Martin’s Blog
The one thing we all have less and less of…?
Do you find that you don’t have enough time to get all those tasks done on your list? Today, I’m going to share with you three tips of how I can make sure I am the most productive every day when I turn up for work. CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Now […]
Juggling is a great business skill to have!
Do you find you have commercial, operational and technical debt left in your wake? In this article, we’re going to look at one of those key things that people don’t realise. And that is what happens when you’re juggling your time. CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Now, juggling your time is one […]
About Your Business – Elevator Pitch
Ever felt like you’re at a networking event and everyone is just trying to vomit in your ear. Only drivel emanates from those people, and you’ve got no idea what they’re saying? Well, it’s not going to be you. Right? And today, we’re talking about the elevator pitch, or effectively, how we can tell people […]
Vision Statement
Anyone who’s ever wanted to do anything started one of these. Because if you don’t have one of these, there’s no way you’ll be able to find the power, the energy and the others you to make something different happen. What are we talking about? We are talking about having a “Vision“. CLICK HERE to […]
Really, what is it that you do?
Really, what is it that you do? And have you written that down, so other people know what it is that you do as well? In this article today, we’re going to look at Mission Statements. CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Now some people believe mission statements are irrelevant these days. They’re […]
Are you still in love with your business?
Do you remember the first time the moment that special, extraordinary moment when you had that great idea, for your business? What a heady day that was. It was like you’re almost skipping through the park you were playing it was lovely. Where is that idea today? CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube […]
Core Values
Core Values – How To Turn CORE VALUES Into Success In this article, I would like to talk to you about core values. So How do you make sure that your business is one that you will be proud to call your own? Now, what do I mean by core values? Core values are one […]
How do you spend your time?
In today’s article, we’re going to be thinking about what it is that you’re currently spending your time on. Because time is one of the most precious things you have, wouldn’t you agree? Because we can make more money, but we can never make more time. We’re all born with a certain amount of time […]
Focus on Scheduling For 13 Weeks but Plan For 12 Weeks
Do you want to know the best way of being able to achieve your goals this year? I have been working with many people over the last few years. Achieving goals and aspirations for companies and individuals and one thing that I have found is that successful companies always have one of these in place. […]
Powerless to make the most of the future? this is how to achieve more!
Why you might not be making the most of this coming next year…and how to change that! 2020. New Year and a new decade! How are you going to make the most of the year ahead? What are the key things that you are going to do differently? How are you going to put those […]
The 3 things you wished you had known when you were younger
What three pieces of advice would you give to your younger self today? Hi, I’m Martin Sharp Award-winning speaker, coach, mentor and consultant. And today we can be looking at what are the three critical pieces of advice that you would possibly give your younger self. CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Now, […]
How to not feel rundown or run over by your business!
Have you ever noticed that some people have this amazing ability to be able to run a business and yet still have a social life? Today we are going to be exploring the idea of how you don’t have to get run down or run over by your business. You can still feel good and […]
Benefits of running your own business
Have you ever sat back and thought, “What are the key benefits of running your own business? And,are you still actually getting those by running your business?” In this article, we’re going to look at some of the key benefits that you should experience by owning your business and make sure that you’re in a […]
At last, the secret to eliminate the six common myths of an entrepreneur is revealed
Congratulations, you’re an entrepreneur, or you’re an entrepreneur in the making. Now, what does that mean? And how are you going to make sure that you’re going to be the best entrepreneur you possibly can be? Here we’re going to examine six common myths that people have about entrepreneurs, and the reality of what I […]
What is a business?
Have you ever sat down considered what a business actually is? In today’s article, I want us to think about what a business is and what does it do. CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Now, a business is a simple process; we have an input, a process, and output. We take in […]
What do other people see in you?
Perhaps you’ve already had a psychometric test as part of your in your job? Or maybe you’re thinking about putting in personality profiling, to make sure you’ve got the right team in place? Perhaps you’d be looking at Myers Briggs; maybe you’ve been looking at other systems be able to do this, but have you […]
What is the name of your customer avatar?
So, what the name of your customer avatar? You might be wondering why I asked that question. Because, as you know, a customer avatar is your ideal client? And you may be thinking, why would you want to be naming it! In today’s article, we are going to look at some of the psychological elements […]
The Key Things You Need in Your business Plan
So, you built a business plan. And are you checking it regularly? In this article, I would cove one of the subjects that we all know we should be doing. And that’s around planning now, specifically, our business plan. Now, you might be in a position where you don’t have a business plan, and you’re […]
What are your Plans to move forward in business
Hear the advice from the experts on the interview panel at the Waxtie 10 Year Business Hat-stand celebration This is the last of our ask the experts articles from the recent event that we ran in York, where we were asking the question: “What plans have you to move forward in business”? Here are the […]
What is your advice on taking your business forward to 10 years and beyond?
Hear the advice from the experts on the interview panel at the Waxtie 10 Year Business Hatstand celebration In this blog we again have something a little different, and this is really close to my heart. Because recently we made it to 10 years old in my business. Now for some, this isn’t too much […]
What is your advice on getting to 10 years in business?
What is your advice on getting to 10 years in business? Hear the advice from the experts on the interview panel at the Waxtie 10 Year Business Hatstand celebration In this blog we have something a little different, and this is really close to my heart. Because recently we made it to 10 years old […]
Listen to Advice, Then Make Your Own Decision
The other day I was asked how I got started as a small business. For me, it was quite simple. I had an excellent conversation with a good friend, who gave me some great advice. CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Now, advice is one of those simple things that so many people are […]
Why You Must Practice Profit First
If you are not doing this – you won’t be doing you or your business any justice. You will also, most likely, feel more stressed than you want to or need to. But when you do this not only are your finances in great shape but everything in your business works better. What I am […]
Be Grateful For What You Have
Be grateful every day. And here’s why. Have you ever heard the saying, “Be careful of who you stand on, on the way up, because they’ll kick you on your way back down? So, how do you avoid this scenario? Well, it is about not getting “too big for yer boots” as the saying goes. […]
Celebrate The Good Times!
In this article I would like to chat about something which I find people usually don’t do enough and as a result, they miss out on an opportunity to feel good! When you do this, you will feel amazing, and the best thing is – the more you do it, the more you amazing you […]
Training Needs – What Are Yours?
How much time do you spend thinking about your own training needs? If you are like most business owners and leaders you may spend time thinking about the training needs of your team, but you probably don’t factor yourself into that. Your training may consist of spotting an interesting video on Youtube, or Facebook or […]
Form Follows Function – Looking Good!
Have you ever had a proposal rejected and wondered why? You know it was a great proposal. you know you could do the work and make a brilliant job of it. All the information the client needed was there. But somehow they didn’t see it? Well – it probably isn’t your technical content. You see, […]
Is Your Business Capable?
How do you make your businesses capable of achieving all that it can achieve. Well, it all starts with having the right strategy. Over the years what I have found is that most businesses like to make plans. They spend time thinking about what they are going to do and how to move the business […]
The Paradox of Positive Uncertainty
In this article I would like to talk to you about why it’s essential to stay positive no matter what uncertainty abounds. This is particulary important today – as the current times are probably the most uncertain of anytime in humanity’s existence! We have wild weather, climate change, Fake News and ever increasingly fast paced […]
Perception – Things Are Not Always What They Seem!
Leonardo da Vinci said about perception, that we will always perceive the errors in other people’s work, more than would ever do in our own. Interesting isn’t it? It is, of course, because we start from the position that we are right and everyone else is wrong – so naturally there will be more faults […]
Change – Is It Always A Good Thing?
There are three key reasons why you may need to undertake a change in your business or organisation. Now you might be wondering if there are only three reasons for changing something? Well here’s the big thing about any change, it always carries a cost with it! Most people immediately identify the monetary cost that’s […]
How To Recognise the Four Stages Of Competence
You may have heard saying that “the beginning of wisdom, is to know that you know nothing.” But what does it mean? Well, it is actually one of the four key stages of competence development that everyone goes through. As I am sure you know, you were not born with all the skills that you […]
Learning Begins At The End Of Your Comfort Zone
How hard are you willing to push yourself? Are you willing to push yourself outside of your comfort zone into a position where you know you can reach more than ever before? Let’s explore how you can expand yourself by moving yourself outside your comfort zone and into your learning zone. CLICK HERE to watch […]
Your (Business) Income = Your Value
Do you always achieve a meaningful return on the investment of time effort and energy that you put into things? CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube I’m here today to talk to you about one area of life and business that many people worry about. However, they worry about it in the wrong […]
The Most Individual Factor in Your Success
What does it really mean to be an individual? Today’s theme is about being an individual. We are all born unique, aren’t we? Now I know every living thing is – but we REALLY are. Every human being has a unique blend of millions of genetic, experience and personality factors. We can all put our […]
Interrelate – Communication is Not A One Way Street
Let me start asking you a question! Would you like to make sure that every time you communicate your messages are getting across and being accepted; but also that communication is understood, and the information you’re conveying to others is acted on correctly. CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube I’m here today to […]
Industrialise – Change Your Systems, Change Your Results
I want to talk to you today about why you should be “industrialising” your systems. Now you may well be thinking, what does Martin mean by industrialising your systems! What I mean is how you can put something together that’s repeatable, it’s consistent, and you know what’s going to get delivered. Also, importantly, when somebody […]
Why Influence Is Your Secret Weapon.
Why is it essential to be able to influence the ideas of others in making change and transformation successful? To answer that let me ask another question. How else can make sure that your changes happen the way that you need them to? CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Now, this is a […]
Learning Through Giving Feedback
Have you ever found, that occasionally when you’re helping through giving feedback to others, you end up learning more yourself? CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Today I wanted to talk about a subject called “learning through feedback”. By this, I mean the process of changing your learning method and perception and advancing […]
Not Everything Goes According to Plan!
Have you ever been in one of those situations where you’ve been told: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”? And you feel that’s unfair because you DID put all the effort into doing the planning, but it still didn’t go right! I would like to talk to you about the ability to […]
Eat, Sleep, Change, Repeat…
Today we’re going to be looking at one area that you need to focus on, to help make sure that you achieve the goals that we set out seven blogs (& linked videos) ago. That key area is being able to build good patterns, or habits, in your life. CLICK HERE to watch or listen on […]
Be Plus! It’s ALL About Well-Being
Following on from what we talked about in the last blog and video “Move IT” covering physical exercise. I want to talk a little bit more about your well-being. So, why do I want to talk more about your well-being? CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Well, because alongside developing the areas that […]
I Like To Move It, Move It!
Today we’re going to be looking at something that everyone should be doing. It is what we were evolved to do, before the days of desk jobs. I’m talking about moving and exercising! Now, why do I want to talk about exercise? CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Regular physical exercise is very […]
You Are Not Alone!
Today we are going to be looking at is something that every single person is unsurprisingly designed for and yet so many people don’t think about using this facility. The fact is “you are not alone”. Nature designed humans to be social animals, to interact and make connections. To help each other. CLICK HERE to […]
Diversify Your Input!
Today I would like you to reflect on a key thing that helps me create new ideas and also helps bring things together. Because, when you do this you will generate the opportunity to link other things together well. But, if you don’t do this you could miss out on the obvious clues and connections […]
Know Yourself!
Over the last two previous Blogs (and their linked Video’s) I have covered some of the areas within business that you may well need to pay some attentionto. I have also covered some additional things that you may well want to reflect on in relation to your personal life. Having all the detail means youwill be […]
Know What You Want!
Today I’d like to talk to you about something called “Know what you want”. Now this might sound simple and a really dumb thing to discuss, but the reality is that I have come across so many people over the years that don’t know what they want! They haven’t ever sat down and thought about […]
What You Need To Know About Planning Change
I’d like to talk to you about something that I find very important. Many people seem to miss this out and then wonder why they fail. What I am talking about is planning change. CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube At this time of year, most businesses are getting ready for the Christmas […]
Business – It’s All About The People!
Have you ever wondered why sometimes businesses make irrational decisions? Perhaps you have worked for or currently work in an organisation where you find that any change is a struggle. Maybe you also find the people involved in decision making seem to make the wrong decisions. And sometimes they make these decisions for the wrong […]
How To Make Your Knowledge Sticky!
Today what we are going to reflect upon is Imparting knowledge. Specifically, how do you impart knowledge and make “it sticky” so that others don’t forget it. How do you give the information in a way that they can recall it and make it work just for them. CLICK HERE to watch or listen on […]
How to Ask The Power Questions!
What is the Point of Power Questions? We all need to ask the right questions at the right time, in order to work productively in a team, but how do you do that? And what even is a power question”? CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube A “Power Question” is the kind of […]
How To Get The Best Out Of Your Team
Today I want to talk to you about something vital for anyone who is working with people every day. If you work with people daily then every day you’re going to have to relate. And this is a good thing! Because as human beings, we were not designed to be alone. We were designed to […]
How to Get Organised and Manage Your Life
Today I’m going to talk to you about your own personal management. About being your own professional management team. So, what do I actually mean by personal management? I mean making sure that you are organised. Knowing what you’re going to do, when you’re going to do it and you that you have a system […]
Where To Find Extra Time (Working A 28 Hour Day)
Today I’m going to talk to you about something that I’m really passionate about. Something that I find I use on a daily basis if not a moment by moment basis. It’s the thing that everyone seems to ask me about and yet so few people actually seem to implement it. It’s to do with […]
Frameworks And Their Ability To Empower
When you don’t get this right what you’ll find is people are feeling a little bit confused. They are unable to follow your direction and they may even be actively sabotaging your projects. But when you do get this right, it’s fantastic because you empower others and you don’t have to do everything yourself. I’m […]
What IS Problem-Solving?
When you don’t do this, you might find yourself relying on guesswork in order to move forward and that often doesn’t go the way you hoped or expected, but when you Do this, you will find yourself clear on where you are now and where you are heading. So what am I talking about? I […]
Are You Listening or Just Hearing?
When you do this, you’ll find you’ll be in a position where you actually understand a lot more. And you’ll be able to help more people and make sure that you’re giving them what they need, serving them in the right way. But when you don’t do this, what you will definitely find is that […]
You Are The Leader
Do you want to be known as the leader who gets things done? And do you not only want to be known as the leader who gets things done, but also as a leader that gets things done by not doing everything yourself? CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube or carry on reading […]
I Have a Gut Feeling About You
Have you ever wondered why sometimes you get a gut feeling about somebody? We’re going to talk about something you can implement which will help you get your message across in a way that it is absorbed much better, quicker and easier and has a greater impact. But when you don’t do this you can find that […]
Feedback and It’s Effect on Results
Do you find that some people have an amazing ability to be able to bring out the best in you? Or have you ever felt that the people around you are not helping you to achieve what you need to do. Maybe you feel their feedback is undermining you, and they are really not helping […]
Thank you, we made it into the Amazon top 100 best selling books for leadership
A big thank you to everyone who has bought our book, recommended our book and gained benefit from our book. For without you we would never have made it into the Amazon top 100 best selling books for leadership. CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Have you ever had a time that you achieved […]
To Automate, or Not to Automate, That Is The Question…
Are you being driven to do more with less? The chances are that you, like many people, are being asked to deliver more results, for less money, in less time. Maybe it is time to automate?. Now here’s the thing, that’s great. Because when you automate it can help you to leverage a lot of that internal talent you’ve […]
Skills and The Speed of Change – How Ready Are You??
Do you remember when you could only get oranges and clementines in season or at Christmas? Salad (except tomatoes occasionally) were only available in the summer? And people had jobs for life? No – I don’t either. But I was having a conversation with an older relative the other day and all those things came up in […]
Why You Should Never Stop Learning
Are you improving yourself daily in your role? How focused are you on your own learning and development? CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube I always find it quite interesting this time of year. Kids are coming out of school having finished their GCSE or A Level exams, and really excited about the fact that they never have to do […]
Rise Of The Machines – It’s Not Judgment Day Yet!
Are you worried about the rise of the machines? What I’m talking about is artificial intelligence and how it will be changing everything – not least the way we work. I’m NOT talking in the sense of a dystopia, like the film the Terminator or a time where computers will run amok and all humanity is […]
Are You Giving Your Domain Name The Respect It Deserves?
Are you treating your domain name with the respect that it deserves? How you are securing your own domain name? I ask because I find there are so many people out there who aren’t really giving it the attention it requires. The reality is that this one of the key assets that you have in your business. You’re drawing other […]
Communication Problems in the Boardroom
Do you believe, I mean truly believe, that you have a positive effect in decision making processes and transforming organisations? And as well as having a positive effect, do you also want to improve the organisations you work with? CLICK HERE to listen to me presenting at the British Computing Society Conference, about the 3 […]
Confused? How To Decide What Tech To Use in Your Business.
Are You Confused? How To Decide What Tech To Use in Your Business. Do you use tech in your business? And would you like to know what technology to invest in next, to make your business even better? Perhaps you are looking at all the new technologies like 3D printing, robotics, artificial intelligence, etc. and wondering how […]
How Much Is Your Personal Data Worth To You?
There have been many incidents of data breach recently so let me ask you some questions. How much is your personal data worth to you? And how much do you think the personal data you store about other people is worth? How much do you value securing it? CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube […]
Are You Using A Free Email Address for Professional Purposes?
Do you use a free email service for your business address? Let’s explore using a free email address for your business. I mean, having a free email address has a lot of benefits, right? First of all, it doesn’t cost you anything. It’s very easy to set up and you get how it works and you’ve probably been using […]
“If It’s Not In The Diary It Doesn’t Get Done”
Hare you ever heard it said in life, that “if it’s not in the diary, it doesn’t get done?” I’m going to share with you one of the most powerful tips I discovered, to make sure you can be productive and still take care of those unexpected problems that occur from time to time. CLICK HERE […]
“No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy”
Let me ask you a question. Would you like to have more success whatever you’re planning to achieve? Would you like to know you’ll make the right decisions more instinctively than you do right now? CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Well, it really all starts from understanding that everyone fails. In fact – […]
How To Get The Outcome You Want In Your Business
Have you ever been in a position where you’re not entirely sure you’re going to get the outcome that you really wanted, but when you got it you realised that it was going to make a difference to your organisation? Well, that’s what this blog is about – how to get a great outcome, even when […]
Who Are You Hanging Around With?
Have you ever heard the saying that you are the sum of the people that you hang around with? Jim Rohn said this and it makes a lot of sense. When you have the right people around you, they help and challenge you which pushes your business forward. And when you don’t then you might […]
Technology Chiefs Interview Feb 2018
What are the top three priorities in your role? That’s a good question. When I’m working with a client in a leadership capacity I think of the three main things in the moment. The first one is around how can we provide additional capabilities to the organisation in forms of revising the IT strategy or […]
Do You want to Transform Your Business, Your Way?
Do you want to achieve more success in your business? And along with achieving the success, you don’t want to do all the work yourself? So, let’s think about where you maybe now. Maybe you have a successful business, you are achieving a 6, 7 or 8 figure turnover and are hungry to make that […]
Why Failure is The Route To Success.
That statement might seem counter-intuitive, but think about it for a minute. Why do most people not do the things they want to in life? It is because they are afraid of failure. Why do people stick with old IT systems that don’t talk to each other? Because they are afraid of IT, they are afraid […]
Transform Your Business, Your Way
Do you want to achieve more success in your business? And along with achieving the success, you don’t want to do all the work yourself? So, let’s think about where you maybe now. Maybe you have a successful business, you are achieving a 6, 7 or 8 figure turnover and are hungry to make that […]
Visualise a faultless business plan!
Where did all those great ideas come from? You know, those ideas that other people have? Or maybe the ones that you’re having right now? Yet how do you go about making them a reality? CLICK HERE to watch or listen on YouTube Now In this article, we’re going to be thinking about how we […]