Author: Andy Knowles

15 Ways To Stay Positive At Work

By on 13th November 2015in Have Your Say, Lifestyle, What's New?

Andy Knowles, MD of Jak Inc, shares his top tips for keeping smiling…

 

I’ve had an interesting journey over the last ten years.

Starting a family business wasn’t part of my career plan, and things were going nicely for me at Coca-Cola enterprises. I had a great boss, loved the brand, and there was bags of opportunity for career progression.

But somehow, here I am with a portfolio brand business, sporting an annual turnover of £1m plus.

Interestingly, one of the challenges many entrepreneurs face is burnout or fatigue. I’ve attended many personal development seminars over the years, including a three-day trip to Kentucky, where I met a handful of truly inspirational mentors. I even found myself finishing their sentences, as I’ve read their books repetitively!

Because of this, I’ve learned an awful lot over the years about how to fight the fatigue. Below are my top 15 tips to help you stay focused, and be more positive at work…

1. Utilise Your Commute
Don’t write off your time in the car as ‘wasted time’. Listen to audio books, podcasts or inspirational music on your commute, and use that time to learn something new, or get fired up.

2. Get Places Early
Arrive early and focus on the tasks ahead. Even if you’re only ten minutes ahead of schedule, use that ten minutes to wake up and get your head straight. You’ll be grateful for it later in the day.

3. Your Emails Aren’t Always A Priority
Avoid checking emails first thing. Instead, focus on the tasks that can’t be put off. Check your emails periodically throughout the day, which will stop you from getting bogged down in them.

4. Stop Procrastinating
Are you making the most of your time? It’s easy to put things off until later, but those things will pile up, and when you finally have to face them, you’ll wish they were done earlier. Schedule your day in advance, and stick to it.

5. Take A Break
Plan breaks into your day to allow for recovery. Trying to do too much all at once will wear you out, and you’ll lose sight of the end. Take a moment to re-focus on your tasks, and come back to them shortly.

6. Take Something From Your Meetings
Take notes from your meetings, and leave them with clear and achievable objectives. Write down your action points, and share them with the involved parties.

7. Don’t Neglect Your Health
Exercise is proven to reduce stress, and the resulting feel-good factor can boost your productivity.

8. Pace Yourself
Rushing tasks will only create more errors, which you’ll inevitably have to fix. Take your time, and get it right.

9. Support Your Colleagues
Share your achievements with the people around you, but don’t forget to support them too. Be there for your colleagues when they need a little positivity boost, and they’ll be there for you when you need one yourself.

10. Stay Compassionate
Negative colleagues can get you down, but try to remain compassionate towards them. People are usually negative for a reason, but don’t let it affect you too.

11. Collaborate
Never be afraid to ask for help. Collaborate with others to achieve mutual goals, and be aware that sharing the load of some of your tasks can help you get through them.

12. Accept That Some Things Are Boring
Unfortunately, not everything at work is fun, but those things still need to be done. Bite the bullet and face the mind-numbing tasks head on. The sooner they’re tackled, the sooner they’re done and out of the way.

13. Accept Criticism
Don’t be offended by negativity, and instead try to understand any criticism aimed at you. Take that feedback constructively, use it to improve yourself and your work.

14. Relish Your Days Off
Sometimes it’s okay to spend your days off in bed, but try a few different activities too. Variety is the spice of life, and leaves you in a more positive mood.

15. Adapt
Businesses have to change to survive. Make sure that you’re open and adaptable when it’s important, and do your best not to resist it.

Looking for more great business tips? Visit the Jak Inc Blog.

Jak Inc are the North East’s finest print, design, and marketing agency. Keen to reinvent your brand? Visit www.jakinc.uk and find out exactly how to do it.

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Help To Find This Missing Person: Graham McInness

By on 11th November 2015in Have Your Say, What's New?

A message from Andy Knowles…

When I woke up on Monday morning, my wife showed me a disturbing message on her phone that had been left by her sister.

It was about her brother-in-law, Graham McInness, 38, from Stockton-On-Tees. He was last seen by his family around 8pm on Saturday night.

I’m writing this in the hope that it might be some help, and would be grateful if this post could be shared around social media to help locate him.

My wife went to visit Graham’s mother this afternoon, and she is (understandably) heartbroken. He just wants to be reunited with her son.

He is described as white, of slim build, around 5ft 9in, and has brown hair.

 

 

Police have found his grey Astra (KU53 PSY) in a car park in Seaton Carew, and officers believe he was using this vehicle as recently as Sunday. Search efforts have been focused around Seaton Carew and Hartlepool, although he could have gone elsewhere.

Anyone who has seen Graham, or who has information which might help the police, is asked to contact Cleveland Police on 101.

Thank you,
Andy Knowles

UPDATE: Graham has been found in Seaton Carew and reunited with his family. Thank you all for sharing, and we wish the best of luck to Graham and his family.

Full Colour Cards: 5 Reasons To Become A Print Partner

By on 26th October 2015in Have Your Say, Local Biz, What's New?

Full Colour Cards, one of the UK’s biggest print and design retailers, are offering the chance to become an affiliate partner. Company frontman Andy Knowles tells us why you should consider...

I introduced the Print Partner Affiliate Programme back in 2012. Because of the ever increasing number of print resellers signing up as Full Colour Cards customers, I felt there was a gap in the market to offer a turnkey e-commerce website for resellers to drive traffic to, and pick up a nice royalty payment at the end of each month.

As things progressed, we introduced our Customer Service Team so that partners no longer had to deal with emails, phone calls or instant chat. This is all done by our staff in Durham, which means that print partners actually have to do very little.

Today, our Print Partner programme can take care of your online marketing, outbound telesales, and email campaigns, giving our partners the freedom to do exciting and amazing things to drive traffic through their website.

Here are our top five reasons to become a print partner:

1. The UK Print Market Is Huge

According to the British Printing Industries Federation, the UK print market is worth £13.5 billion, and employs over 120,000 people. It’s almost impossible to imagine a world without print. It’s all around us, and plays a vital role in our daily lives. Print is also a highly effective means of communicating a message easily, quickly and cheaply, which means that no matter what, there are always customers.

2. It’s Hassle Free

What sets Full Colour Cards apart from other copycat schemes is that ours is simple to use and hassle-free. Our partners don’t need to take phone calls, answer emails, or deal with instant chat. We do it all!

We also handle all of your orders, and even any customer concerns that might arise. Partners simply drive traffic to their website, and we pay the monthly commission.

3. You Don’t Need Thousands Of Customers

One of the common myths surrounding our Print Partner Programme is that you need thousands of new customers to get anything from it. The reality is that just a handful of good customers can be a winning strategy, as printing attracts a high level of repeat orders rather than one-off transactions. We offer insight into best practices, and share our experiences to ensure Print Partners get off to a great start, and are on the fast track to making money.

4. Little Investment And No Stockholding

Lots of turnkey business opportunities require you to part with a wad of cash upfront, without any certainty of getting a return on your investment. We offer four different website packages, starting from as little as £15 per month. There is no need for you to carry stock or invest in equipment, as the business is completely online based. Welcome to the digital revolution!

5. Unlock A Second Stream Of Income

For many people, 9-5 doesn’t afford the extra luxuries that life has to offer, such as holidays, a new car, or home improvements. Our Print Partner Programme can offer a significant second stream of income to help radically improve finances. This isn’t a get rich quick scheme by any stretch of the imagination, but you can earn substantial monthly commissions very quickly with the help and support of our account managers.

Here’s what an existing Print Partner has to say:

 

PrintPartner-CustomerTestimonial

For more information about the Print Partner Affiliate Scheme, visit Full Colour Cards.

Got a query? You can call 0191 354 5454 or email amanda@fullcolourcards.co.uk.

7 Ways To Get (And Stay) Motivated

By on 7th October 2015in Lifestyle, Local Biz, What's New?

Andy Knowles, MD of Jak Inc, shares the advice that keeps him going…

Sometimes we all need a bit of extra motivation.

Whether it’s with a new diet, business venture, or just getting out of bed in the morning, it doesn’t always come easy, so the next time you need to top up your tank, think of these helpful tips…

1. Get Serious

Stop fooling around. Time, as they say, is getting on, so take action now. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to take the first step to reaching your goals and aspirations… so why not now?

2. Know Your Limiting Step

What’s stopping you? What’s the one skill area that holds you back? Ask for honest feedback from people you can trust. What can you improve in areas of your life and work?

3. Get Around The Right People

To stay motivated you need to avoid the negative people, and surround yourself instead with the positive ones. Those who are already achieving their goals are the people who can inspire you.

4. Take Care Of Yourself

A good diet and exercise does more than keep your weight down. A healthy body is a healthy mind, and isn’t something you should be putting off until New Year.

5. Appreciate Yourself

If you see yourself as being the best at what you do, the results can be amazing. Before you even start your journey, first believe that you can do it.

6. Talk Nicely To Yourself

Tell yourself I am the best in my field, I can do this, and I love my work. It won’t sound big-headed or boastful. You’re just vocalising what you want to achieve.

7. Get Going

Move fast! A sense of urgency is a great way to separate yourself from the rest of the pack. Most people are aware of what they should do, but only a few actually follow up and take action, so make every minute count.

For more of Andy’s advice, you can visit the Jak Inc Blog, or follow Jak Inc on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Your Recommendation: CBT Tests With Ace Motorcycle Training

By on 6th October 2015in Have Your Say, Lifestyle, Local Biz, What's New?

Andy Knowles waxes lyrical about passing his Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) with Ace Motorcycle Training.

 

Passing my CBT is something I’ve always wanted to do, because I’ve always had a passion for Vespas. I just loved the idea of riding to the coast, taking in the scenery, grabbing a coffee, and socialising with other scooter riders who share the passion.

I’d previously dealt with Jimmy Rimmer and his company at Ace Motorcycle Training,
so booked in my CBT last year. They were extremely professional from the start, and the customer service I received on the telephone was extremely polite, talking me through everything I should expect on the one-day training course.

On the day of my test, my instructor explained all of the necessary safety information, including riding position, the correct helmets to purchase, protective clothing, and even choosing the right bike.

When it came to the practical side of things, the instructor took me through bike safety checks and maintenance advice, and then we took position and began doing some riding around Ace’s own circuit.

After lunch we took the bikes onto the public roads, and rode for about an hour. We were linked up to the instructor through radios so we could take instructions, meaning there was never a breakdown in communication.

I must admit that I was quite apprehensive before going onto the public roads, but the instructor’s knowledge and expertise helped ease my nerves. His advice was ongoing throughout.

At the end of the day, I was extremely pleased to be told I had passed, and was awarded my certificate. A fantastic end to a great day!

I went on to purchase a 2006 Vespa PX 125 in black, and I take it out most weekends. I find it very relaxing and love the freedom it gives me.

 

If you’re thinking about riding a scooter (or even something bigger), I’d highly recommend Ace Motorcycle Training. They have centres in Durham and Billingham, and the instructors are highly knowledgable in both.

Thanks, Ace!

Have you had a great experience with a North East business? Want to make your own recommendation?

Email online@inandaroundmag.co.uk and tell us all about it!

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