1 Willem Gous – Life Design for Business Owners€¦ · How to Handle Difficult Employees (ii) .....40 How Freelancers can save you Time and Money .....43 5 Ways Freelancers can

1WillemGous–LifeDesignforBusinessOwners“Helpingyouturnyourbusinessintoabuildingblockinyourlife”

Coach|Mentor|AdvisorGetyourfreecopyofthisbookandmanyothersat

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Uncoveringthebusinessleaderwithin

Howtobringyourtrueleadertolife

OneHourBusinessBooks–Alltheknowledgeyouneedin60minutesorless

Time is precious and should not be wasted. This eBook wasresearched and assembled with that concept in mind. I havescouredtheInternet,gatheringinformationtoprovideyouwithuptodate and informative content thatwill aid younot just in yourbusinessventures,butalsoyourlifejourney.Thisisnotaformaltextbook, but the content will provide practical answers to themostcommonquestionsyoumayencounter.

It serves as a research project giving you insights into themarketoneach topic.Someof the recommendationsmightand will probably be counter to my teaching and belief,however, I left it in because Iwant you to formabalancedperspectiveofthevariousperspectivessothatyoucanmakean informed decision about your actions ahead with allnecessary information at hand. You are themaster of yourowndestinyandIaimtohelpyoualongthattothebestofmyability.

Youwillbeabletoreadthisbookin60minutesorlessandgaintheknowledgethatwouldnormallytakedaystoassembleinyourlunchhour.Usethisknowledgetoguideyouonyourwaytosuccess!



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Thefactthatyoudownloadedthisbookmeansyouareseriousaboutmakingachange inyour lifeandyourbusinessorboth. Iamherewithyouonthatjourney.

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INDEX

HowtobemoreProfessional..................................................5

CanyoudevelopsoftskillsthroughTraining?.........................7

Howtodevelopsoftskillsthroughtraining............................9

Whysoftskillsaresoimportant............................................13

WhatareCorporateSoftSkills?............................................15

5WaystomakeBetterDecisions..........................................18

Whywemakebaddecisions.................................................20

IncreaseyourproductivityandExcel....................................23

Howtoincreaseyourproductivity........................................26

5StepstoInsaneFOCUS.......................................................28

FreelancersversusPermanentEmployees............................32

5ReasonswhyyoushouldgetFreelancersforyournewbusiness.................................................................................34

HowtoHandleDifficultEmployees(i)..................................37

HowtoHandleDifficultEmployees(ii).................................40

HowFreelancerscansaveyouTimeandMoney..................43

5WaysFreelancerscansaveyouTime.................................46



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HowtomanageaRemoteWorkTeam.................................49

WhyRemoteWorkTeamsaretheFuture............................51

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HowtobemoreProfessional

Beingprofessionalatworkbringsnumerousbenefits–promotions,

raisesandrespect.Youasbusinessownerhavetobeprofessional

in order to take your company forward, earn the respect of your

employees and instil trust in your clients. Listed below are some

proventipsonbecomingmoreprofessional.

Confidence

Confidence with the ability to back it up is of great value.

Competencebreedsconfidence.Ifyouknowyourjobanddoitwell,

youwillhavetheconfidencetospeakupandvoiceyouropinions.

Trulyprofessionalpeoplearenotarrogant,butquietlyconfident.

StrategicThinking

Thinkstrategically,withthesolutiontotheprobleminmind.Then

figureouthowtogettothatgoal.Youmayhavetostopandevaluate

yourcurrentsituation,makesomechangesandmovetowardsyour

goalagain.Strategicthinkingisaskillthatcanbeacquired.

OfficePolitics



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Avoidofficepoliticsandgossipatall cost.Unfortunately, thatwill

alwaysbepartofanyoffice,butyouhavetodistanceyourselffrom

any co-worker gossip. Establish the professional reputation you

wantbyavoidingofficedrama.

Realism

Promiseonlywhatyoucandeliver.Thisappliestoyouremployees,

aswellasyourclients.Promisingtheworldtosomebodyandthen

delivering a handful ofmudwill not reflect positively on you. Be

realisticandgainthetrustofyouremployers,employeesandclients.

Performance

Follow-throughisofutmostimportance,asispersistence,havinga

work ethic and being diligent. At the end of the day, your

performancewillspeakforitself.Butyoucanaddtoyourhardskills,

by honing up on soft skills and becoming a well-rounded

professional.

FurtherReading:

https://www.livecareer.com/career-tips/career-

advice/professionalism



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http://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/17-simple-habits-that-make-

you-look-more-professional.html

CanyoudevelopsoftskillsthroughTraining?

Technicalorhardskillsaretaughtandlearnedthetraditionalway–

inaclassroomsituation.Thesearethequalificationsyougetafter

studyingforadegree,diplomaorcertificate.Softskillsareequally

important, but different and involve both intrapersonal and

interpersonalcommunication.

IsSoftSkillsTrainingeffective?

Millennial Organizations and businesses face the problem that

employeeswiththerequiredhardskillsdonotalwayspossessthe

softskillsneededtobemoreproficientintheworkplace.

Soft skills training is difficult, because training is open ended and

cannot really bemeasured effectively and objectively. Also, skills

needtobedeveloped,ratherthanlearned.

Soft Skills training can be effective if the trainees are willing to

developtheskillsthatarerequired.



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SoftSkillsTrainingaScience?

Softskillstrainingisnotascience.Itconsistsofasetofskillsthatthe

individualhastodeveloponanintrapersonallevel.Unfortunately,a

numberofpeoplearenotwillingtodeveloptheseskills.Softskills

trainingneedscommitment,time,constantpracticeandenergyto

besuccessful.

Unfortunately, it isnotreallymeasurable,but it ishighlyvisible in

interaction between co-workers, as well as abilities like problem

solving,creativethinkingandthecapacityofanindividualtoresolve

issues.

CommunicationandEmotionalIntelligence

Communicationskillscanbetaughtanddeveloped.Differentmodes

ofcommunicationapplytodifferentsituationsandpeoplecanlearn

howtocommunicateinavarietyofscenarios.

Emotional Intelligence encompasses social skills, self-management

andsocialawareness.EmotionalintelligenceorEIisalsoreflectedin

thewayyouhandlesituations,especiallyconflictsituations.



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Soft skills training will benefit every single person, whether in a

personalcapacityorintheworkplace.

FurtherReading:

http://www.skillsyouneed.com/general/soft-skills.html

https://www.livecareer.com/career-tips/career-advice/soft-skills-

in-demand

Howtodevelopsoftskillsthroughtraining

Soft skills training and hard skills training require totally different

methodsofteaching.Wherehardskillsaretechnicalandbasedon

science, soft skills involve intrapersonal and interpersonal

developmentofcommunicationskills.Akeyfactortosuccessfulsoft

skills training is the attitude of the individual regarding soft skills

training.

Willingnesstochange

Peoplehave tobewilling tochange. If theyarenot ready for this

step,softskillstrainingwillhavelittleornoeffectonthewaythey

operate. Before your employees embark on a soft skills training



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course,firstestablishthateachandeveryoneisreadyandwillingto

change.

GoalSetting

Set a number of tangible goals where you need to improve your

business.Definethegoalstoyouremployeesandspecifyhowyou

aimtoreachthesegoalsemployingsoftskills.Theconceptofsoft

skillsshouldbemadecleartoemployeesinorderforthemtofully

graspwhatisexpectedofthem.

MakeTrainingMeasurable

Softskillspersearenotmeasurable,but theeffectivenessofsoft

skills trainingcanbemeasured.Takea lookatthefollowingthree

examples:

• Reductionincustomercomplaints

• Increaseinpositivefeedbackfrommanagers

• Decreaseinfailuretomakedeadlines

Tomeasure thepositiveofsoft skills training,youcanusecertain

indicators to measure performance of employees. You can keep



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track of these indicators in order to measure performance of

employeesindefinitely.

SingleConceptApproach

TheSingleConceptApproachentailsfocusingononetopicatatime.

When the topic is, for example, Effective Communication, do not

incorporateTimemanagement orCreative problem solving in the

same lesson. Set clear parameters for specific skills. The topic

ofEffectiveCommunicationwillinclude:

• Howtoopenaconversationinawaythatpromptsopen-

mindedness

• Howtoarticulategoals

• Howtolisteneffectively

Softskillstrainingmaybeaonce-offcourse,butthenewskillshave

tobefurtherdevelopedasanongoingprocess.

PracticeandGrow

The success of Soft Skills Training depends on the individual’s

commitmenttodevelopthesenewskills.Skillshavetobepracticed

and employed both at the workplace and at home. Internalizing



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theseskillswillleadtotheindividualbecomingamorewell-rounded

personandthiswillreflectinallrelationshipstheindividualispart

of.

FurtherReading:

http://elearningindustry.com/soft-skills-training-make-elearning-

work-enhancing-soft-skills

http://www.fastcompany.com/3036793/hit-the-ground-running/6-

steps-to-improving-your-current-employeess-soft-skills




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Whysoftskillsaresoimportant

Technical or hard skills are necessary to perform specified tasks

effectively,butmore than technical skills areneeded forbusiness

success.Itisnotonlyimportanttoknowhowtodothejob,youhave

to be able to provide solutions to new problems, communicate

effectivelywithco-workersandalsomanageyourtimeeffectively.

EffectiveCommunicationSkills

People with effective communication skills are proficient at both

getting their message across and listening well. This builds

relationships, not only with colleagues, but also with clients and

investors. They are able to adapt to different situations and vary

theirmethodofcommunication.

Self-Motivation

Self-motivatedpeopledonotneedsupervisionandgetonwiththeir

tasks on their own. This saves a great deal of time. They are

responsibleandresilient.Thesepeopletakeprideintheirworkand

representthebackboneoftheircompany.



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Attitude

A negative attitude is counterproductive and reflects poor

communication skills. A positive attitude opens up your mind to

otheropinions,strategiesandtactics.Negativeattitudescloudthe

work-spaceandharmthecompany.Communicateactively,butdo

not mope if your solution is not accepted. Rather find ways to

supportthechosendirection.

NegotiationSkills

Decisionsandtransactionsarenegotiatedonadailybasisandare

crucialforthecurrentandfuturesuccessofacompany.Conflicting

opinionshavetobenegotiatedwithskill,inordertoreachpositive

conclusions.

CreativityandProblemSolvingSkills

Thesearesoughtafterskills inanyworkenvironment.Theseskills

can be developed and special training courses are provided for

peoplewhowant to fine-tune their creative and problem solving

skills.



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FurtherReading:

https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2014/08/business-soft-

skills.html

http://www.brilliantfs.com/blog/check-in-with-

jim/articleid/655/why-soft-skills-are-so-important-in-the-work-

place

http://www.skillsyouneed.com/general/soft-skills.html

WhatareCorporateSoftSkills?

What isthedifferencebetweensoftskillsandhardskills?Whydo

employersvaluesoftskillsasbeingcrucial?

Hard skills apply to your job description and include technical or

functional abilities like mathematics, engineering skills and

computer skills. Soft skills apply to effective communication,

creativity,problemsolvingskillsandtheabilitytobringvaluetoa

team.

Hardskillscanbetaught,butsoftskillsformpartofyourpersonal

characteristicsandcanbefine-tunedorenhanced.



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#1:TheArtofCommunication

Theabilitytocommunicateeffectivelyisoneoftheprimarysoftskills

everybusinessowneroremployeeshouldmaster.Communication

affectsrelationshipswithbothcustomersandcolleaguesregarding

instructions, explaining new projects, handling of conflict and

resolvingissues.

#2:CreativeProblem-solving

Finding creative solutions to problems is amuch-valued soft skill.

You can hone your problem-solving skills by trying to view the

problemathandfromdifferentanglesandthenfindingsolutions.To

take itonestepfurther,visualizethe impactofyoursolutionnow

andinfuture.Willyoursolutionimpactpositivelyforsometimeto

come?

#3:MakingDecisions

Be decisive. Before you make a decision, gather all the factual

information available. Do some research, ask for advice, consider

alternativesandthenmakeyourinformeddecision.

#4:TimeManagement



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Timemanagementincorporatesprioritizing.Whenyouhavelimited

timetodeliveranddeadlinesarelooming,selectthemostimportant

tasks and do them first. Next, decide which actions produce

maximumoutputwiththeleasteffort.

#5:AcceptResponsibility

Everybodymakesmistake. First of all, take enough pride in your

worksothatyouareconfidenttoputyournametoit.Ifitdoesnot

work,donotpassthebuck,butacknowledgeresponsibility.Youwill

gainmorerespectbyacceptingresponsibility.Itishowyoureactto

mistakes,thatmakesthedifference.

FurtherReading:

https://www.resumeedge.com/what-are-soft-skills-and-why-are-

they-important/

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/aboutus/newsarticles/

Pages/Spotlight-SoftSkills.aspx



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5WaystomakeBetterDecisions

We make numerous decisions every single day of our lives. The

betterdecisionsweareabletomake,themoreproductivewewill

be.Aquickandeasywaytomakingbetterdecisions, istomakea

checklistwithoptionstoconsider.Listedbelowareprovenmethods

ofmakingbetterdecisionsregardingyourpersonallife,businessand

anyotherchoiceyoumayhavetomake.

#1:Gatheringinformation

Be sure to have the information you need to make a specific

decision. Too little information will cause you to make an

uninformed decision and toomuch informationmay confuse you

andalsohaveanegativeeffect.

#2:TrustyourGut

Haveyoueverexperiencedanuneasyfeelingaboutadecisionyou

made? Ten to one the result turned out to be not so good. Our

instinct is based on all our experience, knowledge and previous

events.Trustyourgut.Thesamegoesforapositiveresult–youwill

justfeelrightaboutthedecisionyoumake.



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#3:Alternativeoptions

Writedownorconsideratleastthreealternativeoptionswhenyou

havetomakeadecision.Thiswill leadyoutoconsideralloptions

availableandalsoexpandyourchoices.

#4:MissingInformation

Makesure thatyouknowwhat informationyouneedtomakean

informeddecision.Ifyouaremissingsomeinformation,firstgetit

allbeforemakingadecision.Neverignoresomethingbecauseyou

arenotsureofit.Getallthefactsandthenmakeyourdecision.

#5:Impactofyourdecision

Visualisetheimpactofyourdecisionnowandoneyearinthefuture.

Dothiswithalltheoptionsyouhaveavailableandalltheinformation

youneed.Bydoing this,youmay identifysimilarscenarios,which

willaidyouinthedecision-makingprocess.



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FurtherReading:

https://hbr.org/2016/03/a-checklist-for-making-faster-better-

decisions

http://99u.com/articles/7043/dont-overthink-it-5-tips-for-daily-

decision-making


Whywemakebaddecisions

Wehave tomakedecisions on a daily basis.Our decision-making

process affects the outcome of whether we make good or bad

decisions.Webelievethatthereiseitherarightorwrongchoiceand



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thataddstoourstresslevels,whichinturnhasanegativeeffecton

the outcome of our choices. How can we improve our decision-

makingprocess?

#1:Information

Webaseourdecisionson informationavailable tousataspecific

time. We often rely on outside sources for advice regarding our

decisions.However,we receiveconflicting informationandadvice

most of the time. The best way to overcome this problem, is to

embraceyourinnerscepticandaskquestionswhenyouarenotsure.

Thendecide.

#2:Stateofawareness

Youhavetobecomeawareofthoughtsthatarelimitingyouandthe

decisionsyoumake.Faceyourfearswithhonestyandadmitthatyou

havethem,thenfacethem.Byfacingyourfears,youwillbeableto

makepositiveandbetterdecisions.

#3:ReachfortheSolution

Whenmakingdecisions,wetendtostareattheproblemfromthe

wrongangle.Weoftenmakedecisionsbasedonfear,frustrationand



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anxiety. The solution is to expand our perspective and open

ourselvesuptomoreoptions.

#4:MaketimetoThink

We are on the run most of the time and rush everywhere. This

creates abigproblem, in the sense thatwedonotmake time to

think. Our decisions aremade in haste and thereforewe are not

alwaysable tomakethebestdecision.Takea fewminutesaday,

calmyourmindandmaketimetothink.

#5:Empoweryourself

Ifwealwaysexpecttheworse,ourdecisionswillreflectthat.Rather

focusonapositiveoutcomeandtrytofindasolutionthatmirrors

the best-case scenario. Powerless choices stem from a feeling of

being out of control. Counter this by taking time to weigh all

availableoptionsandempoweryourselfbymakingthebestdecision

youcan.



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FurtherReading:

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-17288/why-we-make-bad-

choices-and-how-to-stop.html

http://www.fastcompany.com/3027160/work-smart/7-ways-to-

stop-making-bad-decisions

IncreaseyourproductivityandExcel

Youwanttoexcelatwhatyoudoandinordertodothatyouhave

tobemoreproductive.Everybodyistalkingaboutthehard-work-vs-

smart-work dichotomy, but are they really mutually exclusive? A

positivemind-set, a clearmindandenthusiasmare key factors in

productivity. Youhave to findwhich formulaworks for you as an

individual.Listedbelowaresomeproventipstohelpyoumakethat

decision.

GoodHabits

Startcultivatinggoodhabits.Howtodothat?Makealistofthegood

habitsyouwanttocultivateandstartwiththefirstone.Dothatfor

aweekandthenaddthenextone.Carryonuntilallthelistedhabits

arepartofyournewlifestyle.Example:Youwanttogetupat5am



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fromnowon.Getupat5amforaweek,establishthehabitandkeep

ondoingthatwhilsttacklinganewhabitthenextweek.

YourEmotions

Whenyouare incrisismodeandneedtoperform,youremotions

maygetthebetterofyouandstressmaycauseyoutobeunableto

focus.Itisessentialthatyoucontrolandmaintainyouremotionsin

ordertoperformbetterandincreaseyourproductivity.

TheFLOWState

We have all experienced the Flow State – when you feel like a

supertaskerandtheworkjustflows.Thisterm,coinedas“theflow”

byDr.MihalyCsikszenthihalyi,referstohavingthemostcreativeand

productivestateofmindinwhichtowork.Thisstatecausesthatyou

becomecompletelyinvolvedinwhatyoudo,losingyoursenseofself

andforgettingaboutyourworriesandproblems.

HowtoFLOW

How do you get into this Flow state? Scientists state that a few

criteriaarenecessary:



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• Sufficienttimetocompleteatask

• Focusonthetaskathand

• Setatimer

• Setcleargoals

Youhavetoconstantlydevelopyourskills,sothatyouhaveenough

confidencetotackleyourwork.

TheBasketofTricks

Finally,thebasketoftricksincludestheinformationabove,butalso

aremindertoconsciouslyignoreyourprocrastinationinstinct.

“Onlyputoffuntiltomorrowwhatyouarewillingtodiehavingleft

undone.”–PabloPicasso

FurtherReading:

http://www.lifehack.org/402361/6-secrets-to-performing-better-

and-even-excelling-at-work

http://www.lifehack.org/315758/the-guide-productivity-that-will-

change-your-life

http://www.lifehack.org/396674/intelligent-ways-to-increase-

productivity



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Howtoincreaseyourproductivity

Inordertoincreaseyourproductivity,youhavetostartdoingthings

differently.Firstofall,youneedtowanttodothingsinabetterway

than before, else all your good resolutions will just fade into

obscurity.That,ineffect,meansachangeinmindset.Youneedto

bepositivelymotivatedinordertobecomemoreproductive.Listed

belowareprovenwaystohelpyougettoyourgoal.

Multitasking

Ditch multitasking from today. A productive lifestyle and

multitasking are incompatible. Multitasking is actually

counterproductive, resulting in lost time and productivity. Rather

focusonthemoment,thetaskyouarebusywithandfinishbefore

movingon.

Clearmind

“Ifyourmindisempty,itisalwaysreadyforanything;itisopenfor

everything.”—ShunryuSuzuki



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Itisimportanttokeepyourmindopenandclear,sothatyoucanuse

yourbrainefficiently.Clearyourmindfromallclutterandcomplete

thetaskathand.Focusedattentionwillallowyoutogetthejobdone

quickly, accurately andmore efficiently.When you aredonewith

onetask,moveontothenext.

Easydoesit

Start with problems you can solve first, before you tackle more

difficulttasks.Finishthemajorityofeasytasks,thenyouwillhave

moretimetofocusondifficulttasksandfindingcreativesolutions.

Thisway,abiggeramountofworkgetsdoneinlesstime.

Planning

Planning iscrucial. Lineupyour tasks for thenextdaybeforeyou

closeyourofficedoor.Thiswillallowyoutostartmoreproductively

thenextdayandpreventaimlessscramblingaroundfirstthinginthe

morning.To-dolistsareunderratedandgoalongwaytoincreasing

productivity.



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Evaluateyourstatusquo

Whatiskeepingyoufrombeingmoreproductive?Thisyouandonly

youcananswer.Ifyourmindwanderseasily,startfocusingforshort

periods, like thirty minutes, take a quick break and come back,

focusingonthemomentandonthetask.Yourproductivitywillsoar.

FurtherReading:

http://www.lifehack.org/402361/6-secrets-to-performing-better-

and-even-excelling-at-work

http://www.lifehack.org/315758/the-guide-productivity-that-will-

change-your-life

http://www.lifehack.org/396674/intelligent-ways-to-increase-

productivity

5StepstoInsaneFOCUS

Withoutfocus,wewillneverattainsuccess.Youcanplodderthrough

lifedoingwhateveritisyoudoinarelaxedway,butthatisreckless

behaviour,becauseyouare throwingall youropportunitiesaway.

Thebiggest risk of losing your focus iswasting precious time and

eventuallyleadingameaninglesslife.



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“Onereasonsofewofusachievewhatwetrulywantisthatwenever

direct our focus; we never concentrate our power. Most people

dabbletheirwaythroughlife,neverdecidingtomasteranythingin

particular.”-TonyRobbins

#1:CoreTasks

Startyourdayoffbypicking2–3coretasks.Thesehavetobethe

crucial,importanttasksthathavetobedone.Oncethesetasksare

done, pick the next tasks according to importance. These tasks

shouldmoveyouclosertoyourgoal.Yourdaywillbeasuccessifyou

getyourTOPTHREEtasksdone.

#2:GetUnstuck

Determine what actually matters. Those are usually the difficult

tasksandtheonesyoufearmost.Cutoutalldistractionsandfocus

ononetaskatatime.Figureoutthebasicsofthetaskandwhatthe

result should be. Thenwork out, step by step, how to get to the

desired result.Donotget stuck ina feelingofdespair,but rather

simplifymattersbybreakingthetaskupinmanageableparts.



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#3:TimeManagement

Whiledoingyourcoretasksasmentionedabove,donotconnectto

anysocialmedianetworks.Leaveyouremailuntilthetaskisdone.

Allow a specific time for the task and then cut out any and all

distractions.

#4:MultitaskingisOUT

Multitaskingistheenemyoffocus.Doonethingatatimeandstay

in the moment. Multitasking is inefficient and leads to mistakes.

Surfingduringphonecallsmaycauseyoutomissimportantdetails

andchattingwhenwriting is sure tomessupyourarticle.Doone

thingatatime,completeitandmoveontothenext.

#5:Breaks

Youneedtotakebreaksifyouwanttostayfocused.Workforthirty

minutes,setanalarmandtakeafive-minutebreak.Standup,walk

aroundandgetback toyour task.Notonlywillyou increaseyour

abilitytofocus,butyouwillmakefewermistakesandthetaskswill

getdoneinlesstime.



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FurtherReading:

http://www.lifehack.org/408361/if-you-want-to-focus-more-never-

try-harder-science-says

http://liveyourlegend.net/11-steps-to-insane-focus-get-more-of-

what-matters-done-in-3-hours-than-most-do-in-a-week/




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FreelancersversusPermanentEmployees

Youneedemployeeswithspecialskillstocompleteyourprojectsas

quicklyaspossible,butyoudonothavetheresourcestoemploy

andtrainafull-timestaffyet.Youcansavebothtimeandmoneyif

youmakeuseoffreelancers.Hereare5reasonswhy:

#1:Cost-effective

Permanentemployeesarepaidsalaries,bonusesandpromotions.

Theygetpaidvacationtime,publicholidaysandsickleave.

Freelancersarecontractedforeachprojectandyoujustpayforthe

endresult.Freelancersalsooffercompetitiverates,becausethey

needthebusiness.

#2:SpecificSkills

Yourfull-timestaffmaynothavethespecificskillsetsthatare

neededfornewprojects.Freelancersprovidequalityworkand

expertservice,becausetheyareexperiencedinthatparticularline

ofwork.



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#3:QualityandSpeed

Freelancersdonotneedtraininganddonothavesetworking

hours.Thequalityoftheirworkwilldeterminewhetheryouhire

themagain.Permanentemployeesmaynotprovidetheexpert

servicefreelancersoffer,becausetheymaynothavethesamelevel

ofexpertiseregardingspecifictasks.

#4:PermanentTeamversusFreelance

Apermanentteamofemployeesmayhaveitsbenefits,butateam

canstagnateandgetusedtoacertainwayofdoingthings,whichis

notalwaysthemostinnovativeandpracticalway.Freelancersare

usedtoadaptingtonewenvironmentsandtheyalsoprovidefresh

ideastosolvingproblems,becauseoftheirexperienceindifferent

industries.

#5:Commitment

Permanentemployeesmaystagnateandsettleinacomfortzone.

Freelancers,ontheotherhand,arepaidforeachprojectthey

complete.Theywanttofinishthejobasquicklyandperfectas

possibleinordertogetmoreworkandfuturecontracts.



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FurtherReading:

http://elevatedirect.com/blog/contractors-vs-permanent-

employees-hire/

http://www.ses-recruitment.co.uk/resources/the-pros-and-cons-

of-employing-freelance-staff-and-your-obligations-as-an-

employer/187

5ReasonswhyyoushouldgetFreelancersforyournewbusiness

Yournewbusinessmaynothavetheresourcesyettohirefull-time

employeesandyoucannotdoeverything,includingsome

specializedtasks,yourself.Whatareyougoingtodoinorderto

solvethisdilemma?Hereare5reasonswhyhiringfreelancersis

theanswer:

#1:Affordable



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Hiringfreelancersforyournewbusinesswillsolvetheproblemof

gettingtheworkdonewithouthiringapermanentstaff.Youcan

hirethemondemand,withoutworryingaboutsalaries,vacation

timeandotherbenefitstobepaid.Theyprovideyouwithaquote

forthejobyouwantdone,sotheywillaskreasonablepricesifthey

wanttostayin

businessthemselves.

#2:Training

Youcanhirefreelancersthatspecialiseinspecifictasks,sono

trainingisneeded.Thissavesyourcompanybothtimeandmoney.

Thesefreelancersarealreadytrainedandoffertheskillsyouneed

togetthejobdoneonaprojecttoprojectbasis.

#3:Experience

Experiencedfreelancersaddvaluetoyourbusinessbecausethey

workwithawiderangeofcompaniesinvariousindustries.Your

businesswillbenefitbymakinguseoftheirexpertise,especially

whenyouarestillfindingyourfeetandjuststartingout.

#4:Professionalism



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Freelancersoftenowntheirownbusinessesandwillprovide

professionalserviceatanaffordablefee.Theywillgetthejobdone

andstreamlineyourbusiness.

#5:Time

Freelancersscheduletheirownhoursandmaygetthejobdone

faster,becausetheywanttofinishaprojectwithoutwastingtime.

Theywillalsoprovideyouwithqualitywork,inordertobehiredby

youforfutureprojects.

Avarietyofwebsitesprovideinformationaboutskilledfreelancers,

includingskillsandcontactinformation.

FurtherReading:

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/6805-freelance-hiring.html

https://www.10xmanagement.com/5-business-benefits-of-hiring-

a-freelancer/



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HowtoHandleDifficultEmployees(i)

Whereveryougo,therewillalwaysbesomeonethatgetsonyour

nerves.Thesamegoesforpeopleyouworkwith.Thisisthefirstof

twoarticleshighlighting fivekindsofdifficultemployeeseachand

howtoeffectivelyhandlethemwithoutlosingyourmind.

TheUndecider

Fail:Thispersoncan,forthedeathofhim,notmakeadecision.He

isanUndecider.Daysgobyinwhichhemullsoverthechoicesgiven

to him. To and fro he goes, to and fro … He also never accepts

responsibilityifsomethingwentsouthduetohisindecisiveness.

Fix:Give thepersonadeadline fora finaldecision. Ifhewants to

changehismind,befirm.Thedeadlineisfinal.

DramaQueen



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Fail:Thisemployeeturnseverysituationintoahissyfit.Hethrives

ondramaandlovesattention.Dramaenergizeshim,whilstdraining

hisco-workersandemployers.

Fix: Set boundaries for intolerable behaviour and eject him from

meetingswhenhisbehaviourdisruptsthediscussion.

TheSuperCompetitor

Fail:Thisguyhastobetops.Hewantstoone-upeveryoneall the

time. He thrives on being the winner and loves letting

thelosersknowabouthistriumph.

Fix: This employee should never receive any bonus regarding

individualperformance,ratherateam-winbonus.

Iconoclast

Fail:He lovesattacking institutions, rules and social protocols.He

wantstobedifferentandtakesupcauseswithoutconsideringthe

consequences.

Fix: He will have to be disciplined regarding breaking rules and

missingdeadlines.But,asolutionmaybetoaskforsolutions.Ifhe



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criticizes something, he has to provide a better and workable

solution.

Droningonandonandon…

Fail: He loves the sound of his voice and is always lecturing

somebodyonsomething.Hewalksaroundwithlistsofbulletpoints

andusuallyjustrepeatswhat’salreadybeendone.

Fix:Setatimelimitforpresentationsatmeetings.Sticktoit.

FurtherReading:

http://www.inc.com/drew-hendricks/how-to-manage-an-

employee-who-doesn-t-respect-you.html

http://www.inc.com/ss/geoffrey-james/annoying-colleagues-and-

how-to-manage

Get50%off



www.WillemGous.com


Get my book, “indivineur |opportunityAccelerator–Starta low risk business TODAY,usingwhatyouhaveNOW”for50% less when you purchasetheebookonGumroadandusethe following discount code:10ebooksUsethecodeduringcheckout.

HowtoHandleDifficultEmployees(ii)

Difficultsituationswilloccur,nomatterhowhardyoutrytoavoidit.

Thebestwaytohandledifficultemployeesistostaycalmandstay

neutral, but act decisively and calmly. Your actions should be

professionalatalltimes.Herearesomemoreexamplesofdifficult

employees.

SocialMediaAddict



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Fail: He remains online all day, with the defense that he’s

productivelybuildingrelationshipswithclients.

Fix:Assignhimtosocialmediatasksandsetmeasurablegoals–he

hastocreateaspecificnumberofsalesleadsweekly.

Volcano

Fail:Heexplodeswheneverthingsdonotgohisway,slapsthetable,

yellsatco-workersandmayormaynotapologizelater.

Fix:Thiskindofbehaviourdoesnotpositively influence theoffice

environment. Be firm and refuse to put up with unprofessional

behaviour.Issueawrittenwarningifnecessary.

CreativeGenius

Fail:Thisemployeeis,inhisowneyes,theonlygeniusintheroom.

Hekeepsontellingeveryoneabouthiscreativegenius,amazingstuff

hedid in thepast andhiswonderful plans for the future. Yet, he

hardlyeverdeliversnow.



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Fix: Give him projects and tasks to complete on his own. During

meetings,breakdownaproject inchunksandgethim toprovide

waystosolvetheproblemnow.

Procrastinator

Fail: He starts with projects but does not follow through. He

magically disappears when deadlines approach and always puts

everythingoffuntiltomorrow.

Fix:Micromanagement,unfortunately, is theonlyoptionuntil the

situationimproves.Layoutdailytasksandadailyreport.Therehas

tobeconsequencesifhefailstocomply.

PanicAttack

Fail:Thisguyappearstobecopingwellfromdaytoday,butlosesit

on the day a project has to be submitted and evaluated, running

aroundlikeaheadlesschickenandstressingeveryone.

Fix:Sendoutareminderafewdaysbeforetheduedateandremain

calmwhenthisguystartsactingup.Keyword:calm,calmandmore

calm.



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FurtherReading:

http://www.inc.com/drew-hendricks/how-to-manage-an-

employee-who-doesn-t-respect-you.html

http://www.inc.com/ss/geoffrey-james/annoying-colleagues-and-

how-to-manage

HowFreelancerscansaveyouTimeandMoney

Outsourcing tasks and projects to capable, skilled freelancerswill

saveyouprecioustime,aswellasmoney.Thereare,however,afew

optionstonegotiateforyourselfwhenyoudecideonmakinguseof

freelancers.Isitagoodideatogoforthelowestpricedfreelancer?

Evenmoreexpensivefreelancerscansaveyoutimeandmoney.

#1:ExpensiveversusLowestPricedFreelancers

Highly skilled freelancers represent a brain and freelancers with

fewerskills representhandstogetavarietyofadministrativeand

menialtasksdone.Youhavetobeclearonwhatparticularskillset



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you need forwhich task. High end freelancers are specialists and

lowerendfreelancersimplementwhatyoutellthemto.

#2:OntheBall

Highendfreelancersworkacrossmanyindustriesandindoingso,

theygainadditionalknowledgeandexpertise.Thisenablesthemto

evenadviseyouonissuesthatmayhamperyourbusinessfrombeing

moresuccessful.

#3:Deliver

Moreskilledfreelancersdeliverontimeandbudget.Theyareskilled

professionalsthatcontracttheirservicesouttobusinessownersand

they are well aware of the value of time and money. Certain

freelancersevenaddaguaranteetothiseffect.

#4:BusinessUnderstanding

Freelancers charging a premium provide not only their specialist

skills, but also a great business understanding. They are able to

communicate with clients on both technical and business levels.

Similarly, you canhire freelancerswithbasic skills toperform the

actualmanualtasks.



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#5:Contract

Instead of employing a full-time workforce, opt for hiring

freelancers. You will save time, because freelancers do not work

officehours–insteadtheyworkuntilajobisdone.Savemoneyby

payingpercontractandhowandwhenyouneedspecificskills.

FurtherReading:

http://joharrison.rocks/how-freelancers-save-you-time-and-

money/

http://thoughtengineer.com/four-ways-expensive-freelancers-can-

save-time-money/

Get50%off



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Get my book, “indivineur |opportunityAccelerator–Starta low risk business TODAY,usingwhatyouhaveNOW”for50% less when you purchasetheebookonGumroadandusethe following discount code:10ebooksUsethecodeduringcheckout.

5WaysFreelancerscansaveyouTime

Timeisvaluableandyouneedtospenditwiselytoletyourbusiness

thrive.Ifspendpoorly,youwillhavetoputoutalotoffiresandin

doingso,wasteevenmoretime.Ifyouhavetoomuchonyourplate,

youwasteenergyandmayevenmissgreatopportunitiesbecause

youarejusttoodamntiredtonoticethem.Thisiswherefreelancers

cansavethedayforyouandyourbusiness.



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#1:WritingandEditing

Outsourcingyourwritingandeditingwillsavehourseveryweek.This

isanevenbiggerplusifyoudonotenjoywritingandarenotvery

good at putting your thoughts to paper.Many skilledwriters are

offeringwritingservicesaspartoftheirrepertoireandcanbehired

asfreelancewriters.

#2:OutsidePerspective

Toomuchof thesameday inanddayoutcan lead to losingyour

perspectiveonyourbusiness.Personalbiasesmayalsocloudissues

and these issues may eventually have a negative effect on your

business.Hireacoachorbusinessconsultantona freelancebasis

andgetafreshperspectiveonthings.

#3:Dataanalysis

Data-drivendecision-makingcanmeanmakingfewermistakeswhen

planning strategy and goals. But, sifting throughmounds of data

takesagreatdealoftime.Hireafreelancerwiththenecessarydata-

analysisskillsonacontractbasistoconsolidatedataandreporton

thefindings.



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#4:GetOrganised

Hireafreelanceraspersonal-orvirtualassistanttohandlebusiness

calls,emailandschedulingofappointments.Yourlifeandbusiness

willbothbebetterorganisedwithacompetentvirtualassistantat

thehelm.Delegatingsmaller,administrativetaskswillsaveyouloads

oftimeandafewheadachesaswell.

#5:General

Freelancerscanaddvaluetoyourbusiness innumerouswaysand

youdonothavetoappointfull-timeemployeestoutilisethespecial

skillsetsyouneedinyourbusinessfromtimetotime.Investingina

strongfreelanceteammayjustgiveyourbusinessthefresh,positive

injectionitneeds.

FurtherReading:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/272470?utm_campaign=ze

rgnet_954650&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=zergnet.com

http://govtopportunities.com/5-ways-freelancers-can-save-you-

time/



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HowtomanageaRemoteWorkTeam

More and more companies are considering remote work teams.

Historically, businesses were the brick and mortar kind, withe

employees working under one roof. Not anymore. The internet

makesitpossibleforbusinessownerstoemployaglobalworkforce,

notrestrictedtoanygeographicalarea.Inthisrespect,management

has to change and be adapted to these new circumstances. How

shouldremoteworkteamsbemanaged?

NewFocus

Letgooftraditionalfacetime.TheNewFocusofManagement:

• Trust:Trustisatwo-waystreet.Managersneedtoearnthe

trustemployeesandviceversa.Buildingtrustthroughclear

communicationiscrucial.

• Direction:Managersneedtoprovidedirectiontotheirteam

andensurethattheentireteamknowswhatisexpectedof

them.



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• GoalSetting:Bespecificaboutgoals,performancestandards

andobjectives.

Withclearparameters,managementismadeeasier.

Communication

OnepositiveaboutRemoteWorkTeams, is that theydonotover

communicate things – a negative ofmany traditional office work

teams. Clear communication is crucial nevertheless and a good

practiceistorecordmeetings.Thisway,ifsomeoneisunclearabout

what was said, they can go and listen to the recording. Clear

methods of communication should be implemented bymanagers

rightfromthebeginning.

What’sHappening?

As the manager of a remote work team, you have to pay close

attention to what is happening in your team. Internal

communication between team members is extremely important.

Good communication ensures that tasks are clearly set out and

distributedbetweenmembers,accordingtotheirskills.

Accountability



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Eachteammemberhastobeheldaccountablefortasksappointed

tothem.Thiswill reduceslackingandalsokeeptheworkflowing.

Goals and expectations have to be clearly communicated to each

member,withregularprogressreportssubmittedtothemanager.

ChoosingtheTeam

Asamanager,youneedtopickastrongteam–responsiblepeople

thatareself-startersanddonotneedsupervision.

FurtherReading:

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249651


https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/274702?utm_source=Lates

t&utm_medium=site&utm_campaign=iScroll

WhyRemoteWorkTeamsaretheFuture



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Thefutureishere.Virtualworkplacesarenowthenormratherthan

theexception.Technologymakesitmorepracticalforacompanyto

employ skilled workers from across the globe. Meetings and

conferencesareheldviaSkypeorGoToMeeting.Bothemployersand

employeesbenefitbybeingpartofaVirtualworkforce,becausearea

constraints no longer apply and the perfect fit between virtual

workerandjobispossible.

SavingTime

Therearefewermeetings,lesschit-chatandgenerallymoretime

foremployeestofocusonthejobathand.Officedistractionsand

water-coolermeetingsareruledout.Virtualworkershaveto

managetheirowntimeandsubmittheirprojectsontime.Efficient

timemanagementisaplusregardingavirtualworkforce.

Self-Discipline

RemoteWorkTeamsshouldconsistofmembersthathavethe

abilitytoworkalone,withoutsupervisionandconstant

communication.Agoodprincipleisforemployerstosetschedules

andgoalsforprojectswithclearduedates.

Connectivity



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Employerscancommunicatewitheachteammemberonceaday

andhaveaSkypeconferencewhenneeded.Phonecallscanclear

upissuesandgreyareas.Emailsaregoodforbasiccommunication,

butphonecallsworkbetterregardingansweringquestionsand

discussionsondifficulttopics.

WorkPlan

Weeklyormonthlyworkplanscanbeforwardedtoeachteam

memberandtheycansubmiteitherweeklyormonthlyprogress

reports.ProjectManagementSystemsaredesignedtonotifyteam

members,themanageroremployerandevenclientsregarding

completedprojects.

Expectations

Asinaconventionalofficesituation,employeesandemployers

bothhaveexpectations.Employersexpectacertainlevelof

performancefromtheiremployeesandemployeesneedtobe

madeawareofthepotentialforgrowth,promotionsandsalary

increasesinthecompany.



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FurtherReading:



ThankyouThankyouforreadingthisOneHourBusinessBookeBook.Itrustthatyouhavefoundthecontentbothinformativeandinteresting.PleasecontactmewithsuggestionsformoreeBooksthatyoumayfindinteresting.Iwillgladlyoblige.

Visitmywebsiteformorevaluableinformationtohelpyouachievethesuccessyoudeserve:

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ListofFREEOneHourBusinessBooks:

(Thelistgrows,sovisitthewebsiteoften)

1. Getideas.Getgoing.GetSuccess-Theshort-shorthowtostart-upguide



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1 Willem Gous – Life Design for Business Owners€¦ · How to Handle Difficult Employees (ii) .....40 How Freelancers can save you Time and Money .....43 5 Ways Freelancers can

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