Work-life balance is my lover and spreading its joy with others is one of my reasons for living (we are in a very open relationship, please join). But we’ve not always been so close.

In what has been both a mentally and organisationally testing period for many, businesses need to ensure they’re taking every action to support their employees’ mental health and encourage employees to make decisions that prioritise their mental and physical wellbeing.

Mental health charity, Oakleaf, which is based in Guildford and supports people through training and wellbeing social activities, has partnered with Professional Training Solutions (PTS), a provider of employability, apprenticeship courses and training programmes. PTS works across London, Surrey and the South East, and together they will deliver an employability programme to help individuals get started or return to a work environment. 

There’s a common misconception that exporting services and goods are reserved for the big leagues. In fact, from natural teas to blue-light blocking screen protectors and men’s cosmetics, there are thousands of small businesses in the UK that are going global and sharing their products with the rest of the world.

Having decided that the entrepreneurial life is for you, it is then necessary to think about how you will actually make that best happen. The specific legal structure that you choose is only the vehicle used to transform your ideas into reality, and your theory into sales and profit. 

Important conversations surrounding mental health have grown, particularly over the past year, however this is not always translating into meaningful actions that support and protect everyone in the workplace. 

For anyone starting a business there is that delicious and intoxicating mixture of excitement tinged with fear. Both these are driven by stepping into the unknown and doing something new. Doing anything new or different will always present new challenges, and the further outside of your personal experience or comfort zone any new enterprise is, then potentially the larger those challenges will be.

Today, we all live a fast-paced life, rushing from one place to another, one task to another, one thing to another, and so on. This hasty lifestyle has introduced a lot of stress in our lives and the year 2020 further added a lot of anxiety to our already stressful lifestyle with the global spread of the pandemic. If life has turned into a challenging affair for you because of the pandemic or any other reasons and you are eager to find peace, hope, bliss, and inner joy again, it’s time for you to embrace mindfulness.

Autumn is already upon us and the nights are drawing in - Christmas is only just round the corner. However, this isn’t always a reason for small businesses to celebrate. The calendar year-end can often coincide with tricky cashflow gaps for smaller companies which can lead to some less than silent nights for business owners. Here are some tips on why it may be worth thinking ahead now and looking at company finances in advance, to avoid getting some unsightly lumps of coal in the company stocking instead of a winter celebration. 

The past few decades have been all about the myriad physical benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise. We all know about the improvements in our cardiovascular health, not to mention decreased blood pressure and much lesser risks of developing various diseases. 

According to Edays, 41% of respondents felt that their workplace has had a negatively impact on their wellbeing during the pandemic.

With 1 in 4 of us actively looking to move roles right now, how can businesses minimise the risk of losing the best of their team to the ‘Great Resignation’? It starts with wellbeing.

Henry Ford, Founder of Ford Automotive, was instrumental in the creation of the 9-5 model in the early 1900’s. Following the passing of the eight-hour workday in Illinois in 1867, Ford was one of the first (or at least most well-known) business people to implement this change within his own company.

The market for startups these days is red-hot. According to PitchBook Data Inc, in the US alone the venture industry raised $73.6bn in 2020, well above the previous high of $68.1bn set in 2018.

Starting a business is a huge commitment. As a brand-new startup founder, it can be difficult to prioritise your health and wellness when you’re trying to build your client base, create and submit invoices, manage team members, and ensure everything runs smoothly. It can feel like a lot of pressure on your shoulders.

It’s not unusual to pick at the odd spot, or to yank out a hair growing in the wrong place. But have you ever felt a burning urge to keep picking at your skin until it bleeds, or felt an uncontrollable need to yank out more and more strands of your hair, eyebrows or lashes?

The impact of COVID-19 has seen many organisations asking their employees to work part of their time at the workplace and part remotely, as hybrid working becomes the norm for many of us.

Nicky Story, a 30 year old from South Yorkshire, started his business from his garage just five years ago. He is now the owner of a multi-million pound business empire and the CEO of Supplies For Candles, The Soap Kitchen and Glassprints.

The pandemic has provided a clear illustration that the link between money and our mental health is just as strong as we think.