Blogs and Tips

Increasing levels of productivity

The joy of six – How you can increase your levels of productivity whilst working from home

Productivity = satisfaction. Could you realign your working practices?

Is your workload at an all-time high with seemingly no end in sight? Is that to-do list noted down next to you growing longer by the day? If you find yourself giving an affirming nod to these questions you are not alone, and help could be at hand.

Many homeworkers, be they self-employed/freelance or using their house for occupational purposes out of recent necessity, may find levels of productivity take a nosedive when conducting activities in the most familiar of surroundings.

What follows are six techniques I have adopted that have helped ensure productivity remains aligned with my business goals of meeting deadlines and providing a high-quality service…they may also work for you!

 

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Blogs and Tips

A return to live events

Live aid – How the dispersing of crowds has rekindled our passion for social interaction

A crowd of people at a concert with flashing lights
People power passion at live events.

Feeling the energy generated by a live audience has been in meagre supply for as long as we care to remember. But we may dare to dream, with the vaccination roll-out representing light at the end of the tunnel. Pilot sport and music events have been the trailblazers, paving the way for our ears to be treated once again en masse to the clank of the turnstiles, our eyes to be fixated on the safety curtain, and our noses to inquisitively enquire or be repulsed by the smell of event catering. With meticulous planning and our continued cooperation, the multi-coloured plastic seats of stadia and the more luxurious supporting structures of the dress circle will soon be once again inundated with our hindquarters. Join me as I take a trip down memory lane and relive ‘the good old days’ before rebooting the sat nav and planning new adventures.  

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Blogs and Tips

Podcast pointers

Podcast pointers – Inside information for you to ponder

Taking stock of progress, knowing your direction of travel and learning from others are key ingredients of running a business.

Always being open to trying new things is a cornerstone of continual learning. As the Team GB mantra for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games attested, ‘Better Never Stops’, which is why I have dipped my toe into the water of appearing on a podcast, among other learning adventures.

If you would like to hear more about the following, then it is time to boil the kettle, pour your favourite hot drink, and join Kirsty Major and I.

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Blogs and Tips

To Zoom or not to Zoom?

To Zoom or not to Zoom? Delving into the advantages and disadvantages of online networking

Will online meetings monopolise the landscape forever?

Firstly, other networking platforms are also available (that’s that out of the way!). The testing times brought to us courtesy of our modern-day nemesis, the COVID pandemic, have seen us all at the whim of networking sites to keep in touch with our family, friends and colleagues. Whether it be Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google’s Hangouts Meet, Cisco Webex or another of the many purveyors of interaction, online networking has enriched our lives of late, which begs the question, are you ready for a return to the old-style in-person meet up?

Join me as I detail the pros and cons of our increased tech usage, and evaluate its impact on our lifestyles.

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Blogs and Tips

Editing and proofreading

How to distinguish between an edit and a proofread

Letters make words, words need an edit, or is it a proofread?

Does your project require the expertise of an editorial professional, but you are unsure to what degree? Fear not. You are not alone.

A significant number of clients I have worked with are initially unsure whether their work is in need of an edit or a proofread. Allow me to help and show you the differences that exist between the two.

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Blogs and Tips

Looking ahead to 2021

Out with the old and in with the new – Five ways to banish the memory of 2020 and focus on your future

It is important to look forward and not back.

Are you counting down the days until the end of December and the conclusion to 2020? If you are, you aren’t alone.

Like an overfull belly on Christmas Day, it is safe to say we have had enough! Not one more sprout, not one more negative news bulletin. I am no magician and therefore am not claiming that 2021 will be trouble free, because, quite frankly, life isn’t life without its ups and downs. But if we can put the year 2020 out with the rubbish, we can look to the future with optimism, hope and encouragement.

Sitting comfortably? Join me as I detail the five ways I intend to kickstart the new year!

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