al debt load and ROI, whether the industry as a whole is in a slump, whether there are too many partner or legal problems, whether future demand will materialize and so on and so forth. While these questions are certainly relevant, the most important question that a small or medium-sized business owner should ask him/herself is: "How else can I make a living and would I like it?" Yes, the advantages of being a corporate employee are great....more
If you are already in business it is hardly likely that you will agree with my title. Aren't all businsesses different?When you think in broader terms, yes, of course you're right. I want you, however, to look , for the moment, only at the basics.All businesses are about turnover, profit margins and overheads. Basically that is all there is to it. All three must come together in perfect harmony for a business to succeed.No matter what the experts...more
The idea for this month's newsletter came from an unlikely encounter: I recently had lunch with a new friend named Rick Rockwell. You may remember him as the bachelor from the first-ever reality TV show, "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire?" During our meeting, Rick described some of the knowledge he gained from doing the show, along with a few of past his experiences in business, ethics, and of course, primetime romance. The stories were fantastic, the drama was riveting, and as Rick detailed his adventures with great humor, what impressed me most was what he wasn't saying. You see, at no time did he dwell on the misfortune of not finding the love of his life or the way the media portrayed him. Instead, he said something along the lines of, "You know, Greg,! short and simply put, our circumstances, good or bad, are a direct result of our own actions, and ultimately, the only thing in which we are in true control of is our own (Attitude) towards them." To which I agreed and responded, "You're absolutely right. We're are all dealt obstacles as well as good fortune in our lives-that's simply a part of life itself. Yet it's how we handle the obstacles that shows the world our true...more
If we want to fill our heads with the doom and gloom society seems to thrive on, all we need to do is turn on the local news at night. To make that quantum leap toward personal happiness and success in life, sometimes we just need to do what so many people seem to be talking about lately: clean house and take personal inventory of the people we ...more
When I made the decision to do free workshops and book signings for my latest book, Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer, I thought it would be easy to draw an audience. I had, after all, done all the right things to prepare for this big event: I had a successful e-zine, AbsoluteWrite.com, sent weekly directly to my target market; I was a...more
Okay Friends,It's time for a 'check up from the neck up'! It's time for an evaluation in each area of your life. Some of you may be saying 'I don't need one!' Well, you may be right. And you may not be. But you know what they say? The best time to go see the doctor is to have a preventative plan, not a recovery plan.So, with that said, fill in all of the TRUE NORTH Evaluation Forms provided below and in the book, "The Street Kid's Guide to Having it All" and you'll get a REAL snapshot of the mental diet you've been on.You can get them right here (they are in Adobe PDF format):http://www.thestreetkid.com/downloads/OPR_True_North.pdf or if you prefer zipped files:http://www.thestreetkid.com/downloads/OPR_True_North.zipHere are the various areas you'll be able to assess in "Finding Your True North:" Accomplishments Strengths Perceived Weaknesses Mental Health Evaluation Physical Health Evaluation Spirituality Evaluation Relationships Evaluation Financial Evaluation Career/Business Evaluation The results in every area of your life are in direct proportion to your past thinking and conditioned mind. If you love the current results then great. If you don't...you may want to...more
Today's business environment isn't getting any easier, nor will it get easier anytime in the future. I'm not psychic but I have learned that business NEVER gets simpler. More competition, shrinking profit margins, increases in fixed and operating...more
There once was a hawk, ferocious and swift. He was young and agile with many years of life to hunt the open ranch lands. In a nearby field, a mouse scurried about the ground. The hawk saw the hurried motion and swept speedily toward the rodent.Just...more
You open your computer, the flashing button says, "We have a new update for your software program. Do you wish to update now or later?" You choose the Update Now button and immediately your computer begins to download a new version of the software...more
Fiercely combative business, non-profit and association managers use every PR weapon they can lay their hands on. Which means they employ strategic, rapid-fire print and broadcast tactics every day of their business lives. Still, many realize they...more
I've been both a CEO and a consultant, so I've seen from both perspectives what goes right and what goes wrong when a consultant comes in to a company. Generally the CEO or the manager who hires the consultant tells the consultant what he or she...more
Only one of every 5 businesses makes it to its 5th year, and fewer still make it to 10 years. What do the successful businesses have in common? 1. The experience and skills of the top managers. Over half of business failures are directly related to...more