Improving Mental Health Awareness in the Workplace

 

Business mentor and angel investor Mark Lyttleton takes a keen interest in workplace mental health and working smarter not harder to achieve a healthy work-life balance. This article will look at mental health in the workplace and what employers can do to increase mental health awareness among employees.

Unmet mental health needs of employees can take a significant toll on staff wellbeing, performance and engagement, which in turn impedes the success of a business. In spite of this, many HR departments still fall woefully short when it comes to addressing the issue of workplace mental health.

According to data published by the World Health Organisation, in 2019, approximately 15% of working adults had a mental health condition. In the United States alone, this resulted in a $1 trillion loss in productivity, with 12 billion working days lost globally.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a spike in mental health challenges, causing many employers to double down on efforts prioritising mental health. Today, 75% of employees admit that they have struggled with mental health problems at one point or another during their working lives.

In the United States, the National Alliance on Mental Health reports that 20% of adults deal with mental illness each year. The organisation characterises mental illness as a condition that affects an individual’s thinking, feeling, behaviour or mood, pointing out that mental health conditions deeply impact day-to-day living, as well as affecting a person’s ability to relate to others.

With workers spending a third of their lives at work, on average, equating to more than 90,000 hours over a lifetime, it is crucial for employers to prioritise mental health awareness to ensure the safety and wellbeing of employees. Creating a culture of openness around mental health issues is not only integral to the wellbeing of employees but also vital for overall productivity and success. Businesses must therefore make workplace mental health a priority. By reducing the stigma that surrounds mental health issues, businesses can empower their employees to reduce workplace stress, achieve a healthy work-life balance and seek help where necessary.

To boost mental health awareness in the workplace, businesses must educate leadership, management and employees. This can be achieved by conducting training programmes, seminars or workshops to help workers recognise common signs of mental health conditions.

In addition, employers also need to implement mental health policies, providing workers with adequate resources and support frameworks, with managers leading by example and encouraging open communication. To that end, conversations about mental health must be normalised, with employees encouraged to check in on each other – creating a safe and supportive environment in which talking about mental health and wellbeing is as normal as discussing physical health.

SKOOT Welcomes New Board Chair Ashish Devi-King

 

Mark Lyttleton is an angel investor and business mentor who takes a keen interest in supporting organisations created to achieve a positive planetary impact, including SKOOT, a start-up that helps people and businesses to become more sustainable by reducing their carbon footprint. This article will look at SKOOT’s recent appointment of Ashish Devi-King as board chair ahead of significant expansion of the company in 2024.

On 4^th January 2024, SKOOT announced Ashish Devi-King’s strategic appointment, hailing it as a significant milestone in the company’s ongoing mission to provide in-the-moment sustainability solutions for the hospitality industry.

SKOOT is a London-based Top 5% B Corp. The company is a pioneering force in the climate tech landscape, providing real-time sustainability solutions. Following an extraordinarily successful year partnering with industry leaders such as Coventry Building Society Arena, Oracle GloriaFood and Oracle, SKOOT is poised at the forefront of sustainable innovation across the hospitality sector.

Reflecting on the appointment, SKOOT co-founder and CEO Greg Gormley indicated that Ashish Devi-King’s appointment marked a pivotal moment for the company. Mr Gormley highlighted Mr Devi-King’s impressive background in guiding the growth journeys of early-stage companies, having raised almost $25 million in equity funding for tech start-ups, making him invaluable as SKOOT enters its next expansion phase. Greg Gormley cited Ashish Devi-King’s support for the company right from its inception as a demonstration of his deep understanding of SKOOT and its overall mission.

Ashish Devi-King is the founder of the advisory firm Ridgeback Partners. Reflecting on his appointment as SKOOT board chair, Mr Devi-King said he was excited and honoured to take on the role, explaining that strong equity stories and planet-positive missions were of immense importance to him. Ashish Devi-King highlighted SKOOT’s role as a clear first-mover, driving carbon awareness and reduction across the hospitality space. Mr Devi-King said he looked forward to working alongside a team he had supported as an early investor, building on their recent achievements as they drive towards their Series A funding round.

SKOOT’s award-winning climate change platform was launched to help individuals, businesses and whole communities to reduce their carbon footprint to achieve net-zero. The company plants trees in some of the world’s most deforested regions to sequester emissions. In addition, the organisation also supports and funds other carbon reduction projects. To date, SKOOT has planted more than 1.2 million trees across various damaged locations around the world, restoring precious habitats and ecosystems.

 

How to Be a Better Business Consultant

 

Angel investor and business mentor Mark Lyttleton operates with a special focus on supporting early-stage companies launched with the vision of achieving a positive planetary impact. This article will look at business consultancy, sharing tips to help consultants maximise their impact on the businesses they serve and propel them to success.

For consultants, reviews are integral to establishing and assessing their reputation. Prospective customers will pay heed to both positive and negative reviews, highlighting the importance of consultants adopting a proactive approach when it comes to managing reviews. It is also important to realise that even a negative review can be turned into a positive if the customer’s feedback is taken on board and used to improve the customer journey.

In order to be successful, a consultant needs to have a good grasp of what their clients are thinking. Feedback is incredibly useful, particularly early on in the client relationship, providing an honest assessment of the consultant’s services from the client’s perspective. Whether positive or negative, feedback helps consultants to recognise areas that require their attention.

A big part of consulting is staging meaningful presentations. It is crucial for consultants to pique the audience’s attention with a good mix of engaging visuals and useful information throughout their presentation. In addition, successful business consultants invest in creating an optimised, professional website, constantly adding quality and engaging content. This improves their search engine ranking, helping them to generate business and secure better clients by making themselves more visible.

Consultancy requires attention to detail in order to produce error-free deliverables, showing the client that the consultant’s recommendations are thorough and solid. There can be no room for calculation mistakes or errors with spelling or grammar, as these will reflect badly on the entire team.

Working as a business consultant can be an incredibly rewarding career path, enabling consultants to work on their own terms and become involved in exciting new projects. Provided the consultant is passionate about their trade, it is difficult to have a bad day at work. However, there is always room for improvement. A great business consultant is more than just an expert in their field. After all, in business leadership, there are many moving parts.

Business owners seeking the services of a business consultant are looking for a safe pair of hands and someone they can rely on to do exactly what they promise to do, when they promise to do it. The ability to follow through is what sets great consultants apart from the competition when it comes to building trust and credibility among clients.

Inside the Mind of an Angel Investor

 

Business mentor and angel investor Mark Lyttleton provides founders with the financial and strategic support necessary to establish and scale successful businesses. This article will take a closer look at angel investment, exploring the key motivations and pitfalls from the angel investor’s perspective.

An angel investor is typically a high-net-worth individual with intimate experience of launching, running and scaling their own successful business. Angel investors come from a variety of different backgrounds but are defined as an individual who invests funds in a small business in exchange for a minority stake.

Jonathan Fitchew made his name and fortune as the co-founder of Pareto Law. He subsequently left the company following the death of fellow co-founder and good friend Andy Sawer. Today, Jonathan Fitchew serves as CEO of Apprentify Group, which recently bought out The Juice Academy, a company that provides digital marketing apprenticeships.

One of the best-known entrepreneurs in the North West today, Jonathan Fitchew’s other business interests include Venn Digital, Netcom Training and Next Connex. In addition, he is also one of a growing number of angel investors in the UK, having invested a ‘significant six-figure sum’ in over 10 enterprises over the years.

For those contemplating following his example and becoming an angel investor, Mr Fitchew warns that founders often have unrealistic expectations of what their businesses are worth and what they will become. Jonathan Fitchew also points out that one of the biggest mistakes an angel investor can make is throwing money at too many things. After all, successful business people typically invest all of their time and effort into a single business that makes them a great deal of money.

When considering a pitch, angel investors need to weigh up several key considerations, including the business plan and concept, financials, the team, market understanding and opportunities, the competitive landscape, and their exit strategy.

Investing in high-growth start-ups is a high-risk, potentially high-return investment strategy that can be both exciting and rewarding. Executed well, angel investment can be used to diversify investment portfolios, creating scope for significant returns, which is a primary motivation for many angel investors. Indeed, it is not uncommon for successful start-ups to deliver in excess of 10 times the initial outlay of savvy investors. However, as with all investment vehicles, there is also a degree of risk. Angel investment is a high-risk investment strategy, as if the business fails to live up to expectations this can culminate in significant losses.

 

 

 

Transforming a Hobby Into a Profitable Business

 

Mark Lyttleton is an experienced speaker, business mentor and angel investor who supports small businesses and early-stage companies with a special focus on helping ventures created to have a positive planetary impact. This article will look at the recent exodus of workers from the labour force, transforming their ‘side hustle’ into their full-time job and creating profitable businesses from interests they are passionate about.

Many people dream of doing the thing they love full-time, but is it really possible to turn a hobby into a lucrative business? The world of work is rapidly evolving, with people venturing into entrepreneurship in increasing numbers and building a career on the foundation of their favourite hobby.

Every profitable enterprise is built upon a well-crafted business strategy. The entrepreneur must first consider what the business will actually do. There are a range of options beside making or selling physical products. For example, the business may centre around providing a service, for example translation or accounts. Alternatively, its value proposition may be teaching other people valuable skills. Will the business sell direct to consumers (B2C) or to other businesses (B2B)?

Next, the founder must conduct extensive research, first and foremost to gauge whether there is a market for the product or service the business is selling. It is also vital to assess the competition, as well as weighing up major costs and price points across the relevant industry. This research will form the foundation of the business plan, a critical document upon which the founder will base all of their activities – and one which is crucial in terms of attracting investment.

The founder will also need to decide how they will structure the business; for example, will it be a sole proprietorship, a partnership or a limited company? Corporate structure is incredibly important in terms of business success, with different legal requirements attached to each. Many founders turn to professionals such as lawyers and accountants at this stage to help them weigh up the pros and cons of the different types of business structure and choose the most appropriate type for their venture.

In addition to coming up with a name, the founder needs to learn how to market, build an online presence and manage their time efficiently. In monetising a hobby, it is crucial to adopt a professional approach right from the off, keeping a close eye on financials, identifying long-term goals and mapping out actionable steps to help the enterprise achieve those objectives.

Steps for Improving Business Optimisation

 

Angel investor, business mentor and Prana Partners founder Mark Lyttleton supports early-stage ventures and small businesses, helping entrepreneurs to establish and grow their enterprises. This article will look at business optimisation, providing pointers to not only make businesses more sustainable but more profitable too.

For businesses today, it is crucial to develop sustainable processes that help workplace operations to run smoothly. Critical thinking is a vital tool, enabling leadership to evaluate and optimise operations. Irrespective of size, businesses operating in all industries can benefit from implementing sustainable operations due to the growth opportunities and cost controls that business optimisation can provide.

Business optimisation is essentially the process of making a business more efficient by enhancing its performance and increasing its productivity. It can help enterprises to overcome issues with both internal and external operations, for example, utilising new technology to increase production or engagement.

Key components of business optimisation include:

·       Audits, reviewing the business’s operational systems to help eliminate redundancy or waste

·       Analytics, reviewing statistics to help business leaders make better-informed decisions

·       Goals, setting targets for the company to achieve as part of a well-crafted business plan

Business optimisation is critical to the success of any venture, helping the business to gain efficiency, remain competitive with other businesses offering similar products and maintain cost-effective operations.

The key to business optimisation is developing the right company culture. In order to achieve this, founders must identify their business’s higher purpose. Rather than merely seeking to purchase products or services, people are actually investing in outcomes: solutions, results, benefits, value, answers, improvements, advantages, pleasure, fulfilment, prestige, enjoyment etc. The higher purpose of a business is to turn these positive outcomes into a reality for the customers it serves by promoting and selling outcomes rather than services or products.

It is also vital for businesses to operate with integrity, implementing policies towards customers and employees alike that are based on fairness and service. Maintaining a happy and contented workforce who know that they are sincerely appreciated is incredibly important today, reducing staff turnover and all of the associated costs such as recruitment and training.

Prana Partners helps companies at all stages of their evolution, providing thoughtful strategic advice to help them grow and flourish. Conceived to share knowledge acquired over many years of investing, Prana Partners aims to bring a degree of humanity to business, helping companies to map out a strategic path to fulfil their vision.