Twinkle's business horoscopes - July
Businesses have birthdays too, don’t you know? Whether your baby’s a Junebug or a December child, keep up with the latest astrological news affecting their health and wellbeing with LaunchLab’s very own cosmic star-reader, Twinkle.
Aquarius
It’s time you made like Mary J. Blige and decided: “No more drama in my life”, Aquarius. It’s been a tempestuous month in business for you. From office squabbles to friction at home and disagreements with partners, you need to put an end to all the strife.
The presence of the Sun in your fifth house was partly responsible: your “inner child” was released and allowed to 
run ragged. Fortunately, the solar mischief-maker’s now moving into your sixth house, giving you breathing space to undertake repairs and mend relationships.
Be a good little business: say you’re sorry. Or Twinkle’s going to put you on the naughty spot.
Pisces
It’s time to be a rebel, Pisces. Former Dragon Doug Richard has been banging on about exploring new business models, recently. Have you got the guts and gung-ho to tweak your safe, softly softly plans?
Mars is looking down from your chart, giving you the impetus to be brave and make essential changes. Allies this month include youngsters and newcomers to this business lark. Watch other start-ups in your industry and don’t be afraid to shamelessly steal their marketing ideas and business incentives.
July is a beneficial time to work on issues that require delicate-handling or skill. Don’t believe me? Try playing a game of chess or snooker and see how the planets have amplified your abilities.
Aries
Got any rich pals, Aries? Tapped them for cash yet? If not, you should. The Moon is in your element, smiling on joint ventures and amicable transactions. Now’s your chance to invite Mr Bigwig and Fatcat Junior out for a martini and slide your business plan across the table.
Trust me, they’ll get healthy returns (though you’ll have to work out the precise ROIs, I don’t recommend just quoting Twinke).
The Moon is also performing another function this month. If you’ve noticed that your in-tray is emptying faster than usual and you “to-do” list shrinking by the minute, thank the lunar influence. Your social and organisational skills are unparalleled for the next fortnight.
Taurus
Yes, it’s damn hot, Taurus. Too hot to be running around like a headless chicken. “Armchair meetings” are the order of the day at the moment. If you don’t have the technology to have videolinks, group chats and cross-country confabs, it’s time to sort that out. In other news, beware professional jealousy.
There are those that are keen to shoot down your ideas because they envy your talent and drive. Don’t let them succeed in dragging you down to their level.
Pay special attention to your “social reputation” – blogs, tweets and forum posts concerning your business. Tie up any loose ends quickly and soon. And shoot down the culprit.
Gemini
Back in antiquity, great leaders would make blood sacrifices to their favourite deities to thank them for their benevolence, or bribe them into submission. That habit has long fallen by the wayside but the principle has not.
Budgets are tight but there’s never been a better time to butter up a valuable contact, or take measures to anticipate and placate an unhappy customer. You don’t need a chicken or a ram, Gemini.
A nice steak in a good restaurant will do. Don’t pour blood, pour champagne. The lunar and solar eclipses of last month have left many relationships shaken, even torn. Pinpoint the gods of your business and make sure that their wrath is assuaged.
Cancer
Have you ever been on TV, Cancer? Because you might just get your five minutes of fame this month. Cancerians are famous for hiding their lights under a bushel – I bet you always chose to work “behind the scenes” at school plays and still have trouble with self publicity – but now is your chance to shine.
With Mercury at your back, you feel more comfortable in the limelight than you have for some time. Whether this involves contacting the business press with insightful comments from the front-line, or launching a company blog or YouTube video campaign, this is the month to get the ball rolling. Get ready to say: “I’m ready for my close-up.”
Leo
Remember your student days when you and your friends would sit around, emptying bottles of wine and setting the world to rights? You thought those days were long gone, didn’t you. That’s not true.
This month will see you pulling a few all-nighters to rival the “large ones” of your twenties. You are about to meet a like-minded bunch of entrepreneurs, innovators and game-changers this month, Leo.
Keep your mind open, your glass topped up and your notepad handy. The gems you learn in the next few weeks will shape the next five years in business. Start asking yourself, “How is my company doing?” right now, in anticipation of tussling out solutions with your newfound friends.
Virgo
At lot of studies on entrepreneurs refer to their reliance on “gut-feeling” or “instinct”, Virgo. And it’s true that your sixth sense has been extremely valuable to you in business these many a year.
But I’m afraid that the decisions you will be called on to make this month must be tackled with your head, not your heart. The effects of the Lunar and Solar eclipses last month have left their mark on you and you are prone to sentimentality and clouded vision.
It’s time to look exclusively at the facts, forgetting your personal feelings. Beware changes in diet and lifestyle – these will emphasise your sluggishness and general malaise. But it’s not all bad news, Virgo. August will be a real cracker.
Libra
Venus is stimulating your spirit of adventure this month, Libra. Foreign food, foreign cultures and foreign markets are your bag. Look out for bilingual new friends and entrepreneurs from foreign climes.
Perhaps it’s the soaring temperatures drawing these unique and mysterious visitors to our shores. Whatever the reason, prepare to be inspired by their lust for life and travel.
It may be worth digging out your passport now – you’ll be going on a journey very soon. Further away than you think. Keep an open mind and your your lips sealed. And no whinging about being too busy to get away…
Scorpio
Now’s the time to add some personal touches to your business correspondence, Scorpio. When was the last time you handwrote a letter to a client? Or responded directly to a complaint with a heartfelt apology and your mobile number? Relationships have never been more valuable.
You need to stop thinking of your business as a faceless entity: you against them, fighting to survive. Start embracing a community. I’m not getting all new-age hippe on your ass, here.
But elsewhere in your industry, your rivals are pulling out all the stops to make their customers, suppliers and colleagues feel loved. If you don’t make yours feel warm and fluffy soon, someone else will.
Sagittarius
A leopard can’t change its spots, Sagittarius. That member of staff or business colleague that you’re trying to reform won’t take kindly to your efforts. They are convinced that it is you in the wrong, being intractable and small-minded. Not likely.
You have two options. You can get rid of them? That is, in fact, the simplest way to resolve the problem. Or you 
can have a cabinet reshuffle and place the individual somewhere more suited to their talents.
The time for talk and petty HR inventions is over. And the worst thing you could do is cower under your desk and hope that the problem will simply go away. If you do decide to take option two, consult a trusted advisor on where to place this difficult creature: your own judgement has been thoroughly undermined already.
Capricorn
If your company was a cake, Capricorn, which cake would it be? Double chocolate? Carrot? A cheesecake, perhaps? I’m not being facetious, I simply want to remind you that your business is supposed to be something you enjoy; something you are proud to have made and want others to experience.
Lately, you’ve been treating your handiwork like it’s a mud pie, rather than a gastronomic cream-laden work of art. Use the sun’s presence in your chart to unload all your psychic “ick” this month.
Let its rays blaze through your doubts and anxieties about your business, and ultimately, turn out a perfect sponge.
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