Casual Articles - Business

How To Build A Successful Consulting Business, Part 2
With layoffs and downsizing becoming more and more frequent in today’s job market an increasing number of people are parlaying their experience and know-how into a small consulting practice. Consulting can be a wonderful and fulfilling field but to be successful you have to be much more than a well-paid business advisor.In part 1 we covered how to set up, market, and qualify leads for your consulting business. In part 2 we will cover how to write proposals, contracts, and build better relations with your clients.Once you’ve met with a prospect, identified problems, and convinced the prospect that you have something to offer, you will try to sell him or her specific solutions. Your solutions should be presented in a proposal that, if the client accepts it, forms the basis of the contract. Knowing how to write a good proposal is one of the most important things a consultant must know to succeed. Poorly written or poorly organized proposals will destroy any chance for a contract.While every proposal is different, all proposals should contain certain key things:* Background and definition of the problem. Review what caused the client to call on you, and what spe

etimes don't see the connection between what they do and customer perceptions of the business.

Develop with them a list of "Skills We Value Around Here" that describe the standards everyone aims for in e.g.: customer service, interpersonal skills, teamwork, time management, work ethic.

Reach agreement on giving them feedback on their performance - not just at an annual review - so they know how they are going.

Understand staff needs

If you are committed to giving feedback then it's worth understanding what staff want these days. One major research project, across workplaces, selected those that were 'simply the best' and found that staff all agreed they want these five essentials, topping a list of fifteen 'wants':

good leaders - someone supportive, trustworthy, who has integrity
to work to clear values - having a purpose, knowing how to behave
quality relationships - working with people who can be trusted, where there is mutual respect
to be able to 'have a say' - to take part in decision-making
to feel safe - physically and psychologically

If you've got Generation Y staff members it's worth noting that, according to researche

So What's The Big Deal In A Name Anyway?
You want to know how these guru's are making money??They spend a lot of time and effort to achieve good product and name recognition.People may forget your site, they may forget the name of your ezine, but they won't forget your name if you know some good way to gain name recognition.EmailWhen sending out email, make sure your name appears in the Senders area. Not an email address but your full name.When you are sending out your ezine, depending on what type of software or list host you use, make sure your name or at least your ezine name appears in the Sender's area.OnlineTake part in message boards and discussion lists. Become active in these communities and offer any help you may have to give.Take part in joint venturesExchange ad swaps and links with other webmastersWrite testimonials for other publishers and webmasters. We all love testimonials. You can never have enough testimonials!Submit your site and ezines to directories. People will see your name, they will see your product and what you have to offer.Give feedback on a product or an ezine.For those of you who have unique sounding names

Did you know?

Businesses in the United States waste $105 billion each year dealing with poorly performing employees. (Sweden $1.3b, Australia $4.1b, Hong Kong $5.0b, Netherlands $7.1b, India $10.8b, UK $24.5b)

United States managers spend 14% of their time redoing or correcting the mistakes of others - approximately one hour every day. (Sweden 8%, Australia 14%, Hong Kong 24%, Netherlands 15%, India 20%, UK 11%)

Could employee feedback improve this situation? What is Two-Way feedback all about anyway? Could constructive feedback really help to improve working relationships and productivity? This article draws on some of the research that highlights what's really happening in our workplaces, offers some strategies that have worked for other businesses and leaves you to draw you own conclusions. Two-Way Feedback just might be worth trying.

What is two-way feedback?

Giving feedback simply means telling people how they're going at work. Two-Way feedback means also taking feedback - being prepared to listen to what others tell you, without being defensive if it's not good news; listening for ways to improve your own performance and/or the business.

Many people equate feedback with delivering bad news, criticism of poor performance. But feedback also can, and should be, good news.

Feedback - the good news

Positive feedback, when you tell people they've done well, should be easy, e.g.:

Thanking people for a job well done.
Commending them for taking the initiative and solving a problem for you.
Discussing with individuals where they're going and what their career opportunities might be, even if it's not in your business or workplace.
Discussing progress with teams.
Celebrating the wins when everyone's pulled together and things have gone well.

This is the kind of feedback that everyone likes; the kind that motivates people to perform well consistently. The reality seems to be that it isn't often done.

Did you know?

A study released by Human Synergistics, an international organizational development firm, reported that "90% of employees work in a negative workplace culture of blame, indecision and conformity", based on a study of 900 major organizations and more than 130,000 employees.

A 12-month study by S. McCarthy of 1300 senior executives has found that managers focus on what is bad about their employees rather than on what is good - "I only hear from my boss when I stuff up". As a result they create a passive defensive workplace culture where employees avoid responsibility and pass blame.

Feedback - the bad news

Of course we also have to deliver the 'bad news' but when we have to give this kind of feedback we often end up criticizing and distressing the person or people concerned, however well-intentioned we are. Why does it happen?

A common reason is that we put up with things for too long because we don't know what to say or how to say it.

And we remember what happened last time when the recipient of our 'bad news' either cried, sulked, got defensive or started avoiding you. All of which caused us enormous stress.

When we realize the job can no longer be put off, we're so stressed that we react defensively, unnecessarily aggressive and hurtful. A recipe for staff discord and non-productive business.

Building a feedback culture

Building a workplace culture, where everyone is comfortable about receiving feedback about their performance, significantly reduces stress levels in manager-staff relationships.

Start thinking and acting like a leader

Giving, and taking, feedback starts at the top, with the business owner, the manager, even with the team leader. Step back from the immediate action and look at the bigger picture, at the business from a leader's perspective.

What do leaders do? They do things that inspire people to follow them, to help them build the business. Your business needs staff or it can't operate, or grow, so if you want to lead your staff you need to know exactly:

where your business is going
what it will take, from you and your staff to achieve it
what you need your staff to do to help you get there
how you'd like them to do it
how you'd like them to behave - around the office, with your clients, amongst themselves
why all those things are important

These are the big questions, often ones we don't really think about. Give yourself some time and space to stop and reflect on these questions.

Once clear about these questions you could follow steps other business leaders have taken:

Discuss your ideas with staff; explain why they are important to your business.
Talk to staff about why customer service is so important, what good service means. Even professional staff sometimes don't see the connection between what they do and customer perceptions of the business.
Develop with them a list of "Skills We Value Around Here" that describe the standards everyone aims for in e.g.: customer service, interpersonal skills, teamwork, time management, work ethic.
Reach agreement on giving them feedback on their performance - not just at an annual review - so they know how they are going.

Understand staff needs

good leaders - someone supportive, trustworthy, who has integrity
to work to clear values - having a purpose, knowing how to behave
quality relationships - working with people who can be trusted, where there is mutual respect
to be able to 'have a say' - to take part in decision-making
to feel safe - physically and psychologically

If you've got Generation Y staff members it's worth noting that, according to researcher

Incorporating In Colorado
Forming a Corporation in Colorado: Starting a business is a very big decision, and careful consideration has to be given to the legal structure that will suit your business the best. Incorporating a business can be beneficial as it offers liability protection and other benefits depending upon the type of corporation formed.Incorporating In Colorado: The first step is to decide on the kind of corporation and form it as per the rules and regulations in the state of Colorado. It is necessary to give a name for the corporation that does not contain any prohibited words and that ends in the words “Incorporated,” “Corporation,” “Limited,” or “Company.” The name should not be a repeat of any registered business name, or a name that has already been reserved.The articles of incorporation are filed with the Colorado Secretary of State on paying a fee of $25 for electronically filing it, and it will be processed within 20 business days. The articles have to be filed by the incorporators, minimum number being one. It is not mandatory to list the statement of purpose in Colorado. The corporation has to have a minimum of one director who has to be above 18 years of age. However, a l

elivering bad news, criticism of poor performance. But feedback also can, and should be, good news.

Feedback - the good news

Positive feedback, when you tell people they've done well, should be easy, e.g.:

Thanking people for a job well done.
Commending them for taking the initiative and solving a problem for you.
Discussing with individuals where they're going and what their career opportunities might be, even if it's not in your business or workplace.
Discussing progress with teams.
Celebrating the wins when everyone's pulled together and things have gone well.

This is the kind of feedback that everyone likes; the kind that motivates people to perform well consistently. The reality seems to be that it isn't often done.

Did you know?

A study released by Human Synergistics, an international organizational development firm, reported that "90% of employees work in a negative workplace culture of blame, indecision and conformity", based on a study of 900 major organizations and more than 130,000 employees.

A 12-month study by S. McCarthy of 1300 senior executives has found that managers focus on what is bad about their employees rather than on what is good - "I only hear from my boss when I stuff up". As a result they create a passive defensive workplace culture where employees avoid responsibility and pass blame.

Feedback - the bad news

A common reason is that we put up with things for too long because we don't know what to say or how to say it.

And we remember what happened last time when the recipient of our 'bad news' either cried, sulked, got defensive or started avoiding you. All of which caused us enormous stress.

When we realize the job can no longer be put off, we're so stressed that we react defensively, unnecessarily aggressive and hurtful. A recipe for staff discord and non-productive business.

Building a feedback culture

Building a workplace culture, where everyone is comfortable about receiving feedback about their performance, significantly reduces stress levels in manager-staff relationships.

Start thinking and acting like a leader

where your business is going
what it will take, from you and your staff to achieve it
what you need your staff to do to help you get there
how you'd like them to do it
how you'd like them to behave - around the office, with your clients, amongst themselves
why all those things are important

These are the big questions, often ones we don't really think about. Give yourself some time and space to stop and reflect on these questions.

Once clear about these questions you could follow steps other business leaders have taken:

Discuss your ideas with staff; explain why they are important to your business.
Talk to staff about why customer service is so important, what good service means. Even professional staff sometimes don't see the connection between what they do and customer perceptions of the business.
Develop with them a list of "Skills We Value Around Here" that describe the standards everyone aims for in e.g.: customer service, interpersonal skills, teamwork, time management, work ethic.
Reach agreement on giving them feedback on their performance - not just at an annual review - so they know how they are going.

Understand staff needs

good leaders - someone supportive, trustworthy, who has integrity
to work to clear values - having a purpose, knowing how to behave
quality relationships - working with people who can be trusted, where there is mutual respect
to be able to 'have a say' - to take part in decision-making
to feel safe - physically and psychologically

If you've got Generation Y staff members it's worth noting that, according to researche

Media Training - Who Needs it?
It's flattering that the media has noticed your work – and you’d love the notoriety. But following that initial pride, your reaction might be (not necessarily in this order):Fear. Trepidation. What if I blow it? What if they ask me a hard question I can’t answer? And, omigod, do I really need this headache when I have a business to run?If this all sounds far too familiar, you’ve probably realized the need to be media prepared. That’s a good thing. After all, most people forget that a media interview is actually an opportunity – to say what you want to say. You just have to know how to take control.You’ve probably noticed that some companies and spokespeople are successful with the media – and some are not. The reason? Some folks better understand how the media works and how best to work with the media.So, what is the media interested in? news, news and more news. And what is news? Something that’s a first, a trend, unusual or unique, something populated with celebrities, kids or dogs, and oh, of course, something that has a lot of money associated with it. So, if you think like a reporter, your job becomes understanding

ather than on what is good - "I only hear from my boss when I stuff up". As a result they create a passive defensive workplace culture where employees avoid responsibility and pass blame.
Feedback - the bad news

A common reason is that we put up with things for too long because we don't know what to say or how to say it.

And we remember what happened last time when the recipient of our 'bad news' either cried, sulked, got defensive or started avoiding you. All of which caused us enormous stress.

When we realize the job can no longer be put off, we're so stressed that we react defensively, unnecessarily aggressive and hurtful. A recipe for staff discord and non-productive business.

Building a feedback culture

Building a workplace culture, where everyone is comfortable about receiving feedback about their performance, significantly reduces stress levels in manager-staff relationships.

Start thinking and acting like a leader

where your business is going
what it will take, from you and your staff to achieve it
what you need your staff to do to help you get there
how you'd like them to do it
how you'd like them to behave - around the office, with your clients, amongst themselves
why all those things are important

These are the big questions, often ones we don't really think about. Give yourself some time and space to stop and reflect on these questions.

Once clear about these questions you could follow steps other business leaders have taken:

Discuss your ideas with staff; explain why they are important to your business.
Talk to staff about why customer service is so important, what good service means. Even professional staff sometimes don't see the connection between what they do and customer perceptions of the business.
Develop with them a list of "Skills We Value Around Here" that describe the standards everyone aims for in e.g.: customer service, interpersonal skills, teamwork, time management, work ethic.
Reach agreement on giving them feedback on their performance - not just at an annual review - so they know how they are going.

Understand staff needs

good leaders - someone supportive, trustworthy, who has integrity
to work to clear values - having a purpose, knowing how to behave
quality relationships - working with people who can be trusted, where there is mutual respect
to be able to 'have a say' - to take part in decision-making
to feel safe - physically and psychologically

If you've got Generation Y staff members it's worth noting that, according to researche

On Walking the Talk
Recently I was talking with a retailer in his store, and as we were walking around the floor, we came to a rack housing sportswear. Some of the sweaters on the rack were dangling from the hangers. He called over to ask a sales associate to straighten the rack, and we moved on through the store.I somehow remembered this incident as I was with another manager, this time the general manager of an upscale hotel. We were talking at one end of the hotel lobby, and as his eyes spotted a table with parts of a newspaper and a candy wrapper on it, obviously left by a guest, he excused himself. He walked across the lobby, picked up the newspapers and candy wrapper, disposed of them, and came back to resume our conversation.I was struck by the difference in management styles of these two executives. The store owner must have felt that as long as the sales associate was just standing there, she should take care of this little job. Something she is paid to do, right? The hotel manager, though responsible on a much larger scale for revenue, staff, and square footage than the store owner, saw it as his job to pick up the trash in the lobby.The message each manager sent out by his

ing, and taking, feedback starts at the top, with the business owner, the manager, even with the team leader. Step back from the immediate action and look at the bigger picture, at the business from a leader's perspective.

where your business is going
what it will take, from you and your staff to achieve it
what you need your staff to do to help you get there
how you'd like them to do it
how you'd like them to behave - around the office, with your clients, amongst themselves
why all those things are important

These are the big questions, often ones we don't really think about. Give yourself some time and space to stop and reflect on these questions.

Once clear about these questions you could follow steps other business leaders have taken:

Discuss your ideas with staff; explain why they are important to your business.
Talk to staff about why customer service is so important, what good service means. Even professional staff sometimes don't see the connection between what they do and customer perceptions of the business.
Develop with them a list of "Skills We Value Around Here" that describe the standards everyone aims for in e.g.: customer service, interpersonal skills, teamwork, time management, work ethic.
Reach agreement on giving them feedback on their performance - not just at an annual review - so they know how they are going.

Understand staff needs

good leaders - someone supportive, trustworthy, who has integrity
to work to clear values - having a purpose, knowing how to behave
quality relationships - working with people who can be trusted, where there is mutual respect
to be able to 'have a say' - to take part in decision-making
to feel safe - physically and psychologically

If you've got Generation Y staff members it's worth noting that, according to researche

Essential Elements of a Successful Resume
1. Every resume needs to tell the employer exactly who you are and how to reach you. The resume needs to have your name, a good mailing address, and one telephone number that will be answered professionally, even when you are not at home. So pick a number with voice mail or hook up an answering machine and record a professional message.2. Every resume needs to tell the employer: "Here is what I can do for you". The resume must list your special skills, knowledge, and abilities as well as your measurable achievements. The employer needs to know what benefits you will be bringing to the Company and to the position.3. Every resume needs to tell the employer about your education and training. Human Resource staff and hiring authorities are always interested in knowing whether the applicant is smart enough to be trained to do things their way. But too much education listed on a resume can overwhelm the reader. If you have a degree you do not need to list all your classes. Being a private pilot or having a green belt in Kung Fu may impress your friends, but those skills may not be of real value to an employer.4. Every resume needs to tell the employer about what you have

etimes don't see the connection between what they do and customer perceptions of the business.

Develop with them a list of "Skills We Value Around Here" that describe the standards everyone aims for in e.g.: customer service, interpersonal skills, teamwork, time management, work ethic.

Reach agreement on giving them feedback on their performance - not just at an annual review - so they know how they are going.

Understand staff needs

good leaders - someone supportive, trustworthy, who has integrity
to work to clear values - having a purpose, knowing how to behave
quality relationships - working with people who can be trusted, where there is mutual respect
to be able to 'have a say' - to take part in decision-making
to feel safe - physically and psychologically

If you've got Generation Y staff members it's worth noting that, according to researcher Peter Sheahan, this group wants feedback on the spot - not at far-off performance reviews; their rewards fast and personalized and public recognition for their efforts. GenY are "creative, resourceful and entertaining" he says; they like to work in teams, to develop and take on new challenges. A valuable resource - if they get feedback.

Deliver bad news as constructive feedback

If we don't tell people where they are going wrong they won't know where they stand, someone who 'gets away with it' will be resented; in either case your business suffers.

However, we need to avoid criticism of the person and focus instead on constructive feedback on their actions.

Criticism is personal when we say: "You're always late! Can't you get out of bed in the morning? If it happens once more......"

If you stick to the facts, tell the person how their behavior affects others and invite their input to solving the problem, you've got a far better basis for cooperation, e.g.: "I've noticed last week you were late four mornings. When that happens I have to help the other staff do your job and I feel I'm being used. What do you think we can do about it?"

Yes, there may come the time when reasonable negotiation no longer works; but at least start with a positive attitude.

Taking feedback

With a feedback culture established, you will need to accept feedback too. Remember though, others may not have learned how to give that feedback constructively. So, take a deep breath, swallow your pride as well as any instinct to react defensively. These guidelines may be useful.

Listen without interruption - you may learn something of real value.
If you hear something you don't agree with, simply say, "That's interesting!" and discuss it at the end.
Ask questions to clarify what exactly went wrong; what you did or didn't do.
Acknowledge what is true, but don't necessarily change your position - you may have good reasons for your actions.
Before taking any action ask for time to think and then get back to the person.

From a staff perspective

If your workplace has reached this level of cooperation you're in an excellent situation. However, great subtlety is required if the workplace culture discourages your feedback; if your boss is defensive and takes feedback personally, or worse, quietly awaits a moment for retribution. These guidelines may be useful.

Always act politely and have patience.
Look for small-step improvements; you may not have the full picture.
A boss is busy and can often be excused for not taking immediate action, so:

Collect your evidence if you want a change. Gather information and support for your position.
Think through options that could be explored to solve the problem.
Be willing to do something yourself to change the situation.

Prepare your case very thoroughly.
Prove that you always follow-through, that you can be relied upon.

As a last thought, have you ever thought of thanking your boss for a job well done?

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One of the greatest challenges in email fundraising is poor open rates. The majority of donors who subscribe to email donor newsletters receive them but never open them.

A well constructed staff skills audit and training needs analysis process will assist with training vendor selection and budgeting, help improve employee retention levels, and help to significantly improve overall staff satisfaction.

I think that a great manager spends his time trying to do himself out of a job...

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