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KISS
KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID. PHOTOGRAPHS ISTOCK PHOTO / UNSPLASH.COM
TEXT LAURA WINTEMUTE
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THIS WAS WHAT my Dad said to me when I told him I was starting my first company, and it was the best advice I ever received. I have always been a bit of a dreamer. I have always had a “Go big or go home” kind of attitude. My brain is constantly swimming with hundreds of ideas, and I want to begin them all at the same time. It’s taken years of training to learn to focus on just a few projects at a time. This allows me to do them well, instead of trying to do everything halfway. If you apply the KISS principle to both your work and home life, you will likely be more productive, make better decisions, and have a calmer disposition. The underlying idea is as simple and straightforward as possible.
LAURA WINTEMUTE
TIME MANAGEMENT My Mom taught me about time management. Quite often during my school years, she could see me getting frustrated and flustered with homework projects so she would say to me “Laura, write a ‘to do’ list, starting with the most important task, then check them off one by one.” She was right, it always worked like a charm. To this day, I still write out my daily tasks and action items on a paper notepad. Nothing feels better than checking off each item when it’s completed. She has always been an extremely organized person, everything is neatly written down, scheduled, and mapped out. Her calendars on the wall are always current, with all the important birthdays and anniversaries were noted throughout. She always has things under control, even to this day, in her retirement years. Every golf game, dinner out and quilting event is carefully noted in that calendar of hers. I’ve tried to emulate the best parts of my parents, from their advice to their actions while I run my own business. So far, they haven’t steered me wrong.
DELEGATE All self-employed entrepreneurs know what it’s like to own a small business in Denmark. It requires a clear vision, passionate execution, and endless optimism to create something from scratch. We must maintain the highest level of dedication and tireless work ethic to keep our brand, product, and business continually evolving. Many of us have our hands in all aspects of our operations, but there comes a point where we must delegate and share some of the responsibility. Otherwise, be prepared to work 24-7. Unfortunately, this usually happens because quite often, we start-ups can’t afford to hire full-time employees, which leaves us doing all the work ourselves. There is good news, though, because, in Denmark, you can apply to your local municipality helpers in job practice, or you can apply for an internship. The idea is that you hire these interns permanently after the three months once you see the benefit of having them. For me, delegating means giving up control and
JANUARY 2020 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM
OWNER, HOMESTEAD Laura is Canadian. After years of living abroad and travelling the world, she moved to Denmark in 2007 and started her new life as an expat living in Denmark. Laura’s experience working in the Danish relocation industry, encapsulating both her experience as an ex-pat and her desire
STARTING A BUSINESS REQUIRES A CLEAR VISION, PASSIONATE EXECUTION, AND ENDLESS OPTIMISM TO CREATE SOMETHING FROM SCRATCH.
for helping people, which is WHY she started Homestead. Homestead offers Settling in Services and Workshops focusing on the day to day challenges of expats, as well as the cultural differences in both their work and daily life.
trusting someone else with my baby. But as with any skill, it’s one that can be learned.
OUTSOURCE Companies that do everything themselves have much higher research, development, marketing, and distribution expenses, all of which must be passed on to customers. Outsourcing payroll and accounting, distribution, and many other important functions that take our time away from basic sales are highly suggested.
WORK/LIFE BALANCE Just remember that no matter what work you do, or what business you’re in, it’s important to create boundaries and stick to them. At work, focus on your work. At home, focus on your home life. This is super simple… if you just KISS it! You will be glad you did. THE-INTL
“In House” consultations for International employees are also one of Homestead’s specialties. Customized, personal consultations focusing on the individual employee. Homestead. We are You’re Settling in Experts. www.homesteaddenmark.com