Exhaustion is Not Client Attractive

Exhaustion is Not Client Attractive
It seems that every time I turn on the radio or television
these days, you hear people talking about the American
economy in a negative way.

What's interesting is that some self-employed professionals
are ready to close their business due to the economy, while
other global entrepreneurs couldn't be happier. While I am
not an economist or an accountant (I have team members that
handle all that financial forecasting 'stuff' for me), I do
know one important fact that most 6 and 7 figure
entrepreneurs live by. In America, the economy is the same
for everyone; it's how you persevere and seek out fun
activities that determine how successful your business will
be. Perseverance and creativity can turn a small investment
into a huge fortune.

And this is exactly what millionaire author, Jack Canfield
has been teaching for years. E + R = O (Events +
Responses = Outcome) The basic idea here is that is that
every outcome you experience in your business life (whether
it's wealth or poverty, fun or frustration) is the result
of how you have responded to an earlier event (or events)
in your business life. So, are you having fun today? If
not, here's something I'd like you to try: turn away from
this eZine, and go do something fun for 15 minutes. I don't
care what it is. Login to a funny website, watch a
hilarious DVD, go play with your pet, or call a friend who
always lifts your spirits. Even funnier yet: pull out your
high-school yearbook and look at the hairstyles and
clothing that you and your friends were wearing. Remember
that? When life was fun? Go do it now. Fifteen short
minutes. I'll still be here.

You back? You in a better mood yet? Good. If you had
trouble coming up with a fifteen-minute fun activity, or
had to stretch to find that happy memory, then you are
teetering on the edge of burn-out and exhaustion my friend.
And exhaustion is not client attractive. One of the very
first things you gotta get straight in your head is:
clients are attracted to optimists. Clients want to hear
how you persevered through this economy, and that your
business is now stronger as a result. They want you to be a
beacon of hope. Hope is very client attractive.

Here is what I have learned from top 6 and 7 figure income
earners: Great small business marketing means working
smart, not working hard. Savvy business owners love
shortcuts that work, love to use systems, love to delegate,
and they love life. They love people, and use money. Not
the other way around. It's a cruel joke to think that that
money will bring you happiness. Money was never intended to
bring you happiness; money only brings comfort. Getting
those two confused will lead you towards exhaustion.
So...tomorrow morning when you begin this entrepreneurial
gig all over again, I want you to have a happy memory to
indulge in for fifteen minutes. Cherish that memory
throughout the day. And get your butt in gear creating more
of them. Okay? Now let's get going on creating the business
of your dreams.

Here are four steps to help you persevere, increase your
small business creativity, and attract more ideal clients:

* Avoid the "rut thinking" that happens as we get older.
Humans operate 92% on autopilot, and only 8% consciously.
Sadly, those entrepreneurs among us who are suffering
economically have developed a herd mentality. When
presented with a problem, they tend to go with the first
thought that pops into their head because that is what
everyone in their industry is doing.

* Determine what will make you happy. Once you discover
what makes you happy, and for some folks this is going to
take a lot of research by consciously living their life,
then you go for it as if your life depended on it.

* Set aside a time each week to generate ideas, and a
completely different time to evaluate each idea. Don't mix
the two, or you may be killing those ideas before you know
what they might grow up to be.

* Risk being silly. What might be considered silliness when
juxtaposed against the serious job of building a small
business - humor, giving a child piggyback rides, or finger
painting - might actually work to loosen you up in times of
stress. After all, it takes a lot of passion to act silly -
and to create a thriving company where you work less, and
make more money.

----------------------------------------------------
Kim Schott, your Global Client Communication Expert, is the
author of the Keys to Client Communication System™,
the step-by-step, paint by numbers client attraction
program to attract more clients in less time. To receive
your weekly how-to articles on consistantly attracting more
local and global clients in less time, visit
http://www.SchottCulturalConsulting.com

Virtual Assistants Excel in the Publicity and Marketing Niche

Virtual Assistants Excel in the Publicity and Marketing Niche
We all realize how Virtual Assistants have revolutionized
the way we work today. Most businesses now count on their
Virtual Assistant the same as they used to count on their
secretaries, only so much more. VAs are a prized and
respected part of their client's team, and unlike
secretaries, who often were taken for granted, Virtual
Assistants are praised for their professionalism and
skills. Most businesses today can't imagine where they
would be without their VA. And as the potential for
success in a virtual assistant business continues to
explode, so does the need for good Virtual Assistants.

Today's Virtual Assistants need to take pride in their
business and also to learn as much as they can about their
niche, which is the specialty they have chosen to
specialize in. One niche that I highly recommend is to
offer publicity and marketing services to clients. This is
an area that is growing in leaps and bounds as more and
more authors, businesses, and other professionals realize
the need to market their business to get good publicity. A
business can expand tremendously when hiring a Virtual
Assistant to help them spread the word about their products
or services. Also, authors today aren't aware that once
they write a book, that's when the real work begins. They
need to get the word out about their book in order for it
to be successful. That's where a good Publicity Virtual
Assistant comes in.

Publicity and marketing is thrilling to say the least.
There's such a great rush when your client gets recognized
in national magazines, or a TV station wants to do a
segment on them and you helped them achieve this success.
Or better yet, when your efforts start resulting in
substantial increased sales for them. Clients will not
only keep using your services, but also tell others about
this new positive addition they have to their business. And
best yet, you too get to feel that satisfaction as you are
helping them achieve their goals.

One of my most successful tips is learning how to
effectively use any publicity that a client receives.
When clients get national attention in a magazine,
newspaper, or TV Segment, or even on a popular website,
it's important to make sure that everyone is aware of this.
A press release should immediately go out to announce their
accomplishment. This release should be added to their
website and also should go to all their local papers, radio
stations, and TV networks. Media loves to highlight a
success story of their locals, so make sure you get this
out there as soon as you can. And you don't have to wait
for the publicity to happen. If your client lands a major
TV segment, you can start sending this press out beforehand
in order to get more media for when the event happens. You
just want to make sure that the client is fairly confident
the segment will air. Also, don't worry if the segment
gets bumped back, that often happens as breaking news takes
priority. This can almost be a blessing, as then you get
to do more publicity before the airdate.

It's also important to follow-up with the reporters and let
them know how much you appreciate the acceptance of your
quotes for an article. When you go the extra step to show
them your appreciation, they remember you when the next
article comes up and they need help with more expert
advice. Many reporters work for multiple magazines so one
good ally can lead to lots of media exposure. Always keep
your PR hat on. Learn to take any situation and turn it
into good press for your clients and your business as well.
Stay on top of current events and see if you have anything
to offer. Whenever a story hits the press that any of my
clients would have a connection to, I'll send it right
away. Having press releases already prepared for clients
on their business is always a great help. How do you know
about these events? Sign up for Google Alerts under the
topics of interest and then whenever a story is written,
you can follow-up with your press release or article to the
reporter. It works! I also use ProfNet from PRNewswire,
which allows me to get daily leads from major news outlets.
You can also consider PRLeads.

It's also important to learn how to write a good press
release and article and also where to send those. Make
sure that your press releases and articles are newsworthy
and also something that interests the readers. When I
write a release, I always think would I read this release?
Would it interest me? If not, I doubt your target audience
would be reading it either. Plus, be careful to sound too
promotional. You can easily get your message across
without sounding like an ad.

A good publicity virtual assistant can make a big
difference in a business so learn as much as you can to be
the best Publicity VA.

----------------------------------------------------
Diana Ennen is the author of Virtual Assistant - The
Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA and
accompanying Workbook; and Words From Home, Start, Run and
Profit from a Home-Based Word Processing Business.
President of Virtual Word Publishing
http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com and
http://www.virtualassistantstartups.com . Stop by our site
for free booklets and reports on business startups.

Viral Marketing - This Is One Virus You Want Your Marketing to Catch!

Viral Marketing - This Is One Virus You Want Your Marketing to Catch!
Any aware business person today understands that the
internet is playing a continuously growing role in
marketing their business.

There are two questions that this will answer: What does
viral marketing mean? How do you catch this virus?

First, let's discuss the concept of viral marketing. This
is the process of creating a presence on the web in a
number of different methods and in a number of different
venues designed to create a significant number of places on
the web for you to be found. When done consistently and
properly you and your brand will spread like a virus.

So, how do you catch this virus? It is the process of
building an internet presence with a variety of strategies
and tactics that dovetail together to create a mound of
publicity. When these strategies are linked together
properly potential prospects will begin to find you and
resulting in a drive of traffic to your website that can be
beyond your wildest dreams.

The Internet is changing the face of business-to-business
marketing. Traditional marketing requires the business
owner or the salespeople to go out to the marketplace and
find prospects. Some of these methods include cold
calling, direct mail, networking and client referrals.
While these methodologies still work, some better than
others in today's world, there is a tremendous opportunity
to transform a large part of your marketing to include a
retail type component. If you look at your website as your
retail store and the web as your advertising market than
you can create such an environment. Your web strategies
serve as a way to be found by the marketplace and for them
to enter your store which in this case is your website. By
creating a viral marketing strategy it is analogous to a
great traditional advertising campaign that drives flocks
of customers into a traditional retail store.

Let's examine some of the strategies and tactics and see
how they linked together.

1. Your website- this is the cornerstone of your viral
marketing strategy. Once the "store "is entered, you must
have a website that communicates a very clear and concise
message about your business and who you work with so that
prospects can identify whether or not they are in the right
"store."

2. A blog- this is becoming a very key component in a
viral marketing campaign. The reason it is so powerful is
because sites that have continuous content updating will
get attention from the search engines. Your blog is a
tremendous opportunity to continue to build relationship
with your prospect base both on a business and personal
level. Remember, prospects buy from those businesses they
know, like and trust. Showing some of that personal side
is a great way to build on that part of the relationship.

3. Articles- this is one of the strongest and most powerful
ways to go viral. The major purpose of articles both
online and off-line is to establish you as an expert in
your field. If you continuously put out a series of
interesting and meaningful information you will be seen as
an expert and it will drive traffic to your website.

4. Social networking - this is an opportunity to
incorporate many of your tactics into this strategy. You
can connect with potential alliances, prospects directly
and in many cases you can incorporate your blog post and
put up your articles. There are many other opportunities
depending on the social networking site that will allow you
to further establish yourself as an expert. This might
include answering questions pertaining to your area of
expertise or simply providing general information that is
being requested. Depending on the site there are a number
of other opportunities for strategic marketing.

While these are several of the main strategies and tactics
for going viral there are many other avenues that can be
traveled. This can all be overwhelming as it is expanding
every day. My suggestion, is not to try to do all of it at
once but to start with one or two and implement them
completely. It is better to incorporate fewer strategies
but more complete than to do just a little in each. The
reason for this is that the depth and the repetitiveness is
the key to success.

If you implement just a couple of the strategies on a
consistent basis you will see recognizable results in the
increase of your website traffic.

----------------------------------------------------
And are you ready to learn more about how to take action?
Then I would like to offer you free access to my FREE audio
class The 5 Step Marketing Plan Generator. You can get your
instant access at http://www.GuaranteedGS.com/audio.html
From David Eissman and GuaranteedGS.com

High Payoff Results Need a High Payoff Vision

High Payoff Results Need a High Payoff Vision
I sat through a meeting that went nowhere this week.
Everyone on the management team claimed they were there to
identify changes that would improve business profitability
and individual productivity. No one could agree on the
steps that needed to be taken.

I was asked to come observe because the team was making no
headway and had been stalled for months, going around in
the same circles. Because of a simple fundamental breakdown
they spent much of the meeting arguing- there was no
agreement on the business model... and there was no
agreement because the business's Vision was a tangled mess.

How did this happen? This is a business, so how could it
possibly be operating without a clear inspiring Vision?
Poorly!

In businesses, whether solo, small firm or large
corporation, the lack of a Vision results in continuously
wasted resources. I bet you've experience these at some
point: great ideas mixed in with bad ones, lots of busy
work and duplication and people marking time commingled
with focused efforts.

People dream of doing great work!

They're hungry for someone to give them a clear direction
with a Vision they can sink their teeth into. You can't
make a loaf of bread anyone wants to eat if there's chaff
in it... What do I mean by "chaff?" At some point in the
past 10 years I expect you saw a television show or cable
program from a developing country that showed a woman ankle
deep in grain. With a light breeze blowing from behind her
she was systematically scooping up the grain and tossing it
into the air.

Toss the grain in the air and the breeze blows the outer
inedible shell, the chaff, to the side while the weight of
the edible core drops it to the ground. Presto! The makings
of a great pita, or loaf of bread, or strip of pasta. In
developed countries, large machinery does the same thing.
Millions of tons of grain taken from a confused mass of
unfiltered wheat to immediately usable product in a simple,
systematic way.

You'd think that if people had been doing this for
centuries, actually for millennia, that we'd all know how
to apply the principle to other areas of life.

In fact, we don't. Just as that woman sifting the wheat had
to learn how to do that, the same holds true in creating
productive, profitable business efforts. And the starting
point is the same for mega corporations, family owned
businesses, professional service firms, or technology
start-ups.

You can't get people to step up and produce effective
results if your Vision is a mess!

I've seen Vision statements that were 150 words long on
plaques on the wall, listened to business leaders drone on
from the podium as listeners eyes glassed over, and had
CEO's tell me their company was in business, because it was
in business.

Don't get me wrong. The business doors are open, products
and services are being delivered and money is changing
hands. But the employees aren't motivated to do their best
work, management is arguing about whether sales or
accounting set the business direction, and customers can
pick and choose who they want to buy from this month.

Nothing compelling is at the helm - no idea that stirs the
staff's juices, no product or service that keeps customers
loyal, and no touchstone that reminds people wearing
different business hats of the reason they're in a meeting
to solve conflicts and make decisions.

Companies come into existence because at one point in time
there was a customer for a specific solution, and someone
decided to do 'whatever it took' to provide that solution.

And that motivation was a clear compelling Vision.

FedEx established a Vision that packages would be delivered
"absolutely, positively, overnight" and that animated every
activity in the company. Your success demands that you have
a Vision everyone stands for in your organization.

So I'll be working with that client to get a compelling
straightforward Vision that ties their efforts together.
And it's now your turn!

Get the chaff out and create a Vision that aligns and
inspires the efforts of your business! Ask yourself and
your team

"What is the underlying Vision for this organization?"

If you don't hear that people have a clear understanding of
the purpose for the business, you cannot clearly define the
what success will look like for their roles and
responsibilities. Your first order of business is
communicating that Vision clearly.

----------------------------------------------------
© 2008 Linda Feinholz Management expert, consultant,
and coach Linda Feinholz is "Your High Payoff Catalyst" If
you're ready to focus on your High Payoff activities, boost
your professional and personal results and have more fun,
get her FREE audio mini-course "7 Quick & Simple Steps to
Increase Your Focus, Ease Your Effort & Accelerate Your
Results" and the free weekly newsletter The Spark! Visit
http://www.YourHighPayoffCatalyst.com

How to Make a Smooth and Successful Career Shift

How to Make a Smooth and Successful Career Shift
You've gotten bored of your current job, and you've
considered whether or not it's time to move on. You've
weighed the pros and cons. And, ultimately, you've decided
it's time to shift careers.

Now what?

Making a move to a new career can be incredibly exciting,
but it can also be frightening. That's understandable,
since you're leaving stability in order to make a move into
the unknown. But it may be helpful to know that there are
actually some solid steps you can take in order to make
this transition as smooth and as comfortable as possible.
Just follow this three-part formula:

1) Do your research.

Your new career is going to require new skills, new
knowledge, and a strong understanding of a new industry.
Prepare yourself by reading up and doing all the necessary
research on that industry. Read specialty or trade
publications, do some online surfing, contact friends or
colleagues in the field you'll be moving into, and so on.
Utilize all the resources at your disposal in order to
develop a solid base of knowledge for your new career.

2) Bring relevant skills with you.

Even though you're transitioning into a new field and a new
occupation, there is likely to be a lot of overlap. But
many people make the mistake of completely clearing the
slate and not recognizing the places where their old skills
can help them in their new jobs. For example, let's say
you've left your job at a bank to open up your own bakery.
Well, just because your new job is creative, don't let
yourself swing too far over to the artistic side without
bringing along some of your business savvy. Remember that
all jobs require a balance of creativity and
professionalism—you can use your head for numbers to
create a cost-saving budget and invest your profits in wise
ways.

Even if you're making a less dramatic shift—say, from
public relations to advertising—you will still need
to demonstrate to potential employers that being new to the
industry doesn't mean you're starting from scratch. This
idea that skill sets overlap from industry to industry is
an important one to keep in mind as you shift careers
because it will provide a sense of emotional continuity.

3) Don't change everything all at once.

If you quit your job, move to a new city, break up with
your boyfriend or girlfriend, buy a dog, start a new career
and purchase a new home all in the span of a month, you're
setting yourself up for emotional frenzy. Make life easier
for yourself, and make change more palatable, by taking
small steps, and take them one at a time. Try to maintain
as much continuity as you can while making the big change
of shifting careers.

----------------------------------------------------
Ken Anczerewicz is an author and publisher devoted to
providing time & money saving resources designed to help
students of all ages achieve their financial goals. Learn
how to create your own income stream by clicking here now:
http://www.resourceriver.com

Just What is a 'Cubic Zirconia', Anyway?

Just What is a 'Cubic Zirconia', Anyway?
Cubic Zirconia....Are They For 'Real'?

Cubic zirconia, rhinestone, crystal, imitation
diamond...people often use these terms interchangeably, but
do they really know what each item is? Used to refer to
the clear, sparkly, faceted gems often used in the crafting
of sterling silver rings, earrings, necklaces, and
pendants, each of these terms actually refers to a distinct
and unique product. Although each of these gems look
somewhat alike to the untrained eye, cubic zirconia and the
others are all made of different substances, and have very
specific qualities.

Cubic Zirconia, which are widely used today by makers of
sterling silver jewelry, are in fact an imitation, or
synthetic version, of themselves. Unknown to many is the
fact that cubic zirconia are actually genuine gemstones in
their own right. A 'gem', as defined by Websters
Dictionary, is a 'cut, polished, faceted stone...notable
for its beauty, perfection, or rarity'. A natural cubic
zirconia, formed under extreme heat and pressure, over a
long time, from the mineral zirconium dioxide, is all that!
However, as with crystalline carbon (aka diamonds), this
natural process yields up very few genuine cubic zirconia
of any size.

Originally noticed in 1892 in Russia, the very simple cubic
zirconia was deemed irrelevant and unstable for use in
either the scientific realm or for the jewelry trade, and
was thus ignored. This same basic stone was then created,
in a stabilized form, by German scientists in 1930.
Interestingly, in 1937 naturally occuring stable cubic
zirconia were 'discovered' again, although these stones
were tiny and virtually disregarded. Then, in France in
1960 research into manufacturing cubic zirconia began in
earnest. The process of synthesizing zirconium dioxide to
create the cubic zirconia we see in sterling silver rings
and earrings today was finally perfected by Russian
scientists in the early 1970's. This Russian stone was
briefly named a 'fianit', but regardless of its name or
lack therof, by 1980 the commercial production of
manufactured cubic zirconia had reached 50 million carats!
Of course, all these scientists were not working to find an
affordable gem for the jewelry trade, they were seeking a
reliable source of diamond-like stones for use in the laser
and optical applications currently being filled by genuine
diamonds.

Happily for sterling silver jewelry lovers everywhere, this
perfected method of creating Cubic Zirconia does mean that
jewelry designers have an almost unlimited supply of
gemstones, ranging in sizes of .5mm or less to 12mm or
more. The manufactured gems most often seen in sterling
silver rings, earrings, and necklaces today differ only
very slightly from their natural state. The main difference
with stones available to the jewelry trade today is that a
metal oxide stabilizer has often been added to the
zirconuim dioxide during the sythesizing process. The
amount of metal oxide included differs from manufacturer to
manufacturer, dependant on proprietary 'recipes'. The
addition of metal oxide allows producers to customize the
stone by controlling the quality and 'cut-ability'. A good
quality stone, well cut, in a sterling silver setting, will
create an item of jewelry that will rival almost any fine
gemstone for beauty and desirability.

In the jewelry world, cubic zirconia are one of the most
significant imitation stones available. This status may be
due to the versatility of the stone, which can be created
in various colors by the addition of mineral powders during
synthesis. It could also be due to the fact that cubic
zirconia offer a gem that is very like a diamond by all
measurable means (except price!), and therefore offers
limitless possibilities for jewelry makers and those whe
like to wear jewelry, as cubic zirconia are the gem most
often used by designers of sterling silver jewelry. When
compared to crystalline carbon--( not as catchy a name as
'diamond', but let's be scientific here)-- cubic zirconia
stand up fairly well. Check it out....

Crystalline carbon: 10 Moh's rating; .044 dispersion
rating; 2.417 refraction index

Cubic Zirconia: 8.5-9 Moh's rating*; .056-.060 dispersion
rating*; 2.176 refraction index*

* these figures vary slightly due to the 'recipe' used by
the manufacturer.

As you can see, not much variation between commonly
measured values for each stone. But what do the numbers
mean, you ask? Moh's rating is a hardness scale, with 10
being the highest value, all other metals and gems are
measured in Moh's figures. The dispersion rating indicates
the ability of a gem to throw back light from itself, in
this case showing that cubic zirconia have more sparkle
that diamonds. The refraction index measures how well a gem
can 'break' light that passes through it into the various
colors that make up light, and diamonds are slightly better
at this. Also measured in the world of gems is the
'specific gravity', or weight, in carats. Cubic zirconia
are 1.75 times heavier than diamonds, and are also
virtually colorless, unless colored on purpose, whereas
only very few natural diamonds are colorless.

Among the many available diamond look-alikes, cubic
zirconia stand above the rest for quality and durability.
The process of manufacturing synthetic versions of this
gemstone has been perfected over time to create a stone
that is sought after in the jewelry trade, most
particularly by those who make sterling silver rings,
earrings, necklaces or pendants. Cubic zirconia are a
perfect medium in that they measure up very closely to the
'queen' of gems, the diamond, and can also be colored to
make high quality simulations of colored gems such as
sapphires, rubies, and emeralds. The affordable price of
manufactured cubic zirconia makes this beautiful stone
accessible to everyone as well, suggesting that it will
probably continue to enjoy popularity as a gem of choice
for jewelry designers and consumers for years to come!

----------------------------------------------------
This article was written by the noted author using
information gathered from wikipedia, Webster's Dictionary,
and World Book encyclopedia. Written for and originally
published at http://www.silvertreeco.com .

The Five Hidden Secrets of High Performing Teams

The Five Hidden Secrets of High Performing Teams
Have you ever noticed how some teams have the magic touch?
You see their work, and the way they work together and all
you can think is, "Oh, I wish I were on that team instead
of this one." It's hard to put your finger on what exactly
makes them tick, isn't it?

Well, satisfy your curiosity right here and right now. I
have the answer.

The reason you can't see the magic is that it's invisible.
It's not written down in their mission statement and it's
not repeated in the footers of their documents. From
outside the team, you can't see it at all.

Here are the five hidden secrets that separate the great
teams from all the rest:

1. Trust. The team has developed a high level of trust.
This means not only personal trust ("I trust that you are
fundamentally a good person who won't stab me in the back")
but also competency trust ("I trust that you have the
knowledge and abilities to come through for me"). This
level of trust takes time and while it may appear to be
there from the start, it's not.

2. Conflict. Team members are willing to deal with conflict
in a direct, honest, and thoughtful way: not holding things
in, not lashing out, and never using conflict for personal
gain.

3. Feedback. Team members are willing to call each other on
unhelpful, unproductive, or destructive behaviors. They
don't chicken out when it comes to giving and receiving
feedback at the peer level.

4. Commitment. Most team members are committed to success,
even when going through difficult times. They will walk
the talk, as the saying goes, no matter how challenging the
situation.

5. Values. The team has a clear sense of their shared
values. They do not necessarily share all of the same
values, but they do share several core values, which guide
their decision-making and behavior.

How does your team stack up? If you're not close to a 10 on
a scale of 1 to 10 in all five areas, fix it. If it's
beyond repair and the leader is unwilling to face this,
think about finding yourself another team. Life is too
short to be miserable at work. Low performing teams are
miserable teams. High performing teams are happy teams. How
would you rather feel all day?

----------------------------------------------------
Jennifer Selby Long, Founder and Principal of Selby Group,
provides executive coaching and organizational development
services. Jennifer's knack is helping clients navigate the
leadership and organizational challenges triggered by
change and growth. She knows firsthand that great plans
often fail because companies don't take into account the
human factors that come into play when implementing them.
Visit Jennifer at: http://selbygroup.com

Only 1 in 10 Company Founders Survive VC Investment

Only 1 in 10 Company Founders Survive VC Investment
A recent survey by the European Leadership Programme (ELP)
found that only one in ten company founders can expect to
remain in charge of the business they founded following
venture capital (VC) investment.

So what does this mean if you're the company founder and
you're looking for investment? Should you be nervous?

The key is to know your own limitations and make sure you
build a good team around you to compensate for areas where
you are not so strong.

A VC will usually have performed significant investigation
into the management team and especially the founder before
they choose to invest, so you've already passed the first
hurdle once you get investment. The investors want to
believe in you and expect you to live up to their
expectations based on what you've told them and what
they've found out about you from their research. After
you've been through this process it's unlikely you'll be
let go because they don't like the shape of your head or
you've upset the senior partner's wife, although that's not
to be recommended. Ultimately it will be down to your
performance and the performance of the business against the
original plans and forecasts.

So what are the main reasons for removing a founder CEO and
how can you make sure you don't get the chop before you
want it?

1. They don't communicate

Your investor wants to know what's going on, whether it's
good or bad. They don't like surprises, even good ones, as
it implies that you as the CEO didn't know it was coming or
chose not to tell them. And if the news is bad they
definitely want to be notified in advance and hear what
you're going to do about it. Communicate clearly and
frequently and don't hide from bad news, just deliver it
with a well thought out solution.

2. They panic

When you see the founder CEO looking like a deer caught in
the headlights then you know it's time for them to go.
Challenges and problems happen in business and they can be
major. The CEO needs to keep a calm head and take clear,
decisive actions to resolve the issues. Show you're in
command and take firm control of the situation. If you
bury your head in the sand then you'll end up losing it.

3. They don't live up to their promises

It's easy to get carried away when you're raising finance
and promise all sorts of great results but if you can't
deliver on them after the deal then you're liable to get
the boot. Make sure you focus on what you said you would
do, don't get distracted and stick to achieving what you
promised. And be careful what you promise.

4. They make stupid decisions

This often comes back to the absence of a strong team.
Founder CEOs by their nature tend to be strong willed and
opinionated. This can be the key that helps them succeed
in the early stages when it takes persistence and
confidence to start the business. However, if you stop
listening to your fellow directors or your colleagues are
too timid to tell you the truth, then beware. You can
easily end up making decisions that don't work for the
company and everyone around you will just keep nodding and
agreeing until it's too late. Recruit people you can trust
as business partners who will be willing and able to give
you a dose of reality when it's needed. And be willing to
listen to them.

5. They're simply not up to the job

Of course no-one is going to believe this could happen to
them. Again the founder CEO's ego is going to maintain an
unshakeable belief in their ability to do anything and
everything. If the business is going well and you've built
a good team around you, then as long as you're playing a
role that suits (inspirational leader, visionary product
creator, deal maker, lead generator or operational
champion) then there should be no issue about you
remaining. If the business is struggling and you're
obviously out of your depth then be brave enough to accept
and admit it and be humble enough to support the business
by bringing in people who can do the jobs you can't. There
is no room in business to carry people who are not
contributing, so find the best way you can contribute and
continue to bring value to the business.

This can all be summed up by saying, build a great team
with the right skills, communicate with the team and your
investor, lead by example, solve problems with clear
decisive action and listen. Do this and you're far more
likely to keep your job and your company.

----------------------------------------------------
Andy Warren is the Managing Director of Marshall Keen Ltd.
He is a chartered accountant and successful CFO and
entrepreneur with extensive experience in M&A, Corporate
Finance, Business Growth and Exit Strategies. Marshall
Keen http://www.marshallkeen.com provides CFO (Chief
Financial Officer) services to early and mid stage
businesses in the tech sector, and gives the support that
CEOs and investors need to grow their business.

Pinpoint Strengths and Weaknesses Regarding Skills for Dealing with Irresistible Forces

Pinpoint Strengths and Weaknesses Regarding Skills for Dealing with Irresistible Forces
The following techniques can help you pinpoint your
enterprise's strengths and weaknesses regarding the skills,
learning environment, and incentives you need to succeed in
surpassing the future best practice and approaching the
ideal best practice for locating, anticipating, and
adapting to changing irresistible forces.

Create Scenarios to Reveal Your Level of Capability

Most businesses can address three or four scenarios
successfully at the same time. In testing for skills,
learning environment, and incentives, these scenarios can
give you a dry run on the kind of actual changes you may
face in the future.

Using the scenarios will help reveal the strengths and
weaknesses of your current skills and experience. Here are
some ideas for scenarios that will test these factors for
you:

What scenario can you study that will be the most
challenging for your group to adapt to?

Think of this approach as a variation on the Nth-degree
test (looking at extreme forms of irresistible forces). Try
to identify the most recalcitrant aspects of organizational
resistance to change, a particularly knotty irresistible
force.

What scenario can you study that will create the most
potential confusion in implementing a new direction?

Many companies unknowingly select strategies that depend on
a certain business environment, such as the growth of one
channel of distribution at the expense of another. Should
these trends reverse for some reason, a lot of
organizational thinking quickly becomes obsolete.

For example, the old rules of thumb for one part of the
market may be a disaster for the other market segment.
Value-added resellers of computers need a high selling
price on their equipment to make money. Direct sellers of
computers need a low selling price to offset their lower
value-added. If you suddenly choose to compete in both
channels, how do you price your computers and be successful
in both channels? What scenario can you examine
that will be most dangerous to your organization's health
and vitality?

Developing such scenarios is helpful in focusing people's
minds on survival, something that they usually care about.
In that context, concerns will be more realistic about
where to make changes in skill levels and incentives. Such
a scenario could be one whereby your company's reputation
was harmed in some fundamental way such that customers were
inclined to shun your products and services.

What scenario would cost you the largest number of your
critically skilled people?

Many firms suddenly collapse because of the loss of one or
two people. Creating a scenario that causes widespread loss
of skills helps focus attention on the need to back up
those skills in other people, and what may be currently
lacking in the learning environment. For many companies
today, such a circumstance could be triggered by a
continuing collapse of your own stock price while the
stocks of competitors stayed high. Highly capable
executives and technical people would see that they could
earn vastly more money from the same efforts elsewhere.

Copyright 2008 Donald W. Mitchell, All Rights Reserved

----------------------------------------------------
Donald Mitchell is chairman of Mitchell and Company, a
strategy and financial consulting firm in Weston, MA. He is
coauthor of seven books including Adventures of an
Optimist, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise, and The
Ultimate Competitive Advantage. You can find free tips for
accomplishing 20 times more by registering at:
====> http://www.2000percentsolution.com .

Make Concrete Blocks-A Business For You

Make Concrete Blocks-A Business For You
Making concrete blocks is one of the easiest,and most
profitable,business opportunities.You can start in your
garage and make 100 cement blocks per day using hand made
molds.You need very little investment since you make the
molds yourself using plywood and sheet metal.Portland
cement, gravel,sand and water are used to make the
appropriate concrete mix.You hand fill the molds,extract
the blocks and set them out to dry.

Concrete blocks are a basic commodity of the building
trade.They are used to build everything from large
buildings to small backyard barbeques. When you manufacture
cement blocks you can be sure there is always a market for
your product.They do not go out of style like a here
today,gone tomorrow hula hoop.

Transportation of concrete products is expensive due to
their weight and bulk. You do not have this cost in selling
to local customers.You can supply them at a very
competitive price and still make a nice profit.Many
building supply stores have to bring their concrete
products in from distant suppliers which adds substantially
to the cost of the product.You will find them very
receptive to the better price you can give them.

You can start your concrete products business as a part
time project while continuing to work at your job.This
makes it very easy since there is no loss of income while
you build your business from a small start.You can then go
full time when production and profits merit this
move.Working evenings and weekends can be quite profitable
and full time work can earn you a wonderful living.

When you become a full time concrete block maker you will
need more space to store and dry your blocks.You will also
need a concrete block making machine which can turn out
hundreds of blocks per day.Rented business premises will be
necessary to handle the drying racks for your blocks.You
can buy a machine capable of turning out all the blocks you
can sell.It is quite an expensive tool.The less costly way
is to build your own machine.

From available plans you can build an excellent concrete
block making machine from used auto parts,sheet metal and a
few odds and ends.It works as well as any commercial
model.If you can't do the necessary welding a local welding
shop will do it for you at reasonable cost.This fine
machine can turn out 800 concrete blocks per day with
ease.You can build it for a fraction of the cost of a
commecial model.You will probably require a helper to move
the blocks from the machine to the drying racks.An
employee,family member or business partner can do this for
you.

Besides making cement blocks you can manufacture patio
slabs, garden ornaments,garden furniture,bird baths and
many other items. These are very profitable sidelines and
plans are available for all of them. You can also go into
the business of building with concrete blocks and build
everything from garages,sheds and other buildings to small
backyard projects such as compost boxes and barbeques.As
the manufacturer of the concrete products used you will
find this to be very profitable.

Making concrete blocks and other concrete products is a
good way to make a living.You can build,from scratch,a
business which will bring you a wonderful income.Sufficient
in fact to afford the things you can only dream of while
working at most jobs.

----------------------------------------------------
John Mowatt is a freelance writer.Retired from the family
concrete block businees he writes about making concrete
products,including concrete block making.He also writes
about health and fitness related subjects.Get more
information and resources at
http://www.concreteblockmaker.com