Show
by
  • Is anyone else feeling a real sense of positivity at the moment?

    There seems to be a bit of a buzz around business, collaboration and new ideas right now.

    I’m definitely feeling it at Tiverton WorkHub.

    More conversations, more people connecting, more collaboration, new opportunities opening up, and a real sense that things are starting to move.

    There’s still plenty to do, but I’m feeling genuinely excited…

    Read more

    Stuart Morrison, Steve Dowe and 2 others
    4 Comments
    • yes I think you’re right – there seems to be a buzz of activity, ideas and conversations – an exciting time and cheers to success for all!

      2
      • @sl007 yes, lots of emails and calls right now, all hopefully leading somewhere. Did you want to do a 121 over the next couple of weeks? Love to find out more about what’s happening in Tiv!

        • View 2 replies
    • That was an hour I will never get back!

      I’ve just come out of one of those networking meetings where I apparently learned absolutely everything… except anything about the other person’s ability to listen.

      Within a fairly short space of time I discovered that:

      • They are extremely good at networking.
      • Their business is incredibly important.
      • Their service costs nothing.
      • It can apparently…

      Read more

      Josephine Rowe and Emma Dunnett
      1 Comment
      • Networking does produce some interesting conversations, and I am probably on someone’s list of odd encounters. Guaranteed I will be the most memorable conversation you have all week though… if only for the suit 😉

      • Who is in the Neighbourhood?

        Hi all, I am Simon Lloyd, I am the Tiverton WorkHub Manager & Community Builder with Signal.

        I would love to connect with anyone in the Mid Devon area, please give me a connection request and we can create our community on here.

        I hope to hear from you soon.

        Stuart Morrison and Emma Selby
        1 Comment
      • What makes a networking event genuinely successful?

        Is it the number of people in the room?

        The quality of the conversations?

        New customers, useful introductions, fresh ideas, or simply leaving feeling more confident than when you arrived?

        We are reviewing and developing our networking programme at Tiverton WorkHub, and I would love to hear about your experiences.

        What is the best networking event…

        Read more

        Stuart Morrison, Matthew Laakvand and Christina Relf
        6 Comments
        View more comments
        • I find networking events are more about attitude more than anything else, and the opportunity to find out who people are looking for. I’m always on the lookout for connections beyond the room. For instance, if I’m at an event and hear an accountant is looking for bookkeepers and then at another networking event, I come across a bookkeeper,…

          Read more

          2
          • View 2 replies
        • A really interesting post, Simon. I think it’s largely down to chemistry on the day and offering a variety of opportunities (as you already do). I might go to a speaker event if I found that the speaker/subject was someone of interest to me. Ideally a mix of free and paid-for events would be good for any business owner who’s watching the…

          Read more

          3
          • View 1 reply
        • View more comments
      • Is there an mobile app on the horizon?

        I find logging in on mobile quite an ordeal. i find myself having to join and the scrolling to the bottom and then finding the “already have an account” button and signing in that way

        Steven Obaditch
        3 Comments
        View more comments
      • Music can make or break my focus.

        I’ve got a Spotify playlist that seems to hit the sweet spot when I need to get my head down, work through a long to-do list, or be creative. It’s been built up over time and has become my go-to soundtrack.

        I’d love to know what everyone else listens to when they’re working. As the guy on the McDonalds Advert says. “Expend your pallet”

        Do you…

        Read more

        Colin Slade, Josephine Rowe and 2 others
        15 Comments
        View more comments
        • Nice, Simon. I’m a bit of a work playlist party pooper I’m afraid! I can’t concentrate when there’s music going on, even if it’s classical music 😕

          • Thanks Simon I’ll have a listen ! I cant work to anything that has much of a recognisable tune or lyrics but I like to use Brainwaves and trance music or what Alexa calls yoga music to keep me focused.

            1
            • View more comments
          • Energy is contagious... but so is silence

            I often think people assume that if you’re energetic, positive and always full of ideas, then it must come naturally.

            The truth is, creating energy is hard work.

            Over the past few weeks I’ve realised that there’s a huge difference between being busy and building momentum. You can spend every hour solving problems, organising events, meeting…

            Read more

            Colin Slade, Josephine Rowe and 2 others
            5 Comments
            • I agree with you Simon, leading a successful group is about creating that energy that moves everything forward. But it will obviously ebb and flow, and sometimes there will be sticking points. I think a good leader definitely creates and environment where others are confident that they can bring their own energy. There’s also a skill in…

              Read more

              1
              • View 1 reply
            • I always say that I am the “frame”, no one goes to see the frame around the Mona Lisa, but the wrong frame you’d absolutely notice! My job is to give enough space so that others can shine and sparkle and be awesome!

              1
              • View 2 replies
          • Working Remotely Question

            When you employ someone remotely, does it matter where they’re based?

            Would you be just as happy employing someone hundreds of miles away as someone working remotely just 10 miles from your office?

            Does being local still have value for occasional face-to-face meetings, understanding the local area and building stronger working relationships, or…

            Read more

            Matthew Laakvand and Christina Relf
            7 Comments
            View more comments
            • Good question, Simon. I work remotely, from my home/office, unless a client wants me to work from theirs. I think face-to-face meetings are important. I also think, when doing contract or fractional work, that it’s important to connect properly with your colleagues, so some in-person days and/or meetings are essential. However, depending on…

              Read more

              1
              • View 1 reply
            • Interesting topic Simon

              I often navigate toward people more locally, whether thats clients, business partners or companies I have worked for in the past .

              I guess psychologically It has a better trust perception and that you can get on with them better because they are not that far from you, you can meet up and discuss things face to face if…

              Read more

              1
              • View more comments
            • What are you most proud of?

              What’s the achievement in your business that you’re most proud of?

              Not your biggest turnover.
              Not your best month.
              Not your biggest client.

              The moment that made you stop and think, “I’ve actually done it.”

              Maybe it was your first sale, your first employee, surviving a difficult year, helping a customer, or simply keeping the doors open when it…

              Read more

              Colin Slade, Rob Fryer and 2 others
              11 Comments
              View more comments
              • Mine was probably the realisation that I could (and did) keep everything going and make a life for my son and me after my divorce. Being the sole provider actually made me try even harder to make my business work. I surprised myself with several months of a turnover that I previously hadn’t dreamt of. Obviously that kind of thing doesn’t last,…

                Read more

                2
                • View 4 replies
              • It went to my first ever employee.

                She’ll know who she is.

                I arranged the interview after a conversation with her dad. She arrived with her mum because she was so nervous. The funny thing is, I think I was even more nervous.

                I’d never managed anyone before. I wasn’t sure how to share my workspace or whether I could trust someone else to… Read more

                3
                • View 2 replies
              • View more comments
            • Who do you turn to when you are alone?

              Not physically alone. Professionally alone.

              When something goes brilliantly and you want to share the win with someone who genuinely understands why it matters.

              When you’ve had one of those frustrating days and just need to get the rant out of your system.

              When you’ve got an idea bouncing around your head and need someone to challenge it, improve…

              Read more

              Josephine Rowe, Stuart Morrison and 2 others
              3 Comments
              View more comments
              • That is one thing I have found one of the most valuable things I have got from the SiGNAL community. Most of us are individual business owners and having a solid group of people to chat to that are in the same boat, to share struggles, wins or just to keep you sane is gold.

                Whatever you are going through – good or bad, reach out to that…

                Read more

                2
                • And that is exactly the point of joining a group such as Signal. It creates an atmosphere of trust and support. People should feel free to discuss their problems, issues etc because we will all have a different take on it. We will see it from a different angle and then comes that Lightbulb moment! It’s also good to know you are not alone!

                  3
                  • View more comments
                • Load More