An entrepreneur’s most precious commodity is time. Time allows you to brainstorm, work, meet and unplug each day. But if you measure how much of your time at the office is actually productive, you would be surprised.

Mindfulness is a multi-billion-dollar industry – and for good reason. Not only does mindfulness benefit the individual, it benefits a company’s bottom line. What is mindfulness exactly? Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of thoughts and emotions as they arise. Its importance is recognised in both Eastern and Western philosophy: in Buddhism, as a result of meditation, in the West, a core tenet of Gestalt therapy. Cultivating mindfulness requires dedication and often a lifetime of practice.

Exercise: it keeps us healthy, young and alert, ready to go throughout the day. And with a dozen gyms all within walking distance of 74 Castlereagh, and Hyde Park just around the corner, it’s never been easier to stay active, or more enticing.

From salaried worker to start-up entrepreneur, taking the leap of starting your own business is exciting and scary all at once. Whether professional services, a tech venture or niche product design, entrepreneurship requires imagination, discipline, drive and hard work.

EQ – emotional quotient or intelligence – is the ability to recognise emotions in oneself and others, process them, and manage them for a positive outcome. Although first coined by psychologists decades ago, the term only entered the mainstream in the 1990s with the release of Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman. In his book, Goleman argued that emotional intelligence could be just as important as intelligence quotient in predicting success, if not more so. While IQ and experience would get you through the door, EQ is what leads to promotions.

An effective team can make or break your business, yet building and retaining one is one of the hardest things to do. The first thing is hiring the right people – people who understand and are on board with the company’s mission. Know their strengths and weaknesses and how they work best.