GlobalBX Entrepreneur Business Articles - September 2008How To Quit Your Job And Buy Your Dream BusinessStarting a new business is a daunting prospect for anybody, whether you are a budding entrepreneur or just an ordinary individual that wants to do what you love for a living. Whilst we all dream about quitting the day job that we hate and working for ourselves, there are many factors to consider and the […] Your Business ChecklistAs a business coach, I spend a lot of time working with people who want to improve different aspects of their business. Many times these aspects are merely symptoms of a more fundamental, underlying issue. If you want your business to truly shine, then there are some basic principles that, if not present, can lead […] Winning Customer ExperiencesMuch research has been done on what the makes a winning customer experience. What is it that makes customers come back to your business instead of going to someone else’s? If your repeat business is low, what is it that you are doing to drive your customers away? There is a consistent theme that emerges […] What Employees Really WantA major problem for business owners and employers today is getting the best employees and then keeping them. Sounds easy, but any employer will tell you that these activities take up the most time and have the biggest impact on business results. So how do you go about retaining the good people once you’ve found […] Using Articles to Increase your ExposureIf you are running your own business, then you have expertise in at least one area. And if you have expertise, other people will want to read about it. Marketing your business using articles (like this one!) is one of the most cost effective ways of building profile and credibility that I know. If you […] The Use of Goals – Friend or FoeAs a society we are achievement driven, recognized for our tangible contributions to the world. The examples of this are everywhere: At school we are praised for doing well at tests and reading to certain levels. At work we are rewarded for achieving specific objectives. On the sporting field our athletes are heralded for their […] The Power of Real Communication StylesAs business professionals, we spend lots of our time interacting with all sorts of people – clients, suppliers, consultants etc. Our interactions can be in person, on the telephone, by email or even these days, by sms. If you do some reading on the subject, you’ll quickly find the predominant school of thought is that […] The Ideal Job FantasyMost people would agree that the concept of a job today is vastly different from that of 20 years ago. Organisations are changing at speed, technology has changed the face and pace of work, and globalisation is pushing every business to examine it’s operations in a totally different context. How do we, the people that […] The Fundamentals of MotivationHave you ever wondered why the people in your team don’t seem as motivated as you do? Or why some people do their jobs with enthusiasm and vigor, and others barely get through the day without taking the frown off their faces? You are not alone. The topic of human motivation has been studied for […] Starting your new Employees off RightYou may not realize, but when you bring a new employee into your business you only have one chance to make a good first impression. Research confirms that a poor (or lack of) induction is a major contributor to how engaged that person is. The more engaged they are, the harder they will try and […] Setting Job Performance StandardsThe success of your business is directly related to the commitment and productivity of the people who work in your business. And yet it is generally recognized that 60% of employees, or more, are underutilized in their roles at work. So what are the factors that contribute to low performance standards and expectations? Communication, or […] Selling EssentialsThe success of your business is inextricably linked to the success of your marketing. And one critical component of marketing is your sales process. It’s not something we often consider at great length, but well thought out practices and consistency can be the difference between moderate and significant profits. How do you know if you […] Reviewing your Networking ScheduleI think most of us are pretty sold on the idea of extending our networks. Knowing more people gives you a greater opportunity to be of service. Like many other marketing activities, networking requires an investment – of your money, your time and your commitment. So before paying again for another year’s membership, take a […] Removing Friction and DelaySometimes delays are important, but if you’re not adding value, then it is not good. Some level of friction and delay are prevalent in virtually every business. Depending on what you are trying to achieve, they are not automatically bad things. There are times when deliberately slowing down (introducing delay to) an activity is the […] Radical ThinkingWhen was the last time you thought about taking your business to new and heady heights, but didn’t actually get any further? Don’t worry, you are not alone. There’s plenty of business owners out there who let their brains stand in the way of fundamental changes in their business. We either think that we can’t […] Even Small Companies Can Have Big PR ProblemsCrisis Planning for Small Businesses The thinking goes that big companies face the most daunting crises, based on sheer size, number of employees and scope of operations. Yet a small business may face even bigger problems since its revenue and profit margins usually are based on a much smaller operation and often precarious financial situation. […] Persistent? … or Wasting Time?What would you do? I had been working with the Seller for two years, one buyer had gotten almost to the finish line and dropped out; others looked and said, “Not enough information,” or words to that effect, and dropped out. But I believed in this company, believed in the profit potential, and believed that […] Business Broker…a WHAT?Everyone has heard of Brokers – Stock Brokers, Mortgage Brokers, even Marriage Brokers. But what is a Business Broker? It is a little known and less understood segment of the Real Estate industry. Simply put, a Business Broker is one who assists an individual (or company) in buying a business or helping a company sell […] Buying a BusinessThe motivations for buying a business are many. A common reason these days is that the person has been retrenched. He or she may be over the age of 40 and the chances of obtaining further employment are slim. He or she will often have received substantial severance pay. To put it bluntly, the person […] Traps for Young (and Old) EntrepreneursIt’s common knowledge that most small businesses fail within 5 years. These statistics are mind-blowingly depressing for people looking to start up a new venture. So what goes wrong? No-one starts out with the intention of creating something that isn’t sustainable. In fact most people would be adamant that they weren’t going to be one […] |
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