While Total Quality Management has proven to be an effective process for improving organizational functioning, its value can only be assured through a comprehensive and well­thought­out implementation process. The purpose of this chapter is to outline key aspects of implementation of large­scale organizational change which may enable a practitioner to more thoughtfully and successfully implement TQM. First, the context will be set. TQM is, in fact, a large­scale systems change, and guiding principles and considerations regarding this scale of change will be presented. Without attention to contextual factors, well­intended changes may not be adequately designed. As another aspect of context, the expectations and perceptions of employees (workers and managers) will be assessed, so that the implementation plan can address them. Specifically, sources of resistance to change and ways of dealing with them will be discussed. This is important to allow a change agent to anticipate resistances and design for them, so that the process does not bog down or stall. Next, a model of implementation will be presented, including a discussion of key principles. Visionary leadership will be offered as an overriding perspective for someone instituting TQM. In recent years the literature on change management and leadership has grown steadily, and applications based on research findings will be more likely to succeed. Use of tested principles will also enable the change agent to avoid reinventing the proverbial wheel. Implementation principles will be followed by a review of steps in managing the transition to the new system and ways of helping institutionalize the process as part of the organization’s culture. This section, too, will be informed by current writing in transition management and institutionalization of change.

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If your business is going to be owned by more than one owner, the simplest business form to create and operate is a general partnership. Forming a partnership entails an agreement between two or more prospective partners. Whomever you choose to be a partner in any given business venture lies solely in what skills, attributes, or responsibilities this person will be contributing. A partner can be an individual, a partnership, a limited liability company, a corporation, or a trust.

What is a partnership?

The flexibility of a partnership allows the business to operate in a manner that best suits the business needs at the time the business starts and later when the business has matured. Later, when the business has grown, new partners can be added, yet their management capacity can be limited to prevent the new partners from usurping the original partners. When a partner contributes capital to a partnership, the partner receives an ownership percentage in all assets of the partnership, not just in the property contributed.

All partners are jointly liable for the obligations of the partnership. Joint liability means that each individual partner will equally be held responsible for all of the obligations of the partnership. If there is an instance in which any one partner solely contributes to any betterment of the business, that business partner can collect the other partners’ pro rata share of the debt regardless of whether or not the other partners are financially able to repay their share. If this is the case legal action may be required.

There are basically two types of partnerships:

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In 1969, Robert Plant famously sang: “Don’t know where you’re goin’, only know just where you’ve been”. Even for those that don’t listen to Led Zeppelin on a regular basis, there is some truth to be found here. When a financial advisor attempts to build a relationship with his client, it is useful to ask what sort of footprint that client wants to leave behind. In fact, it is a question that must be asked, if any dialogue is to take place at all.

Financial advisors frequently ask me where that dialogue begins, and I believe the first step is identifying what the ideal client looks like. The ideal client is someone with whom you are familiar, whose name you know, whose kids’ names you know, and who you are excited to meet with-whether it is at the store or in a professional setting. It is, in short, somebody you are comfortable with; in whom you have an interest that goes far beyond numbers and graphics. Only once an advisor reaches that comfort zone can he or she determine if the client is open to having an in-depth dialogue. This, however, requires a different type of investment on the part of both the advisor and the client.

At the True Wealth Institute, we have developed a holistic screening process that defines the parameters of the client-advisor relationship. In financial planning, we not only focus on the changing trends in the financial services profession, but we also research health, happiness, and knowledge. The client who achieves True Wealth lives a life that focuses on more than merely their bottom line. The financial advisor is instrumental in making the client understand what True Wealth is about, namely, all that money cannot buy, and all that death cannot take away.

Memories, relationships, family, and personal legacy are all concepts that fit into this category.

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August is traditionally a time when things go quiet for a lot of businesses as potential customers get back into the swing of things. When you need customers fast though, knowing that is no help at all. So, here’s my top simple and quick ways to get customers fast. 

1.    Talk to your past clients – Have you kept in touch with your past clients? Maybe they’re looking for your products and services right now. Drop them a line (either by phone, email or post) just to see how they’re getting on. When you’re looking for customers fast, your past clients are often a great source of leads. 

2.    Analyse what’s worked in the pastWrite down a list of your current and past customers and next to each name, write down where this customer came from. Be specific – if it was a networking event, which one; if it was a referral – who sent it to you? Analysing your marketing in this way should give you a very clear idea of which marketing methods are working for you and which are not. Then you can go out and do more of the methods that are working for you. 

3.    Offer your customers something special in return for referralsI’m sure in your business, you’ve had at least one referral in the past and when you need customers fast, referrals are a great quick source. Approach your current customers and past ones and offer them something in return for a referral – it could be a free e-book with quick tips; a bottle of wine; discounts of your future products and services. Try it, you might be surprised. 

4.    Go where your customers goIf you’re stuck for marketing ideas and want to find customers fast, one of the best ways is to look at your customers and have a think about where they would naturally congregate i.e. it might be at conferences; at the gym; on Facebook etc.

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Start a Franchise Business
Many small-business owners reach a point where their company’s success makes them think of expansion.  One possible way to enjoy additional income involves opening a second location, and then adding more as time and cash allows.  But an increasingly popular method involves franchising your business.  The franchising process will allow you to earn significantly more in both fees and royalties than you could ever hope to make by running multiple locations on your own.

The Process of Franchising
Franchising opportunities are available no matter what kind of business you run - whether it involves retail or wholesale locations, a mobile operation, or even a work from home situation.  The question of how to start a franchise rests upon several basic elements, all of which must be present in order to be successful.

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What is a Business Plan?
Business plans are essentially resumes for companies.  They provide a description of what your business involves, how it hopes to operate, what level its earnings are expected to reach, and how soon those milestones will be met.  Anyone who wants to start a business must write a business plan, primarily because no financial institution will loan you money without first seeing your blueprint for success.  There are countless business plan templates available online or at your local bookstore, and sample business plans are usually sufficient to provide all the necessary information for more than 90 percent of prospective business owners.  Here is a business plan example to get you started.

Sample Business Plan
The term “template” can mean a standardized document that contains a basic layout in which details are added to customize it for a specific use.  A template business plan is an outline where you add information about your company to create a unique presentation.  Every business plan should contain the following sub-headings:

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Business Start-Ups Are Risky
According to statistics compiled by the SBA (Small Business Administration), a U.S. government agency responsible for, among other things, guaranteeing loans to owners of small businesses, somewhere around 33 percent of new ventures fail within their first two years. When deciding whether or not to start a business, an entrepreneur must first assess a variety of factors. These may include:

• Management elements - What sort of knowledge is necessary to run this particular business; how does it fit with my skill levels or those I will select to look after day-to-day operations
• Market elements - What sort of need exists for this particular product or service, and what is the likelihood it will retain market share and preferably grow in demand
• Financial elements - How much does it cost to open and run this business; how likely is it to attract investors or some other form of third-party financing
• Brand elements - Is there any existing value to the company name or product among its perceived clientele; how will one create “market buzz” to drive sales?

Every topic above contains a certain element of risk. The wily entrepreneur will do his or her best to mitigate these risks, which means reducing the chance that they will have a negative effect on the company’s bottom line. One of the ways to do this - on a top-line basis - is to consider opening a franchise business instead of a non-franchise operation.

How a Business Becomes a Franchise
“But every company had to start somewhere,” you’re likely to exclaim.

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Social networking a.k.a. the likes of Twitter, Facebook, Ecademy, LinkedIn and so on have become the new marketing buzzwords. Everyone is interested in finding out about them and knowing how to use them to get business in through the door. 

So, if you’re interested and want to use them in your business, where should you start? Here’s my top ten tips: 

1)    Don’t expect to see clients immediately. Social networking is a long term strategy. It’s about relationship building. The more people see you adding information and content to online networking sites, the more people will get to know you and want to do business with you. 

2)    New social networking sites are springing up all the time, so don’t expect to keep up with all of them. Choose 3-4 to keep on top of and work on these. That means setting up your profile and regular posting on there so that people can get to know you. 

3)    Write a generic profile of your business and about you on Word and then use it on all of the social networking sites you’re going to try out. That way, if you get invited to start using another one, your profile is already written. 

4)    Link your social networking sites as much as possible. By that I mean, use sites like www.ping.fm to help you manage all of your sites. That way, you can post on one site i.e. Twitter and have the content automatically sent to all of the other social networking sites you’re using. 

5)    Write as much content as you can. Put your articles on there, give your opinion or views on topics and write down tips. You can write absolutely anything on social networking sites, so get creative. 

6)    Write as often as you can. It’s no good setting everything up and then ignoring it.

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