Ten in Ten – 10 things I have learned in business
As Choose Occupational Health celebrates 10 years of business, Sandra Holiday, Managing Director shares 10 things she has learned about running her own company in Cumbria, the county she calls home.
- Expect the unexpected.
I never expected to become a business owner. It wasn’t on my life plan, simply an opportunity that came up whilst I was grieving for a close family member. It enabled me to focus on something positive and productive and I jumped at it. I never expected to enjoy it so much or that the business would thrive. When we started off in 2008 we worked with three businesses, now we work with over 500!
There have been many unexpected surprises over the last decade – some good, some bad – and I’m sure there are many more to come. I’ve learnt that you can plan and plan and plan, but life inevitably throws you the odd curve ball. Don’t be afraid. Embrace it. It’s all part of the fun.
- Work hard, play hard…
… but make sure you strike a balance between your professional and personal life. I didn’t get this right at first so worked more hours than were beneficial. You are far more likely to miss something or make a silly mistake if you don’t get enough rest and thinking time. I have now got a system in place for moving between work and home and set aside time to unwind.
There are some great resources out there with useful advice such as The Power of Now by Eckhart Toile and for women there is an amazing organisation called One of Many led by Joanna Martin which is a good source of support and advice. I am off to the first One of Many Conference in London in October to meet some of the movers and shakers in Women’s Leadership and Development. I can’t wait.
- Trust your gut instinct.
If it feels wrong, it usually is.
- You are stronger than you think.
There have been a few ‘rollercoaster’ moments with the business – you know that feeling, when things are up, then things are down, you feel out of control and you might just throw up? These moments should not be feared. They actually make us better. We deal with them, we solve the problem, we move on. And as a result? We realise that we are stronger than we thought – ready to face the next challenge, invigorated, empowered and grateful to be still standing.
- Some friends may be foes in disguise.
Not everyone that appears helpful and supportive is a friend or an ally. It is a good idea to think about the motivation for suggestions from others before you agree to them. It saves a lot of difficult situations in the future if everyone is clear about the focus, direction and boundaries.
- Clients don’t always expect something done yesterday!
In the early years I would work a ridiculous number of hours delivering services and additional information as soon as I had committed to it. Agreeing and setting realistic deadlines and setting time in the diary means that you meet the client needs but still have the time to sleep. Thankfully, I was a night owl, but it is not a good approach and definitely not sustainable.
- Cash is king.
Make sure you set aside time to manage the finances. It doesn’t matter what number is on the bottom of a sheet of paper – if it isn’t in the bank you don’t have it. Invoicing promptly and reviewing outstanding invoices are both vital steps in keeping the business financially strong and it also has a huge benefit to your health and stress levels!
- Shy bairns get nowt.
This lovely colloquialism is so very true. You just can’t be shy when you are in business. Whether it is presenting to a large group of people, meeting with a potential client or having a one to one meeting with staff, you have to be able to speak confidently, communicate effectively and sell yourself or your vision.
- Don’t procrastinate or put things off…
… you are only delaying the inevitable. If there’s a sticky issue with an employee, colleague or client that requires a difficult conversation, it’s really important to have the discussion early on. Putting it off or skirting round the subject doesn’t help in the long run and often results in far harder conversations later on.
- Cumbrians are amazing.
It’s true. Cumbrians are amazing. They are friendly, supportive and incredibly loyal. When you have gained their trust, they will be the biggest advocate for your business. Cumbrians also pull together in times of crisis. The 2015 floods really brought it home to me. Seeing first-hand the tenacity, determination and spirit of people from all walks of life made me realise that I wouldn’t want to live, work, learn or do business anywhere else.
Thanks to everyone who has played a part in our success over the last decade – our talented team of professionals who give us their very best, day in, day out; our fantastic clients who have trusted us to work alongside them creating and maintaining happy, healthy workforces; our associates and consultants who support our development and growth and most of all, our families. Here’s to the next ten years!
To mark our 10th anniversary, the team are taking part in a 10 in 10 challenge. We are going to be choosing ten things to do in our tenth year that meet the criteria of learning a new skill, team building, giving something back, wellbeing and fun. Watch out for future blogs and social media for more news on what we are up to!
Choose Occupational Health is a Cumbrian based family run business providing quality, independent and personalised occupational health services for businesses and organisations throughout Cumbria. For more information please contact our team on 01228 513687.