31st May
2010
You've made the break from the constraints of corporate life and
are excited to be establishing your new business as a
consultant. As an Independent Business Consultant (IBC) whether
that be in marketing, HR, IT or sales, you know that what you
have to offer is of high value and can create tremendous
benefits for your current and potential clients.
You know that what you offer is what your clients need
because you have researched your market, listened to clients and
you fully understand the ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
30th May
2010
Branding: It's more than a logo By Julie Chance How clear is
your image in the minds of your potential customers? How can you
bring that image into focus? Defining, developing and
maintaining a brand identity is the key.
The word 'branding' is frequently tossed about in the marketing
and advertising world by marketing professionals and customers
alike. Many times, what is being referred to as branding can be
more accurately described as logo development or corporate
identity programs at best. ...Read the rest of this entry »
Marketing
29th May
2010
The media has the power to influence your tradeshow efforts
whether it be in television, radio or print. Your job is to
target your endeavors to create a positive company image and
brand awareness of your products/services. How do you do that?
Outlined below are 27 important points to help maximize your
tradeshow effort. Before the show 1. Define and select your
target audience so that you can tailor your message directly to
the needs, concerns and interests of your prospects. 2. Ask ...Read the rest of this entry »
Marketing
28th May
2010
1. Submit a free press release.
Go to the site www.prweb.com and sign up today. Write a press
release about newsworthy items going on in your business. Use it
to announce new additions to your staff, a new book you have
written, or an upcoming workshop you plan to teach.
2. Write articles.
Write articles and submit them to websites, like
www.ideamarketers.com, www.goarticles.com, or
www.articlecity.com that offer them for free or fee to online
newsletters and ezines. You can include a ...Read the rest of this entry »
Marketing
27th May
2010
You've found the lamp, you've made your wish and you are waiting
excitedly for the genie to appear and you wait' and you wait and
yet' - nothing.
You've left the corporate world and discovered the joys of being
your own boss.
You've decided to be a consultant and make your fortune by
offering your years of experience and great range of skills to
anyone with a pulse.
You've told a few friends and family about what you are doing
and have even been to few meetings with past colleagues and
business ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
26th May
2010
You've made the break from the chains of working for the
corporate machine and have decided to become a consultant in
your specialist field, be that marketing, IT, HR or Sales.
You want the dream of working for yourself and creating greater
freedom in your life.
Many Independent Business Consultants (IBC) or those considering
becoming an IBC do what they do because
* They have worked successfully doing functional roles for an
organisation and they liked doing what they do
* They want to have ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
25th May
2010
THE CRISIS OF MODERNITY
Since the beginning of the industrial era our world has been
facing what some historians call an ongoing "crisis of
modernity". As fast as we adjust to new circumstances, the
circumstances change again, and, the rate of change seems to be
multiplying exponentially. Of all the demands imposed by twenty
first century leadership, perhaps the toughest is the ability to
not only manage change but to instigate it, control it and to be
it's master. Dealing with the ever ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
24th May
2010
Make your Book Stand Out From the Crowd: Know your Audience Judy
Cullins ©2005 All Rights Reserved.
Most authors say, "Everyone will want my book, and when I take
it to Oprah, it will sell millions, and I'll make millions, too."
Not exactly true. If you are writing a book you need to know
your specific audience. This gives your book its unique selling
point. Writing for your target audience focuses your writing and
gives your book a great advantage because you know and can
communicate your ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
23rd May
2010
Discover The Coach Within You
One of the three basic roles of leadership is the coach or
mentor. The best boss is often the best coach. (See:
http://tlc-leadership.com/the_three_faces_of_leadership) In
sports the coach is very conscious of his role but in the
business world most coaching is unconscious or even accidental.
Just as many a dad learned to coach by jumping in with his son's
baseball or hockey team or his daughter's basketball team most
manager / coaches learned the art through a ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
22nd May
2010
The customer service at Walt Disney World in Florida had always
been exemplary. Yet on this occasion, as the new
millennium began, there was something wrong...
We had been there a number of times. Ever since our first trip
there in 1980 - quite an adventure at that time when travelling
from the UK. On that very first visit, my wife was pregnant with
our first child, yet this visit in the year 2000, seemed to show
us how things had changed.
Back in 1980, we bought 'Disney Dollars' a gift ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
21st May
2010
Starting up a new venture or business can be one of the most
exciting times of your life. It can also be one of the most
stressful. In the early months, or even early years of your
business, cash flow is often not what you would like it to be.
If you're a solo entrepreneur, you're wearing many hats ' in
fact, you're probably wearing all of them.
Not only are you selling your product or service, you're
marketing it, doing the accounting, paying the bills, answering
the phones, designing and ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
20th May
2010
Starting your own business is one of the most challenging
journeys you can take in life. All business owners will tell you
that there are ups and downs, highs and lows...and tremendous
personal rewards.
Very few new business ideas are unique. It's more than likely
that you'll be setting up in competition with other businesses,
some of which will be established and doing well. Winning
business from them won't be easy, so to make a success of your
new venture you'll need to think about what ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
19th May
2010
Every training program should be examined for cost
effectiveness; that is, the value of the program to the cost of
implementing that program. The 8-Step Coaching
Model taught by CMOE is no exception. The following
story is an example of how one manager determined the worth of
the program.
A National Sales Manager, Jim, contacted me to discuss a problem
with one of his field reps, Fred, who lived in another part of
the country. Fred's performance had been seriously declining
and, despite Jim's ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
18th May
2010
You've left the corporate world behind. You're excited about
running your own business You know you've got lots of valuable
knowledge and experience to impart You know you are entering an
exciting new phase in your life.
SO WHAT?
So have hundreds of other people. What makes you different? What
makes you so sure you'll succeed?
* What are you actually going to do?
* What are you actually going to sell?
* Who are you actually going to sell it to?
* What are you actually going to need?
* What is ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
17th May
2010
If your hiring more than two people there is a distinct
possibility you made one employment mistake.
Would you agree that an employment candidate never looks better
than the day you interview and question them to work according
the job description ?
Do you sometimes feel, after making the decision for hiring,
that you may have an employee that will drain team performance ?
If you are being honest, your answer is yes and you wish you
could get help from an external consultant to work with ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
16th May
2010
Listening to your people. As in life, many things that work best
in business are the simplest things. In this easy to use
toolkit, the benefits of listening and the key tips of how to do
it best will help you manage to success...
Every day we communicate with those around us. At work, as in
our lives as a whole, we respond to the information we obtain.
Yet, so often, managers waste this valuable information
gathering time by telling their own story, instead of
listening to others and really ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
15th May
2010
What Work at Home Moms Can Learn by Watching "The Apprentice"
Yes, I'm a self-proclaimed addict of The Apprentice. I must have
my weekly dose of The Donald, Caroline, George and some
angst-ridden hopefuls vying for the top spot. My husband likes
to say he doesn't like the show. But puzzlingly, he always seems
to be around when the theme music comes on - if not within those
first three distinctive bass notes, then definitely by the time
the O'Jays are singing.
So just why do I like watching? ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
14th May
2010
By Carole Nicolaides, Copyright © 2003, All Rights Reserved
http://www.progressiveleadership.com What is the problem with
New Year's resolutions? They are supposed to symbolize a new
beginning, hope of doing things better, having more fun, and
improving energy and success levels in our lives. Yet, so many
people abandon them within a month (or earlier).
If you're like I used to be, you might have stopped creating
resolutions all together because you never followed through with
them. I had ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
13th May
2010
/p>
David had wanted all his life to be recognised as a "somebody" -
and it was this sub-conscious drive which has led to him
launching his own business ten years ago.
And while David's bull-headed determination had made a modest
success of his company, he was beginning to recognise that while
he was working hard - he was not achieving the results that he
had originally anticipated.
Understanding that he needed to find a way to work "smarter"
rather than harder, David had decided to see if ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
12th May
2010
Recruiting the best people into your organisation is the easiest
way to get the best performance.
Starting off well, is by
far the quickest and simplest method of having the right
employees in the right places. So here are a ten steps to
getting it right...
1. Be Clear on What You
Want
Having a vision for what you want from your
organisation, business or team is vital in the first
instance. Then you can get really clear on who you are looking
for, what they will bring to complement existing ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
11th May
2010
b>Delegation is a subtle, yet vital art in business. It can
work very effectively for you - but only if you use it well. And
use it for the benefit of all involved. There is a vital 'ground
rule' that you must accommodate. And that's around a clear
'level of authority' to act...
Most business owners, managers and executives who are successful
have a clear strategy for making the most of their own skills.
They, to quote Stelios Haji-Ioannou, founder of
easyJet, the originator of no-frills ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
10th May
2010
Customer service is the holy grail of most service and product
organisations. Yet there are three basics that are vital to go
further - to delight your customers...
The radio show I was listening to was debating the reasons for
rude and offhand customer service. I had to share with them the
three simple reasons for poor customer service
(interestingly, they let the phone ring out and cut me off after
a while, so not so special customer service at their end!).
So here are just three simple
...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
9th May
2010
Business runs at a fast pace. You need to consider ways in which
you can comfortably slow down. Because slowing down is
good for you and ultimately your business performance too...
You work better when your pace is slower. It gives
you the time to invest in others; in yourself. And it doesn't
mean you are underperforming - on the contrary, there are many
ways you will be better at what you do.
After all what are deadlines really? How many things in life can
survive if you leave them till the ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
8th May
2010
'Team' and 'I'. These two words are said not to fit together
very well. Let's explore why and whether we can't get value from
both...
By definition, a 'team' is a group of people working
together to a common goal. And from this definition has come the
well worn phrase, pitched on noticeboards of staff rooms in
organisations all around the world:-
"There is no 'I' in team"
Partly based on the mnemonic:-
T ogether
E ach
A chieves
M ore
...which values the togetherness of individuals, this
well ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
7th May
2010
Got any modern-day dinosaurs in your office? Here are some
examples of reptilian behavior in the workplace:
The reptilian brain, our oldest brain, operates at the level of
survival instinct. It's the life of easy choices -- Can I eat
it? Will it eat me? Can I mate with it?
This brain regulates basic life functions, generates strong
primitive emotions needed for survival (lust, fear, aggression),
doesn't take orders, and is so far away from "executive central"
(the neocortex) it doesn't even ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
6th May
2010
Management is all about being the one who facilitates business
or organisational success. Delivering the required results. It
can be daunting, yet with these ten simple ideas, it might not
be the impossible challenge...
Business is complicated. Organisations are horribly complicated.
Yet within that there are people who manage, who have
'cracked the code' for success. Success for themselves,
their people and overall, the organisations they run.
So if there are just 10 actions a great manager ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
5th May
2010
'As much as 80% of adult 'success' comes from EQ,' said Daniel
Goleman, author of 'Emotional Intelligence,' and he asserts the
difference between a 'good' leader and an 'excellent' leader is
85-95% attributable to emotional intelligence.
The Center for Creative Leadership has stated that 75% of
careers are derailed for reasons related to emotional
competencies, including 'inability to handle interpersonal
problems; unsatisfactory team leadership during times of
difficulty or conflict; or ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
4th May
2010
Delivering great employee performance is quite a skill,
some might say an art. You could do far worse than to invest in
this great little book, which is a delightful read...
In this early book from Ken Blanchard, he is able,
through a very precise focus on what makes leaders (and, I think
in this case, managers), get the very best from those
they employ, to describe a simple process for success.
For many, 'The One Minute Manager' is a revelation and I
have no doubt that it works. In my long ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
3rd May
2010
It has long been known that until something is sold, nothing
else happens. The selling profession is therefore one of the
most challenging and most profitable career paths one can
choose. And for those with an innate ability to sell, it can be
gratifying and profitable from day one. Others, who may want the
income and freedom that comes from sales but who are not as
naturally gifted, will benefit from a few specific tips on their
way to improving sales.
First, acknowledge what type of sales ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
2nd May
2010
Published Article 2002
Managing Your Department During a Corporate Crisis Sheri
Callahan Horizon Consulting Group, LLC 803-606-3650 Training,
Keynote Addresses, and Performance Consulting
www.onthehorizon.net
It is 11 pm; you have finally put up your feet and turned on the
nightly news. The first words you hear are the painful concerns
of hundreds of employees, as they are laid off in yet another
corporate crisis. Do thoughts of relief flood your mind that at
least it is not your company? What ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business
1st May
2010
Have you ever been to a meeting that seemed to be going nowhere
and was a waste of yours and everyone elses time?
Or have you ever been to a meeting where you wondered what had
been agreed?
Only to show up a month later and find out that there had been
no progress, partly because no-one knew what was expected of
them. So they kept quiet with their heads down!
How frustrating!
To save this being a problem, one possibility that works really
well is to have someone capture actions and who is ...Read the rest of this entry »
Business