Business Butler

How to avoid procrastination? Procrastination is the avoidance of doing a task that needs to be accomplished by a certain deadline. It is normal for everyone to suffer from procrastination. By focussing completing task more effectively and efficiently you can reduce your levels of procrastination, and there are several methods to help you achieve this.     Firstly, break your work into little steps. Simply separating the task into smaller more manageable and approachable stages will make you more motivated to complete that task; because the task becomes more achievable and less daunting. Secondly, change your environment. This can be as simple as moving around the office which will help you eliminate boredom and keep your mind focussed on the task in hand. Make sure the new environments are exciting because if they are gloomy and dark it can enhance the levels of tiredness, which leads to decreased levels of productivity.     After...

Week one Business Blog-  Coming up with a business idea This series of blogs will be discussing the steps taken to develop a new business. The first step is arguably the most difficult, which is to come up with the business idea. This idea needs to express your inner passion, to help drive your idea to success.  Here are 6 methods to help you create your new business idea:        1.  Originality Coming up with an original idea can be very  difficult because to develop a new concept    there is a need to be highly innovative, which doesn’t come naturally to most people. A good way to enhance originality is to look at your individual strengths. Think back to your previous roles or even current interest. Then identify  factors where you  felt there could have been improvements or aspects that you  believe haven’t been  fully utilised.       2. Doing something ab...

Working in a coworking space can have great benefits for you and your business, however to make it work for everyone sharing the space it’s important that all parties are conscientious of others. In an environment that can change day to day with people hotdesking, hosting meetings or working part-time, the rules of workplace behaviour may not necessarily be clear. Every coworking space will have different versions of etiquette rules which you need to follow, but we have put together a general list of do’s and don’ts to ensure a courteous workplace etiquette is established wherever you’re working… Do’s: Clean up after yourself Wipe any surfaces you use especially in kitchen areas and ensure your area it tidy when you leave, many coworking spaces will have lockers, make use of these! Be prepared Bring all the office supplies you may need with you so you don’t have to interrupt others. If you do have to borrow something, make sure you return it when you’re done. Be friendl...

Coworking is becoming an increasingly popular option for small businesses and freelancers, but why should you consider coworking rather than working from home? Check out these advantages to find out if coworking is the right option for you and your business... 1) Join a community Working from home can be very isolating and you may go for days at a time without any face to face contact, working in a shared office space allows you to join a community of likeminded people in a similar situation to you, have people to chat to and socialise. 2) Create a work-life balance Whilst working from home can be great, the lines between your work life and your home life often become blurred. Hotdesking in a coworking space can allow you to create some separation between work and home. 3) Use professional meeting spaces One of the key benefits of coworking is that many spaces have dedicated meeting rooms that can be used. Inviting clients or prospects to a meeting room shows pr...

No matter the size of an organisation, it’s important for all business to ensure human resources are considered and any necessary steps are taken and policies put in place. Human resources (HR) is used within organisations to maximise employee performance to help achieve company goals and is primarily concerned with managing the people working within an organisation in line with the organisation’s policies and to ultimately reduce organisational risk. Some small businesses and startups choose to ignore some of the basic principles of human resources so we have put together this short guide outlining key HR considerations for new businesses. Recruiting employees The mistake that many new businesses make is thinking that they don’t have to follow various employment laws that are in place to protect both employees and employers. When recruiting you must ensure that formal employee contracts are in place defining the role and the terms and conditions of the persons employm...

Becoming self-employed has become increasingly popular over the last couple of decades with the number of self-employed workers has increased from 3.3 million in 2001 to 4.8 million in 2017 . The benefits of owning your own business include doing something you’re passionate about, having more control over you income and working hours and being able to work around other commitments. Although you may have your business idea in place, setting up your own business may seem overwhelming, so we have put together an essential guide to help you with key parts of the process… 1) Look for help available from the Government There’s plenty of government-backed advice available in the UK to help you with creating a business plan, market research and more. Depending where you live there’s different resources available, check out the Business Wales website to find out the support available in Wales. 2) Decide the best structure for you There are several different types of self-empl...