Need a New Idea? Try Changing Your Perspective

Keywords: Changing Your Business

One definition of creativity states that creative people look at the same thing everyone else does, yet they see something no one else does.

But even creative people (which includes all of you, of course) can run into roadblocks every now and then. Sometimes it's not possible to see something different. Sometimes you've just been staring at a problem for so long it's now impossible to look at it in any other way.

So what do you do in these situations?

Why not try changing your perspective?

Consider this: A friend of mind who does needlepoint has a design that's mostly black. Rather than simply stitching the design on white canvas with black thread, she's using a black canvas and is stitching the negative aspects of the design instead of the positive.

She changed the way she viewed the problem. And now she has a really cool-looking needlepoint design that's different from most other ones out there.

Or what about this: An art teacher has her students turn a photograph or object upside down and paint what they see -- not a picture but an arrangement of shapes.

If You Don't Measure It...It Won't Happen

Keywords: Yearly Goals

January is over and many folks are finding that their goals, resolutions, and resolve that started in the New Year have melted with the snow. “I always begin the year with lots of ideas to improve my life at work and at home,” one retail executive laments, “But then I get busy with the day to day tasks and they seem to fall by the wayside.”

The problem may be measurement. If you don’t measure it…it won’t happen.

Too often, people set “trophy goals” for themselves, i.e.; increase sales 20%, streamline operations, lose ten pounds, or make more time for family. These trophy goals are great for visioning where you want to be in the future. But they are useless to actually achieve the goals.

For goals to be accomplished they have to be broken down into smaller increments that can be measured on a daily basis; they must be turned into “process goals.” Also referred to as “incremental goals,” they must be concrete, have a time frame, and be measurable to be successful.

Trophy goals can be converted to process goals by asking the question, “What do I need to do on a daily, weekly, monthly basis to make this happen?” Then make a list of the answers in the left column of a paper. Include as many ideas as possible so that if some of the steps are difficult or don’t work, you don’t get stuck. Then create check boxes or lines that you can mark on a daily basis to track your progress.

Turnarounds and Workouts: What's the 2005 Forecast?

Keywords: Business Predictions

Clearly, the trend of large company insolvencies that started in 1999 has come and gone. Most of us in the turnaround industry expect the next few years to have much slimmer pickin's.

We won't spend much time explaining why the cycle of distress has ended. It's clear to industry insiders that: 1) big company bankruptcies, which drive the turnaround industry, are way down; 2) non-performing assets (NPAs) of most lenders are again within fully reserved levels; 3) bank workout staffing is down 25-75%; 4) capital funding returned to the market in late 2003 in all segments—equity sponsors, high-yield bonds, M&A activity, even cash-flow lending; 5) the U.S. economy is expanding in almost all sectors, and; 6) the boom-to-bust cycles of "hot" industries (internet, telecom, energy) driven by technology or regulatory changes have mostly run their course.

So what's a turnaround consulting firm to do when near-term business is likely to drop by 50% or so? The obvious solutions are being worked by many of us: skill redeployment to front-end M&A work; diversification into services such as M&A and litigation support; and geographic expansion, mostly to Western Europe, where local laws are evolving toward debtor-friendly rehabilitation.

Top 10 Causes of Workplace Stress

Keywords: Stressors

According to CNN-Money.com, Americans spent more than $17 billion for anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs in 2002, up 10% from the year before and nearly 30% over a two year period.

The Institute for Management Excellence reports that American industry spends more than $26 billion each year for medical bills and disability payments with another $10 billion for executive's lost workdays, hospitalization, and early death.

While these trends might be caused by some who are simply intolerant to stressful situations, it should also be recognized that properly managed circumstances can reduce stress, maximize employee productivity, and improve the living conditions of everyone.

Out of control stress also costs companies through increased absenteeism, lack of enthusiasm for the job, poor performance, and bad attitudes. Improvements in each of these areas can bring improved productivity and increased profits.

To find out what is most stressful to employees, Bill Wilkerson, CEO of The Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health, conducted a survey and reported the ten top sources.

Planning Procedures for Building Effective Management Systems

Keywords: Management Planning

Have you ever had the opportunity to watch the construction of a large building? The daily progress from foundation to top floor is truly amazing, and if you're like me, you wonder "how does it all happen?" The answer: it takes a lot of planning.

The Planning Phase

A complex construction job clearly requires planning in excruciating detail to orchestrate materials and manpower. Inadequate planning can result in waste, delays and a shoddy end-product.

Building an effective management system is equally dependent on executing a strong planning phase. This article is the second of five that describe how to build such a system in your organization.

Writing Procedures

The planning stage is arguably the most important step in any large-scale project. If you fail to plan properly, everything else will likely follow this failure.

Job Seekers Beware: Statistics Show that New Year’s Resolutions are Doomed for Failure

Keywords: Business Planning

A survey conducted by Gail Kasper, LLC, a leading speaking and coaching company, found that American’s aren’t taking their futures very seriously. Specifically, 51% of those surveyed do not have New Year’s resolutions. Of those who do, 79% don’t have a plan to achieve them. According to the Department of Labor, over 400,000 unemployed individuals are NOT actively seeking employment because they do not feel that there are jobs available for them. With unemployment at a all high, job seekers, must stay the course, have a game plan, and maximize holiday opportunities or they will find themselves amongst the 91% of American’s who won’t be achieving their goals in the New Year.

The survey which was complete by a random group of 104 adults over 18 years of age, also asked respondents to identify the biggest issue that prevents them from achieving their New Years Resolutions or goals. The top 3 reasons identified were as follows:

Procrastinating 33%
Lack of discipline 24%
No game plan 19%

Interestingly enough, 10% of individuals felt the biggest issue that prevents them from achieving their New Year’s Resolutions or goals was “doing it alone.”

Management, Balance & Time - 10 Tips for Managing Overwhelm in your Business

Keywords: Business Balance

How many of us have been in a position where we have more to do than can realistically fit into one day, or week. So we spend all of our time feeling rushed, being rushed, and wondering how on earth we are going to manage. If you are having that feeling of overwhelm in your business, it’s time to take stock of what’s going on.

How well you manage yourself and the time you have, is crucial to your success. Wasted time equals lost opportunities. Lost opportunities equal lost business and profits.

Time can’t be “saved” – it’s an impossibility. You can’t find more of it – it’s a fixed commodity. You can only manage your activities as time passes. So how are you spending the 60 seconds in each minute - the 60 minutes in each hour - the 1,440 minutes in each day?

What you need is to achieve is working on your top priorities in the most effective way. Here are 10 great strategies for doing just that.

Writing Your Business Plan is Actually Storytelling

Keywords: Business Plan

Storytelling and writing a business plan actually go hand in hand. The same ingredients used in telling a story are also used in writing a business plan. Let’s use the Executive Summary as an example.

The usual advice give to write this part of a business plan is something along these lines:

• This is the most important part of your plan because it is where potential investors will focus their attention most on.

• Keep the length of this Executive Summary to no more than three pages.

Creating Customer Awareness By Asking The Right Questions

Keywords: Correct Customer Service

Open-ended questions are one of the sales professional’s most vital tools. They are ten times more effective if followed up by great listening skills. They help gather information, qualify sales opportunities and establish rapport, trust and credibility. This is critically important since 71% of the buying decision is based on trust between you and the prospect.

Not only will you create customer awareness, you will also be learning more about your client, which will strengthen the relationship.

With such core value to the sales process, the professional leaves little to chance when it comes to owning an arsenal of powerful open-ended questions. These are questions that are answered by more than a simple yes or no. They can begin with: Who, What, Where Why, When, How, Tell, Share…

They are designed to get the prospect or customer directly involved in the sales dialogue. As a sales professional, you will be known or forgotten by the questions you ask. One of your most basic fundamental objectives is to say something to the customer or prospect that will buy you another 30 seconds.

Your ability to create dialogue, get it going and keep it going will be a determining factor in how successful the encounter goes. This is your opportunity to make the prospect feel important by asking thought provoking, empowering questions. Articulating yourself in a clear and effective manner is a skill that must be developed and practiced on a daily basis.

Ten Strategies for Getting Off to a Good Start

Keywords: Business Etiquette

A day in the life of every businessperson is made up of a series of meetings and greetings. Whether you are making the initial contact with a client or a colleague, you want to get off on the right foot. Doing so will make the first encounter and subsequent ones go smoothly and easily. Getting off on the wrong foot can make for a difficult recovery. Save your energy for later and use these simple strategies for a successful start.

1. Stand up when you meet someone. This allows you to engage the person on an equal level - eye to eye. By remaining seated, you send a message that you don't think the other person is important enough to warrant the effort it takes to stand. If you find yourself in a position where you can't stand up (such as being trapped behind a potted plant) offer an apology and an explanation. You might say something like, "Please excuse me for not getting up. I can't seem to get around the foliage."

2. Smile. Your facial expression says more than your words. Look as if you are pleased to meet the other person regardless of what is on your mind. Put a smile on your face for the person standing before you.

Can You Talk Yourself Into Success?

Keywords: Success

You’ve tried and failed. You’ve watched others fall. You’re wiped out, burned out, and beaten. Is there any way to turn it all around?

If you’re reading this, than likely you have been working very hard at realizing a goal that now seems out of reach. It does not matter whether that goal is related to diet, creating a home business, getting a promotion, finishing a difficult course, or mastering a talent. The one common factor is that our past can, and will, affect our future success.

So, if nothing has worked, shouldn’t you throw in the towel? Learn from your mistakes and quit while you’re ahead?

Think of this: What’s Possible?

Why say Possible?

Motivational speaker, Les Brown, shares an interesting lesson with us when he points out that past perceptions influence our projected images of success or failure. Consider what changes can be made when you see that others before you have conquered the same battles, and same fears, and created a successful outcome. And consider that if it was possible for them, than it IS possible. Period.

Top 8 Ways to Make Your Business a Success

Keywords: Success

Do you remember that day when you decided that you would go into business for yourself? The day that you decided that you want to control your own destiny. The day when you decided that your job is not what you expected in your life and wanted to do something about it.

If you are in business or thinking about going into it, you need to use some strategies so that your business goes in the right direction. Here are 8 unique strategies that you can use to make your business a success.

1. Write down your “WHY”.

Why are you really in this business that you are in? What made you start your business? Why are you doing this? Is it because that you want to be your own boss? Is it because you wanted more freedom and time to spend with your family? More money? Is it because you wanted to control your own destiny? What ever your WHY is, you need to know it so that it keeps you going when things are not going well for you.

10 Tips To Protecting Your Business

Keywords: Business Protection

American business owners lose billions annually to crime. With the crime rate constantly rising, small businesses owners are more alert than ever to business security issues. Here are 10 questions and brief answers that point out where a small business can be vulnerable:

1. Did you know that over 60% of temporary employees have criminal records?

Don't you, as an employer, take it for granted that the temp agency you hire employees out of has the resources to do a complete background check on all their applicants before sending them to you? How thoroughly do they check an applicant's background beyond a credit check, resume, or application information, and are felons always going to be truthful on their applications?

Before you use the services of a temp agency, you should check into THEIR background. Know just how thoroughly they check their applicants and ask if you are being informed of the results from criminal background checks.

2. Could you be sued or prosecuted for what you throw out in your trash?

Identity theft from your personal information is just one dumpster dive away once your garbage is put out for collection in an area that has public access. Items of interest to the thief could be old credit card bills, utility bills, phone bills, etc. You would be surprised at the information these items give up.

Write, Publish and Market a Book with No Out-of-Pocket Money

Keywords: Books

Do you dream of having a book published, but don't know where to turn? Already have a book, but unsure of how to promote it? Looking for cost effective high-return strategies to market your book? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the following information is for you.

Many writers and aspiring authors are under the mistaken belief if their book is published by a publishing house they can sit back and watch sales miraculously happen. Nothing could be further from the truth. Fact is, competition to have your manuscript noticed and published by a large house is extremely fierce. Additionally, no matter who publishes your book, you absolutely must take an active roll in marketing, promoting and selling your book.

Moreover, profit margins are not extremely good when you go through a publisher. Sure, if you sell tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of books, you make substantial amounts of money. In reality only a small percentage of writers achieve this level of success.

A great model for achieving success is to self-publish and actively promote your book. Self-publishing is one of the best ways to get your manuscript to market quickly is to. Another great benefit of self-publishing is you have complete control of the creative process. You make the decisions on content, editing, cover design, title and you reap the profits.

How to Use the Holidays to Build Business

Keywords: Holidays

The holidays present the opportunity to send cards and token gifts without recrimination. You can touch base with people who you have lost touch with and avoid feeling awkward about it.

Over the years I have received numerous holiday gifts from business associates, some more expensive than others. As the holiday approaches, I am always reminded of the people who have been creative and innovative in sending me a holiday gift. Among the creative gift/trinket items that I have received were an oversized chocolate bar (my favorite since I am a chocoholic) with the company name on it, a funky desk calendar, holiday wrapping paper, ornaments for my tree and many more. In any case, the gift puts that person back in the loop. It forces me to think about the person that sent the item and what it is that they do. It makes me consider them as a resource. They move to the top of my memory book. Remember, that's the system that helps me prioritize my referrals and people that I can help get business.

10 Ways To Generate New Articles Ideas And Topics

Keywords: Ideas

1. Brainstorm for new ideas.

Add your brainstormed ideas to an idea file that you can go back to when you are stuck for a topic.

Also add ideas you get from other sources into this file so that you'll always have a fresh source of inspiration.

2. Visit forums and message boards.

Look for an interesting topic or thread in the posts that you can turn into a new article.

3. Check out newspapers and news programs.

Depending on what you like to write about, you could find some new hot topics.

4. Subscribe to e-zines that reach your target audience.

You'll be able to get new, relevant information that could spark an idea for an article.

Keep Business Reports Brief

Keywords: Reports

The point of a business report is to communicate information, or an opinion, and sometimes to persuade or convince. To do this effectively the two keywords are brevity and clarity.

When you read some reports you wonder what they are trying to achieve. They are too long, too verbose, and too vague. When you get to the end you wonder what was the point of it.

Don't say in a hundred words what you can say in ten. It does not impress in a business environment. You are not trying to win literary prizes. You are trying to transfer information from one person to another. Don't use flowery phrases when you can spell it out with short and simple words.

Don't use jargon when it is not universally understood. Don't use acronyms without an explanation. Explain all specialist terms and abbreviations. Use footnotes or an appendix if this helps to prevent breaking up the flow.

Don't assume pre-existing knowledge in the reader unless you are certain of it. Don't assume that he hold the same initial opinions as you if your report builds upon them. If everything you say flows logically from an initial assumption, you need to establish the truth of that first.

5 Simple Strategies for Keeping Your Life Stuck

Keywords: Motivation

One of the most common statements I hear when I talk with potential clients is, "I feel stuck." People find themselves feeling stuck in different ways. They may be in a relationship that no longer is working, but they don't know how to leave. They may have a dream of starting their own business, but aren't exactly sure where to begin. Or they may just want to incorporate more fun in their lives, but aren't sure how to make that happen.

The feeling of being stuck is very familiar for most of us. Even though our lives seem to be in constant motion, very little of that motion actually moves us forward. We are similar to a log-jam in a river. The river is rushing all around us, but we aren't going anywhere. Why is it so easy for us to lose life's flow? What is it about the way we live our lives that leads us towards "stuck"?

There are probably many answers to these questions. In this article I will talk about 5 of the most common behaviors I see that hold us back from living the lives we really want to live.

Believing What You Think

The average mind has about 60,000 thoughts a day and most of us believe about 99% of what we think. Some of our thoughts are a product of how we were raised and the culture in which we live. Others are the product of our mind synthesizing our observations into our own brilliant deductions about the world. Our thoughts help us make sense of our world and our life so it is only logical that we hold our thoughts to be the truth.

The Simple Steps to Reaching Your Goals

Keywords: Goals

I'm sure this is not the first time you have heard about goal setting. The reason you keep hearing about it is because it really is important to your life.

A good definition of goals is that they are dreams with deadlines. Yes, you can make your dreams come true. How do you want your life to be 10 years from now? How about 5 years, next year, or even 6 months from now.

The only difference between setting goals for your business or career, and setting personal goals is the subject matter. With commitment and persistence, and setting goals, your life can be any way you want it.

When you actually sit down and start identifying goals, you will probably end up with a long list. Decide what is most important to you in your business and personal lives.

All goals do not have equal value. Some will be more meaningful to you. These are the goals to start on. Keep your list of the remaining goals to get back to later. Trying to do too much at the same time can be self-defeating.

Once you have selected the goals to start on, give each goal a deadline.

Targeting "Locals" on Search Engines

Keywords: Search Engines

Surprisingly, 22 million small- and medium-sized businesses spend 46% of their advertising budgets on Yellow Pages marketing and allocate only 3% for search engine keywords.

If you or your clients have a click-and-mortar or brick-and-mortar business and are not taking advantage of the new local search engine marketing (SEM) programs, you are missing out on highly targeted traffic for a fraction of the price of national SEM.

A New Kelsey Group survey of 3,887 online consumers in early September revealed the following:

-- More than 74% of survey respondents said that they had conducted local searches

-- Approximately 45% of local searches had a buying intent