10 inspiring tips to future-proof your career by Allard de Jong for HP on 11-Oct-2011

F or many of us we are busy in our professional lives, for many entrepreneurs it is a time to revisit their business models and consider how their businesses could be taken to the next level.

Whilst this is essential, it is equally important to put some distance between ourselves and our hectic pace at the office to allow us to see things more clearly and muster the courage to hit the ground running. Here are 10 tips that entrepreneurs could do to future-proof their careers, and indeed their businesses:

1. Nurture your network – just like a garden, it needs watering. Invest some time in strengthening both those personal and business ties that you may have been neglecting.
2. Read a good book. Consider non-fiction or biographies to provide you with some non-technical perspectives. Use this knowledge to engage in intelligent conversations with your peers, employees and business contacts.
3. Take an acting class – actors are great at using their voice and their bodies to create presence and impact. As a leader in business, a lot of what an actor learns is directly applicable in the workplace.
4. Learn a new language, a new sport – in fact learn anything. As with the world of business and indeed life, the important thing is to never stop learning.
5. Go on a meditation retreat to manage any stress and to clear your mind, allowing you to concentrate on the more important aspects of growing your business.
6. Develop a slogan and logo to brand you. For the entrepreneur, the notion of building a 'personal brand' is rapidly gaining in popularity as clients often buy in to you as much as your products. Take an hour to look at what is your brand, what would you like it to be and how you would summarize it in one sentence or image.
7. Set some challenging goals for yourself – keep stretching outside of your comfort zone to realise your own ability to handle even the toughest of challenges in business.
8. Take a look at your CV – does it reflect what you’ve been doing lately and does it place you where you would ideally like to be?
9. Come up with one really innovative idea for your company and share this with your team. Allow this kernel of an idea to evolve into something which your business can take forward.
10. Last, but not least, turn off your BlackBerry when you take some time out. Remember to disconnect in order to re-connect with a splash.

Allard de Jong is a renowned Forbes 500 career coach, speaking on behalf of Hewlett Packard’s LES Strategic Investment for your Business Campaign.

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