All posts by sohrabv

Why I hate LinkedIn?

cover photo for article on why I hate LinkedIn

Over the years, I’ve come to hate LinkedIn with a passion. Sadly, a platform meant to foster connections, learning and employment opportunities has become the total opposite of its original purpose.  I didn’t always hate LinkedIn. I used it for over 10 years and was active on the platform. However, starting my consultancy business shed some light on how useless (and irritating) it’s become. Plus, as my audience may be aware, I am an authentic individual and have adopted the same approach towards my work.  Authenticity somehow conflicts with the way people use LinkedIn in the present day. And this is not the only reason that I hate LinkedIn. Allow me to list my reasons for growing to hate LinkedIn with a passion. 1. Mostly useless for business I’m a business person. Therefore, how I feel about a certain platform, individual or issue is not the sole determinant of my decision-making.  However, what bugs me with LinkedIn is that it proved to be extremely useless for my business growth.  I rarely, if ever, got a client from LinkedIn. I did have people expressing interest in my services, yet they all turned out to be dead-end prospects.  The issue is that LinkedIn is filled with people/businesses trying to sell their services, and this makes you just another “salesperson”. There is hardly anything unique about you or your business seeking to gain prospects.  For reference, I’m partially talking about those sales DMs that most of us receive in our inboxes.  2. Fakeness Fakeness and inauthenticity are essentially the core of most social media and networking platforms. Not only is LinkedIn not an exception, but it has become a champion of BS content and posts.  And the worst part is that most people on LinkedIn believe they are unique, yet they are mimicking what everybody else is doing. 3. Virtue signalling Building on the last point, the virtue signalling on LinkedIn is beyond the scale.  Let’s look at the immigration industry, one which I am familiar with. Most “professionals” in this sector are quick to post content on migrants’ rights and cultural sensitivities. I saw a post from an individual stressing the importance of getting foreign names right. Yet, this very same person ironically misspelt my name in a direct message to me.  This made me think: “I’ll make a post about this just to demonstrate the fakeness of these people” and perhaps to emphasise the importance of getting other people’s names right as basic courtesy.  And oh boy, I had these leaches jumping under the post condemning me. Not to mention that one of these people worked in the immigration sector too. 4. Constant sales messages Not a single day went by without me receiving some form of sales message on LinkedIn.  And the worst part is that these messages are so generic and not personalised.  5. LinkedIn “influencers” Lastly, let’s talk about these “Top Voices” on LinkedIn who for the most part provide little to no value.  I’m talking about those who share generic posts such as “pay your people more”, and “be kind” and having 10,000 people reacting to such posts as if they have paved the way for living on Mars.  LinkedIn may be beneficial for some, but I grew to hate it more and more in the last few years. Perhaps it’s time for a new platform? One that is not centred around BS and vanity.  About | My name is Sohrab Vazir. I’m a UK-based entrepreneur and business consultant. At the age of 22, and while I was an international student (graduate), I started my own Property Technology (PropTech) business. Now I help aspiring business owners with starting and scaling the ventures.

Immigration Business Plans: 3 things to keep in mind

Preparing an immigration business plan can be a tedious and stressful task. There are many things to consider when starting a business, and each must be reflected in the business plan. This is not exclusive to immigration business plans, but any form of business plan. Moreover, preparing an immigration business plan is separate from being a competent entrepreneur. This is precisely where a business consultant such as myself comes in. In this article, I aim to highlight 3 things to prioritise when preparing an immigration business plan. These are applicable irrespective of whether you writing the plan yourself or working with a consultant/business plan writer. So before discussing the key points, let’s evaluate why writing an immigration business plan can get tricky. As I said earlier, you may be a skilled entrepreneur and have a viable business proposition. However, the issue can sometimes be in communicating that proposition in the best way possible. For example, a business plan may be far better when written with native-level fluency and using visual elements.  The many factors that are inherent to a business plan require clear articulation above all. Let’s face it: First impressions are instrumental in outcomes. And your business plan is the opportunity to make that first “professional” impression.  With this in mind, now let’s take a look at 3 key things to consider when preparing a business plan. 1. Problem & Solution  Problem & solution are the key introductory elements of your business plan. Moreover, they also include an overview of what your product or service is.  Ensure to clearly emphasise the following: It is important to be thorough yet clear with this part. By “clear” I am referring to simple, graspable and non-technical language.  In summary, focus on clearly communicating the problem you solve and how you do so. 2. Numbers, numbers, numbers….. Please take this lesson from me as an entrepreneur who has been on both sides of the spectrum: “Cash is king”.  Cash flow is the bloodline of every business. Unless you are a charity, non-profit or similar organisation, your goal is to make money.  Interestingly, many founders over-focus on other aspects such as their product instead of prioritising how they will manage their company’s cash flow and revenue stream. To keep it short: 3. Use visual elements in an immigration business plan Nobody wants to read large chunks of paragraphs in a 20-50 page-long document. Utilise the power of visual elements to create an engaging immigration business plan. These can include charts, bars, graphs and much more.  These are 3 things to keep in mind when preparing an immigration business plan. If you need assistance with writing yours, get in touch with me today.  About My name is Sohrab Vazir. I’m a UK-based entrepreneur and business consultant. At the age of 22, and while I was an international student (graduate), I started my own Property Technology (PropTech) business, StudyFlats.I did so by obtaining an endorsement from Newcastle University under the Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Scheme (similar to the current Start-Up Visa). Subsequently, I obtained a further 3-year Tier 1 Entrepreneur Visa (which was replaced by the Innovator Visa). I grew my business to over 30 UK cities, and a team of four, and also obtained my Indefinite Leave to Remain (Settlement) in the UK. I now help other migrant entrepreneurs, such as myself, with their businesses, and mainly with obtaining endorsements from the endorsing bodies.

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