Center For Business Excellence

Entrepreneurs - Keep Your Skill Sets Current

2009-10-13T19:27:56Z

One of the things that I see many Entrepreneurs falling victim to is getting behind in their own skill sets or profession. It takes a little discipline to make sure you are staying current with what is going on in your area of expertise. The reasons for falling behind are many but a few of the common ones are "I have no time for training", or "I don't have the money right now, I'll do it next month". The reality is that as small business people, the demands on our time and money are great and it’s pretty easy to push off the activities that we need to do to stay current.

I have fallen victim to this myself. As a certified Project Manager, I have to have “Professional Development Units” or PDUs to keep my certification. Last year, I didn’t get any PDUs because I was so busy with a couple of projects. This year turned out to be the same. Here we are on the home stretch towards the end of the year and I’m just getting around to it now. The important point is that I’m taking some time to update and refresh my skill sets for project management, even though I’m extremely busy and could have easily kept consulting and making money over the next few days that I’m spending in training.

The consequences of not updating our skill sets can be severe. If we aren’t current in our professional skills, the need for our products or services will decline. So we may be very busy now but if we don’t make sure our skill sets are up to date, we soon find ourselves with all kinds of time on our hands.

So, how can you keep yourself up to date if you are a busy entrepreneur? I’ll share some of the methods that I use to keep my skills up. These work for me but you may need to find your own as we all learn differently. First, I like to take on new and challenging projects that stretch my skill sets. This forces me to learn new things in order to complete the project successfully. I’m not suggesting that you take on jobs or projects that you are qualified to do but rather ones that stretch you out of your comfort zone. We can all do those things that we do all the time in our sleep but what happens when that particular skill isn’t needed anymore?

Secondly, I read all of the time. I read a trade magazine on project management each month. I supplement this with a marketing magazine and then usually have a book on the go as well. I find this is a good way to keep up with trends.

Lastly, I usually try to set aside a week a year for formal training. Last year I didn’t get it in but I will likely put in more than a week next year. The obvious formal training is taking a course at the local College or through one of the registered educational providers. However, attending symposiums, conventions or trade shows that have educational sessions usually fall into this category as well and have some great fringe benefits such as networking and a variety of topics. Don’t forget about online training as well. There are lots of online courses and webinars (web seminars) for just about any profession. Many Universities are now offering their course offerings online as well.

Bottom line, keeping your skill set current really isn’t an option. Your skill sets form part of the foundation that your business sits on and if you allow it to crumble, your business may soon crumble too. Ensure you have what you need to succeed on purpose.

Designing the Moment Reviewed

2009-08-25T13:12:10Z

I thought I would try something a little different in this blog post. I just recently finished reading Designing the Moment: Web Interface Design Concepts In Action. You are likely saying, I'm not a web designer, this won't apply to me. STOP! Don't click away because this book is exactly what you need if you never intend on building your own site and I'm going to tell you why. I'm not a web designer either and never expect that I will become one. However, I do own web sites and this book was great in teaching me at a high level what works and what doesn't work on web sites. There is no coding in the book which is perfect for those of us that are not going to build the site. The book simply talks about the features that our visitors are going to experience, what they expect when they visit our sites and what happens when they don't experience what they expect.

I think it is a MUST read for anyone that either currently has a web site or is thinking of having a web site in the future. Your likely wondering why I would say that, or thinking "I have no interest in web design and it would be a waste of time". Let me explain why you MUST read this book. First, every business must have a web site as part of their marketing plan in today's business world. It's the first step to business legitimacy and huge component of your marketing. So we all need a web site but most web sites suck. After reading this book, I know that I have had some stinkers. With the web site being so important to our business, wouldn't you like to have a web site that works and communicates to your visitors that you are ready for their business, that you care about them enough to make a easy to use site, and one that is a pleasant experience for them. If you do care about your visitors and your future customers, then read the book. It's not a large text book, its a small easy read so you don't have that excuse.

Second, when I'm have a web site built, it cost me money. This book provide the information to me, the none design person, so I can ask the right questions and make sure that I am getting my money's worth. There are so many people out there calling themselves web designers, so this book provides you with enough knowledge that you can ask intelligent questions to ensure that they know their stuff before you hire them. We have all been on a site that looked beautiful, with great images and pictures, etc but when you tried to do certain things it was difficult or not possible. I've owned a couple of those sites in my business career. This book would have helped me back then to ensure the designer not only created a beautiful site but one that was easy to use as well so people would come back again. In fact after reading this book we have been working on one of our current sites to improve it. We actually completely redesigned the site from scratch at a huge cost because we realized that the other design violated so many of things this book said you weren't suppose to. I wish I had read the book a year earlier.

In closing, if you own a site or are thinking you may build a site in the future. Read this book and save yourself time and money. It's an easy read and well worth the investment of your time. Here is a link to the book: Designing the Moment: Web Interface Design Concepts in Action

Micro Continuity Products - Getting Your Information Product To Market Fast

2009-08-09T18:53:42Z

Do you have lots of ideas for an information product? Not sure how to do it? We have all been there. In fact this is a cycle that repeats itself as we constantly come up with new ideas and we have pretty much created all the different major types of information products out there. We have created eBooks (text), audio products, video products and membership sites. The one that impresses us the most is the Micro Continuity product.

Let me quickly explain a Micro Continuity product. A Micro Continuity product is any product that can be delivered digitally and over a period of time. It can be text, audio or video messages or lessons that are divided into a series and you deliver it one a day, week or month to the client. As you might guess, the audio or video are the fastest to produce. For more information on Micro Continuity products, see Martha's article or Russell Bronson's Micro Continuity Program.

So why do we like the Micro Continuity so much? Well, we can get products out quickly for one. We can actually begin selling the product after we have 2 or 3 lessons created. We don't have to build the whole thing in advance. The advantage of this is pretty obvious. While you are working on the balance of the product you are already making money. The reason that we can start selling with only a small portion completed it that we deliver these over time so as long as we have the first 2 completed, we have a couple of weeks to create lesson 3, and so on.

The second reason we like it so much is that customers like it too. If you have ever tried to sell memberships to a membership site you know that it can be pretty difficult. You could have tons of great content in the site but people really don't like committing to 19, 27 or 47 dollars ever month for ever. If you get a paying member, it is likely that they jump on, grab as much content as is useful to them as possible and quit after a couple of months. With the Micro Continuity program, the exit is already arranged for them so they feel better about the smaller commitment. I think for this reason its easier to get them to start in the first place and then they stay for the duration (provided you are giving them the content they WANT).

That is why we like the Micro Continuity products so much. There are many more advantages but these are two big ones for us. In fact we are launching a new Micro Continuity program soon called 20/20 that Gary Gzik and the team are working on. Its a product that helps people achieve TRUE happiness. Something we all want but we struggle to achieve it. I think it will be a great product and help millions of people work towards achieving their happiness. Watch for it in the next few weeks. Its likely to take off fast.

Re(visions) #91 Enjoying your holidays

2009-07-30T18:27:27Z

Did you ever notice that it takes a lot of work to plan a holiday? I am sure you have. The pets have to be looked after,... ( for more click on the link below)

http://www.aweber.com/users/broadcasts/view/5167951

Marketing Opportunity - Get Noticed with Articles

2009-07-22T12:49:29Z

The main premise when Gary and I started the CFBE Network was to create a network where coaches and consultant could come together to get the resources they need and more importantly, to build relationships with other coaches and consultants. These relationships are so important because we can’t be all things to all people. With strong, trusted relationships with other coaches and consultants everyone can call on them to provide a complete package of services to our clients. When I started my business, many of my initial contracts were because of the relationships that I had with colleagues. I was able to go into their clients (either as a subcontractor or as the consultant) and provide a service that my colleague didn’t. Likewise, I call on them when I need something for a client that Gary and I are not able to provide. These networks of fellow coaches and consultants have allowed us to flourish and grow.

We want to give each of you the opportunity to build relationships with existing and new colleagues in the network. One of the best ways is to show your expertise to the others is writing articles. Posting articles in the CFBE Network site allows your colleagues to see what you are up to, what you are passionate about and where your expertise lies. As an added bonus, we are going to take the best 1 or 2 articles every two weeks and publish in this newsletter that goes out to our mailing list.

What do you need to do to get published? It is really easy, write excellent articles about the type of coaching or consulting that you do. The articles should be providing useful information rather than just a promotional piece about your business. Remember, you want to show off your expertise and impress them. Be insightful.

We will also give special consideration to articles that would help other coaches and consultants with developing their business. For instance, if your skills are around time management and organization, write articles that show this expertise off but also impart some wisdom that we all can take away. You don’t have to give away trade secrets put if the readers have aha moments reading your articles, they will begin to follow you on the CFBE Network. Who knows, that could be the big break you need as they walk into one of their clients and the client needs the exact products/services that you offer.

Don’t wait, start posting your articles today and get the attention of your peers. You never know where this will lead.

Are Your Products Aligned?

2009-07-18T18:00:22Z

We have been reviewing our product offerings a little this week at the CFBE Network. One of the reasons we started this was some feedback that we received that indicated some confusion around a product stream that we have in place. At first, we didn't understand why there was confusion. The products worked towards similar goals and added benefit to each other. However, when we took a step back and really examined it through the eyes of our prospective customers, it was confusing.

The next thoughts that ran through our minds was, "how did this happen and all of the lost opportunities" because the visitor to our product site didn't understand what we were trying to achieve. After the initial shock had wore off, there is no sense in dwelling on the past. We can't get back those lost opportunities. What we had to focus on was fixing it for the future. And, I thought, what a great opportunity to tell everyone about our experience so they could learn from our mistakes.

What we had in place was our Succeeding On Purpose product, which focuses on developing a master plan on building your business success. The Master Plan ensures alignment to ensure that the plans, customers, products, and how you achieve things are all working towards your dream or goal. It's about maximize the result of your efforts by not wasting time on those things that will not help you achieve your dreams. We then included as a bonus, the first module of our Fast Start Coaching/Consulting program which is a 13 week program to help people start their own consulting and coaching business. We expected that they would then continue with the rest of the 12 weeks in the program. We thought these were connected because they both worked towards helping people start and be successful in a consulting or coaching business.

But, there was a disconnect between them. We didn't see it right away because we are too close to them and have a lot of emotion associated with the creation of these programs. Yes, there is a connection between them but they go about achieving results in very different ways. We also realized that although they both target those that want to grow successful businesses, they didn't focus on the same micro-niche markets. The Succeeding On Purpose product really is focused on those that have their business up an running. It helps them have a stronger and more successful business. The Fast Start Coaching/Consulting program was directly targeted at those individuals that wanted to start a coaching or consulting business.

To correct the situation, we temporarily shutdown the marketing of the Fast Start Coaching/Consulting product. During this shutdown we re-examined the product funnel and reorganized it. We now have a much more focused product for those that are trying to start a coaching or consulting business. It provides them with some free advice from coaches and consultants that have been running their businesses for some time and then provides the program to help them start their business. It can be found at www.faststartconsultingbusiness.com.

Thought of the Day - Steal Away!

2009-06-24T12:26:06Z

In order to keep balance in your life with work and play, you should make it mandatory to get away even if the budget is tight. It will freshen your perspective, bring you to the things that really matter and give you a bit of time to reflect upon these things.

With the economy the way it is, scaling back on your get-away is likely for most of us, but don't rob yourself of the experience. Perhaps you wish to trade off a week away for a three day excursion. With all of the great travel deals, (or steals) now available, there is a lot to choose from. You may decide to keep it regional. Plan to go as far as you can on either one tank of gas or let time guide you. Go as far as you can in a day's drive. This is a great plan if you're like me and travel with a spouse who is very busy in the summer months, and can only manage a few days away at a time.

Treat you and your travel mates to some luxuries that you would not afford on a week stay away. Those extra spontaneous side trips can make great memories.

Budgeting for a smaller trip will allow you more time to relax at home, spend more time by the pool, or at local festivals too. You may even return to your work with a more rested and satisfied perspective.

Cheers!

Cyndy

Thought of the Day - Miss me? I did!

2009-06-23T13:08:30Z

As you can see, I have now proven that my testament to the fact that there is not enough time is correct. I have totally missed out on providing you with a tidbit of though for the preceding few days, and I'm really sorry about that - so here goes...

A few thoughts for the day:

1. We missed celebrating the birthday of the inventor of cellophane tape on Monday, creating an even more sticky situation...

2. I didn't #followfriday, because I lost it!

3. I should have stayed organized, then I could have had a better chance to stay on task.

Tisk, tisk.

Taking on too much responsibility can leave us flustered and frayed. I am guilty as charged. We all do this from time to time, but if we kept organized, we can deal with our workload better, and be more efficient with our tasks. Keep it together!

Cheers!

Cyndy

Thought of the Day - Not Enough Time

2009-06-17T15:45:16Z

It's one of those days where I don't have enough time to complete a thing. I am all over the board.

It' is annoying not to be able to feel like you have completed a thing, but you can take confidence in knowing at the least, you have helped with the overall flow of things. All of your meetings today have facilitated some sort of process or another, and if your tasks are like mine, you have a string of projects that overlap and appear to never end. That's because they don't. If they did, maybe there wouldn't be enough work to go around and help finance jobs - well, like yours.

So take a moment, get your thing together and move on! You really are getting somewhere, just be patient for the rewards!

Cheers!

Cyndy

Thought of the Day - Hit The Ground Running

2009-06-16T13:38:05Z

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like you can't catch your breath? Today is that day, isn't it? It's kind of nice having an active day, especially when it's a "Bluesday-Tuesday". There's not even enough time to reflect upon the fact that this is the day of the week without and identity.

Next time you feel like you've hit the ground running as soon as your feet touched the floor, freshly out of bed, take heed and smell the roses. If it's sunny out, promise yourself to go for a noon walk, and deliver! You never know, these little promises fulfilled could lead to other larger dreams realized!

Thought of the Day - TGIF???

2009-06-12T13:03:11Z

TGIF!?

If the TG has bled out of your TGIF, then you ought to re-evaluate your schedule and allow a bit more time for the fun stuff.

As entrepreneurs and small business owners, you manage many tasks over a weeks period. Working full-time outside of the home alongside a home-based business can tend to leave you worn out and longing for a much desired break.

Begin with small steps. Initially, force yourself to take a 15 minute break all to yourself. Make it between tasks, this will enable you to freshen your spirit and give you a clearer perspective when you resume your work. As you become accustomed to the small breaks, and as you enjoy your coffee out on the deck, plan for a slightly longer break that will allow you a bit of escape from your responsibilities. One caveat, though. Try not to get too far away from the office. Temptation to abandon these tasks can take hold, so don't stray too far, just enough to clear your mind.

So if your weekend plan is to finish up any loose ends pertaining to work, don't forget about giving yourself some time to relax. There is another world beyond your big business plan, and they miss you!

Cheers!

Cyndy

Are You Communicating Effectively?

2009-06-12T12:05:26Z

Proper communication is important to guarantee we are recieving the right message. But, what does proper communication entail?

Proper communication isn't only about how you speak to each other, it's about listening as well. And although listening is just as important for having an effective conversation, most people tend to forget this.

I am definately guilty. In fact, I tend to predict what the people say before it comes out of their mouth. I know I need to stop doing this, but effective communication takes time and practice. It's not like we are always taught that listening is just as important, and even if I were taught to listen tentively, it's easier said than done.

But why do we rush through our conversations and only recieve half of the true message? I believe this is partly to blame on our society. In today's society, we never seem to have enough time. And, as we rush through our days, we also rush through our conversations only picking up half of the message and predicting the rest. And the funny thing about this is, we end up coming back again later to revisit the same conversations because they weren't clear the first time.

So, in all reality, we should slow down and take a minute to listen to what those around us are saying. Ask questions if needed and repeat the information back so you both know the message has been recieved clearly. And, although it may take a few minutes longer to get through your conversation, it will save lots of time in the long run.

So, now that you are more aware of proper communication. Go ahead and join me in trying to perfect it. And maybe take a look at this video (click here) and be reminded of how our messages aren't always recieved the way we intend them too be (and have a little chuckle)!

Oh, and just because I know effective communication isn't easy - Good Luck!

Successful Businesses Need Help Too…

2009-06-12T10:53:08Z

Do you often wonder if successful businesses or entrepreneurs are just sitting on their laurels enjoying their success? Well, I can tell you that they don’t. Well, none that I know of. My theory is either you are growing and working on the next milestone or you are on the slide down into the obis. Therefore, I believe truly successful entrepreneurs and businesses are always working and looking for ways to improve.

Having been part of many successful businesses in my career and then starting my own consulting businesses, I can tell you that it takes a lot of work. Comments of “man, you are lucky” are way off the mark. Luck has nothing to do with it. It comes down to perseverance and work. What I have learned over the years is that you can’t eliminate the work but you might be able turn “hard work” into “smart work”. Smart work is working on those things that matter and will have the largest impact on what you are trying to achieve. It also means that we are always looking for better ways to do what we have to do – continuous improvement.

So how do we ensure we are working on the right things? You have to ensure that all of your actions, processes, systems, tools and behaviors align with the goals and objectives that you have set out and then work those things that you have identified. Sounds easy but we all struggle with this. We created the Succeeding On Purpose course to help you with this task. Also, this exercise is not a onetime adventure. As we grow, our goals and objectives change too and then we need to go through the exercise again to update our action plans to support the new goals. In addition, there are advances every day so we need to update the list of tools, course and education, processes and systems that we need to have to support our dreams.

It’s not enough to just know what we need to do, we have to do it. We have to walk the talk. This is usually the hardest part but we can do this by getting help. That’s right, successful business get help. We work with great business, large enterprises through to small businesses to help them succeed. Third party perspective (consulting), training or coaching to keep them on track to their goals is used by these very successful companies to ensure that they remain successful and are always getting better. We consider ourselves successful and we are always reaching out for help. We want to be more successful so we have a coach, we take courses and we are constantly learning. We compliment this with great services that help us achieve what we want and need. We also focus on what we are experts in and outsource to others those things that we are not experts in.

Go succeed on purpose. Ask for and get help from those around you. Look for the experts that you need and move your business to greater levels of success.

Thought of the Day

2009-06-11T13:35:19Z

"Communication Conundrum"

What kind of mess have we gotten ourselves into? With the ever-growing need to telecommunicate, instant-message and email, are we losing the art of conversation? Is the existence of nuance on the brink of extinction?

Think about how often we sacrifice the human nature of communication for the sake of convenience. On top of that, we actually pay for the very service which subtracts warmth from our messages. Fifty, one hundred, two hundred dollars a month. Are we crazy, or just suckers for the next techno-gadget to emerge from innovative minds and crafty marketing schemes? Consider just a few on the list on many: cellulars, berrys, pdas, iphones, pods and the like. I could go on.

Just remember the next time you send an electronic message, that the human on the other end cannot hear your tone. Your message may not come off as intended. Take care; and, at the risk of sounding like your Mom, call once and a while, would ya?

So cheers to all of you e-masters, and don't forget, while you are recharging your batteries, pick up the phone and recharge your communication style too.

Cheers! (again)

Cyndy

Thought of the Day

2009-06-10T13:27:39Z

Tuesday's Bluesday..

Poor Tuesday, she doesn't have an identity. She's lost in the abyss of weekday blahs, flat with not much character.

We tend to identify the other days of the week as follows:

Monday: Back to work

Tuesday: _________

Wednesday: Hump day, midweek

Thursday: Payday

Friday: End of the work week

Saturday & Sunday: woo hoo!

Plan something different for Tuesday - dinner & movie on a budget? Theaters offer special admission on Tuesday, and some restaurants give discounts to encourage a night out with the family. Research having more fun on Tuesday, and give it your own spin. You can stimulate your social life and the economy at the same time!

Cheers,

Cyndy

Thought of the Day

2009-06-09T12:23:00Z

Be more creative!

You may not believe that you have creativity in your bones, but to some extent or another, everyone does. In order to capitalize on your creativity, you have to learn how to bring it forward.

Creative thought isn't just for the artistic by nature. It is the core of innovation, imagination, and forward thinking. Inventors, researchers and artists all tap into their visionary resources, just like you do when you are simply stuck in traffic, and plan an alternate escape!

Take the time to re-energize. In order for those creative juices to flow, you have to replenish them. How do you do this? Use the little extra tidbits of time that you have left over in your day wisely. Often enough, when we need to be creative, we run dry. You can't force it to the surface. Use these moments for quiet time, reading, or thinking things through.

Who knows, you may find that inspiration you were looking for!

Cheers!

Cyndy

Rainy Day Blues

2009-06-09T12:28:43Z

Do you have the rainy day blues? I think everyone gets them once in a while. You wake up, see the dark and dreary day that's set out ahead of you and you wish you could climb back into bed and take the day off. Rainy days seem to suck the life out of you. It's almost as if your body knows it's not a nice day, that you shouldn't go outside, it's almost like it's saying: "let's just stay home and take a "me" day".

So, after you've forced yourself to get up and out the door, with a coffee in the left hand and your work belongings in the right, you struggle to make it to the car without feeling a drop of rain. But that doesn't happen, and even worse, you have to fight to see your way to work as you push through the heavy down pours. But, there's still hope for you yet.

You might end up at your desk, unenergized and unmotivated to continue your day, but it doesn't have to be that way. Here's where you can make a change. Let's forget about that dreary day you had set out for you and take the time to make it a good day. Start by pampering yourself from the moment you get up.

When you wake up on a rainy morning, take a few extra minutes to get ready. Enjoy that shower a few minutes longer and forget about making yourself breakfast. Instead, treat yourself. Stop on your way to work and get yourself some breakfast to go. This will give you something to look forward to. But that's not all. When you arrive to work, take a moment to socialize with the people around you before you set into your day. I know the office is feeling a little lifeless, but you can change that for yourself.

When it's time to set away at work, get out your headphones. Because you want today to be a down and relax day, make it that way. Just because you are working doesn't mean you can't relax. Go ahead and grab your headphones, tune into your favourite online radio station, and you'll instantly feel motivated to fly through your tasks that day. You'll feel relaxed and ready to enjoy your day.

But that's not all, don't forget to pack yourself a lunch your willing to look forward to. And if you can, go ahead and treat yourself again. Make this rainy day a pamper day. But that's not all, I know that window view of down pours and dark clouds really isn't giving you the motivation you need. So take a minute at lunch and do some online vacationing. Check out places you want to be or go, or even plan a trip for this weekend when the sun will be shining just the way you like it. And when all else fails, do something you enjoy during your breaks.

Whatever you do, make sure you take your next rainy day with a different approach. Wake up in the mood to pamper yourself, and do just that. And, if your job permits you to, you could always take the day off and fight those rainy day blues with pj's, movies and some much needed rest and relaxation!

Thought of the Day

2009-06-08T12:34:43Z

Keeping It Simple

Today's thought is about keeping it simple. It's always a bit crazy getting back into the swing of things on a Monday morning, especially if your returning from vacation. The best way to meet the objectives of this fretful circumstance, is to peel away the extra expectations that you put upon yourself, and pare them down to your core goals. This will help you prioritize and meet objectives. The old addage "Keep It Simple, "______"! helps to define these moments.

Look forward to my article on applying this concept to your desing goals, upcoming in the next week or so!

Thought of the Day

2009-06-05T13:09:15Z

Ah, thee weekend!

Time to reflect upon the work week, and look forward to some down time with people we enjoy. Take a moment today and think about doing something small but special for someone over the weekend.

We work so hard during the week that sometimes we appear to take advantage of the ones who help make our work week run smoother. Take your kid to the movies, call your Mom, or hang with some special friends. Take a workmate out for lunch today, or go for a stroll on your own to freshen some ideas towards the next couple of days.

It's all good!

See you on the flipside!

Cyndy

Pass on the Positiveness

2009-06-04T20:23:18Z

Let's reflect a little on what has gone on in your week. What has gone really well this week? What are you proud of accomplishing? Stop and think about this for a few minutes. I'll wait.... to read more.

go to http://www.aweber.com/b/zv8h