As a business becomes increasingly successful, an entrepreneur must examine her business’ changing needs and implement a system for meeting them. Booming success often means hiring a team of people to see to the details so the entrepreneur has time to run the business. Creating a winning team is a bit more complicated than just asking a bunch of people for help – is there a right way to do it? Is there a way to go about it that will leave members of the team, as well as the owner, feeling fulfilled while the business thrives?

A new study from Jane Out of the Box, an authority on women entrepreneurs, recently revealed there are five distinct types of women in business. Each of these five types has unique approach to running a business—and as a consequence, each of them has a unique combination of characteristics and factors. This article profiles three of the Jane “types” and the different ways they may handle hiring a team.

Jane Dough is an entrepreneur who enjoys running her business and makes good money. She is comfortable and determined in buying and selling, which may be why she’s five times more likely than the average female business owner to hit the million dollar mark. Jane Dough is clear in her priorities and may be intentionally and actively growing an asset-based or legacy business. It is estimated that 18% of women fall in the category of Jane Dough.

To Jane Dough, business is business. In her world, systems and efficiency share the throne. When hiring a team, she is likely to choose members based on their specific skill sets and how those skill sets and their exacting implementation will affect the system she plans on using.

Pros and cons:

* Pro: Because Jane Dough is a pragmatic business owner, she’ll choose team members who know what they’re doing, and do it well.
* Con: Because Jane Dough is so focused on pragmatism, she may hire team members who don’t get along well with each other – personalities aren’t as important to her as efficiency and a job well done. But down the road, conflicting personalities may negatively impact the system she loves.
* Pro: Jane Dough’s fast pace means she gets a lot done and doesn’t waste too much time waffling on decisions about whether to hire someone.
* Con: That fast pace is enough to make anyone’s head spin, and if Jane Dough isn’t careful she may overlook a candidate with better long-term potential in favor of someone who fits the bill right now – putting her future self at a disadvantage.

Merry Jane. This entrepreneur is usually building a part-time or “flexible time” business that gives her a creative outlet (whether she’s an ad agency consultant or she makes beautiful artwork) that she can manage within specific constraints around her schedule. She may have a day-job, or need to be fully present for family or other pursuits. She realizes she could make more money by working longer hours, but she’s happy with the tradeoff she has made because her business gives her tremendous freedom to work how and when she wants, around her other commitments.

Because Merry Jane is “freedom-focused,” she’ll need a team that allows her to continue working as many or as few hours as she wants to, which means that she’ll have to be flexible with their schedules, too.

Pros and cons:

* Pro: Merry Jane loves her freedom, so she’ll hire dependable people who can do their jobs without a ton of direction.
* Con: Loving her freedom can come at a price – Because her business may not be her first priority, communication may slip from time-to-time. If her team is unclear in what they need to do or if they take too much accountability, this can create problems for Merry Jane.
* Pro: Hiring people means that Merry Jane can delegate some of her work and therefore have even greater flexibility.
* Con: Creating a team also adds responsibility, of which Merry Jane already has plenty – she’ll need to face payroll, meetings, e-mails and phone calls that she didn’t deal with before – and this may mean more administrative work than she anticipated.

Tenacity Jane is an entrepreneur with an undeniable passion for her business, but who is struggling (a little or a lot) with the business’ financial performance. As a result, she’s working longer hours and making less money than she’d like. Nevertheless, Tenacity Jane is bound and determined to make her business a success. At 31% of women in business, Tenacity Janes are the largest single group of female entrepreneur.

Tenacity Jane’s greatest asset is her attitude. She may feel overwhelmed at times but she keeps on keeping on because she truly believes in the business she’s building and she wants to make it work. As she seeks to hire a team, Tenacity Jane will seek people with great attitudes like her own.

Pros and cons:

* Pro: Tenacity Jane feels like she can make this work, despite having faced many business challenges – she has a positive, “keep chugging” attitude.
* Con: When hiring a team, attitude isn’t enough. Tenacity Jane may be drawn to people who are also enthused about her business, but does she take the time to (and does she know exactly how to) evaluate their skills, experience, and preparedness to do the work at hand?
* Pro: Tenacity Jane loves her business concept and can see the big vision of what it can someday be, which may include a large team sometime down the road.
* Con: Because she is focused on the “ultimate” vision, Tenacity Jane may not map out the path to get there step-by-step. If this happens, she runs the risk of hiring too many people too soon (and then not being able to retain them) or hiring them in the wrong order to maximize business growth.

Whether hiring a team is strictly business, or it’s a small part of a grand scheme, it’s a big deal. Women entrepreneurs shouldn’t go into it without a solid idea about who to hire, what they’ll do and how they’ll do it – and how all of that will affect the business in the short- and long-term. From Jane Dough to Merry Jane to Tenacity Jane, business owners must get a plan in place before hiring to ensure the step from one-woman-band to marching band sounds great.

About the Author:

Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane out of the Box, an online resource dedicated to the women entrepreneur community. Discover more incredibly useful information for running a small business by taking the FREE Jane Types Assessment at Jane out of the Box. Offering networking and marketing opportunities, key resources and mentorship from successful women in business, Jane Out of the Box is online at www.janeoutofthebox.com

• 0 Comments

It happens at some point in the life of every business: cash has been coming in, things are going well, and then all of a sudden, things take a turn for the worse. Whether it’s a bad time of year for the business’ particular product, or a rough patch in the economy, weathering slow cash flow can be tough. But how the business comes out of the slump depends on how the business owner handles it.

Research by Jane Out of the Box, an authority on women entrepreneurs, has revealed there are five distinct types of women in business. Each of these five types has unique approach to running a business—and as a consequence, each of them has a unique combination of characteristics and factors. This article profiles three of the Jane “types” and the different ways they may handle cash flow issues.

Go Jane Go is a successful business owner with plenty of clients—but she’s struggling to keep up with demand. She may be a classic overachiever, taking on volunteer opportunities as well, because she’s eager to make an impact on the world and may really struggle saying “no”. Because she wants to “say yes” to so many people, she may even be in denial about how many hours she actually works during the course of a week. As a result, she may be running herself ragged or sometimes feel guilty about the list of goals not yet achieved.

Although Go Jane Go feels totally competent when it comes to running her business, a slowdown in cash flow can occur when Go Jane Go is not paying enough attention to money. She may be behind in sending bills because getting the work done seems more important. Or she may be reluctant to raise the money issue with clients who are late in paying, because she doesn’t want them to be embarrassed or to create conflict in the relationship.

Here are some things Go Jane Go should consider when faced with cash flow challenges:

* Clients want to pay. Your clients value and respect you and they want to pay you well for the work you’ve done. In fact, as a Go Jane Go, you may have even had clients offer to pay you MORE than you asked, because they can see how much you go above and beyond. Relationships are a two-way street, and your clients want to help you succeed. So, give them the outlet by billing them in a timely manner so they can uphold their half of the bargain.

* Falling behind on billing or reminders also can cause relationship problems. You not sending invoices in a timely manner or not following up on overdue payments may cause an internal problem for your customers, too. If they are corporate types, they may get in a tangle with their accounting departments if they submit bills from you too late. And, if they are smaller businesses or consumers, a forgotten invoice can cause cash flow problems on their end, as they scramble to find the money to pay you. Take good care of them by keeping your financial house in order and helping them do the same.

* You don’t have to do this alone. One of the easiest jobs to outsource is bookkeeping. And those experts are probably better at the task than you are. If your books are a mess, bite the bullet and admit it. And even if your books are in great shape – get help. You have a unique gift to share with the world and you maximize your ability to do so when you delegate other tasks. Best yet, your bookkeeper can follow up on late invoices too – just give him or her a system for how to do it so it is in keeping with your (probably gentle) values.

Merry Jane. This entrepreneur is usually building a part-time or “flexible time” business that gives her a creative outlet (whether she’s an ad agency consultant or she makes beautiful artwork) that she can manage within specific constraints around her schedule. She may have a day-job, or need to be fully present for family or other pursuits. She realizes she could make more money by working longer hours, but she’s happy with the tradeoff she has made because her business gives her tremendous freedom to work how and when she wants, around her other commitments.

Merry Jane usually has an income other than that her business provides, so business cash flow challenges may not be as difficult of an issue, per se. However, many Merry Janes do wish their businesses made more money. In order for that to happen, money has to become a focal point for Merry Jane, rather than simply waiting and watching how business growth evolves. Even as cash flow becomes a priority, however, it’s imperative for Merry Jane’s happiness that more money does not mean more work – her life balance is too important.

A few things Merry Jane should consider if she sees her cash flow slow down:

* A little attention could go a long way. Think about WHY cash flow is slow. Has there been a downturn in sales in the business? Have you invested in materials, equipment, or software that will help make money in the long run but are chewing up available cash in the short-term? Until you know whether the problem is slow revenue or high costs, you won’t know the strategy to fix it.

* If revenue is slow, leverage your connections, both on and offline. Finding new clients is often the toughest aspect of business for Merry Jane. Reach out to your existing customers with a plan that gives them more of what they want while also helping you grow your base. Think about the upcoming holidays – can you make an attractive offer that gets them to buy gifts from you? Or, maybe your business lends itself naturally to referral. If so, what “Thank You” gift can you give them when they find you another customer?

* If costs are high, it’s time to plan. Stop spending temporarily and map out how many sales you need to cover the costs of the equipment, materials, or software you bought and make it all worth it. Turn this into a game; play with the numbers. And as you calculate how many sales you need to make your costs pay off, keep in mind that you can also raise your rates! It’s fun to watch the number of sales go down as your price per sale goes up. Balance it all – the fair price for your product or service, the number of sales you need, and the amount of money you wish to have flowing in each month to arrive at a plan that works for your business and your lifestyle.

Accidental Jane is a successful, confident business owner who never actually set out to start a business, but may have ended up with one due to frustration with her job or a layoff and decided to use her business and personal contacts to strike out on her own. Or, she may have started making something that served her own unmet needs and found other customers with the same need, giving birth to a business. Although Accidental Jane may sometimes struggle with prioritizing what she needs to do next in her business, she enjoys what she does and is making good money. About 18% of all women business owners fit the Accidental Jane profile.

Although Accidental Jane didn’t necessarily set out to start a business, she now finds herself full-swing into entrepreneurship and everything that goes with it. So she may feel unprepared to face cash flow issues.

Because Accidental Jane is successful, and overall has just the amount of work she desires, cash flow issues are most likely to result from marketing peaks and valleys caused by Accidental Jane herself. A typical pattern for Accidental Jane is to network her way to a sufficient amount of work. Then, when she’s happily working, she’ll stop actively marketing her business, only to realize as the work draws to a close, that she needs to start marketing again.

Therefore, Accidental Jane’s key to avoiding cash flow issues is to find ways to keep her marketing efforts running at a continual, low level. This will iron out the peaks and valleys so the work flow is steadier. Accidental Jane can get creative with this, making it a game to develop creative marketing approaches in her business that require little time on her part. This might include developing an effective referral system, launching a weekly “tips” email to keep awareness of her business high, running periodic “specials” during the off-season, etc. Best of all, with simple, systematized campaigns, Accidental Jane can recruit part-time help to make sure the marketing is happening even while she’s enjoying the work she loves to do.

Every business owner can learn from Go Jane Go, Merry Jane and Accidental Jane when it comes to cash flow problems. A variety of techniques exist for dealing with slowing cash flow, and each one provides some help for entrepreneurs who want to keep their businesses in the black.

About the Author:

Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane out of the Box, an online resource dedicated to the women entrepreneur community. Discover more incredibly useful information for running a small business by taking the FREE Jane Types Assessment at Jane out of the Box. Offering networking and marketing opportunities, key resources and mentorship from successful women in business, Jane Out of the Box is online at www.janeoutofthebox.com

• 0 Comments

Even when both the business owner and her new team member have the best intentions, sometimes a match just isn’t meant to be. A poor business owner-team member pairing can impact a business in many ways, from loss of morale, to frustration, to wasted time and money. So what should a female entrepreneur do when she realizes she’s made a bad hire? Is there a right way to handle it?

A new study from Jane Out of the Box, an authority on women entrepreneurs, recently revealed there are five distinct types of women in business. Each of these five types has a unique approach to running a business—and as a consequence, each of them has a unique combination of characteristics and factors. This article profiles three of the Jane “types” and the different ways they may handle hiring the wrong person on a team and all that comes with it.

Go Jane Go is passionate about her work, and has no problem marketing and selling herself, so she has plenty of clients—but she’s struggling to keep up with demand. She may be a classic overachiever, taking on volunteer opportunities as well, because she’s eager to make an impact on the world and may really struggle to say “no”. Because she wants to support so many people, she may even be in denial about how many hours she actually works during the course of a week. As a result, she may be running herself ragged or sometimes feel guilty about the list of goals not yet achieved.

Because Go Jane Go takes her work very personally, she may let herself obsess over her bad hire. Here are some of her possible reactions to hiring the wrong person, and some things she can think about to make the best of the situation:

* Guilt. Go Jane Go is a people person, and wants her team to be happy. If she hires the wrong person, she may feel guilty about letting him go and wonder what she, herself, has done to contribute to the difficulties.
* Tips for dealing with Guilt: In this case, Go Jane Go needs to separate the personal from the professional. She has a responsibility to the long-term health of her business – and herself! Having a team member who just doesn’t fit often brings morale down, so removing that team member often will get everyone else back on track. And in the long run, the terminated team member may even feel grateful for valuable lessons learned.
* Harder Work. Because Go Jane Go tends to avoid confrontation, she may start working harder to make up for whatever her new team member lacks, even taking back some or all of the work that she delegated to him.
* Tips for avoiding Harder Work: Conduct a thorough analysis of whether the new team member will be able to do the job. If the problems are attitude, mindset, or competency, the situation will not improve with time. Have a thorough, objective performance review with the team member. Although this may feel confrontational, by keeping the conversation focused on objective job performance criteria, Go Jane Go will help her bad hire see what is lacking and put him on notice that performance must improve. Following this conversation, Go Jane Go may be surprised to find herself feeling lighter – and with more time on her hands.

Merry Jane. This entrepreneur is usually building a part-time or “flexible time” business that gives her a creative outlet (whether she’s an ad agency consultant or she makes beautiful artwork) that she can manage within specific constraints around her schedule. She may have a day-job, or need to be fully present for family or other pursuits. She realizes she could make more money by working longer hours, but she’s happy overall with the tradeoff she has made because her business gives her tremendous freedom to work how and when she wants, around her other commitments.

Although Merry Jane values her relationships, both with her clients and with her team members, she also values the fun she’s having with her business and the time she spends away from it, fulfilling other responsibilities. Therefore, if hiring the wrong person becomes a distraction for Merry Jane, she won’t have a problem letting him go. Here are some of Merry Jane’s possible reactions to hiring the wrong person:

* Lack of Awareness. Because Merry Jane has so many other priorities in her life, she will hire team members who can do what they need to do without much guidance. She probably won’t be hovering while they’re working, so she may not notice she’s hired the wrong person until the situation has snowballed.
* Tips for dealing with Lack of Awareness. When Merry Jane hires someone, she should provide very clear performance expectations and check in periodically to see how the new team member is doing. Ask him to provide weekly status updates on progress that can be quickly and easily read and check regularly to ensure things are on track. If they are not, course corrections, including replacing the team member, are easily done early in the process.
* A Clean Break. Merry Jane loves her business because she’s set it up for maximum efficiency, using systems to get the work done well. If a new hire is not performing well, it’s important for Merry Jane’s precious time that she make a quick, clean break.
* Tips for making a Clean Break: Upon receiving weekly status reports, determine whether course-correction is needed. If so, meet with the team member to explain the gaps and notify him of the corrections that need to be made and in what timeframe. Reaffirm the objectives of the position and schedule time to meet again for another review. Timing will be dependent on the nature of the work, but convene in the shortest possible time period during which performance can be expected to have improved (typically 1 week to 1 month). If improvements are insufficient, part ways by clearly articulating the importance of the missed objectives and the areas where expectations were not met.

Accidental Jane is a successful, confident business owner who never actually set out to start a business. Instead, she may have decided to start a business due to frustration with her job or a layoff and decided to use her business and personal contacts to strike out on her own. Or, she may have started making something that served her own unmet needs and found other customers with the same need, giving birth to a business. Although Accidental Jane may sometimes struggle with prioritizing what she needs to do next in her business, she enjoys what she does and is making good money. About 18% of all women business owners fit the Accidental Jane profile.

Tired of corporate politics, Accidental Jane relishes the opportunity to be on her own, and therefore, is slow to hire outside help. When she does so, she may find that a lack of documented systems may trip up her ability to bring someone on board effectively and quickly. Although she knows exactly how she likes the work done, the process steps may not be as apparent to someone new. Here are some of Accidental Jane’s possible reactions:

* Frustration. Accidental Jane may have hired a person she considered ideal but may feel frustrated with the results because the team member is not executing the work the way Accidental Jane does.
* Tips for Dealing with Frustration: Make sure it’s the person, not the process. Have a candid conversation with the team member, focusing the discussion specifically on whether he feels clear about the tasks at hand. Have him describe his perceptions of the assignment. This will often give Accidental Jane an excellent opportunity to uncover miscommunications and misunderstandings regarding the work.
* Managing effectively. Sometimes team members need more guidance to improve their performance.
* Tips for Managing Effectively: Schedule regular check-ins with your team members. If you have more than one, consider a group call where you can meet with the entire team at once. Further, have team members document their own systems. Whenever performance challenges occur, review the documented process first to uncover any flaws. If the process is correct, Accidental Jane can then easily and professionally release a team member who is not following the agreed-upon process.

Once a business owner has gone through the entire hiring process, from advertising to interviewing to hiring to training, it can be disappointing if it’s just not a good match. Whether the chemistry isn’t there, the team member misrepresented his skills or the job turns out to be different than he expected and it just isn’t working out, sometimes a business owner needs to be the one to end the relationship before it causes too much damage to a business. Although Go Jane Go, Merry Jane and Accidental Jane may handle the end differently, every business owner can learn from their reactions so the end is as painless as possible.

About the Author:

Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane out of the Box, an online resource dedicated to the women entrepreneur community. Discover more incredibly useful information for running a small business by taking the FREE Jane Types Assessment at Jane out of the Box. Offering networking and marketing opportunities, key resources and mentorship from successful women in business, Jane Out of the Box is online at www.janeoutofthebox.com

• 0 Comments

There comes a point in the life of a successful female entrepreneur where she is ready to take the plunge. Her sales are up, her workload has increased, and she needs help. Enter the team. Hiring the right team is a process that strikes fear in the hearts of some business owners and excitement in the hearts of others. Since success and accomplishment have led to the need for a great starting lineup, why not make the hiring process a success, too?

A new study from Jane Out of the Box, an authority on women entrepreneurs, recently revealed there are five distinct types of women in business. Each of these five types has unique approach to running a business—and as a consequence, each of them has a unique combination of characteristics and factors. This article profiles two of the Jane “types” and the different ways they may handle hiring a team and all its intricacies.

Go Jane Go is passionate about her work, and has no problem marketing and selling herself, so she has plenty of clients—but she’s struggling to keep up with demand. She may be a classic overachiever, taking on volunteer opportunities as well, because she’s eager to make an impact on the world and may really struggle saying “no”. Because she wants to “say yes” to so many people, she may even be in denial about how many hours she actually works during the course of a week. As a result, she may be running herself ragged or sometimes feel guilty about the list of goals not yet achieved.

Until now, Go Jane Go has always thought she could do everything herself. And why not? She is successful, she knows what she’s doing, and she’s smart. But she’s overwhelmed, and the simple fact that she’s even considering hiring a team means she must really be ready. Throughout the hiring process, Go Jane Go will be torn between hiring people she simply likes and hiring people she knows will get the job done.

Pros and cons:

* Pro: Business is all about relationships for Go Jane Go. So when she’s putting a team together, she’ll be making a commitment to the people she hires – she’ll care about their success and they’ll be drawn to her as a result.
* Con: Go Jane Go, in her desire to create a wonderful working and growing environment for everyone, may hire people based on their “potential” rather than their true skills today. She may overlook some weaknesses or developmental areas and as a result, may find herself needing to do more training than anticipated. Because she may avoid what she perceives as confrontation, Go Jane Go might begin “cleaning up after” her own team, thereby putting more work (and frustration) on her plate.
* Pro: Go Jane Go knows ALL the intricate details of how her business runs, and she knows exactly how she wants things done in the way that best meets her business’ needs. Further, she’s intuitive in working with others.
* Con: Because she’s intuitive, has high standards, and is accustomed to doing everything herself, Go Jane Go may have a very difficult time delegating. Because she runs her business intuitively, she may also not realize that she has an underlying system she follows to do the work. As a result, she may not have documented steps for each team member to follow and may again find herself doing more training or explaining than she expected.

Accidental Jane is a successful, confident business owner who never actually set out to start a business. Instead, she may have decided to start a business due to frustration with her job or a layoff and decided to use her business and personal contacts to strike out on her own. Or, she may have started making something that served her own unmet needs and found other customers with the same need, giving birth to a business. Accidental Jane enjoys what she does and is creating a satisfactory level of income.

Some Accidental Janes got out of the corporate world because they were fed up with the politics. Others simply want to be in control of their own destiny. Because many Accidental Janes were so good at what they did when they worked full-time, it’s just a matter of time before the demand for their services grows to the point that they need to hire some help.

Pros and cons:

* Pro: Tired of political games in big corporations, Accidental Jane is determined not to create an overly structured, constraining work environment. She wants people to feel empowered.
* Con: Hiring a team can seem daunting to Accidental Jane if she feels like she escaped from the corporate world. She may feel reluctant to commit to employees because she doesn’t want to feel shackled to an office or a particular schedule – for this reason she might prolong hiring someone as long as possible.
* Pro: She’s so good at what she does, clients are clamoring for Accidental Jane’s service or product.
* Con: If she waits too long to hire someone, based on concerns of having to return to a very structured work life, Accidental Jane will miss out on the joys of working with part-time contractors who can make valuable contributions to her business. She may find herself needing to rush the hiring process by waiting too long to begin.

All in all, hiring a team can, and should, be an exciting time in the life of a business. For women entrepreneurs who are just plain tired and feel like they need the help, putting in place an excellent group of helpers can be just what the doctor ordered.

About the Author:

Michele DeKinder-Smith is the founder of Jane out of the Box, an online resource dedicated to the women entrepreneur community. Discover more incredibly useful information for running a small business by taking the FREE Jane Types Assessment at Jane out of the Box. Offering networking and marketing opportunities, key resources and mentorship from successful women in business, Jane Out of the Box is online at www.janeoutofthebox.com

• 0 Comments

This article has been inspired by one of the respondents to my recent survey who commented “I need clients not organization”. This particular comment really stuck out for me because I feel that a lot of business owners become so focused on getting the clients that they really don’t understand being more organized means getting more clients, and therefore do not put in place the foundational pieces that will allow their business to grow.

You will probably have heard me say before that you need to “manage” your business before you can “market” your business, or to take what this respondent said and turn it on it’s head:

You need to get organized to get clients.

Sure, you may get clients without being organized, but you won’t get clients consistently; you won’t be able to create a business that brings you the fulfillment of bringing in a significant income; and you won’t have the security that even in a slow economy your business will still bring you in the clients and provide you with a consistent income – and yes I’m talking from experience here. 2009 has been my best year ever!

So today I’m going to share with you why becoming more organized and having your systems in place means getting more clients – and a continual flow of clients too.

It all starts with your filing system i.e. getting the papers off your desk and put away and getting the clutter off the floor. Once you have cleared away the clutter and have a system in place for retrieving information so that you can access it when you need it, you eliminate a lot of the overwhelm. And once the overwhelm has been eliminated your mind becomes clear, you can focus, and your creative juices start to flow – think implementing new programs or creating new info products. You now have the space (both physically and mentally) to start working on your business rather than in your business.

Once the clutter has gone you then need to take charge of your finances. You need to know exactly where you are financially in your business so that you can make sound business decisions, i.e. can you place an advert in that ezine where your target market hangs out and so will bring in new clients for you? Can you afford to attend that networking event where you know you will make new contacts who will eventually become clients or generate a constant referral source for your business? Having your financial information organized will tell you exactly whether you can make that investment. And making that investment will lead to new clients.

Now that you’ve placed that advert or attended that networking event, you need to follow up with all the people you’ve just met. A contact management system will let you do just that! And this is the real secret to getting new clients – the follow-up; the making connections; the staying-in-touch. All this comes from having your contact management system organized, and this is where you can bring in new clients consistently.

And finally, you need to create an online marketing system that draws new clients to you daily; people who sign up to your list; who want to stay in touch with you; are interested in your programs, products, and services. Your marketing system should be fully automated so that it can continue to work for you even while you’re not present in your business.

So now can you see why you need to get organized to get clients?

It’s the lack of organization that stops your business from growing; that stops you from getting new clients on a regular basis; and that takes away the security and fulfillment you get from running your own business. By being organized you will get clients consistently and your business will grow.

About the Author
Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com.

• 0 Comments

Your employees are your business’ most expensive asset. According to one estimate, up to a third of a person’s salary is devoted strictly to hiring costs. The cost of hiring the wrong employee is even more- reportedly up to twice an employee’s annual salary. Making smart hiring decisions can be tough- you want an employee that has the requisite skills, qualifications, and certifications, but you also want someone that’s the “right fit” for your business. While it’s relatively easy to verify whether or not an employee graduated from a particular institution or has a driver’s license in a certain state using a background check, the “good fit” question can be a little bit more complicated.

Social Media Searches in Hiring
The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act defines a “consumer report” as “…any written, oral, or other communication of any information by a consumer reporting agency bearing on a consumer’s credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics, or mode of living….” You’re not the only one thinking that that description is a little vague. A social media search, especially when conducted by a third party as part of a background check, can constitute a “consumer report” for legal purposes. A social media search also typically reveals all kinds of information that is “off limits” for consideration during the hiring process- for example, a person’s race, age, marital status, etc. You can’t consider these characteristics or a host of additional factors- for example, whether the person is pregnant, disabled, or belongs to a certain religious group. Even if you come across this information when you’re not specifically looking for it (as with a social media search), it’s impossible to unring the bell. What’s worse, information may not even be accurate- you may end up discounting a great prospect because of information they weren’t even aware was posted.

Disclosure and Consent
The best policy (if you want to avoid liability) is one of full disclosure- tell the prospective employee that you will perform an online search. The FRCA requires notice to prospective employees whenever you prepare a consumer report (as defined above)-whether you prepare it yourself or use an employment background check service. Outsourcing employment screenings can be a great idea for businesses that aren’t sure about the regulations, procedures, and policies that they need to comply with to perform a legal background search. Though legal opinions vary with respect to social media searches in hiring, it’s better to err on the side of caution- and FRCA compliance.

About the Author
Merrin Muxlow is a writer, yoga instructor, and law student based in San Diego, California. She writes extensively for Resource Nation, a company that provides resources for business owners, and is a frequent contributor to several sites and programs that offer tools for entrepreneurs, including Dell and BizEquity.

• 0 Comments

Is the suggestion box at work an outdated idea? If it is, how do you gather input and ideas at work that works for today?

The empty suggestion box

Is the suggestion box at your organization gathering dust rather than ideas? Even worse, has some joker “helpfully” suggested a particular orifice in which management can insert the suggestion box? When management does open it, the box is usually empty. Why?

Most of us disregard the company suggestion box. We walk by it every day and ignore it like the fire extinguisher or the fancy motivational posters on the wall. If we do give it a second thought, we wonder why bother; management never uses anything from it. It’s just for show, we grumble.

Why does this poor box take the brunt of our frustrations? Perhaps, we’ve been brainwashed to believe no one is interested in our ideas. It could be the lame way management pays lip service to wanting our input. Maybe we’re skittish about putting something out there since the last person who tossed out an idea got shot down. So, who can blame us if we pass right by? Is the box empty because we have no ideas? Is there a lack of ideas, an idea drought or is something else going on? Could it be the suggestion box is just too low tech? Perhaps it’s time to think outside the suggestion box and find a better way to gather ideas.

There are many alternatives to the old suggestion box. Here are some simple starters:

Build an idea wiki or website

Host the input and gathering of ideas on a company intranet site or Wiki devoted to new ideas. A collaborative intranet site devoted to new ideas is a place to post ideas, challenges, and problems to let employees collaborate to create solutions in a forum type of atmosphere. When employees see ideas being posted, they can become inspired to build on the idea and create and post new ideas of their own. Communicate frequently within the organization the site is available and ready to be used by all levels of staff. Train staff to be comfortable with the technology, how to use it, and how to post to it. Make sure ideas, accomplishments, and breakthroughs that come from this space are acknowledged and celebrated.

Put up an idea board

Does your organization have an environment where employees spend little time at a computer? You can still encourage and gather ideas. Try an idea bulletin board. It can be as simple as a large bulletin board placed in areas frequented by staff such as a cafeteria or break room. The idea board has three basic categories: one for issues, problems, or concerns, one for possible answers, and one for management to place information about ideas that are in process of being evaluated and those implemented.

For example, an employee is having a recurring problem with a process, he can post it on the board where all staffers can see it, think about it, and offer suggestions to fix or change the process. At certain intervals, management should make a point of collecting the ideas and updating the board to show what was done or used to improve the situation.

Start meetings with examples of creativity

Inspiration for creativity and ideas comes in many forms. There are countless examples of ordinary people facing a challenge or need and finding a creative, innovative solution. It has happened many times throughout history and still happens frequently today.

Find ways to jumpstart the creative process. Do a Google search for inventors and innovators, both historic and recent. Know their stories. Study their methods. Understand their failures. Collect stories to use as encouragement. Share these stories with staff to start a meeting or begin a brainstorming session.

Ideas = money and happier employees stay around longer and produce more!

Forget the suggestion box. Use updated methods to cultivate idea talent at your organization. It is ready and waiting to be unleashed. Show staff the organization wants and needs their ideas, then inspire them, and your organization will mine the potential within, uncovering the next great idea.

About the Author:

Karen S. Sieczka is an author, creativity injector, trainer, and founder of Growing Great Ideas.com. Does your organization need more ideas? Try Karen’s training program Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing Creativity at Work. This program generates ideas, enthusiasm, and teamwork and can be customized to address particular organizational issues or challenges and can be done in half-day, full-day or multi-day formats. Her book Growing Great Ideas: Unleashing Creativity at Work, is now available on Amazon.com. A second, updated edition of the book is coming out in January 2010.

• 1 Comments

At some point in his or her career, every politician gets tarred with a catch phrase—and usually not a flattering one.

George Bush, Sr. is stuck with two. There was "Read my lips, no new taxes," of course. But only slightly less unfortunate was his dismissal of what he called, "The 'vision thing.'"

He was trying at the time to shake the impression that he was a competent day-to-day manager but he lacked any grander vision of where he wanted to lead the country. His choice of words and tone of voice didn't exactly help.

John F. Kennedy had a vision: "A man on the moon before the end of the decade." And it inspired the seemingly impossible. We had about 15 percent of the needed know-how when he made that declaration.

Bill Gates had a vision that there would be a computer on every desk in America. And this was back when most people didn't even know what a computer was!

Why vision matters
I once had a CEO look me straight in the eye and say he didn't really "go for" visions. "I put my energy into training," he said.

But training for what? I wondered. You do training without a vision, you're all gas pedal and no windshield.

A study at the Sloan School of Management showed that leaders who create, communicate, and implement successful organizational visions were more successful in EVERY measure than those who did not.

Three elements of a truly GREAT vision
Powerful, effective, propelling visions all have three things in common:

1. Short, simple and strong. Shorter is stronger. Take a given sentence and ask which words are pulling their weight and which can take a hike. Change vague expressions like "high-quality" and "world-class" into specific, powerful language that reflects your values. Simpler is also better. Use words a fourth grader could understand.

2. Visual. A statement that doesn't create a powerful visual image of the future isn't a vision. It doesn't give people anything to keep in their mind's eye while they work. You need a landmark on the horizon or you're driving blind.

3. Of service to others. Make sure your vision statement reflects an intense, focused drive to serve the needs of your customers, not just to "satisfy."

The human spirit will not invest in mediocrity. That's why a vision always starts with a bold and audacious idea. A vision statement is nothing less than an invitation for others to invest in your dreams and a promise to do the same in return. By following these simple rules, you can create the kind of vision that has been proven to power companies beyond what was ever thought possible.

Vision doesn't stop at the top
Once you've got your vision defined—your clear, concise, powerful, visual, service-oriented vision—don't put it in the drawer. Pour it all over your company. Let it seep into every nook and cranny of everything your company does. Put it on the lips and in the hearts of your workforce or it will never find its way into the wider world.

The turning point for a vision is when everyone sees it, gets it, and buys into participating to make it happen. And if you've built your vision around a bold and audacious idea, a ludicrous, unreasonable, captivating idea—like, oh, I don't know, going to the moon—people will throw their hearts over the bar with you to make that unreasonable dream a reality.

About the Author:

Roxanne Emmerich is renowned for her ability to transform “ho-hum” workplaces into massive results-oriented “bring-it-on” environments. To discover how you can create a 20/20 business vision, motivate employees, ignite their passion and catapult performance to new levels, check out her new book – Thank God It’s Monday. Now, you can get a free sneak preview at: http://www.thankgoditsmonday.com/preview_the_book/

• 0 Comments

Merchant cash advance transactions are big business. In the past few years, the industry has grown from a few providers to what some predict will be an almost 10 billion dollar industry. Search engine results for “merchant cash advance” produce literally thousands of provider results. How do you wade through all of these providers to find the right one for your business? How do you get the best deal? Here’s a quick guide to a successful merchant cash advance transaction.

Only “merchants” can apply. A merchant is someone that owns and operates a business that performs credit card processing functions as a way to accept customer payments. Providers have different requirements regarding the length of time you need to be in business- many also require a certain sales volume for approval. Generally, you’ll need to have at least a few thousand dollars in credit card sales to qualify for a cash advance transaction.

You have to qualify. Cash advances have become a popular method of financing because the approval process is fast and easy. But be careful- just because you’re “approved” doesn’t mean you’ll be able to repay the advance according to the agreement. Many unscrupulous providers have been known to approve businesses they know won’t be able make repayments as scheduled in order to collect the fees and penalties associated with defaulting.

Service agreements set the terms. Once you’re approved for a business cash advance, the provider will send you a service agreement with all of the important information- your advance amount, the “safe” retrieval rate (based on your daily credit card sales volume), and advance fees should all be included in this agreement. Since a merchant advance isn’t a loan, it isn’t subject to lending or usury laws- providers can basically charge whatever they want for services, up to 50% or more of the advance amount in some cases. Be extremely wary of agreements with fees that kick in if sales volume drops below a certain amount (called daily minimum fees) or “balloon” repayment clauses that require payment in full if certain conditions are or are not met.

Repayment is taken from daily sales revenue. You begin repayment the day you receive your advance check, much like a traditional loan. Before you take out an advance, you need to make sure that your current sales volume is able to support the repayment structure specified in the agreement.

What happens next? If you repay your advance according to the agreement, everything is fine. Repayment is usually quick- you should have the advance balance paid off within several months of initiating the transaction. The service agreement governs potential defaults- most agreements contain some kind of a “balloon” repayment clause (see above) or give the provider the authority to place a lien on business equipment or property if you can’t pay back the advance. Providers have also been known withdraw money straight from a business checking account. Before you sign the service agreement, you need to make sure that you know exactly what will happen if you can’t repay the advance according to the terms.

• 1 Comments

If you find yourself missing out on potential clients, contacts falling through the cracks, or not following up in a timely manner then your problem is simply a lack of an efficient contact management system!

So let me ask you:

1. Do you have a record of each of your clients/colleagues contact data, i.e. name, address, email, website, phone number etc.?

2. Are you following up efficiently and effectively when a potential client enquires about your services/programs?

3. Do you have a specific process in place for handling new client enquiries?

If you’ve answered NO to one or more of these questions, then you don’t have a suitable contact management system in place.

The good news...

This can easily be rectified! With a proper contact management system in place you will be able to:

* Keep a note of clients, potential clients, and colleagues contact information.

* Easily and effectively follow-up with a prospect.

* Locate critical client contact information quickly and easily.

* Build your business.

Sometimes the simplest contact management can be all you need so that you’re not letting potential clients slip through the cracks and you’re following up in a timely manner. When deciding on the most suitable contact management system for your business, there are three basic choices:

1. If you’re currently using Outlook it comes with its own contact address book, and Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003 and above comes with Business Contact Manager. Outlook actually makes a good 'command central' for your business as not only does it store all your crucial contact management data, but you can also manage your emails, To Do list, tasks, and schedule follow-ups so you won’t lose an important contact again due to lack of follow-up!

2. You can purchase stand-alone contact management software such as ACT! This is a very robust contact management system; the only downside – you can’t use it to manage your emails!

3. You can use an online contact management system – some of which are free. This is a good choice, particularly if you want to be able to access your contact data from any PC, anywhere. And if you are working with a Virtual Assistant it’s very easy for them to maintain and update your contact data too – they simply log in!

Which one to use depends on your level of expertise and which one will work best for YOU and YOUR BUSINESS.

Don’t let your business suffer due to an inefficient contact management system. Follow my tips above to choose a system that is right for YOUR business.

Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com.

• 1 Comments

Leaders are using the economy as an excuse on a daily basis. Don’t believe me? Just ask your managers why now it’s okay to lay-off those employees who haven’t come close to meeting their performance objectives over the past several years. Perhaps your company could have avoided lay-offs if the entire team had been operating on all four cylinders. This is just one example of how companies are using the economy as an excuse for poor decisions. Here are some others.

Poor planning

You can blame employees for a lot of things. However, at some point you have to take responsibility for what is in your control. Here’s an example. Have you ever heard of a fast food restaurant that sells only pizzas, at an airport location, running out of food at 3:00 PM? According to those employees staffing the counter, this is not an uncommon occurrence. So who is to blame? Certainly not the people who are popping the frozen pizzas into the convection oven.

This is a planning and inventory problem. Not an economic problem. However, if you look at this company’s declining earnings and recent interviews you will hear them say that business is down because less people are going out for pizza. Maybe less people are eating their pizza because there is no food to be had. Is this really the way to increase profits in a down economy?

Creating new expectations

Everything appears to be on sale these days. It has gotten to the point where people will not make purchases unless there is a discount associated with the price. Is this really the fault of the economy? Or have businesses created an expectation among customers and clients that has created this new reality?

What if you were to offer a product or service that people felt was worth the purchase price, regardless of what this number was? What would that mean in terms of increased revenue and profitability? In spite of the economy, people are still purchasing luxury vehicles and are patronizing restaurants where they perceive the experience is worth the money spent. Customers are choosing cool electronic equipment over cheaper less innovative products.

Stop blaming the economy and start looking at your offerings. Are they appealing? Are you creating “must have” products and services? Are you providing consistent service? Are people invested in your product or service? Or have they moved over to you because you are the cheapest guy in town?

Improving your people

Companies used the excuse that there was no time to invest in performance improvement programs when the economy was humming. Now many of these companies have nothing but time on their hands. Would this have been the case if they had provided training for their leaders on how to effectively manage through periods of change?

These organizations can emerge from this recession even stronger than where they were before the decline. How? By preparing their organization for the recovery. This means investing in the training and development of managers and those individual contributors who are on the front lines with customers.

It certainly is a heck of a lot easier to blame the economy for the decline in your business. But by doing so, you will miss out on the opportunity to build an organization that can sustain itself and thrive in any economic climate.

About the Author:

Roberta Chinsky Matuson is the President of Human Resource Solutions (www.yourhrexperts.com) and has been helping companies align their people assets with their business goals. She is considered an expert in generational workforce issues. Roberta publishes a monthly newsletter “HR Matters” http://www.yourhrexperts.com/hrjoin.cgi which is jammed with resources, articles and tips to help companies navigate through sticky and complicated HR workforce issues. Click here to read her new blog on Generation Integration http://generationintegration.typepad.com/matuson/. She can be reached at 413-582-1840 or Roberta@yourhrexperts.com.

• 0 Comments

Here’s a tough question: What’s the one thing nearly all business owners consistently overpay for?

The answer is pretty surprising: Postage costs. Stamps, shipping charges, even the time it takes to go to the post office can all add up, costing thousands of dollars or more each year, depending on the volume of mail you ship. Most business owners don’t know exactly how much it costs to mail a particular parcel- so they end up “over stamping” and overpaying- often by quite a bit. Postal stores and shipping providers have overhead costs to meet, too- you pay for these when you’re charged to ship an item.

You can avoid overpayment- and create big savings- by using a postage meter. A postage machine, or digital mailing system, can calculate postage costs precisely, so you’ll never overpay, and can be used in-office, saving you trips to have packages shipped from other providers. Here’s a quick guide to using a postage meter:

How meters work
Postage meters are leased, and work similarly to a parking meter. You “fill up” by making a payment, and postage charges are drawn against your balance. Most meters allow you to “refill” when necessary, and some calculate monthly charges and send a bill- similar to paying for electricity costs. In addition to paying the postage charges, you’ll also need to lease the equipment. You can choose machines with advance features (scales, document feeders) or a simple stamp machine that just prints postage stamps on your outgoing mail.

Features
Mailing machine equipment can be very simple (a stamp machine) or very complex- some machines fold, collate, stamp, and stack bulk mailings containing several different printed pages. If your business sends large bulk mailings, you could benefit from such a machine. Machines can also be fitted with equipment to ship packages- you’ll weigh the parcel and arrange for the pickup online in a few simple steps. No matter which features you need, you can take advantage of cost savings- with a postage meter, shipping costs can be calculated down to the penny for each mailing, so you’ll never overpay.

Costs and billing
Equipment leasing costs can range from less than $20 a month to hundreds for sophisticated equipment designed to handle large volume mailings. You’ll pay for the postage machine equipment (the meter) as one bill, and pay postal charges according to current rates. Some meters only allow you to “pre-pay” postage charges, while other companies allow you to “pay as you go,” where you receive a bill for both postage and meter use costs at the end of a specified period of time. Pay-as-you-go options usually carry additional charges or fees.
You’ll generally sign a lease contract that specifies your terms of use for the meter. Longer term lease contracts can be significantly less expensive- if you’re willing to commit to a longer period of time using the equipment, you’ll get a better monthly rate. You can also choose to purchase a maintenance or service contract that covers repairs or part replacements over the life of the machine.

• 0 Comments

Get BACK IN BLACK (BI-B) and back in business by gathering- and using knowledge of your lost business - lost trades. The 5 step program for sales managers and directors shows you exactly how. And you'll see what a difference it could make to your profits if you start to convert lost trades to future actual trades. For more information on Business Intelligence Systems handling lost business visit: http://www.lost-trade-systems.com or you might want to read a newly published book: The Lost-Trade System.

Step 1 - Decide on strategic use of using knowledge of lost trades to improve future performance. Making a smart strategic decision to change your workflow and your daily sales work starting by converting your lost trades to future won trades is now critical to the success of an organization; however the management of sales leads is often very haphazard. If you're spending a great deal of time and money acquiring sales leads only to fail to maximize on their potential. If you are losing countless deals and money you need to make a strategic decision and act now. And some of the most successful sales organizations in the financial sector have been doing exactly this for years.

Step 2 - Capture your lost trades (leads) effectively. Registering lost trades should be as natural as capturing an actual customer trade. Start capturing your lost trades in an Excel spreadsheet posted on the company intranet or by using a relational database and a web interface. About 75% of sales managers are using Excel spreadsheets - So Excel could be a core base for lost trades or enquiries that did not result in margin and revenue. Although using Excel spreadsheets should be a popular method for handling lost enquiries and storing this information, 68% of those who use it on a daily basis are unhappy with its performance. In order to move business forward, sales organizations should - on sight - find a solution to modernize and streamline their daily processes in a way. Believe me; the value of this lost trade database will only grow over time.

Step 3 - Start benchmarking your looses versus your actual trades. To drive business forward, retain customers and create sales, it is essential to understand what business you did not have - your lost trades - and compare it the business you did had, and visualizing long run loosing trends, using appropriate metrics. Using this ‘two ledger' approach will give sales reports detailed analysis of what needs to be done, this will allow you a detailed insight into the strengths and weaknesses of your teams performance, and to make informed business decisions. Ex: You will spot leaving customers before it happens

Step 4 - Create knowledge of lost business data to create new business. Use the information supplied by the graphs of long run losing trends to create knowledge about which of your customers are about to leave, which product are underperforming and which competitors are stealing your business to identify future areas to improve upon. Use this knowledge to take action to get back in black in step 5.

Step 5 - Take action daily based on your new knowledge to maximize your sales revenue and even reach for higher sales targets. It's easier to maximize existing opportunities if you have an accurate record of all enquiries from customers - Both your actual trades and your lost trades - You will in light the ‘dark side of the sales moon ‘and use these as sales leads that have reached a positive conclusion, retaining customers and cross-selling or up-selling. Manage these opportunities effectively using the right methodology and technology in your daily work in sales, and you'll see what a difference it could make to your profits.

About the Author:
Jesper Thorlund is an economist, BI advisor and systems developer. He has been working with business intelligence and data warehouse solutions for more than 12 years as a consultant in major financial and govermental institutions. He publishes and lectures on the strategic use of business intelligence and founded Lost Trade Systems - A BI Research Company, which specializes in bringing new insights and value to businesses by working methodically with lost trades. He co-authored the bestselling book Business Intelligence, From Strategy to Data Sources (2008), available as Business Analytics in English in the SAS Press Business Series, August 2009.

• 0 Comments

BusinessAdvicePro: Long range plans, not yours, not anyone else’s, should be taken seriously. Long range plans NEED to have the flexibility to change or you should be ready to wipe them out completely. I personally feel long range plans are extremely difficult to make, too exact plans anyhow. Thus – if anyone asks me about plans, my most regular answer during the past 5 or 10 years has been – you mean something in the longer term than 3 hours? No idea. I can’t put myself to do such plans. Of course I know that I’m interested in learning about business and marketing. I’m doing that, most likely 3 more hours. But after that? Well, probably, probably or most likely also tomorrow and next week. Most likely. But it’s far from a plan, it’s an idea, a possibility. This is of course an extreme example but you get the point.

Max Gunther on planning ahead [BusinessAdvicePro]

• 0 Comments

YoungEntrepreneur: The results are in from our latest YoungEntrepreneur.com poll! This time we asked you “How Do You Stay Motivated?” and you responded with some great answers.

The top seven results are:

#1) Read Inspirational Material

“Read blogs like TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Mashable, ReadWriteWeb and get myself excited over others success. I would tell myself “I can be like that person too and I want to be like him/her” Read books like “The Art of the Start” by Guy Kawasaki, “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne.”

#2) Passion / Strength From Within

“I think what keeps me motivated is the strength from within, knowing you are doing what you really are passionate about. I do connect with other blogs but in the end I just write what I feel is very inspirational to me without worrying what others think.”

#3) Picture The Future

“Picture my future if I continue to work for someone for the next 10~20 years. I will NOT have the freedom to decide when I wake up, when I go to lunch, when I get off work, when I get a vacation, how much money I make, where I live. Most importantly, I do NOT get to decide how big my computer monitor is. ook at my current financial situation and tell myself “this is not the way I want to live my life for the next 10~20 years””

#4) Review Your Vision / Goals

“I stay motivated in a couple of ways. Reviewing my vision, revising my business plan and setting new goals always gives me the push that I need to continue on my journey as an entrepreneur.”

#5) Listen to Inspirational Material

“Listen to podcasts about starting a startup. I’m a loyal listener to Andrew Warner’s Mixergy interviews. He does great interview with people who have already been through the trenches. Andrew does a good job at controlling the pace of the interview and tries to get as much information as possible for the listeners. Check it out at blog.mixergy.com”

#6) Surround Yourself With Positive / Accomplished People

“Surrounding myself with positive people or consulting my fiancee also helps a lot when I doubt myself.”

#7) Look For Small Measures Of Success

“When in the early stages of starting a business, I keep myself motivated by looking for other measures of success other than profits (ie: hits on a website, learning something new, etc…).”

“Like some of the other guys mentioned, I use small incremental targets.. and I take care to give myself a mental pat on the back."

How Do You Stay Motivated? - Entrepreneur Poll Results

• 1 Comments

How do you spend more time on things that creates value in your career or business? How can you be worth more?

There are certain careers where the multiplication approach is already inherent in that business.

A very good example I can give you is the insurance business or financial planning. If you're a financial planner or an insurance agent and you sell an insurance policy, you are paid a commission. Now that is what we call active income.

But the next year, your client will have to renew the policy, and when your client renews the policy you get a commission on that renewal. And on the third year, when he renews his policy again, again you get commission on that renewal. And on the fourth year, when he renews again you get a commission on that renewal.

In other words, you sell the policy one time and you get paid again and again and again and again and again. So your value is multiplied. In fact, insurance agents and financial planners, in their fifth year in business, 50% of their income is passive, it is scaled in value. That's why there are insurance agents who make in excess about half a million dollars to $800,000 a year.

Another good example is the financial planning business, besides being an agent yourself, you start an agency and you recruit people within your agency. Every time that person sells a policy, you'll get a commission on their commission. So again your value is magnified and multiplied.

Here's my personal example.

There are many other trainers around in Asia, but one of the reasons why I'm paid more than a lot of the other trainers is because I create more value. A lot of trainers when they go out there and they speak they are just giving information and techniques.

For myself and the rest of our other trainers, we help people by touching them in different ways than just intellectually. We help people transform their own lives and we add a lot of value there

The next thing is scalability. No matter what you do, whether you are a chef, or feng shui master, you can scale your value.

Here's an examples on fengshui masters. Most feng shui masters are never really wealthy, why? Because most of them only give one-to-one consultations, thus there is no scalability.

But there is a particular fengshui master called Lillian Too. And she is very wealthy. Why? That's because she is able to magnify herself. She creates so much value for people. She does a lot more than what an average feng shui person would do. She knows where to focus her time where she creates the greatest value through writing books, selling, and providing consultations.

So as you can see through these examples, that only by multiplying and creating more value will one be able to achieve massive success in the particular business that they are in.

Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, a best-selling author and a peak performance trainer. A self-made millionaire by the age of 26, he owns and runs several businesses in education, training, event management and advertising, all with a combined annual turnover of $20 million. His best-selling "Patterns of Excellence" is a complete step-by-step system that will literally program you for success in life.

• 0 Comments

In December, I attended a two-day workshop on Manifestation and Abundance. It was a small group and part of the class included shifting beliefs and attitudes, especially ones that were beneath the surface, in the subconscious. Those deeper beliefs are harder to recover because they are not readily accessible through conscious thinking.

One of the exercises we worked with was asking ourselves the question, “What is it I really desire to manifest? ”

More money? A thriving business? Great vacations? A new car? Weight reduction? Vibrant health? A soul mate…..?

Imagine releasing the genie from the bottle and and given limitless wishes. WOW.

We broke into partners to support each other in creating our visions for 2009 (and beyond). What I chose to do was to close my eyes and ask my spirit to create my vision rather than to imagine what I thought I wanted. By inviting my spirit to create the picture of my true desires and having my mind step aside, I watched the vision take deeper form as my partner asked me questions. The clearer you are in what you wish to envision the better the Universe understands your desires!

My vision was very exciting. One thing I saw was sitting at a table with a line of people waiting to have me sign my new book. Their comments and feedback were high praises for the book and I could feel the joy of having accomplished what I intended when I wrote it. I can still feel that joy today because I know that the book is already written energetically and this year I will bring it into reality. (Giving myself a nudge on that one!) I also saw myself at peace and happier than I have ever felt in my life. I can still feel that too! It’s wonderfull.

While we visualized (sensed, saw with inner sight) what we desired to manifest, we were asked this question, “Was there any challenge or obstacle that came up in manifesting this desire?” In other words, anything that posed a potential roadblock? If there was, we were then asked, “How were you able to overcome, heal, resolve, transform (whatever word fits) that…….?” Those questions invited us to see what we might create in our future and showed us the path to overcome, heal, transform, resolve…whatever… before it happens. Have you ever looked at something in your past and said, “If I had known then what I know now….”

When you open to your inner wisdom and spirit and shift into a higher state of consciousness, you can develop the ability to tap into answers that affect future creations.

What are some keys to magnetize more good stuff into your life?

Here are a few:

1. Gratitude. Bless everyone and everything even if it is undesired. Look for the blessings and gifts in each experience that invites you to remember who you are. Anger, fear, judgments, resentments create blocks to flow. Genuine gratitude transforms negativity and fears and magnetizes good to us.

2. Embody the qualities of God. Unconditional love with everything and everyone you meet. When you find yourself reacting negatively, ask yourself, “What would love say?” Love is our true nature. Cultivate a loving, compassionate heart and attitude. You’ll see your life blossom.

3. Shift non-serving beliefs and attitudes that create constriction in your life. What you put your attention on, manifests even if is unconscious. Getting to the heart of subconscious beliefs can be tricky because of our conscious mind. Hypnosis and Theta healing are two highly effective modalities to transform beliefs and programs at the subconscious level.

4. Extend a hand to others. The UnitedStates was originally founded on the message of Brotherly Love. If you believe that we are all connected as part of the ONE, as I do, then you know that when we help others, we also receive the gifts. Look for opportunites to be of joyfull service to those who would benefit from your support. What goes around, goes around.

5. Follow your intuition. Listen to the nudges and whispers that come from within. Take time for meditation and spiritual practices that reconnect you to The Divine. The Universe is conspiring in your favor to help you have an abundant and happy life. Bring your instincts and intuition into your business practices.

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

• 0 Comments

Article Contributed by Scott Glatstein

The best-laid strategic plans often go awry once exposed to the light of day and the rudeness and ruthlessness of reality.

Former President Lyndon Johnson understood that. He often told a story of a man who had applied for a job as a flagman at a railroad crossing. The man was told he'd be handed the job if he could pass a test consisting of just a single question

The applicant was told to imagine that he was a flagman at a crossing consisting of a single track when he suddenly observed the Continental Express bearing down from the east at 95 miles per hour. Coming from the other direction was the Century Limited at 100 miles per hour. With the trains only 500 yards apart, the man was asked, what would he do under these circumstances? Without hesitation, the would-be flagman responded that he would go and get his brother-in-law.

Puzzled, the railroad examiner inquired, "What good would that do?"

The job applicant promptly replied, "He ain't never seen a train wreck."

Clearly the would-be flagman didn't understand the overarching strategy of his potential employer (prevent accidents) nor his potential role in executing that strategy. Unfortunately, this is not unlike the current state of corporate strategic execution as evidenced by the train wrecks (AIG, Lehman Brothers, Citigroup, and the automotive industry) we see everyday in the marketplace.

How would I know? Well, my name is Scott Glatstein and I help companies execute their strategies in the marketplace for a living. In fact, I've been doing so as a corporate executive and a consultant for over 25 years.

I even wrote about strategy execution in my book, "Strategy Activation: How to Turn Your Vision into Marketplace Success." In this book I present a breakthrough, holistic planning discipline that links strategic vision to marketplace reality.

Here's What I Learned During My 25+ Years Executing Corporate Strategy:

1. Organizations who have mastered the intricacies of translating strategic vision into marketplace execution are, far and away, more likely to outperform competitors in key areas like:

- Revenue growth
- Profitability
- Customer satisfaction.

This is particularly true when the economy falters. When money tightens consumer confidence falls and commerce slows. As a result customer needs and expectations change. Every spending decision becomes an exercise in deploying limited resources. Whether it's a consumer considering a night out on the town or a manufacturer trying to preserve margin the decision to spend money is not taken lightly. And the tolerance for imperfect execution melts away.

2. The old disjointed execution methods don't work anymore.

Historically, work has been divided into two parts: strategy and execution. Top executives wrote the marketplace strategy, which always looked good on paper. Everyone else was supposed to execute it. However, many necessary steps and important questions were usually skipped over when moving from theory to implementation. For example:

- Would employees be able to implement the marketplace strategy given the new expectations placed on their performance?
- Can the company execute its strategy within its existing culture, reward system, or fundamental workflow processes and systems?

If you want to succeed in today's difficult marketplace than you need to break down the historical wall that exists between strategy and execution.

3. Corporate strategic plans fail when there is no disciplined approach to their execution.

Strategy has to be more than a feel-good presentation shared with your managers, shareholders and the media. It has to be woven into the fabric of your organization. This means you must go beyond articulating the typical strategic plan. You must translate your marketplace strategy into specific employee roles and create the infrastructure and processes that enable them to fulfill those prescribed roles.

4. Strategy fails when companies fail to recognize that existing tools and methodologies will NOT enable success.

It's difficult to implement a new strategy without changing the way your organization works. Too often, though, we redefine employees' roles with little regard to the systems and processes that guide and enable their work. Your business processes and systems must meet the demands of your new strategic vision. Do your customer-facing and internal workflow processes enable the customer experience defined by your strategic vision? Do your tools facilitate communication and information sharing across the organization and enable the completion of the specific tasks that deliver your marketplace vision? Pursuing a new strategy with old capabilities is a recipe for disaster.

5. Strategy execution can improve as executives streamline daily activities and realign them so they are in harmony with the company's overarching go-to-market strategy.

I bet every division across your organization thinks it's different and therefore needs its own unique tools and workflow processes. In most cases that's just not true. While customization may be appropriate in some instances, one must not lose sight of the broader organizational advantages of standardization. Consistent information and task tools support a consistent approach to the marketplace and allow employees to move seamlessly from one part of the organization to the next with less training. In short, standardization can bring more organizational flexibility and consistency to operations. And internal consistency drives consistent marketplace execution.

These difficult times call for a disciplined, thoughtful approach to execution of strategy in the marketplace. I created the Strategy Activation® planning approach to facilitate corporate strategy execution excellence. Apply it to your business and you will achieve higher revenue growth, profitability and customer satisfaction.

About the Author:
Corporate Strategy Execution Consultant Scott Glatstein, President of IMPERATIVES, LLC turns market opportunities into record-breaking profits with effective marketplace strategy planning & execution. Now for the first time, with his new book, "Strategy Activation: How to Turn Your Vision into Marketplace Success," Scott unveils his groundbreaking plan for higher strategic profits. Get your FREE SNEAK PREVIEW at: http://www.strategyactivation.com

• 0 Comments

“It takes courage to demand time for yourself. At first glance, it may seem to be the ultimate in selfishness, a real slap in the face to those who love and depend on you. It’s not. It means you care enough to want to see the best in yourself and give only the best to others.” - Shale Paul

I advocate prioritizing self-care. In fact, I’m a broken record about the importance of being self-ish. (I’ll be writing more tips on this topic too). Are you cringing at the idea or thinking, “I’m just too busy? Are you nodding your head yes because you know it’s important and you don’t make the time in your day?

Have you been taught that putting yourself first is wrong or bad? You might have first-hand experience of having people judge you, withhold love or affection, or punish you in some way when you did something just for you?

Do you hear about people who are held in high esteem because they have always self-lessly been there for others? In our society, people are often applauded and emulated for how they are always there for others. I wonder…. are they also there for themselves? Do they allow others to be there for them as well? Are they great givers and poor receivers? How about you?

Here’s the point…….

When we continually give our time, energy, attention, ……to others without replenishing and nurture ourselves, we move closer to a “burnout” state of exhaustion, confusion, irritability, resentment, anger, destructive behaviors… that can lead to health or psychological problems.

Who wins there?

No one, especially you.

Make self-care a priority by practicing self-ishness. Create a new positive definition for self-ish that gives permission to value yourself AND be loving with others. We teach people how to treat us by our example. Do you wish to communicate to others that your needs, value, and worth are unimportant? If you’re a parent, is this what you wish to teach and model for your children?

It’s time to challenge and replace some of the beliefs and behaviors that have been handed down for generations that repress our authentic self from fully and joyfully emerging!

Say yes to yourself and others because it brings you joy. Say yes because you choose to rather than out of guilt or fearfull obligation. Say yes because you want to be of loving support and assistance rather than because you feel you “have to”.

Answering the calling of your needs, heart, and mind will help you respond to the calling of others. When you become self-ish you’ll have the extra reserves (time, energy etc.) to be generous with others. Be open and willing to make changes in your personal and professional life that “feed” and lift your spirit, rather than depleting you. When feeling conflicted, ask yourself, “What would respect my intentions of taking care of myself in this situation?”

1. Spend the next 7 days doing something very, very selfish every day. Do something each day that brings you joy and pleasure (even a guilty pleasure if you want!). It can be anything you want – that is your gift from you to YOU. I don’t mean doing something for someone else because it makes you feel good (or better about you, ok?). '

2. Say no because you feel like it. Refer to my article on saying no for some help!

3. Have a special gift or talent? Create a setting for that to flourish. Everyone will benefit.

When you take care of yourself, the people in your life you care about will experience the best of you rather than what’s left of you. If you start feeling guilty see the guilt as a sign you are on the right track. Making changes aren’t always comfortable at the beginning - for yourself and those around you. In time, people will adjust. By modeling a healthier way of being, you invite others to take more responsibility for their own happiness and self-value

Obviously you must practice discernment when making changes in your life. The rewards for taking better care of your self are boundless. You’re worth it!

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

• 0 Comments

GigaOM FoundRead: Regardless of the title your company’s top technology executive uses — CTO, CIO, Chief Product Officer or VP of Engineering — your company will ultimately look to this person to produce the software and technical products upon which your business success depends. Through our earlier career experiences (at Quigo, eBay and PayPal), and now through our consulting practice (AKF Partners), we’ve noticed that there are five consistent reasons why a tech executive fails.

Perhaps the most commonly assumed “failure scenario” is that the CTO is simply not technical enough to inspire confidence in the engineering team. This is not the case. In fact, it is actually rare that a CTO is removed because he or she lacks technical acumen. The truth is that your senior technology officer does not need to be the brightest technical mind in the business, except, potentially, during the startup phase of your company. Over time, he or she need only be geeky enough to challenge the strongest technical minds in your company to add value to technical decision-making. Most often, we find that senior executives come to a bad end when they spend too much time relying on their technical brilliance and not enough time cultivating other important aspects of their job.

The Top 5 Tech Exec Failure Scenarios we list below are not mutually inclusive, but they all support one very important conclusion: when technology executives fail, it is not because they lack an individual skill. It is because they lack an an adequate balance of the many technical, operational and leadership skills necessary to make them a complete manager.

5. Failure to Build World Class Team
4. Failure to Execute
3. Failure to Lead/Motivate/Inspire
2. Failure to Manage Operationally
1. Lack of Financial Acumen

F|R: The Top 5 Reasons Tech Execs Fail [GigaOM FoundRead]

• 0 Comments

Are you feeling overwhelmed, stuck or do you find yourself procrastinating? Do you typically load your plate by taking on too much and expect to handle it all? Are your goals realistic or a bit too ambitious?

There are times when tipping over your plate and letting things drop so that you can start over is the best choice.

Consider eliminating all goals for 30 days and slowly add back selected old ones plus new ones. Use this 30 day period to delegate, dump, finish, or streamline areas of your business or personal life.

Steps:

-Make a list of everything that is undone or not progressing the way you want. Include things you feel pressured about or anything your feel you should, could, have to, or ought to do. Add all goals, projects, roles, routines, and things you consider both minor and essential to your life.
Drop 50% of the items on this list permanently. Yup, you heard me. Creating space to re-evaluate what you really want allows you to make a clear decision about what you choose to add back into your life.

-Deliberately reduce the emotional or time invested in the remaining 50% so that you have some “you” time and space for self –care, re-energizing, having fun…..

-Slowly add only the items back that you really want.

-Clearing your plate of all goals, promises, shoulds, have tos..etc for a brief period creates the room to focus on what you really want rather than what you think you should want or do.

Bottom line: Choosing this strategy can be a great way to realign priorities and assist you in having more ease in your life. Doing a clean sweep can jumpstart enthusiasm and motivation when focused on the things you deeply desire and choose to pursue. This can be a fun process that supports you in working smarter rather than harder.

Dr. Lorraine Cohen, President of Powerfull Living, brings more than 25 years experience in personal and business coaching, psychological counseling, and sales to thousands of spiritually minded business owners, entrepreneurs, and leaders from a wide range of industries. Learn more about Lorraine’s services, success products and programs.

• 0 Comments

This article contributed by Michelle Ulrich.

To ‘Do-it-Yourself’ or Not to ‘Do-it-Yourself’, that is the Question!

We live in a do-it-yourself society. We want to save money by doing tasks we don’t even enjoy, but are we really saving money?

Take Chef Michael Elliston who lives in Puerto Rico as an example. He hired someone to design his website, but it ended up being a template where he entered the information on his own. His professional image was certainly not improved by his lack of web design knowledge or multiple grammar and spelling errors. That’s when he decided to hire a trustworthy and skilled Virtual Assistant; someone who could visualize and project his professional image in a much better light. He is very happy now and can focus on cooking, which is his passion (and livelihood)!

Michael’s story is the same all over the world. We don’t concentrate on what we do best; we are conditioned by society to do everything by ourselves. What do you love to do? If you are doing almost everything EXCEPT the one thing you love, you are wasting your own time and your potential income on that time.

A few tasks to outsource to a Virtual Assistant: • Bookkeeping • e-commerce - shopping carts • Ezines - online newsletters • Graphic and web design • Remote Office Management

Virtual assistants are truly resourceful. Just ask a VA today about your ideas and even ones you might think are impossible—you’ll be surprised at the results!

About the Author
Michelle Ulrich is the Chief Villager and founder of The Virtual Nation, an educational destination for Virtual Professionals around the globe. Michelle is an avid believer in giving back to her industry and she does this by offering coaching, teleclasses, resources, and tools, in addition to providing a community of learning, a nation of culture, and a virtual village for her members. Education is the foundation of her organization as well as for her own personal and professional development. Michelle has been a community college instructor teaching a Virtual Assistant certificate program online. Aside from coaching and teaching, she is also a speaker and soon-to-be author on the subject of Virtual Assistance. She maintains her private practice where she specializes in working with authors, coaches and speakers who struggle to keep up with e-commerce and new technologies. Clients can check out her services at www.virtualbusinessmarketing.com, while Virtual Assistants can find her over at www.thevirtualnation.com. She can be reached by telephone at (916) 536-9799 in the Pacific Time zone.

• 1 Comments

Are you confused?

I was working with a member of my Business Mastery Advisory Board on some issues about her business and inconsistent attendance at her board meetings.

As we talked it became apparent to both of us that we did not know what success met to this individual.

Her conscious mind wanted more money. She associated having more money as a way of having to work less so she could spend more time with her daughter.

Her subconscious mind was telling her that the more you work the less time you will have to spend with your daughter.

So she would work really hard and build a book of business then drop out of sight for a while wonder how she got so busy. What we came to understand was that she had a hard time delegating because of some situations that occurred in her past so she felt she had to do everything herself.

As a result of this discussion we did two things that got her focused and clear. The first was to create a delegation process so she felt comfortable. Many people confuse delegation with abdication. Delegation is knowing the who, what, where, when, and why of the delegation process so there is no confusion. Abdication is delegation without follow through.

The second thing we did is help her prioritize what she needed to work on and what could be delegated. Two months after this discussion we talked and her stress level has dropped, her work load has dropped but she has more business.

The big benefit to her in being involved in the Business Mastery Advisory Board is that she had someone to hold her accountable. Through this accountability process she has made major changes in her life and business.

After a successful consulting career, Ron Finklestein has spent the past 6 years building his business AKRIS LLC and helping entrepreneurs and business owners build their businesses by helping them solve the tough problems that hold them back. Ron is called The Small Business Success Expert by his clients because of his passion for their success and his knowledge of business.

• 1 Comments

Small Business Branding, by Drew McLellan: Have you ever had the experience of driving along, paying attention to something off in the horizon and next thing you know, you’ve driven to that spot? And it wasn’t where you meant to go?

The same phenomenon can happen in your business. Most business owners I met pay a lot of attention to what their competition is doing. We definitely need to keep an eye on the competitive landscape. But there’s a very fine line.

The danger in keeping track of the other guys is that you lose track of your own path. We tend to move towards what we pay attention to. And you don’t want to let your competitors determine your marketing strategy. That’s a quick way to:

* Deplete your resources
* Look like you’re playing the “us too” game
* Lose the momentum of your key messages

You want to be the leader in your industry, not follow someone else. The best way to beat your competition isn’t watching what they do. It’s doing what you should be doing.

If you have and follow a marketing plan — you can enjoy the best of both worlds. The marketing plan keeps you on your course. Heading in the direction you have determined. When you know where you’re headed and keep checking the map to see that you’re on course, you can afford to peek at what the competitors are doing.

Just make sure you’re following your course, not theirs.

Is your competition luring you off-track? [Small Business Branding]

• 0 Comments

One of the best time-saving strategies I've implemented is my client conversion system. You know the drill; a potential client comes along and emails/calls you asking about your services. You spend time responding, maybe even putting a detailed proposal together, and then you never hear from them again! Not even a thank you for your email!

This is one area that’s a huge time drain for solo service professionals, but one that is so important – you need paying clients so you have to spend time responding to them.

What if there was a way you could respond to clients yet at the same time not waste hours of your precious time on this activity only for it to result in never hearing from said client again?

Well, there is! And I’m going to share it with you in this article by giving you my three steps on how to create your own client conversion system.

Step One – Capture Their Name/Email Address

If a client comes along and they’re not quite ready to work with you, you need to have a way of capturing their details on your website so that you don’t lose touch with them – that way they’ll get to know more about you and your services, and when they are ready to work with you, you’ll be right there!

You do this by giving away a free taste of what it is you do. This could be a report, audio, mini ecourse, or some other type of freebie that is given away automatically in exchange for them giving you their name and email address. This is known as building your list. Once you have your list in place stay in touch with them regularly through publishing an ezine.

Step Two - Have A Defined Process For Working With New Clients

Look at what you currently do when you receive an email/phone call from a new client. Write down all the steps in that process, and come up with ways as to how it can be systemized.

For example:

* Do you find that potential clients are asking the same questions again and again? If so, set up a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page on your website that answers all of these questions. (Hint: this could also be your free taste that the client will sign up for.)

* Do you require that all new clients have a telephone consultation with you beforehand to ensure that you are a good fit for one another? How can this process be streamlined?

* Or, do you require a potential client to fill in a questionnaire prior to speaking with you on the phone?

List everything that you currently do and come up with a system for streamlining the whole process. You could also include elements that you would like to do but haven’t yet implemented.

Step Three – Put Your Client Conversion System In Place

Now that you have documented the process for handling enquiries you need to put your system in place that will allow you to handle client enquiries in the most time-efficient manner.

This is the system I use and recommend, and one that will filter those enquiries for you:

* On your website tell clients what your process is for working with new clients, i.e. contact me to schedule your complimentary client consultation.

* Have a contact form on your website that client’s can fill in when they’re ready to schedule a complimentary call with you.

* Create an email template to respond to those clients who would like to schedule a complimentary consultation. You can also use this template for those email enquiries you get, or as a script for a phone enquiry.

* If you have a series of questions that you would like answers to before your call with your client put these together into a Pre-Consultation Questionnaire which you can send to your potential client ahead of your call. (This again is a good way to filter the serious from the not-so-serious clients - the not-so-serious clients will not want to spend their time filling in a questionnaire prior to your phone call.)

* Create a document/email template for your questionnaire – put it in a format that is easy for the client to email back to you.

* When they respond to you to schedule their call attach your questionnaire, confirm the appointment, tell them when they need to return the questionnaire by (24 hours before the call is a good timeframe) and tell them what number to call you on.

Having a process like this in place will filter the serious from the not-so-serious clients, saving you a huge amount of your time and streamlining the whole client conversion process.

Remember: You are the expert at what you do. Your clients are coming to you for your expertise, so lead them with your systems. Tell them what your processes are. Let them work to your systems.

Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com.

• 0 Comments

Business Entrepreneur: Whether you’re thinking it’s Spring Cleaning Time or time for an annual checkup, your business needs to undergo a checkup each year. No matter how large or small your business is, you cannot gauge the effectiveness of any changes you’ve made without analyzing the benefits and bottom line.

Here are 10 questions to get you started:

• How do your year-to-date sales compare to the last couple of years? Don’t be satisfied if you managed to match them because if sales stayed the same then you’ve achieved zero growth. With inflation, this flat growth line is a warning sign for more trouble down the road.

• What percentage of your business is from repeat customers? This is important to know because if it’s too low, then it needs to be improved. The estimated cost of getting a new customer versus retaining an existing one can be as much as five to one in terms of dollars spent. Keeping customers is more cost-effective than constantly seeking new ones.

• How long has it been since you offered a new product or service? Loyal customers like to see you changing and progressing with the times. If you’re stuck for an idea, ask your customers what they need.

• Do you consider marketing and advertising expenses or investments? How you look at the money spent in these areas affects your willingness to spend money at all. Would you look at prescriptions as a waste of money? Marketing is really investing in you, your vision, and your company. The old adage that you must spend money to make money is true, but you must spend it wisely. Spend it on ads that are pulling responses and orders, and if they’re not maybe you need to change publications.

• Do you know what PR is and how to use it to positively position your business in the media? I’ll bet that at least one of your competitors does. Nearly every mention of a company or business in the newspapers and magazines is a direct result of publicity efforts. Being quoted or featured in an article speaks volumes to your clients and readers who are your potential prospects. A good PR consultant can do that for you and show you ways to extend the shelf life of that article beyond its publication.

• Are you listed in the yellow pages? If you only have a line listing, consider including a small ad in the yellow pages. If you can afford it, it will pay dividends throughout the year.

• Do you teat your regular customers better than your drop-ins? You should. If your customers don’t feel special when coming to you for products of services, why should they remain loyal to you? Have a customer appreciation day or a special invitation only sale for your regulars. Create a mailing list of your regulars. Send occasional post cards or greeting cards for special events or just to keep in touch. Learn to recognize them on sight and greet them by name when they visit you.

• How long has it been since you really talked to one of your customers? Just as you appreciate when your Doctor takes time to talk to you, your customers will appreciate you if you take an interest in their needs. If you have a service business, have lunch or coffee periodically with some regulars – even if they only contact you once or twice a year. The personal touch in an impersonal world will be remembered.

• How is your business doing compared to your competition? Every company, no matter what the size, has competition – even home-based businesses. Is their business growing or downsizing? Is their pricing or service better than yours? If so, what can you tell potential customers about the price difference? Think about how you can improve your service to meet or exceed your customer’s expectations.

• Are your employees happy? Don’t ask them directly, but observe them throughout the day. Watch, listen and learn. Employees who like their jobs don’t watch the clock for quitting time, aren’t habitually late, don’t have poor body language, don’t spend time on personal phone calls, and don’t look like they never smiled. Observe how they interact with customers. Not everyone is a match for direct contact with the public, so make sure you don’t have an employee who is driving business away.

Business Checkup [Business Entrepreneur]

• 0 Comments

Blogtrepreneur: As an online entrepreneur you will always be faced with more tasks that you need to get done than you can manage. There will always be new ideas and opportunities that are tempting to pull you away from other things you are working on. Prioritizing your work is extremely important to achieve efficiency with your time and to get the most accomplished. Whether you are working full-time or part-time with your online ventures, you will need to recognize what tasks on your to-do list are most important and urgent.

Here are some tips for getting more out of your time by prioritizing your work:

1. Have a strategy

You need to have a sound strategy that will keep you moving in the right direction. An effective strategy will help to keep you focused and avoid distractions from activities that don’t fit with what you are ultimately trying to accomplish.

2. Recognize what makes you money

I think most online entrepreneurs, and definitely bloggers, face the challenge of identifying what work will actually produce an income. If you are going to make money through freelance blogging for example, writing posts for other blogs is what will produce your income. Using social media, reading other blogs, and participating at community sites will all help the cause, but none of these things will directly put money in your pocket. As a result, your income-generating work should take priority.

The important thing here is that you recognize the significance of activities according to how much money they can produce for you. Make sure that you are dedicating the majority of your time to things that will make you successful.

3. Set goals

One way to keep yourself on track and working on the most important activities is to set goals. For example, my monthly income goals keep me focused on the work that will help me to meet those goals. Whatever your goals may be, make sure that they will lead to your ultimate success.

4. Schedule your time

Once you have set your goals, schedule your time accordingly so that you will give yourself the chance to achieve those goals. Scheduling your time for specific activities can help you to reduce the amount of unproductive time, and it will force you to decide what work is most important and worthy of your time.

5. Use to-do lists

Each day there are so many different things fighting for my time, but with a to-do list I always know what is most critical and what I need to get done first. If I get everything on my list done then I can move on to other things. I like to write out the list at the end of the night (making a list for the next day) or first thing in the morning before I start any work.

6. Focus on one project at a time

Try to resist the urge to start something new until you have achieved some success with your current project(s). Be realistic with how much available time you have, and make sure you are giving yourself a chance for success at anything you attempt.

7. Get organized

For most of us, doing some of the day-to-day tasks of running an online business can become more time consuming than we would like. Usually some improved organization would help. Whatever areas are the most time-consuming for you, evaluate to see if there are areas for potential improvement in organization.

7 Tips for Prioritizing Your Work [Blogtrepreneur]

• 0 Comments

As a solopreneur there is always an endless list of projects that we want to work on or need to complete in order to grow our business. If we don't plan properly and build in time to work on these projects we can very quickly become overwhelmed, and in the end we don't complete anything.

This first quarter I've launched two products, revamped my website, hosted a teleclass series, and launched a new service, all of which have been achieved without sacrificing client work, and without staying up until the wee small hours of the morning!

So, how do I achieve all of this, and still manage to have some free time?

Quite simply, I plan! And today, I'd like to share with you my top five tips for planning for success!

1. Create a Project Planner. I have my own one-of-a-kind List Building and Marketing Workbook that I use to plan which projects I am going to work on and when. This spreadsheet is at the heart of my business; I keep it handy so that I can refer to it often, and I update it on a regular basis.

It sets the scene for projects that I want and need to complete for the year, although I don't necessarily plan out the whole year in advance! I plan by quarters. That makes it much easier and more achievable than trying to plan out the whole year, although I may add projects to my planner well in advance!

2. Create a Timeline For Your Projects. Are there some projects that you can't complete or begin work on until you've completed a previous one? For example, one of my projects this year is to set up and run an affiliate program for my products; however there is really little point in me working on the affiliate program until I have some products to sell! So first I need to create and launch the products, then work on the affiliate program. So when planning for this, I know that I can add affiliate program set up for at least six months ahead.

3. Set Aside The Time To Work On Your Business. I have one day a week that I set aside for business development and marketing activities, such as developing info products, writing my newsletter, submitting articles, or some other activity on my List Building and Marketing Workbook. On this day I don’t do any client work (if a client has an urgent project then I may have to rethink) but as a general rule this is the day and time I have set aside to work on my business.

4. Plan The Time For Client Work. Set aside specific days/time each week that you are available to work on your client and income generating activities so that they do not get overlooked. Put this time down in your calendar so that you will stick to it.

5. Do Not Allow Yourself To Get Distracted. The truth is I only have a very limited amount of time during which I can work with my clients and work on my business. The time I do have I protect it closely and really focus on what it is I need to do, whether that’s client work or working on my business. During this time I won’t let myself get distracted by going off and reading emails, becoming involved in discussion groups, or even running personal errands.

By really focusing and making the best possible use of the limited time you have available, you can can achieve A LOT! I know I do!

Online Business Manager & Virtual Assistant, Tracey Lawton, supports professional speakers, coaches, and authors to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Learn how to create an efficient and organized office in 7 EASY steps, and receive free how-to articles at http://www.OfficeOrganizationSuccess.com.

• 0 Comments

 Local Paper Wrapper » Inhabitat: Here’s a source for gift wrap paper that is as beautiful as it is eco-conscious. Known as The Local Paper, these...

 Wine with Burgers » Iconoculture: It’s hard to speak pretentiously about terroir with secret sauce dripping down your chin. Los Angeles-based Learn About Wine’s Blind Date...

 Reknit Your Old Sweater » Springwise: Each month, Reknit will unravel old sweaters and re-knit them into a different item; this January, it's scarves. Consumers begin by...

 Marbling Art on Stone » Hurriyet Daily News: Saadet Erciyas, a female entrepreneur from İzmir, and her team are creating decorative products by using the marbling art...

Need more brand new promising business ideas and innovations around the world you wish you'd thought of? Visit CoolBusinessIdeas.com now!

Ever wanted to be the CEO of your very own Starbucks or Amazon.com? Fire your boss and be your own boss? Now you can, with BIZNESS! - the free biweekly business newsletter about new business ideas, opportunities and innovations from around the world. More than just new business trends, BIZNESS! helps the aspiring entrepreneur (you!) with small business advice, business tips, and entrepreneur resources and opportunities.

   Subscribe for free now!