Summer can be a challenging time in the office. Your colleagues are jetting off on holiday and the sun is shining outside (sometimes). It can be hard to keep your motivation levels high, so with that in mind we’re sharing some inspirational quotations to help you stay focused.
In the news this week, there seems to be a bit of a focus on employment. New research shows that small businesses would increase recruitment if employment law was simpler. And there’s also news that a quarter of unemployed people have been offered zero hours contracts - but half turn them down.
Top news stories
Current UK employment law is bad for small business
39% of small businesses said they would take on more staff if employment law was made simpler and just 25% of respondents claimed it was acceptable in its present state.
Zero-hours contracts offered to 'a quarter of all unemployed'
The research shows that more than half who could have taken up a job on this basis turned it down.
Florists, antique shops and beauty spas lead small business growth
Businesses in the luxury, leisure and pampering markets are leading small business growth and benefiting the most from the UK’s “new-found financial optimism”.
London businesses hold the most cash in savings accounts
Small companies in the capital hold an average of more than half a million pounds in business savings accounts. Small businesses in the West Midlands are the UK’s top business savers, holding 73% of their funds in business savings accounts.
One third of workers have been bullied
New research shows that 37% of people have experienced bullying in the workplace and a further 21% have witnessed bullying at work.
Key dates for your diary
No significant dates this week.
Time for some inspiration
If you’re suffering from summertime blues and needing a boost to your productivity, these quotations from entrepreneurs and other famous people may give you a new outlook.
Work on what you love
“If you just work on stuff that you like and you’re passionate about, you don’t have to have a master plan with how things will play out.”
Mark Zuckerberg
"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it."
Steve Jobs
Just do it
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
Walt Disney
"If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes - then learn how to do it later!"
Richard Branson
Keep trying
“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game's winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that's why I succeed.”
Michael Jordan
"When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."
Henry Ford
Get the right support
“Watch, listen, and learn. You can’t know it all yourself. Anyone who thinks they do is destined for mediocrity.”
Donald Trump
“The secret to successful hiring is this: look for the people who want to change the world.”
Marc Benioff
Managing your team
"The job of a manager is to support his or her staff, not vice versa, and that begins by being among them."
Bill Hewlett
“The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.”
Ralph Nader
Getting and keeping customers
"Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning."
Bill Gates
"In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create."
David Ogilvy
“Always deliver more than expected.”
Larry Page