Dion Dublin says sporting mentality gave him edge in business
- 6 months ago
Sports stars turned small business owners have revealed how a sporting mentality can help give an edge in the business world.
Familiar faces from football, rugby and weightlifting claim the 'marginal gains mindset' – a sports psychology term that refers to incremental improvements that build to significantly boost performance – keeps their companies thriving.
Former Aston Villa striker, pundit and property auction business owner Dion Dublin, said a sporting marginal gains mentality helped him implement small hacks, like focusing on teamwork and employee motivation, to create continuous improvement that has led to his business flourishing.
Wales and Ospreys Rugby star George North explained how adapting to modern technology and dealing with pressure has made the difference in his motorcycle café venture.
Sheli McCoy, a Scottish weightlifting champion, believes small, but consistent goal setting across personal development and business growth helps keep her business moving in the right direction.
The stars have teamed up with Smart Energy GB to create a digital guide and show other small business owners how making little changes can add up across all areas of the business and help them feel more in control.
The Small Hacks for Small Businesses, [https://smart-meters-for-business.smartenergygb.org/how-can-a-marginal-gains-mindset-help-small-business-owners], follows research of 640 small business owners, which found 90 per cent were interested in marginal gains thinking.
And nine in 10 of the 84 per cent who already applied this approach reported seeing tangible benefits.
Some of the top marginal gains improvements they’d be likely to try were around small but achievable performance targets (28 per cent), a greater focus on motivation (25 per cent) and using technology for better data analysis (23 per cent).
But this wasn't the only similarity owners found between sport and business, with teamwork, leadership and management, overcoming setbacks and clear end-goals other examples of the synergy between the two.
It also emerged 69 per cent want to make changes to the way they run their business but aren’t sure where to start.
Dion Dublin, who runs LOT9 Auction House, said: “Setting small, but consistent goals for my team of eight works well, as they’re achievable and keep everyone motivated.
“Team communication is pivotal to the success of my business, it means that everyone understands the goal, and is onboard with what we are trying to achieve.
“What I learnt in sport has really helped me in my business and it’s why I wanted to be part of sharing tips with others. I know how tough it can be running a small business.”
The study also found that when it comes to making changes to benefit their businesses, saving money and being more diligent with budgets were named as an area owners thought marginal gain hacks were mostly likely to help improve.
Familiar faces from football, rugby and weightlifting claim the 'marginal gains mindset' – a sports psychology term that refers to incremental improvements that build to significantly boost performance – keeps their companies thriving.
Former Aston Villa striker, pundit and property auction business owner Dion Dublin, said a sporting marginal gains mentality helped him implement small hacks, like focusing on teamwork and employee motivation, to create continuous improvement that has led to his business flourishing.
Wales and Ospreys Rugby star George North explained how adapting to modern technology and dealing with pressure has made the difference in his motorcycle café venture.
Sheli McCoy, a Scottish weightlifting champion, believes small, but consistent goal setting across personal development and business growth helps keep her business moving in the right direction.
The stars have teamed up with Smart Energy GB to create a digital guide and show other small business owners how making little changes can add up across all areas of the business and help them feel more in control.
The Small Hacks for Small Businesses, [https://smart-meters-for-business.smartenergygb.org/how-can-a-marginal-gains-mindset-help-small-business-owners], follows research of 640 small business owners, which found 90 per cent were interested in marginal gains thinking.
And nine in 10 of the 84 per cent who already applied this approach reported seeing tangible benefits.
Some of the top marginal gains improvements they’d be likely to try were around small but achievable performance targets (28 per cent), a greater focus on motivation (25 per cent) and using technology for better data analysis (23 per cent).
But this wasn't the only similarity owners found between sport and business, with teamwork, leadership and management, overcoming setbacks and clear end-goals other examples of the synergy between the two.
It also emerged 69 per cent want to make changes to the way they run their business but aren’t sure where to start.
Dion Dublin, who runs LOT9 Auction House, said: “Setting small, but consistent goals for my team of eight works well, as they’re achievable and keep everyone motivated.
“Team communication is pivotal to the success of my business, it means that everyone understands the goal, and is onboard with what we are trying to achieve.
“What I learnt in sport has really helped me in my business and it’s why I wanted to be part of sharing tips with others. I know how tough it can be running a small business.”
The study also found that when it comes to making changes to benefit their businesses, saving money and being more diligent with budgets were named as an area owners thought marginal gain hacks were mostly likely to help improve.