Start Lean

Starting a company is tough. Ask any business owner and they will tell you stories about the mistakes they did during their first years and usually how they ended up spending funds on things they didn't need.

The best thing to do when you are starting up is to be lean. With this I mean being very careful about where you spend your funds and resources. Even if you have a big investment or savings, making the wrong moves can lead you to the point of no return, exhausting your resources.

As a new company owner you need to spend on the things that are truly important. This will give you the opportunity to try things out and find what works. When you first start you are building a prototype, so you need to sustain your resources to be able to do the iterations.

There are some things though that you need to treat as investments and spend what is needed on them to get the right result from the start. One of these things is branding. Since your brand is what will set you apart from the competition, you need to invest on it from day one. It can help you attract funding and more importantly customers who will buy your products and/or services.

Another thing that is crucial from the beginning is finding the right accountants who will help you set up everything and do some of the bean counting for you.

Starting a company is a bold move and not everyone survives. If you make the right choices and invest on the right things, you increase the probability of success.

Posted by Helen Amygdalaki // Lelou 

It's Good to Say No

Learning when to say no is something very valuable for your career and your company.

We grow up learning to say yes and taking on all opportunities that come our way. Learning to evaluate these opportunities and saying yes only to the ones that matter is very important to your success.

As a professional, you need to say yes to what is important and no to anything that will take up time that would be better used in achieving your goals. Learn to say no frequently and doing the best job in the projects that you take on.

As a company owner, when an opportunity arises you need to be sure it fits your ethos, values and promise. When you are in the dilemma of what to pick, say yes to the one that reinforces your values an no to the one that goes against them.

Whatever you decide to answer, always be mindful of your time and resources. Say no frequently and build the right expectations.

Posted by Helen Amygdalaki // Lelou 

Come Out and Play

We often get so stuck in our routines and doing "serious" work that we forget how important having fun is in our lives.

When we have to solve a problem we work endless hours to try and find a solution. Even if it's not the best solution, we are just looking for A solution. Being creative on demand is a difficult job and we are always looking for ways to create a spark that will help us create that amazing solution.

What I've found and seen work is introducing play in your work schedules. When you are with your team or alone and you are stuck trying to come up with an idea or solution, why not take a break. If you are stuck, it will take hours to come up with a mediocre solution. If you take a break, play a game or exercise you will feel refreshed and you might come up with the solution while playing.

Give it a shot this week, not only will it help you creatively, it will also bring you closer to people you play with.

Posted by minimoko