Casual Articles - Business

I Don't Want to be Different
To succeed in today’s crowded marketplace where most of the products and advertising look exactly the same, a small business owner must stand out, shouting above the din with a message so clear and compelling that prospects stop and take notice. It’s a matter of business survival. Unfortunately, most entrepreneurs quickly retreat to the supposed security of sameness, soon to be lost in a sea of anonymity and a tidal wave of frustration. In effect, albeit at a subconscious level, they are saying , “I don’t want to be different”.In back room offices and store fronts everywhere, salespeople are telling business owners they should do this or that kind of ad because it worked so great for their competitor. The owners nod and sign on. It’s alrea

ow we respond to these “electronic trees.” In other words, if you want more time for your high priorityactivities, look no further than yourself.

We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us

Here are three e-habits that undermine our ability to get to

Is Management Like Ice Cream?
Every day a new management or self-help book arrives at bookstores across the country promoting the benefits of the latest fad or buzzword in organization management. Newspapers and magazines feature consultants who have helped themselves and others succeed using an emerging business technique. And, of course, at any given moment on any given golf course, leaders are sharing their methods for improving the bottom line.With publishers and media outlets ready to push these fads, buzzwords and other ideas onto the leadership populace at the drop of a hat, an outsider or a new leader might very well come to the conclusion that fads are as common and essential to good management as cones are to ice cream. Yet, being a good manager does not mean su

Check Out Your E-Habits

Another week has ended. And, despite moving at the speed of light, you’ve once again barely made a dent in your more important goals or projects. Just about everyone wishes they had more time to focus on the really important things: Activities directly tied to job or key business objectives. Spending time with key people – at work and at home. Exercise. Fun.(Remember “fun”?)

Intellectually anyway, we do understand the need to differentiate “forest from the trees” priority-wise. But with more “trees” to manage than ever, it can be tough even locating the forest, never mind spending any meaningful time there. By far, the biggest source of new trees contributing to the workload logjam is email. But to view the problem of email as a problem of volume only is to miss out on the real problem. If the practices of the thousands of executives and managers who’ve attended Time/Design’s™ Power of Focus Management seminar are any indication, email itself is not the problem. The number one impediment to focusing on the big picture is how we respond to these “electronic trees.” In other words, if you want more time for your high priorityactivities, look no further than yourself.

We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us

Here are three e-habits that undermine our ability to get to

Parking Business and Charity Fundraising
In the parking business we are all aware of the need to fill up as many parking stalls as possible for the maximum price point. There are many ways to do this. One of the most inexpensive ways is through free publicity. A car wash fundraiser on or in your garage during a slow time of the week may just be that opportunity.If Sunday is your facility's slowest day, a car wash for a church or youth group might be an idea. The radio station will play the spots five times a day for a week. Free airtime and all you have to do is be a Good Samaritan. If Saturday is a slow day, you can have a local high school group hold a fundraiser. High school bands often have annual budgets in excess of $40,000. They usually have 100+ kids in the band and

ivities directly tied to job or key business objectives. Spending time with key people – at work and at home. Exercise. Fun.(Remember “fun”?)

We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us

Here are three e-habits that undermine our ability to get to

Beautiful Flower Syndrome: Differentiation May Not Always Be The Best Strategy
One of my favorite moments on any project is the moment when, after spending hours investigating a process, an exhausted interviewee gives an exasperated gasp and says “Well, that’s the way we’ve always done it!”Most companies with a long and storied corporate history have a similarly colorful story behind their internal processes. System limitations, management fads and product introductions have shaped everything from invoice generation to marketing campaign design. In many instances, over a matter of time these processes become a source of pride, and are even seen by some as a source of competitive advantage. People in the company that know the nuances of these processes, and are able to “finesse” a new product or management dictum into

ees” to manage than ever, it can be tough even locating the forest, never mind spending any meaningful time there. By far, the biggest source of new trees contributing to the workload logjam is email. But to view the problem of email as a problem of volume only is to miss out on the real problem. If the practices of the thousands of executives and managers who’ve attended Time/Design’s™ Power of Focus Management seminar are any indication, email itself is not the problem. The number one impediment to focusing on the big picture is how we respond to these “electronic trees.” In other words, if you want more time for your high priorityactivities, look no further than yourself.

We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us

Here are three e-habits that undermine our ability to get to

Doing Big and Scary Part Two
Step Three: Keep It Simple – Progress In Bite-Size Chunks How NOT To Eat An Elephant: DO NOT start this if you really don’t want to and are not hungry. Don’t do it on your own with no tools to help. Don’t try to do it all at once and DON’T start with the tusks. Really.Here’s how: wait until you are absolutely famished and there are no other food sources. Find other folks who have eaten elephants before and ask them how they did it. What would they do different next time? Get the sharpest tools you can and as many other hungry folk as you can find. Start with the smallest, fleshiest part and take the tiniest of mouthfuls. Pause, consider, consult, learn. Then do it again: by the time you get to the tusks you’ll wonder what all the f

iss out on the real problem. If the practices of the thousands of executives and managers who’ve attended Time/Design’s™ Power of Focus Management seminar are any indication, email itself is not the problem. The number one impediment to focusing on the big picture is how we respond to these “electronic trees.” In other words, if you want more time for your high priorityactivities, look no further than yourself.

We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us

Here are three e-habits that undermine our ability to get to

Buying Promotional Badges? 5 Tips to Shop Smart
There are literally hundreds of different product bases that can be used for customized promotional products to represent your company. Some companies choose to use stress balls so that when clients and customers are stressed, they squeeze your item with your logo on it and feel better. Lanyards are also very popular, as one can hang keys, pictures, or just about anything they choose from the clip. Silicon bracelets are the latest trend, but trends don’t last forever. Instead, you have chosen the ageless classic that has withstood the test of time for decades: badges.Although the trends have taken this classic piece of merchandise and changed it to suit the times, badges have made their place in the promotional world, and they aren’t going

ow we respond to these “electronic trees.” In other words, if you want more time for your high priorityactivities, look no further than yourself.

We Have Met the Enemy and It Is Us

Here are three e-habits that undermine our ability to get to our high impact activities and some effective Focus Management™ techniques that can help:

1. Lost in the E-woods by 8:15 am

What’s the first thing you do when you arrive at your desk in the morning? Check your email, right? We say we want to spend more time on our forest activities but our behaviors indicate a love for the “e-trees.” Yet, when you begin the day by jumping into the trees, it’s easy to get lost in the woods. Sure you’re busy, but before you know it, it’s quitting time and you never got near the high-impact stuff.

Solution: Don’t worry; you can still check your email. Give your forest activities the attention they deserve by making a separate list of your current goals and projects. Then use the time while your email is downloading to review this list and build in time that day to work on one or more of these big picture activities.

2. E-Hugging

If the findings of a pre-course survey on the work habits of managers and executives at a major cable television network are any indication, the America

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Did you know there are employment and career opportunities in the truck wash business? It is true and there are a couple reasons for this. One reason is due to the illegal immigration and illegal alien crackdown on Hispanic workers who have snuck over the border and found jobs in the truck wash industry.

Accepting responsibility for choices starts with understanding where our choices lie. We may not choose what happens to us, but we do choose how to respond – or not.

Business startup funding is an absolutely critical element in launching a successful business. If you assess your personal and business expenses, eliminate the extras where possible, and plan for sources of alternate capital then you should be able to secure adequate business startup funding.

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