Back to Business

Back to Business

By LaraBusinessEntrepreneurship
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Back to Business episodes

  • Episode 16 | How To Keep Positive During Lockdown | Back To Business

    How to keep positive during corona virus lockdown, join us in our new playlist, this is our business podcast during lockdown.  

    https://www.backtobusinesspodcast.com/

    Anchor: https://anchor.fm/backtobusiness

    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/back-to-business/id1492498801

    Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xMWI5OWQ0Yy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw%3D%3D

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/438jJGrh8hcDa2w5xusmCN

    Why don’t we think about corona in a different way, when all of this is over, and we go back to work as normal, how many people are going to turn around and say, although we were locked down, at least we had a good rest, time out, changed the monotony of day to day. So use this time to your advantage. Do more work. When you manage to do more, the more accomplished you feel, the better you will feel about yourself. Don’t watch the news - it’s getting boring anyway! Focus on the things you need to get done. Keep your body moving, keep active! Keep Your Mind Alive!  Play a board game, do a puzzle, play cards, read a book, paint a picture, dance at home.  Spend time away from your screen, I wonder how much time people are spending in front of a screen during this time, I bet it has gone UP. As if we weren’t spending enough time in front of a screen before.

    Let us know what you think? How are you managing to keep positive at this time?

    #COVID19 #lockdown #positivity

    9 min
  • Episode 14 | Mistakes Small Businesses Should Avoid

    https://www.backtobusinesspodcast.com/

    Anchor: https://anchor.fm/backtobusiness

    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/back-to-business/id1492498801

    Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xMWI5OWQ0Yy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw%3D%3D

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/438jJGrh8hcDa2w5xusmCN


    Hey guys, in today's video we are taking about three mistakes small business should avoid online. Firstly, knowledge really is power when it comes to paying for other peoples services online, when you are not aware of how things work, and what is means is easy to end up paying much more than necessary, how do we know? Because in the beginning of our journey this happened to us, with a SEO company we hired- turned out we were hugely overpaying. As a business owner do your best to understand every aspect of your business, as well as saving on costs this will also help you to effectively delegate tasks, by knowing how long each task should take, and the complexity. Second do not be stingy with the amount of money you spend on advertising that WORKS, once you have figured out the formula for your business, it is time to go all in, you will still need to keep an eye on it, online algorithms can change quickly so you will always need to keep on top of any changes, and how this impacts your business. Thirdly know what your goal is as a business and make sure you set things up accordingly. We would always advise that you have an online component to your business, it seems like we are  quickly transforming into a tech-focused world, so even if you are service based think about how you can service your customers online, as discussed in the video think about solicitors, online logins and portals.

    #backtobusiness #SME #entrepreneurship

    12 min
  • Episode 13 | How To Improve My Business During Lockdown

    Hey guys, in today's episode we cover a few points about how to improve your business during lockdown. Although we are all very concerned with how bad the situation could get, especially following recent mentions on the internet about a possible financial depression, it is essential that you keep motivated and stay on track, you just have to.

    Firstly you do need to be aware of how things are changing and especially what it means for you, your family, and your business, but you shouldn't dwell on it for too long. Once you have the daily update, that is all the 'news' you need for one day - try to not keep going back to it and refreshing the feed of negativity.

    You need to focus on what you can control, your mindset, your daily routine, your tasks, and focus on that ONE thing you can do TODAY to drive your business forwards.

    Get focused, don't let things distract you too much during this time. Get determined, and get focused on achieving success, and be ready to PIVOT. Find an online method that could work for you to retain attention from our customer base and go all-in there. They will really appreciate your guidance and expertise at a time like this. Create something for nothing, and help your customers at this time. We will soon get back to our 'new normal' and if you put in the time and dedication towards your customers now it will pay in the long run.

    Network, during this time, meet new people online that are aligned to your niche, your space. Use this as an opportunity to work with people in a new and different way, and agree to meet up when lockdown is over to see how far your partnership could go!

    #backtobusiness #youngentrepreneur #smallbusiness #lockdown

    https://www.backtobusinesspodcast.com/

    Anchor: https://anchor.fm/backtobusiness

    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/back-to-business/id1492498801

    Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xMWI5OWQ0Yy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw%3D%3D

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/438jJGrh8hcDa2w5xusmCN

    12 min
  • Episode 12 - What Should I Read During Lockdown

    If you finding our content valuable please subscribe and share with a friend :) 


    Hey guys, so in todays video we talk through the 3 books we would most recommend to small business owners during lockdown. What we put in our brains and what we decide to focus our energy on, is down to us, and although this is scary and uncertain time, we should be doing everything we can to become the best versions of ourselves NOW so we can handle anything that is thrown our way. 

    1. E-myth by Michael Gerber - a great strategy book for all small business owner, figure out the right way to grow your team, which positions to hire for first, and where you are most needed.

    2. Relentless by Tim Grover - get your head right, are you a cooler, closer or a cleaner. When the going gets tough, the tough get going and now is that time. You need to know how to block out the negative, block out the distractions and only see where you are headed, towards your goal and out work everyone for that.

    3. The 10X Rule by Grant Cardone - expect more from yourself, you can achieve much more than you think you can. When you set out your expectations multiply them by 10 and then reach for that number. Grant has been through similar challenges in the past and discusses how he managed to pivot and change his mindset to get out of the 2008 hole, and achieve serious levels of wealth and success. 


    #Entrepreneur #EntrepreneurBooks #EntrepreneurReading


    https://www.backtobusinesspodcast.com/

    Anchor: https://anchor.fm/backtobusiness

    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/back-to-business/id1492498801

    Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xMWI5OWQ0Yy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw%3D%3D

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/438jJGrh8hcDa2w5xusmCN 

    10 min
  • Episode 11: How To Make The Most Out Of LOCKDOWN For Your Business

    We hope you enjoy today's brief episode, it has been a while! But we are back :) As London and the rest of the world are in lockdown, in this episode we discuss three ways you can make the most our of the lockdown for your business.

    1) Purpose. In order to keep driven, it is essential to have a purpose during this time. Find something that you are passionate about, something that you can complete /or work towards building, the sense of achievement and accomplishment should feel day by day will keep you strong.

    2) Routine. Trick your mind into believing that everyday is just another day in the office, wake up, have a shower, have a coffee and GET TO WORK. Stick you your routine. This shouldn't change because of lockdown, see this an opportunity for complete tasks. Doing this will also make the time fly by during the weekday!

    3) Get on social. Now is the time to shout about your business, not go quiet. Your customers want to hear from you, even if it is just touching base with them to see how they are getting on at this time. If there is nothing else you can think of that you should be doing, do this, it will pay you back in the long term. :) 

    Resource book: Becoming Supernatural by Dr Joe Dispenza

    #lockdown #businesshelplockdown #BackToBusiness #Podcast #YoungEntrepreneurs

    _______

    https://www.backtobusinesspodcast.com/ 

    Anchor: https://anchor.fm/backtobusiness

    Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/back-to-business/id1492498801

    Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xMWI5OWQ0Yy9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw%3D%3D

    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/438jJGrh8hcDa2w5xusmCN

    13 min
  • Episode 10: How To Stop Being A Victim And Take Control Of Your Life

    We hope you enjoyed the tenth episode of the Back To Business podcast! This week we talked about having a victim mentality, why having this mentality can be disastrous in business, how to get out of this way of thinking and take control of your life. The points we covered were:

    • A victim mentality often develops as a coping mechanism. Something not so great happens and instead of reflecting on how you played a part in the outcome, you take a more ‘woe is me’ outlook and see it as someone else’s fault - ‘these things always happen to me’.
    • It’s easy to blame somebody else, we often do this in childhood because we’re taught to try and stay out of trouble. We are actively punished for making mistakes as children, but in business you have to make mistakes in order to learn.
    • We often take the easy path of blending in to the background, and not aim to achieve something (for whatever personal reasons you have). You don’t have to be great to start with, but you have to start in order to be great.
    • When something happens, look at the situation objectively and ask yourself how you could have handled this better, and what part you played. Be around people who take accountability for their actions - as these people will be more likely to hold you accountable.
    • Go back to your goals - refocus your mind by going back to what you’re aiming for. When your eyes are on the prize, you don’t get phased as much by the little things that happen and you’re more likely to find a way to ride the wave - to make something happen no matter what comes your way.
    • Use productivity tools to refocus on what tasks you need to accomplish to get to the end goal. For us, if it’s a quiet day in the clinic we don’t spend time wallowing that it’s quiet because natural ebbs and flows happen, we do the tasks that we don’t have time for when we’re rushed off our feet during busy weeks and months.
    • If you’re struggling to focus, get out of your working space to clear your mind. Then come back and refocus.
    • We discuss the book 12 Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson: set your house in order before you criticise the world. Often people are too preoccupied with what others are doing, and not focusing on themselves.
    • We also recommend the book ‘Who Moved My Cheese’ - it’s a life lesson on how to deal with a job that you no longer enjoy, or where your role has changed - but the lessons can also be cross-applied to any situation. It’s a very small, quick read that gives a lot of perspective.

      • The resources we discussed today were:

      • 12 Rules For Life by Jordan B. Peterson: https://tinyurl.com/wusf4gh
      • Who Moved My Cheese? By Dr Spencer Johnson: https://tinyurl.com/uxao5ub

        • Back To Business is a podcast documenting our own navigation through the business world, and where we have come from as a team. We’d like to bring you along for the ride, so don’t forget to hit the subscribe button to stay up to date with the latest episodes, available every week.

        20 min
      • Episode 9: Why Is Multitasking Unproductive?

        Episode 9: Why Is Multitasking Unproductive?

        We hope you enjoyed the ninth episode of the Back To Business podcast! This week we talked about multitasking. As such a buzzword and characteristic that we would probably be likely to add to our CVs, is multitasking actually beneficial for your productivity?

        We would argue, probably not. Here’s the main points we covered:

        • When starting a new business, it’s likely that you will need to multitask, especially if you’re going into business on your own.
        • Use productivity tools like Asana or Monday to help you prioritise what is important, and put an order to your thoughts, so that when you dip in and out of different projects, you know directly what needs to be done.
        • The book The One Thing, looks at productivity. Don’t focus on many different tasks. It is also estimated that 1/3 of your time is spent recovering from multitasking and refocusing on the new task.
        • Look at computer processors. A program that consumes a lot of memory causes your computer to be slow at fulfilling tasks it may usually find easy.
        • If a pilot or surgeon were to multitask, you might be in trouble!
        • Even simple multitasking can go awry, we use the example of watching TV while ironing. While distracted you may forget to iron the sleeve of your shirt - it’s happened to us!
        • In your work and business, you need attention to detail. So treat every task as if it’s high priority, and allocate individual time to each task.
        • If you feel you need to multitask, accept there will be a lag time in your tasks and that they will take slightly longer.
        • Outsourcing: don’t spend a huge amount of time doing something that someone else could do much faster, so outsource if you feel you don’t have the time to spend.
        • Automate tasks that waste precious time or that may be susceptible to human error if you have to do it - we like the tool Zapier for this.
        • Write a priority list the night before, or the morning of your day, and try to get your high priority tasks done and dusted first.
        • Cut out bad behaviours: if you get distracted by watching Netflix or being on your phone, the book Atomic Habits focuses on trying to help you implement new behaviours and cut out bad ones. For example, working with your phone in another room may involve then too much effort to get up and get it - equally if your TV is distracting, unplug it or put it in a cupboard after each use. You may find the effort level to get it out of the cupboard and set it up is not something you feel like doing.
        • Social media may need to be used for your work, but knowing why you’re on there and what you’re doing is important to not get distracted. Even with that in mind it’s very difficult. Social media often use gambling tactics to get you hooked - the scroll down for more content is akin to a fruit machine handle, which when you pull down offers the chance of a prize.
        • Eliminate people on your social media who don’t give you value.

          • The resources we discussed in today’s podcast were:

          • The One Thing by Gary Keller: https://tinyurl.com/sh787pz
          • Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://tinyurl.com/ufp8ewz
          • Zapier: https://zapier.com/home
          • Productivity Managers: asana.com or monday.com

            • Back To Business is a podcast documenting our own navigation through the business world, and where we have come from as a team. We’d like to bring you along for the ride, so don’t forget to hit the subscribe button to stay up to date with the latest episodes, available every week.

            20 min
          • Episode 8: Why Is Customer Service So Important?

            Episode 8: Why Is Customer Service So Important?

            We hope you enjoyed the eighth episode of the Back To Business podcast! This week we talked about all aspects of customer service - why it’s important, how you can make steps to improve the value you give customers, and what should you be avoiding. The points we covered were:

            • Service and product based environments can vary the interaction you have with your customer. If you’re providing a service, the customer service will be your image, whereas selling a product to someone can shift the customer service to solely being focused ‘complaint management’ - as this is likely the interaction you will mostly be making with your customers.
            • You have to make more of an effort to add value to your customer - whether that’s following up with them after their purchase, including a flyer in their package or handwritten note of thanks, or creating a video series showing them how to make the most of their product.
            • Dealing with disgruntled customers can be very hard because you have to get what you’re saying right the first time, this can take a lot of practice. Dealing with it correctly can be the difference of retaining a customer and losing one.
            • There are automation softwares out there that you can use to create email sequence follow ups to check in on a customer. Bots can be installed on the website to take details of complaints for you and escalate them if need be. But an automation software should not form the basis of your complaint handling.
            • One-to-one contact is always best to handle complaints, don’t underestimate the intelligence of the consumer as it’s usually obvious that you’re dealing with a bot.
            • Too much automation in a small company can lead to you not engaging with your customer, you need the feedback so it’s important to engage with them. This can help you compete and set you apart from bigger companies - as it’s difficult to maintain a personal touch when you’re a larger company with lots of orders.
            • Retention is much cheaper than acquiring a new customer. So look after your customers and give them good value.
            • Incentivising a customer to leave a review or shop with you again by giving them a special offer. Refer a friend discounts may work if your product is more of a one-time purchase - make it really easy for them to claim incentives, such as using QR codes.
            • Not everyone will love your product, but more often than not people will tell you about a bad experience they’ve had than a good one.
            • If you have direct face to face contact with your customer, you can get direct feedback. Consider also using surveys if you have a good customer base to find out anything they might not be telling you.

              • Resources We Discussed In Today’s Episode Are:

              ManyChat: https://manychat.com/

              MailChimp: https://mailchimp.com/

              Back To Business is a podcast documenting our own navigation through the business world, and where we have come from as a team. We’d like to bring you along for the ride, so don’t forget to hit the subscribe button to stay up to date with the latest episodes, available every week.

              20 min
            • Episode 7: How To Be Better In Business

              We hope you enjoyed the seventh episode of the Back To Business Podcast! This week we discussed a brief overview of all the things you can do to be better in business. We’ve included a synopsis below of what points we covered:

              • When you start out, your product or service is centre stage. You need to become an expert in your field, so know what you’re offering, what your competitors offer, know why you’re better and produce the best possible product, then continue to refine your product so you stay the best. This means being 100% in it. It should be something you use yourself, would recommend to a friend or that you would encourage your family to use.
              • We draw on the example of an episode of Dragon’s Den, obviously candidates experience a great deal of nerves but do make sure that you know your product and all of your numbers if you own a business.
              • When it comes to following a trend, you may not be able to compete with big players in the field. Imagine bringing out a new social network - that would take a huge budget to push it into the public eye.
              • Don’t be caught out by trying to produce the best possible product before rolling it out. Getting it out there is the most important thing, you can continue to refine it as you go.
              • Once you have a product or if you currently own a business, do you know where you’re going? When you get into a car, you know your destination.
              • Get your product out there by word of mouth, advertising and developing your branding. Know or research which channels of advertising will work best for you - if you’re passionate about your product this will make it easier. Don’t lie or misrepresent yourself as you will be caught out.
              • Don’t stop learning once you know your market, there is so much information out there on Google and YouTube, skill up where you can.
              • Identify your weak areas or things you don’t enjoy as much and, if you have the budget to do so, hire someone to do that. Be a mentor for them and involve them in your decision making too, allow them to bring their ideas to the table.

                • The resources we talked about this week were:

                • The Purple Cow by Seth Godin: https://tinyurl.com/unnt9yr
                • The E-Myth by Michael E. Gerber: https://tinyurl.com/rh62etf
                • And one we forgot to mention was The One Thing, also a great book: https://tinyurl.com/sz37nt2

                  • Back To Business is a podcast documenting our own navigation through the business world, and where we have come from as a team. We’d like to bring you along for the ride, so don’t forget to hit the subscribe button to stay up to date with the latest episodes, available every week.

                  20 min
                • Episode 6: What Do You Need To Sacrifice To Be Successful?

                  We hope you enjoyed the sixth episode of the Back To Business podcast! This week we talked about sacrifice, what is necessary to sacrifice, what the impacts of those sacrifices can be in the long-term and how you deal with that. The points we covered were:

                  • Anything worth having takes sacrifice: this can be applied to anything but especially in business.
                  • We linked back to Episode 4 on Fear and how people can be worried to make the sacrifices but perhaps don’t weigh up the impact of not making the sacrifice.
                  • We talk about the Valuetainment podcast, where Patrick Bet-David discussed giving up cheesecake. He explained that giving it up was easier 6 months down the line than it was 2 months down the line. Sacrifice is a habit, that can be trained like a muscle.
                  • If you want to see results at the gym, you have to work out and sacrifice your time to do this. You may not feel good about it before, or during, but you always feel good after.
                  • We discussed compounding interest and the effect that sacrificing a higher salary for yourself can have over time if that money is reinvested in the business. We’ve linked the compounding interest calculator below!
                  • Tony Robbins’ book Money Masters The Game, talks about a worker on a very low salary who managed to diligently save up successfully for retirement.
                  • We talked about how even the word ‘Sacrifice’ sounds biblical. It is more of an exchange of one thing, in return for something else.
                  • Turning the sacrifice around. For example, instead of feeling like you’re missing out because you’re sacrificing going to the pub in order to work, see it is you’re sacrificing your potential for financial independence to go to the pub. Remember your goals and remember what’s important to you.

                    • The very useful resources we talked about today were:

                    Valuetainment by Patrick Bet-David (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIHdDJ0tjn_3j-FS7s_X1kQ

                    Money Masters The Game by Tony Robbins: https://tinyurl.com/t3p5ph6

                    Compounding Interest Calculator: https://monevator.com/compound-interest-calculator/

                    12 Rules For Life by Jordan Peterson: https://tinyurl.com/rjqd3sq

                    Back To Business is a podcast documenting our own navigation through the business world, and where we have come from as a team. We’d like to bring you along for the ride, so don’t forget to hit the subscribe button to stay up to date with the latest episodes, available every week.

                    21 min

                  About Back to Business

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                  Back To Business is a podcast documenting our own navigation through the business world, and where we have come from as a team - we’d like to bring you along for the ride! Don’t forget to hit the…