Sital Ruparelia

“You have to think anyway,  so why not think big?” 

- Donald Trump

Thinking Big…

• Increase your earnings by 20%

• Work a 4-day week without losing income

• Find a job with your dream employer

• Turn your lacklustre team into an award winning team

• Turn your passion for skiing into a cool new business idea

• Secure that big promotion

• Write and publish your own book

• Buy that fancy car or new house

• Turn your passion for Yoga into your very own yoga studio

• Start writing a blog about something you care about

• Take a year off to travel and volunteer

• Start that new business

Why you need to think big…

Click here to read the rest…

Whether you like it or not – you, me and everyone else is in the “sales” business.

Unless you can sell yourself, sell your team and sell your business – you’re likely to be in trouble in the modern economy and work place.

Yet most people find the very thought of “selling” awkward and uncomfortable.

But it need not be.

When you take an ethical approach to sales you’re not actually “selling” – but in fact “helping” and providing value.

Use the 5 questions below to engage in conversation, understand the needs of the person in front of you – and then offer to help them:

“5 Magic Questions” 

Click here to read the rest…

Having spent the last 3 weeks in sunny Hong Kong and a very humid Singapore, I thought the UK weather would give me a shock to the system when I arrived back home.

But the weather has been very mild in the UK.

What has been a shock though is the general doom and gloom about the new year. Having spent 3 weeks in Asia, I’ve found the papers, the media and the general mood in the UK pretty depressing to say the least.

But despite the depressing predictions it’s worth pointing out that what happens to you this year is not wholly dependent on the economy.

It very much depends on YOU do. It can be the worst year yet – or the best. It all depends on how you think and act.

So as we begin a new year,  here are some questions for you to think about:

Click here to read the rest…

For many of us in the western world (particularly in Europe) the “real recession” is just beginning.

With tax rises, record cuts in government spending, rising fuel costs and an unemployment problem which just won’t go away – the new year will bring a fall in disposable income for many people.

• But what would happen if you chose not to take part in the recession?
• What if you decided that next year was, in fact, going to be your best year yet?
• What if you chose to create new income streams in the new year instead of relying on one employer or one big client?
• What if you started that online business or the off-line venture you’ve been talking about?
• What if you began using your spare time more productively and began consulting, freelancing, blogging, trading or investing instead of watching reality TV and sitting on Facebook.
• What if you created a “Side Hustle” by turning your passion into an income stream?
• What if you stopped waiting for “just the right time” or the “perfect plan” – and instead just got started by a deadline date in the new year?

More importantly; what would happen if you didn’t take some of these steps in the new year..?

FREE TELESEMINAR

“Rethink, Reposition and Thrive In 2010″

Saturday 6th February 2010

3pm UK Time

4pm Central Europe, 10am Eastern Standard Time

Learn more and book your spot now

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During this 75 minute call, you’ll discover:

• 3 big shifts we’re beginning to see within the workplace during 2010 which will accelerate by the end of this year and into 2011

• Key predictions I’m making for the employment market in 2010

• 3 biggest challenges every employee and freelancer will have to adapt to this year

• One big mindset shift you must make in order to thrive in the coming year

• The 5 key steps you will need to take to reposition yourself and ensure you’re one of the winners who thrive in 2010. Which means you’ll learn:

• How to reinvent yourself without having to change job or careers

• The 2 keys to standing out in what is still a very challenging job market

• 3 ways to increase your income this year (even if salary budgets are capped)

• The key to finding meaningful work (without taking a pay cut and making a huge change)

• The 2 time-tested principles you must follow in order to achieve that elusive work-life balance you’re searching for

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Whether you’re working in a permanent role, consulting, freelancing or looking for a new job or career – this is a must-attend free teleseminar. I’ll demystify all the changes going on this year and ensure you thrive in 2010.

Don’t miss it!

Click here to learn more and reserve your space on the complimentary call.

If you’re struggling to finalise the web copy for your new or updated website, here are 5 tips which may help:

1. Realise that your website will go through several reincarnations so…

2. Focus on completion, not perfection

3. Give visitors a reason to come back (great content on a blog, an articles page, a newsletter sign up etc)

4. Personalise more, corporatise less

5. Go look at Robert Middelton’s excellent material on writing copy for websites and all sorts of other marketing materials for independent professionals:  http://www.actionplan.com

Whilst there may be fewer job vacancies in the market compared to the boom years, there are actually more problems for organisations and businesses to contend with.

Organisations are stretched – they’re operating with fewer people whilst trying to maintain market share, grow revenues and deal with increased regulatory controls.

So with the continued pressure on costs and a shaky path to economic recovery, the safe bet is to hire contractors/interim managers and consultants who can help take the pressure off – yet not be a cost burden if there is another dip in the market. Individuals who can provide solutions to specific problems in an efficient and flexible manner. Which in turn creates opportunities for consultants and interim managers.

But how do you find such opportunities?

Click here to read the rest…

Today is Leonardo Da Vinci’s birthday.

That’s right, more than 500 years ago, one of the smartest people that ever lived was born.

A genius, some would say.

A Genius – Why?

Well, apart from being one of the greatest painters of all time (who painted The Mona Lisa portrait), he also had many other talents and careers. He was also an architect, inventor, mathematician, engineer, sculpter, anatomist, musician and writer.

He was truly multi-talented and achieved success in so many different areas despite having no formal education.

You’re a genius too

But being multi-talented is not just the preserve of the likes of Da Vinci – you too have many different talents. Your whole team is multi-talented. Your whole organisation has multiple talents – despite having people who are pigeon-holed into different jobs.

Why does this matter? Click here to read the rest…

As the rate and speed of lay offs continues, I’m meeting more and more people who are looking to leave the corporate world to become freelance consultants or start up their own businesses in another area completely.  

Whilst there are fewer jobs within the banking sector – and indeed the wider economy, there are far more problems to be solved. Problems which create opportunities for new businesses.

How do you get started? 

Suppose you have a desire to become a freelance consultant or have a great business idea, how do you actually get started – and what are the key steps you need to take? 

Here’s a simple 20 step slide show published by BusinessWeek on how to move from the corporate world into self employment.  

What’s missing?

Having made the leap into self employment after the last financial services downturn in 2003, I can see some of these points are very relevant. But I do think there are some key steps missing from this list. For one, there’s the importance of finding a new peer group. 

Step 21. Find a new peer group

Finding a new peer group and community of self employed people (ideally within the same industry) is, in my experience, one of the biggest success factors for a start up. Being self employed can be a very lonely place to be. You need a peer group to share your highs and lows with, people to exchange ideas, resources and best practices with. Without it, you’ll struggle.

There are plenty of self employed people following this blog, so tell me – what do you think is missing from this slide show?