Are you just following the crowd?

Often when I am mentoring or coaching business owners I am told, “I have lost my direction, I feel like I am just following the same routine”, and I wonder how many of us just follow the crowd?

We get up at 7am, shower, dress and eat. Start work at 9am, stop for coffee at 11am, then stop for lunch at 1pm and home time is 5pm, sit down eat Dinner at 6.30pm watch some TV then bed around 10.30pm ready for the next day.

When do we break to think about our life, business, personal directions or goals?

Thinking time or more importantly switching off time is different for everyone, I have found that for me at least using the last 15 minutes of the day to plan for the next day works great, and for the bigger issues in my life I try and set aside a day to think, contemplate and switch off from the daily routine.

I know from my many conversations with startup business and long standing existing ones that it is often at the beginning when we do the most thinking and planning, and then when things get busy we push this time further and further away until we realise that things have changed, and we didn’t plan for that.

So go and grab a coffee in your local cafe, coffee house or hotel lounge take some time out of the daily routine for yourself and plan what you want for the next day, week, month, year, or longer.

To find out about how mentoring and coaching can assist your business either give me a call on 07976 586303 or complete the contact form below.

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Author: Carl Bradshaw FInstSMM. Follow on Twitter @CarlBradshaw, Google+, or public updates on Facebook catch up with what I’m reading on Pinterest.
By Carl Bradshaw, MentorNW

What makes great business support?

The Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE) have conducted a survey of business to find out exactly what makes great business support?

Of the recipients surveyed 50% had not received support and of those who had 27% had worked with a Business Mentor, followed by 19% with a Business Coach and 19% with business advisers, surprisingly business consultants and trainers had been worked with less frequently at just 13% each.

Respondents where also asked about what they most valued when choosing a support method. The top three where that the business mentor should be:

Reliable and Trustworthy
Experience of running their own business
Experience of the mentee’s type of business

When considering what makes great business support you need to look at certain key attributes and behaviours the EOEE asked the recipients gauged them from 1 to 4, with 1 = “not important” and 4 = “essential”. The results are in the table above.

The EOEE then looked at the methods of support delivery, with 59% preferring face to face support.

If you are looking for a business mentor remember, to shop around and don’t just accept the first person you meet as mentoring is a personality based support. In fact we at MentorNW offer a FREE initial meeting as a “no divorce clause” if a face doesn’t fit don’t continue.

Author: Carl Bradshaw FInstSMM. Follow on Twitter @CarlBradshaw, Google+, or public updates on Facebook catch up with what I’m reading on Pinterest.
By Carl Bradshaw, Positive Business Development