Business

The science of winning in business - listen to The Profit Margin

WHAT really separates perceived winners and losers?

Ashley Merryman is a New York times best-selling author. She's co-written a book called Top Dog, and believes she can help anyone get mentally tough enough to compete in a way that suits them (she has also consulted with Olympic athletes to find out what makes a champion).

"Everyone thinks winners win all the time, but that's not the case," she says.

"What makes a winner over time is that seeing the benefit of competition is improvement. Winners accept it can take a long time to get good at something. Losers just give up and get frustrated. Winners focus on success, people who lose worry about failure."

You can listen to Ashley's interview on The Profit Margin podcast to hear about how your personal approach has a real impact which makes a big difference to performance.

She has also some tips about 'home advantage'. Sports teams tend to play better at their home ground. The same applies to business. Ashley explains why you should always negotiate on home turf. It could make a difference to your next business meeting.

The Profit Margin also looks at the concept of Business Improvement Districts. The initiative has been slow to take off in Northern Ireland, but after a lot of debate, more towns and cities are now embracing the concept.

The simple idea underpinning the BID process is a pooling of contributions from businesses to fund initiatives that otherwise wouldn't happen.

In Belfast, menswear retailer Chris Suitor says he's already more than recouped his outlay through savings from the city's BID projects.

The managing director of Belfast One Clare Maguire says such is the growing reputation of BIDs she expects other urban areas to follow suit and set up their own projects. In the podcast she explains why she thinks it's a good idea.

:: You can listen to the Profit Margin at www.irishnews.com/profitmargin