Business management: how can a manager evolve? Evolving personally

From the outside, the manager of a company may appear to be an omnipotent figure. The one who has more experience and who knows how to coordinate and manage different problematic situations for the same company, but who cannot always make safe and correct decisions. He or she may fail or be confused and not quite know what to do. However, one of these options has been punished more than the other

In the business world, it is often said that it is better to be wrong than confused. Put like that, we might all agree, but the problem with such arguments is that they are often made by managers who prefer to defend their mistakes by saying that it is better to be found out over time that they were not right, and by emphasising that being confused is much worse than being wrong. But in business, much worse than confusion (which in many cases and temporarily may be necessary and unavoidable), is the determination to stay in the wrong for too long and not wanting to see reason to get out of it. Justifying the error is much worse than the confusion, and also does not make us evolve in the rationality that we need so much. And it may happen that we have employees who are tired of repeating arguments that cry out to heaven and that would allow us to get out of the chaos (confusion), and out of the error, at the same time.

• Moving from error to personal evolution

Defending that I have every right to be wrong and that it is all right if I am wrong is a truism. And to defend it stubbornly enters the realm of the most absurd irrationality. In the short term, it can be argued that I would rather believe in something, and come to the conclusion that it makes no sense, than live in confusion without having any formed opinion because I lack information. But living in error should be an accidental matter, a transitory state while I gather more information to see if I have to continue in the same error, or if I can change my state and evolve towards a better truth. The problem is that many managers, especially those who have been successful and believe that success has been theirs alone, would rather be comfortably wrong than go through a period of inner turmoil, sharing with others and accepting new things.

As individuals, and even more so if we impact on others, we should want to pursue options that bring us as close as possible to the truth. Accepting that it will never be achieved, but trying. We have to keep in mind that it is very likely that in the short term we will find ourselves in the wrong situation, but if we are really interested in understanding what is around us, we should not want to establish our residence for too long. The mistake should become an experimentation. We try out options that seem reasonable to us and see as a team if they work for us. If they don’t, that’s fine, we move on to other options. Error and confusion should be transitory.

In improving rationality, both error and confusion have their mission. But error should not be preferred over confusion. Walking towards authenticity and managerial maturity is not done by prioritising error over confusion, but by seeing in each case whether one is confused or mistaken. And trusting others, because in a team it is easier to overcome confusion and unnecessary mistakes.

• Making mistakes is also a necessary factor

It should also be kept in mind that decision-making in companies is often based on finding options and giving arguments for and against them. Most often, the decision-maker has his or her own preferences, based on his or her professional background, life experience and also on subjective questions that may have more or less rational support. It is necessary that one knows oneself and knows what preferences one has and what they are based on, seeing the advantages and disadvantages of following them. This implies a certain process of professional maturation based on doing, failing and starting again. Knowing the pros and cons will sometimes lead to a change of mind, but at others it will only make us aware that our preferred option must be faced realistically. This decision process, with options and knowing our preferences, what they are based on, examining the strengths and weaknesses they have, is the most complete decision making process.

We must strive to resolve confusions, but above all without being stranded in our right to be wrong: it has been shown that managers are hardly ever denied this right. While sometimes these same managers deny any experimentation to their employees. Whether they create mistakes or not. Managers should encourage experimentation, giving their people (and themselves) the confidence to accept error, but without over-entertaining. Without dawdling too much – being confused is not the worst thing, being knowingly wrong for too long is!

Quan som petits, reforçar allò que fem bé, es considera bàsic, i tots els pares i mares ho intentem fer amb els nostres fills. Però ens anem fent grans, i anem entrant en una societat i unes empreses on elogiar, de vegades, s’observa amb certa distància i suspicàcia. Per què hem creat aquest vincle malaltís entre l’elogi i la manca de sinceritat?

“– Què vol de mi, que m’afalaga tant? Segur que em vol demanar alguna cosa”. Sembla que hem creat un divorci entre dues paraules: elogi i sinceritat. Si et dic “cul d’olla” soc sincer, però si et comento que ho has fet molt bé, em mires amb cara de sospita. Mirat així, com podem girar la truita? Una veritat universal (o quasi universal, sempre hi ha gustos per tot), és que ens agrada que ens elogiïn. Una altra veritat universal és que ens agrada més la sinceritat que la hipocresia. Una altra constatació empírica és que l’elogi crea en la persona que el rep la sensació que tot pot anar millor. El fa creure en ell, el fa sentir optimista.  Però, i pel que fa a les empreses? Es pot utilitzar de la mateixa manera?

L’elogi com a feina que fomenta la productivitat

M’agradaria centrar-me en certs estudis que han mostrat resultats contundents, trobant que l’elogi fa que el treballador estigui més content i sigui més productiu. Quina novetat! Això ja ho sabíem. El problema és veure perquè el vinculem amb la hipocresia. A conseqüència d’aquesta troballa organitzativa, algunes empreses aconsellen als directius dir als treballadors que són bons. Imaginem un cas en què després d’elogiar a tort i a dret a tothom, enviem a un cert grup de treballadors un fred e-mail, comunicant que els acomiadem. Com lliga això amb l’elogi anterior? És aquesta la manera d’acomiadar a qui valorem? Encara que reduir la plantilla es trobés justificat, algú valorat de debò, segurament mereix un altre tracte. Aquest treballador i els que es quedin, després d’aquesta experiència, es prendran els elogis de manera diferent. De fet, promoure receptes empresarials a curt termini, com ho és voler aconseguir que els treballadors estiguin contents i produeixin més, dient-los elogis, perquè sí, i no perquè se’ls mereixen, porta lligada la hipocresia. I reforça la idea que quan se’m diuen coses bones és perquè es vol quelcom de mi. 

Més important que discutir les bonances de l’elogi “sí” o l’elogi “no”, seria bo entrar en un debat de productivitat a llarg termini: elogi com i elogi quan.  Que les bones paraules proliferin tant se val si toca o no, agreuja el problema de què en general a qui les diu se’l veu com un hipòcrita. I ens allunya del benestar real que produeix rebre elogis. Només ens dispensa una minsa alegria a curt termini, però si arribat el moment, els fets ens fan notar que tot era fals, ens tornarem sarcàstics i malfiats d’aquelles bones paraules que tant necessitàvem.

Elogiar no és igual a “perdre autoritat”

Quan a algú li donen un càrrec de responsabilitat per primera vegada i en cas que tingui persones a càrrec seu, el dubte que li sorgeix és com pot aconseguir que les persones se’l prenguin seriosament i implicar-los en el projecte. Alguns opten per pensar que són de massa bona fe, i per tant que els caldrà mostrar una cara artificial i dura cap als seus subordinats.  D’altres opten per a ser tot el contrari, deixar fer tot allò que el treballador vulgui i ser un cap “bonàs”. El què amaguen les dues opcions és una manca d’experiència, una manca d’acceptació i maduresa de com som i de com portem el fet de manar i ser manats. Dirigir equips de persones vol disciplina personal i haver aprofundit i voler continuar aprofundint en l’autoconeixement de cadascú i en l’empatia cap als altres. I això implica saber valorar la qualitat del teu equip humà i quan cal reconèixer una bona feina feta.

Per aconseguir un bon clima i treballadors motivats, les empreses necessiten promocionar l’elogi, però per motius no instrumentals. I més ara, que moltes persones que tenen feina, tenen por de perdre-la, i poden perdre-la, tot i no merèixer-ho. Darrere l’elogi, a sobre i a sota, hi hauria d’haver sinceritat i autenticitat. Les persones notaríem que es creu en nosaltres. I això com es fa? Doncs vinculant aquest elogi a coses concretes, que siguin constatables. I no contradir-lo amb fets que maltractin als treballadors. I complementar-lo amb altres fets que el sostinguin. 

 Ser humà vol dir necessitar rebre bones notícies dels que ens envolten, sobre les nostres qualitats i resultats, i notar que aquestes persones creuen de veritat en nosaltres. Que no volen merament instrumentalitzar-nos, per ser una eina més al servei dels seus objectius. Tots hi guanyaríem i aprendríem des d’una actitud més propera a la nostra naturalesa humana, tan necessària de fomentar en temps de xarxes socials.

11Onze és la fintech comunitària de Catalunya. Obre un compte descarregant l’app El Canut per Android o iOS. Uneix-te a la revolució!

Últimament, es parla molt de les start-ups i de les possibilitats de futur que generen. Aquestes estan envoltades d’idees creatives, innovadores i amb un fort component tecnològic fent que siguin les grans competidores de les empreses tradicionals. Ara bé, també requereixen certes directrius per tal que puguin arribar a tenir un lloc al mercat.

Els sistemes de control són totalment necessaris per poder tenir certa informació de l’empresa, de com s’estan utilitzant els recursos i de com s’estan assolint els objectius. Sense una mínima informació que diagnostiqui com està anant el negoci, difícilment es podran prendre decisions. Assignar responsabilitats i fer un petit organigrama d’aquestes és bàsic. Normalment, això tothom ho veu clar, i els socis, que acostumen a ser els primers promotors de la idea, de manera informal ja es distribueixen les responsabilitats segons els seus perfils i preferències. Aquest fet és clau, i normalment es fa de manera informal.

Passat un cert temps, això fins i tot pot requerir una certa formalització per evitar problemes amb les persones que es puguin anar incorporant. Però més enllà de tenir aquesta mínima formalització dels rols, funcions i responsabilitats, moltes empreses que comencen no es plantegen formalitzar massa el control de gestió. Si a més aquestes empreses es plantegen anar creixent de manera més orgànica i progressiva, moltes vegades no existeix un control formal fins que comencen a venir determinats problemes. Aleshores es comença a veure la necessitat de formalitzar el seguiment d’objectius, fer un pressupost o pla i fer-ne el seguiment i ulteriors ajustos. El què passa és que aleshores, aquest creixement que ha portat a la necessitat de formalització porta a una formalització excessiva, perquè es dona la responsabilitat de tot el que no va bé a la falta de control formal.

Suposa el control una pèrdua de l’ADN de l’start-up?

Cal en aquests casos ser curosos, i anar incorporant els controls formals i revisant els informals a la vegada. Només cal afegir l’estrictament necessari, donat que el control informal ha anat creant una cultura organitzativa i una organització informal que no es poden menystenir i que cal només variar quan creï problemes. Tot allò que les persones fan més enllà del control i que ha portat també a l’èxit, cal continuar-ho fent. Els canvis bruscs no es trobarien justificats quan una part del sentiment de pertinença a l’organització és el que ha ajudat a fer-la funcionar tot i tenir mancances en els controls formals.

Les start-ups es plantegen creixements molt elevats. Des dels inicis aquests creixements s’han de finançar moltes vegades amb recursos externs, i precisament són aquests inversors qui demanaran com està anant la seva inversió i si dona els resultats esperats. Per tant, aquestes start-up, des dels seus començaments ja incorporen professionals experts en la recerca de finançament i també en el control de com estan anant les inversions. Això porta al fet que calgui formalitzar aquest seguiment amb determinats documents, que mostrin a persones externes a l’empresa, com progressa i si es van complint els objectius. Si en aquest moment la start-up entén la importància d’un cert control formal, és probable que les probabilitats de funcionar correctament siguin molt superiors. És un bon moment per aprofitar i fer un pressupost, un seguiment, complementar el control informal existent amb un cert control formal, o fins i tot incorporar algun gestor extern expert.

És molt important ser conscient que les empreses tenen més garanties d’èxit, i encara més en empreses com les start-ups amb creixement ambiciós, si incorporen certs controls formals des del començament. Això sí, tenint en compte tres aspectes molt importants:

1. El control formal ha de ser el mínim necessari i mai ha d’anar en contra dels controls informals o la manera de ser dels emprenedors.
2. El control formal sempre ha de donar valor afegit a la gestió, perquè un mal control formal sempre és pitjor que no tenir control.
3. Ser conscient que a mesura que l’empresa vagi creixent, la tendència a resoldre els problemes incrementant la formalització és elevada.

En realitat els problemes importants se solucionen mirant als sistemes de control informals. De fet, l’infern és aquell lloc ple de lleis que mai es poden complir, i hem d’evitar convertir la nostra empresa en un infern per les persones que hi treballen.

11Onze és la fintech comunitària de Catalunya. Obre un compte descarregant l’app El Canut per Android o iOS. Uneix-te a la revolució!

The English motivational speaker Simon Sinek has developed a whole theory to explain why some companies and some professionals achieve success. He has called this theory ‘The golden circle’. Head of agents Lara de Castro explains how we can take advantage of this inspiration to succeed in business.

According to Sinek, the secret lies in the way we explain things: how do we inspire others, how do we convey our ideas and projects, how do we make others believe as much as you do in the initiatives you want to undertake? The key is to start with the why, then move on to the how, and finally explain the what. The 11Onze project, for example, can be explained in a conventional way or using ‘The golden circle’ method. Which of the two stories do you connect with more? Watch the video below, and find out!

11Onze is becoming a phenomenon as the first Fintech community in Catalonia. Now, it releases the first version of El Canut, the super app of 11Onze, for Android and Apple. El Canut, the first universal account can be opened in Catalan territory.

Surely you’ve heard the word start-up more than once. But what does it mean? What skills do you need to work at one?

A start-up is an emerging, newly-created company, with high growth potential, linked to new technologies or innovative business models, and with a high rate of return.

To work at one, you need to have a passion for your project, motivation to bring it to fruition, flexibility to dedicate hours to it and do the tasks that must be carried out, and commitment to the company. But if you do what you love, can it be considered work? 

5 key skills to work at a start-up

• Proactivity: these types of companies do not just look for people in search of work, but want professionals that offer them services and believe in the idea. 
• Positive attitude and professionalism. Not only do they look at resumes, but they also value the energy that candidates exude. Attitude will be key.
• Adaptation: people who adapt to everything and are willing to pursue their passion, who are disruptive, too, and don’t settle for everything. 
• Differentiation: they look for passion rather than talent, people who believe in the project, who share the values of the start-up. You have to be different and creative.
• Flexibility: versatile people with autonomy.

Focused on work by goals 

You can already say goodbye to schedules: the traditional office workday has no place in a start-up, and priority is given to the project and delivery times. You have to be careful, because this becomes a double-edged sword: it favours the flexibility of workers’ schedules, but at the same time you can work too many hours if you do not manage this properly. 

In most cases, it will be indifferent whether you prefer to work in the morning, in the afternoon, or on Sunday night: what matters is that the task is delivered when it has to. Everyone needs to be organized in the way that is most productive for them. Generally, specialized people are sought, but, taking into account the work methodology, it is equally important that they are flexible, open-minded, good team workers, good learners, and quickly adaptable to change.

Dismantling myths about start-ups

The flexibility and constant change of start-ups implies, even if it seems the opposite, more organization than in conventional companies. If you have not been selected as a candidate, the best thing you can do is keep in touch, as there may be a place for you in the future. It is also not true that it is limited to young people: they need experienced people and, contrary to popular belief, if the company has good future prospects, salaries are usually competitive.

The selection process is also not usually traditional, as personal and professional characteristics that go beyond the curriculum are valued. The preparation for the interview will be key: find out what they do and how they work, and look for aspects of the project in which you can contribute. And, above all, be different. Any HR person is used to seeing hundreds of resumes a day. Do not miss the opportunity, and take out your best weapons to attract attention. Get away from the conventional. It is a good idea to achieve other skills apart from the current one, to train in other skills such as Excel, HTML, or WordPress. Note that most start-ups revolve around technology, and sooner or later you will have to use them. 

Proactivity and emotional intelligence: the combination of success

Working at a start-up will be an adventure where nothing is permanent. Even your position may change, and you may end up in a different department. Remember the skills above, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Proactivity will be your best ally.

Lastly, you need to have knowledge of emotional intelligence, to manage behaviour, relationships, and decisions. For everything that happens to bring you to fruition, you must reduce negative emotions, know how to manage stress, be more assertive, stay proactive, and bounce back to adversity. Paying close attention to the emotions of oneself and others, especially in difficult times or of a certain intensity, will help us a lot.

What matters in a start-up is the will to improve, to do whatever it takes, and to have the passion to do it.

If you want your business to make a giant leap, use 11Onze Business. Our business and freelancer account is now available. Find out more!

The confinement in the wake of the pandemic popularised remote working. A trend that has blurred the boundary between the office and our personal lives. Workation is a new form of telecommuting that merges work and holidays.

For anyone who has the option to work remotely, the benefits of taking a workation, the sum of ‘work’ and ‘vacation’, are hard to pass up. Until 2019, the image of working from a laptop with a panoramic view in the background was almost exclusively associated with a digital nomad lifestyle, but, thanks to the sanitary crisis, telecommuting became exponentially more popular.

This new form of remote work is not designed for you to work while on holiday, but to work as if you were on holiday. Setting up our office in a place we would normally only visit when we are on holiday can have many benefits beyond the view.

You’ll still have all the essentials you were used to in office life and many luxuries you didn’t have

From sturdy workstations built for hours of tapping away on your laptop, access to conference rooms made available when needed, all the way to a strong Wi-Fi connection that won’t quit, many hotels offer a large variety of beautifully designed spaces that you can move through depending on your mood and preferences.

In many ways, hotels served as the original version of coworking spaces, it was common to see people in suits with laptops flipped open while enjoying a meal in the restaurant. Today, you’re more likely to find someone wearing shorts and flip-flops.

You’ll increase your productivity

As digital nomads are 13% more productive than their in-office counterparts, it turns out employers also see the benefit in their employees working from abroad. Being able to work in a space tailored to individual needs and preferences, as well as having uninterrupted blocks of time during the day, all means that people are not only more productive and comfortable at work, but they’re also much more willing to occasionally put in extra hours in order to get things done.

Your mental health will thank you

Feeling the winter blues coming on? Getting overwhelmed by work, or finding it tough to keep up with office politics? Maybe you could use a change from the home-to-office routine you’ve become so used to; something to remind you that life is for living, and not just working and commuting.

You’ll relax, without having to take time off work

Many hotels have amenities that, let’s face it—most of us simply just don’t have at work or home. Ditch the communal shower, pool table, and stiff massage chairs in favour of the hotel pool, steam room, and sauna—where you can unwind after a day of hard work, without even going outside. The more you use those precious after-work hours to unwind and recharge, the more you go into your working hours feeling fulfilled, refreshed, and focused.

You’ll discover new places 

Exchange predictable commutes for lengthy walks in an unfamiliar city; explore different districts and restaurant recommendations; try your hand at leisure photography; or broaden your horizons by meeting locals and doing a deep dive into your local culture. Become friends with the barista at that coffee shop you frequent daily, or do some research on where to go and what to see from your new location.

Do you love to travel? With 11Onze Viatges you can book accommodation at the best price, without stifling the travel industry.

Beyond the convenience of having home insurance to deal with unforeseen events, there are circumstances in which homeowners or tenants may be legally obliged to take out this type of insurance.

Seven out of ten people in Catalonia already have home insurance. In many cases, having such insurance is simply a matter of choice to save headaches in the event of a claim. However, in other situations, homeowners or tenants are legally obliged to take out such insurance.

As 11Onze agent Amadeu Vilaginés points out, a homeowner may be obliged to take out home insurance when applying for a mortgage, but he clarifies that the bank can only oblige us to take out basic cover and that we are free to do so with the insurer of our choice, as stipulated by European regulations. In the case of tenants, they are only obliged to take out this type of insurance when this is indicated in the signed rental contract.

If you want to discover fair insurance for your home and for society, check 11Onze Segurs.

What will the job of the future look like and what skills will we need to succeed? To answer these two questions, the McKinsey Global Institute has conducted extensive research and concluded that we will need to master at least 56 skills to secure a job, higher wages and greater well-being at work.

The institute has classified these 56 skills in the study into four broad blocks: manual and physical skills, which will be of decreasing interest; and high-value technological, social and cognitive skills, which are gaining in importance. The McKinsey Global Institute surveyed more than 18,000 people in 15 countries and aims to get governments and companies to prioritise work teams that meet these requirements.

For starters, the institute points out in the report that, while there will continue to be many skilled jobs, the new technological revolution we are heading towards, which has been accelerated by the pandemic, will increasingly require more dynamic, creative and digital people. It will therefore be essential to add value to the automated and artificially intelligent systems that are taking hold in many companies. It will also be necessary to adapt and train constantly in the digital environment, achieving new skills. For this reason, they believe that governments need to start promoting new educational plans to prepare adults and young people for the new scenario.

Cognitive skills: creativity and adaptability

1. Solving problems in a structured way.
2. Control logical reasoning.
3. Understanding differential features.
4. Knowing how to search for relevant information.
5. Organise a work plan.
6. Prioritise tasks within a given time.
7. Agility of thought.
8. Ease of learning.
9. Good public speaking skills.
10. To get the right questions right.
11. Synthesising messages.
12. Listening skills.
13. Imagination and creativity.
14. Transferring knowledge to different contexts.
15. Adopting different perspectives.
16. Adaptability

Interpersonal skills: empathy and collaboration

1. Modifying the role when necessary.
2. Reaching consensus.
3. Always having an inspiring vision.
4. Organisational awareness.
5. Demonstrate empathy.
6. Inspire trust.
7. Maintain humility.
8. Be sociable.
9. Encourage diversity.
10. Motivate emotional situations.
11. Resolving conflicts.
12. Collaborate.
13. Helping.
14. Empower

Leadership skills: integrity and motivation

1. Understanding the emotions of others.
2. Having self-control.
3. Knowing one’s own strengths.
4. Integrity.
5. Knowing how to motivate oneself.
6. Self-confidence.
7. Taking risky decisions.
8. Leading change and innovation.
9. Energy, passion and optimism.
10. Break the mould.
11. decisiveness
12. Clear direction.
13. Persistence and perseverance.
14. Accepting uncertainty.
15. Striving for emancipation.

Technology skills: cybersecurity and ethics

1. More digital literacy.
2. Expanding digital knowledge.
3. Knowledge of digital collaboration networks.
4. Digital ethics.
5. Learn programming.
6. Know how to analyse data and statistics.
7. Have algorithmic thinking.
8. Be trained in Big Data.
9. Know about cybersecurity.
10. Be up to date in intelligent systems.
11. Know how to translate technology into useful actions.

If you want your business to make a giant leap, use 11Onze Business. Our business and freelancer account is now available. Find out more!

Have you ever had the feeling that you are wasting time while attending a meeting with your teammates and/or your boss? You are in the meeting, but are you thinking about other things? Can these sensations be avoided by making meetings more efficient? We try to explain how.

According to team building and leadership specialists, one of the essential issues is to be clear about why you are calling a meeting. Sometimes, we have the feeling that we are in that room, simply because you have been told to or because it’s on the calendar, without a defined objective.

Nowadays, and after everything that has happened in the last year, there are also those who distinguish between the organisation of face-to-face meetings and virtual meetings, given that the latter are not always easy to control, either because everyone is talking at the same time or because the attendees’ connections start to fail.

But in any case, the essential guidelines are the same:

1. Before convening a meeting, whether it is face-to-face or virtual, we must be clear about the objective: What do we want to achieve? Is it really necessary?
2. If possible, it should be planned with enough time to inform the interested parties, so that they can prepare for the meeting as well as the convenor, and so that the time is used to the maximum. Similarly, if necessary, it is advisable to provide attendees with the necessary documentation.
3. The invitation should only reach the essential people. There is no point in having 20 people attending if only 5 are really interested and/or affected. For the company, time is money, and it is not productive to have a lot of people as forced spectators.
4. Calculating the duration of the meeting is also important to avoid it taking longer than necessary, and obviously you have to be punctual in order to keep to the timetable. When calculating the duration of the meeting, we must think about setting aside time for requests and questions that can be asked at the end of the meeting.
5. The space where the meeting is held, in the case of face-to-face meetings, must be adequate for the number of people convened, and must have all the technological and analogue tools necessary to clearly set out all the issues to be discussed.
6. Once in the meeting, we have to assign the “role” that each of the attendees has to assume, if the interventions have to be marked. What is clear is that there must be a moderator, who will usually be the convenor, to avoid diluting the objective for which we are meeting.
7. For a correct development, before starting, the moderator must read the agenda in order to be clear about the issues to be discussed or resolved, and make clear the reason for the meeting. From this point onwards, he or she must ensure that the time allocated to each of the topics and speakers is respected, so that the established timetable is adhered to and everyone can make their points.
8. Once all the scheduled interventions have been completed, it is time for Q&A, in order to polish the topics dealt with, resolve any doubts that may have arisen, and decide whether any new contributions should be made before ending the session.
9. In the closing session, it is important to define the conclusions drawn, as well as the solutions to the problems that have arisen during the meeting, and the deadlines for carrying out the actions to be undertaken.
10. Finally, it is important to draw up a summary or a record of the minutes that includes everything that has been presented, interventions, conclusions, and even details the decisions that have been taken and the actions that must be carried out from now on.

The achievement of all these premises should guarantee effective and efficient internal meetings, meetings with suppliers and meetings with clients, so that we do not end up with a feeling of wasted time. It is especially important to make the most of time in order to achieve productivity and efficiency objectives that generate the economic benefits necessary for the survival of an organisation, thus guaranteeing the professional and personal stability of all those involved.

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If you are subscribed to more than five platforms to watch series and films, music or documents, this article is of interest to you. Every day new platforms are born and, with them, new services that allow you to share streaming subscriptions in order to reduce your subscription fee. At 11Onze we give you the keys to manage them.

Netflix has gained 37 million users in the last quarter of the year, 31% more than in 2019. The platform reported 5,466 million euros during the fourth quarter, 21.5% more than a year ago. Subscriptions have become a must and living without them is no longer conceivable. It is true that our consumption habits have changed; now, with all the digital TV platforms, it’s hard to go back to having to watch ads every 15 minutes. Now everything is à la carte, how, when, and where you want. Of course, what is not so fun is the amount of fees, even if they are tiny, that you end up paying monthly. In this article we are going to give you some recommendations to save money and manage your subscriptions.

If we go back 20 years, surely you remember Canal+, one of the first private channels, which allowed you to watch films and shows; the cost was quite high, so only a few privileged people could enjoy it. With the arrival of Netflix, HBO, Disney +, Filmin, Amazon, and so on, annual subscriptions are between €10 and €15 per month, which seems a totally manageable amount, taking into account that going to the cinema costs much more. Now, you have to bear in mind that once you subscribe and start scrolling, on many occasions, you waste more than half an hour choosing a film: the variety is so extensive that it is difficult for us to determine (depending on our mood that day) what we want to see each time, and for that reason, you end up having several platforms.

Following the thread, once you subscribe to any of the indicated platforms, you realise that the film or series you have just been recommended or you think you cannot miss is on another platform, so you automatically download the app and start entering your data. You are seduced by the subscription price, so without realising it, you have more than 5 platforms to watch millions of films, documentaries, and series.

What to do if you identify with this?

• Check your subscription plan. If it allows more users and devices, ask your relatives and acquaintances if they are in the same situation; in this way, you can share the monthly expense. Of course, we recommend that you plan everything a year before, divide the fee, and have your friends pay you, for example, through Bizum, so that they do not forget. That is, if the monthly fee is €15 and you are going to share it among 3 people, they must pay you €60 each, and if you have paid €180 annually, you will only pay €60, so you will save €120.
• Permanency or not? A great advantage of this type of platform is that they do not ask you to stay, so you can unsubscribe when you have finished watching your favourite series and seen that there is nothing else that may interest you. You can stay 1 or 2 months, or as long as you need, and you can unsubscribe until a new order.
• Take advantage of promotions. You have to be careful, because if you have not signed up for a platform, as a new customer, you might be given a free month. If you think it’s worth continuing, you can share it again, if possible, with other users. Of course, check the conditions properly once you sign up, since sometimes, if you do not cancel the subscription, you may automatically be charged for the next subscription the following month without prior notice.
• Rental available for 24 hours. If you don’t like having fixed costs, there are platforms, such as Apple TV+, that allow you to rent a film for 24 hours at a low cost and, after this time, it expires; it is an option, but if your purpose is to save, we advise you to consider monthly plans, since they are always cheaper.
• Monthly subscription without interruption. There are other platforms, like Spotify, that allow you to listen to all the music without interruptions with a monthly subscription. They also have plans that you can share with more people, thus reducing the monthly fee. On the other hand, Apple features a family plan, with which we can even purchase paid applications that can be used in the plan, and we can also share books in digital format with the whole family.

Do you know Together Price?

If you have Netflix, Spotify, Office 365, Nintendo Switch, or Xbox Live, among others, this is for you. Together Price helps groups of people share the cost of their multi-user plans in an easy and safe way. If you are the account owner, you can indicate available users and add your acquaintances so they can participate. In this way, when you register, you will automatically receive the amount from your friends and family.

And what is the use of this all?

Thanks to all these platforms, the OCU reports that 77% of respondents no longer download films or music illegally. Finally, it is important to review and ask the experts, when we buy a mobile phone, to explain to us if we have these services. Remember the example we mentioned: with only one platform you can save up to €120 and, if you do the same with other platforms, much more. Go ahead and share this with your friends and family.

It is time to review your subscriptions, consider which ones you use, and share to minimize your expenses.

11Onze is becoming a phenomenon as the first Fintech community in Catalonia. Now, it releases the first version of El Canut, the super app of 11Onze, for Android and Apple. El Canut, the first universal account can be opened in Catalan territory.