Jumpstart Your Business

This was posted by one of my clients at http://www.communityacupuncturenetwork.org/blog/genius-corner-room
It was so beautifully stated that I decided to lift the entire post and reproduce it here.

The” Genius” in the corner of the room
[caption id="attachment_466" align="aligncenter" width="64" caption="Diane Price"][/caption]

I like being a technician. I like sometimes being able to know what would work for the patient in front of me without doing too many diagnostics. I like not having to be a counsellor or a doctor but someone who listens to the needs of my patient as they prioritize them and then uses whatever is in the collective grab bag of tricks to bring that person some relief.

Here are our useful links for February 21st, 2009:

• Is your behaviour damaging trust? – Great list covering just about everything in relationships both in the workplace and in private life.
• The secret to good writing isn’t commas; it’s simplicity – A good primer on writing.

Small business people face yet another impediment to sustainability in a tough economy – employee fraud. Tough financial times often give some employees (and according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, an increasing number in companies with less than 100 employees) a rationale to relieve their personal financial pressure with petty cash theft, check forgery, and skimming from the cash register.

Why small business? They are especially vulnerable because of the lack of tough internal controls and often too much trust in their staff despite signals that the staff member is falling into desperate straights – and desperate people can do desperate things.

Work done by Porter, Lorsch and Nohria, reported in the October 2004 Harvard Business Review found that seven surprises await the new CEO and “Surprise Four” is “You Are Always Sending A Message.”

Here are our useful links for February 17th, 2009:

• How Color Choices in Stores Can Influence Your Shopping Decisions – Color is believed to be one of the most powerful elements of design for web sites, direct mail, ads, and other marketing materials.
• B2B Marketing for $100 – B2B Marketing and Sales Tip #173 – A good list of marketing tools for minimal cost
• How You Can Leverage Lay-Offs – Starting Your Own Business – Entrepreneur.com –
• Which comes first, the product or the marketing? – If someone comes to you with a 'great' product that just needs some marketing, the game is probably already over.
• Road To Becoming A Rich Idiot – The title speaks for itself.
• The Relationship Between Color And Sales – Understanding that color influences the way a buyer behaves.
• Short-Term Loans 101 – Everything you wanted to know about short term loans

Cut-backs rule the day, but according to Ben Worthen, staff reporter for the Wall Street Journal, not all cuts are equal. Some cuts provide longer terms savings; some, more immediate.

As a busy entrepreneur, do you sometimes get the feeling that you could use some of this. Are those customers beginning to bug the hell out of you? Feel like you need to get away before you start shooting them?

Just remember, since you can’t prescribe it to your customers, you might need to start taking it regularly.

Have a nice day!

A new generation of employees wants something more from business leaders than simply increased stock holdings so when the turn comes they will be able to attain great wealth. They want to be able to make an impact right now – outside the corporate walls – keeping the business engaged in the local community.

Business culture thrives when clear communication is a practiced core value. That value becomes real when each person at every level embraces clarity – with customers; with suppliers; and, with each other.

The small business must support communication with civility but without fear, allowing challenges to the way “things are done.” Effective leadership in this positive culture is about keeping the “air clear.”

Small business owners sometimes find it harder to “become green” because of the type of lease arrangement under which they operate. No matter how you manage your business space, there are several things to consider that can help your cash flow help you become green.