Business Coaching Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business OwnersUsing 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 […] 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 […] Pricing 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 […] 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’ […] 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 […] 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 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 […] Centres of InfluenceA Centre of Influence is a fancy way of identifying people that have a hugely positive impact on your business. They often refer people and business to you, and are actively glowing about what you provide and how you provide it. Every business needs a couple of these gems, and once you have them, you […] 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 […] 7 Sanity Saving Business BoundariesThe lack of strong boundaries is one of the chief causes of stress, overwork and overwhelm in the business environment. Clearly set boundaries help other people to understand how you want to be treated. They are the rules, if you like, that apply when others deal with you and your business. Many of us aren’t […] Six Steps to Growing Your Business in Difficult TimesWith the current economic challenges we’re all facing, too many small business owners are finding their business moving in the wrong direction. In many cases, what were once growing, thriving businesses are now heading into a downward spiral of cutbacks, layoffs, and, in too many cases, bankruptcies. Owners are watching as their customers dwindle and […] Get Rid of Half Your Sales Force – Now!Why? Because the average sales professional these days is a high paid customer service person. Yes, I said a high paid customer service person. I know this from experience. I spend a lot of time with sales professionals in the field. Also, last year I was asked to spend half a day talking to sales […] It is Easier to Increase Sales than to Cut CostsWe are constantly hearing about the importance of cutting costs to get a business back on track. I certainly believe that we should spend wisely, but serious cost cutting is killing some companies who could direct their efforts in a more productive manner that would benefit their company, their investors, and their employees a lot […] |
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