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Productivity and Mindset
Has your well run dry?
Are you finding it a lot tougher to get clients than you expected? Has your work dried up? Here are 6 key questions you should ask yourself if you want to move re-energise your training business in 2010.
The productivity guide: How freelance trainers can make the most of their time
Productivity – what’s the secret and how can you have more of it? The saying goes that we all have the same 24 hours in the day and it’s how we choose to spend those hours that counts. While I agree that it’s important to prioritise what really matters to you, I also...
Why you should create a ‘Success folder’ of positive feedback
The life of a freelance trainer is often full of highs and lows, as it is for anyone who’s self-employed. For all the good times, you may have times when you feel like you’ve lost your mojo or you don’t quite know what you’re doing (that pesky imposter syndrome has a...
17 tasks to outsource to a Virtual Assistant
When you’re a freelance trainer, you have to wear a lot of hats. Trainer, marketer, administrator, salesperson, accountant – you may find yourself stepping into every role. But the question is, how many of these roles are actually a good fit for your skills? Often,...
Why done is better than perfect
Do you ever feel like you’re holding back on some of the things you’d like to do in your training business because you’re scared of making mistakes? So often, business owners put off launching a new product, service, strategy or campaign because they want it to be...
10 daily habits that will boost your business
A few weeks ago, I blogged about seven bad habits that you need to break for a successful freelance life but what about good habits that could make life easier? Here are my top ten daily business boosting habits – follow them and you should see your productivity soar....
Seven habits you need to break for a successful freelance life
To have a successful freelance life, you might feel like you need to put in more hours, take on more projects and get yourself ‘out there’ as much as possible. But there are some habits - even those built on good intentions - that could actually be holding you back....
How to grow your business by playing to your strengths
Sometimes we do things in our businesses because we think we should. Or we get caught up on the things we perceive as failures, turning ourselves inside out trying to ‘fix’ them. Well, I’m calling out this approach. Yes, it’s important to be aware of your weaknesses...
Beat distractions at work: 7 proven ways to get laser-focused
We live in an age packed full of distractions – phones, email, social media, instant messaging, multiple clients, and so on. It’s quite the juggling act. I used to think that it would be easier to stay focused when I started working on my own but the sheer scope of...
How to set New Year business goals you’ll actually stick to
You’ve probably received a host of New Year/new you/new business emails since Big Ben temporarily broke his silence to ring in 2019. My last intention is to add to the pressure. If making resolutions or New Year goal setting isn’t for you, I completely understand but...
7 ways you can make time for time off
When you run your own training business, it can feel like there are a million and one demands on your time. As well as delivering the training itself, you probably wear many different hats: administrator, marketer, bookkeeper, customer service rep, accountant and...
Reflective practice: Why freelance trainers need to make time for it too
As trainers, we often ask our trainees to reflect on their learning. Reflective practice is seen as crucial to the learning experience. We encourage trainees to explore their thoughts and actions, think about what they did or learned and then decide what they would do...
How to prioritise your to-do list and make the most of your time
A to-do list is at the heart of great productivity in any business. Honestly, how often do you start your day determined to achieve big things in your business, only to get by waylaid by client emails or someone else’s agenda? Perhaps you have your trusty to-do list...
How to create a training business that still works on sick days
Are you feeling sick about taking sick days off as a freelance trainer? You’re shivering, aching all over, your nose is streaming and your forehead is burning. All you want to do is crawl back under the duvet. But then you remember that you’re self-employed; you don’t...
Seven strategies to keep you motivated
Do you struggle to stay motivated when it comes to running your training business? You’re really not alone! Sometimes running your own business can be hard, it can be lonely, challenging, and tiring, even if you wouldn’t swap it for the world. To help you get unstuck,...
How to find time for marketing in your training business
One of the questions that I’m asked most frequently is, How can I deliver my training services and still find time for marketing? It’s a common worry. Many small businesses across every sector find that, because they get caught up with the day-to-day demands of...
How to overcome your negative self-talk
I recently came across a short but memorable blog by Seth Godin about self-talk, in which he said, “There is no more important criticism than self-criticism. There’s no amount of external validation that can undo the constant drone of internal criticism.” In the blog,...
How to find time to work on your training business, not in it
One of the biggest challenges freelance trainers face is juggling the need to work in their business - actually delivering the training and creating training materials - with the need to work on the business and developing its strategic direction. In my recent blog...
How to keep a positive mindset when things don’t go to plan
When you’re self-employed, there are times when keeping a positive mindset can feel like a tall order. You may be feeling overwhelmed by how much you have to do or having a major wobble about a large gap in your diary with no bookings. You may have had a client...
Seven traits of a successful freelance trainer
In my experience, becoming a successful freelance trainer is more about mindset and attitude than any external factors. Success looks different for everyone and, while some people seem to have everything you might need for success – education, money, options, a strong...
Why saying no is good for business
No. It’s such a small word, isn’t it? One that can have a massive impact but, for a lot of freelance trainers, can be a hard word to say. I imagine it’s because, as trainers, we tend to be interested in people. We’re passionate about communication and helping others...
How to overcome negative self talk for business success
One of the things that can hold you back as a freelance trainer is negative self-talk. Who are you to charge that much? Who would want to book you for training? You’re not as qualified as that other trainer. What if the client doesn’t like your training proposal? Will...
Five techy tools and apps that make running a training business easier (and save a lot of time)
If you’re self-employed as a trainer and have a small team or you work alone, then every second counts. You want to be able to spend as much time as possible on billable hours and growing your business, and as little time as possible on the mechanics of running a...
Seven secrets to a successful training business
In last week’s blog, we covered the basics of setting up a training business but, this week, I wanted to look at seven expert secrets of training business success, whether you’ve yet to launch or you’ve been freelancing for years: 1. Look after your existing...
Five ways you can protect your freelance training business from technology gremlins
One of the big realisations that I had when I first became a freelance trainer, especially before I started outsourcing a lot of the administrative jobs that come with running a business, is that I needed to get to grips with the technology I needed to use in my...
Five ways to cut overwhelm and get more stuff done
As you know, when you’re a freelance trainer actually delivering any training is just one part of what it takes to keep work coming in and your business ticking over. Like all freelancers, we trainers have to walk a fine line between managing the systems and processes...
Freelance Trainers: 5 Tips To Help You Feel Better About Selling
Most freelance trainers I know are very confident and outgoing people - when they are in the training room. However, the minute you mention the word 'selling' they are much less sure of themselves, in fact many trainers I know freely admit that they hate this...
Freelance Trainers: Does This Ever Happen To You?
Do you ever have days when you feel less confident than usual? Do you sometimes worry about whether you have done the right thing setting up on your own as a freelance trainer? Do you find yourself beating yourself up about your abilities when a potential client...
Fearless Freelancer #4: I’m Not Ready For Business Yet… Or Are You?
At the end of my Workshop - How To Create a Successful and Profitable Training Business - I always do a round the table review with all the delegates so that they can share their thoughts on the day. One one of the Workshops a couple of years ago I had this comment:...
Fearless Freelancer #3: Is There Ever A Good Time To Start?
One of the questions I get asked a lot when people are thinking of setting up as a freelance trainer is 'Can I set up my own business and start marketing myself whilst I'm still in employment? I want to make sure I have some contacts and some work coming in before I...
This One Thing Could Be Sabotaging Your Business
Hope you are having a good week. Are you enjoying the sunshine? Do you find it energises you and makes you feel great or does it distract you as you'd rather be sitting in the garden? It was probably one of the hottest days of the year on Friday when I ran How To...
This Might Make You Nervous – But It Works!
One of the things that has stood me in good stead over the years in terms of marketing my business is the idea that you should only use a marketing method that you really enjoy and feel comfortable doing. Afer all, if you don't enjoy doing something there is a strong...
Fearless Freelancer #2 – Too Scared To Take The Leap?
For 5 years, between 2005 and 2010 one of my best friends was constantly complaining about his job and wondering if he should go freelance or not. He's not a trainer, he's a sports photographer and had worked for one of the biggest agencies in the world since leaving...
Fearless Freelancer #1 – The Journey Begins
It struck me the other day that so much of the work I do with freelance trainers, whether it be as a Mentor or Workshop Facilitator is concerned with helping them overcome fears and worries of some kind. Being an independent trainer essentially means that you are...
Why There Are No Tips From Me This Week
We're into the first week of the school holidays here and if you are coping with kids at home I hope it's all going OK! Are you having a well deserved break away? Do you have a few days out planned? Or are you busy juggling work with family and feeling stressed out?...
4 Great Resources To Help You Grow Your Training Business
Wow! My message to you last week seemed to strike a chord and provoked an unexpected and immediate reaction... within minutes of sending it out I had loads of emails and tweets - so thankyou! Here are just a couple: 'A great email and one that I need to action - so...
How I’m Making Money From Home This Week
This week is a massive one for me. As I'm writing this one of my Associate Trainers, Nicki Davey is running my 1 Day Workshop How To Create A Successful And Profitable Training Business - The Easy Way! in the South West and on Friday Angie Reed will be doing the same...
What Are You Putting Off Till January That You Could Be Doing Now?
On Friday morning I'll be running the first of my monthly Trainer Talk sessions. Trainer Talk is an opportunity for freelance trainers to come together to learn, share and collaborate in a live and interactive training session. As it's run via the phone or web there's...
4 Quick Confidence Boosters For Freelance Trainers
On my Linked In Group - Trainer Talk - on Friday I posed the question: 'What have you achieved this week?' I'd been prompted to pose this question by the conversations I'd had recently with some of my clients - freelance trainers who are just starting out or...
How To Have a Productive Summer
Here in the UK the school holidays have just started, seven long weeks of kids being around the house and asking ‘What are we going to do today Mum?’ Most freelance trainers work from home and whilst we must take the opportunity to enjoy spending time with our...
Life As A Freelance Trainer: How To Overcome The Wobble Factor
When I first started out as a freelance trainer I was really excited, enthusiastic and positive. I was absolutely buzzing with ideas and plans about how to make my business a success and I just couldn’t wait to start putting it all into practice. I felt a...
Why Have I Set My Alarm To Write This Blog Post?
This weekend I was honoured to be invited along to Carrie Wilkerson's Mastermind Group in London. It was a fabulous day, I met up with some of my best business buddies as well as meeting some new people too. I really want to share with you a couple of fantastic...
Do You Have A Mindset For Success?
Having the right attitude and the right outlook towards your training business is critically important. You can get all the answers to what you should be doing to have a great business, you can find out everything there is to know about marketing and so on but...
Success Forming Habits
This week’s article comes courtesy of my friend and fellow trainer Jenny Flintoft, who together with Carrie Wilkerson runs the phenomenally successful Association of Work at Home Women. Jenny, Carrie, myself and other successful people believe that success doesn’t...
How To Have A Productive Summer
Here in the UK the school holidays have just started, seven long weeks of kids being around the house and asking ‘What are we going to do today Mum?’ Most freelance trainers work from home and whilst we must take the opportunity to enjoy spending time with our...
Who Do You Associate With?
Have you ever noticed how associating with positive people can have
10 Ways To Get Results From Free Information
One of the truly wonderful things about the internet is the access we all have now to free information. It’s all around us, freely available and every day our inboxes are full of newsletters, blogs, tips and invitations to sign up for more of the same. Even more...
10 Ways To Get Results From Free Information
One of the truly wonderful things about the internet is the access we all have now to free information. It's all around us, freely available and every day our inboxes are full of newsletters, blogs, tips and invitations to sign up for more of the same. Even more...
Are You Ready To Take Action?
The most successful freelance trainers – and indeed business owners and entrepreneurs I know have 1 thing in common. They are Action Takers. Here are some examples of actions you can take that will transform your training business and separate you from the rest of the crowd.
Why Self Confidence Is Crucial to The Success of Your Training Business
It's well known that lack of confidence and self belief is one of the biggest barriers to success. We were talking about this last week at the workshop and one person was saying that he was worried that big corporates wouldn’t pay for his services and he felt...
How To Keep Going When The Going Gets Tough
Let's face it, being a freelancer can be very lonely and it can be very easy to beat yourself up when something goes wrong. If you're not careful you can get on a downward spiral of self doubt - when that happens you may feel like giving up and going back to corporate...
