The government’s announcement on March 27 that all key workers, who have not taken all of their statutory annual leave, will be allowed to carry it over into the next two years, is commendable. What it means is that those workers who are currently battling to keep the country moving during this pandemic will be able to carry over up to four weeks of unused leave. This will be reassuring news to those workers, who may already be feeling in need of a break, to look at this as light at the end of the tunnel.

With that said, there are still many areas that companies need to consider and plan around, when it comes to looking after staff wellbeing during the coronavirus crisis and maintaining a healthy, happy workforce during Covid-19.

>See also: Working from home – How to manage your time and increase productivity

#1 – Be alert to burnout

In a normal busy work environment this can be difficult for companies to spot. This is only intensified now that nearly all our workforces are stuck working from home. Even with video conferencing, the lack of being physically present in the same working space as someone makes this trickier to recognise.

Managers need to be alert, and regular communication and genuine check ins with teams will help identify individuals who are stressed, unhappy, and even those who are working while unwell. Of course, this is beneficial for the immediate wellbeing of your staff during the coronavirus lockdown, but in the long term it will help tremendously in restoring an element of normality to people’s working days and routines. When the time comes for business to return to “business as usual”, you want to walk into your office surrounded by a stronger workforce. One that is healthy, happy and motivated.

Making conversations on mental health and employee wellbeing in the workplace normal needs to be encouraged. If you do not already have a system in place to handle this, then it is highly recommended, as it is important for your employees to feel they have the support if ever they should need it. Using data to identify whether issues of mental health are becoming a problem in your organisation is vital so that you can combat it swiftly. Making tools available to employees like wellbeing resourses, or an integrated virtual GP appointment system, are just two ideas which could significantly improve the mental wellbeing of your staff.

#2 – Encourage time off now

Additionally, with the huge number of cancelled holidays our e-days system has seen over the last few weeks the risk of burnout is even more heightened. Not only is there the personal disappointment your staff are bound to feel from having to reschedule time abroad with family and friends, but from a business perspective, what will happen when we all regain our freedom and travel restrictions are lifted?

Businesses should be keen to encourage their employees to take leave even while during lockdown. More than 9,000 holidays were cancelled in March according to the latest e-days data, which could create a bottleneck down the line, leaving small businesses exposed. Employees reserve a large chunk of their holiday for the summer or Christmas breaks, but it has never been more important to highlight the benefits for regular intermittent time off.

‘Perhaps this is a time to encourage the take up of learning new skills and hobbies’

At a time where many are feeling down over the lack of social activity they are having during this lockdown, and with restrictions in place which make the prospect of taking a day or two off seem even less appealing than a working day, this will be difficult. Perhaps this is a time to encourage the take up of learning new skills and hobbies as an alternative to the sun and sea of a weekend away.

Businesses could now be looking at scenarios where, having kept on staff, they now have a workforce entitled to saved-up annual leave. The repercussion of this is that companies will have significantly fewer working days, which, in turn, could lead to critical understaffing. Promoting and encouraging staff to take their holidays regularly throughout the year is very much needed. Being smart now, make plans for this new government policy, and ask employees to take time off around periods where demand is lower.

>See also: 8 of the best workflow management systems for UK businesses

#3 – Help your staff help themselves

A real problem for all is successfully switching off. While many might be making a conscious effort to stick to usual working schedules, the lack of a commute, combined with many sharing living spaces with flatmates, this can seem like an impossible ask. Often individuals are falling asleep and waking up in the same room they have been working in for the past three weeks.

Given the current situation, there is also the additional problem that many businesses need employees to go that extra bit further. At a time when many may know friends or family who are now unemployed, this extra, required effort at work is seen more of as a relief than a burden, and one not taken for granted in the current economic climate.

Some over-delivery will be necessary to get through this crisis, but companies should be aware that in the long term this will not benefit employees and certainly will not benefit your business. Providing some “extra” benefits so that your employees are better equipped to work from home is one idea. Helping to finance the addition of a desk and chair for example. Employees will be able to assign themselves their day’s work in one space in their home, and this will subconsciously help them switch off when the time comes to “head home”.

These initiatives are just a few suggestions which can not only help everyone’s mental wellbeing during coronavirus lockdown, but also contribute to a workforce confident in its job security.

Steve Arnold is chief executive of absence-management platform e-days

Further reading on coronavirus

What coronavirus small business help is available for free?

The post 3 ways to look after staff wellbeing during the coronavirus crisis appeared first on Small Business UK.

Humans create habits. We love them because we crave familiarity. It makes sound evolutionary logic; repeat the same behaviour in a repeating situation. If it worked last time, it should do again. This limits the need to make a decision and therefore conserves energy.

Studies consistently find that over 50pc of our daily actions are habitual. Our routine habits are the building blocks of our daily life.

The challenge is that habits are typically either very, very positive, or very, very negative. There is little middle ground. And making things worse, it is often hard to become aware of the negative habits that have crept into daily routines unchallenged, because they’re formed unconsciously over time and sap energy.

>See also: Is wellbeing leave a possibility for small businesses?

Get your morning routine right

These are often alluring as they offer instant gratification but have a negative impact on overall energy. It used to be that the appeal of alcohol or the quick fix of a sugar hit topped the naughty list. But topping the modern naughty list is our relationship with digital devices, driven by our fascination with social media. Some studies have shown 75pc of phone users reach for their phone on waking.

As anyone who has quit smoking will attest, to combat the negative bad habits, it is important to replace – or at least displace – them. The first step is becoming more aware of all of our habits. Which ones are serving us and which ones we need to change? Then, it’s time for some positive programming.

And the key battleground to win is the morning. Create a morning routine that works for you and repeat, repeat, repeat until it’s a habit. Research suggests anything from 21 to 69 days of repetition is needed before the actions become second nature.

>See also: Is a four day working week really a boon for productivity and staff wellbeing?

Why a morning routine?

Because how you start your day is often how you live your life. It will determine how you’ll experience the rest of your day. And in the busy and distracting world that we live, the time when we wake up is often the only time we have to ourselves…

And the truth of the matter is you already have a habitual morning routine – the challenge is to review and improve it.

Firstly, eliminate the negative. Avoid checking your phone first thing. Ideally have your phone charging in another room and go for a radio alarm. And get your laptop out of the bedroom. Don’t start your day focusing on other people’s lives.

Then move onto implementing positive actions. There’s lots of things you can do, but here are some suggestions that have been proven to yield results:

Drink some water

Humans are almost 70pc water. We’re very dehydrated when we wake up so one of the best habits is to drink a pint of water before doing anything else. (If you put a little sea salt in it – a DIY electrolyte sports drink – the body finds it easier to absorb). The benefits are too numerous to mention, so just do it.

Do some exercise

Fasted exercise (doing something physical before eating) has a big impact of your calorie burn as well as waking up the body for the day ahead. Nothing too strenuous. A short and varied press up/sit-up workout. Walking the dog. Go for a swim. The important thing is to do something physical that gets your heart rate up for around 20 minutes.

Learn to breathe deeply

Few things are as misunderstood as meditation. It is not an attempt to completely clear your mind (because you can’t) and it is not the reserve of Shaolin monks. If you can breathe and count to four, you can meditate.  ust get comfortable, close your eyes, breathe slowly and inhale for four and exhale for four. Repeat.

What’s your ‘big thing’ for today?

Check in with what it is you want to achieve that day. The more focus you have, the more chance of success as the day takes over. Write it down to keep it front and centre of your mind.

Spread some positivity

Complimenting just one person a day, telling them what it is you appreciate about them can have a profound impact on them and you. It doesn’t have to be daunting. It could be a simple message to your partner or an email to a colleague thanking them for their performance in a meeting.

By correcting your habits, you can command the morning, entering the day fully primed to deliver extraordinary results.

Jim Lusty is a speaker and trainer at motivational coaching company Upping Your Elvis, whose clients have included Unilever, ITV, Spotify, WPP, Roche and Nike

Further reading

6 simple ways to create a healthy workplace environment

The post 5 things to do before you check your phone in the morning appeared first on Small Business UK.

Managing a career and raising children is a real challenge for many people, more so for those who have the added pressure of running their own business. Finding the right balance between work and family life is hard at the best of times, but with the school summer holidays now upon us, ‘parentpreneurs’ have to become wiser at organising their time and commitments.

Serial entrepreneur Peter Tuvey, a father of five and founder of alternative lender Fleximize, knows what it takes to be successful at both. Here he reveals five brutal truths that every ‘parentpreneur’ needs to hear.

Like it or not, sacrifices will have to be made

Being an entrepreneur with a family means sometimes having to choose between the two things that you value the most in life; your family and your business. It means missing birthday parties to give a pitch, or not making it home for bedtime stories to make a deadline. At other times, it involves cancelling what might have been the most important meeting of your career to take you child to A&E. Whatever happens, you may feel like you’ve let somebody down, but don’t dwell on this. Raising children and growing a business take time. If you drop the ball occasionally, your children will eventually understand that you make sacrifices to provide for them. Similarly, your staff – if you keep them close – will know how important your children are to you.

Nurture your relationships

Commitments to your children and your work will leave little time for anyone else, whether it is your friends or a romantic partner. It is easy to neglect your loved ones because of stress or just a sheer lack of time.

“Unfortunately, there is no qualification you can take to prepare you to be an entrepreneur or a parent”

Hours together with your partner will be reduced, but the way to combat this is simple: make time. Carving out a few hours with your loved one to talk and relax together can save you from a lot of needless arguments and stress. Looking back at having children and a company, so many fights could have been avoided if I had simply communicated how I felt at the time.

You’re the boss

Despite the responsibilities you will have, and the inevitable sacrifices you will have to make, you will find that you enjoy a certain amount of freedom as your own boss. Unlike a 9-5 job where you abide by an employment contract and report to a manager, you organise your day how you want as a business owner. This can feel quite liberating, and it means that you don’t have to apologise for leaving the office to look after your children.

The flipside, however, is that you always must be available even when you’re not in the office. One thing about being an entrepreneur – and I’m still unsure if this is a pro or a con – is that your brain never switches off, and the emails never stop. Unlike in a regular office job, ultimately it is you who has the responsibility for all staff members.

No qualification can prepare you

Unfortunately, there is no qualification you can take to prepare you to be an entrepreneur or a parent. As every parent knows, the moment you come back from the hospital with your first child, your whole life changes and you can never be fully prepared for the culture shock. Similarly, when you first start to get investment in your business, there’s no turning back. All you can do is learn quick, accept the sacrifices and develop a strong sense of self.

Swallow your pride

‘Parentpreneurs’ cannot do it alone and you’d be a fool to try. Starting out in business with small children is incredibly tough and the help of others – extended family, friends and colleagues – is vital if you are going to avoid compromising both your children and your business.

Yes, you may be the ‘founder’ of the company and the ‘parent’, but you cannot be everywhere all the time. You don’t need to suffer in silence and you cannot afford to alienate your staff or those close to you.

What’s more, the people who work for you will grow and thrive from the added responsibility you give them. When I sold my last company to set up Fleximize with my business partner, eight of my staff followed me. I see how incredibly fortunate I was as without these amazing people my company simply wouldn’t be what it is today, and I would undoubtedly have missed out on so much more with my children.

Resilience is key

In the end, being a parentpreneur means having confidence in your decisions and never doubting yourself, even when others do. You must be resilient in the face of criticism and remember that a negative situation doesn’t have to be permanent. If you manage your own and others’ expectations, keep sight of what is important to you and manage your time well. Then, if done correctly, running a successful business and a healthy family needn’t be at odds. In fact, you’ll find that the two can come to complement each other and make for a truly fulfilling life.

Sharon Dhillon, managing director of Caremark Bromley, discusses how she manages to balance her business and family life. 

I launched in-home care company, Caremark Bromley, in late 2010, with the support of my husband. We decided to go into the care sector for various reasons – when a family member became ill, we all rallied around to take care of him, until he passed away. It inspired us to want to make a change in our community and offer a great standard of care – especially for those who may not live near their loved ones.

By the summer of 2011, we were well established. Now, almost eight years on, we work with 78 carers, and provide around 2,600 hours of care per week.

Less than 18 months after launching the business, we welcomed our first son. In 2015, we had our second child, a little girl, and our youngest joined the family just one year ago. Launching, nurturing and growing a business, specifically one in the care sector, can be demanding and challenging – we’ve managed it while raising three small children!

“I’ve always worked hard and I’m of the mindset that my career shouldn’t suffer just because I’ve had children”

It’s all possible thanks to the strict routines we set in place as a family. We plan our days with attention to detail and communicate, as a couple, so we know who is where and when. My husband, who is a property developer, has taken a step back from the care business, meaning I’ve taken the reins in all manner of business leadership – recruitment, training, client engagement and daily management of the business.

With the help of family, and with our two eldest at school and nursery, I’m able to work four days a week. I truly love my job and, as a managing director, I understand the importance of delegation. That being said, I never take my finger off the pulse! I fill my schedule when I’m at work, using every spare moment and I never let a task from one day fall into the next.

My advice to other parents is to recognise your driving force and use that as inspiration. My children deserve the best and, above all else, I want them to be happy. Working hard is the only way that I’m going to be able to give them the best life and I won’t stop until I know they’re taken care of. It helps that I’m really ambitious – I don’t give up without a fight! I’ve always worked hard and I’m of the mindset that my career shouldn’t suffer just because I’ve had children. If anything, that makes me more determined to succeed!

The post Succeeding as a ‘parentpreneur’: Top tips appeared first on Small Business UK.

When planning for the admission process, managing your finances, procuring documents – tickets, currency exchange, visa, passport, etc., the one thing that’s often sidelined in the entire process is travel insurance. But it should be on top of your priority list.

Undoubtedly, getting admission in a foreign university could easily be a lifetime opportunity and a dream come true for any student. As lucrative as it may sound, going to study abroad might impose a lot of risk, especially if you don’t have adequate student travel insurance cover.

Why is student travel insurance important?

Any unexpected illness or medical expenses on foreign soil can easily make a dent in your savings. Huge disparity in currency makes it even more exorbitant. If you are planning to go to a foreign country without an adequate insurance policy in hand, then you need to rethink.

Even working professionals cannot imagine meeting hefty medical expenses on their own in a foreign country, let alone a student with a limited budget.

Ever thought, how will a student manage alone during any unforeseen circumstances away from their family? Having a student travel insurance policy will cover you against any loss or damage arising due to personal and medical emergencies.

The cover offered by student travel insurance policies:

Most student travel insurance policies require a premium once a year. You can even go through Policy Bazaar reviews that are posted by student travelers, who have benefited from various travel insurance policies.

Here are just some of the many benefits offered by student travel insurance policies:

1. Lost Passport – What will you do in case your passport is lost or misplaced? Yes, it can be as daunting as it sounds, but if you have your travel insurance policy in place, your insurer will assist you in acquiring a duplicate passport and will help you arrange important travel documents.

2. Hospital Cover – In case, there is any medical emergency arising in between your semester, your insurer will recompense or settle the tuition fee that has already been paid by you for that particular semester. The policy will reimburse for interruption of studies due to emergencies or permanent disability or any fatal injury caused to the insured student. However, the claim amount should be within the policy limit.

3. Accidental death or disability coverage – In case your sponsor is killed then the insurer would compensate the remaining school fees. The claim amount will be based on the sum assured. Unfortunate events like accidental injuries and death are also covered. Any impairment or damage to eyes or limbs resulting from any of such incident, within the duration of one year from the event or travel date, will be taken care off.

4. Emergency evacuation – Imagine a situation, where you have fallen sick, or you meet with serious accidental injuries that require a compassionate visit by one of your family members – parents, spouse, children or in-laws. The cost of the flights will be an added burden. If you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy, then the flight costs (economy class) will be borne by the insurer.

5. Coverage for detention on foreign soil – Every year, a number of cases are registered with international universities, where students are detained for inadvertently breaking the law. However, if you have secured yourself with a student travel insurance plan, the bail amount will be compensated. Though any criminal act or deliberate over speeding of the vehicle, will not be considered.

6. Dental treatment coverage – Getting dental treatment overseas can cost you a fortune. But if you were smart enough to get yourself covered, your expenses on dental treatment will be reimbursed by your travel insurance company.

Studying abroad requires your fulltime involvement. If you want to achieve your goals, it’s imperative that you do not let any unforeseen health or travel related troubles interrupt your academic schedule. Student travel insurance sorts all this and much more for you and helps you focus on your studies by keeping all the worries and woes at bay.

The post Planning to Study Abroad? appeared first on Small Business UK.

Almost half of UK workers (47 per cent) spend the majority of their time feeling overwhelmed by their workloads, while 85 per cent say that work is causing them stress, according to research from employee experience company Qualtrics.

The Qualtrics Employee Pulse – a quarterly survey of more than 4,000 employees – highlights the impact of burgeoning workloads on today’s workforce and reveals better support from businesses is needed to ensure the mental wellbeing of staff.

More than half (52 per cent) of UK workers believe their employer does not promote a healthy work-life balance and only a third say that their managers help them to manage their workload.

The situation is worst in the North West of England, with only 49 per cent of workers saying they are happy with their current work-life balance, followed by 53 per cent in London and the South East. In contrast, the percentage of satisfied workers peaks at 60 per cent in the North East, closely followed by 58 per cent in Scotland.

Commenting on the findings, Sarah Marrs, employee experience specialist at Qualtrics, says, ‘Work-life balance is a hugely important part of modern business and a key driver in keeping staff motivated and satisfied. The fact that so many workers are struggling to stay on top of their workloads is a real cause for concern.

‘A business’ employees are its key assets – so the mental health and wellbeing of staff should be a top priority for organisations looking to engage their teams and boost productivity. If employees are stressed, tired or overworked, those feelings will rapidly trickle down into the quality of their work and is more likely to result in their choosing to leave the organisation. Finally, it’s important to remember that employees are often the face of a business to customers – and no business wants their customer interaction to be one of stress and overwork.’

Further reading on work-life balance

• Balance home and work life

The post Overwhelming workloads tip the scales on work-life balance appeared first on Small Business UK.

The New Year is a time when many people dream about turning their hobby into a new career. While some may decide to become hobby preneurs due to personal circumstances, such as a redundancy or career break, others may simply find the freedom and flexibility afforded by being their own boss to be a hugely attractive proposition.

Whatever an individual’s reasons for establishing a new start-up, having a clear vision of what they want their business to achieve and establishing good financial systems from the start is crucial to achieving success.

Many people who make the decision to transform their Etsy sideline into a money-making venture have a significant advantage; they already know they love their job. However, while an element of passion is important, hobby preneurs also have a number of important considerations to make.

Beginning the process by asking themselves what exactly they are trying to achieve with the business is crucial, and will inform other key decisions further down the line. Usually, this comes down to whether the goal is to create a business empire, with an emphasis on maximising profits, or maybe the individual simply wishes to improve their work-life balance through being their own boss.

Business structure

Once the person has defined a clear ambition for their start-up, the next step is to decide on the best business structure. For those who view their venture as more of an extension of their hobby than a money-making opportunity, with low levels of turnover, risk and a smaller profit margin, remaining as a sole trader may be the most sensible option. On the other hand, where a start-up represents a person’s sole method of income, and generating profit is the primary objective, incorporation is likely to offer a safer route.

A good rule of thumb when thinking about this choice is that if a business tends to operate through family and friends, it is probably best to continue as a sole trader. Where an individual promotes and sells their goods or service externally, it is often worth considering incorporation. While setting up a company often proves to be the more complex option, this has the advantage of providing a layer of protection in the event that things do not work out as planned.

Budgeting and putting in place the right financial processes can also play a crucial role in the success or failure of a new start-up. A straightforward place to start could be taking a piece of paper and simply writing down the costs the individual needs to charge to break even, and deciding whether customers will be happy to pay these costs.

Determining a pricing structure

For example, the owner of a cake-making company may need to consider factors such as the cost of ingredients, energy, packaging and distribution, as well as potentially factoring in elements such as promotional, website and e-commerce costs. These areas will help dictate a cost-per-unit price, which in turn will allow profits and a sensible selling price to be calculated.

To ensure a venture stays on track when investing in its promotion and development, it is also wise to write down a timeline of specific business goals and the actions required to achieve these, as well as keeping an accurate record of receipts and expenses. For sole traders, keeping a spreadsheet in Excel is probably an effective and cost-efficient way of doing this, whereas incorporated start-ups with a higher turnover may wish to consider investing in a more sophisticated cloud computing system.

Being aware of tax thresholds and which the business and entrepreneur may fall into is important. For example, if individuals suddenly find themselves liable to pay VAT, profits will effectively be reduced by 20 per cent and failure to register could result in a hefty penalty.

Setting up a separate bank account

Another important part of maintaining good financial processes is setting up a separate bank account, helping to clearly distinguish between business and personal costs and income. While there may sometimes be a temptation during the early days of setting up the business to dip into personal funds, this could cause complications when trying to establish profit and work out cash flow.

Another common pitfall when establishing a start-up is to go ‘all in’ too early, rather than beginning small and simple, and building up later. Instead of aiming to sell a diverse range of products from the beginning, focusing on a smaller number can often help to keep material costs down, avoiding a business failing before it even starts.

Similarly, in the early days of setting up a business it is worth bearing in mind that any additional hires will directly hit profits and cash flow. However, rather than employing staff on a fixed-contract basis, hiring employees willing to work flexibly and getting them to work as and when needed, is a good way of keeping staffing costs under control.

Hobby to job

Australian Facebook group ‘Mums the Word’ recently hit the headlines when its founder controversially asked members for a one-off, retrospective joining fee of $10, claiming that the hobby had become a 24/7 job. The story is a reminder of the need for hobby preneurs to put in place a robust scaling-up plan from the start and prepare for all possible scenarios. Asking ‘what if’ with regards to a range of potential situations can help business owners to respond promptly and effectively to unforeseen circumstances if they arise, for example, a bulk order or a request for a significant discount.

There is no doubt that deciding to take the plunge and go it alone requires a certain mindset, however, with careful planning, the decision to transform a personal passion into a business can bring significant rewards. By carefully thinking through their key business objectives and taking an organised and honest approach to financial processes early on, hobby preneurs can make a healthy profit whilst enjoying the job they love.

Andrew Mosby is a partner at Menzies LLP.

Further reading on turning a hobby into a business

• How three people turned their hobby into a business

The post How to turn your hobby into a new career appeared first on Small Business UK.

A happy workforce is a productive workforce. It’s likely to produce better work, be more creative and suffer from fewer sick days too. But, how can you ensure your workers become a strong team that is happy and pulls together to get great results? One way is to get your team together outside of the office (although communication and celebration are equally important too). To adapt an old adage: a team that plays together, stays together.

If you want to arrange a team night out, it’s important to pick the right activity. You want something that everyone will enjoy (rather than endure) and bring you together in a fun way that doesn’t descend into a long work chat.

Here are five ideas to consider…

Theatre

How about a trip to the theater? Clearly it helps if you’ve got a good one in town but the right show can be a great night out – with maybe a meal before and drinks after if you want. Check out a classic – something like Miss Saigon – so that you can guarantee a quality night out that even non-theater goers will appreciate.

Cook-off

Everyone loves food right? A culinary team-building night in which you team up to throw together a feast of food can be a great way to break the ice, and end up with some delicious delights to sample. You could pick something simple – such as pizzas – or test your skills on more complex cuisine if your team has a love of fine food. Maybe even get a chef in to show you what to do.

Cheers!

If you don’t fancy food, then why not bond over a glass or two of something alcoholic? A brewery tour or wine tasting session can be a great way to loosen any nerves and get your team to come together.

Live sport

Maybe your team has a passion for a particular sports team – or game? Get a row of tickets and head out together so that you can bond over your shared passion. It’ll be a good talking point at the water cooler before and after too, and might even turn into a regular thing. You might even find that different team members have different sporting passions. Why not try a night at each as a team and see which you enjoy?

Art workshop

If you work in a fairly dull-looking office, why not do something practical with your team night out and create a piece of art to brighten up your walls? Find a studio that offers you the chance to turn up, pick up paintbrushes and graffiti cans and let your creativity go wild. You could take it as seriously as you want – you’re bound to have fun regardless.

Whether it’s art, sport, theatre, food or drink, find something your team loves to do and book some time to do it all together – you’ll certainly see the rewards when it comes to your workplace atmosphere and, as a result, your bottom line.

The post Five team night out ideas appeared first on Small Business UK.

‘Work-life balance’ has become a popular phrase over the past couple of years, and the more we hear about it, the more unachievable it seems. This is because there now seems to be general acceptance that it’s no longer achievable, with the consequences detailed for us to read on a daily basis. We’re tired, unproductive and working longer hours, with endless surveys telling us how little time we have due to work pressures. Let’s face it, it’s not uncommon to set aside a couple of hours to catch up on emails on a Sunday, or have a specific day when we stay late in the office to regain control of to-do lists.

Our lives no longer have a clear separation between work and home, with the 9-5pm seeming non-existent.

The effects of this attitude can sometimes be harrowing. Japan, for instance, is a leading example of when overwork goes too far. The country is famous for its overstretched workers, who are expected to work long hours – so much so that overtime legislation has needed to be introduced to stop people working all hours of the day. The situation has become so dire, that it is literally killing people. It is also affecting the Japanese birth-rate and the word ‘Karōshi’ has even been developed to describe ‘death by overwork’, showing how a change in approach is needed.

This deadly issue in Japan is slowly leaking into UK workplaces, and although this may seem extreme, it’s an excellent way to contextualise exactly how out of control things can become when work-life balance is ignored. Whilst it’s undeniable that employers must take responsibility for their employees’ wellbeing, which is something we’re thankfully seeing in the UK, it’s also the responsibility of the employee to utilise their own skillset and keep their work-life balance in check: as ultimately we’re the ones in control of how we police our own time.

So, how does one take care of their work-life balance, in an ever-demanding world from which they can rarely switch off? The answer – by learning to integrate work and life, instead of trying to balance them: acknowledging that the 2 will always be intertwined, and acting accordingly. Ultimately, it’s about being present during your home time, in order to make the most of it. This creates a clear boundary between home and work, as by keeping them mentally separate, they can illicit different emotional reactions.

This separation is key to work-life integration: being able to focus on what’s in front of us, and recognising that we can reject requests if they’ll negatively impact our ability to focus on either our home or work lives, respectively.

Striking a healthy balance – whatever ratio of home to work time that may be – comes from utilising time wisely and following age old advice. Find time in your day to eat healthily, rehydrate and get fresh air: this can easily all be incorporated into a lunch break. This can be especially beneficial as exercise relieves tension, releasing feel-good endorphins and improving or stabilising your mood.

Employers are realising the perils of overwork and as the UK grapples with its poor productivity rate, a change in approach is needed. This is not a one-way process, however, and individuals are just as responsible as employers in making the change. This means setting boundaries and sticking to them, to help yourself as much as possible. No one can work long hours consistently, so if you want to climb to the top of the career ladder, listen to your body, take a rest and use your energy in concerted bursts of effort. If we continuously try to integrate our work and personal life in a responsible and reasonable way, we won’t only benefit ourselves: we’ll benefit those we care about and the organisation we work for too.

Laura Little is learning and development manager at CABA

Further reading on work-life balance

• Young entrepreneurs value making a difference

The post Tips on how to achieve work-life balance appeared first on Small Business UK.

Increasingly we are seeing workers seek to make that holy grail, a work/life balance, a reality. Small businesses who cottoned onto the mutually beneficial development of the gig economy have set a trend which is now expanding into almost every profession.

In traditional set-ups, people are working longer hours than ever, and in many cases aren’t being paid for overtime. According to a survey done for Totallymoney.com, excessive workloads mean that the average British worker puts in an extra full day of work each week, and almost 60 per cent of workers say they don’t have a good work/life balance. What’s more, their employer may well not be helping them to achieve it; YouGov reported last year that a sixth of British businesses believe work/life balance is not important to their company.

Small Business Pro, our all-in-one solution, can save you time and money as well as offering expert and peer support. It will also help with the heavy lifting of managing customers, taking payments, insurance, finance and HR, plus you’ll get a host of personal wellbeing benefits.

You can find out more about Small Business Pro here.

So how can people improve their situation? In many cases workers aren’t in a financial position to reduce their hours, and even if they do they can still find themselves squeezing too much work into too little time. Some workers who have become burnt out in a high-stress job are applying a different solution: cutting hours on their main job and taking on new roles, paid or volunteer, elsewhere.

This ‘portfolio career’ approach is something that Chris Rooke, 41, has found is working for him. His job in banking was keeping him in the office far more than he wanted it to, and it was becoming a major source of stress in his life. ‘I saw an opportunity to structure a different and more varied career,’ he says.

‘I have set up my own property and alternative asset company and at the same time I’ve diversified into more personally satisfying projects. This includes being a trustee of a local school, becoming a magistrate and coaching the local mini rugby team. But working this way can certainly mean lower pay, so does he look back wistfully on his old banking salary? Far from it. ‘I’ll look back positively at the time I have spent with my three children and the difference I have made outside a normal career structure,’ he says. ‘Greater flexibility and variety more than makes up for the sacrifice to my income.’

Healthcare

Away from the private sector, state sector workers are finding work just as tough. Healthcare is an area where workers complain of stressful working practices and a need to stay late to manage the workload. Totallymoney’s research finds that health workers did on average 7.7 hours overtime each week, half of which were unpaid.

Cara Harwood, a London midwife who qualified in the past couple of years, is a case in point: she has already chosen to work on a supply basis, supplementing her hours with dance teaching and working as a doula. She found that ‘severe understaffing’ and ‘exhaustive paperwork’ made the job far too intense, and often meant she had to stay after her shift had finished.

GPs, too, report stress caused by their increasingly demanding job. Last year’s research by The King’s Fund found that GPs’ workload hasn’t just become heavier, but also more complex and intense. They have 13 per cent more face-to-face appointments than they did five years ago, and a whopping 63 per cent more telephone appointments.

The King’s Fund found that paperwork, telephone consultations, surgery consultations and home visits mean GPs often work over 12 hours per day; the allocated time slot of around ten minutes for each patient invariably means they end up running late if a patient needs longer. They often find themselves taking work home with them at the weekend.

Since the increase in workload has not been eased by more funding or staff, it is no surprise that a portfolio career or part-time work is an attractive proposition for GPs. Only 11 per cent of those GPs surveyed by The King’s Fund say they intended to work full-time in a clinical role five years after qualifying. Some may well be considering the option of combining private with NHS work, as a number of GPs are already doing.

New on demand GP services like DocTap give GPs the opportunity to work in a much less pressured environment: with 15 minutes devoted to each patient, face-to-face appointments only with no telephone calls to fit in, and a fixed base from which to work with no home visits, doctors feel much less stressed at the end of the day. This benefits both their private and NHS patients; because they are not working at a consistently relentless pace all week, GPs feel they can give all patients the quality of attention and advice they require.

So next time you’re slaving away into the evening, feeling under pressure and underpaid, perhaps it’s a portfolio career you need to start thinking about.

Further reading on finding a work/life balance

• How technology can be the best treatment for a work-life imbalance

The post SME work culture inspires a better work/life balance in healthcare appeared first on Small Business UK.

Research from Xero’s 2017 Make or Break report reveals that more than half (52 per cent) of British small business owners want to take more time off to help prevent burnout. This comes as no surprise as, when asked how they currently get away from work, the report also shows only 39 per cent of small business owners admitted to being able to take a long holiday, while a notable 18 per cent would prefer to simply continue working from home.

However, the report finds that business owners realise that regularly recharging the physical (and mental) batteries can have a major effect on both the body and the bottom line, with 78 per cent believing their personal wellbeing is closely linked to the health of their business.

To combat this work-life balance struggle, here are Xero’s top tips for entrepreneurs to get the most out of their business, and their summer this year:

Stay heathy

Eat sensibly, avoid stimulants, exercise regularly and get plenty of sleep. Keeping your body healthy will help your mind cope with the pressures of running your business. Enjoy natural daylight too, as this is important for your mental health and sleeping patterns.

Take all your holidays

Without a holiday, life can start to feel like being on a treadmill, and that’s not the way to run a business. It’s important to keep a sense of perspective. Don’t forget to encourage your staff to do so either – you will get more out of people when they are well rested and energised.

Schedule your day

Some people work better in the morning, others in the evening. Ask yourself which type of person you are, and save the most challenging work for the time of day when you’re at your mental peak. It’s usually a bad idea to do intensive intellectual work between 2-4pm, so use this time to power through your admin to-do list.

Learn to delegate

The most successful business managers are those who can delegate the right work to the right people, and then let them get on with it. If you find delegating hard, try to improve on it. Your business will flourish if you do and you’ll feel less overwhelmed by your to-do list, too.

Switch off

As hard as it is to avoid constantly checking emails, try to have periods of time when you relax and switch out of work mode entirely. This is particularly important before you go to sleep. Although it might feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to unwind, half an hour with a good book, TV show or a coffee with a friend will give you the refreshment you need.

Slaving away 24/7 will have a negative effect on your business and your personal life, so take time to find the right work-life balance and give yourself the break you deserve.

Further reading on finding a work-life balance

• Half of UK employers are introducing wellbeing schemes

The post Time to take a break: Top tips for a better work-life balance this summer appeared first on Small Business UK.

Technology in the workplace continues to be a hot topic, but according to a recent survey by CV-Library more than two thirds of workers (67.4 per cent) don’t use social media whilst at work, and of those that do, the majority (45 per cent) will only do so for up to 15 minutes.

The study surveyed 1,200 workers on their opinions around technology in the workplace, and whether it is a distraction or an enabler to professionals. Interestingly, the survey finds that despite 56.1 per cent admitting that they use smart phones while they’re at work, the majority (79.8 per cent) do not use technology to do personal tasks during work hours.

Key findings

More than a third (39.7 per cent) of workers admit to taking time out of their working day to contact friends or family on the phone.

However, of those, the majority (73.3 per cent) would only do so for a maximum of 15 minutes.

A further 50 per cent say they would not check personal emails whilst at work.

And three quarters (77.4 per cent) would not waste time browsing the internet and looking at irrelevant sites during work hours.

Furthermore, the study finds that 66.4 per cent of employers have rules in place regarding technology for personal use, and for the majority (46.3 per cent) this means they cannot use their phone at work. A further 22.6 per cent say they are not allowed to use social media and 16.9 per cent are not allowed to surf the internet during work hours.

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library comments, ‘With new technologies always emerging and access to emails and shared working spaces from almost anywhere, the lines between our work and our private lives are becoming increasingly blurred. It is therefore very positive to see that professionals are being careful not to spend their working hours doing personal errands or making calls; drawing a more definitive line between their work and home life. By putting simple rules in place, businesses can ensure that their staff are operating at maximum productivity during work hours, but that they are able to switch off and leave work behind at the end of the day.’

The survey also finds the majority (87.3 per cent) of professionals think that using technology at work is beneficial. When asked why they felt is it useful to them, respondents say that it enables them to connect with customers and clients from all over the world (30 per cent), helps them to communicate with people in real time (26.2 per cent), saves time (15.6 per cent) and enables them to work from different locations (13.7 per cent).

Biggins concludes, ‘It’s clear that technology is both important and useful to today’s professionals, enabling them to work remotely and connect with people all over the world. That said, it’s important that workers stay focused when using these technologies. If you notice your workforce are becoming increasingly distracted by technology, it may be time to put some rules in place regarding personal usage. This way you can ensure that they remain focused at work, whilst also promoting a healthy work-life balance.’

Further reading on social media at work

• Conquering the small business hashtag: Twitter tips for SMEs

The post Workers spend less time on social media to restore work-life balance appeared first on Small Business UK.

To become an informed and responsible trader, you need to be informed of the right strategies, the right mindset and appropriate attitude and start practice with a demo account. This is actually the requirement when you apply for a corporate job- before you assume an important position, you will undergo a training program, and a mentor will guide you through the rules, job descriptions and expectations.

The same is true with trading in stocks and foreign exchange. Learn first the basics and the rules, before you can trade real money. It’s a life principle- you need to learn how to walk first, before you can run.

Get the Right Trading Education

After we have established how important it is to learn the basics, it is equally important to know how to do it. Forex trading, its basic rules, and strategies, are covered by different types of resources, and surely you can find one that suits your learning style.

The popular ways to learn forex is through websites and finance portals, videos, webinars, e-books and actual classroom instructions and seminars. The most popular approach is through websites, where resources and step-by-step guides are posted. You can also sign up for webinars, where discussions and training are done remotely.

Webinars are seminars hosted online, and everyone participates through their computers, web camera, and the exchange of information is facilitated by live streaming. E-books and videos are also available, which can help busy professionals. Some of these e-books are free to download, with premiums one produced by experienced professionals available for a fee.

With these resources videos, you can learn at your own pace, within your skills set. And if you have the time, you can enroll in a class, or attend special seminars together with like-minded individuals.

Open a Practice Account, and Test your Skills

After you finished learning, now it’s time to practice the skills you have learned, and the strategies you’ve discovered. The best way to practice is through a demo account. You  The great thing about signing up for a demo account is that it gives you a chance to simulate forex trading, without having to worry about the money. As a demo account, it will be funded with a ‘demo account money’, which you can use to make trading decisions, risk-free.

Here, you can test your trading plan and trading styles with full confidence. Demo accounts usually feature a number of tools which can help facilitate trade. Make sure to use these tools to simulate an actual forex trading experience. It also offers live data and market prices to give users like you a simulated and active foreign exchange market.

This should allow you to feel and experience what real traders experience, and make buying and selling decisions in real time. In practice, demo accounts can offer the simulated foreign exchange market for a specified period of time, usually for one month.

Summary

Learning about Forex trading is never an easy task, with proper approach and the right resources, it can be done. Today, you can count on different ways on how to learn forex, from e-books, videos to webinars, depending on your learning style. Whatever approach is selected, it’s important that you practice what you have learned. Open a demo account today, receive 100,000 demo money, and start playing!

Today, you can count on different ways on how to learn forex, from e-books, videos to webinars, depending on your learning style. Whatever approach is selected, it’s important that you practice what you have learned. Open a demo account today, receive 100,000 demo money, and start playing!

The post Opening a demo account is the way to learn how to trade right appeared first on Small Business UK.

Being one of those mums in business, in my opinion, the hardest things to do and be – and to be successful at all it’s critical to be organised, get a support network in place and be realistic about your time.

I’ve been running my wedding and event business since August 2007 and it’s been a land of learning curves – I’m ten years into my business, married with a seven-year-old son, and here are my top tips on getting it right.

Be realistic and don’t let it overwhelm you

Some days there will be so much to do, jobs and dates on the life and work list that seem impossible to achieve in the time available. Don’t despair.

While I love technology, I love a handwritten list; I write my weekly ‘to do’ list the Friday before in an A5 page a day diary. The weekly list goes in on Sunday’s page and I write everything that’s on my mind and in my calendar – I find this end of week task very calming and it allows me to leave work behind for the weekend.

On Monday morning, I assess the list and write realistic tasks for that day, mark it off as I go and at the end of the day, write tomorrow’s list…and so on.

Your mind is focused on what needs to be actioned, and you can clearly see what you’ve achieved within the day.

Power hours!

Procrastination is difficult to overcome – this is a weakness of mine, but I get over it by having ‘power hours’. Write a realistic task list for an hour of time, turn your phone to ‘do not disturb’, close e-mails and social media and crack on.

At the end of the hour have a 15-minute catch up on calls and e-mails and repeat. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve!

Have a 15-minute break, and repeat.

Make time for you

For mums in business it’s not a 9-5 job, and it’s easy to concentrate solely on other people, but you must take time out for yourself. I know, I know – ‘haha when on earth am I going to squeeze that in’, right?! Wrong! An occasional hour out of the office doing something that you want to do makes you feel lighter and clears your head.

It could be a class at the gym that you want to go to, finally catching up with your friend for a coffee, or getting your hair done in working hours.

And don’t feel guilty. Occasional time out will improve your productivity…and leaving the office to have a treat during ‘normal’ office hours always gives me a buzz!

Put your phone down out of hours

Your time is incredibly valuable, don’t waste it.

I was obsessed with my phone and checked e-mails and social media constantly. Six months ago, I had a reality check and turned my phone to ‘do not disturb’ between 7pm and 7am, and I don’t look at my phone during these hours. What a difference it has made! While it took a few weeks of discipline, it’s now a habit that I love and will not be breaking.

I’m more relaxed in the evenings, I’m actually present with my family and friends, and I sleep better. …and seriously, what can’t wait until the morning?!

Ensure your children understand why you work

Working hard pays, and ultimately pays for treats along the way – explain to your children that treats come with hard work and saving money…and you’re in business to do just that.

Working in the wedding and events industry means that I work many weekends, have evening appointments and work on one-off projects – but it also means that I can pay for us to go on a holiday of a lifetime and have family time, I explain this to my son and he understands and sends me off with a wave.

Some weeks the balance will be focused on your business, but others it will focus on your children and family – it balances out.

Ultimately, I’m proud that my son sees me as an independent, strong working mum – a role model.

Team up with other mums in business

Nursery, pre-school and school hours coupled with school holidays can be daunting. You won’t be alone in the juggle struggles; get to know the parents on the school run, and if you create a friendship with them and really get on, share childcare with them.

It’s very normal for my friends and I to look after each other’s children to enable the other to go to work – happy children playing, mum duties ticked, and work duties ticked off the next day when your friend repays the favour!

Managing the demands on your time

Life with a spouse, child(ren), friends and family is busy enough, add your own business to the mix and it can seem overwhelming – especially when you are trying to be ‘good’ at everything.

How on earth are you to manage the competing priorities?

I work with a business coach and mentor, and it’s made an incredible difference to both my business and my life. When you find a great one, you can be honest about your strengths and weaknesses, and set clear and realistic goals for the week/month ahead.

There’s nothing like a positive person within your business who you regularly answer to – it makes your motivation and confidence soar, and my business has multiplied since – highly recommended!

Delegation, delegation

‘If I do it myself, then I know it’s done properly’
‘By the time I explain it to somebody else, I might as well have done it myself’
‘What kind of wife / mother am I if I don’t clean my own house and keep on top of the washing’

Sound familiar? This was me all over, but for you to enjoy life and enable your business to grow, you must learn to delegate.

First, get help around the house – taking on a cleaner / ironing service / gardener and having your food shopping delivered will save hours.

Write a list of every task that you carry out within your business, from the large to the small and add the approximate time per week that you dedicate to each task. Go through the list and consider which tasks and the resulting time you could outsource while keeping your clients happy. Work out the average number of hours that will save you; ultimately these saved hours will enable you to concentrate on growing your business.

You don’t have to employ somebody, consider a virtual assistant or freelancer. Write procedures, train them fully and develop ways to keep in touch and manage their workload. You’ll never look back!

Above all, make sure your business doesn’t take over. Don’t let it feel like life is passing you by and you’re ‘missing out’. Be organised, set your routine, work hard…and work smart, and you’ll reap the benefits.

You’re a superhero, believe it; you are all things to everyone, and you wouldn’t be doing it if you didn’t have the ability.

Natalie Lovett is director of The Whitewed Directory.

Further reading on mums in business

• New research shows that banks are creating barriers for mumpreneurs

The post Top tips for mums in business appeared first on Small Business UK.

I run Daily Posts, a company that has multiple departments, staff distributed around the world, and constant business deadlines. I run multiple projects concurrently and dozens of work streams on a daily basis, line managing over ten staff directly. As the leader of this business I am constantly looking for ways to enhance the corporate culture, develop improved processes, and provide better service for our wonderful clients.

It takes its toll, and I have had to learn to be more conscious of how I am building the business; strategically defining my roles, planning my time and developing relationships with my team that enable me to be the leader that I can be. In this article I am going to outline some of what I have learnt about stress over the last few years, and how to frame your business and life so that you can enjoy the journey.

Have faith in your business plan

You need to have faith that all your effort will come together down the line. A proper business plan involves research and thorough analysis. If you have one, then there is no reason why you shouldn’t believe in it completely and work hard towards achieving your set goals and objectives even in the face of tumultuous conditions. Optimism is crucial as a leader, and will allow you to feel positive about the moment, even if a lot has to come together for success to happen. You must believe that the dots will connect down the line.

If you feel yourself losing faith in your business plan, you need to ask yourself a few ‘Kick up the rear’ questions, like:

• Will I be able to achieve my life goals if I quit?
• Can I cope with a typical 9-5? Will it be rewarding enough?
• Will I move forward or be stuck at my current level?
• Will I be able to live with the result of failure?

These questions should remind you of why you started your business in the first place, strengthen your resolve and clear the mental fog. Having a clear purpose, and feeling like you are on the right journey, can have a dramatic effect on your thinking.

Know when you are burning out

Another psychological step to battling stress as a business owner is recognising when you are burning out and doing something about it. The problem is that burning out doesn’t happen in a flash of light as a single event. It is a gradual breakdown of mental health that creeps up on you. In the first few years of running Daily Posts there were time when I worked very long hours, and there is no doubt that I was on the verge of burnout on numerous occasions. I had my priorities skewed and had to redress the balance. For too long I though ‘I’m a psychologist, I won’t burn out’, as if my training in psychology somehow made me immune. I’ve seen other people with similar thinking because they felt they were macho, rich, physically fit and so on. Don’t fool yourself.

Here are some big signs that you are burning out:

• You feel you are running on fumes (no drive or joy and you dread leaving your bed in the morning)
• Anxiety and frequent panic episodes
• Feeling overwhelmed (you feel like you can no longer handle it all)
• You struggle to get thing done and do tasks that are not ‘fun’ for you.

When you start noticing all or some of these signs, you need to tackle it head on. Some of the things you can do at this stage include:

• Shake up your diet
• Play, and seek out laughter
• Sleep
• Meditate
• Get acupuncture or massage

Another sign is when you are drinking too much, or taking drugs to escape work. Danial Gerrard of Addiction Helper explains that, “society has normalised excessive drinking, and there are a great number of people who are self-medicating by using alcohol. Often the cause is their inability to cope with the rigours of their work life, a lack of balance.” Be conscious of your relationship with alcohol.

Outsource tasks that wear you down

Ideally, you should only be engaging in tasks that you absolutely love. However, as a business owner it is nigh on impossible to do this all of the time. You still have to do your fair share of the tedious, boring work that probably adds little value to your bottom line. If a task constantly has you wringing your hands though, outsource it.

Even if you have the capacity to soldier through such tasks, outsourcing them can help you focus on the more important elements of your business. Outsourcing allows you to streamline business processes, ensuring that valuable time is spent on the core aspects of your business that pay the bills. It also improves overall efficiency across your business whilst freeing you from the mental strain. In business the mental energy we have is crucial to our productivity and success. We need to protect it, conserve it, and grow it through the activities we engage in.

Employ and retain qualified people

By employing leaders in your business, you can actively begin to shed off some of the mental strain that comes with micromanagement. Leaders can train subordinates, delegate tasks, and deliver results with little to no input from you. Your business never truly takes off until you are able to sleep safe in the knowledge that results will be achieved without step-by-step input from you. When you develop leaders that can grow with the business, you not only ensure a result-oriented atmosphere but also cultivate satisfaction and loyalty throughout the organisation.

Build transparent KPIs

Key Performance Indicators are vital in every business. These are specific and measurable metrics that drive activity in core areas that lead to business productivity. You need to have both High Level and Low Level KPIs to be able to actively manage your business. With every low-level or short term KPIs met, you derive some degree of satisfaction that your business is going in the right direction. Feeling that progress is happening on a daily basis empower you as a leader, and creates a sense of purpose. Regardless of what your KPIs are, you need to keep the following factors in mind:

• Care about stakeholders and get them involved
• Strategically design your processes and make KPIs an integral part of each step
• Build rewards around KPIs (financial, bonuses, time off)
• Ensure everyone know how their activity fit into the overall success of the business

Cultivate emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence refers to being able to identify and manage your emotions and the emotions of people around/under you. It is a vital tool in the arsenal of every business owner. When you are emotionally intelligent, you will be able to create a positive work environment and help those around you to keep perspective when challenge occur. To be emotionally intelligent you need to engage your thinking brain, and reason logically, but also tap into your intuition. Meditation and mindfulness training can help you to retrain yourself to be emotionally intelligent.

Here are three things you can do as an emotionally intelligent leader:

• Identify your emotions and the emotions of others in a wide range of scenarios and situations
• Harness emotions and apply them in the tackling of a task at hand
• Manage emotions by helping yourself and others cheer up, stay focused and remain calm down.

Maintain a healthy work-life balance

As a business owner, you get to set your work schedule, and, in many cases, work at your own pace. On the surface, this is positive. However, many business owners find themselves getting sucked completely into the work process, allowing work life to interfere with personal and family life, affecting relationships and adding a huge amount of stress to life.

You need to protect yourself against this as a business owner by ensuring clear boundaries. Your family and friends should not be deprived of attention. Look after yourself. Being a slave to your business is detrimental to your physical and mental well-being. Socialise and engage in physical activities with your family in order to be healthier and happier. Make choices and know you are in control of your life.

Ultimately, stress is a response to feeling a lack of control, lack of direction, lack of progress or lack of opportunity. By strategically redefining your life you can create a mental framework that tackles life in a healthier way. It takes working out what works for you, and consciously building success habits. It takes time and effort. Perhaps that is why they say that true success is a journey, not a destination.

Jim Cummings is founder of Daily Posts. 

Further reading on work-life balance

• Work-life balance worries SME bosses more than finance

Nominations are now open for the British Small Business Awards, the leading event celebrating the brightest stars in the SME sector. Click here to enter, and make sure you get involved today using the hashtag #BSBAwards. Good luck!

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