Think like an athlete to invest in your venture Summer is here along with an abundance of competitive sports, from the Euros, Wimbledon, and as it’s a leap year, the Olympics are also just around the corner. Interestingly, it’s been 100 years since the Olympics were last held in Paris, and the city will become one of only two cities to have hosted the games three times (the other is London). It always amazes me the level of training and preparation high [...]

Stepping back from the dream can still pay off A few years ago, I hired an office. I had taken on some associates a few years before that, and a high street location felt like the next natural step. While work remained consistent, the shine soon wore off. The costs felt unnecessary and I wasn’t really getting the visibility I’d imagined. I know of many business leaders who tell a similar story - having had a ‘dream’ of what a successful business [...]

Building your personal brand pays dividends Last year, I made a shift in my career. While my virtual administration company is still my main focus, I started to look at ways to diversify and use my skills in different ways. As a result, I’ll be taking on some auditing and assessment work this year. I guess the initial shift was a mental one as I considered what I want to be known for. Interestingly, this process sits within a wider shift among [...]

Helping career development is crucial for SMEs At Business Owl we are often called upon to support employers with their staff’s career development, this could be in-house training, CPD or even accreditation. While this is a crucial part of growth for any SME and business owners themselves, lack of time is often cited as a reason why employers don’t invest in this area as much as they should. We can support time-restricted employers with this and I believe there are a number [...]