Almost everyday, I find myself inundated with motivational videos and blogs. Some work, and some….well, they are a bit weak.

So, I am going to spoil you dear reader. What follows are four links to some of the better pieces of content that have come my way in the past few days, with the message summarised for you. They are primarily targeted at the owners of small or medium sized enterprises. I hope you find them not just interesting, but useful and applicable as well.

The first one is for those who sometimes find themselves feeling a bit down – rejected is often a phrase that comes to mind. You have lost a contract. A trusted employee has walked out. You know that these things happen, but ………

Dr. Robert Brooks reminds his clients, when they talk about not receiving a work interview: “They didn’t reject you, they rejected your resume. . . . “. He develops his argument by noting that just because we see something right now as ever so excruciatingly important for ourselves, maybe it is actually merely a nice diversion. You learn to appreciate that there are many different paths that contribute to a life filled with satisfaction, hope, caring, compassion, and resilience.

My second item refers to that employee, who you have rejected and fired. Or maybe you did not realise they had been unhappy and they decided to leave. Do you know how much it will cost you to replace them?

Never mind the loss of knowledge of knowledge. Typically,

Employee turnover results in costs (internal and outside services) to the employer, including those for employee separation/departure, lost productivity, recruiting and hiring replacement employees, orientation and training of new employees, etc.

Put that into dollar terms, and you are finding you are starting to pay an extra half month’s salary just to keep you from moving backwards. Hefty on the cash flow of a SME. Do you want to go there?

Moving on to long-time entrepreneur, Richard Branson. I was referred back to an interview with him from 2015. He was asked what kind of people he recruits to run his businesses. The core of the answer referred to demonstrate that they can lead through ‘motivation’.

However, Branson prefaced his response by admitting how important it was for him not to run those new business units he had created. His experiences taught him that the day-to-day operations should be left to somebody else with a fresher approach. His added value is that of chief strategist, and that did not require him to be on centre stage 24-7.

Finally, but definitely not last, are arguably the ten greatest business bungles of all times. They are astounding to recall. They certainly put into perspective mistakes I have made or seen others carry out. My all-time favourite remains Number 2.

Nevertheless, for all the smirking, the video highlights a vital message, one that has not changed over the centuries – even if so many of us keep ignoring it. Know your market! And if you think you know what that is, go and check yourself again!.

I feel that all four items do come together under on theme. My role as a business coach and mentor is show my clients how their failures or those of others are not something to laughed about nor to be ashamed of. They are the basis for your next successful endeavor.