Casual Articles - Business

Consistent Clients and Revenue Every Week
Businesses today have a lot of competition and that is why it is important not to leave the success of your business to chance. A business plan will give you the competitive edge you need to be the best. Begin with a simple question: Why are you in business? Peter Drucker, one of the most notable names in management theory, says that the goal of a business is “to attract and maintain customers”. Attraction is all of the activities you undergo to start the relationship, and maintenance helps them want to come back and refer others to you.Effective planning

oo many other options and distractions in your way.

The solution is simple to understand but often hard to implement: The key is to ignore for a minute what you want your audience to know about you, and instead try and think about what it is they need – to live their lives better or make their jobs easier:

If you're a photographer whose target audience is "people with kids," provide information on how to take great kid photos.
If you're a CFO for hire whose target audience is "small ad agencies," provide information which helps this group become financially better educated.
If you're a branding consultant whose target audience is "first time entrepreneurs," provide information on how to stand out from the crowd.

Don't worry, you'r

The Miracle of at Home Internet Business
There I was sitting in my front room looking at the boxes stacked around me. The feeling I had was one I had never experienced before. In one stroke I was out of a job and out of a place to live. The not for profit organization my wife and I worked for had sent us packing after twenty years of faithful service. There we were, both incomes lost, almost $90k a year, in the past. The home we had lived in which was provided by the organization was to be vacated in no less than 60 days.After a life time of giving myself to one cause one purpose what was I now to do.

Thanks to a persistent pain in my left leg, I am temporarily unable to run out on the street. Luckily, however, I've discovered that I can run pain-free on a treadmill (go figure). And so last month, I joined the local Gold's Gym (Milford, MA).
In the short time I've been a member at Gold's, I've noticed two things:
Only extremely muscular men wear those skimpy tank tops. I don't know if this means you must first be muscular in order to wear one, or if the tank tops themselves somehow cause excessive muscularity. Either way, I won't be needing one.
There's no avoiding the TV when working out in the gym. In front of the machines, in the lounge, even in the locker room… there's always a television on and in view. I've watched more ESPN in the past 30 days than in the previous 3,000, and I don't mind telling you that if my testosterone level gets any higher, I may have to father more children just to stay focused.
And that's my point. In the gym, the news, sports, weather and whatever else, comes right at you. Short of closing your eyes, there's simply no way to avoid it.
If you're the information provider, of course – ESPN or one of its advertisers – that's good news. Gym patrons are literally forced to watch whatever you decide to put in front of them. Talk about a captive audience.
In today's Internet-centric world, however, and for most of us as information providers, it's less and less the case. Increasingly, each of us has more choice regarding the timing, length, format and content of the information we let in. Whether choosing which emails we open, deciding which web sites we visit, or selecting which YouTube videos we watch, each one of us controls his own personal Gold's Gym (minus the sweaty equipment).
Obvious? Maybe not:
I sat in a meeting with a great client company last week, discussing an article that they've hired me to write. It was immediately clear that they had done a lot of thinking before I arrived, and they had most of the basics already covered: target audience; distribution tactics; budget; length, purpose and format of the article; etc.
In fact, our meeting was sailing right along, until I asked, "So, why would anybody in your target audience want to read this in the first place?"
Yikes. You could have heard a skimpy tank top drop to the floor. The question simply hadn't been considered, and it wasn't until another hour had passed that we were able to leave the meeting satisfied with our answer.
The problem with business communication, of course, is that knowing what you want to say, who you want to say it to and why you want to say it, only gets you part of the way there. In 2007, and with e-mail-based communications in particular, if the targeted recipient of your communication doesn't want to get it – not just tolerate it, but actually want to get it – you're pedaling uphill from the start.
Without this very busy person pulling you towards them (at least) as hard as you are pushing, you're going to have a tough time clearly and consistently breaking through the noise and clutter. There are just too many other options and distractions in your way.
The solution is simple to understand but often hard to implement: The key is to ignore for a minute what you want your audience to know about you, and instead try and think about what it is they need – to live their lives better or make their jobs easier:
If you're a photographer whose target audience is "people with kids," provide information on how to take great kid photos.

If you're a CFO for hire whose target audience is "small ad agencies," provide information which helps this group become financially better educated.

If you're a branding consultant whose target audience is "first time entrepreneurs," provide information on how to stand out from the crowd.
Don't worry, you're
Teaching The Big Boys To Think Small
Last week I told you about a recent report from The Conference Board that has a lot of big company CEOs concerned about competition from smaller, more innovative and entrepreneurially-minded companies. To refresh your memory, The Conference Board's CEO Challenge 2004 reported that 87% of the 540 global businesses surveyed cited innovation and enabling entrepreneurship as priorities for their companies, and 31% considered these issues of "greatest concern."These CEOs understand that their big company status no longer guarantees that they will win contracts and
e past 30 days than in the previous 3,000, and I don't mind telling you that if my testosterone level gets any higher, I may have to father more children just to stay focused.
And that's my point. In the gym, the news, sports, weather and whatever else, comes right at you. Short of closing your eyes, there's simply no way to avoid it.
If you're the information provider, of course – ESPN or one of its advertisers – that's good news. Gym patrons are literally forced to watch whatever you decide to put in front of them. Talk about a captive audience.
In today's Internet-centric world, however, and for most of us as information providers, it's less and less the case. Increasingly, each of us has more choice regarding the timing, length, format and content of the information we let in. Whether choosing which emails we open, deciding which web sites we visit, or selecting which YouTube videos we watch, each one of us controls his own personal Gold's Gym (minus the sweaty equipment).
Obvious? Maybe not:
I sat in a meeting with a great client company last week, discussing an article that they've hired me to write. It was immediately clear that they had done a lot of thinking before I arrived, and they had most of the basics already covered: target audience; distribution tactics; budget; length, purpose and format of the article; etc.
In fact, our meeting was sailing right along, until I asked, "So, why would anybody in your target audience want to read this in the first place?"
Yikes. You could have heard a skimpy tank top drop to the floor. The question simply hadn't been considered, and it wasn't until another hour had passed that we were able to leave the meeting satisfied with our answer.
The problem with business communication, of course, is that knowing what you want to say, who you want to say it to and why you want to say it, only gets you part of the way there. In 2007, and with e-mail-based communications in particular, if the targeted recipient of your communication doesn't want to get it – not just tolerate it, but actually want to get it – you're pedaling uphill from the start.
Without this very busy person pulling you towards them (at least) as hard as you are pushing, you're going to have a tough time clearly and consistently breaking through the noise and clutter. There are just too many other options and distractions in your way.
The solution is simple to understand but often hard to implement: The key is to ignore for a minute what you want your audience to know about you, and instead try and think about what it is they need – to live their lives better or make their jobs easier:
If you're a photographer whose target audience is "people with kids," provide information on how to take great kid photos.

If you're a CFO for hire whose target audience is "small ad agencies," provide information which helps this group become financially better educated.

If you're a branding consultant whose target audience is "first time entrepreneurs," provide information on how to stand out from the crowd.
Don't worry, you'r
Managing from the Bottom-Up
"If we lived in a perfect world, there would not be a need for managers." - Bryce's Law"Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere." - Ronald Reagan (1986)When the American colonies were forming a government in the 18th century, there was a fleeting notion that George Washington should become King with absolute power. Instead, our founding fathers opted for a democratic society where officials were elected by the people. The intent was to give the individual citizen a means to particip
the information we let in. Whether choosing which emails we open, deciding which web sites we visit, or selecting which YouTube videos we watch, each one of us controls his own personal Gold's Gym (minus the sweaty equipment).
Obvious? Maybe not:
I sat in a meeting with a great client company last week, discussing an article that they've hired me to write. It was immediately clear that they had done a lot of thinking before I arrived, and they had most of the basics already covered: target audience; distribution tactics; budget; length, purpose and format of the article; etc.
In fact, our meeting was sailing right along, until I asked, "So, why would anybody in your target audience want to read this in the first place?"
Yikes. You could have heard a skimpy tank top drop to the floor. The question simply hadn't been considered, and it wasn't until another hour had passed that we were able to leave the meeting satisfied with our answer.
The problem with business communication, of course, is that knowing what you want to say, who you want to say it to and why you want to say it, only gets you part of the way there. In 2007, and with e-mail-based communications in particular, if the targeted recipient of your communication doesn't want to get it – not just tolerate it, but actually want to get it – you're pedaling uphill from the start.
Without this very busy person pulling you towards them (at least) as hard as you are pushing, you're going to have a tough time clearly and consistently breaking through the noise and clutter. There are just too many other options and distractions in your way.
The solution is simple to understand but often hard to implement: The key is to ignore for a minute what you want your audience to know about you, and instead try and think about what it is they need – to live their lives better or make their jobs easier:
If you're a photographer whose target audience is "people with kids," provide information on how to take great kid photos.

If you're a CFO for hire whose target audience is "small ad agencies," provide information which helps this group become financially better educated.

If you're a branding consultant whose target audience is "first time entrepreneurs," provide information on how to stand out from the crowd.
Don't worry, you'r
Craftsmanship: the Meaning of Life
"Manage more, supervise less." - Bryce's LawWhen I got into the work force back in the mid-1970's it seemed everyone dressed in a suit and tie, drank black coffee, smoked their brains out, and worked their butts off. Today, golf shirts have replaced suits, herbal tea and bottled water have replaced coffee, nobody is allowed to smoke, and rarely does anyone work beyond 5:00pm. More importantly, we used to care about the work we produced; there was a sense of craftsmanship, regardless of the job.My Brother-in-law in Cincinnati conducted
op to the floor. The question simply hadn't been considered, and it wasn't until another hour had passed that we were able to leave the meeting satisfied with our answer.
The problem with business communication, of course, is that knowing what you want to say, who you want to say it to and why you want to say it, only gets you part of the way there. In 2007, and with e-mail-based communications in particular, if the targeted recipient of your communication doesn't want to get it – not just tolerate it, but actually want to get it – you're pedaling uphill from the start.
Without this very busy person pulling you towards them (at least) as hard as you are pushing, you're going to have a tough time clearly and consistently breaking through the noise and clutter. There are just too many other options and distractions in your way.
The solution is simple to understand but often hard to implement: The key is to ignore for a minute what you want your audience to know about you, and instead try and think about what it is they need – to live their lives better or make their jobs easier:
If you're a photographer whose target audience is "people with kids," provide information on how to take great kid photos.

If you're a CFO for hire whose target audience is "small ad agencies," provide information which helps this group become financially better educated.

If you're a branding consultant whose target audience is "first time entrepreneurs," provide information on how to stand out from the crowd.
Don't worry, you'r
Simple Steps to a Winning Career in Video Game Design and Art
Have you ever dreamed about how exciting it would be to make the next great game title, instead of just playing it. Would you like to be a video game designer working on the next big Xbox title or designing for the PS3, etc? Well, you’re not alone and the good news is that you can do it and succeed in this ever growing industry. You can be a game designer or game artist and turn it into a winning lucrative career.Video games are big business and big money. Let’s talk about this for a minute. Video games are not the Pong that your parents grew up on. Also,
oo many other options and distractions in your way.
The solution is simple to understand but often hard to implement: The key is to ignore for a minute what you want your audience to know about you, and instead try and think about what it is they need – to live their lives better or make their jobs easier:
If you're a photographer whose target audience is "people with kids," provide information on how to take great kid photos.

If you're a CFO for hire whose target audience is "small ad agencies," provide information which helps this group become financially better educated.

If you're a branding consultant whose target audience is "first time entrepreneurs," provide information on how to stand out from the crowd.
Don't worry, you're not giving your expertise away; clients will hire you because of the good information you offer. Step number one, however, is to establish yourself as informed expert, and that doesn't happen until people seek out the information you provide.
Bottom Line: In a world with an infinite number of information options, the successful communicator will always be the one who offers what his audience wants to hear. If you can't do that, you may as well be running in place.

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