One of the biggest mistakes that I see small business owners make is to spend their money (or time) on marketing or advertising, not get the results they want and then conclude that marketing doesn't work. Or they keep on spending their money and time on advertising, despite their lack of results and convince themselves that it's "raising their profile". (In reality, it's probably just money down the drain.)The main reason that...more
In Virginia, Isle of Wight, York and Surry counties all share some unique characteristics. Each one of these counties represents a different piece of early American history and continues to grow as a part of our nation's future. They also share the influence of the James River, York River and a huge system of creeks and tributaries associated with these bodies of water. Living on the water is an aspect of this region that draws thousands...more
As a leader, your success depends upon your ability to get things done: up, down and across all lines. To survive and succeed, you must learn four essential skills of persuading people. You must convince others to take action on your behalf even when you have no formal authority.Persuasion is an essential proficiency for all leaders, requiring you to move people toward a position they don't currently hold. You must not only make a rational argument, but also frame your ideas, approaches and solutions in ways that appeal to diverse groups of people with basic human emotions. Preparing the WayAny direct attempt to persuade may provoke colleagues to oppose and polarize. Because persuasion is a learning and negotiating process, it must include three phases: discovery, preparation and dialogue. Before you even begin to speak, consider your position from every angle. Presenting your ideas takes planning to learn about your audience and prepare your arguments. Dialogue occurs both before and during the persuasion process. You must invite people to discuss solutions, debate the merits of your position, offer honest feedback and suggest alternatives. You must test and revise ideas to...more
How do you convince leaders to change? Executive coaching offers a tremendous opportunity to leverage the talent and resources of leaders. Coaching is no longer reserved for problem leaders. It is frequently sought by top performers whose organizations value their growth potential. But not all coaching is the same.Establishing Ground RulesHere are...more
The business enterprise has two, and only two, basic functions: marketing and innovation. It is not necessary for a business to grow bigger; but it is necessary that it constantly grow better. - Peter F. DruckerThe organization that fails to continually innovate new products and services will not survive long. But not all innovations produce...more
How do you help leaders succeed? Give them some coaching, that's the widely accepted solution. Then why do some executives give up on coaching programs designed to help them improve?Executive coaching offers a tremendous opportunity to leverage leadership talent and resources. Coaching is no longer reserved for problem leaders. It is more frequently sought by top performers whose organizations value their management and growth potential. Yet, sometimes coaching programs just don't work. Why?Why Leaders Give UpWhen it comes to change, some leaders lose motivation and fail to "stick with the program." Marshall Goldsmith, the renowned executive coach who has worked with many Fortune 100 leaders, reports on several reasons why leaders give up. Regardless of the coach's competence, failure to achieve goals may occur for several reasons:1. Ownership: The more leaders feel the process is being imposed upon them or that they are just casually "trying it out," the less likely the coaching process will work. If leaders are simply "playing games," with no clear commitment, their bosses must be willing to discontinue the coaching process—for the good of both the company and the...more
Small Business Administration (SBA) loans are provided to loan seekers under section 7(a) of the Small Business Act. This Act gives power to the Agency to sanction loans to American Small Businesses. Founded on July 30, 1953, the U.S. small Business...more
When talking to people who are trying to sell their house I'm often asked the question, "Why should I sell my house to you?"That's a great question. Today's house seller has lots of options: they can list their house with a real estate...more
Many businesses have long used the services of a conference call company to spread their message to the investment community, where investment professionals could hear many firms in several days. To accomodate those who couldn't travel, the...more
The business world is changing and your company must catch up. Consumers are driving the quest for information and personality. Customers are demanding to trade their hard earned cash for prompt, reliable, trust worthy and friendly services. ...more
What Is MICR?Here's a concise guide to MICR and associated technologies.By Charles KatzMagnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) was developed to utilize the benefits of computer technology in the banking industry. Prior to the use of a MICR...more
Have you started receiving credit card debt settlement notices in the mail? Have you been receiving collection calls? If this is the case, you have probably been in debt and been dealing with financial difficulties for quite some time.Creditors are...more