Take an Aspirin - Blog

We've had some lovely news this week. Aspirin Business Solutions, our Dorset-based family business, has been named a finalist in the Family Business of the Year category at the 2026 Bournemouth Business Awards , and we’re so chuffed about it! We’ll find out the result at the awards ceremony on 7th May, but even being shortlisted feels special. If you know us, you’ll know this means more than a line on a website or a badge for social media. Aspirin has always been a family bus

There is a particular kind of people problem that is easy to miss because the obvious numbers still look healthy. It's much easier to spot when numbers are being missed. But, if revenue is on target, our clients are being looked after, and we're meeting our deadlines, what's the problem? The leader in question is clearly productive, capable, and commercially important. And yet people keep leaving. Not everyone, of course. Often it shows up in a quieter way first. A promising

You know the drill. The team piles into a minibus for an afternoon of go-karting, escape rooms, or building rafts. There's laughter, some mild competition, maybe a cheeky pint afterwards. Everyone agrees it was "good for morale." Then Monday arrives. The same communication issues resurface. The same personalities clash. The temporary good feeling evaporates faster than the team WhatsApp group dies. Here's the uncomfortable truth: 82% of UK employees want more team building, y

Your well-intentioned efforts to motivate your team might be making things worse. One-size-fits-all strategies, from team-building days to company-wide incentives, often create more disengagement than they solve because they ignore a fundamental truth: motivation is personal.

Most of us don’t set out to become managers. We set out to be great accountants, marketers, engineers, or creatives. Yet one day, success...

Have you ever left a meeting wondering why your most talented people stayed silent? You know they have ideas, you know they see the...

For 30 years, Mark built his engineering firm. Now, choosing a successor felt impossible. He didn’t fully trust either candidate, because neither of them was him. For countless SME leaders, succession planning isn't a strategic process but an impossible choice fraught with emotional complexity. Traditional plans often fail because they overlook this powerful human element.

Feeling anxious about giving feedback? You're not alone! Many leaders find these crucial conversations a real challenge. But what if you could turn feedback dread into a powerful tool for development and team motivation? This complete guide for big-hearted leaders dives deep into mastering constructive criticism, delivering impactful praise, handling tough reprimands with respect, and building a thriving feedback culture where everyone grows – all without the usual headaches.

Every business leader knows that employee salaries, benefits, and overhead contribute to the cost of doing business.