GlobalBX Entrepreneur Business Articles - September 2008Pricing Your Consulting ServicesIn case you hadn’t noticed, people can react very differently when faced with the same price for a product or service. In fact in most cases, we’ll never actually know what is in their minds when they consider a price and then decide to respond to it in certain way. So what does that mean […] Performance Management Gone HaywireWhen you ask employees about their impressions of Performance Management processes, the answer is invariably negative or neutral. It’s not often that the process is positively endorsed by those who use it. So where are we going wrong? As managers, we know we need a management system of some kind for all the components of […] Managing the Human Being behind the BusinessIt’s a common problem and we’ve all seen it – business owners that are just ‘too busy’ all of the time, and as a result, do not enjoy the success in business they had hoped for. Let’s not kid ourselves, there is a lot to focus on: technology, employees, sales, marketing and so on. These […] Managing for Best PerformanceIn it’s simplest form, performance management is a common sense set of discussions that make sure people are clear about what they need to do, have the support to do it and get open and honest feedback on their performance. Any performance management process should answer 4 important questions for your employees: What do I […] Making More of Your Article Marketing StrategyIt’s all well and good to write a great article. If you’ve done that then you are half way there. The next step is getting it published. Having your articles published on line in different places can build your credibility and increase the number of links pointing to your site – all great things. But […] Kicking Winning GoalsThe competition for business is hotting up. The advances in new technology, ease of communication, and increasing expectations from customers have combined to make the marketplace more competitive than ever. In this world it is critical for small and medium businesses to be proactive about creating their future. Without proactivity, things just seem to ‘happen’ […] How to Find One More Hour in EverydayIn September 2006 (for reasons too long to explain here), I had no internet or email access for 26 days. We all know how much we rely on these for running our business (and our lives), but it’s not until it’s actually taken away from you for an extended period that you realize the full […] Hourly Rates No Thank YouWhen was the last time you gave a passing thought to your pricing? It’s no secret that how you charge for your services can either make or break you. It can mean the difference between a mediocre and a successful business. In my experience, most people don’t spend enough time thinking strategically about what pricing […] Hiring for SuccessHiring someone new to work in your business is one of the most critical decisions a business owner makes, although it is not always given the justice it deserves. If a position is vacant, or additional staff are needed, recruitment decisions are often driven by the pressure to get someone in quickly, rather than waiting […] Haven’t Done a Business PlanA Business Plan is the essential document we are all meant to have – right? So why do so many of us not have one? The principle behind having a business plan is to think strategically about how to grow our business, create new direction and organise our thoughts: What am I going to do? […] Getting the Marketing GrooveWouldn’t it be great to have a year where your marketing efforts were streamlined and got the results you were after? None of us want to struggle with marketing, and yet this is the one topic that continues to be highest in the minds of small business professionals. Let’s really consider some of the reasons […] Exit your Rat RaceWe can all get in a rut from time to time. Who hasn’t had a moment in their lives where you’ve asked yourself the question: “Why am I doing this?” Whether it’s who you’ve become, the business you are in, your career, relationships, where you live or all of the above – sometimes you realise […] Every Business Needs a BHAGIn the heady arena of strategy, the consultants of the world find wonderful acronyms for the work they do. Today let me introduce one of those to you. It’s the BHAG – the Big Hairy Audacious Goal! This is the goal that really stretches you to think differently about how you do business. It’s the […] Delegate or DieThere is not a single management skill more critical to your personal and professional success as an entrepreneur than learning to delegate. But delegating successfully is much more than simply handing out assignments. It is more an exercise in understanding and accepting our own strengths and limitations. In this fast paced world, we must choose […] Driving Without a Roadmap?For any business to succeed it must know what it is about. It must be able to explainwhat it is there to achieve, and where it ultimately wants to end up. Unfortunately the majority of businesses can’t describe, or don’t have a picture of what they are trying to become. Either it’s just not considered […] Dealing with Problem Behaviour in the WorkplaceI personally struggle with the term “managing people”, because I firmly believe that people cannot be managed – only processes and systems can. How many times have you heard it said – “Why won’t my employees just do as they are asked?” Despite all our best efforts at “managing”, we have very little control over […] Creating Content for Articles or Ezines EffortlesslyThe benefits of writing as a marketing strategy have been well documented. Articles build credibility, provide lots of links back to your website, and can generate business for you. All good stuff. This is all well and good as long as you have something to write about – right? Finding content ideas can be one […] Creating a Vision and MissionFor any business to succeed, it must know what it is about. It must be able to clearly describe why it is there, and what it is there to achieve. Developing a vision and mission statement is a way of articulating these ideas to yourself, your customers, your employees, and to the world at large. […] Create More Headspace – the Art of SimplificationPeople’s lives today are jam-packed with great projects, ideas, to-do lists, errands, things we should do, things we could do, duties and obligations. No surprise then, that many of us feel we barely have time to do the things we have to do (or think we have to do), let alone spare time for fitting […] Coaching the new Word in ManagmentAlthough workplaces and management styles have come a long way in the last decade, the command and control style of management behaviour remains common practice in many companies. This management approach basically means that employees are told exactly what to do, when to do it and even how it should be done. The manager is […] |
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