While summer has been hot and slow, it has been the perfect time to brainstorm new business ideas.
We have developed some content for a client’s fall campaign, and I have taken the time to write more. The office was quiet and many of my clients took off, which eased my process. But come September next week, we will be swamped with so many things to do until the end of the year.
As for many of you entrepreneurs, it is the time for getting together with your accountants, working on next year’s budget, and renewing business licences. The list and time needed could feel overwhelming, and it is also the time when many of your staff would want to take off and spend the last month of the year with their families.
Instead of waiting for November and December to work on the New Year’s goals, and tie any loose ends of this year, I suggest you start earlier. People will be freer to meet, and that would help keep your stress levels at bay.
Here’s what should be on your Q4 to do list:
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Read more:
Are you cut out to become an entrepreneur?
A ‘don’t do’ list keeps you on track
Playtime brings creative success
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Get the books in order. Perhaps you did not have enough time to review your books monthly, and set aside some money. Now is the perfect time to go over your company’s all-year performance, compare your performance to the years before, and plan your budget for next year.
Plan ahead with your team. If you have ideas regarding growth, services you want to add or remove, now is a good time to speak to your employees about it. Talk about the challenges faced by each, how you could move your company forward, and what projects would they like to work on for next year. You want to make sure that they will be passionate about the projects they will be leading. Maybe you will have two employees who would like to switch jobs around, now is the time to discuss that.
Review your technology assets. There are certain software programs that we cannot survive a business day without, and there are others that we do not use frequently. Perhaps there is a scanner in the office that no one uses often, or a licensed program that no one is using anymore. Review your current digital devices, and see which licenses or programs you can eliminate, and which ones will you need for the next year. It is important to do this now, instead of next year, as you need to factor this in your planned budget.
Make room for growth. Now is the time to see how will your business grow and expand next year. Work on your next year’s projections and incorporate them in your budget. For instance, if you plan to increase the size of your team, does your office space accommodate that? Will the new hires need any training? Perhaps new equipment? If you plan to introduce new products to your online store, make sure that your website would not need any further development which would add a cost to your budget, and also make sure that you have enough customer service team members who will be able to handle the new requests. This takes us to the next important point.
Ensure that your goals are detailed and actionable. Let’s say that you plan to introduce 40 new products by March. You will have to break down that to more a detailed and date-tied deadline, and to also plan who will be handling what. If you have five goals for the year, break those down even more. What will you be doing from now until the products are launched? Who will be handling that project? The best thing is to break down a main goal into a set of smaller tasks. Having a deadline for each smaller task will help keep your team in check, so that they know what is expected of them, and what they need to focus on for each period. As you work on your detailed timetable, ensure to do that with your relevant team members.
Don’t forget to have fun. In the midst of our busy schedules, we may forget to celebrate our little triumphs: the sale deal we closed down last June; appreciate a certain employee’s hard work; or the record purchase order on the website. It is important to reflect on the good things that happened throughout the year, and to step away every once and a while and see the bigger picture.
Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer who manages her branding and marketing consultancy in Abu Dhabi. Twitter:
@manar_alhinai
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
ILT20%20UAE%20stars
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MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
THE BIO
Favourite holiday destination: Whenever I have any free time I always go back to see my family in Caltra, Galway, it’s the only place I can properly relax.
Favourite film: The Way, starring Martin Sheen. It’s about the Camino de Santiago walk from France to Spain.
Personal motto: If something’s meant for you it won’t pass you by.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
England XI for second Test
Rory Burns, Keaton Jennings, Ben Stokes, Joe Root (c), Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes (wk), Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Jack Leach, James Anderson
Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
Age 26
Born May 17, 1991
Height 1.80 metres
Birthplace Sydney, Australia
Residence Eastbourne, England
Plays Right-handed
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$5,761,870 (Dh21,162,343.75)
Wins / losses 312 / 181
How to donate
Text the following numbers:
2289 - Dh10
6025 - Dh 20
2252 - Dh 50
2208 - Dh 100
6020 - Dh 200
*numbers work for both Etisalat and du
Results
Stage seven
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 3:20:24
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 5s
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates, in 25:38:16
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 22s
3. Pello Bilbao (ESP) Bahrain-Victorious, at 48s
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Usain Bolt's time for the 100m at major championships
2008 Beijing Olympics 9.69 seconds
2009 Berlin World Championships 9.58
2011 Daegu World Championships Disqualified
2012 London Olympics 9.63
2013 Moscow World Championships 9.77
2015 Beijing World Championships 9.79
2016 Rio Olympics 9.81
2017 London World Championships 9.95
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
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