MATTERS How To
LEAD IN A CRISIS BE A
Thought
LEADER IN YOUR
NICHE Do You Need A Business COACH?
ARIANNA HUFFINGTON Proudly Brought To You By:
CONTENTS 6
ARIANA HUFFINGTON: PUTTING YOURSELF FIRST
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HOW TO BE A THOUGHT LEADER IN YOUR NICHE
6
14 WHY YOU NEED AN ACCOUNTANT
MONEY SAVING
19 TIPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
14 2 Business Matters
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GET YOUR EMPLOYEES TO THRIVE
27
HOW TO LEAD IN A CRISIS
31
35
31 FENG SHUI YOUR DESK
35 TREAT YOUR CLIENTS LIKE VIPs
40
40 WHY A BUSINESS
COACH IS SO GOOD FOR YOUR BUSINESS
45 RECIPE: AVOID THE 3PM SLUMP
45
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matters
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Welcome to Business Matters Magazine. We know that financial peace isn’t the acquisition of stuff. It’s learning to live on less than you make, so you can give money back and have money to invest. You can’t win until you do this. Learn more about getting the most out your business with our expert tips and economic advice, right here, where Business Matters.
am e T e h T
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ARIANNA HUFFINGTON Putting Yourself First It’s no surprise that founder and CEO of Thrive Global, cofounder of The Huffington Post and author of 15 books, Arianna Huffington has been named on Time Magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list.
and frequently-cited media brands on the Internet, which she stepped down from after a decade at the helm. Admittedly becoming ‘obsessed’ with reducing the impact of stress on our daily lives, Arianna created the health and wellness platform, Thrive Global.
Back in 2005, she launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that quickly became one of the most widely-read
In these extraordinary times of uncertainty, anxiety and stress, Arianna says that taking care of your well-being is Business Matters
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more important than ever. Her personal wake-up call came in the form of a broken cheekbone and a nasty gash over her eye — the result of a fall brought on by exhaustion and lack of sleep. After going from MRI to CAT scan to echocardiogram looking for any underlying medical problems beyond exhaustion, she wondered: is this really what success feels like? “After my collapse from sleep deprivation and exhaustion in 2007 I became more and more passionate about the connection between well-being and performance. And as I went around the world speaking about my experience, I saw two things: First, that we’re facing a stress and burnout epidemic. And second, that people deeply want to change the way they work and live.” “That’s why I launched Thrive Global – to go beyond raising awareness and create something real and tangible that would help individuals, companies and communities improve their well-being and 8 Business Matters
performance and unlock their greatest potential.” Arianna spoke with Australia’s first female prime minister, Julia Gillard, for a heartwarming discussion about the importance of optimism and empathy during these testing times. “We have to use this time as a catalyst for building a world that’s better, fairer and more compassionate than the world we are leaving behind,” Arianna said. “I feel it’s an opportunity now to change the world that we’re going to go to, instead of going back to a world fuelled by stress and burnout, which is why I founded Thrive.” “It’s kind of amazing that the leadership skills that have been traditionally identified with women like empathy, team building and collaboration are now more needed than ever,” she shared in the chat which was brought to life by Optus’s #GDayADay series.
Arianna believes that to achieve success, taking care of your own well being is of utmost importance. “I have three favourite micro steps – too small to fail,” Arianna said. “One is to focus on my breath every time I’m feeling stressed, the other thing is to constantly remind myself of three things I’m grateful for, and my third step is to set a cut-off point for news and social media consumption,” she told Jess Barron of Livestrong.com. For Arianna, getting a full night’s sleep and exercising enables her to be more creative in her workday. By prioritizing her well being, she can place the best bets on herself. She often quotes Rumi as an inspiration to “live life as if everything is rigged in your favor,” because if you have a positive outlook on circumstances, then it’s most likely that good things are always around the corner.
She believes putting yourself first because by putting others first, you can get left behind. Running on empty diminishes your ability to be successful, so if you are taken care of, you will have more energy to give to the things that matter, such as work, family and friends. “Our relentless pursuit of the two traditional metrics of success – money and power – has led to an epidemic of burnout and stress-related illnesses, and an erosion in the quality of our relationships, family life, and, ironically, our careers,” she says on Thrive. com. Thrive uses the latest groundbreaking research and scientific findings in the fields of psychology, sports, sleep, and physiology to show the profound effects of meditation, mindfulness, unplugging, and giving. Arianna Huffington is proving it is a delusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success.
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“ Be authentic. People respect, listen to and connect with experts who “walk the walk,” who are approachable, natural, and real.
HOW TO BE A
THOUGHT LEADER IN YOUR NICHE
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Standing out in the marketplace means gaining traction in the industry and building an audience, which can be a challenging process. You need to nail marketing strategies such as branding, advertising online or offline, blogging, giveaways, having a referral and rewards program, and more.
NICHE DOWN YOUR TOPIC
Another way that is often overlooked is to develop a platform where you are leading the conversation in your area of expertise. After all, you are the leader, founder and CEO of your business and you are passionate about what it offers. You are actually in a perfect position to become a thought leader in your field.
• What exactly are you an expertin?
While getting to this point takes time and effort, it’s a worthwhile investment that will result in you building credibility, reach, leads, and platform. These questions will help you to understand what your personal brand must centre on.
• With so much noise out there these days, you will need to get very specific about your specialty. • What is your business niche? • Which area can you be a changemaker?
• What are you passionate about more than anyone else • What do you value? • What do you love? • What does your audience value, and where does the overlap lie between your interests and the consumers’? You need to find a precise area to focus on that differentiates you from other entrepreneurs. By becoming the industry leader on one particular topic,
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people will begin coming to you for information, advice, quotes, and for the services your organisation offers, because you’re known as the “go-to” thought leader.
CONSISTENCY IS VITAL People need to remember you. They’re only going to do this if you’re consistent in your branding. Although some testing and measuring is normal and needed, ask yourself before you share something publicly, if it is consistent with your brand and your message.
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Consistency means regularity of your content, too. People need to hear from you often to keep you front of mind, so it’s important to share information and ideas regularly. Create a content plan a few months ahead at a time, so you keep producing regular content and new ideas. Look at the topics being talked about frequently in the media and find a way to tie your offerings and values into these relevant subjects. Journalists might even approach you for your viewpoints on topical
also gives action steps they can follow to get ahead. Give to your audience. Come up with questions you and other people in your field get asked all the time as a starting point for what you can offer. Be as helpful as you can, and you’ll soon start building a name for yourself as a thought leader.
AUTHENTICITY IS KEY
matters, and help further propel your status as a thought leader.
GIVE, GIVE, GIVE Share the expertise you have in a public forum. Create loads of content, such as blogs, videos, articles, books, talks and workshops, where you educate others on what you know. Really focus on helping others to succeed.
Most importantly, be authentic. People respect, listen to and connect with experts who “walk the walk,” who are approachable, natural, and real. Some of your audience will be able to connect with you and your story, which means they are more likely to be loyal followers and potential clients. You don’t want to build a brand based on anyone other than your authentic self. It’s all about who you are and what you believe in, and how this can help others. Be yourself, and things will fall into place more easily.
Create “how to” content for your audience which is insightful and helpful, but
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WHY YOU NEED AN
ACCOUNTANT 14 Business Matters
A
ccountants can help out at various stages during the growth of your business. They can handle much more than just your payroll and tax returns. So when should you consider hiring an accountant for your small business?
When your business is your livelihood, you’ve simply got to get it right. If things start going backwards, the tough times get tougher, so in a down economy, making good decisions is even more critical. Unless you are a financial wizz, an accountant you can rely on is worth their weight in gold. All your financial decisions should be made by using accurate financial numbers to determine the levers to pull to increase your profits. Your accountant understands what these numbers mean, determines if the figures are correct and evaluates the best plan forward. It’s important for you, as the business owner, to maintain your business mindset and mental health and focus on what you do best. Handing the
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numbers over your accountant means that everyone is playing to their strengths - and that’s good for business. You don’t necessarily need to employ an accountant fulltime or hire one on a retainer basis. Sometimes just a couple of hours of their time will be enough. Like all small business owners who are looking to save money, you may think you can’t afford an accountant. But look at how long it would take you to do certain tasks (such as taxes), and ask yourself, is that a good use of your time? For example, let’s say it takes you 10 hours to do your taxes, and your time is worth $100 an hour. That’s a cost of $1000 to do your taxes yourself. And there’s always the risk you’ve made errors – especially if you’re multitasking like most business owners. Getting an accountant to take care of time-consuming tasks like taxes, it’s quite likely they will cost less per hour than you would pay yourself. You’ll not
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only have extra time to free you up to generate revenue, but you’ll have peace of mind that an expert is taking care of the details.
and an accountant will review financial statements regularly, in order to tackle issues that are adversely affecting your business early on.
Sounds like a no-brainer? They will also figure out where your business related stress points are, so they stop having power over you moving ahead. Waiting too long to decrease costs after revenue has gone down, is a primary cause for companies losing substantial amounts of money. Keeping on top of your financial records is vital in enabling you to react quickly when revenue drops
Small business accounting can quickly become complex if you do it on your own. If you feel you’re losing control of who owes you money and how much, an accountant can help you get back on track. You might want to measure key business metrics, such as the ratio of salaries and other employee payments to total revenue, which an accountant
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will help with by managing your payroll and producing graphs so you can see how the ratio changes over time. Having an accountant manage your balance sheets will show the liquidity and sustainability of your business as well as an accurate profit and loss statement to show how your business is doing and what room you have to move. Business owners often become overworked, which is partly due to a reluctance to asking for help. You might feel that no one knows your business as well as you do, however, an inability to delegate can mean you’re left feeling overworked and stressed. Try to let go a little and trust others to handle some parts of your business so that you can look after what you do best. Some of the most successful business owners in the world are experts at delegating work to the right people – so try to learn from them. 18 Business Matters
Money Saving Tips FOR SMALL BUSINESSES Business Matters
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T
he bottom line in every organization is that money keeps the wheels turning. It is important to know how to stretch an organization’s budget during challenging times because sometimes, pennypinching is the only way you make it through.
Saving money even when business is booming is good preparation for when you encounter challenging times. Here are some areas in your business where you can save a little bit more cash.
Lean into telecommuting What do we need offices for anyway? Office space rental is
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a substantial investment. And even if you already own the space, commercial property taxes can make a significant dent in your budget too. Telecommuting is a great way to cut down on these expenses. You can rent or buy a smaller space just so your key employees can come in if they want to and the rest can work from home.
As for your employees, there are some attractive tax incentives for working from home too, making telecommuting a win-win scenario.
Advertising intelligently The most effective advertising platforms have migrated from the television to the internet and the sooner your marketing team embraces this, the better. Expensive 30-second TV spots no longer have the same efficacy as before and blogs and websites, which
are often either free to use or inexpensive, have become the place to be if you want eyeballs on your product offerings and brand. You can save some money simply by focusing more on these modern platforms.
Invest in software and automation Good employees are the lifeblood of your business, so don’t waste them on menial work. Invest in software and automation tools that will alleviate the burden on your
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employees so they can focus on more meaningful work.
Avoid hidden costs From news outlet subscriptions to inefficient phone plans, there are costs that we just ignore mostly because they seem too small to matter. However, over the course of a year, these costs can add up to a significant sum. The most important thing to do here is to assess the value you get from each expense. If you deem them necessary for the smooth conduct of business, then consider renegotiating. But, if the service is not as important to business operations, consider cutting it altogether.
Aim for sustainability Office wastage can be a huge drain on resources. They usually start off as inconsequential but can easily balloon into million-dollar losses for your business year on year if you are unable to keep it in check. Try to make
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use of natural light as much as possible or turn off the airconditioning unit when it is not too hot. These are simple yet effective ways to bring costs down and revenues up.
Collect account receivables + get creative with payables In times of crisis, everyone would be in cash-saving mode. This gives way to creativity. Some companies might give you a leeway on your payables. Others might accept services as payment. These should help you keep cash in your accounts for a longer period of time. On the flip side, you can also try to collect on overdue invoices. Some of your clients may just have forgotten about the rendered services or goods delivered.
Get Your Employees To
Thrive
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Y
ou may be doing everything you can to create a positive working environment for your team but chances are, at some point, you will deal with an unhappy employee. Turning unhappy employees into happy employees can take a concerted effort, but sometimes, the hardest part is simply just recognising that your employees are unhappy! So let’s start with happy employees. Here are some characteristics that suggest your employees are happy. They show up on time and don’t take lots of unplanned leave They go the extra mile with a smile They are friendly to other employees and customers They are productive and deliver on promises They give feedback and suggestions They focus on the team result. Everyone has their off days, and most happy employees will own up to those. If you are trying to identify unhappy employees, here are a few characteristics that suggest an employee is unhappy.
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• They show consistent patterns of negative behaviour • They often turn up late, watch the clock or leave early • They take unplanned leave, especially when there are deadlines looming • They may start to show a poor attitude – with lots of eye rolling, sighing or avoiding tasks “That’s not my job” is a common complaint • They may start to retreat and avoid socialising with other employees, or worse still, start toxic sub groups. • Pulling others into secret huddles to complain and gossip • They may behave less professionally with colleagues and customers • Their productivity starts to decline. • They don’t offer productive feedback or take any proactive measures to resolve issues themselves. If your employee is showing some of these characteristics, it’s time to have a chat. Rather than try to guess
what’s causing the problem, it’s best to face it head on and ask outright. It may be that your team member is struggling with something in their personal life and hasn’t realised they are acting differently at work. Highlighting their behaviour in a caring way may help them to take action or seek help to resolve the issue. Equally, their unhappiness may have started with a small issue at work that they have let fester over time,
but can actually be resolved easily once out in the open. Employees can often feel disgruntled if they think their contribution was not noticed, they were passed over for a promotion or a pay rise, or they perceive that they have not been treated as well as others. Having an open conversation can give you an opportunity to explain why particular decisions were made or actions taken. Most people will be more understanding once they know Business Matters
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the facts in a situation and focus less on their emotions. Knowing their feelings will help you to understand more about your employee’s goals and motivation so that you can help them find their passion, and bring out the best in them. No one wants to be unhappy at work, but a grudge or grievance can cause people to lose sight of anything positive and let emotions rule their actions. To bring out the best in your people, foster an environment of trust, where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas, opinions and feedback. Let go of control and let your employees rise to challenges, and let them make mistakes so they can stretch their own limits. Give them a chance to identify their own learning opportunities and explore areas of interest. If they want to take on more, give regular and honest feedback so that they learn. Sometimes an employee will think they are ready for a bigger role, but once given the opportunity to
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“An honest and transparent conversation will help to work that out either way, and give you crucial information for the recruitment process.”
do some of it, will realise they are not ready. Others will of course thrive on the challenge and give you their all to succeed. Occasionally, it’s simply time for an individual to move on to a new role or company, but an honest and transparent conversation will help to work that out either way, and give you crucial information for the recruitment process. In most cases, it will lead to renewed enthusiasm and engagement, which is a win/win for everyone.
How To Lead IN A CRISIS In times of crisis, the right kind of leadership can spell the difference between an organization’s survival or death. With effective leaders, your organization may even find ways to thrive. So, what does good crisis leadership look like?
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Remain calm and collected First, don’t make decisions when you’re emotional. Challenging times can be frightening which can trigger our fight-or-flight response. While there’s nothing wrong with following your instincts, leading a company by sheer guts can backfire badly. If you’re making decisions, do it from a place of calm. You can achieve this by seeking credible information from reliable sources. During times of adversity, there’s nothing more calming than knowing exactly what it is that you’re up against. This way, you’ll be able to devise a solid strategy.
Transparency and communication In any kind of relationship, communication is key. This is especially true in the relationship between business leaders and employees. Much like how accurate information can calm you down, passing that information down to your employees can 28 Business Matters
also help them keep their wits about them. Reliable information gives them a guide as to how to power through their work load even under chaotic circumstances. But the communication shouldn’t end there. Leaders must also understand that that employees look up to you for guidance. And you, as a leader, are expected to enact policies that ensures the company runs well but, most importantly, introduce measures that cushion the impact of the crisis on your employees. This is of paramount importance because it lets them know that the top brass is concerned about their welfare. This should help them swallow the tough choices that you may have to make on their behalf.
Be malleable Trying to keep the status quo during a crisis is an exercise in futility. Leaders, therefore, should be able to adjust to the new normal. Whether it means changing suppliers or adjusting the profit margins,
good crisis leaders know what and when to compromise. This should also be true when comes to treating employees. It’s important to acknowledge that crises don’t only affect businesses. They also affect the personal lives of employees as well, so, be ready to go offscript sometimes. If an employee’s child interrupts a virtual meeting or their dog suddenly jumps on their lap, for example, be
prepared to let it slide even if you find it unprofessional. In fact, good crisis leaders might make light of the situation to ensure that everything is okay and that everyone is as comfortable as they can be. The bottom line is that leaders understand that employee priorities, such as family, comes first before the company. Most employees work solely to provide for their families. It’s important that leaders respect that the
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company isn’t their number one priority in times of crisis.
Focused Leaders can be distracted too. Emotions, false information, and even families can divert a business leader’s attention from the problem at hand. So, it’s important to keep track of priorities. Focus on what needs to be done. Like employees, leaders should be able to prioritize properly and divide their attention on the most important things first. If the company is the last on that list then so be it. There’s no point in running a business when you can’t take care of yourself or your own family.
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With the high-priority aspects of your life taken care of, only then can you focus on planning on what to do with the company. The approach is much the same. Highpriority targets need to be addressed as quickly as possible. During crises, it’s important to become a bigpicture type of leader, one who sees the entire landscape. So, if you used to be the type to dwell on the smallest details, it may be time to put that leadership style on the shelf for a while. Or, if that’s not something that you can easily do, maybe you should look for other perspectives from your colleagues or maybe even hire a business consultant to provide that new perspective for you. To sum it all up, you need to become a bit of a generalist in times of crisis. You need to be able to take in a lot of information and process them quickly. This should allow you to act accordingly as quickly and as decisively as possible.
FENG SHUI YOUR DESK “Feng Shui is designed to attract success, good fortune, and energy at the same time. What’s amazing about Feng Shui is that it’s a concept that has been around for longer than our current computerbased lifestyle has ever existed.” Business Matters
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These days, we spend more time on the work desk than any other part of our home or office. It makes sense, therefore, to organize it in a way that’s conducive to working and learning. There are plenty of design philosophies out there which tackle desk productivity, but only Feng Shui is designed to attract success, good fortune, and energy at the same time. What’s amazing about Feng Shui is that it’s a concept that has been around for longer than our current computerbased lifestyle has ever existed. So, how do we employ this ancient design language at our work desk?
Tidy up Our desks can get pretty disorganized. From yesterday’s lunch to this morning’s stale coffee, not to mention the reams of bond paper and sticky notes scattered everywhere, we tend to accumulate stuff on our desk that we don’t really need anymore. 32 Business Matters
In Feng Shui practice, it’s generally considered bad to keep things that you don’t really need cluttered about. So, clean your desk. Throw out the expired snacks still rotting in your drawer and hide everything that you don’t use all the time. Clutter, in Feng Shui, is postponed energy. We tend to agree as they represent all the things that we intended to do but stopped in the middle of doing. As the old adage goes, “orderly desk, orderly mind.”
The desk Your desk, especially in today’s computer-centric work arrangement, represents the foundation of your success. It’s important, therefore, to consider the materials, shape, and even the color that you’re using for this critical piece.
Materials Wood is the best material to go for in a work desk. It brings a
touch of nature into your work area. According to the tenets of Feng Shui, wood brings natural energy, vibrancy, and nourishment. Glass also works as long as you also introduce other natural materials such as potted tall plants into your design. Glass is fragile which isn’t exactly a quality that you want in your foundation. In Feng Shui, glass represents the free flow of energy and plants and a little bit of soil in the pot helps ground some energy around your work desk.
on your desk would dictate what it’s going to be best used for. Here are a couple of the representations behind each of the most popular desk colours: Brown: Consistent with the color of wood, brown creates a natural vibe. This helps energy to circulate but not escape your work area. It nourishes and helps promote growth in your endeavours.
Color
Black: If you’re into creative work, then a black desk might what suits you best. It promotes deep thought and introspection. It also boosts your openness to new ideas and concepts.
In Feng Shui, colours play a huge role too. So what you use
White/Grey: Generally white and grey represent the same Business Matters
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things in Feng Shui. They’re undistracting colors so they help you focus on the task at hand.
The Bagua Map (Placement) One of the most powerful tools that Feng Shui masters have is the Bagua map. It’s a general map that tells you where’s the best area to place your furniture and tools of your trade according to your unique purpose for them. Basically, it grids your space, in this case your work desk, into 9 sectors. Here are the specific meanings for each sector: Top Left: Wealth and Financial Wellness. Top Middle: Fame and Passion. Top Right: Love and Relationship. Centre Left: Family. Centre: Personal Health Centre Right: Children Lower Left: Knowledge and Wisdom Lower Middle: Career Lower Right: Helpful People 34 Business Matters
“Feng Shui is a practice that’s thousands of years old so we can’t possibly discuss everything in a short article.”
Place whatever represents these things in the right sector and it should attract success in those specific fields. Usually, in a Feng Shui-optimized desk, you’ll see a computer screen on the top left to attract wealth. In other cases, laptops are placed on the lower middle section to aid in career advancement. Feng Shui is a practice that’s thousands of years old so we can’t possibly discuss everything in a short article. But, with the Bagua Map and the materials, we’ve just given you a few of the basics.
TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS
LIKE VIPs
Every customer you have is valuable and deserves to be treated like a VIP. There are so many choices for consumers out there for where they can spend their money, so anyone who makes the decision to spend it with you should feel appreciated. Word of mouth is still one of the most powerful weapons in the world of business and when
you treat your customers like VIPs they are likely to spread positive messages across their network about your company. Making your customers feel valued is also so crucial to their ongoing loyalty and to your success and growth. So, how do you ensure that ALL your customers feel like they are being given the VIP treatment? Business Matters
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Show immediate action and solutions. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan and mistakes are made, so apologies are important. However, if they are not followed up by immediate and effective action, then they are just hollow words. Be accountable for errors and apologise, then make sure that immediate action has been taken to resolve the problem and ensure a solution.
Train your staff to be friendly and engaging to all of your customers. From the person who answers your company phone to managers, floor staff and cleaners, make sure everyone who works for you is aware that you expect them to have a positive and engaging attitude with everyone. No matter who in your company your customer interacts with, the experience will be a positive one. Every single customer should be treated like they are the most important customer in your business. 36 Business Matters
Anticipate their needs. A great company should be able to anticipate the needs of its customers. When you are one step ahead of your customers and know what they need or want before they do, you are showing them that you know them and are dedicated to servicing their needs before they even have to ask for it.
Ask for feedback. It is so important to get feedback from your customers but also to act upon it. You can transform an unhappy customer into a happy customer by genuinely listening to their feedback and addressing their concerns. Showing your customers that they have been heard and that their opinion is valued builds trust.
Pay attention to details. Pay attention to the details. From having a clean and welcoming workspace, to friendly staff, complimentary refreshments and sending out personalised correspondence, the secret is really in the small details. Never underestimate
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the power of good customer service.
Show gratitude. Actually thank your customers for doing business with you and always be genuine when you do. Your customers can spot a fake pretty quickly and if you want to win a customer and their loyalty then you need to be authentic. Send out gift cards or discounts to reward loyalty, send Christmas or birthday cards, or even go as far as holding customer
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“Remember a valued customer is a happy one, and a happy customer not only comes back, but also tells others how amazing their experience has been.�
appreciation days or VIP drink nights. Your customers are the reason that you are in business so it is essential that they feel appreciated.
back, but also tells others how amazing their experience has been. That is the gold when it comes to good business.
Give respect. Treat every single customer, regardless of socioeconomic background or perceived status, with respect and remember, it costs nothing to be polite and courteous!
Give them something for nothing. Every customer loves receiving something for free? From something as simple as a discount coupon or a free sample, people appreciate receiving something for nothing. An extra business promotion idea is to give away branded merchandise like drink bottles, umbrellas or even caps. This is a win win for everyone as your customer gets a gift while you promote your business. Remember a valued customer is a happy one, and a happy customer not only comes Business Matters
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Why A Business Coach Is So Good For Your
BUSINESS
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D
o you have an entrepreneurial fire strong enough to weather the storms of running your own business? From the moment you come up with your idea, your business idea is going to be tested. From endless bouts of selfdoubt to financial issues and everything else in between your business will test you at every turn.
It’s in these moments that you will need some bolstering to keep it alive and this is exactly what a business coach can do for you. You may be talented at what you do, but nobody is perfect at everything and you can probably handle most aspects of your business yourself, however, some areas of your business might not be your strong suit. Stop casting yourself as your ‘own worst enemy’ and get out of your own way. Complacency and doubt are not your friends, collaboration and strategic planning are. And, a business coach is your voice of reason.
They Will Correct You When You’re Wrong Employees, who sometimes know better than the owner, won’t typically raise their 42 Business Matters
concerns in terms of business decisions or correct their employer - after all, you’re the one paying their wages. Although you pay your business coach, they remain outsiders to your business because they don’t depend on you for their living. They can offer a third party perspective on your business and your strategies, without fear of retribution. This is a huge part of why great coaches are such important assets to any entrepreneur.
Learn From Their Experiences You should choose your business coach wisely. They should have experience starting up their own business and working with many others during startup, so their
knowledge is an invaluable learning tool for you. Every great athlete is surrounded by coaches, mentors and advisors. Therefore in a business context, think of a business coach as a mentor or advisor who can help you set goals, implement strategies and track your progress so that you can reach your goals in the shortest possible time.
the wheel? They’ve been there and done that, so they will be able to anticipate birthing pains for your business and know exactly what you need to get through them in the best possible way.
All the hurdles they have had to overcome or coached others through, will serve as a fasttracking for you. Why reinvent
Network With Other Business Professionals
Not having to experience first hand a lot of these learning curves is going to save you years.
Who you know can be much more salient information than Business Matters
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what you know. Your business coach will have a lot of connections and other clients who can help your business needs, either for services you may need to build your business or potential clientele. The important thing here is that business coaches can open new networking avenues for you without much work, which is an essential part of business building. In most cases, just an introduction from your coach helps you make a good first impression.
Stay Accountable To Walking The Walk You need a business coach to help you do the homework to not just think, but act bigger. Even the best of us exhibit behaviors that are less than useful, often avoiding or lying to ourselves from time to time. A business coach holds you accountable to your goals, giving you strategies to get there, and keeps you honest. Goals are supposed to be met! 44 Business Matters
Grow Your Mastermind Two heads are better than one, especially the head of a mentor with industry experience and expertise. The ideas start with you, but end with the work of a coach. Your mentor will help you make the necessary connections, illuminating the path and revealing brilliant revelations. Let an expert help you do the essential work to uncover intrinsic values and beliefs you never knew you had, but cannot live without, and link them to your desires and intentions. Ultimately, you will begin to elevate your thinking, gaining a new perspective to discover existing connections. It is much easier to hit your stride and experience exponential growth if you have the right coach on your side. You deserve to get off the sidelines and into the game. A business coach will help you do it!
AVOID THE 3PM SLUMP
Are you getting to 3pm each day and the sweet treats or coffee start calling you for that much-needed pick-meup? You’ve hit the dreaded afternoon slump.
If you started your day full of energy, but by mid-afternoon you feel exhausted, there are certain foods you can eat to help you avoid the post-lunch slump. Although it’s part of our normal circadian rhythm, whereby our natural reaction is to crave a sugar hit to help bring our energy levels back up, there is a healthier way to push on through. Reaching for the right foods throughout the day can help us power on longer. Think of those
slow release, low GI foods to snack on, such as nuts, cheese, nutty dips and wholegrain crackers. Make lunches based around a good serving of protein and wholegrains to fill you up without weighing you down, such a big ham and salad wholegrain roll or chicken and veggie curry with some brown rice. Junk foods will only leave you in the slump sooner rather than later, so keep a selection of more nutritionally dense snacks on hand to choose from, instead of sugary bars and biscuits. Here are some super-easy lunch ideas to keep in the fridge at home to pack on those busy mornings.
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Zucchini Slice INGREDIENTS • 6 eggs • 1 cup grated zucchini • ½ cup self-raising flour • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
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INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 20 x 30cm baking tray with baking paper. 2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, add the remaining ingredients and season to taste. 3. Pour the contents into the prepared tray and bake for 25 minutes or until nice and brown. 4. Allow to cool slightly, then serve sliced with a simple little salad.
Make-Ahead This is a delicious and convenient make-ahead version of Aloo Gobi, a classic Indian dish made from cauliflower, potatoes and a ton of aromatic spices. Tender and flavorful, it keeps in the fridge for up to four days.
Aloo Gobi INSTRUCTIONS 1. Heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté onion. 2. Add cauliflower and potatoes, stir in the spices, salt and pepper. 3. Cover the pot and reduce heat to low. Stir occasionally, until tender. 4. Divide mixture among four containers (or bowls). Divide the naan, cilantro, red onion slices and lemon wedges among the containers. 5.
INGREDIENTS • 1 tablespoon coconut oil • 1 onion, minced • 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 4 cups) • 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • 1 teaspoon ground coriander • 1 teaspoon garam masala • ½ teaspoon ground mustard seed
• ½ teaspoon turmeric • ½ teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • 4 small pieces Naan, for serving • ½ cup cilantro leaves • ½ red onion, thinly sliced • Lemon wedges, for serving Business Matters
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