Essential Skills for The Self-Employed

Essential Skills for The Self-Employed (well, some of them)

• Motivation: simply the ability to get up in the morning and get going without instructions from an employer or boss. ‘Lazy’ and ‘self-employed’ don’t go in the same sentence.

• Belief: in your product or service. If you have any doubts, customers will sense them and run a mile!

• Marketing: of you. No one else is going to do this for you. Sadly, this is an area the self-employed often neglect.

• Focus: (or is it vision?) and a clear sense of purpose about where you want to be and how you plan to get there.

• Resilience: bucket loads of this will be needed! The capacity not to give up when orders are lost and delays are faced will be essential.

• Organisation: deal with those piles of paper. Get your invoices out and be ready to chase when they are not paid. Remember you are not in business to be a money-lender – unless, of course, money-lending is your business!

• Loneliness: if you think this should be in the next section, then perhaps self-employment is not for you – or not yet! Linked closely to motivation, there is a different mind-set to grasp: emotional loneliness, which isn’t as bad as it sounds!

• Inspiration: sometimes just seeking it and looking forward to creating new opportunities.

Don't Procrastinate

Decisions, Decisions
My advice about decision-making is this: whatever you do, don’t camp at the fork in the road. It is far better to make the wrong decision, than not to make one at all.
So said Jim Rohn US motivational speaker.

In short - procrastination (big word for dithering) and self-employment don't mix.

Business Plan Jargon - the true meaning?

Business Plan Jargon - the true meaning?

This is an irreverent (or is it cynical?) look at business plan terminology and their true definitions - it is just for fun!

Business Plan Term Real Meaning

"is proven technology" well, it almost worked once

"unique" apart from the other twelve competitors

"cash flow problem" about to go bust

"complex system" nobody understands it

"core business" our only activity

"clear projections" blink and you'll miss them

”performance analysis" OK, heads or tails?

"niche market" only one customer

"pro - active approach" ready and willing to copy

"revised budget" getting closer to the truth

Repetitive Record Syndrome

Shop workers are being driven to distraction by in-store music, with Britney Spears heading the list of Most Annoying Singer. A third of shop staff had to endure the same album being played up to 20 times a week, according to a survey of 1,400 employees. Almost half of those polled by recruitment website retailchoice.com said they had received complaints from customers about maddening music blaring through a shop. Workers in fashion and shoe shops suffered most from "repetitive record syndrome", having to listen to the same songs being played over and over again.

Christmas was the most testing time for the ears of retail workers, with Jingle Bells topping the list of the most hated seasonal songs. This was followed by Slade's Merry Christmas Everyone and White Christmas by Bing Crosby.

The top 10 most played - and most annoying - singers were:

:: Britney Spears:: Usher:: Kylie Minogue:: 50 Cent:: Robbie Williams

:: Akon:: Beyonce:: Blue:: Justin Timberlake:: Michael Jackson

Business Idea?

How about this for a business idea?
An Indian firm which rents out wedding guests says business is booming.
The Best Guests Centre, at Jodhpur in Rajasthan, is looking to expand across the state.
The company caters for families who fear they will fall short of guests at weddings.
It hires out guests, either traditionally dressed or wearing smart western clothes, according to requirements and budget.
The guests dance and try to impress with their etiquette without letting anyone know they are being paid for it.

IT Firm Bans Whinging

Whinging about the weather or the broken photocopier are sackable offences at a German company that has banned moaning.

Employees at IT company Nutzwerk Ltd, in Leipzig, have to agree to be in a good mood as part of their employment contract.

Manager Thomas Kuwatsch said those who get up on the wrong side of the bed should stay at home and work out their grumpiness rather than come into work. But he warned those taking too much time off for bad moods would face the sack.

"We made the ban on moaning and grumpiness at work official after one female employee refused to subscribe to the company's philosophy of always smiling," he said. "She used to moan so much that other employees complained about her complaining. Once it was part of the contract however, our employees really started to think positively. Mood is an important factor in productivity and everyone here works hard and is happy."

Kathleen Sochor, who has been with the company for four years, said: "It's great that whinging is not allowed. If one person is grumpy it makes everyone else feel bad and ruins what could be a good day."

Lawyer Marion von Sahr said: "In principle, employers and employees can contractually agree on anything if both sides are happy and that includes banning whinging.

"But I am not sure if being a sourpuss is enough reason to fire somebody."