On a personal note...When you feel like you can't do business

This week I had decided to post something a little more personal, so I hope it helps someone in some way. I wanted to give light of how to handle those times when your personal life becomes unstable and yet business does not stop when running your own enterprise. These are difficult times, and with a lack of motivation can be handle badly, leading to becoming overwhelmed as the 'to-do' list stacks up. However help is on the way.

 Over the last week my personal life took a jarring turn after I had been emotionally hurt by someone close to me that I deeply admired. As a result, I had to make the decision to leave them for my own well-being although I still cared for them. In short it was a break-up that I was not planning. Worse yet I didn't have time to breathe and take in what had happened. With three of the biggest partnerships of my life happening right in front of my eyes and the phone not stopping, the only way I was going to get through this was to find closure as quick as possible. As quoted by Indian billionaire Naveen Jain;

"business is like war you need to take care of your mind, body and soul before you begin"

 

 Safe to say I felt i could just hide from the world this week and eat like no tomorrow. However, I had a few tricks up my sleeve to get me back on par, as hiding was not an option. 

Routine Is Key

 

When feeling overwhelmed, it can be tempting just to stay in bed and hide from the world. Once it gets to 10 am or 11 you are two times more likely to do so. Make sure you become an early riser and make the most of your mornings. Getting several tasks completed in the morning will make you feel more confident about getting to the bottom of your 'to-do' list.

 

Family and Friends Are There For Those Times

 

Never underestimate the power of your support network. Family and friends are for those tough times. My best friend has been a rock of support and living my brother couldn't have been more of a blessing. Both are strong people that clearly have positive intentions to look out for me and those are the people you need around you. A lot of people will give you their opinions on the situation you are going through but those who have your best interest at heart are usual the ones who turn out to be right.

 

Spiritual Connection

 

Whether you are religious or just spiritual get back in touch with this aspect of your life. We all need to feel a rate of progression and development in all aspects of our life otherwise we begin to feel negatively about ourselves and regress into a depressive cycle. Spirituality is a way to form closure and invest in your own development. Personally, I turn to meditation for a spiritual connection of my own.

 

Gratitude

 

Being grateful for the small things can put the whole situation in perspective. Due to our busy lives we forget that there are good thing all around us that can be so basic. Writing down just ten things each day you are grateful for can open your eyes to the incredible people, place, landscapes, opportunities, connections and many more we each take for granted everyday. Your world will become a lot more beautiful.

 

Choose to be Happy

 

Choose to be happy? Well, yeah remember that in any situation that you are put in you still have a choice. So you are going through a tough time well how you deal with that is down to your perception of the situation.

 

Treat Yourself

 

Try a new experience or just plain treat yourself. There is nothing better than really indulging for an hour or two a day. It could just be a bubble bath or a spa day but make sure there is time for you to pamper. When we get stressed or too busy we forget how important this time is. You make meetings and time for others so why would you compromise the meeting with yourself?

 

Music is the Master of Your Mood

 

There is a reason I am in the music industry...because one song can change everything. I love the power of music and the way it can make you feel. I can instantly switch your mood so make sure you blast out some good songs when 

 

Reflect and Move Forward

 

Of course all these things help to get you moving when going through a tough time but it is important not to just use them as a distraction. Take the time to think about what happened to get you into this place. Use this bad experience as a positive to move forward to know what it is you want from life. Reflection is a key part of a healing process, so don't over look this.

 

Treat Someone Else 

 

As human beings we are said to get more satisfaction helping others than ourselves. Running a company called Support Young Talent I can say from experience this is 100% true. So when you are feeling low treat someone else, volunteer and give. Karma will come back around and help you too.

 

Get Out the House

 

Go and meet new people, new friends, get in touch with old friends or just find some inspiration outside of the house and a computer. Running an enterprise can mean you are glued to the computer a lot of the time so a frequent reminder of 'the real world' can never do any harm. 

Exercise your Brain and Body

 

Being healthy and keeping fit will be a massive confidence booster for you during these tough times. When you eat good and feel good life becomes that little bit easier to handle. Get your diet right by drinking plenty of water. Get your body right by increasing your flexibility. I have recently cut out red meat and it has improved my diet and weight dramatically. Instead I now eat fish and white meat as well as making sure I alkalize my body every morning with greens to improve my digestive system. Running is a great way to relieve stress and release tension in muscle cramp from stress. 



If there are any other healthy tips you use to get through difficult times let me know in the comments, I'd love to try them out. 

Kimmy x

Top Two Funding Platforms for Entrepreneurs Under 25

Over the last year or so I have received funding from several funding platforms, all of which have helped my confidence, my network and the business grow. I have been given fantastic opportunities to meet other entrepreneurs in my age bracket who have become close friends. My mentors include those at the top of their field in tech, media and business. Needless to say I feel blessed to have the right people around me. However, out of all these programs I have selected my top two that I would recommend to any other young entrepreneur out there looking to launch a business venture or social enterprise. 

#1 - O2 Think Big

Who is it for? The age range for Think Big is aimed at young people looking to start a community interest project to improve a social issue in their area. The program is part of O2's corporate social responsibility program for people aged between 13-25 years old.

What support do they offer? Think Big O2 focus on offering mentoring support, business training and funding on three levels. Starting at the initial £300 for the Think Big Scheme, £2500 for Think Bigger, and a final round of up to £10,000 through the UnLtd and O2 join scheme. The final stage includes a residential weekend with 30 other young startups to go through training and build your network. In addition you are invited to participate in events and press releases are sent out on your behalf. For example through my time with O2 Think Big I featured in the Yorkshire Evening Post twice and had the chance to write an article for the Huffington Post. The events I attended included the opening of the Wayra Centre in London hosted by the Deputy Prime Minster, Nick Clegg. The support team within this initiative is particularly willing to help all applicants, although it can be a little patronising at times, it is definitely worth the application.

How do you apply? Online - Follow the link to see the full details of applying  

http://www.o2thinkbig.co.uk/

#2 - UnLtd

Who is it for? UnLtd make a strong point of supporting all social entrepreneurs that come in all shapes and sizes, the youngest of which I have met was 12! I must stress that this is ONLY for social entrepreneurs (those that run a business tackling a social issue).

What support do they offer? A large mentoring network, funding and training in business. UnLtd really encourage a community of social entrepreneurs and hold free events for those on the program to socialise. I have personally attended events to hear to stories of other entrepreneurs to discuss how they got started, look for collaboration and build my own support network. Throughout the program the mentoring has introduced me to tech experts, music experts and has helped with producing the legal documents for the business. In addition to events and mentoring the training weekend that UnLtd offer is excellent with business professional taking the time to go through legal structures, brand development and answer any other questions you may have about starting your business. However, the weekend is also a chance to meet people who are also starting up in your age group. I would highly recommend this platform to anyone who is looking for life long friends that can support you through your journey. 

How do you apply? Online - Follow the link below to see full details of applying

https://unltd.org.uk/

Good luck and feel free to tweet me @kimmydickson1 if you have any questions with applying.


Kimmy x

Benefit's of Uni, Excluding the Degree when Starting a Business

One of the proudest moments of my life had to be my graduation ceremony in July 2014, I had finally done it! After three years of studying International Development with Geography it had all come down to that one day. As a massive milestone in my development as a person and life the day offered some unexpected reflection of my last three years. I couldn't resist just the one picture and a quick note to show gratitude for The University of Leeds via social media.

 

Graduation day!

 Having looked at my accomplishments I then started to think...'could this all really be possible without the university's support?' - so what does University offer for start-ups?


1) Mentoring and support - I can't speak for all Universities but the mentoring and funding I received from The University of Leeds through their Spark initiative put me with some of the top business professionals in the city offering a whole weekend of Q & A and ongoing support.

2) Funding - The University of Leeds has one of the top funding scholarship programs offering funding for 13 creative business teams each year, one of which I was lucky to be awarded.

3) Time - Yes a student loan can be a burden but it also offered time to find your feet in your business. I know for a fact had I started the business one year later I would have not been able to survive.

4) Peer support - After gaining a scholarship and becoming part of the Spark initiative I begun to surround myself with people my age that were also starting their businesses. What is nice is as they grow their network so do you. Often you come across similar problems and challenges within your business which you can help each other overcome.

5) Resources and skills - Students are often classed as lazy and unproductive... I can tell you this is far from the truth. In reality most students are desperate to explore and try opportunities. Therefore I was never short of people willing to offer their skills to help with the business, getting some essential experience in business or see what the music business had to offer.


Kimmy x

Transparency and Flaws = Respect

I recently had a major drama with a terrible videographer that managed to make my work a living hell. We had recorded footage for two clients and around 3 weeks after this freelance videographer, doing some work on the editing side of things, refused to contact me. Yes I had tried everything from tweeting him, turning up at his work (of which he used the excuse I have no phone or email)...and basically overall extremely pathetic excuses. I the meantime I was going through a nightmare as these two new clients had only just started working with us on SYT Media. So what a bad first impression...I have indirectly lost their footage!

There were many tears, sleepless nights and I finally just came to my wits end and openly told the clients what had happened. Both were more understanding than I thought and both took more of an attitude of... 'let's move on, screw him, lets re-record'. Not only was this ordeal extremely stressful but it allowed me to experience a worst case scenario. By being transparent with the clients they understood my efforts to work with them openly and honestly growing our relationship even more. I obviously compensated for the damage and put right what I previously couldn't and admitted my faults. Finally I managed to obtain the 'lost' footage and offered to take legal action if it was not returned which showed the depth of my support of both projects.

What I learned from this experience (other than an interview does not mean that you know someone), is that transparency and open honest communication, however bad, will gain you more respect than keeping it to yourself and trying to fix it behind closed doors.

Getting the Balance: Work vs Recuperation

I've been away from writing for the past few days testing out an idea I had about getting the balance between my work and making more time for myself to recuperate. In doing so I have been speaking to various people who have struggled or are still struggling with getting this balance. This applies to those that either work from home and feel as if they are working 24/7 or finding that the feeling of 'I've got some free time let's get some work done so I can get ahead' is constant. If you're burning the candle at both ends, well there is no way you are going to be able to make it with your health and mind still intact. I tested out a few guidelines for myself this week to see if they would help initiate this balance and give me a more focused mind.

 

Set Out Your Work Hours

Make sure your weekends are for you and your evenings give you time to recuperate. If you plan on doing a 9 to 5 day then stick to it. Always remember the time taken out is just as important to make those next few working hours more productive. For me these hours meant, if an email is coming in that person would have to wait to until 9 am the next day, I don't even open the email. In addition I do a lot of work through social media, so a Facebook detox was in order last weekend. A great tool I used to block the site temporarily called 'Self Control' worked wonders.

Prepare Yourself for the Day Ahead

Always start out with a daily routine before you pick up your phone to look at those emails coming in. You need to be ready to take on the world if something crazy happens. My daily routine includes; meditation, breakfast, shower and if time a little bit of comedy. When dealing with the worst case scenario and your business or job starts to go down the drain you want to be coming from a position of strength rather than weakness. So start the day on a high.

Don't Blow Yourself Off

This little pointer I picked up from Marie Forleo, but worked wonders for me. It's so important to take that time out for yourself but dedicate it to you too. In committing to yourself you understand that this is the same concept as booking in a meeting and holding yourself accountable. Just think, you wouldn't skip a meeting last minute so why would you give yourself any less respect? Make the time for you and stick to it. This compliments the two pointers above. 

Your Health is Your Baby

Feeling stressed out and overwhelmed with work can have a serious knock-on effect with your health. Many times I have felt my body saying 'enough is enough', with the consequence of bad back pains and 3 days of being ill. Back pains are still something I still deal with on a regular basis due to the injury I had caused about a year ago from ignoring the problems. If you don't look after yourself who will? Your health is the number one priority. Yes I understand you might have a life changing event going on but frankly if you're not well you can't go. Not only will you feel rubbish once you are there but your minimal efforts to interact with people will come across as rude. 

Be Present - All You Have is Now

Being present is being mindful. I was so grateful to be taught this by Eckhart Tolle who understood that the present moment is all that you have, so why settle for anything else? We live int he present not the past or future. When you are eating, just eat rather than thinking 'what do I have to do today?' or 'I have that deadline I'm worried about'. It won't help you become more productive in the task you are currently doing. All you can do is all you can do. I get that saying just stop the worry and the buzz in your head, but there are ways to calm your mind on a regular basis through meditation. I highly recommend meditation to anyone suffering from anxiety, stress or just a frequent worrier. The practice will allow your mind to become more focused, relaxed and allow you to take in your surroundings giving your mind a mental break. See my previous post 'Switching off to standby and Switching Off' for more on this.

My Top 3 Female Entrepreneurs

It's always important to have someone you admire and can frequently draw inspiration from as it often gets you through the hard times in business. You will realise you aren't on your own and look to others who have maybe been in your situation and how they coped with it. That's why I have my top 3 entrepreneurs. This post is also a reminder to the many that I ask "name me a female entrepreneur", the most common reply; a blank stare and the remark "ooo...there aren't very many". This is not true!

Karren Brady - http://www.karrenbrady.com/

"People are scared of change, whereas I like it. I like the challenge of it."

 

Image from: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

Successes:  Received CBE, director of Sports Newspaper at the age of 20, named as Business Woman of the Year 2007, Vice Chairman of West Ham FC in 2010.

 Having started working full time at the age of 18 at Saatchi & Saatchi and making it to Director of Sports Newspapers by the age of 20, Karren Brady is one woman who know the value of true hard work. Although she now sits as Vice Chairman of West Ham football club and is often referred to as 'the first woman in football' it's important not to forget that this young woman worked her butt off to get there. True dedication and an open mind to a challenge is something that can be taught but its better if you can just harness the business aspects and run with it. Understanding what drives a consumer can be underestimated and if understood can be a miracle your business needs. Karren has launched her career from so young and made it look so effortless.

  Read more: http://www.karrenbrady.com/biography/

Anita Roddrick 

"My job is to inspire. But we have a bloody business to run."

Image from: http://www.smh.com.au

Successes: Founder of The Body Shop, activist on animal rights, DBE in 2003, OBE in 1988, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Honouree in 1997.

A hard-nosed and business woman with a string passion and core values at heart - that's something I can draw on for inspiration. I try to add a little bit of Roddrick's strength in her business to my own and make sure everyday that I am sticking true to my values and why I began the business in the first place. This inspirational woman founded The Body Shop protecting the rights of animals and when she passed away in 2007 still held true to those values. Everyone can do with forming their core values in their business and be reminded of them everyday.

Marie Forleo  - http://www.marieforleo.com/

"I’m known to deliver the most innovative and highest quality small business and personal development training in the industry."

Image from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel

Successes: Established multi-million dollar business over the course of the last 13 years, 190,000 subscribers in 191 countries around the world, 4 top selling fitness DVDs, best-seller book.
 
Not only has this young woman been super successful in marketing herself and image in such a short period of time, but her vibe undoubtedly will put you in a good mood. She is focused on helping others (particularly women) in accomplishing their goals in business but is also very aware of succeeding in personal development and retaining femininity. Marie currently features on her own YouTube channel answering questions from her audience to make sure that the wants and needs of her viewers are fulfilled. This for me is something that makes her stand out from the hundreds of female entrepreneurs out there today...she gets it. Understanding your audience is something we all can struggle with but if you need someone to guide you, this is your woman. Having interviewed and worked with the likes of Richard Branson, Tony Robbins and Oprah, Marie's credentials are ones to be trusted.  

Read more: http://www.marieforleo.com/about/#ixzz2tnXNahAb


Kimmy x

Feeling Bad... Just Stop It!

When I was a kid I was the worst at throwing a tantrum if I didn't get my way or something went wrong. Well now that I am older, I still cry but instead of getting angry about something when it goes wrong I have to deal with it, because frankly no one else will. Sometimes you have to give yourself some tough love and JUST STOP IT! Stop worrying and you can deal with the problem more logically and clearly, get worked up about it and you won't be as effective. If you have a bad habit then only you can change it no one else will and it's just that simple!


Here's a little video to demonstrate my point of tough love...