Yearly Archives: 2015

Staying successful in business requires constantly evolving to stay in step with the market, the competition and the trends. One of the obstacles that can get in the way of growing your business and keeping it successful is your own unintentional narrow thinking. It is human nature to want to continue to do things the way you’ve always done them.

Making a conscious effort to break out of your normal thinking routine is one of the least expensive and best ways to see opportunities and possibilities to improve your business. Here are a few simple ways to help break your regular thinking routine.
1. Take a look outside your industry. We tend to evaluate our own processes, procedures and even our goals by how others in our own industry do business. Sometimes, however, you can find new and better ways of doing things by looking at other industries. In particular, it can be helpful to see how other industries measure their success and how they market to their customers.

2. Take a look at anything you haven’t changed in the last 24 months. Most of the time, we have the attitude that if something isn’t broken we shouldn’t fix it. However, when we fail to routinely evaluate our ways of doing things, we run the risk that we won’t notice something that actually is broken. For example, are you still running advertising through exactly the same channels? If so, when did you last evaluate how much business you receive from those channels? Take a look and see if it makes sense to switch up your advertising routine a little.

3. Look at a business that failed. Conversely, it’s a good idea to evaluate a business that didn’t make it to get ideas from a negative perspective. Evaluate the reasons a similar business failed to see if you’re making any of the same mistakes. This can be a really eye opening tool and can help you to fix problems before these become significant.
The key to keeping your business fresh and up to date is making sure you don’t get too comfortable in any of your routines. A successful business person is always looking for new and better ways to do even the most routine business tasks.

December brings a time of reflection and celebration for many people. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukah, or have no religious traditions during this time of year, it’s likely that you take some time from away from work to spend time with family and friends. It can seem difficult to take time away from business, especially when your work is thriving, but the traditions and the time away can be very important to your overall emotional well being.

Family traditions are important, regardless of the type of traditions you practice. These help you to remember your roots and reconnect to your past. It’s also a great way to pass these traditions from your past and pass them on to the generations of the future. As you practice traditions you’ll held for years, it causes you to reflect on those parts of your life that are most important. It is easier to put into perspective that pieces of your life that make you happiest when you take a little time away to celebrate the holidays.

December’s time off also offers a chance to recharge. You’ll be silly with your children, have a leisurely dinner with your spouse, sleep in a little and reminisce with your cousins. This pace gives both your mind and your body what it needs to head into the New Year at full speed. Rest and relaxation is a great way to fuel your creative spirit. You’ll likely find that you head back to work with new ideas and new fervor for your business.

So, however you and yours celebrate this time of year – make the most of it. Slow down physically and mentally and appreciate the loved ones around you. After all, aren’t these people the reason you work so hard throughout the rest of the year?

Time management is a much discussed topic among people with multiple priorities. We often thing we could get so much more done if we could manage our time a little better. However, this way of thinking may actually be hurting your efforts to get more done.

You see, managing time is impossible. Each of us has 24 hours in every day. Most of us devote 8-10 hours of that time to working, though many people who feel they don’t manage time well will work longer hours to try and get more done. Here are some questions you may be asking yourself if you feel that your time is not managed well.

How Do I Get It All Done?

Instead of trying to manage time, try managing your priorities within your allotted time. Start with the end of your day in mind, and work backward to build your schedule. If you need to go home at 5:30, plan your day with that assumption in mind.

Look at the number of hours you will devote to working and then review the tasks you need to accomplish. Rank them in order of importance. Basically, each day, you should have a list of “must do’s”, “should do’s” and “need to get to one day” tasks.

Plan your day around your “must do’s”. If you have time left over, work on the “should do” tasks. At the end of the day, take stock of what you’ve accomplished and prioritize your tasks for tomorrow. Some of those “should do’s” from today may have higher priority tomorrow.

What if I Can’t Get Through My “Must Do” List?

If you find yourself consistently unable to get through your “must do” list, it’s time to take stock of the number of tasks on your plate. Are there tasks you can delegate? If you plan to manage your life in a way that doesn’t allow work to completely take over, you have to pare your lists of tasks down to something that is manageable.

Do I Have Bad Habits?

Another item to consider, if you find yourself unable to get through your list of important tasks, is if you have bad habits that get in the way of your workday. Do you take long lunches or chat on the phone with friends? Do you find yourself jumping from task to task, without completing anything? If so, make sure to stay focused on the work at hand, so that you can get more accomplished in the time you have.

Managing time becomes much easier when you take the time to prioritize your work. Even if you don’t finish everything you wanted to do, you’ll go home much more relaxed knowing that the most important items were handled and that you know what needs to be accomplished tomorrow.

Listening is an important skill that many of us have not truly mastered. We may believe we’re good listeners, yet still miss many of the nuances that go on in every conversation. When you can improve your listening skills, you’ll find that you’re far more in tune to what’s really going on. You’ll also find that you are more respected and revered as a leader. Here are some things you can do to improve your listening skills starting with your very next conversation.

1. Listen without formulating a response. Very often, we are already thinking about what we’re going to say next, before the person has even finished speaking. Don’t begin to formulate your answer until the other person has finished. This will help you catch every word, as well as formulate a more well thought out response.

2. Listen without judging. Don’t spend your time thinking about how you feel about what the person is saying. Just hear them out.

3. Read between the lines. Body language, facial expression and tone of voice are all important to the overall communication you’re having with the other person. Pay attention to all of these parts of the conversation. It will help you to better understand the meaning behind the words.

4. Have an open mind. We often come into a conversation with the belief that we know what the person is going to say, or that we already understand their perspective. We may immediately anticipate how the conversation is going to turn out. We may go into it with a pre-set agenda. All of these things can cause us to not truly hear what the other person is trying to say. Go into every conversation believing that the other person is about to say something you need to hear. Then listen carefully and think objectively about what they have to say.

It is common for people to feel unheard. We often rush to judge or respond to what someone else is saying because we want to make sure we get our own message across. But, when you relax and truly listen to what someone else has to say, you may find that there is much less need for you to fret over your opinion being heard. Instead, you’re likely to find there’s far more common ground than you imagined.

As a business person, a good reputation is critical. One of the most important characteristics of a good leader is that they are dependable. Different people in your life depend on you for different things. Here are some things to consider as you look at how others can look to you to be dependable.

• Your employees – Your employees look to you for a source of income, so it is important that they can depend on you to take care of all human resources responsibilities in a timely fashion and in a way that is in their best interest. They should also be able to depend on you to be up front with them about the state of the business, and how it affects them.

• Your customers – Your customers rely on you to provide the product or service they expect. They expect you to be available when you are needed, and to provide a quality product or service at a fair price. They may also depend on you to give them advice in your field of expertise.

• Your business relationships – Your vendors, subcontractors and other business partners depend on you too. They look to you to treat them fairly and honestly and to keep your word. In many cases, their business may depend on how you and others like you conduct your business.

As you consider each of these business relationships and how each looks to you to be reliable, it is easy to see how a loss of trust in any of these relationships can be detrimental to both parties. When your employees, for example, find you untrustworthy, they may leave your employment. This can create a hardship for them, of course, but will likely create a hardship for you, as well, since you will have lost their expertise and all the time and money you invested in training them. Each of your relationships contributes to your personal and professional success, so take care to ensure that those people can depend on you.

As business owner or leader in a company, you are certainly aware that you are in a position of leadership. Others around you, particularly those who work for you, look to you for guidance and to teach them how to be a leader.

There are many ways to display effective leadership, but none is more powerful than leading by example. Leading by example has many benefits both to you and to those you seek to lead. Here are some things to consider.

1. Leading by example makes you accomplish more. When you recognize the people are watching your actions, as opposed to just your words, you are likely to do more and better things. Recognizing that you are leading in your example makes you more intentional in your actions. You will see each action you take as having an impact on others. You will see the benefit of being more personally productive just because you hone in on the idea that others are learning from your behavior.

2. You project a more sincere image. The world is full of leaders who talk about what should be done and how it should be done, but then live their own life in a totally different way. Those who lead by example are recognized as people who “practice what they preach”. You’ll gain far more respect with this leadership style.

3. You set the ethics bar higher. When you know others are watching you, you are more careful about what you do and say. You are more likely to keep yourself in check when you know others are watching.

The fact is, you are leading by example whether you choose to lead this way or not. As a person in a leadership role, others are watching what you say and how you act. Your actions will have an impact on how these people conduct themselves, and on the type of leader they will become. So, make it a point to ensure that the example you set is one you can be proud of.

Any major pursuit in life is a big undertaking. There are often many months and many steps required to reach a goal. Because of this, major accomplishments can seem overwhelming, and this feeling causes many people to give up on their goal.

There’s a very old joke that speaks to the problem of overcoming an overwhelming goal. It goes like this: “How do you eat an elephant?” “One bite at a time.”

This old saying is a great way to remember that no major goal can be accomplished at once. Any big undertaking must be taken just like eating an elephant – one small bite at a time. There are several advantages to breaking your undertaking down into several steps.

1. Breaking your goal down into smaller steps gives you a plan. When you list the small steps in sequential order, you immediately have a plan to follow to reach your goal. Take it one step at a time, and you’ll get there.

2. It’s easy to measure your effectiveness. When you measure how you accomplish each smaller goal, you’ll be able to see if you’re on track to reach the larger goal.

3. You’ll avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed. When you break a large goal down into smaller ones, you can get a sense of accomplishment regularly, and you’ll feel that you’re making progress. It is this feeling of accomplishment that helps you stay motivated toward achieving the larger goal.

4. Consistency is easier. When you are able to work on smaller goals and you see accomplishment regularly, you are likely to be more consistent in your overall efforts. When you are measuring yourself only in larger goals, it can be tempting to feel the need for a break once a goal is achieved. With smaller goals, you get just as much accomplished, but you don’t feel so exhausted when you finish.

The work is the same whether you attack a project as one large task or several smaller ones. However, the psychological advantages attained by breaking that elephant into small bites may be just what you need to keep going until you reach your goal.

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And, I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” Edward Everett Hale

When you are busy with business and life responsibilities, it can be easy to neglect doing things in your community. We often think that because we don’t have a lot of time or a lot of money, our contributions are worthless. However, giving back to your community is important at all stages of your life and of your career. Everyone can give. And, every little bit helps when it comes to time and money. Here are three reasons why it’s important to give back to your community even when your time and money are limited.

1. It makes you feel good. The stress of everyday life can take its toll. We all need rest, but that rest shouldn’t necessarily be just sitting at home with our feet up. Doing work that is different than what we do for a living and that makes us feel as though we’ve made a difference can be relaxing and invigorating at the same time.

2. It gives you a fresh perspective. You may learn some very valuable lessons for your business while volunteering. You may see new ways of doing things or managing resources. You may also meet some potential customers.

3. It looks good for you and your business. In today’s society, people desire the chance to do business with people who are part of the fabric of the community. When you volunteer and give in your community, others will see you as being willing to make a contribution, as opposed to being someone who is only in the community to make money from it.

You may feel that you don’t have one more minute in your day to add another activity. Your purse strings may be stretched so tight that you can’t imagine making a contribution to anything else. But, once you get out in your community and see what a difference you can make, you’ll be hooked!

Have you given thought to your own legacy? When we hear the term, it can conjure up many different ideas, including leaving wealth to your family and having your name remembered. As a businessperson, your legacy can mean other things, as well. Your business, and the difference you make in your community can contribute to your legacy, and can ensure that you leave a lasting mark.

Planning your legacy starts with thought. It is important to consider what legacy you desire to leave. Maybe you want simply to have a reputation as an ethical business person, or maybe you want to ensure that you give back to your community through charitable work and contributions. Once you have thought through how you want to be remembered, it’s time to put a plan in action. This is the step many people miss. They know how they want others to remember them, but they fail to take the steps required to ensure that the vision becomes a reality.

Determine the specific steps you will take to ensure your legacy is one you can be proud of. This may include things like putting away money for family members or buying a life insurance policy with your favorite charity listed as the beneficiary. It may be as simple as setting aside a certain number of hours each week to volunteer for your favorite organization, or ensuring that your business sponsors a charity event in the community each year.

It can be fairly simple to decide how you want to be remembered, but without action, your ideas mean nothing. Planning a legacy can be difficult for many people, because it requires consideration of how life will go on after you have died.

Though planning your legacy can be a little unsettling for some people, once the task is complete, you are likely to gain a sense of peace about the future. With an action plan in place, you can gain peace in the knowledge that you have an idea of how you will be remembered long after you are gone, and know exactly the steps you will take to ensure this memory.