December can be a trying time for small businesses. The year-end rush to close clients in order to meet target year-end sales goals can leave a person feeling stressed, overworked, and definitely, not in the holiday spirit. Last year around this time, you were probably forecasting sales figures for 2004, and now, getting ready to do it again for 2005. When running your own business, it becomes immediately apparent that monthly, quarterly, and...more
Real estate investment takes motivation, drive and ambition on your part if you want to see your hard work turn into a huge profit. If you, yourself don't have the enthusiasm, chances are, your real estate investment days won't last long or make you much money. But, if you do, the possibilities are endless and so is your financial gain.So, don't trust that just the location of the property is going to be enough to make you the money you've been...more
There was something about the way "Super Fly" Jimmy Snuka jumped from the third rope of the wresting ring onto his opponent that made me want to be a professional wrestler. I couldn't wait to become a star of the wrestling ring.But when I shared my dream with adults, I was told that girls weren't born to be wrestlers. That was a boy's job. I remember becoming upset and saying, "But I'm a tomboy. Can't tomboys be wrestlers?" and the universal answer was no, not even tomboys can be wrestlers.Any lingering dreams I had of being a professional wrestler quickly disappeared the day my cousin put me in a figure-four leg lock, a very painful wrestling move. However, the experience of being told I couldn't fulfill my career goals due to my gender has remained with me till this day. As a professional who deals with career issues every day, I have come to realize that my story isn't unusual. Though the reasons vary, countless other people's childhood dreams have been squashed by well-meaning adults. I am one of the lucky ones who found my way to a gratifying career; others are still searching for their perfect work. If you are one of those people who want to change careers but find the...more
You've made the plans, built the quality system and conducted the audit. So how do you register your company as ISO 9001 conformant? And how can you be sure you're getting the most value for your investment? Here's how the process works.Certifying Your Company for ISO 9001After your company's ISO 9001 audit, you will want to register your company...more
Quite a bit, actually. Public relations helps business, non-profit and association managers achieve their managerial objectives with results like these. New proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; rebounds in showroom visits; customers making repeat purchases; stronger relationships with educational, labor, financial and healthcare...more
Good ideas are literally "a dime a dozen". Individuals conceptualize revolutionary new products and new services with each passing minute of each day. Although there is such a steady stream of ideas that can be marketed successfully and developed into a lucrative business, there are actually few new businesses that make it past the "initial stages" into actual existence.Why is this, and what factors contribute to the abandonment of great ideas that could've possibly netted the creators a small fortune?There seem to be two major psychological forces at work when a great idea is abandoned before completion or a business fails for no apparent reason. These two psychological syndromes are: Fear of Success Fear of FailureIt is a very frightening prospect to start and maintain a home-based business. There's no doubt about that. And every business owner feels the "fear" of being responsible for their own destinies, and for their own futures. It's quite common, to be somewhat nervous and stressed about our businesses, especially in the beginning.Conquering this fear is a necessity, however, as no one can be effective in a business if they allow the fear to overwhelm them.Fear can be...more
1. On Benjamin Franklin:In 1757, Benjamin Franklin published "The Way To Wealth", a basic summary of his 25 year "Poor Richards' Almanac." In "The Way To Wealth", Honorable Mr. Franklin states the following:"Then since, as he says, the borrower is a...more
A) If you are going to transform yourself into a financial wizard, with money, security, and assets, then you need to begin this transformation by clearing out the cobwebs, and making way for a new tomorrow.B) We are all perfectly capable of becoming...more
Bridging finance, also referred to as "bridge loans" and "bridging loans", have nothing at all to do with re-constructing the London Bridge. Bridging finance is typically a short-term loan that a business uses to supply cash for a real estate...more
The single most expensive stock market trades are those made with emotions, but, of course, you are not an emotional trader are you? Before you bought that stock, mutual fund or Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) you did your research to be sure that what...more
Towers Perrin, the corporate benefits consulting firm, surveyed over 1000 American workers and found the following: Only 51 percent of all workers trust their organizations to tell the truth in employee communications Only 48 percent of all workers...more
We consistently face new and ever growing challenges in the workplace such as reorganizing, downsizing, and "left out sizing." We are faced with the question, "How do we lead in this storm of change?" It may seem difficult at times and the decisions...more