Most entrepreneurs who start a company alone soon come to the conclusion that two heads are better than one – someone to share the workload, the hard decisions, and the costs. In a moment of crisis, you may be tempted to take on the first person expressing interest as a co-founder. This would be a […]
Personal Outlook
What the Best Leaders Learn from Hate and Hypocrisy
A few years ago, I was on an executive retreat with 10 friends, all of whom run successful businesses. The idea was that we would learn from one another about how to grow our companies and deal with the challenges we faced. John Drury, who became an executive coach after selling his advertising agency, served […]
Victim or Victor
In this blog we’ve often discussed the “false dilemma”—the unnecessary use of the word “or.” For example, “Wealthy OR Happy” as though it’s necessarily one OR the other when of course it can and should be both. Another is “nice OR successful.” Then there’s “giver OR receiver.” And numerous others. On the other hand there are those things that are one or the other. […]
Forget Finances: Fear of Failure is the Biggest Barrier for Creatives
The creative industry has quickly become a fundamental sector for many advanced economies, especially the UK. Last year, gov.uk reported that, in total, creative business were providing around £9.6m (~ US$ 11.7m) every hour to the economy, making the industry one of the UK’s greatest economic achievements in recent years. As such, ambitious creatives looking […]
What Gets Us Into Trouble
One of the most often asked questions I receive during podcast interviews is, “What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?” This is actually one of the easiest questions for me to answer. There are two pieces of advice. The first is, “listen a lot more…and speak a lot less.” (Both were definitely issues.) But, […]
Small Business and Entrepreneurship: Where Do You Stand?
There are areas where small business and entrepreneurship cross over, but there are other areas where they diverge. If you are going into business for yourself, or if you already own a small business, it’s important to know where you stand on this topic. Put simply, virtually every entrepreneur starts as a small business owner. […]
This One Habit Transformed My Life
Financial security can be paid for two ways. Get a job or become an entrepreneur. Starting a business is often seen as a big bang approach. High risk and a big financial commitment. Find a bricks and mortar premises, commit to an expensive lease, hire staff and start marketing and selling your products and services. Today […]
How a Paintball Career Paved the Way for a High-Quality Business Model
Retiring from a successful career in any sport can be a difficult adjustment, and people often struggle to find the same success in new ventures. Tommy ‘Gun’ Pemberton enjoyed a very successful career in professional paintball; he saw victory in the World Cup and at one time was recognized as the UK’s number one player. […]
How Traveling Can Help You Become a Better Entrepreneur
If you are an entrepreneur, the chances are you are also confident, creative, independent and a risk-taker. So it isn’t a stretch to assume you also like to travel, expand your horizons, meet new people and learn new things. As an entrepreneur, you are also aware that every experience you have can also include a […]
Getting Back into Business After Your Previous Company Closes Down
The Small Business Administration reports that 34 percent of small businesses will fail in their first two years. Furthermore, according to the same source, as much as 50 percent of businesses fail during their first year. There’s no hiding the fact that the business landscape is cutthroat and unforgiving. Nevertheless, starting and running a business […]
