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Curricula and Co’s Entrepreneur Academy sees start-up owners attend once a month, and fortnightly for training sessions, in order to stay sharp and focused. Many have accessed finance such as grants and funding opportunities, so that they can invest into their business, as well as upskilling themselves as leaders. ‘They come to us more often for training because they are pioneering and moving things forward. We now that these businesses will be in a great position in these coming months, as they are capitalising on what is right in front of them in terms of training and finance, Anita says. ‘As well as business education, others are coming to us just to discuss the challenges they are facing - they need mentorship for their career paths”.  Mentorship is an important part of success - listening to those who have gone before us, and can offer helpful tips. Anita accesses mentorship through books - mentioned in the previous post - and courses. She is about to start a leadership course that lasts for 10 weeks. Even though she has been leading a business for a number of years, she knows that she will always need input and mentorship for herself. Curricula and Co’s Entrepreneur Academy has not changed much about its services during lockdown, other than simply making themselves available. ‘We are really focused on the needs of our clients. Since this has happened, we have sharpened our focus, because we know the economy is in crisis. Business people need clear guidance and tools to help move their business forward. Our services are the same, but practically, we a we are focussed more on the immediate needs of businesses for extra training and support.  ‘This current crisis is temporary. We need to remember this. If we look back to history, we can see all these famines, plagues and wars, and so many people who have continued to prosper and do great things. It’s about making that all-important decision - Do you want to thrive, or be held back? Even if you don’t have a business, and are either in a job or currently unemployed, the best place to focus your energy is on finding and taking hold of the opportunities that are there. Now is the perfect time to dissect and rebuild your CV - make it creative, turn it into something that stands out to employers. Believe it or not, companies are still hiring! Maybe the industry you really want to work in, or is relevant to your degree, is not booming right now, but figure out which industries are looking for new employees, and apply for those jobs. Whichever industry you are working in, you are gaining skills and valuable experience that will show employers that you have been using your time well during this lockdown - you are still adding to your CV, and when the time comes for your industry to pick up again, the first thing bosses will do is look at what you have been doing at this time.
“Whatever your situation, you have something to be hopeful about!”, says Anita. “It’s a mindset. You could have studied your whole life and invested a lot of student finance into something that is not hiring right now, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be forever’. “We have been in touch with people who are doing apprenticeships and different things to stand out. You could do a six month internship. Young people, especially, can get apprenticeships and traineeships to keep their CV alive and standing out”. Now could even be the perfect time to re-think your whole career. It could push you in a direction you may not have even considered. If you have had a job loss, DO NOT feel like a failure! Yes, it’s a hard situation to deal with. You have bills to pay and outgoings to account for. But take this time to take stock of your skills, gifts, talents, and what you enjoy. You may have a hobby that could be used to earn money, that could become a business in the future.  Think about what people need. At the moment, people need to boost their morale, as a result of isolation, and not being able to see loved ones as often - so many of us are turning our hand to creativity, or taking up art. Perhaps you have a skill you could teach people, so that they can make and sell things? There are so many voices shouting about what you can’t do. But what CAN you do? How can you work around things and be resourceful? It can be helpful to get out your pen and paper and write out what you can do, and what the possibilities are - it’s a good way of getting stuff out of your head so you can make sense of it.  But if you are feeling overwhelmed by fear, please get into contact with us at Curricula and Co - just a phonecall could be the thing that pushes you towards a new way of thinking. Whatever you do, don’t be isolated and alone at this time.
It’s when we need each other the most. We need to encourage and build each other up, because we can get through this. We have come through crazy things before, as individuals, as families and as a nation. Let’s be kind and spur each other on!  If you are out of work at the moment, now is the perfect time to update your skillset!
Maybe this is the opportunity you have always been waiting for, in disguise! What is it that you have been putting off? Maybe it’s a career change. Maybe it’s a postgraduate degree. Maybe it’s a new business… At the start of this new week, why not set out some goals that you can work towards - at the end of the week, check in and see how far you got with these goals.  Public Service Announcement… The Government’s Department for Education is launching a new FREE online learning programme called the Skills Toolkit. This is in response to the COVID outbreak, and the restrictions that have affected the workforce.  It’s designed to upskill the nation in key areas, with a particular focus on technology, which is where the biggest skills gap is.
Head over to the GOV.UK website to find out more about this fantastic opportunity…
With so much doom and gloom and fearful language floating around, as business people especially, but for everyone, we need to find that balance of staying informed and aware of what’s going on in the world, but at the same time, know our limits, so that it does not affect our emotions and get in the way of our goals, and the kind of lives we want to be living. We need to be wise with the kind of content we are consuming, and make sure we are choosing things that will be uplifting and motivating - things that will inspire and empower us.  ‘To stay informed about current affairs’, Anita suggests, ‘it is best to follow your local government, and be aware of what they are saying. We need to follow the guidelines given to us, no matter who we agree or don’t agree with - in order to do our part to help our country overcome this challenge. Also, if you are a manager, make sure your staff and teams are up to date with regulations.
 Anita advises entrepreneurs, and everybody, to read loads of stuff about your industry, whatever that is. ‘If you are a creative, read blogs, listen to podcasts, read books and articles that inspire you, educate you and keep you up to date with everything that’s going on with the creative world. If business finance and making profits is your thing, look for resources and quality content on the economy, finance, stock markets, etc. If you are someone who leads teams or a company, read stuff about leadership. For me, reading is feeding!’  Anita is currently reading Zero to One, by PayPal founders Peter Thiel and Blake Masters. This book talks about how there are still brand new things to be invented that have never been thought of before - that every new stage of progress has to start from zero. This is an exciting book about progress and scaling up that will refresh the way you think about what’s next.  What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey is another classic one that Anita comes back to again and again - it’s a collection of thoughts on the human soul - about resilience, clarity, possibility, and more.  Also, John Maxwell’s How Successful People Think , which explores tapping into your creative potential, and how to think outside of the norm.  Over the last few months, we have been producing a lot of content on our blog and social media about physical and mental health and wellbeing. This is because we are aware of how fear can affect people in so many different ways. It can affect the way we think, our ability to make decisions, our creativity can get squashed… Eating well is massive for general wellbeing, together with getting as much fresh air as we can, through daily walks, even if it’s just in the garden, sitting outside. All of this goes a long way towards supporting our wellbeing during challenging times.
In Part 3, Anita updates us on what Curricula & Co has been doing to adapt their services to the current situation, talks all things employability and business, and just generally gives our morale a much needed boost!
If you are worried about how COVID is affecting your business or your work, we are making ourselves available for a chat on the phone or over zoom. We want to help you in any way you can, and point you in the right direction. We have resources that you can use to upskill and empower yourself…  To find out more, drop us an email at info@curricula-co.org.
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AuthorOur blog is supported and updated by the information team here at Curricula & Co, providing you with inspiring stories, quotes and education: Business
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