Research indicates that 66% of employees say they would be likely to leave their job if they didn’t feel appreciated*. So, it is fair to say that appreciation matters. It can take many forms, from financial recognition to a simple “Thank You” for a job well done, to being promoted, to perks & benefits. This is an important consideration for those who are employers, but also for those of us who work alone as independent business owners. While we might not have a manager or a direct team with whom we can celebrate, recognising our achievements, however big or small, plays a vital part in a healthy, growing business. For something so important to business, I’m not convinced we do it enough so let’s have a look at how we go about celebrating success.

It’s The Small Things

We’re probably all familiar with celebrating ‘big achievements’ such as winning an award or securing a huge project or commission. Of course, it is important that we mark such achievements. However, it is also just as important to celebrate the simple things. You might have mastered Canva or created a CRM, sent your first mailshot, grown enough that you are considering your first hire, outsourced one of those tasks that is important but does not get you out of bed in the morning, got your bookkeeping up to date, built a website, decided on your brand or logo…the list is endless. Some of these tasks are things we do regularly, or at least more frequently, & some are small things that may appear to someone else as insignificant so we let them go unnoticed, when in fact they can be a major achievement to you personally. Individually, their impact may be less than bigger tasks. However, collectively, their impact leads to the big successes.

While these things can pass us by, how would celebrating them make our businesses stronger? Let’s start with the basics: we all have a reason for setting up & for running our business. It might be the flexibility of being your own boss, financial or time freedom, or being able to choose who you work with & when. Of course, it might be a combination of things, but whatever it is, these reasons are part of how we stay focused & on track. By celebrating our wins, even the small ones, we give ourselves an incentive to keep going, & to keep achieving. By marking the simple things, we make achievable targets for ourselves which brings focus & meaning to our tasks. With an emphasis on celebrating all of our wins, mundane tasks can soon feel like important stepping stones to meeting our bigger goals.

While keeping an up to date ‘To-Do’ list is a task in itself, it is time well spent when it comes to staying organised & focused. With the inevitable myriad of changing demands on your time, having a ‘To-Do’ list helps to ensure you concentrate your time on the tasks you intended to, rather than getting preoccupied by other things. A “to-do” list is a straightforward way to acknowledge those little things that are stepping stones to success. Striking of each task as it is completed is a really satisfying method of keeping on track & acknowledging visually, what you have achieved.

Shout & Share

Now we’ve looked at why we should celebrate our successes, it’s time to work out how & where. For us Brits, we tend to be reserved, even in the 21st Century, & we prefer to hide our light under a bushel. As business owners we should not be so myopic in our approach. Instead, we should embrace the opportunity to shout & share. Claire definitely made me realise that even the small wins in my business were worth shouting about & she gave me a platform to do so.

It is true that sharing your small successes can lead to other people making negative comments, especially with the anonymity of social media. Although, in my experience, this really doesn’t happen often in the business world, I say “Let them!” Anyone who is important & is in your inner circle (Super Hero blog), will want to share your success. The Neigh-Sayers of this world will always find something to feel aggrieved about. It is probably driven by being jealous or feeling threatened at your success. As a business owner, we can’t resolve this for them, so don’t let it create a barrier to your success & ability to feel comfortable telling the world how amazing you are.

For those of us who often work alone, opening a bottle of fizz, or treating yourself to a slice of cake is a little less appealing. That’s where Business Buzz comes in as a platform & space to talk about your successes. As Buzz is not a membership organisation & our monthly networking events are drop-in & pay-as-you-go, it means attendees are there by choice. In turn the conversations are genuine & the business relationships that come from Buzz are robust, collaborative & truly supportive. Through networking with like-minded people at Business Buzz, you become part of a supportive & inclusive business community. Sometimes support means offering some business advice to a fellow Buzzer, or talking through a tricky situation. Sometimes it means patting someone on the back when they’ve reached a key milestone, or achieved a simple task that’s been on their to-do list for months.

At Buzz we like to get down to business – making connections, learning about each other’s businesses & services, we also love to have fun! We’re the first to share in someone’s success & shout about it to our wider connections. As a business group who support & encourage each other, an individual’s success is also a success for the Buzz community, & we love to mark the occasion! If you’re not used to praising yourself, you can rely on your fellow Buzzers to do it for you!

The Buzz Approach to Recognition

Buzz is a place to share your experiences, talk about the ways you have worked with other people, who you have worked with & how. We place value on sharing our experiences, but there is no pressure to measure your performance. Success is not always measured in pennies & pounds, so we’ll share your good news because it is just that – good news! At Buzz you can voice your thoughts, ideas, questions & know you will be heard, understood & hopefully get some great advice. In turn, this allows us to form trusted bonds & connections, & to lay the foundations for successful business relationships. We find shared experiences, & our discussions help us to become more aware of our working styles & approaches, & to think about what methods we can use to adapt & grow. Business Buzz is a truly collaborative environment, where we love to learn from each other, bounce ideas around & adopt improved ways of working.

Sharing our experiences becomes second nature, & this means sharing successes does too. At Buzz there is a culture of recognition, & we use it to keep us motivated & encourage progress. We believe that regularly celebrating wins, big & small, helps us to stay aligned to our mission & values, ensuring we focus our time & energy on things that lead to long term success.

Recognition isn’t just about lavish gifts or celebrations; it is about bringing out the best in people. Even when we’re working on our own, & perhaps even more so, engaging in an enjoyable business environment will make us more productive. When you visit Business Buzz, you become part of a business community of like-minded people, who are just as enthusiastic & committed to their businesses as you are. Sharing in Buzz’s positive, lively vibe will help you build momentum, boost your morale, & make the challenging times feel all the more worth it.

The Process of Success

In our personal lives, we often focus on the journey to a certain goal, rather than just the goal itself. One of the best ways to achieve your goals is to create accountability (that sits with others, who are like-minded but not directly involved in your business). Sharing what you want to achieve with someone else, makes it a “real” goal or target. At Buzz we aren’t asking you to stand up in front of the whole world to set your goals, but there is a natural inclination to share whilst talking to others because of the relaxed format. The friendly & genuine business environment that Buzz affords, means that where you share there is real interest in you & your task, so people will have invested in what you have told them & will be keen to ask you about how it’s progressing. They will naturally be excited to help you celebrate once you have reached your goal. In return, you can help them celebrate their achievements too.

If we move into a new home, we enjoy the process of decorating & renovating it, rather than just focusing on it being complete. We take photos so we can see the progress we’ve made, to remind ourselves how far we’ve come. This approach doesn’t always come so naturally in our work lives, where we are often goal oriented, focusing on the final destination of achieving a certain target rather than the value of the process & journey getting us there. If we think of business success as a journey, & place value on creating processes & environments that harness our creativity, fulfilment & progress, we are on a continual cycle of achievement, rather than seeing success solely as meeting a specific target.

I hope reading this has helped you to identify how important recognising & celebrating the small & simple things we achieve is. With a strong culture of collaboration at Business Buzz, we see individuals & their businesses flourish, which is truly exciting! You will always be supported & celebrated at Business Buzz & the result is increased engagement, productivity, & resilience to challenges. You don’t just have to take my word for it – you’ll notice that anyone who visits Business Buzz comes away with a positive mindset & will actively spread the word about how great Buzz is with pride. So, come & get involved, & let us help you celebrate the wins, however big or small.

Want to know why I believe in the power of Business Buzz, as an amazing networking brand, but also as a rich, diverse & supportive community? Then message me for an informal chat & start the conversation today about how you can celebrate your business – james.brodie@buddhaconnect.co.uk.

*finding of a study from Office Team examining the impact of appreciation, or lack thereof, in the workplace. Published as part of an article by Victor Lipman on Forbes.com