by Angela Taffs | Sep 15, 2015 | Business Success, Personal and Lifestyle
Overcome your fear
Running a small business on your own can be a scary place at times and often we find it necessary to step outside of our comfort zone.
This could be from having to cold call, contacting a difficult client, chasing a bad debt, public speaking or simply putting yourself out there to promote your product or service.
There are many ways to help overcome your fear but here is a top one I was given a long time ago and which works.
Think of someone that you admire and are successful in your industry. Get a picture of them and print it off to keep near your desk or workstation. When you get the jitters, simply look at their picture and ask yourself what they would do in your situation.
Take a deep breath and then take the action that you believe they would take.
Really try to get into the mindset of the person you have chosen if they were dealing with the situation. Think about the following:
- What would they be wearing?
- What language would they use, and what tone of voice – friendly and fun or assertive and commanding?
- Would they be standing or sitting?
- Where would they be – at their office or at the client’s premises?
- What method of communication would they use – email, telephone, letter or face to face?
- What would they have with them or near them– client records, a notepad, a glass of water?
By emulating a successful person that you admire, you can feel a connection with them and know that whatever step you take is going to be one step closer to becoming as good as they are.
Try it out for yourself and see if it helps you overcome your fear. Pop over to the Facebook page and let me know.
by Angela Taffs | Jul 13, 2015 | Business Success, Personal and Lifestyle
I have just read an article in The Guardian by Michelle Mone, the co-founder of Ultimo.
In this article she writes:
I can’t stand people who say you must be a graduate to succeed. I think it’s fantastic if you are a graduate because it gives you the ability to learn, but it doesn’t give you common sense. In business it doesn’t matter whether or not you’re from a wealthy background or how good your education was. I just love it that if you’ve got drive, determination and a can-do attitude you can achieve anything you want as an entrepreneur.
These words were joy to my ears. All too often I come across both men and women who think they can’t compete in the world of business because they don’t have a degree or equivalent. And I always say to them that a degree is not what will make them successful.
In my opinion, and what I have seen proven time after time over the years, is that life experience and a can do attitude wins over higher education every time. Personally, I would far rather deal with someone who has been out there and learnt from the grass roots up than sat in a university and studied books but never actually put their learning into practice.
I have had people come to me and when I ask why they think they will be successful they tell me because they have a diploma in business studies. This always rings alarms bells with me because no amount of book reading and attending lectures will give you the same knowledge as being out there and doing it.
Now don’t get me wrong. I am not putting anyone down who has taken time to further their education. And this is critical to do in certain industries such as medicine and law. But not having this level of education should not be a barrier to being a successful entrepreneur. Just look at the likes of Henry Ford, Richard Branson and Walt Disney amongst many others – there is a list of 100 degreeless entrepreneurs on Business Insider. They learnt from the bottom up and it did not take letters after their name for them to be successful.
So believe in yourself. Have a passion and a determined, can do attitude and you have all the pre-requisites of being able to start and run your own business.
by Angela Taffs | Jul 6, 2015 | Personal and Lifestyle
Did you know that when you are feeling stressed, one of the best ways to help you relax is to read? Even just six minutes can be enough to reduce the stress levels by more than two thirds.
Surprisingly, in my view, research from Mindlab International at the University of Sussex has shown that reading works better and faster to calm nerves than other methods such as listening to music or going for a walk.
The reason for this psychologists believe is because the human mind has to concentrate on reading and with the mind being taken into a literary world, tensions in muscles and the heart are eased.
We all know that feeling of being transported to a faraway world with full of excitement and interesting people with no limitations on our dreams when reading a book. This is another reason why reading fiction can be good for us in addition to all the non-fiction that small business owners tend to try to soak up.
However, by reading non-fiction such as motivational books, or those that deal with specific problems you are having such as losing weight, getting fit or organising a home, you can realise that you are not alone with your problem or frustration as other people understand how you are feeling. This can give you a sense of hope in solving your problem and provide encouragement to put plans in place a better future.
Reading biographies of successful people that illustrate how they overcame difficult situations against all the odds can inspire you and give you the inspiration to take on a new challenge that had previously seemed unobtainable.
Humorous books can make you laugh out loud – a great stress reliever in itself.
The research from Mindlab has shown that to reduce stress levels by up to 68% subjects only needed to read, silently, for six minutes. This was shown to slow down the heart rate and ease tension in the muscles and in fact, it got subjects to stress levels lower than before they started.
So choose your reading material carefully and always carry a book with you (or your Kindle/iPad). When you feel you are in a moment of stress, take a few minutes out and go read. Transport yourself somewhere else that no one else can enter and enjoy the experience.
by Angela Taffs | Jun 15, 2015 | Business Success, Personal and Lifestyle
How many times each day do the same things crop up time and time again that cause your energy levels to drop, or your heart rate to rise, or a feeling of being uncomfortable engulf you?
This could be from walking into your office and seeing a pile of paperwork that needs sorting out or not knowing what needs doing next. It could be knowing that you could have to phone a particular client who you know is always difficult to deal with. Or it could just be going on social media and seeing someone who is always complaining and whose comments make you feel anxious or annoyed.
These things to others may seem trivial, but it is quite incredible what a detrimental impact they can have on you and your work.
It is about time to remove the drama and the stresses from your life once and for all and to attempt to only allow enjoyment and happiness into your day. Yes, this may seem idealistic but it is certainly a step in the right direction.
So what can you do to remove the drama and stress from your life?
Workspace stress
If it is your workspace that is getting you down, sort it out. Declutter your office, organise your files and get yourself a task planner or to-do list.
If it is the physical space itself that is getting you down such as your office not being big enough, or family walking through your home office, work externally. Either rent a hot desk for your work or if this is not practical, put a shed in your garden if there is space.
Stressful clients
If you have clients that you dread dealing with, get rid of them. Yes, you may need the income but the impact they have on you and your day may just not be worth it. The time taking putting off their call or meeting or dealing with the drama they create may be better spent finding an ideal client you can work with.
Those never-ending tasks!
If there are certain tasks that are not getting done but are clogging your headspace, block out a day for these and just get them done once and for all. Turn off all distractions and work on one at a time until complete. Or, if the particular task has been sat waiting to be done for months, how important is it really? Just delete it off your list or put on a wish list that you file away for when you are bored and have nothing else to do (haha!).
The energy drainer that is social media
As for social media, first, do a social media declutter. But what about your personal account. Take Facebook. It is amazing the detrimental effect it has on us reading other people’s negativity, anger and criticism. It subconsciously drags us down and can cause us feelings of unrest or anger ourselves. Get rid of these people from your friends list. Just delete them. But if this in itself scares you, just unfollow them. You can do this so that you remain friends but their posts will not show in your news feed.
Start to make a note of when you suddenly get that sinking feeling in your stomach, when you suddenly feel drained or the stress levels start to rise. Identify what has just made you feel like that and then do your best to eradicate the instigator from your life.
Remove the drama and I promise you that you will instantly feel better and you will regain your energy and zest for life.
Good luck.
by Angela Taffs | Mar 31, 2015 | Personal and Lifestyle
A serious review of life’s priorities and how not to sweat the small stuff!
After being away for a few days, I managed to take some time out and have a reflection of where I was with my life.
By having time completely alone with my husband for the first time in as long as I could remember, I suddenly realised how much time I was spending sweating the small stuff and thereby neglecting what should be the priorities in my life, such as him.
It was then that I remembered the story of rocks, pebbles and sand. If you have never heard it before, please take time to read on and pay attention to the message therein.
Rocks, pebbles and sand
A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items in front of him. When class began, he wordlessly picked up a large empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about two inches in diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles, poured them into the jar and lightly shook it. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The students laughed. He asked his students again if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
“Now,” said the professor, “I want you to recognize that this is your life. The rocks are the important things—your family, your partner, your health, your children—anything that is so important to you that if it were lost, you would be nearly destroyed. The pebbles are the other things in life that matter, but on a smaller scale. The pebbles represent things like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else—the small stuff.
“If you put the sand or the pebbles into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your energy and time on the small stuff, material things, you will never have room for the things that are truly most important. Pay attention to the things that are critical in your life. Play with your children. Take your partner out dancing. There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal.”
Wise words. In your own life, be sure to take care of the rocks first—the things that really matter. Remember, the rest is only pebbles and sand. Don’t sweat the small stuff!
by Angela Taffs | Mar 24, 2015 | Personal and Lifestyle
Sometimes you just need to take a day out. Are you feeling drained, stressed out or exhausted? Do you feel like you need a day out to hide in the shadows, curl up in a ball and have a good cry or maybe just a long overdue sleep? Do you feel like you are having a mini meltdown?
Every day, as women running our own small businesses, we are bombarded with the messages of being positive, not giving up, keep soldiering forward etc. We feel we have to put our superwoman cloak on every day and never stop juggling the many hats we wear. But sometimes I don’t think it hurts to just hide away and admit it is tough and you just don’t have the energy anymore.
This may be due to business being sluggish or slow and you not achieving the results you want as fast as you want, or it could be down to trying hold together a family at the same time as your business and things seem to be falling apart at the seams.
By having some time out you are not giving in or admitting defeat. You are just have a well-earned break and giving yourself some head space and self-sympathy for all that you have been having to cope with.
Sometimes having a mini meltdown can be incredibly therapeutic. After having that time to let all your feelings out, you can feel a sense of relief that actually gives you the energy to get and go at it all again. It is said that it is only when you hit rock bottom that you can truly pick yourself and move forward.
When you hit those times of feeling overwhelmed and like you are drowning under the weight of your responsibilities, find somewhere to shut off. If you are at home with family around you, tell them you are poorly and go lock yourself in the bedroom and hide under the duvet. Don’t feel guilty. Don’t try to figure it all out. Just close your eyes and let the feelings flow.
When you have had a rest and feel ready, you can then start to get your thoughts out on paper, refocus on what you are trying to achieve and prioritise what you need to do to get back on track. And then you can start to plan those priorities in baby steps.
But that is for later. Have this down time. It will come at some point so expect it and be prepared for it. Don’t let it scare you and don’t try to fight it. Accept it, take that break and realise you are only human after all. You can go back to being Superwoman again tomorrow.
