Time for a Change?

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I was recently invited to submit a paper for publishing at EDiNEB (Education Innovation in Economics and Business) Conference, here is a short extract to see if it stimulates some debate!

The pace of change in the 20th century was phenomenal, to some it was even frightening, and it is still accelerating rapidly as we journey into the 21st century. Primarily driven by developments in technology, the impacts are being felt in all areas of our lives from the way we shop and the way we travel, to the way we access entertainment and even memories!

Change is always happening and, although the pace may vary in different aspects of existence, the increase in velocity overall means that we are now living in a time where paradigm shifts are not just possible, they are starting to become expected.

Technological capability in the information age has already affected major changes that empower the individual, most of which are charactarised by visibility, accountability, accessibility and connectivity. The result is a fundamental shift in the way we live, where information is accessed through technology to augment our physical reality continuously, 24/7. The way we communicate, the way we learn, the way we make decisions as well as the way we do business and the way we work.

The way we communicate

- We can access various levels of information about individuals (and organisations) across a range of channels as well as their associations and associates, be this in a social or business context
- We can each share layers of data about ourselves and others, managing access across a growing range of direct and broadcast media channels
- We are increasingly held responsible for what we say and do in the various roles we adopt in our working and social lives

The way we learn

- We can get answers to almost any question immediately through the internet, usually free of charge
- We can store our knowledge and even our memories (photos) externally, accessing them and sharing them in an increasing variety of ways
- We can effectively leverage the knowledge across our contact networks learning from our peers and sharing our own insights, and now formal training from top tier academic institutions is starting to become affordable and accessible online via MOOCS (Massive Online Open Courses)

The way we decide

- We can research ideas managing the “media filter” and choosing trusted sources to inform our opinions
- We know with a greater degree of certainty whether companies (and people) are competent and trustworthy
- We can continuously review and refine what holds real meaning for us, from big picture to specific issues, causes and beliefs

The impacts of change on the economic landscape and the world of work are equally compelling. Predictions made by eminent “Futurologist” Dr James Bellini only a couple of years ago are already becoming increasingly evident across the world.

“The [freelance] worker of the future will need to be a self-governing, self-marketing one-person enterprise.”    

Dr James Bellini 2010 (From PCG 2010 Report “Freeing Up Potential”)

All of this technological advancement is empowering individuals in completely new ways, inspiring a new “nation of shopkeepers”, a whole ecosystem of lean and agile micro-businesses, natural marketers and collaborators unfettered by the paranoia of competitive capitalism and not bound by endless bureaucracy.

I totally believe that this naturally emerging micro-business economy is an example of (socio-economic) systems ‘self-righting’, in the way technology has returned power to the individual, helping restore balance through collaboration and consensus. It is taking us towards a more sustainable future in terms of employment, commerce, ethics and the environment where individuals leverage the internet as a “tool for conviviality” to define meaning in their own working lives (Ivan Illich in 1972).

Know the 2nd law of certainty?

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‘Nothing is certain in life except for death and taxes’ Benjamin Franklin – 1789

Depressing eh. Sorry to start on that rather sour note, but it’s a phrase that holds true, even more so if you’re a freelancer. As a member of the self-employed you’re liable for a litany of tax laws and it often pays to know your tax facts, quite literally.

Getting your self-assessment finished and filed is probably paramount in your concerns, and whilst that might have been and gone, there’s still a lot to be wary of, especially given HMRC’s tendency to fiddle with their laws.

2013 is particularly tumultuous in this regard, the taxman bringing in a slew of legislation that’ll affect the self-employed in a range of ways.

It’s a lot to get your head around, but thankfully you’ve got finance bods like me who can clear things up a little. So, without further ado, here’s some of the tax developments freelancers should keep their eyes on this year…

January – Child Benefit changes

You may have felt this already, as it came into force on January 7th.

Essentially, it affects those in the higher echelons of earning, those with a salary of £60,000+ losing their entitlement to Child Benefit and those earning over the £50,000 threshold seeing their Child Benefit payments reduced. So, if you’re amongst the freelancers in these pay brackets, bear in mind the implication this could have on your finances.

April – introduction of Real Time Information

If you’re amongst the limited company freelancers out there, then Real Time Information is something that you’ll need to get up to speed with. Conversely, if you’re a sole trader, then you needn’t worry.

At its crux, R.T.I is a new scheme designed to streamline the flow of payroll information between employers and HMRC, the basic thrust of the scheme being to ensure that the payroll information HMRC holds for your company is as up-to-date as possible.

This will be achieved by getting companies to submit records on or before every payday instead of once a year. So for limited company freelancers this means that every time you draw a salary you must notify HMRC, either through a piece of compliant payroll software or by using HMRC’s Basic PAYE tools.

If you’re a limited company freelancer, chances are you’ll have an accountant, so have a chat with them to ensure that either they’ve got – or can at least point you towards – the appropriate payroll software. That way you’ll avoid any nasty fines.

April, again – rate and threshold changes

The 6th April ushers in a new tax year and this year, there’s a number of rate changes. Amongst the highlights you’ll find…

  • a 1% drop in the Main Rate of Corporation Tax to 23%
  • a rise in the Personal Allowance to £9,440
  • a drop in the Higher Rate threshold to £32,010
  • and a lowering of the Additional Rate from 50% to 45%

These will have varying implications depending on your financial position, so examine that and then try to determine how the above might impact upon you.

October – Universal Credit

Elsewhere, something that’s worth bearing in mind if you receive Income Support, Working Tax Credits or Child Tax Credits is that your payments will be changing with the introduction of the Universal Credit. The usual parliamentary toing and froing makes it hard to decipher whether its introduction is a good or a bad thing, but you can get a basic overview of just what this new piece of legislation means here.

Of 2013’s incoming legislation, these four are likely to affect the freelance community the most. Make sure you’ve taken the right precautions to avoid any fines and that you take the right steps to achieve optimum tax-efficiency. 2013 might then be a tad more profitable than the last!

Mark James is an in-house writer for online accountants Crunch, and a regular contributor to Freelance Advisor.

In Demand – GUEST POST

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Richard McMunn from how2become Gives us his take on the skills that pay the bills in freelancing…

People decide to become freelance workers for many reasons, whether it is because they would like to work from home, work and travel, or simply because they would just like to work for themselves. It is possible to become a freelancer in almost any industry, although some are clearly more lucrative and convenient than others. Below, are some of the more popular fields that attract freelance workers.

Web Design: The internet has been with us for many years, but it is only during the last five or so that a rapid expansion has taken place. Easy online shopping is no longer a novelty, and there are websites and blogs in their hundreds of thousands. Becoming a freelance web designer gives access to this huge global market; where people and businesses are looking to create and revamp their websites. Web design is perfect for freelancers who have skills in this area, and picking and choosing the right projects can be very financially rewarding.

Graphic Artist: One could argue that freelancing as a graphic artist is a centuries old occupation. Certainly, in the last fifty years or so, businesses have become keen to project a corporate image, and hire freelancers to provide logos and other images used in corporate branding. In addition to this, there is a big demand for graphic artists online, where their skills are used to make websites look more attractive, and many more things besides. Showcasing work online is also a method used by successful freelance graphic artists to promote themselves.

Copywriter: This is perhaps the oldest profession which lends itself to freelancing, and providing a person has good contacts and a good reputation, a nice, comfortable living can be had. Most people will concentrate on writing for magazines, newspaper columns or brochures, and some find it useful to establish their credentials as an expert in a certain area. The pay for copywriters in the aforementioned fields is significantly higher than in web content creation though.

Photographers: The most important aspects of freelance work is in being skilled in a certain field, developing a good reputation, and having great contacts. Nowhere is this more important than in the field of photography. The best photographer in the world will fail as a freelancer if they cannot sell the photos that they have taken. The successful freelancers though will always find work, as there is a huge demand for quality photos ranging from wedding photographs through to paparazzi-style shots of famous celebrities.

Translation: The need for translators has never been higher than now, due to globalisation and the ease in which we can travel around the planet. It was thought that one day computers would be able to automatically translate languages, but doing it in a manner that is readable is still far way. In the meantime, freelancers are translating work contracts, television shows, books and websites. Good and accurate translation always commands a premium, and this is a very lucrative area for freelancers with excellent language skills.

Why not search and browse the Skills Hive profiles to see how people are promoting their skills in these areas?

For more information on the benefits of becoming a freelancer and working with freelancers see other Skills Hive blog posts…

Employment 3.0

Getting Engaged

Deal or No Deal?

www.how2become.com was established by Richard McMunn in 2005, who was working as a Fire Officer for Kent Fire & Rescue Service at the time. Since writing his first book, how to become a firefighter, Richard has gone on to author various titles spanning across multiple careers . The company has grown and developed into the UK’s leading careers information and development website. Connect with How2become on www.facebook.com/How2Become

Sharing is Caring! GUEST POST

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This was something written for the www.mediatoreal.com blog earlier in November, but I think it may be of use to some of you if you haven’t seen it already…

In celebration of Entrepreneurship Week and Global Sharing day I want to make available a couple of the tools I have been using loads with clients this year.

Having spent time at the British Library on Monday in their Business Village event, and an afternoon in the company of some very forward thinking Social Entrepreneurs at The People Who Share’s gathering at Mozilla’s lovely space in London, I decided it is my duty as a caring stoker of the economy to talk you through a few of the approaches that form the support I provide to companies looking to grow.

A good place for me to start is with a practical tool I use with Startups – my Thought Leadership Model for social media and conversational marketing.

My belief is that it has become practically impossible to credibly claim to be an expert in anything these days, the world is simply changing too quickly. The pace of developments in technology and therefore all areas of business (and life in general!) means that, in some cases at least, 20 years of experience in a specialist field is not nearly as valuable as having your finger on the pulse of current and emerging trends (admittedly you can have both!)

What this means is that many younger and less experienced people are in a fantastic position to provide thought leadership on specific areas of business and commerce, based on their understanding of what’s happening right now and their ability to project forward and perceive a future state in keeping with the rate of change.

It always begins with LISTENING, give yourself time to form a valid opinion

You have to get to know at least some of the following before getting involved…

- who is talking about what and how influential are they?

- where is the conversation taking place and why did it start?

- what are the prevalent opinions and how have they changed?

- why is the subject relevant and what makes it important right now?

- how has the discussion evolved and where’s it heading?

- when is the right time for you to join in and what should you say?

For most businesses still in their infancy the immediate opportunity with Social Media is more about joining an existing industry or need specific conversation, rather than monitoring and addressing discussions about your own brand. The whole exercise can become quite labour intensive as you manually trawl through the seemingly endless data in search of relevant groups, threads and hashtags. Groups to join on LinkedIn, people to follow on Twitter, competitor Facebook pages to monitor and community sites that look like they might be interested in your specialist field. The risk of paralysis through analysis is not insignificant! Depending on the size of the task, but not necessarily your budget, there may be some bright young thing out there who has developed a handy programme, app or otherwise described gadgetry that will do a lot of the hard work for you.

There are loads of tools to assist with this sort of thing online. From elaborate Social Media monitoring systems like Salesforce.com’s Marketing Cloud (formerly Radian 6) and Sysomos Heartbeat but many of these are expensive. The good news is there are a huge number of free tools available as well. Probably the best known and certainly the simplest is good old Google Alerts. Just set up email prompts based on relevant keywords and decide how often you want to be notified about what’s happening. Beyond this essential core standard lies a vast array of more powerful solutions that are still free but offer far more granularity in the way of analysis. One in particular that caught my eye is Social Apps HQ, they’ve combined all the key elements from keyword conversation tracking, brand monitoring and influencer ratings to sentiment analysis, mention trends and response tools.

Once these inputs have informed your opinions, you’ve identified where the conversations are happening and who you need to engage, just share your views. Comment on blogs and articles, use the hash tags, get involved. And as you build your credibility why not start your own discussions around topics that will further demonstrate your relevance and insight, the stuff that will secure you new clients. Just make sure you include links back to your site to help people access deeper content (perhaps your own blog or white papers), don’t be afraid to include a call to action in messages, just ensure it is relevant and respectful – a natural part of the conversation not a sales message.

Use the conversational activity across social media and comment threads to join the dots between the discussions and your more detailed information in your site. Create a natural journey from discussion to service information and purchase decision, taking a route that demonstrates your understanding of the landscape and acknowledges…

-          TRENDS in the economy and or a specific market sector

-          IMPLICATIONS for businesses and consumers affected

-          POSSIBILITIES in terms of potential responses to the situation

-          SOLUTIONS that include your skills and services

The visual model represented above is just a snapshot of my view of a structured approach based on the current media environment. It can be developed and refined as the world changes while retaining the core principles of Listen, Learn, Engage and Influence (although, I find the word influence has negative connotations – can anyone suggest an alternative? I want to say “help” or “assist” while acknowledging that this is marketing but with a focus on customer need!)

Do let us know if you find this sort of thing useful, there is more to share if it will help you develop your approach to marketing and business strategy!

Getting Engaged?

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Our last newsletter introduced the idea that freelancers, and other professional virtual team members, are likely to be more “engaged” and aligned with your business vision than many permanent employees. You told us this warranted further consideration – and we agree!

That’s why our current research project includes questions which ask business owners for their views on the performance of project teams and their expectations when it comes to engagement of internal (employees) and external (freelance) team members.

Many studies over the last 5-10 years have concluded that “engagement” is the key to innovation, performance and productivity and there are some truly compelling statistics (see below) that demonstrate both the positive and negative impacts of ensuring all team members understand, believe in and take ownership of the company’s future;  the goals and the vision. Our own project will help translate this knowledge into useful insights actionable within the emerging, more fluid, employment landscape.

The UK Government’s Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) commissioned a comprehensive report on the subject of Employee Engagement, quoting some fascinating statistics from such trusted international sources as Gallup, Tower Perrins-ISR and the Chartered Management Institute.

Did you know that…

Companies with the best levels of employee engagement (top quartile) can expect to see…

-          18% higher productivity

-          12% higher profitability

-          An EPS (earnings per share) rate 2.6 times higher

…than companies found in the bottom quartile

Likewise, companies in that bottom quartile of employee engagement measurement suffer…

-          Employee turnover 31-51% higher

-          Theft or stock “shrinkage” 51% higher

-          62% more accidents in the workplace

…than companies in the top quartile

Not only this, there are many examples of British companies across various sectors that have quoted similar findings specific to their own operations and business models.

The Co-operative Group focused on developing employee engagement in their recent period of transformation, introducing a focus on engagement that changed their approach to internal communication which has underpinned the turnaround of the business.

Yorkshire based public transport provider Metro has developed an employee engagement program which has helped the company change from a traditional and bureaucratic operation to an award winning innovator with high rates of employee retention and customer satisfaction.

The construction industry was hit hard by the recent economic downturn, with sales figures dropping by 50% year in year JCB pro-actively managed employee engagement to ensure they have a sustainable business built around people who understand the strategy for ensuring they come out the other side ready to grow again.

Also the CIPD regularly quote the most recent examples in their workshops and presentations including major high street and supermarket brands like M&S and Tesco.

In my experience working with large companies, smaller businesses and as a business owner myself, generally speaking the people who are quickest to…

A – understand the concepts and strategies relating to a project/business vision
B – make valid and useful suggestions that will help refine the approach
C – get enthusiastic about action and the delivery of the objectives

…are those team members who have been business owners themselves, the freelancers who are used to thinking strategically about a range of different client business models, at the same time as completing actions to get a job done, making them both agile and adaptable. It can be far more difficult and time consuming to get a similar level of engagement (and therefore performance) from full time employees who have had a narrower range of experience with less strategic decision making – and perhaps even a focus on the security of a monthly wage, rather than delivering client value and trading on reputation.

Whether a team consists of internal employees, external consultants, freelance specialists or a mixture; the quicker you can generate and confirm alignment with the goal the sooner you can make progress against the objectives. Without a shared vision the risk of mistakes, confusion and inefficiency increases massively.

The natural process is to hold a thorough discussion with everyone involved to explore all aspects of where you want to go, getting input and ideas on how to get there and defining their role and responsibilities. It is important to test understanding in advance and along the way, so you can make decisions on whether individuals “get-it” enough to be involved.

That is the whole purpose of the task proposal and discussion elements of the Skills-Hive system. Putting people ahead of process to create more effective teams with everyone aligned to a shared vision.

“One of the key aspects of delivering great projects is making sure that everyone buys in to the goal and the vision. Only working with full-timers can be a false economy – in my experience including freelancers with the right skills can help get more done faster – as they are very delivery focussed – and often the quickest to engage with a great vision.”

Tom Ball – Founder of NearDesk “The card that lets you work anywhere”

Initial discussions with Hirers in our research project have helped us develop and refine our understanding of the importance of this element of team formulation. Building on the insights gained, we want to explore how best to take this aspect of the Skills-Hive ethos further, embedding the engagement principles deeper within the system. We can look at creating things like “alignment ratings” for Workers within the Hirer dashboard and evolving the feedback system to include a measure of how good people are at communicating a vision as a Hirer and engaging with it as a Worker, but more importantly we want to make it as easy and intuitive as possible for Hirers to communicate and explore their vision with team members, perhaps introducing mind mapping tools to aid the discussion. Any other ideas are welcome!

So, what do you think?…

Have you had experience working with freelancers on a project?

What was it like getting them on board in terms of vision and engagement?

What challenges have you faced when enthusing and aligning full time employees with the business strategy?

Maybe your experience has been completely different to what we have found out so far, we would love to hear from you! (just leave a comment below or head to our Facebook page)

Hack It Up!

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I am sure you have all had the same feelings of frustration as me at some point, when you are attempting to get something done and you start thinking “it shouldn’t be this difficult” or “this just feels like bureaucracy gone mad!”

The mountains of red tape we sometimes face can bring on the red mist, we can get angry or we can do something about it. One option is to simply complain but that rarely results in a solution. Another option is to actively look for or create short cuts. This is Process Hacking.

When an organisation insists on putting obstacles in your way, making you jump through hoops in the shape of form filling and endless layers of sign-off and authorisation, the solution is to get creative, change the game and find a new route to the result you are after.

There are several examples of this sort of thing happening already, especially in relation to Government administrative processes. I read online about a resident in one of the London Boroughs who attempted to do his civic duty in reporting issues with roads in need of repair that were having a negative impact on his local community. The number of forms he had to complete to communicate the problems to the right authorities, and the delays in any action being taken as the issues were passed from department to department drove him to desperation. As a result he created a community web portal where residents could log localised problems with roads and other similar issues, upload pictures from their phones and, once he had finally established who in the council could do something about it, created a direct feed to their team for rapid response. This has now turned into the FixMyStreet website. Genius!

Other examples that come to mind include the way musicians have developed and adopted technology to bypass the traditional routes to success. In the past getting your music heard on any significant scale involved layer upon layer of intermediaries between the talent and their audience, all attempting to “guide” the output (or dilute it) and all taking a slice of the pie adding cost to the consumer. Now as consumers we have access to a seemingly endless source of new music via Soundcloud, MySpace, Spotify and Last.fm. We are all A&R talent scouts these days, and if we are overwhelmed by the volume of material and need some sort of filter, we don’t look to the record companies we ask our friends for recommendations because that’s who we trust.

And what about print publishing? I regularly hear stories about authors using new digital print technology to self-publish having struggled for years to get a traditional publisher interested in their work. They have been told they need an agent before they can submit anything, agents are either not interested or put even more barriers in their way and they get nowhere. However, once they have their ISBN number and start selling direct to market via Amazon, their own websites and social media pages, the publishers start coming to them with offers! The power of technology (in the right hands) to drive efficiency and effectiveness is phenomenal, people are changing entire industries, is yours next?

Having worked for large corporations I am only too aware that over-engineered processes are not limited to Government departments and having worked in sales I know that with a little lateral thinking there are ways and means to hack a process. Don’t get me wrong, checks and measures are an important aspect of running a decent business, but if they impede agility and the response to opportunity they can kill a business.

Take procurement for instance. The principle of finding the right suppliers at the right price sounds good to me but in large businesses facing hard times this has very readily become – “let’s treat every service as a commodity, squeeze suppliers to get the lowest price, prevent anyone from sourcing outside of the approved suppliers list and design a lengthy process for getting anyone added to it”. The results of this sort of big business “strategic thinking” are often rapidly shrinking revenues masked by a perceived short term increase in profit, but eventually profit suffers as well.

This type of regime stifles innovation and product development, it leads to disengaged employees who are not empowered to make decisions and disaffected suppliers who either have to start charging more to other clients (unfairly), refuse to work with the big brand (at their peril) or suffer in silence and perhaps go out of business. What is certain is that even if they continue the relationship these companies, including marketing and other creative agencies, are unlikely to be delivering their best solutions as it is no longer a win/win relationship for them.

Many large companies have recognised that this sort of approach isn’t sustainable and, as with most things, the cycle of change is moving us away from such wholesale constraints. The changes are in part driven by those “dissidents” within the organisations who have hacked the processes and demonstrated that there is a better way, individuals can be trusted to make good business decisions that improve efficiency and effectiveness in the short and long term.

I was working with a client as mediatoreal recently and we were exploring potential routes to market for her business Bracket Creative. One of the ideas we developed was around working closely with consultants who are already part of the value chain, not only to better understand the end client and get introductions but potentially to form alliances and partnerships that bypass procurement processes by working alongside an existing approved supplier.

When it comes to process Human Resources professionals are renowned for let’s say – getting a bit carried away. But, good news, there is a new movement on the rise even among respected members of the HR industry body the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) itself. #PUNKHR

If you are unhappy with the time it takes for you to get access to the skills you need to deliver an opportunity then let’s #PUNKHR

If you are concerned with the layers of brokerage and associated cost involved in the recruitment process then let’s #PUNKHR

If you want more localised responsibility for addressing short term temporary skills gaps then let’s #PUNKHR

So, who is ready for a bit of process hacking? Maybe you are doing it already and being thanked for your ingenuity? Tell us about it…

Pay It Forward

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When you have been fortunate enough to have found your route to success, the most rewarding thing you can do is help others to find their own path.

One of my favourite quotes on mentoring is from Sir Richard Branson. Even the most successful business people are able to admit that they received plenty of assistance along the way and it is great to hear them recognising the benefits of being a mentor as well as receiving support.

“The support of experienced entrepreneurs is a key ingredient to help build and grow a successful business. Sharing experiences and ideas is also a key requirement of being a good mentor… be prepared to learn as much as you teach!”

- Sir Richard Branson

Back in November our Hive News “Meant to Mentor” email focused on the importance of mentors in the business world and provided some tips on how to find the sort of support and guidance that’s right for you.

As we begin to launch our Job4Life and Virtual Teaming workshops and Boot Camps this summer, we are actively seeking established freelancers and business owners who have the skills and experience to support our Newbee freelancers and entrepreneurs beginning their journey in the commercial world.

The model has been designed to help participants learn about themselves in terms of their marketable skills and talents, their preferred styles of communication and natural ways of working. We then develop their ability to identify potential hirers and communicate the value they can deliver, tailoring communications to specific audiences and their needs. The programme results in an opportunity to respond to a live brief from a hiring business which could lead to their first paid work as a freelancer. Throughout the process the attendees will have access to suitably experienced mentors who can help answer their questions, providing guidance on key issues and considerations.

We are already seeing plenty of interest from undergraduate students and we are working closely with Universities and organisations like NACUE (National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs) to provide support to the most ambitious emerging talent. But age isn’t the key determinant of ambition. There are many individuals finding themselves in career transition by choice or otherwise. These people are looking at the changing face of employment and considering freelancing as a positive potential career direction for the first time.

Within the range of people considering how they can self-promote to secure freelance work, beyond the students already mentioned, are key groups like Mums on Maternity Leave who have proven professional skills and experience that they can use to bring real value to business projects as a virtual team member. Also, slightly older business statesmen (and women) who don’t want to retire while they still have so much to offer the commercial world in terms of experience and wisdom. If you provide these individuals with mentoring support that helps them shape their approach to self-employment and then blend their mix of energy and talent, there are some amazing opportunities for businesses to create formidable virtual teams to deliver fast paced business growth projects.

There is a multitude of reports and surveys about the effect of mentoring and other forms of non-financial support on businesses, here are some interesting perspectives from a 2011 report published by Youth Business International (YBI) relating specifically to young entrepreneurs…

Businesses are more successful: 55% of young entrepreneurs agree that their business is more successful as a result of the non-financial support they received.

Operational challenges are overcome: two thirds of young entrepreneurs can think of a significant operational challenge in their business that they were able to solve as a result of their non-financial support, that reduced costs and increased profit/turnover in their business.

Loan repayment rates improve: 54% of young entrepreneurs would have struggled to repay their loan over the same time period without non-financial support.

Access to finance increases: the likelihood of approval for a commercial loan more than doubles when young entrepreneurs have established a track record and benefited from receiving a range of non-financial services.

Young entrepreneurs feel more confident: 84% of young entrepreneurs feel more confident running their business as a result of the non-financial support they received.

And the value you receive from the experience of mentoring cannot be underestimated, you will be amazed at what can be revealed about yourself and the benefit of just being around such enthusiastic and creative minds.

Ketan Makwana from Enterprise Lab and Youth Enterprise Live sees huge benefit from providing mentoring and support to others…

“Mentoring is all about developing a platform for others to prosper from… not only does one have to instil confidence or guidance but also provide opportunity… I have found mentoring others extremely enjoyable, educational and empowering. For me mentoring is not just about what expertise I can bring to others, but also what I can learn from them too.”

So, if you have what it takes to help develop the next generation of business leaders, and you also want to continue to learn something new about yourself by working with young entrepreneurial talent, just add “mentoring” as a skill to the talents in your Skills Hive profile. We will be in touch with you about opportunities to get involved with our workshops over the summer.

Why not also add a video clip to your profile which tells us about your personal style of mentoring and how you specifically want to support enterprising new talent.

“Employment 3.0″

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It is pretty obvious that the world is changing all the time and we are all coming to terms with the accelerating nature of this change. The key driver appears to be technology, or at the very least it is a major catalyst that turbo-charges our natural evolution. The debate rages endlessly as to whether the latest developments are good, bad or otherwise but none of us (as yet) can put back the clock. This fact doesn’t make these discussions pointless or futile, they are an essential element of the process of feedback and iteration that occurs in any organic system, our responses help shape our future.

You may have seen the link I shared to a really interesting post on the Harvard Business Review blog written by Professor Rita McGrath. The piece stimulated an extensive conversation regarding the merits and threats posed by the trend towards a more flexible and mobile global workforce. Some of the largely American contributors were concerned that individuals would lose out in terms of being made to source their own healthcare and pension solutions, usually seen as a key benefit of traditional employment there.

Comments from others around the globe seemed more focused on the positives for business of being able to have more flexible control of resourcing costs, there was some concern for the individual worker and the need to provide some sort of centralised support for a large increase in the global “freelancer” population, but overall it was acknowledged that increased choice for the individual to manage their own workload and schedule could only be a good thing.

My own contribution was to point out that people are fast realising that one job equals maximum risk, having the choice to self promote skills to find security in a range of project based work can be more fulfilling as well as more flexible. I went on to reference the way the Skills Hive business model is developing to include training designed to help businesses and individuals understand and identify the opportunities being created by technology and the emerging employment landscape.

 

Job 4 Life

Based on the premise that the only “Job For Life” in this day and age is Freelancing, we have developed a 4 day programme to help people who are new to freelancing to take a structured approach to finding paid project work as part of a virtual team. It starts with getting to know yourself in terms of skills and preferred styles of working, moving on to finding a hiring audience who you can help to grow their business. All the outputs are captured in our Job4Life tool which is designed for ongoing use to develop and manage your opportunity pipeline.

Doing More With Less

For businesses that want to develop a strategic approach to agile and efficient resourcing we have a different programme, also run over 4 days. Companies are shown methods and techniques to clearly define your core business focus, identify skills gaps and talents required to deliver business plan objectives and systems for building and managing a virtual team. As an attendee you leave with an active operating plan that can be developed further to support continuous business growth.

 

We want to continue developing both tools into handy “Apps” that can be updated on the move via your Smartphone. This approach will help individuals and businesses to continuously build strategic plans, updating skills and experience, identifying new opportunities and building talent pools that will drive success.

This summer, working with Enterprise Lab to take the proposition to market, we plan to run both programmes in a Summer Camp format that brings together freelance debutants, experienced mentors and ambitious businesses to initiate live projects in the Skills Hive that will lead to new commercial relationships based on agile resourcing principles. If you are interested in taking part leave us a comment below and we’ll get in touch directly with more details.

As the design of training modules continues we will be looking at what elements, tools and features we can incorporate into the Skills Hive online infrastructure, so let us know what you would like to see…

Already under consideration are…

-          Mind Mapping Tools

-          Problem Solving Process Schema

-          Communications styles and preferences tests

-          …

Feel free to add to the list!