The term entrepreneur brings up an image of somebody creating a good idea, and then becoming an overnight success. Business building isn’t like that. It takes hard work, determination and resilience.  A report in Inc.com examines why a successful business starter should be called a street fighter rather than an entrepreneur. Here, H Acquisitions review this study and look at the lessons that can be learned from it.

“Whilst starting a business can bring huge benefits, success can’t be achieved without hard work”, said Esteban Falcon, manager of H Acquisitions. “By accepting the reality of what starting a business entails, would-be-entrepreneurs will be better prepared for what lies ahead, and able to rise to the challenge.”

The successful business starter has much in common with the street fighter, so new business people can learn from the street fighter’s never-say-die attitude. One of the lessons is to rely on grit and determination. Be prepared to rise early, get your hands dirty, and put in long hours. Do whatever it takes to succeed, and always be ready to face a challenge head on, even if it comes at you from an unexpected angle. Use the skills that you do have to their best advantage. Many business starters find that the skills of passion, determination and courage are more useful than academic excellence, or important connections.

Other lessons a business person can learn from a street fighter involve being adaptable and innovative at all times. Ignore traditional ways of doing things, and be brave enough to go your own way. Have an unquenchable belief in yourself. Be determined that you can take on the status quo and transform it.

“As a newcomer to business, you’ll be an underdog and face many challenges”, said Esteban Falcon. “Just like in street fights, the established favourite doesn’t always win. Use that underdog status as a motivating tool. Be prepared to work harder than everyone else, and you’ll reap the rewards that success can bring.”

Today’s business world is becoming increasingly competitive. As the economy continues to become more global, challenges will come from all territories. Unless a start up is prepared to fight for everything they want, then their chances will be limited. Nevertheless, by embracing and relishing the fight an entrepreneur can become stronger than ever. H Acquisitions are happy to be in the corner of start up businesses, encouraging them along the road to success, and showing them new ways to win the fight to grow a brand, and gain customers.

At H Acquisitions we know that all your dreams are worth achieving. We know that they have potential to be reached. It’s important to understand that we should not let good ideas go to waste. With every idea and mindset, there is a dream waiting to become reality. With every aspiration, there is courage waiting to be tested. Any excuse that stands in the way of your dreams should be disregarded, because it is nonexistent and anything is possible. At H Acquisitions, we believe that all dreams are meant to be reached and every single individual has the ability to reach their highest potential.

“The number 1 tip I would give individuals for 2018 is to be brave. Bravery comes from understanding that you’re capable of anything to set your mind towards,” says Esteban Falcon, CEO of H Acquisitions. As we get older, there is less and less time available to us. We only have one life, so how will you chose to live it? Many people are negative because of the adversities they been through; we understand. Adversity is a part of life and by cutting out the mindset that you aren’t worthy gives you room to bring in worth by working on your goals. “Even if it is the smallest goal or stepping stone it matters. Everything around your dreams and goals, matters,” says Esteban Falcon, CEO of H Acquisitions.

Another factor to understand in your route to success is the ability to have patience. Patience is everything. And your character while you wait is also everything. We believe that our company embodies this well. We know that is makes us stronger together and our diligence is what helps us reach our goals. Any targets we have in a given time, we’re sure we can reach — it just takes a bit of faith and a whole hard of hard work. Always believe that you are capable or more than anything and that starting is the first step to reaching any goal.

Creative thinking can come up with revolutionary ideas to transform any business, but are employees being encouraged to think creatively, or are their obstacles in their way that prevent them thinking creatively? A study by Marketing Week found that only 30% of employees thought that they were given enough time to think creatively at work. H Acquisitions review this study, and look at the positive impact that creative thinking can have in business.

“Every employee has the potential to think creatively”, said Esteban Falcon, CEO of H Acquisitions. “Every department, not just marketing, can benefit from creative thinking, but if staff are prevented from thinking creatively, the business could be missing out on important new ideas or systems. It’s essential to foster an atmosphere that encourages creativity, and rewards creative thinking by all staff members.”

The study shows that 45% of employees strongly agree that creative thinking is important to the success of the business they work for, with another 32% agreeing with the statement. Only 5% either disagree or strongly disagree with the statement. Whilst these staff members are keen to bring their creativity to the fore, many of them feel they’re prevented from doing so by the blocks that they face. The most common barrier, cited by 33% of those surveyed, is lack of time, with company culture coming next with 17%. If staff are made to feel that they’re not encouraged to think creatively, or even actively discouraged from doing so, then they could become demotivated or disconnected from the brand.

“Too many workers feel that they have to be able to give tangible evidence of a return of investment, before their creative thinking is considered”, said Esteban Falcon. “This shows an outmoded way of thinking that could prove costly. When businesses realise the benefits that creative thinking can bring, they can work to remove the barriers their staff face.”

30% of employees state that the main method of creativity used by their company is brainstorming. In many ways, however, the brainstorming process has become clichéd and can prevent truly creative thinking. Revolutionary new ideas have to be adopted, where workers are constantly encouraged to come up with new ideas, and new ways to work. Creative thinking also extends to new ways to find and approach customers, and can help your sales strategy succeed. The creative thinking that H Acquisitions encourages, can create new and higher quality leads for your marketing campaign.

With the growth in social media platforms, it’s important that the message conveyed by your brand is both strong and consistent. H Acquisitions themselves are proud of the strong brand personality that they’ve built up. They can help you tell a positive story as well, and ensure that your brand character becomes just as powerful.

Consumers want to feel an affinity with a brand, that they can trust it. They want to know that their investment of time and money in a brand is worthwhile. Storytelling is essential for a brand to be successful. A positive identity for a brand can help grow profits, brand recognition and customer loyalty. Here, H Acquisitions review the impact of storytelling on UK businesses.

“Customers like brands with a big and well defined personality”, said Esteban Falcon, manager of H Acquisitions. “If brands aren’t communicating effectively with their consumers, they can quickly be forgotten. Standing still isn’t an option in today’s market. Even if your business has a good legacy imprint, it’s important to keep reaching out to customers to ensure that your brand personality remains at the front of consumers’ minds.”

Customers surveyed were asked to rate brands on a list of criteria. These included brand personality, credibility, memorability and purpose. By combining these results it’s possible to ascertain which brands are telling their story most effectively.

It’s not just retail brands that benefit from storytelling. “The lesson to be learned is that creating an authentic and strong brand personality is all important”, said Esteban Falcon. “Making your brand memorable for all the right reasons, will ensure that you’re the first choice for consumers who are looking for the products and services that you specialise in.”

With the growth in social media platforms, it’s important that the message conveyed by your brand is both strong and consistent. H Acquisitions themselves are proud of the strong brand personality that they’ve built up. They can help you tell a positive story as well, and ensure that your brand character becomes just as powerful.

“I value people who can be humble, accountable and vulnerable. It is surprising that many people try to mask their weaknesses instead of owning them and asking for help. I commend people who can be accountable for a mistake and have the character to share it. The amount of trust that is created from that ownership is invaluable in developing a deeper and more trusting relationship” (Alex Glasscock, founder and CEO of The Ranch). Valuable individuals are very hard to come by. These are the underrated heroes, workers, and leaders of our time. “H Acquisitions believes that individuals who are accountable, understanding and humble make the best leaders. These individuals are those that put under challenging situations, but make a way out efficiently,” says Esteban Falcon, CEO of H Acquisitions.

Another CEO, Alexia Brue (co-founder and CEO of Well + Good) says, ““I value and admire people who exhibit grace under pressure. Being able to stay level headed, productive and, perhaps most importantly, well humored during big launches and intense periods inspires other people on the team to stay focused and to get stuff done without getting too intense about anything.” Most times leadership is looked at as someone who needs to be tough and almost, ‘mean.’ Individuals are taught to be intimidated by superiors. “However, real leadership derives from helping others and admiring those that have kindness to do so even if they are put under pressure constantly,” says Esteban Falcon, CEO of H Acquisitions. In a basic sense, leadership is for those that are level-headed.

“We’re happy and proud of our H Acquisitions crew. They all have the mindset of a leader. They strive to reach goals everyday and compete to be the best of the best. Valuable people come in all shapes, sizes, colors and kinds. They are who they are because they believe in others and above all, they believe in themselves,” says Esteban Falcon, CEO of H Acquisitions. It is essential to have valuable characteristics to be a great leader and good human being. We value those that are.

The global demographic is going through a rapid change. Although people are living longer, and life expectancy is increasing in developing economies, there is still a growth in the number of younger population worldwide. A study by Euromonitor looks at the 10 countries with the youngest populations, and found that there are now 3.5 billion people under the age of 30 worldwide, an increase from 2.7 billion in 1980. Here, H Acquisitions review this study, and assess how business can use it to change the way they operate in the future.

“Although a lower percentage of the population is under 30, there’s still been a big increase in the numbers of young people”, said the managing director of H Acquisitions. “These people are the new demographic that businesses should strive to connect with. They’re the decision makers and innovators of tomorrow.”

The study shows that China and India have the youngest population in terms of size, with 497 million and 704 million people under 30 respectively. These numbers could give a huge boost to their already growing industries, as there will be a ready supply of workers. It also means, however, that these countries will be much bigger consumers of all goods, thus creating huge opportunities for businesses in the United Kingdom.

The large youth populations in developing countries can help them grow their economies, and escape from poverty. This will create more markets for businesses to export to, as well as start up companies wanting the expertise that the USA can provide. In order for the youth explosion to benefit these countries, the governments of the nations must improve infrastructures and open up education. It remains to be seen whether this will happen, but if it does the implication for economies across the globe will be huge.

“These under-30s will soon be the decision makers in their countries”, said the managing director. “They will develop fresh ideas, not only in governance but in business too. It’s from these ranks that the next entrepreneurs will emerge, and the products and services that they create will transform our country just as much as theirs. Knowing and understanding your target market in these developing countries can help your business reach its true potential.”

Businesses, even small to medium enterprises, should now look to expand into global markets, and there will be ever more opportunities to do so. H Acquisitions can help you understand these markets, and find effective ways to grow your brand in new territories.

1. Make Work Tasks A Game – Many work environments have boring, menial tasks. An easy way

to reduce anxiety is to make your work more interesting or a challenge. For example, time

yourself to see if you can complete a task in a timely manner or how many bookings per hour you

can complete. Not only can you make it a challenge for yourself but you can also involve your

new co-workers! Compete to see how many bookings, callbacks, etc you both can complete

within a given time which allows you to not only reduce anxiety but also increase your

comfortability at your new job by making cordial associates.

2. Work Stories – Creativity has become essential within the workforce. If your work provides you

with humorous or nightmare instances, make it your priority to create dynamic stories out of

them. Do not allow your anxiety to overwhelm you but look at every situation that gives you

anxiety as a story to bring home to write something interesting about. Turn each negative

experience into a positive one!

3. Turn to your co-workers for support– As a new employee, your co-workers will have all of the

answers! They have experienced first hand the new environment you are walking into. Ask

questions or create new buddies to confide in if you are unsure. If you do make a mistake in

completing a task, it is alright! Just ask for help from your co-workers to ensure the best results

for your next attempt at your next task.

4. Make smart stress-busting food choices and minimize sugar carbs– The food you intake can

take a tremendous toll on how you feel and perform. Eating frequent health meals, for example,

can help your body maintain low levels of blood sugar, which will ultimately increase your

energy and focus. In contrast, low blood sugar can make you feel irritable. Food such as caffeine,

alcohol, trans fats and foods with increased levels of chemical preservatives can affect your mood

tremendously, therefore, try to avoid eating those foods.

5. Use your breaks to rebalance yourself– Breaks are intended to give you a break! Avoid talking

or thinking about the pile of work waiting for you on your desk and take this time to rebalance

yourself. During this time listen to your favorite tunes, watch a segment of your favorite clips or a

funny video. This will allow you to have a stress free lunch break therefore when you return back

to the pile awaiting you on your desk you will not be overwhelmed or discouraged.

6. Prioritize and organize your mornings– Proactivity is essential in every task! Instead of waiting

to pack your lunch in the morning be proactive and pack it the night before to avoid rushing.

Another fantastic tip would be to iron your work gear and lay it out for the morning, therefore, it is

tangible when getting up. Mornings tend to be a busy time therefore in order to make your

mornings less chaotic let’s be proactive and make our mornings as smooth as possible by

preparing ourselves the night before for the next day. The very last way to reduce anxiety before

stepping into a new workplace would be to give yourself enough time to travel to work without

rushing, therefore, plan to be to work 10 minutes prior to your start time therefore if mishaps

happen you will be on time instead of running through the doors attempting to avoid being late.

7. Confidence– Lastly, be confident in yourself and your new team. College is over and you have

prepared yourself efficiently for this position, therefore, be confident in your work and the work of

your co-workers. Be confident in your decisions and act accordingly so others can be confident in

you as well. You’ve got this!

Common causes of stress in the workplace:

1. Fear of being laid off

2. Lack of control over how you do your work

3. Pressure to conform to your work environment due to you being a new employee

4. First Corporate job out of college