Blogs

EN Indy Award Nominated

indy

We are over the moon to announce that we have been nominated for FOUR Exhibition News Indy Awards!

To be recognised by Exhibition News is a huge honour for any exhibition organiser let alone one only a few years old!

As always, a huge thank you to all of the Inspired Motive team for all of their hard work that went into launching The Business Revival Series and growing The Care & Occupational Therapy Show.

And a special well done to Luke Outram for being nominated for Best Indy Event Director!

Keep an eye on us because we're only getting bigger and better from here!

Best Independent Trade Show Launch

Bravest Launch

Most Impressive Growth – Trade Show

Best Indy Event Director- Luke Outram, Care & Occupational Therapy Show

Ross Kemp Announced as Keynote Speaker

We are thrilled to announce that BAFTA award-winning documentary maker, actor, and author, Ross Kemp will doing an intimate Q&A at The Business Revival Series!

Ross will be sharing some of the most dangerous adventures of his career so far in an intimate fireside chat about his life and how he turned his passions into a career.

Join Ross at The Business Revival Series by registering for a free ticket and adding the 16th March to your calendar ✅

📍London, ExCeL
📆 16th March 2023
🎫 https://loom.ly/OLE8MUY

How Small Businesses Can Assess and Mitigate Their Cloud Security Risk

secureflo

The rapid growth of cloud solutions has provided new opportunities for small business owners, but those opportunities come with security challenges. Cloud solutions enable small businesses to implement business ideas with economies of scale at a lower cost and with minimal staff. Cloud technologies provide many options for infrastructure, operations, and security. To protect critical business data, businesses of all sizes using the Cloud need to assess their cybersecurity risks and develop a plan to address them.

With the rapid growth of Cloud solutions, cyber hackers can target an expanding user base for data and financial theft. Small businesses now face similar security risks as enterprises with more resources to address those risks. 55% of small and medium-sized businesses have experienced a data breach or a cyber attack. Today, 43% of spear phishing attacks are targeted at small and medium-sized businesses. The data shows that 60% of companies that are victims of cyber attacks are severely affected financially.

Cyber hackers always look for the weakest link in their target’s infrastructure. The Cloud and cloud-based software enables us to share information seamlessly and globally, but this interdependence creates multiple vulnerabilities. Governments and industry organizations have attempted to address the cyber threats to data and personally identifiable information (PII) by developing regulations, levying fines for noncompliance, and establishing best practices for protecting data against cyber threats. Global connectivity requires small businesses to understand the best Cloud technology to use, its security weaknesses, and the compliance regulations they must comply with.

For a small business, the legal fines from state and federal governments can be a death sentence and bankrupt the company. Some small businesses cannot function after an attack that results in the loss of electronically protected health information (ePHI) or other sensitive data. Unlike large companies, small and medium-sized businesses have fewer resources to respond effectively to data breaches. A company that suffers a data breach can permanently damage its reputation in the eyes of customers and prospects, no matter how good its products and services are.

To read more click here.

Managing Difficult Conversations at Work – 6 Strategies to Avoid Conflict

No matter how strongly you try and avoid workplace conflict, there comes a time for most business owners when difficult conversations become the only option.

We often try to avoid them, fearing that we may make a difficult situation worse, or that we may say the wrong thing, causing an already awkward conversation to escalate out of control. We fear that a difficult conversation may damage our relationships or our work environment.

We don’t want to be labeled as “the troublemaker”, so avoid conflict whenever possible.

But difficult conversations are a necessary part of working with others and for those new to leadership or management, are often a necessary part of the role.

However, difficult conversations are not restricted to team management and performance but can also occur between client and organisation. Take, for example, a conversation informing the client that a project has been delayed or that a mistake has been made.

Of course, many of us have experienced conversations in the past that perhaps haven’t gone to plan and hold on to that negative experience, believing that all challenging conversations must, therefore, follow the same direction.

To read more click here.

Daktela enhances its automated chat functionality with the acquisition of Coworkers.ai

daktela

The new technology will be integrated into their software later this year, enhancing their existing chatbot capability and enabling businesses in the UK to deploy complex automated chat solutions in their customer communications.

Coworkers.ai are intelligent virtual assistants that use contextual AI. This means they understand the intent of the person they’re communicating with; they recognise moods and understand any cultural, historical and situational features. This type of AI uses machine learning combined with algorithms that listen and learn, taking a human approach to process content.

Intelligent voicebots, chatbots and mailbots can speed up resolution times and deliver more meaningful, accurate, and relevant recommendations and answers. They ultimately allow customers to get answers faster, self-serve 24/7 and free your staff from time-consuming, repetitive tasks.

The Coworkers’ pronunciation, intonation, and reactions are also natural, so many users don’t even know they’re communicating with a bot.

For Daktela, this is the first of many planned acquisitions. In addition to organic growth and global expansion, this should place the company among the top 10 global providers of CCaaS services in the next five years.

"Our acquisition strategy has two parts. We are looking for companies with a similar focus and profile, as Daktela, in those foreign markets where we are not present today or where we are starting. The second type is technological acquisitions, which will help us fundamentally improve our product portfolio and scale our core technology; Coworkers.ai is an example of this. Artificial intelligence is no longer a buzzword today; within a few years, it will become a necessary reality in companies," explained David Hájek, co-founder and head of global expansion at Daktela.

His words are echoed by Gartner's analysis, which stated that by 2026, 10% of customer and business communication should be automated due to artificial intelligence, saving companies an estimated 80 billion US dollars.

Daktela's acquisition of Coworkers.ai comes three years after its inception. A significant benefit of their solution is that it uses its own natural language processing (NLP) technology based on artificial intelligence.

"Thanks to this, our voicebots and chatbots are significantly 'smarter' than others and can solve even more complex requests. At the same time, we are a low-code platform, which means that practically anyone can handle the implementation in the company even without programming knowledge," Coworkers.ai co-founder Luboš Urbančok said, describing the product.

Coworkers.ai enhanced chatbot and voicebot technology will be available in the UK from December 2022

If you'd like to find out how this technology can help your business communications, please get in touch with Daktela UK. Tel: 0800 470 2159 Email: info@daktela.co.uk

Stress in the workplace: How our genes play a role

stress

Stress is so common in all areas of our lives these days, and one of these areas is work. Although there are a variety of causes, workplace stress is a key cause of sickness, especially long-term illnesses [a].

Stress is an interesting thing – a small amount of stress can be healthy for us [b], and there is a delicate balance between “enough” stress and too much stress. How we manage stress can also vary significantly from one person to the next.

The truth is that in today’s modern world, many people experience chronic stress, and the negative impacts of this are far-reaching. Chronic stress can suppress our immune system, make us more susceptible to getting ill, it can lead to inflammation in the body, and can negatively impact cognition and memory [c],[d].

Did you know that it likely isn’t down to chance that each individual seems to respond to stress differently, but rather it is linked to our genes? [e].

Are you a “Worrier” or a “Warrior”?

A gene called “COMT” plays an important role in regulating the inactivation of stress hormones, which allows their effects to subside so that the body and mind can recover. Genetic variations (also called “SNPs”) on the COMT gene can influence whether this process is either fast or slow [f].

“Worriers” are what we use to define people who break down stress hormones slowly. “Worriers” typically have a lower pain threshold and increased sensitivity to stress because the hormones and their effects hang around in the body for longer. “Worriers” tend to “overthink” certain situations, are often more introverted and may be prone to anxiety and insomnia, but they also tend to have a good memory and concentration skills.

On the other hand, people with increased COMT activity are considered “warriors” due to an increased capacity to deal with stress. They generally perform much better under stressful conditions and tend to have a higher pain threshold. However, this group tends to be more prone to anger, depression and impulsivity and often craves stimulants.

Gaining access to personalised information about your susceptibility to stress will reveal if you might need some extra stress-supporting mechanisms to help you through stressful periods. Even if your genes show that you’re a “warrior”, it’s still important to keep an eye on your stress levels to ensure they don’t take a toll on your long-term health.

Tips for managing stress when at work (and at home) include:

Maintaining a good work-life balance
Taking regular breaks
Exercising and moving regularly
Minimising caffeine intake
Optimising sleep duration and quality
Balancing blood sugar levels
Practising meditation and mindfulness
Asking for help and support if you feel overwhelmed

Whether you are a “worrier”, a “warrior”, or somewhere in between, focusing on stress resilience can optimise both physical and mental well-being inside and outside work. Improving individuals’ stress resilience can create a healthier, happier and more productive workplace.

Order our DNApal test today to determine how your genes influence how you and your body react to stress.

Feel free to leave us a comment if you have any further questions.

Don’t miss out on more health and lifestyle advice. Sign up for our monthly newsletter under the ‘comments’ section.

The best way to stay visible in a credible way is to have others shouting about you.

I was reflecting on a video I saw of a hand with sand going through the fingers and could not help thinking about how many leads, opportunities to expand our reach, grow our areas of influence and build our networks, we allow to simply slip through our fingers. It made me consider one of my two 2020 Bestsellers, Your Business Your Way: A Unique Perspective on Business Development and the tips and strategies I shared to prevent this from happening in these challenging times. I have therefore included pages 61-67 of this book in this article and hopes it helps.

"The best way to stay visible in a credible way is to have others shouting about you. Yes, you have to have your social media and marketing strategies cleverly mapped out, but these are only part of the plan and not nearly as effective as others spreading the word about you or you being seen in the right places and with the right people. One strategy is getting to know key networking event organisers and offering to help them with the events, sometimes by simply greeting, signing people in or introducing speakers. You will immediately add a level of credibility to your image in the eyes of other attendees. People will naturally assume you are a person of influence and worth knowing. Here are some other ways you can get referrals, build credibility and enhance visibility!

1. ASK!

It is simple. If you do not ask and do so quickly, it will not happen! I always suggest that on social media, we GIVE recommendations first as that usually prompts people to respond with one for you. It is a lot easier to get them motivated in this way, than a text or phone call requesting a review. Of course, you need to be sure they are happy with your services first as a bad or lack lustre review is not beneficial. If someone is happy with your service and excitedly tells you about it, ask them for the review immediately. Do not lose the moment. If they are busy people, why not write the review and send it to them for approval?

2. Do something ordinary in an EXTRA-ordinary way

What do I mean by that? Well everyone is ‘parading’ themselves online at the moment. We are all jostling for that same space, for the same audience and for the same thing…getting noticed! However, it seems like much of the same most of the time. It becomes monotonous. For example, we all have become ‘gurus’, posting inspirational quotes all over social media. I am just as guilty and it has its place. The ones who will cause us to stop mid-scroll and pay attention are the ones who are either doing something extraordinary or look interesting. You may have the most incredible content to share but, make no mistake, no one will listen if it does not have an edge. This kind of edge almost always comes from a unique personal, innovative and creative slant, which is either never-before or rarely seen. You know I am right. Think of the last thing that stopped you mid-scroll on social media, or the last speaker you heard which you cannot get out of your head. Get your thinking caps on guys! Let us dig deep into ourselves and come up with unique and show stopping ways we can get seen! If you are struggling with this, get help. Find an expert who will help you to pull to the forefront all that you have inside, package it as uniquely you and then serve it up HOT!

3. Build a referral funnel

Create a referral form. One easy method of getting referrals is offering a commission, although not everyone is motivated by money; there are still a lot of people who are happy to refer you if you have taken the time to WOW them as I mentioned earlier. However, it is always good to reward them in some way as they have put their name on the line by referring you. The best reward you can give is ensuring the referred customer gets the best service ever! Try to strike the balance between novel and gimmicky when coming up with ideas. It takes time and effort, but it’s worthwhile getting a great set of incentives together.

Some methods of incentivising referral partners are:

• If you are a consultant, offering a free session is an idea

• Discounts on your service

• Rewards – these should not exceed 15% of revenue earned from the referral • Invite them to events and provide full hospitality

• Sponsor an event of theirs

• Donate to their charity Think of how you can put an interesting spin on these basic methods.

Here is another idea: why not set up a podcast? There are so many free apps online. Invite your referral partners and key contacts with a non-competing business to be showcased on your podcast. Place this podcast on social media. They will be grateful. They will share it with their audience and you will get noticed in a good way. You can do the same with video interviews using Stream yard or Zoom. Getting these positive interviews on all social media platforms immediately exposes you to your guests’ network and widens your audience. It also enhances your credibility. Our current clients, as I said earlier, are our best advertising tools. Keep building relationships with them. Continue to find out if there are ways you can help them. They will be your best supporters and will no doubt tell others about you. Also, do not be afraid to ask them if they know anyone else that needs your support. This question is best posed just after the sale, or when you have completed a great job for them and they are exuding satisfaction. That moment is golden. Ask for referrals then. Write them down and act fast.

4. Use your website as a referral tool For example, you can add buttons such as:

• Click here to earn rewards

• Invite your colleagues

• Forward to a colleague

Of course, it is not a one size fits all approach when it comes to these strategies. Remember it is ‘Your Business, Your Way’. Your business and your website might not suit this method, but you can find clever tools to capture the data of visitors to your website and follow up with them in an ingenious way. One less used referral and visibility tool on your website is hosting the interviews with other experts or podcasts you create with other non-competing experts. This will drive traffic from their followers to your website and showcase YOU and what you do. Website testimonials Detailed testimonials about your service delivery are very useful and are great advertising. I suggest we constantly update our websites with our testimonials. Photos and videos are a great touch. Remember the ‘givers gain’ concept and offer to put a testimonial with photo etc. on someone else’s website. If they are amenable to it, you could add your logo and a link through to your website and vice versa. Video testimonials for others are a great visibility strategy and please use testimonials everywhere such as your website, brochures, social media and voicemails.

5. Track referrals

• Know what works. Nowadays useful marketing tools exist to track performance of most online marketing strategies. Get in touch with an innovative and switched on marketing team, as they will be able to use links to track performance on your websites. Facebook also has pixels you can add to your website that allow you to not only track performance but also to capture data for subsequent follow up and loyalty building.

• Target top performing customers and referrers and keep finding ways to keep them happy. Find out what makes them tick and give them more of the same.

• Remember ‘givers gain’ and be a referrer yourself. Never be seen as someone who takes with nothing ever going out from your end to your business community.

It is sometimes as simple as:

• Sharing other business colleagues’ posts on social media

• Liking and commenting when your colleague gets a good review online

• Sharing on social media how much you enjoyed an event hosted by a colleague or a book someone wrote or a talk they gave

Finally, I would like to encourage you that, in the pursuit of establishing your vision in a credible way and building a visible brand of which you can be proud, you have to be committed to consistency. There is no quick fix and all the strategies need to work seamlessly and simultaneously. There are some constants, which you need to employ to remain ‘top of mind’ in the marketplace. Nothing will take the place of daily phone calls or emails to follow up on ‘warm’ leads. We need to spend at least one hour each week researching social media and other key sectors for leads. We should be aiming to add at least three new contacts per day to our CRM system and should invite someone to an event once a week. As I said earlier, catch up with old clients (I suggest at least five per week) and let them know you are available. Help build your credibility and visibility with philanthropy. Volunteer and engage in charitable causes. Show up at a high visibility event at least once a week or as often as possible. I used to be accused of being up for going to the opening of an envelope - I will take that! Have lunch or a coffee with an influencer, a referrer or collaborator at least once a week. In other words, keep busy, be consistent and be strategic. I must underscore that all these activities must be carried out with integrity, honesty, authenticity and a good dose of personality!"

As I said in my book, a lot of the advice is not novel. Some of them will not suit all business types. This s a simple guide which I hope there is at least one thing for someone reading this. You might find it incredible value or more of the same for you but whatever you do, do not leave your visibility and referral funnels to chance. Create a strategy and stick to it!

-Bernie Davies

How to Eliminate the 5 Most Destructive Digital Workplace Challenges in 2022

The current economic downturn and the constantly shifting market conditions place ongoing pressure on your post-COVID workplace. Your employees need more autonomy and freedom at work to feel engaged, and you have been doing your best to support them with training and people-centric technology solutions.

You are aware that you can still do more to boost productivity and cross-team collaboration while fostering high employee morale.

In this video, you will learn how to eliminate destructive workplace habits and how to use our methodology to increase performance and reap the benefits.

Deep down, you know your workplace is somewhat broken, and you are not alone. Over half of Fortune 500 companies report less than 25% of their employees to feel engaged and effective.

Every digital workplace can offer more to its workers and falls short on at least two challenges we will cover in this video.

It doesn't matter how brilliant your team is. You will find it difficult to thrive individually and collectively if your company lacks core digital habits and virtual fluency. And this is where 99% of workplaces are today.

In the past decade, most businesses focused on introducing new technology to collaborate and grow their digital organizations. Still, they overlooked critical destructive habits and practices that became deeply rooted in their daily operations and interactions.

This video will give you fresh ideas on what to do next and how to overcome the most pressing challenges in your workplace.

https://www.eteamsconsulting.com/five-workplace-challenges-video

Work more, get more done…makes sense right?

For a time we might feel a surge in productivity. But it is short lived.

The law of diminishing marginal returns shows that after a short period of optimal output, our threshold is reached and productivity begins to diminish.

And excessive overwork not only kills productivity but it directly correlates with poor mental health and burnout.

Yet a recent Wellity survey in one organisation revealed that the average hours worked outside of the contracted 37.5 hours was 9.5 every week.

That’s a 47-hour working week, every week

456 hours of overtime a year.

Is this an exception? Sadly, no.

And this is one of the many reasons that we are seeing a surge in burnout cases.

Not to mention the alleged ‘quiet quitting’ movement – disengaged employees who are exhausted and disconnected from pushing themselves far too hard.

Boundaries, balance and tackling the occupational risks associated with these working behaviours really is paramount right now.

And our Battling Burnout employee training and BOILING Point leadership series can help educate your people on all the above and more. To book a free chat with the team at Wellity, click the link here.

-Wellity