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Get Rid of New Year Resolutions
2012. We’re full of it. The ultimate list of New Year Resolutions. It lasts about as long as it takes to polish off that monster bag of liquorice.
Replace achievements with direction
Replace achievements with a direction you’d like to move in. A healthier, outdoor lifestyle, for example. So, when you think of how to spend a free weekend, travel in the new direction. Or, if you’ve a choice of holiday with friends, choose the more active option, rather than denying yourself altogether.
Replace tasks with goals
Ditch your list of tasks. Think instead of goals. Then, filter each day’s action through the goal. And, filter the goal through the direction. Is this goal aligned with the general direction in which you want to steer your life, work and relationships? If not, is it even a valid one? Be careful to assess honestly whether some of your goals have been set by others. And, remember, one goal is probably sufficient for January. 
Small successes breed confidence.
Replace being with doing
Many people talk of wanting to BE a better person. Try DOING intead. It takes alot of effort to BE something you’re not. Work towards being by doing. That way, it is more likely to become a natural inclinication after some weeks of effort. (This will help those of you who really want a list to tick something off!) Again, ensure the doing is aligned to the particular goal you have set yourself. This is a gentle word of warning to those who tend to stray into doing lots but not reaching any particular goal. And, procrastinators will need to filter the doing through the goal, to chop off all that is simply random activity.
Think Direction, Goals and Doing
As the meercats would say, Simples!
Have you set resolutions for 2012? Might you benefit from reshaping them according to these three points? I’d love to hear your thoughts on my thoughts. Let me know if you found it helpful.
Image credit: Keith Williamson
Hot-desking & Co-working NI
This post outlines the options available in NI for those who are newly established, or those who have either no staff, or a small number of staff.
First, a definition of the options, listed roughly in increasing order of cost.
Hot-desking
Hot-desking is the option of paying (on demand, or monthly) for use of a desk on an hourly, daily or ad-hoc throughout the month basis. Only rarely will you be able to make the desk your own, as it will be used by others inbetween your visits. (Larger organisations, typically in the IT industry, may keep some hot-desking space free for visitors, or where a large portion of the workforce works mostly from home.)
Hot-desking is best for those who are only rarely in the office. Alternatively, those who work from home, and want to avoid distractions, or enjoy a little company may also benefit.
Co-working
Co-working is the option of renting desk for 1-5 days a week, usually in an open office. Often, you will be able to make the space your own, as it is more common to rent the desk all week.
Co-working is suitable for those who enjoy the vibe engendered by a busy office.
Virtual Office
A virtual office is a service provided by (usually) a provider of office space, for those who prefer to work from home, are on the road more often than not, or who cannot yet afford office space. The option is used by those who have a headquarters in one location, but who may wish to establish a presence in another, without committing to the initial cost.
The services include provision of an office address, and telephone number. Inclusive services may involve answering your calls, storing your post, conducting administrative tasks, setting appointments, and hosting meetings.
Dedicated Desk or Office
Renting a dedicated desk is the best option for those who need an office, but without the large premium that city-centre locations bring.It may, or may not, be in a shared office.
The advantage of a dedicated office over a mere desk, is that clients may visit and conversations will be private. In either case, meeting rooms are usually available for use (often free to residents, or, if charged, at a discounted rate).
Industrial Unit
Many Enterprise Agencies and business centres will have industrial units for rent.
They are suitable for manufacturers, those who need a workshop, or anyone else who needs lots of space. Some units on offer would need to be modified to incorporate suitable office space.
Business Incubation
In venues that offer co-working, you will often find business incubation mentioned. This can refer to an ad-hoc, supportive, ask-us-anything-and-we’ll-help, atmosphere, to a more structured coaching arrangement, and may or may not be included in the price.
Where Can I Find these Options in NI?
This is a list of the providers who supply a combination of some of the options listed. If you’d recommend we add other options here, click on Contact and send us details via the form.
Belfast Business Centre
http://www.belfastbusinesscentre.com/
Blick Shared Studios (Belfast)
CIDO Innovation Centre (Craigavon)
http://www.cido.co.uk/index.aspx
Emerald Valley
http://www.emerald-valley.com/
Glandore (Belfast and Dublin)
http://www.glandore.ie/arthurHouse.asp
Greenshots Newry
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenshoots-Newry-Ltd/190193324364525?sk=info
Magazine Studios (Derry)
http://www.magazinestudios.com/
Midtown Business Centre
http://www.midtown-center.com/
Newry Property Office
http://www.newrypropertyoffice.co.uk/pages/virtualOffices
Northern Ireland Science Park (Belfast)
Regus (Belfast)
http://www.regusdirect.co.uk/regus-shop/hot-desk-for-a-day
The HatcheryNI (Antrim)
http://www.antrimenterprise.com/index.php/news/289-the-hatchery-ni.html
Businesses of the World Go On Strike!
While listening to a radio debate on Wednesday between Kevin Green and Richard Murphy about lowering the top rate of tax in order to boost the UK economy, I became violently angry. All Green could do was threaten in a fairly limp and vague way that wealth-creators might leave the country unless tax burdens were lifted. As the title of this blog suggests, I have a better idea…
Well, its not my idea really. It belongs to Ayn Rand. In her most famous book, Atlas Shrugged, she imagined a scenario when the wealth-creators of the world would go on strike in order to free themselves from exploitation by the less talented. This strike was lead by the mysterious John Galt, who considered it a matter of justice that he should enjoy the full fruit of his own labour.
Those in favour of taxing the wealthy today use words like ‘justice’ and ‘equality’ in order to describe their belief that the rich should pay for the poor. I call it stealing. It is theft to force someone to part with their own property against their will. But this is exactly what tax is. If you don’t pay it, you get punished. Did you agree to pay tax at that rate? No. Do you have a say as to how it is spent? No. How is it just that people are expected to pay different rates of tax for the same service, simply because their earning powers differ? Any why do they differ? Hard work and creativity, that’s all.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t give to the poor. But first off, who is really poor in this country? Second, giving should be voluntary, to charities of your choice, so you can see how it will be spent. Giving should not be enforced by the courts and police. Third, the richer the rich get, the more money flows down to the less rich and society as a whole. This is called ‘invisible hand’ economics. Fourth, the social responsiblity of business is to increase its profits, not to right societies so-called ‘inequalities’. There are and always will be inequalities of talent, effort, skill, and luck between human beings, and it is immoral to try and level these.
No, Green was wrong to threaten to go abroad with his money. Instead, the whole private sector should go on strike! But I don’t suppose this will happen. Capitalism is an unknown ideal in this country. We’d rather compain and decline and let everything remain the same.
Image credit: shoops.
How to Avoid a Dull Twitter Profile
A caveat before I begin. So the haters can go elsewhere. I’m addressing people who use Twitter to help raise their profile, and connect with professionals.
Never Have a Blank Avatar
The blank avatar space is filled with a Twitter bird or an egg shape. Neither adds anything to your profile.
- Add the profile picture you use elsewhere online. This helps people recognise you at conferences, networks, and meetings. It helps break the ice at such gatherings. People can easily approach you with, “Dawn? I recognise you from Twitter.”
- Alternatively, use a logo. However, people prefer to see a face, as it helps connect the words you tweet with the personality followers will eventually get to know.
Add a URL
If you do not enter a URL in the requested space, those you follow have no way of telling who or what you are.
- Those who forget names easily may not follow back, or block you.
- The URL is a clue to how you may have already met in person, or demonstrate a shared interest. This will encourage followers, and is more likely to result in replies to any messages you send.
Complete the Profile
Avoid crypric fragments, that are likely to make sense only to you and a few in the know. This, combined with a missing URL makes you look flaky, weird, or just plain frightening.
- Instead add a brief list of your main professional roles.
- Alternatively, add a brief list of interests, skills, or specialisms.
Either tactic will help potential followers determine if you will have anything of interest to say, and encourage the right people to your profile.
Tweet!
Recently, I’ve used JustUnfollow to pare back my Following list. I’m also pretty particular about who follows me. Once a week or fortnight, I peruse the list of recent Followers, and remove anyone who doesn’t abide by the advice I supply above. I’m not interested in engaging with those with no name or interests.
- Surprisingly, I found that many Followers had a dull Twitter profile. They were mostly removed.
- A sub-set had an interesting profile, but simply did not tweet. They’re taking up space on my list, so they were removed. First, those who’d not tweeted for 6 months, then those who’d not tweeted for 3.
- A smaller subset again have a really interesting profile, tweet seldom, but when they do, it’s not about their craft. They’re slowly being removed too.
I like to know who I’m tweeting with. And what they do for a living. And where they’re from. I like to find out more about them, from an online profile, a blog, or a website.
If you don’t supply these basic details, you limiting the amount of people who will follow back, and you limiting the meaningful exchanges you can have online.
What are your thougths?
Why Your Non-Entrepreneurial Family and Friends Don’t Understand What You Do
This blog post title is very long. And, yet it should be longer: Why Your Non-Enterpreneurial Family and Friends Don’t Understand What You Do, And Why You Should Stop Trying to Make Them.
When they Hear the Word “Business”, They Think Tesco, HSBC or the Local Hardware Store
They do not think… my brother, my daughter. No matter how many times you try to explain that the local corner shop is a “business”, and someone has to supply them with a shop-fitting service, shelves, screws, glass, doors and the like, they will rarely put two and two together to realise that maybe your carpentry “business” can supply the products and services to them, and, charge for it.
So, it makes even less sense when finally win that larger contract with Tesco for a shop-fitting service. Tesco!?
It can be very frustrating. But, only those who’ve been entrepreneurs themselves can understand what it means. In the same way, athletes may struggle to explain their committment to not heading out every weekend with their friends to get wasted. Or, mental health professionals may come across as snippy when they fail to join in the current trend of laughing at mental illness.
If you’re not in the zone, it’s difficult to understand.
They’re Not Risk-Takers
The self-employed, freelancers, contract workers, small business owners, large business owners or any combination thereof are by definition risk-takers. Depending on how your financial and home assets are arranged, and what decisions you make, you may be risking some of the following:
- Your regular income
- Your home and lifestyle
- Your spouse or your childrens’ luxuries
- Your reputation
- Your peace of mind, and ultimately mental well-being
- Your employees’ job stability
- Your entire business
This is what your non-entrepreneurial family and friends cannot understand about what you do. They’re not by nature, risk-takers.
Are You?
Some of us are skilled at dealing practically with risk and managing the stress that accompanies it; some are not. Some of us thrive on the pressure; some do not.
Now, I know at this point that there are those of you who consider themselves to be entrepreneurs, who will retort, but I’m an entrepreneur, and I’m not a risk-taker!
The thing is – you are. If you are not dependent on someone else for your wage, if you make your own money, if you secure your own contracts, if you are responsible for the delivery getting there on time, or the salaries of others, you are taking risks. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. Life and business would be rather dull if we never took risks. (I reserve the right to choose not to jump out of planes however!)
The thing about risks, like a Physics experiment, is that everyone finds their own level.
- You may be comfortable running your business by the seat of your pants; I am not. You may have everything in a 10-year plan; I, however, do not. We all find the level of risk we are prepared to cope with, and try to minimise the rest.
- Some will minimise it by seeking out larger, regular customers and relying on those for the bulk of income, and state that they feel more comfortable with that. Others will look at that same state of affairs and deem it too risky, preferring instead to continue to pursue new customers.
Your non-entrepreneurial friends and family are employed by someone else because it’s generally considered to be more secure. Whether it really is, in our current financial crisis, is irrelevant. Perception is reality.
They Can’t Fit What You Do Into Traditional Categories
“But what do you do!?” It something we laugh about. Especially freelance IT professionals. How to you explain a tweet to a non-computer user? How do you explain coding? How do you explain that you design cool website buttons for a living?
Is your week varied? Does it sometimes involve late nights in the workshop, or long days at conferences? Are two weeks ever the same? Might a morning begin with great intentions of getting through that stack of emails, and end with an impromptu meeting somewhere unlikely? How do you explain it when “work” involves croissants and coffee and chatting at BizCamp Belfast?
When a product or service appears intangible, it can be even more difficult to put it across, even to those in the service industry. And, sometimes when you do make them understand, they’re flummoxed as to why anyone would pay for that service. How does a lifetyle guru explain what they do? It can seem a little #thirdworldproblems.
It’s easier for adults to learn, if the new stuff is presented in the context of stuff we already know. Sometimes IT professionals will say that they “work with computers”, or “teach people how to use computers”. I’ve even resorted to using the word “machines” with those who don’t know what a computer is…
That’s not to say they’re wrong, or backward, or I’m right and all-knowing. It just is. It’s just that we live and work in very different contexts. When explaining, KISS.
They Don’t Know Who Pays You
“But, who’s your boss!? You know, who pays you!?” is a common cry. Many family and friends, used to the employer (big boss) and employee (little person) arrangement, are alarmed when the big boss appears to be absent from the equation. I admit, it alarms me sometimes! And, yet, it is one of the reasons I love being self-employed. There’s no-one of whom to ask permission. Except @thesensei, of course.
When you reply, “I’m my own boss!”, this causes further confusion, as family, especially, know your tendancy to daydream, or your aversion to mornings! They rarely see your professional side.
Alleviate Their Fears Gently
- Don’t bash them over the head with your bohemian notions of freedom to create. This will confirm all their suspicions! Instead, reframe your responses to their questions in the language that makes sense to them.
- Avoid going in the opposite direction and morphing into an overbearing, pin-striped moghul overnight. Let them see you in work mode only sometimes. Take the softly softly approach; ease them in gradually.
- Unless you live with the person (who will want to know), minimise the bad news; maximise the good. People ask how business is doing, but do they really need all the details? Experience has taught me that they can’t really handle it. And, they will respond without knowing the full facts. Restrict conversations to the positive highlights.
- Refer to the successes of other entrepreneurs in their social circle. This creates the feeling that you are not off your trolley, if others they know operate in a similar way.
A few big wins, evidence of organisation, tangible proof of regular money coming in, appearances in the press, or mentions by others they know all help to alleviate their fears, though I suspect they never really go away…
What are your thoughts? Have you tried, and failed, to explain what you do? Do those closest to you get it? Are you a risk-taker or not? Do you have any tips?
Image credit: lixinyiphoto.
What is Follow Friday?
Follow Friday is a device used by Twitter users to recommend good people to follow.
If you are new to Twitter, use a tool such as Hootsuite or Tweetdeck and filter your All list, for #followfriday or #ff. This will highlight who those you follow recommend following. It’s one place to start, to increase your contacts on Twitter.
Many of those you follow will follow back; some won’t. Don’t worry too much about non-followers. You can always tweet them in the normal way. If someone isn’t following you, the only thing you can’t do is send them a Direct Message.
The Hashtag
Hashtags are key words that appear somewhere in the body of the tweet, to indicate what the tweet is about. They are –by convention – preceded by a hashtag (#), to designate their importance. (In practical terms, however, the hashtag has no function. So, as long as you include a word or phrase in your tweet, there is no need to duplicate this in a hashtag.)
When people perform searches on Twitter for certain words and phrases, they will find your tweets among anyone who tweets your key words. In the example below, if someone searched on Twitter (or a search engine such as Google) for nursing recruitment Belfast, this individual tweet’s URL would appear in the list of results.
This helps your Search Engine Optimisation. Simply put, SEO refers to how well your online location can be found by people specifically searching for you, or by people searching randomly for what service or product you provide.
Who Should I Include in Follow Friday?
- Helpful people you’ve been chatting to on Twitter during that week
- Your clients and customers
- Your suppliers
- Your colleagues
- Those who tweet information your think your followers would find useful
- People you want to notice you and what you’re doing
The Format
It’s useful to give a reason for including someone in a Follow Friday list:
@balmoralhc provides information on nursing jobs in Belfast, Northern Ireland and beyond. #tweetni #recruitment #ff
Alternatively, many people simply list Twitter users by username:
@balmoralhc, @balmoralhcare #ff
Tips
- Always put the @ infront of the username, so those Twitter users can see that you’ve recommended them.
- Don’t feel you have to do Follow Friday every week, only when you have people to recommend.
- Schedule your Follow Fridays, and add people into the scheduled tweet, as it occurs to you.
Above all, those you recommend with the Follow friday device should add value to your followers.
Do you have any methods for deciding who to add into a Follow Friday tweet?
Network or Die!
Since we’re apparently approaching hallowe’en, going by the number of corporate emails I’m receiving with a suitably ghoulish theme, I thought I’d scare you a bit.
If you don’t network, your business is going to die.
Yes, I can hear the bleating already. There is more to business than networking. Yes, indeedy. But, I’m writing about networking today. Universal comprehensiveness we shall do next week.
Networking brings: contacts, suppliers, clients, support, new concepts, news… why wouldn’t you? If you find networking a little tiresome, frightening or confusing, read on…
Where should I network?
There are thousands of networking events in Northern Ireland every year. Often, they are referred to as business networking events, but really, they cater for the public sector, community groups and charities too. See our blog posts on Business Events in Northern Ireland for further information and links.
The most exciting – and dare I say it, disruptive – business networking event coming up soon is BizCamp Belfast. Read The Rise of the Unconference and 5 Reasons Why Networking at BizCamp Works to see what it is. What it is, is a seriously chilled introduction to networking, for the terrified. You can leave your corporate ass at the door.
And, minority group I know, but if you’re female, there are even networking events just for you. See Women’s Business Networks in Northern Ireland.
How should I network?
Attend an Open Coffee meeting. See this list of Open Coffees in Northern Ireland. It takes an informal format.
If you prefer a more highly structured approach, then BNI may be the style you’re after.
There are many other networks, ask around. We run two of our own, ScribeTribe (a network for writers) and BookCamp (for readers).
If you find networking a little daunting, take heart. There are two posts for you: 5 Ways Introverts Can Excel at Networking and Take the Work Out of Networking!
Should I do it online too?
I cannot stress the networking value of Twitter enough. It’s my favourite social networking site (or, micro-blogging platform, if you want to be pedantic about it). It’s where I get to have conversations with people I’d never otherwise meet, share and debate ideas, and announce and read news about all types of stuff. If you’d like to learn more, view this short presentation: Twitter: Understanding Its Networking Value (it takes a few seconds to load once you get to the page).
What about Facebook? We blog alot about Facebook. Whatever you do, avoid the 11 Ways to Lose Friends and Alienate People on Facebook.
I’ve connected with several people on LinkedIn this week. I use it mainly to collect old and new colleagues, suppliers, clients, reviews and testimonials. My Twitter feed is linked there, whereas it’s not posted to Facebook. To learn more about how to use LinkedIn for professional networking, see: 5 Ways to Set Out Your Manifesto on LinkedIn.
People look me up on LinkedIn before meetings and interviews, and I do the same.
Finally, it’s a great resource for those looking to fill a position, or find a specialist.
If networking online floats your boat, and you’d like to learn more, then get along to the Social Media Association for Business‘ next event. I’m currently on the steering committee, so get in touch if you want to learn more.
Is there any science to back all this up?
You’ve Got Networking on the Brain is my husband’s analysis of how business networking mirrors the structure of our brains. It’s a bit high-brow, with lots of links to go off and research.
Your thoughts on networking are welcome. What are your strategies for getting it right, and making every moment count?
Pessimists, Introverts and Business
Business is for the optimistic, extroverted and hard-nosed. So the story goes. Problem is, the story is wrong. At least, that is, according to a few business gurus and authors out there. Speaking as an introvert, a pessimist and a businessperson, that makes me do something akin to smiling. But not quite.
According to Lucy Kellaway of the Financial Times, pessimism is good for business. The thinking behind this statement seems to be that pessimists are better prepared to deal with the world as it is rather than how we would like it to be. I find her suggestion interesting that an organisation should have a mixture of the two types if it is to function with maximum effectiveness.
This notion is not unique to her. Apparently uber guru Tom Peters recently tweeted his appreciation for a book by Julien K Norem called The Positive Power of Negative Thinking: Using Defensive Pessimism to Harness Anxiety and Perform at Your Peak. This book is a recent edition to a selection of authors who either warn against the dangers of the positive psychology movement (Barbara Ehrenreich) or positively (!) extol the virtues of pessimism (Roger Scruton).
I find myself conflicted. On the one hand, I like the idea of using what you are, playing to your own strengths. So, if you’re an introvert, discover or invent ways to turn this to your advantage. Likewise if you are a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) in the workplace. On the other hand, I believe that key business skills such as motivation and resilience are largely due to your ability to initiate ‘growth mindsets’ or positive ‘explanatory styles’ in order to interpret goals and setbacks to yourself.
I suspect that an answer lies in the notion that optimism and pessimism, introversion and extroversion, sensitivity and thick-facedness, are different strategies or tools the skillful businessperson employs as the context requires. None binds; none defines.
Do you agree?
The Latest in Erotic Capitalism
Forget about emotional capital, or even its left-wing neighbour, social capital. Make way for the latest trend – erotic capital! Less ooh-er matron, more ooh-er manager…
While out and about in the car last Thursday I was listening to Radio 4 – between REM songs – and I overheard an interview with Catherine Hakim, a researcher in sociology at LSE. Listen to the chat here. She was on to discuss and promote her latest book Honey Money: The Power of Erotic Capital, in which she argues that virtues such as attractiveness and vivaciousness play as large a part in professional success as academic qualifications.
This topic attracts – ba-dum tsh – my attention for a few reasons. First off, it reminded me of the argument made by advocates of emotional intelligence like me. We assert that success in life is probably more down to non-academic skills such as motivation, empathy and persuasiveness than anything you learned in school. Your ability to master these skills increases your emotional capital or the value of your personal brand in the marketplace. Maybe erotic or sexual capital is another application of the emotional intelligences paradigm.
Also, I’ve been interested in the so-called halo effect for some time. This is a bias in our brains that makes us judge a person or thing better than it is in one area because it seems to be great in another. So, for example, we tend to think that beautiful people are smarter or more competent than they really are. Hakim’s work seems to take advantage of this bias. But it even applies to products. Because the iPod is regarded well, people tend to overestimate other Apple products. (Surely that is heresy? Yes it is, but don’t call me Shirley…)
Since Hakim explicitly argues that erotic capital is a tool women should wield for career advancement, she has raised some heckles in the sisterhood. For instance, while Elizabeth Day admits that Hakim’s work is “interesting” and “genuinely thought-provoking” in places, in the end she judges it “fairly offensive”. Anna North is more forthright, dismissing it as “bullshit”. Guardian writer Zoe Williams seems proud to have clashed with Hakim over lunch.
I suspect in reality that there’s something to it, probably as a subset of social intelligence. At any rate, read what the lady herself has to say before you dismiss it as so much post-feminist femme fatale.
Have you got erotic capital? It can be just as valuable as a university degree—especially for women
Erotic Capital in the European Sociological Review
For a more balanced evaluation read:
Catherine Hakim: She’s counting up erotic capital by Kaye Spicer. Subheading: ‘The academic with a knack for upsetting feminists has done it again, claiming that sex appeal is as important as brains’. Also try Erotic Capital by Celia Walden. ‘Meet the woman who defined the definitive professional must-have of our generation: Dr Catherine Hakim.’
So do women use feminine wiles to their advantage at work? My wife says yes. Do you agree?
Facebook’s Featured Likes
Facebook now allows you to profile Pages you’ve liked, from your Page. And, likewise for Page Owners. If you want to highlight key staff, clients, partners, suppliers, this is a convenient way to do it.
- Log into Facebook
- Navigate to your Page
- Click Edit Page
- Click Add featured likes
- Select the Pages you wish to profile, and click Save
- Click Add featured owners
- Select the owners you wish to profile, and click Save
- Click View Page, to view the featured Pages and Owners
Simples!
