10 Simple Ways to Turn Your Creative Spark into a Flame

Keywords: Creativity

Creativity and innovation begin with the spark of an idea. But for so many, the process ends there with no plan to manifest. Understanding simple ways to turn your ideas into action will give you the edge to turn that spark to a flame and rise as a leader in innovation and creativity.

These ten simple tools not only jumpstart your creative spirit, but they help you maintain and sustain the idea flow. Making these steps a part of your life will reinforce a solid creative foundation in your life, facilitate innovation, and ease your problem-solving process.

1. Understand What You're Passionate About.

You can accomplish this by creating a mission statement, an artist's statement, or a set of guiding principles. Finding what truly drives and inspires you helps focus your attention on your creative gifts. A well thought out mission serves as a beacon on your path, helping you decide when to say yes and when to say no. This process is crucial for creative people-especially those who find themselves overwhelmed by numerous ideas.

2. Catch Your Ideas.

7 Reasons to Host Teleseminars and Teleclasses

Keywords: Teleseminars

Entrepreneurs, Authors, Coaches, Trainers and all sorts of experts the world-over are quickly learning the value of incorporating Teleseminars and Teleclasses as a method to reach - and have a positive impact upon - current and prospective clients. You can increase your effectiveness - and your bottom line - immediately by utilizing this format for the delivery of information.

1. Reach a worldwide audience with your message instantly. Stretch beyond where you can fly, drive, or take the train on a moment's notice.

2. Perfect your public speaking skills from your home office (or current workspace). No need to invest in new clothes, no need to go anywhere.

3. Be seen as an expert and increase your name recognition. Participants in teleseminars and teleclasses have a tendency to be action oriented, interested and change-making people - excellent word-of-mouth-spreaders.

4. Test the market-place to see if a particular subject matter would be of interest with minimal time, financial and energetic investment.

5. Create another income stream without creating any new content: instead, simply recycle previously written material delivered here in a new format.

Einstein, The Universe, and Leadership

Keywords: Leadership

Every since serving a hitch in the military, I have been nagged by the question that’s been hanging around leadership since time immemorial: How can some leaders persuade people to believe in them and follow them and other leaders can’t? But it wasn’t the military that provided me with a framework to answer that question. It was Albert Einstein and his quest for the unified field theory of the universe.

Einstein is well known for his special and general theories of relativity, two of the crowning intellectual achievements of the 20th century. But what he is not so well known for is a magnificent quest that he carried on for some 30 years — and ultimately failed in. That was his quest for a unified field theory of the universe, a theory that explains all the forces of the universe. And it was a quest that inspired me, in my small way, to find an answer to the leadership question.

Einstein’s special theory combined space and time into a single concept known as the space-time continuum. He spent the rest of his life failing to develop a unified field theory that incorporated gravity into the electromagnetic field. But it wasn’t his trying to solve the conundrums of physics that inspired me. It was his trying to unify the grand forces of the universe that’s so compelling.

Creating Breakthroughs Now

Keywords: Motivation

As a business coach I have written a great deal about building a higher performance venture, creating breakthroughs, inventing the future, and generally moving faster than the speed of change -- or at the very least -- moving faster than your competitors.

The most important thing you can do now - right at this moment - is get moving on something that's going to make a big, a tremendous difference.

Reading this little bit of coaching and simply setting it down, even if you say to yourself "Wow! That sounds like it will work!" will, as you know already, accomplish nothing.

Pick a problem -- pick something you've been thinking about for a while -- and apply any and all ideas that you think fit that best.

Or pick any business coaching article at random and put it to work. You needn't start big (although that would be my personal preference) - start small if you like.

Choose an idea and bring it to your next management meeting. Have your team help you flesh it out and put it into action.

Three Factors Of Leadership Motivation

Keywords: Leadership Motivation

Leaders do nothing more important than get results. But you can't get results by yourself. You need others to help you do it. And the best way to have other people get results is not by ordering them but motivating them. Yet many leaders fail to motivate people to achieve results because those leaders misconstrue the concept and applications of motivation.

To understand motivation and apply it daily, let's understand its three critical factors. Know these factors and put them into action to greatly enhance your abilities to lead for results.

1. MOTIVATION IS PHYSICAL ACTION. "Motivation" has common roots with "motor," "momentum," "motion," "mobile," etc. — all words that denote movement, physical action. An essential feature of motivation is physical action. Motivation isn't about what people think or feel but what they physically do. When motivating people to get results, challenge them to take those actions that will realize those results.

I counsel leaders who must motivate individuals and teams to get results not to deliver presentations but "leadership talks." Presentations communicate information.. But when you want to motivate people, you must do more than simply communicate information. You must have them believe in you and take action to follow you. A key outcome of every leadership talk must be physical action, physical action that leads to results.

Does Becoming a Published Author Enhance a Business?

Keywords: Effective Writing

There is a boom occurring lately, especially in the online world. More and more business people are authoring their own print book and e-books. These materials can run the gamut from information books to personal life stories, as well as coaching materials, and life skills training manuals.

With so many doing this, it would seem apparent that this is a great way to escalate a business to the next level. After all, if a person can set themselves up as an expert by publishing materials on certain subjects, others will obviously buy more, and revenue will skyrocket, right? This is not necessarily so.

While it is an advantage in some instances, it can be a disadvantage in other instances. There are parameters that need to be followed for successful publication, and there are certain requirements that must be met for successful publication.

The advantages of authoring and publishing are as follows:

1. An individual can set themselves up as an expert in a specific field of interest, thus enhancing sales and trust with clients and customers. If a publication is effective enough, and the marketing done well enough, massive exposure will occur, and an individual can fast become a "semi-celebrity" in their chosen field.

Special Reports Position You as an Expert

Keywords: Expertise

Special reports can be one of the easiest and most profitable ways to gain visibility and position yourself as an expert. Everyone has knowledge about something that is of interest to others. What you need to do is find out what is of interest to your customers and potential customers.

You can easily turn your knowledge into a special report offered for free on your website or through direct mail. Basically, a special report is a multi-page document packed with valuable how-to information that readers can use immediately.

Offering any type of information positions you as an expert. The key is to make sure the information is timely and useful.

Brainstorm with key people to determine several topics you could write reports on. Send a series of four to six to keep your name and knowledge fresh in people's minds. Be sure to include contact information at the end of the report.

By Kathleen Gage

Kathleen Gage is a business advisor, keynote speaker and trainer who helps others gain marketing dominance and visibility within their market. To receive Gage's fr*ee report "Learn How One Salt Lake City Based Consultant Made Over 100k With One Idea" visit www.kathleengage.com

10 Things To Do When Business Slows Down Over The Holidays

Keywords: Slow Business

I'm sure you've seen it happen every year: your business slows down during predictable times, like the summer vacation months or year-end holidays. For the self-employed who rely upon steady cash flow, this can be a disconcerting time. Should you just take a vacation until things naturally pick up again? Or should you try to find the needle-in-the-haystack business that might be out there during slow times?

This year, vow to be different! Instead of languishing in no-business-never-land, get off your butt and do something to build the foundation of your business so that natural business cycles don't affect you too deeply:

1. Clean your office. Go through all the piles of papers and magazines that have been sitting around and get rid of them once and for all. Remember the office organizing mantra: do it, ditch it or delegate it. File all your papers, dust and vacuum your office. Reorganize your desk and your office so that you can find everything you need in 60 seconds or less.

2. Take a mini-vacation from work. Walk away from your office and enjoy a day or two of renewal and relaxation. Go to a day spa. Take a weekend retreat. Go for a walk in the local park. Breathe.

Top Seven Ways to Promote your Ezine

Keywords: Ezines

To grow your ezine subscriber numbers, you need to let people online and offline know about it. Here's seven ways:

1. Network offline. Visit professional like-minded groups. These groups usually meet once a month, have speakers, and networking time for you to mix with other professionals. Have your free ezine 30-second "tell and sell" ready at networking time, or put your free ezine announcement/ad on a half page flyer to post on the networking table. Always include the top 3-4 benefits of the ezine. Example: I'm Judy Cullins and work with small business people who want tomanifest their book dreams. To get my free monthly ezine, The Book Coach Says, full of tips, articles and resources on book writing, publishing, and promotion visit my site at www.bookcoaching.com.

2. Speak to groups as a teleclass guest speaker or to a group in your city. Pass a clipboard around that has your ezine's title and space for signups below. Ask them to print clearly their name and their email address. Make sure you let them know it's free--that's the big attraction usually. After receiving good information for a few months or so, you may start getting sales from people who now trust you as the savvy expert.

3. Promote your ezine on your web site. Don't just say "Subscribe to my Free Ezine." Give your audience a reason to buy. The free ezine helps you finish, publish, and sell your book-fast! Dan Poynter, Mr. Self-Publishing says, "totally worth your time." Offer an opt-in and opt-out place to subscribe and unsubscribe that automatically sends the notice to your email.

6 Ways Bosses Make it Harder

Keywords: Management

How owners and managers make hurt employee performance.

Most discussions of management and leadership talk about what to do to help people be their best. Here are six ways executives and entrepreneurs routinely do the opposite.

(Click here to read Ten Entrepreneurial Mistakes.)

1)They don't provide a vision for the company.

Today, most companies have a vision, and most of these visions wind up as nicely written statements on wooden plaques. These are the "visions and missions" employees scoff at. But without a clear and compelling company direction, employees have no real freedom of action. Without a north star to follow, the best they can do is what they are told - a rather low performance position.

Everyone knows executives need a vision, but it is not just having a vision that's important, it is sharing the vision, bringing people into the vision, bringing that vision alive--which makes the real performance difference. When people align with themselves with the company goals, they are free to invent, to improvise, to innovate, to inspire each other. They are free to do great work.

Secret of Strategy - Part 1

Keywords: Business Strategy

A step-by-step guide to creating a growth strategy based on your current situation and future possibilities.

I’ll bet you think you already have a strategy.

And well you may, but strategy as a concept is just like love: much used and little understood. Many businesses (and that includes small entrepreneurs, large corporations, non-profits, community organizations, governments, NGOs…the works) neither know what strategy really is, nor how to get one.

And even if you do, in fact, have a strategy—is it the right one? The best one? This is so important—marketing guru Jay Abraham says—and I agree—a superior strategy badly executed will beat a bad strategy well executed, any day.

It’s easy to say, “This is big company stuff. We know what we need—why should we do all the extra work.” While a “strategy-less” group of marketing tactics may work well and produce good results, is it taking your business in the best direction? You may be making money, but are you making the most money possible? Could another suite of tactics implementing a superior strategy produce far better results?

Four Keys To Effective Delegating Delegation

Keywords: Delegating

-- one of the critical determining factors for everyone who wants to be an effective leader or manager. And for those of us control freaks, lack of delegating skill can be a real show stopper.

Because the harder you try to hold on to things, the faster they can get away from you, and if you want to extend your reach beyond your ability to do everything at once, you must delegate some things to other people.

In my business coaching practice, and in our franchise for business coaches we find that delegation is simply frightening for many people.

Why?

First of all, you may enjoy doing the thing you have to delegate...

You may think you do it better than anyone else. You imagine it won't get done properly...

And you know it won't get done your way. You might even believe if you don't do that thing, you won't have enough to do.

7 Simple Tips For Boosting Self-Confidence

Keywords: Confidence

Want to feel more confident? Use these 7 tips each day and watch your confidence soar...

1 Spend Time Each Day With Confident People

Their energy and inner strength is so inspiring that you will find yourself feeling more empowered just by listening to them talk.

And you can get tips from them. All you need to do is ask! Even one good idea could point you in a whole new direction you would not have otherwise considered.

2 Find A Mentor

Nearly all successful people have a mentor. You too need someone who has already done what you are working to achieve who is willing to advise you.

This person will help you to succeed even more quickly than you can imagine. Remember, two minds are better than one.

Strategies for Planning and Conducting Effective Meetings

Keywords: Business Meetings

Did you know that business executives spend about half their time sitting in meetings? In fact, 40 to 50 percent of their working hours are consumed by meetings, according to a study by the Annenberg School of Communications at UCLA and the University of Minnesota's Training & Development Research Center.

Meetings are inevitable - whether you’re a business executive or member of a volunteer, social, or civic organization. But meetings can be a very effective and efficient way to communicate, if properly planned and conducted. To help you pull off successful meetings, below are some key strategies to follow. You may only need to address a few of them, if you’re conducting an informal meeting. For a meeting with major consequences, you should give all or most of these areas careful consideration.

Prior to the Meeting

First, you’ll need to define the purpose of the meeting and develop an agenda with the cooperation of the key participants. Then distribute the agenda and circulate background material, lengthy documents or articles ahead of time. This will make participants feel prepared, involved and up-to-date, so they can be ready to make valuable contributions to the meeting.

95% of Workers Fail Because of This...But They Can Fix It

Keywords: Leadership

Did you know that your career success is based on your mastery of one important skill?

Failure to apply your leadership power usually prevents you from realizing success in the workplace.

The organizational chart may not show you as a leader but you can act like a leader if you choose to do so.

Leadership power is the primary cause of successful outcomes, great achievements and evolutionary progress.

Most people think only executives, presidents and generals possess any leadership power but the facts reveal another truth - power is held by those who know where to obtain it and how to share it with others.

The problem with many of us is this - we need to learn how to empower our skills, enhance our competence and energize our leadership power.

Power Principle 1 - Invest in your Infrastructure!

Your infrastructure contains the elements that will make leadership power available to you. You must invest the time and effort needed to build a strong, capable infrastructure.

Next Year's Planning

Keywords: Future Planning

I'm amazed at how each year slips by just a little more quickly.

Only a few weeks ago I was running the San Juan River in Utah - blazing sunshine and ninety degrees in the shade. Now it's Fall already. And hey, I live in Southern California - in some places it's almost winter. Friends of mine back East are talking about 30 degree temperatures - or colder. Even snow flurries.

Blink - and it will be November, then Thanksgiving, and right its heels - New Year's. All of which is great if you love to ski, or snowshoe...

Which brings me to every businessperson's favorite indoor sport - planning.

Each year around this time I urge clients to dust off last year's business plan and compare it to what is really going on. Because many people - believe it or not - forget what they committed to for the year. Oh - they know their sales and profit projections - but most people don't pay close enough attention to the other issues. Things like market development, new customer growth, distributor relationships, customer services improvements, even new products: all the things that make it possible for a businesses to grow and prosper year after year.