Curly Martin

Curly Martin

Insolvency and the self-employed

Tags: , , , , , , , , Business, Personal Success

 

Horses being lunged on beachThere are according to the Citizens Advice Bureau 4.55 million self-employed workers in the UK. I think this is great. I love it when someone takes the plunge and grasps the reins of their own destiny. The trick is being able to ride the self-employed horse into the beautiful sunset of a successful career and not falling off at the hurdle.

In my experience, most people when learning to ride a horse do not just jump on bare back and ride safely. Normally, new riders take lessons in not only how to ride but as importantly how to tack up (put the saddle on – the thingy you sit on) and how to maintain the tack so that it is safe to ride on. Also, as we are on the horsey theme, usually the horse has been broken-in (trained – not as in; thief – breaking into a horsebox) by a qualified and experienced trainer.

Over 19,000 self-employed people contacted the CAB in Q4 2013 regarding personal debt. Over 19,000 in one quarter of a year! This is mind blowing. Within that number there will be some coaches. I would expect the coaches who are in debt are Read More

Inactivity vs Activity

Tags: , , , , , , , , Personal Success

Rock beachOne of my dearest friends and confidant has been working back to back. The curse and the joy of being self employed.

Let’s say for the minute you are self-employed. You enjoy the freedom of going from one company and contract to another. This offers variety and an infinitive number of new challenges and networks. Oh the joy this brings. It reminds me of a child in a sweet shop, so many choices and options. If you sort by difference or prefer options over procedure, this life is the perfect alternative to being an employee on a salary with one boss and the same ‘ole’ faces each day.

The thing is… Read More

When it is better to go on, rather than turning back

Tags: , , , , , , , , Tips, Training

 

Dartmoor river
An interesting thing happened today. I joined a group of RDA volunteers for an end of term outing. We were going to go for a walk on the moors and then return to a beautiful Inn for lunch.

The sun was shining as we set off for our walk. After a short while walking on flat ground we came across a sharp decline which took us down to a moorland stream. There was the obligatory gnarled tree casting dappled shade over the running cool water. It was idyllic.

We then left the valley and started a medium ascent towards one of the moors famous tours. There was a little breeze and the sun was beating down. The group started to spread out as the leaders walked ahead and the stragglers slowed down creating a gap between us. I was in the lead group and after we had crested a mound on the tour we Read More

Fledgling Coaches

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Fledgling Blue Tit

Fledgling Blue Tit

I was doing some coaching in my office when I looked out the window and sitting on the garden table was a wet fledgling blue tit. He must have just left the nest and landed on the table. He was calling to his mother and seemed to be in some distress. He was scared and the territory was unfamiliar to him. His mother tried to come to his aid but was nervous of being so close to the building and eventually she flew off. The little fledgling gave up calling and settled down to preening his feathers and practicing flapping his wings. After he had dried out and gained confidence practicing he gathered Read More

Which Coach Training Course Is The Best?

Tags: , , , , , Business, Coaching, Training
Coaching practice being observed

Coaching practice being observed

The question is not ‘Which coach training course is the best?’

What you really want to know is

‘Which coach training course is the best one for me, with my budget, with my experience, with my competencies and with my learning style?’

I have designed a free (No need to give us your details) form http://bit.ly/1quazaC to help you decide which training provider will provide you with in-depth, established, renowned training for you to confidently launch yourself as a successful coach and businessperson. It is based on the briefing matrix which can be found in my seminal book, ‘The Life Coaching Handbook’ and I have spent time adapting it (first adapted 2003) so that it is easy for you to choose a coach training course which closely matches your needs. A good life coach training course will involve a Read More

What does good health mean to you?

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SELF DIAGNOSTIC BOX

In line with my own definition of good health, where am I now?

I realise this seems a strange thing to ask you to consider. The reason I ask is because we are all at different levels of health and for some of us good health would just mean being able to walk up the street without getting out of breath. For others it means being full of energy. You need to determine your own definition of health before you will know if you have it or not. Spend some time thinking about the answer and write it down in your note book.

You are what you eat!
There are many sayings about what we eat such as Read More

Time For Your Passions?

Tags: , , , , , , Book Extracts, Tips
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Time is your most important commodity. There, I have said it. You cannot afford to waste any time because it is not refundable. You cannot mortgage it or borrow it from someone else. You are given the same amount every day and, at the end of the day, it has gone.

Everyone has the same amount, it is what you do with it that is the important part. I am not suggesting that you currently waste time deliberately; it’s just that, as a business owner, you can easily become involved in the details and gradually create unhealthy processes, procedures and politics. These all absorb your time unproductively. Read More

The Easiest & Most Effective Relationship Tip In Difficult Situations

Tags: , , , , , , , Book Extracts, Tips
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This is a great tip that I use when confronted with difficult situations. It is the simplest technique you will learn in the Personal Success Handbook and yet it is one of the most powerful ones. It is called Low ‘n’ slow, and all you need to do is to speak in a very low tone and at a slower pace.

If you lower you tone by one or two levels you will disarm the situation. Determine your level of speaking normally and mark the level out of 10, where 10 is shouting and 0 is not speaking. Practice going up and down the scale until you know what number you speak at normally. Now all you do is lower your voice one to two levels. For example if you find your normal voice tone is level six on your scale then during confrontation or conflict, lower your tone by two levels. Use the same technique for your speed of speaking, with level 10 being nearly garbled it is so fast and 0 is not speaking. Read More

Growth Vouchers for small businesses

Tags: , Business, Tips No comments

In a previous post, I told you about a great opportunity to access £30 million through a government scheme for small businesses, entrepreneurs and the self-employed. There was up to £2,000 available to small business owners in the ‘Growth Vouchers’ programme which offers expert advice to small businesses including individuals who are registered as self-employed. At the time I was a little sceptical as to who would be eligible and those of my readers who have been on any of my courses will know that I like to experience what I teach or talk about if possible. So yes, I have applied for the vouchers. The first time I applied I did not get anywhere, just a few emails. So I thought I would Read More