Productivity Tips Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business OwnersHow 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 [...] 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 [...] 7 Steps to Managing ProcrastinationProcrastination happens to the best of us. And we rationalise our action (or lack of action in this case) in so many ways. The harsh reality is that procrastination is just a nice way of saying avoidance. Why do we avoid things? Simple – because we don’t enjoy them, or because they take us out [...] Ten Tips for Running Successful ProjectsAll organizations run projects from time to time. Yet more than half of all projects started fail their objectives. Why is this so? Read this article to discover ten things you can do to improve the chances of success with your project. Being Self Employed Requires You to Learn How to Visualize!GOAL SETTING PART TWO BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND: Are you a goal setter? If you are not I hope you will be after you read this. Did you know that it is a proven fact that if you set a reasonable goal and read it two times a day that it is almost [...] A New Approach To Moving Up The Corporate LadderRecently, I received an announcement regarding a symposium for mid-career professionals on “Moving Up the Ladder.” Priced at $2,500, the three-day course was sponsored by a nationally respected business school. Rather than tie up three days, here’s a 15-minute short course. First, the Executive Summary … Someone stole the ladder. Today’s organizations are struggling to [...] How to Turn Self Employment into Business Ownership and a LifestyleWhy do business owners work so hard for so little reward? Why aren’t more business owners having a great entrepreneurial lifestyle instead of working virtually every hour of business operation? These are the important questions few self employed business owners are asking themselves. So just what is the point of owning a business if you [...] Why Mission Statements are SO Important!I entered into the world of mission statements a few years ago when someone asked me what the mission statement was for my business. I said, “It is written down in my office somewhere, I don’t know it off the top of my head.” The look on their face was surprising then and of course, [...] Top 5 Ways to Get More Sleep During These Tough Economic TimesWorrying causes us to sleep fitfully. Here are some ways you can stop the worrying and sleep better during these tough economic times. 1. You will sleep better if you feel as though you have accomplished something, educate yourself about your business, read books, trade magazines, newspapers and attend any seminars or online tele-seminars and [...] How to Increase Sales by 20% Without Spending More for AdvertisingThe managers in your dealership must have a written job description with clearly defined responsibilities and expectations. Having specific goals for the department is required. Daily action plans for selling, training, appointments, one-on-one coaching, save-a deal meetings, deal structuring, follow-up, etc will increase sales by 20 percent without spending more for advertising. If you read [...] Lead Generation = Dollar CreationAll businesses are built on two areas of competency – people skills and marketing skills. Many sales people who are more than adequate in their sales and people skills are struggling today. The reason is most sales people lack enough opportunities with customers. Lead generation = dollar creation As a sales person you are in [...] How to Build Trust During a Time of ChangeChange and uncertainty often foster an environment of fear which leads to a lack of trust. The lack of trust can slow things down and create a higher cost of doing business. Building trust and restoring confidence can significantly impact bottom line results. Here are some solid suggestions for building trust during a time of [...] The Most Important Decision of Your LifeOn November 19, 2005, a day after having surgery, I was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma cancer. I would compare receiving the news to going to the dentist and being numbed. However, this numbed my whole body. For 20 minutes I rushed through all kinds of thoughts and emotions – shock, anger, “why me?” questions, [...] You Can Make Things HappenThoreau once said, “Things don’t change, people do.” If things are to happen, you must make them happen. Good people and businesses always make things happen. Let’s look at the essential rules of making things happen. Rule 1 – Always have a CEO attitude – You must start by taking responsibility for all things [...] Maybe It’s Your Thoughts That Need A DietTo change your life, you must get rid of old thoughts and be able to accept some new ones. One of the greatest truths is that you create your life with your thoughts. Your thoughts are what make things happen. Thoughts and words have power. Each thought in your mind is the seed for everything [...] Words Are CheapWords are cheap. What matters is the true belief system behind your words and the actions you take because of those belief systems. Economies don’t improve, people improve. Waiting for something to happen is for losers. The most important economy is the one created between your ears. During down markets you have to get creative [...] How to Become a Successful EntrepreneurHow often have you either referred to or considered the expression, “Success is a journey and not a Destination?” Probably many times, yet often being in a hurry to get there, we forget that success is not an end unto itself, but is instead an ongoing process. Though some people seem to have the Midas [...] The 7 Principles of Mastering the Art of Negotiation“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” ~John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) American president Most of us negotiate every day without realizing it. However mention the word “negotiation” and some people get nervous. It frightens them. They imagine themselves at the car dealership and the hassles and pressure associated [...] Negotiate Like A ProfessionalNegotiating can be done in a professional manner that can increase customer satisfaction while helping to protect both parties’ interests. Let’s first look at some of the problems that give negotiating a bad name and then look at the solutions. A lack of training in negotiating in the automotive industry has put sales people at [...] Increase Sales By 25 PercentAll sales people need to have a monthly sales goal for themselves. They also need to know how they arrived at that specific goal. Many times, these goals are based upon their past sales performance, but past results may not be indicative of performance. You can increase your sales by 25 percent or more. Identify [...] |
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