concept emerged as the favourite and having spoken with a number of our partners we felt there was a solid basis for us to proceed.

From concept to reality in a week There were many challenges to overcome, mainly that the team knew very little about hand sanitizers, the market, and the industry.

We are lucky that one of our team has a Masters in Chemistry, and we were able to connect with an existing supplier of hand sanitizer gel, who acted as consultant for us. Within a week we

had a working hand sanitizer dispenser and orders from lots of companies. Have a look at this short video that explains the design process The Sales team started going through their black books and calling people. Within two day we had secured a deal for 90 stations with a hospital supplier to the NHS. It has gone from there, and we are continuing to dispatch, produce ‘stations’ and design more stations.

We have sold over 400 units and have interest from businesses all over Europe.

Where do we go from here?

We at ChargedUp are proud to be doing our bit for the covid-19 battle. So many people are risking their lives at the front line. Having established a business to enable ChargedUp to do its bit for the covid battle, we are looking at whether it is a short term pivot to help us through covid or indeed whether there is a longer term opportunity for our business.

Lessons learned As entrepreneurs it is important to “Never give up” and to foster an agile culture from the early days of your startup. Always look for the upside, our people are our most important asset.

All things are possible, it is a case of allowing your people to think creatively and see solutions where other business people see obstacles. A process led approach to blue skying can produce excellent ideas. Who know what additional businesses you may create as a result…

By Hugo Tilmouth , CEO of ChargedUp.

ENTREPRENEUR

How to run an effective virtual workplace With all of the organisations we support, whatever their model of working, we constantly encourage them the stay focused on daily, weekly and monthly conversations driven by the following essential questions: 1. What success are we trying to achieve? ‘How’ are we going to do this and ‘what’ will we need to achieve this?

2. What are the conditions that we’re trying to achieve our targeted success in?

3. What performance ingredients are we already blessed with that we can use to maximise our chances of delivering the success in these conditions?

4. What performance ingredients do we need to enhance or add to give us the best possible chance of achieving the success we’re aiming for?

Asking these four questions will help run an effective workplace, whether it’s surrounded by bricks and mortar, or is in a virtual world.

It’s probably most important to focus on the first two questions when it comes to adjusting to a work-from-home requirement.

And here’s why...

First, question 1 of “What success are we trying to achieve?” means that you very quickly ensure that everyone is focused onto defining what good looks like when you’re going to have to change your game plan and work differently.

Rather than keeping your targets the same, even though the context has changed, you

make sure that there’s a picture of success that feels relevant and realistic for everyone. You’ll get a motivational win straight away here by showing your readiness to adapt and update targets and give everyone a challenge that feels worth pursuing.

Second, with question 2 of “What are the conditions that we’re trying to achieve our targeted success in?” it’s essential to focus on a couple of things when answering this. We challenge people to get a really clear picture of “what’s staying the same for us that is a source of confidence and consistency?”, and “what’s changing that we need to recognise and have a plan for?”. By answering these two questions, you’ll get a pretty clear picture of the ratio between ‘same’ and ‘different’, which is important to stay focused on.

Our experience shows that if you don’t do this, people simply focus on everything that is changing and they get a skewed picture which typically isn’t helpful for seeking to learn from the conditions and use the change as a stimulus to learn and grow. We also challenge teams we work with to identify what’s either helpful or unhelpful about the stuff that’s the same, as well as changing. The language of this has to be spot on… HELPFUL and UNHELPFUL (never use good or bad). When you’ve had some conversations about these two concepts, you’ll again be in a position to take on the conditions with a clear mindset of ‘exploit the helpful’ and ‘mitigate against the unhelpful’. Being great at both these sides of the equation is important, and again helps everyone maximise Control, Confidence and Connectedness - the three vital C’s that underpin motivation.

ENTREPRENEUR

The most important factor is creating a united, collaborative approach. Having regular conversations - whether virtual or not - will help teams feel motivated.

The three C’s that underpin motivation: 1. Connectedness: Keep teams focused on the collective vision and goal by regular conversations. Check in for a community call at the beginning and end of the day, and stay connected through Slack, Microsoft Teams, VOIP. Being able to hear each other, see each other is important for helping create a sense of togetherness. It will enable a sense of personal autonomy and control, enhancing confidence and motivation.

2. Confidence: Share advice, tips and tactics for remote working. Share ideas and advice on working from home so people feel as confident as possible. Make sure everyone is regularly checking in with existing strengths, achievements and successes from the day this will boost morale and enforce confidence levels. Not to mention increasing motivation levels.

3. Control: Answering all of the questions collaboratively ensures that the sense of togetherness is maximised, but it’s also equally important for each person to remember how important they are individually to the overall success of the business. This mutual accountability along with individual responsibility does a huge amount toward keeping a sense of connectedness throughout the business, and leaders can do a huge amount to enable their staff to take control of their environments, their workload, their goals so they feel a sense of responsibility and motivation.

If you keep Confidence, Connectedness and Control at the centre of your business and remind everyone of the overriding business mission, you’ll be in a very good place to adapt to any number of changes, maintaining motivation, productivity and maximum performance.

By PlanetK2 Founder, Chris Shambrook.

ENTREPRENEUR

TSF Book Club Here are our top choices for books on all things entrepreneurship for the season. All are advice rich, inspirational and will really help you build your knowledge and mindset for a successful 2021.

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

E&I Luxury Lifestyle Section

Photo credit: Asad Photo Maldives Pexels.com

Credit: Asad Photo Maldives

ENTREPRENEUR

Luxury Lifestyler Section

ENTREPRENEUR

Best New Maldives Resorts for Winter Sun With lockdowns, restrictive tiers, and gloomy weather ahead, why not start to plan for some Winter sun? This is peak season in the Maldives when the weather is usually hot and dry.

There’s now so many luxury resorts to choose from -but here are some of the newest and best.

Pullman Maldives

www.pullmanmaldivesmaamutaa.com

ENTREPRENEUR

Waldorf Astoria Maldives

www.waldorfastoriamaldives.com

ENTREPRENEUR

Kagi Maldives Spa Island

www.kagimaldives,com

ENTREPRENEUR

Emerald Maldives www.emerald-maldives.com

ENTREPRENEUR

Spa Time Moddershall Oaks Country Spa Moddershall Oaks Country Spa is a delightful woodland retreat located in the heart of Staffordshire – perfect for a weekend escape from London as it’s just a couple of hours away.

It’s rightly earning a reputation for being one of the best places to stay and spa in this pretty part of the country, with guests enjoying gourmet lake side dining, luxury suites and excellent spa facilities and treatments.

Nestled in 72 acres, this 5-star venue offers plenty to do during your stay, naturally spending time in the spa will at the top of the list. Guests can enjoy a large outside heated spa jacuzzi with poolside service, a tech-free ‘chill area’ , relaxation lounge with super comfortable padded wicker pods and beds in front of a calming, flickering firepit – all accompanied by soft mood lighting and peaceful meditation music.

This lovely country retreat also has a heated pool, available to twenty people per time. If you are looking to be poolside, you are able to enjoy ergonomically heated stone beds designed to provide relief and heat to your back. Next to this, the spa offers a hydra pool too allowing you to enjoy a full wet-room experience whatever the weather.

During your stay, do make the most of the excellent treatments on offer. There’s a great choice including Elemis facials to deep-tissue massages. A range of treatments for specific conditions are available too – including those suitable during pregnancy and for cancer patients to provide most welcome relief.

If relaxation is the aim, the last thing you want to be doing is worry if you are safe. Rising to

the challenges Coronavirus has presented, Moddershall has taken every step to ensure all guests and staff are as protected as possible.

They’ve achieved this in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the experience and you are still very much able to enjoy the luxuries of all that is on offer. The steam room is still accessible, for example, – just by appointment, same for the deluxe sauna and numbers are limited to allow for safe spacing.

Accommodation wise, Moddershall offers twelve luxury boutique suites, all overlooking the wonderful countryside – bringing nature to the forefront of your stay. All are beautifully designed and spacious and furnished with plush fabrics, Elemis bathroom essentials and fluffy robes. As a guest, you are able to access exclusive facilities such as a bookable private hot tub experience with your partner.

In terms of dining, you’ll certainly not be disappointed. The Lakeside Restaurant is the perfect place to relax, enjoy the view and enjoy the best in organic, locally sourced and carefully prepared fare. The menu caters for vegan and vegetarian options too. And why not round off your stay with a luxury afternoon tea, before heading back to London, relaxed and revived. www.moddershalloaks.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

On Safari For those of us experiencing strong wanderlust, the dream of once again travelling is hopefully soon to be a reality. Wilderness Safaris offers a host of amazing safari experiences that are wellsuited to travellers looking for space, privacy, exclusivity and possibly most important of all – an unforgettable adventure. .

Take a Walk on the Wild Side After months of being at home, the freedom of the outdoors has never been more appealing.

Depending on the destination, a nature or bush walk is a great way to stretch the legs while taking in the scenic beauty and wildlife of the area.

Guests visiting Bisate in Rwanda can enjoy a nature trail on the beautiful forested hillside surrounding the lodge. There are a number of hikes in this area where guests can see gorillas in Volcanoes National Park or explore a few of the other well-known trails. For the fit and adventurous, the hike to the summit of Bisoke is also worth a visit. Wilderness Safaris’ camps in Botswana and Zimbabwe offer walks in the company of an armed guide – an opportunity to fully appreciate the minutiae of the bush, from the hard-working dung beetle to majestic trees, the spoor of animals and the scent of the plants.

Guests can enjoy a variety of nature walks from camps in Namibia and explore the area on foot, whether walking to the top of the iconic Big Daddy dune at Little Kulala or discovering the lunar-like terrain of Damaraland Camp.

Take to the Water A large number of Wilderness Safaris’ camps, particularly in Botswana, offer water-based adventures from traditional mokoro rides along the crystal-clear channels of the Okavango to boat rides and catch-and-release fishing.

Magashi Camp in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park is situated on the banks of the beautiful Lake Rwanyakazinga, where guests will enjoy time out on the waters – a wonderful and relaxing way to view water birds and many other aquatic animals. There’s something incredibly calming about being on the water – especially when you’re in a prime wilderness area like Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park. Boating and canoe rides are offered at both Chikwenya and Ruckomechi along the Zambezi River. Choose between an early morning or evening boat or canoe ride – or opt to do both.

Find serenity: The perennial Kunene River along Serra Cafema is a soothing sight in the heart of the desert. Boat rides (water levels permitting) provide our guests the opportunity to venture along this lush riverine oasis. The knowledgeable guide will point out crocodiles lazing on the banks and myriad water birds as you cruise through this enchanting and somewhat surreal landscape.

Sleep Under African Stars At a selection of Wilderness Safaris camps in Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe offer guests the opportunity to sleep out at one of the Star Beds. Listen to the many sounds of the night, a jackal’s cry in the distance or the gentle rumbling of elephants. Be soothed to sleep by the sounds you hear, before waking to see what wildlife may be visiting nearby.

Hide Out in the Wild There’s something wonderful about being hidden out of sight while animals like elephant go about their day, splashing in the waters and drinking, completely oblivious to

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

your presence. The hides are the ideal place to set up for an afternoon, a secret spot to watch the comings and goings of wildlife. Be prepared with bird books, a camera and binoculars.

Hot Air Ballooning – the Ride of a Lifetime At Little Kulala and Kulala Desert Lodge, the two camps situated in the dramatic Kulala Wilderness Reserve, guests can enjoy a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the ancient dunes of Sossusvlei. The lucky ones may even catch sight of an oryx walking along the dunes.

Take to the skies in style and soar effortlessly over the rich ecosystem of the Okavango Delta. Hot air balloon rides can be arranged for guests at Vumbura Plains and Little Vumbura – an opportunity to scan the serpentine channels of the Delta while looking carefully for wildlife both on land and water. Gaze upon hundreds of wildebeest as they canter across vast open plains or watch pods of hippo, grunting and snorting in the waters below. This wildliferich experience offers a bird’s-eye view over untouched wilderness at Wilderness Safaris’ camps in Zambia. The thrilling adventure ends with a champagne breakfast, surrounded by 360-degree views of pristine grassland, dotted with impressive herds of puku and lechwe.

Explore the Bush on a Game Drive in a Private Vehicle Private game viewers are a fantastic way to ensure that guests have their own vehicle to experience the bush at leisure. A private vehicle also comes with a private guide offering a wealth of knowledge. A keen photographer will have space and time to get the best angle with no time constraints. Enjoy watching a lion feed or admire a large breeding herd of elephants as they quietly pass by…

Bike in the Namib Desert Hop on one of the electric fat bikes at Kulala Desert Lodge, a fun way to explore the area’s spectacular plains. Keep an eye out for wildlife and other interesting creatures often missed on drives.

A Romantic Dinner for Two Indulge in a dinner for two on the deck of the tented suite, listening out for the sounds of the night – a jackal’s cry or the familiar whoop of a hyaena. Dinner is served while the ambience of a balmy safari night is enjoyed complete with star-studded skies and the soft glow of candlelight. www.wilderness-safaris.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

RAKxa Opens

This fantastic new fully integrative wellness & medical retreat has just opened in Bangkok’s preserved ‘Green Lung’ in Thailand and will offer a design inspired by local influence.

Guests visiting RAKxa are there to heal and restore wellness and therefore the decor and surroundings have been specifically designed in neutral tones to ensure a gentle atmosphere.

A mix of traditional materials and crafts have been used in a contemporary styling to create a medical wellness retreat that has avoided the ‘spa’ look whilst ensuring the crisp, neutral tones are not associated with a hospital.

Traditional materials include rattan, bamboo, reclaimed wood, earth-wear, ceramics, brass, jute, mulberry paper and water hyacinth. Light colours of teal and gentle greens are used

throughout the premises to soothe and restore an element of calm. Showcasing the serene location next to the river, traditional river boats decorate the gym area as well as elements such as old balers used to decorate the walls.

RAKxa uses objects throughout the premises that may not traditionally be considered art, such as teapots, chairs and stools. These all have a sense of place and are considered as traditional Thai decor, based on the countries’ history. One area proudly displays 72 teapots along a shelving unit, which are all made from a local southern Thai pottery maker and each unique to one another. Using local artisans to create the rugs and woven wall decor, RAKxa exemplifies traditional Thai styling, creating the ultimate wellness retreat where Thai hospitality oozes through the design. www. rakxawellness.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ESPA Life at Corinthia Set in a space of iconic beauty, ESPA Life at Corinthia offers a holistic approach to wellbeing with an excellent choice of spa, complementary alternative therapies and beauty treatments. Spread over four floors, the spa features 17 treatment rooms; a private spa suite; a nail studio; and a thermal floor with an indoor swimming pool, vitality pool, amphitheatre sauna, ice fountain, heated marble loungers and private sleep pods.

Situated above the dramatic thermal floor, the new FitSpace studio will complement the spa’s wellness offering with an advanced innovative range of Technogym’s latest and most innovative equipment. Including ARTIS, a top of the line range of design-led cardio, strength and functional equipment offering guests a completely connected and personalised training experience; and SKILLROW, the only indoor rowing machine able to improve anaerobic power, aerobic capacity and neuromuscular functions in a single solution.

Revolutionising the personal training industry with a meticulous results-driven ethos and training methodology, FitSpace takes a scientific approach to deliver completely bespoke holistic health and fitness programmes that enable clients to achieve their wellness goals. Operating at an elevated level of service and discretion, private training and small specialist classes and workshops are supported by continual training communication and a range of in-house lifestyle services. Each unique programme brings together a variety of training disciplines to ensure clients hit and maintain their fitness goals. Using medically validated body composition testing the team meticulously measure, continually assess, and guide their clients on the roles diet and lifestyle play in improving health and fitness.

Representing the next generation of expert

personal trainers, Pilates and reformer Pilates instructors, nutritionists and physiotherapists, the team is mentored and trained by the SP&Co Group Academy, a centre of education and human optimisation, training and instilling philosophies that underpin the whole group. Head Trainer Mark Anthony brings an extensive background in Sports and Conditioning, with a passion for nutrition.

Providing the same level of bespoke programming as for those training oneto-one, FitSpace also offers semi-private, micro-group training and classes to groups of friends, colleagues or just like-minded individuals with the same goals. As well as the two studios in Chelsea and Corinthia London, FitSpace has taken its services online for both existing and new clients. The team of personal trainers, Pilates and yoga instructors design and deliver bespoke training sessions to client devices in real-time whilst providing live feedback and training cues to maximise results. www.corinthia.com

ENTREPRENEUR

THE NAUTILUS MALDIVES WINTER ESCAPE PACKAGE An unscripted private island hideaway in the Indian Ocean For travellers looking to escape the cold winter blues, luxury bohemian hideaway, The Nautilus Maldives, has announced a special Winter Escape package. Starting from GBP14,999 per person, including international flights and seaplane transfers, guests are invited to enjoy seven nights in exquisite accommodation; private butler service beginning even before the guest’s arrival; The Nautilus’ unique VIP arrival service greeting guests directly on the runway; and a whole host of signature free-spirited experiences.

From The Nautilus’ renowned ‘Cinema Under the Stars’ with a BBQ dinner and bespoke cocktail experience, to a private aerial yoga session with the resident yogi and a tailored couple’s spa journey at the Solasta Spa, the Winter Escape package can be completely customised to each individual.

Enjoying a remote setting in the stunning UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Baa Atoll, The Nautilus is one of the most private island resorts in the Maldives, a tropical haven of just 26 exceptionally private and spacious Houses and Residences, each with its own temperature-controlled infinity pool and extensive private decks, and attended by a dedicated House Master offering full butler service. For a complete bespoke private travel experience, The Nautilus has partnered with London-based private jet specialists Dominvs Aviation to launch an ultra-exclusive crafted getaway, bypassing the crowded commercial airports.

The Nautilus’ Winter Escape package invites guests to escape the cold winter months and enjoy an ultra-exclusive private hideaway

in the beautiful setting of the Indian Ocean.

The natural island paradise beckons with turquoise lagoons teeming with a kaleidoscope wonderland of incredible marine life and powdered-soft sand beaches, bathed in glorious sunshine. Guests booking the island’s exclusive package can enjoy a host of wellness and dining experiences including The Nautilus’ renowned ‘Cinema Under the Stars’ experience; a private screening – from timeless classics to the latest releases - on a secluded sandbank complete with gourmet snacks and a fresh BBQ dinner. Providing some peaceful relaxation, couples can enjoy an immersive journey at the overwater Solasta Spa with The Stress Melter, a personal one-to-one meditation and yoga class, in combination with a bespoke massage ritual, as well as a private aerial yoga session at the yoga sala guided by the expert resident yogi.

With freedom paramount, no appointments are necessary, and treatments can be enjoyed in-house.

Guests can relax on the beach, snorkel in the clear waters with an exploratory guided house reef snorkelling tour, or swim amongst whale sharks and manta rays in the world-renowned Hanifaru Bay. Dining is unscripted with menus acting as mere suggestions for guests, with masterful cuisine tailored to each guest’s taste.

Meals can be taken anytime, anywhere, from overwater fine dining restaurant Zeytoun to relaxed eatery Thyme. As part of the Winter Escape package, guests can enjoy a bespoke Teppanyaki dining experience by the beach at Ocaso, with plates sensationally inspired by local flavours and spices. www.thenautilusmaldives.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

Ski Season Higashiyama Niseko Village, A Ritz Carton Reserve Spectacular all year round, Niseko Village is renowned as a ski utopia, with dry champagne powder at low-altitude, a variety of terrains, a world-class Niseko Village Snow School and guided snow activities. Opening on the 15th December 2020, Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Reserve is the perfect outpost to engage the senses with wilderness adventures.

Hokkaido is a destination that celebrates the nuances of nature in their simplest form and invites guests to become a part of the seasonal cycle from start to finish.

Strikingly diverse landscapes, fascinating adventures and an abundance of fresh produce lures skiers and snowboarders from around the world to Niseko’s famed powder runs and spectacular backcountry skiing in winter while warmer months entice epicureans and outdoor enthusiasts to explore varied recreational activities and relaxation.

The integrated alpine destination sits at the base of Mount Niseko Annupuri within the Niseko United ski area with direct access to inter-linked ski resorts boasting a combined 2,191 acres of skiable terrain and extensive backcountry skiing. State-of-the-art ski lifts and gondolas provide all-season connectivity to the village centre where speciality restaurants, bars and shops are situated. The first snow-capped mountain peaks are sighted as early as October, signalling the anticipation of Niseko’s signature powder in the coming weeks that lasts late into spring. Before gaining international recognition as one of the best winter sports arenas in the world for powder hounds, Niseko was famous for the plethora of ‘onsen’ natural hot springs available.

Embodying the spirit of Kachou Fuugetsu, the resort’s team of experts known as Higashiyama Reservists will lead inspiring journeys to discover nature’s fleeting beauty and creating opportunities for independent discoveries. Be it mountain orientation programmes to seek the best powder stash and groomed runs to summer biking with farmland and café visits savouring seasonal produce, trail hiking or an immersion into the onsen culture, their intimate knowledge of the environs will enrich experiences for Reserve guests no matter what the time of year. www.ritzcarlton.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

Out of the Office Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to work from a fabulous 5* resort and leave your city desk behind? Little Emperors, the luxury hotel members club, has seen the length of hotel stays rise as working from holiday is becoming increasingly popular. Hotels are offering certain incentives to encourage guests to book longer stays.

Here are their top 5 suggestions of the best places to work from holiday post lockdown for that extended break:

Four Seasons Landaa Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru welcomes guests to one of the world’s most beautiful islands - a natural UNESCO Biosphere Reserve wilderness where iridescent blues, jungle greens and dazzling whites meet innovation, conservation and wellness with equal vibrant intensity. Offering life- changing benefits with Ayurveda and yoga therapy at The Spa & Ayurvedic Retreat and offering life changing experiences such as rehabilitating sea turtles in the Marine Discover Centre, guests will be able to enjoy a long stay holiday with ample of activities.

Four Seasons Jumeirah Dubai The Four Seasons Resort Jumeirah Dubai is in a unique location allowing for a relaxing beach holiday with the option to explore the bustling city nearby. Guests will enjoy an true decadence at this large palatial hotel which boasts ocean views across the Arabian Gulf. launched a ‘Extend your Stay’, which grants stays of one month or more complimentary airport transfers, parking, twice weekly private fitness with a personal trainer, and a private concierge

Hotel de Russie Rome Hotel de Russie in Rome is a cultural gem in Rome and the perfect oasis for a city workcation.

Take a break from work by admiring the Sistine Chapel before returning to the large courtyard for a cocktail at the hotel bar. Rocco Forte have launched ‘Carpe Diem’ where Little Emperors members will receive ‘in residence’ benefits for stays over 21 days.

Rosewood Mayakoba The Rosewood Mayakoba is a luxury resort set along a mile long pristine beach in Mexico. With warm Mexican hospitality, guests will feel as if they’re working from home with all needs met by the attentive staff. Rosewood Mayakoba offers guests a personalised butler service as well as 24-hour in room dining to ensure that those busy away working are fully looked after throughout their stay.

Bulgari Resort & Residences, Dubai The Bulgari Resort is set on an island in Jumeira Bay, just minutes from the mainland. With staff that go above and beyond providing guests with the utmost attentive and discreet service, all needs will be met for those working from holiday. A 24-hour personalised butler will be provided upon request ensuring guests enjoy a seamless experience and productive working environment.

Little Emperors has an impressive portfolio of over 4,000 luxury hotels across the world, offering its 35,000 members guaranteed benefits and unparalleled preferred rates, with a lowest rate guarantee. Members will receive added benefits with every booking such as hotel credit, a bottle of champagne or a room upgrade. www.littleemperors.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

Wine Time White, Red or Rosé, whatever your choice, these specially curated wines are the perfect accompaniment to all kinds of Christmas fare.

candlelight, followed by three years in bottle.

Ideal with roast meats and rich sauced dishes. www.armitwines.co.uk

The Emissary Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut Refined, elegant, vibrant and zesty with a delicious lingering fruit finish. This fine prosecco is the perfect festive tipple and ideal partner for Christmas canapés. www.theemissary.co.uk

Jenkyn Place Blanc de Blancs 2015 A fantastic benchmark-setting English wine that’s notched up a raft of prestigious awards including winner of Best English Sparkling Wine at this year’s World Sparkling Wine Awards. What could be better wine to mark a special occasion with? www.jenkynplace.com

Churchill’s Port 10 Years Old Tawny Striking a perfect balance between the exuberance of youth and the complexity of age, this totally Moorish Tawny has a wonderful freshness and a depth. Perfect with Christmas cake, mince pies and a cheeseboard too. www. harveynichols.com Digby Fine English NV Brut One of the country’s very best sparkling wines, this vivacious elegant fizz is the ideal celebratory tipple. It’s made from lush pinot noir with rich, aged chardonnay and plummy pinot meunier. www.armitwines.co.uk 2018 Astrolabe, Kekerengu Coast Sauvignon Blanc A super example of this variety, with lime rind and pink grapefruit, ripe gooseberries, lemongrass and lemon balm. It’s full bodied and has a crisp dry lingering finish. Enjoy with seafood starters. www.armitwines.co.uk Champagne Irroy Extra Brut NV This special sparkly from the Marne and Aube regions is a 30% chardonnay , 70% pinot noir and meunier celebratory delight. Crisp, rich and utterly delicious and the perfect festive tipple to welcome your guests with. www.thewinereserve.co.uk 2014 Vina Arana Gran Reserva, La Rioja Alta A wonderful more approachable take on Rioja Alta’s super-traditional style.

It’s matured in American oak, racked by hand and by

Joseph Mellot Sancerre Rosé 2019 If you adore Sancerre and a great rosé, this is the wine for you. Made of 100% pinot noir it’s fresh, lively with delightful berry and floral notes and is ideal paired with oriental dishes. www.northandsouthwines.co.uk Oastbrook Estate 2014 Sparkling Rosé Made from pinot noir and auxerrois grapes, this sophisticated award-winning wine is packed with juicy cherry and berry flavours and notes of buttery brioche. Perfect with shellfish, smoked salmon and white fish. www.oastbrook.com Alexana Terroir Series Pinot Noir This delicious wine from Oregon, USA is bright and fresh with crunchy fruit notes underpinned by a judicious use of oak, giving the wine real complexity and a juicy finish.

Delicious enjoyed with rich fish or light meat dishes. www.winebuyers.com Villa Sandi Prosecco Rosé A fresh and elegant rosé prosecco from Veneto in Italy. It has a wonderful bouquet of red fruits and florals, pomegranate and rose. On the palate it is silky, full and perfectly balanced. Great as a delicious apéritif. www. houseoftownend.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

MonteRosola One of Tuscany’s most inspiring, state of the art wineries ‘Monterosola’ has been producing exceptional organic wines for several years. It’s now opened a new online wine shop to offer direct wines sales to customers internationally.

Monterosola’s exclusive online Enoteca features the winery’s exceptional red and white wines as well as the estate’s own grappa and olive oil. The new online wine shop allows Monterosola’s loyal customers the opportunity to purchase its organic wines and 0km products at the click of a button.

Monterosola officially opened its doors to visitors in 2019 and swiftly became one of Tuscany’s most popular destination wineries.

However, when the Covid-19 lockdown period in Italy started in early March the winery could no longer welcome its guests in person.

Reassuringly, during this difficult period, demand for Monterosola’s wines continued to grow and the vineyard started to gain a strong following online.

Sales and Marketing Manager Daniel Ericsson explains “Monterosola is unique, in the fact it was designed architecturally as a destination winery. The aim being for guests to enjoy a unique VIP wine tasting experience, here in Tuscany. However, the lockdown in Italy has been severe, and we knew we needed to diversify quickly. Monterosola swiftly launched a series of online tasting videos, wine pairing notes, and a collection of Tuscan recipes. In addition, we started sending our wines to journalists and wine experts for them to sample at home. This activity resulted in some good online reviews and we started to get orders from around the globe. The new, easy-to-use online Enoteca has opened up our winery to a truly international audience and allows our wines to be enjoyed by all”.

The online Enoteca from Monterosola allows wine lovers the chance to sample a taste of Tuscany in the comfort of their own home. Why not sign up to Monterosola’s VIP wine club or subscribe to receive seasonal wine packages direct to your door.

This month, the winery presents one of our favourites - Crescendo, their flagship wine and the perfect partner for long, lazy dinners on cold dark winter nights. This wine has complex and intense flavours that perfectly compliment Tuscan sausages with fennel seeds or flavoursome slow-cooked organic red meats such as the local classic Hunter’s Wild Boar Stew.

Crescendo Tasting Notes: Deep garnet colour with flavours of rich cherries, dried herbs, sweet oak spices, black tea and toasted almonds. Both intense and complex on the palate it is powerful yet refined with a lengthy finish. Crescendo has great aging potential. www.monterosola.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

How to get started with cask whisky investment Buying cask whisky is as easy as getting into any alternative investment. First you decide that you want to diversify out of the normal financial markets (which is not an hard decision to make nowadays).

People have been investing and enjoying alternative assets for years; wine, classic cars, art and now whisky. If in doubt, you can always drink the wine, drive the car and collect the art! But, above all, make money and enjoy the journey.

Cask whisky investors fall into two categories; those that have an interest in whisky and those that can’t stand the smell of the stuff and just want to take advantage of the extraordinary returns in casks of whisky.

A novice can choose to use their knowledge and personal taste preferences, or not. The team at Cask Trade always make it easy for the customer as we provide samples for all our casks as well as individual financial models for each cask selected. After all, each cask is different. Even ones from the same distillery, filled on the same day in the same year into the same type of casks will have matured differently.

The financial models speak for themselves, showing the estimated return at different exit points in a period of 10 years (short /medium/ long term hold).

This is an unregulated market with no index at the moment but operates in the same way as any other investment. For those new to cask whisky investment we would recommend a balanced portfolio of slow or fast moving casks depending on what you are looking to achieve.

What are the pitfalls and how to know what’s right for you?

When you partner with Cask Trade we are you trusted advisor and we live and breathe whisky and have done for many years. We have decades of experience between us and none of the team are from a banking or sales backgrounds but from all areas of whisky.

Always check your cask company actually owns the stock it’s selling and that they have the correct HMRC licenses to service you legally.

Unlike other forms of trading, whisky takes time. It’s a natural process that matures over a longer period. Whisky is one of the few commodities, along with wine, that appreciates in value with age. You don’t trade whisky to an index and generally nothing happens in less than 2-3 years. For maximum profit we recommend holding onto your cask for 3-10 years.

The main risk at the start is matching the amount you wish to invest to your investment goals (% return and timeline). It’s a bit like buying a 5 year financial product and wanting to come out early, it doesn’t work in your favour. The beauty with whisky is that you can stay in longer and make even more money.

Planning to sell around well-known maturation dates is key. For example, holding an 8 year old whisky until it’s 12 or 15 years old, both dates are recognised as good for sale and bottling.

Some clients are drawn to buy “new make”, which whisky made in 2019/2020 or yet to be filled because of the low financial entry point, but you will have to wait 8-10 years minimum

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

to exit. If you buy old and rare whisky always check its health, how much liquid has been lost to the angels share (natural evaporation of alcohol over time). Check its strength and never let the whisky get too close to the magic 40% alcohol or it won’t be called whisky anymore and the value plummets. It’s always safer to buy a cask from a well-established distillery with a proven track record and lots of previous bottle releases to benchmark its worth.

are also free to bottle or sell it on to whomever you wish.

Try and buy a cask that has reached the allimportant three year mark so it can called a single malt whisky straight away (whisky must be matured for a minimum of three years before it becomes known as single malt whisky).

Always sample your whisky periodically or get us to sample it for you when it’s over 10 years old to check the nose, palette and finish as well as appearance/colour of course.

2. Buying casks that don’t match your exit strategy.

Cask Trade check all the casks and samples, we provide the full service and have all the legal licenses and expertise to do it. We can offer bottling (with design and packaging) and shipping all over the world.

How much to invest We have casks priced from £1,500 for a 3 year old to £150,000 for an old and rare cask.

The minimum investment is a £1,500 cask all the way to a portfolio of £150,000 and above.

There are not endless amounts of whisky casks available as they are in limited supply. Our stock changes daily and often sells out. We only sell the investment grade whisky and our stock list reads like a menu; we probably have the best list in the world.

If you are in a position to buy more than one cask, we would recommend a diverse portfolio.

For example, casks from different distilleries and from different years/ages/regions/taste and so on. It gives a more balanced portfolio with multiple exit points. Cask Trade will offer a buy back or re-list the casks at your target price for 0% fees or you can put it in our auction (www.auctionyourcask.com) - also 0% fees. You

10 key things to consider before investing in cask whisky 1. It’s an unregulated market and therefore it’s vital to choose a reputable, trustworthy business to invest with that hold all the appropriate licenses.

3. Not monitoring the maturation of older casks (slow leak, evaporation).

4. Not diversifying enough to have options on profit taking.

5. Always consider your investment level in line with your budget.

6. Be patient to maximise your investment’s potential, if you cash out earlier your profit will be less.

7. Buying a share or a fraction of a cask is a risk, only one name should be assigned to each cask.

8. If you invest in a whisky fund you need to understand what the underlying assets of that fund are.

9. Don’t buy from a company unless they are registered in the UK and have the appropriate HMRC licenses in place, otherwise you won’t have direct access to your cask.

10. If you buy and sell large quantities of whisky you will be deemed as a ‘revenue trader’ and liable for tax. Always seek tax advice from a professional.

When you can expect to see a return When you buy a cask from Cask Trade this is the start of your investment journey, not the end. We are in it with you every step of the way and we will offer advice and financial modelling

ENTREPRENEUR

throughout the investment period. Profits can be from 30% to 100% + depending on the time you hold the cask: Short (3 years), Medium (5-7 years) and Long (9+ years).

sample them, trade them or even bottle them!

Above all, we want our customers to take pleasure in their investment; it’s not only about buying a cask and making money it’s about the relationship we build and enjoying the journey.

10) Cask Trade will arrange for clients to receive samples of their whiskies and visit their barrels(s), upon request, wherever possible.

If this has captured your interest, here are my 10 reasons to invest in cask whisky: 1) Whisky is a top performing luxury investment and far outstrips the more established alternative asset investments such as art, wine and cars. Estimated accumulative short-term returns of 40%, medium term of 80%, and long term 140%.

2) Each cask is unique and only a limited number are available. No two casks will ever be the same.

3) Time is on your side as whisky only matures in the cask. The more mature it gets the more valuable it becomes.

4) There is no index or quoted market for whisky casks as each one is different.

5) Complete transparency - Cask Trade buy each cask first and all the paperwork, location and health of the cask is verified before it ever makes it onto the stock list.

6) Trusted marketplace - Buyers can take Cask Trade’s WOWGR number, go to the warehouse and confirm the cask exists. Bonded warehouses check-in each cask and perform a ‘dip’ test to measure the level of alcohol. Every year, they are required to report to HMRC how many casks they have and the level of alcohol.

Casks cannot be faked or fabricated.

7) Casks are safer than storing bottles; the only thing stealing your whisky is the angels.

8) Whisky is a delicious asset and casks are a physical, tangible asset that you own. You can

9) Investment Realisation: Cask Trade’s multiple exit strategies and global client base ensures a hassle-free exit from your investment.

About the Author: Simon Aron of Cask Trade is an experienced entrepreneurial angel and investor. He has helped get tech start-ups, medical technology and agricultural ventures around the world off the ground. He is highly experienced in financial modelling, fund management and building companies.

Simon started his first company in 1990. He sold it in 2011, after acquiring a further six more companies. In 1995, he started a commercial property company as an owner and landlord of five office blocks. Those were located in up and coming areas in London, selling out in 2012. As a whisky collector for over 20 years, Simon has acquired over 50 casks and 2000 bottles.

He soon discovered that this ‘hobby’ provided a wonderful business opportunity for trading casks. Simon was intrigued by how rare whisky is surpassing other alternative asset classes, such as art, classic cars and rare wine.

And quickly became inspired to more fully understand the whisky market and the risks involved. He brings a wealth of experience to the business. Especially in understanding due diligence and risk management. www.casktrade.com

ENTREPRENEUR

Winter Beauty Edit For gifting or a little treat for yourself, here is a selection of our favourite beauty bests.

PMD Clean PRO Gold For the ultimate in skincare luxury, this wonderful to use product cleans and massages your skin in a total unique way. It combines self-heating Activewarmth technology with precious metals to give you a spa-worthy skincare routine from home.

On one side silicone bristles gently deep cleanse and stimulate collagen production, and the other features heated gold massage plates to open pores allowing your skincare products to be fully absorbed, leaving your complexion looking and feeling absolutely radiant. www. uk.pmdbeauty.com ION-Sei Toothbrush Hailed as the world’s best, this toothbrush harnesses the healing properties of light, metal and electricity to control cavity-causing bacteria. When activated, the integrated UV LED light and titanium dioxide bar produce a photocatalytic reaction, generating a flood of negative ions that curb cavity-causing bacteria.

Those interested in organic healthcare can take comfort, as there is no need to use toothpaste with this toothbrush. In fact, ION-Sei’s ionic technology is more effective without it. www. ion-sei.com Nuture Plant Based Skincare New brand Nuture has created a range of gorgeous plant-based skincare products designed to care for all skin concerns, including scars, stretch marks and blemish marks. The treatment oils, creams and serums are free from nasties and highly effective. www.nuturesource.com

ENTREPRENEUR

Moroccan Rose Otto Range by Ren

Balance Me Limited Edition Sets

A firm favourite of celebrities, beauty influencers, and of course us for years. This luxurious range of deliciously fragranced and effective body, bathing and skin care wonders is a must for anyone who adores the scent of rose. It’s a wonderful self-care treat and guaranteed to soothe any stressed and worn out soul. www.renskincare.com

Prettily packaged in recyclable gift boxes the Dawn to Dusk and Beauty Sleep sets are a perfect gift that will be appreciated by any loved one needing a little self-care. www.balanceme. com

Artistry Studio NYC Edition Lash Boosting 3-in1 Mascara

This acclaimed Swiss brand’s gentle overnight re-surfacer uses lactic acid and tropical fruit ferments to work while you sleep, leaving skin beautifully smooth, soft and glowing. www. elixseri.com

This excellent award-winning mascara in Gotham Black volumises, lifts, conditions and lasts. It features an adjustable wand so you can tailor your application and look. www.amway.co.uk Little Box of Wellbeing Collection by Tisserand Aromatherapy Whether you need support for stress, sleep or encouragement to unlock creativity and boost self-belief, Tisserand Aromatherapy’s ‘Little Box Of’ collection has all your concerns covered. Each of the three sets includes a trio of roller balls beautifully fragranced with essential oil blends to help look after your mind and body. Keep them in your handbag ready for times of need. www. tisserand.com MANTA Mirror Healthy Hairbrush The multi-award winning MANTA features a handy mirror for on-the-go touch-ups and works wonders, taming even unruly locks without damaging your hair. www.mantahair.com Daniel Sandler Watercolour Liquid Cheek Colours & Customisable Cheek Set For a sheer, easy to apply pop of colour to give a natural healthy glow to even the palest cheeks, this is a must. The lightweight formulation is versatile and rub-proof and is now available in a customisable set. www.danielsandler.com

Elixseri - Opening Act Serum

Delilah Gift Collections These two collections make lovely presents.

Stay the Night features three super-smooth, long lasting shadow sticks which come with a handy sharpener.

Nude Lip Collection includes a lip liner, colour intense lipstick and finishing gloss. Both Collections come in gorgeously flattering neutral shades. They are paraben free and vegan friendly too. www. delilahcosmetics.com Wild Beauty from Rhug Estate This new Soil Association certified skincare collection uses wild foraged and organic ingredients from the idyllic Rhug Estate in North Wales. The Protecting Day Cream is beautifully packaged, highly effective and lovely to apply. www.rhugwildbeauty.com Dr Levi Gift Sets Exclusive for Christmas, and launched with a women’s charity, Savera UK, as part of their Self Worth, a Gift Worth Giving Campaign, these three gift sets feature the brand’s hero products. An ideal present for a loved one in need of some pampering. www.cultbeauty. co.uk

ENTREPRENEUR

Glo’up! by Freya & Bailey An ideal facial cleanser for those prone to blemishes and breakouts. It contains soothing oat silk, and essential fatty acids and vitamins to help neutralise the effects of stress, free radicals and pollution. It’s over 98% natural too. www.freyaandbailey.com

Grass Roots Skin An innovative, ethical and luxury skincare brand with a difference! A cosmeceutical range with the added ingredient of topical CBD. This stunning collection is the foundation for the world’s first CIBTAC endorsed CBD facial the Grass Roots Facial® available in select clinics and salons. Do try the Skin Drench Super Serum. www.grassrootsskin.com A Stylist’s Secret 24 Hour Minute Volume Duo This dynamic duo masters misbehaving hair for 24 hours and only takes a minute to apply to achieve a salon result from the comfort of your own home. One will keep frizz at bay whilst the other delivers an instant boost for big, bouncy hair. Together they’re on an unstoppable mission to create luscious locks. www.astylistssecret.com

Oio Lab. Protective Algae Facial Treatment Oil With five types of algae and extracts from amaranth, chia, pomegranate, cardamom and rosemary seeds, this all-natural botanical blend helps to reverse the negative effects of oxidative stress, pollution, UV irradiation and sleep deprivation to restore skin firmness and add a healthy glow. https://en.oiolab.co/

Transformulas This UK based beauty brand specialises in luxury skin care products that provide rapid

results. The most iconic product is their Marine Miracle creme, this has been dubbed as “A Face Lift in a Jar,” by the Daily Mail and “Better than a knife” by Woman & Home magazine. This cult classic retails at £69.00. www.transformulas. com Skin Generics This excellent advanced cosmeceutical skin care range has been inspired by innovative Korean formulas, textures and ingredients.

The brand is known for including the highest percentage of active ingredients in their products, at an affordable cost. They’re on a mission to shake up the skincare game for good! All of the range is wonderful, but why not try these for starters: The 23% complex Aloe Vera Sleep Mask and the 21% active complex Hyaluronic Acid Moisturising Cream.

Plus a particular favourite of ours - the 23% active complex Wakame Cream which really reduces the appearance of fine lines with its natural anti-wrinkle properties. www. skingenerics.com Alteya Organics Rose Otto Regenerating Concentrate Sensationally scented and a dream to use, this high-performance regenerating serum transforms skin texture, reduces wrinkles, stimulates cell regeneration and improves luminosity. Its potent bio-active ingredients include rose otto, mullein, marine bio-active complex and white truffle. www.lovelula.com Jimmy Choo Seduction Collection This favourite luxury shoe brand has launched an irresistible capsule cosmetic line that introduces nail varnishes and lipsticks alongside an exclusive set of concentrated fragrances. ‘Seduction Collection’ is the embodiment of Jimmy Choo’s refined universe: feminine, elegant, daring and mesmerising.

Www.harrods.com

ENTREPRENEUR

and effective results without the need for

ENTREPRENEUR

Optimal Health Our pick of the best health and nutrition products available this season Wicked Gummy Gummies are a perfect solution if you want to take supplements, but hate swallowing tablets. Some of the most delicious available are from Wicked Gummy – they are effective and taste better than most sweets. You can choose from 9 varieties to suit most nutritional needs – including their Hair, Skin and Nails Gummy and Apple Cider Gummy to aid weight loss – and you can order Gummy Bundles of goodness. All are vegan and allergen, gluten and cruelty free. www.wickedgummyco.com No.1 Living Kombucha Health Shots These are part of a new range that’s the brainchild of rugby icon Jonny Wilkinson and offer a quick and invigorating boost to functional health. Starting with a kombucha base, already containing a range of organic acids, No.1 adds 2bn active live cultures and a prebiotic fibre which ensures each shot is great for gut health. The Gut & Immune Kombucha Health Shot with Ginger, Grapefruit & Lemon is particularly delicious and contains Vitamin C (100% NRV) from natural acerola and Vitamin D3 (500% NRV) from the addition of algae, both of which are essential to support immune health. All are 100% natural, low in sugar, vegan and neatly presented in sustainable mini glass bottles with recycled plastic labels. www.no1living.com

Centred Tender Love and Hair Supplements These hard-working and highly acclaimed vegan and 100% natural supplements are designed to deliver key hair boosting vitamins to the follicles to encourage healthy hair growth. Potent ingredients bamboo extract, aloe vera, biotin and amino acids – all designed to help reduce stress and improve energy levels whilst supporting the immune system and promoting healthy hair growth from the inside out. www.wearecentred.com Pure Sport CBD This Olympic Standard Certified organic CBD brand’s products are designed to relieve aches and pains, benefit sleep & anxiety, immune function, and aid relaxation and performance.

Their CBD oil is made from all-natural ingredients & is GMO, dairy and gluten free, paleo and vegan friendly. Their product is one of 4 CBD brands in the world that is BSCG certified. Try the powerful Tumeric & Ginger capsules, and excellent Immunity Booster Pack which includes their 3000mg Tincture & 1500mg Ginger, Turmeric & CBD capsules designed to keep body & mind at ease and immune system functioning at its absolute best. www.puresportcbd.com Cannadox CBD Another excellent CBD brand, Cannadox offers a highly effective CBD cream which is infused with 500mg of oil and clinically proven to repair, restore and relieve even dry, sensitive and sore skin. This cream can also be used topically on aching, painful areas too. If you are seeking high strength CBD oil, theirs is an ideal choice. You can opt for 20, 30 or even 40% potency, to suit all healing and soothing needs. www.cannadoxshop.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ProLon plant-based meal programme For those wanting to quickly and safely lose a few lockdown pounds, ProLon is an ideal solution. It’s a ground-breaking five-day plantbased meal programme which nourishes the body whilst enabling it to enter a fasting state which provides metabolic and cellular benefits.

This also helps support healthier eating habits, including reduced food cravings and better portion control. The tasty meals come in five small boxes (one for each day) and are additive, preservative, gluten and chemical free. www. prolon.co.uk GOPO Joint Health Made of specially cultivated Vitamin C rich rose hip, this powerful, natural, anti-inflammatory treatment has no known side-effects and has been proven in extensive scientific studies to reduce joint pain and swelling, improve joint mobility and activity levels, and reduce the need for painkillers by 40%. In addition to this, lab studies have indicated when taken long term, the galactolipid GOPO may protect cartilage cells and help to rebuild joint tissues.

High levels of the galactolipid GOPO are found only in this product. www.gopo.co.uk Bio-Synergy Active Woman Box If you are training you need the very best supplements to support your goals, The Active Woman range is made from natural ingredients that really deliver, containing specific nutrients such as vitamin D, iron, calcium and folic acid which are essential for all women. This bundle includes everything you need to get in shape and smash your fitness goals including a delicious protein shake, crave-curbing supplement, vitamins and a handy shaker. ÂŁ55.00. Available from www.Bio-synergy.uk Regular Girl Keep your tummy happy with this innovative probiotic and fibre blend. Just one serving of Regular Girl contains a whopping eight billion clinically proven probiotics which boost immunity, mood and other bodily functions. www.regulargirl.com

ENTREPRENEUR

The Organic Pharmacy Detox

Vegetology Opti3 Omega-3

This super supplement from The Organic Pharmacy contains dandelion, fennel, chlorella and a plethora of other highly effective ingredients designed to support the detoxification of the whole body - an ideal remedy for some seasonal over-indulgence. www.theorganicpharmacy.com

Whilst all Vegetology products are suitable for vegetarians and vegans, the Opti3 Omega-3 EPA & DHA supplement is particularly popular, as it provides all of the Omega-3 nutritional benefits of fish oil without needing the fish.

Vegetology has gone straight to the algal source. The unique Opti3 Complex provides the body with proven levels of EPA & DHA, the active forms of Omega-3, together with a dose of plant-source Vitamin D3, to help support joints, the brain, and the heart. www. vegetology.co.uk

Our Remedy, Moon Swings Oil Designed to help balance hormones and help you sleep, this pleasant tasting and effective elixir contains CBD, peppermint and clary sage.

It’s vegan, sustainably packaged and for each bottle sold, the company donates to charity. www.ourremedy.co.uk Saskia’s Flower Essences For lovers of natural and vibrational healing, flower essences are a delight. Lovingly created by expert Saskia Marjoram, they can be a huge support during difficult times, and help erase negative thoughts and behaviours, to help you find your calm, happy and balanced true self. In addition to a fantastic range, Saskia can also make a special unique blend that’s created just for your particular needs. www. saskiasfloweressences.com LAVI DAVI Gummies These are some of the best tasting and most effective gummies we’ve discovered. They are designed to not only boost skin hydration, treat skin inflammation, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, but improve skin elasticity and balance your skin’s microbiota too. www. funderm.com Collagen Zooki Tasting great and containing an impressive 500mg of hydrolysed marine collagen to help skin and muscle rejuvenation, Collagen Zooki is now available in a 10-week subscription bundle, with a complimentary trial pack and gift card. A perfect self-care boost for you, or present that’s bound to be appreciated. www.yourzooki.com

Kaya Plant Powered Stress Relief Prettily packaged and very nice to use, Kaya’s range of Happy Gummies, Adaptogenic CBD Oil Natural Chewing Gum and Rise & Shine and Sweet Dreams supplements are made with adaptogenic plants – powerful herbs which can help the body cope with stress. All are vegan and handily sized so you can carry with you and take whenever you feel you need. Do try the whole range, and certainly the oil which cleverly relaxes but doesn’t slow you down thanks to Ashwagandha and Maca. www. feelkaya.com

Minami CBD+Omega-3 This is a first-of-its-kind, premium nutritional supplement that combines high quality omega-3 with CBD in one convenient capsule.

Minami is renowned as the purest fish oil on the planet - boasting a super high-concentration of up to 95% omega-3 per capsule. A match made in heaven, CBD and omega-3 have synergistic effects with the endocannaboid system. Together, they could help boost the physiological effects to your body, supporting essential organs like your heart and brain. www.minamihealth.co.uk

ENTREPRENEUR

Leanfood Tabs Weight Loss System 100% natural, vegan and containing no additives, each of these revolutionary nutrition tab contains the full RDA of all 29 essential nutrients and optimal ratios of protein, carbohydrates and fat to keep your body functioning at its highest level, all in under 1,200 calories per day. They have an incredible 100% success rate for reducing weight and enhancing health and are the only truly natural and whole food weight loss system that meets the EU guidelines for a calorie-restricted meal replacement, carrying guaranteed results in just five days. www. leanfood.com CatchFree Omega This is the first health supplement in the world that not only offers vegans and vegetarians their daily dose of Omega-3s and vitamin D from plant-based sources, but can also be used as an ingredient to enhance delicious meals such as desserts, smoothies and salads.

The full spectrum liquid and soft gel capsules are made from British-grown Ahiflower seed oil, Algarithm DHA derived from marine algae plus MenaQ7 and Vitashine vitamin D3. They come in a light tropical mango flavour. www. wileysfinest.co.uk Revive Collagen It’s important that any collagen you take is easily absorbed and super effective. Revive Collagen sachets contains an impressive 8,500 MG of high-quality marine collagen.

You need to ingest at least 6,000 MG of collagen peptides daily to trigger fibroblast (the cells responsible for collagen production) activity in the dermis. Without this quantity, you won’t see results. This brand uses Type 1hydrolysed marine collagen, which has a 90-97% absorption rate so is taken in much faster and more easily than other forms of ingestible collagen, meaning you’ll see more rapid results. www.revivecollagen.com.

ENTREPRENEUR

Fit & Fabulous Here are some of our favourite fitness and health products for Winter.

Nutri-Genetix (NGX) This is the world’s first genetically personalised nutrition shake, tailored to an individual’s own DNA to achieve enhanced performance. Using a super quick and easy inside-cheek swab test, the NGX team builds a personalised blend of NGX Bodyfuel based on your genetic make-up.

They test for 28 traits in your DNA to assess how you metabolise and process different nutrients, your sensitivities to different foods and your body’s detoxification process. You’re then given a detailed report of your results and how this may affect you. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to increase performance, boost immunity, build lean muscle or lose fat, as they’ll have the confidence they are fuelling their body optimally. www.nutri-genetix.com

Lumen Metabolic Tracking This is a first of its kind, handheld, portable device and app that measures your metabolism in real-time with just your breath. Perfect for those trying low carb and the super popular keto diet, it measures the body’s carbon dioxide concentration which shows the type of fuel your body is using to produce energy - a mix of fat or carbs. Lumen also provides you with personalised suggestions on when and what to eat to fuel your workout, based on your metabolism. With these insights, you can really boost your metabolism by improving metabolic flexibility: the body’s ability to shift efficiently between using fats or carbs as a source of energy. Clever stuff! www.lumen.me

ENTREPRENEUR

His & Hers All-Weather Dare 2b Jackets For long UK Winter walks what ever the weather, or skiing in the Alps, these three gorgeous luxury jackets are an ideal choice. The form-flattering Swarovski crystal embellished women’s Auroral and also Dazzling waterproof jackets have a detachable faux fur hood trim and headphone port. For him, the Jenson Button Edit Surge Out Black Label jacket also features a handy headphone port and host of useful advanced thermo-regulating graphene VECT technology designed to keep you cool when hot, and warm when cold. All are lightweight, breathable, stylish and comfortable. www.Dare2b.com Vívomove Luxe Fitness Tracking Watch For those wanting style, quality and functionality, Garmin’s 18K rose gold fitness tracking smart watch is the perfect choice. It can monitor everything from your resting heart rate, stress levels, respiration rate and hydration, to menstrual cycles, sleep and more.

It has sensors to detect things like altitude and oxygen saturation levels and smart tech including Garmin Pay and connected GPS. Plus there’s a plethora of useful activity tracking features such as calories burned, steps, intensity minutes and floors climbed.

And, to top everything off, there are a host of sport-specific features too, which will appeal to cyclists, swimmers and runners.

It looks gorgeous and is the perfect accompaniment for everyone from serious athletes to those starting out on their health and fitness quest. www.garmin.com

The Bio-Synergy DNA & Epigenetics Testing Kit Ever wondered what your true fitness potential might be? This world - first epigenetic tracking test combines DNA and epigenetic profiling to allow you to unlock the health secrets of your DNA and empower you to make the best decisions for optimal fitness and health.

Comes with a free work out and meal planner too. www.bio-synergy.uk

ENTREPRENEUR

Echelon Connect Sport Exercise Bike

361 Strata 4

More than just a bike, this is an excellent whole body fitness system offering not just an abundance of live and scenic on-demand rides delivered by trainers to suit your style, but a host of off-bike workouts from Zumba to kickboxing, yoga, stretching, Pilates, HIIT and more. www.echelonfit.uk

For those combining home work outs with heading out for a daily socially-distanced run, a super trainer choice is the advanced 361 Strata 4 which offers excellent stability, comfort and support mile after mile. www.361europe.com

Giesswein Merino Wool Runners

A gym in your pocket, the Activ5 system has everything you need to start building real strength in a few minutes a day. Even if you are recovering from an injury, or just want to tone and get fit, this is the ideal way to get started. It’s easy to use while you watch TV, or you can take the device with you wherever you like. The pack contains 1 Activ5 fitness device, a rugged phone stand and a free download code for the Activ5 app which has 100s of tailored exercises suitable for all fitness levels.

No extra gym equipment is needed, and you get a complete workout in 5 minutes, 3 times a day. The perfect solution for your at-home fitness regime. www.activbody.com

Worn by Gwenyth Paltrow, Teri Hatcher, Kim Cattrall and Diane Kruger, these stylish home work out sneakers made are made from Merino wool. They’re temperature regulating, water & odour resistant, extremely comfortable, lightweight and completely sustainable. www.uk.giesswein.com MiHIGH Infrared Sauna Blanket After working out, what better way to relax than a sauna – this is one with a difference though, and comes in cosy blanket form.

The infrared heat penetrates the skin seven times more efficiently than a regular sauna to flush out toxins, boost collagen levels and rejuvenate your skin. It’s actually able to facilitate a calorie burn of up to 600 calories in just 30-minutes too, and help aid sleep. www. mihigh.co.uk Meglio Fitness Bundle This pack of high quality fitness products contains all of the essentials you need to stay active and toned whilst at home, and are perfect for creating your very own work out area. Included are resistance tubes, loops and bands, rollers, a skipping rope and massage ball. www.mymeglio.com Leg Master Slim This is the ideal solution to keeping your legs trim and core tight when getting out and about is a challenge. Clinically-proven Leg Master Slim is a portable, lightweight musclestrengthening exercise device you can use even use whilst sitting at a home office desk. www.legmaster.co.uk

Activ5

Wattbike Atom This sleek model offers the very best in indoor cycling technology, with great connectivity to apps like Zwift and excellent analysis and accuracy for the more serious rider. An ideal solution for those missing their weekly spin sessions. www.wattbike.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

Scents of the Season From precious orange blossom to romantic rose, here are our specially chosen favourite fragrances for him & her..and for the home too.

The Organic Pharmacy Orange Blossom Fragrance Another excellent product from The Organic Pharmacy, this simply beautiful and uplifting fragrance evokes memories of much-missed warm Summer days. Fresh notes of Brazilian tangerine, green mandarin and sweet orange are tempered with precious Moroccan orange blossom and rosewood. www. theorganicpharmacy.com Organic Glam Rose Oud Fragrance by The Organic Pharmacy If you are a true perfume lover, and appreciate the finest fragrances, this fantastic perfume is an absolute must. Inspired by love and romance, Rose Oud evokes magical memories of Summer. Zesty lemon and bergamot are softened with rose and jasmine, and warmed with tonka bean, amber and woods. www. theorganicpharmacy.com 05 by Escentric Molecules For those who love their perfume to be truly unique and distinctive, niche, highend fragrance brand Escentric Molecules will delight. The just launched ‘05’ is simply perfect for this time of year as it takes you back to balmy Summer days, walking through orange groves by the sea on a beautiful sunkissed island. www.escentric.com

Gucci Bloom Profumo Di Fiori A sophisticated floral which heroes the fresh natural greenness of tuberose essence, with notes of jasmine and a warm base of sandalwood, orris, benzoin and musk. The result is an intense and romantic fragrance perfect for party-time and is a new twist on the Bloom classic. www.theperfumeshop.com Idôle Intense by Lancôme Elegant yet approachable, warm and romantic, this lovely fragrance has notes of rose, jasmine absolute and chypre accord. It comes in a handbag-perfect ultra-slim bottle which is also refillable. www.theperfumeshop.com Libra Intense by YSL A more intoxicating and romantic evening version of the floral bestseller, with top notes of mandarin, blackcurrant and petitgrain, a jasmine, lavender and orange blossom heart and base of vanilla, cedar, ambergris and musk. www.theperfumeshop.com Les Classiques by Valeur Absolue This brand offers a truly innovative approach to fragrance which uses a combination of aromachology (the study of scent and feeling) and lithotherapy (crystal healing). Experts in these fields, neuroscientists and renowned perfumers worked together to create a collection of perfumes, scented candles and dry body oils, to soothe and heal. Ingredients used are sustainably sourced, vegan and organic too. www.Valeurabsolue.co.uk

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

Flower by Kenzo Poppy Bouquet

Coach Blue

A vibrant, intense and gorgeous floral with notes of Bulgarian rose, gardenia, pear and almond wood. Distinctive and memorable and a reminder that Spring’s not far away. www.boots.com

Fresh and invigorating, the scent opens with aromatic notes of lime and absinthe. The heart contrasts lively black pepper with watery notes from an ozonic accord before drying down to warm, sensual cedarwood and amber. www. boots.com

4711 Floral Collection With elegant nuances of Rose, Jasmine and Lilac, 4711’s new Floral Collection of fragrances are inspired by the Original Eau de Cologne combined with feminine and mellow touches. www.boots.com Bentley Beyond - The Collection For her An array of three beautiful fragrances from the luxury car brand: Mellow Heliotrope with its delicate notes of vanilla, praline and strawberry; Radiant Osmanthus, a joyful fruity floral and Vibrant Hibiscus, a bold and vivacious perfume. www.shop.bentleymotors. com and www.harrods.com Gia by Tocca A feminine and fresh fragrance with notes of Turkish rose, tangerine, ylang ylang, tuberose and vanilla. Equally perfect for romantic Winter evenings or weekend walks by the sea.

Brings back wonderful memories of Summer’s heady days. www.theperfumeshop.com Lady Tubereurse by Moresque Could there be a more perfect perfume for romantic Winter evenings? This heady, wonderfully hypnotic fragrance is also a must for tuberose lovers. Vibrant top notes of citrus and ginger are softened with lily, angelica and ylang ylang, and rich resins, ambers and musks deliver a deep and decadent base. www.harrods.com Ermanno Scervino Evoking memories of sultry Summer Tuscan evenings, this inviting fresh yet rich fragrance has bright citrus notes, tempered by tuberose, jasmine and coconut, with a base of vanilla, amber and musk. www.debenhams.com

K by Dolce & Gabbana This fresh and vibrant fragrance has notes of Sicilian citrus , spicy juniper, lavender, geranium, and sage. Masculine cedar, vetiver and patchouli give richness and depth. www. theperfumeshop.com Le Male Le Parfum by Jean Paul Gaultier An intense, oriental woody fragrance with initial spicy notes of cardamom combined with delicate iris and aromatic lavender. The warmth of vanilla gives a rich deep base. www. theperfumeshop.com BOSS Bottled by Hugo Boss Warm, vibrant and memorable, it’s little wonder this masculine fragrance is still a favourite around the world. Bright citrus top notes are artfully tempered with cinnamon, geranium and cloves, warming to amber, sandalwood and musk. www.theperfumeshop.com Match Point by Lacoste For those men who like their fragrance to be light, fresh and vibrant, this is a great choice.

Zesty notes of grapefruit, basil and pink pepper are warmed by clary sage, gentian and geranium, and finished with rich leather and vetiver. www.theperfumeshop.com Mandarino Di Amalfi Acqua by Tom Ford A stunning fragrance which evokes memories of heady sun-kissed evenings on the Amalfi Coast. As the name suggests this is a bright citrus delight, with hints of marine accord, mint, wood and thyme. Perfect for any occasion and simply gorgeous. www.theperfumeshop.com

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

Heavenly Scented Home Our favourite products to fragrance your home this season.

Lily & Loaf Candles An array of absolutely gorgeous, highly scented candles which will fragrance your home beautifully. All products the range smell wonderful but our favourite is the Jasmine & Patchouli Candle which is made of hand-poured soy wax, and is natural and toxin-free. www.lilyandloafinternational.com Santa Baby by Victoria Cator Another luxury home fragrance range loved by celebrities is Victoria Cator. There are 12 bottled fragrances to choose from which fill any room with a beautiful aroma to enhance your mood. You can also pair these with a candle from the collection too. Perfect for this time of year is the Santa Baby room spritz, which smells just like you’ve stepped into a Winter wonderland. www.victoriacator.com Ebony Rose by Nostara As home fragrances go, Nostara is one of the very best luxury brands to choose. It offers a lovely range of beautifully scented candles and reed diffusers all made with natural, ecofriendly ingredients. The candles are 100% soy wax , so no noxious nasties, and are hand poured in the UK. We adore Ebony Rose, but do look out for Winter Wonderland too. www. nostara.com.

Une Forêt d’Or Limited Edition Candle by Goutal A wonderful fragrance which conjures up that moment after a walk in the forest when you decorate the house with snow-dusted pine branches and fresh oranges and mandarins.

Deliciously festive and presented in beautiful red and gold coloured glass. www. harveynichols.com

ENTREPRENEUR

Image: John Lewis Home AW 2020 Collection

ENTREPRENEUR

Lexus LC500 Limited Edition A masterclass in tasteful automotive design, you’d have to agree few cars are as elegantly beautiful as the Lexus LC500. It’s proof you simply don’t need OTT exhausts, flashy spoilers, and acres of chrome to make a car look good - especially when the model in question has all the genuine performance credentials it could needs.

This perfectly proportioned halo model from the Lexus range is also great to drive, with a just-right ride, precise feel and plenty of power to play with. It’s excels on long motorway hacks as you’d expect, but handles perfectly on tortuous tight lanes too, and is far more agile that its size alludes.

Few models we’ve driven – and that includes many beauties from the famous Italian marques, garnered as many covetous looks as the LC, and questions too… It’s great to drive a car that’s a little out of the norm, something unique, special.. and a million miles removed from the countless formulaic models churned out these days from many of the well known brands. A car to be proud of, to even dress up for – and most definitely not to take to the refuse tip or any other mundane errands that threated to sully its sleek lines.

But back to the details.. the LC 500 is a luxury 2+2 performance coupé taken from the award-winning aesthetic masterpiece, LF-LC concept. In fact, it’s one of the exceptionally rare times, a production car appears as a full on clone of the concept – so often they are a bland, watered-down poor substitute, but not here.

It retains the muscularity, wide low stance and imposing and classy presence.

The cockpit too is simply one of the best

you’ll see – it reminded us of a particularly luxurious private jet – with exquisite attention to detail, including hand-stitching, and use of carefully selected materials throughout, from the magnesium shift paddles and Alcantara® door trims, to the beautifully finished, tactile leather gearshift lever.

Tech rich too – it features an LFA-inspired display with 3D effect, a multimedia screen with touch pad and large coloured head-up display keep you both informed and entertained.

Everything is perfectly arranged too. The controls and displays are intuitively positioned, right where you need them, and frequently used controls, such as Drive Mode Select are naturally close to hand on the steering wheel.

The ergonomic intelligence of the cockpit gives you the confidence to enjoy spirited driving.

Performance wise, with a 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine and Direct Shift 10-speed automatic transmission, the LC 500 is amazingly responsive and far more frugal than you’d expect, at around the 34mpg mark.

The LC 500’s engine uses a dual intake inlet which helps the system breathe, and facilitates the engine’s fantastic sound. This ‘naturally aspirated’ engine pairs wonderfully with the sports coupé as a whole. It complements the model’s linear power delivery, giving you ease of control and smile-inducing exhilaration when you’re behind the wheel.

There’s also a hybrid version now – the LC500h, and this features the world’s first four-stage Multi Stage Hybrid System; a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine combined with an advanced electric motor. This delivers efficient, low emission

ENTREPRENEUR

power and yet uncompromised evocative driving experience.

sporting,

And, released just a few weeks ago, there’s also now a beautiful LC500 Convertible – just in time to enjoy the last of any warm sunny days before Winter heads in. Whether you’re driving along a sun-soaked coastal road or over a dramatic Alpine pass, the new Lexus LC Convertible promises to deliver an unmatched level of open top luxury and awesome V8 power.

Stunning, high performance, dynamic driving, wonderful cars you must experience. Truly hard to beat. We can’t wait to try the just as beautiful convertible version.

Visit: www.lexus.co.uk

ENTREPRENEUR

Mercedes-AMG GLC 4MATIC If a super-stylish, top quality, spacious and versatile SUV is what you might be seeking, the Mercedes-AMG GLC is certainly worth consideration. New for this year, this successful model has received a raft of enhancements, transforming what was already a great car, into a highly desirable benchmark-setting, luxurious large SUV. Viewed on the road, this is a striking, well proportioned and handsome vehicle. It looks and indeed is exceptionally well built. Broad and muscular with a purposeful stance it has ample kerb appeal.

Treatments to the exterior for this latest model include a striking AMG-specific radiator grille with vertical chrome-plated fins, restyled, flatter LED high performance headlamps with flare effect for the daytime running lamps and matt black fins over the air intakes feature trim elements in Silver Shadow, enhancing the car’s visual presence yet further.

Seen side-on, the accentuated side sill panels are a particularly striking feature of the SUV, in the way they give an optical illusion of lowering and elongating the whole vehicle. A similarly eye-catching feature are the aerodynamically optimised AMG light-alloy wheels, with the 19-inch variant with AMG lettering fitted as standard.

The distinctive rear end, too, with its broad apron, diffuser and two round twin tailpipes, adds to the sporty look. As with the front view, the redesigned LED tail lights provide for an unmistakable light signature.

Slip inside to a cabin of design delights.

Reflecting AMG performance pedigree, there’s a distinctive sporty look and feel throughout, including sports seats as standard, which offer improved lateral support to both the

driver and front passenger. The upholstery, in black ARTICO man-made leather/DINAMICA microfibre, has striking red topstitching highlights and tastefully judged aluminium flashes add to the premium feel.

The cabin is remarkably spacious and a thoroughly pleasant place to be – even on long motorway journeys such as those we did on test. Large windows and decent leg, shoulder and head room give a bright and airy feel to appeal to even the most sensitive passengers.

The rise is just right too and there’s very minimal wind, road and noise. The boot is large, and plenty big enough for luggage, sports kit and a huge Waitrose weekly shop.

Engine wise, the GLC benefits from an increase in the output of the 3.0-litre V6 engine of 17 kW (23 hp), taking it to 287 kW (390 hp). The peak torque of 520 Nm is available from 2500 to 4500 rpm. The GLC SUV takes a mere 4.9 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h. and on to a top speed of an electronically limited to 250 km/h. This powerful AMG engine is visually identifiable by its engine cover with red aluminium insert and AMG lettering.

As you’d expect, there’s a veritable raft of infotainment, safety and driving dynamics tech to enjoy. Highlights include the latest version of the excellent MBUX infotainment system which can be operated it’s operated via a touchpad, steering wheel buttons, voice or even gesture control. Any time you mentioned the ‘M’ word or say ‘Hey Mercedes’ it comes alive.

Out on the road, it’s a smooth, supple and rewarding SUV to drive. The new standard-fit AMG steering wheel in with galvanised steering wheel gearshift paddles enable an even sportier driving style. You can opt for AMG steering wheel buttons should you wish, to allow an even faster and more precise control of specific

ENTREPRENEUR

dynamic handling functions. Always safety in mine, thanks to the ergonomic positioning of the additional steering wheel buttons within the immediate grip area, the driver’s hands remain on the wheel at all times.

A well built, super quality, spacious and versatile SUV which is great to drive, tech rich and has oodles of kerb appeal.

Visit: www.mercedes-benz.co.uk

ENTREPRENEUR

New Volvo V60 Super Stylish Scandi Estate Volvo’s excellent V60 stands right at the pinnacle of the brand’s decades’- long heritage of making the most safe, reliable, capable and desirable estates in the world. It brings all these attributes, ground-breaking technology and striking Scandinavian design together to create what’s being hailed as the best new estate money can buy.

Designed to prove that estate cars don’t have to be dull, the V60 combines stunning looks with Volvo’s legendary practicality. Perfect for modern family life, its versatile design and plethora of practical touches make it the ideal car for those who need an estate but don’t want to be stuck with the dull and boxy lines typical of this type of car.

Viewed kerbside, our Volvo V60 R-Design in Fusion Red is a handsome and elegant car.

The brand’s hallmark clean Scandi lines and eye-catching details are displayed to their best advantage and the result is a car of class, substance and purpose. From its distinctive headlights with their T-shaped daytime running lights and indicators to the tail-lights that emphasise the muscular line that flows down the car’s flanks, the V60 is the epitome of modern, elegant design. The R-Design models’ feature a high-gloss black exterior trim, dual integrated exhaust pipes and 18-inch diamondcut alloy wheels.

Enter the cabin and the visual delights continue.

The clean design and use of premium natural materials such as the hand-finished driftwood inlays of Inscription versions, make the V60’s interior a serene and distinctive place to be. Craftmanship and attention to detail are evident everywhere you look. Being a Volvo, everything is ergonomically placed, and there’s

no superfluous knobs and switches to clutter the minimal design.

There are a host of features to enjoy however – our car was fitted with a power glass tilt and slide sunroof; heated screen, steering wheel and seats; Sensus connect with premium sound by Harmon Kardon with Dolby Pro Logic II surround sound ,and much more… including an excellent 360 degree parking camera. Music lovers, you can opt for a fantastic Bowers & Wilkins 15 speaker 1,500 watts premium sound system too.

Despite being Volvo’s smallest estate, the V60 is far from diminutive. In fact, with 529 litres seats up and 1,442 down, it has the largest boot of any premium compact estate, along with one of the biggest cabins in the class. Flat boot sides and no loading lip make using all the available space easy, too. A retractable load cover keeps your valuables hidden from prying eyes, and petrol and diesel versions even have storage space beneath the boot floor.

A power-operated tailgate is fitted as standard to every V60. It is available with handsfree opening, which enables you to open and close the tailgate by simply putting your foot beneath the rear bumper – perfect for when you’ve got your hands full or when loading bulky, heavy objects in the boot. Its long wheelbase means passenger space is equally generous.

All Volvo’s are tech rich and generously loaded even as standard. And of course, this includes a pretty much matchless array of the most advanced safety systems available - from Volvo On call, to blind-spot info system with steer assist, cross traffic alert with autobrake and rear collision mitigation, run off road protection and more. This continued focus on safety innovation is all part of Volvo’s Vision – that no one will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo car.

ENTREPRENEUR

Out on the road, this is a powerful, dynamic and engaging car to drive. Drive Mode settings allow you to tailor certain dynamic functions and convenience features of the car to suit your personal preference or the road conditions.

These include the responses of the engine, automatic gearbox, suspension, steering, brakes and the climate control. As with all new Volvos, the V60 is powered exclusively by the brand’s powerful yet efficient Drive-E engines, designed and built by Volvo. Every engine in the V60 is Volvo’s own 2.0-litre, four-cylinder Drive-E unit. These all-aluminium engines use sophisticated injection and boosting technology to offer an exceptional combination of power

and efficiency. Our test car’s 250hp B5 engine coupled with an auto box proved swift, smooth and frugal too.

In summary, there’s so much to admire with this car. It simply ticks all the boxes in terms of style, space, speed, practicality, quality, class and safety. The V60 is one of those very rare cars it’s impossible to pick fault with. It really is that good. www.volvocars.com

ENTREPRENEUR

Mazda CX-30 Compact & Stylish SUV The CX-30 is a perfect choice for city dwellers wanting a stylish and versatile compact SUV for weekend escapes.

Masterfully combining the bold stance of an SUV with the sleek profile of a coupe, the CX-30 is a model with class and ample kerb appeal.

These attractive lines hint at an agile and sporty drive, underpinned with the sturdiness and stability you’d want from a model capable of more than a daily commute.

As with all Mazda cars, there’s a great choice of exterior colours, from the bright and bold to classic neutral metallics. All are set off to their best advantage by ample bright chrome detailing and stylish wheels.

The CX-30’s interiors are pleasing to the eye too. Slip inside to discover a spacious, light and airy cabin, furnished with durable and attractive fabrics and neat practical touches.

Premium dark grey cloth with navy blue accents is standard, while GT Sport and GT Sport Tech models feature black leather with rich brown accents or you can opt for a rather elegant stone coloured leather. There’s plenty of room in the 430-litre boot too – more than enough for a couple’s or busy family’s needs.

Available in five trim levels – SE-L, SE-L Lux, Sport Lux, GT Sport and GT Sport Tech, the new CX-30 features Mazda’s characteristically generous standard equipment levels across the entire range. Every car featuring a colour windscreen projecting head-up display, radar cruise control and LED headlights to name just a few of the high-grade items found on every model.

Here in the UK the model is offered with a choice of two petrol engines, both of which

feature the 24v Mazda M Hybrid mild-hybrid system. Familiar from the recently launched all-new Mazda3, the 122ps 2.0-litre Skyactiv-G engine features cylinder-deactivation and is exclusively matched to front-wheel drive with a choice of automatic or manual transmission across all five trim levels. Likewise, the groundbreaking Spark Controlled Compression Ignition (SPCCI) Skyactiv-X petrol engine is also offered across all grades with a choice of transmission. Additionally from Sport Lux upwards, the Skyactiv-X CX-30 is available with Mazda’s latest advanced i-Activ all-wheel drive system – ideal for driving in challenging Winter conditions.

Thanks to its unique combustion method in which spark plug ignition is used to control compression ignition, the resulting efficiencies mean the 180ps petrol SPCCI engine delivers diesel rivalling economy combined with low CO2 emissions and flexible performance.

With emissions as low as 133g/km and WLTP combined economy as high as 47.9mpg, the Skyactiv-X engine is the perfect solution for private and business customers, offering the ideal alternative to diesel.

On test, the CX-30 proved the perfect urban run around – and was equally at home heading cross country on weekend escapes. It’s engaging to drive, spacious enough for a family of four, well made and a perfect choice for those wanting a capable, versatile and compact SUV. www.mazda.co.uk

ENTREPRENEUR

ENTREPRENEUR

New Jaguar F-Type Jaguar is rightly famous for of producing some of the most admired sportscars in the world – think back to the hallowed E-Type adored by so many as just one of many examples.

The latest model to carry this torch is the recently enhanced F-Type, which is already charming die-hard Jaguar fans and those new to the brand, with its eye-catching and elegant sweeping curves, bold, brave lines and luxury materials throughout.

The F-Type certainly isn’t the car for those craving anonymity as it demands attention and admiration where ever it travels. Which ever way it’s viewed, it delights the eye, there are no bad angles, no questionable lines.

Justifiably proud of this new model, Julian Thomson, Jaguar’s Design Director said of this masterpiece: “Design the most beautiful sports car, with purity, proportion and presence that’s unmistakably Jaguar: that was the challenge we set ourselves. The new F-TYPE is more dramatic than ever, with even greater clarity of purpose in every line, surface and feature, and embodies true Jaguar design DNA. He continued: “State-of-the-art technologies together with luxurious materials and finishes deliver beauty with purpose in an interior which will delight driver and passenger alike even before the engine starts and the journey begins. Jaguar has been making sports cars for more than 70 years, and that rich heritage has inspired the team to create something truly extraordinary.”

F-TYPE’s award-winning design has evolved still further with a focus on even greater purity and discipline to the perfectly-sculpted form. Superslim pixel LED headlights with subtly updated signature ‘Calligraphy’ J daytime running lights, and sweeping direction indicators, blend perfectly into the ‘liquid metal’ surfacing of the new clamshell bonnet, exaggerating the

car’s visual width and accentuating its assertive stance. The new front bumper and subtly enlarged grille deliver even more visual impact and presence.

The muscular rear haunches enhance the F-TYPE’s inherently dramatic, purposeful form, while the new slender rear lights combine an unmistakable LED chicane signature, inspired by the Jaguar I-PACE all-electric Performance SUV, with subtle monogram pattern detailing and a fine ‘pinstripe’ beneath.

Slip inside to appreciate interior traditional Jaguar craftsmanship with rich, contemporary materials such as Windsor Leather and satinfinish Noble Chrome. Beautiful details include monogram stitch patterns in the seats and door trims, Jaguar Leaper motifs in the headrests, and subtle ‘Jaguar Est.1935’ markings on the centre console finisher, glovebox release button surround, and seatbelt guides.

The 12.3-inch reconfigurable Interactive Driver Display offers a choice of different display modes; including full map mode. As befits a true sports car, the default mode is characterised by the large central rev counter. This feature and the gearshift light subtly convey the F-TYPE’s driver-focused character and performance potential.

It’s not all about the new F-Type’s appearance though – it’s a great drive too. The range of powerful, responsive engines includes fourand eight-cylinder options, all matched to eightspeed Quickshift transmissions with full manual control using either the SportShift gear selector or the steering wheel-mounted paddles. And, this latest model features even more driverfocused technology, including a reconfigurable, high-definition, 12.3-inch Interactive Driver Display, Touch Pro infotainment system with

ENTREPRENEUR

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard and software-over-the-air functionality so future software updates can be made at the customer’s convenience, without having to visit a Retailer. Two superb Meridian sound systems also offer enhanced sound reproduction.

Out on test, this new head-turning F-Type is smooth, swift, responsive and rewarding – and it’s worth driving with the window’s down to appreciate its deliciously raucous exhaust roar. We took it cross country to Wales on long motorway hikes, and had fun playing on tight, twisty and remote ‘B’ roads. The cabin

is beautifully crafted and even when travelling for 3 solid hours, super comfortable too. The F-Type really is a Jaguar to invest in and cherish for many years to come.

Visit: www.jaguar.co.uk

ENTREPRENEUR

Maserati Levante Class-leading Luxury, Space & Performance Romantically named, like all Maseratis, after famous winds around the world, from the Mistral in the 1960’s to the Bora, Khamsin, and latest model Ghibli, the Levante certainly lives up to its force of nature meaning.

This beautifully crafted SUV can indeed change in an instant from a calm and supremely comfortable cruiser, to a thrilling and dynamic true driver’s car capable of a super impressive 4.1 second 0-62 sprint in Levante Trofeo guise, rising to just 6 seconds for the entry model.

This dual personality makes it a perfect car for all occasions.

Imposing, handsome and substantial, viewed in the metal the Levante is an impressive and incredibly stylish car – as you’d expect from any model with a hallowed Maserati badge.

Ours on test was the rather beautiful Levante GranLusso, resplendent in a special Blue Nobile paint which sparkled and shimmered in the sun. This was set of wonderfully by 21-inch Anteo rims with bright red Rosso calipers, and ample yet tasteful chrome, plus the famous trident badge, side vents and bold black and chrome grille.

The cabin is a work of art, every surface, detail and feature is well made, stylish and built to last. All controls are perfectly placed, and it’s a cockpit which is a masterclass in ergonomics and aesthetics combined.

The interior colour scheme of ours was tan and black with blue highlights on the seats which looked classic and expensive. The seats were in Cuoio premium leather and Ermenegildo Zegna silk and easy to adjust to achieve your optimum position – even if short or tall, and could be heated too, along with the steering wheel, ideal for the colder days ahead.

A

panoramic sunroof let in plenty of light, but with large windows, the cabin is bright and airy anyway, even when closed.

Out on the road, whether long motorway journeys or running local errands, the Levante is a pleasure to drive or be a passenger in. Its sports coupé lines not only look great but contribute to class-leading aerodynamic efficiency, which, with Maserati’s excellent engine and autobox delivering from a hefty 500Nm of torque and 350bhp up to a whopping 730Nm and 580bhp for the super-sporting Trofeo model, provides thrilling power at the slightest accelerator touch.

For a sizable SUV, the Levante is remarkably agile too, and easy to park thanks to a crystal clear 360 camera system. There’s barely any wind or road noise, the suspension on the ‘normal’ setting is just right for most passengers and it’s hard to imagine many other cabins being as comfortable for all occupants on even the longest journeys.

As you’d expect, the Levante is fitted with just about every safety system you could think of, to give you peace of mind whether you’re tackling rough terrains, inclement weather or navigating your way through hazardous pedestrian-filled busy streets.

With regard to noise – there’s one particular sound you certainly don’t want dialed down – and that’s the fantastic throaty growls from the engine and exhaust.

You can even listen to the engine notes on the website to whet your appetite should you feel so inclined.

Being a proudly Italian make, it’s probably no surprise a host of fashionable accessories and customisations are available, to enable you to fit and style your Levante to your very

ENTREPRENEUR particular tastes.

Even the choice of rims is exceptional – from minimal and modern to the beautiful flower-like 21-inch Eracle style, and you can select from no less than 5 brake caliper colours too and a host of wheel centre caps.

For those who love an adventure, you can bedeck your Levante with a plethora of useful and stylish accessories, from roof rails, bars, boxes and racks, to bike, ski and snowboard carriers. Maserati even offer their own luxury pushchair and child’s car seats too.

All in all, a luxurious, class leading, versatile, powerful and wonderfully stylish SUV for all occasions and seasons.

Www.maserati.com

ENTREPRENEUR

Toyota GT86 Super Coupe For a thoroughly engaging, exciting and stylish drive, the GT 86 takes some beating. It might be the world’s most compact four-seater sports car, but it certainly packs a punch and it’s no surprise it’s a firm favourite for countless performance car lovers across the globe.

Conceived as an entirely driver-focused machine, the GT 86 was designed to re-capture the purity of a true classic sports car experience – with precise, instant responses to the smallest throttle and steering inputs, and the kind of performance that’s sought by those for whom driving is one of their life’s passions.

To achieve this exceptional drive, Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada and his Subaru counterpart, Toshio Masuda, were determined for the GT 86 to be rear-wheel drive and also turbocharge free, opting go back to Toyota’s sporting roots.

Instead of a conventional heavy powertrain, they installed a compact, front-mounted, freerevving, horizontally opposed ‘boxer’ petrol engine that drives the rear wheels.

This combined with the car’s light weight, low inertia and a low centre of gravity to achieve the best possible power-to-weight ratio, resulted in a spirited and accessible performance and dynamic character.

It’s not all about performance though. This is a wonderfully handsome and striking car – and one that’s even better viewed in the metal on test. Its design is all about using modern sports car technologies to create a car that is both beautiful to look at and a pleasure to drive.

Toyota calls this concept “Neo Functionalism,” expressing how the car’s driving quality and aesthetic beauty are part of its functionality.

An example of this ethos are the exterior lines and surfaces which are designed not only to look good, but also to help the driver to know

just where each corner of the vehicle is at all times, so it is easy to place accurately on the road or track. The view out from inside the car was integral to the design process too, so the front wings are clearly visible from the wheel, as are the car’s rear quarters.

This continues inside with a horizontal dashboard design which helps communicate the vehicle’s roll posture and also centre-line to the driver – both handy performance-driving aids.

Every design detail also serves to maintain or improve the car’s aerodynamics, including the addition of two fins in the lower bumper beneath the grille aperture. There are seven bold exterior paint choices - Pure Red, GT Ice Silver metallic, GT Black metallic, GT Starlight Blue, GT Grey metallic, GT Orange metallic and GT White Pearl.

Enter the cabin to experience quality trims and fabrics, a small track-car inspired steering wheel and a 4.2- inch colour TFT multiinformation display which shows read-outs for performance-focused driving, including torque and power curves, lap time function and even G-forces. Drivers can also make use of a new “Track” driving mode, that deactivates the car’s vehicle stability control and traction control electronic systems.

All controls are drivercentric and ergonomically placed. There’s a comprehensive raft of other state-of-the-art, safety, infotainment and driving aid tech too, as you’d expect from Toyota.

On test, the GT 86 proved an absolute driving delight. Its agility, instant power and pinsharp cart-like handling delivered thrills and excitement on trip.

It’s actually as good, if not better a drive than more than a few performance cars costing many times its price.

The Nürburgring – tested driver’s seat provided

ENTREPRENEUR

welcome support even when negotiating tight turns at speed, and was comfortable on even long journeys. The soft knee pads built into the door trim and centre console were handy too in helping keep pedal control when the car was thrown around. Eye-catching to a fault, it won many an admiring look. A simply cracking car I wish I owned! www.toyota.co.uk

ENTREPRENEUR

Toyota RAV4 Versatile & Engaging Compact SUV Another excellent example of a compact SUV suitable for both urban and country life is the new Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.

This perennially popular car is loved for its go-anywhere performance, rugged SUV stance and agile and fun hatchback handling.

Little wonder it’s been one of the world’s biggest selling models of this type since its launch.

Viewed kerbside, the RAV4 looks sturdy, powerful, and, with its pretty high ground clearance, and large wheels, all-terrain capable too. Important for an SUV, the latest model has improved visibility with a lower bonnet and mirrors, and larger rear windows which open up the driver’s field of vision.

The cabin is a harmony of soft touch surfaces, high quality fabrics and artistic design flourishes. A larger, open centre console is in keeping with a welcoming, functional SUV interior. In addition, extra special attention was paid to providing plenty of useful and easily accessible storage for the driver and front passenger.

Space-wise, the latest RAV4 boasts best-in-class load space and comfort. With all seats in place, the cargo area is 580 litres, 79 litres more than the previous generation car. The new model is shorter to enhance manoeuvrability, yet the wheelbase has been increased creating a more spacious cabin. It’s also 10mm wider and the same lower too, which helps give the model a more stable and purposeful stance.

Out on the road, focus on driver comfort, control and convenience is evident. The new TNGA chassis the RAV4 is built around allows for a more engaging driving position, without detracting from the commanding view of the

road that’s a defining quality of an SUV. The driver’s hip point has been lowered and the range of steering wheel adjustment increased.

This, together with a generous seat adjustment range and precise positioning of the pedals and arm rest make it easy to achieve an ideal driving position.

Passenger comfort has been improved too.

There’s more space and it’s now easier to get in and out of the doors too – handy for those negotiating awkward child seats. And the load space behind the rear seats has been made larger and more user-friendly thanks to a fully flat floor and increased length. With the rear seats folded down, the new RAV4 can even accommodate a 29-inch mountain bike without any wheels having to be removed.

There is a height-adjustable, two-level deck board that can be reversed when dirty items need to be carried. The rear seats have a 60:40 split-folding function and there are storage nets on each side of the boot. Other clever details include a hand grip on the tailgate that can serve as a hanger and a power-operated tailgate with hands-free function.

For an SUV, the RAV4 Hybrid is a refreshingly engaging and agile drive. Its low centre of gravity, light weight and strong, rigid and balanced chassis delivers excellent handling, stability and driver rewards. It’s a safe car too thanks to an enhanced Toyota’s Safety Sense system. Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Tracing Assist, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Pre-Collision System, Road Sign Assist System are just some of the highlights.

It’s also equipped with a significantly improved and more capable electric AWD-i system which enables better fuel economy during urban driving, quieter performance at high speeds and better traction in slippery conditions –

ENTREPRENEUR

handy for this time of year. The new 2.5-litre Hybrid Dynamic Force engine combines fuel and emissions efficiency and quiet operation with more power and greater responsiveness.

It’s supple, smooth and refined.

Whether for taking the kids to school, doing the weekly shop or escaping the city for a welcome weekend coast or countryside escape, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is a great choice. www.toyota.co.uk

INTRODUCING...

CLUB

& EI

As a Club E&I member you’ll have free and unlimited access to:  Full access to online back-issues of Entrepreneur & Investor magazine  Special quarterly digital mini-magazines  Full and unlimited access to the Entrepreneur & Investor website  With more still to come…

Join now for free at

entrepreneurandinvestor.com/clubei