Octane Blog

5 Qualities to Look for in a Remote Employee

23 July, 2020

Contributed by Kaelee Nelson, writer and content specialist.

There are now over 1 million novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases worldwide. In an effort to stop the spread and “flatten the curve” through social distancing, much of the world has been on a stay-at-home order.

Many nonessential businesses have been forced to close their doors to the public during this pandemic. For many organizations, this, unfortunately, means placing a temporary pause on operations and potentially laying off employees until business can safely resume. Other entities, though, have found a way to keep operations running with a remote workforce—and the applicant pool of potential candidates is massive.

According to The New York Times, nearly 4 billion people—half of the world’s population—found themselves under a mandate to stay inside. Displaced workers across the world are seeking ways to earn money online from the safety of their homes while health safety measures are in effect.

Categories: Hiring PEOPLE/STAFF Technology

Tags: hiring Kaelee Nelson remote worker

The Money Trap: How to Choose Between Money and Passion

21 July, 2020

Contributed by Shawn Johal, business growth coach, leadership speaker and co-founder of DALS Lighting, Inc. He is also an active member of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization Montreal chapter.

“A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.”
–Jonathan Swift

Do you ever wake up wishing you had enough money to stop working and the option to follow your passion without any worries? Sounds pretty cool, right?

It’s safe to say most of us would love to be in this position, but this rare lifestyle appears to be reserved for a small percent of the population.

Forget the money for a second. Perhaps the more relevant question to ask yourself is: “Do I wake up Monday morning motivated to tackle the week ahead?”

Categories: HEALTH INNOVATION WORK-LIFE INTEGRATION

Tags: goals motivation passion Shawn Johal

4 Reasons to Be Optimistic Today

15 July, 2020

Contributed by Greg DeLine, president and CEO of DeLine Holdings.

COVID-19 was the stealthy rival no one saw coming. As entrepreneurs, we face challenges throughout our careers, but we don’t spend a lot of time planning what we’ll do during and after a global pandemic. Yet here we are.

In recent months, small business leaders around the world have faced the toughest decisions of their careers. Nearly 40 percent of respondents in a National Small Business Association poll said they were worried about staying afloat much longer after losing income and customers due to COVID-19.

I understand their concerns. Nevertheless, I’m a firm believer that this is not just a turning point for businesses, but a learning point, too.

Why the optimism? We’ve been given a chance to learn and grow. We’ve been forced to slow down and notice those bright spots that sometimes get pushed aside. For example, families are staying home together. And that’s been an opportunity to cut out after-school activities and drop the commutes. Parents and children are reconnecting.

Categories: BUSINESS GROWTH HEALTH LEADERSHIP PEOPLE/STAFF STARTUP

Tags: coronavirus COVID-19 DeLine Holdings Greg DeLine opportunity optimism philanthropy

A 30-year Sales Superstar Shares Two Tricks to Succeeding

13 July, 2020

Kalika Yap, an Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) member in Los Angeles, is founder and CEO of both Orange & Bergamot, a creative agency for female founders, and Citrus Studios, a branding and design agency. She’s also an author and the host of EO Wonder podcast.

Jacky Daly spoke in a recent EO Together live-stream, and Kalika shares highlights.

Jack Daly has been selling all his life. At 12, he picked up a paper route in Philadelphia that had 32 customers. A year later, it had 275.

But that meant trudging around in the Pennsylvania snow before dawn, delivering papers. You had to be 12 to have a paper route, so Daly hired a bunch of eager 11-year-olds who wanted a job but couldn’t get one for another year.

“I said, `Here, you guys go and deliver the papers. I’ll split the money 50/50 with you,’” Daly recalls. “’A year from now, I’ll write you a letter of recommendation, you’ll get your own route. And by the way, I’m going to do the collecting.’”

That last part was key because people tipped him when he collected, and he kept those to himself. “So they did 100 percent of the work and I kept 70 percent of the money,” Daly says.

Categories: BUSINESS GROWTH LEADERSHIP Sales

Tags: eo los angeles EO Wonder jack daly Kalika Yap

The Truth About Time Management: It’s Not About Time

8 July, 2020

Contributed by Aytekin Tank, founder of JotForm,

We’ve all heard the expression, “There aren’t enough hours in the day.” In truth, we’ve likely all said it at some point. Time management is a struggle for everybody, but especially entrepreneurs, CEOs and founders.

Interestingly, some people seem to get more out of our 24 hours each day than others. As author Idowu Koyenikan said, the key to making the most of our hours isn’t time management—it’s life management. People who do it successfully balance the things they love with tasks they need to complete to maintain a well-rounded, satisfying life.

To-do lists or any one of the countless books on time management can help you achieve this balance, but things will eventually fall apart unless you make a habit of productivity—and stick to it. This might mean writing down your top priorities for the day or week, using a productivity app, or creating a plan that works best for you.

The Truth About Time Management for CEOs

When it comes to time management skills and techniques, business leaders are among the worst offenders. This typically happens because of the nature of leadership positions. These individuals are driven by the feeling that they have to do everything or have all the answers. They’re also responsible for a lot: On average, CEOs work 9.7 hours per weekday and spend 79 percent of weekend days and 70 percent of their vacation days working.

Categories: LEADERSHIP Productivity STARTUP WORK-LIFE INTEGRATION

Tags: Aytekin Tank JotForm time management

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