This week is International Ideas Week, a time when employers are encouraged to involve their staff and listen to their ideas.
This year the spotlight is on the way owners of small businesses and limited companies get their ideas and whether they are open to change and suggestions from others.
T-Mobile recently surveyed 2,019 small business owners and discovered that 56% of them rely on gut instinct when it comes to making decisions about the future of their enterprise.
The research also found that over 50% of small business owners think there are no barriers to making changes in their own organisation. A further 20% are worried about change and 23% say they are too busy to implement positive changes.
Mamta Saha, a leading business psychologist, said owners of small businesses have greater freedom when it comes to decision making and this is often influenced by intuition. Gut instinct can be very useful to cut through complexity and get straight to the heart of the decision.
Gut instinct definitely has a key role to play in decision making but 6% of small business owners admit that they would think about using fortune tellers, horoscopes or psychics to help them make a decision.
Meanwhile, James Caan, the high profile entrepreneur and chief executive of Hamilton Bradshaw, says that money may not be the only motivator to starting your own business.
The former Dragon’s Den star said he believes there is a perception that entrepreneurs enjoy more freedom and flexibility than people in salaried employment. He also suggested that being a successful entrepreneur can improve people’s quality of life.
Last week, data from the CIPD showed that 37% of employees in the UK think their standard of living has declined in the past six months. If you suffer from similar feelings, going it alone, or becoming a contractor, could bring great benefits.
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Image: Seer by A. Strakey
