Member You - Business

Starting a Business Without Engineers
Today I'd like to talk about the skill set required to start a business. Specifically, do you need to have a background in engineering?I hear this used most frequently as an excuse."It's just too technical for me to understand.""I was never good with numbers.""Things have changed so much since I was in school."But at the end of the day, these are just that: excuses. I'm here to tell you that engineering is not only NOT required to start a successful business, it could actually hurt your chances! And this is coming from someone who has their degree in engineering! Engineers are preoccupied with what is possible and what isn't. Entrepren

ore important than all the other work that is piling up? Can they possibly fit hers request into their schedule? If they can't get it in, what other options can Mary choose to get her presentation ready?

She then creates a timeline, which includes interim deadlines and checkpoints.

Now she again thinks through what this means to the others involved, and why they will make the time to get her project done. How can she recognize the others for doing their job? Is simple "thanks" enough, or would a little verbal appreciation be appropriate. When she closes the sale, maybe she'll send a treat basket or bring in a pizza for everyone involved.

Finally, Mary thi

The Dynamic Power of Hope
"If you ask (people) what they want in a leader, they usually list three things: direction or vision, trustworthiness, and optimism. Like effective parents, lovers, teachers, and therapists, good leaders make people hopeful." — Warren Bennis, An Invented Life: Reflections on Leadership and ChangeSomeone once said to the bestselling author and television pastor, Robert Schuller, "I hope you live to see all your dreams fulfilled." He replied, "I hope not, because if I live and all my dreams are fulfilled, I'm dead. It's unfulfilled dreams that keep you alive."Hope is one of the most powerful sources of energy ever known to humankind. Without hope, we slip from living to just existing. H

Mary, an executive vice president of a large company, was frustrated. She had big plans for her division, but when she handed a project off to one of her managers, it would end up either completed late, or not completed at all. She was ready to fire the entire group and start over!

Because she knew she had good people in the positions, we helped her look at her part in project leadership and conveying a vision to her team.

She already successfully uses "outcome-based strategy" for project planning. This involves the following steps: Think through the outcome you want and the benefits you'll receive. Then think through the outcome the customer or employee receives, including what they want, and the benefits to them.

The missing piece of this puzzle is "Outcome-Based Conversations". The same key issues Mary knew so well from her strategy or sales processes can also be applied to her communication process...not just with customers, but also co-workers, employees, and family members!

Build the Outcome

Let's say you need to ask a co-worker to help you with a project. Take five minutes to think about the end result you want--what is the ideal outcome? What is the worst-case outcome? What would it mean to you to achieve either one?

Let's go back to our example:

Mary needs her marketing department to develop some material for a crucial presentation to their client. In the past, Mary would make a quick phone call, or catch the marketing person in the hallway, briefly give the requirements...and run off to the next meeting (time is valuable, after all!). The marketing person, recognizing that his time is valuable, tosses the request on top of his stack of other "urgent requests" and moves on to his top priority (which at this point isn’t Mary, understandably).

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This time, Mary takes an "Outcome Based Conversation" approach. First, she pictures exactly what she would like to have the outcome to be. In this case, she will have a brochure that describes the new product, some pictures, a sample, all the prices, and a PowerPoint presentation. She sees herself giving the presentation, and realizes that she missed including the manufacturing division, so she includes that person in the process. Now she goes back to the visualization. The presentation goes smoothly, the customer loves the product, Mary makes the sale, and can now afford to go on vacation.

She lists everything she needs and who will be needed to provide it. To guide her thinking, she asks herself these questions: What will this sale mean to the employees involved? How will they benefit? What's in it for them? Why is her request more important than all the other work that is piling up? Can they possibly fit hers request into their schedule? If they can't get it in, what other options can Mary choose to get her presentation ready?

She then creates a timeline, which includes interim deadlines and checkpoints.

Finally, Mary thin

Why Clients Sometimes Back Out and What to Do About It
Have you ever celebrated a new client signing up, only to get an email saying they’d now like to back out? There’s nothing like hearing news like that to make the celebrating end on the spot.If you’re like any (honest) self-employed service provider, you’ve experienced this before, probably many times. I know I have over years of signing on clients. Sometimes, for some reason, the brand new client decides to back out and not go forward with working with you, even BEFORE starting the work. There’s nothing more frustrating.Do you let them just walk away, or do you DO something about it? In my opinion, how to respond is directly related

es, including what they want, and the benefits to them.

Build the Outcome

Let's go back to our example:

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She then creates a timeline, which includes interim deadlines and checkpoints.

Finally, Mary thi

Cross Promotions for Small Business
You can grow your business through effective community based cross promotions. Leverage your core strengths with that of others and keep your marketing costs in check.Patricia Fripp and Susan RoAne are buddies, and professional speakers. They both live in Northern California. When they attend an event together, they network, and cross-promote at the same time by giving each other a glowing endorsement.First, Fripp will introduce RoAne to someone neither has met saying, “She’s (RoAne) too modest to tell you, but…” Then Fripp raves about RoAne’s accomplishments. Then RoAne says, “She (Fripp) is also too modest to tell you…” And, then RoAne brags about Fripp.The beauty of this ide

some material for a crucial presentation to their client. In the past, Mary would make a quick phone call, or catch the marketing person in the hallway, briefly give the requirements...and run off to the next meeting (time is valuable, after all!). The marketing person, recognizing that his time is valuable, tosses the request on top of his stack of other "urgent requests" and moves on to his top priority (which at this point isn’t Mary, understandably).

Eliminate Misunderstandings Page 2

She then creates a timeline, which includes interim deadlines and checkpoints.

Finally, Mary thi

5 Simple Steps To Developing a Powerful Client-Attracting Marketing Message
Step 1 – Who is Your Target Market?If you don’t know who your clients are how do you know where to find them? This is a mistake I see many solo-professionals make.In their attempt to contact everyone you are actually targeting nobody. As the old adage goes: "when everybody's your customer, nobody's your customer". It’s what I call ‘spraying and preying’, and it inevitably results in increased marketing cost with fewer results.When you know exactly who your clients are, you will know where to find them, what the best medium for communicating with them will be and what matters to them most. Everything you do becomes more targeted thus cutting your marketing cost considerab

brochure that describes the new product, some pictures, a sample, all the prices, and a PowerPoint presentation. She sees herself giving the presentation, and realizes that she missed including the manufacturing division, so she includes that person in the process. Now she goes back to the visualization. The presentation goes smoothly, the customer loves the product, Mary makes the sale, and can now afford to go on vacation.

She then creates a timeline, which includes interim deadlines and checkpoints.

Finally, Mary thi

Managers Reward Behaviors They Want Repeated
This basic management principle will go a long way toward helping managers raise the productivity of their organizations. Yet, in their haste to get the job done, many managers forget this principle and focus more on punishment than reward.Back in my corporate life, my company hired a management trainer to come into our organization to help us fine-tune our management skills. I’ll never forget one of the techniques he used to teach us this principle.First, he sent one of the seminar attendees out of the room. Then he asked one of us to hide a playing card. If I remember correctly, the card was hidden inside one of the books on the shelf in the meeting room. The attendee was then

She then creates a timeline, which includes interim deadlines and checkpoints.

Finally, Mary thinks through the phrasing she'll use. She knows, "Get this done or else!" won't work, and she also knows the team members are quite busy. With this in mind, Mary approaches the conversation with a friendly tone, "I need your help--can you find ten minutes today to talk about a project that will help us reach our numbers?"

This way, her team member can enter the deadlines on the calendar, fully understand the scope and importance of the project, and Mary can even offer to make a quick reminder call to the team member before the deadline.

Mary reported that, at first, this process seemed unnecessary and unwieldy, but she quickly discovered that the preparation resulted in a smooth delivery of the needed materials. In fact, it went so smoothly that Mary's results started to climb after years of stagnation. She now has time to focus on the big picture instead of rushing around just before a deadline.

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Summary of Outcome-Based Conversation:

1. Stop and think. What do you really want to happen? Who is involved? What is their situation, and what will they need from you? How can you make their life easier? What other options are available, that will help you achieve your goal?

2. Keep the focus and tone positive. If your employee hasn't delivered on time in the past, help that person set interim deadlines, and create a support structure so they can deliver this time.

3. What is in it for your employee? A little verbal appreciation goes a long way.

4. Set deadlines and checkpoints, both for yourself, and your team members. This way, you will be relaxed and on top of things, instead of scrambling at the last minute.

5. Think through your phrasing, and ask your employee to explain what they heard you say. This technique allows you to correct any misconceptions before they become problems. Keep it light and fun. You'll be delighted with your results!

A man who does not think and plan long ahead

will find trouble right at his door.

Confucius

BC 551-479 Chinese Ethical Teacher Philosopher

For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.

Unknown

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In order to form a corporation in California, the first step is to reserve a corporate name. The articles of incorporation are drafted and submitted to the California Secretary of State, Corporate Division. After the articles of incorporation have been submitted, the first meeting of directors and stock issuance will be held. The basic formation of a California corporation is thus complete. The following points constitute a guide to California corporations.

Successful product branding is critical to long term growth. What is decided upon at the outset and then what is changed contributes greatly to the way the public comes to accept the product.

KSA stands for knowledge, skills and abilities. It is a supplemental document that will be required for many jobs in the federal government. If it is a requirement, your application will be disqualified if you do not write and include one. If you do not write one that is good, your quality ranking factor will be low. Read more...

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