Have been researching what to do about when business enters the recession cycle. Taking a longer than anticipated to consolidate the research into a useful article for you.
Today’s blog is about being grateful. There is so much we have to be grateful for. The country we live in, the people in our lives, and our businesses.
Be grateful for the customers and clients you already have. Be grateful for the work you do, the skills you have learned, and the benefits of working. You work with good people, benefit society, get self esteem from your business, get new challenges to stretch yourself, and your income pays for your family and life.
We waste a lot of our life on the annoyances. We focus on this has to be done, traffic was bad, this machine is broken, we have to meet on this product, the quality is bad, or other daily problems. Have you ever noticed 90 percent of business gets done without any supervision or special effort? Be grateful!
Our lives are getting better by new services and better products. Cars today are much better and safer than just 20 years ago and they continually improve. Homes use less energy. The internet is a group of great tools. Cell phones, VOIP, instant messages and email give us more freedom to travel and stay in touch. Clothes and furniture cost less. Be grateful for how much easier it is.
So enjoy your weekend, and think how much we have to be grateful for.
November 22, 2007
October 24, 2007
Self Insuring Your Home or Neighborhood
Tonight I get to unpack the car and put the important papers back in my unit. The wind has died down and I am far enough away to be safe from my local Orange County CA fire. My apartment would have likely survived because of location and construction. We do not back up to a canyon nor have woods surrounding us. But the closeness of the disaster and my cousin evacuating in San Diego has me thinking about protecting your home or business. In the western US, we have fires every year ore so.
Your home or business is a big investment. Firemen can get overwhelmed during a big fire. They can’t be everywhere. You don’t want to be one of those heroic people trying to save their property against a 50 foot wall of flames with a garden. Your life is not worth the risk. Evacuate when you are told to!
It would be great buy the right house or pick the right business building. Get a fire proof roof if possible. Tile and metal roofs are best choices. If you have a shake roof, replace it! You can get modern tiles that look like a shake roof.
You want the walls to be Stucco, Cement or Brick. These materials will resist burning best, and should be good long term investments.
View homes have wonderful appeal, and living trees are great shade for summer comfort. I want a home like this too, but fires love to climb hills and travel through treetops. Location will affect your risk.
Most homes burn from the fire getting into the attic. The fire licks the side of the house, and the embers find their way through the vents or eves. Make sure you clear brush, woodpiles, and other fuel away from the house. At least 30 to 100 feet are recommended.
Some experts recommend sealing under the overhangs. I am not sure how to let air circulate and block the embers, but this is worth investigating. Would love to hear from someone how.
Have or install a sprinkler system. Make sure the attic is covered. Water will keep the fire from expanding although I would expect some water damage.
Above is wonderful advice if you are choosing a place, but what if you already own property? So what else can you do? Invest in a fireproof foam system. The fire is nearby and you have to start packing your important papers. Close the windows and doors. Park the car in the driveway with the engine running, get out your hose and ladder and start spraying under the eves, over the walls and windows. Spray trees too close to the house, the tank on the barbecue, and any car or truck to be left behind. Leave the sprayer tool soaking in a bucket of water. Then leave as soon as you can or you are told to.
The firemen will not have to risk their lives to save you home. If the fire comes too fast, your place is still safe.
Find out more by going to the following websites:
Barricade Gel www.barricadegel.com
No Char www.nochar.com
Thermo Gel www.thermogel.com
There is some downside to these products. Your outside walls will probably discolor and the foams can remove oxidized paint. So you may wind up repainting. If the fire isn’t right there, you have to water them to keep them moist and effective. The foams are very slippery, so you have a good chance to fall while applying the foam.
Kits start around $300 and neighborhood associations can protect ten to twelve houses for $2,000 to $3,000. The chemical does age and have to be replaced.
Note: I have no financial interest, nor am receiving no reimbursement for writing this. Just want you to be aware foams are available. I heard about Barricade Gel in Florida a few years ago when visiting family in the Daytona Beach area.
Consider investing in foam to insure yourself. Who wants to lose all those memories inside?
Your home or business is a big investment. Firemen can get overwhelmed during a big fire. They can’t be everywhere. You don’t want to be one of those heroic people trying to save their property against a 50 foot wall of flames with a garden. Your life is not worth the risk. Evacuate when you are told to!
It would be great buy the right house or pick the right business building. Get a fire proof roof if possible. Tile and metal roofs are best choices. If you have a shake roof, replace it! You can get modern tiles that look like a shake roof.
You want the walls to be Stucco, Cement or Brick. These materials will resist burning best, and should be good long term investments.
View homes have wonderful appeal, and living trees are great shade for summer comfort. I want a home like this too, but fires love to climb hills and travel through treetops. Location will affect your risk.
Most homes burn from the fire getting into the attic. The fire licks the side of the house, and the embers find their way through the vents or eves. Make sure you clear brush, woodpiles, and other fuel away from the house. At least 30 to 100 feet are recommended.
Some experts recommend sealing under the overhangs. I am not sure how to let air circulate and block the embers, but this is worth investigating. Would love to hear from someone how.
Have or install a sprinkler system. Make sure the attic is covered. Water will keep the fire from expanding although I would expect some water damage.
Above is wonderful advice if you are choosing a place, but what if you already own property? So what else can you do? Invest in a fireproof foam system. The fire is nearby and you have to start packing your important papers. Close the windows and doors. Park the car in the driveway with the engine running, get out your hose and ladder and start spraying under the eves, over the walls and windows. Spray trees too close to the house, the tank on the barbecue, and any car or truck to be left behind. Leave the sprayer tool soaking in a bucket of water. Then leave as soon as you can or you are told to.
The firemen will not have to risk their lives to save you home. If the fire comes too fast, your place is still safe.
Find out more by going to the following websites:
Barricade Gel www.barricadegel.com
No Char www.nochar.com
Thermo Gel www.thermogel.com
There is some downside to these products. Your outside walls will probably discolor and the foams can remove oxidized paint. So you may wind up repainting. If the fire isn’t right there, you have to water them to keep them moist and effective. The foams are very slippery, so you have a good chance to fall while applying the foam.
Kits start around $300 and neighborhood associations can protect ten to twelve houses for $2,000 to $3,000. The chemical does age and have to be replaced.
Note: I have no financial interest, nor am receiving no reimbursement for writing this. Just want you to be aware foams are available. I heard about Barricade Gel in Florida a few years ago when visiting family in the Daytona Beach area.
Consider investing in foam to insure yourself. Who wants to lose all those memories inside?
October 16, 2007
Real Strategy Versus Planning
Too many companies do their year end planning and call it strategy. Often the discussion at these meeting is simply how to incrementally improve the business. Everyone predicts they will sell slightly more product this year. It is a good business practice to have long term resource plans, but that is not strategic business development.
Real strategy is focusing your business. Strategy is finding potential opportunities, and enabling your resources to produce and sell new products, and services to grow.
Continuing operations have to be profitable and products updated. Equally important is to discontinue or outsource products and services no longer key to your success. The important idea is to concentrate your resources where the profits are. Work less and make more.
The best opportunities are market disrupters. All innovation flows from the unexpected combination of two or more things. You need to spot and exploited a change whose time has come. Not necessarily being the first mover, but be the first to get it right.
Steve Jobs says, “I am going to wait for the next big thing." Then he develops a position to take advantage of the opportunity. Look at the iPod. Lots of people in and out of the industry knew about music downloading, and people knew that MP3 players were coming along. The music companies and the music retailers had asset positions that were being threatened, and didn’t want to act. It was not a fantastic leap of imagination into the far future. He found a set of ideas that needed to be quickly and decisively acted upon.
A value denial is a business opportunity. Every change and innovation creates new value denials. These are products or services that are both desired and feasible but are not being supplied to the market.
What makes a business unit healthy? Operating efficiently and having a good strategy. A good strategy, in turn, is one that is responsive to change and that builds, builds upon, and stretches the resources that yield competitive advantage. Be focused on going after changes.
How do you actually plan strategy? For that, you need a small group of smart people. Strategic insight is essentially the solution to a puzzle. Puzzles are solved by individuals or tight-knit teams. With big groups and complex processes you can select the better solution to the puzzle, and you can get consensus and buy-in and even commitment. But that comes later.
Start with a SWOT analysis. It is time to look at your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Basically as a group evaluate your business internally and externally. Where do you have advantages, and where do you have to improve? What opportunities are there and what weaknesses do you have?
Write three coherent paragraphs about what is changing in your industry and why. Having to link your thoughts, giving reasons and qualifications, makes you a more careful thinker and a better communicator. No bullet points.
Other questions to ask include: Where are the profits too low? Are the margins low? Can we increase margin with a new design? Can we partner with a competitor? Does someone else do it better? Can we minimize expenses on mature products? Do we just raise prices and give up market share? Do not underestimate the inertia of buyers. Can we sell part of the business without damaging the whole unit? How will the customers react?
Speculative judgments are the essence of strategic thinking, and they can be the starting points for taking a position. Strategic thinking is essentially a substitute for having clear connections between the positions we take and their economic outcomes. You have to determine where to invest in projects with a goal.
Companies create competencies by making bets, and putting the right resources in place to develop those competencies. Companies get good at something by doing it, and that give you a sustainable advantage.
You job is to figure where your resources are best spent. The most important job of any manager is to break down a situation into challenges that subordinates can handle. Absorbs a lot of the ambiguity in the situation and gives less ambiguous problems to others. That is the heart of strategy.
This article is based on the research and studies of Richard Rumelt.
Real strategy is focusing your business. Strategy is finding potential opportunities, and enabling your resources to produce and sell new products, and services to grow.
Continuing operations have to be profitable and products updated. Equally important is to discontinue or outsource products and services no longer key to your success. The important idea is to concentrate your resources where the profits are. Work less and make more.
The best opportunities are market disrupters. All innovation flows from the unexpected combination of two or more things. You need to spot and exploited a change whose time has come. Not necessarily being the first mover, but be the first to get it right.
Steve Jobs says, “I am going to wait for the next big thing." Then he develops a position to take advantage of the opportunity. Look at the iPod. Lots of people in and out of the industry knew about music downloading, and people knew that MP3 players were coming along. The music companies and the music retailers had asset positions that were being threatened, and didn’t want to act. It was not a fantastic leap of imagination into the far future. He found a set of ideas that needed to be quickly and decisively acted upon.
A value denial is a business opportunity. Every change and innovation creates new value denials. These are products or services that are both desired and feasible but are not being supplied to the market.
What makes a business unit healthy? Operating efficiently and having a good strategy. A good strategy, in turn, is one that is responsive to change and that builds, builds upon, and stretches the resources that yield competitive advantage. Be focused on going after changes.
How do you actually plan strategy? For that, you need a small group of smart people. Strategic insight is essentially the solution to a puzzle. Puzzles are solved by individuals or tight-knit teams. With big groups and complex processes you can select the better solution to the puzzle, and you can get consensus and buy-in and even commitment. But that comes later.
Start with a SWOT analysis. It is time to look at your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Basically as a group evaluate your business internally and externally. Where do you have advantages, and where do you have to improve? What opportunities are there and what weaknesses do you have?
Write three coherent paragraphs about what is changing in your industry and why. Having to link your thoughts, giving reasons and qualifications, makes you a more careful thinker and a better communicator. No bullet points.
Other questions to ask include: Where are the profits too low? Are the margins low? Can we increase margin with a new design? Can we partner with a competitor? Does someone else do it better? Can we minimize expenses on mature products? Do we just raise prices and give up market share? Do not underestimate the inertia of buyers. Can we sell part of the business without damaging the whole unit? How will the customers react?
Speculative judgments are the essence of strategic thinking, and they can be the starting points for taking a position. Strategic thinking is essentially a substitute for having clear connections between the positions we take and their economic outcomes. You have to determine where to invest in projects with a goal.
Companies create competencies by making bets, and putting the right resources in place to develop those competencies. Companies get good at something by doing it, and that give you a sustainable advantage.
You job is to figure where your resources are best spent. The most important job of any manager is to break down a situation into challenges that subordinates can handle. Absorbs a lot of the ambiguity in the situation and gives less ambiguous problems to others. That is the heart of strategy.
This article is based on the research and studies of Richard Rumelt.
October 5, 2007
Miserable at Work
You spend massive time at work, work gives you status, your income comes from your work, the income supports your family, and most of your problems come from work.
You work with demanding customers, coworkers of all cultures, political persuasions, religions, strange foods, irritating manners, and all types bosses that range from smooth salesmen to irrational dictators.
Most people do not get fired from jobs for incompetence. They wear out their welcome. Poor attendance, regularly coming in late, leaving early or at the minute, maintaining the welcoming attitude of an ogre or at least the neighborhood grouch, and eventually being left out of the daily give and take. Job performance of course follows this attitude with missed deadlines, sloppy work, and others beginning to take over your workload.
How We Get Miserable
First of all, remember when you got the job? You wanted it, begged for it and said “Pick me, Pick me! I will do a good job.” Think how thrilled you were to get your job? Were you ecstatic? Proud? You told everyone about your new job and company.
Gradually thing are not as new and fresh. There are problems. Grumpy coworkers, complaining customers, poor suppliers, and a ton of attitude. After a while, you’re now complaining about the alarm, the commute, the grind, the workload, his mess, her perfume, the weather (even though you work inside), the politics, the decisions, the demanding customers and the boss. What don’t you complain about?
Now you are in the rut that leads to getting passed over for new assignments, raises and promotions. The downward spiral gets worse when others are getting ahead and you stay right where you are. Be honest, are you thrilled with your performance.
You can be Happy at Work
Look for where you can make a difference. How are the customers happier? How are sales increasing? What you accomplished?
Fall in love with your profession again. Read business journals, magazines, and websites. Compare your products and services with competitors and see where you can improve. The difference between top performers and the average is top performers often give 1% more. Brian Tracy points out the difference is less than you would think. Persistence, service and a little extra often make all the difference.
Mentor coworkers, especially newer employees. They will appreciate the help and you will not believe how much you learn teaching.
Create business relationships. Let other people be right. Respect their contribution and ignore their unimportant shortcomings. Who is perfect? Learn about your coworkers and find out what you can respect about them. The biggest donor to charities at a small plant I worked with was a third shift machine operator who had adopted four kids. Would have never know him if I did not volunteer to help a charity drive. Take pride in where you work, and who you work with.
Have a little humor when things don’t go right. Humor often makes the daily trials livable. Laugh at yourself. In this politically correct world, you can always make fun of you, and others will love you for it.
You will be surprised in a few months how much more fun and productive work is with the right attitude. So go and enjoy work, and start looking forward to Mondays.
Wolfgang Christoph, Brian Tracy and Dr. Roberta Shaler deserve credit for the ideas presented in this article.
You work with demanding customers, coworkers of all cultures, political persuasions, religions, strange foods, irritating manners, and all types bosses that range from smooth salesmen to irrational dictators.
Most people do not get fired from jobs for incompetence. They wear out their welcome. Poor attendance, regularly coming in late, leaving early or at the minute, maintaining the welcoming attitude of an ogre or at least the neighborhood grouch, and eventually being left out of the daily give and take. Job performance of course follows this attitude with missed deadlines, sloppy work, and others beginning to take over your workload.
How We Get Miserable
First of all, remember when you got the job? You wanted it, begged for it and said “Pick me, Pick me! I will do a good job.” Think how thrilled you were to get your job? Were you ecstatic? Proud? You told everyone about your new job and company.
Gradually thing are not as new and fresh. There are problems. Grumpy coworkers, complaining customers, poor suppliers, and a ton of attitude. After a while, you’re now complaining about the alarm, the commute, the grind, the workload, his mess, her perfume, the weather (even though you work inside), the politics, the decisions, the demanding customers and the boss. What don’t you complain about?
Now you are in the rut that leads to getting passed over for new assignments, raises and promotions. The downward spiral gets worse when others are getting ahead and you stay right where you are. Be honest, are you thrilled with your performance.
You can be Happy at Work
Look for where you can make a difference. How are the customers happier? How are sales increasing? What you accomplished?
Fall in love with your profession again. Read business journals, magazines, and websites. Compare your products and services with competitors and see where you can improve. The difference between top performers and the average is top performers often give 1% more. Brian Tracy points out the difference is less than you would think. Persistence, service and a little extra often make all the difference.
Mentor coworkers, especially newer employees. They will appreciate the help and you will not believe how much you learn teaching.
Create business relationships. Let other people be right. Respect their contribution and ignore their unimportant shortcomings. Who is perfect? Learn about your coworkers and find out what you can respect about them. The biggest donor to charities at a small plant I worked with was a third shift machine operator who had adopted four kids. Would have never know him if I did not volunteer to help a charity drive. Take pride in where you work, and who you work with.
Have a little humor when things don’t go right. Humor often makes the daily trials livable. Laugh at yourself. In this politically correct world, you can always make fun of you, and others will love you for it.
You will be surprised in a few months how much more fun and productive work is with the right attitude. So go and enjoy work, and start looking forward to Mondays.
Wolfgang Christoph, Brian Tracy and Dr. Roberta Shaler deserve credit for the ideas presented in this article.
September 27, 2007
Productivity Office Tools
Productivity Office Tools you can use to get more done.
We all need to be more productive. Experience and focus get your projects done. Speed up by using good business tools to produce effectively. Below are some of my favorite computer and business tools to save you time.
Cardscan – Why type contact information when you can just scan it in with over 95 percent accuracy? I have over 1,500 contacts and could not maintain this data base without this software and scanner. Customer service is great, and the best thing is the Accucard service which is included. All your contacts are backed up on a secure website, and they are contacted every 6 months to
Laptop / Dell – Why not work other places than your desk? Portability is wonderful. Yes, it cost more. Yes it is riskier because you can drop it. It is worth it. I buy refurbished Dell’s to save money. Laptops are also more likely to have problems, so buy the service program where they come to my office if needed. You can buy HP and other brands with good service from Circuit City, and Circuit City covers battery replacement which is costly.
MemoryTen – Add more RAM to your PC. All these new software, the internet, required anti-virus, and anti-spyware programs use slow down machines that are a couple years old or more. RAM really speeds up your programs, internet surfing, and life and is the best dollar to dollar investment. Have upgraded 4 machines myself, two desktops and two laptops. It is an amazing simple do it yourself project for most people. Go to MemoryTen http://www.memoryx.net/ and find out exactly what you need.
Flash drives – Take your in process work with you in your pocket. Very fast transfers between other computers. Back up your work in process when traveling. 1 gigabyte is around $8 – 12 and falling. Only burn disks to send to clients.
Gmail – Google email is accessible anywhere you have an internet connection. Best spam filter out there, go through the spam folder and teach it who your friends and newsletters are. Higher security maintained with no personal effort. I download my gmail to Outlook for convenience, and keep a back up copy on Google’s server. Was able to recover all my messages quickly after a hard drive crash. Used with Cardscan to get my contacts back was able to recover quickly.
Carbonite / External Hard Drives – Been through 4 hard drive failures and upgrades over the years. You can’t afford to lose your data. Carbonite backs up your computer to their servers. Your data is safe in case of theft, fire and hard drive failure. Works when computer is idle so it does not slow you down. Also have a local backup like a external hard drive. Why? Because if something happens it will take hours to download data from a server. You can plug in an external hard drive in another computer and get back to work quicker. Seagate, Western Digital, Maxtor, Iomega and Simple Tech are reputable companies. (Note to Seagate marketing, put your name on the product so I what I have)
Blogger.com – How I bring you this blog. I write in Word and post here. My spelling is too poor to type here. Overall very simple to use so you just write.
PDA is old school, but I find not having to pull out the laptop or find another computer is priceless. Cell phones are taking over this function and it is a good marriage. Neither will ever totally replace my favorite business organizer, a Steno pad.
Steno Pads – simple notepads eliminates loose post-its, scrap paper, envelops picking up phone numbers, addresses, ideas, and plans. It is easy to chronologically find what you have not transferred into your electronics. Consider Sir Richard Branson manages 150 – 250 companies at a time with large pads of papers. He does not use computers, but plans marketing and projects. Also like 8 x 10 inch 70 page spiral notepads for a larger size pad.
Skype / Google Talk – If you make lots of calls or travel overseas, Skype is a great way to stay in touch. Google Talk looks like it is easier and simpler to use, but have not tested it yet. Still trying to get my father to install Skype, maybe we can figure out Google Talk easier.
PCWorld.com – Where to get technical advice? PC World is usually on the cutting edge. Great reviews and software downloads. CNet, and Forbes are good places to find out what is practical to use.
Ebay / Buy It Now –I like shopping for bargains, but if you want to know what something costs at a discount this is a great place to start. Then shop Yahoo, Google, Buy.com and other places for better deals online. But Ebay often has great deals on software. Just make sure the software is able to be registered legally.
I promised good tools. Now it is up to you to take action and get what you need. I recommend once a week maintaining your systems (computer and otherwise). Install one of these suggestions a week until you have incorporated what you want into your life.
We all need to be more productive. Experience and focus get your projects done. Speed up by using good business tools to produce effectively. Below are some of my favorite computer and business tools to save you time.
Cardscan – Why type contact information when you can just scan it in with over 95 percent accuracy? I have over 1,500 contacts and could not maintain this data base without this software and scanner. Customer service is great, and the best thing is the Accucard service which is included. All your contacts are backed up on a secure website, and they are contacted every 6 months to
Laptop / Dell – Why not work other places than your desk? Portability is wonderful. Yes, it cost more. Yes it is riskier because you can drop it. It is worth it. I buy refurbished Dell’s to save money. Laptops are also more likely to have problems, so buy the service program where they come to my office if needed. You can buy HP and other brands with good service from Circuit City, and Circuit City covers battery replacement which is costly.
MemoryTen – Add more RAM to your PC. All these new software, the internet, required anti-virus, and anti-spyware programs use slow down machines that are a couple years old or more. RAM really speeds up your programs, internet surfing, and life and is the best dollar to dollar investment. Have upgraded 4 machines myself, two desktops and two laptops. It is an amazing simple do it yourself project for most people. Go to MemoryTen http://www.memoryx.net/ and find out exactly what you need.
Flash drives – Take your in process work with you in your pocket. Very fast transfers between other computers. Back up your work in process when traveling. 1 gigabyte is around $8 – 12 and falling. Only burn disks to send to clients.
Gmail – Google email is accessible anywhere you have an internet connection. Best spam filter out there, go through the spam folder and teach it who your friends and newsletters are. Higher security maintained with no personal effort. I download my gmail to Outlook for convenience, and keep a back up copy on Google’s server. Was able to recover all my messages quickly after a hard drive crash. Used with Cardscan to get my contacts back was able to recover quickly.
Carbonite / External Hard Drives – Been through 4 hard drive failures and upgrades over the years. You can’t afford to lose your data. Carbonite backs up your computer to their servers. Your data is safe in case of theft, fire and hard drive failure. Works when computer is idle so it does not slow you down. Also have a local backup like a external hard drive. Why? Because if something happens it will take hours to download data from a server. You can plug in an external hard drive in another computer and get back to work quicker. Seagate, Western Digital, Maxtor, Iomega and Simple Tech are reputable companies. (Note to Seagate marketing, put your name on the product so I what I have)
Blogger.com – How I bring you this blog. I write in Word and post here. My spelling is too poor to type here. Overall very simple to use so you just write.
PDA is old school, but I find not having to pull out the laptop or find another computer is priceless. Cell phones are taking over this function and it is a good marriage. Neither will ever totally replace my favorite business organizer, a Steno pad.
Steno Pads – simple notepads eliminates loose post-its, scrap paper, envelops picking up phone numbers, addresses, ideas, and plans. It is easy to chronologically find what you have not transferred into your electronics. Consider Sir Richard Branson manages 150 – 250 companies at a time with large pads of papers. He does not use computers, but plans marketing and projects. Also like 8 x 10 inch 70 page spiral notepads for a larger size pad.
Skype / Google Talk – If you make lots of calls or travel overseas, Skype is a great way to stay in touch. Google Talk looks like it is easier and simpler to use, but have not tested it yet. Still trying to get my father to install Skype, maybe we can figure out Google Talk easier.
PCWorld.com – Where to get technical advice? PC World is usually on the cutting edge. Great reviews and software downloads. CNet, and Forbes are good places to find out what is practical to use.
Ebay / Buy It Now –I like shopping for bargains, but if you want to know what something costs at a discount this is a great place to start. Then shop Yahoo, Google, Buy.com and other places for better deals online. But Ebay often has great deals on software. Just make sure the software is able to be registered legally.
I promised good tools. Now it is up to you to take action and get what you need. I recommend once a week maintaining your systems (computer and otherwise). Install one of these suggestions a week until you have incorporated what you want into your life.
September 11, 2007
September 11th and Everyday
We remember those who died in the attacks on New York and Washington. They were victims of attacks on the United States by evil people who wish to destroy us. Al Qaeda started World War III by attacking any western nation they can.
The World Trade Center was targeted (twice by the way) because they thought if you destroy a Wall Street finance center, you will destroy or damage the American Economy. America would be too weak to respond.
The Pentagon was also targeted because it is the headquarters of US military, and they wanted to slow our response. They feared the military, but think of us as a weak enemy. Based on our response to military losses in Somalia, they think we would quit after the loss of a few soldiers. Take out our headquarters, and no one would stop them.
The reality is the leaders of Al Qaeda are older, educated and dedicated to destroying anyone in the way of their vision of an Islam led world. Al Qaeda is targeting Christians, Catholics, Jews, Hindus, Buddhist and other Muslims who do not believe their distorted interpretation of the Korean. They kill randomly with bombings, mass attacks, and wipe out innocent families for their convenience and security. Parts of Iraq has woken up due to the number of Iraqi’s who have been victims of Al Qaeda murders, and areas of Iraq are coming to us for help ridding themselves of this evil.
Remember 9/11. Remember Pearl Harbor. Remember the Maine. Remember the Alamo. One if by Land, and Two if by Sea. History has taught us winning wars takes persistence, sacrifice and dedication. We have been in Bosnia over 15 years to insure peace. In Korea 54 years. In Germany and Japan for over 60 years. Al Qaeda wants to take over every country possible. The world needs to step up and help contain this enemy of religious freedom with us.
The best strategy for this ongoing World War is to enlarge our military now, to prepare for the long battles remaining, and to remain determined to win over evil. That is how we will succeed remaining free.
The World Trade Center was targeted (twice by the way) because they thought if you destroy a Wall Street finance center, you will destroy or damage the American Economy. America would be too weak to respond.
The Pentagon was also targeted because it is the headquarters of US military, and they wanted to slow our response. They feared the military, but think of us as a weak enemy. Based on our response to military losses in Somalia, they think we would quit after the loss of a few soldiers. Take out our headquarters, and no one would stop them.
The reality is the leaders of Al Qaeda are older, educated and dedicated to destroying anyone in the way of their vision of an Islam led world. Al Qaeda is targeting Christians, Catholics, Jews, Hindus, Buddhist and other Muslims who do not believe their distorted interpretation of the Korean. They kill randomly with bombings, mass attacks, and wipe out innocent families for their convenience and security. Parts of Iraq has woken up due to the number of Iraqi’s who have been victims of Al Qaeda murders, and areas of Iraq are coming to us for help ridding themselves of this evil.
Remember 9/11. Remember Pearl Harbor. Remember the Maine. Remember the Alamo. One if by Land, and Two if by Sea. History has taught us winning wars takes persistence, sacrifice and dedication. We have been in Bosnia over 15 years to insure peace. In Korea 54 years. In Germany and Japan for over 60 years. Al Qaeda wants to take over every country possible. The world needs to step up and help contain this enemy of religious freedom with us.
The best strategy for this ongoing World War is to enlarge our military now, to prepare for the long battles remaining, and to remain determined to win over evil. That is how we will succeed remaining free.
September 3, 2007
Ways to Have a Better Life
It is hard to separate work and life, and you are better off with an integrated life. The suggestions here will help you live and work at a higher level. The benefits of these ideas may be immediate from trying them. Others will have long term rewards.
Talk about what is good – Focus on the great to the nice parts of life to have better perspective when difficult times come.
Look for the good in people – Yes we all have flaws, but you will enjoy people more when you see their strengths and heart.
Talk with friends and family – Be with people who love you regardless of the stupid mistakes you will make. And love them unconditionally.
Hang around with positive people – Why not find people who enjoy life if you want to live life fully?
Work hard and work smart – Action is the tool that makes things happen. But we all have the same 24 hours a day. The people who get things done, do things in common. They think, visualize what they want, plan what to do in small steps, and then take action by priority. They do not do it all themselves, but build a team and delegate to be productive. They continually learn, and improve by reading, listening to seminars and making mistakes.
Volunteer and serve others – Our purpose in life is to help others, not to take from the world selfishly. “It is not about you!” [Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life]
Work with your gifts – We are all naturally good at some things. There are things you care about more than other people. Why not use what is easy for you (and not the rest of us) to make your living? A passionate employee or leader will accomplish much more in their life.
Let little things go – There are plenty of little things that you will not care about in about 2 seconds, 2 minutes, 2 hours, 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months nor 2 years. If you will laugh at this later, why not laugh now?
Stop thinking depressing thoughts – Do a “Brain Interrupt”! After 10 to 15 minutes, I catch myself, and say time to stop. Whatever it is, it will not be the end of the world. Tomorrow will come in spite of everything. Most events resolve themselves in a few days or weeks. This is easier if you are religious and can give it to God.
Laugh daily – Especially if you can laugh at yourself. You will always be entertained.
Journal your life –Write down the good and the less than perfect. See what you learn from the day, and really enjoy the successes. Lessons from mistakes are better learned without beating yourself up. Write a little down, let it go, and get on with your life.
Limit the news – Too much negativity and sensationalism will affect your attitude. In the 24 hour cable news world, “everything” is a crisis Now! To be honest, most events are not the end of the world. Keep your perspective.
Limit your vices / Moderation in everything – Too many people mess up there life with drink, drugs or sex. You want to be the person who can have fun sober, and the dependable person worth someone spending their life with you. Be moderate in moderation. A rare excess of exercise, food, drink or fun is wonderful.
Choose to Enjoy life – Life still has hard days, but then you can find joy everyday if you choose. Try it.
Talk about what is good – Focus on the great to the nice parts of life to have better perspective when difficult times come.
Look for the good in people – Yes we all have flaws, but you will enjoy people more when you see their strengths and heart.
Talk with friends and family – Be with people who love you regardless of the stupid mistakes you will make. And love them unconditionally.
Hang around with positive people – Why not find people who enjoy life if you want to live life fully?
Work hard and work smart – Action is the tool that makes things happen. But we all have the same 24 hours a day. The people who get things done, do things in common. They think, visualize what they want, plan what to do in small steps, and then take action by priority. They do not do it all themselves, but build a team and delegate to be productive. They continually learn, and improve by reading, listening to seminars and making mistakes.
Volunteer and serve others – Our purpose in life is to help others, not to take from the world selfishly. “It is not about you!” [Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life]
Work with your gifts – We are all naturally good at some things. There are things you care about more than other people. Why not use what is easy for you (and not the rest of us) to make your living? A passionate employee or leader will accomplish much more in their life.
Let little things go – There are plenty of little things that you will not care about in about 2 seconds, 2 minutes, 2 hours, 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months nor 2 years. If you will laugh at this later, why not laugh now?
Stop thinking depressing thoughts – Do a “Brain Interrupt”! After 10 to 15 minutes, I catch myself, and say time to stop. Whatever it is, it will not be the end of the world. Tomorrow will come in spite of everything. Most events resolve themselves in a few days or weeks. This is easier if you are religious and can give it to God.
Laugh daily – Especially if you can laugh at yourself. You will always be entertained.
Journal your life –Write down the good and the less than perfect. See what you learn from the day, and really enjoy the successes. Lessons from mistakes are better learned without beating yourself up. Write a little down, let it go, and get on with your life.
Limit the news – Too much negativity and sensationalism will affect your attitude. In the 24 hour cable news world, “everything” is a crisis Now! To be honest, most events are not the end of the world. Keep your perspective.
Limit your vices / Moderation in everything – Too many people mess up there life with drink, drugs or sex. You want to be the person who can have fun sober, and the dependable person worth someone spending their life with you. Be moderate in moderation. A rare excess of exercise, food, drink or fun is wonderful.
Choose to Enjoy life – Life still has hard days, but then you can find joy everyday if you choose. Try it.
August 14, 2007
Things I Would Have Done Different
Was in a reflective mood about my career recently. Writing (with other coaches) a career book to dispel myths. Normally would not change my experiences since they made me who I am today, but surprised myself this time and wrote a person list of changes I would make. Truthfully would love to know what I know now then. So this posting is general advice to manage your career and life.
Study Real Estate for Investment. (Bad investment for next couple years, then will return as good investment. Study business cycles.)
Studied Real Estate / Business Finance
Learned more about computers (useful tools.)
Saved more (More to invest.)
Bought a home where I love. (Get a small home on a big enough lot in the nicest neighborhood you can afford.)
Bought fun autos (Had three fun cars to date and recommend you buy what you love.)
Join Toastmasters (Talking to groups is a tremendous career booster.)
Write more (Communication skills are vital to your career.)
Taken more seminars: (Invest in yourself.)
– Dale Carnegie: How to Win Friends and Influence People
– Real Estate Investing
– Investing
– Finding your gifts
– Sales
1. Made lists of my dreams
2. List actions steps to make dreams happen
3. Take action (Keys to your success.)
Drank less (Really negatively affect your life.)
Exercise more (Being healthy has improved my life and work.)
Dated more, and avoid toxic people (Read Ten Stupid Things (Men, Women) Do to Mess Up Their Lives by Dr. Laura C. Schlessinger)
Not stayed home so much (Overcome shyness.)
Seen my family more often (Plan.)
Be more grateful (Best thing for your mental health.)
Be less depressed (Don’t be too hard on yourself. Limit how long you beat yourself up to ten minutes.)
Been more confident (Lets you be humble and sure of your commitments.)
Stay active in your faith (Being Catholic turned my life around. The most important thing you can do.)
Follow these and you will have a good life from now on. Wish I had read this list years ago.
Study Real Estate for Investment. (Bad investment for next couple years, then will return as good investment. Study business cycles.)
Studied Real Estate / Business Finance
Learned more about computers (useful tools.)
Saved more (More to invest.)
Bought a home where I love. (Get a small home on a big enough lot in the nicest neighborhood you can afford.)
Bought fun autos (Had three fun cars to date and recommend you buy what you love.)
Join Toastmasters (Talking to groups is a tremendous career booster.)
Write more (Communication skills are vital to your career.)
Taken more seminars: (Invest in yourself.)
– Dale Carnegie: How to Win Friends and Influence People
– Real Estate Investing
– Investing
– Finding your gifts
– Sales
1. Made lists of my dreams
2. List actions steps to make dreams happen
3. Take action (Keys to your success.)
Drank less (Really negatively affect your life.)
Exercise more (Being healthy has improved my life and work.)
Dated more, and avoid toxic people (Read Ten Stupid Things (Men, Women) Do to Mess Up Their Lives by Dr. Laura C. Schlessinger)
Not stayed home so much (Overcome shyness.)
Seen my family more often (Plan.)
Be more grateful (Best thing for your mental health.)
Be less depressed (Don’t be too hard on yourself. Limit how long you beat yourself up to ten minutes.)
Been more confident (Lets you be humble and sure of your commitments.)
Stay active in your faith (Being Catholic turned my life around. The most important thing you can do.)
Follow these and you will have a good life from now on. Wish I had read this list years ago.
August 2, 2007
Why Bridges, Products and Companies Fall
The bridge collapse on 35 West in Minneapolis is in the news today. Have just seen the security camera video of the collapse. The cause is off camera. You just see the bridge start falling level from one end, and then the structure pulls itself down section by section in seconds.
Falling level is a hint, if one joint failed on one side it would have tipped or wobbled when it fell. The initial failure has to be on the hidden support at that end. Whether the support collapsed, the section slid off the end, or too much concrete (weight) had been added for the structure will be determined by more knowledgeable engineers than me.
The truth is the real cause has taken years to be created. It is probably the accumulation of several human errors: possibilities include the design, past maintenance, the planning, and the execution the current project.
The same thing is true of any product or business. When they start to fail it is an accumulation of causes: late deliveries, poor trained customer service, customers struggling to order what they need, lack of marketing to new clients, and often the lack of new products and services. These are all symptoms to be taken seriously and corrected before the collapse.
Falling level is a hint, if one joint failed on one side it would have tipped or wobbled when it fell. The initial failure has to be on the hidden support at that end. Whether the support collapsed, the section slid off the end, or too much concrete (weight) had been added for the structure will be determined by more knowledgeable engineers than me.
The truth is the real cause has taken years to be created. It is probably the accumulation of several human errors: possibilities include the design, past maintenance, the planning, and the execution the current project.
The same thing is true of any product or business. When they start to fail it is an accumulation of causes: late deliveries, poor trained customer service, customers struggling to order what they need, lack of marketing to new clients, and often the lack of new products and services. These are all symptoms to be taken seriously and corrected before the collapse.
June 10, 2007
Getting Projects Done
When you want something bigger than a task done, something that will take longer than a couple days, you are getting into a project.
The main secret to success is to properly define the project. It is amazing how hard it is to complete something where you don’t know what it is suppose to look like!
So what does success look like? Define it. Is it a new product release with all marketing materials. Is it a new service as a business profit center? Is it increased profit margins for existing products or services? Are we changing the company culture? Is it a combination of several of these? Focus by defining what success will look like.
Focusing on defining success will motivate you to do break down the step of a project, overcome the problems that will, stay with a project until completion, and enjoy the fruits of success from getting projects done.
The main secret to success is to properly define the project. It is amazing how hard it is to complete something where you don’t know what it is suppose to look like!
So what does success look like? Define it. Is it a new product release with all marketing materials. Is it a new service as a business profit center? Is it increased profit margins for existing products or services? Are we changing the company culture? Is it a combination of several of these? Focus by defining what success will look like.
Focusing on defining success will motivate you to do break down the step of a project, overcome the problems that will, stay with a project until completion, and enjoy the fruits of success from getting projects done.
May 24, 2007
Secrets to Sell Real Estate Now
It is Memorial Day, and Now is the Prime Selling season for Homes. A friend of mine is flipping an investment house he bought and is fixing up. He needs to finish soon and sell before July. Do you need to sell your home, condo, single family, duplex, vacation home, forclosure, or investment real estate Now? I will disclose the secrets to a fast sale.
Most homes are sold after school is out and before September in most of the country. We will exclude the winter home markets where the fall is the big market like Florida and desert communities.
When you get promotions, new jobs or if your company moves you may have to sell quickly. My advice is based on my experience as a homeowner, an investor, a former agent, and as an appraiser. Have over twenty years experience. I sold my last house in 4 days on the market within $3,000 of my asking price, so I do know how to market a house.
The steps are simple: Price the house right for your market. Get professionals involved. Prepare for buyers. Develop a marketing plan. Deal fairly.
1 - First focus on being realistic. Every house is special, but every house has flaws, neighbors, and competition. To real estate professionals and investors, houses are a commodity and won't generate emotion like when selling your own house. Find out what houses are selling for in your neighborhood, NOT what other homes are listed for. List prices are wish lists. Then find out how long it took to sell the homes that sold. You need to know what is the sales trend for similar homes. Price it below the median to generate buyer traffic. Price it near or at the bottom to sell now!
The general trend in 2007 is prices are falling after the big boom of the last 6 years. Investors and speculators are selling, or only buying bargains. Buyers with borderline credit will not qualify for loans, so there are less buyers.
Why should you ask a low price? Because you don't have time for someone to fall in love with it. You need a buyer now. Agents will only bring buyers to houses priced fairly. Ask too much and no one will see your home. The ideal to get multiple offers so you can pick the best qualified buyer and get close to your price.
Special note to those who owe more than it is worth. Mortgage holders will work with you if you are selling below what you owe. Technically they can make you pay the whole amount, but they do not want to take the foreclosure. If you can sell it for them and get most of their debt they will be thrilled. Don't forget the second or third mortgage holders. They have the most to lose.
2 - You want to sell fast? Get every real estate agent in town to see your place. The odds of your listing agent having a buyer also is low. That is why they want other agents to bring their buyers. Hold agent open houses. Clean up, get out of the way, and they will run through your house in five minutes as they tour all the open house. If an agent wants to see your place quickly, let them in no matter how messy or inconvient. The agent just will run through quickly, ask a couple questions, and bring buyers. Have your agent invite agents for other companies!
Don't consider selling yourself if you are in a hurry. The odds of your advertising beating the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) is low. Great agents will maximize your sale price and do lots of paperwork for you.
Disclose any problems to your agent. They may help remedy them, and you will avoid a messy lawsuit or canceled sale. You can write down an allowance for new carpet or whatever necessary will be included in the sale.
3 -Buyers buy within the first 5 to 10 steps into your home. First impressions are the most important! Beware, lots of buyers will stay in their car unless your house appears ready.
So get the buyers into your house. Key is to have a neat front lawn, fresh paint or washed walls, and some colorful flowers by the front door. Potted plants are a good investment.
Next clean up the junk in your house. Especially the living room and any room you can see from the entrance. Start packing momento, family pictures, knick knacks, books and anything you won't need until you are in your new home. Especially throw away anything you can.
The next thing is how does your house smell? Go out for an errant, and check when you come in. The kitchen is the main culprit. Especially cooking with oil, garlic, onions, or strong spices. Next where do you keep shoes? I ate out, cooked outside on the grill, and still sprayed the house with Lysol or Oust every time I left for work or someone wanted to see my house. Don't forget to pack and remove clutter from the cabinets.
Next focus on the bathrooms and the master bedroom. You have made a good impression, don't destroy it. Pack, throw away, and pack some more. Storage is a good idea, and I found buyers will forgive your garage if it is filled with packed, taped moving boxes. They like the idea you are ready to leave.
4 - Market your house. Now is not the time to be private or discreet. Anyone can find out how much your house is list for or what it sold for. Before the internet, most homes are sold to friends of one of your 20 closest neighbors by them telling family or friends about a house for sale. Tell everyone you know and tell them the price.
Classified ads with prices get 5 to 10 times the response than ads without a price. I don't know why agents don't put the price on the for sale sign instead of making people stop for the flyer. So tell every neighbor a couple street each way with a flyer your house is for sale. Some agents will mail postcards for you.
Next I will remind you how important it is to be nice to agents. They are your friend no matter what a nuisance they seem to be. They bring buyers. Hold a second agent open house. Invite other agencies to visit.
5 - Deal fairly with everyone. People can tell if you are looking for an excuse to stiff the agent his commission, or trick a buyer. If you smell tricky, or desperate you will not do as well. It is best to be honest, disclose fairly, and be a good seller to do business with. Agents make their money by commission, and they will keep buyers away rather than deal with a foolish seller. Especially with so many other homes for sale. In this market your deal may fall through, so you want them motivated to deal with you.
Be reasonable. I was trying to sell another home in Connecticut when I changed jobs in Texas. My agent called me up with an offer below what I wanted. When he told me the price was $3,000 below my asking price, I responded "That is only a couple months mortgage payments", and we countered $1,000 higher to insure the deal went through. I saved money by being reasonable.
Good luck and get to work! Believe it or not this method will get you the most money as well as sell quicker.
Steve
Most homes are sold after school is out and before September in most of the country. We will exclude the winter home markets where the fall is the big market like Florida and desert communities.
When you get promotions, new jobs or if your company moves you may have to sell quickly. My advice is based on my experience as a homeowner, an investor, a former agent, and as an appraiser. Have over twenty years experience. I sold my last house in 4 days on the market within $3,000 of my asking price, so I do know how to market a house.
The steps are simple: Price the house right for your market. Get professionals involved. Prepare for buyers. Develop a marketing plan. Deal fairly.
1 - First focus on being realistic. Every house is special, but every house has flaws, neighbors, and competition. To real estate professionals and investors, houses are a commodity and won't generate emotion like when selling your own house. Find out what houses are selling for in your neighborhood, NOT what other homes are listed for. List prices are wish lists. Then find out how long it took to sell the homes that sold. You need to know what is the sales trend for similar homes. Price it below the median to generate buyer traffic. Price it near or at the bottom to sell now!
The general trend in 2007 is prices are falling after the big boom of the last 6 years. Investors and speculators are selling, or only buying bargains. Buyers with borderline credit will not qualify for loans, so there are less buyers.
Why should you ask a low price? Because you don't have time for someone to fall in love with it. You need a buyer now. Agents will only bring buyers to houses priced fairly. Ask too much and no one will see your home. The ideal to get multiple offers so you can pick the best qualified buyer and get close to your price.
Special note to those who owe more than it is worth. Mortgage holders will work with you if you are selling below what you owe. Technically they can make you pay the whole amount, but they do not want to take the foreclosure. If you can sell it for them and get most of their debt they will be thrilled. Don't forget the second or third mortgage holders. They have the most to lose.
2 - You want to sell fast? Get every real estate agent in town to see your place. The odds of your listing agent having a buyer also is low. That is why they want other agents to bring their buyers. Hold agent open houses. Clean up, get out of the way, and they will run through your house in five minutes as they tour all the open house. If an agent wants to see your place quickly, let them in no matter how messy or inconvient. The agent just will run through quickly, ask a couple questions, and bring buyers. Have your agent invite agents for other companies!
Don't consider selling yourself if you are in a hurry. The odds of your advertising beating the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) is low. Great agents will maximize your sale price and do lots of paperwork for you.
Disclose any problems to your agent. They may help remedy them, and you will avoid a messy lawsuit or canceled sale. You can write down an allowance for new carpet or whatever necessary will be included in the sale.
3 -Buyers buy within the first 5 to 10 steps into your home. First impressions are the most important! Beware, lots of buyers will stay in their car unless your house appears ready.
So get the buyers into your house. Key is to have a neat front lawn, fresh paint or washed walls, and some colorful flowers by the front door. Potted plants are a good investment.
Next clean up the junk in your house. Especially the living room and any room you can see from the entrance. Start packing momento, family pictures, knick knacks, books and anything you won't need until you are in your new home. Especially throw away anything you can.
The next thing is how does your house smell? Go out for an errant, and check when you come in. The kitchen is the main culprit. Especially cooking with oil, garlic, onions, or strong spices. Next where do you keep shoes? I ate out, cooked outside on the grill, and still sprayed the house with Lysol or Oust every time I left for work or someone wanted to see my house. Don't forget to pack and remove clutter from the cabinets.
Next focus on the bathrooms and the master bedroom. You have made a good impression, don't destroy it. Pack, throw away, and pack some more. Storage is a good idea, and I found buyers will forgive your garage if it is filled with packed, taped moving boxes. They like the idea you are ready to leave.
4 - Market your house. Now is not the time to be private or discreet. Anyone can find out how much your house is list for or what it sold for. Before the internet, most homes are sold to friends of one of your 20 closest neighbors by them telling family or friends about a house for sale. Tell everyone you know and tell them the price.
Classified ads with prices get 5 to 10 times the response than ads without a price. I don't know why agents don't put the price on the for sale sign instead of making people stop for the flyer. So tell every neighbor a couple street each way with a flyer your house is for sale. Some agents will mail postcards for you.
Next I will remind you how important it is to be nice to agents. They are your friend no matter what a nuisance they seem to be. They bring buyers. Hold a second agent open house. Invite other agencies to visit.
5 - Deal fairly with everyone. People can tell if you are looking for an excuse to stiff the agent his commission, or trick a buyer. If you smell tricky, or desperate you will not do as well. It is best to be honest, disclose fairly, and be a good seller to do business with. Agents make their money by commission, and they will keep buyers away rather than deal with a foolish seller. Especially with so many other homes for sale. In this market your deal may fall through, so you want them motivated to deal with you.
Be reasonable. I was trying to sell another home in Connecticut when I changed jobs in Texas. My agent called me up with an offer below what I wanted. When he told me the price was $3,000 below my asking price, I responded "That is only a couple months mortgage payments", and we countered $1,000 higher to insure the deal went through. I saved money by being reasonable.
Good luck and get to work! Believe it or not this method will get you the most money as well as sell quicker.
Steve
May 17, 2007
Ways to Make More Money
Looking at improving my career and earnings. To get a higher salary the clients need more value. So where can I learn more that will deliver more value to my customers? The answer is to solve their problems better. My clients need more profits, better margin, new product and services, reduced cost, and more productivity.
Came up with focused areas to help clients:
Came up with focused areas to help clients:
- Marketing / Branding
- Core Offerings
- New Product Ideas / Extensions / New Services
- Project Management
- Marketing
- Website Development
- Selling Information
- How Rich People Think
This may not be the obvious answer for the top subjects, but based on my skills, talents, experience, and interests this is the focus for the this year minimum.
Now, what would improve your value? Write down some ideas. Think about service.
May 8, 2007
New Products and Services
The most important thing in business is to create profitable products or services. The problem is after a while, everyone copies success. So how do you keep your growing profits when margins are under pressure?
Think about it, and we will discuss it in a future post. Email your questions to problem1solver@gmail.com and we will discuss it here.
Suggestion: How can you better serve your clients or customers?
Steve
Think about it, and we will discuss it in a future post. Email your questions to problem1solver@gmail.com and we will discuss it here.
Suggestion: How can you better serve your clients or customers?
Steve
April 21, 2007
Turnaround Business and About Me
My catch phrase is "Turning Opportunities into Profits". I enjoy business and business is about being profitable. Quite frankly, with no profit there is no business. Only a charity that will eventually fade away.
Business is about serving the customer so well they don't want to work with anyone else. You want to solve their problems for them.
Problem Solving is my core skill. Before I had a degree in Engineering, I could fix some of my family's and friends toy's. I fixed my and their bikes, put chains back on the sprocket, adjusted the gear changer so chains would not fall off the ends of the gears.
My father is a do it yourselfer, so I learned by watching and helping. Watching Dad change the tubes on the television (the black & white one), building and painting sheds, gardening, maintaining pool filters, building a trellis for mom, and of course maintaining the cars. It is amazing the patience he had to let us try what he could do in seconds so we would learn.
At fifteen I started working on cars. I insisted on taking Auto Shop as an school option for one semester. Dad bought a meter and a timing light to interest me in taking care of the cars, and was shocked as I taught him what it was for and how to use it. Typical teenager I was car crazy and fascinated with them today. Hybrids are cool, and I have been waiting for hydrogen cars for to come for over 25 years. Thank you BMW for answering that desire. Can't wait for a ride in one.
At sixteen I learned to use computers. I started with teletypes and punch cards. Yes I am an antique. Same time I learned about cars and computers, I also learned to swear. Not sure which one led to that :)
My engineering education and experience taught me how to solve more problems. The facinating thing to me is how little it was calculations to do things, and more about common sense and working with people. Then again my favorite professor in college only taught one formula per semester, and probably needed a calculator to balance his checkbook. So computers can only help us do our work, not think for us.
Now I enjoy growing and fixing businesses. Great products and great services only happen when a small committed team infects everyone to do it together. Someone has to decide lets do it, and the leader has to commit to make it happen. Then magic happens. Airplanes fly, cars get safer, air gets less pollution, more food gets grown, and man can walk on the moon.
So how does a business turnaround from losing money? From losing customers? From having poor quality products and services? It is the same thing. Someone commits to doing it. A leader creates a small team that decides it has no option but to succeed. People don't feel sorry for themselves, and do the hard work it takes to make the customer happy. The team grows, struggles, succeeds a little, fails some, learns and improves. The team solves a couple problems, grows some more, and tackles bringing out new products or services. Along the way, more problems get solved, customers get made happy, and pride comes in being part of a successful business.
That is how you can turnaround businesses.
Steve
PS - Look forward to more thoughts on business, life and problem solving...
Business is about serving the customer so well they don't want to work with anyone else. You want to solve their problems for them.
Problem Solving is my core skill. Before I had a degree in Engineering, I could fix some of my family's and friends toy's. I fixed my and their bikes, put chains back on the sprocket, adjusted the gear changer so chains would not fall off the ends of the gears.
My father is a do it yourselfer, so I learned by watching and helping. Watching Dad change the tubes on the television (the black & white one), building and painting sheds, gardening, maintaining pool filters, building a trellis for mom, and of course maintaining the cars. It is amazing the patience he had to let us try what he could do in seconds so we would learn.
At fifteen I started working on cars. I insisted on taking Auto Shop as an school option for one semester. Dad bought a meter and a timing light to interest me in taking care of the cars, and was shocked as I taught him what it was for and how to use it. Typical teenager I was car crazy and fascinated with them today. Hybrids are cool, and I have been waiting for hydrogen cars for to come for over 25 years. Thank you BMW for answering that desire. Can't wait for a ride in one.
At sixteen I learned to use computers. I started with teletypes and punch cards. Yes I am an antique. Same time I learned about cars and computers, I also learned to swear. Not sure which one led to that :)
My engineering education and experience taught me how to solve more problems. The facinating thing to me is how little it was calculations to do things, and more about common sense and working with people. Then again my favorite professor in college only taught one formula per semester, and probably needed a calculator to balance his checkbook. So computers can only help us do our work, not think for us.
Now I enjoy growing and fixing businesses. Great products and great services only happen when a small committed team infects everyone to do it together. Someone has to decide lets do it, and the leader has to commit to make it happen. Then magic happens. Airplanes fly, cars get safer, air gets less pollution, more food gets grown, and man can walk on the moon.
So how does a business turnaround from losing money? From losing customers? From having poor quality products and services? It is the same thing. Someone commits to doing it. A leader creates a small team that decides it has no option but to succeed. People don't feel sorry for themselves, and do the hard work it takes to make the customer happy. The team grows, struggles, succeeds a little, fails some, learns and improves. The team solves a couple problems, grows some more, and tackles bringing out new products or services. Along the way, more problems get solved, customers get made happy, and pride comes in being part of a successful business.
That is how you can turnaround businesses.
Steve
PS - Look forward to more thoughts on business, life and problem solving...
April 2, 2007
How to Solve Any Problem
How to Solve Any Problem
by Steve Amos © Copyright 2007
If you do not have any problems, you can skip this article. Notice everyone is still reading... :)
Life is full of problems. We encounter them daily in business and in our personal lives. How we handle problems often dictates how others perceive us, our position, and how much we earn.
Here are the basics to successfully solve any problem:
1. Really want to resolve it. Most people are “Wouldn’t it be nice if this went away.” You have to be really ready to change. There are going to be obstacles and failures. It is going to take time and effort. It will upset some people to solve your problem. It can upset you to solve your problem.
To fix anything, someone has to change what they or you are doing. There is a natural resistance to change that does not go away easy. We have all said “That’s the way we always do it” at some point in our life.
2. Why is it a Problem? Who does it bother? Your customer, your coworker, your boss, your significant other, or is it you who are bothered? Why are they bothered? Once you have identified the problem, you can do something about it.
3. What are the causes? What causes affect your problem? Why do the sources do that? Somewhere there is a reason the task was started. The secret is to track back down to the root causes. Then break down what variables can affect your problem. Then you can try changing the variables to see if you can find a solution. This is a basic description of the “Black Box” analysis technique used daily by Engineers.
4. What Changed? The shortcut used to find the source of the problem. If something worked before, and now doesn’t work, this question will often identify the cause. However if something worked poorly, you will only go back to working poorly.
5. Ask everyone involved for their input. Whoever is closest to the problem has the best insights to what is going wrong. They can help ferret out the roots of the problem. Often the answer comes from the person least likely to know the solution. Be open-minded.
Describing a problem to someone helps define it. It's a simple, fast and effective way to analyze problems. Two heads are usually better than one.
6. Stay with it. The first attempt at anything is rarely successful. Try and try again is the only way to solve anything. Solving a problem is often done with stubbornness as much as from talent. Refuse to quit. Be bullheaded. Solutions don’t require a degree. The experience will make you a more talented problem solver.
Thomas Edison had over 900 failures before he succeeded in creating the light bulb. Problem solvers don’t give up.
7. Look for others who have a similar problem. Industry, professional, and self-help groups are often great sources of ideas how to attack a problem. American industry lost a great lead on the rest of the world by not taking others' ideas. Call it the “Not Invented Here” syndrome. Look at other industries for ideas.
8. Try different problem solving techniques. History is full of companies (and people) that found a solution for customers, blossomed, and then died as changes left them behind. Don’t be a One Trick Pony. Learn how other problem solvers succeed and try it yourself.
9. Analyze the consequences. What effects will different solutions have? Solutions need to be evaluated before they are implemented. For instance, starting a war may leave your country’s economy and military ruined. Diplomacy may be a better solution to try first.
10. Test your solution. What consequences will your solution have? Try to model the smallest piece of your problem, and see if it works. Listen carefully to any feedback. Do not take the griping personally that comes with the feedback. Just try to ferret out the facts.
If your solution fails to work, refer to #6. Experience always has value.
11. Sell your solution. Now you think there is a solution. You must start to overcome the resistance to change. Most of the resistance comes when people are told to do something without a reason. If you can explain the reason clearly, your solution is more likely to succeed. Do find the solutions are rarely accepted the first time they are explained. Generally people need three or four exposures to a new idea before they accept it.
12. Give credit to those who helped you. People will be more likely to help you in the future if you have established a track record of not hogging the glory. You will get your share of the credit.
We can see persistence and patience are necessary to solve any problem. Practice and experience will make it easier as you go along. So please don’t give up. Then find your next problem to be solved.
© Copyright Steve Amos 2007
by Steve Amos © Copyright 2007
If you do not have any problems, you can skip this article. Notice everyone is still reading... :)
Life is full of problems. We encounter them daily in business and in our personal lives. How we handle problems often dictates how others perceive us, our position, and how much we earn.
Here are the basics to successfully solve any problem:
1. Really want to resolve it. Most people are “Wouldn’t it be nice if this went away.” You have to be really ready to change. There are going to be obstacles and failures. It is going to take time and effort. It will upset some people to solve your problem. It can upset you to solve your problem.
To fix anything, someone has to change what they or you are doing. There is a natural resistance to change that does not go away easy. We have all said “That’s the way we always do it” at some point in our life.
2. Why is it a Problem? Who does it bother? Your customer, your coworker, your boss, your significant other, or is it you who are bothered? Why are they bothered? Once you have identified the problem, you can do something about it.
3. What are the causes? What causes affect your problem? Why do the sources do that? Somewhere there is a reason the task was started. The secret is to track back down to the root causes. Then break down what variables can affect your problem. Then you can try changing the variables to see if you can find a solution. This is a basic description of the “Black Box” analysis technique used daily by Engineers.
4. What Changed? The shortcut used to find the source of the problem. If something worked before, and now doesn’t work, this question will often identify the cause. However if something worked poorly, you will only go back to working poorly.
5. Ask everyone involved for their input. Whoever is closest to the problem has the best insights to what is going wrong. They can help ferret out the roots of the problem. Often the answer comes from the person least likely to know the solution. Be open-minded.
Describing a problem to someone helps define it. It's a simple, fast and effective way to analyze problems. Two heads are usually better than one.
6. Stay with it. The first attempt at anything is rarely successful. Try and try again is the only way to solve anything. Solving a problem is often done with stubbornness as much as from talent. Refuse to quit. Be bullheaded. Solutions don’t require a degree. The experience will make you a more talented problem solver.
Thomas Edison had over 900 failures before he succeeded in creating the light bulb. Problem solvers don’t give up.
7. Look for others who have a similar problem. Industry, professional, and self-help groups are often great sources of ideas how to attack a problem. American industry lost a great lead on the rest of the world by not taking others' ideas. Call it the “Not Invented Here” syndrome. Look at other industries for ideas.
8. Try different problem solving techniques. History is full of companies (and people) that found a solution for customers, blossomed, and then died as changes left them behind. Don’t be a One Trick Pony. Learn how other problem solvers succeed and try it yourself.
9. Analyze the consequences. What effects will different solutions have? Solutions need to be evaluated before they are implemented. For instance, starting a war may leave your country’s economy and military ruined. Diplomacy may be a better solution to try first.
10. Test your solution. What consequences will your solution have? Try to model the smallest piece of your problem, and see if it works. Listen carefully to any feedback. Do not take the griping personally that comes with the feedback. Just try to ferret out the facts.
If your solution fails to work, refer to #6. Experience always has value.
11. Sell your solution. Now you think there is a solution. You must start to overcome the resistance to change. Most of the resistance comes when people are told to do something without a reason. If you can explain the reason clearly, your solution is more likely to succeed. Do find the solutions are rarely accepted the first time they are explained. Generally people need three or four exposures to a new idea before they accept it.
12. Give credit to those who helped you. People will be more likely to help you in the future if you have established a track record of not hogging the glory. You will get your share of the credit.
We can see persistence and patience are necessary to solve any problem. Practice and experience will make it easier as you go along. So please don’t give up. Then find your next problem to be solved.
© Copyright Steve Amos 2007
April 1, 2007
The Success Ladder
The Success Ladder
100% I did
90% I will
80% I can
70% I think I can
60% I might
50% I think I might
40% What is it?
30% I wish I could
20% I don't know how
10% I can't
0% I won't
100% I did
90% I will
80% I can
70% I think I can
60% I might
50% I think I might
40% What is it?
30% I wish I could
20% I don't know how
10% I can't
0% I won't
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