The Covid19 pandemic has hit the food and drink sector hard and has been a challenge for many self-employed business owners as they look to the future.
The Government’s recent announcement of the “Eat Out To Help Out Scheme” has created an opportunity for restaurants, cafés and bars to encourage customers back out onto the High Street and into their shops. If you are going to participate in the scheme in August, are you thinking about your approach if your customers seek to maximise the 50% discount?

For the last couple of months, we have seen a massive shift and change in how we work, play and exercise. These unprecedented times have thrown nearly every business owner a massive curve ball.

We have all been impacted by the pandemic, and we have faced challenges like never before. It is not easy to diversify the normal working practices while finding opportunities for growth, not to mention staying productive.

Sometimes, sales processes aren’t straightforward. As a business owner, you must get your “selling heads on” to make the sale. In addition to asking the right questions, and listening to your clients - looking for the buying signals are equally vital when it comes to selling face to face.

Here our Business Coach shares his top 7 buying signals that might help you to harness the power of this concept and gain the sale!

To achieve your goals when you’re building a business, it could be overwhelming. From business modelling and development, to customer acquisition strategies to marketing and financial planning, running a business alone is not for everyone.

There are lots of benefits from working with a Business Coach. We are here to grow and accelerate your business and we would support your business growth by giving you access different opportunities to learn and enhance your skills and abilities.

Have you ever felt the weariness of seeing all the options of the virtual meeting or webinar out there? Not knowing how to choose among all the choices?

We’ve all moved our lives online, immersed ourselves into social media and embraced the wealth of information available at our fingertips. Webinars have formed a huge part of how we now communicate and although they’ve been around for a long time, many of us are experiencing them for the first time. With this in mind, here are some top tips and questions to ask yourself to help you navigate the busy world of webinars and avoid webinar weariness.

Since May, the Government’s Self Employment Income Support scheme (SEISS), has provided financial support to eligible business owners who’s income had been adversely impacted by Covid19. Many have taken advantage of this grant, but for some new mothers and fathers who work for themselves, there may have been an opportunity missed to access some valuable help.

If you are taking a break from your trade because of a new baby or adoption, you may still be eligible because HMRC will treat you as still trading.

Do you know why you should pay attention to your credit score? A Credit Score is a tool used by lenders to determine whether a person can qualify for a financial product like a loan, credit card, mortgage or insurance.

Customers with a good/excellent credit score are more likely to be offered financial products with a lower rate of interest than customers with a poor credit score.

On May 25^th, the Government announced further easing of Covid19 restrictions. These include allowing non-essential shops to open in June - provided business owners have carried out necessary risk assessments and are confident in being able to meet their obligations to protect staff, customers and others.

Outdoor venues, such as garden centres, car showrooms and market stalls are expected to be open from June 1.   Other non-essential retailers, such as those selling clothes, electronics and books are scheduled to open from June 15.

Changing careers is something most of us do or have done in our lives, but why is it that once we are mothers it all seems much scarier?
As a coach I work on the mindset and confidence stories that underpin all our decisions and I have found that there are often common themes that come up for mums when they consider new careers.
With that in mind here are my top 5 obstacles that you need to overcome to really make career change an exciting prospect for you and not the most terrifying ordeal imaginable.

It’s important to keep in mind that Mental Health is something we all have; it plays a part in everything we do, from the way we process our thoughts and feelings, to how we behave towards others and the decisions we make.

Secondly, it is important to know that you can influence your Mental Health positively in many ways.

A roadmap has been outlined to start bringing back non-essential shops, such as food and drink. Many businesses are now asking themselves how they can get business trading again, and how do they do that safely?

So, what do you need to consider in planning a safe return?

If someone was to ask you about your health, I’m sure you would automatically think about how your body is working and any issues you might have, but how often do you consider your mental health?
You cannot have health without mental health.

So, if you’ve taken the plunge to start working for yourself in the last few years and months, you’ll know what a rollercoaster it can be. With the economic impact of the coronavirus hitting us, there are certainly a few more downs than ups this year.  

Following the lockdown lots of people are now stuck at home, either alone or with the family. Many of us are finding it increasingly stressful and it’s affecting our emotional health. There are so many different pressures at the moment.

Please don’t worry and just do what you can.
We need to practice self-care so here’s some things that might help.