From personal hardships to the world wide pandemic, we all face crises from time to time. The worst is that we never expect it nor are ready to face it. Yet the only way of tackling it is to stay productive despite the hardships you are burdened with. 

The dangerous thing about any crisis is that it leaves you feeling as if you’ve lost control over anything. However, this is what your mind is telling you – you need to talk back and say your dedication of perfecting yourself is still completely up to you. Working hard to achieve your goals, believing in your cause – these and many more things are still in your control, no matter the crisis. 

Crisis is not an excuse. Crisis is an opportunity. And these are the tips of how to stay productive in order to seize the said opportunity.  

1.Don’t sweat about the things you can’t change 

There are things we can and cannot change. To stay productive, you need to learn to tell them apart and treat them accordingly. If the situation you found yourself in is a problem – look for a solution. Brainstorm, think outside the box and look for alternatives. The creative and unlikely solution may be the key. 

However, if the situation cannot be changed – let it go. You can’t stop Corona Virus, for example. This is a crisis we are all facing and you nor anyone else has no control to change it. So, don’t waste your energy worrying about it. Accept it and adapt. 

Learning to accept and an ability to work in less-than-ideal circumstances will ultimately make you a better person. 

2. Leave your comfort zone 

To grow you need to leave your safety bubble. Repeating same practices day in, day out won’t bring you success. Whereas changing the course of action to something you have not done before will. Even if it backfires, you will have reaped a lesson and thus ended up winning regardless. 

Crisis is the situation where you most definitely need to step out of your comfort zone. View the situation from a different angle and include the possibility you might consider being wrong. 

Expanding one’s thinking and critical assessment is vital. It won’t affect your business alone, you will see positive changes in your life overall. 

3. You control your emotions. They don’y control you. 

Crisis sure triggers many negative emotions, but to stay productive you must keep them under control. The number one crisis management rule is staying calm. Sure, it is a challenge of its own. Try and keep your emotions in tact by answering the following questions: 

• What happened / what is happening? 
• How did it happen? 
• When did it happen? 
• Where did it happen? 
• Who was involved? 
• What can I learn from this? 
• What can I do about it? 

Answering these questions will clear your mind and put it to peace. Additionally, you may end up with a new batch of solutions to take on board. 

4. Stay Optimistic  

No matter how bad the situation is, always try and find something good in it. Remember, happiness can be found even in the darerst of times if one only remembers to turn on the light. 

When facing a crisis, take a step back from your worries and try to find a positive in the entire situation. Finding the good in an unfavorable situation will heighten your spirits and help you stay productive. 

5.Don’t stop moving 

Crisis is not an excuse to procrastinate and sit doing nothing. It is actually the critical time when you need to get your act together and keep on moving forward to achieve your goals despite the odds. 

It’s all good to sit down and plan or discuss, but this should not take up the entirety of your time. You need to make a decision and act. Set your goals and map out what immediate actions could move you closer to them – and then move along. 

Now is the best time to act. Carry on completing your tasks and stay productive no matter what. 

To have a winning mindset, it sometimes requires time and effort as it involves changing ideas and assumptions that no longer serve us. The power of mindset is not just about talents, it mainly involves changing and improving. It also involves awareness and a ‘we’ attitude to create better environments for ourselves and for our organisations. The main traits to adopt a winning minset are: being aware of cognitive biases, cultivating a growth mindset and to improve our conversation intelligence.

1 – Being aware of cognitive biases

According to different authors in the field of behavioural economics, the human brain contains different cognitive biases and heuristics which clouds judgment and reasoning. The most common biases are the framing effect, anchoring, overconfidence, loss aversion and hindsight bias. These biases affect our decision-making progress leading to undesired outcomes.  

Many people  in the business sector are not even aware of the mental shortcuts generated by our brains so many cannot even distinguish between a subjective and an objective thought. For instance, overconfidence is something that is commonly heard in the business world. The idea that a person considers their judgement as much more reliable than the objective accuracy of those judgements. In other words, thinking that statistics do not apply to you or to your business only to others is a common mistake. 

 2 – Cultivating a growth mindset

In her book Mindset, Professor Dweck explains why it’s not our abilities and talent that bring us success – but whether people approach their goals with a fixed or growth mindset. A fixed mindset mainly consists of believing that one person’s talents and abilities are fixed and unchangeable. On the other hand, a growth mindset is all about improving our abilities through practice.  

If we use this perspective to observe our organisations, we will soon notice that leaders with a fixed mindset believe they are superior to others and they must affirm that they are superior through words and actions. This, in turn, creates and reinforces an environment of distrust. On the contrary, leaders with a growth mindset make the effort to create a supporting environment where no person or role is either superior or inferior which increases levels of trust and cooperation. 

3 – Conversational intelligence

According to Judith Glaser, author of Conversational intelligence, conversations have three dimensions.  

First dimension – Biochemical  

At this level, people are not communicating, their thinking gets clouded by assumptions, judgements and aggression. There is a lot of frustration and there in very poor listening. 

Second dimension – Relational  

This level is about sharing needs and aspirations with other who listen and are in a state of reciprocation. Ot is about connecting with others at a relational level. 

Third dimension – Co-creational  

This level is about co creating a new reality where both parties feel happy and satisfied. This goes beyond reaching goals or meeting needs. It is also more about engagement and influencing others at a transformational level. 

In conclusion, putting these ideas in practice will help you managing your organisation with the right mindset. However, if you need further assistance with integrating these ideas in your business, do not hesitate to book a consultation with us.

Whether you’re looking to sell your business or to get some pointers as for what direction shall you head towards, getting a business valuation is a great idea. And you know what is better than that? Getting it for free. For that very purpose we have our Value Builder System for you to utilize. 

To give you a small insight of what to expect, let’s just say there are many things to take into account if you plan of selling your business. Such would be: 

• Are YOU the engine that keeps the company going? How would things change if you were gone for a week? Would the business take a hit or would it be unaffected? 
• What do you depend on? Or rather – who? Is it a superstar team member or a very important customer that keep you afloat? 
• If the business goes into someone else’s hands, will the customers continue buying from it? 

Whatever your objective is, be it actually selling the business or to get pointers as what should the growth focus areas be, business assessment will highlight what drives the company value up and what drags it down. Such insights outline the course of actions to be taken and that’s precisely where the Value Builder and the score if provides comes to your aid. The system itself works in a way it recognizes all the potential things that undermine your business, and trust us, often you have no idea it is even there. The algorithm of this business valuation tool has been developed using quantitative research on successful business owners, alongside professionals that specialize in acquisition and mergers.  

We also know how little time business owners have. With that in mind, the Value Builder Score questionnaire will take you a total of 13 minutes and provide the result immediately. Yes, 13 minutes is all that’s needed for a business valuation! Don’t believe us? Give it a shot.  

The report won’t just give you a score: it will give you all the details, covering areas that are bringing you the most success and ones that are potentially devaluing your business. There is a total of 8 factors this business assessment system is built on and you will get a suggestion on opportunities covering each of them. 

So, what is next? If you need more assistance as for what next steps should you take with the newly acquired knowledge, we will arrange a 1 on 1 consultation with you. Don’t worry if you’re not a big business either; this business valuation model is designed for businesses at all stages and of all kinds.  

From our personal experience we can tell that usually the businesses that score over 80 on a business assessment via the Value Builder have about 71% higher chance of receiving an offer. Coincidence? We think not. Our skilled business coaches are well trained on all 8 factors and if the insights provided have been too daunting, we are here and we are happy to help. 

Are you familiar with upselling and cross-selling?  

When you go to McDonald’s and the kid behind the counter asks if you would like your meal “supersized,” that’s upselling. When that same kid then asks if you would like an apple pie to go with your supersized meal, that’s cross-selling. 

Upselling means offering a higher grade or quality or size of the item that the customer may be interested in at the point when the customer is ready to buy. 

Cross-selling means offering other products or services which complement the item the customer is interested in, at the point when the customer is ready to buy. Now here’s what most Business Owners don’t realise. 34% of prospects will buy additional products or services at the time of their original purchase…IF they’re asked to do so.  

Most businesses NEVER ask them, and they lose out on this lucrative opportunity to dramatically increase their revenue. Let me show you a brilliant example of this. 

The strategy here is to get yourself in front of your prospects as often as you can so you give yourself more opportunities to sell them more. 

So, let me show you how this strategy will work for a dentist.  

A dentist offers basic dental services like exams and teeth cleaning. That is NOT where they make their money. A dentist generates the vast majority of their revenue from cosmetic services, root canals, crowns, fillings and braces. So obviously the more patients they can get in front of, the more of these services they sell. 

The problem for dentists is that most people already have a dentist, and 90% of them will never change unless their dentist either retires or dies.  

So, what might convince someone to leave their current dentist? Consider these stats… 

85% of the population have medical insurance, but only 50% have dental insurance. Among those without dental insurance, 44% said that was the main reason they didn’t visit the dentist. See an opportunity here if you’re a dentist? 

What do you think might happen if some dentist specifically targeted families without dental insurance…and offered them virtually the exact same services as those with dental insurance…but without paying the expensive monthly premiums? 

Do I have your interest yet how is this applicable in terms of upselling and cross-selling? Scroll down for a surprise.  

There has NEVER been a better time to start and build your own enterprise… and never have you been able to get started with so little money.

We’ve helped hundreds of budding business owners  to successfully launch their new business the right way… and we will show you how to do it as well. Do you know what Apple, Amazon, Google, Disney, Virgin Records and Harley Davidson all have in common? They were all started in a garage! You’re about to learn their secrets to success… as well as the mistakes they made… and how they overcame them.

The three biggest mistkes that startups make are :

Mistake #1      they fail to get professional help.

Mistake #2      they don’t know the fundamentals required to successfully market their business and attract as many new clients as their business can handle.

Mistake #3    they have no idea how to use their marketing to generate immediate cash flow

With these mistales it is estimated that as many as 96% of all small business start-ups fail within their first 5 years. The main reason for this tremendously high failure rate has to do with the lack of expertise when it comes to generating leads and making your phone ring. Most small business start-ups do not know anything about these three  critical  things that marketing is supposed to do.

Its purpose is three-fold:

1. Capture the attention of your target market.
2. Give them enough information to make the best decision possible when buying from you.
3. Lower the risk of them taking the next step in your buying process

Marketing that accomplishes these three objectives will result in your prospects and customers coming to one single conclusion… that they would have to be an absolute fool to do business with anyone else but you, regardless of price.

To find out more about how to avoid critical mistakes in your market and how to adopt the right marketing approach to get the best results and more customers download our free Ebook now you can get your Ebook by clicking the link below.

Hiring the right people is arguably one of the most important things you can do to support the long-term success of your enterprise. And yet so many business owners approach hiring as an afterthought. They put a half-hearted ad in the local newspaper and hope to high heaven they get lucky and don’t invest into management training. 

This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make if you want your business to succeed. 

The solution to this problem is called an Employee Acquisition Plan–and you simply must implement one to your management training if you want to reduce staff-related headaches, shrink, and waste…not to mention find real, high-quality candidates to take over your business once you decide it’s time to move on. I always like to say that hiring is a lot like fishing: the more fish on deck, the choosier you can be! Here are four simple steps to making it happen… 

1.Write a Brilliant Job Description.  

The best way to catch a lot of fish (especially the right kind of fish!) is by using the best bait possible. Most job descriptions are anemic and weak. Make yours stand out! Write your job descriptions in “what’s in it for the applicant” language; be specific about the personality characteristics and qualifications needed; include the hours and earnings potential. Here are a couple of samples I’ve used with great results –feel free to borrow it the next time you have an opening:  

Superstars only! You can earn as much as £60K if you’re a star. Don’t even call unless you’re an overachiever and can prove it. Call between 12:00 and 2:00. NUMBER.  

If you’re the personal assistant we’re looking for, you’ll be…Driven, successful, and great at selling over the phone. Persuasive, independent when needed, sociable, assertive, and convincing. Pushed, asked to achieve great results, taught about business marketing and ultimately trained to manage a team. Responsible for following up leads and selling to business owners over the phone. Answering calls from clients and prospects, getting marketing letters in the mail, keeping communication flowing in the office. Ready to sell to dozens of business owners every week. Someone who only accepts the best performance from self and others, and fired up about taking on a long-term challenge to create success in your life and business. Full-time hours, earnings potential up to £100k per annum. If you believe this is you, be ready to show us why when you call before 5 p.m. this Thursday…..on NUMBER. 

2. Generate Leads.

• When hiring, you’ve got to be proactive, which is the foundation of management training! It’s not JUST about writing a great job description. It’s about getting that description in the hands of the right people. Here are seven great ways to find quality candidates… 
• Look within your ORGANISATION first; who can be promoted? 
• Call past high-quality team members and ask them, “Is there anything I can do to get you back?” 
• Post a sign on your door/window. 
• Post an ad in local newspapers. 
• Advertise in trade magazines and publications –this is a wonderful way to get highly targeted applications. 
• Create a recruiting incentive program and announce it to their team. Give staff members a bonus if they bring in a high-quality candidate. 
• Go to networking events and remember that every conversation is a potential interview.  

The point is to recognise how important hiring is to your ORGANISATION, and to be completely engaged in the process of finding the right fit.  

3. Implement a Pre-Interview Screening Process.

Too many business owners waste unnecessary time interviewing candidates who are not truly qualified. Fortunately, you can eliminate a lot of “dead weight” quickly, just by implementing a simple screening process. There are two strategies I recommend before you get to actual, in-person interviews… 

Voice Mail Screening. 

Set up a special voice mail box for screening purposes. In your job description ad, have candidates call the number and leave a message BEFORE they even submit a CV. Listen to the responses. Ask the applicants whose messages impress you most to send a CV and to complete a psychometric profile.  

Here’s the exact scripting I recommend you use: 

Hi and thanks for calling [your company], located in [your city, town]. My name is [your name] and I’m the founder of the company.[Your company] is…Right now we’re looking for a [name of position]. The responsibilities of this position include [responsibilities]. [Your company] will provide [training, development]…The compensation package includes health insurance, life insurance, and a retirement plan.[your company] is [describe the company and what a wonderful opportunity it will be to work for you and why]. [Your name] is a highly talented, proven winner in the field of [your field]. He/she has [name some of your accomplishments] and will personally mentor the person chosen for this position.Now, please take just a couple minutes to answer the following three questions. If you want to write these questions down and call back with your answer, you can feel free to do that. What actual experience have you had…?What actual experience have you had…?What actual experience have you had…? After you’ve answered these questions, please leave your name, phone number, and address. If you fail to answer these questions, your application will not be considered. Thanks for calling [your company]! 

e-Screening.  

Instead of a phone message, in our proposed management training, ask candidates to reply via email and include some specific questions that they should answer, in addition to submitting their CVs. You’ll find that a surprising percentage of applicants won’t even follow this simple instruction –which is a fast way to weed them out. Make a shortlist of promising applicants and ask them to complete a psychometric profile. Depending on the number of applicants and the nature of the job, you might even add another layer of screening: a live phone interview before you get to the final step, an in-person interview. 

Bring Them in for a Test Drive.  

Now that you’ve narrowed the field of applicants down substantially, you’re ready to invest some quality time in them. Bring them in for a 4-8 hour on-site interview. Get a feel for their personalities. Have them complete an on-the-job task or two. Introduce them to the rest of your staff. Compare their completed psychometric profiles to the characteristics needed for the job. Create a series of interview questions that you use uniformly for all the applicants who reach this stage, and have them focus on actual past experience as opposed to theoretical future possibilities. Then make an offer to the candidate who impressed you most.