Archive for December, 2009

Ten Things to Say That Make People Feel Good

Feel_GoodSaying nice things to people makes them feel good.  People who feel good about themselves and their jobs are happy and productive.  If they work for you, with you, or near you, they will propel you in front of them.    Be absolutely genuine; practice and remember to say:

  1. “Please”
  2. “Thank you” (A good boss has reasons to say “thank you” at least ten times a day.)
  3. “I appreciate your effort”
  4. “I hear nothing but good words about you”
  5. “Congratulations”
  6. “I need your help”
  7. “I am glad you are on the team”
  8. “You earned and deserve this”
  9. “You remember Joe Smith in our Marketing department.” (An introduction of someone to a superior.)
  10. “That was a first-class job you did.  Keep it up.”

Anything else you would like to add?

Life’s Test Kitchen

Test Kitchen

Photograph: Roger-Viollet/Rex Features

Yes, times are rough, troubles subsist, and downsides are still there, and that’s just life.  But how should one cope?  Here are the questions I usually ask myself:  should I just turn on my Wii and hoola-hoop my way out of this nagging feeling?  Should I take a long, brisk walk? Read? Go shopping?

I had a recent bout of frustration, boredom and a bad hair day–all in one day.  Armed with options I have mentioned above, I chose to stay put and read. I reached to my old gray notebook containing all my favorite quotes and short articles.  I randomly picked a page to read.  Here’s what I read on that dreadful day; one of  my favorite inspirational pieces adapted from AccessChristian:

Valuable Gifts For New Entrepreneurs

EntrepreneurWell, folks, it’s time to finish up that holiday shopping and get those last minute gifts. If you have a new entrepreneur in your life the holidays are a great time to help them out and give them something that can help out their business or their lifestyle. Starting a business is a long road and can be full of ups and downs, but there are many things that can make the whole process that much easier.

Books

Any entrepreneur will always appreciate a good book. Check out Amazon’s small business section. Some recommendations are “Trust Agents” by Chris Brogan, “Duct Tape Marketing” by John Jantsch and “Crush It” by Gary Vaynerchuk.

Corporate ID or Logo Design

Branding is very crucial.  A well-designed logo is a good starting point to have a corporate identity.  Get them a professional and creative graphics designer who will create something to make their company standout!

Ticket to a Business Conference or Convention

Get them a pass to a conference or convention so they can network and update their skills and knowledge with others in their

Savvy Marketing Tactics For Small Business

Small Business MarketingMarketing your products and services is a constant, ongoing process that is a never-ending job. Especially if you’re looking to generate revenue and increase your customer base and of course, hold on to your current customers. The good news is you don’t need much to market your small business successfully. Here are some tips of low-cost marketing tactics you can apply to your marketing plan today!

BLOG IT UP

If you don’t have a blog for you and your business, then start one. If you do, crank it up! Think about what your customers want to know about that you can help them with. What are the key words your customers search for? Combine those two and start creating content. And don’t forget to add an RSS feed for your blog so people can subscribe and be kept updated.

Get YOUR Content OUT-THERE

Take your blogging to the next level and create some great articles from your content, then get that content out there to the world to build reputation and focus on you and your business. How-to’s, tips, strategies, interviews, positive stories and lessons learned, just to name a few. Your articles can go onto your website, into your newsletters, and then submit them to various media, content websites (eg: PRweb.com, ezinearticles.com, etc.), and blog directories.

DATABASE Contact

If you don’t have your past customers and prospects already in a database, spend time doing that and then make it a habit to update it as new contacts are made. If you do already have databases, when was the last time you got in contact with those

Pay Yourself First

Pay YourselfOne of my favorite personal finance tips is to pay yourself first. The idea is that you should take any savings money immediately from your earnings and put it into a separate bank account.  I’m saying this because if I wait until the end of the month to save what’s left, I would have probably spent it all.

I think this idea applies equally to your goals. Pay yourself first because, if you pay other people first, then you won’t have enough time left for what’s truly important to you.

There are going to be a few things that must come first. If your goal is to start a business, but you still work a full-time job, not getting fired is your first priority (at least until your business can support you). Same with important family concerns.

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