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Business Roadblocks

This week I have been pondering the different business styles that we all have. A) The perfectionists  - everything has to be perfect before they can move forward with their business.  They want to be able to preempt every possible scenario and have a solution before they even know what customers might be wanting.B) The business owners that jump into new ideas - and then figure things out on the fly.  Processes and Documentation is done as required, and often after ...

AI & Automation in your business

Today I sent out a newsletter about AI. The ironic thing was that I manually set up my newsletter and then got informed that the merge field wasn't working correctly! Yikes. Had I let my system automate this maybe the error wouldn't have happened. (or can AI make mistakes?) Using automation and AI in business can be a game-changer, but if not implemented properly, it can cause costly mistakes. Here are some of the most common pitfalls:1. Lack of Human Oversight🔹 Mistake: Assuming AI can fully...

Happy International Womens Day!

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY!   This blog is dedicated to the strong women that came before me and the women that are walking into the business future.Last year, I lost my mother, who was my biggest inspiration.  Mum paved the way for me to step into my business shoes and was my cheerleader and voice or reason.  Her schooling and career path were fascinating.  Due to her being put up a year at school (to make up the number in a small country Southland school), Mum star...

Fronting up in my business... regardless

There are days that fronting up in my business is down right exhausting!Last Friday night, I was out and about with friends, enjoying pizzas in a popular Lower Hutt seaside location. It was a stunning evening, and as the sun set, we took images of it setting over the water. We were also catching up after our Summer holidays! It was simple, relaxing, and a great way to finish up the week.Roll forward 10 hours later as I came home from ED with a broken nose, blood all over my clothes, and feeling ...

Josie Askin - Spring Coaching

Being the start of Spring, it was excellent to have a chance to interview the amazing Josie Askin from Spring Coaching.   Her journey incorporates her love of running, being motivated and how to share her passions of just counting to 5 and doing it with her clients.  At One Umbrella we recommend and work with an amazing group of people and Josie is certainly no exception.   From her websiteNext week will be differentDo you make next week promises to yourself?Next week Iâ...

PR in Business

Claire works alongside One Umbrella and provides amazing PR. We chatted about PR, and how it fits into every business. The simple answer is THE STORY - what is your business story? and how you tell that story, to existing and potential clients.  While many business owners have common elements with their competitors, there are various reasons why each business is different, and 9/10 times it is the story that is being told.   This could be the language used - casual, formal, quirky...

Writing a business plan

I've been doing some thinking about our business strategy lately, and I couldn't help but get excited about the idea of creating a roadmap for our future endeavors. 🚀You know, it's like planning a road trip. We wouldn't set off on an adventure without a map, right? Well, the same goes for our business journey. Having a roadmap – a clear, thought-out plan – can make all the difference in reaching our destination with minimal detours.Here are a few reasons why I'm buzzing about the idea:Gui...

Guest Wi-Fi for accommodation

 I was reading an article today and was surprised that good WiFi is still being discussed.  Wi-Fi in the accommodation sector should be as important as a great bed and a great shower.  With many options now to ensure that Wi-Fi can be received in the most remote corner of accommodation complexes, and multiple IT technicians around the country that can provide top-notch solutions, in our opinion this should be a no-brainer.    The first thing that I do when checking into ...

Setting up a new business

It doesn't matter if you have set up a new company previously - we totally understand that setting up your new business takes careful planning and can be time-consuming.   There are many steps to the setup process that require some thought and planning.This was highlighted recently when we set up our new business One Umbrella.  Our sister company Grow Orange has been running for 12 years and although the business plan has changed a few times, the basic setup was done properly...