GoDaddy has today unveiled a new training programme for British microbusiness owners. The
content has been devised in partnership with Team GB athletes, Olympic gold medal winners and experts in sport science and business.
The GoDaddy ‘Business Of Performance’ training programme – launched to coincide with next week’s Winter Olympic Games – includes input from Team GB freestyle skier and medal hopeful, James Woods, and Olympic skeleton champion, Amy Williams.
It was created following GoDaddy research which revealed many GB small business owners are struggling with the three ‘Peak Performance Principles’ of sleep, nutrition and stress.
Identified by renowned sport scientist, physiologist and former Olympian Greg Whyte OBE, the ‘Peak Performance Principles’ are indicators of a person’s health, wellbeing and productivity. GoDaddy’s study suggests that many small business owners are battling with poor sleep, an unhealthy diet and high levels of stress.
In fact, according to the research, microbusiness owners surveyed in the UK reported that they get an average of just 6.3 hours sleep a night, 1.3 hours less than the average person. More than half (53 per cent) said they got six or fewer hours of sleep, meaning the majority fall under the recommended seven hours a night.
Meanwhile, a third (32 per cent) described their diet as ‘poor’ and complained of low energy levels (31 per cent), whilst nearly three in five (58 per cent) say they can’t concentrate for long periods at a time. A further quarter (25 per cent) say they have poor mental health and wellbeing.
Prof Greg Whyte OBE, world renowned sports scientist, physiologist and former Olympian, said: “Elite athletes and small business owners have much more in common than they might think. Both groups possess incredible hunger to succeed, and often invest years in their chosen discipline. With that in mind, it’s important for both to be at the top of their game.”
“It’s concerning, therefore, that so many business owners are struggling to get enough sleep, eat the right foods or to decompress. In simplicity, the ‘Peak Performance Principles’ are to rest, refresh and refuel in the right way. That’s exactly what GoDaddy’s new Business Of Performance training programme will help entrepreneurs to do.”
Winter Olympic gold medallist, Amy Williams, now a Personal Trainer who has a high-performance and wellbeing start-up which specialises in working with aspiring young athletes, Zebra Performance, said:“Having transitioned from Olympic athlete to running my own business, there are so many parallels that can be drawn between them. While it can be difficult to focus on yourself when there is so much work to be done, ensuring you are in the right space mentally, as well as physically, is vital. Eating well, exercising and proper rest is key to that, and the guidance in the Business of Performance training programme will be a great help any small business owner”.
The programme includes tips and advice on how to refine your mindset, use meditation to your advantage, adapt your diet and learn from other people’s success and failures. It includes first-hand insight form Greg Whyte, Amy Williams and other experts including:
- James Woods, freestyle skier for Team GB
- Lucy Stone, founder and owner of GoDaddy customer business, Meditation Rocks
- Simon Squibb, investor, entrepreneur and business mentor
Ben Law, Head of UK & Ireland, GoDaddy, said:
“There are strong parallels between being an elite sportsperson and running a microbusiness. Both require vision, dedication, drive and skill to succeed. However, while Olympic athletes are given detailed and tailored training plans to hone their craft – containing information on everything from what to eat to when to sleep – microbusiness owners, until now, have been given no such luxury.
“GoDaddy empowers everyday entrepreneurs and we hope that through the Business of Performance training programme, we are sharing helpful guidance and continuing to provide all of the tools to help microbusiness owners to succeed online.”
