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How to Beat the Awkwardness at Networking Events

June 16th, 2024 Posted in Business, Entrepreneurship
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To a degree, networking events can be nerve-wracking. You’re standing in a room full of strangers, trying to figure out how to strike up a conversation without coming off as awkward or forced. You’re also doing this because you want to get known more within your industry, scale your business, and, who knows, maybe look for some talent or other connections, too. 

It’s totally understandable, really, and even though this is super unspoken, there is a lot of awkwardness with these networking events. So, how can you deal with this? What can you do? Well, as generic as it sounds, it’s going to start with a positive mindset. But is that all? Well, here are some other things you’ll need to know when it comes to transforming these encounters into enjoyable interactions. Here’s how to do it!

How to Beat the Awkwardness at Networking Events - gathering of people at an indoor event image

Photo by Product School on Unsplash

Accept That Awkwardness Is Normal

First things first, accept that some level of awkwardness is inevitable. When you meet strangers, it’s very rarely you’re going to click, especially in a professional setting like networking events. Honestly, everyone feels it, and acknowledging this can take the pressure off. Remember, you’re not alone in feeling a bit out of place. Embracing the awkwardness can actually make you more relatable. A simple “These events can be a bit intimidating, huh?” can break the ice and invite others to share a laugh.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

One of the best ways to keep a conversation flowing is to ask open-ended questions. Instead of the usual, “What do you do?” try something more engaging like, “What inspired you to get into your field?” or “What’s the most exciting project you’re working on right now?” These types of questions invite detailed responses and show genuine interest in the other person. You don’t want to make this feel like an interview either because that’s going to make it awkward as well. 

Share a Bit About Yourself

While it’s important to listen, sharing a bit about yourself can help build rapport. When someone asks about you, give them more than just your job title. Share a recent project you’re passionate about or a hobby you enjoy. This gives the other person multiple avenues to connect with you, making the conversation more dynamic. 

But, it might also help to give out business cards (technically, it’s expected), and when you give one out, if you make it unique, such as giving out letterpress business cards, then this alone could become a nice conversation, too. Just don’t talk too much about yourself (because this can actually become awkward), but just talk a bit about yourself, ask them questions, and try to get an enjoyable conversation going that way, too. There’s an art to it, and balance is definitely needed. 

Use the Environment

It might even be a good idea to just take advantage of your surroundings to spark conversation. If you’re at a conference, you can talk about a keynote speaker or a workshop you attended. If the event has food or drinks, commenting on them can be an easy conversation starter. “Have you tried the appetizers? They’re surprisingly good!” can lead to a pleasant exchange.

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Why You Don’t Need To Make Something New To Succeed

February 13th, 2024 Posted in Business, Entrepreneurship
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Let’s get straight to the point: to be successful, you don’t always have to come up with a completely new idea. Yes, that’s correct. Many people think of innovation as the invention of something new out of thin air, when there are so many opportunities to improve and redesign existing solutions. So, before you dive into trying to create the next big thing, let’s talk about this a bit.

Why You Don’t Need To Make Something New To Succeed - creative drawing image

Borrowing Smart IdeasPhoto by Pixabay:

Think about a good sandwich for a moment. Making a great one doesn’t mean you need to invent new bread or a never-before-seen sauce. It’s about using what’s already there in a tasty way. The same goes for success. Often, it’s about taking ideas or tools that already exist and using them in new ways. This approach saves time and uses the strength of ideas that are already proven to work. The key is to work smarter, not harder.

Using What Works

It might feel like cheating to use someone else’s work, but if something is already done well, why make it again? It’s not about being lazy; it’s about building on what exists. Even many famous inventors got their ideas from what was already there, just adding their own touch. Now you obviously need to steer well clear of stealing other people’s intellectual property, but you can surely build on some foundations of things that already exist. 

Mixing In The Right Features

When you think about something like setting up an online shop. The thought of it could be super overwhelming. But, integrating something like an online payment API smoothly can make a huge difference. It improves how users interact with your site and connects you to more payment options without the huge task of making a new payment system. It’s like using a thread that’s already made to sew something great. 

Small Changes, Big Impact

Often, just a small change to an existing idea can make a big difference. Think about how smartphones evolved from music players. The basic technology was there; it just needed someone to see it in a new way. That’s the power of tweaking something a bit – it can turn something normal into something amazing. Challenge yourself to think about things you use every day, and how they can be improved. You’d be surprised at how many improvements you can identify within 20 minutes. The key is actually challenging yourself. 

The Art Of Remixing

In a world that loves “new,” it’s sometimes hard to see the value in reusing old ideas. But remixing is a creative skill. It means you see the potential in something, understand its original use, and then think of a new way to use it. Whether it’s making a new hit song from an old tune or adapting a business model for a new audience, true innovation isn’t always about making something from scratch but about rearranging what we already have.

So, before you try to invent something completely new, remember that success can also come from creatively using what already exists. If the wheel is already rolling well, maybe it just needs a little push in a new direction to go somewhere exciting.

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The High-Tech Elixir: Minimizing Stress in Your Business

February 2nd, 2024 Posted in Business, Entrepreneurship
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As businesses of all kinds know, corporate life can sometimes feel like a high-wire act. One effective solution for maintaining balance in this fast-paced arena is tapping the power of technology to reduce stress levels and streamline operations.

The High-Tech Elixir: Minimizing Stress in Your Business - stressed woman chewing a pencil image

Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash

Tech for Tranquility: Organizational Tools

An important first step toward managing stress with technology lies in using organizational tools. From project management apps like Trello and Asana to Google Workspace, honing your tech stack can bring real benefits for everyday business operations. These platforms make collaboration seamless between team members, tracking project progress in real time, assigning tasks, setting deadlines all from within one shared space is seamless collaboration. No more email chains or searching through files on hard drives for documents you need – everything needed is right at hand, organized neatly and ready to act upon!

Service Scheduling Software: The Time-Taming Tech

Another tech tool that can help reduce unnecessary stress is service scheduling software such as Calendly, Buildops or Doodle. By automating the scheduling process and eliminating back-and-forth emails requesting timeslots for meetings or appointments or calls – they synchronize seamlessly with calendars so no double booking occurs and send reminders out automatically. Service scheduling software helps free up precious business hours to focus on what matters while relieving stress in its wake.

Mindfulness Made Mobile: Wellness Apps

When stress hits, mindfulness becomes essential and there’s no easier way than through wellness apps. From Headspace for guided meditation and Noom for mindful eating to Calm for sleep and relaxation, these applications put stress relief directly in your hands. These applications have been carefully created to encourage mindfulness as part of daily routine and offer resources like guided meditations, sleep stories and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. Not only will your tech implement stress relief in the workplace but it’ll foster a culture of wellness among employees as well.

Automation Tools to De-Stress

Automation tools provide an indispensable aid for creating a stress-free work environment. By efficiently handling repetitive tasks, these tools free up your valuable time for more important business considerations such as social media posting and email marketing campaigns, backup processes or data backup services. Platforms like Zapier, IFTTT or Buffer provide such automation capabilities allowing businesses to focus their energies where it matters. By adopting automation tools you not only streamline operations but also create a more relaxed and productive working environment.

Talk It Out: Virtual Communication Platforms

Conversation is at the core of modern life and virtual communication platforms are becoming a crucial way of keeping dialogue open between team members in virtual meeting rooms like Slack, Microsoft Teams or Zoom. They make keeping your lines of communication open much simpler – instant messaging updates for quick updates. Video calls for collaborative brainstorming sessions or shared workspaces for seamless project management can all be managed seamlessly through these platforms. Moreover, their use fosters team unity by forging strong community bonds while streamlining interactions – leaving miscommunication far behind and giving way to smooth interactions and stress-free interactions!

Conclusion

When it comes to minimizing stress in your business, just as sugar helps the medicine go down, technology can provide a much-needed solution to workplace anxiety. So let’s step boldly into this digital era and replace those frown lines with smiles instead!

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Tips For Being A Better Boss & Leader

December 15th, 2023 Posted in Business, Entrepreneurship
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You should be proud of yourself for running your own company and being your own boss. However, you should also know that there is still a lot of hard work in front of you. 

There’s a lot that you need to pay attention to and do when you are the person in charge. The good news is that there is always room for improvement. Review some tips for being a better boss and leader that can help put you on the right track to finding long-term success in your role.

Tips For Being A Better Boss & Leader, woman in office image

Know Your Strengths & Areas for Improvement

You should get to know yourself better if you want to be a good boss and leader. Get to know your strengths as well as areas for improvement. This way you can know your limits and understand when you should reach out and get help. It’s okay to admit to what you don’t know and this is what will make you a better leader. Keep in mind that you can always outsource certain roles or tasks if there is an area where you are falling short currently. 

Have A Recruiting Strategy & Screen Employees

It doesn’t matter your industry or line of work, you are going to want to hire a strong team of employees. You should also make sure that you do interviews and take care of any pre-employment screening tasks. For example, you can look into rail industry worker medical approvals to ensure all goes smoothly on the job. These types of testing will help ensure that everyone stays safe no matter your line of work. 

Delegate Appropriately 

Be a better boss and leader by not always trying to do all the work yourself. Otherwise, you may experience burnout. You have to learn to trust your employees and depend on them for help. Get in the habit of learning to delegate appropriate tasks to others in the workplace if you want to get more done and have your business thrive. This will keep them engaged and challenged and take some of the work and responsibilities off of your plate. This way you’ll have more time for running and managing your company. You need to have people you can rely on when you are out of the office or busy with work travel obligations. 

Communicate Effectively

When you work for yourself it can be easy to get stuck in your ways and not be a good listener. However, it’s essential that as you grow your business you know how to take feedback well and can keep an open mind. Be a better boss and leader by focusing on improving your communication skills and working on communicating effectively in different environments. You should be good about picking the appropriate communication channel and hearing people out before making any assumptions. 

Conclusion

These are just some ways in which you can make sure that you grow into becoming a better boss and leader. You have to be willing and able to listen to feedback and input if you want to keep improving in your role. These are some ideas to get you started in your journey to working on yourself and making sure you are doing your part at work.

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Understanding Your Business Expenses: What’s Important To Know On Day One

December 12th, 2023 Posted in Business, Entrepreneurship
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Your business expenses can vary wildly from month to month. Some will be fixed, sure, but some are going to cost you more here and there than you’re used to. Understanding that is one of the core components of running a business in 2024. But what else should you know from day one about your cash flow? Here are the points to keep in mind as you build upwards. 

Understanding Your Business Expenses, man on stairs with laptop image

Equipment is Rarely a One Time Cost

You buy it once, it’s yours and won’t ever break down, right? Not in the modern age. A lot of specialist business equipment, as well as software, are run on subscription models these days. Even your printer is at risk here – companies such as HP run an ink delivery based on when your model signals that it’s running low. Buying your own ink to replace it could even ping back a warning! As such, that’s another ongoing cost you should factor into your accounts. 

It Might Take a Long Time to Get Paid

Even when you send an invoice on time, and you’re used to them getting paid within a day or two, there’s always going to be a client who takes an age to respond to you. Sometimes they might not even pay at all, and ignore your attempts to reach out to them entirely. 

That’s where the double cost comes in. You may need to hire the best debt collectors you can find to get this certain invoice paid, or you may need to let it go, if the amount of money is insignificant or the person who owes you cannot be found. Always have this possibility in the back of your head and plan your future payment methods accordingly. 

Insurance Policies Have Very Specific Terms

And you should always read the small print before signing on the dotted line. Otherwise you may get into a situation where you need insurance to sort things out, but the policy you’ve signed into existence doesn’t cover you for it. Your office being burgled, for example, or needing to take time off as a result of illness. Always check the terms and see if they expand to cover enough of the instances that could affect your business. Otherwise, you’re likely to see a big bill headed your way when something goes wrong.

Loans Need Paying Off ASAP

If you’ve taken one out in order to establish your business, clear it as soon as you’re able to. Focus most of your attention here in your first year. It’ll make all the difference to your bottom line. Why? The less time spent collecting this interest, the more liberated your finances will become. That’s good news for any business, but for a small business, it’s the difference between 5 year survival and 1 year destruction. 

If you don’t understand your business expenses now, it’ll be hard to control them later on. Keep this in mind, and use the tips above to stay on track. 

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