Category: News

How do you recognise the next big thing?

Can you get better at spotting the most promising opportunities? How does anyone know it when they see it?

If you’re like most people, throughout your life a few great opportunities will land on your doorstep. And again, if you’re like most people, you’ll ignore these rare opportunities because you won’t recognise them as great chances for success.

Don’t feel bad; even people in the opportunity recognition business – including prominent venture capitalists – miss out on great opportunities. Everybody misses a few, no one gets them all.

The importance of speaking multiple languages in Business

The importance of speaking multiple languages in Business People say that business is all about relationships, but the truth is that business is really all about communication. Communication is key to virtually every aspect of business—from acquiring and retaining customers to improving employee engagement and performance. At the most fundamental level, business can’t happen without communication. This is even more true in the era of globalisation. As geographic borders become porous and the world flattens, effective communication with customers, employees, partners, suppliers, and other stakeholders across the globe becomes essential to successfully running a company.

Are bank holidays good for the economy?

The average bank holiday costs the economy £2.3 billion. Considering the fragile state of the economy, the argument that we should reduce the number of days we enjoy off work is understandable.

The average employee in the UK working full time works 1,647 hours a year. The average Korean works 2,191. That’s the equivalent of working nearly 4 more months a year at the British rate. Even the average US worker works more than we do at 1,695 hours a year. Only in the decadent European economy do people work shorter hours than in the UK.

Taking a break can improve your productivity

A recent survey indicated that the average American accrues 18 vacation days and uses only 16. The average French worker takes more than twice the vacation time. To some, this statistic encapsulates the difference between American and European workers. Americans are productive. Europeans are lazy. In fact, it might say the opposite.

Europeans understand that breaks improve workplace efficiency. We mistakenly believe that more hours will always increase output, while ignoring the clear evidence: The secret to being an effective worker is not working too hard.

How to impress your boss

The ability to impress your boss is a major determining factor in your success, as well as your happiness and productivity at work. Whether you get along with your boss or not, you need to show them you’re capable of greatness.

We looked through the latest research to find science-based strategies to help you seem like a better and more cooperative employee and, in turn, make your boss happier.

Wear red to show you’re ‘focused, committed, and trustworthy’

According to a recent study, waitresses wearing red earned more money.

If you want to persuade or impress someone in the office, you could try wearing a powerful shade of red. The colour makes others view you as someone who’s “focused, committed, and trustworthy.”

8 Tips to Invest Without Too Much Risk

If you can’t stand the thought of losing money, you might be afraid to invest it. But you also know that keeping your money totally safe in a savings account or a CD that only earns 1% or 2% a year could be financial suicide.

When you get down to the heart of investing, there are two ways to make money: You can be an owner or a loaner. In other words, you can own assets that you expect to increase in value or you can loan money for a specified return.

How far will technology go?

Singularity is near. The natural progression of human evolution with a just little twist— technology. In other words, super intelligence will soon become a part of our daily lives and man will be merged with machine. Sure it sounds wild, but just think about what we have been able to achieve over the past 50 years alone.

Just look how addictive consumer behavior is for a new Apple product. Sure you can cop the latest iPhone or Mac, but the newer and improved version will always be released in the next couple of months. Similarly, all technology will keep replacing itself at a faster and faster rate until it all becomes a blur. Everything is becoming more efficient and compact and we can expect to see this trend continue until it isn’t even tangible.

Is working from home for you?

As more and more professionals seek a better work-life balance and more companies adopt flexible policies to accommodate shifting workplace priorities and realities the working from home option is becoming increasingly viable.

Employees see this as an ideal means to remain in the workforce and continue to be employed thereby maintaining all the tangible benefits of being part of an established company, while enjoying all the advantages of being based at home. The option has its potential pitfalls however and below we discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of working from home.

Some of the best quotes

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. –Napoleon Hill
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. –Steve Jobs
Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value. –Albert Einstein
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. –Robert Frost
The common question that gets asked in business is, ‘why?’ That’s a good question, but an equally valid question is, ‘why not?’ –Jeffrey Bezos

Mental strength is key to success

For all the time executives spend concerned about physical strength and health, when it comes down to it, mental strength can mean even more. Particularly for entrepreneurs, numerous articles talk about critical characteristics of mental strength—tenacity, “grit,” optimism, and an unfailing ability.

However, we can also define mental strength by identifying the things mentally strong individuals don’t do.

How to make a successful career change

Making a career change can be a challenging endeavour in the best of times, so this economy certainly doesn’t help. Sadly, a lot of people allow that to keep them frustrated and stuck–not just for the present moment, but for the long haul. They think about making a change, decide they can’t do it, and stick their dissatisfied noses right back down to the same disheartening grindstone. They will repeat the process the next year, and the year after that.

If that sounds familiar, what are your options? Suck it up and chalk it up to the fact that work is a four-letter word? You could, but there’s a better option.

The 10 Worst Communication Mistakes For Your Career

How do you signal to the world you’re leadership material?

According to a new year-long study of over 4,000 college-educated professionals and 268 senior executives, you must be viewed as a leader in order to get promoted into top jobs. That takes executives presence, which is defined as having gravitas, excellent communication skills and a polished appearance.

These skills are required, but that doesn’t mean you rack up bonus points for having them. Instead, you get demerits for your mistakes, as superiors silently cross you off their good lists. So what are the pitfalls to avoid? The study uncovered the 10 worst communication mistakes that will instantly derail your promotion hopes.