I have often been asked what the best way to start a business is You can purchase a franchise or set up your own business from scratch. Different approaches suit different people.
The world is rife with franchise opportunities.Franchises are everywhere.A key benefit in buying into a franchise is that you essentially get a readymade business. When you buy a franchise, you can usually rest assured that every aspect of your new business has already been considered by someone. There are many different franchises available. Some will give you the business name, equipment and everything you need for start up, others only give you the basics and you still have to buy or lease a location, purchase equipment and the inventory you will need.
The negatives of buying a franchise however are that you are not free to change much of your business model, and of course the initial outlay. Visit the Key Mergers website for more information or if you would like to f you would like to buy a business or for details of available franchises.
Starting from zero and building a you very own company however means that you can grow the business organically over time, you can limit your initial outlay and you can be as creative with the direction of your business as you like. However, your model may not be tried and tested and you will likely have to develop your own support network from the ground up along with your business.
At the end of the day, the decision whether to buy a franchise or follow your own path are dependent on what your want to get out of the enterprise. There is a trade-off between creativity, fleximility, risk and reward.
I recently completed 2 weeks of jury service and it’s an interesting and fascinating experience. Obviously I can’t tell you about specific cases but I do have some thoughts on the process of being part of a jury.
In my first week, I was the foreman of our jury and that meant facilitating the discussion and making sure everyone could express their point of view and that we all agreed on our verdict.
During the course of our deliberations a number of things became apparent.
Many people have prejudices that they don’t realise they have.
Many people assume their view of the world is the “right” view
Many people don’t really understand the influence they have on other people - directly or indirectly.
It was quite scary how some individuals were convinced of the defendants guilt purely based on a perception of who they thought they were. Whole scenarios, stories and pictures were being created about what probably happened, what they probably did, said and behaved like and what “that type” of person is like.
When I pointed out that we must only base our decisions on the facts as presented to us and the law as directed by the judge, some people saw they were “making up” evidence based on their assumptions and perceptions but others got quite irritated and couldn’t see that what they were basing their views on was pure speculation, assumption and prejudice.
This got me thinking that we all make assumptions at times, which are often only based on our view of the world. This is usually not done with mal intent or consciously but purely because we se the world in our own way based on our own experience through life.
However, the danger in doing this is that it can prevent us being fair, just and seeing beyond our own experiences. We might therefore miss opportunities, be blind to different perspectives and not take a balanced view.
Have you ever assumed?
* Big companies only work with big consulting firms
* Price is the most important thing
* It didn’t work before therefore it won’t work this time
* I don’t have time for planning
* Customers only want one thing - a deal!
* Business is a numbers game so I need to meet laods of new people
There are more I’m sure and I urge you to recheck your assumptions of your clients, your business and your everyday dealings with people. Are you being fair and just based on the facts and evidence presented or are you making it up?
Beverley Hamilton works with independent business consultants to help them grow a profitable consultancy and still have time for their life.
You can get my Free Ecourse Discover the 5 Most Common Incorrect Assumptions Independent Business Consultants Make and a complimentary subscription to Quickstart, the newsletter specifically for consultants. Go to One Step Further for more instantly accessible resources. Your future Your choice
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In 1997, David Steele was making the transition from a professional therapist to relationship coach. Part of his strategy was to become a center of influence and THE Relationship Coach for his community.
David decided to launch his own virtual community as a weekly “Friday Night Social” singles gathering. After a one-month pilot program and some market research, he designed a community for the singles in his area, unlike any other setting available, that would meet their need to meet other singles in a safe, fun setting.
The community also furthered David’s mission to provide relationship education and position his firm prominently within his target market.
Almost seven years later, his Friday Night Social continues to be a vibrant singles community that supports the practices of the four coaches who collaborated to make it happen. “It is a lot of fun, and the time and effort needed to make it happen is minimal,” says David.
“We feature a guest speaker each week, a local professional who is usually a good referral source. We’ve become well-known in our community and have a loyal following of singles who sometimes continue to attend with their partners when no longer single!”
From Therapist to Singles Guru of Silicon Valley
Slightly Famous entrepreneurs are learning that in today’s world, given that most of us have an unmet need for community, one of the greatest services you can offer your clients and prospects is simply to get them together.
The goodwill, contacts and status David has developed as a leader of a niche community has boosted his business. It has minimized the need to aggressively market his services by transforming into a guru and center of influence and trusted advisor to his target market.
Why does this work? There is a basic human need for community. We survive and thrive in relationships. We are social beings and cannot be fully successful or happy alone. Ever since we lived in caves our social environment largely determines our fate.
In today’s world, given that most of us have an unmet need for community, one of the greatest services we can offer the clients and prospects in our niche is simply to get them together.
Think about it. A niche is a group of people that share common situations, needs, and goals. When these people get together, they immediately feel a common bond; they understand each other and can easily provide mutual support.
Targeting The Right Niche with the Message
Like David, you too can establish yourself as a trustworthy resource whose reputation and work is beyond scrutiny. The secret to success is targeting a group of people with specific interests. And that group of people can be your target market!
Examples of groups that would be attracted to, and benefit from, participating in a niche community include:
- Fortune 500 CEO’s
- Real Estate Investors
- Singles Over 50
- Tai Chi Practitioners
- Small Business Owners
- Unemployed/Laid Off Tech Workers
- Ph.D. Candidates Working On Their Dissertation
- Stay-At-Home Dads
- Women in Transition
- New Moms
You get the idea…any niche you can think of for your practice is a candidate for a niche community.
How a Niche Community Can Benefit Your Business
Once you establish a niche community around your business, you can enjoy the following benefits:
Increased visibility. Community participation is a low cost marketing strategy that can yield enormous exposure for your business. Virtual communities provide free or low-cost gatherings that attract more people and create more prospects.
Increased credibility. The success of your niche community reflects upon your abilities as a service professional. It provides a chance for you to “show your stuff” and impress prospects who don’t feel like they need to ward off a sales pitch.
Word of mouth. Virtual communities stimulate conversation. They get people talking. Participants tell their friends more readily about your business as a “community resource” than a private service.
Transform a “practice” into a “business”. By reaching more people through your virtual community, you will develop a platform to sell more products and services. Your community can open the door to multiple income streams through group mentor programs, information products and other passive revenue streams.
Getting Started
The first consideration is how you will structure your community and bring people together. You have two choices: create a “live” community that meets in a physical location; or establish an online community that meets virtually through telephone and the Internet.
Live communities are straightforward. Taking David’s cue, develop a statement of purpose for the group. Then, market the group to niche market prospects within reasonable physical proximity to one another, choose meeting times and a location, and bring them together around a structured agenda.
Whereas live communities are more limited by location, virtual communities offer the possibility of attracting members from all over the world.
Online or virtual communities gather people in an online ’space’ where they come, communicate, connect, and get to know each other better over time. The idea is to bring members of your niche together virtually where you combine on-line interaction (e-mail, web forums) with telephone conference calls and classes, as well as information and support services.
Online group interactions do not always ‘happen’ spontaneously. They require care, nurturing and facilitation.
The core of facilitation and hosting is to serve the group and assist it in reaching its goals or purpose. Some describe this role as a gardener, a conductor, the distributed leadership of jazz improvisers, a teacher, or an innkeeper. It can be this and more.
If you take the plunge, be patient. Online communities don’t happen overnight. Often they take time to coalesce and form themselves into something valuable and sustainable. It’s crucial that patience is exercised, since it WILL take time for momentum and a critical mass to develop whereby the community becomes solid and established.
About The Author
Steven Van Yoder is the author of Get Slightly Famous: Become a Celebrity in Your Field and Attract More Business with Less Effort. Visit http://www.getslightlyfamous.com to read the book and learn about ’slightly’ famous teleclasses, workshops, and marketing materials to help small businesses and solo professionals attract more business. contact@getslightlyfamous.com
Tis’ the season for business and corporate gift-giving! If you believe in the law of reciprocity, and if your business is the least bit successful you must; you know that giving back is not only the right thing to do, but it’s very smart business as well. Let’s look at some of the benefits and mechanics of Christmas and holiday gift-giving.
* WHY DO IT AT ALL?
Gift giving is an excellent way to not only say thank you for all the business and continued loyalty your clients and customers have shown over the past year, it help to solidify relationships and in some cases, actually tilt the playing field in your favor. A well-conceived business gift will speak volumes on your integrity, thoughtfulness and sincerity and may make the difference between you and a competitor. As for employees, the days of 50 years and a gold watch are long gone, so a token of appreciation during the holidays or other special occasions can turn a mediocre relationship into one of fierce loyalty.
* WHEN TO DO IT?
Obviously Christmas and the season surrounding it are the major themes here. Other times of the year, such as Thanksgiving, Easter, Labor Day etc., may also present golden opportunities as it is not expected then. Other times to consider might include occasions such as a business anniversary, marriage, births, promotions, new offices or branches, and possibly retirement(ESPECIALLY of a competitor!)
* WHAT TO GIVE?
This can be the most difficult part of the process. All of us have been the recipient of the cookie cutter approach, as the countless fruitcakes of Christmases past haunt our freezers. In a large company, it’s difficult to avoid this, but by bearing this in mind, you’ll be able to come up something unique and stand out above the rest. Also think of the nature of the business relationship.
Anything inappropriate would not only be unappreciated, but could have the opposite effect of that you’re trying to achieve. If you can, try to make it as personal as posssible, reflecting the interests and likes of the person receiving the gift. Be mindful of religious differences, as you don’t want to offend in that area either. While striving to give the nicest gift possible within your budget, take care not to appear as though you are bribing anyone for business or loyalty.
* HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THIS?
Start as soon as possible, and dedicate at least one person to work on this solely, as depending on the size of your list, it can become onerous. Given enough time and resource, however, it can be done quickly and efficiently. Shopping online has made things so much simpler. You can find so many more choices with the click of a mouse than you could with weeks of prospecting on foot.
Many of your favorite brick and mortar merchants now have an online presence as well, as they too recognize the immense possibilities of the medium. Take advantage of web vendors, many of whom offer free shipping, corporate and bulk discounts, and many other perks to get your business. It really is a time-saver!
Christmas and Holiday gift-giving isn’t the gargantuan task it used to be. The internet and a smart strategy make it profitable and enoyable!
About The Author
(c)Keith Thompson 2004
Keith Thompson is webmaster of GiftsForBiz.com, and the recipient of many BAD holiday gifts. See some great choices at his website!
http://www.giftsforbiz.com
keith@giftsforbiz.com
We think the term ‘training’ is too restrictive, and we only use
it because that is the context within which many organisations
can understand what we do. But whether you call it people skills
training, interpersonal skills training, soft skills training or
professional personal development, what we’re talking about is
people changing what they do in order to be more effective, more
able and quite simply, happier at their job and in their
personal lives.
What we do know is that people take on new behaviours best when
there is a parallel shift in their personal development.
Interpersonal skills aren’t just something you use at the
workplace and then leave at the office when you go home. The
whole person is what’s important, and any programme Impact
Factory creates has stuff in it that people can use in all
aspects of their lives.
Individuals need to be skilled in what they can do to positively
affect the outcome of any kind of communication. This is true if
the communication is a presentation to 500 people, an annual
review with a staff member, the initiation of new work practices
- indeed anything that requires one person to be in
communication with others.
In the simplest terms, being able to communicate effectively
means relating well to other people. It means being able to
listen and really hear what others are saying. Part of being a
good listener is knowing how to respond without stonewalling or
hijacking other people’s ideas.
It also means being able to convey information, feedback and
requests clearly and directly, give appropriate levels of praise
and advice and take responsibility for making sure things are
understood. This means that people must be able and willing to
deal with conflict and confrontation. Conflict resolution can be
effectively achieved by negotiating what is known as ‘win/win’
solutions.
There is not one ‘right’ way to communicate, but there are
certainly many ‘wrong’ ones. Impact Factory’s development work
concentrates on what’s already working about an individual’s
interpersonal skills and developing that. Gaining insight and
awareness about the effect they have on others, coupled with
developing specific tools and techniques for managing people,
puts people more in charge of the communication process.
So why do we need it?
There have been changes in every sector where people are being
asked to do more and take on more responsibility, often with
less support than ever before. As a direct result of these kinds
of pressures, dealing with difficult people or situations can be
more problematic. Time constraints, deadline constraints and
fewer people to do more work, means that communication may
suffer, conflicts stay unresolved, dissatisfaction fester,
tempers get frayed and inefficiency become more prevalent.
On top of that, there is an insidious assumption that if you are
good at what you do - professionally - then you will be, ipso
facto, a good manager, communicator, delegator, etc. That simply
isn’t true. We see this across all business sectors: people who
are highly capable in their jobs but are far less adept at
dealing with other people. Conflict arises because not only does
the organisation assume that if you’re good in one aspect of the
job you’ll be good in all, but you yourself may feel you already
‘ought’ - by dint of your position - to be able to handle
difficult situations and therefore, won’t ask for the support
and training you need.
Some organisations have such issues well in hand and have the
kind of company culture in place that supports peoples’
development. More often than not, however, organisations ignore
or sideline these issues with the outcome that communication
suffers and morale gets worse.
Yet if employees are motivated, confident, communicating well
and resolving differences; if they are being acknowledged and
appreciated, then stress is reduced, people are more efficient
and effective and work means more than a place to earn a
paycheque. In our experience within organisations where these
skills are encouraged and developed, there is a profound affect
on employees’ performance and their overall well-being, and a
corresponding increase in the bottom line.
The economic implications of poor people skills in the workplace
are far greater than many organisations would like to admit. We
are often approached by the Occupational Health Departments of
companies who say they are seeing more and more people with
stress-related illnesses and absences and are aware that good
training could make a significant difference in the health,
morale and therefore efficiency of the staff. The cliché ‘time
is money’ exists for a very good reason. If for nothing else, a
better functioning workforce will affect the bottom line. Time
wasted on poor communication, unresolved difficulties or
inefficient work practises means time away from the core
business of doing what the company does best.
Many companies know there are issues that need to be addressed;
they even know that some kind of people skills training could
help.
There doesn’t have to be a problem
The need for development work does not presuppose a problem.
When Impact Factory provides this kind of training for many
companies we aren’t there to ‘fix’ something that’s wrong.
Given the added pressures in today’s workplace, companies are
not necessarily asking us to provide training to alleviate
stress or correct a problem. Rather they are looking for
excellence not competence. They are interested in gaining a
competitive edge, offering their employees additional skills to
develop their current capabilities and become both more
accomplished and more confident.
So, why don’t more people do it?
Here are some refrains we’ve heard more than once:
“We tried something like this before and it didn’t work.” -
“It’s clearly not right for us.” - “We don’t need it.” - “It’s a
waste of time and money.” - “If we’re going to invest in
training, we’d rather have technical training.” “We’ll never get
buy-in from our senior managers.”
If you look at the way some interpersonal skills training is
done it’s no wonder it’s got a bad reputation. A lot of it
follows what might be called the sheep-dip approach: large
groups; all chalk ‘n’ talk and little participation; lots of
rigid rules and regulations; a damaging emphasis on what’s wrong
with people; and unreal examples and exercises. That kind of
training is de-motivating and often does more harm than good.
Lists of how tos, dos and don’ts and sets of rigid rules treat
everyone the same. The individual becomes less important than
the ‘right’ way to do something. Of course, there needs to be
structure and guidelines in any kind of training, but if the
training does not allow for individual needs and priorities
then, ultimately, it will fail to develop the individual.
If people have had inadequate training, they will in turn feel
inadequate when confronted with additional stress. The training
will not have given them the real tools and techniques that
could help them manage this pressure more effectively. Some
assertiveness training is a good case in point, where people are
told specific things to do in certain difficult situations.
Which is all very well if you are capable of doing them.
However, we know that for many people assertiveness training
doesn’t work. The solutions they are given are not things they
feel able to do.
Not only that, there are training companies now offering
interpersonal skills training over the Internet! Wow! We’ve said
it before, but it bears repeating, this way the sheep don’t even
have to leave the meadow, they can be dipped right at their
desks. We’re truly fascinated with interpersonal skills training
that doesn’t have other people to be interpersonal with.
If people are treated and respected as the professional adults
they are. The results can be startling, exciting and effective.
Professional Personal Development: why it’s a good investment
Gives people more confidence in dealing with challenging or
new situations. Offers people a range of behaviour choices to
try. Creates a solid basis for all other kinds of training.
Gives people the tools to manage pressure more effectively. Is
motivating.
What you’ll get working with Impact Factory
Programme content that fits your requirements as opposed to
off-the-peg workshops. Flexible formats that take both the
organisation’s and the individual’s needs into account.
Emphasis on what what’s already working rather than pointing out
what’s wrong and needs fixing. Small groups to maximise
individual participation and attention. Programmes that
develop the whole person. No pressure to do things the ‘right’
way. Enjoyable, easy, doable exercises that give people
practise and experience in trying out new ways of doing things.
Accessible to all levels in an organisation.
You all know what procrastination looks like when you’re engaged in it. Sometimes it seems to sneak up on you out of the blue and before you know it it’s consumed a large part of your time. I know that many are even reluctant to look at it because doing so makes them feel weak, inadequate, powerless and so on.
I would like to show you that there is actually a very quick and easy way to bring this menace to it’s knees. Just be honest with yourself as you follow the discussion below. If you feel you need more personal attention with this matter the contact URL is below.
What is the purpose of procrastination?
Well it’s supposed to:
1. Put off some undesirable task, so that,
2. You can do other more interesting things in its place, so that,
3. You can feel happy, at peace, content, joyful, satisfied, entertained, successful, and/or fulfilled.
So in other words:
(A) Procrastination makes you feel happy, at peace, content, joyful, satisfied, entertained, successful, and/or fulfilled.
Well is that the case?
If you look at what it really feels like to procrastinate you most definitely notice: a sense of worry in the back of your mind, feeling distracted, having trouble focusing on what you are doing, unable to fully enjoy what you are doing, thoughts wandering uncontrollably, feeling tense, perhaps feeling guilty, feeling irresponsible, and generally not feeling very good about yourself.
Does that reflect statement (A)? Absolutely not!
So if you recognize that isn’t it time that you stop unconsciously buying into the seduction of belief (A)?
If you do you will free yourself and reclaim a measure of control over your life that you have likely never experienced before.
Dr. Nick Arrizza is trained in Chemical Engineering, Business Management & Leadership, Medicine and Psychiatry. He is an Energy Psychiatrist, Healer, Key Note Speaker,Editor of a New Ezine Called “Spirituality And Science” (which is requesting high quality article submissions) Author of “Esteem for the Self: A Manual for Personal Transformation” (available in ebook format on his web site), Stress Management Coach, Peak Performance Coach & Energy Medicine Researcher, Specializes in Life and Executive Performance Coaching, is the Developer of a powerful new tool called the Mind Resonance Process(TM) that helps build physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well being by helping to permanently release negative beliefs, emotions, perceptions and memories. He holds live workshops, international telephone coaching sessions and international teleconference workshops on Physical. Emotional, Mental and Spiritual Well Being.
Business URL #1: http://www.telecoaching4u.com
Personal URL: http://www.telecoaching4u.com/Spirituality_And_Science.htm
To be successful in life we must have an intentional time management solution. Intentional is an active force in motion created from premeditation. This means we must practice helpful behaviors, actions, thinking and habits to make our time valuable. Life is filled with vicissitudes and if you do not have time management in order you are sure to go down. We can’t change the things that we hear on the news in one day, but we can make changes to the news in our future.
One of the best solutions for learning intentional time management solutions is taking time out for pleasurable pursuits. If we take time out for our selves, it gives a source of relief and brings us to a productive moment when we are at work. If you are pessimistic, you might want to change your views by practicing rational-emotive imagery, which promotes rational thinking capabilities leading to success. The process includes imagining colorfully depictions of intricate events and following up by thinking lucid thoughts in relation to the difficulties, you are facing.
If you are a positive thinker, it never hurts to practice this technique also, since life can bring us down at any moment. If you are afraid of challenges then you might want to practice Behavioral rehearsals, which is the process of practicing things that make you afraid due to lack of skills or education. If you are at work try something new in your job place that sets a challenge for you and work hard to achieve the task. This will help you to overcome obstacles and when your time management scheme fails, you will be ready to deal with it positively. Resistance is one of the leading stumps in many people’s life that contributes to failure in success. If you have a fear ingrained in your mind, it is likely to reveal itself later in your life. Fear is the roots of failure in the sense many of us do not take the time to find out which fears are healthy and which are not healthy.
If we are afraid to take chances in life, it is often because we are afraid of change. Change is good. Change shows us that success is in motion. Some changes are bad, but for the most part, we can’t avoid change. As professional business people, we often have a great reasonability and are often confronted with a variety of demands. We are often required to analyze, evaluate, and think critically to put a plan in motion. Often we work with other people, which mean changes are going to happen. Staying focused can help us to increase the business profits as well as help us to achieve our goal and maintain a sturdy time management scheme. Our skills require us to commit to hard work. Time management is a critical part of everyday life, and wasting time on negative thinking is not a solution for intentional time management.
In most cases, people base their ideas and thoughts on assumption, believing that something is going to happen and in most cases, it never does. The first thing I do when times are rough is wake up in the morning repeating to myself that today is going to positive. I practice this way of thinking as much as possible and in most cases when I say this to myself, something good comes my way. I know that my positive words and thinking did not bring forth these results; rather it was the efforts and motivation that brought good in to my life. I took a step somewhere in this equation to get the results that were brought to me.
Therefore, if you want to lay out an intentional time management plan you need to put the ball in motion by acting on your plans. You must also learn a positive way of handling your daily tasks. Do not think of work as a “thing to do” rather think of work as one-step closer to you goal. If you do not like you job, find a solution. Either you live with it, or you find something better. There is always a solution to any problem.
For more great free resources on how to manage your time visit Gabae Time Management.
Also for more informative articles on time management visit Gabae Time Management Articles.
