Copyright © 2006 Daniel Castro

It might have been your best friend, your partner, your boss, your brother or even your lover.  It burns deep inside.  You can’t sleep for the anger, the shock and dismay.  You may find yourself still not believing it’s happened to you.  But it has!

When those we have entrusted with our money, our plans, our strategies, our loyalty or even our love betray us, we feel violated deep inside.  We feel crushed.  We wonder if we can ever recover from this.

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Copyright © 2006 Daniel Levis

Since the first caveman figured out how to tie a sharp rock to the end of a sturdy stick with a piece of vine, and hack off slabs of mastodon meat with it for fire roasting, storytelling has been the way knowledge has been passed from one person to another.

Around the campfire blaze, the tribal members would gather, the little children gazing cautiously out from behind their parents, their eyes shining wide like silver dollars, listening… The grizzled old witch Doctor—can you hear his crackling voice, as he spins a yarn of bygone days?

There is learning in the story—how to surround and kill a wholly mammoth, the cunning exploits of the ancient clansman, how the old man survived a vicious storm. There are stories of love and war, of the discovery of magical potions and incantations, of the wicked cannibals to the east.

Since the dawn of time, stories have been the conduit of learning… the sacred baton, passed from one generation to the next… without which, human development would stand still.

We are creatures of story…

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Copyright © 2006 Cutts Group, llc

When the tide comes in, all boats in the harbor go up… the tough part is figuring out how to bring the tide in. Booming economies come and go and bring surges of profit increases, then ebb to leave behind shortages and tough times. Regardless, there are some business that just seem to weather the tough times with grace, not really affected by recessions. It’s almost as though they have a secret source… maybe they do… customers.

Hey, customers always buy… in the good times and in the bad times. They still have needs and still make purchases. When you understand their needs and wants, you have the keys to keeping your business afloat when others are grounded. Implement these three tactics successful marketers use, and you’re set for success.

1. Just One
Customers can be like a two year old in a candy store… they want it all. Yeah, sometimes it’s hard to make up your mind about what you really do want when everything looks so good. That’s why it pays to promote one product over the others. It spells out loud and clear… I’M THE BEST DEAL. That will be the deciding factor in most cases.

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Copyright © 2006 Harrison Monarth

Your next presentation is just around the corner. To ensure devastating impact, just follow these ten steps and watch your career catch fire.

1. Avoid Excessive Research

Research is for geeks and bookworms. Do you really want to bore your audience with a bunch of statistics and facts that they can easily get from the library or from Google?

You want to tell people your version of how things work, not someone else’s ideas that have been posted all over the Internet already.

2. Be Spontaneous

Preparation and rehearsals are for amateurs, or actors. By practicing your presentation you only sabotage your chances for spontaneity. Just scribble down a few notes and stuff them in your pocket in case you need them for reference. This allows you to improvise as you go, keeping your talk lively and interesting. People hate predictability.

Plus, by rehearsing your presentation you run the risk of having a bunch of know-it-alls give you unwanted feedback, which may tempt you to make last-minute changes. Do you really want to start over? Remember, this is YOUR show!

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Copyright © 2006 Donna Gunter

I first became acquainted with teleclasses back in 1997 when I stumbled across the coaching community.  At the time, I lived in small town in western Massachusetts, and professional development opportunities were few and far between without a drive to Albany, NY, or to Springfield or Boston, MA.

With teleclasses, I thought I’d hit the personal development motherload.  I could simply dial a teleconference bridgeline from the comfort of my own home and be connected with 10-150 other people around the globe, who were all gathered on a call to learn more about a particular topic.  Moreover, in many cases the class was free or low-cost, and I didn’t have to get dressed, drive anywhere, find and pay for parking, nor stay overnight, all of which I would have to do if it were an in-person seminar or conference.  What could be simpler?

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Copyright © 2006 Marshall House

As a natural part of my empowerment consulting practice, I often find myself in discussions with my clients about their jobs and careers. Sometimes we talk about new jobs or job opportunities; sometimes we talk about promotions; sometimes we talk about careers over the long-term.

These are all very different types of conversations. Most of my clients who are in corporations are mid-level to senior-level managers, who are competent and have already proven their value to the company. I also work with clients who are outside the corporate structure or are consultants to corporations, with whom career development conversations are different.

It is common for people to want to have a career development plan. Many think that those successful individuals who have preceded them in the corporation had a plan to get where they got. Some did, but quite honestly, it is easier for them to claim that they had a plan with the benefit of hindsight and success than to produce the plan they wrote years before.

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Copyright © 2006 I.M.A.G.I.N.E. Consulting Inc.

1. When you make your first sale, follow-up with the customer. You could follow-up with a “thank you” email and include an advertisement for other products you sell. You could follow-up every few months.

2. You could upsell to your customers. When they’re at your order page, tell them about a few extra related products you have for sale. They could just add it to their original order.

3. Tell your customers if they refer four customers to your web site, they will receive a full rebate of their purchase price. This will turn one sale into three sales.

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Copyright © 2006 Attractioneering

If you’re running a small business, then at some point you may be faced with the problem that you want to gear up your marketing in order to grow the business, but at the same time you’re afraid of getting it wrong and losing whatever you invest in it.

Whilst large businesses can afford to throw large amounts of money at campaigns, and absorb the losses if their marketing doesn’t work, small businesses need a return on every pound they spend. They need some level of certainty that the money and effort they invest is going to produce good results. Otherwise, what can happen is that they keep doing what they’re already doing (which probably isn’t working that well), or they blow a load of money on advertising or marketing solutions that don’t work, and then lose faith in outside help or marketing altogether.

If you want to avoid wasting money on marketing and advertising, or getting burnt by marketing consultants then you’ll want to minimise your risks and invest your money in solutions that work for you.

As you read this article you’ll discover 5 options for learning how to do your own marketing or recruiting outside help, and the advantages and disadvantages of each option.

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Copyright © 2006 Alicia M Forest and ClientAbundance.com

What’s a Niffler, you ask?

Well, if you’ve read Happy Potter and the Goblet of Fire, you might remember that a Niffler is a critter that hunts treasure. Once it finds one treasure, it moves on quickly in search of the next prize.

Do you do the same thing in your business? Meaning, are you a constant gatherer of the things that you think will move your business ahead, but not so much the implementer of them? Do you get distracted by anything and everything that’s new in your industry? Do you come up with one great idea after another, but you never fully commit to completely one of them?

Yes? I hate to break it to you, but there’s probably a bit of Niffler in you! You could also call it distractiblity-disorder or failure-to-follow-through or fear-of-success/failure, or focus-challenged… but personally, I like having a bit of Niffler in me. It means I’m still passionate about what I’m doing, I’m still excited about learning new things, and I’m still interested in what’s happening in my industry, which lends to my ultimate success.

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Copyright © 2006 Jennifer Givler

When you are in business for yourself, you wear many, if not all of the hats. It’s a lot of work to be all things to your business, and be its biggest fan. To make your business run smoothly you must be sure you are getting the support you need. Support comes from the people you surround yourself with, the environment you work in, and the equipment and tools that you use to run your business.

1. People Hands down, you are the biggest cheerleader for your business. No one gets as excited about your business as you do. When you have a new idea, or are going through a rough time, it’s important to have people in your life that can relate to you. But, what do you do if no one close to you can relate to what you’re going through? If no one else in your family or your circle of friends has ever run a business, chances are, they have no idea what you’re going through. And, as much as they care about you, sometimes, it’s hard for them to know how you need to be supported.

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