Mindset, Learning, Collaboration

Author Archives: Kerri Bainbridge

What will the future of work look like for you?

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The future of work

If you are struggling to find your place in the world of work that currently binds you to the 9 to 5 work day that includes a commute to work then perhaps you would be interested in working differently in our changing world of work. If you haven’t already noticed it, how we work and where we work have changed significantly in the last decade. Maybe you need to consider how you can use your skills and experience to work differently so you get more of what you want. For me it’s flexibility, over the last 12 years I have needed to work around my family commitments. What are you looking for? Whatever it is it can be achieved if you start by looking at the current digital landscape as an opportunity.

We are working differently

Consider the already changing way in which work is being done from when you first started work. Technology has changed the work landscape significantly. I no longer need to travel to my clients for all the interactions I have with them. For example I can have a virtual online meeting with a new staff member to train them on the use of my system.  I can see them, they can see me, we can record our meeting and review what was said, we can share information on screen in real time and if we need to bring in anyone else we can invite them in too – no matter where they are.

HR professionals and managers too have used skype to interview talent for more than 10 years now, making it possible to employ the right person for the job no matter where they live. Working remotely has also never been easier and is becoming more and more accepted. How many of you know at least one person who works remotely? I know at least 4.

We want different things

So we know technology is enabling change but, what is driving this change in work? Technology is replacing functions that are time consuming and in our current digital environment we expect thing to available quickly. We don’t like wasting time. This will be even more relevant to the Millennials who have grown up in this instant world and they are changing our world of work already. Staying in one job, doing the same thing day in and day out will not be tolerated by millennials who expect to be entertained when ever they want. They have ideals, causes and are motivated by these and not by money. Money is important yes but freedom and variety are more important.

What can you do?

First, ask yourself if it is possible to do your work, or the majority of it from anywhere? If some tasks need face to face interaction can this be done by an online meeting?

Secondly, could what you be done on line or out sourced? Would you consider contracting on a short or long term basis?

Thirdly, could you or you and a business partner set up a business contracting to businesses anywhere doing all or part of what you do?

Fourth, do you need help understanding the digital landscape so you know what is possible?

We have lots of free information on the Anywhere  Business Network website so feel free to look through this. We highly recommend you check out our video series if you are thinking of a change so you have all the support you need on this journey. We even have a 30 day free trial to our online learning platform where you will collaborate with others just like you who are in various stages of development of their work life. They are all learning about having a mindset that will take them where they want to go. They are all setting aside any spare time they have to learn from those who are sharing their experiences, mentoring, encouraging and challenging those who are telling them “yes, I need to think differently, I need a change, I am ready to learn, work with me”

We are AWB are here to help you. Check us out. Here our stories.  Subscribe to our newsletter or various social media platforms and kick start you new career or business into life.

Working online

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My story

Working online

I have worked for myself for more than 15 years and I love the work. So what have I learned?

  • I love working when I want. This flexibility doesn’t mean I don’t work hard. It sometimes means working outside the 9-5. This comes with its challenges.. the lines between when the work day finishes and ends are sometimes blurred. It’s important to have boundaries… I have written blogs on this.
  • I don’t enjoy managing my cash flow so I joined forces with my business partner in Anywhere Business and he helps me to understand how to do this better.  I have learned that I like working with others so I took the opportunity to work in partnership with a friend. We have totally different businesses but we are both learning about promoting our businesses online so it made sense to support each other and share the load and the cost.
  • I like working with others and exchanging ideas. This can be difficult when you are in business alone. I enjoy the interaction of ideas through collaboration. I joined Toastmasters to learn new skills and gain confidence. I found a mentor in my local business association. I spoke to friends and family and finally, I searched the internet for ideas. In my search for ways to grow my business online through collaboration, I found an online training program SFM that gives me just that. I was very skeptical at first. There was a free trial so I gave it a go. There are modules to work through and online webinars I can attend live or listen to when I can. I can do it at my own pace in my own time. I now have a huge community of people learning like I am who I am talking to and learning from who are all over the world. I also love to hear about all their businesses and what they do.

Not long after I joined SFM I spoke to Andrew (Anywhere Business Network partner) who lives in another town about 5 hours from me, about how it was helping me. We have worked together before on a big project. We knew we worked well together. I often collaborated with him via Skype about my business so I knew how he thought, how he worked. We decided to pool resources and be business partners at SFM. Anywhere Business Network was born and we now share all we have learned with you. We hope you will find inspiration from us and start to collaborate with us or others in the same way for the benefit of your business.

Working Online

We have developed some free planning tools to get you started but we recommend you join SFM too so you can learn how to operate your business confidently in the digital world by working online. Maybe you know a friend who might join you or maybe you are happy to begin alone and see how it goes first.

We hope you gain a lot from us through this website. Watch the free video and sign up for the free trial and find out if it is right for you.

It has been our experience that those who invest in online training and marketing using a mentor have seen the best results.

Kerri Bainbridge

Working online

Getting the most out your working day

 

How do you work with Millennials?

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Work Life Balance CommentManaging Millennials

Millennials! Born between the early 1980’s and the early 2000’s, this generation are now representing a significant portion of the work force. The word itself has come to symbolize not only a generation of people but the entire modern condition brought on by technology, globalism, interconnectedness, diminishing attention spans and a heightened sense of self-importance.

Not only are we selling products to this generation but we are employing them so its important that we look at how best to manage this shift in your business. But first I just wanted to remind you of two things. First, generational disruption is inevitable since each generation had different needs. If you don’t understand how to get the best from each then someone else will. Second, while discussing generalities is useful, remember that each person on your team, regardless of age, is an individual and should be viewed and treated as such.

Millennials who are your employees

Research and surveys conducted over the last few years have revealed that younger workers want to feel good about what they do. In the office/at work, millennials want a firsthand view of the impact of the work they do. They wan to know – is there a clear connection between their daily tasks and the greater vision of the organization? Can they have real influence over that vision and the end product your organization produces? If you can define the significance of the role each member of your team plays, they will be more internally motivated and committed.

On another level, millennials want the companies they work for to be change agents in the world. This generation is very engaged in social issues. They have a strong belief that what they do 40 hours a week should contribute, in some way, to making the world a better place. So here’s what you can do: Make sure you highligt your companies philanthropic efforts. Another way to demonstrate your sense of social responsibility is to organise volunteer activities. Pick a cause or causes, allot some time during the workday, encourage your team to get involved and spend time volunteering together. You can use these as team building opportunities, which make them even more important to consider.

Another theme that is emerging as millennials take over the work world is flexibility.Millennials want more control over whenthey work, wherethey work, howthey work and whatthey work on. This generation have a hard time coming to grips with a 9-5 work day since the world online is 24/7 and is always ready when they are. Younger workers also understand more about flow states, inducing peak performance and creating conditions that foster creativity. They believe they can be just as effective working from home a couple hours in the early morning, taking a long lunch, and then coming into the office or meeting clients for coffee. Making these accommodations, when appropriate, will go a long way in getting buy-in from your millennial employees. It’s also likely to result in better work and more effort from your team. You will also find younger workers are looking for rolesthat are more fluid and flexible. The digital world they grew up in has been changing and growing and teaching them constantly. At work they want to continue to learn and develop new skills. They do this by stretching their responsibilities and tackling new opportunities as they are presented. Rewarding well-done work with money is easy. But, offering new responsibilities and being open to new approaches really communicates to your team that you value them and that you want for them, what they want for themselves.

Finally, members of the millennial generation consistently mention authenticityas a trait they value. This is quite the buzz word online. Be authentic. Be yourself. Millenials really respond to geniune, direct communication -this is possibly a reaction to their heavy exposure to marketing. So, be upfront and give feedback that is clear and honest. This way they will be confident they know where they stand which will alleviate anxiety and increase their sense of loyalty.

Regardless of the kind of business you’re in, if they are not already, Millennials will soon dominate your workforce. Millennials are incredibly creative, adaptive and competent. In order to best harness that talent, you have to create a culture and environment that empowers younger workers. That means being committed to authenticity and flexibility while taking opportunities to make the world a better place.

Kerri Bainbridge

One half of the Anywhere Team NZ

www.anywherebusiness.co.nz

5 questions to ask yourself before you start a new home business

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Many like the idea of working for themselves but it is for some it is not all it is cracked up to be. Its hard work for starters and often not as flexible as you think. However, if you plan right you can make it work for you. But this blog is not about how to run a successful business its about determining if you should start a home business.

There are great advantages of starting a home business like:

  • flexible work hours
  • work where you choose

You would think the list is longer but you cant really say work where you want, when you want, how you want and with who you want unless you are really lucky. If you want to be successful you will need to work when your clients need you and for as many hours as it takes. Sometimes you have to work with people clients you dont like because they pay you. Working where you want is not always possible either as most people think working from home is easy but it can be very distracting and renting a room outside the home can be expensive.

Here are 5 questions you should ask yourself before you start a home business:

  1. Do you have the right space to work in?For some this might even be working outside the home in the clients office, for others it will be at home or from their car. It is important to have a comfortable place to work and a secure place to store stock, files and tax documents. If you are going to work at home then make sure it is free from disctraction and ensure friends and family know your work hours are not socialising hours. Setting up a space to work is not cheap. Find out how much office furniture will cost so you have things like a suitable computer, software, printer, laminator, chair, shelving, filing cabinet, mobile phone…..yes there are lots of things you might need. If you cant work from home then find out how much it costs to rent some space locally.
  2. Are you best when you work with others or on your own?Chances are that you wont enjoy working for yourself if you like to work in a team. However if you have people you can get together with to bounce ideas off and get advice from you might be ok. You may want to consider having a business partner if you like working with others but like the idea of working for yourself. This comes with its own headaches though so its important to think this through.
  3. Do you have a head for all the aspects of running a business?Marketing and Sales (including social media), packaging and shipping, tax, invoicing and all that goes with managing cashflow, business planning, customer service (including complaints) and Website design. If you dont have all these skills maybe a business partner would, you could outsource it or learn to do it. If you have to learn to do it you need time and money. If you pay someone to do it then you will save time but it will cost you money.
  4. Do you know if there is a market for what you want to sell ?No point in you being the only one sold on your idea. This point is related to point 4. You will need to do some market research and get to know your market. Are you prepared to take the time to do this?
  5. Do you have back up money to ensure you can survive for 3-6 months?If workign for yourself involves you quitting your day job then you will need to cover all your regular bills for 3-6 months while you get started. If you dont have this then think about starting smaller. Make a plan to do some learning about things like social media marketing, web design, cash flow, developing a business plan, reduce your work hours and work part time while you build your business up.

If you have a passion for starting a business of your own it doesnt have to be instead of your day job. It could be as well as if you harness the power of social media and online marketing. My hope is that you ask yourself these questions to before you start a home business. Sit down now and make a list of what you need to do if you want to have your own business. I hope you have found these questions helpful.

Kerri Bainbridge

One half of the Anywhere Team NZ

www.anywherebusinessnetwork.co.nz

Is being too busy affecting your health?

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Is busyness affecting your health and wellbeing?

No matter what you do for a living, you need to feel that you have been productive. I know what its like to feel like you have had a busy day but cant think what you have achieved. It feels like you were just reacting to things rather than planning to do them. This is not productive it is reactive. Under these circumstances it is very easy to drift along and feel as though you must be successful because you are so busy. Busy does not mean success. In fact in most cases it is simply a reflection that you are just surviving.

I am sure some of you will be able to say that you are financially successful and so this cannot be true. But, what is this business doing to your health and well being? If you are exhausted, stressed and tired then the answer is yes. Is this what you want in your life? If its not then you might want to think about changing the way you approach your day from a reactive one to one where you plan what you are going to do. This might not sound simple when you can see all the work that needs to be done but if you take this time you will gain the time back in your business and in your life because you will have better health and well being. Have you considered what the stress of a busy job does for your relationships with others? Maybe you are not being the kind of partner, friend or parent you want to be because you are tired and stressed.

Its time to take back the power and make a few small changes that could change your outlook on your business and your life. Try these planning tools. Give yourself 21 days to really make a change.

3 planning tips to set you up for a productive day

1. Top 3 tasks

Every morning, make a list of the top 3 things you want to achieve that day. You may have a bigger “to do list” and that’s good but you need to prioritise them. Select 1 big one and 2 small easy ones. Ideally the 2 smaller ones can be knocked off in one day. With the big one you will need to have several sub goal because it is so big. See my blog to help with this. It is important to set yourself up to have a good day and feel you have achieved something. If you don’t plan to achieve anything you will constantly feel like you never achieve anything. Logical right? So many people just get up and look at all the tasks and try to get as much done as they can. Stop doing this. You need to see progress.

For me the small tasks are things like – get out todays orders or get out 10 orders in 2 hours or spend 2 hours answering emails. If you just sit at your computer an answer all your emails or fill every order you may never get to anything else. You may need to set up an auto email response to say you aim to answer all emails within 2 working days. You may need a similar one for orders that state when an order will be filled. If you can do better than your stated response time you will and this will make the customer happy but they knew not to expect anything else.

2. 50/10 rule

Work on one important task for 50 minutes and then take a 10 minute break. Refocus, start a fresh and get back to your to-do list (see point 1). During this 10 minute break I recommend:

  1. you don’t just have coffee during this break. Do something physical like stretching or go for a quick walk around the house or garden.
  2. you make sure you have plenty of water to sip on during the day and reduce your coffee in take to 2-3 cups a day.Distraction Management

  3. Use a diary

You might use a paper diary or a digital diary but if you don’t use it well you will not feel you are on top of things. I use google calendar on my phone and this syncs with my online calendar in google. When I first started using my digital diary I also used a paper diary as I like to see things on paper. It might take you a while to let go of your paper diary too. Find something that works for you. The thing I found hardest was talking to clients and booking the appointment at the same time. I eventually found a way to fix that. What I did was to have an online booking system with set times I was available. This sent them a reminder too which helped with no shows. There are lots of online booking systems and the free ones don’t have reminders. I found it was worth paying for it.

You can invite clients to an appointment on google calendar and hope it ends up in their calendar. That’s free. This relies on you to take the booking and set it up. If you pay for a system you put in your time slots and clients choose a time. This saves heaps of time if you are looking for time savings.

In summary, don’t let your day rule you. A bit of planning and good work habits will turn busyness into productiveness and ultimately better health and well being.

 

Kerri Bainbridge

One half of the Anywhere Team

Customer Value

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I think most people can think of a time when they have had bad customer service? If only those businesses had thought about the value of your business in not only terms of the money you spend with them each year but also the referrals you give to others- good and bad.

When dealing with customers it is important to recognise the value your customers bring in $ terms. If you have staff you need to convey this $ figure to them. Watch the video above for a great illustration of this.

You cant afford to be indifferent. Ensure each approach to your customers is with service in mind not thinking about the cleaning yet to be done so you can go home, not going for a break, not thinking about how long you have been at work …. make sure you have each customers needs in mind before yours or don’t put yourself in front of the customer. If you work for yourself you might have the option to not answer the phone for example rather than bring your baggage to the communication. How you and your staff feel will affect and project how you/they feel about your business and be projected to the customer.

You cant afford this to be anything else but a good experience.

 

Kerri Bainbridge

 

3 planning tips to set you up for the day

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Be inspired to plan your day

Are you celebrating your successes? If you are not then you are probably not setting any goals. Here are my 3 top tips for successfully planning your day and feeling like you have achieved something.

  1. Plan to do your top 3 tasks

Every morning, make a list of the top 3 things you want to achieve that day. You may have a bigger “to do list” and that’s good but you need to prioritise them. Select 1 big one and 2 small easy ones. Ideally the 2 smaller ones can be knocked off in one day. With the big one you will need to have several sub goal because it is so big. See my blog on Planning a Successful Year to help with this. It is important to set yourself up to have a good day and feel you have achieved something. If you don’t plan to achieve anything you will constantly feel like you never achieve anything. Logical right? So many people just get up and look at all the tasks and try to get as much done as they can. Stop doing this. You need to see progress.

For me the small tasks are things like – get out todays orders or get out 10 orders in 2 hours or spend 2 hours answering emails. If you just sit at your computer an answer all your emails or fill every order you may never get to anything else. You may need to set up an auto email response to say you aim to answer all emails within 2 working days. You may need a similar one for orders that state when an order will be filled. If you can do better than your stated response time you will and this will make the customer happy but they knew not to expect anything else.

  1. 50/10 rule

Work on one important task for 50 minutes and then take a 10 minute break. Refocus, start a fresh and get back to your to-do list (see point 1). During this 10 minute break I recommend:

  • you don’t just have coffee during this break. Do something physical like stretching or go for a quick walk around the house or garden.
  • you make sure you have plenty of water to sip on during the day and reduce your coffee in take to 2-3 cups a day.

  1. Use a diary

You might use a paper diary or a digital diary but if you don’t use it well you will not feel you are on top of things. I use google calendar on my phone and this syncs with my online calendar in google. When I first started using my digital diary I also used a paper diary as I like to see things on paper. It might take you a while to let go of your paper diary too. Find something that works for you. The thing I found hardest was talking to clients and booking the appointment at the same time. I eventually found a way to fix that. What I did was to have an online booking system with set times I was available. This sent them a reminder too which helped with no shows. There are lots of online booking systems and the free ones don’t have reminders. I found it was worth paying for it.

You can invite clients to an appointment on google calendar and hope it ends up in their calendar. That’s free. This relies on you to take the booking and set it up. If you pay for a system you put in your time slots and clients choose a time. This saves heaps of time if you are looking for time savings.

Let me know how you are going with these. Give us your feedback on Facebook or here in the comments.

Kerri Bainbridge

Beat the Sunday night blues- kickstart your working week

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Take a look at these great spaces that I found on Houzz, and let me know what you think.

Beat the Sunday-Night Blues and Kickstart Your Working Week

Mondayitis is real, but there are ways to turn things around – what you do on Sunday can impact the whole week ahead

11 February 2018
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well….
As the weekend draws to a close and Monday looms ever closer, it’s time to step up and take action. Not over-the-top exhausting action; gentle action that will ease the dread of Sunday night and sweeten the start to your week. Who knows – adopt a few of these simple habits and Monday morning might start to look a whole lot brighter. Dare I say you may even begin to look forward to the start of the working week?
Scandinavian Bedroom by The Designory
Brighten up your day
Make Sunday the day you change the sheets. Fresh, sun-dried sheets – linen if possible – can make climbing into bed of a Sunday night a pleasure. Reserving little joys like these for when you need a bit of a lift can make a surprising difference.
Contemporary Exterior by Studio Gorman
Dedicate Sundays to you-time
Action-packed weekends are fun, but if you get to Sunday night and feel like you need a weekend to recover from your weekend, it’s time for a rethink. An obligation-free day can give you the headspace you need to recharge for the week ahead. And you know what they say – the best ideas often pop into your head when they have the space to do so.Tip: Going out on Friday night is often better than on Saturday night, simply because you wake up on Saturday morning with the sense that the whole weekend is ahead of you. Wake up on Sunday, on the other hand, and the feeling is often one of dread – the weekend can seem like it’s almost over.

Transitional Home Office by Colourcube Interiors
Get a bit organised
Spend 20 minutes paying bills, crossing items off your household to-do list and making a list for the week ahead. This will give you a sense of control over any chaos rattling around in your head, thus relieving any stress you’re unwittingly holding in the process.Tip: Try planning your meals for the week on Sunday – and order the ingredients online – to streamline your week and boost the chances you’ll eat healthily. You don’t have to be naturally organised to bring this routine to life – just think of it as freeing up energy. The more decision making you can reduce during the week, the more energy you’ll have to dedicate to more rewarding pursuits.

Eclectic Kitchen by Joanna Thornhill Interiors
Make joy not war
Take the time to do something you really enjoy on Sunday – something that leaves you feeling nourished rather than depleted at the end of the day. Play your favourite tunes while you bake, roll out your mat on the back deck and do a yoga session, get out your guitar and play some old favourites, play cards with your partner or invite a friend over to do the same.Tip: If you can give your eyes and brain a rest from screens one day during the week, this is the day to do it. A digital detox can be positively restorative.

Modern Kitchen by Sheri Haby Architects
Take stock
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the magnitude of what you have to accomplish in the week ahead, particularly if you have a stressful job or are juggling family and work demands. It’s also easy to focus on what you don’t have – enough time, enough money, enough fulfilment – rather than what you do have. Use Sundays to count your blessings. If you live alone, write down some of the great things in your life in a journal dedicated to the purpose. If you live with others, sit down together for dinner on Sunday night and make it a weekly ritual to go around the table, taking turns to answer the question: What are you grateful for?Tip: Avoid the temptation to judge someone on what they’re thankful for (or what they’ve forgotten to mention). If they make a joke of it, that’s OK too. The less pressure they feel, the more likely they’ll answer more authentically next time.

Contemporary Family Room by Sally Carson Interiors
See your home in a new light
Look around your living space – does it make you happy to spend time there? If not, it might be time for a mini makeover. It needn’t be expensive – buy or create a new artwork to transform the space, wallpaper a feature wall, inject some fresh colour with cushions and throws, paint a chair and pop it in a corner, rearrange your bookshelves by colour, hang an oversized mirror, rearrange the furniture, add greenery with a fabulous new plant. Do whatever it takes to breathe fresh life into the room and you’re sure to feel invigorated every time you walk in.
Transitional Kitchen by Milestone Building Pty Ltd
Go easy on yourself
Either share the load when it comes to making dinner on Sunday night or throw some ingredients into the slow cooker on Sunday morning so your evening is relaxed and largely chore free.Tip: If this is the one night of the week you sit down as a family to have dinner, ensure it’s a meal everyone loves and give it a sense of occasion – the good glasses, a tablecloth if you have one and candles. It doesn’t take a lot of extra effort to make dinner special.

Scandinavian Bedroom by Caroline McCredie
Decide how your week will go
There’s a reason athletes are taught to visualise winning the race, breaking that record and holding the championship cup over their head – it has a direct impact on their chances of success. The same tactic can be applied to your own life. Setting an intention for the week ahead is the first step, then visualise what will happen when that intention comes to fruition. Imagining how it feels to achieve your desired outcomes will have you bounding out of bed Monday morning, ready to take on the world. After coffee, of course.
Your say
What do you do on Sundays to ease into the week ahead? Share your ideas in the Comments, and be sure to like, bookmark or share this story. Join the conversation.

Are you really working by yourself when you work for yourself?

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I have been doing a lot of Facebook live posts about gathering a team around you when you work for yourself because its important you dont see working for yourself as working alone. Why is this important?

If you have come from a team based environment it can be hard to get used to working by yourself. There doesnt seem to be anyone to bounce ideas around with, no one to ask when you get stuck on that computer program or task you know someone else helped you out with, no one to have a coffee with or catch up on the weekend sport with. This is not the same as missing working for someone else. Its about loving the energy of working in a team.

Advice on money

It is possible to work in a team when you work for yourself. It involves gathering around you people who help you do what you do. Your accountant helps with the finances so it make sense that you seek advice and discuss ideas with your accountant around how you should spend or risk your money. Some accountants are very skilled business coaches too. They can help with business plans and financial coaching. If yours isnt helpful you need to find one who is. (Andrew is great if you need one info@anywherebusinessnetwork.co.nz)

Mentoring

Maybe you have a friend or aquantance you have admired for their head for business. How about asking them to be a sounding board for you. You could approach you local business chamber or business development group to see if they have business mentors.

Business partner

Having a business partner often makes good sense. You each should have strenghts the other values and have the abiltiy to share the work load and contribute to the business financially. Hey presto, you now have a person to share ideas, money, learning… everything.

Online business community

There are lots of great online learning forums that you a great community of people doing and learning just like you. Find one and start talking to people. When you get personal and share you will find lots of people come out of the woodwork and give.

Let me know if this has helped you.

Kerri Bainbridge

One half of the Anywhere Team NZ

www.anywherebusinessnetwork.co.nz 

Do you have all the skills or can you outsource them?

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Need help running your business?

When you are running a small operation sometimes you need to learn about different tasks and you think that you can’t afford them! This results in missing marketing opportunities as you are limited in what you know. Mentoring, peer support, outsourcing and collaboration can minimise risk those lost opportunities because you get the advice and support you need.  Joining online forums and taking part in online learning should not be under-estimated because there are lots of people out there like you seeking answers and lots of people who have the answers. Ask, seek, learn, collaborate.

Planning your day to include networking and learning can make all the difference to your success.

Ask yourself what does your day look like? Today is a good day to start making room for your future success!

 

6 months ago I did not have a clue that you could buy an image like this over the internet for $USD5.00. I did not know!!! Using a platform that specialises in online learning of digital skills taught me about! 

Do you want your own brand and logo and more? Fivver.com can fix you up with these in in 24-48 hours and even less!!!!!

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Andrew Elphick

Half of Anywhere Team NZ

Retirement : the new life stage

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It is becoming clear to me that now I am 50 my idea of retirement is changing. Its not just me though. It seems we are living longer and feeling healthier so the idea of retiring when we are 65 seems a little premature.

The old road maps we used to plan our lives are out of date. Life is becoming re-imagined. We observed our parents and noted the pathways they took at different life stages. It all seemed scripted. Predictable even. You spend roughly 20 years getting an education and training, roughly 40 years of family and work, and then ……the golden years. The carrot on a stick for all the hard work. Retirement.

A career was to be for life, so we were lead to believe. You remember the concept of long-service leave, retirement gratuities and superannuation don’t you. They seem long gone now. Replaced with ….. nothing.

Some people recognised there was another way to do work early on and began taking charge of their work lives and changed employers and even occupations from time to time, seeking new challenges.

Then in the 1980s along came a new phenomenon-restructuring (downsizing- call it what you like). This shocked a few people and they found themselves without jobs, or in jobs they were reassigned to (not always by choice). It was not what they had planned or expected. Loyal long-serving workers were being tossed aside, having to apply for jobs with no experience in writing CVs and cover letters, job searching or being interviewed. Some retrained and changed careers, others took lower-paying roles, or exited the workforce altogether. As time moved on and organisational change became a regular feature of the work environment, many older workers found it increasingly hard to retain jobs or gain a new position post-redundancy.

Somehow, despite all the changes in the world over the last 40 years, retirement has remained the dreamed-for destination, the reward for 40 years hard work, something to hang on for. But things are changing fast and the very concept of retirement is being redefined.

But the landscape in our own lives has changed.  Many people are staying on at work well beyond the traditional exit points. We are healthy and want to continue to contribute through work. Why shouldn’t we? Sadly, there are also many mature-aged people who aren’t in work but would like to be. They are facing an enforced and premature retirement.

The statistics reinforce things: Life expectancy has increased from 58 ys in the 20th century to 80 in the 21st century. It is projected that by 2050 the average life expenctancy will be more like 85. If you haven’t reached 60 yet, just think, when you achieve that milestone you could still have  another 25-30 years of productive life ahead of you. Work could well be part of that. At 60 you may have only lived 2/3s of your life.

The potential to live a longer and healthier life has thus created new opportunities and challenges for people in their 50s and 60s. It has created a new life stage. Very little in our upbringing has prepared us for this new life stage. We are largely in unchartered territory, so how will we to navigate it?

It will be the life skills we have acquired, how we think about ourselves and what we think about the world around us that will give us a frame of reference for the way forward. In addition to our good health (if you have made that investment) we will need to be resilient, flexible and adaptable, because this will determine the quality of your life in this new life stage. The final frontier. Unchartered territory.

The question for you is: will this life stage be how you imagined it?

I enjoy travelling and have learnt that anticipation and planning are important. I first research about my destination, I talk to others who have been there and I dream about it.  The anticipation of what I will do, the weather, what I will see, eat and the places I want to go are rehearsed in my mind. But is not till I get there that I find out if it is anything like I imagined. Maybe things are like what imagined, maybe there are more choices when I get there than I thought, maybe it is not what I thought at all. If I am going to have a good time I will need to resilient, adaptable and flexible. Life has a way of throwing up curve balls but it also could be better than I imagined.

This last life stage could well be like this too. You can choose to stay close to what you know, remain safe and not engage with your imagination, or you could imagine the possibilities, anticipate and dream about what life after 50 could be like for you.

Will it be exactly like you imagined? Probably not. When you get there, circumstances are likely to be different. Life does from time to time throw a few curve balls at you. You cannot always anticipate these.

Victor Frankl, endured 3 years in a Nazi concentration camp and wrote a book called Man’s Search for Meaning. He chronicles his time in the concentration camps and attempts to make sense of his and others experiences. He concluded that the way in which we imagine the future affects our longevity and that meaning in life is to be found in every moment of living. That life never ceases to have meaning, even in suffering, and death. So, as you contemplate the next stage of our lives we must draw meaning and purpose from it.

Let me summarise. We are living longer and healthier lives. We are working longer because we feel healthier and are looking to find meaning and purpose.

As you contemplate the next stage of life, the key will be in discovering you ‘why’, or reason to live. This may mean a challenging shift from a life preoccupied with what you do, your role and position, to discovering a purpose, cause or belief that inspires you. I admit this can be a major challenge if we have largely defined our identity through what we do.

Its not over at 65: start creating your future

The shape and meaning of this new life stage beyond 50 is changing in ways we don’t yet fully understand. What we do know that we are redefining what it means to age and are doing this life stage differently to the previous generation. It is certainly different from the way my parents have done things. If you are like me, in your 50s, you are seeing a new norm unfolding. It is fast becoming the new normal.

Dare to dream.

Create your future in this new life stage.

Kerri Bainbridge

One half of the Anywhere Team NZ

www.anywherebusiness.co.nz

Sign up to our newsletter: email us at info@anywherebusiness.co.nz and put Sign me up to the newsletter in the subject.

What drives you? What holds you back?

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A recent study in New Zealand of 700 businesses conducted by “The Ice House” asked what motivates their business drive:

  • 25% Passion
  • 20% Customer Satisfaction
  • 20% Making a name for themselves
  • 12% Achieving Goals
  • 18% Family
  • 7% Financial Success

 

The same survey also looked at what was holding business owners back:

  • 36% Lack of finance
  • 21% Themselves
  • 20% Time Management
  • 12% Staff
  • 6% Customer Growth
  • 4% Market Environment

When you look at the results some wise courses of action could result:

Passion, making a name for themselves, and customer satisfaction motivations revolve around customer perception of the business. The needs of the customer are being fulfilled and the customers are telling the business that. The business operates without hassles, the staff are all on the same page and what the business wants and can provide is clearly communicated. When you combine the traits that are holding back business you find that:

1.       The need more money

2.       They lack confidence in themselves

3.       They are not focussed on the use of there time

The gem is that only 12% are driven by goals! I would see this as a perception of goals being a series of financial goals not measurements of passion, customer satisfaction and brand recognition/buy-in from customers and staff!

What if these businesses sat back and at least reviewed their planning and even had a fresh look at where they were heading? They know they are being held back by certain factors! Why not do something about it! We can help at least by getting the business to start to think about planning.

Have a look and complete the business and personal plan surveys. The surveys themselves are free!

 Andrew Ephick 

One half of the Anywhere Team NZ

Feedback is appreciated!

You can follow us on facebook or our website!

Working from home tools

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Working from home- goals and plans

If you are going to truely benefit from being in business for yourself and working from home you need to have a plan and set yourself some goals. Working from home should be taken as seriously as working for an employer. The only person you are accountable to is yourself and you need to take that seriously.

Click the link through to the blog on my website and find out how to do this. Let me know what you think.

Kerri Bainbridge

Anywhere Team NZ

What does it take to be a successful importer?

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Can anyone import products and be successful?

As you can see in the video I made a leisurely 400-kilometer trip through the most picturesque part of New Zealand my home country. Before I left I spent 3.5 hours in training learning digital skills.  In order to perform well in today’s society a person in business must acquire digital skills. My Trip took me from Greymouth mid-west coast to Motueka in the heart of the Tasman district. I could not help noticing the parallels in our two provisional towns and the next day in Nelson. That is the large numbers of retail shops that were vacant. The names on the shoes indicated clothing, shoes, gift shops, booksellers, specialty shops, food and beverage shops once stood there. I can see that drink driving laws have taken a heavy toll on food and beverage sales but I had to find other reasons for the other types of retail.

Direct imports of foreign goods are increasing at an ever increasing rate. Just click on the two links below and find out how much things cost by direct import by you the consumer! Retail trade by consumers in New Zealand is largely conducted in this way! I see also that food and beverage are affected by digital disruption. Consumer decisions are frequently conducted online before a person goes out and decisions on consumption are already made before people get to the restaurant or café!

Ali Express                                           Reading List For Sale

What is needed is for business people learn the digital skills to get the businesses online to harness the online market. People who are successfully selling online have digital skills. Its not easy. You need to learn specific marketing skills and to understand how to reach the market you are aiming for. So what does it take?

We can help… signup, click the links on this page or at least go to our website to commence the process! Remember you can follow us on facebook too!

Andrew Elphick

Team NZ Anywhere Business Network

What are the cost drivers of your business?

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When you are in business you can only operate if you have sufficient money to pay for the goods and services that you need to produce goods and services. If you put money into your business make it count! Ask yourself in spending that money what will be the outcomes.

Spending can be classified in other ways:

  1. Short term spending … 1 month and its gone

These are items you need to operate. Examples include telecommunication costs, hosting plans, the costs of where you are conducting business. They can vary with the size of the business you operate. Advertising campaigns. Products

  1. Medium term spending… 12 months and its gone

This may include items such as subscriptions to services you need such as aweber, zoom, learning systems, accounting products, cellphones, computers, networking, services!

  1. Long term spending …. What you spend you always have

Mindset, the brand, website (you will still have to maintain it as a short term cost), knowledge.

Spending behaves in different ways to:

  1. It is fixed and may not always reoccur

This may include Incorporation costs, registering intellectual property, finance application fees, business planning fees.

  1. It is fixed but stepped with the size of operations

This may include telecommunications, hosting plans, website, learning systems, loan repayments. It is variable and depends on sales. This may include outsourcing graphics, copy writers, costs of social media campaigns.

The above lists are not exhaustive but my point is to determine what the costs are and plan out how they will behave when you are planning your business!

Andrew Elphick

One half of the Anywhere Business Team NZ

Follow us on our website or on facebook

The idea of “work” is changing

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The idea of “work” is changing

Then next generation are shaping the nature of work and it is not as you know it.

If you think back 10, 20, 30 years and remember what you work life was like you’d have to agree that the way you do work is different. Not only that you probably thought about work differently then because your priorities were different.

30 years ago I was starting my first job. I was sold a job that would last me my life if I wanted it. I had to decide if I wanted to work there a long time and think about all the opportunities that employer would give me. I didnt think about what I would give them. I was looking for a career and money. In those days I worked for a bank. I saw centralisation then decentalisation, restructuring, take overs by other banks and finally I took redundancy and went overseas.

I changed careers and fought my way into a new job in a new city accross the ditch. I gained heaps of experience but I didnt have kids and I had a good income so I wasnt thinking beyond starting a family. After my family I was faced with another career change to work around my growing family. I didnt want to work full time anymore but employers dont get it. They dont have structures for working parents….I know there are some companies that do but I didnt work there. I couldnt understand why more companies didnt see the value I had to offer….just part time. I had to change again.

My definition of work has changed over the years and I am sure yours has too. Like me you may have changed jobs and careers many times already. Well I hate to tell you this but the idea of what work is and how it is presented is changing all the time. The sooner you get your head round it the better.

What did I do? I opened up a business working for myself. I now have 3 businesses, all working from home and the first biggest thing that I had to get used to was budgeting. These days I still hate the numbers stuff so I leave it to my accountant most of the time. I love being social though so I have upskilled on my social media marketing skills. I am reaching more people than ever before and learning and collaborating with poeple to change the way I work all the time. It takes work on your mindset too in order to roll with the punches. Be flexible and learn to keep ahead of the game. What is it you really want to do? Maybe it is time you called the shots and ran your own business? Running your own business could be offering a service. Packaging your skills up and selling them to businesses on contract. Maybe you have a hobby you want to start making money from.

Sounds like you need to change your mindset, find out more about what is possible and seek some advice or join a community to see what others are doing.

Need help?

We specialise in helping businesses succeed. Check out all the great blogs we have written. Check out our website www.anywherebusines.co.nz and see who we are and how we can help you. Heaps of free stuff.

Kerri Bainbridge

One half of the Anywhere Team NZ

3 Tips for planning your time when you work from home

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Setting Goals Planning Comment

Only you know how much time you can dedicate to your business. Good time management will help you get the most out of your day so you can achieve your goals. Dont fall into the trap of planning to do things and then be distracted by friends, family, jobs around the house, animals, a good book or a chance to get out in the sunshine. You can still do all these things and give all these things the attention you want to but with a little time managment you will achieve much more.

Here are some essential tools and tips for helping you manage your time.

1. Have a diary

Make sure you have a diary in which you set up some core hours you will dedicate to your business.

It will be up to you to decide if this is an electronic diary or physical one. If you don’t have a diary you will always feel torn when you are asked by friends to join them for coffee, exercise, lunches etc.  An electronic diary is more portable and lighter. You can set up your to-do-lists in there too.

2. Set your core business hours

The distractions -Groceries still need to be bought, cleaning, washing, school drop offs, after school activities and lunches and dinners need to be made. All this needs to be considered when you are planning your working week from home.

Consider working longer some days so you have days available for the odd lunch or coffee date. Or start later so you can start the day doing exercise or catching up with friends. Working for yourself often means we can fit in work after hours when the kids are in bed or on the weekends when your partner is home or you know the kids will play happily for an hour.

When you look at the core hours you have to work with, ask yourself if that is enough time to get all you need to get done, done. If not, you may have to change some of your social time hours. We think it will be easy to fit all our friends in for coffees but in reality it’s still often better to leave our social time to after school or the weekends. Until you do this exercise you won’t know what is possible.

3. Let people know your work hours

Once your schedule is set let family, friends and clients know your core hours. It is useful for your clients too to know when they can easily get hold of you. The sooner people who know you know your “work hours” the less they will ask you to join them during those times. Less distractions.

In summary:

Have a diary
Decide on your core hours each day
Let family, friends and clients know what your core hours are

Why do I choose to have a home business?

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Aptitude or Attitude

A number of people have asked me what motivates me to be in home business. There are of course the benefits of spending time with my family and of course money, but the real reason is that it inspires me. In order to do this work, I had to change my attitude. It makes me think of a question someone asked me many years ago -what is more important aptitude or attitude? Here is what I said:(watch video)

This question helped me to find my reason for working from home and I strive to maintain my work/life balance. It made me think about what the most important thing to me was……. it was to spend time with my children and grand children and having that attitude was important! If you enjoyed the video you share this post!

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Andrew Elphick

Half of Anywhere Team NZ

How will the millennials affect your business?

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Who are they?

The millennial generation, born between 1980 and 2000 now entering employment in
very high numbers, will shape the world of work for years to come. Attracting the best of these millennial workers to your business, as an employee or consumer, is critical to the future of your business. Their career aspirations, attitudes about work, and knowledge of new technologies will define the culture of the 21st century workplace. Simon Sinek covers it well in the video above.

Why does it matter?

Millennials matter because they are not only different from those that have gone before, they are also more numerous than any since the soon-to-retire Baby Boomer generation – millennials already form 25% of the workforce in the US and account for over half of the population in India. By 2020, millennials will form 50% of the global workforce (always good to have the stats).

But although they will soon outnumber their Generation X predecessors (like me), they remain in short supply, particularly in parts of the world where birth rates have been lower. They will also be more valuable – this generation will work to support a significantly larger older generation as life expectancy increases.

How do millenials see “work”?

It’s clear that millennials will be a powerful generation of workers and that those with the right skills will be in high demand. Attracting and keeping younger workers is one of the biggest talent challenges for businesses employing them. They may be able to command not only creative reward packages by today’s standards, but also influence the way they work, where they work and how they operate in the workplace.

Are they that different to past generations? It’s true to say that some of the behaviour and attributes of millennials can be explained by their age and relative lack of responsibilities. Our behaviour and priorities change and adapt as we age, but to dismiss the issues entirely on that basis would be a mistake.

What sets them apart?

Millennials’ use of technology clearly sets them apart. One of the defining characteristics of the millennial generation is their affinity with the digital world. They have grown up with broadband, smartphones, laptops and social media being the norm and expect instant access to information. This is the first generation to enter the workplace with a better grasp of a key business tools than more senior workers.

It’s more than just the way they use technology its the way they behave too that makes today’s youth different. Their behaviour is coloured by their experience of the global economic crisis and they place much more emphasis on their personal needs than on those of the organisation.

Millennials tend to be uncomfortable with rigid corporate structures and turned off by information silos. They expect rapid progression, a varied and interesting career and constant feedback. In other words, millennials want a management style and corporate culture that is very different from anything that has gone before – that is, one that meets their needs.

The particular characteristics of millennials – such as their ambition and desire to keep learning and move quickly upwards through an organisation, as well as their willingness to move on quickly if their expectations are not being met – requires a focused response from employers. Millennials want a flexible approach to work, but very regular feedback and encouragement. They want to feel their work is worthwhile and that their efforts are being recognised. They value similar things in an employer brand as they do in a consumer brand. These are all characteristics that employers can actively address.

Businesses like Google and Apple have been successfully attracting talented millennials because they are naturally innovative employers who are never restrained by ‘how things used to be done’, their culture, management style and approach to recruitment and retention naturally appeal to the millennial generation. And because of that, they are able to take their pick of the best younger talent around.

Irrespective of your long-term aims and ambitions for your business, it will be your ability to attract and retain millennial talent will be a vital step to the success of your business because they are not only your employees but your consumers.

In summary

Millennials want a flexible approach to work, regular feedback and encouragement, to feel their work is worthwhile and that their efforts are being recognised. They also value similar things in an employer brand as they do in a consumer brand. In other words if they buy your product they will want to work for you. If they like what you stand for, they will want to work for you. It will all be about what is in it for them. You need to learn now how to feed the machine that is here now. Interact with it (collaborate), develop a healthy mindset to working with it (mindset) and learn about how it works (learning).

Kerri Bainbridge

One half of the Anywhere Team NZ

Collaboration, Mindset, Learning

Snack size communication is changing the way we communicate

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Snack size communication is changing the way we communicate

Like a healthy diet, social interactions in our digital age should be balanced. Are you so caugh up in this digital age that you need to disconnect to reconnect with friends and family?

Did you know that according to the research by the food and dining industry, we are snacking much more frequently. In the United States, 90 percent of people are snacking multiple times a day and eating less during traditionally scheduled meals, sometimes foregoing them altogether.

Why is this important you might ask when I am talking about social media? Well, it seems we are also snacking on information, taking bit size chunks thoughout the day, more than we have ever done before too. It seems our attention spans are shorter, our desire to receive information is still there but we want it more quickly and in shorter chunks of time. Interestingly, this is called snackification (yes, that’s a real term).

So why is this technological trend toward briefer, more frequent, more casual interactions important to you?  Because our communication to customers needs to be “snackified” too. At work and at home, there is a definite trend toward shorter, more frequent, more informal interactions while we are doing something else.

Snackification at Home

Have you noticed that your family and friends often send texts rather than call these days. They text what’s on their minds and then send those thoughts straight away in small bites of information. Have you noticed your partner sends lots of little texts during the day so you know they are thinking of you when before they might have thought it silly to just ring you to say the same thing. I used to have hour-long phone conversations with family and friends, but now I rarely have a telephone conversation lasting longer than a few minutes, and recently even these are being replaced by text messages. We are changing the way we maintain relationships aren’t we?

We also consume entertainment and news in bite-sized chunks. In our house we occasionally watching a movie together. But sometimes we spend time together while watching short videos, reading or listening to music tracks on tablets or phones individually: I call it being “alone together” on our couch.

A survey by OpenMarket from May 2016 reported that 75 percent of millennials actually prefer texting over talking. The research suggests that this has been a consistently growing trend for several years, indicating that this is not a fad. I know my son (11-years-old) only send texts to his friends (unless I force them to pick up the phone). In addition, millennials prefer texting because they say it’s less stressful since it doesn’t require them to come up with answers on the spot and allows them time to choose and edit their words.

Snackification at Work

In my own businesses I have noticed over the years, my clients began requesting shorter and shorter session times. If I am asked to do a presentation, more often than not I am asked to do a 10 minute opening followed by a Q &A session rather than a longer presentation going into more depth. Seems everyones busy. I have also noticed that emails are getting shorter, people are using bullet points and often opt to send 2 emails when in the past it would have all been in one long email.

In fact, snackification of communication is typical in most workplaces. Reports used to be long and detailed. Now many professionals consume and share information either in short, bulleted, slide presentation form or in multiple emails with text and video attachments. Meetings that used to last half a day are getting shorter or are eliminated. Interestingly, according to a 2014 survey, 43 percent of workers avoid spontaneous conversations in favor of email and myriad collaboration tools that enable them to have short “conversations” throughout the day.

What is the impact on your business

Since millennials are the next generation into the workforce I suggest if you are not one of them, you find out more about the way they are communicating in order to meet their needs as employees and connsumers.

Check out my next blog where I look at the pros and cons of “snackification” on our personal and business lives. I would love your comments.

Kerri Bainbridge

Collaborate, Mindset, Learning

One half of the Anywhere Team NZ