Economy

When the UK voted to leave the European Union back in June 2016, the business world was thrown into turmoil. No one could say with any great certainty what the future would hold for UK businesses, no matter what their size and trading position with Europe. With some experts speculating that the British economy will take hit, many business owners are now looking at ways that they can tighten their belts and make their business more ‘Brexit-proof’.

As we still don’t know what will happen for the vast majority of businesses because the Brexit negotiations have only just begun, what actions you take to ensure the future survival of your business is largely up to you. However, examining your budgets, cutting your expenses and looking for more affordable and flexible solutions is going to be a top priority moving forward. One area where a lot of money can potentially be saved is from within your own work-space infrastructure.

Just about every business owner wants to see their business thrive and expand, but while budget constrains and uncertainty about the future are hanging so prominently in the air, the last thing you want to do is to enter into long and expensive property leases that could be difficult to get out of. The solution to this of course is to look at setting up a flexible way to cover your expanding office and administration needs without actually having the expense or commitment needed to take on full-time members of staff and provide them with office accommodation.

There are already well-established and reliable services in place that you can take advantage of to meet your growing business needs while the country is going through Brexit. From using a simple call answering service to a comprehensive London-based Virtual Office Package where you can combine a virtual PA, mail sorting and forwarding services, and have the use of a modern business meeting room in a prestigious part of London city to meet and greet your clients.

Regardless of the outcomes from Brexit, London will still remain as one of the greatest cities in the world to operate a business from. Although working environments are changing rapidly, especially with the advancement of technology, there is nothing like having a prestigious London based address to work from. No matter where your company is based, you can benefit from using a Virtual Office that is based in the heart of London.

Flexibility is a major factor

While we go through the Brexit process, business owners are going to be faced with market fluctuations on an almost daily basis. Having the built-in flexibility of a Virtual Office service can help you transition between pre and post-Brexit smoothly without worrying about committing your business assets, or tying your business up in long and complicated contracts that could prove very costly in the long-run.

Having the flexibility that a Virtual Office and flexible meeting rooms can offer with mean you have the agility to scale up or down your requirements as you need them. You will be able to meet the demands of a sudden boost in your business without worrying that you have overstretched your budgets. Should market changes and fluctuations mean your need to downsize quickly, then you are not stuck with an unsustainable contract for business premises or face having to lay off staff.

No matter how rough a ride Brexit will give UK businesses, it will still be important for companies to present a strong and steady front if they are to remain competitive in the future. Your image and how people interpret your company still hinges on you offering a bespoke and reliable service. Using a well-established and experienced Virtual Office service can give your company the boost it needs to continue to exude an air of professionalism and trust, no matter what stage we are at with our divorce from the EU.

For entrepreneurs and small businesses

A Virtual Office package is an ideal alternative solution for small business owners or entrepreneurs with restricted budgets. Many small businesses don’t actually need a full-time, fully staffed office. Having a Virtual Office package in place will allow you all the benefits of a regular office but at the fraction of the price of setting up and maintaining one yourself.

Many business owners start off with just mail forwarding and telephone call answering services until they are in a position to afford to set up and run a permanent office. However, very many of them go on to continue using these services or take on a Virtual Office because it is a lot less of a hassle and costs far less than committing to a full time on-site office. With the possibility that physical office space rental may rise sharply post-Brexit, it makes more financial sense to stick with a Virtual Office package where prices will remain stable over the long-term.

It also makes sense that business owners shouldn’t have to pay out to keep a meeting room space that is vastly underused onsite. Using a modern, well-maintained and fully serviced meeting room in the heart of the London business district to meet and greet your clients is going to impress. Hiring an unbranded meeting room allows you to conduct important business meetings in a profession environment where your clients will be totally unaware that you don’t own the building. You get the help of professional admin staff to greet your clients and service your meeting room without the added commitment of having to employ any permanent staff yourself.

A bright future post-Brexit

Flexible work-space hire has grown by 67% in London in the past decade alone and with the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, experts are predicting another sharp rise in these figures over the next few years while the economic marketplace starts to settle down once again. Regardless of Brexit, flexible office space and Virtual Office solutions are not going to disappear overnight. With over 30 years of growth within London, this way of working is looking increasingly more appealing to smart business owners who want to ride the rough waves of Brexit and appear on the other side as a much stronger competitor in their marketplace.

Take a look at our Virtual Office package to see how you can benefit from our professional services.

We can also help you with the following services to assist your business growth and to make your business run more efficiently:

London Address and Mail-Forwarding

Professional Call Answering

Modern Business Meeting Rooms

The main worry around Brexit for most business owners is seeing our strong bonds with Europe being severed and the possible loss of a valuable cross border workforce. Will Brexit make UK businesses less competitive and therefore less attractive in the global market? We simply don’t know yet.

Now that Article 50 has been triggered and we have begun negotiating our exit from the European Union, many businesses are looking at an uncertain future that is going to be hard to predict. We have no real idea how this will impact on us, from concerns about the demand for our exports to finding enough seasonal workers to pick fruit from our fields and orchards or to staff our hotels.

According to figures coming from the Office for National Statistics, migrant workers in Britain reached a record level of 2.15 million during 2016. These figures account for over half of all new workers, so who will fill the gaps in the market for these workers should they stop coming here? There are many businesses both small and large from all sectors that may suffer as a result.

Top bosses from the ever-growing tech industry in the UK says that there are insufficient numbers of home grown engineers to fill their needs, so they actively source talent from across Europe who come here on working visas. Most tech companies have to do this to remain competitive, and any reduction in overseas staff will mean they cannot grow as fast as they need to. This could leave the UK tech industry lagging behind its competitors.

Despite claims from the Prime Minister that she is making workers on EU visas in London a top priority, nothing as yet has been put in place and any failure to do so will be disastrous. Companies across all sectors who rely on European workers will struggle to fill essential roles and would find it hard to attract workers from the EU, especially those who may feel like they are no longer welcome to work in this country.

Could the solution to Brexit be the Freelance Economy?

The freelance economy has grown by 25% since 2009, and is now estimated to generate £109 billion per year in turnover. According to figures from the Office of National Statistics, self-employment grew from 3.8 million in 2008 to 4.6 million in 2015, with around 2 million of those currently self-employed working in a freelance capacity.

Being able to fill a variety of roles across a wide range of industries and carry their existing knowledge, experience and expertise with them is looking like a very attractive option for business owners looking to fill the gaps left by missing EU workers.

Although freelancers are often seen as part of the ‘gig economy’, this isn’t strictly true! The ‘gig economy’ in it’s true sense is made up of quick tasks, and a gig worker is someone that may work for Uber or Deliveroo collecting and delivering things on your behalf for example. A freelancer on the other hand is able to offer businesses essential skills, talents and support no matter where they may reside in the world. They can provide employers with short or long-term flexible support for project developments and can often bring new skills to the table that the company don’t yet have.

Did you know for example that major brand names such as ASOS and Google hire freelancers that make up half of their UK based workforce? Many large organisations hire remotely based freelancers to make up their workforce and have done so for many years. The most obvious benefit of hiring a freelancer over an EU worker is that a freelancer doesn’t need a visa to be able to work for you. Freelancers are going to be far less susceptible to the outcomes of Article 50 and therefore are going to be a more reliable source of talent when making short term or long term plans for the future.

Employment Restrictions

With Brexit will come a whole new raft of restrictions regarding working visas for overseas workers, so business owners are going to have to think long and hard about how they are going to manage their talent with regard to geographical borders. Managers are now looking at ways they can use to attract and retain talented freelancers while still moving their plans for growth forward. A lot of this is going to be down to good management of their freelance pool and knowing which person is going to be the best fit for each new project or role as it arises.

Business forecasters are predicting a shift in focus for many hiring managers. This will involve moving away from bringing in overseas workers and helping them to find accommodation, fit in with the company culture and feel at home to a more hands-off approach with freelancers. Here they will need to put in place a system that makes on-boarding new freelancers more simple, and helping them to integrate smoothly without causing disruption to their current workflow. Focus must also be placed on ensuring that all freelance staff are treated well, paid fairly and most importantly, paid on time. If they want to retain the best workers, they cannot afford to neglect the basics that freelancers rely upon = good communications and regular pay.

Outsourcing tasks that can be done virtually anywhere to professional freelancers has been growing in popularity over recent years. Outsourcing jobs and hiring freelancers is also a great way of keeping business running costs to a minimum. With an unpredictable few years ahead, many small and medium enterprises in the UK are getting ahead by using professional freelancers, hiring virtual offices and personalised call handling services.

With so many uncertainties surrounding life in post-Article 50 Britain, it will pay business owners to embrace the professional freelance economy to support their plans for the future.

While many of the businesses around the country have been studying the negative side effects of the Brexit vote and the looming lengthy discussions around the separation process, some have noticed a positive side effect. Foreign spending in British shops has increased since the vote, as buyers make the most of the currency fluctuations.

Surprising numbers

Foreign card spending volumes saw a 3.4% increase in the month after the Brexit vote was announced and non-UK card spending is particular strong online, with a growth in the volume of 5.3% while the average transaction value has increased by almost 9%. Even offline bricks and mortar stores saw an increase of around 3% after the vote.Worldpay’s UK Managing Director Dave Hobday said that the rich mix of large and independent retailers has always meant that foreign shoppers were attracted to the UK market and the recent fluctuations in the currency have also made the prospect of ‘buying British’ even more enticing.The data has given a boost to the retail sector having been through a lengthy period of uncertainty and change. This boost in overseas trade has also encourages retailers to seriously consider their e-commerce strategies and how this can let them fully make the most of the international markets now available and taking a keen interest in UK business.

More visitors

The data goes on to show that is isn’t just the volume of non-UK card transactions that have been on the rise – visitors are also spending more when they come to the UK to shop and spend money. An 8.8% increase in basket value just after the Brexit vote announcement has now been bettered by an 11% rise in in-store transactions for non-UK cards since the vote, rising from an average of £39.88 to £44.28 since the UK decided to leave the EU.The figures from online retailers show a similar trend with the Worldpay data showing an average transaction of £126.79, an increase of 10.9% on the previous year and 8.6% in the period before the June referendum.

Spreading the good news

While the biggest boost is unsurprisingly to London based businesses, the good news is that the boost has also spread around other areas of the UK too. Non-UK card transactions in the capital had increased by 4.6% and the average value had increased by 14% after the Brexit vote.Around the UK, growth has also been seen. In the Midlands, the figures were 7.4% and 5.7% respectively while the Yorkshire area saw a large 7.2% increase. Figures were more modest in Wales and Scotland did see a slight decrease in the same period.This shows that while tourist hot-spots such as London have been the biggest beneficiary of the change, all areas of the country are seeing some increase in non-UK based customers. It has prompted many businesses to look to continue their innovation and investment with the aim of attracting and getting more customers from outside the country.

Conclusion

While many businesses continue to be concerned about the impact that leaving the EU will have on their company, it seems that non-UK shoppers are already embracing everything the UK has to offer and continue to show no signs that the decision to leave the EU has in any way put them off from spending their cash here.

If you go back ten or fifteen years or so, everyone used to talk about being their own boss, shedding the 9-5 lifestyle and answering to no-one. And sure, there were people who did just this, but sadly they were the minority. Fast forward to 2017 and there are now huge numbers of people starting their own business from home or setting up a small enterprise locally and becoming successful entrepreneurs. So why has entrepreneurship taken off so rapidly in the UK?

Helping hand

When a person is looking to make a big change in their life and go self-employed, one of the things they need is a helping hand. Whether this is in the form of inspiration or encouragement from someone famous, or comes in the form of actual monetary assistance from the government depends on the individual and their particular circumstances, but here in the UK, there seems to be plenty of both.One system in place from the government is called the Help to Grow scheme. This pledged £1 billion to help companies cut red tape and find the funding they need to get started. The idea is that the small and medium sized businesses are the heart of the UK economy and also boost exports that make the government more money. So they wanted to provide a boost to start these small businesses and schemes such as Funding for Lending has done just that.

Rise in entrepreneurs

There’s no doubt that the numbers leading by example have also had a big impact on others who want to go down the road to entrepreneurship but were a little hesitant or unsure. There has been a steady rise in the number of companies being registered with Companies House and this shows that the urge for more of us to have our own business is getting stronger:2011 – 440,0002012 – 482,0002013 – 502,0682014 – 581,1732015 – 609,100

The urge to be entrepreneurs

According to surveys conducted at the end of 2016 by the TUC, around 50% of British people aged 25-34 are considering starting their own business in 2017 and one of the reasons for this is the wealth of online opportunities available. Many of these will take a hobby and create a business from it.An analysis of official figures by the TUC to mark National Work From Home Day reveals that nearly a quarter of a million (241,000) more people work from home than a decade ago.The most popular areas for potential new company formations were in cooking (19%), baking (18%), photography (18%) and sports (16%). Shows such as the Great British Bake Off and The Apprentice are often cited as inspiring people to get out there and find a niche that suits their interests and passions. Co-working spaces also allow people to have a small dedicated working space without the major investment of a dedicated premises but also not taking over part of their own home.Businesses that live entirely online are also a huge growth area as these don’t require the same commitments for physical premises, lots of technical equipment or associated costs and overheads. According to figures from the TUC, there are now around 1.5 million people working from home, a rise of a fifth in the last ten years. Factors such as high speed internet connections and cloud based systems have made this possible, alongside the growth of freelance industries where businesses hire someone to do a specific job rather than employ them full-time.

Inspiring figures

As well as popular reality TV shows, many real world people offer inspiration to become entrepreneurs and show what can be done with dedication and hard work, such as Richard Branson and James Dyson. From former famous footballers who have become career management business owners and restauranteurs to musicians making cheese (Alex James of Blur fame), there are lots of examples of people famous for doing or being one thing who have turned their skills to form a completely new successful business.Larger than life rap star Will.i.Am is a perfect example – he has built on a successful music career to become an entrepreneur. He has designed his own digital camera as well as an iPhone case that enhances the smartphone’s camera function, making it better for sharing images across social media. There are many more examples out there of artist-turned-entrepreneur, but far too many to list here.

Conclusion

It is easier than ever to start your own company – you can use a company formation service, such as ours, to create the company and ensure everything is done correctly. This ensures that you fulfil all the legal requirements and means that more people with that entrepreneurial spirit will be able to take the first steps to fulfilling their dream of owning their own business.

Much of the world was confused with the announcement of Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn. Many had difficulty understanding why Microsoft would want this company and why LinkedIn wanted to sell. LinkedIn was at a standstill in its business growth/strategy. In order for the brand to move forward, it needed a fresh perspective, which is something that Microsoft can offer. It is a great opportunity for marketers, as you will learn from the information below.

Better Networking Capabilities

Microsoft was rather interested in the fact that LinkedIn had over 433 billion business-driven users, with at least 2 billion of those users having paid memberships. The tools available to those with paid memberships are far more advanced than what free users have available. The availability of these tools allows marketers to network more, build a name for themselves, and make new connections to further their careers.

Increased Skill Learning Potential

LinkedIn has the ability to help users increase their skill sets. This means that marketers can use new tools, new methods, and new approaches to making those cold email campaigns work. Some of the published content on LinkedIn is helpful for marketers as they learn how to use the platform to make sales and market to the right audiences.

Social Media Exposure

LinkedIn is considered a social media website. Given that it is a social media networking site; marketers have the ability to help increase advertising potential to a more diverse audience. Connections can be made, messages can be exchanged, and meetings can be set all from this platform. The ability to use a single platform for communications, promotion, and having social media presence is invaluable to some marketers.

Larger Customer Base Potential

Customers have the ability to leave commentary in the form of a review on LinkedIn content. Your marketing department will have access to a larger customer base by being present on LinkedIn, and with that comes the requirement to market to the multiple demographic groups within that customer base. It is best to develop an online presence, build a reputation, and work on building relationships with your customer base to learn what marketing approaches are going to work best for that specific platform.

Improved Technology Platform

Microsoft plans to improve the technological aids available to LinkedIn users to progress the platform. LinkedIn was at a standstill, it was stuck – new technology and software tools will help grow the membership at LinkedIn and will help marketers keep better records from new connections, campaign performance, and learn what tools will help them in their everyday life.

Better Business Structure

From viewing some of the content and business descriptions of successful industry leaders, marketers can learn how to develop a better business structure. Marketers can also learn the importance of marketing in a way that fits a business’ structure. It makes for more successful marketers because the marketer needs to learn how a business creates a budget, how it determines what it will pay for a product/service, and what types of brands/products it wants to be associated with.LinkedIn offers businesses the opportunity to create a detailed business profile within the platform. This outlines the brand’s goals, preferences, and direction. Marketers should be able to read between the lines to determine whether to proceed with client gaining or work on obtaining a different client.

Recruiting Marketing Team Members

Marketers will often post a resume, along with previous job skills online. When a major corporation is looking for someone new in their marketing department, LinkedIn is one of the places that they look. It is important to make sure that your contact information is up-to-date and that you highlight any special skills. When you are looking to be recruited, consider offering a sample pitch on your LinkedIn profile so that potential employers can see that your pitch is optimized for the web, has substance and includes a good teaser.

Final Say

With the increased potential for creating stronger, bigger networks, marketers stand the chance to make a name for themselves. Marketers also have the means available to access larger vendor/client pools to further their careers. It is important for marketers in all avenues of the industry to embrace the acquisition of LinkedIn as a step in a forward direction with advanced technology, better sales tools, and an easier way of communicating with clients.

In order for a business to remain relevant in today’s world, it has to be up-to-date with trends. It also has to be in-tune with technology. Brands that use the latest technology to improve customer experiences are dominating their respective industries. To become a driving force in your specific industry, it may be time to make some upgrades to your business’ methods, tools, and strategies.

Use Video Marketing

Video marketing is trending in 2016. It is important to learn the tricks to creating a compelling video-marketing campaign that displays the brand’s ability to adapt to change. When creating video advertisements, make sure to only include text that is relevant. Society wants to watch and listen rather than read. Show examples of how a product or service works while explaining simply why a consumer or business needs the product/service. Simple is the best approach with video marketing.

Telecommuting Employees

Telecommuting (virtual) employees are ideal for growing businesses. Not only are virtual offices and virtual employees becoming more popular, it is a better way to keep overhead costs down for businesses. Employees that have the ability to work remotely are more productive, have better work ethics, and are more relaxed. They also have less sick days and require less vacation time than traditional employees. Going virtual is trending in 2016 as more businesses see the advantages of a virtual workforce and the need to cut spending on traditional office spaces.

Mobile-Friendly Websites

In 2016, much of the world has gone mobile. This means that your business needs to be able to go with them. More people are accessing the Internet from wireless devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptop computers. Google has also made changes to its policies requiring businesses to be mobile-friendly.Your mobile users should be able to access the same features as your web-users. When consumers have to go to a computer to place an order rather than right from their mobile device, it is seen as an inconvenience.

Increased Demand for Faster Service

Consumers do not like to wait for ordered items to arrive in the mail or via parcel delivery. More are demanding same-day service for goods, services, and consultations. If your business has multiple locations, it may be a great marketing strategy to advertise same-day delivery for local customers. This will increase your client base and allow for the business to expand to more areas around the world with the same business model, operations, and delivery practices.Those that are not local should be offered the option of overnight delivery, at their cost for shipping. Companies have to be able to cater to customer demand in order to have longevity in their industries.

Upgrade Computer Networks

Upgraded computer networks using an individual business server, cloud networks and integrated applications, makes working easier for your employees. Advanced technology is designed to make performing tasks, staying productive, and reaching co-workers with questions easier. It is important to include a central location for employee chatter for employees to decompress, joke a bit, and take some of their work-related stress off.Consider implementing the use of tablets, mobile inventory counters and mobile conferencing technology, to keep all employees on the same page. Outdated technology tends to fail over time, and this can result in a huge loss of company data. It is vital that you stay up-to-date with technology.

Use Digital Tools

Digital tools help keep all of your employees on the same page. Tools like Dropbox, Slack, Trello and Evernote, are ideal for keeping files in a specific location while allowing access to them by all employees. Some of these tools can be used with additional integrated apps to create time lines, have productivity reminders, and deadline reminders. Anything that helps employees stay on-track, upbeat and happy at work, is a good addition to your digital tools. The tools should be available to all employees so that none are working at a disadvantage.

Final Word

Working to get your company up-to-date may cost a bit up-front but will be worth it. It will also provide a better overall experience for your customers. The increased revenues from happy customers that continually come back, gives you more to re-invest into the company for further technological improvements to your everyday operations.

Recognizable business leaders often become authors to help other business owners become successful. Each successful person has had a different path to success. Each has learned what works and what doesn’t in terms of building a strong company, meeting business goals and becoming dominant business leaders in their respective industries. These New York Times best sellers offer guidance, tips and strategies for business owners to command attention and dominate in their respective industries.

The Third Wave

Written by Steve Case, The Third Wave is both a New York Times bestseller and Wall Street Journal bestseller. Case is a very successful entrepreneur. He is partially responsible for the biggest merger of companies in business history. His writing help aspiring business leaders achieve their goals and creates a pathway to success through examples.Case stresses that hard work is required to be successful. The book also displays that without a few failures, the “next big thing” cannot come to its full potential.

Shoe Dog

The creator of Nike, Phil Knight, gives readers an inside look at how the most recognizable name in shoes came to be. Nike was started with a small, $50 loan to import a high-quality running shoe from Japan with low costs. Knight began his vision by selling pairs of shoes from the trunk of his car before ever opening a brick and mortar location or starting a manufacturing facility.

#GIRLBOSS

Sophia Amoruso, author of #GIRLBOSS, discusses her difficulties as a teen. She started from nothing, and was tired of living an unhappy life. She struggled to feed herself, keep a roof over head and just live. After getting angry at her situation, she did something about it and started one of the most successful retail companies in the world, Nasty Gal. The goal of this book was to display that fancy degrees and expensive college educations aren’t needed to be a successful leader in the business world.

Dream Home

Drew and Jonathan Scott, hosts of multiple HGTV television series’, are successful in the real estate industry. Drew Scott is the realtor and his twin brother, Jonathan, is the construction expert. The brothers have built a business based upon buying and selling homes while making a few improvements prior to selling, to maximize selling potential. A theory of theirs is to invest a little now to have a bigger return later.Their book outlines how others in the real estate or property investment industry can maximize profits and achieve goals, even on a tight budget.

Money: Master the Game

Financial freedom is something that most people want to achieve. Tony Robbins outlines how to make good investments, how to reach financial goals at any age and be a successful leader. He includes that diet, exercise, setting goals and making a profound impact on those around you at work are part of what makes you a successful business leader.

Disrupted

Decorated and previous Newsweek writer, Dan Lyons chose to make lemonade when he was given lemons with the news that he was being let go. He became a marketing fellow with HubSpot, which seemed great at the time but turned out to be what he did not want. Disrupted outlines how investors and startup companies seem to conspire to achieve financial greatness, which is often misinterpreted as success.

Extreme Ownership

Take a few lessons from a former Navy SEAL, Jocko Willink and co-author Leif Babin. This compelling read outlines how SEALs have to plan attacks and each move on the enemy carefully to be successful. This applies to leaders in business because every move has to be carefully laid out and followed to a “T” to work. This book discusses how to motivate those around you, and those in your workforce. It also talks about overcoming adversity and strife in times of turmoil while still coming out on top. It is motivational and inspirational for all of those aspiring to be a leader in business.

Closing Thoughts

If you wish for your business to dominate in its industry, study your competition and what led them to success. Take notes and set goals for your own career and/or business. Meeting goals means that you are making progress and are successful. Some of the best leaders in business started as followers who chose to follow their own dreams.

Being happy in your career is important for both productivity and personal happiness. When you are unhappy with a career, it ruins your outlook on that career and reduces productivity. If changes to your work situation need to occur, it is important to take the steps to do so in order to meet your own career goals.

Bringing Personal Situations to Work

Not leaving personal difficulties at home wrecks your outlook on your job. If you are unhappy at home, it comes to work with you. Leave your personal business at the door and focus on your job. Save personal discussions for breaks. It is difficult to leave tragic situations at the door, so in those situations, ask for some leniency.

Not Setting Work-Related Goals

Without goals, you have nothing to look forward to in your career. Set a goal to receive a promotion, become a team leader or obtain a raise. Reach that goal and set another. Make each goal bigger so that you have to work a little harder to reach it. Reaching goals should become a personal game to see how quickly you reach each one.

Constantly Checking Email Accounts

Unless you need email for work purposes, keep it closed. It is a distraction and reduces productivity. Schedule 5 minutes per hour to check emails and only respond to those that are work-related.

Working Long Hours

Working in an industry that requires long hours is exhausting. It can make you not want to go to work. Consider a schedule change, or speak with a superior about working a different shift with less hours per shift. You can also get more done each hour to prevent working longer hours.

Not Sleeping Enough

Sleep is important. When you don’t get enough, you don’t perform well. Make a sleep schedule and stick to it, even on weekends. Your body needs a schedule to be in sync so that you can perform at your best at work.

Working too much remotely

While working from a remote location, or from home, is more comfortable, it can be a distraction. At home you are likely to be more interested in enjoying your relaxation space, watching recorded television or taking care of household chores.To remedy this, work from home or in a remote location sparingly. When you are at work, in a work setting, your concentration stays on work. It is important to maintain a productivity schedule when working from home.

Working a Job you dislike

There is not much point to working a job or in an industry that you dislike. It is essentially the career kiss of death. If you are not excited about the industry you work in or the company you work for, it can affect your performance.Find an aspect of the industry that you do enjoy and focus your energy there. It will help you take more pride in your work and the company you work for.

No Room for Advancement

If there is no room for growth or advancement in the career you work in, it makes it hard to stay positive about going to work. If advancing is important to you, schedule a meeting with your superiors and let them know that you are slightly unhappy and wish for more responsibility as an added challenge.

Procrastination

While some people do work better under pressure, procrastinating can actually bring on a lot of stress. Rather than waiting until you actually have to perform a work-related task, set yourself a task schedule and stick to it. It will help you get more done throughout the day and it prevents you from having to work late or on weekends to make up for what wasn’t completed during your normal work week.

Social Media Distractions

Social media is a huge distraction. Most people check social media multiple times throughout the day, on the company time. Stay off of social media while at work. Only access these networks on breaks and when you are away from the job.

Final Thoughts

By taking some of the advice here, you can help yourself have a lucrative career doing something that makes you happy. When you are unhappy, make changes and set goals. Without goals you have nothing to look forward to in your career, which often leads to dissatisfaction.Are you guilty of any of these bad habits?

Many times, young graduates from different universities no longer find employment (or paid employment). A solution is for them to create their own business and generate wealth in their community. That is the great contribution of business incubation in the context of the national economy. Business incubation is classed as the "creation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and to support them during their early stages of life."Many business mentors complement this view and explain that incubation aims to create projects that have a high potential, a certain degree of innovation and that are distinguished from what already exists in the market. It's also an area where entrepreneurs with good ideas receive counselling to generate their model and business plan, create networking and obtain resources.

For a business incubation initiative to succeed, it is essential that two factors are combined:

1. A good project, which can count on these features: a promising market, a good business opportunity, the existence of certain financial resources, knowledge and contacts; the definition of competitive advantage and the definition of needs.2. A good entrepreneur is usually one who exhibits the following qualities: Hunger for victory, determination, leadership, keen market insight, tolerance, as well as the ability to interact.If this combination is present, it is possible that the incubation process can begin to boost a business and earn it a place in the market; to survive beyond two years after it has been formed. A good entrepreneur will make any project succeed that comes their way, which is often not true in reverse: if there is a good project and not a good entrepreneur behind it, the best results will probably not be obtained.

Incubation process

The business incubation process consists of three stages: pre-incubation, incubation and post-incubation.This process meanwhile must try and meet these steps below:1. Selection Process. The incubators instruct the creation of an evaluation committee, to which entrepreneurs must submit their business idea.2. Pre-incubation. During this phase, the entrepreneurs selected will receive counselling to aid their entrepreneurship.3. Incubation. In this period, which can last from six months to a year, a mentor helps entrepreneurs to develop their business model and plan. Potential entrepreneurs also receive specialised advice on various issues: from intellectual property and funding to legal issues.4. Creation of the company. The incubators link entrepreneurs with public networks to formalise the establishment of their business. The company starts operating.5. Follow post-incubation. Incubators provide specific consulting on business operations, in order that it be consolidated and be successful. This support extends normally one year after the incubation process.Many in the industry say that incubation is a service, which requires future business leaders to invest some money. They also mention that some incubators for entrepreneurs seek a stake in the shares of their companies, but this is not a general rule.Moreover, business incubation is key to the emergence of MSMEs, which, according to recent data, suggests that they are the lifeline of the country in terms of volume business and jobs.Therefore, it is essential that both public and private sectors work together to try and strengthen the business incubation system, such as the UKBI, operating for 16 years now.Incubation is a very powerful tool that countries have to continue to try and grow, to generate wealth, employment and other successful growth mind-sets. When an entrepreneur creates their own company, they will change and become more responsible, a leader is a person committed their workers, their community and who takes pride in their surroundings.

2014 was a booming year in the United Kingdom for startups and small businesses. According to the Department of Business, Innovations, and Skills, there were a record 5.2 million private sector businesses at the start of 2014, which was the first recorded time that the business population had exceeded over 5 million in the UKThis record increase of 330,000 new businesses since 2013 validated the 2015 public perceptions that the economic woes of 2008`s Great Recession are finally a thing of the past, and a quickly fading bad memory in this part of Europe.99.3 percent of the businesses in 2014, out of the 5.2 million private sector businesses, were small businesses that were once fledgling startups. They established themselves on the road to success by pure economic courage, perseverance, and a newfound faith in their nations` economy.

The three main categories that made up the business population at the start of 2014 were:

1. 1.5 million - Large companies - 29% of the total.2. 460,000 self-employed partnerships at 9%.3. 3.3 million - Were sole proprietorships that made up an astounding 62% of businesses.They say that statistics don't lie. It would seem a safe assumption that 2015 is going to be one of the most opportunistic times in which to launch a new startup in the United Kingdom.When speaking recently to Ryan Gallagher, the CEO of IOVOX Call Tracking and Phone Analytics, he had some wise words for anyone contemplating a start up in today`s economic, technological and social climate.I had a boss in Alstom once who had a saying that always stuck in my head. His name was John Rebus, and he used to tell me speak with data. If you believe something, go and prove it, or get as near close to that as you can then come and talk to me.” This has been one of the many useful pieces of advice that I have acquired over the years, and I still constantly use it to this day.Following this useful and professional advice in life has led to huge amounts of opportunities that might never have come about otherwise. Rarely do I ever act upon something these days without thoroughly evaluating and properly assessing it first.Wise words from a successful man and when you follow suit and evaluate and assess the current state of UK start-ups, it is clear that now is the perfect time to seize the momentum of a recovering economy that has been held back for far too long. Now is the moment to seize the bull by the horns, and tame it to your needs and aspirations in life. These are not things that are easily given; they must be taken by force with one`s sheer strength of will, intelligence, and abilities.Markets globally are expanding at a steady and encouraging rate in Asia, the U.S., and Europe, offering business opportunities locally with bigger markets opening up almost daily across the world; all eager to promote their businesses and trade abroad.With this trade, brings the need for more services with these new services comes more employers with more new jobs to offer, which circles around to more disposable income to be spent locally on small businesses and entrepreneurial startups.This in turn completes and repeats the cycle of growth by fueling and supporting the rising local economy. Understand this cyclical pattern and you can ensure your future success.Listed below are a few other inspirational quotes by successful modern day entrepreneurs, who envisioned their goals, seized the moment, and then strategically ran with them to create successful operations:

Matthew Woodward of Matthewwoodward.co.uk

"When starting out in business you should discover what you love in life first. Then, find a way to make money at it"

Patrick Drake - Co-founder and head chef at Hello Fresh - Hellofresh.co.uk

William Wordsworth, said "To begin, begin" and the advice still rings true today. One of the greatest killers of a new business is hesitation and procrastination. Don't spend 6 months creating (what you think is) the perfect product, take it to market and realise it's not what the market wants. Instead release a prototype early to test the reaction and then develop your product based on real customer feedback. In other words - Just Do it!"

Adam Connell of Bloggingwizard.com

When you start a business you can either dive into an ocean full of bigger fish and fight to get your fill or you can swim further out into uncontested space. This means either coming up with a unique idea or finding a market with very little competition. When you make the shift into uncontested space, you'll notice a significant positive change to the growth of your business.” This is also known as the Blue Ocean Strategy (also a great book worth reading).

Sofia Quintero - Head of growth at Geckoboard

"Focus on what matters. Anything that is not helping your customers to succeed with your product is a distraction."Great minds, great quotes, great ambitions, who utilised great opportunities in order to fulfil great dreams; this is what all these people above have in common.Last year, the International Monetary Fund`s Managing Director Christine Lagarde, had to publicly eat crow by admitting that they totally underestimated the strength and potential growth of the UK`s economy. This year and beyond will be the time that the great lamenters of the world will feel the same embarrassment that the IMF did in 2014, because they also underestimated, and failed to realise the potential growth for entrepreneurial startups in 2015.The United Kingdom`s future CEO`s however, will be the ones with the drive and vision to enter themselves and their businesses into the up-and-coming positive economic upswing to come, and will become the envied happy and successful haves of the U.K. Unfortunately for those who do not, they will be destined to remain the have nots of years past, by failing once again to seize the moment of today.