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Project Management And Stress

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Stress and project management go hand in hand, but how we cope with that stress varies. Here we look at the causes of stress within project management, and what to do about them.

Project management is an extremely stressful job, if not one of the most stressful jobs within the business world. And it really isn’t a surprise, seeing as a project manager has such huge responsibility, being completely responsible for the outcome of a project. That is including huge projects with huge budgets, complex structures and absolutely massive payoffs – or fallouts depending on the outcome.

Although all PMs tend to be genuinely eager for the challenge of the project management role, understanding that it will be very stressful and difficult, a lot of project managers don’t actively recognise when they are actually stressed. A project manager might be completing their job, believing they are a bit tired or challenged, without actually seeing signs that are are suffering from the effects of stress. Stress may show itself in a number of different ways and have a negative impact on the way your brain works, on your health, your personal life, your sleep levels. Although some people may notice projects becoming more difficult to deal with as they get stressed, others may be functioning well within the workplace, but seeing symptoms of stress, like lack of sleep or appetite, a short temper, or frustration on a general capacity, not linking them to work.

As a project manager you can reduce the stress you are under on a daily basis, but the best thing to do is to change how you deal with stress, that way, your stress levels aren’t dependant on what the day throws at you. And we all know that as a project manager one day can feel like one book being balanced on your head, the next can feel like the entire library is being piled on That’s true whether you take an agile approach to managing projects or follow a more traditional approach such as that from the Association for Project Management (APM). It is really important that you learn to manage your stress when the levels are low, or before you have even started to suffer from it, so you know how to manage it when needed.

What Causes Stress In Project Management?

Project deadlines are quickly approaching, team members may be in conflict or uncommitted, senior management may be unsupportive, the customer may be unhappy – the causes of stress can be incredibly varied within project management. Common reasons for stress within project management are:

  • An overly optimistic timeline that cannot be achieved
  • The PM does not have control of all the resources
  • There aren’t enough resources
  • Team is remotely based and different timelines are causing difficult coordination
  • Conflict within the project
  • A stressful project environment
  • A lack of project management training
  • PM has too big a workload

These are just a small amount of common causes of stress within project management, within the giant pool of causes that can occur on a daily basis.

Dealing With Stress As A Project Manager

First and foremost, the project manager must actively recognise that they are actually stressed and commit to self-development relating to dealing with stress. When a person remains in denial about being stressed, or the effects it can have, they are not open to stress management. Learning to manage stress takes openness, honesty and commitment to change, none of which can happen if a person doesn’t accept that they are infact stressed.

There are many different ways to deal with stress, which is great, as it means you will be able to find one or several ways to suit you. No one way will usually fix all problems associated with stress, and there isn’t much you can do to get rid of stress completely, bar winning the lottery and going to live on a desert island. So it is important that you aim to work around lots of different types of stress relief, experimenting and figuring out which techniques work best for you.

First and foremost, you may need to address your project management position and it is worth taking a look at your job first to check that you have made it as stress free as possible.

  • Workload – If you aren’t delegating enough, your manager has been piling on the work and you haven’t been speaking up, or you have been overambitious you may have a workload that is too big to manage. If this is the case, you need to think about how you can cut your workload down. You can take on some more project management training to help you learn how to delegate more effectively. You can speak to your manager about reducing your workload. Recognise that things need to change for you to move forward.
  • Conflict – it may be you that has conflict or issues with someone in your workplace. Just because you are a PM, doesn’t mean you are immune to having your own personality clashes. If this is the case, recognise that the issue is having a detrimental effect on your working life and vow to get it resolved. It may be a case of resolving the problems with the person, or it might be that you have to speak to HR or higher management. Confide in a neutral party for advice.
  • Job Dissatisfaction – It may be that you actually don’t love your job, which is why you can’t cope with the stress – because you don’t really care about whether or not you do well. You have no passion or fire for the job you are doing and secretly strive for another career. If this is the case, now is the time to start making a plan for change. Maybe it can be for a few months, for a year or even two years depending on the job you want. You might need project management training, industry training, you might need more experience, but recognise that you can get where you want to but you have to make the first step. Your job will seem much less stressful when you know you’re headed where you want to be.
  • Work/ Life Balance – Sometimes we are so passionate about our job, our personal life suffers, so we don’t get enough downtime or time with our friends and family and it ends up being stressful. It can be so hard to balance work and life at the same time, but it is doable. If this is the root cause of your stress, you need to take a step back and figure out how to bring the balance back. It will take a number of adjustments which may include cutting your workload, being more efficient, learning to be more disciplined with work hours or booking holidays, but it can be done, the first step is recognising the issue and changing it.

Of course, none of these may apply to you and if they do they might not be immediately adjustable, either way, you need to learn how to deal with the stress you are under or might come under, because project management will always be a job that involves stress.

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Here are some useful ways to cope with stress:

Checking Out

Checking out is where you mentally remove yourself from a situation in order to get to a better place in your head. If you are holding a team meeting that is particularly stressful, you are completing a task that is very hard, or you are commuting and find yourself ready to burst with frustration at the delays, this method is very useful. It is simply a case of mentally detaching yourself from the situation. Obviously you have to be really careful how you use this and where so you don’t just checkout when someone is speaking to you. But you can use it at set moments when you really need to. Simply breathe in for four and out for four, and take yourself to a neutral ‘nice place’ that makes you feel relaxed. When you are away from work, it is important to practise ‘checking out’ when you are truly relaxed so you can associate your special place with feeling relaxed.

Detach Yourself From The What If’s

When things are stressful, and particularly in this industry, it is easy to start thinking about the what if’s. What if I had seen that issue earlier, what if I had of chosen a different project, what if I had of dealt with this a few weeks ago. You have to detach yourself from the what if’s otherwise you will stay in the past, and won’t be able to focus on the present and the future. Obviously as a PM your job is to think ahead, but as much as possible you should be mindful and practise thinking about what is happening right now, and only thinking as far ahead as the next step to improve that situation. The more mindful you can be, the better.

Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is a great skill to have, and is useful both in work and outside of work. Within project management there will be lots of times when tempers flare, or when conflicts are ignored and the stress rises either directly with you, or with people around you. Conflict resolution enables you to actively resolve these issues and therefore remove the cause of the stress.

Heated Conversations

One thing that we can often do, with our wealth of knowledge, is get into heated conversations at work in order to assert our authority or beliefs. We basically end up fighting to be ‘right’ all of the time. This is a massive cause of stress, especially as usually we won’t ever feel we have been heard. Think about why you have this need to be right, and work on that issue so you stop getting into heated conversations. Working on your emotional intelligence levels will help a lot with this problem.

Gaining Perspective

Sometimes we can see situations as hugely important when really, they aren’t. A great trick to deal with this when something seems like ‘the end of the world’ is to wonder whether you will look back on it in a year and even remember it at all, or you will look back and it won’t have been a big deal at all.

Prioritising

Sometimes stress can be resolved by prioritising all the tasks we have to do in the day. If we get the tasks we must do done first thing, before the tasks that are less important, then you will feel super productive by dinnertime. This is an amazing lift and can ensure you are eating your lunch feeling incredibly light.

Recognising Extreme Emotions

If you can recognise when you are reacting strongly over something, you can do something about it. Recognise that you are angry over something when really you should just be irritated, that you are really down about something when really it should just be making you feel a bit sad. When your emotions are extreme, often stress is the problem, and the sooner we recognise the cause, the sooner we become more rational and able to cope better.

Health

Exercise can be an incredible stress reliever and it will not only benefit you physically, but mentally. It will turn on all those happy hormones, help regulate your sleep and enable you to literally work away your stress. Your diet can also have a huge effect on stress levels. Vitamin deficiencies can have an effect on cognitive function and energy levels, and dehydration can have a massive effect on our ability to cope with stress. So drink plenty of water, eat the rainbow and invest in your diet so you’re getting everything you need and more, to give you a truly well balanced diet.

Meditation

Meditation is an amazing skill to learn, and if you can master it, you can give your brain the true break it needs every day. A little yoga in the morning followed by some focused meditation, is a fabulous way to start the day.

How To Tell You’re Stressed

You might be suffering from stress if you:

  • Are more irritable than usual
  • Are feeling very emotional very easily
  • Are tired and struggling to sleep well
  • Have a reduced appetite or loss of appetite
  • Have a more extreme reaction to stressful situations than usual
  • Are struggling to cope with everyday project management tasks

Of course, it is possible that you may also be suffering from something more serious than stress, and if that is the case it is important to seek professional help. Severe depression and anxiety can show many of the same symptoms as stress, so be sure to checkout this link if you think you might be suffering from issues more extreme than generalised stress.

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Managing Expectations When You’re Mentoring Someone Else

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Mentoring always creates expectations for both parties involved, and it is important as both a mentor to understand which of those expectations you should reasonably expect to fulfil. While many believe that having a strong mentoring program within your business is most beneficial in improving workplace culture, how can you be sure there are no misunderstandings or disappointment, when it is felt by either party that expectations are not being met? 

We look at some tips to help you work out what is reasonable or unreasonable and how to set boundaries.

In the beginning

Before clarifying your mentor relationship with the person you’re mentoring, you should seek to answer some basic questions yourself. Entering into the initial mutual discussion understanding your own expectations and what you hope to achieve, as well as defining what you expect to be offered from the mentoring relationship will give you a good starting point. Once done you will be better placed to have the critical mentor meeting as you embark on the program. 

Understanding Expectations

Seek to answer these questions:

  • What do I expect of the other party?
  • What do I think they expect of me?
  • What are my expectations of the mentoring program?
  • What should the mentor expect of the mentored person’s immediate manager to support them to succeed in the program?

Once you have the answers, you have made progress to understand your own expectations. You should then seek to align these with your counterpart.

At the outset of the mentoring process sit down with the person you’re mentoring and discuss the expectations you have from the relationship, before you progress any further.  As the mentor you should lead the conversation, but you must allow space for the other person to articulate their needs and expectations.

Following these three steps will help you cover some of the key areas you need to clarify:

  1. As the mentor, state your expectations, and allow the other person to ask questions and clarify what is offered and what your expectation means.
  2. As a mentor you are seeking agreement on the expectation. Agreeing a common definition and understanding for every aspect of the mentoring partnership in advance will avoid potential confusion or feelings of resentment later through the mentoring program.
  3. If you cannot agree on any of the expectations or feel that they are not realistic at this time or are not appropriate, you can mutually decide to put them to one side to be revisited at a future time. As the program moves forward there may be a chance for agreement later on or for a mutually agreed adjustment.

As the mentor you are there to guide the person you’re mentoring through the targets and make progress as expected. This role is often used to foster career development, which is of benefit to both parties enabling them to grow within the business and as a person. However, sometimes employees may not progress in as short a time as you think they should, which could cause anxiety on both sides.  Understanding how to mentor an anxious employee is a useful skill to have, allowing you to manage their expectations and your own, so that things do not become problematic.  

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Make Money At Home | Ten Options

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Make Money At Home

As the Holidays begin to peek around the corner people are beginning to search for ways to make money at home for the up-and-coming gift giving season.  Not only that, the recession has hit people hard and I honestly believe that home based businesses are going to explode in the coming years as more and more people look for ways to make money at home.

Whether you choose to offer a decorating service or a grocery shopping service, advise people on how to declutter a home or, indeed remove the clutter in your truck – the options are endless.

Make Money At Home | Ten Options

10.  Grocery Shopping Service.  Put an add on Craigslist or in the paper that targets the elderly and busy moms.  Have people email their shopping list to you and you can do their shopping for them.  If you advertise in Craigslist you will not need to spend any money on marketing.

9.  Internet Tutor.  I personally do not know a single person who does not own a computer.  However, there are still millions of people that are completely clueless (my mother-in-law, for one) when it comes to operating their computer and using the internet.  Again, you can advertise on Craigslist for free.  Charge by the hour.

8.  Hauling Service.  If you have a truck you can advertise a Hauling Service on Craigslist.  Offer to haul away peoples junk, tree branches or trash and charge per load. With decluttering so popular as people seek to get more organised and create a less stressful life their are plenty of people who need someone to remove their clutter. (See this Ultimate Guide to Decluttering if you need some encouragement to declutter)

7.  Translation Service.  Are you fluent in another language?  Start a translation and transcription service or become a tutor. Another option is to tutor people in English where that is not their first language – especially foreign business people who have been posted to the US and want to improve their spoken English. Yet another option for those with a second language is to become a voice-over artist. Look for a specialist voice-over agency like Matinee who can find you work and advise on the equipment you’ll need at home.

6.  Holiday Decorating Service.  You can decorate residences and businesses for the upcoming Holidays.  You could do both interior and exterior.  Charge by the hour.

5.  Live-in Carer Jobs. Help look after an elderly person who wants to remain in their own home instead of going into a residential care home and giving up their personal space and independence. According to the not-for-profit organisation the Live-in Care Hub (www.liveincarehub.co.uk) there is a massive demand for carers now more people know that live-in care is an alternative to a residential care home.

4.  Window Cleaning.  Charge by the window or by the size of the house.  You don’t want to charge hourly because you can clean a LOT of windows in one hour.

3.  Garden Care Service.  Mow, trim, weed lawns and include leaf removal during the Fall.  You could also include snow removal during the winter months.  You will need a good mower and trimmer to start with.  Investigate the competition to set your rates.

2.  Start An Online Business.  Join my blog by signing in with your name and email address on the home screen and I will provide you step-by-step instructions on how to start an online business.

1.  Blogging.  There is now a complete blogging and marketing system that you can use for $25/month.  The best part?  You can share with it others that want to blog and you get 100% affiliate commissions for everyone that uses your affiliate link to join.  $25/month in residual income for everyone that you share the blogging and marketing system with.   In my opinion, this is the best way to make money at home. Also, perforeming an SEO health check will help you.

 10 Ways To Make Money At Home – Conclusion

As you can see, by using some imagination you can easily come up with several ways to make money at home.  Making money at home is not as challenging as some think. Regardless of how you make money at home, new technologies such as this wireless credit card reader will help you take payments digitally.

I have started several successful businesses from my home and now I am thankful to be a full-time blogger and entrepreneur.

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Project Management Resources

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Whether you are leading a small team on a small project or heading up a large department, leadership needs to morph and change in response to a range of internal and external factors. It is essential you keep pace with change which is why leadership podcasts should be at the top of your list.

Having your finger on the pulse of leadership challenges and opportunities means the way you respond as a leader is appropriate but also forward-thinking. Podcasts allow you to access information and ideas when you are either on the go or relaxing. But which podcasts are the go-to for leaders?

1 Leadership & Loyalty

For anyone taking their first tentative steps into leadership, this is a must-listen. Hosted by strategist and author Dov Baron, the range of topics linked to leadership make this a podcast you’ll listen to time and again.

Tapping into the expertise of guests from across a range of industries, Leadership & Loyalty hosts a range of interesting discussions. 

2 Leadership2020

The Leadership2020 podcast, hosted by Clare Carpenter, an expert in HR and recruitment, examines in detail the need for changing leadership in a changing world.

Like most podcast hosts, Clare delves deep into the issues around leadership and business with some of the biggest names in business and recruitment. 2020 is turning into a turbulent year for all kinds of reasons and now, more than ever, leaders need to step up their game.

3 Entrepreneurs on Fire

An American based podcast, the content of Entrepreneurs on Fire means that there is something for everyone, no matter what industry or sector you work in.

As both leader and entrepreneur, there will be hard failures and wonderful opportunities and successes. But as a leader, you’ll need to utilise and optimise both. This is essentially the crux of this podcast and one that also provides daily business updates that are interesting too.

4 The Jocko Podcast

The Jocko Podcast my not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you believe in the underlying principals of military leadership being useful in the business field, then there is some interesting content for you here. 

Straightforward and non-fussy, you would expect that the surprisingly direct interview style of the podcast host John Willink would put people off opening up. However, you’ll find they respond with the same direct appeal, a great way to pull out the principles and ethics of their leadership qualities.

5 Engaging Leader

All these podcasts are built around their own take and premise on leadership and the qualities people need to develop to become an effective forward-mover in any industry. The Engaging Leader podcast is all about using connections and engaging relationships to get the best out of people, all with the drive of making a bigger and better impact. 

Again, its programmes boast a range of fantastic interviews with previous casts littered with interesting discussions. 

Podcasts are fantastic for delving into subject areas and matters, leadership included, that you wouldn’t normally come across. And these five podcasts are just a handful that you’ll find useful.

7 Minute Workout – Really?

If you are reading this review, chances are you are either a 7 Minute Workout rep or you are looking at whether this is the right business opportunity for you.  Finding the right business opportunity can certainly be stressful and I commend you for doing your due diligence.

Let me first start out by saying that I am neither an affiliate or a customer for this company.  My goal is to provide an unbiased, third-party review of the organization, products and compensation plan so that you can make an informed decision on whether the 7 Minute Workout business opportunity is right for you.

In addition to reviewing this opportunity I will also provide some information at the end of this review that will explain how the most successful 7 Minute Workout reps are building very large organizations using the power of the internet.

The 7 Minute Workout Organization and Products

Co-founded by Joel Therien and Chris Reid, 7 Minute Workout launched in June of 2011.  They have created a fitness program that is suitable for individuals of all shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels. The program is sold by the companies affiliates using the direct sales model and multi-tier system.

As the name of the business would imply, the product is a workout regimen that is to be completed 2-3 times per week at 7 minute intervals.  Customers that use the program have access to an online tracking system for their weight, body measurements and a social media system that is focused on health and wellness.

Customers can join the program for $24.97 per month (very reasonable in my opinion).  For the cost of 5 Big Macs you can spend 7 minutes a day working out instead of eating; brilliant!

The company stands behind their product by guaranteeing that their system will get individuals into the best shape of their life if they just workout for just 7 minutes, 3 times per week.  They offer a 30-day no questions asked money back guarantee.  They do have some incredible testimonials of individuals with almost unbelievable results.

Show Me the Money!

Always the highlight (and most read) section of all my reviews a look at the 7 Minute Workout compensation plan.

As an affiliate for the company and in order to earn commissions on sales and referrals you need to pay a one-time fee of $149.97 plus maintain the $24.97 per month membership fee.

The company uses a binary multi-tier compensation plan and affiliates are paid for both personal referrals and the referrals in their downline.  They do offer a “fast start” bonus and team cycle bonuses that are paid on a 4/2 split.

Should You Join As an Affiliate?

This is certainly the million-dollar question now isn’t it (no pun intended)?   After reviewing the 7 Minute Workout organization it is clear that they have an amazing product that is getting results. My only question is can I do it in the shower?  This is the only time in the day that I have 7 minutes.

I would be a little hesitant to recommend this company but the 30-day money back guarantee certainly gives me a little more confidence.  I will certainly be keeping an eye on this company as the months go by to see if their business plan is sustainable in this very competitive niche.  Fortunately, the company is tapping into a resource that we all lack; time!

Although the 7 Minute Workout affiliate opportunity does look very viable business, reps should not expect success overnight.  The reps that tap into the power of the internet are going to be the most successful.  The affiliates that grasp the philosophy of attraction marketing and use an online marketing system to drive their business will quickly rise as leaders in the organization.

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How to Achieve Business Success

Leave a Comment / Business Success /

It is no secret that the majority of those people who try to start their own business fail to achieve success. Running your own business is much more difficult than simply turning up each day to your corporate job  but the rewards can be much more lucrative once you find success. A lot of people have found success running a small business. If they can, there is no reason why you can’t achieve success as well. Below are the things that you need to increase your chances of finding profitability in your small business. If you have all these, there is nothing to stop you from achieving the success you have always been dreaming of.

5 Tips to Achieving Business Success

1. Patience. No genuine business is a make-money-fast scheme. Yes, you can earn money on the day you start your company but if you want to keep a steady income, you have to be very patient. Be patient with every aspect of your business. Be patient when generating leads. Be patient when doing social media marketing. Be patient when communicating with potential leads. This is where a lot of businesses make a wrong turn. They can’t wait long enough to see their efforts work. They have this notion that if you run a PPC ad today, you will get a hundred leads tomorrow. This is not how online marketing works. The truth is it can take weeks or even months before you get to see any leads trickle in. If you are not patient enough to wait for weeks or months, then starting your own business is probably not right for you.

2. Focus. You can never achieve business success if you don’t know how to focus. You should learn how to eliminate all the unnecessary distractions around you. Another big mistake that a lot of business owners are guilty of is that they keep on trying to do many things all at the same time. They have this wrong impression that the more things they do, the more money they can earn. They end up being caught up in too many activities. The sad part is these activities are getting wasted or aren’t getting any results. That said, you should only focus on activities that are getting results. The general rule is to focus on the most important matters and put aside everything else.

3. Mentors. You need a mentor especially if you are just starting out. They will show you the way and advice you on how to avoid the mistakes that newbie business owners usually make. You have to make sure though that the mentor has the experience to back up whatever lessons or tips he/she is going to teach you.

4. High quality products and services. If you have great products and services in your hands, you will be able to create a line of loyal customers over time. These people will keep on coming back to you because of the quality of your stuff. Make sure the tools you use are also high quality, such as a keyword research tool.

5.  You need to have a training and marketing system in place.  Do not try to do all of your marketing on your own or you will have a very difficult time getting found online. In my opinion, use the experts for the best online marketing.

Achieving Success with Internet Marketing

With the proper tools, resources and mentoring I honestly believe that anyone can achieve busines success with Internet Marketing.  The majority of individuals fail at ever achieving success because they constantly push their opportunity and product instead of offering value to those that are desperately asking for help.  If business owners quit worrying about themselves so much and started focusing on helping others they would be able to achieve success a lot faster.  Business  success is achievable as long as you have the attributes and things discussed above.

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How Important are professional qualifications for your career?

Leave a Comment / Career /

If you want to make a successful career in many fields, including those such as seo consultancy, you will be expected to achieve professional qualifications and undertake continuing professional development (CPD) throughout much of your early career. You might think you already have a university degree or higher level apprenticeship but in many professions that simply isn’t enough. Take project management, for example, or accountancy or engineering – these are roles where you need to be willing to commit to maybe several years more study after leaving full-time education if you are to achieve the greatest success and the pinnacle of chartered status.

Even in fields without chartered status, such as sales and marketing, it is still important to keep your skills up to date,  undertake sales training courses to learn the latest best practice, and gain recognised qualifications such as those from the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM)

You will need to gain a project management certification such as the prestigious APM PMQ exam from the Association for Project Management (which, incidentally has a Royal Charter). You can, of course, do this by undertaking a course of study focusing on the APM project management Body of Knowledge (BoK) or you can take a different route if you haven’t been to university and don’t plan on going. One such alternative type of training is to become a project management apprentice in order to get the necessary qualifications and take your career to the next level. However, it can be hard to determine which route will be right for you so here’s an overview of some of the possible options for the role of project manager.

First, let’s consider agile project management. Agile project management focuses on the incremental development of solutions, allowing those working on the project to quickly react when objectives change without undermining the integrity of the project. There are 8 principles of effective agile projects: demonstrate control, develop iteratively, never compromise quality, deliver on time, communicate cleanly and continuously, build incrementally from firm foundations, collaborate, and focus on the business need.

Vulnerability team leader talking about project progress with remote team

A more traditional approach

As already mentioned the APM Project Management Qualification (remember the one that used to be called the APMP?) is designed for anyone who sees a knowledge of project management as an essential part of their role – even if they are not actually a project manager. So, for instance a member of the PMO (Project Management Office). It provides a solid foundation in PM skills, tools, processes and behaviours. Anyone can take this course and achieve a professional qualification,.

So undertaking training to gain professional qualifications, and continuing to develop your skills and knowledge, are now a part of many careers. And, indeed, sometimes the only way to distinguish yourself from other professionals with the sme level of experience.

Need training for your project team?

Learn more about professional project management certification, PM career pathways and the benefits of training and continuous development.

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What Documents Should I Never Archive?

Leave a Comment / Business Success, Small Business Tips /

We all know the importance of archiving your documents and the benefits of doing so, but are there some instances where archiving shouldn’t happen?

Every day, your business generates information and data. It can be anything from petrol receipts to the information you collect when customers buy online. You have legal responsibilities to keep some of this data. However, many companies hang on to information “just in case”, a state that could lead to document archiving costing you far more money than it needs to even if you have chosen to use an offsite cheap storage unit rather than expensive office space to store the documents. It is increasingly common for small companies to make use of self storage rather than waste valuable office space for storage. The costs are generally low, especially with all the good self storage deals around but it may still be money that your business doesn’t have to spend if you are storing documents that you don’t need.

Knowing the law

In many ways knowing what you should not or don’t need to keep is fairly straightforward – you just need to be aware of what the law says in relation to your business sector and industry.

As a general guide, you should always keep documents, data and information relating to:

  1. Business documents – in other words, anything that establishes you right to conduct your business. This could be anything from articles of incorporation to business permits, licences, certifications etc.
  2. Financial data – this is the one that people worry about most and in many ways, it pays to keep detailed as well as accurate financial data and information. Check how long you need to hold on to financial information as part of your archiving documents
  3. Business agreements – this may be the policies and procedures that tie your company into contracts with clients, suppliers and so on. It will also include staff agreements, such as contracts and health benefit packages etc.
  4. Executive decisions – you will also have company minutes, along with annual reports, health and safety documents that relate to how your business is run. Ensuring you hold on to these is important.
  5. Compliance – there may also be documentation that relates to your company complying with specific legislation, regulations etc.

What documents you don’t need?

However, in spite of having these five points relating to documents you must keep, many businesses still hang on to information that they really don’t need. On one hand, you may think that you may need the information or document but on the other, it makes archiving documents a cumbersome and heavy process.

To help you understand whether you need the documents or not, ask yourself these four questions;

  1. Are the transactions or decisions that rely on this information been concluded?
  2. Have you met all the regulatory and statutory requirements for keeping this information, e.g. have you kept the information for X number of years?
  3. Is there a statutory or regulatory reason why you should hold on to the information longer than required?
  4. Are there litigations proceedings that will affect holding on to certain records or information?

Telling a story

Your business records essentially tell the story of your business, charting its rise from humble beginnings to the thriving business that it is today. Keeping documents safe is important, and not just for the regulatory or legal reasons. Backing up data is important too but a separate activity to document archiving.

If you are unsure what to keep, for how long etc., a professional document archiving service can help.

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What Does Being Rich Really Mean?

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Whether you are curious or aspiring to live like the rich, this article will give you a few hints on how to become rich yourself.

Perhaps you’re just curious, perhaps you want to visit the richest places in the world, or perhaps you aspire to be so rich you can live amongst High-Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) – you never know you might find an angel investor amongst them for your small business. Whatever the case, we’re going to look at the richest places in the world to live.

We often read in the news about the richest 1% in the world, and more often than not we don’t get a ton of information because that amount of money buys you privacy and some might say, control over the press as well. However, there are certain things we can know, such as the places the richest people live. Not exact addresses of course, but areas where you find a high amount of rich people.

How Rich Are These People?

The richest 1% doesn’t mean that much, until you hear that not too long from now, those 1% will own more between them, than the rest of the world put together. This is a wealth that accounts for complete wealth, not the amount they earn. So a person’s wealth would be calculated by adding up all their assets minus any money they owe on mortgages and other different types of loans. We think of these people as having millions or billions, like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, but actually, anyone with over £530,000 counts as that 1% so it could just be someone who owns a few houses, or who has paid off their mortgage and has a few other assets. It’s hard for many ordinary people to image having that much money especially when living month-to-month and having to rely on credit cards, short-term loans or loans for bad credit history. According to finance specialist Solution Loans, many young people are even having to rely on parents to buy their first home and taking out guarantor loans so these super rich really do live in a differnet world.

These top 1% are mostly spread amongst 4 different countries in the world, with the US being inhabited by 18 million, France being inhabited by 3.5 million, the UK being inhabited by 2.9 million and Germany being inhabited by 2.8 million of the wealthiest few.

Germany is thought to be at the bottom of the list because less people own homes there.

Following these top four, both Japan and China have people in the 1% living there, with 1.5 million in China.

The country with the most HNWI in the top 1% in comparison to its overall population is Switzerland where one in ten people have assets worth over £635,000.

Looking To Join The 1%?

If you are looking to join the 1% in their wealth, there are lots of ways to get there. According to statistics this year, the highest paying jobs in the world are:

  • Solutions Architect who earns around £95,000
  • IT Manager who earns around £95,000
  • Integrated Circuit Design Engineer who earns around £100,000
  • Software Architect who earns around £101,000
  • Strategy Manager who earns around £103,000
  • Pharmacy Manager who earns around £103,000
  • Software Development Manager who earns around £104,000
  • Research And Development Manager who earns around £112,000
  • Lawyer who earns around £114,000
  • Surgeon who earns around £143,000

There are of course endless entrepreneurial opportunities to take advantage of, such as vlogging which could turn you into a millionaire within a year if you do it right. Looking to invest money? Apparently, gold is the best investment at the moment because it has kept the same value since time began.

Good Luck with your ventures!

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New Milestone in My Path to Business Success!

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As I was sitting in my home office this morning sipping on my morning coffee and thinking about how I could become more productive, I opened up my laptop and to my surprise I had reached a new milestone; my 500th client!  What an amazing feeling to finally start seeing some results in my business.

My Success Didn’t Happen Overnight

If you are just starting out on your online business journey or if you are struggling to reach new levels in your business please realize that ANYONE can successfully build a business.  However, if you are not applying the right philosophy and methodology to your business you are going to have a long, bumpy road ahead of you.

I started my first business back in 2001 at the age of 21.  I was sold on the idea of being rich!  Well, unfortunately after 16 months of busting my butt I had earned a total of…..ZERO dollars.  Why?  Because I was doing everything wrong.

After 16 months I finally threw in the towel and gave up on this industry.  I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.  A person can only hear “no” so many times before they are mentally drained.  Honestly, I never thought I would get involved in running a business again after 16 months of being beat down.

A New Philosophy

It was not until earlier this year that I stumbled across a mastermind group that was seeing tremendous results from SEO and online marketing.  They were tapping into a targeted market of people that were actually interested in their products! 

I was blown away by the simplicity of this approach.  These individuals did not have to pester potential leads and they certainly were not attending networking events bugging strangers to take an interest in their business.   They were attracting people who wanted to hear what they had to say to their blogs to build massive marketing opportunities.

As a person that has been involved with “sales” my entire career I had a light bulb go off in my head.  This approach made total sense to me!  People do not buy from people that they don’t know and trust.  I quickly set up my blog and started blogging daily.  I didn’t blog about my business or the “dream.”  I blogged about my industry and how to be successful in this industry.  I mentored and trained people from all over the world on the power of attraction marketing and slowly I started to see results!  People started opting into my blog and they started asking me about my business.  I was blown away!

So what do I recommend if you are just starting out or struggling in your industry?  I recommend that you use SEO and online marketing methods to your own business and watch it grow.  You will be shocked at how many qualified, targeted leads you will receive.

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business owner

Why I Started My Own Business

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I’ve been running my own business for 8 years now and there hasn’t been a single moment when I have regretted giving up the 9-5 corporate drudge. Even when I have been up late at night or (more usually) up very early in the morning to fit it all in and still have time for a good family life. After all what is the point of working for yourself if you never get to see you family and give them the time and attention they deserve?

I know not everyone thinks that way as there are plenty of parents who put their jobs first and I know they won’t admit it but you just have to look at the time they spend with their kids. I simply don’t believe that quality time makes up for quantity time with children especially in the early years but also later on too.

So running my home based business has meant less sleep for me but hasn’t compromised the very reasons I am doing this.

When I first started my business my home office was full of the products I was selling online, and the boxes in which to pack them for shipping. Eventually I outsourced the packing/shipping to a company who provided warehousing for the products but found there were simply too many products getting damaged or the wrong products being sent. I was then faced with the dilemma of where to find enough storage space to house my stock at a price I could afford and where to find reliable staff who could do a decent job packing and shipping my products – which were often large and fragile (what a combination!).

The answer was literally staring me in the face as I regularly passed a local self storage facility. What I hadn’t thought of was that this was the perfect place for cheap storage because I had always associated self storage with moving house. How behind the times I was. It turns out their units were full of stuff for small online businesses and they even offered a packing service. It wasn’t of course “too good to be true” and who would want that anyway as there is no such thing – because there is a cost to this service but it turned out to be cheaper than the company who were supposedly the experts at this and, more importantly for me and the reputation of my growing business, they were good, reliable packers who shipped the right thing at the right time and the damage rate was very low.

My business is now thriving and growing in a way I couldn’t have imagined 8 years ago.

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