Dr. Ali Jaffar Zia

Being an entrepreneur is like jumping out of a plane without a parachute – it’s already a tough job. But when you add in the effects of previous lockdowns, the uncertain economy, and constantly changing COVID-19 news, the journey becomes even harder. Trying to manage a business while also taking care of your family during these difficult times is a big challenge. However, it’s important to remember that we’re all in this together as fellow entrepreneurs. Starting a successful business from a simple idea is a huge task. Entrepreneurs need to dedicate their time, energy, and resources to make their vision a reality and work tirelessly to achieve their dream company. Along the way, they face many challenges and obstacles. How can they handle stress, stay calm, and remain focused? Moreover, how can they stay motivated and not lose sight of their ultimate goal, resisting the urge to quit? Here are some useful suggestions to assist entrepreneurs in keeping their motivation high and staying on the right path. Embrace The Realization That You Are Living Your Dream Most entrepreneurs start their journey with great excitement and passion for their ideas and vision. They are thrilled about launching their business and the positive outcomes it can bring. However, as they get caught up in the complexities of setting up internal systems, procedures, and practices, they may start to lose some of that initial enthusiasm and focus. To avoid falling into this negative mindset, it’s important for entrepreneurs to consistently remind themselves that they are living their dream and doing what they love. They should consciously find joy in every step of their journey, both the successes and setbacks, while always keeping their end goal in mind. They should appreciate that each stride they take brings them closer to turning their dream into a reality and embrace the valuable lessons learned along the way. Maintaining The Focus On The Present An entrepreneur should have both a long-term strategy and a short-term plan that takes unexpected events into account. Some entrepreneurs make the mistake of prioritizing quick results and immediate profits, which leaves them vulnerable when faced with sudden changes or crises. However, an entrepreneur who excels at addressing issues as they come up and stays focused on the present will be able to handle disruptions. By living in the moment and making timely decisions that benefit their company, they demonstrate motivation and focus as a leader. While having internal guidelines for their business is essential, they must also be prepared for both positive and negative surprises and adjust their plans accordingly. Continuously Expand Your Skill Set For Business Success Entrepreneurs should always aim to make the best use of their time by actively engaging in self-education. This approach not only provides them with the necessary tools to effectively run their business but also serves as a source of focus and motivation. Gaining the right skills through training, continuous learning, and staying updated about their industry, as well as global trends, are important improvements for every entrepreneur. By investing in their personal growth and knowledge, entrepreneurs set themselves up for success and ensure they are prepared to navigate the constantly changing business environment. Find Pleasure In The Advantages Of Your Business To stay motivated and fully embrace the journey of being an entrepreneur, it’s important to value and enjoy the advantages that come with your business. Many entrepreneurs miss out on the chance to appreciate the benefits of traveling to new places, meeting different people, and experiencing the cultures and foods of the areas where their business takes them. It’s essential to remember that all work and no play can lead to weariness. Taking time to savor these experiences brings a sense of fulfillment and rejuvenation, allowing you to find happiness in your entrepreneurial pursuits. Establish Your Mission Statement Just like every business needs a mission or vision statement that outlines its goals, values, and culture, entrepreneurs should also develop their mission statement. This statement acts as a guiding principle, directing their path in the entrepreneurial journey and inspiring everyone involved. The important thing is to not just write your mission statement, but also to carry it with you, read it out loud, memorize it, and for the most adventurous entrepreneurs, even consider getting it tattooed on your arm. This statement should constantly remind you of your purpose in pursuing entrepreneurship. It will keep you focused and motivated, ensuring that your actions align with your ultimate goals. Create A Strategic Plan Just like in business, a mission statement is meaningless without a carefully crafted plan to make it a reality. That’s why you need to create and write down your personal and professional plan, including both short-term and long-term goals. Unlike a fixed document, this plan should be flexible and able to change as your personal and professional situations evolve. Its purpose is to give you a clear sense of your dreams and the actions you’ll take to achieve them. Prepare In Advance And Establish Prompts Even with a carefully planned schedule, it can be difficult to stick to a consistent routine. That’s why it’s helpful to create reminders throughout the day for the important tasks and goals you’ve set. You can use an alarm with a gentle sound to remind yourself to stay focused on the current task. For some people, a warning that says, “Stop using Facebook and get back to work” would be perfect! In addition, you can stay on track by using time blocking, which means setting aside specific time slots in your calendar for different work, projects, or tasks. If you need more help, you can use these unique apps that are designed to motivate and improve productivity for dedicated entrepreneurs. Establish Incentives As individuals, we naturally respond to rewards, so it’s important to be prepared to give yourself treats or incentives for reaching a goal or maintaining a habit. Just like in business, it’s helpful to recognize and celebrate small victories as you work towards your

Everyone knows that remote work has benefits for both employees and employers. Employers can find talented people from all over the world, and employees can enjoy the freedom of working from wherever they prefer. It’s not surprising that people who work remotely are often happier than those who work in an office. A recent study by PwC found that only 8% of remote workers wanted to work exclusively from their employer’s office. What’s more, an impressive 83% of employers and 71% of employees think that the shift to remote work has been successful. However, employee engagement in a remote work environment is vital. But there are challenges with remote work and one of them is keeping remote employees engaged. It’s really important to make sure your employees stay committed and connected to your company, even though they’re physically far away from the main office. Remote employees often don’t get to take part in social events that happen in a regular office, like birthday parties, casual chats, and team lunches. Without these chances to interact, remote employees can feel like they don’t belong or like something is missing. To help increase employee engagement in a remote work environment try using these strategies right from the start.   10 Strategies To Engage Remote Employees Foster Connectivity Through Technology Make sure your remote employees stay connected by using good communication methods and the right technology tools. For example, you can use platforms like Zoom, Asana, GoToMeeting, and Slack to make communication and project management easier, so your team can work together smoothly. Encourage everyone to use cloud-based file sharing to make work more efficient and give everyone on the team easy access to files. In addition, make use of video calls. While email and chats are helpful, seeing each other’s faces through video calls can make it feel like you’re really present in the virtual office. Schedule regular team meetings and use video calls with screen sharing. This helps create a stronger sense of teamwork and inclusion for remote workers. It can also help people who work in the office see remote workers in a more positive way. Encourage Social Interaction Even though remote work has many benefits, the main problem that employees often face is feeling lonely. To tackle this, actively encourage connections among your remote team by organizing social activities, video chats, and virtual team-building exercises. Assign mentors to new employees so they have someone reliable to turn to for help and support in their first year. Whenever possible, plan in-person team or company retreats and outings to help strengthen these connections even more. Demonstrate Your Employee Care Build strong relationships with your remote team and support their work-life balance. Respect their time by setting clear boundaries for schedules, tasks, and performance goals. Have conversations with them about: Their Family And Personal Hobbies Show that you care about their personal lives and ask about their families and hobbies. This shows that you appreciate them as individuals, not just for their work. Stress Mental And Emotional Health Make a supportive atmosphere where employees feel okay talking about stress, mental health, and emotions. Encourage open communication and offer resources to help if needed. Workload And Burnout Prevention Make a friendly atmosphere where employees feel okay talking about stress, mental health, and emotions. Encourage open communication and offer help if needed. By having these conversations, you show that you really care about your remote employees and want them to be happy and successful.   Encourage Feedback And Active Listening Encourage open communication by asking your employees for feedback and showing that you value their opinions. Make sure to keep them informed about the actions taken or the reasons if their suggestions can’t be implemented. This helps them feel listened to and valued, which leads to greater happiness and employee engagement. Also, don’t be afraid to give helpful feedback to help employees improve. By giving guidance and support, you help them develop and succeed in their personal and professional growth.   Acknowledge And Appreciate Employee Contributions Remote employees often work longer hours than those in the office, but they may not always feel fully part of the team. One solution is to make employee recognition a priority. Use an online platform where every employee can see, comment on, and give recognition in real time. Our research shows that recognizing employees is important for keeping them engaged. When employees receive regular recognition from both their colleagues and managers, it helps them feel connected, appreciated, and valued. By actively acknowledging their efforts, you create a positive workplace that boosts employee engagement and overall satisfaction.   Ensure Remote Workers Are Informed It’s important to regularly and clearly communicate with your remote workers to keep them informed about projects, goals, team updates, and company news. Since informal conversations in physical office spaces may leave out remote employees, it’s essential to bridge this gap and make sure they don’t feel disconnected. Set up a user-friendly system for setting and tracking goals that give remote employees access to company goals, progress updates, and new projects. Have regular check-ins with remote employees, both one-on-one and in team meetings, to give everyone a chance to connect and stay updated on what’s happening in the company. By including remote workers in the conversation, they will feel more empowered in their work, fostering a sense of connection and employee engagement. This will keep them well-informed and aligned with the organization’s broader objectives.   Provide Assistance To New Hires Based on our research, 76% of employees who recently joined the company felt less prepared for their roles, while 85% of more experienced colleagues felt prepared. This shows that there is a need for better support for new hires, especially in remote work situations. Managers should provide extra training, clear communication, and enough resources to help new remote employees during their onboarding. This includes making sure employees have access to: Essential Information Give new employees the important information they need, like usernames and passwords, and make

Because of new technology, it’s a lot easier to work remotely now. It doesn’t matter if you’re someone who makes web apps or someone who helps someone else with their work, a lot of people all over the world like being able to work from home. People think that by 2025, there might be just as many or even more people staying productive  working remotely than people working in regular offices. However, working remotely isn’t just about being super comfortable in your sweatpants and PJs. A lot of people who work remotely have a hard time staying focused and getting work done when no one is watching them. There are a lot of things that can distract you. When you can’t get things done and you miss important deadlines, working remotely can start to feel like a really bad dream. Luckily, you can still have all the benefits of working remotely and get your work done too. We’ve put together a list of helpful tips from people who have been successful working remotely. These tips come from all different kinds of jobs and industries, so they should work for you too. Master The Art Of Differentiating Personal And Work Life The main problem faced by people who work remotely is how hard it is to keep their personal and work lives separate. When you can work from anywhere and at any time, it’s easy to mix up your work and personal time. To avoid this problem, it’s really important to have a specific place in your home where you work, or at least a dedicated area just for work. It’s important not to eat, watch videos, play games, or sleep in this work area. Your office should be used only for work-related things. It’s really important to have a set time for starting and finishing your work every day. This helps you and the people around you get used to a regular work routine and plan things accordingly. Even though sticking to a fixed schedule may remind you of working in a normal office, it’s an important tip for being productive and something you should focus on. Finally, make sure you have a detailed list of all the tasks you need to complete for the day. You can use different apps on your phone or computer to keep your task list synchronized across devices, but using a paper planner works just as effectively. Harness The Power Of Technology People who work remotely need to have their equipment, like a computer with internet access, a webcam for online meetings, and a smartphone for communication. Those who use the right tools and technology will find it much easier to stay productive because they have fewer problems with their equipment. Instead of choosing a laptop that’s convenient but not as powerful, think about getting a desktop computer and using it as your main work computer. Desktop computers give you better performance for your money compared to laptops, and you can customize different parts to fit your needs. If you do a lot of typing, getting a mechanical or ergonomic keyboard can help prevent repetitive strain injury (RSI). Having a second or third screen can also make you more productive when you have to work on multiple things at the same time, which is something software developers often do. Foster Open Communication Channel It’s really important to stay connected with your team when you work remotely so that you can stay productive. This means keeping your communication channels open and participating actively in virtual meetings. If remote workers don’t stay connected, they may not know about important tasks and might miss chances to give feedback, which is valuable. It’s also good to meet your colleagues in person from time to time, even if it’s not required for your job. Despite the technology we have, meeting face-to-face is still important. If there are other people in your company who work remotely like you, it can be helpful to build relationships with them to avoid feeling isolated. You can use modern tools like Skype, Slack, and Zoom to communicate and collaborate with others. Just make sure to adjust the notification settings on these tools so they don’t distract you and affect your productivity. Manage Your Social Media Usage While Working Remotely Social media platforms can take up a lot of your time if you’re not careful. It’s really hard to stay productive when you keep getting notifications from apps like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Reddit on your phone all the time. To control your social media use and stay more focused, start by turning off all notifications. You probably won’t miss anything important by doing that. On your work computer, install a different web browser that you only use for work. Don’t log into any social media websites on this browser to avoid constantly checking for new posts. If you have trouble controlling your social media addiction, you can try using a browser plugin that limits your access to those websites. Use time-tracking tools like Toggl, RescueTime, Everhour, DeskTime, or Hubstaff to help you stay focused. These tools keep track of what you do on your computer and can notify you if you get off track from your planned tasks. They also generate detailed reports that show you how much time you spend working each day. Prioritize Refreshing Breaks For Enhanced Productivity Whether you work from home or in a regular office, it’s really important to take regular breaks and do something healthy. These breaks are the opposite of mindlessly watching Netflix or eating junk food. Instead, you can do things like taking a 10-minute jog around your neighborhood, going for a relaxed walk with your dog, doing a short yoga session in your living room, doing push-ups and sit-ups right at your workspace, or even just taking five minutes to meditate and focus your mind. You have lots of options to choose from. When you have important deadlines coming up quickly, it’s common

The Covid-19 pandemic has made us change how and where we do our jobs. A lot of companies now think it’s really important to have virtual work and other kinds of work options. Working from home is not just a temporary thing anymore—it’s become the usual way for businesses all around the world. In a study done in 2022, they found out that about 25% of jobs in the United States and Canada are now permanently done from home, and there are more and more chances to find jobs that you can do online. Remote work means that you can do your job from a place that’s not a regular office, like your own home or any other place you choose. There are lots of different kinds of remote jobs you can find in all sorts of industries, job types, and levels of experience. In this article, we’ll talk about the good things and the difficult things about working remotely, and we’ll give you some advice and information that can help you if you’re a remote worker. It’s not hard to see why so many people like remote work. It gives you more flexibility, you don’t have to travel to work, and you often get more work done. A lot of people who work full-time like this option. But there are also some tough things about remote work, like feeling alone and the danger of working too much. In the next part, we’ll talk about the good and bad things about working remotely.   Benefits Of Work From Home Location Flexibility One of the best things about having a remote job is that you can work from wherever you want. You are not stuck in one specific office anymore. You can work from your house, a nice coffee shop, or shared office space. As long as you can talk to your team and do good work, you can choose where you want to work. Remote jobs also give you more options for finding work, which is especially helpful if you live in a small town and don’t want to move to a big city for a job. But it’s important to know that some companies might want you to come into the office sometimes, so it’s good to ask your boss about that ahead of time. Financial Saving Working from home can help you save more money. Not having to travel to work means you don’t have to spend money on transportation. You can also keep the money you would have used for work clothes, eating out for lunch, and childcare. But it’s important to know that working from home might mean you have to spend more money on things like furniture, internet, and electricity. It’s a good idea to ask your boss if they can help you with those expenses before you start working remotely. On average, people in the United States can save anywhere from $600 to $6000 per year if they work remotely for half of their work hours. Enhanced Productivity It can be hard to stay focused when you work in a regular office. You often get interrupted by your coworkers, there’s a lot of talking, and your boss keeps giving you more things to do. But when you work remotely, you have fewer interruptions from your coworkers, less office drama, and fewer casual conversations while you’re working. You also get to work in a quieter place and have more meetings that are focused and productive. Studies show that 67% of employees do better work when they work from home. Addressing Special Requirements Working remotely can make it easier for people who are often left out to get jobs and be part of a diverse group of workers. People with disabilities, whether physical or mental, can really benefit from remote jobs because they might have a hard time working in a regular 9-to-5 office. When you work from home, you can build your career in a place that helps you more with your personal needs. It also gives you more flexibility to go to medical appointments when you need to. Personalized Workspace While you can make your office cubicle feel more personal, your home workspace gives you total freedom to be creative and make the space truly yours. You can listen to your favorite music, set the temperature to your liking, or work from a big, comfy chair that you love. When your workspace is designed the way you want it, you’re likely to get more work done and be more productive. Positive Environmental Impact Getting around is one of the big reasons why the United States makes a lot of greenhouse gases. But when people are working from home, there are fewer cars on the road, which means less pollution and better for the environment. Studies say that if employees worked from home for just half of the week, we could cut 50 million tons of greenhouse gases every year. Working remotely also means we use less paper because things are digital instead of printed out. And people who work remotely usually use less power than people who work in an office.   Benefits Of Remote Work For Employers Companies get a lot of benefits from letting people work remotely, and it’s good for the workers too. First of all, when companies let their employees work from home, they can choose from a bigger group of talented people. They’re not limited to hiring only people who live close by. This means they can find the best workers from a bigger pool of candidates. Also, studies show that people who work remotely usually get more work done, so they perform better. Letting employees work from home also makes it more likely that they’ll stay with the company. If people have to move or have other family responsibilities, they might have to leave their job. But if they can work from home, they’re more likely to stay. And companies also save money when people work remotely