​Nicky Roeber is the Online Horticultural Expert at Wyevale Garden Centres. In this article, he explains the positive effects houseplants can have on workplace productivity, and shares his tips for filling your office with foliage.
Every business wants to get the best work from their employees, and companies spend thousands of pounds on staff incentive schemes and sleek, modern offices to this end. However, what employers often don’t realise is that the little things can often have the biggest impact on their employees’ productivity and happiness. 
Houseplants definitely fall into this category. While you might not think introducing a few plants into your office will make that much of a difference, the research suggests otherwise. A study led by Dr Chris Knight of Exeter University concluded that adding a few houseplants to a “lean” workplace increased productivity by 15%. Dr Knight suggests this dramatic improvement is down to flora allowing staff to psychologically engage with their environment in a way that magnolia walls and glowing computer monitors don’t.
This isn’t the only benefit houseplants will bring to your office. Plants naturally remove harmful toxins such as formaldehyde, bezene, and trichloroethylene from the air by pulling them into the soil and then converting them into food. This will purify the air in your workplace, helping to improve the health of your entire workforce and reduce the number of sick days people take.
Furthermore, houseplants have been shown to improve memory retention and concentration levels, according to Texas A&M. This means that this simple addition to your office could not only increase productivity throughout your business, but also help to improve the quality of your employees’ work.
Introducing houseplants into your office can also help improve comradery between your staff. If your office is open plan and your staff work alongside each other, the simple act of sharing the responsibility of caring for a plant can help bring them together more effectively than a typical team building exercise ever could.
In short, introducing houseplants into your office can make your staff happier, bring them together, help improve the quality and quantity of their work, and reduce the amount of sick days taken. If you want to reap these benefits in your workplace, then here’s a few tips.
According to Dr Knight’s research, spacing is key — one plant per square meter will give you the best effect. Every member of staff should be able to see a plant from their desk. This will allow them to engage in their environment, which is why it makes them happier and more productive.
It’s also important that you choose plants that don’t require a lot of upkeep, so your staff can afford to forget to water them every now and then without any consequences. Cacti are a classic houseplant because they’re so easy to maintain, while jade plants, rubber trees, and spider plants are all attractive alternatives that thrive without the need for much care or attention.
 
While adding a few houseplants to your office might seem like an overly-simple way to improve productivity throughout your business, research suggests it can be incredibly effective. Invest in some foliage for your workplace and your business will begin to reap the many benefits I’ve described. 
 

​Peter Mallon is the Managing Director of the North East Times magazine. In this article, he shares his top tips for attracting and retaining top talent to your start-up.
When your business is in its infancy it can be hard to attract top-quality talent. Performers at the top of their game will want to ply their skills to the biggest projects and take home pay that reflects that, and you might struggle to offer that during your business’s modest beginnings.
However, there’s still plenty you can do to help your start-up attract and retain the very best talent. Read on for my top tips.

Offer the kind of freedom they’ll struggle to find elsewhere
Robert Rodriguez — a director, producer, and screenwriter whose filmography includes titles such as From Dusk Till Dawn, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and Sin City — is famous throughout the film industry for always choosing to work to a very strict budget in order to retain as much creative control over his projects as possible. In an interview with Tim Ferriss, he revealed his secret for attracting stars such as George Clooney and Bruce Willis to his low-budget films: he explains that they’ll get the chance to take on the kind of role they aren’t offered in big-budget Hollywood movies where actors are usually typecast, and they’ll have much more freedom to explore their craft than in almost any other movie.

Applying this same mindset when hiring for your start-up can help you lure top level talent away from firms who can offer a much bigger paycheque at the end of each month. People who are truly exceptionally talented usually have an independent streak and, if you offer them an opportunity to carve out a role within your company on their own terms, they’ll often jump at the chance.
When you approach top-quality talent with a job offer, you should therefore take a leaf out of Robert Rodriguez’s book: explain the kind of freedom they would have to explore their craft within your company, as well as the unique opportunity they would have to grow within your firm as they help you dominate your niche.

Offer a share of the business
There’s no doubt about it — extremely talented individuals will be taking a big risk by joining your start-up rather than choosing to work for a more established company. One way to offset the instability that is inherent in a role within a new business is to offer new hires a share of your business.
To attract the very best talent to the North East Times, I identified the perfect candidate for each role I needed to fill and offered each a bespoke package of benefits that fitted their individual needs. This included a share in the business after a 12-month probationary period. Placing my faith in these individuals has made them more invested in the project, and they’ve each gone above and beyond their duties to ensure the business continues to thrive.

Offer industry-leading perks
Basecamp is one of the biggest tech companies in the world, with millions of users across the globe. They are also famous for offering their employees an incredible array of perks. In a blog post published last year, Jason Fried, the company’s founder and CEO, revealed that the long list of benefits includes a 4-day work week from May 1st through August 31st, a one-month sabbatical every three years, and a $100 a month massage allowance.  

As you can imagine, the company has no trouble attracting the very best talent. Think about the kind of perks you can offer to your employees that would set you apart from other businesses within your industry and make you an easy choice for highly-skilled employees looking for their next role.
 
So, there you have it: three things you can do today to attract and keep the very best talent to your start-up. Follow this advice and you’re sure to find the perfect employees to fill the key roles in your fledgling business.
 
 
 
 
                  

OSE European has rapidly grown from a Newcastle upon Tyne-based courier service into an established international logistics company. Now with offices in Gateshead and Belgium, the firm is targeting £5 million in turnover this year.
In this case study, Managing Director Peter Hunt takes us through the company’s story, from its humble beginning to international success.

Every business, no matter how big or small, wants to grow its operations and increase its bottom line. Here at OSE European, we’ve found our path to business growth by forging our own space within the logistics industry. Hopefully our story serves as a template for success that you can draw inspiration from and apply to your own business.
In my opinion, the key to our dramatic growth has come from a focus on growing sales with our existing client base instead of on bringing in brand new customers.
Trying to get new business through the door with an active sales campaign takes up an incredible amount of resource and leads to inconsistent results. In our experience, putting this time and effort into providing an excellent level of service to your existing customers instead is a much more effective strategy for growth.

This strategy can lead to bigger, more prestigious contracts with your existing clients, who will simultaneously be more likely to give you a referral. It also helps you to establish a solid reputation within your sector, making sales a lot easier to come by a few years down the line.  
When new business does come our way, we do everything we can to make sure levels of service don’t drop with our existing clients. The key to this is making sure we’re getting the most from our existing workforce by focusing on planning, training, and the proper implementation of both.
To make sure we’re getting the most from our staff, we carefully measure the metrics that have the biggest impact on our business’s performance. We then make sure the majority of our resources are going towards improving these key metrics to ensure our business is running as effectively as possible. If our staff need more training or better equipment to improve their performance in these areas, then we make it a priority to provide them with it.

Furthermore, we’ve had success with only expanding our workforce when our existing team starts to struggle to keep up with demand. Before we invest in new staff, we always see if it’s possible to fine-tune our processes rather than expand our workforce. Once you get a bit of success under your belt and have a bit more capital to play with, it can be easy to fall into the trap of seeing money as the answer to all your company’s problems. However, in our experience, maintaining an agile mindset throughout the growth process will set you up for the best chances of continued success.
We’ve found that growing our business this way has given us a clearer understanding of our customers’ needs as each year goes by. This has enabled us to offer an even better service to our core customers, which in turn has helped us grow our business even further.
You can set this virtuous cycle in motion early on by focussing on providing great service to your existing customer base, rather than putting too much time and attention into bringing new business through the door. You should also make sure you’re setting up internal processes that can easily be scaled throughout your journey.
​
This is how we grew from a local courier service to an international logistics company. Hopefully you can apply these concepts to your own company and see similar growth in your industry. 

​Barry Cracket is a product designer at Brushtec, an industrial brush manufacturer that has dramatically improved its profit margins by increasing its energy efficiency. In this article, he shares his thoughts on the benefits green technology can have on your business.
Many of us are concerned with the impact man-made climate change is having on our planet, and improving your business’s energy efficiency can help combat this. However, while many business owners are concerned about the future of the planet and want to do their bit to combat global warming, they have to put the interests of their business first.
It’s important to understand that improving your business’s energy efficiency goes hand in hand with increased profit margins. In fact, according to The Business of Energy Efficiency report from The Carbon Trust, the UK’s large businesses alone could save £1.6 billion a year by improving their energy efficiency.
In this article, I’ll demonstrate how your business can benefit from a focus on energy efficiency, as well as share an example of how a small change can have a huge impact on your bottom line when it comes to green technology. 
Here at Brushtec, a lot of our clients were badly affected by the economic downturn, and our sales suffered as a result. With less money flowing in to our business, we turned our attention to our outputs instead to see if there were any changes we could make reduce our expenses. Being a manufacturer, energy use is always a big output, so this was the first area we scrutinised.
After performing our own energy review by looking at our monthly spend and researching the alternatives, we discovered lighting was an area where we could make some big savings. Simply switching to energy-efficient, LED lightbulbs has substantially cut our energy bills over the last few years.
The initial cost of installing these lights wasn’t insubstantial, with each bulb coming in at £100. Because of this outlay, it took around a year to start seeing dividends, so anyone thinking of making a similar investment should realise it won’t lead to short-term savings. However, since that first year, we’ve saved thousands on our energy bills each year as well as reducing our CO2 emissions by over 9,000kg each month.
Furthermore, as the government has international emissions targets to hit, they offer incentives to any business that does their bit to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint. For example, according to their website, your business will benefit from a tax relief if it invests in energy efficient technology. These green incentives are another great benefit that comes with making energy efficiency a priority in your business.
While a slow period caused by the financial crisis gave us the push we needed to analysis our energy consumption, you shouldn’t make the same mistake. Schedule time to analyse your business’s energy bill and do your research into energy-efficient alternatives, and like us, you could shave thousands off your energy bills.
As our example shows, something as simple as upgrading your lightbulbs can make a big difference to your monthly outgoings and drastically decrease your carbon footprint. For your business, you might find installing solar panels or switching to a more energy efficient type of heating can make a similar impact on these crucial metrics.
Perform your own energy review to find out how the latest green technology could benefit your business, as well as the planet. 

​Picture this: It’s 5:30pm on Friday afternoon and you haven’t yet finished your presentation which is due for Monday morning 9am. You’ve been working hard all week and now you are faced with a decision. Stay and finish the presentation or go into the office earlier on Monday morning and work on it just before you have to do it.
 
Decision A:
You decide that it’s probably best you go and enjoy the weekend. You are exhausted from this week’s hard work and even though you have about 30 minutes of work left to do, that can wait until Monday.
 
Decision B:
You’re tired, exhausted and you feel a slight hate towards this presentation. You’ve been working on it all afternoon and know you only have to push through for another 30 minutes so you decide to stay in late and finish it. That glass of Merlot can wait a little bit longer.
 
So which one are you? Let’s be real here, there is no right or wrong answer. Both decisions will lead to the same outcome, which is completing the presentation and having it all ready by Monday morning 9am. The difference between the two is that decision A is not as reliable as decision B. You don’t know what else will come up on Monday morning before that presentation and you cannot guarantee that if you go in early, you will finish it. Maybe you’ll get a flat tire or your train runs late yet again. Maybe your boss sends you a 7 am email on Monday morning asking you to be in early as the meeting has been moved forward. It’s all to do with how productive you are. If you think about it, staying in that extra 30 minutes will guarantee you an open slot on Monday morning before the presentation, which you can use to focus on something else. By ticking it off your list, you have achieved what you were supposed to by Friday afternoon, before leaving the office. Being productive is all about making the right decisions, both in business and in life. There are various methods to take in consideration that allow you to increase your productivity.
 
Here are 10 habits to help you increase productivity
 
1. TO DO LIST
Everyday, you should already have a list of goals to do that you set from the night before. When you wake up, look at this list and make it a priority for you that day to tick every single goal of that list – provided that they are priorities of course. Don’t leave anything for tomorrow because you’ll face a new list to achieve the next day. Start by living your life with a purpose and everyday, tick the things of your list that will help you reach that.
 
2. MEDITATE
We know that entrepreneurs, business owners and career driven individuals can lead very busy lives, maybe even facing high stress levels. Meditation can be a controversial topic because some will say that they don’t have time to sit and “do nothing” for half an hour a day. Let’s get something straight: every action you do has a reaction that is followed by it, so choose it wisely. Meditation will help you align both your mind and body together, so that everything you want so badly and all the success you mentally visualize can be made real by getting your mind and body to work together. Meditation helps minimize and eventually eliminate stress, which we all know can be a big cause of failure in business.
 
3. STAND IN MEETINGS
We’ve all witnessed meetings that kept going on and on for no absolute reason. If everybody in that room is prepared enough with their piece of the puzzle, meetings can be more effective and much quicker. The fact that boardrooms have comfortable seating, a nice big table and often come with coffee, tea and even delicious snacks is nice, but does it help with the outcome? No it doesn’t. Implement a strategy where all members stand during meetings. This way, the session should not run longer than 15/20 minutes. It’s also good for your body to have a change of pace and actually stand for a while, instead of spending all your day in the office sitting down.
 
4. SET REMINDERS
When you have a busy day ahead, your mind can be in two places at once. To ensure that you optimize productivity on every level, set yourself reminders fifteen minutes before the task should begin. This means that your brain has been made aware of what is coming next, therefore unconsciously preparing for that and getting yourself in the zone.
 
5. RUNNING
Any form of exercise will help you become more productive, but running in particular is a winner. If you’re not a fan of cardio, this may be a tough one to endure, but take in consideration the benefits that come with it. Running helps your body push itself past that point where you feel like you’re running out of breath and your legs are about to break. This is a quality that most entrepreneurs naturally possess or can teach themselves; push through the barrier and make it possible. It also helps release endorphins that can make you think more clearly and genuinely bring happiness to your day. Going out for a run balances your thoughts and can actually help you see things more clearly; that and you’ll also be healthier.
 
6. SLEEP
There’s a reason why all health professionals keep going on about the importance of sleep. It’s not the quantity of it, but the quality. You don’t have to indulge in a luxurious 7-8 hours sleep every night, but whatever your sleep patterns are, make them effective. Get yourself into a routine where you teach your body that every night at the same time, you’re going to slip into relax mode, recharge and sleep. Some very successful entrepreneurs say they only sleep four hours a night, but for that time, they go directly in deep sleep and amongst other things, it can help you take better decision when it comes to business and work.
 
7. KNOWLEDGE
The phenomenal Eric Thomas speaks in one of his recordings about knowledge being the new money. Thanks to the concept of neuroplasticity, we can conclude that the more you teach yourself new information, the more developed and productive your brain will be. Learn something new everyday. This can be reading a book or an inspirational quote, finding out something interesting in your industry, learning a new hobby, random fun facts, whatever it is just do it. Give your brain the treatment it receives. The better you use it, the more success you can encounter.
 
8. BREAK AND STRETCH 
While you are stuck behind your desk for at least 8 hours a day, make it a habit to get up and do 2 minutes of stretching every hour. Whether you are just taking some time to breathe deeply and center yourself again or you’re ready to get into a full yoga pose, short breaks are very efficient for your productivity and unleashing creativity. Incorporate this into your own routine and before you know, it will come naturally and a habit you will end up absolutely looking forward to.
 
9. COMMUNICATION
Internal communication within a business is extremely important. Departments need to collaborate and work together to achieve the overall objectives of the company. Due to busy schedules, this is often done via telephone or email, but you will find that face to face contact is much more effective and can save you a lot more time. Instead of going back and forth in an email thread, and accidentally cc’ing the wrong people in, why not get away from your desk, move your legs and go speak to that person? In the long run, it will save you time and also improve your relationship with fellow colleagues/employees.
 
10. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
As cliché as it sounds, your productivity levels can become better and better if you really want them to. Being 100% certain of your capabilities and practicing self-belief processes can increase your success rate and ability to shine in your industry or profession. This is possible when you are fully confident with yourself and what you can bring to the table. So if you know you can get the job done well and have what it takes, remind yourself of this every morning. The most important person that needs to believe in you is yourself.

The freelancing industry is becoming more and more popular. Having the opportunity to work for yourself and collaborate with different businesses is a huge added bonus. This can of course also bring a risk to it because as a freelancer, you are completely responsible for getting yourself out there to reach out for different opportunities. We spoke with four experienced freelance professionals about the good, the bad and the wonderful of this highly competitive industry.
 
Eric Brantner is a freelance blogger with 10 years experience in the freelance market. He is also the founder of Scribblrs.com.
 
What made you want to become a freelancer?
I got my start by working a full-time job as a copywriter at a local marketing agency. The hour long commute each way and general 9 to 5 lifestyle was sucking the life out of my. So, I started finding my own freelance clients on the side and was able to build my business to the point that I could quit my "real job" and become a full time freelancer.
 
What are some challenges that come with it for you?
I think one of the major challenges for any freelancer is dealing with the staggered pay days from clients and managing your cash flow properly. As a freelancer, you probably aren't getting the same steady paycheck every 1st and 15th of the month. Rather, you have clients paying you at all points of the month as projects come up. So you need to know how to manage your money properly to get you through any dry periods.
 
What are some of the perks of freelancing for you?
The flexibility and control I have over my life are just amazing. I have a one year old daughter, and the ability to work from home and spend time with her is something I'm so thankful for. I'm able to adjust my schedule to be at any doctor's appointments she has and to occasionally do fun daytime activities like trips to the zoo.
 
How do you market yourself as a freelancer?
SEO has always played a large role in my success. Making sure my site is ranking well for targeted terms that bring the kinds of customers I'm looking for. I'm also very active on LinkedIn, which I feel is a very underutilized tool for freelancers. Some smart networking on there has paid off in droves for me.
 
Freelancing is becoming more popular these days. How do you make sure you stand out and get work?
Honestly, one of the ways I'm adapting is by building extra passive income that isn't related to freelance client work. I've started a number of my own blogs that generate income through various means, allowing me to make more money without having to do more freelance work. 

Pippa is a Hertfordshire based social media consultant, specialising in and passionate about working with SMEs to assist them in getting the most out of their social media. Find out more about Pippa here or connect with her on Twitter. 
 
How long have you been a freelancer? 
I have been freelancing full time for nearly 4 years but started freelancing in addition to my part time job in January 2012.

What made you want to become a freelancer? 
I needed to be able to work flexibly as a mother to 2 small children.

What are some challenges that come with it for you? 
Working from home can be very distracting, having now built an office in the garden this helps to minimize these distractions but I find home chores often encroach into working time.  It can also be very lonely at times especially when you need to bounce ideas around or just have a sounding board and there is no one to listen (apart from the dog).

What are some of the perks of freelancing for you?
Definitely the flexibility.  I can make appointments when they suit me (from the mundane dental appointments to the more exciting client meetings) and I can still take my children to school and pick them up everyday which I'm sure they don't appreciate right now but which means a lot to me and saves on childcare bills too.  Being your own boss is very liberating.

How do you market yourself as a freelancer?
I use Twitter and my blog mainly in terms of social media.  I also attend a regular quarterly networking group locally and have spoken in local networking groups about social media which helps to raise my profile locally.

Freelancing is becoming more popular these days. How do you make sure you stand out and get work? 
Ooooh good question, you have to get yourself 'out there' for sure, the work isn't going to just come to you especially in the early days. I've also found that doing a podcast with someone, contributing to articles, guesting on a tweetchat, organising a local regular tweetup (in other words activities outside of, but related to, your usual work remit) helps to boost your freelancing profile so you're seen as THE 'go to' person.

Jessica Andrews, Business Stylist and Founder of Rabbit & Other Stories

How long have you been a freelancer?
I have been freelance full time since December 2015 when I was made redundant from my office job, but I have been freelancing on the side for about 10-12 years.
 
What made you want to become a freelancer?
I had enough of having a 'boss' so to speak. I like having the freedom to pick and choose my jobs, and to walk away from persons I may have a working clash with. You can't do this all the time, but I find if you don't get along with a person, then the working relationship just dies naturally and you can focus on all the positive ones that make your life feel good and fulfilled. I have a really diverse CV and background and I found pigeon-holing me into one kind of full-time job really restrictive. This way I can think about work creatively and see how it goes. I can switch my skills up as I need. Also when it comes to writing things - I love that I can take my computer or notebook anywhere, to get them done. I find my best writing is done in the middle of Richmond Park. I can't do that with a desk job.
 
What are some challenges that come with it for you?
One of the biggest challenges for me is the constantly needing to put myself out there and the fierce self promotion. However, I find this easier than endless job interviews because I have 'my' skills to promote, rather than twisting them to make them fit someone’s pre-conceived idea of the job role they are advertising. I can be flexible in my skills and the tasks I am willing to perform, but its really freeing to be able to say 'no that's not quite for me.' I am working up to having a budget where I don't need to do every business item myself. I outsourced the final creation of my website, but I still have control issues over my marketing etc. I use a business app that links all my business tasks together in a really handy back office set up. It's called 17hats and I actually don't know what sort of mess I might be in if I hadn't invested in this. It's made my working life so easy.
 
What are some of the perks of freelancing for you?
The Freedom. I can be mostly available for things when I want to be. I can go to the supermarket in the middle of the day or take myself off for a swim. So long as the scheduled tasks are in place before or by the time they need to be it's all good. I have an issue with computer noise, so to be able to walk away from the computer when I need to is life changing for me.
 
How do you market yourself as a freelancer?
Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Generally I look at the kind of companies I want to work with and then I contact them directly showing how I can fulfill a requirement. I am also part of a business group and have found that supporting others there, leads to business as people get to know you personally and then will trust you with problems that they have. Because of my line of work, I can help with a really diverse range of problems, and the important part for me is that both myself and the client get to make creative decisions, and the client leaves feeling supported and well served, with an end result that feels right for their company.
I am looking in the new year at possibly taking out some advertising space, as it is time I became more visible.
 
Freelancing is becoming more popular these days. How do you make sure you stand out and get work?
I have a fairly unique business. I actually haven't really come across another one with my slant on things. Also because of the diverse nature of my products I can link back to many different events and current affairs. It's a watch this space moment right now. My company helps other business' match their visual assets to their branding. Think personal shopper for business. I do interiors, cloths, photo-shoots props, trade show display ideas. My niche is a big one - its specifically any business that struggles with its visual identity in a physical sense. They may have a good idea what they want already, but no time to shop - or just no idea where to source bits and bobs that are curated to suit their business needs. It’s all about functionality and personalization.

Carmina Bernhardt is a formally trained and experienced actress, singer, dancer but a storyteller above all else. She is the founder of Stolen Cactus. Follow Carmina on Twitter.
 
How long have you been a freelancer?
With a long history of performance under my belt; from figure skating (I’m a Canadian, after all) to musical theatre to classical theatre and film, I’ve been focused all my life on the performer side of storytelling.
After graduating with an MA (Dist) in Acting for Screen from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2014, I seemed to casually discover my production skills through wanting to create video content and performance opportunities for myself.  Turns out I love it just as much as the performing!
Over the last two years after completing my MA at Central, I have been building up my experience as a producer, writer, and all round crew member on short films.  Along the way, I have also been contracted to do promotional video content for small business owners and theatre companies.
For me, the freelance lifestyle of producing and video production sits very nicely alongside my desire to be an actor, because I now see myself foremost as a Storyteller and where ever I am attached to a project is where I believe the story that is being told most needs me to be.
It also allows me to keep my creative fires burning even when I am not acting because I am spending every day thinking of ideas for stories and for problem solving on projects.  It keeps my mind within the business of storytelling!   
​
What made you want to become a freelancer?
When I first started working at thirteen, I quickly discovered that I don’t like having a boss!  It’s always been a challenge for me to have to do as I am told by someone, especially when I think they’re wrong!  Working all those retail, bar, restaurant, customer service jobs, I remember enjoying the communication and connection with clients and there were some lovely bosses along the way, but I’ve always known I would need to work for myself.  
It has been a relief to have discovered the skill set of production that runs alongside the performing.  On film sets a few years back, I remember being curious about what the crew was doing and how was it that they maintained their energy to work twelve hour days.  Asking questions and being curious about other people and their job has been a large part of building up my knowledge and experience on that side; now I have the confidence to jump in and go all in on myself and my skills seem to come natural to me, when really I think I’ve been integrating my observances all along.
So in the meantime, while I continue to build up my acting career, I love the production and crew side of things and am very happy to work freelance in order to be in the world of storytelling.
The storytelling is what I love and is what drives my energy to hustle and work my butt off every day.

What are some challenges that come with it for you? 
Time management: knowing what to do and when.  There are so many balls in the air all the time: working for myself, working on other people’s projects and building up an acting career.  Patience is the key. Being patient with how things play out. I am very determined, but need to work on being patient with seeing the results of that determination.
Learning to trust that everyone’s path to success is different in the freelance world, so I look to other people for inspiration and motivation, but not let the apparent speed of their path derail me from trusting the speed of my own.
Long hours, no off days, a feeling like my life has turned into a never-ending to-do-list, and learning how to maintain focus, consistency and flex my motivation muscle so I can keep working harder and smarter every day has also been a challenge.

What are some of the perks of freelancing for you?
Every project has its own unique set of challenges and people; being able to try out the different creative, collaborative and communicative tactics of meeting and working with new people, while building up a reputation and trust in the market for what I do.  I love that!

How do you market yourself as a freelancer? (what marketing channels do you use)
Word of mouth, networking, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat.  Word of mouth has been the most powerful for me.  

Freelancing is becoming more popular these days. How do you make sure you stand out and get work?
Making connections with people. Getting to know more people, not as a way to get work, but to make more friends.
Having a social media strategy which isn’t based on how I can get people to buy my brand, but to help people, to be the connector, to see what I can do to help a potential client, collaborator, or friend.
Storytelling is about the love of being human and sharing our lives to inspire others to live theirs’.  I remind myself of that when I feel overwhelmed or have a down day and it is also what makes me stand out.
Being true to ourselves and our intentions is all we need to do to stand out.

Do you have an opinion about freelancing? Let us know by commenting below. 

Going for job interviews can be an extremely stressful and sometimes overwhelming experience. Every company has different needs and goals towards appointing the right candidate for the role and job seekers strive very hard to be the perfect candidate. We live in a society ruled by financial gains and being employed not only helps us serve our duties and purpose but also creates that security and foundation in our lives. It's never just about what you know and what skills one has, but cultural fit within an organisation is also a very important aspect recruiters seek. HR Manager Kim Royle is a highly skilled and experienced HR professional who brings forward knowledge and insights about job interviews and the entire process behind it. 

How did you decide that you wanted a career in HR?
After I graduated from university with a Psychology degree, I embarked on a graduate scheme working in a Finance Company. It was during this time that I quickly realized that a career in finance was not for me so I started to consider my options. I had never really known what ‘Human Resources’ did until entering an office environment and quickly learnt that the HR departments are there for everything to do with the employees of a company. The more I looked into it, the more interested I became and it seemed like the obvious career path for me as I loved problem solving, working with people, and could put my psychology degree to good use. There were a number of factors that attracted me to a career in HR, including; the diversity, job security, job opportunities, working with people, the employment law aspect, progression within the career and the potential earnings that come with that! Since the day I decided to pursue a career in HR, I have not looked back and although it is not always easy, it can be extremely rewarding.

What steps did you take to become an HR Manager?
Human Resources is a popular field and can therefore be quite competitive. After deciding this was the path I wanted to take, I was quickly made aware of CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) and their recognized qualifications and how most roles, even at junior level, required someone who was studying towards CIPD. I accepted a role in a recruitment agency and at the same time self- funded myself through the level 3 Certificate in HR Practice. Following completion, I moved to the UK and secured an HR Generalist role and worked very closely with a well experienced HR Consultant who I learnt a lot from. I will be forever grateful for this position as it gave me exposure to every aspect of the HR function and threw me in the deep end, whilst safe in the knowledge that the consultant was always there on hand. I quickly grew passionate about Human Resources and self-funded myself through a Masters in Human Resource Management at Brighton University which fully qualified me to Level 7 CIPD. This was a 3-year course that required me to attend university one evening a week and the rest was done in my own time around my job. In the final year, I completed a 12,000-word dissertation so was no small feat. The MSc coupled with my job gave me exposure to a plethora of complex human resource issues and I was learning so much on a daily basis. I was promoted to HR Advisor and then to HR Manager during my 4 years at the company and really enjoyed every minute of it. I have recently moved back home and secured a role heading up the HR function in a larger company which I am equally enjoying.

Let’s talk about job interviews. Is there a specific criteria HR professionals look at when they assess CV’s for potential candidates in the beginning stages for a job role?
It all depends on the role that you are recruiting for! During the initial stages of screening CVs, we look at competencies required for the role and will therefore look for experience or potential cross over for the person to meet the requirements. It always helps when someone’s CV is clearly and neatly laid out so the reader can easily understand the candidates experience, chronologically in order to match them to the competencies required.

What are some very important and standard questions in an interview?
Again, it will all depend on the type and level of role you are recruiting for. We will usually ask the candidate to draw on examples of when they have demonstrated the competencies we are looking for so it’s important to have some examples ready that you can draw on. We are usually looking for candidates who take their time and can answer confidentially and competently to give the interviewer conviction in what they are saying.
 
Why do some companies carry out a 3 or 4 stage interview process? What are they testing/looking for?
There are a number of reasons as to why a company may be carrying out a lengthy interview process. These could include;

1. A high number of eligible applicants so to ensure that the right candidate is selected;
2. A number of key stakeholders for the applicant to meet before the decision can be made;
3. To give the interviewers more time to make a decision;
4. To see the candidate in different environments or complete different tasks which mirror what will be required in the role (e.g. presentations or practical tasks)

 
What are some questions professionals going for job interviews should practice?
As explained before, I would always advise anyone going to a job interview to have plenty of examples ready and to be able to talk about what happened, what you did, what you learnt and what you would do differently. It’s important for people to feel confident and sure about who they are and what they can bring to the table but equally aware of things that they have learnt. As an interviewer, it is easy to identify when people are honestly drawing on their past experiences and when people are making up text book answers that they think you want to hear! 

How should candidates dress for a job interview?
Again, it depends on the role, the company and the working environment. I would encourage anyone who is unsure to ask beforehand- no one will judge you for asking the question, if anything it shows you care! I personally feel that it is always better to be over dressed than underdressed so if in doubt, go for the smarter option!
 
What advice do you have for individuals seeking employment in terms of securing a job?
I believe it to be of utmost importance that people attending interviews remember that it is a 2-way process and whilst the interviewer is looking at them and assessing their suitability for the role, they too should be looking at the company and assessing if it is somewhere they want to work. I understand that sometimes job seeking can be pressured, but it’s okay to go to an interview and not want the job after. As cheesy as it sounds, I believe that ‘what’s meant to be, will be’ with regard to jobs and so not to get too disheartened if you don’t get offered a job you’ve interviewed for- it obviously wasn’t the one for you, so don’t let this affect your confidence for your next interview.

The creative industry is very complex and competitive. Creativity has no limitations and there are so many great designers in the world, so to get yourself noticed, you really need to stand out. Evelyn Garnett is a senior web designer for The Eventa Group UK and she has been involved in many international marketing campaigns. In this interview, Evelyn gave us an insight into the industry and tips for all aspiring web/graphic designers to take on board to further their career. 
 
What is the best thing about working in the graphic design field?
I adore the variety of projects I get to work on. One day I might be filming a short documentary for social media, the next day I could be coding a website or designing a leaflet. There are endless branches in this industry and there's always more to learn.

How did you get into graphic design?
When I was 13 my mother bought me a PC and I stumbled upon a web design tutorial website. From there I taught myself HTML, CSS and Photoshop and went on to study media at college, with a focus on web design. I then completed my degree in Interactive Media Production which covered web design, marketing, graphic design, videography, photography and scriptwriting. When I graduated, my work was featured in Creative Arts and Web Designer Magazine and I began building up a portfolio with my work. I worked for a couple of web design agencies whilst freelancing before deciding that agency work wasn’t for me. It was a risk, but I left my job and took a 9-month maternity cover contract at The Eventa Group as an in-house web designer. The gamble paid off as I was offered a permanent position when the contract ended.
 
How do graphic designers bring value to a brand?
A brand needs to be consistent. If it uses different styles of colors, fonts or logos, it’s going to look unprofessional and is unlikely to give a lasting impression. In addition, the design created by a graphic or web designer is styled to give a particular meaning or look and feel and can completely change a viewer’s opinion of the brand. A good graphic designer delivers great ideas and gets results.

What are top 10 tips you think everyone interested in web/ graphic design should know?

MARKETING KNOWLEDGE 
Brush up on marketing! When I was starting out as a web designer, I thought I knew enough to get me by. Since working with a marketing team I’ve realised just how vital it is to learn as much as possible about marketing. It’s worth doing an online course or working with someone in the field.

INSPIRATION
Collect inspiration. See a building design that you like? Take a picture. Love the colours in that magazine article? Cut it out. Place and share on Pinterest for handy inspiration when you need it.

GET RESOURCEFUL 
Use online resources. There are SO many free online tutorials and videos to walk you through programs and techniques. Set aside some time each week to learn something new.

FINANCE WISDOM
If you’re going freelance, it’s worth getting an accountant. Yes, they’re expensive but worth their weight in gold. When I was freelancing,  my accountant saved me more money than I paid for her services.

GET VISUAL
Photography plays a massive role in web and graphic design. Unfortunately there are limited free resources for photos online, so it’s worth learning a bit about photography and taking photos yourself where possible.

LISTEN TO FEEDBACK
Learn to accept (and reply to) criticism. In this industry, a great deal of client feedback is based on personal preference (even when you know what sells and what doesn’t). Learn to listen and accept the client’s opinions, and learn how to explain the reason behind your designs. You will make mistakes too, but learn from them and move on.

SOCIAL MEDIA SAVVY
Get on social media and follow as many graphic designers, web designers and resource websites as possible. Not only will you learn plenty, but you’ll make some useful contacts.

PORTFOLIO 
Build yourself a diversified portfolio and show your clients and employers that you can accept challenges and work well with a variety of projects.

DETAIL ORIENTED 
Spent hours on one little detail that still doesn’t look quite right? That’s good, it means you do have that vital attention to detail and your work will shine. However, if you’re getting nowhere, take a break and come back to it later. Nine times out of ten I find I’m able to crack it within minutes after a break.

VOLUNTEER 
If you’re looking to get into the industry but lack experience, create your own projects or volunteer to design for charities. You’ll quickly build up a portfolio and a network of contacts. 

Connect with Evie on LinkedIn 

The world of blogging has become incredibly popular since its first appearance back in the early 90's. Everybody can have a blog these days, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will be a successful one. We must take in consideration everything from different ways of engaging with the public, posting relevant content, SEO and of course, some brand awareness via PR. So what is the strategic path to incorporate all of these things and reach the desired result of a profitable blog site? The lovely Claire McGowran from top wedding blog Bridal Musings spoke to us about being a blog editor and what does this actually entail. Claire is an Irish writer living in London. She is the editor of international wedding blog Bridal Musings that delivers helpful advice and beautiful inspiration to couples planning their weddings. 

What is your role at Bridal Musings and what is the concept behind the brand?
I am the editor of Bridal Musings. We are a wedding blog that aims to give both brides and grooms helpful advice and gorgeous inspiration for planning their wedding.

How long have you been part of the Bridal Musings team and how did you get involved as an editor?
I had worked in lifestyle editorial for about five years , in magazines, newspapers and websites and a friend who worked in weddings told me about the editor role at Bridal Musings and it sounded like my perfect job.

What is your background? Have you always been passionate about the media industry?
I have a degree in journalism and had always wanted to work in some kind of editorial role. Originally, I liked news but once I left university I realized lifestyle was a lot more varied and fun and offered a lot of opportunities.

What does a typical day at work for you look like?
As a very small business, I work on all aspects of it. My mornings tend to get taken with the day’s content on the blog, then I spend the afternoon working on emails and advertising, with lots of social media littered throughout the day.

Being an editor of such a successful blog must get very busy. How do you prioritize your time?
For me, our editorial always takes priority over everything else. I’ll make sure we’ll get a blog post, several Instagram and Facebook updates and a bunch of pins on Pinterest done every single day.

What is the most effective way to build relationships within your field?
I think it’s a good idea to join Facebook groups for other professionals in your field and engage with them as much as possible on social media; this is especially important when you work from home. Attending events is a great way to connect too, but it can be difficult to decide which ones are worth time investing.

Bridal Musings has an amazing social media following and the engagement from the public is always great. How important would you say social media is for bloggers and how can they grow the engagement on their social media channels?
Social media is as important for bloggers as their blogs are. Whilst the rules of what works on social media are constantly changing, and it can be frustrating trying to keep up, it’s vital for growing your business, drawing in new readers, and connecting with your existing ones too.
 
What is the best part of your job?
Getting to write about style, décor, travel and love- every single day!

What are some challenges that come with it?
Working from home can be a little bit lonely sometimes, I do miss Friday afternoon vibes in an office and having a work Christmas Party. But I get to skip the London commute and work in my pj’s so really I can’t complain.
 
What advice do you have for those people who wish to pursue a career as an editor?
When it comes to working in online content and editorial, experience is just as (if not more important) than qualifications. Work on building your own social media  and establishing your writing style, this is so important , particularly if you are looking to work in social media. Learning practical skills like Photoshop, video editing and SEO writing are so helpful too and will really stand out with employers.

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