small business management

HOME::Business/Small-Business

2007-07-06T05:55:00.001-07:00

As powerful and efficient as computers are, however, it’s my opinion that computers can help a lot of people do dumb things very fast and very efficiently. They think “Now that I’m computerized, everything is going to be easy-street”. Yes, for many businesses, productivity has increased. There’s no doubt that countless man-hours are saved every day, every week and every month.

But, do you know what the biggest problem is for many of us? It’s trying to determine which computer software configuration is the best. Which combination will provide the solutions for what we need? Let’s face it – many people don’t know how to do a formal needs and resources assessment. They don’t know how to plan for their needs in the coming months let alone the coming years.

So trying to evaluate what is best and then making a final selection can be paralyzing for many of us.

Here's an interesting article I ran across the other day. Annette Petrick has hit the nail on the head here with her article, “Broker Trade Show Screams Software”. She says, it's all confusion. You may read the article here:

http://transportmarketing.com/businessinsider/guests/May_00/ broker_trade_show_screams_ software.html

I ,myself, have attended a good number of money and financial trade shows where everybody is showcasing their latest software package that will take you to peak success faster than any gold-paved road from anywhere else.

After 20-30 minutes of strolling by a number of booths - it begins to set in – confusion. I would think to myself – “Well I need to attend 2-3 trade shows just to get a good feel for what's being pitched. Then I need to attend another 2-3 shows to dig a little deeper and focus on the few that seemed to offer some tangible benefits. Then I need another 2-3 shows to make my final selection”.

So now you're looking at 7-8 years later and by then everything is obsolete. In fact, it's probably obsolete soon after the first or second trade show. Can you win at the computer/ software game? I don't know. You tell me.

About the Author:

John is sole-owner and president of Atex Freight Broker Training, Inc. and Vice President of Atex Logistics, Inc., the latter being jointly owned with his brother, James. Until recently, all freight broker training had been done over the telephone and internet. Recently, John began offering on-site freight broker training for clients in their office.

Freight Brokering - What is Dead-Head Pay?

2007-07-06T05:54:00.002-07:00

They had another employee drive me in a car to Indiana. From there I got on No. 20 where - as my brother warned me - I'd be walking all the way back to central Illinois (he was a brakeman himself at TP&W). And that I did. After arriving in Indiana, I think I had several hours of sleep first and then a steak dinner at the "hangout".

We left Indiana about midnight and stopped to switch cars in and out all along Route 24 - Sheldon, Watseka, Chatsworth, Forrest, Chenoa, Gridley, El Paso and eventually back into the yard in East Peoria. We arrived about 12 noon and I was tired.

To be honest, I don't know what kind of pay I received for being dead-headed to Indiana. But I didn't care. This was back in my younger days - when a guy didn't have to worry about what he ate or drank let alone how much he was getting paid to get dead-headed 120 miles.

So, you'll find dead-heading in trucking as well. Normally, this is when a driver will drive empty, out of his way to pick up a load. Now, some people say it's dead-heading when the driver does not have to drive out of his way to pick up a load - but perhaps at the destination, there is little freight to pick up as a back haul so the driver has to leave elsewhere - empty - to pick up another load.

Either way - the truck is driving empty in order to pick up a load or driving elsewhere empty to find another load after making a drop.

And, of course, the driver is looking for dead-head pay. In my opinion, a shipper should help to some extent by providing deadhead pay. But many don't.

I think it all depends on "urgency". How urgent is the shipper to get his load moved? Or, how urgent is the driver wanting to move truck? The broker, of course, should always try to get the best "package" for his truck. But, ultimately, it's the shipper's decision.

About the Author:

John is sole-owner and president of Atex Freight Broker Training, Inc. and Vice President of Atex Logistics, Inc., the latter being jointly owned with his brother, James. Until recently, all freight broker training had been done over the telephone and internet. Recently, John began offering on-site freight broker training for clients in their office.

Copy That Convinces, Copy That Sells

2007-07-06T05:54:00.001-07:00

One of my marketing students asked if good copy had to be grammatically correct. To me, what makes good copy is much like what makes good art. Basically it comes down to the eye of the beholder. I know my English teacher is rolling over. Bless his heart.

Truthfully, you have to be able to communicate with your audience. And to do that, you must first get their attention. Just how much attention does subtlety get? And for those of us with short attention spans, complexity has no chance.

That said, there are definitely some ways to make your copy more effective. After all your goal is not only to get attention, but to get paying customers.

Is your copywriting bringing the results you expect? No, then give it some punch with these tips.

* Use active verbs in your headline.

* Enclose headlines in quotations.

* State a major benefit in the first sentence. Then restate it twice more in the body of your text.

* Ask a provocative question then provide a provocative answer.

* Talk about what is important to YOUR CUSTOMERS, not what's important to you.

* Use a conversational tone, leave the corporate speak in the boardroom.

* Be specific in your offer (Buy today and get $50 bucks to put in your pocket now!)

* Use bullets to make paragraphs stand out.

* Use call-outs to draw attention to special offers, contact information, etc.

* Use images that strike emotions (cute pets, babies, people running).

* Give a surprising offer or state what makes you different (Hey! We never charge for installation OR We're open every holiday OR We save you $25 off your first order-no strings attached!)

* Enhance text with color and use easy to read fonts.

* Include customer testimonies.

* Tell readers how to contact you and WHEN (don't make them search for your address on your website).

* Always include a P.S. that gives bonus information.

* <> Put brackets around your email subject headers. The visual draws attention.

HOME::Business/Small-Business

2007-07-06T05:53:00.002-07:00

Nowadays more and more people are thinking about taking a step towards additional income and financial freedom. Business opportunities are countless for those who would like to start their own home-based business. That is why it makes it so difficult to decide what exactly you would like to do and how and where you would start.

Let’s talk about internet marketing as one of the great opportunities to work from home and make a part time or even a full time income for yourself and your family. As any other business, internet marketing has its advantages and possible problems you might face as a beginner.

If you don’t have your own product or service, you can sell other people’s products or services. There is plenty of companies on the internet that you can become an affiliate for. In affiliate marketing, you simply send traffic to an end merchant, and that merchant handles all the details of the sale and pays you a commission. The benefit of this is that it is comparatively easy for you. Affiliate marketers do not have to take credit cards, select product lines or handle customer service, they receive their commission just for building a site that generates traffic to the merchant. However, you should not think that none of your efforts will be involved in this process. You will need to create and be responsible for your own “advertising campaign” for each and every affiliate program you are a part of. This of course includes driving lots of traffic to your web site and using various media, not only internet alone, to advertise your product or service.

If you have your own product or service, it is even better -- when you sell your own things you get 100% profits. The disadvantage is that you will have to handle the entire process of selling on your own, including inventory, payment, shipment, return policy etc. If your profit margin is high enough than it will be well worth all the hassle.

If you are not sure that you know enough about internet marketing you can educate yourself for free -- read articles from free articles web sites, there is always plenty of advice there. Another good source of free advice is forums. Participate in popular marketing forums, and you can get lots of tips, ideas, advice -- all for free. The disadvantage of self-education in marketing is that you have to spend a lot of time for that and always test, test and test new ideas and techniques. It may become a very time-consuming process.

If you do not want to spend so much time for self-education you can always find a marketing course, buy it and study. It is also possible to have a personal mentor or coach who would help you through the process. It will depend on your budget though, most of the personal coaches charge a very high fee for their consultations.

If you don’t like to work for someone else, you can be self-employed when you do internet marketing. You can set your own hours, be your own boss, make your own decisions. With all of that comes lots of responsibility as in any privately owned business. Decisions are yours and responsibility is all yours also. You should not be afraid of that and treat internet marketing just like any private business.

First of all, you need to decide for yourself if internet marketing is right for you. Think about it and make a list of benefits and problems you might face when you start doing it. If you like it, have passion for it and can be persistent enough you will have all chances for success.

Answer the Phone and Increase Sales for Your Small Business - How to Inspire Confidence in Callers

2007-07-06T05:53:00.001-07:00

When was the last time you called a local business and got a voicemail or automated attendant? I'm not talking about a mega corporation like the phone company or an airline. I'm talking about a local business of small to medium size providing a service for which you had a legitimate need and sincere interest. Was it easy to get the information you desired? Did you even leave a message at all or did you move on to the next service provider in the phone book? Maybe the phone was answered live, but in a way that lacked professionalism. How did that impact your confidence in that business?

Approach your business from the perspective of your customer. Invariably, the telephone is the lifeline for your business. And the experience your customers have when they call you will instantly and permanently shape their view of your company and its ability to perform. A single misstep here can translate into lost revenue.

But don't fret. As a small business owner, there are a number of things you can do to project a more professional image for your company, improve your customer service, and manage your own workload more effectively. First off, treat the manner in which you answer your phone seriously. Live is always better than automated. For a while it was impressive to call a company and be greeted with a plethora of automated options. Those days are gone. Menu trees and voicemail systems are ubiquitous and the customer backlash has begun. How many times have you just hit the "0" key looking for a live person the minute the auto-attendant picks up?

When you do answer live, do so with professionalism and consistency. Sometimes in today's casual world, we feel silly using formalities in the language we choose. However, professionalism in a telephone greeting is as timeless as addressing your letters with Dear or signing them with Sincerely. Try something like, "Thank you for calling ABC Company, this is (your Name), how can I help you?" Make sure everyone who answers the phone does it the same way. It may feel silly at first, but you will soon see that whether it's a prospective client calling or a long-time customer, they will get the impression that you run a tight ship. Don't underestimate how that reflects on their perception of the quality of work your company does.

The greeting is just the start. To function as an effective telephone receptionist, one must be able to quickly assess to whom the caller needs to be directed and efficiently connect that call in a timely fashion. Furthermore, to help your people manage their own workload most effectively, callers should be announced. Think about it. When was the last time you were involved in a project only to have the phone ring and pull you off in an entirely different direction. By the time you got back to the project at hand, hours may have passed. With a receptionist to announce a call, you can choose to have them connect a call, relay a message back to your caller, or redirect the call to a colleague better suited to helping them all without disrupting your workflow.

So maybe you're thinking, "We can't even figure out how to transfer a call on our phone system without disconnecting it half the time, but we're a small business and can't afford to hire a receptionist." Relax, there are some other good options available. Outsourcing your telephone reception may be the best solution for your company. No, I'm not talking about having your bread and butter phone calls answered in India or by some anonymous, third-party answering service. I'm talking about a Remote Receptionist. These are companies that can offer you a live, professional receptionist with the technology to answer your business calls at their location, but still privately announce and seamlessly connect your calls back with you at your office or wherever you go throughout the day.

When choosing a Remote Receptionist service, it helps to consider one based local to your business. Unlike a call center, a receptionist service usually maintains just a small team of receptionists. The best ones will invite you to visit their office, meet the reception team, and train them just as you'd train your own employee. This is not a third party relationship like a traditional answering service. Your callers will feel as though they've reached your office, and calls are connected so seamlessly that callers don't even realize your calls are being answered at a different physical location. Furthermore, many Remote Receptionist companies will offer business services such as appointment scheduling, order taking, seminar registrations and a variety of other services customized to meet your needs.

Be careful when choosing. There a lots of companies out there eager to answer your phones. Not all will be equipped with the small team and personalized service necessary to deliver on the Remote Receptionist promise. Ask how many different people will be answering your calls, and if there are additional charges for connecting calls to you in real-time. If there are more than 4-5 different receptionists or extra charges for connecting calls, keep looking. A remote receptionist will cost you more than a traditional telephone answering service, but the level of personalization goes well beyond simply answering the phone in your company name, and the cost should still be a fraction of hiring even a part-time employee.

You can project a more professional image for your business, improve your customer service and enjoy the increased sales and stronger customers relationships that come with delivering an improved experience for your callers.

Building Your Board - Your Next Level People

2007-06-27T04:55:00.002-07:00

In business, entrepreneurs have to understand that to make it to the "next level" it can never be a solo journey. All too often we attempt to do everything on our own and fail to do what we're supposed to do, and that is stick to our strengths. Playing to your strengths and surrounding yourself with those who are stronger and smarter then you in other areas doesn't make you obsolete, it makes you incredible.

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were visionaries. They had a vision of blazing a trail to the western coast of what we now call the United States of America. These two men didn’t decide one day to do something new all by themselves, but they surrounded themselves with experts, and lay persons. They also enlisted the assistance of the local Native Americans because of their expert knowledge of the land. This led to a successful expedition, and the immortalization of these two men. The same goes on in business, one visionary (or two) arise with a magnificent idea, but they must surround themselves with the expertise of others to accomplish the task at hand, Lewis and Clark called them guides, we call them a Board.

There are generally two different kinds of Boards. You have your Board of Directors, those placed in charge of the financial responsibilities who oversee the executive management team, and you have Advisory Boards, simply of sounding board for ideas with no responsibilities. Some Boards are ‘hands-on” taking an active approach to the management of a company, while others are strictly oversees, meeting quarterly to be sure everything is in order.

No matter which it is, when selecting Board members, you have to be sure you are equipping yourself with those who can help catapult your company instead of those just looking for something else to place on their resume. This Board and the direction they chose for your company can determine the difference between success and failure. Discovering the Pacific Ocean or perishing in the Rocky Mountains. What are the criteria? What makes separate a great Board member, from an average member? Let’s explore those together.

When selecting member take heed to more then their resumes and experiences. You want to explore their passion, drive, knowledge of your company, and their vision or lack there of. Can they see where your company is headed next year? Five years? Or can they not see past their own nose? Even though you are the visionary of the company, you need people who can see long-term, who can think strategically, and who help navigate you through the wildernesses you may encounter. What are their strengths? You need a diverse Board of individuals, both in skill as well as gender, ethnicity, race, background, experience, and knowledge. It’s more then just industry experience; it’s also a willingness to be vested in the future of the company. Some potential members could be the smartest people you will ever meet, but if they’re somewhere else when you need them to be where you are you have a problem; knowledge never makes up for absence.

So to all the entrepreneurs, Executive Directors, CEO’s and anyone looking to reach that “next level” in their business, be thorough in deciding who will help direct your company, take inventory of who you have, and never be timid about surrounding yourself with genius, it’ll just make you look even better.

How To Write A Business Plan - Ways To Make Writing Your Business Plan Easier

2007-06-27T04:55:00.001-07:00

Writing a business plan can be an overwhelming task. Here's how to make writing a business plan a little easier.

Don’t try to write the business plan in one day or even in one week. Break the task into smaller chunks and set a realistic timetable to establish those tasks. 30 days is a reasonable amount of time to write a business plan. It helps to have a written task list with projected start and finish dates for each task. As you complete the task, note the date.

Start with the section you feel most comfortable with, this is one instance you don't have to begin at the beginning. Most entrepreneurs don't have any hesitancy writing about the historical background of their company. Or perhaps writing about the needs your products fill for customers would be a task that would get your business plan off to a good start.

Base your marketing on research. It might seem easier to say that the market of your company is $5 billion a year and you expect to obtain a 1.56% market share, but that's meaningless. Define your market and how you will reach your market. The market might be huge but you can only reach a small portion at a time. Attack that market segment where you have the best chance of success.

Spend quality time writing your business plan. Don't put it off until you're exhausted from all the other tasks in your day. If the morning is when you're raring to go then designate one hour every morning to write your business plan.

Give your business plan a rest. After you've completed a section let it rest for a day or two, then go back and review what you've written.

Small Business Advice

2007-06-27T04:54:00.002-07:00

Now that you’ve found the ultimate business opportunity, do you have what it takes to make it successful? Many new times new businesses are started with big dreams of riches and success only to fail miserably. If starting a new business you’ll want practical small business advice to get your business on track and plan for future success.

The business planning stage is very important. If you want to turn your ultimate business opportunity into a reality, you’ll first need to create a mission statement. This is you want to accomplish in the creation of your business. Once you’ve created this, you’ll then need to plan future business goals with a month-by-month assessment of what you’re looking to accomplish within a reasonable time frame. Be sure to start with appropriate legal advice and set up appropriate accounting and bookkeeping procedures.

Once you’ve preplanned to get your ultimate business opportunity in place, the next small business advice you’ll want to follow is in growth and management. Accurately assess the competition and figure out how to reach your target market. Also, spend time realistically setting profit goals based remembering to take into account expenses and overhead. You should also develop a reasonable business budget that works for you.

Finding Your Small Business Startup Money

2007-06-27T04:54:00.001-07:00

For those who want their own small business startup, one primary obstacle is finding sufficient startup capital to begin moving toward their goals. The business startup cost can seem to be unattainable, and even intimidating, unless you know where to look. Unfortunately, business startup funding is one of the main things that keeps people from getting started in business the first place, or from succeeding once they do manage to get started. But, on the up side, you there are several programs and organizations that specialize in helping entrepreneurs overcome this hurdle.

Small business startup costs not only get in the way an entrepreneur from starting a business but also can impede growth of a new enterprise. On top of being an obstacle at the outset, having limited startup capital can also make it difficult to hire employees or acquire sufficient inventory inventory. Entrepreneurs can resolve these issues by utilizing into a variety of sources to find enough startup funding to be able to implement their plans.

For those who find the small business start up cost to be out of reach or intimidating, banking institutions only add to their problems. Most banks will not entertain the notion of helping an new entrepreneur get small business startup money unless there is a recent track record of proven success. Banks also want a solid business plan which is something that can be challenging for a first time business owners to develop. Fortunately, there are other sources where to find startup capital.

Some entrepreneurs seek out partners to help them with their small business startup costs. An investment partner can provide various forms of needed assistance for a small business startups. They can operate as silent partners where they simply contribute investment money and then receive repayments based on the partnership arrangement. Other investment partners are more involved and might help in the operation of the business in order to ensure that their investment is well managed and profitable.

New business owners can also choose to access several companies that offer small business loans to help them get the startup capital they need. One such company is American One (www.amone.com), offers unsecured loans to help with small business startup costs. They employ specialists who understand the stress and frustrations of trying to raise startup capital and they endeavor to make the process simple and low-stress. Collateral is not require, but the decision is based on your current credit rating. As a company, their mission is to help you realize success with your new small business venture.

Because small business is truly the backbone of the US economy, many government agencies offers a variety of programs to help startup businesses be successful in their endeavors. This is essential since small business startup costs are a primary reason that many accomplished people with brilliant ideas do not get their business started. Banks can be intimidating to small business owners, but there are also other options such as working with companies who make the process easier and less stressful for entrepreneurs. As a result, many people have been achieved success and brought their dreams to life through starting and operating their own small business.

The Queen of Fruits!

2007-06-27T04:52:00.000-07:00

The Queen of Fruits! Sitting in Bozeman, Montana and writing. Arrived here late Monday the 4th from Stockholm, Sweden, my hometown/land. Woke up Tuesday morning and it was raining, windy. I talked to Sweden and they had 27 degrees warm weather, wow! Well that’s the nature! Today when I woke up it ´s sunny ,warm and beautiful! I came over to have a talk to my representatives here. It´ s like a virgin market for the Xango juice. To continue my story from yesterday about the mangosteen juice.

The mangosteen fruit has been used in the Asian folklore for hundred of years. They knew already back then the benefits of the fruit. It´ s a strong anti oxidant and anti inflammatoric that helps to prevent and heal. There has been no studies om humans but this is what goes from mouth to mouth about the fruit. I tried it and still drink it every morning. For many years I have been suffering from running eyes and sensitive to the sun and wind. Then you can understand why I don´t like the wind here in Montana at the moment. I also gave a friend of mine a bottle. He was eating pain killers for a long time for pain in his knees. The tablets were so strong that his stomach did not like it.. The Doctor order Prozac. Well since I have been in the health business I told him about my thoughts regarding medicin. He started to drink mangosteen juice and after 12 days I called him. I asked him how he felt and he responded, my toe is feeling better! I jumped up and asked him about his stomach! Oh I forgot about that and forgot to take Prozac too. We laughed. Since then he told me what else happened after 3 weeks. His gum did not bleed either. Good for you and he is still on the juice. I could tell you so many stories about the juice but I think the best way to sort it out is to drink it you self. It is so tasty, healthy and the kids love it! It is an easy way to introduce good health, good food and good drinks in our lives. We just have to open up for what the nature is providing us with!

Another good part with this is the nice business. If you refer the juice to somebody else you will get a referral commission. And you can do the business every where, like I do at the moment! Just find a handful of people you would like to introduce and help in life. Teach them about the juice and the referral program. As time goes by you will if you put the effort in to it, find a business that can go as far as you never would have dreamed about! It is a fact. Put two hours a day in your garden and you will in the next season enjoy the spectacular beauty in your garden! Life is a ride, do the best of it and be happy! With love&respect!/MarieLouise

Business Opportunities From Home

2007-06-19T00:44:00.003-07:00

Do you dream of having your own business? Better yet, do you dream of having your own business while working from home? This may seem an impossibility, but there are many opportunities out there for the business opportunity seeker. You can find the business opportunity from home for you, especially in the ever-growing virtual world of the Internet. Take some time to look into the business opportunities out there, and you will find the options are endless.

There are business opportunities from home in many different areas of interest. Today, there are endless choices for Internet based business opportunities. There are many companies out there that can set up the business opportunity seeker with their own website to sell their products and services that offer great revenue. You can also find business opportunities from home that make money with online advertising and marketing. Companies often pay well for the service you provide them and will even walk you through the process of setting up your own business. After all, they make money when you make money!

The possibilities for the business opportunity seeker are endless, limited only by your ambition and creativity. Start looking into business opportunities today, and you’ll be surprised at how many business opportunities from home are out there. You could tap into the perfect business opportunity from home and begin seeing the financial results you’ve hoped for while living your dream of owning your own business while working from home. Even though the demand is very high for business opportunities, you can still get in on the "ground floor".

Why Sales - Led Beats Product - Led If You Want Profit

2007-06-19T00:44:00.001-07:00

Why are you in business? Is it for the fun of it, or are you hungry for profits?

That might look like a dumb question, but it’s worth considering if you are working hard in an activity you like but where the return for your effort doesn’t satisfy you.

My dad ran an engineering company for 28 years. When talking about it he would often say that his products had ‘great potential’. But the years went by and that potential remained elusive. The sales stayed flat until he finally sold up. But the new owner had a different approach and made far more money building on the platform of what my father had begun.

How come one succeeded in making good profits and the other didn’t? The answer lies in understanding the difference between a ‘Product-led’ and a ‘Sales-led’ approach.

Product-led describes a situation where people make their main focus the development of a technically superior item – higher performance, longer-lasting, easier to use etc. They may be so occupied with this quest that they largely ignore the sales dimension.

Sales-led organisations ask themselves different questions – ‘How many customer contacts did we make this week?’, ‘What are we doing to find more of them?’, ‘Do our existing clients have additional requirements that we can help them with?’.

It's unwise to neglect either factor, a strong business balances both. How does yours measure up?

You will find a source of specialised sales hints for ‘techie’ companies in the ‘Selling for Engineers’ manual at the link below.

Cash Is Still King Of The Hill

2007-06-19T00:43:00.002-07:00

How do small retailers compete and succeed while doing business with big-box stores today? Most experts suggest the following “simple” formula- Sell quality products, continuously offer out of this world customer service, find suppliers where you can obtain higher markups and avoid discounting at the expense of sales down the road, right? Those of you in the trenches every day know that this is not always easy to accomplish. I say we try something a bit simpler and back to basics- Start to improve your business today by watching your cash—and then letting it help you grow.

For just about every small retailer, cash is king. Whether the focus is on daily and weekly sales to assure that there's money in the bank to meet payroll and other expenses, or on building a cash balance during the busy season to get you through the slower times, most small retailers keep a very close eye on cash flow.

Since the big box chains don’t have this “daily” worry, they spend their time negotiating with vendors and driving down costs to offer their customers the lowest price for commodity or near-commodity goods. They understand that for these items the vast majority of shoppers are highly price sensitive.

But for any item, and especially for those that are not commodities, there is a critical segment of customers who are not price shoppers, who focus instead on product quality, service, and a relaxed, friendly experience. Small retailers, enter here.

In other words, small retailers should avoid competing on the basis of price, because there will always be a competitor with larger, deeper pockets, instead, you should focus on finding unique, high quality, and compelling products that the big box stores don’t even look for in the marketplace. Competing on the basis of product quality and uniqueness enables a small retailer to present to their customers a compelling value proposition and maintain critical price integrity.

Thus it follows that strategic positioning for small independent retailers leads directly and most importantly to the product selection and pricing policy of a store. By selling higher quality, specialty products on the basis of their intrinsic value, and the product knowledge and customer service that accompany them, you can insulate your store from price competition, and your store can obtain a higher initial markup, avoid price promotions, and other incentives that eat into margins.

How is this done? Here are a few specific ideas to help position your store as a premium destination for the finest products, knowledge and service, and generate the margins you’ll need to assure continuing positive cash flows:

• Adopt a better/best pricing structure, rather than a good/better/best structure. The classic retail pricing structure for any product category is three-tiered, with an opening priced "good" quality item, a mid-priced "better" quality item, and a higher-priced "best" quality item. The nature of contemporary retailing is that for most any product category, there is a big box who is seeking to lock up the opening price point. Let them. They are more than happy to trade margin for volume, and have the deep pockets to do it. Instead, protect your margins by focusing your efforts on better quality goods, using a "better" quality item as your opening price point, and focusing your energies around the quality and features of the "best" item.

• Avoid carrying the same items as the competing big-box store. This may not always be possible, but if you must, think of those items as accommodations to your customers, rather than key items that you are trying to maximize the sale of. Rather, build your business around unique items and unique product categories in niche markets to a carefully targeted clientele.

• Keep your inventories lean to minimize markdowns and their impact on margins. The instinct of many small retailers is to have enough stock to never miss a sale, but all that inventory carries tremendous markdown risk, which can decimate margins and cash flow. Bring fresh inventory into your store as close to the time of anticipated sales as possible- so you always have something new and exciting to offer your customers.

• Don't get locked into standardized pricing formulas, like keystoning. Your pricing should not be merely a function of what you paid your vendor for the item, but rather the intrinsic value of the item, and the accompanying service you provide your customers. The product knowledge and customer service that comes with your product offerings has a value to your customers. Don't be afraid to include that value in your pricing.

• Build your brand, not your promotional calendar. Focus your advertising on building the brand cache of your store, not specific sales or promotions. When customers think about you, make sure your advertising has left them with the thought that you are a destination for premium quality and selection, state-of-the-art product knowledge, and outstanding customer service, and not price.

• And lastly, Define your mission around offering your customers premium specialty products, state-of- the-art product knowledge, and the finest customer service, and you will insulate yourself from corrosive price competition, while protecting your margins and cash flow.

Once you tie these elements together, my guess is your CA$H picture will look a whole lot better!

Lynn Switanowski is the founder of Creative Business Consulting Group, a Boston, MA based Strategic Planning and Retail Consulting firm. CBCG works with businesses to develop creative programs across a variety of business processes that will improve sales and profit margins.

Focus On Repeat Business - For More Profit And An Easier Life

2007-06-19T00:43:00.001-07:00

How much time, money and effort does it take to win a new customer? For most businesses, if they can quantify what it costs to acquire a new client, it's considerable.

You have to advertise, make contact, try and set an appointment, visit, fact-find, draw up a proposal, make a presentation then try to close. Phew, tiring just thinking about all of that! And of course you don't win every job you pitch on, many times all that effort produces no direct payback.

Now consider how much easier it is dealing with an existing customer. You can get through the 'secretary barrier' and speak to your client without difficulty. If they were happy with the work you have done so far, they'll be receptive to your next proposal. When you have discussions, they will be more frank because they trust you. You are in a good situation to suggest add-ons and price is less of an issue than it was initally because they are confident that your work is good.

Contrast that with how hard it is getting through to a new prospect and you can see that life is much simpler if you have a stable of happy, repeat customers.

How do we get to this pleasant situation? The key is to never disappoint your customer - no nasty surprises. If you promise something, do it. Excuses are poison. If a situation arises when you can't deliver, tell the customer up-front, so he can adjust his plans. And stay in touch, no one likes to be neglected.

Satisfied customers become extremely loyal; when a competitor tries to take your business, your customer will say, 'We already have a good supplier'. And they will spread the word about you too.

Registered Office - Your Business Requires One

2007-06-19T00:42:00.002-07:00

For those who wish to open a new business or run a limited company, Registered office is a stepping stone. This is a mandatory requirement for all kinds of businesses. Although your registered office need not be the place from where you run your business, it should be in a place that has a valid address. You can have such an office in UK, Wales or Scotland.

A registered office is the address you have to register with the Companies House. This address is entered in the public records as well.

The address also needs to be displayed in front of the office on the company signboard. And also the products of the company should have this address on it. the company letterhead must contain

All the official correspondence is carried out at this official address. For example, the mails from government offices to the company are addressed to your official address.

All the mails from Companies Home are sent to this address. The company secretary is supposed to respond to these mails as and when necessary. Any change in office must be informed to the Companies house.

registered office can be a very beneficial proposition for your business. This is so because if you manage to get a registered office in a commercial and a famous area, your visibility is higher and your target customers will come to know of your business. In no time, they may begin to associate your business with the famous address. This is a bit difficult with new small and medium sized companies.

However, the good news is that the registered office address is available with some provider firms at a small charge. This provides a convenient business solution. Not only do they give you a reputable commercial address but mail forwarding services as well.

What Registered Office Has To Do With Limited Companies?

2007-06-19T00:42:00.001-07:00

Many people abstain from going for a business venture in UK thinking that they may have to face lots of hassles. But in reality, the process of starting a limited liability company in the UK is not at all complicated. Company formation in Britain requires two Company House forms, 10 and 12 and a few other formalities. Company House Form 10 provides details of the first directors and intended situation of the registered office.

Initially a name-check should be done with Company House to ensure that the proposed name is available and meets the required criteria. It should also be ensured that the name of the proposed limited liability company entered in form 10 shows ‘limited’ as the last word. To avoid rejection of the company formation registration check addresses and post codes with Royal Mail. Company House form 10 must be signed either by the subscribers to the memorandum of association or by his deputy who is working on his behalf.

Every company must have a registered office so that official documents, letters, mails can be sent to it. This is dictated in Section 287(1)) of Companies Act of 1985. However, it is not a must that the office address should be of the place from where the business of the company is conducted. Very often it is an address of a person or persons that offer it to be used by a company. Company service provider firms manage such addresses and offer it at a certain cost to those who need it.

In some cases, one may not be allowed to use his registered office address for any trading, correspondence or advertising purposes. It will be regarded only as the official address of the company. Mails and letters sent to it are forwarded only at a certain charge. Searching out firms who offer addresses for registered office is possible over the internet. Most of these firms provide online service.

Leverage Local Business - Use the World Wide Web to Leverage Your Local Business

2007-06-19T00:41:00.002-07:00

Most of us still think that the net offer few opportunities for business with a customer base clustered in a small geographic area. Think again, matters had change, more and more local businesses are coming online. Potential clients are using search engine to get information and solution for the problem.

Eventhough some potential clients still use the business directories but more and more are using the net. It's easy and faster to use search engine to find information.

Local businesses are now using the net to:
• Build trust and deepen relationship with existing customer by providing friendly, professional information, about their business, great content.
• Raise their local profile and position their products and services.
• Promote locally and take customers from competitors.
• Continue to stay “top-of-mind” and deepen customer relationship using e-zine
• Build targeted traffic both local and global to find new customers, even added entirely new income streams
• Leverage their local expertise and knowledge for global clients, selling their goods online, even through online auctions.

It’s is time for everybody to get their offline business online. E-commerce is for everybody. A properly develop web site give your business solid web presence. With a newsletter for your targeted traffic, you could build customer loyalty thus get the edge on local competition and add new income stream.

Think of a web site as a super-business-directories. People are searching more by the online. A properly build web site for your business has its advantages over those local businesses that do not have a web site. You could update your web site any time with the latest information on your products/services. You could make special offer or even let them know of new development on your existing product or service.

A rich content web site get your prospective customer 100% attention, thus build trust and credibility. A web site that provide excellent content along with friendly and useful information allows the prospective client to know that you as an expert who share and thus trust you

A web site offer the advantage of substantial exposure, attracts hundred, even thousand, of targeted traffic, per day on an ongoing, ever-building basis. In addition, if you do it right, they will return to your site. Maximize your ezine’s wealth to reach your customer on a regular basis.

Your web site allows you to know exactly how many visitors arrive, everyday, and even hours. You know the lifetime value of a new customer. It makes computation on your Return on Investment easier. By offering your ezine to your customer at your site, you develop an increasing sense of loyalty with existing customer, as well as repeat business. You can reach them, free, whenever you want to.

Let take the mystery out of the term "e-commerce". It's time you focus on using the net to build your local business and diversifying it into a broader more profitable business. And that’s all e-commerce realty is, using the net effectively to grow your business.

Grow Your Online Business In A Week

2007-06-19T00:41:00.001-07:00

Building a successful online business gives you the freedom to focus on more important things while your website earns revenue. To ensure that can happen, there are three key areas to concentrate on – the content of your site, attracting visitors, and capturing their details when they get there.

Creating a site worth visiting

Does your site pass the crucial 8-second test? When visitors land on the homepage, is the web copy compelling enough to make them stay and read what you have to say?

Less than 1% of website visitors take any action. Let me say that again. Less than 1% of all the visitors who land on your website will contact you, bookmark your site, subscribe to your newsletter or make a purchase. And once they’ve gone, they may never come back. So you must provide compelling reasons for them to hand over their contact details.

Think how you use the internet yourself. In the last few days you may have made a couple of online purchases, and they were probably purchases of things you’ve bought before or buy regularly. The majority of your time online is spent finding information – researching potential purchases, reviewing the competition, checking your back account, etc. So why would your prospective customers behave any differently?

Even if your site is 100% commerce, it must also be a source of high-quality information about your area of expertise. This could include downloadable reports, copies of your press releases, product reviews, top tips and even competitions. Customers often don’t know what questions to ask (imagine the last time you had to make a purchase you knew very little about), and this inevitably makes us nervous and uncomfortable. So help them out by explaining the benefits, the application, the value, the ways to get best results, comparison of brand, etc.

Bringing visitors to your site

Do you have accurate statistics on your current visitor numbers? Whilst a simple visitor counter is useful, it is much more beneficial to understand the path your visitors follow through the site, the time they spend there and the links they click. If you don’t already have this information, you could try a package like www.statisfy.com, which is completely free and easy to understand.

If you’ve never tried the revolution in advertising that is Pay per Click, this is something you really need to get good at. Pay per Click is the perfect online demonstration of testing and measuring your marketing, as you only pay when visitors click on your link. You can measure your adverts click-rate and constantly try to improve your advert copy to increase the number of clicks. You can also include negative key words so your advert doesn’t show against irrelevant search entries. Visit Google Adwords to learn more about how the system works.

The “importance” of your site is a key part of where your site appears in the “natural” search results on search engines, but it also plays a big part in where your Pay per Click advert appears, regardless of the amount you bid. To check your current Google ranking score, download the Google Toolbar, which includes the Page Rank gauge. You should be aiming for a page rank of over three. And the best way to do this is to increase your “importance” by adding incoming-only links. Reciprocal links are disregarded by the search engines, so incoming-only are 3-way links will increase your ranking. Visit www.alltheweb.com to see who currently links to you.

Registering your details in online directories or posting classified ads is also a good way to improve your search engine optimisation, but ensure they are good quality sites, otherwise they won’t appear.

Although banner advertising is often considered to be appropriate only to big companies, it could really work for your business. By testing headlines and offers in Pay per Click, you’ll know what generates the best response and you can trial banner advertising. Always ensure your advertising is “direct response”, that is asking visitors to click for a specific purpose, instead of just in the hope that they’ll like your site!

What to do when they get there

As so few visitors will stay long enough to really read the content of your site, you must attempt to capture email addresses at every opportunity so that you can keep in touch with them and build the relationship directly. Newsletters are very common now and don’t often form a strong enough reason in themselves, so in order to get your visitors to hand over their details, make sure you are offering valuable information in the form of reviews and reports. Newsletters shouldn’t be disregarded completely though, as they are an excellent way to keep in touch regularly with visitors.

The opt-in approaches you use on your site are also a great way for visitors to self-qualify their interest. For example if you are a financial adviser, visitors downloading information on repairing adverse credit will be looking for a different relationship than those who download advice on buying overseas property.

Another point to remember when visitors are navigating your site is your ordering process. Are you making it difficult for people to buy from you? A look at your shopping cart abandonment rate will give you an indication of current statistics, and your hosting company can help with this.

When you’ve got that elusive customer all the way from information to ordering to checkout, how can you increase their order as much as possible? Point of sale purchases work in the real world and the online world are equally successful. You can introduce a linked system that shows “other customers who bought XYZ also bought…”, or if your business is less focused on online sales, you can ensure there are constant reminders of your full offering throughout the site.

And if it wasn’t daunting enough to collect all those email addresses, how do you keep in touch afterwards, without employing half a dozen more staff or having a nervous breakdown? Autoresponders are the answer. A quick search on any of the search engines will present dozens of autoresponder providers, and you can learn more about how these automated message systems work.

Do Your Customers Have To Ask You To Market Your Business?

2007-06-19T00:40:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...

Huh?

Please allow me to explain, because this is an instant profit generator for your business.

I mean it.

If you own a business that offers multiple products or services to your market...how do your customers find out the ways that your business can benefit their lives?

Do they have to actually ask you? I mean, is it their fault if they don't do enough research and find out from other sources what you have to offer?

Nope, it isn't their fault...it's your fault...and your responsibility to educate your customers how your business can benefit their lives.

"But Joe, I have a website/brochure that does all of that. Man, your a moron...telling me that I have to educate my customers on all of the services/products that I offer. Plus, they never ask me what I offer, so I assume they don't want to know." When a business owner replies this way...I naturally challenge them:

"Ok, Mrs. Business Owner, so what you are saying is it is your customers responsibility to use your brochures and websites etc... to educate themselves on your business and its offerings? What if they don't understand everything you offer? What if they don't want to read your website or brochure to find out how about every way you can help them?" "Mrs. Business Owner, how are you going to get your message across?"

Let's expand on this a little...using an example from a consultants business. * A client hires a marketing consultant to execute the marketing for their business.

* During the process, they uncover that the client's business lacks a system of marketing to their existing customer database. This requires that copy be written for the mailers to go out to that database. Well, the consultant should be able to tell you that client will pay fees to write that copy on top of the fees for executing the database marketing effort.

Why?

Because in the beginning of any relationship that consultant builds with their clients...They should educate them on the value of copywriting as part of their marketing process...then inform them that they offer that as well. This consulting relationship just had some value - added...because the consultant ensured that their clients are aware of, and educate them on the value of, every one of the services that the consultant provides.

And this can happen for you too. You cannot trust that your website, brochure, or other marketing collateral will do this all - important task. If you have sales staff, they need to be trained properly in offering and educating your clients on your entire menu of services or products that you provide and offer these to your new and existing customers. If you have not done this very well up to this point...this is an instant source of cash flow for your business.

Getting to the Second Right Answer - Three Tricks to Increase Innovative Thinking

2007-06-19T00:38:00.000-07:00

When General Electric’s engineers were experimenting with developing a new rubber compound, they stumbled on an odd material that stretched, bounced, and generally behaved in unusual ways. It was interesting, but they couldn’t see any use for it. They mailed samples of the material to several leading engineers all over the world, asking for ideas about how it might be used. Zilch. Nada. Then a perceptive toy store owner saw the possibilities, and gave the world Silly Putty.

If you had asked the engineers “What is this?” they would have said: “a new rubber compound.” That’s the first right answer. But the toy store owner, seeing adults at a party play with the curious item, saw what creativity expert Roger von Oech calls the second right answer.

What keeps us from being more innovative? Too often we stop at the first right answer and don’t explore other possibilities. Here are three tricks to help you discover the second (and sometimes third, fourth, and fifth) right answers.

Trick #1 Slow down - Don’t assume that you know what the problem is.

You’re trying to solve a problem. You think you know what the problem is; what you want to do is discover solutions. So when you ask a friend for help and he says: “What’s the problem?” you tell him. Your answer to the question “what’s the problem?” is the first right answer. But there is nearly always a second right answer, and perhaps several more.

Example #1:

One IT person commented: I thought the problem was that I was having difficulties relating to my new boss. But when I asked the question “who is contributing to my problem?” I found it was much deeper than that. I realized that I have tremendous support from several administrators, but very little support from the staff members to whom I am supposed to teach the new technology. They tolerate me, but it really doesn’t matter to them whether I am there or not.

The strategy that the IT person used to come to this realization has been around for ages. He simply went through the standard questions reporters ask: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How, relating each to his problem. For example, for “where,” he asked “where does this problem occur most often?” Since each of these questions leads to different answers, the list automatically takes you to second, third, and fourth right answers. It was the “who” question, “who is contributing to my problem?” that led the IT person to his insight.

Example #2

Overwhelmed by work, Letitia jokes, “Maybe I ought to just check myself into a nursing home for a month!” Her friend asks, “What would that change?” Becoming thoughtful, Letitia says, “If I were sick, it would give me a legitimate reason to say “no” to extra assignments and prove to my boss that I really can’t take on any more than I already have.” This leads Letitia to realize: “the problem is that I don’t feel justified in saying “no” unless I’m just about dying.”

That’s the first right answer to the question, what is the problem? But when Letitia asks herself “why would you have to be dying?” she ends up saying something a little different. “The problem is that my boss hates whiners, and I don’t know how to tell him how bad things are without sounding like a whiner.”

That’s the second right answer to the question “what is the problem?” Letitia arrived at it though a spontaneous joke about what would solve her problem: putting herself in a nursing home. Ask yourself what silly idea would solve your problem – and then go deeper to question how that would help.

Both of these methods – asking the who, what, when, where, why questions and looking for silly solutions to your dilemma - help to insure that you don’t stop at the first right answer to the question, what is the problem? If you slow down and take some time to search for the second and third right answers to that question, you’ll be more likely to invest your time and energy in solving a version of the problem that gets to the root of it.

Trick #2 Rephrase your problem as a positive “How to…”

Once one of your answers to the question “What’s the problem?” has hit you as a version that gets to the heart of the matter, rephrase that answer in the form of “How might I,” “How can we,” or simply “How to.” The developers of the CPS (creative problem solving) method emphasize how important it is to describe problems in terms of “How to” accomplish something positive.

Example:

Once Letitia sees that the problem is that she doesn’t know how to tell her boss how bad things are without sounding like a whiner, she can rephrase her dilemma using the “How to” phrase:

1. “How to let Mr. Robertson know how bad things are without sounding like a whiner.”

2. “How to let Mr. Robertson know about the difficulties we face while coming across to him as someone who wants to help our whole organization address those challenges successfully.”

Can you sense the difference between these two statements? Both how to statements stimulate curiosity and brainstorming in a way that simply saying “my problem is that I’m overwhelmed at work and can’t say no to my boss” does not. The second more positive version moves those brainstorming ideas towards a positive vision of what we are trying to create. How to questions ask “what are some different ways that we could accomplish this?” and so they generate many answers beyond the first right answer.

Trick #3 Shift your lenses

In a way, the toy store owner who saw the Silly Putty that the engineers missed didn’t do anything different from what the engineers did. Both looked at this material through lenses that were familiar to them. The toy store owner looked at the world through the lens of “fun products” while the engineers looked though the lens of “industrial products.” So one way to get to the second right answer is to shift lenses, to bring other perspectives to bear on the problem you are trying to solve or on the possibilities that you are trying to discover.

One obvious way to do that is to bring in people with different perspectives, a strategy that is built into team approaches to problem solving. Ask yourself who else you could bring in to gain a different perspective on the issue. The person who is the newest hire, or the in-law who has most recently joined the family, are likely to have viewpoints that we would not discover on our own because they are coming to the situation with fresh eyes.

Anything that helps us see a familiar situation in a new way can help us generate a different right answer.

Example:

One artist described how she would place the paintings she was working on in different places in her home – in the hallway around the bend of the stairs, or on a kitchen counter. In this way, she’d come upon them unexpectedly and look upon them with fresh eyes.

Here are some other strategies that can help.

1. Look at the situation through the opposite lens.

Example: if you have been generating ideas by looking through the “What if?” lens, you can reverse that and ask “what if not?”

2. Look at the situation through multiple lenses.

Example: Borrow from your college courses and look at a situation through a variety of lenses, such as political, psychological, social, historical, and economic.

3. Look at the situation through a lens that you know people often neglect.

Example: Look through the Big Picture lens, asking questions like “Is there anything about our organization as a whole that might be affecting this?”

Conclusion

Searching for the second right answer keeps us more open-minded. Our minds slam shut when others present their ideas in a way that implies that if one person is right, then everyone else must be wrong. But when we think in terms of the second right answer, we can be right without other people having to be wrong. When someone makes a statement, like “obviously what we have to do is” and then dictates a solution in a tone of voice that would normally end all discussion, we can say, “That’s the first right answer. What might a second right answer sound like?” And the road to innovative thinking is opened.

Can You Handle a Home Business ?

2007-06-16T05:06:00.001-07:00

A home based business is a coveted opportunity that few of us really get to take advantage of. The lure of being able to work between household chores, children activities, and miscellaneous functions is often the driving force to starting a home based business. However, it is important to remember that the more time you spend on your non-work activities, the less time you spend on your business. Self discipline and the willingness to work hard are two necessary factors to starting a home business.

Starting a home based business is not without its challenges. The most asked question is "what can I do at home". Simply put, the answer lies within yourself. Ask yourself what it is you like to do. Do you think you will still enjoy doing this a few years down the road? Once you have decided on what you want to do, a bit of research is necessary. Each state has rules and regulations that must be followed for specific types of businesses. Starting a catering business, for example, may have a different set of guidelines for the state of Michigan than it does for the state of Florida.

Naming your business, choosing a business structure, and registering your business are typically the next steps to follow. A business plan is necessary for securing financing and insurance. Marketing and promoting your business is a never-ending task that is required to keep your business name in the foreground.

Now that you are well underway to achieving your desire of home businessship, try to remember your reasons for this venture. While there will be trials and tribulations, keep focused on the goals you have set for yourself.

Laws of Business Attraction

2007-06-16T05:05:00.002-07:00

There is nothing more important to business owners, sales professionals and marketing consultants than attracting new business. The same holds true for solo professionals such as authors, speakers and entrepreneurs. The ideal situation would be having new customers or clients who purchase from you for life.

Think about the possibilities...

You won't have to invest as much time, energy and money marketing your business. You get to choose the clients you want to work with—and turn down those you don't. You make faster sales when promoting a product, program or service. And you get the satisfaction of knowing what you do, say or produce has meaning, adds value and positively impacts people's lives.

So how do you get to this place of satisfaction? To this place of joy, fun and seasons in the sun? What do you have to do to get there?

It begins with you...

Your reputation and everything you represent. Your goals, dreams and desires. And your ability to attract an endless source of clients.

Let's start from the beginning and review what I call the Fundamental Laws of Business Attraction:

1) Professional marketing materials. Everyone starts out with business cards to promote their enterprise. Then you may opt for brochures, flyers and one or more websites. Then you might incorporate ads, online squeeze pages, e-mail marketing campaigns and direct response mailers.

All of these promotions must appear congruent to the business you're representing. You don't have to look slick if it's not necessary. A seminar company such as SkillPath uses clipart graphics to promote their workshops. They promote two-day, medium-priced seminars nationwide without the need to showcase their speakers.

One costly mistake to avoid is using clever copy that has little pulling power. If you're promoting cuteness and humor over making sales and generating leads—there are numerous ad agencies that would love to pocket your money.

But I'd bet you're in business to make money. Then you'd probably want to try direct response marketing. You're in business to attract as many qualified prospects to respond to your offer as soon as possible. Direct response compels people to take action and can quickly bring you income and build your database.

2) Looking sharp. You've got to look and dress appropriately for each occasion. Which translates into proper grooming, hygiene and dress. Now that doesn't require you to always dress in business suits. Today's casual business environment created a category for casual business attire.

But if you're making a presentation, then you'd probably want to dress one notch above your audience. And if you're attending a networking event, you'd want to project a professional image. Bottom line is: the more professional you look, the more professional people desire to speak with you.

It never fails. The next time you attend a two-day business event, dress business casual one day and standard business attire the next. I bet you will attract more quality leads and opportunities when you dress professionally.

I'm going to stick my neck out and go one further...

Wear the most expensive looking outfits you can afford. They really make a difference in how people perceive you. And have them pressed and ready to wear. If your outfit looks tired, it may leave the wrong impression. Believe me—people do notice.

3) Positive attitude. If you want to be known as the expert who offers solutions to people's problems, you must not let your guard down to appear as if you're consumed by problems. People must perceive you as someone who has been through it all and can now help them.

If you whine about gasoline gouging, cry about Paris Hilton being unfairly confined, or incredulous of all governments—you'll soon find yourself all alone. They will clear a path for you as you're making your way to the restroom.

Just as you exercise and take supplements to boost your internal organs, you must exercise at improving your inner-you. Replace your negative thoughts with powerful positive programming. Today's problems are nothing more than tomorrow's memories. So smile and put on a happy face.

4) Credibility. If you have enough of this, you'd have to turn away more business than you can handle. Really. Wouldn't this be a nice problem to have?

One easy way to build credibility is to ask for testimonies or comments from clients, satisfied customers and meeting attendees. Other ways to establish credibility may include producing books, demo videos, CD albums, garnering endorsements and word-of-mouth marketing. Of course if you are good at speaking, your platform presence is a huge credibility-builder.

People want to know if you've been interviewed, in what media, and by whom, if you've hosted your own show, if you're a syndicated columnist, if you have a website, been on American Idol, and how they can reach you on MySpace. The more you expand your universe and the more you reach inside people's consciousness—the more business you will attract.

5) Are you approachable... or not? Do you have gatekeepers? Do you screen your calls? Are you easy to reach? Do you smile? Do you give hugs? Have you hired an answering service?

To avoid looking amateurish: stay away from no-cost e-mail accounts, P.O. boxes and complimentary website hosts displaying those unwanted ads. Serious prospects won't take you seriously. You have to appear as legit as an American Eagle gold coin.

When I joined the Chamber of Commerce the representative suggested I switch to a local phone number to accommodate local callers. I didn't take his advice. I didn't want to attract the kind of clients who would make a big fuss about a long distance charge.

So you decide how approachable you want to become. You decide whom you want to work with. You decide because you call the shots.

Don't Name The Lobsters - Nurture The Right Relationships For Your Small Business

2007-06-16T05:05:00.001-07:00

Small business, at its core, is about one thing and one thing only--success. How does our capitalistic society measure success? Dollars, my friend, cold hard cash. Now before you start emailing me about "relationships" and "making a difference" stop to consider that without positive cash flow, your entire enterprise can shrivel up and die right before your eyes.

It is imperative that you separate you and your intentions from your business. Put another way, your business is not you and you have no right to impose your needs, financial or otherwise, on it. The survival and health of your company should be your driving force, so be very careful what decisions you make.

Another name for "relationships" and "making a difference" is "naming the lobsters". Have you ever walked into a fine seafood restaurant and observed the Lobster tank? Inside are large lobsters waiting to be chosen for your next meal. In that moment--you make a decision. Will I eat them or not? If you let yourself emotionally connect to the Lobster, you will never be able to have them for dinner. The same principle holds true for your business.

Naming the lobsters is the lack of separation between an owner and their business and it becomes apparent to me when clients say things like:

* John's been with me from the start, yet he loses more sales than he makes.
* I charge this client less because they can't really afford my fees, yet they really need my help.
* Our kids went to school together so I sell to them at cost.

If you emotionally connect to people and customers, you will not be able to make the difficult but essential decisions that will ultimately determine the health of your business. Unproductive employees, less than profitable customers and abusive relationships weaken the very core of the enterprise. DON'T NAME THE LOBSTERS! Terminate relationships that don't nurture your business, no matter how painful it may be.

Think about this. Relationship building is the core of business building, yet--what happens when you have an employee that becomes detrimental to the relationships you've built? What happens when you have a client relationship that demands a lot of your time but gives little in return by way of purchases or profit? That employee and that non-profitable client relationship: Lobsters. Don't name them! Toss them back. One bad apple can truly spoil the whole bunch.

Owning, caring for and nurturing a small business requires true leadership ability, and can be a lonely road to travel. It is filled with difficult decisions and sleepless nights. I know, I've been there. Trust me; if you fail to embrace the truly hard decisions and you continue to name the lobsters, you are risking everything.

Making Money Online Doing Freelance Work

2007-06-15T06:20:00.003-07:00

Anyone who is able to operate a computer, has an internet connection, and is well organized can find plenty of freelance work to do from home. It is an excellent way to make money when you are able to work.

You can do it part time, full time, as a way to make extra income, or to pay off existing debts you have. There are many different types of freelance work that you can choose from including data entry, writing articles, proofreading, translating, transcribing, marketing, website design, and computer troubleshooting.

There are a variety of online freelance sites that allow those needing this type of work to list it at no charge. You simply sign up at the sites and choose the type of work you are interested in doing. You will have to place bids on the projects and then the person needing the work selects someone to do it. The dollar amount that is agreed upon is placed into an escrow account on the site. Once you have completed the work and delivered it to the buyer the funds are released to your account.

In the beginning it will take some time to build up your reputation as someone who offers quality work. Make sure you always complete assignments on time. Each of these sites offers a rating system where buyers and freelance workers can rate each other. This information listed about you will help you get more work from others if it is positive. Make sure you take the time to research the various sites offering this type of work. Look for independent reviews about them online. You will find many to be very reputable.

The host sites that link those who need work done and those willing to do it will keep a percentage of the money you earn. In most cases it is 10% or 15% of your earnings. Other sites charge you a flat rate per month regardless of how much you earn. It is up to you which way will be more profitable.

In exchange for these sites hosting the work, that isn’t too much for them to charge. Consider you get to work from home, choose your hours, and not have to commute to work or purchase clothing to dress up for work. They also have arbitration systems in place. This way if the buyer won’t accept your work they can take a look at what you completed and decide if the buyer is obligated to pay for it or not.

Don’t get greedy though and work with individuals who want to pay you outside of the site. Sure, you won’t have to give the site their fees, but this is a scam often used to get quality work from individuals and then not pay for it. If this happens you won’t have any way to make the buyer pay for it. Always use the site for communications and payments so that you don’t get taken advantage of.

Deductions for the Business Owner

2007-06-15T06:20:00.001-07:00

Congratulations on becoming a business owner. Whether it is your first business or your seventh business it is an exciting time. When you begin a new business, you are filled with ideas beyond your wildest imagination and often cannot even sleep at night for all of the thoughts swirling in your head. You are thinking of ways to market your business, advertise and even ways to get clients. The momentum is unbelievable because you would almost bet money that you are running on sheer adrenalin.

This is one of those times as a business owner; you do not care if you get sleep due to your level of motivation. The key is to keep up the excitement and momentum for your business. It is not necessarily easy to run a business; however you have taken on the challenge and dream of owning your own business.

As a business owner, I am sure one of the things you have thought about are operating expenses. What is it going to costs you to run your business for six months, a year and even two or three years? This is one of those areas that business owners generally think of in addition to start-up costs. I applaud you for thinking these areas through.

What you might not have considered are the different deductions a self-employed business owner have? When you are employed by a company or organization, there are certain items that are deducted from your paycheck. This reduces what you have to consider as a deduction. The work has actually been done for you. Now that you have decided to work for yourself, who is going to educate you on this matter? Will you read books or attend local business classes? I have to tell you that there are people that probably still do not know what business deductions they are allowed because they are not talking with anyone about their business. Or they believe it will not make a difference in their tax situation.

The Company Check Up - An Examination For Your Company Part I

2007-06-15T06:19:00.001-07:00

As the manager or owner of a company it is essentially your responsibility to ensure that the company is run smoothly. Most small businesses don’t use a Board of Directors to their fullest capacity due to the fact that most owners and managers on some level are control freaks. It’s okay to admit it because everyone in your company is thinking it. So as the Chief Control Freak in your company keeping a close eye on the health of your business is a crucial function of the business cycle. I want to give you a ten point checklist to a healthier company. In part one of this three-part discussion I want to focus on some crucial foundation principles, cash flow, marketing, sales, and quality

(I) Cash-Flow

Cash is king, and simply put if the king has left the building, the company is not too far behind. Undercapitalization is a fierce epidemic in small business; owners struggle to find working capital to keep their companies running, and producing or selling a product or service. On a quarterly basis a company’s cash needs to be examined. Some questions to ask are, where is it coming from? Where is it going? Do we have too much cash? (Yes this is actually a problem) Examine the cash-flow cycle, the time it takes to make a sale, the time it takes to collect from the sale, and how long before that money is out the door. These are your turnover ratios, you may find that on average it takes 35 days to collect, but your vendors are requiring payment in 15 days, you have a 20 day gap of cash, and it’s time to sew that gap shut.

Examine also where that cash is going. Are you paying for inventory, subscriptions products or services that you do not need? Is the equipment that you own leased or purchased? Do you perform a cost-benefit analysis and have internal controls for purchases over a certain dollar amount? This one is the biggest kickers of all, how is your company performing budget wise, if you’re spending more in certain areas it might be time to examine why, and justify the expense. On a quarterly basis examine your staffing needs, keeping a worker on staff that is not performing up to standards, or is not providing positively to your bottom line may need to be let go, and those costs redirected. Finally, can you outsource anything to save on costs?

(II) Marketing

If no one knows who you are, where you are, what you’re about, and what you do nearly nothing else matters. Marketing is a basic foundation of business. Marketing is much more then simply running an advertisement, marketing is about positioning your company to whoever you’re targeting. This includes perception, feel, experience, price, and exposure just to name a few. Review your marketing strategy and campaigns. Are you really reaching who you wanted and are you influencing their decision in your favor? How do your current clients view you? Are they part of your target market? Review you strategy to determine if your core market has changed, and how you can address that change. Maybe who you originally intended didn’t buy you service or product, but someone else did, are you positioning yourself in that new market. Can you expand markets? Do you need to shrink markets? (Expansion does not mean profit one-hundred percent of the time) Are you priced competitively? Is your advertising working, and are you tracking results? When was the last time you issued a press release, and told everyone about your new service or product?

(III) Sales

I wanted to address sales separate because of the complexity of both subjects. After you have addressed any marketing concerns, it’s time to prepare for the return on investment, the sales cycle. From the initial contact, to the actual exchange of goods and service for a promise of cash, or actual cash how does your company stack up? Some industries have long sales cycle, especially when dealing with high priced services and items. So how often are you closing a deal? Are you losing to a competitor? If so, why? Are you speaking the language of the customer? Are you giving them what they need to hear to make the sale, or what you think sounds good? Talk to your existing clients and customers, get a feel for why they do business with you and not the guy down the street. What sealed the deal for them?

Some companies deal with larger corporations in their sales cycle, or a company who does a lot of business with the. If they are a majority of your annual sales (smaller companies often sell to large corporations who use their leverage and size to determine volume of sales, price, and collection periods) determine if you have the capacity to add more clients and diversify your client base. Selling primarily to one client can have an adverse affect in the long-run on your company financial health. If they get bought out, or if new management comes in, you as the supplier may be pushed out.

Also determine if you can diversify your revenue stream. Adding a service contract to that product may increase sales, or diversify your revenue. Adding several products or services together and packaging them is also a remedy for slow sales, it can also help to relieve you of excessive inventory in a product that’s not taking off. First determine though if it is feasible to do this. Do you have the man power, tools, equipment, and space? Assess your risk exposure to the potential downsides. Can you expand into new markets (profitably), and an often overlooked sales technique is harvesting more sales in your current market. Loyal customers are always a good place to look first when it comes to sales.

(IV) Quality

This begins with a review of your product/service. How’s the quality? How’s it viewed in the marketplace, are your clients/customers recommending it, or telling others to avoid it like the plague? Quality is the fourth foundational leg a company needs to stand on. Your sales will dwindle if you lack quality, that affects the cash-flow and no matter how much you market, nothing helps a poor quality service or product. Quality is really simple to examine, what you’re offering is either great, or it’s not. Check, check, and recheck your processes, refine what you offer. You don’t want to be known is the market place as a low-quality leader, because soon you won’t be known at all.

All four of these areas an intermingled, everything works together and cannot work separately of one another. By keeping all of these areas healthy you can run at a minimum a break-even business. In the following two parts we’ll discuss areas that can help propel you beyond your competition and keep your company healthy.

Digital Dashboards: Are You Able to Accurately Measure the Performance of Your Enterprise?

2007-05-17T03:06:00.000-07:00

In today’s volatile economy, the first question that pops up when we talk about our enterprise is, “how well are we performing?”. Although the question seems to be very simple, the answer can be very subjective. Based on the information available, at any moment in time, you can assume a state. But what about the so called “information available”, how current and accurate is it? Are you really able to accurately measure your enterprise’s “health” at any given instant and say, today – this moment, our organization’s overall performance is X? Do you have real-time data that you can rely on?

Especially in large corporations where measurables are spread over numerous layers of departments and sub-departments; each one of them having there own information systems and ways of measuring performance. How do you provide this information to each layer in a format that they can relate to? How do you take all this information and compile it into a simple “at-a-glance spot check” report for your senior executives? Are you able to immediately identify problem areas and bottle-neck processes? Do you have a business management tool that provides, all levels of your organization, snapshot views of your performance with the ability to drill-down into lower levels of data? And, of course, can you still contain all of this within your budget, resource and time constraints?

If you are looking for any or all of the above, look no further! Q-NET Report is the answer to your data accessibility, dissemination and viewing problems. Q-NET is the leading Business Intelligence tool kit, that caters to all your needs. With Q-NET, you can easily create Business or Digital Dashboards to show performance indicators, at all levels, with drill down links to detailed data. Q-NET takes it to the next level by tying in real-time data, making your enterprise dashboards totally dynamic with accurate up to the second information. Create all key performance indicators and metrics, identify negative trends and correct them by making the right “educated” decisions. Use Q-NET to “drive” your business on the highway to success.

Time or Attendance

2007-05-17T03:05:00.002-07:00

Wondering about the title of this article, yes, its very much referred in the industry by Time and Attendance. Try taking it this way, is it the time spent more important or the attendance or both equally. At most places its both. Department heads gives equal weight to both time and attendance when processing your salary. However with the change of focus, its always the output that matters the most. Maybe thats reason why there are two different industry terms associated with employees depending upon the focus, one is non-exempt employee and the other is exempt employee.

Rather than going into the terminological meanings of exempt / non-exempt, we move further. If there is a voting happening for whats more important, time or attendance or both, you may count on more votes falling into either time or attendance, and, time and attendance getting the minimum vote. Maybe the term time and attendance was designed reading the psychology of employees and restricting them into parameters of both for a quality output and making them learn how to discipline their work and also nurturing them for their future growth.

Different matrix are used to track employee working hours like biometrics, slot readers etc attached to a installed or on-demand software solution that in-turn records the data in a specified format. With the advancement in technology, its always the core focus that we must keep stressing on and that is not tracking employees efficiency but nurturing them in an environment that helps in bringing out the best output consistently.

Better Project Management for Web Designers

2007-05-17T03:05:00.001-07:00

Managing a project is a crucial step in the overall success of the job. Whether you’re a firm or a freelancer, you should occasionally evaluate the way projects are being managed to improve and refine the process. Here are some tips on how to manage your time and projects, whether you work for a firm, or freelance.

1. Be realistic. If you aren’t the person who does project estimating, be sure that you go over projects with this person so that realistic job timeliness can be created. Review your current workload and estimate what the next month’s workload might be, then go over all the details of the job. On large projects, be sure to create a time line with milestones where clients will need to sign off or review the progress to date. If there are any questions on any part of the job, be sure to ask those before delivering a finalized time line.

2. Don’t be afraid to to tell the truth. If you find you are too busy to take on more work, review your current projects and estimate how long it will take you to catch up, then tell your client that you will be able to start their job on a select date. Telling your client you can start right away when you really can not will only serve to frustrate your client and stress you out! Most clients are very understanding with this.

3. Remember that time is money. Organization is a skill every project manager should posses. Every minute of the day that you spend looking for documents, emails, files, etc. add up to a whole lot of wasted time. Develop a uniform process of managing each project. There are a number of software solutions out there to help in this process (I personally use BaseCamp).

4. Update. Update. Update. Yes, it’s really that important that I had to type it three time in a row! This applies to updating your projects, your designers, and your clients. Projects should be updated on a daily basis so you always know which phase of development a project is in at any time. Clients should be periodically updated when there is something for them to review, if there are any delays, etc. On large projects, I like to update clients on a weekly basis and present them with a list of things that have been done during the week and any visual or online progress examples. Designers need to be updated when clients make comments, changes, etc.

5. Keep the train on the tracks. Make sure your team is all on the same page. If you notice someone not following job specs, you need to step in and make sure they understand what they need to be doing to avoid any delays.

A Strategic Thinking Approach to Confirm That Now is the Time For A Business Coach

2007-05-17T03:04:00.000-07:00

Many people are wondering how they can know if they truly need a business coach and if they need that business coach now, rather than later. People want assurance and confirmation that they first need a business coach and second that they need the business coach now, not later. With that in mind, I tried to develop a strategic thinking approach to answer that question. Here are 10 questions I suggest you ask yourself to determine if NOW, that means today, not tomorrow, is the time for you to engage a business coach.

1. do you want to establish a clear vision of your business?

2. do you want to manage your time more effectively?

3. do you want to learn how to think and act strategically?

4. do you want to create clear business goals & objectives?

5. do you want to develop effective business systems?

6. do you want to learn how to communicate more effectively?

7. do you want to learn how to market yourself and your products/services more effectively?

8. do you want to maximize your potential as a leader?

9. do you want to have the benefit of an independent and experienced business professional in an open and trusting confidential client-coach relationship that will hold you accountable?

10. do you want to experience growth in your business and on a personal level?

My experience leads me to believe that you did honestly answer YES to at least one and probably many of these questions. In more than 24 years of experience in my own strategic thinking consultancy I have learned that many people go into business being good at what they do but not knowing how to run a business. Eventually, and I am saying that means NOW, business owners and leaders have to face up to and admit to the need to take control of managing and growing their business. And the way to do that is to engage and work with a business coach.

The coaching process involves the person being coached to work on finding solutions to their problems and to finding ways to capitalize on their opportunities with the coach acting as a skillful guide and facilitator. Through questioning and challenging the person, the coach will guide the individual into defining and developing solid realistic action plans. And the coach will hold the individual accountable to those action plans.

How to Transform Your Time Spent in Business Meetings From Time Wasted to Time Well Spent

2007-05-17T03:03:00.002-07:00

How many of you reading this article has suffered through very dull, inefficient, and unwarranted business meetings that wasted your valuable time? And how many of you wished it was possible to transform the wasted time into time well spent? If you answered YES, please pay attention to the dozen tips I am sharing with you on how to transform time wasted into time well spent in your business meetings.

1. Do an honest evaluation of your current business meetings, identify what is not working and commit to preparing a plan to improve the meetings which will be respectful of everyone’s time.

2. Establish ground rules for your meetings and commit to enforcing the rules.

3. Always prepare an agenda and send it to attendees prior to the meeting.

4. Establish a committed time to begin and end meetings.

5. Develop alternative times, locations and formats of your meetings to introduce a needed change from time to time.

6. Hold the person chairing the meeting accountable for keeping the meeting “on track” and enforcing the ground rules.

7. Allow some time for “brainstorming” to take advantage of creative thinking and problem solving, as appropriate.

8. Maintain a positive tone for your meetings.

9. Assign someone to record an accurate account of the meeting, including decisions, future actions, assignments, etc.

10. Set aside time to recognize excellent performance and to celebrate success.

11. Have the chairperson recap the key points of the meeting.

12. Conclude the meeting on time with a unifying statement and a summary of action items.

Struggling Leaders Use Worthless Training

2007-05-17T03:03:00.001-07:00

Original Leader Mentality

The evolution of organizations started with men who, professionally, were great in business but who, personally, were emotional dolts. These are people who believed that there was no room for "feelings" in business. So they repressed all feelings by asserting coercive power. Their perspective: if you show feelings, you can forget about that promotion. As a result, people without power, who worked for them, did not show their feelings at work, for fear of ending their career advancement opportunities. Unfortunately, over time repressed feelings caused a lot of problems in those businesses.

Dominant Leader Styles

The leaders I am speaking of came into power via one of two categories. There were the “Repressors”, those that repressed feelings themselves, and the “Aggressors”, those that let them out inappropriately. In psychobabble terminology, they call them the Parents and the Children. The Parents were benevolent and parochial. There job was to protect their employees. ‘Fathers Knows Best’ is their mantra. Don't tell employees too much; it will confuse them. I'll make all the decisions for them. Mr. Brady from the TV show the Brady Bunch is a good personification of this style of management. Then there were the Children. They let out their feelings at will because they are the boss and they have the power to do that. Bobby Knight best personifies this style of management.

Put these two styles together and it spells problems. For years, bad communication reigned supreme in most organizations. It was mainly because both these dominant styles of management made it perfectly clear to workers that they were not to discuss their true feelings. The Mr. Brady’s would say "don't talk like that." And the Bobby Knight’s would say, "stop whining, shut up and do what I tell you to do."

Of course, repressing what we are really thinking and feeling eventually causes dysfunction. For years, organizations tried to function as machines, with people as nothing more than replaceable parts. We now know that this does not create or instill excellence. Yet, companies continue to get by in this manner, with one huge side effect: they are wasting a lot of potential. Unfortunately, they don’t know this, or just don't care.

Today

Anybody with a pulse and experience working in any type of company will tell you that bad communication happens and interpersonal dysfunction is the norm. There are varying degrees of dysfunction. Some places are worse than others. And yet, some minimal level of dysfunction exists in every organization I have ever worked for.

So, we've got a problem. And it is a problem that everyone knows. If asked “do you have any teams that could function better than they currently do?”, realists say ‘yes’ and people in denial say ‘no’. Granted, your team may not be what you would call dysfunctional, but it is not a model for excellence either. Bad teams and good teams can get better with the proper team workout.

Team building is Worthless

The problem is, for the last forty years, the training antidote to be ‘better’ has been team building. And team building is worthless. Why do I say this? When the term ‘team building’ is mentioned, you get a range of responses from gag reflexes and rolling of eyes. A few think ‘it is OK’ and even ‘fun’. Ask anyone, however, if team building actually helps their team back at the office and you get a resounding ‘no.’

Team building in general has become so impractical that nobody likes it anymore. Corporate America went from one extreme (repressed feelings) to the other (love fest). The concept of team building (working on strengthening our team) is good in theory, but something goes horribly wrong in practice.

The Oprah Lovers’ have seized their opportunity. Business people are clearly bad at feelings and communication. So consultants thought “let's package up some activities and sell them on the illusion that these activities will help their dysfunction”. And presto, a thriving industry was born.

The team building industry is actually a continuity business. Teams do not work out their problems and dysfunction in these flaky activities. They may have some fun, but no real changes happen back at work. Problems continue and the team building hucksters say it's because you need more team building. Let's play more expensive business games, waste more time and money.

I'm making a gag reflex as I write this. If you don't believe me, do a Google for the term "team building”. Check out the sites that come up. You see a lot of people playing games and having fun. They are also spending (wasting) a lot of time, energy and money playing games and having this fun.

Team building is Still Worthless and Maybe Even Worse

And what are the discernible business results? Nothing. Sure, people may get to know each other a little better, but you could do that at a holiday mixer, a breakfast meeting or a luncheon.

The problem has grown even greater because team building is getting more and more touchy feely and impractical. Fortune magazine ran a story in April 2006 about a company that sent two hundred of its people to a week long team building event in New Zealand at a cost of nine thousand dollars a person. That’s $1.2 million for what?

Let's face it, one of the biggest problems teams have is that they either avoid conflict or have destructive conflict. How much better is this problem after the $1.2 million dollar boondoggle? Try worse. First of all, there are forty four thousand eight hundred people pissed that they didn't get a free trip to New Zealand. Secondly, the people that were there were competing AGAINST each other for the entire week. Wasn’t the point to improve ways of working better TOGETHER?

Now what?

So, let's review. Because we have either Mr. Brady or Bobby Knight running the show, we have teams that have some problems. The only solution in today’s environment (fluff team building) actually causes more pain and is frustrating because it gets no real results. We go and maybe have some fun, then get back to our usual dysfunction du jour as soon as we get back to work.

Can't we find some middle ground here? We have teams that have problems and are in need of improvement. Most teams are just OK and are not on a path to excellence. Team workout sessions are a way for teams to get together and discuss interpersonal issues that are holding them back from achieving their goals. With a team workout, teams always end up with clear action steps that have responsibilities, deadlines and accountability.

You can build a better team without engaging in stupid and embarrassing activities.

Multiple Streams of Affiliate Marketing Income

2007-05-17T03:02:00.001-07:00

Being ignorant about something is not the trouble. The trouble is the unwillingness to learn something. So, get rid of your inertia and read this article about management software affiliates.This article about management software affiliates is an attempt to remove all the doubts and confusions that remains in the minds of the readers.Creating Multiple Streams of Management Software Affiliate Marketing IncomeReading this article on management software affiliates must have helped you to confirm your belief whether you know everything that needs to be known about management software affiliates. And we can guess what your answer might be.

Reading of this article must have made you realize how much there was for you to know about management software affiliates and you thought that you knew everything was to be known about management software affiliates.Have you ever heard or read the phrase “multiple streams of income” before? Do you know what this phrase means? For many businessmen, creating multiple streams of income online or offline is one way of securing themselves as well as their businesses in the future. They also believe that it can also save them from the so-called famine effect in the business industry. Once you are engaged in affiliate marketing business, it is advisable if you have multiple streams of affiliate marketing income so that if one of those income streams vanished, it will not upset you the way losing your sole stream would.

If you depend on just one source of income and this single stream has been downsized or has lain off, you’ll surely find yourself bankrupted and hopeless. Try to ask the most successful online entrepreneurs, and you’ll discover that they have established multiple streams of online income.Now when you are reading this article on management software affiliates, you should judge whether our effort in providing you with quality information and content has been successful or not.There is a businessman that said and attested that the very first step you must take in creating multiple streams of income is to assess or evaluate your resources. Start by assessing yourself first. Jot down your answers to the following questions: What are the talents, abilities, strength and gears that you possess? Are you gifted with excellent and creative writing skills? Can you do well at sales? Are you good in communicating with people? Are you born with an artistic skill or unique ability that other people don’t have?

Through this, you can determine the kind of business where can possibly excel.Reading the general stuff published on the net makes one reluctant to read articles on the net. But now when you are reading this article, you must have found that we are not amongst those who publish that banal stuff.Next, look around and write down you assets and physical resources such as computer, color printer, scanner, digital camera, cell phone, CD or DVD burner. Write these all down because it can be used as a resource. Consider also your friends and family. Find out what do they possess that you have access to. Remember that no man is an island. You can use the talents, abilities, knowledge and resources of everyone you know.We were not thinking of wasting your time when we thought of providing you with this article.

And now when you are yourself reading this article, don’t you think that we were sincere in our efforts?That’s basically the initial step if you want to create multiple income streams. But if you’re already a webmaster or a site owner, you definitely have an edge. Why don’t you join affiliate marketing business to help you gain extra income out of your own website?We have tried very hard to provide you with an article about management software affiliates that could resolve most of your doubts about management software affiliates and now it is for you to decide if we have been successful or not.Being involved in affiliate marketing is one of the most desirable ways to make multiple sources of income. It is because affiliate marketing programs come in various shapes and forms.

There are a large number of affiliate marketing programs that you can sign on with and start gaining bucks right away. In affiliate marketing, you can make money by promoting and reselling your affiliate products and by recruiting new affiliates. What’s good about this is that you can find widest array of training materials that can enhance your marketing abilities. In affiliate marketing, you can be sure that there are genuine products to promote and sell and there is real income to make.So, do you still think that you know everything that was to be known about management software affiliates? Don’t you feel that there were so many things that were to be known about management software affiliates?Either part time or full time, being an affiliate marketer is an excellent way to create multiple income streams by means of promoting products and services from web merchants.

Here, you can get affiliate commission without investing big bucks in making your own product and without worrying about book keeping, customer support and ecommerce. All you have to do is to promote and resell the products and services in your site and pass on potential customer’s the merchant’s site.It is true that so many articles are available on the net about management software affiliates and you must have read quite a few of them. Now, when you are reading this article, don't you feel that we have actually tried to offer something different to our readers?In affiliate marketing, it is advisable to promote more merchants in your site so that your visitors will have variety of destinations to choose from. Using multiple merchants in the same site or niche means only one thing – you have multiple streams of affiliate income.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this business strategy because this is one of the best ways to protect your business and expanding your horizons. Through this, you can be assured that you won’t experience crisis if ever one of your web merchants closed his/her program.It is true that most of the articles on the net are repetitive and banal but we have tried hard to save this article from those faults. Now when you are reading this article, you can vouchsafe for us.However, you should choose only those affiliate programs that interest you so that you can effectively advertise and promote them. Don’t ever be tempted into signing up for numerous affiliate programs in the hope that one of them will bring income. Select wisely and don’t be engaged in selling products you know nothing about. Go with the stuff that jives with your enthusiasm; your passion can capture your client by the nose and guide him/her to your affiliate link.

You should also work hard to make your multiple streams of income more stable. You can do this by embracing some strategies and tactics and by developing within yourself, some traits that can help you become successful in any kind of business such as patience, persistence and thirst for knowledge.Lastly, just remember the adage that says “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” So that if one of them is lost, you can still have some to make omelets. And what do these eggs have to do with multiple streams of affiliate income?

The First Steps Towards Successful Project Management

2007-05-17T03:01:00.000-07:00

IS departments are constantly being downsized or outsourced. Therefore, well-run projects are vital to an IS professional’s career. Carefully managing project details, including time and materials, is essential now that IS is being asked to deliver more using fewer resources. There are several effective, relatively inexpensive project management scheduling and tracking packages available for PCs. These types of packages have been around on mainframes since the early 1970s, though they cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Today shareware packages start at under $100.

Many of these products assume a knowledge of project management that many technical managers do not have. Without an understanding of the basic concepts of project management, managers may often find the software is confusing and hard to use.

The first step in project management is to break the project down into measurable tasks and organize them into a hierarchy called the work breakdown structure (WBS). Different companies have different terms for the various levels in a work breakdown structure. Some levels include stages, steps, and tasks, or phases, activities, and tasks.

Regardless of terminology a company uses, the purpose of the WBS is to organize the project into various deliverables or summary reporting levels. Some of the traditional stage (or phase) levels in IS projects include project definition, analysis, design, development, testing, implementing, and project review. Whether a project has standard levels or not, the main purpose of these higher levels is to group the detail tasks, allowing project administrators to more easily track the project’s progress.

The next step in project management involves determining inter-task dependencies. Once the tasks have been listed and organized into a WBS, inter-task relationships need to be established. These relationships, also called dependencies or links, exist when the start or completion of one task is somehow related to the start or completion of another task.

There are three types of inter-task dependencies: finish-start, start-start, and finish-finish. The tasks that must be performed first are called the predecessor tasks and those that follow are successor tasks.

The finish-start relationship is the most common dependency relationship. In the finish-start relationship, the predecessor task must finish before the successor task can start. Some examples of this type of relationship include situations in which the project definition must be done before the analysis can start or systems design must be done before coding can start.

The start-start relationship is a less common dependency relationship. In the start-start relationship, the predecessor task must start before the successor task can start. This relationship is often erroneously interpreted as meaning that both tasks start at the same time, but that is not always true. An example of this type of relationship is a situation in which setting up interviews must have started before the interviews themselves can start.

The finish-finish relationship is also a less common dependency relationship. In the finish-finish relationship, the predecessor task must finish before the successor task can finish. The relationship is often erroneously interpreted as meaning that both tasks finish at the same time. This type of relationship occurs when, for example, coding must finish before testing can finish or when systems testing must finish before implementation can be completed.

Those are the first few steps to project management and, arguably, the most important ones. Make sure to practice these with each project you do in order to improve your project management abilities.

Self Actualised Organisation - Nightmare of Workforce!

2007-05-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

If you want to plan for a year, sow rice, if for a decade, plant a tree and if for the lifetime, then train your work force. - Chinese proverb

In these days of global competition, if organizations dare to ignore this saying just as another management quote, I bet, its doomsday is not far off. If an individual is self-actualized, he may quit at the age of forty and may lead a retired life as a Consultant. However, if an Organization behaves like a self-actualized individual, it is a real mess and an alarm for a massive HR exercise through positive intervention. An individual’s growth is stunted if he is satisfied with his achievements in life and he is in the club of the people who are self - actualized. As per Abraham Maslow, if an individual is satisfied, he ceases to be a motivator. Success will play hide and seek with such individuals. In the same way, if an Organization is satisfied with its growth, no one can stop it from vanishing from the business map of the world. You may ask, how can we identify such Self - actualized Organizations?

If we trace out the roots of Self-satisfied Organizations, the following are some of the behavioral patterns with which one can identify such organizations:

i) They neglect recruitment from day one of establishing the organization, giving way to mostly references from relatives and any hearsay that can be taken as potential recommendation. With this kind of recruitment, the Management gives way to appoint cheap Managers and cheap labour, ignoring the fact that you will get only monkeys, when you pay peanuts!

ii) Generally, there will not be any kind of training as this kind of Management thinks that if we dump people in the plant en masse, they will learn themselves, ignoring all safety precautions and putting their lives open to all kinds of risks and accidents. Such Organizations will buy 100% Safety Certificates from ‘National Safety Council’ at a throw away price. Moreover, such Managements do not believe in spending on Training and Development.

iii) Unfortunately, people are not considered as assets in such Organizations, and they are rarely treated in a gentle and humane manner. Such a Management is never fair and frank with the employees. Openness is a far cry. Recruitment is projected as on humanitarian grounds to tap cheap labour (remember, they are going to be your assets, not just a bunch of humans) is only at the risk of the development of the organization in the long run. People who are selected and recruited in the name of humanity will become seniors and self-actualized producing nothing either for the benefit of the Organization or for them. As far as Organizational building is concerned, ‘recruitment on humanitarian grounds’ must be rationalized and it should not be based on irrationality and favoritism.

iv) In the long run, such Organizations land in trouble and can not manage their human resources as the people recruited by them will become Seniors and start demanding more pay, promotions and what not, all kinds of perks which are paid in a professionally managed organization. Automatically, the Organization will become the birthplace of another new Union, naturally, which would contain a group of complacent, unproductive, uncreative bunch of gentle goons who always encourage just absenteeism but not productivity.

v) Employees working in such Organizations will become aliens to the outside world and cannot learn anything, which would be beneficial for them in future. vi) Managements who think of only humanity ignoring all other factors such as recruiting professionals and training them to suit the business needs of the Organization, will deliver only unprofessionalism and lose drastically in the world of competition.

vii) Such Managements never think of building Organizations and producing Professional Managers and it is a myth for them if anybody talks of producing wealth by way of sharing knowledge. Generally, these kind of Managements use outdated or not so widely used systems and software for e.g. use of Lotus Smart Suite instead of MS Office family. Generally, employees opting to leave such organizations do not get any kind of job as they worked on outdated systems all the years of their service.

viii) Lending unwanted helping hand and irrelevant HR practices also make employees feel disgusted and a promotion also considered as a curse and unwanted, as one has to do the same work even after elevation. Delegation of powers is a myth in such organizations. Generally, this kind of trend is highly evident in the family managed organizations as they always dream of grabbing more share from the market without training their Marketing Manager to dive deep into emerging new markets and they pile up stocks with low quality, indulging in self-deceit and unproductive board meetings arranged with disgust and lack of confidence.

Nothing would be initiated which would help develop the knowledge of the employees in such organizations. Where there is no performance due to lack of professional training, the question of performance appraisal does not arise as all Managers suffer with ‘Yes Boss Syndrome’. Promotions will be offered on a silver platter to those who are consistently maintain patience due to ignorance of rules, waiting for their turn due to lack of proper knowledge, and to those who are having minimum knowledge in their field of service.

Generally, pay will be hiked gradually as people become seniors and they think the Organization is doing well. Management will always concentrate on production and marketing and conveniently, pose as people oriented organization following all statutory obligations focusing them as good HR practices.

As per the latest HR practices and parameters, this kind of Organization is considered to be in a real HRM mess. The remedy would be only ‘Business Process Re-engineering’. As a first step towards this path of progress, an Organization must opt for HRD Audit, which would assess the talent pool and knowledge base of the Organization to take up cleansing process. People must be trained in a phased manner to develop a culture and mindset to integrate the thought process, in turn, which would contribute for the smooth running of the organization. Emotional imbalance, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional disturbance, Emotional turbulence, low IQ, low EQ is the most dreaded diseases of the family managed business organizations. These kinds of emotional excesses can be eliminated and balanced with proper behavioral training by way of organizing behavioral labs, meditation and Yoga classes outside the Organization, in the midst of nature.

Retain potential customers with Customer Relations Management. Manage the team spirit of the employees with positive Employee relations management. Old habits die-hard. However, train the people to develop new culture and open their world to the emerging innovations in their business field in which they are working. Open the floodgates of information through intranet and Internet, develop a culture prone to learning, and ultimately allow transforming it as a Learning Organization forever. Learning Organizations will be always alert to the needs of the customers. Continuously learning employees always work towards fulfilling the mission of the Organization if it is spelt out to reach top to bottom with clear communication. Personalized care must be taken by HR Department to help manage the emotional balance of the people. HR Managers must act as Chief People Care Officers, to facilitate people to concentrate on their tasks.

The following are the strategic moves to be followed to build a great organization.
1. Tapping the right kind of talent for the right job from day one of building the organization.
2. Training and development of employees to suit the business needs.
3. Transforming earning organization into Learning Organization for continuous motivation
4. Creating a Creative Centre in the Dept. of HRD on the lines of Profit Center, which would help in guiding the Organization towards the fulfillment of its mission statement and acts as a watchdog to influence positive and productive decision-making - such steps would contribute for the overall development of the organization.

Optimization of the utilization of M3 i.e. Men, Money and Machine through aligning HR Management with business goals would go a long way and help to become a truly global organization. GMP means not just Good Manufacturing Practices as defined but it also stands for Good Men Practices, Good Money Practices and Good Machine Practices, can be called GMP3 . Good Men Practices can be achieved through continuous training and development. Good Money Practices can be attained through continuous cost cutting measures and injecting accountability in every employee of the organization. Good Machine Practices can be introduced by way of checking IQ (Installation Qualification), OQ (Operational Qualification), and PQ (Performance Qualification) regularly. Sustenance and Development of these GMP3 would help sustain a good business model and transform the same into good revenue model, ultimately helps in building a highly profitable organization.

To conclude in a nutshell, one might be well aware of the fact that Bajaj, Tata, Birla, Eagle Poonawala, Nirma, Ranbaxy, - all industries in various businesses started as family organizations but slowly developed and metamorphosed into a highly professionally managed mammoth business groups which are proud and inspiring members of India Inc., with globe as their business play ground. The recent examples of professionally managed family Organizations which transformed themselves as professionally managed business Giants are Wipro, Satyam, Dr.Reddys’ etc. During the Tatas recent restructuring, Ratan Tata declared himself as Chief Personnel Officer, acting as a Change Agent to facilitate best HR practices. That would be a real shot in the arm for HR Managers when CMD himself supervises the organizational change!

Because of massive restructuring, Tatas sold out 11 Companies and bought 18 Companies to add more value to the Group. Taking over of Corus, by Tatas also demonstrates the business acumen of Indian companies. Above all, the finest example is Morepen Labs, which is a professionally managed Organization from day one and they achieved US FDA within minimum possible time from the date of commissioning the plant activities. Such is the meticulous planning and vision of the Morepen Management, which is an ideal benchmark, and envy of the competitors. An Organization engaged in any kind of business activity must have a vision of their own, lending the same to the employees down the line to help them tune to the business goals of the Management. Organizational Leadership must be prone to change according to times, and must learn and train them continuously to acquire the knowledge of innovations and must be aware of the emerging market trends. A learned and learning leader can always avoid creating a self-actualized Organization!

Are Your Employees Satisfied?

2007-05-17T02:59:00.000-07:00

A successful business needs good management. However, without satisfied, dedicated employees, it will fail. Happy employees are optimistic and productive. Their enthusiasm rubs off on both management and customers. There is nothing like going into a business where the employees are happy, enthusiastic and satisfied with their careers and the way the company is run. As a customer, supplier or even a competitor, it is a pleasure to walk through the door of such a business.

Happy, satisfied employees are the most attentive and helpful to the customers. An employee with a positive attitude is contagious and can change the attitude of every staff member they are around. However, just as a positive mind set is easily spread, so is a negative one. If a member of the team is unhappy, watch out! His or her negative attitude can become infectious, contaminating coworkers and customers alike. These pessimistic employees can breed an atmosphere of low morale. This will lead to decreased productivity, higher than normal turnover and unproductive time spent gossiping and complaining. The expense of training each new employee so they may excel is lost when they leave to work at some other organization because the atmosphere is too negative at your organization.

This is where competent management earns their big salary. They must quickly identify the source of discontent and eliminate it as quickly as possible. If the cause is some new procedure or policy change, then corrections must be implemented immediately. If the problem is an employee, then that employee must be taken aside and counseled. Part of that counseling should include notification that their employment will be terminated unless they improve their attitude and behavior within a specified time frame. This notification should be made in writing. One copy of this notification should be left with the employee and one copy with a signature from the employee acknowledging receipt of the notification should be retained by management and filed on the employee’s personnel file. If improvement doesn’t occur, then the employee must be dismissed from the company. Just like a rotten apple can destroy a whole barrel of fruit, one pessimistic disruptive employee can destroy a company if left to fester away.

To combat negativity in the workplace, management must continually motivate employees by encouraging them to work to the best of their abilities. Regular management/employee contact is necessary to show that an employee’s contributions are valued. Management should implement a suggestion award program which will allow employees to have input into the running of the company. Compensation should be made for any suggestion that is implemented. Regular scheduled employee/management meeting should be implemented. These meetings should be used to discuss what is working and what isn’t. New policies or procedures should be announced at these meetings along with adequate justification for their implementation. Staff luncheons could be made part of these scheduled meetings. A free lunch for employees who attend the meeting should ensure good attendance. Also, Employee of the Month recipients can be announced at these meetings.

Another morale booster for employees is a continuing education program. If employees receive free or heavily subsidized education from their employer, they appreciate it. This is especially true when successful completion of the program results in a promotion within the company.

If your organization recognizes that its employees are valuable and deserve to receive praise and recognition, then you will benefit from increased productivity and employee satisfaction and retention. This will also positively affect customer satisfaction.

The success of your business depends upon creating an environment that is conducive to employee happiness. If your environment doesn’t do this, then you must make the necessary changes to correct it. REMEMBER, that good management and happy employees result in a successful business!

Sun Zi Art of War - Four Areas to Note to Achieve a Good Workforce

2007-05-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

In Chapter Seven of Sun Zi Art of War, Sun Zi mentioned four important areas to achieve a good fighting force. They are:

1) Morale
2) Psychology
3) Physique
4) Change

Morale refers to the fighting spirit or the troops' willingness to fight. Psychology refers to emotional intelligence of the troops, their ability to manage their emotions. Physique refers to the well-being of the troops, whether they are well fed or well rested. Change refers to the troops’ ability to respond to situations.

So how can we apply this to business?

Business Application

Morale

This is the most important areas out of the four. It is equivalent to the fighting spirit of the employees in your the company. High morale can help the company to tide over even the worst crisis. But morale is very fragile. Any slight negativity in the company like a bad remarks or rumors can cause a drastic drop in it. So a good manager should always be able to keep the morale high in a company .

Psychology

This is equivalent to the emotional intelligence of the department This in turn is equivalent to the emotional intelligence of the leaders in the department. Many a times, we have seen that the leader’s emotions usually will affect other team members. If the leader of a team has low emotional intelligence, it is a matter of time before the team will self-destruct because of working relationship issues.

Physique

Studies have shown that absenteeism is a major costs on companies, but now there are studies that show 'presenteeism' can also be a huge costs as well because firstly, they can spread their disease to others in the office and secondly, the drop in productivity due to their sickness.

The best solution to these two problems is to take care of the health of your employees. Why not set aside time for your employees to do some exercise if they want to? Because in my opinion, time spent on work done is important but it is productivity that matters. Good health has been shown to have a high relationship with productivity. So if the increase in productivity can compensate for the time lost by a large extent, it could be worth your while. Do you have a program that takes care of your employees’ health?

Change

In this dynamic business environment, major changes come often. So how do you help your employees to cope with changes, both within the company and those in the industry? The key here is information.

The reason most people do not like changes or are not able to handle it is because the fear of uncertainty. The fear of what is going to happen after the change. So what can help your employees to manage and handle change is information. Let them know why such changes are made, what are the repercussions that are going to follow. Allow them to be able to anticipate what is coming from these changes so that they can make ample preparations for it. Is this being carry out in your company?

What Is Air Freight Tracking?

2007-05-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

Air freight tracking is a service that is provided by many air freight companies in order for their customers to have the information relating to where their freight is at any one time from the moment it leaves their location to the moment it arrives at its destination.

Many people are able to visit the freight company's site and just by entering your waybill details you should be able to have the exact location of where your package is at that time.

However if you carried out a search of the internet by keying in "air freight tracking" you will find a myriad of sites listed who can find out where your goods are by you either keying in your way bill details or just by clicking on the Air Freight Company that is transporting your goods for you.

There are many companies around the world suggest as UPS who are a single source provider and they can provide people with instant access to their world wide network by allowing them to use their advanced air freight tracking and visibility system which will help people to manage their shipments from departure to delivery.

There are also a number of companies who offer a software package which many sites use for people to enter their air freight in order to track their goods. Below are details of one such package.

Magaya Live Track is the most revolutionary software product on the market today and it allows people to track cargo that is moved by companies that are part of the Magaya Network worldwide. This software allows you to view information such as pick up orders, warehouse receipts and cargo releases (very important for those who have strict deadlines they need to meet) immediately on line. As well as this they can view and print all the documentation that relates to their cargo in a clear and accurate format.

Whilst another company that offers air freight tracking is Trackweb which was set up in order to allow users to have access to the various websites of air freight carriers and shipping company websites and leads you straight to their specific tracking page. All the links they provide are direct to the companies tracking pages and can be accessed easily from any PC.

9 Secrets To Making Laser-Accurate Financial Decisions

2007-05-01T05:35:00.000-07:00

Making top notch financial decisions is the goal of all good managers. Unlock these secrets to make a start on this process today.

Secret #1. Think Widely on Options to Solve the Problem

It is a waste of your time if you make decisions without canvassing ALL the options. How can the business be served well if you haven’t bothered to think of all the ways to solve your financial problem?

For example, if you are required to find a replacement for an aging computer system or factory plant item, what options would you think were available? What questions would you ask?

- Replace with a comparable item?
- Repair, upgrade, refurbish or maintain the current item?
- Purchase new/second-hand item with more capacity and increased output?
- Will the customers still be there for the outputs of the new equipment over its life?
- Will the company’s direction still provide a need for this asset over its life?
- What are competitors likely to be doing during the life of the asset?
- Will the cost of the new equipment price the product out of the market?

Secret #2. Think Outside the Box

Now that you have thought of good questions it’s time to apply some creative thinking processes to them in order to get the best answers.

There are many tools for creative thinking available. Just go to your favorite search engine and type in “creative thinking” for a host of suggestions. Some commonly used ones are:

- Brainstorming
- Plus Minus Interesting (PMI)
- “Six Thinking Hats”
- S.C.A.M.P.E.R.
- Lateral Thinking
- Random Input

Enter any of these into the search engine for an explanation of the terms.

Also you can also gain some real insights by listening to dissenters in your company or other outsiders. They may just have the key that will make your decisions a lot easier and generate more profits for the company. Do not forget to include their ideas.

These tools are designed to provide you with many answers to your questions

Secret #3. Gather ALL the Data,

In order to make a successful financial decision you will need as much data as you can use effectively. You will need to quantify the costs and benefits so that a rational decision can be made easily. The best way to do this is to convert them all to dollars. This will make it easier to assess competing options.

Some Costs to Consider:

- Installation of new equipment
- Removal of current equipment
- Downtime costs e.g. lost orders, increased stocking costs, extra labor to catch up with customer orders
- Training costs for new equipment
- New maintenance costs
- Capital costs
- Tendering costs, purchasing costs
- Initial transport costs

Some Benefits to Consider:

- Less wastage
- Less labor input
- Less resource inputs
- Increased safety
- Increased quality of life
- Faster customer response
- More accurate data
- Faster production times
- Less stock required
- Scrap/Trade-in Value at end of economic life
- Scrap/Trade-in Value of current equipment

Secret #4. Analyze the Data

Now that you have collected the data and have converted it to dollars, it's time to evaluate each viable option using a systematic method.

There is a proven, tested method called Cost Benefit Analysis, which is the tool of choice for these kinds of decisions. It can be used effectively for asset replacement decisions as well as funding choices. Big business and governments around the world use it. The US government is a big user of this technique. In fact, it has legislated, federally, that this method be used when making decisions regarding funding to various major programs.

This method allows you to weigh up the relative costs and benefits of competing proposals, showing you which option is the most profitable, least costly or provides the greatest net benefit.

There are certain rules that need to be adhered to so that the final decision can be understood and acted upon. You can find the link to a site offering this proven method at the end of this article or in the Author Profile.

Secret #5. Make The Decision

Based on the Cost Benefit Analysis results produced above, there should be a clear answer as to the best way forward - provided all the processes were completed correctly.

You can be confident that this is the best financial decision, given the information at hand and the assumptions underlying the analysis.

Secret #6. Sell the Decision,

Once the decision is made it needs to be communicated, since others will need to know. Some groups who may need to know and be convinced that your decision is in their best interests are:

- Employees
- Board members
- The press
- Customers
- Suppliers
- The owners
- Special interest groups

Since you used a tested, proven system to make the decision it makes it easier to convince these groups of the correctness of your decision – saving you time and effort.

Secret #7. Review the Decision

A year after the decision has been made, communicated to stakeholders and implemented it is time to go back and review the decision. This is often referred to as a Post Completion Review. Some areas of review are listed below:

- Assumptions – were they correct?
- Costs – did the actual costs of purchase, installation and operation equal the assumed costs in the proposal?
- Were there other costs involved that were not planned for originally?
- Benefits – did they eventuate? Were they in line with the initial assumptions?
- Were there any problems in implementation not foreseen in the proposal?
- Did the decision and implementation involve all the people who could add value?

Secret #8. Learn the Lessons

Once the questions above have answers there will be lessons that can be learned from the experience. Lessons such as:

- We need to include all of the costs next time – some critical ones were missed
- Some of the benefits did not eventuate – we were not careful enough to think through how these would be created
- Some critical staff members were left out of the decision-making process, but could have assisted to make the process less costly and run more smoothly
- The process of cost benefit analysis has taught us to think more critically about important financial decisions

Secret #9. Apply the Lessons

So that the errors or mistakes in this proposal are not transferred on to the next proposal, the lessons above need to be applied.

Some ways this can occur are as follows:

- Hold meetings at executive level where the Post Completion Reviews and the lessons learned are discussed.
- Use the company newsletter to discuss how future decisions will be conducted based on the lessons learned.
- Make senior managers accountable for their financial decisions; make part of their salary contingent upon their decision performance.
- Establish a company-wide culture of making good financial decisions using tools that can positively produce the best outcomes.

This is but a short summary of a very expansive topic. It is hoped that this article will provide a springboard for you to begin making better decisions – maybe as early as today.

Core Development Concepts For Organization

2007-04-19T03:46:00.002-07:00

The choice of concepts would depend on each organization’s goals, strategies and activities. Nevertheless, there are numerous companies which succeeded and are still thriving because they implemented organizational development concepts, three of which are presented below:

Product development. What makes Nokia a global leader in the cellular phone industry? It’s because they came up -and still is- with different designs with different features that was very appealing to the public. First was the incorporation of games such as the immortal Snake then came polyphonic tones followed by personalized graphics, camera, wireless connection to the Internet, video and so much more. It only goes to show how this category can make a company achieve its goal.

Employee Training. Many companies such as Chevron and Bechtel send their employees in universities at home and abroad to take up their Masters to further their contributions to the company. Seminars and skills orientation are conducted to further the awareness of employees in what is expected of them and to ensure that they can deliver.

Supply Chain Management. This concept forwards the notion that well-thought-of strategies and detailed investigations can make or break a company. Businesses compete either with price or service or a combination of both. With deliveries of supply designed to maximize efficiency by minimizing costs but ensuring quality service, enterprises can now gain an edge in the two fields of competition.

The three presented here are actually just a few of the processes to improve the organization. Many theories have been developed for this topic and usually deal with the behavioral nature of humans. The importance of Organizational Development can never be stressed because like an individual who does not receive nourishment both physical and mental, an organization will soon belong to history.

Affiliate Marketing Benefits

2007-04-19T03:46:00.001-07:00

Sorting out relevant information on any topic is very difficult but this article on management software affiliates tries to put all the relevant information about management software affiliates at one place.

The one main quality that you would find in this article about management software affiliates is its freshness. You would not find the same predictable words being used here for the same repetitive concepts.

Benefits of Being a Management Software Affiliate Marketer

So, do you still think that you know everything that was to be known about management software affiliates? Don’t you feel that there were so many things that were to be known about management software affiliates?Reading an article as well as writing an article is two different things but following the same line. When this article was written about management software affiliates, the main purpose was to provide readers with quality content and now it is for you to decide if we have been successful or not.

Affiliate marketing has become one of the most effective ways to advertise online. It is also one of the easiest ways for anyone with a website to make a profit online. Affiliate Marketing is an agreement between a merchant and a website owner. The website owner, or the affiliate, allows the use of their site for the promotion of the merchant's products by linking to the merchant's website. In exchange, the merchant pays a commission to the affiliate on all sales generated by the affiliate. Every time someone clicks on the link on the affiliate website and proceeds to make a purchase, the affiliate gets a commission. The merchant will pay the affiliate only when a customer clicks on the product link and makes a purchase.

In the beginning we claimed that we were going to present you with an article that would be able to cater to your needs of information about management software affiliates and now when you have read it, do you feel we have kept our words?

Affiliate marketing programs are described as a win-win situation for both the merchant and the affiliate because of the pay-for-performance scheme. Both the merchant and the affiliate enjoy some benefits in affiliate marketing. There are many benefits on the merchant's side. It gives the merchant a wider market in which to advertise a product or service. Affiliate marketing will give the product or service the maximum exposure that it may not get with other traditional advertising techniques. The more affiliate sites a merchant has, the higher the traffic, which can convert to sales.

Affiliate marketing is the equivalent of having an army of sales people who will do the advertising and will only get a commission if a customer purchases.

No one can afford to waste one’s time and that is why you must be hesitating in reading this article in the beginning but now when you have started reading this article can you possibly leave it in the middle?

Meanwhile, since an affiliate marketing relationship is a win-win situation, the affiliate also enjoys many benefits. Foremost among these is the easy way to make a profit. The affiliate can earn by having an ad or link to the merchant's website, which prospective customers will hopefully click and proceed to make a purchase.

As soon as the customer clicks on the ad on the affiliate's site, is redirected to the merchant's website and goes on to buy that particular product, the affiliate earns a commission. The more referrals there are the more profit for the affiliate.Now, when you are reading this article on management software affiliates, you must have realized that there always remains something more to be known about any topic. We have tried to incorporate almost everything of consequence on management software affiliates and hope that you would benefit from it.

Affiliate marketing is an excellent way to earn money while at home. There are virtually no production costs. The product is already developed and proven by the merchant, and all you have to do to find, as many prospects as you can that will bring in the profit for both the merchant and the affiliate. Affiliate programs are usually free to join, so affiliates do not have to worry about start-up costs.

There are thousands of products and services you can choose from. You can find affiliate programs for every product under the sun. Surely, there is a product or service out there that is relevant to your website.

During the course of your reading of this article about management software affiliates, you must have realized that there could be more than one approach towards one topic. That is what we have tried to do-taking a new approach to management software affiliates.

In addition, there is absolutely no sales experience necessary. Most affiliate programs offer excellent support when it comes to providing marketing material. The simplicity of affiliate marketing allows you to be an affiliate marketer at the least cost and the most comfort. You can even build a successful affiliate marketing business right in the convenience of your own home.

In affiliate marketing, your responsibility is simply to find prospects for the merchant; you do not have to worry about inventory, order processing, and product shipping. These, along with customer service support are the duties of the merchant.Because of the global reach of the internet, you can easily find thousands of prospects. You can intensify your advertising campaign by exploiting more aggressive and productive strategies such as viral marketing.

By attracting more prospects, you also maximize your potential to earn. Another benefit of an affiliate marketer is the minimal risk involved. If the product you are advertising is not making money then you can dump it and choose another. There are no long-term binding contracts tying you to products that are not making enough money.

All the same, the best benefit of being an affiliate marketer is the opportunity to increase your income; and you can make a profit even if affiliate marketing is only a sideline business. With your own affiliate business, you can earn easily earn extra income, although you do have to exert effort and use your imagination to maximize your earning potential.

Indeed, affiliate marketing is one of the simplest and most effective business opportunities on the web today.

The Emphasis of Project Management in Today's Businesses

2007-04-19T03:45:00.001-07:00

The dilemma faced by many businesses today is dealing with one-time business impediments that can slow down or otherwise jeopardize regular business operations. This is no longer stereotypical of large organizations, but has become alarmingly evident in a growing number of small businesses as well.

Any business is fundamentally designed to operate on a systematic structure. It is because of this very system that certain operations can impede on, or interfere with, every-day business activities. For example, it is common for Dell Computers to produce and ship new computer units each day. This process is critical for the business to function. Without computers to sell the organization would not be profitable and thus could not continue to operate. However, it is not common for the organization to create a new computer model each day. Yet, a new product launch is a necessary business operation. Simply put, it is a matter of priorities.

Managers have become increasingly drawn to project management, some times referred to as Management by Projects, over the years since industrialization. The discrepancy is that projects are provisional in scale, whereas organizational processes are enduring, and so the problem is resolved through the integration of the two systems in a parallel demeanor. This means they work side-by-side, but not necessarily interdependent of one another.

Projects have a definite beginning and end. They are not continuous processes, as in the case of production or distribution, and so they are only conducted once to meet specific objectives. When the project is complete it is abandoned and the members working on the project move on to other projects, return to their original departments, or leave the organization. Projects ultimately create a rippling effect in organizational processes. However, the residual effects of such projects can be controlled and predetermined through project management.

Returning to the former production example at a computer manufacturer like Dell Computers, we can more clearly realize the impeding effects new projects would have on daily business operations. If a new computer model is introduced this would cause the implementation of a new product line. In this case, the product launch in itself is the project managers -- at Dell -- must undergo. After the new computer model has been designed, marketed, and the product line becomes operational -- all objectives have been met and the project is complete. Meanwhile the organization continues regular daily operations (i.e. producing and distributing its computers).

The impediment here could be a number of circumstances that may arise due to the initiation of this project. For example, creating a new product line may involve ordering and installing new machinery which could delay production for some time. Engineers may need to restructure the facility, integrate e-manufacturing software, and possibly even train workers for the operation of the new machinery. Any delays presented by the project may cause further delays in the organization's regular operations.

That is why managers need to apply effective project management when dealing with such business operations. This will involve coordinating with the different organizational departments, creating timetables, following up on progress reports, keeping track of load charts and PERT network analyses, planning for disaster recovery, and anticipating the need to hire more employees or possibly recruiting personnel from within the different organizational departments.

The primary goal of project management is to meet all the objectives of a given project within the project budget and deadline without interfering with the business' daily operations. An efficient and effective project manager, for example, could coordinate with suppliers and engineers so that the new machinery for the product line would be delivered and installed -- in parts -- without halting production completely. Perhaps the machinery can be assembled as the integration of an existing line or at a different site all-together. The workers could also be asked to work overtime so that they may become familiar with the machinery as it is being readied for the new line. This will greatly reduce slack time without rudimentary production losses.

The importance of project management is becoming rapidly apparent in all types of businesses. It is the responsibility of leaders and managers to recognize the potential use that project management has on their business.

Quality Leadership

2007-04-19T03:44:00.002-07:00

Quality leadership is a necessary component of a company’s success. It is important for a company’s well-being, and is important for the citizens of the state. Improvement of leadership is a complicated process, however, the majority of the developed countries of the world have already become aware of its importance and began taking concrete steps towards it. The development of high standards for corporate leadership demands formidable efforts from both companies and the state.

Business engineering is a term that is widely used when speaking about leadership, and it is usually defined as organisation development control methodology. Worldwide transition to the saturated market with its intensifying competition determined one of the most important tasks for modern management, that being to guarantee a company’s competitiveness. Though there are different ways to achieve it, company’s dynamism became the governing factor of its competitive ability. This dynamism includes both ability to control its own resources (including human resources which are considered the company’s most precious value) and good organisation of interrelation with partners.

Therefore, effective company leadership has become the main task for the managers. In order to achieve success it is important to forecast market opportunities, to develop and improve the company’s infrastructure, as well as human resources management.

Being a modern leadership technology, business engineering is based upon precise and formal description of a company’s activity. In order to make any decision as for company’s leadership, business engineering presupposes using certain business models.

It is most important to determine priorities of strategic initiatives, and thus define the tasks for all structural subdivisions, for each group of workers, or for every worker.

Smart Recruitment In Germany To Increase Your Sales

2007-04-19T03:44:00.001-07:00

When entering or working in a foreign country, the first attention is usually put on sales. Questions that come up are questions such as “Will our products sell?,” “What differences do I have to watch out for?,” “Are there regulatory requirements I have to fulfil?,” etc. A savvy recruiter can often help with questions like this, particularly if he has been working for some time. The amount of experience and the insights that a recruiter gets into all kinds of different businesses is tremendous.

Before calling up your friendly headhunter, a few thoughts need to be put to your operations in Germany. Do you want to have a trade representation or do you want to have a permanent establishment of your own? If you want a permanent establishment it would be wise to consult with a legal firm or one of the large accountancy companies how this is best accomplished. Often these companies will have “ready to go” companies that simply can be transferred into your name. In the recruitment process it is certainly helpful to have a German based company since sales people in Germany will prefer a German contract rather than a contractual relationship with a foreign entity. Again, a good executive search consultant can probably put you in touch with many of the people you need.

Recruiters in Germany work on a similar basis as those in other countries. Many companies find, however that there are fewer executive search companies in Germany that are prepared to work purely on a contingency fee basis. As a matter of fact, this was actually illegal in Germany some years ago! Today the trend is changing and there are more companies willing to work on this basis but they will often require exclusivity and a formal contractual relationship. The costs of recruiters tend to be a bit higher than perhaps in other countries. While UK headhunters tend to charge anywhere from 12 – 16% of the year’s salary, a German headhunter will usually want around 25%. The top flight executive search companies in Germany will often go higher than that, charging 30 – 35%.

Finding good sales people in Germany is probably just as difficult as anywhere else. The criteria that make up a good salesperson are also similar. One point to consider is, however, that you will probably want the person to speak English. Luckily this is usually not a problem in Germany since the school system requires people to take a number of years of English. Only with older people or those from the eastern part of Germany this might be a problem. What is often found though, is that if the salesperson has worked mainly for German companies his language skills may be quite rusty. Experience has shown, that through use, vocabulary and fluency will quickly be regained. The problem is that in the interview process this will not always be apparent. As a matter of fact, halting English is often a reason an excellent candidate is not employed. This is definitely a mistake! So take this into account in making your decision.

Another point to keep in mind in your recruitment process in Germany is that salespeople will not be available as quickly as they might be in other parts of the world. Germany tends to have longer periods of notice with 2-3 months not being uncommon. While these employees are often released from their contracts early, this is not a guarantee. Appropriate time needs to be budgeted for the total recruitment process.

Certainly it is important to keep in mind that Germany has its own sales cycles and speed of decision making. Don’t draw conclusions from your own country. If you find that your product has a 6 month sales cycle in the USA, it may well have a 1 year sales cycle in Germany. On some occasions the sales cycle may be shorter; in general it tends to be a bit longer though. Remember, Germany tend to be risk averse and very thorough in their inspection of something before they buy. The reward for this patience is, however, that once Germans go for a product they tend to stick with it for quite some time and then encourage others to also buy the product. So, to enter the German market, you need some patience but it is often amply rewarded.

To summarize, if you want to enter and be successful in the German market you should

a) choose the right legal entity
b) utilize executive search firms tapping into their knowledge of the local market
c) use headhunting companies in Germany to help you find excellent sales people and
d) have the patience required in the German market to become successful.

Good Luck!

Innovating Hiring: Barbershop Marketing

2007-04-16T03:05:00.001-07:00

While posting hiring ads in the newspaper or online can be helpful, a brainstorm I had at the barbershop has given me a new idea about how to let people know about new job openings.

I am in the process of opening a new warehouse in Guelph, Ontario, and require 250 plus employees. Because of the magnitude of this hire, it is at the top of my mind: I tell everyone that I meet that I am looking to hire full and part-time shippers, receivers, dock hands, and other positions.

I was at the barber’s getting my hair cut and mentioned this to my barber who instantly said that he likely knew 25 or 30 people who would be interested in the job.

Most people develop a rapport with their barber or hairstylist over a number of years. Most people repeatedly visit the same stylist. During that time they tend to talk about the weather, politics, and life in general. They develop a rapport. Their conversation often includes their job prospects, or how their current job is going. The realization of how many people frequent the barber or hairstylist and what they discuss inspired me to come up with barber/hairstylist marketing for hiring my new warehouse employees.

We are going to the yellow pages and listing the barber shops and hairstylists in the area. We then go to our staff and find out where they get their hair done and try to cross off to make sure we have all basis covered.

I believe that the hairstylist or barber will be more open to ideas that come from someone who they already know. Because our warehouse move is not until July 1st (and it is now still February), everyone will have lots of time to get into the barber or hairstylist between now and then.

I also think that barbers and hairstylists will tend to refer people they like. The people referred will likely be good people. As professionals and as individuals, barbers and hairstylists would not want to be seen as referring people who are not good.

We are not putting in place any financial incentive for the barbers or hairstylists, although we will invite them to an open house. My experience is that most of them tend to freely share information that they have and like to be, "in the know". Most of them want to add value to their clients.

A Culture of Discipline

2007-04-16T03:04:00.000-07:00

A "culture of discipline" is a phrase used by Jim Collins (Good to Great) in his study of great companies. All of the great companies, those that far outperform others, have a culture of discipline. This does not mean that they spend their time disciplining people. When you have a culture of discipline you rarely need to discipline people.

A culture of discipline is not about punishing people, but it is about control. It is about self control. Disciplined thinking leads to disciplined action. All greatness, whether it be in athletics, music, art, business, leadership, healing arts and sciences, teaching, or sales, is a result of discipline.

Whether we are talking about an individual or an organization, it all starts with the question: "Who are you and what is your purpose?" Your purpose is found at the crossroads of that which you are passionate about and that which you are good at. Once we are clear about our purpose and the kind of person and/or organization we are, then we need to discipline our thinking in order to achieve it. Thoughts and behaviors that contribute to the purpose are then nourished and expanded.

Most people, and most organizations are undisciplined. We entertain thoughts in our minds that contradict our purpose. We allow behaviors in ourselves and others that should be unacceptable. In a culture of discipline we are clear about who we are and where we are going. We address contradictions honestly, first in ourselves, and then in others, and resolve them.

A year ago I wrote in this newsletter about two very different businesses, one who has a culture of discipline and one who has not. Schulers Books and Music, a local bookstore and cafe is my example of a culture of discipline. At one of the stores I often see the manager out on the floor. Whenever a customer approaches him, he drops everything and serves the customer. I always receive cheerful and helpful service whenever I go there.

A chain restaurant I visited, called Steak and Shake, does not have a culture of discipline. I walked in to get a take out order and could not get served, or even acknowledged. I wrote to the corporate office of Steak and Shake and received a cursory reply.

The difference between these two businesses is that at Schulers, people think a certain way, and act in alignment with those key thoughts. These are thoughts about valuing customers and offering excellent service. At Steak and Shake, people are on their own. They have not been taught how to think, and thus behave, in alignment with the organization's purpose. You may or may not get lucky and get good service. At Schuler it is not luck; it is consistent great service rooted in a culture of discipline. Embedded in this culture is a deep love for reading and for community that is evident in their consistently great service.

I worked with an organization where the senior leaders loved their work and worked very hard. They saw themselves as disciplined. Yet, they were very undisciplined. Leaders in this organization each went in their own direction. Some of them were noted for being unapproachable and cranky. Others avoided all conflict and said "yes" to everything. Another was known for flying off the handle whenever he felt threatened. All of these managers were talented people. Discipline is about practicing the thoughts and behaviors consistent with your purpose and your goals. It is about holding yourself accountable when you are inconsistent. Much of the talent and hard work of these managers was dissipated because thinking and behavior were not in alignment with purpose and values.

In a culture of discipline we live in alignment with our purpose and in accordance with our values regardless of what is happening in the world. A culture of discipline is responsive to whatever happens. A non disciplined culture has knee jerk reactions to both crisis and opportunity. This is because the motivator in these non disciplined cultures is fear. In a culture of discipline you are motivated by love--love for your purpose; love for those whom you serve; and love for your values. You live from the inside out. This makes you more stable, yet responsive to what is happening around you.

When opportunity presents itself, you don't grab for it. You think about it. You ask: "Does this fit with my/our purpose? Is this something I/we are willing to do well? Can I/we be passionate about this?" Also, you want to know if it will contribute to your long term viability.

When crisis hits, you respond in ways that are consistent with your purpose and values. No short cuts! Collins wrote in Good to Great, that companies who stuck by their values tended to be more successful. The key, he found, was not in what values they chose, but that they stuck by their values, whatever they were.

In a culture of discipline we make a commitment to our mutual purpose and values. We refuse to allow behavior that is outside that framework. People who violate the purpose and values are given a chance to learn and to change. If they choose not to, they leave. A culture of discipline is not an authoritarian regime where one person is the enforcer. Those organizations tend to fall apart when the dictator leaves. The disciplined culture requires people to adhere to a consistent system, within which they have freedom and responsibility. In a culture of discipline we all help each other to stay on track by reminding each other through ongoing feedback and being a role model.

If you want to see if your organization has a culture of discipline, listen to the stories that are told. Are they stories of accomplishment and appreciation of the efforts of people? Or, are they stories tinged with negativity and criticism? Do people tend to be generous with credit for work well done, or do they mostly talk about what "I" did? Fear based and egocentric stories are ultimately demoralizing and feed negativity. Stories about people going out of their way to help people, and stories where credit is given to others consistently reinforce the purpose, the values, and the way of thinking that identifies the organization at its best. We discipline our minds away from negative and victim thoughts and toward thoughts of appreciation, understanding, problem resolution, and the possibilities to be found in any situation.

I must admit that I have often rebelled against discipline. I thought it would cramp my style or limit my freedom. What I have learned is that discipline enforced by a dictatorial person does cramp everyone's style and limit freedom. Discipline agreed to by each individual does the opposite. Self discipline allows us to achieve excellence.

Discipline that grows out of a commitment to a common purpose creates a structure, a consistency that helps people to make wise choices. The unwillingness to accept poor behavior is reassuring. Employees see leaders behaving consistently and they are inspired to think and behave in alignment with purpose and values. Extensive work rules are not needed when people are already motivated.

Whether you lead an organization or just yourself, discipline will determine much of your success. Each day examine your thinking, your behavior, and your decisions. Ask: "Does this fit with my purpose? Is this a true reflection of who I am? Does this fit with my organization's purpose and values?" Learn to say "No" to thoughts and behaviors that do not align with purpose and values. Say "Yes" to thoughts and behaviors that affirm your purpose. Thinking, and then doing the right things consistently will keep you on purpose and lead you toward greatness.

Connect the dots. Apply this information to your workplace, your church or spiritual community. your family, your neighborhood, your athletic team. Is there a common purpose that inspires your passion and commitment? Are there values you live by? Do you value and serve each other in order to achieve your common purpose? How can you create a culture of discipline without becoming a disciplinarian? How can you work with others to create an environment where people are clear and self motivated?

Project Management

2007-04-16T03:03:00.002-07:00

Project management is the discipline of defining and achieving finite objectives. The challenge of project management is the optimized integration and allocation of the inputs needed to meet those pre-defined objectives. The project, therefore, is a carefully selected set of activities chosen to use resources (time, money, people, materials, energy, space, provisions, communication, quality, risk, etc.) to meet the pre-defined objectives.

Project management is quite often the province and responsibility of an individual project manager. This individual seldom participates directly in the activities that produce the end result, but rather strives to maintain the progress and productive mutual interaction of various parties in such a way that likelihood of success is increased and overall risk of failure is reduced.

A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service. This contrasts with processes, or operational management, which are permanent or semi-permanent functional work to create the same product or service over-and-over again. The management of these two systems is often very different and requires varying technical skills and philosophy.

Project management tries to gain control over four variables. The first variable, time, is typically broken down for analytical purposes into the time required to complete the components of the project, which is then further broken down into the time required to complete each task contributing to the completion of each component. The second is the cost of developing a project which is dependent on several variables including (chiefly): cost of labor and materials, risk management, plant, equipment, and profit.

Another variable is scope, which is the overall definition of what the project is supposed to accomplish, and a specific description of what the end result should be. And lastly, the risks which are potential points for failure. Most negative risks (or potential failures) can be resolved, given enough planning capabilities, time, and resources.

To properly control these variables a good project manager should have a depth of knowledge and experience in these four areas and in six other areas as well: integration, communication, human resources, quality assurance, schedule development, and procurement.

Customers and external organizations (such as government agencies and regulators) can dictate the extent of three variables: time, cost, and scope. The remaining variable (risk) is managed by the project team, ideally based on solid estimation and response planning techniques. Through a negotiation process among project stakeholders, an agreement defines the final objectives, in terms of time, cost, scope, and risk, usually in the form of a charter or contract.

The key to effective project management is project control. Each project should be assessed for the appropriate level of control needed to keep it on-track, on-time, and within budget. Regardless of the approach employed, careful consideration needs to be given to clarify surrounding project objectives, goals, and importantly, the roles and responsibilities of all participants and stakeholders.

Managing Your Internet Business for Success

2007-04-16T03:03:00.001-07:00

There are people who insist that they work because they love what they do, and that may be true. But, stop paying them and how long will they continue loving it? Call me cynical, but I just do not buy it.

I know I started my internet businesses with the aim of making a decent income (okay I wanted to make a killing, okay? Fine!) The only problem is, sometimes to make a killing you end up killing others financially and, depending on how far in debt they are, it could even turn out to be a literal killing. A kind of "passive murder" if you will.

I will tell you straight (at least as far as I am concerned) that almost every time I put up an article or send out an email, it is designed to help my business grow. I am not "in the market" to pass my time because I have nothing better to do.

And neither are my subscribers/customers (at least, I hope not).

Whether or not you choose to believe this, I will say that everything I promote on my blog or through my emails, I do so in the belief that I am promoting something that is or could be beneficial to myself and my customers. As long as the product is used as it is supposed to be used and not just left on the metaphoric shelf to gather dust.

I believe that honesty is paramount in business, even if it means my profits are reduced as a result. And I also believe that customer service is the king of all products.

Having finished that sermon, let's move onto more relevant issues: That of how to find something to market on the internet.

It's been a few months since I started in the internet marketing business industry. I have been going at it full time and then some. In all that time all I saw everywhere I looked, in the forums, the newsletters, etc., was that you have to find a niche to succeed.

"I do not have a niche," I kept telling myself, because I just assumed I knew nothing while everyone keeps saying that EVERYONE knows SOMETHING. I just figured the internet business industry did not know me otherwise they would shut up.

Funnily, it turns out that the people in the internet business industry were right. We, all of us, just need to look a bit deeper into ourselves, sometimes to recognize the most obvious. You see, I completely "forgot" that I studied business, both practically and theoretically.

For my final project I actually had to start a business from scratch, from the initial idea to the final presentation of the plan to a potential venture capitalist (in this case the lecturer). I had two partners and I was assigned the group leader. I also did the majority of the work, including the complete presentation materials for myself and my partners.

And we actually came top of the class out of five groups of 3-4 people in each. And I thought I did not know anything.

Why am I mentioning this now? Is it to show off my abilities? No.

The reason I mention this is to demonstrate that, indeed, we all have some abilities but, because we are not able to look at ourselves "from a distance" we tend not to recognize those abilities. But they are there. Keep looking and you will find something to make it big in the internet business industry.

Teaching: Reviving the Frequently Neglected Management Responsibility

2007-04-16T02:57:00.000-07:00

How many times have you heard the following from managers looking to hire a new employee? “I need someone with experience who will hit the ground running. I don’t have any time for handholding.” Guess what? Part of a manager’s job is to teach. If you don’t spend any time teaching and developing your team members, you’re neglecting a critical management responsibility. Furthermore, if you’re always hiring people with a wealth of experience, you are probably doing them a disservice. Chances are they won’t have much of an opportunity to learn anything new in their roles, so they won’t have the opportunity to grow. Also, beware of the “bald tire.” Experience does not equal quality. In addition, by not teaching, you do a disservice to those eager “up-and-comers” who, with some guidance, can inject life into your organization.

The bottom line is this: When you don’t teach, you hurt the team members, the would-be team members, and the organization. Teaching is quite often a precursor to effective delegation. Effective delegation is more than simply barking out orders. If team members are to do well, they need to know how to do the work. This is the manager’s job. It is frequently accomplished by informally teaching them.

When do you teach? Managers should teach all the time. Team members will constantly be observing you. There are also formal opportunities to use, such as honest feedback sessions or monthly one-on-one sessions. Pick a topic to discuss at every other meeting; Review a particular skill; Talk about a pertinent magazine article. Take advantage of employee development plans.

A development plan is an action plan that identifies the areas in a person’s current job that might need improvement; it also addresses a person’s future goals and aspirations. Activities and actions are listed that will help achieve the goals, as well as dates by which these goals should be reached.

Work with team members to create development plans. Find out what they want to be doing in the next couple of years and then help them put together a realistic plan to get there. Suggest and volunteer for activities. Assist with execution of the plans. Review plans in one-on-one meetings periodically.

Getting team members enthused about development plans is not easy. Most find the exercise useless because, not much effort is put into creating them. Frequently, no one bothers to execute them. Development plans are nothing more than a checkmark on a manager’s to-do list. They often don’t get reviewed until it’s time to create the next one (usually after an annual employee evaluation is done). Typically, you have to sell one person at a time on the idea. If that person meets with success, share it with the rest of the team. If “Jane” got the promotion ostensibly because of the development plan, that will probably be enough to get others to climb on board. In addition, once people see you are serious about putting in time to teach them and help them succeed, they will warm up to the idea. It can be difficult to overcome years of development plan neglect, but it can be done.

Take the time to teach your team members. Start today. Commit to working with at least one team member to create a development plan and monitor it closely. Revive the neglected art of teaching and marvel at the results that follow.

Morale Sucks - Now What? How to Add Humor to Your Workplace

2007-04-10T03:29:00.001-07:00

After the seventh snowstorm in seven weeks, people in Denver, Colorado, are beginning to feel that Mother Nature must have been looking for Buffalo or Minneapolis but got lost. Folks here just aren't used to having three feet of snow piled up on their yards, driveways and streets for almost two solid months. Even kids, who usually greet each snowflake with glee, now look at the leftover piles of mush with something akin to disgust. "Is spring ever going to come back?" one despondent ten year old was heard lamenting. (It was easy to hear her; she's my daughter.)

The reason for Denver's collective unhappiness is that the city traditionally enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year. During the winter months, snow will make an appearance for one day, leave perhaps four or six inches of white, enough to make everything look beautiful, then it will gracefully depart, like the perfect houseguest who never overstays her welcome. The sun returns the next morning and immediately commences housekeeping; the snow is gone from the streets and sidewalks by noon. Not this year. And as a result, Denverites are having difficulty keeping their morale from melting away just like the icicles are supposed to be doing. Business in Denver felt the freeze keenly. Airlines to realtors to retailers to giant offices are feeling the snow's impact on morale. But the good news is that some of these same businesses have added a bit of humor to their workplace to get morale back up to where it should be.

What does more-than-usual snow and the resulting hit out Colorado attitudes this have to do with You? you ask as you sip your non-fat, decaf mocha latte in front of a cozy fireplace while munching on a biscotti. (Oh... I guess that's ME with the mocha.) The point is that businesses in Denver are having to deal with low morale and are forced to think creatively about how to motivate their people in the face of unusual circumstances. If these companies can raise people's sun-deprived attitudes in Denver with some positive, fun techniques, these ideas will work anywhere, even in Buffalo and Minneapolis.

No, these companies are not going to the lengths that apparently GoDaddy.com is doing for its marketing department. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out GoDaddy's commercials that first aired during the last couple of Super Bowls.)

What they are doing is using humor in the workplace to spice things up and give their employees a reason to enjoy coming into the office. For example, one of my consulting clients passes around a "garden gnome." Yes, a ceramic statuette of a sprightly elf sporting a tall pointy hat, beard, chubby cheeks and all, designed to decorate one's vegetable garden. The garden gnome signifies that a person in the office has done an exceptionally good job at something that day. And the something does not necessarily have to be directly related to meeting a sales goal or other measure of business. It can be as simple as smiling at someone in the hallway or cleaning out the office kitchen fridge. When someone at the company is spotted doing something that makes a difference, they are entered into the office gnome pool. Slips of paper detailing the good deeds are put in a box and at a designated time, a winner is chosen. The winner keeps the office gnome on their desk for the day.

I know winning an office gnome for a day doesn't sound as morale-lifting as say, winning a new car, but the point is with this simple gesture the company has invested each of its employees with the responsibility of recognizing those who make a difference in the daily business of the office. By recognizing others who choose to make their workplace more livable and lively, they also begin to take stock of their own attitudes toward work. Employees begin to appreciate that others who invest in "positive attitude capital" raise the value of their workplace for everyone and not just themselves. As the garden gnome travels, it delivers a sense of pride to its temporary owner that translates into positive benefit for the company. That's a lot of work for one small elf!

Different ideas in use by other companies to raise positive attitude capital are both large and small, cheap or more pricey. Some of the counter people at the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles wear clown noses when they first interact with customers to generate laughs. It's hard to be snippy with your DMV agent when she's wearing a bright, red, round bubble on her nose. Another company intentionally brings customers the wrong order when they come in to pick up their product. Usually the order is the exact opposite of what the customer wanted. When the customer begins to get huffy, the company rep laughs and says, "April Fool," even though it's only February. (The woman who does this technique is brilliant in her own way. She is taking responsibility for her own happiness, and is taking steps to make it happen. Can you say the same about yourself?)

Another of my corporate clients has employees who are celebrating their birthday wear a special sign proclaiming their birthday. Because of the sign, other workers know to give the birthday boy or girl a dollar. By the end of the day, the honoree has collected enough money for a nice night out or a weeks worth of mocha lattes. All employees participate gladly because they know when their time comes around, they'll get lots of happy birthday wishes, plus a big wad of cash. Other ideas:

* Monthly visit from the chair massage people
* Monthly visit from a manicurist
* Weekly bagels and donuts
* Random delivery of cookies to certain employees
* Lunch out with the department head
* Free parking for a month
* Bring the kids to work day
* Birthday balloons
* Take-the-afternoon-off reward certificates

These are all simple things companies can do to liven up their worker's days. Large companies often install workout rooms or daycare centers for their employees' benefit. Maybe they'll send a special employee to a week-long spa treatment. But the point is not in how much is spent. What's important is what the employee takes away and then turns around and gives back.

It's all part of the same plan: invest in making the workplace a positive, appreciative place and watch morale go up. As morale improves, turnover drops and productivity rises. Smart companies know that bosses and employees are all in it together. Those that work as a team to raise positive attitude capital can withstand even the longest winter of them all.

Time Clocks and Time Tracking

2007-04-10T03:28:00.001-07:00

Many new tools have evolved with time to track work hours in this fast developing technology world. One common term used for many of them is Timeclock. The funny part is when you search for the term "Time Clock" in Google, you result in viewing website informations from the world of clock manufacturers, however the moment you combine the two words that is "Timeclock" the search result page is loaded with website information of companies providing you software and gadgets to track employee time.

Thats how it goes, a single character space changes the entire industry in the search result page. Well, when you move further, into the website for "Timeclock", you find gadgets used to track employee time. Gadgets like swipe cards, biometrics are all there for the taking. So many gadgets, so much technology development to track the working hours of an employee. Man, life was very easy the olden days, just a watchman with a register to enter your in and out time, another accountant to manually calculate them all. Everything was so simple. At times a thought pops up into the mind that is technology easy or manual work simple.

No hard feelings, hats off to all those who keep developing these new advanced technology based solutions to automate our work process. No success is accomplished without pains and we have hundreds and thousands of people working day in and day out to develop all these new advanced tools all around the world.

Maybe the approach is different, simplicity and automation cannot go hand in hand.

Want To Get More Work Done? Find The Best Office Chair You Can!

2007-04-10T03:27:00.001-07:00

There are very few jobs that will let you escape from the dreaded office chair. Studies show that the average working person spends over 70,000 hours in an office chair during the course of his or her life, and that is just the average. The study did not include computer analysts, secretaries, writers, or data entry professionals. It is also believed that overall health and productivity is related to the comfort that you maintain while trying to work in your particular office chair. Therefore, it is important to try and achieve maximum comfort while also trying to achieve maximum results in the home or work environment. With so many options on the market today, it can be hard to decide where to start when picking out your new, and hopefully improved, office chair.

It is no secret that the best chair on the market is the Herman Miller invented, Aeron chair. Introduced in the mid 90’s, in the prime of the Internet boom, this mesh chair started to make history. The Aeron has been said to have a less modern look, but it has still won more awards than any other chair in office furniture history. The options on the Aeron include an adjustable frame for depth, seat height, armrest height and angle. The chair comes in three sizes, so if you struggle with height extremes (like being too short, or too tall), this would be the chair for you. The seat is pellicle instead of fabric, which allows you to have some cushion and give when you are sitting for a long period of time. These chairs do ring in as the most expensive, starting at around $1200, so start saving your money now.

Two chairs that will go over well with the environmental crowd are the Contessa Task Chair that is made by Teknion, and the Leap Chair by Steelcase. Both of these chairs only come in one size, and unless that size fits your body’s frame, you are out of luck. The Contessa Chair is considered to be part of a smart operation system. Its key feature is that you can sit in the chair, and then adjust the armrests. Being able to do adjustments while sitting in the chair makes it easier to find the correct positioning for maximum comfort. The Leap Chair makes a guarantee, which is hard to ignore. Supposedly, when you sit in a Leap Chair to do your work you will see an 18% increase in productivity. Regardless of promises, both chairs are 99% recyclable, but like anything else that is organic, they cost a good bit of money for a chair. They cost anywhere between $300 and $800, but you could do some research and possible find one that is cheaper. These chairs also have a modern look to them, so if you are trying to be fashionable, but not anchored by trends, these chairs are worth checking out.

If you are interested in the Aeron, but your budget isn’t, there are some options that may not rise to the quality completely, but they come really close. The Ergonomic Office Chair by Humanscale Liberty retails for $850 and it is thought to be the logical cousin of the Aeron Chair. It has minimal adjustment options, but it does provide natural support for the lower back and spine. Humanscale Liberty offers a five-year warranty on all of their fabrics, and a lifetime warranty on all of the chair’s other parts. When you want something that your budget cannot afford, sometimes you have to look at the best quality for the price. IKEA offers their Joakim Swivel Chair, available in red, dark blue, and a grey-blue. If you are looking to outfit a new business, or just looking to update the look of an old one, these chairs are the best for the price. The Swivel Chair has a gliding seat, a ten-year warranty, and little adjustments. The price is low for the options at just $225 per chair.

Finding the right office chair is not that difficult of a task, but finding the right office chair for you as a person could prove to be a challenge. Not everyone is created equal, and people’s bodies come in all different shapes and sizes. Also, look through the logical lens before making any decisions that could cost you a fortune. For instance, if you only sit a desk for two hours a day, the Aeron might not be the wisest purchase. On the other hand, if you have the money, and luxury is a priority, make the most of it and buy the best. However, nothing is perfect and all of the chairs that are on the market possess unique qualities that make them different from their competitors. Take the time to figure out what you need, and not necessarily what you want.

The Relevance of the Internet to Small Exporters

2007-04-10T03:26:00.000-07:00

Exporters seeking information or business contacts in their overseas markets may find it a difficult and time-consuming challenge.

The Internet is an invaluable tool for both finding businesses potentially interested in alliances, distribution or purchasing products - and in communicating with them to build and maintain necessary relationships.

An observer of the growth of the Internet in its earlier days prophetically noted: “The Internet, like television and the print media, is yet another resource developed in the emerging new media to promote products and/or services. The similarities end there. The Internet also adds the ability to communicate quickly, and with less cost. It also allows firms with a need for information to find it quickly and easily. The Internet can be used in a variety of ways to enhance your business internationally”.

Exporting, even that accomplished with the assistance of the Internet, still follows the same basic rules. Before the Internet was a greatly important factor in export marketing, several areas were identified as critical to success in exporting.

One such factor was businesses’ ignorance of foreign laws and customs, either of which can negatively affect potential success in any foreign market.

Other factors identified in various studies of successful export marketers included developing and strengthening competitive advantage within target markets.

Maintaining an efficient distribution network and marketing techniques were a top priority after a firm is in the export markets.

Government assistance in locating and developing relationships with companies in foreign markets was generally seen to be essential but goldmine of information now available on the Internet means that we are all less-dependent than we were.

In the early part of my career, physical travel to potential markets was seen to be absolutely critical in developing the export markets, but at a huge cost. The first innovation to help us was cheaper flights but, with the advent of the Internet, even that travel is not so critical an issue now, allowing many more small businesses to enter export markets than when extensive (and expensive) international travel was required.

The object of much of that formerly-required foreign travel often was the seeking-out of both governmental and private-sector sources that could supply us with information on regulations, market research expertise and introduction to firms likely to be interested in acting as distributors or retailers of the firm’s goods or services. Sources such as local chambers of commerce, trade associations and governmental data on specific industry and commodity sectors have been available for years, but generally only through individual subscriptions or libraries.

Several years ago, there was great hope for the possibilities of direct Internet commerce. With only relatively few exceptions, success in direct sales over the Internet has been elusive for most not involved with business-to-business transactions. However, the Internet does provide a wealth of information applicable to more standard methods of achieving “international” status and should be considered an integral part of establishing and maintaining relationships with foreign distributors and retailers.

What is critical to export success, I suggest, is the ability to create websites to market your products, give credibility to your business and make it easier for customers and potential customers to locate you and communicate with you. Your website can be as grand or as simple as you wish; it will largely be determined by your budget but remember that you can, with a little time and thought, create your own at little or no cost. If you want a quality site then it will cost and you need to see the work of several consultants before you settle with one to create your site.

The advent of new technological advances, such as the video sharing sites such as YouTube, gives you access to a new generation of web users to help develop your brand but you will need to get the basics of your Internet marketing strategy right first before you venture into these arena.

What is available to you immediately, and at no cost, is the ability to create blog sites. A blog was originally a web-based diary (web log). I have been experimenting with my occasional marketing and public relations blog with articles for small business at www.headlinepromotions.blogspot.com and have attracted a large number of visitors. It costs nothing to create, except your time, but it offers you an immediate free showcase and public relations tool. As long as you include the promotion of your blog site address in your marketing strategy then this will be an invaluable tool for you.

I hope these brief thoughts are useful but I would welcome your feedback and suggestions for any future articles on the European perspective of marketing for export.

Business Planning

2007-04-10T03:25:00.000-07:00

In the book Alice In Wonderland, there is a scene where Alice comes to a fork in the road, she looks down the right road as far as she can see, and sees nothing. She looks down the left road as far as she can see, and sees nothing. In the center of the fork is a large oak tree with the Cheshire Cat grinning a grin as big as a grin can be. Not knowing which way to take the fork, she asks the Cheshire Cat, “Which road should I go?” his reply; “which road do you want to go?” and Alice says “I do not rightly know which road to go.” The Cheshire Cat’s response to her was, “if you do not know which road you want to go, then it makes no difference which road you go.” The moral of the scene is: If you do not have a Goal set, or a direction to go, it makes no difference which way you go, nor will you know when you get there.

Planning and goal setting are essential parts of every business. A “Plan of Action” must be established so that work, effort and resources are directed in a controlled and coordinated manner towards the accomplishment of these goals and objectives. A good business plan establishes Goals and Objectives to be reached. Good managers direct their personnel. They manage their business every day without losing sight of their Goals and Objectives. They make decisions and changes as required to keep the business progressing toward present goals. With goals and objectives set, the manager can now anticipate instead of reacting to events; he remains in control.

Without a business plan, a business tends to run on historical experience or on a crisis management basis, constantly putting out fires, rarely finding the person with the matches. Employees work in different directions due to lack of common goals. This creates confusion, inefficiency and, in effect, excessive costs and reduction of profits. Does this sound familiar? The lack of a business plan limits growth. Efforts are based on day-by-day situations without planning. Essentially, without a plan, you are "flying blind". Although businesses cannot plan for all contingencies, planning will reduce risk and provide guidelines for staying on course.

The next step is to establish the long range goals. Usually, they are done for a period of three to five years. The goals raise questions in at least three domains: labor, facilities and financial.

LABOR: Do we have the personnel available to support the growth, or will we have to increase staff? If we increase, from where will they come? Are our compensation programs competitive? What will the training needs be? Who will do the training?

FACILITIES: Do we have the equipment and space to support the business forecast? What replacements will be required? What new or expanded equipment or facilities will be required?

FINANCIAL: What are the three to five year cash requirements necessary to support the projected growth? What type of major capital expenditures will be required for additional equipment? Will long term borrowing be required? Is it available? At what costs? How will cost of living factors affect my costs? Do I have administrative personnel and facilities to support the volume figures? Where do I acquire them? At what cost?

Planning and setting goals is the first function of your company. Whether documented or not, there must be a purpose to be accomplished by the business. To facilitate communication, it is desirable that the purpose be specified in writing. The first goal of your company is to survive; the second is to grow. The prime objective is to make a profit. The success and future of your company, ultimately depends on its ability to be profitable.

Succession Planning

2007-04-06T03:39:00.002-07:00

Businesses of all sizes and within all industries often suffer from poor planning. A key area which needs consideration is succession planning for both ownership and key management. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY BUSINESS OWNER TO PLAN FOR THE DAY WHEN THEY WILL NO LONGER BE INVOLVED IN THEIR BUSINESS ON A FULL TIME BASIS.

Often, we hear of small to medium sized businesses built primarily on the drive and enthusiasm of a key individual, only to falter when that person is no longer there. Similarly, larger public companies can experience great turmoil if their management and ownership criteria are not clearly defined and allowed to develop correctly.

Within succession planning we are not simply talking about small businesses or personal financial planning. We are looking for business to be planning for its future success - and for that success to be facilitated by a transfer of ownership and management responsibility to successors who are ready and prepared for the responsibilities involved.

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU WITH SUCCESSION PLANNING: Does anyone else really want this business (or position)? Succession planning requires you to be quite honest with yourself as to just what style of business you have, whether it really has value to outsiders, and whether it can be made more valuable. Without addressing this question much of the other work you do may be pointless.

Can the business survive without me? One of the keys to good management is to make a business or position able to operate without you. Here we are talking about the functions and processes that you or the business might undertake, not necessarily the visions and ideas that you personally might have.

To facilitate your business operating without you, you will need to consider business and operation plans, financial factors, staff selection and assessment procedures, training, the systemization of processes (one of the great benefits of the quality movement) and the maintenance of a management environment that encourages others to participate within the business.

Are there clear lines of separation between ownership and management? While one individual might happen to be both the owner and CEO of a business, there is no reason why that needs to continue. You should clearly identify the roles required of the owners and managers of the business and deal with each of those. In terms of looking at succession, three general questions should be asked for both ownership and management. They are:

Who, When and How? · Who is the appropriate person or who are the appropriate people to take over your responsibilities?
· When is the appropriate time for them to assume those responsibilities?
· And how will that change over be implemented?

Are your business structures appropriate to allow for change? Start considering the legal structures within which you operate. Are the business assets properly located in the right entities to allow for future changes between ownership and management of the business? What operational systems can be changed to facilitate succession? What arrangements can be put in place with partners and fellow shareholders to provide them with protection without jeopardizing your own interests? Are your business partners prepared for the changes involved? Have you planned personally for a change in role?

Very often, we find that successful business people cannot fully let go and gave no arrangements in place to occupy themselves once they step back from full business activities. This is often one of the key causes of the failure of succession - the old management group just fails to let go.

Have you properly planned for your own retirement and lifestyle needs? This involves consideration of financial requirements and investment decisions. These matters cannot be fixed with short notice. They require you to consider what action you can take now so that the future is more controllable.

Have you properly allowed for your family's needs through both retirement planning and estate planning? Consider the disposition of assets under your Will. Your family should know how the business works and how your investments are held. When major family businesses are involved, proper wealth creation and estate planning techniques need to be considered so different assets can be left to different members of the family without jeopardizing the business itself.

Are you prepared to do something now? The longer you have to implement different strategies the more likely it is you will be comfortable with the results. While succession planning is usually not an urgent issue facing a company, it is important. The longer an owner waits to begin the planning process, the more urgent the issue becomes.

Team Focus - How To Re-Set The Sights

2007-04-06T03:39:00.001-07:00

I was at a training event recently and during the opening 'set the scene' intro the senior director in the company asked the group to list all the things that were stopping them providing a good service to their customers.

The team took great pleasure in listing all the concerns: Morale, time, work pressures, customer issues, the products etc etc.

The director gleefully added each and every comment to the flip chart and when no more issues were given he looked up and said.."I have only one problem with this list......." He let the question hang in the air for a few seconds and when the team's started to look around non-plussed, he said, "You're not on it!"

It may not have been what they wanted to hear, but Wow, did it have an effect.

Identifying a team members complacency is often the key to re-generating a workforce, it's a common problem and one that can have disastrous effects. In my experience, there tends to be two main reasons behind it.

1. The team member has been doing extremely well and has taken their eye off the ball.

2. The team member is not doing as well as his counterparts and so feel de-motivated and unable to achieve.

In both situations the key is to encourage the team member to 'buy-in' to the business once again. They need to appreciate the consequences of their action, or in-action, and learn to change.

So how do you do it?

The best approach is to identify the team member's drivers, that is, what it is that makes them want to succeed. For some, it will be the desire to get away from how they currently feel, for others, it will be the hope of reaching a better future state. Once you know what approach your particular team member prefers, you can encourage them to work towards, or away from it.

Of course it's not always easy to identify a person's drivers without asking them. So that's exactly what I suggest you do! You don't have to be so upfront with the question, using coaching as a method of understanding is a great way to achieve this.

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that through a good use of questioning and an even better use of listening you will be able to not only identify your team's drivers, but also help them establish a need to change.

The Importance of Assigning Tasks and Resources in Project Management

2007-04-06T03:38:00.001-07:00

There are two major ways to estimate the lengths (i.e., durations) of tasks. The simplest way is to estimate the elapsed time of a task.

If someone says it will take him a week to do a particular task, he is probably offering an elapsed-time estimate. They generally mean that it will take him one work week to get a task done, not that it will take them 40 hours. When estimating elapsed time, people generally account for not working on the project tasks full-time, and for working on other, higher-priority tasks first.

In most projects, however, lengths should be estimated based on the amount of work, not the amount of time. That way, adding resources will shorten a task, and using resources only part-time will lengthen a task. Tasks that fluctuate like this depending on the resources assigned are called resource–constrained tasks.

There are several ways to estimate the resource time for a task. One is to let the project manager calculate the estimates based on an employee’s performance on similar tasks. Another is to let the employees performing the tasks calculate their estimates, generally based on how they performed on similar tasks. A third way to estimate is to use standard metrics for generic tasks.

Although many project managers like to follow the standards established by these generic metrics, their plans are generally more accurate when they and their employees do their own estimating. It usually takes three to five projects to become proficient, but the eventual accuracy is worth the delay. Sometimes tasks will not be resource-constrained and can be estimated based on the elapsed times. Examples would be training classes or project meetings. Even though two or more people may attend a class or meeting, the length of the task does not shorten. These types of tasks are called time-constrained.

If estimates are being provided from standard metrics or project managers, them resources (i.e., employees) should be assigned after task lengths are determined. If estimates are coming from the employees performing the tasks, obviously these steps will be reversed. Regardless of the order of these two steps, one or more employees should be picked for each task that is resource-constrained.

Employees assigned to multiple tasks are often scheduled for too much work while there are simultaneous tasks to complete and not enough work when there are no task assignments. To maintain a consistent workload, resources need to be “leveled.” There are only two main ways to level resource allocations: by adjusting the task schedule or adjusting the resource assignments. Project management packages generally adjust the schedule to increase the amount of time it takes to finish the project.

Remember these basic principles for assigning task lengths and resources to improve your management proficiency.

How Do I Delegate Better?

2007-04-06T03:37:00.002-07:00

Lots of bosses are good at dumping, but not at delegating. They're great at off-loading the things they don't like to do and dropping assignments on their subordinates with little or no guidance.

Other bosses think that delegating is always the best way to assign work. That's not right either. When you've got a competent and willing worker, delegation is the right way to go, but it's not a good choice for workers who aren't as competent or committed.

Delegation is only one among the four basic options you when you ask a subordinate to do a piece of work. Here they are in order from most controlling to least controlling.

Make the decisions about what is to be done and tell folks what to do. I call this style "Tell."

Telling is good for people who may be new to the job and have lots of enthusiasm, but not enough ability yet. It's also the style you'll use with subordinates who've proved through several supervisory interviews that they may have the competence, but they seriously lack willingness. Those are discipline problems and tight control is appropriate.

You can also discuss the work with your subordinate, but make the final decision. This is good for less experienced people who either need instruction or who need their confidence built up. I call this style "Discuss and Tell."

Discuss and Tell is the style that most managers seem to like best and revert to under pressure. It seems like it let's them be both "participative" and in control. But using just Discuss and Tell is a bad idea, especially when you're helping a subordinate grown and develop.

At some point, your subordinate will demonstrate that he or she understands the work that needs to be done. That's the time to use the style I call "Discuss and Allow." With that style you discuss the work with your subordinate, and then let them decide what to do.

Discuss and Allow is the hardest option for most managers because it involves giving up control before they're really sure how competent a subordinate is, but it's essential if your subordinate is going to develop to a point where you can delegate to him or her. Many managers want to jump right over this step and simply assign work. Don't do it.

Part of your job as a manager is developing your people so they're competent enough that you can delegate almost any task to them. That won't happen all at once. To make sure they develop well, you've got to go through Discuss and Allow before you move to the style I call "Allow" or "Delegation."

When you delegate, you give your subordinate the assignment and ask what they need from you. This is true delegation. It's only appropriate for people who have mastered the kind of work to be done and who willingly pitch in.

As you work with people new to the job you'll move through the four styles as they grow and develop. Remember that you use different styles with different people and with the same people on different tasks. You make your decision on what style to use based on your subordinate's ability and willingness to handle the specific work you need to assign.

In my programs, I use the acronym AW, GOSH to help understand how much control to give a subordinate. Here's what those letters stand for.

A stands for ability. Do they have the ability to do the job? If they don't have the skills or resources, then you have either a training or resource issue, not a supervision issue.

W stands for willingness. Do they willingly do work that they've been given? Sometimes we talk about this by saying that a person is "motivated."

The comma (,) is to indicate that the two factors above are the most important ones to consider. The following factors may affect how you handle a specific situation, but they aren't nearly as important as your basic judgment about Ability and Willingness.

G stands for growth. If I let go a bit more, will it help this person grow and be an even better worker in the long term? I've found that most managers are reluctant to relinquish control, so if you're in doubt, give your subordinate more freedom.

O stands for organization. Are there any rules, regulations, or cultural norms that might cause me to modify my original decision?

S stands for situation. If the situation is either physically or psychologically dangerous you may want to retain more control. If it allows for safety and for the person to fail (but not horribly) then you can loosen up a bit.

H stands for "How will this affect others?" Will this set a precedent? Will it be perceived as fair? Does it set a good example? Remember that the people who work for you watch everything you do.

Instead of thinking just about whether you can delegate better, strive to give people the maximum control possible over their work life while helping them grow and assuring that your team is productive. The best way to do this is to use all four styles based on the ability and willingness of your subordinate to do the job.

The Key Skills of a Top Manager

2007-04-06T03:37:00.001-07:00

Management training programs and management training courses are meant to hone the managerial skills of a person. Sometimes, it is through these management training programs that an individual discovers he or she has a particular skill. So, what are the key skills of a top manager?

• Management training programs and management training courses will point out that good communication skills are of paramount importance to a manager. A manager has to be a great communicator if he wants to become a great manager. Communication skill is not just about speaking but listening as well. Good communication should avoid ambiguity. If there is a chance that a message might be misunderstood then it should be clarified. Communication is a two way street. And this is something that all management gurus agree on. Check on any management training manual or book any you will see that this point is being made. So, just like others listen to what you say, you have to listen to what others say.

• A top manager has a vision. He makes sure that the others share this vision with him/her. Communicating a vision doesn’t mean you have large message boards with your vision written on them placed at strategic locations. It might be effective to catch attention but to retain that attention you are going to have to do something else. You have to make sure that your team understands your vision and shares your vision with you. Visionary managers make the employees feel that they have stake in the organization’s success. They also inspire others to have their own visions and to reach out for these visions.

• No management training can impart you the skill of integrity. A top manager has to remember action and not word set a precedent. Mouthing moralities and practicing unethical business practices does not mean you have integrity. You have to practice what you preach.

• A top manager has to have enthusiasm for his job and the job that he is doing. A negative leader will only bring the team down. So, when you are choosing a field, choose carefully. Unless you enjoy what you do it is hard to be productive. Enthusiasm is infectious. If you have that attitude, it is sure to pass on to the other members of your team.

• Management training programs will tell you that delegating responsibility is an important skill that a manager should possess. This also means that sometimes you will have to train your subordinates or team members to do a job better that you. But, fear of being overshadowed by their own protégé stops managers from doing this. If you are a good manager there is nothing to fear. As, Bill Gates says there are enough jobs in the world for good managers. The world is short of good managers.

• As much as delegating responsibility is necessary; it wont do any good if you just dole out jobs without doing anything yourself. You also have to take up responsibility. Action speaks louder than words. If the team feels that you are not doing anything yourself and are only speaking of doing something then, you are going to lose the respect of your team. It will be even better if you take on less attractive tasks. This will show the other members of your team that, doing such tasks are also important.

• Always think carefully making a decision. At the same time, don’t take too long to arrive at a decision. Once you have arrived at a decision don’t change it. People do not respect indecisive managers. If you have to change your decision, it questions your motivation for arriving at the earlier the decision. The implementation of the changed decision might also become difficult. You can of course reconsider your decisions with changed circumstances but if you make a habit of it you are not going to be a successful manager.

• Management trainings also emphasize that top leader routinely reward their staff. The reward maybe in the form of a good word, a promotion, a pay rise or a bonus. It should be something that shows to your members and subordinates that their work is also important to the working of the organization.

There are many other skills a manager can possess but these are the tops skills of a manager according to the carious management training programs and management training courses.

Call Center Morale Boosting Strategies

2007-04-06T03:36:00.000-07:00

Morale is deceptively important in the running of an efficient call center. The reason it is deceptive is because while most bosses acknowledge the relationship between morale and productivity, few call center bosses are able to accurately pin down a decrease in productivity as being directly related to a lowered morale. The reason it is important is the same; namely that a higher morale means happier workers, which in turn leads to an overall increase in call center productivity.

What does it mean to have high productivity in a call center? Well for starters it means a higher level of customer focus, as call center agents with higher morale are going to sound more pleasant over the phone. It is human nature to unconsciously let feelings show through and in a job that involves a large amount of telephone conversation, it becomes easy to see how an unhappy worker can result in customer complaints and unnecessary headache further on down the road.

More than just customer focus, high morale in a specific worker can lead to that worker contributing to a more relaxed working environment, which in turn can have a positive morale effect on another worker. This worker then contributes to an even more relaxed working environment and so forth. Morale boosting can create a positive feedback cycle that benefits the whole staff of a call center, thereby making things easier for everyone involved.

So how can one increase the morale of their call center staff? The first step is in understanding what causes morale drops in the first place. Call center employment, as far as front line services go, is the ultimate emotional roller coaster ride. A worker can receive a compliment from one customer that makes them feel great and thirty seconds later be in tears from an angry client using harsh words against them. While it is impossible to avoid angry clients, attentive bosses can take steps that diminish the impact angry clients and other potential obstacles have on the morale of their staff.

The best morale boosters are ones that understand how humans work and think. Incentives are a good way to start; a bonus for achieving a milestone (such as working a certain number of hours without receiving a complaint) is something that will make a worker feel special, as well as let them know that their boss is looking after them directly.

Recognition is another important form of morale boosting that is frequently overlooked by call center administrators. Human nature is such that even a simple thank you can last a long time. Call center staff that have been working the phones a long time develop a confirmation bias that magnifies one type of call and diminishes another in their memory. If their bias is toward positive phone calls, then half the battle if done. If however it turns out to be toward negative phone calls, they will need help to keep their morale high.

And that is where recognition comes in. Finding a way to recognize workers on a regular basis for a job well done can really keep them in high spirits, allowing them to get through that next bad day with less effort than otherwise. Remember what I said above about the positive feedback high morale can generate? Recognition is a simple way to start that loop.

In conclusion, a good way to view call center morale is to think of it as a tool of the trade that is used to increase worker productivity. Call center administrators need to be savvy enough to realize the important relationship between worker morale and worker productivity. High morale is one of the most important aspects of a good call center and with it the sky is truly the limit to what workers can accomplish.

How To Run A Staff Appraisal?

2007-04-06T03:35:00.002-07:00

One of the most difficult tasks a manager’s has to perform is that of staff appraisal. Many management training programs and manager training courses conduct separate classes on this. Staff appraisal is like skating on thin ice. The result of a staff appraisal rarely satisfies the staff and the management. So, how to run a staff appraisal? At the outset it is important to remember that agreeing to the objectives of staff appraisal as well as making effective use of staff appraisal can improve the performance of your business. It can of course, also help in assessing the performance of your employees. Employees usually prefer a structured appraisal system which recognizes their work.

Management training program will tell you that in order to monitor and assess an employee it is necessary and useful to set out clear objectives for the employees. This way the employees also know what is expected from them. A well designed system of appraisal can help you in assessing your staff against these very objectives. It is a chance to give good constructive feedback as well as praise them for their good work. It is also a chance to further clarify the objectives of the company and the employees.

There are four key areas where you should concentrate on for a staff appraisal. According to management training courses these key areas are: setting objectives, managing performance, carrying out the appraisal, providing reward or solutions. Set clear objectives and give them the training, tool etc., necessary to perform well. Monitor the performance of the employees and discuss the results with them. Depending on the results of an appraisal give a promotion or rewards for good performance. Offer solutions for poor performance. A very common doubt for management is how often one should conduct an appraisal. For a new employee appraisal may be done after a set period. For others it can be done once or twice a year. Whatever performance testing system or appraisal system that you are putting up should be informed to the staff in writing.

Management training often distinguishes between goal and objectives. Goals are meant for companies whereas objectives are for individuals. For instance the goal for the company might be to increase sales by some percentage over a year. The objective for the employee may be to bring in one client every month for that year. Make sure the objectives are useful. For this you can use the smart system i.e. Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time based objectives. There are certain things that are not measurable. Then try to score their capability on a score of say 1 to 5 to measure their performance. In such cases the objective of an employee is to achieve a higher score.

An appraisal is usually carried out by an employee’s line manager. Some management training programs and management training courses feel that the results should also be shown to the management. Another method is when a mixture of employees who have some contacts with the appraised employee, give in written feedback. These can include line manager, colleagues, subordinates etc. When making the appraisal the performance for the whole period should be taken into consideration rather than just the immediate past. Enough time should be allotted for the appraisal meeting. Make the opening with positive comments. Make sure the employee understands the next steps. The discussion should be two way and in situation should it become a conflict. The employees should be given a written copy of the appraisal and they should be given a right to appeal if they don’t agree with the appraisal.

According to people who conduct management training a good appraisal should motivate your employees. Good performances should be rewarded but the question of reward should not be related to performance in the appraisal interview. A separate meeting should be conducted to consider the reward. But reward programs should be monitored carefully as it might cause friction among the employees. Bonus, pay increase, giving company shares are all various types of rewards that can be given.

The Nature and Purpose of Project Management

2007-04-06T03:35:00.001-07:00

Project management as we know it today has evolved in order to plan, coordinate, and control the complex and diverse activities of modern industrial, commercial, and management change projects.

Clearly, man-made projects are not new; monuments surviving from the earliest civilizations testify to the incredible achievements of our forebears and still evoke our wonder and admiration. Modern projects, for all their technological sophistication, are not necessarily greater in scale than some of those early mammoth works. But economic pressures of the industrialized world, military defense needs, competition between rival companies, and greater regard for the value and well-being (and hence the employment costs) of working people have all led to the development of new ideas and techniques for managing projects.

All projects share one common characteristic – the projection of ideas and activities into new endeavors. The ever-present element of risk and uncertainty means that the events and tasks leading to completion can never be foretold with absolute accuracy. For some very complex or advanced projects even the possibility of successful completion might be in serious doubt.

The purpose of project management is to foresee or predict as many of the dangers and problems as possible and to plan, organize, and control activities so that projects are completed as successfully as possible in spite of all the risks. This process starts before any resource is committed, and must continue until all work is finished. The primary aim of the project manager is for the final result to satisfy the project sponsor or purchaser, within the promised timescale and without using more money and other resources than those that were originally set aside or budgeted.

Much of the development in project management methods took place in the second half of the twentieth century, spurred by impatient project purchasers (who wanted their projects finished quickly so that their investments could be put to profitable use as soon as possible). Competition between nations for supremacy in weapons and defense systems played a significant role in the development of project management techniques, and the process has been accelerated by the widespread availability of powerful, reliable, and cheap computers. Project management is more effective when it makes use of these sophisticated techniques and facilities and, in this sense, is a highly specialized branch of management.

Planning and control must, of course, be exercised over all the activities and resources involved in a project. The project manager therefore needs to understand how all the various participants operate, and to appreciate (at least in outline) their particular skills, working methods, problems, and weaknesses. This demands a fairly wide degree of general experience so that, in this practical sense, project management is akin to general management.

Best Practices In Hiring - How to Consistently Find and Hire Great Candidates

2007-04-06T03:34:00.000-07:00

Are you getting ready to fill a position at your firm? I have a number of suggestions to help you find the right person the first time. These tips are based on my own experience and observations in running interviews and managing hiring searches over the past 5 years.

Before you even post the job listing:
1) Have a plan. This is the most important part. I recommend the steps listed below, but even if you decide some of these aren't for you, make sure you have specific alternatives in mind.
2) Define the position. This is absolutely essential. Sit down with the other decision makers and make sure everyone is on the same page as far as what skills you are looking for and what your goals are.
3) Create or update the job description, and profile the ideal candidate.

After posting the job listing:
4) Screen resumes with your ideal candidate in mind. Grade them: 'A' is a good match, and should be interviewed. 'B' is on the fence, and gets an interview if there are not enough 'A's. 'C' is not a match and should not be interviewed. For me, the magic numbers always seem to be 10 people for the first round, with second round callbacks for the top 3 candidates. If you can find 10 'A's to begin with, you're off to a good start.

Before the first round interviews:
5) Create a standard question list for the interview. Avoid the standard interview boiler-plate questions, as well as questions which can be answered with 'yes' or 'no'. You want to learn about the candidate and understand how they think, so ask questions which require thought.
6) Create a brief test or assignment which will give you insight into the candidate's skills. Hiring is often extremely subjective. Having a test creates an objective measure, which takes at least some of the subjectivity out of it. Plus, as a bonus, it creates a means by which you can quickly test people to see if they have at least the basic skills required.

During the first round interviews:
7) Follow your list of questions and give the test religiously. Don't deviate unless absolutely necessary. You want to treat every candidate the same, so that you can compare apples to apples when evaluating and comparing them.
8) Try to have 2 people perform the interview. This allows one person to listen while the other talks, plus it gives you a 'second opinion' with whom to discuss the candidate afterwards.

After the first round interviews:
9) Immediately after each interview, discuss the candidate with any other colleagues who were present. Don't put it off- soon after the interview, recollections will start to get muddled as other tasks start to occupy the attendees. Immediately rank each candidate, especially the top 3. Keeping a running tally is a good tool for prompting recall of what each candidate had to offer. Plus, as a special bonus, once you've interviewed your last person, you will have a list of the top 3 ready to go for the second interview stage.

For the second round interviews:
10) Invite the top 3 candidates back for a second interview. Three is the magic number. Two just isn't enough, because your colleagues won't have enough of a sense of the range of candidates. Four is too many -- people will start mixing up the candidates, or won't be able to focus equally on all of them. The second interview should repeat steps 5 through 9, with these changes:

* involve more people from the organization, both to expose the candidate to a wider range of the people he/she will work with, and to involve a wider range of opinions.
* repeat at least some of the questions from your standard question list, for the benefit of those who weren't present the first time (and also to see if the candidate answers the same way).
* create a more involved skills-based test or assignment. You really need to know if this person can perform if hired.

Now refer back to step 1, where you created a plan. The beauty of having a formal interview process, ie. 'a plan', is that if what you are doing works, you know how to replicate it. If results are not what you anticipated, you can gradually tweak your plan over time until you get to where you want to be.

Congratulations, your hiring practices are now far more organized, and likely far more effective, than most companies. Happy hiring!

Leaders And The Four Fatal Fears

2007-04-06T03:33:00.000-07:00

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
This famous quote from Franklin Roosevelt speaks as clearly to leaders today as it did in the 1940s. In their book, Play to Win, Larry and Hersch Wilson present psychologist Maxie Maultsby’s concept of the Four Fatal Fears. Maultsby believes these fears impede our ability to interact effectively with others and take relevant action. These fears can not only immobilize us, but also immobilize an entire organization when a leader is stuck in their grip. Let’s take a look at the impact of these Four Fatal Fears on a leader’s ability to create a dynamic organization that responds quickly and effectively to change, creates new and innovative solutions, and works toward a common vision.

I fear failure; therefore, I need to succeed.
When leaders operate from a fear of failure, they are often reluctant to act. They may procrastinate in making decisions and miss opportunities. It impedes their sense of adventure and playfulness, as well as their ability to take the risks necessary for innovation and growth. A fear of failure can manifest itself as a need to have every piece of available information before making a decision. Leaders who fear failure can become imaginatively stuck and in the constant mode of finding answers, rather than reframing questions. Their thinking can become polarized into black-and-white or all-or-nothing approaches that limit creativity and risk-taking.

I fear being wrong; therefore, I must be right.
For leaders, the fear of being wrong can make it extremely difficult to tolerate members of their management team who challenge their ideas or conclusions. Over time, dissenting voices become quiet and the management team becomes nothing more than a rubber stamp for the leader’s thinking. The creativity and imagination of the team is lost to the leader and the business. Ultimately, leaders’ fear of being wrong leads to an increased likelihood that they will be wrong. Leaders who need to be right tend to dominate discussions and attempt to control the thinking of others, rather than see others as resources who can expand their understanding of issues and opportunities.

I fear rejection; therefore, I need to be accepted.
Fear of rejection makes it difficult for leaders to take a stand and define themselves in situations where relationships feel endangered. Leaders who fear rejection seldom confront the poor performance of subordinates or challenge the thinking of others in a way that promotes lively discussion and debate. These leaders tend to rely exclusively on a consensus decision-making style because they believe it is more important to be liked than respected. Fearing rejection, leaders often try to present themselves in a way that is palatable to everyone, except them. This leads to stress, burnout and lack of confidence. More introverted leaders deal with the fear of rejection by pulling away from relationships and cutting themselves off from the very people with whom they desire connection.

I fear being emotionally uncomfortable; therefore, I need to be comfortable.
When leaders need emotional comfort, they lack the capacity to remain present and engaged when faced with resistance or anger from others. They tend to avoid emotionally charged discussions, and therefore, miss the opportunity for mutual learning and growth. The need to avoid emotional discomfort can make the intrinsic loneliness of leadership unbearable. Leaders who attempt to maintain constant emotional comfort become cut off from their own emotions and unable to respond appropriately to the emotions of others. It is almost impossible for leaders to make difficult decisions when they are paralyzed by the fear of others’ emotional responses.

Summary
When leaders act out of fear, their actions and decisions are guarded and restrictive. These leaders tend to focus on controlling others, rather than managing themselves. The leaders’ fears and anxieties are transmitted to their organizations, which creates dependency, indecisiveness and lack of personal responsibility. These shared fears can replace the firm’s shared values and lead to ethical lapses, poor and untimely decisions, ineffective communication and dysfunctional relationships. To face and manage these fears, leaders must remain honest with themselves regarding their most prevalent fear and the conditions that are most likely to provoke that fear.

Awareness is the first step to self-management, so here are some exercises to help you determine how fear has an impact on your leadership. Choose the exercise that you feel is most beneficial and revealing. Then, try it for a week and see how it adds clarity to your actions.

I fear failure; therefore, I must succeed.
For the next week, stop twice each day — once at midday and once at end of day — and ask yourself the following questions:
• What did I not attempt today because I was afraid I would fail?
• How did I rationalize not trying?
• What was the worst outcome that could have come out of my trying?
• What did not move forward because I did not try?
• What did I learn about myself and my leadership from this experience?

I fear being wrong; therefore, I need to be right.
For the next week, stop twice each day — once at midday and once at end of day — and ask your self the following questions:
• In what situation did I feel the need to be right or to avoid being wrong?
• How did I respond?
• How did other people respond to me?
• How could I have responded that would have been more useful?
• What did I learn about myself and my leadership from this experience?

I fear rejection; therefore, I need to be accepted.
For the next week, stop twice each day — once at midday and once at end of day — and ask yourself the following questions:
• In what situation did I feel rejected today?
• How did I respond?
• How could I have responded more effectively to stay connected?
• What situation did I avoid today because I was afraid of rejection?
• What was the result of my avoidance?
• How could I have engaged that person?
• What did I learn about myself and my leadership from this experience?

I fear being emotionally uncomfortable; therefore, I need to be comfortable.
For the next week, stop twice each day — once at midday and once at end of day — and ask yourself the following questions:
• What made me emotionally uncomfortable today?
• Why was I uncomfortable?
• What did I do to avoid or eliminate the discomfort?
• What did not get resolved because I avoided discomfort?
• What did I learn about myself and my leadership from this experience?

Soaring With The Eagles: Rebounding Your Business From The Brink Of Extinction

2007-04-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

Happily, our children may never know that the bald eagle, the proud symbol of the United States, was once nearly extinct. In the 1960s, there were fewer than 500 pairs in the United States, because of shootings, pesticides, habitat destruction and pollution.

Thanks to the endangered species and environmental protection laws and other conservation efforts, the bald eagle, though still considered "threatened," has been brought back from the edge of extinction.

As a business leader, what can you learn from the eagles about coming back from setbacks, big or small? Are you facing the total "extinction" of your organization or do you want to avoid that possibility before it gets any closer?

Consider what eagles can teach you about regaining or maintaining your company's status from your perch high atop the cliffs overlooking your vast corner of the world!

Develop an Eagle's Eye

Eagles are renowned for their excellent eyesight. They can scan thousands of acres as they soar up to 10,000 feet above the ground. Eagles actually have two centers of focus, which allows them to simultaneously see forward and to the side. An eagle can spot a single fish while flying several hundred feet up in the air.

Such keen vision could come in handy even if you never make it out to a lake. Honestly assess how observant you are: Are you able to look below the surface of an issue to see the source of conflict? What is your level of insight into the people and problems in your organization? If you have difficulty are you willing to hire the professional resources you may need so that you can accurately visualize the situation?

You must develop the eagle's dual vision to recover from business difficulties. First, seek to see clearly in the present, observing honestly the current realities of your situation. Then simultaneously develop a positive vision of the organization's future. In other words, to get through setbacks, you must be in the present moment but also able to look beyond the moment. Do not allow yourself to get caught up in anxiety and self-pity about the obstacles you face.

To pull yourself out of a crisis you must make a realistic assessment of where you stand and determine how you got there as honestly as possible. Get as much information as you can from others. Determine both how you got off course and what strengths your organization has that may allow you to compete again. Gather those around you whom you believe can offer fresh insights and ideas for recovery and listen closely to what they have to say.

Adapt by Adopting an Action Plan

Eagles' nests are between five and ten feet in diameter - some can weigh up to a ton! They are built in trees or cliffs near coasts for easy access to fishing. If a natural disaster destroys the nest the eagle pair will not spend time arguing about who or what is to blame for their loss. Instead, they work together to rebuild the nest in time for breeding season.

Assess with your team what brought you to your current state of crisis. Form a united vision for your future and get to work on building your nest. Make your vision happen. Many organizations have vision statements that serve little purpose other than to adorn a plaque in the lobby. Others may have once lived by their stated vision and mission but got caught up in daily crises and have lost sight of their original goals and have no action plan to attain them.

Revisit your organization's existing vision and determine if it is applicable to the current realities. Can it be adapted? Or must you create a new vision of the future altogether, given the current state of affairs and the prospects for the future? Always keep in mind the necessity to move forward. Action is strength.

Sharpen Your Talons of Determination

When an eagle hunts, it swoops down to seize its prey with powerful, sharp talons that produce approximately 1,000 pounds of pressure per square inch in each foot.

Do you have the same degree of strength within yourself? You need that sort of determination to succeed even when you're not in a struggle to avoid extinction. When you are threatened you need it all the more.

When you can say with certainty that you have the desire to lead your organization to success, you then need to look at top managers and see whether they, too, share this strength and desire. Your key people must be fully invested in your efforts in order for the team and the organization as a whole to succeed.

Negative naysayers among your key players aren't likely to ever buy into your vision. You can still use your own strength to try to convey the message to them once you've determined how long you can wait for their buy-in. If your naysayers aren't on board within a reasonable amount of time you may have to use those talons to lift them up and deposit them on the farthest shore so you and your team can fly on to success.

Protect Your Fledglings and Your Nest

Eagles are very progressive by human standards in terms of their sex roles. They mate for life and both parents share all hunting, egg incubation, nest watch, and eaglet feeding and brooding duties until their young can fly at about 12 weeks. In spite of their fierce protectiveness and tender attention to the eaglets' needs only about 50% of eaglets hatched survive their first year.

That figure is reminiscent of an often-quoted statistics about business failure, isn't it? Consider the fledglings as analogous to your "new" organization which is emerging from your new attention to the vision, goals, and action plan to attain them. Just as the care, feeding, and training of eaglets is not a solo sport nurturing and growing the organization after crisis will require everybody to make it work.

Your protection must be diligent. Guard your organization fiercely from predators in the form of your competition. They may be looking to pick off a newly reorganized institution. You may find other businesses trying to recruit your top talent, for example, while your organization struggles to retain them. So tend to your talent with a careful eye on operations and resources.

Throughout this process, you must remain constantly vigilant in order to know everything - good and bad - that's happening so you can avoid being blindsided by a sudden storm or marauders bent on destroying your work.

Survive, and Thrive, the Eagle's Way

From the beginning of the history of the United States the bald eagle has faced struggles. Ben Franklin originally proposed the wild turkey as the nation's living symbol of Freedom, Spirit & Democracy. Fortunately, he didn't get his way and the rest of the founding fathers prevailed in naming the bald eagle as the national icon. "After all, a 'Nation of Eagles' has such a better ring to it than a 'Nation of Turkeys", says Al Cecere, President of the American Eagle Foundation.

Then, after nearly wiping eagles from the face of the earth mankind turned its efforts to saving the noble birds. After four decades, this attention has paid off in a revived eagle population. Such patience and determination are yet another metaphor you need to follow if your organization is faced with "extinction." You shouldn't expect a complete, overnight change in the circumstances that caused your difficulties. You must have a strong sense of purpose even when prospects seem grim. You must also rely on a trusted team to help you accomplish the goals that support your vision for the revitalized organization. Although it may take awhile, you can soar in the thermals once again!

Analyzing the Raise of Chinese Human Resource Management

2007-04-02T05:01:00.002-07:00

Since 1979, China has undertaken a strategy of economic reform that is essentially based on the “Open Door Policy” being followed by the “Four Modernizations” of the most perspective industries: agriculture, manufacturing, defense, and science and technology. Consequently, there was a shift from command economy to the one mostly driven by market forces. China’s entry into the World Trade Organization, social and economic reforms, industrial consolidation have made it a highly perspective country for foreign investment. Within the past 5 years, Shanghai General Motors and Shanghai Volkswagen more then doubled output – from 280,000 to 600,000 units. Going even further, country reached the largest output of steel in excess of Japan and United States together.

Lets analyze production a can of soda. While production costs in China account for only $0.18-0.19, United States production costs reach $0.70. At the same time, entrance into the World Trade Organization and focus on global market go hand in hand with the increase in standards for goods and services produced. Given the direct relationship between quality of products produced and company’s ability to retain talent workforce through effective human resource practices, the issue of labor turnover becomes a critical factor of the HRM strategy undertaken by a company.

As reported by scholars, the present situation in the labor market in China is healthy and stable. As reported by the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, the payroll employment increased by 2.1 million in 2004, which accounts for the first gain since 2000. Payroll employment remains stable – 97,000 below the peak level reached in February of 2001. Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey points out s light increase during 2004; however, it is still considerably below the pre-recession years. In this survey, the total number of hires and separations that occurred monthly alongside with the number of job openings was measured.

At the same time, China Employee Attraction and Retention Survey 2004 reports that companies in China are having significant difficulties in trying to sustain the labor force in China. Survey covered 24 percent of companies from high tech industry, consumer industry accounts for the share of 19 per cent, chemical industry for as much as 14 per cent, pharmaceutical – 11 percent, automotive – 8, and service – 6 percent. As much as 54 per cent of all organizations confirmed an increase in labor turnover from previous years when it comes to professional and highly skilled staff. Companies covered in the survey use different strategies to sustain staff: 83 per cent of all companies employ health care and insurance benefits, 41 per cent provides health and fitness plans, whereas 24 percent offer flexible working hours. Interestingly, only 21 per cent of all organizations offer supplementary pension plans, and only 10 per cent offers subsidized loans.

To Follow-up or Not to Follow-up

2007-04-02T05:01:00.001-07:00

Introduction

In government offices, with Insurance companies, in relations of Customer/Client and Service Provider and even in corporate world, at times we follow-up with the concerned person to know and to ensure if our work has been done or not. I personally don’t like this act of follow-ups; I don’t encourage such activities and I don’t appreciate that. I feel that by following-up you are insulting the other person. If someone need to follow-up with me or if someone follow-up with me, I feel insulted. So, what is the solution? Whether we should follow-up? Who should follow-up? In this write-up, I will be sharing few examples and will try to find a solution.

Let’s understand

We are social animals and we cannot do all the things on our own. I cannot issue a license for myself. I cannot sell a movie ticket to myself. If I am not a pilot, I cannot fly my plane. I cannot fill my petrol tank. I cannot approve my own loan. In case of operation, I cannot operate myself. I cannot issue an insurance policy to myself. I cannot take my own interview and hire myself. Can I? We do follow-ups when part of our work is done by another person. We do follow-ups when we delegate some of our work. We need to follow-up when our performance, our growth, our success, our career, even our routine life is partly dependable on the work of some other person (s).

I am of the opinion that if someone is following-up with you, then all or any of the following is a reason for that:

1) You are lazy.

2) You are not a good planner.

3) You are not aware of the importance and value of time.

4) You are poor in Time Management

5) You are not aware of your own limits.

6) You have a habit of procrastinating.

7) You don’t know how to prioritize your work.

8) You have made a wrong commitment.

I will be the last person to accept a reason that XYZ is very busy, he doesn’t have time and hence you need to be reminded.

Why you want others to follow-up?

1) One of the parties is seeking some benefit from the other person. It can be monetary or otherwise. For example you are a principle of a very good college and have applied for your driving license where MR. Y is working, who is having a college going daughter. You got into a mutual understanding that you will give admission to Mr. Y’s daughter and he will give you a driving license without testing your driving skills. Though this leads to Corruption but this is one of the cases where Follow-up might be required. Or you have applied for a loan of 5 million Dollars and the person who is authorized to sanction your loan is asking you to give him 0.2 million dollars. In these cases, the other person will not approve your license or loan, till the time you give his due.

2) Ego Clash or Personality clash might be another reason that you are not doing the work of another person and hence “wanting” him or her to follow-up with you.

3) Sheer Pleasure that you draw by not carrying forward the work of another person and thereby making an attempt to show-off your importance, power and authority.

4) Someone is growing faster than your own growth, and then also you might just keep on lingering and not do the work, because you are afraid and you have fear.

5) You enjoy procrastination. You have a problem and you feel that by postponing the problem or by ignoring the problem, you can solve the problem.

How to plan?

1) You are the master of your own time. Plan your time in such a manner so that you can do all your assignments well on time and don’t give any opportunity or reason for anyone to follow-up with you.

2) Understand your capacity. Be Proactive. Don’t make false commitments.

3) Don’t make open commitments. Always make time bond commitments. Here, I like to share one example. I had problem with my hand-phone and went to the customer care executive and he told me, “Sir, it will take some time”. I asked, “How Much Time”. He said, “I don’t know. I cannot commit but it will take sometime”. I suggested, “One day, One Week, One Fortnight or One Month or even more, how much time it will take?” He said, “One Week”.

4) Be dedicated to your work. Be a good planner. Everybody is busy. But it comes to being a busy person, I can only think of people responsible for multiple things; people responsible for many tasks and assignments. If I think of such people, they can be Department Heads or Location Heads, Group Heads, Country Heads, CEO’s, Managing Directors, Prime Ministers’ or Presidents. Is there anyone else, who can be busier than these people? In one of my previous employments, a company worth of 1000 million dollars and a manpower of 7000 employees, where our CEO use to get 500 emails in a day, he was able to manage his in such a manner, so that he can read all those mails, direct those mails to appropriate Functional Heads for their action. All this in just 24 hours time.

5) Value your time and value the time of other person.

Who should follow-up?

As I feel that if you are following-up with some person (If it is not a Government Office) you are actually insulting that person. I also feel that following-up should be from top to bottom in hierarchy. I can be lazy. I can be a poor time manager. I can be a poor planner. I might be lacking some knowledge and hence not able to do my work on time. I don’t expect such traits in my boss or reporting manager or senior or Superior Official. The very fact that he is senior to me, my superior and my boss, to me it implies that he or she is more knowledgeable, more intelligent, more efficient and a better planner. What do you think and feel? I am right in my hypothesis and theorem??

Conclusion

If you feel happy when others follow-up with you and thereby insult you and crush you then you can continue with your present state and process. If you don’t want others to follow-up with you, then plan your work, plan your day and plan your time. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t linger on. Plan your work. Value your time. I understand that for every work or every action or every activity there can be two answers, Yes or NO; Right or Wrong; I know or I don’t know; I want to do or I don’t want to do; I can do or I cannot do (Think about all the activities that you do in a day, is there anything which can have third answer). Hence give appropriate answer on time. So that, if you cannot do some of a things those things can be done through other resources. With this note, I conclude this write-up.

Managing Your Meeting Monsters: Identifying the Cast of Culprits That Threaten Productive Meetings

2007-04-02T05:00:00.001-07:00

In the Star Wars movie's famous bar scene you knew, by appearance, what zany character was sitting beside you. Each character had a distinctive look. Yet in today's meetings you may have no idea the constellation of characters that you’re meeting with. That’s because their normal outward appearances belie often-troublesome behavior. Use this article as your guide to the crazy cast of characters you’re likely to encounter in your meetings. Whether or not you’re armed with a light saber, you’ll nevertheless be equipped to do battle with these oft-destructive forces who subvert meetings with their bothersome behavior.

The Monopolizer: This person thinks he or she is the only one with wisdom on subjects. The monopolizer believes everyone else is there to hear him or her speak, and so they do, incessantly. They don’t appreciate that meetings offer an opportunity to hear from many. They prattle on and on, arrogantly acting as though their ideas or beliefs are inherently more important than others. Sadly other people shy away from contributing, intimidated by the monopolizer’s stranglehold on the meeting. When facilitators allow this it sends a message their rudeness is sanctioned. The facilitator or even other meeting participants should indicate an interest in hearing from others in the meeting, to remind the monopolizer that others can speak as well as listen.

The Tangent Talker: This person hijacks the topic of the group by taking discussions off on tangents — topics unrelated to the issue at hand. One minute you’re on topic and the next minute you’re in “left field” as your agenda topic has been taken to a tangent. Your meeting chair’s ability to recognize and refocus is essential to a productive meeting. “Let’s remember to confine ourselves to the topic at hand” is a good way to get back on track. Alternately saying, “Let’s try to avoid tangents” also labels such behavior as contrary to the group’s aims. As well, you can “park” extraneous items in a “parking lot” list where they’re noted, if only to be addressed later.

The Devil’s Advocate: Let’s face it, there’s one in every crowd and most meetings too. This person seems to relish taking the opposite tack. Whatever the argument being put forth, this person delights in taking an opposing view. It’s sport for them, an exercise in opposition. The more unpopular the stance the more exciting their challenge. Often they begin by saying “just for the sake of argument…I believe the opposite is true….” While there’s value in looking at issues from multiple points of view and avoiding groupthink, the Devil’s Advocate applies their technique to every issue, every argument and every conversation. Hold on to your Agenda and get comfortable. This could take a while! A good chair can praise this person’s ability to do this while simultaneously indicating its inappropriateness given time parameters or previously agreed issues.

Thy Cynic: The ultimate naysayer, this person has a Masters degree in negativity. Adroit at the phrase “it won’t work” they are skilled at deflating and defeating whatever motion is in motion. “Can’t be done.” “They’ll never buy it.” “We tried it once and it was a failure.” Their motto: just say no. Challenge these people to think like The Devil’s Advocate and suppose for that things could work. Use the common conflict resolution tool of asking them to embrace the other side’s view as if it were their own, and argue that side’s position.

The Fence Sitter: Known for their paralysis by analysis, these characters are unable to make decisions. Despite being in a deliberative body, they are conflicted by multiple arguments, and can’t “pull the trigger” when it’s time to make a decision in a meeting. They provide fodder for the Devil’s Advocate, the Cynic and other characters with their ambivalence. Whether they are afraid of being wrong, or of disagreeing with someone else, or just going on record, they are a meeting monster for their inability to move the action forward. Try to cajole them to action. Remind them they have a vote and were invited to use it. Ask them their opinions on matters to draw them out and get them on record.

The Brown Noser: There’s likely one in every meeting. The person who is so obsequious, bending over backwards to ingratiate himself or herself to the boss, the meeting leader or other power broker. They’re so busy currying favor with others they subvert whatever true feelings they have about issues to “kiss butt.” They are seen to be in the pocket of the person they’re cow-towing to. Ultimately they are seen for who they are and become predictable. Try to elicit their ideas and preferences before asking others as a way of drawing them out.

The Pandora’s Box Opener: These meeting monsters just have to tackle issues that are emotional, touchy or are “hot buttons” for others in the meeting. In every meeting there are topics sure to strike a nerve, to provoke an emotional reaction or enter the group into a quagmire. These people lead the entire meeting into areas that provoke frustration, animosities and often resentment too. Once this box is opened, it’s hard to get its issues back in the box. Discussions of salaries, promotions or personal styles often stir up issues that hijack meetings. Even worse, some culprits reopen issues from earlier in the meeting that have already been resolved. The best cure: a firm “let’s not go there’ from the meeting’s facilitator. Other phrases like “let’s cross that bridge when we get there” or “that’s a hornets nest we don’t need to disturb” labels certain subjects out of bounds.

The Attacker: As children these people were bullies. Some haven’t grown up! The attacker deftly mixes negativity with personal attacks, challenging others’ ideas with vigor. Without regard to hurting others’ feelings, the attacker uses a confrontational style to object to others’ ideas and go against the flow. Sadly, sometimes they don’t even realize they’re attacking. A good facilitator can refocus them to be positive, to remove the sting from their words and avoid an adversarial approach. All meeting participants are entitled to stop the meeting when attacked personally. Ad hominem attacks are attacks against one’s person. People can criticize your actions or beliefs, but you don’t have to tolerate attacks against who you are as a person.

The Joker: Don’t let their good nature fool you, Jokers can be meeting monsters. Their constant joking has the effect of diminishing others’ serious ideas or suggestions. Their infusion of humor can belittle others’ motions and makes it difficult for some to be taken seriously. There is a time and place for joking. While we all like a good laugh, constant joking disrupts a meeting and distracts attention from where it should be. A meeting chair can designate several minutes at the start or middle of a meeting specifically for humor. When it crops up elsewhere and is deemed disruptive, the chair can remind people the time for humor is passed or forthcoming, so as to control it.

The Robots: Yep, these meeting monsters are actually cell phones, pagers, personal digital assistants (PDA’s) and laptops. Each distracts their owner and others too as they intrude on participants’ attention spans during meetings. It's gotten so bad now cell phones contain cameras within them…just what meetings need. A good meeting chair will create ground rules for meetings, including turning off these gadgets at their outset. It’s hard to compete with human distractions, let alone electronic ones as well.

As you can see, meetings are full of characters. You should study the behavior in meetings, including your own, to better understand your style of interaction. The character of your meetings will surely be affected by the characters in your meeting. May the force be with you.

Why Projects Fail

2007-04-02T04:59:00.000-07:00

In 2005, a company from Dallas, Texas came to Muskego, Wisconsin to build a new retirement community. After 2 years and millions of dollars spent, the project was terminated; the project failed.

Projects all over the world fail but does anyone ever look as to why? While I don’t know why all projects fail, I do know why this retirement community failed. There were five characteristics as to why this project will not be constructed: Research, Planning, Training, Teamwork, and Ego.

Research: Before any project can even begin, research needs to be developed to see if the project is feasible. Is there a market for this type of project? Is this the right location? What is this project going to cost? And what price should we charge the consumer? Researching your competition and learning what they charge their residents and what added benefits are included should also be taken seriously. Any company that believes they have no competitors is already setting themselves up for failure.

The research that was done on this retirement community was both inadequate and incomplete. Research showed that there were only a handful of retirement communities in the surrounding area. But what the research failed to show was that there were over 2000 independent apartments for seniors. They also believed that because they were new to the area, consumers were willing to pay higher prices for “new-ness”. Consumers do not pay higher prices for “new-ness”, they pay for added benefits.

Planning: Planning is HUGE! For the construction of a new retirement community so many details need to be thought through. Every minor detail needs to be thought out and planned for. How many residents will be allowed, what kinds of services and amenities will be provided, what price are consumers willing to pay are just some examples that need to be planned.

Every step in this process needs to be written down. Setting goals and setting a timeframe to reach these goals is so important and vital to a project being successful. Sharing this information with all team members is also important and everyone on the team should be on board before the project takes life.

The planning that was done on this project was more of a “let’s try this for a while and see how it works” kind of mentality. The project originally began with many amenities not added; underground parking, patios, balconies, and even side-by-side condo like apartments. Every consumer interested learned that these items were not going to be available. Six months later, the underground parking was available. Another six months passed by and patios and balconies were added. A year later and amenities were still being added. Consumers did not like it and decided they were going to wait until it was finished, they did not like being strung along.

Training: Whether you are a janitor, cook, salesperson, or any other position, training is vital and extremely important. Teaching and educating your staff not only increases their individual worth, but it creates a positive company atmosphere. When everyone works together in synergy, projects succeed.

Training can consist of a variety of topics; computer programs, sales techniques, telephone skills, public speaking for presentations, and basic customer service.

The training that was given to the staff consisted of a “do-it-yourself” attitude. Managers would come in to the office on a regular basis, but never give any ideas, concepts, or techniques. Most of the time they would come to the office and work on other projects, personal matters, or whatever else they wanted. Instead of bragging about ones accomplishments, pick up the phone and do it again, pass on your knowledge to other team members, and give words of encouragement to your staff.

Teamwork: A Russian submarine captain once said to his crew “Without me, you are nothing, but without you, I am nothing.” Each person on a team is an integral part of success. When one person is down, the other teammates are there to pick him up. Businesses today must be team orientated to be more efficient. Receptionists need to be competent to take messages and transfer calls to salespeople. Salespeople need to be customer driven to produce the sale, and the company must deliver on its promise.

Our team consisted of 4 men and women, but there was definitely no teamwork. Everyone worked at their own pace and before long, stress and tension was felt throughout the office. Staff would come in each morning, get a cup of coffee and go right to work. No “good morning”, no “how was your weekend”, no talking period. They felt if they went about their business, sales would come and the project would succeed. Unfortunately, they were all wrong.

Ego: Everyone has an ego, but how we use our ego is another story. The first rule of thumb for anyone in business is to check your ego at the door. Granted there are some celebrities who have huge egos, but they are successful at what they do and when they make a mistake, they admit to it. For most of us, we cannot have this attitude when we deal with others in business. We have to present our case and state our reasons and explain why we feel the way we do. For companies, having an ego is the worst. They think they can walk right into an area, set up shop, and be successful. Statements like “this is how we did it at the last location and this is how we will do it here” and “it worked this way 25 years ago, why change” do not work in today’s business world. Change can be scary, but it can also be rewarding and fun.

The company ego we were given on was larger than large. They boasted about how they never had a project fail before, how they always came up with a plan, and how they will get the project done. After all was said and spending millions of dollars, the company finally laid down and said “We failed, the project is terminated”.

Joe DiMaggio once had a 56 game hitting streak. Know why he didn’t have a 57 game hitting streak? Simple, streaks end. But while Joltin’ Joe had this streak, he wasn’t boasting to other teams in the league, he wasn’t bragging to teammates, he simply went about his business. (By the way, after Joe’s streak ended, he started another one that lasted 18 games)

Any project can and will succeed if these five characteristics are met: research your project, plan on a course of action, train your staff properly, work in a team environment, and have everyone check their egos at the door.

Your Most Important Investment

2007-04-02T04:58:00.002-07:00

"Imagine a company spending one-third of the revenue on a capital investment or an interest payment and never addressing it with shareholders in their annual report," said Rick Guzzo, a Mercer consultant. "It's unthinkable."

Mercer Human Resource Consulting, a unit of insurance brokerage Marsh &McLennan, conducted a Two Year Study of the 100 largest publicly traded American companies.

25% of the largest publicly traded companies included a platitude equivalent to, "our people are our greatest asset".

20% of the companies actually included human capital contribution to business success in the annual reports. Budgets track the expense of employees, benefits, travel and entertainment.

How do you measure contributions and impact of personal performance?

What is the impact to revenue, risk or cost control if the human asset is missing or not functional for an extended time?

What would it cost to replace them and train someone else? How long to train, how much experience lost and how much productivity would you lose?

If you invest time and money to improve the efficiency of your most valuable asset, human capital, how will you measure the Return on Investment?

How do you communicate the value of personal performance on a regular and frequent basis?

The biggest impact to controlling costs, generating revenue and operating the business is the time and talent of the individuals. Success is the result of collaborative individual performance. Measure, monitor and invest appropriately in the biggest impact to your business. If the people thrive then the business will follow.

Restaurant Wine Serving Tips

2007-04-02T04:58:00.001-07:00

If your restaurant will be serving wine, you must take care to serve it properly. Wine served properly can enhance and optimize the taste and bouquet, while serving it improperly will cause your wine to taste differently, even badly.

Temperature

Most wines have a proper serving temperature for optimal taste. Light colored wines, including white wines, rosés and most sparkling wines will taste their best if served chilled at about 45 to 50 degrees. This temperature can be obtained by refrigerating the wine for about 1 - 2 hours before serving. Red wines are usually best served at a slightly cool room temperature, typically 60 to 65 degrees. Remember that on a hot day, all wines should be served slightly cooler than usual.

Chilling Wine

Your restaurant should have a proper ice bucket which allows you to fill it about 3/4 full of ice with some water. Place the wine in the bucket for 30 minutes before serving. Having the wine properly chilled will let your customers taste the wine at its best.

Glassware

The shape of the glass that wine is served in has an effect on the taste and bouquet of any wines you serve. Your restaurant should have the proper glassware for serving wines, this includes champagne glasses, flutes, rhines, port glasses, sherry glasses and all purpose wine glasses. White wine should be served in tulip shaped glasses. Red wine should be served in larger, rounded glasses with a nice size bowl. Sparkling wine and champagne should be served in tall and thin flute glasses.

Opening The Bottle

The server should use a high quality corkscrew to open the wine for the customer. There are several types of corkscrews, including the traditional, winged and screwpull. A restaurant should usually use a waiters corkscrew, made in stainless steel, it has a very sharp, serrated foil cutter with a thumb stud and a 5 turn steel spiral. Using the waiters corkscrew, remove the foil using the blade. Push the point of the corkscrew into the middle of the cork. Continue twisting the corkscrew until just one loop remains above the cork. Place the notch on top of the lever onto the lip of the wine bottle. Hold the tip of the lever against the bottle's lip, while using your other hand to stabilize the bottle, then slowly lift the lever to ease the cork out of the bottle about two thirds of the way. Grab the rest of the cork with your fingers and twist out. Use a napkin to wipe any wine from the bottle.

Reducing Costs and Raising Profits For Your Restaurant

2007-04-02T04:57:00.001-07:00

The biggest factor in your restaurant's success will be how well you control your restaurant's expenses. This includes food, labor, advertising, equipment, management, rent, operating costs and the rest of your overhead costs. Here are some tips for controlling your costs to increase your profits.

Inventory Control

How well you control your inventory may well be the most important aspect deciding your restaurant's future. If you allow costs to spiral out of control and make poor decisions as far as choosing what menu items to serve and their ingredients, your restaurant won't last very long. However, you can maintain stringent control over your inventory and costs with a proper food costing and inventory program. This type of program will allow you to keep track of your inventory, monitor item pricing and specification, verify prices, check invoices against orders, create recipe cards, monitor taste and yield, scale recipes, cost your menu by category, evaluate item popularity and profit margin, calculate actual food and bar costs and compare actual versus projected costs. A good costing software program will allow you to reduce your food costs by 8% or even more.

Leasing

Leasing your restaurant equipment may be a good option for some restaurants. Leasing does not require large down payments and the lease can be extended for long periods of time. Leasing may be advantageous to help control the startup costs of a new restaurant.

Efficiency

The proper management of your restaurant will also be key to your restaurant's success. You will need to make use of a professional point of sale system, as well as an accounting system. Automation in the ordering process can increase efficiency and reduce confusion for employees. The more efficient your restaurant runs, the better chance at success you'll have.

Advertising

Word of mouth is said to be the best advertising you can get, it's also free! Offering great food and great service is the best way to attract great word of mouth advertising and loyal customers, but when getting started, you shouldn't ignore other methods of advertising including the old, reliable yellow pages, large Internet directories, local circulars and newspapers, coupon offers and more local advertising options. Test all paid advertising carefully to make sure you're getting your money's worth, and if it's not bringing in business, drop it.

In summary, control those costs and get efficient and you will be on the road to long term restaurant success.

Top 5 Strategies To Maintain Your Desk

2007-04-02T04:56:00.002-07:00

Some people might say that a cluttered desk means that there is a cluttered mind to go with it. While that may not always be true, a cluttered desk certainly can be an unpleasant sight as well as causing stress in the workplace.

What is the perfect desk? Your desk should reflect the professional that you are. When colleagues visit your office, the best role model you can set is to be organized and in control. Set up workflow systems that support your goals and allow you to be doing the most important tasks in a timely manner.

Follow these 5 strategies to maintain your desk. You will be more productive, more professional and less stressed.

1) Create activity stations within your desk. In other words, have an area devoted to all stationery items; an area for telephone directories and accessories; a drawer or two dedicated to current files.

2) Store often used items closer to you. Always keep the most important and most often used items nearest to their point of use. Thus,if you frequently take notes throughout the day, several notepads should be in a drawer of your desk, or perhaps in a credenza storage area directly behind your desk.

3) Process paper daily. Open the mail and route accordingly. File, Act and Toss as dictated. Schedule time for paperwork at least once or twice a day.

4) Clean up your desk. Clean up your desk at the end of every day and check your schedule for the next day. Store items in their assigned place.

5) Containerize. Containerize like items for efficiency and convenience. When a replacement is needed, they will be stored together in an easy to reach manner.

When you commit to making the changes necessary, you will dramatically increase your productivity, be more focused, and reduce your stress. A sense of control will return to your schedule and you will be prepared to handle any situation you are confronted with.

What are YOU waiting for? Begin to organize your desk today and regain a sense of balance in your work day. It's worth it!

Meet & Greet vs. Trick or Treat: How Does Your Company Orient New Employees?

2007-04-02T04:56:00.001-07:00

Which way is your employee orientation program oriented? When company executives take the time to “meet and greet” new employees, walking them through the basic processes and logistics of their job environment, as well as introducing new employees to their co-workers, there is a good chance that the new employee will feel great about their decision to join the company and get off to a great start.

In sharp contrast, when employees begin their first days of employment in a random fashion, uncovering their new job requirements on their own as they wander about the company, they are far more likely to get off to a shaky start, leading to a state of confusion and anxiety from the start.

I refer to this approach as “Trick or Treat” because it resembles the Halloween activity that we are all familiar with, where the new employee in their unfamiliar ‘costume’ searches from department to department for the friendly ‘treat’ of a warm welcome, but often is ‘tricked’ up by the ambivalent reception he or she actually receives.

In the absence of a formal structured orientation process, new employee introductions are left to chance and are hence more likely to create a ‘scary’ impression to the new employee.

In larger employee-intense environments, it is particularly important for the relationship between management and staff to establish solid ground from the outset, since so much depends on teamwork and the requisite interworking relationships. When left to chance, the problems emanating from these poor beginnings can snowball to the entire employee population.

Unfortunately, as we have seen from our experience in consulting with dozens of midsize to larger companies, this is not always the way company executives approach orienting employees to their company. Rather than paying more attention to this important step, it appears that is all too often given short shrift.

It seems that many executives feel the job is done once the new employee paperwork is complete. Since corporate trainers may not actually begin to train new personnel immediately, there is frequently a gap lasting between days, weeks, sometimes even months while the new employee is left to fend for themselves in getting started. During this time, many employees will simply give up and quit their jobs.

Often, to deal with these potential problems, many companies will use a fragmented approach to orientation, taking the time to make sure employees have the necessary tools to do the job, e.g. computer, workstation, etc. and related processes necessary to start work, but then stop short of completing the orientation. In effect, they do the hard stuff but not the softer stuff. Unfortunately, these softer areas are very important and can make a real difference to the new employee who is just getting underway. Typical softer areas include steps like employee introductions to other employees, an overview of the company and general welcoming interventions to get the employee off to a good start.

One technique many companies use to communicate new hires to the general population is to post new employee information on company bulletin boards, including a picture of the new employee together with their position and relevant personal data; e.g. acceptable nicknames, hobbies, interests, etc. By taking these steps, the new employees are more easily recognizable by the existing employee population.

As a result of our experiences, we at MaraStar Communications have created an innovative way to deal with these issues. We offer “Welcome Aboard” messages, which can be emailed to all relevant co-workers. These animated messages can be sent out to a group of e-mail addresses or posted to a common Intranet site for general viewing. The static image can also be printed and subsequently posted to company bulletin boards, as well.

After some basic information on new employees is communicated, the face to face introductions to co-workers should commence. Having already communicated basic new employee information is a way to facilitate these introductions, making for a smoother connection.

All too often, these fundamental steps are skipped and the employees who wind up staying are the ones who have survived the somewhat abrupt treatment by management and co-workers.

In addition to the high cost of turnover and substantial incurred hiring cost, probably the biggest impact to the company is the low morale caused by workers with an “attitude lacking gratitude.” When employees feel that they are not being treated with proper respect, they frequently begin to demonstrate their displeasure in less than acceptable performances at work. These performances can infect other existing employees and consequently impact the performances of other employees, subsequently affecting the morale of the group as well as the satisfaction of the customers who are served by these employees.

So, what steps can employers take to avoid these costly missteps? Well, let’s review a short list of the best orientation practices from our experience in both operating a dozen call centers and in consulting to dozens of others.

For larger populations with dozens or more new hires per week, we recommend more formal processes consisting of some or all of the following steps:

1. Video orientation presenting an overview of the company, supported by material for the new hire to read to get a good general picture of the company landscape

2. Formal process of visually posting new hires to the company Intranet, supported by pictures of the new employees posted to company billboards

3. Company newsletter insertions including new hires with pictures and appropriate anecdotal information about the new employees

4. Animated messages, as offered by MaraStar Communications, sent to the general population or posted to the Intranet, to introduce new personnel

5. A comprehensive orientation agenda for the first week of employment, including introducing the new employee to their coworkers

For smaller, less frequent hiring groups I recommend less formal but structured steps like these:

1. Brief conference room PowerPoint orientation program presented by Management or Human Resources staff to accomplish the basic overview

2. Bulletin Board postings accompanied by animated email messages, as offered by MaraStar Communications

3. Physical introduction of new employees at company meeting or via face to face meeting with the new co-workers

Simple steps like these, when done in a thoughtful and considerate fashion, are a good way to establish a trusting relationship from the get go.

Once these steps are taken on the job, follow-up by a mentor/co-worker can help facilitate the requisite job processes necessary for workers to get underway.

Having established a good starting point during the orientation period makes it much easier to build the knowledge and skills via formal and informal training interventions that enable the employee to begin making a contribution to the company.

Taking the time to start off in the right direction sets the correct course from the start. Even a slight variation on the correct course can mean a huge difference in the employee’s journey down the road. So take the time to set the course right from the start, avoiding all the tricks, and you’re likely to be treated by an enthusiastic employee ready to make their mark and demonstrate their appreciation for the positive reception they have received.

Parking Permits Buying Guide

2007-04-02T04:54:00.000-07:00

Each residential society, non-profit or commercial organization has a parking permit program allowing residents, employees, and visitors to park their vehicles in the specified parking area during specified time. Parking programs are implemented to strengthen security by monitoring vehicles and people entering premises. The permits are issued by the parking authorities and entitle the permit holder to park their vehicles within specified area. Hence, parking permits are required by all including office employees, residents, caregivers, foreign consulates, students, visitors, fire stations, hospitals, etc.

Types of Parking Permits

There are a range of parking permits and tags in the market. When buying parking tags, you must first consider various types of parking permits available to know which suits your parking program.

* Parking Hang Tags: Parking hangtags as the name suggests can easily hang from a rearview mirror. These are ideal when one needs to move tags between vehicles. Go for durable heavy-duty plastic hangtags that can withstand heat in cars. There are Temporary Permits, Handicapped or Disabled Parking Permits, and Scratch off designs too. In scratch-off hangtags, you can easily scratch off the coating to view the expiry date.

* Parking Decals: Parking decals are permits that can easily cling to mirrors from both inside and outside. Buy only those that use good adhesive and stay stuck. Those made from reflective material enable flashlight inspection.

* Static Cling Labels: Static cling window decals are those that can stick without adhesives. These labels are clear, can be used inside or outside the mirror, and do not obstruct the driver’s view. At My Parking Permit, you can find permanent polyester labels in many shapes.

* Bumper Sticker Permits: These are used on bumpers and made from materials that are resistant to weather conditions. Bumper stickers usually have large numbers that are quite readable even from a distance. Reflective bumper stickers are also available.

* Others: Windshields labels, Warning and Violation stickers are also available.

Features of Parking Permits

Once you are clear about the type of permit to buy, consider other parking permit features as listed below:

* Shapes/Sizes/Colors: Parking hangtags and permits are available in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Some hangtags are just the size of mirror while others are little long and can be easily spotted from distance. You can also find horizontal parking hangtags that hide completely behind the mirror and does not obstruct the view. Parking decals are also available in different sizes and shapes—oval square or round. Select one according to your requirements. You can pick different colors to differentiate parking permits issued in a particular year or by parking lots.

* Logo, Number, Date: A parking permit with a logo makes it look professional and enhances branding. In the absence of a logo a unique, noticeable text font can be used to display the name of the organization. Make sure the numbers on the permit are large enough so that they are visible easily. Both pre-numbered and un-numbered tags are available. Expiration date on the card makes it easy to differentiate between a valid and a non-valid permit. Parking location can also be specified for better inspection and enhanced security.

* Select the Right Material: Window stickers are available in Laminated Polyester, Reflective Acrylic, Static Cling, Destructible Vinyl, Permanent Vinyl, or Removable Vinyl. Parking tags are available in Polyethylene, Polyester, Acrylic, or even Paper. Whether the sticker or tag is heat resistant or durable depends on the material. Check with the manufacturer.

* Parking permits with barcodes: Barcode is a unique identification code that can be read by a barcode scanner. You can also order parking permits with barcodes instead of human readable number. Customers can also swipe the parking permit in a portable reader usually at the gate of the parking lot. Bar-coded parking permit decals are common.

* RFID Parking Permit: RFID parking permits are also available. They can be easily read from a distance and through a window.

* Parking permits with suction cups:Some parking tags come with a hole. The hole is meant for the suction cups that help to stick the permit when the vehicle has no interior (rearview) mirror. To place the tag, the suction cup needs to be inserted into the hole.

* Ask for Samples and Guidance: Ask the manufacturer for some free samples to check the product quality. If they have a helpline to guide customers about best parking permit for their parking needs, don’t be hesitant to inquire.

Business Owners – Save Thousands With Free, Open Source Software

2007-04-02T04:53:00.002-07:00

For years huge software companies have dominated the software marketplace by charging businesses a hefty price for using their software. Thankfully there are software developers out there that offer a free alternative.

Open source software is usually as good as the commercial versions. Here is a list of commercial products and their open source alternatives (with descriptions) that you can use to run your small business – best of all these open source software titles are FREE!

- GENERAL OFFICE SOFTWARE (SPREADSHEET, WORD PROCESSING, PRESENTATIONS, ETC…)
Commercial Product: Microsoft Office
Open Source Alternative: OpenOffice

OpenOffice has all the features you need to run you small business. The entire office suite is here, everything that Microsoft Word can do “Writer” can do for FREE. Need to keep track of information and perform sales/expense calculations in a spreadsheet, “Calc” can do it. Giving a presentation to potential customers on a projector? “Impress” can give you all the functionality you need in on-screen presentation software. There are more applications in suite so I recommend you download and install OpenOffice for free and compare the features before you go out and purchase Microsoft Office 2007 for $679.99. OpenOffice can be used on Apple and PCs.

- ZIPPING FILES
Commercial Product: WinZip
Open Source Alternative: 7-zip

For years I dealt with the “WinZip is NOT free software” message and waited for 150 days to count out before zipping my folders/files, now I don’t have to. If you (like most people) downloaded WinZip and did not buy it – don’t worry you don’t need to. Download 7-zip for free and get all the nice features of WinZip for free. I really like how it adds a new right-click menu entry for zipping files (just like WinZip).

- MIND MAPPING
Commercial Product: Mindjet MindManager
Open Source Alternative: FreeMind

The people that develop mind mapping software are amazing. The concept of being able to layout my ideas in a structured way, really helped me visualize certain aspects of my business that were complex and sometimes confusing. However when by trial of MindManager ran out, I had a problem – I didn’t want to spend $349 to get my ideas out of my head. Along came FreeMind.

FreeMind can do everything most people need when it comes to structuring your ideas, and as always - it is free. FreeMind can be used on Apple and PCs.

- CREATING A PDF
Commercial Product: Adobe Acrobat/Adobe Distiller
Open Source Alternative: PDFCreator

PDFs are a great way to get people to see your documents as you intended. The problem is making them. While the Adobe Acrobat can do this, the $449 price tag makes it very unsttractive. Let me introduce PDFCreator.

PDFCreator basically adds a printer (that you can give a custom name) to your available printer list. When you are ready to convert any document to a PDF, use File > Print like you normally would, now choose your PDF printer from the list, hit Print (then save) and your done. It works great.

- CHECKING EMAIL
Commercial Product: Microsoft Outlook
Open Source Alternative: Mozilla Thunderbird

Nothing is as exciting as getting your own email address. Freeing yourself from the “@aol.com” stigma is a great thing. Now you have the problem of “How do I check my new email address if I don’t have AOL?” You have two options, buy Microsoft Outlook for $109.99 or download Mozilla Thunderbird for free. If you just need to be able to check your email, Mozilla Thunderbird is a great choice.

- CALLING PEOPLE THROUGH THE INTERNET (VOIP)
Commercial Product: Vonage
Open Source Alternative: Skype

Here is a funny story. I was using Vonage for about a year (paying $24.99 per month) when I heard about a new Skype deal ($29.95 for unlimited calling per YEAR) I was interested and wanted to cancel my Vonage account. I called Vonage support (because you can’t cancel your account online) and told them I wanted to cancel my Vonage account, of course they ask you why you want to leave. Not one to lie, I told the nice customer service rep that I was gong to switch to Skype, she asked why - bad idea. I told her about the $29.95 for unlimited calling per YEAR which is a yearly savings of $250 for my business, she said “However sir, are you aware that you have to talk through your computer’s microphone?” I said “No, that isn’t true, there are regular cordless phones that are compatible with Skype, so I can be anywhere in my office”. She was silent for a second. The she said “Did you know that with Vonage you can take your number with you to different locations, like if you move offices or between the office and home?” I replied “Yes, Skype can do that easier than Vonage”. She finally canceled my account.

You kind of get the idea of Skype VS. Vonage from my story, but here is something really cool – Belkin (and a few other manufacturers) have created Skype handsets that DO NOT need to be connected to a computer to use Skype. These devices connect through any open wireless network and make calls through Skype. This means that if you had one of these devices and the unlimited Skype account, you would have an unlimited use cell phone! Vonage can’t do that! Skype can be used on Apple and PCs.

As you can see from above, you can have some really great business software without having to pay the high price for commercial software. Don’t get me wrong, I think Microsoft and other big companies make great software titles, but if I can get a very similar version for FREE and save my business money (which means more money in MY pocket) - sorry Microsoft I am going with the open source versions.

If you need help finding and downloading any of the above open source titles, just contact me and I’ll help you out. Enjoy!

Slowdown At The "Building Supply" Corral - Are We In For A Tough Recessionary 2007 Or Not?

2007-04-02T04:53:00.001-07:00

That issue is sharply dividing economists, because no one is sure what impact the current slowdown in housing will have on the overall market and the broad economy. The difference of opinion of many economists is leading to some uncertainty heading into the New Year. Some economists are predicting a recession and others forecasting continued growth. That reminds of the statement former President Roosevelt once made.

He said: “I’d prefer dealing with a one-armed economist so they can’t say --- “On the other hand!”

Some noted economists that are rather pessimistic predict that spillover from the housing slowdown will be great in 2007. Other optimistic economists state that the declining housing market will be minimal as consumers see their paychecks rise. The Wall Street Journal reported that 2006 ended without a recession and this followed predictions for recessions in 2003, 2004 & 2005 that never materialized. So, how do we prepare for 2007? Will it be a bang or a bust? Will we continue to ride a high tide in our industry? According to our President and several experts the economy is on the rise. Growth is accelerating. The labor market is still tight with unemployment averaging 4.5% and when it gets that low, most of the people that don’t have a job just don’t want to work. (Excluding those in transition) There's no doubt the housing market has softened and in some areas it has really tanked. Sales of previously owned homes are estimated to be down 8.6% this year from 2005, while sales of new homes are down 17.7%, according to the National Association of Realtors. Prices, meanwhile, have fallen after posting double-digit gains for years. However, some industry experts believe that although 2007 will not be a banner, it will not be a recessionary year either.

According to Barbara Hagenbaugh of USA Today, the housing market influences consumers in a number of ways, including acting as a job engine in construction, real estate and other industries. It also acts as a catalyst for consumer spending, which accounts for 70% of U.S. economic activity. Economists differ on the extent of the spending impact.

In reality the downturn in the housing market isn't a nationwide phenomenon, instead it affects only certain pockets of the economic geography. That also means that other opportunities for growth may exist in those markets where the downturn lags long into 2007. If the majority of the experts are correct, the overall economy will remain strong and consumer spending will not take a nose dive. Each of you can plan for the implication of that phenomenon in your individual markets. People will still be buying.

Personally, I believe the housing slump has stabilized in most parts of the country and most of us got thru that slump fairly unscathed. That means that 2007 can and should be a good year. It may not be as easy to generate the growth and profitability of the past banner years but if you have a well run disciplined company that has built a strategic plan for the future, then 2007 may present you with opportunity to gain market share from those competitors who haven’t planned as successfully. Remember, profit covers many sins. When times get a little tougher some of those sins begin to rise to the top. That is when effective leadership really shows its value. Are you prepared for 2007? Are you in a position to take advantage of the opportunities that may present themselves? Ask yourself the following questions to determine your next steps in preparing for the New Year.

• Can you challenge mental maps that shape perception?

• Can you put aside relevant past successes and failures?

• Can you challenge your own assumptions?

• Do all your sales employees know and understand your business strategy?

• What are the individual roles in a planning process?

• How do you develop an annual operating plan?

• How do we increase our chances of implementing our strategic plan?

• How does the role of your field sales representatives fit into that business strategy?

• What meaningful statistics are you using to measure your sales team? Your customers?

• Do you understand brainstorming?

• Have you ever participated in a formal “what if” analysis?

• How do you rate your sales representatives?

• What type of performance statistics are you maintaining?

• Are you losing or gaining compared to competitors?

• Is management involved with the sales to top/target customers?

• Is management involved in partnering relationships?

• What’s new in the external environment on which you can capitalize?

• What new products and services can you offer to provide new growth opportunities? To existing customers? To new customers?

• What opportunities do you provide to allow you to get to know your clients better at all levels of their organization?

• Have you held a conference, forum or social event involving several non-competing customers?

• Do you know your customers’ top 10 customers?

Be an Optimist and Make it Happen

Remember the following facts reported by Barbara Hagenbaugh of USA Today Exports. A decline in the value of the dollar, combined with steady growth in economies around the globe, is expected to boost U.S. exports. Wachovia economists predict net exports will support U.S. GDP for the first time in 12 years.

•Profits. Corporate profits rose more than 30% in the third quarter from a year ago, according to the Commerce Department. Strong corporate profits allow businesses to invest and hire, helping to strengthen the economy.

Companies and investors are showing a "degree of enthusiasm and optimism" that corresponds with continued profit growth, says Bob Davis, managing general partner at Highland Capital Partners, a venture capital firm, and former CEO of Terra Lycos.

•Interest rates. Although the Federal Reserve raised interest rates 17 times from June 2004 to June 2006, rates are still at a historically low level. Plus, a number of economists, including those at Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs and Global Insight, predict that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his colleagues will cut rates at least once in 2007, making borrowing, and spending, easier.

These positives tell me there will be no recession in 2007. The economy should be good, it’s resilient and if you have planned well with a solid management team you can take advantage of those competitors that may have been making money in spite of themselves.

Performance Begins With an S

2007-04-02T04:52:00.000-07:00

Performance and behaviour in many organisations are not managed well. The common missing ingredient in managing performance and behaviour is the absence of enforced standards.

We are confronted almost daily with stories of IT project overruns and outright failures, public service procedural errors with dire consequences to individuals or quality and service errors resulting in unhappy customers. We are also confronted with examples of poor behaviour from sports people struggling with fame to senior executives defrauding their staff or their shareholders.

The consequence to an organisation of poor performance of employees, at any level, is low productivity, high rework rates, higher risk and consequently, higher costs to achieve the outcomes required from any given role.

The consequence of poorly behaving employees is increased risk with significant negative potential for an organisation's brand and its health safety, security and environment performance.

Most of the poor performance and poor behaviour occurs simply because it is tolerated.

From my observations, the tolerance comes about for the core reason that there are no enforced standards.

In the absence of formal enforced standards, people apply their own standards using their best efforts to complete a role. The standards used are formed from previous experience in the role or, a similar role, or if they are new to a role, from their personal values. These personal values are generated from their upbringing at home, their school, sporting teams and other social interactions.

The values are also generated from interactions with opinions from the media.

Those interactions with the media are now likely to be with sources constructed to be popular rather than a well thought out editorial or journalistic piece. For example, tabloid newspapers, popular magazines, TV shows increasingly of the contrived reality type and web based interactions such as forums and blogs.

The impact of personal interactions on values, it seems to me, is increasingly being tilted to these popular sources. The norm for behaviour is more that of the subjective norm within people's social groups rather than that of other formal standards.

Realigning people's standards away from the popular culture norms to those required by an organisation to execute their strategies and maintain their brand positioning is more necessary than ever.

The realignment of standards can be accomplished in four steps.

Write standards

The first step, not surprisingly, is to write standards. Standards of performance should take the form of an action and an object of the action with accompanying measures that tell us whether the action has been completed satisfactorily.

For example, answer the telephone in three rings. Or attend a minimum of ten board meetings. Or unload a truck, without incident, within one hour, 80% of the time and with ninety minutes 100% of the time.

Note in the last example, a qualifier "without incident" was given. One might also add conditions to standards. For example, "When the front office is fully staffed, check in will be completed, without complaint, within three minutes on 90% of occasions and within five minutes on 100% of occasions." The condition is, "When the front office is fully staffed".

Standards of behaviour are more likely to be written into policies or codes of behaviour. For example, "Directors will declare all pecuniary interests in the pecuniary interest register." Or "All employees will act in a safe manner at all times at work, travelling to and from work and when representing the company". Or "All employees will refrain from behaviour which causes offence to customers, suppliers, the general public and colleagues at all times".

Communicate standards

The likelihood of anyone adhering to standards if they have not been communicated well is zero. The standards can best be communicated, at first, by involving people in their construction.

When the standards are completed, communicate them repeatedly in different formats. Do not fall into the trap of using text only means of communication. A large majority of any organisation's employees will require visual or auditory means of communication to "get it".

Test people to make sure that the communication has got through and they understand the standards.

Enforce standards

Creating standards without enforcing them is a waste of time and effort. As soon as one person is seen to be not behaving or performing within the standards with no action taken, the subjective norm will turn to standards not mattering.

Integrate standards with your reward and recognition system, appraisal system and recruitment methods.

Ensure that standards created for completing appraisals and managing performance are, in turn, enforced.

Review and update standards

Involve your people in reviewing the suitability of standards. Not all standards will withstand the scrutiny of application without modification and all standards will need to change over time as the environment in which the organisation operates changes.

Demonstrating a willingness to adjust standards to make them work to execute the strategies of the organisation will generate buy-in from your people.

Future Shock

2007-04-02T04:51:00.000-07:00

Alvin Toffler wrote a book by this title about change in 1970. Many of the principles he explained then still apply today. But… this article isn’t about change. This article is about compassion, leadership, integrity and “Mentors”.

Do you remember who your mentors were? Do you currently have a mentor? Is there someone in your organization that you really respect, someone you look up to, someone who’s actions and words have a real impact on how you live your life, perform your job and think about your future? If you do, whether you or they know it or not, they are mentoring you. Or, you may be mentoring them. Of course it is much more effective if it is done in the conscious state and both of you acknowledge your independent obligations to the process.

Regardless, today mentoring is becoming more popular within organizations as an effective leadership tool for both the mentor and the recipient.

Impact on Lives

How much have mentors impacted your life? How are they currently helping you or how much are you currently helping others as a mentor? I remembered a former BOSS who was really nasty to me early on in my career; I clearly remember him screaming at me loudly in front of a bunch of other workers: I was just an inside sales person at the time but his words cut deeply. “You'll never get promoted to outside sales until you learn to pull your head out of your ---!”

I probably did something to deserve some kind of comment but not in public. Funny, I have no idea now exactly what I did to deserve his reprimand but I can still hear his words clearly in my mind as if it were yesterday. The loudness of his voice, the tremor in the tone and the disgusting look on his face just seem to be burnt into my brain. Thank God I didn't believe him, and went on to become a top performing sales person and then sales manager after he was fired. But it still had an impact. I often shared that experience with employees of my own company as a way of challenging them to become better leaders. He was a perfect example of what a mentor isn’t.

Leadership Modeling

Of course, I also remember just as clearly those mentors in my life that have had very positive impact on my leadership model. I am often described as ---- “ a person that doesn’t pull punches but once you begin to work with him, he is dedicated to helping you succeed and become all that you can become.” That describes my personal “Servant Type” leadership model. Just last week out of the blue I received a phone call from someone I haven’t seen or heard from in over fifteen years. I was in total shock because it seems the sole reason this person called was to say thanks for the way I treated them over fifteen years ago. He actually gave me credit for being part of his success in becoming a high level executive at a multi million dollar corporation.

I told my wife Tracy about the phone call and repeated every word he said to me. I felt proud. It really made me feel good and I was walking on cloud nine. Then I started feeling bad. I began to think of at least five specific mentors in my life that I should really acknowledge and give credit to. In fact there is currently one that I am modeling that really has no idea that I admire and look up to him and his business model, integrity and ethics.

So, why did these thoughts make me feel bad; because four of the five mentors that have had a dramatic impact on my success and my career have since passed on from this life? The sad part is that I don’t even know if they ever realized how important they were to me. I don’t think I ever said thank you. These mentors made a big difference. I was a kid that grew up on the streets, ran in a gang, had no father figure and walked a fine line that could have led to disaster and even prison. One of those mentors was a Sergeant of mine in the Air Force, another was a fireman that volunteered at the Boy’s Club of Toledo, Ohio when I was just ten years old and the other three were at various companies I have worked for along the way.

Stop and Think

Someone very close to me (Tracy) reminded me of what I often talk about in leadership seminars about it never being too late to change, to finish college, to make a difference. So I actually picked up the phone and called that former mentor that is still alive. He is ninety two years old now and still as intelligent and impressive as he was when he was sixty and taught me about leadership. He answered the phone and was in SHOCK because he hadn’t heard or seen me in over thirty years. I asked him--- “What is the neatest thing about retirement and living into your nineties.” He replied: “I can’t really say what the neatest thing about retirement is but I can tell you that I really miss the weekends because everyday is a weekend. As far as being ninety three years old, I’d have to borrow a phrase from John Wayne and say the neatest thing about being as old as I am is the “Absolute Lack of Peer Pressure.”

He was thrilled to hear from me and I was thrilled to have a conversation that lasted more than an hour. I wanted to tell this story to remind everyone that being a mentor is a primary responsibility of being a leader. So, if you are currently mentoring someone, remember, you can have a dramatic impact on their life. If you are being mentored, don’t be afraid to say Thank You every once in awhile. I also want to challenge all you executives and leaders that are successful today to think about the mentors in your past. Create some Future Shock. Pick up the phone, call them, say Thank You. Let them know they deserve at least part of the credit for your success. You’ll be very glad you did. And if you don’t, some day you will wish you had.

Are Interruptions Eating Away Your Time?

2007-03-28T05:04:00.001-07:00

The average interruption costs anywhere between 10-20 minutes of someone's precious time. If you have 4 interruptions a day, that amounts to one hour of productive time. Time that you can't get back.

If you are being interrupted while you are trying to work in your office, here are some proven techniques that can help you eliminate lost time, yet still be a team player with that "well-intentioned" colleague.

1. Be responsible with your punctuality so that you are not the cause of an interruption.

2. Schedule a 10 minute meeting with any person with whom you may have questions for. Ask in advance for a convenient time for both of you.

3. Respect your peers time and space. Socialize when and where it is conducive to all.

4. Put a sign on your desk denoting your return time: 'Genius At Work' 'Back at 2:00 p.m.'

5. If you see someone is busy working, always ask: 'Is this a good time for you?' Don't assume they are available just because you are.

6. If you are interrupted, feel free to let someone know that you need time to finish what you are working on. Schedule a time to get together later that same day.

7. Avoid enabling people to continue operating out of an urgent mode with their constant interruptions.

8. Understand that we can be a positive force in facilitating this behavior by modeling the way we respond.

9. Use a 'People Page' to contain your thoughts, ideas and questions. Create a list of items you need to discuss with people rather than contacting them with every single item.

10.Designate particular times of the day that people have access to you to discuss pertinent information. Maintain a schedule of availability on your office door.

11.State a specific amount of time that you can spend with people. It will keep everyone more focused and to the point.

12.Encourage employees to come prepared with their questions written down.

You really can control your time. It is important to let others know that while you will make time to discuss their needs, you still value your own time.

Time to Kick the Procrastination Habit

2007-03-28T05:02:00.002-07:00

You've had enough and are ready to change your ways. Even you can't stand your procrastination anymore. So where do you begin to make changes? How do you start?

Don't let your procrastination stop you now. You can overcome it by following these 10 tips:

1. Begin by picking one thing you want to accomplish. It doesn't have to be a major goal. Start with a small task that you have been putting off.

2. Make a plan. When will you start? Choose a specific time and date to begin. Write it in your calendar. It is a commitment and appointment with yourself. Remember to honor it.

3. Is the task measurable? It must be a task that has a defined outcome. You need to know that you have completed it satisfactorily.

4. Is it realistic/attainable? The task you choose must be a real item. Something that can be achieved by you in a measurable amount of time.

5. Set a completion date. For a task or goal to be considered completed, there must be a 'due' date, something to hold you accountable.

6. Break the goal into small, baby steps. A goal can be very overwhelming because there are so many steps before completion. Reduce your goal to individual tasks. It's just like eating an elephant... one bite at a time.

7. Schedule time for each step in your planner. Once you know each of the steps necessary, you must schedule the time. This is how the task gets done. Plan to succeed.

8. Honor the time commitment to yourself. As long as you have made the appointment with yourself, keep it. Each time you do this, you will have overcome another obstacle.

9. Do the worst task first. Get it over with. Instead of dreading a 'to do' all day, why not do it first and you can enjoy the rest of the day. It's not worth agonizing over and ruining an entire day.

10. Use the buddy system: be accountable to someone. We all need checks and balances. Whether it's an exercise program or getting organized, it is important to have a cheerleader to support you. Find the right person to be in your corner.

Great job. You are on your way to becoming more organized and learning to overcome your procrastination habits. It takes 21 days to learn a new habit. Stick with it. If you fall off one day, it's ok. Just get back up the next day.

Top 10 Time Savers

2007-03-28T05:02:00.001-07:00

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! That's right. At first you take the first bite. You have created a business plan, set goals to provide the best product or service to an identified target market and maybe secured capital from an outside source.

As you took your first bite, you focused on start- up activities: budget, marketing, and development. You studied all aspects of entrepreneurship to ensure your business a healthy start and provide energy for growth.

On the way to success! Before you knew it, business boomed and you found yourself busier that you ever thought possible. Your inner voice communicates worry that may have eluded your early days in business.

How can you do it all? How will you keep up with more work and longer hours? Will you be able to continue to provide the same quality, service and customer follow up that led to your growth? Will the organizational systems you put in place at the outset continue to work?

Did I say relax? With planning, you will be able to keep it all going. The key is to refocus on how to maintain control with physical and psychological organization as you grow. To maximize your business's escalation, develop routines with time and materials.

Since it takes time to create and organize business systems, begin with the clock. That dial is more important than ever as you re-identify priorities. Divide your calendar into 30 minute increments and schedule time blocks.

Here are the Top Ten Time Tested Techniques to maintaining control and cultivating growth:

1. Plan your schedule every week. Determine activities that require attention. If you are working on a long term project, exercise 'back timing.' That is, place the deadline for a project on your calendar. Work backwards from the deadline date so that you visually see the timeline and progress that a project requires.

2. Break projects into individual tasks. Schedule a definite time in your planner to work on each step. Scheduling in detail will help keep you focused, on schedule and avoid a last-minute rush that can hinder completion and quality.

3. Learn to delegate. You can't do it alone and expect to maintain growth. You need to be doing the most important tasks, while delegating the supporting tasks to someone else. Delegation is something that must be done over time. Work with a person who has the skills necessary for the kind of tasks you need done; learn to guide them and teach them slowly; trust will develop to the point where you can allow them more responsibility.

4. Implement a filing system. Implement a filing system to complement your work style. Can you find what you need when you need it? If you find yourself buried under more and more paper, it's time to reassess and create a better filing system. An effective filing system will save you time and money in dealing with your clients.

5. Just Say 'No'. Say 'no' to items that are not supporting your goals. It would be great if we could do everything for everyone, but that's not realistic. Nor is that the best use of our time. Understand what you are trying to accomplish, where you are going and how you plan to get there. It's easy to over extend ourselves, but that is a real time waster. Give yourself permission to say 'no.'

6. Take control of interruptions. Let's be honest, we all have so many interruptions during the day, that the time wasted would add up to at least an hour. Imagine how productive you could be with that same hour, if only you didn't have all those interruptions. Encourage colleagues to make an appointment with you, limit the time, and know the agenda. Keep practicing until it becomes a habit. Eliminate extra seating in your office. People will be less likely to stay for a long time with no place to sit.

7. Establish activity stations. Everything should have a place to 'be'. Some of the stations you should have are: computer, telephone, files, supplies, reference materials, and blank forms. By creating a system, you will be able to find what you need when you need it.

8. Process mail daily. Practice the FAT system: file, act, and toss. All papers will fall into one of these categories. Some of what you receive is for your information only. You can decide if you need to keep it, and then file it. If not, toss it. Other mail requires action. These are bills, invitations needing a response, correspondence, and requests. These should be prioritized by date of importance and placed in a tickler file. The 'junk' mail should be tossed immediately. Remember, even if you throw out a special offer, you will probably receive it again anyway.

9. Keep a bound notebook near the telephone. Use this to record all your phone calls and phone numbers. This keeps all the information in one place rather than hundreds of notes all over the floor and desk. Plus, it creates a permanent log for follow up.

10. Set aside 15 minutes. At the end of each day plan to clean up and prepare for tomorrow. Make it a habit to do this everyday. You will have closure for today, and be prepared to begin again tomorrow.

The most important thing you can do for yourself and your evolving business is to create a solid, organized foundation and build upon it.

Don't agonize...Organize!

The Fast Fifteen

2007-03-28T05:01:00.002-07:00

Do you wish you had more time in your day? Doesn't it always seem that if we just had a few more minutes, we could finish a task or project? Welcome to the fast fifteen!

Usually we think of fifteen minutes as negligible in view of the larger projects and tasks that surround us. Let's examine different ways that 15 minutes could be more productive.

Are you a victim of other people's agendas? If we are in `reactive' mode, then our fifteen minutes may be something like this: on hold on the telephone, waiting in line, in a traffic jam, waiting to talk with a colleague in the office, waiting to use the fax machine or to make copies, waiting for fresh coffee at the office, or waiting for a signature. I'm sure your list could go on and on.

What you do with your time is your choice. You can choose to allow time wasters to eat up your `free' time or you can resolve to implement better time management habits that will actually allow you to create more free time.

Are you looking for more free time? We all are! Looking for free time isn't difficult, you just have to know where to look for it. Most often, you will find it in little snippits throughout your day. Small amounts of time can prove to be very productive and help to keep you on track with your goals and projects.

Take back control of your time now. Let's take a look at our fifteen minutes as a `proactive' participant. In fifteen minutes, you can make several phone calls, schedule an appointment, make out your `to- do' list, dictate a short letter, read an important article, place an order, take a brisk walk or clean up your desk.

Imagine if you were productive during those small moments of time. You would actually be creating more `free' time to do what you enjoy.

Plan to create personal time. Think about your day and how you are actually spending your time. Hopefully you are using a good calendar system and schedule appointments accordingly. However, don't forget to leave some `white' space in your day to allow for the usual crisis or the unexpected interruption.

Many of your `white' spaces will be converted to the fast fifteen. By using this time management technique, your day will be more productive and effective. More tasks will be completed, projects will continue to move forward, and you will be operating at full speed.

Don't you wish you could accomplish so much every day? Well, you can. Continue to practice and tweak the time management skills to compliment your workstyle. You can do it!

Control The Paper Blizzard

2007-03-28T05:01:00.001-07:00

When you enter your office space, are you overwhelmed with the amount of papers stacked on the desk, chairs, and floor? Even in this age of computers and electronics, the quantity of paper that we are printing, receiving and filing has grown substantially. Add to that the mail that we receive daily that needs to be acted upon or filed. Is there a way to take back control of our piles and files?

You bet! A paper/workflow system needs to be developed to accommodate the information that you must keep. Everyone will create a different method that supports their personal strengths and makes it easy for them to find what they need.

Several different options are available to create a filing system:

1. Alphabetical - all files are a-z

2. Categorical and/or color code - broad topics such as insurance, medical, home, finance, etc. You may choose to color code by category for a visual reminder.

3. The `if/then' method - Make files depending on what comes first. For example: all job related files may be first; then, because of your job, you will have income, banking and investment information; next, because you have finances, you may have a home/mortgage, insurance, etc. It is another approach to creating a `system'.

The most important rule is to HAVE a process that works for you. Develop a routine of going through your incoming papers and mail. It won't happen by itself, rather you have to plan and schedule the time. Make it a habit. Perhaps everyday at 4:30 you will deal with the papers before you end your day. Over time, it will become automatic, just like brushing your teeth or eating breakfast.

Begin with the most current papers. Develop a system based on today's information and continue to file and toss as you go through the stacks on your desk and on the floor. Plan to work in 30-45 minute increments of time. Your focus will remain stronger and you will accomplish a lot more in a short period of time. Then, move on to other tasks.

Remember, the piles and files didn't get this way overnight. Give yourself the benefit of time in order to take back control of the paper blizzard. Soon, you will be able to enjoy the calm environment that you have always wanted.

Don't Agonize...Organize It!

Sticky Notes Are Taking Over My Desk

2007-03-27T05:26:00.003-07:00

Are you swimming in a sea of sticky notes? They are everywhere: in the car, around the computer, on the desk, in the kitchen, and up the stairs!

Let's face it... sticky notes are a brilliant way for us to keep information right in front of our faces. The problem is that when there are 100's of them, they all become a blur. We put important information on small notes and then realize that we can't find it, or remember where we've filed it.The time it takes to retrace our steps and look through files to find the information again is a huge time waster.

It's time you took back control of your information and use a system that is much more reliable. In fact, it's so easy, you won't believe it.

Use a SPIRAL notebook. That's right. It can be any size (preferably at least 4 x 6).

* Put one next to your telephone for logging in any calls and recording voice mail messages and phone numbers. (At home, train all family members and babysitters to use the same spiral notebook.)

* Keep a notebook next to your computer to jot down web sites, key words, etc.

* When necessary, carry a notebook with you in the car to jot down thoughts, phone numbers, and ideas.

It is best to have only one or two notebooks. It must be a spiral notebook because it is important that the papers are bound. This keeps them from breaking loose. You can keep this book as a permanent log to refer back to. It can be as simple or detailed as you wish.

By creating a simple system with the notebook, you will be able to eliminate the 100's of pieces of paper and notes that you are buried in!

Sticky notes can be wonderful tools, but we must remember to use them sparingly. When we have completed the task on the note, remember to throw it away. This helps to eliminate out of date information that is no longer needed. The more you get into the habit of using a spiral notebook, the more organized, informed and professional you will be. Now that's a stress reliever!

Keeping Your Best Employees

2007-03-27T05:26:00.001-07:00

Attrition is a real concern for all companies. Depending on the size of the company, the cost of finding, recruiting, and training new employees can be in the millions. Let us cover some concepts that will help keep your best employees. I expect some to be common sense. If some ideas are not new to you, I hope to remind you of some that were forgotten. (These are in no particular order)

1) Recognition - This can be a low cost way of motivating your employees. It also works better and is less expensive than number two.

2) Money - This could be in the form of base pay, commissions, or bonuses. Many employers try to boost their bottom line by paying the least possible to their employees. Many employers have not counted the cost of finding, recruiting and training new employees vs. just paying their people a little more. To often a company will let a good person go, instead of paying them what they are worth. Has anyone noticed the downward spiral of the quality of customer service lately?

3) Appreciation – Everyone wants to be appreciated. No one likes to be treated like a slave or a company number. Thank you(s) go a long way.

4) Respect – Many employees have terrific ideas to slash budgets and/or create profits. When an employee comes up with an idea follow up on. Even if its, “ Hey, we thought it over and we are going to pass on your idea. Here are the reason(s) why. Please, come back with more ideas.

5) Competition – An achiever does not like to lose. When faced with competition, they will normally put forward the absolute best effort. Be careful. When used to much it can have a reverse effect.

6) Time off – Our society has changed over the years. Money used to be the most important. After money, society changed and security became most important. In today society, younger works want to go out and experience life. They want to go be the own person doing their own thing.

7) Responsibility – Show your employees that you trust them and they will give you a reason for it. What you expect of an achiever is what you will get.

8) Authority – Imaging you are a new police officer and you are on traffic patrol. You have to use your own car. You have no uniform, badge, or gun. How frustrating is that. This is how an employee feels when given a task without the authority to accomplish it.

9) Cross-train - This keeps work fresh. Boredom does not set in. They become more rounded and are better to help in a pitch. It will give them better self-confidence.

10) Fun – All work and no play makes Jack a dull employee.

Ten Step Paper Patrol

2007-03-27T05:25:00.001-07:00

Do you like to go on archeological digs? I hope so because your desk requires an archeological dig to find the desktop. And you know there are important papers in the rubble that you need for today's meeting. Are you asking yourself how the papers got so out of control? Now you are buried and feeling overwhelmed and hopeless.

Paper Patrol to the Rescue. You have a problem: you can't possibly imagine where or how to begin. That is 50% of the problem. Not knowing how or where to start is a perfect reason and excuse to put it off. This is the #1 reason most people let their paperwork get out of control for such a long time. It doesn't have to be that way, though.

You can do it and you can make a difference.

As you are standing in your office and look around, feeling lost in a sea of paper, let's stop looking and let's get started.

Here are the proven techniques that will change how you handle your papers:

1. Start with your desktop - The papers there are more current than the ones on other tables.

2. Sort each piece of paper into categories. Keep the categories general until you have sorted them all.

3. Categories will create themselves. Don't make this hard. Examples of general categories are: insurance, health/medical, project 1, project 2, legal, warranties.

4. Sub-Categorize - Now that your papers are categorized, you will notice that some piles are very large. In that case, that is a topic that should be sub-categorized. For example, insurance is a very broad term. You may prefer to divide it into: medical/life/business/auto. Take it one step further and you may divide for each person.

5. Use hanging file folders with interior file folders. When you retrieve a folder, the hanging file always stays in the drawer. Only the interior folder is removed. When replacing the folder, it is easy to see where to put it back.

6. Label all folders - The hanging files have the plastic tab to use. There are so many ways to label- pick the one that works best for you. Some common methods are A - Z (alphabetical), by categories and in order of importance.

7. Color coding can work well, especially in business. Perhaps all the financial files are in green (money), the prospects and hot items are in red. The interior folder label should be more specific to the contents.

8. Miscellaneous files are not allowed - Every paper does have a home. If it's miscellaneous to you, then you haven't made a decision about it. How often do the papers in your miscellaneous file get acted upon? Rarely. If it's that unimportant...make the decision and toss it.

9. Start small - From the desk, begin taking small piles of paper from other surfaces and continue sorting. Over time, you will be able to sort all the loose papers into categories.

10. Baby steps - Work in short sessions, 30 - 60 minutes at a time. The key is to stay focused while you are working. This process will not happen in one day. It took a long time for your papers to get this deep, so plan on taking time to restore order.

Avoiding Accidents At The Workplace With Safety Tags

2007-03-27T05:24:00.000-07:00

Some alarming workplace facts

Did you know that everyday more than 12 U.S. workers on an average lose their lives through workplace accidents? Yet another 10,000 are hurt so badly, they end up losing sizeable work time or are placed on restricted duty? Startling? These are the facts as reported by OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Typical accidents encountered at workplaces

People have fallen from elevations, got caught in explosions, body parts have been crushed in machinery, men have been electrocuted by defective electrical equipment, and trenches and walls have caved in on workmen…this list is by no means complete and only illustrative of the hazards many workers are exposed to.

What can be done to reduce the accident rate?

Reducing workplace related accidents is a fight that needs to be fought on many levels, a few measures that should be taken are:

* Imparting safety information and training Basic safety training is inadequate or non-existent in many workplaces. Safety gear is not worn and safety procedures are not followed. Simple safety training courses could take care of this shortcoming.

* Not ignoring inspection routines Before an employee uses a potentially risky piece of equipment or machinery, it must be inspected rigorously and regularly. If defective, a safety tag should be put up as a warning flag and employees should be informed. Training in inspection procedures must also be imparted.

* For long drawn processes, a written safety manual or guide must be in place Safety procedures if put down in writing serve as ready reference to employees and also help train them to watch out for accident triggers and take care of them right away.

An easy way to minimize accidents

Safety training and inspection routines, though imperative, take time to implement. One of the simple ways to start minimizing accidents is to use safety and caution tags in the workplace. These are also convenient to use since they are commonly available and simple to attach.

Types of Safety Tags

Safety Tags are the hallmark of a safe, working environment

Safety and caution tags can make a huge difference in safety levels at any workplace. Safety tags come in many forms - fire extinguisher safety tags, gas cylinder safety tags, OK to Use safety tags, Defective Do Not Use safety tags, Inspection tags and Repair Tags etc. Safety tags serve as warning and information devices especially in potentially hazardous situations. For example, imagine the plight of a worker getting his arm caught in machinery just because the machinery was defective and there was no safety tag to notify the hapless user.

Other situations may not be quite so serious but could prove serious time wasters, like people getting stuck in improperly functioning elevators, loss of data through malfunctioning computers etc. where just a simple safety tag could have apprised users of the situation.

Fire Extinguisher Tags and Gas Cylinder safety tags

Some tags serve as records or status notifications. For example, Fire extinguisher tags show you an inspection record of when the equipment was checked – this could be a monthly record, annual record, or yearly record. Gas cylinder safety tags tell you the status of the gas cylinder whether full or empty. Commonly available gas cylinder tags are Full Cylinder tags, Empty Cylinder tags, DOT warning labels, Danger signs and labels, Hot Work permit tags and more. Such tags go a long way in upholding safety norms in a workplace.

Lockout Tags

Some widely used safety tags are the lockout tags. These are high quality safety tags that can be used over long periods. Lockout Tags are used to indicate equipment or machinery that is not operating at safe or desired levels. Various lock out safety tags include Do Not Operate Tags, Defective Material Tags, and Custom Lockout Tags etc.

Repair Tags

There is a class of tags that also serves as customer tickets when an item is given for repairing. A retailer can simply hand over the stub to the customer as receipt after accepting the equipment to be repaired. Repair tags for maintenance of heavy machinery serve the same purpose but are generally tougher and are also available in fluorescent colors.

Handling of Safety Tags

Some rules must be observed while using safety tags to make their use more effective:

* Only an authorized person must add or remove tags from equipment * Safety tags must be safe to handle, with rounded corners and no sharp edges or projections. * They must have the main signal word like ‘Caution’, ‘Danger’ etc visible even at 5 feet of distance * Safety tags should be replaced once they start to fade or people will not be able to read them. * The safety tags must be fixed as close to the equipment as possible and where they are clearly visible. * Organizations must make sure employees know about these tags and understand their purpose.

Benefits of Incentive Programs

2007-03-27T05:22:00.000-07:00

Incentive programs are a great way for businesses to reach out to their employees in an appropriate and appreciate manner. Not only do they work to improve the livelihood of the individual worker, but they also help to improve the livelihood of the business as well. Everyone is able to take part in the success of the company and feel like they are an integral part of the company and the work which takes place inside the company. Improving morale is hardly the only benefit of implementing successful incentive programs within the workplace. However, it is extremely important that the programs be successful and well planned in order to them to work. Implementing an unsuccessful program will likely do the opposite of improving morale and can potentially lead to resentment among the workers in the business. Because of this, it is very important to choose a program of incentives that will appeal to the average worker and make them feel important, not convenient. The incentives need to be tailored to the particular needs and desires of the individual workplace. If they are not, it is possible to lose money by investing in an unsuccessful and damaging incentive program. When the proper incentive program is put into place, the results will be noticed with ease and days will run much smoother.

For example, when employees are happy and content, they will have a better disposition. Obviously this is helpful for workers that are involved with customers since they will be more likely to have patience with the clients and to go the extra mile in order to ensure happiness on the part of the clients. Even better, the morale and disposition of the co-workers may actually enable them to work better as a team, together. This means that when one person needs help, instead of ignoring that individual’s problems and making sure that they look out for themselves, other co-workers may chip in and try to help that person, which would allow the company to work more as a team which is typically more successful than everyone being concerned on with their own well being.

The incentive programs that are implemented may also enable a company to improve communication between the different co-workers and levels of management. This helps to ensure that when a problem comes up, the company as a whole is more inclined to address the issue. If workers are too concerned with what others will think of them or how others will react that they may try to fix the problem on their own and end up doing more harm than good. Increased communication will be beneficial in many different areas of the workplace. In addition, co-workers may begin to feel more like friends as opposed to individuals that work together and have nothing in common. Many business owners will even find that it feels good to reward their employees and that it is important not to take workers for granted in any market or in any capacity. Employee incentive programs will help with all of these issues.

How To Find The Right Point Of Sale System For You

2007-03-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

Replacing your cash register and payment processing terminal with a point of sale (POS) system is a great way to take your business to the next level. Few purchases can have as dramatic an effect on your retail or hospitality business as a POS system.

A well implemented POS system can give you a new level of control over your operations, increase efficiencies, boost profits and help you fine-tune your business model. In addition to efficiency gains over your cash register, POS systems provide information and reports that can help you make more informed business decisions.

Conversely, the wrong POS system can multiply your headaches and cause you to spend valuable time and money on supporting a technology that distracts you from running and growing your business.

By reading this article, you will learn how to make an informed POS purchase decision. Knowing what questions to ask will help you avoid the mistakes of a first time buyer.

DO YOUR RESEARCH - Spend time evaluating POS companies

Finding the right POS software for you takes time and effort. It's an important decision that will effect how your business operates. Make sure you do your due diligence and research several companies.

When choosing a POS system, experienced buyers will tell you that it is very important to buy from a solid company. Taking the time to evaluate companies to ensure that they are customer centric and are committed to great service for the entire lifetime of your business is a smart move which will alleviate headaches now and in the future.

Ask the Following Questions to Evaluate POS companies

1. How long have you been in business?

Software develops over time. So the younger the company, the greater potential for software bugs. With an older, more established company, you can rest assured that they have gone through the growing pains of new software and have a proven product.

2. What is your growth rate?

You want a company that is actively growing. The software industry is very competitive. Companies need to continually advance and improve their product offerings to keep their competitive edge. Not having significant growth indicates that the company may not be advancing their product as much as they should and could eventually be left behind. Stick with innovative companies that are leading the way.

3. How many customers do you have?

The number of customers is an indication of how successful the company is. If the company only has a handful of customers, it's either a) a new company, which you probably should avoid, or b) the company has a bad product or poor service resulting in high customer turnover and few new customers.

4. How do you sell your products?

If the company sells direct, the company has more control over price and support which means you get consistent service and prices. If the company uses a reseller channel be prepared for increased costs and inconsistent service. Selling through a middleman limits the company's ability to control service and price.

SPEND TIME EVALUATION SERVICE LEVELS

When you purchase POS software, you are entering into a long term relationship with a vendor. Let's face it, there's no such thing as fool-proof software. Understanding that you will be in continual contact with your chosen POS company for software updates, support, training, hardware and consulting should be an important consideration in your decision process. The company's level of support could be the difference between a good experience and a bad one. Take the time to inquire about support service levels. If the company you are talking to cannot provide you with specific support measures, they likely don't take support seriously.

Ask the Following Questions to Evaluate service levels

1. Do you offer 7 X 24 X 365 support?

You need support that works on your time. Why settle for anything less? Find a company that you know will be there for you when you need assistance.

2. How do you diagnose issues?

With web-based hosted solutions, support issues can be diagnosed immediately allowing the support team to begin to solve your problem immediately. With on-site, you have to wait for someone to come down to your location to first assess the problem and then take measures to fix it.

3. What is your average support wait time?

How long will the support phone ring before it's answered? Waiting anything more than 30 seconds is abysmal. A company that takes their time answering support calls, indicates that they don't care about their customers.

4. What is your 1st call pick up level?

Companies may say that they pick up their support phone in less than 30 seconds, but how long does it take to speak with an actual support person? Support lines can be answered by an automated system that places you in a call waiting pattern or they send you directly to voicemail. This can be very frustrating and time consuming when you want to speak to a 'real' person. By asking this question, you can find how often you will speak to a 'real' person when you call the first time. The higher the percentage, the greater the chance you will speak with someone sooner.

5. What is your system performance uptime?

Your POS system needs to work 99.9% of the time. A 98% uptime promise may sound good initially but this actually means that the system can be down for 29 minutes a day or 14 hours a month and they've still met their obligation!

LOOK FOR A POS SYSTEM THAT'S DESIGNED FOR YOUR SPECIFIC BUSINESS TYPE

Your business is unique. As such, you need software that meets your specific needs. A lot of POS companies claim their system works for every business type (retail, restaurant: fast food to fine dinning). As a business owner, you are well aware that you can't be all things to all people. Why settle for something generic when you can get software that was built with you in mind? Know what business issues you need to address with your POS in advance and then look for a POS that is catered to your needs. You will be much happier in the long run.

REQUEST A DEMO

You'd test drive a car before you buy it, wouldn't you? Requesting a demo from a salesperson is a great way to see how the software works and if it's a potential fit for your business. Beware of the salesperson who just launches into their product without first taking the time to understand your business needs. Use the salesperson as a resource. The best salespeople are there to answer any questions you may have and to help you find the best solution for you - even if it's not their product.

ASK SALESPEOPLE FOR QUOTES

By now, you should have a good understanding of what your needs are and you can begin asking for quotes. Please note that getting quotes from companies that you are interested in adds another dimension to the decision making process.

Some POS companies will include everything in their quotations while others will leave items out to make their prices seem more palatable - make sure you are comparing apples to apples. It's also very important to ask about costs that may arise during the life of your POS, such as maintenance, support, and upgrades.

You should also ask the sales rep to give you a proposal on all hardware, training, installation, support, upgrades and maintenance.

Ask salespeople the following questions

1. Is software support included for the full term?

We can't reiterate enough how important support is. The majority of providers will provide free support for the first year of the contract, leaving you with potentially expensive on-demand support for the remainder of your contract. Be sure to clarify the support service when you are evaluating companies.

2. Is hardware support included for the full term?

Some companies separate hardware and software support. Hardware support is just as important as software support. Be sure to find out if hardware support is 1) included and 2) covered for the full term of the contract.

3. Are there internal costs I should consider?

With many traditional POS systems a back-office computer is required to run your entire POS operation. It is your responsibility to maintain this computer. The cost of maintaining and running this operating system needs to be included when you are considering purchasing a traditional POS system. Conversely a web-based system would not have this additional cost.

4. How often do you provide updates?

You want the best software available. You can only stand to benefit from a company that is continually upgrading and improving their product.

5. Do you charge for updates?

Some companies charge extra for updates. As a user, you deserve to use the most updated and bug-free version of the software. Look for a company that includes upgrades for the full term of your contract.

CALL REFERENCES

Asking the salesperson for references gives you the opportunity to speak with someone that has used the product first hand. Taking the time to contact references and ask the right questions will help you select the right system and avoid many problems.

In addition to asking for references from businesses that are similar to your own business, ask for references from businesses that have successfully addressed issues that are similar to your own issues (opening a new restaurant, switching from a cash register, addressing a specific cost issue). By speaking with relevant references, you can find out if the POS company keeps their sales promise.

Ask References the Following Questions

1. Have you used other POS solutions?

The reason you should ask this question is to determine how valuable the reference will be. If the reference has only owned and operated one POS solution, they essentially have nothing to compare their experience to. They could be experiencing the worst service in the industry and not realize it. A reference that has used several POS solutions can provide a comparative context and therefore better information.

2. Why did you purchase this POS solution?

If you can take away one thing from reading these tips, it would be to find a POS system that is best suited for you. You can definitely learn 'what not to do' from someone that purchased solely on price, but there is more value in speaking with someone with similar business issues to you, that found a system that best fits their needs.

3. Did the POS live up to its promises?

You want to find a company that stands by the promises that they make.

4. What specifically do you like best about your POS?

Features are great, but most POS systems have relatively the same features. What really counts is good service and support which is difficult to find in this industry. If service is what the reference likes most about their POS system, chances are you've found a good company.

5. What specific issues have you had with your POS?

As mentioned earlier, software is not infallible. There will be issues. It's important to find out if the issues were only minor or if the software had major faults that prevented the user from performing fundamental tasks.

6. How has the POS company addressed these issues?

Responsiveness is key. A company that responds quickly to issues is an indication of great service. Find out how quickly the company responded to the issue and took the necessary actions to solve the problem.

7. Rank sales expectation setting out of 10.

In any sales situation, sometimes promises are made to get the prospect to purchase the product. Did the sales person oversell and leave the customer expecting more? You want to be able to trust the salesperson. Make sure the customer's expectations were met when they started using the end product.

8. Rank the training experience out of 10.

How easy was the product to learn? Did the training process run smoothly? If the reference rates the training experience highly, you can assume the training process will run seamlessly with little disruption for you as well.

9. Rank the service experience out of 10.

Service. Service. Service. Ask this question to get a quantitative score for highly important service levels.

10. Rank your likely of recommending out of 10.

If the reference would recommend this product it's a good indication that they are happy with the product and it is a good fit for their business.

11. If you were going to buy a new POS solution, what questions would you ask a new vendor that you did not ask last time?

This is a great opportunity to learn from someone that has already gone through the process you are currently undergoing. Established POS users have a different perspective and would probably approach things differently the second time around. Gaining insight from the reference will help you avoid the mistakes of a first time buyer.

PLAN FOR THE FUTURE

It's important to think about your future. You may have one location now, but if you ever plan or dream of having multiple locations you need to consider scalability. Ask the provider about the software's ability to incorporate additional locations. How are the different locations integrated? How are menu items and prices changed for all locations? What are the costs associated with having additional locations?

Purchasing a POS system can be a scary and frustrating process, but with the right amount of patience and perseverance you can find the POS that best fits your needs and puts you on the track to success.

5 Steps To Turbochare Your Success!

2007-03-26T05:22:00.001-07:00

Let's take an imaginary journey. Better yet, imagine that you wish to take a driving trip across the country from New York to San Francisco. There are more than a couple of ways to head out on this trip. But, you have limited time and resources, AND you want this trip to be productive, enjoyable, and NOT stress-inducing.

Which of the two following approaches makes the most sense: (A) Saying "I'm going to San Francisco" then jump into your vehicle, and head out with no planning? Or, (B) creating a mental picture of how you'd spend your time (and money) in San Francisco? Would you know the reason for your trip? In other words, how would you prepare for the trip? Would you map out how to get there? Would you know who would be traveling with you, and what their responsibilities for the trip might be? Would you figure out how much money you would need to get there (not to mention, get back home)? How much time will you allow for the trip? How many stops will you need to make? And, finally, how will you keep from running out of fuel (emotionally, physically, and financially) before the trip is completed? (This last question is addressed in my "Running on a Full Tank" class. The rest of the questions can be addressed by thinking deeply, and following 5 major steps to success, below).

Using the above analogy, let's say that the destination is your success in business. How well can you define the following: your ultimate destination (your vision), why your business exists (your mission), how you measure your progress (your objectives), what ongoing steps you will need to perform (your strategies), and what projects need to be implemented (your action plans)?

In the examples above, most small business owners try to run their business using the (A) approach. They have sort of named a destination ("I want to have a business doing_____"), and set out to "go there" with no real planning. With this approach, how much time and other resources are wasted on taking wrong turns, not having carity about where they're going, why, with whom, and what exactly needs to be done to reach their destination?

If you're really serious about reaching your success destination, my challenge to you is to create a powerful, energizing, inspiring, step-by-step plan that clearly maps out everything needed to get there. I love using "The One Page Business Plan" system. So with this as my guide, I've mapped out your 5-step journey to success.

Vision - (What are you building)

Describe with great clarity what your business will look like in 3 to 5 years. How much revenue will it generate, with how many employees, serving what geography, serving what type of client, and providing what service? You may even want to specify what technologies you will use, or what ideals you will incorporate into your company culture. If you have a goal of giving 10% of your profits to a favorite cause, include that, too. In other words, dare to dream...and dare to dream specifically and boldly!

Mission - (Why does your business exist?)

When I work with a client to create business plans, this is very often the area on which we spend the most time...and for good reason. A well defined mission should not only inspire you and your employees, but customers as well. To do so, it should encapsulate the reason why, on a deeper level, you have chosen to be in this business, and what sets your business apart. It's timeless. (Examples: The History Channel: "Where history comes alive"; Nature Concervancy: "Saving the last great places"; Lenscrafters: "Helping people see better, one hour at a time"). A mission can compel and impel you (and others) to action. And, when the going gets rough, or you're feeling discouraged, it acts as the inspiration and energizer to keep you going.

Objectives - (What are the specific measures?)

Objectives must be graphable. They define your goals...what you need less of, or more of, to be successful. Maybe you want more revenue, profits, clients, or store locations. Great! How much more? Now, what do you want less of?...inventory, printing costs, automotive costs? Terrific! How much less?

Stated another way, what numbers do you need in order to assess the health, the pulse of your business? What statistics indicating the health of your business would be on a single page...to be faxed to you while you're lying on a beach in Tahiti?

Strategies - (What are the right things we have to do over time?)

How will you grow and manage this business? Strategies provide a framework for what you will and will NOT do. They establish best practices, set the direction on such areas as marketing, product pricing, internet presence, strategic alliances, target markets, employee retention, and positioning. Examples include: Doing a product roll-out at a major trade show, forming a strategic alliance with a "power partner", setting up a testimonial or referral program.

Action Plans - (What is the work to be done?)

What projects do you need to work on this year? Who is responsible for each of these projects, and when will the projects be completed (what date)? For example, my action plans include: by the end of April, schedule and announce 3 dates for my workshops; write and submit 2 articles by the end of May; put 12 speaking engagements on my calendar by April 30th; complete new CD products by June 30th. Each of these is a project, which will support my objectives and strategies.

So, there you have it...5 steps to turbocharging your success. Are these steps simple? Yes. Are they simplistic? Absolutely not! Writing plans is difficult. Quality thinking and writing take time. But don't worry about getting it "right", just get it in writing. It can be edited later, undoubtedly in 3 months it will be significantly different, and probably much better.

You and I have the ability to design our future, our lives, our success for as long as we can breathe and dream. By putting planning into the mix, you'll have the map and compass to reach your destinations and achieve your dreams far more quickly and better than you could have imagined. So, dream, plan, and move into your greatness!

Introduction to CRM

2007-03-26T05:21:00.001-07:00

Customer Relationship Management has been with us over the ages, for as long as people traded with each other. In those days, the physical closeness in location between the customer and the supplier led to the relationship. Even in less developed countries and traditional societies such business models currently still exist. People congregated on market days and the customers usually buy from people they know, have bought from before. The supplier also knew his customers well, what they liked, how they liked it, what they did not want, and was able to deliver the customer's needs and wants. And based on their knowledge of the customer, they could also add sweeteners to ensure customer loyalty, and bring in related samples to introduce their existing customers to new things. Their loyal customers then spread the word and introduced other customers to them. And gradually they became well known for what they sold or provided.

As countries developed and urbanisation took place, the physical distance between the supplier and the customer increased. Intermediaries and merchants developed to transport the product from the producer to the customer. To pay for their efforts they added their margins on top of the supplier's price.

With increasing urbanisation and industrialisation, suppliers could no longer deal with their customers directly. They could no longer know their customers' needs, wants, preferences, habits, and other characteristics that helped them to compete. The problem then arose of how to compete with products that are not tailored to customers' needs. So they started building brands, and using advertising and mass marketing to persuade remote customers and compete for a greater share of the market. The flavour of the times were mass production, standardisation, strong universal brand, and a deep penetration of the market. However this involved a lot of guesswork, and some big mistakes were sometimes made. The disconnection with the customer also meant that direct-feedback from the individual customer was not available.

Over the years, competition became so fierce that mass marketing became inadequate in ensuring the brand, as customers could easily move to a competitor at any time. Relying on customers to remain with a business without bothering to interact with them is risky. It also became clear that not all customers are equally valuable to a business, and the focus moved to finding out what made a customer valuable. The way a customer interacts with the business can have significant impact on their loyalty and retention, so customer service gained prominence. Costs of acquiring and retaining a customer became really important, and it became clear that selling to an existing customer is cheaper than acquiring and selling to a new customer. Reducing the cost of selling and improving profits required more precise marketing, and this required the firm to be able to gather, retain, analyse and interprete customer data. However, this information gathering, analysis, and interpration was very complex, expensive and could not be easily done manually.

And then computerisation came, followed by the Internet. And it became possible again for suppliers to reach individual customers, connect with them and undertand their needs and wants. This enabled the firm to build a relationship with the individual customer, similar to that seen in the old days, and the field of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) was born. The aims of CRM for the supplier/firm is to deliver value to the customer at a profit, and to deliver that value so well that the customer remained loyal, and the supplier became a first choice for the product/service, with an enhancement of the supplier's reputation and brand. For the customer, the value of CRM is to have a supplier who understands the customer's needs and wants so well, that value was delivered at every interaction, with less mistakes. Since technology is very essential for delivery of the supplier's CRM aims, for some people CRM became synonymous with the technological tools. And some CRM technology vendors and practitioners insisted that their interpretation of CRM was the truth. These differing views affected the implementation and use of CRM technology. Companies and suppliers using these different CRM technology also judged and defined them by their experience of how it met their business needs.

Technology has been the hero and the villain of CRM in practice. For some CRM worked and for others it did not, and the reason for failure was not always due to the CRM technology. And those for whom CRM did not work were quite vocal in blaming either the concept of CRM, or the technology, or the CRM vendors, or all of them. But over the years, it became clear that the problem was not always due to the CRM technology, but the implementation and application of it. CRM is something that companies do. CRM is not something companies buy. CRM technology solutions is meant to help companies do CRM. Like all technology, someone has to turn it on and they need to know what "buttons to press".

CRM is not a fad. It is an underlying principle of interacting with customers or clients, and it is something that all firms should practice. All executives need to understand CRM as a corporate strategy.

These series of articles are aimed at helping all readers understand aspects of CRM. Obviously they are written from the perspective of my experience, but the articles will also incorporate information from the experiences of others, including research findings and more.

Five Essential Leadership Traits: The Story Of Martha Stewart From Kmart To Macy's

2007-03-26T05:20:00.001-07:00

It was not long ago that Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) seemed doomed to failure. Kmart, its largest outlet for licensed household products, was in Chapter 11 and closing hundreds of stores. Its magazine was being challenged by the new upstart competitor by rival Rosie O’Donnell. Major television stations were canceling their daily show and critics were saying the show wouldn’t finish the season. Their company leader was ordered to resign by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Yet most devastating, Martha was headed to jail.

With plunging sales, vanishing profits, and stock prices falling, few gave the domestic diva’s business much chance of survival.

Fast forward to 2007. No longer do we see a company on the brink of eradication. The revamped daily television program is getting such respectable ratings and advertisers that it has been renewed through 2008. A second show, specializing in food, is seen on PBS and a radio program has been added debuted last week. Her single magazine has grown to six specialty magazines, each among the top in their genres. In addition to the continuing Kmart product line, MSLO has agreements to expand its product line to upscale retailer Macy’s and craft-marketer Michael’s. New ventures include furniture and flowers, and even Martha Stewart housing developments.

Most important of all, this now-admired company’s revenues are up more than 50%.

The turnaround

Ben Franklin once said, “What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens.” Despite the bevy of unfortunate events, Stewart continually looked at the future. She saw the company as a thriving entity with tremendous growth and maintained a public persona equal to her vision of success. Never pouting. Always smiling. Martha looked to the distant future overlooking what she saw a temporary inconveniences.

Things began to turn around for Martha while in prison. She learned Susan Lyne, head of then-slumping Disney/ABC Entertainment, had been fired by the ABC brass. Their chief complaint about her was that she had pinned the recovery of the network on two yet-to-be aired shows for which they had little hope: “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives”.

During a visit to Martha in her West Virginia prison, the two would immediately become friends. Martha admired Lyne’s 25 year work history and decided she was the right person to lead the company into the future. Lyne took over as MSLO president and soon would gain incredible recognition: Advertising Age would name her “Executive of the Year” and The Wall Street Journal would call her the “top woman to watch in corporate America.”

Five Essentials of Leadership

Top business leaders like Martha Stewart are known for five essential qualities:

1. Pursue your purpose with passion. Anyone that knows Martha knows MSLO is the very purpose of her life. No two breathes are taken without thoughts of her business.

2. Practice solid values. Not every aspect of a great leader is based on a solid value, however all great leaders have one or more solid values upon which they focus. For Martha, her company is all about quality products for an improved lifestyle at great value. No one can deny these attributes drive her actions.

3. Lead with your heart as well as your head. The rumors about Martha are right. For the most part, she sees people as a commodity. Never the less she demonstrates a heart for helping those people working for her or with her to be successful. Yet it is more of a team success than an individual success.

4. Established connected relationships. Her relationship with Kmart symbolizes her view of partnership. When Kmart filed for bankruptcy, Martha could easily have gone to another retailer with her products. She remained loyal and that loyalty is created with helping Kmart emerge from Chapter 11.

5. Demonstrate self-discipline. Martha’s self-discipline is demonstrated by her unwavering focus on her products and consumer demand. Little time is taken by Stewart for activities not somehow relating to her MSLO business.

The success of MSLO provides a lesson for all business professionals. Whether leading a Fortune 500 company or single employee LLC or plotting out individual or departmental growth, the five essentials of leadership provides a roadmap for the lifestyle and attitude leading to success.

*”Five Essentials of Leadership” taken from Leadership in a Contemporary World, ©MaxImpact, www.getmaximpact.com. (Used with permission).

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Rick Weaver is an accomplished business executive with a wealth of experience in retail, market analysis, supply chain enhancement, project management, team building, and process improvement.

Rick career began in retailing as a stockclerk, eventually becoming the Director of Vendor Development at Kmart Corporation during it’s heyday. In this position he worked with hundreds of Kmart’s suppliers to improve mutual processes, procedures, and profits.

As a consultant, Rick has worked with companies in various industries to develop leadership and business strategies.

As an entrepreneur, Rick has founded or co-founded six successful organizations, including non-profit and for profit.

Now in his role as president of MaxImpact, Rick uses his vast experience helping individuals connect to their dreams and teams connect to a common vision.

Rick’s presentation style of blending humor, real life examples, and easy to implement ideas has made him a popular speaker at seminars, workshops, and conferences in in 43 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico.