Stress and how to deal with it as an entrepreneur

Stress! Everyone feels it. Everyone knows it. Everyone has dealt with it. Business owners are particularly susceptible to it! This week is #InternationalStressAwarenessWeek, so what better time than this to dig deeper into stress and educate ourselves.

We thought we'd share our learnings with you and hope this will really help you as a business owner! It's fascinating stuff.

But what is it?

Stress is simply the release of chemicals; we’re talking Cortisol, Norepinephrine and Adrenaline. Really though, it can be stripped down to fight or flight. Our bodies are being told to either stand up and fight the problem or get out of there as fast as we can. You might, then, be able to see how stress can be advantageous both in life in general, and within your role as a business leader. More on that in a moment...
 

First, let's look at what causes stress. 

One of the main causes of...

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#WorkLifeWeek: stress-busting tips for female entrepreneurs

october wellbeing Oct 15, 2021

This week is Working Families' #WorkLifeWeek, and as a network of business-owning women we think it’s a brilliant initiative! 

The campaign encourages those of us who are employers to share how we are supporting our employees with families to have flexibility in their work, and inspire others to do the same. So if you're an employer as a business owner, is this something you can get behind?

At Inspire, many of our members are women who have chosen to leave employment due to a desire to increase their flexibility to be parents, carers and enjoy freedom in how and when they work. But often the reality is that growing a business can cause us to work longer hours than we did before and to feel that the juggle is even harder!

So we thought we'd share some tips today to manage the stress that can sometimes come from trying to grow a business. 
 

...

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Staying motivated in autumn 

october wellbeing Oct 02, 2021

October is here! And there's a chill in the air, even when the weathers' nice.

Summer feels like a fast-fading memory, while winter looms on the horizon, and creatures from the humblest hedgehog to the mightiest bear are preparing for hibernation.

It’s tempting to follow their lead, bury ourselves in a warm cocoon until the days get longer again... but no! We’re business owners, and we know that autumn is another season and therefore another opportunity for growth! 

So, how to stay motivated during autumn? 

In this blog we’re going to talk about keeping the ball rolling even as the nights get longer and the leaves abandon their place on the trees!

Create your own festivities
With Christmas still months away, we know that many of our members can feel like this part of the year is a little empty, maybe even lonely, without events to look forward to and celebrate. This is why we recommend making your own ...

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How to build brilliant business relationships and win more business: 5 top tips

relationships september Sep 24, 2021

In day-to-day life, and in business, relationships are the core and common factor that keep people connected and engaged, and build community. Communities are groups of people who align because they share something in common. As a business owner, having a community that you are part of that is full of people who want to be connected and engaged with you is critical to survival and winning new business. But how to build a community around you? 

First, you have to meet people and make the right impression!

People will decide quickly if they like you based on their first impression of you, so it’s good to remember this and be mindful of leaving a positive impression, as doing so will give you more chance of further conversations and building a relationship. 

For business owners, this principle applies to the extent that how you come across could make or break your business! So it’s important to think about how you’re showing up and...

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Why giving is good for you

charity giving september Sep 03, 2021

This 5th of September is the United Nation’s International Day of Charity, and at The Inspire Network we’re keen to celebrate. 

Why? Because we think charities do amazing work! And giving does us good in so many ways! 

Charities are responsible for making significant positive changes in the world – whether that be serving the environment, providing aid in humanitarian crises, alleviating suffering of those in need, transforming the lives of individuals or improving communities and our society at large. As such, we believe they deserve our support.  

Generosity and giving is good for society, but it’s also good for us. Often as business owners it’s easy to get caught up in making money and trying to set boundaries to protect our time... but giving our money and our time, with a mindset of abundance and the right attitude, is hugely...

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How to end 2021 on a high - tips and pointers for business owners

planning q4 september Sep 01, 2021

September is finally upon us, although ‘finally’ might not be the right word, as this year seems to have flown by since coming out of lockdown! It’s been a tough year for many for all sorts of reasons, but we’re looking ahead to 2022 and helping to make sure you start in the strongest possible position. 

We’re nearing the end of the third quarter and summer is drawing to a close, children are back to school and we’re approaching the busy festive season at a rapid rate of knots. So as you’re packing away the sunscreen, beach towels and barbecues, it’s important to ask yourself: 

‘Am I ready to make the most of the fourth quarter (Q4)?’ 

Q4 is a crucial time for business owners. It can be the busiest and most important time of year to be prepared for, or it can be a time where your business may be...

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5 top tips for surviving the school summer holidays as business-owner mums

august summer Aug 03, 2021

Summer is here, the sun is up (sometimes!) and school is out.  
 
When we were kids August was one of the best months of the year, time to relax and have fun. But as parents, we may now find ourselves feeling slightly differently as we seek to balance time with our own children, and keep our businesses going.  
 
Running your own business isn’t easy at any time of year, but when you've got children at home 24/7 for weeks on end, the summer holidays can be the most difficult. So we’d like to share some of the things we’ve learned about juggling work with kids at home in the hopes they help you out too! 

 

Tip #1 - Know your children and plan accordingly.

This sounds a little obvious but it really isn’t; take a little time to deliberately take stock of...

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4 Top Tips to Tackle Loneliness

loneliness week Jun 19, 2021

Loneliness can kill. In fact it kills just as often, if not more than, smoking and obesity, according to the world-renowned Centre for Disease Control. It’s not just feeling down, it can amplify every other negative moment or event tenfold – but the chances are we don’t need to tell you this. 

If you’ve felt the sting of any one of the five kinds of loneliness identified by 
The Marmalade Trust, then none of this will be surprising to you. If you’re not sure, the five kinds are: 

  • Emotional loneliness: When you’re missing someone in particular; someone you felt close to like a partner, family member or friend, is no longer around. 
  • Social loneliness: When you feel as though you have no wider support group, network, friendship group or neighbours to turn to. 
  • Transient loneliness: When a sensation of loneliness wavers, strong at times and...
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Feeling the love? How to build relationships to build your business

Uncategorized Feb 12, 2021
It's Valentine’s Weekend and we're sure you're being inundated with the usual offers into your email inbox!
 
So rather than joining in we decided to share a post that we hope you'll find valuable instead!
 
Valentine’s Day these days is very commercial and all about showing your love for someone special. We love celebrating love and relationships as humans, but we don’t just build romantic or social relationships...
 
Relationships are the lifeblood of our businesses too!
 
Are you feeling the love in your business right now? Are you enjoying lots of relationships with clients, prospects, collaborative partners and suppliers?

The truth is, to see success in your business, you need to build relationships, and if you're not concentrating on building those relationships, your business is unlikely to be seeing the sales it needs to grow successfully.
 
Relationships are the reason we have businesses - without them, you make no...
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Website launch EEEEEK!

Seeing as it's the night before we launch our new website and I'm likely to be up until gone 3am (as I have for the last two nights), I thought it would be nice to take a moment to stop designing on Canva and introduce myself!

Hi, I'm Nikki! CEO of The Inspire Network since the beginning of April 2020, I've been linked to the network for around 18 months. I am honestly so absolutely passionate about helping people to succeed in their goals to change their lives and those of their family. I'm a huge believer in the idea that business owners leave more than just a financial legacy for the future. Watching my dad run his own architectural firm as a child, I was always in awe of the way he was able to be the boss! Often accused by my siblings of being a "bossy boots", I suppose I showed leadership qualities from an early age, just like him!

And here I am, approaching half-way to 70, and I find myself the CEO of a women's network with ELEVEN THOUSAND WOMEN to take care of. I love the...

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