The missing ingredient: Remember who you're dealing with

The missing ingredient: Remember who you're dealing with
Running a business can be fantastically fun and freeing,
but let's face it: we all want to make money, and why not!
We all deserve to share in the great wealth that is out
there in the world today. So how do we get more money? We
formulate strategies, learn new skills, demand high
standards, work hard and hopefully watch as the financial
rewards roll in. Such an approach may well be seen as
admirable and, however there is a missing ingredient if
success is what you seek. Not only will this ingredient put
you on along the easy path to success, it will also bring
you more love, joy and laughter along the way. I hear you
shouting tell me, therefore I will.

Here's the key: "Remember who you're dealing with". Pay
attention to your relationship with every single person you
are involved with not just in business, but in life. Most
have us have experienced an angry boss who loses respect
for staff when they are not satisfied that they are
'getting enough' out of 'the team'. We've also witnessed
the salesman who is your best friend one moment, and then
immediately forgets you exist when you say you won't buy.
The problem is, this kind of behaviour is nuts if you want
to experience success.

When you approach a situation contemplating how you are
going to maximise profit, the person you're interacting
with appears not as a human being, rather an object to be
used as a means to an end. If a person approached you with
this attitude in your personal life would you want to be
spend time around, laugh with and help that person? Of
course not! It works the same way in business. People are
intelligent. We're are not all masters of communication,
Mastermind winners or budding Einsteins but we are all born
with an ability to sense when the people we are dealing
with do not have our best intentions at heart. Don't make
the mistake of believing your insincerity will pass by
unnoticed.

The truth is that if you don't care about the people you
are dealing with, you are simply manifesting your own
demise; if not in business then in life in general. This is
one of the simplest and most valuable concepts you will
ever get, and it's so simple! Think about what happens when
you show someone that extra little bit of care. You're the
boss. Both you and an employee are in a bad mood today, and
there is tension in the air. How could you turn this
situation around? Go over to your staff member and tell
them how much you appreciate what much they do for the
company, and how it's great to have them around. You will
not only feel great for saying this, but the tension will
vanish instantly and the productivity of your employee will
probably at least double, and all because you decided to
break the mould for ten seconds. Simple.

If you begin treating people like this, your name will
spread like wildfire. Think about it. If someone touches
your heart you want to talk about them ' free marketing.
Everyone they speak to will want to deal with you because
they will pick up on the warm vibe. Your name will more and
more become the topic of conversation. The magic happens
when these words reach people that could be key players in
your business. Watch in amazement as the perfect person for
that big project calls you up and asks to help.

If this is so amazing, why don't we all behave like this?
Unfortunately we evolve in a society that promotes being
right, rather than being kind. We show the tendency to be
selfish, rather than giving. This is the route of most, if
not all, of your problems both in business and pleasure.
Step out of these destructive patterns of behaviour and you
hold the key. Try it just once, then twice; small steps and
the momentum will build.

But wait a minute, aren't we being selfish here? We're
simply thinking of yet another way to manipulate
circumstances to create the conditions for ourselves to
experience more wealth. True, but just wait until you
experience the mutual rewards of showing more care to
everyone coming into your life. Now that is priceless!

----------------------------------------------------
Millions of Colours
http://www.millionsofcolours.co.uk
Business branding and internet services for small
businesses in the UK. We're caring, efficient and provide
value for money.

Four Ways to Step Up Your Search During the Holiday Season

Four Ways to Step Up Your Search During the Holiday Season
When I counsel clients on their job search during the
holiday season, they often tell me that they plan to put
their search on hold because they think that everyone is
out of town and no one is hiring during this season.

Actually, December can be a great time to step up your
search campaign because so many applicants believe this
misperception of the market. When people drop out of the
job market during the holiday season, there's an
opportunity for you to accelerate your search in a climate
with decreased competition. Below are four ways to increase
your visibility in 2007 to prepare for a more robust search
in 2008.

Informational Interviews

Savvy job seekers know that the more visible they are, the
greater the chances of meeting the person that can connect
them with a viable job opportunity. This concept may be
even more important when you are searching during the
holiday season. Some job seekers make the mistake of taking
a break from their search during December because they
assume that no one is in the hiring mode. The reality is
that holiday networking may be more productive than
networking during other times of the year. Decision makers'
schedules are not as tight and they may be more generous
with their time. By establishing relationships with the key
players now, you are more likely to be remembered when the
hiring picks up.

Family and Community Parties

Families and friends tend to make more of an effort to get
together during the holiday season. Family and community
gatherings are excellent opportunities to reconnect with
old friends and hook up with new contacts. Schools,
religious groups, health clubs, and support groups are just
of few of the communities where holiday activities may be
taking place. There is always a chance to share information
relevant to these communities as well as information
relevant to your personal and professional life at these
events.

Business Functions

Most companies and professional associations host a holiday
party in December. By attending a spouse's company party or
an event hosted by a professional organization, you can
build powerful business connections in a relaxed and
festive environment.

Holiday Cards

Holiday cards provide a natural "touch point" or
opportunity to reconnect with friends, family, and
colleagues. Reach out to your network now with some "best
wishes" and holiday cheer and you will have a natural
entrée into a job-related conversation in the New Year.

By establishing relationships during the holiday season,
you increase the likelihood of making inroads with decision
makers who may be hiring in the New Year. Hiring managers
may be more accessible, more relaxed, and in a better frame
of mind during the winter holiday season. Create a
networking plan now to take advantage of the unique
networking opportunities available during the month of
December.

----------------------------------------------------
Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers,
(http://www.careersolvers.com ) has over 12 years of
experience in career management, recruiting, executive
coaching, and organizational development. Ms. Safani
partners with both Fortune 100 companies and individuals to
deliver targeted programs focusing on resume development,
job search strategies, networking, interviewing, and salary
negotiation skills.

Online Employment Opportunities

Online Employment Opportunities
Searching for employment opportunities can sometimes be a
very frustrating and hard venture, if the exact sources of
searching are not known to the individuals. Such people are
advised to use the method of online searching for the
purpose of getting employment opportunities.

The internet has changed the complete outlook of the people
looking out for opportunities of employment. The job search
online industry has taken giant steps in the recent years.
The online search aids the people not only in getting the
right kind of jobs that suit their profiles, it also helps
in getting valuable information about the employers which
helps during the interview sessions.

Methods of Exploring the Online Employment Opportunities:

Some of the methods of finding the perfect job online are
listed below.

- If the individuals are looking out for a new employment
options or want to get a better pay package in the current
job profile, exploring the web sites of the various
companies can be one option. Checking for the links
regarding career and human resources is recommended. These
employment web sites are often listed on the directories of
job opportunities that are present in plenty on the
internet.

- Asking for a search engine to do the task is also one
option. These search engines help in locating the
specialized employers in the required work field.

- The web sites of the professional associations are also
handy in finding the employment opportunities. Becoming a
member of such associations helps in networking for jobs.

- Registering on an employment site on the web also does
the trick. These web sites send the possible employment
opportunities to the candidates through e-mail and also,
help in forwarding the resume to various recruitment
professionals across the globe.

Advantages of the Online Employment Search:

There are various advantages that are present in the online
search for employment opportunities. Opting for such kind
of a search makes sure that the application is safe and not
lost by the courier or post. Just by a click of a button,
the resume is forwarded to the employer.

The online option also saves the cost involved in faxes,
couriers and postage. Searching for a job online helps the
people in exploring different possible options. The
convenience and ease of the functioning of the online
employment opportunities search is vast enough for
individuals working in any work field.

These job searches also provide expert advice on writing
resumes and ensure the use of right keywords amongst the
millions of other resumes present. This highlights the
resumes for grabbing the attention of the employers. This
search also means giving the aspirants a world wide option
and not restrict them to a particular area.

----------------------------------------------------
Searching for employment opportunities can sometimes be a
very frustrating and hard venture, so we want to
help.http://www.mybusinessbiz.com

How to Deal with Difficult People: Egos at Work

How to Deal with Difficult People: Egos at Work
In discussions about dealing with difficult people at work,
a phrase often heard is "big ego" or "his ego gets in the
way". Of course, those complaining always mean other
people's egos, never their own! In any case, how can you
deal with it?

The first question is, how do you know it's an ego problem?
And the answer is that you don't. We tend to speculate
about the reasons for people's behavior, and we're quite
often wrong.

Here's the problem. Even if you were to approach the person
in question, even if you had the nerve to suggest they had
an ego problem, you'd be no nearer a solution --- for two
reasons. First, the person is likely to be not only
insulted but perhaps bewildered that anyone should see them
as egotistical. Second, and more important, even if they
might consider the validity of the comment, what can they
do about it? You can't "fix" a swollen ego, because there's
no definition of what it actually is.

But here's the good news. What CAN be fixed is the behavior
that led you to this opinion in the first place. For that,
of course, you first need to identify the behavior.
Suppose Joe has stopped coming to meetings. In casual
conversation, someone might say "Joe thinks he's just too
important to show up at meetings." Now putting aside for a
moment the fact that that may not be true, the meeting
issue is a specific one that can be addressed because it's
based on fact: Joe's absence.

Instead of approaching Joe with an accusation about a
perceived character flaw, which would undoubtedly invite an
emotional reaction, you can discuss a business process that
is breaking down. You might say, "Joe, at yesterday's
meeting we had to make a crucial decision on behalf of our
new client, XYZ Company, but because you weren't there we
didn't have a piece of information that was vital to the
decision. That hurt relations with our client." At this
point, let Joe comment and see where the discussion goes.

From there, depending on the conversation, you might say,
"Actually, Joe, we've noticed you've missed three or four
meetings over the past couple of months. Any particular
reason?" Now you might get a diatribe about long, drawn
out meetings being a waste of time (which might well have
been bothering others too), or perhaps some surprising
comments you never expected. But the point is, you've
opened up the possibility of dialog about the effects of
his BEHAVIOR, and that's something that can be worked out.

One reason dealing with "difficult" people is a challenge
is that you can't "fix" something that's perceived as a
character flaw, whether it's ego or laziness or
stubbornness or selfishness or anything else. But you can
work on correcting disruptive or negative behavior and that
can be well worthwhile.

Focus on the behavior that's causing the problem, and
consider how you might help the person overcome it to
everyone's benefit. Are you willing to give it a try, or
will you just keep complaining about "the big egos around
here"?

----------------------------------------------------
Helen Wilkie is a professional speaker and author,
specializing in workplace communication. Subscribe to her
free monthly e-zine, "Communi-keys" at
http://www.mhwcom.com/pages/communikeys.html and get your
free 40-page e-book, "23 ideas you can use RIGHT NOW to
communicate and succeed in your business career"

The Lifeblood of Your Business is its Ability To Make and Keep Money

The Lifeblood of Your Business is its Ability To Make and Keep Money
"Money is a terrible master, but an excellent servant." ~
P. T. Barnum

You need money to pay your workers, pay the rent, buy
supplies, and pay other overhead. Money provides the
business owners' lifestyle and is essential for the
business to be able to continue. Without enough of it, your
business dies.

Your understanding of money is crucial because you must
have and understand money to survive for any length of time.

Knowing the Numbers

If you want to plan effectively, as a business owner or
professional you must "know the numbers." Knowing the
numbers means that you fully and completely understand the
financial aspects and financial condition of your business.

Below is a list of the financial facts you must know about
your business:

1. Gross income: the amount of total income from all
sources.

2. Gross expenses: the total amount of money spent to run
your business except for income taxes. Gross expenses
include wages, salaries, cost of inventory, phone, office
supplies, etc.

3. Net income: gross income minus gross expenses. Sometimes
this is also called gross profit.

4. After-tax income: net income minus anticipated state and
federal income taxes for your business. This is also called
net profit.

5. Fixed expenses: those expenses that do not change a
month to month, regardless of how much product or service
you sell. For example; rents, officers salaries, insurance,
or anything that has an unchangeable, fixed cost.

6. Variable expenses: these are expenses that change
according to the amount of product or services that are
sold. For example, the costs of the product (it cost you
four dollars to produce each CD that you sell), sales tax,
wages (hiring someone because you are selling more CDs),
marketing, etc. These expenses are also called marginal
expenses.

7. Those areas of your business that are most profitable:
each of your products and services will produce income and
have expenses associated with it. You need to be able to
identify the income and expenses that are associated with
each product and service so that you can determine what
products and services are most profitable.

8. Net profit from your workforce: the amount of profit
produced by workers. Certain workers will produce products
or provide services that will bring in revenue. Subtracting
the cost of having those workers will result in your net
profit from your workforce. It is obvious that if you are
not making a net profit from certain people, you need to
carefully assess your reasons for keeping them in their
present position.

9. Opportunity cost: this is the time and money it takes to
make and deliver a product or service. This time could be
spent elsewhere if you are not making or delivering that
particular product or service. You want to be delivering
the most profitable item or service in order to make most
profitable use of your resources. This is not actually a
number, but is something you need to recognize when
analyzing the financial condition of your business.

These are the basic numbers any business owner like you
must know to effectively make decisions about your
business. One of our jobs as a coach and your accountant is
to ascertain what pieces of the financial puzzle you
already know and what areas you need to obtain more
complete information.

THE LIGHTER SIDE

"I'll tell you what I tell every taxpayer who sits in that
chair," said the IRS agent at the beginning of Brown's
audit. "It's a privilege to live in this great country, and
you should pay your taxes with a smile."

"Thank goodness," said a visibly relieved Brown. "I thought
you were going to ask for money."

-Jeff Rovin, 1001 Great Jokes (Signet)

Wishing you a prosperous and balanced life,

----------------------------------------------------
Stan Mann, C.P.C. supports business owners, top executives
and commission salespeople to substantially grow their
business and have a balanced life. He is a Certified
Professional Coach. For additional articles and resources
please visit http://www.stanmann.com I deliver customized
coaching programs to help you become the leader of a highly
successful and highly satisfying business.

Why Folding Machines May Just Be A Very Worthwhile Investment

Why Folding Machines May Just Be A Very Worthwhile Investment
Does your business regularly send out bulk or complex
mailings to existing clients and potential customers? If
you frequently distribute bulk and complex mailings, a
folder inserter machine could prove to be a very worthwhile
investment.

At present, the valuable time of your staff may be taken up
with folding and stuffing envelopes. A folder inserter
machine can carry out a range of complex folding and
inserting tasks, thereby giving your staff more time to
increase productivity in other areas and helping your
business to grow.

You may also find a folder inserter to be a profitable
investment when you consider what an increase in mailings
to existing and potential clients can add to your business.
Using a folder inserter will give your mailings a
professional look and enable you to communicate regularly
with your customers, without taking up valuable staff time.

It will not take long before the cost of a folder inserter
machine has been returned to your business when you
consider the financial benefits to be enjoyed - providing
more time for your employees to concentrate on other tasks;
creating a more professional image for your mail-outs; and
increasing the number of your mail-outs to customers.

PHL folder inserter machines are features in many mailing
rooms and are a hugely popular choice. The PHL 2042, 2043
and 2044 machines are all designed to sit on a desktop and
can therefore be situated unobtrusively in an office, where
the machine can be accessible to all members of your team,
if required. Their design is compact and all three machines
are designed to fold your mailings, insert them into
envelopes and seal the envelopes.

The PHL 2042, 2043 and 2044 can all deal with stapled
documents and offer users a variety of folding styles. The
machines can handle a range of envelope sizes and paper
weights and can also be easily programmed to link to a
postage meter for franking purposes. A variety of add-on
options are available to users, including Optional Mark
Recognition (OMR) and all PHL machines are designed to be
user-friendly.

The Plockmatic 45 is a total mailing solution that can fill
C5 or C4 envelopes with A5 or A4 documents of up to 10
sheets per envelope, or eight millimetres in thickness. It
can fill your envelopes in a wallet or pocket style, is
easy to operate and offers automatic envelope sealing. The
machine can operate at a speed of up to 3600 inserts per
hour and is designed on a modular basis, enabling you to
customise and extend the machine as your business needs
change and develop.

The Plockmatic 46 is a high capacity feeder and can handle
documents up to eight millimetres in thickness. It can
handle a variety of documents, including single sheets,
stapled sheets, booklets, cards and glossy paper. It can
detect misfeeds and run a continuous multi-feed and is a
great addition when you need to extend the capabilities of
your folder inserter machine.

The Plockmatic 49 and the Plockmatic 51 are two easy-to-use
additions to your Plockmatic folder inserter machine. The
Plockmatic 49 is a sheet-feeder that enables you to collate
a pre-selected sequence of sheets for input into your
folder inserter. The Plockmatic 51 is a compact and
user-friendly folding unit, which will help to increase the
capacity of your folder inserter. It also features low
noise-level design and requires minimal adjustment when
configuring sheet requirements.

----------------------------------------------------
Vincent Woodall is the sales and marketing manager of AB
Technology (London) Ltd (ABT) an award-winning office
equipment supplier and has been employed in the industry
since 1985. You can learn more about individual folding
machines available by visiting
http://www.print-finishing-paper-handling.co.uk/folding/inde
x.htm