Starting up in business tends to generate both positive and negative emotions.
On the one hand you feel excited, enthused, passionate and positive about making it happen. On the other you feel daunted, overwhelmed by the amount of work involved and lonely if you are on your own in your venture.
What can you do to best manage yourself and your resources when setting up a small business?
I think the first thing is to remember why you are doing this - What is driving you to set up your small business?
Hopefully, you have conceived ideas about a service or services which you can provide to customers.
Next, I think you need to get organised, realistic and think about the costs involved in setting up your business.
Developing a business plan with support and guidance from an established and successful small business owner would be a good place to start - even better if their business is similar to yours.
Writing a business plan will help you to do your research and ensure you have a viable business proposition.
If you are on your own the next thing to do is to think about your network and resources which will help you to set up your business and get you through the challenging first few months.
It's a good idea to brainstorm and then prioritise all the tasks you need to do in order to set up your business, allocating realistic time-scales for completion.
Perhaps most important of all is to ensure you don't get completely taken over by your new venture.
How will you ensure that you have time to relax, time with your family and time with your friends?
Successful business owners tend to have some boundaries around their work since it is all too easy to get sucked in to working 24-7.
Many successful business owners I know agree that if work is all you do you will never be really good at it.
I have helped many small business owners - particularly in the early days - to build their confidence, get their services clear, market their services and secure paying clients.
If you have found this blog useful please do leave a comment or if you feel alone and want support with your business please get in touch via West of England Coaching and Counselling.
Tuesday, 30 August 2011
Friday, 26 August 2011
Customised Coaching
At the end of a coaching session yesterday when I had asked how my client rated the session, he talked about finding that the best thing he experienced in the session was reflection, something he thought that he rarely did amidst his busy work schedule.
Upon further probing my client highlighted specific areas of reflection that had enabled him to think about a particular old and outdated habit which was not serving him anymore.
What clients take away from sessions is completely unique and so what you take away from coaching will be unique to you.
The whole purpose of personal coaching is that it is tailored to you and you can customise it by developing your own ideas on what you want coaching on and the approach which you would like to use to find the answers.
In terms of what you want coaching on, this may be driven by your existing job role, skills, gaps, a particular work challenge, a promotion or working with a new team.
In terms of approach, you might favour non-directive coaching which focuses on posing the right questions and helping you come up with options and ultimately solutions which you own and act on.
Some clients do like some directive coaching - particularly for career coaching and skills acquisition - where the coach offers up ideas and suggestions.
The point is that you can customise your coaching to suit you. It truly is one of the few life experiences where you can selfishly focus on you and your development.
If you sense that there are areas in your life that you want to improve on and change then personal coaching could be for you.
If you think that this may be the case please read my other blogs in particular 'Are You Ready, Willing and Able To Be Coached?' which will provide you with further insight on the coaching process.
If you would like support on your coaching journey we would love to hear from you at West of England Coaching and Counselling.
Upon further probing my client highlighted specific areas of reflection that had enabled him to think about a particular old and outdated habit which was not serving him anymore.
What clients take away from sessions is completely unique and so what you take away from coaching will be unique to you.
The whole purpose of personal coaching is that it is tailored to you and you can customise it by developing your own ideas on what you want coaching on and the approach which you would like to use to find the answers.
In terms of what you want coaching on, this may be driven by your existing job role, skills, gaps, a particular work challenge, a promotion or working with a new team.
In terms of approach, you might favour non-directive coaching which focuses on posing the right questions and helping you come up with options and ultimately solutions which you own and act on.
Some clients do like some directive coaching - particularly for career coaching and skills acquisition - where the coach offers up ideas and suggestions.
The point is that you can customise your coaching to suit you. It truly is one of the few life experiences where you can selfishly focus on you and your development.
If you sense that there are areas in your life that you want to improve on and change then personal coaching could be for you.
If you think that this may be the case please read my other blogs in particular 'Are You Ready, Willing and Able To Be Coached?' which will provide you with further insight on the coaching process.
If you would like support on your coaching journey we would love to hear from you at West of England Coaching and Counselling.
Monday, 22 August 2011
Cash Crunch Coaching
Are you worried about money?
Whether you have increasing credit card debts, concerns about paying your mortgage or other bills, you are amongst an increasing majority as the economic crisis continues.
Where to start?
I have always been fascinated by money probably because growing up there was little of it. I relished programmes like 'The Bank of Mum and Dad' and Irvin Hall's 'Your Money or Your Life' and was fascinated by the people's spending habits.
I think that focusing on money and showing an interest in things financial is a good starting point.
Financial institutions are starting to get the idea that we want simplicity when it comes to finance and even pensions are set to become more straightforward in the short- to medium-term.
You can now even Google the best savings rates and set up an account online starting with as little as £1 - though you can set your goal at a level you can afford each month.
What about spending?
Well, online often is a good place to start and you may already know about MoneySupermarket.com which helps you to get the best deals on most things.
When I purchase anything over the Internet, I always go for free postage and free returns and check there is a telephone number I can call in case something goes wrong as emails can be ignored.
Spending what you do not need when you are down can be addictive so making a list of other things to do such as going for a walk with a friend or your dog or your neighbour's dog would be an example of a good distraction.
You may find it helpful to record what you spend for a month and then set a budget through finding areas where you can reduce spend. This monthly exercise will help you to see more clearly where you can cut back.
Quite recently a client of mine made a list of 'money saving rules' to keep her on track which include things like:
In a difficult economic climate we tend to panic and feel out of control which makes it difficult for us to think straight making irrational thinking and mistakes more likely.
When you find it hard to see the wood for the trees do something that calms you down - go for a bike ride, watch a comedy, lie down with your eyes closed or take some extended breaths.
This will help you to calm down, see things more clearly and act in a more effective way.
If you have found any of this blog useful please leave a comment.
We also hope that you will visit our site for all your coaching and counselling needs at West of England Coaching and Counselling.
Whether you have increasing credit card debts, concerns about paying your mortgage or other bills, you are amongst an increasing majority as the economic crisis continues.
Where to start?
I have always been fascinated by money probably because growing up there was little of it. I relished programmes like 'The Bank of Mum and Dad' and Irvin Hall's 'Your Money or Your Life' and was fascinated by the people's spending habits.
I think that focusing on money and showing an interest in things financial is a good starting point.
Financial institutions are starting to get the idea that we want simplicity when it comes to finance and even pensions are set to become more straightforward in the short- to medium-term.
You can now even Google the best savings rates and set up an account online starting with as little as £1 - though you can set your goal at a level you can afford each month.
What about spending?
Well, online often is a good place to start and you may already know about MoneySupermarket.com which helps you to get the best deals on most things.
When I purchase anything over the Internet, I always go for free postage and free returns and check there is a telephone number I can call in case something goes wrong as emails can be ignored.
Spending what you do not need when you are down can be addictive so making a list of other things to do such as going for a walk with a friend or your dog or your neighbour's dog would be an example of a good distraction.
You may find it helpful to record what you spend for a month and then set a budget through finding areas where you can reduce spend. This monthly exercise will help you to see more clearly where you can cut back.
Quite recently a client of mine made a list of 'money saving rules' to keep her on track which include things like:
- Order tap instead of bottled water in restaurants
- Don't buy takeaway coffee
- Make a list that you stick to for the supermarket
- Make your own sandwiches for lunch
- Have 1 day a week where you do not touch your purse or wallet at all
In a difficult economic climate we tend to panic and feel out of control which makes it difficult for us to think straight making irrational thinking and mistakes more likely.
When you find it hard to see the wood for the trees do something that calms you down - go for a bike ride, watch a comedy, lie down with your eyes closed or take some extended breaths.
This will help you to calm down, see things more clearly and act in a more effective way.
If you have found any of this blog useful please leave a comment.
We also hope that you will visit our site for all your coaching and counselling needs at West of England Coaching and Counselling.
Friday, 19 August 2011
Improving Your Thinking
How do you think that your core beliefs and 'rules for life' affect your thinking as events happen?
I was recently working with a client who in many contexts in life is positive, pretty flexible and easy going. Then she was involved in a serious non-fault car accident.
After the car accident my client experienced post traumatic stress symptoms including regular day and nigh-time flashbacks following which the same sorts of questions came up in her mind - 'How could that driver be allowed on the road?' and 'I cannot trust other drivers anymore'.
My client's relevant 'rules for life' relating to this were quite rigid e.g. only competent drivers should be allowed on the road - because of course this is not the case and despite the characteristics of the driver - including their being regarded as 'old' - this was a car 'accident'.
These rules for life and core beliefs were causing negative thinking and in turn negative emotions and communication whenever she thought about the accident and in talking with others.
This was reinforcing and compounding negative thoughts in her brain and eventually, unable to control these negative thought and emotions, she came to see me.
As well as negativity around the car accident incident my client had also started thinking about other negative experiences from way back in her life that had seen her rules and core beliefs undermined in some way.
We know that this is the subconscious mind's way of protecting us and causing a 'fight or flight response' - responding with the primitive response patterns of anger, anxiety or depression and sometimes two or even three of these.
Once we identified the contextual core beliefs and rules for life that were negatively impacting my clients' thinking she was able to develop more enabling beliefs and flex her rules in this area somewhat.
We then found that her awareness level negative automatic thoughts occurred less and less and within a few sessions she felt calmer about what had happened to her and wise having found out how her mind worked and how to manage and control it.
Anxiety, stress and feeling low or depressed are lonely disabling feelings which you do not have to bear.
If you would like support in addressing any emotions you are suffering with please get in touch via West of England Coaching and Counselling.
I was recently working with a client who in many contexts in life is positive, pretty flexible and easy going. Then she was involved in a serious non-fault car accident.
After the car accident my client experienced post traumatic stress symptoms including regular day and nigh-time flashbacks following which the same sorts of questions came up in her mind - 'How could that driver be allowed on the road?' and 'I cannot trust other drivers anymore'.
My client's relevant 'rules for life' relating to this were quite rigid e.g. only competent drivers should be allowed on the road - because of course this is not the case and despite the characteristics of the driver - including their being regarded as 'old' - this was a car 'accident'.
These rules for life and core beliefs were causing negative thinking and in turn negative emotions and communication whenever she thought about the accident and in talking with others.
This was reinforcing and compounding negative thoughts in her brain and eventually, unable to control these negative thought and emotions, she came to see me.
As well as negativity around the car accident incident my client had also started thinking about other negative experiences from way back in her life that had seen her rules and core beliefs undermined in some way.
We know that this is the subconscious mind's way of protecting us and causing a 'fight or flight response' - responding with the primitive response patterns of anger, anxiety or depression and sometimes two or even three of these.
Once we identified the contextual core beliefs and rules for life that were negatively impacting my clients' thinking she was able to develop more enabling beliefs and flex her rules in this area somewhat.
We then found that her awareness level negative automatic thoughts occurred less and less and within a few sessions she felt calmer about what had happened to her and wise having found out how her mind worked and how to manage and control it.
Anxiety, stress and feeling low or depressed are lonely disabling feelings which you do not have to bear.
If you would like support in addressing any emotions you are suffering with please get in touch via West of England Coaching and Counselling.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)