My school days are a distant memory but September still has that ‘start of term’ feeling for me. The first few days can be a struggle after the freedom and fun of the summer and it can be hard to get motivated, but for me, it’s the opportunity to start afresh with renewed enthusiasm.

I've just returned from the most amazing holiday. We spent two weeks enjoying the sun, sea and Sangria on a beautiful Spanish island. I feel enthused, re-energised, full of optimism and ideas for the rest of 2017 and beyond!

I recently read an article which claimed that more than three-quarters of entrepreneurs go without holidays in order to keep their business ticking over.

We all know ‘that’ feeling when we’re faced with a full day of meetings. I spend so much of my time scheduling, rearranging, cancelling and attending meetings that sometimes I wonder how anyone gets anything done!

Communication is easy right? We all do it, pretty much all day every day. We talk to our loved ones, we message our friends, we send numerous emails and take calls throughout the day at work.

I’m not going to lie. I used to hate networking, I mean really hate it. Just the thought of being in an environment full of strangers, all being pushy with their own agendas and different approaches, would make me feel sick in the pit of my stomach!

We’ve talked about time management and productivity in our newsletters and blogs. But what happens if you still need a hand operating and growing your business? This is where blueumbrella come in.

As we enter the festive period, many businesses suffer from a drop in productivity. We often end up over-committing and spreading ourselves too thinly, as we try to complete projects, think about the upcoming year AND fit all these niceties in.