Author: Akiko Design

A new year means new beginnings, for both you and your business, and what better way to give your business a fresh start than by finding a professional mentor?

Mentors are particularly useful for new businesses and start-ups, because they can provide advice and connections during those crucial early stages and give your business a better chance of succeeding. Mentors can also be valuable for established businesses wishing to change direction or expand into new markets.

If you’re interested in finding a mentor to make your entrepreneurial dreams come true in 2018, read on to find out more.

(more…)

 

When was the last time you listened to a podcast?

For me, it was two months ago. And it was my first time.

Podcasts have never really been on my radar, until a couple of months ago, when I discovered that they’re really big right now.

According to Rajar, almost 10% of adults in the UK download podcasts each week, which equates to around 4.7 million people. So, why tune into podcasts?

(more…)

Between the indulgence of Christmas and the celebration of New Year, there’s a strange week that has been given a number of names – Twixtmas, the Fallow, Romjul (meaning ‘half holy’ in Norwegian) – and it can often feel like limbo.

When it comes to working during this week, different businesses take different approaches. Some close down for the entirety of the festive season, while others expect their employees to be back at work as soon as the Christmas bank holidays are over.

If you’re not sure whether to keep your business open for Twixtmas, here are some of the main pros and cons to help you decide.

(more…)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3LQ0sjfz2n0

The Christmas party: love it or hate it, the end-of-year do is big business in the UK. In fact, a 2015 investigation by Eventbrite estimated that UK businesses spend an average of £1 billion per year on festive parties.

So what makes a great Christmas party, and how can you bring the whole company together for a truly memorable celebration? If you’re struggling for ideas, look no further: here are six ways to celebrate a company Christmas.

(more…)

‘Tis the season of mistletoe, mulled wine and… business plans. That’s right, December is National Write a Business Plan Month, and while business planning might be the last thing on your mind, it’s actually a really good way to prepare for a new working year.

Not sure where to start? Here’s all you need to know about writing a killer business plan.

(more…)

5th December is International Volunteer Day, a day created by the United Nations to celebrate volunteer organisations and raise awareness about the importance of volunteering. Each year volunteers from all over the world offer up their services for everything from litter picking to blood drives to fundraising events.

For small business owners, International Volunteer Day is a great opportunity to give back to the community. Plus, volunteering can bring all sorts of added bonuses that can help to build your business.

(more…)

By April 2017, LinkedIn had reached half a billion members in 200 countries. That’s a huge universe of people based on just one website, providing a great opportunity to raise awareness of your business.

LinkedIn continues to innovate in order to remain relevant for their audience and rolled out live video from July this year. You can now post live video directly onto LinkedIn, in a similar way to how you would post video to Facebook using Facebook Live.

(more…)

This week is Global Entrepreneurship Week #GEW2017, celebrating entrepreneurship all over the world. During November around 35,000 events and competitions are expected to take place – connecting millions of participants to potential collaborators, mentors, and even investors across the globe.

The lifeblood of our economy
Entrepreneurs are a vital part of our economy, stimulating future growth. But, being an entrepreneur isn’t always easy. Entrepreneurs often have big dreams – which can hit a harsh reality. These are some of the lessons that many business owners learn the hard way:

(more…)

Here at Get Ahead VA our team of virtual assistants includes experts in a wide variety of fields. From Accounting to Admin, Hootsuite to Holiday cover, Email Marketing to Excel, our VAs can add value to many aspects of your business.

In this guide our founder and director Rebecca talks about her favourite ‘tools of the trade’ – the mobile tools that enable her to manage the business successfully.

(more…)