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Live smart | Business psychology

Understanding business psychology can have a positive impact on your business relationships and the way you work. We tend to think that success makes us happy, but it could be that happiness actually attracts success.

This section focuses on several aspects of business psychology including the theory of happiness, the power of positive thinking, self-confidence and much more. We also explore the question of whether entrepreneurs are born or made. Are you prepared to change your thinking?


It’s not you. It’s me.

14 May 13 | Robert Gerrish

Who’d have thought that the greatest cop-out break-up line would have such relevance in the world of bad business behaviour? Well, it does for me anyway. Read more

Comments: 17

The soloist rollercoaster: Plotting my next mood

19 Mar 13 | Peter Crocker

I wouldn’t describe myself as moody, however my non-scientific self-analysis reveals clear trends in the ups and downs of the small business journey. It seems we’re all in a spin cycle. Read more

Comments: 4

“Not guilty!” Dealing with soloist guilt

26 Feb 13 | Jodie McLeod

As a soloist, feelings of guilt can get in the way of business enjoyment and success. If you’re susceptible to guilt, maybe it’s time to cut yourself some slack. Read more

Comments: 13

"Toughen up, buttercup!" Hard truths you need to hear

19 Feb 13 | Sam Leader

“Life is difficult,” read the opener of the first self-help book I picked up. Of course, I hastily put it down again. Read more

Comments: 10

The value of asking good quality questions

17 Jan 13 | Lynda Bayada

The questions you ask of your business have the power to shape it – for better or worse. Putting a positive spin on your questions will help bring about more positive results. Read more

Comments: 5

Overcoming mind blanks

21 Dec 12 | Maria Pantalone

It’s a presenter’s biggest fear – to be lost for words in front of their audience. But there are ways to avoid and recover from mind blanks during a presentation. Here are four tips. Read more

Comments: 0

How to make more money

15 Dec 12 | Zoe Routh

Having a clearly defined, full-of-enthusiasm reason for wanting to make more money will go a long way to making it happen. Read more

Comments: 2

Are you still colouring in the title page?

30 Nov 12 | Emma Grey

Making preparations for your business is not the same as making progress on your business. It’s important to move beyond the ‘title page’ and get stuck into the real work. Read more

Comments: 8

Empower yourself by raising consciousness

10 Nov 12 | Lynda Bayada

Being wholly aware of your thoughts and changing the negative banter in your mind can bring many benefits to you and your business. Read more

Comments: 2

I am an introvert. Now they tell me!

09 Oct 12 | Peter Crocker

Ever since I started working from home, a question I often get asked is “Don’t you miss the social aspect of the office?” My response of “Not at all!” often raises an eyebrow. Read more

Comments: 36

Present tense? Future perfect!

25 Sep 12 | Robert Gerrish

I first saw this phrase sprayed on a wall in Soweto, South Africa, in 1994 and clearly it represented the hope and dreams of a nation. As a soloist, I’m all for positive-future visions. It’s the sitting in a state of tension I don’t like. Read more

Comments: 15

Business strategy: Don’t forget to dream

25 Aug 12 | Diann Rodgers-Healey

Micro business owners often get so caught up with reflecting on past highs and lows that they lose sight of the bigger picture. Add a little dreaming to your business strategy to ensure your business continues onward and upward. Read more

Comments: 3

Progress is better than perfection

07 Jul 12 | Lynda Bayada

Too often we let perfectionism get in the way of progress. As soon as we stop trying to be flawless we allow our true greatness to shine through. Read more

Comments: 7

Why mindfulness matters

13 Mar 12 | Jayne Tancred

How skilled are you at what you do? If you’re so experienced at your job that you can pretty much do it on autopilot, it might be time to refocus. Read more

Comments: 20

Which of these are you?

28 Feb 12 | Sam Leader

I love a bit of self-analysis, but Thomas Harris’ work describing four life positions made for scary, if insightful reading. Here’s what he has to say. Read more

Comments: 25

Note to self: Man up! Your regrets lie waiting.

25 Oct 11 | Peter Crocker

There’s that moment after a funeral, usually sometime after the third wine, where friends ask one another “Am I doing enough with my life?” Read more

Comments: 23

Why mystery matters

20 Sep 11 | Jayne Tancred

Of all the many enlightening things I heard at Flying Solo Independents’ Day this year, one has been a light bulb moment and triggered a real shift in my thinking. Read more

Comments: 5

Why your heart should rule your head

06 Sep 11 | Sam Leader

What if I were to tell you that you had, at your disposal, an amazing decision making tool that can help private and professional relationships flourish? Well, you do. It’s your intuition or inner voice. Read more

Comments: 14

Pausing the soundtrack of struggle

24 Aug 11 | Zoe Routh

“When is this effort going to pay off?” Georgia snuffled into her hanky. She was exhausted, frustrated, and worn out. Read more

Comments: 6

Help! I need somebody.

09 Aug 11 | Sam Leader

Smart businesses understand that helping others can be the key to ensuring prosperity and happiness. So what help do you need and are you good at asking for help? Read more

Comments: 21

Why perfection sucks

11 Jul 11 | Sam Leader

The following negative ways of thinking are frequently observed in unhappy people, according to cognitive psychologists. Do any of these sound familiar? Read more

Comments: 44

Are you an optimist, pessimist or realist?

30 Aug 10 | Rhondalynn Korolak

Tough financial times impact overall spending and consumer sentiment, hurting many businesses and families. Hoping that circumstances will change is not enough. Read more

Comments: 9

Neuro-linguistic programming: Are you in two minds?

28 May 10 | Deborah Keep

Do you ever feel conflicted or frustrated, with part of you wanting to go ahead with something, and another part hesitant? Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) can help. Read more

Comments: 2

Business mantras for soloist success

15 Apr 10 | Deborah Keep

Some beliefs help us get the best out of ourselves, while others put limits on our chances of success. Here are three of my favourite business mantras for helping soloists thrive. Read more

Comments: 3

Letting go of limiting beliefs

11 Feb 10 | Deborah Keep

Do your beliefs about your abilities hold you back from achieving your full potential? Unconscious filters could be preventing you or your business from growing. Read on to find out more about letting go of limiting beliefs. Read more

Comments: 9

Six degrees of connection

18 Jan 10 | Sam Leader

Occasionally you’ll be exposed to some thinking that you then can’t shake from your mind. This happened to me whilst listening to a program on good old ABC radio recently discussing degrees of connection. See what you make of it. Read more

Comments: 24

NLP: Perception is projection

12 Nov 09 | Deborah Keep

Two identical days, each with the same routine. One goes so well, while the other? It’s a day you’d rather forget. How can this be? The answer is perception is projection. Read more

Comments: 9

The Me Myth

16 Oct 09 | Robert Gerrish

In this brief video filmed at Flying Solo LIVE! I catch up again with Andrew Griffiths. Andrew was our opening keynote presenter at this year's event and what a terrific presentation he gave. Read more

Comments: 0

In celebration of small

13 Aug 09 | Zern Liew

The conventional business world is obsessed with big. The prevailing myth is that bigger is better – including the outward appearance of big. The dominant definition of success is that of big money. Read more

Comments: 6

Understanding your needs as a soloist

05 Jul 09 | Trish Weston

To succeed in your solo business, you have to understand your physiological and psychological needs. So how do you identify these needs and get your business to satisfy them? Read more

Comments: 8

Embracing change in your solo business

02 Jun 09 | Megan Tough

Whether it's a simple process amendment or a total rethink of strategy, change is inevitable in our business. However, handling change can be a real challenge. Here are some tips to make it easier. Read more

Comments: 8

Achieving your goals: The energy paradox

02 Mar 09 | Sam Leader

Conventional wisdom states single mindedness, focus and determination will help you with achieving your goals and fixing problems. But what if trying too hard proves counterproductive? Read more

Comments: 41

Perfection Infection

27 Jan 09 | Andrew May

Does the thought of failure make you feel queasy? Do you set the bar too high? You may just have what psychologists are now calling the Perfection Infection. Read more

Comments: 15

Breakthrough thoughts: Listen to yourself

19 Jan 09 | Sam Leader

While a majority of our inner dialogue is relatively trivial, we all have breakthrough thoughts that cut through the minutiae, snap us to attention and get us to act. Now is the ideal time to take note and take action. Read more

Comments: 24

A positive perspective in difficult times

30 Nov 08 | Lucinda Lions

The world is filled with news of doom and gloom, so now is a good time to share an interesting story about keeping a positive perspective during difficult times. Read more

Comments: 12

Being aware of your weaknesses

18 Aug 08 | Sam Leader

Marketing 101 states you need to emphasise your strengths to your clients. At one stage or another, you’ll have asked yourself “What am I really good at? What’s my USP? How do I stand out from the competition?” Read more

Comments: 34

How positive thoughts cause positive actions

24 Jul 08 | Lucinda Lions

A reader asked a great question in response to my article on using fear to build confidence prompting this article on positive thoughts and positive actions. They asked “No matter how positive our thoughts are, don’t actions speak louder than words?” Read more

Comments: 13

Don’t let perfectionism ruin your business

20 Jul 08 | Megan Hills

While large companies are spending major marketing dollars on trying to look more human, many soloists are falling into the perfectionism trap of trying to match the machine-like appearance of the big guns in order to compete with them. Read more

Comments: 2

Failure or feedback? Why you can never fail

10 Jun 08 | Lucinda Lions

Have you ever considered what would you do if you knew you couldn't fail? Where you would take your business? Your life? Here’s some good news, by perceiving failure as feedback soloists need never fail. Read more

Comments: 16

Self awareness: Do you know what you’re doing?

14 Apr 08 | Sam Leader

However self-aware you consider yourself to be, it’s surprisingly common to underestimate your effect on others. Here I discuss the importance of self awareness. Read more

Comments: 16

Choosing colours to alter perception

22 Jan 08 | Sue Currie

If you’re feeling full of life and bubbling with creativity and confidence, chances are you’re wearing red. If you’re feeling indifferent, or distant, you are probably dressed in black. This article looks at choosing colours to alter perception. Read more

Comments: 16

Holding grudges: Time to give up the grudge

07 Jan 08 | Sam Leader

Are you holding grudges? With resolutions in place and a strong sense of optimism, now is the ideal time to make a conscious decision to give up a grudge. Read more

Comments: 23

Is risk taking necessary in business?

26 Jul 07 | Peter Morgan

In so many ways, life today is easy. Rarely do we live on the edge - in the arena of fight or flight - where our instinct tell us how best to survive! So is risk taking necessary in business? Read more

Comments: 11

Self-confidence: Is your ego taking over?

03 Jun 07 | Paul J. Morris

As a soloist, a healthy level of self-confidence is a good thing. But too much ego can be an issue. Signs include extreme feelings of inadequacy when you’re being challenged or when a client or colleague has rejected an idea you’ve proposed. Read more

Comments: 8

Dealing with your strengths and weaknesses

26 Mar 07 | Sam Leader

There's nothing like running a solo business to ruthlessly expose our strengths and weaknesses. We try to juggle all the balls and wear all the hats, but inevitably we're good at some things, not at others. Read more

Comments: 24

Nature versus nurture: are entrepreneurs born or made?

22 Mar 07 | Michele Hackshall

The argument over nature versus nurture is a long-standing one in child-rearing discussion groups. But the same argument can be levelled amongst those who work for themselves. Are entrepreneurs born or made? Read more

Comments: 2

Putting your subconscious mind to work

06 Mar 07 | Sam Leader

Recently I became aware of the incredible impact of…well, being aware, and the role of the subconscious mind. Read more

Comments: 21

Being grateful: What are you missing?

29 Jan 07 | Robert Gerrish

Often being grateful is not something we focus on as can be demonstrated by a recent experience I had. Read more

Comments: 22

Change your thinking

05 Jan 07 | Kath O'Sullivan

In order to change your thinking, a complete about face in mental attitude is rarely necessary. Sometimes the tiniest shift can have a ripple effect and transform your perspective in a flash.. Read more

Comments: 5

How happiness can attract success

21 Dec 06 | Ellen Jackson

We tend to think that its success that makes us happy, but new research shows happiness may in fact attract success! Read more

Comments: 4

The Myer-Briggs Personality Type Indicator and working relationships

22 Aug 06 | Diane Lee

We have good working relationships with some people and not with others. Why is that? The Myers- Briggs Personality Type Indicator is a method whereby we can describe our personality preferences and understand our differences. Read more

Comments: 9

Business skills: Managing rejection

12 Mar 06 | John Raymond

We all get turned down from time to time, but while managing rejection can be hard, each time it occurs we have the opportunity improve our business skills and learn more about our ourselves. Read more

Comments: 7

Theory of happiness: A soloist’s pursuit

12 Jan 06 | Ellen Jackson

A theory of happiness that, I feel, sits well with the soloist’s pursuits has been developed by Martin Seligman, a US academic and the leading proponent of new psychological field, Positive Psychology. Read more

Comments: 3

Showing appreciation: Who’s packing your parachute?

27 Nov 05 | Grant Hyman

The moral of showing appreciation for the impact others have on your life is ably demonstrated by the story of Charles Plumb. Read more

Comments: 13

The power of positive thinking

25 Aug 05 | John Raymond

If you take responsibility for your reaction to external events, you will be able to take control of your emotions. You will be amazed by the power of positive thinking! Read more

Comments: 1

Make the most of being a unique business

09 Aug 05 | Paul J. Morris

Traditional business wisdom has nurtured several myths, which solo business owners need to challenge in order to flourish. Rather than try to be all things to all people, soloists need to emphasise their best business asset, being a unique business. Read more

Comments: 3














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