Archive for the 'People Management' Category

Nov 21 2011

BIZ ALPHABET SERIES…”Z”

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Attitude,Best Practices,BRANDING,Business Growth,Business Life,Choosing Behavior,Communication,Community Support,Contacts/Networking,Customer Service (CRM),Decision Making,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family Business,Feedback,Leadership,Lifestyle,Listening,Management,Motivation,Observations,People Management,Personal Growth,Problems=Opportunities,Productivity,Professional Practices,Public Relations,Reality,Relationships,Reputation,Retailing,Sales,Sales Process,Self-Confidence,Self-Esteem,Small Business,Strategic Planning,Strategies,Tactics,Teamwork,Trust

The final subject of this, the world’s first BIZ ALPHABET Series of blog posts! (Check out “A” – “Y”)

                                            

“Z”…ZEST

                              

ZEST (not the soap) refers to you and your business . . . ardor, élan, gusto, joie de vivre, lust, oomph, passion, pep, pizzazz, tang, vitality, energy, zing,  zoom, zip,  zap . . . either you’ve got it or you don’t.

If you’ve got it, you can make it better. Start here now. If you don’t have it, you can get it ignited here, now. Free. No strings attached. No gimmicks! Just you and your business, and me.

~~~~~~~ 

Sounds good, you say, but who cares? Uh, your customers, your employees, your suppliers, your investors, your lenders, your community . . . and your family. Does that work for an answer? This is not just another lecture on motivation. It’s about operating your business with a competitive edge.

Let’s get to it: When did you last ask a few customers why they do business with you instead of with __________ (fill in the name of a leading competitor)? Oh, you did a survey? Well, that’s great, but there’s nothin’ like the real thing, Baby, goes the old song, and there’s nothing like straight eyeball-to-eyeball answers.

Whatever you hear back, by the way, accept and be appreciative. Do not criticize. Do not “Yes, But.” Do not argue or dismiss. There’s a reason for everything. Take it in. Write it down. Smile and say thank you. Go off and think. Odds are pretty good that the answers you’ll get will have something to do with your attitude and approach.

In other words, HOW you deal with customers, employees, and others around you is what determines more than anything else why your customers are your customers. And it’s that reputation that attracts other customers. So, if these assumption about how you deal with others is even just half right, you already have a competitive edge.

It may simply need –like the holiday carving knife– a little sharpening. Start by asking yourself if you and/or someone else who works with you have been partly or largely responsible for positive customer feedback. Do you appropriately reward that behavior when it comes from others. Rewarding positives breeds more positives.

If you get feedback that attributes your business strength to other factors –price, quality, convenience, etc.–you need to giddy-yap over to your customer service counter/person/policy/strategy/whatever, to fix it or make it better.

Why? Because in this lousy economy, it is frankly not a good sign that anything other than your outstanding service should be the #1 factor quoted by customers. You cannot any longer compete on price or packaging or quality or convenience or sustainability. Anyone with the know-how and gumption can beat you on those points. 

But no one else can be you!

                                                                       

No one else can treat people exactly the same as you, and therein lies your single greatest and unique competitive edge — it’s the differential that you, exclusively, can offer. Have you ever by-passed others and gone out of your way to deal with a particular business because you relate better to the source? Of course you have.

We all seek individuals and entities we feel offer more integrity, more authenticity, a better reputation, provide more extras. So your customers are different? What’s keeping you from adjusting, over-hauling, boosting or perking up your business approaches and attitude NOW? Aren’t roadblocks, after all, a matter of choice?

Choose more of what works. Put a little spice in your spirit! And remember what you put out and how you come across — your spirit — is yours alone. No one else has or can use your strengths. 

                                                       

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Hal@Businessworks.US  302.933.0116

Open  Minds  Open  Doors

Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

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Nov 20 2011

BIZ ALPHABET SERIES…”Y”

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Attitude,Best Practices,BRANDING,Business Growth,Business Life,Change,Choosing Behavior,Communication,Community Support,Corporate Management,Customer Service (CRM),Decision Making,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family,Family Business,Leadership,Life Plans,Lifestyle,Management,Motivation,Observations,People Management,Personal Growth,Problems=Opportunities,Professional Practices,Reality,Relationships,Reputation,Sales Process,Self-Confidence,Self-Esteem,Small Business,Trust

Welcome to the world’s first SMALL BIZ Alphabet Series of blog posts!

“Y”…YES

 

   Have you done it?

 Can you do it?

 Will you do it?

   Are you doing it NOW?

 

 The only “YES!” that counts is your answer to the last question because the only time in your life and in the life of your business that’s real, and that counts, is NOW!

                                               

Getting to “YES!” may not always feel like an easy journey when other burdens are pulling at your shoulders, but it is –after all is said and done– a choice. And we are always free to make a choice be one that is easy or one that is hard.

 Choosing “YES!” certainly offers more promise and greater rewards than choosing “NO!” under almost any circumstances, except those of course that can have negative impact. (Choosing “NO!” to illegal, unhealthy, or harmful offers comes to mind as an example of times when “NO!” can be positive.)

But most of us struggle everyday with making “the right” choices… the ones that are right for us as individuals, as family and community members, as business leaders, as entrepreneurs. We “struggle” because –what’s the old saying? “The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence!”?

In a word: Temptation.

We struggle to decide what’s best for ourselves and our families because we’re so pushed and pulled by others. And having a business venture that’s teetering on the brink of bankruptcy or major financial loss, can put enormous undue stress and strain on us as owners and managers, even for a small solopreneur kitchen-based business.

This added stress is often to the detriment of important family choices and relationships, and almost always to the detriment of fun and relaxation. Fun and relaxation? Hmmm. What’s that about? Fortunately, or UNfortunately depending on your perspective, fun and relaxation are necessary for life balance.

Life balance is necessary for business success. But achieving it can be complicated. In other words, no one I have ever heard of has made a successful business from anger, or from over-indulging in any emotion or activity.

When we make a conscious effort to say “YES!” at every turn –a “YES ATTITUDE” if you will– we are cultivating and nurturing life balance ingredients: willingness, receptivity, responsiveness, reliability, integrity, uthenticity, constructive and transparent leadership.

 Others will follow, be influenced, motivated, and inspired.

Others will see their own potential in the actions (words and deeds) that we as positive-minded entrepreneurs teach by example. “YES!” carries responsibility in its backpack. To agree to do something means doing it!.

Actually delivering the goods

is far more important

than just promising to deliver the goods.

                                              

A “YES! ATTITUDE” (not just for a day or a week, but as a way of life) allows us to thrive and grow as human beings, as people, while we cultivate and nurture the attitudes of those we influence around us –employees, customers, suppliers, referrers, lenders, investors, partners, delivery and cleaning people, our neighbors, community organizations, and, above all– our families.

We have untold opportunities to make real change and to make that change stick. Day after day, it’s always a choice! (And YES, that includes November 6, 2012.)

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Hal@Businessworks.US

Open  Minds  Open  Doors

Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

 Make today a GREAT day for someone!

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Nov 13 2011

BIZ ALPHABET SERIES…”T”

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Attitude,Best Practices,BRANDING,Business Growth,Business Life,Change,Choosing Behavior,Communication,Contacts/Networking,Corporate Management,Decision Making,Economy,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family Business,Innovation,Leadership,Life Plans,Lifestyle,Management,Motivation,Observations,People Management,Personal Growth,Problems=Opportunities,Professional Practices,Reality,Relationships,Reputation,Retailing,Sales,Sales Process,Self-Confidence,Small Business,Strategies,Tactics,Trust

Welcome to the world’s first SMALL BIZ Alphabet Series of blog posts!

“T”…TRUST

 

If you’re reading this, you already know–in spite of claims by mainstream media talking heads, corporate moguls, misguided unionists, and political loudmouths– that entrepreneurial spirit and entrepreneurs are the catalysts of society. When small business innovates, it creates jobs. When it creates jobs, the economy flourishes.

Perhaps it hasn’t occurred to you, but the backbone of entrepreneurial spirit, entrepreneurship, small business ownership and management, and all of what it is that each of us does every day to move our business interests and pursuits forward, is TRUST.  

 

SMALL BUSINESS RUNS ON HANDSHAKES!

                                              

We thrive on handshakes, assurances, nods of the head, genuine smiles, pats on the back, and words like , “Okay, let’s go!” and “I’ll try it.” Sure, there are times when we trust that we get stung, bitten, cut off at the knees, ripped off, swindled, clobbered and killed. Yet we feistily avoid contracts, and live to avoid lawyers.

When we accept partial commitments, and move forward, we do it in good faith, but may cringe a little depending on age, and by how much we’ve been beaten up by dishonorable associates, employees, investors, and customers.  Even when the bad outnumbers the good, we still tend to “chalk it up to experience.”

We keep going, sometimes reluctantly. Sometimes we get up from the canvas too slowly for our own good, and get hit again before we’ve regained balance. Sometimes we’re preoccupied with damage reports instead of with boosting sales.

Sometimes we forget that income doesn’t come from turning out lights and cutting corners or wallowing in self-pity over having been taken advantage of. It’s an easy trap to fall into. It’s the M.O. for corporate executives and government, which goes something like this:

  • Cover your butt.

  • Justify.

  • Analyze.

  • Don’t make waves.

  • Be P.C.

  • Don’t risk.

  • Be Green.

  • Think small.

                                                                                      

But maybe that’s because big business and government simply don’t trust handshakes and authenticity. And they are quick to point to the losses from failed relationships. Maybe it’s because they are so heavily invested in protecting the status quo. Maybe it’s because they are controlled by disproportionate numbers of attorneys.

I’ve worked on all sides of these fences and prefer conducting business backed by the unspoken “In God We Trust” that blankets what I believe to be most entrepreneurial deals, vs. the government and big business spouting of our nation’s motto, but adhering to “In Contracts and Lawyers We Trust” as the mission that they practice.

I’ll take my lumps with God on my side rather than suffocate in legalities and paperwork required of those whose trustworthiness seems questionable. Like “The lady doth protest too much,” when I’m swarmed on by insistence for contracts, I back off. I honor my commitments and expect others to honor theirs.

Naive? I believe it’s naive to think that contracts seal a deal. I’ve lost more money and opportunities and productive relationships by having a signed contract than I have —ever— with a handshake.

So, what’s the suggestion? Blind trust? Hardly. Due Diligence must always precede a handshake. And don’t rely on some one’s social media profile or website bio. Talk with people who know or worked with the individual(s) you’re planning to work with. Talk with -people who know or worked with those people. Be a detective.

When you’re satisfied with what you learn, trust your judgement, trust in God, and pay –or get paid– in chunks.

                                                                 

The bottom line? Take heart. Believe in yourself. Remember you are not in business to be in court, to waste time and energy dwelling on losses, nor to make lawyers rich. If you can’t trust a handshake and recognize it will sometimes cost you, you might want to look at that cone placement job with the Roads Department.

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Hal@Businessworks.US

Open  Minds  Open  Doors

Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

 Make today a GREAT day for someone!

2 responses so far

Nov 10 2011

BIZ ALPHABET SERIES…” S”

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Attitude,Best Practices,BRANDING,Business Growth,Business Life,Decision Making,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family Business,Lifestyle,Motivation,Observations,People Management,Personal Growth,Problems=Opportunities,Productivity,Professional Practices,Reality,Relationships,Reputation,Sales,Sales Process,Self-Confidence,Self-Esteem,Small Business,Strategic Planning,Stress Management,Tactics

Welcome to the world’s first SMALL BIZ Alphabet Series of blog posts!

“S”…SALES STRESS 

 

Looking for the competitive edge? Want to make a difference? Small business owners and managers  can never have enough input on the “S” subjects, sales and stress. There are plenty of other key “S” subjects, like stick-to-it-ive-ness and startups, and social media and SEO … but there are also a ton of resources available on each of these subjects.

Well, I guess there are also plenty of info bites out there on the subjects of sales and stress, but it seems to me that these two S’s stand head and shoulders above the other topics for daily, immediate concern, and the need to have new info and input on an ongoing basis.

Besides, one creates the other.

                                         

Sales (the career, the quotas, the goals, and the act of selling) produce enough stress for one business owner or manager as would be needed to probably topple any six corporate muckity-mucks or any 200 government employees!

And “stress”? Actually stress –when it’s properly channeled– can be a great incentive and catalyst for sales. Stress, remember, is not always negative. We need a certain amount of stress just to sit up straight in a chair, or to be productive with our  computer keyboards (or with one another.

Dealing with negative, or over stress or distress, is typically handled by professional therapists with one (or a combination) of these tools at their command — guided imagery, deep breathing, exercise, meditation, Yoga, laughter, psychoanalysis, or role-playing, among others.

If you REALLY want to sell, get your target market to exceed the five senses (speaking of “S”). Here, for example, are mine:

Taste………. sushi

Touch…….. sex

Sight………. puppies, flowers

Sound…….. the ocean

Smell……… red wine splashed over barbequing beef

When a marketer can top –or even come close to– any of these triggers, I’m sold.

                                                

What are the triggers into YOUR five senses? How about those of your target market? How can you use words and illustrations to represent the five senses. What about “scratch ‘n’sniff” print ads, piles of ice or foam on a billboard photo, commercial background music or natural sound effects? A fast-paced “click-to” video?

Even with all of today’s instantaneous communication capabilities and daily information overload existence, nothing has ever even come close to duplicating the sales appeal of the five senses. To capture just one of these, triggers others. If I get you to imagine tasting a food product, you might very well also smell it.

Every purchase is the result of igniting an emotional buying motive. So, while burning down a small cardboard house may sell homeowner insurance, it’s also over the top. The challenge is to stay within the boundaries of good sense and reasonability when you reach out to ignite fuses to the five senses.

What is your business doing right now that takes advantage of your product or service ability to appease or enhance one or more of the five senses? How can you build on that? In other words, is “Mmmm-mmm, good!” enough… or should you also show steam rising from the soupbowl? Smiling faces of cherub children? 

                                                                           

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Hal@Businessworks.US  302.933.0116

Open  Minds  Open  Doors

Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

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Nov 09 2011

BIZ ALPHABET SERIES…”R”

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Age & Aging,Attitude,Best Practices,BRANDING,Business Growth,Business Life,Change,Communication,Contacts/Networking,Customer Service (CRM),Decision Making,Economy,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family Business,Goals,Innovation,Leadership,Life Plans,Lifestyle,Management,Motivation,Objectives,Observations,Overcoming Objections,People Management,Personal Growth,Politics/Gov't,Problems=Opportunities,Professional Practices,Reality,Sales Process,Self-Confidence,Small Business,Strategic Planning,Tactics,Trust

Welcome to the world’s first SMALL BIZ Alphabet Series of blog posts!

“R”…REVITALIZATION

 

There is a BUSINESS “Fountain of Youth.” Yes, there is. And in my humble judgement, at least half if not three quarters of America’s 30 million small businesses could stand a splash or two, or a cupful to drink (Uh, from the Fountain of Youth!)… right now, today, before or over this weekend at the latest. But quickly. 

                                                         

Why?

  • Because our economic quagmire has been made worse, relentlessly fueled by our wildly out-of-step-with-reality White House. And now is the time to act.

  • Because the White House is in cahoots with brainless, greedy union leadership, and a sea of corporate incompetence. And now is the time to act.

  • The combined political pursuits have succeeded in choking off America’s entrepreneurial spirit and –with it, the nation’s only real hope for new job creation– small business innovation and success. And now is the time to act.

                                                        

So where else is there left to turn? The Business Fountain of Youth! It can nourish, renew, reinvent, refresh, and revitalize. Even as you dip just one toe into it, the youth of your past will rise again.

Okay, says you, where is this place, this fountain? How do I make it work for me? The answers after this. (Sound like a TV news lead-in to a commercial break?) Well, before I reveal the Business Fountain of Youth secrets, I need to ask you to step away from your business long enough to take stock in where you and your business stand.

Where are you, mindset-wise, at this moment? Inventory your goods and services, your staff if you have one, your supporters, your suppliers (everyone from sales reps to maintenance and delivery services). Go ahead and mull this over for a few minutes. I’ll wait.

Good. Now, to move forward with what you have –your existing resources– what’s the next step you need to take for yourself? With your business? Can you be more specific? Go ahead and be specific. I’ll wait again. Go on. There now, I see you crossed some T’s and dotted some i’s… nice work!

Next, ask yourself how flexible you can be with your specific mission? Can you feel okay about redefining the details? About changing the timing, context, parameters? What IS the timing? Put a deadline on this. Put one on yourself.

(But, aha, for purposes of protecting your sanity, make sure you can live with needing to change your self-assigned due date if you feel that need arise at some point.)

Great! Now do a reality check. Is what you’re thinking about right this minute as the road you need to travel, a realistic objective? How realistic?

Oh, right, I was going to give you the scoop on The Business Fountain of Youth — where it is, how to access it, and what to expect. Well, here’s what you need to know:

A) The Business Fountain of Youth is inside you. It is what you make of what you already have.

B) You have just completed a revitalization process by awakening yourself and by answering the questions posed in the format prescribed. You have, in essence, redefined your goals by following the proven trail for addressing and structuring (or re-structuring) necessary goal criteria:

Realistic – Specific – Flexible – Due-dated

 

Without goals that use those four criteria, you are merely wishing and hoping, and that will get you nowhere. Forward motion means getting started, and getting started means looking carefully within your SELF. In other words, REVITALIZATION Starts At Home!                                                                                  

 

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Hal@Businessworks.US  302.933.0116

Open  Minds  Open  Doors

Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

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Nov 08 2011

BIZ ALPHABET SERIES…”Q”

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Anger/Conflict,Attitude,Best Practices,BRANDING,Business Growth,Business Life,Change,Choosing Behavior,Communication,Contacts/Networking,Customer Service (CRM),Empathy,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family Business,Leadership,Life Plans,Lifestyle,Management,Motivation,Observations,Overcoming Objections,People Management,Personal Growth,Politics/Gov't,Productivity,Professional Practices,Reality,Relationships,Reputation,Sales Process,Self-Confidence,Self-Esteem,Small Business,Strategic Planning,Stress Management,Tactics

Welcome to the world’s first SMALL BIZ Alphabet Series of blog posts!

 “Q”…QUICK

 

Quicksand? No. Quick draw? No. Quick start? Almost. This is about how I’ve seen successful business owners and managers apply four of my father’s favorite words for motivating me and my brother:

“QUICK LIKE A BUNNY”

                                                                       

No matter what you may be thinking about bunnies, you have to admit they are quick as they go about their business. No nonsense about “all things come to he who waits” — or about the one time a tortoise beat one of ’em in some race. “Slow and steady” was it? Hmmm, surely that was before txt msgs!

Every one of us deals with someone who’s slow on the road, in line, at the counter, on the phone, responding to an email, walking on the sidewalk or in or out of an elevator or building. Most of us act more courteously than we feel because we –most of us, I believe– tend to give the other (slow) person the benefit of doubt, right?

Well, we might mutter . . . maybe he’s lost; maybe she has a vision problem; maybe they just got married; maybe it’s his first job; maybe she’s got a big problem to deal with at home; maybe he’s writing a book. Hey, most of us can be patient when we run into delays. Not all of us and not all delays, but speaking generally.

Leading the parade of exceptions of course  is the kid in the 4-wheeled boombox, baseball hat on backwards, who’s doing 50mph in a 50mph zone but is somewhere between ten and eleven inches from your trunk, who we consider tapping the brakes at or launching some windshield washer fluid, y’think?

But, no, not a good idea. Next thing is we’d get abused for practicing road rage (or shot at in some cities, which I’ll leave to your imagination to list). “What’s your hurry?” I’ve heard. “All of life is just one big interruption anyway!” I’ve heard. But then, uh oh, there’s that little ghost voice of my father’s in the back of my head nudging me forward:

 “QUICK LIKE A BUNNY!”

                                                              

And guess what?He was right (well, mostly). Whenever something needed doing, whatever the task, personal or business, it was get-out-of-the-way time. Maybe he invented the “Life in the fastlane” term? So where is all this leading? To developing and practicing an action attitude . . . unless you’re 92 and playing checkers on a barrel.

Today’s business world is all about pleasing –delighting– the customer because customers are the only entities that make your business truly recession-proof (especially now as we enter The Great Obama Depression). Being highly responsive to customers (both internal and external) means acting now and analyzing later.

Instead of “I’ll look into that for you and call you back tomorrow,” look into it now and ask if the other person can wait while you get an immediate answer. Too many excuses and delays send customers and prospects up the walls — followed by rapidly considering other options, including your competitors. 

Customer loyalty motto for 2011 and (at least) 2012 is “What have you done for me lately?” If your answer to this starts with , “Why, just last week . . .” you’re talking about ancient history. It is never too quick to take a step on behalf of those who support your business, from employees and suppliers, to customers and prospects.

If you go too quick and make a mistake, there’s time to recover and correct it. If you go too slow, by the time you straighten out a screw-up, the customer will be headed off into the sunset. Go for it. Today. Now. Right now. It’s your choice to help others choose you and your business. LEADERSHIP = RESPONSIVENESS

                                                     
 

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Hal@Businessworks.US  302.933.0116

Open  Minds  Open  Doors

Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

Make today a GREAT day for someone!

No responses yet

Nov 07 2011

BIZ ALPHABET SERIES…”P”

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Advertising,Attitude,Best Practices,BRANDING,Business Growth,Business Life,Change,Communication,Community Support,Contacts/Networking,Creative Thinking,Customer Service (CRM),Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family Business,Feedback,INTERNET Marketing,Lifestyle,Listening,Management,Marketing,Media,Observations,People Management,Personal Growth,Problems=Opportunities,Professional Practices,Public Relations,Reality,Relationships,Reputation,Sales,Sales Process,Self-Confidence,Self-Esteem,Small Business,Social Media,Special People/Special Occasions,Strategic Planning,Tactics,Trust

Welcome to the world’s first SMALL BIZ Alphabet Series of blog posts!

 “P”…PUBLIC

 

First off, as an entrepreneur, small business or professional practice owner, operator, or manager, you have a public persona, or image —a brand, if you will– that communicates your reputation to others in your Private-Public and in your Public-Public. You do, indeed, have both! Ignore either at your peril.

Your Public-Public (or EXternal customers) is what most often comes to mind when we talk about sales and markets. But every business also has INternal customers (family, friends, partners, investors, referrers, lenders, employees, agents, consultants, and suppliers). These are your reliable supporters, your Private-Public.

Many successful businesses build their Public-Public customer / client / patient base as an offshoot of their Private-Public resources because –sorry, marketing, advertising, PR, SEO, and social media experts— NOTHING sells like personal recommendations.

Often overlooked in this mix of supportive and prospective recommenders are FORMER family, friends, partners, investors, referrers, employees, lenders, agents, consultants, and suppliers who you are still on good terms with. Some older mid-sized companies actually foster employee alumni associations and reunions.

Not only can your Private-Public become a loyal customer base and serve to refer Public-Public purchases, they can also often suggest new business approaches, technology, and revenue streams… IF they are properly motivated and encouraged AND (and here’s the biggy) IF they are carefully solicited and attentively listened to.

Lest there be any doubts , I am not suggesting abandonment of marketing functions (sales, PR, promotion, packaging, pricing, SEO and SM applications, etc.). I am simply pointing out that day-to-day, many of us have a tendancy to overlook the obvious, spend more than we need to,  and  not tap into our best resources.

Traditional Public Relations is rapidly becoming an ineffective tool for building brands and brand awareness. With increased use of Internet sites, webinars, digital marketing and social media, the odds for stimulating Public-Public purchasing and Private-Public referrals, only the flexible, cyberspace-savvy PR firms are surviving.

A similar assessment surfaces for traditionally-invested advertising, sales, and marketing firms. This doesn’t mean “always and everywhere.” It does mean that small businesses can no longer rely on successful past media, creative, financial and market development  strategies to survive today’s onslaught of instant communications.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Remember too that YOU, personally, are always on stage. Someone is always watching and listening. You are always being sized up by someone, even when you least suspect it. The bottom line is that in addition to your business having public concerns, awareness’s, and opportunities, so do you!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Making the most of what you have means being, as Thoreau once urged, forever on the alert! 

                                 

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Hal@Businessworks.US

Open  Minds  Open  Doors

Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

 Make today a GREAT day for someone!

No responses yet

Nov 06 2011

BIZ ALPHABET SERIES…”O”

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Advertising,Attitude,Best Practices,BRANDING,Business Growth,Business Life,Calendar,Change,Choosing Behavior,Communication,Corporate Management,Creative Thinking,Decision Making,Delegation,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family Business,Feedback,Innovation,Leadership,Lifestyle,Management,Marketing,Motivation,Objectives/Strategies/Tactics,Observations,People Management,Personal Growth,Productivity,Professional Practices,Public Relations,Reality,Relationships,Reputation,Retailing,Sales,Sales Process,Self-Confidence,Small Business,Strategic Planning,Stress Management,Teamwork,Time Management,Writing

Welcome to the world’s first SMALL BIZ Alphabet Series of blog posts!

 “O”…ORGANIZATION 

 

It was going to be “O” for “Operations” but a few years back the world’s surgeons decided that “Procedures” would be a gentler, less-threatening sounding  word to use in describing what happens when they take a scalpel to your body.  And as businesses became more specialized, “Operations” began to dissolve from usage in the business community too.  So with all that phasing out activity, I came back to one of the most important multi-purpose “O” words for life and small business success: ORGANIZATION.

~~~~~~~

There are 30 million of us (small business owners and entrepreneurs) kicking around out there, somewhere between Hawaii, Florida, Maine, and Alaska (Whew! A lot of kicking!), and —artistic, creative types not withstanding– those among us with the strongest sense of organization will generally prevail in the success arena.

“Organization” is both the dynamics of the people you’re involved with — what’s the business “chemistry”?– AND how effective are your planning and doing (action) skills? “Team chemistry” wins in sports (Just re-live World Series Game 6 a few days ago), but it also –like people and task organizing skills– wins in business.

There are of course, entire books, courses, and training programs devoted to OD (Organizational Development), so don’t expect a 700-word crash course here, but you can expect to have your cage rattled. After all, who else is going to risk being in your face and telling you to get your act together better than you have been? Right. Read on.

Now, most of what I do is write, design, create, sell, email, meet, and talk on the phone, so I’m not exactly the world’s most organized guy, but –thanks to Kathy– most all of the organizational chores associated with running a business are taken care of by her capable hands and organized brain. She actually excels at it. (Thank heaven!)

So one important rule of thumb is that if organization skills escape you, or you don’t want to justify the time it takes to sort out, prioritize, plan, and execute tasks, find someone you can trust and rely on (almost always, by the way, a spouse, because no one else really shares your values) to do the scheduling, paperwork, computer tasks, etc.

And since you probably have two thumbs, another important rule is to give up one hour every Monday to meet with your organization person or team to review progress and problems, and get the ducks in a row. (Monday, because issues can be dealt with during the week; issues raised on Thursday or Friday never get done). 

I read somewhere that a famous sales guru I’ve always admired, made a dumb statement. He said It’s not time you need to manage; it’s your attitude. I understand the intent, but in reality, all entrepreneurs, by definition, have a positive attitude. Managing time is the challenge because we have only a limited amount of it available.

Not to belabor the point, but there are just so many seconds in a minute, so many minutes in an hour, so many hours in a day, so many days in a week, so many weeks in a month, so many months in a year . . . and just so many years in a lifetime, assuming you’re not from outer space just because you might act it! (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) 

There are at least 3 zillion magic formulas for managing your emails. If you limit phone call message returns from 11:30am until noon, and from 4:30pm until 5pm, you will be more productive. People do not want to talk too much when they’re thinking about lunch or heading home.

When you make to-do lists, date them and chunk them up into small parts of big tasks. Prioritize item urgency. Cross the done deeds off with a highlighter so you can look back to see what was accomplished. If you really must use other than pen and pad because you are laptop or handheld-addicted, it’s not great, but better than nothing.

In short, experiment, but do whatever works best for you. Whatever you do– don’t ignore or avoid focusing on the getting-ready-to-act parts of your business before you charge headlong into them. Not being organized is a common entrepreneurial ailment that can crush a venture before it ever gets off the ground. Ready? Set? Go!

                                                                                               

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Hal@Businessworks.US  302.933.0116

Open  Minds  Open  Doors

Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

 Make today a GREAT day for someone!

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Nov 03 2011

BIZ ALPHABET SERIES…”N”

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Attitude,Best Practices,BRANDING,Business Growth,Business Life,Choosing Behavior,Communication,Creative Thinking,Decision Making,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family Business,Feedback,Innovation,Leadership,Lifestyle,Management,Motivation,Objectives,Observations,People Management,Personal Growth,Politics/Gov't,Professional Practices,Reality,Relationships,Reputation,Sales Process,Self-Confidence,Self-Esteem,Small Business,Strategies,Tactics,Trust

Welcome to the world’s first SMALL BIZ Alphabet Series of blog posts!

“N”…NAME,

                            

NEARSIGHTEDNESS,

                             

NEGOTIATIONS,

                          

AND NEIGHBORSHIP

 

                                        

Well, there you go. Stumped for the first time about which topic to focus on, so if it’s okay with you, we’ll explore a little of each, and hope to hit on a button or two that piques your interest.

                                  

Q.  

What’s in a name? 

A. 

For an entrepreneur, practically everything that’s needed to get off on the right foot because the name explains the business… or practically nothing because the name is so whimsical or ill-thought-out that it takes an army of interpreters to clarify what the new venture is all about. Word differences make a difference.
 
I’m not discounting exceptions. I mean, who knew that some genius would come up with “Nike” and turn it into a household name? But the issue goes much deeper than the one in probably a trillion (good number these days, eh?) names that say nothing about the product or service and that succeeds in spite of itself.
 
The strength or weakness of a business name in communicating the nature of the business, and hopefully the unique strength of it as well, speaks volumes about the innovative business savvy and creative spirit of the founder. And in many cases, this impression translates directly into sales.

                                 

RECOMMENDATION: When you think you’ve come up with the world’s greatest business, product, or service name, odds are it’s not. Bite the bullet: go to an expert in creative marketing and branding. Pay what you’ll likely think is an obscene amount and let that person or team tweak your creation or come up with a better one. Then test it!

                                               

Q. 

Nearsightedness? What’s that all about? 

A.

Looking at things too closely. Attention to detail is one thing, analyzing issues to death is quite another. It’s what paralyzes government agencies and mega-corporations and prevents risk-taking which prevents growth opportunities and discourages innovation.
 
This (business nearsightedness) is an especially destructive path when it takes attention away from the present to delve into the mysterious and unchangeable “who-did-what-to-whom” past. Dwelling on what’s over and done wastes time, energy and money. Worrying about the future which hasn’t yet come (and may never) is just as bad.

                                

RECOMMENDATION: If you can’t see what’s going on right in front of your face every hour of your workday, get your eyes examined. If new or upgraded glasses don’t help, get your head examined. Choosing for your mind to drift too often or too far into the history books or the Twilight Zone doesn’t serve to get the job at hand done, or done right.

                                                    

Q.

Negotiations? Every situation is different, sooo?

A.

Yes, every situation is indeed different. And there’s never any telling what to expect from someone on the other side of the desk or table. So, Rule One, is get up from behind the desk and sit without furniture barriers between you (clipboards work wonders in these settings). With a table, sit on the same side.
 
If you’re in someone else’s territory, simply ask if the person(s) would mind sitting away from desk interruptions, and be able to use the couch or the chairs with nothing between them or a small table (or a restaurant, or golf course). The trick is to not get yourself locked into a physical setting that puts you on edge or at a disadvantage.

                                          

 RECOMMENDATION: Be yourself. If someone “buys” you when you’re trying to be someone you’re not, you will be expected to deliver what the someone you’re not is imagined to be capable of. Think on that one for a minute.

                                     

Q.

What’s “Neighborship”? Sounds unbusinesslike, like something from Mr. Rogers or Sesame Street.

A.

One answer is that both Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street have taught millions of people better entrepreneur lessons than Harvard Graduate School of Business has ever even come close to, but that we tend to forget a lot of the values communicated in our younger days. The best answer is to click here for a dedicated link to the subject.

                                       

RECOMMENDATION: Tune in here tomorrow for “O” — Happy Trails!

                                                                              
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Hal@Businessworks.US   302.933.0116

Open  Minds  Open  Doors

Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

 Make today a GREAT day for someone!

No responses yet

Nov 02 2011

BIZ ALPHABET SERIES…”M”

Published by under "Here & Now" Focus,Attitude,Best Practices,BRANDING,Business Growth,Business Life,Choosing Behavior,Communication,Contacts/Networking,Corporate Management,Decision Making,Delegation,Economy,Entrepreneurship,Experience,Family Business,Feedback,Good Health,Leadership,Lifestyle,Listening,Management,Meetings,Motivation,Observations,People Management,Personal Growth,Politics/Gov't,Problems=Opportunities,Productivity,Professional Practices,Reality,Relationships,Reputation,Sales,Sales Process,Self-Confidence,Self-Esteem,Small Business,Strategic Planning,Stress Management,Tactics,Teamwork,Trust

Welcome to the world’s first SMALL BIZ Alphabet Series of blog posts!

 “M”…MANAGEMENT

 

 FREEDOM

 

M B W U

is the new management methodology

for 2016 and beyond, but it needs

to be cranked up now!

                                                                              
“Huh?” say all you corporate muckity-muck types who came here for a shot of entrepreneurial adrenaline . . . you who pride yourselves on being keyed into the latest approaches to management and business leadership . . . Yes, it’s MBWU, and by now you’ve probably guessed the first two because you’re a shrewd student of business.
                                  
You think maybe I mean MBWA – Management By Walking Around? No, I would have said that.
 
MBWA is arguably the most sensible and productive form of management leadership theory in existence — at least until now.  But times have changed, and we are now nearly waist-deep in this economic quagmire with no end in sight and very few ways to lift one foot from the muck to put in front of the other.
 
Managing by walking around is no longer as realistic with many businesses that have found global growth a viable solution to the choking American dollar. For many, digital visits (video conferencing, webinars, etc.) have stepped out of the shadows, but most small businesses still rely on personal physical visits from the boss.

                                    

Okay, so what’s MBWU?

                                        

Aha! Thought you’d never ask. MBWU stands for “Management By Waking Up”!  The approach has multiple meanings, which may include walking around, but with a different emphasis. The MBWA problem-solving, problem-prevention and rah-rah visits give rise now to taking action. MBWU is a “call to action” methodology.
 
Since some action always beats no action, and since the opposite approach: ISQ (Investment in the Status Quo) means sufficient capital must be available to be able to invest in the first place, small business owners are left high and dry. Either there’s no money to invest, or there is, but you don’t trust the options.
 
Certainly, there is no incentive or reason to trust government promises enough to proceed with creating the new jobs many of America’s 30 million small business owners are capable of creating, even though they represent the only viable and historically-proven solution to the unemployment puzzle and to turning the economy around.

 

 So, VOILA! It’s time to wake up! MBWU means:

A) Getting up every morning and taking a good, hard look in the mirror, rubbing your forehead vigorously for 3-5 seconds, and admonishing your self to “Wake Up!”

B) Getting going! Take your wake-up call to work, and share it generously with genuine positive praise and sincere encouragement. Turn on your charm and authenticity.

C) Starting every action and response to others’ actions with a deep breath and a self-commitment to stay focused on where things ARE, and how to make them better along the way to where things need to go.

D) Knowing in your heart of hearts that true wake-up calls require open-mindedness.

 
The more open-minded and receptive you can be (and the better listener you can be) and the greater your sense of urgency, the more that opportunities will surface that usher in new avenues and prospects for new business from existing and old customers, as well as new business from new customers.
 
You are likely to uncover entirely new revenue streams that would not ordinarily surface in businesses where owners and managers remain inactive, and distance themselves from reasonable risk-taking..
 
All MBWU progress is of course enhanced by being able to experience a decent night’s sleep from the git go. It’s hard to wake-up and make better use of resources, better decisions about priorities and people, when, for example, you’ve been out late partying the night before or are in a high-stress environment at home, or haven’t exercised or eaten properly.
 
So the 1/3 of your MBWU life rests squarely on the 1/3 of your life that you spend sleeping, which rests squarely on how you manage and treat and believe in your SELF. Are you ready? Got a plan? Are you set? Go!

# # #

Hal@Businessworks.US

Open  Minds  Open  Doors

Many thanks for your visit and God Bless You.

 Make today a GREAT day for someone!

No responses yet

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